Amidral: No Promises Exist

The Present

The value of a promise should be unbreakable; that's why it's called a promise. But when your loyalty to that vocation becomes a destructive trigger, is it still worth it?

Imagine a gray and lifeless landscape, one where misfortune and death came without warning. A place where there was no time for the space and its inhabitants to defend themselves or build a containment wall to halt such destruction. From up close, you can still feel the heat of the now-extinguished fire, and as far as the eye can see, there are signs of rivers or skeletons of what was once a forest. The gentle scent of green grass and flowers is now camouflaged by a layer of heavy smoke. The sea has lost its blue color and now reflects the impression of ashes that rose with the wind, tinting everything from the water to the clouds in this place that once was an escape from reality to a world of dreams and magic.

Long ago, the desires of children and adults who kept their imaginative world deep in their subconscious allowed the revelation of a land where magic existed. It was a place difficult to access for those obsessed with material things and who could not allow themselves to dream. Expansive in biomes, rich in species, diverse in culture, and abundant in resources, Amidral was a world that could be summarized by the three regions it comprised: Namag, the land of the west; Tsol, the sand region; and Nartai, the eastern region.

Namag, the land of the west, cold and damp, lacked predominantly elevated terrain. Its icy desert beaches and snow were white during the day and black at night. The ground reflected the glint of the stars, making it easy to get lost as one could not identify the horizon. Because of this, water fairies could come out to play without danger, losing themselves among the glimmers, fluttering and dancing. The heart of the western region was a hotbed of hot springs traveling underground to the east. Consequently, its biome consisted of swamps with abundant vegetation and active volcanoes at the bottom of large lagoons. As one approached the central region, it transformed into tropical forests until it became completely dry.

Tsol, the sand region, had two biomes: the dunes and the arid savannah. There was scarce life surviving thanks to the oases and the winter dew. However, it hid treasures and caves of precious stones formed over the years by the fresh water currents from Namag. This underground paradise sang a song with the drops falling from the stalactites, sometimes cheerful, sometimes sad. Depending on who listened to it, the resonating notes resembled those of an old piano, weaving sublime and constant melodies that caressed the fragile feelings of a soul on the brink of breaking.

Nartai, the eastern region, was characterized by mountains, forests, and, above all, expansive prairies. It was the land of emeralds, where vegetation was abundant and the climate mild, though it never rained. It was nourished by several calm rivers, the result of underground currents from Tsol that were fed by springs in Namag. Clouds were almost nonexistent, and the cold depended on the time of year. Occasionally, it snowed in autumn without completely covering the green of the grass. In winter, the skies filled with lightning from electrical storms in an almost clear sky. It was beautiful, especially at night when this happened more frequently, but dangerous if the light reached someone who, mesmerized by the extraordinary, lost track of time under the sea of stars.

Peace predominated in the crafting of magic by the royal family, energy that every creature inhabiting this kingdom needed to live fully. Those living within the three regions emitted their own metabolized magic, which was either white or black depending on their type and species. White magic users needed to consume black magic users and vice versa to transmit energy in a food chain, whether they were plants, insects, animals, or people.

The inhabitants of Amidral were of different species and, according to these, their tribes. The Yagaan mermaids, with their pale hues, blended with the icy beaches of Namag. They were users of black magic and had the task of protecting the western boundary of Amidral alongside fish of various colors and water fairies. The Yamha tribe lived miles from the shores, like all the others, out of respect for the space of other tribes, in this case, the mermaids. However, they regularly traveled to the sea and went out in their boats to fish, also supporting the Yagaan and receiving support from them.