by S. J. Wist
Griffin—Half cat, half bird chimeras. They have the head, wings, tail and front legs of a bird, and the rest of their bodies is that of a large cat. When separated from their hosts, they resemble a ribbon of electricity. They believe they are the only god-chosen (Hino) creatures worthy of commanding over Aster. They are plagued by diseases and disabilities that force their Tech and medical sciences forward out of necessity. Their home is the Falls, a Tech-rich city built in the dormant crater of a volcano that is considered impenetrable. The Falls is ruled by Exoir.
Gwa—14 years old, dusty red and white hair, brown eyes. He is a griffin somnus. His mother, Celia, is a human scientist from Earth and his father is the griffin somnus, Mersael, who abandoned them for the sake of his position. Gwa is currently a close friend of Kas and a Custos.
Hain—A phelan Awl who is Bonded to Kayla. Their son is Kenshe. When Reol is injured near the end of the Last War, a Sentry possesses the True phelan. While he retains the personality and memories of Reol despite being possessed by the damaged Sentry, a darker, crueler side to him sometimes appears in combat and extreme stress. He takes on the name Hain shortly after the end of the Last War. He is a mercenary, but serves as a Custos for a while.
Harbor—The Harbor is controlled mostly by the Atrum, but is occupied by independent businesses and ship owners as well.
High Guard—Dragoons who serve in the army for Toria. It is required that they serve for at least five years before they are allowed to take a Bond for themselves and have a family. These Laws are based on the Texts of the Sylvan Order, which required military service and an acceptable status prior to marriage, thus ensuring the skill and strength to raise and protect a family. Usually one is initiated into the military after surviving their Trial of Somn that defines one as an adult with the equivalent strength.
Hino—God of thunder and lightning and guardian of the skies of Earth. Believed to be the One Cael of Earth and the leader of the Sentry. Though speculation has also suggested that he is a consciousness consisting of many consciouses.
Ishtar—Jasper’s ayame Bond. A powerful and old Caller who adopted Rose.
Iynx—Sentry who once roamed Aster in their true forms, who were cut free from Hino’s control by Asil. On Earth their bodies are usually winged and insect-like, but their forms are distorted by Aster’s Animus Threads and expanded, making them look more ‘fuzzy’ and cat-like. All Iynx can manipulate Thread to give them the illusion of a human-like appearance or whatever appearance they learn. Gei is the last known Iynx to exist on Aster in his true form, as other Iynx have much shorter life expectancies.
Jasper—Rose’s adopted True phelan father. His mate is Ishtar, an ayame. His father was Master Berion, who was killed in battle with Simera sixty-six years ago. His mother was an ayame, which is why he has a soul as a True. Jasper has been keeping his father’s town protected while trying to level out peace with the dragons since Simera’s convenient disappearance.
Jru—An Armsman and Custos of the Sanctus. A martial and spiritual Arts teacher who serves and tutors Kas as his own, never forgetting the tragedy of what happened to Kira as she trained him as one of her first Custos. His peaceful Tribe that consisted mostly of phelan somnus were taken in by the Sanctus when it was annihilated by Simera’s High Guard when he was still a child. His father is believed to still be alive, but he went into exile to carry the sins with him of failing to protect Jru’s ayame mother who was killed in the attack. His aunt is Ishtar who chose to stay on the Torian Continent.
Kas—18 years old and son of Kira and Vanir. The youngest Priest ever anointed on the Suzerain or Torian Continents. He fears the darker force of Erebus’ spirit within him and often chooses to be alone so he can better control his emotions. His spiritual and military prowess is well beyond his years. He utilizes them in keeping his mother’s legacy of the Sanctus in place and safe with the help of the Custos, many of which served her before she was killed. He is the heir to Vanir’s throne, despite his father never accepting him as such out of hate for Gei. His mentor is the Custos Jru, who he looks up to like a father.
Kayla—31 years old and a daoran and Novaist. Long, curly purple hair and grey eyes. Daughter to High Priestess Yri and Estar. Her half brothers are Lintrance and Loki. Her Bond is Hain and the son she disowned is Kenshe.
Kenshe—14 years old and one of Kas’ best friends and a Custos. Dark auburn hair and grey eyes. He is a grizzled brown in his phelan form. Son of Hain and Kayla. Born as a True phelan, he discovers his soul and ability to unsomn later when he is four. But his mother never accepts him as her own despite it.
Keol—Also called the ‘Blood Tears’ of Aragmoth. The phelan often use this fiery tempest of a desert and lava plane to travel, as the cold estus energy of their being keeps them from igniting or being burned. Phelan blood can open a Rift in and out of this plane, as well as creatures consisting of mostly estus energy.
Kira—Ayame founder and the first High Priestess of the Sanctus. Once the best Caller of the Atrum, she chose to leave the corruption that Vanir ruled it by. She is killed by Vanir by accident when she steps between what would have been a lethal strike to Master Gei. Her surviving son is Kas.
Kyrie—A deer-like creature that is muscularly built for harder labors like a workhorse and is often captured and trained to be put to use as such. Individually, they are timid and controllable but become dangerous and difficult when within a herd. Their single, thick horn is curved down to their backs. Their feet are cloven like a goat’s and their tail is like that of a lion, giving them the nickname of ‘unicorns’ by humans from Earth. They can be anywhere from white to black, and countless shades of brown in between.
Lintrance—52 year old dragoon and an Elder. Dark green hair and orange eyes. Son of Crystal and Estar. Master of weaponry and controlling earthen elements. After he helps Simera take Serena from the phelan, he stays close to her as she reminds him of his lost love, Aleste. Because his Bond was a mermaid, he knows of many secrets that the mer kept, and immediately recognizes Sybl on finding her.
Livry—The first horse born to Nephena. He later grows wings and becomes a pegasus when he is possessed by a Sentry on Earth. He dies by Asil’s hand before the end of the Last War.
Loki—23 years old and son of Crystal and Estar. Thin, light green hair to shoulders and orange eyes. His frailer physique has green, star-like markings over his eyes. His brother is Lintrance and his half-sister is Kayla. He has mixed feelings for Sybl, mostly as the memory of his mother’s death and unborn sister still haunts him. Sybl helps fill the gap in his heart left by their loss.
Luna—A 300+ year old gargoyle from Earth. Grey skin, yellow eyes. Xirel’s favorite companion who followed him back to Aster before the end of the Last War. She is a winged, chimp-like creature from Earth who can take a stone form.
Mei—A connection of Animus Threads between two individuals, usually Bonds, that allows for greater protection by eliminating the disadvantage of using the slower-conducting spiritual Animus. Its literal meaning is ‘shield.’ Its meaning is now a more general one that includes the glyph-like silver Threads on both sexes. The individuals share each other emotions and thoughts and it is useful for different species in different ways and circumstances, particularly dangerous ones. It is an unbreakable connection between Bonds, and often when one mate dies, the other shortly follows.
Mer/Mermaids—Descendants of Tenu and humans, they dwell in the depths of the Eternal Waters, where the estus energy they need to survive is the strongest. They take mentally and physically ill extremely easily and weaken when near aeri energy for too long.
Mersael—Griffin somnus and son of Exoir. Long straight white hair, yellow eyes. Former husband to Celia and father of Gwa. He was engineered by Exoir as a perfect child and was born without a mother, which many blame his cold, uncaring nature for.
Moon—The dark, estus essence of the Dragon Moon and Eminor of sacrifice. Given as a gift to Asil from Nephena, he is raised by Asil as the avatar o
f Aragmoth’s will. When he accidentally kills Asil after he finds his soul, his being is split back into two in his fight against the Phoenix that ends the Last War.
Nafury—15 year old Prince of Toria. Wavy brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. Born to Serena as the purposeful reincarnation of Damek. Simera adopted him as his own son out of his love for Serena. He is born with Sybl in Mer City and is separated from her when she is immediately sent to Earth. They share some of the blood of their human mother making them brother and sister enough for him to inflict her with a Curse.
Nephena—Chimera Mother of the second Aster. She has a lion’s body and head, a goat’s head on her shoulder, and a snake for a tail. All three heads have separate minds. Fashioned to life by Aragmoth from many animals of Earth. She cannot give her children souls, making her dependent on Asil.
Nyx—Also known as Tenu, whose estus energy gets her mistaken easily as an ayame when she is actually a mermaid. Her somn is a massive, black sea serpent. She has chosen to side with Vanir and the Atrum more out of the necessity for the estus energy it houses then for the intention of betraying Sybl. Nyx was once a friend of Kira.
Outcast—Another word for chimeras.
Pack—A phelan Pack has two to a dozen members. Although several males answer to one female, it is only the Alpha who is her mate, and he alone is responsible for using the ayame's psi and foresight to issue orders to the Pack. This is not a guaranteed position, and if he becomes incapable of being the Alpha, he is usually disposed of by a challenge from the next most powerful in the Pack. If at any point the ayame dies due to a failure on her Pack's part, the Pack usually splits off and its members are either driven out or have the utmost difficulty being accepted by another ayame.
Phelan—Large, wolf-like creatures with many cat-like features. They use their own blood to travel in and out of the Keol and to sync with their Pack. Females are called ayame and are more slender-featured and cat-like, though they tend to be of a dark black in fur and hair as opposed to the males who can be seen as lighter grays, browns and black. Most have red eyes, though they cannot see the color red and see the color of the other’s intentions, instead. Any phelan referred to as ‘True’ exist without a human-like form and soul, and are still a spirit. On the first Aster, they were a type of ‘Nightmare Eater’ resembling wolves that came from Earth to escape their enslavement to Hino. They were later refashioned into their own species on the second Aster by Damek.
Phoenix—Somn of Solar, the Phoenix is a massive, winged serpent surrounded by a constant fire. Once a smaller serpent, it expanded considerably in its battle against Moon, and even more so for the last three hundred years on Earth under its sun. Its sickening fire of radiation burns Animus Threads and it is lethal when exposed to creatures of Aster for too long. The Falls helps Rose, Solar’s reincarnation, to venture to Earth where she regains her Phoenix.
Pluma—The Asterian word for winged cats. When angered, they are a formable enemy that unleash their full extent in swarms. Regals are the larger male plumas.
Prisca—A 9 year old ayame. Daughter of Tank. Sybl unknowingly meets her in the Harbor shortly after arriving on the Suzerain Continent for the first time.
Psi—Also known as telepathy. It is limited by distance which can be extended by a strong Caller, Novaist, Mei, or an Awl. Gold also amplifies psi tremendously.
Quinn—A griffin somnus with a dark, mysterious history behind him. Originally a soldier of the Falls and their efforts on Earth some fifty years ago. He abandoned his position and his current focus is to protect the one he loves, Gloria.
Regal—Male plumas born larger with colorful wings to serve as frontline defenders and watchers. Their bodies resemble that of a lion’s and their impressive wingspans are colored and printed like that of a peacock’s. A full grown Regal can be as massive as a dragon mostly by bulk. They can fold their feathers together in such a way to make them into knives, and propel them like darts at their adversaries. A swarm of them is an unstoppable storm of sharp feathers, claws, teeth and sheer weight. Their wings and bodies hold high concentrations of aeri energy, allowing them to fly with ease, but it makes them vulnerable to fire and the Keol. They can be found on the Casus Beli fields with their wings folded tightly together and raised like lightning poles to the sky.
Reol—See Hain.
Rift—A ‘tear’ in the spiritual Thread of Aragmoth that serves as a passage into the Keol. A deep enough Rift can reach as far as Earth. Phelan and creatures consisting of mostly estus energy can create Rifts.
Rose—30 years old and Cecil’s Bond who was adopted by Ishtar and Jasper. Short red hair, green eyes. She has a natural ability to see the future as Solar’s reincarnation. Yri goes out of her way to push her from Cecil’s life, fearing that Rose’s talent surpasses her own. She is later manipulated by Mersael and the Falls, crafting her into a decimating weapon to their cause after she heads to Earth through the Gate at the town of Berion. There she is reunited with her somn, the Phoenix.
Sanctus—Founded by the ayame Kira, this temple of peace was built on the Sylvan Laws of the first Aster. Safe haven and neutral sanctuary to all religions and races alike. Its guardians are the Custos who can be almost any kind of somnus, though the prejudice towards griffin somnus is still extremely high. It continues to sustain its peace and separateness from the Atrum with Kas, High Priest and leader to it today.
Sano—Another word for a Master over aeri energy in the Arts of Healing.
Sentry—Servants of the god Hino, they reside mostly on Earth. Visible only by a strong spiritual sense, they aggressively protect Earth and its humans from Asterians by killing any eminor or Ancients who venture near them. They are massive, insect-like creatures with wings that can make them appear invisible. Currently, no Asterian has been known to see a Sentry and survive to bring the tale back to Aster.
Serena—Sybl’s and Nafury’s human mother, who went through a Gate to find her best friend, Alexia. Kira later finds her and she spends some time at the Sanctus, where she befriends her. She later gets taken by Simera and falls in love with him. She dies after Simera leaves for Earth to find her daughter who was taken from her after being born.
Sial—A unicorn given to Asteria from Damek as a wedding present. His horn is the festra that has the names of all 3000 Eminor loyal to Damek Threaded to it. Sial is reincarnated through Nephena at the end of the Last War, after Damek strikes the Chimera Mother with the festra. The festra returns to Sial as his horn, and he escapes with it. He presently follows Kas around.
Simera—King of Toria and the dragons. His Sylvan form is that of long, wavy mauve hair and light blue eyes. Simera’s age is unknown, but few question his bloodline that supposedly leads directly back to Moon, as his physical and spiritual strength is unmatched. Rumor says that he is another illegitimate son of Svarog, while others claim he is the son of a True. He becomes King by his unmatched power when the dragons take Toria from the chimeras after the Last War, killing those who challenge him for leadership. After he went through a Gate to Earth in search of Sybl, he was never seen again.
Solar—The first somnus daughter from Nephena. She holds a bitter jealously towards Asil and tries to take the Sylvan City from the Fay behind her back. Her reincarnation is Rose and her somn is the Phoenix.
Somn/Somnus—Somns are the spirit form that a soul can become in the physical. Named such as the soul is said to rest while the spirit is physically materialized by its host’s energy. The soul slows in aging while somned, much like a deep sleep, which is why many somnus can live a hundred years or more. Somnus never actually sleep, as their souls are always conscious and when they aren’t, then the animalistic nature of the somn takes over and they go berserk.
Suzerain Continent—The second Continent of the three that were split apart at the end of the Last War by Aragmoth’s wrath. They are kept apart by the aeri-estus storms that erupt over their separating waters every twelve hours.
Svarog—The first fire dragoon born of Neph
ena and Moon. He had black hair with orange eyes and was a black dragon. A natural blacksmith.
Sybl—A 15 year old teenager from Earth, who was sent into foster care when she was 13 after her attempted suicide. Long wavy brown hair, dark blue eyes. As the reincarnation of Asil, she tries to remember who she was in her past life. The Sylvan Aur exists within her, making the energy that resonates off of her a cure for the Aeger.
Sylvan—Similar to humans, they were the inhabitants of the first Aster. They were originally spirits in servitude to Hino, until one was discovered amongst them who could give them souls. When their soul-giver was destroyed by Hino, the Sylvan fled Earth to a star, where they made a habitable planet of it. Many Ancients followed them. When their soul-giver was reborn to them as the Sylph Asteria, they became a prosperous, powerful and happy race up until the planet’s destruction by the Dragon Moon.