Before - Legends The Sith Maiden - Volume Three of the Gessa Saga - Complete!

Now the REAL beating begins

Too bad about Afarr, though.

<bad Italian accent>

I guess-a part'o him is-a near, and-a part'o him is-a-far, get it?

BADA-BING!

 

Acidman! Do they like jazz?

So far my verdict remains: Pain and Suffering!

 

Acid people scare me.


Great post, though.





I seen Underworld tonight. It was the only vampire/werewolf film I've ever seen where I wasn't even the slightest bit scared. The people dressed really cool though, and the story was interesting.


I seen Cabin Fever too. If you're a horror fan you'll like the film.

 

Whiskey: LOL! Whayagonado? Fageddabowit.

Delight: They probably do, and if you ask them I bet they can whistle.

Sara: Acid men: Bad!

Again, Underworld could have played its strengths, used the full scope of the story, AND STILL have what was in it and be 90 minutes long and would have been an excellent surprise hit with its 25 million dollar budget.

And strangely enough, with its low budget, it will make money even if it falters by this weekend. A TON of summer movies can't say that this year; ones with high expectations and even better reviews.

If anything though Underworld is a must see for this fact: Go see it to learn what NOT TO DO when making a movie, writing a script, or even a genere-specific story. Take all that's there and do the exact polar opposite.

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As I mentioned before horror is making a strong comeback; it's always been there, but there hasn't been a prolifferation of so many horror movies in the mainstream like this in well over a decade. Best still they have better storylines and/or they entertain more than anything else (acting, of course, is always suspect).

It does boil down to economics; when movie studios can't put out more a dozen movies budgeted over 50 million it's got to make money somehow, especially when inspiration is dry. Enter the cheap horror flick like 'Underworld', like 'Cabin Fever', like '28 Days Later'.

But there has been money pumped into other projects, and with success. 'Freddy versus Jason' was a big gamble that paid off. And coming October 17: the remake of the 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre', which Micheal Bay is producing. The buzz on this alone is giving me the creeps, and usually I frown down at remakes.

If you haven't seen the trailer, go to the website and get caught off guard by the Enya-like intro to it.

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The loud bang that came from the fortress' main doors told Ammon Ifset everything he needed to know, about why he hadn't heard anything from Afarr or anyone else for that matter since the newest attack occurred five minutes ago. He looked to his bodyguards and said, "Pull back to the dungeon!" They're questioning looks infuriated him. "NOW!"

They obeyed him, but only when they heard the sound of metal giving away. Multiple sounds of flesh pounding the ancient fortress' stone floor echoed from the darkened chamber ahead of them. Has Ifset entered the corridor that would eventually take him down and deep into the dungeon blaster fire erupted in a panic flourish behind him. They were followed by the sounds of horror defeat, and then by the sounds of silence. Ifset just kept running, afraid to turn around as the rear guards of his group had begun to fire. Some time passed, and the mid guards shouted at him to keep running as they turned and fired. It wasn't long after that for his four remaining body guards to divide by two; two stayed behind, while the other two kept moving with Ifset. The screams were catching up to them.

Ifset reached the wing where he knew the Vhinphyc boy was being held, pulled out his blaster, and said two the body guards, "Hold them off here! They won't attack us if we show them the boy!"

He left them, and just before he opened the door he was still trying to decide whether or not to just kill the boy before he too was killed, or even attempt some form of negotiation with the Vhinphyc. It had to be the Vhinphyc, for the Hapens didn't have anything in the way of warfare like this. The Jedi Order was too passive to be this aggressive. He hadn't pissed off the Hutts or that underground group calling themselves Black Sun. He had never heard the Republic even dwelling in thought on such warfare. It just had to be the Vhinphyc.

Ifset reached the cell door and attempted to open it. The shouts from his bodyguards stopped him. He turned with his blaster raised, catching an eyeful of his last guard being attacked by something small and humanoid in shape. Silhouetted in the dark he couldn't make it out, but its deadly int

 

Hmmm...I wonder how many pieces the Vhinphyc are gonna divvie up Ifset into. Or, will he have a chance to explain to them that this was all Afarr's fault and that he was planning to let the child go right away?

Hmmm...nah, he's toast. Yep...toast and jam and a glass of orange juice surrounding a nice bowl of Jar-Jar Krispies.

 

Violence and death.... violence and death. Ah, who are we kidding. *clammouring for more*

 

Jeez, violence even from his youth. that's kinda sad, yet at the same time, it makes sense.

Keep it coming!

 

Whiskey: It makes you wonder.....why in the hell Lucas held back on releasing Jar Jar Krispies! It would have done better than C-3POs!

Oh Force, I'm old.

Delight: We're not kidding.

Jaxx: Gladly.

-----------------------------------------

Ifset had a moment to take in the group. They were Vhinphyc obviously, fitting the descriptions the every few have heard. Like any species there was more to them than mere generalization, there were obvious differences among the six that demonstrated their ethnic diversity: horns growing from the top of the forehead versus horns that emerged from the sides of the skull were an example of regional separators. Three of the males wore the same heavy green uniform that betrayed them as military commanders. The other three were civilian, the one male and the female wearing a combination of animal skins and manufactured fabrics that suggested they possessed wealth; the female very ornate with the very polished gold that covered most of her body; the other male looked poor yet scientific with the gadgets dripping off his clothing that was completely manufactured.

The wealthy male pushed the others hard out of the way to stand relatively face to face with Ifset. He stared at the Human hard, fist clenching tight until his knuckles cracked, working his mouth around in disgust. Clearly, he was the boy's father. "Unfoa bester recko Ifset?"

"Yeta," said the manchild to answer the father's question.

The father ripped Ifset out of the manchild's grip, shaking him hard in both hands for a few moments as if to shake sense into the man. Angrily, the father tore into him verbally, squeezing Ifset so hard at the shoulders the Human barely said, "I?don't know?what?you're saying!"

The eldest of the military commanders put a hand on the father. "Dukakta. Nyeta." The father stopped shaking, but he held pressure on Ifset's shoulders. The commander became insistent. "Nyeta!"

The father threw Ifset to the ground, spat on him, and stomped back towards the female. The woman, his wife and the boy's mother, was starting to show the signs of emotional breakdown, grabbing her mate hard and whispering her pleas to him. The other military officers ran scanning devices over the door, and when satisfied they ordered the manchild to take the door out.

As the manchild beat the door down to the size of a foodstuff can, the military elder yanked Ifset to his feat by his arm. He spoke to Ifset, this time in lousy Basic, "He had demanded that you retort his inquest. Why did you claim ownership of his pup? Robbed from him and from his mate their precious treasure? Cause so much aguish towards his clan?"

"I-I?it wasn't me!" Ifset's attention went from the military elder to the cell door. Finally defeated, the manchild went in and roared. Several womanly cries -- Ifset's slave girls -- erupted. The manchild emerged, and with that the father and mother went in; the mother running in and almost knocking her husband flat out. "It was one of my?my men. He answered your inquiry-."

"Defining a man under your command!" interrupted the military elder. "We know who you are. Your transmissions have been watched over. Those who lead are responsible for those who follow them." He held his hands up and asked, "Where is this man? Defining, if you are so opposed of his thoughts, you desire him to face ending for treason."

"He was outside; unless you were like me, here, then you died outside," said Ifset. The noisy commotion inside the cell drew his attention again. One of the military officers emerged with a slave girl and threw her at the beastchildren. He left them to feed on her, and in mere moments threw at them another one; a blonde this time. "Oh god."

The military elder watched as his two subordinates each dragged two slave girls out, pulling their struggling forms to feed them to the beastchildren outside. He grabbed Ifset by the back of the neck and said, "Your god is not here to save you."

Ifset was pulled into the cell by the elder. Inside

 

Hmm. Dangerous this puzzle is. Meditate on this, I will.

 

Uuuuh! Very cool posts so far, Casper, and very puzzling indeed! *whispers* Perhaps I should be fully sober before I reread the stuff. One week of Oktoberfest still to go! *groan*

 

Oh, man, did Ifset step in it this time

I wonder what wonderful and ironic torture the Vhinphyc have in mind for this soon to be a footnote in pirate history...

Given your mind, Casper, I can only shudder.

 

Delight: don't meditate too long; much will be revealed sooner than you may think....

Djuva: OOPPS! SORRY! I SHOULDN'T YELL! NOBODY YELL!!!!!!!

(Whispers) Buckle up, Furlien(sp?), only one week to go. And then it's Alka-seltzer threapy.

Whiskey: And just think......I haven't reached just under the top of the barrel.

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When Ifset came fully to -- or as close as he was ever going to be -- he did so to cover his eyes from a very bright, violent sparkling light before him. It grew dark again save for the faint film of light that aided in defining the walls of the tight, confining space he found himself in now. His long body was nearly folded double inside a container of some kind that offered very little in the way of movement. He couldn't move at first for he felt the container moving and he felt it was being carried. The irony was obvious; like the boy, they locked him inside a crate to punish him. Ifset doubted, though, that he was going to live long enough to emerge from the crate to laugh about it. He felt the crate touch the earth, and heavy footsteps walking away.

Curious, Ifset moved around the best he could to look out the grating. He noted that he was in the center of town, and that the Vhinphyc were climbing up the ramp of one of their ships, leaving him, the beastchildren, and the manchild behind. As the ship left, he noted the dust not entering his mini-prison, and with the sun breaking through the clouds it betrayed the glistening transparisteel glass plating blocking out the dust. After a moment of contemplation, he felt the air against his back, oxygen being pumped in via a jet intake/outlet upon feeling it with his hands in the dark; a portable atmospheric generator outside. Apparently they wanted him to suffer, but not so much due to suffocation.

Ifset tested the top of the prison, trying to push up, and failing against the arc wielding seal he could now see as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Frustrated, he attempted to rock the prison in a feeble attempt at escaping. The prison was just too big and too heavy for a Human to move. He continued, and he screamed some more. After a while he gave up.

Ifset was then awakened from an apparent slumber by the sounds of screaming. He looked out the narrow windows of his prison, taking in the scene of the beastchildren hunting party dragging in one by one most of the people -- citizens and pirates -- that had run away. He couldn't watch anymore when he heard a woman's blood curling scream suddenly stop.

The carnage, the death, the feasting by the Vhinphyc's creations continued on and on. The days stretched into nights and it was just relentlessly worse. Each day it plagued and burned in Ifset's mind more and more, compounded with every scream, every growl of his own stomach, and his new phobia of being in tight, confining spaces.

He had lost track of time personally, but on the fifth day of his confinement he was brought out of his traumatic stupor by the roars of war. The remaining beastchildren -- those who had stayed while others went out to find more food -- had consumed all the flesh within their range. Ravenous, they began to fight one another. The manchild entered the fight; his once stoic luster was no more as his superiority over the immature devils was so obvious with every head he took, every arm he ripped out of a socket, for every leg he bit into after he had claimed victory.

The manchild after a while, though, grew to dislike the taste of his former brother's flesh and eyed the prison Ifset was in. He stared at it, stared hard; trying to remember what it was for. Or who was in it.

Ifset drew himself tight to the back of the crate and stared wide eyed out the slot. He watched the young man slowly stalk his way to the prison. It sniffed the prison, and then proceeded to pound on it hard, trying to gain entry. Ifset about lost his mind completely at that moment, assuming his death was now upon him. The prison held the monster at bay, showing no signs of give even

 

WOW!

The Outer Limits meets Battlefield Earth. Nice job, though it's too bad so many innocents were slaughtered.

I wonder if those beasties were the prototypes of the Vinech. They kinda remind me of the Magog race on Andromeda.

So now I wonder what's going to happen next. I can't wait.

 

Whoah.

Whoah again.

That's very good writing there. Very good. I love how the concept of retribution was applied there, and liberally too, with irony and pain and all that gothic punk stuff.

Very good.

 

Hooo boy...much have I missed...and so much to comment on! Where to start...

Interesting...I would have thought that last post would be the end of this prologue...well, if this were the twilight zone it would be. But it says TBC...so like Whiskey, I too am desperate to wonder where this storyline will go from here? ?


And I'm somewhat sad to agree with Casper on "Underworld". I really thought they had something going with that movie. UNfortunately his warning came too late...my first clue came in the movie when I noticed that the main character (a vampire) had a reflection in the mirror. From there it was downhill. But in reflection he action was fairly decent. But action alone, a good story does not make...that's the lesson there folks.

I DID see "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"...and that was a lot of fun! Especially the referrences made to that scene in Desperado. Also, that movie further increased my faith in Johnny Depp as a cool actor. I still chuckle every time I think about his line, "Whoa...I'm livin' la vida loca..." Very good stuff there. ^_^

And while I'm ranting about good movies let me throw in a few more I've seen recently that have both jumped to my top ten movies of all time list.

1) "Equilibrium" - This is a recent film that didn't get the publicity it deserved. Think "Matrix" meets "1984". And Gun Katas! GUN KATAS! I wanna be a Grammaton Cleric!!

2) "Brotherhood of the Wolf" - Or "Le Pacte Du Loups" in its orignal title. That's right it's a french film, but don't let that fool you. This film also features the same actress who played Persephone in Matrix Reloaded. But she's not the only cool thing in the movie about a hunt for a seemingly supernatural beast ravishing the French countryside in the 18th century. If you guys like the kind of stories that Casper writes, the plot of this movie is very much in the same spirit. This movie has a great story, great action scenes, and even has fairly good special effects. A must see if you can find it.


Oooo...kinda went off on a bit of a tangent. O.O Whoops...anyway, great if confusing and intriguing intro to TSM...confusing in that I have no idea how you're going to tie this into TSM...intruiging in that I have NO IDEA how you're going to tie this into TSM!

 

Whiskey: Good gravy, now I'm linked to the 'Outer Limits'!

That's a good thing.

It's what I try to strive for with the Prologues in the way of story feel; short but filled with detail, to the point but with a feel of vastness. Kinda based on those collection of short sci-fi/horror/suspense stories you can find at the library; which in turn became T.V. story episodes for 'The Outer Limits', for 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents', for 'The Twilight Zone'. Every once in a while I find that ninch, the right words, a good flow, and BOOM short, to the point but good Prologues.

Other times, like TFL's 'The Krayt Dragon' and 'The Uninvited', and now with TSM with 'The Dragonslayer' (I'm still working on it!!!!!), the style doesn't work and I have to spend time on the subject matter.

Not that it's bad, but I was betting on working on the main story about now.

But wait: I'm not even done with this prologue yet.

Delight: Thanks. I like to think that retribution is what individuals make of it. What do they want (retribution is not a need)? Based on what I wanted to write in that regard, I had to consider the characterizations, and to this point the characterizations of my creation, the Vhinphyc. Whereas the Jedi are a forgivable bunch, the Vhinphyc are anything but. Whereas the Sith are picky and choosey, depending on their desires at that moment (save Ifset and use him, or just kill him for a debatable example), the Vhinphyc take the 'eye for an eye' concept to the nth degree point.

And in that last example you can see where Magus Prophet got his ideas on revenge, or just when it comes to doing anything.

And oh yeah: gothic! I have been to a few new threads lately.....and......they're making being caught, shootouts, action and violence, etc. a sunny Saturday afternoon with low humidity and a good enough wind for kite flying.

I mean they don't have to go a deep and dark as I, but......maybe if they had some shadows coming off the trees a tad; it wouldn't hurt, I mean it works for Hanzel and Gretel.

(Smiles) Are you glad I'm posting again?

ROKANGUS: Oh man oh man oh man, I've been dying to say this...............

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE ROK HAS COME BACK TO FAN FICTION!

Welcome back, dude!

I'm thinking of seeing 'Mexico' tomorrow, and I do believe Johnny Depp is a great actor when he's focused and in the right part.

Equilibrium- At first when I saw the newspaper ads for this movie, with 'Matrix' comparisons splashed all across it, I like so many folks was turned off. But now I hear that folks prefer it over BOTH MATRIX MOVIES!

Sometimes the best movies just have crappy advertising, and the loudest 'word of mouth' people just don't go because of it. But the AICN-FilmThreat crowd has made it a cult classic, and I really do want to see it.

Brotherhood of the Wolf - Now what I've heard has been a mixed bag, but I will trust your judgment here, Rok, and see it as soon as possible.

As for how it ties into TSM: we'll get to that in TSM, but most important of all I had to tie this in with the Gessa Saga as a whole. I was going to wait and post tomorrow, but I think I will finish this prologue tonight.

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FRIENDLY REMINDERS OF GESSA SAGA FACTS ALL READY POSTED

But first..........

For those who don't know I often do this to bring older story material back to light as a friendly reminder of what folks have read before and may have forgotten, or perhaps mistakeningly misplaced in terms to story scope. Now understand I'm not putting down my fans/readers: it's just that the Gessa Saga actually covers thousands of years of briefly spoken history, often not brought to conclusion because in some ways its a mystery for the readers/characters in the story to solve, and like all sagas it carries over from one story to the next. In this case this is material covering over three years of work and posting, and remember this isn't the only story the readers that have be

 

Space above Jangure had been tranquil ever since the Vhinphyc Galactic Dominator had arrived to pacify the system. It annihilated the inferior vessels around the world and any ship that ventured into the system; no one was to know of their existence, of their time in the system. At the same time to prevent escape the Dominator unleashed its aggressor shield that prevented ships from jumping to light speed with its artificial gravity shadows and its responsive energy field that physically attacked approaching ships above it or below it. The first conquest was complete; the Vhinphyc owned the skies.

The next wave, the acidic probes and the cannibalistic monsters, took over the land.

To the mother of the boy, she was not as worried as her mate was over the use of such untested methods of war. The experimental biochemical-psychological weapons got her pup back alive and well; her only child, the only one she could have, was all she cared about now. Alas, as she moved from makeshift living room towards her child's bedroom, they couldn't put it all behind them as the Dominator continued to orbit the dead world. The scientists, the military, the government; three conundrums with their own view of what was success and what was failure, each wanting to prove the either or two of the three wrong and the only way the argument would be settled was to observe the results for a few more days.

Again she was not pleased. All she ever wanted was her only child back. To her that was the success.

The mother entered the room, prompted to come to her pup's aide when she heard his whimpers. He had left him momentarily to attend to her husband, the pit of her stomach dropping deep into her legs when she heard him cry out, her nose catching the changing scent. She moved instinctively with aggressive leg movement, leaving her mate behind who knew not to question her reasons for leaving. He wanted to come to, but she assured him prior to the boy's recent cry that she could manage it alone; something created from a problem that had developed from a small argument they had after her husband's last meeting with the military and the scientists. It was something that was going to be discussed later, after they had left the system for good.

So she entered the room, and she noted her pup's fearful position; fetal curled, he hid under the warm blanket she had brought from home. Her multicolored eyes took it in, and sadly she said in their native tongue, "Frightened?"

His small head nodded, and she climbed into bed with him. Tugging the blanket over her body, she then drew him from hiding and held his tiny form against her and began to affectionately stroke his head. She asked him, "What frightens you now? You?re safe now. No stranger will ever touch you again."

"It's so dark in here, Mommy," he said quietly scared. Vhinphyc children were always scared, scared of the most smallest of things and tiniest of matters. Amplified when those fears came true. "I don't like it when it's so dark."

"It's all right," she assured him, sensing his anxiety. She held him tightly now, belittling herself for losing him in the blizzard on Vhanba and spending so many days looking for him and not finding him right away; it was far too soon to tell how much damage had been done outside the physical kind. However?"I'm here now, my Son. I and you?re Father, and our People."

The mother buried her nose into his hair, rubbing her nose and then her face against his head. She said in pain, "I swear on my life that you will no longer know harm. I promise you as long as I live. I am so ashamed for my lack of attention to you during your time of need. I will pray until I hear your very soul forgive me."

It was quiet after that, and she assumed that he had fallen asleep. The mother wasn't going to leave him, but she needed to shift his weight off her chest in order to make him more comfortable. He was still awake; too awake with his quick head movement to look up at her. Trembling a bit, he said empathically in Vhinphyckian, "Don't leave!"

"I am not leav

 

Thanks Casper! It's nice to BE back!

Aha! There's the tie-in...

So the boy was Nacht'musik, future father of everyone's favorite Bantha-Head Jedi and the one would eventually give out that Son Disk that caused so much of a ruckus.

Well if you can say anything about the Vhinphyc, they love to put on a spectacular show for their enemies. Darn nice of those Vhinphyc, considering it's the last things those enemies will ever see.


As for Brotherhood of the Wolf, based on what I can tell by your style of writing, this movie ought to be right up your alley. Lots of elements of horror and mystery, political intrigue, and even some nice moments of dark humor to make you chuckle.

The only drawbacks to the film are that...well it's a foreign film. So you're either left staring at the screen as small text flits past, or you have to deal with the dubbed english voices. The dubbing job is not the worst I've ever seen, but it's clear they could have put more effort into it. Some of the voice actors could have been done better, and of course the lips don't match to what's being said, which can be a tad distracting at times. But it wasn't unbearable.

Me, I watched it once in English to get the basic plot down (which can be confusing at times, lots of neat twists in the storyline) and not miss any of the neat visual stuff going on during the dialog, then I watched it in original French to get a better idea of what was actually going on in the plot. I dunno, it's definitely worth the few bucks for a rental.

CLERIC!

 

Brotherhood of the Wolf is one of the better movies I've seen in a loooooooooooong time.

It is delightfully dark, somewhat horrific, and has an all-around satisfying plotline, IMHO.

I agree with Rok, Casper, that you'll like it. I've seen it a couple of times (both times dubbed; I may be Canadian, but I can't speak French ) and I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you know someone who collects Conan magazines, ask to borrow Savage Sword issue #185 (Masque of the Demon), and you'll see a startling parallel between that story and the movie.

Now, to the post...

I guess one can't really know just to what lengths they're willing to go in order to rescue their child and punish the ones responsible for his/her kidnapping. The Vhinphyc, it seems, takes it to an extreme that would definitely make someone think twice about just looking at a Vhinphyc child funny, let alone kidnapping them.

To see it from their view, an innocent had been taken by so-called godless barbarians and they were naught but offal in their eyes. Perhaps they all deserved what they got for harboring pirates and other miscreants.

But with this prologue now done, I wonder if someone will either be discovering Ifset's prison in TSM, or will this tale be used as a reference for something else?

I wonder...

 

Whoa.

Casper, that was friggin' awesome. I particularly liked the bit describing the nights on Jangure, both before and after the holocaust.

Whoa.

 

Thanks guys, and Ty-gon I'm glad you're around again!

I'll wait for more comments, but if you haven't been to Fark, then check this link out: The way to Mordor.

FORWARD!

 

Gothic, man. Gothic. Biological wEapons of mAss destructioN. s

I mean the post.

 

Great ending there, Casper. Lots of action, lots of good stuff going on.

 

EDIT: Another piece of the puzzle....

Let's see here.....almost everyone....

I'll hold up on posting Prologue Two for another day or so. Maybe start it Saturday.

Rok and Whiskey: There's actually more going on than what was presented in the story; of course, isn't there always in this massive, continuous and ever changing landscape that has only been mapped a fraction?

Folks can relate, even with disapproval, to the Vhinphyc because in this case they answered a few of the toughest of ultimate questions: if someone took your kid, what would you do? If you had the means at your disposal, would you use them?

There's a lot of moral/ethical counterpoints to consider obviously, but for each person its different times when they face them. They looked at all the negatives of doing this, and weighed them against an innocent life, and they determined it was best to do what they had done.

Plus it makes people think.

Ty-gon: Thanks, and I thought it was important to discribe it 'after' as well as 'before' for comparison; it makes the situation at the end all the more blurry and inexcapable; just as it was when the town was alive. Funny; there's really no difference except the absence of life.

Delight: If I must be Lone Gothic Master of the Boards, then so be it.

There is a genuine level of real darkness in SW that only a few of us want to touch; folks are either too afraid that such stuff would be misconstruded, or too afraid that it would challenge all that they know (the last sentence may seem strange, but I know of at least three people who read 'Siren's Trial' and have told me how it changed their life dramatically).

I predict those same timid folks will have trouble seeing Episode Three, and I know it isn't even going to be that evil.

Anyhoot like I posted before there's been waaaaaaaay too many 'sunny' fics around here lately and it's getting on a lot of people's nerves (not just mine). Don't they know, here in the Northern Hemisphere of the world, that its Dying Season?

Sara: Thanky, Sara. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! as the pirates would say (I think)

FORWARD!

 

All right!

Despite the Oktoberfest and a nasty cold I can only say: extremely well written. I love the atmosphere. I don't like the setting, but that is just me

Let me laugh briefly at the name Nach'cht'musik. I always find it funny when I see German names used in English stories and I sometimes wonder if the authors are aware of what they mean or that they mean anything in another language. I remember that novel from Guy Gavriel Kay where there was an assassin named Rudel. Now, 'Rudel' in German means 'pack' in English, like a pack of wolves. I wondered at that, then dismissed it as too far-fetched to assume he meant anything by that. Did you, Casper? Just wondering.