The Steel Queen (The Silk & Steel Saga Book 1)
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his retainers:
DUNCAN TRELOCH, advisor to the king, master archer
MASTER SIMMONS, the royal healer
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 counselors:
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 queen’s safety
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
-other members of the court:
LORD NEALY, forced to resign in disgrace from the Royal Council over a matter of incompetence
DUKE ANDERS, resigned from the Royal Council after vehement arguments with the Queen
LORD KITTERIDGE, a deputy of the Master Archivist assigned to work with the refugees of Coronth
LORD PENROD, a royal historian
MASTER FALLON, the Queen’s Royal Bard
CAPTAIN DURNHEART, a captain of the Rose Guards assigned to protect the Queen
SIR CARDEMIR- fifth son of the Duke of Graymaris, a knight who wins acclaim on the tournament field, the seahorse knight
LORD CARRINGTON, a wealthy lord retired from court
JON HOBS, Prince Danly’s personal guard
BRUCE HARLAND, Prince Danly’s personal guard
DONAL CLEARY, a courier of the Rose Army
-the people of Pellanor:
MASTER SADDLER, a royal jeweler
MADAM STOCK, the madam of an exclusive bordello
MARG STAGHORN, owner of the Green Stag tavern
BEN OBERN, a drill sergeant in the Rose Army
GRANDMOTHER MAGDA, a refugee from Coronth
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 capital 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 capital 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
LORD STEFFAN RAVEN, Counselor to the Pontifax
GENERAL CAYLIB, General of the Army of the Flame
ALAN JELLIKAN, Pyromancer of the Flame
-the people of Balor:
SAM SPRINGWATER, a baker accused of sinning against the Flame
SAMSON SPRINGWATER, son of Sam the baker, a sergeant in the Balor guard
SERGEANT VILLARS, a sergeant in the Balor guard
SERGEANT ELDER, a sergeant in the Balor guard
JON CHAMMERS, a turnip farmer
CAPTAIN PENDER, a captain in the Balor guard
OLAFF, a mute giant, a guard serving Lord Raven
PIP, an orphan lad who serves Lord Raven
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:
TOMAY, a sworn monk of the Order, one of the Gatekeepers of the monastery
LAVIDIA, a sworn monk of the Order, one of the Guides of the monastery
MASTER RIZEL, a Master of the Order
MASTER GARTH, a Master Healer of the Order
BRYCE, an initiate of the Order, studying to take his vows and become a healer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KAREN L. AZINGER has always loved fantasy fiction, and always hoped that someday she could give back to the genre a little of the joy that reading has always given her. Eleven years ago on a hike in the Columbia River Gorge she realized she had enough original ideas to finally write an epic fantasy. She started writing and never stopped. The Steel Queen is her first book, born from that hike in the gorge. Before writing, Karen spent over twenty years as an international business strategist, eventually becoming a vice-president for one of the world's largest natural resource companies. She's worked on developing the first gem-quality diamond mine in Canada's arctic, on coal seam gas power projects in Australia,
and on petroleum projects around the world. Having lived in Australia for eight years she considers it to be her second home. She's also lived in Canada and spent a lot of time in the Canadian arctic. She lives with her husband in Portland Oregon, in a house perched on the edge of the forest. The first six books of The Silk & Steel Saga have already been published, The Steel Queen, The Flame Priest, The Skeleton King, The Poison Priestess, The Knight Marshal, and The Prince Deceiver. You can learn more at her website, www.karenlazinger.com or at her Facebook page for The Steel Queen.
The Front Cover artwork was done by the Australian artist, Greg Bridges. Greg’s artwork has appeared on the book covers of many well-known fantasy authors. His cover perfectly captures Kath and the feel of the saga. To see more of his art or to contact Greg, visit his website at http://www.gregbridges.com/
The Map and the Back Cover artwork was done by a graphic artist from Oregon, Peggy Lowe. Her illustration of the map helps to bring the kingdoms of Erdhe to life. Peggy can be contacted at her e-mail address, peggy@portfoliooregon.com
Look for The Battle Immortal, the final book of The Silk & Steel Saga, to be published in October 2015.