1. Toma and the Rainbow Shell

[Symmetry]

Having multiple subplots go on at once instead of one at a time. Why didn't we think of this earlier?  

I like it - although we shouldn't try to have too many going on at once. Perhaps we should try and end up with ~3 in each subplot group?

[ZeaLitY]

Sounds good. These cats will usually travel in groups, too. Of course, the royalty vs. Council subplot will always be hanging over everything.

by the way, really important thing I forgot --

Since we've set it up so Gil has already come in and learned about Project ZEAL from Gaspar, who no doubt has figured it out through observation, we probably need to go back in time and substitute the scene where the Nanashi clear out the Giant's Claw and Toma finds the Shell before V Translanka's post so that we're chronologically correct. I'll ask Ybrik if he's up for stringing something. I believe we can still retroactively add it.

I suppose in other news, Radical Dreamer and I (Gaspar) are up. I'll hold off Roget until something gets going, unless anyone has good advice. I've already been thinking of what Gaspar will say, and I have a pretty good speech planned that justifies the coming of all these guys to the End of Time.

[Radical_Dreamer]

Look for draft one in the writting critique thread. If it gets the ok, I'll post it in the main story thread.

[ZeaLitY]

This gives me an opportunity to use Roget. I'm going to do his scene right now before the jailbreak, ending it with a few bangs down the hall or something before the guys are sprung. Any objections/clarifications to this?

[Radical_Dreamer]

Go for it. I wanted to do this scene as a set up, to build a little tension before the actual escape. After this, Argus and Gil will escape, and spring Sigma with them. Sound good?

[V_Translanka]

The splitting sounds good...although my other two (Keystoners) have been left out...I still need to finish up on their introductions...

The Argus & Gil escape sounds good though...go for it...I hope I haven't limited anything with my descriptions of the cells...After I realized I couldn't possibly have them detained in a single cell, I had to make a way for Gil's Pendant to get to Argus...so I made the weaknesses in the energy fields (for food or whatever) to compensate...I dunno which sounds more unlikely, them getting locked up together, or the fields having holes...

[Leebot]

Well, after my most recent post, Backer's immediate future is indeterminate. If Argus takes the escapees to 1021 AD (time-wise; location-wise I could do El Nido, Choras area, or Medina area easily), it would be a good way to get Backer involved.

[V_Translanka]

Interesting, I had planned for my other two people (Hunter & Amy) to be around those same places (most likely El Nido) in 1025AD, although I could change the year easily enough to cram in the whole lot of them...I really like the character of Backer...

[Symmetry]

Backer does indeed seem pretty kickass. I wasn't sure what to make of him from your sketch, but your post establishes him as a unique character very nicely. He reminds me a little bit of Presea, if you're familiar with Tales of Symphonia.

[ZeaLitY]

I've got one possible effect of the Rainbow Shell's being found thought up. Since the Rainbow Shell never travels in time, it is truly absent from Guardia. While Chrono Trigger would still occur as it did, Marle wouldn't have really reconciled with her father, and the entire plot would not have taken place. This leaves it open for the chancellor to try something, or Marle's father to die earlier than he should have, possibly leading to the Mystic overtaking of the kingdom or an earlier fall of Guardia. Once we figure it out exactly, someone can write a scene depicting the fall, death of the King, or something.

[Symmetry]

I think a "Mystic Revolution" would be a little much to start with. A slightly earlier fall of Guardia works, but we don't want anything too drastic at this point, right?

[V_Translanka]

Yeah, the way I see it, everything basically still occurs in Trigger as it was, only minus the Rainbow Shell sidequest...

Then things happen in Porre because of the Rainbow Shell...Although...Now that I think about it...It wasn't Porre that hired Toma, was it? It was that one village between Guardia & Porre that dissapeared sometime between 600 & 1000...Hmm...What was the name of that place again? Perhaps they would become a third kingdom of power on Zenan...

[Leebot]

That would be Dorino; I used it as a Porre military base in my second Backer post. The history I implied was that because of the Rainbow Shell, Dorino didn't fall off the face of the earth, but was eventually annexed by Porre, giving them possession of the Rainbow Shell and enabling Backer's existence. For now, I don't think we have to do many other alterations to the timeline from this event; remember that it was supposed to be minor.

[Symmetry]

Okay,

We have two issues we need to decide upon.

1. The general results of the Toma alteration upon Keystone.

2. The other subplot that will be taking place at the same time as the Toma plot.

With this in mind, let's try and focus our discussion.

For the most part, I think alterations to Keystone should be pretty minor and ultimately inconsequential at this stage. (IE, 500 years from the alteration, little should be different from the pre-alteration timeline.) As Translanka suggested, perhaps Dorino (That was the village's name, correct?) hangs around instead of succumbing to whatever finished it off - however, I think the rise of a third power might be a serious long-run alteration. Maybe Dorino could survive, only to be usurped by Porre as time progresses. Thus, Dorino might serve as a Porrean outpost.

Nothing springs to mind right now for a second subplot.

[Symmetry]

That would be Dorino; I used it as a Porre military base in my second Backer post. The history I implied was that because of the Rainbow Shell, Dorino didn't fall off the face of the earth, but was eventually annexed by Porre, giving them possession of the Rainbow Shell and enabling Backer's existence. For now, I don't think we have to do many other alterations to the timeline from this event; remember that it was supposed to be minor.

Great minds think alike, huh?  

I was writing my post at the same time. (In all probability your Backer post conjured up those ideas in my own mind without me realizing it.)