Very nebulous idea...

[Sir Huron Stone]

Warning: As the title states, this is a very nebulous idea. Nothing is really set. There's a couple scenes that I have written out, just because they were really good and I didn't want to forget them, but most everything is up for throws. I just want to hear from you guys what works from what I have, and what would be really clumsy. I don't want to be halfway through and realize that some kinda big part of the plot is just unwieldy and needs to hit the trash bin. Ya know? Also (and this is aimed at you Mods, but anyone can chime in), if anything gets too specific, please tell me. I don't want to cause any problems. Also, if anything isn't clear, quote it and I'll try to clear it up. And it'll probably be really unorganized. Please bear(correct word?) with me.

                                                        Now! On to the show!

Okay. Let's try this.

There's 7 houses in the realm (don't have a name yet) six of which are noble houses, each of which is associated with a certain type of magic. The seventh house is the Freeman's house, which is made up of everyone that is not a member of one of the other houses. The realm is ruled by a King, queen, prince, princess, etc. who belong to the Royal House, which is supposed to be proficient in each of the six types of magic. Magic is a really common thing, something everyone uses every day.
The six types of magic are as follows:
Nature Magic: Usually Farming, Wood working, Sheperd, Hunting, etc. Most common type of magic.
Medical/Blood Magic: Doctors, veterinarians, etc.
Industry Magic: Crafting silverware, making swords, basically working with metal.
Earth Magic: Mining, crafting with stone, constructing stone buildings.
Nether Magic: Working with Fire(which isn't seen in a positive light), possessions, ghosts and the undead, banishing (or summoning) demons, and certain nether forces.
Battle Magic: Taking things from other types of Magic and using them for battle. Strengthening steel, healing small wounds, working leaves, grass, branches, to create cover. You get it.

And I'm getting really tired, so I'll post the rest tomorrow. Sorry.

[LDWriter2]

So far not a bad idea even though that type of thing has been done. Which means it can work for you, you have some original stuff in there.


So do you have a training program? Are the various ways of magic set in at birth in a person or can someone change at will? If the second is it excepted by society or are there rules that say doing that is a big No No. If so what happens if someone does change? That could be an interesting plot point.

Is everything done with magic or do you still have to get physical with farming and war?

[Yeratel]

The elemental structure of the magic sounds kind or reminiscent of Jim Butcher's Alera series, which is based on other things too, of course.

[trboturtle]

It sounds like each house of magic would have a guild-like set up -- Apprentice, journeyman, master setup, in which the person is trained to use their magic. The stronger the person's magic, the higer they rise in the house/guild.

Craig

[Sir Huron Stone]

Okay, sorry for leaving halfway through. Was really tired.
LDWriter2:
You do still have to do actual work with farming and crafting and building. The magic just makes it easier. When working with metals for example, you still have to heat and shape the metals. The magic just makes it easier. You're able to keep the metal at the right temperature longer, you're able to beat it into shape quicker. It's still work, and they keep pushing the boundries, but something that would take a regular smith five days to make, takes them maybe two.

Craig: Yes, that was exactly how i was thinking of doing it.

The areas that each house controls are areas that are needed to practice their magic. The Nature House controls vast areas of farmland, and really big forests. The Medical/Blood House controls a lot of high population areas, such as cities, where people get sick more often. The Industry House also controls high population areas, where people are going to be buying their stuff, and some outlying locations to sell to farmers and woodsmen and such. The Earth Magic House controls mountainous areas, and are in charge of constructing stone buildings and such. The Nether Magic house controls grave yards, swamps, places where dark magic usually resides. And the Battle Magic house controls the Forts and Guard Posts, and some weapons production. But they all work together. The Nature house loans out farmers to the Battle house in exchange for protection. If the Medical House wants a new stone Hospital built, they hire the Earth house to build it. The Industry house buys the metal from the Earth house and sells weapons to the Battle house. It's all based on contracts and agreements, so it's a very economic system, and the Houses are very Guild-like.

When the Heir apparent is born, teachers are chosen for him, one from each house, to teach him all the necessary skills to rule. From how to grow wheat to how to slice through a steel shield, he learns it all. Not as well as his teachers who only specialize in one, but enough to understand how people work in real life. If the Heir shows an affinity for a certain magic, that teacher teaches them more, but not at the expense of the other Magic areas.

If a teacher dies before the training is finished, a contest is held to find a suitable replacement. The MC is going to be an orphan that is Highly gifted with Nether Magic, and wins the contest when the previous teacher dies. He is only about 16, the same age as the Heir, and is ridiculed by the other teachers, who are all in their 30s to 40s. Initially, the leader of the Nether House wants to adopt him, but the MC says no, and the Nether House starts trying to kill him.

At first the prince is skeptical of the MC, but learns to like him after the MC saves the prince from a Demon. The MC's past is a mystery, and eventually it is found out that the MC was corrupted in the womb by a demon, which is why he is so proficient in Nether Magic.

[Quantus]

A few clarifications:

How much cross-over between the schools to you intend?  For example, could a Nature Magic person Heal a horse and if so could he do basic healing on a Human, or does it require something special?  Can Earth Magic manipulate any metals? Does it have to be a natural metal (not smelted from ore) like gold?

Is all Nether Magic seen in a negative light, or just Fire Manipulation?  (it seems like the Industrial Magic would need some level of fire/thermal magic for what you describe at the forges).  If all nether magic is seen negatively, how is the house as a whole viewed? If not, why is Fire specifically disliked?

[Sir Huron Stone]

For someone to heal animals, it requires skill in both Nature and Medical house. Nature magic just allows you to communicate with the animals, like in herding or hunting. And Earth magic can affect metals that aren't very pure. Like good steel can't be manipulated by Earth magic. But poor iron and such can.

Some Nether magic is seen as okay. Exorcisms, certain burial rites, etc. Only Fire generation, like making a ball of fire in your hand, is seen as bad. Other types of heat manipulation are fine. There's a long history of fire destroying cities, or fields, or forests. Commoners, who only think of the house as consorting with demons and practicing dark magic, see it as evil, but more learned people see it as a house that performs very necessary actions. The Nature house doesn't like the Nether house because whenever a Nether practitioner loses control of fire, it usually results in the destruction of farmland, forests, or the death of animals.

[Quantus]

/nods  OK that makes sense. 

Fire, Earth, and Metal are represented, is there any Water and/or Air magic around?  Another house with Storm Magic that specializes in fishing/naval power might be a fitting addition. 

Is there any magic specific to Battle magic, or are they just taking the other 5 talents and re-applying them to war.  Can they do Fire?

[Sir Huron Stone]

/nods  OK that makes sense. 

Fire, Earth, and Metal are represented, is there any Water and/or Air magic around?  Another house with Storm Magic that specializes in fishing/naval power might be a fitting addition. 

Mh. That would make sense.

[Quantus]

Questions:

Who are the Battle Family Fighting?  Who are the forts there to Guard against?  It sounds like the Houses are too interconnected to do much warring amongst themselves.  Demon Invasions, other nations, etc?

How do the Blood Magic and Industry Magic houses decide who controls what in the Urban Areas?

[Sir Huron Stone]

The Battle Family are guarding against an outside enemy, the Aeront. They're a very primitive race that have threatened the realm since it was created.
The houses are so interconnected because everyone has skill in the different Houses, but they only specialize in one, and then only use skills from the other houses that help with their main magic. Like a person who specializes in Nether magic might learn some stuff from Industry magic to help with heat direction and retention, you know? So there is a lot of overlapping. But the fighting between the houses is usually more like gang warfare in the cities, and guerilla warfare in the countryside. Nothing overt, because most of the actual soldiers are Battle House, and they don't like fighting each other. So it's usually regular members of the House doing the fighting.

[Quantus]

Im trying to get a handle on how that would work as a society.

So in the case of a city, where both Industrial and Blood magic would have a claim to supremacy, do the houses (as an organization rather than the magic type) share the city, with each taking certain districts (like the industrial has the craft/factory district, while the Blood have the residential and service oriented areas?  Or does one rule the city as a whole, so one city would be heavier in Industry while another would be bigger on Tourism or the service industry or something?  Or does the Royal Family do all the Politics and/or Rulership?

[Sir Huron Stone]

So in the case of a city, where both Industrial and Blood magic would have a claim to supremacy, do the houses (as an organization rather than the magic type) share the city, with each taking certain districts (like the industrial has the craft/factory district, while the Blood have the residential and service oriented areas?

Sorta. Each House has a certain number of cities that they control. The taxes go to them, then to the Crown, and so on. But they share control with the other houses, because they need the other houses. Without the Medical House, a city would very quickly become overrun with disease. Without the Industry House, there would be little to no profit. And then bringing in the Nature, and Earth Houses, it all fits together so that they can't have overt fights between themselves. They do that, they lose the support of a house, and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.

[Quantus]

Sorta. Each House has a certain number of cities that they control. The taxes go to them, then to the Crown, and so on. But they share control with the other houses, because they need the other houses. Without the Medical House, a city would very quickly become overrun with disease. Without the Industry House, there would be little to no profit. And then bringing in the Nature, and Earth Houses, it all fits together so that they can't have overt fights between themselves. They do that, they lose the support of a house, and the whole house of cards comes tumbling down.

So I am picturing that in a given city there is some Council of the Houses that handles the management of the city, possibly along with an appointee of the ruling House of that city as the Noble/moyor/whatever to more strongly represent their interests (or perhaps just a chairman of the Council or something).  That about right?
 

[Sir Huron Stone]

Yup. Pretty much.