Kader: horse of Rolf the woodcutter
Kaestor: past King of Haven, father of King Cascarie, and grandsire of King Illium, “The Mad King”
Keily: former barmaid of the Gnarly Knob; courageous archer and leader of a remnant of citizens of Haven who escape to Petros; love interest of Yasen
Kemen: young hunter and messenger of Asier who finds and names Shaimira, nephew of Zuriñe
Khris: archer of Shaimira under Sendoa’s command
Klieo: Poet of Kalein; historian and keeper of the library
Llinos: Sprite, green-winged young messenger of the Queen, “Of Bird”
Luken: young guardian of the pass of Shaimira under Sendoa
Mågąn: name used in ancient Terriah for the giants who lived in the lands northeast of the Halvard
Mahlah: member of Wreather family hiding from the Raven Queen, brother of Delilah
Mal’akhim: name used in Aerebus for the Oweles
Marcum: tall and long-haired lieutenant; commander of the Haven remnant who escape to Petros
Margarid (Mar): auburn-haired citizen of Haven; member of remnant group led by Michael that defended the Halvard; love interest of Michael
Marigeld: Poet of Kalein; painter and master gardener, “Of Gardens”
Meledae: Poet of Kalein; healer and horse caretaker, “Of Songs”
Mezulari: captain of the Queensguard of Shaimira
Mathgham: mighty, brown blade of Arthfael, the Sprite
Michael: cousin and closest friend of Cal; leader of remnant group that defended the Halvard; love interest of Margarid
Miller, the: Poet of Kalein; master ale brewer
Morana: evil sorceress of the Isle Dušana who lures men in to take control of their bodies and then devour their souls; was once the Sprite princess Niniané
Navid: captain of the Ramsguard of Shaimira; commander of the mountain defenses
Niniané: daughter of the Sprite High Queen Éimhear, she was betrayed and became Morana, the evil sorceress of the Isle Dušana
Nocturnal: green-eyed servant in the Raven Army
Nogcwren: the Raven Queen, evil sorceress who desires to enslave all of Aiénor to her un-light; controls the Raven Army of Nocturnals; was once known as Branwen, before being corrupted by the evil sorceress Šárka, “Raveness”
Oier: old man of Asier; member of the council of elders
Oren: woodcutter of the Western Wreath colony; yellow-bearded jovial brother of Alon
Osane: flatleaf herb with tiny white and violet flowers that helps to reduce fever
Oweles: large owl-like watchers and servants of The THREE who is SEVEN; protect and guide Cal on his quest
Payam: mariner for King Illium; crew member aboard the ship Wilderness
Poets: rival religious sect of the Priests, they believe in the powers of beauty and hope; live in the colony of Kalein hidden in the Hilgari Mountains
Portus: tanner of Haven, member of remnant group led by Michael that defended the Halvard
Priests: ruling religious sect of Haven, they believe in the powers of resolve and piety; live in fear of the great tree dying and the loss of light
Pyrrhus: one-armed knight of the Western Wreath colony; arrogant and cruel, but is redeemed during the battle with the Raven Queen, “Fire Knight”
Queensguard: infantry soldiers charged with directly guarding Queen Johanna
Ragnarr: wizard and chief advisor to Lord Ӕsc of the Walha
Ramsguard: cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the mountain barrier around Shaimira
Ransom: Elder John’s trusty mule
Raven Queen: evil sorceress Nogcwren, formerly Branwen
Remiel: Owele, brown, red-tipped winged guide, “Mercy of God”
Reynard the Wise: trusted wizard of Queen Herrah; helped to defeat and entrap the evil sorceress Šárka
Rolf: woodcutter of the Western Wreath colony; older man with a strong work-ethic
Roshan: young lad and remnant companion of Marcum, rode Dreamer to the Poets to seek help
Ruarc: Owele, brown, white-tipped winged leader; started Cal on quest to seek the light, “Storm Words”
Ryder: child and remnant companion of Marcum
Šárka: evil sorceress of the ancient Kingdom of Terriah; destroyed the Jacaranda trees and corrupted Branwen, turning her into Nogcwren (the Raven Queen)
Seig: Governor of the Western Wreath colony; exhibits bravado and seeks glory; overall commander of the colony’s guardsmen and woodcutters
Sendoa: captain of the guardians of the pass of Shaimira; commander of the ground defenses
Sigrid: fabled Queen Mother of all horses, “Fair Victory”
Soma: woodcutter of the Western Wreath colony; concerned for the safety of Yasen and his brothers
Soren: Chief of the guard-watchers of Asier; member of the council of elders
Sprites: magical, fairy-like race born from the last remaining Jacaranda trees of Aiénor
Tahd: guardsman captain of the Western Wreath colony; died after delivering first shipment of wood to Haven
Tarrthála: named used in ancient Terriah for the legendary winged flying horses
Tersk: Cal’s fifth horse, a silver-white majestic horse that he rode back to Haven, “Prince of Horses”
The THREE who is SEVEN: God of the world of Aiénor who gave the world the tree of light; sent the Oweles and Uriel to help Cal seek a new light, “Great Father”, “Giver of Light”
Timorets: long-bearded brewer of Haven, member of remnant group led by Michael that defended the Halvard
Tolk: Poet of Kalein; leader and eldest member; present at Cal’s baby dedication
Uriel: Cal’s fourth horse, a white winged Tarrthála sent by The THREE who is SEVEN to help Cal on his quest, “Lord of the Anahiera”
Vŏlker: giant inhabiting the Halvard; welcomed Michael’s remnant and together fought the Nocturnal Raven Army, husband of HlÍf
Walha: exiled outlander group living in the harsh Cair Mountains; led by Lord Ӕsc
Watchers: another name for the Oweles
Wielund: blacksmith of the Western Wreath colony; friend of Cal
Wilderness: ship that carried King Illium and his crew to the Western Wreath to seek a new light
Yasen: Chieftain of the woodcutters of the Western Wreath colony; lost one eye and wears an eyepatch that his love interest Keily made for him, “North Wolf”
Zigor: Owele, “Punishment”
Zivor: guardian of the pass of Shaimira under Sendoa
Zuriñe: old man of Asier; member of the council of elders, uncle of Kemen
Zviad: soldier of the Nocturnal Raven Army; arrived with the Raven Queen on the Determination
PLACES:
Abondale: southern borough of the city of Haven devoted to farming and shipping
Abonris: mighty river that runs through the city of Haven northward to the Hilgari Mountains
Aerebus: dark castle on Western Wreath; birth place of the dragons and seat of Nogcwren’s power
Ágoni gi: areas within the Greywood where the Jacaranda trees died, leaving teardrop-shaped shards of glass in the barren ground, “the beautiful barren”
Aiénor: the known world in which the Kingdom of Haven resides
Argiñe: wide river that runs from its hidden source in the Itxaro Mountains to both the Dark Sea and the Falls of Ammon
Asier: once great, redstone city on the Western Wreath; known for their horses; abandoned by its people for the safety of the hidden land of Shaimira
Aureole: mountain on the eastern edge of the city of Haven that contained the hallowed, great burning tree in a garden at its top
Bay of Eurwen: bay south of the city of Haven where the men of the first colony set sail
Cair Mountains: craggy, black granite mountain range northeast of Haven; home to the Walha
Clarus: once great, sea-foam colored city on the Western Wreath; known for their ships; abandoned by its people for lands across the Dark Sea
Dark Sea: cold, deep sea surrounding the Kingdom of Haven and separating it from the Western Wreath
Enguerrand: long abandoned prison tower in the Greywood where Cal rescues Astyræ
Falls of Ammon: the western branch of the Argiñe hiding the entrance to the pass to Shaimira
Falls of Sarangrael: the ending of the Abonris River that nourishes the Jacaranda trees within the hidden Sprite home of Islwyn
Gnarly Knob: tavern in the northern borough of Piney Creek; operated by Keily and her father
Greywood: wilderness forest in the central part of the Western Wreath; landing site of the men of the first colony
Halvard: mountain castle fortification guarding the only land entrance to Haven; sight of the last battle against the dark in the east, “Guardian of the Rock”
Harel Lior: round, cavern-like chamber where the guardian of the light records the events of Elior’s story of Aiénor
Haven: great, walled city and seat of the eastern Kingdom; home of the once-burning, dead tree
Hekate’: mountain range in the southern part of the Western Wreath; home to Nogcwren’s garrison
Hilgari Mountains: beautiful mountain range north of Haven; home to the Poets
Isle Dušana: island in the Dark Sea; home of the evil sorceress Morana
Islwyn: hidden Sprite home in the heart of the Hilgari Mountains containing the last remaining Jacaranda trees, “Secret Grove”
Ithelum: extremely wide river that cuts off Haven from the east; the Meinir crosses it just under the surface of the river
Itsaso: ancient name for the Dark Sea
Itxaro Mountains: protective mountain range north of the Greywood; surrounding Shaimira and hiding a secret; sight of the last battle against the dark in the west
Kalein: Poet colony hidden in the Hilgari Mountains; part of the palace of Petros in the forgotten kingdom of Terriah, “Beauty is Calling”
Kelila: spiraled tower looming over Shaimira at the heart of the city
King’s Bridge: bridge leading to the main entrance of the Capital in Haven and spanning the widest portion of the Abonris
Maris Tower: ancient lighthouse situated at the southernmost point of the Kingdom of Haven; guards the mouth of the Bay of Eurwen, “Star of the Sea”
Meinir: granite slab land bridge just under the surface of the Ithelum connecting both shores
Melania: field of battle outside of the northern wall of Haven; renamed for the defilement of battle and dragons’ fire, “Black Fields”
Oroitz Guardia: pair of massive, sculpted chariots flanking either side of the roadway to Shaimira
Palladium: house of wisdom and law in Shaimira; based on the one that was burned down in Asier
Pass of Kemen: underground passageway from behind the Falls of Ammon to the secret city of Shaimira
Petros: stone palace and royal residence of Terriah’s past kings; now inhabited by the Poet colony of Kalein
Piney Creek: northern borough of the city of Haven
Shaimira: hidden city founded by the exiled Asierians and home to the Amaian people, “Guardian”
Terriah: ancient ruined city north of Haven in the Hilgari Mountains where the Oweles live
Tristura Eremua: ancient Terrian for the battleground outside of Ziohnia meaning “Fields of Sorrow”
Western Wreath: forgotten wilderland across the Dark Sea; encircles the Kingdom of Haven
Westriver: western borough of the city of Haven; home to Cal and Michael
Ziohnia: city housing the new light of Elior; kingdom that The THREE who is SEVEN prepared for the people of Aiénor
Zuhaitz Dolu: graveyard on the east side of Shaimira for Illium and all the sons of Haven, “Mourning Trees”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
When I set out to write this story seven years ago, I never would have dreamed just how many Poets it would take to bring it to life. I must first give my heartfelt thanks to all of those who stood by the story, supported us in its telling, and journeyed with us through page after page of this allegory. To my fellow Lost Poets … I am truly grateful for you.
To my editor, partner, and wielder of the mighty, fabled “Red Pen of Doom”: Melody Farrell, I will forever be in your debt. My gratitude for you is boundless, and I hope to make up for it with many a feast.
Rich Kesky might be one of the most unsung heroes of this trilogy. Thank you, my friend, for taking the time to ensure that the details are exact and that the timelines are indeed true (or as true as we can make them). Your love of fantasy and adventure has helped to sharpen the telling of this story.
Rob Stainback, Chris Farrell, and Amanda Farrell, your design work is truly outstanding. Thank you for your care, your creativity, and your willingness to stick it out along the better part of the last decade!
To the proofreaders, Jennifer Harris and Christy Freeman, thank you for wading through my run-on sentences and grammatical travesties! I hope you were able to enjoy the forest amidst all the incorrect trees.
To Grant Radebaugh and Jordan Thurmond, your willingness and excitement to read from the unedited onset has been a gift to the way we hone the storytelling. Thank you for reading past all the errors and giving us your true enthusiasm for the story itself.
To Brandon Hyde, who would have thought that a few good conversations between us nearly a decade ago would lead us on this kind of adventure? Thank you for believing in this story.
To Mark Topping, the way you have brought these people and places, these songs and stories to life has been a treasure I will cherish forever, my friend.
To my beautiful wife, Katie: thank you for making space and energy for me to finish this story, and thank you for being a champion of my heart throughout all of it. I will forever be grateful for you.
To my kiddos, Annsley, Gabriel, Huckston, and Ryder: one day, may you find your name in the midst of the remnant and know that I have always believed that you will be a part of making this world a brighter place.
To the readers and the fans, the obliging family members and even the critics who have waited these last long four years: I am proud to share this conclusion of the story with you. Thank you for sticking with us. I pray for great adventures for you … and that in all things, you will seek the light.
Gratefully,
R.G.
MORE FROM R.G. TRIPLETT
Begin the adventure with
The Great Darkening
The Coming Dawn: Epic of Haven Trilogy Book 3 Page 41