by Ryk E. Spoor
Skysand
Situated on the far northeast corner of the continent, Skysand is a country which is mostly desert with considerable volcanic features and with some interior and coastal oases (around which are built its few cities). A theocratic monarchy, Skysand is ruled by the Silverun family under a complex set of rules administered and watched over by the temples of Terian, the Mortal God; the capital is also named Skysand and is situated in a natural harbor with a periodically active but generally harmless volcano on the southern side. Cut off from the rest of the land by the high and volcanic Flamewall Mountains, Skysand trades by sea with other countries around the continent, its most prominent exports being magical gemstones which are found in great quantity and diverse assortments in the desert and mountains.
Artania
A huge island or small continent a thousand miles long and a few hundred wide, Artania is the claimed homeland of the youngest of the major species on Zarathan, the Artan (sometimes called Elves). Few other than the Artan are allowed beyond the capital city, Nya-Sharee-Hilya (which means “Surviving the Storm of Ages”); this city is run on rather militaristic lines but it’s uncertain as to whether this reflects the overall government, or the fact that the city is often the focal point of invasion attempts.
White Blade State
Located in a circle of mountains in the far northwest of the main continent, the White Blade State is a rotating monarchy, with rulership cycling regularly between the ruling families of the five main cities. How the individual cities determine their ruling families varies, making governmental changeovers...interesting at times. Naturally this also means the capital city changes with regularity. The “White Blade” is a symbolic, but extremely powerful, sword which is held by the current ruler; it is said to be the gift of the patron god of the White Blade, Chromaias, and each of the five cities are devoted to and named after one of the five gods of that faith (Chromaias, Stymira [Thanamion], Amanora, Taralandira [Mulios], and Kharianda.
Aegeia
A small country walled off from the rest of the continent by the mountain range called Wisdom’s Fortress, Aegeia is a theocratic state which is ruled much of the time by a council of twelve nobles, but at other times by the literal incarnate Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, in the capital city of Aegis.
Odinsforge Range/Thologondoreave
The Children of Odin claim this as their homeland, and politically the entire mountain range is treated as a sort of neutral ground with the Children of Odin having priority in disputes. The area immediately surrounding the general location of Thologondoreave (“Cavern of a Thousand Hammers”)is acknowledged to be sovereign territory of the Children of Odin; as the exact location of Thologondoreave is a well-kept secret from most people, with powerful enchantments and even deific protection, in practice this makes most of the Odinsforge Range their country, an island in the middle of the State of the Dragon King.
Pondsparkle
Possibly the smallest country in the world, Pondsparkle consists of one small city and the surrounding area near a small lake a few miles in extent. Pondsparkle is the permanent home for a large number (several thousand) of the Intelligent Toads and the site of the first and still primary temple to their god, Blackwart the Great.
Kaizatenzei
A country unknown to the outside world until Phoenix in Shadow, Kaizatenzei is a country set in the midst of Moonshade Hollow—and is every bit as beautiful, fruitful, and pleasant as Rivendream Pass and the outer part of Moonshade Hollow are monstrous, corrupt, and deadly.
The name of the country translates to “The Unity of Seven Lights,” with the Seven Lights of the name being seven cities or very large villages which served as the center of safety and power against the evil surrounding them, and who began working together once they discovered each other’s existence. The discovery of what is called the Light of Unity caused them to found a reasonably central capital city called Sha Kaizatenzei Valatar, which means something like “soul-light heart city of the Unity of Seven Lights.”
Other Locations
Elyvias
Not, strictly speaking, a country, but a subcontinent, Elyvias used to be a larger portion of the continent, with additional area extending up nearly to Tor Port, but according to legend a battle between Elbon Nomicon and the Archmage Idinus caused a cataclysmic restructuring of the whole area, sinking a large chunk of the continent and creating the distorted conditions within. Elyvias has several countries and significant cities within its borders (Firestream Falls, Shuronogromal, Thunder Port, Thelhi-Man-Su, Zeikor, Artilus) but is severely cut off from the rest of the world both by the physical barriers of the Barricade Mountains, Blackdust Plateau, and Cataclysm Ridge, and by the mystical disruption called the Maelwyrd which surrounds the entire peninsula to a range of up to forty miles, with only a mile or two of clear-sailing space inside the Maelwyrd, near land. Magic also tends to work differently in Elyvias and the civilizations there have developed differently in the last several thousand years.
The Forest Sea
Stretching from the Great Road and the Odinsforge Range in the east to the Barricade Range in the east, the Forest Sea presses against the Ice Peaks and surges around them in the east, up into the Empire of the Mountain. Stretching for three thousand miles, the Forest Sea is broken only by tiny enclaves within it and by the narrow clear-cuts around the cities and Great Roads. Somewhere within is hidden the Suntree, which the Artan on the main continent use as temple and center, but most of it is utterly unexplored, filled with danger and possibility.
“Hell” and Hell’s Rim
Created, it is said, from a cataclysmic mystical confrontation between the powerful Demons and the Great Dragons in the days before human beings walked the planet, the region called “Hell” is a place of twisted, distorted magics, impossible conflicting terrain, and monsters found nowhere else. No coherent picture has emerged of the place within, and few even attempt to go there; passing Hell’s Rim, a steep barrier of high peaks, would be too much effort for most anyway. The only pass through those peaks is sealed off by the fortress city, Hell’s Edge, which exists almost solely as a barrier between “Hell” and the rest of the world.
Ice Peaks
Like “Hell” and Elyvias, the Ice Peaks are a reminder of one of the conflicts of history, though long enough ago that the precise nature of the event isn’t known. The Peaks are magical, solidified ice for the most part, meaning that they are beautiful, transparent or translucent, and very, very hard to pass, given they have nothing growing on them. They form one of the natural borders between the State of the Dragon God and the Empire of the Mountain.
People of Zarathan
Many different species share this continent—many relatively peacefully, others...somewhat less so. Following is a summary of the most significant peoples of this world.
Humans
Human beings on Zarathan are basically the same as they are on Earth. Generalists, humans are something of the chameleons of the civilizations, showing up in any profession, any part of the world, in large numbers. They are probably the most common of the intelligent species.
Intelligent Toads
Called the Sylanningathalinde, or “Golden-eyed,” by the Saurans, the Toads claim to be the oldest of the intelligent species, even pre-dating the Dragons and Demons. They are in general a fun-loving but insular people, and mostly stay near to the pond they are born and raised in. Toads are given one name in their larval (tadpole) stage and, when adults, choose a significant second name. They vary tremendously in size, from dwarfed individuals a few inches long up to some four feet from nose to rump and weighing two hundred pounds.
Saurans
Averaging eight feet in height with massive bodies, armored tails, heavy, clawed feet and arms, and a head sporting a very large fanged mouth, Saurans resemble nothing so much as a miniature Godzilla. They claim to be direct descendants of the Great Dragons, and the Ancient Saurans—somewhat larger and clearly superior in many ways—are
supposedly ranked as equals with the Dragons. There are very few Ancient Saurans left. Generally even-tempered, and a good thing, since when angered they are terribly dangerous.
Artan
Very humanlike, Artan tend to the delicate in appearance, with hair and eyes of exotic colors; they are extremely controlled in emotional displays as a rule. They often live in wilder areas—forests and mountains—but not, despite some assumptions, because they like to live “close to nature”; they prefer to be hard to find and have a sort of racial paranoia that they are still being hunted by some nameless adversaries who supposedly chased them from beyond the stars to Zarathan. The Rohila are technically the same species, but are otherwise separated from them in culture, behavior, and associations, aside from being also isolationist.
Children of Odin/Odinsyrnen
Short, broad, tough as stone, these appear to be—and in many ways are—the classic dwarves. However, they are not a species of hard-drinking and fighting warriors, despite appearances and the fact that their patron pantheon includes Odin and Thor. According to their legends they were literally created by Odin, who forged them in Asgard from the heart of a world, using Thor’s hammer to do the striking. While their greatest city is indeed underground, the Children of Odin are equally at home above ground and are nearly as flexible in choice of profession and environments as human beings.
Winged Folk/Saelar
Generally human in appearance but with a set of huge but compactable wings, the Saelar are almost certainly the result of some mage’s experimentation a few Chaoswars ago. The records are, however, lost, and they breed as true as any, so they are now an uncommon but widely-spread species, most heavily concentrated in the region of the Broken Hills.
Mazakh
Often called "snake-demons,” "snake-men,” and other more derogatory terms, the mazakh were originally the creation of the demons they worship (the Mazolishta) who literally constructed them from a number of other species. In appearance they are actually somewhat less snakelike and more like small raptorian dinosaurs. Generally raised in a hostile culture that trains them for warfare and lack of empathy, the mazakh are still not inherently evil and some leave the service of the Mazolishta and join the greater societies above; these are called khallit.
Gods and Beings of Significance
The gods and their choices affect nearly everything on the planet. There are, literally, hundreds if not thousands of deities worshipped on the planet; for purposes of The Balanced Sword, only a few are of great significance, however. In this section are also included a few individual beings who may not be, strictly speaking, gods, but who have influence on that level.
Myrionar
God of Justice and Vengeance, Myrionar is at the heart of the action here. In the grander scheme of things Myrionar is a fading god whose influence is vastly reduced from what it was, but that may be changing. Represented as a set of scales balanced on the point of a sword.
Terian
The Nemesis of Evil, the Light in the Darkness, Terian is also called Infinity as he is referred to in prophecy as "The Length of Space.” A deity of unswerving good, Terian is also ranked as one of the most powerful of deities on anyone’s scale. Represented by a human figure mostly in black with a cape or cloak clasped with a golden sidewise-eight figure and head blurred/concealed by a blaze of light.
Chromaias and the Four
Generally portrayed as good, the Chromaian faith is extremely...flexible, especially as it manifests all aspects of magic and power. Symbolized by a four-pointed jack-like object with crystals of four different colors at the points and a clear diamond at the center.
Eönae
Goddess of the world(s), Eönae’s focus is on nature, with control over the natural elements (earth, air, fire, water, and spirit) the common manifestation of her power. She is commonly allied with Shargamor, a demon of water turned to the light, who is mostly focused on storms, streams, rain, and so on. Symbolized either by a woman (young, medium, old) with green and brown hair, or by her signature creatures, the Eönwyl, which are essentially god-empowered winged unicorns.
Elbon Nomicon and the Sixteen
One of the most ancient pantheons, the head of this group of gods is Elbon Nomicon, Teranahm a u Gilnas (Great Dragon of the Diamond), supposedly father to all Dragons and a being of almost incalculable power. The Dragons tend to slow, long duty-cycles on Zarathan, either sleeping for ages or travelling to other planes of existence, with only a few physically present on Zarathan at any given time; it is, however, rumored that Elbon Nomicon’s own home is at the center of the Krellin mountains at the extreme southwest tip of the continent. The symbol of each dragon is its chosen gemstone; Elbon’s personal symbol is a stylized lighting bolt with rays extending out from it.
Kerlamion
The Black Star, King of All Hells, Kerlamion is one of the most powerful of the gods as well as one of the original Demons. He symbolizes destruction and conquest and thus attracts only the worst sort of worshippers; he is however often quite active and those who please him may often get material aid. His symbol is, predictably, either a black starburst or a humanoid outline of pure black.
The Mazolishta
Great Demons who are the patron gods of the mazakh and other creatures of darker natures, there are several Mazolishta whose names are rarely spoken; the only one appearing directly in The Balanced Sword is Voorith, whose focus is life, forests, and such—in a corruptive and destructive sense.
Blackwart the Great
God of Toads (and anything else he happens to like), Blackwart manifests as a gigantic black toad, hence the name. While not powerful on the scale of many of the gods, he is much more savvy than many give him credit for (just like his people). He is symbolized by a stylized set of pop-eyes and a smile, or by a black toad figurine.
The Wanderer
A supposedly human wizard, the Wanderer is a figure of popular legend across Zarathan; stories about him go back at least one and possibly two, three, or even four Chaoswars. An extremely powerful magician, the Wanderer is most known for his unorthodox approaches and apparent immunity to destiny; it is said he originally came from Zaralandar (Earth) which may explain his unique nature. Even the “he” is somewhat in doubt as the Wanderer has appeared in dozens of different guises throughout history, men, women, children, and even occasionally Artan, Child of Odin, or other species.
Konstantin Khoros
The most powerful spirit magician known, Khoros is regarded with trepidation, awe, and fear by almost all beings of power. He is a master manipulator, whose goals may be good but whose methods are at best harsh and at times dark indeed. He has devastated the plans of demonlords and kings, of gods and villains, often without being himself physically present. In The Balanced Sword, Khoros is known to have had contact with all three of the main characters and be directly involved with some of their actions.
The Spiritsmith
An Ancient Sauran with a history stretching back at least half a million years to the Fall of the Saurans, the Spiritsmith is the greatest known artificer on the planet, and the one asked by gods and heroes for the mightiest weapons and strongest armor. He forged the original Raiment for all the Justiciars.
Virigar and the Great Wolves
Not, strictly speaking, a god by the standards of Zarathan, Virigar is the King of the Great Werewolves, or Great Wolves, which are the most individually feared monsters on the planet. Great Werewolves (seen in their weakest form in Paradigms Lost) are soul and energy eating shapeshifters whose only vulnerabilities are silver or powers similar to their own. Virigar himself is the most ancient and powerful of their race, and is a bogeyman to even the gods themselves; one of his appellations is “The God-Slayer,” and he has apparently earned this title multiple times in history.
The Elderwyrm
Little more than a dark, dark legend at the time of The Balanced Sword, the Elderwyrm are said to be the opposite numbers of the Great Dragons—equally powerful but a
s evil and destructive as Elbon Nomicon and the Sixteen are noble and constructive.
