QnA October! (Patreon)

In one of the snippets, Ortega doesn’t have the best reaction to being carried by Sentinel—do they still have a fear or anxiety toward flying or heights (or jumps) after their accident in the present time?

Yes, even though they hate it. It's one of those things that Ortega has managed to stuff away at the back of their mind and forget about, but occasionally a situation occurs where it will hit entirely wrong. I doubt many people have noticed, Ortega tends to laugh it off or just work through it, it was rougher early on. It was worse with Sentinel, since his powers were wind-based and very reminiscent of using a wingsuit. Herald is easier and rarely triggers any fear. Most likely it's because he's a smoother ride, or perhaps Ortega has just grown older and more at peace with what happened.

Could rich Sidesteps pay off Ortega's debts?

With effort, yes. It's not something that can be done without sacrificing most of what they have amassed though.

How much does Sidestep actually know about Ortega's life before being Charge? Do they know anything about Ortega's relationship to their father? Any details about Ortega's accident?

I haven't decided in detail, some of that is up to headcanon. But, Ortega tends to overshare, so Sidestep probably knows the broad details, filtered through drunk ramblings. Sidestep does know about the accident, Ortega has been open enough with that in interviews even, but what they don't talk about is the aftermath. Perhaps that's a coming discussion in book three... About Ortega's father though... hmmm... not sure. Probably not much. Those are feelings Ortega keeps very much to themself, especially around their mother.

Time restraints in their personal life aside, has Ortega ever considered getting a service dog for their seizures, or is that something that feels too close to admitting to other things not being quite as right as they used to? 

No. And Steel has suggested it more than once. However, Ortega doesn't want a pet (they have never detailed why), and having a service dog would mean that they had to admit they need one. Far better to pretend that everything is fine until it isn't.

Ignoring the racism/sexism in the genre for the sake of argument, slasher/horror movie tropes, who's who of the five ro's and are they alive at the end? Have you watched any horror movies you feel any of them might feel especially attached or be especially affected by? Second part applying to Argent especially, does she have any favourites? 

Argent is alive at the end. Ruthless, smart, a girl and genre-savvy at that. Phenomena by Dario Argento would be close to her heart for... reasons.

Ortega would be the first to go, only to crawl back at the and and scare the hell out of everyone who thought they were dead, and then get killed for real a moment later. Ortega would get a kick out of Jason X by Jason Isaac. Just enough rock and roll and cheese for them.

Chen would die, the logical one who tries to rally the others always does. I almost don't want to name Chen's horror movie, but... Suicide Circle by Sion Sono. He only watched it once, but it stuck badly post Heartbreak. 

Herald would live almost to the end, but he's the type to sacrifice himself so... I'm actually going to pick Hellraiser 2 for him. Might be surprising at a first glance, but the vibe fits.

Mortum would be the fake-out dead again and again, but would live to the end against all odds. The movie is definitely Prince of Darkness by John Carpenter.

And yes, all those movies have tangents in Fallen Hero too so... ;)

What exactly was “Dave” thinking when they choose their superhero name?

Is there a story behind Marshal Dave's name?

His name is Dave. Like... why would he bother getting a new one?

Is Marshal Dave ever going to make an appearance in the book? :3 

More than likely. He's fun.

What is the status of climate change in the Fallen Hero world? Obviously the Big One caused changes in America, but is human-made change still on track to be as devastating as in the real world, or has the invention of fusion reactors mitigated the upcoming damage?

Climate Change is still there, it was set in motion long before the Big One. However, it is not as far along due to the cooling effects of the massive eruption, as well as less reliance of fossile fuels. As you say, fusion reactors have given an alternative source of energy over the last decades, though it's not a universal panacea. 

Are there any longterm Escaped ReGene that the farm has never been able to catch? Are there any the farm has no interest in catching?

Yes. But that's spoilers and might come up in the books.

Could you spare a few details about Dave and Jackrabbit's dynamic and partnership? 😌 

Might be closest to an aging hippie uncle/ energetic techie nephew situation (they are not related tho). Everything else I need to figure out when I write them. 

I'm curious as to what it feels like to be read telepathically, specifically when a subject becomes aware they're being read (due to a lack of subtlety on the telepath's part). 

Being passively read (and not influenced in any way) doesn't feel like anything though perceptive people might feel watched or creeped out though they don't know why. However, if the telepath is looking for specific information, it is easier to spot. It will feel a bit like daydreaming or deja vu, thoughts rising to the surface, only to shift into new ones. Like being scatterbrained and unable to focus.

If we use Chen for example. How would he come to realize an unsubtle Step is secretly trying to read his mind? Does Chen get the feeling he is being watched? Maybe a vague sense of discomfort pops up out of nowhere? What sensations does he experience that makes him realize that "yes, Step is reading my mind right now"?

Honestly? Chen thinks he's getting read a lot more often than it actually happens. It's the sense of being watched, and his suspicious nature. In a way he's like someone visiting a house they know is rumored to be haunted, every sound and weird feeling is taken as proof.

Would someone with next to no knowledge of telepathy/telepaths/mental shielding be able to pinpoint that they're being read? Or do they go "huh, I feel funny for some reason" but can't identify the reason?

You need training to be able to spot the reason for the unease.

I would like to add to the question above: How would a subtle step feel, too? Going off the assumption that the person would notice.

Subtle steps will feel more like wandering thoughts, thinking freely, unable to focus. More forceful ones trigger deja vu, and a feeling that someone just walked over your grave. Maybe even feeling someone touch you, whisper to you, or stand right behind you and breathe in your ear. Things like that.

Will we get to meet the mayor in the next books? And if yes, will she have plot armor? (asking for a friend)

A meeting with the mayor is long overdue for some Sidesteps. She won't have plot armor.

What does Steels armor  look like?

I have no idea. I suck at designing things like that.

What do the Rangers or Dr. Mortum think about telepathic powers, considering some of the characters experiences with it? How do they feel about the fact Sidestep is a telepath? Would Sidestep’s strength and abilities with their telepathic powers in present day affect their thoughts or feelings?

Herald isn't disturbed by telepathy, he's not paranoid about having his mind read. And yes, Sidestep being a telepath probably helps with that.

Ortega doesn't get telepathy, or why people are disturbed by it. Realistically they know it's dangerous, but since they are not affected, it's a big blind spot.

Argent is more and more aware of how dangerous telepathy really is. Sidestep is the cause of that.

Chen never liked telepaths, he's fond of his privacy. Funnily enough, Sidestep was never to blame, this came long before they met.

Mortum is intrigued by telepathic communication and is actively researching how they work.

Does Ortega still see their therapist?

Ahahaha.... no.

How much influence do Canadian mining companies and banks have in the Free Western territories? Did lots of companies move their head quarters to the area due to tax breaks? 

In the Seattle area, a LOT. And yes, Vancouver suffered massive money drain to Seattle as companies moved, the Canadian government tried to legislate to stop it, but it failed to stem the tide. 

This doesn't happen in story, but what would have Ortega done if Sidestep had just refused to interact with them. Just completely stonewalled and then ghosted? Forcing Sidestep to interact with them seems like a little much even for Ortega. On the other hand I can't imagine Ortega just letting their partner/ best friend/ Lost love just walking off into the abyss.

Massive surveillance "just to make sure they were alright", and probably an intervention eventually.

I've have wondered what would happen if Sidestep played dumb and claimed they didn't know/remember Ortega.

Well, guess Ortega would have to hunt down Locus then, because something bad has obviously been done to Sidestep's mind. Ortega doesn't give up.

What would the Rangers, Mortum, and Jake have thought about each of the physical takedowns delivered to Argent from their fighter/armor expertise viewpoints given from an outside point of view.

I really don't know, maybe I'll get into it eventually. 

As the author, what are the pronouns we should use for you? 

Oh boy. Okay. Hmm. I'm old and genderqueer, so I usually let people use what pronouns they like because thinking about the fact that people might be talking about me at all is really uncomfortable. Being perceived is hard, since that is something I have no control over. Better to ignore that it happens at all rather than try to dictate how people refer to me.

That being said, I do get a little happy spike when people use "he/him" unprompted, but not to the point that I get annoyed when they don't. Honestly? I very rarely see/hear people use pronouns about me at all, so go with whatever.

Do the Marshals have contact with each other? Any interesting relationships behind Marshals and ranger teams? '

Yes they do, and there are probably a lot of interesting relationships, but I haven't written any of them yet so I have no idea! Dave knew Hood though...

Sorry if this has been explained somewhere else, but can Sidestep permanently move their mind to another body? (permanent as in even if the original Side Step body perishes, their mind can still exist.)  Also, is Step powerful enough to completely erase a person's mind and turn them into a puppet for future uses? (It's always nice to stock up on extra meat puppets!)

It is so far unknown if Sidestep's mind can truly survive without the body. It will be explored in the future...

A high force Sidestep might be able to completely erase another person's mind, yes. Whether they would be able to get everything depends on the subtlety level though...

How would the Los Diablos Rangers past or present fair against Skybright in a one and one fight? Would they be considered fights, or would Skybright just be delivering curbstomps? Any particular standouts?

Sentinel might be a challenge, but would only be prolonging the inevitable. Anathema would be the one to be truly dangerous, but that is only if Skybright remained close. The old team (pre-heartbreak) might pose a real threat though. They would need combos.

Questions for the RO. Do they prefer to kiss, cuddle or hold hands with a partner? 

Ortega is a kisser. Chen cuddles, as does Argent and Mortum. Herald likes holding hands. 

If Ortega and Sidestep had a thing in the past, was Ortega aware they were in love with Step or did they only come to that realization after they lost them?

Ortega knew, but it was that kind of thing where they were afraid of the consequences and tried to play it off as having a bit of fun, especially with Sidestep being so skittish.

How common is it for heroes and villains to change sides? Is there a legal definition of villain?  

It's more common that heroes switch side than the other way around, but it's known to happen. "Rehabilitated" villains can serve on community or company teams in exchange for shorter sentences if they are deemed trustworthy enough. There's no real legal definition of a villain, but people generally agree that it's criminals that use a fake identity and dress up in outlandish costumes. 

once on Tumblr u answered an ask about sidesteps birthday and that everyone just guesses how old they are and when their birthday even is. could we maybe somewhen get a lil snippet of that ? i thought the idea was very cute

Who knows? Maybe I will be in a cute mood one day and write it.

Are the nine gates in the game inspired by or related to the concept of the nine gates in The Club Dumas novel or The Ninth Gate film? 

I have no idea what the Club Dumas is, but I did like the Ninth Gate movie. The number nine comes from old nordic mythology, where 9 (3x3) is a very powerful number used in many mystic connotations. Some bonus content if you know what the Uthark is and looks at number 9... ;)

Is Locus’ telepathy more Force or Subtle Manipulations? Is she also able to telepathically “possess” another body the way Sidestep does with Argent and the puppet?

Locus is more force. She can't possess people at all.

Are birth certificates and marriage licenses a thing in the FEZ?  Was same sex marriage legalized with California out of the picture? What is getting married like in LD?

Birth certificates exist, and you will get one if you are born in a hospital (with the attached bill). However, a lot of people don't have one, and are what amounts to stateless, unable to prove their identity. 

Same sex marriage was legalized decades ago. In the Free Territories you can also get married to several people, there are no laws against that. Marriage varies depending on culture and traditions, just like always. 

What would someone from Los Diablos be called? (For example, a person who lives in Seattle is called a Seattleite.)

Demonyms are always touchy, and I am very much aware that I am not a native Spanish speaker. That being said, I think Diableño has a good mouthfeel. If anybody has any better suggestions, please let me know in the comments! 

After Heartbreak, who told Ortega Sidestep was dead?

One of the debriefing team at the hospital, as they were taking down the details.

Was Ortega or Anathema the one who bought the novelty Sidestep mug?

Anathema. Ortega goes for expensive stuff.

In your recent lore post I noticed the Marshal of Portland was named Trailblazer. This stuck out to me because I remember in an older build of Retribution there was a hero *very* briefly mentioned in a hero-hunting route with the same name. He fell off the roof, if I remember correctly. Depending on the type of villian you were, he would either be very hospitalized or very dead. Was the Trailblazer name repurposed, was it a little nod back to this hero? Or were they the same person and in an earlier development of the story Sidestep beat a Marshal? 

I liked the name and reused it, no relation!

Can MC incapacitate/kill someone by hijacking their autonomic nervous system and, say, cause a heart attack / make them stop breathing? 

Very strong Sidesteps can possibly do that. They already have the option to do something similar in the sewer fight with Argent during Rebirth.

Was HG’s encounter with Ortega tied to their plan to kill Hood or did they have some other kind of plan going on then? Did Ortega tell about their encounter to Hood?

Spoilers! We'll get into that.

Do the Rangers or Dr. Mortum have a favorite time of the day?

Morning people: Chen. Herald.

Daylight people: Argent.

Evening people: Ortega. 

Night people: Mortum.

What were Hood’s, Sentinel’s, or HG’s lives like before the Big One happened? 

Spoilers. Already getting into that in the Hood novel I am writing on Patreon.

Did Hood have any particular dreams for the future before the Big One happened? Any particular thoughts for education or career? Or was he more of a “live in the moment” kind of kid?

Live for the moment like most kids.

How is one defined either a hero or a vigilante?

Dressing up in distinctive clothes/armor under an assumed identity. Then it just depends on which side of the "law" you are.

What would happen to the Rangers if their team was disbanded?

Herald would probably become a company hero. Chen would try to retire and might just make it. Ortega would need to pick up another paying job, but would hate it and things would end badly. Argent would return to being a vigilante and do her best to keep Ortega alive. 

What do Argent and Ortega most appreciate in one another? What about Chen and Ortega?  

Argent and Ortega has a similar mindset in many ways. Outgoing/thrill seeking on the outside, with a lot of more introspective thoughtful parts that they rarely share. They genuinely like hanging out, and if Argent dares to get into certain secrets more in detail, they might get very close.

Chen and Ortega are very much opposites that complete each other. They can bring out the best as well as occasionally the worst in the other. They have known each other for a long time, and dares to be vulnerable together.

What would the Rangers/Dr. Mortum or HG trio personally think makes one a hero or a villain?

I think they are all on the same page, it's just on what side of the law you are. Now, whether that matters a lot varies. For Mortum the difference is only official approval, while Herald put a lot of weight in the morals what you do.

When it comes to world-building, do you need to have every detail set to stone or are you comfortable with letting certain things to develop with the story?

Nothing is set in stone until it gets published in the story, there is no guarantee that past me had better ideas than future me. What matters is that the story becomes what I want it to, not the exact path I take to get there.

What do you consider important when creating and developing a character?

Their reason for existing. Why are they in the book at all? How will they affect the narrative? If there's no reason for their existence, or if it's shallow and uninteresting, I tend to fuse them with another character instead to get more weight. For the major characters, I want them to be able to work if the book was told from their perspective instead, because that's how I think when I write them. This story would be different, but still cool if Ortega was the main character (don't tell them they aren't), or Herald, or even Jake. Everybody I am interested in has an arc, some minor characters start out without them, but then grow them as I write.

Are there any particular scenes that have changed from the initial plans when started writing them? 

80% or so. My initial plans are never as fun as what they become when I get there.

Have any of the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio changed much since their initial design when it came to their personality/role/or motivations in the story? 

The HG trio was the barest sketches, they have grown enough to have their own arcs and storylines now. 

Chen grew a LOT when I added Spoon. It really fleshed out his character when I added him as an RO and needed to write more peaceful interactions. He got more layers, though the core is the same.

Argent is very much the same, but I had never thought that her secrets would start slipping out this fast thanks to the becoming the hardest RO. I didn't think that the readers would learn about her until a lot later.

Ortega is the same asshole, but I am very amused that people are starting to see through their bullshit.

Herald has not exactly changed, but I have spent a lot more time thinking of why he is the way he is. Like the other three, he had to grow a lot when he became a RO.

Dr. Mortum has got a lot more intense than I bargained for. I really like how they let me get into certain subjects. Can't wait for book three, and certain... things coming to light.

Were there any characters you ended up removing from the story?

Only when I turned it from novel to interactive fiction. I added Ortega and Chen, and removed Rick and Porphyry, which never quite worked for me. Some parts of Rick was kept for Ortega, who became a lot more complex as a result.

What have you found most enjoyable about writing Fallen Hero as an interactive novel?

People trying to figure out what the hell is going on and swearing when they realize that the truth was there in the text all along, they just didn't see it because they were sucked into Sidestep's point of view. The whole process of juggling paths and secrets and revelations, and how to pull everything together, and make different replays reveal different aspects of the truth.

What made you decide to write Fallen Hero as an interactive novel?

My job had moved, and I moved with it, and was stuck in a tiny apartment without anything to do in the evenings until we were able to get a new, bigger place so my partner and me could move here proper. Choice of Robots had gone viral on tumblr, and I liked the idea if not the book, and decided to try to write some interactive fiction since I was bored. I had a few possible books to transform, and after some research, I took an idea I suspected would sell, fused two character from another book, stole aspects from a third one, and it ended up becoming this. You could all be reading a viking novel, au bronze-punk, or an urban fantasy if I had gone a different path.