This chapter serves as general knowledge for the world, but you do not need to read it. Everything will gradually be revealed throughout the course of the story.
– General Information:
✩ Lurienne
Lurienne is not a god, but the rhythm beneath all things - an unseen pulse that allows magic, memory, and transformation to exist. It cannot be commanded. It simply flows.
✩ Resa
Resa is the internal current of Lurienne that moves through the blood. It fuels all magical activity and grows stronger with use, trauma, age, or understanding. When depleted, it exacts a terrible toll.
✩ Knowledge
Knowledge in Lurea is sacred. It has many uses, but some simple ones include inferring one's Virtues or uncovering the nature of an Echo's enchantments or origin.
✩ Waterborne
Those born with Water magic are hunted across Lurea. Their existence is tied to the ancient tragedy known as the Moon-Drowning and the forgotten god who swallowed the moon.
✩ Lightkeepers
Lightkeepers bear unstable light magic. Only they can survive in Lightless Zones - regions where magic fails and even light dies. Their light cleanses, but consumes all other magic within them.
✩ Lightless Zones
Places where Lurienne falters. Magic fails. Even flame won't burn. Sound warps. Thought thins. Only Lightkeepers can light up such places.
✩ Heartforge
A Heartforge is a soul-deep alignment of body, mind, and will. It awakens through survival, trauma, or purpose. It cannot be taught, copied, or undone.
✩ Bloodflask
A Bloodflask is a vessel containing another's magic. It can be consumed for permanent power. Most people can absorb two. Some flasks resist the bearer.
✩ Vow
A sacred oath that alters the fabric of reality. Not all who try survive the making.
✩ Sin
Every soul carries a Sin in their heart. It cannot be removed - only understood.
✩ Monsters and Hearts
All living beings carry hearts, and all hearts carry Resa. By consuming them - beast, man, or monster - one strengthens their own magic. The potency of a heart is not based on how many it has, nor its age alone. Some monsters are born strong, reaching terrifying levels within days, while others may live for centuries and remain weak. A single heart from the right creature can rival that of a Resonant.
✩ Gate
A Gate is a structure that links to another fixed Gate somewhere in Lurea. It cannot be opened or used without a Lightkeeper, who chooses which connected Gate to activate. Most Gates are ancient, sealed, or heavily guarded.
– Common Terminology:
✩ Pulse
A metaphysical heartbeat formed after Ignition. It allows connection with Echoes and deeper resonance with magic.
✩ Echo
An item born when the final heart of a being is consumed. Its creation isn't always guaranteed.
✩ Enchantment
A magical quality of an Echo.
✩ Virtue
A soul-bound trait gained through experience, trauma, or birth. Passive and always on. It cannot be taught or stolen.
✩ Hearts
Hearts are consumed to grow stronger. There is no known harm in doing so. The value of a heart depends not on quantity, but on quality - age, origin, and the depth of Resa within.
✩ Seekers
Individuals who walk the magical path alone, without allegiance to any known faction. Seekers are often explorers, wanderers, and protectors of remote islands. They take contracts, uncover lost knowledge, and face dangers others avoid - often in exchange for fame, coin, or power. Each Seeker walks for their own reasons, and no two follow the same code.
– Magic Progression:
✩ Dormant → Sparked → Ignited
The path begins with a flicker.
Dormants are untouched - they may feel the world's pulse, but they have never reached into it.
Then comes the Sparked - the first ignition of Resa. It is raw, often involuntary. Casting is unstable, instinctual, more reaction than choice. Most who accidentally spark never move beyond it.
Those who do become Ignited - magic bends to will, shaped by intent. Casting becomes slow, deliberate, almost ritual. These are the Acolytes - and for most, this is where the journey ends.
✩ Attuned
The soul begins to beat in rhythm with the element. Magic becomes smoother, and emotion influences casting. The element can now be created, not just borrowed. These are known as Adepts, often found within formal factions.
✩ Resonant
Magic becomes alive. It responds before thought. Fire flickers near them. Lightning hums. Wind gathers. Magic begins to take on bestial qualities, becoming instinctive and reactive. These are called Luminaries. No known person has gone beyond this stage.
Only a few dozen elites have reached Resonance.