Valaralda
Valaralda (historically referred to as Valar) is a highly advanced planet located in the Persephone solar system. It is the ancestral homeworld of the elven race and is one of the seven ancient Prime Planets (alongside Mar, Eryn, Sya, Y’abel, Ayel, and Ashi).
Geography and Environment
Valaralda is a beautiful, diverse world that boasts striking similarities to Earth's ecology. The primary continent of Esara houses the planet's major political and cultural centers. To the south of Esara lies the glittering Airon Sea and the tropical island of Tanomar.
Key regions and locations on Valaralda include:
- Ilyrion: Known as the "Jewel of the South," this massive, coastal metropolis serves as the seat of the Valaraldan government. It is a technological marvel where graceful spires and sheer glass buildings wrap organically around towering Prime Trees.
- The Thesserin Desert: A vast, sweltering desert located to the west of Ilyrion, bisected by the Iteranu River. It is home to the ancient city of Nekhrumet and the trap-filled Tomb of Akhenaten.
- Singwa Lingwe (The Salt Spires): An entirely inhospitable region of white sand and massive salt pillars located north of the Thesserin Desert, laden with ancient magical traps by the DMR.
- Thylmanas: Located high in the snowy, freezing Thyl Mountains in northern Esara, this ruined city was once the cradle of elven civilization and the birthplace of the Eglaria religion.
- Errenmel: A quaint, historic farming village characterized by old stone and wood houses with thatched roofs, surrounded by a patchwork of crops.
- Faedori Forest: A beautiful woodland located north of Ilyrion, surrounding the farming village of Errenmel. The headquarters of the Department of Magical Research were secretly located in its northeastern stretch. It briefly served as an escape route for refugees fleeing the destruction of Ilyrion and the site of Rylan's meeting with the Twins, before it was completely obliterated and turned into a volcanic wasteland by Orym utilizing raw Destroyer magic.
Culture and Factions
In stark contrast to the Eldrim who settled in the woods of Earth, Valaraldan society is extremely technologically advanced. They utilize "magitech" (a seamless blend of magic and technology), employing spaceships, floating gravcars, ocular implants, and 3D holographic televisions.
Valaralda is governed by the Senate and the High Council. Magic use is considered a highly regulated privilege rather than a right. It is governed by the Department of Magical Research (DMR), an institution originally founded by Aten that issues permits and strictly enforces bans on all dúathmain (darkprime magic) and gatesending, due to the severe memory loss (gatesickness) the magic causes.
Other prominent Valaraldan factions include the Ilyrion Space Agency (ISA), the Anthropological Society, and the Eglaria (a former religious order that evolved into the militia governing Nekhrumet).
Key Events
The Great Awakening
One hundred thousand years ago, the alien device known as Xyclami (also referred to as Guruthos or the Fall) arrived on Valaralda. Its arrival brought magic to the planet for the first time, ending the First Age and sparking the dawn of culture and magical civilization known as the Second Age.
The Thylmanas Secession
Around the year 20,016 A.A. (After Awakening), the northern city of Thylmanas attempted to secede from the unified Esaran government in Ilyrion. Driven by disputes over legendary mines containing rare metals and the city's status as the religious birthplace of the Eglaria, the resulting war lasted ten bloody years. The conflict resulted in the burning of the great Thylmanas Library and left the once-great city in permanent, frozen ruins.
The Sending
Twenty thousand years ago, the archaeologist Tarathiel discovered evidence that the apocalyptic entity Guruthos would return to destroy the solar system. To combat this, he narrowly pushed the Sending Act through the Senate. Seven teams of twenty-eight volunteers were sent through exploratory gates to the other Prime Planets (including Earth and Eryn) to hide and assemble a planet-spanning Defense Mechanism. To protect the planets, they were translated far away into the great beyond.
The Planetary Conjunction
In the modern era, Earth (Mar) and Eryn physically translate through space and reappear in the Persephone solar system, bringing the ancient Prime Planets back together. Rather than being the result of an inadvertently triggered Defense Mechanism, this epic convergence is actually the culmination of a hundred-thousand-year-old plan orchestrated by the immortal sisters Lara (Lorelei) and Cara (Cariel). Prior to the ancient Sending, Cara secretly instructed her sister to memorize the cosmic coordinates of the Persephone system so she could eventually return the planet. Millennia later, Lorelei successfully executes this directive by utilizing the sky cities of Fennas Elenathon to gate Earth across the universe, while Cariel simultaneously orchestrates the translation of Eryn.
The Wrath of the Twins
Driven to madness by millennia of imprisonment, the released Twins (Nelenor and Velion) rampage across Valaralda, effortlessly destroying the majestic city of Ilyrion.
The End of Magic
To stop the Twins and the escalating cosmic threat, Tarathiel successfully deactivates the Xyclami device, permanently ending all magic in the universe. Rather than falling into despair, the surviving Valaraldans vow to clear the ruins of Ilyrion and rebuild their civilization using pure technology, unburdened by the chaos of magic.