I really like the combination of fantasy and science-fiction themes. I like when „magic” has some logical (ok, quasi-logical) explanation. I also don’t like the artificial division between magic and science – when in our world we use the word „magic” for something made up or for superstition, such a division makes sense…. but when we use it to describe something that actually works within the fantasy world, it doesn’t. If something works, it is a form of science (because in the framework of fictional universe, therempirical proof it exists), at most a science that has not yet been understood. In this article, I present some concepts for a „quasi-scientific” interpretation of several fantasy motifs, such as dragons, demons and the undead. I am planning to use them in my own stories/games.

Wizards/Seers/Elves

They are people with biological mutation that gives them very keen senses, that’s why they can „divine” things. You will never attack them from surprise because they will hear you, they are aware of enemy army long before it is visible, they can tell that food is poisoned or that someone is sick because of smell, they can tell how will weather change based on subtle changes of athmospheric pressure etc. Keen senses mean also hypersensitivity to pain, so „squishy wizard” trope is in action and that’s why they don’t dominate world.

They can live in their own societes – it would make them more like elves. Or they can just sometimes born among „normal” people as a result of some mutation – it makes them more like wizards. Fate of the wizard can be of various kinds. If (s)he lives in small society, like tribe or village, he can be despised by homelanders as „this weakling who always is complaining that something hurts him or that we are too loud”. But (s)he can also be best hunter in the tribe, who always knows where animals are and is master with a bow. Or can became local oracle, and their „precognition” be considered as „advices of ancestor spirits”. In more advanced society they would probably became royal advisors and sages.

Necromancers and undead

Necromancers are type of alchemists who developed drug that gives people immunity to pain, poisons, diseases, fatigue etc but in time weakens mind. Hordes of mindless soldiers with visible severe wounds and fact, that necromancers often make „zombies” from wounded enemies after battles, created legend of „walking deads”. Necromancers have also perfected formula of drug, which have not bad side effects and makes user identified by zombies as leader (it is much harder to prepare) – they are drinking it themselves. Necromancers are also masters of poison. In battle they use incense which smoke causes nausea and weakness – but not for themselves and their „undead” underlings, who are immune to it as a side effect of the "main" drug.

Demons

Fiends are mutated humans and other animals. Virus is intergalactic, it arrived on meteor. Mutated humans have sometimes horns, tails, and are very agrresive/gluttonous/lustful. Sometimes more advanced mutations kick, which makes archfiends – they are emiting pheromones which make them more charismatic/scary for other fiends and humans – they function as seducers, spies, cult leaders and generals. Fiends have no use for money – in their society only rule is „stronger/more cunning can do what he want” – so they very often offers mortal agents looted gold for their services („deal with the devil”).

Hypergeometry – sorcerers and dragons

There is another type of magic – hypergeometry. It allows person to see in more than three dimensions. Hypergeometric mages are decorating their armours with more-than-3D sigils – when normal person looks on something like this, his mind is disoriented, which can result in temporal weakening of person or even madness. Fiends and undead are mostly immune to this effects, that’s why sorcerers accompany/lead their armies (necromancer/archifiend can be simultanously hyperdimensional sorcerer), and why „normal” humanity is uninterested in using it (there is little profit in painting on your armour in way which makes both your enemies and allies crazy – only lonely, egoistical person would do something like that) – but person with „hyperdimensional sight” (very often mages – h-sight is just another form of their keen senses) are very often great heroes of humanity, because even if they don’t move in more than 3 dimensiones themselves, they can can fight sorcerers and dragons who use it.

Dragons are hyperdimensional beings, enormous and vaguely reptilian. Only one part of the dragon is visible at a time for people who can see only 3 dimensions. Basilisks, hydras, krakens and other giant monsters are just types of dragons or tales of peoples, who saw only parts of dragons. Dragon fear aura/basilisk deadly sight tales are result of the fact, that normal person looking on hyperdimensional being (jus like on sigils from latter paragraph) go bonkers. And tales about „hydras regenerating heads” is result that in any given moment other number of heads/tentacles of dragon can be visible

Superstrength – monks and berserkers

There are also people – mostly warrior-monks with great discipline and training (or contrary – mad berserkers) – which can consciously use „hysterical strength” in dangerous situations – but I want it to be „realistic” such effort have great price – they are very fatigued after it and it can damage their organisms.

Goblins

Of course, we have also traditional „ancient technologies treated as magic” and alchemical potions. Masters of it are goblins. Goblins are small humanoids that live undeground – sometimes in caves, sometimes in ruins of ancient bunkers, which probably were build by their ancestors (field for dungeon crawling). Goblins are very sensible to sun and they hate humanity with whole their hearts. There is theory that they lived on the planet before humanity, but something changed. Maybe their ancestors using genenetic manipulation incindentally gave themselves sensibility to Sun. Maybe way in which Sun is shining changed and it became harfmul for goblins – hovewer, nowadays goblins must live in darkness. They guard half-forgotten secrets of their technology with envy and raid human settlements by nights to loot food which they can’t obtain underground. They are also fond of kindapping human children – there are many theories about reason of this behaviour.