Consequences - Q&A/Comments

[AkaraAri]

Quite a bit, thank you. And nothing wrong with mixing sci-fi and fantasy as long as it's done well ^-^

But if it's done poorly, 2 genre's worth of geeks will come and behead you, I mean *cough* critique your work.

>.> <.< ^_^
_________________
I'm more of a man than you'll ever be, and more of a woman than you'll ever get. - Angel from Rent

[Grasshopper]

I think there is a general (mis)understanding amongst the readers that the mallet was the morphing crystal. I read vol. 0, and I see on page 9 panel 4, the crystal and the mallet in the same panel as separate objects.

As I interpret that, Ronson was touching the crystal when he conjured up the mallet, and the crystal gave the mallet magical properties. But the crystal is not the mallet. Is this correct?

I associate the mallet with Ronson like I associate Clarmont's glasses with Clarmont. So from Consequences issue 5 page 14, could the mallet be used to create a spell that would control Ronson? That seems like a better course than destroying it, if Satan had the skill to do that. Unless Satan is not skilled enough to do that (Consequences issue 7 page 10). That may imply that his real skills and power do not in spells, but getting individuals to believe what he wants them to.

[Avistew]

In the latest page, it is said that Hephaistus and Vulcan are two different gods.

However, if I'm not mistaken, at some other point it was said that Zeus had more than one name, and could be several gods at once. (I think he was also Odin).

My question is, is this "consistent"? By which I mean, are all Roman god different from Greek gods (In which case Jupiter wouldn't be Zeus) or does it depend?

I'm asking because I've always seen the Zeus/Jupiter, Poseidon/Neptune and so on as different names for the same gods. Learning they're actually different but similar gods is fine, but if it depends, that's kinda confusing, so I'm making sure I got it right.

[Chuck_Rowles]

It isn't consistent. Some gods have many names, some gods are similar.

For example, Inti is a sun god - but he isn't all of the sun gods. He certainly might have been several different sun gods, but he wasn't Ra.

With the Greek/Roman myths, they're much closer of course. But if you read the murky origins of Hephaestus and the murkier origins of Vulcan, it is conceivable that they are two different lame gods. Vulcan is also supposed to be much uglier, as well.

For my story, I needed an inventor god that sort of "dropped out" of notice a lot earlier than most of the gods we know today. My choice was to either find someone from a pantheon that few knew about, or tweak the stories of familiar gods. Both are a lot of fun. I decided on the latter.

Zeus was Odin, and was probably involved in other pantheons as well. He's a leader type and likes the spotlight. Hephaestus is a background figure - even in Greek mythology he isn't very prominent - and when he discovers the barrier between the god realms and Earth, he became very single minded.

[Jetaime]

I notice on TopWebComics.com, you've changed the description to:
"It's just a STORY. Calm down, people. "

However, didn't it occur to you when you moved the story line out of purely fantasy to actively denying the fundamental basis of several religions that have tens of millions of followers that you would have that type of reaction?

[Chuck_Rowles]

Well, first of all, I don't visit TWC very often, so if there's been any bad reaction to my stories it hasn't come to my attention. Steve puts those descriptions in, and hasn't mentioned any big problems. I read all of the comments on the pages and overall they've been pretty positive.

Of course, I did absolutely understand before I started "Consequences" that this story was going to possibly rub a very few people wrong. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. That is one of the benefits of writing a story as a hobby and not a business.

But the core of my readers know this is a story where I try to create a polytheist religion that actually exists - which means to me that monotheism can't be true in my universe, since all monotheist religions deny the existence of other gods.

In reality, it isn't a very well kept secret that I am an atheist, so I don't believe in any of those mythologies.

[Nolim]

Can you make a "necro" post in a "sticky" thread ? I guess not, but please accept my apologies otherwise.
My questions are about the nature of "the light", its meaning for the afterlife and its relation to the voice of Arr-Kelaan.

As I would understand it, this light is "the great all-encompassing flow of mana", like a nexus in the Force or the heart of the Island. It can be used as a source of power or as a gate in the multiverse.
Am I right so far ? I understand the thing is supposed to be shrouded in mystery, but I hope I got the general idea.

When it comes to souls, "the light" is also the path to reincarnation. However, a soul never gets reincarnated into one particular body. Instead, it is more like every living being everywhere inherits a small bit of the deceased soul. Therefore, going into the light is a renouncement to one's individuality, for the sake of future generations.
Is that still correct ? If yes, that would be pretty much equal to an atheist interpretation of death, only magic flavored.

Finally, is the voice of Arr-Kelaan just another manifestation of "the light" ? Every character is to an extent or another, but is it possible for Arr-Kelaan to have a will that conflicts with the rest of "the light" ?

Thank you.