A Little Precaution

To avert the inevitable accidents when people realize the equivalent of "airspace" must be "spacespace" and the resulting hesitation to bring it up, we should change space's name now. I like "firmament," but it's too long to resist abbreviation, and "firmspace" and "firm elevator" aren't inspiring me to hand over the Pulitzer. "Ether" would be good but has appropriated. "Empyrean" doesn't shorten very well either. We could retrace our steps and go with "spatium," or "spat" for short, which has meanings already that are more likely to amuse than confuse.

Addendum

I thought about having it be a status symbol, but the problem with that is soon people with unquestionably high status would write poorly on purpose to show off. We' be back where we are now within a few generations. Here's another suggestion though: Genetic engineering.

Science Fiction Worldbuilding Challenge

Come up with a reason for future people to have generally good handwriting. All I can come up with right now is that it helps with getting through capchas.

Turning Regional Differences to Your Advantage

It will in nearly all circumstances be unnecessary to clarify, for example, "Raghald Bloodletter paced the first floor, by which I mean the one on the bottom and not the next one up." However! Consider the word count. Really think it over.

Addendum

You can, if you're being needlessly thorough, add in whether he can spell "questionnaire" without looking it up. I admit that I cannot. Hey, there's another question for the list. You see how it is. Pointless questions proliferate while the pointed go unaddressed.

Character Questionnaire

When creating a character, be sure you can answer the following questions about said character:
What's his fighting style?
How mighty is he?
That covers everything a proper narrative requires.

Paying the Mage Fee

Obeying the long-standing decree, every mage recognized by the realm save those currently abroad presented himself at the palace to enrich the treasury by one magical item. Fifth-rank mage Hufden handed over a bronze frog whose tongue could be pulled in order to receive an aura discouraging to flies for five hours, after which he returned returning home.
The next morning, he awoke to find the single chair near his bed occupied by a person who happened to be the king.
"Fifth-rank mage Hufden, what was that?"
"Well, Your Majesty, as commanded, an item 'proportional in power to the skill of the producing mage.' Wasn't it?"
"Either you are attempting deceit or else you yourself have no comprehension of your capabilities. Either is a great crime, detection of which is the point of the annual mage fee."
"Your Majesty . . . isn't the point to strengthen the kingdom?"
"Any policy possessing fewer than three sharp points such as a mighty trident has is unworthy of its proclamation. Now forget you heard that, for it is a lesson for rulers, irrelevant to the mage's lessons you have neglected."
Then began deep, assiduous study on the part of the mage overseen personally by the king or, when that august figure was busy, a strangely rare circumstance, the royal executioner. The next year, fifth-rank mage Hufden submitted a bronze frog whose tongue could be pulled in order to learn one secret of the swamps each month. He went on to destroy six armies on the plains of Yezniss, reduce a dragon to draconic extract, raise the Ninefold Bastion, and in general justify the assessment of the king, who knew little of magic but much of men, suitable priorities for his office.
Finis

Supply Problems

Sphinxes probably didn't reproduce but rather emerged from the footsteps of hero-kings, which is why we don't see any today. Once there are planet kings, the situation will likely reverse.

Depiction Demystification

Is it possible that sphinxes are depicted with human features in order to commemorate both the beasts and their brave riders? No. It's certain. Now what sphinxes really looked like is impossible to tell at this remove of years, but most likely they could fire blasts from their mouths.

Trend Revolution

Sux: Enchanted greaves.
Crux: Sphinx riders.