Sorcery?

So Haleza Grise · Post by **So Haleza Grise** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 4:04 am

zompist wrote:
So Haleza Grise wrote:Is there any nation or grouping on Almea that, for one reason or another, does *not* make use of magic? Did the Cuezians?
Good call... the Cuzeians trusted in their god(s) and viewed other forms of magic as idolatry. The modern Eledhi are distrustful of magic as well.

Do the Ilii make use of magic, or just advanced technology, or both? And what about the elcari?

Post by **zompist** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 3:35 pm

So Haleza Grise wrote:Do the Ilii make use of magic, or just advanced technology, or both? And what about the elcari?

Where humans have to expend great effort to even contact the Powers, much less learn to please them enough to be granted any temporal power, the ilii are already plugged in. In a sense they don't use magic, they are magic-- at least from a human perspective. From their own perspective it's not a discipline or a set of superpowers; if anything it's part of theology.

As jsburke's title indicates, the elcari do have an idea of sorcery... I'm not sure what it consists of, however.

blank stare · Post by **blank stare** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:25 pm

zompist wrote:To me, magic should be something numinous-- spiritual rather than scientific. I've essentially borrowed my solution from Ariosto: magic is actually requests made of sentient supernatural powers... superior beings that have their own agenda. They may indulge their pets a bit, but there is a price to be paid, and they certainly can't be ordered around or turned into a business.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Inheritance trilogy by Christopher Paolini.

vec · Post by **vec** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:51 pm

Oooh, you're crossing a shaky line comparing Paolini and Rosenfelder, you're likely to get harsh responses...

blank stare · Post by **blank stare** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:05 pm

I'm pretty sure you misunderstood me. He(zomp) said that he didn't care for 'magical' settings in conworlds if they are treated as a form of science, and that he thought it was much more interesting if it is a more spiritual endeavor than something you can just learn and DO. I said that the first thing I thought of was Paolini, meaning that Paolini's world had magic which was used more or less as a science. I was pretty much agreeing with him, even giving an example. Not comparing.