Another pitiful day... Luckily I've got a lot of time to work on it set away on sunday.

----------------------------------------------------

Their studies had been long and hard, not to mention dangerous; they had started with twice as many students just 9 years before. Every student there had lost a study partner, some died taking too much magick into their body, some died of accidents involving the spells they cast, and some lost control and became addicted to magick. Those were the worst, addicted to magick, always looking for more power, new spells, anything to feel that power coursing through their veins.

Despite the cold, the students remained in place and didn’t talk. They all knew the importance of this ceremony, and knew better than to mess it up. Tonight was the first new moon of the year, today they would be given their Oaths, they would graduate their school and walk forth into the world.

To the other student’s relief, the Magi began to arrive. Terrance, on the other hand, didn’t mind the cold. Before coming to the school he’d spent many a long night under worse conditions. He’d learned to be patient, waiting as long as necessary.

However, even he let out a gasp when he saw their method of travel. Torches had been set out around the clearing to illuminate it, and one by one, the flames all grew, until the flame was the size of a man. With a bang, every one of the flames went out, leaving only a little starlight to see by.

All stared out in hushed silence, hoping to see something in the shadows, some hint as to what was to happen. The darkness pushed in on the students, they could feel a presence, and while they knew it was teachers they had known for years, their hopes and fears got the better of the, and their minds began to wander. When the first tendrils of light streaked out from the spells the Magi were weaving there were a number of squeals from students.

The light revealed what was going on to the students, arrayed around the clearing were nine Magi, dressed in pitch black robes. Of the nine Magi in the clearing, eight worked together invoking a spell at the center. The ninth was the head of the school, a Grand Master of Keri’Vas in his own right, he was a Magi of great power, one of the strongest to be born in generations.

“I, Numinoth, Grand Master of the school of Keri’Vas, ask the Gods to look upon us humble mortals, to judge these students worthy of an Oath Sword.” With each word, he began to add power to the spell, shaping it into portal. “As humble students we come before you, looking to add new Magi to the ancient school of Keri’Vas. We ask you to pick these students as your own, shape them anew in your power.”

With the last words, Terrance jumped a little, along with all the other students, as he saw shapes moving out of the portal. Each wraith moved towards the Magi around the clearing, each choosing a body. Terrance could recognize each of the Gods as they took over a body, he could see the face of the God superimposed over the Magi’s face in an unearthly glow.

Kenswick, The First God, who had taken the Grand Master’s body, was first to speak. “As children you now come before us. You can leave this place in two ways, an Oathsworn Magi, or a corpse. Both choices will be painful, both will test you.” His words were felt as much as heard, resonating inside the students head, taken on meaning of their own.

“Children, look up into the night sky. Look for the moon. Even though you can’t see it, it is there. Despite the sight of it, touch out and feel it. Draw on its power, lets its power take shape inside of you.”

Terrance reached out tentatively, gently touching the great source of magickal power he knew to be there. As the mix of agony and pleasure great amounts of magick create in a person threatened to take

Lets start this year off with a bang.... Or not. I didn't get much done today. I know, I've got plenty of excuses, but they don't matter. The I've got to make the time up, but I've got plans for that.

So, for today's entry... I know, its pitiful...


--------------------------------------

A cold breeze came from the south, bringing with it clouds promising snow. In a clearing the students gathered, waiting for the Magi to arrive. The trees around them had long ago lost their leaves, the ground have been covered with snow over a month ago. It was the middle of winter, when all the students had gathered. The oldest were in the center, in an area cleared of snow, the younger students were arrayed around them, watching.

They had all gathered for the ceremony. Those in the center were to graduate today, finally leave the school after having living there for years.

Unfortunately, I have yet to come up with a good name for the physical magick users. Still got 5 hours though.

I glanced at yesterday's post and noticed I didn't put anything about plot. So, plot.

The story starts with our MC as a student in the physical school. He's got a bad life. He was raised having to work all sorts of jobs to help his family get by. His father died at a young age, his mother a few years later, leaving him with 3 siblings to take care of. His work leads him to create a block over his natural magick, he can barely use any at all because of a mental block built up. This block was created because he learned early on getting noticed got kids in his situation killed. He does lots of stuff, some legal, some not, so that notice means people start dying.

At a young age, most people are tested by one of the magi, just to see how much magick they can tap inside themselves, to determine if they can use enough to become a student. When the magi came by when the MC was tested, his mental block stopped him from being accepted. Years later, one of his sisters is in an accident, so he tries to use his magick to save her, but fails. This however brings out his full power, enough that another nearby magi feels it. Knowing that no other magic users of that kind of power should be nearby, he checks it out.

This leads our MC to become a student. He's older than everyone else, older than anyone usually is. He however has great power, more inside of him than the usual sources. He excells at it. learning at a rate that he is able to graduate with most people his age.

So he enters the Oath ceremony (He is tested and it is shown he is more adept at physical magick). Here I'll take a chance to explain the swords. One person will get a massive, but crude sword; he's got a lot of power, little control. Another gets a finely crafted dagger; he's got very good control, but little power. The MC recieves a long, curved sword with 1 blade. Very finely crafted.

And the MC leaves the school, becoming one of the Oathsworn. They're essentially mercenaries. Willing to swear their Oaths in order for knowledge. While a number of techniques and sources are comunally known in the schools, far too many are known only by a few, and gaurded. Cycles of power come up ever few generations, when the Gods prepare for their game. Many techniques and sources are locked away, only able to be accessed by those of great power.

Eventually, this will tie into the main story line. Even though he's become strong, he's still got the block, and even under oath can't use his full power most of the time.

He meets a lady friend. However, the Gods won't leave him alone. They want him, whichevre wins him knows that they will win this generation of the Game. One of the Gods decides to take his significant other hostage, and that releases his block completely. With that, he see's the true limit of magick. He combines the two schools of magick, and knows everything. And with that, he brings down the Gods. Challenges them, and fights them at their game.


Now, about the Gods. Most got that status through meditation and study, knowing that they must combine the two schools to get full power. Some, like the MC, get it through sheer power. Including the creator of the two schools. He carries an identical sword to the MC's, and he is the one pulled down.

Well now. Its almost the first, I've got one more day to get my plans all set in place. So, first, I figure I should give you all some basic information on myself.

I'm a high school senior. I really like computers. How they work, programming, networking, building them, that kind of stuff. Personally, I'd like to think I'm pretty good at it. My tastes in books are sci-fi and fantasy. Lots of both. Recently, some of my favorite books have been The song of ice and fire (George RR Martin), The prince of nothing (R. Scott Bakker), the book of the malazan (Steven Erikson) and anything by Michael Stackpole (All of it. Its some of the best stuff I have ever read, maybe not the star wars stuff, but the fantasy stuff I've read is amazing). For sci-fi I've been reading Jack McDevitt, and have been trying to branch out towards more sci-fi, but I'm very picky. I also watch lots of tv, normally I always have the tv on while I'm doing something else. I watch Stargate (both), Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Who, Prisonbreak, House and the like. I'll also watch anything but the movies on Comedy Central. Oh and when it comes to what kind of stuff I do other than that, I belong just to all the after-school clubs at school... Nhs, Math team, academic bowl, SO... And when I have time, I play poker (Texas Hold 'em) and world of warcraft.


Thats probably enough about me. The important stuff is the novel. I think I've got an interesting idea about it.

Its a fantasy/post-apocalyptic setting. Humans evolved and developed the power to use magick. That, or someone just found it. I dunno yet, I figure I'll just fake it until it comes up. All people have access to the magic, however, they have to tap into various sources of it. The single source that any person can use is a small well inside themselves, and the more power a person has there, the more they can handle. There are also a LARGE number of other sources that anyone can tap into. Some are bigger than others, and there is a finite amount of power that can be drawn from a source at a time. The magick takes a price on the user: they must channel it through their mind. The more power their mind can encompass, the more it can handle. There are amounts you can use safely, and any more will begin to cause nerve damage.

Which leads into the three types of users. The mind-walkers, the physicals (hopefully I'll think of a better name by tommorow) and the addicts. The mind-walkers use the magick to see and travel into other people's minds. They can see out of their eyes, smell what they smell, and the such. The amount of power they use at a time determines how many jumps from one mind to another they can make. They get a protecting device. I haven't determined what it is yet, but I don't plan to really go into it until a significant way into the story.

Then, the second, the physicals. Thats where the main character comes in. He's in the single school for the physicals, they use the magick to tear a hole in reality and can create/alter things. lots of power, creating stuff. However, they normally don't get much power as mind walking, and are left very defenseless in that aspect. So, at the founding of the school, the Oath Swords were created. Each student, when they complete their training goes through a ceremony in which they recieve their Oath Sword. Each is unique, and each shows about the way the user uses their magick.

Now, there is also the third type. They're the addicts. Like I said, over-use of magick causes nerve damage. But using it gives such a rush. The more you use, the better you feel. As long as you're using it, you feel alive. Its used as a drug by them. They'll do anything to get their hands on new techniques, or new sources of magick. They'll trade anything, do anything for that power.

And then, you get the Gods. No fantasy series is complete without Gods. I've never really liked Gods just existing, and having to except that. Instead, these Gods were people of such power they were able to combine the two schools to see and know all in the world. Their mind encompasses everything that happens, and they are accepted into the hall. And there, the Great Game is played. The wager is in Oath Swords, when an Oathsworn (a physical who has recieved their Oath Sword) is killed, one of the Gods claims their sword. This is determined by which of the Gods the Oathsworn swore their lives to during the ceremony when they recieve the sword. Each sword, based on size and workmanship has a certain strength to the Oaths sworn on it. With a small thread of magick into the swords, and Oath can be sworn, binding the person to complete it. The better the sword, the stronger the Oath, and the harder it is to break. An Oathsworn, sworn to comeplete something will draw amounts of power far greater than what they normally could handle. The Oath, if strong enough, will even keep the user alive until the Oath reaches its conclusion.

Now. I mentioned above that this is kind of post-apocalyptic world. Its put thousands of years in the future. Some of our technology still exists, but in small numbers, and since magick can do most of what computer/technology could do, they were ignored. In the time of the story, there are collectors who try and use these devices. I want to try and hook one of the people up to a computer to draw more power.



Now, I'm tired. This seems like enough for now. Hopefully everything else will come as I need it.