In the world of Elementia there are several powers/forces/weird things, that are unique to the world. These special attributes of the world tend to create strange instances. I will describe a few below:
Miss-Generational Birth-this is a special case in which an elemental's child has been born into the wrong family. This special is very rare, but has been known to occur. The child has matching DNA, blood type, and anything related to genetics to their actual parents, not the ones that bore him/her. In a way, it means that the "birth" parents gave birth to an adopted child. Reason for this occurring is not fully understood, however, it is guessed that it occurs because the child is to be "used" by the elemental powers/spirits.
Energy Level-this is a common term used throughout the books, however, it is not clearly laid out. For one, only elementalists have an "energy scale." This scale is used to measure how much power an individual has at a given moment. Every elementalist has a base level, which if their level drops below that, they have an exponential increase in risk of death. The energy level can be manipulated by using power-ups, changing into a different elemental spirit form increases the base level, and also by an elementalist joining powers with another, increasing their powers even more.
Geographic Freezing Point-In Elementia, there is a special point in the world in the Northern Hemisphere (within Blizzarra) where is one passes the mark, then they are instantly frozen. This is a highly dangerous area, but, if one has the proper protective powers/clothing and high enough energy levels, then they are presented with an unbelievable land.
Unfortunately, these are the only ones that I can remember, if I can think of more, then I shall share.
Enjoy the Adventure...
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Death
As introduced in the Volume 1, death is an interesting concept with many complexities when dealing with Elementia. On Earth, people only know of Heaven, while in Elementia, they believe in the Spirit Realm, both lands should not be confused. In fact, the Spirit Realm, should be the end location for all elemental worlds (that includes Earth). However, there is a special power that causes some rifts.
When a person dies on Earth, due to the great divide that occurred in the beginning, they will generally go to Heaven. Though, due to the underlying power of Elementia, some people will be reincarnated in Elementia, at times starting where they left off. In Elementia, when someone dies they will generally go to the Spirit Realm, ending the cycle of their life. There are known to be rare cases of people who die in Elementia that are reincarnated in Heaven.
This cycle of life and death creates some interesting story lines. Next time I will continue to discuss some of the more abstract attributes that are unique to Elementia.
When a person dies on Earth, due to the great divide that occurred in the beginning, they will generally go to Heaven. Though, due to the underlying power of Elementia, some people will be reincarnated in Elementia, at times starting where they left off. In Elementia, when someone dies they will generally go to the Spirit Realm, ending the cycle of their life. There are known to be rare cases of people who die in Elementia that are reincarnated in Heaven.
This cycle of life and death creates some interesting story lines. Next time I will continue to discuss some of the more abstract attributes that are unique to Elementia.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Inspiration (V)
Wow, so far I have shared with you some of the inspiration for the worlds of the Chronicled Adventures of Elementia, some of the culture, as well as some of the main characters. Tonight I shall delve into some of the other characters, many would be considered secondary, but first, onto some of our favorite characters, the bad guys.
As with many books, the stories of good vs. evil are timeless and the major plot creator for books. In this case the evil characters are varied in skills and powers. Symbolically, darkness is a representative of evil, well, in the first book, Darkness is the main bad guy. Not only is he the type of guy that bad guys want to be, he ruled for many, many years. In the Elementia History he could be listed as the longest reigning ruler of the world. It actually seemed that evil had won, "if it wasn't for those meddling kids." Other evils that arise include former rulers, leaders of massive empires, and even divine powers. As the use of the Destiny Gateway increases, it opens the doors to stronger, more diverse evils.
As for very direct influences of the "bad guys," there are none. I have remained very polite in not using real "enemies" in my life as influences on the evils of Elementia. The image and general thoughts of the many evils that take on the elemental protectors are all original. The one exception, includes the thoughts and beliefs of the evil doers, mainly due to certain universal evils.
While there are many evils that the High Grandmasters face in their adventures, they have many friends and partners that aid them along the way. While many characters in Elementia are original, there are some that are close to the Jem family (friends/family) that are based on real people, some by looks, others by their personalities, and in some cases, everything. An important thing to consider is that characters who are based on real people tend to come in right where I am in the development of the Adventure Timeline, not what adventure I am writing at the time.
Loves, in this case, it is the talk of Zach's two loves during the adventures. Zach, obviously based on me, leads the two loves that he has had are based in some way on real individuals. His first love, presented in the first Volume, is mainly based on appearances of a friend of mine in high school. While the appearances are there, the personality is purely original. The second one that Zach marries after college, is based on a friend of mine that I met during college. In this case, looks are slightly used, however, it is the personality that is used predominately.
Friends, the High Grandmasters have many friends that assist them in their actions. Some of the characters that are based on real people include: Bre (the Wind Master that assists Zach), Rudee (the head engineer for the DG), Steven (an officer of the DG), and many others.
Family, there are several Jems that are based on real individuals in some manner. Zach's daughter, Paige, is based physically on a friend of mine from 6th grade. Appearing way later, one of Zach's great-great-granddaughters, Caran, is based on a current friend of mine (who has actually added some advice and suggestions to the adventures). In this case, Caran's personality and physical attributes are utilized to create the character (this leads to similar traits to her character's twin sister, Selena).
These are just some of the characters that have real life inspiration. There are a few others, but I will save those for a later time.
Enjoy the adventures, I'll be moving onto another subject the next time I post. Until next time...
As with many books, the stories of good vs. evil are timeless and the major plot creator for books. In this case the evil characters are varied in skills and powers. Symbolically, darkness is a representative of evil, well, in the first book, Darkness is the main bad guy. Not only is he the type of guy that bad guys want to be, he ruled for many, many years. In the Elementia History he could be listed as the longest reigning ruler of the world. It actually seemed that evil had won, "if it wasn't for those meddling kids." Other evils that arise include former rulers, leaders of massive empires, and even divine powers. As the use of the Destiny Gateway increases, it opens the doors to stronger, more diverse evils.
As for very direct influences of the "bad guys," there are none. I have remained very polite in not using real "enemies" in my life as influences on the evils of Elementia. The image and general thoughts of the many evils that take on the elemental protectors are all original. The one exception, includes the thoughts and beliefs of the evil doers, mainly due to certain universal evils.
While there are many evils that the High Grandmasters face in their adventures, they have many friends and partners that aid them along the way. While many characters in Elementia are original, there are some that are close to the Jem family (friends/family) that are based on real people, some by looks, others by their personalities, and in some cases, everything. An important thing to consider is that characters who are based on real people tend to come in right where I am in the development of the Adventure Timeline, not what adventure I am writing at the time.
Loves, in this case, it is the talk of Zach's two loves during the adventures. Zach, obviously based on me, leads the two loves that he has had are based in some way on real individuals. His first love, presented in the first Volume, is mainly based on appearances of a friend of mine in high school. While the appearances are there, the personality is purely original. The second one that Zach marries after college, is based on a friend of mine that I met during college. In this case, looks are slightly used, however, it is the personality that is used predominately.
Friends, the High Grandmasters have many friends that assist them in their actions. Some of the characters that are based on real people include: Bre (the Wind Master that assists Zach), Rudee (the head engineer for the DG), Steven (an officer of the DG), and many others.
Family, there are several Jems that are based on real individuals in some manner. Zach's daughter, Paige, is based physically on a friend of mine from 6th grade. Appearing way later, one of Zach's great-great-granddaughters, Caran, is based on a current friend of mine (who has actually added some advice and suggestions to the adventures). In this case, Caran's personality and physical attributes are utilized to create the character (this leads to similar traits to her character's twin sister, Selena).
These are just some of the characters that have real life inspiration. There are a few others, but I will save those for a later time.
Enjoy the adventures, I'll be moving onto another subject the next time I post. Until next time...
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Inspiration (IV)
In this next installment I will begin to talk about some of the characters that appear early in the stories and next time I will focus on some of the later developed characters.
Obviously, the first characters to recognize are the four High Grandmasters. The four HGMs, Cherish, Zach, Sean, and Gabe, are actually based on my brother, two of our friends, and myself. The four of us as friends actually created the elemental power concept and even played out in some manner the first and second adventures. Since that time, I have gone on to pull some of the random pieces of our game play and began turning it into the massive number of adventures that will come into existence. The weapons that are given to the characters in the book are actually ones that we selected to use. As for looks, some aspects are locked in as how we looked back when we first met, but it would be the elemental powers of the world, not growing older, that caused them to change in looks. Other then that, I have based the original bases for the characters' personalities as we were and then let them evolve with the stories.
Phoenix Jem serves as both Zach's older brother in Elementia as well as the first Master to the High Grandmasters. Phoenix himself is not based on any individual, in fact, he is a composition of mentors that I have had over the years. He represents himself as a strong willed, intelligent, takes no bs, handles problems with a calm demeanor, and is continually improving himself. These traits mark him as one of Elementia's strongest leaders.
Zenzer is Elementia's top military commander. In the early adventures, Zenzer is portrayed as one of the worst representations as a military leader, doing whatever he can to get a higher rank, being highly negative and condescending to his superiors, as well as being hot headed. As the adventures continue he becomes a much more respectable military officer. He focuses on the "team," works to accomplish the mission in an appropriate manner, respects his superiors, though he still keeps some of his condescending attitude with the High Grandmasters, except it tends to be more of a fun back and forth.
Professor Willow is the leading individual on Creatures. He doesn't have any real inspiration other than being a hard working scientific researcher that puts his heart and soul into his work. Also, much like a veterinarian, he has a large heart for animals/creatures which also leads to him becoming a beloved individual. Every so often, he also serves as an expert on Elementia folklore and shares his knowledge with the people that he both meets and works with.
These are some of the most direct inspired characters that have an early existence in the books. In my next post(s) I will focus on some of the "generic" characters as well as some of the other characters that have very direct inspiration (similar to the HGMs).
Obviously, the first characters to recognize are the four High Grandmasters. The four HGMs, Cherish, Zach, Sean, and Gabe, are actually based on my brother, two of our friends, and myself. The four of us as friends actually created the elemental power concept and even played out in some manner the first and second adventures. Since that time, I have gone on to pull some of the random pieces of our game play and began turning it into the massive number of adventures that will come into existence. The weapons that are given to the characters in the book are actually ones that we selected to use. As for looks, some aspects are locked in as how we looked back when we first met, but it would be the elemental powers of the world, not growing older, that caused them to change in looks. Other then that, I have based the original bases for the characters' personalities as we were and then let them evolve with the stories.
Phoenix Jem serves as both Zach's older brother in Elementia as well as the first Master to the High Grandmasters. Phoenix himself is not based on any individual, in fact, he is a composition of mentors that I have had over the years. He represents himself as a strong willed, intelligent, takes no bs, handles problems with a calm demeanor, and is continually improving himself. These traits mark him as one of Elementia's strongest leaders.
Zenzer is Elementia's top military commander. In the early adventures, Zenzer is portrayed as one of the worst representations as a military leader, doing whatever he can to get a higher rank, being highly negative and condescending to his superiors, as well as being hot headed. As the adventures continue he becomes a much more respectable military officer. He focuses on the "team," works to accomplish the mission in an appropriate manner, respects his superiors, though he still keeps some of his condescending attitude with the High Grandmasters, except it tends to be more of a fun back and forth.
Professor Willow is the leading individual on Creatures. He doesn't have any real inspiration other than being a hard working scientific researcher that puts his heart and soul into his work. Also, much like a veterinarian, he has a large heart for animals/creatures which also leads to him becoming a beloved individual. Every so often, he also serves as an expert on Elementia folklore and shares his knowledge with the people that he both meets and works with.
These are some of the most direct inspired characters that have an early existence in the books. In my next post(s) I will focus on some of the "generic" characters as well as some of the other characters that have very direct inspiration (similar to the HGMs).
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Inspiration (III)
Good evening all, and welcome. The last time I posted I focused on some of the cultural elements that have worked their way into Elementian culture, tonight I'll wrap up what I have to add about the cultural elements for now.
In Adventure 2, the reader is introduced to the card game Spirit. For some, this game may seem familiar because it ended up as a fusion of two trading card games: Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering. In fact, this was not expected. The first few times that the cards are used, the reader is introduced to the full play card game. Later, the reader is introduced to a second version of the cards, power cards. The power cards are actually to enhance the powers of an individual during battle, though the use of a card scanner is still required. This will actually set up a larger component of the adventures in Volume 11.
Weapons in Elementia could be considered as either being classic (medieval even) or futuristic. The first weapons introduced are the basic sword, bow & arrows, and whip. Further along, lazers and high powered, similar weapons are introduced. At first, these different types of weapons had little differences, however, a division did develop. As is figured out, the classic weapons are better "conductors" for elemental powers, while elemental powers can be integrated into the more futuristic weapons, elemental powers are not required to use the high power. This leads to the differentiation in that classic weapons are used by elementalists, where as futuristic weapons are used by those who either can't or don't use elemental powers. One item not found in Elementia is a gun. This is partially due to an event that occurred during the reign of the kings, but guns are not used, but compared to the other two options, the "earthly" weapon does not match up.
The large military presence seen especially in Volume 3 and during adventures involving the Destiny Gateway, come from my military training and education. Though I am not commissioning into the military when I graduate, the training that I have received from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has left a mark on me and on my writing. The military of Elementia was designed to be a small group within the world, however, over time, it became clear that it would be an important addition to the world. Over time, the military component of Elementia will grow in importance, especially as the Destiny Gateway becomes a more central part of the books.
While there are many earthly cultural influences on Elementia, there are many that have come about on their own. The many elements that have been developed diverge drastically from the universal ones. Most recognize Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, then some include other elements such as thunder, steel, ice, and a few others. The majority of the 34 known elements come from some of the basic elements being broken down and in cases, pulled from other sources (sonic, radioactive, history, faith). Other purely elemental creations include elemental weddings (as seen in Volume 2), the clothes of many groups (especially, the Guardians), as well as the elemental training program and the various groups that make up the Elemental League.
These are some of the many, many different cultural elements of Elementia. The next time I post I will focus on the inspiration for some specific and general characters within the books.
In Adventure 2, the reader is introduced to the card game Spirit. For some, this game may seem familiar because it ended up as a fusion of two trading card games: Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering. In fact, this was not expected. The first few times that the cards are used, the reader is introduced to the full play card game. Later, the reader is introduced to a second version of the cards, power cards. The power cards are actually to enhance the powers of an individual during battle, though the use of a card scanner is still required. This will actually set up a larger component of the adventures in Volume 11.
Weapons in Elementia could be considered as either being classic (medieval even) or futuristic. The first weapons introduced are the basic sword, bow & arrows, and whip. Further along, lazers and high powered, similar weapons are introduced. At first, these different types of weapons had little differences, however, a division did develop. As is figured out, the classic weapons are better "conductors" for elemental powers, while elemental powers can be integrated into the more futuristic weapons, elemental powers are not required to use the high power. This leads to the differentiation in that classic weapons are used by elementalists, where as futuristic weapons are used by those who either can't or don't use elemental powers. One item not found in Elementia is a gun. This is partially due to an event that occurred during the reign of the kings, but guns are not used, but compared to the other two options, the "earthly" weapon does not match up.
The large military presence seen especially in Volume 3 and during adventures involving the Destiny Gateway, come from my military training and education. Though I am not commissioning into the military when I graduate, the training that I have received from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets has left a mark on me and on my writing. The military of Elementia was designed to be a small group within the world, however, over time, it became clear that it would be an important addition to the world. Over time, the military component of Elementia will grow in importance, especially as the Destiny Gateway becomes a more central part of the books.
While there are many earthly cultural influences on Elementia, there are many that have come about on their own. The many elements that have been developed diverge drastically from the universal ones. Most recognize Earth, Water, Fire, and Air, then some include other elements such as thunder, steel, ice, and a few others. The majority of the 34 known elements come from some of the basic elements being broken down and in cases, pulled from other sources (sonic, radioactive, history, faith). Other purely elemental creations include elemental weddings (as seen in Volume 2), the clothes of many groups (especially, the Guardians), as well as the elemental training program and the various groups that make up the Elemental League.
These are some of the many, many different cultural elements of Elementia. The next time I post I will focus on the inspiration for some specific and general characters within the books.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Inspiration (II)
In the last post I talked about the inspiration behind locations, though another major item that has real life inspiration has been the culture of Elementia.
The main cultural element of the books is the elements themselves, especially the hidden pieces involved. For example, I have developed 35 elements and each of them have an Elemental Spirit, though only 24 of them have a High Elemental Spirit. This is because when I created them, I had just read Revelations from the Bible and sitting beside Jesus are 24 angels. I turned those 24 angels into the 24 H.E.S.s. With that in mind, there are several religious pieces spread among the earlier books (such as the 666 Dragon in Adventure 3).
Now, obviously, since all of the books deal with the elements, the nature loving portion is very important. For the early books, high, modern technology is shown and presented in the best of ways, though always being minimalized by nature. Later in the stories, it is seen that technology and nature are both equally important and a perfect balance is needed. Though over the course of all of the books, the natural element of the stories remain the leading force. The most famed piece of nature is the opposing forces of fire and water, as seen in Volume 2 (you'll have to read to learn more).
Creatures, amazing critters that roam the world beside animals. The original design for these actually come from Pokemon, in fact, Creatures were to be the next evolutionary stage of Pokemon, but was scratched for obvious reasons. This allowed for the very diverse species of Creatures that can be held within specially made gems.
The Destiny Gateway has had two designs, though the first design will never be used beyond the original writing. For a long time I did not have a good form of travel between Elementia and Earth, which at some point in this process, I began watching Stargate SG-1, which inspired the original gateway. After some thinking and designing, I created the new version of the Destiny Gateway, which can be imagined through Adventure 1.
There are many more cultural pieces that I will share with you, however, for now I will save that for the next time, and after that I will talk about the inspiration for characters.
The main cultural element of the books is the elements themselves, especially the hidden pieces involved. For example, I have developed 35 elements and each of them have an Elemental Spirit, though only 24 of them have a High Elemental Spirit. This is because when I created them, I had just read Revelations from the Bible and sitting beside Jesus are 24 angels. I turned those 24 angels into the 24 H.E.S.s. With that in mind, there are several religious pieces spread among the earlier books (such as the 666 Dragon in Adventure 3).
Now, obviously, since all of the books deal with the elements, the nature loving portion is very important. For the early books, high, modern technology is shown and presented in the best of ways, though always being minimalized by nature. Later in the stories, it is seen that technology and nature are both equally important and a perfect balance is needed. Though over the course of all of the books, the natural element of the stories remain the leading force. The most famed piece of nature is the opposing forces of fire and water, as seen in Volume 2 (you'll have to read to learn more).
Creatures, amazing critters that roam the world beside animals. The original design for these actually come from Pokemon, in fact, Creatures were to be the next evolutionary stage of Pokemon, but was scratched for obvious reasons. This allowed for the very diverse species of Creatures that can be held within specially made gems.
The Destiny Gateway has had two designs, though the first design will never be used beyond the original writing. For a long time I did not have a good form of travel between Elementia and Earth, which at some point in this process, I began watching Stargate SG-1, which inspired the original gateway. After some thinking and designing, I created the new version of the Destiny Gateway, which can be imagined through Adventure 1.
There are many more cultural pieces that I will share with you, however, for now I will save that for the next time, and after that I will talk about the inspiration for characters.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Inspiration (I)
It's been a while, but here is another piece related to the books, tonight I'll share a bit of inspiration for different parts of the books.
The Chronicled Adventures of Elementia have many hidden pieces to it that have been inspired by people and events. If you follow the evolution of the stories (mainly through the original timeline) certain things that happened in my life influenced events and people, including places (such as the college I went to), the people (beyond the original four High Grandmasters, several of my close friends appear throughout the books/adventures). Often times, people who are close to me get a special slot somewhere in the stories, different than other characters that I have developed.
Now, a main focus deals with locations. Throughout the course of the books, I take the readers to many realistic as well as unbelievable places. Whenever I identify a place on Earth, I try to get the details down tight as to focus on creating the best possible image of the place. Later in the adventures, when the members of the Destiny Gateway project travel to different worlds, I sometimes use several real (be it ancient, contemporary, or modern) places to create a new land/world but allow it so that I can breath life into the location. When it comes to Elementia, I do not use many earthly locations to form the many portions of the world, though there may be certain designs that are worked in subconsciously.
The next time I post I will focus on talking about the inspiration for either the culture of Elementia or talk more specifically about characters.
The Chronicled Adventures of Elementia have many hidden pieces to it that have been inspired by people and events. If you follow the evolution of the stories (mainly through the original timeline) certain things that happened in my life influenced events and people, including places (such as the college I went to), the people (beyond the original four High Grandmasters, several of my close friends appear throughout the books/adventures). Often times, people who are close to me get a special slot somewhere in the stories, different than other characters that I have developed.
Now, a main focus deals with locations. Throughout the course of the books, I take the readers to many realistic as well as unbelievable places. Whenever I identify a place on Earth, I try to get the details down tight as to focus on creating the best possible image of the place. Later in the adventures, when the members of the Destiny Gateway project travel to different worlds, I sometimes use several real (be it ancient, contemporary, or modern) places to create a new land/world but allow it so that I can breath life into the location. When it comes to Elementia, I do not use many earthly locations to form the many portions of the world, though there may be certain designs that are worked in subconsciously.
The next time I post I will focus on talking about the inspiration for either the culture of Elementia or talk more specifically about characters.
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