The dark elves of Under-Earth control Greye. Their gray skin, dark hair and pointed ears are unmistakable. Since the fall of the three kings of Greye, the lands of the dark elves are organized into fiefdoms, loosely allied to the old kingdoms.
The forest elves live in the Reaches. Although their skin is silvery or bronze, and they tend to have fair-colored hair and lavender eyes, forest elves can blend into their surroundings and change the color of their hair, skin, and eyes at will.
Of the giants, six clans are known to exist: hill, stone, mountain, ice, fire and storm. Giants are a secretive lot and do not often mix affairs with any other races. Giants are incredibly strong and untiring of will.
Men are the primary inhabitants of the kingdoms. Their peoples are organized primarily in kingdoms. They tend to keep to their own affairs and don’t like to get involved in the affairs of other races. During the Blood Wars, mankind drove all the other races out of the kingdoms and severed all ties.
Titans are a mysterious and secretive race of super giants that inhabit Over-Earth. Their time of power and rule came at the dawn of the First Age. During the Great Purge, the titans were overthrown and thus ended the First Age. In many parts of the kingdoms, titans are remembered as wicked, foul and evil, but there are those who say this is a great misjudgment, for the greatest of all titans, Ky’el, is the one who gave men, elves and dwarves their freedom.
Swamp trolls live in swamps and unlike their cousins the wood trolls they are quite civilized. While they prefer to live in mud-built homes on the edge of swamps, many have ventured into the lowland plain areas of Under-Earth.
Wood trolls are nasty creatures who hunt in packs and live primarily in trees. They are ugly, smelly creatures and the strike of their claws can be deadly.
Wolmerrelle are shape changers, the half-animal and half-human race that worship Arr. Wolmerrelle are known to have 2, 3 or even 4 heads. The strongest, those linked most directly to their nearly human past, have a single head and they are the largest of the wolmerrelle in body size.
Other inhabitants include many other creatures from the ancient past. There are several cross breeds of races as well, including a race of half trolls and half giants known as troants.
Languages of Ruin Mist
Robert Stanek created multiple languages for the inhabitants of Ruin Mist. The language of the reach elves has origins in the romance and Slavic languages. The language of the eagle lords has origins in Native American Indian languages. The language of the dark elves has origins in far eastern languages (primarily Korean and Japanese). There also is a common ancient language used from the time when the titans ruled over all of Ruin Mist.
Other languages spoken include the language of the Ice, spoken by the peoples of North, and the kingdom tongue or common speech, the language of the kingdoms.
What are the books about?
The Ruin Mist books are foremost a story of a struggle for power. In the kingdoms, King Andrew and King Jarom fight for control, and there is intrigue, plotting, and scheming.
King Andrew is the patriarch of House Alder. The main characters in this family are King Andrew’s children:
Adrina……….Youngest daughter of King Andrew. She is becoming a woman and has many concerns for her future and that of her family.
Midori……….Daughter of King Andrew who has been exiled. Her given name is Delinna. She took the name Midori after becoming a priestess.
Valam……….Only son of King Andrew, also known as the Lord and Prince of the South.
Calyin……….Oldest daughter of King Andrew. She lives in the far north with her husband the Lord of the North.
King Jarom is the patriarch of House Tyr’anth. In the early books, not much information is provided about this powerful family. That changes as Emel makes his way through the southern kingdoms, and as King Jarom’s plots become bolder.
Other characters in the books hail from places within and beyond the kingdoms. These characters include:
Emel……….Young guardsman who is one of Adrina’s closest friends.
Galan……….Elf from East Reach across the great sea.
Jacob……….A priest of the father and friend to House Alder.
Martin……….A keeper of the lore, and guardian of the ancient texts and knowledge.
Seth……….Elf from East Reach across the great sea.
Vilmos……….Young boy from Tabborrath Village in Sever. Sever is one of the southern kingdoms.
William……….Prince of Sever who becomes king after his father’s death.
Xith……….Vilmos’ benefactor who rescues him and leads him away from his homeland.
These characters have significant parts to play in the books, but they are not the only characters in the books. Other characters you’ll see include Edward Tallyback, the troant, Myrial, the servant girl, and Ansh Brodst, captain of the Imtal guard.
How does the author manage so many characters?
It is a challenge to create so many diverse characters and maintain their identities, but the many characters help breathe life into the story. The characters’ lives are interesting, and they each have their own concerns, likes, and dislikes. They give the plot depth and make the world feel real.
Whenever readers write to Robert Stanek, they tell him about their favorite characters. Sometimes they tell him how worried they are for a particular character. He especially likes hearing about characters that readers can really identify with.
The character everyone seems to identify most strongly with is Adrina. Most readers understand her great sadness over the loss of her mother and how it has affected her life. In the third book, there is a dark scene where Adrina faces her demons, and Robert Stanek has heard from more than a few readers about that scene.
Seth, Emel, and Vilmos also have many fans. Of these three, the one character that the author was initially unsure of was Emel. Emel is Adrina’s dearest friend. They’ve been getting in trouble together since they were toddlers. In the original planning for the first book, he had a small part, but as the author got into the writing, there was so much chemistry between Adrina and Emel that he expanded the role. Emel is a favorite of many readers.
It gladdens the author’s heart when readers also understand and sympathize with minor characters. Many readers love Edward Tallyback and they want nothing more than for him to come back and play King’s Mate with Vilmos. Unfortunately, that would be difficult given Edward’s current condition, so the only thing we can tell these fans is that Vilmos will play King’s Mate again and the game will have a much more significant role in the story when he does.
Myrial is another minor character that readers are particularly fond of. Her character originally had a very small part to play in the books, but, like Emel, she came to life on the page, so much so that the author expanded her role.
So as you can see, Robert Stanek manages the characters as though they were real people. Every character in every book has a history, a past. Sometimes what he writes onto the page, the things they do in the story, changes what he originally saw as their future. Because of this, their roles in the story change.
Why does Ruin Mist have differing histories?
As the author has said before, there are two sides to every story. Our version of a story may be different from yours, even if we’re witnessing the same events. Now, if we’re talking about history, the stories from opposing societies and peoples are often very different. The contrast may be as different as night and day.
In our own history, we’re starting to see how very different viewpoints can be.
What is the dark place Vilmos visits?
Ruin Mist has three distinct realms of existence: Under-Earth, Middle-Earth and Over-Earth. Under-Earth, with its blood-red skies and lack of sun, moon, or stars, is a dark place at first blush. But as you get a deeper, better understanding of this otherworldly realm, you may see it in a different light. Literally.
Where do the dragons and titans liv
e?
Over-Earth is the home of dragons and titans. But don’t forget about the eagle lords. Those three are the great races of Ruin Mist’s past.
At the dawn of the first age, it was the titan Ky’el who gave the lesser races (men, elves, and dwarves) their freedom—at a great cost to himself and his people. Before that, the lesser races were slaves to the greater races (dragons, titans and eagle lords).
Over the millennia, knowledge of Over-Earth’s existence faded from the memory of the living, even that of the long-lived elves and dwarves. Most believe it is a place of myth and legend, and that it never truly existed. That’s all we can say without giving away too much of the story in later books.
Why are men and elves enemies in Ruin Mist?
Men and elves have a rich history together as friends and foes. In the time of Ky’el, men and elves labored side by side catering to the whims of their masters. But by the dawn of the Second Age, men and elves became the masters of their own lands and kingdoms. Thanks to Ky’el and his great sacrifice.
A peaceful time followed, but that peace was broken by Dnyarr, Elf King of Greye. Dnyarr united the elves against men, and that betrayal was the greatest in the long history of Ruin Mist. That betrayal is the reason men and elves are divided. There is more of course, but the true secrets are revealed in the books over the course of the story.
What is King’s Mate?
King’s Mate is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the kingdoms. The history of the game goes all the way back to the days of Antwar Alder, the first ruler of Great Kingdom.
In those days, lords and royals played the game. Each of the pieces was represented by an actual person who moved around a life-size white- and black-marble playing field.
As the years faded one into the other, the game was forgotten until King Antwar Alder IX rediscovered the game. His scholars and master class soldiers quickly followed, and they played the game heavily in the early years after the revival.
Within a generation, common soldiers were playing the game as well, and then the passion for the game spread throughout the kingdoms. It is said that there is no corner of the kingdoms where the game is not now played.
Bonus Excerpt From:
In the Service of Dragons
Amir, son of Ky’el, cast the orb at his feet and stepped into a spinning circle of light. “They’ve arrived in the high desert; the field is set. The others will come now. I only pray that all will not be lost.”
“You lose faith,” the other replied without looking up. “You must be patient. In the end, the paths will come together. It is so written.”
“Can nothing change the course we have set upon?”
“You could no sooner catch the moon or the wind. Once set in motion, it will not stop. For now we must wait and watch. Our time will come soon enough.”
“Would you have me follow them?”
“Go to the clansman, Ashwar Tae. Tell him it is time.”
Amir stepped back into the spinning circle of light, disappearing and reappearing on the windswept slopes of the Rift. He appeared alongside a man on horseback and asked, “Big enough for you?” The man had the disciplined look of a soldier. He had a wide mouth, a long, sharp nose and a head of wildly unkempt copper-colored curls. He was dressed in boiled leather padded with a thick fur lining and studded with many rows of sharp steel teeth. A great sword was slung on his back and a quartet of throwing knives hung from his studded leather belt.
The man turned to grin at Amir, his few good teeth showing amongst the bad. “Indeed. It is just as you said,” he declared, reaching out to grip the other’s forearm. “You have kept your word, and I thank you for that.”
“Don’t thank me, Ashwar, thank him.”
Ashwar turned back to the procession of giants, beasts, and men, thinking to himself that he’d sooner thank the Fourth himself than the King of Titans. The one was the devil he knew, the other the devil in his life—or so it seemed to him.
For hours, the two watched the procession without speaking further. The giants of the six clans lumbered by—fire and ice, storm and mountain, stone and hill. The beastmen of the Lost Lands, atop mammoths, rode by six abreast, trumpets roaring. Behind them came the Dragon Men of the Ice. Some of the Dragon Men rode great bears—black, white or brown. Others rode great wolves, either gray or white. His clansmen, the men, women and children of Oshywon, came last. Some were afoot but most were ahorse like him.
In the stories of old, Ashwar had heard of Gatherings, but he never imagined he would see one in his lifetime, let alone help to assemble it. He was excited and frightened at the same time. In the stories, Gatherings marked the end of an age and always finished badly. He wondered how this time could be any different, but he had hope. Hope was all his people clung to at times—hope for a better tomorrow, a better life, hope for a return to the plains and rivers they once knew, hope for justice and retribution, hope for their children or their children’s children if not for themselves.
“Has it happened then?” he finally asked Amir.
Amir turned and knelt beside the man on horseback, staring at him eye to eye. “It has.”
Ashwar cinched his horse’s bridle in his hand and held him still. In the stories of old, Titans had ruled over men and elves, and Amir had the qualities of a ruler. Even with him ahorse and Amir kneeling, the Titan towered over him and it was hard to say how big he really was. Twelve feet tall maybe or fourteen, Ashwar thought, maybe taller. His broad chest and muscular arms made him seem bigger, much bigger, like some sort of towering oak that had been uprooted and transformed. But his face wasn’t brutish and square like a giant’s. It was refined and round, very manlike, just unusually proportioned, with a jutting chin, high cheekbones, and dark eyes so large and deep-set that they seemed high mountain caverns, or perhaps wells, whose depths swept to the Titan’s very soul.
One of the giants guarding the van of the procession came upon them. He was larger than most of the others and the fire showed clearly in his features: the long auburn-colored hair and beard, the eerie red of his eyes. He was wearing the pelt of several great bears roughly sown together and was carrying a thick spear that looked like an uprooted evergreen trimmed and sharpened yet otherwise whole. He spoke to Amir in Giantspeak and the Titan responded in kind.
“It is a good day, he says, as good a day as any,” Amir told Ashwar when the giant departed.
Ashwar looked about uneasily. “A good day for what?”
“Exactly what I asked him before he hurried off to rejoin the van. Giants may be lumbering and big, but they can be hasty as well.”
“Lumbering and big is an understatement.”
Amir laughed as he stood—the laughter like the deep rumbling of distant thunder. “I must return. You know what must be done now?”
“I do, and I thank you for coming.”
“Goodbye then, until we meet again,” and so saying, Amir cast the orb at his feet and stepped into the spinning circle of light.
As he emerged from shadow, Amir found Noman playing at Destiny Sticks. He went to a window without saying a word but it was not the view beyond that he was interested in—it was Noman. Seated with a hunch-backed posture, Noman seemed a small man; yet standing with his shoulders back and straight, he seemed regal. Amir didn’t know whether it was the veins of black that streaked otherwise pure white hair, the eyebrows with matching spikes of black mixed with gray or the beard that flowed to the middle of his chest in a sheet of pure silver that made Noman seem a king, but he seemed a king nonetheless—and a great king at that. But Noman was not a king; he was but a man who lived among Titans in the City of the Sky.
“It seems so futile, this waiting,” Amir complained.
Noman cast the sticks upon the table, looking up momentarily to regard the other. In girth, Amir’s shoulders spread from one side of the grand window to the other, filling its opening when he turned his back to the light. “And when the wait is over, what then?”
Amir didn’t answer. Instead he watched as Noman played at the game of Destiny, carefully picking out the black and white sticks representing the Path, avoiding the gray sticks of the Void. Lost in the rhythm of the game, his thoughts soon carried him into the distant past.
“Are we then outside time?” a much younger Amir asked the figure in his mind’s eye.
“Time affects all things, even those who consider themselves outside its grasp.”
“But why me? Why me when there were so many others more deserving?”
“It is as it must be.”
“But I have done nothing to receive so great an honor.”
“That is untrue. You were the most skilled of your kind ever to walk the earth.”
“You talk in the past; am I not dead then?”
Noman smiled. “Back to the same question. Your thoughts move in circles. You know you are not. The Father has true need of your skills when the time is right.”
While in the waking world Noman’s hands busily worked the sticks, Amir’s thoughts slipped further into the past. To his right, Antwar Alder, the man who would be king, swept Truth Bringer from its sheath, the great blade seeming to outshine the moon with its own inner light and lending a pale shadow over the strong-faced Antwar.
Ky’el touched his arm. “Ready yourself, son.”
An adolescent Amir nodded. “I swore an oath, a holy oath I mean to keep.”
“There are more,” whispered Etry. “Where are Aven and Riven?”
Amir looked down the line. The city’s outer defenses had failed and the last of the defenders made their stand at the Greye, the very keep built by their enemy Dnyarr. Across Gregortonn’s High Square the first charge of the night began with the cracks of whips from the goblin lieutenants sending the dog packs into a frenzied, howling run. The lines of human slaves followed; and behind them came the chariots of the elves pulled by the black, wingless dragons of the Samguinne.
The Robert Stanek Short Story & Novella Collection Page 15
