Tag: bane of ashkarith

Saturday Setup – Magic: Systems

Ariel Paiement

Introduction

Last Saturday Setup, we talked about establishing rules for magic and how important that was. This week, we’re going to discuss different systems for magic. This is equally important, though it is a much different discussion than the previous post on magic was. This time, we’re looking at the actual system the rules will function in, which will help you to further categorize your magic use in any given world as well as what rules to associate with it. So, let’s dive right in!

System One: Rational

Now, for this, different people have different definitions, but the general consensus is that a rational system of magic is one where there is an underlying rationale and framework for the magic. Sometimes these systems are also referred to as hard magic systems. The rules are more than just formalities necessary to make it work. In a system like this, they are the lifeblood and the indicator of a much larger structure at work.

Most of the time, a rational system is set up so that’s it’s easy to extrapolate from there. You’ve got your systems where things can occur seemingly at random or where things may not always go according to plan. Those aren’t rational systems. A rational system is something that hints at structures that might go back to something like physics (Avatar: The Last Airbender) or some other specific set of rules that won’t be bent (almost any superhero fantasy). Brandon Sanderson uses a rational magic system in Mistborn. The abilities are utilized by ingesting various metals, which then lead to different magical abilities or superpowers. While the individual themselves must have an inherent ability to use that metal in order to get results, the system is logical and rational because each metal can only do the things assigned to it, and no individual who isn’t Mistborn or specifically attuned to that metal will be able to use it to achieve those assigned things. There’s no mystery or question in it, no vagueness that leaves the reader wondering how this works. It is what it is, and it’s made very clear up front what it is.

Let’s break down an example from my work, Pathway of the Moon. Pathway of the Moon has a mix of hard and soft magic systems (We’ll look at the soft side in a moment). On the hard side of things, there is the system that allows for a few things to happen. First, an individual will either be Inherent (possess an ability) or UnInherent (no ability). From there, a clear set of rules governs the power distribution. With the exception of a few special cases, people control one part of one sphere or element. They can either have a specific ability in the mental or physical areas, or they can control some small part of an element (water, fire, earth, and air). No one gets more than one ability, though some may be more practiced in their area and therefore stronger than another or may contain stronger ability in the first place.

Take Amadeira, for instance. She’s one of two female leads in the epic, and her ability has to do with water. (Elemental Inherent). However, she can’t control everything related to water. Instead, she is able to manipulate existing water sources. Not create them. Just manipulate what exists. Someone else might be able to create water, of course, but then they would not be able to shape it to their will. Under this same idea, someone might be able to create ice from existing water or manipulate ice as it already exists. Still another might have the ability to create ice from thin air. This is a rational system though. There are rules, and with one or two exceptions (the special ones who can use dark or light for their ability), everyone follows them. Even the exceptions follow a set of rules and have an explanation for their existence.

Note that there can still be some mystery to a rational system in that not all rules may be explained. However, the key is that there will be subtle clues and hints toward those rules not revealed so that when something we didn’t realize could occur happens, we aren’t questioning how it’s possible. It just makes sense to us. A true rational, hard magic system will lay out all the rules for the reader because it’s necessary. So there is a slight difference in the terms rational and hard even though people often use them interchangeably.

System Two: Irrational

So with this system, it shouldn’t be assumed that there’s no logic or system at all. There usually is something, but this is more the Lord of the Rings style magic where nothing is exactly clear or predictable. We may wonder how Gandalf can appear at all the right times, but we accept that he can, not because we have reasons within the text but simply because he is Gandalf and that’s what Gandalf does. It’s mysterious and definitely goes unexplained, but it’s still accepted because, hey, that’s just the way it works around Tolkien’s world.

Systems like these are usually less focused on the rules. An individual may memorize an incantation to turn someone into a toad, but in a soft and irrational magic system, they can’t turn around and extrapolate out for a way to turn that person back from toad to human.

Worth noting is the fact that systems like this may often include plants or animals that contain some inherent magic of their own. People who use magic aren’t included in this as you can’t create a potion out of them and get something magical. But, just like with the spells, the system relies on memorization of the different potions and incantations because there’s no logic to it that can be discerned by reader or character. Trial and error is the key to the game.

These systems may also include old magic and artifacts. While both of these could show up in a rational system if the rules are clear and unwavering, they most often seem to show up in systems that are irrational or that utilize soft magic simply because these allow some level of uncertainty and mystery to the magic’s workings.

Let’s go back to Pathway of the Moon to talk about the aspects of the system that are soft irrational magics. While, arguably, Pathway of the Moon uses rules even for this second system of magic, it isn’t like the first one I explained. This one is much more vague and unclear. This system is for the UnInherents (those who can’t naturally use magic), and it is much more of a memorization, spells-based system. Certain types of plants and spells can harness the energy of the planet or, in the case of darker forms of magic, even the life force of people to generate various magical effects. While the system is supposedly only for UnInherents, Inherents may use it too if they go dark and are looking for the power. But the system doesn’t have rules that allocate who can achieve what amount of power or even if one spell can lead to another. Included in this are various artifacts both in the Aurelai Universe (the location where Pathway of the Moon and my published work, Bane of Ashkarith, take place) and in other universes. Most of my worlds contain this kind of duality in the system, which leads to the next point.

System Three: Dual or Hybrid Systems

Many fantasy novels these days are using a hybrid or dual system that blends or uses both of the magic systems described above. Pathway of the Moon falls under this. My book’s universe uses more of a dual system as there are, quite literally, two different magic systems at work: one rational and based more on magic with genetics and the other irrational with no clear system or basis in any set of rules that would allow extrapolation. However, this is a less common thing to see. Ordinarily, you will see systems that are a mixture of qualities from the previous two systems. This is why you can end up with a soft rational system or a hard irrational system. While the soft rational or hard rational systems may make sense to us, I’ll make a few quick notes about a hard irrational system. With a hard irrational system, you’re going to take the set of rules that are always explained and combine it with things that are impossible. 

As stupid as the example is, think about My Little Pony (if you have younger sisters or daughters who liked this show, I’m sorry. I was subjected to watching it once or twice with my baby sister, and that was bad enough. Those of you who end up watching it over and over… That’s like your own personal hell, in my opinion…). In the movies and shows, the rules and limitations are always explained. But the reasons for it make absolutely no sense in that there’s no way they could possibly occur. Ever. They’re either impossible or just straight up unexplained. Therefore, it makes a great example for what I was saying about a system that falls between being hard rational and soft irrational. It becomes a hybrid best described as hard irrational, as weird as it may seem.

Conclusion

Hopefully, all of this makes sense and helps everyone creating a magic system to create one that fits their story needs and personal preferences. There’s a ton of leeway with the hybrid systems because it combines elements from the rational and irrational systems. There’s also the option to create a world with dual systems, as I did with Alcardia from Bane of Ashkarith and Pathway of the Moon. (Interestingly enough, when I created dual systems, you see more of the soft irrational system come out in areas of Bane of Ashkarith than you do in Pathway of the Moon, which focuses far more heavily on the rules and extrapolating from them.) Really, you aren’t locked in, though you do want to create what best allows you to implement and tell your story. 

Have other tips or details on these systems? Have a question about implementing them or further inquiries about them? Feel free to leave it in the comments below! I’d be happy to talk about it a bit more in depth!

Launch Celebration Wrap Up

Ariel Paiement

Well, everyone, the launch for Bane of Ashkarith has gone well! Thanks to a great team of helping hands and some really amazing authors, I had a good blog tour and a successful launch party on Facebook.

If you’re curious about the book, you can find out more about it here on the blog or on Facebook and Amazon. The book is now live on Kobo and Amazon as either a paperback or ebook. The paperback is exclusively available on Amazon for now. In the future, I may also have the book available on other sites, but for now, it’s just available through Kobo and Amazon.

Be on the lookout for reviews from those who had ARC copies or acquired copies after the launch as those will be coming out in the days to come.

To everyone who celebrated with me, thank you! You guys made this lots of fun, and I know all the others authors who joined me had a blast too. I hope that you’ll pick up your copy of Bane of Ashkarith on Amazon or Kobo. If you do, consider leaving a review! It would really help me to know what you enjoyed and what you didn’t. I’m not perfect, and there’s always something I can improve!

Have a question about the book or want to know something particular about the launch and my journey? Feel free to drop me a comment below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Blog Tour – An Inside Look at My Writing Process

Ariel Paiement

A few people have asked either in interviews or privately about my writing process. They’ve wanted to know about how I handled planning and writing Bane of Ashkarith. Some people were surprised by what I shared, and I thought it might be interesting to give my readers a behind-the-scenes on what I do when I’m working on a book. So let’s get started!

Setup

I’m a bit of a neat freak and have strong OCD tendencies when it comes to getting ready to write. I can’t stand working in a messy space. Things have to be organized. I can’t write until they are. I’ll just stare at the screen and the mess around me without writing anything at all.

So my first step is usually to tidy up wherever I’m writing. I need to clear at least enough space to work. So if I’m sitting on my bed, I have to have the covers straightened out even if I’m huddling under them on a cold day. If I’m at my desk, things are more cramped and cluttered because I don’t have much space for things, but stuff still has to be ordered and neat. It’s even more important at the desk because there’s more to distract me.

The last thing I always do when I’m getting ready to write is pull up the spreadsheet where I keep track of the times I’m writing and how many words I got in a session. Yes, I do this. It helps me understand what my best writing hours are and, on average, how long a writing session should be to really start rolling out word count. Besides, it’s a nice feeling to be able to look back at what I’ve accomplished in a given week.

This was the log from a few weeks ago.

Writing Log

The empty slots, by the way, are days where I wasn’t able to do any writing on my current fiction projects.

Maybe now it won’t surprise everyone as much that I was an accounting major.

Planning

So, if the writing log and weird requirements for my writing space weren’t enough to tip everyone off, I’m big on organization and planning. My books are no different. I’m a plotter all the way.

I used to be a seat-of-the-pants type of writer. I just winged it with no plan at all and hoped it worked out well. (It never did.) The method just stressed me out because I never knew anything before I started, and it sucked up so much time to edit it that I quickly realized I enjoyed the process more if I planned first. It’s not for everyone, but it is absolutely for me.

If you haven’t tried plotting before, I would highly recommend you do. I’ll explain in a second what I did for Bane of Ashkarith and what I do now for every book I write, but let me say that plotting doesn’t have to suck all the joy out of everything. There’s room for breathing. You can plot just the bare bones if that’s all you need, or you can go all out.

But not plotting leads to a lot more revisions, rough drafts, and plot holes. So if you haven’t already done so, at least give it a try.

Anyway, for Bane of Ashkarith, I employed a method I hadn’t really used much before. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m big on plotting. But I’d never really bothered plotting past a general idea of the content for each chapter. I knew the big events, but none of the details were really solid in between the events. Writing took a lot longer because I had to think about all of that as I wrote.

With Bane of Ashkarith, I chose to plot out the basic highlights of each chapter and then, in the revision stage, I took it a step further and plotted out the individual scenes in each chapter. The result was that I wrote more words in the same amount of time because I didn’t have to hem and haw about what would happen.

I did all of this on pieces of line paper while in different classes when professors weren’t looking at what I was doing (don’t follow my example, by the way. Paying attention in class is usually a good idea.). As a result, I don’t have the scenes from Bane of Ashkarith. But I’ve done it with other novels, so I’ll share the ones I did for On Anarchy’s Wings, my current work-in-progress.

Scene Planning

I apologize for the low quality of the image. I wasn’t able to get a better picture because I wrote with pencil here. I did enhance it so the text would be darker though. The basics of each scene include: listing the viewpoint character, numbering the scenes, and listing down what happens in the scene.

This might sound like a ton of work. I guess it is a little bit overwhelming if you try to do a bunch at once. But I found that I could spend maybe ten or fifteen minutes sitting down before a writing session and jotting down the highlights of every scene in the chapter or two chapters I was going to write without a problem. It didn’t take that much time, and my writing was much more focused.

Writing

Now the part most people would say is the fun part. I think all the parts of writing are fun, but I recognize that I’m not the norm. Regardless, my writing process is pretty simple. I usually pick either an amount of time or a certain length in the novel to write. With Bane of Ashkarith, I usually opted for sitting down and writing until I had finished a chapter, however long that was. But if I’m limited on time or need to work on other projects too, I’ll pick a specific time frame to write, and I’ll work until that time is up.

I’m pretty easily distracted by my phone at the beginning of a writing period or when the scenes are a struggle to write for one reason or another, so I have to keep it away from me while I write so I don’t waste time on YouTube or Facebook. Yeah, I procrastinate just like most other authors I know. I’m normal that way, if nothing else. It’s not really a point I’m proud of since it involves wasting time, but it is what it is.

Editing

With the last part of the writing process, I usually write and re-write for a set time period. Otherwise, I have a tendency to lose track of time and just keep going so I can finish just one more chapter.

Editing is something that I really love. I know… It’s weird. But, nonetheless, I do love it. I can’t decide if I like writing or editing better. When it comes to my editing habits, I go through the work once looking for places where the characters’ voices need to come through more clearly for deep point of view and places where things just seem to drag. If it doesn’t interest me, it’s a safe bet it probably isn’t going to interest the readers. After all, I should be the one most invested in my own work. So if I’m not, why would anyone else be?

After I finish cutting and tightening, adding and re-writing, then cutting and tightening again, I move on to editing for consistency, grammar, and all those little parts of a novel that slip through the cracks sometimes on us when we’re writing. If I didn’t catch it before, my goal is to catch it at this point.

Once I’ve done all that, the last thing I check for is readability and flow. I just go through and make sure everything is said in the best way possible to get the point across. Preferably without being wordy.

Conclusion

This was a bit of a lengthy post, but I hope that it’s been interesting and, even more importantly, helpful to you guys. Writers are always learning, growing, and adapting. I’m no different, and my writing process now has definitely matured from where it was even a year ago. But I’ve found a method that works well for me, so I stick with it and just tweak it to improve the process where it might still be bumpy.

So what about you guys? Do you have anything you have to do before you’re able to focus on writing? What about your writing process? Anything you do that you think others might benefit from? If so, leave a comment and tell the rest of us about it! We’d love to hear about how other writers handle the writing process.

Character Interview and Guest Post with C. Penticoff

Ariel Paiement

For today’s stop on the blog tour, I have two different blogs run by C. Penticoff. Out of Your Write Mind is a blog with writing advice and various writers’ services. The guest post here is about a new approach to dealing with writer’s block and the reasons it occurs. Read the guest post here.The second blog, cpenticoff is Cassandra’s personal blog. Here, she did a character interview with Kaidan. Check that out here.

Glossary for the Auralai Universe

Ariel Paiement

Actors – On Alcardia, actors are viewed as the lowest of the low and the greatest tricksters of them all. As such, the word is viewed as an insult. As a byword, it implies that the person is dishonest or a scoundrel.

Agharval – Meat with a venison flavor mixed with a hint of sweetness.

Airship – Newer inventions on Alcardia, air ships are just like sea-faring vessels, but they’re outfitted for flight instead and are aerodynamic to make the job of those piloting it easier.

Albrith – Sister to Sedra and Rith; revered as the goddess of light because she wielded powerful light magic.

Alcardia – A planet in the universe of Auralai. It is the main backdrop for the Legends of Alcardia series and the first novel of the Annals of Alcardia, Pathway of the Moon.

Aldhel – A sweet, light scented flower that has a scent between lilacs and daffodils.

Aleshtain – Argos’s neighboring kingdom. Aleshtain is viewed by many as barbaric for its bloody customs, sadistic rituals, and poor treatment of women.

Alithweald – One of the continents on Alcardia. The terrain is mostly desert and jungle.

Alrian Haridan – The first female High Imperial Knight, Alrian Haridan served under King Faolrian and was partially responsible for protecting Argos from Aleshtain’s undercover invasion.

Amadeira Thyrdas – A maid from Halbras Keep. She’s Leo’s love interest and becomes central to keeping him tethered as he expands his reach with his powers.

Anne Ryalin – Leo’s mother.

Arabhin – Alternate name in Common for the city of Faeridhia.

Argos – The kingdom where Leo and Deira are from.

Ashkarith – Also known as the City of the Dead, Ashkarith was once the capital of Faelkish under Rith’s leadership.

Auralai – The universe where Alcardia is located.

Banach – Queen Banach or Bane of Ashkarith was one of Sedra’s creations. She married Rith, and through their descendants the Son of Shadows will come.

Banachians – Descendants from Banach’s branch of the original six. Often employed as con artists, lawyers, card sharks, or in any other position requiring a keen mind and the ability to quickly understand others.

Bodashel – A Wyrdhan word for pathway. The word is used interchangeably with svaemal in Banach’s diary.

Brennan Dubhar – One of King Faolrian’s High Imperial Knights. Serves under Alrian Haridan and is later revealed to be her love interest.

Brythweald – One of the continents of Alcardia.

Church of Sedra – The main organized religion of most flat-land countries, with Aleshtain being the major exception.

Chyl – Headmaster Chyl was the Headmaster of the Society of the Learned in Montelishra and Argos during the time when Kaidan and Zerua were Seekers.

Controdene – An individual with some sort of psi or psychic ability.

Crown Prince Alefor – Eldest son of Queen Banach and King Rith of Ashkarith.

Dhiabhan – Also known as Eras Thilain, Dhiabhan is the eldest son of King Rabhor Thilain of Aleshtain. He is also the air captain who helped Kaidan and Zerua reach Ashkarith and return with their findings.

Draweald – Another of the continents of Alcardia.

Dubarin Hill – The hill in Argos where the last Pathway stands. Kaidan and Zerua once discovered Banach’s journal there. Now the place houses Dubarin Manor and its fief.

Eldur – One of the original six, Eldur is worshiped as the god of fire.

Eldurians – Direct descendants from Eldur’s line. Typically work as blacksmiths, horsemen, or soldiers.

Elkis Lionel – Cousin to Leo Ryalin.

Endene – Someone who can use some form of air magic.

Faelkish – The kingdom originally belonged to Rith but is now ruled by various local clan leaders or minor kings. It houses Faeridhia and Aleshtain.

Faeridhia – Also known as Arabhin, Faeridhia is the most famous city in Faelkish.

Hael – Soft-bodied, gelatinous creatures that cling to the hulls of air ships and feed off the oxidization while secreting a light way, durable slime that coats the ship and lowers air restistance.

Inherent – One with a natural energy source to fuel their power.

Ishkalt – Ishtral’s realm. It has several circles and is known for being a cold, desolate place.

Ishtral – The moon god worshiped in Aleshtain and its colonies.

Ishtralianism – The religion of Ishtral. Most places view it as a cult.

Jia – One of the first six created by Sedra. Worshiped as the goddess of earth.

Ji’ans – Direct descendants from Jia’s line. Typically found working as farmers, woodsmen, woodcarvers, hunters, or soldiers.

Kaidan Tadegan – A Searcher who discovered Banach’s diary and was responsible for freeing the ghosts of Ashkarith.

Kateshvale – Small mountain town in Montelishra where Kaidan and Zerua lived.

Kiarhsu Kashal – The main villain leading the Ishtralian faction in Argos in Pathway of the Moon.

King Aladhan – King of Argos when Kaidan and Zerua first explore Dubarin Hill.

King Eranar – King of Faeridhia when Kaidan and Zerua explore Ashkarith.

King Faolrian Eralon – King of Argos during Leo and Amadeira’s time.

King Rabhor Thilain – King of Aleshtain and Dhiabhan’s father.

Kythweald – One of Alcardia’s continents.

Leorithdhil Ryalin – An assassin turned vigilante. The main character in Pathway of the Moon, he is responsible for over thirty vigilante kills among the ranks of the nobility.

Mahala – The goddess of marriage and fertility worshiped by the Faelkishians.

Marks – Symbols of matrimony. These are used instead of rings and appear on the collarbones or the necks of couples after the ritual binding them together is complete.

Mericus – One of the original six created by Sedra. Mericus is worshiped as the god of water.

Mericusians – Direct descendants from Mericus’s line. Usually employed as merchants or sea-men.

Montelishra – A kingdom located beside Argos. Montelishra was Kaidan Tadegan’s homeland.

Mysweald – One of the continents of Alcardia.

Nadar – One of the original six. Nadar is worshiped as the god of matter.

Nadarians – Direct descendants from Nadar’s line. Usually employed as con artists, lawyers, businessmen, miners, or in other jobs requiring an ability to manipulate matter or a great deal of strength.

Nytweald – One of the continents of Alcardia.

Pathway/Gate – The Pathways or Gates are the connections between the worlds and even between universes. Some of them are open for travel without restrictions, while others, like the Pathway on Alcardia, are locked for the time being.

Phyden – Someone who can control physical things. Usually comes in the form of shape-shifting, changing one’s physical strength, or changing mass of objects and people. This is the only ability that comes with different Tiers of strength in the power.

Platiniums – A form of currency used in Alcardia. It is one of the higher denominations. Most poor families might make three platiniums for a year’s wages.

Quarfa – A herd animal with lean meat and a somewhat gamey flavor.

Rhubhian – Cousin to King Eranor of Faeridhia. She was taken as a slave during a raid on an outlying village and is now Dhiabhan’s slave.

Rith – Also known as the Dark god or god of shadows. Rith comes from Riladia and is the younger brother of Sedra and Albrith.

Rithden – Those who possess Rith’s ability to wield the shadows.

Rithians – Those who are descended from Rith and Banach’s line. This term isn’t used often as most simply refer to their descendants as Banachians, a term that Sedra preferred after she wiped her brother and most of his line out.

Rith’s Demise – Dhiabhan’s air ship.

Rithweald – A continent of Alcardia.

Searchers – Searchers are Alcardia’s version of archaeologists. They spend their time chasing down the truth behind legends and uncovering historical sites. Some may also be involved in the restoration of historical sites or dig locations.

Sedra – Rith and Albrith’s eldest sister. She created the six original beings that the rest of the Alcardians descended from. Her thirst for power eventually was her downfall, but not before she’d killed both her siblings and wreaked havoc on countless planets in different universes.

Sedra’s Week – Alcardian months are all held standard at 30 days. As a result, this leaves them with an extra five days due to the planet’s rotation. These five days are celebrated as Sedra’s Week for the five days she spent creating the first five of the six. Every four years, they celebrate six days because on the fourth year of being on Alcardia, she created the last of the six original beings.

Serdweald – A continent on Alcardia.

Svaemal – A Wyrdhan word for gateway. Kaidan was trying to figure out what Banach meant in her diary in some areas because she kept switching between using this word and bodashel, which means pathway. The confusion occurred because the context didn’t differentiate between the two words even though there is usually a differentiation between the two in Wyrdhan.

Telfie – A small flying creature with fur that changes colors to fit its mood. They enjoy eating fruit and small flying eels, and they like to chew on leather whenever they can find it.

Teobhor – The mad bard from Faeridhia who told Kaidan and Zerua not to go to Ashkarith.

The Breaking – The Breaking occurred at a point in Alcardia’s earlier history when the continents divided into smaller continents, leaving Alcardia with the land masses it has today.

The Son of Shadows – A descendant of Rith who is foretold to have his spirit and his ability. This descendant is prophesied to be the one to finally bring down what Sedra worked so hard to build and the lies she told.

Un-Inherent – Someone who doesn’t have an inherent power source to fuel their ability. They can still use magic, but they must draw on the life force and power of living things besides themselves.

Valmurith – The surname for Sedra, Rith, and Albrith.

Wyrdhan – The original language spoken by Alcardians. The language has since broken down into other languages, but Argos, Aleshtain, and several other nearby kingdoms still speak some dialect of it.

Yarkiv Krivash – One of King Faolrian’s Imperial Knights. Serves under Alrian Haridan.

Zerua – One of the original six. She is worshiped as the goddess of the air.

Zerua Tadegan – A Seeker and Kaidan Tadegan’s wife.

Zeruains – Direct descendants from Zerua’s line. Usually employed as artisans, jewelers, and weapon craftsmen.