Mysteries of the Realm

Airship

Legend has it that the people of the Fallen once sailed through the skies in the bellies of these ships, though all now lie shattered and silent on the surface below. The town of Lostwing is built around such a ruin.

Airship

Legend has it that the people of the Fallen once sailed through the skies in the bellies of these ships, though all now lie shattered and silent on the surface below. The men and women of the present day are wont to repurpose these ruins for their own use—both the village of Lostwing and Clive's hideaway in Bennumere being built around the wreckage of a fallen airship.

Airship

Legend has it that the people of the Fallen once sailed through the skies in the bellies of these ships, though all now lie shattered and silent on the surface below—the Invincible in which Clive and his allies have built their new hideaway being one such relic. So advanced was the Fallen's technology it was nigh indistinguishable from magic, leading a historian of the early modern era to remember them as the "Menne of Magitek," or "men of magical technology." It is Mid's dream to bring this technology back to life, that humanity might take flight once more.

The Fallen

Legend has it that the people of the Fallen once sailed through the skies in the bellies of these ships, though all now lie shattered and silent on the surface below. The ruins that litter the lands around Dzemekys lend weight to the theory that they were also used to wage war—as does the presence of several similar craft in the Sagespire, a veritable factory of death-dealing armaments.

Akashic

The irreversible change brought about by a living being's overexposure to aether. Creatures are stripped of any intelligence or sense of self they may once have had, and become suffused with life force—usually manifesting as extreme strength and aggression. Flora can also turn, resulting in their twisted overgrowth. Those with aetherial tolerance, however, such as Dominants and Bearers, are less likely to turn Akashic.

Akashic

The irreversible change brought about by a living being's overexposure to aether. Creatures are stripped of any intelligence or sense of self they may once have had, and become suffused with life force—usually manifesting as extreme strength and aggression. Though most regard men who turn Akashic as naught but mindless monsters, Barnabas and Sleipnir claim they are, in fact, "divine."

Akashic

The irreversible change brought about by a living being's overexposure to aether. Creatures are stripped of any intelligence or sense of self they may once have had, and become suffused with life force—usually manifesting as extreme strength and aggression. Ultima's casting of Primogenesis turned much of mankind directly, gifting Barnabas his Akashic army—and with the despair they wrought, he sought to strip the wills of the rest, making them, in his eyes, "pure."

Ancient Mural

A wall painting found in the depths of the Apodytery under Phoenix Gate. Who created it, and for what purpose, is unknown, but the celestial being in the center suggests some connection to a long-lost religion.

Ancient Mural

A religious image found across Valisthea: not only in the Apodytery under Phoenix Gate and in the Comraich, near the heart of Drake's Breath, but upon a tapestry in Tabor, too. It depicts the Eikons arranged in adoration of a central figure believed to be Ultima, the god that rules above them all.

Ancient Mural

A religious image of the Circle of Malius, an ancient faith that worshipped Ultima. It depicts the Eikons arranged in adoration of a central figure thought to be Ultima himself, the god that rules above them all. The image is found across Valisthea, but it was only on encountering a fully intact copy deep beneath Ash that Joshua discovered that the Phoenix does not appear among the Eikons depicted.

Ancient Mural

A religious image of the Circle of Malius, an ancient faith that worshipped both the Mothercrystals and Ultima. It depicts the Eikons arranged in adoration of a central figure thought to be Ultima, the god that rules above them all. Joshua discovers an unblemished version in the depths of the Waloeder stronghold of Gjallarhorn, and learns that the figure thought to be Ultima is in fact that of Ifrit Risen—Ifrit and the Phoenix united as one.

Arete Stone

A mysterious ceramic tablet that stands in the hideaway. Of a similar construction to other relics of the Fallen, yet seemingly not a part of the airship proper, its imposing appearance suggests some important function that has been lost to time. Whatever strange secrets lies within it, it seems to react to Clive's presence and urges him to unlock his hidden potential.

Bearer

A person with the power to cast magicks without a crystal. In Valisthea, men and women who awaken as Bearers are enslaved. They are marked with a brand upon their cheek and used as tools—a cheaper alternative to the scarce and precious shards. This system of slavery has persisted for centuries, and has become so ingrained in Valisthean life that few take pity upon the Bearer's plight, seeing them as less than human.

Bearer

A person with the power to cast magicks without a crystal. In Valisthea, men and women who awaken as Bearers are enslaved—branded with a mark on their cheek that leads some to call them by the pejorative moniker "Branded." Though their powers do not begin to approach those of the almighty Dominants, they too suffer from the crystals' curse—gradually turning to stone over a lifetime of channeling aether for others.

Brand

The mark applied to the cheeks of Bearers, identifying them as something other than human. The great nations of Valisthea have a longstanding accord to brand their Bearers in this way, that the slaves might be traded across borders.

Brand

The mark applied to the cheeks of Bearers across Valisthea, identifying them as something other than human. Newborn babes are checked at birth—those who are found to be Bearers being branded and taken into the custody of the state. Rarely, Bearers evade this test—either because their parents hide them, the testers are lax in their duties, or their powers do not awaken until later—yet most do not remain unbranded for long.

Branded Soldier

Bearers forced to fight for the nations that enslaved them. Able to cast powerful magicks yet entirely disposable, they are often placed on the front lines in battle, or assigned to highly dangerous scouting or assassination missions.

Branded Soldier

Bearers forced to fight for the nations that enslaved them. To stymie the urge to flee, the penalty for desertion is death, and soldiers are encouraged to keep a close watch on each other to prevent others from doing so—the Brand upon a soldier's cheek presenting an additional obstacle. And so most follow their orders, turning steadily to stone with each draw on the aether—to lose one's life to the curse being lauded as a hero's death.

Chronomancy

Affiliation: Mysidia

The secret of controlling the flow of time by means of aetherial manipulation. It was devised and perfected by the Witch of the North, who was tasked by the thegns of the Northern Territories with finding a way to stall or prevent the fall of Drake's Eye. After a lifetime of toil, she finally perfected the spell some eighty years ago, but it was too late to save their doomed Mothercrystal. The Motes of Water would later put it to another, more sinister purpose: that of creating a new Mothercrystal by freezing their baby Dominant in time. Alas, that plan, too, resulted in failure—the witch's magicks succeeding only in preventing the extermination of their people by an Eikon;s fury.

Chronomancy

Affiliation: Mysidia

The secret of controlling the flow of time by means of aetherial manipulation. It was devised and perfected by the Witch of the North—a Dominant of Shiva whose mastery over the element of ice extended even to the freezing of time. She taught the secret of her spell to the Motes of Water, who cared for her in her dying days. Alas, it brought them only pain—their attempt to create a new Mothercrystal ending with the Tributary's child trapped in time, unable to be freed lest Leviathan's fury destroy them all. Some eighty years later, Shula and Jill worked together to unweave the magick from around Waljas, letting the child live again at long last.

Crystal

One of the most valuable materials known to mankind, thanks to its ability to channel ambient aether from the air, allowing those without an innate power to do so to cast magicks—and as most Valistheans cannot live without magic, its supply and distribution is heavily regulated by governments across the Twins. A given shard can only channel a certain amount of aether before it shatters, so the need for new crystals is incessant.

Crystal

One of the most valuable materials known to mankind, thanks to its ability to channel ambient aether from the air, allowing those without an innate power to do so to cast magicks—and as most Valistheans cannot live without magic, its supply and distribution is heavily regulated by governments across the Twins. Though the penalties for illicit trade in crystal are severe, with demand far outstripping supply, many still dabble in the black market.

Crystal

One of the most valuable materials known to mankind, thanks to its ability to channel ambient aether from the air, allowing those without an innate power to do so to cast magicks. After Ultima cast Primogenesis and the skies over Valisthea darkened, many of the municipal crystals that fired forges and filled wells began to fail. In certain areas, even those rationed shards that the people relied on in their everyday lives lost their spark, making life all but unlivable.

Crystal

One of the most valuable materials known to mankind, thanks to its ability to channel ambient aether from the air, allowing those without an innate power to do so to cast magicks. After Ultima cast Primogenesis and the skies over Valisthea darkened, the unbalance in the aether rendered many shards unusable, and all but ended the largesse of nations in sharing what shards remained with their populaces. Yet such was the people's reliance on crystals that they looked to other, less reputable means of securing them.

Dominant

Those within whom sleeps the power of an Eikon. Though they look and think no differently to any other man or woman, they can not only cast elemental magicks without a crystal, but also transform themselves into beasts of world-shattering strength at any moment—a quality for which they are honored, worshipped, and feared the realm over.

Dominant

Those within whom sleeps the power of an Eikon. Though they look and think no differently to any other man or woman, they can not only cast elemental magicks without a crystal, but also transform themselves into beasts of world-shattering strength at any moment. There is only ever one Dominant for each Eikon—a new Dominant only awakening after the previous dies. Some awaken at birth, while others are chosen later in life, but once one is chosen, one's life changes forever.

Dusk Crystals

Shadowy shards that can be used to cast magicks just like any other crystal, but are far less resilient, cracking after only a few uses. They appeared on the black market soon after the skies darkened, and it was from here that Charon obtained her sample.

Dusk Crystals

The shadowy shards that line the walls of the Sagespire. Famiel and his associates have long mined these crystals to provide for their people—the sudden outgrowth that accompanied the darkening of the skies providing a bounteous yield that they elected to sell for profit. Their close resemblance to those shards that make up the Mothercrystals suggests that they, too, are linked to a heart—one that sleeps somewhere within the tower.

Dusk Crystals

The shadowy shards that once lined the walls of the Sagespire. They were the product of the Fallen's ambition to replicate the original Mothercrystals—and though their reproduction was far from its model equal in terms of the strength and stability of its shards, they faded just the same when their heart was destroyed.

Echoes

Strange clockwork constructs often encountered in Fallen ruins. The question of whether or not they are truly alive is open to debate, as they do not appear to require water, nor do they feed on the flesh of their victims as beasts do, and seemingly exist solely to protect their habitat from intruders. All echoes are encased in protective plating that is made from the same material as the ruins, and thus cannot be destroyed…though repeated blows will cause individual plates to dislodge, eventually causing the entire construct to collapse on itself.

Echoes

Strange clockwork constructs often encountered in Fallen ruins. The question of whether or not they are truly alive is open to debate, as they do not appear to require water, nor do they feed on the flesh of their victims as beasts do, and seemingly exist solely to protect their habitat from intruders. Though it is widely assumed that they are vestiges of the Fallen civilization, some of the structures they preside over, such as the Apodytery and the sanctuaries at the heart of the Mothercrystals, seem to predate even that bygone age. In the aftermath of Primogenesis, beneath the blackened skies that followed, they emerged from the ruins at last, and can now be seen wandering the entirety of Valisthea.

Eikon

Magical beings of godlike strength who dwell within human hosts known as Dominants, only emerging when the Dominant primes. History records eight Eikons in total, each with a unique elemental affinity. It is commonly held that two Eikons of the same element cannot coexist, but as none has ever witnessed all of these rare creatures together, the conjecture is yet to be proved.

Eikon

Magical beings of godlike strength who dwell within human hosts known as Dominants, only emerging when the Dominant primes. History records eight Eikons in total, each with a unique elemental affinity—one warden each of fire, water, thunder, ice, wind, earth, light, and darkness. The common belief that two Eikons of the same element cannot coexist was shaken by the appearance of a second Eikon of Fire during the imperial attack on Phoenix Gate.

Eikon

Shattered aspects of Ultima's power given flesh by human hosts. It is the two Wardens of Fire, Phoenix and Ifrit, who together comprise his perfect form—the Eikons of the lesser elements serving as sacrifices to Mythos's altar in order to test and bolster the vessel's strength.

Eikon

Shattered aspects of Ultima's power given flesh by human hosts. Eight elemental fragments were intended to test and bolster Mythos's strength, but one of their number, Leviathan the Lost, was forsaken by its master—judged to have been so profaned by mankind that it could no longer serve its original purpose. Clive, however, was able to draw out the final Eikon's power from the infant Waljas, bringing Ultima's vessel to its full and perfect form.

Eikonoklastes

By far the mightiest of the many Magitek weapons produced by the Fallen civilization. The name "Eikonoklaste" means "destroyer of the divine," and this is exactly the purpose for which they were created—to overthrow the gods, that humanity might rule over all creation.

Eikonoklastes

By far the mightiest of the many Magitek weapons produced by the Fallen civilization. Scholars believe that numerous Eikonoklastes of differing designs were produced by the Fallen's rival factions, yet all were destroyed during the Magitek War and the ill-fated invasion of Dzemekys that followed. The discovery of Omega, however, raises the possibility that other Eikonoklastes may still survive, their world-shattering power but an unlucky archaeologian's misstep away.

Glamour Cairns

Affiliation: Mysidia

Glowing pillars of stacked stone found scattered around Mysidia. The crystals within them maintain the glamour that keeps the land hidden. They do so through a constant channeling of aether, much as municipal shards fire forges, fill wells, and light lamps elsewhere in the realm.

Glamour Cairns

Affiliation: Mysidia

Glowing pillars of stacked stone found scattered around Mysidia. The crystals within them maintain the glamour that keeps the land hidden. Constant maintenance is required to ensure that the spell does not fade, both in the replacement of spent shards and in the careful attunement of the flow of aether through them. The latter duty is one only a Bearer can discharge—another reason why the Motes of Water embrace those born with the gift.

Glamour Cairns

Affiliation: Mysidia

Glowing pillars of stacked stone found scattered around Mysidia. They are filled with dusk crystals mined from the Sagespire—the magick they channel maintaining the glamour that keeps the land hidden. Given the dusk crystals' fragility, replacing shattered fragments is an unending task, as is carefully attuning the flow of aether through them. The skill with which the Bearers of Haven have handled this onerous duty for generations is another reason why those born with their gift are embraced by their fellow Motes of Water.

Glazheim Wall

Affiliation: The Kingdom of Waloed

A vast aetherial dome created by King Barnabas Tharmr using the power of the Eikon Odin. It is not only capable of repelling assaults both corporeal and magical, but will also consume any whom might endeavor passage across its bounds. Spanning from the mining settlement of Eistla in the south to Frigg's Calm in the north, the barrier effectively blocks any approach to the Waloeder capital of Stonhyrr for hundreds of leagues.

Glazheim Wall

Affiliation: The Kingdom of Waloed

A vast aetherial dome created by King Barnabas Tharmr using the power of the Eikon Odin. It was not only capable of repelling assaults both corporeal and magical, but also consumed any whom might endeavor passage across its bounds. Spanning from the mining settlement of Eistla in the south to Frigg's Calm in the north, the barrier effectively blocked any approach to the Waloeder capital of Stonhyrr for hundreds of leagues until its event[u]al fading following the king's passing.

Heart of the Mothercrystal

The brightly shining convolution of shards that sits at the center of each Mothercrystal. When a heart shatters, so too does the mountain around it. Since time immemorial, sanctuaries have been built around the hearts for the worship and protection of these irreplaceable treasures.

Living Flesh

A gruesome gore found clinging to the walls of the upper reaches of the Sagespire. Pulsating organically and glistening like lifeblood, its similarity to the flesh of the strange beasts Clive and his allies encountered in the lower levels suggests that they may have been crafted from this very substance.

Living Flesh

A gruesome gore found clinging to the walls of the upper reaches of the Sagespire. The Fallen were attempting to grow crystals using beasts and beastmen as seeds, and this substance appears to be a byproduct of those experiments—its strength and malleability proving the ideal material from which to craft living weapons. It appears that the disturbance in the aether resulting from Ultima's casting of Primogenesis overwhelmed whatever infernal engine produced it, resulting in its runaway growth throughout the facility.

Magic

The art of channeling aether to make one's imagination manifest. This can take the aspect of one of the eight elements—fire, water, wind, earth, ice, thunder, light, and dark—or more rarely, be unaspected. While Bearers and Dominants can cast spells at will, others require a crystal to do so. Magic is a part of everyday life for the people of Valisthea, making it all but unlivable when they are deprived of its gift.

Magic

The art of channeling aether to make one's imagination manifest. Bearers and Dominants can cast magicks without a crystal, but this comes at a cost relative to the amount of aether channeled—the crystals' curse that petrifies their flesh. For this reason, Ultima's incorporeal form prevents him from casting the supremely powerful spell with which he means to remake the world—and so he seeks a vessel strong enough to withstand the torrents of aether required.

Magitek Weaponry

Arms produced by the Fallen many centuries past, using materials and methods far more advanced than those available today. Their capacity for destruction likewise eclipses that of the deadliest weapons of the modern era—which goes some way to explaining why the Fallen are no longer with us.

Magitek Weaponry

Arms produced by the Fallen many centuries past, using materials and methods far more advanced than those available today. These weapons come in myriad shapes and sizes, from miniaturized magical cannons intended to be wielded by footsoldiers, to failed experiments into breeding crystals repurposed as living weapons, to the Eikonoklaste Omega—a self-propelled Magitek monstrosity designed to overthrow the gods themselves, powered by the stolen secret of creation.

Man-made Heart

The heart of the artificial Mothercrystal that sleeps within the Sagespire. It closesly resembles the hearts of the true Mothercrystals, although the Fallen chose to keep theirs inside some manner of Magitek shielding system.

Man-made Heart

The heart of the artificial Mothercrystal that sleeps within the Sagespire. It closesly resembles the hearts of the true Mothercrystals, although the Fallen chose to keep theirs inside some manner of Magitek shielding system—until, that is, Clive and his allies came too close for comfort and the tower's intelligence ordered it evacuated to an inner chamber.

Man-made Heart

The heart of the artificial Mothercrystal that slept within the Sagespire. Like the hearts of the true Mothercrystals, it leeched huge quantities of aether from the earth. The Fallen, however, designed their own to conjoin with their ultimate Magitek monstrosity, Omega, inspiring it to even greater limits of destructive power. Yet even with the heart's strength at its disposal, Omega was no match for the might of Clive and his allies. After the Eikonoklaste met its brutal end, so too did the heart.

Mythos

The name by which Ultima addresses Clive. It appears to be his title for the "vessel for limitless power" that he means to make of the young lord marquess—but to what end he requires such a thing, only Ultima knows.

Mythos

The name by which Ultima addresses Clive. It appears to be his title for the "vessel for limitless power" that he means to make of the young lord marquess. The being identifies Clive as the "Mythos" he has long sought by virtue of his awakening as the Dominant of Ifrit, and having the power to absorb the aether of other Eikons.

Mythos

Ultima's name for the "vessel for limitless power" that he has long awaited. He identifies Clive as this "Mythos" by virtue of his awakening as the Dominant of Ifrit, and having the power to absorb the aether of other Eikons. Ultima manipulates his servants into pitting Clive against the other Dominants that he might drink of their strength and bring Mythos closer to perfection.

Mythos

Ultima's name for the "vessel for limitless power" that he has long awaited. He identifies Clive as this "Mythos" by virtue of his awakening as the Dominant of Ifrit, and having the power to absorb the aether of other Eikons. The being created humanity for this very purpose—that it might one day yield a vessel strong enough to cast the spell that would revive his dying tribe and remake the world in their image. Now he pits Clive against the other Eikons, that he might drink of their powers and bring his vessel ever closer to perfection.

Obelisk

Ancient relics found across Valisthea. Their construction closely resembles the "airships" of the Fallen, but unlike them, they do not appear to have fallen from the sky, rather to have stood in place since time immemorial. They illuminate when Clive approaches—though for what reason, it is unknown. After once being lit, they continue to shine with the same blue glow night and day, making them ideal for use as waypoints.

Orchestrion

A curious clockwork contraption that is able to perform several different musical compositions at the flick of a switch.

Orchestrion

Affiliation: The Hideaway

A curious clockwork contraption that is able to perform several different musical compositions at the flick of a switch. It was designed and constructed by a young Mid, and Cid labeled it her first true masterpiece of engineering. He hid his own masterpiece inside it—the final part that his daughter would need to complete the calibration of the mythril engines the two designed together.

Priming

The act of a Dominant transforming their living flesh into that of their Eikon. Dominants most often prime during times of war, using the immense strengths of their Eikons to turn the tides of battle. Though it is usually done deliberately—the Dominant remaining in control of the Eikon even when primed—on occasion a Dominant will lose control of their powers and see their Eikon run riot.

Priming

The act of a Dominant transforming their living flesh into that of their Eikon. Priming does not require a continual draw on the aether—it is rather maintained by the constant channeling of the cast quantities of aether imbued within the Dominant's own body. This allows Dominants to remain primed even when they enter the aetherless deadlands—but also results in the crystals' curse taking a heavy toll on them with every act of priming.

Primogenesis

A spell cast by Ultima that cast a roiling pall over all Valisthea.

Primogenesis

A spell cast by Ultima that cast a roiling pall over all Valisthea. The unbalance in the aether that resulted not only sapped the potency of crystals and magic in those lands that remained livable, but filled the rest not only with his glowing thralls, but with aetherfloods, turning men and beasts into mindless, merciless Akashic.

Primogenesis

A spell cast by Ultima that cast a roiling pall over all Valisthea. The unbalance in the aether that resulted not only sapped the potency of crystals and magic in those lands that remained livable, but filled the rest not only with his glowing thralls, but with aetherfloods, turning men and beasts into mindless, merciless Akashic—all to sap the wills of mankind and make all of humanity into his soulless servants.

Specimens

Beasts and beastmen captured by the Fallen and held prisoner in the Sagespire. The variety of species on display suggests that they were collected from across the length and breadth of Valisthea. Many are barely recognizable from their modern-day counterparts, though whether this is the result of those creatures who escaped imprisonment changing over the ages, or of the experimentation conducted on those unlucky few who did not, remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that upon being released from their cells, they will duitfully obey the tower's orders to exterminate intruders.

Specimens

Beasts and beastmen captured by the Fallen and held prisoner in the Sagespire. Research logs left behind by their captors suggest they were intended to be used in the Fallen's experiments into crafting crystals from an organic seed. Those on the lower levels appear to have escaped much of this experimentation, being released from their cells to drive out intruders. Those on the upper levels, however, exhibit strange, crystalline structures conjoined to their flesh—proof if any more were needed of the Fallen's ambitions for them.

Specimens

Beasts and beastmen captured by the Fallen and held prisoner in the Sagespire. Research logs left behind by their captors suggest they were intended to be used in the Fallen's experiments into crafting crystals from an organic seed. The existence of the Magitek heart and the dusk crystals shows that their research succeeded—the unlucky byproducts of their experiments being repurposed for military means.

The Deadlands

Barren wastes bereft of aether, where no life stirs, and magic is all but unusable. Here, both earth and water are stained black, preventing any seed from quickening. In recent years, the Blight has spread ever more widely, displacing whole nations before it, driving once peaceable fauna to violent desperation, and leaving silent devastation in its wake.

The Deadlands

Barren wastes where the aether has dried up entirely, and no longer gives the land life. Not only does this render magic all but unusuable, but the ground and water are also stained darkest black, and not even the smallest seedling grows. Little to the knowledge of most Valistheans, the spreading Blight is in fact driven by the Mothercrystals that drain away the land's aether for Ultima's ends. Though the beings flew to Valisthea to escape the Blight, overuse of magic by the human civilizations that followed only succeeded in despoiling this last unblemished land.

The Einherjar

Affiliation: The Kingdom of Waloed

The flagship of the Waloeder navy, also known as the Black Galleon. Alongside the Royal Cavalry, it is the pride of Waloed, and is capable of swiftly delivering elite troops onto enemy soil to make war in the name of the mighty Odin.

The Einherjar

Affiliation: The Kingdom of Waloed

The flagship of the Waloeder navy, also known as the Black Galleon, is a vast, seven-masted vessel constructed of three conjoined galleys, and could aptly be described as a floating fortress. Alongside the Royal Cavalry, it is the pride of Waloed, and is capable of swiftly delivering elite troops onto enemy soil to make war in the name of the mighty Odin. Jill was kept prisoner here after being captured by King Barnabas.

The Enterprise

Affiliation: The Hideaway

The hideaway's mythril engine-powered flagship. Designed by the father and daughter team of Cidolfus and Midadol Telamon, the ship is currently under construction in a hidden cove on the outskirts of Kanver.

The Enterprise

Affiliation: The Hideaway

The hideaway's mythril engine-powered flagship. Designed by the father and daughter team of Cidolfus and Midadol Telamon to serve as a last hope for humanity should all of Valisthea be lost to the Blight. Mid recuirted a team of shipwrights and supervised the secret construction of the ship in the Telamon Ironworks on the outskirts of Kanver, with a little help from Byron Rosfield's bottomless purse.

The Enterprise

Affiliation: The Hideaway

The hideaway's mythril engine-powered flagship. Designed by the father and daughter team of Cidolfus and Midadol Telamon to serve as a last hope for humanity should all of Valisthea be lost to the Blight, and constructed in secret in the Ironworks on the outskirts of Kanver. The mythril with which it is fueled is a highly concentrated source of energy, allowing the ship to achieve speeds thrice that of a galleon at full mast.

The Fallen

An ancient yet highly advanced civilization, whose relics can be found across the length and breadth of Valisthea. The material from which these relics are constructed is far sturdier than steel, and cannot be worked by modern methods, so the people of the modern day have elected to build inside and around them instead.

The Fallen

An ancient yet highly advanced civilization, whose relics—said to be the remains of airships that once soared through the skies—can be found across the length and breadth of Valisthea. Cid's hideaway is but one of many settlements to take a Fallen ruin as its foundation, taking advantage of the sturdiness of the ceramics, immune to the passage of time, and so the hideaway is in need of constant repairs.

The Glamour

Affiliation: Mysidia

An aetherial dome woven by the Motes of Water to shield their hidden home from prying eyes. While the land within teems with life, to an outside observer, it appears as if it has been lost to the Blight. Passing through the wall is an disorienting experience akin to a sudden rush of alcoholic intoxication.

The Glamour

Affiliation: Mysidia

An aetherial dome woven by the Motes of Water to shield their hidden home of Mysidia from prying eyes. From the outside it appears as if the land has been lost to the Blight, yet from the inside, blue skies soar over lush forests teeming with life.

The Glamour

Affiliation: Mysidia

An aetherial dome woven by the Motes of Water to shield their hidden home of Mysidia from prying eyes. It has its origins in the magicked wards of a much smaller scale that the Motes of Water would conjure to disguise their camps during their years of wandering through the foreign lands of Storm. On settling in Mysidia, they elected to cast a similar spell over the entire land, crafting their crystal-filled cairns and laboring night and day to attune the spell that the outside world might see the area slowly succumb to the Blight.

The Glamour

Affiliation: Mysidia

An aetherial dome woven by the Motes of Water to shield their hidden home of Mysidia from prying eyes. It is maintained by a series of aether-channeling cairns filled with shards of dusk crystal mined from the Sagespire. Now that the Magitek Mothercrystal is no more, the Motes of Water have only a small stockpile of dusk crystals remaining to sustain the glamour. It is but a matter of time before their supplies are exhausted and their curtain finally falls.

The Inner Sanctum

Sacred chambers in which the hearts of the Mothercrystals are enshrined. Believed to have been created before the time of the Fallen, they retain a portentous air even now, long after mankind has forgotten their significance.

The Journal of Moss

The annals of Moss the Chronicler, a scholar of Valisthean history noted not only for his singular insight, but for the lyricism of his writing—an exceptionalism that earned him the enmity of his fellow scholars and drove him from public life. Such were their misgivings towards him that only a handful of copies of the Journal were ever produced, making the tome a prized find among collectors.

The Journal of Moss

The annals of Moss the Chronicler, a scholar of Valisthean history noted for his singular insight—indeed, Moss's Journal is one of the few histories to speak at any length concerning the ancient Circle of Malius and the creature they worshipped as their god—Ultima. Both Moss and his Journal were all but removed from public life at the insistence of rival scholars, but at Joshua's request, the Undying were able to track down a copy of the prized tome.

The Motes of Water

Affiliation: Mysidia

The people among whom the Dominant of Leviathan is born, notable for their ivory hair and sapphire eyes. Histories agree that their bloodline was ended some hundred or more years ago—the Eikon that swims within it forever lost to the world.

The Motes of Water

Affiliation: Mysidia

The people among whom the Dominant of Leviathan is born. Their history begins in the lands surrounding Drake's Horn in southern Ash. After the fall of the Mothercrystal, their people set out in search of a safe haven, wandering through the alien lands of Storm for decades until they found a new home in the unclaimed land of Mysidia. Their long history of common struggle having united their people as one, Bearers of the Motes of Water are esteemed equally to their less-blessed brethren.

The Motes of Water

Affiliation: Mysidia

The people among whom the Dominant of Leviathan is born, who fled from southern Ash after the fall of Drake's Horn. Their wanderings took them to eastern Storm, where they were persecuted as heretics by the nascent Greagorian inquisition and driven to the brink of extinction. The few survivors fled north and west, where they found a safe haven in Mysidia. Alas, their attempts to revive their people's fortunes by harnessing the power of Leviathan to create a new Mothercrystal ended in tragedy—the babe that was to be their savior frozen in an unending torment.

The Motes of Water

Affiliation: Mysidia

The people among whom the Dominant of Leviathan is born, who fled from southern Ash after the fall of Drake's Horn. After years of wandering through the unwelcoming lands of Storm, they finally found a second home in Mysidia. Though the Tributary of the time's attempt to revive his people's fortunes by harnessing the power of Leviathan to create a new Mothercrystal may have been an unforgivable sin, it was not an irreversible one—as Shula and Clive proved when they delivered Waljas from his eighty-year imprisonment, reuniting the family at long last.

The Mothercrystals

Enormous glassy mountains, five of which tower over the lands of Valisthea. They are the source of all the crystals that the people of the Twins rely on in their everyday lives. Not only that, but the lands surrounding them are rich with aether, making the magicks the crystals cast even more potent. For these reasons, great nations have sprung up around each Mothercrystal and have long warred with each other for possession of their blessings.

The Mothercrystals

Though the people of Valisthea rely on the crystal mined from these mountains in their everyday lives and flock to the aether-rich lands around them in pursuit of their Blessing, Cid posits that it is in fact the Mothercrystals and their ability to draw aether from the earth that is the reason for the deadlands' advance. The few who learn the truth are hunted down by those in positions of power—those whose power rests on their control of this crucial resource.

The Mothercrystals

Enormous glassy mountains that once towered over the lands of Valisthea, providing the crystal that the people of the Twins relied upon in their everyday lives, while at the same time leeching aether from the earth. Clive and Joshua learn that they were planted here by Ultima for that very purpose, that the creature might accumulate enough aether to cast a supremely powerful spell—one that would remake the world.

The Vare

Affiliation: Mysidia

The magical apparatus by which the spell freezing Waljas and the Surge in time was cast and continues to be sustained. It was erected in the Aire of Hours, the temple that sits upon Mysidia's highest peak—the only place that offered an unbroken line of sight at Drake's Eye, where the spell was originally intended to be cast.

Hidden Truths

Affiliation: Mysidia

The magical apparatus by which the spell freezing Waljas and the Surge in time was cast and continues to be sustained. At its heart sits an immense shard of crystal cut from Drake's Eye, through which the magick has been ceaselessly channeled for eighty years. The Vare was designed and built by the Witch of the North, who imbued her own aether within it. On Clive's approach, a spectral knight materialized before it, wielding a blade of ice and determined to prevent the passage of anyone who would undo her spell. Whether this specter was a fragment of the witch's power or a melding of her aether and another's, remains an open question.

Ultima's Thralls

Twisted, glowing blue creatures that awaited Clive and Jill deep within Phoenix Gate to try and prevent them from gaining the innermost recesses of the Apodytery.

Ultima's Thralls

Soulless automata largely composed of aether whose only drive is to see that their creator's will is done. They appeared all over Valisthea after Ultima brought about Primogenesis, and the skies of the realm fell dark.

Wyvern Tail

Affiliation: The Holy Empire of Sanbreque

The elegent, white flower that is a symbol of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque.

Wyvern Tail

Affiliation: The Holy Empire of Sanbreque

The elegent, white flower that is a symbol of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque. From its roots is distilled the dye with which the Bearer brand is inscribed. The dye is highly poisonous when it enters the bloodstream, and so it [is] not uncommon for Bearers to lose their lives either upon receiving their brand, or during an inexpert attempt to remove it. While cultivated wyvern tails bear white blossoms, those that grow in the wild adopt a purple hue.