The Shroud on 12/12/2008 at 21:55
As far as the Keeper quotes preceding some of the briefings in the game, I managed to work one of them into the Keeper's opening narrative ("The most promising acolyte left us..."), another into Garrett's training sequence ("The essence of balance is detachment..."), a third into one of the Keeper annals Garrett finds in the abandoned Keeper compound in the Olde Quarter ("The ancient corruption was again contained..."), and a fourth into actual Keeper-to-Keeper dialogue (mentioned in my last post). Basically I've made efforts to preserve as much of the great text from the game as feasible.
jtr7 on 12/12/2008 at 22:15
Yay! *claps*
The Shroud on 13/12/2008 at 00:01
Also, you may have wondered how Garrett shuts down the portal in the Maw without gas and moss arrows. This is where he uses the Talismans for the second (and last) time - instead of opening a magical seal by being placed in their respective elements, they are placed in their opposites to counteract the portal's power and seal it. As the Talismans and portal elements oppose each other, their forces escalate, resulting in the destruction of both the portal and the Talismans.
As for the final escape scene, I might still go back and change it. It's not set in stone yet. However there would still need to be a way to seal off the Maw from the inside while still allowing Garrett to get out before it closes for good.
jtr7 on 13/12/2008 at 00:20
Portals. They are nothing uncommon in the Maw. The elemental portal is the nasty one. We don't know how they are made, but fleeing creatures could be running through them in a panic. Have Garrett pop out in the Gathering Place at Beck o' the Wills! Yes, I'm joking about that last one.
In the script, are the very subtle hints in there that the Keepers are watching Garrett closely because they are debating whether he is actually fulfilling prophecy or not fulfilling it? With Keeper Nate/Artemus (Mr. Nathan Artemus?) as the strongest believer? I know you have included some parts of it, and the demeanor of the Keepers with each other about Garrett could be another clue, too.
TDS explains why Garrett was not killed outright when he left the Order, dangerous as they knew he was to them. TDP and TMA both show hints, and a little more, that the Keepers doubt that Garrett is fulfilling prophecy, and TDS completely shows that to be the case. TDS explains why Enforcers weren't sent after him, and why they watched in eager anticipation, and fought amongst themselves, while the other games suggest some of that was happening.
Yeah, I'm being redundant, there.:p
The Shroud on 13/12/2008 at 01:22
So...what is your question?
jtr7 on 13/12/2008 at 01:50
Not a major concern. Just thinking of the overall story, not just the TDP portion.
The Shroud on 13/12/2008 at 05:15
Quote Posted by jtr7
In the script, are the very subtle hints in there that the Keepers are watching Garrett closely because they are debating whether he is actually fulfilling prophecy or not fulfilling it? With Keeper Nate/Artemus (Mr. Nathan Artemus?) as the strongest believer?
Actually I'm using Third Keeper Mayar as Garrett's mentor since, for one, the series never actually mentions what that Keeper's name was, and two, "Mayar, Third Keeper" was the one quoted saying, "The essence of balance is detachment. To embrace a cause, to grow fond or spiteful, is to lose one's balance, after which, no action can be trusted. Our burden is not for the dependent of spirit." - which I've used during Garrett's training. Mayar will also be the Keeper who talks with Garrett at the end of the movie.
Artemus and Orland will be the other two Keepers discussing the situation with the Trickster and his "pawn". Of course their significance won't be recognized by anyone other than Thief fans once they see their names in the ending credits.
To answer your question, we see and hear no more or less of the Keepers in the screenplay than we do in the game, with the exception of the brief scene in a dimly lit conference chamber that I had referred to earlier. Any clues about the Keepers and their perspectives that can be extrapolated from what's provided in the game will also be possible to extrapolate from what's in the script, since nothing about them is being added or removed.
One change, however, is that the script includes instances of Keeper glyph warnings in various locations. These are symbols signifying general concepts or meanings like "vision", "secrecy", "caution", "balance", "entropy", "fate", "deception", etc., much in the way of tarot cards and their themes. Cryptic hints placed for Garrett's benefit (including the Trickster's third-eye sigil). Some of them will warn him of traps, like in Constantine's mansion, the abandoned Keeper compound, and the Lost City. Others will be there to represent the greater significance of Garrett's actions to written prophecy, marking key events like his discovery of the abandoned Keeper compound, his taking of the Talismans, and his entry into the cathedral. Garrett won't explain what the glyphs mean, but their shapes will be ominous and suggestive - and his reactions to seeing them will hint that they're warning him of something. Thus at the end of the movie, when Mayar asks Garrett if he can still read heiroglyphs and Garrett responds, "I do try to forget but you Keepers leave them everywhere for me", the audience will know what he's talking about.
jtr7 on 13/12/2008 at 07:26
Pretty cool.
I'll just say this then: Nate Wells did the voices of the trainers in TDP/Gold (schemas) and the main Keeper in the intro and Escape! briefings, and the final cutscene. Plus, the Keeper silhouette in the final TDP/Gold cutscene is Nate Wells himself.
He's Keeper Nate (main guy) in TMA, and Artemus in TDS. :)
Beleg Cúthalion on 13/12/2008 at 08:49
Sounds not bad. If there's some kind of philosophy in or other elements of intelligent cinema, it could be really good. And if the [coughs] sword....ehem... issue...erm :p
The Shroud on 13/12/2008 at 21:05
Those were all voiced by Nate Wells? Are you sure? I know Nate Wells voiced Garrett's mentor, but I think the instructors in the training mission were voiced by Josh Randall ("Very good. I did not see you approach."), who also did the voice for one of the Keepers in the Escape! briefing ("Look here - our path is true."). Dan Thron, I believe, did the voice for the main Keeper in the Escape! briefing ("Since you left us, you've been a stone rolling downhill.") and the voice of the Keeper in the final cutscene. I'm basing this on the distinct sound of Dan Thron's voice, from the "smart" guard, one of the Hammerites, Ramirez, the Eye, Renault, and one of the apebeasts. Also, in the ending credits of TDP, the Keepers' voice actors are listed in order of appearance, starting with Nate Wells, then Josh Randall, and finally Dan Thron.
Where are you getting your information?
