Difference between revisions of "Talk:Celeritas"

Latest revision as of 05:30, 28 September 2011

Style Reminders[edit]

Hi whitehell,

Just a couple of reminders -- since our style is a historical one, we should write entries in past rather than present tense, as if we're writing an encyclopedia of events that have already happened. In that vein, we should also avoid speculation and personal pronouns ("I highly doubt it") in entries, because that isn't the sort of thing you'd read in an encyclopedia. Instead, choose a phrasing that reflects the lack of clarity, if something is unclear, but keep it as a historical rather than a literary uncertainty.

Thanks for your participation, and please ask if you have any questions.

- whitearrow

M'yeah okay sorry. ^^' -WhiteHell

Something doesn't add up in Celeritas' story. If Jeremy Rankin's grandfather was Celeritas' first handler, then he cannot have 200 years of experience. Novik herself has stated that one captain cannot account for more than 50 years of experience. Is it a mistake? Or maybe Celeritas was feral for the first 100 years of his life? :)

Natli

I suppose it's something we'd have to ask NN. The only explanation that I could come up with is that Celeritas could be using the term "grandfather" here to mean forefather. But I am making that up. Strangerface 12:50, 5 August 2007 (PDT)

Speculative[edit]

Quote: "He was stationed at Loch Laggan where he was the training master. This was quite unusual, since dragons did not use to have commanding positions in Aerial Corps." - There's nothing in the text to indicate this is unusual within the Corps. It is definitely unknown outside, and Celeritas' position is not common knowledge outside the corps (hence secrecy and uneasy looks in HMD), but it may well be a common situation within. Andrew 02:42, 8 January 2008 (PST)

Dully noted :) It also might have happened in the past. Natli 06:15, 8 January 2008 (PST)

It might also be happening elsewhere now, we just can't know for sure. Good wording on the change. Andrew 07:46, 8 January 2008 (PST)

"Rankin"[edit]

Shouldn't the captian listed for Celeritas here be linked to the Jeremy Rankin page? As it is, it links to a non-existing page. skie 05:32, 29 May 2008 (PDT)

But Celeritas' captains were Jeremy's father and grandfather. We don't know if Jeremy was his captain even for a moment. There might have been some sort of probation period during which Celeritas decided he didn't want to be his companion. And the article itself contains a link to Jeremy's page.

As for the non-existing page, there isn't much info on the previous captains from the Rankin family, so I guess its going to stay this way for some time :) Natli 06:47, 29 May 2008 (PDT)

I've belatedly created a general page for the Rankin family. However, I don't think Celeritas' previous captain could have been Jeremy's father (the Earl of Kensington), more likely an uncle-- for that matter, if Jeremy's grandfather was Celeritas' first captain, then something odd must've happened in the Kensington succession since the Rankins send their *third* sons to the Corps. Possibilities:

• Failure of the direct male line from the first Captain Rankin's two older brothers?
• The first Captain Rankin had a daughter who married one of her cousins, eventually becoming the Countess of Kensington and Jeremy's mother, making the first Captain Rankin Jeremy's *maternal* (not paternal) grandfather)? which would add an interesting twist to Jeremy's mother refusing to hand him over to the Corps at age 7.

--Wombat1138 09:43, 24 August 2010 (PDT)

Ahh... well I guess you have everything perfect, eh? skie 08:57, 29 May 2008 (PDT)

Appearance in Empire of Ivory[edit]

I've just updated the page with a description of his appearance in "Empire of Ivory." Laurence notes he looks much older. I was also interested that Temeraire confesses why they are there to Celeritas and he does not fly after them or say anything. It could be that he was too old to do such a thing, I suppose. Laurence notes that men raise the alarm. Either these were the Marines that Laurence attacked or Celeritas called to them. But I tend to think if he kept quiet about the whole affair, then perhaps that would explain why he went (or was sent) to the breeding grounds in Ireland. Just a theory! -- Strangerface 06:45, 24 August 2010 (PDT)

Age mistake?[edit]

Naomi Novik answered several questions about Temeraire on this page [1], at one point she remarks that Celeritas must be boasting when he says he has 200 years experience, he should really be 120 years. Almaron 19:59, 8 September 2010 (PDT)

Hmm, Rankin also said that his family used to keep a couple of dragons before they were reserved for the King. Is it not possible that Celeritas grew up on the family lands, with the family and servants, and that the handlers referred too were just those considered in the Air Corps after all dragons were subsumed into government control? He is part Yellow Reaper, thus possibly clannish, and could have spent a hundred years with the family and went into Air Corps service with his first Captain, Jeremy's grandfather and still be two hundred years old in the current books. While he may not have been good at learning signals and formations, his captain could have been, and his unorthodox family upbringing may have made him the trainer that he became. Bluedruid 23:08, 27 September 2011 (MDT)