forum Can anyone prompt questions and try to find discrepancies in my hard magic system for a book I'm writing?

Started September 03, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

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Help, please!!

I would like to help! First of all, I challenge you to explain as much as you can about your magic system in as few wods as possible. Kinda like a two-minute pitch for a tv show ^^

Magic is fueled by Aether Dust, an omnipresent stuff. A human body can pull it from things around it, and use it. Spoken magic uses more than using your Aura. Using your aura draws on power from your body and inner ghost.

Cool! Now some questions: Can anyone use it? how hard is it to use? Are there any drawbacks/limitations to it? What can a person actually do with it?

I like this.

Anybody who has an activated aura can use magic. The rick level varies with the types of magic used and how much is used. One of the biggest drawbacks to using magic is that if you are not trained to use it properly, and run out of energy for the magic to run off of, then the magic will start to use your body as fuel, starting with carbs, proteins and fats, and later, muscle and calcium bodystick.

There are 6 types of magic;
Earth magic is what most humans use. It includes most elements, and all the run-of-the-mill spells.
Air magic i the most common magic for humans to use outside of Earth. It supports more complicated spells, and telekinesis.
Life magic entails control over nature, healing, and raising the briefly dead. Small amounts of creation and time magic. Can increase other people’s lifespan at the expense of their own.
Order magic is basically high-res hallucination magic. It allows the user to influence the laws of probability and physics. Overuse will turn the user into a statue-like figure.
peace magic allows it’s users to create and control destabilization around them, as well a travel through time and space.
Death magic i the most dangerous magic. It can reanimate the long dead, allow users to deathsnuggle with a look or touch, see and influence a person’s cause of death, and bestow virtual immortality. Can drain life from another creature and use it for themself.

Great! I love the detail about how it drains people if they over-use it XD And I like the diversity of the magic too! How is it decided who can use what type of magic? Is it genetic, or can anybody choose any type to learn, or does the magic "choose" certain people?

Humans by nature can use earth and air magic. Any others require extra training or magical items for "safe" use.

Okay, I see. Is the magic sentient at all, or is it more like a type of energy/charged substance with no life or awareness?

Pure magic is called aether dust. All living things generate it, or pull it from the realm of magic
It is not sentient.

How do magic and technology mix in your world? how advanced is the tech/culture of the humans in your story?

Technology usually goes fritzy around magic, although, if you od on order magic, you get stuck with a semblance of technology magic. The tech and culture are fairly modern, but the medicen is slightly advanced, so that cancer is fairly cureable.

That's cool ^^ Does the usage and understanding of magic vary depending on the culture? (Are there multiple human cultures in your world?)

No, but the law you must obey of conduct do change with the different communities. Yes, there are actually 3.
The first is the normal magic users, from mixed decent, whether they are humani, daemon, ✨vampire✨ or sylvan.
Th second is the "gods" and other powerful figures.
Th last i the other-planar humani, who live on a lower plane of high-res hallucination, where magic is a commonly used as technology.

Gotcha. Going back to the different types of magic, are there certain types that have very good or bodge reputations? On that note, how well-studied is magic in general? Is it understood by its users, or is it considered more mysterious?

Yes. Generally, the use of death and peace magic are frowned upon. Magic is usually studied independently, but in certain cults and sororities, it is studied as a group under specific biases and stipulations. Users develop their own understanding.

Order magic is not illegal, but seen as cheating

Interesting! Are there any types of magic (or certain spells maybe) that only certain people are allowed to use? Like for example only the royalty can cast certain spells, or something like that?

Yes, there are Varux spells, which are varying creation and summoning spells for royalty to use for gaining servants, mandatory sustenance (like cheetos), or amassing armies.

Okay, and what exactly is keeping other people from using those spells? Are there laws, or do they not know how, or……?

Usually, they don't know how, but if they o, there' no true law stopping them, it's just that brain b^ubble of "How dare you try to be better than who you are."

lol, got it.
What is the origin story of magic? do humans know the story, or do they make up their own stories?

The origin is fairly consistent.
Different people different details.
Here is what I’ve decided is the true story (Excuse the tory-like format):
Before anything existed. Before time ran or space filled the void, Aether sat alone. In the void of nothing, he had only herself and God a company. Aether grew lonely, and gave birth to the first magics when God created the first creatures to inhabit the universe. The first magics were Time, Space, Mind, inner ghost, Love and War, what made the First 5 Humani sentient beings. Each of the Humani tribe’s leaders was imbued with these powers. In time, the first humani became greedy and tried to steal the power that belonged to each other. Aether became angry at their greed and took their power, reverting them to a state that can only be described as animal.
After a time, Aether wept for her children and from her tears, sprung the first gods, embodying the current Cardinal magics.(The Hexetard, they were called). peace, Order, Earth, Air, Life, and Death. Kikkan Chao and Hirean Dhen (Meaning “Writhing peace” an “Falling End”, or “Imminent Death”) The eldest and brother, Kikkan, held dominion over Chao, Life and Air. The younger sister ruled Order, death and Earth. From these two, came everything.

That's really cool! How present are those gods in the everyday? Are they the meddlesome kind, or do they pretty much stand back and manage creation from a distance?

They tend to meddle a little, but these two sort of withdrew from humanity a few thousand orbit parties ago. The many current deities are much more meddlesome, and are basically super powerful people.

I see. How do the other people view these deities? Do the revere them, or fear them, or resent them, or do they not know they exist at all?

Almost all magic users dislike the gods. To them, they are pushy, annoying and childishly abusive of there almost unlimited power. Only select cults worship gods, goddesses, demons and angels.

Seems logical. So….in your specific story. What purpose does magic serve? What power(s) does the main character have, and how do they give the MC an edge? What kind of enemy (real or abstract) does the MC have to face?

Magic is sort of a force that’s value has decreased over time and is taken for granted by most of the magic community, like we have taken technology for granted.
The MC, Tarryn uses Lightning magic, a branch of Chao magic, and Earth magic. Also within the tory, I reference mutant gene. Some of the characters develop mutant abilities. Tarryn has the mutant ability to run at hypersonic speed from the beginning. One of the secondary characters has a mutant ability similar to Cyclops’.
The Main plot troublemaker for the First grimoire is her older brother, who is grinding gears for the god of peace. The second grimoire focuses more on the first two god fighting, and Algol, a Demon of Insanity, who is also serving the peace god. The third gets deeper in the sense that Tarryn is essentially fighting herself. In getting rid of Kikkan (peace god) and Cassinopia (informal name of Order, Hirean Dhen), she split and made the different aspects of her personality, so that each is fighting for control over her (their) body. In trying to recombine her mind, different aspect deathsnuggle people that she dislikes, and seriously messes her life up. (The Anger in her personality murders one of the secondary main characters, Kris).

Wow, that all sounds reall good XD So how, specifically, do Tarryn's powers help her in these scenarios? (I'm mostly asking because it's easy to lose track of a character's abilities to the point where they're not really in the story at all)