Annotated 5-3
According to the alt text, it’s Schrodinger’s town!
Phil corrected the original version of Gravedust’s defense here, which I think was along the lines of “dwarven culture is more reserved and you will simply have to accept that” (which would be news to Magda and Thunderpeak). And one of us reworked the second version, which gave mysticism as the excuse for his reserve but was stiffer dialogue.
Of course, Gravedust is stiff, but as Phil said then, “there’s stiff and then there’s STIFF.” It’s nice that we spend the sequence establishing his somewhat cold reserve toward those outside his circle, and then get his reaction when he finds the townspeople’s remains. Even he is not so stoic that the butchery of an entire town does not move him.
Byron’s little hesitation just before that is also telling. He’s the one arguing that Dusty needs to open up and let it all hang out, man, but he’s not remotely ready to say exactly where he’s from, which might lead to questions about his past he’s not ready to answer.
First draft had him calling out for his parents in the flashback. We later decided that Bayen and Brayen were closer to him by that point, which probably means his parents died earlier.
Well, it’s not every day that I get to kill a fictional village or town, so I wouldn’t say I feel entirely negative about it… Though come to think of it, I could just make up my own fictional villages and have burning rocks of poisonous and explosive acid fall on them, daily.
You all saw it, that town attacked me first.