Page 1485…
Well…it was a short week thanks to the computer issues…but I think I’ve got it worked out for now.
Hopefully next week we’ll be back to 5 pages again.
Thank you for all of the advice and generous offers.
I really truly appreciate all of your support.
I will most definitely consider a fundraising scenario if all of my other options fail.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Scott
A most unlucky Friday the 13th for Alex…
Really enjoying these developments with Niviene, btw.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Daniel still can’t enter Dreamland. So really, how is Alex’s purpose fulfilled? Dreamland still needs a king. Niviene nay-sayers, you have now been proven right. I wonder what she gets with all this? Does Dan taking the mantle of king somehow bring Merlin back to life?
I think Nicodemus has bought her! He promised to bring Merlin back to life, in return for Niviene saving his life!
(Mind you: I’m NEVER right… 😉 )
I missed the discussion yesterday, but seriously consider putting the donate button back up. I know I’d like to throw you a few dollars, but I don’t really want/need any merch right now, and I’m sure plenty of others feel the same way.
Just who does this witch think she is?!?!? I’m starting to think it might have been her that put the spell on Dan to begin with, not knowing about Alex.
Am I the only one who genuinely likes Niviene? 🙁
Also, the speech bubble in panel two is in a strange place. Right over Niviene. Wouldn’t make more sense to place it into the empty space beside Alex?
Have you voted yet?
Currently, we’re #7 with 5,993 votes. #6 has 7,923. #1 has 12,098. And we still have two more weeks (and weekends; do remember to vote on weekends, please!) to go. Crash and burn, fellow Dreamies!
I think you might be right. Only time will tell if Daniel will become king but I don’t think now is the time to be arguing over the rites of sucessetion. The elusive guardians are still out there. They just might hold the final puzzle piece.
Am I the only one to find Nivene antipathetic ?
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this already (maybe with Orion) but if Dan were to take the necklace…he would go to Dreamland…and Alexander would no longer be allowed in Dreamland.
I know. Unfortunately it covered Alex up too. Ugh.
I’ll see if I can tweak it.
I also think the look on Nastajia’s face in the last panel should be more like her expression in the first; a look of “mind your own business, fish lady!”. I think Alex should have a “drop dead, witch!” expression on his face too. Since when does some fish decide who does and who doesn’t get to visit Dreamland?
Niviene does ask a good question. Still, I do wonder about her…
Well, poydras, I would counter with, since when does Alex get to decide who does and who doesn’t get to visit Dreamland. He doesn’t have an exclusive right to get to go there over Dan (who is the one who really won the war).
They have those expressions on their faces because they are good-hearted and in their hearts they know Dan is the rightful king and should be able to come to Dreamland. But they are keeping him out.
I’ve never seen Alex make any such decisions about who does and who doesn’t visit. He initially walked into a cave and pulled a sword from a stone out of curiosity. I’ve never seen him proclaim himself king or show any desire to be so. As for Nastajia’s expression; “you pick on my boyfriend, you pick on me”.
Funny how just an hour ago approximately, she was all sympathetic about Nastajia’s feelings for Alex. Now she’s proposing in a matter-of-fact manner that Alex should leave Nastajia for the rest of his life with no realistic goal of reuniting. Niviene talks about waiting for Merlin, which makes sense ‘cuz he might still have a chance of escaping the tree with or without Arthur in tow. But once Alex gives over the necklace to Dan, there will be no foreseeable reason why he will be able to come back.
True, Niviene is making good points, but you’d think she’d say it in a much more tactful manner…
After all, a watery tart making dire pronouncements is no sound basis for a government.
If I remember correctly, Alex is the only one the necklace works for because he originally pulled the sword from the stone in the cave. It’s the spell or curse that prevents Dan from visiting Dreamland, not anything Alex is doing.
Nastajia to the rescue! You ain’t gonna mess with her man! 😛
I’m fairly sure that hasn’t been mentioned yet…
I am pretty sure Dan could tell Alex to give him the necklace and they could have this conversation. Dan has never been to dreamland, ever, he has only seen it once, through a pool of water. Alex was raised there, he loves the place and the people and has a true investment in them. As intelligent as Dan is, Alex is a brave king who would do anything for Dreamland, Dan is an excellent advisor and loves his brother. But it just feels right fro Alex to stay the protector of Dreamland.
It has been hinted at, but not said outright.
Aye! If I said I was emperor because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
I wish there was someway to get both Dan and Alex to dreamland at the same time…that way Alex could be the protector and Dan could rule with his wisdom
Why didn’t Dan go to dreamland as a kid though…as it seems every other child does?
Hmm, Niviene seems to be getting a little stuck up and she’s acting like she’s not really even listening to the good sense Nastajia and Alex are saying.
Arthur was under a spell not dead, yet not alive… as such, the next in line could not enter dreamland. Alex was not Next, but was in line (being a twin of the next in-line). when Alex stumbled upon the tomb of Kings and took the sword, the spell on Arthur was broken and Alex (by possession of the sword of kings) became King. My guess, since Dan is the true next, he can take possession of the sword and become the rightful King.
Because Arthur was technically still king. And while the king was still alive, his successor couldn`t enter Dreamland. Alex (second in line so to speak) could go to Dreamland though, and took over the sword of kings, making him king (but not the true king, that`s still Dan).
She’s so mean! She wants to separate the lovers!!! }:(
wow, i don’t remember that at all–that doesn’t mean it wasn’t mentioned, but you may want to think about sneaking that in the story at some point between now and then, just to reinforce it.
^^about Dan being to enter Dreamland with the necklace, i mean)
I went skimmed back through the archives and couldn’t find this, but didn’t Alex try to give the sword to Dan at one time? I seem to remember that Dan turned it down. But, I think that was before they found out he was the true heir, too.
Eureka! I looked again and found it.
http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/chapter-15/page-1155/
It was right around the time that Nic told them Dan was the rightful heir, but they were in the middle of a battle, and Dan didn’t want to end up in the middle of it without knowing what to do.
Maybe the big sword will be Dan’s ticket to Dreamland. That way they can both go.
Strangely enough I remember it super clearly, if only because I was kind of offended by how insensitive Orion was to the situation at the time. Here’s a quick recap of what went down though…
Alex had just tried (and failed) to let Nicole into dreamland using his necklace. It didn’t work, and instead of Nicole, Felicity found herself looking at Alex instead (where Nicole WOULD have stood had it worked).
Felicity (in a really moving panel I’ll never forget) was driven to tears, but instead of politely having a quite word with Alex (who was busy apologizing to Felicity at that very moment), Orion scolded him HARD saying that the Sword of Kings was no toy etc. (Or something to that effect).
Oh, and I found the page so you can exactly what he said ^_^
http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/chapter-16/page-1320/
Ooo….if you said it, I missed it! That does put an interesting spin on things. I don’t know how Nastajia and Alex will handle this…And does Dan want to be king?
There wasn’t a spell on Dan. He just couldn’t get into Dreamland before because Arthur wasn’t technically dead. While a King of Dreamland lives, the next-in-line for the throne cannot get into Dreamland at all. That’s how Dreamland works. Alex got to Dreamland and became king by virtue of a loophole.
I like Niviene for now. She just doesn’t have her people skills in order…
Well…technically everyone gets to visit Dreamland (except those next-in-line for the throne) as kids. It’s just adults who are restricted to one vistor…period…which is something Arthur was working on (and I would have assumed Niviene would have supported that given her affinity for Merlin). And she didn’t make the rules…she’s just reminding them of propriety.
He and Nastajia have had conversations about him being king though, so even if he hasn’t declared himself king, he knows that everyone considers him to be king…including the Sword of Kings. It may be that he was too busy thinking about “finishing what he started” or “making Nastajia happy” to consider that his brother should have been given the position that was rightfully his.
While on the one hand, those reasons were noble, they were very inconsiderate of the brother who has been wanting to go to Dreamland since they were children. Heck…even Niviene noticed Daniel’s joy from just getting to touch a mermaid’s hand so he could be closer to Dreamland.
I’m of two minds about this. I want Nastajia and Alex to have their happy ending, but I think that it is cruel to bar Dan from the place he was meant to be.
According to Scott (above) the necklace would work for Dan.
I don’t think that’s how it was explained. There was a spell to keep the next king out of Dreamland but that lizard guy didn’t realize that the king had a twin brother. The twin, Alex, was able to pull the sword from the stone and set all this in motion.
If only it actually would work for two instead of one. I really don’t want Alex to be kicked out permanently just yet. 🙁
It’s kinda like episodes of the original Star Trek where all the rules kept changing. When Alex gave the necklace to Nicole, it didn’t work and he was scolded NOT to do that again. Also Alex was a regular visitor to Dreamland and he and Nastajia had a puppy love relationship going long before he stumbled upon the sword, which became the necklace anytime Alex was awake. Logic is that the necklace would only work for the person that originally pulled the sword from the stone, but then, the author knows more about how this is supposed to work than I do. Whatever, I think it’s time for Alex and Nastajia to put miss chicken-of-the-sea in her place.
Here is where we first learned that the thing that kept Dan out was the fact that Arthur was still around in some form or fashion. The page immediately after it goes into more detail and points out that it is Dreamland law…not just a spell. The only spell cast probably kept Arthur not alive but not dead so that a successor could not arrive in Dreamland.
I think the problem is that we have such a limited view and understanding of how everything works because we essentially see things through Alex’s eyes. 🙂 Apparently the necklace works for any ruler or “next ruler” of Dreamland, but not for anyone else (probably as part of the whole “no adults in Dreamland” thing). Since Dan is a candidate (and technically more legitimate than Alex by virtue of birth), the necklace would work for him…but would kick Alex out permanently.
It’s a no-win situation really.
If all that is true, then Alex should keep the necklace as the one who originally found it and tell the fish lady to get lost. It’s obvious from the last couple of strips that she is trying to drive a wedge between Alex and Dan and now Alex and Nastajia, and who would that benefit? It would benefit Nickodemus. Remember where that big lizard fell and why they couldn’t find his body? It fell in the sea! It’s very possible that fish lady is harboring him and they are in cahoots.
Julie says it very well. I don’t want to break up Nastajia and Alex, but I want to see Dan fly in Dreamland and do all the things he’s been denied.
And when I said Alex doesn’t get to decide either, I meant that if he chooses not to give Dan the sword, then he’s deciding that Dan never gets to go to Dreamland.
Good work on building the tension, Scott!
Niviene is right, but ‘the best thing for Dreamland’ is far from being ‘the best thing’ for Alex and Nastajia!
I wonder if the sword would be open to negotiation regarding a joint rulership? It’s either that or they need to find some other route into Dreamland than the sword.
Interesting thought, but if Alex & Nastajia have kids, is it possible that the heir to the throne might be a Dreamlander? Is the kingship even passed down through bloodline?
(Interesting side note – Alex & Dan would most likely be the descendants of Mordred, if that were the case! 😀 )
Anyone here remember the DC Comics series Camelot 3000? If not,go online and get it.
Let’s hope Dreamland doesn’t take that route,then again maybe Arthur may be alive!
What i’m confused by is then…. after Alex pulled the sword, shouldnt Dan have been able to enter normally? as a kid? in his sleep????
Besides, Alex, though an heir, has yet to be crowned, so he’s not really king. Dreamland has no king at the moment, so Dan is able to enter if he wears the sword.
What I’ve always been confused about is why being a younger TWIN makes him eligible for the throne, rather than just a younger brother.
I think it just adds an ironic twist to the storyline. I don’t see what lineage has to do with any of this anyway. Isn’t this all a takeoff of “The Sword in the Stone”? King Arthur didn’t inherit the throne based on lineage. He pulled a sword from a stone and became king by decree, which is exactly what Alexander did.
Fishcake here is a legalist. She doesn’t care about the feelings of the people involved, she just wants things to go the “correct” way. I guess living for a thousand years in a cave has taken away her “humanity” regarding anything except Merlin.
Boy oh boy do I dislike her >:( Partly because I kinda aggrree with her logic and do think it’s unfair that Dan’s own adventure was taken from him; but I care more for Alex and Staj because they’ve been through their own personal tribulations fighting a DRAGON and his armies. At least Dan didn’t have to go through all that.
As usual I’m loving your work Scott. Keep it up!
appeal to her romantic side, perhaps? Alex and his Elf Princess will never see each other again if he gives over the necklace( at least, at the moment. they MUST find out a way to make this all work.) would she really wish such a fate on any couple, eternal separation?
If that fails…I dunno. run for it and hope that the big fish don’t eat you.
Except depending on which legend/version you read, he was still the legit heir through blood, and the sword was thus “saved” for him a way because of his bloodline…
Or take option C: Get a giant pan, some butter and a lemon >:)
Fish fillets anyone?
I kid, I kid. Don’t wan’t the children to have nightmares now do we?
I think you have a point there.
Alex’s purpose won’t be fulfilled until there is an identity-confirmed dragon corpse in the town square.
Dan would probably get himself killed by Nicodemus quite adequately.
Interesting plot twist though…especially if you include a bit where Alex almost loses his ablilty to enter by handing it over… (what do you think Sava, althogh at this point you probably have Niviene role already figured and mapped out.) and on top of that how the H do we know for sure that Alex’s part is done with? (You know, forgeting a moment that Sava did already mention last page about this going of for a few more years.) Only time and hindsight can ever truly reveal the importance and need of anyone in and time or situation. It is pretty assuming that his part is done.
Julie is correct I remember this part clearly even though I could not tell you what page exactly. It was after we first met the centaurs.
Just yet?
Mordred? The name sounds familiar who is that?
No first borns can only enter if there is no king when the king dies what ever first born gets the sword first becomes king then no other first-borns may enter. Technically Arthur was not dead just in a sort of coma. Alex pulled the sword and took it so Arthur finally died. Alex will have to die or give the sword to Dan for Dan to enter.
There seems to be 1 major issue being ignored and overlooked: the people of Dreamland have been displaced from the big reveal of Nicodermus, thier past, the war and of all things a foriegn human being king. Displacement can cause all sorts of problems in a society, and now just when things are getting settled down and getting used to the human Alexander as king they have to have a new guy all over again? that might cauz more problems than solutions currently.
You all tell me what you think…
oops sry meant for that to be it’s own comment.
There seems to be 1 major issue being ignored and overlooked: the people of Dreamland have been displaced from the big reveal of Nicodermus, thier past, the war and of all things a foriegn human being king. Displacement can cause all sorts of problems in a society, and now just when things are getting settled down and getting used to the human Alexander as king they have to have a new guy all over again? that might cauz more problems than solutions currently.
You all tell me what you think…
dang, Niviene is a bit harsh?
Hey, Scott! Check it out! http://daphianna.deviantart.com/art/Felicity-295939424 I made fan art! =D
I don’t think the Lady of the Lake understands what’s going on here. Whatever enchantment kept Daniel from entering… it’s still working. As Daniel is unavailable, Alex is CLEARLY the next in line and the legitimate heir to the throne.
She thinks she’s the Lady of the Lake, a thousand year old sorceress, consort to Merlin, user of the Pool which gives her more information than anyone else, who feels she can speak truth to kings and who is bringing a fresh perspective to Alex’s situation. She’s asking questions neither Alex nor Nastajia have thought of, and suggesting alternatives their emotions were keeping them from considering. I’m not sure if she’s doing this seriously, or is trying to shake them out of their current rut and make them examine the whole situation and determine what is actually the best course. There ARE powerful arguments for keeping Alex around. It was he (and Nas) who forged the alliance between Dreamland’s races, he (and Nas) who defeated Nic, he who everyone looks to as King. His devotion to Nastajia is driving him to find her parents, and somewhere in the future I think there’s going to be a fight with the Nightmare Realm to make them give up the children they kidnapped; a situation where Alex’s strength, fighting prowess, and experience would be essential. Niviene might be trying to get them to put that in words and justify their actions so they aren’t rattled at some point, as Alex was when Nic called into question his motives during their battle…
I’m suddenly curious which Arthurian legends that are being used for a baseline. The idea of eldest son inheriting first and basically everything doesn’t come to England until the Norman invasion of William the Conqueror, it’s called primogeniture. Which at William invading in 1066 puts him later than most Arthurian timelines as their is a recorded line of kings after William, things are sketchier in the post Caesar conquest till 750ish AD if I remember correctly, which is where Arthur tends to get lumped somewhere between 200 and 600. So technically Daniel’s claim is iffy at best. The fact that Alex is there and has the sword would probably make him the stronger claimant. He’s recognized by the elves, merfolk and centaurs as the rightful king, so really it seems odd that Niviene would try and support the claim of someone that had till that day not seen a single citizen or inch of dreamland. I’m watching you merlady, you’re acting highly suspicious.
Well put.
I see how it is. He’s no longer ‘necessary’ so he can be thrown out like trash.
The 1300s-1400s based legend is the one in use, not the Roman one. Also, I don’t think the line of succession for Dreamland monarchs must be hereditary. The only time blood relations seem to have ever mattered is with Alex taking Dan’s place.
Completely unrelated, but aside from Naivine and Merlin, is there any precedent for a long-term Dreamlander/human relationship?
Read previous posts people cuz this subjects been gone over and over again and again. Dan is kept out cuz the sword is currently in the posession of someone not Alex spefically but ‘A’ and I can not stress this enough ->A<- first-born human male and Alex can give it to Dan. so unless the currently leader dies or gives it to him.
Dan and alex may be twins but Dan is the younger one. So yes it is the first borns but not nessasarily the oldest born.
that might make merlin.. tree-merlin… mad. making merlin mad never seems to be a wise thing. ever. even if he’s a tree.
Something like that, but I honestly don’t believe she sees him as trash I believe she just has a absurdly logical mind and believes that Dan being king is what is best for Dreamland so it should be done, same with letting her love and even helping her love leave her to go to the dream between dreams so Merlin could find Arthur, a quest that both of them had to now that they may never see eachother again.
Not saying I like it or even agree just that I under stand.
Honestly as much as Dan deserves to see Dream Land Alex has more right to be there as he works much better as a King as while Dan may have the smarts Alex has the leadership skills to bring people together. Personally I think Nastajia should call Niviene out, saying that Alex truly loves her one minute then telling Alex to surrender his right to be with her when Alex and Dan are the only way she can see her true love.
Dan should, in my mind, Abdicate the throne. Alex pretty much is the Recognized Ruler of Dreamland and Saved it from Nic giving the sword over to Dan would more then likely cause chaos.
How does that make it so that Alex can’t enter Dreamland?
Since Arthur died because Nicodemus’s spell would have ceased when Nic died (or atleast I think he did) that would have taken away Dan’s inability to enter. When he wears the necklace he could be able to get into Dreamland despite his age. However, this shouldn’t take away Alex’s ability to enter since Alex can enter Dreamland without the necklace as he has done before.
The necklace being given to Dan shouldn’t cause Alex to be banned from Dreamland. If anything, the reason as to why Alex can get in – without the necklace – anyway is probably because of either his extreme connection to Dreamland’s fate – aka his destiny and actions within – or because he “believed he could fly”…his belief in Dreamland may have been so strong it’s what keeps him able to go there even now.
Let’s all remember how Peter Pan went down.
Sorry mis-said something. He can’t enter without the necklace. Oops.
But even so he should be able to enter whenever he wears it. Dan wearing it shouldn’t be an issue – they can alternate using it.
Heyhey, Niviene, guess you are dead wrong!
Correct me if I am wrong, but in one of the Arthur flashbacks din’t he say that a pact with the nightmare realm prevented adult from entering dreamland, and he was tring to find a way around it without breaking the pact or treaty or whatever?
Arthur’s illegitimate son – and the destroyer of Camelot.
Orion said: “Once it [the sword] has passed from one ruler to the next… You may no longer use it.”
So, if Dan uses it, Alex should be cut off from Dreamland.