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Chapter 2: Horchow

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City of IF -> The Wheel - The Fish That Walked

What do you do?

Wait for Father to come, then try to convince him to help the Sheepheads

[ 0 ]

Run away with Lodevar and Lalomea back to the Sheephead island

23%

[ 3 ]

Try to test Lodevar to see if he's telling the truth or if this is a trap set by the Emperor

30%

[ 4 ]

Wait for Father to come, and watch from a distance to see how Father treats Lodevar

38%

[ 5 ]

Conspire with Lodevar or Lalomea to murder Father

[ 1 ]

Total Votes : 13

Who Voted: Alegria, D-Lotus, ethereal_fauna, kenshin himura, Mother Goose, Muaddib, Ravenwing, Reiso, Smee

#1: Chapter 2: Horchow Author: Key, Location: The Royal Palace

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 4:00 pm
—
The Story So Far: You are Lewellyn, the son of the Merfolk King, though you yourself have the legendary form of a Maker, with two arms and two legs, instead of a merman. To avoid the notice of the Emperor who might see you as a threat to his rule, you’ve been raised on a remote island, surrounded by merfolk and mermaids and taught by a giant turtle. Now the mermaid Lalomea has brought the Ram King, another Maker like you, to your island. Lalomea and the Ram King tell you that your father is preparing to sacrifice the Ram King’s people, the Sheepheads, in order to keep you safe from the Emperor. They ask you to call your father and convince him to help the Sheepheads instead of betraying them.

Last Decision: Ask Lalomea and the other Maker to let you talk to Horchow

This is too much to figure out on your own. Horchow can help. You can trust Horchow.

“There’s someone I need to talk to,” you say.

“What are you talking about?” asks the Ram King. “Who?”

“My teacher. He’s very wise. He would know what to do.”

“Your teacher?”

“Yes. His name is Horchow. He’s a giant sea turtle.”

“You want to ask a giant sea turtle whether he thinks you should help us?”

“Yes. He’s not five minutes walk from here.” You point over your shoulder toward the lagoon.

The Ram King narrows his eyes, as though deciding whether this is a trick. “All right,” he says finally. “But I want you to bring him back here, and we can all talk about it.”

“Sure,” you say, suddenly relieved. You begin to stand up.

“One more thing,” says the Ram King.

“What?”

“Lalomea will go with you,” he says. “Just to be safe.”

“Sure, sure,” you say, nodding quickly, hoping to leave before the Ram King decides to add himself too. “I’ll walk along the beach, and she can swim next to me.”

Lalomea turns to the Ram King and bows her head to him in obedience, just as you’ve seen her and the other mermaids bow to your father. Then he touches her cheek and says, “Be safe.” She kisses his fingers tenderly.

What’s going on? Lalomea barely even said hello to you, and you’re the Prince of the Sea, the favored son of the Merking. Your blood rises and you quickly look away. You have to talk to Horchow.

You and Lalomea go to the lagoon, you walking along the beach, she swimming in the shallows. She stays underwater, out of sight of the guards, which seems strange to you since it’s not unusual for you to walk with her or another mermaid along the beach. You wonder what she did to bring the Ram King here. Is she in trouble with Father?

Horchow is where you left him, his huge shell resting in the shallow water of the lagoon. He nods his gray head as you approach. Lalomea surfaces. “Good swimming, Horchow,” she says – the traditional greeting of the merfolk.

“Good swimming, Lalomea,” Horchow replies, apparently unsurprised by her presence. “Are you here to learn alongside my student? Or to help me teach him?”

Lalomea looks at you. You say, “Horchow, something has happened – someone has come to the island. I need your help.” And so you tell him about the Ram King and Lalomea’s arrival, repeating what they told you about the existence of the other Makers, about the Bullroars’ coming attack of the Ram King’s people, and about their request to call your father and try to convince him to help the sheepheads instead of betraying them. You rush through, not organizing your thoughts, but relieved just to get them out so that Horchow understands. Once he knows everything, you’re sure that he can say what you should do next.

But when you’re done, Horchow doesn’t say anything. You let the silence go on for awhile, figuring that he is thinking things over, but finally you say, “Well?”

Horchow turns his eyes to you. “Well, what?”

“Well, what do you think I should do? Should I call Father?”

Horchow considers this. “Not necessary. He’s on his way already.”

A sudden fear runs through you. “Father’s coming here? What do you mean? Why do you say that?”

“He’s the King Under the Sea. Do you think he doesn’t know what’s happening in his realm? He must have been watching this other Maker, the Ram King. Not to mention a mermaid who’s switched her loyalties. He surely knows that they’re here.”

You shoot a glance to Lalomea. “The guards let me through,” she stammers. “They didn’t know about Lodevar-”

Horchow waves a flipper dismissively. “The King knows more than his guards. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be the King.”

“So what will he do?” you ask apprehensively.

“Oh, repel the invaders, punish the disobedient, restore order, I suppose,” says Horchow. “The usual things a King does when his kingdom is invaded.”

So Father would take away the Ram King and Lalomea and put things back the way they were? You’d be safe again, but the sheepheads would all die. Is that what you want? What if it isn’t? Would Father listen to you? Is it already too late?

“What should I do?” you ask Horchow.

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. It’s so confusing – other Makers, the Sheepheads being sacrificed, Father coming – it’s all a jumble.”

Horchow stretches his head out from his shell and his eyes grow wide. “Yes!” he says. “Very confusing. Turns your world upside-down, yes? Maybe now you’ll be able to leave the island? Maybe you will have to leave even if you don’t want to. Maybe you’ll be caught in a war. Maybe this other King will hurt you. Maybe your father will keep you safe. Maybe the other King will be your friend. Maybe your father will be angry. All this jumble - and out of the jumble you must choose.”

He was just making things more confusing. “But what should I choose?”

Horchow laughs. “You don’t want to choose. You want someone to choose for you. ‘Should I let the Ram King choose for me?’ you think. ‘No, he’s too dangerous. Should I let Father choose for me? No, too scary. I will let Horchow choose for me. I can trust Horchow. He will make a good choice.’ But this is your choice, not Horchow’s. What do you want for your life? Make of it what you will.”

What do you do?

Read the posts below, and click "Post Reply" to post a suggestion for the Lewellyn’s next action. Anyone is welcome to post. You can suggest what he would do based on his personality, what you think he should do based on what would be best, or just in general what seems like a good idea to you. Feel free to comment on other’s suggestions, but please be courteous.

You're also welcome to ask questions about Lewellyn's background or about the world of the Wheel.

Update: Voting has now begun on the options suggested.

Last edited by Key on Sun Apr 10, 2005 10:27 am; edited 1 time in total

#2: Author: Guest,

Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 4:12 pm
—
Suicide, this is too much for me too handle....
just kidding

Great chapter Keavs....well, seriously, I would try to convince father when he comes, isn't that the point?

- D-Lotus

#3: Author: Forthwini,

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 3:10 am
—
Isnt it so that Lewellyn wants to be loyal to his father but at the same time save Lalomea and The Sheepheads.

It seems that Lewellyn really likes Lalomea or is he angry for Ram King just because of Lalomea has betrayed Lewellyns father?

Convincing father is really the only good option now. But what if father wants to destroy Sheepheads to protect Lewellyn? Lalomea would be
gone too. Should Lewellyn escape with Lalomea and go face that enemy just to save Sheepheads? Or Lewellyn could help Sheepheads in war.

By the way would father start a war against Sheepheads or why you say that all Sheepheads would die? If there would be a war Lewellyn would be fighting with Sheepheads. He would know how to win fathers army.

#4: Author: Araex,

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:10 am
—
Run away with Lodevar! I love the way this ties in with the other story Key!

#5: Author: PoopOnYoop,

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 6:01 am
—
i honostly think he needs to resurch this because he never knows ........what if this is a plot for his death and they just happen to be the spys ....and the empror is using them to make him belive its real .....he could be helping with his own murder....so i think he should resurch it more get the inside story ........and if he disides to go i think he should reallly pack the things he would need if this is his death plot........

but yeah i really have to say i like this story i think its well written and the chacters are well descirbed and even like the pics but yeah so good job really good job Very Happy

#6: Author: Key, Location: The Royal Palace

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 4:01 pm
—

Forthwini wrote:

By the way would father start a war against Sheepheads or why you say that all Sheepheads would die?

According to Lalomea, Father is pretending that the Ram King is his son. He's doing this so that the Emperor will attack the Ram King and the sheepheads, and once they've been killed Lewellyn will be safe because the Emperor won't be looking for him anymore.

So Father isn't threatening a war, but the sheepheads are in danger of losing one. Or at least that's what Lalomea says.

#7: Author: Smee, Location: UK

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:14 am
—
Good chapter as always,

I think that Lewellyn needs to realise that his father has gone the wrong way about protecting him, threatening an entire race just to keep him safe.

Maybe dig down deep, find some pride and tell his father that the death of thousands isn't an acceptable way to protect him.

He has the ace up his sleeve - the MerKing needs his son, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such trouble to protect him. Lewellyn can threaten his own disclosure to the Emperor to get his fathers help.

#8: Author: Araex,

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 8:26 am
—
but is he prepared to poosibly sacrifice himself to save others? he seems to have led a pretty isolated life nearly alone on this islan - am sure he would kill himself to keep Lalomea sae, but for people hedoesn't know? maybe has never heard of? would he do it? we must stay in character i think, but I'm not sure what that is - i think he will try to talk to his father to truly help Lodevar, rather than fake it

#9: Author: Smee, Location: UK

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 8:29 am
—
I'm fairly sure, even if I'd lived a sheltered life, I wouldn't like the idea of my father causing the death of others to keep my life sheltered.

Pride alone would be enough to at least confront my father.

#10: Author: ethereal_fauna, Location: USA

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:11 am
—
And he seems to have grown discontent alone on his island. He might naively think that this is some sort of adventure, not fully realizing the dangers involved.

#11: Author: D-Lotus, Location: Hollywood, USA

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 1:44 pm
—
He doesn't have to sacrifice himself for real...it's called a bluff, people...

#12: Author: PoopOnYoop,

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:18 pm
—
maybe he should get a discuize..............one day hes himself and one day hes *dufus*(just as an example) i read it again and honostly i still thinks its one of the better ones ive read

#13: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 5:13 am
—
Lewellyn, like people are saying seems to be getting restless on his isolated island. I think he needs to realize the danger his position is to other races.

#14: Author: Mother Goose, Location: Connecticut

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:33 am
—
Lewellyn is terrified of his father, but if the turtle has given him real values in his teaching, may realize that he doesn't want to be safe at the price of war and the death of many. Also, as others have said, he may be getting restive in his isolation.

There is no future in defiance. He and Lodevar cannot breathe water, and the island is surrounded by the king's guards. Persuading the king to help seems the only choice, and may be successful if the king really does love his son.

#15: Author: Random,

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:17 am
—
One direction we could go, and still keep within his character, is to wait until his father arrives. This way he can get watch Lodevar's reactions and ask himself the questions presented here, such as if he approves of his isolation and safety at the cost of so much death.

I agree that he should try to persuade his father to help at any cost. I'm not sure we really know enough about Lewellyn to guess at what his character would do. He obviously hasn't been lavished in expensive gifts and perhaps this has made him more like Lodevar, knowing he was destined for something more but unwilling or unable to take a chance at grabbing that destiny. He's been secluded from the world so this could make him naive and doubtful, meaning he would believe his father over Lodevar. He's been educated and Horchow seems to have tried to impart something more than intelligence upon Lewellyn. So Lewellyn could be wise but untested wisdom is a scary part of growing up.

I think it's time Lewellyn grew up. But this could happen as a result of seeing the Merking's treatment of Lodevar. Lewellyn could easily find a spot to watch them from a distance. Who knows the island better than he does?

#16: Author: Reiso, Location: Western North America

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:46 am
—
Another excellent chapter, Key.

It seems to me that Horchow knows more than he is letting on about what the best course is, but in accordance with his role as a mentor, he is testing the boy. Maybe not neccessarily testing which choice he will make, but testing his ability to choose.

Everyone has made good points about the choices that he has, but it seems like the safest choice is to try to convince his father. The only problem with that is that I just don't see his father changing his mind, even if he does love his son. Let's not forget that this is a man who was unconcerned that one of his daughters had gone to the surface to die. It does not speak well of him as a compassionate father - though in Lewellyn's case, favor may bring exception. But if it doesn't, then that places everybody at the extreme disadvantage of being near the King and his guards, and at their mercy.

A sticky situation. But I am at a loss for alternatives that aren't as risky for their own reasons, and if the King can be swayed, there is too much that would be lost by not trying.

#17: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 11:10 am
—
You add a good point, Reiso. I too saw that the Sea King does not seem to be a very compassionate person after he allowed Lalomea to die on land. But Lewellyn is technically his heir, surely that would somewhat influence his decision.

#18: Author: Alegria, Location: On the beaches with Dr. Suess' Sneeches. Only the star-bellied ones, of course.

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:31 am
—
Well, I think asking the Sea King would be a no, from what I pick up about him he would just say no anyway. It would be more interesting if his sister and the ram king were captured and hidden somewhere, and then had to be rescued by our hero.

#19: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:14 am
—
Well if Lewellyn were to save Lodevar and Lalomea, he would have to have either a lot of compassion or he has to see why he should save them in the first place.

#20: Author: Alegria, Location: On the beaches with Dr. Suess' Sneeches. Only the star-bellied ones, of course.

Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 3:56 pm
—
I see your point there

#21: Author: D-Lotus, Location: Hollywood, USA

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 1:59 pm
—
ok, I changed my mind. This is how I see it now...kill the king (the ram boy will do it...or lellewyn)and then Lellewyn becomes king. With him as king...they'll help us!

#22: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 3:15 pm
—
Some is sure on a murdering streak. Very Happy

But even if Lewellyn does become king there still has to be reason. Like I said before either he has to either be very sympathetic for the cause or be shown a reason to defy his father. I personally think that if Lodevar and Lalomea could somehow prove to Lewellyn that his father is pure evil, they would gain some support.

#23: Author: Mordok,

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 7:38 pm
—
What if Lalomea kills dear ole dad because he was a jerk and left her to die?

Lewellyn would be sad, but he would still love his sister.

Actually, I have nothing good to offer and just wanted to get a cheap laugh.

Hope it works.

#24: Author: Araex,

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 1:05 am
—
Neutral

#25: Author: ethereal_fauna, Location: USA

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 4:47 am
—
Actually having Lalomea off dear ol' royal daddy, while somewhat out of keeping with this part of the story, would prove a very interesting event in the grand scheme of things.

#26: Voting up Author: Key, Location: The Royal Palace

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 10:24 am
—
OK, I think I'd better stop the suggestion and start voting before things get too crazy. Very Happy

Looks like we've got:

- Wait for Father to come, then try to convince him to help the Sheepheads
- Run away with Lodevar and Lalomea back to the Sheephead island
- Try to test Lodevar to see if he's telling the truth or if this is a trap set by the Emperor
- Wait for Father to come, and watch from a distance to see how Father treats Lodevar
- Conspire with Lodevar or Lalomea to murder Father

Happy voting!

#27: Author: Mother Goose, Location: Connecticut

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 3:19 pm
—
Well, if Key has up his sleeve a way to get the three of them (or is it four? Is the prophet still with them, I forget) off the island before papa gets there, that would be my choice. (Ride dolphins? or Horchow?)

The king is not likely to be sympathetic to even his favorite son's request, and once he arrives they have very little power against him. Llewelyn must be getting tired of being confined alone, and might see this as both a way of avoiding the confrontation with his father and a great adventure and chance to see something of the world.

#28: Author: Muaddib,

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:03 pm
—
I chose to test Lodevar.Although we know that Lodevar is good, it would be stupid of Lle(blah blah) to trust him blindly.(Ive never been good with Welsh names).

#29: Author: D-Lotus, Location: Hollywood, USA

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 7:30 pm
—
How about obsernig daddy and lodevar from afar, and if daddy ain't nice....swiiiiiiiip went the arrow!

#30: Author: Araex,

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:43 pm
—
I said to Run Away!

#31: Author: PoopOnYoop,

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 12:18 pm
—
hey mine was so winning come on people vote you know you want toooooooooooooooooo..............hehehehehehe Very Happy

#32: Author: Araex,

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 11:00 pm
—
a 2-way tie! :o

#33: Author: Reiso, Location: Western North America

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 1:20 pm
—
Not anymore! MuaWAahahahahahaaa!!... nah, just kidding. I was actually one of the first to vote. But someone did break the tie. I wonder if the other option will swing back and tie it again.

#34: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:12 pm
—
Looks like I set another tie. 8) Anyways I think it would be irrational to immediately kill the ole dude anyways. Lewellyn needs to see a reason why he should kill his father.[/code]

#35: Author: Araex,

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 10:40 pm
—
hmm, what's going to happen now? love the new avatar Reiso

#36: Author: Ravenwing, Location: Virginia

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:02 am
—
Darn, no more ties. Quick someone who has not voted cast your vote and give us another tie!! Laughing

#37: Author: Reiso, Location: Western North America

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:52 pm
—

Araex wrote:

hmm, what's going to happen now? love the new avatar Reiso

Thanks Araex, it's by Michael Whelan if you're interested. Or it might be spelled Micheal. I can never remember the right way to spell that name. But the Whelan part is right.

#38: Author: Araex,

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:14 am
—
the name rings a bell

#39: Author: Guest,

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:53 pm
—
8) :evil: hey no fair mine was winning come on ppl the could be walking right into his own trapp that would totally end this really good story........... bummer! 8)

#40: Author: PoopOnYoop,

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 12:56 pm
—

Anonymous wrote:

8) :evil: hey no fair mine was winning come on ppl the could be walking right into his own trapp that would totally end this really good story........... bummer! 8)

sry that was me

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