Project: Rebirth

[The Drall]

Because I'm a lazy ass, I decided to just copy paste this from my blog.

And so it begins. Let us pray...that I can get off my ass once in awhile to see this through 'till the end.

One subject I have always been fascinated with is fantasy. Not that I don't like other genres, but fantasy is always more...fun to me. I don't know why. Something about it just makes me feel all giddy and nerdy inside. One thing that I do sometimes when I'm bored is draw maps to worlds that I make up in my head. Sometimes, I might even write up something on the world itself, but never have I gone through with a fantasy world to its completion.

Until now. Hopefully.

Welcome, my friends and followers, to the beginning of Project: Rebirth.

As I've mentioned once or twice, I'd really like to be a video game writer when I get older. Preferably working for Bioware (because they have a headquarters in Montreal, and they make some of the best story-based games ever) but that doesn't matter. Now, if I ever want to become a writer for anything, I need practice. That means anything from writing short stories to building fantasy worlds. And, with building a fantasy world comes the added bonus of writing stories set IN that world. Not only that, but when said fantasy world is created, I can create a plot that would fit well in a video game. This would help me greatly.

First of all, if I can finish this, my ability to express what I'm trying to say will be greatly improved because of all the things I'm writing down. My writing in general will improve, as will my ability to write characters. I will be able to write a number of short stories set in that world to give it some depth. And I will be able to pretend that this project is my first ever video game that I must create and take my first step in preparing myself for life, if my career choice remains the same in a few years. A video game story is a lot different then others. You can create the most amazing plot ever, but if you haven't set it up right it would be nigh impossible to fit into a video game.

So that's what this is. Create myself a world, something that any type of writer must do if they are making fantasy (or sci-fi, for that matter). My first step will be to write the rules of this world. Magic, and the like. This will aid me in determining the extent of what people can do in this world, and so I can get a feeling for how this world will work. I've actually already started on two different (well, actually three, come to think of it) magic schools that I will need to explain. That will most likely be my next post. Oh, and don't worry, I'll be doing things other then this. I won't be working on this 24/7.

Oh, and before I forget: If you have something to say, say it. I don't want someone to tell me "This is great!" if there's something they think could be improved. If you have suggestions, I want them. If you have constructive criticism, I want to hear it. If you have criticism, go away. I need your help, not your adoration of my perfection or your hatred of my failure. So, please, be helpful. Writing a video game is a collaborative project. So I will take any advice I can.

And without further ado...

WELCOME! TO PROJECT: REBIRTH!

[The Drall]

In the world of...Untitled, let us say, the universe plays a large role in the function of everything. Or rather, not the universe itself, but what it is made of: souls. Souls are that which keeps everything alive. When something dies, its soul leaves its mortal shell and passes into the Realm of the Dead. Think of the Realm of the Dead as a "waiting room". When a soul passes into this dimension, it awaits its time to be reborn into another body.

Within the soul is a "substance" called life force. Life force determines how much energy and power is found within you. Now, when I said the universe is made of souls, I kinda lied. The universe is the energy that emanates from the souls. Everything is connected, however distantly, together. The energy is "tethered" to the souls, but they are still all connected even so.

A wizard with more energy and power will be able to master spells and magic much easier than one with less, for example. When a soul is reborn into whatever body, human, animal, plant or otherwise, it always carries with it the same life force it has had for how many number of years it has been "alive".

For true practioners of magic, souls are always a very important part. A necromancer, for instance, will use the souls of others or his own soul to cast powerful spells. A druid will take a bit of energy from souls and return that power when he is done. Souls never die. They continue to be reborn into new bodies for all eternity.

However, they can be destroyed. It never happens, because destroying a soul has some of the worst consequences ever, but it can be done. When it happens, a void is created in the fabric of the universe. This void consumes all other nearby souls that it can reach, becoming bigger and bigger. If unchecked, the void could grow to enormous sizes, perhaps even destroying an entire planet. The only two ways this can be stopped is if a God gives up a fraction of his power to seal it, or if a mortal willingly allows his own soul to fill up the void. While it only requires one mortal soul to seal a void (because all you need to do is address the cause of it), this means the death of the mortal, and if a God gives up some of his power, he becomes considerably weaker when compared to other Gods. All Gods are meant to be equals, and so when one loses a bit of his enormous life force, he is considered nothing in the eyes of his fellows.

Souls are constantly being created, due to the fact that the universe is always expanding. Some believe each soul to have its own "personality", but no one is positive if this is correct. The ways of the universe are mysterious, and not even the Gods themselves fully understand them. Souls are, however, the most important "element" in the universe. Without them, Untitled would not function.

I may elaborate on my soul talk at some point (I will definitely be mentioning and adding on to what I said a lot in my next few posts), but hopefully I got that down well. If anyone has questions, I am here to answer. If you have suggestions, I am here to listen.

That will be all.

[theredbaron]

Not sure if posting here is ok with you, but I'm just going to say that you hooked me on this when I first read about it in your blog. Looking lovely, Mr. Drall. ;D

[The Drall]

...

OH YEAH! THAT'S WHERE I REMEMBERED LEGETT FROM!

I knew I had heard the name somewhere!

And thanks, dude I'll try to get more out, but with every rule another unanswered question pops up, so I'm having a hard, albeit fun, time with this. I'll try to get more up here soon, dunno about posting all the rules on the blog but I will definitely try to do so here.

[theredbaron]

May 7, 2010 15:11:37 GMT -5 The Drall said:

...

OH YEAH! THAT'S WHERE I REMEMBERED LEGGETT FROM!

I knew I had heard the name somewhere!

And thanks, dude I'll try to get more out, but with every rule another unanswered question pops up, so I'm having a hard, albeit fun, time with this. I'll try to get more up here soon, dunno about posting all the rules on the blog but I will definitely try to do so here.

Take your time, mate.

[The Drall]

Oh, I will, don't worry

[The Drall]

Since Necromancy involves the use of souls/spirits/life force quite a bit, I decided to do a post on it.

See, a necromancer needs one thing to cast his spells: souls. These souls can aid the necromancer in a number of ways, such as augmenting his power, gaining valuable information from the soul's memories, or being used to raise a corpse to serve as a protector for the necromancer.

We'll start with those aforementioned abilities. To augment a necromancer's power, he must bond his souls with another, greatly enhancing his life force and energy. Unfortunately, this cause a number of problems. First, having two souls can be quite a hassle. While the soul is in the Realm of the Living, it can think like any mortal can. When another soul is bound to you, you are able to listen in to every single one of the soul's thoughts. While some experienced necromancers can drown out the extra noise, most cannot, so they must not only contend with their own thoughts, but those of a foreign spirit that's only goal at the moment is to get back to his realm as fast as possible, as well.

Second, your body was never meant to have two souls inside of it. It doesn't know how to react to this new change, and, if necromancers bind themselves too often or too much, they risk becoming unstable, mutating or even dying.

Sometimes, a necromancer will summon a soul to ask it questions for information that could prove valuable. While you don't necessarily have to bind yourself completely with the spirit, you must link both your soul with it. This requires a lot more concentration than binding it to you, so the necromancer must be focused when doing this. You won't be able to juggle flaming chainsaws while fighting off a dragon or two with your fork and knife while doing this and not die in three seconds. We would respect you for it, though.

And...raising a corpse. To raise a corpse, two souls must be bound within the cadaver's body: that of one from the Realm of the Dead and a fraction of the necromancer's own soul. A part of the necromancer's soul must be within the body or else the undead would attack its supposed master. The necromancer has the added option of keeping a link active between his soul and the fragment inside the body of the corpse, or not to. If he does, he can control what the undead will do, but it requires a lot of concentration and can be difficult to perform in tough circumstances, but if he doesn't, while the undead will not attack him, there is no guarantee it will do anything at all.

That's it for now. There's more, but I'll do that another time. This should suffice for now. The great thing about these rules is that I'm getting TONS of ideas for the plot and some of the characters just by writing them. I cannot wait until I get right down to the plot. That doesn't mean I'll rush through everything else, first. If I take my time and do the whole "setting up" thing well, I might have a clear idea for my plot by the time I'm done.

See you all another time!

[The Drall]

It should be taken into account that undead usually die when their master has perished. However, in cases where the necromancer hasn't kept a link between him and his pet, the undead can actually live on. Usually, nothing special happens. The undead will most likely continue doing what he was doing before, too confused to use his newfound free will. The spirit inside is completely disoriented, having been ripped from the safety of its own Realm into the Land of Mortals, and now all of a sudden able to think again.

There are rare cases, however, in which the undead becomes aware. Not only does the undead think for itself, it can remember the past lives the soul once had. Since a part of the necromancer's soul is within the undead still, the undead may also command necromantic abilities.

This has only been spoken of in rumors, however, not in recorded history, and to some, it is just a theory...

But obviously, I wouldn't be mentioning it if it were only that. *wink*

[The Drall]

The Frostlands

The Frostlands are, as the name suggests, cold. The southern areas of the Frostlands, however, aren't covered in snow all year long, as many people assume. In fact, the southern Frostlands are considered to be quite beautiful in the summertime. On the eastern coasts, huge fjords can be found working their way towards the centre of the Frostlands, while a few lakes and rivers dot the landscape. The northern Frostlands, however, are a much different story. Here, the sun never shines. The land is constantly being bombarded by blizzards, and it is difficult to see anything a few meters in front of you. Huge glaciers can be found here, which sometimes must compete with the mountains of snow.

The Mountains of Kazok

The great Mountains of Kazok are home to some of the highest peaks in the world, namely Mount Darash. A few volcanoes can also be found, as well. The Mountains are covered in snow. Deep within, diggers use tunnel networks to move around, and Dwarves have built a sprawling kingdom underground as well.

The Taian Highlands

Chilly, expansive, empty. Many hills and cliffs, mountains too. At times, the Highlands may seem empty, but in reality vast herds of creatures wander them, searching for food. Few sources of water exist, but there are some.

Forest of Amaril

Constantly in a state of fog. The trees are all packed together. Trees are tall and many are wide. The forest covers a wide area, it is the largest forest in the world. Two lakes can be found within, as well as many streams and rivers.

The Heartland

A land of prosperous fields, meadows, woods, lakes, rivers and mountains, the Heartland is stunningly beautiful. Its boundaries are the Sea of Amaril to the west, the Mountains of Gyzan to the east, the Hajaki Desert to the south and the Taian Highlands to the north. This is the kingdom of man, but many beasts still flourish here.

The Hajaki Desert


A great, scorching desert. The entire desert is made up of a bunch of dunes going up and down, as well as a few scattered oases here and there. The Southern border is marked by the River Caelus, the only fertile land in the Hajaki Desert.



The Mountains of Gyzan

Though not as large, the chain itself is much longer than the Mountains of Kazok. Valleys and ravines are filled with forests and woods. Atop one mountain is the Lake of God's Tears, which holds the cleanest and purest water in all the continent. Some even say the water from this lake can bless certain people. Numerous caves can be found as well, but no network of tunnels like the Mountains of Kazok.

Swamp of Tarandalah

A vast swampland. Near the eastern coast, it is very murky and foggy, but it is much clearer near the west. Mosquitoes live in large numbers here, as do many other creatures.

The Wasteland

The Wasteland is an area that has been tainted by a Void. It begins on the other side of the River Caelus and continues until it reaches the Southern Sea. The beginning is just a barren flatland. It is constantly dark, and lightning strikes it every day and night. Further south, one begins to see what once resembled trees, maybe even grass. The earth is cracked in many places, and sometimes unstable. There are many sand traps scattered about. Lakes are dried out, the dead bodies of many animals are strewn about, and sometimes we can also see ruins. There is no sound at all, never any life. Only near the southern tip of the peninsula of Hamosh has anyone tried to regrow some of the lost life.

The Isles of Rekah

Large islands off the coast of the Forest of Amaril. The most active volcano on the continent is found on one island, as well as rainforests and jungles. It is raining here for most of the year, though for two months during the summer it is almost always sunny.




Bah, I don't like my descriptions, but whatever. Not the best with environnments.