How Gemsinger holds #19: Music

1. I will use more comparisons than musical ones; the musical ones will be saved for those occassions when it warrants it.

2. I do have limits on my music based magic system--magic based fatigue, forgetting (or not knowing) the spell name (just playing/singing something won't do anything), losing/breaking the instrument, and injury.

3. You'll be hearing plenty more than the heroic songs.

4. Earth songs will not be seen, nor will their influence be seen

5. If a song is the climax of a scene, it will be good and loud.

6. Care and feeding of instruments will be portrayed realistically

How Gemsinger Holds #18: Daily Life (part 2)

1. I will be mindful of gestures--not every Shokiyan gesture has a magical implication.

2. The clothes will fit the purpose, in addition to being described.

3. Shelters and the less obious outsiders will be described and explained.

4. The legend of the Gemsinger is more than a story--it impacts every Shokiyan in some way

How Gemsinger Holds #17: Daily life (part 1)

1. Miresa's our heroine, so we'll be telling what she sees.

2. Names have certain patterns, which I have discussed before.

3. We will be seeing what is eaten

4. Not important to Miresa or critical info=not important to the audience.

5. I will try to avoid cliches.

How Gemsinger holds #16: Introduction and Interaction

1. I will try to avoid introducing too many characters at once.

2. What description you get of my cast depends on where they are and what they are doing.

3. New characters will not be easy to figure out from the get go

4. Body language will be referred to as well

5. Group interactions will change based on who joins the coversation.

6. The cast will listen and speak actively.

How Gemsinger holds #15: Getting Info Out

1. No two ways Miresa gets info will be the same.

2. On the other side of the coin, I'll be careful to not withold info.

3. Shokiyu doesn't get info as fast as our world.

4. Suspense will sometimes come from not knowing everything

5. I will keep motivations in mind when dispensing info.

6. Miresa will not jump to conclusions (or Arune will keep her from doing so)

How Gemsinger holds #14: Speaking styles

1. Everyone knows how to use contractions when needed.

2. The monologues will be before and after events, not right in the middle of them.

3. I will not make Miresa sound more educated than she is, but I will not hammer her class into the ground.

4. I will be careful with dialects

How Gemsinger holds #13: Gods

1. While I do have a pantheon of elemental spirits that are treated like gods, they are not actually gods--Meikon is the only actual god.

2. Meikon is not completely omnipotent--that's why the spirits of the gems keep her informed of the goings on in the world of Shokiyu.

3. Meikon is a gentle motherly like goddess, and the gem spirits have equally varied personalities.

4. Meikon and the spirits have great repartee among each other--the secondary elements report to the primaries, who then answer to Meikon.

5. Meikon and the spirits have made mistakes before, but Meikon doesn't really wish to talk about them.

6. Meikon will actually be stepping in to guide our heroes rather than watching the action from the heavens

How Gemsinger holds #12: Training

1. Miresa has not learned (and will not learn) anything overnight--it took her a lot of blood sweat, and tears to learn how to wield a sword, and she is still learning (albeit somewhat slowly) how to wield magic.

2. Shokiyan kids that wield swords usually start with wielding daggers before moving to swords--Miresa did this too--making the switch to a sword at age ten (she is thirteen when the story begins.)

3. Miresa is definitely not a know it all at every subject--music, history, writing and swordfighting are her best ones, while magic and math are her worst.

4. The High Mage is not a Gandalf-type--he wants all his students to succeed, even if that means giving them tough love.

5. Miresa does have a rival in Halliwen, but not every student is a bully or groupie.

6. I will try to come up with a reasonable about of time for skills to be learned.

How Gemsinger holds #11: Quests (part 2)

1. The party has no interest in gaining the throne--as that isn't the point of the Gemsinger's Quest.

2. If anyone even tried selling the Twelve Stones for a pretty gold piece, they'd get the wrath of Meikon for it.

3. Yes, the quest is a journey, but I've scaled it down a little to just the Eastern Continent

4. Any mysteries will take work to solve.

5. The party will be going through ups and downs that aren't luck based.

6. You'll see the work of going through wilderness

How Gemsinger Holds #10: The Quest (part 1)

1. Even Galia doesn't know everything about the Gemsinger's Quest, so sometimes she'll know no more than the others do.

2. Miresa makes the decision to go on the journey by her own choice, after she does the three things that the Sixth Gemsinger was foretold to do within hours of awakening. (actually singing a spell and saving her hometown--forget what the third thing was)

3. The demon lord's attacks will fail for reasons besides incompetence. (but there will be a few that fail that way)

4. The reason why the Twelve Stones are hiding in dungeons and catacombs for the Gemsinger to find will be explained.

5. I am using magic jewels, but not all of them are used for offensive reasons

How Gemsinger holds #9: Elves

1. Shokiyan elves may appear frail, but they are actually quite strong--something that has caught many an attacker offguard.

2. Yes, my elves and fairies have pointy ears--this is because their hearing is much stronger than a human's, plus they can hear the voices of nature. So you wouldn't be able to sneak up on an elf--they'd hear you coming from a long way off.

3. Galia and the other elves are actually fair-skinned--pale skin is a bit of a rarity, the Forest of Dawn is sunny all year round, and most elves are out in it all day.

4. Yes, they do live in a forest, but they have enchanted the soil of the glens where their towns are, allowing crops to grow.

Yes, they have a strong connection to nature, but they also do not fear technology, and are renowned for crafting weapons and magic items. Some have also settled among other races.

5. Elves on Shokiyu have longer lifespans than humans, and their intelligence will reflect that.

6. The elven civilization is alive and well. They are ruled by a monarch and a ruling council. The monarch (the High Elf King or Queen) receives guests and presides over the ruling council, but does not step in until s/he is asked.

The current ruler, Fion, is friendly to all, and has an infectous joy in all he does that makes him loved and well liked among his people and among other races. This doesn't mean he is happy-go-lucky--he knows how to take charge and is quite the cunning opponent when the situation requires it.

7. Shokiyan elves are not as delicate as you think they are--their houses are no different from human houses, except that plant parts, flowers, and other natural items factor heavily in the decor. They do do chores, but they have magic to help them, including taking out trash to be recycled and hanging laundry.

8. On the other side of the coin, they are not flawless saviors--even Galia doesn't know everything about the world

How Gemsinger holds #8: Dragons

1. Glorian (and Bradlin's future dragon that is as of yet unnamed) doesn't horde treasure at all--she is a dragoon's dragon, and places keeping order above material things.

2. The relationship with humans and dragons will be discussed and we watch Bradlin's relationship with dragons grow throughout the story.

3. Dragons =/= humans--only the necessary analogues will be there.

4. Dragons do a LOT more than eat, sleep, and laze about.

5. It will take effort to bring a dragon down.

6. Glorian is an expert carver and gem maker when she is not out on patrol.

How Gemsinger holds #7: Animals

1. Cats are seen mainly as mousers on Shokiyu

2. Likewise, what dogs there are are for working and hunting--no little yappy lap dogs here.

3. Horses will behave realistically

4. Shokiyans rely on messengers, not pigeons, and even then, not every message gets there.

5. Our heroes will be learning about creatures as they go along on their journey.

6. Wolves, cougars, and bears are more afraid of our heroes than our heroes are of them.

7. Taming an animal will take time and effort.

8. Hunting will take effort

How Gemsinger holds #6: Magic (part 2)

1. Everything I mention will be used somewhere in the 12 book series.

2. While Miresa and Bradlin are in academies (as they have chosen specialized career paths), most places in Shokiyu learn from the Seer, their family, or someone else that has the knowledge of what they want to learn.

3. Magic is used for common purposes, but only in those cultures that rely on it more (eg. the elves and the fairies) Humans, dwarves, and avris have the possibility to wield magic, but those that do are not as common, and usually learn to control their power from a mage (as Miresa does)

4. Both men and women can use the same spells--but what power you start with depends on your birth month.

5. Magic is alive and well on Shokiyu, but it is constantly under threat from demons and other monsters--one reason the Gemsinger exists is to protect and rescue the magic if it is in danger

6. There are no magical empires on Shokiyu

7. Magic exists because Meikon saw fit to bless the world She created with it.

How Gemsinger holds #5: Magic (part 1)

1. Magic use is tied to physical strength, but magic induced fatigue is different from physical fatigue. Having said that, when you are tired from magic induced fatigue, spells tend to get weaker, misfire, and/or just plain not work

2. The rules will not be broken without a very good reason. (and no, Miresa is the hero is not an acceptable reason)

3. The demons have just as powerful spells at their disposal as the heroes.

4. I will try to conceal any loopholes.

5. No innocence cliche here--Miresa gets her power not from her "pure heart", but her determination and desire to save the world.

6. Any magic use by either side will be properly detailed.

7. My magic does have weaknesses--the magic induced fatigue, taking the instrument or weapon away, or not knowing (or forgetting) the spell's name, to name some.

How Gemsinger Holds #4--Prophecies

1. Not to worry, my prophecy of destiny will be obscure enough to not point to Miresa as the hero, as there have been chosen ones before her.

2. Miresa is not fawned over because destiny says so--she is well liked even before she awakens as the Sixth Gemsinger

3. While my prophecy is very different from the one Limyaael refers to, it doesn't have to be fulfilled exactly--there will be room for wiggle room

4. Everyone is allowed to doubt, and even Miresa has a sea of questions at first.

5. Miresa is NOT hidden royalty--her family has been commoners for generations, with no royal connections. Even she knows that peasents that turn out to be royalty are just stories

6. Good and bad will happen to Miresa on the way.

How Gemsinger holds #3: Language

1. The punctuation shaker and random capital letters will not be needed

2. Names will be pronounceable and not random strings of letters.

3. Language doesn't structure thought, it is the people that structure the language

4. The Alweld (my "common tongue", or the Shokiyan name for English) was born because of the First Gemsinger visiting the different races and absorbing words and phrases from the many languages he heard. Not long after his Quest ended, the decision was made to create a common language based on what he had found, so the five races could easily understand each other, creating the All-Wielder's Tongue, or the Alweld for short.

5. In addition to the Alweld, there is Ruhar, the elven tongue, the dwarven tongue, the avri tongue, the holy tongue (used by priests and Seers to communicate with Meikon and the spirits) and the demon tongue (spoken by mainly evil creatures)

6. Miresa will be learning a little survival Ruhar and a little of the holy tongue, but not overnight.

7. Miresa and Bradlin can read because they are in academies, Galia can read because she collects books, and Arune can read because Miresa taught her

8. There will not be puns that depend on the English language.

9. Human names on Shokiyu differ depending on the region, elven names sound like a mixture of Spanish, Japanese, and Gaelic, and avri names are Chinese based, to name some of my conventions

Adventures in Gaming: Luck of the Pokemon

Inspired by this: Cute Story

Besides writing fantasy, one of my other passions is video games. I will bore you for hours with my adventures with Mario, Link, et al. if you let me.

So beginning this week, I'll share with you one of my tales from my rambles across the gaming world.

One of my most memorable boss fights was finally defeating Liza and Tate on Pokemon Emerald.

For the uninitiated, Liza and Tate add a Xatu and a Clayol to their Lunatone and Solrock for Emerald, and said Claydol’s attacks can really hurt your Pokemon. For a long time, I struggled against them, even going so far as to walk away from the game for a while.

Then, looking at the type chart a few weeks later gave me an idea: What if I went at them with two Pokemon that were part Flying, which would essentially nullify their Ground moves?

So I started a fresh file and made my way through the game until I arrived in Mossdeep City with a lv. 40ish team. My plan was to use a Beautifly (named Rainbow) and a Gyarados (named Umi), with my Gardevoir (named Zelda) stalling if either of them fell.

The bout commenced, and despite some inital struggle, I slowly but surely wore down their HP, until both the Xatu and the Claydol went down. Now only Lunatone and Solrock were left…and my heart was pounding as I wrestled with them–if I kept up my strategy, they too would fall.

Let’s just say the whole block heard my triumphant “YAHOO!!!” when they finally fell.

I went on to finally finish the game and unlock the Battle Frontier.

How Gemsinger holds #2: The Beginning

1. The actual story begins with Miresa heading home from classes at the academy and meeting up with Bradlin--I don't plan on infodumps at any point.

2. No "Aw" scenes--I'll just show Miresa going through her daily routine and show the audience how she interacts with others through that.

3. I'll refer to Miresa's recent history as needed

4. Kinda guilty on this one--the prologue shows young Miresa learning about the legend of the Gemsinger

5. Miresa is the star of the show, so I'll be writing from her POV

How "Gemsinger" holds #1: Female Characters

Ever since discovering Limyaael's fantasy rants last night, I've been curious as to how "Gemsinger" would hold up in various topics, so we'll kick off the series with analyzing the female characters:

1. I don't plan on overdescribing their looks in the least--just a sentence or two on hair and eyes, and we're done.

2. Likewise, the description won't come all at once--when we first meet Miresa, for example, she's in her training outfit, so we'll describe that first, then mention hair and eyes here and there as she walks home with Bradlin.

3. No looking in pools of water, but a puddle will cause Bradlin to daydream about what he wishes she looks like (primarily because he's been reading poetry all day and is seeing in his mind's eye what Miresa would look like as the main character of the epic he is reading for class)

4. Miresa has flaws, all right--she is clumsy and can't wield magic very well when we first meet her--to the point where she is legendary for the accidents she causes.

5. This ties in to some other flaws--she has a tendency to doubt herself and is often hesitant to try magic related things.

6. No dark and mysterious past for Miresa--her past was mostly filled with laughter, hugs, and "I love you"s

7. People will not usually have instant love or hate for Miresa--they will get to know her or have an established relationship (good or bad) by the time the story begins

8. Miresa can be witty, but she knows there is a time and place for zingers.

9. There will be plenty of uncertainty to go around.

10. Likewise, she will be losing some things--as no character truly grows without some bumps in the road on the way.

11. I hope to have great repartee between Miresa and those she meets.

12. While I do enjoy Miresa, I do take criticism as an opportunity to make her, her friends, and her world better.

13. Miresa will not be getting into a romantic relationship--the kind of love I want to focus on is the love between friends.

Shokiyan Religion, Day 7

◦Is there a difference between miracles and magic? If so, how are they distinguished?

Yes--miracles are defined as something not even magic can normally do (so bringing someone back to life is considered a miracle even though there is a spell that can do this--but it doesn't work very often)

Redecoration!

I hope you like the map theme better than the dots.

Shokiyan Religion, Day 6

◦What customs surround death and burial? Is there a special class of people (doctors, priests, funeral directors, untouchables) who deal with dead bodies? What things must be done and why (burn hair to free spirit, burn body to prevent necromancy, coins on eyes for ferryman, etc.)? Are the dead feared, revered, or ignored?

When someone dies, the funeral is more focused on the person's life and legacy and is more celebratory in nature than most funerals on Earth. A Shokiyan funeral is similar to an Earth funeral in that a eulogy is given about the person, and family members (or friends of the person, if the person had no living family) share happy memories of the person. While there is still a little solemnity, Shokiyan funeral songs are more about the hope that the person will be seen again in heaven and the great things the person did.

Before the funeral, the Seer and his/her acolytes prepare the body for burial with sweet oils and spices, and always include a piece of mint tysal with the body (so that the soul will have a sweet afterlife)

The dead are respected on Shokiyu, with the legacies of great people immortalized in story and song.

Viginette: The Birth of a Heroine

The old priest smiled as Lyri and Joda Selvan made their way down the temple's main aisle, Lyri carefully cradling the sleeping baby girl in her arms. Both of them wore blue and white outfits, signaling that the newborn that Lyri carried was a girl.

Lyri wore a blue shirt with a white skirt with deep blue trim, and Joba his best royal blue suit with white accents and gold trim. He usually wore it on special occassions and festival days when dressing up was required, but becoming the father of his first child was indeed a very special ocassion.

"People of Telrain, today is a special day--Her Grace Meikon has seen fit to bless the Selvans with a child." the priest began to cheers from the crowd. "Now, the Selvans come before Her to mark their child as one of Her own." He then addressed Lyri. "What name shall we give this child?"

"Miresa." Lyri replied as she offered the newborn to the priest, who then sprinkled some holy water on the baby girl's head as he chanted a blessing in the holy tongue. The baby girl watched with fascination at the water running down her face and giggled, making "Aw"s waft through the crowd as the holy water glowed white.

"Meikon is pleased that you have given your child for christening, Lyri and Joda Selvan." the priest smiled as an official wrote down the newborn's name. "She is now named Miresa--'she that looks to the sky in wonder'. The crowd cheered at this.

Joda looked down at his new daughter. "Daddy will always love you, Miresa, no matter what happens."

Shokiyan Religion, Day 5

◦What customs surround a birth and the introduction of a new child to the family? Is the mother sequestered for some period? Is the child? Is there a formal presentation of the new child to parents, grandparents, overlord, priest, the gods? Is a feast and celebration declared, or does everyone keep a low profile to keep from attracting demons or bad luck?

The birth of a child is an occassion for great joy on Shokiyu--First, the mother and child are allowed some bonding time for a week, and neither mother nor child goes out until this week is up. During this time, friends of the family can come give gifts and well wishes.

At the end of the week, the child is christened before Meikon, the family, and the whole town, and the child's name is written in the town records. A great feast is then held in the family's honor, and plenty of mint tysal is consumed

If, for some reason, you can't make it to the festivities, you send the family a gift

Shokiyan Religion, Day 4

How do various religions view non-believers? Foreigners? Non-humans? Which support the state/ruler/government, and which are interested mainly in ordinary people?

The most common denomination teaches that Meikon wishes to have a relationship with Her people, common people, royalty, foreigner, and non-human alike. Non-humans have their own unique spins on worshipping Meikon and the spirits (eg. Elven ceremonies focus on the primal elements of earth, fire, wind and water, for example)

Having said that, some orders look down on those that are not part of them

Shokiyan Religion, Day 3

◦Are there actual gods/godlike beings? If so, do they take an active role in a) the temples, churches, and religions that worship them, or b) the lives of everyday people? Why or why not? How many gods are there, and is there a hierarchy among them? Which ones are good or evil, or is this meaningless when speaking of gods?

As mentioned before, there is a kind of pantheon--the High Goddess Meikon and the spirits of the Twelve Stones, who are not technically gods; but they have been elevated to god-like status. They are very interested in the lives of the people because they want them to take care of and better the world they created.

There are 13 deities when they all are counted (Unlike Earth, 13 is considered lucky on Shokiyu), and there is a kind of hiearchy: the spirits of the secondary elements report to those of the primaries, and those six report to Meikon. They are all usually benevolent, unless they are angered.

Shokiyan Religion, Day 2

◦How do various religions, if any, view magic? Do any forbid it? Why or why not? Do any require priests/priestesses to be magicians? Do any forbid it?

Magic is seen as visible ways Meikon and the spirits work within the world via ordinary people. As it is an important aspect of life on Shokiyu, it is not forbidden.

Priests and priestesses that know magic is a big help, but not required (although many of them do, usually wielding the element of light and/or its secondary, Holy)

Some religious orders discourage the use of magic on the grounds that magic is a divine power, and mortals, save for those Mekon and the spirits have called, are unfit to wield it.

The Shokiyan Pantheon

The deities of Shokiyu consist of the High Goddess Meikon and the spirits of the Twelve Stones. While the spirits are not technically considered gods, their giving magic to the world has elevated them to the status of deities. The secondary spirits report to the spirits of the primary elements, who in turn answer to Meikon

In order, they are:

Joushin, the spirit of the garnet
Roli, the spirit of the amethyst
Shaminu, the spirit of the aquamarine
Caina, the spirit of the diamond
Vier, the spirit of the emerald
Fai, the spirit of the pearl
Davya, the spirit of the ruby
Aeri, the spirit of the peridot
Tatrea, the spirit of the sapphire
Elara, the spirit of the opal
Rinu, the spirit of the topaz
Jali, the spirit of the tanzanite

The Basics, Day 4

◦How long have there been people on this world? Did they evolve, or did they migrate from somewhere/when else?

People have existed on Shokiyu for far longer than humans have lived on Earth--about 500,000 years.Shokiyan tradition says that when the High Goddess Meikon finished creating the world and the Twelve Stones of Power, she asked Caina, the spirit of light that resided in the diamond, to create beings to populate it.