Anima: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 6)

by Dennis Vanderkerken

  Eucalyptus – A Wood Elf skilled in defensive and protective Essence techniques.

  Ember – Secondary Main Character - A burnt-out Ancient Elf from well over a millennia ago. She’s lived too long, and most of it has been in one War or another. She finds a new spark, but until then suffers from extreme weariness, depression, and wear. Her sense of humor lies buried deep within, dry as a cork. Ember enjoys speaking laconically, getting to the point, and getting fired up. She will burn eternal to see her tasks complete. No matter the cost, and no matter the effort. She becomes Dawn upon graduating to the S-ranks.

  Egil Nolsen – Known to the world as ‘Xenocide,’ he is a Madness cultivator. Ranked SSS. He is but a moment of good fortune away from entering the Heavenly ranks, and is responsible for a majority of the world’s problems, in one way or another.

  Electrum – The metal used as Chasuble’s currency. These coins are collectively known as ‘divines’ due to the very minor essence effect on them that keeps them clean. Their worth and value differs greatly from the established monetary system many other cities use, specifically to undercut them.

  Elves – A race of willowy humanoids with pointy ears. There are five main types:

  High Elves – The largest nation of Elvenkind, they spend most of their time as merchants, artists, or thinkers. Rich beyond any need to actually work, their King is an S-ranked expert, and their cities shine with light and wealth. They like to think of themselves as ‘above’ other Elves, thus ‘High’ Elves.

  Wood Elves – Wood Elves live more simply than High Elves, but have greater connection to the earth and the elements. They are ruled by a counsel of S-ranked elders and rarely leave their woods. Though seen less often, they have great power. They grow and collect food and animal products for themselves and other Elven nations.

  Wild Elves – Wild Elves are the outcasts of their societies. Basically feral, they scorn society, civilization, and the rules of others. They have the worst reputation of any of the races of Elves, practicing dark arts and infernal summoning. They have no homeland, living only where they can get away with their dark deeds.

  Dark Elves – The Drow are known as Dark Elves. No one knows where they live, only where they can go to get in contact with them. Dark Elves also have a dark reputation as Assassins and mercenaries for the other races. The worst of their lot are ‘Moon Elves,’ the best-known Assassins of any race. These are the Elves that Dale made a deal with for land and protection.

  Sea Elves – The Sea Elves live on boats their entire lives. They facilitate trade between all the races of Elves and man, trying not to take sides in conflicts. They work for themselves and are considered rather mysterious.

  Essence – Essence is the fundamental energy of the universe, the pure power of heavens and earth that is used by the basic elements to become all forms of matter. The six major types are named: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Celestial, Infernal.

  Essence Cycling – A trick to move energy around, to enhance the ability of an organ.

  Eternium – A dungeon core who can hold all of Cal’s soul space, aligned to the Law of Order.

  Faux High Elf – A person who has the appearance of a High Elf, but is not actually one. It is a ‘Fake’ Elf, who takes the position in name only. A mockery and status-display rolled into one.

  Father Richard – An A-ranked Cleric that has made his living hunting demons and heretics. Tends to play fast and loose with rules and money.

  Fighter – A generic archetype of a being that uses melee weapons to fight.

  Fringe – The Fringe region is located in the western region of Pangea. It has been scrapped from maps and scraped from history, by order of the Ecclesiarchy.

  Gathering Webway – A web of Essence created around one’s center. For the purpose of gathering and retaining Essence. This was the first method concerning Essence refining techniques. It should never be sticky.

  Gilded Blade – A weapon, status title, occupation, and profession all in one. A Gilded Blade is a weapon of the raider faction. They are brutally efficient at a single thing, and terrible at everything else.

  Gomei – Brianna’s right hand and general. He despises humanity with extreme contempt. For no reason other than that they deprived him of his favorite condiment. Wars will start over this. Again.

  Grace – Offspring of Cal and Dani. Adorable sm0ll wisp. All the energy of Dad. All the smarts of Mom. Was a wisp’s color important again? Grace’s color is purple~

  Gran’mama – Ephira Mayev Stonequeen is Grand Matron of all the centralized Dwarven clans. She goes by Matron, or Gran’mama. While not a royal, she tends to be treated like one due to the vast respect she holds. She also keeps the great majority of land contracts. Beware of the dreaded chancla.

  Hadurin Fellstone – Supposed Head Healer of the motley Fringe expedition crew.

  Hadurin Fellhammer – Grand-Inquisitor Fellhammer. Executor of the Inquisition, Lord of the Azure Jade mountain, and slayer of a thousand traitors. While not fully of the dwarven race, he is short, portly, jovial to a fault, and as sly as a certain old man. I hear him with a thick Scottish or Irish voice.

  Halcyon – The second of Artorian’s chosen, granted the Blessing of Aurum. An uplifted Orca Matron, Halcyon shrunk into her shell as her sapience grew. Shy demeanor aside, a natural leader lurks within. Halcyon has multiple forms just like Zelia, such as fully human, fully Orca, and a hybridized state of flux.

  Hakan – A gilded blade, she is the main antagonist of AA1. Her personality is as unpleasant as her fashion sense. She’s snide, cuts to the chase, and speaks abrasively without much poise or respect to anyone else.

  Hans – A cheeky assassin that has been with Dale since he began cultivating. He was a thief in his youth but changed lifestyles after his street guild was wiped out. He is deadly with a knife and is Dale’s best friend. Now Rose’s husband.

  Hawthorns – A set of Wood Elves that has taken it upon themselves to guard and patrol the edges of the forest. They are generally abrasive, as the threats they come home with aren’t taken seriously enough. Or abundantly happy to see you, with matching Southern cadence and happy reed-chewing style. Rules are actually guidelines. Make no mistake. In any other setting, Hawthorne would be a dastardly set of troublemakers.

  Henry – Previously the prince-turned-king of the Lion Kingdom, he is now one of the several supervisors of Midgard. Henry is childhood friends with Aiden Silverfang.

  Hulk – Odin’s greatest nemesis, best squirrel friend to Yuki.

  Incantation – Essentially a spell, an incantation is created from words and gestures. It releases all of the power of an enchantment in a single burst.

  Infected – A person or creature that has been infected with a rage-inducing mushroom growth. These people have no control of their bodies and attack any non-infected on sight.

  Infernal – The Essence of death and demonic beings, considered to be always evil.

  Inscription – A permanent pattern made of Essence that creates an effect on the universe. Try not to get the pattern wrong as it could have… unintended consequences. This is another name for an incomplete or unknown Rune.

  Irene – A Keeper in the Choir. There is more to her than meets the eye, and is far more powerful than she initially appears to be. Do not argue with her about scripture. This world-weary Keeper plays with subterfuge like children play outside. Though when able, she speaks with her fists. Her rage meter is tiny, and fills with a swiftness.

  Jiivra – A Battle Leader in the Choir, she aspires to be a Paladin. She has the potential to become truly great, if only given the opportunity. Young, and full of splendor. She’s hasty, sticks to order, dislikes surprises, and answers to them with well-measured responses.

  Jin – The child of Tarrean and Irene, a Keeper in the Fringe.

  Karakum – Only two things are certain: Death, and Taxes. Karakum is both. This fire-dungeon turned scorpion gained new life just as Zelia did. He’s snippy, and can be a bit much to handle, bu
t after becoming Dawn’s chosen, he does what is required of him by the Lady of Flame. Karakum is based on Zorro.

  Lapis – A mineral-mining town in the vicinity of the Salt Flats. They refine the color Lapis into varying shades of Blue, and are a prime exporter. Lapis is located in the Fringe.

  Liminal – Also called Liminal Energy, or the energy of thought. It is the intermediary between Mana and Spirit. Liminal Energy is both sentient and sapient. It develops a mind of its own when the Mage reaches a certain point of progress. This energy can manifest itself in a variety of ways, but is difficult to control after it gains sapience. Sapient Liminal Energy frequently manifests as issues the Mage needs to tackle. Whether that be items, people, or challenges.

  Maccreus Tarrean – Head Cleric of a Choir expeditionary force. His pride is his most distinguishing feature, next to that ostentatious affront known as his armor. Short and portly for non-dwarven reasons, this blundering, ego-driven voice blusters through life like a drunk through a tavern. Elbows first. His ability to craft schemes is as sharp as a dull, smooth rock. His Charisma unfortunately doesn’t notice and charges on anyway.

  Mahogany – Chosen leaders of the Phantomdusk Wood Elves. As a congregation of Sultans, they care deeply for their people. Forced to make difficult decisions on behalf of the people as a whole, they function with the full permission of the S-ranked council. Which is less active than they’d like it to be. A good soul, they speak with deep voices. Together with Birch they seek to rebuild Wood Elf society within Eternium.

  Mages’ Guild – A secretive sub-sect of the Adventurers’ Guild only Mage-level cultivators are allowed to join.

  Mana – A higher stage of Essence only able to be cultivated by those who have broken into at least the B-rankings and found the true name of something in the universe.

  Mana Signature – A name for a signature that can be neither forged nor replicated, and is used in binding oaths.

  Marie – Previously the princess-turned-queen of the Phoenix Kingdom. She is now one of the many supervisors of Midgard, establishing the human presence in Cal’s soul space. A Mage of Glory and not afraid to use her trumpets to harken it.

  Marud – Choir second-in-command Battle Leader, of the second expeditionary force to the Fringe.

  Meridians – Meridians are energy channels that transport life energy (Chi/Essence) throughout the body.

  Memory Core – Also known as a Memory Stone, depending on the base materials used in their production. Pressing the stone to your forehead lets a person store or gain the knowledge contained within. As if you’d gone through the events yourself. Generally never sold.

  Minya – Ex-leader of the Cult of Cal. After entering Cal’s Soul Space, she now presides over the research and development on the Moon with Bob. All she wants is peace and quiet. Maybe a small store.

  Mob – A shortened version of “dungeon monster.”

  Morovia – A world region located in the south-eastern section of the central Pangea band.

  Necromancer – An Infernal Essence cultivator who can raise and control the dead and demons. A title for a cultivator who specializes in re-animating that which has died.

  Nefellum – Head Cleric of the second expedition force into the Fringe.

  Noble rankings:

  King/Queen – Ruler of their country. (Addressed as ‘Your Majesty’)

  Crown Prince/Princess – Next in line to the throne, has the same political power as a Grand Duke. (Addressed as ‘Your Royal Highness’)

  Prince/Princess – Child of the King/Queen, has the same political power as a Duke. (Addressed as ‘Your Highness’)

  Grand Duke/Grand Duchess – Ruler of a grand duchy and is senior to a Duke. (Addressed as ‘Your Grace’)

  Duke/Duchess – Is senior to a Marquis or Marchioness. (Addressed as ‘Your Grace’)

  Marquis/Marchioness – Controls a section of land in a kingdom outside of the heartland. Is senior to an Earl and has at least three Earls in their domain. (Addressed as ‘Honorable’)

  Earl/Countess – Is senior to a Baron. Each Earl has three Barons under their power. (Addressed as ‘My Lord/Lady’)

  Viscount/Viscountess – Thought of as the lieutenants of the Earl in their region. Is senior to a Baron, if by just a small margin. (Addressed as ‘My Lord/Lady’)

  Baron/Baroness – Senior to knights, they control a minimum of ten knights and therefore their land. (Addressed as ‘My Lord/Lady’)

  Baronets – A member of the lowest hereditary titled order, with the status of a commoner. (Addressed as ‘Sir’)

  Knight/Dame – Sub rulers of plots of land and peasants. (Addressed as ‘Sir’)

  Esquire – A young nobleman who, in training for knighthood, acts as an attendant to a knight. (Addressed as ‘Sir’)

  Gentleman/Lady – Those of high birth or rank, good social standing and wealth, and who did not need to work for a living.

  Oak – A set of Wood Elves that embody the purest spirit of flamboyance. Rules might exist, but Oak won’t care to listen.

  Oberon – Eternium’s clever, cunning, orange wisp. Constantly finding new ways to con his dungeon to keep him on his metaphorical toes. Let’s see how many times this wisp’s name gets underlined by the end.

  Occultatum – Previously known as the Master, he now resides on Hel as its supervisor. Cal supposedly stationed him due to the high Mana density, but in reality, it’s to deal with those abyss-blasted swans and geese.

  Odin – Elemental of Air and supervisor of Asgard. His ego is almost the size of the Valkyries stationed outside his baths; though, a certain frosty individual manages to keep him in line.

  Olgier – A trader from Rutsel, whose greed greatly exceeds his guile.

  Olive – A Wood Elf who is very down to earth. A little greasy, he likes to dig holes and hidden pathways.

  Oversized Infernal Corvid – Really big raven with the Infernal channel. D-ranked creature. Intelligent. Moody.

  Pattern – A pattern is the intricate design that makes everything in the universe. An inanimate object has a far less complex pattern that a living being.

  Phantomdusk Forest – A world region that borders The Fringe. It is comprised of vast, continent-sprawled greenery that covers multiple biomes. Any forest region connecting to this main mass is considered part of the whole, if entering it has a high mortality rate.

  Presence – In terms of Aura, this refers to the combined components that Aura encompasses. Ordinarily a Mage-only ability. Presence refers to the unity of Auras and them acting as one.

  Ra – Lunella’s first daughter, who causes an amount of trouble equal to the amount of breaths she takes. *Cough*, much like a certain grandfather.

  Raile – A massive, granite-covered Boss Basher that attacks by ramming and attempting to squish its opponents.

  Ranger – Typically an adventurer archetype that is able to attack from long range, usually with a bow.

  Ranking System – The ranking system is a way to classify how powerful a creature has become through fighting and cultivation.

  G – At the lowest ranking is mostly non-organic matter such as rocks and ash. Mid-G contains small plants such as moss and mushrooms while the upper ranks form most of the other flora in the world.

  F – The F-ranks are where beings are becoming actually sentient, able to gather their own food and make short-term plans. The mid-F ranks are where most humans reach before adulthood without cultivating. This is known as the fishy or “failure” rank.

  E – The E-rank is known as the “echo” rank and is used to prepare a body for intense cultivation.

  D – This is the rank where a cultivator starts to become actually dangerous. A D-ranked individual can usually fight off ten F-ranked beings without issue. They are characterized by a “fractal” in their Chi spiral.

  C – The highest-ranked Essence cultivators, those in the C-rank usually have opened all of their meridians. A C-ranked cultivator can usually fight off ten D-ranked and one hundred F-ran
ked beings without being overwhelmed.

  B – This is the first rank of Mana cultivators, known as Mages. They convert Essence into Mana through a nuanced refining process and release it through a true name of the universe.

  A – Usually several hundred years are needed to attain this rank, known as High-Mage or High-Magous. They are the most powerful rank of Mages.

  S – Very mysterious Spiritual Essence cultivators. Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  SS – Pronounced ‘Double S.’ Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  SSS – Pronounced ‘Triple S.’ Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Heavenly – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Godly – Not much is known about the requirements for this rank or those above it.

  Refining – A name for the method of separating Essences of differing purities.

  Rune – A permanent pattern made of Essence that creates an effect on the universe. Try not to get the pattern wrong as it could have… unintended consequences. This is another name for a completed Inscription.