LAST EDITED ON Jul-23-13 AT 09:58 PM (EDT)
 
Because I enjoyed doing this for Operation Archangel, because it's been a long time since the original S5 "Meet the Duelists" posts, and because Phil and I had already compiled the information (and I'd gone to the trouble of building the table) anyway, here is a handy cut-out-'n'-keep* guide to persons of note you may encounter in the course of Symphony No. 5's Third Movement, coming Soonâ„¢.

--G.
* NOTE: Do not actually cut out and keep this guide. You'll wreck your monitor.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

---

Duelists of the Order of the Rose

Name	School/Class	Birthdate (if known)	Age as of March 17, 2410	Weapon of Choice	Weapon Name (if any/known)	Notes
Kaitlyn Hutchins	DSM 2407	March 17, 2389	21	Zatoichi	Kotetsu no Sasayaki (Iron Whisper)	musical composition and performance student, New Avalon University; cult action heroine; composer; rock star
Commodore Utena R. Tenjou, IPSFR	DSM 2407	December 29, 2389	20	Schiavona Smallsword Crusader sword	Thorn of the Rose Heart of the Rose Cortana	Prince of Cephiro; acting commander-in-chief, International Police Space Force
Anthy Tenjou	DSM 2407	February 29, 2392 (official)	18 (official)	Draconic warstaff	Rosenjäger	High Priestess of Cephiro, medical student, markswoman; a bit pregnant at the moment
Corwin Ravenhair	Koopman 2409	June 25, 2391	18	Draconic warstaff	Stick	Pillar of Cephiro, Norse god of Mecha, Watcher O'er the World-Engine
Nall Silverclaw	Koopman 2409	June 25, 2391	18	Draconic saber	Â	Snow Prince of Draconia and generally cool cat
Sir James May	Pendle College	January 16, 1963	447	Smallsword	Â	DSM Duelists' Society faculty advisor; last of the proper English gentleman duelists
Midshipman 2nd Class Ezri Tigan	Starfleet Academy 2411	Â	21	Epée	Â	Castle House Guide, space psychiatrist in training
Juri Arisugawa	DSM 2407	December 1, 2387	22	Crescent-hilt broadsword	Â	Lensman; Executive Vice President for Special Defense Projects, GENOM Corporation Cygnus Spaceworks Division
Miki Kaoru, PE	DSM 2407	May 27, 2391	18	Cup-hilt rapier	Â	Assistant City Engineer of New Avalon; Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidate, NAIS
Wakaba Shinohara	DSM 2407	March 14, 2390	20	Katana	Â	Special Assignment 11
Crown Princess Amanda Elektra Dessler	Â	November 12, 2388	21	K'tayyl (Gamilon honor sword)	Â	Empress Designate of the Gamilon Empire; Ambassador to the Babylon Foundation
R. Dorothy Wayneright	DSM 2407	January 1, 2400	10	None	Â	Automotive design student, NIT; semi-professional racing driver; occasional cabbie
Captain Elisabeth R'tas Shustal	DSM 2407	July 4, 2389	20	T'skrang saber	Â	Proprietor, Ishkarat trading vessel Kuratai
T'skaia Vorkoshiga'ar Ixtixtaaqitl't'chl'Vraihelt Ishkarat	DSM 2407	Â	20	T'skrang cutlass	Â	First mate of the Kuratai, painter, swashbuckler extraordinaire
Shiori Takatsuki	Tenjou 2407	February 2, 2388	22	Broadsword	Â	Lensman; information systems specialist
HRH the Princess Jessica Shiva Cheltaria Kei Arconian, Baroness d'Alkirk	DSM 2409	Â	19	Quarterstaff	Â	First in line to the Salusian throne
Vigdis Brightblade	Â	Â	18	Swords of any kind	Â	Formerly-littlest Valkyrie
Thomas Palmer	DSM 2409	Â	18	Quarterstaff	Â	Agricultural engineering student, DSM university division; part-time hunter-investigator; semi-professional sommelier
Tali'Zorah nar Rayya	Hekademos 2410	June 20, 2392	17	Omni-blade	Â	Quarian supergenius just unleashed on pilgrimage; look out, galaxy
Kanae Ohtori	Tenjou 2408	Â	20	Rapier	Â	Chair, Tenjou Academy Board of Trustees
Boba Fett	DSM 2410	Â	17	Various CQB weapons	Â	Mandalorian mercenary and all-around cool dude
Sumire "Mimi" Shinguuji	DSM 2410	Â	17	Katana	Godfang	Heir to the Shinguuji Hokushin Ittouryuu
Keiko Sonoda	Tenjou 2410	Â	17	Katana	Â	The last flunky standing
Shizuru Viola	DSM 2411	December 19, 2392	17	Voulge	Â	The Alumni Day FNG; totally not crazy
Sakura Byakuro	DSM 2412	Â	16	Ninja-to	Â	Teenage non-mutant ninja schoolgirl
Amelia Pond	DSM 2412	November 28, "2394"	15	Katana	Dragonstooth	Modern-day Scottish sword-maiden; the Towering Inferno
Raven	Harkness 2411	Â	16?	Ninja-to	Nightwing	Witch, superheroine, Akio Ohtori's very, very estranged daughter
Lindsey Willows	DSM 2412	Â	14	Katana collapsword	Â	Amateur criminalist, daughter of non-amateur criminalist
Kardon Felz	Tenjou 2412	Â	14	Hand-and-a-half sword	Â	Last of the Knights of Gothria
Mitsuru Tsuwabuki	Tenjou 2412	Â	13	Scimitar	Â	The sorcerer's apprentice
Lantar ibn'Zaltir	Tenjou 2412	Â	14	Shalkava (Shalharan halberd)	Â	Son of the desert wind
T'Par	DSM 2413	Â	14	Lirpa (Vulcan glaive)	Â	The Vulcan cipher
Stephen G. Dukat, Esq.	DSM 2413	Â	14	Tajir (Cardassian bladed tonfa)	Â	Ethnically Cardassian Bajoran national - not the easiest demographic to be part of
Peregrine Took	Tenjou 2413	Â	24	Short sword	Â	Latest in a long line of short, brash strawberry blondes
Anne Cross	Harkness 2413	December 9, 2394	15	Bokuto Katana	Tonerikoken Kurenaikaze	Kaitlyn's student, rogue pyrokinetic, Knight of the Ash

Non-Duelists and Friends

Name	School/Class	Birthdate (if known)	Age as of March 17, 2410	Weapon of Choice	Weapon Name (if any/known)	Notes
Special Agent Devlin Edison Dessler Carter	AEGIS 2407	April 12, 2389	20	Â	Â	AEGIS field operative, code name Swordbreaker
Brigadier General Kitarina Telaia Dragonaar	Â	Â	21	Â	Â	Marshal of the Empress Designate's Personal Regiment of the Imperial Gamilon Guards; invents a new rank for herself about monthly
Hikaru Shidou	Koopman 2409	Â	36	Broadsword	Heart of the Flame	Rune Knight of the Flame
Fuu Hououji	Koopman 2409	Â	17	Greatsword	Heart of the Storm	Rune Knight of the Storm
Uum'y R'yuu-z'ky	Koopman 2410	Â	78	Saber	Heart of the Sea	Rune Knight of the Sea
The Honourable J. Maurice MacEchearn IV	DSM 2407	July 8, 2389	20	Â	Â	Public Policy and Civil Government major, Hotohori University, Tomodachi
Azalynn dv'Ir Natashkan	DSM 2407	April 1,2389	20	Â	Â	Professional Dantrovian; don't try this at home
Natsuki Kruger	DSM 2411	August 15, 2394	16	Girl with a gun	Â	And a wolf
Kaname Chidori Sterling	DSM 2411	December 24, 2389	17	Â	Â	½ Invid, ¼ Zentraedi, all tsundere, totally not a Duelist
Sosuke Sagara	DSM 2411	Â	17?	Military... things	Â	Sergeant, TechCom, B1328, assigned to protect Kaname
Rory Williams	DSM 2412	June 17, "2394"	15	Â	Â	Nice chap, Amy's boyfriend, nothing else to report
Nita Daran	DSM 2413	Â	13	Tactical batons	Â	Bajoran street kid made good
Anaximandra Drax	Tenjou 2413	Â	Â	Â	Â	Svartelven outcast, crashing at Tenjou Academy
Col. Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, USAF (dcd.)	Purdue 1950	April 3, 1926	40	Â	Â	Einherjar astronaut, old buddy of Corwin's
The 66th Einherjar Legion	Â	Â	Â	Â	Â	Roman hell commandos
The Stig	Â	Â	Â	Â	Â	Some say he's just a TV stunt driver
Strax	Â	October 1, 2398	11	Automated laser monkeys, projectile acid fish, et al.	Â	Disgraced Sontaran warrior; Ohtori Institute (Oriphos) school nurse

Duelists of the Order of the Black Rose

Name	School/Class	Birthdate (if known)	Age as of March 17, 2410	Weapon of Choice	Weapon Name (if any/known)	Notes
Akio Ohtori	Â	Â	Â	Broadsword	Â	Duke Trigon of Sheol
Souji Mikage	Â	Â	Â	Saber	Â	Onetime professor of sorcery at the old Tenjou Academy; quite mad
Roger Tremayne	Â	Â	44	Lightsaber	Â	Former Psi Cop; Darth Venger, Lord of the Sith
Touga Kiryuu	Â	Â	22	Lightsaber	Â	Incubus, minion, squanderer of second (and third (and very probably fourth)) chances
Nanami Kiryuu	Â	August 8, 2391	18	Scimitar	Â	Renegade succubus, saboteuse, player of dangerous games
Kyouichi Saionji	DSM 2407	August 25, 2386	23	Lightsaber	Â	Detective Constable (Lensman), IPO CID
Anakin Skywalker	Â	Â	17	Lightsaber Greatsword	Â	Ex-Jedi padawan and current angry young man
Mia Ausa	DSM 2407	Â	20	Denn'bok (Minbari staff)	Â	Anla'shok Ranger-at-Large
Vastra	Ohtori 2412	January 1, 65,891,973 BSC	16 (cryo)	Katana Wakizashi	Â	Lizard girl from the Cretaceous
Jenny Flint	Ohtori 2412	August 12, 1868	16 (cryo)	Katana	Â	Victorian match girl turned paranormal investigator
Leyna Tarrant	Ohtori 2413	Â	14	Saber	Â	Physically gifted, emotionally unstable, strong in the Force - always a great combination

While We're Making Lists, Here Are a Few Valkyrie

Name	School/Class	Birthdate (if known)	Age as of March 17, 2410	Weapon of Choice	Weapon Name (if any/known)	Notes
Skuld Ravenhair	Â	Â	Â	Multifunction Battle Mallet	Bjarnnil	Norn of Tomorrow, goddess of technology, Corwin's mom
Brynhildr Silverspear	Â	Â	Â	Spear	(several)	Valkyrie 2 in C, unusually tall, annoyed about Wagner
Gudrun Truemace	Â	Â	Â	Mace	(several)	Half-Jotun, half-Van, all woman
Aeryn Stonefist	Â	Â	Â	Â	Â	Small... like a tactical nuke
Herlod Thunderfall	Â	Â	Â	Explosives	Â	Small... probably has a tactical nuke
Svanhvit Icebinder	Â	Â	Â	Weighted chain	Â	Frost demoness, defector from Niflheim, sharper than she lets on
Bèthildr Forgeheart	Â	Â	Â	Gravity hammer	Â	Outcast princess of Eldgard; small... for a fire giant
Lenneth Winternight	Â	Â	Â	Wrench	Â	Actually better at aerospace stuff than Corwin
Gunnr Brynjelfr	Â	Â	Â	Guns. Lots of guns.	Â	No. 1 with a bullet
Virginia Shepard	WDF Academy 2172	April 11, 2154	255	Not quite so many guns	Â	Old-timey WDFer, 2nd runner-up in the Corwin Bowl
Cleopatra VII Philopator	Â	69 BSC	39	Gladius	Â	Last of the Ptolemies and a woman mightily ill-treated by history
Alita Ironheart	Â	Â	Â	Energon blades	Â	Transformer cyborg and mistress of die Panzerkunst

Holy crap, that list looks awesome. I have questions, of course, but I will hold my tongue--some questions might be answered when S5M3 is released. One of the big ones (whether Nanami will keep knuckling under to Akio and Touga) was actually answered in the -last- teaser, though it wasn't easy to notice.

But I'm most looking forward to finding out what Utena's third weapon is all about...

--------

this world created by the
hands of the gods
everything is false
everything is a LIE
the final days have come
now
let everything be destroyed

--mu

LAST EDITED ON May-15-13 AT 03:47 AM (EDT)
 
>But I'm most looking forward to finding out what Utena's third weapon
>is all about...

You saw it at the end of S5M2 - the one given to Utena as part of that little ceremony.

I mean, she doesn't use it in her teeth or something like that - there's limits to where even we'll go - but she has it.

--
Geoff Depew - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.
"And Remember! Google is your Friend!!"

Something to possibly consider:

In the book series The Guild of Specialists by Joshua Mowll (yes, that is how you spell it, no, he isn't to my knowledge a cat-person), the monks of the ancient Sujing Quantou order have developed an intricate fighting style involving three swords, one of which is constantly airborne.

---
"Yeah, I'm definitely going to hell/But I'll have all the best stories to tell" -- Frank Turner, The Ballad of Me and My Friends

>Something to possibly consider:
>
>In the book series The Guild of Specialists by Joshua Mowll
>(yes, that is how you spell it, no, he isn't to my knowledge a
>cat-person), the monks of the ancient Sujing Quantou order have
>developed an intricate fighting style involving three swords, one of
>which is constantly airborne.

I believe Gryph was making a One Piece reference. Specifically one Roranoa Zoro.

(A distant descendant of the de la Vegas, I assume).

So which one is the littlest Valkyrie now?

>I believe Gryph was making a One Piece reference. Specifically
>one Roranoa Zoro.

Mm, no, sorry, no idea what you're on about here.

Anyway, it's not that strange a concept to get hold of, particularly considering the context. Utena collects swords. Or they collect her. I didn't even list that lightsaber she took off the Wall o' Weapons one time...

>So which one is the littlest Valkyrie now?

By weight, presumably Aeryn. By relative - but not calendar - age, probably Gunnr (I didn't pin her age down here, but she's an elf who seems to be around 16, which probably means she's chronologically in her seventies). By calendar age it's a wash, as apart from Gunnr they're all grown-ups. Probably Svan.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Mm, no, sorry, no idea what you're on about here.
>

Probably for the best....

>>So which one is the littlest Valkyrie now?
>
>By weight, presumably Aeryn. By relative - but not calendar - age,
>probably Gunnr (I didn't pin her age down here, but she's an elf who
>seems to be around 16, which probably means she's chronologically in
>her seventies). By calendar age it's a wash, as apart from Gunnr
>they're all grown-ups. Probably Svan.

I was actually thinking "by height" but I suspect that would also be Aeryn.

>I was actually thinking "by height" but I suspect that would also be
>Aeryn.

Yes.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>I was actually thinking "by height" but I suspect that would also be
>>Aeryn.
>
>Yes.

Although it would personally amuse the hell out of me if, somehow, a certain blind geokinetic (and former champion wrestler) ended up a Valkyrie.

(I know, I know... but Toph is so much fun...)

>>>I was actually thinking "by height" but I suspect that would also be
>>>Aeryn.
>>
>>Yes.
>
>Although it would personally amuse the hell out of me if, somehow, a
>certain blind geokinetic (and former champion wrestler) ended up a
>Valkyrie.
>
>(I know, I know... but Toph is so much fun...)

... yeah, lost me again.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>>>I was actually thinking "by height" but I suspect that would also be
>>>>Aeryn.
>>>
>>>Yes.
>>
>>Although it would personally amuse the hell out of me if, somehow, a
>>certain blind geokinetic (and former champion wrestler) ended up a
>>Valkyrie.
>>
>>(I know, I know... but Toph is so much fun...)
>
>... yeah, lost me again.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. Think a blind Terra with a LOT more snark.

>>>Although it would personally amuse the hell out of me if, somehow, a
>>>certain blind geokinetic (and former champion wrestler) ended up a
>>>Valkyrie.
>>>
>>>(I know, I know... but Toph is so much fun...)
>>
>>... yeah, lost me again.
>
>AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. Think a blind Terra with a LOT more
>snark.

Oh, yeah, so I've gotten around to watching (about half of?) Avatar: TLA in the last couple of weeks, and so I actually get this joke now. Hee.

Toph Beifong is in fact not a Valkyrie, partly because no Einherjar had ever been made one before Virginia Shepard for administrative reasons (Shepard's elevation is something of a pilot project), but mainly because it sounded way too much like work. She subscribes to the philosophy - also espoused by the late Prince Dios of Cephiro - that when you die, that's your cue to take it the hell easy for a while. :)

--G.
"Can't you watch where you're - " "No." "Right. Sorry."
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

That does sound like her....

>That does sound like her....

She also claims to be deeply bemused by the whole "let me get this straight, tiny packets of energy that may or may not be particles, and may or may not be waves, and may or may not have mass, bounce off of things and that's how you see them?" thing, and wants to take a few more decades to take it fully on board.

Fully down with Valhalla's "no shirt, no shoes, no problem" dress code, though.

--G.
"What am I supposed to do with this? Seeing? I mean, what?"
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>She subscribes to
>the philosophy - also espoused by the late Prince Dios of Cephiro -
>that when you die, that's your cue to take it the hell easy for a
>while. :)

Before Legend of Korra revealed that Toph grew up, cut her hair, and got a real job, I always thought she'd live fast and die young. When you're an ten-year-old who is toppling governments and winning the silver medal in Airship Hijacking (Freestyle), you gotta wonder the insane shit she'll think constitutes a night on the town when she's in her early twenties.

(Also I sort of figured her last words would be "Hey, Sokka! Watch THIS.")

-Merc
Keep Rat

>(Also I sort of figured her last words would be "Hey, Sokka! Watch
>THIS.")

Followed very shortly by Sokka's: "You arrogant ass, you've killed us."

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>(Also I sort of figured her last words would be "Hey, Sokka! Watch
>>THIS.")
>
>Followed very shortly by Sokka's: "You arrogant ass, you've killed
>us."

Wouldn't be the first people to enter Valhalla after something like that. :)

(I always liked the enemy sub in Hunt for Red October... they had a horrible job and fought hard for their country. That their country was worth fighting for is a debate I don't care to get into, but--removing the safeties from their torpedoes aside--they fought hard and smart and weren't afraid to take risks to accomplish their mission. I don't think they would end up in Hel.)

A one-sentence explanation of both references:

1) Roronoa Zoro is an arguably insane master swordsman from the ridiculous (and bizarrely popular) anime series One Piece who fights with three swords.

2) Toph is a small blind pre-teen girl from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and she is so damn good at her style of fighting (it involves many, many, MANY big rocks) that she invented a new branch of it.

---
"Yeah, I'm definitely going to hell/But I'll have all the best stories to tell" -- Frank Turner, The Ballad of Me and My Friends

Arguably insane? Pretty sure he's got it pegged, honestly. ;)

If you put Raven and Toph together in a room you reach critical mass for snark.

Michael C. Fortner
"Maxim 37: There is no such thing as "overkill".
There is only "open fire" and "I need to reload".

Oh, that's a delicious image. I can so imagine them being Vitriolic Best Buds. Also dropping rocks on Gar's head whenever he's being particularly annoying.
Big, pointy rocks.

---
"Yeah, I'm definitely going to hell/But I'll have all the best stories to tell" -- Frank Turner, The Ballad of Me and My Friends

>Holy crap, that list looks awesome. I have questions, of course, but I
>will hold my tongue--some questions might be answered when S5M3 is
>released.

Feel free to ask them anyway, if you want; the worst that can happen is that I'll confirm that you have to wait for the story. :)

>One of the big ones (whether Nanami will keep knuckling
>under to Akio and Touga)

Looking at her track record so far, I'm not sure that's entirely fair comment. I mean, for someone facing a truly spectacular level of force majeure, she hasn't done such a bad job so far...

>But I'm most looking forward to finding out what Utena's third weapon
>is all about...

As noted by others already, this is largely covered in S5M2 (although the sword's name is not revealed in the text). That's Utena's wedding-sword, which, according to Æsir tradition, is an heirloom of her husband's family. Theoretically, the heirloom sword presented to a Viking bride by her groom is intended to be held in trust for their eventual son, but then again, married Viking women were expected to wear a white kerchief on their heads at all times, and Utena's not going to do that either. They're not ultra-orthodox Vikings. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>>Holy crap, that list looks awesome. I have questions, of course, but I
>>will hold my tongue--some questions might be answered when S5M3 is
>>released.
>
>Feel free to ask them anyway, if you want; the worst that can happen
>is that I'll confirm that you have to wait for the story. :)

Well, I have lots of questions, but I'll limit myself to one right now: We haven't seen Mia Ausa in -quite- some time...in fact, I'm not sure she appeared any time between the latest Symphony piece and the one where they're all at Utena and Anthy and Kaitlyn's house, discussing Anne Cross. Seeing her in Oriphos was a bit jarring, since before now there was no indication the Anla'shok know anything about the Nine (Ten) Worlds. Will we see in the next piece how she got there and what she's actually doing there? I can't imagine she's actually helping Akio any more than Saionji is.

>>One of the big ones (whether Nanami will keep knuckling
>>under to Akio and Touga)
>
>Looking at her track record so far, I'm not sure that's entirely fair
>comment. I mean, for someone facing a truly spectacular level of
>force majeure, she hasn't done such a bad job so far...

Hm, fair enough. You know, I almost hate to say this, but after she regained her sanity just as she was killed, Nanami seems to have remained amazingly sane after waking up and finding herself a -succubus-. Part of me wonders if the translation into demon inures the mind to the kinds of things that must have been required of her. Especially considering what drove her insane in the first place. I wasn't entirely sure she wanted to rebel against Akio and Touga, but it appears she was just biding her time, waiting for a chance. Good for her, she deserves MUCH better. (Also, is she still physically 14 or so? Cause, -ick-.)

>
>>But I'm most looking forward to finding out what Utena's third weapon
>>is all about...
>
>As noted by others already, this is largely covered in S5M2 (although
>the sword's name is not revealed in the text). That's Utena's
>wedding-sword, which, according to Æsir tradition, is an
>heirloom of her husband's family. Theoretically, the heirloom sword
>presented to a Viking bride by her groom is intended to be held in
>trust for their eventual son, but then again, married Viking women
>were expected to wear a white kerchief on their heads at all times,
>and Utena's not going to do that either. They're not
>ultra-orthodox Vikings. :)

Aha. Yeah, I didn't know the name of the blade and it'd been some time since I'd read that piece.

Not that this makes a damn bit of sense or anything, but she's picking up swords quickly enough that I wonder if she won't eventually be able to do Cloud's Omnislash from Advent Children eventually. =)

--------

this world created by the
hands of the gods
everything is false
everything is a LIE
the final days have come
now
let everything be destroyed

--mu

>We haven't seen Mia Ausa in -quite- some time...in fact, I'm not
>sure she appeared any time between the latest Symphony piece and the
>one where they're all at Utena and Anthy and Kaitlyn's house,
>discussing Anne Cross.

Er, she's quite prominently featured in S5M1...

>Seeing her in Oriphos was a bit jarring, since
>before now there was no indication the Anla'shok know anything about
>the Nine (Ten) Worlds.

It's supposed to be a bit jarring, precisely because it's not explained up front. As for the Anla'shok, as an organization I doubt they do have a full rundown on the structure of the universe, but Mia does; she's a sorceress, heavily versed in the ancient lore, and as an first-year Duelist, she's been to both Asgard (for Anthy and Utena's wedding) and Cephiro (on the subsequent Art of Noise summer tour stops) before.

>Will we see in the next piece how she got there
>and what she's actually doing there? I can't imagine she's actually
>helping Akio any more than Saionji is.

Not in the very next one, no; she's in the Third Movement, but that's not where anything about the Black Rose's recruiting practices will start to emerge, as it's almost exclusively concerned with the second Tau Ceti incident and what happens elsewhere while it's going on. The more revelatory material in that regard will almost certainly begin to come in the Fourth Movement.

>Hm, fair enough. You know, I almost hate to say this, but after she
>regained her sanity just as she was killed, Nanami seems to have
>remained amazingly sane after waking up and finding herself a
>-succubus-. Part of me wonders if the translation into demon inures
>the mind to the kinds of things that must have been required of her.
>Especially considering what drove her insane in the first place.

I'm not sure Nanami "regained her sanity" so much she's come out of her initial madness on the far side of the river, so to speak. Sort of like Ash in Army of Darkness. You can't say her mind works like a normal person's, but she's kind of beyond sane at this point. She's seen things you people wouldn't believe...

>(Also, is she still physically 14 or so? Cause, -ick-.)

No, no. She looks about the age you'd expect looking at her driver's license, if she had one.

>Not that this makes a damn bit of sense or anything, but she's picking
>up swords quickly enough that I wonder if she won't eventually be able
>to do Cloud's Omnislash from Advent Children eventually. =)

Well, no, it's... is there more than one fork in your silverware drawer? Do you use them all at once? Yeah. Like that. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

LAST EDITED ON May-15-13 AT 11:42 PM (EDT)
 
>Well, no, it's... is there more than one fork in your silverware
>drawer? Do you use them all at once? Yeah. Like that. :)

Now... the aforementioned Zoro fights like this:

But the ultimate in WTFery has to be this guy:

I think it safe to assume neither will ever be in UF. :)

>I think it safe to assume neither will ever be in UF. :)

I'm reasonably sure Indiana Jones shot that second guy in a marketplace in Marrakesh circa 2240.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>I'm reasonably sure Indiana Jones shot that second guy in a
>marketplace in Marrakesh circa 2240.

I'm going to assume that it was some truly idiotic cyber-ninja wannnabe who had pop-out swords implanted in odd places, mostly because I don't think even Indiana Jones could manage a suitable 'Oh for fucks sake, what?' expression otherwise.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

>>I'm reasonably sure Indiana Jones shot that second guy in a
>>marketplace in Marrakesh circa 2240.
>
>I'm going to assume that it was some truly idiotic cyber-ninja
>wannnabe who had pop-out swords implanted in odd places, mostly
>because I don't think even Indiana Jones could manage a suitable 'Oh
>for fucks sake, what?' expression otherwise.

That is actually LESS ridiculous than the truth... the second character is from Naruto... a ninja rapper who calls himself Killer B. He's actually fighting with 7 swords at once.... WITHOUT using his hands.

More via spinning buzzsaw of death than any actual swordsmanship.

>More via spinning buzzsaw of death than any actual swordsmanship.

It should be noted that there is are followers of the Discipline of Troubadour in the fabled land of Barsaive that have an ability commonly referred to as Blade Juggle (usable by those who have reached the Ninth Circle). Not quite a spinning buzzsaw of death, but still effective.

Ebony the Black Dragon

"Life is like an anole. Sometimes it's green. Sometimes it's brown. But it's always a small Caribbean lizard."

> Snow Prince of Draconia and generally cool cat

I see what you did there good sir...

--------------
Lime2K
The One True Evil Overlord

NALL: I'm NOT a cat!

THE STAGE IS SET! All I can say in response to this is,

"HEAVEN OR HELL -- LET'S ROCK"

----
Now Playing:
Daisuke Ishiwatari -- Death and Republic(Guilty Gear OST, 1998)

...

< THIS SPACE FOR RENT >

I see that Strax, Jenny, and Vastra have managed to land on their feet in UF after all. :) This should be glorious.

>I see that Strax, Jenny, and Vastra have managed to land on their feet
>in UF after all.

Well, I'm not sure they're on their feet, exactly, they're in Oriphos, but, early days yet...

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>Well, I'm not sure they're on their feet, exactly, they're in
>Oriphos, but, early days yet...

Pfft. They can handle that. I'm just waiting now for Touga to hit on Jenny and get one of Vastra's tongue stings for his trouble. With any luck, he'll be horribly allergic to her venom and his face will swell up.

(Yes, I'm a little vindictive toward him. He's given up more chances than Londo Mollari, and I doubt that he will manage to redeem himself as Londo managed to in B5--barely.)

> * NOTE: Do not actually cut out and keep this guide. You'll wreck your monitor.

That's why God(TM) made little green printers, after all.

Can't wait to see this army in motion, Gryph. Hell, I can't wait just to read this list to Peggy...

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

>acting commander-in-chief, International Police Space Force

'Acting CiC', as in 10 years later, "Hey..."

Brian

>>acting commander-in-chief, International Police Space Force
>
>'Acting CiC', as in 10 years later, "Hey..."

It beats "acting CIC" in the sense of,

"I'm not really in command of this fleet at all!"

"You fooled me!"

"Acting!"

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

>
>"I'm not really in command of this fleet at all!"
>
>"You fooled me!"
>
>"Acting!"
>

For no good reason, I'm giving Justy Tylor the "not really in command" line.

Well, I suppose "it amuses me" might be a good reason.

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.

LAST EDITED ON Jun-30-13 AT 01:21 AM (EDT)
 
>"You fooled me!"
>
>"Acting!"

"Brilliant!"

Michael C. Fortner
"Maxim 37: There is no such thing as "overkill".
There is only "open fire" and "I need to reload".

I read this and it's a general mix of "Oh, yeah!" and "Oh, dear..."

Strax manages to be in BOTH categories.

Also, bets on someone from the 66th accidentally blowing Rory's cover?

"I haven't seen you since that dust up with the Visigoths!"

"Yeah, actually, about that..."

Maybe that's why he doesn't use his old gladius...

Given his source, it may not be the same Romans. Timey-wimey, you know.

LAST EDITED ON May-15-13 AT 11:12 AM (EDT)
 
> Professional Dantrovian; don't try this at home

Aww, no fun... =/

-Simonz

>> Professional Dantrovian; don't try this at home
>
>Aww, no fun... =/

Sorry. It's for insurance reasons.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Short pause while I try to (briefly) stop laughing from reading some of these notes...

Couldn't help noticing that bit about Anthy's age -- am I right in remembering she'd been trapped in the cycle of Akio's failed Tournament for a very long time? I have vague memories of reading a bit about this, but I can't find the reference now.

--
Unable to save the day: File is read-only.

>Short pause while I try to (briefly) stop laughing from reading some
>of these notes...

The Notes field was the best part. Collating useful data is all well and good, but opportunities for offhanded snarkiness come along rarely in such endeavors. :)

>Couldn't help noticing that bit about Anthy's age -- am I right in
>remembering she'd been trapped in the cycle of Akio's failed
>Tournament for a very long time? I have vague memories of reading a
>bit about this, but I can't find the reference now.

That's true, although it may be more appropriate to say that - at least at Ohtori Academy - time was trapped in the cycle of Akio's tournament for a very long time. That school year may have happened again and again and again inside those walls, with different students on each run, like a video game whose setting and certain critical NPCs don't change even though the player characters do - while in the outside world, some deeply-buried instinct prompted observers (parents, alumni, anyone no longer inside the area of effect) not to look too closely, lest they learn something that the untrained mortal mind cannot take on board.

That is to say, from the perspective of the outside world, I don't think the crisis actually began sometime in the Cephirean equivalent of the 2100s, but if you stood where Anthy was and counted back, you would reach the inescapable conclusion that it must have, even though it couldn't. Wibbly wobbly, etc.

(Or consider the case of Raven, whose age is even less certain. As far as she knows she's in her mid-teens, so the tournament loop had been running for at least that long - but the other hand, she grew up in a mystic enclave hidden from the world of mortal men, so she's hardly a reliable basis on which to be making calculations.)

Ultimately, when the time came to do the paperwork, they decided on 2392 for Anthy's birth year because it's got a February 29 in it and more or less matches her apparent age. She wasn't that much younger than Utena when they met - she'd have been about ten, which would rather change the complexion of the thing - but by the time they were both in high school it didn't matter as much, and now that they're young adults it doesn't make any practical difference. (And she's half-elven, which probably throws everything off again anyway.)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

you know, I just finished reading the story and thought, I could really use a score card of all these people, so I come here and low and behold, there is one. Thank you.

So, while rereading the final scene of First Dates and Firefights and thinking about possible recruits for Akio with ties to the early 20th century, I came back to check this list. And sure enough, Jenny and Vastra are listed as being in cryo. (Early 20th Century, close enough to Victorian London to count) The image of Touga trying to recruit those two is wonderful, and now I'm kinda sorry that the Castellan shot that idea down.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

>The image of Touga trying to recruit
>those two is wonderful, and now I'm kinda sorry that the Castellan
>shot that idea down.

Lady Vastra would find Touga unpalatable in more than one way.

--
Geoff Depew - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.
"And Remember! Google is your Friend!!"

>Lady Vastra would find Touga unpalatable in more than one way.

"Hmm. Jenny, I believe dinner isn't settling well."
"I'll check the medicine cabinet ma'am."

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

>>Lady Vastra would find Touga unpalatable in more than one way.
>
>"Hmm. Jenny, I believe dinner isn't settling well."
>"I'll check the medicine cabinet ma'am."
>
>Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter

Even Silurians should avoid overly greasy foods.

Ebony the Black Dragon

"Life is like an anole. Sometimes it's green. Sometimes it's brown. But it's always a small Caribbean lizard."

> Cleopatra VII Philopator

... I had a bit of snark in mind here, but then I remembered that I was thinking of an entirely different Pharaoh.

(Erimemushinteperem, aka Erimem, daughter of Amenhotep II, Pharaoh of Egypt, Companion of the 5th Doctor, brief fiancee of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia, and eventually Queen of Peladon.)

>(Erimemushinteperem, aka Erimem,

For a moment, I misread that as "Eminem", to which I immediately reacted, "oh, really?". Then I reread and sighed in relief...

-- Bob
-------------------
My race is pacifist and does not believe in war. We kill only out of personal spite.

>> Cleopatra VII Philopator
>
>... I had a bit of snark in mind here, but then I remembered that I
>was thinking of an entirely different Pharaoh.

that's OK, I originally read that as "philoraptor" and almost dove down a wikihole looking up dinosaurs, but I rolled a 20 "save against wiki" and reread it, instead

-Z

---
Remember kids: guns make you stupid, duct tape makes you smart.