Question Songs of the Compass Roses Discussion

Well I'm finally posting the one story that isn't finished yet, on that note please post any C&C for this and any subsequent works to this thread instead of the Faolan discussion thread. Also from now on I'm only going to be posting every other week, to give me a little room to write new chapters and deal with RL issues, such as my Grad School courses starting next year.

Ok your forgiven ...Every 2 weeks i can live with...Barely!

Do I need to read Faolon before reading this one?

It does help quite a bit. It sets up this story rather nicely.

Well this chapter marked my first major change since the final Crystal Hall forum crash, for those who read this chapter before see if you can spot the difference.

Insane Hiker wrote: Well this chapter marked my first major change since the final Crystal Hall forum crash, for those who read this chapter before see if you can spot the difference.

If major changes are allowed then I wouldn't mind if the Southern Maidem Djinn Form was changed so it's based on a fennec rather than a horse. Maybe it's just my perception being flawed but horses don't really belong to deserts or the other enviroments that were common in the Southern Court territory, while the fennec does.... plus I can't quite wrap my head around the concept of one of the Maidens being horse-faced and a fennec could play well with Faolan and Quickvix's kemomimi status (BTW you should include Miyet in your stories, she's a paladin of Bast, after all), just think about Sharissa's reaction if Paul(a) ends up being assigned to Poe (which would make sense as it would allow the Obsidian Circle to place an agent of sort close to Queen of the West, the Handmaid of the Tao, the Western Maiden and Quickvix, plus she would recive Poe's protection as well).

Also, while I undestand that in the desert wind isn't uncommon I would think that the Southern Maidem should control Fire as well, it is the element associated with her court after all.

Otherself wrote:

Insane Hiker wrote: Well this chapter marked my first major change since the final Crystal Hall forum crash, for those who read this chapter before see if you can spot the difference.

If major changes are allowed then I wouldn't mind if the Southern Maidem Djinn Form was changed so it's based on a fennec rather than a horse. Maybe it's just my perception being flawed but horses don't really belong to deserts or the other enviroments that were common in the Southern Court territory, while the fennec does.... plus I can't quite wrap my head around the concept of one of the Maidens being horse-faced and a fennec could play well with Faolan and Quickvix's kemomimi status (BTW you should include Miyet in your stories, she's a paladin of Bast, after all), just think about Sharissa's reaction if Paul(a) ends up being assigned to Poe (which would make sense as it would allow the Obsidian Circle to place an agent of sort close to Queen of the West, the Handmaid of the Tao, the Western Maiden and Quickvix, plus she would recive Poe's protection as well).

Also, while I undestand that in the desert wind isn't uncommon I would think that the Southern Maidem should control Fire as well, it is the element associated with her court after all.

The major change was

First off while horses aren't native to Egypt they have been in Egypt ever since 1500 BCE when their introduction also lead to Egypt's use of chariot warfare. Most changes from here on will reflect changes in canon stories, for example you will be seeing interactions between Randi and Kayda in future stories especially given Randi's connection to Greyback who served for several centuries as the wolf spirit of the Pawnee.

Also Mistral's head is halfway between human and horse reflecting on her status as a half-djinn (when not using her illusion amulet), as for her element being wind that reason is two-fold. In my version of the setting elemental affinity is to djinn like a caste system, fire djinn are seen as inherent nobility and djinn of solar-fire are part of the line of royal succession. As for wind not being important Set's new alias Khamsin refers a series of sandstorms in the Egyptian desert that can last for months, also Zhen-yu is already a pyrokinetic and this is very central to her character as well as with her destiny as the Northern Maiden.

As for Miyet, to be honest I feel that her character is a mess and most of the time either comes off as a Mary Sue or just poorly written, also given that the only time she ever received the spotlight was her origin story she is very hard for me to grasp- the character just always seemed half thought out to me. Also her power-set was never really defined making it seem that her powers were simply incidental which to me makes for a broken-character, without limitations a character can plow through adversity and you never feel like they are in genuine danger- there was a reason that DC made Superman just as vulnerable to magic as krypotonite.

As for putting Mistral in Poe that is kind of unnecessary, while she lived her whole life as a boy she was never truly male and has no real regrets or problems with her new situation. As for the protection of Poe Mistral was never male to begin with and she is straight making Poe a non-issue, also Erzebet Scratch will be sending her next spy to Whateley during the next school year to apprentice under Ms Nemo.

I thought it long past time that I issue an apology to the Whateley community, a few months ago after announcing that I was making changes to my current story One Wild Weekend, a forum member with the handle of Otherself made some comments that really set me off.

Otherself started suggesting that I make a number of changes to my character Mistral in a manner and tone that made it seem to me that he was telling me what to do with my characters and story. Now I will admit that I have a fair bit of a temper and when someone tells me to make changes in my characters appearances and powers when I put a lot of thought into them and how they relate to the story it set me off. When I lost my tempter I said a number of things in a way that I shouldn't have and I apologize to Otherself and the Whateley community for the way that I did so.

During my tirade I also insulted canon author Heather O'Malley's first character Miyet, while I know that Heather said that she didn't really have any major plans involving the character I shouldn't have made some of the statements about her (Miyet not Heather) that I did. While I stand by my statement that Miyet given her ambiguous power-set is a bit confusing to write, it seems to me that this is more because she was an early character and Heather moved on from her to ones which fit her passion and talent as a writer far better like Bladedancer and Gateway; never the less I apologize as well to Heather for calling Miyet a Mary-Sue.

^ Aww. That's nice!

... Hmm... I'd say that any character that checks off the Complicated or Gender-swap boxes on their application should be in Poe. If they don't need the transformation support, they'd at least be a stabilizing influence?

Maybe I'll consider it but for now I plan to have her in Whitman, here's a potential peek into the future: Whitman Freshman Lounge (Fall 2007)

^ - Mmm. I just meant, like, I'd think that'd be the policy in canon. Your fanfic can have whatever policy you want, of course. *shrugs*

Thanks for the art!

Thank DrunkFu, he drew it and a few others: Faolan & Jane , Aletheia , Zhen-yu Chen , Apparitia, Nightingale & Talentscout Animalia . BTW the trio in the earlier picture with Mistral are Chandra DeFrank and Hodgepodge.

Also on the matter of Mistral being in Poe for canon reasons I thought that there were exceptions, Tool (now Demona) is in Whitman while Seraphim is in Dickinson and both of them were gender-flipped. There is also the matter of Reach who after his accident was transferred to Melville because it was co-ed, which Poe is as well. So I always thought it might be conditional, besides I doubt that Mistral's going to be wanting for emotional support, but I might change my mind later when she officially becomes a student.

Insane Hiker wrote: Also on the matter of Mistral being in Poe for canon reasons I thought that there were exceptions, Tool (now Demona) is in Whitman while Seraphim is in Dickinson and both of them were gender-flipped. There is also the matter of Reach who after his accident was transferred to Melville because it was co-ed, which Poe is as well. So I always thought it might be conditional, besides I doubt that Mistral's going to be wanting for emotional support, but I might change my mind later when she officially becomes a student.

Tool likely didn't out themselves on the form?

Seraphim's enrollment is weird, and we don't know if Lodgeman knew about the genderbend...

Genderbends that happen post-enrollment usually don't go in Poe?

Could make a thread and ask about it... *shrugs*

Malady wrote: Seraphim's enrollment is weird, and we don't know if Lodgeman knew about the genderbend...

Lodgeman specifically knew about Kerry's gender change. From http:/There's an Angel in Dickinson Cottage, Part 1 :

As Lodgeman’s jeep trudged up one of the hills to the cottage atop it, Kerry remembered something. “Mister Lodgeman, there was something that my Mom kept meaning to ask you, but she kept forgetting. The Press knows who I am, and I hear that there are still guys down in Glassboro trying to dig stuff up on me- howcum I haven’t heard anything on the news about the big scandal that the ‘Angel of Hell’s Kitchen’ is really a boy?”

That's pretty much in line with Carson putting Whisper in Whitman Cottage, based on an ad hoc assessment as to how likely it was that she'd be outed.

somewhat off topic or maybe not, I picked up (the other day) a part five from the bottom of the page. It was part of a story that featured Faolan. I keep searching for that name and it sends me to Songs of the Compass Roses, but the part five I got doesn't match this. In the meantime I'm creating a file of this story so I can proofread it. I like it quite a bit and hope to help improve it. So does anyone have any clue what story I picked up part five of?

Here are the first two paragraphs (I want to proofread this one too)

6:15 AM EDT

Oh wonderful, my jailer is awake! Once again I get to be tortured with watching the world from behind her eyes; what I would not give for just a moment's freedom rather than watching my tormentor dangle it in front me by letting me watch what I can never have- just like always. Granted now I get to see a lot more than I used to, it is a little foggy as if it happened a long time ago, but I remember a time when my jailer was a lot more powerful than she is now. Back then she rarely went anywhere unless it was to do terrible things to people or reward them if they amused her, almost as if people were just toys to her.

Now that I think of it, she still treats people as if they are toys to play with, although because of all the power that she has lost the cruel games that she plays on people are a lot more limited. I guess it also does not help that there are girls around this place where we are now that are almost as pretty as her- some even more so; there is also one lady here that is so pretty and powerful that I can feel my jailer burn with envy whenever she's around.

If anyone can direct me to the story by it's proper title I'd much appreciate it. TIA!

I think your supposition that gender bends (flips) that happen after a person arrives don't get sent to Poe is probably true, we know of Reach, and Jobe. You mention another. Sometimes like Tia in Gen two they get sent elsewhere for other reasons. After all we know that Sandra Carter is a flip who never went to Poe, but her identical twin sister/brother is in Poe. But that's 'cause everyone knows Noms is quite off herms rocker what with being bilaterally hermaphroditic... Also Razor Back (probably should have been a Thornie) is in Twain.

Anne wrote: I picked up (the other day) a part five from the bottom of the page. [...] what story I picked up part five of?

Here are the first two paragraphs (I want to proofread this one too)

6:15 AM EDT

Oh wonderful, my jailer is awake! [...]
If anyone can direct me to the story by it's proper title I'd much appreciate it. TIA!

That's Faolan 5

I ran a bit of it through Google with "site:whateleyacademy.net".

so is there a recommended reading order for this?

Anne wrote: so is there a recommended reading order for this?

They're all in the Fabrication lab thread... Here's them all listed.

Faolan: Exorcising that Inner Demon Link

Faolan 2: Thrown to the Wolves Link

Faolan 3: Walking in Darkness Link

Faolan 4: Rites of Passage Link

Walking with Mythical Beasts Link

Spectral Shennanigans Link

An Alp's Lament Link

Faolan 5: The Pearl of Truth Link

and now, of course, the currently working one...

Song of the Compass Roses Link

this last is still a work in progress and gets updated every week or so.

I'm trying to get back to writing the next chapter now that I'm getting the hang of my current semester's course load. Also considering the considerable cast of characters that I've created over the course of my stories would anyone like me to start posting a character sheet thread?- that is if anyone can tell me where the appropriate folder to put it in would be.

Just thought that I'd submit a quick question to my readers on a future story matter: How much trouble will Randi and Bea be in when they get back to Whateley for what went down in Boston? I know that they didn't actively go out seeking a fight, but considering they still put themselves and dozens of other students in harms way- what are the potential consequences of their actions? Should they and the other students who assisted at Boston gain any detention for the fiasco and if so how much?

Well, they did go "off the reservation" so to speak... while not disobeying orders by fighting criminals they DID disobey them... it's not vigilantism but I would say that breaking established protocols and putting themselves and other students in danger would probably get them an equivalent sentence to if they HAD fought villains. (ie. still going into a dangerous situation that they SHOULD have stayed out of)

Alright, a better question might be who else will be getting detention for what happened in Boston?

I'd say anybody that participated in any way is going to get at least a token detention. Then severity of detention will climb depending on how much danger was expected in the role each person volunteered to do. AND how they reacted to the escalating situations and whether they avoided it entirely or charged into it.

They expected to aid in rescue, evacuation and medical. Anything that then put them in danger of bodily harm would count toward a higher punishment. Also whether they put someone else into chance of harm (intentionally or not) like when Aries let Heather and Sherrie go get Dagda's Cauldron instead of him he was inadvertently putting them into danger. Just as Stormwolf and Glorianna allowed them to help rather than get everyone to the evacuation point, moreso him since he made the call but her as well since she didn't countermand him.

I'd expect Randi, Bea, Stormwolf and Glorianna to get the worst punishments and it'll taper down from there...

Assuming Carson even breaks it down and doesn't just give everyone a flat amount.

When the blessed rosary is auctioned off:

"600,000," Don Kulmatz drew the attention of the room drawing the attention of the room even causing Professor Id to drop his smile as he raised his eye-brows.

Everyone in the room was stunned at how high the enigmatic Central-American raised the bidding that no one paid attention to Miss Bliss when she announced, "60 thousand going once, 60 thousand going twice," everyone however heard the gavel being lowered as Miss Bliss proclaimed, "The Rosary of Isobel Caprera is sold to Don Kulmatz for sixty-thousand US dollars, and the amount is now logged and is being withdrawn from your over-seas bank that you listed during registration."

Is that a set of typos, or is Miss Bliss so rattled she sold the item for one-tenth the wining bid (six hundred thousand)?

Typos and thank you for spotting them. When I finished the chapter I want to distinguish the post-intermission items from the pre-intermission items so I decided to make them begin in excess of one-million- then to make that work better I went back and added an extra zero to all of the listings and bids, unfortunately I clearly missed one.

Love to see the story keep getting better and better. However you missed several Instances of Faolen being spelled fallen. With most of them being at the early sections of the story.
Can't wait for the next installment!

Thank you for the heads up but those times were intentional, except for Randi and Bea none of the Maidens know each other yet so you were seeing what Iris thought Randi's codename was at the time. The thing is that Fray mispronounced Randi's codename during the presentation, instead of saying it Fay-O-lan he pronounced it Fa-OW-lan, Iris didn't hear the correct pronunciation until later.

And with the posting of Part 38, all written and posted parts of my Whateley related stories have been posted to the Forum. I am sorry that I have yet to complete Part 39 as this novel is finally drawing to a close, however my current Grad School courses are very time demanding and I have had a difficult time getting to writing this semester. I do have some good news though, most of the heavy assignments for my classes are wrapped up and Part 39 is partially written, if everything goes according to plan I will have it here on schedule. Now if anyone has any speculation on the story so far or would like to post their theories about matters that are still a mystery feel free.

Good update... Now I'm waiting to see what Bea's idea is.

Do you plan on following Walt's story too or sticking with the girls?

Do you plan on following Walt's story too or sticking with the girls?

He'll pop up now and again, I plan on giving him more than a little screen time in the next story. Which hopefully won't take too long as I plan on wrapping up One Wild Weekend in four or five more chapters. I might give him a stand alone store like I did to Quickvix and her friends covering his adventures until fall with the Neon Lights as well as his training with them and the military.

Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, my summer course for grad school was extra demanding this last semester. Anyway I hope to have another update in much sooner, thank you to all those reading my stories for their patience. This book is approaching the end and I hope to have it wrapped up before Christmas.

I enjoyed this last release... it's good to see what's happening/happened to some of the loose ends that have been accumulating.

I hope to have a few more loose ends resolved by the time this is over, but not too many- I have to leave somethings for the future after all.

a good installment... glad to see the DPA man finally caught-up with her.

Yup, and soon you will be learning more about Chandra's abilities thanks to the people at Argonne National Laboratories, and the Arkham Research Consortium, however Sunday isn't over yet so next time we'll take one final peek in on Zhen-yu and Iris before Monday roles around and our stars begin to feel the consequences of their Wild Weekend.

"What is going on now?!?" - Nice Ending... Always good to check in on Iris and Zhen-Yu

You might want to change the [BLOCKQUOTE] tags around the text of Zesiro's scroll to QUOTE. Wrapping an INDENT around the quote would help set it off further,

Thanks and fixed, can't believe that I forgot to check the message banner.

Poor Randi and Bea... Detention's never fun... well, unless you're Chaka... or Jade... okay, sometimes it's fun...

Yeah, Randi's main detention isn't so bad Aquerna and the Academy Ground's Crew aren't likely to go overboard on her, but as for the Exhibition match well that will have to wait for the next major story. Bea though is going to have a hard time of it for a while especially until she is allowed to ditch the wheelchair. This however will be the last chapter focusing on them both, this book (and I mean in a literal sense) is winding down towards the end, but I do have future projects planned once I get caught up on reading more of the original timeline's canon stories.

Nice update... I liked the brief glimpse we got of what Dead Zone's Training Camp is going to be like

Good update... it's nice to see that Iris will be able to meet with some of her family soon. and that Zhen-Yu is getting a better handle on her powers and her mental state.

Nice update... I liked the brief glimpse we got of what Dead Zone's Training Camp is going to be like

Planning on visiting there in a vignette between this story and the next.

Good update... it's nice to see that Iris will be able to meet with some of her family soon.

Thank you, also I have another vignette planned in between now and her trip to Whateley, with both sides of the family meeting one another.

and that Zhen-Yu is getting a better handle on her powers and her mental state.

Yeah Zhen-yu's had it tough, H1 and the MCO made it so that she was a prisoner in her own home, then she was a prisoner of the Merchants, and now Kelsey and Sha Wujing are trying to keep her safe while she heals while understanding that her cave is her lodging and not her prison. She really needed some of her old normal to reconnect with, and now she has an outlet.


Meanwhile I am currently working on the epilogue and I hope that the Xavar scene wasn't too gruesome for those who opened it up.

Wow... great ending to a good installment in your stories... really looking forward to what happens from these last tidbits you laid on us.

Thank you and thanks to everyone with their support and suggestions as I brought this beast into being, while the next major story will be a few chapters it won't be anywhere near this massive and hopefully will take less than a year to finish. In the meantime I have a few short stories planned following my main characters and a few others. Anyway I confess that I need to get a little caught up with some of the original canon stories while I work on the first of the shorts, in the meantime if anyone has anything that they would like to send my way regarding things that I might need to focus on both in the story and my writing in general please feel free to let me know.

An interesting addition to the stories... gives us a bit of a glimpse at where Randi's Head is at after everything that's been happening.

Good to see an occasional rest and vexrelaxation chapter. There were a couple of typos that changed a meaning or two.

"Take a seat Miss Franks, I thought this over and while it was unfair of me to blow up at you yesterday evening you need to understand that what you did concerning my student file was not a violation of my privacy."

Unless Randi's related to Thunderbird, in which case all bets are off.

Besides like a sidhe who lived among both the Vanir and the Dadannians wouldn't know about herd craft and how to brew restorative teas and tinctures.

Herb craft, right? Although there's something to be said about chasing cattle...

Good to see an occasional rest and vexrelaxation chapter. There were a couple of typos that changed a meaning or two.

Thanks for the heads up on the typo

Unless Randi's related to Thunderbird, in which case all bets are off.

No Randi is not related to the Thunderbird.

Sorry for taking so long, RL situations took up a lot of my time and creative juices. I hope to get the next one out a lot sooner than the three months this baby took.

Good update... nice to see how you handled Shelly.

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately the next post will take a while; this semester is very literature heavy for me and involves a lot of group work so the next post may take a little while. I was either thinking about Lulong (formerly Duanzaolong) or Hodgepodge (currently Cadet Magnolia) I could go with either one first as I have a few ideas for each, but I thought that I would let you folks have a little input on which you would prefer to read first.

Either would be good but going by how things were left I think that Hodgepodge's story might be more interesting to me... seeing how bootcamp goes for her.

Thanks for the new update... it was pretty interesting.