Writing A bit stuck on the ending (potentially politcal)

[Deleted member 1244]

Disclaimer: Try not to get this shut down by being too spicy... by going off track.

Ok... here is the deal... I am a bit stuck on the ending... of bk 1. Or more like... worried about it.

So the lore of the story goes like this

Pre story:
The world was full of magic at one point, people can all use small magics like making sparks, making their body slightly stronger, heal faster; but big magics like fireballs, and healing wounds you need to study at schools and stuff.

Over time, through social and economic means access to magic becomes segregated and commercialized. Eventually, a class of mages is established and non-mages are oppressed and marginalised. Access to learning the powerful magics became more reserved to the upper class... and some of the greedy ones in the upper class conspired to ensure the access is limited to others and even started to find ways to foster or created the illusion of non-magical people existing and also dehumanise the non-magical or the less magical (that don't really exist).

An idealist/extremist of the upper class saw it as a broken system, secretly started their own conspiracy to burn it all down, and found a way to "shut off the tap" of magic so no one gets ANY magic.

And this person succeeded and Mana in the world started to deplete rapidly.

The world moved to a post-apocalyptic world where society has collapsed and is reorganizing itself.

The story is set here:

The MC is part of a group that hunts and erases from the world the remanent of magical stuff and mages (who have magic batteries stored and are often evil)

The story eventually reaches a point where MC discovers scholars that want to bring magic back and the original idealist trying to shut that shit down.

I have not decided if the MC should let/help magic come back to the world, or not.

---

The implication is this, magic could be seen as a metaphor for real-life issues (political). And I have not really decided what I am trying to say about those issues...

Should I just flip a coin?

Should I worry about what readers see the "magic" as an allegory of?

or should I take the reins and make sure it's clear what magic is a metaphor for and actually suggest something like... I don't know, "Blah Blah Blah is bad"

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Maybe have the character wrestle and consider the possibilities of magic returning because of either some need for power or a repressed desire for magical power. I don't know your MCs motives so choose something that fits the character. Only to have him destroy it once and for all in the end. One possible allegory or lesson could be that humanity is full of innovators. Given the knowledge they had and can pass down, they could rebuild society in a new manner and with different values. They were too dependant on magic kind of like how we are a bit too dependant on electricity and other things.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Huh?

I think Electricity is used for bad. Let's set off a few nukes in the Van Allan Belt which will basically fry every unshielded electrical powered thing on the planet and throw people back to the 1700s.

POWER GO BOOM. Suddenly everybody is living the video game The Long Dark.

How is this political? Other than burning everything down is easy, starting over means rolling back the clock a few centuries/millennium. How arrogant of you to think YOU could do better.

Or you talking about Communists? Like, Real communism has never been tried. No... What you are saying, "It would have worked if I WAS IN CHARGE." Because right now, only the commies are calling to burn everything down an start over, and... let me assure you mister commie, when the revolution comes, you are the first against the wall.

You might want ANOTHER revolution, and we can't have that once you put ME in charge.

 

[LunaSoltaer]

Are you at the point where you need to start writing this?

If so, I'd take a break, meditate, consult your character, and in true GM fashion say "You learn this, now what?"

The primary advantage is tapping into your subconscious who has been drafting this character behind the scenes for literally the entire book, and if your character picks a path uou disagree with, roll with it (barring shite like hardline themes of the book. In that case you need to subtly change circumstances such that your char agrees with you, but make it believable.

I dont think this is too Overly Political; your core question is: how do my character act?

The answer.... however you damn well please.

If youre truly stuck, flip a coin, then if you hate the outcome, pick the other one.

 

[ArrogantYoungMaster]

Everything is political.
Banning magic is political. Allowing magic is political. Limiting the scope of magic is political. Limiting access to magic is political.

For a story, magic can be an allegory for real world politics or it can also just be magic. Not everything needs to be made a thought provoking lesson, but if you want to make the issue of magic a reference to real world issues, you can.

The purpose of commentary is not to write a solution, it's to explore the scenario and the effects of made choices. It is up to each reader themselves to decide if a character's decision is good or bad.

Focus on what the main character would decide based on background and past interactions, don't make the decision on things outside of the story, it leaves a bad taste.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Ya know, I worked out a post magic Cyberpunk-esq setting once... Hrmmm.... Like, what you do when only Extraordinary powers work, and all spell, spell-like, and supernatual abilities stop working. Why you chop up creature that have "powers" that work in antimagic zones and graft them to your body!

Here's a copy paste into a text file. It lost its formatting, but the background/lore section might inspire you. Go to town. Never used it on any projects.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

I think you need to answer why magic exists in the first place. What purpose does it serve in the universe?

I wouldn't worry what allegories readers draw. Readers can draw meaning from nothing at any time. Go with what feels most right to you.

 

[Deleted member 1244]

The purpose of commentary is not to write a solution, it's to explore the scenario and the effects of made choices

Very True, I think I was reading too deeply into my own subtext.

choose something that fits the character.

consult your character

Thanks, I think that was what I needed.

I was blinded by the "big decision" I forgot what my character arc was.

The underlying theme is to let go of the past and to stop glorifying what is not there anymore. The MC needed to come to terms with being isekai'ed for 20-odd years, to stop trying to find a way home and just live instead of being consumed by being "stuck".

If the MC keeps chasing home he would bring back magic with the hope that there is a chance for home and still be stuck
if MC moves on he'd let magic "die" and start building a life.

Thanks

What purpose does it serve in the universe?

The plot, unfortunately.