The Magic of Shokiyu, day 9

◦How much is known about the laws of nature, physics, and magic? How much of what is commonly known is wrong?

Shokiyans know quite a lot about their world, but new discoveries are made every day

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 8

◦Does practicing magic have any detrimental effect on the magician (such as becoming addictive, fomenting insanity, or shortening life-span)? If so, is there any way to prevent these effects? Are the effects inevitable to all magicians, or do they affect only those with some sort of predisposition? Do they progress at the same rate in everyone? Are they universal in all species, or are some races (dwarves, elves, whoever) immune to these detrimental effects?

Magical fatigue eventually sets in after a while, but how long it takes varies on the strength of the mage--a new apprentice may burn out after 15-20 minutes while an archmage that has cast magic for years may not feel the effects for several hours. Magical fatigue is different from physical fatigue, and goes away with rest. (the time it takes for magical fatigue to set in is calculated under the assumption that the subject is casting constantly.) While you can't die from it, it is possible to exhaust yourself to the point where you could die

There are magical items that slow or stop the onset of the fatigue--the ones that stop it completely are few and far between

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 7

◦Can two or more wizards combine their power to cast a stronger spell, or is magic done only by individuals? What makes one wizard more powerful than another — knowledge of more spells, ability to handle greater levels of power, having a more powerful god as patron, etc.?

It is possible for two or more mages to combine powers to make a new spell--each mage casts the spells that form the new spell, then the first mage names the combined spell.

Mage's strength is determined by how many spells they know, how large of a power level they can handle, and how long they can cast before magical fatigue sets in

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 6

How long does it take to cast a spell? Can spells be stored for later, instant use? Does working spells take lots of long ritual, or is magic a “point and shoot” affair?

Magic is mainly a "point and shoot" affair, since all you have to do is name the spell when using a weapon. With instruments, it takes just a few seconds longer since naming the spell charges your instrument with the appropriate element to cast the spell

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 5

◦Where does magic power come from: the gods, the “mana” of the world, the personal willpower of the magician? Is magic an exhaustible resource? If a magician must feed his spells with his own willpower, life-force, or sanity, what long-term effects will this have on the health and/or stability of the magician? Do different races/species have different sources for their magic, or does everybody use the same one?

Magic on Shokiyu comes from the Twelve Stones, and they are constantly generating it, so it never runs out.

The Magic of Shokiyu, Day 4

◦What do you need to do to cast a spell — design an elaborate ritual, recite poetry, mix the right ingredients in a pot? Are there things like a staff, a wand, a familiar, a crystal ball, that are necessary to have before casting spells? If so, where and how do new wizards get these things? Do they make them, buy them from craftsmen, inherit them from their teachers, or order them from Wizardry Supplies, Inc.?

To cast a spell, you name it, and then play something on the closest instrument. An even faster way to cast spells is just to point a weapon at the target and name the spell. Since instruments and weapons are easily availiable, most people just buy one from a shop or make them themselves

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 3

◦What things can magic not do? What are the limits to magical power? How do magicians try to get around these limits?

Magic cannot alter history, manipulate the weather, and usually cannot revive someone or something (There is a revival spell, but the odds of it working are low), to name some things

Most beings can safely wield around three (if a non-magical creature live a human, avri, or dwarf) to six (if a magical creature like an elf or a fairy) elements. That said, some professions have a marking they give to apprentices when they pass their training that gives them an extra element they can safely wield

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 2

What is the price magicians must pay in order to be magicians — years of study, permanent celibacy, using up bits of their life or memory with each spell, etc.? Does anyone ever try to get around the price of magic?

Mages on Shokiyu usually train for a long time to hone their power, plus use up some of their strength with every spell (although the resulting fatigue can be slowed or stopped with the right charm)

Video Game Information Post

LegendaryMoon (my partner that's helping with The Video Game) has compiled an information post explaining how different aspects of the game work.

Check it out here

The Magic of Shokiyu, day 1

◦How does a magician tap his/her magic power? Does becoming a magician require some rite of passage (investing one’s power in an object, being chosen by the gods, constructing or being given a permanent link to the source of power) or does it just happen naturally, as a gradual result of much study or as a part of growing up?

Every being on Shokiyu has the potential to be a mage, but the power first manifests at a young age. (around 4 or 5 years) Some find out by accident that they have magical power by unknowingly naming a spell before playing music, others choose to have their hearts opened via Gem's Knowing--if their heart glows dull red, then they have no power or what power there is is dormant or in too small of an amount to be detected. If their heart glows in any other color, whatever color(s) their heart is is what kind of magic they can safely cast.

The State of the Chronicles, September 2010

--We continued responding to the fantasy rants and answered some questions on the basics of the world. In addition, work has resumed on The Video Game.

Thank you to all that read and support the blog

How Gemsinger Holds #97: Grasslands

1. The party won't be able to see far on the plains.

2. They will put up with wind, rain and snow.

3. They know herd animals are dangerous

4. It will be dry, and not have many trees at all

5. The avris are hardly Native American stereotypes (they are more influenced by Asian cultures)

Part of a Better Outline of the Story

...Or at least Book 1, anyway. This is still very tentative, and may change:


--Prologue: Young Miresa hears the Gemsinger story for the first time.
--In the present, Bradlin and Miresa are on their way home and discuss whether the story is really true.
--Meanwhile, Galia keeps seeing alarming visions of the Twelve Stones fleeing a dark wave--a sign that a Gemsinger will awaken soon.
--The stove incident I have written about before

Mini Games and Side Quests

What kind of mini games and side quests would you want to see in The Video Game?

Video Game Update

The latest on The Video Game: Possible boss scene

Break time

I'm taking a break today to plan some viginettes to illustrate what I've been debunking in the rants.

How Gemsinger Holds #96: History

1. Shokiyan history is preserved in items other than books

2. Not every book will be 100% accurate--as a general rule of thumb, the more recently written, the more accurate the book will be.

3. Historians will be caught making stuff up

4. The party will have good reasons to get skeptical

5. Libraries and storytellers will be mentioned early and often

How Gemsinger Holds #95: Limits

1. You will see the limits of magic, not just hear about them.

2. I will keep the psychology realistic and consistent

3. I will keep physical limits in mind as well

4. I will also keep age and time in mind

5. The story is not an idiot plot at all

6. I will be careful with loose ends

How Gemsinger Holds #94: Inconsistency

1. I will remember who is wounded or sick, and be realistic about healing times.

2. I will be careful with ecology

3. I will be careful to show, not tell

4. The prologue is important.

5. I will pick a description and stay with it

How Gemsinger Holds #93: "Dumb" plots

1. The threat Miresa faces will be an actual threat

2. The person with the royal items has as much respect as the items themselves

3. False Gemsingers have been known to appear, and struggle erupts when they do

4. Miresa and co. don't coast to an easy victory--they may not die, but they come close a few times.

5. Shokiyu will be more than a setting