For months, years, infinity, since God thought me up and decided I should write fantasy, I've been thinking about mythological creatures that don't exist on this earth (even as mythological creatures). I think, for me, I prefer magical creatures of my own to magical creatures that are already embedded in Earth culture. For example, unicorns, some types of dragons, demons, centaurs, fairies (though I think this one too broad to count as part of this), and a few other critters like that.
On various forums, I've been posting that this broils down to two different categories Tolkein and Lucas (as in George Lucas). Maybe this has been doublethinked away, but I'd like to say, a long time ago, before Lucas got hold of a film-editing computer, Star Wars had horses in it. Am I completely crazy, or am I just thinking of Battle Star Galactica (the original series).
Anyway, I am willing to have creatures so similar to Earth creatures they can be called the same thing, but when it comes to Chaemera (critters that are magical, mystical, and etc.) I have been working to make up my own and have them magically useful in new ways.
Hence this thing I'm brainstorming just now.
I was thinking that people seek out unicorns/fairies/lovely dragons, etc. for different reasons. Some just want to encounter something so beautiful or pure (and being a sadistic creature that I am, I would think after seeing a unicorn, they might not ever want to see anything again, or at least that would be how I'd torture my characters with it. In fact, I have a character who laid eyes on a 'goddess' of while blinded, and he didn't ask for sight back again). Anyway, people seek leprechauns and djinn to grant them wishes. Sir Pellinor sought after the questing beast because...it was the questing beast. People seek out death to have a duel or game of chess or what not and save themselves. People seek out the devil to sell their souls: "I wasn't using it."
Well, I was thinking of a creature (and I don't know what I might call it yet), which will, if it touches you, grant exactly one more year of life to someone (no more, no less). After that, you're on your own, and before that, you cannot die. This does not mean you cannot be horribly maimed or paralyzed or seriously wounded (yet, though I'll have to toy with that idea). However, during that year of life, your soul cannot be taken from you, except by an act of a god, and I mean a very serious, profound, he walks up and hits you kind of act of an aaviri, not just some sniping job. God himself? He can do what he wants...I digress.
IT would be something like a pool in Zelda or...something...where you are guaranteed 1 year of life. I wonder, as I must, what would a person do if they knew they would not die in a year? Would it mean they go crazy and do stupid things? Would it mean they'd live their lives like they should have been doing all along, as though it were valuable to them? I will tinker with this idea some more.
What could I call it?
An Alnomor (don't know why that word comes into my head). Hmmmm. What if...this was how Lord Xenoreth became powerful in Allorinia? What if this was how Allorinia was named? What if this was how the Emperor of Allorinia began the Xomirian Empire. Cool. Hmmm. This even has the same sort of almost-word-i-ness of a Harry Potter magical spell or creature name. Sounds like I'll Know More. Very symbolic. Like it. Going with it. Now, what could it look like?
I have been wanting something with friggin butterfly wings (that isn't one of the deritively named Flutterbies of the Qwadro). They had large, strangely shaped wings, and people have made fun of them and called them Flutterbies (I think flutterby is a better word for butterfly than butterfly. Who came up with that goofy word for those beautiful insects? I know the German is Bunterfleegan (or something).
Anyway, maybe these are beautiful woman-shaped-creatures with butterfly wings? Yeah, that's never been done before. The trouble is in creating these things, whatever they look like, people will make assumptions about them, and the year they guarantee. If I make them monstrous, people will assume something sinister about the year of life guaranteed, like its a rotten deal (which I really don't want. That's been done to death). If I make them fairies, well, it's done to death.
If I make them non-human in shape or form, they just become a starfish alien.
A thought passes through my brain unrelated. What if they live with the person for that year of life? But, then, they become something that helps people become immortal. But, what if that's part of the deal. They guarantee you are alive for that year, and then they leave you behind? What if this year of life is only their larval form? Hmmm. Thinking, thinking, thinking.
No comments:
Post a Comment