A Station Eight Fan Web Site
: « First : Displaying #5 - #14 of 28 records. : 10 » : Last » :
Posts Per Page: 1 : 10 : 25 : All :
What are the stories of how you and the other writers came up with and developed the ideas for the Phoenix Gate, the Eye of Odin, and the Grimorum Arcanorum?
If you don't have time to post the full details right now, that's okay (I'm even expecting that to be the answer). But would you consider writing a ramble on it at some point? We have rambles and outlines for nearly every episode of the series, but no background on the creative process that went into designing these three talismans. I would love to hear about everything that went into them at some point.
You're taxing my now-limited memory, but I don't think there's that much to tell. And frankly, I DO think I've told it all before.
The Grimorum was part of the story development for the pilot, even the development of the original series, I suppose, since we knew there would be a spell cast upon the Gargoyles pretty much from Day One. We just ran with it from there. Tried to keep track of it and its spells, etc.
The Phoenix Gate was created as "Vows" was developed as a story. If you look here: http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?rid=131 you can see how it came about. And again, we just ran with it from there.
The Eye of Odin was originally developed by the video game people. We then used a version of that as a maguffin in "The Edge" and as a magical talisman in "Eye of the Beholder" and "Eye of the Storm", etc. I've discussed all this before. Search the archives.
Hey Greg,
it's known, that to control the phoenix gate, one has to think of a special place and time.
Now, that the gate was released by Goliath, one question popped into my head.
Brooklyn couldn't control the gate during his Time Dancer adventures.
But could it be that his subconscious mind influenced the gate's direction"?
Could the gate (or rather the phoenix) have probably sensed his feelings like fears, inner conflicts or wishes?
Or did the phoenix just follow its own reasons without noticing such things?
By the way … I liked the character of Brooklyn before, but it's due to the Comics (especially Clan building Vol. 2) that he became one of my ultimate favourites. ;)
Mostly, the Phoenix is the Phoenix. Beyond that, we're talking SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT.
Hey Greg,
I always thought that in "Future Tense" Goliath sent the Phoenix Gate to the distant past, thus closing the loop and the gate restarting its journey from scratch. Of course this was not the case, otherwise the "Timedancer" events couldn't/wouldn't have taken place. But can you at least give a hint of when did Goliath send the gate to at the end of "Future Tense"?
He didn't pick a specific time or place, hoping that would prevent the Gate from landing anywhere and keeping it out of nefarious hands for eternity.
a) Who was the entity that bound the Phoenix in the Gate?
b) Why did he/she/it do it?
a. "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT."
b. "SPOILER REQUEST. NO COMMENT."
"Xander writes...
Can you tell us who was the first (a) person, (b) being and (c) entity to figure out how to work the Phoenix Gate?
Greg responds...
Yes, I can."
Really, you can? I wouldn't think the term "first" could apply to the Phoenix Gate. And I'm not even being sarcastic (well, maybe just a little), but how can something in an infinite loop ever be said to have a beginning or end? Perhaps there's an earliest time it appeared, but odds are it was taken there by someone else, who may have taught this "earliest" person how to use it- in which case, could (s)he really be said to be the first person to have used it? I'm interested in this- do you think of there being a beginning to something like the Phoenix Gate? Or am I just reading way too much into an off-the-cuff smartass remark?
Mostly, yeah, you're reading too much into it...
BUT.. haven't I already answered this? The first entity to figure out how to work the Gate was the entity that bound the Phoenix IN the Gate.
WHO was the first (a) person, (b) being and (c) entity to figure out how to work the Phoenix Gate?
The one who bound the Phoenix.
Can you tell us who was the first (a) person, (b) being and (c) entity to figure out how to work the Phoenix Gate?
Yes, I can.
Hello Greg,
When Xanatos travelled to tenth century Scotland in "Vows," how did he communicate with the Norman ambassador and Prince Malcolm? There was no language barrier in the episode, but English wasn't spoken in Scotland back then. I'm sure that the production reason for this was the same as in Awakening and the Avalon World Tour, but have you decided upon a within-the-Gargverse reason? I have a guess or two, but it would probably be an idea.
Thanks.
The Gate adjusts for everyone.
Hello again Greg,
A while ago, before I got a hold of Clan Building vol. 2, I asked you this question:
<<Following up on what Clark asked, how is it that such a powerful artifact, the Phoenix Gate, is used by such a simple incantation that even Goliath, certainly no trained sorcerer, quickly learned it? Maybe I'm conditioned by role-playing games to assume that more powerful magic will always be harder to learn than relatively weak magic, but it seems quite strange to me that the Phoenix Gate incantation, and for that matter the incantation to enter Avalon, are so quickly learned when they seem to be quite powerful spells.>>
You replied:
<<It has to do with the nature of the Gate and of Avalon. I don't want to go into too many details (particularly on the former) when we're so close to the release of the Trade.>>
Reading the vol. 2 trade paperback nicely cleared up for me why the Phoenix Gate is so easy to use and just how dangerous it is! In fact it makes me wonder whether the "incantation" is really an incantation in the usual sense... However, the other half of my question doesn't relate to the Gate, and if there was something in the trade paperback that answered my question... I missed it. Now that the three trades have been out for a while and the Phoenix Gate's nature has been (partially) revealed, I hope that you are in the mood to answer the other half of my question:
What is the reason that the Avalon incantation used by the Magus and Tom, seemingly a quite powerful spell, is so easy to use and to learn? Angela and Goliath seemed to pick it up rather easily.
Thanks and have a nice day.
I feel I've pretty much answered this. Reread everything above. All the clues are there. And if the answer isn't clear -- well, then good. ;)
One of the big changes you made from canon-in-training to canon, in "Clan-Building", was having the Phoenix rather than the Phoenix Gate be the cause of Brooklyn's timedancing. I thought about it recently, and think that it was a good change.
Aside from it providing a good explanation for why it took so long for Brooklyn to get back (it would probably have seem far-fetched if each time the Phoenix Gate appeared during those forty years, he always failed to grab it before it disappeared again), I think it added something to his journey. While we don't know exactly what the Phoenix is as yet, or what its agenda is, the way it was depicted (and Brooklyn's own comments) made it clear that it deliberately took Brooklyn to Scotland in 997, that this was not just some accidental fluke, that the Phoenix has a purpose and intentions like those of any sentient being. Brooklyn isn't being battened about the time-stream by an out of control magical talisman, but is being sent places to fulfill a mission, like Goliath and his companions on the Avalon World Tour. His adventures up and down history, past and future, are the product of a plan, not just the whims of chance. I think it made for a much better story.
Thanks.
: « First : Displaying #5 - #14 of 28 records. : 10 » : Last » :