Autonomy of Magic: a mystic resource

This post is Part 2 of a series to augment the Magic of the Known World available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other mystic resources are gathered in my Magic Directory for you to explore.

Find more worldbuilding content in my Codex Directory.

The properties of magic from Part 1 of this series let scholars group all the different magics of the Known World into the Magic Codex, a functioning taxonomy of magic.

This post corresponds with Magic Codex Chapter 2 - Autonomy of Magic.

The inception and study properties determine the autonomy of a given magic.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term autonomy is located at (2.0) and is defined as:

autonomy (N) A classification that divides magics into one of four modes of independence from other magics and skills.

In my Tales of the Known World saga, the word autonomy refers to a preliminary classification of magic, which defines magics by their capacity to be learned and developed without the need for other magics or skills (as in, This magic's autonomy is basic).

Autonomy is determined by the facet of inception dealing with how a magic is accessed or discovered, as well as the facet of study dealing with the related skills or magics required for a magic's development.

The four types of autonomy are basic, advanced, skillset, and deep magic.

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The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term basic magic is located at (2.1) and is defined as:

basic magic (N) A magic that is both accessed and developed independently of other skills and magics.

The term basic magic is the autonomy for the most independent magics, which have no requirements for either discovery or improvement (as in, Everyone has some basic magic at his disposal, or, Children learn to wield their basic magics at a young age).

A basic magic can be accessed without prerequisites, as defined by its inception property. A basic magic also can be developed without relevant skills or magics, as defined by its study property. Only the basic magic itself matters as an individual discovers his ability and progresses towards mastery.

In the Magic Spell List, basic magics are denoted as Tier 1 spells.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term advanced magic is located at (2.2) and is defined as:

advanced magic (N) A magic that is accessed independently of other skills and magics, but whose development depends on the improvement of related magics.

The term advanced magic is the autonomy for magics that have no requirements for discovery, but whose improvement is reliant on underlying magics (as in, A basic magic must be developed before the advanced magic can improve).

Just like with basic magic, an advanced magic can be accessed without prerequisites, as defined by its inception property. However, an advanced magic cannot progress without the improvement of one or more related magics, as defined by its study property.

Quite often, advanced magics arise in young magic users, but these magics remain weak and difficult to practice until the basic magics that support them are developed. Some advanced magics even rely on other, earlier advanced magics for improvement.

In the Magic Spell List, advanced magics are denoted as Tier 2 spells or higher.

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Download the complete Magic Codex:

The Known World is rife with magic. Over time, scholars have compiled all these magics and magical effects into a comprehensive taxonomy. For more about the role and inner workings of magic, check out the complete Magic Codex above.

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Within the codex, the term skillset magic is located at (2.3) and is defined as:

skillset magic (N) A magic that is accessed within the practice of a related skill, and whose development depends on the improvement of that skill. Also: basic skillset, advanced skillset

The term skillset magic is the autonomy for magics that require a non-magic skill or knowledge before discovery, and whose improvement is reliant on the development of that skill or knowledge (as in, Healing is a skillset magic that requires learning about the body).

A skillset magic cannot be discovered until a relevant skill is practiced first, as defined by its inception property. Similar to advanced magic, a skillset magic also cannot progress without the improvement of one or more related skills, as defined by its study property.

Also like advanced magic, high-level skillset magics are often accessible as soon as a magic user learns the necessary knowledge or skill. However, these magics remain weak and difficult to practice until the underlying magics that support them are developed.

In the Magic Spell List, skillset magics are denoted with Requires [spell name] or Requires understanding of + the underlying knowledge or skill.

Check out the Magic of the Known World for more resources!

Within the codex, the term deep magic is located at (2.4) and is defined as:

deep magic (N) A magic that is accessed through the secret language Ryunic, and developed independently of other skills and magics.

The term deep magic is the autonomy for magics that require knowledge of a secret language before they can be discovered, but that have no requirements for improvement (as in, Only a rosen knows the Ryunic to cast deep magic). Magics with this autonomy are considered arcana, described in Magic Codex Chapter 8.

Similar to skillset magic, deep magic cannot be discovered until the Ryunic language is learned first, as defined by its inception property. However, just like basic magic, deep magic can be developed without relevant skills or magics, as defined by its study property.

Because of the special language required, the Magic Spell List does not detail any spells for deep magic.


That's it for this post! Up Next: The three classes of magic...

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What is a Wordsmith?

This post is Part 2 of a series to augment the Tips for Writing Fiction available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other writing workshops are gathered in my Workshops Directory for you to explore.

Find more website tag definitions in my Index Directory.

Why do so many good storytellers never become authors? Because a novel is not just spoken language in written form. All writing is the composite of two separate skillsets: the language skills that a wordsmith displays, and storycraft, the art of storytelling.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed how storycraft produces worthwhile content for your tale, while the wordsmith hammers out an engaging manuscript. Neither will spin you a gripping novel alone, but in tandem they unlock your writing prowess.

A wordsmith takes a draft and strikes out anything unnecessary. Beyond proper grammar and syntax, a wordsmith knows how to choose the right words, and where to place those words for best effect. Punctuation and a thesaurus are tools the wordsmith uses to craft phrases into sentences and paragraphs. Though your wordsmith skills define the caliber of your writing, most writers don't even recognize it as a unique skill, because spoken language comes naturally to so many.

Check these Tips for Writing Fiction to see more workshops!

Wordsmith skills also shape your writing style. Many facets of style include both wordsmith and storycraft elements. The wordsmith manipulates words to control flow, while understanding how flow impacts the story is storycraft. Establishing your voice as a writer is storycraft, but manifesting your voice throughout a manuscript is the wordsmith's work.

Your wordsmith skills make the difference between a gripping campfire story and a best-selling novel. Writing isn't just "write like you talk," and without evoking the wordsmith, your manuscript will seem immature and unpolished. By exploiting the most effective syntax and plunging the perfect word into the right phrase of each carefully crafted sentence, the wordsmith is crucial to the successful delivery of your narrative. In my Tales of the Known World saga, you can see how I leverage various wordsmith principles to effect the desired delivery.

On this website, I use the wordsmith tag for posts about words as an artistic medium, an aspect of writing. Similarly, the storycraft tag marks posts regarding the art of storytelling. In these Workshops on Writing, you'll find workshops to hone your own craft. Most writers have either the knack for storycraft or as a wordsmith, but regardless of natural talent, one skill tends to outweigh the other. Fortunately, you can develop your writing skills individually, once you understand the nature of each component.


That's it for this series! Check out the latest writing workshops for more.

Download Tips for Writing Fiction here, or start your adventure below.

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The Draconan Mountains: a map for Awakening

This post is Part 6 of a series to augment the Atlas of the Known World available for free download. Start with Part 1 here.

This and other TotKW maps are gathered in my Map Directory for you to explore.

Enjoy!

The Draconan Mountains

Northern reaches of dragons and men.

Geography and Climate

In Chapter 4 of Awakening, the Draconan Mountains crown the northwest edge of Allana. Spanning north of the D'jed Mountains and out to the sea, the Draconan Mountains form the northern border of the Forests of Kalrein.

Its tallest peaks sit nearest the D'jed range, and they descend in elevation toward the coast. When the mild, breezy summer gives way to bitter winter cold, valleys are snowed into isolation, with the exception of a few mountain passes kept open year-round.

This region also borders the North Sea, Drake Bay, and the Forest of Glavi.

Flora and Fauna

Clinging to the windy slopes of the mountain peaks, stub pines mark the treeline with their gnarled branches, and packs of drake wolves meander the rocky climes in search of spectacled ibex. In the valleys, hardwoods and black pines proliferate in the wild spans between hardy orchards bearing apples, cherries, and pears. Vineyards of hops are a common sight, especially in the low-lying valleys near the edges of the Draconan Mountains, where barley cultivation replaces the orchards that thrive at higher altitudes. In the most remote reaches of the Draconans, wild dragons nest in large clans up to one hundred strong. Dragons never stop growing, and each dragon can live for over a millennium, subsisting mostly on fish and whales but also hunting black bear and wolf on occasion.

People and Dress

The humans of the Draconan Mountains are rather tall and broad, with fair skin and dark hair. Their villages populate the mountain valleys, and each is closely allied with its neighbors. The people of the Draconans are loosely allied with the elves of the northern D'jed, with whom they do some trade. However, the Draconan humans have very little contact with the faeries of Kalrein or Glavi, and while they do not engage in the blood feud between the faeries and the mountain elves, they tend to sympathize with the elf traders rather than the occasional vagrant faerie. Often isolated from neighboring valleys in winter months, the people of each valley have developed their own styles of dress, but they generally wear woolen undergarments and outerwear of sturdy canvas.

Native Magic

Draconan men are excellent sensory mages. Their Flavor magic is quite potent, and their latent Light magic is decent as well. While their special magic is not as powerful, it is not unusual for a Draconan human to display reasonable Animal magic. Most Draconan men with an aptitude for Animal magic venture into the remote reaches of the mountains in search of nesting dragons, in the hopes of connecting with a young dragonet. Though their elemental powers are slightly stronger than the men of other regions, the humans of the Draconans display Earth and latent Dark magic that are fair at best.

Check out the Magic Codex of the Known World to learn more.

Cultural Values and Traditions

The humans of the Draconan Mountains hold sustainable living and self-sacrifice as the highest virtues. Families are loosely patriarchal, with surnames derived from the father's father, and important decisions are usually made by the men of each clan. Family ties are all-important to the Draconi people, and each village is governed by a council of the valley's oldest patriarchs. It is most offensive to insult a person's lineage or family, particularly the family elders or circumstances of a person's birth. Due to the lack of elemental and special magics for the Draconan humans, magic plays a fairly minor role in mountain life. Still, magic is associated with reds and browns, likely due to the connection between food and the Flavor magic common to the area.

As with most of the Allanic Empire, the people of the Draconans measure age in years. They celebrate the new year on the winter solstice, as per the solunar tables of the ancient merfolk calendar, which is the empire's official calendar. In the Draconans, children come of age early. Girls are considered women at first blood, and boys ascend into manhood at the age of thirteen, provided they lead a hunting team into the mountains and return with meat for the family. Successful boys are celebrated with a large party, with friends and relatives trekking in from neighboring valleys to attend. As adults, men are expected to develop a homestead on the family's land, as well as marry and produce children to share in the work. Adult women are responsible for cleaning the home, cooking food for the family, and raising the children. Usually, all the wives and daughters of a clan come together each evening to cook, exchange advice, and mend clothing.

Warriors and Guardians

Since the hardy denizens of the Draconan Mountains can fend for themselves, there is little need for warriors or guardians amid its windswept peaks. However, a guild of dragon riders has traditionally patrolled the mountain ranges, protecting the dragon nesting grounds and serving as ambassadors to humanity from their dragon friends. While Animal magic is not uncommon, the ability to speak to a dragon is rare, and the privilege to hear the dragon's reply is rarer still. These gifted men and women are invited into the Rider's Guild, where their abilities are honed and the inductees are prepared to venture into the mountains to connect with a young dragonet. If an inductee's abilities are too weak, the dragons will kill the intruder to defend their children. If the dragons can hear the inductee's communications, he is allowed to meet the clan's adolescent dragons and leave unharmed. If a young dragonet feels a bond with the visitor, she may choose to follow him back to the guild, and it is this friendship that elevates the inductee to a full member of the Rider's Guild.

Languages

Trophek, the heritage language of mountain men, is long extinct in the Draconans, though it is still spoken further to the east. The Draconi now speak Allanic as their native language. Though Allanic is the lingua franca of the empire, the Draconan dialect is a bit more tuneful and relaxed than the Allanic spoken in the neighboring D'jed Mountains. Written in the elvish script adopted by the empire, the Allanic of the Draconans features some odd words and vowels with specific tones, considered by scholars to be the last vestiges of their dead ancestral language. Moreover, the Draconan peoples tend to write their Allanic phonetically, so their spelling differs from official Allanic and can be difficult for non-locals to read.

Check out the Language Codex of the Known World to learn more.

Characters from The Known World

In the book Awakening, Darek is a nine-year-old boy who lives on his uncle's homestead.

A shape-shifter by birth, Darek faces persecution. Imperial mages track him down, invading his cabin in the night and killing his family when they refuse to give him up.

After Darek escapes with little hope and no plan, he bumps into a vagrant faerie named Vithril and a surly elf named Kingard.

Darek's new friends protect him on a perilous journey through imperial lands, guiding him along their quest to reach the mythic city A'lara before they're discovered.

In the prologue Tribe Untied, Darek is a four-year-old boy who lives on his mother's valley farm.

An ominous visit leaves Darek helpless and alone, until his grandfather arrives to relocate him to safety.

Too young to understand the persecution he faces, Darek grapples with the dangers that force him onto his uncle Galen's remote homestead.

That's it for this post! Up Next: Roof of the world and home of the elves...

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Portent VI of Awakening: a riddle in rhyme

In the novel Awakening, there are 23 portents fortelling the events of the unfolding saga.

Start with Portent I here.

These and other riddles in rhyme are gathered in the Portents Directory for you to explore.

Enjoy!

The virgin nymph a builder born
Is from her destined studies torn
Delivered straight to distant land
And into this expectant hand

Her first true flight for freedom fails (I)
The second falters, third prevails
Then back into his grasp she sails
And on into his realm she wails (II)

When golem's work is long since done
And daemon war is long since won
The gateway master seeks to save
And plunges she into the grave. (III)


Can you decode the future Tales of the Known World?

Share your interpretation!
Comment below with your take on this portent.

In Chapter 1 of Awakening, Larin spies this prophesy lying on the Baron's desk. She doesn't understand its meaning at the time, nor does she realize the portent is about her destiny.

By the end of Awakening, only the first two verses of the prophesy have come to fruition. Can you identify Larin's three flights for freedom from Book 1?

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The merfolk culture is built on the prophetic Gift. Nearly all men produce a portent every twenty days, and they devote their lives to interpretation. For more about the role and inner workings of prophesy, check out the Prophesy Appendix above.

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Alongside every prophesy is an attribution block. This block contains a byline giving the name of the person who said the prophesy, and a dateline giving the day the prophesy was first said. Here is the attribution for this portent:

Lovynge Njyae Dynde II
2:3:4:1/11, 7:3:2 IX
V:I 1:2:4:4/5, III:IX
V:II 2:2:2:2/5, III:IX
VA:III

The portent attributed here references multiple events that come to pass in sections called tatters. An additional tatter dateline has been added to the attribution for each tatter, noting the date when that segment of the portent will come to pass.


That's it for this post! Up Next: For once she breathes the gifted word...

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