Mana-vil

Mana-vil is the capital of the Kingdom of Meltor, called the 'abode of magic' and the 'centre of all magic.' On the continent there is no mage who has not heard of Mana-vil and does not hold it in respect: the city overflows with artifacts, magical books and gifted wizards. From afar it seems a city of heaven — ringed by white walls, it pierces the sky with tall white spires, while flying carriages drift above it, so that a traveller feels he has stepped into a fairy tale. By legend the city was built by the joint efforts of elves and dwarves, and it remains a symbol of architecture so high that neither the masters nor the technology of present-day humanity can reproduce it — no such city exists even in the far richer and stronger Andras Empire.

The heart of the capital is the Magic Society at its very centre, around which four great Towers are raised to the cardinal directions, each Tower's outer walls painted in the colour of its element. These Towers, not the royal palace, are the city's largest buildings and its true essence; unlike the closed palace, the grounds of the Towers are open to free entry. The city and kingdom are ruled by King Kurt III, who cannot abide useless luxury: he holds court balls rarely — only for visiting delegations or at the opening and closing ceremonies of the contest. Every subject of Meltor dreams of living in Mana-vil, and getting in is no small thing: the capital is famed for its strict checkpoints, and without proof of identity one may easily land in prison, especially during the contest.

The city's great event is the annual Magic Contest, the symbol of the kingdom, drawing mages from all over the world; in those days the population swells roughly tenfold — tourists, wizards, merchants and mercenaries fill the streets. Within the contest is held the Students' Tournament, into which Professor Vince enters the young Theodore: it is thus that a provincial youth, raised among the Millers' rice fields, first sees the capital — at the cry 'I can see Mana-vil!' he can only breathe out in wonder. The city's unique sight is the 'sky carriage,' a flying coach driven by mana-stones that exists only in Mana-vil: to look upon the capital from on high is reckoned by visitors as a must-see. In the story's finale, when Meltor rises to a magical Empire, Mana-vil becomes the central axis and summit of the whole continent.

A city of white spires behind white walls, with flying carriages drifting above; by legend built by elves and dwarves and beyond the reach of present-day masters. At its centre stands the Magic Society, ringed to the cardinal points by four Towers in their elemental colours, the capital's largest buildings.

Its unique transport is the 'sky carriage' on mana-stones, found only in Mana-vil; a flight over the city is reckoned by guests its chief sight. The capital keeps strict checkpoints, especially during the contest.

The annual Magic Contest is the symbol of the kingdom, for which mages gather from all over the world and the population swells roughly tenfold. Within it runs the Students' Tournament, into which Vince enters Theodore.

The contest's opening and closing ceremonies are among Meltor's few occasions for a court ball; a high-ranked victory earns the right to an early academy diploma.