The Order * Those Meddling Kids * The future

Throughout the book, whenever someone sees Tino he makes a PCR they don't get. Like, someone asks why he's so scruffy-looking, and he says "I was out herding nerfs." They ask "Do I even want to know what that means?" And he says "no, probably not." At some point, Ginger (or someone) asks if he makes stupid jokes on every planet he visits. Tino says there was one planet where their word for "birds" was "worcs," because of the sound they make. He happened to be there when they were coming up with words for groups of different kinds of animals, and he suggested "redrums" of worcs. ("Do I even want to know why?" "No, probably not.")

913
Southport is founded (Whitecorn family among settlers?). While some settlers come from UVC villages, most are people from Second Order villages who had voted to secede, but lost. Stavros' son founds "Daring Brave Adventurers." The first scene should be on 17 Sp'gin, exactly one year after Darius officially started the Chaos. It's also Winter's End Day. The next day is New Spring Day, and the Really Far East are in the village (which is still being constructed). They will play at a Spring Festival, debuting some new music which unlike their earlier work isn't a mesh of far east and near est music, but just Chinese music. (Think "Splendid Jubilant New Year")

There will be delegations from both the Second Order and the people planning to start the UVC, each side trying to influence votes in South Port and Freeport as to which side they'll join. Also trying to get as many settlers from each side to relocate to those villages. There is an expectation that the way these new villages vote could influence the existing villages, though that would have to be before the actual vote, later in the year. Could be early polls, maybe news reports (possibly controlled by Cabal).

One of the Whitecorn children may have same problem as Darius (think Max Braverman), and Darius explains how to deal with feelings about unfair situations.

4 Lovable scamps- "Dude, nobody on the Land cares about infringing on copyrights that were held on another planet 900 years ago."

Someone creates a graphic novel called "Strider-Man."

Concentrate on what each of the founding members of the Chaos is doing now. Most of them are separated, the Band is no longer together. (Maybe Ginger and Tino traveling together as a duo? Or Ginger could be Protestant bishop of Plist.) Darius, Alecstar, Vallus are the triumvirate; Alecstar is general of Chaos army. Tiejo leading Streetrat Fellowship. Jasp dealing with LandOrder as well as Black Profits. Possibly Jasp organizes a spy organization like CIA in UVC, and such an organization is started in Second Order, if it didn't already exist (probably did), as well as Sorret. Jasp recruits spies from LandOrder, people who now question the direction the gang is taking. Darius says "Just when I thought I was done dealing with gangsters... present company excepted. Also recruits from Macen's spy network, which split up when Macen was killed. Tom opens detective agency in Tonad? Emma and Lorraine found Freeport at some point (Emma's glad to finally be making a contribution to the Chaos). Also meet Emma's parents, possibly siblings. (Darius wonders why Emma said she was in self-exile, when so many elves migrated anyway.) But Lorraine doesn't stay in Freeport long, having work to do back in South Port. Chief Councillor of Freeport will be Yoshi Des'Yoshi. Cameron in Temporaneous? Actually the book should cover several decades, til the end of Darius's life. (Leaving plenty of gaps to fill in with future stories/books; Sleeping in Light episode?) Only occasionally see the whole gang get together for reunions.

Possibly have flashbacks to when people other than Darius and Cameron were in Woodman's dungeon. Especially Emma, who may encounter her former interrogator again in Freeport.

Name of Freeport may be inspired partly by merfolk community of Freewater, which itself was inspired by the slang name Freewood.

A friend of the Middsclans, Cadi Barnraiser, meets the Turners. She gets the idea for Cabalists to put stars on their houses, so that they might know where to find allies in times of danger. (Acadian star/ barnstar) Also come up with a hand sign to indicate the person seeking shelter is one of them, or a sign that just might be used in any number of situations. Possibly inspired by gang signs. Could be something like a hand with five fingers splayed, representing the five points of the star.

People on the Land start calling Darius's condition "Lonewander's Syndrome." (or Lonewander Syndrome).

Cameron becomes master adept, takes on apprentice, Magda Mysticist. (younger generation in Temporaneous begin using surnames, like the spies sent out before, though those who stay in Temporaneous refuse to do so. She has younger brother and sister, Geoffrey and Genevieve, possibly products of Prot-Sorreter racial experiments.) We see Cameron's flying leopcoat, which he had secretly bought after getting ticket to ride it as birthday gift, and translocated it to Temporaneous. Now the whole "flying labcoat" thing inspires him to enchant a leather jacket for flying. (May contact Nicolai Blitz, and learns that his sister is Nicole Kriek of InterGang, leopcoats sold by Emannus Des'Rosset.) Magda's sibs may assist him, at some point he has to shout, "Genny and Geoff, get away from that jacket!"

Bennet's project creating other races may involve sending them to other continents with no knowledge of Landian culture, so they can develop their own... wants not just racial diversity, but cultural, which people on the Land wish they could have as Terrans do. Elves and Merfolk too close to Landians, culture not different enough for his taste. Though they can't just leave babies there, someone has to take care of them. Maybe people raised in Temporaneous with little knowledge of society. Or maybe golems. But also there is the question of how different their development can be given certain Landian attributes like subword sense. And whether they are subject to the Fall or not. (Possibly Magda worries about whether other races might be seen as inferior to humans because they were created by humans. Bennet asks Cameron, "Your best friend is an elf, right? Would she say elves are inferior to humans because a human created their race?" "Hell no." Besides which, only God can create life from scratch, and even he isn't so presumptuous as to create personalities, which is all that really matters about a person. We're not determining people's intelligence, skills, interests, or attitudes. Those are things people determine for themselves.)

At some point Darius talks to Tiejo, who he hasn't seen in awhile. Learns about progress on Streetrat Fellowship, which has been redubbed "Fellowship of Rats" or "Allrats Fellowship" or something. Mentions each type of rat having their own guild, with guild leaders who report to Tiejo, like a council or board of selectmen or something. Darius wonders if the word "guild" is being used properly, but Tiejo says is being chaotic to use words improperly, no? Hearing I am that you intend maybe not for "triumvirate" always to mean "three"? Meanwhile, some members of the fellowship wonder if it's a good idea to even have such a group. Too orderly, perhaps, but more importantly, if they have organization that means there'll be actual jobs involved, for which presumably they'll be paid, in which case they'll no longer be homeless, "rat" won't apply to them, and they won't belong in the group anymore. And anyway, such a group romanticizes homelessness, when they should be working on bettering things, getting jobs and homes for everyone. But that's unrealistic... or maybe the ultimate goal of the fellowship is for there to be no need for the fellowship anymore. Could be a kind of union or lobby group, getting rights for rats in government, trying to pass laws. Especially try to abolish the plans of people like Tobias Blue... Also, Tiejo has a pet dragonling (Rennon 2), possibly given to him by Taryn. (Years later it'll be big enough to ride, but it's still not much bigger than a dog at this point.)

Cirna is inducted as Grand Sorreter on her birthday. (Oldest person to be inducted GS). Thinks back to 903, when Durell celebrated his own birthday by watching the elves attack Protestant Sorreters. Cirna thinks this is a much better way to celebrate a birthday than that was, because even if it's subtler, it's clearly about her and no one else. Possibly she doesn't run for Chief Councillor, and supports a referendum to prohibit any high-ranking religious leader (vice-bishop or higher) from holding political office. This will mean a big change for both Monab and Sorret (immediately affecting Mallory Secundus, even if she had won reelection the same year the referendum was passed). In Sorret, it means a person can still be both Grand Sorreter and Chief Councillor or GS and bishop, but not bishop and CC, and certainly not all three. However, citizens may want to take it farther, and separate all three positions. Anyway, it's also the year Sorret becomes sovereign, though the Cabinet wouldn't be established until 914, at which point CC becomes PM, and GS is precluded from membership in Cabinet at all, whether they're bishop or not.

Royal twins born

Amelia and Mordechai have a daughter named Fiona Masque. They wear glamours and call themselves Dichen and Victor Masque, who have jobs as costumers for Tooblan Company and other theater troupes.

Radio stations become popular, both local and national. One local station may have a program called "Spirit Radio" with spirit-talker bubblecasters, including Drew Protestant, who play music from other planets, provided by spirits. (Possibly interview Sizinia?)

Someone (possibly Lorraine) develops media bubble type 3 (mb3; or magic bubble 3, or mobile multi-media bubble, m3b). May work like an ipod tapping into cloud. specific frequencies can be shared to listen to each other's music. may also function like bluetooth. and they're starting to make home bubble-screens that do the job of radio, TV, and computer, also permanent phone (to save on portable bubbles which always vanish). Home-PA bubbles. Recording bubbles can be hooked to bubble-screen to record media. (There should be some debate about aspect ratios of theaters vs home. How movies could be filmed full frame but cropped for the wide screen, or filmed widescreen and cropped for square screens, and people could come to think anything full frame was cropped and so want fullscreen even for home screens, not realizing that full frame might be the uncropped version, even if it played widescreen in theaters... A spirit may say "You have no idea how much trouble this led to on Earth. I'm surprised they never had an actual war over it; it would've made more sense than the gryphon war on this planet." Ultimately they decide "we're not stupid and we're not evil, why are we making this so complicated?" and come up with a simple idea.) Also radios are becoming common in restaurants. (Perhaps have a scene with people listening to one, hear it when walking by or leaving restaurant.) Also someone, possibly Anja Frontrun, invents a bubble jukebox, where the bubbles not only play media but serve as decorations.

When Emma and Lorraine meet they trade mb3 players, saying they're both bored with their own playlists. They start grinning and then laughing as they scroll down each other's list, which turn out to be mostly the same. Emma selects one song on her own player, says "This is one of our songs, the Band I mean. In case you wanna hear the kind of stuff your little brother's been up to." Lorraine says, "Thanks, I would. I hope he's improved since he left home. ...Anyway, I'd also like to get a taste of your work." Emma may show her the timepiece Cameron had given her, and Lorraine says she gave Cam his first magical timepiece, and later taught him to make them. Emma says "Then I suppose I should thank you." "You're quite welcome." Also Lorraine may say she's always thought you can tell a lot about a person from their music collection and their book collection. Unfortunately, she had to leave behind most of her books during the disappearance. Ever since Cam left to become a spy, he's brought back at least one book for her every time he returns. Listening to mb3s gives her the idea to create downloadable books an m-readers (magic), so much more convenient than real books, and easier to take with you. "Perfect for quick getaways" said Emma. "Exactly!" says Loraine.

Emma visits family in Woodstockade before going to Freeport. Maybe around this time Xavier is turned into a vampyre, and Phoebe decides to move to First Village. (She'll meet Lem Delphi, and eventually marry him. They'll have a distant descendant named Regina, who marries someone named Eldin. Regina and Eldin will have a son named Phil, who becomes a sorcerer and perhaps joins the Chaos Knights, or he may be their enemy (or if he does join, he could be a mole for the BP.)

Emma experiences some hero worship from some of the elves in Freeport. She tells them she didn't do much while she was with the Chaos; in fact, none of them did much, really. But they don't quite believe her.

At some point, Emma and Lorraine may get together after not having seen each other for awhile, and they have this history of sharing mb3s (they may each have a headband with earphones that can be touched to the bubble containing the music, just once, to receive its transmission). When a song comes on that one of them has discovered (possibly "Rave on"), the other is overcome with emotion, and kisses the one who provided the music. (This may be their first kiss.) Possibly they look at each others' playlists and realize they both have "Rave On" but by different Terran artists. Lorraine has Buddy Holly, Emma has M. Ward. Lorraine wonders which one came first, Emma guesses it was Buddy Holly based on the style, since she has some knowledge of Terran music.

Emma may tell Darius he should date Lorelei, because then they'd both be dating someone named "Lor."

Black Radly put out first album, "Atomic Genie Unbottled."

Tom may meet up with Philo Dabbler, who has recently started a movie studio with a former postal service called "Post Productions." (Ed Nadir is a former play director who now directs movies. Unless he's running a radio station or a fellow bubblecaster or orb jockey with Dave) While they're walking and talking, they meet a guy who is mowing the lawn with a rotary mower, and complaining about how long it takes. Tom just says "at least you don't have to use a scythe." But Philo says "you know, if you could incorporate one of those internal enchantment engines, I'm sure it'd go a lot faster." The guy is a mechanic, so could figure out how to make that work, and offers Philo a percentage of any potential profits. He just says "Nah, the idea's yours... for, let's say, 50 pieces." After collecting money, Tom and Philo continue walking, and Tom says "that guy's probably going to get incredibly rich, you know. You shouldn't go around practically giving away your ideas." Philo says, "eh, do it all the time, and I get by just fine. Besides, profits I'd have to wait for. Because of this deal, I now can afford to pay for both our meals, with a bit left over, most likely." (Possibly mention that tips don't exist on the Land?) Tom may wonder if Philo has ever met Staniel...

At some point, Ginger and Tino hang out with Sizinia. Somehow conversation comes around to Tino and Ginger planning a flying carpet date together. Tino says "Ooh, Siz, I just had an awesome idea! Could you conjure us up an audio bubble with 'A Whole New World' for us to listen to on the date? Maybe the whole 'Aladdin' soundtrack. No! Wait! I just had the most awesome idea in the history of the universe! How about a mixbubble full of flying carpet jams! Start with 'Whole New World,' plus 'Magic Carpet Ride,' and um... other stuff. I dunno, probably something Arabian..." Sizinia says "It doesn't all have to be Earth music, you know. There are plenty of worlds with good flying music. Even this one. In fact, I think The Really Far East have a song that'd be perfect." "Alright, you're the expert. I'll leave it in your capable hands."

Darius plans on Chaos (and/or Balance) villages changing names of weekdays to Earth names (Tuesday same as Earth already, wonders what name means, decides to sync all Earth names but closer to roots) Sun's day, Moon's day, Tiw's day, Woden's day, Thor's day (maybe better luck than Penul'day), Frigg's day, Saturn's day. Jokingly wonders if Emerald Penul'day would change its name to Emerald Thor's day. Also consider changing names of months, but decides that would mean there'd be no Ice Cream Day.

Darius and Adam joke about Darius having become nobility. Adam runs for Chief Councillor of Triscot, talks to old friend Arthur Noblesse-Oblige. Two of them form a political party, which had never been done on the Land. (Discuss altering Electoral Committee.) Or maybe decide political parties would lead to more trouble than they're worth, at least for the foreseeable future. (Maybe Tino says that on Earth political parties often ended up more about sustaining a power base, one party vs another, rather than being about actually advancing the principles that were supposedly the reasons for the parties' existence in the first place. And not just rivalry between parties, but also disagreement within parties made things difficult. One member might not be able to do what he or she wanted to do without their party turning against them.) Discussions include Adam and Arthur's new friend, Beverly Left, who may be the inspiration for a new party (which they might suggest calling "Leftists" in her honor).

Referendum (8 Su'yet, 913) villages vote to join UVC, remain with Order, or become independent. (Darius thinks it'd be funny if all villages vote to join UVC, though someone else says it'd be funnier, given the name of the country, if only one village did so.) Des'Eller officially recants his position in the war, telling that he learned of the lies Demos and Durell told. However, he still believes his village should remain in Order; but his words help sway some people to vote for secession. Most people think a second country is unnecessary, since the Chaos already rooted out what was wrong with the Order and "fixed" the problem. But the Chaos wins Tanq, Jump Village, and Plist (joining Triscot & Southport). Sorret independent (citizens of Sorret begin to think they should have separate people as Grand Sorreter, bishop, and Chief Councillor, which means Cirna Mastera may lose two of her jobs; one reason they vote for sovereignty. Also West Ocean merfolk vote for sovereignty. (Consider calling sovereign villages "city-states.")

Maybe Xander Illustri decides to move to First Village, doesn't want to be citizen of UVC, and really doesn't want to be citizen of village where Adam is mayor. He may sell his manor to the Lonewanders. Says "I'm sure you'll like the kitchen, it's very common." Later runs for chief councillor of First Village, says that'll be better for his career than chief councillor of Triscot, anyway.

During a meeting of the new Cabal, someone says it's a shame Xander quit when he did, as he would be a perfect fit with the current form of the organization. Also at some point, Denari should say "You're all here because you or your clans have a lot of money, but never forget that my clan invented money."

Someone asks, aren't countries supposed to have borders? Darius says, "Why, this ain't Earth. Anyway, it's more chaotic this way. Eh?"

Establish time zones. (Emma's idea.)

Elves talk to Sorreters about sovereignty. It sounds tempting, but after spending so many years in total isolation, they'd rather stay connected to the world. Sorreter points out that they'll still be open to trade, students, etc. But Elves choose the Order, by a narrow margin.(Woodstockade becomes the Order's center of magical studies, after Sorret becomes sovereign; possibly South Port or Temporaneous becomes Chaos's magic village?) Those who voted for Chaos decide to found new village of Freeport. Emma eventually joins settlers, along with Lorraine.
Discuss problem of people loyal to Order emigrating to other villages, while others immigrate to Chaos villages. A fact which will make it unlikely for any other villages to join the UVC in the future.

Sorretians develop new government called a Cabinet. (Prime Minster named Caligari?)

Darius considers making a law to officially replace handshakes with fist bumps. Also gets Happiness in gumball form.

Darius talks to Cameron about Chaos establishing a magic academy in one of their own villages, meanwhile Sorret, being independent, can take students from either country.

Porter Cognoscente is in Black Profits, and Dirk gets him into Cabal... also gets him to recruit Larami into Cabal. (Possibly also knows Hermione Middsclan through his father, who was from Ristar.) Porter may tell Larami more than Dirk wants him to, including things about the BP. Larami may start planning her own rise in the Cabal, which she knows Dirk sees as a tool, but which she sees as a potential rival to the BP itself.

The bubble-speakers and screens can listen/watch people, but not always, only when needed. Possibly someone wonders if they were meant to be used in a "Big Brother" way, so Sorreters check, but find no evidence. Because that function is a "sleeper spell" that can only be detected while active. Probably designed by Durell or Noson Turner.

At some point Darius may get really drunk and then say alcohol should be made illegal. Jasp says he has a few old friends who would probably like that.

914
Referendum in Second Order, vote to officially name the country "First Nation," both to finally end confusion over name of Order/Second Order, and to emphasize the Separation of Church and State, because of all the trouble the breaking of that law had caused. Mention 10th anniversary of the country's founding. Alecstar may read about it in paper during Chaos/Band reunion, and Tino jokes they might as well have called the country "India." No one gets that, so Tino sighs and says it'd be too complicated to explain, an adds "It was a stupid joke, anyway." Maybe also joke about First National Bank.

Tom opens detective agency, with an office at 314 Patisserie Lane, in Tonad.

Something like the internet is developed, maybe called the Sylph Swarm. Uses magical typewriter, created at the end of 913, and database bubbles, created in 914. (sites like amazon lead to increased business for postal services.) Also maybe bubble readers for cheap book downloads (cuts into aquapaper sales, which leads Manat to start thinking about something new to invent). (Could be old recording bubbles reformatted for more than one kind of media.) Sylph Swarm name was coined by Tulo, whose idea it may have been. Alec says to Stavros or someone he's worried the Sylph Swarm will mean the end of newspapers, and he'll be reminded he said the same thing about movies, so he's probably wrong now.

InterGang sorcerer Ferris Demontalk enslaves spirits as wills-o-the-wisp who possess people and fight vampyres. (Souls may be captured using cameras.) Learns that vampyres aren't the same on the Land as on Earth. Though they may be bonded with demons, and have split personalities... (demons should know magic, but vamps don't, possible amnesia? maybe randomly remember how to do spells occasionally). A demon (perhaps Azazel?) thinks demons are getting too soft, dislikes the way God and Lucifer's war has become so half-assed in recent millennia. Works with Demontalk? Or with Des'Caina? Or both? Or is there a second demon boss rivalry, two demons who each hope to overthrow Lucifer? Each demon orders his followers to work with sorcerers to create vamps or wotws. Both types of creature are pure evil, unlike modern vampires in Earth stories.

Number of vampires and WOTWs is limited by number of demons willing to rebel against Lucifer, and which demon boss they choose to follow. Meanwhile, they have their own goals, but for the time being agree to work for respective gangs, needing money and connections until they can achieve their goals, put their plans into action.

Golems may be a special police force to control vampyres and will o the wisps. (imbued with souls of Sorreters? use earth alchemy to move themselves, probably have no chakra left over for other spells.) Illuminati want government contract to create them, but are refused. instead Illuminati (First Sorreter Dustin Malone) interbreed vampyres, WotW, teach sorcery to create Djinn. also corrupt Golem sorretry to create gargoyles to defend against g-men (golems). Or golem's bosses may be gargoyles (also called G-men; maybe small g for golems, big G for gargoyles.) g-men are like robots, but programmed with laws of golemics. programmed for single-minded justice. Also imprinted with a magical badge that can't be replicated, in case criminals try to make counterfeit golems. Golems may be "blessed weapons" like those first created by Dex Bigthink's son for Mel to slay vampyres.

Temporaneous, ex-Sorreters. Other-colored people. (Possibly create other-colored striders first.) Red Sand People move to australia-looking land.

At some point Lorraine might say to Darius, "you and Emma think so much alike, I suppose if I weren't Julian I'd probably fall in love with you."

Lorraine doesn't like the term "Julian" because it can be a person's name, though there may be no one with that name on the Land. She heard of the name from a spirit, possibly one named Julian. Spirit could be a friend of Tino, who would say "Now that you mention it, I never cared for the term either. I just didn't want to say anything..."

Black Radly put out second album, "Swing to the Rock." Possibly mention appearing on a video show called "200 Centhours." Earlier this year, Anja devised way of using pumps to compress carbon dioxide, which is used for beer kegs. May have been Frank's idea, during a visit to Boar & Bear, but Anja is the one who figures out how to do it, and George Taverner is first to use it. Idea soon spreads, and Black Radly become popular because of this, which bolsters sales of their music.

915
Second Census, in UVC and Sovereign villages as well as First Nation.

Gryphon resolve their war, establish their own country with Gryphon Forest as the border. (War may be resolved by seeing map with forest name spelled that way by humans.) East of that, harpies establish their own country extending to Harpy Forest on the east coast of Near Land. Two countries may be at war with each other, making central Near Land a battleground humans no longer travel. They may also hunt non-intelligent dragons for sport. Eventually all three species will go extinct, though it may take decades (possibly leading to Sorreters creating Phoenix; whoever creates it will learn from spirit that he got it backwards, they don't take 500 years to be reborn, they live that long before dying, but he likes it better his way.)

Tiejo and Taryn have a daughter named Kiki, who will someday be a Chaos Knight. Tiejo and Taryn may be involved in ending Gryphon war, though they don't anticipate the greater war that leads to.

Local elections in UVC. Beverly becomes a selectman, after Adam and Arthur encourage her to run for office. (Her campaign may be the first time the public learns, in a vague way, about life with her clan, the bad things they did. This came from the public wanting to know how she could fall in love with someone like Demos, but she said "it seems he was quite a good actor." And that she took him away from a very troubled home. She couldn't speak of it before because of deal with Marlowe to protect her mother, but Antonia died this year, so the deal is off.) After Antonia's death, a book is released which tells she had conducted a scientific study, over a few decades. When she met Marlowe, she was fascinated by how someone with attitudes like his could exist on the Land, and wanted to study him. So she altered her own personality to seem submissive, like she believed his attitudes were right, and he was the only man she could love, because no other man would be as dominant as he. When she had Beverly, she was eager to study her as well... to see how a child would turn out if raised by that kind of parents. She said she would have left Marlowe if he ever raised a hand to herself or her child, but he never did. (Though critics, including the very shocked Beverly, would say psychological cruelty was just as bad if not worse than physical cruelty.) Antonia was interested by the fact that a "damsel in distress" would need a man like Demos to save her, which she thought proved an important point. But later, she realized Beverly had overcome her past and become stronger than she could have imagined. Possibly close the book with "I had sometimes thought I might end on an apologetic note, for whatever harm I might have done to my daughter. But now I think that is unnecessary. While the experiment didn't turn out as I'd expected, I nevertheless consider it an unqualified success. And more to the point, I suspect that without the upbringing she had, Beverly never would have become anywhere near as strong or determined as she is. And so, instead of saying 'I'm sorry,' I leave her with these final words: 'You're welcome.'") Beverly will be like, “Oh my God, I can't believe... I've been silent about Father all these years just to protect that sociopathic bitch. ...I also can't believe she was a better actor than Demos.”

916
Drew Protestant, now working in a church in Plist, the Protestant bishop of which is now Ginger, provides a copy of Viva La Vida (though I may not name this specifically) to Marc and the others. After they listen to it, Jae or one of them says "We are so gonna do that kinda music." (They'd been having trouble finding inspiration for next album.) Turn to Marc and say, "Marc, make it happen." Drew says "Actually, one of my parishioners is a certain Remy Des'Tambor, the dure-player for the Royal Orchestra. I could talk to him about it...."

Someone suggests Darius attend the World Fair. He says "Nothing very interesting has happened to me for like three years, now. It's been awesome. But I guess it would be fun to have some fun."

Fifth World Fair, in Kurok. Manat unveils aquachairs. Black Radly perform. (Jae says to audience, "Please take what I'm about to say in the ironic spirit in which it was intended: Our final song of the evening is dedicated to Demos Royal." It represents the kind of thing they'll be doing on their forthcoming album, though that track won't be on it; possibly available as mb3?) Honal Ericson's daughter Miyuki (aka Miyu, age 20) meets Yoshi Des'Yoshi's daughter Mia (age 22), and they form a duo called Mia & Miyu.

Chaos gets together since they missed the fourth, while imprisoned. This also gives Darius a chance to visit Aletheia kin. (Kuris calls Lucia "LL".) Darius and friends try a roller coaster, which has just been invented. Darius doesn't like it, how it messes with his head and stomach and nerves, but also says "at least I'm used to twists and turns, ups and downs... that ride totally reminds me of the whole year 912." By now the UVC is well established and Darius and friends are like foreign dignitaries. The World Fair is not the province of the Order, but the whole world, regardless of nationality. Anyway, UVC and Order are allies, Darius may even be friends with Darkstrider. Darius is kidnapped, but not by the Order, who help find him. It was all orchestrated by Durell and his allies, including Demos and Tobias. During Chaos reunion, Alec tells his friends that he married Moira. (He may have hinted at this earlier with Darius, who he'd come to the reunion with, since they're both triumvirs, of course. Said he had big news, but wanted to wait til they were all together to share it.

When Chaos gets together, Darius or Emma asks about Cameron having gone with Bennet and his group to establish a secret colony somewhere. Mention how this was reminiscent of the first 50 elves, which turns the conversation to Emma's work with Lorraine in founding Freeport. But Cameron says it actually puts him more in mind of what Jasp (who is with them now) had discovered on his own trip to Woodstockade. Not quite the same, because he was discovering a secret project of a sorcerer, while Cam had known all along about Bennet's secret plan, but what they discovered there was something surely that would've come in handy back in the days of engineering mythical creatures like dragons. So Jasp asks, well, I'll bite... what did you discover? Cam says "Dinosaurs." Someone, probably Emma, says "Wow, dinosaurs? How vanilla!" (Mention Order ban on genetic engineering doesn't affect Protestants or Independents.) Maybe develop a cross between raccoons and velociraptors. (There may be some question of how it could be that the cartographers who mapped the world via flying wagon some time before had failed to notice that. Most likely Black Prophets were behind that, and it could be that vampyre merfolk discover the truth, which they pass on to LandOrder. Cabbit might then pass it to Jasp, who lets Chaos know, and they begin a secret society of Chaos Knights to prepare for the day they'll face the Dark One. Jasp may play a very dangerous game of working for Black Prophets, recruited by Dirk, and wonders how he can keep his real objective secret from someone who can see the future. But it's necessary to infiltrate to learn the truth.)

Cameron and Magda become the first in a line of Sorreters with a single master/single apprentice (like Sith and to a lesser extent Jedi), even though this is not yet necessary. However they may learn from Jasp's infiltration of Black Prophets that a time will come when magic is banned entirely, among humans and elves. They realize it would be easier to train in secret with just one student, and believed that the Chaos Knights should include a single magic-user among their number. Possibly even plan to set in motion a chain of events which would lead to the banning of magic, which may not happen for generations.

Meanwhile, Manat also knows the end of magic is coming, though witchcraft will still be practiced by merfolk, which will lead to separation of merfolk and landfolk. The sovereignty of West Ocean is an early step in this, though they're still in contact with humans and elves, with no conflict. Eventually First Sea merfolk will join them (possibly not til after magic ban, possibly earlier). Manat wants there to be a human country where merfolk are still welcome and where magic may still be practiced, which is why he wants the Northern Alliance to secede from First Nation (and not join UVC).

Triumvirs have magically simulated "ghost" signatures in various places (possibly using bittrickle?) to confuse enemy efforts to divine their locations. Also alert spells to know if anything magical affects them. But Rene knows where Darius is (maybe demon inside him knows), and he leads a small group of soldiers loyal to Demos in a battle to capture Darius. In the end Darius is knocked down, possibly knocked out, but then comes to, rubs his head and says "I'm okay," before even looking up. Hears a vaguely familiar voice say, "That's an interesting interpretation of reality." Looks up slowly, sees Demos Royal grinning malevolently, realizes he's been translocated away from his friends, and says "Oh... shite." Rene has set up anti-scrying/divining spells at various locations to hide Darius' whereabouts.

Manat may order Benj to help set up Darius's kidnapping. He promises Benj that Darius won't be seriously hurt, and will eventually be released.

Darius captured by Cabal, brainwashed. (Tobias Blue?) Complains that he's always had bad luck with World Fairs (flash backs to first three) also says "I never could get the hang of Penul'days". Maybe see other inmates, figure out what madness means for Landians, given their different psychology from humans. Tobias tries to convince Darius there never was any Marian, he just imagined her. (Or maybe says John did have a partner, but he decided to join Chaos and she stayed behind.) Also see flashbacks to his time with Marian between books, including trip to Lymon Mists, named by someone who didn't like word sou'cit; watching some kind of Muppet/bunraku show together; sword play with bokken/bokuto; picnic with the Chaos founders, listen to music- possibly recording of Black Radly- Darius & Marian swing dance while others watch happily; Darius sits and cries at some point, Marian asks if he wants Happiness, which he declines. So she just sits with him and holds him. Also one time (possibly when going to Lymon Mists) they're camping, sharing a tent. Darius mentions that certain autonomic functions could cause something, but it doesn't mean anything. She laughs and says she knows that. Next morning there may be a kind of chill in the air. Marian doesn't like it, but Darius does. He tries to describe it... not just a physical sensation, but a feeling, like an unconscious memory of something. Maybe of camping, or a spring morning or autumn evening. Mention a book published in Kimrin not long before the Coming, which he read in a literature class during his short time in school after the Coming. "Lord of the Separate Garden." Talks about various vague feelings, probably use word "crisp," maybe talk about vacation with parents or just dad when he was young. Any number of ideas I forget what I was thinking. But anyway, Marian kisses him, and he says "or it could just be one more of the countless things that make me think of kissing you." She grins and says "Works for me!" and takes wraps his arm in hers. Maybe he mentions wanting to drink a cup of coffee outside on a morning like this. Anyway, after a bit he chuckles and she wants to know why. "One thing I can say this weather reminds me of is a frisson." She laughs and kisses him again. "Okay, c'mon then, let's go start a fire for some coffee..." (This could be a vacation they take together just before Marian starts university. Possibly the last time Darius ever sees her? He may say advanced education must be working... it made her smart enough to realize I don't deserve her.)

He enjoys some of his time in captivity, the first chance he's had to be alone since forming the Chaos. ("This is the first time I've really been alone since... well, the last time I was in prison." Which leads him to recall that time, especially the brief discussions he had with Marian, which leads in turn to recollections of their time together since then.) But his solitude (when not being interrogated) may be short lived... possibly there's another prisoner? (Though it may actually be Demos, who is an inmate, but secretly controls the asylum.)
There may be other inmates, such as Filbert, Terry (Brazil), Mac, names like nuts. Someone may be cross Walt (walnut) and Tezuka. Recognizes Darius from mug shot, four years ago. Inspired by camera to create animation.

At some point, Monogwrangle visits Darius, telling him that if Darius hadn't gotten him fired four years ago, he wouldn't have had to find another line of work... like investing in the construction of this asylum. So basically, you made the existence of this place possible. Which is only fitting, since you first made it impossible by making Demos's investment worthless. But whatever....

Demos may also visit Darius, and torture him. At one point, hoping to make him vomit, Darius asks, "Tell me, Demos, would you ever rape someone?" Demos is like "What's-" then he vomits. "That's disgusting! How evil do you think I am, anyway? How utterly, horrifically insane?" "Wasn't sure where the line was, with you. You know, it's just a word I heard a few years ago, and I've been wondering if any Landian could even be capable of such a thing. I guess not."

Doctor wonders if Darius's opposition comes from his being uncomfortable around people, and therefore didn't want the world coming together. It just means more people. But then, why did you become an adventurer, if it means going to different villages, being around new people anyway? Darius says I'm just a mass of contradictions. Well, actually, it makes sense. I couldn't hold a real job for long, if I could even get one in the first place, because having a job means you have to be around people for a set amount of time, and you can't leave, even if it means you have the occasional panic attack. But being an adventurer means I could see people when I felt like it, and leave whenever I needed to.

"Could it be this whole rebellion of yours is simply an attempt to make up for having failed to support your clan during the Coming?"
"My God, you're right, Doc! I'm cured! Thank you so much! Now that I understand the root of the problem, I can put a stop to it all. So, I'll just be on my way now, and take care of that..."
"...Nice try."

Brainwasher tries tricks, like 4 fingers. Doesn't fool Darius, who has read dystopian books, like 1984. Discusses this with captor. ("Actually I was talking with my friends about that four years ago. That's what led to my changing my plan of overthrowing the Second Order, in favor of brining about multiple countries. Because a single government is a bad idea. Even the Order realized that, which is why they set up a system of checks and balances in the government.")

"You know what history is?"
"What's that?"
He shrugged and said, "Just some stuff that happened."
Darius says "Well that was a totally wasted night."
"Eh?"
"Never mind."

Cameron and Magda may get help locating Darius from Sloane.

Cameron and Magda abduct Rene Deadzone when they rescue Darius (use blow dart tranq). Cameron says his anti-magic technique would be quite useful to people like himself, and wants Deadzone to teach him how to do it. Deadzone says it doesn't matter how many ex-Sorreters he has helping him, he can't be forced to talk by magic. Then realizes his captors can't use magic because there's an anti-magic spell on the area. Cameron takes instruments of torture out of bag, slowly examining each one as he lays them on a table. Says ominously, "Magic? Who said anything about magic? There are other ways of compelling a person to talk, as you know quite well...." Also says "You had me for what, 3 months (or whatever)? I had no choice in that, but you, on the other hand, can be out of here whenever you like. It's entirely up to you." (It involves microscrying, a technique learned from Durell.) Also they recover Tom's carpet from Rene, give it back to Tom later.

Eventually Darius remembers that his happy memories were just the way he wanted things to be, not the way they were. He suddenly realizes the best time he and Marian ever had together was while they were imprisoned in Near Port. And he knows it's entirely his fault that he never managed to be as much fun as he wanted to be with her... and yet, he also knows it's impossible for him to be different. No matter how hard he tries, his brain won't allow him to be the person he wants to be. It lets him know how to act, but won't let him act that way. He screams at the unfairness of it, curses God. Finally, he's about to kill himself (possibly with a shiv he'd been making for an escape attempt), but then Cameron and Magda show up to rescue him. If they see what he's about to do, they're shocked (at least Magda; it might not surprise Cam that much). But Darius says, "Well, since you've gone to all the trouble of finding me and coming to break me out, I guess I can go on for awhile longer."

Demos would be captured, but escapes using vampyre powers, which is witnessed by people with Cameron (or maybe just Magda, who knew nothing of vampyres?) and they/she reveal truth to the world. Which is one more reason for Des'Caina to hate Demos. But before Demos leaves, he says to Darius, "You know, you're just one of the many people I blame for my downfall. I've dealt with some already, and in spite of my failure to deal with you as I'd like, I'll get back to you at some point in the future. Just now, I have other plans that require my attention, other people upon whom to exact my vengeance. Be seeing you!"

Chieftain has recording of someone (Talak) meeting with him during Coming. Uses it to blackmail them into revealing Darius' location. (Dalin becomes Arch-bishop?)
Darius rescued; leaves Chaos to lead Northern Alliance (Balance)
(After Marian takes Darius to Lymon Mists, in Jump Village or Moderation? Named by someone who prefers "lymon" over "sou'cit".)
Balance mostly closed, but some trade of law, information, art. Meanwhile, LandOrder dissociates itself from UVC due to political differences. Darius calls the new country "Balencia"; Benj would prefer Balancia, but Darius prefers the sound his way, and also thinks misspelling it is a minor bit of chaos, and after all, the point of the country is to have both chaos and order.

Whenever West remarries, Darius should visit him, meet new wife.

Manat incepts Darius to leave UVC, go to Northern Alliance. (Possibly Tobias extracted Darius' memories, including the story he'd told Marian about camping. Manat then uses them to build on his desire for experiencing different seasons. In fact every implanted memory may be a piece of the puzzle that gives Darius the idea he wants to go north. There's safety in warmth, such as around a campfire, but there's something appealing about overcoming coldness, which can't be done if it's always warm, anyway. There's an aesthetic appeal to lots of feelings that are mostly unpleasant. Dreams subtly suggest various such feelings.) This may have been Benj's idea, wanting to get away from Tiejo, or it may have been Manat's idea, as part of his plans for Benj or for Cabal or for merfolk or whatever his plan is. (Benj says dream swimming sounds complicated. Manat says "Not at all. In, out, swish-swish. No big deal.") At some point there is a referendum for the Northern Alliance to form a new country, set up checkpoints or garrisons to keep anyone out, wanting no intrusions from the UVC, FN, Sorret, wherever. Darius had also been incepted to run for president after the referendum, but probably had nothing directly to do with the referendum itself, having had no idea it was coming when he moved there. But it's possible his moving there became an inspiration to others to start new country, because of his history.

Darius plans on Chaos (and/or Balance) villages changing names of weekdays to Earth names (Tuesday same as Earth already, wonders what name means, decides to sync all Earth names but closer to roots) Sun's day, Moon's day, Tiw's day, Woden's day, Thor's day (maybe better luck than Penul'day), Frigg's day, Saturn's day. Jokingly wonders if Emerald Penul'day would change its name to Emerald Thor's day. Also consider changing month names, but probably not. Also consider changing names of months, but decides that would mean there'd be no Ice Cream Day.

Alexia sires Elinor Foundling, possibly to annoy Silas. Later, Elinor leaves and is reunited in Tonad with Melinda (they call each other Ellie and Mel). Melinda is happy to see her, but Elinor tries to kill her. Major battle, but Melinda wins. Frag sees the battle, and at the end Mel says "Thats right, I'm a bad-ass." Then she starts crying, so Frag comforts her. She tells him she wants to become a vampyre-slayer, believing vamps are better off dead, because they are no longer who they once were. The part that's still human must be locked inside at the mercy of demons, and possibly go mad from having no control over their actions.

Dex Bigthink's son is a spirit-talker, who comes up with idea of blessing weapons (such as wooden stakes, daggers, etc.) so that they'll sever the bond between human and demon, thus "de-vamping" them. It usually (or always) kills the human, and the demon returns to Hell. He makes a lot of these weapons for Mel Slingshot (also blesses stones for slingshot). His weapons may later inspire the creation of golems.

At some point Mel takes out a bunch of vampires with moves that strike an observer (probably a spirit) as "balletic." (It's set to "Tonight, Tonight") Mel starts to asks what that means, but her subword sense kicks in and she may be unsure whether she's flattered or offended, because the concept of ballet seems kinda lame to her, but the spirit tires to assure her it's beautiful. And she's all, "What I do has nothing to do with beauty." "Agree to disagree." "Anyway... it makes no sense to use words like 'balletic' when no one on the Land has ever seen a ballet."

After awhile, Mel gets a rep as a vampyre-slayer, and Larami approaches the Aku, offering an alliance. Wants Mel to train and/or lead her growing army of Djinn (possibly she could be apprenticed to Dustin?) Frag is smug about Larami having refused to work with Aku a few years ago, when she first started the Illuminati. But Larami says "Don't be so smug, this isn't about you; it's all her." However, Mel is loyal to Frag, who has always been a good friend to her as well as a good boss. She makes it clear that as long as she's in any gang, she will see Frag as her don... and even if he were to replace Cognoscente as Illuminati's don in Tonad, and pledge his allegiance to Larami as his capo, her own loyalty would always lie with Frag. Larami sighs, "Even if don Cognoscente retired, or died, there's no way in hell she'd ever replace him with Frag." Still, Frag may work out some arrangement between Aku and Illuminati, without actually merging his gang with Larami's.

Alexia and Amelia sire Cyrus Grey (possibly mention distaste over first name being similar to Silas). They try to create a cathemeral vampyre. (call themselves crepuscular?) Or possibly sire Dave when he was about to kill himself, and he secretly becomes first cathemeral vampyre (or first to survive), and becomes very powerful in the distant future. Amelia is furious that Silas gave all Noctur'kin xeroderma pigmentosum and Diur'kin... vitamin D or UV deficiency requiring them to spend excessive time in the sun to build up reserves, which deplete overnight? Another cathemeral vampyre may be named Serl (or maybe Byron, former Emerald manager, sired and takes on name Surly). Alexia and Amelia may become leaders of a sect of "Twilight" vampyres (or that may be a very bad idea). Those they sire may have a 50-50 chance, either they can survive in both day and night, or neither.

Also a scene where Alexia says "I'm not biting you" repeatedly, Amelia says "Alexia, father always says we shouldn't play with our food." Meanwhile, Girarg feels some irony about playing the elder card with other vamps, when he's not that old himself. "Hardly a methuselah," he says. They all feel weird about being so young when vamps are expected to be old. Later, he feels some jealousy of the girls' creation of diurnal vamps, and wants to create something new of his own. Finally he sires some vampyre mermaids. (since merfolk are good at compartmentalizing their thoughts, that may allow their mortal minds to sometimes temporarily shunt aside the demon minds that coexist with them.)

At some point there's the scene with Ariadne Des'Yoshi being killed by vamps. Later, Yoshi, Mia, and Phileas will wonder what became of her. This may lead to some important anti-vamp actions in Freeport.

Demos is in asylum, gets pet lunatic (fellow patient), wants to take government back.
Evil psychotherapist (one of two who founded first aslyum) is working for Demos, releases him, helps him secretly. starts rounding up Streetrats (including Tiejo), allies of Chaos, spreading asylums into other villages.

Alliance of evil magicians (Noson, Rene, Durell, Virtiana, etc.) Also a young fan of Zeke's named Helena 'Helly' Blood.

Noson wears a glamour spell, disguised as someone random and unimportant, but dramatically breaks the spell to reveal his true identity.

Noson Turner kills Drag. (Flashback to 12 Sp'mo', 912, Cameron makes call to Drag about sudden realization that purpleshade may be the secret ingredient Durell used to create his shadeclone, which would give his "son" a sense of connection to Durell and Virtiana, which he'd never want to lose. Drag says he'll talk to Noson about this.) In the present, the two Nosons talk about purpleshade, which causes loneliness, an overwhelming desire for companionship. Cam's own cynicism and feelings about friendship make him somewhat like Noson Turner. Durell and Virtiana gave their son companionship, took away loneliness (though they did hide him away from others). So he loves them. He talks about being punished while a child, when they were still more powerful than he. But they were always honest and fair with him, and when he got older he could understand their rules being for his own good. He had to learn to fit in with society, eventually. Because even if he was the most powerful person in the world, he'd still lose if the world was against him. Noson tells Turner his parents did a good job training him to care about them, so that he wouldn't turn on them. He grins and says the three of them have discussed that. He knows he's a tool to them as much as a son, but they can also be useful to him. Besides, they do honestly care about him, and he cares about them not just because of the purpleshade, but also because they share common interests, goals, worldview. They are his parents, his creators, his co-conspirators, but also his closest friends. Yes, even evil people- and I do know we're evil, whether they can admit it to themselves or not- can enjoy true friendship and familial love. He'd never turn on them, nor they on him. What would be the point? The world is a big place, and when we rule it, there'll be more than enough power and wealth for the three of them to share. But he admits it's an interesting philosophical point, about their molding his thinking to ensure he wouldn't turn against them once he became more powerful. but in the end it doesn't matter, I am who I am. I like who I am. When I imagine a me that might have been capable of turning on them, it makes me sad, makes me shiver. I'm glad I'm not that person, okay? No one wants to be lonely... And btw, I do have friends besides just them. Like I said, big world. If it's too big for just me to conquor, it's also too big for just the three of us. We have our tools, some of whom are just that, while others really are friends.

Original Noson kills clone using sword rather than magic. Clone says Chakra Over Mana won't work against him, he's trained to counter it. (Maybe he has an enchanted sword, something anime-style with multiple techniques?) Noson says "As long as it nullifies your magical advantage, it doesn't need to deliver the killing blow. I've got plenty of other moves in my repertoire." Also joke about how his name was fitting since his parents died, but it's even more fitting for Turner, who truly is no son. Turner sees the point, but still considers himself Durell and Virtiana's son.

"If you think so poorly of yourself, why accept this position?"
"I can influence the development of the world, found and govern two different countries... but I can't get the girl."
Sigh. "You play the hand you're dealt. Usually that means doing the best you can with bad cards, but for me, I can't really be happy whether my hand is good or bad. Still, gotta play it, I guess."
"And if you hate the north so much, why choose to live here?"
Shrug. "Masochism, maybe? Or incubating my depression, when I feel it's all I've got..."
"Then why take Happiness...?"

Darius only founds the Balance with help from others, including Benj, who provided much of the start-up capital required (or maybe not). He also routinely beats Darius at chess, and introduced the concept of political parties, founding one called Checks. Darius founded one called Balances, which Benj found objectionable because it had the same name as the country. Confusing, but also suggests it's the dominant party when they should all be equal. Darius says he hasn't quite got chaos out of his system. Benj says "Chaos, feh. You've never been as chaotic as you liked to think. The most chaotic thing about you is your chess game."
"Well, maybe I should call my party 'checkmates.'" Government is designed having learned from the good and bad points of the government of both First Nation and UVC. Secretaries (such as of State) fulfill positions held in UVC by triumvirs and something like Directors of FN's Congress. Darius definitely knows he needs someone like Benj to deal with people, so he doesn't have to. Though he also worries about exactly how Benj will deal with people. Noblesse-Oblige assumes Darius' former position in Triumvirate on pro tem basis. Possibly in the next election, Beverly gets the position.

At some point Darius complains, it used to be too hot to wear my duster very often, now it's often too cold. And the fedora's no help, either.

Three nations: United Villages of the Chaos, Order, Balance (Northern Alliance). Woodstockade replaces Kimrin as Second Order's third mint.

Darius sends Northern Streetrat (Taryn) to Triscot to fetch things for him (koi?). Since the gryphon trust Darius and harpies trust Taryn, the two of them can create a temporary truce between warring species, or at least be guaranteed safe passage through war zone.
Northern Alliance involvement with ogres.

Dave Road seems to be doing better when gets job as a bubblecaster, but when an unfinished literary masterwork is stolen and he cannot reproduce it from memory to his satisfaction, he kills himself. (Darius says, "there but for some shite or other go I.") a publisher had heard him telling the early parts of his story in a pub where Dave told stories for free drinks. publisher wanted to buy story on spec.

Dave talks to someone (Tino?) about what it's like to deal with looking like Darius after he becomes world-famous.

Just before his death, plays a game of Surreal, makes earlier mock game real, starting with round two, and even after the game ends, the effects of that round may remain in play. (The game was played somewhere the autoscry for Surreal didn't work, possibly blocked by a gang's Sorreters for the benefit of vampyres?) One of the players says "What if there was a world where people thought one gender was inherently superior to another?" That makes everyone except Dave and Tino quit the game; even the one who said it was so freaked out by his own idea that he couldn't take it anymore. Tino says there is a world like that: Earth. Then Dave takes his turn, "What if the game we're playing right now is what caused them to think that way?" Tino can't take that idea, so he quits, and Dave wins.

After the game he kills himself, but a vampyre may be watching, and now approaches and says "I have a 'what if?' for you..."

At some point, it turns out there's a vampyre independent of LandOrder and of Des'Caina, and a number of vampyres have started joining him. Most will continue to work for gangs, but he grows more powerful, starts his own little empire of a sort. May be a war between his group and other vamps. This leader is Dave, but it will be a long time before anyone learns this, if ever. (Dave never sires vampyres, his group is just those who have chosen to join him or been sired by his followers. He still can't stand to get that close to anyone.) Decades at least; probably not til after Darius's death. However, he may secretly fund a project to build roads between villages, which provides work for his family (who have no idea he's alive-ish), and may also bring him more money in the long run, possibly charging tolls, or having built in... I dunno, traps or something that allows him to control the roads.

At some point, Black Radly puts out third album, "Royal/Rabble," which incorporates orchestration (think Viva la Vida), and when Benj hears Darius playing it, he says "Now that sounds like something Macen actually would have liked." Possibly Tiejo walks in just then, and Benj can't help feeling a rush of sadness and anger, so he quickly excuses himself from the room.

917-930
917- Beverly runs for First Triumvir of the UVC, with support of Arthur, who had held the position since Darius left, the previous year.

Darius may consider changing official start dates of each season, in the Balance, to coincide more closely with the actual changes in the seasons. Though this may fail to happen, because people are so used to the holidays being on certain dates.

At some point control/manipulation of the news may be uncovered (maybe a technological recording of journalists talking about the need to lie, though rooms are protected against magical recording/scrying), which leads to a law that news services must be monitored more closely.

In 918, Black Radly put out fourth album, "Neolithic," which is like neo-punk. (Offspring and such.)

In 918, Keiko is born to Alec and Moira.

At some point, Ginger plans a New Winter Day concert featuring Christmas songs (Carol of the Bells, Here We Come A-Caroling, Ding Dong Merrily on High, really old fashioned stuff.) Maybe gets Cameron to make it snow. Tino probably mentions Auld Lang Syne; Ginger or Emma or someone comments on odd grammar, after using subword sense to figure out what the phrase means. Ginger wants to get the Band back together. Tino wonders if it's even possible. Ginger says they'll surely be able to accomplish the task because they're doing it for God. Tino says he wishes it was God's own idea, and Ginger asks why. He says, "Because it would be so much more fun to say we're on a mission from God, to get the Band back together, rather than a mission for God." "Do I even want to ask-" "No." "Alrighty then."

At some point, Mordechai may threaten to reveal to the public that Ginger killed Seth, if she doesn't help with something. She may agree, or not; either way, she says "How many people do you think there are in this village who wouldn't have killed him themselves, if they learned what he'd done during the war?"

At some point, a big band may form, inspired by orchestra, made up of members of Allrat Fellowship. Called "The Rat Pack."

919- Lorelei story (15 years after first adventure). Balencia imports anthracite from ogres, which may help in expansion on new continent, as well as building factories, railroads, etc. An edge over First Nation and UVC, and one reason Manat incepted Darius. May become a railroad tycoon (which is a bit ironic for a merman).

Someone named Roscoe Pekoe, who comes from a tea-growing clan, starts a railroad line on the new continent (possibly invents the first train). People refer to his trains as "Roscoe Pekoe trains." Has a competitor named Condio building a road called Condio's Way (via Condio), possibly make "My way or the highway" joke.

Someone forms a group of people who think most people on the Land talk too much. Probably includes Ian Goner, Mel Slingshot, etc. At least one eventual member of Chaos Knights may be involved. People who just want to get things done quickly and quietly. They move to the new continent so they can be alone. Later, settlers show up and ask what Ian (possibly the only one left who hasn't been killed by dinosaurs) what he calls his town, and he says "This is not a town." Someone says "Nottatown? I like it." Ian says, "Wait, what?" Place will eventually have a sheriff, and Darius may visit and make a sheriff of nottingham/sheriff of nottatown joke.

Allrat Fellowship negotiates things like transporting 'rats to new villages, and securing jobs for them there, as well as jobs in old villages after people leave to settle new villages. Thus new villages lead to reduction of 'rat population.

922- It's around this time that people are wanting to settle villages in more temperate climates, cooler than the mostly tropical villages, but warmer than those of the Northern Alliance. However, they can't do this on Near Land because of the gryphon-harpie war. So they decide to expand to the continent beyond the Isle of Freedom. They call it the "Far West." Someone in UVC, probably Alec or Beverly, maybe a group, asks Poss to help organize the law out there. May be asked by Mufasa? Police are still independent of any government, so he's asked on behalf of all three governments. He'd be about 70 by now, possibly retired, but agrees only to organize things, not to play an active part. Agrees because he's one of the few people who is trusted by all three governments. Villages in Far West may use term 'marshal' in his honor instead of 'chief of police', or possibly establish a new position within InterVil, possibly under the Comissioner there is one marshal for each country? Still, new villages may use 'sheriff' because of the early suggestion of using 'marshal' as a term, and after abandoning that idea they still want to use a different earth term. Poss may find all this ridiculous, and it leads Capp to laugh, because the same thing happened to him, basically, in 899.

There may be a lake near Nottatown where Larson Ericson (recently married) moves with his wife, to start a new community. This could provide an opportunity to show the bad blood between him and his brother Victor (which could have started when they were kids, in 904, and their uncle Manat was talking about "E" names... Victor would be "victory" and Larson would be "larceny"), but over the years it became more serious, when Victor was "corrupted" by Manat, though there may be no proof of wrongdoing. Victor would at least become cold, distant, condescending toward his family. Possibly Victor is involved in the Black Prophets' terra cotta scheme in Those Meddling Kids, in 928. (Though this could cause confusion with "Victor and Dichen.")

Tino is not just restricted to living on the Land in order to be with Ginger, he's also cut off from call spirits. So at some point he asks Ginger to contact Sizinia for him. He asks Sizinia, "I'm gonna have a badass cowboy adventure, so could you please get me some Ennio Morricone?"

While the west is being settled, country music is introduced to the Land.

New magical village (in UVC) is founded on new continent, called Tesser (or Tessor, "Sorret" spelled backwards). Someday there needs to be a tesseract joke, maybe about a musical act from Tessor. Around the same time Balencia founds a magical village at the North Pole.

Someone (maybe Tino or Emma?) may introduce word "steampunk" as a fictional genre on Earth, saying that although similar technology has existed on many worlds, Earth was the only planet in the universe to ever use a word quite like that. Darius thinks about it and says, "Well then... let's make it two worlds." (Though there already was a character named Steampunk, it's not a subword with which many people would be familiar.) Emma's sister Rosalie may move to the new land and become very involved in steampunk. Meanwhile, Benj may invest in someone who discovers bituminous coal, on the new continent. This means, to him, humanity won't have to rely on ogres' anthracite. Process of coking is developed, which leads to many innovations. May also lead to Benj leaving government to become full-time businessman.

Sometime, someone, possibly a vampyre, will discover blood apples, the first apples ever found on the Land. Can be used for making both sweet and hard cider (replacing pears), vinegar, and apple sauce, bobbing for apples, caramel apples, pie, etc. Become popular particularly on Samhain. Also becomes major source of income, possibly for Dave's group of vampyres.

At some point, Melinda may marry the son of Dex Bigthink. One of their descendants will be Fel of the Chaos Knights. (Each generation may have a name that rhymes with "Mel.")

930 or so
A book is published- "Demos Royal: The First and Last King of the World (An Unauthorized Biography)".
Beverly married Demos in hopes of escaping her father's scandalous reputation, "gate parties" and so forth.

Darius becomes hermit or hikikomori, stays in his room mainly listening to bubble-recordings including a bootleg copy of a Band concert.

Toward the end of his life, Darius gives a speech. "Someone once asked me, 'What is history?' His own answer was, 'Just some stuff that happened.' But now that I think about it, my answer would have to be, 'Stuff that affects the future.' So, when I think about the history that I helped to write, I have to wonder... was the Second Order really so bad? Was revolution truly necessary? No, perhaps not. Not in and of itself. But... a world needs a history, however it might unfold. It needs to change, to develop over time. Some worlds strive for millennia toward ultimate unity. Could any world really be ready for that after a mere 7-year plan? Could it be ready for ultimate unity at the tail end of the very first millennium of its existence? When so little of the world has even yet been explored or settled? There's alot of time still ahead of us, alot of history yet to be written. How differently will it all unfold with multiple countries, working together or at odds, than it would with just one world government? It seems likely to me that such a world would merely stagnate, at worst, and all genuine progress cease. Or, at best, all its history yet to come would be pretty boring. So... for good or ill, or even for neutral, it seems I did end up affecting the future, and therefore... I made history. All this may go far beyond my original intentions, but now, in hindsight... I guess I don't mind using this philosophy to justify my actions."

Reminisce with old friends about various events, including the attempted coup by Royal twins, which no official agents of the Order or the UVC could have stopped. "They would have gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids."

doctor tells darius because of the conflict between his genuine pain and his constant Happiness use, his heart is being torn slowly apart, and he has at most ten years to live unless he quits the habit. darius says he doesn't intend to live anywhere near that long.
Darius learns new appreciation for Order and progress, in the harsher realm of the N.A.Balance.

Darius says to Benj, "I can't imagine a world without you-- but then, I've always been something of a pessimist."

Darius says "Columbus died a failure."
friend (Lor? Alice Blynnmaker? Alphonse Teach?) or relative: "And later had a holiday named for him."
"If you name a holiday for me, I'll haunt you."

Discuss Darius's position on suicide, mention Dave.

Darius should be in Triscot maybe at the end, with family (or family should be with him in Balance). A spirit-talker like Joss might know of Columbus. (Maybe Joss is Protestant Arch-bishop?) Another cousin might be politician who has power to make a holiday.

At some point Monab may vote to become sovereign, a desire of the secular citizens rather than the spirit-talkers.