Once, there were four worlds.
Elysian, the home of the elves, where the World Trees whispered to those born under starlight. Heimer, the kingdom of dwarves, where oaths were forged in steel and magic carved into stone. Earth, the realm of humans—ambitious, fractured, and full of potential. Rathom, the abyssal dominion of demons, where netherlight burned and power reigned supreme.
Then came the Veilfall.
No one knew what caused it. Some said a divine experiment gone wrong. Others believed it to be punishment from forgotten gods. What mattered was the result: the barriers that separated the realms shattered. Planes collided. Worlds bled into each other. From the chaos, a new realm was born.
They called it Vael'thyr.
A vast and violent world—ten times the size of Earth—stitched together from the magic, landmasses, and history of all four planes. Mana, once myth or tightly contained, surged into existence like a flood. It transformed the laws of nature, awakened beasts, shattered mountains, and rewrote life itself.
The first century was war.
The orcs—born from a fusion of dwarven strength and corrupted mana—grew monstrously and conquered seventy-five percent of the landmass in a matter of decades.
The elves of Elysian seized sacred groves and mana wells, establishing vast floating sanctuaries in the sky.
The dwarves retreated deep beneath the earth, forging subterranean strongholds laced with runes and ancient tech.
Humans scrambled—ever adaptable—and carved out what they could, forming alliances, building keeps, and resurrecting long-lost kingdoms.
But the demons… were nearly annihilated. Hunted by all, their nether-bound power made them feared beyond reason. Fewer than one in a thousand survived. They vanished into the shadows, legends whispered to frighten children.
To stop further bloodshed, the remaining powers forged an uneasy alliance.
They created the Concord Tongue—a shared language all could speak.
They built the Celestial Conclave—a governing body with seven immortal Seat Holders: two for humans, two for elves, two for orcs, and one for the dwarves. These Seat Holders oversaw law, balance, and power, maintaining fragile peace across Vael'thyr.
They erected floating sanctums—Academies—meant to train the next generation in mana use and the ways of peace.
But peace did not last.
One hundred and twenty years after the Veilfall, a cataclysmic event struck. A coordinated attack of unknown origin ravaged the world, wiping out ten percent of the total population in a single week. Cities were turned to ash. Floating islands collapsed. Entire bloodlines were lost.
And in the smoke and ruin, one truth came to light:
The demons were still alive.
Hiding. Waiting. Preparing.
And they were no longer weak.
Driven by fear, desperation, and the need to survive, the four dominant races did what they had once sworn never to do: they pooled their greatest secrets, weapons, and rituals to build something new.
Aegis Arcanum—the Academy in the Sky. Suspended above neutral ground, guarded by arcane barriers and divine runes, it became the heart of civilization's future.
Every child awakens their Codex at the age of thirteen. A shimmering screen of runes and mana that reveals their talents, stats, and affinities:
Strength. Agility. Endurance. Mana Core Depth. Arts. Tools. Stamina. Charm. Resonance.
The rankings follow:
F — Common laborers E — Trained civilians D — Basic fighters (most students) C — Skilled warriors B — Elite class (top students) A — Rare prodigies S — National-level combatants SS — Legends Demigod — The Ascended Few (seven known exist)
Most people enter the Academy at sixteen as D-rank. A few arrive at B. Only one has ever entered at A.
Each race has its strengths:
Elves command Aether. They are graceful, spiritual, and in sync with mana itself.
Dwarves wield Arcane. Masters of constructs, runes, and mana-powered machinery.
Demons are born of Nether. Power incarnate, shadow-bound and terrifying.
Humans are the only race capable of all affinities, but master of none—except in rare cases.
Each society built their own hierarchy:
Elves follow the World Tree. Those chosen by it rule without question. Orcs worship strength. Power shifts constantly—the strongest becomes chieftain. Humans maintain a merit-based noble structure: King, Duke, Marquess, Count, Viscount, Baron. These titles, however, are not reflections of one's combat power but of societal contribution and influence. Dwarves live by the Oath System—bound by craft, lineage, and honor. An Oathsmith or Rune-Seer commands respect equal to a lord.
Weapons, too, became more than steel. Codex-linked relics—sentient, evolving—bond with wielders and grow with them. A sword that adapts to your affinity. A hammer that stores spells. A bow that sings when drawn.
There are seven known types of mana affinities: Aether, Fire, Storm, Water, Arcane, Nether, and Nature. Few can wield more than one; rarer still are those who master two. Affinities are not chosen, they are revealed by the Codex—etched into one's soul.
Demons excel in Nether. Elves are unmatched in Aether. Dwarves are dominant in Arcane. Humans, scattered in potential, can form bonds with any—yet few stand out. The Omnifinite, a mythical concept, refers to a being with perfect compatibility to all mana types—a harbinger of either salvation or destruction.
Following the attack that shattered ten percent of the population, societies changed. Childhood became a race. Training began at five. By thirteen, awakening. By sixteen, enrollment in an academy.
Aegis Arcanum is the most prestigious. Hovering over the Sea of Whispers, it accepts only the elite. It is said the Seat Holders themselves once trained there. Its halls are steeped in legend—and danger.
For where talent gathers, envy festers. Where power grows, ambition burns.
And somewhere in its shadow...
A soul from Earth opens his eyes.
He does not know magic. He has no noble blood. He holds no destiny.
Yet he is now reborn into the name of the first noble to die.
The world may call it misfortune. He will make it his legacy.