Happy WBW!

Happy WBW!

I saw all of the cool, different magic users in your main WIP. How do they interact with each other? Are their hierarchies? Are some magicks seen as evil? Are some seen as better or more powerful than others?

Happy (late) WBW! Thank you so much for the Ask, @anoelleart!

This is such an interesting and compelling set of questions!

Let's start from the beginning:

(About the Magic Users in The Last Wrath:)

How do they interact with each other?

In Agrannor, the relations between different kinds of magic users are as varied as they are unpredictable (and sometimes conflict-heavy in some cases).

Mageborn and Non-Human Magic Users (Elves, Faeborn, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Merfolk) - The most harmonious of interactions between magic users, since they're basically the same (with the exception of Mageborn being human and the others being of every other humanoid, sentient species in Agrannor). They view each other as equals - because they mostly are - and hold many similar beliefs and cultures. e.g. For example, a Mageborn (human) would treat an Elf magic user the same way they would treat another (human) Mageborn.

Mageborn and Human Sorcerers - This is where things get tricky. Most mages usually see Artificial Magic (the one extracted from nature and bound to artifacts by runes) as lesser and a waste of time, while Sorcerers usually see Pure Magic of the mages as too unpredictable and untamed. Still, they might get along and even learn some things about magic from one another, with some Mageborn and normal sorcerers even becoming friends for life.

Mageborn tend to see Artificial Magic as fake and surface-level, and Sorcerers tend to see mages as untrained and too wild.

Things get tricky when it comes to Blood Sorcerers - the ones who use Blood Magic to imbue their artifacts with Pure Magic harvested from the blood of mageborn and non-human magic users. Given the vile nature of how blood magic is harvested, Mageborn people rightfully see Blood Sorcerers as monsters, and some Blood Sorcerers only see Mageborn as fuel to their artifacts. It's pretty brutal.

Sorcerers and Non-Human Magic Users (Elves, Faeborn, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Merfolk) - It is pretty similar to the relations between Mageborn and Sorcerers, though - due to recent events and conflicts - Non-Humans are much more afraid of sorcerers (even the benign, artificial magic users) than mages are.

Normal Magic Users (Mageborn, Non-Humans, Sorcerers) and Dark Spellcasters - The deliberate use of dark magic is overall a heinous crime in Agrannor, especially with the nearing approach of the War of Prophecy and the return of the Secret Court. All regular magic users see Dark Magic as a dangerous, vile creation - and they would be very right. Dark Spellcasters are often villainous and twist/corrupt regular magic into dark magic, which makes it much more volatile and has serious repercussions.

Note:

FALLEN ONES - Those Mageborn who come into the world with their magic already tainted by darkness - due to the corruption of their bonded magic source - are outcasts from society, even though they cannot control their powers and are not to blame for them. Some, due to being shunned and rejected by something they can't control, become bitter and resentful, abiding by the perceived "nature" of their powers, while many others choose to become good and prove the world wrong by using their powers for good. Still, they are generally not very welcome by any of the other users.

Are there hierarchies?

Yes and no. There are hierarchies within the groups, with the most talented magic users often reaching the position of High Mage or Arch Sorcerer in their respective groups and orders. This is also true within sorcery academies, with the lower-ranking sorcerers being Apprentices, the middle-ranking ones being Mentors, and the highest-ranking ones, as mentioned above, Arch Sorcerers. Mageborn societies are indeed more lenient and less hierarchical, with magic being seen as a part of the person's nature and their identities, and not something that should be only seen as a career.

Within Non-Human communities, the strength of one magical ability can be life-defining, especially within Merfolk tribes - which are led only by the strongest and most apt who compete for a ruling position - and Elven cities - where the wisest and most magically talented individuals can rise to the ruling Council of Elders.

Are some magicks seen as evil?

Yes, as mentioned before in this post. Dark Magic and Blood Magic are both vile forms of magic (though one stems from the corruption of pure magic, while the other is pure magic harnessed from the blood of another person), which are seen as heinous and blasphemous by most of the other magical users. Mageborn, Non-Humans and normal Sorcerers tend to see those two forms of magic as the worst possible crime one can commit. Even the non-magical Human Kingdoms (especially in the Free Realms and the Borderlands) outlaw and look down upon Dark Magic, and prefer to stray from Blood Magic whenever possible.

Within the human territories of the Morosyn Empire, especially in areas where the Temple of Radiance is most prominent, Blood Magic is the most common and most endorsed form of magic, causing other - regular - magic users in their lands to have their lives put in terrible danger.

Are some seen as better or more powerful than others?

Objectively, pure magic is more powerful and intuitive than most artificial forms of magic, requiring little training to reach its potential, and being present with its users at all times - since it is a part of them. But regular Artificial Magic can be just as powerful if the user is willing to put in long hours of training and a lot of effort - though it will never be as intuitive and will always require the casting of runes to be precise. The use of Blood Magic was - unfortunately - created to try and make artificial magic more powerful and allow its users to reach their "potential" immediately, but it has serious drawbacks.

The legendary Sunscryer mage (someone who carries the full power of the sun - with both its beauty and eldritch horror) is by far the most powerful type of Mageborn that can exist and their magic is often the purest form in existence as well. Sunscryers are incredibly rare and often appear once in many centuries and even millennia. In TLW, Julyan Ashiren is the living Sunscryer.

Dark Magic is something untamed and of untapped potential, spreading as easily and unstoppably as a wildfire in a dry forest, and it can cause dreadful danger to both its users and the world around them. It is, by far, the most dangerous form of magic in existence.

I hope this answers your Ask probably! I loved your questions and had a lot of fun writing the answers!

Happy STS!

Has anyone given you a compliment on an aspect of your writing that you personally weren’t fond of or didn’t think you were good at? What was it and how did you react?

Happy Storytelling Saturday! Thank you for the wonderful Ask, @clairelsonao3!

Has anyone given you a compliment on an aspect of your writing that you personally weren’t fond of or didn’t think you were good at? What was it and how did you react?

Yes. While I usually like the things I write, I sometimes tend to feel uncertain about certain things, dialogue being one of those in the past. I received many positive comments from my writing friends about the way I write dialogue, and it's become one of my favorite parts of my writing now, as I see it in a different light!

Happy Storyteller Saturday!

Today I'll send two questions (which are connected):

Question 1 - Imagine that your characters enter a magic labyrinth that shows them their biggest dream (s) come true. What do they see? Is their dream something they can achieve in real life?

Question 2 - In the same labyrinth, your characters enter a room that puts them face to face with (an illusion of) the person they hate the most or their worst fear. How do they react? Are they able to put up a fight against the illusion or do they need to be rescued? How do they feel in the aftermath of the confrontation?

Happy last week's STS! I love the questions that make me think more deeply about my characters, and this is definitely one of them, so thank you! It took so long because I wanted to do a thorough job and find snippets to illustrate my points (because people seem to like those, I guess!)

Both my characters from Good Slaves Never Break the Rules, despite coming from wildly different backgrounds, dream of surprisingly similar things, and they both have to do with putting their fractured families back together.

Below the cut for snippets and mild spoilers for Ch. 6 onward.

Sadly, [Name redacted] can't go back in time to save his mother from dying or his sister from being sold, or to know and have a relationship with his father (which is something he's never admitted to dreaming of, but deep down he does), or for that matter, to have been born into a different life altogether where he'd actually have any chance of being able to do any of those things, so I would say, no, his dream is not really achievable. Within the course of the story, he finds other things to dream of that may be achievable, but they're not his BIGGEST dream.

From Ch. 5

There was a storm cloud forming in his amber-gold eyes. “You’re going to argue with me about this? I couldn’t even—” He turned away suddenly.

Louisa's goal at the beginning of the story was just to make it through university and her o-chem course in particular, but we soon find out that that's really just a byproduct of her attempts to cope with her dysfunctional family and make it on her own so she doesn't have to be dependent on them, or worse, some awful guy (Corey) she's only with because of his money. Thankfully for her, that is achievable, but if she had to choose, she'd rather heal them and bring them all back to the way they were. And thankfully, they're all still alive, so I suppose that's also achievable theoretically, but it's definitely not something she can do all on her own (which she comes to learn).

From Ch. 19

"...And I thought if I had just tried harder, just said something different, I could have made things okay, but I tried and tried and — “

Fears?

For [redacted], his loved ones dying/being tortured right in front of him and not being able to do anything about it. If that were to manifest as a person, I'm almost sure it would be in the form of the evil, sociopathic son of his first owner who basically ruined his entire life in the course of a month. And yes, it would be difficult, but of course he would fight back!

From Ch. 20

It was the fear behind her eyes, much as she tried to hide it; the fear that he once again had failed to prevent. Fearful, sullied, violated, terrorized, discarded, just like everything that had ever been precious to him. Maybe the streak could never be broken.

For Louisa, I had to think about it. My first thought was being trapped -- not physically, although that might be part of it, but just that feeling of a lack of choice and/or options. But then, her conscience also haunts her, especially because she feels she has blood on her hands from living in an evil, corrupt system for so long and doing nothing about it. So maybe "inertia" would be the best way of describing it. Not being able to grow -- to be forever condemned by the past and forced to repeat it or never being able to atone for it. Idk, maybe her fear would manifest in the form of Corey, because when she looks at him, she sees the person she's afraid of being or could have become. 😂 Fight back? She's already started.

From Ch. 25

She made a promise, then and there. If she ever got out of this room, she would do nothing but good, for the rest of her life. Wherever she found to do it, whether she owed it or not. And if she didn't get out? Well, that was just doing penance in a different way.

for the ask game--💬🗯️✨? :) - @liv-is

Thank you for the Ask, @liv-is!

💬Share your crunchiest bit of dialogue; include zero context.

I don't know what crunchy means in this situation, I'm assuming it means either "very good dialogue I'm proud of".

"What did you do?" Innara asks a twinge of terror in her words. [...] Elyren looks at the bones, unmoved, and scoffs. "I did what I had to do! If I hadn't done what I did -" He pats the pile with the tip of his boot "This Imperial thug would have cut off your head. I would expect a bit of thankfulness - after all, I just saved your life from decapitation and spared your boyfriend that very bloody and traumatic sight, whenever he comes looking for you."

🗯️What do you think is the most divisive or controversial aspect of your WIP?

Wow, uh, I don't know. There are a lot of dark themes explored in the book in some very specific scenes (war, prejudice, harassment, etc.), but such is the role of Dark Fantasy in general, to criticize harsh realities in an exaggerated yet clearer manner. I don't really know how to give a clear answer to this one.

✨What is one totally unique thing that sets your WIP apart from the other stories?

I usually don't do this, lol, because I find it a bit awkward to compare creative works but since I have to answer this question then I would say: The worldbuilding and character relationships, I guess. I'm very proud of the world I created for The Last Wrath, and I consider it rather unique compared to some other stories that I like. I try to subvert expectations/tropes naturally when it comes to character relationships, and am very proud of the current result!

Could you reblog this if you enjoy seeing your writer friends ramble about their wips on your dash?

Hey writblrs - I’m looking for more active writblr friends specifically who play silly little writing tag games! My notifs have been barren the last month, and tag games really help keep me on track when my motivation is sagging at the end of the day (must write seven lines because random online person tagged me!)

I only write fanfiction, so you don’t need to actually read anything I write, just need friends to play games with!