Alpha 2 – Using unlife vs. undead
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[quote=Iume;4700]Okay, then there are some instance where unlife needs to be changed to undead.
– Verigas uses it in Chapter 125
[/quote]Fixed, left it in for Hilda in same section.
[quote=Iume;4700]
– Talarius uses in Chapter 127. He uses like a title which feels wrong at this point. Maybe later after he’s adjusted to the local life. Actually, why is he able to converse with the locals on Nysegard w/ no problem after a couple thousand years of linguistic drift and no demons nearby?
[/quote]I am now far more concerned about “how the hell is he talking to them?” point than the unlife thing. Nargh. Fixing unlife for the moment.
Teragdor in the Citadel is also a problem.
[quote=Iume;4700]
– Teragdor in Chapter 135. He might use it in conversation, but he also uses it when thinking. The former makes sense, not the latter.
[/quote]
I think in this case, it is OK, he has been talking with everyone about Unlife, in this section and presumably off scene. I think he would compartmentalize it fast enough. Perhaps a comment/correction as he’s thinking “undead, or rather Unlife, as the said here”Big reason I say this is that he’d just had a big conversation with people about Unlife and the whole study of Unlife and then he thinks this:
Try reading it outloud even.
[quote]
He was pretty sure that his experience was about to change. From the sound of the horns, and the bustle and activity in this room, it appeared that an [color=red][b]Unlife [/b][/color]attack was imminent. Given how put out about the fact that so much ‘heavenly horse power’ had shown up to rescue one Knight Rampant, he was pretty sure it would be in very bad form for them not to pitch in and help. For one thing, it was pretty clear that being surrounded by [color=red]Unlife[/color] would make getting out to locate Talarius rather difficult. That would probably have to wait until after this siege was taken care of.
[/quote]Now contrast that with:
[quote]
He was pretty sure that his experience was about to change. From the sound of the horns, and the bustle and activity in this room, it appeared that an [color=red][b]undead [/b][/color]attack was imminent. Given how put out about the fact that so much ‘heavenly horse power’ had shown up to rescue one Knight Rampant, he was pretty sure it would be in very bad form for them not to pitch in and help. For one thing, it was pretty clear that being surrounded by [color=red][b]undead[/b][/color] would make getting out to locate Talarius rather difficult. That would probably have to wait until after this siege was taken care of.
[/quote]The use Unlife, very differently than we use undead, The second seems very awkward in this context.
[quote=Iume;4700]
– Melissance in Chapter 138. Kind of iffy on this one. Presumably she has become familiar with the term, but the people she is speaking to are all from Astlan and wouldn’t quite get the difference. Should she use undead or unlife when talking to them?Also, when it is Unlife vs. unlife a proper noun? Then you say Unlife I feel it should be a brand or product. UnlifeTM, now trademarked by Denubian ChococoffeeTM, your source for LifeTM.[/quote]
That is a question, Melissance I mean. Hmm…
As to the capitalization, (I am horrible on capitalization, and consistency).
In Nysegard, “the Unlife” is capitalized because to them it is so huge/so big, it is a proper name. This is basically in the same line that I mention about Teragdor and his thoughts in 135.
They use it like the Olympians, or the Five Siblings.
Everyone outside Nysegard and Doom should be lower caps, most likely. Not sure though about Tierhallon crowd though.
Okay, then there are some instance where unlife needs to be changed to undead.
– Verigas uses it in Chapter 125
– Talarius uses in Chapter 127. He uses like a title which feels wrong at this point. Maybe later after he’s adjusted to the local life. Actually, why is he able to converse with the locals on Nysegard w/ no problem after a couple thousand years of linguistic drift and no demons nearby?
– Teragdor in Chapter 135. He might use it in conversation, but he also uses it when thinking. The former makes sense, not the latter.
– Melissance in Chapter 138. Kind of iffy on this one. Presumably she has become familiar with the term, but the people she is speaking to are all from Astlan and wouldn’t quite get the difference. Should she use undead or unlife when talking to them?
Also, when it is Unlife vs. unlife a proper noun? Then you say Unlife I feel it should be a brand or product. UnlifeTM, now trademarked by Denubian ChococoffeeTM, your source for LifeTM.
In books 1 and 2 the term unlife was never used. That being said while it makes sense for certain characters to use the term unlife because either because they was taught to use unlife instead of undead, or because they are new or new to discussing the unlife.
So, TAG, which characters are supposed to use unlife and which use undead?
Unlife – D’Orcs, Nysegard residents?, gods, really old demons (> 1000 years?)
Undead – Maelen, Jenn, Talarius (prior to Nysegard), Tiernon’s avatars (prior to Nysegard), Verigas
In fact, who in-universe KNOWS that that about the term unlife? Hephaestus indicated that the antimus is not really well known and that seems to be how we get to unlife. Antefalken did not known of the term unlife. Verigas should not know the term yet he uses it.
tl;dr – When should unlife vs. undead be used?
The Astlanian term is undead. Nearly everyone in Astlan would call them undead. This probably includes people who know the truth, it’s the sort of thing that most people wouldn’t have the patience for. It’s like an old Strigoi hunter trying to get the word out, but no one wanting to listen (The Strain)
Most very high level necromancers and liches etc would know the truth. If you can turn yourself into a lich, you know what you are doing.
Nysegard calls it Unlife. They very much know what it is.
Most gods who fight it, know it’s Unlife, Hilda would know the term, but most likely use undead around those not familiar with the term.
Amongst themselves, the avatars would use it interchangeably. In Astlan it would be undead and unlife in Nysegard.
The Demon Princes all know the truth, but don’t care that much. Those below, who knows.
Of our main POV: The avatars all NOW know. Stevos probably did not, the rest would have, including Hilda as its her specialty and went to school on it.
Jenn, Gastrope’ still do not know, Lenamare and some councilors may have heard something about it, but none would know much, if anything.
Alexandros Mien, might….and that’s probably it.
Vaselle probably knows now, not sure about Tal Gor & shamans.
Actually, that’s an interesting point. Shamans–some very powerful ones–might know about it since they are into spirits and animus, but I suspect they would use different terms.
Of ours, only Beya Fei Geist and Ragalah-nargoloth “might” know, but not clear if they would.
Elraith Castegones probably knows about it, but would most likely not use the term since it is too esoteric for most, and not his central focus. This is because he is very much a “gestalt” or Zen type Druid, his “oneness” with the world and multiverse. He’s learned a lot about the secrets of life extension, he would almost have to have encountered it.
There are certain types of animages that would know, however, we don’t have any of those at this time.
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