#Numair is a wizard

[meggettes]

the last line of this post got me thinking about dnd-ifying tortall (i know about the tortall rpg but here im thinking specifically about dungeons and dragons 5e)

Kel is certainly a paladin. Aly is a rogue no question. Daine is probably a wildshape druid with some sort of archery feat/outlander background.

Alanna is giving me trouble, though. She's both a fighter and a mage, and very adept at both. I guess in order, her fighting improvement happens before spellcasting improvement. It's feeling very cleric, but that's certainly not the type of character Alanna is. The descriptions of her magic, though, are pretty close to sorcerer, but that doesn't seem right either.

Any ideas?

[official-linguistics-post]

do you have a favorite wizard, mg. official-linguistics-post?

if you are in the d&d inclined direction, do you have a favorite spell? and/or, if not so d&d inclined, any favorite general sort of wizardry?

there are always several wizards rotating in my mind like a gas station hot dog rotisserie, but i gotta give a shoutout to @quiddie's laerryn coramar-seelie, certified toughest wizard in existence. what a woman.

i've actually played only one session as a spellcaster (a sorcerer) but my favorite of his spells is currently mage armor because he's a tabaxi so he just. puffs up his fur.

[think-before-you-screenshot]

Numair walked so Gale could run.

[book--brackets]

The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas (2008-2014)

In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who--or what--is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.

100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson (2007-2010)

Twelve-year-old Henry York is going to sleep one night when he hears a bump on the attic wall above his head. It's an unfamiliar house—Henry is staying with his aunt, uncle, and three cousins—so he tries to ignore it. But the next night he wakes up with bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall, and one of them is slowly turning...

 Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers doors—ninety-nine cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room—with a man strolling back and forth! Henry and his cousin Henrietta soon understand that these are not just cupboards. They are, in fact, portals to other worlds.

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (2008)

A girl is transformed, through instruction in life at court, determination, and magic, from sullen, pudgy, graceless Ben into Crown Princess Benevolence, a fit ruler of the kindgom of Montagne as it faces war with neighboring Drachensbett.

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen (2021-present)

Vanja Schmidt knows no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love. Abandoned to Death and Fortune as a child, she has scraped by as a lowly maidservant with her quick wits and the ability to see her god-mothers’ hands at work in the world. But when they demand her lifelong servitude in exchange, Vanja decides that gifts not given freely…can always be stolen.

When an opportunity rises to steal a string of enchanted pearls, Vanja seizes it, transforming herself into Gisele, the princess she’s served for years. As the glamorous princess, Vanja leads a double life, charming the nobility while ransacking their coffers as a jewel thief. Then, one heist away from funding an escape from her god-mothers, Vanja crosses the wrong god, and is cursed to turn into jewels herself. The only way to save herself is to make up for what she’s taken—starting with her first victim, Princess Gisele.

Valdemar: Mage Wings by Mercedes Lackey (1992-1993)

High magic had been lost to Valdemar when he gave his life to save his kingdom from destruction by the dark sorceries. Now it falls to Elspeth Herald, heir to the throne, to take up the challenge and seek a mentor who will awaken her mage abilities.

The Numair Chronicles by Tamora Pierce (2018-present)

Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram realizes that one day–soon–he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.

Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones (1998-2000)

Everyone - wizards, soldiers, farmers, elves, dragons, kings and queens alike - is fed up with Mr Chesney's Pilgrim Parties: groups of tourists from the world next door who descend en masse every year to take the Grand Tour. What they expect are all the trappings of a grand fantasy adventure, including the Evil Enchantress, Wizard Guides, the Dark Lord, Winged Minions, and all. And every year different people are chosen to play these parts. But now they've had enough: Mr Chesney may be backed by a very powerful demon, but the Oracles have spoken. Now it's up to the Wizard Derk and his son Blade, this year's Dark Lord and Wizard Guide, not to mention Blade's griffin brothers and sisters, to save the world from Mr Chesney's depredations.

Traveler's Gate by Will Wight (2013-2014)

Simon can only watch, helpless, as his family is killed and his friends captured by enemy Travelers-men and women who can summon mystical powers from otherworldly Territories. To top it off, another young man from Simon's village discovers that he's a savior prophesied to destroy evil and save the realm.Prophecy has nothing to say about Simon. He has no special powers, no magical weapons, and no guarantee that he'll survive. But he sets off anyway, alone, to gain the power he needs to oppose the Travelers and topple their ruthless Overlord. It may not be his destiny, but Simon's determined to rescue his fellow villagers from certain death.Because who cares about prophecy, really?

Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda (2000)

The evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven gems of great and mysterious power. When the gems are stolen and hidden in dark terrible places throughout the kingdom, the Shadow Lord triumphs, and Deltora is lost.

In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a perilous quest. Determined to find the lost gems and rid their land of the tyrant, they struggle towards their first goal - the sinister Forests of Silence.

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi (2016-2017)

There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn't miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it's been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she's about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she'll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. It will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father, Alice must first find herself--and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

[howlsmovinglibrary]

thank god for you, fellow former 11 year old freak obsessed with daine and numair. my copy of the book was creased to open to their first romantic scene. grappling with that as an adult was sure interesting, and yet i love tamora pierce still

proof I was not immune to wizards from a very formative age, honestly (and neither is Tamora, really, if you count how many times she describes Numair's lovely long hair).

To be honest, while I get that the romance is problematic and the age gap is :I .... Trickster's Choice is literally right there. Of all the things Tamora Pierce could get cancelled for, it's not top of the list. At least she lampshades this age gap lmao.

[teenslib]

I finally got polls!

[justaboot]

Random anon question: can you make a list of your top ten favorite characters and (if you can) top ten least favorite characters. Justify as much as you need. It may help distract you to think about your blorbos and whatever the opposite of a blorbo is.

the great blorbo war has begun (in no particular order)

-Della Duck, my bestie my literal mirror my list of personal red flags

-Castiel, sorry not to out myself but SPN was and apparently continues to be my sin of choice. He invented poor wet little meow meows.

-River Song, she’s literally the doctors wife. She is Prototype Goldie. Literally one of the first things I heard abt ducktales was “you’d like it, Alison Janney plays duck river song but meaner.”

-Crowley, (Good Omens) if I think about him too long I have to lie down, canon genderqueer masking bc he cares too much king he’s just like me (I thirst for him)

-Emily prentiss makes my brain go brrrr like I have no urge to engage in any fan content re criminal minds but every time I see her my head flips inside out she wears a ponytail in the field god she’s so competent please step on me

-Okay tell me if you’ve ever read any Tamora Pierce books, but Numair Salmalin was my ORIGINAL blorbo. Like 4th grade me was insane about my little vain wizard soft boy

-Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. He’s a grandfather. He’s my bestie. I wouldn’t say no to him in a trash pub. In fact, I’d say yes before he finished the sentence. I want to lock him in a closet.

Okay there’s seven

Okay let’s see if I have any opinions that will get me cancelled

-I can’t stand the 11th doctor after S5. Who is he? I don’t know her.

-I got so angry thinking about what the did to his incredible character I can’t think of more.

-Will Ferrell the real life Will Ferrell, I think he’s the least funny person who’s ever walked the planet, I think every crew member who’s ever worked on set with him should be paid time and a half.

That’s it I’m already heated I can’t do anymore

[yesthattoo]

Challenge! 18 Questions for Writers

I'm a rebel who hasn't been tagged lol

How many works do you have on Ao3?

53

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

73,291

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly Tamora Pierce (both Emelan and Tortall verses), some Young Wizards (Diane Duane). I've ever done vanilla Harry Potter but don't do that anymore for Reasons. I do still write for some recursive Potter stuff, like Rigel Black Chronicles and Revolutionary Arc. Did a fic of Little Red Riding Hood once.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Honor unheeded and honor made (194)

Blue (161)

To Yule (150)

Telling the truth (120)

My Oath (94)

3 Tamora Pierce, 1 Potter, 1 Young Wizards

5. Do you respond to comments?

Sometimes. Not always substantively.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably In Secret or How to Respond?

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Shalom, New York ended at a wedding.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I have not.

9. Do you write smut fic? If so, what kind?

I do not.

10. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one you've written?

I did some Tamora Pierce/Harry Potter crossovers, and I write recursively for some Tamora Pierce/Harry Potter crossovers still. My first fic ever was very mildly Young Wizards/Star Trek crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Worked with an artist for Shalom, New York!

13. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I'm not a big romance person in general but I do have a soft spot for Daine/Numair.

14. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I think Welcome to a Universe would be a fun one to finish. Loyal Evil Roger is enough a series of one-shots to be always in a superposition of finished and not.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Probably world building. Working with quirks of the world and why they're actually interesting!

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Visuals lol. I can do it if I think about it but I'm aphantasiac and tend not to think about it.

17. First Fandom you wrote for?

Young Wizards was first, with Movie Night.

18. Favorite Fic you've written?

I myself have noticed my growing resemblance to a daffodil. I laugh when I reread it.

I wasn't tagged and I won't be throwing specific tags. If you want to answer just do it. Be freeeeeeeee

[thebaldergatescandal]

A YA series called Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce, the protagonist has a wizard mentor/teacher (Numair, wizard of my youthful fantasies) as she learns to control her rare type of natural magic and goes from her little village to involved in politics and war and an ally of the first woman knight of the kingdom (she has her own series too)

I started playing Baldur’s Gate last month(& obviously the Wizard made me his bitch), would anyone have any recommendations on fantasy/romance books that are Gale-coded?

Thanks in advance!!

[clairelutra]

that stage of otp where you literally can’t watch/read/consume/etc anything else without your brain immediately going ‘okay but what if this was an au with your otp—’

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I just found your Tortall AU, and it was amazing! At first I wasn't onboard with Tobias as Numair with the swagger, but by the end I was into it. Is Wild Magic your favorite Tortall series? Mine is the Trickster's duology, but Wild Magic is second

So I think I mentioned this in passing on another post, but I actually wrote that entire AU after finishing Tempests and Slaughter and being in a snit about the jossed interpretations of Numair.

To be clear, I really like Tempests and Slaughter, including the way it confirms a lot of representation: Numair’s bisexual, he’s brown-skinned, he’s AHDH, and that’s all canon.  The book felt a little clunky, and like it devoted too much attention to the less-interesting plots over the more-interesting ones.  Arram having an easy time in magic school because he’s already been established as The Best Wizard Ever to Wizard was never going to be a page-turner.  Arram gradually realizing that he can be in love with Ozorne and still have a moral obligation to oppose everything Ozorne stands for, even if it means giving up his home?  That’s a hell of a lot more interesting, and I do not understand the decision to make it the B plot.  But overall, I enjoyed the book.

HOWEVER, there were two tiny details that got under my skin.

The first is the fact that Arram actually learns how to juggle in this book.  I reject this version of reality.  Numair cheats at juggling, and this is the fanon hill I will die upon.  Because I actually think that Numair cheats at juggling is an important character beat.

Our first meeting of Numair sets him up as a source of fascination because he is so paradoxical.  He has staggering amounts of magical power, but almost gets killed because he cannot undo one of his own spells.  He doesn’t care about nudity, but spends way too much time messing with his hair and robes.  He’s tall and well-built, but uses his mind over his body.  He has the highest educational degree in this universe, and he juggles.

And over The Immortals quartet we gradually learn why that last detail is important.  We learn how he ended up panhandling on street corners after getting his magi-doctorate, and why academic freedom is so important in Tortall but so controversial in Carthack.  And part of Numair’s paradox is that he puts huge effort into appearing less powerful, less talented, and less interesting.  He refuses to wear the robes that mark his magical station.  He claims to be “acquainted” with Ozorne before a “slight disagreement” led him to leave Carthack, only for Emperor Mage to show that he was once Ozorne’s closest confidant and that Ozorne wants Numair back more than Numair wants Ozorne.

So Numair tossing a single ball around, and channeling that enormous magical power to make an incredibly arcane skill (a multi-sensory illusion of three balls in motion) look like a mundane one (actual juggling) is the most in-character detail imaginable.  Also, him trying to solve All The Things (such as how to survive as a refugee with zero practical skills) through applying ever-more-complex magic to the problem fits the character far better than him having actually learned how to juggle for real.

The second tiny detail was the issue of names.

Because, of course, the biggest paradox of all is that Numair’s real name is Numair, he goes by Numair, he insists on people who get it wrong learning to call him Numair... and when he’s half-dead from drugs and bad magic, he instinctively answers to a different name.

As with the juggling, we did not actually need Tempests and Slaughter to explain how Arram became Numair, because The Immortals explained it already.  Numair changed his name at first because he could hardly walk around openly going “Hi, I’m Arram Draper, the Carthacki emperor’s treasonous ex-boyfriend.”  But over time, Numair became a different identity from the one he had as a kid.  Arram is Carthacki; Numair is Tortallian.  Arram cares about books, books, books, and his two best friends as a distant second.  Numair actually uses all that book learning to help people.  Arram was willing to overlook Ozorne’s politics out of love.  Numair is willing to die opposing Ozorne, because those politics involve killing and enslaving thousands of people.  When Numair tells Daine that he changed his name to sound more wizardly, he is obviously lying.  It’s a hell of a lot more nuanced than that.

So when Tempests and Slaughter mentioned that “Draper” is the kind of low-class name that any self-respecting mage would be expected to change upon graduation, I howled in rage and threw the book across the room.

It feels like a disrespect to the character, if he’s giving in to classist pretense and that’s why he changed his name.  If “Numair” isn’t Numair’s name because Numair actively chose to be Numair, but because he was forced to hide his heritage to fit in with the upper crust, then the name loses 99% of its power.  All of a sudden, Numair correcting Ozorne every time he says “Arram” at risk of imprisonment isn’t about Numair asserting his adult identity and the ways he’s outgrown Ozorne’s childish callousness.  Now it has the same energy as the guy who makes his Facebook name Dr. Smith, Ph.D. and refuses to answer to Mr. Smith anymore.

Anyway, Numair is Numair because he chooses to be Numair, and Numair Salmalín cheats at juggling.  Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[joyfulpoet]

One of my favorite pairings from my teen years is Diane and Numair from Tamora Pierce’s Immortals series. They have quite the age gap, but Tamora does the work of showing them going from a teacher and student relationship to equals and partners before having them start a relationship. They talk about their age gap and their feelings and fears about it. Nothing about their relationship feels unequal, Diane is a demi-goddess and Numair is the greatest wizard of his time. Numair does show jealousy but he never tries to keep Diane separated from any of her friends or codependent on him. The second and third book Diane spends most of the books completely separated from Numair doing her own thing, being her own person. Nothing feels like grooming.

So as long as you do the work of showing them growing into the relationship I don’t see the problem of having the age gap or showing their childhood. Hell I’d say it’s fine if the character is 25 when they start their relationship. It would also be funny if the dragonborn meets the elf’s family and they joking call them a cradle robber since the elf is still considered very young by elf standards.

But at the end of it, write your story how you want. People write gross and unhealthy relationships all the time and get zero flack.

been thinking about that thing i reblogged thats like (by the way im buzzed off my ass on whiskey so excuse extra nonsensicalness) "i dont know how to tell you all adults were children once" thing cause i have been on and off Stressing about my ocs that im writing a book of

because they started off as dnd characters i was playing where my husband and i play by ourselves with 3 characters each (lol) and fenriel is a 30 something year old dragonborn and atreyu is a 200 year old half drow and for the longest time i was like. i want them to be good friends, nothing more. i want them to highkey bond and help each other with their traumas.

but after like a year of this i had the moment where i realized they are fucking in Love with each other bitch. like gay it up bros. theyre so gay alright??? and ozadius this lowkey old man wizard tiefling is like the fucking gay uncle who pretty much raised fenriel after he found him half dead from his abusive mother that he finally just kills in self defense but ozadius grew up in the city where atreyu lived so atreyu watched ozadius grow up and now they are bros. but atreyu is baby because 200 is still young for an elf. its a weird dynamic alright

BUT. when i decided i love these characters enough to write a whole ass multi book length shit of them, im writing fenriels childhood with his mother and when ozadius finds him and shit and fenriel will meet atreyu as a child because ozadius is gonna go to atreyu for help with some specific crap. they, and atreyu's twin sister are all the main characters so i cant just leave anyone out to avoid the awkward shit

SO. i have to navigate the idea that on and off atreyu at like 180 years old will get to know fenriel as a child, but later as adults they are in love okay. but atreyu will absolutely not have a single thought or feeling in his brain about fenriel that way (who as he gets older will crush on atreyu, sure) NOT A THOUGHT. it will have to be knocked into his head only when fenriel is past 30 years old and shit goes down. he'll still be oblivious when fenriel is 30, and not realize shit until some things happen. totally oblivious for fucking ever.

i stress out people would think this is gross. they wont see each other often while fenriel is growing up even though they will meet on and off and have some plot stuff happen when fenriel is still a kid and teen i guess. and atreyu is gonna be dealing with some heavy other shit and like i said will be completely oblivious until fenriel is over 30 years old when they will be around each other longer term for plot shit.

i dont see the problem but people are so sensitive about this shit. and like i dont care but also ???????

shits weird when you are dealing with characters that are extremely long lived. especially when there is the idea that a 200 year old elf is equivalent to a very young adult

i would have to completely ditch so much shit like either have them never meet when fenriel is a child which would force me to rewrite an insane amount of the entire backstory for everyone, or not have them ever be a romantic thing which screw that, they are important to me that way

so damn. im frustrated lol

[recurringwriter]

would you also like to share your top 10 fictional men you're definitely normal about?

i could do that! because i'm so normal about them.

1. (Most Normal) Rodrigue Achille Fire Emblem Fraldarius, whom i've never made little paper cutouts of so that he can watch over me while i work or rest or protect my library card or written thousands of words about or pictured with cat ears. ever.

2. Glen Sacred Stones who is very much alive

3. Tim from Detective Pikachu. don't mention this man in front of me, just to be safe.

4. Christopher Chant aka Chrestomanci. luckily not many people know who he is so i can be normal about him in peace

5. Link Hyrule. especially from twilight princess but they all make me normal.

6. Caellach Sacred Stones who belongs in a pringles can that's hanging from the ceiling fan so i can bat it every now and then with my hand

7. Numair Salmalin from the tortall books. what's there to not be normal about? he's a wizard with many problems and some of them are his own fault.

8. Howl MovingCastle need i say more

9. Lord Asriel from his dark materials shush

10. Lucifer from the tv show lucifer i only saw up to season 3 but i was so normal about it. don't ask me any more details

[growing-yet-into-magic]

Ok but the Wild Magic series was so good! Along with the follow up Alana series.

I simply must tell you that the Alanna series came first, unless we are talking about Trickster's Choice/Queen, which are underrated and deeply treasured in my heart...what's not to love about overthrowing colonizers and dating people who are also crows?

I will admit though, Numair described himself as old so often in the Wild Magic series what when Daine was like "I like you" I fully had been envisioning an old wizard man with a beard for years and years...

[shygryf]

Quotes for the quoteless

in case you are too shy, don't want to commit to writing anything, want multiple choices, and/or any other reason, here are some quotes to inspire you.

“You can't force folks to have good sense, even if they're family. Maybe especially then.”

― Patricia C. Wrede, Across the Great Barrier

“You're always in the kitchen," Alianora said when she poked her head through the door a moment later. "Or the library. Don't you ever do anything but cook and read?”

― Patricia C. Wrede, Dealing with Dragons

“How can you know it's the best, if you don't learn about anything else?”

― Patricia C. Wrede, Thirteenth Child

“Comfortable shoes and the freedom to leave are the two most important things in life.”

― Shel Silverstein

“I love you, if you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you.”

― Tamora Pierce

“I would apologize for my rudeness, if I had any manners. Happily, I don't.” ― Tamora Pierce, Emperor Mage

“When in doubt," the mage Numair Salmalin had taught the pages, "Shoot the wizard.” ― Tamora Pierce, Squire

[bubblesandpages]

That was really good (it’s Tamora Pierce, but still) and why oh why did my library have the most hideous and uninspiring covers for all of Pierce’s book?!!? I could have had access to a half years worth of good reading material!

This was so sweet. Never compared an actual book to a baked confection before, but this felt like a whole patisseries worth of cinnamon cakes. Also, I might be a little in love with Numair (ya’ll can keep Howl, Numair is clearly the superior wizard).