Welcome to the Omnium
by Val Saraven
December 15, 2025
Issue #3
by Val SaravenWelcome to the Omnium
by Val Saraven
"Knowledge is safe. Static. Immutable."
— Krysaalis a'Ciermanuinn Last week, we witnessed fall of a city in the new page about Ciermanuinn and the aftermath of a survivor in the Prologue. Today, we step out of the ashes of history and into the quiet present of the Saga.
Chapter 1: Whispers from Home is now live.
In this chapter, we meet Krysaalis as the woman who is no longer just a refugee fleeing a dragon, but as a woman who has rebuilt her life within the Omnium—the great archive of Vespria.
The Craft of the Archive
For a long time, the Omnium existed as a nameless, vast library in the heart of the Vesprian capital. I knew it was big. I knew attempted to contain copies of all known publications. I knew it was the 'Seat of Knowledge' of Vespria and the Five SeasA look at a few floors of the Omnium. by Val Saraven
Preparing to craft my first draft of Chapter 1 forced me to move vague concepts to more concrete understandings of the architecture and atmosphere I wanted to portray.
I wasn’t satisfied with simply a vast library devoted to the preservation of knowledge; I had to discover how it felt to stand there. I slowly realized that in a world governed by the The Grand Composition—where magic is music—altering reality becomes an engineering problem more than a “magic” problem. From there, I developed additional ideas for the Omnium (and the related and adjacent Aula Illumis).
In this chapter, I introduce resonance lamps, devices capable of holding a perpetual note of light within the metaphysical acoustics of the Omnium (some depicted in the image above). Shelves of sablewood became more than just a name. This is wood with qualities unique and beneficial for use in a place that seeks to resist the saturation of the air. These concepts represent a society that has turned dangerous cosmic forces into domestic luxuries.
Status Report: The Flight Plan
Over the last week, I created and finished the character profile page for Krysaalis, our first Point of View character in Book 1, in addition to adding some final touches to Chapter 1 (which always seems to result in introducing more errors, despite my efforts to the contrary). If you’d like a little more context for our Shandaryn scholar, please check it out.
Consequently, I developed far more detail for the Omnium than I’d intended. But hey, I guess that means I have it now. I’d like to eventually create a generalized page for the Omnium, but that will come at another time. I could keep designing the plumbing of this world forever. The world is plenty deep and rich. The story demands movement. I do not lack the story. The path through the Eleysian Islands from the safety of Lithrys to the dark forests of Aille is clear. Those chapters already have meaty bones and just need a diet (editing).
I am not guessing where the road goes; I am simply paving it.
Next Week: We leave the safety of the library. The Sea Wolf is waiting.
See you in the stacks!
— VS
Read the Story: Follow Krysaalis's journey in Book 1: Legend of the Silver Blade.
The Saga of the Silver Blade begins!
Read Excerpts
Available now!
by Val Saraven
Learn more about the Saga's development!
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Behind the Scenes:
This is a woman in the Wing of Tides arm of the Omnium. by Val Saraven
The Wing of Tides
The Omnium that emerged from my effort to imagine it from Krysaalis’s perspective became more than a library, morphing into a museum of natural law. Krysaalis begins her journey in the Wing of Tides, a section of the archive dedicated to the study of water and navigation. I spent hours working out how Vespria preserves water-damaged texts using 'Harmonic Suspension.' The piping exists to provide water to keep the humidity at exactly the right level to protect the written works, not just as a convenient form of pleasant white-noise.While much of that technical detail remains in the notes (for now), it informs the texture of the scene. The world is older and deeper than the characters walking through it.
The Legacy Guarantee
The Saga of the Silver Blade is planned to be a 13-book epic. I know what that number implies. In a genre famous for indefinite hiatuses, I want to offer you a different kind of promise.This story has been architected over decades. The outline is complete. The ending is written. The structure is locked. My promise to you is simple: You will get the ending.
I am currently releasing Book 1. I intend to write every word of this Saga myself. However, should life, health, or circumstance ever prevent me from finishing the prose, I have established a "Dead Man's Switch" protocol. Either, a trusted author takes up the remainder, or the full, detailed outlines for every remaining book—including the resolution of every major mystery and character arc—will be released to the public. Your emotional investment in these characters is safe here. I'm invested, too.
Welcome to Aithyris.
Cover image:
Welcome to the Raven and Quill
by
Val Saraven
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