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<blockquote data-quote="fuindordm" data-source="post: 4597207" data-attributes="member: 5435">Thanks for the kind words, folks.&nbsp; The mechanics are pretty fuzzy still, but the themes are something I've been thinking about for a long time. For one thing, I've never found the typical Fantasy Pantheon very satisfying. So for a while now, my games have been toying with the idea of Fantasy Monotheism and how it could play out. When I say a Parallel Biblical Age, I'm not thinking about RPing on Earth. It's more of a thought experiment on how some of the most evocative Biblical themes might have played out in a monotheistic fantasy setting. As you can probably tell, one of those themes is the legend of Babel.My idea for one form of (arcane) power is that while no one can understand the True Speech, magicians can still record and use fragments of it. The meaning and grammar of the True Speech lies forever beyond the reach of mortals, so the fragments people have managed to record appear as powerful but illogical spells. No one can learn this language, even though texts are available; at best they might notice that a certain syllable or pattern appears in most of the known fragments that evoke fire. The greatest intellects might be able to put together new sequences that are grammatically valid through a combination of inference, dedication and luck. Most magicians, however, learn their spells by rote.Another form of magic would bargain with and/or control the spiritual beings that inhabit the world. This would blur the line between arcane and divine.It's great to see everyone's ideas for how magic can be something more than an arbitrary plot device. Cheers,Ben</blockquote>

[QUOTE="fuindordm, post: 4597207, member: 5435"] Thanks for the kind words, folks. The mechanics are pretty fuzzy still, but the themes are something I've been thinking about for a long time. For one thing, I've never found the typical Fantasy Pantheon very satisfying. So for a while now, my games have been toying with the idea of Fantasy Monotheism and how it could play out. When I say a Parallel Biblical Age, I'm not thinking about RPing on Earth. It's more of a thought experiment on how some of the most evocative Biblical themes might have played out in a monotheistic fantasy setting. As you can probably tell, one of those themes is the legend of Babel. My idea for one form of (arcane) power is that while no one can understand the True Speech, magicians can still record and use fragments of it. The meaning and grammar of the True Speech lies forever beyond the reach of mortals, so the fragments people have managed to record appear as powerful but illogical spells. No one can learn this language, even though texts are available; at best they might notice that a certain syllable or pattern appears in [I]most [/I]of the known fragments that evoke fire. The greatest intellects might be able to put together new sequences that are grammatically valid through a combination of inference, dedication and luck. Most magicians, however, learn their spells by rote. Another form of magic would bargain with and/or control the spiritual beings that inhabit the world. This would blur the line between arcane and divine. It's great to see everyone's ideas for how magic can be something more than an arbitrary plot device. Cheers, Ben [/QUOTE]

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