Post by APPLAUSE on Oct 14, 2011 1:05:01 GMT 12
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- Humans think dragons are divine, yet they also kill them or want them killed. Why?
-- Yes, humans think dragons were created by a sort of higher power, but their views of a higher power would be akin to the perception we have of Gaia/Earth. They believe in a balance of everything in nature and magic - call it the Circle of Life if you really want to, but it's there... Somewhere. Any human that took up hunting dragons would probably have some moral issues with killing such an obviously magical creature, even if the humans of Arlezar don't believe in a traditional pantheon of gods like the Shariya once did. Most dragon hunters are, in fact, dragons themselves. They chose to enact their own form of population control and dominate the dragon hunting business to prevent their own extinction. Approximately one in twenty dragon hunters might be a human, and that human would have to be exceptionally smart or strong to take on a dragon.
- Can I have a (insert magical artifact here)?
-- Because of the way Renascent's magic is designed, making enchanted items is not a viable option for human mages. The Immortals were known for creating magical items and gifting them to the Shariya, but most of these items were lost after Ishlandur's Rebellion, and the rest would be well guarded by the Shariya. So, the answer to this is a slight maybe, provided you can come up with a plausible explanation. A dragon hunter's Call Sword is, however, off the table. There are only thirteen of these enchanted swords left, and all are accounted for.
- Why is the setting whitewashed?
-- This is an extremely sensitive subject to many people, but without writing a novel (you can read more about it in the history), the Shariya used their knowledge of magic to breed a race of humans, as a solution to their own reproductive problems, and as a slave race. After the Shariya were exiled and the humans freed, they have continued evolving according to their location (predominantly temperate areas), but their origin was one that suited the Shariyan's individual tastes (because humans were essentially a baby factory for Shariyan families, and their magical proficiency allowed for them to change any number of features of their slaves to suit).
The setting isn't actually whitewashed. Because of the varied opinions of the Shariya, it is very possible to create a character with dark skin whose ancestry has preserved the changes a Shariya may have made to their distant relatives. But please remember that there is no racism towards humans with varied skin or features in Arlezar. And, if that doesn't sound right for you, you can always pay a mage (or use magic yourself) to change any physical features.
- What is the price of magic?
-- In the simplest terms, significant use of magic can damage the brain and cause a form of dementia. In addition, before any symptoms of dementia are seen, even a two ring mage will experience headaches and migraines to some extent while using magic. The strength and duration of these headaches, as well as the severity and progression of dementia symptoms will typically increase with age and continued magic use. However, the alternative to not learning at least the Sagar before leaving the enclave is certain death.
The price of magic is a closely guarded secret, and any mage showing severe symptoms is kept under close watch at the enclave to prevent any mishaps.
- Humans think dragons are divine, yet they also kill them or want them killed. Why?
-- Yes, humans think dragons were created by a sort of higher power, but their views of a higher power would be akin to the perception we have of Gaia/Earth. They believe in a balance of everything in nature and magic - call it the Circle of Life if you really want to, but it's there... Somewhere. Any human that took up hunting dragons would probably have some moral issues with killing such an obviously magical creature, even if the humans of Arlezar don't believe in a traditional pantheon of gods like the Shariya once did. Most dragon hunters are, in fact, dragons themselves. They chose to enact their own form of population control and dominate the dragon hunting business to prevent their own extinction. Approximately one in twenty dragon hunters might be a human, and that human would have to be exceptionally smart or strong to take on a dragon.
- Can I have a (insert magical artifact here)?
-- Because of the way Renascent's magic is designed, making enchanted items is not a viable option for human mages. The Immortals were known for creating magical items and gifting them to the Shariya, but most of these items were lost after Ishlandur's Rebellion, and the rest would be well guarded by the Shariya. So, the answer to this is a slight maybe, provided you can come up with a plausible explanation. A dragon hunter's Call Sword is, however, off the table. There are only thirteen of these enchanted swords left, and all are accounted for.
- Why is the setting whitewashed?
-- This is an extremely sensitive subject to many people, but without writing a novel (you can read more about it in the history), the Shariya used their knowledge of magic to breed a race of humans, as a solution to their own reproductive problems, and as a slave race. After the Shariya were exiled and the humans freed, they have continued evolving according to their location (predominantly temperate areas), but their origin was one that suited the Shariyan's individual tastes (because humans were essentially a baby factory for Shariyan families, and their magical proficiency allowed for them to change any number of features of their slaves to suit).
The setting isn't actually whitewashed. Because of the varied opinions of the Shariya, it is very possible to create a character with dark skin whose ancestry has preserved the changes a Shariya may have made to their distant relatives. But please remember that there is no racism towards humans with varied skin or features in Arlezar. And, if that doesn't sound right for you, you can always pay a mage (or use magic yourself) to change any physical features.
- What is the price of magic?
-- In the simplest terms, significant use of magic can damage the brain and cause a form of dementia. In addition, before any symptoms of dementia are seen, even a two ring mage will experience headaches and migraines to some extent while using magic. The strength and duration of these headaches, as well as the severity and progression of dementia symptoms will typically increase with age and continued magic use. However, the alternative to not learning at least the Sagar before leaving the enclave is certain death.
The price of magic is a closely guarded secret, and any mage showing severe symptoms is kept under close watch at the enclave to prevent any mishaps.