Thoughs on magic and world building in fantasy writing.
Muze on Magic
by Sekkan
“You you want some basics on magic. Well its not-” I leap to my right “the best time.”
The cavern trembles with the demonic cry and reeks of burning sulfur as a torrent of blue flames dispels the darkness, spilling forth from the fiend's gaping jaws. As it showers upon me, I stand fast beneath my shield. “Perhaps your blind and haven't noticed, but I'm a bit busy with a dragon and all. Razor edged scales, mouth full of teeth and a strange motherly affection for farm boys. Sure you've heard of them.” I spring back, avoiding its whipping tail and raise my sword, blade glittering in the eirey firelight and charge......everything comes to a stop and I drop my weapon upon the stone.
“Never mind, lets just do this the right way. When a sword starts” I shutter. “glittering. Its time to take a breather and walk away anyhow.” The cavern, dragon and glittering blade all dissolve into oblivion and I now stand on the wall of a castle, its made from time worn bricks, stained with scorch marks and dimpled with wounds from ancient battles, in case you cared.
“Lets get the pleasantries over with, I'm Muze and when I say I don't care who you are, I mean it with every letter in my elaborate and poetic description. So lets discuss magic.”
“Why is it used? Simple, its what defines Fantasy and keeps it from being Science Fiction or worse, just fiction. You can disagree, but I feel that when your just left with the knights and catapults its just Castle Punk. Yes that would leave dragons in genre limbo wouldn't it. They're not magic, not all the time at least, but they're not...” I snap my fingers.
“Lets stay on subject. Magic has four main concerns when you’re creating a magic system? Costs, what does it cost you personally because like everything, magic shouldn't be free unless its completely minor. Consequences, how does it effect society or the natural world around you? If you go around summoning demons, you're going to attract a whole different group than if you can heal wounds. The first are funner at parties but then they're trying to sacrifice you on some bloody alter and that’s always a bit awkward.”
“Limits, why can't you just clap your hands and erase the Dark Lord, his palace, and his whole evil empire from the world in one tremendous whoosh of holy fire. And finally is Rules, which is in a way are just limits, but I think limits are personal and rules universal. Sometimes you can break limits but rules are or at least should be set in stone. Thou shall not break thy own rules of magic, even to permit thy hero to triumph over evil. That sort of set in stone.”
“Sometimes two of these overlap as if they're the same but at the same time they aren't, its more like they're all intertwined. You pull on one and the rest will bend in some manner.”
“Genres aside the difference is magic can do anything and science is limited by the laws of the universe.” I pick up a handful of dirt and toss it over the wall. It drifts upon the air for a moment and then settles on the dry earth below. The soil begins to boil and a skeletal hand emerges from the churning dirt as the corpse climbs free from its battlefield grave. I smell something that resembles moldly fish.
“Bring back the dead, creating fire with a thought, you know how it works.” I flick my wrist and fire incinerates the undead creature and the smell of fish begins to utterly reek. “Lets stick with the fire, its classic, simple, and terribly overused. You can make it as small as a spark, a candle flame or fill it enough power to topple a fortress wall, but what does it cost to the world or user. If it costs nothing then why isn't the world aflame and why would anyone ever buy a candle or lantern again. Maybe they don't but these things must be considered. The only thing magic can't do, is too much, or your world will or would have fallen apart.
