The Eye of Everfell

by Bard Constantine

  Regnault Lucretius: sixth king of Leodia. A strict ruler and a respected strategist, known as Regnault the Restless because of his constant movement of troops and pursuit of battle.

  Reynar the Frey: a trickster of legend, known for his wit and clever manipulation of his foes. Said to dress in all gray and usually pictured with a wolf called Ash.

  Riodran the Just: legendary warrior and trusted companion of Talan the Dawnrider.

  Rodell Pariot: lord of a minor House in Garlanelle and Imperial Captain of Kaerleon.

  Serona Duvainael: solestra of Alaric Aelfvalder and Queen Consort of the Co’nane.

  Shadowdancer: Marcellus Admorran’s trusted steed.

  Shiru: leader of a band of meigi assigned to protect King Lucretius.

  Sithe: Captain over the Blood Legion of the Co’nane.

  Stigandr the Wroth: first Norlander to become a Leodian soldier. Sworn to the service of Regnault Lucretius after being defeated in combat by the king while guarding a mountain passage. Trained Marcellus Admorran in the ways of combat and manhood.

  Stormbrow: scout for the Onosho caste.

  Stygan the Dreadlord: Terrifying overlord of legend said to have defeated both Talan the Dawnrider and Anko the Shadow Prince and stealing their powers. Imprisoned in Narak by the Five Sages after being betrayed by Leilavin, his chief Acolyte.

  Talan the Dawnrider: powerful hero of legend, first of the Elious and benefactor of mankind. Said to have been slain in the battle of Khelios by either Anko the Shadow Prince or Stygan the Dreadlord.

  Teranse the Reader: last Theurgist of the Five Sages, known for his mastery of Theurgy. Bearer of the geod Eymunder.

  Tristan the Bright: greatest of king Endran’s legendary Lion Knights, hero of song and legend. Said to have vanished while seeking the holy Sword of Deis.

  Twilight: a Night Mare, steed of the Reaver. Monstrously large and able to breathe fire, nearly impossible to kill.

  Valdemar Basilis: Lord of Dragos, ruler of Bruallia. A conqueror known for his merciless annihilation and torture of his enemies, particularly impaling them upon stakes.

  Vali Ermadon: overly proud king of the doomed city of Riallo who spurned the aid of his fellow kings and faced Stygan the Dreadlord on his own, plunging his kingdom into complete destruction.

  Vivienne: agent of the Obdura sect. Favored Acolyte of Masiki the High Lady, stationed in Kaerleon to assist in the downfall of the kingdom.

  Places

  Aceldama: a palace built and formerly inhabited by the Aelon at the end of their tenure in Erseta, when they built palaces like men, except far grander.

  Alaku Ehus: the Dying House. A gladiatorial arena in Dragos, Bruallia.

  Aracville: a territory in Bruallia, renowned for their savage warrior monks. Standard is a black tower against a fiery sun. Once fervent worshippers of Marset, the Bruallian god of war, they were converted to Divinity at the insistence of Valdemar Basilis. Their conversion is mostly ceremonial, as they retained much of their traditions, such as eating the hearts of slain game and at times their enemies.

  Asfrior: a haven built by the Aelon, now abandoned.

  Auric Bridge: The passage that connects Kaerleon to the mainland. Constructed by the Aelon, it is a wonder of the world.

  Barrens: the foothills and surrounding terrain that borders the Dragonspine Mnts.

  Bruallia: a kingdom east of the Dragonspine, reputed for their military might and savagery. Their standard is a red dragon against a black or white background. Once a nation of scattered tribes until they united under the warlord Darroth Basilis, who became their first king. Main religion is Divinity.

  Brumar: a trading city in Norland, once captured by Jolgeirr Arnmoor in the Winter Rebellion.

  Cannias Mountains: a small mountain range in Kaerleon.

  Destine: a free city bordering the Sea of Sand, exporting porcelain, woven rugs, and baumwole fabric along with many other exotic wares.

  Dragonspine Mountains: a sinuous mountain range that separates the kingdoms of Leodia from those of Bruallia and Komura. Composed mostly of dark flinty rock with jagged peaks, its sinister appearance encourages many superstitions and dark tales about monsters and evil forces said to inhabit the passes.

  Edinia: an abode of the Aelon, now known as Halladen.

  Epanos: a large kingdom bordering Norland, Leodia, and the Great Steppes. Its standard is an eagle battling a serpent against a yellow background. Rule is matriarchal, with every Queen passing her title to her first female daughter or relative. The main religion is an offshoot of Divinity, with Divia being the equivalent of Deis as a Mother Goddess. Main exports are wine, agriculture, and fine arts.

  Erseta: the name of the known world. In legend, Erseta is simply one stratum of a multi-layered world.

  Ersetla Tari: the legendary underworld, where the dead await their judgment for their actions in life. In other lore it is a realm of ever-shifting Thresholds that traverse time, space, and reality.

  Everfell: the word in between dreams, where time does not exist. Reportedly the creation of every mind in existence, but its true nature is a mystery. Thresholds and Blueshift Rings are used to physically enter Everfell, and those with training and focus can experience varied visions, including the past and glimpses of the future.

  Gaelion: an island notorious for piracy and savage outlaw clans.

  Glacia: The ruling stronghold of Norland, built deep in the Norland Alpens.

  Great Steppes: a massive region of grasslands and prairie, independent of any ruling kingdom. Inhabited by various castes of nomads that constantly clash over territories and feuds. Wisent fur, horse breeding, leather curing and hide bartering are main sources of income.

  Halladen: originally called Edinia, it is the central location of the Sha and perhaps the first city built by the Aelon. Either name can be translated as the Hidden City, also called the Heart of the World by the people of the Steppes. It lies in a circle of mountains called the Godseye. No violence is allowed inside by penalty of death. The realm is guarded fiercely by the Mandru as no one can gain entrance without invitation.

  Hasreul: the capitol city of Jafeh, and one of the oldest cities in the Empire.

  Hazelwood Forest: a sprawling region of ancient woods in Runet.

  Honguo: a land far beyond Komura and Bruallia across the Eastern Wilds. Accessible by a trading road known as the Dragon Route.

  Jafeh: a wealthy kingdom often in contention with Leodia, coerced into a peace treaty in what is called the Assassin Wars. Their sigil is a rising sun over a golden wreath against a green background. The main religion is Parsicism, a monotheistic, deeply philosophical religion. Main exports are spices, seafood, and precious jewels.

  Jangala: a sweltering region of tropical jungles, swamps, and marshes. Inhabited by small villages that export baumwole and rice.

  Kaerleon: An island that serves as the capitol of Leodia.

  Khelios: Once the most magnificent city in the world, destroyed in the Battle of Khelios by the armies of Talan the Dawnrider and Anko the Shadow Prince.

  Komura: a kingdom east of the Dragonspine and south of Bruallia. Their sigil is a winged lion with a bearded man’s face against a red and white striped background. The kingdom is on friendly terms with Leodia, receiving unofficial aid in their efforts to suppress Bruallian advancement. Their religion is polytheistic, accepting the worship of many gods, though most worship a chief pantheon as the ‘official’ gods of the land. Major exports are fabrics, especially silk and velvet along with jade and other precious stones.

  Leodia: the ruling kingdom in Erseta. Leodia boasts the greatest military might of all kingdoms, with a dynasty of kings and legendary knights renowned in lore and song. The empire grew from the island of Kaerleon and expanded to conquer its neighbors and establish fealty from surrounding kingdoms through military pressure or trade treaties. Their standard is a golden lion rearing against a blue or black background. The main religion is Divinity.

  Letega: a trade
town straddling the borders of Parand and the Great Steppes. Constructed by High Lord Tyros Malgard before he was deposed by Marcellus Admorran. Now an established post for trade and travel across the Steppes.

  Narak: in legend, a fiery realm of burning hells where the damned are tormented forever.

  Nolavani: the realm where the Aelon dwell after departing from Erseta.

  Norland: the northern kingdom of Erseta. Their standard is a roaring white bear against a black background. Norlanders once notoriously raided their southern neighbors by land and sea, and were almost solely responsible for several kingdoms uniting with Kaerleon to form Leodia. Norlanders worship a pantheon of gods headed by Wortan, the chief god. Their main exports are furs, timber, ships, steel, and amber.

  Paladelle: a beautiful city in Leodia renowned for its wondrous gardens and groves.

  Parand: the wealthiest city in Leodia. Boosted by mines of gold and silver, Parand rose quickly as a center of wealth and prestige, establishing itself as bustling center of trade and fashion. Once ruled independently by a faction of powerful Houses, it became a province kingdom of Leodia in exchange for military protection from raiders and marauders.

  Royan: a region in Kaerleon previously owned by the Lucretius dynasty. It was gifted to Marcellus Admorran by Regnault Lucretius as a reward for becoming Champion of Kaerleon.

  Riallo: once a powerful city built at the foothills of the Dragonspine. Destroyed by Stygan’s forces in the Age of Chaos.

  Ravynna: a region in Bruallia. Their society is unique as it is completely dominated by women, from tribe heads to warriors.

  Sea of Sand: the region at the southernmost bottom of the kingdoms. A blistering desert of high winds and shifting dunes. Somewhere beyond lies the ancient city of Hikuptah.

  Terminology

  Acolytes: disciples of Stygan the Dreadlord, charged with manipulating events on Erseta to his advantage. Often Gifted with uncanny powers.

  Aelon: the race of powerful beings said to be the caretakers of the world, the teachers and liberators of mankind from a dark world of enslavement by fierce and brutal creatures in the time period known as the Age of Enlightenment. Gifted with extraordinary powers and near immortal lives, they used their collective energies to raise mankind from a state of helplessness and blindness into a society like their own. In time many of the Aelon became infected by the greed and lusts of mankind, as well as drunk on their own power, which led to the Aelon being forced to return to their own world and leave humanity to be governed by the Five Sages. (See Exodus)

  Aether: energy from heavenly bodies, the sun being the most immediate and powerful. Such energy can be harnessed by gifted individuals who through focus and training can use it to perform acts of tremendous power.

  Aetheric: a description of any Craft or Discipline that uses Aether as a source of power.

  Age of Chaos: the time following the Age of Enlightenment. After the Aelon departed Erseta, the Elious and the Five Sages fell to warring among each other, to the detriment of humankind. In the chaos, Anko the Shadow Prince returned to claim his dominion over Erseta. Talan the Dawnrider was impelled to gather forces to combat Anko. The ensuing conflicts reached their climax at the Battle of Khelios, where both Anko and Talan were reportedly destroyed. Yet in the aftermath came a new threat: Stygan the Dreadlord, whose acts of destruction ignited the Age of Despair.

  Age of Dawn: the little-known era of time before the Age of Illumination when beings called the Ios Shi prepared the Aelon for their future roles of guardianship.

  Age of Despair: the time following the Age of Chaos. With the kingdoms of Erseta in massive disarray, Stygan quickly conquered the known world and destroyed nearly all of his enemies. Only his betrayal by Leilavin, his chief Acolyte, allowed the Five Sages to rise against him. Unable to destroy him, they imprisoned him in the realm of Narak. In the aftermath, Erseta became mired in violence and endless conflicts from factions warring for what remained of power and wealth. Education, knowledge, and civility became a token of the past as Gutoth barbarians, Bruallian warmongers, and Norlanders went rampant across the land, battling constantly against one another and destroying any who opposed them. The rampant bloodshed continued unchecked until the rise of Kaerleon and the Age of Kings.

  Age of Illumination: the era when Aelon dwelt among humankind, teaching and guiding them. Many wondrous creations were constructed in this time, along with many gifts and talents that have since been lost to men.

  Age of Kings: the era following the Age of Despair. On the island of Kaerleon, a young man named Endran Lucretius began a path that would lead him to glory and eventually kingship. His example inspired others, and soon other kingdoms began to follow suit. Eventually Kaerleon would lead the charge against the barbarian tribes and clans, driving them over the Dragonspine and restoring Erseta to a more civilized era.

  Akhkharu: term alternately meaning ‘soul drinkers’ or ‘wraith people’. Often used to describe the Co’nane, but mainly directed toward the most faithful Thralls that were Gifted during the Scourge of Leilavin, granting them a number of uncanny abilities, including being able to focus the Crafts. Though they share many of the Co’nane’s traits, they are generally less powerful. They amass large amounts of wealth, and can be found passing themselves off as powerful kings, rulers, and nobles, lording over kingdoms of humans unaware of their immortal nature.

  Apokrypy: the study and mastery of the language of Glyphs, which along with special focus grants the user a number of powerful abilities.

  Asfrior: a Haven created in the Dragonspine Mountains, formerly used as a refuge for humans wishing an audience with the Aelon. Now a desolate ruin.

  Athanasia: the river that flows in Nolavani, granting those who drink the water life so long as they drink it.

  Badlands: the deadened plains border the Dragonspine Mountains and separate Epanos from Aceldama.

  Banestone: A rare mineral found only in and around the Dragonspine Mountains, it induces severe to fatal reactions in the akhkharu and even more so in the Co’nane. The knowledge of using it as a ward and weapon was passed to the Sha by the departing Aelon during the Exodus.

  Barbar: a fast and powerful horse bred by nomadic tribes in the Sea of Sand.

  Blood: a term used by the Co’nane to differentiate themselves from their Gifted brethren.

  Blood Legion: a highly efficient unit of soldiers employed by the Co’nane for special missions.

  Blueshift Rings: Aetheric-powered gateways used by the Aelon to traverse long distances in mere seconds.

  Canchu: a term used by the Onosho caste to describe the akhkharu.

  Caretaker of the Blood: some of the Blood continued to cohabit with humans, diluting the blood-line and producing weaker and different types of akhkharu, while others Gifted humans without authorization from the Co’nane. Those true to the Blood found these acts both disgusting and dangerous, so they elected a Caretaker whose only responsibility was to preserve the bloodline by destroying all who would taint its purity, thus keeping the original Aelon stock true.

  Caylin the Frey: The Grey Fox, great trickster and hero of folk tale and legend. Caylin was supposedly a man who lived in the Age of Chaos. Folk tales often depict him using his wit and cunning to escape from life-threatening situations while making his enemies appear as fools in the process. Often paired with a totem companion named Ash that most often took the form of a wolf.

  Chamber of Pools: a chamber in Halladen that serves as a conduit for Aetheric energy, encompassing three Blueshift Rings used by the Sha for distinct purposes.

  Coercion: perhaps the most common Craft and easiest learned for an akhkharu. Compulsion is used to block the will of their human victims, making their minds open for subjection and domination, and their will to fight or resist nonexistent. This Craft is varied in strength according to the individual akhkharu, and is best used on those who do not believe akhkharu exist. It can be successfully resisted by anyone whose will of mind is unusually strong. The Pap
hic Sect are especially skilled in this Craft.

  Companions: the name of Marcellus Admorran’s knightly brotherhood, men sworn to his ideology on knighthood and chivalry. Collected from many different lands of Erseta, they had the repute of having never tasted defeat.

  Co’nane: the Aelon that resisted against their brethren and remained behind after the Exodus. They followed the philosophies of an acolyte of Stygan named Leilavin and called themselves the Guelph, or Dark Aelon. Severed from the eternal streams of Athanasia, they were subsequently deceived by Leilavin into accepting a different source of immortality, which forced them to feed on the pran of humans to survive. The majority learned to live with this condition, some thriving with it, while a small remnant went mad and eventually died off.

  Later, division arose in the direction of the Blood, and those called the Co’nane rebelled against their Guelph brothers and crushed them in civil war. The Co’nane then opposed Leilavin, refusing to obey her orders. Leilavin then created Reavers to destroy them, a campaign that nearly succeeded. The Co’nane gifted their most faithful Thralls to combat the Reavers, buying time to find a way to destroy them. Alaric Aelfvalder eventually secured the means by obtaining Mothros, destroying the Reavers and greatly weakening Leilavin, who retreated to Everfell. The surviving Co’nane were few, but still mighty enough to control the Gifted, though their hold grows more precarious as the ages pass.

  Being former Aelon, the Co’nane are unusually strong, have heightened senses and strong mental abilities, able to sense emotions and thoughts. They are more powerful than their akhkharu brethren, naturally adept in various Crafts. Unlike the akhkharu, their powers are not diminished by sunlight. The Co’nane cannot reproduce, so when one of their kind is destroyed, their numbers shrink that much.

  Crafts: a possession of special powers harnessed first by the Aelon and passed on to the Gifted. They are developed through special focus and force of will. The Co’nane focus the Crafts with the most ease, while the Sects must spend much time developing such skills. While each Sect is proficient in a certain many of the Crafts, each one develops their expertise according to individual and personality. Called Disciplines by humans.