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A Road Less Travelled OOC

Started by Van Helser, August 16, 2009, 10:56:35 AM

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Van Helser

Well, I've decided that I need to get this ponderous beast of a background piece back up and running!

I started this off around about the New Year with the intention of adding to it every week or so.  After two posts that wonderful notion ran out of steam.  But, with my free time now increased, I have a good feeling that I will be able to tell the tale of Mikael Van Helser's early years with some regularity. 

Big old post there, containing the first two from the pre-crash Conclave plus the next bit of character introduction.  One of the areas I'm trying to explore with this piece is the structure of the Ordo Malleus, which I see to be a very close-knit network of Inquisitors that rely greatly on who they know to proceed.  As a young Inquisitor, Mikael is very much in the back pocket of his mentor, D'Agostini.  Though he probably could break out on his own, having the support of an older Inquisitor is a great proof against the accusations of heresy that are undoubtedly going to come his way (I see the Ordo as being a very cutthroat organisation - piss off the wrong person and you will burn on trumped up charges).  But as we all know, trusting entirely in someone is not often a very good thing...

At the end I've brought in a bit of background to one of the supporting characters, Innocent.  I had quite a time dreaming this guy up, and I think he'll be a fun challenge to write properly, especially when he's in the company of quite a few other characters.  In a roundabout way, he's going to show just whom the strong characters are.  I just hope I don't mess things up when he's about - all too easy to do that with telepaths!

Comments, criticisms and general questions are of course welcome.

Ruaridh

Mohauk

Just had a (first time) read and I'm intrigued to see more. Great characters (particularly Innocent is v sinister and no doubt something of a ticking time bomb). The inflected description is really nice, not too overdone but just subtle, enough that we get a real sense of the character's personality. Also like the mechanicus language, referring to an assault unit as an 'engine' etc.

Can't wait to read more.

MM.
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting...

Van Helser

Glad you liked what you've seen so far Mohauk. 

Innocent is very much a ticking time bomb - there's so much potential within him it's going to be difficult to keep the story focussed on Mikael, and not use up all of the cool Innocent can provide for the tale.  Just have to remember that he can be bed ridden with a mania from time to time!

I had fun writing from an Adeptus Mechanicus point of view for the opening piece.  I tried to keep the techpriest's thoughts very ordered and structured, low on emotion, but very analytical.  The whole "assault engine" thing actually came from the lingering memory of a Royal Navy recruitment ad that was on TV years ago - the tagline went something like "be part of the machine", and for some reason that came back to me when I was writing this.  I thought it logical myself that any element of an Adeptus Mechanicus force would see itself as one cog in a greater whole, and applied it to the force reclaiming the college.  Everything needed to function together to achieve the objectives.  Damn those pesky daemon-worshippers!