Here is the basic structure of the world and the various knowledge you need to get started if you feel overwhelmed.
Contains spoilers from the story !
The Reach
At the foundation of our understanding lies what the common folk call the Reach. It is not magic in the traditional sense, nor is it an energy or divine gift. It is, rather, the way the world responds when perceived with attention. Every person can sense it in some form, though most only feel its faintest echoes.
The Reach manifests differently depending on the individual: some sense it through physical movement, others through thought, prayer, or even the careful use of crafted tools. It is not granted by birth, nor does it require wealth or status — only the depth of one's perception determines the strength of its awakening.
Those who actively engage with it are called Resonants. The smallest fraction of the population, they wield influence beyond their apparent strength. All orders, academies, and military houses maintain a careful record of known Resonants, and the Crown watches them closely.
The Arcanum
The Arcanum is the kingdom's preeminent institution for study and preservation of knowledge. It serves multiple roles:
Archival and transcription of ancient texts.
Research on the Reach and its practical applications.
Training grounds for scholars and aspiring Resonants.
The Arcanum is structured hierarchically. Masters oversee divisions, assistants (such as transcribers) manage daily operations, and junior scholars support research and copywork. Though not all associated with the Reach are practitioners, the Arcanum maintains careful records on those who are.
The Crown's Directorate
The Directorate functions as the kingdom's regulatory body, supervising the ethical and practical application of the Reach, maintaining security, and investigating incidents that threaten public or institutional safety. Their agents are often encountered by the Arcanum, though tensions occasionally flare over control of sensitive knowledge or artifacts.
Hierarchy of Resonants
The study of Perceptive Resonance, or the Reach, has created a structured ranking system among those who can actively engage with it, known as Resonants. The Directorate, the kingdom's governing body overseeing matters of resonance, classifies them into five observable ranks:
1. The Touched – The most common of the Resonants. They can sense subtle responses from the world, though they cannot yet command it. Their awareness is basic, and their influence limited.
2. The Echoed – Resonants who can project the world's responses outward. A craftsman's tools obey their rhythm, or a duelist anticipates strikes before they land. Echoed Resonants are rare and respected, and their presence is often noted in academic or martial circles.
3. The Harmonized – Exceptional individuals whose perception and environment move in tandem. Even simple movements subtly affect reality around them — sound, motion, and balance respond in harmony. Very few reach this stage, and those who do are often seen as masters of their craft or discipline.
4. The Veiled – Not because they hide, but because reality itself bends subtly around them, concealing their influence from ordinary observers. Their presence can alter minor aspects of reality without anyone noticing directly. This level is extremely rare, with only a handful of known practitioners.
5. The Transcendent – Those whose awareness blurs the line between mind and world. They act with a level of perception and influence that seems beyond human comprehension. Even the Directorate watches them closely. Though rare, ancient texts hint at their existence, often mythologized as gods.
> "Each rank is not a gift but a measure — the deeper one perceives, the thinner the self becomes."
Glassmind
there are phenomena the Directorate cannot explain. Some acts of Climbing have left minds fractured, leaving echoes of thought that twist reality itself. Those affected are said to see the world as it is… and yet not.
Observers speak in hushed tones: fleeting shadows where none exist, whispers that seem to rise from one's own thoughts, reflections that move with a will of their own.
It is not a contagion in the ordinary sense, nor is it a punishment laid by the Reach. Those who encounter it feel only a disquieting truth: there are corners of perception the mind was never meant to traverse. And once crossed, the boundaries of self and world can blur, leaving an impression that lingers long after the person is gone.
(Note:if you don't understand what this is , you don't have to . That's how it's supposed to be.)
> "Some doors, once opened, refuse to close."
Society
The kingdom of Ravryn, though advanced in scholarship, remains rooted in social hierarchies and trade. Merchants, craftsmen, and scholars form a web of interdependence, while currency is measured in standard gold coins, silver, and minor bronze denominations. Wealth and status often dictate access to research resources, but the Reach itself is open to any who can perceive it.
The Act of Climbing
Among Resonants, the path of growth is never sudden, nor entirely visible. To advance through the ranks — from Touched to Echoed, Harmonized, or beyond — one must undergo the Act of Climbing.
It is neither a simple trial nor a skill to be learned at will. Instead, it is a subtle shift of perception: a step beyond what the world shows, a deeper alignment with its hidden patterns. Some feel it as a gradual awakening, a soft expansion of awareness. Others experience it as a sudden, dizzying clarity that changes how they move, think, or even exist.
The Act of Climbing is always dangerous. The Reach does not grant it freely, and those unprepared may find themselves overwhelmed by what they cannot fully grasp. Every advancement leaves traces — in thought, in perception, in the world itself.
> "To climb is to see the world as it truly answers, and to risk that it may answer too much."
Currency of the Kingdom
The kingdom's economy is structured around a three-tiered coin system, each tier reflecting both value and social accessibility. While everyday commerce relies on the lowest tier, the higher denominations are often symbols of wealth, influence, and status rather than simple means of exchange.
1. Lent – The base currency.
Material: Copper.
Markings: Each coin bears the royal crest, a testament to its legitimacy.
Usage: Commonly carried and used by the general populace for daily transactions — bread, tools, lodging, and other basic necessities.
Value: The standard unit; other coins are multiples of the Lent.
2. Cairyn – The mid-tier currency.
Material: Silver.
Value: 1 Cairyn = 100 Lents.
Usage: Used in larger transactions, such as renting houses, paying higher-skilled artisans, or acquiring rare materials. Cairyns circulate among merchants, minor officials, and well-off craftspeople.
Social aspect: A Cairyn coin is a visible marker of moderate wealth. Possession of multiple Cairyns suggests influence beyond the common class.
3. Veyra – The highest denomination.
Material: Gold.
Value: 1 Veyra = 100 Cairyns = 10,000 Lents.
Usage: Rarely seen in circulation, these coins are mostly used for accounting among nobles, royals, and wealthy merchants. They are primarily accounting instruments rather than coins carried daily. A single Veyra could represent the annual wage of a skilled craftsman or the value of a modest estate.
Social aspect: Veyras symbolize immense wealth and status. To handle or even see one is a privilege, and they often remain in secure vaults or treasuries rather than purses.
Observations
For those newly acquainted with the world: perception matters more than strength, curiosity more than obedience, and understanding more than ambition. The smallest gestures can ripple outward, unnoticed, yet the world watches closely.
> "To touch the world truly is to invite it to touch you back."