The Hundred Halls is not just a magical school. The magic of portals creates a network of realms where mages with access can move about freely. Realms do not exist at fixed positions to each other, but move in relation to each other for unknown reasons, creating unusual and sometimes unexpected connections. The Academy of the Subtle Arts is the Hall most connected to the multi-realms, but others such as Coterie of Mages for the Infernal realm are known experts.
The Eternal City – The home of the maetrie, sometimes called city elves, is a place of high magic and high danger that doesn’t follow all the rules of more stable realms. In the Eternal City, locations don’t always remain in the same place, and even those are ruled by the various courts: Jade, Diamond, and Ruby. Only the most brave (or foolish) mages visit this realm, and of those that do, most never return.
The Infernal Realm – An early precursor realm that was one of the first to stabilize out of the fledgling universe. The understanding of this brutal place is limited and most scholars think, probably wrong. It is awash in demonic creatures that defy human knowledge.
The Veil – This realm exists at the barrier between life and death. Ghosts, apparitions, and otherworldly creatures sometimes pass through into other realms, causing problems and sometimes opportunities. It is rumored that the mages of the Academy of the Subtle Arts can briefly step into this realm to pass out of sight.
Harmony – A stable realm of harsh beauty, Harmony is known to few. The fearsome and explosively fast mystdrakons come from this place and its jungles hide other dangerous creatures that frighten even the most hardened explorers.
Fae – The realm most commonly portrayed in folktales and legends is the place of the seelie and unseelie. Access to this realm has become more difficult in the last century, making its influence less known than the past.
Ice Hold – A cold and inhospitable place that has become a vacation spot for the ultra-wealthy mages that wish to experience winter sports in an entirely different realm than their own. Most only visit the lodges in the mountains, though some adventurous explorers travel further than the known regions.
Montanhas – A mountainous region that was settled by Portuguese colonists a half-century ago and then again by the company Lifestone. The enormous Montas live in this realm alongside the settlers. Surprisingly little is known about the native race.
Caer Corsydd – A backwater fae realm of swamps and bogs. Its dangers are only matched by its beauty. As the home of the Gwyllion, the outcasts of Fae, it is a mix of fairy and unsettled country. The rules that apply to most fae realms do not here, because it was not their homeland.
Danir – The home to a pastural race that is quite civilized. Their extensive farmlands are surrounded by jungle. Early explorers learned about the existence of mágrithral which is commonly called magesteel, a material that can easily hold enchantments. The value of magesteel is astronomical, though the Danir no longer produce it, citing environmental issues as the cause.
Black Council – The existence of this realm has not been confirmed. Researchers claim that it’s a den of malicious thievery. Serious researchers avoid this realm as a topic of scholarship due to the string of unfortunate accidents that befell their compatriots that sought to unearth the truth.
Brodaria – Home to the Brodarians, a battle-hungry people that spent their days in constant conquest. Mercenaries and fortune-hunters have been known to visit this realm to ply their dangerous trade.
Which of these Realms would you want to go to first? Is there one you’d like to avoid altogether? Leave me a comment and let me know.
Black Council for me! Wonder just how far “other” they have gotten in all this time? 🙂
What I also would love to see is an in-depth foray into the depths of the Undercity and the ruins or layers of ruins it contains!
Many thanks for asking, what fun!
Roe
The next series of the Hundred Halls universe will be a more in-depth look at the Undercity and the people that live there. 🙂
–Tom