Well, it's been exciting. However, remember when I said that I was going to go offline for a long while? Clearly, that didn't last as long as I anticipated. My apologies to anyone who thought I was try to 'play' them for sympathy; I'm not sure how I could have avoided that, but that's why I'm mentioning it now.

So here's the situation. I only managed to circumnavigate some of those factors, and now the rest of the factors are coming into play.

So I'll be going offline relatively soon. If I'm lucky, that may only last for a short time, like close to no time at all (best case scenario). If not, then I'll be offline until September (worst case scenario).

On a happier note, I've successfully attracted a new Austraeoh fan. Though she doesn't have a FIMfiction account, she is a dedicated fan, and if she could get an account (she can't due to IRL issues), she'd be posting comments right alongside me, and definitely be a Noble Jurist. I intend to keep pace with this series while offline by reading the new updates right alongside her. I've talked to her about getting her an Austraeoh character reference, and she likes this idea significantly.

She wishes to be known as Princess Stardust, which is one of her OCs. So if you can fit in an honest(as in never lies, EVER), young teenage alicorn princess who has flying issues (maybe RD could give her a flying lesson?), I would appreciate it. My suggestion in addition to her OC's characteristics listed above is for her to be a mortal/half breed alicorn that rules over a separate chunk of Urohringhr. This could be linked in via a conversation about "Have other chunks of Urohringhr ever been found by the Alicorns?", or, if RD in fact actually is going to visit other chunks of Urohringhr, she could be the ruler of a kingdom that RD encounters.

I know I'm asking for a reference for a non-FIMfiction user, which is unprecedented (unless Austraeoh Fact Checker discovers otherwise), but I can vouch for her dedication and eagerness. And this isn't the first time that a non-Jurist would have a reference (eg. Tweak's kids which are a reference to a certain emphatically non-Jurist).

Of course IC is free to choose whether or not to implement any/all of the above. I bow to his judgement.

That wraps up my post (my apologies for the wall of text). I hope that I won't go offline at all, but this is just in case. I already said my good byes once, and all that I said then still holds true.

The Master of the Force of Balance,
Revan

If she wants it so badly she can ask for herself, yeah? Until she finishes the series and joins the witty comment section banter she doesn't deserve it.

...Good luck with that, but I don't think anyone's ever got a reference by asking (that defeats the point, don't you think?) and that sounds incredibly implausible either way.

yehno

5256787
Well, that depends on how you define 'asking'
I said something to the effect of "there's no way i'll get a reference, it would be too hard to make my name fit anywhere" and IC more or less accepted the challenge...

Though the only way I can think of for this OC to end up in the story is if Cadance meets her and word gets back to Dash via Luna, or if we drop the alicorn requirement, or if Dash meets her after traversing the entire dark side. And if she needs flight lessons, I guarantee she is not running a polity of any size.

Actually, that third option could work fairly well... If Stardust is Cadance's (as yet unborn) daughter. Then you'd get all the desired bits except for the political power.

In all seriousness though, keep dreaming

To be fair, I think the joy of being named lies in not knowing or even suspecting beforehand.

...opens fimfiction site, checks feed, opens latest chapter...

...reading, reading, reading, encounters own name, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!

...falls out of chair.

I rather thought that was the point.

You're asking for a lot, and there's a litany of reasons why it's unlikely to happen.

1. We don't even know if we'll ever visit other shards of Urohringr.

2. Alicorns, at this point, are incredibly rare and extremely important to the world and its lore. Introducing another alicorn character is not something IC will do lightly.

3. While IC doesn't plan everything ahead of time, he at least has a loose idea of where he's going to take things. The changes you're asking for are so big that it would most likely severely disrupt his current trajectory, and he'd have to rewrite a lot of his plans to make it fit.

4. This is speculation, but I don't think IC creates characters based on users. He creates a character with a loose archetype, and then will come up with an identity/name for them later down the line, maybe taking inspiration from a commenter.

5. Celestia and Luna, who are thousands of years old, have only managed to control a tiny little nation. How would a single mortal teenager be capable of ruling over an entire shard of Urohringr?

6. I'm going to be frank: everything about "mortal teenage flightless half-breed alicorn princess" screams "special snowflake".

I would suggest not getting your friend's hopes up that it's plausible, because you're babying her on a dream, and in all likelihood you're setting her up for disappointment. But if this is something you're truly intent on having happen, instead of asking for a direct reference in Austreaoh, I'd encourage you to write this as an episodic side-story for her. Fanfiction of fanfiction, if you will.

Setting a precedent where IC takes requests would be opening up a huge can of worms for the series and would probably only invite more drama.

I don't want to sound prying but is there a reason she can't get an account? If it's technical I'm sure the mods/staff of the site would be more than willing to help her out if you got in contact with them.

So I never downvote posts or comments as a matter of principle*, but nonetheless I have to agree with the folks above that I'm a bit put off by the whole "character request" thing.

See, just like 5257005 said, a huge part of the magic of IC's character names is surprise. I suspect that for everyone here, whether they have written a hundred awesome fics or nothing at all**, whether they've been following and commenting from the beginning or just joined recently and hardly say anything***, being named in the story is an honor. It's something we**** feel we can never truly deserve, and so we cherish it all the more.

I think at some level everyone reading this saga has dreams of being immortalized in its pages, even if only as a throwaway dude who gets butchered after a name drop, but to ask for it flies in the face of what it represents. The characters are IC's own brand of loyalty, of paying homage to the readers who have been loyal to him and his vision, and part of being loyal is being there through everything, not because you want something in return but because it's what's right.*****
--
* I try to make a name as Loyalty in my daily life, but I occasionally moonlight as Kindness and like to keep my record intact.

** Raises hand.

*** Raises hand again.

**** Given that I don't have a character and don't ever expect to, I'm using "we" in the loosest possible sense here.

***** Or maybe I just need to lay off the cider. And maybe the footnotes. Meh.

5257139

even if only as a throwaway dude who gets butchered after a name drop

I can't help but feel like this is really arrogant to ask. Maybe I'm judging this too harshly, but I can't wrap my mind around why someone would think of themselves to be high and mighty enough to expect to get this just because they asked. What, do you think that IC owes you simply because you brought someone else onto the bandwagon? If so, I'm owed quadruple what you're asking. (No, not really)

It's one thing to be like "wow, I hope I end up as a character someday" which if we're going to be honest pretty much all of us here have thought. It's another matter completely to say "Hey make me a character and make my character exactly like this."

The first rule about IC name drops is: you do not ask about IC name drops.
The second rule about IC name drops is: you do not ask about IC name drops.

5259415 Rather than arrogance, I think it's more naivete. The tone of the post reads more like starry-eyed innocence rather than self-inflated egotism. It reads like the kind of thing a kid would send to Joss Whedon asking to get their superhero into the next Avengers movie.

Because of that, I'd say it's not really fair to call him out in that way. All things considered, he asked, and he asked politely. I think that he at least deserves a polite answer, even if that answer is most likely to be no (and let's be real, this is IC we're talking about, he's done some pretty unexpected things before).

5257139 My guess is that she's underage or otherwise very young.

5261774 Ah, that would make sense. If that's the case I'd definitely have to give her props for reading a series with a fairly advanced vocabulary for a younger person.

5257005 How do you think I reacted to Imre? I didn't use my last name ANYWHERE in this fandom at that time I was so confused how he'd gotten it. Then people in the chat were congratulating me and I was even more confused... I think it took me 2 days to finally figure out "Oh yeah, skype uses my first and last name, duh." Good times.

I always kind of got this impression from you. You don't say anything in malice, but you really come off badly.

When I first came across you, posting "helpful" spoilers in the first book, asking for the use of your headcanon instead of the established lore and trying to make an extended universe, I thought you were just a wanker. I've come to the gradual realisation that you're just... kinda stupid. You never seemed to recognise that those were really crappy things to do.

This request? It's totally unreasonable. The naming in this story is an honour. In the days of Austraeoh past when there was no knowledge of who the author was, no large cult following and no Short Skirts making sly references or any such thing, the naming of commenters was the only way that readers ever knew that the almighty Colon acknowledged their existence, that their presence had not gone unnoticed, and that their support was appreciated.

To ask for such a thing with specifications and backstory and whatnot is an incredibly arrogant and entitled thing to do. It infers that you place yourself above those who earned that recognition, or that the references mean so little that they can be handed out to anyone. But worse than that, telling the author how to implement it implies that you don't value the story either, and that it should be used to cater to your ideas and your ego. Changing the story in such a drastic way is not a request that should be made by anybody. Insulting the readers is all well and good, we might be a little too excited over something so little. Insulting the author and the story like that though? Yeah, that's bad.

I know this isn't how you intended to come across, but that's how you do come across. Now, I'm pretty certain metaphorically pissing on the East Horse series isn't going to win over its creator or the cult of fanatical worshppers you're appealing to. With that in mind, would you kindly think these posts through a little more in the future?

5262663 certainly living up to your name there... and me without my popcorn.

Well, looks like I just put my foot up my rear end. Again. *bangs head against desk repeatedly* My apologies. Based on the can of worms I just opened, I'm never going to bring anything like this up ever again. Trial and error tends to mean that you screw up something at least once. I asked it as a favor for her, and I'm going to have to tell her that it's almost certainly not happening.

As for naivety, well, there's always a first time for everything.

5264286 Well, that's what I'm here for. Someone has to be a miserable bastard to balance out all the adorable happy poni poni. Might as well be me.

5264717 Being the clown that tries anything even knowing it will fail is all well and good, but being ignorant and naïve isn't a good thing, you know? Screwing up on cartoon horse fiction websites isn't anything to worry about, but be more careful in the real world, OK?

5264717
No worries, I suspect we've all been there at one time or another. Also, as Swan Song points out, the Master of Marsupials is both strange and subtle in his ways.

5264894
Appropos of nothing, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I can't help picturing you as some sort of bearded ancient, panning gold from a Californian stream whilst cursing your aged mule. Though I dare say, should anyone else speak ill of her, that much weathered Winchester you carry would doubtless see some use.

Also, appropos of even less, I've just noticed that little dotted triangle in the lower right-hand corner of the comment composition box that lets you extend the edit space. How have I never seen that before?

5265717 Hrm, I fear I might be demeaning that somewhat splendid image, but I have never been within five thousand miles of California, I've never seen a mule before, the closest I'll get to panning for gold is nicking the lead off someone's roof and I've seen a total of three guns in my life, one of which was a flintlock musket. The closest I've been to your impression is yelling at sheep to vacate my caravan during an ill-fated excursion in Wales. Think less "weathered survivalist" and more "some poor sod trying to set fire to a wheelie bin in the rain" and you'll be closer to reality.

Also, I do believe it's *apropos. And I don't see an arrow in the corner, but it does indeed seem to extend the box.

I also feel inclined to note that I've never actually nicked the lead off someone's roof, but I've probably associated with the sort of people who would.

5267579 Ah, a fellow Brit, say no more.

I'm shocked I got 'apropos' wrong though, I'm usually Johny-on-the-Spot with that sort of thing.

5268413 Wait, are you from Cromarty, as in the Scottish Highlands? You have internet up there? I was under the impression the region was populated by barely literate reprobates drowning themselves in booze and pretending they live in the 18th century. Uh, no offence intended.

And at the risk of embarassing you further, I'm fairly certain that *Johnny is the correct expression.

5268553

I was under the impression the region was populated by barely literate reprobates drowning themselves in booze and pretending they live in the 18th century.

We prefer the term retro.

Also Johny is free to spell his name in any way he pleases.

5268605 Retro doesn't usually go back centuries, you know? I am curious though, is it nicer living up there in medieval times compared to the ugly shitholes full of chavvy, trashy degenerates further south? Down here in the West Midlands the only thing I can think of to one-up you with is that the past we pretend gives us any relevance was in the 20th century at least.

Also, I have never heard of Johny with one "n" before. I apologise for implying you failed twice and I regret being ignorant of the people whose parents could not spell, one of my given names is "Conner", so I really should know better.

5268845
Well, Conner,

Retro doesn't usually go back centuries, you know?

Kids these days, they never commit, also...

...compared to the ugly shitholes full of chavvy, trashy degenerates further south?

...I believe you may have answered your own question there.

5268989 Indeed, the wikipedia page redirects to Connor and gives a list full of Connors, while offhandedly acknowledging that "Conner" does exist with more fictional than real people as examples. Hence, why I likened it to Johny, a name which was probably intended to be Johnny. On a partially related note, this is the first time I've ever been addressed by that name.

At the risk of clogging up this thread even more or undoubtedly embarassing myself to an even greater extent in an attempt to conduct discourse at 4 AM, I won't try to extend this wayward conversation any further. So long for now, you sheep-shagging Scottish cunt.
Edit: I just remembered that many Scots historically tend to be offended by allusions to sheep-shagging, and would likely have maimed me to an extent for that comment. I sincerely hope you weren't offended and/or aren't part of the Black Watch. Considering that only nine or so people live up there, it's statistically likely you're the guy who can break telegraph poles with your thigh muscles and could easily hurl a deep-fried rock or some other local delicacy with enough velocity to break my windows even from up there. Please take note of the aforementioned line about discourse at 4 AM.
5269147
Edit 2: I'm fairly certain they used to call the Royal Highland Regiment sheep-shaggers before, but it seems that the insult is only relevant in Aberdeen now. Oh well. Also, those vests are diabolically awful.

Edit 3: Apropos as it may be, transparent vests are unquestionably one of the greatest blights attempting to sabotage human progress to this day.

...Hang on just a minute, m-monkey man?! Now listen here you little shit

In conclusion,

love you monkey man

To translate Rab's last words: "There's nothing that restores your faith more in human nature than meeting some poor bastard that's just as mad as yourself."

Edit: Tradition has it that sheep are generally the business of the Welsh.
5269057
Edit 2: "Also, those vests are diabolically awful."...perhaps, but apropos, no?