Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: awake
  • Music: Death Cab, "Codes and Keys."

Question time! Toby Daye trivia is fun.

Since I have a book coming out in a week, I figure it's time to once again offer to answer your questions about the world. So...

I will make five blog posts detailing aspects of Toby's universe. Ask me anything! I will not answer every question, but will select the five that I think are the most interesting/fun/relevant, and will detail them to my heart's content. There's a lot to learn and know, and asking loses you nothing.

Leave your questions on this post. I'm declaring comment-reply amnesty for any that I choose not to answer this time, since otherwise, my wee head may explode.

Game on!

ETA: Things covered last time we did this: inheritance, fosterage, madness, historical records, and Cait Sidhe court structure.
Tags: a few facts, common questions, silliness, toby daye
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Jennifer Crowley

August 30 2011, 20:44:58 UTC 5 years ago

What was Tybalt's childhood like? Is that any different than people's childhood's in the rest of Faerie?

What do the farie keep as pets? We know about a few unusual examples, but not actually what most people do.

Where do people in Farie take vacations?

seanan_mcguire

September 9 2011, 03:28:32 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time.

bkwrrm_tx

August 30 2011, 20:58:01 UTC 5 years ago

IF Toby were to ever get married, can you describe the wedding/reception?

dragonsally

August 30 2011, 21:13:10 UTC 5 years ago

I love your icon.

bkwrrm_tx

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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markbernstein

August 30 2011, 21:00:47 UTC 5 years ago

There are multiple fae races. Do all of them trace their lineage back to Oberon, Titania, and Maeve? Is there a record of when each separate race came into being, and when was the last time that happened?

seanan_mcguire

September 2 2011, 17:32:30 UTC 5 years ago

Your answer is here.

sheistheweather

August 30 2011, 21:07:02 UTC 5 years ago

Is there any kind of impartial law enforcement system in Faerie?
Are there any public schools in Faerie?
Are there any universities in Faerie?
What sorts of nursery rhymes do children of Faerie learn?
What sorts of holidays do the people of Faerie celebrate, and how have the traditions changed over the years?
Where do the most common Faerie/Human encounters occur? Are they in places one might not expect?

bakazaru7

August 30 2011, 21:23:26 UTC 5 years ago

How exactly does the mortal world's geography relate to the geography of the Summerlands?

seanan_mcguire

September 3 2011, 20:12:47 UTC 5 years ago

Oddly. The Summerlands are smaller than Earth, and don't cover all spaces. Oberon was really kind of a dick when he locked things down.

liret

August 30 2011, 21:28:00 UTC 5 years ago

Can parents of changelings send their child off to the Summerlands alone and stay with their mortal spouses? I got the impression that Amandine was as stuck as Toby after Toby went through the changeling's choice, but I was wondering if arranging for a foster-family and writing the kid was also possible.

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archangelbeth

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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More Expand

kiarasayre

August 30 2011, 21:36:31 UTC 5 years ago

We know a little bit about the intersection of science and magic in Toby's world, but is there any more formal (albeit secret) research infrastructure there? Underground journals? Fae assistants at particle accelerators running small experimental spells to see what the effect of the Higgs-Boson is on charms? Confused fae genealogists desperately trying to use fae pedigrees to study selection effects? Et cetera? (Honestly, I could go on forever. [/nerdiness])

alitalf

August 30 2011, 22:27:31 UTC 5 years ago

Interesting: I wonder if there is a subatomic particle (or particles) that carries magic, as there are ones that carry charge? There'd probably need to be three more quarks, undetectable by conventional science...

cgbookcat1

5 years ago

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keristor

5 years ago

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cgbookcat1

5 years ago

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alitalf

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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King of Cats

mbliss

August 30 2011, 21:42:30 UTC 5 years ago

I'm pretty sure I read that the only way a new King of Cats can take the throne is through a fight to the death...is that true? If so this doesn't bode well for Tybalt or for his heir.

Re: King of Cats

kshandra

August 30 2011, 22:37:25 UTC 5 years ago

That's probably covered in this post, from the last time she opened the floor.

Re: King of Cats

lacyjae

5 years ago

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mardott

August 30 2011, 21:46:31 UTC 5 years ago

I live in Pleasant Hill, about a mile from the entrance to Shadowed Hills. Alas, I haven't been able to locate it yet. Will Toby give tours to locals who promise to keep their mouths shut?

seanan_mcguire

August 31 2011, 14:51:10 UTC 5 years ago

Sadly, no.

beccastareyes

August 30 2011, 22:02:10 UTC 5 years ago

I kind of want to know more about the undersea kingdoms, but I suspect whatever I ask will be poorly formed without reading One Salt Sea.

Okay, here's one. Are there other geographic divisions among the fae besides those that live underwater and those who live on land? Are there duchies/counties/etc. where one must be able to fly, or ones situated underground, or places of great heat or cold*?

* Insert joke about Santa Claus here.

seanan_mcguire

September 1 2011, 18:59:52 UTC 5 years ago

Madame's answer is here.

ravenclawed

August 30 2011, 22:24:40 UTC 5 years ago

Toby says Cliff knew their relationship was based on lies. Are the human spouses of faerie brides/bridegrooms able to sense there's something not quite normal about who they married?

antinomic

August 31 2011, 13:18:48 UTC 5 years ago

Are there any married folk who don't know this? That's why I married her, 36 years ago.

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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alitalf

August 30 2011, 22:25:03 UTC 5 years ago

The firstborn are seemingly not of the same races as those a generation or three down, and Toby and Amandine seem to be a law unto themselves, so what was the cause and reason why and how the races we read of became established?

Even more am I interested when I consider the prejudice against mixed race marriages.

For example, was it a deliberate choice on the part of a firstborn that their offspring should be thus and so, or did it simply turn out that way? Or have you not worked out all the details of that one yet?

I am curious as to whether the world's details are, for the most part, invented and decided, or whether you get to imagine more of the world when you write new stories?

Do you hear echoes Pippin asking Gandalf questions here, because I just began to do so?

seanan_mcguire

September 9 2011, 03:27:50 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time. :)

drcpunk

August 30 2011, 22:53:02 UTC 5 years ago

So, are modern mortals as ignorant about the fae as the fae think?

seanan_mcguire

September 4 2011, 17:01:02 UTC 5 years ago

Not universally.

vincentursus

August 30 2011, 23:20:58 UTC 5 years ago

What are fae honeymoons like?

seanan_mcguire

August 31 2011, 19:20:22 UTC 5 years ago

Depends on the fae.

tsgeisel

5 years ago

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kaleidors

August 31 2011, 00:03:36 UTC 5 years ago

How do you decide which mythical beings are real in Toby's world? Along with kitsune, are oni, kappa and tengu real? How about jiang shi? What about Abalone Woman from the mythology of northern California? When the fae came from Europe, did they displace or remove natives, or was there no one in California? (I remember talk about settling briefly in the book, but I cannot recall the particulars).

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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kaleidors

5 years ago

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*spoilers*

faithfulcynic

August 31 2011, 00:56:20 UTC 5 years ago

How common is shape-shifting in Faerie? It's been awhile since I've read all the books but I think the only real shapeshifter was an assasin in 'Rosemary and Rue.' Otherwise we have characters like Luna who borrowed someone's shape and Toby who was turned into a fish (and also alters her appearance in the last book) Is shapechanging something everyone can do?

Re: *spoilers*

seanan_mcguire

September 5 2011, 01:38:38 UTC 5 years ago

This been answered, arrr.

kippurbird

August 31 2011, 01:06:07 UTC 5 years ago

I'd like to know more about Merlins (that's what the humans who showed magic potential from fey ancestors were called, weren't they?)

fatherofdragons

August 31 2011, 02:10:33 UTC 5 years ago

That was the question I was going to ask, too.

last_archangel

August 31 2011, 01:41:41 UTC 5 years ago

I'm just fascinated with everything to do with April. Will she ever be an adult, or is she a child forever? What does Sebastien really think of her?

seanan_mcguire

August 31 2011, 14:51:37 UTC 5 years ago

She's an adult as of the end of A Local Habitation.

Sean Robinson

August 31 2011, 02:45:29 UTC 5 years ago

Let's talk real estate.
Inferring through various readings of books, it seems like different real estate comes with different privileges. An islet like Blind Michael's is different than Amandine's castle turret is different than Shadowed Hills, is different than Golden Green.

If i were looking to set up my Sunny Chateau in the Summerlands, could you possibly give some more info about our options?

second question: The Summerlands were the only place left open after Oberon went to do whatever it is he's doing, what other places are there? I feel like it wouldnt be a spoiler to know, only because there are beings in the books that were around prior to the Three going poof.

seanan_mcguire

September 9 2011, 03:27:07 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time. :)

drakos_inferno

August 31 2011, 02:57:34 UTC 5 years ago

Geopolitically, what's going on w/ New England? Who's in charge?
With Firstborn: how do they fit into the power structure? it seems like they're sort of left alone. But are they ruling as kings and queens? Is there a de-facto ruler over them? Who's the oldest running around?

seanan_mcguire

September 9 2011, 03:26:47 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time!

dangerpronered

August 31 2011, 03:01:42 UTC 5 years ago

How often have faerie events had mortal-realm repercussions? As in, was faerie influence involved in any major/minor historical events?

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 18:58:45 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time.

idancewithlife

August 31 2011, 03:18:19 UTC 5 years ago

In "Through this house" Quentin mentions that he's taking his magic lessons more seriously. I'm wondering what magic training is like in Faerie in general, and in the Shadowed Hills in particular? And do changelings get any formal training, or do they pick things up as they can based on their capacity for magic?

seanan_mcguire

September 6 2011, 18:58:31 UTC 5 years ago

Maybe next time.

cgbookcat1

August 31 2011, 04:57:06 UTC 5 years ago

1) Given that Amandine was able to affect the ratio of Faerie/human blood in Toby, could Toby do the same to either her existing daughter or any future progeny? In the first case, could she theoretically bring on a late changeling's choice?

2) Has Amandine ever had other children (whether or not they are alive now)?

seanan_mcguire

August 31 2011, 16:27:11 UTC 5 years ago

These are "read the books" questions, not world/cosmology questions. :)

bigherman

August 31 2011, 05:19:05 UTC 5 years ago

As the human world becomes increasingly complex and encroaches on the fae world, do you imagine a time when fae rulers feel the need for an adviser on the human world, or do you think the fae will just become increasingly more isolated?

seanan_mcguire

August 31 2011, 17:25:01 UTC 5 years ago

What makes you think the sane fae rulers aren't already doing this?

lacyjae

August 31 2011, 05:50:15 UTC 5 years ago

Hopefully I'm not re-asking anything, I do need to go back and read previous instalments of trivia time. :) If it has, let me know and I'll go searching.

Magic scents! How linked are these to a fae's magic type/background/etc? So what determines it? From what I recall, it sounds like no two fae have the same scent of magic, which leads me to believe that while it's linked in some way to their race, there's more to it than that. Anything you can detail on this part of things would be awesome for me. :D

Being a big fan of BPAL (and currently lusting after the Toby Daye scents from Conjure Oils and just waaaaiting for bday to come), I have found this to be one of the most interesting aspects of your version of fae. I've read about visual magical signatures but not so much /scent/ and I just love the idea so much. I mean.. smelling like fae magic? Yes please!

(Also YAY NEW BOOK! I am so excited!!)

seanan_mcguire

September 9 2011, 03:26:26 UTC 5 years ago

They're very linked; maybe this can be addressed next time. :)
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