MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 797 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by "Vrondi" 2) Re: Robin McKinley/familiars/A101/bleaching by "Vrondi" 3) Re: Tanya Huff Mailing List (Off-topic, I know) by Mat Timmerman 4) Re: I'm new/ The origins of Misty by "Barbara J. Webb" 5) familiars/Stone/Willey/new books by "Hth." 6) Re: S&S/What next by Lia Talmas 7) Arcanum 101 by "Hth." 8) Hail, hail by "Hth." 9) Braid: Posting time/Fantasy language/Van Ashke's by myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao) 10) Re: familiars/Stone/Willey/new books by Lia Talmas 11) Son of Braid--The Series: Mags/MW2/V=C/MOC/S-D-B-T-U/ by Korendil 12) Querulous, feeble excuse for a braid croaketh... by aw2-+AT+-mail.idt.net (Kimberly) 13) Re: summer musings-familiar/what next?/Van and network by Derek MacArthur 14) Familiars / 101 / Stone / Bierce / Help... by Jake 15) Braid: Vanyel / Welcome / Helva / Vatches. by mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing) 16) Kestra'cherns and firecats by "Morgan / Nerys Karina (SCI)" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:17:24 +0000 From: "Vrondi" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Message-ID: <199608272018.QAA01066-+AT+-edweb.concord.wvnet.edu> hahaha!!!!!!!! I'm back! Finally! I've missed everybody. So, what's happened while I was away? Lady Becky, I was grateful for your bulletin board. (dances around ecstatically)  Love,(and other indoor sports) -Vrondi,"Mistress of the Air, One With the Trees" "The Would-be Diplomat" a.k.a. Free Bard Oriole a.k.a. Chrys Amy Dean *My nominee for bad quote of the year: * "The Internet is a good tool to use to get on the Net." * -Presidential Candidate Bob Dole  http://edweb.concord.wvnet.edu/~deanca/me ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 16:59:37 +0000 From: "Vrondi" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Robin McKinley/familiars/A101/bleaching Message-ID: <199608272059.QAA01266-+AT+-edweb.concord.wvnet.edu> On 27 Aug 96 Mat Timmerman wrote: > > IIRC, courses at US-colleges have that system of numbers, don't they? So, > > is _A101_ a novel about the Spook Squad? > > Don't know about other colleges, but mine doesn't use that system. Heck, > the entry level computer science majors class is either CSC 005 or CSC 015 > (depending on if you had programming before or not). I would love to see > a novel about the Spook Squad though. Or maybe it's about when Di was > learning from her grandmother. Well, at my college, the prefix depends what department the class is in. example: Engl101 and also 100s are intended as first year classes, 200s as second, and so on. I think I just want the book already! whatever else it's about Di!  Love,(and other indoor sports) -Vrondi,"Mistress of the Air, One With the Trees" "The Would-be Diplomat" a.k.a. Free Bard Oriole a.k.a. Chrys Amy Dean *My nominee for bad quote of the year: * "The Internet is a good tool to use to get on the Net." * -Presidential Candidate Bob Dole  http://edweb.concord.wvnet.edu/~deanca/me ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:20:22 -0400 (EDT) From: Mat Timmerman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Tanya Huff Mailing List (Off-topic, I know) Message-ID: On Tue, 27 Aug 1996, Lady 'Reesa wrote: > Anyone besides me on the Tanya Huff mailing list? I'm trying to > send something to them, and I think I've got the address wrong. The one I > have is Right, or wrong? Tanya Huff mailing list? [quickly looks up] You mean like this one, not a snail mail one? OOOOOO!!!!! If you find the addy 'Reesa, let me have it? Please? > ObMisty: With the possible exception of some characters in _Gate of > Darkenss, Circle of Light_, I can think of very few of Tanya's characters > who would be Chosen if they lived in Valdemar. At least, I don't think they > would. Anyone have any input on this? Who in GoDCoL? The social worker (whatshername). I doubt Rebecca (was that her name?), since I don't think that a mentally handicapped person would be Chosen, since they couldn't ride circuit, etc. Evan doesn't count, since he's not human. On the whole, I'd agree with you. I certainly couldn't see Vicki as a Herald! Mat Cat Person, Adept, and |"Each man builds his own garden, by what God of Procrastination | his heart says is true. And mine is so mtimme47-+AT+-magic.hofstra.edu | very special to me, but it seems I can http://ada.hofstra.edu/~mtimme47/| share it with you." - Heather Alexander ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 15:41:44 +0000 From: "Barbara J. Webb" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: I'm new/ The origins of Misty Message-ID: <199608272154.QAA01805-+AT+-mail.socketis.net> > of all the magic in Misty's worlds...*sob* Oh, how I miss talking aimlessly > of sheep...*sigh*) > > Her Majesty, Queen 'Reesa the Incorrigable Okay, there's this traveling salesman. One night, along the road, he's miles from the nearest town, so he stops at a farm and asks if he can spend the night there. The farmer explains that he doesn't have a spare room, but if the salesman wishes, he can sleep in the barn. Figuring it's better than nothing, the salesman agrees. Well, the next morning, he comes tearing out of the barn and grabs the farmer as he's sitting down to breakfast. "Do you know," the salesman asks excitedly, his breath coming in gasps, "That your animals can talk?" The farmer looks confused and the salesman continues. "Really, last night I had a long discussion of politics with your horses." "Talking horses?" cries the farmer. "I'll be rich! We can go on tours...." "And your pigs -- they talk too. We discussed baseball all morning!" The farmer rubbed his hands gleefully. "I can't believe it. Talking pigs. This is great." "And your sheep--" The farmer's look darkened into a glare at the salseman. "The sheep lie." --------------------------------------------------------- Okay, that was a bit off topic, but I couldn't resist. Or are sheep on topic now? We could be the Mercedes Lackey/sheep discussion list. Okay, maybe not. Barbara magik-+AT+-socketis.net "I surrender all controll To the desires that consume me whole... I surrender heart and soul Sacrificed to a higher goal." Depeche Mode -- Higher Love ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:07:05 CDT From: "Hth." To: Subject: familiars/Stone/Willey/new books Message-ID: <27AUG96.18487638.0021.MUSIC-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> Esmerelda, don't ask me for familiar ideas! Mine are always odd, and usually undignified (I just get so sick of cats and owls and wolves and other suave animals. I have an odd sense of humor.) For example, I have a character whose original familiar, as a young man, was a tarantula. Unfortunately, the tarantula met a quick death beneath a shoe wielded by the mage's girlfriend -- shortly thereafter, his *ex*-girlfriend. He was not replaced until many years later, when the mage saved a weasel from a colleague's laboratory. The weasel doesn't much like anybody except him, and especially not the aforementioned colleague! Inconvenient, especially during the more on periods of mage & colleague's on-again off-again affair. Another character has a mountain pony as a familiar, who, happily, likes his mage's boyfriend just fine. But anyway, I tend to go in for quirky familiars. I believe Taylen's is a rat. Or is it a mouse? Barb -- rat or mouse? Anyway, that particular familiar is based on our hamster, Vkandis. Except Taylen's familiar doesn't have a hamster ball And on the topic of animals, *Aurian* also has a human bonded with an animal -- a great big cat. It's not a systematic thing, more like Tarma's bond with Warrl. I personally like the idea of Sharon Stone as Kerowyn a lot. There's a lady I could be scared of. But then I always thought she'd make a good action hero; didn't realize she was in Total Recall. It's been so long since I've seen that movie. Just my .02: I thought Well-Favored Man was dreadfully boring, too. I've heard people, on the list and in reviews, say it was a lot like Zelazny's Amber books. I haven't read any of those, but I haven't liked any of the short fiction I've read by Roger Zelazny either, so I guess it's to be expected. Glad to hear Misty's getting into retellings. I just wish she'd wrap up the Bedlam Bards and Diana Tregarde series first, THEN strike off in a new direction. Ah, but I guess that's a publishing thing, more than a Misty thing. I'm pulling for Rapunzel. Always liked that fairy tale. Comfort & Joy, HTH r618-+AT+-academic.truman.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 18:21:05 -0400 From: Lia Talmas To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: S&S/What next Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19960827222105.067f2006-+AT+-email.psu.edu> Lady Wintersong, that was a great idea.....will someone please photocopy me some of the Tarma and Kethry stories too? I am especially looking for the one where Tarma's clan died. Oh, and send them privately. Thanks in advance... Lara of Silverwoods ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:25:59 CDT From: "Hth." To: Subject: Arcanum 101 Message-ID: <27AUG96.18827819.0021.MUSIC-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> Here's what I'm pulling from the murky swamp of my consciousness. I believe an old Firebird catalog (back when anyone was actually still pretending the other Di books would be out in the foreseeable future) said that Arcanum 101 was a sequel to Jinx High. My theory is that it may follow Derek to college (yes, the 101-type system is common in the US, though not all colleges use it, by any means), and we get to finish off Faye once and for all. If not college, per se, at least he'll be learning the basics of magic -- hence (drum roll) Arcanum 101 -- Intro to the Arcane. The fifth book (I know, yuk yuk, fifth, what about the FOURTH?) is theoretically called Triangle Park, which is a park in Savannah. Which is (all together now) the setting of the Serrated Edge books, and the current home of Tannim the Very Cool Mage (TM). So, what do you think, a tie-in book between the two series? We know that Tannim and Diana have met before, so it would be fairly appropriate, and Too Cool. Which reminds me. I have only read the two Serrated Edge books with Tannim in them (Born to Run, Chrome Circle). I know there were one or two more, but I just couldn't bring myself to care without Tannim in the picture. Are they worth the paper they're printed on? Comfort & Joy, HTH r618-+AT+-academic.truman.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:31:17 CDT From: "Hth." To: Subject: Hail, hail Message-ID: <27AUG96.18923177.0021.MUSIC-+AT+-ACADEMIC.TRUMAN.EDU> Welcome back, Vrondi. Jeez, everyone's coming home, aren't they? We're still missing Catherine though. CATHERINE!!!!! I thought surely she'd be back from her summer thing by this time. She jolly well *better* be coming back. I'll be most miffed otherwise. Wasn't someone around here a friend of Catherine's in realtime? Yeah, there was another Sidwell student on the list. Show yourself! Who are you? And have you heard from Catherine Sundancer? Once more, welcome home, Vrondi, Kittengirl, and -- erk -- I think I've missed someone. Anyway, welcome all returning customers. Comfort & Joy, HTH r618-+AT+-academic.truman.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 17:49:57 +0000 From: myktshr-+AT+-ldd.net (miyako hirao) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Braid: Posting time/Fantasy language/Van Ashke's Message-ID: <199608272240.RAA07485-+AT+-cdale1.midwest.net> Hi people! This probably will be a braid consisting of topics over several days. I have maybe an hour right after school to read e-mail now, so excuse me if this post is a little long -- But I'm still here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kimberly wrote: >>>Oh, guys, BTW, I have another question to ask... do you people *really* post these things at around four o'clock in the morning? 'cause I was lookign at some of the times for the list mail and it blew me away... I can stand up to getting only six hours of sleep but any less than that, and my brain stops functioning ... although, *laugh* according to some, it never worked at all.<<< Actually, I think it's UK time because listprocessor is in the UK. Am I correct? That's what I assumed because there couldn't possibly be a mass insomnia among Misty fans on the list... unless these books contain subliminal messages:) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lady Becky wrote: >>>Noooo! Not another person! Everyone's leaving!!! It's okay though, we understand, and we'll miss you. If you can ever get back on, please do! You'll always be welcome here!!! Come back every once in a while and tell us how you;re doing, okay? <<< Lady Becky -- I'm still here. And sheesh, I take more academic courses (i.e. more homework) than Lady Phoenix does, but my folks leave it in my judgement what I do. I mean, if I find that I can't keep up my homework, chores, piano lessons, voice lessons, special evening tutoring for the ACTs, etc., and still be on the list, I'll have to quit. Hopefully, that won't happen, but that's my worst-case scenario. Then, when I move to Japan in April, I might have to quit because (of the high phone rates) we might not have 'Net access. *sniffle* But there it is for ya. Life's tough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mishi wrote: >>>I also called someone ke'chara. I had to explain that one and I'm calling my younger cousins, littles. As in Aunt Gina, I'll take the littles out to get some ice cream if you want" WHO? "the littles, you know the kids" Gee, I haven't been readong toomuch Misty have I? <<< Oy! I accidentally called this one guy I met at summer camp "ves'tacha" (yes, I had a mega-mondo-huge-monster crush on him) and he looked at me and said "WHAT?" I didn't explain it to him. I said it was Klingon so it would sound plausible. Klingon, somehow, is more accessible to the outside world than Shin'a'in is. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lady Kittengirl -- Heyla! I'm glad you're with us. I just joined this summer and I have no plans of leaving within the next two months. So have fun! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bryan wrote: >>>Ok guys and gals... Over the weekend I finished the Arrow's Fall.. so I'm done with that set of three.. what should I pick up next? LMH or something else?<<< Why not? GO FOR IT!!!!! But if you haven't read Vows&Honor, you might want to read that (Oathbound and Oathbreakers), you might want to try Bedlam Bards (Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, Summoned to Tourney), one of the stand-alones, whatever you feel like. But I highly recommend LHM. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robbie wrote: >>>Vanyel Ashke's Eyes ------------------- His hair is silver-streaked His lips can mesmerize* He hands are never weak He's got Vanyel Ashke's Eyes ..Should I continue or not... BTW the other choice for this word was circumsize but I thought it would be in too poor taste...<<< *LOL*!!!!! Please, do continue! I want to hear the rest of this song! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nina wrote: >>>BTW, this may be a stupid question, but I hate having a memory lapse. For some strange, inexplicable reason, I can't remember all 4 aspects of the Star-Eyed. Someone please help me! I've been racking what's left of my brain, and I just can't remember! Thanks in advance.<<< Okay, here it is: the Maiden, the Mother, the Warrior, and the Crone. What *I* can't remember is the 4 aspects of Her counterpart. And which of the aspects of the Star-Eyed go along with each of the seasons. Anyone else who has any reference? I'm too lazy to look it up in my copy of V&H right now. I just got through the first day of school -- should I start reading Piers Anthony ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Barbara wrote: >>>Does anyone at all agree with me, here, or am I just insane? :)<<< I agree with you, but you still might be insane. I think Sharon Stone would be great as an older Kero. We need a teenage Kero now! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darkfire wrote: >>>Heyla! ( Really sorry for the lack of originality there ) I'm new on this list. I'm new to Mercedes Lackey too... Well, kind of. I've read the Last Herald Mage series and I'm only on the first of Arrows. Am I supposed to introduce myself? Well, I'm a 14 year old girl. Lady Windsong introduced me to this list ( THANK YOU! ) and she said I might want a character. Well, my character's name would be Darkfire, if that's not taken already.<<< Yo! Welcome to the list!!! BTW, Arrows is an *excellent* piece of writing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hth wrote: >>>And on the topic of animals, *Aurian* also has a human bonded with an animal -- a great big cat. It's not a systematic thing, more like Tarma's bond with Warrl.<<< In a short story that I started about a week ago, my character, Kelian, has a cat-like shapeshifter (not Spiffy -- it's Talva) for a familiar. One thing: He can't change into a human, but he can make himself bigger than his original form. That has saved their a**es a couple of times:). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And I AM DONE! Actually, I decided I'd stop here to prevent this from getting too long. So bye y'all! Love, Summersong, sometimes Spiffy the Cat "Resistance is futile." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 18:52:17 -0400 From: Lia Talmas To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: familiars/Stone/Willey/new books Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19960827225217.067f1a02-+AT+-email.psu.edu> At 11:39 PM 8/27/96 +0100, HTH wrote: > Glad to hear Misty's getting into retellings. I just wish she'd wrap >up the Bedlam Bards and Diana Tregarde series first, THEN strike off in >a new direction. Ah, but I guess that's a publishing thing, more than a >Misty thing. I'm pulling for Rapunzel. Always liked that fairy tale. I wish the publisher's would get their act together and publish the other two DTs..."When you wish upon a star your dreams come true they say, but my wish must have gotten lost somewhere along the way,".... As for fairy tales, I'm hoping for Sleeping Beauty. Lara of Silverwoods ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 96 19:30:25 -0400 From: Korendil To: "Misty List" Subject: Son of Braid--The Series: Mags/MW2/V=C/MOC/S-D-B-T-U/ Message-ID: <9608272336.AA00475-+AT+-raptor.icubed.net> THE CODE FOR MY TOPIC LINE: Mags-um..the magazine thred MW2- Mage-War 2 (Grail) V=C- Vkandis=Consort MOC-Mage's Own Companion (my misty magic faq) S-D-B-T-U--Serra/Di Tregarde/Bed Bards/Jennifer Talldeer Universe Sorry about the tardiness of this braid, but I forgot to read my email yesterday and the day before;> >About mags: has anyone else read "Realms of Fantasy?" I actually picked >it up because of the cover *hangs head in bookseller shame* but was >impressed by the writing. And I Love the Thomas Canty illustrations! Me! Me! I've been reading it since issue 1, and probly have 'em all in my myriad Piles-O-Stuff...'specially now that I subscribe:> I LOVED It when that stuffy guy wrote when his story was rejected, and then the editor's reply;) >Well, Catherine told me that she'd be back around the 14th or so (of >August), but I don't think that she's back on the list yet. I've mailed >her to see what's up. But how could we restart the Quest? How do we >explain away the current kidnapping/mage-war? :( I had plans for the current war...sigh. Well, maybe parallel universes? It works for comic books... >The God is Rover, >Guardian, Hunter, Guide ("with us now, forever ride" whoops! ;) ) Ooo! Ooo! Is this the omen we need to restart the Vkandis=Consort thread? I'm willing to parade my facts around again..and we need *something* to do for the next 2 months (adds on to the heap of envious looks encasing Danya;)... >No Obmisty I'm afraid - haven't read her for a while now - after doing Magics >Whatever for Kory's magic survey, I feel I need a break. Bwahahahha!! So, you've discovered why the list has been lax--everyone's writing their part in the Mage's Own Companion for me, and's currently sick to death of discussing Misty! ;> BTW, anyone know what happened to Seranna? She disappeared, it seems, and her email box is perpetually full (something which, I'm sure, Our Lady List Mistress Mel has already gotten sick of;)... >Next thing you know, >I'll do something really masochisitic and sign up to do an FAQ, or a study >of all the magic in Misty's worlds...*sob* Oh, how I miss talking aimlessly >of sheep...*sigh*) Well, this masochistic person-who's-doing-a-study-of-magic-in-Misty's-worlds wouldn't mind the sheep discussion either..and, reread Misty books, I find more and more sheep mentions...which continues my Misty-has-foresight-about-the-list theory;> >Lady Kittengirl! You're back! Welcome back, welcome back, welcome >back! You may or may not remember me (I used to be Lady Moonsong, the name >got changed), ....to protect the innocent?;> BTW, Welcome Back, Kittengirl (even though I think I wasn't watching the list when you were here;>) >My theory is that it may follow Derek to college (yes, the 101-type >system is common in the US, though not all colleges use it, by any >means), and we get to finish off Faye once and for all. If not college, >per se, at least he'll be learning the basics of magic -- hence (drum >roll) Arcanum 101 -- Intro to the Arcane. > I think I prefer the other theory, that it's about Di learning magic, and the Spook Squad, though following Deke to school'd be neat. Hmm...but when do Deke and Tannim become friends, then? > The fifth book (I know, yuk yuk, fifth, what about the FOURTH?) is >theoretically called Triangle Park, which is a park in Savannah. Which >is (all together now) the setting of the Serrated Edge books, and the >current home of Tannim the Very Cool Mage (TM). So, what do you think, >a tie-in book between the two series? We know that Tannim and Diana >have met before, so it would be fairly appropriate, and Too Cool. > Um..I thought that meant Research Triangle Park, in NC, near Duke (where I was this summer. Pretty campus, the west one...). That's where Tannim dropped off that teenager from Born to RUn..gods..what's her name? It's POSSIBLE it's a crossover...whcih'd really be neat:) Though I want one with Kory, Eric, and Beth meeting up with Tannim, the kitsune girl he's bonded to, Di, and Jennifer Talldeer;> THAT'D be a neat book;> > Which reminds me. I have only read the two Serrated Edge books with >Tannim in them (Born to Run, Chrome Circle). I know there were one or >two more, but I just couldn't bring myself to care without Tannim in the >picture. Are they worth the paper they're printed on? IMO, there's only a few reasons to buy them, but none about the book's QUALITY: 1. It's Misty 2. The Wheels of Fire one is the prelude to Chrome Circle, in a way 3. Wheels of Fire has a Elvensteed Miata 4. When the Bough Breaks has..um..nothing important. -+AT+-_________________________/korendil-+AT+-icubed.net\________________________-+AT+- |Korendil, Knight of Elfhame Sun-Descending, Squire of the High Court, | |Magus Minor, One in Black, Firstborn Child of Danaan, God of All | |Things Nocturnal, Ailurophile, #Macintosh Op, and #Asgard Co-Owner. | \______________________________________________________________________/ / Nous avions un petit lapin et nous le promenions dans le quartier. \ \______________________________________________________________________/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:11:56 -0400 From: aw2-+AT+-mail.idt.net (Kimberly) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Querulous, feeble excuse for a braid croaketh... Message-ID: *emerges from the world of _the Golden Key_, and from _Tam Lin_* I've finished a few books at last, everyone! * big gryn* Now all I need to do is embark upon Stephen Brust,and _Dune_ and _College of Magic_... Robbie wrote: >Vanyel Ashke's Eyes >------------------- > >His hair is silver-streaked >His lips can mesmerize* >He hands are never weak >He's got Vanyel Ashke's Eyes > >..Should I continue or not... Continue, continue, by all means! Please! School is about to start (one week ::mournful look:: and while I hope I don't have to be dragged away, I just mught ::sigh::) Absolutely For'shava, too... ;) >BTW the other choice for this word was circumsize >but I thought it would be in too poor taste... *Kim ponders that for a thoughtful moment, trying to get it* *thoughts dawns on her-- or rather, hits her in the back of the head with no consideration for the fact that brain cells don't grow back...-- * OH! Oh my god! *unable at this point to stop a snicker from escaping* Are you pondering what I'm pondering? That you have rat food between your teeth, Brain? No, Pinky. :sigh: This could be our means to conquer the world! (can you tell I've had just a little more TV than I usually get? Which is usually none at all, btw...) _____________________________________________________________________________ Lady Kittengirl, welcome back, heard a bit about you, nice to mee tyou *all in one breath accompanied by big gryn* Vrondi, welcome backwelcomebackyeah! *hughug!* And Darkfire, (not Darktears) welcome to the list... OTOH, poor Firesong and Foreshadow and 'Talyah are *gone* ::whine:: _____________________________________________________________________________ And Heather wrote: > And on the topic of animals, *Aurian* also has a human bonded with an >animal -- a great big cat. It's not a systematic thing, more like >Tarma's bond with Warrl. I'm just about to embark upon _Sword of Flame_... can anyone tell me if it's as good as her (that is to say, Maggey Furey's, a really neat author so far) other two in the series? Um, the cat's name was Shia, IIRC.. *remembering* the "Great Demon" *snort* And she's not really _bonded_ bonded, she has a friendship with her. I think. *racking her brain* Okay, before I get to be insufferable, someone smack me and tell me how wrong I am, becasue I'm *really* not sure about this one... _____________________________________________________________________________ Okay, Mat wrote of Robin McKinley and informed us nicely... but *bangs her head on the keyboard slowly, disregarding earlier information about nerve cells* I can't find her stuff ANYWHERE! I have _Hero and the Crown_, _Blue Sword_, _Deerskin_, read that Beauty and the Beast thing (SOW, I agree with whoever said Vera what's her name is a superb writer, I just need to find her writings... wait a sec *cat-who-has-the-canary-trapped-smile* Aunt Frog, would you know? I mean, if it's not out of print [yuck! I hate it when they do that!] I'll order it from you... please? I'll even send the money order first... [yes I know I could order it from Amazon, but Auntie Undine is nicer, and I do owe you, milady...]) _____________________________________________________________________________ And Hether wrote, further on: > Glad to hear Misty's getting into retellings. I just wish she'd wrap >up the Bedlam Bards and Diana Tregarde series first, THEN strike off in >a new direction. Ah, but I guess that's a publishing thing, more than a >Misty thing. I'm pulling for Rapunzel. Always liked that fairy tale. I know that it's the stupid publishers that won't let her print it, but *why*??? There are lots and lots of Misty fans... I'd go without lunch for a week if I had to to buy those three... *temporarily overlooking the fact that she's on her school's lunch program anyway* _____________________________________________________________________________ Re: Who could be Chosen in Tanya Huff's books? Er... *tries to think of an answer* well, Magda, Annice's daighter, wouldn't be bad, I don't think... she can Heal but Healers have been Chosen before... I don't know about the Bards, otherwise I'd recommend Kelryn (sp?) _____________________________________________________________________________ Just off topic, I thought the "Tor books, unstickable glue syndrome" was a great joke at first, but you know, now that I'm rereading my books and treating them less carefully than I usually do (actually it's not my fault, but my father and brother have been rifling through them since they don't want to buy their own... ::grrr::) , *all* of those covers are falling off! Argh! _____________________________________________________________________________ *looks at this post and sighs, realizing that it has little or no completely strict Misty content whatsoever* All right, ObMisty time... Why is it that the Tayledras heartsones will extend life but not ordinary nodes? And why can't they just make a new heartstone when they feel the power fading? That way, they might be more Tayledras... they keep on losing scouts anyway... although OTOH with their *ahem* prolific tendencies, that might note such a great idea... And why doesn't having a child rob mages of their power in Mistyworld? And can a mage [like Tannim] send their spirit off to another side of the world, with a very thin bond? 'cause they can go off into different dimensions... hey, when they say ghosts are halfway betwen this world and the next, do they mean that otherdimensional beings like Fox or Cinthliss don't go to that world, or do they? Or actually, what happens with Thomas or Shar, being "halfbreeds" as they are? *racks her brains for more* Ooops. Um, guys, I tried real hard but I couldn't think of more off the top of my head... Well, one pathetic effort (feel free to boo this one down...) I guess. Are the Firecats all like the Groveborn and why don't they have a MO Firecat equivalent, for a head priest or something? Or are they all born just like the Companions are? ::sigh:: That was it, I think... I shall now retreat into lurkerdom in order to finsih aforementioned books (or even to begin on them! *giggle*) TTFN, Kimbella ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 21:21:17 -0400 From: Derek MacArthur To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: summer musings-familiar/what next?/Van and network Message-ID: <32239F0D.2FB0-+AT+-mint.net> tparavic-+AT+-ozemail.com.au wrote: > > On 27/08/96, Esmerelda wrote: > > >'kay folks - assistance. I want ideas for a familiar. My lass is (maybe) > >going to be born blind (I like a challenge - my old man said I shouldn't > >write a blind character 'cos I'd never been blind. My response was along > >the lines of "How can I write about a man then, 'cos I've never been one of > >those either"). I want something non-cute, original (no cats/dogs/birds) > >that she learns to use as her eyes. > > > As something different, what about a bat? IIRC don't see very well (at best > no better than humans), and navigate by using echolocation(sp?). It might > not exactly count as 'eyes', but its a version of seeing, or at least > navigating, and I don't ever recall reading about it. > > *********************************************** > Bryan Malone wrote: > > >Over the weekend I finished the Arrow's Fall.. so I'm done with that set > >of three.. what should I pick up next? LMH or something else? > > LHM is generally considered to be the best of the Velgarth books, but IMHO > you should also read Vows and Honor and By the Sword. They're brilliant, > and the series began to go down from there. > > ************************************************* > Glithoniel wrote: > > > *snipping quote from Magic's Promise p29* > >>>This was something I was going to mention (I was reviewing this passage > >yesterday, and it bothered me). Why did Van have this connection to all the > >other Heralds? Van makes some remark about needing an especially strong Gift > >to detect the network between the Herald's, but that really doesn't explain > >why he would be the *only* one to see it. After all, there were others, such > >as Savil, who were probably more sensitive to subtle magics.<< > > I think the web was connected through the Companions, and that was why Talia > in AotQ didn't have a sense for the death bell yet - her bond with Rolan > wasn't strong enough. Maybe Van could see the network because he had all > (or almost) all the gifts, but is it possible that he was the only one to > see the possibilities of the network? Then again, I could be completely > wrong, I often am! > > Tamara > > "Reality is just a brief, distressing state of mind in between periods of > intoxication."Hello, I think I got it. I rolled on the Irony dice server and got a 3. It was on my revised character sheet. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Aug 1996 23:26:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Jake To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Familiars / 101 / Stone / Bierce / Help... Message-ID: <199608280326.XAA19242-+AT+-orion.webspan.net> >From under a pile of toys and 40 hour work weeks emerges Jake... Esmerelda asked: > 'kay folks - assistance. I want ideas for a familiar. My lass is (maybe) > going to be born blind (I like a challenge - my old man said I shouldn't > write a blind character 'cos I'd never been blind. My response was along > the lines of "How can I write about a man then, 'cos I've never been one of > those either"). Right. While "write what you know" is appropriate, it IS possible to write about things you don't experience. Or the whole genre of fantasy wouldn't even exist.. well, some of it actually, because while magic (1) exists, perhaps things like Gorgons and Gryphons and Werewolves, etc.. don't. >I want something non-cute, original (no cats/dogs/birds) > that she learns to use as her eyes. The guy who wrote The Witches of Karres > had little black energy swirls that watched (Vatches????) and played games > with human lives - they were good, but he got there first. People have been suggesting all sorts of animals, from spiders to snakes. Esmerelda, to send you down a different track, in CITADEL OF FIRE (2) Rynath as a Song for a familiar. A piece of Song energy (which exists in my universe). It's cool because Song (right, Rynath was.. creative in naming his familiar) doesn't talk, but plays music to convey his mood (can we talk sound effects, kind of?) Maybe you can think along those lines as animate energy/elementals. A pet air elemental, perhaps? Or whatever elements you have in your universe. (In the universe where CITADEL OF FIRE is set, Song is an actual element of the universe..) (Stretching back now...) Remember "Cursor" from the old TV series Automan? Something like that.. a blip of light. A will'o'the'wisp, perhaps? ---- Arcanum 101 *is* a college course. General Slang uses 101 to denote introductory course. You know. Like my friend Jason from college, who took Boozing and Womanizing 101 all four years... Although, just to educate, in St. John's University (3 Colleges) introductory courses in liberal arts start with N31, N32, etc.. courses in business go 1301, 1302 etc.. and courses in other professional skills go 1001, 1002, etc.. ---- Barbara Webb wrote: >Okay, I may be the only one in the world who feels this way, but I >think Sharon Stone would be a cool Kero. I don't SEE Miss Stone as Kerowyn. *sigh* I just don't. I said it last time, and I'll say it again. I'm not sure WHY, but she seems wrong for the part. Whether she can "act" or not... ---- Undine wrote: >Git of Diptychs, isn't Ambrose Bierce Great! I keep a copy of _The >Devil's Dictionary_ by my desk to cheer me up when I get depressed by >the mountains of paperwork. :) I'm sorry that he didn't write more. >"Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge" is wonderful too! Ambrose Bierce! Yes! I have his Devil's Dictionary as a Windows Help file somewhere. (3) I love it. I also have (somewhere) a different book in a similar vein by a different author called The Diabolical Dictionary of American English. *grin* Love it... ---- Aagh! I lost my latest Queen's Own. Can SOMEONE tell me when the mailing day for September is? Please? Via private email... ---- Love these slow periods. Talk to you people soon! Jake === Jake Adamo (rynath-+AT+-webspan.net) http://www.webspan.net/~rynath Mercedes Lackey Information FAQ Administrator "I like children. If they're properly cooked." -- W.C. Fields. ---- FOOTNOTES: (1) Yes, Magick. Magic is stuff with prestidigitation and legerdemain. That's not what I'm talking about here. Talking about manipulation of the forces of the universe by no known scientific means... (2) INFORMATION UPDATE: yes, it's done; yes, it's at the publisher; no, I'm not showing/haven't shown it to anyone ('xcept 'Reesa, indirectly, through online role playing; no, I haven't heard back from the publisher yet! And iffen you want a signed copy you have to pick it up in New York at my house. :P (3) Available at ftp.std.com/obi/Ambrose.Bierce/DEVDICT.ZIP.. doesn't have ALL the entries. The full text version is The.Devils.Dictionary.Z at the same directory, which is GZIPped. Both are available by FTP. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 96 14:24:57 EST From: mealink-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com (Kerry Mealing) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-vanyel.herald.co.uk Subject: Braid: Vanyel / Welcome / Helva / Vatches. Message-ID: <9608280424.AA14235-+AT+-syd.au.swissbank.com> Lady Kittengirl, Icewolf welcome back! :) Diana (L. Heald) wrote: > I also talk to cars, stoves, telephones, furniture (my favorite > phrase is STAY). I figure some of them attack when you're not > looking. Others protect you from the bad parts. ROFL. I talk to things (be nice to your computer & it will be nice to you), but I'd never considered the possibilities of "STAY". :) Someone wrote (Apologies, attribution lost): > > Textevd: p29 MPromise. "Vanyel could 'feel' every Herald and Herald-Mage > > in Haven" -- > > > > -- wait, before I keep on quoting, why only in Haven and not further? Is > > that b/c the link between Companions is limited by distance, unlike the > > link between 'Lendel and Staven, which 'Lendel said wasn't, or was that b/c > > of his reach or sensitivity or what? No, my guess is slightly different. Remember the [unpowered] shields that Elspeth found in Storm-something, that were around Haven? She [and Firesong?] were building shields around Haven to protect from the worst of the Storms and they found that at one stage moderately heavy shields had been set around the capital and just required new power routed to them. I'd say that those shields existed in Van's time (well, duh), and that they were sufficient to block those tenuous links (those links must have been pretty light) even if it didn't block mindspeech and the like. > > As I was saying. "Vanyel could 'feel' every Herald and Herald-Mage in > > Haven, all tied to him by a kind of tenuous network of lines of life-energy > > with identitity as plain to him as if he could see the faces. Most > > Herald-Mages could follow the line of anyone who had shared magic with > > them; Vanyel could follow the line of anyone who had "shared magic" just by > > virtue of being a Herald" Vanyel could follow them because he traced out the links and he was the primary caster of the spell that linked them all together. It wouldn't surprise me if Sayvil and the other three mages who were there, could have traced those links as well (as they were also involved in casting the spell) but they kinda never needed to (or got the chance). > Mat Timmerman wrote: > > From: Ailsa n'ha Winifreyda > > > My thanks to this list - every morning the first thing I do at work is turn > > on the computer (called Helva) and immediately my Email comes in - with most > > from you lovely folk and immediately my day is brightened. (and after the Oz > > budget - it needed to be) > > > Ooo, can she (the computer) sing? ;) > > > Many Zen Hugs to you all! > (my, someone likes the _Ship that XXX_ books, huh? :) ) Ailsa - you call your machine Helva? Mine's called Hal. *grin* We have an understanding. He doesn't try to kill me, and I don't let on that I know he's insane. (Matt - The Zen Hugs thing from those books was a nice idea. Forget the name of the book though - was the one with Hypatia in it.) :) Esmeralda wrote: (Why do I have the irresistable urge to keep writing Granny Weatherwax?) > The guy who wrote The Witches of Karres > had little black energy swirls that watched (Vatches????) and played games > with human lives - they were good, but he got there first. James H. Schmitz. Also wrote the Telzey Amberdon series (quite good). :) And yeup, Vatches. But some of them were not quite so little. :) Cheers, (YES! I already had an ObMisty!) :) Kerry. "Never saw the morning till I stayed up all night, Never saw the sunshine til i turned out the light. Never saw my hometown til I stayed away too long. I never heard the melody til I needed the song." --Nanci Griffith "San Diego Serenade" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 14:53:31 +1000 (EST) From: "Morgan / Nerys Karina (SCI)" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Kestra'cherns and firecats Message-ID: On Wed, 28 Aug 1996, Kimberly wrote: > Well, one pathetic effort (feel free to boo this one down...) I guess. Are > the Firecats all like the Groveborn and why don't they have a MO Firecat > equivalent, for a head priest or something? Or are they all born just like > the Companions are? Firecats are reborn Son of Sun's. So I guess that you could say that they are more like non-grove born companions. From what I can gather they seem to just appear- like grove-born companions. A bit like both I guess. I forget which book its in but Karal (?) reads that before the corruption of the priesthood, most Son of Sun's *were* accompanied by a firecat. Hope that answers your question. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now for mine. I've just finished reading the Black Gryphon (I haven't read the others so please don't give anything away!) and don't quite understand the position of kestra'cherns. From the sounds of things they- even in the clans- work for money. Although obviously if they are desperately needed they work for free. They do massages, healing and counselling. Misty kept skipping the question and I'm rather dense so I couldn't figure out whether they also do sexual services. The Hawkbrother societies don't seem to be based upon money. So why do the Kestra'chern work for money. I had the impression that it worked upon a bartering type system. You make me clothes, I'll make you a bow type thing. Even if this "client" business evolved from the interaction between peoples, I don't see how a Hawkbrother would be more involved in outside societies than his/her own clan. Even before the magewars, the shin'a'in and Hawkbrothers seemed rather exclusionist. I don't know, I guess waffling on. The Kestra'chern just don't seem to fit the mould of clan people, they are too modern with clients and everything. Well maybe one of you out there can help. By the way did anyone else find the abrupt changing of Winterhart's personality a bit out of sync? I thought that if she really was such a sweetie then she wouldn't have considered the gryphons to be merely controlled constructs. But I absolutely loved that scene where Skan's mate (I've forgotten her name) nearly rips Amberdrake apart at their first meeting. Thanks in advance. The Snagrom. ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 797 *********************************