SIR TYRONE, knight of the maroon with skin the color of ebony, often referred to as the ‘black knight’
SIR TELLOR, a knight-captain of the maroon, charged with leading the group to Lanverness and returning with a down payment of gold for the Queen’s blue steel weapons
SIR KIRK, a knight of the maroon, sent back to Castlegard with dispatches for the King
CARL, a Master Smith of Castlegard’s forge, sent to Lanverness to take measurements for the Queen’s blue steel weapons
ALAIN, a squire of the maroon
TODD, a squire of the maroon, sent back to Castlegard with dispatches for the King
-the knights of Cragnoth Keep
SIR TRASK, knight of the maroon, leader of a dissident faction, sent to Cragnoth Keep as a punishment posting, champion of the battleaxe
SIR PENROSS, a knight of the maroon
SIR DRAVIN, a knight of the maroon
SIR CARFAX, a knight of the maroon
SIR CARLINE, a knight of the maroon
SIR BELMORT, a knight of the maroon
SIR ORRICK, a knight of the maroon
SIR TALLOVER, a knight of the maroon
STEWARD BALLARD, the head steward of Cragnoth Keep
SIMON, a steward of Cragnoth Keep
NAVARRE
The youngest kingdom of Erdhe, Navarre was founded less than four hundred years ago by a daring adventurer, Alaric Navarre, who rescued the youngest daughter of the king of Coronth from a band of sea pirates infesting the Orcnoth Islands. Gaining the king’s confidence, and his daughter’s hand in marriage, Alaric earned a freehold of land running along the Western Ocean where he later established his kingdom. His domain includes the Orcnoth Islands.
While defeating the nest of pirates, Alaric discovered a long-forgotten focus. The magic of the focus renders the royal house very fecund, enabling the queens to bear six to ten children in a single pregnancy. After using the magic, both the king and the queen become sterile. The focus is the secret strength of the royal house of Navarre, the bedrock for the succession to the throne. Alaric abandoned the convention of primogeniture, declaring that all of the tuplets have an equal chance to the throne. He instituted the practice of Wayfaring, a type of fostering where the heirs develop their greatest interests, striving to become excellent at a skill, a knowledge, or a trade, so that they can bring this knowledge back to Navarre and thus enrich the kingdom. After the Wayfaring, the King, together with the royal council, chooses the successor to the throne based on the talents, skills, and temperament that best fit the needs of the kingdom at the time. Navarre is well known for its uncommonly wise rulers…but with every great boon there is also a cost, the hidden focus brings with it the Curse of the Vowels.
The symbol of Navarre is a white osprey soaring on a checkered field of red and blue. The seat of their power is Castle Seamount, perched on a rocky outcrop on the edge of the Western Ocean. Navarre has always had close ties to the sea.
KING IVOR NAVARRE, the eighth ruler of the kingdom of Navarre
-his siblings:
PRINCE IRWIN, died of poison, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the Vowels
PRINCESS INGRID, fell from the rigging of a ship and died, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the Vowels
PRINCESS IRIS, accused of murdering her two siblings, exiled to the Orcnoth Islands she murdered her guards and then disappeared
PRINCE ISADOR, Commander of the Army of Navarre, advisor to the king, nearly fell victim to the Curse of the Vowels
PRINCESS IGRAINE, Counselor to the king, court historian, tutor to the Royal Js
PRINCE IAN, Royal Bowyer, advisor to the king
PRINCESS IVY, Captain of a royal merchant vessel of Navarre
-his wife, QUEEN MEGAN, a princess of Tubor
-their children known as the Royal Js:
PRINCESS JEMMA, Wayfaring with the Queen of Lanverness to to learn the way of multiply coins
PRINCE JUSTIN, Wayfaring to become a bard, he receives permission from the King and Council to travel to Coronth to try and overthrow the Pontifax, also known as the Dark Harper
PRINCESS JORDAN, Wayfaring with the Kiralynn monks to learn the art of war, she remains locked in a healing coma, felled by the treachery of the Mordant
PRINCE JARED, Wayfaring with the Octagon Knights to learn the way of the sword
PRINCESS JULIANA, Wayfaring with Navarre’s merchant fleet to learn the way of the sea
PRINCE JAMES, Wayfaring in Tubor to learn to become a vintner
PRINCE JAYSON, Wayfaring in the Delta to learn the secrets of a new water wheel
his retainers:
MASTER SIMMONS, the royal healer
DUNCAN TRELOCH, a master archer and trusted counselor, the companion of Princess Jordan’s Wayfaring
LANVERNESS
Carved from the ashes of the War of Wizards, Lanverness is an old kingdom, steeped in tradition, often relying on its wealth of natural resources and the shrewdness of its rulers to grow in prosperity and influence. Never fecund, the royal line of Lanverness has been forced to branch out several times over the centuries. The Rose Throne is currently held by the Tandroths. The Tandroths nearly lost the throne when the last king of Lanverness, King Leonid, failed to produce a male heir. The king survived a revolt and forced his noblemen to accept his only daughter, Liandra, as the heir to the Rose Throne on the condition that she marry a peer of the realm. Liandra is the only queen to rule a kingdom of Erdhe. Under Queen Liandra’s stewardship, Lanverness has become the wealthiest kingdom in all of Erdhe.
The symbol of Lanverness is two white roses crossed on a field of emerald green. The seat of their power is Castle Tandroth, rising from the heart of Pellanor, the capitol city.
QUEEN LIANDRA TANDROTH, ruler of the Rose Throne, also known as the White Rose of Lanverness, also known as the Spider Queen, also known as the Black Widow Spider
-her husband, PRINCE-CONSORT DONALD TERREL, chosen from among the noble families of Lanverness, Lord Terrel was raised up to be the Prince-Consort to the Queen on condition that he forsake his name and his lineage. He died in a hunting accident shortly after the birth of his second son. The heraldry of house Terrel is a red unicorn rearing on a field of green.
-their children:
PRINCE STEWART, heir to the Rose Throne, Commander of the Rose Squad
PRINCE DANLY, spare heir to the Rose Throne
PRINCESS ASELYNN, died at birth
-her councilors:
LORD HIGHGATE, the Master Archivist, the queen’s shadowmaster, right hand to the Queen
LORD WESLEY, Lord of the Treasury
LORD TURNER, Lord of the Royal Guard, also known as the Knight Protector, responsible for the safety of the Queen
LORD SHELDON, the Lord Sheriff, leader of the constable force of Lanverness
LORD HELFNER, General of the Army of Lanverness
LORD HUNTER, a skilled diplomat, used as a roving ambassador to the other kingdoms of Erdhe
LORD BRADSHAW, the Lord Steward, responsible for crops and farms,
LORD RICKMAN, the Lord of Mines, responsible for the ruby, emerald and iron ore mines of Lanverness
LORD QUINCE, Lord of the Hunt, Warden of the Royal Forests
LORD CADWELL, Master of Letters, the secretary to the Royal Council
-her ladies-in-waiting:
LADY SARAH JAMESON, a distant cousin of the queen, principle lady-in-waiting
LADY MARTHA, a lady-in-waiting
LADY AMY, the youngest of the
-other members of the court:
PRINCESS JEMMA, a princess of Navarre, Wayfaring with the queen to learn the way of multiplying coins
CAPTAIN DURNHEART, a captain of the Rose Guards assigned to protect the queen
MAJOR TELCORE, a major of the Rose Army
SIR CARDEMIR, fifth son of the Duke of Graymaris, the seahorse knight, sent by the queen as an emissary to the monastery of the Kiralynn monks
CAPTAIN RANOTH, a captain of
the Rose Squad
THOM BARKLEY, a queen’s shadowman serving in the guise of a royal guard
TIMOTHY COLLINS, a queen’s shadowman serving in the guise of a royal guard
JON DENT, a queen’s shadowman serving in the guise of a royal guard
MASTER CARL, master baker of the royal kitchen
PAULUS, jailor of the dungeon
TALBERT, valet to Prince Danly
-the people of Pellanor:
MASTER SADDLER, a royal jeweler
MADAM STOCK, the madam of an exclusive bordello
CORONTH
The kingdom of Coronth was long ruled by one of the oldest royal families in Erdhe. Tracing their lineage back to before the War of Wizards, the Manfreds struggled to maintain their kingdom despite the aftermath of chaos and famine caused by the magical war. Their descendents ruled in an unbroken line for over a thousand years until a preacher of the Flame god brought a new religion to the capitol city of Balor. Enthralling the crowds with the miracle of the Test of Faith, the Pontifax gained a rabid following. In less than a year, the new religion consumed the kingdom, making the Pontifax more powerful than the king. Ruling from the pulpit, the Pontifax declared that only a true believer of the Flame god could wear the crown of Coronth, forcing the king, his wife, and all of his children to submit to the Test of Faith. When the searing flames consumed the royal house, the Pontifax became the spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth.
The symbol of house Manfred was a golden lion rearing on a field of blue. The new symbol of Coronth is a golden flame on field of red, the symbol of the Flame god. The seat of power is the capitol city of Balor.
THE PONTIFAX, the supreme spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth, also known
as the Enlightened One, beloved of the Flame God
-his priests and counselors:
THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME, Senior priest of the Flame, leader of the Confessors of the Flame
LORD STEFFAN RAVEN, Counselor to the Pontifax
GENERAL CAYLIB, General of the Army of the Flame
ALAN JELLIKAN, Pyromancer of the Flame
CLAVIN, a senior priest of the Flame
-the people of Balor:
SAM SPRINGWATER, a baker accused of sinning against the Flame, killed in a Test of Faith, father of Samson
SAMSON SPRINGWATER, son of Sam the baker, a former sergeant in the city guard who returns to Balor as a refugee plotting to overthrow the Pontifax
JUSTIN, a prince of Navarre, a bard, the leader of the plot to overthrow the Pontifax, also known as the Dark Harper
GRANDMOTHER MAGDA, an old woman who has lost everything to the Flame God, a refugee who returns to Balor to overthrow the Pontifax
BEN OBERN, a former drill sergeant of the Rose Army, he volunteers to return with the refugees to Balor
RED, the leader of a gang of orphan boys
JACK, a member of the gang of orphan boys
WILLIE, a member of the gang of orphan boys, a roof rat
SHINER, a member of the gang of orphan boys
DANIEL, a tanner rescued from the Test of Faith, joins the rebellion against the Pontifax
LUCY, daughter of the owner of the Jolly Penitent tavern
BEV, a serving wench at the Praying Maiden tavern
OLAFF, a mute giant, a guard serving Lord Raven
PIP, an orphan lad who serves Lord Raven
SERGEANT JEXEL, a sergeant at the Fortress of the Flame
MERCHANT RASINT, a wealthy wine seller
MERCHANT GILDEN, a wealthy wine seller
THE KIRALYNN MONKS
Founded over two thousand years ago by a group of scholars, knights, and wizards, the Kiralynn Order has always presented an enigmatic face to the world, a face that is open yet closed. One hundred years before the start of the War of Wizards the monks withdrew from the southern kingdoms, retreating to their monastery hidden deep in the Southern Mountains. As if erased from the minds of men, the location of the monastery disappeared from the maps of Erdhe. The memory of the Kiralynn monks has slowly faded, becoming little more than legend and myth. Yet select rulers of the southern kingdoms still receive scrolls sealed with the symbol of the Order. History has proven that these scrolls contain an uncanny prescience. Kings ignore the advice of the Order at their own peril.
The symbol of the Kiralynn monks is a Seeing Eye in the palm of an Open Hand. Their seat of power is their mountain monastery. The motto of the Order is “Seek Knowledge, Protect Knowledge, Share Knowledge”.
THE GRAND MASTER, the leader of the Kiralynn Order, his/her identity is a closely guarded secret
-monks and initiates of the Order:
MASTER RIZEL, a Master of the Order
MASTER GARTH, a Master Healer of the Order
BRYCE, an initiate of the Order, he studied to take his vows to become a monk and a healer but was subsumed by the Mordant’s Awakening, becoming a prisoner in his own mind
MASTER AEROTH, an ambassador monk sent to the kingdoms of Erdhe
MASTER ZITH, a Master of the Order, accompanies Kath as one of her companions
-visitors to the monastery:
PRINCESS JORDAN, a princess of Navarre, sent to the monastery for her Wayfaring
DANYA, a young woman who sought sanctuary in the monastery with her mountain wolf, BRYX
THE DEEP GREEN
The Deep Green is an ancient power reborn from the ashes of the War of Wizards. Rising from the ruins of a great city, the forest grows with frightening speed. Trees at the heart of the forest are giants, growing to more than thrice the height of normal trees, while the dense tangle of underbrush forms a nearly impenetrable barrier. The forest protects its own, a race of people with golden cat-eyes. Calling themselves the Children of the Green, the cat-eyed people live within the boundaries of the forest in a confederation of clans under the leadership of the Treespeaker.
Outside of the forest, the cat-eyed people are shunned as evil abominations, said to be born from the perverse mating of man with animals. The cat-eyed people are persecuted across the kingdoms of Erdhe, and often put to death by the ‘white-eyes’.
THE TREESPEAKER, as old as the forest, she is a seer, a witch, the embodiment
of the power of the Green. As the leader of the clans, she wears a cloak of snow-white swan feathers.
-her clan leaders:
CENRIC, leader of Clan Hemlock, he wears a cloak of peacock feathers
AGATHA, leader of Clan Aspen, she wears a cloak of blue jay feathers. She leads a faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes
BRAN, leader of Clan Ash, he wears a cloak of raven feathers
CAMILA, leader of Clan Maple, she wears a cloak of orange kestrel feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes
DEREK, leader of Clan Redwood, he wears a cloak of red woodpecker feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealing with the white-eyes
CONRAD, leader of Clan Spruce, he wears a cloak of brown thrush feathers
LANA, leader of Clan Oak, she wears a cloak of golden finch feathers
-her people:
JORAH SILVENWOOD, a ranger of Clan Cedar
RONAH, a ranger of Clan Hemlock
JENKS, a patrol leader of Clan Hemlock
MARTYN, an attendant to the Treespeaker
More books by Karen L Azinger
The Assassin’s Tear - Explore the medieval kingdoms of Erdhe, raid the tomb of the first emperor of China, and unravel the enigma of Dark Space in this collection of fantasy and science fiction tales from the author of The Silk & Steel Saga. The two signature stories, Prophecy’s Twist and The Assassin’s Tear, are set in the fantasy realm of Erdhe. Prophecy’s Twist discovers the dark deceit that started the War of Wizards, forever changing the kingdoms of Erdhe. The Assassin’s Tear follows the exploits of a petty thief whose ambition leads him to unravel the dark secret of the Mordant’s Citadel. The Emperor’s Shadow is an international thriller in the style of Indiana Jones, combining the po
wer of superstition with archaeology in a desperate attempt to end World War Three. A Man’s World is a post-apocalyptic adventure set in Australia where coal miners discover all the rules have changed. Pieces of the Truth is a time travel story where a young physicist discovers a forgotten truth. In Snakes and Ladders, Lynn Gallant sets out to shatter the glass ceiling by taking a walk to the dark side of New Orleans. In The God Planet, universal dreams spark a religious frenzy, summoning humanoid kind to the riddle of Dark Space.
The Skeleton King - The third book of The Silk & Steel Saga will be published in May 2012
The Flame Priest (The Silk & Steel Saga) Page 56
