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Behind the Magic part 2


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#1 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 22 November 2003 - 03:17 AM

Sorry, had a bit of a problem connecting for some reason. Couldn't get on for more than a few minutes at a time. But here is the second part of my fascinating behind the scenes look at Morbus Cyclometricus. There should only be another two parts unless I decide to add any more.

And Aerie still can't watch any TV. Of course, being avariel she has eyesight much like that of a large bird of preys, so at least ten times better than a humans. TV is usually displayed at about 30 or 25 frames per second depending on your country and/or format which is more than enough to deceive a human being into seeing fluid movement. Aerie OTOH would need TV running at about 250fps before she can make any sense of it. Now there's an interesting fact.

***

Morbus Cyclometricus: Behind the Magic

Part Two


***

Host: Hi and welcome back. We’re taking a look behind the scenes of Morbus Cyclometricus, a story which isn’t afraid to tell you the truth about adventuring. It isn’t all about gratuitous sex and violence you know, although there is a little of that as well.

It’s time now to get to know the stars a little better. Did you know the north star, also called Polaris, is located just half a degree from the north celestial pole which is why other stars appear to revolve around it. Fascinating stuff and proves that science isn’t dull. But back to the story. Central to the cast of characters is the child of Bhaal, Tarant the half-elf from Candlekeep…


***

During the day Tarant goes to Imoen’s room for a chat:

Tarant: Imoen, where is that ring you took?

Imoen: What makes you think I have it?

Tarant: Let’s not go through this again. Just give it to me.

Imoen: Well… maybe Aerie took it? Have you asked her? You know it’s always the person you least suspect.

Tarant: No, Imoen. In real life it is almost always the person you suspect the most. Now are you going to hand it over or am I going to have to lock you in the cupboard again?

Imoen: Oh here… take it. I ask you though, is it a crime to like nice things?

Tarant: It is if you steal them yes. Now get in the cupboard.

Tarant: Well I’m hard but fair I think.


“Can I ask you a question sir?” Aerie asked tactfully since she had no idea how he would react to what she was about to ask. Violence, she naturally assumed, but she just really needed to know the answer since what she had been told made no sense. And the artist in her couldn’t help but be curious about peoples motivations.

“The cliché answer would be that you just have,” Tarant looked at the avariel whose face still resembled a question mark. She certainly had guts anyway, and no doubt what was bothering her was the idea that he might want to have a closer look at them. In fact she was quite safe. A bastard he may be but he didn’t go around executing people who bothered him, if only for all the logistic reasons. “Go ahead,” he sighed.

“Why… why are you always so… unhappy?”

“What do you mean?” Tarant asked having not understood the question. He wasn’t unhappy. True, he wasn’t happy either but that didn’t mean he was unhappy.

“Jaelle says,” Aerie took a gulp of her in order to blurt it out before he started hitting her. “She says that you’re happy being unhappy… she says you think that’s the normal way to be so you get annoyed when you think other people are happy because you can’t understand it. You… you try to make them go away because they’re a threat to your reality… and she said lots of things which I admit I didn’t understand, but… I can’t understand how anyone can live like that… sir.”

Tarant stared straight at her for a moment. He supposed he could see some sense in all that, but… he shook his head. “Jaelle talks far too much.”

Imoen: You know the sad thing is he was actually always a very good little boy. Lots of fun too. I just… can’t explain what happened to him.

Jaheira: He is rude, arrogant, selfish, overbearing, bitter, sarcastic, irritating… I cannot find any fault in him at all.

Jaelle: ‘Oh, look at me! I’m the child of Bhaal. I have a great big destiny foretold by Alaundo’. It’s all just attention seeking if you ask me.

Aerie: He’s very mean to everyone… especially Minsc. I try to get him to stop but… he just tells me I’m cute when I’m angry.

Minsc: He is a very clever man! He tells Minsc all kinds of things that not even Boo knew. Once he told Minsc that really clever evil people always spy on heroes from at least one mile away. So he tells Minsc to go one mile away in disguise to take the evil by surprise… They must have heard Minsc’s mighty boot coming to kick their butt cheeks as they had all fled.

Tarant: Yes, that was a good one wasn’t it.


“Ye'd best 'ave a reason for sitting 'ere friend,” Korgan was getting angry already. “Have ye business to discuss?”

“Actually, I was curious about something,” the half-elf leaned forward. “How is it that you, who have a brain no bigger than my little finger here, are able to generate enough mental energy to keep that mouth and those little limbs moving?”

“I'd take that back if I were ye boy!”

“Though credit where credit is due. That your neck is able to support the weight of a skull that's six inches thick is truly yet another wonder of nature.”

“'Ave ye no idea who I am?!”

“Wait. Aren't you the angriest, drunkest, smelliest, most lecherous and annoying, dumbest and actually the laziest racial stereotype in all of Amn?”

“Yes Edwina, what appears to be the problem? Nothing wrong with the new body I hope. Not experiencing any problems with hormones or penis envy? Well I suppose you’ve always had that… just what the hell do you want?”

“No, I’m sorry Sarevok,” Tarant had his hand on his forehead as if to hold his eyelids open. “Your speeches are always so long, monotonous and ponderously pedantic that we tend to all just fall asleep as soon as they start.”

Sarevok snorted. Truly, this was his brother. He wasn’t afraid of anything. “I said…”

“Just shut up and let someone more interesting have a chance to speak.”

Nalia screwed up her face. “I just think it’s wrong to swap genes around.”

“We already guessed,” Tarant said. “We saw all your family portraits on the way up.”

“Yes you are. You're very sorry. Tell me mage, which do you think is faster. Your spells…or my dagger?” Tarant wasted no time at all in answering the question for her. In the time it took him to say the word 'dagger', the point of one was hovering just a few inches in front of Aerie's eyes.

“Now, what’s your name?” Tarant knelt beside the prone assassin.

“They call me The Shadow!” He said spitting out some blood. Then he found himself spitting a lot more as the half-elf twisted the dagger. “Colin! My name is Colin!”

“See. That’s a perfectly sensible name. Why would you want to change it to something like Shadow?”

“Er, Colin the Barbarian? Have you not heard that story?”

“No.”

“Not very flattering to people whose name is Colin, believe me. I had such a hard time growing up because of that, just constantly teased and bullied because of my name. That’s probably what made me become an assassin you know.”

Imoen: But you know… even though he talks like he’s really mean, the second he thinks no one he knows is looking he’s always doing stuff like helping old ladies to cross the road… in fact just last week me and Aerie followed him when he went out and he’d gone to read stories to children in an orphanage.

Tarant: Who the hell told you that? That’s bloody libel and I’ll sue whoever it was.

Jaelle: Oh, yes he’s really a saint who wishes he was a sinner. A lot of the time it’s just easier to be bad, I guess, and it looks like more fun to some people. But then you have to watch out in case you slide into the habit of making constant monologues about your loneliness and because of that no one wants to be near you anyway. It’s a vicious cycle I understand.

Jaheira: I do not know why I put up with him. Perhaps because he is a good leader, good at planning and fighting anyway. Although he does not seem to believe it is important that any of us know what he is planning.


“I do not understand…” said one puzzled druid but was cut short by his hand cutting through the air.

“It’s not important that you understand,” Tarant said slowly and clearly. “Just do it.”

Aerie: Even though he’s mean he does look after and protect all of us… even me.

“We’ve no problem with you,” the bald man attempted looking Tarant in the eyes but couldn’t match the predators gaze. “It’s that there tree-hugging wench we want,” he pointed to Aerie who shifted a little nervously but stared straight back almost daring them to try something. Jaheira took a few steps so that she was standing next to her, in case she had to hold the avariel back.

“You see,” Tarant played with his collar. “The ‘tree-hugging wench’ works for me. So if you’ve got a problem with her it kinda does mean you have a problem with me. So I’m giving you a chance to take back what you’ve said, before I make you eat steel.”

***

Host: Joining Tarant on his adventures are a number of companions including extra-planar whore, Jaelle Aesir.

***

Tarant: She’s like a… like a sexy school mistress.

Edwin: Yes. Just come here and sit on my face you filthy little whore…

Viconia: Yes, she is attractive, for a human female. But ever so smug and self-satisfied.

Jaelle: Well I’ve never thought seriously about it, but I’m willing to give lesbianism a try if she is.

Jaheira: I like her. She is intelligent if a little easily distracted. But… do we have to talk about Miss Wet Dream?

Jaelle: I’m not really any kind of whore…


Aerie was shocked to see Jaelle bowing to the succubus. And then, unexpectedly for her, the demonic creature smiled and laughed lightly.

“You had great promise Jaelle,” said the winged demon woman. “You would have made a fine sensate… yet you left no word of your departure.”

“I… I’m sorry Madam Grace,” Jaelle responded in a hushed tone. “I… it just wasn’t safe for me to stay. It wouldn’t have been safe for anyone. Besides, I just…”

“Just was impatient?”

“Well… yeah.”

Jaelle: Okay, I was once a kind of whore. But not the kind you think.

Aerie: She does seem very… playful with-with the men around. But she’s nice to everyone.

Jaelle: My mum keeps trying to kill me. She’s very strict.

Aerie: Her parents were pretty evil from what I know.

Tarant: And the reason Jaelle is such a despicably good person is that, in the spirit of teenage rebellion, she decided she was just going to be the opposite of what they were.

Imoen: She’s very smart. Very good at maths and at tinkering with machinery and stuff. Of course… I taught her a lot of what she knows.

Tarant: She is a genius, but she is starting to show some signs of going a bit senile to be honest.

Jaelle: Wait… who are you again?


“You see,” Jaelle held up the steel stick in front of the ogre. “Energy often travels in waves, and magic isn’t really much different. There are peaks and valleys… now, with this, I try to make a wave opposite to yours. That is the peaks will run into the valleys, and with any luck the two waves will cancel each other out.”

“Oh,” the ogre called Aerie furrowed its brow. “I see.”

“I doubt it,” Jaelle smiled amiably. “But it’s very nice of you to try.”

“A chocolate quasit?” Anomen screwed what little of his face could be seen behind the beard. “That sounds revolting.”

Jaelle turned her nose up and away. “You just know nothing at all about confectionary Anomen Delryn,” she stated very matter of factly.

***

Host: And joining them is a very nice fair-haired Vulcan called Aerie.

***

Edwin: Who?

Jaelle: Aerie escaped from a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. It’s very sad… apparently they would tie bands around her wrists and ankles to administer electric shocks if she didn’t hit all the high notes.

Edwin: Well I’ve not heard of her.

I: She’s just over there.

Edwin: Oh. I thought that was Imoen.

Aerie: I can’t complain about life really… well… I can… but I always get bored after a while anyway.

Imoen: She’s very sweet… affectionate, which makes people like my brother very afraid. A little childish, but from what I can tell being a grown up is way over-rated anyway. I’ve never tried it myself, so…


Aerie smiled then flung her arms around Tarant who immediately put his arms defensively and tried to get away. The avariel stepped back.

“I’m very sorry sir,” she giggled. “I was-was just saying thankyou… I wasn’t going to bend your arm and try forcing you to be affectionate.”

Aerie: I get along with most people… that is… well, apart from Jaheira sometimes. We argue a lot and I… I try to make up and she… she says she’s forgotten all about it anyway… but… it’s hard to tell how she really feels.

Jaheira: Never tell her I said this, but… I really like her. I only wish I had been brave enough to tell my old weapons master what I thought of him.

Aerie: That’s very nice. I-I won’t tell her you said, no.

Tarant: She does complain a lot, especially about being underground and she gets tired walking up a flight of stairs. She does keep this place tidy though.

Minsc: Aerie! She is Minsc’s witch. And very brave and very wise. Anyone who says bad things of her will receive Minsc’s boot printed across their back.

Aerie: I know Minsc seems to think the world of me, but I’m really not very wise.

Imoen: Aw, come on. You know in this book it says the only true wisdom is in knowing that one knows nothing.

Aerie: That just… that just sounds like the sort of thing you would tell an idiot in order to cheer one up.

Jaelle: She’s mostly just hard on herself. She’s not a lot of confidence in herself, has very little self-esteem. But actually she is very bright and capable.


Jaheira peered over the rocks. There were just too many orcs for them to attack head on. Damn, where was Tarant when you needed a good plan.

“Jah-Jaheira?” Aerie spoke up.

“What is it child?” The druid snapped, not pleased about being distracted.

“If you… if you all wait here, behind these rocks,” the avariel began carefully. “I think I can make it to the other side of the cave without being seen… I mean, I’ll be invisible… since they don’t know we’re here the shamans probably won’t be looking will they?”

“No. Of course not. Then what?” Jaheira asked becoming quite interested given that she had no thoughts of her own. She didn’t want to give away though.

“I could… cast some spells and maybe they’ll panic and run in all directions, then you can… you should be able to just… cut them down very easily. I think.”

“But your spells probably will not have an affect on all of them,” Jaheira told her.

“Even if it courses just a few of them to panic I think the others will be confused,” Aerie said, her confidence seemed to have risen just a little. “May I try?”

Jaheira looked into the elf’s eyes and saw the determination in them. She had no intention of turning around. The druid nodded and the avariel prepared to cast invisibility.

“Listen child,” Jaheira said. The elf looked at her curiously. “Do be careful.”

Imoen: There’s nothing bad I can really say about her to be honest.

Jaelle: A lot of seriously crappy stuff has happened to her. There’s a lot of unhappiness, confusion, and of course there is anger inside. She’s had to develop very efficient defense mechanisms to survive though, so mostly this gets channelled elsewhere… you’ll notice there isn’t a speck of dust around this place.

Imoen: I’ve never seen her really angry about that, but… she does seem to pick more fights than anyone else I know. Even Tarant. Weird.

Aerie: Mostly I just… get beaten up a lot. You’d think I’d have learned by now… but, obviously I must be stupid. Just whenever people are cruel to someone or trying to hurt one of my friends I just… I just have to try and stop them even if it means I end up badly hurt.


What was wrong with this Nalia? Had she never seen a bully before? Aerie bit her lip while her body began to tremble until after a few seconds she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Leave her alone!” The avariel shouted. The eyes of the three assailants swivelled on her. They had ignored her up until this point since she didn’t appear to be carrying anything valuable. Aerie shifted a little but stood her ground. “Why don’t you… pick on someone your own size?” The diminutive elf asked.

The butler’s eyes pleaded with Aerie to just walk away… he’d seen this sort of thing happen before and he knew both the Lord and Lady were master swordsmen. She ignored him though, and stared hard back at the noble-woman.

“Ma’am,” the avariel said. “I… I think you look like you were sculpted to go on the bough of a ship.”

“Pl-please stop,” Imoen whimpered. “I… just can’t take any more…”

Bhaal laughed. “I’ll brook no other pretenders to my throne. There can be only one,” he was ready to finish her when he caught a flash from the corner of his eye and instantly reacted to block. A stream of magic missiles smashed into his armour and forced him to retreat a few steps.

He was surprised to see Aerie, battered and bruised but evidently still alive. “L-let her go,” she said, her voice shaking.

“Sorry sis,” Bhaal winked at the trembling Imoen. “I have a little problem to take care of, but it’ll only take a minute. Promise you won’t go anywhere.”

“How sweet,” Invidaea said. “It’s like a well trained little puppy trying to protect its masters. Perhaps I shall make her beg.”

Aerie attempted to bolt straight for her but was held back by Tarant.

“Don’t try anything heroic,” he whispered. “There are far better ways.”

“How old would you say?” She thrust her face into Aerie’s still grinning wildly. “Go on. Have a guess.”

Aerie didn’t want to. She didn’t believe she would be good at guessing a human’s age anyway, but the woman kept insisting so answered as best she could. “Oh, er… for-forty five?”

The smile instantly turned straight around. “Bitch!” she spat.

***

Host: Hehe. Well, we have to take another short break while shameless hucksters try to sell you things, then we’ll be back with more insight into some of the other characters. See you there.

#2 Guest_Maidros_*

Posted 27 November 2003 - 02:09 PM

Sorry, had a bit of a problem connecting for some reason. Couldn't get on for more than a few minutes at a time. But here is the second part of my fascinating behind the scenes look at Morbus Cyclometricus. There should only be another two parts unless I decide to add any more.

And Aerie still can't watch any TV. Of course, being avariel she has eyesight much like that of a large bird of preys, so at least ten times better than a humans. TV is usually displayed at about 30 or 25 frames per second depending on your country and/or format which is more than enough to deceive a human being into seeing fluid movement. Aerie OTOH would need TV running at about 250fps before she can make any sense of it. Now there's an interesting fact.


Hello Coutelier,
Nice to see another part of the 'Behind the magic'. By the way, are you sure the better eyesight translates directly into higher sampling rate in birds of prey? My research area is sampling theory and frames, with possible implications for computer vision, so I wondered if you were sure about the higher sampling rate required for birds of prey.


Host: Hi and welcome back. We’re taking a look behind the scenes of Morbus Cyclometricus, a story which isn’t afraid to tell you the truth about adventuring. It isn’t all about gratuitous sex and violence you know, although there is a little of that as well.


Nothing sells without those two these days.

Tarant: Imoen, where is that ring you took?

Imoen: What makes you think I have it?

Tarant: Let’s not go through this again. Just give it to me.

Imoen: Well… maybe Aerie took it? Have you asked her? You know it’s always the person you least suspect.


This sounds like an Agatha Christie novel. The one least suspected has to be suspected. But Imoen is one that would come up with that kind of dialogue so the speech is very natural for Imoen.

Tarant: No, Imoen. In real life it is almost always the person you suspect the most. Now are you going to hand it over or am I going to have to lock you in the cupboard again?

Imoen: Oh here… take it. I ask you though, is it a crime to like nice things?

Tarant: It is if you steal them yes. Now get in the cupboard.


Well, he never broke his word did he? He did not promise her that he would not lock her in the cupboard if she did hand over the ring.

“Why… why are you always so… unhappy?”

“What do you mean?” Tarant asked having not understood the question. He wasn’t unhappy. True, he wasn’t happy either but that didn’t mean he was unhappy.


Now that is a personal question and I wonder if she or anyone has the right to ask such a thing. He might tell her so.

Imoen: You know the sad thing is he was actually always a very good little boy. Lots of fun too. I just… can’t explain what happened to him.

Jaheira: He is rude, arrogant, selfish, overbearing, bitter, sarcastic, irritating… I cannot find any fault in him at all.


Now that was a classic. What is a fault then?

“Ye'd best 'ave a reason for sitting 'ere friend,” Korgan was getting angry already. “Have ye business to discuss?”

“Actually, I was curious about something,” the half-elf leaned forward. “How is it that you, who have a brain no bigger than my little finger here, are able to generate enough mental energy to keep that mouth and those little limbs moving?”

“I'd take that back if I were ye boy!”

“Though credit where credit is due. That your neck is able to support the weight of a skull that's six inches thick is truly yet another wonder of nature.”

“'Ave ye no idea who I am?!”

“Wait. Aren't you the angriest, drunkest, smelliest, most lecherous and annoying, dumbest and actually the laziest racial stereotype in all of Amn?”


Well, he does not invite trouble half way. Talk about diplomacy.

“Now, what’s your name?” Tarant knelt beside the prone assassin.

“They call me The Shadow!” He said spitting out some blood. Then he found himself spitting a lot more as the half-elf twisted the dagger. “Colin! My name is Colin!”

“See. That’s a perfectly sensible name. Why would you want to change it to something like Shadow?”

“Er, Colin the Barbarian? Have you not heard that story?”

“No.”

“Not very flattering to people whose name is Colin, believe me. I had such a hard time growing up because of that, just constantly teased and bullied because of my name. That’s probably what made me become an assassin you know.”

[b]Imoen: But you know… even though he talks like he’s really mean, the second he thinks no one he knows is looking he’s always doing stuff like helping old ladies to cross the road… in fact just last week me and Aerie followed him when he went out and he’d gone to read stories to children in an orphanage.


Very convenient.

Jaheira: I do not know why I put up with him. Perhaps because he is a good leader, good at planning and fighting anyway. Although he does not seem to believe it is important that any of us know what he is planning.

“I do not understand…” said one puzzled druid but was cut short by his hand cutting through the air.

“It’s not important that you understand,” Tarant said slowly and clearly. “Just do it.”


It is very wise of a leader to be incomprehensible.

[b]Host: Hehe. Well, we have to take another short break while shameless hucksters try to sell you things, then we’ll be back with more insight into some of the other characters. See you there.


Interesting insight into the characters.
Regards,
Maidros

#3 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 27 November 2003 - 02:41 PM

Hello Coutelier,
Nice to see another part of the 'Behind the magic'. By the way, are you sure the better eyesight translates directly into higher sampling rate in birds of prey? My research area is sampling theory and frames, with possible implications for computer vision, so I wondered if you were sure about the higher sampling rate required for birds of prey.


I'm not, no. This information came to me from someone who was researching something for television, so being the trusting person I am I just assumed they would have spoken to someone at a university or some place where they do that kind of research.


[b]Host: Hi and welcome back. We’re taking a look behind the scenes of Morbus Cyclometricus, a story which isn’t afraid to tell you the truth about adventuring. It isn’t all about gratuitous sex and violence you know, although there is a little of that as well.


Nothing sells without those two these days.


Well its unavoidable in this kind of story anyway I think. Being adventurer's they are bound to come into contact with people who do just use violence to get their way. And then a lot of adrenaline and testerone builds which leads on to other things...


“Why… why are you always so… unhappy?”

“What do you mean?” Tarant asked having not understood the question. He wasn’t unhappy. True, he wasn’t happy either but that didn’t mean he was unhappy.


Now that is a personal question and I wonder if she or anyone has the right to ask such a thing. He might tell her so.


He doesn't mind so long as she accepts that he doesn't have to answer. And Aerie obviously doesn't really want to hurt his feelings, she just wants to know about him. And since they do adventure together and well, practically live with each other I think it is okay for them to ask some questions so that they might learn to trust each other.

People often ask me why I look unhappy, even if I don't think I do. Normally I just take it as meaning that they care about my well-being. Okay, I don't always, but when I'm rational I do.


[b]Imoen: You know the sad thing is he was actually always a very good little boy. Lots of fun too. I just… can’t explain what happened to him.

Jaheira: He is rude, arrogant, selfish, overbearing, bitter, sarcastic, irritating… I cannot find any fault in him at all.


Now that was a classic. What is a fault then?


Jaheira has a very dry wit I think. She knows that she herself is guilty of at least some of these things so obviously they can't be faults.

Well, he does not invite trouble half way. Talk about diplomacy.


He's very confrontational. Usually best just to ignore him.

It is very wise of a leader to be incomprehensible.


Trouble is most of the time he just thinks he's in control of the situation and if anyone else gets caught in the crossfire that's their problem.

Interesting insight into the characters.


Thank you.




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