Ah, well, how could I not? You're such a brilliant writer and your stories are always an absolute delight to read. If my encouragement motivated you to bring False Flames from idea(s) to an actual posted story collection, then I'm doubly glad I did so.
hug and cherish the tragic character in question and give them nice things
Everyone deserves hugs and nice things, so why not Maliketh? Especially him, really, the poor fellow - he was given such a bad hand in canon and, much like how it annoys me that FromSoft didn't give us a questline/an option to ally with Malenia to fight Mogh (provided that prior to meeting her we find out Miquella is there), it annoys me that there was no option to help Gurranq/Maliketh and ally with him. Needless to say, both this story collection and False Azure bring me much joy in this regard.
I didn't expect to achieve the main objective of the entire elaborate evil plot I've got here with just the first chapter...
After including Alagos and Fluffyketh hugging in the very first chapter? Impossible to resist after reading that (especially the fluffy mane part). ;)
What I really liked about their hug was that, after more or less establishing within the first part/half of the chapter the personality/character of these two, their hug isn't just a simple physical embrace - it offers further insight into both Alagos and Maliketh, and at the same time demonstrates the depth of their bond and the level of trust they have in the other to allow someone so close. There is simultaneously a beautiful strength and a surprising vulnerability to their hug and the comfort, relief, and support they find in it which makes the entire moment simply beautiful.
A relationship of respect and admiration between Maliketh and a non-foul Tarnished who empathised with him is very satisfying to write.
And very satisfying to read. *beams* As I mentioned before, it's also simply a genuine joy to see two people share that kind of bond without any hidden negative emotions on either side. What Alagos and Maliketh have is friendship, yes, but it's far from being an ordinary one - it's the kind of friendship where one person would be willing to go to the end of the world and beyond for the other because their happiness matters no less (and even more) than the person's own. It's friendship with the profoundest kind of affection possible towards another at its core, built up after years of trust being established, little by little, to the point where nothing could shake it up by so much as even an iota. Alagos and Maliketh know the best and the worst of the other, and accept it without judgement, only with understanding; and this has done nothing except deepen their appreciation and affection for each other. Restricting myself to just calling it 'beautiful' or 'wonderful' feels woefully lacking, but I can't think of any other way I could describe it. Which is also why this...
I love writing this dynamic so much, particularly because of the... immense cruelty... I have planned elsewhere... *return of the cackles*
... is worrying. *gives the cackling author a wary look* If the... hm... positive of their friendship will be 'balanced out', for lack of a better phrase, by something proportionately negative, then, well, I can't even imagine what it could be; only that it will doubtlessly either break my heart or make me cry (or both). Suffice to say, as a reader, I both dread it and am incredibly curious about it.
*Grateful acceptance of the stollen for some vanilla cookies* I think he lied about 'just this once'.
*accepts the vanilla cookies with great delight* Oh, undoubtedly. Once is never enough, especially when it comes to a certain someone's soft, so very soft mane of fluffy fur. (and, really, who could blame him when it's something we'd do in a heartbeat as well...? ;) )
... I have no resistance to cats and dogs at all. *embarrassed laugh*
I also love the mental image I have of them being grumpy old men together over tea and deathroot.
*cheerfully adds this to the growing collection of fanart ideas*
Sometimes he lunges, but it looks drunken, and his attacks seem somehow doddering.
I completely agree! To be honest, I found Radagon somewhat, well, underwhelming when compared to some of the other fights in the game (Malenia easily took first place in terms of difficulty for me, followed by Radahn and Malekith). It didn't really feel like he had full control of himself, like he was... like he was half-fighting against some other influence (be it Marika or the Elden Beast), and half-moving like a marionette being controlled, the end result being some pretty big mistakes from a strategic viewpoint. You managed to portray this perfectly in Alagos' fight against him.
The fight against the Elden Beast, on the other hand, I found... a bit weird? It really is one of the most beautiful cosmos-related designs I've seen (I'd have included Astel, too, if my first thought upon seeing it hadn't been "Gah, Gashadokuro!", which are creepy, creepy creatures in Japanese folklore) and the music is confusingly soft and gentle for what is supposed to be the final battle, and I think it's the latter part which threw me off so much the first time I fought it. Ultimately, though, like the Divine Dragon in Sekiro, it's more a matter of patience than anything else, I'd say. So, as long as Alagos would have been careful with his stamina (which I have no doubt he would have been), he would definitely have won against the Elden Beast in the end. But, yes, Maliketh's way was much quicker and more efficient. xD
Marozzo talks about interconnected swings with a Spadone/Two-handed Greatsword to enforce distance
This is another name (and the accompanying techniques) I will most definitely look up, as I've never heard of Marozzo before. *is excited* I do love that I often learn something new in our conversations. Being aware of the distance to one's opponent, both from where one is standing and where (and how far) the swords cross, as well as the importance of maintaining/controlling this distance seems to me to be one of the most important elements of swordfighting in general, regardless whether Western or Eastern. I really like that the fights you write have this technical element/side to them, where the significance of the moves and steps used is highlighted.
Maybe it's the effect of The Princess Bride.
Ah, yes, the inescapable influence of The Princess Bride. *grins* I can't deny that this particular trope is among my favourites and something I find hard to resist including in a fight sometimes.
But there isn't any reason why she and Alagos can't be friends. ...Eventually, that is. (Maliketh please stop growling at me
Whatever the point of divergence is, regardless whether it was Alagos behaving slightly differently or Malenia, or if Malenia just has a different preference (I like the idea that Malenia and Finlay were together - the kind of devotion Finlay showed went well beyond the loyalty of a knight to their liege), I look forward to seeing how their friendship will establish itself, considering there is a very well-meaning but also highly protective fluffy guard around Alagos.
Though, I've no doubt that Malenia would look less than kindly upon Goldmask's idea of how the world should be...
But 'Talleyrandian politics' is amongst the tags for a reason...
I'm probably the odd one out here, but this and the 'statecraft' aspects (together with 'bringing this ridiculous family together one little piece at a time', of course) are some of the elements I'm most looking forward to in False Flames.
Happy New Year, my friend, and may the coming year bring with it much joy and laughter, great health, and many reasons to smile (and a lot of good tea and cookies ;) )!
:) I probably would have dithered far more instead of putting those small breaks and evenings to use were it not for your encouragement.
Everyone deserves hugs and nice things, so why not Maliketh?
Rykard: Yeees, I toooo desssseeerve hugssss...
Mohg: Welcome, honoured guests! *Throws arms open wide*
Me: Um, no thank you...
But Maliketh certainly deserves such treatment. I must have said at some point that I consider him perhaps the most tragic of all of them.
Impossible to resist after reading that (especially the fluffy mane part)
I've been to five different comment sections with my thoughts on the fluffy mane thing, and was met with the immediate agreement of four authors. The fifth responded with some worry for the fate of the Demigods.
It's friendship with the profoundest kind of affection possible towards another at its core, built up after years of trust being established, little by little, to the point where nothing could shake it up by so much as even an iota.
False Azure's Malenia: Challenge accepted! *Somehow gets Alagos to love her even more*
But truly, the line about "Alagos and Maliketh know the best and the worst of the other, and accept it without judgement, only with understanding" could not have been better put. Neither has ever judged the other, because they aren't in a position to, having committed many of the same mistakes in the past before they decided to trust each other. But this also has the consequence that they never question the other, and enable some of their... worse tendencies.
Both Alagos and Maliketh don't particularly care for physical affection, or the physical world in general: they prefer to keep to themselves, and master their emotion. I thought that the hug would have some added importance since they see the meaning in the act in the first place- or perhaps they just can't help themselves at the sheer relief.
But, you know, there may or may not be all sorts of self-indulgences to come. *Malevolently writes horribly clichéd scene about a tired Alagos accidentally falling asleep on Maliketh's soft paw, much to his embarrassment*
If the... hm... positive of their friendship will be 'balanced out', for lack of a better phrase, by something proportionately negative, then, well, I can't even imagine what it could be; only that it will doubtlessly either break my heart or make me cry (or both).
Huehuehue
I really don't think Maliketh would feel too happy if he comes to realise False Azure's Alagos fell hopelessly in love with "that one".
I completely agree! To be honest, I found Radagon somewhat, well, underwhelming when compared to some of the other fights in the game
I felt much the same, but in hindsight- given Radagon's curious 'blankness' and a certain irrelevance that seems to be his legacy- it doesn't feel entirely inappropriate. I certainly found the dual-fight's difficulty appropriate for a Fromsoft Final Boss- but most of the difficulty came from the dissonance between the bosses and having to fight them back-to-back.
I love the design of the Elden Beast. My first thought was 'If Nessie exists, I do hope she looks like that'. But I did find the fight tedious, and see no reason why Torrent was not allowed within it.
As for my thoughts, since you gave me yours, I think the best fight in the game is Maliketh's, but my favourite is Malenia's. I make the distinction on this account: for example, I consider Ulysses a better book than, say, The Fellowship of the Ring- but on a rainy day, with a cup of tea, I'd be more tempted by the latter. Similarly, I consider Maliketh to have more refined mechanics, but Malenia is the one I keep coming back to when I think 'Elden Ring'. I never found Radahn hard, though- just sort of annoying, due to the camera problems. Problem with all giant bosses (except Midir, who must be a brilliant bit of design), I guess.
This is another name (and the accompanying techniques) I will most definitely look up, as I've never heard of Marozzo before. *is excited* I do love that I often learn something new in our conversations.
Very big historical fencing rant
I wouldn't recommend Marozzo's treatise too much; I find it important because he's one of the few fencing masters with a preserved manuscript on fighting with a two-handed greatsword (call it a Montante if you're spanish, Spadone if you're Italian, Zweihänder if Germanic, so on and so forth).
I actually find Alfieri's treatise much more comprehensive. It also comes from a later date, so Agrippa's innovations in footwork had already occurred by then. In fact, Agrippa is another recommendation.
A point in Marozzo's favour is that he's part of the Bolognese tradition, which operates on the principle "attack when he is in the middle of a movement". Bolognese fencing and swordsmanship is very elegant, and with two-handers there's an emphasis on interconnected strikes to use momentum to the fullest. So Marozzo is very good if you're in a situation facing multiple opponents, due to this use of momentum.
But otherwise, I find that Agrippa and Alfieri more practical and more well-rounded. In fact, they focus on using distance to a greater extent than Marozzo, if that's what one would like to develop.
Then you also have people like Meyer, who in Kunst des Fechtens (I think) mentions that guards and strikes for a longsword may be replicated for the greatsword with slightly changed angles. In fact, a lot of Meyer's innovations was trying to adapt a longsword's movements to the increased momentum of a greatsword. As I'm a bit of a Meyerist myself, the way I envision Alagos is as a Meyerist with his Flamberge, though he sometimes dips into Agrippa. But I didn't think too much about this back when I started...
Coming back to ideas of distance, the field in which it would have the greatest impact is arguably rapier. One of my greatest mistakes as a rapierist was studying in the Italian tradition instead of the Spanish one (La Verdadera Destreza), because in my opinion the latter makes far better use of ideas related to distance.
How (most) Italian rapier works is to imagine a straight line from your front foot to the opponents, and to strive for control of that line in the bind situation. La Verdadera Destreza instead prescribes circular movements- less about swordplay and control, and more about footwork. A Diestro would never lunge, unlike in the Italian tradition, as it's imprecise. They'd also not overrun or force down or disengage quite as often, and would prefer to create angles of attack from the side, like in Atajo
Instead of Giganti, I really should have picked Carranza or Pacheco or even Rada, as LVD would have suited me much better. I didn't partly because Carranza's treatise is extraordinarily opaque, and partly because badly-done Destreza is extremely easy to overcome, and I felt Giganti would be very solid.
There was an Italian master- Fabris- who also dislikes lunging and thrusts, and prefers to fence prise de fer ("from the bind"). But even he, like all others of the italian tradition, prescribe "the resolute advance"- that is, crowding your opponent and goading them to action, or taking decisive action yourself- which I always had trouble with.
As it stands, if I were to engage a Diestro on open ground, I would find it very difficult, as LVD's circular movements are very hard to overcome. But if I were to face that Diestro in a confined hallway, I'd bet on myself due to the linear nature of Giganti/Fabris.
To say something pertinent to the story, if Alagos were a rapierist (and he probably is in his spare time), he'd definitely fence Destreza. He emphasises distance a lot more over timing and footwork over swordplay, just like a diestro would. There's an interesting thing about the history: Carranza designed it to be a defensive system which greatly assists you in overcoming the opponent without taking their life. This would suit Alagos' philosophy perfectly. But to do so, a lot of LVD movements end in a grapple situation. There's a cousin- Thibault's style- which completely does away with the grapple- so maybe he'd do that, actually.
Whatever the point of divergence is, regardless whether it was Alagos behaving slightly differently or Malenia, or if Malenia just has a different preference (I like the idea that Malenia and Finlay were together - the kind of devotion Finlay showed went well beyond the loyalty of a knight to their liege)
I won't go into the details of what changed here too much, but I do have a soft spot for that idea. Regardless, Fluffyketh's the focus here.
About the statecraft thing, I'd think that makes you my typical customer, actually.
Happy New Year to you too! I'll see about an update to False Azure soon.
*slowly emerges from the deepest pit of exhaustion* I am so, so sorry for taking so long to reply here - the festive days left me more drained than I'd thought possible... but! I'm more or less okay again now. *offers a home-baked cake in apology, along with some tea*
I hope you've had a great start into the new year so far!
Me: Um, no thank you...
Weeell... they deserve them too, sure, but no one said I had to be the one to give them said hugs - I don't want to be "togethaaa" forever with Rykard, sorry. *nervous laugh*
perhaps the most tragic of all of them.
You have and I very much agree. I mean, yes, there are other tragic characters as well, such as Morgott, for example, but Maliketh's fate is the most tragic of all: partly because of what happened surrounding the Night of Black Knives and the consequences which followed in the aftermath, of course, but also (and mainly, in my opinion) because he was given Destined Death and that just about ensured happiness would forever be out of reach for him; and even after all of that, even after being treated - frankly - abominably by Marika, even after being driven to madness, he is still determined to do his duty...
So, yes, Maliketh especially deserves hugs and everything nice.
was met with the immediate agreement of four authors. The fifth responded with some worry for the fate of the Demigods
The latter probably made me laugh more than it should have, but I can see where it comes from. xD
However, yes - the power of the fluffy mane cannot be denied. *nods sagely*
this also has the consequence that they never question the other, and enable some of their... worse tendencies.
That might become a problem in such a situation, can't disagree there. At the same time, though, I can't really say I wouldn't do the same were I in their position.
there may or may not be all sorts of self-indulgences to come.
*rubs hands together in anticipation*
I did find the fight tedious
'Tedious' describes it perfectly. The fight really felt needlessly drawn out (or, at any rate, far more than it should have been). I mean, granted, I could simply not be that good a gamer, but compared to Radagon's more fast-paced fight that at least allowed for a decent back-and-forth, the fight against the Elden Beast was a bit, well, dull, even plodding. I loved its design, but not the fight, if that makes any sense.
I think the best fight in the game is Maliketh's, but my favourite is Malenia's.
Okay, first off - great comparison. It's so rare to see Ulysses mentioned so positively (or, really, mentioned in general *sigh* I need more book friends), but, yes, I understand what you mean. Within that context, I'd have to agree with you regarding Maliketh and Malenia's fights.
I never found Radahn hard, though- just sort of annoying
*hides face, embarrassed* It took me far, far too long/too many tries to figure out how to approach Radahn, which is why he was one of my hardest fights - even just getting close enough to finally get a hit on him was difficult until I found a way that worked.
Very big historical fencing rant
Oh, wow, thank you so much! *is delighted* That was so much information - I have a whole host of names and techniques/schools to look up now. From the preliminary look I've done into them, though, I think I'd go for the Spanish style, too - I like the idea behind the more circular movements and the tendency towards side-attacks quite a lot. Lunging is something I just... can't seem to get the hang of, to be honest. It always seems like such a risky or, well, counterintuitive move to me that I just can't bring myself to do it (or time it) well.
I do have a soft spot for that idea. Regardless, Fluffyketh's the focus here.
He absolutely deserves a happy outcome after everything he's gone (and been put) through. The other characters, though, are also so interesting that it's just about impossible not be curious about them as well within the context of this story. I mean, we're a bit familiar with them from False Azure, but this story puts them in a new situation and the differences are no less intriguing than the new aspects/elements. :)
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