Where is the North? What lies to the South?
Why does the scent of grain drift from the West each morning?
The world is vast, and it has changed with time,
for even the world itself is not immutable,
and often, it is our own actions that reshape it.
The Lenses exist for this very reason:
to observe what the world is,
and, perhaps even more importantly,
to remember what it once was.
The World in the Beginning
A perfect sphere.
On one side—a vast, calm sea, unbroken by wind or rain, only endless water stretching to the horizon. On the other—dense forests, intertwined with fertile plains.
Between them—a colossal mountain range, the Crown that encircles the hemispheres and spans the globe.
A world precise and balanced,
between life and death,
between change and stillness.
The World of the First Act
After the First Act of Strength,
the face of the green hemisphere changed forever. The Desert of the First Act claimed most of the land,
spreading from Imprimatur at its heart to the distant coasts.
Now, the great forests and meadows have been reduced
to a narrow band along the great Crown.
Yet the mighty rivers—Serae, Amae, and Cornae,
born from the Cusp of the First Act,
cut through the desert toward the sea,
bringing life even where the sand reigns.
At the edges of Imprimatur stood three imposing gates, each towering over the passage of a river.
Following the Serae River and passing through the Southern Gate, one arrives in the Arbiter District, home of Serena’s children, the administrators and judges of the world. Following the Cornae River and passing through the Northwestern Gate, one enters the Cunei District, where the children of Cornelia, the Executioner, reside, those who carry out the sentences. Finally, following the Amae River and passing through the Northeastern Gate, one reaches the Creators’ District, where the children of Amelia live, the architects of every stone ever laid.These three districts, and the wonders around which they revolve, form the living, beating heart of this desert, one rich with purpose.
Locus Amoenus
A Locus Amoenus, literally, “a pleasant place.”
A place to sit and rest,
to enjoy nature and reflect with an unburdened heart.
Many such places have witnessed great battles,
or crossroads where nature and culture intertwined.
If you can, pause for a moment.
Take off your shoes.
Feel the cool grass cradle your feet,
the warmth of the desert sun on your skin,
or the crackle of a fire while a storm rages beyond the mountains.
Each of these places holds a story,
one that needs no words to be told.
Only a moment of your time.
Many more places to discover…