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Divinity, magic, and mortality

Jabrosky

Banned
I'm in the process of plotting a novel about heroes who must destroy an evil god. The story's universe has three separate forces which are relevant: divinity, magic, and mortality. Both divinity and magic can manipulate matter, but the difference between them is that divinity can act on its own accord whereas magic requires a sentient mortal user. Furthermore, magic and divinity actually cancel each other out much like reverse polarities. Therefore a concentrated "missile" of magic can temporarily break a god apart, although over time the dispersed divinity may re-coalesce.

Divinity is by no means indestructible however. It requires mortality obtained from organic matter in order to maintain its nature, which is why gods demand regular mortal sacrifices. If divinity goes without mortality for an extended period of time, it decays permanently into oblivion.

In the story I have outlined, my characters attempt to destroy the evil god twice. In the first effort they shoot a magic arrow at the god, thus breaking it apart temporarily, whereas on their second try:
they trap the god in a magic cage where it will starve to nothingness.

I guess what I haven't figured out yet is the distribution of magic and divinity throughout the universe. I was leaning towards making divinity an extraterrestrial substance while magic is native to the earth, but then there's the question of how my characters would obtain magic.
 

Scribble

Archmage
You could imagine the magical energy similar to electricity, but more fluid.

Something similar (or identical to) Ley lines could be used to channel major sources of magical energy. There could be untapped magical energy in all material things: stones, creatures, plants. Creatures would replenish their magic quickly, because they take in material energy*. Plants more slowly. Static objects slowest of all.

Unlocking the energy and channeling it would be a matter of mental focus using words and arcane mental images combined with material channeling: a wand, runes, physical touch.

These would unleash the energies, and direct them by the mental focus. The mental focus can actually create a metaphysical structure to shape and direct the energy. So, it is a combination of physical action and mental action.

*Some preparations of herbs or other roots could hold more magical calories than others.
 
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phillipsauthor

Minstrel
Alternatively, you could have all three be native to the Earth, with only divinity or divinity and magic also being extra-terrestrial. That would give rise to little pockets of divinity (living trees, air-sprites, etc.) at various places on Earth, and also to magical outlets (healing springs, mines of magic rocks) in other places. That way, man would have easily found them both, and the divinity could have lived before making the leap to extra-terrestrial. If you do end up having divinity being only extra-terrestrial, then you would need to explain how it survived before coming to Earth and finding the mortal elements.
 

Jabrosky

Banned
Alternatively, you could have all three be native to the Earth, with only divinity or divinity and magic also being extra-terrestrial. That would give rise to little pockets of divinity (living trees, air-sprites, etc.) at various places on Earth, and also to magical outlets (healing springs, mines of magic rocks) in other places. That way, man would have easily found them both, and the divinity could have lived before making the leap to extra-terrestrial. If you do end up having divinity being only extra-terrestrial, then you would need to explain how it survived before coming to Earth and finding the mortal elements.
I like this idea of pockets of divinity being native to earth. It does make more sense than making divinity fully extraterrestrial after all.
 

Scribble

Archmage
I like this idea of pockets of divinity being native to earth. It does make more sense than making divinity fully extraterrestrial after all.

This echoes the very common human belief in sacred places. Locales that have been touched by divinity, and therefore hold some power.
 

Jabrosky

Banned
As a matter of fact I've changed my mind about what ultimately destroys the villainous god in my story. If there are other gods occupying my world, I think they could possess the power to destroy him.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
Expanding on divinity being localized a little here...

Could it be that the divinity here originates from another plane of existence? It could be that divinity is siphoned into the world from somewhere else, maybe when people pray or in some other way invoke their faith in something. Potentially the divinity could break through of its own accord.
It could also be that in certain locations it's easier to siphon divinity into the world than in others, probably the holy/sacred locations etc that Scribble mentioned. Different people could also have a varying talent for siphoning it, making it easier for them to invoke divinity than for others.
 
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