User blog comment:SaynaSLuke/The Ocean's Echoes/@comment-2142396-20160312200202/@comment-7662967-20160313022557

Yea, he deserves some respect for how hard he worked for that ship and how much he's done for it .. it probably would have been scrapped if it wasn't for him. And he loves it and tinkers on it most of the time ;) Kind of like a man and his car.

All Sampetrian ships must carry the dragon sail and the flag of the captains house, just as the captains all must have a signet ring embossed with the crest of their house. However, most beasts, noble or not, do have a house, even the common people (their are a lot, and I do mean a lot, of houses) However .. the houses are always legally traced through the father, so some unfortunates like Xzaris, who are illegitimate, truly have no house. So he claims to be of the Falcons, simply to identify his ship and all legal documents he writes/signs. In these cases, (which are fairly common) upon marriage, the beast would take the house of whoever they marry (whether they are male or female) but Xzaris has to pretend to have a house he doesn't for now. I'm sure he could get in trouble for this, if the right person got mad at him (aka perhaps someone like Kia or maybe any half siblings he might have) So he knows there's a danger, he just prefers to live dangerously in some cases.

IKR? Isn't he just so awesome? Evil, wrong, hateable .. but awesome? XP It's weird, but I totally look forward to writing the Ublaz pieces. He's just so cunning, it's fun to see if I can really stay one step ahead of him to write him well .. will I love the day he dies? Oh yes. But for now, I'll just enjoy writing him. He's a challenge, And that's good :) I'm glad you like him! I've worked so hard! :D

Yea, and Val, while she tries, doesn't always aid in that .. Xzaris feels pretty hopeless about the whole deal, he's afraid he'll never see Romsca or Rasconza again, no matter the outcome of this.

Well, really, that conflict is mostly in Romsca's own mind. She thinks maybe if she'd been a son instead of a daughter, she could have been stronger and less prone to temper (aka Graylunk and Flairnose wouldn't have escaped) She despises the fact that without male heirs, the House of the Dragons will die out one way or another with her (Romsca are you thinking clearly? No, you never do) And so she often believes her problems come from her being a girl. While there are challenges a female captain is going to have to face that a male wouldn't, if she thought clearly for once, she'd see that Rasconza and Xzaris have a lot of the same problems she does. I'm glad you liked that, it just seemed a natural reaction, here's a young female captain, and a lot of her crews going to be near her age .. and male. *shrug* XP

Hmm .. well Kia is not the easiest person to be around, but I would be surprised if she was doing some shady dealing around that place. Kia's never quite given up getting free of Ublaz, since he taxes her so heavily, and because he taxes her so heavily, sometimes .. money has to come from elsewhere, no? So I imagine Val's been caught up in not a few thieveries/backhanded deals. Though the blood on her clothes *hehe* that's very important, though in a different manner. And for her being wet, she's got a good walk from the slums to Romsca's manor .. Really, she wanted away mostly because Kia makes her work long hours and pays her very little. But yes .. that ferret is not to be trusted in any way ..

Yes, they are and have been for several seasons. That's why Rasconza wanted to buy a manor again .. he's probably thinking about asking her to marry him in a season or so. Well, she did actually ask him (or really threaten him with the fact she was going to join up with Xzaris if he wouldn't take her) but he's afraid his crew won't respect her and will threat her poorly, really, he's trying to protect her, but she doesn't see it that way :P Though yes, while the two do have a mutual affection for the other, they will get into fights, and rather heated at that. (as we will see more of)

Oh yes, all of Sampetra beware! There is no mercy for you in Lutran's heart .. well, except for one. One, and only one. Hmm .. you know, in a way, yes. Though Grath has a vengeful side, she normally expresses it through cold silence, not killing. (Though not always.) But she is far calmer than cannon, and always was going to be, because of who I based her off, my irl best friend. It is a bit odd I put her and me on opposing sides, but the truth is, in an odd way, we sort of are. We come from very different lives, yet are friends despite this. I suppose I made her Grath and me Romsca because they seem like polar opposites, but really, they aren't. Meh. There's a lot of symbolism in TotO.

Well, that's totally good. I really don't think of my revised characters as the same characters they were in cannon anyway. You know .. canon is cannon and Sayna is Sayna .. or something to that effect ;P

Oh yes. Clecky .. that will indeed backfire .. XD

I know, Selina and Wind are really sad, and it's sadder that Rasconza is the one doing this to them. Yea, Selina has given up freedom. Rasconza saved her life in a backpawed way, because he was poor, and needed oar slaves, he bought used ones and rested them, and she doesn't want to anger him. Wind on the other paw is angry .. but so hurt and truly afraid that she's fearful of emotion and getting attached to creatures, lest they be taken from her again.

IDK .. all I can think of is your story honestly, with the rats and all (which is awesome) though in my world, I think Terramort was populated mostly by vermin, but some shipwrecked woodlanders, and slowly other woodlanders came .. because Terramort tried to be a trading nation too, they were just weaker than Sampetra and were overrun (though I doubt that's all .. you know I am leaving room for a sequel) ;) But at this point, Sampetra preys upon them like the Vikings preyed upon the coasts of England and such.

Oh it will be very meaningful for Grath when she gets there (I think I might cry) but yes, it's very meaningful to Romsca as well.

Aha! Yes! *bounces* I love that twist! Scound and Aisha did create a different nation, but there is evil everywhere, and perhaps 500 years after it's founding, Sampetra turned to piracy, so long ago that everybeast has forgotten what they once stood for. Romsca can barely believe it .. but when she later finds matching ancient records in the palace and Sayna confirms, she finally fully excepts it as truth.

Yup, you got it .. but it will be hard. And dangerous. And that's basically what the TotO sequel I'm thinking up would be all about .. >:)

I'm glad you like it <3