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"Bellringer" -- questions and ideas

Ireth

Myth Weaver
So I was thinking about this story just now, and I recalled an earlier idea for a different story, not yet written, which involves basically the same two main characters (yes, I'm aware that I tend to recycle my OCs). In the earlier story, Diana is not a werewolf, she is cursed to turn into a wolf when she gets angry. I was thinking of carrying this idea over to Bellringer, but I realize it would take a lot of revamping my other ideas.

Having her not be a werewolf may or may not require that I cut out other werewolves completely; depending on how much the villain knows about real werewolves, it might be obvious to him that Diana isn't one, and so he wouldn't necessarily be led to believe that she can tell him about the others, which takes out a huge chunk of their conflict and his motivation for keeping her alive in the tower. Should I stay with this idea and just keep Martin in the dark about the true nature of Diana's curse to keep the conflict intact?

Another idea is to replace the werewolves with mages, and have Diana's curse be the result of her running afoul of one. If there are other mages who have the ability to turn into wolves or even control wolves for whatever purpose, that might very well give rise to myths about werewolves. It could be interesting to have all this buildup to a revelation of where the werewolves are, when it's revealed that there are actually none at all. Unless someone happens to reveal it to Diana beforehand, of course.
 

dannYves

Dreamer
So is Diana a character which you've used previously and what to use her "profile" in a new story? I personally, like the idea of Diana turning into a wolf when she gets angry, it just sounds "entertaining" to read, especially nowadays where werewolves have become more of a race of beings who can turn into wolves whenever they please.

I guess it also depends on why Martin is keeping Diana in the tower, and his knowledge or lack there of, of her being a werewolf.
I just don't know what's going on there so its hard to see what you're talking about, pertaining to changing Diana’s abilities.

As far as the mages idea, assumingly you're thinking about changing other werewolves into mages and have Diana be omen a werewolf as she result of stupifying a mage, to me I kind of like that idea, it goes well with the "mythology" of what a werewolf is all about.

Just some thoughts for you. But I may be ignorant to what's going on since I am not sure of the plot or storyline here.
 

Ireth

Myth Weaver
So is Diana a character which you've used previously and what to use her "profile" in a new story? I personally, like the idea of Diana turning into a wolf when she gets angry, it just sounds "entertaining" to read, especially nowadays where werewolves have become more of a race of beings who can turn into wolves whenever they please.

Indeed. Much as I like werewolves (though I like vampires more), I think moving away from the norm could be a good thing. Diana's character has been pre-established through a few years' worth of roleplaying, long before I came up with the notion of putting her in a novel or short story of her own. In my roleplays she is a traditional lycanthrope, and remains as such in that continuity, but I feel the desire to change things up in this story.

I guess it also depends on why Martin is keeping Diana in the tower, and his knowledge or lack there of, of her being a werewolf.
I just don't know what's going on there so its hard to see what you're talking about, pertaining to changing Diana’s abilities.

Long story short, Diana and Martin were engaged to each other several years prior to the start of the story. When Diana was bitten by a werewolf, Martin broke their engagement and arranged for Diana to be kept in the tower "for her own safety". Martin, assuming that Diana knows the location of the werewolves' hiding place, regularly torments her for that information so he can find the werewolves and slaughter them all before presumably finishing off Diana too. Diana has no idea where the werewolves are hiding, and tells him so repeatedly, but Martin is too angry and stubborn to believe her, and thinks she's lying to save her own skin.

As far as the mages idea, assumingly you're thinking about changing other werewolves into mages and have Diana be omen a werewolf as she result of stupifying a mage, to me I kind of like that idea, it goes well with the "mythology" of what a werewolf is all about.

Just some thoughts for you. But I may be ignorant to what's going on since I am not sure of the plot or storyline here.

I'm still not exactly sure how and why Diana will be cursed, if I go with that idea rather than the werewolf bite. Seems to me she'd have to commit some kind of misdemeanor in order to anger a mage enough for him to curse her... maybe she just happened to get in the way of a spell he was aiming at someone else? Though with the rather specific nature of the curse and the emotional trigger to the transformation, I'm really not sure what to do here.
 

Shockley

Maester
I've been following this story, in one form or another, since I joined Mythic Scribes. I just want to say, it's a compelling, rich story - as far as I'm concerned, the werewolf thing is flavor. It doesn't add, it doesn't detract. You have something here that's bigger than traits.
 

dannYves

Dreamer
I enjoy this Diana character :)
She kind of reminds me if one of my favorite alltime characters "catwoman" where she is a rather neutral person, kind of misunderstod and really ends up protecting her own wellbeing in the long run (though I think this new catwoman in rises sucks as well as the Halle barey (sp) immitation, Michelle phiefer did the best and the old woman was fantastic too)

So, that being said, if Diana is a more "misunderstod" type of character like catwoman, then it would be sensible that she pissed off a mage.... but being bite by a werewolf snd then turning into one, follows the pattern of mythology associated with werewolves.

This story, to me, sounds quite interesting, I may have to read it one day :)
 

Ireth

Myth Weaver
Well, I think Diana is misunderstood mostly because of her ability to turn into a wolf, whether by a mage's curse or by lycanthropy. Her captor thinks she's a bloodthirsty monster who would have eaten their children if he had gone through with their wedding, and the other people of her town know her only as "the beast in the tower" whom they sometimes hear howling at night. Having her be bitten by a werewolf is the easier route as far as her connections with family and friends goes -- they'd all believe her to be dead if they heard she was mauled by a wolf, and so they'd have no reason to suspect the villain of locking her away and no desire to go looking for her. Having her be simply cursed puts a whole new twist on the story and raises questions: she does have family and friends out there, so what do they think has become of her for the past six years? What would they do if they found out Diana was being abused, curse or no curse?

dannYves said:
This story, to me, sounds quite interesting, I may have to read it one day :)

I'm glad you think so. There's a snippet of it in the Showcase if you're interested. :)
 
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