Andrew Moore's Blog, page 13

Addendum

Axes work great though. They don't even have to be empyreal axes or enchanted in any way.

Lyric Explanation

Remember that song about "tie a power ribbon 'round the old oak tree?" That's how you begin ensorcelling a tree in such a way that it will sheathe itself in empyreal bark, a material capable of producing shields and helmets impossible to overcome with profane arts.

Grappling with Style

1) Ribbon tied around hilt
2) Ribbon tied around glove holding hilt
3) Ribbon tied around blade
4) Sword is an extended ribbon

It's hard to pick the right look, but whichever you choose, carry it through.

Addendum

Accordingly, instead of starship captains we'll have counts, except we'll call them earls 'cause we ain't soft. Those are the smaller ships of course, while the Austria-sized ones will be classed as duchies. Not grand duchies. Those will be far bigger.

Science Fiction Political Units

As convenient as it is to make each planet a single political entity, the future won't be any good unless we have spaceships big enough to rate as a county at least.

Deserving Inheritors and the Way of the World

His patience exhausted, the god stretched forth his hand. "Go, herald, and search among the people. Should you fail to find three who do not adopt a cutesy voice when talking to pets, I will purge the world of life and begin anew."
The herald went. Months later, he returned.
"I have found three such. They are, however, kind of mean."
The god nodded. "The world they have preserved by their high character therefore will belong to them. Long will be the reign of people who are kind of jerks but they could be worse."
Thus it stands today.
Finis

Addendum

Does all that mean there should be at least one character clad entirely in power ribbons? Yes.

The Many Powers of Ribbons

Obviously you can have special ribbon handed down through centuries which must be won in a fighting tournament, and obviously there might be orders of fancy warriors marked by ribbons infused with magic which not only confer powers but allow the wearer to be tracked, but don't forget about collections of nanomachines which resemble ribbons which respond to their owner's thoughts, either because of a neural implant, psychic powers, or technology subtler yet such as monitoring muscle contractions.

Trends Circulate Like Magma Beneath the Crust

Rotted: Non-evil empires.
Allotted: Power ribbons

Addendum

Though if your setting doesn't resemble the early 18th century, I encourage you to reconsider.