Dragaera

What are the obvious hanging plot hooks?

Jon_Lincicum at stream.com Jon_Lincicum at stream.com
Wed Jun 28 14:07:27 PDT 2006

"Scott Schultz" <scott at cjhunter.com> 
Sent by: dragaera-bounces at dragaera.info
06/28/06 12:34 PM

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"'Dragaera (E-mail)'" <dragaera at dragaera.info>
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Subject
What are the obvious hanging plot hooks?




>What are the currently dangling story hooks?
>
>These come to mind off the top of my head:
>
>* Vlad's lost (pinky)
>
>* Jumping chasms while underestimating the jumping ability of the pursuit
>
>* Savn's homecoming
>
>* A trip to Fenario
>
>* Hiding in a pile of garbage for an entire day
>
>* Far too much potato soup
>
>* Noish-Pa and his current condition
>
>* Cawti's current condition (see _Dzur_)
>
>* The Lavode in training (see _Dzur_)
>
>* Bargaining for the soul of the Necromancer
>
>* Fighting a demon that had taken Blackwand away from Morollan

Minor quibble: Text says Morrolan was fighting a Demon who took his "own 
sword" from him. Blackwand is not named here, and Morrolan may have been 
using a different sword at the time.

Other points it'd be fun to see addressed are:

* The state of Kragar (see _Dzur_?)

* Vlad's first death, where Kiera picked him up out of a gutter, and 
Sethra revivified him

* Vlad's trip to Fenario.

* Being imprisoned outside of the Empire (*before* /Phoenix/, apparently)

* Vlad's inquisition and trial over Tagish... Tadish... Takish... 
Tagichatn, er whatever.

* Impersonating a member of the Imperial Guard

* Finding out about (minor Orca Spolier)

* Setting up Morrolan's security system at Castle Black (He said there was 
a story there, at one point).

Note; I'm not terribly hopeful about any of these that predate the time of 
/Phoenix/, as I'm not sure there's enough space left to tell a compelling 
story within this timeframe. Vlad's years wandering in the woods are 
certainly still in play, however.

>* The Diaspora - That is, the establishment of the Taltos family in
>Adrilankha. Not really a hanging plot hook, but possibly an interesting 
way
>to bridge _Brokedown Palace_ and the Paarfiad into the Vladiad. Something
>(vague references to plagues) drove the exodus of people to leave the 
East
>as refugees rather than invaders that, in turn, brought about the
>establishment of the slums of South Adrilankha. Blackchapel and its 
environs
>as described by Paarfi don't seem to be subject to any particular 
miseries
>that might account for it, nor do Morollan and his followers appear to be
>encounter any such troubles during their own wanderings from East to 
West.
>Maybe an opportunity to tell yet another version of the story of Fenarr 
and
>his horse. *heh*
>
>Actually, would you as a reader want to read a story that featured a
>youngish "Noish-pa" and his struggle to build a home in a strange land?
>Would it spoil your image of Vlad's grandfather as we currently know him?

Noish-Pa was definitely born in Fenario. I have speculated that we may 
have seen him at some point in /Brokedown Palace/. 

Here's what we do know about the Taltos family's emmigration to the land 
of Faerie:

Vlad's father, aunt, and uncle were likely also born in Fenario.

Noish-Pa's wife Ibronka was killed in Adrilankha after the family moved 
there. 

Vlad says at one point that he was born in a small fishing village, 
implying the family moved to Adrilankha after his birth. This may be 
somewhat contradicted by Noish-Pa's descriptions of the Revolt of 221 
(given that this is about the time Vlad was born, and was in South 
Adrilankha), but we have no reliable timetable for this, so it's hard to 
be certain. We also don't know if Vlad was telling the truth about his 
birthplace.

There appears to be room enough for a story here, but I wouldn't want to 
read it unless Steve finds an idea that really tickles his fancy.

Majikjon