[OOC][PLOT][ARC 1] Planning for Season 1 - The Retcon

[Bob Schroeck]

<nod> Still, I have an impulse to at least muse on possible locations. Perhaps some of these 20+ locations are in parts of the world that currently aren't covered by the SIs and OCs so far, if we can find spots that have the necessary economic and political stability.

[robkelk]

spots that have the necessary economic and political stability

Such as practically all of Europe.


Changing gears, I have a question about timing.

On November 23rd, 2016, there was a fire across the street from Appartements Mont-Royal Sud. It was bad enough that at least one business had to relocate. In the Metacontinuity, this is after the portal network was set up and used to get everybody to the Halloween party.

So... Keeping in mind that we still have random displacees showing up singly or in small groups in November 2016, would metahumans showing up through the portal network to help fight the fire be a good idea at this stage of the story? Or are the Heroic Spirits and their Masters in Montreal just going to have to live with the closest pizza place shutting down for a couple of months until they can settle their insurance claim and re-open across the street?

[Bob Schroeck]

I like the idea of a bunch of folks doing their best to help out without violating the Statute of Secrecy giving away too much of what's going on. Maybe we can flesh out something vaguely plotlike tomorrow night.

[robkelk]

After-chat report: We came up with a plotline that not only gives some neglected characters some spotlight time, but also ties up a pre-retcon-vintage loose end.

Now I get to actually write the silly thing.

[Bob Schroeck]

Following up on tonight's planning -- despite some of the story ideas we were bandying about, we currently have Yume Sakura among the Okanoue girls. Unless someone has a reason that she needs to stay, I'd like to remove her from the cast to facilitate those story ideas.

[robkelk]

No objection here.

[robkelk]

While updating the Montreal residence page, I noticed that Seraviel had called it "Building 52"... with the implication that there were 51 buildings purchased by Funtom Property Management before Appartements Mont-Royal Sud.

we only have 30 residences with wiki pages overall, and that includes places that we've established show up after Appartements Mont-Royal Sud. (Or, for that matter, after Academy City as a whole shows up.)

Which means there are plenty of places that we don't know about yet.

I'm not asking for a list of possible residences. I'm just pointing out that there's still plenty of room to add new residences, even on Day 1.

<nod> Still, I have an impulse to at least muse on possible locations. Perhaps some of these 20+ locations are in parts of the world that currently aren't covered by the SIs and OCs so far, if we can find spots that have the necessary economic and political stability.

Looking at the big map, there's nothing marked in South America, Africa, Europe outside of Greece, Ireland, and the UK. or Asia outside of Japan.

[Labster]

Did you mark Isla Nublar?  Apparently it's "120 miles west of Costa Rica" and Wikipedia has a cool fan map.  That's where the one scene in the intr-- I mean, uh, where Chibiusa befriended dinosaurs!  Obviously nothing spoilery here.

[robkelk]

"120 miles west of Costa Rica" leaves a fair bit of wiggle room... so, no, I haven't marked it yet. (It's on the copyright ack list, though.) We can put it where we need it.

[robkelk]

I suspect I'm not the first person to make this typo and associate it with the relevant property.

Since we're going to have a couple of Little Ponies in the post-retcon Metacontinuity, do either of them know any maretial arts?

[Bob Schroeck]

If only they were deer, they might know Jeet Kun Doe...

[Labster]

I’d like to say that I know, but I’m just stallion for time.

[Labster]

Quick weird technical question: I was going to make Ciel a count in Hell, which seemed like a cool idea to keep him at the same rank, and because everyone besides the English use count instead of earl. Including the Ars Goetia, which Kestrel mentioned. But then I got thinking about it and with the Norns and all... is our cosmology a little Norse? Does earl, or even jarl, make more sense? A jarl would be a minor promotion because it also included dukedoms. (I also feel like this is a little crazy to try to comprehend, because how much does the core part of vassalage, legitimacy, actually matter in Hell? I mean, it certainly matters to Ciel because that's who he is, but sheesh.)

[robkelk]

Having multiple sets of ranks that almost correspond to each other would muddy the waters in the Lowerarchy... which I can see some demons accepting as a bonus, especially when dealing with mortals who don't and can't know the difference.

And having earls and jarls (include them both and muddy the waters even more) who aren't included in the Ars Goetia would give Hell a pool of demons that can't be summoned and bound by mortal sorcerers (like Adilicia Lenn Mathers from Rental Magica) because there's no formulae in the Ars Goetia for doing so. I can see the trusted demons - including Ciel - being made earls and jarls, while the less-trustworthy ones - including Hagall - getting the titles that leave them open to be summoned if a sorcerer discovers their names.

Of course, once somebody treats "summoning and binding demons" as a science and works out the first principles, all bets there are off... but how likely is it that somebody like Gil Graham would take up that sort of project?

[Dartz]

Summon a Demon and promise to let it be the father of your firstborn son in exchange for *wish*
Summon a Fairy and promise to give up your firstborn child in exchange for *wish*

Walk off with two wishes, and let them fight it out.

[Labster]

Dartz has a workaround now that abortion is illegal ^

Having multiple sets of ranks that almost correspond to each other would muddy the waters in the Lowerarchy... which I can see some demons accepting as a bonus, especially when dealing with mortals who don't and can't know the difference.

And having earls and jarls (include them both and muddy the waters even more) who aren't included in the Ars Goetia would give Hell a pool of demons that can't be summoned and bound by mortal sorcerers (like Adilicia Lenn Mathers from Rental Magica) because there's no formulae in the Ars Goetia for doing so. I can see the trusted demons - including Ciel - being made earls and jarls, while the less-trustworthy ones - including Hagall - getting the titles that leave them open to be summoned if a sorcerer discovers their names.

Of course, once somebody treats "summoning and binding demons" as a science and works out the first principles, all bets there are off... but how likely is it that somebody like Gil Graham would take up that sort of project?

Of course, it's not exactly like things are in the Ars Goetia, because Hild's title is President.  So there's obviously been some sort of revolution.  A footnote I wrote last night, which set me down this path:

The title given to Hild in the manga is Daimakaichou (大魔界長), which if you take the kanji individually means "great demon world leader".  But it's obviously a pun on kaichou 会長 which simply means "president" crossed with makai 魔界 "hell".  Since we're going to talk about Hell as not being particularly politically stable in this universe (and would you expect it to be stable when Muspelheim and Niflheim are so far apart?), it makes sense for all sorts of titles to be used by leaders and former leaders of the fallen realms.

I'm not sure if it should be something like Grand President, Great President, of High President to represent the 大, which has a lot of translations.  It is definitely not Führer, which is translated as 総統 soutou along with generalissimo and other titles used in place of "tyrant".

... but back to the original question of how Norse our cosmology is: how much is it?

[Labster]

Re the above: I went with Earl and Grand President.

And with that, I have contributed all of the text I had intended to contribute to the first story. I'll keep editing it, though, for polish. There are something like 65 named characters in the story, which is quite a lot. (And some unnamed, like an anonymous guy who wrote Hybrid Theory). I ended up using a lot more extras than everyone else, including a maid, a mechanic, and a raven.

[robkelk]

... but back to the original question of how Norse our cosmology is: how much is it?

I thought we had already answered this on the wiki, but apparently not:

Crossover Cosmology: The setting includes both the Norse Mythology and Ah! My Goddess versions of the Norse cosmology, alongside various spirits from Aztec and Native American Mythology, the three goddesses from Tenchi Muyo!, with guest appearances by gods from Classical Mythology, Egyptian Mythology, and Japanese Mythology. And the kitchen-sink cosmology of Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is pencilled in to appear down the line, too.

We just say that it's there, not how much of it is there.

Something to discuss at the next writers' chat.

---

Re the above: I went with Earl and Grand President.

And with that, I have contributed all of the text I had intended to contribute to the first story.  I'll keep editing it, though, for polish.  There are something like 65 named characters in the story, which is quite a lot.  (And some unnamed, like an anonymous guy who wrote Hybrid Theory).  I ended up using a lot more extras than everyone else, including a maid, a mechanic, and a raven.

Well, co-wrote Hybrid Theory.

* robkelk looks at list

No love for Sailor Venus?

[Labster]

She had a scheduling conflict so Usagi is playing a double role.

[Labster]

So, um, while I rewrote Kestrel’s scene a little bit to put it in third person, I noticed today that Bob’s intro scene is also in first person. And I guess I don’t really care? For some reason Kestrel being in first person was more jarring while Bob’s isn’t. Possibly it’s tone and writing quality, and the structure slowly eases into action. But also, Bob will likely write more things and Kestrel is likely not to, and first person would create more of an expectation of a continuing story.

Kestrel’s also needed help because he never named himself in the story too, I guess. Fine in some contexts, but not in a compilation with this many characters.

[Bob Schroeck]

Should we rename Kestrel's character? (I've no information on him other than a yahoo email address, so I don't know what his real name is. I've just been assuming he's not the same Kestrel as Gregg Sharp, aka Metroanime, aka Greyff, etc.)

[robkelk]

Should we rename Kestrel's character?  (I've no information on him other than a yahoo email address, so I don't know what his real name is.  I've just been assuming he's not the same Kestrel as Gregg Sharp, aka Metroanime, aka Greyff, etc.)

That might be a good idea. At the moment, the building manager list includes Bob, Rob, and Robert... the One-Steve Robert Limit is being stretched something fierce.

[Bob Schroeck]

K.S. Trelle? <grin>

[Labster]

N. T. Hiro Protagonist

[robkelk]

K.S. Trelle?  <grin>

I am reminded of a published story...

Accelerator read [his ID]. "'Axel A. Rayder?' This is bullshit."