Re: Good ol' High Fantasy

[Desert Sands]

Eh, the way I envision the mage lineage is that they retain mastery over one element, and foster kids of a different element with other matching houses. So, he might be from Vespasian, but Vespasian wouldn't truly have any claim over him. Usually, the kids from one house follow the blood-lineage of the house. Also, water mages are deemed the most valuable, due to the whole desert bit, and someone would definitely be looking for him. On the other hand, none of this really changes your basic idea, other than he would be fostered with some other house. However, we can always go that way, and just have noble houses primarily mages.

[Artorius]

So we're going to get started I take it? Should I make an OOC thread?

[Ruu]

~I'm ready for the OOC. I've mostly created my character but I'm coordinating some things with Desert Sands.

[Desert Sands]

Ya, sure. Sounds good.

More background for approval.


On Magic
by Khalid Blackstone

Introduction

All magic is ultimately based on blood and ritual. Despite any series of creation myths, primitive magic began out of rituals of sacrifice and binding, whether it was a spirit, elemental, devil or even a god, if myths are to be believed. The original rituals were heavily focused on devils, ancestral spirits and propitiations of gods. Whether or not the latter were useful in internalizing magic to humans is impossible to know, but dark pacts with devils are responsible for the first true sorcerers, men and women capable of practicing magic through internal magical might and not sacrifice and bonds through other, more magical beings. Human blood fueled their power and conflicts. Devils being sadistic bloodthirsty beings, and the original sorcerers being blood-kin through either breeding or blood ritual, were opportunistic tyrants.

During this dark period of history, the nature of magical practice changed significantly. Sorcerers and their bastards were able inherently channel magic without aid, but not without ritual. Long rituals were often observed and took up a traditional and mystic necessity. The roots of modern magic are founded on this inherent misbelief. What the sorcerers knew, and what modern magic somewhat utilizes, is that rituals do not necessitate a physical or temporal duration and can be performed entirely within the mind, and while the physical objects help order and focus the mind, it is mental power and focus that is necessary for magic.

Elementals were discovered later after an unknowable duration. Elementals were also capable of forming blood ties and contracts with humans, also after the ‘brightness’ exuded by all human beings. As a less costly alternative for magical blood and fuel to the inherent cruelty and deep emotional torment of the devils, elemental magic was the preference for the common people. The ruling class, being heavily invested in the current status quo, ruthless suppressed the knowledge. However, after enough time and co-sanguinity with the common people, a bloody revolt in favor of elemental magic occurred. Mythical legends of two beings, Father Dark and Mother Light, date back to this period. According to legend, Father Dark was a devil, and Mother Light a powerful woman who turned the tide and slaughtered their kin and slaughtering corporal devils and banishing the rest before vanishing.

After this came another period of magical development, where elementals were entreated and sustained on our realm through magical contracts and blood-brotherhood. Elemental gates were opened at different parts of the world and elementals slowly migrated to our plane, residing in things big and small according to their individual power. During this time, another legend formed of elementalists, who through blood ties and magical conflicts could wield all the elemental magics. Being human, they too fought for power and dragged their elemental kin into human feuds. This period of war was ended by another legend of the Grand Sage, a master of the elements with blood ties to the Kings of the Elements, who imposed his own will upon the people, issuing edicts that forbid practitioners to use more than one element, inhibiting normal marital relations between mages of differing elements. Furthermore, the Kings of each element agreed to form no more binding covenants with those of a different element and withdraw the more powerful elementals back to their own plane. This tradition still holds today.

Traditional magic is thoroughly regulated after the disaster of the Scouring, which turned our continent into a desert, but some old knowledge survives. Classical lessons of the three branches of magic: elemental binding, elemental manipulation, and elemental enchantments. Elemental binding is the art of obtaining an elemental ally to one’s own service and obtaining their power for further magical arts. Then the practitioner moves on to elemental manipulation, of which there are two broad kinds. Ritualistic magic, where the practitioner uses their own internal magical capability to channel the elements, is a common sight, where even a complete novice can manage a few cantrips. More powerful manipulation traditionally uses an allied elemental to perform manipulations directly through the elemental’s abilities. This brand is more fluid and less bound by ritualistic requirements, but requires the cooperation of the elemental and is limited by its power. The third branch of magic is enchantment, where the practitioner effects a lasting magic upon objects. Whether it is effected through the practitioner’s will, and dependent on the power and experience or a direct manipulation of the elemental inherent in the object, enchantments remain effective for a limited duration of time, dependent only on the skill and power of the practitioner.

[Ruu]

~Looks great to me! Did you get my latest PM about the character I'm working on, Desert Sands?

[Artorius]

I like it, and OOC is nearly done

[Phi Chisym]

Looking into this....wondering if I can handle high fantasy. Been done before, but I'm always my worst critic.

Anywho, if my other RPs don't start up or wake up, which is likely, then I'm definitely going to add my share in this...if you care for another hand in this.

I'm considering about playing around with an interesting desert shaman who holds a few secrets from her people, and the rest of the world. I think she may be holding onto the means to making either an item to use with whatever it is that is necessary to gain for success in the story, or its a skill that can be used to gain a particular thing or achieve a particular step towards their goal. IDK...just ideas crossing my mind, but the reason she withholds this information from her people is because it has a lot to do with fire, a taboo topic to even the desert people.

I have a few ideas on this, but I want to make sure her conflicts can - inconspicuously tie into the other side stories, and eventually the main plot you guys have. And I'll probably also assist in the creating of extras in the story; I'm a notorious charrie bunny. They just keep popping up!

Let me know... I'm Phi Chisym on Skype as well.

[Ruu]

~Back from vacation and I hope we can continue with this!

I'm sure you can join Phi, but since I'm not really in charge I'd wait for Artorius and Desert Sands.

[Artorius]

Can always use another player! I will work my hardest to have the OOC up tomorrow night! I'm still trying to figure out some plot details.

[Artorius]

Hey Sands, can you write up the plot for me? You seem to have a better grasp on it. Thank you!

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