The Cross-Sea Lands weren’t always an archipelago of towering cities and political tension. Long before Basha took up the mantle of Signet and uncovered the truth behind her sister’s death, this patchwork nation was forged by survivors—mariners, warriors, scholars, and refugees who refused to drown beneath the waves.
Whether you’re new to the world of the Legion of Pneumos or just need a refresher, here’s everything you should know before cracking open The Remnant.
🌊 A Nation Built on Water and Ruin
127 M.E. – The Founding of the Cross-Sea Lands
After the fall of the Ravaged Continent, a seafaring leader named Arathet led a coalition of survivors across the sea to the highest points of a scattered archipelago. They founded a new society among the waves. Over time, the capital city of Arathet rose where land met tide, and the surrounding islands formed the Cross-Sea Lands—a confederation of city states bound more by necessity than trust.
153 M.E. – The First Rising
Rising seas swallowed the original settlements, prompting each city to build upward—stacking roads atop ruins, crafting terraces over drowned streets, and creating a literal and social divide between the gilded heights and the crumbling City Beneath. These seismic shifts birthed the Cross-Sea warrior code, a culture of endurance and honor, and new materials like Cross-Sea Stone—a luminous mineral pulled from the ocean floor, prized for being light yet nearly indestructible. Weapons forged from it are ceremonial and deadly.
⚔️ Clans, Councils, and the Conclave
The Cross-Sea Lands are not one nation but many. Each city-state—like Arathet, Mirzadi, Daskar, and others—operates under its own Council of Clans, with influence concentrated among a few noble houses.
But once a year, the Conclave convenes in Arathet. There, all Signets and Clan Heads gather to vote on matters of war, trade, diplomacy, and succession. It’s where alliances are made and broken—and where Basha must prove herself if she hopes to honor her sister’s legacy and avoid becoming her mother’s pawn.
Arathet
Once a modest coastal settlement, Arathet was transformed into the capital of Naidoa by the descendants of Arathet himself, the legendary leader who guided the first settlers across the seas. Its towering structures and elevated platforms reflect the city’s resilience against the encroaching ocean, marking the heart of the Cross-Sea Lands and its enduring struggle for survival.
Elarion
Nestled in a fertile valley at the southern tip of the largest island, Elarion is famed for its terraced vineyards and olive groves, which produce the finest wines and oils in Naidoa. Founded by settlers guided by divine signs, the city’s culture is steeped in agricultural tradition. The annual Festival of the Vines honors this legacy, drawing visitors to celebrate the harvest and partake in Elarion’s bounty.
Daskar
Strategically perched on rugged cliffs along the Cross-Sea Lands’ northwestern edge, Daskar began as a fortified naval outpost. Over time, it evolved into a powerful maritime city, known for its formidable fleet, the Sea Spears. Daskar’s tall watchtowers and weathered stone walls stand as guardians against the ever-threatening sea and foreign invaders
Al-Zahra
Legend has it that Al-Zahra, once a barren rock, was blessed by a sorcerer with fertile land, giving birth to its famed terraced gardens. Now, the ‘Isle of Blossoms’ is celebrated for its exquisite flora and artisanal crafts. The annual Flower Festival brings the elites of the Cross-Sea Lands to this upland paradise, where beauty and harmony with nature are cherished above all.
Mirzadi
Mirzadi, a bustling port city on the largest island of the Cross-Sea Lands, has long been a nexus of trade and cultural exchange. Founded by Eastern merchants, the city’s vibrant markets and diverse population make it a melting pot of ideas and goods. Mirzadi’s thriving commerce and open policies have cemented its status as the economic heart of the Cross-Sea Lands.
Vanyr
High in the isolated mountains in the southern reach of the Cross-Sea Lands, Vanyr clings to rugged cliffs, its stone buildings connected by narrow bridges and tunnels. The city’s hardy inhabitants revere the Tidemother, believing they are descendants of sea gods. Vanyr’s mist-shrouded fortifications and shrines speak to its ancient, enduring connection to both the mountains and the sea.
Kharazan
Perched on cliffs overlooking the Cross Sea, Kharazan was originally a military outpost that grew into a city of engineering marvels. The city’s windmills and watermills harness the forces of nature, reflecting the ingenuity of its people. Kharazan remains a symbol of innovation in Naidoa, where progress and tradition walk hand in hand.
🕊 Customs of the Isles
Headscarves and Veils: Nobility in the Cross-Sea Lands wear intricate headscarves and masks that hide all but their eyes. Veils are only lifted among family or trusted intimates. Unmasking, especially in public, is a gesture of vulnerability or rebellion.
Names and Honorifics: The clan name precedes the given name in formal introductions (e.g., Inaba Basha), and titles like Signet, Lady, or Nauarch carry political weight.
Gifted Traditions: A rare few, like Basha, possess “map-minding”—a cognitive gift allowing them to see the threads of terrain and possibility as if charted in glowing lines. In a city with shifting tunnels and collapsing roads, it’s both a blessing and a weapon.
🌁 City Above, City Beneath
The rising sea didn’t just flood streets—it reshaped society. As waters claimed the old roads and lower districts, the Cross-Sea city-states began to build upward, layer by layer. This gave birth to the City Beneath—a shadowy, crumbling underworld of drowned alleys, abandoned shrines, and forgotten homes—and the City Above, where the nobility, artisans, and ruling clans now dwell in sunlit spires and polished towers.
City Above
Above, life is ordered and ceremonial—governed by protocol, politics, and polished masks. Nobles veil their faces and speak in clipped courtesies, while the world below drowns in secrets.
City Beneath
Inhabitants of the City Beneath are often dockworkers, smugglers, or the disenfranchised poor. Their world is marked by collapsed corridors, unstable caverns, and makeshift communities clinging to survival. Places like the Whispering Grotto, a tavern hidden in the ruins, serve as gathering points for the desperate and the daring.
This physical stratification mirrors the story’s deeper theme: what do we bury to survive? Basha was born of the heights but finds her truest strength in the depths—both literal and metaphorical. Her journey between the two worlds is as much about confronting legacy and loss as it is about power and position.
🏛️ Meet the Power Players
Inaba Basha
A reluctant leader haunted by grief and guilt. After the death of her older sister, Sara, Basha becomes the Signet of Clan Inaba and stumbles into a conspiracy that could change the fate of the Isles.
Inaba Kaori
Basha’s formidable mother and current clan matriarch. She’s brilliant, ruthless, and harbors dangerous secrets . . .
Junia Marian
The exiled heir of Loren, a nation across the sea. Charismatic and cunning, Junia seeks asylum in the Cross-Sea Lands—but her true goal is to reclaim her throne and avenge the betrayal that stole it from her.
Akimona Chiko
A childhood friend turned reluctant ally. Fiercely loyal and deeply rooted in the City Beneath, Chiko represents the working class Basha once called home—and the life she left behind.
Nanuyo Dai
Basha’s betrothed in a political marriage arranged by their parents. He’s charming, ambitious, and possibly more dangerous than he appears.
⚖️ Empire, Exile, and a Brewing War
To understand Junia’s arrival—and the threat she brings—you need a glimpse into Loren’s fractured history.
136 M.E. – Fall of Aurora: The Marian Empire’s capital falls to Eastern invaders, and the empire begins its long decline.
241 M.E. – The Regio’s Death: Junia’s father, the Regio of Loren, dies suddenly, sparking a civil war.
242–243 M.E. – Present Day: Junia has been cast aside in favor of her younger brother, Landry Marian, and now seeks to forge an alliance with the Cross-Sea Lands to reclaim what she believes is rightfully hers.
Basha’s sister, Sara, was sent to Loren as a diplomatic envoy. But she never returned. Officially, she died in a “training accident.”
Unofficially? She was murdered.
💥 Secrets Beneath the Surface
At the story’s heart lies a weapon hidden deep within the sunken reaches of the Cross-Sea Lands—one tied to the mysterious sinkholes devastating the City Beneath. As Basha uncovers the truth behind her sister’s death, she’ll have to decide not just who to trust, but who she wants to become.
Because some legacies drown.
Others rise.
