Well, I have it on good authority that if you take a perfectly good two by four, whittle down one end into a pointy tip, and then proceed stabbing said vampire in the chest with it... you will either A) piss him off greatly or B) kill it.
When you say "Shaman", the most common meaning is from Native Americans, but there are several Shamans from Mongolian descent, and witchcraft or Wicca can be described as European shamanism.
There are actually many Native American cultures; please to be doing the research with a reasonable degree of respect and specificity as to which one you mean.Sorry, that was implied, I should have been more specific. I was just being broad because I think that is the most common general grouping of Shamanic traditions. I didn't mean any disrespect, I was just being brief.
Tauren with pigtails named "Roflstomp"I think I know that guy
I guess the things I like best about the traditional fantasy/horror archetypes is when they have a somewhat believable explanation. When I am in the Dresden books and demons are 'facts' having Thomas tied to one that makes him a type of vampire, is believable and after that it is the characterization not the vampire shtick that makes him interesting.
Crosses are also solar symbols, and some authors throw in the idea that Crosses are psychosimatic.
In legend, garlic is a symbol of life, but you could throw in the fact that garlic is a natural antibiotic.
While Argyria has no real side effects aside from a slight itching, the condition is irreversible since silver becomes trapped in the deepest layers of skin
"The component of the saliva of this tick... could be the cure for cancer," she told AFP. She said she stumbled on the properties of the protein, called Factor X active, while testing the anti-coagulant properties of the tick's saliva -- the way it stops blood thickening and clotting so the tick can keep gorging itself on its host.
The protein shares some characteristics with a common anti-coagulant called TFPI (Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor), specifically a Kunitz-type inhibitor which also has been shown to interfere with cell growth. A theory that the protein might have an effect on cancerous cells led to laboratory tests on cell cultures -- which exceeded all expectations.
I guess I'm in the minority... I enjoy sci fi so long as it doesn't stumble into geek speak and nerdgasms. Make it weird, make it cool, and I'll buy it. That's my approach.
Since no one has pointed this out yet there are a few pretty old and rather obscure myths/legends concerning vampires. Silver hurts them, they have a bit of OCD concerning mustard seeds (this one from eastern europe) according to the myth if traveling around at night carry a pocketful of mustard seeds and if you are being followed by a vampire pull them out and scatter them on the ground the vampire will then have to stop and pickup every last one of them, some other legends also state that vampires are super strong but not very quick so they can't pull the speedy gonzales thing on a victim, and most are rather stupid anyway. However vampires posess differetn abilities depending on where the legends come from.
I don't mind if you postulate a spiritual world but make everything have certain sets of rules.
Why ?Have you read a good fantasy series where magic works where there were no rules?
I'm a big fan of well developed rational magic myself, but it's a long way from the only way to do magic and make it work.
Have you read a good fantasy series where magic works where there were no rules?
The only series I've read where there wasn;t a fairly clearly defined system of magic was the Inheritance Cycle.....and that is hardly an example of good fantasy.I don't know why you say it isn't clearly defined. You might revisit book 2. Eragon's teacher explains it.
I don't know why you say it isn't clearly defined. You might revisit book 2. Eragon's teacher explains it.
Brom doesn't know everything the elves do and left out a lot of Eragon's education.
Oromis explains that there are actually no limits, but you can do magic by speaking which imposes limits on it.
And it seems that there's a difference between fictional literature and fact in the language, or there wouldn't be fiction for Eragon to read.
In any case, there is a clearly defined mechanism for magic and it's history despite some minor inconsistancies which have less to do with magic and more to do with language.
He can't do ANYTHING, there are still limits regarding expended energy.
Listening to the book makes it harder, but I am still fairly certain that you contradicted yourself. Either there are 2 languages, and in which case Eragon did his ballad in the elvish one, or there is just the one language that elves speak which is the ancient language and it can be used to create fiction.
I still say there's the intent to deceive which it blocks you from acting on, not necessarily telling untruths.
And Oromis wouldn't have taught Brom the secrets if Brom didn't finish the training (Which Brom didn't) because Oromis says they only taught the unspoken spell thing to students who had mastered every bit of magic. Which Brom hadn't.
Have you read a good fantasy series where magic works where there were no rules?
The only series I've read where there wasn;t a fairly clearly defined system of magic was the Inheritance Cycle.....and that is hardly an example of good fantasy.
Have you read a good fantasy series where magic works where there were no rules?
The only series I've read where there wasn;t a fairly clearly defined system of magic was the Inheritance Cycle.....and that is hardly an example of good fantasy.
Regardless, the magic part is defined even if some of the other details are less clear to you.
Lord of The Rings--maybe you've heard of it?--is a fairly popular series that's enjoyed some moderate success and influence. It really doesn't use any kind of system that I can define.
If your target is humor, simple unintended consequences will often do the trick and limitations are less necessary.Ebenezum. :)
Ebenezum. :)
And the wizards in the Drizzt books.
Love those crazy spellcasters
And WotC will sue your pants off if you get even close to using it, I bet.
Lord of the Rings "magic" is essentially divine intervention, though.
Kami can be translated as god but most scholars in the field dont agree with that as it more means just a spirit or a natural force as opposed to a diety
Quantum Materiae Materietur Marmota Monax Si Marmota Monax Materiam Possit Materiari?
hehe "Quantum Materiae Materietur Marmota Monax Si Marmota Monax Materiam Possit Materiari" means "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" in latin ;D
hehe "Quantum Materiae Materietur Marmota Monax Si Marmota Monax Materiam Possit Materiari" means "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood" in latin ;D