Dryad-Born (Whispers from Mirrowen #2)



Druidecht: A class found in every kingdom except Kenatos. Those in Kenatos consider them superstitious pagans, though harmless. The knowledge of the Druidecht is only transmitted verbally from mentor to disciple. It teaches that the world coexists with a spirit realm known as Mirrowen and that the spirits of that realm can be communed with and enlisted for help. A Druidecht cannot heal innately, but it can enlist a spirit creature that can. When a disciple has memorized the unwritten lore and demonstrated sufficient harmony with nature and Mirrowen, he or she will be presented with a talisman that will enable them to hear the thoughts of spirit creatures and to be able to communicate back. The variety of spirit creatures is diverse and so Druidecht often only stay in one place for a few years and then move to another place to learn about the denizens there. The Druidecht are the only outsiders trusted by the Boeotians to enter their lands unharmed.


Fear Liath: A spirit creature of great power known to inhabit high mountain country. Their presence causes fog and fear to disorient and terrify their prey. There are no recorded descriptions of a Fear Liath. They cannot tolerate sunlight.


Finder: A class found in nearly every kingdom, trained to search for lost items or people. They can track prints, discern clues, and are often hired as bounty hunters or guides. Finders trained in the city usually do not associate with those trained in the wild.


Fireblood: An innate magical ability possessed by a lost race. The race purportedly is the predecessor of the inhabitants of Stonehollow and is much persecuted. They appear to be a mix of Aeduan with some physical resemblance to Preachán for most have red or copper-colored hair. Their race is impervious to the Plague and for this reason they are distrusted and hunted during outbreaks and their blood dabbed on door lintels, which is commonly believed to ward off infection to the household. The real name of the race is unknown, but it is said they can conjure fire with their hands and that overuse of such innate ability renders them permanently insane.


Keramat: A Vaettir word for the innate ability to produce miracles, such as healing, raising the dead, traveling vast distances in moments, and calming storms. The secrets of the keramat are zealously guarded by the Vaettir and have not been disclosed to the Archivists of Kenatos.


Kishion: A class originating in the island kingdom of Kenatos. These are the Arch-Rike’s personal bodyguards and administer the city’s justice on those convicted of heinous crimes, such as murder, rape, and treason. Only Bhikhu and Finders are chosen to be Kishion and are given extensive training in survival, diplomacy, and poison. They are unswervingly loyal to the Arch-Rike and to the ideals of Kenatos.


Mirrowen: A concept and possibly a location. The Druidecht teach that the world coexists with a spirit realm called Mirrowen and that the inhabitants of each can communicate with one another. The realm of Mirrowen is said to be inhabited by immortal beings, called spirits, with vast powers. There is little belief in this dogma in the larger cities and they consider the belief in such a place trite and superstitious, a way of coping with the regular horrors of the Plague by imagining a state of existence where there is no death. The Druidecht suggest there is ample evidence of Mirrowen’s existence and roam the lands teaching people to be harmonious with nature.


Paracelsus: A class from Kenatos and Alkire. Enigmatic and reclusive, these practitioners of arcane arts study the records of the past to tame vast sources of power. Some Paracelsus excel at forging weapons of power to sell for profit in Havenrook. Others experiment with new sources of energy that they harness into powerful gems to be used by the ruling class. Most Paracelsus specialize in specific forces and phenomena and document their findings in great tomes that they contribute to the Archive of Kenatos. The Paracelsus Towers in Kenatos is the hub of their order though many travel to distant kingdoms to continue unraveling clues from the past.


Plague: A terrible disease that strikes the kingdoms at least once every generation, destroying entire cities and dwindling the population. There is no documented record of the origins of the Plague and over the millennia the kingdoms have drawn closer and closer together for the preservation of their races. Documents discovered in abandoned towns and fortresses reveal that there are complete civilizations that have been wiped out by the Plague and races that used to exist that no longer do. The island kingdom of Kenatos was founded to be a last bastion for civilization and to preserve all knowledge and a remnant of each surviving race.