Sunday, July 22, 2012
Auralight Update
Performed a small update to the Auralight description. Next I'll probably go over the different races. Gotta have something for you guys before chapter 3 is finished!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Auralight
Here is a brief, rough rundown of the magic system as it exists right now. Like anything else, this is subject to change.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10k68BNjKiumjes_bGz4X8ujA3ePY2HQpcRnlVAPY1Cc/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10k68BNjKiumjes_bGz4X8ujA3ePY2HQpcRnlVAPY1Cc/edit
Chapter 1 and 2 with no revisions
Since I'm still looking for proofreaders, I'm gonna post this here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13X3gEBfwOrlHfxw7aJL2cd7ig5akI-svw4IDflm70e0/edit
any feedback is appreciated. Eventually once I get some regular folks to help with revisions, I'll stop posting the roughs. Til then, special treat I guess.
any feedback is appreciated. Eventually once I get some regular folks to help with revisions, I'll stop posting the roughs. Til then, special treat I guess.
Influences
I figure I'd start this blog about the story with no title (boy is that gonna sound silly to someone looking back through the archives when I inevitably come up with a title) by going over some of my influences for various aspects of the story:
Elves: I can't mention elves without good old Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons, but for what makes them unique...well, that's a bit more complicated. Their societies vary, but physically I base them on various elves from outside sources. The eyes are actually based on reality: some people, like me in fact, have central heterochromia that makes it look like their eyes are two different colors within the same eye, kinda like a bullseye. Elves just have it much more distinct. I did this so it would be possible to discern an elf without having to look at their ears. This is also why Auralight can't change eye color.
Drei'Ha: Obviously, Dungeons and Dragons drow, as well as the variant from the Drowtales universe were a big influence. However, in my head I imagine their dress style and society as close to an inverted Islamic society. Their art is in the abstract, with the exception of portrayals of animals, especially the spider. Men are also sequestered and considered below all females regardless of standing.
High Elves: These are, well, the standard boring snooty elves. It'd be easier to point out sources that don't have these.
Original High Elves/Ancient Elves: Kinda got the idea from stories about progenitor elves, such as the Dragonlance stories that involve ancient humans. I won't say more, because...spoilers.
Song Elves: They're based on a concept I had kicking around in my head of a race or species that speaks through song, like whales in the real world. Their dress style and "song magic" is influenced by the Reyvateils of Ar tonelico.
Wood Elves: Kinda like the high elves example. There aren't going to be many of these anyway. Moving on.
Dark Elves: These are influenced by Drowtales and Dragonlance again. The idea of exiles from a society being branded isn't anything new, but completely changing their skintone seems like something a race of xenophobic assholes would do, so here we are.
Dwarves: They're...dwarves. The most unique example of dwarves I've seen short of Dwarf Fortress and Discworld were the Dragon Age dwarves. Unlike most examples of dwarves, these ones actually get along quite well with wood elves, song elves, Drei'Ha, and many dark elves.
Orcs: The fact that they're not inherently evil is similar to Warcraft, I'll admit. But I also draw influences from Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. They're definitely not vegetarians, though, that'd be silly.
Hrothmir: I really can't escape the Warcraft references, but I like to say these are based on Ice Giants rather than the vrykul from Northrend. It's really some of that combined with Spartans, Vikings, and Skyrim Nords.
Feylyn: Catgirls and catguys. The former based especially on Mithra from Final Fantasy XI, the latter based on the Ronso from Final Fantasy X. The sexual dimorphism is a bit silly, yes. No verbal tics, though. That'd be TOO silly.
Place Names: I try to go with a stylistic choice for place names. In the Western part of the continent, people, cities and kingdoms are named after characters from Shakespeare. Yorick, Cassio, the countries of Rosencrantz and Goneril, and Feste the giant worm monster would be the most obvious. In the Northlands I'm probably going to pick things from Norse mythology. The Eastern lands are going to have places named after generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Sun will have Chinese names, while the Kingdom of the Moon will have the Japanese names.
Character names: Other than the ones mentioned, most names will be bastardizations of various concepts that have to do with their characters.
Sylfine is rather sylphine (though the two words are pronounced differently)
Zhan is based on the word "Khan" (which is also a good indication of the pronunciation)
Reishi's name is rather...indicative...if you know the kanji
Elfriede's name is brought up in her introductory scenes, so I won't go into much there
Hiko is a pretty generic Japanese name, which fits his motif.
Llayn I just came up with on the spot. Draw whatever parallels you want.
More characters will have their names based on something. I suck at names, so I try to inject a bit of subtle meaning to them. Keep a look out for it.
Anyway those are my notes for now. I'll add more stuff later.
Elves: I can't mention elves without good old Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons, but for what makes them unique...well, that's a bit more complicated. Their societies vary, but physically I base them on various elves from outside sources. The eyes are actually based on reality: some people, like me in fact, have central heterochromia that makes it look like their eyes are two different colors within the same eye, kinda like a bullseye. Elves just have it much more distinct. I did this so it would be possible to discern an elf without having to look at their ears. This is also why Auralight can't change eye color.
Drei'Ha: Obviously, Dungeons and Dragons drow, as well as the variant from the Drowtales universe were a big influence. However, in my head I imagine their dress style and society as close to an inverted Islamic society. Their art is in the abstract, with the exception of portrayals of animals, especially the spider. Men are also sequestered and considered below all females regardless of standing.
High Elves: These are, well, the standard boring snooty elves. It'd be easier to point out sources that don't have these.
Original High Elves/Ancient Elves: Kinda got the idea from stories about progenitor elves, such as the Dragonlance stories that involve ancient humans. I won't say more, because...spoilers.
Song Elves: They're based on a concept I had kicking around in my head of a race or species that speaks through song, like whales in the real world. Their dress style and "song magic" is influenced by the Reyvateils of Ar tonelico.
Wood Elves: Kinda like the high elves example. There aren't going to be many of these anyway. Moving on.
Dark Elves: These are influenced by Drowtales and Dragonlance again. The idea of exiles from a society being branded isn't anything new, but completely changing their skintone seems like something a race of xenophobic assholes would do, so here we are.
Dwarves: They're...dwarves. The most unique example of dwarves I've seen short of Dwarf Fortress and Discworld were the Dragon Age dwarves. Unlike most examples of dwarves, these ones actually get along quite well with wood elves, song elves, Drei'Ha, and many dark elves.
Orcs: The fact that they're not inherently evil is similar to Warcraft, I'll admit. But I also draw influences from Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire. They're definitely not vegetarians, though, that'd be silly.
Hrothmir: I really can't escape the Warcraft references, but I like to say these are based on Ice Giants rather than the vrykul from Northrend. It's really some of that combined with Spartans, Vikings, and Skyrim Nords.
Feylyn: Catgirls and catguys. The former based especially on Mithra from Final Fantasy XI, the latter based on the Ronso from Final Fantasy X. The sexual dimorphism is a bit silly, yes. No verbal tics, though. That'd be TOO silly.
Place Names: I try to go with a stylistic choice for place names. In the Western part of the continent, people, cities and kingdoms are named after characters from Shakespeare. Yorick, Cassio, the countries of Rosencrantz and Goneril, and Feste the giant worm monster would be the most obvious. In the Northlands I'm probably going to pick things from Norse mythology. The Eastern lands are going to have places named after generals in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Sun will have Chinese names, while the Kingdom of the Moon will have the Japanese names.
Character names: Other than the ones mentioned, most names will be bastardizations of various concepts that have to do with their characters.
Sylfine is rather sylphine (though the two words are pronounced differently)
Zhan is based on the word "Khan" (which is also a good indication of the pronunciation)
Reishi's name is rather...indicative...if you know the kanji
Elfriede's name is brought up in her introductory scenes, so I won't go into much there
Hiko is a pretty generic Japanese name, which fits his motif.
Llayn I just came up with on the spot. Draw whatever parallels you want.
More characters will have their names based on something. I suck at names, so I try to inject a bit of subtle meaning to them. Keep a look out for it.
Anyway those are my notes for now. I'll add more stuff later.
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