Reader's Reference
for
Volume 5 To Touch a Dream
Volume 5
To Touch a Dream
To Touch a Dream
Chapter 27
To Touch a Dream
The Reader's Companion to the Year of the Red Door.
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Alonair -- One of the Firstborn of the Faerekind, a maker of fabulous statues and carvings of stone. It was Alonair who set before the Dragonkind the challenge of the Great Stone that preceded the first great conflict between Faerekind and Dragonkind and eventually led to The Fall and the Departing of Aperion's Host.* Aperion -- A Firstborn Faerekind and the First and True King of the Faere, so appointed by Beras during the Time Before Time. Aperion sought to stop the bloodshed between the Dragonkind and the Faerekind and who led the faithful and loyal Faerekind out of the world. It was Aperion who caused those who remained upon the earth to be Scathed of their wings, becoming the Elifaen, or Fallen Ones.* Aperion's Fire -- A term used by occupants of Nasakeeria. It is what they call the mysterious wall of flame that ignites and surrounds Nasakeeria whenever a person attempts to enter (or leave) Nasakeeria.* (See Map of Nasakeeria and Middlemount) Barian -- A Melnari of the early Second Age. He was renown for his knowledge of the heavens and wrote many books on the subject of the stars. Sometimes called Barian the Counter, it is said that he possessed remarkable eyesight and made an attempt to put a number to the stars and to trace their movements. It was Barian who first perfected a method of using a sextant to aid in navigation, which he shared with his friend and fellow Melnari, Ishtorgus. He was also able to accurately predict certain celestial events, and was a proponent of improved calendars. While living in Altoria, he developed a reliable timekeeping device, one that operated by way of waterwheels and gears. Legend has it that while he was stargazing one night, a falling star struck where he stood, leaving no trace of him but a smoking hole in the ground. Beauchamp -- Familiar to Raynor the Melnari; Beauchamp takes the form of a rabbit. Beauchamp was captured sometime around 700 S.A. while on an errand for Raynor and was taken into the Dragonlands as a part of a menagerie of exotic northern animals. He survived the ordeal and managed to escape, working his way northward over the course of many years, eventually returning home to Raynor in Duinnor in 870 S.A.. Beras -- The personification of the Creator; sometimes called Intent. He is worshipped by Elifaen, Men, and the Dragonkind, all having separate views of Beras. Beras is also referred to as the personification of the Creator's Intent, seeing to the balance of the world. It was Beras who commanded the earth to be formed and for life to emerge upon it. And it is Beras who is regarded as the father of the Faerekind. The Dragonkind peoples also worship Beras who is, in their religions, the force behind their liberation from the ancient dragons who enslaved them. Men worship Beras as their savior, who directed their departure from their Lost World and guided their epic passage across the boundless sea to the shores of the Found World. Bletharn -- (Bletharn Plain, or The Great Bletharn Plains) The great grassy plain that divides east from west, with Duinnor and Vanara on the north and west at the edge of the world and the other realms to its south and east. It is virtually uninhabited and has few trees and no significant surface water in the form of streams or lakes In addition, a peculiar blight lays upon this region so that any game taken from the place and eaten will make a person violently ill from an intestinal malaise that might last for days but rarely results in lasting harm.* (See Map of Forest Islindia) Bloodcoins -- The common name for the Forty-Nine Keys to the Nimbus Illuminas, often called simply, The Forty-Nine. There are various theories as to how they came to be called Bloodcoins. One stems from a legend pertaining to Chantay and her daughter Lucinda, that when Chantay was driven mad by the Seven given to her by Aperion, Lucinda cut off her mother's head and Chantay's blood covered the objects of the dispute. Others say that they are called Bloodcoins because they were given to the seven greatest "blood houses" or bloodlines of the Elifaen. Another explanation stems from the superstition that any Mortal who possesses any Faere coin of any kind will meet with bad luck or death (But there is no indication that this belief existed at all until sometime during the latter part of the Second Age.)* Buckmarl -- A type of large antlered deer or elk ridden by many of the Faere in the Elder Days and sometimes still. They are swift and light on the hoof, strong and nimble in the wood and on rocky mountainsides. They are renown for their ability to leap from crag to crag, much like a ram, with surefooted ease. Celefar -- 1. One of the Firstborn Faere who stayed behind with Cupeldain and the others of the Faere who were determined to fight the Dragonkind. It was Celefar who was loved by Aperion's daughter, Laeleth, and the love of Laeleth and Celefar and their travails to be reunited are recorded in many songs, poems, and tales. 2. A buckmarl ridden by Prince Thurdun, brother of Queen Serith Ellyn of Vanara. He is named for one of the legendary Firstborn, a great warrior and the lover of Laeleth, daughter of Aperion. Certina -- One of the so-called "Familiars." She accompanied Collandoth in the world during the Second Age. Certina's form was that of a small owl, no bigger than one's hand. Chanter -- One of the captains of the Household Gray Guard of Queen Serith Ellyn, brother of Gaiyelneth, companion and maid to the Queen. 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) Eldwin -- An Elder of Nowhere, one of the people originally cursed after the battle of Tulith Attis. Eldwin was a woodworker and carpenter who made tables and chairs and other such things. He became a friend of Esildre and was with her at the Second Battle of Tallinvale. 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."* Faere -- Properly speaking, the First Ones, meaning the children of the spirit of the Earth. Those beings who came to inhabit the world in the Time Before Time and who embodied the joy and harmony of creation.* Fallendine -- A Familiar in the form of a vulture.* Familiar -- Familiars are the mysterious creatures that are companions to members of the Melnari race. They have unusual abilities, including the ability to communicate directly with others without the need of speech, although they prefer to communicate only with their particular Melnari companion.* Firstborn -- Those Faerekind or Elifaen who witnessed the Time Before Time. Also called the First Ones. Some of these were the embodiment of the spirits of the earth, becoming the very first of the Faere. Others were offspring of the Faere, conceived of love. Those Firstborn who lost their wings became known as the Elifaen, or Fallen Ones. Forty-Nine -- A way of referring to the forty-nine Bloodcoins given to the Seven High Houses of the Elifaen by Aperion.* Gaiyelneth -- Chief handmaiden of Queen Serith Ellyn during the late Second Age. Gaiyelneth was known to be precocious, spirited, outspoken, and fiercely loyal to the Queen.* 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) Ishtorgus -- A Melnari of the Second Age, sometimes called Ishtorgus the Mariner. He was an advisor of King Thalamir of Glareth, the last of the Sea Kings.* 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.* Melnari -- A mysterious small group of people, neither Man, nor Elifaen, nor Dragonkind. They are very few in number, perhaps less than a dozen, and are long-lived, perhaps immortal as the Elifaen are. Some regard them as troublemakers, and others refer to them as mystics, although that term is somewhat inaccurate. However, in addition to their keen intellects, they do possess strange abilities and powers, similar to some of the older Elifaen.* Micharam -- A Melnari of the middle Second Age, sometimes called Micharam the Poet.* Middlemount -- A high plateau between Duinnor and the Carthanes located north of the Bletharn Plain and south of the River Osterflo. (See Map of Nasakeeria and Middlemount) Nasakeeria -- A forbidden land surrounded by the bones of those who attempt to enter therein, for whoever does so falls victim to a mysterious and powerful gush of flame that rapidly springs forth from the ground and consumes the interloper's flesh so quickly that his bones are thrown outward and back across the border.* (See Map of Nasakeeria and Middlemount) Nimbus Illuminas -- The Rainbow of Aperion, sometimes also called the Bridge of Light. No one knows exactly what the Nimbus Illuminas actually is, but the Forty-Nine Keys (or Bloodcoins) that Aperion gave to the Seven High Houses were supposedly to be used to open the Nimbus Illuminas as a way for the Elifaen to leave the earth and rejoin the Faerekind in Aperion's heavenly abode. Some speculate that the Seven Towers must have something to do with it, but none have been able to scale the towers in order to investigate the possibility. Northlands -- A term used by the Dragonkind to describe the regions to the east and north of the Dragonlands. 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) 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) Silmain -- The Elifaen who united many Vanaran clans and some woodland tribes, after Aperion's host departed. He declared himself "King of the Faere" and attempted to join all of the Elifaen together. It was Silmain who first attempted to have all of the Forty-Nine Keys of the Nimbus Illuminas brought together, but he was defeated in that effort. Silmain had two sons, the twins Heneil and Pellen, who both refused Silmain's throne when he died. Sir Sun -- A name sometimes given to the sun. In legend, Sir Sun was husband of Lady Moon.* Thurdun -- Son of Parthais, brother of Queen Serith Ellyn of the House of Fairlinden.* Tolimay -- A Melnari, sometimes called Tolimay the Angry. Very little is known about him, and the only record that directly refers to him was a list of guests who attended a banquet in Masurthia. Stories abound, however, nearly all of which having to do with his legendary temper.* 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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