Rota Fortunae

by Isu Yin

  She stepped up to the table, peering at a translation of the Spinner’s tale from The Book of Ages. Usually, she instinctively responded, but she decided to listen instead.

  “The Spinner’s duty is to decide who is fated—who shall perish and who has sinned—but it is not her duty to eliminate them. Her nature is to nurture. She has a heart of gold and an undying urge to foster misfits. She ignores the repercussions of her actions and rebels against law.”

  “In your opinion, what is the real role of the Spinner, as opposed to the Council’s opinion?”

  “I suppose if their wish is to slaughter the Tainted, the Spinner’s desire is to find them first and nurture them back to health. As you may suspect, her fondness of Leoht is boundless. He has escaped the turn of the wheel numerous times, with her encouragement.”

  “What about Solaris?”

  Besil jumped onto Akira’s lap from some unseen place on the opposite side of the table. He stroked the cat from head to tail many times. “Forsaken are those who falter in the echoes of time.”

  “You’re more jumbled than usual. Did something happen?”

  “Need you ask? The variables are there for all to see. What is most obvious is often overlooked.”

  “Like your disdain for Leoht?” She sat beside him and attempted to pet Besil, but Akira held the cat warily in his arms. “Akira loves you very much, doesn’t he?”

  The cat cooed and meowed at her.

  She secretly feared what might happen if Besil passed away. “I want to help you too. Will you teach me about my role? I want to become stronger and more helpful.”

  “It’s hard to refuse when you’re so determined.”

  “Then where do we begin?”

  Akira paused as his gaze shifted forward, and he focused on something distant. He slowly stood from the table, facing her with Besil resting against his arm. “Everything that has happened—is happening—will happen again. This is the law of the universe. It is a call to judgment—the spin of the wheel. Everything you choose, you must choose wisely, because it will ripple all throughout time and space. There’s no turning back. Even so, do you wish to proceed?”

  She stepped down and folded her hands in front of her. “Teach me. Over the next three turns, I’ll be a devoted pupil. Everything you’re willing to teach, I’ll learn.”

  “Very well....” He trailed off for a long time, and finally placed Besil on the floor. With a turn on his heels, he strode for the doors of the study and tossed them open. “Follow closely. There is much to learn.”

  —-THE BEGINNING—-

  That’s right... this is only the beginning. Watch for Conundrum, the second book in the “Grims’ Truth” series, to release in the fall/winter of 2017. In fact, keep scrolling down to find a Special Sneak Preview of Conundrum.

  NOTE: All reference guides apply only to the book in which they are included. You can find a full version of these guides at www.GrimsTruth.com.

  ~~~

  Terminology

  TAINTED/STAINED: A condition caused by a spiritual fracture. The term Tainted or Stained comes from a dark soot-like mark that appears on those who suffer from this ailment. The Council has deemed them illegal, by the notion that the Tainted are responsible for spreading spiritual blood called miasma, and causing the plague.

  MIASMA: Sometimes referred to as negative energy, miasma is actually spiritual blood that causes ailment and/or pain to anyone in its presence for extended periods.

  SEALS/BRANDS: Spiritual restraints that come in the form of accessories, ink, or burns on the skin. There are so many forms of seals that the temples keep books on them. Watchers have outlawed most forms of sealing, but the Council still practices them on the Tainted.

  ~~~

  Folklore & History

  THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS: The oldest scripture responsible for shaping Ancient society. Like the Book of Ages, the stories are written as folklore. However, since no one knows the authors of these books, there are many who doubt their authenticity.

  THE BOOK OF AGES: The second scripture of Ancient society and beliefs. The stories here are more prevalent in Ancient culture and viewed as common knowledge, but rarely referenced due to their fantastical viewpoints and questionable authenticity.

  THE TEACHINGS OF GRIM: A collection of passages, proverbs, and teachings by the Grim. Many consider them warnings, but for the studious followers, it is pure wisdom for any who can read the Language of Ages.

  ROTA FORTUNAE: A tale from the Book of Ages about a young girl, Fati, and the God who adopts her. She is said to be from the lower realm, and her soul’s purpose is to weave the strings of the Kismet like the master before her. However, she is given the opportunity to choose her path, and thus change the way history unfolds. It is closely related, and mirrors, the Story of Space & Time. It also has two endings. This story turned out to be the basis for a children’s game in Undal.

  THE STORY OF SPACE & TIME (LEOHT MIINA): A story about a boy called Leoht, who is abandoned by his father and taken in by the red-haired God. Unlike many other tales from the Book of Ages, Leoht creates two paths—one in which he accepts a gift, and another where he refuses to make a decision.

  THE MAN WHO STOOD AT THE EDGE OF TIME: Many people talk about this tale, but all they really say is that it’s about a man who broke the Mirror of Space and Time, and then traveled to the Edge of Time.

  SANDS OF TIME: A fiction novel written about two Bound lovers named Solaris and Ulnaire. They say that the characters were modeled after Leoht, Fati, and the Man Who Stood at the Edge of Time.

  ~~~

  Main Characters

  By order of appearance and importance....

  *CRUENTUS FATE: The main character of Rota Fortunae. She grew up in the brothel after being sold by her father, the King of Macellarius, Cruentus Neco. The members of the Rebellion call her the Spinner, after a character from folklore in the Book of Ages. Supposedly, she is a Doll, intended to become the High Queen’s successor.

  ABYSSUS: The Prince of Macellarius. He is Fate’s brother, who left behind a series of journals to help her understand the web of chaos unfolding in Mu. Although he is gone, many still remember him by the remnants of him scattered around the Empire.

  CAELES HERO: The Prince of Nitor. He is Tainted and often tries to avoid the eyes of the Council. After winning the Astor Tournament, he earned the title of Future High King of Mu. Despite his skill and status, few hold him with high regard. In order to feel worthy of his title, he left home and traveled Mu.

  ~~~

  The Royals

  CAELES ELAINE: The late Queen of Nitor. She passed away when Hero was young. There are rumors that she was murdered, and her son was framed, but no one knows the truth because he was sealed after the incident.

  CRUENTUS NECO: The King of Macellarius. After losing Fate to the murder of Prince Abyssus, Neco spends his days wallowing in his failure. No one speaks of his condition. In fact, most people try to pretend he doesn’t exist... except, perhaps, Fate.

  CRUENTUS NITEO: The King of Nitor. He is often seen with the High King of Mu, attempting to win his place amongst the Royals of the Capital. Since his son, Hero, was a child, Niteo cared only about his position as the King of Nitor and protecting his status, no matter what the cost.

  IUNU KYOU: The First Prince of Inoue, also known as the Wayward Prince. He and Fate were initially supposed to be wed, but even Kyou opposed this idea. His intentions are often unclear, but he does appear to have a close bond with Hero.

  IUNU HEQET: The High Queen of Mu. She spends most of her time battling against her husband and the other members of the Council. If not for her incredible strength and wisdom, the Empire would fall at the hands of the Council.

  IUNU KHNUM: The High King of Mu. He’s a Council follower rumored to have been infected by the plague. Khnum speaks very little, mostly observing wherever he goes, and he has a strong belief in restoring full power to purebred Ancients. Few trust him because he serves only the Council an
d his own interests.

  ~~~

  The Guards

  IGNIS FIRMUS: Abyssus’ former guard. After the death of his closest friend and lover, he moved to the Capital and received assistance from Akira. He spends a majority of his time working between kingdoms and assisting his brother, Fortis, on assignments.

  IGNIS FORTIS: Niteo’s guard. In spite of his position, Fortis has taken to wandering away from the King of Nitor out of spite. His Ancient blood and Royal background prevent Niteo from changing his decisions; therefore, Fortis does as he pleases and has even gained the title of the Royal Philanderer.

  MORTIS: Neco’s guard. He speaks very little and has an uncanny ability to survive even the most brutal attacks. Most people try to avoid him and pretend he doesn’t exist, including the Royals.

  CAELES CHI: The High Queen’s guard. She is also Hero’s aunt, but rarely has the time or opportunity to meet with him. When she isn’t guarding the High Queen, she is directing the Capital’s soldiers and studying the Ussan.

  ~~~

  Brothel

  IGNIS FORTUNA: One of the leaders of the Rebellion. Fortuna spent many turns protecting and teaching Fate during her stay in Mu. Her inconspicuous nature and striking appearance deter many from her real strategy and ability to turn the tides in the Rebellion’s favor.

  MYRNA: One of Fate’s sisters from the brothel. She left with Nigel after the auction, and rumor has it she assumed an important role with the Rebellion. Her ability to remain hidden fascinates many, especially the few people who see her working.

  TORI: Fate’s closest sister. Although she initially picked fights with Fate, they grew closer than any of their other sisters.

  ~~~

  Other

  NIGEL: The Madam’s ‘associate.’ He is a valued member of the Rebellion that often appears in the Madam’s stead to relay messages to Fate. His role and capabilities are hidden so well, no one even questions his presence when he arrives.

  LARA: Hero’s childhood friend. She decided to serve in the palace after being rescued from Macellarius as a child, and has a strange, obsessive fixation with Hero. In the past, she often tormented Fate, and fired an onslaught of slurs in an attempt to separate her from Hero.

  ISIS: The Head of Artillery in Nitor. Her relationship with the Royals is vague. She is often seen with Niteo or the other guards, and bears an air of familiarity whenever she speaks to Hero.

  AKIRA: A strange man who received the title of The Queen’s Dog. He is also tainted, and often avoided by those with keen spiritual prowess. When he first appeared, he called himself a Representative of Grim, but no one is really sure why he meanders about the Capital.

  BESIL: Akira’s black cat. He has the most peculiar blue eyes, and seems to be the only being capable of calming Akira’s moods.

  ~~~

  Groups

  THE COUNCIL: A group of Ancient Elders responsible for upholding the preservation of tradition and Ancient clans. They are rumored to be a lesser form a higher power called the Watchers. The citizens of Mu live by Council laws and scriptures. The Council believes that maintaining old tradition and preserving purebred Ancients is their most essential task; therefore, they have outlawed the Tainted and Half-Breeds.

  THE REBELLION: The Ancient uprising against Council law. The members of the Rebellion are inconspicuous about their participation, and work in the shadows to return balance to the world they live in.

  THE GRIM: A group of Ancients who present themselves in the forms of large skeletal beings. The majority believes they have transcended beyond a physical form, but supposedly, they just disguise themselves by wearing a uniform. They always speak in terms of we, so as not to disclose their identity.

  DOLLS: The Children of Grim. Dolls are old Ancients’ souls who have returned in the form of a vessel. Currently, the Grim are the only Puppeteers left in existence, as Puppeteering has been outlawed by the Council.

  ~~~

  Breeds

  ANCIENT: Often referred to as the supreme beings by lesser breeds, yet disregarded by superior beings. Each clan inhibits different elemental capabilities and strengths, and all of them display strong genetic traits that are reflected in their physical appearance. They can live tens of thousands of years, and some even live out multiple lives with a special mate called their Bound.

  HALF-BREED: A being that is part of two genetic strains. The Ancients refuse to acknowledge them as true Ancients because they do not have pure blood, but most of them still have elemental capabilities. They live longer than the Rahma but not quite as long as pure blood Ancients.

  RAHMA: A lesser group of beings that only live hundreds of years by the Ancients’ influence. They are incapable of manipulating elements and possess no special endowments, except that they live longer than Human Beings. They experienced an influx of population when the Age of the Ancients started to come to an end. Although they worshipped the Ancients to a certain degree, many Rahma believed they were greater, and were detested by the higher breeds.

  HUMANS: The weakest of the breeds. They did not come into being until long after the Rise of the Rahma had come to an end.

  ~~~

  Ancient Clans

  FEH – Electricity: The Feh are smaller than other clans, but make up for their lack of stature with tremendous force. Although they have a wide variety of physical traits, all Feh are tiny—the tallest being no larger than a juvenile Ancient. Due to their curious and intelligent nature, the Feh found many uses for their element, and made Nysa one of the most beautiful and sought after kingdoms in the Empire.

  GRIM – Darkness: Although they were one of the original clans, the Grim took their leave of the mortal realm, and chose to exist in the darkness of the Abyss instead of share a place beside the Ancients and the Rahma, but their reason for doing this is not clear. The large skeletal beings appear to aid in the growth of the mortals, and yet remain separated from them. In spite of this, the clan is at odds with the mortal realm and the Council alike, and no one is privy to knowing why and how they operate Niall.

  -Sub. REAPERS – Darkness: Reapers are an unusual group of former Ancients, turned rogue, who work with the Grim for unknown purposes. They are able to fold space-time at will, which makes it possible for them to appear and disappear from mortal events on a whim. This creates an uncomfortable situation for the Ancients, the Rahma, and the Council, but that’s exactly how the Reapers like it. They are identified by their cloaks of darkness and soul-sealed animal masks. The most frightening forms of Reapers carry weapons crafted from darkness, and are marked by "the hand of death.”

  VEM – Air – RARE: Vem are marked by their delicate frame, pale skin, black hair, and vibrant blue eyes. They have innate spiritual manipulation capabilities, and are one of the only clans able to puppeteer. They are shy by nature and thus usually keep to themselves unless they develop a deep emotional bond—which they will keep until death.

  RA – Time – LOST: Very little is known about this clan. Their disappearance from the mortal realm is one the great Ancient mysteries. They may have left of their own accord, much like the Grim, or some unfortunate events may have driven them to extinction. The only certainty is that they were the sole masters of time. They could stop and even reverse time at will. This fact makes it unclear as to how a clan like this could vanish without a trace, if not by their own choice.

  IU – Body: All Iu carry the same traits—they are delicate but tall with pale skin, black hair and violet eyes. They are seldom aggressive but, if angered, their wrath is much like a dance with death. They are one of the masters of the “flash step”—a movement so quick that the eye cannot follow.

  -Sub. IUNU – Body: There is little evolution between the Iu and the Iunu. They are one of the purest sub clans. It is more a shift in clan temperament than an actual sub categorization. After the Verna Conflict, the Iu were all but lost except the Iunu branch family. They upheld the formalities and policies of the Iu clan as a whole.

  CAELES – C
rystal – RARE: This rare and unusual clan rose in Undal with the reign of the Crystal Empire. They were reclusive and hostile towards outsiders, and were the only clan able to withstand the Igni assault during the Verna Conflict. Their Empire rose up out of the Ussan suddenly, and collapsed just as quickly, leaving them nearly one of the lost clans. The Caeles are broken into two factions—the Wolf Clan and the Fox Clan. If not for the cleverness of the Fox Clan, the Caeles would have been lost altogether.

  —-Wolf Clan are the leaders of the Caeles. They are tall, strong, and agile, marked with silvery hair and an abnormal grey tone to their skin without actually being grey. They have a variety of eye colors, including gray, silver, icy blue, and pale yellow amber. Their battle prowess makes them a terrifying foe, because if you see one Caeles, there is most certainly a pack nearby.

  —-Fox Clan are known for being compact and stealthy. They are petite in stature, much like the Feh, but much stronger and faster. Like the Wolf Clan, they travel in packs and are quite capable of taking down much stronger foes. Fox Clan is, above all else, highly intelligent. They are so pale they are considered the albino of the breeds. With icy skin, mint eyes, and white hair, it is hard to believe they are so skilled at disappearing into their surroundings, but they are deadly masters of stealth and cunning. Beware of what you don’t see, because it can kill you.

  ~~~

  Locations

  In order of placement on the map....

  MU: An empire of twelve kingdoms where mortal beings live, both Ancient and Rahma. A majority of the kingdoms are Ancient ruled despite the massive decline in their population. They encourage the union of Bound with the intention of bringing power back to their breed, but have faced difficulty in their endeavor. The Empire is vastly divided by the powers of the Rebellion and the Council.

  INOUE CAPITAL: The Capital of Mu is a grand city that overlooks the sea. It is home to the largest population of Ancients in the Empire and some of the grandest celebrations. The Queen hosts regular parties, auctions, and events to bring the people together. It is also the political center for Mu, often called the Utopia of Mu for its magnificent view of the Ussan and its preservation of old tradition.