Parlatheas Glossary
A
An ancient Greek name for St Elmo’s Fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a corona discharge from a rod-like object such as a mast or spire in an atmospheric electric field, often accompanied by a hissing or buzzing sound. Wikipedia
Captain of the ship, Trinity, which answers the distress signal from Fangpoint Lighthouse near Ruthaer. (PoR)
The name of a sentient artifact with a predilection for cats. It is an emerald cat's eye orb, roughly three inches in diameter.
The name also refers to the lycanthrope who is the alpha of every feline on Gaia, from the smallest housecat to the strongest lycanthropes. The current Akshan is a half-elven weretiger named Hawk.
The artifact and lycanthrope guard the slumber of Ka'Sehkuur.
A range of forest covered mountains running north-south through Parlatheas which divides the Detchian territories from the Glaxon territories. Home to elves, several clans of humans, and the elusive dærganfae.
A bronze dragoness and Brand’s mother. Before she died, she entrusted a single egg to Alaric Yves, charging him with caring for her unborn son.
A vast continent in the northern hemisphere of Gaia, sparsely populated by tribes of elves. Its southern coast is home to J’Bel, a country people by the minotaur-like descendants of a fallen Korellan outpost, and Tirnna Flain, a human country with a culture similar to ancient Greece and Minoa.
Title: Duke Exmoor (Carolingias) and Baron Camden (Gallowen). A knight of the Order of Carolingias and former Queen's Champion. He is a hero of the Plague War, and currently serves as the Queen's chief military advisor. Rumored to have fought the dærganfae vampire, Mi'dnirr. Husband of Lahar.
Title: Coutness Devon (Carolingias) and Countess Colliford (Gallowen). A hero of the Plague War and wife of Lord Cerdic Uth Aneirin. Owner of the ship, Lady Luck.
Acting Guild Master of the White Circle. (CoC)
Xemmassian mystic and soothsayer. He had the ability to see into both the aethereal realm and the future. He foretold the doom of the Xemmassian race. (PoR)
B
Title: Queen. Current monarch of Carolingias.
Title: Sud’ya (Judge). One of the inquisitors sent to investigate Baroness Aleksandra Madasgorski-Krakova. (BoC)
A sergeant of the guard in Ruthaer who develops a tenuous friendship with Damage, Inc. (PoR)
Title: Priest (Father). Spirtual leader in Ruthaer, Carolingias. (PoR)
A Glaxon archer and member of Damage, Inc. He is surly and irascible, but fiercely loyal to his teammates. He suffers from nightmares and is prone to bouts of heavy drinking. His background is a closely guarded secret. He appeared in Rowanoake six years ago along with Hector de los Santos and Robert Stone. Raised by an orphanage, his real name is Clement Tyler, but he has used many aliases.
Title: King. Current monarch of Francesca. Damage, Inc. currently enjoys his patronage and friendship.
A young bronze dragon who shares a soul bond with his adopted sister, Aislinn Yves. Although he was born in Ruthaer, he was raised in Ozera, a village in the Alashalian Mountains.
A hilltop in Ozera with a ring of standing stones, where Phaedrus and his fellow priests hold ceremonies and rituals.
C
Hector's horse. Caballo is an Akhal-teke, a breed with a reputation for speed, endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen. Wikipedia
Teenage daughter of Ruthaer's teamster, Garret Carmichael. She is killed and her identity stolen by a demoness called Magali.
A teamster who works for the quarry near Ruthaer, Carolingias. Father of Allyrian Carmichael.
A Glaxon nation on the eastern seaboard of Parlatheas. One of the founding members of the Confederation of Nations. It is ruled by Queen Ambrose Battenberg.
The Korellan name for Ka'Sehkuur, the exiled brother of Sutekh and Dioth Cyela. Originally one of the sephiroth sent by the Eternal Father to guide and guard creation from the forces of Chaos. Elven legends say his exposure to Chaos drove him mad, transforming him into a thing both twisted and evil which revels in savagery. It is his blood that brought about the humanoid races such as orcs, goblins, and ogres.
One of the human groups holding territory in the Alashalian Mountains between the elves to the north and the dærganfae to the south. Xandor, an Iron Tower forward scout and friend of Aislinn and Brand, hails from this clan.
An alliance of various nations that includes Detchian, Espian, Francescan, and Glaxon cultures. Founded by the Highlord of Gallowen and Queen Ambrose of Carolingias during the Plague War to fight the forces of Zhitomir and the Dark One.
A sorceress who murdered the Ambassador of Santander and his family in Francesca. She and her pet demoness, Magali, escaped Damage, Inc. before Phantoms of Ruthaer begins.
The son of Sir Francis Courtenay. Rumor has it he was killed by Mi'dnirr, a dærganfae vampire from the Haunted Hills region of the Alashalian Mountains.
A knight of the Order of the Stag. The head of Ruthaer's constabulary and a childhood friend of Aislinn Yves. Francis served in the Queen's army during the Plague War thirty years ago and earned a knighthood due to his bravery and leadership skills.
D
A team of bounty hunters infamous for doing what people least expect and completing jobs against all odds. All too often, they find themselves at odds with local authorities due to their methods, attitudes, and tendency to say exactly what they think. The team has six founding members: Hector de los Santos, Dave Blood, Robert Stone, Jasper Thredd, Aislinn Yves, and Brand. Hummingbird, Dave's apprentice, is the newest member of the team.
The generic name for Sutekh, one of the sephiroth sent by the Eternal Father to guide and guard creation from the forces of Chaos. Over time, it became his duty to protect the world from his brother, Ka'Sehkuur (aka Cayn). Many consider Sutekh to be evil, yet enclaves of humans, led by priests called Sha'iry — the Hounds of Sutekh — worship him as a god.
A race of elf-like beings from a realm between Gaia and Terra. Terran myths often call them Unseelie Fae, due to their apparent ability to pass through bluestone into their home realm. Generally, the dærganfae are tall and thin, with milky, translucent skin, black hair, and silver eyes. The most infamous member of the race is an assassin known only as "The Archer." Due to his exploits, most humans of Parlatheas fear the dærganfae. Wikipedia
A cultural region that mirrors ancient Germany. It includes the countries of Alborg, Bremen, Essen, Karisruhe, Kerch, Kiel, Liecht, Lubeck, Mannheim, Osterland, Pilsen, Rostock, and Shupsk.
Title: Count. A mysterious Rhodinan nobleman who survived the wreck of the ship Inquisitor in the Emmassa River east of Ruthaer. Dave takes an instant dislike to him, in part because of Dodz' nonchalant attitude toward slavery and his offer to buy Hummingbird. He works for "The Collectors", the power behind the government of Erinskaya, a city state located in Vologda.
Title: Knyaz (Prince). Brother of Korol’ Melikhov VI. (BoC)
Teamster chief. Hired to transport crates of soap past the Stena to the White River. (SoC)
An intelligent, winged being of somewhat reptilian appearance and innate magical abilities. They don't fit into any of the usual creature classifications, neither reptile, bird, fish, nor mammal, yet there is something of each in them. There are nine groups or classifications of dragon in Gaia, based largely on their appearance, but also indicative of their general allegiances and abilities. These are:
- Aurum (Gold)
- Argent (Silver)
- Tenné (Bronze)
- Azure (Sapphire)
- Caligo (Mist)
- Vert (Emerald)
- Gules (Ruby)
- Obsianus (Obsidian)
- Glacies (Frost)
E
The elven word for "momma"
A blackwater river that runs from central Carolingias to the sea. Ruthaer lies on its bank.
The capital city of Vologda, a Rhodinan country on the White River in north central Parlatheas.
A cultural region that mirrors ancient Spain, located on the isthmus joining the continents of Parlatheas and Solanacea.
Former colonies of Imperial Espia located along the southeastern coast of Parlatheas, directly south of Carolingias. It includes the countries of Alicante, Badajoz, Burgos, Cadiz, Cartagena, Erion, Malaga, Murcia, Oviedo, Santander, and Zaragoza.
(Patris Aeterni) Human term for the supreme deity of the predominant religion in Parlatheas.
F
A farmer near Ruthaer who Damage, Inc. encounters on their way to town. She has four sons: Frankie, Luke, Pete, and Billy. (PoR)
Eldest son of the farmer, Anne Farigest. He guides Damage, Inc. into Ruthaer and shows them a monument of Alaric Yves at Fisherman's Wharf on the way to meet the local constable.
Title: 6th Baronet of Yorkshire. Knight Commander of the northern garrison of the Iron Tower. (CoC)
A small semi-terrestrial crab that inhabits tidal marshes and the adjacent sand and mud flats. They are recognized by the square shape of their bodies and by the male fiddler's oversized claw. Fiddlers dig cylindrical burrows where they take shelter from predators, hot sun, winter cold, and high tides. Fiddler crabs typically live in colonies. They are named for the distinctive waving movements made by the males with their enlarged claw during courtship which resemble a musician playing a fiddle or violin. Wikipedia
A cultural region that mirrors ancient France. It includes the provinces of Amienes, Biaritz, Limoges, Montauban, Mulhous, Nimes, and Toulouse. The current monarchs are Edmond Durante Bourbon d’Orlèans and his wife Isabel Nicolette d’Anjou.
G
A cultural region which mirrors ancient Ireland and Scotland.
The world in which our tales are set. While it is similar to Earth (aka Terra), alchemy, magic, and thaumaturgy hold sway rather than science and technology.
Military Rank: Leftenant. Second in command of the Iron Tower’s northern garrison. (CoC)
A Glaxon country on the eastern seaboard of Parlatheas, ruled by the Highlord and Highlady.
A member of the Iron Tower's Ranger Corps, and Aislinn Yves' mentor. A group of dærganfae killed him after he, Aislinn, and Brand entered their territory in search of a group of kidnapped children.
A demon-like being or monstrous humanoid originating in pre-Islamic Arabian religion, associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh. Wikipedia
A Francescan battle-cleric of l'Ordiné Fratres Maqebet who helped Damage, Inc. rescue Robert Stone from the Sha'iry.
Title: Brother. One of the primary healers in Ozera's hospital. He is in charge of Hummingbird's care when she first arrives.
A cultural region that mirrors Anglo-Saxon. It includes the countries of Carolingias and Gallowen.
Masked half-orc warrior, who was born and raised to fight in the arenas of J’Bel on the distant continent of Altaira. His father, being half-orc and half ogre, gave Grendel his strength and thirst for violence, but it’s tempered by his mother, an arena slave from the mysterious jungles of Suthose. She called him Vanin, an elven word meaning ‘forested’ or ‘land abundant with water’. Although Grendel is unaware of the fact, his mother named him after her homeland.
Owner of the Griffon Inn in Ruthaer, Carolingias, along with her husband, Sydney. (PoR)
H
The assistant and apprentice of Tallinn at Fangpoint Lighthouse. Also a member of the Sea Ranger Corps. (PoR)
An area of the Alashalian Mountains controlled by the dærganfae. It lies along the western border of Carolingias and south of the mountain clan territories.
Also known as Dioth Cyela, one of the nine Sephiroth sent by the Eternal Father to guide and guard creation from the forces of Chaos. Killed by his brother, Ka’Sehkuur, after a terrible fight. It was during this fight that his tears engendered the first elves. Ancient Elven creation tales say he was raised from the dead by his sister, Rialla.
One of Ruthaer's guardsmen. (PoR)
Along with the Highlady, he rules Gallowen and heads the governing council of the Confederation of Nations.
Order of Knighthood based out of Gallowen, tasked with protecting the country's borders. Their banner is a gold owl with both eyes and face front and wings displayed on a verdant field. The left talon holds a short spear and the right holds three arrows.
Father of William and Killian Howard, and a powerful figure on the city council of Rowanoake. He is the source of several warrants against Damage, Inc. after the team inadvertently embarrassed him by revealing one of his most famous ancestors was a pirate.
Son of Elijah and brother of William Howard. His family accuses Dave Blood of murdering him.
A knight from the Gallowen city of Rowanoake, and brother of Killian Howard. His father is a powerful member of Rowanoake's city council. He goes to Ruthaer, Carolingias, to apprehend Dave Blood and Hector de los Santos.
Title: Advocate. Sachin’s partner and financial backer for producing and distributing the soap. (SoC)
A young, empathic elf from Altaira, a continent on the opposite side of Gaia from Parlatheas. Hector and Dave rescued her from a slave market in the country of Tirnna Flain after her tribe was decimated by human raiders. She is mute, using sign language to communicate with Aislinn, Dave, and Hector.
I
Title: Sister. One of the primary healers in charge of the hospital in Ozera.
Order of Knighthood based out of Gallowen, tasked with protecting the borders of the Confederation of Nations.. Their banner is a silver tower on a black field. The order also employs and trains a select group of rangers to act as forward scouts and spies.
Elven word for "poppa"
J
One of Ruthaer's guardsmen. (PoR)
A former outpost of Korell. The citizens broke a pact with Sutekh, who cursed them. Now when any male comes of age, he is transformed into a bull-headed creature similar to a minotaur.
Dwarven cleric from the remote island of Hy Breasal and follower of the Eternal Father. Descended from a clan of gifted stone workers who can travel through rock and shape gems with their bare hands.
Title: Otets (Priest/ Father). Follower of the Eternal Father. Once a clergyman of the Iron Tower, Jovid became a good friend and trusted advisor to Melikhov V and serves a similar role with hs son. (BoC)
K
Also known as Cayn, the exiled god and brother of Sutekh and Havel. It is said that, at the beginning of time, he was one of the nine Sephiroth and fought against chaos. He grew evil and twisted, reveling in all that’s savage. It is his blood that brought about the humanoid races such as orcs, goblins, and ogres.
A body of water lying along the south coast of Parlatheas.
Korellan Era. The designation historians use in Parlatheas to mark years since the approximate height of the Korellan Empire across Solanacea and Parlatheas.
The slave girl whose body Damage, Inc. finds in the marsh on their way to Ruthaer. They later learn she was from the ship Inquisitor. (PoR)
Ancient civilization of humans which once thrived in the southern continent of Solanacea and, like ancient Rome, held an empire spread over much of the world. They fought against the armies of Sutekh, whom they called the Dark One. Korell won the war, but sacrificed so much in the last battle, they were unable to defend their lands. Raided by barbarians from the continent of Parlatheas, their cities were sacked and much of their knowledge lost.
Title: Bregu (King). Crafty orc chieftain who, along with his tribe of orcs, controls the port city of Chernigov and passage along the White River. He also control the bridge that connects Trakya to Rhodina.
When they had taken the city, he gathered all the heads of the local tribes, or tohans, and established them as his private council. He gave them the title Garedon and then divided the city amongst them. This not only placed the various tribal leaders on equal footing with each other, but also let the king play each tribe off the others, thus maintaining a tenuous balance of power.
With thought toward the future, Bregu Kraagor gave each of the Garedons the responsibility of maintaining the defenses and having trained warriors ready at a moment’s notice. He ordered walls repaired, war machines constructed, built watchtowers near the bridge, and assigned others to guard the road to Trakya.
In the end, Bregu Kraagor became nothing more than a very successful crime boss, and when given a chance to turn a fast profit, he did. With the bridge under his control, he had his thumb on anything that traveled up or downriver. Any boat that wanted safe passage was at his mercy, and taking both the money and the boat was not uncommon.
It did not take long before the riverboat captains marked the northern reaches of the White River off limits, effectively choking off the Rhodinan towns north of the bridge. Of course, the Korol’ of Michurinsk tried multiple times to usurp Bregu Kraagor’s power. Short of an all-out war, there was little he could do, and after the Plague War, the Korol’ gave up.
Bregu Kraagor, sensing the Korol’s resolve waivering, attacked the Keep at the Rhodinan end of the bridge. The battle was short and bloody, and in the end, Bregu Kraagor came away victorious. Now, the orcs spend their nights sending forays into Michurinsk, searching for slaves, plunder, and food. (CoC)
Title: Baron. Aleksandra’s husband. A devout follower of Sutekh. (SoC)
Title: Baroness. Also known as Sacha, she is a princess of the Madasgorksi family.
Title of Trakya’s ruler.
Title: D’yakon (Deacon). A sha’iry, follower of Sutekh. (CoC)
L
A vampire encountered by Damage, Inc. on the continent of Altaira. She captured and bit Dave, turning him against his friends. Hector decapitated her and threw the vampire's head in a lake of boiling acid deep inside a dormant volcano. In his nightmares afterward, Dave called out to her as Ymara Dapniš, leading Hector and Aislinn to refer to the vampire as Lady D.
A postulated fifth element (in addition to earth, air, fire, and water) which fills the void between planets and heavenly bodies. The ancients believed it to be the "pure essence" which the gods breathed, and the medium through which light traveled. Mystics associated it with celestial planes of existence not normally perceivable by mortals, home to spirits, angels, demons, and gods. Wikipedia
M
From Zhitomir, they are an evil dynasty known for its ruthlessness. Devout followers of Sutekh.
Brother of Baroness Aleksandra and knight of Zhitomir, he travels with a Seldaehne manservant, Kourash. His family crest is a red sleeve sinister on an ermine field.
The name used by the demoness serving the sorceress, Consuelo, in Francesca and Santander. She has the ability to assume the form of her victims and steal their identity.
Commander of the Ochite i Ushite (the Eyes and Ears) of the Kral. He hires Chert, Grendel, Jasper, and Xandor to investigate Dragahn’s caravan. Yana Marchenkova is his sister.
Military Rank: Laytenant. Based out of Pazard’zhik. She is the commander of the Black Dragon Squadron of the Trakyan Wind Riders. (CoC)
Title: Korol’ (King). Current ruler of Michurinsk.
Northeastern country in the Rhodinan territories that borders the White River. Ruled by the Korol’ Melikhov VI.
A dærganfae vampire of unknown age. Reputed to inhabit the Haunted Hills and rule the dærganfae there, he is credited with killing Evan Courtenay. Mi'dnirr has the ability to enter his victims' minds and plunder their memories while feeding on their emotions.
Brothers from the northern reaches of Trakya who were hired by Marko Madasgorski. Noted for their wild red hair and swirling tattoos.
N
O
A type of humanoid resulting from the cross-breeding of orcs and ogres. Generally, they are larger and more vicious than orcs, and more intelligent and cunning than ogres.
Draconic phrase roughly translated as "growth-pain sleep" which refers to the self-induced hibernation dragons enter during their periods of growth.
A crystal orb used by the Xemmassian mystic, Auguratus, to peer into both the Luminiferous Aether and into the future.
Capital city of Francesca. It lies at the mouth of the White River, along the Karukera Sea.
Ecclesiastical refuge located in the Alashalian Mountains. Home of Phaedrus, the half-elf. Renowned across Parlatheas for its healers. It is also where Aislinn Yves and Brand grew up, and where Damage, Inc. calls home when not on a job.
P
A broad isthmus connecting Parlatheas and Solanacea, predominantly occupied by the Espian Empire.
A continent in the northern hemisphere of Gaia. It is home to a number of Eurasian type cultures and countries. The primary setting for the Cayn Trilogy and the Adventures of Damage, Inc.
Capital of Trakya. Divided into Upper and Lower cities by a several-hundred-foot tall escarpment. The only official access between cities is the Majna I Vira, a massive stone edifice that houses switchback stairs and an elaborate lift system. The upper city primarily consists of royal estates and wealthy merchants while the lower city consists of warehouses, manufacturing, and industry.
Half-elven priest and hero of the Plague War. He is the founder and head cleric of Ozera.
A body of intrusive igneous rock formed by magma slowly cooling beneath the earth, then exposed through weathering. Typically coarse-grained and crystalline. Examples include Stone Mountain, Georgia, and Notch Peak, Utah. Wikipedia
One of Ruthaer's guardsmen who befriends Damage, Inc. He is the sweetheart of the real Allyrian Carmichael. Aislinn saves his life after he is attacked by the demoness masquerading as Allyrian.
A major seaport in northern Carolingias, near the border with Gallowen.
One of Ruthaer's elders, and a friend of Sir Francis Courtenay. (PoR)
Wife of Hew Potter. Died under mysterious circumstances on the anniversary of Evan Courtenay's death. (PoR)
Title: Brother. Historian at the monastery near Ruthaer. When Damage, Inc. discovers him in the monastery basement, he is a revenant. (PoR)
Veterinarian. Works for Dragahn. (SoC)
Q
R
A member of the ancient race of bronze half-dragons called Xemmassians. Teal served his community as a Flight-master, a position similar to a military company commander. He was bond-mate to the female bronze dragon, Tarnillis. In the distant past, he and Tarnillis helped defend their home, Praesidium XII, against a vast horde of dragons and humanoids.
The homeland of Gaia's dragons. It is a hidden island chain lying east of Parlatheas, in the vast expanse of Tethys Oceanus.
A cultural region that mirrors ancient Russia. It includes the countries of Kremenchug, Medvezhegorsk, Michurinsk, Ryazan, Syktyvkar, Taganrog, Vologda, and Zhitomir.
A coastal city in the country of Gallowen. Its councilmen have issued a number of warrants against the members of Damage, Inc. for crimes they may -- or may not -- have committed.
The village where Phantoms of Ruthaer takes place. It is located on the Emmassa River, in the country of Carolingias. Aislinn and her dragon-brother Brand were born here.
S
Exiled knight of Rhodina, he travels with Damage Inc. Dobrynya's twin brother.
Knight of Rhodina, he and his men scour the wasteland between the Stena and the White River searching for relics. He and August are identical twin brothers. (CoC)
Title: Gertsog (Duke). Cousin of Korol’ Melikhov VI. Father of Dobrynya and August Sabe. (BoC)
Financier/ Owner Representative. Using his connections, a trade route was opened between Michurinsk and Trakya. (SoC)
A solitary Parlathean lioness who befriends Xandor in the haunted forest beyond the stena. (SoC)
The title by which Sahmaht greets Xandor. It means "brother two-legs."
One of several countries in the southeastern corner of Parlatheas known as Peninsular Espia. Santander borders the country of Francesca.
A bounty hunter and head of the team known as Damage, Inc. He has two rules about bounties: finish every job, no matter what it takes, and no charity cases. Hector is an Espian of mysterious origins. Those who have tried digging into his background can find nothing about him before his appearance in the Gallowen city of Rowanoake, along with Dave Blood and Robert Stone.
An evil mage. Once a teacher at Tydway, his specialty was possession and astral projection.
A division of the Confederation of Nations military in charge of maintaining lighthouses and serving as an early warning system against seaborne dangers.
Friend of Yana, she is one of the few remaining elves in Pazard’zhik. A member of the Royal Theater, she conceals her identity through disguise and her acting skills. (CoC)
Race of albino half-dragons rumored to have been created by an evil wizard.
Nine celestial beings created by the Eternal Father. Tasked with watching over creation and keeping the forces of Chaos in check. A number of human and humanoid cultures worship them as gods. Wikipedia
A continent in the southern hemisphere of Gaia, connected to Parlatheas by the isthmus of Pandaria. It was once home to the Korellan Empire.
Pronounced /sōth li tsā/ Used in Old English, it is the equivalent of modern "amen" at the end of a prayer. According to https://www.oldenglishtranslator.co.uk/ the translation is "true; sincere."
The great wall built by the Kral to keep out the humanoid hordes during the Plague War.
A swordsman and one of the founding members of Damage, Inc., he spent two years as a prisoner of Sha'iry priests before his friends managed to rescue him. He first appeared in Rowanoake six years ago in the company of Hector de los Santos and Dave Blood.
Also known as the Dark One. Worshipped by Sha’iry, dark robed priests (or Black Clerics) whose weapon of choice is the two-handed claymore. He is an evil god feared throughout the land. Oddly, he is also one of the Sephiroth. It has become his duty to protect the world from his brother, Ka’Sehkuur. Wikipedia
A continent in Gaia's southern hemisphere, lying south of Altaira and opposite of Solanacea. Home to cultures which mirror ancient Egypt (Kemet), ancient Assyria (Deshret), and ancient Kush (Sideria). Much of the continent's central and southern regions are covered by vast jungles.
T
The keeper of Fangpoint Lighthouse at the mouth of the Emmassa River. He is a member of the Sea Ranger Corps, a branch of the Confederation of Nations joint military forces. Tallinn was a friend of Alaric Yves, Aislinn's father.
One of Ruthaer's townsfolk who died under mysterious circumstances on the anniversary of Evan Courtenay's death.
A bronze dragoness and bond-mate of Tealaucan Rathaera. In the distant past, she and Teal helped defend their home, Praesidium XII, against a vast horde of dragons and humanoids.
A winged, horse-like creature who is friends with Tallinn. Unlike the current description of Pegasus and winged horses, Tasunke has a pair of spiraled horns, as the "Pegasos Aithiopikos" described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History 8.72. For more information click here.
Earth. The home world of Hector de los Santos, Dave Blood, and Robert Stone.
Portly human mage who originally hailed from Tydway, capital of Gallowen. One of the founding members of Damage, Inc. He travelled throughout the Confederation, Detchia, Francesca, and into Trakya with them before agreeing to help Xandor investigate a group of suspected smugglers.
Northern country that once bordered the White River. Ruled by the Kral. Its culture, while similar to Rhodinan, is unique and would be more equivalent to ancient Thrace.
Capital city of Gallowen.
U
V
A city of the ancient Korellan Empire. Home to the empire's Great Library and its school of mages.
Title: Earl Wolverton (Gallowen), Viscount Snowdon (Carolingias). Owner of the ships Trinity, which responds to the distress signal from Fangpoint Lighthouse. His wife, Bryony Tyler, was murdered by dærganfae.
Horsemen who work for Dragahn’s caravan. (SoC)
A Rhodinan country on the White river in north central Parlatheas.
Title: Velikiy-Gertsog (Grand Duke). One of the inquisitors sent to investigate Baroness Aleksandra Madasgorski-Krakova. (BoC)
W
Founded in Upper Pazard’zhik, the Byal Krŭg, or White Circle, was originally a loose organization of human spellcasters granted a charter by the Kral allowing them to build a small school and train aspiring mages. As a condition of their charter, the Kral required they share their knowledge and ensure all citizens benefited from their presence. In this way, the White Circle would promote public awareness and counter the prevailing suspicion of all who manipulated magic.
The years went by and their numbers grew. Many of the mages elected to spend all their time at the school advancing their craft and teaching. By necessity, they petitioned the Kral for more space. He granted them an imposing, three-story granite and limestone edifice with conical turrets at each of the four corners. It took up a quarter of a city block and had frontage on the Bulevard na Kralete, or Boulevard of the Kings, which led directly to the Kral’s estates.
They moved in and immediately dedicated one of the larger rooms on the second floor as a library. Their quest for knowledge knew no bounds, and they searched across the lands for all documents discussing magical theory. They even managed to bring back copies of manuscripts written by the powerful arch-magi of Korell to their south.
Realizing their time was drawing nigh, the founding mages donated their personal works to the library, a practice that quickly developed into a tradition among the White Circle. Several generations of teachers came and went, and word spread that the mages trained at Pazard’zhik rivaled those of Korell. The library grew, taking over the second floor of the school with rooms filled from floor to ceiling with books, tomes, and scrolls.
Centuries passed, and the knowledge of magical lore reached heights previously undreamt, outpacing science and technology. Mages traveled the world using the great Tables of Vlactos. Large enough to transport whole battalions or send aid to those in need, they brought cultures together, and trade flourished. But it didn’t last.
Twelve hundred years after the Convergence, the Dark One rose in the West and struck Korell on the coldest of winter nights. War raged in the south, pitting powerful wizards against the sons of Cayn. Answering the call of their ally, Trakya sent its warriors and mages into battle, and the forces of the Dark One were defeated at what is now called the Valley of Mirrors. None of the Trakyans returned.
News of the battle reached the Kral, and, to his dismay, he learned the minions of the Abyss had overrun the great city of Val Magus, home to the most powerful magi in the Korellan empire and the greatest center of learning on two continents. The imperial might of Korell collapsed, never to recover, and the treasury of knowledge of the mages who fought and died was lost forever.
Torn apart, the Korellan Empire and its many country-states fell prey to barbarian hordes. In an effort to avoid the mistakes of their rival, Trakya closed its borders to protect its people. The Kral actively sought out the few remaining mages from all over Parlatheas and invited them to join him. In return, he gave them unlimited access to his library, and the Library of the White Circle became one of the last depositories of knowledge from Korell.
With the magic of the Tables of Vlactos on the verge of being lost, spell casters from all over the world made long pilgrimages to Pazard’zhik and sought out the secret of their creation. It was never found, and, over time, the tables fell into disrepair and were eventually forgotten. Across the world of Gaia, countries that had once formed mighty alliances found themselves alone in the dark.
Their numbers struggling, the White Circle petitioned the Kral and asked that all witches and warlocks who lived in the city be required to become a member of their society. They stated that by doing so, they could bolster their ranks, regulate the use of certain types of magic, and outlaw the creation of cursed items. The Kral gladly accepted, and the White Circle became one of the first sanctioned guilds of mages—prior to this, they had simply been called akademiya or academies.
The organization of the guild changed. Schools of philosophy were formalized and given names: Astral (study of the cosmos and all its parallel dimensions and planes of existence), Divination (study of the past, present, and future), Elemental (study of earth, air, fire, and water), Illusion (study of the five senses), Necromancy (study of the body, living and dead), Reason (study of human nature), and Wards (study of the defensive arts). From each of these seven schools, one arch-mage was selected, forming a supreme council to preside over the White Circle and creating a bureaucracy of sorts.
While most of the citizens of Pazard’zhik tolerated the guild and accepted its presence in the city, there were a handful of documented incidents where the charter of the White Circle came into question. One such incident occurred when the supreme council was led by the great Arch-Mage Nikolai Kolev: a great fire consumed the library, and many of its tomes were destroyed. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, but the interior of the building was gutted. They never discovered the cause of the fire, and, though there were many rumors casting suspicion on the country of Zhitomir and a ring of sorcerer spies, there was never enough evidence to bring a case to the Kral.
Nikolai and the White Circle approached the Kral and asked to relocate their guild. The Kral denied their request, stating the building was still prime real estate and could be salvaged. The truth was the general public would never use it or agree to build over its foundations even if the building was razed and the ground salted. Although the mages and their guild had been there for centuries, the typical person was still suspicious of their activities, and the fire only fueled their concerns.
The White Circle decided to refurbish the perimeter chambers of the existing building. They stabilized the exterior walls and reinforced the rooms along the perimeter at each level, using them as anchors in the creation of an extra-dimensional space buried deep inside. One that could be expanded as the guild grew.
Extra precautions were taken when it came to rebuilding. The mages warded every stone, every door, and every window against magical attacks from outside. They also controlled who magically entered the guild by creating special chambers designed to facilitate magical transportation into and out of the building.
Eventually, the guild rebuilt its numbers, and smaller branches of the White Circle sprang up in the outlying cities of Trakya, all with ties to the guild in Pazard’zhik. Throughout this growth, the guild’s core purpose remained true to its charter, and the mages remained steadfast in their dedication to teach the youth the ways of magic.
As the guild regrew, so, too, did its collection of magical tomes. Items of great power were again placed in the vaults, but it never quite attained the level of knowledge it had accrued before the fire. Three thousand years after the fall of Korell, the Library of the White Circle was one of the best sources for arcane knowledge on the continent of Parlatheas, second only to the mystical Library of Erinskaya.
Primary river that flows south through Rhodinan, Detchian, and Francescan regions. It divides eastern Parlatheas from central Parlatheas and eventually finds its way to the Karukera Sea at the city of Orleans.
X
Born into Clan Tanjara of the Alashalian Mountains. He is a human ranger trained by the Iron Tower as a forward scout, and a childhood friend of Aislinn Yves and Brand.
One of the sephiroth sent by the Eternal Father to guide and guard creation from the forces of chaos. The Xemmassians and some of the Tenné (bronze) dragons worshiped him as their god and creator. He was (and is) often at odds with his brother, Sutekh.
An ancient race of half-dragons who formed mental bonds with their Tenné brethren to protect Gaia and its inhabitants. They are believed to be extinct. All but the most learned historians have forgotten their existence.
Y
The capital city of Carolingias.
Also known as Lucky. Young man from the mountains outside Pazard’zhik. Works for Dragahn. (SoC)
A half-elven ranger and tracker for Damage, Inc. She was born in Ruthaer but, after her father's death, her family moved to Ozera, a village in the Alashalian Mountains. Aislinn shares a soul-bond with her adopted brother, a bronze dragon named Brand.
Aislinn's father. He died while rallying the villagers of Ruthaer against a pirate raid. His efforts saved the village and earned him hero status among those who remained.
The alter-ego of Brand, the bronze dragon who shares a soul-bond with Aislinn Yves. As Eidan, Brand takes on the form of an adult elven male with coppery hair and dark bronze eyes. Aside from Aislinn's mother and Phaedrus, only Damage, Inc. and Xandor, an Alashalian ranger, know of Brand's ability to shapeshift.
Aislinn's mother. After her husband's death she moved to Ozera with Aislinn and Brand.
Z
Largest of the Rhodinan countries. Home of the Madasgorski family.