Kira McNoughten – wife of Semon; mother of Teven, Dable, Kesella, Arel, Nicella, Azer, and Torkrin
Kolknir – Kezem’s agent; mercenary; former Ranger master
Kovit – RT alliance agent; killed just before Kireshana
Lara Vireth – RT alliance agent
Liam Deliad – Ranger Master of Arms, Ashatan Council member
Lucas Telon – Ranger master, Kezem’s undercover RT agent; in love with Reia Antellio
Maledek – part played by both Lord Kezem Altran and Dr. Atien Belcross
Mavis Altran – mother of Eldon, Mitrek, and Kezem; former princess; disowned by her father when she married Dravid Altran to escape an arranged marriage to a Gardanian prince; Teorn’s elder sister
Meralla Meetcher – mother of Kia; wife of Donovan
Merisia Restler – daughter of Vera and Tyko; Gareth’s wife
Miscel Endelbaum – RT agent; friend of Alden Tarpon
Mitrek Altran – middle son of Mavis and Dravid Altran; Governor Judge and Second Lord of Idonia; brother of Kezem
Morgan Pavron – RT agent working with Lucas; assigned to capture Prince Terosh
Nera Tarpon – daughter of Arista and Tobias; Brook’s wife
Niklos McGreven – Ranger Healer master; substitute father for Reia and Kiata
Niktrod Keldor – man who assassinated Queen Kila; father of Ariman; grandfather of Talyon
Reia Antellio – Ranger Healer apprentice; Kiata’s younger sister; adopted by Antellio family
Talyon Keldor – RT agent; Ariman’s son; Merisia’s friend; Niktrod’s grandson
Taytron Minstel – elder son of Kila and Teorn Minstel, Crown Prince of Reshner; secretly married Deanna Koffrin and had one daughter, Elia
Teorn Minstel – current King of Reshner, father of Taytron and Terosh; Mavis’s younger brother
Terosh Minstel – younger of Reshner’s two princes, son of Kila and Teorn Minstel
Todd Wellum – Nareth Talis Ranger, often works with his wife, Kiata
Tyko Tarpon – father of Brook, Alden, and Merisia
Tyler McDooley – personal messenger working in the South Quarter; healed by Reia after he scraps his knees in a fall
Semon McNoughten – husband of Kira; father of Teven, Dable, Kesella, Arel, Nicella, Azer, and Torkrin
Surd Antar – Captain of the Royal Guard; works for Kezem
Vel Drisher – mother of Jaidir; temporary captive caught while looking for her son
Vera Tarpon – mother of Brook, Alden, and Merisia
Zareb – Elish male; twin of Covin; messenger for Prince Taytron
Creatures
Bear – These large, territorial creatures tend to enjoy mountainous areas. Bears native to the Riden Mountains try to avoid Rangers.
Birds – Common species native to Reshner include wisil, kyrie, kamria, quava, colane, jinex, and sweswi.
Cannafitch – Thin-boned mammals with semi-hollow chest cavities that have leathery wings and can glide across vast distances. Although color can vary slightly, the majority are brown. They feed on small woodland creatures, though on rare occasions they will attempt to take on a korver or a tretling.
Camrood – Skittish beasts can be found in the wild but are often raised for racing purposes and butchered for their hides.
Cawalla – A lean feline creature with poor eyesight and a very long, sensitive tail. Excellent at climbing, cawallas often raid emergency stations.
Codrels – Small, docile, furry creatures that like densely wooded areas.
Coney – A small, fleet-footed herbivore that prefers rocky or wooded areas where it can hide from flying predators.
Convies – A breed of small, vicious fish that can sense wounded prey for thousands of meters.
Danlas – Large, docile herbivores prized for both their strong hides and tender meat.
Ferbel – Small, fluffy rodent often raised as pets. Eaten in some regions of the planet.
Hook whale – A species of whale that gets its name from the large curve to its dorsal fin.
Kambri – Lean, quick creatures that despise being caged.
Koomies – Freshwater fish comfortable in deep or shallow water.
Korver – Until scientists began purposefully enhancing korvers, the average animal was about a meter tall and a meter and a half from nose to tail. Genetic alterations have resulted in several specimens that are about twice as big as normal korvers. Scrappy pack animals that live and hunt together, normal korvers do not usually pose a threat to human travelers. The new breed of korver can command much larger packs, which definitely poses a threat to travelers.
Maritech viper – One of the deadliest species of snakes native to Reshner.
Morookas – Small mammals with a reputation for being hard to track.
Praja – Small, striped fresh-water fish.
Rine bats – Small winged mammals that use echo location to hunt their prey.
Shiners – Small insects that prefer dark caves or tree hollows where their inner light can make a difference. They feed primarily upon marin moss. They in turn are a food source for many species of birds.
Tretlings – Prized for their abundant wool, tretlings are hearty, yet simple creatures.
Wallays – These small, thin creatures happily burrow by the hundreds under nice, flat farmland. They harden the walls of their tunnels with a mucous-like substance called cradul. Farmers spend a lot of time and effort combatting wallays. When a wallay colony moves to a new location, the tunnel walls eventually weaken. This can lead to graveground.
Zalok – Majestic creatures that can grow several meters tall. Before the discovery that their scales could have hallucinogenic properties when treated with crela dust and heated, zalok packs dominated the many cave systems in the Riden Mountains. Scale color can vary slightly, but the most coveted color is purple.
Diseases
Cornada – A relatively easy disease to treat if one has access to some common herbs. The symptoms can include a mild fever, lethargy, an itching or burning sensation in one’s throat, and watery eyes, on rare occasions.
Heskrin – A deadly and horrible disease that can only be cured with Amrita Tears. Symptoms include dangerously high fevers, deliriousness, aches, and pains that can range from mild to severe. Although naturally occurring, the disease has also been spread as a weapon.
Jekrin – Another disease that has experienced wider infamy due to its ability to be spread to specific targets. It almost kills too quickly to spread naturally. It responds to treatment with Amrita Tears, but not as well as Heskrin.
Kemloth Fever – This debilitating, contagious disease can last anywhere from a day to two months. A few treatments with either tea or broth made from astera petals can easily clear up Kemloth Fever. However, healers are cautioned when trying to treat Kemloth Fever because the condition can worsen if the curing agent is too weak.
Notable Places on Reshner
(Each city has formed its own personality over time.)
Azhel – The unofficial spiritual capital of Reshner, Azhel features temples and holy places for nearly every religion practiced on the planet. The citizens who call Azhel home tend to be calm and deeply committed to exploring spiritual matters.
Calsola – All manner of racing provides the backbone of Calsolan commerce. Although hovs, hov bikes, and even footraces have a place in Calsola, the residents have always had a special fondness for horse racing. The citizens on a whole tend to be wildly free-spirited. Fittingly, this is the first city encountered by derringers on the Kireshana.
Chara – A refined southern city located southwest of Rammon and right along the Glass Coast, Chara has the perfect climate for growing things. As such, it has cultivated quite a reputation for its famous wines and performing arts.
Estra – This sparsely populated city is located south of Chara on the poorly named southern continent called the Frozen North. The citizens here are no strangers to harsh conditions, but they are also proud of t
heir patch of frozen paradise.
Huz Mon – Probably as noteworthy for its infamous salt mines as it is for being the second major city encountered by Kireshana derringers, Huz Mon is located just north of the Riden Flats.
Idonia – Home to the Altran family, Idonia generates most of its income by processing ore from the Nedis Crystal Mines. Idonian glass swords are prized as collectibles by those rich enough to purchase them.
Kalmata – Located near but not quite on the western coast of Reshner’s habitable continent, Kalmata is known for processing salt from the West Remon Sea as well as tosh from the Imberg Tosh Mines.
Kerimia – Although not technically a city, this large village has a thriving black market, especially for firfe spice.
Korch – Nestled along the top edge of the Talmeth Mountains on the southwest corner of Reshner’s habitable continent, Korch had built a reputation for being hearty. This probably springs from the difficulties of pulling a living out of the inhospitable, volcanic mountains and the dangerous Talmeth Forest. Every few years, Korch hosts the Colored Crossblades Tournament.
Meritab and Meritel – Often called the Twin Cities, Meritab and Meritel, are located southeast of the Riden Mountains and northwest of the Clear Mountains. Naturally, the nearness has produced a healthy atmosphere of friendly competition in everything from dance performances to colored-crossblades tournaments to shooting contests and even cooking competitions.
Osem – This port city mainly draws its living out of the North Asrien Sea, but Osem is also notable for its large contingent of Rangers.
Rammon – The Capital city of Reshner boasts a bustling Merchant Quarter and an elegant Palace District. Nearly every important noble house maintains a residence in the North Quarter or the West Quarter of Rammon. The East Quarter and Merchant Quarter houses most of the middle-class families. Poor folks tend to stay in the South Quarter where they can easily get jobs working for farmers on the Kevil Plains.
Resh – The city that marks roughly the half-way point of the Kireshana lives up to its name, which means “rest” in Kalastan.
Ritand – The name is shared both by a city and a fiercely independent island province northwest of the main continent. The long history of hostility between Ritand and Rammon has its roots in a family feud between two brothers from House Minstel.
Ritten – Known mainly for its many factories, Ritten takes raw materials from the Riden Mountains and the Imberg Tosh Mines and produces many of the technological wonders enjoyed in the cities. Everything from the latest model of klipper fighter to the newest comm can be found in Ritten.
Terab – Separated from the rest of the habitable continent by the Felmon Desert, Terab has developed largely apart from the rest of Reshner. Its citizens tolerate the rule of House Minstel in name and submit to royal or Ranger rulings in most legal matters, but they also keep culturally isolated from the rest of the planet.
Planets, Moons, Regions of Space
Corid – One of Reshner’s three moons.
Edge Planets – a thin ring of planets that form the perimeter of known space. GAPP strongholds near the galaxy’s core would love to conquer the Edge planets and use them as outposts for taming and exploring the Wilds.
Gardan – This close neighboring planet to Reshner is ruled exclusively by the Creston family. Recent history has seen some progress but mostly setbacks in efforts to align Gardan and Reshner.
Gemuln – One of Reshner’s three moons.
Kalast – The long-dead planet that both Jalna Seltan and the anotechs once called home. Few know much more than that Kalast has had a strong influence upon Reshner’s culture and language.
Marishaz – Reshner’s largest and most majestic moon. It is named after the goddess of secrecy.
Mitra – This neighboring planet is probably most known for the Blood Harvest which sweeps away the Royal House every thousand years so none can claim a longer reign.
Porit – An edge planet close to both Reshner and Gardan, known mainly for its famous crystals and deadly vipers.
Reshner – A small, Edge planet rich in wildlife and a wide variety of plants. Reshner is ruled jointly by House Minstel, the Senate, and the Governors Council.
Wilds – A region of space that is largely unexplored. As the Core planets experience overcrowding and depletion of resources, many minds think the Wilds may hold the solutions. Unfortunately for them, Edge planets hold the key to accessing the Wilds.
Plants
Alipo – The sap found inside the delicate stems of alipo plants has mild paralytic properties that can be strengthened in combination with cormea and radon.
Amtea – The leaves of this plant can be made into a reviving tea that will counter most mildly paralytic agents and sedatives.
Astera – Both the pointed leaves and velvety petals of this delicate plant have healing applications. Blue astera petals can be boiled down to make a bitter broth which is known to cure Kemloth Fever. Adding a few wuzle roots to the broth can neutralize much of the broth’s bitterness.
Cal – A strong, durable tree that grows in abundance in the Calsol Forest but can also be found elsewhere on Reshner.
Clava – A species of hearty grass that can grow nearly everywhere on Reshner.
Colbies – Small, green flowers thrive in cool, high altitude environments such as the Talmeth Mountains.
Copalas – Orange and yellow wildflowers native to the Riden Flats but spread everywhere by windstorms.
Corlia – A common plant used to relieve pain.
Cormea – This plant’s leaves can deaden pain quite effectively, but too much cormea can paralyze the patient. Cormea has long been combined with radon to make stun weapons more potent.
Crela – Although used sparingly in healing substances designed to treat physical wounds, dust made from powdered crela leaves should not be ingested. Combining crela dust with powdered zalok scales and heating to just the right temperature can create a strong hallucinogen. This fact was discovered by Channer Mazai.
Dandi – The sap of this tree can be used to stick toom leaves together as bandages.
Danesque – A type of deciduous tree with strong, hearty wood sought for furniture and wooden weapons.
Dayde – Native to dark forest locations such as the Felmon Forest, dayde flowers come in a variety of fluorescent colors.
Deklov – A bitter-tasting herb that promotes faster healing.
Fireblooms – These beautiful but dangerous plants can be found everywhere on Reshner, but the most brilliant displays are located on the Ash Plains. Fireblooms come in a variety of yellows and reds, so fields of fireblooms appear to be on fire.
Fossa – A plains tree that can survive without much water.
Ira – Dried ira petals can provide a convenient, lightweight food source for Rangers traveling long distances. If treated with bastrel, ira petals will also turn flames purple, which can be handy if one needs to signal distress. Ira petals are also used to treat fever. They have a sweet, tangy scent.
Kintral – A type of evergreen tree with soft wood good for carving. The root systems of these trees have evolved to be nearly twice the length of their height because of Reshner’s infamous windstorms.
Krinton – A fast-growing grain.
Marin Moss – The major food source for shiners.
Mesta – Shoots of this plant are part of the basic requirements for curing Cornada.
Mintas – A very common plant that can be found across Reshner’s habitable continent. Some people believe it only has uses as a flavoring agent for teas or candy, but just as many people believe the leaves contain a relaxing agent that can cure foul moods.
Neralas – Green or gold wildflowers found in most flat areas.
Porlas – Red wildflowers found on the Balor Plains and Riden Flats. They have a very strong scent if crushed.
Quemin – Small, scrappy bushes that grow in dense patches.
Radon – Nareth Talis Rangers will combine radon, alipo sap, and cor
mea to give their kamad daggers the ability to safely knockout foes. Shootav pellets typically contain both cormea and radon in various amounts, depending on the intended use.
Rineth – An evergreen tree found all over the Riden Mountains.
Ristal – The wedge-shaped leaves of this mountain weed can be used to answer for several known poisons, but only skilled healers should be sent to collect it as ristal leaves resemble several other leaf-types, including a few that are poisonous.
Sanda – A staple crop for most farmers who make their living on the Riden Flats.
Sannin – Used to treat both acute and long-term aches.
Sholcas – Brilliantly white wildflowers that grow well after acid storms.
Toom – Common plants with wide, thick leaves ideal for binding wounds or creating makeshift bowls for mixing healing pastes.
Wuzle – The roots of this scrappy little grasslands plant can be used to make strong teas and broths. Ironically, although capable of turning a substance bitter, wuzle roots can also effectively cancel out other bitter substances.
Weapons and Objects
Banisticks – These weapons can be as simple or complex as the maker desires. Starting in their third year, or sooner on rare occasions, Ranger apprentices spend as much time as needed designing his or her weapon. Although it is possible to make them of soft metals, most banisticks are fashioned of kintral or danesque wood. Reia chose to use the latter wood because its softer nature takes better to carving. The tiny, curved leaves linked together are shaped like mintas leaves. Through careful arrangement, Reia also placed the likeness of astera, ristal, corlia, and ira because each represents a different aspect of the healing profession.
Criessa Darts – Darts are the most common way to inject somebody with criessa, a powerful sedative that has an unpleasant side effect of intense cold.
Flingers – These pronged throwing weapons are popular both with Kireshana derringers and Coridian Assassins.
Kamad Dagger – Beautiful and deadly, kamad daggers are highly favored by the Coridian Assassins. The graceful, gently curving edges hide sharpened teeth along the full length of the blade. These invisible teeth provide a swift way to inflict deep wounds upon an enemy. Individual blade length may vary slightly, as they are designed for a specific assassin. However, in keeping with royal tradition, each kamad dagger must bear a zalok’s likeness somewhere on its handle.
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