8FOLD: Mighty Medley # 29, May 2016, by Messrs. Brenton, McClure, Russell, and Stokes

[Scott Eiler]

On 2016-05-12 04:11, Tom Russell posted:

> -----------------THE SCIENCE-BLADES-----------------
> -------------------OF TERRA ALTER-------------------
> -----------------------Part  1----------------------
> -----------Copyright 2016 Adrian McClure------------
...
>    He'd fallen into a gate beneath the earth, built by the
> Atlanteans, that led to Terra Alter: a funhouse-mirror version of the
> world he knew, where magic reigned and science was a secret
> underground tradition. There, he'd become a hero and gotten married.
> His new wife was Antinea, Science-Princess of New Atlantis.
...
>    "You're Elaine, aren't you? He's told me a lot about you." Elaine
> nodded, not really sure what to say in this situation, especially
> since she was still in her pajamas. "As you have no doubt guessed, I
> am Antinea, Science-Princess of New Atlantis. Our spouse is missing,
> and I need your help..."

That's a really good situation to start a story with.


> --------------SEVEN 'GAINST THEBES------------------
> ---------------------Part 27------------------------
> ------------Copyright 2016 Tom Russell--------------
>
> By the time Hank and Gulliver were done with their spirits, the doctor
> was done with his patient. They found Skin of Snake awake, if groggy,
> his skin no longer a painful and well-blistered red, but a smooth if
> raw pink. The scar along his throat still remained, and rendered him
> unable to speak.

I haven't been following this story closely, but I feel I should go back 
and review it in my (ahem) copious spare time.  From what little I know, 
I sense Skin of Snake is pivotal.


> ---------------- EMPRESS OF PAGES ------------------
> ----------------------Part 14-----------------------
> -----------Copyright 2016 Colin Stokes--------------
...
>    The final pages unwrote themselves, and the lady snatched the fully
> constructed tome before it fell, its covers and bindings a dull
> grayish metal and something the daemon couldn't quite read written in
> forest green letters on the front. =Merely a replacement for
> 'Librarian',= she returned with a small smile, =which seems...
> unimpressive. But now, I think, I have /properly/ become the Empress
> of Pages.=
>    The daemon inclined his head respectfully. "Empress."

I sense a plotline escalating.  Pretty awesome.


> -----------------BEYOND THE FIELDS------------------
> ---------------------Part 28------------------------
> -----------Copyright 2016 Saxon Brenton-------------
>
...
>    Dane had not been a man wearing green gloves. The Many Angled One
> was a pair of green gloves that had been wearing a man!
...
>    Once they were gone, Deidre turned to Joan's still smouldering body
> and said, "Okay, they're gone. Let's compare notes. I've thought of
> one, maybe two ways to deal with this. Do you want me to kill you?"

... yeah, those are interesting plot developments.  Again I sense a 
plotline escalating.


> ---------------LETTER OF COMPLAINT------------------
> ----------------------------------------------------
> ------------Copyright 2016 Tom Russell--------------

>
...
>    Regarding the power ratings, it is an admittedly imperfect system,
> and highly subjective. Part of the problem lies in the fact that we
> need to account for everyone from King Kudzu (rated 1 in strength) to
> Devil Prince Satanor (rated 10). On that scale, a six is very
> respectable, and certainly a force to be reckoned with. If we were to
> raise you to an eight as you suggest, the rating for Satanor would
> need to be increased to at least fourteen, which renders the ten-point
> scale unworkable.

I love the idea of the characters themselves commenting on their 
ratings.  And yes, it seems a workable system.  (I once operated a 
system where Devil Prince Satanor would rate as a 6.)


-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.