McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
A Monarchy done right?
meg_evonne:
I love your concepts for this wonderful world and they spark all sorts of nifty things in my head. I really enjoy the time frame, the fantasy world, the journey, and the backbone you are constructing. I've no idea if these thoughts fit with your flow, but here are some hodge-podge ideas this thread and your idea sparked. Still, what I wanted to 'play' with wouldn't work with the traditional definitions. So, off to a dictionary to find what I wanted. I highlighted them.
Free dictionary defines a monarchy as:mon·ar·chy (mnr-k, -är-)
n. pl. mon·ar·chies
1. Government by a monarch.
2. A state ruled or headed by a monarch.
And a monarch as:
n.
1. One who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right, especially:
a. A sole and absolute ruler.
b. A sovereign, such as a king or empress, often with constitutionally limited authority: a constitutional monarch.
2. One that commands or rules: "I am monarch of all I survey" (William Cowper).
3. One that surpasses others in power or preeminence: "Mont Blanc is the monarch of the mountains" (Byron).
4. A monarch butterfly.
First to MClark. Monarchies aren't always bad, but the 'heirs' often are. The problem with monarchies is succession. That's why I went to the definitions, because I didn't know if you could have a monarchy that was not by genetic line. Apparently, you can. Perhaps autocracy is a better term for where my mind drifted.
2nd: As to the concept of trials, there is no guarantee that succeeding at trials will evolve a true moral leader. Besting others in magic schools and physical power might assure power, but not necessarily just and wise rule--unless trials test more than 'might'. (Somehow that bores me.) I saw your world as a threatened utopia.
3rd: I'm especially drawn to the secret society option, but as others have pointed out, this has as many inherent problems such as the might = right problem. Still, I was so drawn that I had to figure out a way to make it work within your world. See below.
4th: Lost Stars and Astrology-very exciting.
Further, I've assumed that you begin with a utopia that is threatened. In other words, this system has worked well for thousands of years. (I'm always a fan of Lost Horizon stories.) How does it work well?
Also, 'breaking out of the insulation of wealth and power' is another favorite plot line for me, i.e. succeeding over poverty or wealth or power into a higher consciousness. Then I always want that soul to attempt ascension to leadership, bringing the society with it. Usually it fails in the story, but the glorious flight to the sun ending in crash is still a favorite.
MClark: Yes to princess and yes to your male or female sovereign.
The Deposed King: Yes to the pilgrimage. Hero's journeys work. The Alchemist will always be a favorite of mine.
Suggest opening your Guild (economic) and your House (political) conflict concept needs to be expanded to include the Magic Schools (seats of knowledge/history/occult).
As to taxes, you mention the Guilds and the Houses, but don't overlook the Schools. They could be your 3rd pillar. Just because they are schools in you magical society they probably have power and money and thus should be taxed as well.
Key question to answer is, "Why does the society follow this monarchy system?" You've given and been given some ideas. My idea goes backward from those since I begin with an utopia and see it threatened. And you are right, you need the villain. It's essential. On the other hand, this is such a cool world to play in! I further see it as a world of knowledge without need for money, but that doesn't mean there isn't political intrigue. Why? Because I'd prefer to pursue the ethics of leadership over the mundane of economy in this world. That's just me--or because I'm so wrapped up in economic turmoil in my current WiP... :-) It can get a tad boring to make exciting.
So, what if... The schools, the guilds, the houses (geographical over genetic line houses) select, via their own various tests, five-year-old children who enter the 'monarch school'. This school is isolated from the world and all students give up cast and their families. Raised by super monks or Buddhist-type isolationists, these 'talented' young children will feed the upper echelons of the schools, and perhaps the guilds and houses. The finalists slip into the other magic schools at high levels to be tested. The top finalists are sent out on the journey penniless to prove their wisdom (or to gain their wisdom). The monks have no influence outside the school other than to monitor the finalists so there is no threat they will influence the future heir. When the final selection is made--it is made by those who cannot influence the future leader---train and release concept.
Yes, this is sounding like a familiar plot line, isn't it? Goldie Oldie. Then I'd interweave the conflict as background as the journey is made. Let the evil be seen as a creeping blight upon the people these individuals meet--frightening and seen to be growing. Any battles are small at first and individual growing in depth and ever growing populace. As they gain their wisdom, they are also being exposed to what they must learn to fight. Some would fall to the evil, others would fail and fall away back into the masses, a few will succeed only to lose, and one... only one becomes the lost star to lead the world. In a way, these 'lost stars' are like comets--some burn out with specatular bursts of beauty, some never get close enough to see, but a rare one will brighten the night sky with hope. These concepts sound christian, but are actually universal theologies and fulfill universal needs within all of us.
Uhm... That I would like to read. Good luck, my friend.
Quantus:
--- Quote ---I love your concepts for this wonderful world and they spark all sorts of nifty things in my head. I really enjoy the time frame, the fantasy world, the journey, and the backbone you are constructing. I've no idea if these thoughts fit with your flow, but here are some hodge-podge ideas this thread and your idea sparked. Still, what I wanted to 'play' with wouldn't work with the traditional definitions. So, off to a dictionary to find what I wanted. I highlighted them.
2nd: As to the concept of trials, there is no guarantee that succeeding at trials will evolve a true moral leader. Besting others in magic schools and physical power might assure power, but not necessarily just and wise rule--unless trials test more than 'might'. (Somehow that bores me.) I saw your world as a threatened utopia.
--- End quote ---
A Trial by Combat would be only one of the available Trials, and a bit of an archaic one at that. Mostly it would be Trials to perform magic of suitably large scale/complexity to be counted as an equal by your Peers in the Circle, craft a masterpiece, Manage the business into record gains, etc. In many cases the Trials to prove yourself worthy of a House position would basically just mean you achieve a suitable rank in one of the Circles. The point of the Trial idea is to allow for abberant talents to gain recognition even if they dont have House backing, for useless people to be prevented from gaining authority, and to support the idea that those in power have proven themselves worthy of leadership, though the definitions of "Worthy" will varry some from house to house, and is a theme I plan to explore some during the story. But military might will still be a big plus, as im thinking the threat of monster invasion will be a motivating force in the society.
--- Quote ---Suggest opening your Guild (economic) and your House (political) conflict concept needs to be expanded to include the Magic Schools (seats of knowledge/history/occult).
As to taxes, you mention the Guilds and the Houses, but don't overlook the Schools. They could be your 3rd pillar. Just because they are schools in you magical society they probably have power and money and thus should be taxed as well.
--- End quote ---
The Guilds /are/ the Schools, the seats of knowledge. Each guild is responsible for teaching (and more recently Certifying) any with aptitude to learn and who can make the pilgrimage to one of the Temples (promising candidates may be sponsored, etc). If you have ever read the PERN novels by Anne Mccaffery, its the same idea: Houses and Guilds for Holds and Crafthalls, respectively. A person goes off to learn their craft, with the general understanding that they will be expected to come home and practice their skills for the good of their Family. Cities support a Guildhalls to promote the industry they represent, and will have biases based on their land's resources and such. A guildhall in turn trains the local populous, identifies potential talents worthy of Pilgrimage to a larger Hall for advanced training, and maintains the knowledge and practical standards. The actual commerce will take place in a more traditional shop/marketplace setting, with individual merchant Houses selling their wares (usually magic to some degree) that were created with the help of whatever talents the Family has trained, and whatever Artifacts they have managed to accumulate over their history. Families tend to spawn similar talents, but this is a Nurture over Nature instance; Fire Elementalists tend to raise their kids to think like Fire Elementalists, and as a direct result they are better suited for it. Same goes for a Shaman or Mage, etc.
--- Quote ---Key question to answer is, "Why does the society follow this monarchy system?" You've given and been given some ideas. My idea goes backward from those since I begin with an utopia and see it threatened. And you are right, you need the villain. It's essential. On the other hand, this is such a cool world to play in! I further see it as a world of knowledge without need for money, but that doesn't mean there isn't political intrigue. Why? Because I'd prefer to pursue the ethics of leadership over the mundane of economy in this world. That's just me--or because I'm so wrapped up in economic turmoil in my current WiP... :-) It can get a tad boring to make exciting.
--- End quote ---
This is why Im leaning toward the looming invasion threat. Have the Leaders play a vital role in some established defense system, so that any breach of continuity would be seen as a catastrophic vulnerability. They can plot and scheme for who will fill the roles, but they are all darwinianly (real word?) committed to maintaining the current system.
As far as the currency, Im willing to leave it as a loosely established thing, so that barter will stil be a common business mode. Its further complicated since Magic is the main valuable thing, so striking the balance between good and services will be tricky. I want Magic and magic items to be commonplace, so low level charms or other charged-use magic items will be needed. I havent decided if I should have currency issued by the Guilds in some standardized unit of Energy (essentially bartering with either batteries or some common denominator charm from each Circle); in this case actual commerce would still be a barter system, but with these small object as the common measuring unit. The other option would be to have the Throne or maybe each of the Major houses issue their own currency, but then that brings things back to a modern Wealth based economics, as well as exchange rates and such, which I dont know enough about Economics to do well.
meg_evonne:
So what characters will you create to play in this cool world? And i love darwinianly. It is my new fav word of the week. Off topic, i've been playing scrable online with my kids. An amazing number of scifi terms are not 'legit such as fae. The game is rigged!
Quantus:
--- Quote from: meg_evonne on May 31, 2012, 04:30:37 AM ---So what characters will you create to play in this cool world? And i love darwinianly. It is my new fav word of the week. Off topic, i've been playing scrable online with my kids. An amazing number of scifi terms are not 'legit such as fae. The game is rigged!
--- End quote ---
Well, the MC is the crown Price and Heir to the Throne. He will be traveling with a mentor/bodyguard character who is a master Martial Artist (need a better name for the One Circle...maybe the Terra Cotta, since it is the Earth circle, astrologically). The Mentor is a Lost Star who was living on the streets as a boy when the King found and sponsored him. Shortly they will be joined by a companion sidekick sort, a lowborn who is training to be a Fire Elementalist. There will also be a scion of a rival house, an arrogant Mind Mage, who is being groomed as an alternate candidate for the Throne, should the Heir Fail or Fall. The other house will be the polar opposite of the generally benevolent and progressively idealistic House the prince is from.
The story will follow the Prince as he sets out alone on his Pilgrimage to each of the 7 Circle's primary Temple. He will start will a somewhat Naive outlook on the world, thanks to the sheltered upbringing of a Prince in the Capital. As he travels he will be going through various disillusionments designed to contrast the difference between the Idealized system of the kingdom vs the practical implementation and its various interpretations by the different Major Houses.
meg_evonne:
I'll look forward to reading some of your chapters, when you're ready.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version