Need Suggestions. My Protagonist May or May Not Be A Bully.

[MiguelDHorcrux]

Hello, all. Let me get straight to the point. I need help or just about any opinion regarding this.

In my story, there are Thirteen Khoans, and they were created by the All-Father himself to hold all of the dark magic in the world. This rendered dappledfolks (people with magic) who rely on dark magic (called Sluaghs) without any fuel for their spells at all. Well, not really completely without fuel, because the smallest of the thirteen has been destroyed already.

So here's the thing. Being a dappledfolk in my story is very much like how magic appears in the Harry Potter world, completely random. A dud could be born even from prestigious mage clans and a prodigy could come form a lowly clan of dimskins (people without magic). Being a Sluagh is also almost random, although they all have one thing in common - one of their ancestors practiced dark magic during the times when the Thirteen Khoans were not yet in existence. Sluaghs are also a little different from regular dappledfolks in that they need dark magic to live. With very little of the stuff, Sluaghs go crazy or just flat out die very young. Sluaghs are a dying race because the dark magic released by the destruction of the Thirteenth Khoan is almost gone.

The antagonist wants to destroy the Thirteen Khoans to allow the Sluaghs to live, and of course he wants to avenge his kindred in the form of world domination.

The protagonist is the Eight Guardian. As the name implies, he is the Guardian of the Eight Khoan. He was trained by the finest water mages in the Red Continent.

The story revolves around the protagonist seeking to destroy the Sword of Durendal. The First Khoan, the biggest of them all and holds more than half of all the dark magic in the world, is under a barrier called Aegis. Only the Sword of Durendal can destroy an Aegis, so without it the Sluaghs will never really be able to live normally.

Now the dilemma is this: Is my protagonist a bully? Is he unwillingly committing genocide?

More questions I need help with: Is it weird that my protagonist is much more magically powerful than my antagonist? Has any of you written a scene where your characters came across a gargantuan moral dilemma?

 

[glutton]

Now the dilemma is this: Is my protagonist a bully? Is he unwillingly committing genocide?

More questions I need help with: Is it weird that my protagonist is much more magically powerful than my antagonist? Has any of you written a scene where your characters came across a gargantuan moral dilemma?

Is your protagonist a bully - well his actions may be morally gray, but if his motivation for doing so is to protect his own people and not just to exterminate the Sluaghs for the heck of it, no I would not consider him a bully. He kind of is committing genocide indirectly though.

Protagonist more powerful than antagonist - not magically speaking, but let's just say my protagonists do not tend to be major underdogs to the antagonists in a straight up fight and the antags sometimes need a magical/external powerup to hang. My protags are often girls who beat up giant monsters with melee weapons after all. XD

Gargantuan dilemma - yes but my characters tend to find a way that's digestable by the average reader - for example when the MC is forced to choose between letting her children be killed or keeping them alive when they are destined to revive a demon that will destroy the world... she saves her children, lets the demon be revived and then kicks its butt.

 

[Deleted member 4265]

It really all comes down to cost. Sometimes small evils are necessary to prevent greater evils. So if the death of a bunch of people is worth keeping the dark magic locked up then it all makes sense. If not then yes, you character is a jerk.

I can't venture an opinion as to whether or not its worth it since I don't know what dark magic actually does and therefore can't judge whether its worth killing people to keep it locked away.

As for your protagonist being more magically powerful than the antagonist. It could work if the antagonist has other skills that make him a challenge for your protagonist. He has to be a challenge for your protagonist to defeat otherwise it's not very interesting to read about so if he's weaker magically I'd suggest balancing it out with superior intellect or something to that affect.

 

[glutton]

As for your protagonist being more magically powerful than the antagonist. It could work if the antagonist has other skills that make him a challenge for your protagonist. He has to be a challenge for your protagonist to defeat otherwise it's not very interesting to read about so if he's weaker magically I'd suggest balancing it out with superior intellect or something to that affect.

The standard ones I default to are the antagonist having more resources or social standing than the protag so they can hide behind an army of minions and/or laws. Or just being elusive and not getting cornered into a decisive confrontation.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

Thanks for all your responses. Another info that I should have included: The antagonist is the Valaut Saar, a word play on Tabula Rasa. He is the blank slate, and by that I mean he is the only human alive without any trace of magic within him. Even dimskins in this story has traces of magic within their bodies, but dormant. The antagonist intends to destroy the Khoans and put all of dark magic within himself, as in he will be the immortal well for dark magic. The downside is he gets to call dibs on who can cast spells. Y'all know how that will come down.

The only solid plan I came up with is that his adoptive parents casted an Aegis around him, so even if my MC is the most powerful dappledfolk in the world, the antagonist is safe from him. Conversely, he is also safe from the antagonist since the latter has no magic of his own.

Another thing, dappledfolks are called dappledfolks because they have a glowing dot at the back of their neck, the color of which is indicative of the nature of their magic. Sluaghs have theirs in black, you know, an ode to modern day racism.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

Oh and one last thing, suppose my character is doing it for all the right reasons, personally, will you guys read and love a book whose main character committed genocide? It's really my biggest gripe about this story.

 

[glutton]

The only solid plan I came up with is that his adoptive parents casted an Aegis around him, so even if my MC is the most powerful dappledfolk in the world, the antagonist is safe from him. Conversely, he is also safe from the antagonist since the latter has no magic of his own.

Are they incapable of physical violence to be 'safe' from each other? If neither can harm the other with magic, if anything my first thought would be of them resorting to trying to punch/stab each other in a melee fight.

 

[johnsonjoshuak]

I think having the Aegis around the Antagonist sets up a quandry for the Protag. He has to find the Sword in order to destroy the Aegis around the Antagonist, but doing so gives the Antagonist the chance to get hold of the Sword.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

I can't venture an opinion as to whether or not its worth it since I don't know what dark magic actually does and therefore can't judge whether its worth killing people to keep it locked away.

Dark magic can do things that regular magic can't, like necromancy, black psimagery, vampiric arts and all that.

Are they incapable of physical violence to be 'safe' from each other? If neither can harm the other with magic, if anything my first thought would be of them resorting to trying to punch/stab each other in a melee fight.

The Aegis actually provides complete invulnerability, otherwise the First Khoan would have been destroyed by Sluaghs wielding mallets and clubs.

I think having the Aegis around the Antagonist sets up a quandry for the Protag. He has to find the Sword in order to destroy the Aegis around the Antagonist, but doing so gives the Antagonist the chance to get hold of the Sword.

I know. A powerful water mage who wants to rid the world of dark magic for good and a dimskin trying to save his race. Both of them are right in their own eyes. The race for the Durendal will be gripping.

 

[glutton]

The Aegis actually provides complete invulnerability, otherwise the First Khoan would have been destroyed by Sluaghs wielding mallets and clubs.

So then wouldn't the antagonist be at a major advantage, being able to attack the protagonist nonmagically with no fear of reprisal? Or is the MC's magic so strong the antag can't possibly defeat him with nonmagical attacks?

 

[Deleted member 4265]

Dark magic can do things that regular magic can't, like necromancy, black psimagery, vampiric arts and all that.

Then to me personally, it doesn't seem justified. So you'll have a few vampires and undead around wreaking havoc? Can't the good magic users fight them on an individual bases once the black magic is released? Killing people who commit actual crimes seems better than condemning an entire race to die. Unless of course the Sluaghs are inherently evil beings who only want to destroy (like the orcs in LOTR no one cares if all of them die because they've already been corrupted with evil past point of return). It doesn't seem like dark magic directly threatens anyone, it just enables a few bad apples to be able to pervert the laws of nature.

Oh and one last thing, suppose my character is doing it for all the right reasons, personally, will you guys read and love a book whose main character committed genocide? It's really my biggest gripe about this story.

This really depends on the story. People who read dark, gritty fantasy wouldn't bat an eyelash at the protagonist committing genocide, but people who want to read something with more traditional values of good vs evil would likely be less okay with it. It really depends on who your audience is and who your character is. If up until this point your character has been a more traditional hero with a strong sense of morality then I would caution against it.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

Then to me personally, it doesn't seem justified. So you'll have a few vampires and undead around wreaking havoc? Can't the good magic users fight them on an individual bases once the black magic is released? Killing people who commit actual crimes seems better than condemning an entire race to die. Unless of course the Sluaghs are inherently evil beings who only want to destroy (like the orcs in LOTR no one cares if all of them die because they've already been corrupted with evil past point of return). It doesn't seem like dark magic directly threatens anyone, it just enables a few bad apples to be able to pervert the laws of nature.



This really depends on the story. People who read dark, gritty fantasy wouldn't bat an eyelash at the protagonist committing genocide, but people who want to read something with more traditional values of good vs evil would likely be less okay with it. It really depends on who your audience is and who your character is. If up until this point your character has been a more traditional hero with a strong sense of morality then I would caution against it.

First paragraph - Sluaghs for the most part are inherently evil, and yes they are very much like orcs in the LOTR world. However they look like regular humans for the most part, and some of them are just Sluaghs because they have a black dot at the back of their neck. I go by the logic of prevention is better than cure. The United States can fight off everyone on a regular basis, but that does not stop them from stopping North Korea and Cuba from acquiring advanced weaponry, right? I do feel that the main character will eventually grow and figure his way around this thing.

Second paragraph, no he is not. He looks out for the greater good, but he is very conservative and capable of greed. In the story, he will crush all attempts at free elections because he came from the Royal House and wants the throne to stay within their clan.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

So then wouldn't the antagonist be at a major advantage, being able to attack the protagonist nonmagically with no fear of reprisal? Or is the MC's magic so strong the antag can't possibly defeat him with nonmagical attacks?

Naturally the antagonist will use henchmen. Of course he has dappledfolks loyal to his cause, and he secretly leads the Order of the Black World, dedicated to the destruction of the Khoans. Here is where it gets complicated though. Unbeknownst to the protagonist, the antagonist's adoptive father is the Grand Damocles, the Head of the Order of the Hanging Sword, the secret order of immensely powerful mages in charge of protecting the Twelve Khoans.

 

[glutton]

Naturally the antagonist will use henchmen. Of course he has dappledfolks loyal to his cause, and he secretly leads the Order of the Black World, dedicated to the destruction of the Khoans. Here is where it gets complicated though. Unbeknownst to the protagonist, the antagonist's adoptive father is the Grand Damocles, the Head of the Order of the Hanging Sword, the secret order of immensely powerful mages in charge of protecting the Twelve Khoans.

That's not really the question... if the antag is completely invulnerable, what prevents him from walking up to the MC and punching him to death?

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

I figured that they all thought that House Azul has the Durendal and therefore fear any direct confrontation that might result in the Aegis over the Antagonist or the sword itself being destroyed. The Protagonist doesn't have the Durendal though, nor does he have any idea how to destroy it. That way, they will fear one another, the protagonist being that his enemy is invulnerable and the antagonist being that his enemy has the only thing he is vulnerable against. Does that work?

 

[glutton]

I figured that they all thought that House Azul has the Durendal and therefore fear any direct confrontation that might result in the Aegis over the Antagonist or the sword itself being destroyed. The Protagonist doesn't have the Durendal though, nor does he have any idea how to destroy it. That way, they will fear one another, the protagonist being that his enemy is invulnerable and the antagonist being that his enemy has the only thing he is vulnerable against. Does that work?

Maybe, but that raises another issue - originally I had imagined that an Aegis, being only capable of being destroyed by this one super special sword, could only be created by the All-Father or maybe also some great ritual - but a mere two mages, the antagonist's adoptive parents, can create one? Who can create an Aegis and how hard is it? It seems potentially problematic if you could have multiple completely invulnerable people running around, and if the sword is destroyed they will be permanently invincible...

Unless the antag's parents are gods or some kind of uniquely powerful super mages themselves, this seems quite worrisome.

 

[MiguelDHorcrux]

HA! SORRY FOR THE ALL CAPS, BUT HA! I found an old note I wrote last year, haha. These are the exact words (don't know how to put pictures in posts, sorry.)

Junri never had an Aegis. Was just a lie to lure the Durendal out. Lady Halma was the most powerful barrier wizard ever though. Barrier casted over her son is second only to the Aegis. Could be destroyed by a powerful enough spell.

Apparently I also planned to give my main character a pet golden bear named Bax. I will now give Bax to the MC's dimskin brother.