Beyond the Borderlands Q&A #3 - Answer Edition! · 8:01pm Jul 31st, 2015
Woo! Back from my dental check-up! Turns out, my teeth are clean! Clean enough to eat off of! Huzzah! Just one more bit of good news for the week. Finished up another novella yesterday (the second, now, to be part of the "short" story collection Unusual Events) and hit my quota for the month (90,000 words) so things are looking good going into August. Finish up another story or two, get Alpha and Beta readers pouring over Unusual Events and Colony, get covers, and ... publish!
Anyway, it's time for the third Beyond the Borderlands Q&A answer session! You guys had a few days to submit your questions, now it's time for me to give you the best answers I can provide! Let's get to it!
Our first set of questions comes from AuDragon, who was so quick to the draw one could almost believe she was simply waiting with a selection of questions in a word document to copy-paste! Glad you're enjoying the Saga, AuDragon, now let's see how many of these I can answer!
Will we see changelings at any point in the future (BtB or other DG saga, not including crystal fae as they seem to be a variant)?
Yes. You can even expect to see Chrysalis. When? That would be telling. 
For now, never fear, changelings are definitely part of the saga.
Is Annubis based off the Egyptian god of the afterlife which shares the same name?Are there any Jackals living?
He was inspired by, certainly, though mostly just for appearances. If there are more similarities past the general look (bipedal Jackal-being), then they're coincidental. I didn't do much research into the actual Anubis because this Anubis was his own character, and while I wanted the look, I didn't want him to be too closely associated with the classical Anubis myth. As for the second part of your question, you weren't the only one who asked, so I'll answer that one when I come to the other question.
Will there be/has there been any cameos in the DG saga of other series characters?
I'm not quite sure I've got the gist of the question, but if you're referring to other characters from the DG universe appearing in Beyond the Borderlands, you'll just have to read and see. If you're referring to other fanfic series, you might see one or two sly cameos here and there, but they're hidden pretty well, so it'd take a bit to spot them (as well as having read those stories). They're not vital or hinting that those canons happened in TDGS, just fun shout-outs—well, more "whisper-outs" to other authors whose work I've enjoyed.
How intelligent do you consider the Breezies to be?
I consider them a bit like ants, actually, with a bit of a "swarm" mentality. Varying stages of "drone," "foreman," etc, perhaps having something to do with age.
Finally, what is the world's name?
Another one that was a common question, but I'll answer it here: I don't know. It's not my decision, and I've deliberately avoided giving it one. It's just "the world" as far as the story goes, and that's good enough for me.
Next up, a singular question from Nealand86!
I wonder how many of the ex-cultists are going to react when Sombra does come back and gets blasted by the heart? If there are any left by then.
You'll have to keep reading and find out!
Next up, Ash19256!
Will the Dusk Guard ever turn up in Beyond the Borderlands? I mean, Blade and Hain and the rest of the gang are cool and all, but I think the situation that's currently going on kind of calls for the Dusk Guard to make at least one appearance.
Yes. To be fair, they already have, right in the prologue. But yes, they will. As far as what the situation calls for ... Well, a lot kind of depends on what happens next, doesn't it?
Our next question comes from Charedfirescale:
Are the jackals completely wiped out? Or are there still some out there?
If I'm recalling my world-building properly, no, they're still around. There are still a few out there, but they're few in number and barely holding together as a society. Literally. We're talking a few primitive villages and such a low population they'd be a super-endangered species, and probably will cease to exist before long. They're a bit xenophobic too, IIRC, so they don't have much to do with anyone, despite being technically part of the Plainslands.
All right, the next set of questions comes from Mane 6 Pets!
Do Hain & Steel Song have any past connection or at least know of each other?
Interesting question. We know both served in the Regency Wars ... so yes, I would say it's very likely that they knew of each other. Further than that I won't say, but if you compare some of the things Hain says or hints at, you might learn a little more.
Will the Dusk Guard join forces with Blade's team in Part 2?
That's a pretty direct question, but it's one I'm going to decline to answer! 
Yeah yeah, you'll just have to read to find out!
What are the differences between your Anubis and the Egyptian god Anubis?
They're pretty numerous. Again, you'll have to read to find out, but classical Egyptian Anubis and DG Anubis have very little, if nothing at all, in common with one another. Other than that, no freebies here!
Who is Itzpapalotl?
Ooooh ... Itzpapalotl. Now that's a good question, one rife with a lot of interesting history. Unfortunately, the only answer I can give at this time is that you'll have to read on. Sorry. You are, however, asking the right question. If I just answer it here however, it won't nearly be as fun. I will reaffirm what I've said before—Rise was the introduction to some of the players, Beyond the Borderlands is the where the world itself is really opening up to hit that true "epic" status. We've already seen The Ocean of Endless Ice ... as for what else is to come, you'll have to read to find out.
It's a good question. Answers are coming.
Next up, Bugsydor!
So we've seen that the denizen of the vault turned out to be a demigod. Do any of the alicorns also qualify for demigodhood?
Yes. Celestia and Luna both are immortals. Twilight (who has not yet ascended at this point in the timeline, obviously) and Cadance are not. They're just uplifted mortals (touch of the divine, basically). No immortality for them!
Do any other races have immortal/demigod rulers?
What would this recently discovered demigod have thought of Nightmare Moon?
Anubis? He would have found the whole thing hilariously ironic ... Not that he would have treated her any differently as a result. But hilariously ironic.
And last but not least, AlouetteSK with a final host of questions to answer!
Reading through the stories again to see if anything pops out for me possibly for the art contest, who was the fifth character that Steel Song selected that eventually got replaced by Nova?
Never a named character, nor did I ever draft any history for them, but it would have been a preexisting member of the Guard. Royal or night ... never decided. But he would have been a Guard member. Celestia, however, had other ideas (and obviously, so did I). Fun question though!
What would be some of Blades hobbies, if she wasn't working on a contract?
Well, aside from staying in shape and working on getting herself Blademaster status, she's an adept woodcarver (which we've seen in BtB, but she's also a bit of a history buff. Military history, mostly, but she branches out from time to time to pick up bits and pieces of information on surrounding information. Traditionally, even when she's on a job, if she can she'll have a history account to read through in her off hours or during the low points, but when she bolted from Equestria that wasn't an option. And the Ocean doesn't really have any libraries, so that's out at the moment. But yeah, history buff, though she won't admit it unless in the proper context. She's also has several favorite figures from Griffon History she loves studying and learning about.
She's also a bit of a whistler, though she mostly does it when she's relaxed and not around others. She also likes learning about other cultures and traveling, actually, though for the culture thing, she's got three reasons for that: 1) Because it's neat. 2) So she knows and can interact with that culture decently in case of a job. 3) So she knows what the penalties are for breaking cultural expectations/taboos/laws. 
Oh, and she actually knows quite a bit about weapons and armor. On earth, she'd be a gun enthusiast, but the kind that could use every one of them. While that's not unusual for griffons with her background, if she owned a place, you could bet she'd have an top-tier collection that would be a bit like Burt's Rec Room in a pinch (and yes, I've just linked you one of the greatest scenes in cinema history ever. You're welcome).
IF the Dusk Guard had a counterpart, what would it be called?
Are we talking comic-book "evil inverse?" Crud, I don't know. Never really thought about it.
Is there going to be an ancient library in the sands? If so, is it going to be guarded by a croc or an owl?
I think this one I'll just have to answer with the hated "You'll just have to read and find out."
What was the decision making process in making Anubis an evil character?
A long and complicated one, really. No, actually it was both easy and hard. He was always evil, there was never a point in the design of the Dusk Guard Saga where there was a question about what direction his moral compass would point, the hard part was making sure that it was all part of the total saga. I mean, we're in book two of six. There's a massive amount of planning and plotting to make the whole story work. So while Anubis was always going to be the big bad, getting the details right so that the rest of the saga wasn't derailed or demolished by his behavior was the tricky part. So making him evil was easy. Figuring out what kind of evil, and how he would act, move, think, etc? That was the hard part.
And don't worry. In case you were wondering, we're definitely going to see more of Anubis in part 2, so you'll get more depth on his character (as well as explanations for some of the cryptic things he's said).
Phew! And that's it! Again, thank you all for reading and enjoying Beyond the Borderlands! There's more coming!
Maybe I should keep an eye out for an amber-colored flooficorn that fire seems inordinately fond of... I mean, a guy can dream, right?
I just watched the scene in question, and I can vouch for this statement. Wrong rec room, indeed. Also, thanks.
Thanks for answering all these questions. I'm glad to have been somewhat complicit in raising further questions for your audience.
Thank you.
Where did Mane 6 Pets get Itzpapalotl from? It feels like I read it somewhere, but I haven't a clue where. Anyone know?
And Viking, did you just imply that Anubis is the Big Bad for the entire Saga?!?! If I interpreted this correctly--oh man oh man, this gon b gud. And I'm also going "It's going to take 4.5 more books before this whole thing is resolved?!!"
I was wondering how you were picturing Anubis. I'm assuming you picked his name because Anubis is a god of death and the bipedal jackal figure fit well into the MLP world? Correct me if I'm wrong ^^' I'm imagining Anubis as very angular and slender. Umm...how to put it? Well, something like this picture:
unicornshoppe.com/store1/images/Sa393.jpg
But bipedal like the Diamond Dogs:
img00.deviantart.net/d407/i/2013/043/d/3/mlp_resource__diamond_dog__rover_01_by_zutheskunk-d5cqc4z.png
I'm trying to tell if he would have his hands on the ground in a true resting position, though, or if they're always in the air. I'm leaning towards smaller hands than the diamond dogs from the show, and a longer and slimmer body for Anubis, so I'm thinking he leans forward slightly like MLP's diamond dogs do, but his arms don't go all the way to the floor. I couldn't figure out what you were trying to describe with the headdress he wore, though. "Like a manestyle"?
One other thing bugged me--the whole "scythe" thing. Doesn't a scythe have a slightly curved blade that hooks back down, with the sharp part of the blade forming something close to a 90-degree angle with the hilt? Isn't the blade, the sharpened side, on the inside of the curve? Something like that seems really unwieldy as a weapon. I pictured Anubis standing by Sagis' shoulder when he put the scythe to Sagis' throat, with the handle reaching back and the blade at Sagis' throat, but I had a hard time figuring out how it was used in the attack on Barnabas. Anything you can say to help would be appreciated!
3285265
Excerpt of The Dusk Guard: Rise, Operation - Prologue
I was reading The Dusk Guard: Rise when the Q & A was announced, and I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
3285291
Oooooh! I forgot all about that! GOOD question! I'm intrigued all over again
I'm glad you've notice my fast time, but I have to point out an error (one that you shouldn't feel bad about, since you didn't know...). I'm a girl.
3285478
Ack! My apologies! Fixed!
3285265
He's fully upright. So more something like this, as far as standing upright:
orig06.deviantart.net/6037/f/2011/061/c/5/anubis_by_el_grimlock-d6az4c.jpg
And the headpiece is like an Egyptian headpiece (like on the Sphinx, though that isn't really Egyptian)
As far as the scythe goes, the blades are solidified magic, meaning that they can be sharp on both sides (which they are). When the blades aren't in use, it really is just a staff. Anubis just summons the blades for combat. While still of questionable use as a weapon compared to say ... a sword ... Anubis is an immortal, which give him a certain, shall we say, edge?
3285291
Sharp eyes.
3285680
Don't feel bad, you didn't know.
Didn't mean evil mirror universe variant. Meant to ask if they had a more aggressive active rather than responding group counterpart. Kinda like the original intent behind S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D.
Was kinda expecting a more blue and orange Anubis, but I guess we'll figure out the variant of evil he uses.
3285680
That is a pretty cool looking picture for Anubis. It's not quite what I had imagined, but I kind of like your picture better. (Your description of his staff combined with the picture is almost exactly what I had imagined for the staff, though). I can't wait to see more of Anubis in the series.
Also, thanks for the compliment!
(Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, that link certainly was a great scene. That was definitely the wrong rec room to attack.)
3285739
Well, he doesn't quite look like that. The musculature, coloration, armor, etc, is all different. But he's very much an upright, bipedal creature. Blade's diamond dog association mainly rises from his legs and the canine aspects.
3285724
Oh, no, nothing like that. They're the scalpel, more like.
Though other Guard subsets will appear as the series moves on.
3285762
Oh, okay, thanks.
Also, when you said other guard subsets will appear, that got me thinking.
In Why Me, you mentioned the Crescent, elite members of the Night Guard who wore crystal armor. Crystal armor is currently only worn by the Dusk Guard, so maybe the Crescent is one of those future sub-sets. What could the other sub-sets be, though? Let the fan theories begin!
3285762
Speaking of which, how will the other regiments update their tech, strategies, and policies? Probably a new chapter in the future for DG ?
3285680
I'm sorry) and a sort of deep obsidian black coloration--like, it reflects the light, but where it isn't actively reflecting, it almost looks like the light is absorbed. Oh, and I guess I picture the limbs and body as long and slender, but still quite muscled--kind of greyhound-like? (but, y'know, bipedal)
It helps a lot. I hope I'm not annoying, asking all these questions about how Anubis looks, but I was really intrigued by him when he appeared and I'm kind of considering attempting a pic for the fanfic contest 
That's a very cool picture you found but like all the upright images I've seen of Anubis, the legs are human legs. This bugs me. He ought to have haunches to be doglike. When you say he's fully upright, I imagine something more like this diamond dog pic, only without huge oversized arms that could reach the floor:
img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140618135048/mlp/images/d/d8/DD_Rover_ID_S1E19.png
The dog haunches, with them resulting in a slight forward lean.
When I asked if he rested with hands on the ground, I guess I was really picturing something like Ahuizotl in this pic:
orig07.deviantart.net/d07e/f/2013/032/6/a/ahuizotl_s_prize_by_rambopvp-d5tj7ng.png
Right now I'm picturing him upright but with a slight forward lean (I know you said fully upright, but I can't reconcile a canine anatomy with a completely vertical back and I can't really imagine him as somewhat humanlike either.
When you say Egyptian headpiece, do you mean like this? Only minus the chin thing and the snakes at the front of the forehead? Looking again, that's rather like what that image you linked is wearing...
api.ning.com/files/p1hCpNEYWCIobu-YKAO8nIqVrZzD8ZsR*ltvnlzHPDoPb2dIbvub2vuIJOL6S*QptJ9O2nvFBBMCJt9hd3iv-Orso2nqaaiL/PharaohTut.png
Nice edge pun, btw, and thanks for explaining the scythe parts of the story for me
Sorry I don't really have any more exciting comments to make ><
3285932
It basically amounts to balancing on the ball of the foot. Like this:
img03.deviantart.net/5364/i/2013/234/c/e/creature_concept___anubis__god_of_death_by_iamwhatyoufear-d6j4tof.jpg
or this:
d.facdn.net/art/zaush/1111721772/zaush_1111721772_anubis-thing.jpg
And yeah, the headpiece is similar to that, though doesn't extend nearly as far. It stops at his jawline.