spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

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Discussion about other works of James Galloway (Dragonstar, Alpha Project, The Fox and the Hawk, and others)

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SYED
Child of Niami
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spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

Post by SYED »

I am starting this thread because I am bored and I kept thinking about this story as I just read an Avatar comic.

So we know magic is in objects, dancing and tatoes. All very impressive carrying out the same magics but in different forms. The author said the dancing magic got inspired by the benders of avatar. So physical movement manipulating raw elements. I can also see nature and elemental spells from dungeon and dragons being used, especially the Druid/ranger magics.

There folks are nomads, so their magics would be aimed at this. They would have developed magic that allowed them to travel where ever they wished. We know they explored the oceans, and traveled the islands of the vast. That implies lots of water magics.
I bet they climbed to the tops of mountains and volcanoes. So they would have needed a way to deal with the heat and gases. I doubt they used magic to swim in lava, but possibly walk across it. They could also use magic to extract and shape raw materials from lave, the rocks, glass and gas it expelled. I think there is a tribe of people that lived near a volcano that has a dance to aid a volcano in erupting safely. I could see them doing that to ensure nice islands are kept intact, and new ones are formed well. I can see going to the summit of mountains would be huge challenge. I can se them creating ways of easy traversing. I bet cliff diving is athing here, so dfloating air magic could be seen.

While a water people, they were travelers so some would have explored the mainlands. They would have needed a way to get water. They traveled by foot, so they had to have some speedy earth movement.
A people like this I don't see them being held back by storms. I doubt they would mess with storms on a large scale. But they coul channel or direct it, away or to a location
This world seems very metal poor, so they worked in wood, bone and stone.

In a story I read once, it claimed that some ships seeded a few remote islands ,on their long shipping routes , with edible plants and small game. So that if they ever need to resupply in an emergency or find a place to anchor, they would have a place provisioned. Since this nomadic people are so close to nature, I wonder if they help freshly formed islands to become habitable. Normally it would be along process but with their magics they could speed it up.

These air ships we hear about, I wonder if any one here ever tried to make a submersible one.

A race so aware of the power of words and language would not go with out some way of recording knowledge. Their artifacts would be hoarded by the nobility, preserved by their allies like the sirens and trophies by their enemies like those guys with the tridents. The ones held by the nobility would be easy to track, the market would be pretty stable as very few new items would be turning up regularly. So hopefully we might see a magical oceans eleven kind of chapter. I bet there is an imperial collection where the best and unique items are help.
.S.A.M.K.M
calista241
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Re: spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

Post by calista241 »

Interesting Idea. I hope Fel comes back to this story at some point in the future. It has a great story / universe background, and was a riveting first 3 chapters.
SYED
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Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:02 pm
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Re: spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

Post by SYED »

I wonder how the main land runimancy and symbology develop over the years. The wave dancers version were aimed at helping their nomadic and aquatic based lifestyle, while imperial version would be aimed at aiding the settled and developed civilization. The original systems would have far long to be refined, but if the empire is built on this magic, then there would be some progress.

The wavedancers likely had very few magic involving metals and manipulating the earth. I doubt many dancers ever got to study the new system. From the baron, we know that the symbols are so much bigger. I wonder how a dancer properly trained would advance the art. There will be over lap, but there will be stuff just unique to the imperial system that could be improved upon.

Dancing and the scroll are temporary magics, while symbol tatoo and items are permanent magics. I don't under stand how a sea based people created a scroll centered magic system, if they had dancing. It might have been a system for those less able at dancing. The imperial version can only be used by the creator, does the wave version share that aspect? It might be that aspect of the art is kept around to limit others access to magic, so dependent on runimancers.

Those singing stones mentioned sound like a preserved collection of wavedancers knowledge. Could it be added to? Apparently the wave dancers had canoes and rafts, so I wonder if they ever built magically enhanced version. It won't be the same as a sky galleon, but it could be a big advantage in the vast.
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Fel
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Re: spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

Post by Fel »

Just FYI, I do intend to continue this story after I finish Conviction.
Just another guy from the shallow end of the gene pool.
SYED
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Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:02 pm
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Re: spell dancer, random idea (possibly spoilers)

Post by SYED »

I don't see these guys making a lot of magical gear for every one, but if they were able to magical remove and place tatoes, they could give many their own magical symbols. That would allow those who live in the vast to be far more independent .

This story is sort about a magical version of subjugation, a young with a hidden heritage trying to survive in an imperialistic world. The thing is Jason got his own home and people. So while there might be a few other wave dancers, there would be limited numbers. Where would he have a home to be truly free. It would either be highly magically protected, stealthy or mobile. I like an idea of a mobile island, it would be the perfect location for a nomadic race.

Since there are a bunch of under water volcanoes, could magics be used to manipulate their eruptions into creating new islands? In the past, I bet the wavedancer tribes seeded those new islands with plants and small animals. This would them being more proactive. These islands would be totally unknown to the imperium. With existing islands, they could make them have control eruptions to limit the damage but allow islands to be expanded.

The wavedancer shad their own runes and symbols, and the imperials created there own version. Say they imprint on the fabric of magic, could it be possible to divine the full collection of them? The lexicon would be a huge advantage.

The hag they might encounter, part of me hopes they will be forced to fight and kill her. I bet she has loot including wavedancer artifacts. Some stuff they can simply trade in the future, but there might be useful gear.
.S.A.M.K.M
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