by TJ Reynolds
Corell Amredor – Son of Matthias Amredor and as tall and bristly as a Sirrushi Fur tree. He can gut and skin a deer in under ten minutes but prefers to force his children to suffer the task instead.
Selna Amredor – high ranger of the Sirrushi Direbane. Feared by orcs and trolls alike, but as any true ranger, deals fairly with all races. Too busy for love, the stunning woman has turned more than a few heads, players and NPCs alike.
Hardel – the tallest and loudest of the Sirrushi Direbane, Hardel made his name in the Unspoken War waged between the horse men of the sea and the kraken lords who tried to make the northern coast of Marianor their home. He met his impressive gryphon friend Bastral on another trip through the Lemish Mountains. Neither has spoken of their meeting, but rumor has it that the two challenged one another to a duel. Having reached no clear winner, the two joined forces forever after.
Teegan Shadespar – the famous PvP arena champion. A rogue type fighter with a hidden and unique class and has more than his fair share of unconscious swagger. The players who meet him either want to latch onto the high-level elf in hopes of attaining a hint of his greatness or else despise him. Morgaine, a fellow sneaky dark elf, is his best friend and occasional arena companion.
Oliver – a guildie at heart, Oliver became an orc in realistic mode to prove to himself that he could become as tough as he boasted and to ignore the opinions of others. As loyal as he is full of it, Oliver only regrets letting himself fall for Madi the second he laid eyes on her.
Mayor Sherman Hesperine - a shady character that was somehow both big-boned and drawn in the face. A once a jolly man who later only pretended to be, Sherman was filled with fear and regret. He was condemned by the man who saved him in his youth. Even as he died, he knew the irony of the situation. He had been a good and honest mayor until the day one of The Rat King’s shamans pulled him under the beast’s influence.
Tumsley (Raised and Claimed by the Chishri Spider clan) – the only known case of a human being fed and weened by spiderkin, Tumsley is an odd person who makes wicked men nervous and good men feel at ease.
Garren – Alysand’s oldest friend in Benham and a single father of a pack of flea-bitten kids. Even without getting a good night sleep in almost fifteen years, the man manages not to punch the children, and refuses even to tie them up when rowdy.
Harnoth – The captain of the guard and First Fang of the Sirrushi Wyverns. Harnoth was only a broodling when his father died at the end of human swords. Shortly after the pact of the races was broken, he learned the foul nature of the two-legged creatures who walked in the daylight above. The wyvern could not forgive the other races until he faced Hana’s unflinching honesty and goodness. Then he saw his only true crime was hatred.
Races, Groups, and Creatures of Marindor
Enfield (Vardeen) – tribes vary in form and enjoy great degrees of autonomy, but the noble beasts are united under one leader. This leader has many names but is loosely referred to as Den Mother. Pachi’s tribe is noted for their black and crimson feathers and more defined feline features that extend not only to their deadly claws, but to their rasping tongue and ability to purr. Also, her tribe is taller, taking on the canine bone structure in the legs. All tribes maintain the three-animal combination between fox, great cat and eagle.
Gryphon (Corshani) – were bred by the gods themselves and flew over the peaks and valleys of Marianor long before even the first elves came over the sea. Righteous in all ways, the gryphons fell from power because of their inflexibility. Fighting on the front lines of a dozen wars thinned their ranks, and now only a few dozen flocks remain. If not for their longevity, the gryphon lords would have died out long ago.
Ratkin (Nezumi) – spawned by the ancient Rat God Nezumi who formed the race in her image. Traditionally live in small bands of hunters and gatherers dispersed throughout the land. They are not overtly aggressive, and only occasionally do they rise up as a group to raid for resources, primarily metal as they are not known for their ability to forge. With the rise of the Rat King, high carbon steel has been found in their possession, the forging skills most likely copied from captured gnomes taken from their smithies deep in the Sirrushi mountains. Though they are normally never more than five feet tall at most, recently, some have been seen to be taller than men.
Flame Leopard – a younger species in Marianor, the first of the flame leopards were seen in the sprawling wasteland to the south just two hundred years ago. Some scholars consider the beasts bred of fell magic while others remain more optimistic. They are fair in mind and form, after all, and remain loyal to any soul they are bonded to.
Wyverns – The two tribes of wyverns are the Fafniri and the Sirrushi.
Fafniri – sons of Fafnir, the Fafniri tribe, have taken on their predecessors’ affinity towards flight and fire. These creatures were once noble, but their hearts have always been swayed by greed. This has made them easy to manipulate. Many speculate they may have been consigned to the Rat King’s army. Named after the son of a dwarven king who is cursed and becomes a dragon that is described at length in Norse mythology.
Sirrushi – daughters of Sirrush, the Sirrushi tribe, are protectors of the earth and delvers of the deep. They have long been a private and therefore strange race, and do not work with or interact with other races. Inspired by the Babylonian and Akkadian myths of the Mushussu or Sirrush dragon that guards the gates of Ishtar. Sometimes referred to as the Babylon dragon of Chaos. Rather than having various body parts, like the myth suggests, the Sirrushi wyverns have stout and powerful forms. Their battle prowess comes from talon and fang, not poison or fire.
Ichneumon – an ancient race of beasts that became foul-hearted after years of remaining in the dark. Like the mongoose kills the snake, the Ichneumon hunt and kill wyverns. Hated by all those who remember them, only the wise recall that the traits that make the Ichneumon so dire a foe to the wyverns (venom, mud armor, fire immunity) developed only after they were hunted to near extinction.
Dragons – only a dozen or so left in creation, and even these are cast across the land and have been either forgotten or devoutly avoided. These nearly omnipotent masters of Marianor occasionally become world bosses (though have never done so in the Realm type and Mode that Hana and Madi play in) but act most often as epic quest givers or are otherwise completely oblivious to the players’ interactions. They are massive (think hill-sized) and various in form. Dragons are highly intelligent and can be viewed as, more or less, the physical manifestations of gods.
Stone Bear – said to be the mount of the Stone God, a diety worshipped by the mountain trolls, the stone bears rose from the earth armored in bone plates and powerful enough to push down a tree.
Bolgers – forming small clans or families that remain politically isolated from one another, they do make contact occasionally for the sake of trade and exchanging members who have a need to find a mate. Though small in stature, the bolgers are powerful warriors with an innate sense of tactics and formations. They are skilled in spear warfare, but occasionally will use skirmishers with slings or small bows. The bolgers have no need for armor as their hide is more resistant than most types of leather.
Peryton – a legend of the orc clans describes the creation of this magnificent creature. On the seventh day of the seventh year after the orcs found their homeland, an eagle landed on the back of a deer as it crested the tallest mountain. A bolt of fiery lightning struck the two and joined them in an unparalleled union of two species. This may explain why lightning is often associated with the peryton warriors.
Kobolds – greater and lesser kobolds inhabit the nooks and crannies of Marianor. A greater kobold is more intelligent than their lesser cousins, but not necessarily larger. They range in size, which roughly corresponds to their level and age. Kobolds delve in the ground or find caves to inhabit and have single family burrows. Their young live with the family for years until strong enough to venture out and secure a burrow of their own. These mobs love to collect sh
iny and colorful objects as a means of attracting and impressing mates, which they display at the entrance of their burrow during mating season. They are intelligent but have limited spoken language capabilities, mostly communicating among themselves through rhythmic clacking of their formidable claws and a variety of pheromone signals.
Tasloi – tiny goblinoid creatures, usually only three to four feet tall. They prefer swamps, quagmires, and just about any slimy, humid areas. The tasloi excel in archery, though some of their fighters have been known to adapt rogue classes and many have a strong affinity towards one or more of the elements. They dislike men and despise elves and were among the first to be pulled into The Rat King’s armies.
Trow
Trow – mid-sized goblinoid creatures that are commonly found standing somewhere between four and five feet tall, though occasionally, a specimen can be found as tall as six feet. Some think that it is their natural genetic diversity that led to The Rat King’s exploitation of the race. The trow are often miners or delvers with poor eyesight but strong, thick limbs. They are fierce beyond measure but unmolested, these humble creatures tend to be sensible and avoid conflict. Hunted almost to extinction by the ancient lines of elves, they have never forgotten their fear and hatred of the fair folk.
Twisted Trow – The Rat King has somehow managed to combine the life essence of the trow with that of the mountain troll clans, making a beast that is massive and nearly mindless. Some are six to seven feet tall, but after much experimentation, some specimens have been observed attaining heights of as much as eight feet tall. Their bulk is even more impressive though. The twisted trow make for ideal shock troops as their care for self-preservation is almost completely absent. Some theorize that their mindless state is due to a magical control that has been cast over the beasts.
Trow Monstrosity – the most advanced and perverted version of The Rat King’s manipulations of this once placid race. Not only are their bodies heavier and more powerful, a product of increased muscle and bone mass, but their existence has become one of endless pain. Yet the sheer power of one such soldier, let alone a squadron of them, armed and armored, was a temptation The Rat King could not resist.
Mountain Trolls – a peaceful but fierce people who typically range the Sirrushi mountains north of Benham. They’re squat and powerful, and though they are tall, from seven to ten feet, their incredible mass is what makes them so formidable. Other races call them The Boulder Folk as their blocky forms have been mistaken for large rocks on many unfortunate occasions.
Direbane – the Rangers of the North are hardy folks with tawny skin, wide set eyes, and flat, wide faces, as if burnished by the sun and shaped by the very wind itself. The rangers are the world’s best trackers, archers, woodsmen, and can match any other force with skill in sword, spear or stave, depending on the preference of the individual warrior.
Unfey Horror – These evil spiders are but shadows of the past and lack the cunning and cohesion that their ancestors possessed. This makes the Unfey spiders easy to manipulate and less of a threat to the races of Marianor. However, individually, they are potent enemies. The Unfey matriarchs control most of their territory. Though they are similar in form, the matriarchs are more akin to a trapdoor spider from hell.
Chishri Spiderkin – Though these spiders evolved to become great in stature and prowess, like the Unfey horrors, they are not descended from the same lineage. Many consider them abhorrent and kill them on sight. However, the Chishri clan are good-natured and have a keen sense of stories, music and art. They helped raise Tumsley after all.
Chapter Quote Origins
1.“Many consider food and good company a proper gift. Weapons, especially sharp ones, are my preference.” ~ Sara Dandre – if you don’t know already, the marshal’s got a thing with knives. Might have something to do with the time she found herself lost in the woods for a fortnight. Her pistol jammed, and she was forced to make a knife of chipped stone to hunt. Never trusted gunpowder again.
2.“Like water to a wick, adventure comes to those who have chosen to stand against evil.” ~ Sir Alysand Rowl Deschaney III – one lesson remains true in the world of Marianor as well as on Earth: always trust the wisdom of those who have lived longer than yourself.
3.“In the far reaches of the world, under a lost and lonely hill, lies The Tomb of Horrors.” ~ Señor Ernesto Christy Cline – if you haven’t read Ready Player One, you should. It was during that book that I first found a love for LitRPG, Gamelit, and all things related. How else can a book worm gamer nerd live their life to its fullest?
4.“Often, it is the same wounds that wake us at night that shape our hearts and bolster our spines.” ~ Sire Quinn Taelman III – is it sad that pain forms us? Or is it beautiful? I choose to believe both are fragments of the same truth.
5.“Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, and many goodly states and kingdoms seen.” ~ The Nightingale Prince – The first line of John Keat’s “On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer,” a beautiful poem from a brilliant man. Can you guess why I called him The Nightingale Prince? How cool is it that I chose this quote for my book taken from a poem inspired by the translation of a poem written long ago? Say that ten times fast…
6.“Gold is fine, no doubt. But trinkets of the heart are what we remember most.” Tumsley of the Chishri Spider Clan – Tumsley can stalk a panther in the woods and wrestle it to the ground with the strength of his own arms. Yet a shiny stone collected from a pond and given in love or affection will humble him to all extremes.
7.“Nothing will make you feel stronger than holding an axe… except maybe two axes, of course.” ~ Madrigal Serrano Mendoza – another killer line from a killer broad. Anyone love reading Madi’s scenes as much as I love writing them? I was so happy when I realized I could give the woman two battle axes… what greater gift to such a cherished character?
8.“There will be water if God wills it.” ~ Last Knight in the Line of Eld – this killer line came from the lips of Roland the gunslinger. Thank you, Steven King, for writing such an eerie and timeless story. It has haunted me for over a decade now.
9.“If you leave your home behind, there is no promise, and certainly no guarantee it’ll be the same when you return.” ~ Corell Amredor – Many claim that the hunter’s heart broke when so many of his fellow townsfolk died in the Siege of Taelman’s Pond. But it was his son walking away to take on the life of a bullet bard that pushed him into despair.
10.“You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.” ~ The Bottle King – Charles Bukowski is an awesome and depraved soul. Everyone who goes through a dark stage, where playing with fire or throwing daggers seems more appealing than sleep and friendship, should read his poetry. In darkness, strangely, one can find their way back to the light. You just have to be careful you don’t stay there too long.
11.“Madness, as you know, is like gravity, all it takes is a little push.” ~ Matilda, The Clown – When I heard that Heath Ledger left this world, and how, it frightened me. How much power does the mind have? How little does it take to push you over the edge? How close does that threshold lay at any given time? I hope all the man created remains in our minds and culture for many years to come.
12.“For my handling of the situation at Tombstone, I have no regrets.” ~ W.B. Stapp of Dodge City – a legit quote taken from Wyatt Earp, who apparently had more than a handful of names. Imagine laying waste to a band of scoundrels and saying something as hard-boiled as this! Little wonder he is still known as a bullet bard not to be taken lightly.
13.“I’m not proud, but I am happy; and happiness blinds, I think, more than pride does.” ~ Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie – by the man who wrote The Count of Monte Christo and The Three Musketeers, Alexadre Dumas. Isn’t it funny how long pen names have been in style? I will admit, his given name doesn’t exactly roll of the tongue.
14.“What good are wings if you lack the wings to use them.” Ashtel Vindari – the head of
the Direbane Rangers, Asthel is a man whose past is shrouded in mist and mystery. His life is like an adventure tale with most of the plot burned out at random. This all began when he was the sole survivor of a skirmish between an orc clan and a squadron of rangers. The details that led up to the attack, what happened during, and the morbid field of battle after, are all locked in his memory. He refuses to give more than a summary accounting for the day though the pain of it is so obviously etched in his face.
15.“Two days’ hunger made a fine sauce for anything.” ~ Car’a’carn, He Who Comes with the Dawn – another epic Wheel of Time quote here by the master Robert Jordan. Car’a’carn means king of kings in the Old Tongue and shows just one more layer of incredible world building. On the backs of Giants indeed.
16.“They say necessity is the mother of invention. They’re wrong. Desperation is.” Shin Seong – Despite being the rich child of two business tycoons, Shin has experienced some hard times. In games (with back-stabbing guildies) and in the real world (with his monstrous parents) he has learned to do what he must to survive.
17.“But then a sight she'd never seen made her jump and say ’Look a golden winged ship is passing my way.’” ~ Johnny, The Bard of Towers – Have you heard his more famous song “All Along the Watchtower?” Yes, I did just do that. I made a Jimi Hendrix reference in my fantasy book. How epic is that? Also, the quote is from “Castles Made of Sand,” which is one of the sweetest and saddest songs of all time.
