March 2017 – Q&A
This is a compilation of questions that have been emailed and messaged to me recently.
If you want to ask anything, you can post a comment here or get in touch through the contact page (and newsletter subscribers can just reply to any of my emails).
I’ve been posting Q&As for a few months now, so if you’ve found this one interesting, you can look back at previous Q&As here.
Jonas Dollwet messaged me on Facebook with his cool conversion for Nakir of the Consecrators, as introduced in my novel The Unforgiven. He has a growing force of Consecrators and also had some questions for me: 1) Do the Consecrators have a battlecry? 2) Do the Consecrators follow the Dark Angels’ organization or do they have their own? 3) How do you come up with names for members of the Unforgiven? (this one always pains me!) 4) Do you think they hoard jetbikes? Now that Sammael has been retconned I do think there might be more out there… 5) is their name anything to go by? Do they actually take the relics from Fallen they have killed, sanctify (consecrate) them and include them in their armoury?
Superb conversion by Jonas Dollwet
1) Not that I know of. Perhaps something like ‘Honour the past!’
2) I would think they are pretty much the same as the DA Chapter organisation, although with their penchant for older gear perhaps there’s wiggle room for some other specialists – maybe older style terminators rather than Deathwing Knights? Also, they don’t have the warp-powered fun from the Rock like the Dark Shrouds. Maybe they have dug up a Malcador tank and a couple of Mastodons along the way?
3) Start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... and then let wiki-surfing be your friend!
4) For sure they must have a squad at least…
5) That is a great idea. Makes me want to write the story of the first Consecrator.
Thanks for getting in touch. To be honest I’ve been flagging on the DA front after so much writing for them, but I had a lot of fun with Nakir and his friends and you’ve reignited my desire to do more with them!
Iracundus commented on my blog, in response to the February Q&A: The struggle between Arhra and Karandras I think is also reflective of how Eldar society was still struggling to come to terms with the Fall. The Path system and the current incarnations of the Aspects are the final end product, but I am sure initially things were more fluid as evidenced by how differently Arhra and Karandras envisioned the Scorpion. I wonder how many other Aspects had Eldar who disagreed with it. Perhaps they left to found their own Aspects rather than trying to redefine their existing one.
Rather than the simplistic black and white view of Arhra = power hungry and evil, I think Arhra disagreed with the direction the Path and the Aspects were going (increasingly formalized and rigid), while the others disagreed with his apparently more ruthless no holds barred views. I’ve always seen his split with the Phoenix Lords and his attack on them as being the last desperate throw of the dice after being on the losing side of any previous philosophical verbal debate. Of course the road to Slaanesh is paved with good intentions and Arhra’s actions may have destroyed whatever hope there may have been of getting his views accepted.
What was once a (legitimate?) difference of vision between master and pupil has in the generations since hardened into a doctrinal divide between sects, with each viewing the other as a corruption of the truth. Rich material to mine for a story about the Eldar.
Absolutely – I don’t do ‘and he woke up evil and killed all the younglings’ as a motive… Ahrha’s fall has to be poignant and important, and linked to the greater story of Chaos and the eldar, much like Malekith’s. I know you’re a keen explorer of the (a)eldar(i) background so hopefully we can come up with something that is both surprising yet resonant. I don’t even know if I’ll be writing it, but hopefully I’ll have some input.
Markus asked on the blog, in response to my Three Top Tips for Black Library Submissions post: I’m still waiting as well to hear back from BL after passing through round 1. I guess what I’m trying to say is that patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to the world of books and publishing. Anyway, I wonder if Gav could do a blog post on his experiences of hearing back from book publishers, in terms of how long it’s reasonable to wait before inquiring etc etc. All that sort of technical info you know? Hope that makes sense!
Former Black Library editor Laurie Goulding shared this information online, so I’m sure he won’t mind me putting it here too:
“So, back in the day, there was just the one Submissions Editor – me. Then my managers realised I was better utilised elsewhere in BL, so the job became “whoever is available from Editorial, trawl the inbox”. Now we have a much better system in place, which is our freelance liaison (liaison freelancers, not a liaison who is freelance) checks each submission against a set of criteria. If they pass those criteria, he reads it properly and checks if it at least makes sense. You’d be surprised how many don’t.
If a submission fails before this point, you won’t hear anything back. It’d be too time-consuming.
Then the liaison makes a pile of the submissions that have made the cut, and brings them to our weekly Editorial meeting. They get put in the middle of a table, and we each grab one at a time and read it.
If we like it, we put a tick at the top and put it back in the middle for another editor to look at. If we’re not sure, we put a question mark and explain what gives us pause. If we don’t like it, we put a cross and throw it aside.
Two ticks is [sic – editors, eh? :D] enough to be “approved”, or a combination of three ticks/question marks. A cross is an instant rejection.
Approved submissions get notified, and we work out the next step. Usually this is “Await our instructions”, but it could be specific feedback like “You’ve not quite got the dialogue for Space Marines right, please make more formal” or “This isn’t how the warp works, please check the 40k rulebook” or “Would this not be better from the Tau point of view?” At this stage we are inviting the submitter to tweak their work to make up for what we see as its weak points.
After that, we’d enter into a conversation to start a back-and-forth with that writer on expanding their sample into a full story. This is handled by the editor who most enjoyed the work, so you’ve got someone batting for you.
(And no, nothing against multiple submissions – but we’d rather see one AWESOME and well thought-out submission than five mediocre ones produced in the same amount of time. If you have time to write three, for example, why not revise the first one a few times instead? Quality over quantity, always.)”
John asked via Facebook: Who are or what it the watchers in the dark? I’ve been asking around about the Watcher in the Dark and it’s being said its a Cabal members. Is this true?
Nobody knows what or who they are (I have my ideas but they’re not official or public) but the Cabal thing only came about because the word ‘cabal’ was used in close proximity to them in a novel. Very tenuous link.
John also asked: Any near future thought on a 30/40k or fantasy graphic novel? Your audio dramas are awesome, and the voice actor/actors are golden. Was hoping Titan comics might have gotten a hold of you..
On the comics front, it would be great to do some work but, as you say, I haven’t been approached. I think that future comics publishing is going to be on a licensed basis going forward (rather than internally from BL, such as with Maccrage’s Honour), so it’s down to individual licensees like Titan who they want to use. I’m always open to contact from any licensees, be they video games companies, comics publishers or anyone else interested in writing or creative consultancy.
Beth asked via the newsletter: Do the Ynnari also nom up the souls of humans that die near them? I imagine such a snack wouldn’t be much, but at least it might be something! Are the Dark Eldar and Corsair Ynnari still slavers or are they required to stop/limit that practice? I recall it being noted that Corsairs already tend to keep slaves in a more limited capacity, but I am curious if the Ynnari will have a completely different outlook on keeping humans around for anything ranging from cheap work force, entertainment and so on!
I’ll preface this with the caveat that I haven’t any particular insider info beyond what has been put into the books so far, but this is my take on what’s there.
Although rules =/= the lore, as I read it the various Ynnari formations and units gain benefits from any destroyed units nearby (as well as specific buffs from Ynnari losses), so by extension I assume this means that they can get a fix from humans, orks and whatever other stray souls get released in their vicinity.
The way I”m looking at the Ynnari is more as movement than a single organised mass – we know from the Harlequins that it is possible to both serve Ynnead and the Laughing God at the same time, so I would expect former practices to be maintained to a certain degree. In the case of the Dark Eldar, it’s more a case of approach than mechanics for most – the fact that they are sustaining themselves with the souls of departed allies as much as enemies offsets some of the spirit fodder they give up, but in times of need… Above all else, the Ynnari have tried to move past the previous distinctions of kabalites, outcasts and craftworlders, and certainly any morality attached to their practices. Given that the Ynnari are also more active alongside the humans than previously, it is probably not a good idea for them to prey too much on their occasional allies!
It’s also worth bearing in mind that the Ynnari are the ones that have stepped outside ‘conventional’ aeldari society – that is they move between the structures of the craftworlds, Commoragh, exodites and so forth. They are not trying to build a society as such, so have no interest in infrastructural concerns like concentrated slave labour. As mostly itinerant forces they will simply live off what they can form the others around them, in exchange for protection, favours, or whatever.
Beth followed up with:How long do you personally believe a human in 40k could survive if she was stuck with the Eldar (corsairs /Ynnari to be specific) and they actually wanted the human not to wither away swiftly. I know juvenats have their limits, I know webway slows down aging a bit, but was still wondering what you would imagine the maximum is. Not to mention what other methods, in your opinion, might be employed.
I imagine that the aeldari can sustain life almost indefinitely if they can be bothered – certainly haemonculi can keep victims alive for decades despite excruciating and crippling torture. If an aeldari was to keep a human ‘pet’ (okay, let’s be generous and say ‘companion’!) I imagine they could be kept alive for centuries, although I wouldn’t want to stake anything in regard to the human’s mental health after all that time. Add in to that the same warp-time-dilation-thing that goes on with the webway and a human could quite possibly crop up several thousand years after going missing.
Violent death needn’t be an obstacle either. The perpetual’ John Grammaticus was restored several times by the technology of the Cabal, most likely aeldari in origin. We also know that the Commorraghans can grow new bodies for themselves if a little bit of them remains. Doing something for a simpler organism like a human wouldn’t be a stretch, especially with the Ynnari’s particular skills in spirit manipulation.
Troels asked via the website: Any leads on who it was that Zahariel recognised behind Lord Cypher’s mask?
None. It was a suggestion from editor Laurie Goulding that Zahariel recognise his adversary, but we didn’t decide exactly who it was – yet…
David asked on Facebook: I have one question, if I may, where do you get the inspiration for the Stormcast names? Obviously this is not the Old World with their germanic names, are the new “order” names made up of are they based or inspired by any of the current or old civilizations?
The Stormcast names are honorifics adapted from their old names, and I was given some guidance by GW – more classical-themed with Latinesque or Greek elements. A bit like Ultramarines, really, with -us, -eus, -ia appended onto real names (I used a mix of Rus, Slavic and Frankish names for inspiration).
Mhoram asked on Facebook: Hey Gav. Is there any chance your Phoenix Lords series will include a novel about Irillyth, phoenix lord of the Shadow Spectres? I know he’s not exactly part of the “main cast” of those warriors, but I’d be excited to learn more about him.
It’s a possibility – the series is fluid and so while not one of the original Asurya, Irillyth could make an appearance at some point.
Nicx asked on Facebook: Hail Dark Angels LoreMaster Thorpe. I am a big fan of the Dark Angels, and I am in the process of making a 1st Legion 30k force. I was thinking about the Librarians in 30k. Would the DA have a Master Librarian, like Ezekiel (my favorite character) in 30k? Also Do you know if you, or someone else will write about the other 3 Voted Lieutenants of Raven/Iron/Storm Wing? As I would love to model each wing’s leaders.
As far as I am aware, the Dark Angels maintained a Librarius the same as others legions both pre- and post-Caliban contact (before Nikaea disbanded them, of course). I can’t recall if any of the chief librarians were named – not someone I’ve covered.
Hopefully there will be more about the other Wings of the Dark Angels in forthcoming novels, as well as details in a future Forge World book, including their leaders.
Christopher asked on Facebook: You and CZ Dunn are my favorite 40k writers. Do you collaborate often to determine the dark angels past/future?
Thanks. We occasionally check stuff with each other, but we don’t have a shared grand plan. It’s the same for most Black Library works, except for the shared narratives such as Horus Heresy and Beast Arises. An interesting topic though, I’ll add it to my blog list.
James asked on Facebook [in relation to my recent short story Vengeance of the Immortal]: Is that the same Evocatus from Honour to the Dead? I loved that Audiobook.
Thanks. Yes it is, good memory!
Devon asked on Facebook: So as a long time GW guy, what is your opinion on Primarchs returning to 40k? If you don’t mind my asking.
There were two gospel truths when I was in the GW Studio. Firstly, the Horus Heresy would never be made as 28mm miniatures. Secondly, the Primarchs would never return. As of now, both are out the window!
Any changes like this are all in the detail – how individual writers deal with the new reality. I’m already dealing with some of the opportunities presented by the Gathering Storm narrative, and so far it’s been fun playing with the new toys. I think it could go too far, but for the moment having one Loyalist returned is okay.
Aaron (not Dembski-Bowden!) asked on Facebook: I look forward to seeing these [Gathering Storm] events transpire in a novel. Any idea if this is going to happen?
I don’t think there are any Gathering Storm tie-ins, but you should expect to see plenty of 40k novels set in the aftermath (as well as continuing to get some from earlier times as with Azrael or The Beast Arises).
Jan asked on Facebook: Stupid question, but regarding lore and the books, [Gathering Storm] is now canon?
This is the state of the current 40k galaxy, for many novels going forward. As always, the timeline is there to be enriched in the past also.
Patrick shared a blog he had written about out of print games, and asked if I had any insights, as a contributor to games that are out of print. He followed it up with a second blog post, including some comments from me. You can see his original post here, and the follow up here. My full response to him is copied below:
Patrick: I have written a post about out of print games and whether they are still playable and enjoyable. As a contributor to games that are out of print you might have some insights on this topic as well?
That’s a really interesting take. My initial thought is that it really depends on whether anything else comes out to directly replace it. For example, Blood Bowl has continued to be ridiculously popular without GW support for many years. Other specialist games like Mordheim and Epic also continue to have followings. On the other hand, Age of Sigmar has officially replaced WFB and is receiving the support, coverage and recruitment. It isn’t just a case of playing an old game, it’s playing a game the creators themselves have superceded.
It would be a bit like insisting on playing a video game but without certain patches, I suppose.
The decision at the moment for many players is a negative not a positive – they are deciding NOT to play AoS rather than making the choice to continue to play WFB, if that makes sense. On the other hand, time is a healer. Just as there is a pleasant Oldhammer movement perfectly content to continue alongside more modern gaming, so I think that communities will for around other versions of WFB. The problem there is that while most Oldhammer players are fixated on 3rd ed, not all players agree on which later version is the best to play – roughly breaks down to 4/5th edition, 6/7th or 8th…
Patrick: Do you think that Bloodbowl for instance would have had a smaller continuing fanbase if a good substitute would have been released (wether by GW or any other producer)? Or are people just to hooked on the background and stories etc. Of the original version they started playing. I believe guildball has a nice following, but as far as I know not as large as the hordes that still play Bloodbowl. Even before the new edition was released not so long ago.
Thing is, there have been close copies, but the third party market has done so well with ‘Fantasy Football’ teams that the main game has held up as a system to support. Close contenders like Dreadball and Guildball have moved away enough from the core BB image and mechanics that they offer something different rather than the same, making them complimentary rather than competition.
The same hasn’t been so true of the more GW IP-specific games like Necromunda and Epic, although Inquisimunda has taken up some of that former community.
Finally, not a Q&A as such, but there were a lot of fun genre suggestions on my Facebook page for the new Kharadron Overlords – which one is your favourite?
Steambeard, Beardpunk, Alebeardpunk, Alepunk, Stumppunk, Pinkyponkpunk, Unsquats, Squatdwarfs, Stuntypunk, Squatpunk
If you want to ask anything, you can post a comment here or get in touch through the contact page (and newsletter subscribers can just reply to any of my emails).
**To make sure you don’t miss out on any blog posts, you can keep up-to-date with everything Gav by signing up to my monthly newsletter. As a bonus, every other month I randomly pick a newsletter subscriber to receive a free signed copy of one of my books (The March prize will be a choice from my back-catalogue box – if I’ve got it, you can have it (includes some limited editions, and older titles that are no longer in print).**
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