General Info:
The Crater' is what is left after the meteor struck the planet, and mana was introduced to humanity. Mana flowed deep into the planet's mantle and core and led to the entirety of Earth doubling in size. Along with the earth, the 7 continents grew in size as well; some doubled and tripled. The land of the continents was morphed beyond recognition, leaving some continents in odd, disjointed shapes, like South America.
The seven continents are listed as such: North America, South America, Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Faux. (Fake In French)
As mentioned in chapter 39, each chapter kept the same names that they've possessed for hundreds of years; however, due to how mana affected the world, infrastructure, technology, and designs have completely changed. Cities may share the name "New York" or "Venice" but look nothing like the places that you may recognize. The only real things of those old places that are left right now are the monuments. Statue of Liberty, Colosseum, Big Ben (partially), etc.
Along with the shifting and deformation of tectonic plates, mana also influenced wildlife all around the world. Dense forest areas began to appear in many places. Trees began to grow to such large and outlandish heights that they blocked out the sun completely. Animals and other plants that were once tiny now dwarfed over humans, growing to be as large as houses. There were also many animals that were able to use basic magic. Just like in humans, their brains process the code, but due to their brains being less developed, they can't make full use of the systems complexities, leading to them only being able to know basic spells.
There are 7 continents locked in battle against each other. 6 are the standard continents that we know; however, the 7th is not Antarctica. The 7th continent is actually an artificial one named Faux. (French for fake) It is an environment created at the very border between Antarctica and the real world. It overlooks a massive fog storm that surrounds the lost continent of Antarctica. It was constructed along with a massive wall of mana-resistant rock. The purpose of the rock was to halt the ever-expanding continent of Antarctica, which had nearly tripled in size. Originally, Faux served as an outpost that overlooked the continent of Antarctica, allowing for the other 6 continents to send in patrols and extraction teams. They hoped to investigate the new land and mine in it, but every single expedition never returned, and eventually, the continent was pulled back from its proximity to Antarctica, and it became its own independent country. It developed a unique culture, which was a mix of all 6 of the other continents. It also developed its own magic academy.
Antarctica is considered a 'lost continent' because after mana's introduction, it was the only continent to experience abnormal growth. Tripling in size and growing out of control, humanity tried to investigate it and keep it in check. The continent's rapid growth and mystery were so concerning that the 6 continents were forced to band together and attempt to investigate. They created Faux to serve as a barrier to halt its growth and began to send in expeditions to Antarctica, none of which came back. It was so hopeless that when the wall of mist suddenly appeared, all operations were ceased, and Faux was pulled back.
In this world, the conflict lies between the 7 continents. After mana was introduced to the world, and after the first Great Witch Trials (in which hundreds of thousands of magicians were slaughtered and oppressed), magicians came to dominate the world. It was in this time that the 6 continents were formed (Faux will be developed later), each having their own head mage. (Strongest mage on the continent.) These head mages grew an interest in the crater that brought mana to the world, and they wanted to study it. However, the head mage of South America (where the meteor hit) did not agree to this and argued profusely to maintain rights over the crater. This in turn led to conflict between South America and the rest of the world. A war broke out, one that would never end for hundreds of years.
The seven continents also have 7 separate magic academies. These are the war academies that train students for battle. These are known as "Grand Magic" academies. Each of these is operated by the headmaster of the magic academy, who is actually the most powerful person on the continent. The magic academy doubles as not only a war academy but also a headquarters for military activity. The headmaster has more power than even the imperial family, who are just figureheads.
The second major conflict lies between mages and non-mages. Discrimination, fear, and misunderstanding define this conflict. Both of these sides have also been locked in an eternal war, the one on top always shifting throughout the centuries. The only common factor is that no matter who's at the top, it will end in the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of mages and non-mages. This conflict is so large that society has essentially been segregated. (Even though governments try to hide it) separate living areas, separate officers, separate schools, the works.
Continent-Specific Info:
This is where information about specific continents and their culture will be added as they are explored in the series.
To start, each continent has their own ultimate trump called a 'World Ender.' These are mages who have developed S-rank abilities and are so strong they are said to be able to destroy the world. These are pocket aces that are so powerful it is considered an act of war if they cross the border into another continent.
Japan has a special royal family combination, known as the 10 grand magic families. These 10 families are famous for one reason or another, but they are all cemented royal families. The 10 families are all equal in status practically, but many external political factors, of course, lead to a skewed balance. These 10 families are all ruled by a head of the families, which is elected during a vote by the 10 families; however, corruption plays a part in this. The next selection is approaching.
To be continued