Jiyu is a term that means "Earth's Milk". In this story, Jiyu will be the source for magic-users. I'm looking for another name for "magic-user" but for now that's what I'll use. On the Eastern Continent especially, certain individuals are adept at channeling Jiyu into different forms. The more adept users can shape Jiyu into more powerful, defined forms.
The main character Elisa, who is separated from her friends before the story begins, is a young magic-user whose potential has not yet been reached. I know she will play a large part in the story but I haven't decided what yet, or if she will be good or evil or neutral. We'll see.
The people on the western continent dabble some with Jiyu, but are largely unfamiliar with the art and use it mostly to light dark areas and start fires. The shamans of the southern continent do not use Jiyu, instead using ingredients of the earth to heal and sometimes curse, though cursing is considered to be a darker art and therefore the people who practice curses are outlaws, more on this later.
Jiyu is inexhaustable, since it returns to the earth after it is used, so the only limit to a user's power is how adept they are at channeling it. Most do not have the concentration to move beyond the basics, while some have a deep concentration to be able channel large amounts of Jiyu at a time. Only a few, however, become truly elite in the use of Jiyu, as Elisa will eventually, brought about by her separation from her friends and a new dedication to learning.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Gwisin
Gwisin (I may toy with the name a bit) is a Korean term for "ghosts" who died unmarried and therefore are unhappy with their death. I read a bit about them here, but there's a lot more information on other sites, including Wikipedia I think.
They will be the "enemy" race in the story, a long forgotten race that will be making a comeback as the story begins, though the world will only be whispering about it at first. In the story they will not be ghosts, but humans who were unhappy in their life, to the point where they were contemplating suicide. When someone feels this way, they can be "recruited" into the ranks of the Gwisin. At first, they will look the same, but eventually they will become shadows, gray husks of their former selves. They have vague memories of their life, but are happy with the power they have and almost never look back.
Gwisin cannot recreate and therefore rely on this method to recruit. However, there is another rarer method, though it tends to create more powerful Gwisin. These humans actually seek out the Gwisin in search of power. This very rarely happens, as most humans fear the Gwisin, and those that seek them out often die before they ever find them. The Gwisin cannot find these individuals (as they "find" unhappy humans) because their drive for life is too strong. The normal method recruits sorry humans. The ones who seek them out are far from sorry or lost.
Once transformed, these "shadow people" are focussed warriors, intent on only expanding their power. The one trait they keep, besides the shape of their body, is their eyes, which retain their color and life. Because of this, humans believe that there is hope to return them their former lives, though none have ever heard of an actual retransformation.
This is a just a basic mythology I have begun to work with. It is far from complete but an important building block.
They will be the "enemy" race in the story, a long forgotten race that will be making a comeback as the story begins, though the world will only be whispering about it at first. In the story they will not be ghosts, but humans who were unhappy in their life, to the point where they were contemplating suicide. When someone feels this way, they can be "recruited" into the ranks of the Gwisin. At first, they will look the same, but eventually they will become shadows, gray husks of their former selves. They have vague memories of their life, but are happy with the power they have and almost never look back.
Gwisin cannot recreate and therefore rely on this method to recruit. However, there is another rarer method, though it tends to create more powerful Gwisin. These humans actually seek out the Gwisin in search of power. This very rarely happens, as most humans fear the Gwisin, and those that seek them out often die before they ever find them. The Gwisin cannot find these individuals (as they "find" unhappy humans) because their drive for life is too strong. The normal method recruits sorry humans. The ones who seek them out are far from sorry or lost.
Once transformed, these "shadow people" are focussed warriors, intent on only expanding their power. The one trait they keep, besides the shape of their body, is their eyes, which retain their color and life. Because of this, humans believe that there is hope to return them their former lives, though none have ever heard of an actual retransformation.
This is a just a basic mythology I have begun to work with. It is far from complete but an important building block.
The Four Continents
I'm starting now with four continents (hence the title) in the north, south, east, and west. I know it sounds normal, but that's easy to work with and there's room for change, but for now I'm starting with that. I don't have names for them yet but I have an idea for races that inhabit them. I'm going to base the races on the races of Earth (i.e. not dwarves, elves, etc., but Asians, Whites, and Blacks, all human).
THE EASTERN CONTINENT:
The Eastern Continent is home to the protagonists of the story: Dominicis, Elisa, Bobby, and Alika. The names will probably change but they will come from this continent. The people on this continent are the "Asians" of the world. This continent is hot and humid in climate, and the people value martial arts and magic, the art of channeling "jiyu" from the earth (more on this later).
THE WESTERN CONTINENT:
The weather here is more temperate with four seasons and this continent is home to the "white" race. There are many large cities here that are ports for other continents, so the coast areas are large and diverse and bustling. The inner cities, however, are more contained, and not nearly as advanced. Their weapons are heavier than the eastern continent weapons and magic is simpler.
THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT:
This continent is home to the "black" population. Because of its shape, the weather ranges from humid to frigid. Also because of this, the people here have many diverse cultures, including the powerful fist fighters in the south and the shaman healers of the north.
THE NORTHERN CONTINENT:
This continent is a mystery to many on the world as it is too cold to build a civilization. However, the enemies of the story, the Gwisin (more on them later), live in the north, as well as another race, possibly, but I'm not sure yet if I want this mysterious angel-like race to dwell here as well. Not sure if I have any need for them in the story, also not sure if there should be another island continent where they live. We'll see.
-dp
THE EASTERN CONTINENT:
The Eastern Continent is home to the protagonists of the story: Dominicis, Elisa, Bobby, and Alika. The names will probably change but they will come from this continent. The people on this continent are the "Asians" of the world. This continent is hot and humid in climate, and the people value martial arts and magic, the art of channeling "jiyu" from the earth (more on this later).
THE WESTERN CONTINENT:
The weather here is more temperate with four seasons and this continent is home to the "white" race. There are many large cities here that are ports for other continents, so the coast areas are large and diverse and bustling. The inner cities, however, are more contained, and not nearly as advanced. Their weapons are heavier than the eastern continent weapons and magic is simpler.
THE SOUTHERN CONTINENT:
This continent is home to the "black" population. Because of its shape, the weather ranges from humid to frigid. Also because of this, the people here have many diverse cultures, including the powerful fist fighters in the south and the shaman healers of the north.
THE NORTHERN CONTINENT:
This continent is a mystery to many on the world as it is too cold to build a civilization. However, the enemies of the story, the Gwisin (more on them later), live in the north, as well as another race, possibly, but I'm not sure yet if I want this mysterious angel-like race to dwell here as well. Not sure if I have any need for them in the story, also not sure if there should be another island continent where they live. We'll see.
-dp
Intro
I'm creating this blog as a way to brainstorm for ideas for a fantasy novel I'm working on. Not so much the story right now (although it may eventually become that) but the backstory. Races, creatures, enemies, history. If anyone ends up reading this, not that I'm expecting that, feel free to let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for me.
-dp
-dp
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