The Hunter's Rede

by F. T. McKinstry

Blackring: A permanent injunction by the Aenmos that renders a wizard of the Order of Raven unable to focus energy in certain patterns and frequencies beyond the mortal spectrum, thus making those powers latent.

  Darkstar: A title for a Keeper of the Eye of the Order of Osprey who is studying for the Order of Raven. Standard contains a black, interwoven hexagram that shadows the symbol of Osprey.

  Dark Tongue: The language of the Old One, of formlessness; primary sound that emerges from Void and is used to affect things at the most basic levels. See also Aenspeak, Old One.

  Destroyer: The darkest aspect of the Old One. The force of death, transformation and change. Sometimes appears as a black cloaked figure, or a wolf. See also Old One.

  Ealiron (ee ah LEER un): First Formation entity in the Pentacle of Eaon. Creator of the world. Also called the Source, or Aenmos. See also Aenmos, Formation entity.

  Eaon (EE on): A Formation entity and the creator of Ealiron and Eusiron.

  Elemental summoning: The ability to use Aenspeak to invoke the forces of water, earth, air or fire in order to affect physical events.

  Energy shield: A pattern of energy used by wizards to cloak or alter their or another’s physical appearance, emotions or impressions.

  Entity: The multidimensional aspect of a human soul, a greater essence or consciousness that encompasses all the personalities of its expression, which are assumed to exist simultaneously; that is, beyond the time-space matrix. See also Formation entity.

  Etherweed: A plant, the roots of which can render wizards powerless by separating them from the source of their focus.

  Eusiron (ee yew SHY run): Fourth Formation entity in the Pentacle of Eaon. A war god referred to as the Dark Warrior and said to have built the palace of Eusiron, which is named after him. Palace is located in western Sourcesee and overlooks the Wolf River; standard is a circle with a wolf in the center, a river beneath and mountains above crowned by the constellation of Laerstroc. See also Formation entity, Laerstroc, Maelgwn.

  Eusiron’s Haunt: A dense, uncanny wooded area south of the palace of Eusiron, rumored to be directly focused and controlled by the god himself.

  Eyrie (EYE ree): The seat of the Keepers of the Eye and home of Ealiron. Contains a Waeltower that focuses the Source. Standard is an eye in the center of a dark circle, surrounded by the shining rays of a sun. Located in the land of Roth, in eastern Sourcesee. See also Ealiron, Source, Waeltower.

  Faerin (fay AIR in): A war-torn realm west of Sourcesee. Standard is dark brown with red hills outlined by gray, with a single sword pointing down in the center.

  Faerin net: A complex military formation designed to guard against enemy infiltration of a sensitive or closely held place or thing.

  fiorloc (vee YOR lok): In Aenspeak, “spider web.” A skill used by wizards to perceive and manipulate the intricate web of energy that interconnects the natural world.

  Formation entity: A divine being that creates the basic structures that comprise physical reality. Formation entities are interconnected by energy that flows within an infinitely complex network that sustains all life. See also Entity.

  Grid: Informal. See Time-space matrix.

  High Dark: A priest of Maern chosen by a circle of high priestesses for being the most aware of and able to understand the nature of the Old One’s domain.

  High wizard: Informal. Refers to wizards in the Orders of Owl, Eagle, Osprey and Raven, the highest four orders of the Keepers of the Eye. See also Keepers of the Eye.

  Hunter’s Rede: An unwritten set of instinctual codes called Shades by which assassins practice their trade:

  Shade of Unknown: I have no name.

  Shade of Belonging: I have no place.

  Shade of Attention: I am unseen.

  Shade of Wings: The owl flies near.

  Shade of Silence: Life departs unknown.

  Shade of Solitude: I am alone.

  Shade of Balance: The Old One knows.

  Shade of Age: I am not innocent.

  Shade of Night: I sleep awake.

  Shade of Kind: The laws of the lawless are certain.

  Shade of Need: I love in the shadows.

  Shade of Fault: Confidence escapes notice.

  Shade of Fate: I owe nothing.

  Shade of One: I am the Destroyer.

  Shade of Forsaken: The Void loves nothing.

  Shade of Harrow: I am swift.

  Shade of Alarm: No chance to fear.

  Shade of Low: The earth keeps secrets.

  Shade of Attachment: No death is mine.

  Shade of Illusion: The sun casts shadows.

  Shade of Blood: Death is life.

  Shade of Instinct: I act from knowing.

  Shade of Surrender: All is cyclic.

  Shade of Moon: The tide brings light.

  Hunter’s Sanctuary: an establishment where assassins can go for shelter and protection, and in which the Shades of the Hunter’s Rede are recognized and upheld.

  Identity mark: A set of runes engraved into a sword that binds the heart of a warrior to his or her source entity. See also Entity.

  iomor (EE oh mor): In the Dark Tongue, “light well.” A well of energy fixed in a specific area of the earth; the exteriorized essence of the entity of that particular realm focused as a pure energy source. The Masters of the Eye focus the energy of the iomors using Waeltowers. See also Entity, Master of the Eye, Waeltower.

  Keepers of the Crafts: A group of orders in the Keepers of the Eye with specific powers pertaining to the following: Wren (healers), Albatross (sailors), and Raptor (warriors).

  Keepers of the Eye: An order of wizards and craftspeople who maintain balance and order in the world of Ealiron, and whose ruling seat is the Citadel of Eyrie, in eastern Sourcesee. The orders are arranged in levels of mastery, each of which corresponds to a kind of bird, a color and a tree. There are nine orders of wizards, and three lesser orders called Keepers of the Crafts, who have limited powers pertaining to their craft. Orders are listed as follows (from highest to lowest):

  Dove; Gray; Silver fir; Parallel Focus

  Raven; Black; Oak; Wizard

  Osprey; Cerulean; Ash; Wizard

  Eagle; Burgundy; Alder; Wizard

  Owl; Pine green; Hemlock; Wizard

  Crane; Grass green; Hazel; Wizard

  Swan; Indigo; Birch; Wizard

  Hawk; Yellow gold; Beech; Wizard

  Robin; Red; Elder; Wizard

  Wren; Deep brown; Apple; Healer

  Albatross; Blue green; Willow; Sailor

  Raptor; Blood red; Blackthorn; Warrior

  See also High wizard, Keepers of the Crafts, Parallel focus, Raptor.

  Laerstroc (layer STROKE): A constellation that appears directly over the palace of Eusiron on the night of the winter solstice. Said to be the celestial home of Eusiron. See also Eusiron.

  Lea Maern silin moth: In Aenspeak, “Mother is whole.” Words of power used to restore balance by invoking the Old One in wholeness. Can also be interpreted as “Mother is one,” or “Mother is all.” The phrase has many shades of meaning, all of which describe the unity of the Old One’s aspects as they truly are, as opposed to how mortals perceive them. See also Old One.

  loerfalos (lo ER vah los): In Aenspeak, “serpent of green darkness.” A very large, immortal dragon-like creature that lives in the northern seas.

  Lucid dreaming: The ability to become conscious and aware during a dream, and to influence it.

  Maern (MAYrn): In Aenspeak, “mother.” See Old One.

  Maelgwn (may EL gwin): An elusive, black-haired race of the Ostarin Mountains who are accomplished hunters, trackers, builders and stoneworkers. Tales claim they were created by Eusiron, and are beloved of him. See also Eusiron.

  Master of the Eye: A title that refers to a wizard in the Order of Raven, the highest order of the Keepers of the Eye. See also High wizard, Keepers of the Eye.

  Mindkey: A skill practiced by wizards that opens gates and locks through the awareness of structures a
nd energy fields.

  Mindspeak: Telepathy. Using the mind and thoughts to communicate with another through a conscious connection to that person.

  Moridrun fore sarumn: In Aenspeak, “unveil essence to light.” Power words that reveal the true nature of something. Used by wizards to see through spells, energy shields, illusions, etc. See also Energy shield.

  Motherblack: A rare, difficult to make and very powerful potion that brings one just beneath the threshold of consciousness and void, rendering one unable to express physical reality, or to discern between impressions and actual perception. Renders the recipient completely opaque to any kind of vision or magic, including that which invokes the Old One. Effects of motherblack can be undone with the essences of blackthorn and thistle.

  Oculus (AW kew lus): The Waeltower of Eyrie, the seat of the Keepers of the Eye. Located on Mount Rothmar, in the center of the Keepers’ citadel. Constructed of amethyst, with eight sides, the Oculus focuses the Source, the iomor that aligns the forces of the elements to the will of Ealiron such that he is aware of and focused in the physical origin of his expression. Often referred to by wizards as the “Amethyst Waeltower.” See also Ealiron, iomor, Keepers of the Eye, Source, Waeltower.

  Ofthos (AWV thohs): In the Dark Tongue, “gate of light.” A circular area in the center of the Great Hall of Eusiron that serves as a gateway or portal to energies created by the alignments of the earth, sun, moon and stars. Most often used in celebrations of solstices and equinoxes.

  Old One: The primordial goddess of nature, life, death, and transformation. Formlessness, Void. Often referred to as Maern, Aenspeak for “mother.” Unknowable in her true form, but perceived by all structural consciousness in terms of feminine aspects: e.g., maiden, mother, crone. See also Destroyer.

  Om Tree: An ancient tree of unknown origin, seeded by the stars and rooted deeply into the iomor beneath the palace of Eusiron. Located in the Omefalon, the tree is said to have great knowledge of the Old One, can tell truth from lies and see into the hearts of mortals. See also Old One, Omefalon.

  Omefalon (oh ME valon): In the Dark Tongue, “holding root and sky.” A large chamber in the palace of Eusiron that houses the Om Tree. Designed to allow the tree to stand in the elements, or to be enclosed, depending on the circumstance. See also Om Tree.

  Os (OHS): In Aenspeak, “between earth and sky.” A large port on the northwestern curve of the Bay of Maerth. Contains a topaz Waeltower with seven sides. Also called the City of Hallow Rivers. See also Waeltower.

  Os City Guard: Warriors who guard and keep order in the city of Os. Standard is a wave of green and gray, and contains the three-river triangle with a sword and arrow crossed over it and a seagull flying upwards over the top.

  Ostarin (oh STAR in): A wooded, mountainous realm in western Sourcesee.

  Parallel focus: A mortal who is the child of a god. Focused as a human, but also incipient as an entity who will be born above the time-space matrix. Parallel focused mortals are trained as wizards and prepared through the Order of Dove for ascension. See also Entity, Keepers of the Eye.

  Probability: Extensions or lines of time projected out from any present moment to include all possible combinations of events that fulfill an identity’s desire at that moment.

  Raptor: A Keeper of the Crafts trained in the arts of war. Holds limited powers of the Eye pertaining to the focus and use of weapons.

  Rastric: A deadly spider that inhabits the Tarthian jungles. Lives only in the swamps that feed the headwaters of the Mroc River.

  Sceil (SHEEL): A port on the Bay of Maerth, on the mouth of the Willow River.

  Searf (SARV): A port on the Bay of Gabran, in southern Tarth.

  Seat mor streac Maern: In Aenspeak, “By the Mother.” Used as an oath.

  Shade: A code or principle in the Hunter’s Rede. See also Hunter’s Rede.

  Shapeshifting: The art of changing one’s shape into something other than human; for example, a bird or other animal, a tree, fog, etc.

  Sialroth (shall ROTH): A large wilderness area in northern Sourcesee.

  Silin en Maern tali: In Aenspeak, “Blessed is the Mother.” A blessing, used mostly by wizards and followers of the Old One. Cannot be uttered with any kind of deception.

  siomothct (she om OCH): In the Dark Tongue, “Destroyer’s eye.” An assassin in service to the Keepers of the Eye. Must belong to the Order of Raven. See also Keepers of the Eye.

  sioros (she OR os): In the Dark Tongue, “Destroyer in the air.” A rare immortal creature with the body of a man and the wings of a bird. Predatory and very dangerous, lives in the far northern wilderness areas of Sourcesee.

  Source: The focused energy of Ealiron. An extensive and very potent iomor located beneath the Waeltower of Eyrie. Connects, feeds and contains all of the iomors in Ealiron. See also Ealiron, iomor, Waeltower.

  Sourcesee: A northern mountainous realm and the center of power for the Keepers of the Eye.

  Tarth: A great, watery realm south of Sourcesee comprising mostly swamps, rivers, lakes, wetlands and jungles.

  Time-space matrix: The structural manifestation of consciousness, in terms of perceivable experience, by which the nature and extent of identity is known. Informally referred to as the “grid.”

  Underrift: A powerful, dangerous Dark Tongue command that breaks one’s conscious connection to the time-space matrix by summoning the forces that place one there.

  Undersides: a tangled network of alleys, caverns and slums in the lower reaches of the port city of Os.

  Waeltower: Based on the word wael, Aenspeak for “focus.” An architectural construct built over an iomor, used by the Masters of the Eye to channel and focus energy. Built as a tower with concentric levels, including a floor containing a pentacle with the Eye in the center, a ceiling with a crystal star of a specific number of points, and a spire above that, made of a crystalline substance with a corresponding vibration, and containing the same number of sides as points in the ceiling star. The geometry and composition of each Waeltower varies according to where on the planet it is. See also iomor, Oculus, Source.

  Watch-web: A skill used by wizards to spread the mind into a surrounding area. Used to detect the presence of anyone nearby.

  Web: Refers to someone whom the Old One has chosen to provide openings in the time-space matrix through which she can be perceived. Webs are rare and tend to land in positions of power or influence, where the Old One can express her will directly in terms of mortal events. See also Old One.

  Wizard’s Code: A code of ethics by which the Keepers of the Eye abide. Includes the Law of Free Will, the force of expression by which all things experience their nature through life in form on the time-space matrix. Governed by the Old One and known in all its permutations and combinations only by her. See also Keepers of the Eye, Old One.

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  Upcoming Release

  Coming April 2017. The Gray Isles, Second Edition, Book Two in the Chronicles of Ealiron, a heroic fantasy series that revolves around the assassin Lorth of Ostarin.

  In the Gray Isles, a northern realm cloaked in legends and storms, lives a secret. For thousands of years it lay in the Otherworld, known only in the imaginations of sailors. Now, it has surfaced; first to Eadred, a wizard banished by his kind after being cursed by a witch; and then to Hemlock, a fisherman’s son orphaned by the sea. When their paths collide, a change is set into motion that the heavens watch with dread; for the legends tell, it heralds the birth of an immortal and the death of the realm.

  Lorth, a formidable wizard and servant to the old powers, arrives to the Gray Isles on a diplomatic mission to discover what Eadred has not told his masters. What looks like a quarrel between Eadred and Hemlock swiftly deteriorates into a manhunt that plunges Lorth into a tricky world of visions, myths and politics,
which he navigates by joining forces with unlikely company. Eadred, while attempting to end his curse, has gathered great knowledge of Hemlock’s origins. Through him, Lorth reaches the sobering conclusion that Hemlock is not what he seems, but something powerful enough to destroy the realm with a thought.

  Unfortunately, Lorth is not the only one who has discovered Hemlock’s secret. Racing time, he must bare his sword against an army, violate discretion and risk his own stature in order to free Hemlock from the clutches of daimonic transformation before he unleashes the forces of earth and sea on the mortal world.

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  Outpost, Book One in The Fylking, epic fantasy woven with Norse mythology, swords and sorcery.

  Nine thousand suns ago, a race of immortal warriors came from the stars through a rare alignment and stepped onto the world of Math. A world much like their own, it was a perfect place for a backwater outpost from which to fight their ancient war. The realm they claimed came to be known as Dyrregin, Gateway of the Gods.