Answers re: questions.

Questions re: agents by galenfea on 2010-08-16 13:47:00 UTC Reply

As my time as a member lengthens, I start to consider creating my agents. I have a couple of characters lined up (they're from one of my original universes), but I have a few questions about their suitability as agents. I thought I'd ask them now so I don't waste everyone's time later.

1) Is it OK to use characters from an original universe? It's essentially World One, but with more magic, werewolves, vampires etc.

2) They're twin brother and sister (for the purposes of argument - it's actually more complicated than that). I've seen married couples, but I haven't seen any sibling pairs as agents (apart from Rose/Ross, and it would be difficult for those two not to work together). Is the lack just because no-one writes them, or is there a PPC policy against it that I don't know about?

3) One of them is named Felagund. The newbie FAQ mentions that major canon characters who die in canon shouldn't be recruited, but he's not the original Finrod Felagund; he was created through a combination of over-zealous RPing and magic. However, since I'm going to be killing Tolkien badfic, it might cause confusion.

If these guys aren't going to work, then no harm done, I'll use someone else. I'd really like to use them, though.

Thanks!

Re: 3 by The Trojanhorse on 2010-08-16 22:42:00 UTC Reply

Agent Paddlebrains is a (very) warped RP-created version of Sirius Black. You can do it, just be careful with it, and have fun with it!

- Trojie, not around as much as she should be these days but trying to work on it

Thanks! by galenfea on 2010-08-16 23:00:00 UTC Reply

Cool!

I think I'm going to at least try with that backstory and modify his name so it's not actually the name of a canon character any more.
:)

Number two by IndeMaat on 2010-08-16 22:11:00 UTC Reply

There is a brother-sister agent pair. Although I believe there is a third member to that little group. Their names escape me for the moment. Brother had a thing for Victorian or Edwardian England.

Brothers and sisters would make excellent agent pairs. I mean, aren't it your sibs that drive you crazy the most?

Yeah, that was me. by Helen of Pylos on 2010-08-17 04:15:00 UTC Reply

I'm amazed you remembered them to be honest. But yeah, brother and sister combinations are fun.
Re: Number two by galenfea on 2010-08-16 22:22:00 UTC Reply

--Brothers and sisters would make excellent agent pairs. I mean, aren't it your sibs that drive you crazy the most?--

Exactly! I'm surprised there are so few, for that reason. That's what made me think that maybe there actually was some rule about it. I mean, you've grown up with this person, you've got all the history of who sneaked on who for stealing cookies, you know how to push all the other person's buttons... but there's also that bond.

Re: Number One by Pretzel on 2010-08-16 21:08:00 UTC Reply

No one's complained so far about one of my agents. She's from an Modern Day World One original 'Verse much like yours, with magic, were-beings (though technically they're more shapeshifters, but I digress), vampires, and other assorted beasties.

Anyways, I have a question for you: Where in the general timeline of World One is your 'Verse set? What I mean is, is it more like modern-day times, medieval times, or something else? That might impact how your characters interact with the advanced tech the PPC has, and could prove to be a running gag/funny thing for your agents.

My 'verse by galenfea on 2010-08-16 22:15:00 UTC Reply

It's basically modern day. There are some differences, but they're pretty minor. I only split it off from actually being set in our world recently, when I decided that some of the stuff going on was just a bit too weird (another major character is an anthro werewolf pop star, vampire attacks are a bit too common to just be ignored, and Jackson&Felagund (back when it was one person with a split personality gone out of control) had an epic battle with an old school aquaintance who had been posessed by demons). The internet is less of a thing, though - it stayed mostly reserved for big universities and the military, and fanfic is mostly in 'zines, but the publication of these has become increasingly easy and popular, so their 'verse has its share of mass-consumed bad fanfic. Also, fangirl Latin is a common thing (some pretentious idiot started it and it caught on among other people who wanted to look clever, and spread to most of fandom).
I already had Felagund being really uncomfortable reading anything he can't hold, while Jackson took to it like a duck to water, being generally more technologically-minded. I might do some more work on their home 'verse, though (which I need to do anyway), and look for more things like that. Thanks!

Your 'verse sounds fun, though, and certainly better developed than mine. I'm glad to hear there are others like these two around, and their origins, at least, shouldn't be a problem. :)

Regarding 1) and 2)... by Khajidu on 2010-08-16 17:57:00 UTC Reply

I have a father and his two sons from an original universe as Agents. They have a dynamic that I found appropriate for the place.
Answers re: questions. by Edward Wilder on 2010-08-16 15:42:00 UTC Reply

1) From what I've heard that's fine, and even if it isn't, that sort of original fiction universe isn't too hard to come by and I'm sure you could foist them over to a canonverse if you really wanted to.

2) Weeell, it's PPC policy to have agents be a sort of 'odd couple', and that might be rather difficult with twins, but...If you think you can make it work, that's fine by me, anyway.

3) That is basically the same backstory as Dafydd Illian, one of our most well-known agents. What do you think?

Re: Answers re: questions. by galenfea on 2010-08-16 15:57:00 UTC Reply

1) OK :)

2) Hmm... I think I can pull it off. They do have fairly different personalities and possibly the biggest effects of them being twins are extreme physical resemblance and knowing one another's body language very well.

3) *headdesk* I... confess that I had momentarily forgotten Dafydd Illian. Mea maxima culpa! But Maglor wasn't his most commonly-used name, he always went by Daffyd. Would that make any difference, do you think?
(Now I'm nervous of being accused of backstory-theft)

Re-naming. by Neshomeh on 2010-08-16 18:55:00 UTC Reply

Is often appreciated. It does save confusion.

Also, if the original world he's from is something you're thinking of maybe publishing someday, that's another good reason to think of a different name. While borrowing from Tolkien happens and is understood, doing so blatantly is frowned upon. (By readers, at least. Apparently publishers don't mind, especially if your name is Robert Jordan or Christopher Paolini.) {= )

~Neshomeh

OK by galenfea on 2010-08-16 21:46:00 UTC Reply

Yeah, as soon as he became an actual character rather than just a nickname (as part of a fantasy book club), I knew their story could never be published. Part of why I wanted to use them as agents :)

I can try to think of a new name for him, though - something similar; he's firmly entrenched as Felagund in my head, as is his sister's habit of adressing him as Fel, and his hatred of that nickname. I'll work on it.

Heh. I haven't read anything by either of them, but from what I've heard I don't want to. :)

Tawaki and Chrysocome's physical-psychological template... by Tawaki on 2010-08-16 15:42:00 UTC Reply

...hailed from a version of Earth with various types of were-birds.