“Let them wage their war beneath the sun and moon. We build beneath both.”
The Neutral Lands, often referred to as The Velvet Ring, are the only true bastion of peace in a world slowly tearing itself apart. Where Silver Dusk peers into the abyss of knowledge and Crimson Dawn burns with conquest, the Neutral Lands offer no great ideology, no doctrine of mana. What they offer is far simpler, and far rarer: stability.
And at the heart of it all sits the Capital, a monumental city built not by mages, but by hands without mana, the hands of humankind.
✦ Between the Sun and Moon
The Capital rose during the age of blood and fire, when the first Equinox nearly consumed the world. It was not founded by force or spell, but through desperation and unity. As the two great clans warred endlessly for dominance, those without mana sought safety in each other, and built a city meant to outlast their wars.
Today, the Neutral Lands are governed by a single figure: The Peace Governor. Chosen by a diverse and powerful council, guildmasters, merchant lords, dissident mages, and noble houses, the Governor is the one voice both Silver Dusk and Crimson Dawn still pretend to respect. It is through his will that the peace agreements hold. It is through his silence that wars are permitted to unfold elsewhere.
He is loved by the people, not because he is perfect, but because he is the last one still trying.
✦ The Mask of Prosperity
Outwardly, the Neutral Lands are thriving. Trade flows freely, especially in the capital’s great bazaars, where enchanted goods and mundane wares share the same cobblestone alleys. Immigrants arrive daily, Dissonants seeking refuge, mages who broke their vows, humans fleeing infected land, and merchants hoping to grow fat off uneasy peace.
The Neutral Lands accept them all. There is always room. Always another coin. Always another house.
And yet, beneath that painted smile, something is boiling.
The city grows too fast. The streets swell with rumors. Fear spreads like rot beneath the gold. Crimson Dawn’s new young leader stokes tension with every speech, while the Seers of Silver Dusk grow silent and cold. People speak of war returning. Of Equinox repeating. Of something darker moving under the surface, where no one dares look.
And still, the Peace Governor smiles.
✦ Mana Without Allegiance
Mages may live in the Neutral Lands, but not without chains. All mana-born who enter must wear a Neutral Sigil, a mark that binds and regulates their flow of magic. Caelir and Seren cannot be cast freely. Twilights are a myth, but even the idea of them is feared.
Here, Dissonants are not hunted, but studied. Watched. Tracked. Their lives may be safer, but never free. The capital sees itself as tolerant, but it is not trust that allows a Dissonant to walk its streets, it is a strategy.
Within the city, a special force known as The Gilded Chain protects the balance. These soldiers wear anti-mage armor, often forged from Abyss-touched alloys. They are not numerous, but they are enough. Enough to make even the boldest mage think twice.
"To know is to control. To understand is to ascend."
Silver Dusk believes that the Seren mana is the key to understanding the fabric of the world — not through brute force, but through precision, memory, and manipulation. They see the world as a layered, delicate web, and magic as the thread with which it must be stitched — or carefully cut.
Power with Knowledge, Magic Without Emotions
This highly scholastic, almost monastic lands are illuminated by the Moon in the darkest nights. The place of learning, the understanding of the universe... And everyone under the same Moon works only for one thing; to unravel the truth of this world.
Magic is not a force to be wielded recklessly, but a language to be understood, intricate, ancient, and sacred. To them, Seren mana is the key to the realms beyond, a subtle and luminous thread that binds the world in its delicate balance, that's the Seren magic.
Knowledge is power; but also a salvation from the binds of this world. Only through precise understanding, reflection, and control can a mage rise beyond mortality and touch the truth of the cosmos. Where others seek conquest or sensation, the Silver Dusk seek clarity, of thought, of memory, of purpose and the only way to it, is the secrets of the Abyss...
When knowledge is present there is no room for error, for emotions. Emotional indulgence is viewed dangerous in the way to the knowledge. Scholars are the slaves of the books and their meaningless time should spends on reading, understanding and writing. To allow one's emotions to override reason is seen as a form of internal decay. Losing your aim and leaving the path is a misfortune and form of a spiritual misinformation. A scholar should be focused, curious and reasonable. There is a world awaiting you ahead and you are just a piece in it, why bother on those pieces, on yourself, when you can expand your horizons towards the unlimited possibilities.
Their studies are focused on mana and magic. Since the beginning of the age of human magic, they were the ones who made the first spells, they are even controlling the way of Caelir spells. There are countless books in the grand library of the capital. Those who died are still alive in those books, their spells are still casted by many.
Way of magic is made by several core physics, any spell beyond that is a limitless possibilities you can form. Magic and spells are infiniite while mana is not. The burning force inside the selected humans is bound to their life, it is a gift by the Abyss. When humans are constantly burning under the force of the magic, its only possible for it to fade. So mages are bound to die early. This is more apparent in the Seren Dissonants, who burn the brightest yet fastest. They were just a mistakes, yet able to cast impossible spells.
Like that one Seren Dissonant everyone remembers, the Bringer of the Calamity, the Harbinger of the Equinox.
The Search for That Seren Dissonant
Since that event, every Seren mage saw Seren Dissonants with a sort of pity. The wrong ones, the ones Abyss rejects so they tent to bring calamities like that. Yet their approach to them is more peaceful than the Crimson Dawn. Those who survive the first bloom of their Seren mana is taken away by them. Silver Dusk offer them a piece of Seren knowledge in exchange of helping the grand pursuit of the mana. There aren't many like that but when they found the one, they won't leave them alone.
The Seren Dissonant who once awakened the Abyss to act, is the core reason for them to look out for those who could do the similar. Their aim is to be acknowledged by the Abyss so they can access it's secrets, after all. So they wait for the one's arrival.
Society and the Teaching
Silver Dusk society is governed by the Circle of Seers — a hidden council of mages who have responsible for the regulations of the knowledge and the researchs scholars make. Within the clan, students are assigned to masters who will teach and learn with them for a lifetime. The journey of learning ends with death, either their master's or their own.
Innovation is permitted, but only when it is sanctioned by strict laws. Any unapproved magical research is met with swift end or correction, not for fear of power, but for fear of imbalance. Abyss has a delicate yet powerful design that shouldn't be tempered with, but to be understood. They believe that the Moon and the Abyss will show them the way.
Their ideals and beliefs are the reason why they are feared, even though they do nothing but a pursuit of knowledge, in the surface...
"Caelir Proving Grounds are built to withstand high mana pressure. Trainees are ranked based on combat performance and obedience. Mentorship structures often create power imbalance, leading to tightly regulated social interactions.”
“If your mana burns, your soul must endure.”
A training of a Caelir mage
Caelir mages are trained under the direct doctrine of their clans called Crimson Dawn. These facilities—isolated and reinforced against magical outbursts—house all known male-born mages with Caelir alignment. Those are called Proving Grounds and ranked by their power. Each Proving Ground is governed by a master chosen by the clan.
Training begins upon extraction from the family, with little regard for age or prior environment. Detachment from family is a must.
Training starts in building a strong physical form. The stronger your body is the stronger your spells will be, believed by many. Days pass under the high heat of the sun, blood, sweat and tears. The longest part of the training leaves many dead or worse than alive.
If they pass the qualifications for physical strength, everyone is given either short or long sword by their choice or master's advice. The art of swordplay is also important to control the immense and heavy Caelir mana inside them. So now, they learn by continuously sparring with each other and with their masters from time to time.
After that each mage tests their endurance. They are trained to fight under the high values of infestation made by the Abyss. So they should be able to resist the corruption of the mind and the body. This is the part where Caelir mages finally start to show their magical capabilities while trying to fight corruption.
If they don't show any magical abilities till now, the fourth phase of the training is their last chance. Those who reach this phase without any mana output will be called “late bloomers” and if they don't bloom at some point, they will be exiled. Aside from that, the fourth phase consists of using spells ranked from beginner to advanced. The spells are taught by their masters, there are no books, no scripts but just your mana and controlling its destructive force.
After everything is done and pupils become warriors, each is given a rank.
Social structure of Crimson Dawn
Crimson Dawn is more focused on its military power. Each Caelir is a warrior before they are a mage. So ranking in these lands are so much more apparent.
Ranks are assigned based on performance in trial duels, magic containment exercises, and obedience evaluations. Failure may result in isolation, reassignment, or mana suppression.
While camaraderie is permitted, intimacy is discouraged. Power dynamics among trainees can become political. Mentorships sometimes evolve into dominance displays, especially when upper ranks “adopt” lower-ranked mages to gain symbolic authority. Such relationships are quietly monitored by Crimson Dawn elders.
This creates an unspoken rule: do not get too close to someone weaker than you unless you intend to control them.
This rule creates individualism among peers, making them focus on their own survival rather than support others.
In the End
Everyone who endured the harsh conditions of the Proving Grounds and found a place in the social hierarchy is now a fully equipped Caelir mage. They are supposed to bring glory to their mentors and their clans.
Their goal is now to fight against the Silver Dusk mages or to get back the lands Abyss stole from humanity. They are either sent to war or take various commissions and quests provided by their clan or the unbiased country called Neutral Lands.
"A Caelir’s life starts as a ray of sun soon to be forged under its high heat to become a warrior. And their war never ends."
The Story of the Abyss, Old Ways of Mana, Calamity and the Descension
The unknown entity of this world, the Abyss… Some people also call it God, some call it Evil but actually it was neither.
Long before, Abyss was pulsing with humanity. It was in their heart, in their mana, it used to teach them the ancient ways, the way of harmony. The way of magic.
But one day, mages collide. Why are we accepting this selfless entity so it can be the only wielder of the truth? It doesn't feel, it doesn't love us, maybe one day it won't even want us. Abyss did that in the past, it only creates to destroy it one day. They were trying to stir chaos so they could dethrone the Abyss.
At first people's faith was unshakable. Many said that the Abyss was with them to witness, to remember. It is giving us what we need but never more because of the greed in our manas, always asking for more. But when the salvation of death arrives and we finally see the true Realms of the Abyss nothing will ever matter. Our greed will disappear and we will only accept the truth. Abyss will remember us in our best shape so we can be alive forever.
But corruption was inevitable. Whispers from the traitors reached everywhere. Mages and humans were confused. The god they called Abyss was looking down on them, they thought, do we even have any value? The riot was successful, people were more restless than ever and refused to accept the ways Abyss taught them. A new magic research has been born, a humanity's magic and not the Abyss'. This was the first diversion ever in the history of magic history.
Two mana alignment were discovered. Seren, a mechanical, stable and complex way of mana and Caelir, scorching, boiling way of mana erupting like a volcano. Sun and Moon of the magic. It was also seen that most of the time those mana were given to people in a way that reflects their body, as mana and soul shapes your physical form. Seren Mages were females with the brightest face and Caelir Mages were males who were blessed with the rays of sun. There was no other kind of mage, yet.
One day, as humanity's research about magic went deeper and deeper, a man was born with the wrong mana. He had Seren inside his body, something believed to be impossible and he wasn't supposed to cast magic but he did. His magic was nothing like anyone has seen. If anyone stood next to his spell, he would perish. The destructive force he had with more sensitive and calculative Seren mana was unbelievable, like he was also a Caelir. Seren mages tried to control him, to use and study. But he was unstoppable. Many Caelir tried to oppose him to a duel, only to leave a mist behind and nothing else, a mist resembling their sun forged mana, with a faint violet inside.
His words left a mark in history.
“I came here to find my polar. When the Moon meets with the blazing Sun, you will see the ethereal form of magic. An Equinox will from to blind everyone so you can feel the truth of magic in your bones. And even if you try to reject it, it will catch up to you, sooner or later.”
After those words that sounded like a prophecy, he disappeared. On that day, everyone who looked at the sky saw a big black spot. There was no Sun, no Moon but a form of both in the sky. The sky glowed with deep violet when huge earthquakes happened. Every human was worrying about their lives but mages were stunned with the echo of his previous words. On the other side of the world, calamity has begun, the Abyss showed itself. A nature formed there, which was alien to this world, but something familiar to the other realms.
Five craters happened from this disastrous eruption. Abyss was telling the World “Here's the truth, the reality of this world you have been seeking and now we will see how you handle it.” Abyss ruined civilizations that lived there, forced its own rules of nature, put remembrance of monsters once walked the Earth so it can test human resilience and whispered twisted magic in those lands to keep the weak away.
Not long after this, humans regenerated quickly with magic. Now the aftermath of the calamity was clear. The other half of the world was now gone. A new reality was born there to showcase Abyss' cruelty. Curiosity piqued between mages, and the exploration of these twisted lands began.
Five Circles of Descension, it was named. In Abyss' view, humans needed to descend deep into the Earth to see reality and only then can they ascend. Every part of this land whispered its names.
The first circle was easy to control. The manifestation of the Abyss was weak there. Because of that, clashes between two types of mages happened quickly. As if humans learned nothing from the calamity, they started fighting over it. The first circle was now a battlefield. Mages forgot their pursuit of knowledge in this place.
This unnecessary fight kept them away for a while to discover the second circle. A place where reality finally shifts and you finally see a glimpse of what Abyss really is. It still resembled the Earth before the corruption but with the uncanny influence of the Abyss. Plants were mutated, wild animals turned into ruthless beasts, soil was corrupted to a point where nothing will ever grow on it again. The air was thick with a purple unnatural mist. This sudden shift in tone shocked the mages. But for once they decided to work together so they can conquer their lands taken away by the Abyss.
This forced alliance sparked a lot of things. Seren mages were still whispering the words of that twisted Seren mage, they partly understood. The Equinox… They understood that when Sun and Moon, Caelir and Seren clashed, a disaster would happen. So, on top of the war they were having now there was another taboo. Traumatized by the past event, both mages agreed on working together when necessary only if they keep their manas away from each other. Mana must not mix...
With that, the conquest of the second circle was quick. The Caelir mages put their military force there to ensure the safety of these lands. They formed a clan with every Caelir mage in this world. Sensing the danger of such grouping, Seren mages did the same. Thus two clans named Crimson Dawn for Caelir mages and Silver Dusk for Seren mages were born.
And with this new power formed, they moved forward to the third circle. There were still two more circles which was still a mystery but humanity will prevail, and take back what Abyss took from them…
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This might feel like a huge bomb but this is actually something i thought over a lot. If you ever have questions I can answer. I'm open at anything.
Mana has been with you since birth. For some it's a burden and for some it's a blessing.
A boy has a fierce glow in their eyes, he is called a Caelir Mage now.
A girl who shows signs of intelligence in the early age, she is called a Seren Mage now.
And there are those who were born in the wrong body, they are tossed away like a broken toy. They even have a name so they can at least be called something. Dissonants, they say, mistakes.
All of those kids belong to their clans now, there is no other choice. If you are not one of those two, life will be even more miserable.
The endless war ruined everything, the peace, the balance, the hopeful glow in the sky… Now every child with mana is taken away to be a mage, to honor their clan. They separate families and say it's for the better, they give away wealth in exchange, they encourage this act of malice. Who are they, you ask.
Crimson Dawn forcefully takes away the children with Caelir mana. They say an honorable war is waiting for them. They will be the mages who will shine on the battlefield one day.
And Silver Dusk… They reach out to those families who are blessed with a Seren child, along with words that spit out venom. A ruthless propaganda with lies. Your child is selected for a sacred mission, they say. A glorious pursuit for knowledge, this is their fate.
And those clans, who both raise tools for a meaningless war, will say they are better than the other. But the truth will always prevail, the state of the world is worse than ever because of their acts. Gods are angry, Abyss is angry, this cannot continue…
An original dark fantasy setting filled with mana, reincarnation, an infinite broken tower, political seperation and it will be gender-coded. It's the story of a decaying land infected by ancient magic, and the mages who wander it in search of knowledge. Magic is common here yet normal humans without any power exists too.
Mana defines everything. It's split between two forces: Seren, born of the Moon, and Caelir, forged in the Sun. Mages are born aligned to one, most of the time their body is made to match their mana but sometimes Abyss makes mistakes.
At the center of the world lies the Abyss, a corrupted realm that pulls at the soul. Surrounding it: five infected Circles of land, craters made from a huge blast, each more twisted than the last. At the center: a black tower that remembers every life you've lived before. But no one ever survived that to tell it's tale.
Few important names to know:
Two clans: Silver Dusk (Seren Mages) and Crimson Dawn (Caelir Mages). They hate each other and constantly fight.
Dissonants: Mages whose mana doesn’t match their body. Their body constantly reject their mana.
Twilights: Rare beings who can wield both manas, capable of triggering Equinox.
The Tower of Descension: It is believed that Twilights go there to witness the secrets of the Abyss.
This blog is where I’ll post lore and world building I made. It will be text based since I don't have any talent for art making or someone to do it and I don't want to use AI. So I will just share walls of texts.