Fortune Telling (The Thief's Magick)

Elestar · **Posted:** December 29th, 2009, 4:20 pm

Here is a clip from my glossary. First, though, I'd like to clarify that all "magick" is evil in my world. Usually, it is either trickery or of demonic origin. There is no "white" magick.

Fortune Telling: Fortune telling is perhaps the most common form of magick practiced, for it (or at least a crude form of it) can be learned rather easily without much training at all. The most common style is to use the Cards or Stones. The Cards are a deck of cards with certain symbolic designs written on them. The Fortune Teller deals the cards and the order they are dealt will supposedly tell the customer’s future (or, sometimes, life story). The Stones are stones (or sometimes sticks or bones) with certain runes carved on them. The Fortune Teller casts the Stones and then the runes tell the future (or possible future) of the customer. Fortune Tellers with proper training are much more rare, and usually more expensive, for they have been trained to contact spirits and read the future with the help of spirits. Some Fortune Tellers have no training, but have instead captured a lith* that they keep locked in a glass globe. The lith will then show the Fortune Teller the future or possible future of the customer.

*See People, Tribes, and Races

PrincessoftheKing · **Posted:** December 30th, 2009, 9:57 pm

Good job! It sounds like you really thought about the magic in your world!

Elestar wrote:

First, though, I'd like to clarify that all "magick" is evil in my world. Usually, it is either trickery or of demonic origin. There is no "white" magick.

Okay, that answers my question about necromancy being evil.

Svensteel Mimetes · **Posted:** January 27th, 2010, 8:08 pm

In my book magic is evil too, really, magic is just bad. I couldn't even think about having my good guys do magic.

Elestar · **Posted:** January 29th, 2010, 11:57 am

Namor wrote:

In my book magic is evil too, realy, magic is just bad. I couldn't even think about having my good guys do magic.

Exactly. That's how I feel about it. In a trilogy that I'm going to write, my main MC practices sorcery and all kinds of black magick, but that's while he's a villain. During the story, he goes through a bunch of turmoil and comes out realizing just how evil magick is.

Lord Kieren Mimetes · **Posted:** January 31st, 2010, 9:42 pm

Elestar wrote:

Namor wrote:

In my book magic is evil too, realy, magic is just bad. I couldn't even think about having my good guys do magic.

Exactly. That's how I feel about it. In a trilogy that I'm going to write, my main MC practices sorcery and all kinds of black magick, but that's while he's a villain. During the story, he goes through a bunch of turmoil and comes out realizing just how evil magick is.

I don't have magic in my current story, but I certainly agree with you about magic.

The Wolverminion · **Posted:** February 22nd, 2010, 5:39 pm

I agree that magic should only be bad...unless you have a God character (like Aslan) or someone sent from God...an angel basically (like Gandalf). Anything apparently 'magical' or even 'miraculous' that is portrayed as good, should point to God as the one who does it.

Lord Kieren Mimetes · **Posted:** February 24th, 2010, 4:08 pm

Unless you would count a special talent that God gave to a race as magic. That's really what Gandalf had. The Maiar had special powers, mostly contained in their staves.

Neil of Erk · **Posted:** February 24th, 2010, 8:52 pm

Inesdar wrote:

Magic tends to be rather convenient, much like flexing your arm. It comes when you want it to. Miracles don't work in the same way, they work when God finds it best.

Inesdar, a miracle happens every time you flex your arm. (Yes, I know that was cliché.)

Really, what I mean is this: You have a natural ability that is also miraculous. Miraculous because it comes from God, natural because it now belongs to you. So, "Magic" can take three forms.

Demonic power: We generally use this as the powers of evil in our stories.

Alchemy: Simply a science we do (or don't) understand.

A gift: An ability given by God, but operating on a different level than science.

Elestar · **Posted:** February 28th, 2010, 7:05 pm

Inesdar wrote:

So how does the Lith know the future? Does the Lith have vision or is it giving an educated guess because of it's intelligence?

Visions. It's a gift from God.

Forlendo Alistar wrote:

I agree that magic should only be bad...unless you have a God character (like Aslan) or someone sent from God...an angel basically (like Gandalf). Anything apparently 'magical' or even 'miraculous' that is portrayed as good, should point to God as the one who does it.

Inesdar wrote:

Hmmm, I would prefer miracles to be said as such. Magic tends to be rather convenient, much like flexing your arm. It comes when you want it to. Miracles don't work in the same way, they work when God finds it best. And when a miracle happens it will overpower any evil present (So no magic battles). Not that miracles shouldn't be present, this is Christian fantasy after all but they shouldn't be used like magic is.

I find the best way to get good characters do use magic is to make it Alchemy. Which simply means a science that no one understands yet.

I have to agree with Inesdar. Miracles can (and have) been called "magic", but I prefer to have at least one person call them miracles, to avoid confusion. It is so easy, at least for me, to write about "magic" that comes from God, without properly explaining to the reader what I mean. I believe that that was the reason the "wise, old mentor" figure was created, to explain all those details.

Griffin wrote:

Unless you would count a special talent that God gave to a race as magic. That's really what Gandalf had. The Maiar had special powers, mostly contained in their staves.

That was only called "magic" by those who did not understand it. And, while some characters like that may call it "magic", I like to have someone there to correct them, as with miracles.

Neil of Erk wrote:

Inesdar wrote:

Magic tends to be rather convenient, much like flexing your arm. It comes when you want it to. Miracles don't work in the same way, they work when God finds it best.

Inesdar, a miracle happens every time you flex your arm. (Yes, I know that was cliché.)

Really, what I mean is this: You have a natural ability that is also miraculous. Miraculous because it comes from God, natural because it now belongs to you. So, "Magic" can take three forms.

Demonic power: We generally use this as the powers of evil in our stories.

Alchemy: Simply a science we do (or don't) understand.

A gift: An ability given by God, but operating on a different level than science.

This post looks familiar. It seems like this was on another "magic" topic. But, yes, I do basically agree with this, although, in my world, the only true magick comes from demonic powers, everything else is merely mistaken for magic by those who don't understand it.

Lord Kieren Mimetes · **Posted:** March 18th, 2010, 7:37 am

I completely agree with Elestar.

Elestar · **Posted:** April 7th, 2010, 9:50 am

Inesdar wrote:

When you say 'a gift from God' do you mean a natural gift (like as Neil of Erk puts it, flexing your arm)? Or do you mean a miraculous one? Forgive me if I missed something. I have a tendency to skim.

A "flexing the arm" type of gift. In my world, at least, miraculous gifts happen, but not to an entire race. They usually stick to individuals.

Elestar · **Posted:** November 1st, 2010, 2:08 pm

As this topic has been inactive for many months, I am closing it. If anyone wishes to comment/question further, feel free to PM me about it.

Fortune Telling (The Thief's Magick)

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