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This is a terrible idea. But even after what I’ve managed to get out of the book, it’s the best one I have.
Serenity finished painting the second portal circle onto the dirt. Serenity wasn’t planning to create an actual portal; that would be pointless when the circles were all of six feet ap...
2022-03-15 23:20:11 +0000 UTC
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Serenity woke up from his dreamwalk and nap to the sound of his phone alarm. It was midnight and the camp was quiet, though he could easily tell he was not the only person awake.
Dr. Mattingly’s “office” tent was dark and empty. Serenity considered for a moment, then headed towards the portal. If th...
2022-03-14 23:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the first draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Status
I’m sure that, by now, you’ve seen the comparisons of the Voice and its Status to a character sheet. It’s a useful comparison, but the thing to remember is tha...
2022-03-13 23:13:39 +0000 UTC
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Getting through the gate to reach the portal was significantly more difficult than Serenity expected.
It was guarded, and the guard wanted to see their ID. Serenity actually still had his driver’s license from before everything started; he wouldn’t have used it, but Rissa’s repeated insistence that...
2022-03-13 00:06:00 +0000 UTC
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The world shivered around Serenity again and he felt himself being pulled backwards. When the movement stopped, he found himself back in his treehouse, floating next to a wall that no longer had a Lord’s Door. Apparently he’d have to find it again to use any of the other features, or to use another Void Spark....
2022-03-13 00:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the twenty-third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Other Systems: Freeform Casting (Wilders)
There are people who don’t believe in Affinities, either because they were untrained or becaus...
2022-03-11 23:49:32 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the twenty-third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Other Systems: Messenger’s Guild
The Messenger’s Guild is a delivery service - much like the mail, they make sure your package or letter...
2022-03-11 00:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the fifteenth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Other Systems: Healers (Continued)
Alteration healing
Alteration healing can be thought of as being related to surgery; it is m...
2022-03-10 00:05:04 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the fifteenth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Most of the local affinity classification systems that I have been able to locate are for specialized mages; for example, there is an entire set of known “Healing Magic” Affinities, with known u...
2022-03-09 00:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Advanced Affinities
The common definition of Advanced Affinities is that they are Affinities which require a Basic Affinity and at least one other A...
2022-03-08 00:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Specialized Affinities
Specialized affinities are one of the places where magic can get very strange very quickly. There is no list of specialized A...
2022-03-06 23:47:25 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinity Classification: Basic Affinities
“Basic” affinities are the ones that are the most common for a new mage. For most worlds, these are: Fire, Water, Air, Earth (som...
2022-03-06 00:05:00 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the third draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Affinities
There are several models used for Affinities. None of them capture the full range that is possible, but they give a useful framework for discussion. If you ge...
2022-03-06 00:00:02 +0000 UTC
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Apologies for the late release; my computer decided to freeze and I had to reboot it when I went to upload this. Twice.
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As he stepped out of the pavilion tent, Serenity blinked in disbelief. The area had transformed in the small amount of time he’d spent talking. The original six tents were still there, but...
2022-03-05 00:19:45 +0000 UTC
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It was strange to watch a screen that didn’t exist. No matter where Serenity looked, he could see it, yet it didn’t block anything else he could see. It wasn’t the same as looking at the Voice’s words in text or watching a spellform; in both cases, concentrating on those made the rest of his vision go fuz...
2022-03-03 23:13:42 +0000 UTC
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“There’s a hole in the ceiling of the cave; I can see light. I’m sure there’s also a route through the caves, but I can’t tell where it is. I’ll send you the GPS coordinates when I get up above, but I’ll have to get off the phone to get up there.” Serenity stared at the opening to the sky. It was s...
2022-03-03 00:03:39 +0000 UTC
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Serenity stared at the rockfin that had suddenly appeared in front of him. It didn’t look like any fish Serenity had ever seen, but the resemblance was far too close to call it anything else. It had a set of ribbon-like fins on its underside, supporting it. Its body was about twice as long as Serenity was tall,...
2022-03-01 23:59:55 +0000 UTC
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Modify the spell’s chant using the location coordinates, the table below, and the calculations in the last chapter, then …
Not helpful.
A ring must surround both locations when the portal is to be established; the ring is the purest shape, so it forms the connection and the bridge ...
2022-02-28 23:55:45 +0000 UTC
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Rockfin shed scales when they were distressed. Material to track the rockfin was not hard to get; all Serenity had to do was visit the treehouse they’d locked him in and there was plenty. The scales ranged in size from large, hard armor plating to small, delicate-looking ovals. Serenity decided that a few of &n...
2022-02-28 00:03:23 +0000 UTC
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Portals are not mystical. If you approach a portal as if it is unknowable, you set yourself up for failure. Portals are also never a matter of ‘feel’. They require rigorous calculation to determine the exact location and speed of both points being linked. This is why creating a portal without a Path Skil...
2022-02-27 00:02:15 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the eighth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Invasion Portals (Continued)
For now, let’s ignore the case where the Voice has decided the situation is stable and the invaders are now locals. That’s what we’re tr...
2022-02-27 00:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the eighth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Settlements, Towns, and Cities
The Voice generally groups permanent habitations into settlements, towns, and cities. Technically, they are all settlements, but achieving ...
2022-02-25 23:55:48 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the eighth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
General Notes
There are many in the universe that are more powerful than you are; there probably always will be, even if you’re the most powerful being on the planet. Do...
2022-02-25 00:01:04 +0000 UTC
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Rissa hurried towards the purple dragon. Serenity was growling in the back of her mind, not making any sense. She was much farther from the dragon than the knights, so she watched their attacks as she closed in. Perhaps she’d see something that would help her plan her strategy.
Kay seemed to be getting ...
2022-02-23 23:57:13 +0000 UTC
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No, the raven's name isn't Quoth.
It should be, though.
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Politics.
Rissa hated dealing with it, but as the uncrowned High King, she had to. They weren’t even real politics! At least, they weren’t the politics of the outside world. Rissa complained to Serenity a few times, though most of the po...
2022-02-22 23:38:22 +0000 UTC
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The morning after they got to London was the day before Kay’s birthday. They spent the morning at the house, with Ector and Kay practicing in the yard while Rissa explored the house. Ector told Kay he was allowed to go out for the afternoon to show Ari around; he even provided some pocket money so they could pic...
2022-02-21 23:40:11 +0000 UTC
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The birds didn’t distract the old woman for long, but it was long enough for Rissa to grab the chair. Now all she needed to do was get under the window.
Her first step towards the window was fine, but she couldn’t take a second. When Rissa looked at the old woman, she was staring at Rissa again. “Put...
2022-02-21 00:10:03 +0000 UTC
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Yes, the fifth edition of the Guide exists now.
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Excerpt from the fifth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
A story dungeon sounds similar to a scenario dungeon, but where a scenario dungeon places the group into a scenario and requires that they resolve it,...
2022-02-20 00:16:27 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the fifth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Dungeon Types
The classic - and most common - dungeon is simple in concept: a hole in the ground (or mine or plain or tower or floating sky island - the setting doesn’t matt...
2022-02-20 00:05:25 +0000 UTC
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Excerpt from the fifth draft of An Earthling’s Guide to the Larger Universe
Subsequently revised in the following edition (revisions not shown)
Deities
Gods are a difficult topic, especially in areas with monotheisti...
2022-02-18 23:52:43 +0000 UTC
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