Talliaen Dictionary A - D

Terms from the created world known as Talliaen.

                                                 A


Aalm
    City built by the r’kian in 23,011b.  The city was built within the Great Marsh in the area between the southern end of Dragon Lake and the northern side of the Eshur Mountains.  Aalm was built as an academy for the mystic arts and served in that capacity until its destruction in the year 13,947b by the League of the Dragon during the second dragon war.  The city held written documentation of all ancient magic, information now lost, and was a place of great mystic strength.

Abyren
    Abyren is one of three guardian angels that protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings.  He is the guardian of the gates of Linaeus, vigilantly standing guard before the Tower of Lords at the very heart of the dim sun.  Endowed with great physical strength and skill, Abyren protects the home of the gods from intrusion by mortals or the fallen.  He is rigid in his duties, never tempted by the promises of greater power or control.  Abyren appears as a muscular humanoid male with large, sweeping wings of golden feathers, deep blue eyes, and long, brown hair.  He always wears black and gold raiment and wields a giant, double bladed axe known as Ishan.

Acias
    The realm of Tirgan, the god of war and physical ability.  Acias is a war hall that only the souls of the greatest warriors are allowed to enter.  The realm holds a large arena where battles take place between Tirgan’s chosen angels.  Angels that win or come to a draw gain a place of importance within Acias while those that lose are sent back to start a new life upon Talliaen.

Aconilina
   

Aegih Ashiane
    From the ancient Ealam meaning dark hunter

Aenism
    The belief that Thaen Alaer is the true creator of the world.  All creatures and plant life depend on water for survival and therefore are truly his creations.  All things exist because of his power and the world would surely perish without him.  Thaen Alaer chose his domain to aid in the creation of life, all life.

Aenist-name given to the followers of Aenism.

Aetren-Ni
    The book prepared by a priest of one’s religion that records their living deeds.  The book is buried with the dead, when at all possible, is used to hold sway in Eadil’s final judgment.  The typical book can be of any length and makeup, but usually only contains information passed to the priest or learned of the being in question through extraordinary deeds of both good and evil.  In general, it is an accepted practice for most mortals of Talliaen.

Ainyara
    Ainyara, or Doombringer, is the large hammer wielded by Keiya, the god of fire, the earth, and weapons crafting.  The head of the hammer is crafted from an enormous amethyst crystal.  The front portion is flat and smooth, used for inflicting concussive damage, while the rear is shaved down into a sharp, hooked point, used for piercing and tearing.  The amethyst head is notched and mounted to a long handle crafted from emerald that has been smoothed and rounded.  The grip of the handle is wrapped in a silver mesh, ridged to allow anyone wielding the hammer to maintain their hold.  The entire hammer is covered with a blue and red flaming aura that generates tremendous amounts of heat.
 
Ajaesakos
    Talliaen’s brightest sun.  It was from this sun that Talliaen was created and it is in constant orbit around the planet.  It serves as a home for the gods every thousand years as they return from exile.

Ajoura
    Holy day of autrianism celebrated on the twenty fifth day of Jonora.  It is the longest day of the year and the followers of Laera-Madeas believe that honoring the sun on this day will bring them great benefits from the keeper of the light.

Alador
    Alador is the realm within Veshaun reserved for the souls of humankind.  Those souls not taken into service by their chosen god are sent here to spend eternity in either punishment or pleasure, according to their final judgment.

Alaer
    Both the second month of winter and of a new year.  Alaer consists of twenty-six days, is generally a brutally cold month, and is named after Thaen Alaer, the god of the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and bogs.

Alara
    Alara is the goddess of love, selflessness, purity, childbirth, fertility, and marriage.  She is regarded as the inspiration for all of the female aspects of love and as the true essence of innocence and purity.  She is believed to control the strengths of relationships, the bonds that hold men and women together and the raw emotions of true love.  Alara is responsible for granting the capacity of real love; to be ever trusting, to forgive, and to be ever faithful.  Her touch is emotionally overwhelming and many despise her presence due to a reluctance to allow themselves to be so open to the possibility of deep hurt and disappointment.  The love that Alara bestows strips one of all inhibitions and selfishness, leaving them openly vulnerable to the destruction of misplaced faith.
    Alara was courted by Theron, the god of love, but turned away his advances as he was a lustful, extremely comely god.  Theron, attempting to win her over, created both honey and sugar and offered them to her.  She was touched by the gesture but still refused him.  Theron left the gifts, strongly rebuking his love for her as well as all of the purely innocent emotions that had caused him to feel such a way. Realizing the pain that she had caused him, Alara kept his gifts and pledged to blind true love to all but one’s inner beauty.
    Alara resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Voen.  Voen is a world of broken dreams and lost love, filled with every failure of love that Alara was witness to.  Her chosen angels serve her by overseeing the daily events of love that transpire within the world of mortals.  Alara is commonly depicted as a young, human woman, ten to fourteen years old, rather tall and graceful, and is always dressed in fancy gowns and robes.  Her skin is smooth and unblemished, but very pale, and she has entrancing, violet eyes and long, flowing, auburn hair.
    There are not any formal religions associated with Alara.  However, it is customary for newlyweds to offer up cakes of sugar and honey to her on their wedding day, believing that if she is pleased she will bless the couple’s union and grant them a lengthy and strong marriage strengthened by a pure love.  Children are often raised up to her on the day of their birth in the hopes that she will make them healthy and protect over their innocence.  Those that look upon her in honor, or even simply out of superstition, commonly wear medallions crafted into a pair of open hands, one gold and one copper, ringed with a circle of silver.

Aldarion
    Aldarion was the eldest of Othrum Elendrew’s twin sons.  He was slain in 26,750b by his brother, Eimaj, and then granted a second life by Elai-Naemon, the god of the dead, in exchange for the souls of the magic-born.  Due to his death and rebirth, immortality was taken away from both Aldarion and Eimaj by the gods.  Aldarion became the first and only king of the r’kian.  He developed strict guide lines in the uses of magic, set up an established government, formed the current system of educational distribution among the r’kian, and is the genetic father to the r’kian race.  After his return to the living, Aldarion separated his existence from that of his brother and ruled as the king of the r’kian until his eventual death in 21,080b.

Aldarion, Alea (???-4,135b)
    Alea Aldarion was queen of the r’kian when they returned from their exile in distant lands in 4,700b.  She was a descendant of Aldarion, the first king of the r’kian, and honored him during her naming.  Under her will the r’kian returned from their self imposed exile and removed the mystic barrier that protected Dalpon in their absence.  With her mate, vaur Marce Laetal, she immediately began an attempt to place the r’kian back into its position of prominence that it once held.  To regain control over ancient territory Alea send envoys to negotiate with the trolls for the return of land they now controlled.  Refusal by the trolls to leave the Anlaur Mountains led to the Troll/R’kian war and eventual eradication of the trolls from that region of Talliaen.  She opened relations with the elves, formed a military and educational alliance with Vaul Lorn, exterminated all goblin settlements within r’kian lands, and initiated a gathering of information and reeducation of her people to familiarize them with the changes that had occurred during their exile.  Alea Aldarion dies of complications due to her age in 4,135b and is considered to be the first true modern queen of the r’kian nation.

Aldarion, Aurela
    The daughter of Aldarion, born in 23,011b.  Aurelia assumed the r’kian throne after the assassination of her father by the ealam in 21,080b and established the system of government that remains in use by the r’kian race.  It was determined, by her belief and power of will, that her father, Aldarion, would be the last king of the r’kian and no other male would ever be allowed that position.  The tradition of naming came into being under her decree as did the position of vaur, rank given to the kingdom’s ruling male.  It was under Aurela’s rule that the unquestioned authority of the queen came into being.  She led her armies into victory over the dragons during the first dragon war and avenges her father in 18,653b by killing Eimaj in challenged combat.  Aurela managed to forge peace and trade agreements with the dwarf and ealam races, created lasting religious establishments in honor of Talliaen gods, and developed r’kian acceptance of free speech and in the gathering of all knowledge.  She is widely believed to be the mortal born form of the goddess Eleigha and ruled as queen of the r’kian until her death in 12698b.

Alea, Carista (4,603b-???)
    Carista Alea is the daughter of Alea Aldarion born in 4,603b.  She was raised by her mother to be a well educated, rational queen that would lead the r’kian race into its new place within the world.  At her mother’s wishes, once she had reached a mature age, she stood in witness to every important discussion and decision that was set before the throne.  At the death of her mother in 4,135b, Carista named herself Carista Alea and took her place as queen of the r’kian.  She took Kaevin Teidan as her mate, making him the new vaur, and began her rule by granting her father’s wishes to be honorably executed instead of exiled.  She led her race as the awakening brought two hundred years of peace across Talliaen and allowed r’kian artists sell their paintings and sculptures though the elf nation during the art expression that enlightened the world.  Foreseeing the evil that she felt the races of man and dwarf allowed to gain a greater presence within Talliaen, she broke off relations with the Kingdom of Vilar, friends to both nations, and plunged Dalpon into a state of radical isolationism.  In 3,108b, the Kingdom of Jornaum and the Dark Army march against the r’kian and begin the Twilight War.  Though the first invasion attempt is pushed back, the dragons manage to gain control of Dragon Mountain and, from its top, Aulrei, the Horn of Darkness, is sounded.  The war is a savage display of evil and despair and by its end in 2,613b the r’kian population is brought to near extinction.  In the closing hours of the Twilight War, the r’kian and the elves combine their magics and lock the dark lords away under the protection of Dragon Mountain.  Fearing that the world had changed far the worse, Carista has Dalpon shut away from the rest of Talliaen and the r’kian once again vanish in 2,018b.

Aleandor River
    The Aleandor River is the longest river upon Talliaen.  The river flows from the southeastern edge of Inyuel Lake and flows south and east until it empties into the Gulf of Solentene.  The river is nearly two miles in width for most of its length and winds its way across the northern edge of the High Peaks Mountains, through the Black Marsh, and enters the Gulf of Solentene at Toralun, a port located at the southwestern end of the Great Plates.  Aleandor is used to transport civilians and merchandise up and down its length and is able to do so only due to its great depth and a miraculously slow current that allows ships to manually travel back to where it starts.  Tow cables are used at places along the river where other rivers empty into it and where rapids exist.

Almaer
    Almaer is the seventh month of the year and consists of twenty-five days.  It is the first month of fall and is known for wild swings in temperature, both hot and cold, and for the violent storms that accompany it.

Alokoleya
    The realm of Thaen Alaer, the god of oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and bogs.  Alokoleya is a world of water, filled with the hidden wonders and deadly beauty of the seas.  It is a realm filled with coral reefs and crystal blue water.

Alysa
    Alysa is the goddess of arts and of knowledge.  She is associated with the attributes of patience, intuition, and resolution and is believed to endow mortals with desire, ambition, inner vision, and the ability to reveal imagination through emotional inspiration.  Alysa is commonly linked to mortals possessing great artistic ability or those of a calm, intellectual demeanor.  It is believed that she is responsible for any art created from the deepest emotions such as love, hate, fear, and sexual desire.
    There are not any defined religions associated with Alysa, though many of those involved in creative endeavors envoke her name and will ask for her blessings.  Museums stand in her honor across Talliaen and large festivals, used to display various artists and artistic works, are held on the tenth day of Lyses to celebrate the gifts of Alysa.  These festivals, the Alysian Critiques, display the works of both the fantastic and the unusual artists, poets, authors, and musicians.  The majority of Talliaen’s museums, usually raised in her honor, operate completely upon the donations and fees raised during these festivals.  Those looking for her favor typically wear medallions shaped into all fashions of broken swords, the symbol given to represent her god hood.
    Alysa resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Tolan.  Tolan, the Great White Room as it is more commonly called, changes its appearance according to one’s imagination and its reality is only that beings perception and only within their own mind.  Alysa’s chosen angels serve her by stimulating the creativity of mortals.  She appears as a young woman of exceptional beauty, tall, slendor, and extremely shapely with long brown hair and coal black eyes.  She is always garbed in brightly colored silk gowns and jewelry crafted from braided gold inset with large pearls and diamonds.

Alysian Critiques
    Large festivals devoted to honoring the gifts of the goddess Alysa.  These festivals are displays of all forms of arts from paintings and sculpture to verse and song.  Both established and aspiring artists attend various festivals in order to further their name or to be given the chance to make a name for themselves.  The Alysian Critiques is basically an audition for many artists.  Poetry, songs, paintings, sculptures, and literature of all types become available to the public, though the real purchase of such items remains with those of money and usually those that collect.  Donations and fees raised during these festivals go to support the museums across Talliaen.  The Alysian Critiques are held on the tenth day of Lyses and usually last for about a week.

Amber Mountains
    A towering range of mountains located along the north eastern portion of Dara-Akua.  The mountains, overrun with sulfuric deposits, appear to have an amber tint to their makeup and release a heavy gaseous exhaust from the geysers that litter its uppermost slopes.  The mountains remain stripped of most life and emit the horrendous smell of rotten egg that extends across the entire island.

Amilil
    Amilil is one of three guardian angels created by Ereom to protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings.  She is the guardian of nature, a part of the world’s essence, carefully keeping watch over Talliaen and all life found upon it.  Endowed with great intelligence and compassion, Amilil protects the world of mortals from irreversible damage from the whims of gods, the fallen, and even mortals themselves.  She is rigid in her duties, never taking sides in mortal battles, always conscience of catastrophic occurrences, and never swayed by promises of power or greatness.  Amilil appears as beautifully radiant, humanoid female with long, sweeping wings of golden feathers, deep blue eyes, and long brown hair.  She always wears dark green raiment and wields a giant, two-handed sword known as Teliah.

Angel
    Angels exist in four separate levels of being, guardian angles, ruling angels, and the indrin.  Guardians are the protectors of the heavens, the underworld, and the world of mortals.  Rulers are the balance within all of existence.  Archangels hold sway within the matters of virtues, dominions, and principalities.  Indrin are generally considered the common angels, assistants to various gods and goddesses.  All angels are endowed with life, speech, and reason and have both a spiritual and corporeal form.  They always cast a shadow, due to the presence of their soul, and are all subject to words of power.  Angels and demons will go to war with one another if their paths happen to cross in either the ethereal or mortal worlds.  They will put all other efforts aside in an attempt to slay one another.  If an angel is slain by any outside the mortal realm it will cease to exist.


Angel of Mercy-see Feren.

Angels of Chaos-see Bacias, Jerra, and Joris.

Anlaur Mountains
    The Anlaur Mountains is a range found in the southwest portion of the Kingdom of Valendane.  The mountains extend east to the Rast River, west to the edge of the Eshur Mountains and Dragon Mountain, its highest peak and the official end to the range, north to meet the great grasslands of the Western Duchy, and south to the coast of the Gulf of Solentene.  The rock of the mountains is a gradual change from the mystic, black mineral of the Eshur Mountains to the grayish granite that marks the High Peaks.  The Anlaur is an area of Talliaen that has typically stood under the control of the r’kian race since civilization first began and is often a place viewed with great fear and respect.  There are very few mines found within the range and materials extracted are always of high quality, great value, and amazing makeup.

Aphia
    Aphia is known as the curse of pleasure and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with pleasure.  She has an erratic, simplistic, carefree, view of mortal life and is known for playing unpredictably within the terms of any pact she is involved with.  Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Aphia will aid that mortal in the completion of her end of the deal.  Though she cannot decide fate, she can influence it with changes in the physical world that will favor those she has set an agreement with.  She enjoys involving herself in actual action and typically handles her manipulation of events directly.  Her methods are based in pleasure, despite the havoc they may wreak within the mortal realm as pleasure grants her greater power and influence over existence.  She will intentionally alter perception and push any she is involved with to achieve their goals at any cost.  Aphia appears as a humanoid female always in the most appealingly provocative form available.  Her only constant is long, black fingernails, softly glowing green eyes, and large, green feathered wings that rise up above her shoulders and drape down across the ground.  She does not wield any weapon, an expert in physical combat and endowed with the ability to produce poison through both her fingernails and lips if she desires.  Only items blessed with magical or godly properties can cause her any harm.

Arae
    Arae is the name given to the chosen angels of Araem-Si.  These angels, usually very powerful dwarfs of great intellect, stand guard over the Halls of Knowledge.  They are always armored is silver, plate armor, wield golden war hammers, and can move freely through Talliaen, Tahlrad, and Baejan.

Aram
    Aram is the first month of the year.  It consists of twenty-six days and is the first month of winter.  It is extremely harsh, the final half of the month marked by terrible snow storms and strong, damaging winds.

Araem
    The god of knowledge.  He sided with Ereom during the Kialle-Poryae and, being terribly wounded, was forced to combine his essence with that of the god Si.  Araem is accredited with bringing intellectual thought into the world and endowing the would with philosophy, science, and the ability to solve and reason.

Araem-Si
    Araem-Si is the god of knowledge, of arts, and of the dwarfs and is the protector of both merchants and travelers.  He is attributed with the creation of philosophy, science, and the written word.  Araem-Si is the combined essences of Araem, the god of knowledge, and Si, the keeper of dreams.  During the Kialle-Poryae both gods were gravely injured and Si offered what remained of his essence to Araem so that they both might live.  The two were joined and their responsibilities and power became shared within a single being.  After Araem absorbed Si’s essence into his own, he incorporated a small portion of it into a pair of mortal beings, one male and one female, and brought them to life.  He protects those of industry, merchants and travelers, using them to spread his ethics and knowledge as their ingenuity is always tested and they always acquire knowledge, both new and old.  Araem-Si is commonly associated with anyone possessing great intelligence or any place established for the development or advancement of learning.
    Araem-Si resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Baejan, the Great War-Hall.  It is believed that every dwarf has a place of honor within this war-hall unless they have fallen out of favor with Araem-Si himself.  Those dwarfs that a viewed with disfavor are not allowed to enter and must spend eternity in Ronor.  Chosen angels, the Arae, stand guard over the Halls of Knowledge which are located somewhere in the depths of Baejan.  These halls are said to hold the combined knowledge of the universe and can only be entered by one’s soul during the meditation worship of Araem-Si.  He appears as a dwarf of great age with long silver hair and a deep gray beard.  He is always garbed in silver and blue armor and wields a white war hammer.  Araem-Si is always at odds with Meaje, the god of dreams and brother of Si, over Tahlrad, the river of dreams.
    There is only one religion associated with Araem-Si outside of the dwarven community, Araemism.  There are not any churches or monasteries within his service as universities and teaching temples are considered to serve as high places for his followers.  Araemists observe a single holy day known as Autaer, the day of knowing, which is celebrated on the twenty-second day of Aram.  It is believed that on this day, if one spends it in meditation, they will find the answers they seek.  In the dwarf communities an offering is given up to Araem-Si on the same day, as chosen by each nation, of each month.  The day chosen must be observed with a ceremony known as the Jural.  This ceremony consists of a series of contests in which intelligence, cunning, and skill in weaponry, husbandry, and science are tested and put on display until a single contestant remains to claim the tribal ring for each category.  The ring is worn by that individual until he/she fails to retain it during or fails to be present at one of the following Jurals.  The symbol of devotion by any of those following Araem-Si is a white war hammer raised before a red sun.

Araemism
    The worship of Araem-Si outside of dwarven communities.  The religion is the belief in the power of knowledge.  Intelligence is the center-piece to this belief, granting worshipers of Araem-Si access to the Halls of Knowledge, the ability to accurately predict the outcomes of events, exceptional military minds, and wonderfully sound intuition.  There are no churches or temples as universities and teaching temples serve as high places for the followers of Araem-Si.

Araemist-name given to followers of Araemism.

Archangel
    The archangels are a group of seven angles that were created by the tears of Ereom, the one-god, as he looked at the end of existence and wept.  They signify all aspects of Ereom’s being; love, compassion, healing, vengeance, mercy, retribution, and ill luck.  The angels are powerful, endowed with a portion of Ereom’s essence and are granted independent reign from Talliaen’s gods.  They are all are beautifully majestic beings and carry themselves in high regard to their position.  If an archangel is killed, its essence will pass into a mortal being, granting him or her immense power and eventually pushing them to near insanity until they die and assume the angels role.

Aren
    Aren is the god of rage and of strength.  He served originally as one of Tirgan’s, the god of war, three personalities, but was strong enough to free himself from the other two and become an independent entity soon after their creation.  Aren sided with Jornaum at the outbreak of the Kialle-Poryae, but returned to Ereom’s favor by leading Jornaum’s army away from the gateways of the universe, causing them to fail in their attempt to shut them.  Aren, though a god of good grace, is viewed as one of dark intent.  He is responsible for the uncontrolled rage associated with great warriors and the violent anger of common mortals.  It is believed that Aren takes control of one’s soul when the strong emotions of anger, hurt, loss, or helplessness reveal themselves.  The deeper the passion of an individual, the more control Aren can exert over them.
    Aren resides in the palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Aydras.  Aydras is a world of sheer madness.  It is believed that the cries of the enraged and insane continually echo through the War-hall of Aren, driving any who enter it utterly mad.  Aren’s chosen angels, insane according to most accounts, serve him by channeling the anger, fear, and madness of Aydras into a force that bestows a divinely inspired fervor upon those he has chosen to bless with his gift of rage.  Aren is commonly depicted as a male youth with long, white hair, dark red eyes, and a very muscular build.  His raiment is always some sort of white clothing or armor covered with red and black streaks.
    Though many warriors offer up random prayers and requests to Aren, there is only a single religion directly associated with him, the Renyar.  The Renyar are devoutly religious followers, mostly warriors and knights, believing that their battle-rage grants them strength and abilities far beyond those of normal mortals.  They have no specific days of worship, as they believe Aren can only be given proper service during war, drinking blood from fallen enemies and offering up their kills to him in worship.  Their temples, though rare, are always built at the sites of great battles and serve as places of offering for those seeking Aren’s grace. The symbol of Aren is a field of white with red and black lines scattered randomly across it.

Areum
    The tree of healing.  The tree was created by Delia, the goddess of mercy, medicine, and healing, and Ayradth, the goddess of nature.  Ayradth, incorporating a tiny portion of Delia’s essence, formed a seed that would grow into a spectacular tree possessing extraordinary power and planted it somewhere upon Talliaen.  The tree stands hundreds of feet in height with huge, upper limbs that extend outward from the trunk and then round down until they touch against the ground and make their way away from the main tree.  The tree has a black, chalky bark, heart shaped, toothed leaves, and small yellow berries that grow in clusters and dangle from the tree’s higher branch portions.  The bark of the tree is used as a sedative and pain reliever, its leaves are used to make thick teas used to alleviate mental anguish and exhaustion, and its berries are a powerful, healing antibiotic.  The tree remains hidden.

Argaen
    The realm of Redala, the goddess of music and dancing.  Argaen is a world filled with the music of harps and angelic choirs.  The realm is littered with silver pools that emit chiming notes when they are disturbed.  The floors and walls of Argaen are smooth, black marble and the air is crowded with wisps of white clouds.

Arajael
    The arajael is a ring worn by those serving Voshem, god of the night.  It is a cluster of five black gems, polished and cut into perfect circles, set into a base of white gold.  The ring must be blessed by a voesh to carry the essence of Voshem and lend true power to its wearer.

Art of Expression
    A type of art that arose during the awakening that expresses the hatred for the corruption that had been evident within both the government and the religious temples of the time.

Artrus
    Artrus is the lead dark temple of Linaehism.  World decisions in regard to the established religion are directed and ultimately judged by the leaders here.  It is located on the northeastern edge of Draeli Island and is protected from the island’s harsh environment by a mystic shield derived through the ancient magic of Talliaen.  The temple is crafted of black stone mined within the Western Spikes and stands out brilliantly against the deep yellow sand of the Golden Sea.  There are no settlements upon the island of Draeli other than the temples and all foods and water come from mystically devised means within the temple itself.

Aulrei
    Aulrei, the Horn of Darkness, is an ancient horn forged by the ealam in the mystic waters of the Don-Anuk.  The horn is a large instrument crafted from a combination of black granite and gold that has been colored with a dark gray tint.  When sounded, the horn emits a constant, low key hum of mystic notes that drain the strength, will, and courage from any that are not followers of an evil path.  As the notes pour from the horn a dark aura spreads its way through the affected air and slowly, over time, dims the horizon to the eye.  It takes an exceptional amount of magic ability to actually activate the instrument.

Aunael
    The gates of the dead and realm of Elai-Naemon, the god of the dead, alchemy, and the crossing.  The border between Aunael and Talliaen is a downward flowing wall of deep blue water.  As a soul enters this curtain of water from the direction of the mortal world it is marked as deceased and allowed to enter into Aunael.  Any being that is not so marked is barred from entering by towering gates crafted from violet quarts and violently jettisoned back into the world of the living, more often than not returning to life as an undead creature.  Aunael is a mountainous world covered with lush tropical forests and clear, blue rivers.  This realm exists at a midway point between life and death.  Its likeness resembles the mortal world to such a degree that it sometimes allows for souls to be actually unaware of their death and go about as if they were still living beings.  Commonly, souls remain at peace while they reside here awaiting their final judgment.

Aurela, Ollorna (15,042b-10,801b)
    Daughter of Aurela Aldarion born in 15,042b.  She became the queen of the r’kian in 12,698b with the death of her mother and named Rayl-Shre as her vaur.  She advanced the system of education, believing that the ancient knowledge was an important aspect of the r’kian civilization.  Her rule was a boon for the magic-born.  She advance the use of magic with the dwarf clans, she formed relations with the elves, and she made a push for improving the arts and literature aspects of the r’kian race.  Peace ruled for the majority of Ollorna’s rule, only blemished by the thousand year war.  She ruled as queen until her death in 10,801b.

Aurora
    Aurora is the realm of Laera-Madeas, goddess of good fortune, the hearth, sky, and sun.  The realm appears as an endless plane of shining stars with no roof, walls, or floor.  Fire lords, one form of Laera-Madeas’s chosen angels, keep watch over Aurora’s boundaries.  Movement through the realm is done on paths of sunlight that cross it in long, thin strands.  Laera-Madeas and her chosen angels replenish Talliaen’s sun continually with the vast energies found within her realm. 

Autaer
    Holy day celebrated by the Araemists.  Autaer, the Day of Knowing, is held on the twenty-second day of Aram.  It is believed that if one spends this day in deep meditation they will be able to enter the Hall of Knowledge and discover the answers they seek.

Autrianism
    The belief that the sun is the center of all life.  It is believed that the sun is a constant, always rising into the sky each morning, and therefore it is important to be continuous in their work, believing in unwavering patience.  The sun gives energy and life to Talliaen.

Autrianist-name given to the followers of autrianism.

Avesar, Thane
    Thane Avesar is the youngest of twin sons born to Eimaj, king of the ealam, in 21,851b.  He is cruelly treated by his father and his brother, Erynn, throughout most of his young life and rebels against Erynn’s kingship in 18,642b.  After warring with the hierarchy for almost ten years, Thane is defeated and is exiled, along with those faithful to him, from the ealam civilization.  He founds the elf community and is named its king in 17,231b under the name Thane Avesar, adopting the r’kian tradition of taking two names instead of only one.  Under his rule, the elves develop a system of education, an elected hierarchy for all positions under that of the royal family, equality in treatment of law regardless of position, and a push for exploration and the acquisition of knowledge.  The elf race is stripped of all detrimental ealam traditions and considers itself an enlightened community.  Vilar is built in 16,993b to be the seat of power for the elves and its complete design is accredited to Thane Avesar.  He did so as it was very important to him to lead his people to great stature within Talliaen and was certain of every aspect of how the elves should be ruled and seen by others.  Thane is killed in 16,592b by Bartholomew in ambush and, with no blood heir, his line comes to an end.

Awakening (3,520b-3,297b)
    The awakening is in reference to the two hundred years of peace that enveloped Talliaen.  It was during this period that art, science, social reform, and economic reform all advanced in dramatic fashion across the world.  Each existing civilization began to move forward increasing their knowledge in regard to the facts of existence and the expression of unknown influences through both art and magic.  Great advances in all facets of life occurred during this period of time and, though advancing at a crippling pace, the world began to evolve toward industrialization.

Awran
    Awran is the realm of Kier, goddess of the past, Vole, goddess of the future, and Elizia, goddess of the present.  Its actual physical state is arbitrary, never the same for any significant length of time except at one end.  From this end, stones rise up from a solid ground and shape themselves into mountains as they are added to when time passes.  Barely visible strands of light and dark wash over the mountains and stones from this end and pass outward into a vast horizon.  As these strands near the far end of Awran, some begin to darken while others vanish completely.  Images of battles, disasters, births, and deaths appear here and there throughout Awran, most never anything more than fleeting shadows.

Ayani
    Ayani is the daughter of Aldarion and sister to Aurelia Aldarion born in 21390b.  It is believed that she was in command of the essence of Ayradth, the goddess of nature, the hunt, gardens, agriculture, fields, rain, and emotion.  Her importance to the world was known by the r’kian immediately upon her birth and, along with her twin sister Sadarie, she was placed into a position of high stature and taught from an earlier age the respect for and use of the ancient magic that she possessed.  She had the ability to commune with all animals, to sway the weather, and to bring to the r’kian such an abundance of agricultural supply that they were never at any want for nourishment.  History states that she was impetuous, typically awash with an array of wild emotions at a moments notice.  She held this demeanor from early childhood until her death in 16898.  Though she officially died of accidental poisoning, it is generally believed that she intentionally ate of poisonous vegetation and gave herself up to nature in order for her essence to return to the heavens.  In 21009b, Ayani begins an agricultural renaissance that sweeps through the r’kian community.  She brings to her kind an enlightenment that leads to the development of new food sources and the breeding of extravagant blooming plants that still reside within Talliaen.  Upon her death, her body was taken into the Anlaur Mountains and allowed to decompose and pass her essence back into the lifeblood of the world.  In ancient manuscripts Ayani is described as a r’kian female of great, youthful beauty with long, white hair and penetrating, amber eyes.


Aydras
    Aydras is the realm of Aren, god of rage and strength.  Also known as the War-hall of Aren, it is a realm of madness and chaos.  The screaming of the insane and the cries of rage are said to echo through the war-hall, deafening any that may enter it and eventually causing insanity.  The world is a dark cavern filled with the chosen souls of those that faithfully served Aren.  The madness of Aydras is so powerful that it sometimes manages to escape and seep out into the world of mortals causing sheer chaos and utterly destructive insanity in those that it comes into contact with.

Ayradth
    Ayradth is the goddess of nature, the hunt, gardens, agriculture, fields, rain, and emotion.  All the elements of nature fall under her, she holds sway over the weather, and can subvert time to suit her needs.  She is seen as nature’s guardian, acting as the protector of all animals, great or small, good or evil, and is the overseer of all of Talliaen’s forests.  She gives hunters skill and provides food through the hunt.  Ayradth is also associated with a wide range of emotions, impetuousness, and the behavior of children.  She brings an innocence to the world as her straightforward actions and uncompromising attributes attest to.  It is believed that she was brought to life when Ereom sundered the sky and earth.  The heavens wept at her birth and the earth shook violently as life was given to her.
    There are not any formal religions associated with Ayradth, though she does have a small following that does not practice any real religious foundation.  These followers are known as naturalists and believe that the races of Talliaen were brought into being to enhance and care for nature.  Ayradth’s prosperity is directly associated with that of Talliaen’s nature.  They believe that all living creatures are bound together, that each mortal soul corresponds with a specific type of animal and act accordingly.  Naturalists forbid themselves from harming, or through their actions bring harm to, anything existing within nature without just cause.  They do not eat most meats as eating meat, other than pork, is believed to dull the mind.  Temples built in her honor are known as Naeltal-im and are great gardens, usually quite exotic, of flowers and trees of all types that are grand monuments dedicated to the ultimate preservation of nature.  These gardens are believed to be cared for by Ayradth and her chosen angels and once crafted, they are left to themselves.  Her symbol, usually only worn by naturalists, is that of an outstretched oak.
    Ayradth resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Naeltal, the Garden of Life.  Within this garden, a single plant grows for each life upon Talliaen.  Her chosen angels, forest spirits, serve her here by tending to the garden.  She employs elemental spirits within the world of mortals to do her bidding.  Fire represented by scorpions, earth by bulls, wind by ravens, and water by sharks.  Ayradth is commonly depicted as a small female child of any race or appearance.  Her head is always crowned with garlands and she is always attired in browns and greens.  She possesses both the might of a god and the unpredictable nature of a small child.




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Bacias
    Bacias is one of three ruling angels created by Ereom to hold sway over the capriciousness of destiny.  Bacias serves as the mediator of chaos, resolving the disputes between the personalities of Joris, the vacillating half of chaos, and Jerra, the constant half of chaos.  In creating this angel, Ereom took a portion of the essences of Alysa, granting patience, intuition, and resolution, and Eadil, granting honesty, wisdom, and an insight into universal truth.  Offering a special insight into the workings of existence, Bacias deciphers he full outcome of every event, birth, death, fortune, war, and fame, and balances the universe through the use of addition and subtraction.  As an angel he serves for the betterment of existence, favoring mortals because of the disruptive influence of the unimaginable power of the gods.
    Bacias stole fire from Kiyah and brought it to the mortals, brought about the birthing of the gods into mortal beings, and brought disease to Talliaen, plaguing each race with specific weaknesses.  Bacias appears as an androgynous being garbed in brown raiment with long, brown hair, full wings of yellow feathers,  and burning, amber eyes.  He caries with him small, golden orbs that are dropped into the streams of time as unique intuition leads him to do so.

Baejan
    Baejan is the realm of Araem-Si, god of knowledge, of arts, and father of the dwarfs.  It is known as the Great War-Hall as it serves as an eternal home for those dwarfs that are both skilled in war and favored most by their god.  It is believed among the dwarfs that they are all born with a place of importance within this hall, but may receive their place only through great accomplishment during faithful service to their lord.  Time here is spent reminiscing of past deeds, participation in feats of skill and mock wars, and gorging in food and drink.

Baetol
    The realm of Theron, the god of love.  Baetol is a world filled with the anger and hate of misplaced love.  It stands upon the top of a mountain surrounded by clouds of black and white.  All the cries and curses of those wounded by love make their way to Baetol and echo within the rocks and valleys filling it until they are finally consumed within a great fire that burns at the very center of the realm.

Baraq
    Baraq is the boatman of Tahlrad and one form of Meaje, the god of sleep and of dreams.  Baraq is more of an unseen presence, glimpses of him only seen in shadows and along the dim edges of one’s vision..  The physical picture of him is as a skeletal being, very large in makeup, shrouded in thick, black robes with haunting red eyes.  He rides upon Tahlrad in a wide, wooden sloop lined along its edges with the skulls of all types of mortal beings.  The sloop is a very imposing vision and distills fear within anyone actually looking at it directly.

Bartholomew
    Bartholomew, born in 22,493b, is one of the last two dragons born within the true bloodline of the ancient dragons.  He is the brother to Shai-Laur and is in possession of the essence of pure evil magic.  He is the offspring of Renalk and Naenri and along with his brother, the oldest dragon in existence.  Bartholomew slew his mother, Naenri, while she was in a weakened state shortly after his birth and came to lead the dragon clan in 17,231b after killing Renalk during combat challenge.  He founded the League of the Dragon in association with the ealam and led it to dominate the rising evil within Talliaen.  Bartholomew is a violet scaled dragon, heavily muscled along the length of his entire body, and has the traditional claws of the ancients, a vast wing span, coal black eyes, and the power of magic reserved for the gods.  He is a violently brutal dragon, well known for his angry temper and the dark methods he has used in dealing with both mortals and gods.

Battle of Don-Anuk
    Battle between the League of the Dragon and the r’kian in 11,267b.  Ealam and dragon forces made an attempt to overrun the Don-Anuk, a place of great mystical energy and importance to the r’kian, and use the power drawn from its waters.  Foreseeing the attempt by the league to gain control over the well, Rayl-Shre, then vaur of the r’kian, led a small army into the Eshur mountains to protect the mystic water it held.  The assault by the league was vicious, great importance laid upon a victory by their forces.  Rayl-Shre managed to hold the Don-Anuk for three weeks against a massive force and in the face of long odds.  The battle ended as r’kian reinforcements arrived and the invading army of the League was routed.  Myth tells that the gods raised Rayl-Shre’s dead body up into the heavens and to immortality near the battles end in a thundering flash of blinding, white light.

Bethas
    Bethas is a r’kian female born a thousand years before the first dragon war in command of the essence of Kier, the goddess of the past.  Her importance to the world was unrevealed at her birth and hidden behind the drive of a young r’kian to become a great and powerful military leader as she grew inter her abilities.  Bethas was born into a high ranking family and went into the r’kian military establishment at a very young age.  She excelled there, meticulously reorganizing battle planning and developing new ideas that would become the basis for military strategies for the r’kian officers.  She rose quickly within the ranks, studying closely with the dragons Vivaria and Elinen during their time within the r’kian community.  In 20,865b she makes herself known within the r’kian race when she assumes command as a r’kian warlord in action against the ealam.  She develops the ability to alter the perception of events as they pass and learns to hide portions of the past to force knowledge and sometimes events to become lost in the streams of time.  With her strength in masking facts and clouding the truth, Bethas becomes a power far greater than any military leader of her time.  She turns the war in favor of the r’kian and brings about the military triumph over the ealam forces.  She serves as the r’kian warlord for the four thousand years until she dies of age in 16,499b.  Bethas is described as an extremely tall and thin r’kian female with long, silver hair that drags against the ground as she walks and a wrinkled, aged appearance.  She was said to always dress in dark colors and is rumored to have a blackened aura that flowed off her in thin strands.

Betrayed Race-see r’kian.

Bill of Landing
    Receipts of shippers listing all passengers and goods carried.

Binding of Blood
    A blood sacrifice offered to Jornaum on the holy day known as Daenora.  In this ceremony his followers wear a crown of iron thorns, dance nude within a sacred circle of burned vegetation, and sacrifice a captive, held and tortured in spiked pits for a period of five days, just before the sun rises the following morning.  As the sun begins to rise, blood gathered from the sacrifices is thrown wildly into the living forest around the ceremony site. 

Birthing
    The day of a being’s actual birth.  When one is born, it is generally considered that they have entered their first year of life and are therefore one.  The end of a year marks the end of a specified age.

Black Pit-see Taeb.

Blood Ritual
    The blood ritual is a ceremonial practice done by the followers of Raen-Uel during the Uemael.  Followers cut themselves and wash the items they will sacrifice to their god within their own blood.  After the blood is dried the items are thrown into an offering pit.

Boatman of Tahlrad-see Baraq.

Bringer of Death-see Naozin


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Cameron
    Cameron is one of three guardian angels created by Ereom to protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings.  He is the guardian of the gates of Ilysias, alertly standing guard before the fiery mountains that surround the violent, unforgiving provinces of the underworld.  Endowed with great physical strength and skill, Cameron protects the underworld from intrusion by mortal beings and prevents the fallen from entering the world of mortals.  He is rigid in his duties and never waivers in those commitments despite the constant temptations presented to him by the fallen.  Cameron alone has the power to freely breech the barrier of the fiery mountains of Ilysias and serves as an escort to those souls sentenced to spend their afterlife here.  Cameron appears as a male humanoid with large wings of soft, black feathers, shrouded in white raiment, and wields a giant silver bladed scythe known as Roshfane.

Carista, Nikol (???-)
    Nikol Carista serves as the r’kian queen upon their return from a second exile in 472a.  It is believed that she was born in the possession of the essence of Eleigha, the goddess of fate.  Though the r’kian were resigned to never return to Dalpon, Nikol commanded and the magic that barred the gates was lifted.  She has removed her race from its previous need for isolationism and openly seeks to negotiate with the other races of Talliaen.  It is her intention that the r’kian will help form and be integrated into the new world that is perceived to be at its beginning.  Nikol Carista appears as an exceptionally beautiful r’kian female with long, silver hair, aquamarine eyes, large lips, and a pale tint to her skin.  She has the ability to wield the most ancient of the world’s magic and always has in her possession a two foot rod of smooth, white wood that is believed to give her clarity in all decisions and actions she involves herself within.

Casting of Blood
    A religious ceremony practices by the Linaehists.  In this ceremony an individual, thought to be in contradiction to the heavens, is strapped into a wooden chair designed with a circular opening in the resting block of the right arm and forced to bleed into a large, rock bowl that rests beneath the chair.  This is considered to be the bleeding away of one’s sins against the heaven.  If the blood loss does not kill, the offender is forgiven his wrongs and the blood is poured into moving water and washed across the world.

Celebration of Death
    Festivals held on the eighth day of Alaer in honor to Elai-Naemon, god of the dead.  The festivals coincide with Naevatas and calls for the burning of monuments built for this day to pay respect to the deceased.

Chameleon
    A humanoid creature that possesses a mystic ability that allows it to take any possible form that it chooses.

Church of One
    The Church of One is the official religious establishment of linaehism.

Church of Union
    The Church of Union is the official religious establishment of ereomism.

Corrupter of Virtue-see Michael.

Curse of Pleasure-see Aphia.

Curse of Pride-see Urilan.


                                                 D


Daenora
    Holy day celebrated by the Ilysists on the sixth day of Rashaen.  On this day all of Jornaum’s followers are bound to offer him a blood sacrifice in a ceremony known as the binding of blood.  In this ceremony followers wear a crown of iron thorns, dance nude within a sacred circle of burned vegetation, and sacrifice a captive, held and tortured in spiked pits for a period of five days, just before the sun rises the following morning.  As the sun begins to rise, blood gathered from the sacrifices is thrown wildly into the living forest around the ceremony site.

Daew
    The daew are a guild of assassins, extremely rare, that adhere to the beliefs of marism.  They are bound by honor and act upon requests that target those that can be proven guilty of a serious crime.  The daew proceed only if the voesh of the temple they serve clears an assassination.  They are distinguished by the absence of the lobes on both ears.

Dalpon
    Castle built by the r’kian in 26,580b to serve as their seat of power.  The castle is a vast structure, constructed from white granite mined in the Kale Mountains, and is a focal point of extraordinary magic properties.  It stands in an octagonal pattern with fifty foot towers erected at each of its eight corners and is surrounded by an extremely wide moat that draws in rushing water diverted by channels from the nearby Rast River.  Dalpon sits at the northern edge of the Anlaur Mountains on the western side of the Rast River.  Its walls are massive, nearly thirty feet in height with a width of fifteen feet.  The castle is basically a township and contains one of the most exotic, magnificent gardens honoring the goddess Ayradth.

Dance of Masks
    Dance performed during the celebration of death.  Masks are made and worn throughout naked dances done around a flaming monument to the dead.

Dancing the Souls
    A dance of worship performed by the hadra.  In this dance individuals place themselves into a deep trance and allow their inner self to assume control over their body and they reveal their spirit through a wild and very erotic dance.

Daniel
    Daniel is one of seven archangels created by the falling tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe.  Daniel serves as the angel of healing, endowed with true compassion born from the essence of Ereom.  He appears before the dieing, asking them to judge their own souls and offering death or miraculous recover in order to place their inner being at peace.  He holds within his self the desire of the one god to cure existence of the evil that he himself cursed it with during creation.  Daniel is Ereom’s will to heal and attempts to do so through cleansing the souls of the damned, relieving small children of their illnesses and handicaps, and bringing cures and the knowledge of cures into being.  He willing associates himself with the goddess Delia and is often regarded as one of her own faithful angels.  Daniel appears as an ancient humanoid male, always the race of the one he reveals himself to, with long golden hair, deep violet eyes, a soft silver aura, and body length, bluish wings that drag against the ground as he walks.

Dara-Akua
    The largest of three islands to the southwest of the Western Spikes that make up the Kingdom of Jornaum.  The island is covered by despair and misery, outlined by a towering mountain range, the Amber Mountains, and a decayed forest. Graywood.  It is upon this island that Jornaum rests his power within the mortal realm in the palace known as Rala-Al-Ejeul.

Darabis
          Darabis is the realm of Jornaum, the god of evil, cunning, and deceit.  It is a realm of darkness and immense evil from which Jornaum rules over Ilysias.  The realm was removed from the Palace of Kalmaer and placed here by Ereom after the conclusion of the Kialle-Poryae.  Its dark walls and paths are created from the bones of mortal beings and the only river flowing through the realm is one of thick, sticky blood.  The wails of tormented souls echo through bottomless chasms and fear and despair hang in the air like a thick fog.

Dark Army
    The common name given to the forces of the ealam or of the

Dark Father-see Raen-Uel.

Dark Hunter-see Kellen.

Dark Island-see Dara-Akua.

Dark Lord
    A dark lord is the title given to the most devoted followers of Jornaum, the priests in temple service.  dark lords are granted great physical strength and endurance and the use of ancient magic.

Dark Temple
    Dark temple is the name given to the churches of Ilysism.

Dark Tomb-see Sha-Zacaera.

Darkstorm
    A mystical storm that spreads outward from a set point in a circular pattern.  The skies blacken, the earth trembles below it, and a dark, nearly black, rain falls from the clouds.  The storm drains the courage and strength from any caught within it.

Day of Knowing-see Autaer.

Day of Mercy-the final day of each month celebrated in honor of the goddess Delia.

Dead-God-see Etryl.

Dead-King
    The title Jornaum, the god of evil, cunning, and deceit, takes when he assumes his physical form in Talliaen and rules over the islands of Dara-Akua, Mavas, and Draeli from his palace, Rala-Al-Ejeul.

Death Troll-see Triel-Quiel.

Delia
    Delia is the goddess of mercy, healing, medicine, and of prophecy.  She is believed to be a favorite of Ereom and is one of the most revered gods among the races of Talliaen.  As the goddess of healing, medicine, and mercy she shows no prejudices, serving the needs of both good and evil beings.  It is believed that she brings a merciful death to any asking of it from her and offers those that have been injured relief from their pain through delirium and unconsciousness.  Anyone endowed with the gifts of healing are said to have been blessed by Delia while within their mother’s womb, and are granted the ability to develop their powers once they actually pass into the physical world of the living.  No child blessed by Delia can die in birth and it is widely believed that the life essence of their own mother is passed into them if she dies herself and the child lives.  Such cases are destined to become healers of Delia and they are always afforded a noble rank.  Ereom entrusted her with all prophecy and she grants its use to both the good and the evil of Talliaen.  Prophecy, due to the potential uses it may have, is never fully revealed, often misinterpreted and granted most often in incomplete accounts.  However, Delia is always truthful in the prophecy she and her chosen spread into the world.
      There are not any defined religions associated with Delia, though her name is evoked regularly when the need of her services arise.  Prayers are offered up to her directly through Ereom and healing temples stand in her honor across Talliaen.  The final day of each month is traditionally observed as a day of mercy.  On this day services for the poor and disabled are offered by most healing temples and collections are taken up to help support the continued running of these temples.  It is commonly believed that Delia appears to those that have properly honored her throughout their lives on the evening before their death.  At this time she grants the doomed a single wish.  If the wish is favorable in her eyes she will answer it, always leaving behind a white rose to mark her passing.
    Delia resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Ni-Yaela.  Her chosen angels serve in the capacity of gatherers, stealing the souls of those that have earned her mercy from the grasp of Kelah, Samuel, and Elai-Naemon, to whom they answer.  These souls are brought to Ni-Yaela and remain there until the time of their judgment arises.  Ni-Yaela is believed to take on the appearance of each soul’s greatest memory and create a realm taking root within that memory.  Delia appears as a woman of considerable age with long white hair and blue, piercing eyes.  She wears a white gown, a necklace made of dove feathers, and is always bare footed.

Demon
    Demon is the name given to angels that have been stripped of their soul and adhere to the darker side of existence.  It is believed that they are the equal to archangels as they wield great power and presence.  A demon can only enter the mortal world if they are called forth by a being already within that realm and will remain until it has been killed and its physical form has been destroyed.  If a demon’s corporeal body is destroyed, it cannot again be called back for a period of five years.  They appear as witnesses in all pacts made between mortals and the gods of Ilysias.  A demon will never cast a shadow as it does not have a soul.  Demons and angels will go to war with one another if their paths happen to cross in either the ethereal or mortal worlds.  They will put all other efforts aside in an attempt to slay one another.  If a demon is slain by any outside the mortal realm it will cease to exist.

Demon of Ilysias-see Kellen.

Derad Starflower
    The derad starflower is a large flower, standing nearly seven feet tall, with a large bulb covered in tiny leaves of many colors.  The flower emits a strong, fruity fragrance that is favored among merchants throughout Talliaen.  The bulb of the starflower is inset with a series of phosphorescent veins that cause the flower to glow in bright yellows and oranges as the sun fades from the sky.  The flower, found in the Forest of Derad in the Kingdom of Rijuan, is very expensive and is a prized asset to the gardens of the wealthy.  The seeds of the derad sunflower are valued as love charms and are used in the creation of a specialized perfume.  The seeds are usually ground into a power and soaked into a thin oil that retains the flower’s odor enough to be used as the base for the actual perfume.

Destroyer-see Odaku.

Dirum
    Dirum is known as the slayer of man and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with death.  He has an angry and tormented view of mortal life and is known for taking part in violently brutal slayings.  Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Dirum will aid that mortal in the completion of his end of the deal.  Though he cannot decide fate, he can influence it by alterations in the physical world that favor those he has an agreement with.  He throws himself directly in the planning of events and the leading of armies as death grants him power and prestige within the mortal realm.  He will constantly push any he is involved with to achieve their goals no matter the cost.  Dirum appears as a giant, humanoid male with scaly, odorous skin, a muscular build, dark black hair, white eyes, and expansive, white feathered wings.  He has long, razor like claws and wields a golden spear known as Naozin, the bringer of death.

Don-Anuk
    The mystic well hidden within the caverns of the Eshur Mountains.  The well is believed to grant exceptional power to anything dipped in its water.  The Don-Anuk, Earth’s Well, is a place of power to the elf and r’kian races.

Doombringer-see Ainyara.

Dracoar
    A horse like creature used as mounts by the ealam.  They are very large and powerful, possess a poisonous bite, and have the ability to breathe short bursts of fire from their wide nostrils.

Draeli
    Draeli is one of the three islands that make up the Kingdom of Jornaum.  Draeli is the second largest of the three islands and is a plateau that lifts about two hundred feet above the water of the Gulf of Solentene.  The entire island is super heated, believed to be done with mystic properties, and is home to the Golden Sea, a desert of deep, yellowed sand.

Dragon
    The common name given to the followers of Ilysism.  The name comes from the fact that Jornaum took the mantle of dragon lord away from the ancient dragons.  As his followers, Ilysists see it as a matter of honor to be called a dragon.  Dragons are the most ancient race of intellectual beings on Talliaen.  They are the first among the magic-born, created by the god Othrum Elendrew while the world was still very young.  The dragons are tremendous creatures, impressive in intelligence, magic power, and physical strength.  They were among the earliest of beings to turn toward self importance and a dark nature.  Many of the dragons were locked away by Ereom, the one-god, after the Kialle-Poryae as they sided with Jornaum against the heavens.  The dragon clan, known in the present world as the league of the dragon, consist of all living dragons and is ruled by a single leader.  Leadership may only change through death or through a challenge made by a lesser dragon.  Dragons range in many colors, temperaments, powers, and moral judgment.

Dragon Flower
    A flower that grows only upon the high ridges of the great plates, originally produced as the blood of the dragons Shai-Laur and Bartholomew struck the soil as they warred for control of the dragon clan.  The flower blooms once a year, at night, bursting into flames as the morning’s first light touches it.  The fields of dragon flowers burn for several hours and light up the horizon in swirling blues, yellows, and reds.

Dragon/Human War (4,518b-4,439b)
    The war between the dragons and human mountain clans began in 4,518b with the destruction of several human settlements in the Echaine and Eshur Mountains by the dragon clan.  The dragons dominated the war in the first fifteen years eventually causing the mountain clans, which were typically at odds with one another, to band together for their own survival.  The humans resorted to ambush warfare, hiding in remote areas and attacking dragons in mass when they found them alone or in small groups.  In 4,442b the dwarfs, who had entered the war in 4,513b, were forced from Ueshain and they gathered with the scattered human clans to forge broader, well devised attacks on the dragons.  Though the humans and dwarfs managed to defend themselves to a great degree, the constant attacks by a far superior force finally brought the war to an end in 4,439b with the dragons gaining full control over the Echaine and Eshur Mountains and both the humans and dwarfs pushed out.

Dragon/League of the Dragon War (12,438b-11,846b)
    In retribution for the dragon clan liberating itself from Jornaum’s control, he destroys Dragon Temple, a sacred place for the clan, in 12,438b.  The dragons declare war upon the League of the Dragon and are forced into battle with the Kingdom of Jornaum and Dikeshia.  The war wages for six hundred years, with heavy losses to both the ealam and dragons, finally coming to an end in 11,846b with Jornaum and Bartholomew agreeing to separate rule and a formal military alliance between the dragon clan and the League of the Dragon.

Dragon Temple
    The dragon temple was built in 16,583b, temporarily destroyed in 12,438b and rebuilt, by the ealam and the dragon clan.  It was built in the High Peaks range just west of the Zaul River, crafted from black marble, mined from a site across the Gulf of Solentene, and lies in a plateau high within the mountains.  The structure can comfortably house ten thousand soldiers, a large enough staff to perform upkeep, and sits upon a vast array of underground caves designed to allow for allowing dragons to dwell.  All of the temple’s halls and rooms are large enough for both ealam and dragon to move through them freely and are adorned with precious metals and stones and items of unimaginable value.  An ancient library sits in a large underground room.  The library contains all known information in regards to Talliaen’s ancient magic.  The room is warded by interwoven spells of both the dragon and ealam natures.  Dragon Temple serves as a place of honor between these two races and all combinations of their magics, all treaties, and agreements made between the races are done here.

Dragon/Troll War (10,613b-10,479b)
    In 10,613b the dragon clan, under the control of Bartholomew, makes a move to force the trolls into submission and service to its will.  Though the trolls were subjugated by Jornaum and the League of the Dragon, they did not remain so to the clan when it freed itself from Jornaum’s rule.  Troll infringement into territory controlled by the dragons led to eventual retaliation and defense of their land.  The dragons are of the ancient order and saw the trolls as a lesser, almost meaningless race of beings that, due to its population increase and trespassing into areas that did not belong to them, were in desperate need of control.  The dragons began the war through the mass extermination of existing troll settlements.  It was ruthless and bloody and the trolls, a hardy and fierce warlike race, organized and retaliated against the dragon clan.  The war raged for almost a hundred and fifty years, finally ending in the inevitable defeat f the trolls by the far superior race of dragons.  Sheer power and mystic ability outweighed the raw, but lesser strength and greater number of the troll clans.  In 10,479b the trolls submitted to subjugation by the dragons with the conditions of self rule, no intrusion into dragon controlled territories, free will unless called upon by the clan, and complete deference to dragons of any rank.

Dragon War
    Name given to the war between the dragon clan and the r’kian lasting from 21,427b until 20,343b.  Fearful of the magic power possessed by the r’kian, Renalk led and invasion into the, still young, r’kian kingdom.  The first few years of the war were its most brutal.  The dragons were set on complete annihilation of the entire r’kian race and acted accordingly to do so.  The population was devastated, the loss of life and magic power immeasurable in regards to any other event in Talliaen’s history.  Eventually, the dragons were slowed and they too began to be systematically destroyed as the war continued for hundreds of more years.  Neither the dragons nor the r’kian would let up in their hatred of each other and need for revenge and it was not until Aurela Aldarion, first queen of the r’kian, and Renalk were able to come to an uneasy peace in 20,343b that the open hostilities were ended.

Dragon War II
    Name given to the war between the League of the Dragon and the r’kian lasting from 13,950b until 13,700b.  With the power held by the League of the Dragon, the r’kian forged a series of devastating assaults upon the ealam population.  In a matter of months, with the stunned ealam kingdom unable to withstand the invasion, the League of the Dragon declared war upon the r’kian and the dragons came to the defense of their allies.  The structure of the ealam kingdom managed to withstand the initial assault by the r’kian armies and, with the help of the dragon clan, managed to force the enemy’s front back, turning their retaliation into an eventual invasion.  In 13,947b, the army under the League’s control was able to utterly destroy Aalm, the largest center of population within the lands controlled by the r’kian.  With almost half of the existing r’kian population taken prisoner or killed, the forces of Aurela Aldarion spent the remaining years of the war in defense, very little progress being made, and the r’kian agreed to peace in 13,700b.

Dream Casting
    The ability to enter and have control over Tahlrad.  Dreams can be observed, altered, used to cause illness, and used to kill.

Dream Catcher
    Dream catchers are powerful users of magic that use Tahlrad to find, control, subdue, or destroy a being through the use of their dreams.  A catcher uses fear and uncertainty against a being to weaken them greatly within the world of dreams.  Here, they can dominate a person and even kill, if one dies within a dream they die in the mortal world.  Dream catchers can be identified by a medallion or a tattoo bearing the symbol of Meaje, a tree burning with black flames on a field of white.

Dream Chaser
    Dream chasers are user of magic that have the ability to use Tahlrad to lock powerful promises within a sleeping being’s subconscious and then identify the whereabouts of that person through their dreams.  As long as that person remains short of achieving their dreams, usually based on inner desires and twisted bits of prophesy that force them to seek greatness, they can always be found by a dream chaser.  Dream catchers can be identified by a medallion or a tattoo bearing the symbol of Meaje, a tree burning with red flames on a field of white.

Dream-Lord
          Dream-lords are a sect of followers of Meaje, the god of sleep and dreams.  They do not stand on ceremony and believe that Meaje has given them the ability to dream cast and therefore most find themselves in direct service to him.  Dream-lords identify themselves by either a tattoo or medallion bearing the god’s symbol, a tree burning with red flames on a field of white.  These items are allowed to travel into Tahlrad with the dream-lords and signify their right to operate freely within the realm.  They have the power to travel within Tahlrad between the existing dreams of others, alter dreams, manipulate  unconscious thought, search out others and temporarily control, subdue, or  destroy them.

Dream River-see Tahlrad.

Duke
    The title given to the appointed rulers of individual cities within the Kingdom of Valendane.

Dwarf
    The dwarfs are a race of sturdy, physically powerful mortals prone to living within the mountains of Talliaen.  They average four to five feet in height, typically have dark eyes and hair, live to near four hundred years of age, and, though relatively tidy and well organized, are an extremely unkempt group of people.  Dwarfs are exceptional in both mining and metal craft and their knowledge is prized among dealers in gems and precious metals.  Traditionally, the dwarf clans solve their feuds through blood combat, consider the use of magic sacred, and practice a strong felt equality among the sexes.  Facial hair is a sign of prestige as is skill with weapons, predominantly the use of hammers, axes, and maces of all types.