Politics exist in every world, in some form or another. In Lord of the Rings, Gandalf had to get a whole council of people of different races together in order to decide how to destroy something that would bring about the end of the world if not “handled properly” (read destroyed). In my world (which has yet to be named), politics rule the various city-states. Each one is going to have a unique little thing about it. Dhe’skuva, the city on the desert’s edge, is the biggest city in the nation. As such, it will naturally be full of corrupt politicians who want all the power, and people who want to escape to the smaller city-states. Each city-state, additionally, will have a patron deity. It’s a very Greek system, and that appeals to me greatly.
In my world, there is no single thing that’s going to potentially destroy everything, with the exception of human nature. There are no aliens, no bits of supertechnology, etc. There are people, their ways, their beliefs, their interactions with one another. Even the most technologically advanced people in this world do not possess firearms, at least not in massive quantities. I’m toying with the idea of making one or two basic guns available, but not readily so. Crossbows are about the best ranged weapon, and swords are commonplace. At the same time, there will be airships. I like the idea of basic lighter-than-air travel being available. Again, just something about that appeals to me. I’m trying to balance the whole level of technology. I don’t want it to turn into “these guys have swords and these guys have laser pistols” or something like that. The world needs balance. Even the most militaristic city-state (probably Dhe’skuva) won’t have tech that far ahead of the more rural areas. Ah, the detail that goes into building a world. I’m also mildly obsessed with this show, and the way that music inspires so much of the setting. Between that one, and this one, I think it’s quite possible that Shinichiro Watanabe has given me all the setting I need. There’s also Firefly and the Knights of Cydonia music video. Somewhere in the midst of all of this, there is my story.
Today is going to be an interesting day at work. Our district manager (the scariest kind of DM there is) will be coming in to walk the store. Given the current situation with my employer, this is going to likely be the most intense visit. I’m also supposed to hear back from one of my potential future employers today. I’m trying not to be nervous. This job would be my first full-time job outside of college summer jobs. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much, though, for fear of grand disappointment. I have a tendency to do that to myself. I’ll get all kinds of excited about something that just might happen (but probably won’t), and then I’m crushed when it doesn’t work out. I suppose I invest far too much into my life, emotionally. I dunno. Maybe I’m secretly hoping I don’t get it, so that I don’t have to cut my hair. 😀
Anyway, I suppose I’ll be posting again soon enough with further details on how today goes.
The Swords of the Ancients 