A Mythical Desires Universe Primer

The MDU (get it – I’m a comic book geek what can I say?) is a multi-species fantasy universe where our myths and legends are real and thriving in the present day. Shifters of all kinds. Dragons. Vampires. Mages. Witches. Sentient familiars. They all exist in the open and magic is part of everyday life.

Because magic exists and is often mixed with science, many technical achievements & improvements exist earlier in this universe than our own. A majority of species on the planet, magical and non-magical alike, are sentient in some way. For this reason, environmental impact concerns and alternative resources became necessary so as to keep species from constantly being in contention with each other.

You’ll often read things mentioned that might not completely exist in our world today or could be currently experimental.

World Building

Main Historical Events:

The Magical Species Pact of 1452 restricted how individuals accessed magic on the European continent. This, more than gold or other resources, drives individuals to seek new sources of magic and in this world is what triggers enslavement and colonization. The Necromancer War is a contemporary for WWI and WWII. However, it doesn’t closely mirror the major events of those wars, nor does it expand beyond Europe and Western Asia.

Transportation:

Ground vehicles aren’t referred to as cars simply because they could be something other that what we understand a “car” to be. In the twenty-first century, travel by high speed regional transportation system (aka – a hyperloop or bullet train) is normal. Individuals only use planes for international travel. And folks travel to the Moon on a regular basis.

Food:

Because a vast majority of species are sentient, most domesticated species which would normally be seen as a food source are instead farmed for their tissue in a humane way, which allows for those tissues to be replicated into actual meat without killing. For those that prefer alternatives that are plant based and mimics a meat product, synthetics are available (this is very comparable to the plant based meat alternatives we have today). There are some exceptions for species who are granted a right to hunt based on cultural and ceremonial needs. Several types of fish are allowed to be farmed or fished from open waters since they aren’t sentient. This is often the only real meat product available for consumption.

Technology & Magic:

When magic is involved there will be many options for folks to use. In the MDU, you could see a character use a magical device that mimics a tech device. Tech devices could be enhanced by magic as well. Because of this, the MDU will have faster technical advancements than our world currently has, however access to that will depend on resources, time, and availability. Some things are very expensive, and others are common place.

Society:

Magic and magical species are in the open. They all generally tolerate each other. Issues can come up from time to time which is why most hunter societies still exist, and there are public service departments that actually work for the public good. The history of colonization and enslavement have been addressed by society at large, and reparations made to families and individuals impacted by the Magical Species Pact of 1452, which drove many to seek magic and alchemical ingredients in other places. The pact only applied to the European continent and left other magical species on the planet vulnerable.

(Several characters mention the MSP and come across instances where it had minimal effect and likely made things worse instead of better for some.)

Chronological order of the Mythical Desires Universe

I choose the timeline while writing the books to help center what tech might be available via magic or actual technological means. (Good example is Death Warmed Over having a stasis cabinet for blood, which is magical. Where later in the book you see a cooling unit/fridge which is not magical accomplish the same task.)

This also gives me enough leeway to write about the next generation mentioned in various books.

Initially, I didn’t want to date everything so the reader wouldn’t be locked into a time and place unless absolutely necessary. However, I can see where a general time and place might be nice to have for the story’s sake.