In the outer Earth Ring lay the dark continent of Elysium, a land of endless fog, broken temples, and black stone. In a hidden valley, the settlement of Aldara endured as the sanctuary of the Witches of Elysium, guardians of ancient forces older than the continent itself. Each year at the Winter Solstice, they gathered around a circle of ancient monoliths. Led by Magistra Elara, they ignited a magical fire whose flames did not rise upward but seemed to sink into the depths of the earth. The witches wore robes woven with shifting runes and living symbols that moved faintly in the firelight. They cast dried herbs and personal relics into the flames as offerings to the powers of Elysium. The smoke did not drift into the sky but spread through the valley like a living veil, settling across the stones. When they placed their hands upon the monoliths, an ancient energy flowed through them, binding them to one another and to the land itself. By dawn, the ritual ended. Aldara remained hidden in silence, yet the balance of Elysium was preserved for another year.
