McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Some Fantasy Standards
Aludra:
--- Quote from: seekmore on September 04, 2009, 07:39:02 PM ---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.
--- End quote ---
I don't know why you say it isn't clearly defined. You might revisit book 2. Eragon's teacher explains it.
seekmore:
--- Quote from: Aludra on September 04, 2009, 08:04:19 PM ---I don't know why you say it isn't clearly defined. You might revisit book 2. Eragon's teacher explains it.
--- End quote ---
And it contradicts what we hear from Brom in the first book, nor is it defined what the limits are.
And Eragon immediately contradicts what Oromis teaches by writing that ballad, which is a fictionalized accounting of his battle with Durza.
Aludra:
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. So it's not just the ballad. It's not clear how fiction is reconciled, but I think if you are not intending to deceive, then you can create stories and songs.
In any case, there is a cearly 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.
seekmore:
--- Quote from: Aludra on September 04, 2009, 08:12:19 PM ---Brom doesn't know everything the elves do and left out a lot of Eragon's education.
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Except Oromis trained Brom, and there is a fairly major discrepancy there.
--- Quote ---Oromis explains that there are actually no limits, but you can do magic by speaking which imposes limits on it.
--- End quote ---
Which means there should be no story. No limits means you can do anything. Eragon could just say Galbatorix's mountain and everything on it turns to dust, and it should be so.
We are explicitly told that you cannot tell a lie in the Ancient Language(or whatever they call it), yet Eragon proceeds to do so with his ballad.
--- Quote ---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.
--- End quote ---
And we are given no evidence of this. The information we are given is: Lies=No. Truth=Yes.
No language is like that, though. A word is a word, whether it used for fact or fiction.
The elves have their own language. And they have the Ancient Language, unless I remember incorrectly.
--- Quote ---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.
--- End quote ---
Except that magic is the language. Inconsistencies between the two shouldn't exist.
Aludra:
He can't do ANYTHING, there are still limits regarding expended energy.
Edit: I just listened to the part where Oromis asks Eragon how he can speak the Ley, and Eragon says he beleives it to be true, so he can speak it. So it is definitely about intent to deceive and not about 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.
Also magic ISNT the language, the language was adapted to control the magic. Else anyone who could make the right noises could do magic, and it would happen on accident frequently. Oromis explains this too.
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