Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Lennis

Pages: [1] 2
2
Hey all.  It's been a few years since I've lurked around here.  The recent re-release of Chrono Cross has got Chrono back to the front of my mind, not to mention the passage of time.  So much has changed in the world since 2015.  Just when you begin to think you might be in the Ideal Timeline, reality throws you a curveball and you wish you could open a dimensional portal someplace else, or maybe go back in time to make a few changes.  Barring Lucca becoming real and inventing something that will enable us to do that, all we really have is this dreamspace to reminisce about what was and what might be.  How many of the old gang are still around?

I've been continuing on my Chrono Trigger novel project whenever I get struck by the writing bug.  There's quite a bit more material than the chapters I've already posted here, and I may post those at a future date if there's enough interest.  In the meantime, I've been struck by the urge, insane as it is, to start on a reboot novelization of Chrono Cross.  It can't be called canon, since I have a number of changes planned that just can't fully mesh with the world we already know, but I try and keep it as close to the original story as possible and make any changes feel organic rather than arbitrary.  I've already posted what little I've written in the fan-fiction section and am looking forward to some feedback.

It's good to see all of you again.  Maybe something good can yet come out of this timeline.

3
Hello, everyone.  Been quite a while since I posted here.  Since the release of the Radical Dreamers edition of Chrono Cross, which I plan on playing through this summer, Chrono has very much been on my mind.  I am still working on my Chrono Trigger novel project off and on, but the further along I get on that, the more I realize that I need a solid narrative grasp of Chrono Cross in order to continue.  The reason being that the events of my Chrono Trigger series actually take place after the events of Chrono Cross, due to what Schala/Kid does after her spirit is freed by Serge and she transcends into a higher state of being.  Not to give too much away, but Schala/Kid basically resets time and everything goes back to the beginning.  Everything will transpire the way it did before until a certain point is reached, that point being called the Chrono Break, from which things will begin to diverge slightly from how they did in the original timeline, and create a possibility in which everyone can be saved and live out a full life in what I call the Ideal Timeline.  While this would seem to involve only the Chrono Trigger cast, events will transpire in which a few characters from Chrono Cross will get involved as well, and their involvement is critical to how the whole Chrono saga ends.  So, Chrono Cross has to be tackled in full narrative format to set up the tale I really want to tell.

I'll be honest, novelizing Chrono Cross is a project I long feared to be impossible due to how complicated the tale is and how it was presented to us in the original game.  Some aspects of the story remain head-scratchers 23 years after the game's release, and I'll admit that some of it still eludes me today.  It is for that reason that I call this a "Great Experiment".  But these characters deserve the best treatment I can give them, and if there is any possibility that I can tell this tale in a way that is easier to follow than the original game, I want to try.

It is important to note that this will not be a one to one translation of the original game.  (Hence the "Remake" moniker.) Some events will come completely out of left field, though I intend to follow the main events of the original game as closely as I can and include some of the original dialogue where it is workable.

Talking about the project itself, the biggest change from the original game is that it is no longer strictly Serge-centric.  Serge remains the story's protagonist - as he must be - but the story is no longer solely about him and the terrible hand fate has dealt him.  It is also about the characters who have the strongest emotional connection to Serge and how they deal with the hand fate dealt them, as well as with the unspeakable dangers facing their world.  To this end I use a narrative concept I call the "holy trinity", in which all the major events of the story revolve around one (or more) of three characters.  It is a classic technique we see in numerous franchises of pop culture, like Star Trek, Star Wars, and The Matrix.  Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.  Luke, Han, and Leia.  Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka.  Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus.  I look at Crono, Marle, and Lucca in the same way.  For Chrono Cross, the holy trinity must consist of Serge and the two characters who have the strongest emotional connection with him: Kid and Leena.

We know how important Kid is both to Serge and the larger Chrono mythos.  All we really know about Leena is that she is close to Serge, maybe desires a deeper relationship with him, and has a philosophical way of looking at the world.  Elevating her to holy trinity status requires her character to be expanded upon to where she is nearly as important to the story as Serge himself.  Fortunately there are a number of subtle clues in original canon that suggests she might have been intended to play a larger role in Chrono Cross, but for whatever reason that role was left on the cutting room floor by the developers, and we are left to wonder what might have been.  I have decided to take those subtle clues and run with them.  The trick to making Leena's elevation work is to make sure her story compliments Serge's story without completely overshadowing it.  To this end, we will see that quite unlike the original game, Home Leena and Another Leena are not clones of one another, but are shown to be very different people because of what did or did not happen to Serge 10 years ago.  This in turn shows how important Serge is, in that his presence or absence can have a profound impact on someone's life.

Other characters will have moments of great importance and provide aid to the three mains, but they will never be quite as important as the holy trinity.  Using this narrative structure helps keep the original game's rather large cast manageable and the story more focused.

Getting into the narrative itself, Serge and Leena now both have last names.  Serge Krayton and Leena Lawson.  I also decided to start with the dream flash-forward sequence from the original game and use it to help establish why Serge is important beyond his role in splitting the world in two.  He can see things before they happen in his dreams.  Dreams are an important theme for Masato Kato, so it is important to make that front and center for his protagonist.  The flash-forward sequence is a bit rough compared to the rest of my written material at this point and will probably undergo a lot of revisions still, but most of what follows after is solid enough to probably make it through to a finalized state.  The other thing that needs to be mentioned is that I am working on the first two volumes (books) at the same time because the first part of volume two takes place around the same time as the beginning of volume one, only from Home Leena's perspective.  Volume one will probably cover everything between the komodo scale hunt and the events at Ft. Dragonia.  Volume two will flash back to the day the Angelus Errare appears at Opassa and follow things from Home Leena's perspective for awhile.

Included here is everything I have written in full narrative so far: the first two chapters of volume one - told from Serge's perspective, and the first chapter of volume two - told from Home Leena's perspective.  As always, any feedback is appreciated.  Playing fast and loose with established canon is always a bit risky, so if I'm making a critical mistake I can't easily work around I need to know.  I hope everyone enjoys these.

4
Magic, Elements, and Technology / Zealian schools of magic - revised
« on: November 24, 2014, 07:35:24 am »
The following is a revamped account of magic in the world of Chrono, and, specifically, how the people of Zeal classify it and train in its use.  I wanted to lean away from strictly elemental descriptions such as fire, water, or lightning, as well as esoteric concepts like Shadow (darkness/evil).  The casting of magic is all about a state of mind and what that state can achieve.  The way that power is manifested in a given school can vary greatly, so describing a school as "water", for example, really doesn't explain what all can be done with that particular discipline.  I am making these changes in the interests of my ongoing novel series, which will incorporate these concepts when magic is first introduced to the reader at The End of Time, and explained more fully in book two when Crono's adventures in Zeal take place.

Zealians are given a general education in the magical arts at a young age, and most people gain rudimentary ability in several different schools.  They are not mutually exclusive.  Training in one school will not preclude training in another, even if certain elemental manifestations of differing schools, like fire and ice, would seem to oppose each other.  That said, the great majority of Zealians dedicate their lives to the mastery of a single school and often avoid training in others.  The mental discipline it takes to achieve the correct state of mind for each school is difficult, and only exceptional individuals achieve mastery of more than one school.  To achieve mastery of three is a feat usually reserved for the most potent of bloodlines, such as the Imperial Family or that of the Gurus.  Mastery of four schools is something only one person - Schala - has ever been able to achieve.  No one on record has mastered all five schools.

The five schools of magic all invoke certain emotional states and use discipline to guide the user's will into useful applications.  The stronger the discipline, the more power and control the user has over the abilities his or her school can manifest.  An untrained mind, driven to emotional turmoil, can manifest great power as well, but the uncontrolled nature of such outbursts are often exhausting and inefficient, even dangerous.  However, it can be just as likely that an emotionally turbulent individual, unable to focus on any one mental state, cannot effectively channel anything.  This is most often seen in the very young, and even a strong bloodline - as in the case of Prince Janus - cannot overcome a lack of mental fortitude.  This must be considered in the training of every school.  The five schools are as follows:

Passion:  Passion is the power of self.  It channels the desire of the individual into power that can mold the world around the user however he or she chooses.  This power often manifests itself in the form of fire.  In terms of sheer strength, Passion is the strongest of the five schools.  A focused channeling of Passion can melt the hardest of metals and turn solid stone into liquid fire.  The destructive potential of Passion is without limit, and is mitigated only by the desire of the user.  For this reason, Passion is also the most dangerous school.  An individual's desires can well exceed their ability to effectively channel those desires into power - sometimes ending in a self-immolation or more wide-ranging calamity.  Because of its ability to melt and mold various elements together, Passion is often the province of builders and architects.  An aptitude for Passion is often triggered by a desire to change the world.  Practitioners have a tendency to be overconfident and even narcissistic, particularly when they are young.  Barring formal training in the Zealian ways, powerful feelings of anger or love can manifest unfocused channeling of fire.

Energy:  Energy is the power of transformation.  It transforms the will of the user into raw energy that can be directed either outward or inward.  This power often manifests itself in the form of lightning, though great physical prowess can also be attributed to an Energy user.  Due to its ability to direct power and enhance strength, Energy is often the province of guardians or warriors, and is the school of choice for a dedicated magical duelist.  Great care must be taken with the use of Energy.  It is possible to enhance strength well beyond what a practitioner's body can withstand, and the outward applications of this school are no less perilous if poorly channeled.  An aptitude for Energy is often triggered by a desire for self-improvement and the ability to protect others.  Practitioners have a tendency to focus on the moment, and are very decisive when it comes to taking action.  Barring formal training in the Zealian ways, powerful feelings of fear or single-minded focus can manifest unfocused channeling of lightning, or a surge in strength.

Force:  Force is the power of matter.  It channels the wishes of the user into the power to manipulate the world around them.  This power can manifest itself in many ways, but it is usually in the form of a telekinetic feat; moving and shaping matter with the power of the mind.  Force is the most versatile of the five schools, and has applications for almost any endeavor.  It can move the heaviest of objects, hurl them at extreme velocities, condense moisture into a block of solid ice, or condense air into an impenetrable screen.  An expert practitioner of Force can use their telekinetic abilities to protect themselves against almost anything, whether it be an environmental hazard or an attack.  An aptitude for Force is often triggered by a desire to change one's circumstance.  Practitioners have a tendency to be emotional and sometimes erratic, and this must always be borne in mind when training a Force user.  Barring formal training in the Zealian ways, powerful feelings of despair and loss can manifest an unintended telekinetic feat.

Healing:  Healing is the power of the body.  It channels the will of the user into a power that can rejuvenate living things.  This power usually manifests itself in the healing of the sick or the injured, but it can also be used to drain the energy of another if the user desires.  This school is unique in that its applications are only useful to the living.  It can accelerate and enhance a body's natural healing process to cure diseases, heal wounds, or purge maladies.  It is important to note that the power of Healing does not come solely from the user, rather the user simply enervates what is already there.  Therefore, Healing powers cannot be used to bring people back from the dead.  Expert use of the Healing school can extend a normal lifespan by many decades, but even this has limits.  A Zealian under the lifetime care of an accomplished Healing user can live about 180 years, and in rare cases as many as 200.  An aptitude for Healing is triggered by an intense desire to help others.  Practitioners have a tendency to be sympathetic to those of lesser standing or circumstance.  Barring formal training in the Zealian ways, a user can unconsciously heal minor injuries to themselves or others by pressing hands on the wound.

Dreams:  Dreams are the power of the soul.  Unlike the other four schools of magic, the applications of Dreams are useful only in the metaphysical plane.  It is the province of thinkers and philosophers, people who contemplate questions such as the meaning of life and the nature of existence.  It is the most difficult of the five schools to master, and some would say that mastery isn't possible.  Through the use of Dreams, people can analyze the realm of the subconscious, both in themselves and in others.  A practitioner of Dreams can enter the mind of another person and guide their unconscious thoughts, so long as the recipient is willing.  However, expert users can move well beyond entering the dreams of mortals and can enter the dream of the World itself.  Gurus of the ancient past spoke of a singular unfocused, yet all-encompassing consciousness that spanned both the physical and metaphysical planes.  One who heard the song of the World, it was said, could gain insight into the past, or even the future.  People who can enter the dream of the World are extrodinarily rare, and only a small number of those people can understand what the dream is telling them.  Practitioners of Dreams must have a strong sense of self.  Those who do not, or who falter, suffer cruel fates.  Their essenses can become trapped in the mind of another.  They can question who they are, or if their existence is even real.  The most terrible fate is that of a Je'saal'ook (roughly translated "The foolish transformed"), who, through becoming lost in a dream and questioning his or her own nature, transformed themselves into a non-human form without the ability to change back.  Due to the inherent dangers of the Dreaming school of magic, novice practitioners are closely monitored by Elders and high-ranking Adepts.  Everyone has a certain aptitude for Dreaming, but to make any practical use of it requires extensive training.  There are no records of anyone without training developing useful skill.


Jumping out of encyclopedia mode, it isn't hard to guess which characters are suited to which schools.  Lucca is the poster-girl for Passion and takes it up to eleven.  Crono is the perennial Energy practitioner.  And Marle would be anyone's best friend in a scorching desert - or if you need someone to help you move the furniture.  Where things might differ a bit from expectations is how some of the characters in the story combine different schools to achieve their full potential.  Lucca, for example, isn't a one-trick fire pony.  She also develops skill in Force magic, but uses it in a very different way from Marle's applications.  Lucca's barrier skill is taylor-made to protect herself - and only herself - from enemy attack.  And "Flare" is a fire attack backed up by a telekinetic Force bubble or thrust to either explode at a desired point or to penetrate the defenses of powerful opponents.  Other magic practitioners use their schools to aid themselves and their allies in ways appropriate to their skillset and disposition, and with different levels of efficacy.  Dreams are harder to quantify.  Magus develops considerable skill in Dreams, but only in response to an important plot point involving Lucca.  Lucca herself gains some experience from this event, but can only ever link minds with Magus.  Glenn has a bond with the Masamune, but often has difficulty making sense of what the child-like spirits of the blade tell him.  And Crono and Marle share an empathic link in close proximity but cannot manage true telepathy or thought guidance with themselves or anyone else.  Obviously, I use Dreams as something of a plot device to advance character interaction and to establish certain limits on the characters.  Any other thoughts on the nature of this new magic classification and how it can be applied to the world of Chrono would be welcome.

5
In a rather startling change of tone for the company, Square-Enix president Yosuke Matsuda has admitted that the company "lost it's focus" when attempting to make games for a wide global audience.  This change in attitude was apparently spurred by poor sales of recent Square-Enix titles in Japan, and unexpectedly high sales of the more traditional JRPG "Bravely Default", which the company considered to be only a niche title at its release.

"Not only did they end up being games that weren’t for the Japanese," said Matsuda on the company's recent slate of Japanese titles, "but they ended up being incomplete titles that weren’t even fit for a global audience.”

I find it encouraging that Square-Enix is publicly expressing contrition on their policy of chasing the mass market instead of focusing on what made them great in the past.  It remains to be seen if this is anything more than rhetoric, but I'm hoping it's a sign of a much-needed change in corporate culture.  Certainly, this represents a possibility that a Chrono remake/sequel might actually be on the table sometime in the future.  At the very least, a change in attitude and focus will bear fruit in whatever IP they pursue.  Thoughts, anyone?

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/square-enix-rethinks-its-bid-to-appeal-to-the-mass-market-after-bravely-default-success/1100-6418665/

6
News Submissions / Chrono Trigger: Episode 1 - Part 1 January 2014 update
« on: January 13, 2014, 05:59:30 am »
Hello all,

Do you like Chrono Fan-fiction?  Do you love the original story so much that you would like to see it retold in greater detail?  Do you like... surprises?  :wink:  Would you like to see Crono, Marle, and Lucca come to life like never before?  Your wish is granted.  This latest update to my ongoing Chrono Trigger novel project covers every event between the Millennial Fair and the escape from Guardia Castle.  For those of you already familiar with the project, this update includes all 13 previously released chapters - newly re-edited - along with four new ones, all in one pdf file.  If you aren't familiar with the project, its quality and its scope may surprise you.  And this is only the beginning.  Find it here:

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php?topic=10162.0

7
Fan Fiction / Chrono Trigger: Episode 1 - Part 1 January 2014 update
« on: January 13, 2014, 04:34:58 am »
Greetings Compendiumites.

The next installment of my Chrono Trigger novel project is ready for the Compendium's enjoyment and review.  I know it's been a long time since my last update, and I apologize for that.  Crono's trial was one of the most challenging things for me to visualize and put into narrative.  This is one of the slower moments of the story, and finding the right balance between pacing and a satisfying portrayal of the event was a source of much head-banging on my keyboard.  I felt that putting Lucca in the same boat as Crono, at least as far as the kidnapping charge is concerned, was key to making the scene work.  (That was inspired by a piece of fan-art that had Lucca cry “Objection!” at the top of her lungs a-la Phoenix Wright.)  Showing the trial from Princess Nadia's perspective also was very helpful, and not something that most people would expect since Nadia was not present at the trial in the original game.  You will find numerous surprises in the new material, including the origins of the name “Marle”, as well as a couple of hints of what I intend to do regarding the characters of Chrono Cross.  I can already hear the “That's not canon!” complaints on that score.  Just understand that I have thought this through to some extent, and keep an open mind.  Remember that this is a remake more than a rehash.

Unlike my previous updates, and on the advice from some of you, I have decided to post the entirety of what I have written to date in a single pdf file.  The first 13 chapters have been given a much needed re-edit, resulting in hundreds of minor corrections and clarifications.  Most important was the resolving of a plot hole regarding Queen Leene's captivity and Yakra's original plans for her, which I should have caught a long time ago.  This is no small piece of fan-fiction, and I hesitate to even call it that since I've put my very best effort into it.  It totals 241 pages of single-spaced material across 17 chapters.  It covers all of the events between the Millennial Fair and the moment that Crono, Marle, and Lucca escape from Guardia Castle and enter the temporal gate to the ruined future.  For those that want to skip straight to the new material, it begins on page 186.

This represents somewhere between the ¼ and 1/3rd point of book one in a four volume series.  Having this much published material is a big moment for me, so I greatly value any feedback the community can give me.

Happy belated new year, and happy reading!

8
Chrono Compendium Discussion / Trouble posting attachments
« on: January 12, 2014, 09:57:17 pm »
I'm getting a 513 error when I attempt to post a 1000 kb (1 Mb) attachment to the fan-fiction thread.  Since it's clearly stated that the maximum size for attachments is 6000 kb, I wonder what is going on?  I would really like to post an update to my ongoing novel project.  (It was ready on Friday night, but I had to put it off because of the server move.)  :(

9
News Submissions / Physicist: Time travel possible
« on: September 15, 2013, 11:14:33 pm »
A University of Manchester physicist has claimed that the dream of traveling through time is by no means impossible.  Just don't expect to do it at 88 mph.

Brian Cox said that travel into the future would be possible through simply going really really fast, accelerating to a velocity near the speed of light.  Under Einstein's Theory of Relativity, a person traveling at near-light speeds would be experiencing time at a much slower rate compared to that of the surrounding universe.  Scientists explain this phenomenon through the "Twin Paradox": Imagine twins, one stays on Earth (Twin A) while the other (Twin B) boards a spaceship and flies off at relativistic speeds. Compared with Twin A’s timeframe, Twin B’s timeframe will slow. If time is running slower for Twin B, then he/she will return to Earth where a lot more time has passed and Twin A has aged significantly more than Twin B. The mechanism behind this is “time dilation” and it has a stronger effect as you travel closer and closer to the speed of light.  However, traveling through time in this fashion would be a one-way trip.  Returning to the time of your departure, or to another point in the past, would not be possible using conventional means.  You need a wormhole to do that.  And that introduces a slew of new problems.  How do you create the wormhole in the first place?  How do you make it lead to the desired point in space-time?  How do you maintain its stability?  Neither quantum mechanics nor the theory of relativity provide the full answer to these questions.  We can ask Lucca, of course, but her answer would be completely incomprehensible to us laypeople.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/13/time-travel-possible-physicist-machine-future-only_n_3921944.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/wormhole-time-machine_n_3817232.html

10
General Discussion / Square-Enix president Yoichi Wada resigns
« on: April 10, 2013, 05:51:50 am »
Apparently, the critical success of three of Square-Enix's latest titles (Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution, and Sleeping Dogs) were not enough to reverse the downward trend of the company.  Following the news of an expected 10 billion yen loss, Square-Enix's long-time president Yoichi Wada is calling it quits.  He is expected to be replaced by vice-president Yosuke Matsuda.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/square-enix-president-yoichi-wada-resigns-amid-extraordinary-loss-6405925

Although Wada's departure will probably be celebrated by many Compendiumites, the fact that even successful titles cannot right the sinking ship is very disheartening.  It's been said that since S/E specializes mainly in single-player IPs, it can no longer effectively compete against AAA titles with a strong multiplayer component.  http://www.gamespot.com/news/tomb-raider-needs-to-sell-at-least-5m-to-be-a-success-says-analyst-6406034  This fact will no doubt be on the mind of the incoming Matsuda, who has promised a "comprehensive review" of the company.

"I'd like to fundamentally review what works and what doesn't work for our company," said Matsuda, "then cast all of our resources towards extending what makes us successful and thoroughly squeezing out what doesn't."

It's difficult to know what the company will look like when the restructuring is complete, except that it will be very different.  It may be that what gets "squeezed out" is the idea of a big-budget single-player experience.  That would effectively end Final Fantasy as we know it, to say nothing about a Chrono sequel or remake.  A contributing factor to the decision will be the very disappointing sales figures from North America (not including digital sales, which have not been compiled) this fiscal year.

So what does everyone think about Square-Enix's future post-Wada?

11
Chrono / Gameplay Casual Discussion / Chrono Cross on NPR
« on: December 10, 2012, 09:08:54 pm »
I was listening to NPR while at work and got an unexpected treat on "All Things Considered".  They did an article about this French-Canadian violinist translating video game music into classical arrangements.  Mentioned were the soundtracks of Angry Birds, Tetris, and Halo 3.  I was waiting with bated breath to see if any of the Chrono games would be mentioned.  They weren't.  Just when I was about to dismiss the article as an opportunity missed, the piece was anchored by the main theme from Chrono Cross.

Although not mentioned by name, we had some arranged Chrono music being performed on national radio for 15 seconds.  That, I think, can only bode well for the future.

http://www.npr.org/2012/12/10/166875717/a-classical-musicians-game-theory

12
So what does everyone think of this latest innovation in gaming?  Is this a superior model to the old convention of game-rentals to try out new titles?  Or is this the beginning of another type of fleecing on the order of DLC, destined to dominate the gaming landscape if we let it take root?  Judging from historical patterns, I am inclined to be pessimistic.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/square-enix-opens-ad-supported-streaming-game-service-6393885

13
After far too many months, the next four chapters of my ambitious Chrono Trigger novel project are ready for the Compendium's review.

Find the chapters and related points here: http://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php/topic,9884.0.html

As always, I am eager for input and thoughts as to the way I am portraying canon events from the game.  I take a fair number of liberties, but with the goal of making the story and characters as compelling as possible while staying true to the spirit of the original material.

14
Fan Fiction / Chrono Trigger: Episode I - Chapters 10 - 13
« on: August 23, 2012, 10:38:25 pm »
Hello all!  My four-book Chrono Trigger novel project continues!  So sorry about the long wait since the last set of chapters was released.  I hope everyone thinks the wait was worth it.

Before you peruse the much-delayed new chapters, I should make note of a few important corrections I've made to the previous chapters - corrections that have a direct bearing on the new material.
(Note: The corrected versions of these chapters are not currently posted, as they are presently little different from the original postings.)

Toward the end of Chapter 5, Magus was described as the "Great Betrayer".  I wrote this to drive home the fact that Magus is clearly human and not Mystic, despite the pointed ears.  I decided to change this because that moniker suggests that Magus was either from Guardia originally or had served it in some official capacity - which clearly did not happen.  His title has since been changed to "Dark Lord" (not exactly original, but fitting).  It is usually humans who describe him this way.  Mystics usually describe him more formally as the "Savior of Je'saal" - Je'saal being the term by which the collection of demi-human races that make up the Mystics refer themselves.

In Chapter 6, Sergeant Kensington mentions that it had been "fifteen years to the day" when Cyrus first came to the Knights seeking royal service.  I decided that this would make Cyrus (and Glenn) a little too young to have achieved the esteemed position that he did by the year 590 (when he is killed by Magus).  In my revised timeline, Cyrus was 17 years old when he enlisted with the Knights, and Glenn was 16.  War with the Mystics broke out six years later, and the year after that (589) Cyrus is promoted to Captain of the Knights of Guardia - the highest position among them.  I believe a man barely past twenty (as Cyrus was in my original timeline) would not be considered for such a lofty position unless the enemy were breaking down the gates of castle, and perhaps not even then.  At the time of his death, Cyrus is 25.  Glenn is transformed into a frog by Magus at age 24, so when he meets Crono and Lucca in the year 600, he is 34 years old.  I believe this age most accurately describes Glenn's level of experience, and I felt it was important to have an older character as part of the core group.  In Chapter 10, Glenn (as "Frog") will clearly state that he had been in royal service for 18 years, though not in what capacity.

Guards at the Millennial Fair were generically referred to as soldiers in Chapters 1 and 2.  I think the term "constable" is a more accurate description, since their duties consist mainly of law enforcement in the city.  The change is reflected in Chapter 13.

For those who are new, or otherwise unfamiliar with this project, here are the links to the previous nine chapters:

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php/topic,8892.0.html

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Forums/index.php/topic,9376.0.html

Chapter 10 begins shortly after the initial battle in Manoria Cathedral.  I greatly look forward to feedback.  Happy reading!

15
I stumbled across a fascinating article via Steam that tells the story of a Civilization II game (a game that came out in the 1990s) that lasted for ten years.  Ten real world years.  He posted his experiences on Reddit and it went viral - people writing fan fiction and art based on the unique events of his campaign.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/07/17/community-heroes-we-talk-to-the-man-behind-civilization-iis-eternal-war/?ns_campaign=article-feed&ns_mchannel=ref&ns_source=steam&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

I think it's interesting that people can still be engrossed in a PC game that is nearly as old as Chrono Trigger.  That says something about the quality of the game design and the gameplay balance.  Firaxis must be tickled pink to read stuff like this.

Pages: [1] 2