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The Phoenix Gate

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Phoenix Gate

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Jurgan writes...

"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?

Greg responds...

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.

Response recorded on February 25, 2011

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Xander... frustrated writes...

WHO was the first (a) person, (b) being and (c) entity to figure out how to work the Phoenix Gate?

Greg responds...

The one who bound the Phoenix.

Response recorded on February 17, 2011

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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.

Response recorded on January 20, 2011

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

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.

Greg responds...

The Gate adjusts for everyone.

Response recorded on January 20, 2011

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

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.

Greg responds...

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. ;)

Response recorded on September 09, 2010

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Todd Jensen writes...

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.

Greg responds...

Thanks.

Response recorded on March 12, 2010

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M. writes...

Related to "Future Tense":
When/How did Puck find out about Goliath having the Phoenix Gate. I don't recall Puck ever knowing this before.

Greg responds...

Puck would have found out from Owen, who would have found out from David.

Response recorded on January 25, 2010

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

==== SPOILERS!!!!!=========SPOILERS!!!!!=========SPOILERS!!!!!=======
I have more questions, inspired by the Timedancer arc in the trade paperback. I hope you are in the mood to answer some fan questions in between the con-journals.

I am quite curious now about what the Phoenix Gate actually is.
1. The Weird Sisters said that "The Eye and the Gate were forged on Avalon..." so is the Phoenix Gate Third Race magic?
2. Is the phoenix itself an actual living being?
3. If the phoenix is an actual living being, what kind of life-form is it? (Other than being a phoenix.)

Thanks again for answering our questions. I'm planning on reading Brooklyn's adventures again in between watching Avalon and City of Stone.
==== SPOILERS!!!!!=========SPOILERS!!!!!=========SPOILERS!!!!!=======

Greg responds...

1. It's more complex than that.

2. Depends on how you define "living being".

3. It is.

Response recorded on January 22, 2010

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Lauren writes...

Hey, I was just curious as to the exact incantation and the proper spelling of it for the Phoenix Gate, I've seen many different versions and I just want to know which is the true one. I've scoured the archives and I've seen nothing on that specific topic and I apologize if I missed it. Thanks so much!

Greg responds...

Deslagrate muri tempe et intervalia.

(I'm kinda amazed I remember that.)

Response recorded on December 03, 2009

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Geoff writes...

Did all the foreign people & gargoyles in "The Green" & "Bushido" that got to speak know how to speak English or are Goliath, Angela, & Elisa for some reason trilingual? (It just piqued my curiosity that you couldn't really have everyone speak English without some explanation for dubbing purposes.)

This also kinda raises a question on why the Emir read the scroll to capture Anubis in English instead of Arabic. (Unless the scroll weren't written in Arabic. Was it?)

Greg responds...

There are two ways to interpret things. One is that the Gate compensated, and Elisa, Goliath and Angela were magically adjusted to the local lingua without them even being aware of the change. It's also possible that the folks at the other end were speaking English.

Response recorded on November 10, 2009


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