Fanfiction -- Lunar: Crimson Hope (34 chapters as of 10/30)

[Bravo 29]

Whoa, that was a truly vile ceremony. And even though the heroes got through virtually unscathed, this is only the beginning. You said there were at least thirty-eight chapters? Whoa, they're in for a long journey, I hope they come out of it alive. Keep up the great work.

[DezoPenguin]

Well, as I am sitting here right now, forty chapters are finished. The first...I guess you could call it "book" at that point...of the story will clock in at around fifty-something. That's why I wanted to have a nice head start going on before I started posting chapters. It's going to be a long ride.

[DezoPenguin]

The evil plots of the Burning Hand begin to be unfolded, a good old-fashioned brawl ensues, and our favorite Magic Guild member gets testy and shows off her vocabulary.

Jyrian's Wrath

[DezoPenguin]

Another day, another chapter. This time puts our heroes on the road yet again, and I try to find something to kill the time by discussing the political fallout of the recent events in Nota, giving Tabren lessons in swordplay, and introducing a short lecture on the elements of magic in Lunar, giving Jyrian a reason to rip her hair out in frustration again. I swear the woman is going to be bald by the end of the story if this continues.

[url=http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3683083/14/]Lessons in the Barrier[/i]

[Bravo 29]

Hoboy, that was an excellent pair of chapters. It's obvious how much effort you've put into this fanfic. I can hardly wait for the next chapter, should be good.

[DezoPenguin]

This week, in honor of me getting my state tax refund, the heroes go and deal with various wings of the Katarina Zone federal bureaucracy! Jyrian gets audited for not paying the Epic Hero surcharge on her income tax, Elia forgets to take the Animated Character Hair Color Tax Credit and Morhault has to pay cash when it's found that he's been brooding without a license.

Well, not really, but they do actually have issues with the Chief Magistrate of Nanza's office. Is it just me, or is Jyrian kind of a snarky-pants for someone who routinely travels the world killing monsters and saving puppies?

Adventurers at the Gate

[Bravo 29]

Man, Jyrian isn't good with these government types. Maybe she should've learned Viktor's neat trick from Suikoden II, then they'd have already been in the door. I can't express enough how much I enjoy your writing style, keep it up.

[DezoPenguin]

Hopefully, High Priestess Ailera will be more reasonable than the Chief Magistrate's clerk, or else our heroes will have an interesting time trying to save the Governor from the Vile worshippers' plot...

Church and State

[Bravo 29]

Yep, that definitely went a lot better for the group. I doubt Jyrian could've tolerated another obstinate official. Now that I think about it, the Burning Hand's current plot sounds like the way Zophar twisted the image of Althena in EB to serve his dark designs: send in cronies to infiltrate the priesthood and methodically bring the order under his control. Makes me wonder if Zophar has anything to do with the Burning Hand, but I digress. I'm sure he'd love to burn LUNAR and everything in it to a cinder. Anyway, keep up the good work.

[DezoPenguin]

This chapter introduces my favorite character in the story. I've always enjoyed the characters like Danilo Thann in Elaine Cunningham's Forgotten Realms books (Elfshadow, etc.) and Sir Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel, who act like a dandified fop, a butterfly of high society, and conceal a reality of hard steel beneath. Then I got to thinking...why is it that they always have to have that core of hard steel? Why must the exterior conceal an interior of toughness, skill, and high character? Why?

Meet Deane Carras.

Fashion and Flechettes

[DezoPenguin]

As I'm sure you already guessed was going to happen, Deane officially joins the party, which wraps up this story arc and brings us face to face with a month's worth of interludes...

Official Comic Relief

[Bravo 29]

Neato, so now the party is complete. Of course, the real quest probably hasn't begun, has it? There's still a LONG way to go before the conclusion, just the way I like it. Reminds me of the old LUNARs, where you don't see the major turning point coming, and then everything changes. Keep it up.

[DezoPenguin]

Speaking of turning points, when one is reached it's often time to step back, take a breather, and catch up on what's happening away from the main characters...and get an Officially Obscured by Intangible Vagueness look at the Man Behind the Man:

Interlude--Vile

[Bravo 29]

Whoa, that was an interesting chapter of how the "other half" lived and thought on LUNAR. Lukai is definitely a lot different from Ghaleon, yet it seems he was, either unaware or indifferent to his deceased liege's true intentions. Not to mention of the reason why the Vile Tribe was banished in the first place, but it's no surprise their historians would be quite subjective in their recordings.

But I do like these kinds of interludes, we hardly saw any in all the LUNAR series. It helps to understand the villains, their motivations, desires, and flaws. I've always loved a good villain, and Lukai definitely seems to qualify as one.

The only question now is if the Pyre Lord shares his views. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. Keep it up.

[DezoPenguin]

Lukai is definitely a lot different from Ghaleon, yet it seems he was, either unaware or indifferent to his deceased liege's true intentions.

That's the way I saw it. But then again, he was one step down the food chain from the Three Sisters, and they weren't briefed on Ghaleon's intentions either (Phacia figured it out and it was part of the grounds for her turning good, Xenobia...never really learned the truth, and Royce probably knew, oracle and all, and also probably didn't care, crazy sadist and all).

But I do like these kinds of interludes, we hardly saw any in all the LUNAR series. It helps to understand the villains, their motivations, desires, and flaws. I've always loved a good villain, and Lukai definitely seems to qualify as one.

The only question now is if the Pyre Lord shares his views. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess. Keep it up.

Yes, there's always that question; the "man behind the man" doesn't always let his flunkies in on the plan. I guess you'll have to wait and see.

[DezoPenguin]

The interludes conclude in this installment with a reasonably firm wrap-up on the arc that just concluded and the surprise return of a character that pretty much will surprise nobody. Next time it's on to the obligatory Meribia arc all Lunar epics must include!

Interlude--Mercenary

[Bravo 29]

Hoboy, should've known those two clowns would've shown up again. How ironic they were entrusted with such a strategy. Thankfully it failed, but they'll probably be pestering the group ceaselessly from this point on. Don't you just hate annoying villains like them who don't know when to quit? Well, I suppose they have their uses, or they'd probably be used as cannon fodder or something. Anyway, keep up the good work.

[DezoPenguin]

On to Meribia! We'll be spending a fair whack of time here over the next few chapters, so we'll get to see if we can somehow keep Deane out of the sewers.

The Festival City

[DezoPenguin]

The companions' experiences in Meribia continue as they try to enter Deane's house, I digress on one of the more annoying archetypes in anime, manga, and JRPGs, and Morhault discovers that just maybe he's not as resigned to the label of heartless villain as he thought he was.

Something Worth Defending

[DezoPenguin]

Jyrian, meanwhile, has reported in to the Magic Guild on Black Rose Street, and has one of those handy conversations that tells the player where to go next.

New Direction