Happy Worldbuild Wednesday! Thank you so much for the Ask, @pluttskutt!

Happy WBW! 🧙 - If your world has magic users, can anyone use magic or is it something they are born with?

Oh, boy, do I have an answer for this! In my main WIP, The Last Wrath, magic - and therefore multiple forms of spellcasting - is something integral to the continent of Agrannor, where the story takes place.

Let's start from the beginning:

In the dark fantasy world of TLW, the lands of Agrannor, magical talent is a very varied concept.

For Mageborn (humans born with magical blood): They are born with pure magic in their blood, which means they have a natural connection to the ancient magic sources that once flowed freely throughout the lands. Those spellcasters are much more powerful and innately talented than any human sorcerer can ever hope to be naturally. Also, they are rather different from humans in many cultural traits, but also in their physical appearance (eye color, hair color, etc.), especially when it comes to the striking Mageborn "runic markings" that naturally occur the more a mage practices their power. Their magic comes from within them and rarely requires the assistance of external means. Since their magic is an inherent part of their blood - something they're born with, they can use their magic without the need for casting runes (though some, more tricky, spells require the use of rune casting) and usually have a connection with a specific type of magic they use to power their spells

E.g. You can be a Nightshaper, a mage who harnesses their magic from the power of the night - the darkness, the stars, the moon, the cold, etc - to cast their spells. In TLW, Vallerius Zyndrosar is a Nightshaper mage.

You can be an Icebringer, a mage who harnesses their magic from the power of winter - the ice, the wind, the stillness, etc - to cast their spells. In TLW, Cyprian Naras is an Icebringer.

You can be a Naturemorph, harnessing your powers from nature itself - from plants to stone, the very dirt you walk on and the heartbeat of earth, etc. In TLW, Myrah Faron is a Naturemorph.

Among many other types of mages.

For the Non-Magical People of Agrannor: Humans are not born magically talented, having little to no natural connection to the ancient magic sources (though some have what is called a "magical affinity" which means they have a slight connection the the Sources, and more chance to succeed should they choose to follow that path). They can, however, become sorcerers or wizards. In Agrannor, a sorcerer relies on an external source of magical powers (usually an artifact, a magically imbued runic weapon, potions or an artificial rune-engraved tattoo/marking) to harness and use magic, and it will never be a natural part of them like it would be for a mage.

Usually, in Agrannor, most of the magic for said artifacts is harnessed from natural sources, such as magical crystals, or magically rich environments, without causing harm to anyone. A talented sorcerer can have a magically imbued tattoo/marking engraved in their skin - usually in their arm - giving them free access to their trained powers anytime they need them. Zephyr Tellian is the most notable human sorcerer in Agrannor, born in the Fallen Kingdom of Eldon, Zephyr was a remarkably magically-talented child, with a strong magical affinity, and got his runic mark early on from the Eldonian Order of Sorcerers, before being forced to flee the fallen kingdom. Yuna Thyren is also a sorcerer in TLW, and her powers come from her runic weapons - crafted by herself - and her mystical heritage.

Another important distinction:

Pure Magic - the magic carried by the Mageborn and the other sentient magical species of Agrannor. Being something they're born with, it is completely natural and stems from the nature around them and the ancient sources.

Artificial Magic - The magic used by most of the human sorcerers and magic warriors in Agrannor. It can have two origins:

Dark/Corrupted Magic - Dark magic is a form of natural/Pure magic, derived from the corruption of the natural ancient magic sources and of magical phenomena around the continent. The corruption of magic is caused by the actions of the Secret Court (an ancient order of corrupted sorcerers who seek to rewrite the world in blood), and is extremely dangerous, unstable, and deadly. It also causes the existence of Fallen Ones - mageborn, faeborn, elves, etc - who are born with the natural magic already tainted by darkness, for the source with which they were connected was corrupted before their birth.

For other sentient (non-human) magical races in Agrannor - Elves, Merfolk, Vampires/Dhampirs, and Faeborn are all born with an inherent connection to the magic around them, being made from it, and have to train their spellcasting skills like any mage seeking to improve their innate abilities.

There are magical academies and orders that exist to train magically talented people - be it mages or sorcerers - and all of them have different approaches to the learning/teaching process and what kind of spellcasters they'll train.

NOTE:

The Secret Court - Formed during the Ancient Wars - a vast conflict that tore the continent apart millennia before the current story even takes place - they sought to learn how to control and utilize the strangely occurring dark magic phenomena around them, creating the most dangerous form of magic that would late serve as their weapon of war against the continent. Even after their perceived defeat by Dawn Knight Abavven Ashiren, all those years ago, they continued working from the shadows - corrupting the ancient sources and twisting the minds of the weakwilled - until their return in the current age of Agrannor. Anyone can become a member of the Secret Court, if tainted by dark magic, and become just as - if not more - powerful than any untainted mage. Dark magic twists the very nature of a being, becoming one with them. It is an extremely vile and dangerous practice that is outlawed - for good reason - in all regions of Agrannor.

So, in short:

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Thank you for the Ask, @clairelsonao3!

What's an element of the world of The Last Wrath that you initially wanted to include, but ultimately didn't, and why didn't you?

This is a very difficult question to answer. Namely because, out of what I created for this world's WIP, most of it was intentional and takes some part in the characters' stories and lives as a whole (as in the setting the characters live in has a concrete impact on who they grow up to become), and so, much of the ideas I come up with are - in some shape or form - added and adapted to the existing aspects of Agrannor.

However, when The Last Wrath was still early on in the development/creation process there were two things that would have been included, but were changed/scrapped in the current draft:

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you for the Ask, @writernopal!

If your OCs had an unexpected day off, what would they spend it doing?

This is such a cool question, btw. Here go some of my characters in a day off:

RAELEN - If Raelen had a day off, she would absolutely spend it exploring an unknown patch of forests until she finds just the perfect, magical spot for her to read. Then, the rest of the day would be spent reading her tomes in the tranquility of nature.

AZRA - If Azra had a day off, he would spend most of it flying on his dragon, Mystral, high above everything and everyone else, up in the clouds, taking quick breaks here and there to rest atop a mountain and eat some snacks.

JULYAN - If Julyan had a day off, he would 100% use it to mostly rest. His life is usually chaos and he is almost always working, so days off are a rare blessing he intends to make the most out of. He'd probably sleep in, but not too late into the day, then make some tea and just relax, do nothing for a while.

VALLERIUS - Vall would spend his day off in some city, trying out the best that kingdom has to offer. From local fairs/jousting competitions to taverns with good food and betting games, you can be certain Vall would be there, anywhere there's good fun and prizes to be won (even if it's just a tasty meal on a small tavern).

NYX - Nyx would spend his day off trying to find a place far away from any human eyes, where he could be alone to unwrap his wings and fly by himself for the first time in gods know how long, finally getting to enjoy being a faery if only for a small while.

KADEN & SYBIL - These twins rarely do anything without one another, and days off are no different - never one without the other, even during vacation. They'd likely spend it writing cool songs and practicing the lute, before going off to find some (small-scale) trouble to spice up the day.

INNARA - If Innara had a day off, you can bet she would spend it enjoying the best of the kingdom's daily life, especially if there is a festival to be found. She'd be in her element, likely dragging either Helios or one of her cousins to join her at the party/festival. She'd then end the day by climbing to a high tower and watching the city lights below flickering like little stars.

ZEPHYR - Zephyr would likely spend even his day off reading ancient tomes and studying magic, even if a little bit less intensively than usual. If he was ever, miraculously, convinced to take a break, Zephyr would then take time to just chill out, sleep and eat some good food (instead of just random snacks throughout a study day). Jamie might convince him to take a walk around town and see all the cool things their kingdom has to offer.

JAMIE - Jamie would spend his day off by waking up early, taking a walk down at the city early in the morning, and maybe even going out to ride around in the meadows outside the city. He'd buy himself his favorite desserts and then spend the rest of the day talking to Myrah and geeking out about ancient magic facts, or even go to watch a local jousting competition while eating candy. He might try to convince Zephyr to - at least once - spend some time out of his study and actually talk to them about fun stuff, but there's a high chance he'll fail at his attempt to get the older boy to take a break.

QUINN - Would be ecstatic about the idea of a whole day away from the nobles he works for. He'd likely spend his whole day painting and drawing in his room, enjoying his free time. He would also make sure to spend the day with his 5-year-old son, with whom he rarely has much time to be around during his normal days.

EMRYC - If Emryc had a day off, he'd 100% spend it by going out to the best underground taverns around and spending the day on betting games, drinking wine, and making a whole lot of money out of those stupid enough to think they can beat him in a match of Deadly Bones (an Agrannorian dart game with high-stakes)

NADINNE - Nadinne would go out to one of the many beaches in her seaside kingdom. If she is lucky, her former pet sea monster, a giant whale/shark-like creature named Mister Truffles, might come to visit and play with her in the sea. She'd watch the sailing ships pass by in the distance and disappear on the horizon, dreaming of one day having her own ship that would sail into the unknown.

ARAMMIS: Its prank time! Arammis would use her free time to play pranks on her friends, and especially on her siblings, likely starting a minor "prank war". When she grows bored of it, Arammis would likely take some time to walk to the city, buying her favorite snacks, and then suddenly chasing a random alley cat to try and bring it home with her (because she loves fluffy animals)

NETHEN - Would take his free day to get as far away from the Imperial Palace and into the forgotten woods outside of the city, where he'd visit the secret little memorial he made for Elain (since Elain didn't have a marked grave, Nethen made sure that he at least had a memorial, even if he wasn't buried there), and talk to it as if telling his friend the news about the past few weeks. After some time, he would go home and likely spend his day reading books at the royal library and avoiding other nobles.

These are the ones I could think of right now!

Thank you for the Ask, @theroseempress!

Three Random Facts About Me:

+ Bonus:

4. The songs "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell, and "For Forever" & "Requiem" both from the musical Dear Evan Hansen, make me sob every time

5. I am an art student who makes illustrations and is in the process of learning how to make art for games and animation.

6. Castlevania and The Dragon Prince, two completely unrelated series, are my favorite (animated) medieval fantasy shows to watch.

Thank you for the Ask, @scribbling-stardust!

🌑 New moon - Who is your most mysterious character? Are they different from what people assume?

In my main WIP - The Last Wrath - I do have quite a few characters that could easily be described as mysterious - in different ways. I'll mention some of them to answer this Ask.

Lord Nethen Fahris -

Nethen is a young political manipulator. Born to a crooked noble family in the Morosyn Empire, Nethen vowed that he would use his influence to change things for the better - and bring down both his family's own corruption and the cruel Emperor Aerich himself. To do this, Nethen must become someone unreadable, in order to fool his enemies that he is on their side - as in, he needs to convince the villains that he works for them when deep down he is on the side of the protagonists. He does this so well that even those who get closest to him aren't able to uncover much about him, and it is nearly impossible to tell his true motives. He uses his mystery to his advantage and does it well.

Are they different from what people assume?

In many ways. Since no one knows much about him, most people's assumptions about him, his personality, and his goals are vastly incorrect. While he does use this to his advantage most times, it often does cause confusion between him and those he is truly trying to help. Deep down beneath his ruthless, calculated, and flirty facade, he is actually someone who cares deeply about others and has a very strong moral compass of what is right or wrong. He is manipulative, but only towards his even more manipulative enemies and the political system he lives in - he would never do it to cause harm to someone innocent.

Tanwin Lyrandeth -

Tanwin is one of the deadliest and most ruthless warriors currently alive. Having a cold and oftentimes skeptical personality, Tanwin is not someone you'd want to cross. Forced to become a weapon of war (as in, experimented on to become the perfect soldier) by his enemies, Tanwin keeps his emotion so in check that he rarely feels them anymore. When meeting him, his cold exterior and harsh personality make it impossible to truly know what he is thinking underneath all that turmoil. At the same time this young elf could kill someone without batting an eye, he would just as easily spare someone else. Even to those he was once close to, Tanwin has become a total mystery.

Are they different from what people assume?

Yes and no. While he is a deadly and very dangerous soldier, and that's very clear to see, there's more to him than what his harsh personality and cold exterior make it seem. He is very emotionally withdrawn, but deep down, he just wants to be understood and feel safe for once, something he was deprived of a long time ago. He cares a lot about the very specific set of people he trusts, and though he is really bad at showing it, he would do anything for the safety of his friends. Tanwin - despite having done very bad things - just wants to be seen as a person again, not just a weapon.

Yuna Thyren -

Yuna is a young freedom fighter, fighting on the side of the Agrannorian rebellion against the invading forces of both the Secret Court and the Morosyn Empire. Her past is a secret only she knows, and she has vowed that it will stay that way - not even her closest friends know about it. Yuna rarely lets her true colors and feelings show to those outside her inner circle of friends, even though she is far more open to those people, there still are secrets they do not know about her. Her mystical nature towards the natural sources of magic around them - as well as towards magical beasts - makes her even more of a curious character to those around her. Though she is a very blunt person who will always say what she thinks at any given moment, the mysteries surrounding her past are not something others would ever know.

Are they different from what people assume?

In some ways, yes. Yuna is indeed a very mystical and magically connected person, who will say things as she sees them and is not afraid of a good fight, but that's about it when it comes to how people see her. Beneath her sharp and aggressive exterior, she is much more perceptive and spiritually aware than anyone would ever realize about her. Though she is not the most delicate person in her outward behaviors, she does have a very nuanced worldview.

Quinn Aurellen -

Quinn is a captive courtesan (an entertainer of that kind) to the high-standing nobility of the Morosyn Empire's social circles. A prisoner of war, Quinn learned very early on during his stay in the Imperial Capital, that words have value - and what you let people know about you gives them the power to have control over your life. Quinn rapidly learned to adapt to his surroundings and never let people know what he is truly feeling. What they do not know, they cannot use against him. Conversely, he also made sure to know every little secret, scheme, and intrigue going on in the noble circles he found himself around, and knowing all of that information gives him power, even if he does not have freedom. No one knows more about the imperial court than he does, and Quinn has made sure that it stays that way. People usually don't pay much mind to the things they say around or to a courtesan, thinking that he is not a threat to their schemes, and that's precisely where they go wrong. Quinn also has an elusive, jaded personality (when it comes to talking to others), often using his words and wit to test new acquaintances and get to know their motives, something that little to no people can do to him (as in, he is difficult to read).

Are they different from what people assume?

Absolutely. Completely and utterly different. You see, the thing is, most of what people know Quinn for is just the persona he creates for the world, a person he can be in order to survive his hostile environment, a myth he has created for himself and himself alone. People only see this mysterious, jaded, and attractive persona he has built, not the true man behind his carefully calculated mask. Everything he says is a part of the (political and personal) theater in which he plays his part. In reality, Quinn is completely different than what his reputation would imply. He is a sweet, caring, and funny young man who loves arts and who will do anything to keep his family and friends safe, a young adult who loves wholeheartedly - and far more than he should - and who makes sarcastic jokes. His jaded persona has nothing to do with the true Quinn.

☄️ Comet - Who is your most self-destructive character? Why are they like that?

I have three of this kind! And they are self-destructive in very different ways. Namely, the characters are Ansell Kallik (the bodyguard and knight of lost princess Ellinor), Fabian Anynth (Luciya's older half-brother), and Vallerius Zyndrosar (Raelen Ashiren's love interest and best friend).

Ansell Kallik -

Ansell has a very dangerous mix of low self-esteem issues, and lack of self-preservation instincts, mixed with undying devotion and selflessness. As the bodyguard and most trusted knight of Princess Ellinor and a member of the Gilded Vipers, Ansell believes that it is his duty to ensure everyone around him is protected and safe, many times doing so at the cost of his own well-being. He pushes himself too far in his pursuit of doing his duty as a protector, deliberately putting himself in harm's way to keep his friends safe. Ansell believes that his calling is to protect and care for others, but he does so at the expense of his safety and health. Even as his friends try to urge him to be less reckless with his life, Ansell struggles with this aspect of his nature.

Vallerius Zyndrosar -

Vallerius struggles with strong feelings of self-loathing, stemming from a traumatic event in his past. He despises his magical affinity, as being the son of a Fallen One (mages born with the natural power of dark magic) it means that he has figments of dark magic in his blood and therefore - in his view - his powers are inherently corrupted and dangerous. Because of this, he often thinks that the bad things that happen around him and to the people he cares about are somehow his fault, or more specifically the fault of his powers. He does whatever it takes to prove to himself and the world that he is more than his perceived "bad blood", and often risks harming himself by keeping his powers suppressed for longer than it is safe.

Fabian Anynth -

In order to gain the respect and power he needed, as well as in a bargain to keep his sister alive, Fabian accepted to become a Radiant Hunter, something he had always despised in the past and which made him now a traitor to his own kind and race. Fabian destroyed his past self, the boy that wanted a brighter future, in the name of power and influence to do what he needed to do to not only finally be treated by others as an equal, but to ensure his little sister did not follow the same crooked path he did. There came a time in his life when he was forced to choose between following his ideals and doing whatever it takes, and he chose the latter. He chooses to become a monster because that's the only path he could take to ensure those he loved did not take the same road. Fabian knows there's no turning back, but now, if he is going to fall, he will take the Morosyn Empire with him, so that no one else has to make the choice he did.

Thank you for the Ask, @clairelsonao3! (I love this Ask Game!)

Do you have a character who is very dependent on another character? Is it healthy or unhealthy?

Yes, I do. Somewhat at least. While I do not write codependency situations - at least not on purpose - I do have characters that are very dependent on each other, for varying reasons.

It is worth noting that:

The closest thing to a "dependence", or something like that, in TLW, mostly means two people who are very close, but not in a debilitating way, as most of my characters are very independent, but rather knowing that they can count on each other through any situation, and sometimes because the other person is the only one they wholeheartedly know they can trust. It would also mean that they would do anything to keep each other safe and happy, even if it means being harsh at times and saying what needs to be said - not what the other person wants to hear. All characters in TLW foster multiple healthy relationships with varied people, instead of being restricted to that one person, while indeed being closer to them.

A true friend would never enable someone's self-destructive tendencies and would ensure that their friend reaches their true potential freely.

That being said... Here are the characters that are, on some level, a bit more "dependent" on one another:

Zephyr & Jamie:

In this case, it's two different kinds of dependence.

For Zephyr, it means that on the days his curse gets too strong for him to handle alone (and trust me it takes a lot to make Zephyr go "Okay, I need help") - especially when he has to overuse his magic - he gets physically ill and very weak, depending on Jamie to receive treatment and care. Zephyr is a very independent person, but his curse (which feels like an illness) is something out of his control, so he tries to get better as quickly as he can to avoid being someone who needs to be cared for (he resents himself in these days because he sees it as "being a burden" - even though its not his fault.

For Jamie, it's more of a slight emotional "dependence" (it's not really that but I don't know how to put it). While Jamie is very independent in his daily life - does not like being smothered and likes to spend most of his time alone, he often needs someone he can trust and rely on, someone who is his best friend in the times he is feeling down. And Zephyr is always there for him, whenever Jamie needs someone to talk to.

Also, Jamie's worst nightmare is being unable to save Zephyr, mostly because Jamie blames himself for the fact that his brother got cursed (Zephyr was cursed by a dark sorcerer in their past while trying to protect Jamie). But that's more just a self-blame situation, which leads to Jamie wanting to fix what happened to them.

Overall it's a healthy relationship. Both of the boys have many other friends, and other interests outside of their bond, and live their own lives and dreams by themselves. They just want each other to be happy and okay, which nearly every sibling in their situation would want. They have their own lives, and just happen to be very close because they're the only family each other has got.

Uh, and maybe...

Ansell and Ellinor (mostly on Ansell's side):

Princess (Ellinor) and Bodyguard Knight (Ansell). Ever since they were children, they knew their roles and duties to fulfill, but as the year passed, they grew into best friends who would always have each other's backs.

However, Ansell suffers from low self-esteem and has a dangerous mix of altruism with a lack of self-preservation instincts, where he would rather endanger himself than to even risk any of his friends getting hurt. He places much of his self-worth on his ability to make sure he protects everyone, especially his best friend, Ellinor. As a person, in his daily life, he is very independent - he doesn't like people getting too close or interfering with his ability to just do the things he wants to - but he does have an inherent need to put others' needs above his.

Ellinor is very independent and does not like getting too close to people. She likes being alone. But she does see Ansell as her closest confidant and best friend, the only person she knows she can trust at any time, whom she can tell any secret - and vice versa. She blames herself a lot whenever one of her friends gets hurt on her watch because she sees it as an aftermath of her choices. Ellinor gets very worried at her friend's actions, and how reckless he is when it comes to his own safety - and so she does everything she can to make sure her friend starts taking care of himself, and that he starts living his life outside of being a knight and protector.

(Know the song "Surface Pressure" from Encanto. The line that says "Under the surface, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless if I can't be of service", would explain Ansell's worldview pretty well. He just has a lot of trauma and fears losing those he loves if he has the means to prevent it, in his view. Ellinor really gets really exasperated at how her amazing friend treats himself so badly and tries to help him in any way she can. Since there isn't therapy in medieval worlds, her support and that of their friends will have to do, lol.)

Overall, while Ansell's low self-worth issues are very unhealthy to him and stem from his past experiences and beliefs, it's more of a personal issue rather than an issue inherent in their relationship (as in, it affects their bond but doesn't stem from it). He does learn to grow and to care more about himself, especially since Ellinor makes sure he knows he is being reckless and helps him handle his fears when he needs support. Their friendship is healthy, his personal issues and view of himself are not, but he does learn to love himself more as the story progresses.

Happy Late Storyteller Saturday! Thank you for the Ask, @elshells!

Think of one of your characters, and then think of the worst thing they have ever felt or experienced. If given the choice, would you endure that torment yourself so they wouldn't have to? Why or why not, and whose burden are you lifting?

(I'm considering only backstory events for this Ask, as not to spoil some of the things the characters do go through in the main story)

This question HURTS. It's such a mean question to answer (lol I'm joking, but still...), because let me tell you something, most of my characters go through hell in their backstories.

I'm not sure if I would be able to handle going through what Bryn, Tanwin, or Julyan go through, for example. I just wouldn't be able to handle that if I had to go through their lives myself. I would likely go mad or something because boi that's a lot of trauma.

As much as I'd like to help those characters, I don't think I would survive the backstories they have.

However, if I did have to choose some other character then maybe, Peregrine Duskeblom. I mean he does go through some screwed-up situations in his past, namely the day he made a (very, very bad) mistake that got him kicked out of the Order and disowned by his adoptive brother.

As for why I would choose to go through that specific moment so that he doesn't have to, it's pretty simple. I feel so bad for how that day literally destroyed most of Peregrine's self-esteem (because he placed much of his self-worth on being a knight and making his brother proud), and it's something that makes me sad to write to this day. But also, it's not as brutal as the other's pasts. His family is still alive, and there's still a glimmer of hope to recovering his place at the Order. Most of the other characters in the cast don't get that chance., and their pasts are much more tragedy-heavy.

Alternatively, if I had to choose a character with a more tragic past that I would have to endure in their place, maybe Morwan Destrin (I would likely react pretty similar to how she reacted to the worst thing she goes through when she is scorned by her kingdom) or Helios Maevel (solely because writing his backstory and the effects of it on his life makes me feel so sad for this boi that I would like to help him so that he does not have to see his best friend die)