Creative Consult

[Buster's Uncle]

-Except social upheaval w/ the water empire structure of human civilization destroyed.

[Elok]

I modeled this situation after Climate Change; there isn't any clear solution, just two bafflingly bad options they can't implement.

[Elok]

Quick check while I'm writing: is it obvious why Ninshuma filched the indwelt sword in the last update?  I left it as implied, and I want to be sure it's clear.

[Buster's Uncle]

That was a loooong month, January.  I can't beLIEVE it's not been far off only a week I've been distracted and not gotten to reading.

I had thought of nipping over just this morning - I'll get it today.

[Buster's Uncle]

I didn't find it obvious, no.  I don't actually recall her from August.  That was a bout a year ago, after last month.

Seems plain what the deal with her is, but I may have forgotten something I need...

Something something energy in reaction with the spirit in the sword?  Didn't need it once she was about to have a huge fire to feed off?

[Elok]

Mas o menos.  Swords get hot when they're held by somebody who isn't supposed to be holding them; indwelt people absorb heat energy; she was far from her own pyre and wanted juice so she could set the needed fires quickly.  Seems like I don't have to worry too much.

[Buster's Uncle]

Maybe.

I'm clever, and also looked at the paragraph when Ram picked it up three times because you'd asked...

Not sure it matters though; handmaidens, which she clearly was, burn stuff and killing was on-mission; made sense anyway...

[Elok]

It probably isn't super-important--and I suspect readers who aren't reasonably clever would have given up on this story a long time ago.  There's a LOT to keep track of.

[Buster's Uncle]

There is.  I was having trouble keeping names straight even when I was reading weekly installments weekly.