To cast Mage Hands, the caster performed a minor arcane gesture, typically a flick, spiral, or grasp of their dominant hand, and speaks or thinks the activation keyword. A spectral hand materialized near the caster or target location within line of sight. The appearance varied by user.
The caster controls the hand(s) by thinking of the action as if you were doing it with your real hand. Another way was through optional finger twitches or palm movements for precision tasks. The hand would remain until the caster ended it, was interrupted, or moved too far. It was a pretty handy skill. Hehe, get it.
I found what worked best for me when casting the spell, was through silent casting with thought or a slight hand gesture.
Currently I was lounging on a spectral sofa near a fireplace that burned with cold violet flame, one leg draped lazily over the side.
With a flex of my mind, a Mage Hand—threaded with blood-ink runes—turned the page of the tome, as I took another bite of my delicious steak. I couldn't hold back the moan of appreciation from my lips. It was just that good.
🗺️ Virelia
"Where crowns rise with the harvest, and fall with the moon."
The continent of spires, scars, and secrets.
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❖ ✦ Overview:
Virelia is considered the cultural and magical heart of Elyzia. It holds the most developed network of trade cities, magical academies, and ancient noble houses. Though relatively stable on the surface, its peace is threadbare, stitched together by centuries of treaties, ancestral grudges, and leyline negotiations.
Virelia's terrain is varied and rich—ranging from snowy highlands in the north, lush farmlands and lake valleys in the center, to deep shadowed forests and ruined oldworld sites in the south.
The main political powers include mortal kingdoms, witch covens, vampire noble houses, merchant federations, and magical academies—all of which subtly jockey for influence beneath a veneer of peace.
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❖ ✦ Regional Breakdown
1. Northern Virelia – The Pale Reaches
Cold, mountainous, and sparsely populated.
Home to Sablewrought (a vampire principality), snow elves, and the remnants of ancient ice temples.
Trade routes here are dangerous but valuable: mining, enchanted crystal, frost-silk, and glacial mana deposits.
Moonlight here lasts longer, affecting lycanthropy and nocturnal magic.
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2. Central Virelia – The Veinlands
Fertile plains, forest kingdoms, and lakeside duchies.
Known as the "Spine of Power" for the dense leyline network beneath the land.
Cities like Veldenhall, Marrowden, and Thistledawn act as magical, trade, or political hubs.
Neutral academies are built here, such as Academia Luminara.
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3. Southern Virelia – The Withered Crescent
An old land touched by magic too long, too deep.
Dominated by dense forests (like the Blackroot Thicket), sleepy villages, and ruins of the Forgotten Wars.
Many old bloodlines—witches, beastkin, necromancers—originated here.
Rich in magical flora and underground relics, but heavily warded.
Entrance to the Hollowroot Deep often begins here.
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4. The Western Marches – Coastline and Freeholds
Bustling ports, fishing towns, and trade republics.
Culture here is more cosmopolitan; humans, beastkin, dwarves, and even merfolk interact freely.
Home to the Sapphire Chain Trade Federation and the Starseal Enclave, a lighthouse city run by sea-bound witches.
Light magic and water affinities are strong here.
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5. The Eastern Rise – Hills, Borders, and Watchtowers
A hilly region where many small kingdoms and duchies constantly change hands.
Often acts as a buffer zone between Virelia and Dravareth.
Home to many battle colleges, wardstones, and the Ley Sentinel Order—a neutral magical militia.
The region is politically unstable but culturally rich with art, music, and dueling traditions.
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❖ ✦ Magic in Virelia
Virelia is considered the most magically "awake" continent. The leyline density is highest here, especially in the Veinlands, giving rise to:
Spontaneous magical anomalies (weather shifts, spirit sightings)
More magical institutions, both official and rogue
Easier access to artifact recovery and relic crafting
Frequent disputes over ley-ownership, leading to duels, sabotage, and quiet wars
The Vladiscar bloodline and Hecate's Circle hold sway beneath this current of activity, often watching from the shadows.
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❖ ✦ Cultural Highlights
Festivals: Virelia holds festivals based on elemental seasons—Spring Flame, Summer Flow, Autumn Echo, Winter Veil.
Nobility: Bloodline magic determines social standing in some duchies, while others use merit or coin.
Cuisine: Known for wine-basted meats, berry preserves, root-baked stews, and glowing alchemical pastries.
Fashion: Varies by region—silk in the Marches, furs in the Reaches, spellwoven robes in the Veinlands.
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❖ ✦ Key Locations of Interest
Vladiscar Castle – Isolated in the snowbound cliffs, surrounded by a sunless sky and the Veiled Gardens.
Nocturne Estate – A secret estate hidden in Edens's outer wilds, with access to mortal society and leyline convergence.
The Silverwood Fold – A sentient forest that shifts when names are spoken aloud.
Academia Luminara – The most prestigious public magic school in Virelia.
Whispergate Monastery – Where monks transcribe dreams into books.
The Hollowroot Gates – A sealed graveyard of knowledge lying beneath the southern hills.
By the time I finished reading about the Virelia region, I had plopped the last bite of bloody sneak in my mouth and swallowed it down with the last of my drink. Selene came over to wipe my mouth and take away the plate and empty wine glass from the table. It was a good meal.
Alright. On to the next one.
🗺️ Dravareth
"Where power is a birthright, and survival is proof of worth."
The continent of dominion, discipline, and ancestral conquest.
❖ ✦ Overview
Dravareth is a land forged in conquest, governed by a rigid hierarchical society that prizes strength—of body, blood, and will. It is geographically diverse yet hostile, boasting iron-streaked mountain ranges, deep ravines of mana-scorched earth, and vast steppes echoing with war chants. The continent is infamous for its iron-fisted rule by Warlord-Kings, Chimera-blood dynasties, and a legacy of arcane martial dominance.
Though often seen as a continent of tyranny by Virelians, Dravareth sees itself as the spine of civilization—unbending, unyielding, and true to its principles of merit through struggle.
❖ ✦ HistoryThe Age of Twelve Banners saw the rise of ancient clans who worshipped beast gods and celestial serpents.Dravareth once spanned much of Elyzia, until the Split Concord with Virelia 700 years ago during the Wyrmveil Rebellion.The Chimera Uprising of 312 AE led to the interbreeding of arcane beasts and humans, creating bloodlines with monstrous power—now noble stock.Its history is written in war songs, carved stones, and branded flesh.
❖ ✦ CultureHonor and blood are the cornerstones of society. Every citizen belongs to a House, even if it is one of lowborn origin.Martial arts are considered sacred. Children are trained from age five to fight, endure, and command.Fashion features ironweave cloth, dragon-hide armor, ceremonial brands, and veils for shame or mourning.Oaths are binding; to break one is to become "Ash-marked"—a social death.Art is aggressive and bold—war murals, bone chimes, beast-taming theater, and martial poetry recitals.
❖ ✦ Government & Social Structure
Dravareth's rule is a Strata Monarchy, divided into rigid castes:
Imperial Line – Descendants of the First Beast-Tamer Kings. They rule through the Council of Brands and speak law through the Dragon's Court.
Highblood Houses – Chimera-blooded or arcane-altered nobles. Hold military, economic, and divine power. Often rule city-fortresses.
Warborn – Elite martial families, smith clans, and monster-hunters. Can rise to nobility through feats.
Lesser Houses – Artisan, trade, and spiritual families.
Nameless – Those who have lost or never earned a House. Often serve as expendables or frontline fodder.
❖ ✦ Regions of Dravareth
1. The Iron CladeMountain ranges thick with metallic minerals and ancient forges.Home to the House of Black Flame and the Forge-Storm Wyrm Shrines.The skies glow orange from constant heat and magic smoke.
2. The Basilisk SteppesVast, sun-scorched plains where giant creatures roam.Nomadic war clans hunt monsters and challenge each other for dominance.Known for taming great mounts like Wyrmhounds and Embercats.
3. Ashentide RavinesOnce lush, now cursed land cracked with mana scars from the Wyrmveil Rebellion.Ghost cities lie buried in the canyon walls.Used as a trial zone for warborn initiations.
4. The Obsidian TierCapital region, where the Warlord-King's court resides in the city-fortress Vandrex.Surrounded by black stone walls enchanted to weep molten blood during sieges.Hosts the Grand Arena of Verdict—where political disputes are settled with bloodsport.
5. The Hollow DunesA mystic wasteland bordering the southern tip.Filled with dreamworms, psychic storms, and memory-twisting relics.Secretive Oracle cults reside here, rumored to speak with pre-Elyzian gods.
❖ ✦ Magic and BeastcraftDravarethan magic is rooted in bodily enhancement, rune-branding, and symbiotic contracts with monsters.The elite use combat rituals, soul-wrought tattoos, and living armor bonded to their blood.Necromancy is legal—but highly regulated for use in war.Monster blood alchemy is a lucrative industry, with some nobles literally bathing in ichor to enhance their vitality.
❖ ✦ Dravareth's Relationship With VireliaPolitical: Cold. Officially at peace, unofficially tense.Economic: Rare trade routes exist—especially in magical beast components and weapons.Social: Dravareths view Virelians as soft, over-reliant on arcane excess. Virelians see Dravareths as barbaric and cruel.
❖ ✦ Notable Factions
The Brandforged Council – Governs oaths, punishments, and magical trials.
The Chimera Choir – A bestial-blooded cult that whispers to the divine beasts buried beneath the earth.
House Nycrith – Vampire-Chimera hybrids known for enslaving ghosts to guard their keeps.
The Umbral Legion – An elite military force who fight in total darkness using echo-sense and scent magic.
So Dravareth is home to barbarians and martial artists? Hmm, I bet dwarves live there too.
🌿 Myrrhael
"Where the veil is thinnest, and the world still remembers how to listen."
The continent of mysticism, nature-bound kingdoms, and living myths.
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❖ ✦ Overview
Myrrhael is a land where nature and spirit are intertwined, and the material and immaterial constantly blur. Enigmatic forests, whispering ruins, floating isles, and living rivers shape a continent steeped in ancestral magic and fey heritage. Time seems slower here, or perhaps deeper—as if memory pools in the roots and clouds alike.
Most outsiders describe Myrrhael as "dreamlike" or "ungraspable," and indeed, many who enter without guidance find themselves wandering in circles, waking in places they did not walk to, or even losing hours—or weeks—to silence.
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❖ ✦ History
Said to be the first cradle of living magic, where sentient trees and spirit-deities were once worshipped across sacred groves.
The Elder Bloom Accord united the fey courts, dryad enclaves, and storm-kin islands into peaceful coexistence nearly 1,500 years ago.
Has always resisted conquest—even Dravareth failed to fully invade during the Wyrmroot Crusades, when Myrrhael's forests simply swallowed armies whole.
The Singing Epoch, a 300-year period, saw magical resonance encoded into the land itself—leading to talking stones, humming lakes, and sentient storms.
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❖ ✦ Culture
Myrrhaelians live in harmony with nature and magic, believing the world is alive and watching.
Most communities revolve around symbiotic relationships with elemental spirits, fey beings, or ancestral forces.
Architecture is bioluminescent, adaptive, and often grown from tree-canopies, coral reefs, or crystal spires.
Oral tradition and memory-sharing (through magical flowers, songweaving, or mirror-ponds) are central.
A popular greeting: "I walk gently, and may the roots know me."
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❖ ✦ Government & Society
Rather than centralized nations, Myrrhael operates under spirit-pacts, elemental courts, and tribal confederations:
The Verdant Conclave – A rotating council of dryad queens, elder treants, and moss-mages.
The Skybound Kin – Nomadic storm-fliers and cloud-island tribes who ride the jetstreams.
The Hollow Courts – Fey kingdoms that shift lands subtly with mood, moon, and magic.
The River Pact – An aquatic society led by sirens, naiads, and water mages that flow between cities rather than own them.
Power is based on wisdom, attunement, and harmony, not conquest or birthright.
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❖ ✦ Regions of Myrrhael
1. The Evermere Canopy
Towering world-trees interconnected by glowing bridges and spirit vines.
The heart of dryadic civilization. Home to the oldest tree-being: Vaellor the First Sapling.
Light is filtered in green-gold hues; the air sings with pollen and whispers.
2. Whisperlake Chain
Archipelago of mirror-like lakes and floating isles.
Spirit oracles and memory-keepers dwell here, where prophecy is drawn from ripple patterns.
Mists carry voices of the dead, and boats row themselves if you speak kindly to the oars.
3. The Hollow Glades
Fey-controlled realm where terrain shifts subtly depending on mood and moon phase.
Castles fade in and out of reality. Roads vanish at dusk. Music opens portals.
Ruled by Queen Isairin of the Pale Lantern, who speaks only in dreams.
4. The Veilrift Steppes
Highlands riddled with shallow dimensional folds.
Gravity is light. Travelers may step through "soft air" into realms adjacent to their own.
Populated by starborn nomads and rune-bison herders.
5. The Crystalline Bloom
A wild field of massive, transparent flowers growing from the bones of a dead titan.
Used for light-farming, sound rituals, and astral mapmaking.
Moonlight bends strangely here; time is inconsistent.
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❖ ✦ Magic and Myth
Magic in Myrrhael is ambient and symbiotic—drawn from emotion, memory, and the land itself.
Most spells are sung, danced, or breathed into existence. Few rely on harsh incantations.
Blood magic is taboo, but name-magic, mirrorcraft, and soul-thread weaving are highly developed.
Familiars are treated as equals and often outlive their summoners.
Myth is not just remembered—it is relived through "echo glades," where past events reenact themselves to teach or warn.
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❖ ✦ Climate
Lush, mist-heavy, and rich in biomes—from moss forests to sky rivers.
Seasons are present but woven with magical influence. Spring lasts longer in happy places; winter lingers in grieving groves.
Weather responds to song, ritual, and even the collective emotions of the population.
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❖ ✦ Relationship with Virelia & Dravareth
Virelia: Friendly but cautious. Trade in magical herbs, familiars, and dream-silk is common.
Dravareth: Historically hostile. Myrrhael's lands refuse domination, and its magic resists control. Diplomatic embassies exist, but rarely last.
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❖ ✦ Notable Factions
The Lantern Tenders – Watchers of lost spirits and caretakers of soul-mirror lakes.
The Dewborn Choir – Mages who sing spells to guide seasons and protect from decay.
The Weavers of Root and Star – A secret order that guards the world's "true memory" woven beneath the soil.
House Sylfaerin – A once-fallen Virelian noble house that fled to Myrrhael and was adopted by the Hollow Court.
So the Myrrhaels were essentially elves and faefolk. Got it. I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I was starting to feel the weight of the hours—at least five, maybe more. Time had slipped past me unnoticed.
I stood and stretched, my back popping slightly. "Time to head out, Selene. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Right now, I need a bath."
Selene gave a graceful bow. "As you wish, my lady. Which bathing chamber would you prefer this evening?"
I mulled it over as we exited the Sanctum. On the way, I couldn't resist pausing to play with Penemue for a bit before ascending the staircase that led back to the public library. He was such a cutie—impossible to ignore.
"I think I'll try the Mirror-Frost Baths. You said those were my mother's favorite, right?"
"Yes," Selene replied. "Mistress Nyxaria favored the cold. A slightly chilled soak, enhanced with frost mirtorlilies, was ideal for her."
I smiled faintly. "Hmm. That actually sounds pretty nice."