Well, now that Venril has died, you know the drill. Ask me any questions you want! Like Damask, I'll probably reveal my identity fairly early on, because in my view these things are more fun when you can ask people questions both in and out of character.
Did you ever think you were gonna get the girl?
(Or, for that matter, did you ever figure out what Venny would've done if he -had- gotten her? He doesn't seem like he'd be too comfortable had he won her heart.)
there were a couple of things that you seemed to kind of leave hanging that i would love some more info on:
1. what was the deal with Revvie's kits smelling like Ven?
2. what was the Baron thinking making a clerk into a horde captain? I did like that he was finally coming into his own in a fight by the end and that you mentioned that it was the first blood he had shed in battle.
I was wondering about the scent thing too. That never really got resolved in-story.
To Damask: No, I didn't really think that Venril was ever going to win Liza, and if he had lived he would have realized this more and more. I was thinking that if I got into the Top 3 they might have a big falling out at some point. The other possibility I though of, and was leaning towards, is that if Venril survived, he and Liza would separate when they each went home. Later, however, Venril, now an advisor to Lord Proklyan or otherwise of higher importance, would have gotten himself assigned to visit Liza's homeland. He would have looked her up there, but would have found himself disillusioned with her.
You're right. I don't think Venril would have ever felt secure at having "won" Liza, because it was basically an immature crush on the part of a stoat who never really got any female attention at home and was suddenly trapped in a finite area with a (despite the scars) fairly attractive female who was obliged to have regular social
contact with him.
Sue:
1. I'm going to leave this alone for a moment to check and see if Revel wants me to sit on this so she can reveal it. If Revel's writer doesn't care/isn't sure how to do it (it's something that Venril would have had an easier time revealing) then I'll tell you.
2. Venril was Baron Proklyan's illegitimate son. Baron Proklyan became a Baron because his three older brothers all killed each other off fighting for the position. Proklyan and his brothers had been close until they started warring for status, and this was not what Proklyan wanted for his own kits, so he chose not to acknowledge any of them at first. This was his way of testing Venril, throwing him into a very dangerous situation unprepared to see if he would sink or swim. He almost swam.
Man, you should like, give us a day or a few hours at least before you come out and say you're dead.
Oh. Umm, I just put up a post called KIA right around the deadline for death posts. I didn't think that was subtle enough to warrant too much of a delay.
If it's any consulation, I didn't vote for you.
Now for the questions...
1. Is there anything in the story that, given a second chance, you would write differently?
2. Have you ever coordinated/participated in a survivor contest before?
3. Are you on FF.net or the RFF?
Some people (and by some people I mean Sycamore (I love you!)) do not get a chance to read the posts right away. Also some people (and by some people I mean Revel (I only have enough love for one person in this post, sorry)) like to post before the death but after voting starts.
So it wasn't a given.
I HAVE QUESTIONS but they will come later.
Quote from: Venril on December 15, 2009, 06:38:17 PM
Oh. Umm, I just put up a post called KIA right around the deadline for death posts. I didn't think that was subtle enough to warrant too much of a delay.
What does KIA mean, Killed In Action?
And what is this mystery deadline for death posts? I was never notified of such a thing.
Jarrtail:
1. One thing that I've wondered about is having a "dark-side path" Venril. Basically, in this version of events, Venril concludes that his number one mission is to get his hordebeasts home. Consequently, despite his personal misgivings about the situation, he allies with Matukhana and goes along with enslaving the Fritterik to build a ship. He is still unhappy with the situation but goes along with it for what he considers to be the greater good. he does try to moderate things a little, but never really objects to the mistreatment of the Fritterik. In this version, Venril would have gained combat experience and confidence fighting the woodlanders, and would have developed a much more antagonistic relationship with Bellona.
Another thing I considered was Venril finding out early that Liza approved of enslaving the Fritterik (assuming he was still opposed to this) and having a big falling out with Liza.
2. This is not the first contest I have been involved with.
3. My name is not on anything on FFN, but I did help to write part of a story series/anthology.
Sycamore: Yes, it does.
Quote from: Sycamore on December 15, 2009, 07:03:01 PM
And what is this mystery deadline for death posts? I was never notified of such a thing.
I never announced it to the audience, but each week I give the eliminated contestant 48 hours from the time I announce the voting results to them to get their death post up.
Quote from: Lady Tara Starblade on December 15, 2009, 10:12:08 PM
I never announced it to the audience, but each week I give the eliminated contestant 48 hours from the time I announce the voting results to them to get their death post up.
We had the same rule in QB-2. We also had a deadline for finishing the story with the threat of the Admins doing it for us if we missed.
Tara's threatened us into finishing the story before she'll reveal the Top 3 placing results.
Okay, Revel says she's okay with me explaining Venny smelling like the kits. Basically, remember how I mentioned that Venny is Baron Proklyan's illegitimate son? Well, another illegitimate son went off conquering for a while. During this time, he ran into Revel. They did boy and girl stoat stuff, and then went their separate ways. Consequently, since this stoat was Venril's half brother, they have enough of a relation for their scents to be fairly similar. I'm not sure whether or not this is scientifically sound mustelidology, but it's something we figured out fairly early on.
Unky Venny! :D
Yes, well now Unky Venny is dead, and it's too late to even name a stoatling after him since they all have names!
Yikker-Vikvichip? Seriously? ;) It translates to "smells like stoat milk". I think the ones Zhipzi named aren't going to really stay named as they are especially as Revel hasn't really figured out how to differentiate between them all.
Quote from: Bellona Littlebrush on December 16, 2009, 12:06:46 AM
Tara's threatened us into finishing the story before she'll reveal the Top 3 placing results.
Aww, I was just gonna spring that on the audience last minute to be ebil. But it's true. Final voting results won't be announced until the last story post goes up. :P
THAT'S what Yikker-Vikvichip means? Wow...yeah, that one really does need to get renamed. How about Venril Jr?
;o;
I hope she's not thinking of renaming little Rath!
Just for fun...
1. Who would Venril's military hero be? (e.g. General Patton, or General Grant, or, if you wanted to be really ambitious, John Sedgwick.)
2. If Venril could kill any woodlander from the books, who would it be?
3. Which contestant from any other contest would make Venril feel the best about himself if he managed to kill them?
Quote from: Venril on December 16, 2009, 01:07:42 AM
THAT'S what Yikker-Vikvichip means? Wow...yeah, that one really does need to get renamed. How about Venril Jr?
It could also mean "smells like wet stoat". Yikker-chip is "the smell of wet" or as Revel remembers it "the smell of rain".
1. When did Venril decide Revel was too crazy for him to be interested in?
2. What was Venril's kithood like? How was he raised with his real father ignoring him?
4. If Venril could pick any female stoat or marten from any other contest, would he choose them over Eliza?
http://redventure.swifthost.net/wiki/index.php5?title=Stoat
p://redventure.swifthost.net/wiki/index.php5?title=Pine_Marten
Quote from: Revel on December 16, 2009, 03:13:15 AM
4. If Venril could pick any female stoat or marten from any other contest, would he choose them over Eliza?
Psht! That's like asking Agammenon to look at Helen Hunt and Helen Reddy and then ask them whether or not he'd still want Helen of Troy. :p
I could see him being totes hot for Anora. She was rather good at attracting unwanted(...?) attention from male stoats. :P
Since nobody has asked the usual questions regarding ID, methinks I will.
1 - Have you partaken in any other survivor contest?
2 - If so, how high did you finish?
3 - What other ROC sites do you frequent?
4 - Do you belong to VI?
5 - Do you have one standard ID on ROC or do you go by multiple names?
I see all your questions, and they are all very good. I don't have time to answer them tonight, and I'll be gone tomorrow for the entire day and night, but the day after tomorrow I should be able to get on for a little bit to answer them after hte last day of finals and move-out are done.
Keep asking. I'll just do a giant answer post when I get back.
So Prokylan's other son is... Bruscus, if I remember correctly? man, that guy was illegitimate child-ing all over the place! I guess it comes with the territory of being a vermin warlord.
Didja submit any other apps besides Venril, or at least toss around any other possible character ideas in your head? If so, were there any that you had higher hopes or more enthusiasm for than Venny or was he always your baby?
No actually, Bruscus isn't the father either. Maybe this is too much of a spoiler? Oh well. :P I researched stoat pregnancy and discovered they have delayed implantion. Revel's mate was gone for over halpf a year before they started growing in her. You can see how this might confuse her about the whole process. :D
Poor Revel needs a reference book to understand her life...who knew that stoats were so complicated?
Finally, back from college!
Cairn:
1. I have been directly involved in two other contests.
2. One of them I placed lower than here, but not much lower. The other is Redscape, which is still in session.
3 and 4. Here and Redscape, pretty much. I do sometimes lurk on the RFF. Contrary to what several people have guessed, I AM NOT on the Vulpine Imperium (yet, I may in fact join soon), and do not go on Terrouge more than once a month or so. I was on Diadem, the Divided Kingdom, on the very off chance that that means anything to any of you.
5. I so far have only one ID, but I am pretty new to active participation in the ROC, so that may or may not change.
Eliza:
1. General Eisenhower. A lot of people don't realize it, but prior to being made the supreme commander of allied forces in Europe, Eisenhower was actually known more for his role as an administrator and training/doctrine expert than as a combat leader. He was not considered a rising star for much of his career, and did not display early on the tactical acumen of, say, MacArthur.
2. I think he would like to kill Lady Amber from Mossflower. This snobby jerkette of a squirrel thought it was fun to bring her whole tribe to shoot a bajillion kazillion arrows into Fortunata, another vermin who was not particularly strong as a fighter, which I think Venril would view as rather bullying.
3.Ooh, this is a hard one...I'm gonna have to go with Desmond. I imagine he would very quickly get on Venril's nerves. Actually, I think Venril would have interesting relationships with the MM cast in general. I can see him falling into the Nallmian/Biara/Saveaux group, but maybe being a little friendlier towards Quincy than Nallmian was.
Revel:
1. I'm not sure there was one single moment as opposed to a process. He probably heard people say she was crazy, and being around her would not exactly refute that. I'd say it probably started around the time the fritterik lodged them together and she started flipping out on him. It probably didn't help when she stole Liza's dress.
2. Venril was apprenticed to be a clerk at an early age. His home life was actually pretty normal. He had two parents, since his father didn't know that Lord Proklyan was his birth father. He sometimes got picked on by other kits, but he was still pretty young when Proklyan brought him to the castle.
Venril was tutored a bit by Proklyan. However, Proklyan only really taught him how to read and write. I think some people thought Venril was much smarter than he actually was. He was literate, but he never really learned much in terms of knowledge or information, and was more of a glorified personal secretary than anything else. He's definitely not as smart or well educated as at least one of my other characters, even though this beast doesn't always act like it. Venril was really just a functionary, and didn't really have any further knowledge or education past what was strictly needed for that.
4, No, I don't think so. The only other female martens I'm familiar with are Biara and Sybil. I think he'd be put off by Sybil's hostility, and I think he'd find Biara intimidating, not to mention that he would probably assume that Nallmian would get angry at him if he showed any interest in her. I think he'd still choose Liza.
Also, a question for you: I have never read anything by Terry Pratchett, and have only a very limited knowledge of him (he wrote Discworld, and a vulgar drinking song about bluebirds, and that's ab out all I know about him) and his works. What about him made people think that he was an inspiration for my writing style early in the contest?
Ah...I'm bad with new faces on the ROC, so this is going to be hard for me to guess. I can start listing off folks involved in RS, but that doesn't seem terribly sporting.X3 So, um...I'll ask fun, yet irrelevant, questions and wait for the big reveal! =D
1. Is Venny a boxers or briefs sort of fellow?
2. Did Venril ever suspect Baron Proklyan was his father, or did he always think his adoptive dad was the real McCoy?
3. If Venny were a crayon, what color would he be?
1. Hmm...not sure about this one.
2. Nobody knew for certain, including Venril's parents, since Venril's parents were already mated when Proklyan came into the picture. In any case, this is one of those cases where even if Venril's father had had his suspicions, he would have had a good reason to not try to find out for sure.
3. Light green..
If you have any further questions before I reveal, post them up now. I'll probably do my reveal tomorrow.
Quote from: Venril on December 19, 2009, 03:06:43 PM
3. Light green..
Especially when Damask is flirting with Liza! ;)
I'd say it's a bit deeper than that at those moments, Liza. ^.-
Quote from: Venril on December 19, 2009, 03:06:43 PM
2. Nobody knew for certain, including Venril's parents, since Venril's parents were already mated when Proklyan came into the picture. In any case, this is one of those cases where even if Venril's father had had his suspicions, he would have had a good reason to not try to find out for sure.
If Venril's parents had the same problem Revel had there would be really no way to tell. :P
Okay, and my true identity is....
Nallmian.
...alright, who isn't headdesking right now yelling "I should've known!"?
I already knew. ;D
Nobody was doing much guessing, so I figured I'd go ahead and do the reveal. But yes, I suppose the male stoat/female pine marten thing probably does seem a bit revealing in hindsight ;D
Anyways, keep asking me any questions you might have.
QuoteBut yes, I suppose the male stoat/female pine marten thing probably does seem a bit revealing in hindsight
That and your enormous blocks of text! :P
Congrats on making it this far, Nallmian. I liked Venril a great deal.
How difficult was it to juggle writing for Redventure with managing Redscape?
Fairly easy, actually. Admining a contest is more work before it starts and during the first week, although I have, by necessity, had to take a more activist approach with Redscape, given the disruptions.
And ah yes, the blocks of text.I think that has improved somewhat, but it's still definitely an issue. I think perhaps it's partially because almost everything I read is nonfiction, where that's not quite as much of an issue, but I'll definitely keep that in mind as something to work on. That and typos.