The crisp parchment smelled faintly of old ink and something herbal — as though the Archivists preserved the books with a special powder.
She read silently, absorbing everything.
“Eldoria is one of the five great nations of the central continent.
A kingdom of stability, advanced magical infrastructure, and diverse trade.”
A map unfolded across the page — elegant, hand-drawn lines marking terrain.
Eis ran her fingers lightly over it.
Eldoria sprawled across fertile plains and river valleys, its strength rooted in:
- agriculture
- magic research
- trade across land and sea routes
Its capital was Aurelia, located far east of Lumaire.
Lumaire, despite not being the capital, was circled in silver ink.
A sidebar explained:
“Lumaire serves as Eldoria’s cultural and magical hub — a gathering point for scholars, adventurers, mages, and inventors.
It is said: ‘If Eldoria is the body, Lumaire is its heart.’”
Eis exhaled softly.
It made sense.
The city felt alive, pulsing with activity and diversity.
Another map appeared — the entire continent shaped like a rounded diamond, mountain ranges and forests carved across it.
NORTH — Kingdom of Valsyr
A cold, militaristic nation.
Renowned for steelmaking, disciplined knights, and harsh winters.
EAST — Kingdom of Eldoria
Her new home.
Stable, scholarly, magically advanced.
SOUTH — The Solen Theocracy
A religious state ruled by the Sun Priests.
Diplomatically complex.
Both revered and feared.
WEST — Calden Republic
Merchant-run, wealthy, full of innovation and trade guilds.
Ruthlessly practical.
SOUTHWEST — The Shattered Isles
An archipelago of independent city-states, pirates, free merchants, and mages in exile.
Scrawled notes indicated:
- Valsyr and Eldoria: cold alliance.
- Eldoria and Solen Theocracy: strained but peaceful.
- Calden Republic and Eldoria: strong trade partners.
- Shattered Isles: neutral; unpredictable.
Eis memorized each detail.
Knowledge was armor.
The next section was devoted wholly to this city.
“Though not the capital, Lumaire is the jewel of Eldoria — its greatest magical academies, largest archive, and most diverse marketplaces reside here.
It is a melting pot of races, faiths, and philosophies.”
Below that, bullet points described:
- The Adventurer’s Guild Headquarters (West)
- The Grand Archive (Southeast)
- Artisan Quarters (East)
- Mage’s Crescent (North)
- Old Lumaire & the Undercity (South) — the slums
- Noble District (Upper Northwest)
Eis paused at the mention of the Undercity.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
A note in the margin read:
“Very little is formally documented about the Undercity.
Reports vary wildly.”
She felt the faintest shiver.
So the broken arch was known.
Just not openly.
She flipped to the next page.
“Pre - Year 0 — No Official Records.”
Local stories of a time that humanity was recovering from an extinction event.
“Years 0–200 — Recovery Period.
Scattered settlements. Nations begin forming.”
“Year 212 — Elder War begins.”
A continent-wide conflict sparked by the discovery and weaponization of a rare magical resource.
“Year 231 — Elder War ends with the Treaty of Five Kings.”
Eis frowned.
Nineteen years of war. Long enough for borders, dynasties, and belief to change shape.
She turned to the next entry.
“Year 401 — Founding of Lumaire.”
A city built atop ruins older than recorded history.
Established at a leyline convergence point.
“Year 500 — Lumaire’s Cultural Bloom.”
Founding of major academies. Advancement in barrier theory and rune synthesis.
City gains reputation as a refuge for scholars and mages.
“Year 530’s — Current Decade.”
That explained the density of mana in the air.
And the subtle spatial warping she’d felt since entering the city.
The book’s tone tightened as she reached recent events.
“In the past five years, tensions have risen once more between Eldoria and Valsyr.”
Reasons:
- Border skirmishes
- Valsyr’s military expansion
- Disputes over leyline territories
- Sudden disappearances along the Frostmarch border
Eis felt her stomach twist.
War wasn’t happening.
But it wasn’t impossible either.
Another line:
“Rumors suggest a new force has emerged in the north… but evidence remains inconclusive.”
Cryptic.
Troubling.
She turned the page.
The last section caught her eye.
“Mana density in Lumaire has increased gradually each year. Scholars debate the cause. Some fear it signals a cycle repeating from ancient times.”
Ancient cycles.
Mana surges.
Leyline convergence.
Eis closed her eyes briefly.
This world is changing.
And she’d arrived during that change.
She shut the front cover gently and sat back, absorbing everything she’d learned.
Eldoria.
Lumaire.
The slums.
The political map.
Possible looming conflict.
This world was not simple.
It was layered, turbulent, and steeped in ancient history.
And for the first time since arriving—
Eis felt the weight of it.
Not fear.
Responsibility.
If she wanted to walk beside Team Argent…
If she wanted to build a life here…
If she wanted to protect the people she’d begun to care about…
Then she needed to know all of this.
And more.
Eis reached for another book.
Time to keep learning.
Hours slipped by unnoticed.
Eis returned the books she had gathered one by one, careful to place each back where it belonged. As she slid the last volume into its shelf, a title nearby caught her attention.
Advanced Runes and Glyphs.
She paused, then pulled it free and turned toward the librarian’s desk.
The man sat behind a wide oak table worn smooth by decades of use, its surface polished and well cared for despite its age. He looked up as Eis approached.
“Is it possible to borrow books?” she asked quietly.
“Yes,” he replied in the same low tone. “With official identification.”
Eis produced her guild badge and set it on the table.
The librarian examined it briefly, then nodded. “That will do. Two weeks, unless you request an extension.”
She placed the book before him.
He filled out the ledger with practiced efficiency and slid the book back to her along with a thin paper slip.
“Two weeks from today,” he said.
Eis accepted both and inclined her head. “Thank you.”
She tucked the book under her arm and turned towards the entrance of the building, moving as quietly as she had come.