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Questioner

Are there any awakened, sentient, wepaons or items in the Elder Empire?

Will Wight

By definition i think awakened items possess thoughts even if they are just simple thing like "KILL!" Or "FEED ME!".Are the Awakened weapons sentient?That's a hotly debated question in the Empire. Many Soulbound feel that their Vessels "speak" to them, but always in impressions or mentally communicated desires. Some of them swear they hear an actual voice in their head, but is that really the weapon? Or is it their imagination providing words for the impressions the weapon sends them?The common belief is that Awakened objects do have a measure of awareness, but not true sapience. They can't "think" or reason beyond the capacity and purpose for which they were created....as far as anyone knows.

Questioner

What would happen if someone Awakened a horror novel?

Will Wight

Intent accumulates in an object based on the purpose it is used for. So a horror novel's Intent would either scare people or fascinate them, depending on the Intent of the people who have read the novel over the years.

I can imagine a novel that frightens people just by sitting on a table, where you keep casting sidelong glances at it without knowing why, taking any excuse to get out of the room away from a book. Conversely, I could imagine a book that practically hypnotizes those who read it, so it's all but impossible to voluntarily stop reading until you reach the end.

Lil' Blue

Pirates or Ninjas? Will said he likes both equally.

Will Wight

Whoa whoa whoa, I said I was on Team Shera and Team Calder. Because I basically own both teams. But pirates versus ninjas? Ninjas all the way. No contest.

OtherAndrew

Will you directly deal with the Abidan in your other series?

Will Wight

In Elder Empire, yes. In Traveler's Gate? ...maybe.

Questioner

What is generally held to be the must ridiculous awakened object that turned out to be much more useful than anticipated?

Will Wight

A wide-brimmed hat invested to keep its wearer cool. When a Magister spent weeks attempting to Awaken it, his colleagues thought he was crazy. He was actually called into the Guild to question the use of his time.

Now he makes a fortune selling them. They can't be mass-produced, so each hat is a work of the Reader's art. There's a waiting list.

Wearing such a hat is like wearing sunglasses while your head is stuck in an air-conditioned room.

Questioner

Which of your characters would be most likely to make it as a self-published novelist?

Will Wight

Kerian, the Consultant from Elder Empire.

She's relentless, she reads a lot of novels, and she knows how to make a sale. She's also highly literate, unlike a lot of my characters.

Terrible

What powers would Stephen King have if he went to Asylum and made a Soulbound Vessel out of his most terrifying horror novel?

Will Wight

The ability to horrify those around him, or the ability to trap them in a terrifying illusion. Depends on how he thinks about himself and the book while he's writing.

Walter

 Was the emperor so strong because he had 1500 years to practice or because of the heart?

Will Wight

The Emperor is strong both because he's naturally gifted and because he's had so long to grow and practice.

Questioner

Are there any independent nations or territories on Asylum? Are there multiple worlds in the Asylum iteration?

Will Wight

No, there are no independent nations or territories in Asylum. There are isolated communities that aren't aware they are part of the Empire, but the Empire considers them Imperial territory. They're not undiscovered, after all, just so remote as to be not worth collecting taxes from.

Questioner

"Tell me about mountain climbers in Elder Empire."

Will Wight

The body of Kthanikahr, the Worm Lord, weaves through a mountain as though through a rotten apple. The Great Elder is miles long, and the stench of his decay is overpowering. Still, some brave the corpse--and the cordon of Imperial troops around the area--to scale the peak and try to harvest a strip of the Worm Lord's skin. It is said that a charm made from this leathery strap can repel Elderspawn, so dozens make the trip each year...and only a handful return.

Questioner

Simon vs. Meia

Will Wight

Similar situation as against Urzaia, except that in this case it depends on who gets the first move. Because unlike Urzaia, Meia will try to kill Simon instantly.

So if Simon doesn't take it seriously from the very beginning, he's likely to lose. 60-40 Meia. If he does, it swings his way a little bit. Maybe 55-45 Simon.

It would be close, though.

Questioner

Kai vs. Bliss

Will Wight

I would love to write this fight.

Probably Bliss, but only because Kai has no frame of reference for understanding her powers. If he did get a sense for them, then he could take it. He's stronger and faster and more experienced in combat than she is. But the weirdness of her powers would be her biggest advantage.

And Kai would need a doll.

Walter

 I also need to know if great elders used to be people, since kelarac talks about when he used to be a merchant.

Will Wight

The Great Elders were never people in the sense that you mean. But there is a human origin to them all.

Questioner

What is the greatest battle ever to take place in the arena

Will Wight

Baldesar Kern, the current Head of the Champion's Guild, was never a gladiator. But he did have one fight in the arena.

He had attempted to persuade a rival of his to back the Guild, but his rival was not convinced of Kern's strength. Therefore, Kern agreed to meet his rival's representative in the arena.

His rival's "representatives" turned out to be a half-dozen Kameira trained and equipped for battle. There was a lizard bigger than a horse with red-hot teeth, a lion-headed ape with a pair of axes, two shark-creatures that may have been Elderspawn, a worm that burrowed through the sand, and a puppy-sized flea that conjured clouds of smoke.

Baldesar's battle with this army of creatures lasted over an hour, and is widely considered the greatest battle ever to take place in an Izyrian arena. It became a mark of honor to say that you were there that day.

At the end, his rival had no choice but to support the Champion's Guild, and the Champions were victorious. As they always are.

Leigh_Ola

So, I recently started watching Bleach. It's a popular anime with 300+ episodes that started airing in 2004.

I couldn't help but notice similarities between Simon (The protagonist in Will Wight's Traveler's Gate) and Ichigo (The protagonist in Bleach):

Ichigo is an adolescent boy who uses a ridiculously big sword. Just like Simon.

Ichigo has a mask that when worn, allows him to get stronger. The main upgrade is his speed. Just like Simon.

Ichigo gets chains around his arms when he uses his maximum power. Just like Simon.

Ichigo has a small, talking stuffed animal doll. Just like Simon.

When Ichigo uses his mask, he risks losing a control and going "mad". Just like Simon.

Ichigo's large sword comes from a dark, brooding, powerful man who's now stuck in his "world". More similarities.

There are even similarities between Ichigo's personality and Simon's...

The fact that Bleach has been running for years before Traveler's Gate was released, and Will Wight seems to be a fan of Anime makes this seem like more than just a series of coincidences.

Here's a link to pictures of Ichigo and other Bleach characters : https://www.wallpaperflare.com/anime-bleach-kurosaki-ichigo-orange-hair-chains-sword-anime-boys-wallpaper-tssqn

Perhaps there's more to this than I'm aware of, so I'd like someone - Will, maybe? - to clear this up, because watching Bleach is starting to unnerve me.

Will Wight

So I love Bleach, but it didn’t actually have any influence on Simon’s design.

Obviously I’m going for a very anime aesthetic, hence the giant swords, but I described them to my artist as Final Fantasy swords rather than Bleach swords. The chains and doll and mask don’t come from Bleach at all.

Chains: I just needed a visual indicator of the increasing influence of the Territory and thought chains would be cool.

Doll: I wanted a prop to show that Kai was crazy, and I thought talking to dolls was a cool way to do that, and then I thought it would be funny if he WASN’T crazy and the dolls actually talked. Plus Simon is alone a lot and needed someone to trade dialogue with, so that’s where that came from.

Mask: I didn’t intend to give Simon a mask power-up, but Malachi had a mask that he would have dropped when he died, and I thought it would be logical if Simon picked it up. Then I was like “Hey, I wonder what would happen if Valinhall took this in like they’ve taken so many other things?” And thus the mask was born.

Bleach did have one major influence on my writing: the Abidan organization that oversees the multiverse was essentially the Gotei 13 in its first iteration. The fact that the Judges have long flowing white mantles of energy now is a nod to the haori of the Bleach Captains.

Questioner

Do people with great Intent leave bodies that can be Awaken?

Will Wight

Objects gather Intent when they are used by a human for a purpose. You would have to use a body for a particular purpose in order to invest it, which is required for Awakening. Body PARTS are often Awakened.

Questioner

Which of your characters could survive the best in almost every kind of story setting?

Will Wight

He's well-educated enough to adapt to a more modern world, skilled in enough basic skills to adapt to a more primitive world, and he has his Reader skills. Assuming they work in his setting, they'd be useful under pretty much any circumstances.

Plus, he's resourceful enough to make a living in legitimate business or in a life of crime, as circumstances require.

Questioner

I'd like you to make up a 6 or 7 book series about the founding of the elder empire!

Will Wight

I like six or seven books as a series size. Idk about the founding of the Elder Empire--depends on how the main series does after the relaunch.

Walter

Can you improve your reading beyond application of a skill?

Will Wight

Yes, you can improve your Reading.

Questioner

Is there an awakened object that was awakened to be the aqivelent of an AI (artificial intelligence)

Will Wight

In a certain sense, yes. There are records of a dozen Soulbound whose Vessels were books. These Soulbound exhibited superior memories, enhanced insight, and a remarkable ability to organize their thoughts and impressions.