What are your favorite features of a fictional world and why do you like them?

Hello, I'm a writer doing research for a project that I have in the works. The setting for my story is something that I'm working to develop first and foremost before I start writing any serious drafts. I'm interested in hearing about different features and tropes that you find particularly engaging or special in fictional worlds and why you find them compelling.<br><br>In exchange for your feedback, I'd be happy to share examples of the world-building that I've done so far if you're so inclined. If there's anything that you like in what I have already, I'd appreciate any suggestions you have for how to further develop it. This project is being built around a mechanic that I've come up with called "Echoes", and the story is going to explore what these Echoes are and how and why they exist in the way that they do.<br><br>Would love to hear from you!<br><br>**Nations of Echoia**<br><br>Echoia is a continent that includes nine nations:<br><br>* The Kingdom of Gwynneth, where the balance and presence of Echoes is incredibly consistent and even, and they are incredibly well-documented by incredibly skilled Echoers and users of Echoic magic.<br>* Valterra is a group of city-states formed around the Valterran Strait, a narrow passage of land that divides the Glimmering Sea and the Shadowed Sea. Valterra is home to the largest number of Echoers and the most powerful and consistent Echoing guilds.<br>* The Steppes of Skaldor, which are a wide, open territory inhabited by nomadic tribes with very limited access to Echoes.<br>* The Republic of Calonia, the birthplace of civilization in Echoia. Calonia is a federal republic governed by a democratically elected Council of Sages, representatives chosen for their mastery of Echoic magic. The capital city, Hearth, is home to the most prestigious university in the world, as well as the Council of Sages. Calonia has a long tradition of promoting Echoers and Echoic Mages as important figures and has the most powerful and organized system of government, with the most extensive use of Echoes in governance.<br>* The City of Luminaria, a coastal city that is home to a unique phenomenon where Echoes are present in their material forms. This is the only place where Echoes can be seen and interacted with directly. Luminaria is an oligarchy governed by a council of leaders of the major Echoing guilds and the ruling family of the city. The ruling family are direct descendants of the first Echoer, who was also the founder of the city.<br>* The Shadowed Dominion, a nation governed by an immortal, god-king who is the only Echoer in the entire nation. The Shadowed Dominion is a rigidly stratified society with strict social and economic divisions, and the only people permitted to use Echoes are members of the royal family and authorized agents of the crown. <br>* The Wysteria Peaks, a mountainous territory inhabited by dwarven clans who value Echoes incredibly highly as sacred remnants of the past. They mine incredibly dangerous Echo-rich minerals that are used in Echoic magic.<br>* The Kingdom of Mor'Dhul is one of the oldest nations in Echoia, governed by an absolute monarchy. Mor'Dhul is a place of dark legend, with a long history of violence and bloodshed. It is shrouded in mystery, and very little is known about the current ruling family or system of government.<br>* The Kuvari Archipelago is a collection of islands governed by a council of tribal chieftains. The Kuvari are a seafaring people with a tradition of piracy and privateering, and are known for their skill and bravery in naval warfare.<br><br>**Magic**<br><br>There are two main forms of magic in the world of Echoia: Echoing and Echoic Magic.<br><br>Echoing is a form of magic where practitioners, called Echoers, use a mental discipline to reach back in time and access memories of portions of their past lives. Echoers can draw upon the skills and knowledge they accumulated in past lives in order to do things that they can't do in their current life, such as speak languages they don't know, practice skills they are untrained in, or access hidden knowledge.<br><br>Echoic magic is a school of spellcasting where mages draw upon Echoes to create magical effects. Echoic magic is incredibly powerful and versatile, with a wide variety of applications. It can be used for direct damage in combat, healing, illusions, transmutations, and conjurings.<br><br>A third form of magic is being slowly uncovered in the course of my story, a form of magic called Forging. This is a form of shapeshifting that allows practitioners to alter structures at a molecular or atomic level by reshaping Echoes at will. Only a few people in the world are currently able to practice Forging.<br><br>**Echoes**<br><br>Echoes are portions of the past that continue to exist in some form in the present. Echoes can be seen as auras that are imprinted on objects, people, and places. Echoes can also be sensed and accessed through Echoing, a mental discipline where practitioners can reach back into their own past lives in order to access memories, skills, and experiences.<br><br>The nature and origins of Echoes are a mystery at the beginning of my story, but Forgers are slowly uncovering evidence that Echoes are actually the structure and raw materials of reality itself. They are portions of reality that continue to exist after their original time has passed, left behind after events have concluded.<br><br>**Characters**<br><br>Several characters are central to the story I'm going to be telling:<br><br>* Kaida is a young woman who was born with the ability to Forge. She has an incredibly rare gift that allows her to reshape Echoes and alter the underlying structure of reality. Kaida is a protagonist of the story and is at the center of the discovery of Forging.<br>* Eriol is a legendary Echoer, one of the most skilled Echoers in the world. Eriol is the captain of the royal guard of the Kingdom of Gwynneth and is sworn to defend the ruler of the kingdom, a powerful and skilled Echoer in her own right. Eriol is a protagonist of the story.<br>* Aethon is a charismatic smuggler and privateer from the Kuvari Archipelago. Aethon is incredibly skilled at combat, seamanship, and diplomacy. He becomes embroiled in events surrounding the discovery of Forging, and serves as a sort of doorway for Kaida and Eriol into the wider world and the implications of their discoveries.<br><br>Anyways, that's it for now. I'm working to develop the world and history in back of the story I'm telling, and am very interested in your feedback and suggestions. I'm incredibly active in this thread and would love to hear from and chat with you.