The Lodestar of Ys

The tension between the characters felt so authentic and layered. I'm curious whether this was plotted from the start or evolved naturally through writing.

The descriptions of magic felt rich and detailed, but I wonder if the author based it on any real-world mythology or created it entirely from imagination.

The world-building was vivid, and I’d love to know if the author drew from historical influences or crafted Ys from scratch.