Glyphs of Velvet and Bone [WIP]

Hello! I will use this thread to hold myself accountable and gush to ya'll about this new WIP <3 For now, here's a synopsis and some charries (which I've completely fallen in love with so far, it's not even funny XD) anywho...

Kallista Morrigan is a girl with no intention of standing out. That's why, when her guardian informed her that she'd be attending Blysthe Academy, she was torn between emotions. One side of Kallista was excited-- as she'd finally be able to find her Wielding power and become an Arcanist like her mother-- but the other side was timid and nervous. What if she didn't fit in?

The school is supposed to be where young Wielders learn to control their magic, but when she finally arrives, the only magic that comes near her is a book that shouldn't exist. A book that appears and disappears at will, and a voice inside it that keeps asking for her name. A book that she'd only encountered once in her life, back home.

As Kallista makes friends at Blysthe, she uncovers more secrets about the book. Or rather, more secrets on who is trying to talk to her. She feels a pull to them-- will she give in, or will she master magic to end the torment?

Tropes

Kallista Maeve Morrigan (MC)
In short, Kallista is quiet and secretly a brilliant Enchanter and Cursebreaker who specializes in unraveling hexes and forbidden tomes. She's extremely intelligent, yet a bit socially awkward. Her mother was a master Arcanist who specialized in Necromancy and passed away due to pushing her dark magic too far. Kallista has inky, black chin-length straight hair that often falls in her face. She has gaunt features with sharp cheekbones, brown eyes, and she's rarely seen smiling. She's not a mean person, just a bit closed off.

Naomi Fenwick
Naomi is a confident rule-breaking second-year Spirit Discipline Wielder who takes it upon herself to guide newcomers, specifically Kallista. Naomi is mischievous and is already familiar with the dangers lurking around Blysthe. She's a good friend to Kallista. Naomi is known for her fiery red hair that is usually braided with silver ribbon, and she has piercing blue eyes with pale skin like marble.

Caelum Dray
Caelum is a calm and intimidating Shadowmancer specializing in illusions and light manipulation. He gives off a very aristocratic poise and rarely shows his actual emotions. He's kind of mysterious to Kallista, and he's Ezra's best friend. Caelum has porcelain pale skin tinged with blue undertones and ash blonde hair tied back with silk. He has gray eyes that often look stormy.

Ezra Goldstone
Ezra is extremely smart and powerful student Cursebreaker who specializes in unraveling forbidden curses, much like Kallista. Ezra carries the burden of a dangerous spell gone wrong and is rumored to communicate with ghosts. He's extremely quiet and intense, and most people wonder how he gets along so well with Caelum. Ezra is slender and slightly hunched from too much reading with gray-ish skin with a dark cast under his smoky violet eyes. He has shoulder-length black hair.

River Langdon-Westfall
A powerful and reckless Storm and Lightning Wielder known for his charm and rebellious nature. He can be protective and emotionally intense, and his magic is unpredictable. He keeps people on their toes and seems to be drawn emotionally to Kallista-- which he's not quite fond of. He's tall and athletic with coffee-colored skin, dark black, almost brown kinky hair that's usually braided or in a short afro, and amber-gold eyes that glow faintly when agitated.

Isla Beckett
Isla is a witty and problematic Illusionist that specializes in mild enchantments and glamour magic (similar to shapeshifting). Isla is strategic, malicious, and worst of all... River's ex girlfriend of three years. She's very social and often acts as the broker of information at Blysthe. She's not happy about River's newfound infatuation with Kallista. Isla is tall, fit yet feminine, and has long, chestnut wavy hair with olive skin, and bright green eyes.

Julian Kaineth
Julian is the head of the Academy's military guard and protector of the school's grounds. He's firm but fair, having previously served as a soldier in Qutassaw's army. He's well respected, feared by troublemakers, and very vigilant with his nightly patrols around Blysthe's campus. He's broad-shouldered with dark ebony skin and a shaved, shiny head. He has a large scar running across his left eye. Julian is a Fragmentforger, meaning he can sense magical residue -- the lingering "aftertaste" of spells. By channeling his energy into it, he can reshape that residue into enchantments, weapons, or tools.

Selina Roarke
Selina is a diplomat's daughter and a student at Blysthe. She's quick with a smile, fluent in many languages, and and often underestimated in duels. Her magic makes her nearly impossible to corner, but she has major problems with precision. She ends up being one of Kallista's friendly classmates and occasional dueling partner. Selina has tan skin, icy blue eyes (which is how most people know she's a Roarke), and curly hip length brown hair. Selina's specialty is Mirrorcasting, where she can turn mirrors into temporary portals as well as reflect spells back at their caster.

Professor Nirvana Emeraude
As the demanding yet insightful professor of "Foundations of Wielding and Control", she can be pretty darn intense. She forces students to confront their magic's true nature by pushing their limits, which is a tough spot for Kallista because of what happened to her mother. Throughout the novel, Professor Emeraude will become Kallista's close mentor. She's in her mid 40's with long, black hair streaked with gray. She has peircing green eyes that always seem to look through you, and a snake tattoo that goes up her neck. The student's aren't sure what type of magic she wields, but she's actually an Emotional Conductor, meaning she can tell when someone is lying and can heighten another's arcane energy for more powerful spellcasting.

Professor/Headmistress Porscha Virellian
Headmistress and Keeper of the Eclipsed Archives, Professor Virellian is a mysterious and intimidating character. She governs the secret knowledge of the Academy and oversees the division between acceptable magic and forbidden casts. Many students think she's immortal, though nobody knows for sure. She has a keen eye on Kallista, and she attended the Academy at the same time as Kallista's mother, so they do have a brief history (kind of want to explore this a bit more? need to remember this). Headmistress Virellian is a Namebinder, meaning she is proficient in Binding Magic, which uncovers the true name of a person, place, or magical entity. She can wield extraordinary influence over them.

Tayven Roe
Tay is the school's Archivist, a guy in his mid-twenties with sandy hair that constantly falls in his eyes and ink stained cuffs. He's naturally anxious, introverted, avoids any type of conflict, but has an insane memory for written information. Tayven is a Mnemonic Binder and specializes in tying memories to objects, people, or places to manipulate how those memories are accessed.

Geography
Qutassaw rests on a jagged peninsula, between the Sea of Mourning and the Thassiene Inlet within the great continent of Junai. It's a mixture of sun-bleached highlands, green marshes, and sandstone ridges and caves. Pillars are raised in the Eastern and Western Badlands -- locals call them the "Spikes of Amon" -- a landmark for travelers and scholars alike.

History
There are revolving theories about how Qutassaw became the most promising and powerful district within Junai. A scholar from Troye will tell you it began with the First Concord, the treaty signed between the coastal cities and the inland tribes after the War of Tides, roughly five hundred years ago. An elder from Hurra would tell you the "real" Qutassaw existed long before that, when the land was only occupied by fishing villages, traveling clans, and desert caravans who shared trade routes but no official name.

Over it all, everyone can agree on one thing: the land itself, and its politics, were shaped by arcane magic. A great example of this would be the Spines of Amon. Old texts claim they were raised in a single night by the last living Wielder of the Stone Tongue in a desperate bid to shield the northern provinces from evil forces. Whether the tale is true or not, the Spines still stand, and are monitored with guards and highly trained -- and powerful -- Wielders on the lookout for any threat.

Blysthe Academy
Blysthe Academy was not founded as a school. It was originally a fort, set on the North Coast to guard against raiders coming in from the west. Over time, as Qutassaw changed, the fort became a training ground for elite Wielders who defended Junai's borders. It wasn't until the Age of Death (around 270 years ago, when magic surged erratically and nearly split the capital into chaos) that Blysthe formally became an academy for young arcanists. It's considered prestigious, but also deadly. Blysthe has a reputation for producing both Junai's greatest protectors and its most dangerous outcasts.

How Magic works in Junai : A Guide

Wielding is the act of drawing and shaping raw energy from the Channel (a living current). The Channel is extremely responsive and reacts to a Wielder's intent, emotional state, and discipline. Some describe it as a river that flows in multiple directions at once, while others say it's a network of threads you pluck like an instrument. Wielders develop a "Core", or the focal point that lets them draw from the Channel without shattering under the strain. Overloading or damaging your Core leads to Channelburn, which includes loss of magic, physical collapse, or, in severe cases, a permanent psychic fracture (in other words, what happens to most Forbidden Wielders when they fall victim to the extent of their powers).

Main Principles of The Channel
1. The Channel resists force. Pushing magic without balance is a huge risk that can destroy your body or mind.
2. Every Wielder's Channel signature is unique. Your magic has a "tone" that others can recognize and trace.
3. Emotion colors manifest in physical magic. Grief deepens the color, anger blows it up, joy expands it, and a calm mind is more precise. But a passionate one can be extremely overwhelming and powerful.

Magic Disciplines

✦Elementalism: A more powerful Discipline, these Wielders can shape fire, water, earth, or air directly from the Channel.
✦ Mirrorcasting: These Wielders study to turn reflective surfaces, like mirrors, into portals or shields.
✦ Illumancy: Manipulating light and shadow for illusions and concealment. These Wielders can also shapeshift on rare occasions.
✦ Runecrafting: These Wielders create magical effects via runes that are usually inscribed into books and buildings.
✦ Storm Wielding: These Wielders can usually control and create storms and lightning. They are extremely unpredictable.
✦ Emotional Conducting: These are mentally powerful Wielders who can amplify emotions to affect someone's mental state. They also have the rare ability to tell when someone (or a group of people) is lying or being untruthful.
✦ Enchanting: These Wielders specialize in binding magic permanently into an object, weapon, piece of clothing, or even living being. An Enchanter's work lasts until the original spellcaster breaks the Channel connection.
✦ Mnemonic Binding: Though uncommon, these (usually scholars) Wielders steal memories and place them into objects, people, or places, similar to Echanters.
✦ Healing: These Wielders are usually key in combat. They channel magic to repair physical major or minor injuries at the cost of their own Core energy.
✦ Seer: A very uncommon discipline, these Wielders have the ability of foresight, though it's not always correct. Blysthe Academy only as one student that possesses foresight.
✦ Catacraft: These are very dangerous Wielders who can summon disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunami waves. Catacraft users usually make it into high society and politics, and the gift is usually passed down through bloodlines.
✦ Shadowmancy: These rare Wielders can shape shadows into constructs or extensions of themselves. They can also travel short distances through shadows, especially at night or in a dark room. This gift is usually passed down through aristocratic bloodlines.

Forbidden and Dangerous Disciplines

✦ Cursebreaking (Forbidden): These extremely powerful Wielders can absorb, read, and awaken forbidden enchantments by reading their magical patterns. If one does this more than once in a 48hr period, the Wielder could be at risk of death or Channel burnout.
✦ Hollowing (Dangerous): The rarest Disicipline, these Wielders can strip another of their core, leaving them defenseless for moderate periods of time.
✦ Deathcalling (Dangerous, Shunned): A branch of Necromancy, these Wielders can mind-control while destroying someone's core in small amounts. This discipline has a very high risk of burnout and paranoia, because they are drawing magic from the dead (These Wielders are not direct Necromantics, they have no ability to bring back the dead).
✦ Necromancy (Forbidden): These Wielders can bring back and control the dead. Considered a direct violation of the Pact of Rest (law that protects the peace between the living and the dead).
✦ Spirit Discipline (Dangerous): These Wielders work with emotions, memories, and spirit energy. They can usually heal or destabilize any mental state. These Wielders can fall into psychosis easily, and if done too much, usually end up falling victim to their spirit encounters.
✦ Blood Wielding (Riots in Capital to ban, Dangerous and Shunned): These Wielders are more common than the other forbidden and dangerous Disciplines. They can stop blood flow in any living being at the cost of their own life force and can use shed blood to enhance their own spells. This gift is extremely addictive.