Six Heirs

by Pierre Grimbert

  Arque–Native of the Arkary kingdom. It’s also the main language spoken in this land.

  Bells (of Leem)–At one point in time, Leem experienced such a crime wave that the city seemed to be completely overrun by thieves, pillagers, arsonists, and murderers of all shapes and colors. Although the city doubled the guards’ night rounds, and then tripled them, the criminals remained untouchable, since they were too well organized.

  The provost at the time then came up with the idea of installing a bell in the house of each of the most prominent people in the city. When these important people were threatened by or witness to a crime, they could ring the bell and the city guard would come right away. Most of the time it wasn’t quickly enough, with the villains fleeing the scene the moment the first strike sounded. But it was still better than before.

  More modest citizens followed this example, and soon there were quite a few artisans and merchants who had equipped their shops with a bell. After a few years, there were so many bells in Leem that crime nearly disappeared.

  Unfortunately, the criminals found a countermeasure: setting fire to each house that dared to ring its bell, as an act of vengeance and as a warning.

  Today, there are still more than six hundred houses in Leem fitted with bells, but now the bronze only rings during the occasional festivity.

  Brosda–A divinity whose cult is especially widespread in the Kaul Matriarchy. Brosda is the son of Xéfalis, and Echora’s reflection.

  Brothers (of the night)–What the members of the Grand Guild call themselves, as do members of any guild of thugs in general.

  Some of them even go as far as renaming their new members, creating fake “families,” etc.

  Calendar–The one used in the Upper Kingdoms is the Ithare calendar. It contains 338 days, which are divided into thirty-four dékades and four seasons. The year begins with the Day of Water, which also marks the first day of spring. There are two dékades that contain only nine days instead of the usual ten: those preceding the Day of the Earth and the Day of Fire. Each day on the calendar begins with the sunrise.

  Every day, as well as every dékade, carries a meaningful name originating from the cult of the goddess Eurydis; the moralist priests of the Wise One brought their nomenclature to the furthest reaches of the known world. But time and use brought about changes of varying degrees depending on the region. The Day of the Dog, for example, which the Grand Empire doesn’t observe with any particular importance, was renamed the Day of the Wolf in the area around Tolensk, and corresponds to a feast day that all the locals really look forward to. Similarly, the Dékade of Fairs, kicked off by the Day of the Merchant, is well-known and will ever be so to the Loreliens, whereas it represents nothing to the Mémissiens.

  Few know all the days of the calendar, and even fewer know what they represent for the cult of Eurydis—priests aside, of course. In the Upper Kingdoms, they use it very naturally, as they would talk of the day or the night, yet a lot of people are completely unaware of its religious origin.

  Other calendars are used in the known world; they arise out of royal decrees, from other cults besides that of Eurydis, or quite simply out of tribal tradition. Many of them are based on the lunar cycle, like the ancient Roman calendar: thirteen cycles of twenty-six days.

  Centiday–A unit of time of Goranese origin representing one-tenth of a deciday: approximately fourteen earthly minutes.

  Council of Mothers–The main governing body of the Kaul Matriarchy. Each of the villages has such a council, presided over by the elected Mother and advised by the Ancestress.

  Curtain–The Curtain is the mountain chain that separates the Grand Empire of Goran and the Ithare Kingdom from the countries to the east.

  Dékade [pronounced “day-cahd”]–Ten days. A division specific to the Eurydian calendar. The days of each dékade are named in chronological order. The first day is prime, the last is term. The other days, from second to ninth, are: dès, terce, quart, quint, sixt, septime, octes, and nones.

  The dékades of Earth and Fire, which only contain nine days, don’t have an “octes” day. In these dékades, the calendar skips directly from septime to nones. The Maz have provided a religious explanation: the omission of octes symbolizes the victory of Eurydis over Xétame’s eight dragons.

  Deciday–A unit of time of Goranese origin representing one-tenth of a day: approximately two hours and twenty-five minutes in our world. The first deciday begins with the sunrise, the instant at which the tenth deciday of the previous day ends. The apogee generally falls around the end of the third deciday.

  This unit of time is used crudely by the ignorant, but a lot more precisely by the learned people in all nations, who do not use a common sundial for reference, but rather consult calculations indicating the position at which the sun rises relative to the city of Goran, and make adjustments depending on the season. This is also the only method that enables one to discern precisely when the change between the night decidays, from the seventh to the eighth, occurs.

  Dona–First and foremost, Dona is the goddess of merchants. The daughter of Wug and Ivie, legend has it that Dona created gold so that she could cover herself with it and thereby exceed her cousin Isée’s beauty. She then gifted humans with her creation so that those like her, upon whom destiny endowed a less favorable lot, could outshine others with their intelligence, with the possession of this precious metal acting as a testimony.

  Unfortunately for Dona, the young god Hamsa, whom she had chosen as referee, renewed his admiration for Isée. Dona then resolved to disregard the singular opinion and became renowned for her parade of lovers. And so she also became the Goddess of Pleasure.

  There’s a Lorelien custom that requires a merchant who has just made a lucrative deal to give an offering to a stranger, and more specifically a young, impoverished-looking woman. They call the offering “Dona’s share.” Unfortunately, the custom is dying out, since the members of the cult feel that the share they routinely offer to their temples is in itself a sufficient display of piety.

  No successful merchant would ever forget to glorify Dona with his gifts, if only to preserve the affection of a few “priestesses” who are particularly devout to the Goddess of Pleasure.

  Emaz–The chief figureheads and high leaders of the Grand Temple of Eurydis; in other words, the heads of the entire cult. There are thirty-four Emaz. Each Emaz reserves the power to pass on his or her title to a chosen Maz.

  Erjak–An Arque title given to an individual who has the ability to communicate with animals from mind to mind.

  Eastian–A Levantine. A native of the lands that lie to the east of the Curtain Mountains.

  Eurydis–The chief deity in the Upper Kingdoms. The cult of Eurydis has spread to even the most remote areas of the known world, at the instigation of Ithare “moralists.”

  The legend of the goddess has forever been tied to the history of the Holy City. During the sixth Eon, the Ithare people—who didn’t yet carry this name—were merely a colorful grouping of more or less nomadic tribes, assembled at the foot of Mount Fleuri, one of the old summits of the Curtain Mountains. It is said that the people first came together thanks to the vision of one man, King Li’ut of the Iths, who wanted to create a powerful new nation by bringing together all of the independent clans residing east of the Alt river.

  King Li’ut dedicated his entire life to this dream, but the building of the city of Ith—the Holy City, as it is now more commonly called—took more time than he had. With Li’ut gone, ancestral divisions sprang up again, and stronger than ever: without Li’ut’s art of diplomacy, the beautiful dream would crumble.

  It is then that the goddess is reported to have visited Li’ut’s youngest son, instructing him to finish the immense work his father had begun. Comelk—as he was named—thanked the goddess for her confidence, but explained that given the severity of the tribal quarrels, he didn’t believe he could succeed. Eurydis then asked him to bring all of the clan chiefs before her, which Comel
k promptly did.

  Eurydis spoke to each one of them, demanding that they follow the path of wisdom. Everyone listened respectfully, for as barbaric and unruly as they were, their superstitions and traditions made them fear divine power.

  Once Eurydis had left them, the chiefs spoke for a very long time, consulting the elders and the oracles. All problems were brought to the table, and all of them were resolved. They swore to keep peace forever, under the name of the Ithare Alliance.

  Years passed, and little by little Ith became a city of reputable size, and eventually a truly grand city. At the time, Romine alone could still rival the young kingdom’s capital. The tribes mixed among themselves, and the old quarrels became nothing more than a memory of the past. Ith had everything in its favor to become the leading power in the world...which it became, but not as it should have.

  Blinded by their new power, which was so easily obtained, the descendants of the first tribes started to boast of their superiority over the rest of the known world. Eventually, a few wanted to demonstrate it. The Ithares launched small-scale war raids, and later small border disputes, which finally escalated to full-scale conquest campaigns that progressively became more frequent and deadlier.

  At the end of the eighth Eon, they had made themselves masters of all the territory stretching from the Curtain Mountains in the east to the Vélanèse River in the west, and from the Median Sea in the south to the Crek region in the north. The Ithares behaved like genuine conquerors: they pillaged, burned, and ravaged shamelessly, massacring thousands...

  One day, as the war chiefs gathered once again to consider an invasion into Thalitte territory, Eurydis appeared for the second time.

  It is said that she came in the form of a young girl, hardly twelve years old, the way she is most often depicted to this day. Still, many of the seasoned warriors present thought they might die of fear, the goddess’s ire was so great.

  She didn’t speak, feeling that a piercing look was sufficient. She simply bored her gaze into the eyes of every one of the powerful individuals in the Ithare Empire, as it was called at the time. The war chiefs understood her warning, immediately gave up all their plans for conquest, and made every resolution possible to put an end to the battles and the occupation of foreign lands. Each of them felt personally responsible for the major changes that needed to be brought to the Ithare way of life.

  The next generation of Ithare people turned toward religion. At first, they experienced great tragedies. Their former victims, such as the young Goranese people, in turn became the executioners. The Ithare territory shrunk back to about what it was to start with: Ith and its surrounding area, and the Maz Nen Harbor.

  But the years went by, and the Ithares launched into a new form of conquest, one that was surely more in line with what the goddess had in mind: the Maz left in all directions to the most distant reaches of the known world, with the aim of bringing the “Eurydis Ethic” to all the people of the known world. These excursions were very beneficial to the less evolved peoples, since the Ithares also brought their civilization with them: the calendar, writing, arts, and skills...everything they had learned over the course of their past conquests.

  Some theorists are now proclaiming the third appearance of the goddess. She will come again, of course, since she has appeared twice already. But the main question the Ithares ask themselves is this: What will be the next path to follow?

  Gisland River–River that partially draws the border between the Kaul Matriarchy and Lorelia.

  Grand Guild–This term designates the loose collective of practically all the criminal organizations in the Upper Kingdoms. There is no formal structure or hierarchy to the Grand Guild; it is more like an agreement among gangs that guarantees the respect of one another’s territory and activities, just like the kingdomwide and citywide guilds.

  Despite their numerous internal quarrels, the groups sometimes manage to agree to conduct an operation together, notably with contraband.

  The Grand Guild does not officially deal in hired killings, but more often in extortion, kidnapping, fraud, contraband, and of course any form of stealing. However, it should be noted that any newcomer organization that doesn’t respect the agreements doesn’t last long.

  Grand House–This is the seat of power of the Kaul Matriarchy, where the Mothers hold their council. Their living quarters are also located here, as well as their study chambers. Anyone can come to the Grand House to express their grievances; fifteen or so Mothers are permanently present to accommodate them. At various times during the year, the study and council rooms of the Grand House are open to any curious visitors.

  Holy City–Another name for Ith, the capital of the Ithare Kingdom. This term is most often used to describe the religious quarter, an enclave with its own walls, laws, and citizens, constituting a veritable city within the city.

  Ithare dice–A very popular game throughout the entire known world. While its origin remains uncertain, it is nevertheless known that it spread at the same time as the Ithare Empire, during the seventh and eighth Eons, and was quickly adopted by all of the conquered territories.

  The Ithare die has six sides, with four depicting the elements Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. The two remaining sides represent a double or triple of one of the four elements. There are four kinds of dice: one for Wind, generally white; one for Fire, red; one for Earth, green; and one for Water, blue.

  The number of dice used in a game varies depending on the rules of the chosen game and any specific arrangements decided upon between participants. While a set of four dice—a soldier—is generally all that’s needed, it isn’t uncommon to see games requiring several dozen dice. The star, the prophet, the emperor, the two brothers, and the guéjac are the most popular variations of the game. However, there are many more.

  Jez–A native of Jezeba.

  Kauli–The native language of the Kaul Matriarchy.

  Kaulien(ne)–A native of the Kaul Matriarchy. Kaulienne indicates a female, while Kaulien indicates a male.

  Kurdalène–This Lorelien king is celebrated for having fought long and hard against the Züu during his reign. The cult of the Goddess of Justice, Zuïa, through threats, extortion, and murder, then exercised such strong influence on the kingdom’s nobles and bourgeois that the king couldn’t make the slightest decision without the endorsement of the Züu.

  At his wit’s end, one day Kurdalène decided to put an end to it, and from then on he dedicated all his energy to the annihilation of the cult—at least in Lorelia.

  He survived for almost two years cloistered in a wing of his palace, surrounded by handpicked guards, before the Züu finally assassinated him.

  Lermian (kings of)–Five centuries ago, Lermian was still the capital of a rich kingdom that had nothing to envy in the nascent Grand Empire, or in the expanding Lorelien land. The royal family had controlled the throne for eleven generations, and the dynasty didn’t seem anywhere close to dying off, since Orosélème, the monarch at the time, had three sons and two daughters with his wife Fédéris.

  Lermian had endured the Rominian invasions, the domination of the Ithare, and later on the Goranese expansion, all with relative ease. It seemed that she would just as easily resist Blédévon, the king of Lorelia, and his attempts to exert his influence. Blédévon wanted to incorporate Lermian, which was practically an island within his own kingdom, into his realm. But it wasn’t in his interest to launch an assault against Lermian’s walls, since the city acted as a buffer zone between his kingdom and the Goranese border; Orosélème was well aware and teased the Lorelien king with games of intimidation, promises, and intrigue.

  Lermian could have become—more than it is today—a leading city of the Upper Kingdoms if misfortune hadn’t struck its rulers. Orosélème died from food poisoning; his oldest son had been on the throne for only six days before perishing in a fall from the city’s high walls. The younger son reigned for a little more than eight dékades before he just vanished. Since the last son w
as too young to rule, the prince consort was given the title of regent, but not one year later he had to be relieved of this title because he went mad after falling off his horse. The husband of the second princess refused the honor of ruling the kingdom, choosing a life of exile with his wife. Queen Fédéris asked her councilors to elect one of their own to be regent. Only one came forward, but he perished just a few days later, stabbed to death in the street by thieves.

  After that, no one wanted to volunteer to be regent. The queen, feeling unable to rule alone, finally accepted the deal King Blédévon offered her, making Lermian a simple duchy of Lorelia. In return, the merchant kingdom offered the protection of its army.

  The curse that weighed on Orosélème’s dynasty seemed to stop there; Queen Fédéris and her last son escaped death.

  Rumors spread that the deaths were a series of assassinations; some even said that Blédévon was behind it all. But the theorist of the Lorelien court managed to dispel any doubt by revealing that it was the will of the gods to join the two kingdoms under one crown.

  From this tragic episode sprang the popular expression “as dead as the kings of Lermian.”

  Lesser Kingdoms–Another name for the Baronies.

  Lorelien Fairs–One of the oldest Lorelien traditions. During the tenth dékade, from the Day of the Merchant to the Day of the Engraver, the entry and exit of all goods into and out of the city—whose trade is authorized by the kingdom’s laws—are tax free.

  Obviously, this is the time of the year when the majority of occasional traders, faraway artisans, foreigners, and rare-goods sellers decide to find buyers.

  The fairs draw in a lot of people. In fact, about a third of the participants don’t come for business at all, but to simply enjoy the numerous attractions that come along with the fairs—street shows, games, banquets, and more. Some of them are generously paid for by the Crown, which sees it as an opportunity to affirm its prestige.

  Anyhow, the kingdom’s coffers hardly lose out in the deal: each seller has to pay a three-terce fee before he can set up even the smallest stand in the street. The process is tightly monitored and violators are severely punished: no more and no less than the immediate confiscation of the entirety of the violator’s goods.