An overlay on Harmura that powers the magic of the Sanctumss. Zudaeshi’s corruption of the Spirit Realm is causing magic disruptions and corruption of spirits.
Convergence point Landscape:Portal:Trigram Spirit Realms☰ Heaven (Spirit Realm)☷ Ground (Spirit Realm)☵ Water (Spirit Realm)☲ Flame (Spirit Realm)☴ Wind (Spirit Realm)☶ Mountain (Spirit Realm)☳ Thunder (Spirit Realm)☱ Lake/Marsh (Spirit Realm)The Heart of Harmura: Central Mountain & PalaceSpirit RealmCore Function:System Features:
Convergence point
The convergence point of the spirit realm is a place where opposites dissolve into balance, where every element — flame, water, wind, thunder, earth — finds a mirror in its counterpart. The landscape is vast, open, and luminous, unfolding in all directions like a mandala come to life.
Landscape:
The land itself forms a wide, circular basin rimmed by gently rising hills, each section bearing traces of the spirit realms that feed into it. Crimson ash meets violet stormglass; soft green grass coils around jagged black rock; still ponds reflect rustling leaves; icy stone steps descend into sun-warmed sand. Despite the contradictions, nothing clashes—each transition is seamless, like brushstrokes blending on a single canvas. The air is calm but never still, stirred by breezes that seem to hum in harmony. Clouds above swirl in slow-moving spiral patterns, tinged with subtle hues of all eight Sanctums. Petals, sparks, snowflakes, and embers drift side by side in peaceful dance.
Portal:
At the center is a radiant portal, perfectly round and hovering just above the ground. It does not shine, it glows—like moonlight through fog, or sunlight under water. Its surface is iridescent and ever-shifting, reflecting the viewer’s own soul rather than the world around it. Symbols from each spirit realm pulse along its outer rim: waves, flame, wind curls, stone glyphs, lightning cracks. But the symbols do not stay put—they rearrange as needed, like a living seal responding to the traveler’s purpose. From a distance, it appears silent. But those who approach hear a quiet, wordless chord in their bones—a resonance of home, fear, wonder, and readiness.
Entering the portal does not feel like walking or flying. It feels like remembering.
Trigram Spirit Realms
☰ Heaven (Spirit Realm)
Vast endless skies. Floating staircases. Impossible bridges suspended in air. Nothing but wind, cloud, and silence so deep it vibrates in your bones. Stars pulse beneath your feet. Time does not move forward here.
☷ Ground (Spirit Realm)
Endless plains of soft light and fog. Massive, half-buried faces in the soil. Whispering stones. Gravity feels stronger here. You feel watched, comforted, and judged at the same time.
☵ Water (Spirit Realm)
A canyon flooded with memory. Rivers reflect moments from the past. You can drown in your own regrets here—or drink them in. The deeper you walk, the heavier your thoughts become.
☲ Flame (Spirit Realm)
Flames without heat. Red suns rise and fall in minutes. Everything flickers. You walk across glowing ash fields where your shadow runs ahead of you, whispering truths you’re not ready to hear.
☴ Wind (Spirit Realm)
A vast forest of motion. Trees that bend without breaking. Wind carries voices from long ago. Time feels looped. You walk and walk, and sometimes you pass yourself coming the other way.
☶ Mountain (Spirit Realm)
A frozen monolith carved into endless staircases. Each step is a trial of will. You hear chants that have no source. Sometimes, sitting still is the way forward.
☳ Thunder (Spirit Realm)
Cracked obsidian plains under a violet sky. Lightning constantly fractures the air. Visions flash before your eyes—some yours, some not. You are forced to confront what you’ve refused to feel.
☱ Lake/Marsh (Spirit Realm)
Still water that reflects the self you do not show. Laughter echoes without origin. Blossoms float above dark water. You are neither walking nor swimming—just drifting toward revelation.
The Heart of Harmura: Central Mountain & Palace
Geopolitical & Mythic Function:
The Central Mountain is the convergence point of the eight elemental forces
The Grand Palace on the ☱ Marsh Sanctum side was once a neutral meeting place, believed to be the last mortal construction touched by the Creator Celestials
The palace surrounds a Spirit Portal in its courtyard—the origin point of the Between
All spirit paths lead toward this location
In-world, it's sometimes called:
The Breach
The Navel of the World
The Mirror Gate
Before Zudaeshi:
☱ Marsh Sanctum maintains it, but does not own it
Each Sanctum has equal access and responsibility for palace maintenance and protections
The portal is used only by immortals.
Zudaeshi’s Corruption Arc
What She Does:
Claims the palace as her own base of operations
Surrounds it with Shinran guards and spirit-binding enchantments
Begins twisting the Spirit Realm from the inside, breaking harmony:
Paths that once led straight now wind
Time and space begin to lose consistency
Sacred animals vanish or turn violent
“The Breach was never meant to be ruled. Now it serves a queen.”
The Central Mountain and its portal is a central battleground— Zudaeshi controls the world because she controls the mirror of it
Spirit Realm
Core Function:
A compressed mirror of Harmura—like a second layer folded tightly over the world
You can enter and exit via portals, or if you're special, at will
Travel is much faster because: The terrain is smoother or symbolic Physical distances are collapsed, like spirit gravity wells
System Features:
Requires portals for most immortals (fixed points in space)
Portals are: Rare, Guarded
Once inside, travel is: Faster. Emotionally or symbolically charged (you’re walking through meaning, not just space)
Spirits and half-spirits: Can enter/exit anywhere, anytime
Heaven Master + bloodline: Can enter/exit anywhere via meditation, no portal needed
This realm is unique to Harmura—part of the original Celestial design
Corruption of the Spirit Realm: A Slow Rot from the Center
The spirit realm is the hidden nervous system of the world. It weaves through the Sanctums, empowers magic, and governs balance.
Zudaeshi’s occupation of the central palace—and especially her exploitation of the central portal—begins to infect the entire spirit realm like a poisoned heart.
Spirits closest to the center turn first. Over time, the corruption radiates outward like rot through roots.
Spirit Behavior Now Fractures Along Location
Spirits living in the mortal realm (tethered to rivers, mountains, forests) remain mostly healthy, although they are growing anxious or withdrawing.
Spirits trapped within the spirit realm, especially those who preferred isolation or stillness, begin to mutate, lose memory, or go mad.
These corrupted spirits become more aggressive, unstable, and disoriented by time or place—some forget who they were or begin attacking what they once protected.