Academy, the: The royal academy of Adana, a school for military officers.  It includes large parts of the city, including the citadel in its purview.  Many of Mordin's best officers have trained at the academy at some point.

Adana: A duchy of Mordin and the single largest state of the kingdom, known for its linens and beef.  The area was settled early, with inviting expanses of grasslands.  Adana was the prime rival of Alyth before being defeated by Kerin the Great.  The ruler of Adana still retains the title of grand duke and is second in line to inherit the throne of the kingdom.  The present grand duke is said to be a weak, timid ruler who had to be restored to his throne after the Civil War.

Adversary, the: Ruler of the Infernals, a spirit believed to be evil incarnate.  The Adversary is an entity of unimaginable horror and power, equal to any of the Six.

Aelven Empire: The great empire of the elves, which in various incarnations survived from the early bronze age to the late iron.  The empire was a source of learning, wealth and magic for its client states and slaves, including the ancestors of the eastern humans.  The Emperor gave the Caradain a Grant which gave them the right to settle the Eastern Territories in return for swearing fealty to the emperor and his successors.

Aeridhe: The world.  The History of the World is known to few, although the temples keep records as far back as they are able.

Aethrys: The great continent on Aeridhe; the known world.

Aldar: The dwarven term for dwarves.  The oldest-living of the major races of Aethrys.

Aldehar: The dwarven term for mountain dwarves.

Alea: An historical state conquered by Alyth before it became the kingdom of Mordin.  Alea and Teleth were bitter rivals despite having a similar culture.  Teleth eventually rose to prominence because of its control of the northern pass into Anoria, and Alea came into increasing conflict with Aramor and Alyth in its efforts to control the southern pass, which led to Alea's destruction.  Today, Alea produces high quality wine, wood, and silver.

Alyth: A duchy of Mordin located in the center of the kingdom.  Alyth was one of the early settlements and expanded rapidly under a succession of aggressive rulers.  A generation of war left Kerin I (the Great) Mordin without any real rivals west of the Chantilles, creating the Mordinese kingdom.  Alyth is a wine region and the site of some mining.

Anoria: The lands east of Mordin, north of Gellia, and south of Ethonor.  A low region of prime farmland divided into feuding
city-states.  Anoria is divided culturally into East and West, and politically into the city-states of Badoret, Edore, Harion-Mull, Helissa, Issala, Othya, Pethoa, Semona, Shankora, and Telera.

Aramor: A barony of Mordin just west of the Chantilles known for its iron and wood.  Aramor was the first human settlement west of the Chantilles, built near an existing Aldari settlement.  It later became part of the kingdom of Alyth during the reign of Hylad I.

Aroth the Black: (deceased) The Iron Hawk of Alyth, the champion of the duke during the Mordinese civil war, Aroth served as personal protector and agent of his interests across Mordin.  Aroth was a master swordsman known for his fiery temper and stalwart loyalty to his liege.  He met Asha in Adana when he was beaten by her in a contest of arms; in typical fashion, he vowed revenge for the slight, but he himself was eventually slain by her, protecting the mentalist who had transferred his loyalty to himself.

Asha the Red: Named for her fiery temper (but never in her hearing), an Anorian mercenary blade from Caer Karnak whose travels took her to Mordin in time to play a part in the Mordinese civil war, working for Teleth.  She was later banished for her part in allying with dark powers (the Olorae), but returned later in the company of Belad Andry, changed and embittered.  She pledged fealty to him when he was revealed to be the true heir in Teleth.

Auroran: Edelani term which translates into 'elf-friend' or 'half-elf'.

Badoret: A small and insignificant port in northeastern Anoria.  Badoret was part of Telera before Semona gave it support to secede from the Duchy.  Badoret includes the port itself and a large swath of land called Ethonor Minor granted to it by Edore after Badoret joined the Alliance in destroying Bisalla.  Badoret does little trade and maintains only a tiny army.  Its main export is fish and fish by-products.

Blade: (1) A sword, knife, or other edged weapon.  (2) When used in the plural, soldiers wielding an edged weapon, as in "Teleth raised 800 blades to fight Alyth."  (3) A warrior who specializes in a cutting weapon; one who desires to become a blademaster.

Beast, the: The elemental ruler of all totemic spirits, lord of destruction.  One of the Six.

Beladin Andry: A young Pethoan noble from a noble family which claims the duchy of Pethoa as their own, the young Andry prefers the informal 'Belad'.  Later revealed to be not quite as simple as he seemed when he was proclaimed the true heir of Mordin in Teleth.  Belad is an easy-going sort who takes after his ancestors - the kings of Mordin.

Bisalla:

Black: The color of anonymity, associated with illicit activity and criminals, but not always evil. The black knight, the dark mage.

Blue: The color of determination, associated with causes and champions. The blue knight.

Caer Nolan: The ancestral home of the Barons of Sevramion; the castle which the town of the same name was built around.

Caer Karnak:

Calastene Prophecy: A prophecy passed down among the Caradain churches that predicts the death of the king of Mordin and the return of his successor, the true heir.  Some elements of the prophecy have already occured, although few are aware of its true scope.  The prophecy seems to indicate that the restored king of Mordin will fight a great evil, but it is not clear on how.  The full prophecy.

Caradain: The men of the east.  All humans living in the east today are Caradain except for the Sea Folk of Gellia, the northmen of Tael, and the Telethani of Mordin.  All Caradain claim descent from a single clan whose ancestors were given an imperial grant to settle in the eastern territories.

Chantilles, the: The mountain range separating Mordin from Anoria.

Citadel, the: The castle protecting the city of Adana.  The citadel also serves as a school for officers.

Civil War, Mordinese: The disastrous war of 1211-1212 which tore apart the kingdom of Mordin.  Lacking a king and unable to elect a new one, the duke of Alyth attempted to create a new kingdom as his ancestors had done centuries earlier.  Some believe that it was a mage who began the war by becoming his trusted counsellor and then bespelling him with magics.  A coalition of the other states led by Teleth stopped Alyth, but not without grevious losses on both sides.  The war ended in 1212 with an uneasy truce.

Coalition, the: The loose alliance of Mordinese states that was led by Teleth against the machinations of the mad Duke of Alyth in the Mordinese Civil War.  Teleth formed an alliance with Tinillion based on mutual fear; Aramor joined them when Telethan forces helped relieve the siege of the city; Sevramion's Baron agreed to join after promised an advantageous marriage to him by the high prince, and Pethoa's ducal council was enspelled into joining by a mysterious and anonymous power.  Adana, although it fought hard against Alyth, never joined the coalition, and after the war ended, the coalition fell into bickering amongst themselves and broke apart, unable to enforce a just peace.  The Coalition was championed by a number of mercenaries led by Asha the Red.

College, the: The Pethoan college of magic, located in the city of Pethoa.  Most mages with the silver to afford it are taught at the college.

Confederacy of Ethonor: The body loosely governing most of the Ethonorian territory.  The confederacy is largely ceremonial, with each village or town sending a representative to the town hosting the government that year.

Crusade, the:

Dance of Steel: Popular term for a battle or duel.

Danelia:

Death: The most powerful of the Incarnations, gatherer of souls, and judge of the dead.  One of the Six.

Diaspora, the:

Divine, the:

Eastern Anoria: The independent states of Edore, Bisalla, Badoret, Semona, Telera, and Othya.  Bisalla no longer exists.  The city-states of Eastern Anoria share a common culture but remain divided politically.  During the Great War, they were never conquered and (with the exception of Edore and Bisalla) never sent armies to fight the invaders.

Eastern Provinces: The Mordinese term for Western Anoria, claimed by the kingdom ever since their conquest in the 9th century.  Rich in wealth and population, they have been contested by many would-be rulers over the ages.

Eastern Territories: The Aelven territories of Anoria and what is now called Mordin, granted to the Caradain in perpetuity by an Aelven emperor in return for fealty.  This was written into law with the Imperial Grant, whose whereabouts is a mystery today.

Edore:

Eliaerin: (deceased) The legendary first queen of the Caanelan (wild elves), who unified her people and then made peace with the Manoharan humans in nearby Aurore.  Eliaerin was said to be the most beautiful woman in all the world, but unlike later histories make her out to be, she was a wild elf who hunted and lived in the woods, and never had the fancy jewels or silks that typified later elven cultures.  She created an alliance of elves and humans that would become so strong that the men
became known as 'half-elves' to men.  Even after her death, Eliaerin's legacy as a master negotiator lived on, and the alliances she had helped to weave continued for many centuries beyond her.

Elthar the Great: (deceased) The general of the Sinelaan king Seirya I, Elthar personally led the elven knights against the Manoharan tribes, crushing the scattered tribes in a series of campaigns.  He is most famous for leading his troops through the Morliere woods at night. Foresters often see Elthar as the epitome of their craft.

Ethonor: (1) The river which separates the lands of Anoria and Ethonor. (2)  Colloquial term for the Ethonorian territories or Confederacy.

Ethonorian Territory: A vast, largely unpopulated expanse of forested land north of the river Ethonor and south of the river Tael, stretching from the Sea of Sorrows to the kingdom of Mordin.  The territory has few inhabitants, with most of its population clustered around the coast in small villages of fishers, hunters and trappers.  The territory gained its independence from Mordin in the 10th century but is still claimed by the kingdom.

Faerie:

Faerie Queen, the:

Fey, the:

Gellia: The land south of Anoria and east of Quonara, Gellia is a large expanse of rolling valleys and grasslands along the coast.  It was colonized by elves and later conquered by an elven general, who proclaimed the Gellian Republic.

God, the: The ruler of the Divine.  The God is said to be omnipotent and omniscient, and the enemy of the Adversary.

Great Lords: (1) Any ruler of an independent or autonomous land.  (2) Specifically the nine great lords of Mordin, who elect the king between them.

Great War, The: Anorian term for the invasion of Anoria by the kingdom of Mordin in the 9th century.  The Mordinese occupied western Anoria completely by the end of the second year, but were forced to fight a guerilla war for the remainder of the 10-year war.  Western Anoria formed an alliance which held together for the duration of the war, but dreams of empire failed when the alliance split up after a hasty Mordinese retreat.

Green: The color of loyalty, associated with service and vassalage.

Harion-Mull: A small city-state in central Anoria, formerly part of Issala, formed when the twin towns of Harion and Mull, on opposite sites of the river, united into a city and formed a loose republic.  Gellian influence was suspected but never proven.

Helissa:

Imperial Grant, the:

Incarnation: A spirit of the dead or a supernatural incarnation of a primal champion or force, including such entities as Death and the Fates, as well as less powerful spirits such as Banshees and Wraiths.  Incarnations are divided into the Vengeful and Restless groups.  Not to be confused with the Un-Dead.

Infernal:

Inia: The goddess of beginnings, the dawn, the spring, and the future, worshipped primarily by the Mordinese.  One of the Divine.

Inian Heresy: A splinter faith derived from the church of the Triad over an election of the high priest in the 11th century.  Inians believe that Inia, goddess of beginnings, should be venerated above the other gods of the triad.  Inians are in the majority in the north (Teleth, Tinillion, and Pethoa).  The religion is classified as Particular Celestial Worship.

Iron Throne:

Issala:

Jurippi, Church of: The religion of the majority in Eastern Anoria, classified as Celestial Ancestor Worship; as opposed to the Western Anorian Natural Ancestor Worship.

Kal Barak: The mountainous region to the southwest of Mordin and west of Anoria where many Aldari live.  The name of the region is synonymous with the name of the kingdom to most humans.

Kalmerin: (deceased) The prophet of the Bax orcs, found as a babe in the Fens.  As a child, Kalmerin claimed to have visions from the gods which gave direction and purpose to the Thursir.  Gaining followers in adulthood, Kalmerin gained the ear of the Bax chieftains and led his adopted people to victory against their hated enemies, the Babour.  He spread among them a new faith, a unified faith in the gods that lent fervor to the warriors and won them battle after battle when they would have lost.  His popularity was so great that when the Bax chieftains saw the danger and tried to remove him, their own guards tore them to pieces and proclaimed Kalmerin khahan (chief of chiefs) of the Bax.  By the time Kalmerin died, 'Bax' had already become synonymous with the religion and not the tribe of orcs that had been its first converts. Kalmerin died shortly after converting the Ouabain dwarves to his faith, but before seeing the full flowering of the Bax religion.  His last command to the faithful was to unite all thursir as one people, which the Bax achieved for many centuries.

Karillion: The royal capital of Mordin, and the estates-royale or king's lands, owned directly by the ruler of Mordin.  The capital was founded shortly after the death of Kerrin the Great in an effort to avoid favoritism.  Karillion is ruled by a nominal baron who is appointed by the king to manage his estates.  In recent years, the royal estates have shrunk considerably thanks to the partitioning of Karillion after the civil war.

Kindehar:  The dwarven term for hill dwarves.

King's Hand: A title granted to the king's champion in Mordin.  The king's Hand speaks for the king when the king is not present, and accepts personal challenges in his place.  There is a long tradition of kings choosing Hands from childhood friends rather than high lords.

Lance: (1) A long, thin weapon used by a warrior on horseback.  (2) When used in the plural, soldiers who wield lances from horseback, as in "Teleth raised 300 lances to fight Alyth."  (3) Lancer: A mounted knight capable of fighting in formation.

Laras IV Teleth: The high prince of Teleth, fourth of that name.  Laras is a middle-aged man with a wife and two adolescents.  He is equally well known for his voracious appetites for the opposite sex and for his scheming.  Laras was the founder of the alliance which opposed Alyth in the Mordinese civil war.  He also opposes the return of the king, possibly because he traces his line back to the stewards of Teleth and not their princes.

Loric of Gellia: An elven self-taught mage whose lust for power took him to the hills of Mordin in time for a conjunction of magic, only to discover that others greater than him had found it first.  Loric became entangled in the quest to return the king to the throne when he, among others, arrived at the camp of the heir on the same night foretold by prophecy.

Mithril: A lustrous metal alloy whose manfacture is unique to the elves, mithril is also called true-silver and is a light, strong metal immune to rust and possessing great magical potential.  Mithril is prized by warrior-mages.  Mithril is used most in the manufacture of light weapons and armor, although like all magical metals, pure mithril items are rare, with decorative etching or coats more likely.

Mordin: The kingdom of Mordin, a great nation of men controlling all the settled land west of the Chantilles and claiming more.  Mordin is nominally ruled by a king from the royal capital of Karillion, but since the 11th century has had no reigning monarch.  A succession of weak regents has left the great lords of Mordin to fill the power vaccuum with their own petty politics.  Mordin is made up of Adana, Alyth, Aramor, Danelia, Karillion, Pethoa, Sevramion, Teleth, and Tinillion.

Nature: Gaea, the world-mother, the primal force of life, ruler of all nature spirits and one of the Six.

Nature Spirit:

Olorae: A mythical race of demonic spirits said to torment men's souls from their dimension, called Kagere, hauntingly beautiful and intelligent but cruel and calculating.  The race may not be as mythical as originally believed.  Olorae have distinctive blue or purple hair.

Orange: The color of revenge, associated with vigilantes.

Orichalum: A magical metal alloy with a coppery hue, orichalum was invented by southern men and used to adorn jewelry and works of art. Orichalum never rusts and once set in a form resists change with a strength beyond that of steel.  It accepts magical endowments well and is prized by enchanters for use in enchantment.

Othya: A small Anorian state created when the Gellians defeated a coalition of southern Anorian states and set up their own government, giving up 'Gellian Anoria' to quell dissent and to provide a buffer state between their borders.

Perluria:

Pethoa:

Purple: The color of royalty, associated with rulership and rulers. The royal knight.
 
 

Regalia, the: The five artefacts that symbolize the kingdom of Mordin, used to crown a new king.  The regalia are ancient, originally given to each of the five Caradain thanes by the Aelven emperor when the Caradain were granted the Eastern Territories, but collected by the Mordinese in their wars.  They are imbued with amazing powers, the secrets of which
were passed down from owner to owner, not always completely.  The regalia include the crown (Helisse), seal ring (Solara), sceptre (Alyth), banner (Adana), and sword (Ethonor).

Red: The color of glory, associated with battle and warriors. The red knight, the crimson mage.

Sarelle the Fair: A beautiful and charming young woman originally from Harion-Mull, but now working her way up in the world.  She was present in Mordin for the civil war and its consequences, and is now involved in an attempt to raise Belad Andry to the throne of the kingdom.

Sea Folk:

Second Compact: The High Edelani term for the Aelven Empire.

Semona:

Sevramion: (1) A barony of Mordin located in the northwest.  Originally a series of border forts, settlements grew up in the region and to stem rivalries between Pethoa and Adana, the king made the march into a barony and invited a general to become baron.  The barons of Sevramion have historically been totally loyal to the house of Mordin ever since. Sevramion exports little, but is known for its cheeses. (2) The town of the same name, centered around Caer Nolan.

Shadow: Any dark spirit (including infernals, incarnations, unseelie fey and some nature spirits) which has not manifested itself in the real world, but is visible (and aware of) it by extending its senses.  Shadows appear to be vague, shadowy versions of their physical forms (compare this to Visions).  While still in the spirit world, shadow demons are less affected by and less able to affect the physical world, making them virtually invincible but also weak in comparison to their true forms.  Most shadows rely on magical artifacts or spells to interact with the world of men.  Their powers are affected by the boundaries of the spirit realms with this one, and weaken in places or times of light.  Infernal shadows are more commonly referred to as shadow demons.

Shadow Demon: An infernal spirit which is not manifested in the real world, but affects it through magic or supernatural powers.  A kind of Shadow.

Shadow Kingdom, the:

Shankora:

Shazelhar:

Sinelaan:

Six, the: The six rulers of the six spirit realms, consisting of the Adversary, the Beast, Death, the Faerie Queen, Nature, and the God.  Each is supreme is its own domain, an entity of almost unsurpassable power whose influence can be felt across the entire world.

Spirit Realms:

Spirits:

 
 

Tael:

Tael Kingdoms:

 

Telera:

Teleth: The royal state of Teleth, centered around the Free City of Teleth north of the Chantilles in the kingdom of Mordin.  Teleth was founded by migrants from the west but was absorbed into the Mordinese kingdom.  In return for concessions, the Telethans surrendered without a fight, allowing the Mordinese to successfully defend their claims against the Anorian princes.  Since then, Teleth has become a cosmopolitan city, with large numbers of westerners, Mordinese and Anorians living there.  The ruler of Teleth is the High Prince of the Telethans, and third in line to the throne.  Teleth is a center of trade and commerce, where philosophies and cultures meet without clashing. Its status as a tax haven also makes it attractive to merchants.

Theletta: A onetime apprentice of Asha and noble of Mordin.  Her family never approved of her choice to take up arms, and she was called back home at the end of the civil war.

Thursir:

Tinillion: A small barony of Mordin just west of Teleth, mostly farmland.  Tinillion was settled by Telethani but remained a separate Telethan state until it was absorbed by the kingdom.  The people there resisted and the town was burned to the ground. Tinillion is known for its wool, cheese and grain.  It also produces beer.

Totem:

Treaty of Semona: The peace of 1033 between the king of Mordin and the Anorian princes, ending the war of 1023-4.  In the treaty, the princes agreed to give up any claims to kingship, and  the Mordinese agreed to withdraw their forces.  The main purpose of the treaty was to allow the Mordinese to save face, but this did not save the king from the wrath of his own nobles.

Triad, Church of the: The official state religion of the kingdom of Mordin and the faith of the majority there.  The religion focuses on the worship of three major deities, but includes the veneration of others in hopes of protection.  The religion is classified as Limited Pragmatic Worship.

True Heir, the: Mordinese belief that the last heir to the throne went into hiding rather than face execution after her father was killed.  The Iron Throne has sat empty through successive generations, awaiting the return of the rightful line of kings.

Twenty Days' War: A war in 1207 between the alliance of Edore, Badoret, and Telera, and the alliance of Bisalla and Shankora.  Torn between two armies, Bisalla was defeated and the city burned to the ground; Shankora's army was destroyed, but the city held out against a quick siege.  Shankora's duchess accepted a humiliating treaty that gave up half her lands and accepted the partition of Bisalla.  The partition infuriated Telera, who felt slighted with the rewards for her participation, and ended the alliance that threatened northern Anoria.

Un-Dead, the:

Virash: (deceased) Called 'the Red' in life, Virash has come to be known only as the Conqueror.  He seized power in Kashgar after the royal family there fell.  He took the fledgling Kashgarian republic and reformed it, instituting a civil service and military reforms and unifying the scattered elven city-states of Pandin.  But Virash also used the republic as the vessel of his greatness; he attacked the Jotunn Landsaat in self-defense, but seeing his success over the giants, attacked and conquered the Atanic league as well, except for their underground city.  During this time he never lost a battle and habitually surprised and smashed his enemies, who could never seem to march quickly enough or predict where he would be.  His strategies are
still studied today, and his tactics were legendary.  After various attempts to drive the Atan out of their mountain homes, Virash returned to Kashgar where he died, but not before writing a treatise on the art of war.  His successors returned to Atan against his wishes and fought a series of wars that would only serve to weaken the republic.

Vision: A spirit of light (including totems, the divine, seelie fey, and some nature spirits) which has not manifested itself in the real world, but is visible (and aware of) it by extending its senses.  Visions appear to be patterns of bright, monochromatic light similar in shape to their physical forms (compare this to Shadows).  While still in the spirit world, visions less affected by and less able to affect the physical world, making them virtually invincible but also weak in comparison to their true forms.  Most visions rely on magical weapons or spells to interact with the world of men.  Their powers are affected by the boundaries of the spirit realms with this one, and weaken in places or times of darkness and chaos.  Divine visions are often referred to as Visitations.

Western Alliance: The city-states of Shankora, Helissa, and Issala, who are allied against invaders.  Harion-Mull, Edore and Bisalla were once part of the alliance but have since left (or been forced out).

Western Anoria: The independent city-states of Shankora, Helissa, Harion-Mull, and Issala.  Sometimes included is Edore, but the other states show so much antipathy to it that it has more or less changed the borders on the map.

White: The color of faith, associated with peace and priests.

Yellow: The color of gold, associated with knowledge, mercenaries and the trades. The yellow knight, the ochre mage.