Updating a World

[JediSoth]

I'm thinking of updating my fantasy setting by advancing the timeline a thousand-plus years and writing some modern stories in it. I already have a timeline with the various eras of the world named: Age of Dreams, Age of Legend, Age of Broken Hopes, Age of Healing (where all the fantasy novels I've written so far take place), and the Age of Mortals.

The gods and the fae will have withdrawn from the world, but magic still exists and has been combined with technology to provide a greater level of societal and technological advancement by their year 2000 than we enjoy today (so it's really a near-future setting). e.g. They have continent-spanning arcane-powered trains, as well as a permanent orbital presence alongside standbys such as griffin riders (after all, we still have mounted police).

Of course, this is all just a long way of saying I need to add something to the World of Calliome logo/name to indicate these stories take place in a different era. The only characters that might ever show up are the Firstborne dragons (direct descendants of the gods), because they're technically immortal.

World of Calliome: Age of Mortals? (not a fan, since the various ages are mostly called out in my notes, not in the books themselves)
World of Calliome: 2000 (too dated)
World of Calliome: Unity (after the Unity Council world government)

Naming stuff is hard.

[clintmemo]

I think an interesting thing to think about would be what technology is never developed because an existing magical solution to that problem already exists. For example, if magic can generate electricity, would coal plants exist?

Also, what about situations where technology supplanted magic? For example, why bother with magic missile in a world where guns exist?

[Ikoma]

I think an interesting thing to think about would be what technology is never developed because an existing magical solution to that problem already exists. For example, if magic can generate electricity, would coal plants exist?

Also, what about situations where technology supplanted magic? For example, why bother with magic missile in a world where guns exist?

From a certain perspective that is a daunting task. I mean, you would need to do a comprehensive cost / benefit analysis for each potential development. And the impact that previous choices would trickle down onto future potential technological developments.

It also sounds awesome.

I would put some reasonable restriction on how far down the rabbit whole you are going to go and just focus on the big things. Little things can be decided via the rule of cool.

[clintmemo]

I think an interesting thing to think about would be what technology is never developed because an existing magical solution to that problem already exists. For example, if magic can generate electricity, would coal plants exist?

Also, what about situations where technology supplanted magic? For example, why bother with magic missile in a world where guns exist?

From a certain perspective that is a daunting task. I mean, you would need to do a comprehensive cost / benefit analysis for each potential development. And the impact that previous choices would trickle down onto future potential technological developments.

It also sounds awesome.

I would put some reasonable restriction on how far down the rabbit whole you are going to go and just focus on the big things. Little things can be decided via the rule of cool.

Yes. I would just take maybe 3 or 4 big things and extrapolate from there. Beyond that, things would be so unrecognizable that it becomes unapproachable to the reader.
Then make up some little things that are just cool.

[JediSoth]

I think an interesting thing to think about would be what technology is never developed because an existing magical solution to that problem already exists. For example, if magic can generate electricity, would coal plants exist?

Also, what about situations where technology supplanted magic? For example, why bother with magic missile in a world where guns exist?

A lot of the flashy magic is gone, but quality-of-life stuff (as well as simple tricks like lighting candles with the snap of your fingers) still exists. Guns are magically enhanced, e.g. the guns issued to Agents of the Council Bureau of Investigations - Supernatural Investigations division (CBI - SI) can be set to fire silver rounds (for werewolves and vampires), stun rounds (for non-lethal takedowns), incendiary rounds (lots of beasties are vulnerable to fire), etc.

Air travel has been developed, but it's not as ubiquitous as it is on our world because there are many more large flying creatures still in the sky (griffons and dragons chief among them). Most cross-continental travel is done via bullet train/hyperloop-style rail travel. Personal vehicles are electrical; the internal combustion engine and fossil fuel usage never took off (plus, if evolution didn't happen like it did here with millions of years for extinct species to become coal and oil, where would it come from?).

I'm sure society would be greatly affected by the existence of three species with cultures (Faelix - cat folk, Cathar - bird folk, and Capricans - goat folk) that were uplifted by the now-departed fae. They probably simultaneously worship their creators while they revile those who oppressed them and made them slaves in ages past.

[clintmemo]

What about pro or anti magic (or technology) movements?
I could see groups of people believing that magic or technology is inherently evil and should be avoided. They might be a peaceful group that simply won't use one or the other or violent terrorists that seek to destroy the other or anyone that uses it.

[JediSoth]

What about pro or anti magic (or technology) movements?
I could see groups of people believing that magic or technology is inherently evil and should be avoided. They might be a peaceful group that simply won't use one or the other or violent terrorists that seek to destroy the other or anyone that uses it.

They certainly could exist. Already, I have people using various levels of magitek: some are full cyborgs with communications implants and others tend to stick to all hand-held technology.

I might even go a little heavy-handed and have some people be outright deniers: they don't believe in ANY magic, despite evidence to the contrary right in front of their face.

Most of that will be outside the scope of the first story I'm writing, though.

[clintmemo]

I might even go a little heavy-handed and have some people be outright deniers: they don't believe in ANY magic, despite evidence to the contrary right in front of their face.

Conspiracy theorists. I like that.
"That 'magic' you use is just technology you don't understand. The best, most advanced tech is being controlled by a shadow government group that killed off the people the originally invented it, then made up a story about them being fae that withdrew from the world. "

[JediSoth]

Maybe I don't need to explicitly tie this into my fantasy world. It's obvious if you've read my fantasy novels that this takes place in the same world, 1,200 years later, but the walk-up customer looking at it for the first time doesn't need to know.

So, I'll just have to figure out what to call this series (ugh and pay for a new logo... why are all my ideas so expensive?).