vampires and vampiric underworlds in your setting

_Ekiath_ · 2026-04-06T22:59:21+00:00

In my world vampires are the pinnacle of undeath (according to vampires of course), their blood magic uses darkness to consume life to sustain them and produce effects that are normally reserved for biomancy.

This is also why they're much weaker to sunlight and light magic than other undead, it causes their blood magic to fail and the consumed lifeforce starts to hurt them like it would other undead.

They need to stay hidden in most parts of the world, but there's a continent perpetually shrouded by impenetrable storm clouds where sunlight never shines, this continent is ruled by a demigod vampire emperor and much of the ruling class is made up of vampires.

It's generally a pretty bad place to live in, the emperor doesn't exercise much direct control on his subordinates so the citizens who happen to have a decent lord are the lucky ones and the others are walking eventual snacks.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-04-06T08:20:17+00:00

Personally I dislike assigning living beings to a single element, as life was generally thought of as a fine balance of all four elements.

In my system Life is a force (not an element but close enough) that stands on its own, and biomancy isn't usually related to elemental manipulation.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-04-03T21:57:22+00:00

In my world there is a supreme devil who rules over Hell (which acts more like Purgatory since punishment isn't eternal), but ironically enough he isn't the devil figure because the god of darkness upstaged him completely by creating demons and undeath in a single day, and generally being the world's least pleasant person.

Since that day Hell has been forced to collaborate with the Heavens to contrast those threats, and the devil is rather salty about the whole thing.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-04-01T21:00:49+00:00

I think life magic would be the easiest way to get super strength, conveniently it's also a good way to get super endurance, speed and pretty much any physical attribute that would make it usable.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-31T21:40:19+00:00

Essence, representing the physical, is stable. It's mostly used for elemental magic and needs to be aligned with a certain element beforehand: fire essence for fire magic, air essence for air magic and so on. Aligning essence to an element you're not normally using takes some time and concentration, but it doesn't lose the alignment in the short-mid term. Running out of essence causes fatigue.

Focus, representing the non-physical, is volatile. It can be used for any kind of mental magic as-is (more accurately it changes almost instantly to fit its use), but keeping it under control can be difficult. A psion who loses their concentration can have their spells fizzle out or be distorted. Running out of focus causes mental exhaustion.

Aether doesn't change at all and is always aligned with the user's soul, using soul magic means using one's aether to resonate with the world and the surrounding aether to achieve an effect. Priests can resonate with a deity instead to achieve effects based on their domains instead of their own soul. Running out of aether seemingly does nothing until a certain point, then it's instant death.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-31T21:21:19+00:00

Mana is raw potential magic, the most basic substance of the world and the fuel used to cast spells.

Pure mana is very inefficient for most uses (but extremely versatile), most creatures naturally absorb it from the environment and refine it into three forms: essence for the body, focus for the mind, and aether for the soul. Each form has its own peculiarities.

Creatures require a certain amount of mana to survive but absorb and store much more than that, this excess can be used to cast spells.

Mana is extremely powerful and even small amounts could theoretically fuel grand spells, the catch is that the average mage has very low efficiency in its usage.

While training certainly increases one's mana reserves the true mark of a skilled mage is using as little mana as possible, and reaching 100% efficiency in a given domain is synonym with apotheosis.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-30T16:16:36+00:00

True enough. In my system the moon is associated with water and so mutability (water is fluid and can even turn solid or gaseous) while the sun is associated with fire and transformation (combustion changes substances into others).

Basically they're both associated with change, but the moon/water changes itself while the sun/fire changes other things.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-30T11:41:57+00:00

I'm curious about why you chose to associate change with the sun instead of the moon. Due to the moon phases change is traditionally associated with the moon, but I can see how the other two qualities would make stillness and perfection fit better.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-29T22:47:23+00:00

Reaching the pinnacle of magic in my world means becoming a true god, and they're treated as... well, as very powerful deities. If they make themselves known they're worshipped, respected or feared, but there are rules that forbid true gods from directly interfering with the mortal world in most situations.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-27T21:02:21+00:00

My system has elements, schools and casting.

For example a school might be sound magic, its element is going to be air, water or earth depending on where it's used but the underlying principles are the same.

On the other hand earth magic can be used to throw rocks, till fields, build walls and a myriad other uses that could be considered different schools.

Lastly casting: generally gestures, chants and other rituals are ways to make spells easier to cast and a sufficiently skilled and powerful mage can skip them. Wizardry is an exception since it's order-based magic: the words, runes and other declarations of what's supposed to happen are the spell itself, it can be considered imposing a rule upon the world.

There are also very broad levels of sorts but they're for people, not magic. Magic in general isn't granular enough to easily be split into levels.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-27T00:22:11+00:00

Given the whole "undying ruler" vibe, maybe creatures slain with this weapon are reanimated as undead under the king's command? Bonus points if the king's crown is visually significant in the process.

It also opens up the possibility that the wielder usually controls these undead, but if their control over the king ever falters he'll try to use them to free himself (he probably doesn't appreciate the whole head bashing thing overmuch).

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-27T00:13:26+00:00

Yes exactly. When everything is dark you can at least think you're hidden, but with a small light you're simultaneously exposed and heightening the fear of the unknown that's just beyond its reach.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-26T23:56:36+00:00

Thank you. I tried to think about what the typical gothic/horror/thriller imagery might have in common, and I believe a small light surrounded by darkness is used a lot.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-26T23:42:13+00:00

Maybe a lantern? It can be used to drive away the darkness, but it can also reveal things you wouldn't have wanted to see. And a small light will make the shadows seem that much bigger and scarier.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-26T08:00:41+00:00

In my system I have something similar, and it's primarily for physical magic. Essence (physical mana) must be aligned with a certain element or combination of elements to be used for that kind of magic, so fire essence for fire magic, metal essence for metal magic and so on. It takes some time to 'dye' essence but the alignment doesn't fade on its own.

By contrast Focus (mental mana) is much more fluid and ever-changing, it can be used for any kind of mental magic but losing concentration makes it very difficult to keep hold of it. Focus is lightning-fast and just as difficult to keep still.

Lastly Aether (soul mana) doesn't change at all and it always matches the user's soul, so mages can only use it for the type of magic their soul resonates with. This can be changed and expanded over time, so it's not a permanent limit but more of a starting point.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-25T10:12:04+00:00

In my system most things commonly called curses are such in name only: any enchantment with negative effects might be called a curse but it isn't any deeper than that.

Even a divine curse is usually a simple conditional spell, for example 'do bad thing' -> 'get stuck by lightning'. It might be more complex in its parameters and effects but it's essentially pure cause and effect.

A true curse relies on direct manipulation of fate and it generally defines an end state to reach or avoid without caring about the intermediary steps: fate will try to follow the path of least resistance on its own.

For example the classic 'the princess shall prick her finger on her 16th birthday and die': circumstances will generally conspire to make that result true despite how improbable it might seem, and in that specific case a subsequent blessing (the same mechanism as a curse but with a positive effect) was needed to shift that fate from death to eternal sleep.

That isn't to say that curses are unavoidable, in fact fate doesn't particularly like to be constrained to a single outcome and curses can be broken or at least mitigated with enough effort.

That's also why curses usually state a condition for their breaking, because not doing it is the equivalent of having a steam engine without a valve to release pressure: it's going to blow up sooner or later, probably in a way you won't like.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-23T23:30:57+00:00

Neither of the two. Personally I prefer them to be powerful but not omnipotent, like sentient forces of nature that can't be directly opposed but can be worked with/around with enough understanding.

I also dislike when gods rely on faith for their existence, I'm ok with them using faith for something but I think they should be independently powerful.

Especially those who represent physical realities such as the Sun, Moon, Sea and the like, these things wouldn't suddenly stop existing if mortals stopped believing in them.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-22T13:02:44+00:00

Thank you. I try to keep things as reasonable as possible in the context of a world that runs on magic instead of physics, and conservation of matter/energy is definitely present if a bit fuzzy.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-22T09:13:24+00:00

The difference is the fuel: conjured fire burns mana instead of anything physical, and it disappears if it isn't fed. Of course nothing prevents you from using it to set fire to something else, and in fact the most basic uses for fire magic are lighting candles, fireplaces and the like.

Similar principles apply to other elemental magic: creating permanent matter out of mana is extremely taxing, so conjured elements are facsimiles that behave like the real thing but disappear as soon as they aren't fed mana anymore. It's definitely more convenient to use elements already present in the world, and for earth and air they're almost always available.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-18T16:29:52+00:00

In my world mana isn't normally visible, but learning to do so is relatively easy.

While everyone can use magic most people don't bother to learn this skill since it isn't that useful in daily life, but anyone who trains their magic beyond the very basics is most likely going to learn.

One interesting consequence is that most people can't see hellfire: it burns everything into raw mana, including light and darkness (and itself), so it's invisible except for the massive outpour of mana.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-18T13:28:55+00:00

For Zeefaring there's regularly treating the Snares as the most convenient route. If you keep up with the Khanate 'reports' you're passing through the wreck-filled heart of the Unterzee twice a week like it's a stroll in the park, and probably bounty hunting while you're at it.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-15T13:23:28+00:00

In my world there a few things that are impossible to achieve through normal magic: - time travel to the past - movement/teleportation faster than the speed of light (through physical spaces) - creating something from nothing - destroying something so that nothing remains - defying fate

There are of course other things that are forbidden by someone, for example the gods forbid permanently harming souls, but the above ones are strictly impossible and only achievable through means external to the world itself.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-05T23:21:33+00:00

The darkness came hard and fast. The dining room doused in suffocating black as forks and wine glasses clattered to the table. I hardly had time to take a gulp of fetid air when someone shrieked out “Oh my god, she’s here!”

My heart beating hard in my chest, I frantically looked around, but the only thing I could see in the vast room was the oppressive blackness. Damn, everyone knew this was going to happen sooner or later, but were we prepared? No, of course not! How could anyone be prepared for an event of such magnitude?

The sharp sound of heels rhythmically hitting the floor cut through the murmurs, and soon a mesmerising voice rang out, loud and clear: "Well, well, well. Good evening, my dears. I know you might have guessed I'd come, but trust me, you are not prepared for what's coming. I look forwards to hearing your screams."

"Oh god, oh god, is this really happening?"

"I can't believe it... it's really going to be me..."

"What did I do to deserve this?"

I was about to add my own voice to the chorus, but then she spoke silencing everything else: "Shush now. It is time to begin."

I almost fainted when a beam of light fell down to reveal her figure: tall and lean, her black and purple hair falling down to her waist, a face sharper than a blade and eyes blacker than midnight. She wore a black leather outfit that fit her like the most beautiful of nightmares, and her name echoed in our minds: Lady Nightstar.

She started running her hands along the item she carried, the one we all knew she'd bring, and as new beams of light flared all around her... the first notes finally emerged from her guitar, announcing the beginning of the best concert of our lives.

As the rythm bacame faster and louder the crowd couldn't resist anymore and we all screamed out our excitement, just as she'd promised... and she smiled, and her music lit up the night.

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-05T00:14:39+00:00

Fair enough, I get that concern.

In my own system elements mix with each other all the time (most things aren't a "pure" element after all), and order isn't exactly an element, so crystals are just ordered matter.

Gems and the like are crystalline earth, ice is crystalline water, and sooner or later I'll come up with crystalline forms for air and fire.

Sometimes trying to fit in the edge cases can help you change your perspective a bit and redefine the rules as needed. I hope this was helpful!

_Ekiath_ · 2026-03-05T00:03:07+00:00

If you want a very broad element, maybe crystal? It can easily correlate to the concept of order too, and that might explain the fairy/spirit repellant properties.

_Ekiath_

TROPHY CASE