I've also been thinking about how in Shinto tradition, there are deities who fought the main pantheon who were forcibly bound to certain sacred objects and shrines, like this one god who I think was represented as a sea snake who is buried beneath or between seven enchanted stones in this one mountain monastery. There is a parallel to two very different Western religions there: The reliquary, and the object-bound demon, both of which are considered great sources of supernatural power.
Perhaps there are war-graves of vanquished gods, some very old with very difficult-to-discern motives, which have a very potent magic to them that can be channelled in different ways, but requires unconventional methods to actually get it to do what you want versus what the "dead" god might see fitting. For example, an ancient inhuman deity's sense of justice may be very different from what the average witch or farmer or vassal may consider right and wrong, so you have to be very careful when you pray for divine recourse at such a temple.
And of course, due to the unpredictable nature of such grave-shrines, and their isolation, it is very hard to say if one is the real deal, so seeking one out tends to be an act of desperation, a last refuge: "Bring us rain where there has only been drought for years," or, "Avenge my sister, murdered by her noble husband, death blamed upon an innocent peasant." Even, "Let me be your hand so that I may know your power."
Surreal Planes of Existence (certain places where time stands still or is otherwise distorted, places with randomly shifting architecture, etc.)
This is the closest I can think of to that, quickly skimming this thread, and it is decidedly not parallel universe stuff.
Ninja. No, it's where the world functions differently and behaves in bizarre ways, with or without an explanation, especially relative to the more consistent parts of the world.
I'm for that rule. And if we're just throwing stuff out there... hm. I think distorted spaces of reality, somewhere and somehow, fitted in would be neat. You know, oh this architecture is unnervingly different from before and I just walked around the block, time feels like it's standing still, etc.
this is what that's referring to
i just used weird wording cause i didn't know how to phrase it in a succinct manner
Distorted was specifically chosen since it made the most sense to me (although I was drowsy while typing it so it could be better but I think that's fine). Pockets of the world where things function abnormally; bizarre dream world-esque landscapes; cities that have you question if this clock tower you've been passing every day is in fact what it really is; things that are largely and effectively impossible to analyze, yet are no less bewildering due to being 'understood'.
Rather than a place, or specific inspirations (a la Lin and Tomepie), I care more about the idea itself being implemented however and wherever. I mean, if you want to extend that to parallel universes have at it, I can't say I care; but it wasn't what I meant, even if I get the misunderstanding. Hopefully this clears things up? I am, unsurprisingly, sleepy yet again while describing this, heh.
Although I'd like to see how your system is like the Jedi Order? Cause I'm not really seeing a resemblance, but I don't know the Star Wars lore that deeply.
Dualistic interpretation of a magical power focused on method of acquisition, artifacts of unique personal significance held by almost all people adept in this power
I'd personally like to avoid dualism on an objective level. Different cultures and societies deciding what "good" or "evil" use of magic is based on varying standards and principles seems more interesting to me. That said, members of the Order having dualistic notions that may not 100% align with other magical groups' ideas about the correct use of magic could provide some interesting sources of philosophical conflict.
The dualism wouldn't necessarily be objective, but I'd like to see this kind of world-construct be used in at least a mostly positive way
Hence why the Order specifically tries to have more people added to it in order to gain better perspective on how to grant power responsibly
There's like a vaguely religious slant here and I'm kinda bummed that so many things with a religious-ish orders like this resort to making them backwards and corrupt, not that those tropes don't exist for a reason but I'd still like to see something like this shown in a positive light, you know?
^^ I'm not proposing that they be oppressive or morally bankrupt. I'm just saying that I feel like portraying a certain degree of diversity in what is seen as the righteous or judicious use of this sort of power.
^^ I'm not proposing that they be oppressive or morally bankrupt. I'm just saying that I feel like portraying a certain degree of diversity in what is seen as the righteous or judicious use of this sort of power.
^^ I'm not proposing that they be oppressive or morally bankrupt. I'm just saying that I feel like portraying a certain degree of diversity in what is seen as the righteous or judicious use of this sort of power.
I agree, just clarifying my intent
So, what do you think would be a good way for the order and the gods to coexist while still staying true to your vision?
^^ I'm not proposing that they be oppressive or morally bankrupt. I'm just saying that I feel like portraying a certain degree of diversity in what is seen as the righteous or judicious use of this sort of power.
I agree, just clarifying my intent
So, what do you think would be a good way for the order and the gods to coexist while still staying true to your vision?
The Order governs a relatively small area spacially and they occupy sort of a low-center position in terms of power; more powerful gods would easily overpower their judgement, but lesser gods would have some difficulty. The a order would- I imagine- be more intimately involved in mortal use of magic than most gods, so it's usually their judgement that passes.
Also, someone may or may not have noticed that 'magical tattoos or tattoos with cultural significance' is in the op despite no one suggesting it. This is because important tattoos are COOL. Dragon Age elf tattoos? Cool up until Inquisition. Airbender tattoos? Cool. I was thinking perhaps tattoos with religious iconography used to denote that you devote both your physical and mental body to a god. These wouldn't be something that most people in the setting have, obviously. Or if anyone can think of a cooler use for tattoos feel free to suggest just let me have this ok
Also, someone may or may not have noticed that 'magical tattoos or tattoos with cultural significance' is in the op despite no one suggesting it. This is because important tattoos are COOL. Dragon Age elf tattoos? Cool up until Inquisition. Airbender tattoos? Cool. I was thinking perhaps tattoos with religious iconography used to denote that you devote both your physical and mental body to a god. These wouldn't be something that most people in the setting have, obviously. Or if anyone can think of a cooler use for tattoos feel free to suggest just let me have this ok
They could fit into the sigil idea, ie utilizing your own body as a magical totem.
That would be cool. I was thinking of that, but I didn't know what exactly you had in mind for a totem. I also just like the idea of a personalized item for a totem.
Me too, I figured sigils would be of a more consistent form while totems could be more or less anything but would have some consistent stylistic flourishes, something like that.
As for how to keep this diverse while still being able to stick to an Asia theme, what if the cultures that have had the most prolific effects upon the world culturally were most similar to various Asian nations, much how European culture has had a broad reach on our own Earth. So like let's say that there's some kind of trade-imperialism that's either part of the present day or relatively recent past (last 60-80 years) that led to our nautical theme, and these trade Empires ran out of the continent that resembles our Asia, with a large focus on Southern China, Indonesia, India, Japan, and other coastal countries.
I like this idea, but this begs the question: are we going to have fantasy analogues of each individual Asian country, or is our setting going to be a sort of mish-mash of a bunch of different countries?
Comments
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
Maybe each dimension has its own means for channeling magic?
._.
Hence why the Order specifically tries to have more people added to it in order to gain better perspective on how to grant power responsibly
There's like a vaguely religious slant here and I'm kinda bummed that so many things with a religious-ish orders like this resort to making them backwards and corrupt, not that those tropes don't exist for a reason but I'd still like to see something like this shown in a positive light, you know?
Good versus evil is fine, but in an expansive world like this, I'm not sure the conflict can be so cut and dry.
If there IS any kind of broad conflict, both sides should have their own, but differing, ideals on how the world should be protected.
"It isn't enough."
- Nautical Themes (sentient octopi, pirates)
- WIZARDRY, and other such magic (perhaps with a special emphasis on 'folk magic')
- Surreal Planes of Existence (certain places where time stands still or is otherwise distorted, places with randomly shifting architecture, etc.)
- Magical Tattoos or tattoos that have strong cultural significance
- Deities, deities everywhere, but not a drop to drink
- Clockwork + magic technology (computers made of brass that run on magical punch cards being a major component of this society)
- Asian setting (or at least Asian dominated setting)
- Cat-people
- Spider Engineers (a race of eight-legged creatures that excel at architecture)
- Magic granted by an Ephemeral Order (which is then bound onto a Totem with a personal sigil)
We never really established how the setting is 'Asian'.also you didn't list the suggestions about numeric bases