# Pillars of Life (metaphor)



## Scott Rankins (Apr 20, 2012)

*waves* Hello, I'm new to this site, mildly recommended to come here looking for help in my "bizarre" thinking's.

for the past few weeks, I've been racking my brain with an "expansion theory of abilities" for my characters in my proto-novel called String Theory. the basis of my story is Genetics, and how everything is connected to something. (think about something long enough and you'll figure out how it works)

in previous stories, I've had characters whom mastered their elements and became Gods. due to my Grandmothers' passing last month, I've been thinking about changing these Gods to Pillars (yes, they are still people) I only have four so far and they are of Earth, Fire, Water, and Knowledge. the "expansion theory" now comes into play as the Pillar of Earth not only controls earth materials like sand, rocks, and metal, but can also create or destroy planets. (some of you might be thinking "big whoop", but that's because you're only seeing this portion of the "string" - pun to my title *laughs*)

I'm currently working on the other expansions of Fire and Water. So I guess I'm asking two things: 1 - what do you guys think of this idea? and 2 - can you help me in thinking of three other Pillars I could add?

(in one article I found online it said that there was a Tree of Life that was broken into Seven Pillars; guiding you on how to live your life)


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## Legendary Sidekick (Apr 20, 2012)

Welcome, Scott!


You could have an elemental set: Earth, Fire, Water...
Another set based on the qualities of the dead: Knowledge, Strength, Love...

OR... you could combine elements with human qualities:

The column of Fire is the result of Passion, the column of Earth is formed from the Strength of the dead, the column of Water is a sea of endless Knowledge...

Of course, if you do that, you need FOUR more pillars. The only reason I bring that up is your current pillars are element, element, element, brain.


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## Queshire (Apr 20, 2012)

You could go with a sort of four and three type approach, add in air for fire, earth, air, and water, then change knowledge to Mind and toss in Body and Soul.

Besides that, hmmmm..... from how I interpret what you've told us, there's a lot of people with a variety of different powers/elements that have the potential to grow strong enough to become a pillar, but only those three have actually reached that point right? If that's the case then you wouldn't be limited to a theme and could have whatever type of pillars you want. Some ideas in that case might be travel, barriers, heart, destruction, light, shadow, nuclear power, just about anything!


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## Scott Rankins (Apr 20, 2012)

thank you for the welcome Legendary Sidekick. what would you think of my Forrest of the Dead? it started as a field where people and animals would die, over time their souls collected in the ground and began growing into the nature around it; Animals, Trees, Rocks, and a Living Cabin. my character (the Pillar of Knowledge) would understand how this Forrest works as they would have the knowledge of EVERYTHING including life and death. - to me, if I were to bring in "human qualities" like emotions, I would be doing a Green Lantern affect. Green being Will, Red for Anger, and Yellow for Fear. -

Queshire, to answer your question I will also mention that the Pillar of Knowledge (in understanding the Forrest of the Dead) would already have the knowledge of the Body and Soul. they would also know all the travel methods of cars, space crafts, teleportation, and the Jump Gates. as for anything to do with Air, I couldn't think of something for it's expansion. and yes, about 80% of my characters have some sort of ability.

the Pillar of Fire would know about Darkness. and the Pillar of Earth would know about Nuclear functions because some are derived from rocks.

other characters are Werewolves, Vampires, Dinosaurs, animal shape-shifters, and nature based people (like Trees and Rocks). what kind of person would be their Pillar?


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## Queshire (Apr 21, 2012)

Er.....................................................................
Are you sure you want an omniscient main character? I mean, they would instantly know how to get out of any situation, that right there diffuses any tension the story might have. I thought they were starting out more human like and eventually building their way up to Pillar status.

As for Air it would expand to weather, birds and any other flying animal, the flow of things, electricity, poison (poisonous gases) lungs and blood, vaccums, sound, explosions, fire can't burn without air, air can weather stone to nothing, without air to move it water would just settle, pressure, specifically air pressure, travel, by controlling the concentration of ozone in the atmosphere you could bombard an area with deadly ultraviolet radiation. There's plenty to do with Air! (btw, Air is something of my pet element as it were, I really don't like it when people disregard it. It may seem weak in fiction, but that's just because air manipulators aren't reaching their true potential.)

For the others, maybe a pillar of Beasts, pillar of Entropy, and their corresponding elemental pillars.


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## Saigonnus (Apr 21, 2012)

Perhaps have two "sets" of pillars, the elemental ones and the other as aspects of humanity; Life, Spirit, Knowledge and Creation

Life could control all living things: Assist in the growth/development of living creatures or make something live that had died before and even make that creature younger. Cannot make inanimate objects or nonliving matter live.

Spirit could have the power over emotions, lending someone valiant courage, steal their will to fight, fall in love, hate beyond measure etc. Interacts well with the Life Pillar since they both affect living creatures.

The Pillar of Knowledge is a livng/breathing recipe book for all spells, alchemical formulas and anything else that could be construed as knowledge, written or otherwise.

The Pillar of Creation is exactly what it sounds like, with the ability to create any inanimate object with the slightest thought. Anything mundane like rocks, water all the way to a mountain range or lake (without life in it of course) to keep a country's enemies away.


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## Scott Rankins (Apr 23, 2012)

Queshire, by having a character that knows everything, they would also be aware that they are not a real person, but someone of fiction. by them knowing this, they would be more of an observer or guide for all the other characters. yes, they would diffuse all the tension within the stories, but doesn't every author have a character that opposes their story?

and thanks to your high defense for the Air attribute, I've been thinking (as you put it) Air becomes Weather, Pressure like gravity, and it also effects the flow of things which can be thought of as Time. So now there is a fifth Pillar of the Sky.


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