by Damien Black
Heavenly Halls The Kingdom of Reus, where the Seven Seraphim sit at his side and the rest of the archangels and angels dwell. The most splendid of the island realms of the Other Side, where the souls of those judged fit by Azrael are sent to reside until the Hour of All’s Ending and Judgment Day.
Hierophant A member of the Argolian Order who has attained exceptional psychic powers, outstripping those of even the most accomplished adepts. In this era there are thought to be three: Horskram of Vilno; Hannequin, current Grand Master of the Order; and Malthus of Montrevellyn, who left Rima years ago on a secret mission and is rumoured to have sought audience with the Fays of Tintagael before vanishing into the uttermost north.
Ingwin Ruling royal house of the Kingdom of Northalde; current incumbent is Freidheim II. Coat of arms is two rearing white unicorns facing each other on a purple background.
Island Realms or Westerling Isles Series of islands, the two principal ones being Kaluryn and Skulla, ruled over by the Marcher Lords and Druids, lying in the Great Western Ocean. The most westerly known civilisation, the Island Realms cling steadfastly to their ancient beliefs, having been visited by Kaia the Moon Goddess during the First Age of Darkness and taught the Right Hand Path of magick lost to man when the Varyan Empire was destroyed at the Breaking of the World. Also known as Druidsbourne and the Islands of World’s Ending.
Jótlund Lands of south-west Frozen Principalities ruled over by Hardrada, subsequently conquered by Guldebrand, thegn of the neighbouring realm of Kvenlund.
King’s Dominions Stretch of rich lands between Efrilund to the north and the Southern Provinces ruled directly by the Northlending King. Here royal law is strongest; consequently this is the wealthiest and most stable part of Northalde.
King’s Fold Northern half of Umbria in Thraxia, ruled directly by the Royal Clan Cierny. The rest of the ward is parcelled about between several barons.
Kvenlund Southernmost mainland principality of the Frozen Wastes; ruled over by Guldebrand the Beardless, an ambitious and cunning thegn of tender years.
Lancelyn Greatest of the Knights of the Purple Garter, most renowned for slaying the Great Wyrm Anglaurang in the time of King Vasirius. The latter’s skull he brought back to court at Rima, where it was used to fashion the Charred Throne on which the Pangonian king sits to this day. His life was tragic and brooding, marred by madness brought on by his impossible love for the beautiful Isoud, who was married to the cowardly King Markus of Thalamy, and cut short when he died at the Battle of Avalongne.
Laurelin Ruling house of Vichy, a prosperous margravate close to the heart of Pangonia. Its present incumbent, Lord Ivon, is a wily politicker of notoriously dissolute appetites, often connected to intrigue at the court of King Carolus. The House of Laurelin is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the kingdom, and has ties to the Ruling House of Rius from the time of King Vasirius. Some of its elder scions are also rumoured to have practised sorcery.
Left Hand Path Black magic, derived from the teachings of Abaddon to Ma’amun more than five thousand years ago. Comprises Necromancy and Demonology, the two Schools of Magick most closely aligned to the Left Hand Path. However, some sorcerers who practise left-hand magic claim it is not necessarily wholly evil of itself, for instance those who use it to ask the dead for advice.
Logi Name given by Northlanders to Abaddon, reviled by them as a trickster god.
Lower Thulia One of the nine major baronies in Vorstlund, the Dukedom is perhaps the most powerful in the realm along with the Principality of Westenlund and the Dukedom of Stornelund. It is ruled by the House of Alt-Ürl.
Lower Vallia Old name given to the southern margravates of Pangonia, of which Aquitania is the most powerful. Its inhabitants have a distinctive identity and are on the whole more zealous in the Creed. As such they have a proud tradition of crusading and have contributed many knights and soldiers to the Pilgrim Wars.
Ma’amun Most powerful of the Elder Wizards, became corrupted by Abaddon, who taught him the Left Hand Path and encouraged him to extend his powers. Ma’amun was slain along with all the other Magi at the Breaking of the World, when the Unseen punished him for perverting the Gift of Magick and daring to challenge the Laws of Reus. His shade is believed to be trapped in Gehenna, where he languishes in the City of Burning Brass ruled by his erstwhile teacher along with all the other souls of the damned.
Maegellin Thraxian bard who lived three centuries ago; widely held to be the greatest poet and songsmith of the Silver Age, surpassing even the classical poets of the Golden Age. Most noted works include The Tales of Antaeus the Mariner and The Seven Deeds of Søren.
Morwena Beloved of Søren; a sorceress of fearsome repute who hailed from the Island Realms. Ensorcelled the great hero and sent him on his Seven Deeds, which were ultimately purposed to recover the Headstone of Ma’amun from the Forbidden City on the Island of Varya. Slain by Søren after she spurned him on completion of his Final Deed, in which he brought the Headstone from Varya to the Island Realms.
Northalde One of the Free Kingdoms, settled by Northland reavers from the Frozen Principalities seven hundred years ago. Has undergone something of a revival under the reign of Freidheim II since its power diminished from its zenith more than a century ago under the reign of the Hero King Thorsvald. Comprises the lands north of the Argael and west of the Hyrkrainian mountains that divide the north-west peninsular of Western Urovia between it and the kingdom of Thraxia. Northlendings are famed for their skill in warfare, horsemanship, shipwrighting, armoury and castle-building.
Northlander Inhabitant of the Frozen Principalities, whose ancestors founded the mainland colonies that would eventually become the Kingdom of Northalde. Northland raiders also settled the coasts further south and many Vorstlendings trace their ancestry back to the Principalities too.
Northlending Inhabitant of the Kingdom of Northalde in north-western Urovia; not to be confused with Northlander, an inhabitant of the Frozen Principalities.
Occitania Western peninsula of Pangonia comprising more than half a dozen margravates. Occitanians are fiercely independent and have historically caused the crown trouble. Its foremost powers are probably Gorleon, noted for its maritime tradition, and Armandy province, also widely celebrated for the quality of its wine.
Other Side Collective name given to all the dwelling places of spirits, elementi, fays, demons, angels and Reus Almighty Himself. Said to be an endless sea of vapour punctuated by islands, including the Heavenly Halls, Gehenna, and the Place of Judgment where Azrael dwells. All supernatural beings hail from the Other Side, and this is consequently where warlocks of all bents derive their powers using the Language of Magick and the Sorcerer’s Script.
Palomedes Second of the Two Prophets; inspired the Creed, the major religion of Urovia. Born to a soldier in Ushalayim about a thousand years ago in what is now the Pilgrim Kingdoms. Initially intended to follow his father into the Thalamian Legions but began hearing the Voice of Reus shortly after coming of age at fourteen. Resolved to use his martial skills to lead a revolution against the tyrannical Thalamian Empire and acquired a great following, but later forsook the sword and led his supporters in a campaign of passive resistance. Was finally apprehended by the Thalamians after being betrayed by his former lieutenant Antiochus the Red-Handed, taken to Tyrannos and broken on the Wheel at the Emperor’s command. Also known by his abbreviated name, Palom, and his most common epithet, the Redeemer.
Pangonia Most powerful of the Free Kingdoms, though its influence has waned somewhat since its apogee under the Chivalrous King Vasirius, who ruled some two centuries ago. Its capital Rima is also the headquarters of the True Temple and the Argolian Order. Currently ruled by King Carolus III of the House of Ambelin, a scheming, ambitious monarch known also as the ‘wily’ and the ‘greedy’ for heavy taxes imposed on his barons.
Pilgrim Kingdoms Collective name given to northern Sassanian territories carved out by Urovian crusaders a century ago, consisting of the Kingdom of Ush
alayim, named after its principal city, where Palomedes the Redeemer was born, the Kingdom of Keraka and the Kingdom of Ranishmend. Also known collectively as the Blessed Realm.
Pilgrim Wars Series of crusades – holy wars against the heathen Sassanians sanctioned by the True Temple – begun more than a hundred years ago that recaptured the holy city of Ushalayim where Palomedes the Redeemer was born. Many factions besides the victorious crusading dynasties have profited from the Pilgrim Wars, most notably the merchant houses of Mercadia, most southerly of the Free Kingdoms. However, the Pilgrim Wars have not been endorsed by all Palomedians: the Orthodox Temple has openly voiced its disapproval, whilst the Argolian Order has refused to condemn or condone them. And few knights from the northerly Free Kingdoms of Thraxia and Northalde have taken the Wheel, with most crusaders originating from Mercadia, Vorstlund, Pangonia and Thalamy.
Platinum Age A thousand-year epoch during which the Elder Wizards ruled all of the Known World from the Island of Varya; during this time mankind, though in bondage to the Priest-Kings, reputedly lived in a state of ease, comfort and luxury unparalleled in mortal history. According to some scholars the average lifespan exceeded a century and even the lowest of birth were well educated and literate. This era came to an abrupt end some five millennia ago when the Unseen punished Ma’amun for daring to challenge their authority by destroying Varya and much of the Known World, laying waste to the great civilisation it had built.
Princes of Perfidy Collective name given to the seven most powerful archdemons who serve Abaddon: Sha’amiel (avatar of greed and bigotry); Azathol (vanity and hubris); Zolthoth (wrath); Ta’ussaswazelim (cruelty); Chreosoaneuryon (gluttony); Satyrus (lust and sexual depravity); and Invidia (envy). The Seven Princes are themselves dark emanations of the Seven Seraphim and thus have their celestial opposites among the archangels, whose virtues they seek to corrupt and subvert.
Purge Calamitous event a generation ago that saw the Argolian Order falsely accused and tried for witchcraft by clerics of the mainstream True Temple in Rima. Many Argolians were tortured and made false confessions which they later retracted. The Order eventually succeeded in refuting the charges and even turned the tables on their accusers – a divination led by Hannequin, Grand Master of the Order, revealed many of their accusers including the Supreme Perfect to have been themselves acting under the influence of the archdemon Sha’amiel. The guilty perfects were burned alive in the main square at Rima. However, in another twist, since then the Temple has been held to be itself ‘purged’ of all wrongdoing, its traitors having been brought to justice, whilst much suspicion continues to fall on the Argolians, whose psychic and spiritual abilities are held by many to be akin to sorcery itself.
Purple Garter Also known as the Crescent Table, this elite Order of thirty knights was founded by King Vasirius and is supposed to comprise the flower of Pangonia’s chivalry. Nowadays it is more a political tool, used to keep more powerful nobles in check by appointing their younger brothers to key posts of state.
Redeemer Common epithet by which Palomedes is referred to among believers of the Creed.
Rent Between Worlds The name given to the gap between the mortal vale and the Other Side that wizards of all kinds use to draw upon the supernatural powers essential to sorcery, using the Language of Magick and the Sorcerer’s Script. This gap was greatly widened during the Platinum Age when the Elder Wizards ruled the Known World, and is said to be responsible for all manifestations in the mortal vale, be it elementi, demonkind, Fays, Gaunts or other supernatural entities. The Rent widens in accordance with how much sorcery is being used; hence if a warlock is particularly active in one area, the Rent there will be widened, increasing the likelihood of possessions, hauntings and other apparitions.
Reus Almighty God; responsible for the creation of the Universe and everything in it, including the Known World, the Other Side, archangels, angels, spirits, elementi, mortalkind and the animal kingdom. Sages differ on whether His power is truly infinite or simply incalculable according to the reckonings of mortalkind. The Almighty was unknown to pre-Faith mortals, who worshipped the archangels and archdemons as gods in their own right during the Platinum and Golden Ages.
Right Hand Path More benign white magic originally taught to the Varyans by the Archangels to help them fashion their civilisation during the Platinum Age. Some thinkers, the Argolians among them, hold that all magic is a mistake, and that even the Right-Hand Path can be used to do evil in the wrong hands. Others such as the pagan followers of Kaia The Moon Goddess – who retaught aspects of white magic to the folk of the Island Realms during the First Age of Darkness – disagree on this point.
Ryøskil Treaty signed by the Northlanders several generations ago forcing them to stop officially raiding mainland Northalde (though clandestine raids have continued sporadically). The Northlanders were brought to the treaty after being defeated decisively in battle by the Northlendings under King Aelfric III.
Sassania Lands of the hot south lying beyond the Sundering Sea that comprise the Four Sultanates, the Pilgrim Kingdoms and various other petty principalities. Principal religion is the Faith, founded by the First Prophet Sha’abat several generations before the coming of Palomedes.
Scandia Central principality of the Frozen Wastes, the largest in extent but with limited access to the sea. Ruled by Magnhilda, also known as the Shield Queen, a berserker maiden of fearsome repute.
Second Age of Darkness Another period of decline marked in Western Urovia by the destruction of the Thalamian Empire after Tyrannos was sacked by Wulfric of Gothia more than nine hundred years ago. It is generally agreed to have ended with the consolidation of barbarian petty kingdoms into the six Free Kingdoms more than three centuries ago, ushering in the advent of the present Silver Age. Note that other cultures differ in their reckoning of the Second Age of Darkness; for instance the Urovian New Empire dates its ending with the completion of the Hundred Years Conquest slightly earlier, while the Sassanians date its beginning from the demise of the last Rightly Guided Sultan, two generations after Wulfric sacked Tyrannos.
Seven Schools of Magick The core disciplines of sorcery practised by warlocks and witches of varying bent and aptitude throughout the Known World. These are: Thaumaturgy, Transformation, Enchantment, Scrying, Alchemy, Necromancy and Demonology. The first five are broadly classified under the more benign Right Hand Path; the last two belong to the darker Left Hand Path.
Seven Seraphim Foremost among the Archangels, those that sit at the right hand of Reus Almighty. They are: Logos (avatar of prosperity and tolerance); Siona (grace and dignity); Virtus (courage); Stygnos (stoicism and fortitude); Euphrosakritos (merriment); Luviah (love); and Aeriti (aspiration). The Seraphim are opposed by their dark emanations the Princes of Perfidy, who represent twisted or corrupted forms of the virtues they embody.
Silver Age The present age; regarded by most Western Urovians as beginning with the consolidation of the Free Kingdoms some 350 years ago. Distinct from the previous Golden Age in that it is an era in which Reus Almighty has made Himself known to mortalkind – yet civilisation in Western Urovia is acknowledged by the learned to lag far behind that of the preceding epoch.
Sixth Sense Special talent particular to the Argolian Order, honed by years of prayer and meditation. Its abilities are somewhat vague and thus difficult to define, but broadly speaking they allow a monk of the order to detect the following, with varying degrees of accuracy: when a person is lying or concealing something; when danger (particularly supernatural danger) is near; past pain or sorrow that continues to plague a victim; the presence of a warlock or witch and the type of magick being used; and a demon’s psychic spoor.
Sjórkunan Foremost deity of the Northlanders, revered for his mastery of the waves and said to preside over the Halls of Feasting and Fighting below the Sea of Valhalla, the Northlandic equivalent of the Heavenly Halls. Known as Aqualcus, Baha’muhit and the Salt King in other periods and cultures.
Søren Leg
endary hero who hailed from the Frozen Principalities and came over with the First Reavers who began conquering and settling what is now Northalde seven centuries ago. Reputed to have been fathered on a mortal maiden by the archangel Sjórkunan, Lord of Oceans, whom the Northlanders worship as a god. Is most famed for his adventures thereafter, when seeking the westerly Island Realms in his magic ship Jürmengaard he stumbled upon the sorceress Morwena’s lair in the ruins of one of the Watchtowers of the Magi. She ensorcelled him into performing his Seven Deeds, the last of which saw the Headstone of Ma’amun recovered from the Forbidden City of Varya. Søren subsequently slew Morwena and broke the Headstone into four pieces, before taking his ship and sailing out across the Great Western Ocean, never to be seen again by mortal eyes. Has gone by various epithets during and after his lifetime, including the Doomed, Irongrip, Wavetamer and Wyrmslayer.
Sorcerer’s Script Hieratic script taught to the Varyans by the Archangels and used to express the Language of Magick. It is used to store and communicate spells and incantations of all kinds. Like the Language of Magick, its darker modes constitute the Left Hand path taught by Abaddon to Ma’amun.
Stornelund One of the richest of the nine baronies that compose the realm of Vorstlund, neighboured by Dulsinor to the west and Ostveld to the south. Ruled over by the House of Lanrak; the current Herzog is Lord Hengist – a vain, inept and bibulous man unworthy of the title.
Succubus Demonic spirit that can take female form. Conjured specifically to cater to a Left Hand warlock’s depraved lusts.
True Temple The church of the Creed that holds sway in Western Urovia, with the Supreme Perfect headquartered in Rima, the capital of Pangonia. Its name differentiates it from the Orthodox Temple, which administers the Creed in the Urovian New Empire east of the Great White Mountains. The True Temple was created by a schism, known as the Sundering of the Temple, six hundred years ago.
