Extraordinary Zoology

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Extraordinary Zoology Page 14

by Tayler, Howard


  Raelthorne, King Leto: The current king of Cygnar, Leto Raelthorne seized the throne from his older brother Vinter IV during the Lion’s Coup of 594 AR.

  Retribution (of Scyrah): Once outlawed as dangerously radical, this militant Iosan religious sect seeks to avenge the imminent doom of their goddess Scyrah by killing human arcanists, whom they hold to blame.

  Scarleforth Lake: A large lake south of Ios and adjacent to the Glimmerwood within the Bloodstone Marches.

  Scyrah: Once one of eight gods within the Iosan Divine Court pantheon, representing Spring, Scyrah has become the primary goddess of Ios. She currently languishes in a state of slow death mirroring the steady decline of the elven race, but this is a matter not discussed with non-Iosans.

  Seekers: Members of an Iosan minority religious sect who actively search for the solution to the mysterious ailment that has afflicted the goddess Scyrah, which they believe likely exists outside the borders of Ios. This motivates some Seekers to cooperate with and form alliances with outsiders.

  Skirov: Ethnic majority of the Skirovnya volozk in northern Khador.

  skorne: A race originating from eastern Immoren that crossed the Bloodstone Desert and Marches to make war on the west. The product of a harsh and brutally strict culture, they seem bent on the conquest of the Iron Kingdoms. The Skorne Empire boasts a highly disciplined and versatile army that employs a variety of enslaved beasts to fight alongside their soldiers.

  sons of Bragg: See fell caller.

  steamjack: A steam-powered mechanikal construct designed in a variety of configurations and sizes, used for both labor and warfare throughout the Iron Kingdoms, Cryx, and Rhul.

  steamo: An informal nickname used to refer to a member of Cygnar’s Steam & Iron Worker’s Union.

  swamp gobbers: Clever and hardy diminutive gobbers found in bogs and marshes, particularly in the eastern Thornwood and the Widower’s Wood outside Corvis. There is no physiological distinction between swamp gobbers and those dwelling in cities, so the term is cultural and descriptive.

  swampies: A swamp-dwelling people, usually of Morridane or Arjun ancestry, most commonly found in Cygnar and eastern Ord. Swampies do not consider the term pejorative but these people are frequently subject to prejudice by city-dwellers who regard them as unsophisticated and ignorant.

  tatzylwurms: Snake-like predators notorious for their ability to leap great distances. A versatile species with various sub-breeds, some of which can climb surprisingly well while others are at home in aquatic environments.

  Tharn: Savage, man-eating humanoid tribesmen who inhabit the depths of the Thornwood and are feared for their ferocity and their ability to transform into a bestial form as a blessing of the Devourer Wurm. While legend holds that they were once human, they are no longer viewed as such, nor do they identify themselves as such.

  Thornwood mauler: Fierce and powerful predators that are found in wooded areas, maulers are known for their incredible sense of smell.

  Thornwood: A large forest that was originally part of the northern territories of Cygnar. It was recently occupied by Khador before being beset by a large number of Cryxian forces. It remains a contested territory and the site of many recent battles.

  troll: A large, brutish species possessing limited language and inclined toward violence motivated by hunger. They are widely considered by humanity to be monsters, since trolls eat humans without hesitation. They are sometimes referred to as “full-blood trolls” to differentiate them from their trollkin cousins.

  trollkin: A hardy and intelligent race that live both in their own communities in the wilderness and within cities of man. They possess a complex and rich culture, including their own written language. Most trollkin worship the goddess Dhunia.

  Urcaen: A mysterious cosmological realm that is the spiritual counterpart of Caen. Most of the gods reside here, and this is also where most souls spend the afterlife. Urcaen is divided between protected divine domains and the hellish wilds stalked by the Devourer Wurm.

  vektiss: Intelligent, insect-like creatures that hunt in packs and paralyze their prey with poisonous bites.

  warbeast: Casually, any powerful beast employed in war. More technically, any supernatural beast capable of bonding to a warlock and manifesting an animus. This term is not widely used in western Immoren but is employed by the skorne, whose armies make heavy use of enslaved beasts. Other groups employing warbeasts include the Circle Orboros, the Legion of Everblight, trollkin, gatormen, and farrow. Most warlocks require an affinity to specific types of warbeasts to bond to them.

  warjack: A highly advanced and well-armed steamjack created or modified for war. Some warjacks use power sources other than steam and are not technically steamjacks but are still referred to as such as a matter of custom.

  warlock: An arcanist with the ability to bond to and mentally control savage or enslaved beasts.

  Widower’s Wood: A dark and marsh-filled forest that surrounds the city of Corvis in northern Cygnar and extends north of the city and beyond Cygnar’s borders to the east into the edges of the Bloodstone Marches.

  wilding: A spontaneous manifestation of druidic power in humans that usually occurs at an early age and is often mistaken for madness. The Circle Orboros is scrupulous about collecting those who manifest the wilding, although their means of detecting this are unknown.

  Wyrmwall Mountains: The largest mountain range in southwestern Immoren, taking up a sizable portion of the kingdom of Cygnar. This expanse is divided into a number of lesser mountain ranges, including the Upper Wyrmwall, the Watcher Peaks, and Helmsreach.

  About the Author

  Howard Tayler writes and illustrates Schlock Mercenary (schlockmercenary.com), co-hosts the Writing Excuses podcast with Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, and Mary Robinette Kowal (writingexcuses.com), and writes fantasy, horror, and science fiction in such free time as remains. He lives with his wife (and business partner, and fellow writer) Sandra and their four children in Orem, Utah.

  He plays Trollbloods, Circle, Minions, Mercenaries, and Cygnar, but not nearly so often as he would like. This novella was carved at great personal sacrifice from what used to be his painting time.

  Extraordinary Zoology

  Copyright © 2013 Privateer Press

  This book is printed under the copyright laws of the United States of America and retains all of the protections thereof. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks herein including , and all associated logos and slogans are property of Privateer Press, Inc. This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form without written permission from Privateer Press. Duplicating any portion of the materials herein, unless specifically addressed within the work or by written permission from Privateer Press, is strictly prohibited. In the event that permissions are granted, such duplications shall be intended solely for personal, noncommercial use and must maintain all copyrights, trademarks, or other notices contained therein or preserve all marks associated thereof.

  EPUB

  First printing: July 25, 2013

  ISBN: 978-1-939480-31-6

  Privateer Press

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  Table of Contents

  MAP

  PROLOGUE

  PART I: LYNUS

  PART II: EDREA

  PART III: THE MIRKAR KRIEL

  GLOSSARY

 

 

 
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