The Veredor Chronicles: Book 03 - The Gate and Beyond

by E J Gilmour

  Oracles – Oracles are Astarians who possessed the skill of seeing clearly into the future. There were three oracles in Veredor. They were all hunted down and killed by the Prince of Shadows upon his return to Veredor. The Gerish Oracle (also known as the Scaldonian Oracle) revealed to the Prince of Shadows that the Ecorian line was not yet extinct and that only the Ecorian with the Sword of Light could stand in the way of his conquest of Veredor.

  Prince of Shadows, The – The Prince of Shadows was a revered Astarian at the time of the first arrival. His former name was only known by the Astarians and they refused to ever say it again after he turned to evil ways. He battled bravely in the first wars of the Forgotten Age. Only Fiora could match his ability in battle. He fell from grace in the Forgotten Age and led armies of monsters against the other Astarians. He killed many Astarians including Airleas, who was the carrier of the Sword of Midlight. The Prince of Shadows carried the Sword of Darkness. He was cast out of Veredor by the Astarian Fiora and had the Cosmic Gate sealed against his return.

  Seven Relics, The – There were seven objects brought to Veredor by the Astarians at the time of the first arrival that were forged by a being who gifted Veredor to the Astarians. The Seven Relics were: the Three Swords, the Chalai, the Silver Leaf, the Star of the North, and the Sun Stone. All seven of the relics increased the power of the carrier in different ways.

  Shapeshifters – Shapeshifters were brought by the Prince of Shadows to Veredor in the Forgotten Age. Shapeshifters can change their form at will and increase or decrease their overall size over time. They are a parasitic life form. They will take the form of the dominant creature in any given environment. They survive as parasites by infiltrating the social hierarchy. They can sense the presence of other Shapeshifters and can only breed with their own kind. They are manipulative and unpredictable and will only serve another out of fear. They possess a slightly higher level of intelligence than the average man. They have no other inherent magical abilities. They were used by the Prince of Shadows to infiltrate the societies of men, mer, and sprites in the Forgotten Age. A Shapeshifter was used by the Prince of Shadows to impersonate King Ignis of Ortaria in the last age.

  Shidon – The Fortress of Shidon was built by the Star King at the end of the Forgotten Age to help Fiora overcome the Prince of Shadows. It is situated in a remote location at the northern edge of the Great Mountains on the Alber side. The Prince of Shadows laid siege to the fortress with a massive army of muckrons. He was defeated by Fiora and the Knights of Shidon and banished from Veredor. Because of its remote location very few people ever returned to the fortress.

  Silver Leaf, The – One of the Seven Relics of the Astarians. The Silver Leaf was worn on a chain and provided the wearer with protection from all harmful attacks. It was worn by the wife of the Ecorian Emperors and later was given to Kaloren who wore the Silver Leaf when she challenged the Prince of Shadows in the Hall of Zarkanor.

  Skathean Empire, The – The Skathean Empire was an evil empire that was formed in the Eastern Lands from the year 968 BL by the Skathean Brackin. The empire lasted until the year 686 BL. The Skathean Empire was ruled from the Isles of Dawn by a Skathean who carried the Sword of Darkness. The era is also known as the Dark Age of Veredor. The lands of the east greatly suffered under Skathean rule, and it is said by many that the Eastern Lands never fully recovered after the fall of the Skathean Empire.

  Skatheans – The Skathean Order are an evil order of knights founded by the fallen Fiorian Krogin and the sorceress Scathea. They historically wielded considerable political influence in the Kaznor Empire and the Kingdom of Alber. They were the main antagonists of the Fiorian Order. Many battles were fought between the two opposing orders. The Fiorians prevented the Skatheans from gaining a foothold in the Southern Lands.

  Sprites - Sprites are good natured creatures. They rarely reach a foot tall and they often have pale green skin and clothe themselves in fine linen. They are crafty and said to be good at making fine clothing and complex instruments. Most sprites wear long pointy hats that often nearly double the height of the sprite. They are very reclusive in nature. Sprites came with the Astarians as helpers in the time of the first arrival. Sprites have some limited magical abilities and they live in small family groups. There are three categories of sprites: The Water Sprites, who work with the mer; the Mountains Sprites, who live in high remote places; and the Earth Sprites, who often live underground or in forest glades, especially around mushroom patches. Sprites and Blue Caps are often adversaries.

  Star King, The – The Star King was brought by the Prince of Shadows to Veredor at the time of the last wars of the Forgotten Age. He belongs to a rare race of cosmic builders and architects. He constructed the Fortress of Zarkanor for the Prince of Shadows in exchange for knowledge of Astarian magic. The Prince of Shadows revealed some magic to the Star King in exchange for finishing Zarkanor. After the exchange was complete the Prince of Shadows refused to return the Star King to his home world. The Prince of Shadows tried to force the Star King to continue building fortresses. The Star King refused and grew angry. He fought the Prince of Shadows in the grounds of Zarkanor. The Prince of Shadows prevailed and banished the Star King into the wilderness of Veredor. The Star King later aided Fiora in her struggle against the Prince of Shadows. He built Shidon as a fortress for Fiora and the Knights of Shidon. In the later ages he wandered the lands of Veredor seeking a way to return to his home world. The name Star King was given to him by men; his real name was never known.

  Star of the North, The – The Star of the North is a relic of the Astarian people. Its powers are numerous and mysterious. The Star of the North was thrown into the sea by Artus Ecorian in the year 1700 BL.

  Stone Horsemen – Stone Horsemen are humanoid monsters made from a combination of stone and fire. The Astarians believed that they were constructed by the Prince of Shadows using a similar method that was used to build the gargoyles. Stone Horsemen ride horses that are of the same stone and fire constitution. Thousands of Stone Horsemen were brought to Veredor by the Prince of Shadows to fight the Knights of Shidon in the final battle of the Forgotten Age. The Knights of Shidon destroyed all the Stone Horsemen in the army of the Prince of Shadows. They were not seen again until the wars of liberation.

  Sun Stone, The – The Sun Stone was used by the Astarians to navigate the cosmos. The amulet is capable of opening gateways to any place in the cosmos. The Sun Stone was given to the mer by the Astarian Fiora before she left Veredor. It was treasured by the mer and they used its power to light the depths of the ocean; although they lacked the ability and knowledge to use it to travel beyond the Cosmic Gate. It was the only object that could open a way through the Cosmic Gate.

  Sword of Darkness, The – The Sword of Darkness was one of the Three Swords of the Astarian people. The Sword of Darkness was originally a weapon used to defend Veredor. It became corrupted when it was used against the good creatures of Veredor by the Prince of Shadows. The Sword of Darkness was buried by the Fiorian Knights after the Prince of Shadows was cast out of Veredor. Krogin, the first Skathean, discovered the hidden location of the Sword of Darkness and took it for himself. He used the sword against the Fiorian Knights. For many centuries the Sword of Darkness was used by the strongest knight of the Skathean Order. The symbolic leader of the Skathean Order was always the Skathean who carried the Sword of Darkness. Upon returning to Veredor the Prince of Shadows killed the Skathean with the Sword of Darkness and instantly became the leader of the Skathean Order.

  Sword of Light, The (The Ecorian Sword) – The Sword of Light was one of the three Astarian swords and also one of the Seven Relics brought by the Astarians to Veredor in the time of the first arrival. It was crafted by a being greater than the Astarians and given to the Astarians by the creature known as Pilgrim. The Sword of Light played a major role in all the battles of the Forgotten Age. It was used by the Astarian Fiora to contest the Prince of Shadows in the final battle of the Forgotten Age. The Swor
d of Light was later given to Toranah of the Knights of Shidon and later handed onto Jeriel the Just, the first Ecorian Emperor. It became a symbol of the Ecorian Emperors and was lost in the River Siarglas. It was later found by Saidrin the Great who joined the Fiorian Knights and later became their leader. After this time it was hidden and guarded by the Fiorian Order until the return of the Prince of Shadows when the sword was reunited with the Ecorian descendent.

  Sword of Midlight, The – One of the Three Swords of the Astarian people. The sword was carried by the Astarian Airleas in the battles of the Forgotten Age. The Sword of Midlight was lost at the end of the Forgotten Age. In the year 931 BL the Sword of Midlight was found by Emer Ecorian. From that day onward the sword was always carried by the Ecorian descendent until the time of liberation. The Sword of Midlight was generally considered marginally less powerful than the Sword of Light and the Sword of Darkness.

  Tabarian Knights – The largest order of knights in the Far Western Lands of Veredor. They were instituted by the Ecorian Empress Galiana in the year 1870 BL in order to protect the western borders of the Ecorian Empire from invasion from the Kingdom of Coran and Alber. They are allied to the Ecorians before all others. They later became a politically powerful order of chivalrous knights and remained until the time of liberation when they fought alongside the Irilian Order against the armies of muckrons that invaded the Far Western Lands.

  Takalian Knights – The Takalian Knights are an order of knights founded by the adventurer Takal in the year 468 BL. Takal was a master of swordsmanship and a hero to many people in Veredor. The Takalian Order was distinct from other orders as the prime precept of the order was allegiance to the king of the land. This meant that at times Takalians would occasionally fight each other in battle when in the service of opposing monarchs.

  Ten Monachies of the Ecorian Arbiters, The – The Ten Monarchies of the Ecorian Arbiters were the kingdoms that followed the end of the Ecorian Empire. They were mostly in the south of Veredor and included: Scaldonia, Ortaria, Silvor, Ateria, Vastoria, Irvaria, Dravania, Iarthar, Roven, and Glenia.

  Three Swords, The – The Three Swords were the only weapons brought to Veredor in the first arrival at the beginning of the Forgotten Age. They were treasured by the Astarians. The swords were forged by an unknown maker in the time before Veredor was settled by Astarians. Each sword magnifies the ability of the one that wields it by a measure of the belief and strength of will of the owner. The swords also protect their owners from ill will and magical curses. They cannot protect the owner from his or her own evil thoughts. They were used extensively throughout the wars of the Forgotten Age and played a major role in many battles. After the fall of the Prince of Shadows the three swords became known as: The Sword of Light, The Sword of Midlight, and the Sword of Darkness.

  Umblan – The people of eastern Veredor are mostly descendants of the Umblan people who settled in the land of Silvor in the Forgotten Age.

  Veredor – In ancient times the world was called Veredord by men and later was simplified to Veredor. The world was given the name Veredor by the first men who arrived in Veredor. The Astarians use several other names to describe Veredor. It is thought to mean: the world of the true, or the fair and gentle world. All men throughout all the lands of Veredor use the term. The mer and sprites also refer to the world as Veredor.

  Veredorian Language – The common language of men and mer is a close variant of the Astarian language. Originally there were three distinct groups of men that arrived in Veredor late in the Forgotten Age. Each group spoke their own language. The Eriulan Colony was in the land of Iarthar and originally spoke a distinct language; however, this language was lost at the beginning of the Forgotten Age and only remains in the names of places in the west. It is said the Irilian Order still maintain the ability to speak some old Eriulan. The second settlement was in northern Irvaria and was called the Alblan Colony who also spoke a distinct language that was completely lost over time. The third settlement was in the east in the land of Silvor and was known as the Umbralan Colony. The original Umbralan language continued to be spoken by people living in remote villages in Zyran and on some of the smaller islands in the Isles of Dawn until the return of the Ecorian Empire.

  Wyverns – Wyverns are small dragons that are sometimes referred to as orms or simply as dragons. They should not be confused with Great Dragons. Wyverns are extremely rare. Wyverns came to Veredor in the Forgotten Age. They were the main antagonists in the first wars of the Forgotten Age when thousands of them attacked the abodes of the Astarians. They vary in size from two to ten meters. There are two varieties of wyvern; the most prominent variety are smaller and have wings and are simply referred to as wyverns. The Lindworms are larger and wingless. Some wyverns possess magical abilities. Many wyverns can hypnotise their victims by making eye contact, especially if their opponent has a weak will. They possess a similar level of intelligence to that of men. They are often self-obsessed and lonesome creatures, but they will work together under a common leader if they see a personal benefit.

  Zyranian Enforcers – Zyranian Enforcers are an elite group of warrior wizards formed by the Order of Zyran and under direct control of the Gatekeeper of Zyran. They were formed in response to Azer Ecorian attempting to reduce the Zyranian Order’s influence in the Eastern Lands of Veredor. Zyranian Enforcers focus their entire training on the acquisition of magic that is useful in battle. Generally there were about a dozen Zyranian Enforcers at any one time.

  Zyranian Order – The Zyranian Order of wizards was founded by Jeriel the Just in the year 2000 BL. The Ecorian Emperor gathered together many isolated wizards and encouraged them to work together for the benefit of all. He gave these wizards the Island of Zyran and they formed the Council of Zyran which governed the island and the Zyranian Order. The Zyranians focused their studies on the acquisition of knowledge. They heavily influenced the kingdoms of the Eastern Lands throughout the ages. For most of history they were the largest of the three southern magic orders and often found themselves at odds with the Irilian Order. They were also suspicious of the Fire Order. The Zyranian Order suffered greatly from several invasions of the Eastern Lands. The first significant invasion was when the Northern Sorcerer Ondtast conquered Zyran in 1658 BL. It is said that a curse remained in the Zyranian Order because many Zyranians willingly served Ondtast against the Ecorian Empire. The second major event that severely harmed the order was the Skathean Empire that ruled the Eastern Lands from the years 968 BL to 686 BL. The Skatheans turned the Zyranians to evil ways and for almost three centuries the Zyranian Order served Skathean overlords in the armies of the Skathean Empire. After the fall of the Skathean Empire the Zyranian Order returned to their original precepts, but a tendency toward evil remained in the order.

  THE HISTORY OF VEREDOR

  This is an account of the history of the men of Veredor from the end of the Forgotten Age to the birth of Eben Ecorian.

  2515 BL – The Astarian Fiora banishes the Prince of Shadows into the outer darkness beyond the Cosmic Gate. Fiora hands the Sword of Light to Sir Toranah, the last remaining knight of the Knights of Shidon. Fiora is never again seen in Veredor.

  2500 BL Toranah the Mystic appears in the west by the Crystal Lake and gathers a group of young men and women together to form the Fiorian Knights.

  2450 BL – Toranah the Mystic with his followers cross the Great Mountains through the ancient pass and expand the Fiorian Knights.

  2435 BL – The Fiorian Toranah dies in Silvor.

  2350 BL – The Astarian Lumen instructs a group of men in the magic ways of the Astarians. His students form the Fire Order. Lumen leaves Veredor.

  2340 BL – The Fire Order build the Temple of Fire at the northern edge of the Old Guardian Mountains at the place where Lumen lived.

  2310 BL – The Fiorian Order battles the Dark Clans in southern Iarthar. Many Fiorians die. The Dark Clans are destroyed.

  2305 BL – The seven remaining Great Dragons teach thei
r magic ways to the people of the north. The powerful students of the dragons become known as the Northern Sorcerers.

  2300 BL – The Kaznor Empire is formed as the clans in the north gather under one emperor.

  2280 BL – The Northern Sorcerers turn to evil around this time. In the land of Kaznor they discover the Star of the North, one of the Seven Relics of the Astarians. They seek to rule Veredor using the Star of the North.

  2240 BL – The Fiorian Order discovers the existence of the Star of the North. It is known as the Great Weapon by the people of the time. The Fiorians plan to destroy the Star of the North. A group of mighty Fiorians storm the stronghold of the Northern Sorcerers at Lagad on the shores of the Bay of Night in Kaznor. They take the Star of the North and scatter the Northern Sorcerers.

  2237 BL – The Fiorians attempt to destroy the Star of the North but find it cannot be ruined.

  2220 BL – Several wizards leave the Tower of Fire and go west to form a new order. They establish the new order in Dravania by the Iril River. They later become known as the Irilian Order.

  2190 BL – The Kingdom of Coran is formed in the Far West.

  2170 BL – The Blue Caps of Vastoria and Ateria rebel against men. From this time onward the Blue Caps see men as a threat.

  2150 BL – Tribes from Vastoria attack Ateria and occupy it for many years.

  2110 BL – A flood in the Far Western Lands causes much suffering and destruction. The Irilian Order comes to the aid of the people which gives the order fame and favour for many years.