Author Topic: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)  (Read 2191 times)

Offline ChrisGrim

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I have completed the story and am having Nimora look over it as I type this. If she thinks it's ready then it will be posted.

This is the first story in the series (chronologically) and it was one of my favourite to write. It ties together a lot of things that were left open from other stories and now a lot makes sense.

-I introduced important characters that will later become influential in Grim's life.

Jennifer Thraxon, who later takes over the JOA Academy training temple on Endor is introduced. She is Ahna Thraxon's older sister who later becomes Grim's best friend.

Darth Muhktar has been tied into the earlier stories. He is a very influential character in my story now and his taking Grim on as an Apprentice now has precedence.

-I was able to humanize characters that Grim demonizes later on. I showed why Vroxil falls, that he truly loved his family despite what Grim thinks. I wanted to show that there are two sides to every story and Vroxil's is no exception.

I wanted to show the reasons behind his fall from grace and how he wasn't really evil but would later become evil out of necessity.

-I answered some unanswered questions, like what Grim's OF password meant (introduced in "A Nightmare Realized") or who the Oracle was and why he really did what he did.

I should have it all posted tomorrow.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2010, 11:00 AM by Chris "Mikeman" Grim »

Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2010, 05:10 AM »
Alrighty then!

Regards,
Menelaos


Offline ChrisGrim

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2010, 12:57 PM »
So, I've decided to rejoin JKA. I'm not the kind of person not to have a clan so I started looking around to find one and... Well, I thought about JO but with no JKA server, activity, and with my previous two failed attempts I decided to find something new where my past wouldn't hold me back. And I think I may have. I found a new clan to make an application for and am working on it right now.

It shouldn't stop me from posting stories of Chris Grim here, but I just wanted to inform my... acquaintances in JO. Seems like a decent, well run clan. A fresh start for someone like me with a rather... sorted history.

Anyways, again, it shouldn't effect the... 19 stories or so I have planned to write for JO and Chris Grim (though I will be using the same name to save me a lot of time). Just figured I owed it to some people who are still friends to me to let them know.


Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #3 on: June 30, 2010, 06:05 AM »
Thanks for the heads up.

Regards,
Menelaos


Offline ChrisGrim

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2010, 11:57 PM »
I've begun the next story. It takes place 12 years later as Grim gets his first introduction to the Academy, his fellow Padawans, the Force, and his own potential. Sort of what you were asking for Menelaos, though maybe a bit more stylized and condensed. Also, I look to answer some questions and make sense of a couple things that shouldn't technically make sense (like why I could duel and beat pretty much anyone in the clan beyond Foxen, Kae, Ewie, and Drake-tar regardless of rank).

Just going to keep on plugging away and see how many stories I can push out before the urge to write and create dies off again. I work a fair bit this week but I hope to finish it before next Sunday.

Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2010, 08:32 AM »
My thoughts on it…if you care to read them….

Good job in Making the Master appear creepy, as if there was something about him that did point to the possibility of wrong doing despite the fact he had not done anything wrong. As I read I did get that creep vibe from him which a reader can only get (in my opinion) if the character is well portrayed in that manner. Thus, I commend you on that.

Megan – Gee, original name there? I appreciate your past/relationship with her, but for those of us who know her, you might be relying on her a bit too much throughout your stories. I know she edits them for you and she is part of the process, but the story is about Grim and she should only be the focus in your story when it comes to being Myste. All other references throughout your history might have a ‘cheese’ sense to them if you know what I mean.

That aside, her character was ok despite the fact that Jedi shouldn’t be married (which seemed quite normal in your story) and she was a bit possessive for a Jedi. Remember, its one thing that YOU (Grim) have feelings (for what seems a few girls) throughout your life, but Jedi in general were taught NOT to have that form of attachment. I would suggest you keep that in mind while writing as it seems ALL (if not most) of your characters sound like they are ‘feelings’ based which is quite the opposite of what we know Jedi to supposedly be.

Loved the meditation description and how once he was able to silence his mind, he was able to hear all others. That part was pretty cool and for the first time in the story I really started to feel that “Jedi story” vibe.

Very “Grim like” way of becoming a C!! “If you wish”… “I…Yes”  HA! That cracked me up. After this, I somewhat rolled my eyes with the whole “we can only send you” thing. Let me get this straight, a Master of the Council was just killed, and they only send the one Knight/Master who was just put into the C? Unrealistic to think the Council would be that dumb, but then again, Council’s have included people like  Elogenis and Darchind elsewhere, so anything is possible I suppose.

The Oracle at first I thought would be a cool idea, a REAL Oracle, but then I was disappointed that once again it was just a Dark Jedi or some sort.
When the Oracle tells Brizit that this was a mission a Knight could do, either Brizit is really that dumb, or I don’t know….a Councillor was already killed!!! Hello? That should have made some bells ring.

From there it certainly turns too much into the Anakin for my liking.
However I do wonder about this message she sent her son? Was this something they had discussed in the past? How would he even begin to know to go check it and without his fathers name? Was the password something he knew about her? “The Hope For The Order of the Force” doesn’t exactly just roll of your tongue ;)

Please don’t get me wrong, I liked it. Good read, just offering some opinions and all of you are welcome to disagree if you want.

Regards,
Menelaos


Offline ChrisGrim

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2010, 10:44 AM »
I haven't read your whole post yet, I just wanted to mention that the name Megan was used in a story BEFORE I ever met Myste, lol. Remember that my stories going forward are bound by the four stories I created three years ago, and part of that includes names such as Megan.

Megan is the name of my closest friend from high school.

I can see where you would make the other connection though.
« Last Edit: July 05, 2010, 08:07 PM by Chris "Mikeman" Grim »

Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2010, 10:50 AM »
Fair enough.

Let me know about the ticket to the game (made the other post in the other section).

Regards,
Menelaos


Offline ChrisGrim

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2010, 08:29 PM »
Couple other things to clear up since you are incapable of waiting a few more stories to get all the information, lol (Talk about needing patience  ;)).

-The married characters is actually something I was told I could do by members of this clan, Lei being one of them. I was told three years ago when writing my stories that the New Jedi Order, Luke's Order, allowed for Jedi to get married (Luke was married and the entire EU has to do with the byproducts of that marriage, his children) and as a RolePlay Clan set in the time during or after his reformation of the Jedi Order this was a permitted theme.

I think JO is a bit confused in some ways. It's set well after Luke's Order but somehow ignores his rules and the way he did things in order to prescribe to an older set of rules. At least, it seems so sometimes.

-I thought tying Mukhtar into the stories would help me tie things up as I move forward. As stories go on it will be learned that Mukhtar heard of this prophecy from an Oracle, the Oracle feeds him information, Mukhtar uses it to do as he needs, in this case to draw out Vroxil. I have yet to decide what to do with the actual Oracle but the two are working together. Oracle makes the prophecies, Mukhtar acts as the face so anyone wishing to do harm to the Oracle will go after him.


-I edited the story slightly but the point remains. By the time Vroxil meets the 'Oracle' he's already exhausted, paranoid, and homesick. The whole story has him running around the galaxy on missions, he's always moving, fighting, and never home. He's worried Nexius is doing something behind his back but can't stay home to do anything about it, adding to the tension and stress. That's what the whole story builds up is Vroxil's fracturing which gives Mukhtar the opening he needs to break him. Mukhtar tells him what he needs to hear to break. He tells him everything his exhausted, paranoid mind has been thinking, feeding it.

-As for the Anakin ending, I couldn't avoid it in some ways as I started this story three-years ago but you are being a bit overly simplistic in your analysis. There are MAJOR differences here.

1) Anakin destroys the Jedi believing they are traitors to the Republic, Vroxil looks only to destroy a small group (the OF Council) of what he believes are Dark Jedi acting as Jedi. He believes the Jedi will call him a hero after this is over. Also, this gives the ground work for a later story where Vroxil does the exact same thing on Endor.

2) Anakin doesn't have a Jedi wife but he does end up killing her, Vroxil's wife is a Jedi and survives 16-years until he eventually kills her, but does so directly and not through a "broken heart"...

3) Anakin becomes a Sith Lord, Vroxil actually never does. In later stories it is revealed that Vroxil doesn't become Mukhtar's apprentice and instead leaves with Mikeman to train in solitude. This leads Mukhtar to try and recruit Christopher, the one he believes will have the most potential as he will be in his prime during the showdown (unlike Vroxil) and will have completed his training (unlike Mikeman).

4) Anakin loses, Vroxil doesn't.

I mean, sure, if all you look at is:
-Falls to the Dark Side
-Kills the Jedi
-Kills his wife

Then sure, but it's the small details that make the story. Also, the small details I haven't released yet. C'mon Mene, lol. It's like watching Episode 1 and Episode 6 and complaining too much is left unknown, lol. As more stories come, more answers will be given. Things that don't make sense here will make complete sense by the time the Chronicles are complete.

-Finally, the note to her son. The anagram, that makes an appearance in a much later story. Chris and YOU go to the OF temple so he can learn about his past. He's shown a computer console and it asks for a Name and Password, and Menelaos tells him what to put in. Menelaos knows what it means because Megan tells him. Megan tells him because Menelaos asked her to be in the Temple when Chris is there and the two of them talk in the Council Chambers before Vroxil interrupts... It all connects when the stories are done and read in order, I promise you.

I appreciate your comments though because it lets me know when I haven't explained some things right and when I have made mistakes in the logic of the story. It also helps me know when I'm doing the right thing making my readers go "wait, what?" so I can lead them to the "Oh, I get it now" three stories later, lol.

Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2010, 05:32 AM »
Wait what?





hehehehe


Regards,
Menelaos


Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2010, 06:11 AM »
Soooo?

Where are the stories?

Regards,
Menelaos


Offline ChrisGrim

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2010, 07:55 PM »
Between work and this cold putting me on my butt lately I haven't had a chance to write. I've been pre-planning stories when I've felt up to doing something but I've put all writing on hold for the moment. I haven't even been able to play JKA with my new clan since I was inducted. Just not able to be at home or stay in a chair long enough when I am.

Offline *<JO>*Menelaos

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Re: The Birth of a Child; The Death of a Family (Discussion)
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2010, 08:16 AM »
BAH! Excuses.

Lets see them already...

Regards,
Menelaos