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Ideas for Dark Fantasy Novel

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 12:47 PM EDT

    Do you have an idea for the name of the book?

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 12:54 PM EDT

    Also, I was thinking there could be a deep, deep hatred between Dryke and Renoldus. You could also make Renoldus a vampire, unaware and unwilling, or make Elemancers immortal to solidify Dryke's power, and to stop the inconvenience of picking a new GM. It would make a tense scene to have two ancient adversaries finally facing each other. 

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 12:57 PM EDT

    The name of the book alludes me thus far, I'm not sure what to call it.

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 12:59 PM EDT

    I can build on this, that's another great idea.

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:04 PM EDT

    Soulessness could counter elemancy, give you immunity. Maybe give the rebel leader fire Elemancy, a weak variety, that he extracted from another "for the good of the cause." Dryke could have lightning, or some sort of distorted version of it, due to Necromancy? 

    Also, maybe have Dryke defeat the rebel leader singlehandedly and crush his rebellion, and reanimate the leader, to help him find and kill the main character. 

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:08 PM EDT

    Possibly, not 100% sold on that though.

    I was thinking that the rebel leader could have a unique Elemancy (fire), something to do with the Dragons, since he seeks to summon them back. The only problem with this is that elemancy is the manipulation of natural forces, fire is unnatural in this universe, since it was not there when Yjorma first formed the world.

    Maybe he is the leader of a rebel cult that is lead by a new type of magic (pyromancy)?

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

    The dragons would have used magic, right?

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:14 PM EDT

    Dragons are of fire and darkness, they are not natural, therefore they are not attuned to the flow of natural energies like the Giants and Humans are, so I don't think they would have.

    • 1913 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:51 PM EDT
    I actually planned to make a dark fantasy story, fitted with a vampire warrior queen, shadow and blood magic, werewolf kingdoms with political intrigue, etc. But I'm such a procrastinator and I'm constantly in world building mode.
    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 1:54 PM EDT

    Ok, I quite like the motto generator, some of them seem to fit the parties, examples being

    In Yor's hand, in Yor's grace (church)

    One with fire (rebellion)

    We rule, we conquer (Church)

    Bound by chains, now we are free (Rebellion)

    In service of Yor (Church)

    Yor is Monarch, Monarch is Yor (Church)

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 2:01 PM EDT

    Changed God-Monarch lore and added information on the Rebel leader.

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 2:11 PM EDT

    I'm a procrastinator of dynamic proportions, all you have to do, Bryn, is put your foot down and go look for inspiration, write down your favorite ideas and find ways to link them together.

    I hope my writing could inspire you to write too.

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 2:12 PM EDT

    I'll have to look at that, looks like it could be very useful.

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 2:51 PM EDT

    How will the main character approach combat? Which weapons do they favor, or they just a strategist? Do they heal, charge, duel, blast or even trap? 

    And the country? Is it a horrible, bleak landscape or a beautiful location with jaw dropping views? Where is the capital? What is the capital? Where does the GM rule from? Where are the dragon mountains? Where are the rebels? Is the main character from the capital, or a small, badly know village next to the sea? Is the empire landlocked? What are it's neighbors? Are there any countries, other than the Church Empire? What are the relations with other nations? Who populates the other nations, who rules them? 

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 3:23 PM EDT

    Main character.

    1. Not without thinking, they will figure out a way to use their new powers and their weapons to their advantage

    2. A buckler in the offhand and a longsword in the other.

    3. Undecided.

    Country:

    1. The area around the capital is very bleak plains, however, further out it becomes much more beautiful where human settlements are not as common.

    2. The capital is  roughly in the center of the country.

    3. The largest settlement in the country surrounded by a stone wall that is roughly 50 meters tall and five inches thick, it has a great cathedral in the center and the poorer parts of the capital are dirty slums, the noble parts are well looked after.

    4. The GM (Or technically his Adviser) rules from the Cathedral, which also serves as a palace, the GM himself is high in a tower wing of the Cathedral and none are allowed an audience with the man himself.

    5. The dragon mountains are scattered across the country, but mostly in the west and south-west.

    6. The rebels have their own "base of operations" in the undercity, beneath the Captial. A place full of drug dealers, addicts, thieves, rats and other criminals, it is mostly unexplored by the commoners and the Church.

    7. Undecided, but I'm likely to make them come from the Capital, their Mercenary "guild" could also be based in the Undercity.

    8. No, the sea is in the north and the east.

    9. To the south and west there will be more countries, but I haven't thought about them yet.

    10. There will be more countries out at sea, if and when I make a sequel it would likely be about them.

    11. Undecided.

    12. Undecided (The oversea nations could possibly be beastmen, but again, if and when I make the sequel)

    • 54 posts
    June 25, 2016 3:31 PM EDT

    For the guild, use this link

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 3:39 PM EDT

    Nice

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 3:57 PM EDT

    Added Geography section

    • 641 posts
    June 25, 2016 4:17 PM EDT

    Do you know Sanderson's Laws of Magic?

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 4:20 PM EDT

    I don't.

    • 641 posts
    June 25, 2016 4:29 PM EDT

    It's advice on how to write magic systems by Brandon Sanderson.

    Sanderson's Laws of Magic - The Coppermind - 17th Shard

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 4:32 PM EDT

    I'll look at it, I've always thought my magic systems end up too overpowered or irrelevant.

    Thank you, Voryn.

  • June 25, 2016 4:33 PM EDT

    I remembering writing an article a few months back about Hard and Soft Magic. Research was a lot of fun.

    • 273 posts
    June 25, 2016 4:35 PM EDT

    Oh, could you link me to that, Matt?

  • June 25, 2016 4:37 PM EDT

    Overpowered magic users (relative to non-magic users) are fine as long as the they still run into things that can challenge them. Shardbearers in Sanderson's Stormlight Archive are extremely overpowered compared to normal soldiers equipped with normal gear. Mistborn in, well, Mistborn are also extremely powerful. Two Mistborn, albeit highly talented ones, took out a small army (and some of the soldiers also had lesser magic).