ACADEMY OF THE EYE

Better known as the Stronghold Academy. It is a school of wizardry established by Sheila Greywand on the Isle of the Eye, the magical island Lady Greywand raised in the center of the deadly Lake of Mists. It is the best and most prestigious school of its kind in the land of Alastari. The wizards who study there are being trained to help defend Alastari against the next great invasion of Chaos armies, so there is a heavy emphasis on battle spells. This is also where most research is conducted into the problem of opening and closing (mostly closing) Chaos Gates. Wizards who study under Lady Sheila must take a solemn oath to defend the land and its people, as do the Lord Protectors, the immortal gladiators who constantly train there for the next war.

ADANTRI

The people of Lirith Kai.

AKHADDIC

The language of the Karnhorn Empire, spoken mostly in the cities and villages of the Empire, with smatterings heard in Stormcrowe, Malcorn, and Veastian.

ALASTARI

A region of the world known as Ghea. It measures only about 300 miles east to west by 500 miles from north to south (roughly the size of England). It should be too far north to be comfortable, but it is warmed by magical residue from the many arcane wars that have been fought in the area, and by energy leakage from the sealed Chaos Gates that are found throughout the region. It is inhabited by many intelligent races, mostly humanoid, including humans, elves, goblins, orcs, giants, winged humans, cat folk, trolls, etc.

AMANDA

A stern woman of uncertain age who occasionally fills in as spy reporter in Primus or elsewhere. Does not like the job and lets everyone know it.

ANDORAK

The Andorian League's regional arena on the Isle of the Eye. Any warriors invited to the Isle who come from an Andorian city are eligible to fight here, unless inducted to Primus. Located in the village of Andorak.

The small village surrounding the Andorian regional arena.

ANDORIAN ASSASSINS' GUILD

The Andorian Assassins' Guild operates under a royal charter and is answerable directly to the king of the Andorian League. The disappearance of Swift, former head of the Guild, has left it without a single firm hand on the reins at this time (late 509) other than the king himself. The heads of the four internal divisions of the Guild have not yet settled on one of their number to fill the top position, and the different departments are steadily diverging in policy and attitude.

The four departments with the Guild are:

1. The King's Shield. The "secret service" charged with guarding the person of the king of the Andorian League. The head of this department is a Convincian, Soyenj, a dedicated man. This department has two subdivisions: palace security, in the hands of an Ardiventi, Traal Saru, who is something of a ladies' man; and the royal escorts/guards, commanded by Chomirj, a Fratsfan.

2. The King's Eyes. A sort of "FBI" for the Andorian League, charged with keeping track of dissidents and potential troublemakers. The head of this department is an Aruaki, Vri'in Zan, an ambitious man. Within this department, each of the Andorian member nations has a local coordinator. For the Ardivent Barony, Theverrian Lefendta is the man on the spot; he seems a hail-fellow-well-met type and his first loyalty is to the Baron of Ardivent. Baron Marik of Deshanse (a non-arena Aruaki city) is the head of internal intelligence for the Aruaki Clanhold; he is extremely, perhaps rashly, self-assured and autocratic. Thane Lensarj, a member of Tarrgir's Council of Five, is the Convincian chief; a hearty country squire to look at, he is shrewder than most people realize. Lord Orbenj, the top man for the Fratsfan Empire, is smooth, plausible, and dangerous. The Raltuman chief agent is Vorlan Torme Two-Families, who appears to be a moderately prosperous merchant.

3. The King's Ears. This is the equivalent of the "CIA," the spies who watch the other Alastarian nations. The mastermind of this department is Feril Khy, an elder-statesman type of Aruaki; he loves intrigue for its own sake and is a master at it. This department has three branches. The Delarquan Federation is watched by numerous agents under the immediate command of Zolbar Karassos, a Caleamite of the Kannari race who is based on Kaltos, posing as a merchant; he is a loyal Andorian but does not get on well with his superior and sometimes ignores his instructions. Daifhan Jahalli, a Raltuman, handles the intelligence activities of the agents in the Free Blades area; he is based in Murska, posing as a merchant, and is no longer loyal to the Andorian League. The rest of Ghea is watched by Haille Sestran, a part-Aruaki resident in Tobir who poses as a wealthy collector of curios; he is bored with his job and doesn't give it as close attention as he should. Feril Khy maintains that his department should be expanded, because it is unreasonable to lump such a large portion of the world into one sub-department; so far, the other department heads have resisted Khy's protest (which is justified) because it would increase the power of the King's Ears, possibly at the expense of the other departments.

4. The King's Hands. This department is that of the assassins proper, the Andorian League's official killers. The head of the department is a Raltuman, Morik Intor, about whom little is known. If there are subdivisions within this department, they are not known to anyone outside it.

Rumor has it that the king may disband the Assassins' Guild once again, or that some of the departments of the Guild may be separated from it and become independent entities, but this has been neither confirmed or denied by anyone in authority.

ARAMINTH

Former Free Blades spy reporter. Araminth appears to be a reasonably good-looking female human of about twenty-five years of age. Very sharp, delicate features; may be mistaken for someone with elvish blood. Hair is tawny red--tends toward either red-gold or red-brown depending on how much sun she's gotten recently. Light golden brown eyes, almost yellow. 5'4" tall, slender, rangy, very delicate bones. Weighs about 100 lbs. Fair skin with freckles across her nose. (The more observant may notice that, oddly for one with her coloring, she does not sunburn.)

Araminth is the younger sister of Gryzash the Golden, the current ruler of Sibikhas, and like him is secretly a shapechanged dragon. She has an aunt living in the Daggerspine Mountains. Her parents are still living in the southern deserts. In dragon form, she is about thirty feet long, with a wingspan of twice that. (See Dragons)

Araminth was given back into her parents' custody by Sheila Greywand in exchange for the dragons' help in the Rirorni War. She has not been seen for several years and her current whereabouts are unknown.

ARDIVENTI (people)

The inhabitants of the Ardiventi Barony. A race of human and elf stock so intermingled as to nearly form their own race--much more long-lived than normal humans, elven-featured, but strong and hardy as humans. Generally considered/called Ardiventi elves. (See Elves)

ARDIVENTI (river)

Also called the "Great Ardiventi" river; the river that gave the city of Ardivent its name. One of the widest rivers in Alastari, it is fully navigable. It is nearly a mile wide at its widest point (just east of the city Ardivent, near the flood plain that lies between the Ardiventi and the Little Ardiventi rivers). It flows roughly east-to-west, into the Trier Sea.

ARUAKI (clans)

The people who inhabit Aruak, specifically the clans of people who worship the god Demnat (patron god of shapeshifters, hunters, wizards, and scholars). The five most powerful clans are: Olharin (lion), Desshian (tiger), Vaill (panther/leopard), Dellon (jaguar), and Torres (wolf). Other cat-clans include the Ishanti (lynx), Ahrinar (ocelot), Morneen (cheetah) and Kooreh (puma).

ASTRUM

A gold coin of the Delarquan Federation, star-shaped, roughly equivalent to a common eagle of the Andorian League, worth about a wagon load of wheat or a good mule. Astrums are commonly referred to as "sparklers."