Spelldancers are skilled arcanists known for their rhythmic, expressive style of spellcasting. Their rituals combine movement and magic in a seamless dance, coiling mana through motion and breath until it shapes into powerful effects.
Over a century ago, the fifteen-year War of Asha raged between the Sand Kingdoms and the tribal peoples of the Valley of Life. The war left both sides fatigued, and as its purpose eroded, an uneasy peace was brokered. In time, tensions eased and relations warmed. The ensuing treaty not only ended the conflict but fostered cultural exchange under tightly regulated terms. Trade routes flourished, and both nations found unexpected benefit in one another’s traditions—the Sand Kingdoms gained insight into long-overlooked native magical practices, while the tribes were granted access to the walled cities, marketplaces, and lecture halls.
A significant outcome of this newfound harmony was the diffusion of magical philosophy between the stoic Grand Academy and the spirited arcanists of the Oasis. From this synthesis emerged a new school of magic: the House of Anima.
Rooted in chimeric traditions, the House of Anima embraces arcane expression through ritual, spirituality, and soul-animation. It is the gathering place for all arcanists whose practices fall outside conventional schools of spellcraft. Its disciplines are as varied as they are unconventional—drawing power through music, dance, meditation, acrobatics, spirit-channeling, shape-shifting, and other expressive forms of magic.
Among these, spell dancing is one of the most iconic and celebrated. These arcanists draw mana from within, manipulating its flow through precise and deliberate bodily movement. The dance does not follow the magic—it is the magic. Their fluid motions coax, bind, and shape mana into powerful spells. The synergy between body and energy becomes so refined that they can wield magics which would otherwise destroy them, should their control falter.
One such example is electromancy, the manipulation of electricity—considered the most dangerous and refined form of aeromancy. Without perfect alignment between the spellcaster’s internal circuit and the volatile forces they summon, death is instantaneous.
Another advanced form of magic taught within the House is armamancy—the summoning of weapons wrought from pure mana. To do so, the caster must siphon Aether from the Void realm into the material world. Aether, being the purest and most volatile type of mana, is without inherent properties. It mirrors and absorbs the energies it encounters, making it both invaluable and perilous. To safely harness it, an arcanist must construct a complete internal circuit and seal it, forming a protective barrier that prevents Aether from blending with their life-force.
Because of this training in precise inner control, many who attempt the perilous journey through the Void—the few known as Void-Runners—first study at the House of Anima. Their time there is spent not only learning how to move with magic, but how to shield the self from what lies beyond.
Each year, the House of Anima hosts a grand festival in its verdant garden halls, where Spelldancers and other students perform arcane displays to inspire wonder and attract patrons, initiates, and scholars alike. It is a celebration of magic not as formula or structure, but as expression—raw, beautiful, and alive.
