#the forges

[tflskreis]

no thoughts, just them ( ˊᵕˋ )*✲ﾟ*｡⋆♡

[magic-is-something-we-create]

happy wbw!! Tell me about glittergale? These forges sound so cool and the dwarves are underrated, infodump to your hearts content!!

happy wbw to you, too, lila!! thank u for the ask, sorry it took a bit to get to <3

i got a lot of attention for glittergale this week, so if you want to check out other stuff about it, this is the tag!!

The Forges of Glittergale! A.K.A. the place where Magic Metal™ is made!!

One of the ancient Growths way back when was a pretty special one, because instead of adding a magic tied to birth location (like Sorcery) or genetics (like Elementalism) or random chance (like Shifting), it added magic to a very specific forge. Out of nowhere, the tools used and created in it became unbreakable, or never dulled, or kept any momentum applied to them indefinitely, or, or, or...

Pretty soon, because the Dwarves are very smart, they figured out how to replicate the effect. They won't tell anyone else how to, for fear of what less peaceful peoples might do - but they'll allow minimal access to the more benign magical affects, like the way Shieldmetal would protect whatever was encased within it, or the way fixed momentum of Vigormetal could be used to create forever-accurate clocks and one-way motion.

Basically, the forge itself wasn't the only forge that could make these magical metals - but it was the first, and the metals themselves are used in creating new forges. Learning how to create a Forge is a very big deal, as it's only taught to those who can keep the secret from those who would misuse it. That's where the School of Smithy comes in. There, students learn how to make their own Forges, as well as what metals to combine within them to make the magical ones.

Currently, I only have a few of the myriad magic metals figured out. This includes:

- Shieldmetal; unbreakable, very very good for armor, machine chassis, and integral parts that you don't want giving up the ghost - Blademetal; a bit of a counterpart to Shieldmetal, it can cut through damn near anything, and never dulls - Vigormetal; keeps it's momentum indefinitely, used often as a motor, most notably as the "heart" of Wrench when it comes to Firebreathers - Livemetal; has a heartbeat of it's own, and can be awoken so it has its own mind, too. Can also be synched to another living thing's heartbeat, you may recognize it from the brief mention in the mind control potion recipe ;) - Starmetal; a blend of all of the above, super hard to make and super expensive because of it. Mostly used in the realm of unbreakable super-weapons, each of the Eternals was bestowed one upon their immortalisation becoming known. Veratrum uses hers regularly, Tieling keeps his on display but unused, and Arthur has hidden his away because it's a reminder of Fahrial

I have ideas for others, but that's what I have so far!! Thank you again <3<3<3

[magic-is-something-we-create]

happy wbw, pax!! tell me more about the dwarves and other mythical creatures of the firebreathers world. how do they interact with the story? what's their role? what are they all doin?

happy wbw to you too, lila!!! i hope your day’s goin well :D

SO, right now, the Dwarves of Ehl are just vibin, as much as they can with this political upheaval not too far from them. They’re a major world power, and pretty much every meeting that brings everyone together is dominated by the Three’s arguments and Tieling’s pleas for cooperation and whatnot, and as much as they sympathize with his plight, they really don’t like him as a person.

They end up interacting quite a bit with the rebellion storyline but that’s in spoiler territory, so make of that what you will. >:)

Their biggest issue, right now, is that people keep trying to get access to the Forges, even though the Dwarves have insisted, time and time again, that they are off limits to those not properly screened by the guilds. They don’t want their magic exploited by those who don’t know how it works, or spread to those who would use it for destruction, or used by those who don’t know how to take no for an answer. Especially when asking nicely is the best and easiest way to get access in the first place.

I guess, under the umbrella of other mythical creatures, I could count:

- the goblins, who are currently in a bit of their own political upheaval, since a princess who is widely considered ‘illegitimate’ is, quite publicly, helping the ehlven rebellion, and so the parliament is now trying to vote to make the capital (and ruler) a different city/person

- the fairies, who are starting to see a Lot of the disaster omen trickster spirits around, and trying to get other peoples’ attention about it because they don’t have a government of their own

- and the sirens, who are debating contacting the landwalkers to see if they can help with the absolutely wild shit they’re witnessing from afar

but yeah!! that’s what all of them are doing, right now!!!

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Hellooo! :D happy WbW. What is a piece of worldbuilding that you haven't gotten to talk much about but that you could go on and on about for hours? Tell us about it!

Happy WBW!! thank you for the ask!!! this got super long holy hell

One of the things I haven’t gotten to talk much about on here is the various magic systems on Ehl!! I’ve talked a little bit about Elementalism, but I think that and Sorcery are the only ones I’ve really explained at all? So I’ll just do a quick list here of the different magic systems!!!!

Quick TW: blood is mentioned frequently in the RUNES and ALCHEMY/ENCHANTMENT sections behind the cut

Elementalism: Think Avatar bending, but more specific, and literally every Ehlf can do it to some capacity. Also theres no avatar, they’re all just stuck with one type from birth. The types are: Fire, Stone, Water, Air, Plant, Flesh (Healer), Metal, Electric (Light), and Mind (Dark). (Sidenote: Dark Mages have a lot of unwarranted stigma attached to them, and that in and of itself is a major factor in why the Firebreathers started.)

Sorcery: Really advanced illusion magic, that doesn’t only target sight, but literally any or all of your senses, depending on the strength of the Sorcerer. It’s legendary for fucking with your perception of reality. The main religion of Emarye (yet to be named) believes that all of reality is just an affect of Sorcery, and only in death will you get to participate in True Reality. About 1 in 30 Emaryans develop it in their teens, and probably 1 in every 1000 develop it as toddlers.

Runes: Think blood magic, but like, instead of making a deal with the devil or whatever, painting certain shapes (called Runes) can change how time and space affect the target. These Runes can also be directly carved into one’s skin, but they tend to bleed faster than normal cuts, and as such, are dangerous to invoke. Technically, every Human has blood that’s useful for Runes, but not everyone likes doing it, and it takes a pretty high pain tolerance if you want/need to do it on the fly.

Alchemy/Enchantment: Similar to Runes, but more science-y, and it makes use of lots of different kinds of blood. Say you want a potion that will stop you from getting burned; you’re gonna need some Drenn or dragon blood, blood of a Healer Elementalist, a few binding agents, and a SHIT ton of patience and creativity. Enchantments are similar in terms of ingredients, but you apply it to an object, instead of drinking it, and they usually last longer than potions.

The Forges: Basically a magical smithy in Glittergale, run and protected by Dwarves. It allows all kinds of alloys to be made that wouldn’t work, usually, and imbues the metal with magical properties, such as never dulling, if used as a blade. The Dwarves are very selective about who gets to use them, and who is allowed to learn how. This has caused some tense relations with other peoples, who want desperately to have access to such weapons and/or devices.

Calling Type M: So, there are a few types of Calling, as it’s a catch-all term for any linguistic magic. Type M is Manipulative, meaning that people who have and use it can influence others to do things they otherwise wouldn’t. Sirens are the most well-known for having a genetic tendency for this type, though about 1 in 200 people have it overall. (Sidenote: Ember has Type M Calling, but has moral qualms with using it. Yes, it comes up multiple times in F/irebreathers.)

Calling Type L: Type L Calling is Language. Essentially, when one consciously uses this form of Calling, anyone and anything can understand them, regardless of language barriers. This works verbally, with gestures, or with writing. Fairies are known to have a genetic inclination to this form, though about 1 in 50 people have it overall. (Sidenote: Ozzie has this type, but when he asks for help from Ember with it, Ember assumes he has Type M. This also comes up as a running gag for a while.)

Calling Type W: This one is Worldwide. It’s where Common Tongue came from, and any sentient species can understand and use it, without having to learn it first. However, said person has to know at least one language fluently; Common mimics one’s own language when encountered.

Lesser Shifting: So, the names for Lesser and Greater Shifting are a little confusing. Lesser Shifting is the ability to completely Shapeshift almost at-will; the only restraints are one’s pain tolerance and amount of sleep had beforehand. About 1 in every 100 people worldwide have this type.

Greater Shifting/Blending: Greater Shifting, on the other hand, is the ability to fine-tune your shapeshifting, and can be achieved through practice. However, Mikrona are naturally-occuring Greater Shifters. They call the ability Blending, and it holds HUGE religious importance for them. It’s encouraged to use it constantly, to create a closer bond with the nature around you, so lots of Mikrona have near-constant changing skin patterns and other minor features.

Botany: This one is a healing type of magic that depends on the plants of Sieril. Rather than healing physical injuries, though, a Botany ritual will cure someone of any diseases or infections they have developed. The rituals depend on specific, rare plants, and good timing with the moon + stars, and always take place at night. This magic is pretty much the entire reason only 98% of the Sharali died in the Day Plague, rather than running them to extinction.

Worldly Magic: Finally, this is the magic of Ehl itself, the Growths and Decays, and the Echoes of Prophecy. It’s basically the creator of all of the other magics, as well as almost every other living thing on Ehl, and it’s what people tap into during adrenaline rushes. The Priestesses of Nimia are able to use it to incur Prophecies for guidance, as well. In Mayhism, it is thought to be the manifestation of the goddess of magic, Venn.

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PHEW that was a lot ;alskjfa;sldkf 

I get very excited about my magic systems, if you can’t tell 😅

Also this is v relevant to Ehl itself so:

Ehlverse Taglist:

@charles-joseph-writes : @adaparkwrites : @vioaeon

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Happy World Building Wednesday! What are armies/military like in Ehl? Is there a lot of conflict between regions?

Thank you for the ask, ada!! This is pretty late, cause I’ve been trying to think how to word the answer for a few days al;dkjfa;ldkf

Militaries on Ehl are vastly different depending on where they’re from, obviously, but if I’m being honest, I’ve only really thought over how the ones on Maelani work haha. In my head, the Mudskippers, Fairies, and Drenn don’t really... have a use for them. They’re a pretty peaceful bunch, overall, and are anarchist societies, so they don’t have governments to fund a military in the first place. Sharali don’t have the numbers for a formal military any more, and Saythe haven’t had a need for one in millennia, so they’re out of the picture by default. And the city-states of Emarye rely more on drafting than standing militaries, and their leaders are painfully aware that war is a good way to get ousted from power.

However!! On Maelani, there are a lot of peoples with conflicting worldviews crammed into a relatively small space. 

For instance, the Goblins and Dwarves have a loooong history of war, mostly because of the Forges and the fact that Dwarves won’t teach just anyone how their magic works, even though it’s entirely possible to learn, and isn’t tied to genetics in the slightest. Both have formidable armies, in their own ways; Goblins have electric guns, hovershoes, and real-time camouflaging gear that make it difficult for anyone without the same stuff to fight against, where Dwarves have traditional-looking medieval weapons that are made and enchanted specifically to fuck over Goblins and their gear. Like, magical EMPs built into their armor, and insulated shields that bounce laser shots back at them. 

Humans and Ehlves, on the other hand, haven’t had particularly bad relations with others for centuries. But that doesn’t stop them from keeping a standing military or two.

Human troops are usually specially trained to use Runes, which are basically blood sigils that let them do crazy things with time and space. (Like, teleporting, not time travel. That would take a ridiculous amount of blood.) The difference between the soldiers and the Runesmen, though, is that soldiers do long-lasting ones pre-battle, like giving themselves more speed, and Runesmen just carve the sigils into themselves as they need them. Needless to say, Runesmen are generally more skilled and less expendable in the eyes of the general.

Ehlves tend to set up their squadrons with a good balance of Mages, 3-5 of the more common ones, 2-4 of the less common, at least 2 Healers, and maybe a Light Mage, if they’re lucky. This allows for a variety of skills and fighting styles within the teams, and it’s generally been a pretty good set up, especially for dealing with uprisings and skirmishes. Their Navy generally puts several of these squads on a big ship, so they keep that balance, and probably a few extra Healers and Plant mages, just in case.

Thank you again for the question!! This got really long alskf;alkjf

[guiltknight-gaming]

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Ep. 7 Activating The Forges