Just wanted to mention a small something.

Sorry for the length of that last post!

I really wanted to do something a little more than just head-butt the course of the story, so chose to do some 'backstory'. I always think it's cool to learn more history behind a major villain.

I really wanted to express how Vice wields 'glitches'. I feel it's an important character trait and one that really defines him and gives him purpose in the world of the NeS. So I thought a bit of back story on that would be cool. I threw in Darth Puis because... it made it more interesting, and funny to made him random old NPC bloke :p.

Puis, in case anyone doesn't get his name, is short for puissant, which means powerful. I figured all these Darth fellows need to have meaningful names, right? :p

A few notes about my last post.

I just threw that in there about the Company Kid actually being the KGB's man. Perhaps we can make something of that, perhaps not.

Joey/Brute was mentioned back on page something-or-other, I just gave him a brief backstory. Cuz I could.

As far as Al Ciao/Highemp: As anyone who's read the whole NeS knows, I used to a powerplaying writer. I've changed and matured a lot in the past four and a half years I've been gone, and have mostly subdued my inner munchkin. I only have Al Ciao turning into Highemp again as a story device - Al Ciao is constantly tempted to powerplay once again, which may give him some character depth. Or not.

I admit, sometimes I go off the deep end in writing super-epic posts, so bear with me and call me on anything I do that's untoward. I really like writing for the NeS and don't wish to upset other writers.

Love what everyone else is doing with it! Britt, I like the backstory on Vice and Puis - I love explanations and backstories and such. I'm gratified to see an NPC of mine developed like that!

TLTE, sorry I ended the Patriot thing so quickly; I find it difficult to write a battle between a mere mortal and an indestructible superman. Plus, I'm lazy. And I wanted to bring in a cameo of Nikki aka Agt 498 who appeared once on Page 21, I think, of the original NeS.

I'd like to have Al Ciao/Highemp reunite with his old friend TLTE, and stick by him through his trials - but TLTE needs to join the main hero quest, too, I think.

That's all for now. Cheers!

So, if IE absorbs Al Ciao... he actually absorbs HighEmporer.

Interesting. Very interesting.

So... I guess that means I really am the newest writer then. Just as well, I suppose.

And IE absorbing HighEmporer? That... sounds like a throwback to what happened when JediKirby ate TLTE. Hmmm...

Anyway, I'll try to take a shot at the Disney World thing. I'm not good at managing too many character in a scene so aside from needing to split the party if I'm going to work with stuff I... just don't want to touch the IE since I'd probably handle him with too much humor.

Ah ha! Highemperor, I thought it might have been you.

I had designs on ending the TLTE/Patriot thing for good, but no matter. I liked your take on it, and I'm sure that the two will cross paths again before too long. Opposites attract, as they say.

I would agree with you, I'd like to get our two characters back in the same room again - not least because your character introduced us to Arkng Thand in the first place. And overall, TLTE's been on his own for a while - it's time to get him back into the main NeSHero fold and have him meet some fresh faces.

I'm just trying to continue other plotlines while waiting for other Gaming Guardians to post on the final showdown with Vice, as Geb requested. Someone write a cool battle between Patriot and Ares, please!

Question: Who are Ni'kash and Marcus, that Jim7 mentions in his last post ages ago?

Question 2: Just what are the Patriot's powers? I know he's virtually invulnerable, and I assume he's superstrong as well... but is he superfast or can he fly?

Assuming the Patriot isn't utterly destroyed by Ares, I have another idea on how TLTE can take him down later on, too. Oh, all the ideas... What, NeS and planning? Perish the thought.

Ben, if I were you, I WOULD handle the IE with humor... Humor is GREAT for this story in my opinion... One of my tendencies is to veer to the serious side, but I absolutely love the humor you and Britt bring to this story and wish I could do more stuff like that.

Also, I wanted to include a shameless plug for NeS 1888! I had a lot of fun writing it, and I'd be interested in knowing what y'all think of it. Fred Teh Uber Blade makes an appearance in it, Britt, and TLTE's predecessor, the Thirteen True Evil, is a major character. 'Fraid there's not any ancestral wererats, Ben...

I just want to mention that while I don't want anyone ending the battle with Vice before everyone has had a chance (though not forever), I have no issue with people posting again and continuing it even if they've already posted for it, which I may do myself.

Question: Who are Ni'kash and Marcus, that Jim7 mentions in his last post ages ago?
Answer: I think the former is actually from A Knight's Tale, and Marcus is just a random fighter from Hell that Jim's mentioned before, though I can't remember if Marcus has ties with Darkside or not.

Question 2: Just what are the Patriot's powers? I know he's virtually invulnerable, and I assume he's superstrong as well... but is he superfast or can he fly?
Answer: TLTE can probably answer this better, but I got the impression that The Patriot was something like Captain America, but insanely good with guns instead of a shield, though his strength and invulnerability (and social status) is probably closer to Superman.

Also, humor is good and NeS 1888 is good.

Well, I’m done reading NeS 1888. It was certainly interesting, and gave me some good background on the Badger. Necessary background since The Otter is now Fredrick J Otter rather than having Otter as his code name. One thing I’ve been learning with the NeS and having so many writers: you don’t just need a plan B, you need a plan C, D and E and better be ready to write up plan F on the seat of your own pants when the next plot twists hits.

So speaking up right now rather than later... anyone planning anything with Nyneve I should know about?

Oh, and not having ancestral Were-Rats is a good thing. One, Ben is intended to have a bystander quality to him so giving him ties into the ancient past of the NeS probably wouldn’t be best. Two, Ben is infected with zooanthropy, not rodenthropy, meaning anyone he infects will become a were-whatever, not a were-rat. Well, unless the whatever happened to be rat, but the whatever is different from person to person. Transmission is by a certain agent carried in his blood, meaning the saliva from a bite wouldn’t be enough unless he bit his tongue first.

Honestly, Otter and Ben will eventually to sit down once things have a heart to heart and catch up on “a few years of pain”. It’s just that aside from not wanting to steal screen time for something as trivial as Ben’s backstory, I also don’t want to do it at an inappropriate time. It will have to be done eventually, though, since it involves developing the Otter’s past as inspired by his nightmare in NeShattered. Just need to choose the right moment without being contrived about it. Though I guess that means I should probally start writing it ahead of time, if only partially.

In any case, I think I need to consider rereading the entirety of NeS again. Yes, I know I'm a glutton for punishment, but some of the details are starting to get a little hazy. Besides, knowing where it is and where it's going, at least indirectly, I might be able to comprehend where it started a little more clearly the second time around.

HOLY CRAP

You read it once before?

Yep. I know you can only take my word for it, but I more or less stated that I had read it back on my introduction post in the Workshop thread, back here.

Post hasn't been edited or anything, so at the very least you know I'm claiming the same thing now that I was claiming back then. This is the internet so I'm on the honor system when claiming this, but I was the person who reintroduced Nick; there are only a handful of references more obscure then that.

But yeah, this time around I think I'm going to have to take notes. It will of course slow the process down, but it will be worth it if keeps me from having the read everything over again a third time around.

WOOHOO! Someone other than Geb read NeS 1888! My fan base is growing!!!!

*SLAP*

Thanks, y'all, I needed that.

But seriously, Ben, it makes me feel good to have another reader. Even if all it rated from you was "interesting"... Actually, the main thing to remember is that NeS1888 is NOT necessarily "canon" (if such a thing as canon can be considered a serious concept in this story) - it is merely one person's take on a little-explored facet of the NeS. However, my ego would be very flattered if people try to work it into the main story.

No, no plans for Nyneve, although I've toyed with bringing her back into the story myself. Would she be the last NeSferatu, or would she have "created" more?

OTHER WRITERS WHO HAVEN'T READ NES1888: Huh?

Oh, read my story already!

As for Plans B, C, D, E, and F - Geb would say not to even bother planning, I'm sure, but I rather like your take on it. Honestly, I used to plan way too much and too far ahead, and then get very put out when they were destroyed - but I think some plannage can be a good thing, as long as we don't get too attached to it, as you said.

Thanks for the background on Ben the character, I'll have to remember that. Who should get infected first - Soriel or Geb? Oh, the possibilities... Bwahahaha!

I personally am VERY interested in hearing Ben and Otter's past together. Of course, I would say that, being a sucker for background stories and such. Would sometime in Disneyworld or on the bus be a decent time for them to sit down?

I read the entire NeS earlier this year (before I started posting again), and took notes myself. They're not real detailed, just little things I thought I'd like to remember. I did jot down Nick in those notes, so I was absolutely thrilled when Ben brought him back (though admittedly a little put out that he beat me to it).

On the other hand, Ben has done a much better job of tying in the various elements of NeS without notes than I have with them, so kudos!

As for Tracer's HOLY CRAP comment, that's nothing. Geb himself has read the whole thing MULTIPLE times.

Finally, there's one thing that bugs me a little bit, and both Geb and Britt have been guilty of this recently: DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR LONG POSTS! Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I personally LOVE long posts, the longer the better!

Perhaps, like Ben, I'm a glutton for punishment...

EDIT: Just wrote a post. I'm thinking that at some point we can have Jim7 and his demonic army lay siege to DisneyWorld in an attempt to recapture TotallyEvil. Perhaps Jim7 and some demonic commandos can rescue the heroes from the Evils' torturous clutches...? Anywho. Cheers!

Actually, IE should be interrupting the Patriot and Ares any moment, and going. Uh, Ares. Screw you. And then attacking him.

NeS 1888 had it's high and low points, but it rated an interesting because... it was. Good is good. Interesting draws you in and makes you think of your own ideas, which is the entire point of a Neverending story.

Anyway, I've made my poss with the backstory. Hope it wasn't too much at once, and I'm saying that with both concern towards your eyes as well my own. Man I'm a trying task master to these two tired sacks of blood and ten worn out digits.

In any case, I hope you'll forgive me for the all in one go. Seven pages, five spent on the backstory. I think that's my largest post to date. I feel a little guilty, but it was going to be done eventually and I'd feel guilty no matter what.

In any case, it includes an In Character description of the curse, so even people who don't read this thread or the profiles know how to use it. Regarding the fallout of this scene we still have the other prisoners and the Evil family to get to.

As for me... I'm going to bed. When next I post I'll probally be pushing the buttons of people other then the Disney World crowd.

Any ideas how to make tracer's post make any sense at all?

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Just put a line through it. I don't know how.

Well, I fixed the problem, I hope. As for IE interrupting Ares and Patriot, I sincerely hope that that doesn't happen until Ares and Patriot have fought a few rounds at least - it'd be real interesting to see that fight?

Any takers? Come on, people, I'd like someone to write up a good fight for them. Pretty please?

I enjoyed your post, Ben. Perhaps we can have Jennifer and Nicolas show up at DisneyWorld with their kids...?

EDIT: I just posted my character sheet for Al Ciao! Woohoo! Incomplete, I know; if anyone has any ideas based on what they know of Highemp's history within the NeS *cough*BEN OR GEB*cough* lemme know.

I went ahead and linked Al's profile on the first post of the workshop thread now, I didn't have much to add to the profile itself. Also, FYI for everyone: Al won't be able to jump online for a few weeks, bummer.

I should totally write one of those for IE/ID/SUP.

Well! I finally finished reading through NeS 1888. I tell you bloody what, it's longer than I thought it was going to be!

Still, I started so I finished!

First, you're a bloody good writer, Al (and I study Imaginative Writing at University, so that's not a throw-away compliment ;)). I was really impressed, and loved the well-placed 'foreshadows' (things that come back later). I know there was some stuff that I think I would have better understood had I read the NeS from the beginning, but I think most of it was pretty clear.

I think you do fights really well! They were definitely some of the greatest high-lights! You also really managed to get a healthy dose of serious thrown in with the humour. The end was great, and I really liked the description of Desmond with the Darkside. Very creepy, scary stuff! :D. I loved the whole William wrap-up at the end there, very unexpected and awesome!! And, maybe this was on purpose, but when I first joined Ford decided that Fred and the Cheshire Zippo had met before, an lo! It works! Well done! I liked that he was Frederick, very amusing :p.

One think left open was whatever happened to Aura the angel? Is that explained in the NeS itself?

Also, some of your 'that's not discovered/invented yet' were off. The one that struck me was the bacteria one, which was demonstrated by Louis Pasteur in 1859. Had to look it up on Wikipedia to make sure, of course. ;). But yeah, I remembered that one from school. Hahaha.

I really did like this though. T'was a great back-story and I enjoyed it thoroughly, although I didn't get the ancestry lines to all the characters (because I don't know all of the older characters). I might try and mention stuff from it some time, during other back stories, maybe? Haha!

Well that had to be the most annoying post to make on my part so far. At my dad's house, and for some reason his Internet Explorer was complaining whenever I tried to copy and paste. Complaining in this case equaling crashing. Had to eventually download and install Firefox.

In any case, Al Ciao, thank you for doing your magic mending the time space continuum. Goodness knows we put enough holes in that thing as is. For your profile, I have nothing to say about your history concerning NeS other then to say that you did a wonderful job summarizing everything that has happened to your character while making it concise and relevant to his evolved plot development. Concerning the new behind the Intra Story section, I can't wait to see what the Stronghold of Powerplayers will be up to, and can only hope and pray they don't all get eaten by the Incalculable Ego.

Britt, wonderful battle scene, though you probably opened up more cans of worms then you intended by killing off the Company Kid. At least Ben will get correctly measured uniform. You missed a small part with Nyneve, though. She learned her art from Merlin, not Mustang.

Oh well. Hope I haven't derailed anyone writing a followup post to Relaspse. If it helps, please note there is little time correlation between when the scene I wrote at Hedgestone University corresponds to the final battle, so they could arrive whenever.

Whoops! Bloody good point there, Ben! Hahahaha, my mistake! Ah well, maybe hundreds of years being alone has messed up Nyneve's memory a tad? :p *escape clause*

As for Ben, aye I thought maybe Hero Force One would inadvertantly save the heroes just because they wanted to get their hands on Ben! Bwahahaha!

Glad you enjoyed the fight, I didn't think anyone would bother to read such a long post that had nothing to do with the main story, or even some kind of sub-plot. Haha! I just wanted to have a bit of action, trying to rival Highemp's fights in 1888 ;). Haha!

You realize, of course, that posting a post with Ego in it, even to cripple him, makes him more powerful.

:D!

Please do not defeat Ego before he can recombine. :|

[edit]
Crisis averted. Whew.

It should have been made clear by the Patriot's fate that conglomerate entities such as DarkEgo can be redivided with the Cleave-O-Matic.

I had a feeling that that was the case, but is we don't appose him at all it would be almost as bad as giving him a prime time sit com. Never my intention to kill him, though, just set him up in a lethal situation and let another writer handle it how they will. Most likely would have been you, but there's always a curve ball. Honestly, you have more to worry about Tracer then me.

Good work handling Ben. Next post I'm going to be handling some loose ends at Disney World, but then it's back to Benjamin. Can't leave him alone for too long or the other writers start making him work too out of character.

In any case, you don't have to worry about me trying to defeat Ego. At least not in any cheap sense. No, if it drags out long enough I have some interesting ideas to try and do the deed.

Meanwhile.

DarkEgo.

Yeah, you hear that? You've got more to worry about from ME

Yeah. But you're you.

Don't think I won't.

Oh wow. Maybe it's just by chance, but I was uncontrollably laughing at that last post, Tracer. It's like you're a master of the straight delivery or something.

Incidentally, Dr. Evil and TotallyEvil took Sem's decision surprisingly well...

EDIT: I should note that everyone else has been doing awesome too.

Yeah, I couldn't think of anything good and didn't want to fall behind in the posting. Glad you enjoyed operation: pizza rocket though.

It's a nice post. I would like to note that you forgot that it was MZZT who was with Maybe, not Ford. Ford was hauled off with Otter and Antestarr. Normally not very note worthy, but aside from it being a recent event... you where the one who posted the end of their trail five days ago. I would think it would still be in your memory.

Oh, and I may or may not need to apologize to Tracer and Britt. I say may since I can't tell if any anger is real or just in my head. I'm a very paranoid little person. So Tracer, I only meant that JM should worry about you since from my observation you tend run the plot with the afterburners on. Britt, I'm sorry I didn't consult you but I have to work with what is written as I can interpret it.

I was only joking. No worries.

Also thanks for pointing out that character mixup. I went back and fixed it.

There's a problem?

No problem. Just my brain blowing things out of proportion.

For those of you who don't already know, today is more or less the 10th anniversary of the NeS. You can check out the thread I made about it here:

http://forums.massassi.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=55143

My lastest post with Rachel and Vice and gang was my idea of ending the story-arc, but I figured I'd leave just enough of a lack of resolution for someone else to continue should they want. Either way, anyone's free to continue and/or wrap things up!

Hey, I just noticed Voodoo still seems to be "infected" with Captain Sran Cadpill's personality. As I gear up towards involving myself (and perhaps instigating a new story line around Sarn's re-emergence, if there's no objections) is there anything else I should know?

Not that I'm aware of? The captain just popped up recently. Voodoo's been mostly hoping to find Sarn for quite a while. Ben (the real writer) has also read all of the NeS relatively recently, so maybe he's remembered something I've missed.

haha Ben (the real writer)... As opposed to Ben The Writer who's a character. What if I brought Ben (the real writer) in to NeS, then would we have to make the distinction between him and Ben (the real, real writer)?

Also, post incoming to move Sarn's situation along.

IMO it would be great if we got Sran back on a regular basis. He's one of my favourite characters.