Foxwood's "Ask me about characters, magick, setting, and I'll ask you, too"

Sorry, I meant no one else knows as far as I know, and the only one I know for sure knows is Richard, and is he human? Yes? I guess? :stuck_out_tongue: At what point do you have so many different powers that you actually stop being human?

Demons wanting to destroy the world makes zero sense to me :stuck_out_tongue: No horror movie has been able to give a good reason as to why they would go out of their way to do it

Not all demons walk on two legs like a human. So, when they possess a human, they try to walk like how they normally would. That makes deformed human :grinning_face: Tadaa!

It involves a lot of souls, an actual written contract with words, some blood, and the demon climbing inside of the human to bind with the soul (not possession, but still makes deformed human for a bit).

Contracts can be updated or changed, but that involves a lot of souls, and not sleeping for days and days on the demon’s part, and also getting permission from the king of demons to change it, and this is a long process. It’s so horrible that Charcoal, when suggested to get the contract updated, immediately refuses.

Because I thought it’d be funny.

Usually the name helps reign power over the demon when condemning it to hell, so I thought, okay, what if the human says the name in an exorcism and the demon just goes, “ouch, that was a shock. So, now what? What’s your next move? I’m rather entertained. And you’re kind of cute. Maybe I’ll contract with you, what do you say, priest?“

Enough to be like, “my human is interesting. I want to know them. Humans tell each other their names first all the time. So, maybe I’ll tell them my name.“

But these are the higher ranked ones. The top guys. The lesser angellics would just stare at you. I’d like to think they’d look kind of derpy XD

In my world I’d say that’s angellic protection XD

But that means your characters believed enough in the mythological tale to try it, right? Did it take them a while to figure it out still, or was it easy?

:shaking_face:

that’s my brain being rattled around in surprise and confusion :stuck_out_tongue:

Do you ever get the urge to make it 50? A nice round number? :stuck_out_tongue:

Sounds like a computer brand… or a programming think (isn’t there something called Linux?) What’s Lunix? Anything to do with the moon?

I’ve read up until Vetlun powers, and I want to ask about “being born“. I was thinking, the other day, about Between Roses and how the cards (human versions) are “born“, and I thought about exactly what that would look like. Cards can only be born when a suit dies. So, you’re not supposed to be able to have two Jack of Spades for example.

I did already have the lore of a card house where there’s a door and occasionally a new card will come out of it and “be born“. They’d be fully grown people and slowly realize their role and also, already have moderate skills. Supposedly, when all the madness was going on, cards would be killed so often that weird cards could “be born“ and come out of the card house and cause mayhem. So, the sane cards who lived there had to make sure the door was closed.

Anyway, have you thought about what it looks like when a new Vetlun comes into existence?

Ah yes, the Higher Authority. I have one of those, too.

I haven’t decided if that’s any God.

Actually,

I did think about it

I wanted to make something that was like the answer to why all religions have a different God. I wanted to figure out something that could be like one singular being or something that appears differently to different cultures based on what humans believed it to be. So the God doesn’t actually exist how the humans imagine it. Might not even be called “God“. The God just appears as whatever the humans decided it was. Does that make sense? But then I thought that might offend the entire world, so I decided to just gloss over it for now :stuck_out_tongue:

Do you have some idea for what the Higher Authority in your world is?

Good answer :smirking_face:

I once wrote a poem questioning what nothing is, and concluded, something actually is nothing.

Heheh :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

What are the Walls? Can humans see it? If not, what do they look like? Where are they? Tell me about the Walls and how it works.

I’m lost XD The idea of a multiverse already confuses me XD How did you get interested in all this?

If you do read it, I would suggest going into it blind. It’s a surreal, interesting, mysterious experience of a book :wink: That much I’ll say.

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@jj_tesla @stella_vigo @rachelsfloetry @CoffeebyNight @NatilladeCoco @SecretDurham

Hey, dragging some more people over :wink: Ignore if you’re not interested

Wanna come talk about our stories and characters? I know I talk a lot about fantasy and magick, but we can definitely talk about character relationships and backstory if you want

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Oh for sure! Sorry, I’ve been busy lately. I had a third-round interview today that was supposed to be 1.5 hours long, but it ended up going for 3 hours :face_with_spiral_eyes: but I think it went well!

Lemme get back to this when I’m less tired :joy:

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Oh hey! I keep forgetting to respond here. Hello!

Do you have any extinct animals?

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Woah! Good luck, hope it goes well. What did they ask about?

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Thank you! They asked about a lot of things, honestly even if I tried to condense it it’d take me a lot of paragraphs and bullet points :joy: the first part of the interview was with the HR lady and was pretty basic. The second part involved a tour of the facility, which they were actually planning to move out of by the end of this year :eyes: after that, I was shown a spec sheet and some products they had, and I was asked to guess what the objects were, what their applications were, as well as how and why certain designs or materials were chosen for that part. Then of course there was the part at the end where I was asking them questions.

They said they’d get back to me next week. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think it went pretty well!

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Woah, that’s actually a good sign – that means they’re seriously considering you.

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It took me a minute to see where this story was going :joy: I jump between projects so quickly I can barely talk about them because, well, they’re over just as soon as they begin lol. I’m currently working on a novella! It’s a vampire romance (yeah, this 6 month long vampire kick isn’t going anywhere…) that I just adore. I might expand it, but what’s more likely is I just shove it into a series and write other characters… but I really love my current main character :joy:

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Have an Idea about a Protag being injected almost half way through my tale… Has the ability to end the war, with assistance, but not fully ready for the task ahead…

Seems like I have idea’s that come to me after the initial foresight and planning, and just bugger things up as to where and when and how I will do this…

He’s just a farmer who has lost his father and uncle over the past eight years, but his father was a great warrior/general of the Imperial City of Olban… Seeing the impending doom of Olban he chose to relocate to the Middle Kingdom with his young son… There he lived long and brought his son to age. Passing from ill health he left a legacy which was bestowed to another to uphold until his son would come of age, or the days became dire, and the fear of the past returned…

Now at the ripe age of 28 seasons, Aldan son of Culdan has inherited what was left to him, but the past of his father has much to be feared. Yet ill deeds must out weigh the good it brings… And with it, the Dragon Helm… A connection to one that will either abandon Arillion to it’s fate, or bring about an age of peace…

“That which abandoned the world, is bound by honour to save it. If it’s measure of it’s people is just.” :-Culdan of Olban.

SD

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Ooooo that’s a really good question, especially for your characters who are posessed / protected :thinking:

Ikr yet they all still do it. It’s so weird :joy:

Okay that actually makes so much sense :joy: I really hope you have at least a few scenes showing just how ridiculous it would look :eyes:

How does the demon hierarchy work? Is the King the highest they go? Where does Charcoal fall in the hierarchy? Why does it take a lot of souls to create / change a contract?

Fair :joy:

I’d love to see that tbh :joy:

How does the Angellic hierarchy work?

Ayyy :joy:

If by “believed” you mean “we desperate enough” then yes, they beleived :joy:

Tbh it took less time to figure it out and more time to actually follow the path considering all the interruptions (Void landscape changing, Voidians and Void Beasts chasing them, Amneris having past-life flashbacks, survivors getting in the way, raiders being annoying, etc.), but it wasn’t exactly easy to follow in the first place.

I tend to have that effect on people, sorry :joy: Think of it like watching everything pass through a window while things stay exactly the same as you.

It could yet get that high or higher :joy:

Lunix is the Creator. It’s the “lun” part of “Vetlun”. No one actually knows if Lunix exists or not but if it does, it’s keeping itself very well hidden. No one knows what it looks like, not even the Vetlun or Primordials or First Beings. They claim it exists but they’re not exactly reliable sources.

Not really. A new Vetlun being born is like a new concept being born. It just kinda happens and no one really notices until it starts being a thing. They just appear in the Hall of the Vetlun and then head off to do whatever it is they do. The oldest of the Vetlun (Gissu/Shadow, Ararae/Infinity, Anaraeon/Nothing and Izarin/Reality) claim to have been directly created by Lunix but, again, they’re not really reliable sources.

I think it makes a lot of sense. As for worrying about offending people, you’re gonna offend someone no matter what you do so you might as well do it :joy:

It goes Lunix, Vetlun, Phoenixes (when fully powered), First Beings / Primordials, their followers and the Elementals, Amneris (though she does jump higher in the ranks to give the First Beings and a handful of Vetlun a run for their money), minor Deities, Hathor (because Vessel of Time, bust she also jumps a couple of ranks too), deity hierarchies from other religions/mythologies/universes, little people aka everyone else.

When some of my characters talk about being ordered by a Higher Authority, they usually mean First Beings, the oldest of the Primordials and their followers. It can also mean the Vetlun but because most of them don’t know the Vetlun are real, they just assume the First Beings and older Primordials.

Very deep :eyes:

The Walls are, well, the Walls between worlds that stop them from fusing together and keep the Void out. Cracks are things like inter-dimensional rifts where people accidently find themselves in a new world. They don’t have an “appearance” exactly but they are there. Humans definitely cannot see them because their brains aren’t programmed to do so. They’re kind of like invisible barriers. Some humans can feel something is there but 99.999999% can’t. The Walls can break and crack but it’s incredibly hard to completely destroy them (so naturally it does happens which leads to the Creation falling into Void incident).

Mate we’re well past the multiverse here :joy: I’ve always been interested in astrophysics, theoretical physics, m-theory and all that stuff. Got so many books on it and I’ve always had a lot of exposure due to being in a STEM family. We have a joke that astrophysics is “my area” :joy:

Theoretically, all these things could be real and we just wouldn’t know because we’re only in dimension 3/4. There are theories that have 10-12 dimensions, with the highest being everything that could possibly happen including things we can’t comprehend. In my work, I got up to dimension 11 and leave 12 intentionally obscure while also going beyond the idea of a multiverse.

Basically I’ve been checked for insanity :joy: I can follow it all pretty easily but that’s because I have near-constant exposure to these ideas. My brain’s just a tad weird like that.

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I have a topic in mind: what exciting things happened in your characters’ life before the story begins?

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Okay, I’m back! Although I’ll be going to sleep very soon because I do have to meet up with some friends tomorrow :see_no_evil_monkey:

So, here are a few things about my protagonist and deuteragonist from my current writing project, Blood Will Tell.

Edin [REDACTED]

  • Age: 23-24 (Act I), 25 (Act II)
  • Appearance: short, flaxen blond hair; sharp, lapis lazuli eyes; very pale skin; slim, though he’s more lanky in Act I and more muscular in Act II
  • Abilities: fire wielding, lightning wielding, swordsmanship… and nearly insatiable bloodlust if someone or something bleeds during battle :skull:
  • Personality: introverted, quiet, more socially awkward in Act I, more on the fearful side but he can be courageous when the situation calls for it
  • Fun Facts: Edin was left for dead before being found and rescued by Arden Mægenstern at the age of 21. He had lived with her since, though he would later move out and gain independence in Act II. He’s afflicted by two curses: one curse blocks virtually all of his memories, rendering him an amnesiac; the other curse fills him with bloodlust at the sight of blood. The story follows him trying his best to be a guardian—someone who protects an area from beasts—while also trying to uncover his past.

Arden Mægenstern

  • Age: 23-24 (Act I), 25 (Act II)
  • Appearance: straight, black, chin-length hair that obscures her upper face entirely; smooth, fair skin; tall and slender with broad shoulders
  • Abilities: light magic, shadow magic, swordsmanship
  • Personality: introverted, reclusive, sophisticated, somber
  • Fun Facts: Arden is a senior guardian who is also the most powerful gifted in the realm, alongside the villain of the story, Damon the Demonic, whom she has battled often since the Massacre at the Cathedral. After finding Edin’s body in the middle of nowhere, she has since taken him under her wing and trained him to become a guardian like her. Many people look up to her for saving the world time and time again, but because of guilt, she doesn’t see herself as a heroine.

Now for my questions!

I won’t lie, when I saw this it reminded me of my character and how people would ask me if he’s a vampire (he’s not) :joy::sob: anyway, does Richard also gain adrenaline or other things from merely seeing blood, or does he have to drink it to have any effects? Does it also have to be human blood, or can it be from any creature?

Hmm, has Richard ever had to kill—or have someone else kill—a friend or relative of his because of that?

Does Mallord later get back into action, or is he 100% retired from detective work?

LOL

was this inspired by the recent crop of boys with broccoli hair? :rofl: somewhat unrelated, but my now-ex once got a haircut, and his hairdresser misunderstood him and thought he wanted the broccoli haircut. He ended up looking like the fake potted shrub people put on living room coffee tables :sob:

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Sure! I’m obsessed with my characters, although the novels I’m working on are closer to the cyber punk/crime drama genres. I did have to make up a country, religion, and culture based on one character that I never expected to fall in love with. He’s dead in the novel I’ve already finished, but as I was writing the prequel, it took on a life of it’s own. Now he’s competing with the main novel’s love interest, and I might write an AU version where he lives because I love him that much.

Rambling ahead…

Summary

Theodore Elio Fortano comes from a family of migrants who fled the icy war torn country of Kayos. He’s the first generation to be born outside of said country. Kayosics worship the Goddess (name pending) and have a deep reverence for sources of water like rivers, lakes, the ocean etc. They also have a tradition in their culture where they gift hand weaved (though they can be purchased) leather bracelets with charms. These bracelets are never bought for yourself, they are only given. Their purposes range from protection wards, symbols of marriage, strength boosts etc. So when a Kayosic gives you one of these bracelets, it’s no mere trinket, it’s a gesture of genuine care.

Anyway, his parents settled into Lazuli, a fishing/university town split by two rivers. A flood had ravaged the west side. The crime family that “owned the turf” at the time, along with the mayor, neglected/abandoned it’s people while focusing on the areas where their businesses and the university were. So Theodore’s family ended up not only taking over this area, but reviving it into what would become a cultural hub of family friendly cafes, restaurants, tourist shops on the boardwalk etc. as well as a haven for fellow Kayosic migrants fleeing their country. Re-building is what eventually leads to them creating their “front”, Fortano Construction. Naturally “beef” ensues between the Fortanos and the family that claimed to have owned that side of the river, but after enough mob drama, the mayor forces an agreement between the two. The Fortanos own the west side, the Baxers, own the east, and Central Lazuli is neutral territory. They are not allowed to kill anyone in Central Lazuli and university students are protected in most cases. Can’t be a popular university town if students start turning up dead.

Theodore, known as the family’s sun, it’s shield, and “Tank” is a cage fighting champion. He’s a university alumni, and runs Fortano Contruction when the prequel novel starts. Golden retriever energy. Old school manners and chivalry. The holding open doors, helping old ladies with bags, and calling you “darlin’” type. Make no mistake though, if someone he cares about is threatened or if he’s in the cage, a switch flips. He is deadly. He’s the big brother of two little sisters who are still small. Lives with his older cousin, Jax, who is both the unwanted loud-mouthed big brother, and his bodyguard at the same time. And he is introduced to the daughter of the most lethal crime family in the north east in the hopes of them hitting it off, and setting up an arranged marriage. Our protagonist, Rose Gloxinia, is from a gun manufacturing family, but also has a love of armed racing (think Red Line with weaponized cars). She’s suspicious of Theodore’s “smily” vibes, and not thrilled about their fathers trying to decide her future, so naturally, she turns down the arranged marriage. Theodore does the same. Although she’s determined to have nothing to do with Theodore, other than maintaining a civil professional relationship at most, it’s almost as if fate has other plans, and they can’t stop running into each other. There’s an undeniable chemistry between them that kind of scares the hell out of her. :wink: Dun dun dun!

Here’s a summary I have for him on a html site I made for myself to keep track of my novels. The image is AI generated, but since it’s for personal use, it’s close to what I envision.

I can go on for ages, but I’ll stop here. :grin:


Edit: I realize I didn’t ask a question. Have you created fictional cultures or religions? Are there any aspects you love about it or struggle with?@TheTigerWriter

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I just got an email today that they want to schedule a meeting between me and their VP :open_mouth: it’ll be this Wednesday.

I’m really excited but also very nervous because I don’t want to mess this up :sob: I hope I’ll get an offer! My ability to stay in the US also depends on getting employment, so if I land this role, it’ll relieve me of so much stress—and it’ll allow me to spend more time writing guilt-free!

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Awesome! Hope you get the job. Just give your best, and see what happens. And keep applying to other companies in the mean time.

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You know, idk. I’m basing the entire world on 1850s-1890s, so whatever wasn’t around anymore then, is probably not gonna be around.

Do you know about any famously extinct animals around this time?

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Well then, tell me all about them and what you love about them :blush:

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Heeeeyyy, nice to see you’ve responded :blush: I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t seen you around much and thought I might be calling out into the void

I think these ideas can actually be really good ones. I’ve had ideas that come to me while editing, and I mull over them because it can change a whole big part of the story. But they’ve all been worthwhile and made the story so much better

Might be an instinct. A good one

That sounds really cool and epic.

So, what exactly is Dragon Helm?

Answers to stuff

Answers!

In which I have a think about it

Yeah, idk if I have an answer to that. I was thinking about Batman who has…what? At least in the movies it just looked like he was simply a well-trained vigilante and not that he had superpowers (I hope this isn’t a controversial take XD). But then you have Spiderman who can have spidey senses and that’s definitely not human. So, you could say, Spiderman is not human, but Batman is human.

But what about if you live in a world where magick is normal, and having multiple related powers are normal? Then, essentially, you could have non-human abilities and still be considered a normal human. But where do you draw the line? Maybe regeneration? Because it has to do with manipulating the human body and moving cells around?

Something like an out-of-body experience is also manipulating the human body, but maybe moving cells around is where you’d draw the line? Maybe an out-of-body experience doesn’t move cells?

Got thoughts? :stuck_out_tongue:

I have one, so far. Again, demonic possession is not common because it’s also uncomfortable for the demon.

Don’t ask XD I just looked up demon ranks and went with whatever the internet spit out at me with a few tweaks to simplify it.

The king is the highest, yep.

He’s * checks notes * one of the great princes of the underworld. There’s many princes of the underworld and he’s one of them. How many are there, you might ask? I have no idea XD

I’m assuming it’s because it takes the demon a lot of energy to do it. It takes a lot to make a contract already, so changing it requires a little bit more. Souls are food, after all.

Wait, I just realized… soul food, literally XD

I’m tempted to write an exorcism dark humor story at some point :smirking_face:

I just speculate how it works

I would think it’s less about being smart and skillful like it is in the demon world. Maybe it’s like fighting to get to the top kind of thing, and just so happens that the angellic on the top was just good at whatever and got there, and also happened to be smart enough and intelligent enough to be the best.

I’m thinking that maybe the angellics are constantly trying to get there in a very, wild animal fighting to be alpha type of way :stuck_out_tongue: Imagine, angellics fighting each other to be the best more so than demons fighting each other to be the best. Angellics aren’t always peaceful, maybe. Think it’s a good twist on the usual demon vs angel lore stuff out there? :wink:

It was all getting really long XD

Questions and stuff!

Questions!

Ooooh. So, what does it look like? (or, maybe, not look like since it’s nothing XD)

Ahhh, yes, that makes sense now :grin:

Hmm, so what is the basis for this claim? What are the main theories?

I also want to know, what are the powers that Amneris has? Just been curious because so far from what I’ve heard of her, she’s kind of got very big powers?

That’s kind of like how I imagined the demons and angellics in Project Demon Friend. They just kinda start existing XD But there are exceptions… I think there should be at least some way for them to be created when someone dies

Not sure how. I kind of don’t want to use “judgement“. I want to twist it. Because sometimes good and evil isn’t so clear.

Yeah maybe. My second idea was that humans can’t accept the fact that there isn’t anything beyond demons and angellics, so they made-up the existence of a god. But in reality, everything just exists. Life just happened (and of course, biology).

But then that would break the idea that there is some kind of judgement happening in the spirit realm to make some into angellics, make some into demons, and just let some go to rest, and keep some just wandering.

Btw, how do beings understand good and evil in your world? Like, the Vetlun or Phoenixes, First Beings, Primordials, etc.?

After reading all that, this sounds like a terribly terrifying thing :sweat_smile: Did anyone create the Walls? Does anyone maintain them or used to? The Vetlun, perhaps? Do they ever try to destroy the Walls for funzies because they can?

Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that one. I’m not super outside of this knowledge actually XD I sometimes subject my poor brain to complicated documentaries about space and time because I’ve always found black holes and dark matter fascinating. But I understand very little. Still, I consume it :stuck_out_tongue:

Cool, you mean :wink:

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Richard: Met Charles Reuben Rushford who owns a candy shop, and ate his juicy soul with his demon, Charcoal. And then stole his identity including the candy shop. No one knows Charles is actually dead.

Allen: Resurrected. Illegally. That was exciting :stuck_out_tongue:

Mallord: I think he published another book in his children’s book series. It’s based on his adventurous detective days.

Michael: Taken under the wing of a street gang leader.

Anastasia: Escaped her captors where she was forced to be a servant.

Tovmeyidnan (or Tov): Met Richard and Charcoal. Made a deal to do chores for them in exchange for food and shelter.


At least, for starters, the main characters. That was a good question, btw :wink:


So, tell me, what’s the name of your world. And tell me three things about it.

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