I’ve been reading and trying to contribute to posts here about magic systems. But I always find that my magic is too undefined and mushy-soft to really contribute anything to these discussions. It has even gotten to the point where I’m a little paranoid that I might be doing something wrong or my magic will make my world unlikable. For example, a lot of posts talk about creating interesting interactions with magic or determining how a wizard can do X, Y, and Z. Meanwhile, I’m just like “Humans can’t use magic.”or “My magic doesn’t work like that.” It feels weird to even call my magic system a system because that implies logic or mechanics that mine just has so few of.

A short primer on my magic system: A parallel dimension exists with reality, and when there is a disturbance between the two, they rub against each other and create tears. These pour raw magic into the world, usually manifesting as magical radiation storms. The magic can come out as different colors which each affect the world differently, and certain areas of the world get hit with a certain color tear more frequently. Heavily inspired by Warhammer Fantasy, if you couldn’t tell. But the difference is that humans can’t do magic. They can’t control it or manipulate it. There are no mages or wizards or clerics.

I’m probably being insecure, but I feel like a really big aspect of the popularity of fantasy is your immersion in the world and its mechanics, and my magic won’t really appeal to people. For example, there is so much discussion about Brandon Sanderson’s hard magic systems, how you could see yourself tinkering within the system, hypothesizing about how different interactions would work out, etc. Or in D&D, choosing your mage’s spells and spell crafting is a big part of the game. Meanwhile my world just doesn’t have any of that, and that might feel boring.

After all that, I guess my question is if I am making a mistake not making a magic system interactable with my characters and therefore the audience, and if that decision will hurt my story and world in the long run. Should I have wizards or not? Or am I honestly worrying about nothing.

I've posted this before, but I felt bad about using AI for translation, but now I've translated it manually and with small help from Google Translate. Languages ​​in general are not my strong skill.

I've always loved the universe and its "infinity" and unknown. As a result, I've watched a lot of series (e.g. StarGate, Star-Trek, Battlestar Galactica), movies (Project Hail Mary) and played a few games (Half-Life, a little Warhammer 40k). But lately I've become interested in traveling between other realities/dimensions, the best comparison I have is Minecraft (Overworld, Nether, End) and Fortnite (rifts). So I decided to combine them.

 

The multiverse will consist of an infinite number of realities. Reality will not be just one planet (as it seems in most media that uses the Multiverse), but galaxies, sometimes universes.

• There will be no alternative realities of the typ, find an evil version of yourself (e.g. Marvel and DC)
• There will be no change (dilation) of time here - time passes the same in all realities (1 minute here is 1 minute there)
• Physics, chemistry, biology will operate on similar principles but with unique variations, something like Project Hail Mary (Rocky)
• I would also like to have magic but I have not yet decided exactly how it will work

Realities will be separated by a wall. This wall will not be able to be detected. What will be detectable will be weaker/thinner places in the wall where cracks/rifts will form. Natural rifts will randomly open and close.

The walls are constantly moving, stretching and compressing (thus also the weaker/thinner places move) like tectonic plates, or what is happening in reality (e.g. research and an attempt to open an artificial rift) something like an ozone hole. Around thinner walls and especially after the crack/rift opens, irregularities will begin to appear (e.g. gravitational anomalies, temperature changes).

Most of the time, people will travel on foot or in small vehicles (Jeep, small tank). The bigger the thing, the bigger the rift/portal needed, the more energy is needed to open it.

Portals will be able to open rifts/cracks even through thicker walls of reality.

 

I have a few more ideas, but for now I just want to work with this one.

Have a nice and pleasant day.

I’m new to writing and I’ve been working on a dark fantasy story for a few weeks but I’m struggling how I can show and write a war torn setting for the story. I want to write it respectfully and realistically but also have it not be in the readers face and I also want it to be somewhat real in a way that kinda makes the reader feel uncomfortable.

The story is set in a late 1800s after a long brutal war that shook the whole continent with every part of the continent being affected even if some of the nations were neutral during the war.

If you guys have any questions about the story just ask I’ll probably have an answer

​

In the beginning there was nothing — only four primordial monsters. The Angel and the Demon, eternal opposites. The Dragon and the Ice Giant, equally opposed. At some point they collided, and from that collision the world was born. Their bodies became the four continents, and at the center, where everything connects, the Lake of Balance formed.

The Progenitors

From each primordial, immortal beings called Progenitors were born — carrying within them the essence of their creator.

From the Angel: Anher (light), Altheia (kindness), Solana (nature)

From the Ice Giant: Kvazir (cold), Akhtiel (suspicion), Miulden (metal)

From the Dragon: Tourak (strength), Neith (fire)

From the Demon: Vekgiel (darkness), Enza (manipulation)

The Progenitors didn't stay still. They wandered the world, pairing with one another and producing children who carried blended essences. Some of those children became Progenitors in their own right:

Engir (passion) and Inis (freedom) — children of the Dragon and Angel lineages — united and brought Enki (the arts) into the world. Later, Enki and Sobek (knowledge) created Dulahan (self-interest) — one of the youngest and darkest essences to ever enter the world.

The Twelve Races

From the unions of the Progenitors came the twelve races, spread across the four directions surrounding the Lake.

South

Elves — Anher (light) and Altheia (kindness). The purest expression of the Angel.

Hobbits — Kathor (joy) and Solana (nature). Warm and deeply rooted in the earth.

Imperials — Heiltar (duty) and Guin (order). A perfect balance of passion and cold reason.

East

Zymnians — Kvazir (cold) and Akhtiel (suspicion). Calculating, organized, and deeply distrustful.

Dwarves — Miulden (metal) and Asther (flame). The inner fire of the Dragon burning inside Ice Giant stone.

Gnomes — Sobek (knowledge) and Enki (the arts). Science and creativity fused into one.

West

Dragonkin — Tourak (strength) and Neith (fire). Raw power and flame — inevitable.

Humans — Engir (passion) and Inis (freedom). The most unpredictable of all races.

Ailurians — Dulahan (self-interest) and Eshir (deception). A younger race, with cunning and self-serving ambition in their very blood.

North

Vampires — Vekgiel (darkness) and Enza (manipulation). The most dangerous race in the world.

Orcs — Um Dugar (war) and Uliktar (courage). Born to fight.

Goblins — Kurtat (chaos) and Gkeb (envy). Chaotic and utterly unpredictable.

The four "pure" races — Elves, Zymnians, Dragonkin, and Vampires — are those born from two Progenitors of the same primordial. This is why they consider themselves superior to all others.

The Seven Ages

First Age — The Age of Progenitors

The Progenitors walked freely through the world. They paired, wandered, and quarreled. The world was alive with magic and mythical creatures.

Second Age — The Age of Races

The twelve races emerged and found their places. First structures formed, first alliances were made, first rivalries began.

Third Age — The Age of Chaos

Sub-races developed. Great conflicts erupted and magic was used without restraint. Seeing what their world had become, the Progenitors made a decision: they withdrew to the dark side of the planet — the "tails" of the primordial monsters — taking with them their children, their immortal descendants, and every mythical creature that had ever walked the earth.

Fourth Age — The Age of Fading

Magic was still present, but it was dimming. The races intermingled, bloodlines blurred, and with the magic faded the memory of what had come before.

Fifth Age — The Age of Shadow

The Vampires seized the opportunity. They managed to abduct one member of each pure race and feed their ruling Triumvirate, seizing control of the world.

Sixth Age — The Age of Betrayal

The captives died. The Triumvirate was betrayed from within. The Vampires lost their grip on the world and retreated into the shadows.

Seventh Age — The Present Age

Peace. Growth. Forgetting. The old stories became myths, and the myths were forgotten. The heroes of the past are nothing more than dusty names. And the Vampires, patient as ever, have quietly begun corrupting the world again.

This is where our story begins.

​

​The Hook:

In my high-fantasy world, the continents aren't tectonic plates—they are the literal, decaying remains of four ancient behemoths. At the center of it all lies the Lake of Balance, a spiritual node keeping the world alive. But the balance is shifting. While mortal Kings argue over territory, a shadow is rising from the dark side of the world.

​Here is a glimpse into the mechanics and factions of the world, without spoiling the upcoming novel:

​1. The Anatomy of the World

​The continents still retain the biological essence of the cosmic beasts they once were.

​The Dwarven Mountains burn with the residual inner heat of a creator's passion.

​The Zymnian Peaks are locked in perpetual, unnatural frost, breeding an isolationist caste of cold, suspicious mages who value genetic purity above all.

​2. The Puppet Masters (The Vampire Hierarchy)

​Vampires in this world rarely fight openly. Their entire strategy relies on infiltration, political corruption, and proxy wars.

​They use lower-status races (like Orcs and Goblins) to raid the borders of Humans and Elves, ensuring the mortal realms are too distracted by constant warfare to notice who is actually funding the conflict.

​Within Vampire society, social status is tied to blood-purity and lineage. Lower-caste Vampires are desperate to elevate their families, often leading to illegal practices in the dark corners of their realms.

​3. The Biological Variable: Orc Physiology

​Orcs are not inherently evil; they are driven by an intense primal instinct for war, inherited from their Progenitor. This makes them perfect shock troops, but they possess a unique biological defense mechanism:

​When a high-endurance race like an Orc is completely depleted of blood or placed in a state of extreme trauma, their heart rate drops to near-zero. They enter a deep, suspended hibernation. To the untrained eye, they appear completely dead, cold to the touch.

​4. The Rumor of the "Gnome Hoard"

​Mortal Kings and Dwarven Lords have recently gone into panic mode. Whispers are spreading about a forgotten "Treasure of the Gnomes" hidden in the northern tunnels. The factions believe it is an ancient super-weapon that can turn the tide of the coming war. However, the true nature of this treasure, and why the ancient Progenitors left it behind, remains buried in forbidden Elven archives.

​I am currently writing a novel based on this world. If you want to see how this world feels in action, I just uploaded Chapter 1 (a slow-burn, atmospheric intro) on Reddit/Wattpad! Link in the comments.

Ask me anything about the factions, the magic, or the world's creation!

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PS: I am not PMSlimeKing, just stealing their format

A bande is a social organization that is exclusive only among Kobolds, consisting of hundreds to thousands of individual Kobold families and individuals. These bandes are clan/guild-like associations that function as a community that is dedicated to a specific profession and or niche. Kobolds bandes are structured hierarchically, with the elders usually on the top as community leaders. Bandes serve as a powerful sense of identity among Kobolds, underneath service to their dragon lord. In imperial cities, a Kobold bande is easy to recognize by the bande's coat of arms adorned on buildings.

Kobolds bandes are dominant in cities ruled directly by dragons, with a bande occupying an entire city block, with the neighbourhood usually named after the bande. They are associated with the royal authority of dragons, cooperating with their rulers. Bandes are influential in urban politics in draconic cities, electing mayors while staffing key bureaucratic positions and civil service. Bandes are usually composed professional associations of workers, artisans, or craftsmen that oversee the practice of their particular craft. They also serve as worker guilds, such as for servants in draconic royal palaces or among urban workers. Bandes also wield control over prices, wages, hiring workers, among other things. Although to be recognized as a bande to be given such rights, a Kobold bande must be given royal assent by a dragon monarch to be legitimate.

Life in a Kobold bande is communal and very socialized. Everything is communal in a bande, with dinners eaten together in a communal hall, marriages as public affairs, and a general lack of privacy between Kobolds. In the private sphere, a Kobold couple usually possess a single room in a bande complex dedicated to sleep and intimate private affairs. Kobold bande culture varies among upper and lower castes, but both castes share similarities in emphasizing community over the individual. For instance, lower caste Kobolds tend to live in collective quarters, while upper caste Kobolds live aren’t as communal, usually living in a monastic lifestyle in a dragon’s palace or owning a personal house/apartment while still having a powerful communal culture with their fellow bandemates.

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What language or languages are used in your world? Are they spoken? I'd love to know about the phenology, grammar, or anything else interesting. Are they written? What kind of writing system is in use?

A little back story first.

One of my male mc's who is a morally bankrupt thieft but not entirely a bad person archetype. He's not a robin hood type either. so he'll rob a poor person too and screw them over as well, if he's desperate enough. but he doesn't go out of his way cuz obviously they won't have much to steal to begin with. So its mostly the wealthy by default. But he'll scam anyone to help himself if he really needs something. .

He's also a human shapeshifter called a biomorph in my world. And in my universe they are often stereotyped to be distrustful, thieves, scammers, troublemakers, violent and etc. They also were blamed for starting the last great war that happened centuries prior, that left millons dead from all kingdoms. It was presumed biomorphs were pretending to be world leaders to start the war for their own selfish reasons and thats where the stereotype and hate came from over time.

So this character often prefers to pretend to be anyone else besides himself and has this deep seated distrust of others and has no problem treating others badly cuz he assumes they are going to treat him badly first so he does it to them because they can dobit to him. He also secretly deep down inside wants someone to love him and like him for him. This is his greatest insecurity that he won't even admit to himself. All of the adults imfeom him childhood betrayed or mistreated him at some point so this is where his insecurity also stems from.

His parents were garbage people that sold him for money through an illegal adoption. And his adoptive parents "bought" aka adopted him becuase they wanted to have a biomorph kid they could use for scams. Eventually he was taken from the adoptive parents as they got caught after a few years of running scams.

He then was on the streets after running away from an abusive orphanage. He got unofficially "adopted" into a gang, and became close to one particular gang member who was the one who saved him from getting his hand chopped off when he was caught stealing from the gang as a homeless child.

And yes throughout all of the books he learns to be a better person and blah blah blah. And he meets the main cast of characters and slowly starts to trust them while occasionally still betraying them and blah blah blah. Yall know the trope. (The john murphy from "the 100" type)

Anyways, so i have this arc in my story, (Not fully written but it has been outlined extensively so i know where i am going with it) where this damaged character (Tiago) was taken under the wing of the gang member (Kaizen) who got him into the gang around 8 years old. They became very close over the years. Even doing some father/son type stuff without realizing it. Kaizen protected him from some of the other gang members who weren't very perceptive to having Tiago around. But since Kaizen is the righthand to the head boss he has some sway in the group. So the others know not to touch him. (Or at least not rough Tiago up to badly)

So around 17 years old, Tiago and Kaizen decided to leave the gang. Kaizen started to want more for Tiago. But at the last minute Kaizen chickened out and didn't leave with Tiago who stole a bunch of money from the gang which was apart of their plan upon leaving. And he left Tiago out to dry. And now at 20 years old, the gang is still hunting him down. but could never nab him.

Kaizen is apart of the gangs enemy retrieval unit do he's in charge of the team thats hunting Tiago down dead or alive and to retrieve the money he stole and to dish out punishment for leaving. Basically, since Kaizen didn't leave with him, he pretended to not know anything about Tiagos plans to escape to keep himself alive and punished by the boss and instead now hunts him down.

(Side note: Kaizen is a shapeshifting humanoid creature called Arodile (arrow-dial). thats similar to hawkman/hawkwomen from dc. But their wings and powerset is based on the vulture and an albatross. A creature i made up that can spit stomach acid thats burns flesh. Plus some other cool powers)

Anyways, my actual question is with what little info i gave you about Tiagos history and the instability with his bio family, his insecurity to want to be love, and ultimately his final betrayal from Kaizen who talked about leaving the gang with him but ended up ditching him, i wanted to know if towards the big climax i have planed throughout my series, if it would be weird if its believable if Kaizen (once he goes through that whole arc of being loyal to the gang no matter what and trying to capture/kill Tiago but ultimately betraying the gang to save Tiago and realizing that he does love him like a son) would vocally refer to Tiago as his son and if it was weird if Tiago would actually call him his father?

I'm not sure if men would find this too sappy or not. I also have this scene written out that when he was about 13 or so, Tiago accidentally referred to Kaizen as his father in a conversation where they were having a really great day together, but they both awkwardly never talked about it and pretended it never happened. And at some point when they were still in the gang, Kaizen almost called Tiago his son in front of him, but stopped himself in time.

I have it written that Kaizen was also regularly was teased by the other gang members that Tiago gets special treatment because he's "Kaizens boy". Kinda like saying that his kid.

So at the super emotional climax where Kaizen finally actually leaves the gang betraying them by not killing Tiago or turning him in and they are both finally on the same side, Tiago has forgiven Kaizen for abandoning him, would he be fitting for them to refer to each other vocally as father and son. Or am i thinking like a girl and they should just call each other by their first names insteads. Is this too sappy?

I even have this running joke throughout my book where the other main characters refer to Kaizen as Tiagos dad thats trying to kill him and he regular shouts he's not his dad. Lol.

So what do yall think fellas? Could you call a man who wasn't technically your stepfather even though he practically raised you? Or could you call a kid your son, whom you technically weren't legally responsible for but treated him like he was yours his whole life basically?

Let me know fellas. I know male relationships between men are different from female relationships between woman.

Reverse Gate: instead of Medieval fantasy Society its a (specified) Magitech Society.

Feel free to be Specific on what Magitech nation you use and pit against Japan and explain what they have or if they lose

I am curious since Gate was about this and there are youtube videos of anime characters against militaries.

Title.

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• Please limit each item's (as in individual bullet points or subjects, not the entire comment) description to three or five sentences. Do not be vague with your description.

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#GUIDELINES AND ETIQUETTE

• Please limit each item's (as in individual bullet points or subjects, not the entire comment) description to three or five sentences. Do not be vague with your description.

• If someone leaves a reply on your comment, please try to read what they post and reply to them.