Reader's Reference
for
Volume 2 The Nature of a Curse
Volume 2
The Nature of a Curse
The Nature of a Curse
Chapter 13
Dashing Through Memories
The Reader's Companion to the Year of the Red Door.
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Attis -- Thought to be the name of the original builder of Tulith Attis, an ancient fortress near Lake Halgaeth in the Eastlands. It was later the name for the town at the base of Tulith Attis, all of which was destroyed during the Dragonkind invasion of 322 S.A. (See Map of County Barley) Barley -- A rural county within the old Eastlands Realm south of Lake Halgaeth and just east of the Thunder Mountains, bordering the lands west of the ancient fortress of Tulith Attis. It is so named because of the main crop grown in the region. Barley was once merely the regional name for the area, but was adopted as the county name when the Eastlands Realm organized itself into counting districts for the purpose of performing the First Census. Nearly all of the lands encompassing Barley were once part of the vast Bosk estate holdings, but over time much of the former Bosk lands were sold or deeded away. Its principal town is Passdale, formerly known as Dalefath. (See Map of County Barley) Belmira -- One of the daughters of Heneil and Lyrium, twin sister of Elmira, though they are not identical twins.* Bentwide -- The stream that flows from the headwaters of Lake Halgaeth to the Saerdulin to the south. When Heneil's Wall was build, damming Lake Halgaeth were it fell into the Saerdulin, the lake level rose considerably, eventually spilling into the Bentwide. The Bentwide then flowed as a river, deep enough for boats to dock at the town of Dalefath (later the site of Passdale), where a bridge crossed the river permitting goods and traffic to go to Attis. When the dam burst late in the Second Age, the Saerdulin retook its course and power, and the Bentwide was reduced to a stream as the lake quickly fell to its ancient level. (See Map of County Barley) Boggy Wood -- A densely wooded and boggy region of Forest Mistwarren on the eastern side of the River Saerdulin opposite County Barley at Tulith Attis. (See Map of County Barley) Bosk -- One of the Ancient Honored Houses of Men, though not a Named House. It is descended from the earliest Men that arrived on the world's shore. The family estate is located in County Barley of the Old Eastlands Realm. Its most famous member was Bilaylin the Hammer who fought and died at Tulith Attis. His descendants were granted vast land holdings not far from Tulith Attis. Boskland -- A regional name for the lands belonging to the House of Bosk. (See Map of County Barley) Drago -- The ordinary class of Dragonkind. Mistakenly thought by some of the north as a separate race from the Alziekfria since the Drago and Alziekfria are different from one another in appearance and health. That is because the Drago do not regularly receive the darakal elixir and are thus more coarse in appearance and demeanor than those who rule. They suffer scales of the skin, thinning hair, and, should they suffer from the desert sickness long enough, their facial features change, most notable a thinning of the lips, thickening of the tongue, and the loss of the boney structure of the proboscis, resulting in a flat nose with narrow nostrils. As a result of the sickness, few Drago reach physical maturity, becoming increasingly weak and prone to illness, thus their mortality rate is quite high. Dragon -- Terrible, fire-spitting creatures spawned by Morgasir during the Time before Time. Most of the dragons, along with Morgasir and a host of his followers, were destroyed by Beras in a great conflict, but some escaped into the bowels of the earth and into far places. Legend has it that the dragons sired a race of slaves to serve them, and, when the dragons were destroyed, the slaves were set free, becoming the Dragonkind. Dragonkind -- Mortal inhabitants of the southern deserts, calling themselves Drakyr. Their legends tell that they were created as offspring of Morgasir's dragons, to serve as slaves. When Morgasir was destroyed, along with most of his creatures and followers, these people survived by eking out a living in the deserts, shunned and despised by the Faerekind in the fertile lands of the north. Eventually, they multiplied and built great cities, developed engineering and mathematics, writing, and other arts. Since the time of their first great king, Kalzar, the Dragonkind have warred with those of the northern lands.* Elmira -- One of the daughters of Heneil and Lyrium, twin sister of Belmira, though they are not identical twins. * Ethliad -- (Ethliad the Sword) A famous sword belonging to Silmain, first King of Vanara. Of magical qualities, it could cut through any material, even the thickest armor. The sword was lost when Silmain was killed in the Dragonlands.* Farbarley -- The northernmost area of County Barley closest to Lake Halgaeth. Glareth -- One of the Seven Realms, located in the northeastern coasts and borders the Old Eastlands Realm. Its chief city is Glareth by the Sea. Renown for its maritime trades, it is closely allied with Vanara and has strong trade ties to Duinnor. * (See Map of Glareth) Janhaven -- A trading town in the western parts of the Eastlands Realm in County Woodland at the foothills of the Thunder Mountains, situated along a route to Duinnor and also on the north-south trade route with Tallinvale. Its fortunes were increased when Seamus Furaman located a trading company there and steadily expanded his business operations throughout the region. In the late Second Age, when Triumvirate Redvests invaded the Eastlands and nearby County Barley, many refugees from the invaded lands fled to Janhaven. Although the Redvests made several attempts to take the town, they never succeeded against the coalition of fighters operating out of Janhaven. (See Map of the Western Eastlands) Lady Moon -- A name sometimes given to the moon. In legend Lady Moon(or sometimes Lady Luna) was wife to Sir sun.Another name for Lady Moon.* Lyrium -- A Firstborn Faere who, with her sister Myrium, was the founder of the House of Fairfir. In the Time of Strife, Lyrium became renown for her gift of Sight, which enabled her to foresee portents of things to come.* Mistwarren -- A dense forest on the southeastern shores of Lake Halgaeth, encompassing the Boggy Wood. The forest was much reduced by Newcomers, and once stretched nearly to the eastern coast. In the First Age, Forest Mistwarren was populated by various Elifaen clans that seldom had dealings with others of their kind. It was these who first spread news of the Newcomers when they began landing on the eastern shores.* (See Map of the Western Eastlands) Oldgate -- A place marked by a pair of stone pillars located at the Old East Road, near Tulith Attis. The pillars once marked the entrance to the settlement of Attis, which was destroyed during the siege of Tulith Attis. Although Attis would never be rebuilt, the stone pillars remained standing for hundreds of years. Passdale -- A town in County Barley of the Eastlands Realm on the banks of the Bentwide River. It was located on the site of a small settlement known as Dalefath which was destroyed in the Dragonkind Invasion of 322 S.A. (See Map of County Barley) Redvests -- A name for the soldiers of the Triumvirate of Tracia due to their reddish surcoats, capes, and tunics. Saerdulin -- A major river of the east, running from its headwaters, Lake Halgaeth, through the old Eastlands Realm into Tracia and then to the sea. In the early Second Age, it was a major transport route for goods. (See World Map) Saerdulin, Battle of -- (Battle of Saerdulin) Sometimes included in descriptions of the Battle of Tulith Attis, this battle took place a week or a fortnight after Tulith Attis was sacked (sources disagree), and took place on the western bank of the Saerdulin at the confluence of the River Lerse, with the south bank of the River Lerse on the northern flank of the Dragonkind forces. The Dragonkind, thinking that the two rivers protected their flanks, sought to force the combined armies of Glareth, Vanara, and Duinnor into a frontal assault against their more advantageous defensive position. However, sufficient forces under the leadership of Navis and Esildre of Elmwood managed to swim the Saerdulin and Lerse Rivers under cover of darkness. They then attacked the Dragonkind's unprotected rear flanks, wreaking havoc and panic. The carefully timed rear assault weakened and disorganized the Dragonkind forces, allowing the simultaneous frontal assault to succeed. As a result, the Dragonkind were decimated and utterly destroyed, with very few, if any, Dragonkind escaping. (See Great Invasion) Tallin -- Surname of Men whose lineage goes back to the first Men who came ashore in the world. They eventually became the powerful Named House of Tallin, and under Lord Danig Tallin. It was also due in great part to his efforts that the people of Tallinvale and Tallin City became prosperous and secure.* Tallinvale -- A small but fertile valley along the eastern foothills of the Thunder Mountains in southwestern Eastlands. It is situated just north of territory in dispute, claimed both by Tracia and by the Eastlands. Tallin City, the ancient home of the family that gives its name to the region, is a prosperous and thriving center of agriculture and commerce, due chiefly to the guardianship of Lord Danig Tallin. Tallin City and Tallinvale are often used interchangeably. (See Map of the Western Eastlands) Tulith Attis -- An old abandoned fortress in County Barley, of the Eastlands. It was the site of a siege and subsequent massacre during the Great Dragonkind Invasion, and events there precipitated much discord between Men and Elifaen.* (See Map of County Barley) Tyrillick -- Elifaen of the House of Tallmaple. He was captain of Lyrium's household guard and presumably died with her when Tulith Attis fell to the Dragonkind. Vidican -- (Branthis Vidican) Tracian Redvest general who led an army into the Eastlands during the late Second Age and captured County Barley and Passdale.* Weepingbrook -- Small stream in Barley. Legend tells that during the fall of Tulith Attis, women fleeing from the slaughter came upon their dead spouses lying about the banks of the stream. There, they wept and swore terrible oaths of vengeance and anguish, and were turned to stone by their anger. (See Map of County Barley) *Many of these entries are abridged versions of those found within 
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