[Dragaera] Hawk

[Jonathan Carey, CHRP via Dragaera]

So, in my earlier email, I alluded to a bunch of other things I was
thinking about regarding Hawk.

I'm just gonna dump them all in one place, and any replies can be subject
lined according to the topic they're under if you're interested. Spoilers
below, after the break. C&S and Jokes are not spoilers, though, so feel
free to read those.



1) CRACKS & SHARDS

So, we're aware of the Burn Notice intro, and the harness made of sticky
stuff being velcro.  Here are a couple of others I wanted to bring up:

a) Lord Bristoe-Camfor?  This name is so weird it's gotta be a reference to
something, but to what I'm at a loss. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
might be involved?

b) Len & Nieces is probably a reference.

c) Ball of Yarn Tavern and Music Hall.  I'm going to suggest that Ball of
Yarn = Cats Laughing.

2) JOKES

(apologies if any/all of these just aren't funny.)

a) Five Athyra Wizards walk into a bar.  One of the wizards, seeking to be
clever, tells the bartender, "I'll have whatever you think is the best
drink in the house."  The other 4 wizards, recognizing his cleverness, call
for the same thing.

The bartender brings them back 6 different pints.  "This beer is called
Revenge," he says, "and it's best served cold."

b) A Yendi walks into a bar.  The bartender asks him what he wants, but he
says he needs a bit of time to think about it.  While he's deciding, he
goes over to another patron, and whispers that the highly attractive woman
sitting over there prefers a specific type of drink brewed by the Serioli.
The patron, who's been eyeing the woman for a while, thanks the Yendi,
walks over and orders her a glass of that drink.  A man sitting next to the
woman takes offense, believing that the other patron is making moves on his
woman, and they get into an argument, which quickly escalates into a
fistfight.  In the course of the fight, the Yendi has a drink spilled on
him.  After the two gentleman have been escorted rather firmly from the
bar, the bartender apologizes and offers the Yendi the finest wine in the
house.  The affronted Yendi deigns to accept the offered glass.

c)  How many Vallista does it take to sharpen a sword?
3:  1 to design a new, more efficient light sword and whetstone, 1 to
complete the necessary renovations to the local weapons shops, and 1 more
to build a monument commemorating the event.

d) How many Paarfi readers does it take to sharpen a sword?
2: 1 to swallow some whetstones and another to whom the 1st owes a favour.

e) A Tiassa, a Lyorn, and a Dzur walk into a bar.  The bartender says
"Paarfi, I already told you you've been banned from this establishment!"

f) I'm trying to think of a joke about 2 wizards going into a bar and
ordering Blade Steaks, and having a knife in the place setting between the
two plates, which pre-occupies the wizards.  But I'm also thinking that's a
pretty tough slice.

3) TUKKO/CHAZ, aka, WTF.

(see previous email)




******Here there be Spoilers*****
******Here there be Spoilers*****
******Here there be Spoilers*****
******Here there be Spoilers*****




4) GODSLAYER & ICEFLAME

ie, Gods vs. Empire.  It's far too broad to interpret any but the most
general things into it, but that's never stopped me before.  Obviously the
two are very strong fate forces.  They are either very repellent (such as
with magnetic opposites) or explosive when combined (as with Dynamite and
Fire).  Or perhaps, a little more esoterically, they're two fates that are
so strongly bound together that, to bring them together risks them becoming
TOO close, and so reality reasserts itself--in the same way that Vlad and
LT are one BECAUSE of their individualism.  It's also possible to read into
the fact that LT was apparently the (unintentional) cause of the resulting
event---ie, perhaps the Gods are fated to do something, perhaps a mistake
of some sort, that shakes the very roots of the Empire.  Maybe, in order to
preserve the Empire, Vlad finds he must prevent Verra from manifesting on
this plane...?  Anger alone at what Verra's done to his mind is likely not
going to be sufficient to drive him to his destiny of killing Verra,
so...maybe.

Re: Godslayer--we know it's destined to "cut the diseased flesh out".
Looks like Hawk is one of those boxes being checked off.

5) VLAD'S HEART

Vlad's heart thumping happens too often in the narrative to be merely a
coincidental factor.  I believe they are medically relevant heart
palpitations, probably a symptom of a more serious underlying condition.  I
feel it's relevant, though cold and tactless, to mention Steve's recent
health issues. My apologies for the rudeness, Steve.

6) THE BARRIERS IN VLAD'S HEAD

What exactly are they?  They were set up, I believe, by Verra, but...for
what purpose?  To prevent him from remembering something?  Why?  To keep
him from getting mad? (not likely, because discovering they were there is
getting him angry, though it's fair to say that if this scenario is true,
then whatever they're hiding is going to get Vlad a LOT more mad)  To keep
him, somehow, from his Destiny?  Vlad alludes to the fact that his soul had
a destiny, but that he discarded it, so if it is indeed true that destinies
can be avoided, then I would suggest that Verra is doing whatever she can
to help him to avoid the one wherein he kills her.  And furthermore, being
a Goddess, is not likely to make many mistakes.  Not likely.  Not unable.
On top of that, Godslayer has a tendency to unravel the artifice of the
Gods, so it could be that she is being VERY careful, but that LT just
doesn't give a shit :P

7) DEVERA IN HAWK

Why does she appear when and how she does in Hawk?

8) GOLD/BLACK PHOENIX STONE

Why is Gold/Black Phoenix Stone so damned unheard of in the Empire?  I
mean, yeah, it's rare, but..so are Morganti weapons, and they're all over
the damn place in Hawk.  Presumably someone's figured uot (even before Vlad
showed them) just how useful the two types of stone can be...poor
diplomatic relationship can't explain it, because that's changed (more than
once) over time.  Maybe it's illegal, like Chaos stones, because of just
how disruptive it can be---imagine some shmuck going around "hugging
closets" for fun, ie, breaking enchantments just because they're a teenaged
Orca piece of shit street urchin.  It would be like vandalism, only worse.
Still, Morganti weapons are illegal, and exceptions are made---the bearers
of Great Weapons tend to have the fact that their GWs are Morganti glossed
over by pretty much everyone, including the authorities, except where it
becomes impossible for them to do so.  So maybe there's like, a Champion of
the Empire, similar to the Warlord, who is an exceptional fighter the way
that the Warlord is an exceptional tactician/strategist.  This person would
be responsible for engaging in duels on behalf of the Emperor/Empress of
the time, since it would be COMPLETELY beneath the dignity of the office
(and probably beyond the skill of the incumbent) to respond to personal
insults themselves.   If this office exists, then I suggest, as per the
dictates of Awesome's Razor, that this individual have a combat shield of
some sort that has Gold Phoenix stone embedded in it, and sword/staff/wand
that has a Black Phoenix Stone core or something.  Those would be some of
the best pieces of gear available to someone who didn't have a GW to call
upon...


Regards,

Jon Carey, B.A.(Hon), CHRP