I really liked how you introduced your world through the writing, and I think having “Near Lands History” as the main script for the submission worked really well. The text is really well structured and establishes the foundations of your world very solidly, while leaving the possibility of diving deeper into that world through “Shifted Short Stories.” These stories give real depth to the cities by telling them through the perspective of characters who actually live in each one. In my opinion, the writing in these stories has a great narrative flow, while also adding an extra layer to the atmosphere of Near Lands that cannot really be perceived in “Near Lands History.”
The introduction of the fluxstone, especially with the fact that it comes from an unknown world, opens up an immense amount of potential for continuing to develop your world. When I saw how fluxstone is used for Berken’s technology, it reminded me, with its obvious differences, of how Hextech harnesses magic in Arcane.
Regarding the tracks, I liked how you managed to create that chaotic sense of diversity that you would expect from a living city. It genuinely feels like you are right in the middle of a great city, immersed in its energy and constant activity. In my opinion, though, I think it would have been interesting to differentiate the tracks of Berken, Valen, and Salda much more, in order to better represent the geographical and cultural differences between them, much like you did with “Cael Canopy.”
Personally, I really liked the description of Cael’s fortress, and in general everything related to it. I especially liked how strongly it differs from the rest of the cities, how its people live in harmony with their surroundings, and how, on top of everything else, they are also the silent protectors of the world.