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.