Raven's Worlds

A bunch of thoughts in no particular order

[ravensworlds]

Nanowrimo 2017

So I’m not writing a novel this month, but I will be writing ~1500 words a day on some prompts. Hopefully whatever I do come up with can be shuffled together into something resembling a plot… But we’ll burn that bridge when we cross it.

The method: 100 prompts, 10 characters. I’ll roll 3d10 and use those numbers to come up with the prompt and the character. It should be interesting.

[ravensworlds]

Ahaha that didn't work at all! I'll be posting random stuff again... No word count... Barely following the above method... No deadline...

[ravensworlds]

Nanowrimo 2017

So I'm not writing a novel this month, but I will be writing ~1500 words a day on some prompts. Hopefully whatever I do come up with can be shuffled together into something resembling a plot... But we'll burn that bridge when we cross it.

The method: 100 prompts, 10 characters. I'll roll 3d10 and use those numbers to come up with the prompt and the character. It should be interesting.

[ravensworlds]

WBJ2017 People & Races

I have 8 different sentient races…

Humans are the most abundant race in Kyos. Humans also have the most diverse appearances. They have limited  to no magical abilities, and live about 60-80 years.

Elves are the second most abundant race. Unlike any other species elven hair is not genetic. If an elf child is born in the fall their hair will always be red, in the winter it will always be white/silver, spring will be blond, and summer is black or brown. Elves have advanced to limited magical abilities, though some are born  with no magic at all. Most elves live between 100 and 120 years.

Dragons have been hunted to near extinction, with just under 30 known to be remaining. All dragons have advanced to master levels of magical ability. Dragons can shift from their “full draconic glory” into a human form, with or without dragon bits sticking out. Dragons typically live for 4500 to 5000 years, the oldest recorded dragon died at age 6462.

Angels are a rarely encountered race, preferring not to mess with the affairs of mortals. Angels are non-corporeal, and thus require a body to interact with the mortal plane. Most angels choose a human or elven vessel, but some have been known to poses alchemical constructs known as living dolls. Angels have master to god levels of magical ability, and with the few times they have acted, they are often worshipped as deities. There is no recorded natural death of an angel, though some have been said to have been slain by dragons.

Fauns mainly live in areas of wild magic, and are not commonly seen by humans or elves. Their lifespan varies drastically depending on their magical abilities. Those with limited magic live for about 100 years, while those with advanced magic live for roughly 400 years. A faun is any humanoid with hooves and or horns, that can not change, centaurs would also fall under this category.

Changelings are another rare race, though they often inhabit the same areas as humans or elves. They are also called facechangers, they have the ability to alter their features to look like anyone. They cannot, however, change into animals. Changelings fall in between human and elven lifespans at around 100-110 years. Changelings also have limited  magical abilities.

Shifters are similar to dragons, in that they are able to shift between human and animal, or have features of both. They only have one human, and one animal form; this can be any sort avian, mammalian, or reptilian. A Shifter will typically live for 100 to 600 years depending on their magic, normal to advanced. Shifter is an umbrella term for this race, with each one calling themselves Something different

Demons are an uncommon, but highly diverse race. Most are classified by skin color, grey, red, green, ect; but some are classified by elemental type, fire, shadow, thunder, ect. Magical ability and lifespan is as widely varied among demons, with the cap at 200 years and master level magic.

[ravensworlds]

WBJ2017 Geography

I’ve already posted my map, so I’m going to highlight two regions.

The Glass Plains/Sea of Glass; An icy region east of The North Sea.The ice in the region is almost perfectly clear giving it it’s name. It becomes a hazard for boats when icebergs break off and float into The Sea of Songs.

The Devil’s Cairn; The most active volcano in Kyos, It has been erupting constantly for 600 years. Legend says the heat from the volcano burned away all the water and vegetation it The Maw; and goes on to say, deep in the belly of the volcano, a dragon “the devil” is trapped, and if the volcano ever stopped erupting “the devil” was free, and would raze Kyos to the ground.

[ravensworlds]

WBJ2017 Introduction

I’m still working on Kyos a lot has stayed the same, but I’ve drastically reimagined bits and pieces as I’ve worked on the stories contained within.

[ravensworlds]

Made with an old version of Inkcarnate map maker.

All of the maps I have for Kyos. Blank, Regions, Country, Major Cities. I’m still working on a good atlas style in Gimp, but I’ve hit a block...

Posting this up here for World Building June, and so I don’t loose it again...

[ravensworlds]

“what you lack in potential you makeup in… Hopefully something else”

- ———————————————————— - Raven looked the man, sitting across from her, up and down. Choosing her temporary replacement was hard enough without HR sending buffoons like this up to her. They were really all the same, overeager pencil pushers, with degrees, who by all means should be able to do the job. Raven came out from behind her desk, and leaned back against the front. “If you were me, why would I hire you? What sets you apart from the hundreds that I’ve already turned down?” She asked glancing over his resume. “ I- Er - I would hire me because I am well qualified, and I can assure you everything will flow smoothly while you are gone.” Raven sighed heavily, "I am about to put a non-blood relative in charge of a company, that has lasted for thousands of years, for the first time in its history, and that’s the best you can do? ” He Cleared his throat . “No wait, don’t speak. What you lack in potential you makeup in… hopefully something else. If you would please inform H.R. on your way out ,that if they send me another sad sack of shit like you, I will burn their homes to the ground.” She said taking her seat. After a long moment of silence she looked up to see him still sit ting there “I would leave before I decide to burn your home as well" She said. After some quick scrambling she heard her office door close, and the faint sounds of crying from the hallway.

[ravensworlds]

World Building June: Day 8 MAGIC

This is another one of those things that doesn’t translate from my head to paper all that well… But I’m going to try anyway.

Magic can be summed up simply as the manipulation of raw energy.

Most people have some sort of magical ability, which is quantifiable at birth. From no magic, limited magic, average/normal magic, advanced magic, master magic, to god magic. This acts essentially as a level cap. With training someone who has an advanced magic level will be able to cast spells at that level and below. Any spell cast requires energy from the user, the higher the ‘level’ the more energy required. So someone with a limited ability who tried to cast a normal spell, would find themselves exhausted, or dead. Alchemists often bypass this requirement by using energy from collected sources, such as solar or wild magic. Alchemists have also pioneered the study of magic by quantifying units and storing it. In Amira alchemy is not seen as magic, but as a science that anyone can learn. Magic also has a will of its own; wild magic. There is a small chance when casting advanced or higher magic that the spell takes over and becomes wild, its intended purpose entirely corrupted. Several natural’ features have been added to Kyos because of wild magic. It self perpetuates, and no one has been able to figure out why or how it does this.

[ravensworlds]

World Building June: Day 6 ARMS & ARMOR

Weapons: Many people rely on swords for weapons in armed combat. Those that do not usually have some skill with bows or magic. Cannons and trebuchet are the most popular siege weaopns, aside from magical fireballs raining from the sky. Firearms are only starting to become popular in Amira, who actively rejects magic, but they are inaccurate and hard to load.

Armor: As far as physical armor, most soldiers tend to use plate mail, or chain mail. Mages often erect magical barriers when buildings are under attack. Recently personal shield spells have become popular, as most civilians cannot afford personal armor. Most elves prefer leather armor, so they can move easier.

[ravensworlds]

World Building June: Day 5 FASHION

Fashion in Kyos tends to be widely eclectic... Some cities prefer a more 'midevial' fashion, while others have a more modern fashion sense. I'm not going to elaborate on this subject, because I don't think I can accurately describe each region's fashion. I take what inspires me for each character, and run with it.

[ravensworlds]

World building June : Day 4 HISTORY

Really, really need to work on my map…

The country of Amira began its ban on magic well over 200 years ago. The queen of Amira had been placed under several curses by the time she rose to power. Bitter against those who had used magic against her she commanded the soldiers of Amira begin t forcibly removing magic users from their homes. Outraged the Magee fought back, and nearly decimated the capital. The normal citizens looked upon these actions with great disdain, and continued to drive magic out of Amira. When the queen passed away with no heir, mages sought the throne for themselves. Unfortunately for them a human took the throne, who shared in the hate for mages, but was not as harsh. He understood that magic was an inevitable part of the world, and established ‘schools’ for those with magic. The schools are more like prison camps, and any who act out, are put to death or exiled. Because of this the tension between Amira and Avalon, where many of the original exiled mages sought refuge, has been steadily building.

[ravensworlds]

World building June : Day 3 RACES

I have 8 different sentient races... Humans are the most abundant race in Kyos. Humans also have the most diverse appearances. They have limited to no magical abilities, and live about 60-80 years. Elves are the second most abundant race. Unlike any other species elven hair is not genetic. If an elf child is born in the fall their hair will always be red, in the winter it will always be white/silver, spring will be blond, and summer is black or brown. Elves have advanced to limited magical abilities, though some are born with no magic at all. Most elves live between 100 and 120 years. Dragons have been hunted to near extinction, with just under 30 known to be remaining. All dragons have advanced to master levels of magical ability. Dragons can shift from their "full draconic glory" into a human form, with or without dragon bits sticking out. Dragons typically live for 4500 to 5000 years, the oldest recorded dragon died at age 6462. Angels are a rarely encountered race, preferring not to mess with the affairs of mortals. Angels are non-corporeal, and thus require a body to interact with the mortal plane. Most angels choose a human or elven vessel, but some have been known to poses alchemical constructs known as living dolls. Angels have master to god levels of magical ability, and with the few times they have acted, they are often worshipped as deities. There is no recorded natural death of an angel, though some have been said to have been slain by dragons. Fauns mainly live in areas of wild magic, and are not commonly seen by humans or elves. Their lifespan varies drastically depending on their magical abilities. Those with limited magic live for about 100 years, while those with advanced magic live for roughly 400 years. A faun is any humanoid with hooves and or horns, centaurs would also fall under this category. Changelings are another rare race, though they often inhabit the same areas as humans or elves. They are also called facechangers, they have the ability to alter their features to look like anyone. They cannot, however, change into animals/ have animal features. Changelings fall in between human and elven lifespans at around 100-110 years. Changelings also have limited magical abilities. Shifters are similar to dragons, in that they are able to shift between human and animal. They only have one human, and one animal form; this can be any sort avian, feline or canine, but not a equine animal. Shifters unlike Changelings can have bits of animal in their features. A Shifter will typically live for 100 to 600 years depending on their magic, normal to advanced. Demons are an uncommon, but highly diverse race. Most are classified by skin color, grey, red, green, ect; but some are classified by elemental type, fire, shadow, thunder, ect. Magical ability and lifespan is as widely varied among demons, with the cap at 200 years and master level magic.

[ravensworlds]

World building June: Day 2 GEOGRAPHY

I really need to work on my map… The planet is laid out much like Earth, with cold polar regoins, and hot tropical regions around the equator, with temperate areas in between. 

The floating islands and sunset wood are two notable areas of wild magic. The floating islands are just that, great swaths of rock ripped from the ocean floor by wild magic. The largest island has a lake that spills over into the ocean. The wild magic that keeps the islands afloat, keeps the lake full. The Sunset Wood is another strange place, no matter what time you go in it always appears to be sunset. Time has also been recorded as moving slower in these woods.

The northern regions specialize in mining and fishing. Nearly all metals are mined in the northernmost and southern most regions of Kyos. The middle regions are where most of the sentient population resides. It has the most diverse landscapes, from fertile farm valleys, to dragon top peaks, harsh deserts, and rugged coasts. The equatorial region is where most of the wild magic comes from. The dense jungle is home to many different creatures and the people who do live there are as wild and strong as the animals they hunt.

Gonna work on countries and states when I flesh out my map again... I Lost my almost finished one in a hard drive crash...

[ravensworlds]

World building June day 1: Introduction

This is the world of Kyos. Kyos is the setting for all of my non fanfiction works. Kyos over the ages mixes magic and technology, and many different sentient races, with humans and elves being the most dominant. There are about six countries, in Kyos, some of which are divided into states. Kyos has the standard earthly regions, swamps, forests mountains, deserts, tundra, ect. With a few 'wild places' where wild magic has altered the landscape to include floating islands and the like... Not really gonna focus on story or character during this, since I'm trying to nail down setting before I really get started for nano...

[ravensworlds]

Puck

When the celestial entity had approached him, in its borrowed body, he didn’t know what to expect. Surely an angel could conjure a body out of nothing, wasn’t that how the legends went. But there it sat trying to take up as little space as possible on the other side of the shop’s counter. “Please? ” it asked through borrowed lips. He sighed. “What you’re asking takes a lot of work. I can’t do it for free. “ “Whatever your price, I will pay it.” The angel said. “I’ll have to take some measurements. ” He said pulling out an odd looking wand. It had wires running down the length of it, and seemed to be made out of celestial bronze, with a grip of bone.

He circled around the counter and began waving the wand around the borrowed body. The angel blushed furiously as the alchemist climbed up on the neighboring chair, and studied the angels eyes. “Is- is this going to take long?” The angel asked with a stutter. The angel looked away from the alchemist picking nervously at his finger nails. “Got somewhere to be?” He asked jokingly. “Got to make sure I get all the details right.” He seemed to be able to read whatever measurements it took, even though there was no display. He climbed down the chairs and back to his side of the counter. “How should i address you, Mr-?” He asked. “Angels don't really have genders… but you can call me Rhys.” He started scribbling in his notebook. “That’s not a very angelic name…” He muttered to himself with a small grin. “So do you know what kind of body you want Rhys?” He said taking on a more serious tone. “Just something that no one else has a claim on…” Rhys said. “That’s why I can’t stay in this body… it belongs to someone else.” The alchemist scratched out some things In his notebook. He pulled out a binder and flipped through the pages. “No, looks like it will have to be custom work.” He muttered. He pulled out a calculator and quickly did some sums. “475,630G and some change…” Puck said. The color drained from Rhys’ face. “Four hundred thousand …” He said he had hidden in his jacket pocket tightly. “This is all I have…” He placed 1,000G on the counter in front of Puck. Puck counted out the bills, and sighed.”It’s really not enough for me to even begin working…” ‘I can work!”Rhys insisted.”Cleaning, fighting, anything…” Puck scrunched up his face weighing the options. “I’m probably going to shoot myself in the foot over this, but I’ll let you work off the debt.” “Thank You!” Rhys said happily. “It will be hard, at times, and you’ll be in my Service for a long while…”Puck explained. “I’ll start working on this right away. Come back in about a month.” The angel nodded furiously before thanking the alchemist again and leaving the small shop. “What did I get myself into…”Puck muttered to himself with a sigh.

[ravensworlds]

Saiela

Saiela had suffered indignities before, but this took the cake. She watched in horror from the inside of a soul gem as the witch decimated her body. She watched as most of her power seeped into the ground irreversibly altering the landscape. She watched the witch pick up the soul gem she was now confined to and smirk. One day she would get out and she would kill that witch. As she let her mind probe out the extent of her new prison she felt another mind push back. ‘Great, just fucking wonderful!’ Saiela thought bitterly. ‘Not only am I confined by that witch, but I have to share my cell…’ The other spirit recoiled against Saiela’s rage, and she sent a wave of anger chasing after the spirit. Her mate Korax was dead, she was trapped in a soul sphere with no physical body at the mercy of whatever whim this witch had.

It was nearly a full year, as far as she could tell, before she felt the witch probe into the gem for her power. She resisted as much as she could but it was useless. She felt the power forcibly sapped from her and saw the witch slay fifty men with the power she stole. It should have left her gasping for breath, but with no lungs it was impossible, instead it just left her soul feeling weak. The small spirit approached her. Saiela could still feel it’s fear, but there was something else underneath it. Admiration? Pity? ‘What!’ Saiela said bristling. ‘I just wanted to see if you were ok?’ It asked in a small voice, or the closest approximation to voice with no physical body. ‘A dragonfly spirit?’ Saiela asked. ‘Y - yes’ it stuttered ‘I was caught up when the witch tried to subdue a different dragon, ages ago. I - I don’t think she knows I’m here…’ ‘What happened to the last occupant?’ Saiela asked. ‘The witch used all his power to preform a necromancy spell on her self. Then she sold his soul to a w - wraith.’ The spirit said with a disgusted shudder. New rage boiled inside her. She lashed out bursts of power narrowly missing the spirit.

The witch drew on her power more and more often, and in the span of a decade she began to feel the last dregs of her strength being pulled at. ‘What is your name little bug?’ Saiela asked finally ‘Skye’ it responded. Saiela had grown quite fond of the bug’s constant presence, but in their talks never thought to call her more than bug, or little bug. ‘I fear this may be one of our last conversations Skye’ Saiela said. ‘I’m about to pull something very stupid. Something I would not try unless I was about to die.’ ‘Please miss Saiela, I don’t want to be alone again…’ Skye pleaded the voice turning watery, crying if there had been any physical aspect to any of this. Saiela turned away from the spirit. The witch was reaching for her power again and Saiela surged up to meet it, pulling every last bit of power she had. The bolt of power she sent stunned the witch and sent the soul gem flying. Saiela let the darkness consume her, not having the energy to keep it at bay.

Thirty years passed quietly before the soul gem was disturbed.