Beyond the Borderlands Q&A #4 - Answer Edition! · 12:23am Nov 17th, 2015
All right, guys! You know the drill! Spoilers abound after this point, so DO NOT click "Read More" unless you've finished Beyond the Borderlands! Here we go!
So, our first question comes from Spectrumancer, who asked—and no, I am not making this up—the following ego-stoking question:
How are you so awesome?
Hard work.
No, seriously. I'm good at what I do because I work my butt off at it. I have a daily word quota that's abnormally high, and I spend hour after hour working on characters, plots, and worlds. I've managed to make some amazing worlds and characters, I won't mince words there, but none of it was just handed to me. Writing is my full-time job, and I work myself hard to keep producing, continually striving for higher quality, better adventures, and more intricate worlds. I don't sit back and relax, waiting for the world to come to me. I put sweat and tears into everything I write, and each work you read is the result of analysis, careful thought, and hours of labor.
That said, I enjoy being awesome and love what I do all the same.
Next up, a few questions from Bugsydor!
Once you get back to horse words after completing one or more of your original fiction projects (super stoked about Colony, by the way), should we expect some more side stories like you made after Rise, or do you plan to go straight to work on Wrath of Kaan Hunter/Hunted?
I plan on diving right into Hunter/Hunted. I may be tempted to do smaller side stories though, so it's certainly not off the table (for instance, I've been tempted to write a short one-shot set long before either series on the origin of "If it bleeds, we can kill it," mostly just for fun, because who wouldn't want to read about a squad of specialist griffon warriors fighting off a Predator expy?), but at the moment I want to focus more on letting the series move forward. The side stories were a fun stopgap and a great way of looking at what the Dusk Guard were up to during the first half of Beyond, but I don't know if I'll always want to do one per character each time I do a story.
That said, there are a few side bits to the core plot that I'd rather explore in smaller stories, such as the Doctor, that are more suited for short one-shots. We'll have to see!
About where on the show's timeline would Hunter/Hunted take place? Has a certain lavender unicorn earned her wings by this point? If so, would Twilight be made privy to the nature and dealings of the Dusk Guard as a reigning princess of the realm?
I've been waiting for someone to ask this. Hunter/Hunted will take place exactly after the end of the side stories ... or in other words in the days before the season three opener and during the events of the second half of Beyond's plot. Expect crystals, a certain dark shade, and—of course—more threads weaving a shadowy path between all the stories.
So, with that in mind, Twilight will still be Twilight. Once she gets her wings, however ... she'll still be Twilight. She'll be introduced to them, certainly, and told what they do ... but the specifics will rest with Celestia and Luna unless Twilight wants to pry. She'll know what they do, and might make a few connections she wouldn't have before, but will likely not directly be involved unless required to (such as during the season 4 opening).
Next up, AuDragon!
Is Kaan going to be the Big Bad?
Yes. I will say no more, but there's no point in hiding it after the ending of Beyond. Yes.
Will the Violet Heart ever play an antagonistic role? If so, will it be against Blade?
The Violet who? Don't know who you're talking about, sorry. 
Cool name, though.
Will Barnabus stay dead?
Yes, he will. There's no comic-book resurrection in this series (Alchemy doesn't count, since it was sort of a CPR jump start). Dead characters will stay that way. Barnabas is officially passed on.
Why doesn’t Hain want to see Primetail? Is Hain “legally dead” or something like that? If so, how does that work?
Worse, actually. He's a hain, an exile. Hain isn't even his original name; he gave up rights to that when he betrayed his commanders and the honor law. His name was stripped from him, from the records of the Empire, from everything. His family tree no longer has his name on it, nor even an entry other than a blank, sexless spot with no name. He has no rights to property (except that which wasn't given, purchased, etc from a griffon, like his knife); all his belongings were sold or given to his family. In the history books that mention him, he is simply "the hain" or "the exile" when unavoidably referenced.
So you see, "legally dead" doesn't even begin to cover it. He's been erased.
Now, does that mean he still can't call himself by his old name? No, he could. He could even go back to the Empire, though he'd be executed for it. But in griffon culture, living by your honor is a high requirement and belief, and Hain still believes in that honor and is striving to live by it ... even if it means being an exile in full.
However, this has no bearing on Equestrian law, which wouldn't care one way or another if Hain had gone and spoken to Primetail. But there's a simpler reason Hain didn't.
Pain. For both him and his brother. Hain didn't want to go through reminding his brother of everything he'd done, dredging up memories of the past, of their parents, of how much his exile most definitely hurt them, etc. He simply wanted to know if Primetail was doing well, and then once assured that he was, refused to let himself hurt further.
I'm not saying it's the right decision, but it's the one he made. There's probably even a little fear in there about what would happen if he did reunite with his brother, fear over what his brother might think of him.
Hope that answers your question.
What is the Smooze in the Dusk Guard Universe?
Exactly the same as presented in the show.
Does this Universe have a name (to differentiate it from other universes)?
I think you can go ahead and call it "The Dusk Guard Universe" if you want to. That seems to fit.
Next up, some questions from Charedfirescale!
Will the Dusk Rogues/Dusk Guard recruit anybody during or before the next installment?
During? THIS IS A SPOILER FREE ZONE! Before? Nope. No drop-in new characters.
Do the Dusk Rogues get any cool stuff like a permanent base of operations or iconic armor?
No, they're pretty mobile and versatile. They'll establish a selection of temporary holdings but for them the most concrete thing is their bank account and the occasional airship they can use as a mobile base. They'll use stuff until they find better or the stuff can't be fixed. That said, Frost will likely stick with that bow she grabbed.
Is Anubis actually dead or is he still alive so that what's her name can experiment on him?
Time will tell.
What was the name of the immortal Diamond Dog, what did he/she represent and what happened to him/her?
Her name was actually Diamond (at least, in the history books, hence the name of the diamond dogs) and it was her responsibility to educate on the beauties of the world as well as be responsible for the diamond dogs. She was a nomadic traveler, far moreso than the other immortals, since she was always journeying around the world taking it in, and the diamond dogs were nomadic to follow in her footsteps. They would meet once a year to swap stories and share with one another. She disappeared during The Breaking, is presumed dead, and the diamond dogs, bereft of their leader, stuck to what they knew ... which without the guidance of Diamond didn't really work in their favor. Scattered and facing a war that was ripping the known world apart, their civilization crumbled, leaving them as modern vagabonds.
What about the Dragon Immortal?
Dead. Itzpapalotl totally killed him.
Are changelings going to play a role?
Again, we'll have to see. No spoilers!
Why does Kaan want to kill all immortals?
You'll find out, but I'll give you a clue. In a way, he's a mirror of Anubis.
Next up, we've got Bawss!
What's your take on the griffon empire portrayed in Mente Materia?
I guess I'd have to say neutral? Bear in mind that Mente has updated very slowly, so it's been a long time since I've refreshed my mind on the concrete details, but from what I recall it was mostly wiped out off-screen and the details have either been about its leadership or the squads of soldiers fighting alongside the main characters. I don't remember much else about it, though. The myrmidon's were pretty interesting, mostly because I kept wondering if they were just empty shells animated by souls.
How difficult was it to remember what each word in Sabra's native tongue was, aside from hakuna matata?
Hahaha! I actually have a Swahili/English language guide sitting on my desk, mostly because of Sabra. Between that, a host of bookmarked webpages on Swahili grammar, and Google Translate, not too hard.
So yes, you can put his words into Google Translate and get a (usually correct) translation. Same goes for the language of the Griffons, which is Turkish.
Next up, Mane 6 Pets!
Will Ahuizotl be appearing in the future?
I actually don't know. Maybe in a side story? He's lived this long by keeping well away from the rest of the immortals, and with Kaan's stated intention, I'd bet that he'd keep his distance as best as he could.
What are Ahuizotl's true limits when he's not playing by any rules?
You know how Fluttershy can talk to animals? That's Ahuizotl's area of expertise (specifically, jungle fauna, which was what he was supposed to educate and manage). They have the ability to ignore him, but still. Aside from that, he's just as tough and hard to kill as the rest of the immortals, and has magic related to his area of expertise.
Is it common knowledge that Ahuizotl the immortal roams the world, or is it not really well known?
For governments and officials who would need to deal with him? Sure. For the average sapient? Not so much. He's sort of like a bogeypony ... albeit a totally real one.
Were Kyr & Reus, the immortal griffin brothers, inspired by Celestia & Luna, the immortal Alicorn sisters?
Yup! I wanted to keep a 50/50 distribution of the sexes as well as balance out the two pony sisters. So presto, two griffon brothers!
Will there be Dusk Rogues side stories?
Maybe? I've made no concrete plans yet. Like I said above, I'd like to just focus on the core story, but we'll see.
What was your favorite chapter to write?
In the moment of writing, four stand out: The airship battles, because it turns out I love writing airship combat. Second, Anubis's appearance. because I was very excited to write it. Third, the final battle with Anubis, because, you know, awesome stuff happens. And then lastly, the epilogue, because I was finally, finally giving some closure to cryptic comments I'd made since writing Rise and bringing a lot of little threads everywhere together.
But after the fact? Looking back? My favorite scene, because it's only part of a chapter, is definitely when Alchemy is dead. I wrote it to these twosongs set on repeat, because it was a moment where I really was trying to bring the full feel of what was happening on the page to life. And I think I did, if just a for a moment. That scene is one of my favorites, maybe my top favorite, in the entire book, because just for a minute I wanted it to feel like you were touching a little bit of the divine ... or more accurately, it you.
I mean, it's a great scene because it brings a moment of closure to multiple things that have happened in the story, including Alchemy's own doubts and fears, as well as being a setup for a great final fight with Sagis and a moment to breath in an otherwise dark and horrible experience Alchemy is having ... but outside of that, I knew what I wanted that scene to convey, and looking back at it now, it did, and it's something beautiful. It's a moment that pulls together so much of, not just the book, but the series as a whole, especially if you tie it back to the side stories and what characters like Hunter are going through, and brings things full circle as well as providing a powerful counterpoint to Anubis and everything he's come to stand for.
So yeah, that's my favorite moment in the whole book. Hands down. Even over the epilogue. The epilogue is a taste of more villainy and adventure to come, but Alchemy's death? That's something amazing that really sticks with you.
Our next question comes from LordGraygem, who had the following question:
Will there be further crossovers between Dusk Guards and its sequels/spinoffs and Arad's Mente Materia?
Probably not. Canon-wise on the Stardust end Mint could never have escaped and Anubis never existed, since the Stardust universe has a very different lore and set-up. From the perspective of the Dusk Guard universe, the whole crossover isn't canon at all (since the exact same massive discrepancies create huge problems with the world as a whole).
That said, it isn't impossible. Dipping my toes in the Stardust universe has been fun (especially writing that one chapter of Mente), so perhaps there will be more in the future. Arad's pretty busy with life and X-com, though, and the universes are pretty divergent of one another to be able to do a crossover again. I know we haven't talked about it. Still, he has guest-starred the Dusk Guard team in his stories before, so I'd imagine his universe's version of them will still pop up more in Mente before it is all over.
Next up, Backlast91!
In the side stories, when you wrote one for dawn triage, she finds out something about Nova Beam, but then...that's it...she found "something" about him, but I never figured out what! it's been driving this fan craaazy. Can you please tell me either A> what the big thing was, or B> if it will be brought up in another of your stories?
Actually, it was totally revealed in that last line: "Seaddle Medical General - Ethereal Blood Test - Living Blood Relation Search - Patient: Nova Beam. One Match Found.”
Nova has a living relative. Your mind explodes!
How OLD is Blade Sunchaser? Reading her made her feel anywhere from thirty to forty five years old, but then she acts like she's nineteen ...
Asking a ladies age is dangerous ... but if I must for the fans ... *walks away from computer and towards another room. "Hey Blade, how old are—AAGGGHHGGGGH! Not the face! Or the fingers!""
Okay, she's in her early-mid 30s, like Hunter. Or around there *whimpers*. She's also very blunt and headstrong, with a fiery temper, a lot of energy, and a bit of ego, though it can be argued she's earned the rights to that last one.
Next up, Appletank, who only had one thing to ask:
Will there be giant robots?
Nope. Sorry.
Next, Angelo_Streak2!
When is the official release date for Hunter/Hunted?
Oof. When it gets done. Probably a year or so from now at the earliest. I've got a lot of releases to make between then and now. It sucks, but a guys gotta eat.
Will both the Dusk Rouges and Dusk Gaurd have a Role in Hunter/Hunted?
After some of the earlier answers, you should be able to guess this one now, but I'll confirm. No. After that, however, well ... I wouldn't write them in otherwise, right?
And lastly, the final question from A Random Guy:
Have you thought of any adventures any of your characters would go on but can't in writing form due to one reason or another?
Actually, no. Everything I've come up with I've found a way to express in one form or another. Not that a Dusk Guard video game wouldn't be freaking sweet, or a movie or something, but I'm pretty happy with everything I've been able to do so far. Writing, ho!
Okay, that's it! Thank you to everyone who left questions, I hope I was able to answer them to your satisfaction. And again, thank you for reading and supporting me, I hope to continue to keep the adventure rolling forward!
Viking ZX
Oh crap, they're worse than rogues... They're adventurers!
And thinking back to it, Alchemy's death and revival scene truly was something special.
Hey, thanks for answering me!
I understand, that for a guy that is writing actual books, plus all the fanfics, it adds up. And also, the Alchemy resurrection thing was totally cool, epic, and a third thing.
3546878
They're borderline anti-hero adventurers.
3547183
Believe me, if I could somehow make it come faster, I would. There's a lot of the journey left for these guys, and I'd love to let you guys read it.
Is it a problem that I half want a Dusk Guard/Fallout and or Fallout: Equestria crossover?