Question Faolon Discussion

Well I am starting to repost my stories to the forum, although part of me wants to go back and give Faolan a thorough rewrite given that it shows its problems. Still that would be for another time, anyway please tell me what you think.

Ultimately you need to be happy with what you've produced... Having said that I'd prefer you to put some closure on where things were left in Songs of the Compass Roses... I've gotten pretty attached to the other three Roses, and Joan, and want to see what happens with each.

Do you see yourself bringing your versions of the sidhe and other races closer to where Canon stories have been going, bringing the earlier stories more in line with your later more fleshed-out concepts from the start or making other changes?

Yours was one of the later Whateley Fan Fiction sets of stories that I started since I was a bit intimidated by the size and amount that had been written before I got to it. I'm really glad I did since it's one of the most complete and entertaining variants on the world that I've read. Glad to see you still interested and able to work on it.

Nice to see another long running fanfiction saga coming back, one thing people ought to keep in mind when reading this is that this is a high mana version of Whateley. There are more and more powerful mages than we ever see in Canon, and in general it is easier for people to learn magic. This is not in my opinion a bad thing, it is just a difference to keep in mind.

I know, but the way I think of it is that magic users have been around a lot longer than mad scientists and mutants; besides while there are some powerful spell-slingers that you won't see in the canon there are also a lot more minor and mid-range magic users. Anyway to give myself a bit of a cushion I'll be posting a chapter a week until I catch up, hopefully this will give me the time (and the incentive) to finish my current book.

It's been fun re-reading this again... one thing that you might want to fix is the part between Daryl and the Director you're using italics back and forth and seem to leave the italics open from that point through the end of that part of the story. Makes the reading of it a little more difficult.

Thanks for the head's up on the problem, I accidentally used backslash instead of slash.

I missed the "Thrown to the Wolves" title when I read through Faolan 2 previously... it had struck me as odd that it was the only "book" without a title. The rest of them had the title as part of the thread name but that one, on looking back, had it as the description line below it and I must have totally missed it.

Your posting them here got me in the mood to re-read the rest of them again. currently up to Faolan 5. I'm definitely struck by how much forethought you put into some of the scenes I'm running across and seeing where they come back into the story 2 or more "books" later. You must have a heck of a collection of notes.

I can definitely see where you would want to go back and work on the earlier stuff again with some of the changes you've added. It could be tightened-up and revised to better reflect the world that you eventually ended-up with. I can see where you had to edit certain things as it progressed and they were more than they had initially appeared. (Morrigan for example)

One thing that I know was commented on was that you had more powerful mages... I don't see that as having happened, so much as you've fleshed-out the magical ecosystem more than the Canon stories have. In the Canon stories we see a very few powerful mages and some students learning magic. You've added more members and branches to the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom... Which is what I would expect it to have. The Canon stories even allude to that fact whenever they've talked about them. On top of that your variation on the world has The peoples of the five-fold courts much more prevalent and, as such, each has their flavor of magic in the mix as well. Beyond that you've got the Obsidian Circle and the Grey Barrow both of which overlap and extend beyond other magic organizations.

I could go on-and-on but I just wanted to say good job and I'm really appreciating your stories.

After reading the Faolan stories by Insane Hiker in their entirety over a long period of time, imagine the fan's disappointment when the story just ... stops ...and not after anything resembling a conclusion but in mid-cliffhanger. This is a common occurrence for fan fiction. If memory serves, this occurred many months before the fall of the old and much-loved Crustal Hall dot org.

However, the old Crystal Hall fan fiction website was hacked by one or more big meanies and/or poopyheads. Now the Faolan stories are being uploaded onto the new site and could anybody blame a visitor for looking at the Faolan stories the way Charlie Brown looks at the football in Lucy's hands?

Maybe I am completely out of line. What I think happened was Insane Hiker wrote a very, very long story called "Song of the Compass Roses" which was a continuation of the Faolan saga (and considering the number of Faolan stories and their length "saga" seems an appropriate term) and then just ... stopped ...

If Insane Hiker did indeed provide an end to the story known as "Song of the Compass Roses, or if that story was not written by Insane Hiker or if it was not a continuation of the Faolan stories then please forgive me. I do not have access to the old stories since the old website went down.

But if I have the facts straight, then... come on, Insane Hiker! Finish the story and THEN rewrite it. And if I am completely off base, then let me say "Oops, never mind" like Lili Tomlin as the telephone company employee on Saturday Night Live reruns.

Please take into account that I mentioned that I had read all of the Faolan stories. So this letter comes from a place of love.

Horrid wrote: After reading the Faolan stories by Insane Hiker in their entirety over a long period of time, imagine the fan's disappointment when the story just ... stops ...and not after anything resembling a conclusion but in mid-cliffhanger. This is a common occurrence for fan fiction. If memory serves, this occurred many months before the fall of the old and much-loved Crustal Hall dot org.

However, the old Crystal Hall fan fiction website was hacked by one or more big meanies and/or poopyheads. Now the Faolan stories are being uploaded onto the new site and could anybody blame a visitor for looking at the Faolan stories the way Charlie Brown looks at the football in Lucy's hands?

It continues on DeviantArt, but you need a Mature-Accessing Account for some of the posts, like 4-9, and 5-10...

insanehiker.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48

Horrid wrote:
Maybe I am completely out of line. What I think happened was Insane Hiker wrote a very, very long story called "Song of the Compass Roses" which was a continuation of the Faolan saga (and considering the number of Faolan stories and their length "saga" seems an appropriate term) and then just ... stopped ...

If Insane Hiker did indeed provide an end to the story known as "Song of the Compass Roses, or if that story was not written by Insane Hiker or if it was not a continuation of the Faolan stories then please forgive me. I do not have access to the old stories since the old website went down.

But if I have the facts straight, then... come on, Insane Hiker! Finish the story and THEN rewrite it. And if I am completely off base, then let me say "Oops, never mind" like Lili Tomlin as the telephone company employee on Saturday Night Live reruns.

He did stop for a while but has updated Songs a few times since returning... He'd stopped around May of 2014 but posted again in February and May of 2015 (on the old site) and has another update on DeviantArt that I'm sure is just waiting for his current set of posts on this site to catch-up with where it is... After that (according to a recent "New Year's" post on DA) he's sticking with the action in Boston until it wraps-up before getting back to some of the other characters.

ty so much malady ... i know my comment seemed like an angry rant but really i was just sad that i hadn't gotten to finish the story.

ty insane hiker

Part of it was a matter of real life issues, I had been adjusting to a new job and helping my brother with a series of craziness in his life. Actually I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of the month, and if all goes well be out of Boston and back to the other characters by spring.

Insane Hiker wrote: Part of it was a matter of real life issues, I had been adjusting to a new job and helping my brother with a series of craziness in his life. Actually I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of the month, and if all goes well be out of Boston and back to the other characters by spring.

Just thought I'd post a quick heads-up that InsaneHiker DID put up part 16 of One Wild Weekend (Songs of the Compass Roses) on DeviantArt last week. Link

Looks like things are getting hot in Boston.

So, I read the first Faolan piece for the first time ever today. It was exciting and fast-paced, and the imagery was wonderful, very descriptive writing! I did get a little confused with the vast amount of information being given in big chunks, but for the most part I was able to keep up. I really look forward to reading the next part. It could use an edit pass or two, there are some grammar and other errors and some run-on sentences, but nothing that really detracted from the story. It's both pleasant and daunting to read a story with so much already written, but totally worth it!

On to the next one!
--Angie

Thank you, I hope that you will be pleased at what is to come.

So, part 4 seems to be getting into new material, unless my memory is going. I'd always thought of this series as being a bit more magic heavy than regular Whateley, but we are seeing more magic on that side, particularly in Gen2, so it may actually be fitting better than it did the first time you posted the stories.

Overall, well written, solid work and an engaging story.

Yes and no, there is some new material but this is still a story from the old forum. Now I have heard that my take on the Whateley-verse is more magic heavy but I have my reasons for this. Magic use takes numerous forms even in canon and goes all the way back to The Sundering, while mutants are a more modern development, my justification is that the magic has always been there just that until recently practitioners had far more discretion or liked to keep hidden for fear of persecution or potential-rivals.

Question to everyone reading, since I'm posting rewrites of my old stories should I give Sherrie Nicolosi (currently known as Talent-Scout) a different codename. A while back someone suggested Animalia but right now I am open to suggestions, if you have one that you would like please speak up. For those who would like a reminder Sherrie's power is that she can mimic the powers and abilities of any living animal that she has touched since her powers awakened, but only one animal at a time.

Insane Hiker wrote: Question to everyone reading, since I'm posting rewrites of my old stories should I give Sherrie Nicolosi (currently known as Talent-Scout) a different codename. A while back someone suggested Animalia but right now I am open to suggestions, if you have one that you would like please speak up. For those who would like a reminder Sherrie's power is that she can mimic the powers and abilities of any living animal that she has touched since her powers awakened, but only one animal at a time.

Wow... that's a tough one. I was thinking about it and Totem would be a great name if it weren't already taken. You could always use Totem WITH something else like a color before it or another word after... something like Totem Girl or Azure Totem. I think Animalia wouldn't be bad either.

To be honest I'm trying to avoid the whole Legion of Super-Heroes -Lad, -Lass, -Boy, -Girl thing to be honest I kind of feel it shows a lack of creativity when it comes to naming a character. As for just adding another color that sort of implies an association with the existing character. Does anyone else want to chime in- feel free.

Insane Hiker wrote: To be honest I'm trying to avoid the whole Legion of Super-Heroes -Lad, -Lass, -Boy, -Girl thing to be honest I kind of feel it shows a lack of creativity when it comes to naming a character. As for just adding another color that sort of implies an association with the existing character. Does anyone else want to chime in- feel free.

Can't go wrong with Captain Carrot and his amazing zoo crew.

Professor Id has always struck me as the type of character who gives villains a bad name.

Round the sleeping queen of center's throne the four maidens dance,
With the one foot within her realm, and the other within that of their rebirth.

First will come the North a child of the winds who walks cloaked in flame,
Reborn of soul made flesh that Center's Traveler frees from chains girth.

Next will come the West a child of water and ground woven into one,
A commoner and mongrel her path she must find and prove her worth.

Then will come the East a child of love so true from false must be freed,
Born of Heaven and of Dreams the maiden embraces life with glee.

Last will come the South a child of ancient fire who embraces every wind,
Born and reborn under the same sun is the maiden for dark vengeance's berth.

Crafter, Scout, Healer, Squire led to one who has traveled across many lives,
Traveler will give them gifts to sacrifice and rejoin four lands with court of earth.

This Story (Faolan 4) and this section which includes the above prophecy has always been enjoyable... to see stuff start to pull together and get a glimpse of where things are going...

Yeah, not that many seek to give themselves a good name mind you but Id has never been much of one to cater for the approval of others.

I just found a contradiction with canon... (Not really, just a different interpretation from your own...)

Faolan 3 - Part 1 wrote: I popped back into control and did my best to teach what Morrigan taught me. "Unfortunately no, creatures like that are primal elementals they are essentially godlike in power except they don't need worshipers. But call them whatever you want Jöten, Titans, Gygas, Fomor, Nephilim or Daityas they cannot be truly destroyed, you can imprison them if you know how and they need help to fully manifest outside of their normal season but they can still affect the world."

www.crystalhall.wikia.com/wiki/Atlantis_and_the_Five_Fold_Court

Less likely stories claim the gods triumphed completely, sealing away the Old Ones for all time (such as the Greek tales, which mis-identify the Old Ones as “titans”).

I'm surprised at that being missed? But then again, I had to scroll down to find that... And it seems you did find the page, given the references to the Courts here:

Faolan 2 - Part 4 wrote: Flask of Reality - A relic from before the war against the Great Old Ones and crafted by the Artificer using hair of the Sidhe queens, breath of the Dragon Kings, tears of the Triton Lords, blood of the Djinn Princes, and dust from the Daughters of Gaea.

Although, you could claim AU?

***

Seven daughters, Seven continents. Coincidence? I think not?

Although it does say that many Greek tales misidentified Great Old Ones as being Titans it never said that all Titans were Great Old Ones; think of it this way when people get frightened by what they don't understand they tend to paint it as something they do, given the sanity damaging effect of the Great Old Ones human witnesses would likely remember them as something that they could comprehend once they recovered. At least that is my take on things.

Nice explanation! And, obviously, I was wrong. You do not have a contradiction with canon. You just had a different interpretation of canon information than I did.

Sorry for posting so late in the day, I haven't been feeling well today and I almost forgot to post the next chapter entirely.

And the third maiden comes into the world on the forums once more, for those new to the story I'll let you in on a bit of trivia Beatrice Margaret Carson or Bea Carson as she is know around Whateley in my stories was named with input from readers when I was first posting the Pearl of Truth on the original sites message boards. Along that vein I would once again like to ask readers if they would like to submit some ideas for a pending chapter although in this case it is for a pending chapter of my current story.

One of the current story lines takes part in an black market action for items of both the mystic and mundane (albeit rare and/or stolen) nature, if any readers would like to create an item to be auctioned off over the course of said chapter please pm me with the item's name, description, and function/history as well as the preferred opening bid for said item in the story.

In return I'll give the creator (alongside their creation) credit in the chapter notes on both the Deviantart posting and in the message board's notes for that chapter when I post it here, also if you wish it I will also post a link to your Deviantart account to the item's description in the notes. Just remember PM your submissions so as not to spoil the surprise, oh and if I get enough submissions then I'll post up to my favorite ten honorable mentions as well as the names of their creators alongside those that do wind up in the story.

Well as of now all of my completed Whateley stories have been posted, they may look a bit rough but at least they are complete. This also marks the last of the solo Faolan stories, so I will be opening up a new discussion thread for the next series. However if you have any questions or comments about the stories that have already been posted feel free to ask away; who knows it might stir up something for a future story. Also anyone who wants to make use of any characters or settings that I've created feel free to do so just please tell me so that I can know where to look.

Finally read my copy of it! That is, the old forum version. And it's pretty good! Plots in the background, having the Obsidian Circle being the baddest of the bad, all interesting! ... I should look at this forum's version and judge that, though... Unless there haven't been any significant changes?

Honestly there have been dozens of changes, some mechanical, some to line up with changes in canon, while others are to reflect newer characters now that they are more fleshed out. Zhen-yu for example in the newer version is a much different person in the newer version. Also I fleshed the Obsidian Circle out a little more, I also had to clean up a few dangling plot threads that I later pulled because I went in a different direction down the line. Also sorry for the two week break on posts, I was wanting to catch-up on canon stories up until when Songs begins (especially to properly write and integrate Kayda) when RL threw a few dozen wrenches my way; I should have things ironed out by next week.

I have several questions (and a request depending on the answer to one of my questions) First: Is the author of this story still working on it?
Second: is this going to remain Fan Fiction, or will it become canon?
Third: If the author is still working on it (and Compass Roses) Will the author contact me?
Fourth: Is the author interested in having the work proofread?
Fifth: Is there a separate discussion thread for this that I've missed? If so will the admin please move this to the proper thread?

Well, Insane Hiker is still writing, and ge is responding to posts. Here's the discussion threads:

whateleyacademy.net/index.php/forum/proj...409-faolon-discusion
whateleyacademy.net/index.php/forum/proj...ass-roses-discussion

Faolon isn't the end... Although what order to read things, ask on / read the discussions or wait for someone else, 'cause I don't know.

Anne wrote: I have several questions (and a request depending on the answer to one of my questions) First: Is the author of this story still working on it?

I answered this in my reply to you in the other thread re: this series of stories... yes, the author is still working on it and posts updates every so often.
.

Anne wrote: Second: is this going to remain Fan Fiction, or will it become canon?

The rewrites required to make this canon compliant would gut major portions of his stories so I'm gonna say it will remain fanfiction.
.

Anne wrote: Third: If the author is still working on it (and Compass Roses) Will the author contact me?

already replied to them still working on it... you can PM them through this site
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Anne wrote: Fourth: Is the author interested in having the work proofread?

Ask InsaneHiker when you get in contact with him.
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Anne wrote: Fifth: Is there a separate discussion thread for this that I've missed? If so will the admin please move this to the proper thread?

There's a thread for Songs of the Compass Roses which is the current story but I'll move this the original Faolan Discussion thread.

Additionally, I know InsaneHiker has a DeviantArt page that he posts his stories on prior to here... before moving them to this site I believe he cleans them up a bit and then posts them here. It's several installments ahead of this site.

Yeah, what is on my Deviant Art account tends to be rough drafts. Some chapters have even been rearranged for a tighter chronology because I had to iron out some characters to make them more organic.

As for the rename I did that because Faolan was no longer the main character anymore, this way my other characters got a little time to shine in the main story too.

I have several questions (and a request depending on the answer to one of my questions) First: Is the author of this story still working on it?

Yes, I'm still working on my story; I had a bit of a rough patch in RL a while back that sapped my creativity but I'm back now. Unfortunately at the moment writing is taking a back-seat to other matters (such as Grad School), but I am still writing when I have the time and energy.

Second: is this going to remain Fan Fiction, or will it become canon?

Sadly yes, as DanZilla mentioned I'd have to take a chainsaw to my work to make it truly canon compliant so right now I'll just have to settle for trying to make it canon friendly.

Third: If the author is still working on it (and Compass Roses) Will the author contact me?

I'm still working on Compass Roses just not at the speed that I used to work on Faolan.

Fourth: Is the author interested in having the work proofread?

Sure if you're up to doing it, just contact me by PM.