Thanks for the list,
Aman! I love lists. One thing before I dive in: What under heaven is an "NPC"?
I know no more than you about whether Maika will return. I am half expecting her to at least check in before we're done, though. She's dropped out for a while before, but each time she's come back.
Avershire: He's a good, interesting character. She's created a lot of background with his corsair "roots," if you will. If we were to end him, I think there would have to be some sort of resolution. Re-instatement in Gondor's navy, for example, would be particularly appropriate. So let's keep him.
Loliway: I, too, enjoyed her conflict with Calnan very much; it was a lot of fun to write for. Maika had suggested that Calnan come to her rescue when she gets in a spot, thereby putting the guilt on her, since she'd effectively left him and Devon in the lurch. But I like your suggestion that
she saves
him, demonstrating her attitude change instead of leading to it. Then we wouldn't have to deal with her emotional turmoil after the fact, either. If she were to die: First, that'd be pretty tough on Avershire, and we'd have to deal with his reaction (and for such a multi-faceted character that'd be difficult, I think). Second, Calnan really wouldn't be the one with the guilt; I'd indicated that he'd pretty much forgiven her already. She was the one who couldn't stop thinking about it. So then, let's keep her too, and I can put the saving bit into the raid (that I'm in the middle of writing right now).
Sedal: By all means, injure the surgeon.
I don't think losing an arm is the best way to do it, though. If it's actually torn off in the wreck, he'd inevitably bleed to death in a few minutes. My medical knowledge is sketchy, but I'm sure that to have any chance at all he'd need an
immediate tourniquet. That requires both someone to apply it and the opportunity to do so properly. In a combined storm and fight, that's not real likely. Plus there's the effect of hypothermia on a man weakened by severe blood loss. I just don't think he'd survive such a wound. Now, after all that, I'm at a bit of a loss about what other injury he could actually sustain. He could certainly break something, I think, so long as it's not compound (def: bone breaking the skin). We could even deal with a broken leg if we need to, and that's a pretty severe injury. Sorry for the long-winded explanations; any thoughts?
Luc: I could never find a bio for him, although he appeared quite a bit in your posts, so I used him only a little. Your reasoning for axing him is very good, so let's do it. Please post Callath's gruesome discovery at your pleasure.
Yulman: Actually, I think he would've died even before the capture. I looked up your post, and in it he lost his right eye and broke his left leg. Broken legs, especially in the, um, period at which we're setting this, are pretty serious, and I don't think there's any way he could have lasted through the two fights we had after that, even if he could've struggled upright. So I think he's already dead.
Packs: For the surrender post I wrote, I chose him as the seaman who bandaged up Calnan's head. Later in that post he gets spitted by a corsair. So he's already dead too.
Blake: I remember him being mentioned, but that's about it. And since the helm is so exposed, it's most likely he's already gone too. Wow, a real killing spree we seem to be on, ain't it!
Frenchy: Maika indirectly killed Frenchy in the first battle. See her post on March 13, in Devon's conversation with Callath. Marx becomes third mate since Frenchy was killed.
Portie: Yup, never mentioned. Bye-bye!
Rilgari: Sure, let's keep him. And technically, it's more likely that someone young and strong like him would survive being shipwrecked. Keep him, by all means, and especially since I've scratched off, let's see, 6 characters in a row!
Borger: He's working the catapults with Rilgari in the first battle, and it doesn't look like I mentioned him. (Thank heaven for the "Find" button on my toolbar!) I don't see any need for him, and if he was a mate of Rilgari's, that might faciliate a new friendship between he and Callath. They'll both have lost a friend.
Orda: I'd hate to lose Orda, too. Maybe he can be the one who sticks by Sedal when he's hurt? Like Ben-Hur and Quintus Arrius - keeping the injured guy above the water.
For one you didn't mention:
Talon: old and balding, fiery and rude, very superstitious. He, as second mate, led a boarding party onto the
Regal Dawn (second battle), but he's not mentioned after that. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have another seasoned fighter on our side. Tentative keeper? I'll check when I total things up below.
Okay, this is 13 characters. Add Devon, Callath, Calnan, and Telson; that's 17. Take away Frenchy, who died early; that's 16. We can have only about 12 who survived to be captured.
For survivors: Devon, Callath, Calnan, Telson, Avershire, Loliway, Sedal, Rilgari, and Orda = 9. Add Talon, and that's 10. That's a phenomenal survival ratio for a group of wounded prisoners shipwrecked at sea and cast ashore! If it's all right, then, let's keep just the 9 and I'll change my post to say that we had about 20 Gondorians imprisoned. How will that do? I'll make a list for reference, and if there are more suggestions I'll edit them in:
Gondorian Survivors
Devon
Callath
Calnan
Telson
Avershire
Loliway
Sedal - seriously wounded
Rilgari
Orda
Rakein
Gondorians Lost at Sea or Previously Dead
Marx
Luc
Yulman
Packs
Blake
Frenchy
Portie
Borger
Talon
One last thing before I get back to my post - writing it, that is (ah! these nautical/military metaphors!): Now that the
North Wind is gone, and especially since we're no longer at sea, Avershire is
not the Gondorian leader. Technically he's only a volunteer, he and all the crew, including Loliway. We could very easily have some conflict with that, since I think it's perfectly in character for him to assume command.
Aman, you hinted at that very well in your post, indicating how Callath realizes the difference between being at sea and being on the land.
The logical thing is for Devon to reassert his leadership. But I'm having difficulty with this: First, he's only 17. Not to run down 17-year-olds, but he definitely lacks experience in leading a desperate campaign like this. Also, I'm not sure the rest, at least those of the ship's company, would feel a lot of confidence in his leadership. On the other hand, it was his enthusiasm and determination to oppose Doran that got this resistance movement going in the first place. Second, he's been wounded, not terribly, but seriously enough, and in a way that has handicapped his fighting ability. It seems that he's recovered a bit, as Maika's post of April 19 indicates, but he was feeling pretty emotionally upset at partially losing the use of his arm. How unnerving would that be for a teenager? Could he pull himself together in time to lead an effective last-ditch defense against the corsairs on the island? Third, Devon's creator is not writing for him! How hard would it be to not merely carry his character, but all of us in concert consistently write him as a leader?
Avershire may instinctively assume command, but he's a seaman, first and last. May I venture to say that Calnan, growing up in Ithilien, as the son of a Ranger, probably knows the most about skirmishing on land? I know Telson has seen military service, but not guerrilla type. From his bio, it seems that although he's a fighter, he's not voluntarily a leader of men. Not that Calnan does that either, I think, but he's good at seeing the best course and stepping up to take charge if no one else is.
So, IF it's ok with all of you, I think I'm going to write how Calnan ends up taking charge. It'll be unobtrusive, I think, although he'll need to at least show Avershire where his authority ends. I'm not going to wait for feedback, because time is now of the essence - I don't want to get run over by "Papa Doran." (
Himaran, where did THAT come from?!) But I promise to heed all comments and make any necessary changes.
Here are the issues that I'd appreciate any feedback on:
* How Loliway and Calnan are reconciled
* Devon's attitude / state of mind / physical condition
* Nature of Sedal's wound
* Calnan taking charge
Profuse apologies for the length of this post. I guess I had a lot to say, although I didn't know it when I started! Carry on!
~ Nuranar