WORLD GUIDE

This world guide includes a reference on the setting, history, religion, and magic system for the Land of Urn, the fantasy realm of the Guardians of the Maiden series and the Chronicles of Urn.

AZURE KINGDOM:

The Kingdom of Azure: Located in Urn’s chip, it is the eastern land connected to the rest of Urn by an isthmus. Once called the Everfrost when it was under the dominion of the God of Death and the ten clans, it later became the Kingdom of Azure with the sigil of a seven-pointed star.

Other territories in the Urn’s chip during the era of the Ice Phoenix (EIP) include:

The Frost Lands: the territory of the Skellings located north of Azure, past the Hermon Mountains. They are fae created by the God of Death, who can shift into massive hawks and have the power to conjure storms. Their territory had briefly expanded into the Hermon Mountains during EIP, but they suffered many losses during the Dark War (TDW, also known as the Endless Night) against the God of Shadows during his second coming, so they retreated deep into the Frost Lands. Most believe the Skellings eventually evolved to withstand the harsh climate and still live there in present time.

The Waste Lands: territory of the God of Shadows and his demons located in the far south. It later became part of the Azure Kingdom and the Realm of Hilos after his defeat.

The Moore Lands: The small kingdom of the Wild Fae and ruled by King Dagden, which still stands in present time. The Azure Kingdom no longer acknowledges them as a kingdom on any maps or holds to any trade agreements, but the Wild Fae are left alone, more or less forgotten.

URN MAINLAND KINGDOMS:

The Magos Empire: the kingdom of the mages is located on the south of Urn, which is separated into three guilds; Sun, Lunar, and Earth. It is currently ruled by the Earth Archmage and not open to outsiders. This is to maintain their way of life with laws called the Mage Code: oppressive regulations that keep sorceresses from having rights or use of their magic. Their triad sigil displays the element of all three guilds.

The Xián Jīng Dynasty: Set on the west coast of Urn, they were a prominent power during the era of the Ice Phoenix and a center of trade. They remain a powerful kingdom today. Known for their dragons, their sigil is of a fire-breathing dragon.

The Vale of the Elves: Set in the mid-west before the kingdom was eventually split into two separate kingdoms: Red Highland (red maple sigil) and Greenwood (Dynalya flower sigil). The elves now refer to themselves as either a red elf or a green elf. Not much can differentiate them from each other, other than red elves tend to have darker hair and eyes. Because the kingdoms are constantly at war, they now tattoo themselves with the sigil of their kingdom. Both kingdoms forbid elves from forming unions with each other, and any found having violated this law are exiled or executed.

Argyle: Set in the north of Urn, Argyle is a small, peaceful kingdom near the Montezuma mountains known for its beautiful ranges and valleys.

The United Crown: One of the oldest kingdoms, the United Crown is set in the north. Their weather is temperate with cold and humid winters and warm summers. They are known for their wealth as their land sits on a vein of gold.

Harromag Modos: A large desert in the northwest of Urn with a sigil of dunes. Home to many creatures, humans, and the dragons that lay within the canyon. Urn’s National Railroad crosses through the desert to reach the west coast.

OTHER LOCATIONS:

Mount Ida: Treasure island surrounded by magic and mystery. It once belonged to the pirate Roizen Ida as he filled it with all the gold and enchanted artifacts he plundered when he ruled the seas. The island is not located on any map known to man, and any who seek it do not return.

North Star: A hidden sanctuary in the Zafiro Mountains, founded by Azeran Astron after the War of Guilds 250 years ago when the Guilds fought for freedom from the Archmage and lost. It is now home to many mages and sorceresses who have long lost their magic.

Dwarf Shoe: A free state ran by the people. Used as a safe haven for refugees fleeing war or persecution. There, citizens are protected from extradition and bounty hunters.

Jerash: A tundra located in the northwest of Urn.

Naiads Mere: The court of the water nymphs, their kingdom is hidden beneath the depths of the lake.

Misty Isles: A group of small islands covered in fog, said to be a poachers’ paradise with all the magical creatures that live there.

Langshan: Home to the largest pack of werewolves in Urn, the mountain is located in the south of Xian Jing.

Other continents mentioned in the Guardians series and the Chronicles series but not shown on the maps: Carthage, Arthal, and Versai.

THE REALMS:

These are the territories of the Celestials, ancestors of the Forsaken (fallen seraphs). Founded after the Dark War, each location is hidden from humans and their borders are fatally protected from outsiders by the Watchers.

Hilos: The main kingdom and home of the High King. Hilos reigns over the Four Celestial Realms. Their colors are white and gold with a sigil of a crowned sword of flame.

Each Realm is ruled by an appointed Lord.

Nazar: The first realm, located in the floating islands above the Vale of the Elves. They are well hidden within the clouds. Their color is yellow with the sigil of a sun fanned by six wings.

Edym: The second realm is located within the desert of Horromog Modos. The Celestials of Edym have tanned features and have evolved to withstand high temperatures. Their color is red and they have the sigil of two wings with two swords crossed at the center.

Skath: The third realm is located within the frozen lands of the north. The Celestials of Skath have pale features and have evolved to fly in freezing temperatures. Their color is purple with the sigil of a shield on fire.

Hermon Ridge: The fourth realm is located in the Hermon Mountains. It was founded last, 500 years ago and became home to the Nephilim (half-breeds) who were born during the Decimation. Any Nephilim born since are sent to live there. Their color is blue with the sigil of a tree within a mountain.

HISTORY:

The Forsaken fell to the Mortal Realm at the end of EIP. They were seraphs who were cast out of Heaven’s Gate for disobedience. To repent, they were tasked with protecting the Mortal Realm against the God of Shadows and his demons. They were led by Kahssiel, the only Seraph who came to the Mortal Realm by choice. Because of this, Kahssiel kept his six wings and was granted seraph fire. He led his army with the humans against the God of Shadows during the Dark War, and eventually defeated him after several years. After the war, the Kingdom of Hilos was founded in the south of the Waste Lands as their reward for saving Azure, and Kahssiel was made king of the seraphs.

The seraphs believe they must live clean and pure lives to regain Elyon’s (The God of Urn) favor and return to Heaven’s Gate at their passing. They eat a raw vegan diet that does not include meat and they do not drink. Holy laws are strictly followed, including the traditions of the Heavens and the use of its language. They were given the means to have families and formed blood bonds with only their kind. Their children were only given two wings instead of the six (which came in at three years of age), and they were called Celestials, ‘those belonging to the Heavens’.

Therefore, when King Kahssiel chose a human for a mate, his people claimed the union was an abomination and an offense to their god. A coup was staged by his three generals, removing Kahssiel and his queen from power, ending in their deaths. However, the actions of the generals were rebuked by Elyon, so they were banished from Hilos. They moved on to barren lands in the west of Urn and eventually founded the Realms of Nazar, Edym, and Skath. Kahssiel left no heirs, so his brother was made the new High King of Hilos, and his bloodline was forever marked to never be challenged for the throne again. Unions with humans became illegal, leading to a pureblood elitist mentality. But the Forsaken continued to help humans and interact with them in peace as part of their penance for many centuries.

During the reign of High King Rael, Celestials suffered the Decimation. Once humans discovered that Celestial blood could heal any ailment and their feathers could be used to enhance magic, it lead to a trade agreement with the Kingdom of Azure, centering in the city of Gamor that was located near Hilos. However, the trades ended when the humans began hunting them instead.

The Celestials did not fight back due to the holy law of never harming a human, but most believed this was another punishment from their god. Many of their people were killed during the Decimation and their women were taken to breed Nephilim*, half-human Celestials. It was a dark time as the hunts spread to all the Realms. High Queen Sapphira (Rael’s mate) attempted to make peace with the Lords of Gamor, only for it to end in her death. This sparked a rebellion against Elyon and the human race. King Rael descended upon Gamor with his army, razing it to the ground. Then they broke all ties with humanity.

The destruction of Gamor served as a warning for the Azure Kingdom, thus the Azure King made poaching Celestials illegal. King Rael isolated his people and he set up the Watchers on the borders of the Realms to defend them from humans. He then wrote the Accords, laws that were made to protect the existence of Celestials, knowing the humans who lived during the Decimation would eventually pass on. All mystical creatures from the werewolves, the elves, the fae, and the sovereign of every mystical creature in Urn are bound to secrecy set by the Accords. The Celestials have remained reclusive in their Realms for over 500 years. Eventually, the world forgot about them, believing the winged beings from the Heavens to be mere legend.

MAGIC USE IN URN:

Magic is created from the life force energy found within nature or within the wilder. For example, elves draw Essence from nature around them and their power is unlimited, but it is taxing on their bodies and difficult to learn due to spell casting (memorizing verbiage and runes). They spend decades studying magic to become Magi Masters, and they have schools dedicated to different magical trades, for there are many types of fields and elements.

Mages (and sorceresses) draw magic from their own life force energy and it presents itself as Essence. Its color will take on the color of their aura. While it can change color throughout their life, it generally stays the same. Due to the different sources by which magic is drawn, a very important rule is to never mix elf magic with mage magic or the result can be disastrous.

Unlike elves, a mage’s power is not limitless because it depends their life force. Using too much at once can render them unconscious or lead to death. Most spend years learning to expand their life force and grow stronger in wielding more magic.

Mages are born into three different Guilds: Earth, Lunar, and Sun. Their abilities are limited to their elements. Though, there are general spells that all guilds can use, like levitation, shields, or cognition magic (mind). Transcendents are mages or sorceresses who have the very rare ability to use magic from all elements. When one is born, they are taken from their parents and sent to live with the Archmage to one day marry into the royal family, so the ability can be passed on in their descendants.

Mages begin training with magic when they reach the Rising Sleep, which is the awakening of magic that occurs around six years old. This is seen when the child begins floating while they sleep as their Essence is released. It continues for a week or two until their magic settles. They are the only race who experience this.

Most fantasy beings can use magic in Urn. Humans are not born with magic, but they can use it through magicly enhanced items or by becoming witches. Witches rely on dark magic they gained by witchcraft and deals with demons.

Magical items usually pertain to artifacts spelled with runes for daily use. An example of this are Tanzanite crystals spelled for a specific use, like to cast shields or light. Orbs are used for communication and they are personal to the owner (Urn’s version of a cellphone.) Crystals in mage staffs are enhancers to focus and heighten their magic. Clothing, weapons, buildings, armor and a number of inanimate object can be spelled.

Other Magical Items:

Stardust - made from crushed meteorite, can be used to create unlimited space.

Pixie dust - provided by pixies if you can make a deal with them, can be used to shrink items or yourself. Usually intended for easier travel.

Celestial feathers - contain magical healing properties and can be used to enhance spells or bring the full force of the wielder’s magic to the forefront for instant use.

Crystals: There are many types of crystals or ore mentioned throughout the series and each has a different use. They are spelled with incantations or carved with runes that can be used for spells. Mages also use them in their staffs to enhance their magic.

Enchanted Mirrors: There are four magic mirrors in all. The sun mirror requires blood to see what will be. The moon mirror requires tears to see what once was. The water mirror requires salt to see what is present. The power of the earth mirror is currently unknown.

Night Ash: The base form of Nightstone. It is crushed meteorite mixed with demon blood that is gathered during the Blood Moon. Can be used to create warding circles or forge weapons to wield against demons.

Jewelry: All sorts of jewelry can be spelled for a variety of reasons. For example, Dynalya’s Hyalus necklace is used to cast light. Elves use a special ore in their jewelry to change their appearance or improve their skills. Likewise, fae will spell jewelry for whatever purpose, though most of their spells do have negative consequences. For mages, they usually spell jewelry to dampen magic or to contain it from the user, which can also cloak them from tracking spells. 

ENCHANTED ORE:

While available during the Ice Phoenix era, enchanted ore was lost or destroyed over the centuries and now very rare to find. Other natural ore was eventually mined for magical uses like communication orbs and Essence enhancers.

The God of Death used his magic in collaboration with the Guilds or magical items to create the following:

Nightstone: Black crystal (made of demon blood and meteorite) is used to slay demons.

Moonstone: White crystal (created with lunar magic) is used to reflect moonlight to deter or slay demons. Can be spelled for other uses.

Bloodstone: Red ore (created with blood magic), to contain the wearer within a perimeter which protects them from outside forces (For example, sunlight). Over the years, its use was taken over by slave keepers to contain their captives.

Tanztone: Also known as Tanzanite (natural mined stone found with earth magic). It is a versatile crystal used to hold spells. However, the crystal can only be spelled once.

Sunstone: Orange crystal (created with solar magic), is used to reflect sunlight to deter or slay demons. Can be spelled for other uses.

ENCHANTED TREES:

Hyalus Trees: Also known as the Glass Tree, has a silvery trunk and translucent leaves that resemble glass. Said to be Elyon’s tree, the Hyalus tree has grown in each of the Celestial Realms. Their leaves glow at night and blaze once a year during the Festival of Light.

Azure Trees: Trees with a white trunk and blue leaves that resemble sapphires stars, appear at random in places of strong magic or intended fate. Azure Trees hold an unpredictable power and their true purpose is unknown.

Tree of the Unending: White with lush gold leaves, any who should eat their fruit would gain a power over life and death.

Elder Trees: Trees used to create gateways (portals) for quick travel within a fixed distance. It requires the power level of a Magi Master or Grand Magus to activate it.

THE GODS:

Religion in Urn is based on the seven gods. While not all are revered, their existence is known. The Kingdom of Azure based their sigil of a seven-pointed star on the gods. The God of Urn (Elyon) is the most acknowledged.

Elyōn: the God of Life and maker of the Gods and the Gates.

Gavriel: Goddess of the Heavens who oversees the gathering of souls

Hiram: The God of Time who oversees the past, present, and the future.

Zohar: The God of Space and Dimension, who oversees the bridges between the Realms.

Eitan: The God of Mortals who oversees the natural laws of life.

Rumiel: The God of Shadows who oversees the Netherworld.

Jökull: The God of Death who guides souls through the Seven Gates at their beginning and at their end.

THE SEVEN GATES:

Each soul passes through the gates at their beginning and their end.

Heaven’s Gate, Life Gate, Spatial Gate, Time Gate, Mortal Gate, Netherworld Gate, and Death’s Gate.

If you have a question about Urn that is not included in the guide or believe a fact from the series should be added to this guide, please leave us a message.