"Thieves World" type chain story

[Star of Penumbra]

I'd like to start a chain story not unlike the novels "Thieves World", and the sequel, "Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn".

If you're familiar with them, skip down to the asterisks.

TW and TFtVG are fantasy novels that were written by a small group of authors in the late seventies. The premise is basically this: Instead of authors coming up with entirely new worlds, and having to define the races, nations, and the manipulation of magic on them all on thier own, instead they write stories based in an already exsisting world that was develped by Robert Aspirin (best known as the author of the MYTH series) and a few others.

**********

Details would have to be worked out, of course, since I don't want to use Sanctuary (it's been a while since I read the books). I'm willing to do this on my own, and I'll try to create an interesting world where pretty much anything is possible.

A few rules that will be universal and unwavering:

-It's acceptable to use another author's characters in your story, provided you've okayed it with them.

-No killing another author's characters, unless you've okayed it with them.

-Nothing earth-shattering (e.g., having a continent blown off the face of the planet during a battle between two mighty wizards).

-No using or introducing already exsisting characters from any medium (Merlin, Gandalf, Minsc and Boo, TV show characters, etc.).

-No arbitrarily changing the history of the planet or it's inhabitants. Minor variations are okay, since everybody remembers things slightly differently ("The king of Bobland is missing two fingers from his right hand." "I thought it was his left?"), but changing history so that nation A won the war of the Stray Sheep, when actually it was nation B, is unacceptable.

Other than that, pretty much anything goes. I'll post the details of the host world once I've gotten them worked out fairly well. Any suggestions or questions can be asked here or by PM.

 

[Alex De Kok]

Looks interesting!

I'll keep an eye on this. I think it has a lot of potential.

Alex

 

[Star of Penumbra]

Basic information:

The name of the planet is Thelden. Several languages are spoken on Thelden, but all have a single language as the root. The differences came about as a result of some unrecorded magical cataclysm that divided the single land mass of the planet into four different continents and several archipelagos that connected them (kinda). Since the people on the continents no longer had any contact with each other, the languages developed in different directions, and as such, nobody from one continent can understand the language of anybody on another. There’s a world map attached for reference.

The people who live on Thelden are essentially human, but there are a few small differences. Hair and eyes can be any color, average height is about 5’9” for women and about 6’ even for men, and blood ranges from dark purple to bright red. There are also more or less Earth-like animals living there.

The Continents
Malki’vith is highly advanced The technological level surpasses the present day’s by several decades, and advances quickly. However, magic, religion, and air travel are nonexistent here. Society is rather free and enlightened –public nudity is legal, ‘thief’ is considered a legitimate (though not honorable) profession, and when somebody is caught breaking what laws do exist (‘no stealing’ is the main one), whoever catches them is allowed to use whatever force necessary to stop them, including deadly force, though this is considered extreme. There is a highway system that connects every city on the continent to the others. Personal and family honor hold a very important position in the lives of the people living here.

Inali is also quite advanced, but magic has more or less taken over where technology rules on Malki’vith. Nearly anything is possible. Knowledge –especially magical knowledge- is hoarded by the few people living there. Magical texts are written in a strange language that it’s practitioners have discovered (as opposed to invented). Everybody here practices magic in an attempt to gain power, but most are too paranoid and insane to do much, if anything else (except the basics needed to maintain one’s life, like eating, sleeping, etc.).

Saltro is a balance of magic and technology. The inhabitants have more and stricter laws that the ones on Malki’vith, and life in general is more regimented, though not nearly to the point of depriving people of their individuality. There is a system of government similar to that of the United States, in that there are elected leaders and a system of checks and balances. Persons caught committing crimes are punished in an appropriate manner, and usually something is done to deter further lawbreaking. Thieves have their wages garnished until the victim has received a value equal to twice the value of any stolen goods and have a single finger removed, rapists are castrated or otherwise neutered, and murderers are executed or ‘nerve stapled’ –basically a lobotomy that makes the person a mindless drone capable of simple tasks- and set to doing manual labor. The technology level is similar to that of the 19th century western world, and nearly anything achievable by technology can also be done by magic. Wizards must be registered with the government, though there is a subsection of the underworld dedicated to the research of illegal magics. Several religions exist here, many of which are at odds with some, while coexisting peacefully with others.

The final continent, Emeto, is largely unexplored. Rumors have it that dozens, possibly hundreds or even thousands of subspecies of human live here. Occasionally a wanderer appears on one of the other continents. Most of the landmass is jungle, though there are desert regions, plains, and mountains as well.

Portals
All over the planet are portals to other points. The location and destination of them is determined by the positions of the planet’s twin moons. The location is determined by one, while the destination is determined by the other. Wizards all over the planet have studied and tried to understand the odd effect of the moons on the portals, but have thus far been unable to come to any definite conclusions other than the position/ destination one. The moons have a steady orbit, so travel by portal to other places is mostly reliable, though once in a great while, the moons align strangely and all existing portals have their destinations changed, seemingly at random.

That’s about all there is to know.

 

[Weird Harold]

That’s about all there is to know.

What about "Public Figures?" Who's in charge of the government and organized crime" Who is the head wizard(s).

How about capitol cities and major ports/trade centers?

These are important considerations for "Shared Universe" collections and are properly the province of the universe creator to define.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

I didn't develop public figures, politicians, presidents/kings, etc. because I usually don't think about them. Also, it allows authors to set their stories several years apart, instead of all of them being clumped together in a relatively short period.

Regardless, anybody who wants to develop these details, either beforehand or during a story, is perfectly welcome to do so.

Major cities are marked on the map, which I'm attatching here because I forgot to do it in my last post. Emeto, being unexplored, and Inali, with no government and a population composed mostly of hermits, have no (known) cities of importance.

 

[BigTexan]

I think I would love to do this. But I do have a question about ownership.

Do I wholly own my own stories? Are there restrictions on publishing?

Personally I don't care (much), but I think getting this clear at the start will save some hurt feelings later.

And thank you for doing this. I have been thinking along these same lines for a while, but could never commit the time to be the one to start it. You are a brave person

BigTexan

 

[Weird Harold]

I think I would love to do this. But I do have a question about ownership.

Do I wholly own my own stories? Are there restrictions on publishing?

Based on the copyright credits in the Thieves World anthologies, I'd say you retain the copyright to your stories. I have seen "Thieves World" stories in other anthologies as well, although due credit is given to the Thieves World setting and creators as the inspiration for them.

SoP, it's your world and your rules, however, ...

The Thieves World series ran for twelve anthologies and eight novels and covered just over three years in Sanctuary time -- for the most part. Some of the later novels jumped five or six years into the "future" for the conclusion of the Tempus storyline, but almost all of the stories ran very close to concurrently.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

I think I would love to do this. But I do have a question about ownership.

Do I wholly own my own stories? Are there restrictions on publishing?

Personally I don't care (much), but I think getting this clear at the start will save some hurt feelings later.

And thank you for doing this. I have been thinking along these same lines for a while, but could never commit the time to be the one to start it. You are a brave person

BigTexan

Hehe... Would you believe I started this on a whim because of an idea for a couple characters I want to write for that I got five hours ago? Most of this stuff I just made up on the spot (I'm good at that for some reason).

Regardless, yes, you retain full ownership of your stories and characters, and they are yours to do with as you like. I would, however, like to be credited with the creation of the world (wow, there's a god complex if I ever heard one), but I'm not going to be anal about it. You would have to seek permission from other authors if you used any of thier charcters in your story, of course.

What I had in mind was the authors each writing a story and posting it on the ORP board (all of them on one thread). I honestly don't think it would be even remotely realistic to get anything published (on paper), and that was never my intent.

 

[BigTexan]

Star,

I've never posted on the ORP before. How long can stories be there. My stories tend to be many thousands of words.

Also: on Malki'vith you say that magic is non-existant. Is that because it won't work there or just that it is reviled or unknown?

My first thought was of a young girl, Darka Nore, who has no family, no home, and is out on her own. She has no idea of her past but she knows she is different.

In actuality she is from a very powerful family on Inali, but her families enemies caught her and wiped her mind and sent her through a portal to Malki'vith. There she is forced to struggle for her very survival while dealing with her "difference" which is her magical abilities.

However in filling out this story, I realized that I don't know quite enough about magic on this world. Does it still work on Malki'vith? Is it reviled and hated there? Or is it just unknown?

Also how does magic work? I think, since magic seems to be an integral part of this world, the authors should be consistant with how magic works. Is it based on the elements? If so which elements (Fire, Water, Air, Life, and Earth come to mind) or is it more like Terry Goodkinds, additive and subtractive magic? Can it simply transform matter and energy or can it create and destroy them? These kinds of questions.

Thanks again. I hope I'm not bothering you too much about all this.

BigTexan

 

[BigTexan]

Okay, Star, I bet you hate me already, but I have one more question.

What kind of money do they use in Malki'vith?

Until you answer I'm going to use the following:

Currency based on the platinum Shimmer which is a coin with one ounce of platinum in it.

There are other coins. Each with markings to show what they are worth. The Tenner is worth one tenth a Shimmer and is the smallest coin.

The fiver is worth one fifth of a Shimmer.

The Halver is worth on half a shimmer.

On the other side, there is the Tenshim (worth ten Shimmers) and the Fifshim worth fifty Shimmers)

It's crude, but works. If you want something different then let me know, I can change my story.

Thanks
BigTexan

 

[Star of Penumbra]

Originally posted by BigTexan Star,

I've never posted on the ORP before. How long can stories be there. My stories tend to be many thousands of words.

Also: on Malki'vith you say that magic is non-existant. Is that because it won't work there or just that it is reviled or unknown?

It doesn't exist because it was never developed there. It is completely unknown, similar to how time travel is unknown to modern science. It exists solely as a concept there.

My first thought was of a young girl, Darka Nore, who has no family, no home, and is out on her own. She has no idea of her past but she knows she is different.

In actuality she is from a very powerful family on Inali, but her families enemies caught her and wiped her mind and sent her through a portal to Malki'vith. There she is forced to struggle for her very survival while dealing with her "difference" which is her magical abilities.

Don't let me stop ya.

However in filling out this story, I realized that I don't know quite enough about magic on this world. Does it still work on Malki'vith? Is it reviled and hated there? Or is it just unknown?

The last one. Anybody who showed up there who could do magic would most likely be regarded as a freak of nature.

Also how does magic work? I think, since magic seems to be an integral part of this world, the authors should be consistant with how magic works. Is it based on the elements? If so which elements (Fire, Water, Air, Life, and Earth come to mind) or is it more like Terry Goodkinds, additive and subtractive magic? Can it simply transform matter and energy or can it create and destroy them? These kinds of questions.

To tell the truth, I haven't really thought about this. So, just off the top of my head:

Magic can be learned by anybody able to comprehend the apparently random lines, curves, and odd geometric shapes that make up the language spellbooks are written in.

Thousands of spells exist, and there is a spell for nearly every situation imaginable. Spells are based on the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water.

There are seven levels of magic, called 'Circles' by wizards. The first four circles are the weakest, allowing access to spells of increasing power. Each wizard has one element that is thier primary elements, and are unable to access the opposing one (fire/ water, air/ earth).

By advanceing ot the fifth circle, wizards gain the ability to merge two of the elements they control, creating another element, a paraelement, that they can control.

Air + Water = Ice
Air + Fire = Smoke

Earth + Fire = Magma
Earth + Water = Ooze

The sixth circle allows access to the most powerful spells available to wizards. A wizard with earth as his primary element could create earthquakes, an air wizard could create tornadoes, and so on.

Extremely rarely, a wizard gains access to the seventh circle. Upon achieving this feat, the wizard practically becomes a god. Such exceptional wizards crop up once every twenty generations or so.

Actually learning magic is a relatively simple, though very long process, provided one has access to some decent books and can somehow make sense of them, either through a natural gift or by being taught. Only the most exceptional individuals can progress past the first circle or two.

Few people have the ability to use magic without consulting books. Such people crop up two or three dozen to a generation.

Actually casting a spell consists of saying a few words in a stilted, arcane tongue, making odd gestures with the hands, manipulating some odd substacne, or some combination of the three. Weaker spells are simple and can be cast quickly. More powerful spells require more time to cast properly. Miscasting a spell -either by making a mistake or being interrupted- is dangerous both to the wizard and any bystanders, as the results can are randomly beneficial, harmful, both, neither (read: useless), or nonexsistant.

Thanks again. I hope I'm not bothering you too much about all this.

BigTexan

Not at all. You can't do anything unless you have the information.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

Okay, Star, I bet you hate me already, but I have one more question.

What kind of money do they use in Malki'vith?

Until you answer I'm going to use the following:

Currency based on the platinum Shimmer which is a coin with one ounce of platinum in it.

There are other coins. Each with markings to show what they are worth. The Tenner is worth one tenth a Shimmer and is the smallest coin.

The fiver is worth one fifth of a Shimmer.

The Halver is worth on half a shimmer.

On the other side, there is the Tenshim (worth ten Shimmers) and the Fifshim worth fifty Shimmers)

It's crude, but works. If you want something different then let me know, I can change my story.

Thanks
BigTexan

This is fine with me. There are a lot of details required in creating a world, and it's awfully hard for a single person to do it all.

 

[BigTexan]

Star,

I hope you approve. I'm going to create another kind of magic. Witch Magic from Emeto. This magic is wholely self contained and purely psychic based. It would be a "gift" or a talent but the person could be trained to use it better.

Specific skills would be premonition, telekinesis, claireaudiance, and clairevoyance.

If you don't like this, let me know. Thanks

BigTexan

 

[Star of Penumbra]

It would be a "gift" or a talent but the person could be trained to use it better.

Specific skills would be premonition, telekinesis, claireaudiance, and clairevoyance.

In other words, psionics. That's perfectly fine.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

Okay, minor update.

I have a concept for a story in order to get things started. I haven't written much of anything lately, so the beginning may be a bit rusty. Once I finish (which may take a while), I'll post it on the ORP thread, and whoever else has written anything based on this concept is welcome to post what they've written there.

 

[tenyari]

Interesting.

I was just thinking of starting a shared world project thanks to a few going on in some art forums I was perusing.

Unfortunately I'm not sure I dig this particular world, I don't like mixes of fantasy and sci fi, which is what this appears to be.

One thing I would advise, as someone who does a lot of world design (one of my hobbies).

Build in more natural conflict. The societies I see above each appear to work too well for their own story-good.

They are also too isolated. It's better if you have a more balkanized situation. One thing that makes medival setups work so well in fantasy for example is the multitude of fractured kingdoms which gives room for strong political drama.

In each society you need to build in a number of tension points, both great and small, for authors to use in stories.

For example, a Rome like society with slaves, gladdiators, and classism works better than a free democratic state with egalitarian social morays.

You've got a lot of focus on solutions to problems of thieves... that can stifle a good thief story if an author thus has trouble figuring out why thieves work.

I've had that problem in a few worlds I built in past. I had magic that was so perfect in one world that it became a wonderful utopia with which all I could do was tell smurf stories minus Gargamel.
In another I had telepaths in courts thus eliminating the potential of injustice... Both world lost a lot of their story potential from this.


Look at the world of Thieve's World. It's a broken, unpleasant place, and that's largely why it was so easy for so many authors to tell such dynamic stories in it. Despite being so broken, it was logical and all the elements had consistant reasons for being the way they were.

Don't build a utopia, and when you do build a nasty place ensure it fits together. The worst thing you can do in a shared world project is put in a premise that leaves people thinking -that couldn't / wouldn't happen, even in a world with magic-.

Anyway, with thoughts in mind, I wish you luck and if I get over my distaste of the mix of fantasy and science fiction I might join in.

 

[Star of Penumbra]

There's a lot of potential for conflict. Right off the top of my head: Two city-states on Saltro, unable to overcome thier differences, go to war (no, it isn't very good, I just came up with it on the spot).

Society is far from perfect: there are homeless, drug addicts, thieves, murdrers, and other criminals of every kind all over the planet.

On Malki'vith, technology is decades ahead of the present day's; not centuries. Basically this means there are a lot more gadgets to play with, and not much else. Society is enlightened, but honor is held in such a high regard (occasionally to a nonsensical degree) that a person might be disowned by his familiy if he were to bring shame to his family name.

Natural conflict is not my strong point, but there's plenty of potential for political and personal conflict. There's also a lot of potential for conflict if any two of the continents were to come in contact with each other. I deliberately developed the world without any of hte continents having contact with each other so this could be developed by other writers (plus I was too lazy to do it myself).

So like I said, there's a lot of potential for conflict, if you're just a little creative.