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#like magic worldbuilding thoughts

padfootastic · 1 year

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Sunday Snippet

(is that a thing? idk but i literally just wrote this for FoD and it wont be posted for a few chapters--so a couple months minimum--but i just. really wanted to share it so. enjoy)

He casually points a finger at the hideous vase behind their heads, levitating it wandlessly and wordlessly. If he was around other wix, they would’ve been amazed and perhaps, slightly awed. That it was Muggles--and this particular set at that--meant they were almost vibrating out of their skin in fear.

Good.

“Do you know,” he started with a pleasant smile, bringing the floating vase closer to them, enjoying the way Petunia’s mouth opened in a wordless scream. He didn't even have to Silence them. “they thought I could kill 12 people, just like that, with one word. Not one person, not even my closest friends, believed otherwise.”

Once upon a time that statement would’ve hurt, it had hurt him everytime he was conscious enough to think about it in Azkaban. But he’d made his peace with it now, had accepted that there was a part of him that was inherently repulsive, untrustworthy, broken.

“There was a reason for why they did that. My brother--you know him, James--was murdered. They thought I lost my mind, and perhaps I did, a little bit.”

Because James was the last--and only--person who’d never turned away from him. He’d taken all of Sirius’ ugliness, all those rough edges he’d tried so hard to hide, cutting himself and the world in the process, and kept those with himself. Sirius never had to worry about himself around James, because he knew he’d take care of him. Wouldn’t let him break.

At least, that’s how it should have been. They should’ve grown old together, stuck at the hip until their hearts and their magic gave out. James shouldn’t have been buried in the ground at the age of twenty fucking one while Sirius still had to live without him, god, it was so unfair.

It was--

He shouldn’t be living without James. He was nothing without James.

It was that thought that sent a fresh wave of anger through his veins, anger he knew was very plainly visible on his face, reflecting in his eyes, because the moment he looked at the Dursleys, he could hear two distinctive whimpers at once.

“So,” he said, voice rough like gravel, almost unrecognisable to even him. He knew his eyes would be closer to black than their usual grey, the Madness stirring within him, wanting out. “What do you think I’ll do to people, to vermin like you, who touched my godson?”

His only response was a slow, trickling sound and a pungent smell filling the living room.

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pyrriax · 2 months

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your centurion anatomy sounds really cool :0! can you describe more in detail about them?

in your screenshot it stated they have a crystalline star in their hearts, does this have something to do with the seraphim? also by "tainted by gold" does that mean centurion blood or do seraphim also have gold blood? what are the different colors of centurion blood and are they all some matter of metallic? how do centurions connect to their seraphim?

you can also talk about seraphim anatomy if you want :3 (im also very curious about why they went extinct but im guessing thats spoilers)

also who are the other centurions and seraphim aside from clown and branzy? do they have some kind of hierarchal system? how do seraphim give their souls to creations since im assuming its literal? and what is the exact purpose of soul-sharing?

no need to answer all or any of these ofc just curious :3

Hello hello yes of course! I'm happy to elaborate more on them ^_^ I'll be pulling pieces from my notes, some screenshots of writing I've done relating to it, and just going into some Details.

(Fair warning this is going to be a LOT of words and a lot of this is subject to change, this project and world is a work in progress and I've been shifting things around as I start actually writing things!)

Preface (A quick rundown of the World itself)

Divided into two parts, the main one I'll be focusing on is The Vesper, Vesper is the name of the main Seraph city, and is also used to refer to the floating islands which are the main home of the Seraphs.

The other part of the world, The Fray, is the actual planet. This is the ground, and was once a lush place, but is currently... Not so much. Once upon a time, it had a handful of different names, but now it's nothing more than ruin.

So, Seraph anatomy (What the hell even is a Seraph?)

Seraphs are an organic bipedal species which are humanoid in nature but tend toward being less human in appearance; though one of the main differences is their many (varying number) of wings, along with having anywhere from two to four eyes. Though, all of these things variy from Seraph to Seraph! In general, they're a bit bird-ish, and though the main two that I'll be talking about look relatively similar, Seraphs have a wide variety of colors and patterns, along with the fact they're known to dye feathers the same as people dye their hair!

(Note: this is an older sketch, before I'd really fleshed out the exact origin of Seraphs. The halo isn't a standard thing, but this does somewhat convey general anatomy! This is a Seraph which is basically showing off what it is, and taking a less strictly humanoid appearance, though it remains bipedal. As well, this is a four-winged example, although its ears are feathered, which can give the appearance of an additional set of wings, depending on the Seraph!)

Generally speaking, Seraphim anatomy isn't too out of the ordinary, although one thing to note is their speech is much more adapted toward chirping and trilling for vocalizations, and most of what I write for the dialogue is more... A transcript of the conversation, than the literal things being said (since I'm already in deep with a worldbuilding project and I don't need to add a conlang on top of that, lol). Well, that's all bar the star in the room, but we'll circle around to that in the next section!

Long before they were known as the Seraphim, Seraphs were a flying creature, and have retained a few key aspects of that, specifically the wings themselves, and a lighter skeleton. This does lead to the high potential of bones breaking, and general injuries, but there are things that circumvent that from being such an issue, which is tied to magic in the world itself.

also by "tainted by gold" does that mean centurion blood or do seraphim also have gold blood?

That line is referring to Seraphim blood! Seraphs have a varied blood color, but the most common one is gold/brass-like, which is usually vibrant but when dried it's much more weathered looking (taking on a greenish hue).

Seraphs are one of two sentient species in their world, and are revered as Gods both for their appearance, and for their abilities. Although, this doesn't mean that they are peaceful, and they often will partake in bloody fights, often to perceived death. Though, these are frowned upon, it isn't outright disallowed, for reasons I'll be getting into! (I swear I'm not dragging this out on purpose I just want to explain what the fuck a Centurion is before we get into magic)

Okay, so what is a Centurion, then? (Centurion Anatomy)

Centurions are primarily humanoid in appearance, but an important distinction to make is that Centurions are not organic. In place of faces, Centurions have masks, which are typically undecorated, left blank to ensure they aren't viewed as expressive or of having emotions. There are few exceptions to this. As well, they typically will have all of their body completely covered, for similar reasons. It's established already in the screenshot you mentioned that Centurions are constructs, and generally speaking, they are made for temporary usage, rather than anything long term. This comes with the nature of their primary purpose, but let's put a pin in that for now.

Despite their status as constructs, they are given pieces which function much like their organs, which primarily exist to be like a siphon for energy and the magic which fuels them. Over time, these pieces wear down, and they will cease to function properly after their designated time is up. This time can be extended, if these pieces are replaced or maintained, but this is something that they cannot do themselves. It was a limitation put into place by their creators to keep them from self-perpetuating and as well to keep them from outliving their usefulness.

These organs appear like they've been made of wood, metal, and wool. This isn't exactly the case, as much of what makes them up is organic material, specifically that of grown stars. (There's worldbuilding and flora explanation I'm not going to drag this out with, but if you're curious I can talk about it more ^_^)

Centurions are nothing more than machines. Or, at least, that's how they were supposed to be, but this isn't how it always remains.

what are the different colors of centurion blood and are they all some matter of metallic?

Centurions have blood much more like humans, though not always. Being variably red or gold, depending on their function. While they are constructs and don't have so much of a need for a circulatory system, this is a bit more... Cosmetic. Centurions with gold blood are more often than not the ones that are made for jobs within Seraphim cities, though this doesn't mean that they always remain there. Although, in rare cases, Centurions may be made without any blood, and instead their organs will be made to replace the few functions it does have.

But, focusing on if all of their blood is metallic, it isn't always the case. Centurions are much more varied, and even from one to another major pieces of anatomy can be wildly different. So, it isn't a far stretch to say there's quite possibly a handful of Centurions with non-metallic blood out there.

Centurion Origins & Purpose (With a little sprinkling of magic!)

So, if you hadn't already guessed it, Centurions were created by the Seraphim! At the beginning, Centurions were made to fill in odd jobs, taking care of things which were necessary and being generally a stand in for workers as the Seraphs progressed. They were modeled after the other sentient species, which are functionally humans but not quite. This was something which caused a fair bit of outrage from them, but the Seraphs didn't exactly care.

Eventually, though, the Centurions took on a much different, and much more... Important role. They took the place of Seraphs in slaughter, in petty squabbles or fights which would've otherwise been an inconvenience. This turned into Centurions no longer being made for small jobs, and instead they were being made as machines of war. They were mindless and soulless soldiers, following orders without a doubt or question.

Although, some Centurions are different from the others: they have a soul, one of the stars. These are the main leaders, and they are the ones which remain for the longest. (This is what Clown is, which is the reason he is the way he is!)

Centurions made for fighting are the only remaining residents of the Fray, and have been the reason for its destruction, after the fall of the Seraphs.

Stars, Magic, all those little things (An some creature details)

Magic in Seraphim is an innate thing, something that everything in the world possesses, but uses in different ways. Some creatures use it for shapeshifting to quickly adapt, others will use it to hunt, meanwhile a handful of species will consume it rather than hunting or scavenging. Although, creatures which consume magic are known to be short lived, and reproduce a lot like how puffball mushrooms do. It's a little horrifying when all of the sudden there are sharp spores flying everywhere, but it's the reason most avoid the main pools of the magic. Seraphs are a species which primarily consume magic, but, unlike the much more nudibranch-esque creatures which are prone to exploding due to the magic they consume, Seraphs have harnessed it for their own purposes.

The Vesper are floating islands which are suspended above vast lakes (which are almost oceanic) and have been held there by the Seraphim. As a means of storing the excess energy they've taken in, they developed a way to use it to continue to suspend the Vesper. These stores could last for several thousand years, assuming they're properly maintained.

But, onto the burning question of the night: what are those stars?

in your screenshot it stated they have a crystalline star in their hearts, does this have something to do with the seraphim?

The star is a key part of the Seraph's anatomy, and is the place where magic tends to remain within their bodies. This is a piece of their heart, the place where their soul resides, and is also their tie to this Godhood they have. Much of the reason they're revered as gods it due to the fact that if the star remains in place, and remains unbroken, it can make them... Somewhat immortal. It greatly heightens their ability to heal, a little like a regeneration potion, if you think about it.

Seraphs are notoriously hard to kill for this reason, given the fact that if given enough time, they're known to be able to sort of regenerate limbs. Not perfectly, and not without several years of time and a high risk of infection, but it's possible. And that's because of the stars. They're almost entities in and of themselves, keeping the Seraphs alive to not die themselves. Although, these stars can survive in other bodies, most notably being placed into Centurions.

So how do you kill the supposedly unkillable, then? What could cause such a mass-dying if they can regenerate?

The easiest and most straightforward way to kill a Seraph is to rip out their star. Although, that involves incapacitating them to some degree (usually via fatally wounding them, as that's generally the most accepted method. This is why it's so greatly frowned upon, as that leaves the Seraph who's been wounded to most likely be killed.) It's recognizable for its shape, which is the origin of its name (for a more visual reference, they're a little like konpeitō, but with a spikier appearance), and though they have varying tones, they're more often than not a pearlescent white. At least, that's when they've been cleaned of blood.

Without their star, the Seraph will die. Even if they we're fatally wounded prior, they will only survive a handful of months at most.

So, this mass dying. While I won't go into all of the details, since that definitely spoils some things, but magic is a finite resource, but even more, Seraphim stars became... Valuable as a weapon. Without the proper maintenance and constant in and out flow of magic, they'll accumulate energy, storing more and more until finally they just explode. Much like the nudibranchs, an excess of this magical energy leads to explosive properties.

This also means that Seraph corpses are dangerous if the stars haven't been removed, which is why in the carnage, there aren't many bodies left to lie and rot. The few Centurions remaining in places like the Vesper cleaned the place of these bodies, and some even took the stars for themselves.

So what do the stars have to do with souls?

In an earlier draft of a concept, I detailed a Seraph getting decapitated and surviving due to its star. The stars are a place where the Seraph's memory, personage, and in the most fantastical sense, their soul, is stored. This Seraph lives, and while it never quite has the same senses as it did before, it is still fundamentally the same person, as its star wasn't harmed in the process.

So; for a Seraph to give a Centurion its soul, that is an act like giving up itself to that Centurion. The Seraph will not exist in the same sense, and as shown with Clown and Branzy, even that will diminish over time.

Although, there is one thing I've avoided mentioning: the humans. Our outliers, as one of the least magically inclined species, they've tried to get ahold of this magic, as well as attempting to use the Seraph's stars for their own. This lead to a few people who've remained, but aren't quite human anymore.

how do seraphim give their souls to creations since im assuming its literal? and what is the exact purpose of soul-sharing?

Seraphim can take out their own star, an act which is painful but to be done for another is a little bit of a profession of love. To give their star to a Centurion, under regular circumstances, it is a way of prolonging the life of their soul. The star is "consumed", a thing which is looked down upon by Centurions, as it's viewed as becoming one with those who've condemned them to their hellish lives.

There are two things that can come of a Seraph's soul being placed into a Centurion, and they go as follows, with few exceptions:

The Centurion is Soulless / a Husk: The soul will continue to live on, but they will start again. It removes all but a few traces of the Seraph's memories, and they will learn to live as they now are. [Example: Ro, who we'll learn more about in the next section]

The Centurion has a Soul / Star (Even if it is one that was grown / artificial): The pre-existing soul will be slowly consumed by the Seraph's, a process which results in one or both of the stars shattering. This can only happen is the Centurion has agreed to it, and it is a thing which became more common as more Seraphs died. [Example: Clown, whose visions of shattering stars are that of his own, and not Branzy's]

Last but not least, an incomplete list of character I've given story to for this AU

Starting with our Seraphim:

Branzy is the most notable as he's the only Seraph who remains a Seraph for his entire existence, even after giving his soul to Clown. Although he's used his magic for shapeshifting purposes, appearing much more akin to the Centurions, as he's been enthralled by them since he was young. Roshambo, although I'll be elaborating more on him in the Centurion section for a few reasons. He was one of the first Seraphs to give his soul to a Centurion, and it had some... Interesting effects.

Onto the Centurions:

Clown is the obvious one, being one of the most perfect example of what makes a Centurion, and being one of the "leaders", his star (his soul) is artificial, one of the ones which was grown, and thus, he's a bit different from Seraph-souled (or, star-eating) Centurions. [Appears a lot like his typical canon appearance, as he was one of the few Centurions who were directly associated with a Seraph, and despite the fact of his origin, he doesn't have the blank mask which is typical of these Centurions. His mask is also carved into a shape which is much more like a horned owl, a little heart-ish; this doesn't affect him.] Zam, a lovely odd case who shows up long after the fall of the Seraphs, but before the Vesper as a whole collapses, who becomes one of the residents of the Vesper's grand library [At least at his introduction, Zam is much like the typical soldier Centurion, dressed in a way which is very impersonal. This changes as he spends time in the library, and by the time of the fall, he's adopted a palette of darker amber hues and white, along with the occasional gold or brass accent. While his mask remained generic for a long time, he eventually allowed Ro to help with adorning it, ending up with a smile and some filigree which matches Ro's own mask.] Roshambo is the last on this list as of currently; although he's fully convinced he isn't a Centurion at all, having been around the other residents of the library since his creation and not knowing himself to be any different from them [Previously being one of the few Centurions who was designated to a space where he would be viewed, Ro is dressed in a way which is almost painfully fancy for him. Unlike the typical blank white, the base color of Ro's mask is an iridescent black, adorned with lavender stripes and laurel patterns. His appearance is a little less decided, compared to the others.]

And last but not least, our... Humans?:

Mapicc is the closest to a normal human of those given one of the Seraph-souls in order to grant him the almost-immortality, this has lead to him having several inhuman traits, including the appearance of seasonally shed feathers, which he's more annoyed by than anything. Spoke is about the furthest from human someone can get while still being so, and this is because of the fact of the star he was given. He was given one of the artificial stars, as a part of a test. He's only become more... Bizarre as time goes on, body twisting and morphing as the magic doesn't know where to go, and he can't fully contain or control it.

The roster is pretty small, since I've been focusing on two different eras, and these two sets don't interact much. Clown and Branzy exist long before the extinction of Seraphs, but Branzy's giving up of his heart does mark the true beginning of the end. Roshambo, Mapicc, and Spoke (later as well including Zam) are the last living beings on the Vesper after the fall of the Seraphs, and are there until the day the sun doesn't set, and the Vesper itself falls from the sky.

... So that's the world of Seraphim, from relative start to end, with much of the fluff, character centric pieces and a bit of the more out-there magical elements cut out to save my damn hands because this is almost 3k words 👍 There are things I'm not sure will remain canon, more proper worldbuilding and flora / fauna exploration I need to work on, and some things I most definitely missed, but hopefully this answers some questions and raises others! there is a lot more to explore post-fall but i have to leave a couple of mysteries, as a treat.

#ask a ghost #asker: citrusinicake #au: seraphim #haunted bookshelf #ALSO i elected to not let myself talk about what disability looks like for Seraphs because i would be here for way too long #just because magic healing and regeneration is a thing doesnt mean that there arent seraphs who Dont recover like that #its actually more common for it to just heal over and instead it's pretty common for those spots to be adorned with symbols and such #lore and worldbuilding things i cannot even start getting into right now i am sending this post and staring at a wall #also please please please if anybody has questions or thoughts let me know i swear i dont bite but i might write an essay in response #ALSO I DIDNT MENTION THE WISPS ACK there are SO many things i didnt include but . auvbnfdjkld #also conclusion this whole post is about 3.4k. erm. youre welcome 👍

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raayllum · 2 years

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Was thinking about this in regards to Ibis and Claudia - because as he says, he’s one of the most powerful Sky mages in history and given that he’s Zubeia’s chosen mage for the Sky Nexus, I’m inclined to believe him - but can also apply to “Viren and the Dragonguard” stuff I guess, which is to say:

Elves get bodied by dark mages because they have no practice fighting them.

This is something I remember reading meta about years ago in ATLA, but there’s an in-universe reason Aang wins just about every fight he picks, ultimately. Not only is he a very young and naturally talented (and hardworking) master airbender, but no one’s studied his bending form in a hundred years. Not a single firebender he comes up against has fought an airbender until then. Now, he doesn’t always win because of throwing blows (he loves to evade / avoid / dodge and does so very effectively, most notably with Zhao) but he does escape most fights unscathed or victorious. That’s why losing at Ba Sing Se is such a big deal.

So you have elves, right, who

Outside of assassins, have little to no reason to venture into the human kingdoms.

Who largely refuse to use, never mind study, how dark magic works

We don’t know enough about either primal or dark magic to say so definitively, but it seems like dark magic can do things primal magic decidedly can’t (and vice versa on some level). We also know from both Viren and Claudia that, with access to it, that it’s common for dark mages to study all branches of magic, primal included, if they can.

The very first present day dark magic spell is also something we see that can hurt people but that which cannot be hurt back by blades (rendering Lain and Tiadrin’s and similar weapons automatically moot).

It also speaks to Tiadrin’s exclamation when she sees Viren perform dark magic on Lain: “What are you doing to him?” Not stop what you’re doing to him, but what, like she’s never seen it before. And given that Claudia specifies “I have a dark magic thing-y that can literally steal your breath” in her bag in S4, it seems to be a dark magic specific spell, too.

Then there’s the fact there’s only eight Dragonguard in the first place. Presumably supposed to be two from each of the well known elven races, as Tidebound are recluse and Startouch too rare, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more Moonshadow or Earthblood guards compared to say, Sunfire (as they have loyalty to their own royal family first and foremost).

So discounting Lain and Tiadrin, that leaves six. I could picture one fleeing upon immediately seeing what was largely regarded as the most powerful creature in the entire world being turned to stone, especially when S4 also has Rex Igneous confirm Avizandum regularly took on and levelled human armies for fun. So we’re down to five. That means 2-3 died, with the remaining 3-2 respectively fleeing. I’m tempted to say two died, as Hendryr (skywing elf) says “All the others have already fled,” which indicates a majority of those remaining, even if it’s not all the dragonguard like those implied.

There being actual bodies at the Spire also helps explain why, beyond just good ol’ Moonshadow / Xadian “one strike and you’re out” system, they assumed Lain and Tiadrin had died. If they had stayed and fought, why wouldn’t their be bodies be there as well, after all?

It’s also worth noting that most mages, particularly dark mages, do better in long range formats. Viren only starts winning his fight with Lain and Tiadrin once he has some space from them. Most of Claudia’s most powerful spells (2x03 tentacle arm, 2x07 ballista shot, 3x09 bomb, bat wings spell) are used to work with distance and aim true, like a deadly archer. It’s not surprising to me that she, likewise, starts losing her fight with Ibis once it gets close range. We see this be more true of Callum in 3x09, where the height of the mountain and the high ground gives him useful range that he struggles to maintain when Kasef lunges at him. In season four we don’t get to see him really in combat, so maybe that’ll change in s5 onwards.

Basically; I have very little problem picturing Viren taking down 2-3 elven guards when they have no familiarity with fighting dark magic to begin with. If anything, it makes me wonder why the Dragonguard wasn’t a mostly mage force, or whether they thought they needed more security against fellow elves in general (mage or warrior) after all the Xadian focused unrest in the fallout of Queen Aditti’s life in general, than thinking humans would strike at the heart of Xadia in the first place

#primal magic #dark magic #worldbuilding #tdp #the dragon prince #analysis series #like listen viren killing another moonshadow elf guard and using parts of the body to cloak the egg and mirror #a skywing elf's body to help levitate and keep them contained? yeah i'd buy that #this feels like a nothing post bc it is truly something i. do not care about at all but. i had too many thoughts and had to get them out #Somewhere / somehow so here take this #listen i just appreciate it when there's in universe reasons for plot armour y'know?

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leavingautumn13 · 11 months

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Pokemon request: Well you know how I feel about the Don, but I've asked for that before so... Zoroark? Either regular or Hisuian.

One of the handful of pokémon species that are fully sapient. For the most part, zoroark colonies isolate themselves from humans. Certain individuals may choose to live among humans, partner with a human, or become a trainer themselves, though this is rare.

Contrary to popular belief, they are not mute, but their mouths simply cannot form human words. Under the guise of magical illusion the species is known for, however, they can be capable speakers.

[send me a pokémon and i'll draw it semi-realistically and add my headcanons]

#realistic pokemon #zoroark #pokemon #pokemon bw #pokemon bw2 #speculative biology plus weird magic stuff plus worldbuilding is honestly why i love pokemon so much #like. this is the kind of world where sometimes your neighbor is just a magic fox casting an illusion #wild #anyway i'd have to dig into hisuian zoroark lore more before i made one for them #but unovan zoroark is one of those mons i have lots of thoughts about #autumn.art #autumn.fandom

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aroaessidhe · 4 months

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2024 reads / storygraph

These Burning Stars

political space fantasy

follows an infamous heir to the Nightfoot empire and a stoic cleric who are hunting down a figure from their past - the cleric’s classmate who the heir challenged to impress her, or die trying

and a hacker/thief who’s gotten her hands on something that could implicate the Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide

sapphic & nonbinary characters

#These Burning Stars #aroaessidhe 2024 reads #this is interesting! I'm. not sure I have many fully formed thoughts about it?#lots of interesting high fantasy but in space type worldbuilding. tho i didn't quite figure out the magic stuff that was happening #I feel like I need to read the next book to figure out how I feel about it #sapphic books #(someone told me chono is aro but I didn't really pick that up?)

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nemesis-is-my-middle-name · 4 months

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mmmm thinking about... every element having a variety of expressions. thinking about an aesthetic of handedness, w/ certain expressions of each element being sinister and others being dexter, while the "root" of it can be used with either. this is also me thinking abt the aesthetics of mages having physical signs of their magic use, that grow and deepen as they become more proficient in casting. marks on their hands and arms. this would probably be agnostic to the mage's usual dominant hand, or maybe it's even that a right-handed mage who focuses mostly on sinister magic will become left-handed over time. ambidexterity is almost as rare in magic as it is irl, since it's usually difficult to be truly equally good at both kinds.

this is working backwards from the typical positioning of the twins wrt each other but i think dexter magic tends to be predominantly active, easily weaponized, very direct. conversely sinister magic is gentler, more easily used subtly for healing or manipulation. or possibly it's the other way round! i'm thinking of it as them casting with their 'free' hand since emmet seems to generally stand to ingo's right, but the thing is they do quite a lot, maybe even most? of their gesturing with the hand closest to the other, so it might be the inverse.

i also do really like the "one giant adventuring party" idea i pitched a lil while ago bc i think that's fun. with protag as the sort of nominal party leader, who is in a sort of weird position of being a very powerful mage who has no idea how to do magic. it's immediately visible from looking at them bc both arms are covered in glowing rainbow swirls, suggesting near-perfect ambidexterity in apparently every magical class, but every time they cast a new spell they're just as surprised by it as everyone else. and their giant party of mostly mages and then 1 or 2 physical fighters (someone pls help me balance teamcomp my squad is dying) is also there trying to help them learn how to actually. do magic not by accident.

#the nemesis speaks #pokefic pitch #thoughts. thoughts thoughts thoughts #whkwhw i just really like... aus like this. idk. worldbuilding brain go brrrr #and i think magic handedness is a fun concept #and then i get to think about what element/type of magic everyone else uses... mmmm #i think it would be fun if adaman was one of the few nonmages or like. he does time magic technically but he's VERY bad at it #to continue with the idea that he has like. no aptitude for the spiritual side of leadership whatsoever #maybe you can also be like a battlemage style fighter caster and cyllene's that. i do like that #with her being protag's first ever tutor #meanwhile protag counterpart... hmmmm. not sure what their deal is yet #ley lines au

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soldier-poet-king · 1 year

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Whoever told me to read the lumatere books bc it's for qt fans all those years ago. U were correct. Like. It's NOT nearly as good (nothing can be) but also I'm insane for it??? It's first glance extremely simplistic fantasy book (and at times it is!) But it's also this awful gutwrenching look at refugees in Diaspora, intergenerational trauma, ruthless but broken women, misplaced GUILT COMPLEXES, sad dads, how children are the hope of the future and how older generations will suffer so much so their children can maybe have a home, sibling sacrifices and the dead haunting the narrative, about acting like the person you could have been rather than the person you are, about doing something complete unforgivable because you were never told better and were raised as an animal and then trying to choose differently because maybe beauty does exist in the world

And it deals with heavy shit without ever glorifying it or being explicit or relishing the horrors of war and diaspora and slavery and what becomes of people, esp of women and children, in these situations

Like. It's not groundbreaking astounding prose OR plotting and I'm quite blegh about the worldbuilding but smthn about the themes has me chewing at the drywall

#ALSO THE LINE ABT DIVINE FATE #and it is exactly qt #if i am a pawn of the gods it is only bc they know me so well #the lumatere worldbuilding is thin and the magic stuff is dumb and not thought out #and yet i am COMPELLED by the grief and burdens of these characters #evanjalins grief and ruthlessness and her hope #finnikins guilt and determination to duty above all because of it #trevanions love for his SON ;-;#froi. horrible terrible froi. who didnt even have a name beyond boy. who was an animal told to take what he wanted #who attempts this unforgivable HORRIBLE DESPICABLE act.#and blessedly he is stopped. and yet. he finds beauty. or its potential #i know hes the protag of bk2 #and we're being challenged. because hes awful. and yet hes so pitiful #sir topher says not to rage at him but pity him. like an animal needing to be put down #ughhh #fran reads

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space-writes · 10 months

Text

find the word tag

tagged by @ahordeofwasps a little while back, thank you!

my words were shield, yield, field, and wield

no pressure tagging @cherrybombfangirlwrites @serenanymph and @annachronisms. your words are golden, glass, grab, and gain

shield

“Derradin shield us, is that what I think it is?” [Aliyne] gasped. Leshanna grabbed at her with tight, terrified hands. “I don’t think Derradin is going to be enough,” she rasped out. “That’s a dragon!”

yield

“It’s not that it is difficult,” said Zinby. “It’s that it could be easier. And faster. And yield more results for less effort.” He chuckled. “If there’s one thing we wizards love, it’s efficiency. None of that witchy wastage of arcane effort.”

field

Rivaanlehnim huffed, expressing his disinterest in infernii politics quite succinctly. He went back to the metal arch that hung on the wall, criss-crossed with woven threads of copper and humming with power. He tapped a thread with one talon and observed the blue sparks that emerged, reading them as easily as Sorrow read salacious novels. “The interference is of a strength I ordinarily associate only with powerful anti-scrying charms,” Rivaanlehnim said. “Or those possessing distinctive anti-magic properties in general, although it is not quite a nullifying field.”

wield

Vren thought he had plenty enough knives and hands to wield them with already, but a good mercenary didn’t turn down gifts from the one paying for the job. Not when the one paying had access to Infernal magical artefacts.

#rivaan's magic ramblings are pure first draft bullshitting i need to make his knowledge fit my actual worldbuilding now XD #tag games #find the word tag #writeblr #valloroth blogging #snippets #c: aliyne #c: leshanna #c: vren #i liked the rhyming words for this tag so i thought i'd do alliteration for mine #it's one of my favourite rhetorical devices ^_^#rivaanlehnim is so cool he's a half undead dracarii arcanist and he's a grumpy asshole

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