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What is the role of magic in your world?

The question I keep asking is, would a society with magic develop technologically? If so, to what level?

most likely. building things is human nature, and we're never satisfied with what we've built. the technology would probably be radically different though, since universal magic would perform the more mundane tasks (cutting/lifting etc), it'd probably be tools that amplify or concentrate magic,

also, technology'd still be developed for precision and duplication, seeing as hwo ti's tireless and dosen't make mistakes when creating something - something even the most atute and dedicated person can hardly achieve.
 
The question I keep asking is, would a society with magic develop technologically? If so, to what level?
most likely. building things is human nature, and we're never satisfied with what we've built. the technology would probably be radically different though, since universal magic would perform the more mundane tasks (cutting/lifting etc), it'd probably be tools that amplify or concentrate magic,

also, technology'd still be developed for precision and duplication, seeing as hwo ti's tireless and dosen't make mistakes when creating something - something even the most atute and dedicated person can hardly achieve.
1st post here, liked this topic. My magic is related to this conversation.

In my world magic is linked directly with emotion, and each emotion is linked to a different type of magic. The more raw emotionality you can pour into magic, the more powerful your magic becomes.

The magic in my world is hereditary, passed down from one generation to the next, but not everyone has it. The people who have it frown upon the people who don't and think of them as lesser citizen. They use their magic to build floating cities in the sky.
As for the the technology aspect, everyday people needed methods to get around, whether through magic teleportation gates or with flying cars. Certain mages with the gifts to enchant those items would manufacture them for those without the ability to fly or teleport. An ice mage would enchant boxes for people to store food in. A fire mage would enchant another device for cooking food.

The groundlings, the non-magical people who live on the ground, became jealous of their magic and technology and began stealing the power sources of these devices. At first it was no big deal to the Highborns, but the groundlings figured out a way to harness their power. They developed a civilization MORE technologically advanced than the Highborns, the problem being that they required a constant source of their red stones for power, a source of power the Highborns were not willing to share...
 
The groundlings, the non-magical people who live on the ground, became jealous of their magic and technology and began stealing the power sources of these devices. At first it was no big deal to the Highborns, but the groundlings figured out a way to harness their power. They developed a civilization MORE technologically advanced than the Highborns, the problem being that they required a constant source of their red stones for power, a source of power the Highborns were not willing to share...

I like this. That's a great system, and the concept makes me laugh :D

also, mages get to eat machine-gun, which is always funny
 

Raziel

Minstrel
First off I gotta say, found the perfect place to do what I've been trying to do for some time now. This is s breeding ground for my ideas to finally form. And *to Ophiuca* BEAUTIFULLY crafted, I fell in love with your story in just that little bit.

Now, to the question at hand. I am trying to get a handle on how 'fantasy' my story is really going to be. My main character wakes up after an 8 year coma. Needless to say the world has changed. Yes, I want it to be Earth, per say, yet some cataclysmic changes have occurred. Land mass has changed a bit. The sky is now a reddish tint and 'magic' is easier for 'normal' people to use. I want technology to have a role in this too. Like how everything is turning wireless in our real world today, within this 8 year hiatus, I feel the world should have almost tripled in it's progression (like what the last 30 years has been for technology for us, imagine it happening in 8 and not being there for it; how foreign things would seem). Then there are the elements of genetic altering that may allow some to do things WAY quicker and easier than others who train and study (also maybe where the WAR comes into play; super soldiers and whatnot). My character and the friends closest to him also allude to a special 'school' they attended before the world changed, a school that kind of taught them about the things that have manifested.

I haven't really brought all the ideas and 'chunks' together yet. Work sucks sometimes. But I feel I have some solid things to 'weave together. Maybe I will have something for you guys to check out this weekend. Ultimately though to answer the second question here, what satisfy's the author most is when the reader states that they understand the story being told regardless if it has magic or not. For the author that is the 'magic' of writing; coherently conveying the story.

Any other thoughts are welcome. Thanks.
 

JustSpiffy

Minstrel
In my slowly developing world, magic isn't something humans have naturally, the elves and dwarfs have a form of magic, but mostly in enchantments.

The maker's first creations were a group of creatures I've yet to name, who the makers made in their own image, to have the ability to create, magic, but they were quickly corrupted by this magic and became demons. The makers had forbidden themselves from unmaking anything they created, for on the day that they did this, all would be unmade. So the makers banished them into the spirit world, a plane that exists along side the physical world, but that cannot interfere with it except in places the barrier between them grows weak.

Then the Makers made the elves and dwarfs, who had magic but only in a limited capacity, and finally they made man. The demons were jealous of how the Makers favored these mortal creatures, so they often tricked and manipulated them, tempting them with power or riches, but all they want is to cause pain and return to the physical world, for the spirit world is an empty and sad place.

Magic users have either made a deal with demons or are part demon, either way they're viewed as dangerous. Elves are all together too pure to be corrupted by them and dwarfs have too little potential for magic for them to be worth-while for the demons to pursue, but humans are the perfect balance of corrupt and adaptable.

I'm still developing this though. :)
 
. Elves are all together too pure to be corrupted by them and dwarfs have too little potential for magic for them to be worth-while for the demons to pursue, but humans are the perfect balance of corrupt and adaptable.

you might want to revise the reason for the elves, this is simply the most cliche thing in the world, and I can promise you that if they're written to act in that way, then they'll be the most boring race in existance.

dwarfs is a little meh. I guess it's hard for some people to imagine magic coming from someone half your height... sizists :p
 

JustSpiffy

Minstrel
you might want to revise the reason for the elves, this is simply the most cliche thing in the world, and I can promise you that if they're written to act in that way, then they'll be the most boring race in existance.

dwarfs is a little meh. I guess it's hard for some people to imagine magic coming from someone half your height... sizists :p

You're probably right, it's a very new idea and I haven't had allot of chance to think about it yet, seeing as I've been very busy recently. Thank you for the advice. :)
 

Hans

Sage
dwarfs is a little meh. I guess it's hard for some people to imagine magic coming from someone half your height... sizists :p
The problem is probably not the height. I think these people would not have a problem with magic gnomes or fairies even smaller.

Dwarfs are just clicheed in phantasy settings to be not magic. Or maybe item-only magic.

That changes when you go into mythology. There dwarfs do not even necessarily need to be small.
 

Derin

Troubadour
The problem is probably not the height. I think these people would not have a problem with magic gnomes or fairies even smaller.

Dwarfs are just clicheed in phantasy settings to be not magic. Or maybe item-only magic.

That changes when you go into mythology. There dwarfs do not even necessarily need to be small.

Dwarf magic does seem to be based on enchanting weapons and things a lot of the time, doesn't it? (My dwarves are seers, thus possessing more magic than the completely nonmagical humans.)
 

Hans

Sage
y'know, they kinda do, unless you plan to chance their name a little. Dwarf mening small ;)
In modern English, yes. When you look at the progenitors of dwarfs like swargalbs (or was it swerg? something like that.) were mountain ghosts. As such sometimes really huge.

In the Edda Fafnir was a dwarf. Make a internet search for Fafnir. You won't find a small creature.
 
y'know, they kinda do, unless you plan to chance their name a little. Dwarf mening small ;)
I saw a movie where non-small dwarves worked out very well. It was a comedic reimagining of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, or in this case, Schneewittchen und die 7 Zwerge, because the movie was in german. It was simply called '7 Zwerge'.

Granted it was one of the comedic points of the movie, they would say "We're the 7 dwarves of such and such forest!" and whoever was standing next to them would be like, "I thought dwarves were shorter?"
 
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