The First Spark
Page 53
Erin laughed and put her finger on his lips to silence him. “We will discuss the Council another day. Tonight, we need to celebrate our victory. I know of a suite in the Residence that has a large tub and right now I would love a hot, soaking bath. I could use the assistance of a Great Wizard.”
Alec looked at her expectantly, kissed her fingertips, and asked, “What type of assistance might you want from a Great Wizard?”
“Why to heat the water of course!” Then with a sly smile, Erin added, “But there might be some other things I need a great wizard to do also.”
The End of the First Book
Lists
The following lists of characters, places, and other terms may aid the reader’s understanding of this book.
List of Characters
Alec
Scientist; dark energy researcher; consort of Princess Erin
Alder; Dr. Alder
Lead researcher for dark energy at the North Atlantic Institute
Aldermen; The Alder
Foreign army massed on the Grasslands
Amelia
Brun’s daughter; Erin’s step-sister
Bon
Theland rider
Brun
Theland Councilman, consort of Queen Therin, and Erin’s step-father
Brar
Brun’s younger son
Brunder
Brun’s older son, and suitor of Erin
Celeste
Sarah’s daughter
Colin
Erin’s younger brother
Cryl
Theland rider
Debor, Major
Gott military officer at Winding Pass (deceased)
Devin
Erin’s brother (deceased)
Devin, Consort
Erin’s father (deceased)
Drone Master
Elf Mother responsible for training drones
Elia
Ancestral elf mother
Erin; Princess Erin
Princess of Theland
Ferd
Queen Therin’s lead rider
First Mother
Lian, the ancestral First Queen of Theland
First Queen
Lian, the ancestral First Queen of Theland
Gryg
Nomad tribe of the Grasslands
Gwyn
Ancestral elf mother
Harl
Town Marshal; freed slave
Hank
Theland lead rider
Henra
Elf Mother healed by Alec
Ilave
Boy living in a village on the Grasslands
Jitsu
Gambler at an inn on the Grasslands
Kara
Elf Mother; coercer
Kirkdar, Commander
Theland military officer under Amelia
Lily
Woman who befriends Erin
Leon
One of Queen Therin’s Guardsmen (deceased)
Leonder
Leon’s son; a scholar; Erin’s former boyfriend (deceased)
Levor, Captain
Gott military officer in charge of the Winding Pass garrison
Lian
Historic ancestral elf; First Mother; First Queen;
Marta
Elf Mother responsible for Erin’s capture; coercer
Mawn, General
Gott military officer in charge of the Raner Pass garrison
Nikka
Theland rider
Nomads
Un-governed tribes living on the Grasslands
Original Five
Five ancestral elves who founded Theland 500 years ago
Pequa
Amelia’s advisor; elf coercer
Rawl, Lord
Gott nobleman
Rhor
Theland rider
Sarah
Alec’s girlfriend at the Lab
Siara
Ancestral elf mother
Smink, Captain
Gott military officer at Winding Pass (deceased)
Syna
Ancestral elf; mother of Lian
Therin; Queen Therin
Ruler of Theland; Erin’s mother
Thom
Erin’s lead rider
Urgan, Sgt.
Theland military officer in charge of a garrison near Winding Pass
Varra
Elf Mother; coercer; speaker for the Disca
Voy, Major
Gott military officer at Raner Pass and aide to General Mawn
Zag
Captured Alderman
Zari
Brunder’s girlfriend
Zera
Elf Mother serving as Erin’s host; empath
List of Places
Aleinte Escarpment
Ridge in the foothills of the Elf Mountains
Aros
Large town on the Grasslands
Betin
Town on the Grasslands
Cantin
Town on the Grasslands
Elf Mountains
Uncharted mountain range separating Theland from the elf lands
Evening Mountains
Uninhabited mountain range between Theland and the Grasslands
Freeland City
Capital city of Theland
Gott
Land adjoining Theland; ally of Theland
Gott City
Capital city of Gott
Grasslands
Un-governed lands adjoining Theland
Grotto
Compound owned by Brun outside of Freeland City; formerly a mine
Institute
North Atlantic Institute, science research laboratory in the U.S. northeast
Justice Square
Plaza in the center of Freeland City where the queen metes justice
Lab; Laboratory
Dark energy research center at the North Atlantic Institute
Land of the Five Moons
Orb term for the planet where Theland is located; Nevia
Lashon
Land near Theland; an ally of Gott
Mt. Eras
Mountain peak in the Evening Mountains, on the border of Theland
Nevia
Orb term for the planet where Theland is located
New Haven
Capital city of the elf lands
North Atlantic Institute
Science research laboratory in the U.S. northeast
Octavin
Land near Theland
Raner Pass
Main pass through the Evening Mountains in Gott; leads to the Grasslands
Residence, the
Royal residence (palace) of Queen Therin in Freeland City
Ryn River
Large central river running the length of Theland
Theland
Erin’s homeland
Winding Pass
Small pass through the Evening Mountains in Gott; leads to the Grasslands
List of Terms
Amulet
Small device, generally worn about the neck, that cancels dark energy
Arn
Distance roughly equal to the length of a person’s arm, or a normal pace
Black Wizard
Wizard who uses dark energy for evil purposes
Blue thorn poison
Quick-acting strong poison
Book of Queens
Ancestral Theland document, read only by the Queen or her daughter
Bounder
Small, antelope-like animal of the Grasslands, often used as a food source
Clutch
Group of male elves, usually three, bound to a specific elf Mother
Clutch Mother
See ‘Mother’
Clutchman
Male elf bonded to an elf Mother
Coercer
Elf Mother who can bend a subject’s will
Council
Governing body of Theland
Cross-breed
Person of mixed blood, with both elf and orb genes
Cull
Activity where elves raid orbs communities to acquire drones (slaves)
Dark Energy
Fundamental energy of the multiverse; has positive and negative forms
Disca
Governing body of the elves
Dragon
Large flying serpentine beast, having a complex brain
Dragon Queen
Ancestral mythological being
Dragon’s blood
Bloodline of the ancestral Dragon Queen
Drones
People (orbs) enslaved by the elves, usually men
Drung
Ox-like beast of burden, often used for pulling wagons
Drunglet
Small pony-like mount
El
Distance roughly equivalent to two-thirds of a mile or one kilometer
Elves
Population of beings living in an area adjacent to Theland
Empath
Elf Mother who can sense a subject’s feelings (emotions)
Founding, The
Ancestral founding of Theland as a separate colony
Freshling
Elf child
Hyra
Small wolf- or jackal-like creature on the Grasslands
Jinja Root
Plant medicine used for birth control
Lead rider
Military officer in charge of other riders
Medallion
Small device, generally worn about the neck, that collects dark energy
Mother (elf)
Female elf
Negative dark energy
Anti-energy equivalent of positive dark energy
Orbs
Population of non-elf beings (including humans)
Portal
Means to use dark energy to move from place to place
Prairie skarn
Small venomous animal found on the Grasslands
Purple mushroom
Highly-addictive hallucinogenic
Rider
Person riding a trogus; military cavalryman
Seer
Theland woman with certain powers who can discern the future
Seft
Day of the week
Stone of Truth
Spherical stone in Justice Square that changes color
Tricrystals
Small crystals that can transmit dark energy
Trogus
Large cat-like animal used as a mount by military cavalry
Truth Stone
See ‘Stone of Truth’
Wizard
Person who uses dark energy; or who exhibits magical properties
A Brief Discussion of Dark Energy
From Alec’s college notes on the fundamentals of dark energy.
Dark energy is the background energy of the universe.
It is free-floating but can be concentrated and focused into other forms – ordinary matter, heat, motion, weather control, etc.
It can also be used to bend light or create a vacuum.
Dark energy has two forms: positive and negative (anti-dark-energy).
Using positive dark energy to create matter or cause another effect requires three things: a source of concentrated dark energy, a focus, and a director (person).
The director uses mental energy and a tricrystal (in a medallion or another object) to focus and coalesce dark energy. When the desired effect is obtained, the director releases the mental focus.
To create an object, the director must be able to visualize the object and how it works.
Positive dark energy is somehow related to time; the details are not fully known.
Negative dark energy fields exhibit lines of force. In theory these can be twisted or otherwise manipulated to affect the mental stability of another person (another director), but this has not yet been demonstrated.
In areas with a low background field of dark energy, it will take longer to obtain results – mechanical concentrators can be used to increase the dark energy field.
Loss of focus too early can result in an explosion, which can be fatal to the director or others in the vicinity.
For more details, see the information at TheDarkEnergyChronicles.com .
A Brief Discussion of Elves, Orbs, and Other Beings
Alec and Erin learned of elves, orbs, and the wars between the races from The Book of Queens and from their visit to the elf city. Here are some of the main points.
Elves
The elves are an ancient race and are found on many worlds.
An adult female elf is called a “Mother.” Each Mother forms a “clutch” instead of a family group. Each clutch is headed by a Mother, and includes her three male-elf clutchmen, and possibly additional male-elf apprentices. The Mother controls her clutch through telepathic commands.
Elves reproduce by laying eggs. A Mother lays eggs twice in her lifetime; there are always four eggs, usually three male and one female. Mother elves do not raise their young. The eggs are tended in a Hatchery, using dark energy, until the “freshling” is ready to emerge. The freshlings are raised in a communal school until they become adults.
Each Mother elf has a dominant “talent” that first emerges when she reaches adulthood. “Coercers” are the top talent and can mentally bend other beings to their will; “empaths” have the ability to sense emotions and actions. There are many other types of talents. Some Mothers have more than one talent.
Elves can sense negative dark energy, but not positive dark energy.
Mother elves are addicted to negative dark energy. They need to arouse strong emotions in order to sense it, best generated by sex, torture, or killing.
Mother elves wear a special ring that allows them to use negative dark energy to communicate and perform unusual feats. When not wearing her ring, a Mother can control an orb through touch.
Orbs
The orbs are an ancient race and are found on many worlds; orbs are more abundant than elves.
Elves despise orbs and the two races have been at war for millions of years.
Humans on Earth are a lost, or wild, herd of orbs.
Orbs civilizations tend to be unstable over time.
All orbs reproduce as humans do, and raise their own young.
Elves establish breeding populations of orbs on new worlds or new territories, called “herds,” and cull them from time to time to obtain “drones” to become slaves.
Orbs can sense positive dark energy, often by using a tool such as a medallion or a tricrystal, but not negative dark energy.
If an orb is touched by an elf Mother, the orb has an overwhelming desire to do what the Mother wants; however, if an orb is wearing a ring, the orb is not affected.
Cross-Breeds
A cross-breed results from a union between an elf and an orb. Descendants of cross-breeds may also be cross-breeds.
Cross-breeds are fairly common because elves will often couple with orbs or cross-breeds for sexual gratification.
Elves fear and hate cross-breeds, and usually eliminate female cross-breeds.
Cross-breeds reproduce as orbs do. If she has children, a female cross-breed will generally have three: a male, then a female, then another male.
Cross-breeds may exhibit characteristics of both elves and orbs; for example, they may have the ability to sense and use both positive and negative dark energy, especially if using a medallion or a tricrystal.
Drones
Drones are slaves who serve the elves and may be either an orb or a cross-breed.
Drones are almost always male.
Drones are created by banding an orb or cross-breed with a special neckpiece. The drone is then under the mental control of the elf Mother.
The drone will feel excruciating pain if the Mother’s wishes are not carried out, and exquisite pleasure if her wishes are met.
Compliant drones are necessary in elf society because they car
ry out all mundane tasks. Elf technology depends on positive dark energy; because elves cannot sense or control this, they use drones to operate all equipment. Drones are also used for non-technical tasks, such as farming.
The neckpiece controls the drone; if the neckpiece is removed, the drone will slowly revert to its former self.
For more details, see the information at TheDarkEnergyChronicles.com.