A Fan-Fiction Game Concept — Ⅷ
This post covers the following sections of the "Merlin Legacy" project:
今回は、"Merlin Legacy" の根幹となる以下のセクションをお届けします。
Ⅷ. THE AREA SURROUNDING HOGWARTS - Part 2/4
Ⅷ. THE AREA SURROUNDING HOGWARTS - Part 1/4
English follows Japanese below.
Due to the character limit, I will be posting this in multiple parts.
字数オーバーになってしまったため、分割してお届けします。
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Ⅷ. THE AREA SURROUNDING HOGWARTS - Part 2/4
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"Water of Life" — The Clan of Harmony and Faith
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A lake settlement (crannog) built on pilings driven into the lakebed.
To Muggles, it appears as nothing more than a murky, dangerous swamp,
but to wizards, it is recognized as a pure spiritual water domain.
Here, coexistence with nature is an absolute principle.
This coexistence extends not only to villagers,
but also to merpeople, kelpies, and various aquatic magical creatures.
The ruler holds the title Bi leis an Uisge (Bee lesh an Ooshka)—
not a personal name, but an inherited office title.
Villagers affectionately call them "Bi" or "Lord/Lady Bi."
Their fundamental philosophy: "Magic exists not for domination, but for harmony."
If Làidir Daingean is "fixation," then Uisge-Bheatha is "fluidity."
Specialties: Water magic, life magic, empathic magic, contract magic
Products: Highest-grade magical cauldrons (made from lakebed clay), ritual magical liquids
Their wands are finely decorated down to the smallest detail.
They emphasize magic that is "flowing" and "versatile"—
a unified offensive and defensive style.
Unlockable Element: The Aquatic Negotiation mini-game becomes available.
Fishing. Capture of aquatic magical creatures. Acquisition of water-based materials.
Catching 5 golden sardines unlocks the ability to cook Stargazy Pie.
Uisge-Bheatha: The Flow of the Future
When outsiders attempt to enter the village,
the gatekeeper asks: "Bide bi the burn?" (Do you live with the flow?)
Merlin and friends may respond (with a bit of flair):
"Beò leis an uisge." (Or die with it.)
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"Vibrant Market" — The City of the Present and Choice
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A hidden market exclusively for wizards, appearing periodically in a valley.
To Muggles, it is perceived as a misty valley and an endlessly looping terrain.
A purely meritocratic society.
Evaluation criteria: "Bloodline: irrelevant" "Wealth: reference at best"
To them, "Trust: paramount."
What they value most: "Contract adherence," "business acumen," and "reputation."
The center of anti-pure-blood ideology.
However, pure-bloods are not prohibited from entering or conducting business.
It is simply a society where the concept of bloodline itself holds no value.
Important Historical Background
To survive the age of persecution, they understood:
"Bloodline is not a shield. Only trust is a shield."
As a result, a society based on trust rather than blood was established.
Having a history of persecution themselves,
they classify the following as serious crimes to prevent its recurrence:
• Smuggling and trafficking of magical creatures
However, transactions outside Beòthail Margadh are beyond their jurisdiction.
Specialties: Contract magic, discernment of goods, foresight in business
Their wands are adorned with or engraved with rare materials and precious metals—
proof of their convictions and bonds with business partners.
Wands serve not only as magical tools,
but also as indicators of reputation, business acumen, and trustworthiness.
Can be used as a commercial hub and information hub.
Requests from villagers are posted on the pub's bulletin board in Beòthail Margadh.
It also functions as a sub-quest hub.
Players can obtain equipment, accept quests, and gather information here.
Beòthail Margadh: The Pulse of the Present
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All regions are accessible from the start of the game.
However, at the start, Merlin has little interest in the outside world,
so cognitive inhibition prevents him from completing quests and other tasks.
Later, as Merlin gains friends and begins to take interest in the outside world,
visiting these places again reveals the villages in their true form.
Phase 1 (Early Game: Merlin Alone)
• But villages are "landscapes without meaning"
Phase 2 (One or Two Companions)
• Fragmentary understanding
Phase 3 (All Four Together)
• For the first time, "the world opens"
Beòthail Margadh and Uisge-Bheatha exist from the very beginning.
Merlin can physically reach them.
But when Merlin is alone, he "cannot perceive them correctly."
Example: Beòthail Margadh
• Appears as a misty valley
• Silhouettes are visible, but speech is incomprehensible language
• Goods appear as "distorted objects"
• Transactions cannot be completed
→ Merlin loses interest and leaves
After all four are together:
• The same place is recognized as a "market"
• Language becomes comprehensible
• Contracts become possible
In other words, the market was there from the beginning.
What changed was not the world, but Merlin's perception.
• Appears only as a dangerous swamp
• Stepping in triggers "instinctive fear" that prevents further progress
After all four are together:
• The water appears clear
• Contact with villagers becomes possible for the first time
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Next Section: Ⅷ. THE AREA SURROUNDING HOGWARTS - Part 3/4