2 Narnian things, and 2 things tenuously related

[heliopausa]

As promised, I've posted the next in the Atrementus series, Nymphs and their Ways, here, on AO3. (Maybe later on ffnet.). I'm really pleased that I managed to do it, and feel more confident that I'll actually buckle down to writing the whole series. Maybe I can manage the third by the end of next week. (It should be quickish, since that one won't

Comments

[anonymous]

I can fill you in on a few details: Nyssa was introduced a story or two before -- we also met her father, and at the end, after the TARDIS left, we saw the Master possess her father's body. So she indeed has every right to be upset. Also her planet (possibly her whole galaxy) was destroyed in this story, and as with Princess Leia, this is never really brought up again.

Actually Nyssa's arc is a bit frustrating to watch -- I think she was originally intended as a one-off character, then they decided to make her a regular companion, but the actress' schedule didn't really allow it, so in a lot of stories she gets sick or something in the first episode and we don't see her again until the end. Probably that also has to do with the difficulties of fitting a four-person TARDIS Crew into the story, especially when at least one of them is supposed to rival the Doctor in intelligence and technical skills, if not experience.

[moon_custafer]

Sorry, that anonymous comment was mine -- I forgot I wasn't properly logged in yet.

[heliopausa]

:D Thank you! So the Master has had a different face very recently? I did see her when her planet was destroyed - or just blinked out of existence. I don't know now whether to go forward or go back.

(pause to think)

I think I'll go back, at least far enough to see Nyssa and Adric arrive. This will be a very slow business, but I'll get there in the end. :) I do know the future story/episode with all of them attending first a cricket game and then a fancy dress party in a country house, because I was once asked to write to a prompt which called for knowledge of that. None of the companions really shone in that one, but I liked the cricket part.

[moon_custafer]

The Master was originally introduced in the Pertwee era, and was played by an actor named Roger Delgado who was reportedly well-liked by everyone who knew him, and who was unfortunately killed in a car accident while shooting a movie on location.

After that the character was (understandably) retired for many years, only being reintroduced in the 'eighties, played by Anthony Ainley, who played him for the rest of the Classic era. His reintroduction was accompanied by an explanation that the Master had run out of regenerations, hence his hijacking of somebody else's body. I think in the new series the Time Lords are supposed to have resurrected him (them, really) for the Time War and given him a new cycle of regenerations, which is why we've seen three actors in the role since.

Black Orchid is interesting in that it's the only Dr. Who story after the Hartnell era to contain no SF elements except for the time-travel.

[heliopausa]

Thank you. That must be where the only-12-regenerations comes from. I liked the Master - i.e. there being a counter-Doctor at all, though also the actors playing him.

I liked the cricket match, and the secret tunnel, but stories about doubles at fancy-dress parties hardly ever go well, especially when there's a Harlequin involved. Things tend to get a bit too contrived.

[parrot_knight]

Furthermore, the Master shrinking people to death using a matter compressor ( later the 'Tissue Compression Eliminator') was introduced in his first story, Terror of the Autons, though not used again until The Deadly Assassin five years later.

[heliopausa]

Oh! then someone who had been following all along would have known exactly what was happening. I withdraw my remarks, abashed.

Thank you for wising me up! :)

[moon_custafer]

Oops, you're right, I'd forgotten Peter Pratt as the (at that point not-at-all-well) Master in The Deadly Assassin.

[asakiyume]

The sample illustration really does look a lot like Pauline Baynes' work.

I'm loving going back to your story and reading the additional comments and your replies!