Firstly, let's talk about the fundamental changes
The original draft now non-existent was something far more vague and childish. A lot of stuff-which-shall-not-be-named had always been anime/manga-oriented unto epic proportions.
Thankfully, a certain fellow writer in FictionPress by the name of taerkitty managed to upend me by telling me bluntly where I went horribly wrong. Back then, I wasn't a sucker for critique and that actually caused quite a bit of friction with some of the writers back then (and ofc having my own advice ignored somewhat by a few didn't exactly help).
Suffice to say, even though said writer sorta ragequit on me/my story, I'm still grateful for this FP slap because I wouldn't start doing tons of painful thought processing on how to rectify/refine stuff in-plot/in-character.
Secondly, let's talk about the intermediate changes
Interestingly enough, the original plan was to do a heroic high fantasy going along the line of "anti-hero becoming good" kinda cliche. That's something truly cringeworthy whenever I think back on it srsly. But not now, guys. Authors like Michael Moorcock and G.R.R Martins have a hand in all things refining and redefining with a certain episode years ago being the unwanted catalyst so as to speak.
In short, there's a certain span in time where I got into a messy misunderstanding with a few people online separately. In short, I ended up getting character assassinated because nobody involved in the whole thing was willing to believe in me.
And come at this moment, I need to single out that certain Mr Eric Soh for credit. In short, there's such a thing called blaming yourself over things at least requiring two hands to clap. I tried confiding in him, he told me an extremely valuable advice:
People will always believe in things they choose to believe in.
In short, it was that much needed confidence boost of sorts. No one told me to be a politically incorrect bastard, I ended up becoming one right now.
Thirdly, let's talk about the advance changes
Firstly and foremost, let me just say that I never have a certain extent of social circle. My own social circle is extremely limited and I just end up cooping myself up at home unless it's either work, church, or the occasional solo-outing without any company. This is also why I tend to use terms like "local talent (?)", "local bastard", "NGSB", "sad lonely bastard", etc as my customary way of self deprecating. Not that there's anything wrong with my parents though since I can proudly say out loud that my parents are far better than 90% of the parents all over the world.
Yet, my own past was one shrouded in a self-identity crisis. From the latter years in Henderson Primary School all the way till my first spell in ITE Dover, my own self worth got brutally denied.
To the general schoolyard idiocracy, Kuok Minghui will always be a byword for F-A-I-L. In short, it's either I ended up getting bullied, ostracised, or at least not being treated seriously enough.
For my teachers, they tried hard enough to pull me up from being just a worthless slacker, due credit to them. But sadly, they failed.
By time I entered NSF, I had already utterly given up the ghost. Kuok Minghui has no outstanding value, Kuok Minghui is content in being just the clown and social loner.
Now this is not to say that I was being ill-treated during my 32 SIB days, but still majority of my NSF peers chose to poke fun on me and I was like "okay, it's fine because I'm fine with that" without accepting what I should be capable of.
Now this is not to say that I was being ill-treated during my 32 SIB days, but still majority of my NSF peers chose to poke fun on me and I was like "okay, it's fine because I'm fine with that" without accepting what I should be capable of.
Everything was fleeting in nature in spite of me having a long memory and that's where I started being cynical. I didn't realised it until much later, but after seeing different shit happening in different parts of the world, I think my brain might have gotten a major upgrade in mindrape.
Now remember the part on me getting character assassinated? This wasn't the first time I got the daggers flying out behind my back because I've already had a taste of that before during secondary school.
Yet, Mr Eric Soh's most timely and politically incorrect advice ended up becoming the only catalyst motivating me. The motivation was pretty much subtle and I never ended up realising it until much later. However, the said advice actually made me reconsider whatever I had been planning both plot and characters wise...
How the Bible reshaped everything...
From a simple fantasy tale to something far more ambitious. Simply put, I have no regrets in incorporating humanistic themes because I know what I am doing right now. You see, my own knowledge on humanism has always been centred around the Bible itself due to my Christian faith (and to be honest, Mr Eric Soh is indeed my churchmate).
In short, without the Bible, you'll never end up seeing such a cynical tale where people are pretty much content in booting each other senseless 24/7.
However, I need to make known this very message before people start getting the wrong idea:
A Ranger's Tale IS a secular fiction above all else. The fact that the Bible has given me that much needed inspiration doesn't remove anything from this cold hard truth.
My stance in all things secular is this: what is secular should stay secular, religion shouldn't be a playground for anything secular in nature.
In short, I do NOT believe in proclaiming any religious message via secular means. If you want to make a certain point known, keep it clear within the confines of your own church/mosque/temple/simple sharing via social networking/etc.
(b/c it's 1+am liao and I still have a kisiao miali)
Note: Finished dinner, now going character mode...
Suddenly remembered this: Nasu Kinoko's works do have an equally profound impact on the humanistic themes as well. Now onto the actual deal(s).
At the same time, any personal parallel stated below is something self discovered within the recent month ago or so. In short, it's called a case on unintentional consequences due to instinctive impulses
Aeranath
A social loner, 'nuff said. Originally, he was intended as the anti-hero finally turned good. Yet due to the aforementioned changes, I decided to up the ante.
Firstly, chances are that he will remain as "that son of a bitch" so as to speak.
Secondly, I managed to further refine his cold and brutal persona. Not that I should call it a major feat since I made him out to be far more of a juvenile wannabe (Hey, I can only blame myself!).
Thirdly, there's such a thing called a cynical sense of humour and even I was pretty much shocked towards the fact that my own underdeveloped sense of humour back then has evolved so much now.
Lastly, he's no longer the 2nd Alucard (Hellsing) or Sol Badguy (Guilty Gear). In short, the recently concluded The Wolf, The Boy, And The Purest Maid arc has proven my determination beyond all doubts.
Personal parallels: Not so surprisingly, Aera's identity as a social pariah is not so much dissimilar to my own current loner status. Aera's case is something 100% self voluntary, mine is basically a case of previous years culminating to a certain end (which ofc isn't saying anything much anyway).
No sane girl would want to be Aera's gf, this lobo here is a certified NGSB.
Aera's 100% brusque demeanour is somewhat along my own current shoot-first nature.
The rest? Well, fiction is called fiction for a very good reason. Go figure, people.
Guy Cody
Not much of a change to be honest. Only major change is in the name plus refining further whatever rough concepts I've planned thus far.
Personal parallels: My own identity as a long suffering Boro fan has finally been personified. In short, he's every 1986 romanticist's only legitimate ideal due to a proven fortitude synonymous with Teesside's most famous local produce, i.e. manufactured steel.
At the same time, you can call him a portrait of my personal development ongoing and I won't have any issues with that. In particularly, I enjoy creating the idea of a boy growing up into a man because this is what I'm seeing in my current life.
Initially, he's an idiot without any expectations from others. Yep, that's yours truly alright all on a literal basis.
Violent tendency against bullies=my own darkest ideal. This is nothing to be proud of.
His current character as it stands in the current Sea Of Arms And Craft arc is basically still my most idealistic dream so as to speak.
Him being a chick magnet despite being merely average in looks=a stupid dream of mine back during my equally stupid youth.
Guy Cody, at the same time, is also another proof of me being a Guy/Cody fan rather than a boring Ryu/Ken fan. Yes, I'm talking abt Street Fighter, guys.
Sarel Aphros
Recently conceived character due to the current draft, nothing to say.
Personal parallels: Nothing. Unless you're talking about my (not-so) frequent jokes on the male hormonal impulse, i.e. the horny syndrome. -_-
Ziron
Briefly introduced in the first draft, now possibly upgraded as a vital side character due to a personal ambition in fleshing out his (one sided) tempestuous mentor-protege relationship with Aera.
Personal parallels: A possible tendency to trollolol (and I need to sit down and hammer this out better in the hopeful future).
At the same time, this senior trollolol (?) figure has nothing to do with Mr Eric Soh just as I have nothing to do with Aeranath.
Eliador de Lioncourt
Initially a somewhat one dimensional crime lord far more steeped into the anti-hero mold, he ended up being something far more than that. Interestingly enough, his homosexuality is something triggered by a debate topic in The Fantasy Forum ages before. Namely on vital/main characters and open homosexuality. In short, there's no turning back from henceforth.
Moral of the story:
Personal parallels: This has nothing to do with whether I'm a gay lover or not because I can tell everybody here clearly that I do NOT subscribe to the LGBT lifestyle (although amazingly enough, I'm not one to enforce my own standards upon others. Bar all certified idiots ofc!). But if there's anything to go by, his acute sense of stratagem is actually something scarily akin to whatever I perceive in myself in terms of understanding the military art.
Lars Alterfate
A 100% ambiguity in the process of planning during the first draft (mainly because he had never appeared back then). After playing around with random ideas (okay, not so random considering that I'm a certified Nasu fanboy and we all know who the King of Heroes is anyway), this is what you get.
Personal parallels: A somewhat OTT sense of humour. Whatever Lars is capable of in driving people crazy, chances are that I might be able to replicate it. Key word: chances.
At the same time, any possible romance between him and Lolyx do have a very interesting underground true-life (?) story. Don't go buggering me for the info though. That is something privy between me and a certain Tobias Fong N months ago during our private FB chat.
Arondight
Same as Lars. Only that current process is far sketchier atm.
Personal parallels: If there's anything to go by via the conceptual dialogue between him and Lars done in an earlier post, then he truly sucks in socialising with the opposite sex. Not that this is saying much though since I can even go a step further by saying he can't really socialise properly. Wait a sec, am I talking about myself? >.<
But at the very least, if we can call him a person most suited for knightly ideals, then I can easily say that I've always been someone knowing the value of respecting a member of the opposite sex. No kidding here because I'm still a decently educated male species.
Aor
Only slated to appear in the original draft, end up in a far earlier debut due to an ever-changing process of self maturing.
Personal parallels: Tendency to spout statements amounting to badass philosophy isn't a freak. In short, this is basically my own views as a humanist wannabe reworded.
Red Lions
Named Boro Guards in the original draft, a paranoid fear of getting sued till broke ended up having me recreating the title. And besides, Red Lions is a far more badass name.
Personal parallels: My own ties with Middlesbrough F.C. Cue the logo with pretty much everybody in the current draft unchanged from the original draft. Not so shockingly, I may end up giving Moggray and Southgate a meatier role at least in Sea Of Arms And Craft.
The rest...
Generally random people/stuff/whatever popping up in my brain. It's really quite pointless to be fair if we're talking abt inspiration. At the same time, whatever vital characters still in concept/yet to appear will not be available for commenting.
LOL! KOLEAN!!!!
Something made famous by a certain Meteorain in The Fantasy Forum (now no longer around) during a MSN chat, this is in specific referring to the two vital ladies in the plot. Firstly, nothing much about Kagetsu no Hyo'Ah apart from the fact that I truly based her look off this RL K-celeb below.
Just an interesting side info here: This no-life lobo here is still somewhat a BoA fanboy. The only catch is that I'm weaning myself from mainstream entertainment in general for quite a few years now due that most famous quote given:
Look, man. People change. I've changed. You've changed. That's the way it is.
~Cody's winning quote against Guy (Super Street Fighter 4)
Of course this doesn't mean anything in terms of nature. Just that the extent isn't that crazy anymore (and to be fair, some of my NSF mates back then do have the tendency to poke fun at me over this issue. In particular that stupid Robokuok's female assistant joke. Khairul and Carl, I still remember you two, you two better beware).
Actually now to think of it, I'm now far more geared towards artistes/groups like Kalafina, FictionJunction, Kajiura Yuki, Faylan, Aoi Eir, Faylan, Loreena McKennitt, Adrian von Zielger, BrunuhVille, Evanescence, possibly Alter Bridge as well just to name quite a number. Yes, I know you will laugh at me again, Mr Steve Ang. You will most likely say "eh, how come you everytime like all the stuff I/we dunno one huh?" where in fact I know you're somebody far more familiar with acts like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.*
*Shit, I think my inner Lars has just reared his little monstrous head again. -_-
Oh and one more thing, whatever wrangling between Aera and Lars over her confirmed off-screen (?) death is inspired by a certain GetBackers manga series where similar events ended up pitting Midou Ban and Miroku Natsuhiko against each other.
And now saving the best for the last...
Alestrial Eliaden. Now firstly, her first name is a wordplay of sorts on a certain Alustriel Silverhand. Secondly, the original plan was to make her the token fantasy damsel, i.e. a white human girl if you get what I mean. Thirdly, a change of plan actually materialised due to a certain crush I've developed on a pretty girl quite some time back (and this is something privy only to myself and God. Period). Of course due to Cody's most famous winning quote in SSF4 (again!), things ended up going into the weirdest ending yet.
And everything started with a joke christened SHyn Corp
Inspired (?) by an actual Shin Corp, this is somewhat of a satirical joke made at the expense of global entertainment (not just the correct Korean side, mind you!). However, there's nothing funny behind the reason why I ended up using PSH as the character blueprint.
Firstly, I blame my younger sister years ago for switching on that damned K-drama. Now I do not intend any offense because the only reason why I invoked such a strongly worded statement was down to my little sis airing You're Beautiful in the living room. In short, she plugged in her laptop to the TV and voila! Even my mother got sucked into the show and I ended up tagging along as well.
Was that alone enough? Well, they tend to say that an inquisitive bastard can be the scariest bastard of them all and they're truly correct (whoever "they" might be anyway).
In short, you can't use an average human being's yardstick to measure an inquisitive person because Person A can never understand why Person B is so damned curious 9 out of 10 times.
Personal parallels: Is there any? I don't think I'll ever be a fan of any mainstream stuff in general (in fact, people like J.R.R Tolkien, C.S Lewis, and J.K Rowling were/are already around strutting their classy stuff before Hollywood popped that question. HBO on the other hand though, had to circumvent the age factor due to concerns from children's rights activists. *cough*cough*).
In fact, while I can keh-kiang, keh-kiang say that her brand of flawed idealism should be the closest thing so as to speak, I can easily rename it "a fanboy's dream destroyed" due to that evil gay Elf still ruling Histalonia. -_-
And lastly some stuff before I go orh orh
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