Aeri'Colquet

A tribe of wilder Aeris, sometimes just called Col'quet.  The Aeri'Colquet generally reside in a few small villages in the thick forests that they have always called home in southwestern Melcanth.  They remain there, remaining separate from humankind, as all their kind have for some time.

Aeris

Literally, the First.  Aeris is the common name given to the elves, whom most mythologies cite as the Gods' first creations, or at least, historically, they are reputed to be the first peoples to settle into civilizations in Melcanth and Phelaria.  Once man began to settle and consolidate the lands of Melcanth and Phelaria, the Aeris first treated them with respect and kindness, and had that kindness returned.  That union of elf and man helped to lead to a golden age for Melcanth and Phelaria.  However, not long afterward, the Aeris began to find themselves on the end of persecution, intolerance and even enmity by the humans, who were far more numerous than the Aeris.  After decades of such treatment, the Aeris made a conscious decision to leave the world of man, and with few exceptions, they did just that, on a night that became known as the Night of A Thousand Tears.  It was this event, among others, that made future historians distinguish between the Common Year (CY) and the time before the common year (BCY).  They have remained that way-- separate, and some say, aloof, from mankind-- ever since, with only certain exceptions.  That-- and the fact that for some time, the humans destroyed remnants of the Aeris kingdoms when they took the lands-- has given rise to the idea that the Aeris are only mythical.
     Aeris are generally lighter and shorter than humans.  Although there is variance among the different Aeris sub-races, most Aeris tend to have high, aristocratic cheekbones and large, very slightly slanted, eyes that have been poetically referred to as almond-shaped.  The primary physical feature that sets the Aeris apart, however, is their ears, which rise slightly higher than the ears of humans and end in points.  They are reputed to be very beautiful and graceful, perhaps far beyond the beauty and grace possible for a human.  The Aeris also have a much longer life-cycle than humans, often living for centuries rather than decades.
     Aerisian Society is generally believed to center around nature and magic, both of which the Aeris find much easier to commune with than humans do.  However, with some exceptions, the Aeris are not by and large a primitive people.  Their known history is far older than man's, as is their art, architecture, literature and culture on the whole.

Amersk

A seaport city in southeastern Melcanth, on the coast of the Lordless Sea, the largest city (pop. estimated to be upward of 500,000) in Melcanth.

Anarawn

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of merchants and travelers, often depicted as a nomadic man with an endless coin purse.  Sailors and seagoing merchants often offer to prayers to him as well as to Zuxeos.  see Religion.

ArgoForg

A baneful and evil demigod, so terrible that not even the general populace is aware of his true name.  In Melcanth, the name ArgoForg is spoken in dread fear, often as the most terrible of curses.  In Phelaria, the mention of ArgoForg is tantamount to the worst form of heresy and blasphemy, and often the mere utterance of it brings about a swift burning or hanging of the speaker.  Only a few of the Aeris know the proper pronunciation of his true name, which they use sometimes as a threat to get their children to go to bed.  The world is probably better off that way.

Arianna

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the goddess of love, beauty and healing, among other related subjects.  She is often depicted as a golden-haired woman tending to wounded knights.  She is the Matron Goddess of the town of Arianis. see Religion.

Ash'ani

The Aeri'Colquet warrior-women, who often fight with bow and spear.  Young Aeri'Colquet women often go through long and arduous tests of passage in order to join the ranks of the Ash'ani.  Being an Ash'ani is a symbol of both status and honor to Aeri'colquet women.  Their male counterparts are the Ash'rath

Ash'rath

The Aeri'Colquet warrior men, who often fight with bow and spear.  Much like the Ash'ani, young Aeri'Colquet men often go through terrible trials to become Ash'rath, as being a warrior is both a symbol of status and honor to the Aeri'Colquet.  Their female counterparts are the Ash'ani

Calendra Two-Wolves

(CY 798  -  ) A fawn-haired Aeris-maiden of the Colquet tribe, the only apparent survivor of her tribe from a recent attack.  The attack of a human petrified her entire tribe's camp, including her Oath-Sister, Tanille.

Cilea'monthea

A Col'quet term of greeting, lit., "Well be the day (to you)."

Coastway

A port city on the west coast of Melcanth, said by some to be the second biggest trade center in the two continents.

Col'quet

A tribe of Aeris living in the forest wilds of south to southwestern Melcanth, away from the eyes of man.  The term is often used interchangeably with Aeri'colquet or Aeri'Col'quet to describe them, as in 'Aeris of the Col'quet tribe'.  see Aeri'Colquet.

Common Year, or CY

The current age, according to historians, separated from those years previous to the Aeris leaving the world of man, which are notated as Before Common Year (BCY).  Years in BCY progress backward from circa 3500 to 0, which is the year of the Night of A Thousand Tears, when the Aeris left the world of man.  Later historians marked this point as the dawn of the Age of Man.  Common Years progress upward from zero.  The first World of Phantasie tale takes place in 876 CY, or eight hundred seventy-six years from the rise of the Age of Man.

Circle of Daggers

see Daggers, Circle of

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Daggers, Circle of

A small company of warriors and adventuring sorts, who mostly operates around the middle plains of Melcanth.  The Circle consists of a pair of vetran warriors, Steingard and Rochelle; a priestess of Arianna, Eide'mera; a studying magus, Jessamine; a 'handler' or cutpurse, Nina; and a neophyte swordsman, Tyler Silverhorn.

Delina

(CY 791  - ???) An Ash'ani warrior maiden turned to stone when the Aeri'colquet village came under attack.

Dweomer'ke

An Aeri'colquet term for magic, lit., "That which is not natural".

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Ehdrasim

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of the sun and light, and lifts the lantern of the sun into the day sky until his strength flags and he must hide the sun from Sekal's grasp as night overcomes him.  He is often depicted as an older man, holding aloft the lamp of the sun.  see Religion.

Eide'mera

(CY 854  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers.  Eide'mera is a young priestess of Arianna with long white-gold hair that she often wears in a ponytail.  She has a bright, youthful face and a willowy body, but is often very thoughtful and insightful for someone so young.  She prefers to just be called "Mera".

Eldrith

(CY 849  -  ) Magus and sculptor of some renown, whose sculptures were created by magical means and sold off to unsuspecting nobles.  Eldrith has since 'retired' from the artist trade to study magic in his tower, in the Phelarian town of Tyr'nyk.  The art is not ever far from his mind, however.

Essex

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of learning and history.  He is depicted as a simple man in robes, with an ageless face and an open book.  It is said he resides in the Nexus, writing the histories of man and gods, as well as judging the souls of the departed.  The term "He whom all souls bow to" refers to the belief that if a soul is too preoccupied to understand that it has reached the Nexus, and does not bow in recognition, the soul may be claimed by Scourge to re-enter life as one of the undead.  He is the Patron Goddess of Scribes and Teachers.  see Religion.

Esterlaunde

Large island nation to the south of Melcanth and the east of Phelaria.  Once it was also a part of Melcanth, but its separation was far more peaceable than Phelaria's dissolution.

Feronimous

(CY 581 - 642) First Hierophant of Phelaria, instituted after the Wars of Separation.  It was he that first started the institution of the Theocratic government in Phelaria.

Finnick

A basilisk, the former pet of Eldrith the Magus, killed by a blindfolded Ash'ani.

Fril

A cockatrice, the former pet of Eldrith the Magus, killed by a pair of warriors outside of Coastway.

Gaelori

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of duty and honor, the patron of knights, especially those who take oaths.  He is often depicted as a stern warrior, riding a fiery-hoofed steed.  The Knight's Keep at Gaelori's Eye-- named, obviously, for him-- has the largest temple to him within its walls.  see Religion.

Giselle

An Ash'ani warrior maiden of the Aeri'colquet tribe.  She and her mate were turned to stone in the attack by the human on the tribal camp.

Goblyn-Kin

Goblyn-Kin (singular - Goblyn) are any of the primitive humanoid races found throughout the wilderness and underlands of Melcanth and Phelaria, as well as in the less inhabited lands.  On the whole, Goblyn-Kin are a bit hard to identify because of the differences between their subraces, including Goblyns, Hobgoblyns, Kobolds, Orocs, Swelts and traads.  As a rule, a stand generally between three and a half and five and a half feet tall and have skin ranging from dark green to dun brown to charcoal grey, sharp claws and teeth, and by human reckoning are extremely ugly.  Goblyn-Kin tend to be cruel, greedy and sometimes outright evil... but they are not as stupid as coarse adventurers would like some to believe. Goblyn-Kin are nocturnal creatures and are seldom seen during the daylight, orocs being the major exception.

Gods, Goddesses

see Religion or Individual Entries

Hierophant

In Phelaria, the absolute ruler over matters of both church and state.

Illuthin

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of winter, cold and ice.  It is believed that he helps Sekal during the colder seasons to search for the sun's lamp, so in turn Ehdrasim does not keep it aloft as long-- and thus the days during winter last a much shorter time.  He is often depicted as a frost-ridden man with an icy smile and a pack of wolves at his back. see Religion.

Jessamine

(CY 855  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers.  A studying magess with medium-light brown hair, fair skin and hazel eyes.  She tends to wear stylish, sometimes frilly clothes, and is often given to periods of thought.

Kalibrae

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of storms and their fury.  He is often depicted as an angry, thick-browed man whose bellows cause lightning.  His opposite is Zuxeous, who strives to keep the seas calm during his wrath.  see Religion.

Khythim

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the goddess of darkness and spite.  It was she who first suggested to Sekal that Ehdrasim wished to keep the sun in the air eternally to deny the night of its place.  She is often depicted as a raven-haired woman with a smile that is both cruel and seductive.  see Religion.

Kyrinal

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the goddess of magic and mystery.  No two depictions of her are the same, and it is believed she much prefers it that way.  She is the Matron Goddess of the Magi.  see Religion.

Leyelle

An Ash'ani warrior maiden, turned to stone when the Aeri'colquet village was attacked.

Magi

see Magus

Magic

1.  The weave of the unnatural or supernatural that permeates the world.

2.  The use of charms, formulae, incantations, intercession, or ritual to control that weave, to produce supernatural effects or control natural events.

In The World of Phantasie, magic takes two distinct forms, Divine Magic and Incantive Magic, with a variety of subsets beneath each of those forms.  The purveyors of those two forms are often at odds, especially in Phelaria.  However, the truth remains that most priests and practicioners of Divine Magic-- and most magi and practictioners of Incantive Magic-- know that the two forms of magic complement one another.
     Divine Magic (also sometimes called White or High Magic) produces its desired effects through the intercession of higher powers, such as gods and goddesses, or prayers to those higher sources.  Priests and priestesses, those who often practice this magic, have been known to be granted great boons, from the healing of the sick to the protectiion of a grove, to the creating of a meal from stones and raising of the dead.  While very powerful, Divine magic sometimes tends to be more defensive and mundane in nature, but in truth that depends on the power from which the magic is gained.  A worshipper of Arianna (the Lady of Love and Healing) may receive boons to heal a diseased man, while a worshipper of Gaelori (The God of Duty and Justice) may receive a spiritual 'blade' to deal with the unjust.  It is interesting to note that Divine practicioners also do not suffer the debilitating effects of castings as their counterparts.
     Incantive Magic (also sometimes called Black Magic or merely The Art) produces its effects through a combination of mental discipline and inacantions that allow a caster to touch the weave of magic pervading the world.  A magus, or caster of The Art, can achieve a wide variety of effects, if he or she is so studied.  Magi who are widely studied can channel daemons, transmute objects, summon creatrures, cast illusions, and foretell the future, among other things.  However, to do so, the caster must invoke the magic through complicated somatic gestures, verbal incantions, or objects of focal power, if not-- in some cases-- all of them.  Because a magus acts then, as both a conduit and a generator of the magical power, magi by and large require greater periods of rest and cannot cast spells with as much alacarity as those who practice Divine Magic.  However, the spells of a Black Magus are often far more powerful at a much lower course of study.

Magus

Plural: Magi.
Feminine form: Magess. (sometimes used)

One who practices magic, in a manner which does not include the intercession of-- or prayers to-- a higher, divine power for the casting's empowerment.  Magi study in ritual, formulaic, extemporaneous and theoretical casting, and are often well-studied in schools and under other magi before their first spells are ever cast.
     In Melcanth, magi are often revered for their knowledge and accepted in courts and castles as guests of renown because of their power.  In Phelaria, magi are grudgingly accepted, but often with concealed contempt, as people who do not accept Phelar as the only higher power.

Melikos

1. In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the God of Pain and Death, depicted as a dark, strong man with a barbed flail.  see Religion.

2. Large seaport town in Northwest Phelaria purportedly named for the god, although the reasons for that are shrouded in mystery. Because Phelaria has eschewed the older polytheistic religions in favor of monotheism, most Phelarians scoff at the stories of the dark, baneful god.

Melcanth

A large country in the World of Phantasie, occupying the northern continent.  At one time, Melcanth's reach extended down into the southern continent, as well, before Phelaria broke away from the rule of the kings during the Wars of Separation (q.v.) and set up its own government, the Theocracy.

Mera

see Eide'mera.

Mournegon

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of illusion.  No two depictions of him are the same, although they always seem toi have in common that he wears a theater-like mask.  It is said that of all the gods, Mournegon is the one that no god crosses, because of his chaotic nature.  see Religion.

Myr Islands

Also called the Myr Isles.  A small group of islands originally believed to be one large island, off the western coast of Phelaria and the southwestern coast of Melcanth.  It is inhabitable, and here and there can be found ruins and indications of civilized men once living on the islands. However, despite that, most do not care to try to travel there, as it is still a wild and untamed land.

Nina

(CY 859  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers. A girl with curly, midlength, straw-colored hair, grey eyes and a pixie-like face.  She is a fairly likable sort, although she is a girl who likes to be the center of attention.  She calls herself a 'handler', a euphemism for a thief.

Ordrem

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of war and the forge, where he delights in making weapons that bleed those who don't believe in his power.  He is depicted as an angry, bearded man in a suit of armor and flashing red eyes.  Unlike Gaelori, who is revered by knights, Ordrem is often considered too hot-headed for fervent worship by warriors, craving the lust of battle and not the thought of tactics.  see Religion.

Oroc

The most common of the goblyn races.  Although separated by name from Goblyns themselves, both Orocs and Goblyns are very similar-- The main thing that differentiates the orocs from the other Goblyn races is the fact that orocs do not shy from sunlight in the way Goblyn-kin often do.  Orocs tend to range from four to five feet tall and are recognizable by their sharp teeth and claws, swarthy complexion, pug noses and scraggy ears.  see Goblyn-Kin

Phelar

The One God, according to Phelarian belief.  Phelarians disdain the polytheistic beliefs in a pantheon that is prevalent almost everywhere else in the two continents, and rather than believing in a multitude of gods and goddesses whose purview falls over a small portfolio, they believe in a single God, Phelar, who encompasses all.

Phelaria

Country in the World of Phantasie, on the southern continent.  Formerly part of the Melcanth's holding, Phelaria broke from the rulership of Melcanth during the Wars of Separation and established its own system of government, the Theocracy.

Phelaridon

Capital City of Phelaria, named for the One God. (pop. 250,000)

Phobos

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of drink, song and merriment.  He is often considered a dilletante by his peers, according to stories, having a short attention span and craving entertainment before work.  He is often depicted as a minstrel holding aloft a goblet of wine.  He is the Patron God of Bards.  see Religion.

Phytasia

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the goddess of plants and fertility.  She governs over both the raising of crops as well as mothers and children.  She is often depicted as a beautiful woman spreading a handful of seeds.  She is the Matron Goddess of Farmers and Midwives.  see Religion.

Prelate

In Phelaria, a member of the Theocracy that governs matters of church and state in an area the size of a large town or small city.  A Prelate, in the hierarchy of the Theocracy, is a step above an abbot, and a step below a bishop.

Rafael Vance

(CY 845  -  ) A thief and former con-artist from Camyrleigh.  Rafe was good enough at his job that he attracted the eye of Eldrith the Magus, who enlisted him to lead the Order of the White Star to a cave far outside Runicvale, where they were all petrified, and eventually sold as art, save Ahvielle.

Ram's head

In coinage, the stamp of a ram's head indicates the coin was minted in Nertomir, as the ram is the city seal, dating all the way back to the old city of Tomir.  Coins minted in Nertomir are generally pure silver or gold, compared to the filler-coins from further south.

Religion

In The World of Phantasie, there are two disparate forms of worship in the world-- monotheistic (the worship of a signle deity) and polytheistic (the worship of a Pantheon of deities)-- and both are fairly widely practiced.
     Monotheistic worship is practiced more widely in Phelaria, where the Theocracy has instilled the widespread belief in the One God, Phelar.  In Phelaria, the worship has reached a fervency and zeal in some points-- including among the hierachy of the church-- that it has led to considering all other forms of worship heresy.  That, in turn, has led to a somewhat less than charitable worldview, in which only Phelar's chosen are considered worthy.  And despite the fact it is not the Theocracy's official view, non-worshippers have been hung, burned alive and forced to recant their views under torture.
     Conversely, the polytheistic worshippers of Melcanth and much of the surrounding continent seem to be much more accepting in other's forms of worship.  Devotion to a single god or goddess in the Phantasie Pantheon is frequent, as is devotion to the entire pantheon.  And unlike the Phelarian missionaries, who sometimes have difficulty relating to beliefs other than their own, those who believe in the Pantheon are more likely to draw parallels between gods when they come into the midst of the more primitive cultures, or mingle among the other cultures of the World of Phantasie.
     The polytheistic pantheon consists of four triads of deities that adjucate over combinations of Good, Evil, Law and Chaos, and five deities that govern neutrality, all as well as their own portfolios.  As the scribe and sage Zhan Mychal writes, "...if you quartered the sky and the Creators, you would find a line between Law and Chaos, and one between Good and Evil.  Where those lines cross is the Nexus, the library of the gods, where the histories are written by Essex, he to whom all souls must bow..."  (see Zhan Mychal's diagram and explanation here)

The gods of the World of Phantasie Pantheon are:

Anarawn  -  God of Merchants and travel (Good with Chaotic Tendencies)
Arianna  -  Goddess of Love and Healing (Good with Lawful Tendencies)
Ehdrasim  -  God of the Sun and Light (true Lawful Good)
Essex  -  God of History and Learning, The Judge (true Neutral)
Gaelori  -  God of Duty and Honor (Lawful with Good Tendencies)
Illuthin  -  God of Winter and Ice (Evil with Lawful tendencies)
Kalibrae  -  God of Thunder and Storms (Evil)
Khythim  -  Goddess of Darkness and Spite (true Chaotic Evil)
Kyrinal  -  Goddess of Magic and Mystery (Lawful)
Melikos  -  God of Pain and Death (Evil with Chaotic tendencies)
Mournegon  -  God of Illusion (Chaotic)
Ordrem  -  God of the Forge and War (Lawful with Evil tendencies)
Phobos  -  God of Wine and Merrymaking (Chaotic with Good tendencies)
Phytasia  -  Goddess of Fertility and Plants (true Chaotic Good)
Scourge  -  God of Disease and Plague, Lord of the Undead (Chaotic with Evil tendencies)
Sekal  -  God of the Moon and Stars, the Banisher of the Light (true Lawful Evil)
Zuxeos  -  God of the Oceans and Rivers (Good)

     Note that the tendencies toward Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are not absolutes-- in most cases, the deities are said to realize that they are all part of a whole, and that they are best served by keeping an often unsteady alliance amongst themselves.

Rochelle

(CY 849  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers.  A well-trained swordswoman who prefers to use a rapier and main-gauche, Rochelle is a throaty-voiced woman with short-cropped black hair and dark eyes that prefers to wear the puff-sleeved shirts of a swashbuckler.  She helped to create the Circle of Daggers with Steingard, an older warrior who has her respect-- although she seldom voices it.

Sailor's Knot

A ponytail tied tightly into a man's hair, named for the sailors on the Isle of Graces, who started the trend to keep their hair out of their face in the sometimes strong winds of the Isle.

Salden

(CY 830  -  ) Prelate of Phelar in Tyr'nyk. A skinny and self-important but mostly forgettable Theocrat, who received his position from favors from the Church.

Scourge

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of disease, decay and plague, the lord of the undead.  Often depicted as a wasting man, sometimes a decayed one, it is said that even the other gods and goddesses prefer not to spend much time in his company.  It is he who lays claim to the souls that do not bow to Essex, thanks to a deal that was handled long before men began to write their own histories.  see Religion.

Sekal

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of the moon and stars.  Even in the summer months, he tirelessly tries to steal the lamp of the sun, forcing Ehdrasim from holding the light in plain view for too long.  He is depicted as a pale man who thrives in the shadows of the darkness night brings.  He is sometimes considered the Patron God of Thieves.  see Religion.

Separation, War of

(CY 615 - 621, CY 653 - 665, CY 720 - 724)  Three wars between Melcanth and Phelaria that helped to break Phelaria into a separate country, under its own rule, and consolidate its government as a Theocracy. The Second and Third Wars of Separation were further attempts by Melcanthian rulers to absorb Phelaria back into Melcanth's hold.

Silverhorn, Tyler

see Tyler Silverhorn

Steingard

(CY 839  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers.  Steingard is the eldest of the Circle, a towering, stout, square-jawed warrior even at his age.  He has short-cropped dark hair and a thick mustache, both of which are starting to grey, as well as stern, ice-blue eyes.

Talomar

(CY 832  -  ) Hierophant of Phelaria in the current year.  It is believed that he is a good man, if a somewhat stiffly-backboned one.  He believes in peace between Melcanth and Phelaria, which is not always the most popular opinion, but at the same time, he is not the fool some of the Theocracy believes him to be.  He has the personality and charisma to be the Church's greatest leader, or their worst, depending on Fate.

Tanille

(CY 799  - ???) Oath-sister of Calendra Two-Wolves, a dark-haired, dark-eyed Aeri'Colquet maiden who was turned to stone when she and Calendra's village was petrified.

Temenier

A cockatrice, the former pet of Eldrith the Magus, killed by a pair of warriors outside of Coastway.

Theocracy

The system of government in place in Phelaria, in which the church and its system of officials hold the lawmaking, judicial and ruling power, as dictated by divine right.

Tyler Silverhorn

(CY 858  -  ) Member of the Circle of Daggers.  Tyler is the newest member of the Circle, a neophyte swordsman with brown eyes and brown hair that he often wears in a ponytail.  He craves adventure, but so far, he has yet to find the life of a swordsman as alluring as the stories his father told him makes them sound.

Toria, of the House of Terlamaine

(CY 858  -  ) Apprentice to Eldrith the Magus; barely eighteen, a novice to the Arts and to the etiquette between Magus and Apprentice, according to Eldrith, yet a girl who has grown up quickly in her time in the tower in Tyr'nyk.

Tyr'nyk

small, landlocked city in central Phelaria; home of the tower of Eldrith

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Vance, Rafael

see Rafael Vance

Wars of Separation

see Separation, Wars of

Worship

see Religion

Zuxeos

In the World of Phantasie Mythos, the god of rivers and seas; he is also called the Water of Life.  He is said to live beneath the Lordless Sea, where he is depicted as blue-skinned man with a beard of kelp.  The seas are his domain, and sailors are said to take time before departing to offer him homage, as well as thanks when they arrive at their destination.  see Religion.