Guild Mage: Apprentice

Alban Cooper, Mayor of Whitehill - Father of Mirabel, and a real piece of work. Elected by the town, not appointed, which is why Baron Henry puts up with him.

Aldo Cushing - Castle Chirurgeon of Whitehill, and Master Chirurgeon of the Order of Chirurgeons. His position at Baron Henry’s Court is a comfortable one; he has tended the health of the Summersets for decades, and delivered Henry himself.

Airis Ka Reimis - A merchant from the Elden trading city of Al’Fenthia, come to Whitehill to purchase a particularly mana-rich harvest after the eruption. A member of House Keria.

Al’Fenthia - ’High Pass,’ a trading city situated between Menis Aelvic and Menis Kesic, under the control of House Keria.

Aluthet’Staia - Manastone. While it appears to be gray or brown on the outside, like a sort of thin shell, a radiant cerulean light shines from within, peeking out from the exterior layer. The more mana is infused into the stone, the brighter the line shines; when the mana is used up, the stone dulls until it appears dead, but the stone remains capable of accepting more mana. Manastones are used as batteries, and often integrated into sigils to power an enchantment, or worn set into jewelry by Mages. The Bald Peak Quarry Rift is one of the few productive sources of Manastone within the Kingdom of Lucania, and provides the Barony of Whitehill’s most valuable export.

Annora, Magia, Professor of Healing - Professor who taught both Rhea and Julianne at Coral Bay.

Archibald - First Footman at Castle Whitehill; a middle-aged man who essentially runs the servants’ quarters and the staff.

B

Bald Peak - A lonely, rocky bald prominence visible from miles away, the guardian of the grassy valley below. A shaft descends into the heart of the mountain from an entrance above the treeline, leading down into the quarries and mines where the workers toil. The most valuable prizes are veins of Manastone, but traces of silver can also be found occasionally. The entire operation is made more dangerous by the presence of a Rift beneath the mountain, which regularly spawns a variety of subterranean Mana Beasts, and requires regular culling by the local barons, the Summersets.

Blackwood, Master - Author of Blackwood’s Bestiary, and a professor at the College of Vædic Grammar.

C

Calder’s Landing - Calder’s Landing was founded by the second expedition Captain Calder led to the western continent of Varuna; the first attempt at re-establishing a settlement on Varuna was the ill-fated Mango Island camp, which was found devastated and lifeless when ships came to re-supply the adventurers who remained behind. Calder chose a more defensible location for Calder’s Landing: a high ridge descending to a wide natural harbor, with a view both of the ocean, and the surrounding land for miles.

Caspian Loredan, Archmagus - Author of An Introduction to the Principles of Grammar.

Cold Harbor - A fishing village near Mountain Home.

Coral Bay - The location of the College of Vædic Grammar in the kingdom of Lucania. The college is run by the mages’ guild, though it accepts all students who can meet its criteria. The greatest repository of magical research and expertise in the kingdom.

D

Dancing Lady, The - The only Inn at Calder’s Landing, owned and operated by Taika, an Elden woman.

E

Emma Forester - A young girl who lives in The Lower Banks, daughter of Kale.

G

Gretta - Former head cook at Castle Whitehill, now semi-retired to the position of a kitchen maid.

Griselda Mason - The daughter of the head of the Hall of Bricklayers and Masons in Whitehill Upon Aspen, and a student of Master Mage Grenfell.

H

Henry Summerset, Baron Whitehill - A fit man, still young and vital, and in his prime as a warrior. Henry has left the lankiness of youth behind, and keeps a well-trimmed, sandy beard with just a hint for red in it than his hair. Only a few years ago, Henry traded a Vædic goblet to King Roland as part of the agreement to wed Lady Julianne, a royal bastard.

I

Ilmari ka Väinis kæn Bælris - Head of the council of elders at Mountain Home; father of Keri, uncle of Sohvis, brother of Väina.

Inkeris ka Ilmari kæn Bælris - A young warrior of the Vakansa, born to the Unconquered House of Bælris and promised to his second cousin, Riika.

J

Jo - A street girl in Whitehill; filthy and too skinny.

Julianne, Baroness Whitehill - Julianne’s position as a bastard daughter of the king at once made her presence an uncomfortable one at court, but also ensured she occupied a position of incredible privilege from a very young age. She has been raised to be a well-bred lady, and looks the part, with pale skin and graceful movements.

Jurian of Carinthia, Guildmage - A young recruiter for the College of Vædic Grammar.

K

Kale Forester - A hunter and single father who lives in Whitehill; he is regularly chosen for Culling the local rift due to his skill at killing and butchering mana-beasts. He has a daughter, Emma, but lost his wife two winters past to illness.

Kazimir Grenfell - Court Mage to Baron Henry, Magis Genfell is responsible for providing a basic education in Vædic Grammar to local children with sufficient talent, as well as monitoring the Bald Peak Quarry Rift for signs that it is in need of culling.

Keremor - A rift near Menis Breim, centered on a boiling, toxic spring.

L

Lendh ka Dakruim - A kingdom to the south and east of Lucania, known for its spices.

Liv Brodbeck - A scullery maid at Castle Whitehill, the bastard daughter of the head cook, Maggie Brodbeck, and an unknown father. She is twelve years old, but in size and development looks closer to six. Her bones are brittle, and easily broken while playing with other children. She works from morning until night in the kitchens with her mother, with little respite other than an hour of leisure here or there, and learning to sing with her mother. Her hair is white, but often looks gray or yellowed because it is filthy, and her eyes are the bright blue of a winter sky.

M

Margaret Brodbeck - The head cook at Castle Whitehill, and the unwed mother of Liv Brodbeck. 36 years old, and became pregnant after the visit of a delegation from north of the Mountains, when she was only 23 years old. She retains a beautiful singing voice, and leads the kitchen work-songs.

Millicent - Queen of Lucania, formerly of House Sherard.

Mirabel Cooper - Daughter of Whitehill’s Mayor, Alban Cooper, Mirabel is part of the rising merchant class in Lucania.

Mountain Home: The stronghold of House Bælris, build along the slopes of Menis Breim.

N

Nighthawk Wind Dancer - Chief of the Red Shield Tribe, father of Wren.

R

Red Shield Tribe - A tribe native to Veruna, camping to the north of Calder’s Landing; led by Nighthawk Wind Dancer.

Rhea of Fairford Village (Auntie Rhea) - A no-nonsense woman of 54 years, Rhea has delivered just about every baby in the valley. She has a reputation as a skilled midwife and herbalist, and has picked up quite a few charms over the years.

Riika tär Calevis kæn Bælris - A graceful and talented dancer of the Unconquered House of Bælris, promised to her second cousin, Inkeris ka Ilmari.

Roland III - King of Lucania. Baroness Julianne is his daughter from an affair prior to his marriage to the queen.

S

Severa - A whaler’s wife at Cold Harbor.

Sohvis ka Auris kæn Bælris - Cousin to Keri and Rika; the three grew up together as close friends. Son of Väina.

Sophie - A maid at Castle Whitehill.

Stonebat - A mana beast commonly produced by the Bald Peak Rift, capable of tracking sources of mana, even from a great distance.

T

Taika - Owner and operator of The Dancing Lady, and possibly the best chef in Calder’s Landing.

Tom - Third Footman at Castle Whitehill.

V

Vædic Lords (or Ladies) - The dead gods of both the Eld and humanity, who walked alone in the first age of the world. According to some sources, the Vædim did not originate here, but either traveled to this world, or built it themselves from nothing. It is said they could use their magic to create bridges between worlds, and they certainly laid the portal stones that are still used to teleport today. By the time of the Vædic War, many of these elder gods had already passed beyond the world of mortals; of those that remained, three, later known as the Holy Trinity, took the side of the younger races, while the others were cast down. While many names have been lost to time, a partial list of Vædim includes:

Antris - Lord of Machines

Asuris, Lord of Night

Arvatis - Lord of Purity.

Bælris - Lord of Light.

Celris - Lord of Cold and Winter.

Ceria - Lady of Thorns

Iravata - Lady of Wyrms

Ractia - Lady of Blood

Sitia - Lady of Changes

Sivis - Lord of Storms

Tamiris - Lord of Potential

Väina Tär Väinis kæn Bælris - Sister of Ilmari, mother of Sohvis, aunt of Keri. A member of the council of elders at Mountain Home.

Valtteri Ka Auris kæn Syvä - An ambassador sent by the Vakansa thirteen years ago, who stayed briefly at Castle Whitehill on his way to the capital.

Varuna - The western continent, abandoned by most Eld and humans after the defeat of the old gods. Only in the past few years has a settlement been established at Calder’s Landing.

W

Whit Cotter, ’Big Whit’ - Champion of every bare-knuckle match at each fair in Whitehill for the past twenty years, this massive farmer has put on a bit of extra weight, without losing any strength.

Whitehill Upon Aspen - A walled castle town which is the heart of the Barony of Whitehill, located on the banks of the River Aspen, downstream from Bald Peak. The castle itself is built on a low, rocky hill overlooking a stretch of the Aspen River. The hot sulfur spring on the hill feeds down into the Aspen, increasing the size of the river past this point. The lower river ranges from thirty to fifty feet wide, with a rocky bed and shallow waters that give rise to the occasional rapids or white water. Mountains surround the valley on every side, and the town itself is located at a deceptively high elevation; visitors often remark they need time to adjust to the thin mountain air. Whitehill is divided into two districts: The Lower Banks, where many of the less desirable businesses and people have been shunted, and The Hill, which includes the manors and town-houses of the knights in Baron Henry’s service, as well as the Temple of the Trinity.

William - Second Footman at Castle Whitehill.

Words of Power - The basic element of High Magic, these are core concepts expressed in the Vædic language that serve as the active component in spells. Words of power must be imprinted by a mage, a process that involves meditation on the root concept of the word to bring one’s mind into alignment with that aspect of reality. Once learned, a word of power may be in conjunction with other elements of the Vædic language to construct a spell. Words of power that have appeared to this point include:

- Æter: A word that causes burning, ignition, or flame

- Aluth: This word embodies pure magical force and essence, and allows the manipulation of raw mana

- Cel: The word of frost and ice

- Savel: A word associated with sunlight

- Ters: The word of dehydration, drying, and thirst

Wren Wind Dancer - A huntress at the Frost Fair to sell furs, and a stranger to Whitehill. A member of the Red Shield Tribe, and daughter of Nighthawk.