It's best to start any writing out strong, which is why I've decided to stray from the topic of the post, which was magic, from the get-go and just talk about the project in general. I actually created a rough timeline for the history of this particular idea. It started off looking to be about four or five lines long, and suddenly overtook an entire page, and it still isn't finished. Well, it's close to finished, but it will bleed over into another page, and that surprised me quite a bit. I blame the Collective, which most likely makes little sense to you right now, since I haven't gotten around to talking about them yet. I think.
Nope, I checked, no mention yet. Well, they're pretty important, and I'll talk about them next time. Probably next time, since they're pretty crucial to, well, just about everything. Also, I would like to take this time to predict that such semi-organized posts will probably not last much longer, as the wealth of spontaneous information will eventually dry up, and I'll actually have to put effort into the idea. Basically, just a cover-my-ass statement so when I get stuck in a rut, I don't look like I'm just jerking off.
Shit, now I'm supposed to talk about magic. I won't lie, I haven't put too much thought into magic yet, and I may never do so. Simply put, most magic is not applicable to this particular story. Magic, at least in the confines of this idea, is derived from the gods. Since the gods are not present, the great majority of magic is not either. So yes, the ability to summon fireballs and magical portals and all that crap was available in the history of this world, but is gone now. Except for blood magic, but that's an entirely different bag of worms.
I probably didn't explain blood magic very well last time, since I didn't really try, or want to. But this time is different, because I plan on trying. Damn this post is very half-assed; if I were smart, I'd just delete it and call it a loss. But, that's what we're trying to fix with this whole experiment, so shitty post it is. Anyways, this paragraph sucks, time to get a little more serious and start fresh.
As stated previously, magic is derived mostly from the gods. However, every human has a degree of power within themselves. It is this latent power reserve that allows humans to utilize magic. Theoretically, all living creatures have this power, but no animals have ever been recorded using magic. This power is independent from free will and destiny, and will lie dormant until tapped.
In the past, mages knew very little about this power source. Though they knew mankind had some special quality, they believed that it was a link to the gods, and that all power flowed through the link into humans. The mages learned to channel many forms of energy, using various tools and devices. The most common were the staff, the wand, and the tome, but many different items were used for different tasks. The act of channeling took time and energy, and often weakened the magic, but it was necessary, for the alternative was horrible.
The human body was not meant to project magic. It can channel magic fine, but casting spells from the physical self would cause extreme pain and nausea, lasting for hours or even days, and would leave terrible side effects. Spells cast from the body itself were more powerful, though a mage casting in such a fashion would often cut years or even decades off his lifespan with every spell cast. Mages would only cast magic from their bodies at the utmost need, when death seemed the only other alternative.
There were rudimentary ways of using another human being as the focus of casting, but these ways were primitive and evil. All involved death, and often called for mutilation and torture. It is from these barbaric acts that the term blood magic was coined. Those who practiced blood magic were either insane or monstrous, and was considered a forbidden school of magic. However, the collapse of the Church of Destiny would drastically change these views.
When the Children of Fate died, the gods left the planet entirely. Though some latent power remained for a time, it was clear before long that the old ways of magic were soon to be lost. The mages scrambled to find a new source of magic, but all efforts failed. However, as free will grew, the wise came up with increasingly innovative ideas. In the second year of the Great Decline, the mages turned to the study of the human body, using Atoners as human guinea pigs. It was a win-win deal: the mages were able to test on a living subject, and the Atoners were gifted with death, after only a small deal of suffering.
They soon discovered the latent power hidden within all humans, and were amazed at the potential it presented. However, the power was limited to the human body; it could not be channeled into any nonliving vessel, and required physical casting. The mages began working on ways to limit the physical injury incurred from physical casting, but no solutions were found. Finally, with a degree of reluctance, the mages began work on modernizing the sacrificial rituals once forbidden across the globe. Blood magic returned to the world.
The mages discovered how to enslave other humans, and how to make them into zombie-like followers. Then, by etching marks of power into their skin, the mage could use the human as if they were a staff or tome. The mage would channel the power through his slave, and the magic would cast from the slave, causing no harm to the mage. Of course, the slave would suffer all the pain, but the slaves were often too stupefied to notice. It soon became a common sight to see a mage walking with several slaves on chain leashes, the marks and ciphers tattooed or carved into their skin, with the mark of ownership placed on the forehead.
Well, that's a little better. And, though I could go on, this page is acting very laggy, and it's making it so that the text won't keep up with what I'm typing. So, due to annoyance, that's all for tonight. Lag can go suck it.
January 26, 2010
January 25, 2010
Continued Exposition: The Anarchy Edition
As you could probably tell, this is so far just a big dump of setting and history. As I stated previously, this is the history of the world in which the story will take place. I must admit, the story itself has not progressed beyond the scope of a couple neat ideas and one or two scenes. But, in all reality, that's how I roll: I take an idea, I work up the backstory to a ridiculous height, and then I try and squeeze a story into it. It may seem like a bad process, but trust me when I tell you that it is. Anyways, to the two or so individuals who would even trudge this far into the mess, I suppose I should continue on.
Imagine waking up tomorrow morning and hearing on the news that every priest in the world died overnight. That's what happened to the Church of Destiny. There was not a single Child of Fate that resisted, and in the morning, their bodies were found sprawled in their churches. The people panicked; riots broke out, and everyone was convinced that the world was coming to an end.
Many of the former followers of the church would eventually form a new religion, and call themselves Atoners. This religion was formed as an answer to the mass suicide by the Children of Fate. The Atoners stated that the Children of Fate were showing humanity the true path to salvation; that life was a punishment, and that only through death could a person be pardoned.
Every Atoner church differed from the other, for there was no cohesive bond between the churches; rather, they were separate entities all formed under the same idea. Some were more radical than others, and amounted to little more than suicide cults. However, several of the institutions would flourish, and last until the modern day. It is from these churches that the Pardoners originated.
The Pardoners were extreme Atoners who believed that simply accepting death or even killing one's self was not enough, and that only by saving the people from their punishment could a person truly do good in the world. Pardoners will kill as many people as possible, by any means available, until they are caught. Few Pardoners are ever arrested, however, for they insist on fighting to the death, or, if they are captured unaware, do all that they can to kill themselves.
It is also during this time that blood magic was reinvented. Blood magic had previously been the following of the mad, for it required the caster to either conduct extremely difficult and elaborate ceremonies to do any real magic, or to sacrifice their own bodies; an incredibly painful process, and one that often killed the mage, sometimes after the first casting. However, with the return of free will in such a reckless fashion, the great minds soon discovered a solution.
By experimenting on willing Atoner subjects, the mages found that the power of blood magic, unlike the other magical forces, did not derive from the otherworldly, but from the human body itself. With further study, the mages learned that a blood mage could use any living creature to channel power through; what's more, they also found that the subject need not die, and could be an independent individual from the blood mage.
With this, the art of blood magic returned, and soon many blood mages could be seen across the world, often with a train of senseless human slaves, each one with the markings on their forehead to prepare them for easy summoning. As the age of free will lingered, and the other magics faltered and failed, blood magic endured, and became the only practical magic in the entire world.
So, yeah, just a couple more huge ideas to put down, clarify, and work into this whole mess, and then I'll actually be out of stuff to catch up on. Ideally, that would mean time to work on the plot, but we'll see what new crap pops up from now till then. Anyways, it's still rolling around in my head, which is always a good sign. Next update will probably clarify magic up a little bit, since it seems confusing as written and I'm the person who's supposed to understand it. But, for now, it's that, and that's the best I can do tonight. Morning. Screw it; time is relative.
Imagine waking up tomorrow morning and hearing on the news that every priest in the world died overnight. That's what happened to the Church of Destiny. There was not a single Child of Fate that resisted, and in the morning, their bodies were found sprawled in their churches. The people panicked; riots broke out, and everyone was convinced that the world was coming to an end.
Many of the former followers of the church would eventually form a new religion, and call themselves Atoners. This religion was formed as an answer to the mass suicide by the Children of Fate. The Atoners stated that the Children of Fate were showing humanity the true path to salvation; that life was a punishment, and that only through death could a person be pardoned.
Every Atoner church differed from the other, for there was no cohesive bond between the churches; rather, they were separate entities all formed under the same idea. Some were more radical than others, and amounted to little more than suicide cults. However, several of the institutions would flourish, and last until the modern day. It is from these churches that the Pardoners originated.
The Pardoners were extreme Atoners who believed that simply accepting death or even killing one's self was not enough, and that only by saving the people from their punishment could a person truly do good in the world. Pardoners will kill as many people as possible, by any means available, until they are caught. Few Pardoners are ever arrested, however, for they insist on fighting to the death, or, if they are captured unaware, do all that they can to kill themselves.
It is also during this time that blood magic was reinvented. Blood magic had previously been the following of the mad, for it required the caster to either conduct extremely difficult and elaborate ceremonies to do any real magic, or to sacrifice their own bodies; an incredibly painful process, and one that often killed the mage, sometimes after the first casting. However, with the return of free will in such a reckless fashion, the great minds soon discovered a solution.
By experimenting on willing Atoner subjects, the mages found that the power of blood magic, unlike the other magical forces, did not derive from the otherworldly, but from the human body itself. With further study, the mages learned that a blood mage could use any living creature to channel power through; what's more, they also found that the subject need not die, and could be an independent individual from the blood mage.
With this, the art of blood magic returned, and soon many blood mages could be seen across the world, often with a train of senseless human slaves, each one with the markings on their forehead to prepare them for easy summoning. As the age of free will lingered, and the other magics faltered and failed, blood magic endured, and became the only practical magic in the entire world.
So, yeah, just a couple more huge ideas to put down, clarify, and work into this whole mess, and then I'll actually be out of stuff to catch up on. Ideally, that would mean time to work on the plot, but we'll see what new crap pops up from now till then. Anyways, it's still rolling around in my head, which is always a good sign. Next update will probably clarify magic up a little bit, since it seems confusing as written and I'm the person who's supposed to understand it. But, for now, it's that, and that's the best I can do tonight. Morning. Screw it; time is relative.
January 20, 2010
The Gods, the Children of Fate & other poorly-named concepts
Before I start this entry in earnest, I feel I should share a little something about myself. I am a perfectionist when it comes to names. Whenever I create an idea, and start working it around in my head, the first thing I get stuck on is the fact that I can't come up with the right name for the people or places or organizations. It's not simply making a name up, though; to me, these people and places are real, and I'm simply trying to remember what their names were. I demand not only that it be a fitting name, but that it ring with a degree of familiarity; that when you see it, it's obvious that it would be named as so. I say that because I won't be able to keep my goal of constant updating without listing some sucktastic rough names for concepts. I say all that so I can say this: Forgive the stupid names.
The gods were created when the world was young. They did not create the world, but were given charge of it. Likewise, though they were formed alongside the planet, they are not of the planet; for this reason, they cannot take physical form, or make any direct physical contact with humanity. The gods are nameless, though they are given many names by countless religions, and, though all religions may worship them differently, they draw power from any and all worship, regardless of belief.
The gods are forever linked with destiny; their power over mankind is in their ability to lay out the fates of all men, which is only possible in destiny-strong periods. Thus, during these times, the gods enjoy considerable power and control over the world. However, the inverse is also true; during times of free will, the gods are impotent. This, of course, did not please the gods, for their lack of power frustrated them. It was for this reason that the gods first enlightened the Children of Fate.
The origins of the Children of Fate are unclear, but it is known that they stemmed from a small, extremely loyal religion, chosen for their devout dedication. The chosen people were gifted with the ability to foresee the future, so far as the gods allowed them. With this gift, they would be able to steer the course of destiny and keep it straight and true. Knowing the future as they did, these people were able to keep the period of destiny from waning, and prolonged it for many hundreds of years. They called themselves the Children of Fate, and began the Church of Destiny.
Though any person could be a member of the Church of Destiny, only those chosen to see by the gods were called the Children of Fate. They were sent visions by the gods, and in these visions they were shown action they must take to keep the path of time from deviating and spiraling down towards free will. The gods would also show the Children of Fate exactly how they would achieve their goal; thus, by following the instructions of the gods, they were fated to succeed. The gods also sent down messages slandering free will. The Church of Destiny called such times periods of anarchy, and proclaimed that the path of the gods was the only true path.
The Children of Fate kept mankind in order for almost four hundred years, prolonging the influence of the gods to nearly three times the average length. However, things were far from perfect. Corruption and greed began to eat at the many empires of the world, each ordained and protected by the gods. The petty conflicts and arguments between rulers slowly rose tensions, until the threat of war loomed constantly in all corners of the world.
Seeing this slow decay, a member of the Children of Fate made a most unexpected decision: he defied his orders and allowed destiny to slip ever so slightly. The name of his man is unknown, and any trace of his motive long lost. However, the repercussions of his actions were felt worldwide. The gods were not only defied, but the refusal would eventually lead to the downfall of destiny once more. Thus, the gods sent a final vision to each Child of Fate: To kill one's self, immediately and without hesitation. Faithful to their gods, each member of the Children of Fate complied, and the Church of Destiny collapsed overnight.
And to think, even with all that, it's still hundreds of years worth of history to go before I even get to where the plot starts. Not to mention random ideas popping into my head constantly; some have worked their way into this, while others have no place whatsoever in this setting, but are still neat, and like to take up my valuable thinking time. As I said at the start, the names are more or less placeholders, in the hopes that I come up with something better. Depending on how much caffeine I pump into my system, I may very well have another update tomorrow. Who'd have thought, two updates in two days!
The gods were created when the world was young. They did not create the world, but were given charge of it. Likewise, though they were formed alongside the planet, they are not of the planet; for this reason, they cannot take physical form, or make any direct physical contact with humanity. The gods are nameless, though they are given many names by countless religions, and, though all religions may worship them differently, they draw power from any and all worship, regardless of belief.
The gods are forever linked with destiny; their power over mankind is in their ability to lay out the fates of all men, which is only possible in destiny-strong periods. Thus, during these times, the gods enjoy considerable power and control over the world. However, the inverse is also true; during times of free will, the gods are impotent. This, of course, did not please the gods, for their lack of power frustrated them. It was for this reason that the gods first enlightened the Children of Fate.
The origins of the Children of Fate are unclear, but it is known that they stemmed from a small, extremely loyal religion, chosen for their devout dedication. The chosen people were gifted with the ability to foresee the future, so far as the gods allowed them. With this gift, they would be able to steer the course of destiny and keep it straight and true. Knowing the future as they did, these people were able to keep the period of destiny from waning, and prolonged it for many hundreds of years. They called themselves the Children of Fate, and began the Church of Destiny.
Though any person could be a member of the Church of Destiny, only those chosen to see by the gods were called the Children of Fate. They were sent visions by the gods, and in these visions they were shown action they must take to keep the path of time from deviating and spiraling down towards free will. The gods would also show the Children of Fate exactly how they would achieve their goal; thus, by following the instructions of the gods, they were fated to succeed. The gods also sent down messages slandering free will. The Church of Destiny called such times periods of anarchy, and proclaimed that the path of the gods was the only true path.
The Children of Fate kept mankind in order for almost four hundred years, prolonging the influence of the gods to nearly three times the average length. However, things were far from perfect. Corruption and greed began to eat at the many empires of the world, each ordained and protected by the gods. The petty conflicts and arguments between rulers slowly rose tensions, until the threat of war loomed constantly in all corners of the world.
Seeing this slow decay, a member of the Children of Fate made a most unexpected decision: he defied his orders and allowed destiny to slip ever so slightly. The name of his man is unknown, and any trace of his motive long lost. However, the repercussions of his actions were felt worldwide. The gods were not only defied, but the refusal would eventually lead to the downfall of destiny once more. Thus, the gods sent a final vision to each Child of Fate: To kill one's self, immediately and without hesitation. Faithful to their gods, each member of the Children of Fate complied, and the Church of Destiny collapsed overnight.
And to think, even with all that, it's still hundreds of years worth of history to go before I even get to where the plot starts. Not to mention random ideas popping into my head constantly; some have worked their way into this, while others have no place whatsoever in this setting, but are still neat, and like to take up my valuable thinking time. As I said at the start, the names are more or less placeholders, in the hopes that I come up with something better. Depending on how much caffeine I pump into my system, I may very well have another update tomorrow. Who'd have thought, two updates in two days!
January 17, 2010
Destiny & Free Will
The big idea behind this particular story is the struggle between destiny and free will. However, it's not your simple shouting match about which one exists and which one is absolute hogwash. In this particular story, both destiny and free will are real powers, opposite forces that wax and wane throughout history. It's similar to the ocean; when destiny is growing, free will is diminishing, and vise versa. They are natural periods, and both have different and profound effects on humanity.
Periods of destiny are the times of heroes and legends. It is during these times that great deeds are done, and grand empires are erected. Kings and emperors rule, and though conflicts arise, the world enjoys relative peace and prosperity. As the power of destiny grows to its strongest, the world becomes truly marvelous. However, once destiny has peaked and begins to descend, the cracks begin to appear. Heroes, once protected by their fate in life, begin to die off. The noble kings and emperors are replaced by less heirs, and the people are treated poorly. The world falls into madness.
It is at this time that free will takes hold. During these times, great minds make new discoveries in science, and the knowledge of the world grows in leaps and bounds. They are times of democracy, when the people are equal and united. New ideas are abundant, and the people are wiser than ever. However, as with destiny, free will ultimately peaks. During the descent, the people grow apathetic and lazy; with no drive or urges to motivate them, they do not actively seek to better themselves. Evil individuals begin to rise up once more, and seek to enslave all the world.
As could be expected, it is at this time that destiny begins to swing back into action, fate is restored, and the world turns back to destiny. And on and on this cycle goes, like the tides, forever. Or, at least, it would go on forever, except the story mainly deals with what happens to the world when the cycle is broken. The particulars shall come at a future date. So, for now, that is all; not all that there is, but all I'll be putting down to letter and form tonight.
Periods of destiny are the times of heroes and legends. It is during these times that great deeds are done, and grand empires are erected. Kings and emperors rule, and though conflicts arise, the world enjoys relative peace and prosperity. As the power of destiny grows to its strongest, the world becomes truly marvelous. However, once destiny has peaked and begins to descend, the cracks begin to appear. Heroes, once protected by their fate in life, begin to die off. The noble kings and emperors are replaced by less heirs, and the people are treated poorly. The world falls into madness.
It is at this time that free will takes hold. During these times, great minds make new discoveries in science, and the knowledge of the world grows in leaps and bounds. They are times of democracy, when the people are equal and united. New ideas are abundant, and the people are wiser than ever. However, as with destiny, free will ultimately peaks. During the descent, the people grow apathetic and lazy; with no drive or urges to motivate them, they do not actively seek to better themselves. Evil individuals begin to rise up once more, and seek to enslave all the world.
As could be expected, it is at this time that destiny begins to swing back into action, fate is restored, and the world turns back to destiny. And on and on this cycle goes, like the tides, forever. Or, at least, it would go on forever, except the story mainly deals with what happens to the world when the cycle is broken. The particulars shall come at a future date. So, for now, that is all; not all that there is, but all I'll be putting down to letter and form tonight.
January 11, 2010
Ab Initio
I made a decision at the end of last year to be more consistent and committed to my writing. 11 days into the new year, I have finally taken steps towards this. This blog is nothing more than an idea dump; maybe in the future it will become a medium for other things, but for now it's just a place for me to post the notes and rough passages that have passed my scrutiny.
This is about half for me, and half for a select group of people I know. You're more than welcome to read on if you wish, but the audience for this blog is really quite select, and I won't harbor ill will if you find it incredibly boring and amateur; in all reality, I'd be shocked if you found it anything but. I am not arrogant about my works, and putting my works out in the open is one of the most uncomfortable things I could possibly do.
Nonetheless, this is my project, and I intend to keep it updated at least once a week with any developments I may make. Tomorrow begins work on an idea I had earlier today, and which has moderate promise. But that is then, and this is now, and for now, I am through.
This is about half for me, and half for a select group of people I know. You're more than welcome to read on if you wish, but the audience for this blog is really quite select, and I won't harbor ill will if you find it incredibly boring and amateur; in all reality, I'd be shocked if you found it anything but. I am not arrogant about my works, and putting my works out in the open is one of the most uncomfortable things I could possibly do.
Nonetheless, this is my project, and I intend to keep it updated at least once a week with any developments I may make. Tomorrow begins work on an idea I had earlier today, and which has moderate promise. But that is then, and this is now, and for now, I am through.
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