10 April – Blogger Time!
Ah, back for more are you? Well so am I. First up I would just like to thank all of you who help to answer questions that you know have been asked before. Hopefully everyone reads all the other comments so they can find their answers as we go. Thank You!
Let me see, any important news this week? Well, not unless you count my trip to the dentist yesterday, or my upcoming trip to an oral surgeon this coming Friday. Yes, it’s time to have some teeth removed, which is unlucky for me but in a way it is also a good thing. How can it be a good thing you ask??? Well, it will make my teeth stop hurting for one thing, and leave me unwilling to wander too far from the computer for another. I should have a lot of time to write in the next few weeks, and with any luck we’ll get something worth reading when I’m done. So, apart from my wish that magic could fix my teeth, lets see what other questions are out there this week.
Ah, Kieora asks how many books I will write, which is kind of a trick question. In this series I’m shooting for 8 books. Now, I have no idea how many other books I will write, but I hope a lot. I have ideas for several other stories, some that link together, others that stand alone. Currently, apart from the Adventurers Wanted books, I am working on the first book of a trilogy which I am calling, “Seeds of Power”. I’ve hit a bit of a wall at the moment, as I know where the story is going but I’m not sure how to get there. Well, it will come to me sooner or later. I’m also thinking about a couple of other stories I’ve started, but as I’m not working on them now I won’t bring them up.
On Aniki’s question about the bond between Alex and Shahree, Peter is partly correct. They were close because they had saved each other. Merrill also gives part of the answer when he says that Alex is part elf. Alex may not be able to understand his horse as well as an elf, at least not yet, but the horses do understand him. Also, I have mentioned that the horses of Alusia are considered the best and smartest horses in all the known lands, and both Shahree and Dar Losh are from Alusia and even there they are considered exceptional.
SuitedCougar asks about adventurer traditions from Kess and other lands, and if they have traditions like the one in Norsland. Yes, you all remember the Norsland tradition of offering treasure for someone saving your life. Well, to answer the question, I’m don’t believe that Kess has any such tradition. Some other lands might, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
Brandon’s question about jumping between bags inside of bags has honestly confused me. I’m not sure what he’s asking???;} However, I can tell you that Alex keeps his dad’s bag inside his own bag. He can be in his bag and then inside his dad’s bag at the same time without any problems. So I guess, yes, you can be in two bags at one time.
Deostoer asks about magical gateways to other lands, and all I’m gonna say about that is, “Dang, you’re getting ahead of the story. Slow down.” Alright, that’s a yes. It is possible for wizards to create gateways between lands, but you don’t want to do it just randomly. The wizard needs to know something about the place he is going to or his gateway might drop him in the middle of a lake or someplace worse.
Oh, and just to finish for Deostoer… No, Alex’s dad never met Salinor.
Aniki is correct, the third expanding room, or any of the expanding rooms for that matter, would allow Alex to change into a dragon inside his bag without any problems. No tweaking needed, the room would just get bigger.
Madeline, Alex is always both man and dragon, so he doesn’t have to change from one to the other unless he wants to. Also, remember that at the end of Albrek’s Tomb, Alex goes off to Alusia and accepts a new home there. So even if he does change, it won’t be in the modern world. As to how big Alex is when in his dragon form… Well? Bigger than any single engine airplane, tall enough that you need a latter to get on his back unless he helps you climb up, probably not as big as say a 747 passenger jet, but fairly big just the same. I don’t know, I have a size in my head but it doesn’t really compare to other things. Dragons are big, but how big is big? How big would be too big? I’ll have to think about that. Other dragons would recognize Alex as a dragon lord, meaning a wizard who knows more than most other wizards. (Alex does know Salinor’s true name.) Other dragons would at least talk to him before attacking, and if Alex wanted them to know that he was also a dragon they they would know that as well, even if he was in human form.
Now, on the question about loss of honor if Alex didn’t go help a friend in need, or if he was on an adventure when a friend called. First of all, there is no adventurers rule about going to help friends while you are in the middle of an adventure. There is a rule about abandoning your current adventure, so most adventurers would need to finish their current adventure before going to help. Alex, however, is a wizard. Wizards have a special, well it’s not really a power, but it is something most people will accept as a right. This special something is called, “Wizard’s Privilege”. What that means is that wizards can change adventurers agreements and a lot of other things as well because they are wizards. They can use the wizard’s privilege to change an adventures goal, even if they aren’t part of that adventure. Wizards are respected and when they, “Ask” for something most people are more than willing to say yes. So even though most wizards won’t use the wizard’s privilege very often, if ever, it is always there if needed.
Oh, just a note here. I’ve noticed that a lot of you are referring to lands as realms and realms as lands. Here’s the deal. A realm is like a kingdom, so when I say, the dwarf realm of Thraxon, that means the kingdom of the dwarves in the land of Thraxon. If, however, I say Nezza, that means the land of Nezza which is it’s own world. Just thought I’d point that out.
So, Nelson. Yes, true silver dragons are more powerful, normally, than other dragons; and yes, their hides or scales are true silver. Also, Taylor, yes, Alex will change into a dragon in book 4, but I’m not going to tell you why; and no, Alex will not be finding a dragon egg any time soon.
Bethany, tell your brothers that they are welcome and I’m glad they like the books.
Mr. Clutter, so glad you stopped by. I never really explain how Alex does works his magic, or the words he uses on purpose. It’s magic, and you don’t need to know the words. I know that some people get really bent out of shape when authors start writing magic spells and such, so to avoid any panic or complaints I just avoid it. I know, some of you really want to know how he did that, or what magic words were used, but trust me, it’s better this way. Yes, Alex can cast spells as a dragon, as any dragon can. As for where things go when he changes from a human into a dragon… yes, that has been asked a few times, so here’s how it works. Whatever Alex is wearing or carrying or holding changes with him when he becomes a dragon. His magic bag is there, but you can’t see it, so is his staff, his clothes, etc. When he changes back into a human everything is right where it should be. Magic does this on purpose, because it would be really bad if for example his clothes got torn apart when he changed and then he was naked when he changed back. Not a good thing, and possibly very embarasing as well.
Zach, yes. The fact that Alex is a dragon, even though he didn’t know it at the time, did help him to defeat Slathbog.
Taylor, I don’t know what the cover to book 4 will be yet. I think that might depend on what title we decide on. Hmmm… better email the publisher and see where we are at on titles.
A couple of words on magic bags. When entering a magic bag it is normal for the adventurer to be holding the bag and whisper the password into it. You never want to try and enter from too far away because 1.) The bag may not understand that you are talking to it, and 2) You really don’t want to say your password very loud because anyone who hears it can also enter your bag. There is no limit to the number of rooms you can add to your bag, but if you get too many rooms it can be confusing for you so don’t go crazy. When leaving a magic bag you can be anywhere in the bag and use the exit password to get out. O.K. I think that covers it.
Connie, Alex does not go to regular school, at least not any more. I was going to have something about his “Normal” school way back in Slathbog’s Gold, but it didn’t get added so I’ve just left it out. Now that Alex has moved to Alusia, well, there isn’t much need. Also, sorry, no, Alex’s dad did not have any powerful magic. He had some magic, but nothing even close to a wizard’s magic.
Deostoer, I haven’t really thought about short stories, at least as far as Alex is concerned. At one time I was going to write some short stories about Whalen Vankin and try to get them published in magazines and such. I might have to think about that again. I do have two or three stories about Whalen, but they need some work. I was hoping to write a bunch of them and then maybe publish them as a book called, “Tales of Whalen Vankin”. We’ll have to see if that ever happens or not. (Hey, Whalen has been around for over six hundred years, there should be some good stories about him shouldn’t there?)
Finally, for Ted. Salinor is a “Lord of Dragons”, meaning he is a lord among dragons or to make it simple, a dragon that most other dragons will obey. Yes, there are always a few evil dragons that won’t pay attention or that might try to get away with things and such, but most dragons will do what Salinor wants. Alex is a “Dragon Lord”, which means he is a wizard that most dragons will at least talk to before starting any trouble. Alex is not a prince of dragons because dragons don’t bother with things like princes or kings or anything like that. I was, at one time, going to write an adventure called, “The Dragon King”, but it had nothing to do with a king of the dragons, it was a different idea completely.
So, I think I got all the questions for this week, and I know I have a lot of writing to do now that I’ve managed to blog. So until next time, I remain yours in fellowship,
-Mark
