Lord Kyrn's RS3 Novelization thingy –– Questions List:

If you would like to see this novelization finally get written, then please answer any of these questions if you can. The ones that 're just commentary… well, I just put those in as observations I made. But if you can answer the questions, that would be GREAT.

Also, if any of this looks choppy, weirdly-spelled, or overly-abbreviated, I'm sorry. I originally posted these on the GameFAQs forum, but these ones weren't relly answered/commented upon.

Spoilers all a-freakin-round. Watch out.

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-Planet's name: Atheras? (Okay, YOU come up w/ one!)

-The Ice Sword will look eerily like FF8's Lion Heart gunblade, w/o the ammo cylinders, and a more icy-looking blade. The potential names have been narrowed down to "Kylmäterä" (Finnish for "cold blade") and "Kristallnacht" (German for "crystal night", and also one of the precursors to the Holocaust.).

-In the Vanguard Ctrl Room, there's a plaque: "E.S.S. Vanguard--Hydra-Class Oceanic Assault Platform"

-When shifting, the Masquerade batmobiles. (Remember the retracting armor?)

-Tatyana speaks ghetto! (Well, she HAS been on the streets for awhile...)

-R.Zweiger = Rasereizweiger

...unless someone has a better suggestion, or really knows what the 'R' means. "Raserei" is German for "fury", "rage", or just generally going berserk.

-B/c it's an automatic response, the (great, great, great, great =) Professor kisses the party leader, *regardless* of gender, which will make for a VERY interesting scene.

-the name Rashkuta sounds vaguely Indian, but maybe it got katakanified (like how "televi[sion]" gets garbled to "terebi"). If that's the case, any takes on what the original might have been? (Rakjda?)

--Any thoughts on the origin of the Divine Church, or is that already covered somewhere?

-Yeah, the legend-thing says the HK's spear's name is Arakes (Mana Sword originally translated it as Alakase...

hmmm... well, this may sound screwy/stupid, but if you stretch/mangle it a bit, you could get "Alkaiser". Wrong game, I know, but right series!). I thought that was wierd, too.

-Max plans to use the DK/HK stuff to take over the world... how?

PERMANENT/CORE PARTY

-Katrina Lauran (Main Character, duh)

-Sara Carson (Joins Kat in Mules)

-Nora (Seaforge) (Joins @ Seaforge Smithy, (Pidona) seeking murderer & Alkaiser)

-Harid [what's his last name?] (Joins for money, company(?), other?)

-Tatyana Lasaiev (Forcibly joins in Farce, eventually learns to kick ass, changes outfit [but keeps bear])

-Black (Herman Salazar) (Hired as Herman in Great Arc)

-Leonid (Joins after the Quest for the Holy Grail.)

-Shonen (Quiet, moody, angry-looking kid with a katana. There shall be cuttification. ) Joins after Sara disappears)

TEMPORARY PARTY

-Volcano (For the Undersea Palace/Water Abyss Gate)

-Undine (For the Iron Foundry/Fire Abyss Gate)

-Sharl [Antrazzi?] (Joins for Gon, Muse's Dream, & Earth Abyss Gate quests)

-Muse [Claudia Clemens] (Joins for DK's Palace/Earth A.G. quest)

-Thomas Bent (Kat & Co meet him again in Pidona. Joins for Gon & Muse's Dream quests.)

-Robin (Joins briefly for the Robin quest [duh.].)

-Mikhail Ausbach von Loanne (He does need to rule a country, you know. Maybe I'll reduce his attitude. He & Kat'll write back and forth, or something. Howzat?)

-Zo [some Indian name] (Never got him; DID meet him, healed bro.[and she did that HOW?]. I get the impression he's a badass (b/c of Dragon God?), and I'd be happy to put him in for the Rotten Sea Ruins, and maybe somewhere else? Now, if somebody(s) could tell me what he's like, or has that been covered already?)

-Boston (Limit Island & Water A.G. quests. Can he actually speak ...um... whatever the dominant language in the West is [It's not English... help?])

-Zhi Lin (Joins for Zelnam Cave quest.)

-Bai Meiling (She's a crazy old lady who causes lightning/mini-quakes for fun. Whee! Joins For Zelnam Cave Quest, Assault on Huang City.)

-Yousei (Sellnight) (Guides them from the Fairy Village, Glycinia, to the Iron Foundry (Fire Gate Palace))

-[Father?] Tiberius (Don't know much about him... He'll help them through the Divine Tower... maybe they convince him they're VIPs (w/ the entrance-bribe))

-The Professor (Name?). They find her out looking for her pets, asks 'em to look so she can work on the NZ./Come back to her about Algernon, NZ, Vanguard, any sci/tech questions. Joins for Algernon, Vanguard, and Nachtezweiger quests.)

-Monica Ausbach etc.(Shows up w/ Julian later, not sure when.)

-Julian Nohl (w/ Monica.)

-Ellen Carson (Probably will show up whenever the party goes near Lance, b/c she knows the area, she's Sara's sister, AND she lets'em stay at her house free [always a plus].)

Bai Meiling (She's a crazy old lady who causes lightning for fun. That's much more funny to see in smaller amounts, and also when it's not happening to YOU.)

Poet (He'll certainly appear a few times, but b/c of playing Julian first, and never being able to get rid of him, I've hated having him in my party.)

Snowman (Yeti! Yeti! Yeti! Joins Kat to waste the White Dragon Ruler in the Ice Galaxy.)

NON-PARTY MEMBERS

Fullbright (I know even less about him, except that I think Thomas meets him sooner, and he's the one who intros you to the Business Game. Any help here?)

Wood/Ward: There's absolutely no plot relevance to his quest.

-When the A.Lords came through for the DK (whose name is unknown...?), were those the real AL's, or their avatars again?

-When it says the DK "vanished", what's the general consensus on his fate? I personally think he either just died, OR he went East to open up the Huang City Gate, and got killed sometime after doing so.

- If you've ever read/played "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", you really start to get the idea that just about EVERYONE in power in China was a sneaky, weaselly, slippery bastard. The same seems to be true all over, here. The Seven Star Sword is mentioned in the Rot3K books, too.

-Anyone else notice the lack of high tech., even the kind credited to 'The Ancients'? (HK's Vanguard doesn't count b/c that was 1 of a kind, and The Professor only built the Nachtezweiger and the R[aserei]zweiger within the year.) Do ALL the SaGa games avoid this theme?

-In the Yousei quest-let, it says that someone crying wakes you up. Realistically, the inn is AT LEAST a quarter mile (maybe a little less) away from anywhere you could hear her crying, which would be somewhere in close proximity to the fair. Maybe it's more of a telepathic "help me, help me, mayday, etc." thingy that Yousei is sending out, and Sara only picks up b/c she's got the Fairy Bow.

-What's so special about the HK/DK artifacts? (Besides who their original owners/makers were, and their in-battle abilities) Does Maximus think that putting himself in close proximity to them will mean that he's the S, too?

-Had this great idea for when they ask then-Herman for the Dolphin Statue: "Why do you want it?" "Let's just say... we're going places."

-In crystal ruins: the chest that, when opened, summons a DrgnRulr: it's in a courtyard on a pedestal -- Raiders of the Lost Ark pedestal scene

-How are the Dragon Rulers connected to the Abyss (ARE they)? What, exactly are/were they the rulers of? Are they just big and unpleasant neighborhood bullies (of a sort... the LARGE sort.)?

-As Herman, Herman/Black is a cynical, grumpy Cid-like man; just a general crotchety guy. When he becomes Black, he's doesn't swear as often, talks more like a pirate "should", & becomes friendlier.

-Why is Stealing Hands/Barehand Catch a Big Sword waza? My theory: You smack them in the face (Or stomach, or shins, or groin; whichever works.) w/ the flat of your sword, then snatch their weapon.

-Extra suppt for my DK-disappearance-theory (He went East and opened the 5th gate, then either got wasted or yanked over or b/c 1st Emperor): Neft Elder says nobody has come from the West in over 600 years -- The time of the DK's reign. That, and how else does the DK's armor get over there?

-Psycho Helm is made from the skull of a Neft (the bug-dragon-mutants). The Zelnam (look like elves w/o shirts) and the Neft, having both come from the Abyss, both speak the same language. The DK made it to communicate with the Zelnam, and the Zelnam use some kinda funky voodoo magic. So, in order to understand their language, the DK needed to [literally] get inside their head . (Other tasteless puns include "Put their heads together.")

-I've got the old Destroyer post! Anybody want it?

-It's not Hidora Mail, it's Hydra Mail! Look at Rudra no Hihou! There are still doofs out there calling it "Rudora no Hihou", or "Rudora's Secret Treasure" (Or, god forbid, "Rudola's Secret Treasure"). NO! It's RUDRA, because "Rudra" is a word from freakin' uIndia./u The Japanese HAD to write Ru-Do-Ra because they can't do the "dra" sound. Likewise: "hydra" is Greek, but it's written as Hi-Do-Ra so they can pronounce it. And then there's the non-Japanese son-of-tards who insist on referring to a certain anime as "Seera Muun", and then there's nothing for it but a flamethrower.

-This one's a bit more tentative: I'm almost positive that the Shellblazer should've been "Shell Bracer". It makes a lot more sense that way, and the kana certainly fit.

-Wonder Bangle = Wonder Woman's bracelets. Why? Well, the Wonder Bangle has "Wonder" right in the name. Also, the W.B. deflects "Shot"-type attacks (arrows, rocks, & other projectiles) 99% of the time. Wonder Woman's bracelets always deflect bullets. Plus, they're the same type of thing: bangles are bracelets, kinda. This has to be one of Square's weirdest references ever, along w/ the Unreal Tournament reference in FF9.

-Hair colors? How the fork do I explain THAT?

-Why so many monsters beneath Leonid's Castle?

-Vanguard: Just like FF8's Balamb Garden going mobile! There's some more of Square's idea-borrowing for ya.

-*Looking at Square's art* ...Nora smokes? *Thinks* Heh... Nora smokes cigars… I'm so sick.

-How does Kat get sidetracked from the Masquerade quest onto the Abyss Gate quest?

-Just HOW well-known is Katrina, and does her hair-chopping REALLY hide her identity that well? It seems to me that that's sort of a half-assed explanation though, much like Clark Kent and his glasses (Superman wears/wore no mask, so the only difference between his and mild-mannered Clark Kent's faces is that Kent has glasses.). HOWEVER: It seems to me that Noble-Katrina's hair is almost PURELY white, bordering on the kind of unreal-white that Mercedes Lackey keeps on babbling about when she's talking abt. the Herald's horses. Once she cuts it off, though, you notice that it's notably less white, and a bit more messy-sparkly, if that makes any sense. Maybe it's something to do w/ owning the Masquerade? Who knows... (Label on hilt of Masquerade: "Courte Surgeonne's Warning: Ownerfhipp of thys Weaponne maye caufe Loss Of Haire Colore.") Still, why do OTHER perople have funky-colored hair? Is it natural? Is it dye?

-Why's Harid at the HK's Tomb in Lance? What's he supposed to be doing there?

-When did Tatyana run away, and how long has she been living on the streets? That, and and how old is she? I believe someone says that she's Lasaiev's youngest child (And is it me, or are the Lasaiev family's names (and name) mostly Russian?), but what age, exactly? The artwork doesn't really give any clues... I'd guess she's anywhere from 10-15 y.o., but that's a REAL rough estimate.

-What the fork is the party's motivation for heading out on some of these quests? For that matter, how would they even hear of them? I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure about them...

---The Ancient Cave

---The King's Capitol

-Has Ake had much contact w/ the outside world?

-How "techy" are Vanguard and the Zweigers? I'm guessing that the Zweigers are mostly mechanical (as opposed to electronic), but what about the AI controlling them [I'm assuming there's an AI unit in the Nachtezweiger, but something went screwy, & now it's psycho. However, she [the Professor] had only made one AI unit, which was in the NZ when it spazzed. Therefore, someone (The Professor) will have to manually drive the R(aseri)zweiger].

-And given what I was just talking about, I'm guessing that, like the Zweigers, the Prof's inventions are more mechanical/clockwork (Think of da Vinci's machines and creations from his sketches) than computer-y and electronic. Anybody else think so?

-The Professor: British-, German-, or Russian-sounding accent? Which would sound better coming from her?

-Does that big lake in the Naj desert have a name?

-How'd the Rotten Sea Ruins get, well, ruined?

-Why is the DK's Shield in Dead Man's Well? Did someone toss it in to hide it there? Was its bearer (not the DK, right?)tossed in there?

-Is Tiberius DivChurch's _official_ leader (and if so, what's his title?)

-"So, why'd you pick 'Robin' for your name?" "Well, when I was first starting out, I was trying to think of a good name, see? Then, all of a sudden, a robin flew in the door, and I thought about it for a second, and it sounded perfect!" "Oh... okay. Well, what if it had been nighttime, and it was something weird like, I dunno... a bat?" "Don't be ridiculous." (excerpt from the Robin Quest.)

-What would Kat call Mikhail, formally AND informally? Lord? Sir? Your Majesty? Your Highness? Tiger? Mikey? =D

-What's Muse's restricting condition? Physical? Psychological? Disease?

-How do Sharl and/or Muse make a living? She's bed-ridden, and he's a half(quarter?)-cripple...

-Algernon fight: rat poison is a gas grenade causes norm rats to die, but Algernon mutates into a huge motherforker.

-Professor uses something like a grenade launcher as her weapon.

-Really IS more true to the medieval theme: It doesn't use the usual (and apparently Japanese) RPG idea of three elements (fire, ice, lightning); uses the traditional earth-air-water-fire concept!

-The Vanguard travels FASTER underwater, for some physics-defying reason.

-The "Icon of Mana" WILL make an appearance. Hee-hee!

-The chapter where they're in the bowels of Leonid's castle looking for that artifact will be called "The Quest for the Holy Grail." Hilarity ensues.

-The original script said the Dolphin Statue was made of Orichalcum (a metal as mythical as adamantium, but nowhere NEAR as cool. It was also supposedly ALL over Atlantis.), but the 99% patch said the NAME of the Dolphin Statue was Orihalkon, which I thought was a mangling of "Orialcon", which is a name Square has used before.

-Why would Kat go out of her way for some of these quests? Many of them aren't even related to the Masquerade? Did Mikhail say to go out and help people? Does she have ADD, and so can't focus on one task at a time?

-What is their reason for heading east? I was thinking maybe Johannes saw one of the astronomical disturbances that accompanies an opening Abyss Gate, but way far out East (caused by the fifth gate). However, all they find is the DK Armor and the Zelnams trying do their stuff (what?). Of course, it was caused by the fifth gate, but they don't know about it at that point...

-What clues does Kat have to go on regarding the stolen Masquerade? Nora had the name "Jackal" and the red coral, but what about Kat?

-The Dream Devil Medicine has to induce an astral state... you can't drink a potion to go inside someone ELSE'S mind, obviously. (Well, not unless it's voodoo you're dealing with, but I'm sure this ain't.) There's no way to connect them unless it released them, or set their minds all onto the same frequency, as it were.

-The "Silver Hand" is just one of the HK's two (duh) gauntlets... The power of the Silver Hand[s] is to grant full and practiced use of whichever hand they're on... This way, we get the best of both worlds: The right-hand gauntlet goes to Sharl to restore his paralyzed right hand; The left goes Harid, to grant him ambidexterity, making him a badass in combat.

-When and where would I put in Julian and Monica?

-Fire Abyss could be an iron foundry from the DK's days (Hey, it LOOKS like one.)

-Nora picks up the Dragon Spear from the Red Dragon Ruler in Huang City.

-Kat leaves Masquerade w/ Mikhail "in case she doesn't make it back" (takes Ice Sword w/ her into the 5th Gate), Nora takes Dragon Spear w/ her, and gives the HK's Spear back to send to Ken.

-Sara & Kat (or maybe just Kat) are the ones who stay at the Mung Village (how about "Peijing"?) holds onto for the Zelnam Quest.

-Yes, the Professor will french Kat. Yes, I'm pathetic.

Here's the plot layout and party sortings!

Part I: A guy walks into a bar…

-Beginning Quests (Katrina's/Everyone else's) (Kat)/(Mo/Jul/Sa/Thom/El/Har/), (Kat/Har/Mikh)

-Catch the Professor's Pets in the West Forest (Kat/Sa/El)

-Complete the HK's Trials (Kat/Sa/El/Har)

-Transport Goods (Lance – Yamas) (Kat/Sa/Har)

-The Adventures of Robin (Kat/Sa/Har/Rbn)

-Transport Goods (Lance – Farce) (Kat/Sa/Har)

-Stanley vs. Farce battle (ditto)

-Thieves' Cave Quest (Kat/Sa/Har) +Paul

-(Pidona: Pick up Nora Seaforge and Tatyana Lasaiev, meet Muse) (Kat/Sa/Har/Tyn/No)

-Find Gon in the DK Palace (ditto)+Thomas

-Save Yousei from the Traveling Circus (No/Sa)

-Dream Devil Quest (Sha/Kat/Tyn/Har/Thom)

Part II: The Quest For More Mojo

-Vanguard Murder Mystery (Kat/No/Har/Tyn/Sa)

-The Search for the Dolphin Statue/Treasure-Hunting around Great Arc (ditto)+Herman Salazar

-Two-Timing The Mages of Moses (Kat/No/Har/Tyn/Sa/Hrmn)

-(Limit Island -- Battle w/ Water [Blue?] DrgnRulr) –- Arrive @ Undersea Palace (Kat/No/Har/Tyn/Sa/Hrmn/Bstn)

-Undersea Palace –- Battle with Forneus' Avatar –- Seal the Water AG (Kat/No/Har/Tyn/Sa/Hrmn/Volc)

-(Return to Lance, talk to Johannes and Anna) –- Algernon Quest (Kat/Har/Blk/Paul/Prof)

-Nachtezweiger Battle (Kat/Har/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Prof)

-Quests in the East:

Librof (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Harid) –-crossing the Naj Desert (ditto) –-DivTowr (ditto) –-crossing more of the Naj Desert (ditto) –-Dry River (ditto) –-The Crystal Ruins (ditto) –-Mung Plains (ditto) –-Zelnam Quest (ditto), -Kat, -Sara, +Bai Meiling, +Zhi Ling –-Rashkuta (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har) –-Rotten Sea Ruins (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Zo) –-Shinon (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har)-Zo

-Ake:

-Fairy Village –- Iron Foundry (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har)+Yousei, + Undine

–Battle w/ Aunas' Avatar – Seal Fire Gate (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Undn) -Yousei

-Duke Zweig's Tournament (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har)

Part III: Get to the bloody point already!

-The Quest for the Holy Grail (With Leonid) (ditto)

-The Maximus Quest (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Leo)

-Meet with Gwayne (Kat/Gwyn)

-Return to Loanne (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Leo) +Gwayne

-Takeoff –- Battle with Byunei (Kat/Gwyn)

–Climb Mt. Taftan –- Taftan Caverns –- Seal the Air/Wind Gate (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Leo)

-Battle w/ Gwayne (Ditto)

-Assault on DK's Palace –- More of DK's BLOODY Palace –– Battle w/ Arakes' Avatar (Kat/No/Tyn/Sa/Blk/Har/Leo)

–Sealing of the Earth Gate (ditto) +Shonen

-Return to Lance (Kat/No/Tyn/Sho/Blk/Har/Leo)

–Anna mentions Aurora to Kat –- Aurora/Snow Town/Ice Galaxy/Battle w/ White Dragon Ruler (Kat)

-Attack on Huang City (YnFn/BMlng/troops/Undn/Volc)

-Raid on Imperial Palace (Kat/No/Tyn/Sho/Blk/Har/Leo)

-Final Dungeon[s] (ditto)

-Fight the Destroyer (Kat/No/Tyn/Blk/Har/Leo)

…I think that's right.

Quests in the East: (expanded description and reasoning.)

-Johannes says that when the Abyss Gates open, "gaps form between the stars". My interpretation: Weird atmospheric stuff happens above or near (coordinate-wise) the location of an open/opening Abyss Gate. He sees something sorta like that happening in the East. However, the numbers from his calculations say that this gate is far beyond Mt. Taftan. So, when the party comes to his & Anna's house in Lance, he tells them about it. The reason they have to check out this first is that he thinks this could be from somebody trying to create a NEW Abyss Gate. (Yes, I know... shut up & bear w/ me) Stopping this takes priority over sealing the already established ones, so they head out to find out WTF's going on.

(The disturbance is caused by the 5th gate in Huang City opening)

-From Librof, they travel through the pass at Mt. Akuba.(Harid said he crossed this when he came West.) (Also, I forgot to put Harid's name in the Librof slot. Pretend it's in there.)

-From there they head east towards the Naj Desert, passing through the wastelands (not desert) between the eastern face of Mt. Akuba and the Tower of the Divine Church.

-After stopping over at the village by the Divine Tower (What, you thought the Tower was alone out there?), they head out into the Naj Desert proper.

-Eventually, they reach the Dry River, and take a ride on that. However, once they reach the end of that, they accidentally head north, and end up at the Crystal Ruins.

-A big sandstorm starts blowing, and they're stuck in the Crystal Ruins for a day or two, b/c it's the shelter around. Sara and Tatyana go looking deeper in the Ruins for water, and the Crystal Ruins quest is underway.

-Once the sandstorm is over they head out (going east this time), and find their way onto the Mung Plains.

-Continuing to head east, they get into a nasty scrap, and Kat is badly wounded. Thankfully, they run into Pejing (Hey, I LIKE reference-jokes. =D ), the Mung Village. The Zelnam Quest starts here. Zhi Lin accompanies the group, minus Kat, to the Neft's occupied cave. Then, when attacking the Zelnam's cave, Zhi Lin AND Bai Meiling go with 'em, b/c Kat's still recovering.

-Afterwards, once Kat's recovered, they head off to Rashkuta, for some reason. I was thinking that Sara has a dream in which Shonen tells her to head there, maybe to heal Zo's brother, or something...

-After having been in Rashkuta a while, they realize (having made a map on Johannes' suggestion, since they're the first peeps HE knows of who have ever been out that far East.)that if they head a long ways northwest (or maybe just west), they can make it to Shinon. To do so, they have to head through the Rotten Sea Ruins, and do so. Zo accompanies them. Elephants w00t.

-Now, there's a BIG huge forest between the R.S.R. and Shinon. However, only a mile or two into it, a dryad pops out and gives Sara the Icon of Mana, allowing her and her companions to jump the forest, leaving its inhabitantants alone, AND allowing me to include the easter egg that Mana Sword built into the game with a straight face.

-Then, MUCH later, they zip over to the Tower on the Vanguard (going by way of a large river valley just west of Glycinia, [the Fairy village] then off the map, south into the Lasanti Ocean, around, and up into Naj Lake, where they dock, hop out, and head to the Divine Tower).