The Cathedral of Saint Hrestol, by Jim Pavelec
Magic lives and grows in the churches and palaces of Loskalm. Southpoint is a large city which has thrived on the benefits of its favorite prophet and martyr, Hrestol, Prophet of the Joy. Here is his great cathedral, a small mountain of architecture that defies natural laws to glorify Hrestol. Through this holy palace flow all the prayers of thousands of devout worshippers and, in return, the sweet Joy of the Heart that brings comfort to humanity.
Elves, by Heather Bruton
Leafy version and humanoid version. The Aldryami are Plant Beings. Most are ordinary, with roots and leaves and seeds, spores or shoots. One small part of the Plant Beings are different, and they are called Elves. They have two unique features in Plantdom, for they can move about at will, regardless of Nature; and they are self conscious. Nonetheless, they are a part of their forest, and they know it, and never feel safe when apart from it. They have not mustered a force like an army for 800 years, because everytime they did they were destroyed. They have a better plan, and have been saving up seeds and magic to grow them for centuries. They ran some tests. They plan to march overland and turn it all into a vast forest overnight. They are not telling where, though.
The Cult of Immanent Mastery, By Heather Bruton
The mystics of Kralorela teach that a dragon lives within everyone. Anyone in populous Kralorela can be tested to see if they are sufficiently draconic to be administrators, and those who also pass the tests of loyalty and literacy receive high posts and many honors. Their imperial duties are to benevolently oversee the land and its people, and to deliver swift justice upon those who deserve it. In the Imperial Age the God Learners conquered the land of Kralorela and infiltrated many of its cults and schools, then perverted them to their own use and interpretation. The Cult of Immanent Mastery was one, who taught the way to quickly transform into the physical form of a dragon. They overcame all foes until they were confronted by their inner dragons, activated by Godunya, which devoured them from inside. Now it is only a foreign cult, unknown in Kralorela except as a story to warn against repeating old errors.