New Text for TRoW

[melinath]

I'm working on moving all the text from The Rise of Wesnoth onto the wiki. So far, I'm only through Scenario 4a, but I've noticed a few things that could be adjusted. For example:

Minister Edmond's Temple

Prince Haldric: Careful, you don't know what's lurking in there!

Minister Edmond: Back you vile--- Oh, sorry I thought you were undead. When are those goofs in Clearwater Port going to clear the swamp again?

Prince Haldric: Maybe they'll clear it some time after the APOCALYPSE is OVER!

Minister Edmond: Oooh! I take it you wouldn't mind if I helped out?

This text displays when a unit moves onto the temple where Minister Edmond is hidden. However, if Prince Haldric is the unit (unlikely) then the text doesn't make sense. Also, the word 'goof' is debatably un-Wesnothian.

I would like to redo the text in general in a more "Wesnothian" way; it could be useful as a concrete form of some of the issues that have been discussed recently (dialect, etc.) However, it's a mainline campaign that's technically 'finished' and the maintainer, Shade, hasn't posted since the end of 2007. Is this a project that it would be all right for me to attempt?

[Simons Mith]

I don't see why not. If I decided to pick on TRoW I'd certainly expect to fix poor phrasing like that. Sounds very modern, doesn't it? Besides, even if the original text was 'correct', if you could come up with something more elegantly phrased it would be worth considering replacing the current copy.

[Skrim]

Hey, I like the TRoW text the best out of all the campaigns I've played. It's witty and the anachronisms aren't really that major. The LoW or THoT or even SoF texts look like listless rambling compared to it, IMHO. EI even more so.

But yeah, the illogical trouble that occurs when Haldric is the unit taking the temple should be fixed.

[The1exile]

The LoW or THoT or even SoF texts look like listless rambling compared to it, IMHO. EI even more so.

Fancy making a new topic for it, then?

[Turuk]

If the dialogue can be improved my making it more Wesnothian and less modern, such fixes will certainly be adopted.

[melinath]

I've completed my summary of TRoW Lore. It's attached as a pdf. This is a first step toward:
1) my rewriting project
2) Turuk's project to collect all the lore that's in the mainline campaigns.

This is based on an analysis of TRoW-specific text, as seen in the campaign files or as collected here.

There may be some things I've missed; if you think so, let me know. Just as a warning: There are contradictions and weak spots in the lore. I have not tried to correct this. Have fun reading!

[Blarumyrran]

I dig your scientificness.

[Turuk]

I dig your scientificness.

Ditto. This is way beyond anything I expected when you told me you were working on this. Genius.

[melinath]

Erm... glad you both like it. Turuk: Out of curiosity, what were you expecting? I can't really think of any other way to do this...

[Turuk]

Eh, I am not really sure, but when you talked about it to me I never knew beyond that you were doing it, and I was certainly surprised that you broke it down by faction and have everything neat/orderly, even naming all references and connections. I know this is really the only way to do this, but it's still impressive.

[Skrim]

I dig your scientificness.

Thirded.

This analysis is much-needed, given the fact that The Rise of Wesnoth is the earliest mainline campaign and thus forms the backstory for the rest of canonical Wesnothian lore.

Edit: It remains unclear as to what "Morogor" is, but it could also be the name of the sinking atoll.

[thespaceinvader]

You need to be careful to avoid two things with this sort of analysis: firstly, enshrining exaggerations and outright lies as canon ('mosquitoes as big as my fist' is probably an exaggeration). Secondly, extrapolating one individual's responses to a whole species. It's not Dwarves in general that dislike ships, mosquitoes, the sea etc. It's Burin. Whilst those characteristics may extend to other members of his species, it's by no means certain...

Overall, though, this is a very laudable endeavour =D

[AI]

Edit: It remains unclear as to what "Morogor" is, but it could also be the name of the sinking atoll.

I believe it indeed refers to the atoll or a specific island, but I can't find anything that backs this up. In LoW11, Aquagar (an arch mage) refers to himself as the "great drake wizard of Morogoth", which may or may not have been intended to be the same as Morogor. (Aquagar was originally a drake mage, but those don't exist (anymore), so the story is a bit thin there)

[Skrim]

Hold on. What is a "Drake mage" anyway?

Until now, I thought Aquagar must have somehow got 6 high-level Drakes(he never seems to recruit more units) to join him to take Crelanu's book, a wise choice given how Drakes are highly resistant to the fire magic used by Crelanu and his apprentices. And he would've gotten away with it too if it weren't for that meddling Kalenz and his band of Elves/Dwarves, who conveniently appeared out of nowhere, just in time to save the day.

As to what "Morogoth" is, that is a further bit of supreme ambiguity.

[thespaceinvader]

It *was* a drake magician. As in, a drake that could do magic. It is no longer that - it's a mage, as you suggest, who has drakes on his side