Reality's Plaything 4: Savants Ascendant

by Will Greenway

  Psionic creatures begin to exhibit broad powers that are in many ways like

  ritual magic only performed by force of will alone. They can develop skills like self teleportation, dimensional travel, and can in some instances control their psyche so completely that they are independent of their physical bodies. Mages at this skill level no longer rely on ritual except for reference and ideas. They freely combine energies and are limited only by endurance of their physical bodies.

  9th Order

  Living Magic

  The highest order of psionics and magic is cosmic or “living” magic where the creature becomes in tune with the physical nature of the cosmos and can manipulate it directly. The 9th order of magic is the top of the scale but creatures that possess this level of ability have a tremendous range in scope of their capabilities. At one end of the range might be the ability to control storms or perform miracle healing—in the Ring Realms the other end of the scale is the strength to destroy stars and alter the flow of time.

  See Also: energy, telepathy, teleportation

  Malan — The kingdom of the elves north of Ivaneth ruled by King Jhaann T’Evagduran and Queen Kalindinai. Malan is one of the most powerful nations in Sharikaar.

  See Also: Sharikaar, T’Evagduran, Jhaann (King), T’Evagduran, Kalindinai (Queen)

  malanian — Of or hailing from Malan. See Malan.

  Malbraion — Malbraion is the name of the residence in which Sarai lives. The whole wing in which the quarters reside is called Green Run. Malbraion has facilities to house and prepare meals for 30 people in addition to the maid staff of 8, the 6 stewards, and 4 permanent guards.

  See Also: T’Evagduran, Sarai (3rd Princess)

  matayan — A Matayan is a follower of the Lore-Knight’s code of ethics. The Matayan’s maintain an ethic of peace through knowledge. Matayan’s maintain high standards of personal and moral conduct and maintain that life is sacred and that force is the measure of last resort.

  Matradomma — Elvish. A term of respect when addressing an Elven queen. Literally it means ‘mother of mothers’. Domma is the respectful form of address to older woman or a woman of higher station. It is the female gender equivalent of ‘sire’.

  Mercedes — Level 12 Kriar mecha healer or cybermed currently in the employ of Bronawyn Shadowstalker. Though Bronawyn actually owns Mercedes’ contract. The good-hearted healer tries to help everyone she can. Bronawyn is extremely stingy with the expensive cyber’s time. Mercedes is considered an “elite-class” healer, which means specifically that she can upgrade (or enhance) other healer type mecha. Mecha physicians are the most advanced of all mecha created by the Kriar and possibly the most quirky and eccentric.

  See Also: cyber-unit, kriar, Shadowstalker, Bronawyn

  mimi — Elvish. It is most often used as an affectionate term expressed to a loved one. It translates to the way the word ‘baby’ is used by a mother to a child. It can also be from wife to husband or vice versa.

  mindspeak — Another word for telepathy. See telepathy.

  mithril — A light strong metal that possesses magical properties even in its ‘raw’ state.

  Mon’istiaga — A horrendously powerful sword created by the first one Shiva. It has the ability, in Wren Kergatha’s words, to cleave a world in two. Wren uses this weapon on a few occasions to devastating effect. She slew hundreds of demons and the physical essence of Hecate with this weapon. This artifact is the embodiment of destruction, and its true capabilities are unknown.

  morgeer — A more evolved form of doppelgänger. They have greater stealth, speed, and magical ability. It is rumored these creatures can only be found in Silissia.

  See Also: doppelgänger

  Myrgul, Duke — Son of King Tradholme’s sister. Sarai is engaged to be married to Myrgul, whom she refers to a ‘pig boy’.

  See Also: T’Evagduran, Sarai (3rd Princess)

  Myrmigyne — Member of an all woman clan of warriors. The Myrmigynes typically have isolated communities in the deep forests and jungles.

  — N —

  needleleaf — Tall evergreen tree common to the highlands and mountain regions, with a thin cylindrical leaf and pungent sap. They have a striking similarity to pine trees on earth.

  Nethra — Eternal, tactical commander of the Protectorate and goddess of the Myrmigynes. Nethra’s shaladen surrogate is Talorin Falor.

  Nethra is probably one of the more outgoing and accessible of the Eternals. Her relationship with Tal Falor is extremely informal (he calls her ‘boss’) and they indulge in some very loose banter. Despite appearances, the two are extremely efficient and deadly serious in their actual conducting of Protectorate business. Tal is a stickler for chain-of-command but is ultimately a results-oriented person. Nethra is much the same, thus the two of them get along extremely well.

  Nethra is characterized by her flaming red hair which goes well with her passionate and expressive nature. She is physically the second strongest of the eternals behind Garn. Her skills in combat were legendary even before she became an eternal.

  See Also: Falor, Talorin {Tal}, shaladen

  Nifelheim — In the dimension of Gladshiem, the land of the dead ruled over by the pantheon lady Hella.

  nola — Used to refer to a savant’s magical power. In powerful savants the Nola can be a considered much like a living thing that inhabits his or her body.

  Nova — Shaladen sword spiritually bound the eternal Nethra Argos. Nova confers the ability to open rips in time and space primarily for purposes of travel but usable in a myriad of ways. Initially, Algernon D’Tarin wielded this weapon but conflicts with Eternal Nethra prompted him to switch weapons with Talorian Falor. Tal Falor is now the current wielder of the weapon and he and Nethra share an excellent working relationship considered one of the best in the Shael Dal.

  See Also: D’Tarin, Algernon, Falor, Talorin {Tal}, shaladen

  Numinor — Numinor is the world that was home to the Numinorian race.

  Numinorian — The Numinorians of old Numinor are one of the elder races lost in antiquity. Much of the pseudo sciences like magic, fighting, alchemy, and the development of chimerae can trace their roots to the lore left behind by this culture. The Numinorians were the ultimate magical “scientists” pushing the limits of the art and what it was capable of. At some point the core counsel of Numanor became obsessed with the discovery of the power of ultimate entropy. The ability to control life itself, to be able to harness the decay of all of living things. This pursuit ultimately ended in the destruction of their people. Loric Felspar is the only known living member of their race.

  See Also: Felspar, Loric

  — O —

  Odin — Pantheon lord, ruler of the Aesir. Odin is god of the atmosphere and warriors. Odin is the father of Thor with his discarded wife Jord.

  — P —

  praelor — Elvish. Praelor is a rank in the Elf military. A praelor commands two squads of four men. A field unit usually consists of (9 individuals) one praelor, two midachs, and six soldiers.

  — Q —

  quasar — Quasi-Stellar. Bodies in space which emit light and radio waves.

  — R —

  Rankorhaaz — Six armed greater fiend created by Hecate. Previous to Bannor’s enhancing of Wren’s powers, she had been unable to destroy this armored, regenerating, extremely powerful creature.

  Ratch, Boss —

  Thug leader hired to capture Sarai.

  See Also: T’Evagduran, Sarai (3rd Princess)

  rhinotaur — Rhinotaurs are uncommon (thank heavens!) creatures that live in various locations throughout the Ring Realms. They mostly have been spotted in Silissia, but have also been encountered in southern Corwin and in northern Coormeer. Rhinotaurs bare a rudimentary resemblance to centaurs, only they are far larger and covered with a hard gray exo-skeleton. When fully grown, the four footed aspect of the Rhinotaur can reach 3 paces high at the shoulder and can be as much as 2 paces across the chest. Specimens weighing more than 3
000 stone have been brought down.

  The armored hide of the Rhinotaur is equal to twenty overlapping layers of leather and conventional weaponry is all but useless against this defense. The humanoid torso of this creature is proportional in length to the shoulder height of its four footed body and is covered with the same thick gray armor. The arms are thick and powerful and end in four-fingered hands that possess an opposable thumb. The humanoid head has broad flat features and thick square teeth for pulverizing whatever food isn’t already pulverized. A single thick horn protrudes from the creature’s forehead. These creatures possess no language, but do make rudimentary use of tools. They commonly use huge clubs to bludgeon prey they run down. Rhinotaurs are vicious bad tempered and extremely territorial. Once enraged, they attack until slain. Because of this behavior they are sometimes used as extraordinarily powerful guard-dogs.

  In combat, Rhinotaurs are a easily a match for an elder dragon because of the toughness of their armor. Rhinotaurs are stupid and thus can be easily controlled by a mage with the proper preparation and materials. This is, of course, the only way these creatures can be used in any guarding capacity. Rhinotaurs have been known to be used in the death spectacles arena combat. Legend has it that Rhinotaurs were created by grand lore-mage Theln of the Dream Merchants.

  See Also: dragon

  Riverback — A small village east of Ivaneth. The village is destroyed in a conflict with Hecate’s avatars.

  — S —

  savant — savant is the common and generic term for creatures who possess the spark of Alpha. See ka’amok.

  Roster of Savant Powers & Known Savants

  Garmtur’shak Nola—savant of reality

  Latis Nola—savant of time

  Chakta Nola—savant of space

  Ta’arthak Nola—savant of matter

  Da’jhamack Nola—savant of attractions

  Kel’varan Nola—savant of forces

  Ishtar Nola—savant of magic

  Kul’vita Nola—savant of life forces

  Sil’kar Nola—savant of light

  Nomtar Nola—savant of fire/cold

  Lokar Nola—savant of elementals

  Gellid Nola—savant of phasing

  Tong Nola—savant of minds

  Ein’Doc Nola—savant of traveling

  Brill’Kes Nola—savant of sound

  Mairn’Tete Nola—savant of gases

  Mairn’Kath Nola—savant of metals

  Mairn’Reth Nola—savant of organics

  See Also: ascendant, Kergatha, Vanidaar, Kergatha, Liandra {Wren} Idun-daughter, magic

  scalebark — Sturdy heavy-boled trees with thick scale-like bark and extremely dense wood. Quite similar to an oak actually.

  scanning — The act of utilizing a scanner.

  scoreday — A period of twenty days.

  scrying — Scrying is the term used to describe magical remote observation. Scrying can be done through devices and through spells, and their a varying levels of strength that range anywhere from being able to see a few rooms away to being able to see events taking place on other planes of existence.

  Shadowstalker, Bronawyn — Deposed princess of Silissia and adventurer, sister of Nevarr Shadowstalker who is now the current Castellan of Drakmourn. Member of the Brethren guild of Ivaneth. Bronawyn married Caldorian Felspar in 1101 N.I.S.

  Bronawyn has two daughters by Caldorian: Cassopia and DonaRae.

  Bronawyn was cast out of Silissian because of a bloody coup staged by Gabriella Sarn Ariok over the Kingdom’s harboring of the followers of Kali. Bronawyn’s parents and immediate family aside from her brother Nevarr were all slain.

  Later when Nevarr returned to reclaim the Shadowstalker birthright from Gabriella through an arranged marriage, Bronawyn regained her royal titles and rights to the lands in Drakmourn.

  Through her contacts in the Felspar family Bronawyn happened to meet Gwensullan Techstar, the matriarch of the powerful 2nd generation Kriar house of Techstar. The Kriar lady technologist was looking to purchase lands on habitable worlds and it so happened that Bronawyn was willing to sell the (to her) worthless chunk of desert on the western border of Drakmourn, several hundred square leagues of barren rock and sand that were uninhabitable (for humans). Bronawyn sold the land to Gwensullan against the urgings of many in the Felspar clan (especially Cassandra—the reasons for Cassandra’s desire to block her adopted great-grandmother’s land deal are murky). Bronawyn received a payment of several million Kriar comtimes for the land parcel, a currency valid only on the Kriar homeworld. Bronawyn had known that the comtimes could purchase Kriar ‘magicks’ far beyond the meager means of anything that could be bought with gold. With Dame Techstar’s assistance, she ventured to the Kriar homeworld searching through catalogs to find something appropriate to purchase with her money. Many of the first things she chose the Kriar simply would not sell to a “primitive”. After a long negotiation period, and purchases of several trivial items, Bronawyn came upon the idea of purchasing a Kriar cybermed. The Silissian princess had seen the miraculous healing abilities of cybermeds because she had seen the one Clan Felspar consulted from time to time for healing critical injuries and ailments. When she made the request to purchase a cybermed, surprisingly the approval was granted for the sum of two million comtimes. The reasons the Kriar allowed the sale of Mercedes’ contract are unclear, but it is surmised that Mercedes herself through the network of cybers on homeworld arranged her own ‘vacation’.

  Mercedes lived as a member of the Felspar household and acted Bronawyn’s assistant and later the caregiver for Bronawyn’s two babies. It is believed that Bronawyn’s relationship to the clan was one of the other ulterior motives that Mercedes had when she arranged the approval for the contract. The Kriar, and the cyber hierarchy were intensely interested in the science of magic and this was a golden opportunity to study a whole household full of mages in their “natural environment”.

  Not long after Mercedes became a part of their family, Bronawyn came up with a money-making scheme utilizing the cyber’s incredible healing ability. She would locate rich families that had members with incurable ailments, and for a price restore them to health.

  While it was a good idea, the basically good-hearted and very “human” cyber would have nothing to do with this “selling life to the highest bidder” mercenary plot. Try as she might, Bronawyn could do nothing to persuade the cyber to cooperate. She was ready to give up the cyber as a wasted investment and try “to get her money back” when her far more diplomatic husband, Caldorian stepped in. He suggested a compromise, run a clinic that offered healing at whatever the patients could afford, if free, so-be-it, but whatever could be reasonably born by the patients and their family… They had to charge something as he later explained to Mercedes, in order to pay for the facilities and such to support the endeavor. With careful persuasion they were finally able to convince the cybermed to agree, and the Shadowstalker Miracle Clinic was born. Bronawyn was careful to limit the knowledge of this institution and help enough less fortunate people to satisfy Mercedes’ sense of equity, while raking in huge sums of cash from rich families desperate to cure the incurable. This enterprise was as can be imagined, wildly successful. Mercedes was only one individual though and there was a limit to what she could do. Bronawyn then branched out into pharmaceuticals, the cyber’s knowledge of advanced medicines made her capable of devising vaccines and inoculations of incredible worth. Again, to satisfy Mercedes she had to temper the sales providing the product to the poor as well as the rich. The enterprise continued, with Bronawyn organizing better and more efficient ways to utilize Mercedes skills while still satisfying the temperamental cyber’s saintly sense of equity.

  As Bronawyn’s financial resources blossomed, she hatched another scheme. The Kriar wanted to purchase land in the idyllic core-worlds of the Ring Realms, however, Elsbeth Crowninshield was utilizing her vast resources as an elder elite, to block, intimidate sellers, and buy up land to prevent any Kriar homeste
ads from being created. Remembering her initial extremely profitable deal with house Techstar, Bronawyn saw another way to make money. She began buying land in the different locations where the Kriar were showing interest and secretly brokering it to agencies on Homeworld. This simple enterprise far outstripped the extraordinary profits that she had been bringing in with Mercedes. However, it was not long before Elsbeth learned that her embargo had been undermined and the Crimson Mage turned her wrath on the Princess. Only by fact of her being Loric’s daughter-in-law did Bronawyn escape severe punishment at the hands of the elder elite. It was while hiding behind Loric and Cassandra that Bronawyn decided that if she was going to make enemies like Elsbeth, that she needed serious protection. She put word out on homeworld that she would pay handsomely for Kriar bodyguard.

  Bronawyn was teased by the Felspar family that there was no way that some ancient Kriar warrior would “babysit” a human for any amount of pay.

  They were wrong. Not only did Bronawyn get an applicant, the one who answered the call was none other than retired Tarkath Eclipse Shargris, one of the most renowned warriors on homeworld. This development stunned the family elders. It was a conundrum as to whether they should allow Eclipse to be in or around the household. It wasn’t until Bronawyn threatened to move out that they finally agreed to allow it as long as Eclipse promised ‘good behavior’. This Eclipse did do but the ancient Kriar’s assurances did little to calm misgivings. Loric knew if this impossibly old creature decided to cause trouble there was virtually nothing he or anyone else in the citadel could do.

  Eclipse became the next Kriar member of Bronawyn’s household within a household. Loric’s unease proved unwarranted, the Tarkath turned out to be a model houseguest causing decidedly less trouble than the mistress he hired on to guard. In fact, he helped Cassandra out with several thorny problems which helped ease tensions. It was shortly thereafter Eclipse’s acceptance that family members discovered Desiray’s involvement with the rogue Kriar Quasar, who by coincidence was Eclipse’s mate. Which involvement came first remains in question, but it soon became clear that the Felspar clan had some ancient Kriar mercenaries now vacationing in their midst.