The Forgotten Zodiac

((Hmm, that'll work. So the protestants are the ones with the guns, the Catholics get the magic.

The Vatican IS the government. Back then, there was the Parliment (royalty) and the Catholic Church. The Pope and the King and/or Queen worked together. In fact, the most talented would likely go to the government for protection of the royals, noblemen, and/or as servants/knights/assassins/whatever else they needed them for.))

((But Henry VIII. And all the German Protestant princes. They Catholic church was a political power, yes; but they weren't a complete monopoly. So, if this happens in England under Henry and his children, there would be some resentment of the church. The Pope would have taken all the magic when Henry split from him.))

I think it would be more interesting if the Vatican were the most prominent government power at the time. But if you really want, we can do your thing. I imagine that some Magi would stay with their nobles, though. If they like them enough.

I'm open to the Vatican being the most prominent government power, but where does conflict come from?
Some definitely would. Are we calling them Magi?

The Vatican and the Protestants, like you suggested. And I imagine the Protestants would accept Magi who don't like the Vatican.

We can call them whatever. I was actually thinking of a branch, with different names representing skill level. I was thinking Magi would be the most common name and the least powerful.

Magi is good, because it connects to the people who worshiped baby Jesus. They should be highest level.
Gifted, Elect, Magi?
Do you still want to be set in a big Catholic country, or should we go Protestant Germany?

Oh, okay. Makes sense. There should be more stages, though. Gifted < Elect < Priest < Judge < Magi?

We'll start with Protestant Germany, 'cuz I know the area better than I know England.

Gifted, Blessed, Elect, Priest, Magi. I don't think they would have judge in there. I think they see the magically inclined as tools, not really as people they trust and put in charge, though that changes as they go higher.
Okay. I'm not, but I'm sure I can make it up as I go along. Or just leave all scenery up to you.

Judge would just be a name, but I see your point.

Scenery is pretty easy. Germany is full of quiet villages, in which everything is within walking distance, with long winding roads that follow the landscape. Larger cities look ilke several small towns mashed together. There are large plains, but PLENTY of forested areas.

Look at pictures of Germany now.

You now have pictures of Germany then.

Okay. It works if we through Blessed in, doesn't it? Who starts?

It does work. It works nicely. Is it pronounced 'blehssed', or 'blEHssED'?

You or I, matters not to me.

Bleh-st

I'm thinking about putting Alexander in as the son of a German lord. Would that work?

That does indeed work.

Okay. Any of my other characters you think I should drop in?

No idea.

Oh, last question. Are there other speices, or is this solely human?

Human shifters are an option, werewolves and such would be fun. I don't think there are elves or dwarves, but were creatures and vampires would be great. Probably some magical creatures.

Human shifters would also go against natural physics, but things like Werewolves...how about anthro-shifters? Those would make more sense. Not just werewolves, but werecats and weredogs and were-otherstuff. That way, muscle composition doesn't change so drastically.

Either that, or we can have soul-shifters. Branching off from the common elements, it would focus on taking the user's soul and putting it in different living things. It wouldn't be a very common skill, and it would take a learned and very skilled Magi to replace someone else's soul. But controlling animals would be easy.

Magical creatures are great, but I don't intentionally implement full-on dragons. Maybe small predatorial wyverns, gryphons, unicorns (I love the concept of unicorns; it's so obviously menacing when one of them is killed), so on. No dragons this run, though, unless that were to be the ultimate climax of the whole roleplay. Fighting the flippin' dragon.

Were-everything. Vampires. I would include soul-shifters, but separately.

The Vatican should hunt were-things and vampires, who seek refuge in the Protestant countries. Because the Protestants are more accepting of free magic (magic things that are free), they have become a haven for all sorts of things. Unicorns, wyverns, gryphons, vampires, were-things, etc.

I wouldn't remove the possibility of full-on dragons, but they would live in massive mountain ranges, where humans don't go. They feed on natural magic which exists in rock, so they like cave systems and mountains. One can live on Mount Everest.

Makes sense. I rather like that idea. Soul Shifters would be within the Vatican, I think. Rarely outside.

Good plan, good plan. I have no objections.

Alright, I suppose you can has your mountainous monsters. Dastardly dragons. No matter, I'm not put off by their presence. They're just a little overpowered, in my opinion.

I think the Vatican has all the spell stuff that allows you to soul shift, but they don't share it.
I'm glad.
They are overpowered, but they are supposed to be SO old. Like, watched God make the world.