The geography of magic
Introduction to the story | Noéline Rihour | Biology of magic | Novel upcoming
Noéline winced as the carriage crossed into a new magic current that hit her violently from the side. Its flavour was absolutely repugnant. Where could it have possibly come from? The sewers? She struggled to repress a shiver and hide her discomfort. With all the travelling they did in their childhood, nobles were compatible with a wide range of currents. No way she would highlight even more the fact that she was an outsider. Thankfully, the carriage soon emerged out of the current to plunge into a vast and calm river. Noéline discreetly took a deep breath. How bad was the magic at the university going to be if she could barely tolerate such weak currents?
The next time the carriage went through a current hostile to Noéline, she was not so fortunate. It ran alongside the road they were traveling on, and neither the current nor the road showed signs of turning away any time soon. Another lurch of the carriage almost sent her flying. She would have thought the university would have taken more care in transporting the precious offspring of the most important houses of the kingdom! But no, for sure, this was another test... She repressed a frown and focused her mind on her bracelet. It was made of simple, flat steel, completely out of place next to the gaudy gold pieces everyone else in the carriage was wearing, but perfect for engraving runes and stabilising magic fields. Noéline felt for them inside the metal. Its absorption of environmental magic had become terrible. So much for having made it omni-currents... Thankfully, with her high magic sensitivity, it was easy to use her own magic to gently push the fields in the bracelet to the side, rearrange a line here, and another there, and then... The magic output of the bracelet suddenly stabilised and resumed its job of softening the seat beneath Noéline and absorbing all lurches from the carriage. Perfect. The joy of being as talented as she was.
When the carriage finally stopped and Noéline stepped outside, her breath was cut by what was in front of her. The magic was absolutely breathtaking! The mightiest waterfall she had ever seen was rushing down the atmosphere and crashing onto the earth exactly where a just as powerful spring was jumping out of the ground. Both currents were crashing against each other in a spectacular show. Even after a few minute of contemplation, Noéline kept catching herself straining to hear the noise of the water despite knowing perfectly well that magic did not behave that way. The group of students among which she was standing was gathered by a guide and shepherd towards the currents. The silence surrounding them was deafening. Breaking it would have insulted the solemnity of the moment. Only when they were standing right in front of the currents was Noéline able to vaguely perceive buildings inside of them. Claret. This was the first time her vision had been so affected by the intensity of the magic surrounding her—and indeed, both senses were supposed to be completely different! One by one, the new students started to move inside the current. When her turn came, Noéline took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and stepped forwards.
Noéline struggled to keep her balance, to not fall to her knees, to keep breathing even! The magic was so intense—so violent! What she had felt before was nothing to how all her senses were completely offset now. And there was nothing she could do except fight for each new breath and hope her body acclimated quickly enough. It took her an eternity before she was able to perceive images and sounds again, and still they stayed muffled and indistinct. Even if classes would not start before a few days, using magic in that kind of environment was going to be fun. And it was not as if she had already cheated her way through the magical strength admission test and would be at a disadvantage compared to everyone else... As soon as the visit of the university was finished, she was going to spend a few hours recalibrating all of her rune works. Contrary to her fellow students, she may not have the money to pay for top masters to equip her, but there was no way she was going to show up with inferior work when her skills were so much superior to them! Her lack of magical strength and noble blood would not be allowed to get in the way of her success...
The University of Claret | ||||||
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This system of magic is so interesting! I love the idea! The way Noeline's narrative is divided along with the information is very well done. Great work! I can't wait to read more!
Thanks :D The next article I'm working on is further developing the magic system. I'm really having fun with all those technical details XD
This is very interesting. You do mention Claret and the capital but could you perhaps focus on the history of a specific river ... like the one where the castle was built ... who built it ... why ... I would think there would be those who would perhaps have contested for that placement. Does having a castle in a magic river give the owner more status and influence socially, politically, etc? Why is there only a castle there and not some great university or another great city?
Thanks for your comment and suggestions! I don't know if I'll be able to answer anything about the specific history of a river in this article, as I'm only started to create this world and I don't have much of the history figured out yet, but those are interesting points for me to consider. For a general answer regarding the choice of river position, it's going to be pretty similar to how city locations were decided in our world. Not all of them are ideally located, but some have managed to make a perfect use of their environment for their defence and industry and have become famous as a result.
This is so cooooooooooooooooooooool! Ever present varied rivers and "flows" of magic all across the world is awesome. I love that they get weirder as they go underground, and I *really* love that they have a "flavour" associated with them. I had been thinking about how one might structure a city or build key buildings with regards to these rivers, and then you went and covered that section and it was great! I wonder, extrapolating from that, what would a city look like built around a few different rivers intersecting? What buildings would be placed in the intersections of rivers, or in rivers by themselves? I feel like an aerial view of that city would be really interesting to see the flowing and weaving patterns that'd naturally form. Really really great article, Amé!
Those are great questions! I wanted to develop more how buildings were positioned, but then I got lazy XD Exact building locations is indeed essential, with townhalls, palaces, nobles houses, and garrison taking all the prime spots, then it get decided by wealth and the needs of people's occupations (like tanners needed real river, some craftsmen need special magical currents). But also, the orientation of the houses and the locations of the rooms inside the buildings are important. And you're right about aerial views/maps; they would need to show magical currents... I should probably make one at some point, at least of the university. But that won't be anytime soon, as I need to worldbuild it some more before that. Thanks for you comment :D
Really interesting worldbuilding and magic system. I love the snippets of prose too - especially the one with the stinky river current. I don't know why but that one tickled me. :)
Thanks :D I really like the idea of magic currents having smells, it's going to be fun to play with!
I don't think it can be said enough, what a cool concept. Magic as waterways and rivers. What an absolutely neat take on the whole challenge, and so detailed and well expressed!
Thank you :D Magic as water is always something I play with, but I don't normally make it as physical as I have here. It really creates a lot of possibilities and limitations, and I'll have fun playing with that!
What a nice twist to the river/waterway challenge! This sounds like a very interesting magic system and I especially like how all settlements are actually placed according to the currents. It must perhaps be hard from time to time to find a good place for magic rivers and normal rivers at the same location :p Also intersting is how magic users have to change the way they go about their magic depending on the magical current they are in. I wonder if there is perhaps also magic that is only possible to cast in certain currents? As always great work!
Thanks :D Yes good point regarding the water rivers and magic rivers have to both be taken into account when founding a city. That means that not all cities are placed in ideal locations and that people make do with what they can, but some cities are very famous for having managed to do so. And yes too for some magic only being possible in certain types of currents. Although it is more about general characteristics, such as a ritual requiring a very stable current or a very agitated one. And some magics can be facilitated if they are performed in a current with compatible properties or otherwise made a lot more difficult and dangerous.
Fingers crossed that Noéline manages to make it through and teaches them all a lesson. Hm... I can imagine having a clashing spot would be a nice spot for a castle, have a bad magic area just outside your walls so that you can easily fence off invaders.
That's a good point. I haven't yet decided on all the details regarding that. My thought for now was that the border areas between magic currents create some instability (because of the different direction, speed and properties of the currents) that would make sending a magical attack through more difficult. But having something like whirlpools right outside the city could also be interesting... Thanks for your comment :D
Amélie, what can I say other than this is another absolutely fantastic entry! I always love the coupling of magic and water, I don't know why but this kind of theme always wins me over. Magic system just sounds really interesting and I really can't wait to see and read more!
Thank you <3 Magic being visualise as water is also one of my favourite, and I always end up coming back to it no matter how many different worlds and magic systems I create XD
Absolutely get that, it's a habit I fall into with making water deity. Somehow... they always end up related to water and magic in one way or another. xD
This is really neat! And even having different currents as sensory stimulation used as games for children :) I like the story segments too!
Thank you :D I'm very happy with the idea of sensory stimulation, as I got it while reading a random tumblr post just when I was writing this article XD
Interesting! This seems like a cool world. I always love a good magical university/school! I imagine the drama will be intense for the main character, Noeline since she's not a noble-blooded person...
Thanks :D I don't want the drama to be so much around Noéline's commoner status, as she will attempts to keep her head down and actually focus on her studies. It's her new friends that are going to be the source of drama with the petty quarrels between nobles. Although Noéline's status does make an outsider and will influence how much and how she can interfere.