#yesterdayswritings

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 7 - The Emperor

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The Emperor is all things powerful, regal, and authoritative. He is the undisputed ruler, so that’s what we’re going to be looking at today. What are the power structures like in your world? Monarchies, elected officials, smaller city states, vessels where the captain’s word is law? Who calls the shots?

The Emperor invites you to think about power structures.

So, this depends heavily on region. More clan based settlements have a chief that is handed down to the oldest child, or elected by a committee of sorts, depending on the clan. Most big human kingdoms are monarchies, and many smaller human settlements have an elected figurehead to report to the king of a specific kingdom. Many arcanocracies are run by a family line, unless another mage can defeat the current leader in a duel. Halfling cities are run by committee as well. Once every two years, a festival is held and all individuals who want to run for leader of that town make their best dish. Then the judges/committee try all the dishes and best dish (and cook) wins! It is thought, in halfling culture, that only a good soul can make good food.

There are many different types of leader-ship systems, but these are the most prevalent.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 4 - The High Priestess

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The spirit of this card is an initiation, someone to guide the growing power of the magician. Some things to think about today might be education, or possibly secret societies. Its definitely a good one for pondering witches, wise women, and the veracity of old wives' tales. Possibly work on someone or something that really throws your MC for a loop!

The High Priestess invites you to dig a little deeper and explore the mysteries of the world - especially things unseen or underappreciated.

This is such an easy one because it coincides with the plot of my book for Nano anyway! There is a secret society of mages in the country/kingdom of Flor. It is a known arcanocracy, but it is NOT known how deeply their mage supremacy runs. The leaders of Flor would fold heaven and earth together to be more powerful than other countries, and maintain control of the country. Which definitely becomes an issue, in Jharas' lifetime.

Other than the kingdom of Flor, many clans are all about passing information down through the ages. And many hags steal little girls as they get older, to pass on their knowledge and way of life.

There's also been many cults over the years. A world with magic and such kind of promotes ego and a desire to be a god (as if real life doesn't!)

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 9 - The Lovers

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The Lovers is often pigeon-holed into a literal reading: Who is your datemate? While this is certainly one avenue to explore, remember to also think beyond amatonormative tropes and really examine the bonds in your world. Beyond romantic interests, what kind of relationships and partnerships do folks typically seek out? What is the typical relationship like between a master and apprentice, a guard and their partner, captain and crew? Who are the people your MC might really depend on? Is this kind of relationship a new concept to them, or pretty common?

The Lovers invites you to think about close, intimate bonds - romantic or otherwise.

In a world where it is important to be as kind as you can, official relationships like captain and crew, master and apprentice, guard and partner (or guard captain and crew) are very important and emphasized to be just familial as friends you make, or your partner in life, or the children you adopt OR propagate. A master may view their apprentice as their child, or a young sibling, and desire to guide them and mentor them in that way.

Guard crews crews go through many boding exercises during their time together.

Jharas is used to these kinds of relationships now, as an adult, but he had a hard time as a child because he didn't grow up with that sort of relationship. Though the concept was foreign to him; he had witnessed it for others. Just not experienced it himself.

But as an adult, he has a work partner he'd die for, and a captain he respects. His mentor is more of a father figure than the man he lived with during his formative years. And he has friends he loves. Romantic love is something else entirely. It's something he wants but is very anxious about. But he has enough love to suffice at the moment.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

October 1 - The Fool

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

What does your MC think about the world? Often, our main characters are living in a small slice of the big picture. What are some facts of life they don’t know? What kind of eye opening are they in for? What are some things they love about their hometown, or hate, or resent, or miss? What are some wonderful (or awful) things they're going to discover?

The Fool invites you to begin a new journey, wild eyed and full of wonder.

Jharas (the main character of the story I'm writing next month for Nanowrimo) is a naive young paladin who thinks there is a lot of goodness in the world, but also hasn't really been exposed to true evil - despite his rough upbringing with his transphobic father in a small village named Edgefield. Jharas sees the world in a lot of black and white, and doesn't quite yet realize there are shades of grey in the world. The things they love about their hometown is their childhood best friend, Callyse, and their mentor, the man who pushed Jharas to become a paladin of the deity Iathea, and a Guardian of the city to the east of his hometown, Edgehold.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 17 - The Hanged Man

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The Hanged Man comes with a high cost up front, but offers much if you make it through to the other side. What are some of the low points in your world’s history, and what grew from the ashes? Terrible wars that lead to greater nations, harsh journeys to a better life in a new world, budding settlements struggling to grow into thriving towns, pilgrims traveling on quests from gods – or even just something that seems dear to your MC, that must be given up in pursuit of their growth.

The Hanged Man invites you to give something up in the hopes of reaching something greater.

On a worldwide scale, there was a few different wars that lead to better countries. The biggest, and most traumatic, was the war that lead to the Tear. It was a war among the gods, and the betrayer gods tore open a doorway to the Fey plane. Years after, the native of the material plane of Iathea fought both with the betrayer gods and the denizens ofthe Fey plane. It took the power of gods and men alike to regain ground and reseal the Tear. Once the Tear was sealed, the betrayer gods were then locked away, and the rest of the gods receded beyond the divine gate that separates the material plain the divine dimension.

For Jharas specifically, his connection to Iathea came at the price of his mother's life. And his aventure to save the world will come at the price of his world and life as he knew it.

But both are prices that Jharas was ultimately willing to pay, because he'd die if it meant the people of his world, and the people he loved, were safe.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 16 - Justice

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

Why do bad things happen to good people? What drives a man to take the law in their own hands? What happens when lines gets cross, and someone needs to be brought to justice? Are there courts in your world? Police? Are they just keepers of peace and order, or corrupt villain grabbing money and power? A bit of both? Where does an everyday person turn for help and restitution? Are there vigilantes? What are some of the crimes, from the petty to the truly heinous? How are they punished, and who enforces them? What about folks who live outside the law?

Justice invites you to weight the scales, and right them- or not- as you will.

There are courts and police (of a sort) in Iathea's more civilized cities. The "police" are the Guardians, who are paladins and clerics who embrace the laws with as much compassion and empathy as they can. For instance, food theft is not punished, per se. Tax money is used to pay the store back, and the "offender" is provided food, and taught to hunt, fish, or farm - their choice.

However, use of mind control magic/use of magic to influence a person's actions (especially to enact a crime for you, or to take advantage of them), you are put into jail for years, and are put into anti-magic bands upon your release. You also must attend court ordered therapy, because honestly, who does that? Murder is punished by jail time, depending on evidence/severity.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 14 - The Hermit

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The wise old man in a tower, the mystic witch in the woods, the cloistered bookworm – today, its time to think about solitude. Are there any mythic figures who have retreated from the world? Or maybe places of great import, guarded by a lone soul who’s tasked to keep its power sealed away. Or perhaps, some of these isolated figures are not there voluntarily. Are there prisons and towers where folks are locked away? If so, why and by whom?

The Hermit invites you to turn inwards and spend some time alone, for better or for worse.

The first thing that comes to mind is Kryis. He's not a mythic figure at all, but I plan on writing a story about him at some point. After he was mind controlled and made to kill his entire clan, he receded into himself and retreated from the world due to guilt and grief. There's also the Book Wyrms, who must complete a research topic to become part of the organization. To do so, they must retreat into themselves for however long it takes them to finish and present to the heads of the Book Wyrms. And if their paper, and their research, proves adequate, they are invited to join.

And finally, each of the Artifacts of the Seam has a guard. Specifically someone willing to remove themselves from their old life, someone who cannot use the artifact they are protecting, so as not to tempt them into stealing it. No one knows the identity of these guards.

[yesterdaysfantasies]

Oct 12 - Wands

I've been handwriting these prompts in my journal in an effort to catch up, and I finally finished catching up to today. I got these prompts from here.

The suit of wands is all things passion and drive. From the beauty of artistic expression, to the awesome forces that might be expressed as magic, today’s prompt is for exploring the power of the human heart. What mighty works has man created from the depths of his soul, forged and brought to life with the power of pure Will? How does society view this primal spark? Does it support and encourage art (or magic, if your world has it), or suppress it? How is the dynamic force of human will harnessed and utilized? What happens when it goes too far?

The suit of Wands invites you to explore the heart of your world.

With both magic and art, you are mostly limited by imagination and will. Hell, magic has been used for technology for a century or more now. But as an arcane user gains more power, they become less able to tap into that will that fills all mortal/native Iatheans. Something about that power starts to dry up that tap. But divine magic... clerics and paladin, or anyone that utilizes divine magic, if they so will it, they could bend heaven and earth.