GODS AND RACES, AS UNDERSTOOD BY THE CITIZENS OF ANNUR
RACES
Nevariim—Immortal, beautiful, bucolic. Foes of the Csestriim. Extinct thousands of years before the appearance of humans. Likely apocryphal.
Csestriim—Immortal, vicious, emotionless. Responsible for the creation of civilization and the study of science and medicine. Destroyed by humans. Extinct thousands of years.
Human—Identical in appearance to the Csestriim, but mortal, subject to emotion.
THE OLD GODS, IN ORDER OF ANTIQUITY
Blank God, the—The oldest, predating creation. Venerated by the Shin monks.
Ae—Consort to the Blank God, the Goddess of Creation, responsible for all that is.
Astar’ren—Goddess of Law, Mother of Order and Structure. Called the Spider by some, although the adherents of Kaveraa also claim that title for their own goddess.
Pta—Lord of Chaos, disorder, and randomness. Believed by some to be a simple trickster, by others, a destructive and indifferent force.
Intarra—Lady of Light, Goddess of Fire, starlight, and the sun. Also the patron of the Malkeenian Emperors of Annur, who claim her as a distant ancestor.
Hull—The Owl King, the Bat, Lord of the Darkness, Lord of the Night, aegis of the Kettral, patron of thieves.
Bedisa—Goddess of Birth, she who weaves the souls of all living creatures.
Ananshael—God of Death, the Lord of Bones, who unknits the weaving of his consort, Bedisa, consigning all living creatures to oblivion. Worshipped by the Skullsworn in Rassambur.
Ciena—Goddess of Pleasure, believed by some to be the mother of the young gods.
Meshkent—The Cat, the Lord of Pain and Cries, consort of Ciena, believed by some to be the father of the young gods. Worshipped by the Urghul, some Manjari, and the jungle tribes.
THE YOUNG GODS, ALL COEVAL WITH HUMANITY
Eira—Goddess of Love and mercy.
Maat—Lord of Rage and hate.
Kaveraa—Lady of Terror, Mistress of Fear.
Heqet—God of Courage and battle.
Orella—Goddess of Hope.
Orilon—God of Despair.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BRIAN STAVELEY has taught literature, religion, history, and philosophy, all subjects that influence his writing, and holds an M.A. in creative writing from Boston University. He lives in Vermont with his wife and young son. The Emperor’s Blades is his first novel.
bstaveley.wordpress.com