Page 1044…
So I hope you’re following all of this so far.
This WILL read better all in one. Trust me.
A page at a time may be a bit confusing. And I apologize for that.
It was SO much fun tying all of the history of Dreamland together. This chapter EVERYTHING gets explained.
Really.
So please be patient. I know a lot of you have questions…and I don’t want to spoil too much.
Thanks
And here’s a new image to vote for. A sneak peek of an upcoming panel…as seen in the 3D software I work in.
Enjoy.
Ohho!!!! I have a feeling we’re about to discover how Daniel’s inability to dream ties into this whole thing. Hint – Daniel is the first-born, but Alexander is the one that can dream…. Someone found a loophole in the Laws of Dreamland (which we’re about to learn about I bet).
Ah ha! So this explains why Dan could never get into Dreamland.
So if Alex becomes king, would it free up Daniel to dream and enter Dreamland? The plot is thickening nicely….
Alex already is the king. The sword has said so. And so long as the previous king remains, the next generation’s first born cannot enter…
Heres my thought. Arthur is trapped somewhere in dreamland, presumably by Nic. Next quest for alex: Free Arthur so he can finally die in peace? while alex takes his rightful place as the next king of dreamland, which would also let dan into dreamland as alex isn’t the previous king, but the next or current king.
So Dan does have something to do with this mess after all. This is going to make for some interesting daytime chatter once we get around to seeing him and Nicole again.
This will probably kill any thought of Dan being Nick once and for all as well.
Ah, brilliant vote incentive!! You’re getting good at these.
Ok so here are my theories (they can’t all be right)
1. What if because Dan and Alex are twins either one could rule dreamland but Alex got to dreamland first so it has caused Daniel to be unable to enter dreamland because only one ruler can be in dreamland at a time. But there is some sort of loophole that will enable both of them to enter dreamland under the correct circumstances.
2. What if Daniel is the true king but because they are twins there is a lack of differention between them that would allow it to appear as if Alex is the king
3. What if Nic did something which caused Dan and Alex to be split and they are supposed to be one person. Like Alex is just Daniels dream self.
4. What if Scott Christian Sava posted the entire chapter up tomorrow so we could all understand this amazing/confusing/wonderful surprise that is just around the bend that none of us want to wait for?
Nice twist in the plot there!
Arthur is still trapped. Dan should have been the King, if Arthur was dead. Alex has a claim on the throne due to being a twin of the king? This will rattle Dan. A lot.
My guess is Dan already knows, my guess is the centaur told him so.
Oh boy this sounds like it means that alex stole the right for dan to enter dreamland and since dan the first born by 3 mins if i remember right, i sense alex handing over the sword to dan and become even more depressed thinking that he useless now more then ever..
but now we find out why dan cant come into dreamland.
i also sense that dan going to find out and blame alex for this after finding out that dan the true king not alex.
Four words: I-FRIGGIN’-KNEW-IT! At least the part where Dan’s inability to enter Dreamland was all related to the kingship and stuff… Well, I hve no proff, so I’ll go shut up on a corner.
This is where things start getting interesting… Once again! I mean, things just can’t stop getting more and more interesting! Key chapter I dare say, key chapter folks.
Ah! Something else: Alex is not the First Born, but the sword (or maybe Destiny) could not wait any longer, seeing as how good ol’ Nic wanted to be the one pulling all the strings to keep the throne for himself. Therefore, the sword went to the one that actually could enter dreamland, which is the “not-so-firstborne”, also known as second borne or whatever else borne. That’s my bet…
OMG OMG OMG!! He was born second!! i remember! holy cow! That is why Dan couldn’t enter dream land! i wonder if now he can enter since arther is gone…. can’t wait!!!
SQUEE! IknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbroIknewitwasthetwinbro
Hmm… I don’t completely understand. The sword said that King Arthur is gone – but it is also mentioned that the previous king cannot be gone since Daniel can’t enter Dreamland. Who IS this previous king? I wonder if we’ll find out.
I think the second born, whilst not being the true King, can officially step in for his/her sibling on a temporary basis.
some questions answered, more questions raised… really interesting plot at the moment. 😀
the situation at hand makes me wonder if alex and daniel were meant to be ONE person and not twins. 😉
also, panel 3. total love again. *nods*
doesn’t look like he’s paying attention to the discussion just yet. wonder which trigger words will make him snap out of it. 🙂
*flails* Everything’s falling into place!
Actually i think the problem is not that Alex entered first, but that (even though are twins) Dan born first (by a few seconds/minutes) and there for is the “first born” who can’t enter. While Alex born as second and can enter.
Wow! What a plot!
.. and what a way to tie in some extremely interesting loose ends. Just haw far back were you thinking of something like this?
Just had another thought. Does the new king actually HAVE to be the first born, or is the sword able to make a choice based on factors known only to itself?
AH HAH!!!!!
WHAT BIG REVEAL ….. I AM LOVING THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!
I’ve been reading form the start and I somehow totally missed that Alex is *not* the older of the two brothers. He really does have the big-brother feel about him when he interacts with Dan. Has anyone found a reference to this in an earlier page?
What if Dan got schizophrenia… Would be fun 😉
Dang… I was thinking the same thing. 🙂 However, my inability to stay up the night before has rendered me not able to be the first to comment on this. 🙂 It could explain a lot, though.
Nice, using the idea of Arthur as the Sleeper as a plot point in the story. This actually makes me feel good about being wrong!
So, Nico usurped the throne by trapping Arthur in Dreamland. So the next generation’s firstborn heir can’t enter, and Alex slipped in on a loophole in THAT law. Gotcha so far.
Now, Alex can (and apparently has) assumed the title, this FREES Arthur (remember: “Arthur is gone” sayeth the Sword).
Methinks we’ll see Daniel in Dreamland before this story is over. Because now he’s definitely not the king, and the law only applies to the NEXT generation. Daniel is no longer next generation.
VERY GOOD TWIST SCOTT.
Ooooh, good point! Very possible.
10 years ago.
🙂
Good Morning All!
I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are all “getting it!”
🙂
Thank you all so much.
Okay…here’s my theories…
1) Alex was really meant to be king…which meant that had he not been the younger twin, he’d have been barred from Dreamland. By this token, if Dan had been the younger twin, the story would have been a quest to find and release the previous generation’s king in order to let Alex in. As it stands, however, the real king, the one the sword had been seeking, managed to slip in through a loophole in the letter of the law. Dan will be honored by Dreamlanders for this…without his unwitting sacrifice, the real king could not get through.
2) Dan’s brain still needs the Dreamland.exe update patch. The sword is ad-libbing for plot points.
Bit slow on the uptake, aren’t we, Nicodemus?
It should’ve been clear to you RIGHT AWAY that Alexander was now the rightful King. Whether that made SENSE or not isn’t the point, the Sword’s awake, it’s chosen the rightful King, and that would have to be the guy who just tried to GUT you with the sword.
Either that, or DANIEL is the rightful King, but Alexander was given DANIEL’S dream connection to act as *anointed Regent* to get past a loophole.
Either way, you have a Problem.
Dan couldn’t enter when he was young because of the previous king, not directly from Nicodemus but kind of related. Even with Arthur gone, maybe not dead, Dan can’t enter now because he is to old and hasn’t had the sword passed to him before he grew up. The sword may help him get in but that would likely keep Alex out, and the sword has chosen Alex already.
BTW 5 minutes apart. http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/2006/04/09/todays-dreamland-chronicles-72/
Okay I love this chapter, I literally said out loud “so that’s why Dan can’t get into Dreamland!”
Can’t wait to see how things pan out for everyone.
So, when does Nic start stomping his feet and proclaiming “This isn’t FAIR!!!”
Enjoying the tale so far. Also, I think it’s good for Alex’s recovery that Nic is so wrapped up in arguing with the sword.
Primogeniture, rules of succession, conspiracies, plotting, and a treasonous dragon. I LOVE webcomics that deeply engage thought.
Things are really getting interesting! There’s a lot of neat speculation about how Daniel ties into everything… It reminds me of my initial suspicions, waaaay back when, that Nicodemus was Daniel’s dream self, in a sort of Jekyll & Hyde-type scenario. Obviously, I wasn’t on the right track.
Can’t wait to see how everything shakes out!
-Andy
Long time reader, first time poster. Wow man. Awesome planning, great execution. This has obviously been planned from the beginning, and its hard holding onto a plot that long! Great work, looking forward to more greatness.
If Arthur is dead what was in the tomb where Alex got the sword the first time a a kid? I remember Nic being upset that he was able to remove the sword in the first place, that should have given him the idea already that Alex was the next king… only the rightful king can pull out the sword of the stone 🙂
Maybe Arthur’s remnant is somewhere in the tomb too?… Or in Nic’s place treasure trove where he places everything of value… grabbing at theories here.
God bless the person that decided “WHUMP” was a sound effect, lol.
Loving the plot development, Scott. This is seriously EXCELLENT writing.
In Arthurian legend, Arthur never died. He simply went to Avalon to heal and wait until he was needed again.
It could be interpreted here than Nic disposed of Arthur and trapped him in some kind of limbo so he can’t die. That keeps Dan from entering because he’s the first born. Alexander is the second born so he can enter. It’s a nice little loophole.
I love this sword! It’s having an argument with the antagonist and it’s winning! Good thing too, otherwise Nic might realize that Alex is back. Nastajia seems to have noticed, however. The sword is probably aware, but it’s not about to alert the bad guy to this.
It would’ve been awesome to see an ‘Inconceivable’! from Nic.
Thank you.
You hit the nail on the head when you said “it’s hard holding on to a plot that long!”
Oh BOY is it hard to do.
Thanks for reading and thanks all for your patience to get to this chapter.
I’ve already used it twice…ha ha
I think the “hat trick” would be overkill.
🙂
Kaden found & posted the link about a page down …
😉
😆
Yeah I was thinking something like this also 🙂 Can’t wait to find out the explanation of it all 😀
And welcome to our unique community, fellow Dreamer!
Don’t forget to vote every day, and feel free to join the conversation any time!
It will be interesting to see how Nicole reacts to this information. Will she be quietly grateful that Dan is locked out of Dreamland and the kingship, thus leading him into her life? Or will she push and harangue Alex to find and release Arthur, so that “her man” can enter Dreamland and claim the throne, even though that might pull Dan away from her?
I suspect it will be at least another chapter or two before we see her come to grips with that dilemma, but with what little I understand of “the mind of Sava” ( 😉 ) I suspect that this will be part of some future Nicole angst.
Don’t forget to vote, everyone! The new vote incentive is very cool; it’s always neat to get glimpses into the creation of art like this.
The sword already said Author was gone.
I find it interesting that (in the bible)King David and King Solomon Both weren’t First born, and both were chosen over their Elder Brothers, I remember Solomon being referenced but not David don’t know if it means anything or if it’s just bad memory on my part.
My theory:
Nic did some curse or other magic to keep the next King (Dan) out of Dreamland. the law probably states that in the absence of the King, the King’s Advisor (Nic) would have “interim” control. I bet that Orion had Dan Denounce his throne, thus now leaving Alex as the next in line. and being in dreamland, could now take back control.
I’m still thinking Dan must have denounce this throne (being that he is still alive) in order for Alex to become King.
I’m going to keep saying this in hopes that I am right… we’ll see if I have to pull my foot out of my mouth later….
Dan is the oldest, thus he cannot enter dreamland because of some curse or whatever, Alex was not next in line to be King, that is why he could enter. therefore, if Dan (probably by direction/Suggestion of Orion) denounced his throne, Alex would be King, is already in Dreamland and can now take control of the throne!
Well thinking about the “Authur is Gone” comment, may not mean he is dead or alilve, just that he never left Dreamland, but is gone from the throne. Thus the Sword took the second best choice, the second Son to be the new king and clean up the mess.
Link in name, both David and Solomon are mentioned. Looks like both had many older brothers and were kings. However, blocking the first born would become more successful as families grew more monogamous and didn’t have a dozen sons who could possibly claim the throne.
Vizzini says is five times at least and it seemed to work LOL
…Yeah, I pretty much never post, but I had to here.
Since Monday my Dreamland glee has been extremely high. I am LOVING this. Seriously, this week has made Dreamland my favourite comic ever. <3 Wonderful job.
My theory: all of this about Alex being second-born and Orion communicating with Dan and Alex going on a quest for the tablets- not to mention Arthur's mysterious 'going' at the right time- was a huge plan set up by the people who made those tablets. Or someone even higher up. I mean, they put the tablets where they would be well-hidden. And yet they wanted them to be read. They had to have [i]known.[/i]
This is AWESOME. It’s a twist that was totally unexpected (to me anyway) and yet very satisfying! I love it. Thanks, Scott!
Oh man…I don’t see Dan taking this well at ALL. But what will happen once Arthur is freed…?
:whistles: Nice one Scott! Awesome, awesome twist. Nic is going to regret this little meeting; one way or another he won’t be coming out on top and he’ll have a lot of planning and over-plotting ahead of him.
Nicely done, sir. Nicely done, as always. I have a question though. I voted and in looking at the screenshot of the 3D mockup, I noticed the path you save your files to. I’m just curious: are you using Vista or Win 7? (since they both use the C:\Users path for users’ folders)
-SK
Thank you.
Still happily using Vista.
Wow. That is a REALLY good point.
I hadn’t thought about how the “first born” rule would work on PREVIOUS generation’s kings.
Hm…I must think.
Thank you.
The centaur must be involved here somehow 🙂
Good way to answer some questions, while still leaving us open to speculate on the details! Hope we won’t have to speculate much longer though 🙂
[Nitpicky](And this applies to your next three posts) You can Denouce a criminal to the authorities, but you can only Renounce a title/position/inheritance to relinquish any claim to it.[/Nitpicky]
Very nice plot twist, Scott!
And yes, it is quite conceiveable that Orion, having been informed of the details of the situation by the sword, was able to get Dan to agree to Renounce the throne, giving it to Alex instead.
Now comes the question: Alex being now officially declared “King”, Dan is no longer “the first born of the next generation”, since he is of the same generation as the now pronounced king. Theoretically, that should allow him to finally visit Dreamland. However, he is also now an adult, and typically children lose their ability to visit Dreamland around the onset of the teenage years (presumably around the same time they “lose their innocence”). With these two opposing factors coming into play, will Dan ever make it to Dreamland, or not?
Intrigueing..Never saw THAT coming. But, then again, I have always been the “dense&slow” one of my siblings ,soo, no surprise here..heh..
By the by ,Someone mentioned Nicole..Wouldn’t it be fun if her and Dan’s inability to enter dreamland ended ,exactly at the moment Alex is crowned King, and “The Former King” is gone? Could make for some really touching scenes with Felis’…Hmmm .. nah.. Too “Disneyesque I guess…
You just made my brain perform a 180. Absolutely awesome. Panel 4 made me exclaim: “…omg that’s RIGHT!!”
Can’t wait to see what other surprises you have in store for us.
haha, on my screen I see your avatar as Nicole, our dear doctor in training =P Perfect match for your comment XD
For some reason the line “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!” popped into my head when I read this one. That Alex was still alive I never doubted, but the twist… wow. Scott, you have done a masterful job of telling this story so far, I can’t wait to see what’s next!
I tend to agree with someone way up there in the comments that said Daniel can’t get into Dreamland because he is the next generation’s first born and the Centaur had him renounce his claim to the crown. But didn’t the sword wake up before that? I have to go back and check….
I can’t wait to see this as a movie… 🙂
HA HA … I did say I probably would have to take my foot out of my mouth…
yea~!!!!!!!!!!!! everything’s being explained ^____^ *happy happy happy*
maybe the Guardians??? http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/2007/05/25/todays-dreamland-chronicles-410/ I think they left their tablet in the kings castle http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/2007/01/11/todays-dreamland-chronicles-314/
I had a feeling that Dan being unable to dream and the kingship was somehow intertwined but I wasn’t quite sure how till now. I do have a theory about what’s going on but I need more details to hammer out a few kinks in my theory. So bring on the story! (^_^)
wow that is a good point…
btw they were mentioned here: http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/2007/05/22/todays-dreamland-chronicles-407/
more and more i think about it the more and more i feel that alex is going to be come even separated from his brother more and more..
what makes me wonder the sword was the reason alex was able to enter dream land in the first place since dan is the first born to the heir to dreamland kingship..
this doesn’t bode well for the 2 brothers and i can tell there going to be a HUGE argument about this as soon as alex wakes up and tells them…
what going to happen is dan asks for the necklace and Natasha thinks alex abandons her again..after he frees Aurthur.
so many plots can come from this scott, so many outcomes. and each seems to make alex’s trying to hold on to something and do the right thing..
he loves Natasha and trying to show he able to be the king of which doesnt belong to him.. sighs poor alex and nat,..
i think alex should tell him but not the full truth that a decedent is the only reason he being kept out till the second born fixes the problems and lets the first king leave.. such a sad but exciting twist.
sorry for the long posts but this is waht i am feeling since this part of the story unfolded
Considering the past kings that were mentioned: Arthur, Solomon, David, Julius Caeser, these were all people who were important people in their day in the real world. So can we expect Alex to be some important person after Book 6? Is his time in Dreamland now prepping him not only for maturing into a real man but enabling him to be something more then just your average joe in our world who is sucessful in his own right but not good enough for history to really remember him? Did Alex have a destiny or was he randomly chosen because he was the younger of a set of twins? Can I make any other sentence besides a question?
Maybe Arthur isn’t dead, but Nick definetely did something to put him away and take over the throne, and now Arthur maybe relinquished the throne to enable the sword to find another because he is helpless to do anything about Nick but someone else can, and the sword took a giant risk choosing Alex to be the sucessor, unless we should have read into Nastajia being the first Dreamlander Alex ever met and being his friend from the very start. Was it planned for her to be the first? Did she see something in him however subconciously and that made them be friends?
I need so much help in understanding “Waiting for Godot” in school, which I can’t stand, but I can come up with all this stuff in the time it takes to read a page. My professor must hate me, but, kudos, Scott, it’s rare that a regular book like this makes me think and wonder.
However, Dan still seems to have a great deal of innocence–with his emphasis on trust and faith, and his ability to suspend disbelief–than many have. It’s possible that with help (perhaps some correspondence trainign from Orion?) he may still be able to enter.
Scott, I been re-reading today and I must say, I really like the very subtle hints you’ve put in here and there. Have you ever considered doing a full novel?
Nastjia’s parents seemed to know something perhaps… http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/2007/08/09/todays-dreamland-chronicles-464/
Oh good, I was waiting for someone to mention the fact that Dan is now too old. Probably Arthur was still alive when Nicodemus first encountered Alex, but now he’s not…unfortunately, Dan still can’t enter Dreamland because of his age.
If we’re talking about Arthur Pendragon, Avalon, et al, are we PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE getting some light on what a king of dreamland really does?
It would really be ok with me if that part got out on the open.
Also: have the Awakeland and the Dreamland ever been one. Merged? If so, does one engulfs the other? Or it’s always in that movement and it’s mere existence means the dissapearence of both?
Aaaalso… please don’t shoot me. But, as you Señor Sava are so awesome, can I pretty please see a Centaur Flying and Nastajia using more powerful weapons/spells/others?
It would be nice to see that.
Now that I’ve finished writing these lines, I’ve just come to realize you’ve kept us on the dark on MANY powerful subjects in the Dreamland.
I don’t know if you are laughing *MWAHAHAHAHA!!!* at this thought, or shrugging.
But that’s freaking AWESOME!
Swear man, I’m saving my pennies to buy all your books. 🙂
For those who where asking about the series its written by Angela Knight. I dont remember what it was called, im waiting for my friend to call me back on it. It does have romance in it but nothing like Twilight, and no they do not sparkle. Another series worth checking out is Anita Blake series by Laura K Hamilton, its got all kinds of supernatural creatures.
I’ve always kinda thought of the print version of The Dreamland Chronicles as a Graphic Novel, in multiple volumes.
🙂
I like the voting incentive. It gives us a kind of “behind-the-scenes” idea of how you create these pictures. And you know how popular TV programs that do that sort of thing are.
Maybe Arthur was still around when Alex visited Dreamland as a child, though? Just because he’s gone now doesn’t mean he was gone way back when Alex first found the sword…
Hi Joey…
thank you!
I’m actually speaking about it in the discussions section of our Facebook page.
We’ve had a bunch of wonderful submissions. I’d LOVE to do a prose novel.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-DREAMLAND-CHRONICLES/316374741809?ref=ts
Check it out (you may need to join to read the discussions)
I am surprised no one has brought up the question of who is Alex and Dan’s father, and could he maybe be the Arthur mentioned. I don’t recall their father ever being mentioned and I get a single mother vibe from their mom. So maybe their dad in this world is the king in Dreamworld, making the firstborn thing make a lot more sense. Okay I feel better now that being mentioned!
And if I am right and Arthur is their father, kudos for you Scott for throwing in the name Arthur knowing everyone would automatically assume you mean Pendragon. I’m not saying Pendragon was never King of Dreamland just that there could be more than one, that is quite a gap of time between Arthur Pendragon and Alex and we know time is not the same in Dreamland but I see it more likely eighteen years in this world being six hundred in Dreamland rather than two thousand five hundred years in this world being six hundred in Dreamland. Think about it, if eight years in this world is however much longer in Dreamland than it starts to make sense that their father was usurped by Nic before Alex and Dan were born, but that being longer due to whatever way time works in Dreamland.
Brilliant thoughts! Especially point #2! lol
Yes, you are indeed correct. In 1 Samuel, God told Samuel to annoint David as God’s pick for a king over his elder brothers to prove that it wasn’t just about outward appearances and traditions, but that kingship was about the heart. As for Solomon, part of this was that Solomon was actually alive when David died. His first son, Absolom, rebelled against David and actually plotted an assassination attempt against him. Though I don’t remember their names right off hand, David’s other sons also committed some rather wicked sins that disqualified from the kingship, also- assuming that they were even still alive when David died (which, I don’t think they were, as I think the outcome/consequences of their sinful choices actually killed them). So, though birthright dictated that the oldest son would get the “double portion” of the father’s inheritance, Solomon- though the youngest- received all that was left by his father. The birthright issue is also something that comes up in the history with Joseph’s life (the multi-colored coat given to him by his father was a sign of the father’s having given Joseph “the rights of the first born”; Also, though Jacob/Israel only had 11 sons, two of the 12 tribes of Israel come from that Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manassah, were his “double portion”). So, there are many ways that you can use past cultural history to tie this in, Scott.
Just to warn you, though you don’t have to “nuke” your hard drive to install Windows 7, you will have to reinstall Photoshop, etc. And, the process of installing Windows 7 takes only about 30 minutes.
I have one word for Nicodemus that he should have used instead of “Impossible!” You all know what it is- in fact, I’m kind of sad that it hasn’t been referenced already.
“INCONCEIVABLE!!!”
😉
hrm… come to think of it that may have been why the message/s/ to daniel were to be so private. He then may have come to terms with the fact that he had not grown up going to dreamland an/or the fact that he knows his brother and staj’s relations/abandonment issue and decides that he wouldn’t come in/ or if his choice… relinquished the rights to be king… but then again if arthur was trapped by nic why wouldn’t he do the same to be able to have a new king.
*shrugs* I don’t see it being that big of a problem – not everybody appreciated the birthright. Esau sold it for a bowl of soup earlier in Genesis. David’s brothers may have done something similar. But Judah actually did get the firstborn birthright, not Joseph, thus why Jesus was the lion of the tribe of Judah. Joseph’s was a lesser blessing, possibly because he was the eldest of the deceased wife Jacob loved best and his brothers screwed him out of the time he should’ve spent growing up with his dad. David’s sons Absolom and Adonijah both tried to usurp the throne before David died, which would’ve made them human versions of Nicodemus for that time period.
scott, i swear, if you don’t give daniel a more evident role from now on (like merlin to alex’s arthur or something just as fantastic), i’m going to send you an astral smack!
Wake up Alex! Pay attention!
Daniel’s gotta know this! He’s always wanted to know why he can’t dream!
I’m kind of glad Alexander isn’t the once and future king. He’s a bit too irresponsible be trusted with sitting around and running things.
However, I do love Dreamland’s little safety clause that prevents any upstart young prince from revolting against his father. A very practical little law there, and incredibly fascinating from historical/cultural standpoint.
If Arthur is sleeping/unconscious/in stasis, I don’t see that his mind would be functioning on a plane where he could muster enough coherent thought to understand why he needed to renounce the throne. If his mind was free to think on that scale, he would arguably be coherent enough to muster up an escape plan for himself.
Ack! Final reply thing… Did Dreamland ever have a Queen instead of a King?
*likes this idea*
Their situation does have the unique twin aspect. Presumably none of the other generations had a brother born at basically the same time.
And Nic may just mean “heir” rather than “first born”.
Or… not… I’m not sure now what makes sense. No wonder you said you had something to think about! Good luck with this!
Perhaps the rule or curse or whatever only kicked in after David and Solomon? Maybe related to the Arthurian situation?
It did wake up before that — but didn’t Orion have a little private chat with the sword, too?
Ye got mah drift, shorty. 😛
Remember, even King Arthur was once Wart. The irresponsible youth growing up and becoming a responsible man is a classic story theme, found everywhere from ancient mythologies right up to Harry Potter. Alexander needs to grow up a bit more, but he’s already started to. Not saying he’ll end up staying King of Dreamland, that’s up to Scott, just that there’s nothing preventing him from rising to the challenge.
There’s one flaw in the “Daniel renounced his claim to the throne” argument that I see…. he would have had to do so *after* Orion sent him a note, which happened after they arrived in the centaur village. However, the sword spoke to Orion upon their arrival and as Nic said “You can only speak in the presence of the king”, so this would mean that Alex was already the king. And might have been since he picked up the sword, which would explain why it “came with him” in the real world as a kid.
A lot of people have said this, but I always like to say in my own words what I see in the words.
Because a law forbid the next generation’s firstborn from entering Dreamland while the current king still Reign’s, or lives, that would mean, if Arthur was the previous king, that he is still alive, trapped somewhere by our dear old friend, Not-So-Saint Nic. Thus, preventing the next royal line, Dan, from entering Dreamland and saving them from the tryanny.
So, the Sword figured a loop-hole and brought in our beloved(and somewhat dimwitted) Alex. I believe that all these events were set into motion, LONG before Alex even went into the cave. Though Dan is the firstborn, and thus has rightful ownership of the throne, due to absence, the next of kin can take the throne, thus what happened with Alex.
To sum it up, the Sword found the loophole in which it can take a new king to a second born, instead of the first born, stopping Nic’s scheme. So, the Sword probably brought that Giant from the beginning to him, and had some events bring Alex to that village. I believe the next dialogue will prove either that my theory is right, or, that Alex is either a Prince, or the Royal Guard(both are considered basically royal family, thus letting the sword talk).
It would not really have to matter with the times the title was passed on from father to son. Because regardless of the birth order the chosen king could be given the Sword Necklace when it was time for them to step in and rule Dreamland. It is more of a concern for the 600 years, with the sword lost, that Nicodemus had to deal with each generations “would-be king”.
So Daniel cannot enter into Dreamland because of the firstborn law, but Alex can because he is not the firstborn, but of the “royal line” so he is rightfully king. WOW Scott, Great plot.
On no!!! Don’t faint Alex, this is crucial! I wonder what “law” Nick is talking about? More plot development!!!!!
So Daniel cannot enter into Dreamland because of the firstborn law, but Alex can because he is not the firstborn, but of the “royal line” so he is rightfully king. WOW Scott, Great plot.
On no!!! Don’t faint Alex, this is crucial! I wonder what “law” Nick is talking about? More plot development!!!!! Yay!
Sorry for the double post. Please delete.
It woke up the first time Alex held it back in chapter one, but the first time it spoke was after Orion did his chant and dance in front of it with Alex present. He then took it for a private chat although I’m not sure how far from Alex he actually got. Or if the chant would have let the sword talk without the king.
I think the sword chose Alex early on and he became king by the time they had visited Ashendel and got his armor. It just didn’t have anything to add until they reached Orion who could help Alex develop into someone worthy of ruling.
Now where have I heard that word before?
Ha ha.
I promise. Dan plays a HUGE role in things.
Yes. Not just men ruled Dreamland.
To make the migration even easier, there exists a software program that can move your applications for you, from one OS to the next:
Laplink PCmover
PC Mag review: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2353299,00.asp
Company site: http://www.laplink.com/
Use the software first, to tell it what applications and settings to move, then install the new OS, and run the program again, which will finish transfering your programs over. From the pcmag review, it sounds quite interesting.
Alex makes me think he’s thinking sweet ground I’ve made it I’m alive lol
Also I love the plot Scott*curtsy* I bow well curtsy to you. This is truly one of my favorite stories.*huggles*
Thank you for that correction regarding Judah- Yes, you are right, he did in that respect get the blessing of the firstborn.
However, Reuben was actually the firstborn of Jacob (Gen. 35:23). As you said, the firstborn blessing was not always held in regard by all. Reuben was disqualified (I am not remembering at the moment and the reference Jacob makes at the end of his life is not as clear; I’ll have to look this up later). Judah was actually number 4. Simeon and Levi, though next in line after Reuben, disqualified themselves when they killed a whole city to get revenge for what was done to one of their sisters (Gen, 49:7; not that I don’t blame them, but telling the men they all had to get circumcised? OUCH! What a way to die! Not to mention it was deceitful, which is actually way Jacob declares them to be disqualified from the birthright; the prophecy regarding this was that they would be absorbed by the other tribes- which they were. The tribe of Simeon was absorbed into Judah and all but non-existant when Nebuchadnezzar took over Israel; Levi’s descendants were the priests and were not given a portion of the land, but instead occupied the land amongst the other 11 tribes). Though Judah was given the inheritance (family leadership and certain prophetic blessings- i.e. the birth of the Messiah coming through his descendants; Gen. 49:10) of his father via the passing of the birthright from Reuben, to Simeon, and then directly to Judah as Levi disqualified himself, Joseph was the one who received the “double blessing” via his sons having two tribes of Israel. So, I guess you could say the birthright was split between the oldest qualifying son and the second youngest (Benjamin was the youngest; unfortunately his family’s history after him isn’t so good either courtesy of Saul). Bear in mind also that Judah did some pretty stupid things in his day, also. Judah is a trophy of God’s grace in light of that fact.
“I do not think that word means what you are using it to mean.” 😉
If the time line was as different as you say, then Nastajia would have aged much much faster than Alex. As it stands all characters grew up at the same rate so the “Narnia-time” theory can probably be dismissed.
I’ve always liked the idea that it was flexible in the short term, but long term it comes out very close to the same. The speed of plot with Alex as a very main dreamer. When he needs to come back really fast he does and when he can be absent longer that happens too. So in the long term it evens out and the two worlds age the same.
Love the twist!
However, I’m confused by the use of the term “generation.” King Arthur was from hundreds of years ago (over a thousand now maybe?), so what constitutes a generation? Is it determined by something plot-related so it can’t be divulged at this time, or can you explain for my poor little over-taxed brain?
i did consider that but thought i was starting to ramble so i stopped.
In this case I’m guessing a generation within a single family. The difference in time of birth from parents to children, anywhere from 16-40 years, but probably around 25 years. However, since Arthur never stopped being king for 600 years, I think it is referring to the next generation of potential kings not the next generation of children. When a new generation is born the parents are to old to dream so the children are now the next generation of potential kings and the first born won’t be able to dream.
Sorry that still doesn’t sound as clear as it feels to me but I hope it helps.
IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!!!
Interesting, really interesting. What I find most intriging is that normally, is the oldest son who’s the heir, but in case of twins it’s common folklore in my country that the eldest one is born after the younger one. So, if the second is the eldest it can sort of fill the definition without being the first born.
… YES. The whole father issue. That is exactly what my mind jumped to when I read this page and I was wondering why no one else was discussing it…
I think if we knew exactly who Dan and Alex’s father was, that would answer a LOT of questions. We’ve never met him in the comic; in fact I don’t remember him ever even being mentioned. When they go home for the holidays, they meet their mother, who seems to be single.
Have they ever met their father at all?
Also, the Arthur mention– yes, all of us immediately think of Pendragon. And I think one of the interpretations of the Arthurian myth did roughly happen in the 1200s? Which is about 600 years ago? Although I could be totally wrong.
So– going on the theory that Nico has somehow imprisoned Arthur and kept him alive for that long so he could keep the thrown to himself– it’s not inconceivable that that legendary Arthur could be the boys’ father. Technically, their mother would have only had to meet him once (somehow, don’t ask me how)… and boom, twin baby boys.
Or, alternatively, the legend goes that “the next generation’s first born…” so possibly Alex and Daniel are the grandsons of The Arthur? The way Nico worded it hints that there should be a generation gap.
Ack, there’s so many theories to choose from. I don’t know where to stop!
WAIT! that means king arthur is still alive???? Did he ascend or something?
……….King Arthur is Alexanders Dad!!!!!!!! *googly eyes* whooaaa
THAT’S WHY DANIEL CAN’T GO IN!!!
Everyone has the ability to try and do astral travel. In truth, astral travel experts will let you know that it doesn’t need any special skill or talent. It is something that we all possess and are able to do as children yet forget as we grow older.
I wish more stories had weapons argue with characters. Indiana Jone’s whip, Skywalker’s lightsaber, etc.
Sword: All hail Daniel! The king of dreamland!
Daniel: What?
Me: WHAT?!?!??!?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?
DAN IS TEH KING OV DREAMLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dan&Nicole4evehbtw