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Stump the Author---And WIN!

11K views 80 replies 8 participants last post by  Archer 
#1 ·
Okay, while we're all having fun reading Elfhunter (hopefully we're having fun), let's test your abilities at Stumping the Author!
If you ask me a question related to matters Alterran that I cannot answer, you will win either a. a hard copy of the book or b. a t-shirt. Your choice!

We had a thread like this on the Amazon page. It was started by a reader, and it was a lot of fun...somebody finally DID stump me, too!

Try it...you might just flummox me!  :)
 
#52 ·
Well...I don't know if that counts as a stumper or not. Elysia was set up by Aontar as the Realm of eternal reward for the Elves. Other races have a different fate. The fate of men is revealed at the ending of Ravenshade.

Why did Aontar choose to keep the Elves separate? No one knows except Aontar. It is the belief of some Alterran theologians that all the races will be reunited at the End of Days. The Elves believe that the fate of men is better than their own, and is the reward for suffering the indignities and pain of a mortal life.

Unfortunately, the 'why' of any theology (including earthly ones) must remain a mystery.
:)

(Hey, guys...should we count this one as having 'stumped the author'? What do you think?)
 
#54 ·
Ok, I'm thinking questions only Aontar can answer are potentially not fair game, she here's another:

What did Gorgon do to stay conscious, must less alive, after Gaelen dealt him her first real damage that "left" him impaired?  Wouldn't a wound like that have made anyone else at least pass out from blood loss, if not die? 
 
#55 ·
Gorgon is tough. REALLY tough. His grip is strong enough to staunch the flow of blood by gripping his wrist with his other hand. He applies a tourniquet on page 471.  ;)

I suspect his Elven nature helped him a little, too. He definitely has adrenaline to keep him moving. Yes...Gaelen really settled his hash, THAT's for sure!

And, the ultimate answer: If he had died, that would have been the end of the story! No Fire-heart? No Ravenshade? What a horrible thought!
 
#58 ·
Ok, let me see if I can come up with one from my memory...I don't know when it happened but all three books have run together in my mind and I can no longer clearly say what happened in each the farther I go back.  Gettin' old!  ::)

I'm sticking with "Gorgon's abilities for $100"...so, if I remember right, there have been many occasions where Gorgon "goes deep" and seems to kind of hibernate, usually after Gaelen opens up a can of whoop-a$$ on him. ;)  Is that what is really going on with him?  He doesn't seem to need any food or drink for a long time.  If that's the case, then my question has really been answered, but if not, why does it really bother Kotos when he leaves Gorgon for 6 days but only left him 2 days of water?  I wouldn't have thought it was a big deal to leave him without water for a long time since he does it frequently, right?
 
#59 ·
One would think so, except that Gorgon is in a desert when Kotos leaves him. It's very dry (as deserts are wont to be) and hot--not his favorite climate at all. When he holes up, it's usually under a mountain where the temperature doesn't change much and the humidity is generally high--keeps him from using too much water. When Gorgon 'goes deep', he almost goes into a state of dormancy (the Elves actually do this for a while in Outcaste...which none of you have read). When he does that, his body slows way down and he needs almost nothing to sustain him.
:)
(And, that was in Ravenshade!)
 
#62 ·
This one won't likely stump you, but will definitely fill in a gap for me given my current endeavor:

Why are there drawings across the trilogy of everyone "but" Gorgon?  (We do get to see his eyes, but that's it)


P.S.  Who's the picture of in chapter 23 of Elfhunter?
 
#64 ·
The picture in chapter 23 is Kharsh.

There are drawings of many of the characters...only a few actually appear in the books right now. They are: Gaelen (who seems to be everywhere), Fima, Nelwyn, Galador, Azori, El-morah, and some of the horses. We see a picture of Rain, and several of Shandor. There's one of Duinar (and a character you haven't met yet) in you-know-what.

Why them and not Gorgon? Because Gorgon is unique. The mental picture you have of Galador isn't likely to be very far afield from my drawing of him, but the villain, who is a unique creature (to say the least) might vary widely between readers. I don't want to mess with your vision.

I have Paintings of Shandor and Kotos and Dardis here at home. Also several of Gorgon.
 
#69 ·
Ok, here's an easy one since you're "off-site" today...how does time work in Alterra?  How many hours are in a day and how many days in a year?  It seems they have the same seasons we have, but are they spread out across the same months?

I'll dig deeper in a bit...
 
#70 ·
From everything I remember of Alterra, Men, Elves, and Dwarves all wear clothing even when they have armor on. Beautiful tunics, trousers, boots and jerkins are described in detail when they are acquired and worn. And when they put on armor, I assume they put it on over these clothes (although maybe not so much the finery they sometimes wear to dinners).

My question is, what does Gorgon wear under his armor? (Minds out of the gutter! ;)) He's described as having leathery skin that the armor goes over and as having black armor (most of the time), but I don't remember reading anything about his wearing regular clothing except when Orrion comes into play and then he doesn't like it because it's too confining for battle.
 
#71 ·
Okay, Brew: Since I am now back at a keyboard (for a little while) I can answer you.  :)

First, the name 'Alterra' stands for 'Alternate Earth' (terra=earth). It's the same size, with a single sun at the same distance, etc.
Hence the climate is exactly the same. Days are of the same length, the orbit is the same size...it's like earth in every respect that matters.

NOW, as to the 'What's underneath that Scotsman's kilt' question, Gorgon wears only a leather undergarment in the form of breeches. These extend to mid-calf. They lace up the sides and have a surplice front (crosses over and ties at the waist. It's easy to (ahem) retrieve certain plumbing, much in the manner of a man's briefs, but is unlikely to expose anything accidentally (not that Gorgon would care much...though he does harbor a rather innocent modesty with respect to you-know-what). His armor has a great deal of accumulated filth (mostly sloughed skin and oil) beneath it--it doesn't chafe him any more. He wears no clothing underneath it. Winter is not a good time to hunt Elves for sport anyway--they can see and hear too well with the leaves down. Gorgon tends to curl up under the mountain (where the temp is always consistent) during the cold months.
 
#73 ·
A question from my sister.

Did the
 
#74 ·
Question from my sister:

When elves and human die, they are supposed to be truly happy and enter a place of rest right? But if two from seperate races fall in love, will they be truly happy? Why aren't they in the same place. Especialøy she says since they have to come from the same origin. At least she Think so because they are so similar. Is that so?
 
#75 ·
Winter, that's why they are not supposed to fall in love. Such relationships are not only discouraged, but are frowned upon. It is also true that a She-elf will not bear children of men. Elves are actually fairly different from humans. As she continues to read and get to know the characters better, she (and you) will know more.

Aontar designed the afterlife according to His plan. While we may question the wisdom of it, we must realize that our human perceptions might not be able to comprehend it fully. Some things must be taken on faith. In fact, men don't really know WHAT happens to them after death (I do, though...). They only know that the Elves are taken to a realm of their own. For 99.999% of them, that's just fine!  ;)
 
#76 ·
She says what about friendships?
 
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