The Pub Discussion Board

Fair enough, though I don't think David has gone quite that far in his thinking.  I think it's more of a "don't fuck with me" mindset, rather than a "fear me" mindset.

Or, as Anne once said, the only people who need to fear David's dark side are his enemies.

Eric Storm

*Picks up Fenixreign's psychology book, closes it, and soundly whomps Fenixreign on the head with it.*

No psychobabble about my stories!



Eric Storm

IMHO - David is already undergoing metamorphosis due to introspection and observation.
He has been forced to learn to focus his thoughts to a severe degree due to the power of his wand. This focus has already been shown to be to his benefit in his potion making and his conjuring.
He has been forced by circumstances to become judge, jury, and justiciar in order to protect those that he cares about. The clan will only enforce this attitude in his mind as long as the bureaucracy allows itself to be hamstrung.
Regarding Ollissa: she is, herself, a hidden story. An intuitive musician is a wonder of creative force. This ability may hide other aspects of her abilities. Think also, about what David's reaction would be if she were to be harmed.
His dedication and focus has made his divination regarding Woodward more accurate than his instructor. His bond to Ollissa allowed him, as a neophyte divider, to see over a year ahead of time THROUGH an impediveur's protections.
He is beginning to see the limitations of legal protection and the requirement for actions which he deplores.
Regarding David's respect for authority, Joe has his respect where Wilson is rapidly losing it. Define the difference between those two characters' actions and you will define David's distinction in who he respects.
There is a lot of depth to the characters in this story; I expect to see more of that depth as Eric continues to tell it.

(posted from the Item Information Page)

I think David outburst on Cherise in year two showed what he might do if Olissa was to get harmed. Go ballistic on the bastard that did it.

Barbarian...  just... no.

The scene you're talking about happened in Year 3.  David was just coming into his confidence in himself.  He also had a clearly stated reason for not beating up Keith.  Here is the relevant piece of his conversation with Mr. Garibaldi:

David walked out with Garibaldi.  When they were standing outside, Keith fidgeting about still being that near to David, Garibaldi turned to David and asked, "Would you really have killed him for this?"

"If I thought that there would be no consequences for it...  I can't really say if I would have been able to stop before he was dead."

"That indicates a lack of control, you know..."

"That's why I didn't start," David acknowledged.

His second choice was taking him to the Rimohrs, because he was afraid of his first choice.

Likewise, he very nearly killed Cherise, but stopped himself, because he didn't want to be a killer.  Again, he was afraid of that option.

Now, fast forward to the end of book 4, a year and a half later.  A more confident, more assertive David.  He had just scored the highest score of anyone in his year on his Citizenship Exam.  He has met the king, and received chevrons for service to the king.  He has been through many forms of trials and struggles, and come out much stronger for it.

He finds out that Paul Andros has beaten Catherine Arpilla.  What is his reaction?

It was definitely not "to work within the law to have the persons responsible caught and punished."  He went to the Slyther Inn and beat the living fuck out of him.  He then waited for arrest and accepted his punishment, to be sure, but he doled out Andros' punishment himself.

Now keep in mind, he was never romantically in love with Cat, and he went that far in avenging her injury.  He's been in love with Olissa for five and a half years now.

And you think he's going to call the cops on someone who harms her?  I think maybe you haven't been paying attention.

I won't say just how far David would go in her defense, but I can say unequivocally that, should someone harm Olissa, reporting the man to the Rimohrs won't even enter into David's list of options.  As far as David is concerned, there are some lines you don't get to cross.  That's one of them.

Eric Storm

Two questions for you Eric:

1. Will that special someone be near his real age (at least physically)?

2. You mentioned that the self conjurning is not something a level 5 would try (let alone a level 4) - but isn't Da vid basically  a level 5 (just didn't have the right people at his placement to give him that rank)?
  2.B.  if David were to focus and improve his conjurning over the centuries, would he be able to get rank 6? If so, how would he be approved/validated for the new rank (there is nobody above a 5)?

Eric Storm wrote:

1.  Stay Tuned.  Same bat-time, same bat-channel.
2a.  Yes, David is a level 5 in ability.
2b.  Obviously, there is a problem with the RCA's leveling system, which needs to be addressed.

Eric Storm

Guess I shouldn't have expected much more of an answer than that, but thank you for at least confirming that what the voices in my head were saying.

Another awe inspiring chapter Eric. Maybe the key to keeping me sane is reading the series again before reading the new chapter.

(posted from the Item Information Page)

The point at which a government exiles you is up to that government.  HOWEVER, once you've been exiled, all other governments have agreed to respect that punishment.  This was established by the Wizarding Council Treaty.  It also only applies to humans, because only humans are able to freely roam Earth without broadcasting their magical nature.

For a country to willfully accept the presence of exiles from another nation would make that first nation a rogue, and subject to the retribution of the Wizard Council.

Theoretically, those non-human nations not subject to the Wizard Council could, in fact, accept those exiles, but this is so unlikely to work out that they simply don't.  And humans wouldn't exactly be comfortable living in a nation full of orcs or ogres.

There is also the fact that such an exiled wizard living in another nation would never be able to leave Dugerra to go to Earth.  The Hellhounds would be aware of their exiled status, and would not allow them back in once they'd left.

Eric Storm

PS: Obviously, there is an appeal process that goes through the Wizard Council.  But the ONLY way in which a wizard would win such an appeal is to prove that the nation from which they were exiled was violating agreements with the Wizard Council or other nations.  In other words, the nation from which they were exiled would have to be a rogue nation.  Generally, once a nation has been declared rogue, it cannot exile anyone.

Eric Storm wrote:

Glad you enjoyed it, but I wouldn't be expecting any more 38,000-word chapters.

Eric Storm

So Sad!! <heavy sigh>

Well, only 9 more days until the next............BUT, who's counting anyway. ;-}

Fenixreign wrote:

The other thing that you have to consider, Neolyn, is that David could also, along with what Eric brought up, be starting to feel his true immortality.  You can't cause permanent physical damage.  You can't kill him.  It makes him indestructible on a physical level.  That is true power.  The only way we have seen a demighost even countered for the long term is Jacob and a sufficiently powerful wizard with a talent for Enchantments could break that spell given enough time and/or information releasing Jacob and loosing him on the world once more.

I imagine it's part of the reason demighosts are so feared.  You can't do anything to them (not really) and they can just wait you out and you're you later.  Having all of time left to get your revenge without fear of any real retribution so long as you keep disconnected from others emotionally makes a person INCREDIBLY dangerous and that's without all their inherent abilities.  Plus can you imagine having been around for 4000+ years already?  Boredom alone might make you insane.  Hell, you'll live long enough that you can pull a "Professor Paradox" and go so nuts you go sane again.

Are we sure demi-ghost are invincible ? I mean, just because a thing  didn't happen means it can't happen.

What makes me think that they can be killed is the fight with the dark wizzard in... year 3(?) ( he was disguised as  a bat familiar)?

David is badly hurt and we learn that his body when he goes in ghost form is "stored" somewhere( didn't understand well that part), so if David can't access this storage or if this storage is destroyed isn't he simply a ghost ? Making him killable ?

You will have an answer to this question before the series wraps up.

Eric Storm