Topics

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Art Gallery / Graphic novel extras

« on: September 26, 2012, 02:54:51 PM »

Heyo, me again! So I'm working on a graphic novel for a school project (it is going to take all year long to complete) and I am begging to run out of ideas for 'throwaway' characters, such as shopkeepers annoying pedestrians or just the general crowd.

So if you wanna give me a hand, just post your ref of whatever character you want to add as an extra and I'll shout out if I use them, as well as post up the page you'll be featured in when it's complete.

I can do this all on my own, but your guy's help would tremendously expedite the proccess and help me finish on time.

Edit: On some further advice from one of our esteemed members, you can specify what your character should be doing, bear in mind that some of the places are just shops and the street. But in the words of Tvorsk:

What I mean is that for example while Kenku would be a good shopkeeper (or quite possibly a pirate-musketeer ), he probably wouldn't like to be drawn, even in the background, as the royal executioner with a huge axe.
If someone is an armorer, you probably could draw him as that, or as a basic smith he probably was before specializing - but he'd probably wouldn't "feel right" drawn as a mage.

And of course, nearly anyone, except maybe assassins, can be drawn as "just a random pedestrian".

So as long as you'll listen to the short basic "(s)he's that and this and would never that" one-two sentence description people would sure post along the ref and honor that when choosing as to what place and occupation to draw this particular background stunt-fuzzie in, all sides should be happy.

That sums it up pretty well.

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Random Topics / Guns, weapons, other dismemberment options.

« on: September 26, 2012, 01:31:07 AM »

If you couldn't tell from my avatar (if looking back on this years later the avatar is the Ruger logo), I happen to have a particular affinity for guns.

Now some people have never touched a gun in their lives. Some have misconceptions, and others couldn't care less about them, and would prefer to talk about the shiny new claymore they got.

Welp, here's the place to talk about all that dangerous nonsense! If you have a question about any weapon, want to flaunt your zombie-preparedness, or otherwise bask in deadly glory, just give a shout out here!

Since this is the first post, I'll give you guys a bit of an idea of what could follow.

I currently own a Ruger Superblackhawk single action revolver and a Carbine length AR-15. (I have others, but in order to keep Internet predators on their toes I won't mention them.)

So, to start off, if you've got absolutely no idea what the listed guns even ARE above. Post! Start a conversation! It doesn't even have to be relevant to this! It is the 'random topics' area after all!

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Art Gallery / Shadow's art bananza!

« on: September 14, 2012, 01:18:11 AM »

Well, here's the placeholder, I should be posting soon with some pics. I don't have any posted right now, nut I will in the nearby future. Be warned, I'm not all that great.

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Writer's Guild / From the notes of Tuesday West

« on: September 04, 2012, 11:52:33 PM »

((these are some things I wrote in my spare time in a slow moving RP. The character who is dictating them is an Anthro Wolf who jumps randomly through time. I may explain later on as I add more. But anyhow, these are all formatted as if someone had taken and compiled them based on subject later on. Enjoy!))

An excerpt from the notes of Tuesday West volume 1 of magic study
Pertaining to Magic and it's role within the various dimensions.

.... Magic is a fickle energy. In all of my travels I have never encountered such a odd and curious happening that is so prevalent thought the various worlds I have visited. As with all the other collected items within this volume, I am mainly writing this for my own use, due to my progressive function of memory loss.

Lest I forget, I shall put down the basic construction of the universes, and work from there. All this information is subject to change at any point, as I keep seeing new worlds and circumstances.

Reality as a whole is built upon two things, matter and energy. Mostly the easiest thing to observe is matter, and that will be the main focus of this information. The following is mainly how magic works and interacts with matter and ti an extent, energy.

Matter itself has three main components, neutrons, electrons, and protons. Anyone with basic physics knowledge can attest to that, and based on the amount of protons or electrons the particle has, it will behave differently, ergo, hydrogen is light and floats in most substances, while uranium is heavy and unstable due to the amount of subatomic particles contained within.

Magic is an odd energy that seems to bridge the gap between energy and matter. Energy can affect matter, but it is not part of it. Magic attaches itself like a parasite to subatomic particles, changing how the interact with their surroundings based on the kind of magic bound to the particle.

This is by no means a permanent thing, unless lasting spells or enchantments are involved.

Let's take a basic example that most students attempting to learn magic use, a ball of fire. There are multiple ways one can achieve such a task, but I will focus upon the effects. A spell is cast, and the magical energy surrounds the nucleoli of the air particles, dormant as we are speaking in terms of nanoseconds. The magical 'haze' around the particle then begins to convert the kinetic movement of the atoms into heat, causing fusion to occur. Then, drawing power from the spell caster's body, a process I will go into detail more thoroughly later on, it add kinetic energy the now burning and fusing mix, in a very specific direction, assuming the intention was to send the burning ball into its intended target.

Much of how magic works is similar to the above fashion. I must now stop my notations, as I feel a jump approaching. It is good, I am sick of the revolutionary war, the mages can be extremely ill tempered....


An excerpt from the notes of Tuesday West, Volume 2 on magic
Pertaining to long lasting spells and enchantments

.... And with the drive core inoperable for the next few weeks, much of ship life will be stagnant for the time being. I now take the time to continue my observations upon magic, and its apparent effect on reality as a whole.

I devote this section to the interesting circumstances surrounding enchantments and charms, forms of spell casting that are both extremely useful, and extremely dangerous.

All spells require energy from some source to operate, being as magic blurs the line between matter and energy, and the source for small-scale or temporary spells is generally the spellcaster or some other nearby source of energy. But for long term spells and enchantments, those needed for protecting, hiding, or otherwise altering an area of matter for a long term effect require massive amounts of energy.

A curious parallel I've noticed between magic users and science is the conversion of mass to energy, namely the reaction of fission. Fission releases unholy amounts of energy from a very small atomic space. When compounded, the results can be quite impressive.

Science uses this idea in much the same way magic does, though magic allows a greater range of materials to be split as it does not require tools and technology to operate.

One of the easiest ways to power a long lasting enchainment is to con very an entire object to energy, such as a rock or patch of ground. But this set of basic materials will not make for an efficient power source, for reasons unknown, materials that are either extremely dense, or living currently, provide a quality-long lasting effect. As it is hard to obtain super dense materials, as most in magical worlds have not been discovered due to the very existence of magic, the next most common source are of course, the local fauna or wildlife.

Enchantments and charms are constructed differently than your average fireball or banishing spell. As a spell takes effect, you must provide the fuel immediately, lest you consume yourself within. As the spell takes effect, a large quantity of energy is used directly upon casting, consuming most of the fuel provided. The more available, the more the enchanter can construct the enchantment to use at a given time. Once most of the groundwork has been set in reality, I say reality because I notice my sword's enchantments seem to persist throughout my travels, the power requirements slow to a dribble, allowing the spell to take effect, and be used. Eventually the spell can be used up, and the enchantment will die off, but the groundwork will still remain for those who can sense it.

It is possible to 'refuel' an enchantment, though the process is tricky at best. If you are attempting to add more mass to your own enchantment, you have an easier time, because you know the exact nature of what you cast. You must still be cautious. Even if the enchantment is devoid of any catalyst, you are still adding what may be considered 'gasoline upon a fire'. The enchantment may violently restart as if being cast for the first time, and consume all of your fuel at once, but with a difference. It will attempt to lay the exact same groundwork that is existing, and the conflict between the two identical constructions stops the process dead. But all that energy must go somewhere, so it is released as heat and light in one violent blast, similar to a nuclear bomb.

Thus concludes my musings upon enchantments and their confusing array of requirements, as I dictate this, I do thank once again Pernicolous, for his sacrifice to make the required energy for dragonsbane. Your death has brought much good, and the sword is my constant companion wherever I go.

I hear an odd amount of silence in the bulkheads, no speaking, no humming. I must finish this dictation. There is something wrong inside the ship...


An excerpt from the notes of Tuesday west, Volume 3 on magic
Pertaining to magic and its use and effects upon spell casters

...His condition is stabilizing, though I don't think he'll ever look at shrews the same way again.

I find myself returning yet again to the study of magic with this new development. It has given me an opportunity to observe the potential dangers of over-exerting one's self while dealing with magic.

Contrary to popular belief in many of the universes, save for the ones where magic is based off a being, not a physical occurrence, magic cannot be learned without the proper circumstances.

While it is possible to 'graft' the knowledge at a older age, magical instinct sets in at a very young age. This is due to magic's habit of attaching itself to matter. The magical energy can be left as a residue on an organism's brain, allowing new connections to be forged between synapses. Depending on the type of residue left, the organism may be more adept at certain tasks in magic than others.

This residue allows for the groundwork of the energy spell at the heart of almost exclusively all spells. The spell becomes an instinctual occurrence, allowing for more thought into the current task. The spell itself is one which takes the easiest for of energy available from the body, the conversion of food and liquid into energy. The spell simply takes the energy from the reaction instead of giving it to the body. This creates fatigue and tiredness, as the body is being deprived of energy while still active. A spell can be formulated to use fat, rather than the energy from food, though this is infinitely more dangerous, as one must know the exact nature and structure of the fat upon the body lest the spell caster accidentally consume himself for energy to power the spell.

The residue upon the minds also allows for the control of magic via the electrical nervous system found in most animate organisms. The nerves can be configured utilizing the magic to boost the signal, creating a powerful electromagnetic field. This field is how spell casters can manipulate the magical energy susceptible to electromagnetic fields.

This is not easily achieved, and requires much practice and time, as the initial shock to the nervous system can leave one paralyzed or heavily injured.

Roger is stirring now, so I think I'll drop a shrew on him and see his reaction...



An excerpt from the motes of Tuesday West, Volume 4 on magic
Pertaining to magic and its relationship to technology


.....The Ashongari have decided to abstain. This will mean war. But there is nothing i can do, but prepare.

It seems so long ago I last commented upon magic, so long, too little. This will be my final musing, stored in a separate file for later use.

Magic and technology, the two seem like extremes. But there are ways to make the two cooperate.

A common theme with technology is the electrically based components. No matter what the outcome seems to be, or where the tech evolves to, it usually begins at the electrically based level. Now, when computers are brought into the midst, things get a little more problematic. Magic users rely upon fine and extremely powerful electromagnetic fields to manipulate magic. This creates an electromagnetic pulse which decimates most advanced electronics. 

There is a path that allows for magic to coincide with advanced technology. But several key factors much come into play. First, magic must not be involved for the first stages of advanced technological development (ie: advanced computers). As this will let the researchers experiment without the fear of their work being destroyed. Secondly, the culture itself determines the likelihood of technomagical development. The more militaristic, or the more peaceful the nation, the more likely technology and magic will be able to coincide, as there are more resources devoted to research with either style of culture.

Now, on to the more direct relationship of magic and technology, the termmi used earlier, technomagical, is the term used to describe magic and technology working in tandem. The best way to cause magic to not interfere with the circuits of computers is to insulate the components against outside EM fields. Then you can use differing techniques to bind spells to augment the use of the item, which in of itself can lead to a extremely powerfully upgraded version.

The uses can be endless, but I fear I must stop, this is not the best of my memoirs. But i can hear the artillery beginning their bombardment they didn't waste any.... 


((these are how I believe that magic would work in a rational world. There could be many theories, but I have yet to find one totally compelling))