by R Mountebank
End of Part 1
Glossary
I promised myself long ago that I would never write a book which required a glossary and a decoder ring to understand it, and while I prefer a hint of mystery in the books I read, I am also aware that not all people feel the same. To that end I have included a glossary of sorts to help understand the various races, characters and places that populate the story. The notes are only intended to give a little back ground information. If anything interests you, please go on-line or down to your nearest library. There is a wealth of fantastical stories and myths out there, handed down through the generations, told by fire side and under starlight to the delight of children and adults alike.
Warning: Potential spoilers ahead!
Races
The Ӕsir
The Norse pantheon of gods which include Odin, Thor and Loki. In this story, the Ӕsir had control over Scandinavia, Northern Europe and parts of Britain. They were in contention with the other gods for power, including the Sidhe and the Greeks/Romans. The Ӕsir and their rivals have been removed from the mortal plane by The New Order to make way for a new era of ‘logic and reason’. Their creations, the elves, live out the last of their days, plotting revenge against the New Order and each other.
Bugbears
They are traditionally a legendary creature akin to a hobgoblin, not a creature similar to a golem like I mistook them for. A line from David Bowie’s song ‘Jean Genie’ inspired me to create the ones in the book. I thought the line was, “And keeps all your dead hair for making a bugbear.”
Turns out I was wrong. So just to clarify, my bugbear is a creature woven from human hair and infused with herbs and flowers. A skin of plaster is painted on and enchanted eyes are inserted. They are utterly loyal to their master/creator.
The Elves/fair folk
The Elves of English folklore are descendants of Germanic and Norse mythology. They are portrayed as beautiful, intelligent and ambivalent beings with supernatural abilities and are often associated with sexual threats, seducing people and causing mischief or harm.
Ljósálfar (light elves) are associated with the Ӕsir, the Norse gods. It is unknown whether they were gods themselves. These elves live in the sky atop floating mountains which have parted with the base earth. They command the elements of light and air.
Dökkálfar (dark elves) represent the darker aspect of the elven race. They live beneath the ground and are described as swarthy and untrustworthy. They are more likely to meddle in the affairs of man as they harbour a great loathing for the mortal races. They command the elements of shadow and earth.
Svartálfar (black elves) are cousins of the Dokkalfar, also known as Dwarves. They too live beneath the ground, crafting machines of superior workmanship and cunning. Their skin is as ‘black as pitch’ and they are small of stature. Not much is known about them so far.
The Fairies/Sidhe
The Irish fairy or Sidhe (pronounced ‘shee’) have their roots as pranksters and mischief makers, more likely to steal away a maiden than to leave a pot of gold. They are descended from the Tuatha Dé Danann, some of the original inhabitants of Ireland whom were cast underground by the Milesians (mortal men). It is thought they lived in a magical parallel world, accessed through the Sidhe (earthen mounds) that are dotted throughout Ireland. The Tuatha Dé Danann were fearsome warriors and magicians who employed powerful artifacts in battle, and to that end I have chosen to keep their descendants the same. The Sidhe have spirit as their chief element, with a weak connection to either water, air or earth elements.
The Fomorians
The Fomorians predated the Tuatha De Danann on Ireland. The name is interpreted with either of being below or of the sea. Fomorian or Fomori was a term to describe pirates in Medieval Ireland. They were finally driven back to the ocean during their last battle when Lugh pushed Balors’s evil eye out of the back of his head with the help of his sling-shot, killing the waiting army behind him. The Fomorians have the element of water with a weak connection to air.
Goblins
Goblins appear in many European myths and stories. They are often characterized as small and annoying creatures with dim intelligence and a greed for gold. The goblins in this story come in all shapes and sizes, and are more sinister than baffling. Goblins have a connection to fire and earth elements.
The New Order
The New Order was issued by the governing body of the afterlife to enforce a stricter rule on the mortal plane. The decree imposes a ban to all magic and gods outside of paradise. All life to inhabit the mortal pane is to have a soul formed by the creator, and as such they believe any creature without one must be removed and destroyed. As many of the magical races were created by extinct gods for their own use, their ultimate death awaits them when the order is put onto full effect. Some seek to break the gates of life and fight The New Order; others seek to leave through it and continue to exist in other realities.
Not much is known about the figure or figures behind the order. Note that the decree became what they are known as.
The Sons of Remus/Western Hordes
Remus and Romulus are twin brothers, sired either by Mars or Hercules. When born they are abandoned by the river Tiber and left to die. They are carried away however and saved by a she-wolf who raises them as her own. Later a shepherd finds them and raises them until they are adults. The two boys are natural leaders and people begin to flock to their side. They learn of their true parentage. The twins kill their uncle and restore their mother’s husband to kingship. Instead of waiting to inherit the throne they decide to build their own city. Romulus wants to build on the Palatine hill, while Remus favors the Aventine hill. There is an argument and Remus is killed. Romulus founds Rome and is eventually deified as Quirinus, the god of Rome.
Rome was considered the center of the world; therefore it was a good candidate for housing the prime gates of Life, the Porta Caeli.
Remus survives his brother’s intended fratricide, however, and escapes westward along The Road with the help of brother wolves. Near the gates of Death he founds his own city, Scelus. Remus seeds a people that are part beast and feeds them on suspicion and hate. Remus sought nothing more than to destroy Rome and Quirinus, its divine protector. Remus died under mysterious circumstances triggering a civil war amongst his sons. Themus was crowned the victor, partly due to his deal with Stephen and his marriage with Maighdlin.
The Sons of Remus still follow the ways of their father and seek to destroy Rome and the gates of Life, making all life untenable on the mortal plane, before sacking heaven and placing themselves on the silver throne. The Sons have spirit as their element.
Places
The Afterlife
A strange land populated with the souls of the departed; filled with magic, intrigue and danger. The afterlife is an infinite plain, filled with infinite possibility, stretching out in all directions. Where there is sentient life on the mortal plain, there is an associated paradise and hell for it. Two major factions are at war in the afterlife; pro-Life and pro-Death.
Those that fight for Life are following the teachings of the creator. They believe the purpose of life is found through the bevy of emotions, hardships and successes which come with a mortal life, that to stay in the comforts of the afterlife would cheapen ones existence. If there is nothing to lose then there is nothing to gain. Pro-Life forces dominate the halls of paradise as these symbolise their power.
Those that fight for Death are tired of the endless cycle of mortality and rebirth. They believe paradise should be open for all and not just a select few. With no need for life, what need is there for the punishments of hell?
A third, mysterious force spreads through the afterlife like a cancer, destroying souls in its wake. Nothing can sate its ravenous hunger.
Avalon
A mystical island where England’s greatest warriors are taken to wait until Ragnarök comes when they will fight the demons and nightmares seeking to end the world. It is tended by the mysterious
‘silent sisters’ – creatures of the sea whose motives are unknown. Chief amongst its wards is King Arthur, Britain’s greatest warrior king.
Pennysworth town/county
Pennysworth is a magical place created by the collective minds of mankind. It embodies a perfect town or landscape that is dreamed about but never found, or similarly a place seen once but its location soon forgotten. The only way to find it is to be truly lost or have some connection to it. It is mainly populated with the descendants of the common people from legend. They are bigger, stronger and live longer than the average human as their blood-lines have not been diluted with the lesser mortals created after the New Order.
The Semita Mortuis/Gates of life and death
When The New Order was given, the magical lands and countries that inhabited the world were squeezed out of existence. They hang on by a thread, attached to the Semita Mortuis, known as The Road by many; the pathway of the souls for entering and departing the mortal plane. In the east stands the Porta Caeli, the gates of Life, symbolized by the rising sun and the cradle of humanity. In the west stands the Porta Ultima, the gates of Death, symbolized by the setting sun and the quest for new beginnings.
People
Arthur Pendragon
The fabled King of Britain whose existence has puzzled historians for years. The texts relating to Arthur straddle both the fact and fable. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia Regum Britanniae is the version that has inspired so many stories and is the basis for much of the Arthurian lore this book has incorporated.
Barnabas
A former naval cook with an inflated sense of purpose. Master of the kitchens.
Bodb Derg
The king of the Tuatha Dé Danann since they were exiled to their Sidhe mounds. He has lived an extraordinarily long life. Bodb is currently in negotiations with The New Order to leave the mortal plane. Bodb is very nervous about the Sons of Remus finding a way into his realm and seeks to find all born of Fairy, a condition set by the Order before his people can be safe.
Deidre
Mary’s curly, blonde-haired nemesis at Pennysworth Normal School. The daughter of a prominent farmer.
Iona
The master alchemist and ingredients expert. Iona is a former voodoo witch from the West Indies.
Jeniphur/The spider-tailor
The talented weaver of the adventurers’ signature garment.
Jeremy Ballard
The dangerous spymaster. Jeremy commands a wealth of strange and forbidden magic derived from the books and scrolls he specializes in.
John Smith
A prince of the Ljósálfar. John hides in Pennysworth while his people prepare to fight their enemy, the dark-elves. John commands the light and air elements and can commune with his ancestor spirits.
Kyron Bell
The master-thief and commander of the adventurers. Kyron is rumored to be the descendant of a famous giant killer from ages past. Quick, strong and smart, he has no equal in all of the shop.
Laedwynn
A princess of the Dökkálfar who can summon the shadows to her aid.
Mac O’Knives
Mac was formerly a Fomorian sea pirate of renown. Now he’s a winged brute in The Old Man’s army.
Merlin
Merlin is a key figure in later Arthurian legends and tales. Some stories have him as the bastard son of a mortal woman and an incubus or the union of a demon and princess who baptized him at birth. Merlin had many strange magical powers including prophecy and the ability to change shape and form. The figure of Merlin was originally created by Geoffrey of Monmouth for his Historia Regum Britanniae by combining Myrddin Wyllt (a prophetic madman) and Ambrosius Aurelianus (a Roman-British war hero).
Morgause
Morgause is King Arthur’s half-sister and the mother of their bastard son, Mordred. While married to King Lot of Orkney, she also bore Gawain, Gareth, Agravain, and Gaheris who all served as knights for King Arthur. She is often attributed with her sister, Morgan le Fay.
Maighdlin Derg
The daughter of Stephen and Maudhnait. Maighdlin married Themus and bore Mary and Remy. Maighdlin was captured by her grandfather and taken back to the Sidhe realm after she fled Themus, fearing for her life.
Mary of the House of Horn
The youngest member of the House of Horn. Mary is the daughter of King Themus of the Western Reaches and Maighdlin Derg of the Sidhe. As she is a mix of races, Mary’s magical abilities are unstable and often uncontrollable. She has a connection to spirit and another element which she is yet to master.
Maudhnait Derg
Daughter of Bodb Derg. Maudhnait met Stephen in Ireland while he was trapped in the fairy realm. They fled together when his time was up, and returned to Pennysworth. Maudhnait was taken by Bodb after the treaty between his people and The Sons of Remus fell apart.
Nuada of the Silver Hand
Nuada was the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann when they first arrived in Ireland. They soon encountered the Fir-Bolg and fought for dominance of the land. Nuada lost his right hand during a battle against an enemy champion. The Tuatha Dé Danann won but Nuada was removed as king, due to not being physically perfect. After Nuada’s hand was replaced by an artifact of silver made by a physician and wright, he was restored as king. Years later he died during another fight with the Fomorians, but was avenged by Lugh. Stephen came into possession of the god’s missing hand through his deal with The Old Man.
Percival
Percival is one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. He is attributed in Welsh mythology as Peredur. He is most famous for his quest for the Holy Grail. In some stories he comes from a noble background but is raised as a commoner in the woods by his mother, ignorant to the ways of men. Upon seeing a band of knights he fashions his own saddle and arms out of wooden branches and rides for Arthur’s court. Despite being laughed at and ridiculed by the noble knights, Percival proves his worth and joins the Knights of the Round Table.
Petri
The goblin quartermaster of the shop. Petri is slowly turning to stone due to The Old Man’s magical curse. A cudgel has replaced his cursed hand when it broke to pieces in a fight.
Remigius of the House of Horn
Mary’s older brother. Remigius has similar traits to Mary. His control of the magic he commands is far greater, however, due to his studies with his parents and the Dökkálfar. He is married to the Dökkálfar princess, Laedwynn and has a son who is yet to be named.
Robin Goodfellow
A fairy from Oberon’s court, also known as Puck. Goodfellow is a prankster who has appeared in many myths and tales over the centuries but is probably best known as one of the chief antagonists in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. It is unknown what faction he fights for or whether it is for himself.
Spring-Heeled Jack
A Victorian era villain in English folklore. His first sighting was as early as 1837 in London. Spring-Heeled Jack was described as having a frightful, diabolical appearance, clawed hands and red glowing eyes (I had done the red glowing eyes to death with the bugbears so I omitted that part). It was mentioned that he could breathe fire and perform amazing acrobatic leaps. Spring-Heeled Jack terrorized the suburbs of England, frightening and harassing women and beating men. Reports of him continued over the decades until 1904.
Stephen of the House of Horn
The eldest living scion of the House of Horn. Stephen describes himself as an occult scientist. Much of his mystery derives from his strange studies and the seemingly magical cane which travels with him everywhere. Stephen knows of his family’s dark past and seeks to right those wrongs.
Timberash
An impish, goat-like cleaner for The Old Man. Timberash has been a fixture of the shop for many years.
Timothy Lincoln
Pennysworth’s postman. Tim found his way into the lost county after a horrendous bender and has never left. Has a talent for getting lost.
Theot
an
A bugbear created by Kyron and his chosen. Theotan specializes in artifacts from the various elves and their like.
Vayn Wingspur
A specialist in weapons and armour for Kyron. Vayn is a former Valkyrie of the Ӕsir ˗ winged angels who would collect the noble dead and bear them to Valhalla.
Miscellaneous
Geas
A Celtic word (pronounced ‘gas’) describing a fate imposed onto someone, compelling them to act in a certain way. The Geas can have a set amount of parameters that must be upheld or death/misfortune will ensue. Cúchulainn, the famous hero of the Ulster cycle of stories in Irish folklore broke several of the geasa imposed on him, robbing him of his super human skill and strength which led to his death.
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is the end of the world, brought about by the destruction of Yggdrasil, the world tree upon which the earthly realms rest. The terrible wolf Fenrir is destined to devour the armies of the Ӕsir and wake the serpent which sleeps beneath the tree, destroying the earth, Asgard and everything in between.
The Magic System
The magic of the mortal plane is made up of the primary elements of AIR, EARTH, FIRE, WATER, LIGHT, SHADOW and SPIRIT. The various magical races have command over one or two of the elements. Mastery of one element can lead to some skill in another if the ability and cunning of the user is great enough. For example – moisture in the air, fire consumes air, etc. Spirit is the ability to commune with the lingering essences and souls that inhabit the mortal plane as well as the ability to force changes to one’s own essence which in turn changes the physical body. Due to the restrictions imposed by The New Order, there are many bitter souls trapped on the earth.
There are other sources of magic in the afterlife, some of which can be brought to the mortal realm and used to great effect.
Acknowledgments
I must thank my friends, Ryan and Steve, for the valuable feedback while writing this book. Both offered great insights and pointed out many, many spelling mistakes. Ryan in particular suffered through the early drafts to the detriment of his sanity. Sorry…
Thanks also to Michelle Elvy who helped with editing. Her ideas helped fill the spaces and enriched the story ten-fold.
To my wife, Kate, I cannot thank you enough. You have supported me from day one and tolerated me disappearing for hours at a time to beetle away at a manuscript that would probably never see the light of day.
Lastly, a big thank you to everyone else who has read this far. There is more adventure to come.
About the Author
I live in The Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, with my wife and two sons. A cat lives with us too, but we can’t tell who owns who. My interests include playing the drums, watching good movies, making crappy movies, drinking craft beer and consuming all varieties of geek culture. I hope that satisfies whatever, morbid curiosity you have with a giant worm in an impeccable skin suit, posing as a man who pretends he is a writer.
You can write to me at [email protected] if you desire to heap praise, discuss the book or join me and my evil, wormy brethren. We have secret handshakes and everything.