Lita Burke

With the release of my epic fantasy novel Tredan’s Bane scheduled for the end of this month, I’m beginning a series of blog posts about the fantasy world in Tredan’s Bane and Wrath, Prequel to Tredan’s Bane.  I wanted to introduce you to this rich fantasy world and its inhabitants.

Sye is the land where the Enchanters, Church magicians, and others (called ‘non-Maji’kers’) live.  The humans, and some sentient fantasy creatures, use magic (also called ‘essence’) as a commodity for personal and practical use to power mechanisms that would otherwise use physics or natural laws.  For example, Magic Guild workers keep up spells for the street fountains and waste disposal.  Many of Sye’s humans have some magical ability, and can master basic skills such as slight-of-hand, use charms, or levitate small objects.

The landscape of Sye consists of pre-industrial towns and cities, farms, fishing villages, and mountain communities.  Travel is by carriage or horseback.  Enchanters can travel great distances using essence-powered Transport Charms.

Sye is a separate place from the afterlife, called the Fields of Yalu (or the ‘city of the dead’).  Ghosts are regular visitors to Sye, and certain Church magicians (called Sciomancers) are experts in ghost-related spells and customs.  Enchanter GrandMasters control enough magical power to make travel to and from Sye and the Fields of Yalu possible, although the journey holds dangers for the living.