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terror-of-time [2020-06-27 02:26] – pinkgothicterror-of-time [2024-12-30 04:27] (current) – pinkgothic
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-When the author of //[[:A Thread Between The Stars]]// was around ten years old, she started writing books in the kraiaKy universe in a series she called //Terror of Time//. This universe was much more of a patchwork of ideas back when she first made it, and it took until 2015 (when she was thirty) for her to seriously attempt reconstructing it.+When the author of //[[:A Thread Between The Stars]]// was around ten years old, ve started writing books in the kraiaKy universe in a series ve called //Terror of Time//. This universe was much more of a patchwork of ideas back when ve first made it, and it took until 2015 (when ve was thirty) for ver to seriously attempt reconstructing it.
  
 This page exists less as a means to chronicle the stories of //Terror of Time// as it does to detail the changes made to the setting over the course of its radical reimagining. This page exists less as a means to chronicle the stories of //Terror of Time// as it does to detail the changes made to the setting over the course of its radical reimagining.
  
-(The author mostly regrets the names she used to use. She rightly assumed they weren't important for the story, but underestimated how distracting bad names are to adult human beings.)+(The author mostly regrets the names ve used to use. Ve rightly assumed they weren't important for the story, but underestimated how distracting bad names are to adult human beings.)
  
-<fc #ff0000>**Warning**: Unmarked spoilers ahead.</fc>+<color #ff0000>**Warning**: Unmarked spoilers ahead.</color>
  
 ---- ----
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 ===== Planets and places ===== ===== Planets and places =====
  
-Nekenalos used to be called Lossos. The "los" in "Nekenalos" has the exact same etymological basis as "Lossos" - //Lossos// essentially just means //planet//. Enough people assumed the author was trying to make a point with the English word 'loss' that she decided to put an end to that, though.+Nekenalos used to be called Lossos. The "los" in "Nekenalos" has the exact same etymological basis as "Lossos" - //Lossos// essentially just means //planet//. Enough people assumed the author was trying to make a point with the English word 'loss' that ve decided to put an end to that, though.
  
-Lossos originally had three continents: Cetaros, Sefusaris and Anacondas. They correspond, to some degree, to the largest continents on Nekenalos today: Cetaros, Sefusa and Asheenagiji. You can tell from the replacement names which names the author found tolerable and which names she wanted to set on fire. (It's worth noting that 'Anacondas' is pronounced 'A-na-con-**dass**' and not 'A-na-**con**-dahs' like the plural of the snakes. The author is still very fond of how this //sounds//, but that's simply no excuse for the name. At time of writing this article she firmly intends to drop a shout-out to this name into //The Sky's Umbilical Cord//, however.)+Lossos originally had three continents: Cetaros, Sefusaris and Anacondas. They correspond, to some degree, to the largest continents on Nekenalos today: Cetaros, Sefusa and Asheenagiji. You can tell from the replacement names which names the author found tolerable and which names ve wanted to set on fire. (It's worth noting that 'Anacondas' is pronounced 'A-na-con-**dass**' and not 'A-na-**con**-dahs' like the plural of the snakes. The author is still very fond of how this //sounds//, but that's simply no excuse for the name. Ve has totally dropped a shout-out to this name into //[[https://schlaugh.com/umbilical/starburst-1|The Sky's Umbilical Cord]]//, however.)
  
 Tabraan and Vatenas are entirely new. Tabraan and Vatenas are entirely new.
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 ==== kavkema ==== ==== kavkema ====
  
-In the original books, the [[:kavkem|kavkema]] were known as **Deinodons** and were a faction, not a species. They loosely encompassed all carnivorous species of dinosaurs (in disregard for the era they might have lived in), although some carnivores weren't allied with the Deinodons.+In the original books, the [[:kavkem|kavkema]] were known as **Deinodons** and were a faction, not a species. They loosely encompassed all carnivorous species of dinosaurs (in disregard for the era they might have lived in), although some individual carnivore characters weren't allied with the Deinodons.
  
-With a heavy heart, the author has settled on a single sapient species of carnivorous dinosaurs, knowing this to be sorely necessary for plausibility. While Evenatra could have uplifted many more carnivores to sapience, there was no reason at all for her to do so.+With a heavy heart, the author has settled on a single sapient species of carnivorous dinosaurs, knowing this to be sorely necessary for plausibility. While Evenatra could have uplifted many more carnivores to sapience, there was no reason at all for ver to do so.
  
 Another very striking difference between kavkema and Deinodons is their level of technology. While the Deinodons were greatly outnumbered by their nemesis faction, they were technologically //matched// by them - the dinosaurs on Lossos generally had technology that exceeded that of humans, across the board. Out of a far better economic understanding, the author has taken technology away from the kavkema and turned them into a nomadic culture constantly on the literal run. Another very striking difference between kavkema and Deinodons is their level of technology. While the Deinodons were greatly outnumbered by their nemesis faction, they were technologically //matched// by them - the dinosaurs on Lossos generally had technology that exceeded that of humans, across the board. Out of a far better economic understanding, the author has taken technology away from the kavkema and turned them into a nomadic culture constantly on the literal run.
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 The Deinodon crest - a logo, if you will - was a carnosaur head with a superimposed dromaeosaurid foot. Despite the appearance of the dromaeosaurid foot, this was no driving factor in the choice to make the kavkema 'raptors. The author is just really fond of 'raptors. The Deinodon crest - a logo, if you will - was a carnosaur head with a superimposed dromaeosaurid foot. Despite the appearance of the dromaeosaurid foot, this was no driving factor in the choice to make the kavkema 'raptors. The author is just really fond of 'raptors.
  
-Cetaros was something of a Deinodon sanctuary. They got to call the continent their own. (The author reflects on that her ten year old self was very generous back then, but has been gradually drip-feeding the kavkema Tabraan as a consolation prize.)+Cetaros was something of a Deinodon sanctuary. They got to call the continent their own. (The author reflects on that vis ten year old self was very generous back then, but has been gradually drip-feeding the kavkema Tabraan as a consolation prize.)
  
 Sefusaris was also happy to let Deinodons visit, but had a strict //no fighting// policy, and were equally willing to let anyone //else// set foot on their turf. They were their own faction, in a way, wholly restricted to a geographic area, neutral but nonetheless willing to trade technology to either faction as long as said factions were willing to abide by local rules. Since most of either side wouldn't want to live by those terms, they hid their existence (with //technology//, obviously). You could essentially only find them if you knew they were there. (The author has dim recollections that security by obscurity didn't work for them, either.) Sefusaris was also happy to let Deinodons visit, but had a strict //no fighting// policy, and were equally willing to let anyone //else// set foot on their turf. They were their own faction, in a way, wholly restricted to a geographic area, neutral but nonetheless willing to trade technology to either faction as long as said factions were willing to abide by local rules. Since most of either side wouldn't want to live by those terms, they hid their existence (with //technology//, obviously). You could essentially only find them if you knew they were there. (The author has dim recollections that security by obscurity didn't work for them, either.)
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 In the original books, the [[:Nayabaru]] were known as **Stycophysises**. As with the Deinodons, they were a faction, not a species, though they encompassed essentially all herbivorous dinosaurs. This was also pared down to a single species for plausibility reasons. In the original books, the [[:Nayabaru]] were known as **Stycophysises**. As with the Deinodons, they were a faction, not a species, though they encompassed essentially all herbivorous dinosaurs. This was also pared down to a single species for plausibility reasons.
  
-They've kept almost all of their other traits and gained some, to boot (such as the [[:Nayabaru:society:tattoo|tattoo system]]). A minor difference can be found in that the original Stycophysises were more of a traditional hierarchy rather than the [[:Nayabaru:society|delightfully decentralised totalitarianism]] they live by now. But they still had their Pens, they still had their systematic torture of kavkema (//including// the breeding - the author's younger self did not bat an eyelid at this, though she was quite careful to keep this detail from everyone else, ever, fearing ostracism - although the motivation was a little more extensive, as they were more interested in captive-raised carnivores to turn into spies by raising them right, as well as hybrids that might prove particularly formidable warriors), they still had highly advanced technology, they still deferred to the spider lady, and they were every bit as terrifying to the Deinodons as the Nayabaru are to the kavkema.+They've kept almost all of their other traits and gained some, to boot (such as the [[:Nayabaru:society:tattoo|tattoo system]]). A minor difference can be found in that the original Stycophysises were more of a traditional hierarchy rather than the [[:Nayabaru:society|delightfully decentralised totalitarianism]] they live by now. But they still had their Pens, they still had their systematic torture of kavkema (//including// the breeding - the author's younger self did not bat an eyelid at this, though ve was quite careful to keep this detail from everyone else, ever, fearing ostracism - although the motivation was a little more extensive, as they were more interested in captive-raised carnivores to turn into spies by raising them right, as well as hybrids that might prove particularly formidable warriors), they still had highly advanced technology, they still deferred to the spider lady, and they were every bit as terrifying to the Deinodons as the Nayabaru are to the kavkema.
  
 The Stycophysis crest was a Triceratops head with a superimposed Iguanodon hand. It was this crest which really drove the decision to choose iguanodonts as the sapient herbivore species, along with the sheer usefulness of an Iguanodon's hand. The Stycophysis crest was a Triceratops head with a superimposed Iguanodon hand. It was this crest which really drove the decision to choose iguanodonts as the sapient herbivore species, along with the sheer usefulness of an Iguanodon's hand.
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 ==== Terenyira ==== ==== Terenyira ====
  
-[[:character:Terenyira]] is rather a bit friendlier than she used to be, back when she was uncreatively called **Terrorantula** (although, at time of writing this article, the author firmly plans to cram a tongue-in-cheek shout-out to this awful name in //The Sky's Umbilical Cord//). While her old incarnation was certainly very clever, she wouldn't have been willing to make deals with Deinodons - but this is largely because her motivations have been changed.+[[:character:Terenyira]] is rather a bit friendlier than she used to be, back when she was uncreatively called **Terrorantula** (although a tongue-in-cheek shout-out to this awful name has been crammed into //[[https://www.schlaugh.com/umbilical/immuration-9|The Sky's Umbilical Cord]]//). While her old incarnation was certainly very clever, she wouldn't have been willing to make deals with Deinodons - but this is largely because her motivations have been changed.
  
 In the old books, her motivation was presumably to get rid of the Deinodons to ensure Nekenalos belonged to the Stycophysises and no one else. This goal doesn't even feature in the reimagined Terenyira, whose goals are instead to destroy Threadwielders and to protect the Nayabaru - which has the //effect// that she is decimating the kavkema, but this is merely an accident of implementation. In the old books, her motivation was presumably to get rid of the Deinodons to ensure Nekenalos belonged to the Stycophysises and no one else. This goal doesn't even feature in the reimagined Terenyira, whose goals are instead to destroy Threadwielders and to protect the Nayabaru - which has the //effect// that she is decimating the kavkema, but this is merely an accident of implementation.
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 [[:character:Evenatra]] used to be known as **Aquaeros** (which the author feels is one of the few acceptable names in hindsight). [[:character:Evenatra]] used to be known as **Aquaeros** (which the author feels is one of the few acceptable names in hindsight).
  
-One of the only things that have changed about her (except for turning her into a Threadwielder, of course) is the speed at which she can shape-shift, which is now approximately //glacial//.+One of the only things that have changed about ver (except for turning ver into a Threadwielder, of course) is the speed at which ve can shape-shift, which is now approximately //glacial//.
  
 ==== Ysikary ==== ==== Ysikary ====
  
-[[:character:Ysikary]] didn't exist at all in the original continuity. She was added because Terenyira couldn't have come from nowhere and Evenatra certainly isn't quite so poor at planning that she would create her purely on accident (e.g. as an attempted servant who then begins to do the exact opposite of what she was designed to do).+[[:character:Ysikary]] didn't exist at all in the original continuity. Ve was added because Terenyira couldn't have come from nowhere and Evenatra certainly isn't quite so poor at planning that she would create her purely on accident (e.g. as an attempted servant who then begins to do the exact opposite of what she was designed to do).
  
 ==== Valcen ==== ==== Valcen ====
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 [[:character:Valcen]] used to be a demigod. He was the only demigod in the continuity and it was never explained what precisely this //meant// - there didn't seem to be a corresponding deity that he was an avatar of, but he had some abilities that put him firmly outside of the mortal framework. No one really knew much about where he had come from. [[:character:Valcen]] used to be a demigod. He was the only demigod in the continuity and it was never explained what precisely this //meant// - there didn't seem to be a corresponding deity that he was an avatar of, but he had some abilities that put him firmly outside of the mortal framework. No one really knew much about where he had come from.
  
-He made his first appearance in the second book, appearing in the form of a ceratosaurid, going by the tacky name **Ceratoraptorius**, and being notable for, despite the carnivorous nature, being an enemy of the Deinodons. Although, actually, he was primarily notable for having a little chat with the human character that had accidentally stumbled across the inner workings of a supposed dinosaur theme park planet, and doing to the human //almost precisely// what he had done to the dinosaurs in the park with something much like an [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/sessions/patch.html|Imitorunyema]]: Erase her memories.+He made his most shocking appearance in the second book (surviving his supposed dispatching in the first), appearing in the form of a ceratosaurid, going by the tacky name **Ceratoraptorius**, and being notable for, despite the carnivorous nature, being an enemy of the Deinodons. Although, actually, he was primarily notable for having a little chat with the human character that had accidentally stumbled across the inner workings of a supposed dinosaur theme park planet, and doing to the human //almost precisely// what he had done to the dinosaurs in the park with something much like an [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/sessions/patch.html|Imitorunyema]]: Erase her memories.
  
-Let's let this sink in for a moment. There's an entire planet with dumb dinosaurs on it, in a universe where intelligent dinosaurs exist. Someone sure has been busy. (Granted, if the author recalls correctly it was implied a lot of those were simply bred, but there was still a truly, deeply disturbing number of previously sapient dinosaurs there - typically those who had betrayed the Stycophysises in some way. And since you can't exactly kill them, you need to find a different solution. This actually terrified the author back when she was ten. ...on reflection, nope, it still terrifies her now.)+Let's let this sink in for a moment. There's an entire planet with dumb dinosaurs on it, in a universe where intelligent dinosaurs exist. Someone sure has been busy. (Granted, if the author recalls correctly it was implied a lot of those were simply bred, but there was still a truly, deeply disturbing number of previously sapient dinosaurs there - typically those who had betrayed the Stycophysises in some way. And since you can't exactly kill them, you need to find a different solution. This actually terrified the author back when ve was ten. ...on reflection, nope, it still terrifies ver now, and it turned out to be worth [[https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0CGYTST2V/|re-writing]].)
  
 Ceratoraptorius had the uncanny ability not to stay dead, by reappearing elsewhere after he'd been cut down. This wasn't just a lazy plot device - it was repeatedly remarked upon by characters that [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/sessions/inheritance.html|something very strange]] was going on there, and it certainly cemented his demigod status. Ceratoraptorius had the uncanny ability not to stay dead, by reappearing elsewhere after he'd been cut down. This wasn't just a lazy plot device - it was repeatedly remarked upon by characters that [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/sessions/inheritance.html|something very strange]] was going on there, and it certainly cemented his demigod status.
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 ==== Kendane͡ivash ==== ==== Kendane͡ivash ====
  
-The language [[:Kendane͡ivash]] used to be known as //flambian// or //Deinodonic//. As in the original continuity, it originates from the gods/Threadwielders and permeates through various cultures in the universe. Both in the original universe and in the reboot, the cultures that have fully adopted the language are the kavkema and several of the draconics (latter who are considerably more space-faring than anything near Earth).+The language [[:Kendane͡ivash]] used to be known as //flambian// or //Deinodonic//. As in the original continuity, it originates from the gods/Threadwielders and permeates through various cultures in the universe. Both in the original universe and in the reboot, the cultures that have fully adopted the language are the kavkema and several of the draconics (the latter of which are considerably more space-faring than anything near Earth).
  
 About half of the language's vocabulary has existed approximately since its inception (if you completely ignore the [[:Kendane͡ivash:elements]], which you should). The other half was hammered into more aesthetically pleasing forms in a several-month effort to transfer the language from a local database onto the [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/kendaneivash/foreign|Tarnish website]]. About half of the language's vocabulary has existed approximately since its inception (if you completely ignore the [[:Kendane͡ivash:elements]], which you should). The other half was hammered into more aesthetically pleasing forms in a several-month effort to transfer the language from a local database onto the [[https://tarnish.thorngale.net/kendaneivash/foreign|Tarnish website]].
  
-All in all, the language is constantly expanded. Whenever the author would like to have a new word, she adds on to the dictionary. That same process is what made the language this huge to begin with.+All in all, the language is constantly expanded. Whenever the author would like to have a new word, ve adds on to the dictionary. That same process is what made the language this huge to begin with.
  
-The grammar has stayed largely the same - this is to say, boring, English-alike grammar, because the author is not a linguist and in all honesty not that interested in linguistics to spend her time on this part of the universe in particular. Sorry. She did have a little excursion into numbers far more flexible than ours when reimagining the universe, however, and thus Kendane͡ivash came to get its mind-bending [[:Kendane͡ivash:numbers|numeric]] system.+The grammar has stayed largely the same - this is to say, boring, English-alike grammar, because the author is not a linguist and in all honesty not that interested in linguistics to spend vis time on this part of the universe in particular. Sorry. Ve did have a little excursion into numbers far more flexible than ours when reimagining the universe, however, and thus Kendane͡ivash came to get its mind-bending [[:Kendane͡ivash:numbers|numeric]] system.
  
 ==== Politics ==== ==== Politics ====
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 The political allegiances in the original universe have remained almost entirely unchanged, along with the intended personalities of the characters: The political allegiances in the original universe have remained almost entirely unchanged, along with the intended personalities of the characters:
  
-  * **Evenatra** is the guardian of the kavkema; something of a mother figure combined with badassery. (Unfortunately, she hasn't yet had a lot of opportunity to show her badassery in the new continuity.)+  * **Evenatra** is the guardian of the kavkema; something of a mother figure combined with badassery. (Unfortunately, ve hasn't yet had a lot of opportunity to show vis badassery in the new continuity.)
   * **Terenyira** is the primary antagonist. She's been given an actual motivation now - the deep, gnawing hunger she feels is a recent invention. Her cunning nature is not new, though, but a greater intellectual experience on part of the author has certainly given her much more of an edge than before.   * **Terenyira** is the primary antagonist. She's been given an actual motivation now - the deep, gnawing hunger she feels is a recent invention. Her cunning nature is not new, though, but a greater intellectual experience on part of the author has certainly given her much more of an edge than before.
   * The Nayabaru are still the dominant faction on Nekenalos. They still abhor killing and will not tolerate it. They're still secular, they're still interested in science, and they're still known to torture kavkema.   * The Nayabaru are still the dominant faction on Nekenalos. They still abhor killing and will not tolerate it. They're still secular, they're still interested in science, and they're still known to torture kavkema.
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   * **Jeneth** is a minor antagonist - that said, he has been greatly toned down from the //force of evil// he used to be (far closer to his depiction as //[[:kavkem:mythology:Tkanetar]]//, then known as //Kanus//), although this doesn't manifest in any actual changes, since he was absent from the books, surfacing only later for some roleplay (back on //InsideTheWeb// and in the author's early IRC roleplaying days).   * **Jeneth** is a minor antagonist - that said, he has been greatly toned down from the //force of evil// he used to be (far closer to his depiction as //[[:kavkem:mythology:Tkanetar]]//, then known as //Kanus//), although this doesn't manifest in any actual changes, since he was absent from the books, surfacing only later for some roleplay (back on //InsideTheWeb// and in the author's early IRC roleplaying days).
   * **Madjan** is absent, but supposedly a pretty impressive guy. His old mythological name was Kronos; he probably didn't have a proper name, the author does not recall him ever making an actual appearance.   * **Madjan** is absent, but supposedly a pretty impressive guy. His old mythological name was Kronos; he probably didn't have a proper name, the author does not recall him ever making an actual appearance.
-  * **Zalaagra** has seen some change - the original continuity had her a little more involved (although if the author recalls correctly, not in the actual books, but only the aforementioned later narrative efforts). That was largely because her worlds were a lot more accessible than they are in the new continuity, however. In the original setting, it was easy for her to hop over to say hi. Unfortunately, the author has forgotten how she used to be called. +  * **Zalaagra** has seen some change - the original continuity had ver ('her' at the time) a little more involved (although if the author recalls correctly, not in the actual books, but only the aforementioned later narrative efforts). That was largely because vis worlds were a lot more accessible than they are in the new continuity, however. In the original setting, it was easy for ver to hop over to say hi. Unfortunately, the author has forgotten how ve used to be called. That said, her mythological name was something like //Luunai// (i.e. the //Maenona// equivalent). 
-  * **Valcen** is still, most notably, a (hopefully) temporary ally to the Nayabaru. The original books never got into his reasons - indeed, the author never bothered to come up with them. In the books, he eventually switched over to helping the kavkema. The author was sufficiently intrigued by his unspoken motivation to switch sides that she wanted to explore exactly what led up to that, which is why she chose to make Valcen the narratively central character in //A Thread Between The Stars//.+  * **Valcen** is still, most notably, a (hopefully) temporary ally to the Nayabaru. The original books never got into his reasons - indeed, the author never bothered to come up with them. In the books, he eventually switched over to helping the kavkema. The author was sufficiently intrigued by his unspoken motivation to switch sides that ve wanted to explore exactly what led up to that, which is why ve chose to make Valcen the narratively central character in //A Thread Between The Stars//.
  
 ==== Technology ==== ==== Technology ====
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 There was never much of a backstory to the original //Terror of Time// setting - how had the characters come to be as they were? How had the interesting tensions developed in the first place? //A Thread Between The Stars// is an attempt to write the first prequel to the status quo that the original books drew on. There was never much of a backstory to the original //Terror of Time// setting - how had the characters come to be as they were? How had the interesting tensions developed in the first place? //A Thread Between The Stars// is an attempt to write the first prequel to the status quo that the original books drew on.
  
-While writing the book, the author was surprised how readily the world chose to conform to the political realities of the original books, despite her explorative writing style.+While writing the book, the author was surprised how readily the world chose to conform to the political realities of the original books, despite vis explorative writing style.
  
 However, the end of //A Thread Between The Stars// has still thrown a complete wrench into being a backstory for //Terror of Time// - landing Nekenalos in the solar system, while interesting from a science-fiction perspective, has completely changed the potential dynamics that might yet happen between humans and the planet's inhabitants. However, the end of //A Thread Between The Stars// has still thrown a complete wrench into being a backstory for //Terror of Time// - landing Nekenalos in the solar system, while interesting from a science-fiction perspective, has completely changed the potential dynamics that might yet happen between humans and the planet's inhabitants.
terror-of-time.1593224812.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020-06-27 02:26 by pinkgothic