There and back again; a Neverending Tale. Neverending Nights

[Tawmis]

All right, so they've been in prison for about 3 months. Hang on ... have they been sleeping all this time? How have they not starved to death? Or woke up earlier because they wanted some water? Or to go to the bathroom?

The female elf explains it all with one word; Magic.
This was done on purpose to show, how ridiculous "magic" is used to explain things away sometimes. So I wanted to do something far fetched and just explain it away as "Magic."

Good one. *nods* In fact, I've been doing something similar with some of the stories I've been writing ... one or two are re-imaginings of the old mythological stories, where the hero gets supernatural help from a god or two 'cos hey, he's the hero. So he does unbelievable things ... 'cos hey, he's got supernatural help. Why? 'Cos he's the hero.
The whole thing seemed unbelievable to me, so I tried to "help" my hero achieve the same thing without all the supernatural stuff - and tried to get my villain to do similar things without them being, well, supernatural. For instance, Perseus doesn't fly over the Mediterranean, Medusa doesn't turn people into stone, etc.
How does it change the story? For a start, the story becomes much more believable. Perseus is a fine Greek hero, but his story becomes more interesting if he learns things along the way, and applies what he learns in order to win the day!
... stuff like that.

A lot of what we did with the series was poking fun at Fantasy, while showing our love for it.

First season - heroes go out to kill a dragon? Very typical.
Second season - the heroes must go save a maiden in distress. Very typical.
Third season - Well, you will see (in a few episodes) - but it's also something typical.

There used to be a magazine published by Wizards of the Coast (well, TSR, Inc. back then) - called Dungeon Magazine. And eons ago I had written them asking for their guidelines with the idea of submitting some modules to them (which I did; sadly none of the three were ever accepted...). But the writer's guideline literally had adventures "not to do" - which included, "go off and kill a dragon, rescue a maiden in distress, or..." (that's the third season). So I literally used the module guidelines for a basis for each Season of Neverending Nights.

[Rath Darkblade]

Yes, the whole "rescue a damsel in distress" trope is very old. It's as old as - well, as old as the story of Perseus! He saves Andromeda, the princess doomed to be sacrificed to a sea monster, by pointing Medusa's head at it and turning it into stone. In my story, things go ... well ... VERY differently.

Anyway, I did some research on Perseus, and found that he lived at some point between the early 1300s BC and the late 1200s BC. His story, though, didn't get written down until Homer wrote a little of it in his "Iliad", the famous story of the Trojan War, written some time between 800 and 900 BC.

In other words, it's a heck of an old story. Old as dirt. Old dirt! Loads and loads of people have used and re-used that trope. So unless you can use it in an original way ... best not to.

There are lots and lots of other ways to play with this. How about the opposite? The damsel rescues the dude in distress. Or the damsel rescues herself. Or the guy comes to rescue her, but is distracted on the way - "I'll be back to save you!" / "Don't you DARE leave me!" Or the guy comes to rescue her, but the damsel doesn't want to be rescued, 'cos the villain is such a nice guy underneath. Or maybe the damsel's nearly rescued herself, but the guy comes in and ruins everything. Nice job breaking it, hero.

There are lots of possibilities ...

[Tawmis]

EPISODE 44: SEEING THE UNSEEN: Peter and Grayson make a startling discovery – that they’re not alone – in their own prison cell! (For those of you who thought you were seeing something weird in Episode 43 every once in awhile; that ‘ghostly figure’ finally reveals itself!) But – who or what? – is it – and what can it mean for our dynamic heroes?

Oh, also – you might want to hang out during the credits on this one for some out takes.

[Rath Darkblade]

"...and I'd rather not get probed." LOL! Considering everything else that might happen to Grayson, I think getting probed is the last of his worries.

*in a sing-song voice* Grayson's got a secret! It's an embarrassing secret! (LOL at Grayson's very quick "Nothing! Nothing-that-concerns-you! Nothing-at-all!")

Oh dear ... Peter still can't do math.
I Love the elf lady telling David to let it go, for the sake of everyone's sanity.

*snerk* Peter still won't let go the fact that Grayson didn't know Peter was a half-elf.

Love the outtakes. You were so drunk ... donkey-hole. LOL!

Don't talk again unless ... LOL!

'Twas a fun episode, Tawm. How many times did the voice actor have to say "You were so drunk" etc. before he got it?

[Tawmis]

"...and I'd rather not get probed." LOL! Considering everything else that might happen to Grayson, I think getting probed is the last of his worries.
*in a sing-song voice* Grayson's got a secret! It's an embarrassing secret! (LOL at Grayson's very quick "Nothing! Nothing-that-concerns-you! Nothing-at-all!")
Oh dear ... Peter still can't do math.
I Love the elf lady telling David to let it go, for the sake of everyone's sanity.
*snerk* Peter still won't let go the fact that Grayson didn't know Peter was a half-elf.
Love the outtakes. You were so drunk ... donkey-hole. LOL!
Don't talk again unless ... LOL!
'Twas a fun episode, Tawm. How many times did the voice actor have to say "You were so drunk" etc. before he got it?

I think that out takes has all of them of him trying to say that line.

If you notice - the Invisible Stalker can be "seen" in Episode 43 in a few shots (this was intentional to set up this episode)

[Tawmis]

Love the outtakes. You were so drunk ... donkey-hole. LOL!

I love out takes. So one of the things I had written was a show called "PC vs Console" that we were going to do.
The concept was three room mates who are gamers (one is a PC gamer, one is a console gamer, and one just plays whatever).
So there would be discussions and highlights of various games as part of this show.
Unfortunately, we only did the promo (I still have the script for the 12 episodes). It would have wrapped up with us at E3, because we always got tickets.
As you can see the promo is like 1:42, but the video is like 8 minutes because of out takes from the promo.
Check out PC vs Console.

[Tawmis]

EPISODE 45: A FRIEND IN NEED: Peter and Grayson discover there’s someone else in the cell next to them – a Bard! But … there’s something very, very, very weird about the Bard… Naturally, because Peter and Grayson can’t seem to catch a break. The Bard seems to think there’s something up with Grayson however…

Oh, also – you might want to hang out during the credits on this one for some out takes.

[Rath Darkblade]

Oh dear. *snerk* This seemed like it would be a normal episode (as normal as usual for Grayson and Peter, anway), until Peter mentioned that Snuggles was Grayson's teddy bear. And then ... things got awkward for Grayson and his "talking longsword". (Yes, I know it's possessed by someone and talking to him, but no-one else can hear it. Mind you, be careful: remember the Great Gazoo, that green alien on "The Flintstones" that only Fred and Barney could see, and which unbalanced the show so much?)

How this Bard jumped from a teddy bear to Grayson's "longsword", though ... I don't know.

And then Peter gets into Grayson. "Light in the feathers" ... "Bats for the home team" ... The whole Madame Rainbow thing ... then he broke up with Ruth ... oh dear. Poor Grayson.

Peter and the Bard are sooo liberated about homosexuality, aren't they. They've totally moved on from the "Don't ask, don't tell" days.

*snerk* The sausage sandwich, the manwich, the sausage monorail. Peter, just drop it, fergawdsake. I'm surprised Grayson doesn't just punch Peter's lights out. Peter's given Grayson more than sufficient provocation.

"Sausage what?" *LOL* OK, I don't blame you guys for cracking up. Penis jokes.

What happened after the first "sausage what? Have you lost your mind?" It sounds like someone scratching a record. (About 7:10 onward).

For those of you listening at home, this is what I get for not reading the script before coming over. OK, Tom's gone.... sausage tram! *snerk*

It's a fun episode, all right ... but how are Peter and Grayson going to get out of here?

[Tawmis]

Oh dear. *snerk* This seemed like it would be a normal episode (as normal as usual for Grayson and Peter, anway), until Peter mentioned that Snuggles was Grayson's teddy bear. And then ... things got awkward for Grayson and his "talking longsword". (Yes, I know it's possessed by someone and talking to him, but no-one else can hear it. Mind you, be careful: remember the Great Gazoo, that green alien on "The Flintstones" that only Fred and Barney could see, and which unbalanced the show so much?)

Oh, just wait with the talking sword... Very soon, it's about to ... come up.

How this Bard jumped from a teddy bear to Grayson's "longsword", though ... I don't know.

There's "unseen" time that passes between episodes; where Grayson undoubtedly brought up his sword.

Peter and the Bard are sooo liberated about homosexuality, aren't they. They've totally moved on from the "Don't ask, don't tell" days.
*snerk* The sausage sandwich, the manwich, the sausage monorail. Peter, just drop it, fergawdsake. I'm surprised Grayson doesn't just punch Peter's lights out. Peter's given Grayson more than sufficient provocation.
"Sausage what?" *LOL* OK, I don't blame you guys for cracking up. Penis jokes.
For those of you listening at home, this is what I get for not reading the script before coming over. OK, Tom's gone.... sausage tram! *snerk*

This is the only episode that really "hits the gutter" - the rest moves on, going forward, with Grayson's sexuality, sometimes being questioned only a few more times, very lightly.

What happened after the first "sausage what? Have you lost your mind?" It sounds like someone scratching a record. (About 7:10 onward).

The record scratch was to cover Adam saying a bad word.

It's a fun episode, all right ... but how are Peter and Grayson going to get out of here?

That answer is just around the corner too.

[Tawmis]

Last week there was D&D that consumed my weekend...

If this cold I feel burning the back of my throat and lungs tonight doesn't take me down for the weekend; there is plans to visit the wife's family in Orange County which means there may be no episode this weekend...

[Rath Darkblade]

No problem, Tawmis. Please take care of yourself! Real-life things like health, family affairs etc. always come first. I understand.

Enjoy your trip to Orange County. Hope you feel better soon.

I've also been debilitated by an URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection) this week - basically a throat infection - which felt like barbed wire around the back of my throat for a few days. Things like breathing, talking etc. were painful, and I was constantly exhausted. Luckily the URTI goes away after a week or so. So even though it sounds like a cliche, I know just how you feel.

Drink lots of hot drinks! Here's a recipe I found that helps: get a good lump of ginger at the supermarket, chop some into small pieces, throw in a mug with boiling water, and add freshly-squeezed lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey. It's quite spicy, but it will help your sore throat (and you can reuse the ginger throughout the day).

If you like, add some blackberry/blueberry jam. Berries have lots of antioxidants as well as vitamin C, so they'll help to fight all those nasties.

Sorry to hear you're sick! Hope you feel better soon.

[Tawmis]

No problem, Tawmis. Please take care of yourself! Real-life things like health, family affairs etc. always come first. I understand.
Enjoy your trip to Orange County. Hope you feel better soon.
Sorry to hear you're sick! Hope you feel better soon.

I didn't go up to Orange County (the wife did since it's her family) because there are elderly and children that would be present that I did not want to pass this on to.

Hope you get better as well, sir.

[Rath Darkblade]

I'm OK. The URTI's completely gone, I'm glad to say, and I can get back to real life, as well as rehearsing with the choir and doing big, fun concerts!

Good thinking re: Orange County. Being sick is no fun, but it's even less so for kids and the elderly.

[Tawmis]

Next episode of my little show is now out...

#NeverendingNights Episode 46 (HD) - Grayson awakens and realizes, perhaps after all this discussion about his sword from the last episode... that he doesn't know WHERE his sword is! Peter and Grayson try to piece the last fragments of their memory to try and figure out just what may have happened...

[Rath Darkblade]

*snigger* @ name of episode. Didn't he have it sheathed?

"And I thought being in a jail cell together was an all-time low for me." LOL!

"Do you mean your sword, or is that a metaphor for something else?" (His sword is on fire...)

"Would you shut up about the metaphor thing..."

Oh dear ... it looked like it was going to be halfway sensible, until Peter started with the whole "Don't ask, don't tell" thing.

Grayson fell in love with Peter??? He's dashing, he's handsome, he's quite the catch ... and he's also dumber than a box of rocks.

"You ... do mean the head on your shoulders, right?" Oh, gawds.

A very funny episode there, Tawm. Thanks!

Hopefully they escape soon, and have even more ridiculous things happen to them in other places. The jail scenes are fun and all, but - on with the adventure!