The primary system in my world is hard, though that's me writing out a critique of modern fantasy. Much of what we have today in the genre is alternate physics rather than magic proper.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
So I wrote a world where intellectuals think they've figured out the spooky science of the arcane, can better society through the application of their arcane laws and all they need is blood!
There is something soft magic running in the background that intersects with the hard system. Part of what I'm figuring out is what does it look like to have two things running together like that
Very interesting... I'm intrigued! Could I ask: what does it mean for magic to be relational? I'm with you btw about disliking magic being too much like alt physics. Have you found any exceptions to this trend in recent literature? I've heard good things about The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss but 🤷♀️
You're trying to enter an agreement with, get the attention of, or manipulate some other thing. It's not necessarily a person, but there's some personality behind it, even if it's "nature" or "the force"
So you carry a willow shoot to catch the attention of a dryad, or break off a statue's hand to force the spirit to act for you, or use a lock of hair to bind someone. Your actions are trying to establish a relationship between two beings.
Comments