Magic is a complex discipline that exists in two primary forms. While almost everyone in Grandor utilizes magic in some way in their daily lives, the gap between the average person and a true mage is astronomical. This is not only due to the fact that one's abilities with magic are, to some degree, born of their nature -- thus limiting true proficiency with magic primarily to the ranks of the aristocracy, most of whom still claim direct ancestry to the heroes of old -- but also due to the level of study and discipline required to properly utilize those latent talents.

The first type of magic is known as Incantation. This takes the form of spoken or drawn spells meant to serve a specific function -- a fireball spell, for example, creates a ball of fire and launches it at something. It's something that works the same way, or at least almost exactly the same way, every time it's used. For example, one could create a fireball and hide it around a corner, detonating it manually as a makeshift proximity mine rather than ever launching it as a projectile; however, even in this case, the basic principle of the spell is still the same.

The reason for this is that the spells are sort of like "shortcuts," copying and mimicking the feats of other magi -- usually ancient heroes from the distant past, in the case of combat magic. Rather than manually shaping one's own energy into a desired form and actively controlling it every step of the way, spells offer a way to cut corners by just replicating an experience drawn from collective memory. The Sages' Tower in Alexandria keeps compiled a list of almost all known spells, distributing this knowledge as much as possible to expand this collective experience, since the more wizards cast a given spell, the more efficient and streamlined that spell becomes, and the more variations upon its template become possible.

Because of this, Incantations are much more accessible to the average magician, since they can just learn the formula and then use it when needed. Even commoners with little-to-no magic power usually know a few Incantations, though these are mostly parlor tricks and common bits of housekeeping magic -- a small gust of wind that gathers up dust for cleaning, a spell to start a small fire in lieu of a match, a spell to create ice or cool the air, and other such conveniences. Dedicated magicians, on the other hand, may have a library of dozens, if not hundreds of spells at their disposal, with an option readily available for almost any situation -- the reward of years of intense training and study to commit such a vast repository of knowledge to memory.

As mentioned before, Incantations are normally chanted aloud to activate them -- however, they can also be drawn out in the form of runes and magic circles, allowing even those not versed in the particular spell to activate them just by pouring their own energy into the glyph. However, such written Incantations -- sometimes called separately as Enchantments -- are very expensive and difficult to create, as they must be either engraved manually by an experienced wizard, or drawn in costly magic ink, all with the utmost level of precision so as to ensure there aren't any errors in the spell. For this reason, while things like magic swords and armor do exist, they're seen almost exclusively in the hands of high aristocrats and members of royalty.

There is, however, one other type of magic that falls outside the governance of the Sages' Tower. Unlike Incantations, which were developed by the archmage Alexander during and in the wake of the Age of Darkness as a means of quickly spreading the knowledge and ability to utilize magic to the people at large, Aura is a much older art -- of the sort that the heroes of Grandor used in their ancient battles, and that the evil sorcerer Fendel himself wielded against them.

It functions on a much more direct principle than Incantations. All creatures have some degree of internal energy inside them, which they can expel into their surroundings in the form of magic. With Incantations, that energy is effectively automated and programmed to perform a single, specific task. With Aura, however, that energy is instead continuously released, forming a sort of "field" around the user's body that can then be freely manipulated. At its rudimentary level, Aura serves as spiritual armor, protecting the user from harm and amplifying their own strength and speed to superhuman levels in turn. On top of this, it can even be shaped and imbued with elemental natures, allowing Aura users to freely create and shape magic in their surroundings -- something which not even the most complex Incantation could do.

Needless to say, however, Aura's incredible power comes at a steep price. Since one has to constantly control the Aura, complete focus is key to its use, and the farther away from the user it gets, the more difficult it becomes to control, giving it a hard and fast range limit that restricts its usage to close quarters. Furthermore, it's also vastly inefficient compared to Incantations, requiring a truly incredible reserve of energy to even manifest briefly, and risking draining the user's vitality and life force if they can't provide that level of power.

In the Age of Darkness, when heroes and legends walked the earth, Aura was commonplace. However, today, those with the power to use Aura at all are few and far between, even among the oldest houses of the nobility, and are thus regarded as prodigies the likes of which may only appear once in a generation, their births heralded by falling stars and other portents great and terrible. In the Celestial Faith, it is even believed that their power stems from blessings divine -- favors bestowed by the heavens, along with some great task these fortunate souls are meant to fulfill.

Oddly enough, as the power of Incantations rises and the power of Aura wanes, however, some of the most recent users of Aura in the past 100 years have been found not just among royalty and other prestigious bloodlines, but rather among lower nobility and even the commonfolk. This anomaly has led to some confusion and concern, as these low-born geniuses may threaten the dignity of those great old families whose prestige and magical power are directly intertwined. At any rate, it's something that almost any boy growing up in Grayle has dreamed of at least once -- awakening the power of Aura and becoming a hero overnight, following in the footsteps of the Knight-King himself. Who wouldn't want to see a dream like that come true?

But if heroes are starting to appear again, then what, exactly, are they meant to use their strength to fight?

One's ability to use magic isn't just tied to one's studies of Incantations, or to celestial gifts and the self-discipline to cultivate the power of Aura. It's also linked intrinsically to one's disposition and natural affinities with magic. While it is possible to use an element one doesn't have a natural knack for, only the weakest and most basic of spells can be performed without an utterly disproportionate exertion on the part of an incapable caster.

These affinities are roughly categorized into four fundamental elements, with several rarer secondary elements derived from combinations of the primary four. They are, respectively...

• Fire: Associated with passion, drive, energy, and courage -- but also with anger, self-destruction, foolishness, and ambition. Someone with strong desires and the power to make them a reality, be they good or ill. Negated by Water, but it combines with Earth to create Metal and with Wind to create Lightning.
• Wind: Associated with freedom, cheerfulness, curiosity, and hope -- but also with a lack of willpower, selfishness, and a fear of commitment. Someone impulsive, unbound by rules, who follows their emotions moreso than a thought-out ideal or purpose. Negated by Earth, but it combines with Fire to create Lightning and Water to create Snow.
• Water: Associated with gentleness, empathy, wisdom, and temperance -- but also with madness, an inability to express one's self, shyness, and cowardice. Someone who cares a great deal about the feelings of others, and perhaps an excessive tendency towards self-sacrifice. Negated by Fire, but it combines with Wind to create Snow and Earth to create Wood.
• Earth: Associated with stability, conviction, determination, and diligence -- but also with stubbornness, inflexibility, laziness, and a lack of creativity. Someone who lives and dies by their routine, and stubbornly resists changes to it.

The combined elements are a bit harder to categorize, as they often represent a mix of specific traits from multiple fields that can vary greatly from user to user. A Lightning user, for example, might mix the best parts of Wind and Fire to create someone who strongly values personal independence and tries to lead by example, driving those around them to be their best selves. But, conversely, they might just as easily be a tyrant who seeks to have their own way above all else, mixing the ambition of Fire with the chaos of Wind. The same sort of principles hold true for Metal, Wood, and Snow as well.

While most people have only one elemental affinity derived from their strongest personality traits, it's not all that uncommon for members of the nobility to have two elements at their disposal instead. More rare are those who are gifted with the flexibility to utilize three elements, and rarest of all are those gifted with the power of the Absolute -- to use all four major elements with equal skill, a talent as rare as the ability to utilize Aura -- though, not since Alexander himself has an Aura user also manifested the Absolute, a combination which is considered the ultimate pinnacle of magic.

In addition to these elements, however, there are also two aberrant elements that fall entirely outside of normal classification, due to their bizarre interactions with other forms of magic. These are, naturally, Light and Darkness. Both derive their power from the same source -- the primal essence of life itself -- which they then shape into a variety of forms and effects. However, they hold the unique distinction of universal interactions, which cause them to react the same way when exposed to any other elements, regardless of affinity.

Light, universally, interacts with other elements through negation, taking on principles similar to their opposite elements in order to neutralize their power and restore balance. Fire is extinguished, Earth is eroded, Wind is calmed, and Water is evaporated. Because of this, Light magic is regarded as the ultimate defensive ability, capable of neutralizing almost anything. It was through this potent ability that King Arbert was able to weather the unspeakable powers of the Dark Lord, and cut him down.

In the intervening centuries, a few more Light users have also appeared, and have demonstrated several other powers, such as supernatural healing abilities that could even cure mortal wounds, agelessness, the ability to influence the minds of other living creatures, and, of course, the power to purify curses and destroy Daemonic beasts impervious to normal magic. Regardless of their unique manifestations of the power of Light, however, all of these figures share one thing in common: they are all descendants of the Grayle royal family, directly inheriting the powers of their famous ancestor.

Darkness is just the opposite, in almost every way imaginable. Rather than negating other elements, it is capable of combining universally with any other element, creating amalgams with strange and anomalous properties that are not fully understood. For this reason, it's considered the ultimate offensive power, since it can absorb and circumvent almost any magical defense, wrecking unspeakable destruction by warping creatures into new forms, and turning other mages' own power against them. For this reason, and, of course, because it was the power wielded by Fendel, it is the most feared of all magics -- though its exact details, abilities, and limitations remain largely unknown due to a lack of formal study.

That's not to say that there haven't been Darkness users other than Fendel, however. Once every few generations, someone may develop the power -- but, more often than not, they are quickly identified, and shackled by special "sealing stones" created by the Sages' Tower and a member of the Grayle family working in concert, inscribed with the subject's name and nature, and allowing anyone who holds the stone to freely restrict the use of their powers. Through this means, the power of Darkness has been effectively banned from practice, and its users sequestered to prevent a repeat of the Age of Darkness. But even so, that hasn't stopped rumors from circulating that anyone, anywhere, could be Fendel's prophesied successor, hiding their nature and waiting until the time is ripe to come and bring destruction upon the world once more...

Grayle is, in essence, a stratified society, with a mix between western feudalism and something slightly resembling a caste system (Translation: it's a bunch of stuff that sounds incredibly organized and cool but actually probably makes no sense if you stop to think about it, which I won't do because I'm not a political science major :P).

At the lowest rung, there are serfs and peasants whose families are tied to a specific patch of land granted to them by a local noble. They have little upward mobility, and seldom leave their own lands due to the contracts that bind them to tend to it in exchange for protection. Above them, there is a broader caste of commoners, tradesmen, merchants, and artisans, who either own their own small plots of land, or do not settle down in any one place, but rather travel the span of the kingdom in search of work. Above these are the Guildmasters -- wealthy leaders of organized conglomerates of other artisans and tradesmen, whose influence over what goods get produced and shipped where gives them some measure of leverage even among the nobles.

This is where the waters get somewhat muddied. Those granted titles of Knighthood are, effectively, honorary nobles. However, as they do not necessarily possess land or estates of their own, while they may hold positions of military or sometimes even political power by obtaining other ranks or titles, they may also just be glorified commoners with no non-military duties, and thus rank below wealthy commoners on the social totem pole.

Proper nobles, however, possess at least some duties in the governance of the land, and thus claim a firmer position above both landless Knights and the commoner gentry. There are five ranks of nobility in Grayle, each corresponding to a larger territory and a greater role in the governance of the kingdom. At the lowest rung are the Barons, who are granted authority on a local level, managing individual townships and cities, usually on the frontiers of the kingdom. Above them are Viscounts and Earls, who manage many such townships within their respective counties. Next, there are the four Marquess houses, who not only exert authority over all the lesser nobility within their fiefdoms, but also form a Council of Lords that is second only in both legislative and judicial authority to the King himself. This council, then, is headed by the Grand Duke, who, while only technically holding a small fief close to the capital, serves as an overseer and intermediary for all the other, lower rungs of the nobility. The Grand Duke is traditionally the member of the royal family who is second in line to the throne at the time of appointment, should they be of age to adequately perform their duties. As such, the position is often held by the king's brother, or by the Crown Prince at any given time -- although in the latter case, the position is forfeit upon ascending the throne himself, and a new Grand Duke is appointed.

The precise identities of the holders of these positions will be left deliberately vague for now, so as to allow players interested in noble roles to make whatever lore they want for their characters and their family background.

The political landscape of the country is far too complex to easily summarize, but to boil it down for simplicity's sake, there are currently two factions that dominate the nobility. First, there is a moderate faction that wishes to simply defend Grayle as it is, without waging what they see as pointless wars that might jeopardize their own holdings. Secondly, there is a more radical War Hawk faction that sees Alexandrian border conflicts either as an unpardonable slight against the pride of Grayle, or as an opportunity to earn fame, glory, and power by conquering new territory and protecting Grayle from the threat of foreign incursions. The current King, Albus II, and many members of the Council of Lords belong to the former faction. However, several of the candidates for the position of Crown Prince hold conflicting views, wanting to start a war which they could use as an opportunity to rally followers under their own banner, securing the throne for themselves. Their desire for conflict is further supported by many houses of the frontier nobility, who either view the war as inevitable and want to ensure their own territories are protected by starting it on their own terms, or want to claim more land and more power for themselves in the ensuing conflict.

Inheritance, as you might have guessed, tends to default to male-dominated primogeniture, with the firstborn son usually only losing out on the bulk of the inheritance if he proves himself to be notably debauched, idiotic, or otherwise unfit. The only notable exception to this trend lies in the royal family itself, which promotes a strong belief of meritocracy. Anyone who claims the crown of Grayle should be a worthy successor to its founder -- or so it is said. As such, the crown prince is often decided solely based on merits rather than order of birth, and the competition is often fierce between prospective heirs to distinguish themselves in any way possible, giving rise to the glory hounds of the present day. However, should a family bear no male heirs, rather than adopting a ward to fill the role, it's also not unheard of for the firstborn daughter to take the role of family head until she should marry.

Despite their usual inability to inherit, women are also expected to bear a great deal of responsibility for managing family affairs, such as tending to the management of a fief while their husband is away. Given that Grayle's founders were primarily knights and soldiers, it should come as no surprise that their society is well adapted to keep things running smoothly, even while the men are at war.

But, even so, there are bound to be those dissatisfied with such unequal arrangements... some of whom may even entertain the ambition to take up the sword themselves. After all, boys are far from the only ones raised on tales of the Knight King, tales which might easily lead even a sheltered young girl to admire the life of a hero...

Grayle's knighthood stands in an unusual place within the politics of the kingdom. Those bearing the title of Knight are technically nobility, regardless of their background, but possess no formal power. Conversely, however, due to the reverence with which the kingdom treats its mythic history, the Knighthood has been known to exercise a remarkable sway over the politics of the nation despite this. Several times in the nation's history, individual officers of the order have been known to come forward and publicly make "suggestions" or "requests" of the nobility, the Council, or even the King himself -- and more often than not, this "advice" is heeded. When those who have dedicated their very lives to shoulder the country's well-being ask for something, it's very difficult to refuse them without looking bad, and what's more, whatever faction has the support of the Knights can count on the nation's military strength in times of crisis.

The structure of the Knights is, in many ways, a microcosm of the country as a whole. They are split into individual squads, each with their own numerical hierarchy, in order of importance. The First Seat of each squad them reports to the overall unit Captain, who in turn reports to one of the four Knight-Commanders, the foremost of whom is appointed Lord Marshal -- both the bodyguard of the King, and the commander-in-chief of Grayle's armies. This structure is somewhat peculiar, however, in that it is quite malleable in actual warfare, as the Knights themselves only comprise a small part of Grayle's armed forces. Levied soldiers, conscripted peasants, militiamen and men-at-arms are all far more commonplace than fully-fledged Royal Knights when actual lines of battle are drawn. As such, even a Fifth or Sixth Seat can end up commanding small units on the battlefield, should senior officers be otherwise indisposed, and squads that originally train as tightly knit units may end up having to separate to fill multiple roles as needed in an engagement.

The bottom line is that any rank of Royal Knight, even one who is not an officer, holds a prestigious and glamorous sort of title by comparison to the average rank-and-file soldier. And for precisely this reason, knight candidates are expected -- nay, required to excel in some way in order to earn those honors. Whether it is through mastery of the sword, the spear, the bow, the lance, magic, or even unorthodox disciplines such as espionage or assassination, one can earn the title of "knight." However, as the Knight King was renowned for his mastery of the blade, those who excel in swordsmanship are particularly favored over all other candidates.

Becoming a Knight Candidate is actually surprisingly easy... at least, to begin with. Strictly speaking, there is no hard and fast rule that requires service in exchange for citizenship. However, due to the reverence with which the knighthood is treated, most well to do families -- even those that aren't part of the nobility -- send a candidate to carry the name of their house and try to earn a spot in the order. Second and third sons without anything to inherit flock to the training grounds, hoping to distinguish themselves and earn a glamorous livelihood. The order, by and large, allows this, assembling countless rookies for the first few months of training, be they the accomplished students of distinguished sword schools, or the children of noble houses looking to maintain their family's honor, or just random nobodies with a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. Even foreign refugees are allowed to try out for the knights, and are offered full citizenship should they earn their keep -- a rare treat for those with no one to help them and nowhere else to turn.

Once candidates are admitted, they are organized according to their talents into squads ranging in size from five to twenty. Particularly promising candidates tend to get sorted into smaller groups with one another, allowing them opportunities for more personalized training and hands-on experience sparring with or against their equally talented peers. Unremarkable candidates, on the other hand, tend to get shunted into larger groups and handled en-masse, with those who eventually show promise despite their slow starts picked out and sorted up into more favored squads, and those who don't left to languish along with the rest of the merely ordinary.

These squads are then sorted into four dormitory houses, each bearing the heraldry of one of the four Knight-Commanders, and instructed by members of that particular officer's retinue. The competition is likewise fierce between houses to secure the best candidates each year, as these will likely go on to serve under their respective commander in the future should they become fully-fledged Knights.

As I said before, becoming a candidate is easy. Actually staying a candidate, however, is far more difficult. A grand tournament is held periodically in order to cull the herd, with those who perform particularly poorly in training exercises having special attention paid to their results. If they fail to acquit themselves in combat, they'll be kicked out and sent packing. Conversely, those who perform particularly well can be hand-picked, either individually or as an entire squad, to jump up the ranks and serve as pages and squires to actual knights, taking on real responsibilities and duties within the order, in addition to their continued training. The four Knight-Commanders are even said to attend these tournaments, and select specific elites and specialists among the candidates in their own divisions to serve as their own personal attendants and aides.

And, as if this wasn't incentive enough, the Knight-Commanders' own rivalries tend to get mixed into these tournaments as well, with their chosen instructors pushing their students to excel and claim victory at all costs, for the honor of their own commander and to thumb their noses at the others. For this reason, there's quite a bit of hostility between the four houses, with friend and foe changing on the fly depending on the conditions of the next tournament, and on the relative perceived competence of the houses in question. This also tends to foster an odd sort of "my dad can beat up your dad" sort of mentality amongst the younger candidates, who begin to idolize their respective commanders and, based on their own rose-tinted view of things, try to decide who would win in a fight. Obviously their teacher. Right?

As the holders of the Knight-Commanders' positions are subject to change, so too are the crests of the four houses. At present, the Northern House is represented by the White Griffon, the Southern House by the Crimson Lion, the Eastern House by the Black Wolf, and the Western House by the Golden Stag.

The current generation of Knight-Commanders is, with one exception, perhaps the most decorated and respected that the order has seen since its founding. It is commonly said that, among Knights, there are three paths to excellence: those who seek to hone and master their strength above all else, those who live and die by their honor, and those who can read the tide of battle. And, it is also said that none exemplify these traits better than the three senior members of the council.

His Highness Prince Laurentius, only son of the venerable Grand Duke Logan, is, without a doubt, the finest swordsman of his generation. From his auspicious birth as the only Aura user born into Grayle's royal family within 100 years, through his formative years where he took as naturally to a sword in his hand as a bird takes to the open sky, to the present day where he now sits bearing the twin accolades of Knight-Commander of the Western House and Lord Marshal at the comparatively young age of 33 -- a title which the previous Lord Marshal, Caius Ward, willingly handed over upon Laurentius' ascent, recognizing the prince's suitability for the position.

However, as if unsatisfied with even this unprecedented achievement -- as might well be expected from a wielder of the Metal element, marked for both ambition and perseverance -- he has honed his skill with a blade to such a degree that it is said he could even defeat other Aura users without ever employing his own. His skill is such that no one questions the legitimacy of his position, despite the fact that he has never once resorted to leading his troops in active battle against a foreign enemy -- or rather, precisely because of this fact.

As Commander of the Western House, his and his subordinates' duties primarily involve keeping watch over the Barrier Falls and the Wildlands below; a tainted and untamed wilderness the threat of which he treats with the utmost seriousness, despite the fact that neither Daemons nor the Accursed have been seen in over a hundred years.

It is said that when a war almost broke out with Valefor over a vein of precious ores along the southern border, Prince Laurentius superceded the Commander of the Southern House and, despite the dangers of exposing himself as the commander-in-chief of Grayle's knights to a potential enemy, journeyed alone to negotiate a peaceful resolution. While there, he was -- allegedly -- asked the reason for his obsessive pursuit of strength, and if his presence there was meant as a threat to cow them into submission. He is reported to have replied that "The reason I came here is precisely because I do not wish to sully my blade with the blood of my fellow men. I have never once endeavored to strengthen myself for such a petty reason, either. All I wish is that, if a monster were to appear before me, then I would like to cut it down without hesitation." It is said that this calm reply both moved and frightened the Valeforian general in equal measure, and Valefor conceded the region without bloodshed immediately thereafter.

The second of these excellent knights is Ser Valentin -- though of course, anyone with a knowledge of history would immediately ask "which one?" Ser Rubeus Valentin sits as commander of the Southern House, just as his father did before him, and his grandsire before that. They have always loyally served the royal family, and maintained a watchful eye upon the border, purging bandits and barbarians and protecting the citizens of that troubled region. His pride is as tall as a mountain, his will to succeed and excel in all things unrivaled and unshakable -- and were he born into any other era, he doubtless would have been crowned the foremost warrior in all of Grayle. Unlike Prince Laurentius, however, he is not solely a master of one particular style, but rather an expert in the use of several. Be it archery, jousting, swordsmanship, or any other knightly art. Even if Rubeus does not necessarily excel all others in its practice, he acquits himself with remarkable alacrity; and, in the use of his signature weapon -- a monstrously large poleaxe fit to cleave a horse and rider in twain at a single fell stroke -- he is almost unrivaled.

However, his high pride and short temper have also made him many enemies among both the knights and the aristocracy -- and though both his personal skills and the honor of his house are both beyond reproach, there are those who say he is lacking as a military commander, a logistician, and an instructor to those he takes under his wing -- particularly after the Southern House's crushing defeats in the Grand Tournament over the last three years.

The final of these three luminaries is, of course, the esteemed and venerable Ser Caius Ward, former Lord Marshal and current Knight-Commander of the Northern House. A veteran of several wars with both the northern nomad tribes of the Great Steppe, and the River Kingdoms up the Viridian River, he is a living monument of Grayle's glorious military history -- and, some might even say, to the very art of war itself. He, like Valentin, favors an eclectic blend of martial artistry -- but in his case, the weapon with which he practices this art is significantly more humble. A long, double-edged cross spear -- hardly the weapon of a knight, but rather more like something one would expect to see employed by an unskilled footman. And yet, the White Griffon wields his mighty fang with unprecedented mastery, blending all manner of different styles of combat and even magical arts into a fluid and dynamic mix that confounds the eyes and baffles the senses.

But despite his admittedly formidable talent with a spear, Caius' rank has a bit more to do with strategic acumen than pure martial prowess. The old Griffon earned his spot through some exploits in a border war with some minor River Kingdoms up the Viridian River, where, after a series of lost battles under the Northern House's former commander, Caius, his squadron, and an assortment of militia forces were cut off during the retreat. So, unable to return to their homeland, they instead moved covertly behind enemy lines and strolled around raiding outposts and occupying villages until the enemy's supply chain broke down, and an army five times the size of his own ground to a halt and was forced to surrender without ever even meeting the wily Griffin in pitched battle. He returned home a hero, and was given his disgraced predecessor's position as a reward -- for though the former Knight-Commander had nearly lost the war despite having every advantage, Caius had gone and won it anyway with just a handful of men! Or so the story goes, anyway.

But among these living legends and storied personages, there is an outlier: a common man from a common house, which has neither land nor title to its name -- a friend of Prince Laurentius from his academy days, an internal reformist greatly respected among the lower ranks of the Sentinel Knights, and a smooth talker who somehow managed to earn the favor of not only the Lord Marshal, but also his father, the Grand Duke. This last and least of the Knight-Commanders is the elusive and mysterious Commander Gilbert Tervellan, of the Eastern House. A childless widower whose wife passed some fifteen years ago, he has neither living relatives nor an heir to inherit his name and meager estate. A patriot, he is -- at least, by all measure -- and he carries himself with all the dignity and composure one would expect of his standing. And yet, if he has any martial achievements, he does not boast of them -- nor does he have any special magical talents that might qualify him for the position. Those in power vouch for him, and he himself works blamelessly in discharging his duties -- but there are many who view him as an opportunist and an upstart -- particularly once his scheming begins to involve the young prodigies who might one day shape Grayle's future...

Celestial bodies hold a special role in Grandor's mythic history, as even to those who do not venerate them as deities, they are commonly accepted to hold mysterious powers, particularly over magic and the fates of men.

These powers are not merely abstract in nature, either -- as meteors said to be made of the same stuff as the Stars themselves have long been known to be supremely conductive to magic. Starsilver, as this exceedingly rare metal is called, is often used in the making of Enchanted items of supreme quality, and is worth a fortune even in its raw form. It is also the only material known to be capable of sealing away Darkness magic, and is used in the construction of Sealing Stones by the Sages' Tower. What's more, it cannot be denied that the only users of the blessed and rare power of Aura are those for whom an Omen appeared at their birth -- which many take to be an indication that the superhuman reserves of energy necessary to use an Aura in the first place come not from the actual user -- but from the Star that gifted them their power.

But, even leaving aside the practical powers of Stars, Astrology is a commonly used method by which even the magically inept attempt to divine the secrets of the future based on signs and omens that appear in the stars -- and the moons themselves as they wax and wane indicate the cycle of fortune and of woe.

The two moons that adorn the skies of Grandor are both cracked at their center from an ancient collision said to have been wrought by Fendel's hands, and surrounded by countless shimmering shards of debris.

The first is the Silver Moon, Ketheire, sometimes also called the "Dead Moon" due to its bone-white surface, marred and scarred by countless craters. Through the hole in its side left by the lunar impact, one can clearly see the ten-branched constellation of the Tree of Wisdom, with the Sage's Star at its peak -- for which reason Ketheire has long been likewise associated with prosperity and the blessings of magic, and particularly with the guidance of Alexander. In addition to its irregular waxing being seen as a sign of bounty and good fortune by the people of Grandor, and its waning being seen as a warning of ills to come, it also is the more unstable of the two moons. Shards of Ketheire frequently slip out from amidst the debris surrounding it and fall to Grandor as meteors. The Starsilver contained therein is also known to be of surpassingly fine quality. It is said that but a glance at this sublime material can captivate the heart of any man -- and some great sages of the not-too-distant past are purported to have been driven to madness by their lust for it, believing it to be the key to becoming one with the Stars.

The second, and smaller of the two moons is the Black Moon, Malkhuth. Wreathed perpetually in cloud and shadow, its surface is hazy and indistinct save when it eclipses either its sister moon, or the sun itself. As Ketheire is associated with fortune and heroic blessings, Malkhuth is seen as a font of misfortune and misery -- as is only fitting, since it was said to have been raised into the heavens by Fendel himself -- a profane monument to the Sorcerer King's madness and glory. Even now, what shards fall to earth are tainted by his alien Darkness, said to spawn forth Daemons and spread his Cursemark wheresoever they fall. Thankfully, King Arbert's mighty barrier serves to protect the lands of Grandor from their influence. But even so, it still remains, an ever-present celestial reminder of Fendel's Curse -- and the prophecy of his return.

Though none have been seen in the last hundred years, the creatures spawned forth by Fendel's powers remain the boogeymen of faerie tales and the creatures of Grandor's nightmares even now -- though some believe them to be a mere fable conjured up for exactly that purpose. Nevertheless, surviving records from the time of the old war categorize them into two groups.

The first are Daemons. Though once natural creatures or even humans, they are said to have been amalgamated with other forms of life by Fendel's unholy powers. Legends tell of everything from freakish chimeras formed from multiple mangled bodies to mighty beasts as beautiful in their unnatural perfection as they are terrible to behold -- such as the Dragon Lord Vaalascha who would later become one of Grayle's companions.

Nevertheless, though warped by Darkness, the Daemons do not actually wield it -- its power long since having merged into their forms and become inert. In its place, however, they often wield the classical elements as naturally as they command their own bodies, such as the Dragon Lord's mythic breath of flames that was said to have turned the surface of the Valeforan desert to glass during her battle against the Hero and the Great Sage. And, as was the case with Vaalascha, Daemons are also capable of retaining an ego even after corruption -- as without the power of Darkness remaining active within their bodies, their minds are not controlled by Fendel's Curse. However, as the process of transforming into a Daemon warps them in often-excruciating ways, they are far more often reduced to mindless insanity than any other outcome -- and those which do retain any level of sapience often emerge with personalities that little resemble their former selves.

But this is a mercy compared to the fate of those unfortunate souls who find Fendel's Cursemark inscribed upon their flesh. An Enchantment of Darkness, an unspeakable inscription, and a permanent shackle of servitude -- the Cursemark is rightly regarded as the most horrific form of magic ever devised, and the greatest of all taboos. Like a perverse mockery of a Star's blessing, the Cursemark grafts a sliver of Fendel's own Aura onto the victim -- a "gift" which they can burn their own lives as fuel to use. They become tremendously powerful, capable of reshaping their bodies into whatever form they desire, taking whatsoever they wish, and killing whosoever they want. But in exchange, their souls must bend in service towards one dark purpose -- to spread the Mark to all of humanity.

No matter how they try to disguise their new forms as human, the Accursed cannot hide the telltale signs of their pact. Black ichor writhes beneath their skin, coiling into and out of their heart like a serpent biting its own tail, forming the eponymous "mark." When the Aura that forms it is harnessed by the host, this serpent uncoils itself and lashes out, erupting from their flesh in a grotesque display of eldritch might. Those touched by this Aura will in turn find themselves afflicted, willing or not. The lucky ones will become Daemons, their bodies warped and twisted before the power of the Curse within them dies out. Those less fortunate will be afflicted by the Cursemark themselves, have their wills eroded, and become puppets used to continue spreading the unholy affliction.

For Daemons and Accursed alike, there are only two cures. The first, of course, is death. By destroying the body of the afflicted, the Darkness within it will also die, lacking life force with which to sustain itself. The second is the Blessing of the Light, which alone can expunge the Mark and its unholy influence, and deliver salvation unto those who languish within the mad wizard's clutches.

...Needless to say, it's no wonder the people of Grandor don't often go outside at night when they've been raised on such horrific tales. But what is truth, however exaggerated, and what is outright fiction... who can say? After all, such fanciful and horrific beings haven't been seen in over a century. But then again, doesn't that also mean that none alive would even recognize one if they saw it?

Maybe it's best to heed the fables -- just in case. After all, even the most kindly of strangers could be a monster clad in human skin...

There are three prominent religions throughout Grandor, each commanding a large section of the population's devotion.

The first is a sort of Hero Cult mostly unique to Grayle, which venerates the party of heroes that saved the world as demigods of a sort, with Arbert obviously being the chief among them. His spirit is believed to persist even after death as a sort of cosmic force watching over the world, and people believe that by praying to him they can be blessed with miraculous healing, protection from evil, that sort of thing. Alexander, meanwhile, is invoked for counsel in times of crisis, wisdom and temperance in all of one's dealings, and for fortune in one's fate. Penitent Maria is called upon for forgiveness by those who have committed sins, the Thief King is called upon for protection on the road, and the Dragon Lord for prosperity in all of one's business dealings. Of the three, this religion most resembles one -- with churches established all throughout Grayle in particular, each with statues and idols of their patron heroes.

The second is a more animistic religion largely practiced in Alexandria, known as the Living Faith, which believes Magic itself to be a sort of deistic force that surrounds the world and binds it together, maintaining all of its laws, aspects, and principles. Those who utilize magic are believed to simply be communing with the Universal Will that governs the world and all of its natural laws, with a sort of Transhumanist element thrown in where the end goal of this religion is to discover the unifying principles of all magic to supercede things like "elemental affinity" and achieve things otherwise deemed impossible or restricted to "special" magic. It is believed that through this enlightenment, all people can achieve the blessings of the Absolute, and walk in the footsteps of their nation's founder, Alexander. When all mankind is one with magic, the world itself shall bend to the human mind -- and not even the stars shall be beyond mankind's reach.

The final one is more generally spread across the world, and oftentimes is intermixed with one or sometimes even both of the other two. This more generalist religion is known as the Celestial Faith, and is comprised of the belief that all celestial bodies each represent a divine being or collection of beings with a direct interest in and a hand guiding human affairs, with different constellations representing different "wills" with their own agenda, much like how in Astrology each constellation supposedly holds its own significance with regards to anything from your mood and temperament to how lucky you're going to be on a particular day. Individual families chart specific signs in the stars that have signaled good fortune throughout their histories, and offer prayers to them that this fortune may continue unabated. It is also because of this faith that the Omens that appear at a person's birth are said to be divine commandments that will guide them on their path later in life to fulfill their purpose, with Auras seen as gifts reserved for those with a particularly grand or important mission.