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This page summarizes the setting of Sagas of Lumin as described in the official setting text published by Elos Games & Arts. It covers the source of magic, the dragon-riding Drairs, the ship-owning Malerus, the political Alliance and the history the Drairs tell about themselves. How much of this appears directly in the game's story has not been detailed as of October 2026, so treat it as background rather than a list of in-game content.

Aer and Aernum

All magic in Lumin comes from a universal energy called Aer. Anyone can use Aer with tools made from Aernum, a rare metal. About 2 in every 100,000 people are born able to channel Aer directly, without tools.

Drairs

People born able to channel Aer directly are called Drairs, and they can be recognized by their glowing green eyes. They manipulate Aer by instinct and can control the minds of animals, which is what allows them to ride and command dragons. Because of these abilities, Drairs have shaped much of Lumin's history and act as both religious and political figures. The game's protagonist, Ketra, is a Drair.

Drairs belong to a strict sect that holds they were chosen by Aer. Its religion teaches that Aer is divine energy and that Drairs guide souls to reunite with it. Belief in Aer is universal, but organized worship is led only by Drairs. Legend says the first Drair was a divine being born from Aer and that all Drairs are reincarnated fragments of that soul. The setting text states plainly that this is myth: Drairs are rare genetic mutations, though no one in Lumin understands genetics.

As technology advanced, firearms and tools that let ordinary people use magic weakened the Drairs' power and religious authority, though belief in Aer remained.

Drair clans

The Drair sect operates almost like an independent nation: politically influential, economically entrenched and militarily feared. It is technically part of the Alliance but acts on its own, and its temples and fortresses around the world serve as banks, courts and military outposts. The sect is divided into clans under a central Sacred Temple, believed to be built on the tomb of the first Drair. The highest authority is the Grand Master, chosen by the clans. Each clan has its own heraldry and robes.

Drairs are raised in temples from childhood. At 18 they become apprentices, called Chirach, and are assigned to a Master. At 20 they face a dangerous Trial to earn full Drair status, and failure often means death. Rank depends on service to the sect rather than magical strength, and competition among Drairs is intense. Drairs fight with powerful magic and close-combat weapons, and only rarely with firearms. They are forbidden to marry or have children.

Every Drair bonds with a dragon, and the two grow together. If the Drair falls behind in strength, the dragon may rebel. Since a Drair can control only one creature's mind at a time, replacing a dragon requires a deadly transfer in mid-air. Gameplay details on dragons are on Dragons.

Malerus

The Malerus (plural Maleruses) are magic users who channel Aer through Aernum tools. Unlike Drairs, they have no innate power and depend on training and equipment, and their spellcasting is slower and more demanding, drawing on both their surroundings and their own strength. Their defining trait is ship ownership: a Malerus without a ship is not fully recognized, and the ships, used in both war and civilian life, count as personal property even for those trained by the military.

Drairs once saw the Malerus as heretics and persecuted them for generations. As technology and politics changed, the Malerus gained legitimacy, and most are now trained in military academies that follow a curriculum agreed by the Alliance. Many see themselves as an aristocratic group and follow family traditions. They once fought for the right of ordinary people to use magic, but many now choose mercenary work, trade or piracy. Old prejudice between the two groups lingers, yet Drairs and Malerus often work together, especially when transporting dragons and during major military campaigns.

The Alliance

Every country in Lumin is independent, with its own government, army and laws. Some are monarchies, others democracies, constitutional monarchies or dictatorships, and laws differ widely; slavery, for example, is legal in some countries and illegal in others. All of them belong to a coalition called the Alliance, which handles external relations.

The Alliance has a parliament in which each country is represented by a Consul. Every ten years all the Consuls elect a High Consul to head the parliament, and the High Consul also leads the military. The Alliance has no standing army of its own, only a small elite guard. When needed, the armies of the member countries are combined and placed under the command of the elite guard and the Drairs. Three small nomadic groups live on islands outside the Alliance's borders; they are too small to count as countries and the Alliance does not see them as a concern.

History

Most of Lumin's recorded history was written by Drairs, and the setting text notes that it blends myth with a biased narrative. According to those texts, the first Drair was a divine manifestation of Aer who united scattered tribes, introduced magic and brought dragons to humanity. The Drairs then set themselves up as spiritual and political leaders and enforced their rule through holy wars, most notably the Eternal Justice, which crushed rebellious nations. That war showed how powerful ordinary Malerus had become, and in response the Drairs founded the Alliance as a political system in which every nation had representation.

Over time the Drairs' control weakened as magic and technology spread. Their once-centralized order split into semi-independent clans, and the Alliance became more democratic. Drairs still hold influence through tradition, economic power and their dragon-riding legacy, and they remain among the most feared powers in Lumin. For how the setting appears as a playable world, see World of Lumin.

Glossary