Reader's Reference
for
Volume 5 To Touch a Dream
Volume 5
To Touch a Dream
To Touch a Dream
Chapter 10
New Servants for the King
The Reader's Companion to the Year of the Red Door.
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Altoria -- One of the smaller realms to the south at the edge of the world where the sea begins. To its east is Masurthia, to the north is the Great Bletharn Plains, and to the west is the Hinderland (or Hinderlands), a vast area of marshlands and bogs bordered by the impenetrable Tulivana Mountains.* (See Map of Altoria) Banis -- A Firstborn Elifaen of the House of Elmwood. Father to Atlana, Esildre, and Navis. His wife, Tiryna, departed with Aperion. Banis did not join with any other houses during the Time Before Time and lived throughout the Vanara region. As his children became warriors for Cupeldain, Parthais, and Serith Ellyn, Banis served in their courts in various nonmilitary capacities. He was a staunch supporter of Parthais, serving as Vanara's Minister of Justice for many years. In the latter period of Parthais's reign, Banis was removed from his position for insubordination to the throne and became something of a recluse from the Vanaran courts until Serith Ellyn became Queen. He briefly served her as a judge, but moved to Duinnor early in the Second Age, and rarely returned to Vanara thereafter.* Battalion -- A military unit normally consisting of between 1200 and 1800 men including military support staff (but often excluding civilian support personnel such as wranglers, blacksmiths, wagon drivers, etc.). The size and makeup of the battalion level military unit varies greatly from realm to realm, and from army to army. In Duinnor, a battalion is usually no less than 1500 soldiers, but in Glareth a battalion may have as few as 800 men. Several battalions may comprise an army unit or division. Battalions sometimes act as semi-autonomous units under a battalion general or other command responsible to a higher general or commander. Battalions are usually subdivided into companies, variously consisting of between 150-500 men. Sometimes battalions are organized in support of specific types of operations or duties. For example the 1st Battalion of the Kingsman Fourth Army is a Heavy Assault Battalion, while the Third Battalion of the Kingsman First Army is an engineering battalion, and specializes in fortifications, mapping, bridging, and the like, often in service to other units outside the First Army. Cupeldain -- One of the Firstborn of the Faerekind and founder of the House of Fairlinden. It was Cupeldain who led the Faerekind to make a war of retaliation against the Dragonkind, against Aperion's command. He and those who followed him were punished by being stripped of their wings.* 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.* Duinnor -- A northwestern realm, taking its name from the ancient name for the river that flows along its northern bounds. Among the smallest of the Realms, it is nonetheless densely populated, and, as the ruling realm of the Unknown Kings, it is the most powerful of all the realms. Its chief city is Duinnor City.* (See Map of Duinnor) Elifaen -- The Fallen Ones; those of the immortal Faerekind who refused to leave the world at the command of Aperion and who were "scathed," meaning they were stripped of their wings for their disobedience. This event is usually referred to as "the Fall," or sometimes "the First Scathing."* 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) Gory Gulch -- Properly called Peldown, it is a rugged ravine on the south face of the Blue Mountains. It was the site of a famous battle in the year 843 S.A.. There, surviving northern forces made up of mostly Kingsmen and Vanaran Fellfaere, were retreating from the Second Siege of the Green Citadel when they were trapped and encircled by a pursuing army of Dragonkind. * (See Map of Vanara and Shatuum) Great Stone -- A square block of marble some 120 feet in height, width, and length. It was quarried some time during the Time Before Time by Dragonkind King Kalzar. The Great Stone precipitated events that led to the Fall of the Faere.* (See Map of the Dragonlands) Griferis -- "Place of Judgment," the legendary place where future kings and queens are supposedly judged for fitness to rule. * (See Map of Vanara and Shatuum) Highleaf -- A House of Men of Duinnor established in the middle Second Age. In the latter part of the Second Age, Lord Highleaf, who was made wealthy by his banking interests, purchased considerable acreage within Duinnor City, turning it into his new estate, called Wysteria Place. There, his son built the grand Starlight Hall, with its distinctive domed towers. He and his wife died of fever, and the estate was inherited by their daughters, Victoria and Elyna, who were both quite young. Collandoth, who was a friend of the family, took it upon himself to guard the girl's fortune from greedy relatives, and it was due to his work that enough of it was preserved so that the estate could be retained. * Kajarahn -- Also called the "Free City," located in the northwestern deserts of the Dragonlands, known in former times as Alaberbra.* (See Map of the Dragonlands) Kalzar -- The first King of the Dragonkind and the founder of the nation of Drakyr during the Time Before Time. He established a dynasty that lasted well into the late First Age and was later reestablished in the Second Age.* Kingsman -- A member of the King's Army of Duinnor, the best trained and most professional force in the Duinnor military.* Linlally -- The ruling city of Vanara. Founded and built by Cupeldain, it was enhanced by the carvings and statues of Alonair. It was originally the name only for the palace that Cupeldain built atop the Falls of Tiandari, but later became the name for the larger city that grew up around and below the palace along the banks of the Iridelin River. Since it is a place of governance, and the oldest city of the Elifaen, it is an important city to all of the Realms. In the latter Second Age, Duinnor commonly stationed armies there, ostensibly for defense purposes since Linlally is the closest major city to the Dragonlands. (See Map of Vanara and Shatuum) Masurthia -- One of the Seven Realms. It is on the southern coast of the world between Altoria and Tracia. Masurthia was formed of territories that came under the rule of the Kingdom of Solsorna during the First Age.* (See Map of Masurthia) Northlands -- A term used by the Dragonkind to describe the regions to the east and north of the Dragonlands. Regent -- Those placed in charge of certain matters in lieu of the actual king or governor. For example, in Vanara, the Chancellor is second in power and importance to the Queen, serving as the administrative governor of Vanara and overseeing all military and civil branches of government. As well, the Vanaran Chancellor is the Chief Judge of the Realm, supervising the courts of other judges or acting as a judge himself from time to time. When, during the late Second Age, Queen Serith Ellyn traveled to Glareth, the Chancellor was Regent of the Queen and ruled Vanara in her absence. Saheed -- A given name among Men, particularly of the Tallin and Markal lineages. Seafar -- A House of Men who originally settled in the northern coastal regions of Tracia but later settled mostly around the Bransondale region. They eventually resettled in Vanara and rose to great prominence as the most powerful House of Men in that Realm.* Secundur -- One of the Firstborn. He was believed to be a follower of Morgasir but escaped the destruction that befell his teacher. Known as the Lord of Shadow because he shuns light. Ever the provocateur of discord among people, he is held responsible for many of the world's woes, including the perpetual strife between the Dragonkind and the peoples of the northern lands. It is said that he provoked Kalzar to attack the north, and later provoked Cupeldain to retaliate. He also frequented Vanara, and spoke lies and rumors to Ormace and others when Cupeldain sought to have the Forty-Nine gathered. Later, King Parthais granted to Secundur a remote region northwest of Vanara later known as Shatuum, those mysterious forbidden lands bordered northwest Vanara and southwest Duinnor territories. There, Secundur slowly gathered his might, breeding foul creatures and hatching dark plots against other lands. Serith Ellyn -- Firstborn Elifaen, Queen of Vanara, daughter of Parthais of the House of Fairlinden. Serith means "most high." The beginning of the Second Age is marked at the start of her reign. She and her brother Thurdun were exiled by King Parthais, and they were later the targets of his agents whose orders were to hunt them down and kill them both. Parthais was no less cruel to his own people who pleaded for deliverance from his tyranny. Serith Ellyn secretly raised an army and managed to position it well within Vanara without being detected. In a bold and swift night attack, she led her army into Linlally and stormed the White Palace where she slew her father.* Shatuum -- A forbidden land on the borders of Vanara and Duinnor along the western edge of the world ruled by Secundur. (See Map of Vanara and Shatuum) Shevalia -- Firstborn Elifaen, daughter of Desira, father unknown. Wife of Bychanter, mother of Faeanna. Shevalia became a good friend of Loura (Cupledain's wife) and Lady Lyrium. Shevalia and Bychanter were murdered along with Cupeldain, Loura, and many others who were traveling with Cupeldain through lands near to those of the House of Hemlock. Some say that Shevalia's spirit, along with the spirits of the others, haunt a small lake near the town of Lochton, the site of the murders.* 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.* Vanara -- One of the Seven Realms and the most ancient of all, believed to be among the first places where the Faerekind of the world lived. It was in Vanara that the Faerekind built their first cities, before the Fall. It lies to the south of Duinnor and just north of the Dragonlands, separated by a rugged range of mountains from the deserts.* (See Map of Vanara and Shatuum) *Many of these entries are abridged versions of those found within 
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