MÄR-Heaven

MÄR-Heaven is a fictional land in the anime and manga series MÄR, and its sequal series MÄR Omega. It is largely based upon fairy tales, and is set in a world similar to the Medieval Ages of the real world.

Connection to Earth
MÄR-Heaven is set in a different universe from the universe Ginta Toramizu lives in, making travel between the two a rare and unlikely event. There are exceptions, however. Six years before the series takes place Danna was sent from Earth to MÄR Heaven, and six years later his son Ginta, by an ÄRM called the Gate Keeper Clown, although after Ginta was sent to MÄR Heaven the Gate Keeper Clown was broken. At the end of the series Ginta and Danna returned back to Earth, in the manga by Babbo's final ability and in the anime through an already open rift between the dimensions. In the anime, all of Team MÄR was sent to Ginta's world by a woman named Lillis, and closer to the series' end King opened several rifts between the two worlds, from which several objects from Earth fell into MÄR-Heaven, including the Eiffel Tower.

It is also possible that people, animals, or objects in one world can have a "twin" in the other world. Snow, from MÄR-Heaven, and Koyuki, from Earth, each look exactly the same, have the same basic personality, and both have the same feelings for Ginta. Ginta's mother, from Earth, has a striking resemblance to Nanashi, from MÄR-Heaven. If one of the "twins" would die, the other one would be affected badly, although it is most likely they won't die, and each of them can see what the other world is like through each other. The twins can also merge together to form one being once they are able to talk with each other, as seen with Snow and Koyuki.

While both worlds do share several similarities, such as being made up of several nations and having many large cities, they having just as many, if not more, differences. MÄR-Heaven is largely based upon fictional stories and fairy tales, and does not have the technological advances of Earth. While this world has settled upon more democratic types of government, MÄR-Heaven is still in a medieval-style age and their main form of government is based entirely around kings and queens. There are fewer nations in MÄR-Heaven then there are in Earth, being much larger in size too.

Balance of Power
MÄR-Heaven has a strong balance of power, and something that effects one of the main powers will most likely affect one of the others. As of the time the series takes place, the main powers of the world are the Chess Pieces, although at the series end they have become defunct, the Cross Guard, more or less in the control of the Kingdom of Lestava, and the Thieves Guild of Luberia. Although the Thieves Guld tends to stay out of world affair and instead focus on their unquestioned reign as the world's stronfgest group of thieves, the other two are complete opposites, the Chess Pieces trying to rule MÄR-Heaven and the Cross Guard trying to protect it. Although usually enemies, the Cross Guard and the Thieves Guild later join forces against the Chess Pieces once their threat increases. After the Chess Pieces' destruction, it is unknown how the balance of power has been effected for MÄR-Heaven.

History
MÄR-Heaven has a very in depth history the gets deeper and deeper as the series progresses, much like how the real world's history gets deeper as time moves forward. Most of its more recent history was shaped through the uprise of the Chess Pieces, although their uprise goes much deeper in MÄR-Heaven than at first appearance.

Many years before the time the series took place, the island nation of Kaldea, which was populized by MÄR-Heaven's most magically advanced people, began to create magical weapons that take the form of whatever the maker desired, called ÄRM, and soon Magical Stones were also invented to increase their power. One of those ÄRM, Babbo, had the soul of the deceased Kaldea Elder sealed inside of him, and around the same time Kaldea's Orb, which held in it the most evil and malice thoughts throughout MÄR-Heaven, was also created, possibly to balance the sealing of Babbo. For many years after that, the fictional land went through one war to another, though in the end the wars ended, and the Kingdom of Lestava became the most powerful force through MÄR-Heaven.

The peace ended, however, once the Chess Pieces had been created. Ten years before the series takes place, Diana, a resident of Kaldea, had gone obsessed with greed through the influence of Kaldea's Orb, and stole 798 ÄRMs , including Babbo, opened Kaldea's Orb and poured it into Babbo, and released Phantom, who ten years ago had been sentenced to life in jail for trying to steal Kaldea's Orb, from jail. The two promptly left Kaldea, and for two years wandered throughout MÄR-Heaven. Similarily, although not necessarily related, at the same time the queen of Lestava had died, and the King of Lestava began to search for a new queen. After two years, Diana and the king met, and the two, quickly falling in love with each other, married, and Diana became the new queen. Secretly, however, Diana was also enthroned Queen of the Chess Pieces, and Phantom their no.1 Knight.

After two more years of waiting, Diana and Phantom made their moves to conquer the fictional world, leading to the First great War of MÄR-Heaven. Phantom led the Chess Piece army and conquered many lands, while Diana made the Cross Guard to oppose them as a clever act of trust. Giving both the Chess Pieces and the Cross Guard ÄRMs, Diana gave a special ÄRM to the Cross Guard Alan, the Gate Keeper Clown. Using it, Alan summoned Danna from the other world, and Danna soon became the Cross Guard leader. Soon after this the War Games began, and during the final battle, both Danna and Phantom struck a fatal blow to the other. Despite having been killed, Phantom would rise again to lead the Chess Pieces, having accepted the Zombie Tattoo to gain immortality. The death of both Danna and Phantom is considered the end of the First Great War. During the War, Phantom had also sent several Zombie Tattoos throughout MÄR-Heaven to those he though worthy, the only known ones receiving the Zombie Tattoo being Alviss and a few of the Chess Piece Knights.

After Phantom's defeat, many events happened within the fictional land. Kaldea's Orb took the residence of the deceased Danna, bringing him back to life in the process. Danna's soul was sealed within Babbo, who himself was sealed away by Alan in a cave on Pazurika Island. The damage done by the Chess Pieces was repaired, and Phantom's best friend, Peta, became the leader of the Chess until Phantom was resurrected. Several citizens of MÄR-Heaven, however, still believed the war wouldn't be over until ever last Chess Piece was dead, and went on witch hunts throughout MÄR-Heaven, killing several Chess Pieces, even ones who quit the Chess, and torturing their friends and family, the most notable of them being Chimera. Also after the First War, a mysterious stranger named Nanashi appeared in MÄR-Heaven, and was taken into care by the leader of the Thieves Guild, Galian, who soon wiped Nanashi's memories, promoted Nanashi to their leader, and became a Chess Piece Knight.

The Chess Pieces, after another six years, began to get active again. Using Lestava Castle as a base, the planned each invasion one after the other while most outside the castle remained unknown of their activities. Wanting to summon another great hero again, Alviss used the Gate keeper Clown to summon another being from the other world, this time the one summoned being Danna's son, Ginta Toramizu. Quickly after being sent to MÄR-Heaven, Ginta freed Babbo from his cave, while shortly afterwards Phantom was resurrected, and the Chess Pieces took action again. After conquering half of MÄR-Heaven and forcing the Thieves Guild into the war, they initiated another War Game, although during this second War Game the Chess pieces finally lost with Phantom's defeat to Ginta. During the War Games, however, Snow, the princess of Lestava, had been captured, the King and Queen planning on using her connection to Koyuki from Ginta's world to open portals to Earth in an attempt to conquer Ginta's world too. Although they nearly succeeded, with King's defeat to Ginta and Queen's to her sitser, Dorothy, their plans had ended, and the Chess Pieces finally were defeated, and peace had spread through the fictional world. Ginta and Danna returned to their worlds, and Phantom, wishing to make up for everything he did, had Alviss remove the Zombie Tattoo on himself so all the other Zombie Tattoos disappeared, too, ending Phantom's life in the process.

Hild Continent
The northern-most continent within MÄR-Heaven.

Pazurika Island
An island off the northern coast of the Hild Continent, and a nation with only two towns and no ruler. Pazurika Island is the first place Ginta visits in MÄR-Heaven. The main town of Pazurika is Pelica Port on the island's southern point, which links it to the main continent. Pazurika Island in made mostly of forests and plains with some hills. In the middle of the island lies th cave of Babbo, where Babbo was sealed off six years before the series. Near the cave is the farm of Jack and his mother, and formerly his farther, which was commonly terrorized by two vegetarian werewolves called the Rogelu Brothers, although now the Rogelu Brothers help on the farm. Pazurika is also known for its Frozen Castle, which Snow had locked herself within and frozen everything inside, including herself, to escape the Chess Pieces hunting her, although after she's rescued the ice melts.

Luberia Fortress
The headquarters of the Thieves Guild, a wooden fort built inside a large colossus lying in a desert. Sometime after the First Great War, the leader of the Thieves Guild, Galian, quit Luberia to become a Chess Piece Knight, promoting Nanashi to leader. Peta later sent an ÄRM search for Babbo to all of the members of Luberia, promising a high payment for whoever brings Babbo to him. Peta drops the hunt soon afterwards, which prompts a large number of thieves to attack him, only to easily be slaughtered. Nanashi, angry about the massacre, quickly joined forces with Team MÄR to find out and kill whoever was responsible for the massacre, and later succeeded. At the end of the series, both Nanashi and Galian rule the Thieves Guild together from the fortress.

Vestry
The town of water and forest, a city world famous for its underground lake, inside a canyon from which a waterfall falls from all sides. During the campaign of the Second Great War and it's War Games, Chess Piece members Orco and Girom, attacked and destroyed Vestry to gain access to their underground lake. With the help of Team MÄR, both Orco and Girom are defeated, and Vesrty begins to repair. In the anime, just after Girom and Orco are defeated, they meet up with John Peach. During the Final Round of the War Games, a large number of Vestry citizens appeared to watch the fights.

Vestry's underground lake is its most notable feature and famous throughout all of MÄR-Heaven. Throughout the cave, many wandering spirits once rested, waiting for help, the only named one being Alma. Ginta later freed these spirits by using his Gargoyle to open a hole in the cave and freeing a ghost ship trapped inside.

Reginlief Castle
A castle located within the middle of MÄR Heaven, and the host of the second War Games. Reginlief Castle, along with the nation itself, is ruled by the Princess of Reginlief. During the Chess Pieces' war campaign, Reginlief Castle was captured by Rapunzel. The castle later became the host of the War Games, and afterwards the home of the princess and her husband, Carl.

Kaldea
The isolated island nation northwest of Lestava, Kaldea is a kingdom of magic, and all citizens have magic within them, even the youngest of children. Apparently, the ruler of Kaldea is the Kaldea's Grand Elder, who resides in Kaldea's Floating Palace, a large palace that floats above Kaldea's (apparently only) village. Kaldea is the source of all ÄRM with magical properties, and their twins the magical stones. Kaldea is also the birthplace of several other characters throughout the series, such as Dorothy, Diana, and Phantom.

Lestava
The most powerful kingdom in MÄR-Heaven, and by the beginning of the series the headquarters of the Chess Pieces.

Lestava Castle
The birthplace of Snow, and the home of Lestava's Royal Family, Lestava Castle is by far the largest and most beautiful castle in MÄR-Heaven. Several years before the series takes place, the queen of Lestava died, prompting the king to search for a new queen, who, two years later, ended up being Diana. Lestava Castle became the headquarters of the Cross Guard during the First Great War. After MÄR-Heaven celebrated their victory against the Chess Pieces, the king fell ill, and Diana began to show her dark side. Soon many nysterious figures appeared throughout the castle, and Edward to lead Snow out of the castle to safety. After Phantom's resurrection, Lestava Castle became the lair of the Chess Pieces, the home for Phantom, and the meeting place for the Knights.

During the War Games, Magical Lou, under the orders of Diana, kidnapped Snow and brought her to Lestava Castle, where Diana and King planned to use her connection to Koyuki to open a portal to MÄR-Heaven. In the anime once the War Games were completed, Team MÄR went to Lestava Castle to rescue Snow, and while there Ginta and Alan fought against Magical Lou, who, in the end, realized his mistake and freed Snow at the cost of his life. After this, both King and Queen left the castle to find new headquarters. The King of Lestava, who was now better, begged Snow to stay within the safety of Lestava Castle, but Snow refused, wanting to help the others. King later came and killed Alan in the castle, and Alan was buried in the castle courtyard until he was revived.

Acalupa Port
A port somewhere in MÄR-Heaven. During the Chess Pieces' War campaign, Halloween and Chimera led several Pawns of the Chess Pieces and destroyed Acalupa Port. After the invasion, Acalupa port rebuilt itself, and later Team MÄR searched throughout the port in search of king, and also get reunited with Pano during the search when she stole some food.

Gheilerul Castle
During the campaign of the Second War Games, Candice turns it's soldiers to stone using her ÄRM Gorgon.

Elto Town
During the campaign of the Second War Games, Stone giant Guardian ÄRMs are unleashed by unknown/unseen Chess Piece members.

Sources and References

 * Taken Directly from chapters and episodes of MÄR: Marchen Awakens Romance.