Storm Kings (Song of the Aura, Book Six)

by Downs, Gregory J.

  Arlin: Leader of the northern rangers, who lost both his legs below the knee in a skirmish with the M’tant. His wife is Daslite, one of the women rangers. After recalling his rangers from the Blackwood, he acted as their general in the Battle of the Gray Cathedral. His death came at the hands of a murdering Clockwork Demon.

  Armir: One of the elder rangers under Arlin’s command, and a sometime companion of Gribly. He was, like his master, slain by a Clockwork Demon.

  Ashen: The mysterious Colorless Aura, once titled The Silver. He was imprisoned with the Legion, sacrificing himself to keep the Otherworld prison intact for a while longer.

  Aura, The: Eleven ancient spirits sung into being by the Creator when he fashioned the world. They are the guardians of the many races inhabiting Vast and the lands beyond. However, in recent days belief in their existence has wavered. They now rarely show themselves to mortals, and only three have been reported to still frequent Vast at all: The Gray Aura, the Brown Aura, and the Red Aura.

  Automo: The Red Aura. While the Gray Aura is known for his control over dreams, and the Brown Aura for his love of growing things, the Red Aura is known for his mastery of machines and artifice. His hideous betrayal of the rest of the Aura has led some to suspect he is actually one of the Legion, though according to the old beliefs such a thing is theologically impossible. His defeat at the Battle of the Gray Cathedral leaves his fate ultimately unknown. To assume that he has died would be too optimistic, though his mortal form was certainly destroyed, at least for a time.

  Avarine: Daughter of the Tannarch (ruler of the M’tant nymphs). She is an outcast in her own society, partially because of her rare, scarlet hair, inherited from her human mother. She is a Spirit Strider of no small talent, and utilizes poisoned weapons to hunt. She makes no pretense of the fact that she is attracted to Lauro Vale, nor does he deny his own mutual feelings. She is the heir to the throne of Mortenhine, a position she intends to exert on the heels of her father’s recent death.

  Avarine Hallifar: Mother of Avarine, bearing the same name as her daughter. As one of the Tannarch’s mistresses, she was totally ostracized from Wood Nymph society. She bears the same last name as the fabled Byornleo Hallifar, though their exact relation is not known.

  Avtar: A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.

  Bernarl: A Zain ship’s captain and former pirate, once an ally of the mysterious King Gram, the Lord of Rogues. Possibly the only exception to the general lacking among the Zain of a Second Form. Commonly called “Berne” by his friends and allies. He wields an anchorblade in combat and has survived many “deaths” due to his quick thinking and survival instincts. He fought with the rogues in the Battle of the Gray Cathedral, and went on to become their commander after the death of King Gram.

  Bonedale: A dark falconhorse, raised in the pits of Blast.

  Bwether: Master of the Haedi working under Wanderwillow at the Swaying Willow inn. He was presumably killed when the inn burned to the ground.

  Byornleo “Byorne” Hallifar: One of the oldest and deadliest rangers, and a friend to Old Murie. He frequented the fight pits of Ymeer, where he was known as “Longstrider.” His fighting prowess put him at the top of the pack, and in a perfect position to spy for Vastion. He was killed by Gramling, the Pit Strider.

  Calloway: Also known as “Cal.” He is a young boy of the Grymclaw’s South Village, who gave vital aid to Gribly and Elia in their time of need. After the Golden Nation invaded the Grymclaw, he and his village fled north to Wanderwillow’s Grove, with aid from the fleeing Reethe and Zain. There he discovered a latent affinity for Stone Striding.

  Cramner: A young boy of South Village, and friend of Calloway. He is one of the few Grymclaw villagers to survive the flight to the Grove.

  Creator, The: The God of all worlds, Who is responsible for the world of Sceptre and everything in it: Vast, Realm, Rune, Nation, and all the lands beyond.

  Crutus: A bouncer at the Old Pickpocket’s wine-shop, who also deals in the slave trade. He is the brother of Shele, a fight pit contestant. He is rumored to have met his end at the hands of bloodthirsty creditors.

  Danner Waterpike: A southern sea-rogue lord who has now sworn allegiance to King Gram, Lord of Rogues. He narrowly escaped the massacre on the Giant’s Isle, and fought among the rogue force during the Battle of the Gray Cathedral. He vanished during the fighting, and has not been heard of since.

  Daslite: One of the few women rangers, and Arlin’s extremely devoted wife. She fell at the hands of her husband’s killer.

  Donovan: An Elder of South Village. He did not survive the flight to the Grove.

  Elia: A Sea Nymph female of the Treele Tribe. She is an incredibly powerful Sea Strider, with a unique ability: she can Stride Flame as well. During her captivity in the Golden Nation, she mastered some elements of both Pit and Spirit Striding, revealing the dual-nature of both. She discovered a latent ability to use Sea Striding to “see” her surroundings, even without regular eyesight. She was revealed to be the Halanyad, and led her people to aid King Lauro Vale of Vastion in the Last War. She gave herself up in order to stop the Regnastar, the King of Storms.

  Gando: One of the more violent rangers under Arlin’s command. He died at the hands of Clockwork Demon.

  Golden One, The: Master of Pit Striders. Confirmed to be an escaped member of the Legion. He is responsible for the enslavement of the Kinn race, and many other atrocities. The Kinn now worship him as a false deity.

  Gorgoris: A former Lordyte of the Golden Sepulcher. He miraculously escaped Gramling’s betrayal of the Lordyte rebellion with nothing more than an arrow in the knee. He was secretly a member of the Faithful, a group of Kinn shamans dedicated to serving the Aura.

  Gram: Self-styled Pirate King of South Vast, also known as the Lord of Rogues. He is the father of Gribly and Gramling, two of the most powerful Striders in the world. He is the founder and ruler of the Alliance, a loosely-bound brotherhood of miscreants spread throughout Vast. His Stone Striding is increased tenfold with the use of his mighty war hammer, which was forged by the Red Aura himself. He commanded the rogue force in the Battle of the Gray Cathedral, and went on to lead the doomed expedition to rescue the eight Wind Clerics. His true fate remains unknown.

  Gramling: A Pit Strider, and brother to Gribly. His master, the mysterious Golden One, originally tasked him with either converting or killing the young thief. When he failed to do this, he was brought back to the Golden Nation to oversee Elia’s breaking, questioning, and subsequent training as a Pit Strider. He has developed feelings for her, similar to his twin brother’s, though the extent of these feelings is not known fully, even to him. He was revealed to be as much a Prophet as his brother, and now works to repair the damage he caused in his former life.

  Gribly: A street thief, formerly of Ymeer. He has manifested extraordinary abilities in Stone Striding, and is rumored to be the Prophet of the Aura. He is revealed to have originally been named Gramlen by his mother, Alwene, and his father, Gram. He is one of the few beings in all history able to Stride Spirit in addition to his natural World Element. His true fate remains unknown.

  Kalzikir: The M’tant cleric. Due to his failure in converting the wood-nymphs, the nymph man suffers from deep depression and melancholy, leading many to suspect he has lost his mind. His control over the element of Spirit is very weak as a consequence.

  Karanel Winter: The youngest Windmaster in Vastion’s army. Later referred to as “Karanel One-hand,” she eventually takes on a leading role in the Vastic Remnant. She is also present at the Battle of the Gray Cathedral, fighting with her brother Marvol’s White Wind troop. She helped lead a band of reinforcements to lift the siege of Mortenhine.

  Karmidigan: A prodigiously powerful Reethe Frost Strider.

  Kell: A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.
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br />   Kinn, The: The black-skinned inhabitants of Nation, the continent where the Golden Nation holds sway. They seem to speak a similar language to the Nymphtongue, and many know the Commontongue, yet they are of neither men nor nymphs. Among them, Pit Striding is much more common than any other kind of Striding. Next is Stone; Sea and Sky are almost totally absent.

  Kite S’wrath: One of the few female pirate captains to gain influence with the Alliance. She was revealed to be a traitor to the Remnant’s cause, and her current fate remains unknown.

  Larion Vale: Former King of Vastion, the last surviving kingdom in Vast. He died in the Battle of the Gray Cathedral.

  Lauro Vale: Former Prince of Vastion… now its King. He managed to heal himself of a mortal injury during a duel with Automo, the Red Aura, which he ultimately won. However, his incredible power caused him to “burn out,” resulting in the loss of his Striding. Whether or not the condition is permanent is unknown, but it appears to have almost no effect on his motivation or drive. He is a hero to the last.

  Leafly: A Haedus in Wanderwillow’s entourage at the Swaying Willow inn. Presumably killed in a fire that destroyed the building.

  Legion, The: Nine Archdemons bound in the underworld of Kerbus at the beginning of time. They were once Aura, but became corrupted with pride in their own power. They wished to rule the world, and were banished for it.

  Lithric: The nymph cleric of Mythigrad.

  Lucen: One of King Lauro Vale’s bodyguards.

  M’tant, The: A mysterious tribe of Wood Nymphs residing in the Blackwood, Northeast of the Grymclaw. Avarine eventually takes her father’s place as Tannarch of the M’tant.

  Magnin Bogley: One of the craftiest, most experienced rangers under Arlin’s command. He died valiantly in combat against the traitorous Red Aura.

  Mant: The alias of a young bandit in Gram’s Rogue Army. He, like many, confessed to being a paid spy of the Golden Nation… but it did not save him from death, as so many of his kinds discovered.

  Margry: A female Elder of South Village.

  Marle: A Stone Strider under the command of King Gram.

  Marlo the Fool: A rogue lord from the South, and a master of disguise. He is somewhat crazed, but a cunning leader nonetheless.

  Marmat: A silverguard of Ymeer, who accompanies Gribly and Lauro on their journey to the Inkwell. Presumably killed in a Sea Demon attack.

  Marvol Winter: Brother to Karanel Winter, and Lord of the White Wind, King Larion Vale’s personal bodyguard force. He was killed by a Clockwork Demon.

  Medlore Hallifar Silverpaw: Also called simply “Mudlo,” he is one of the youngest rangers in Vastion’s force. He also bears the name Hallifar, though his relation to Byornleo Hallifar and/or Avarine Hallifar is distant, if it really exists at all. He is not the most serious person, unless under combat stress, in which case he can be deadly. He is presumed dead after a ferocious fight with Steamclaw in the Red Aura’s forge.

  Morr: A sly ranger under Arlin’s command; formerly a bandit. He is also one of the older rangers, and extremely skilled with his fire-hurler. He was killed in the Battle of the Gray Cathedral.

  Murie: A Vastic Ranger stationed in Ymeer. Called “Old Murie” by most of the inhabitants, she disguised herself as a gypsy to blend in, allowing her to care for and protect Gribly as he grew older and learned to use his gift. She was killed by Gramling.

  Norne: The legendary Aura of fate. She is one of the few characterized as female, and is said to sit in Heavens of Halla, holding the threads to which the fate of every living person is tied. In some controversial sources of lore, she is said to have the power to snip and tie these threads, granting life and death wherever she sees fit. Much of her true nature, however, is simply not known.

  Old Pickpocket, The: A former thief and black market trader specializing in strong drink. He is crippled from the waist down.

  Patnel: A Reethe nymph in charge of guarding Mythigrad’s armory. Secretly a Frost Strider.

  Raenin: One of the few woman rangers under Arlin’s command.

  Ragan: A mancaptain of Vastion, under command of Karanel Winter and Captain Yotun.

  Ranathin: Also known as “Ran.” Grandson of Elder Donovan, and friend to Calloway and Cramner.

  Randale: Another male human known as “Ran.” A Wind Strider messenger in the Vastic Dalheim commanded by Captain Yotun.

  Reethe, The: The northernmost of the three Sea Nymph tribes. Their Second Form resembles the icy snow they inhabit. It is stronger than the Second Form of the Treele, and most often used in combat or in the harsh winter storms that often lash the Inkwell.

  Roko Smallword: Head Cook in Vastion’s capital city.

  Shele: A mysterious woman living in the underbelly of Ymeer. Her brother Crutus pressured her to put her martial skills to use in the fight pits, which she reluctantly agreed to. Her recent losses have put the freedom of her only daughter at risk. She goes by the alias “Shadow.” At the fall of Ymeer, she acquitted herself valiantly, and now leads a portion of the Blast refugees at Dunelord Argoz’s side, titled as the “Duneshadow.”

  Sheolus: The cursed name of the Golden One.

  Skipe: An erratic- yet powerful- Stone Strider under King Gram’s command.

  Slere Math: A former cleric, and now one of the most powerful rogue lords in Vast. He, like most, has sworn allegiance to King Gram.

  Sotheland Vath: Last surviving Vastic High Cleric. His first name is sometimes abbreviated “Sothe.”

  Steamclaw: A pit draik of Blast; called Nebulekef in the Nymphtongue. His service eventually passed from Gramling, to Gribly, to the Red Aura, who was revealed to have been his creator and master all along. He was killed by the ranger Mudlo, who in turn died fighting him.

  Tannarch, The: Father of Avarine, former lover of Avarine Hallifar, and leader of the M’tant. He was a powerful Stone Strider, coming into greater abilities just as many of his brethren during the troubled days leading up to the Day of Norne. Lauro Vale slew him in the Battle of Hawks and Ravens.

  Trann: A young Sky Strider, formerly of Vastion’s army. He was a companion to Volgor, and served under King Gram during the search for the eight Wind Clerics.

  Traveller: One of the many names taken by the Gray Aura. Commonly called Viator among the Sea Nymphs of the Inkwell. He is most powerful in the realm of dreams.

  Treele, The: The easternmost of the three Sea Nymph tribes. Their Second Form is watery and translucent, much like the waves they commonly inhabit.

  Trekno: A Kinn male of the Golden Sepulcher. He is a Malcyte, a newly-raised Pit Strider, and secretly a rebel under command of Lordyte Zonder.

  Tressa Kinn: A young Coalskin girl enslaved to the Golden Nation’s “Institution” in Manlyn. She aided Karanel Winter in her escape before being severely chastised and sent back to the Golden Nation homeland, where she eventually became a Pit Strider Acolyte.

  Understone, The: The semi-sentient shell of what was once a Wood Demon core. It has corrupted the M’tant city of Mortenhine and brought most of the inhabitants under its pulsing, half-living thrall. Avarine may have destroyed it entirely during her escape, or it could simply be in hibernation. The truth is not currently known.

  Vail Kammerdan: A Sky Strider apprentice from Vastion, and one of the first to die in the Golden Nation invasion. His master was Windmaster Karanel Winter.

  Varstis: Raitharch of Mythigrad, Lord of the Sanquegrad, King of the Reethe. He is a nymph of more than respectable reputation, though there are rumors he had dealt with pirates in his youth. He led his people to the Grymclaw upon the second invasion of the Golden Nation.

  Volgor: An experienced veteran of Vastion’s Sky Strider corps; he was temporarily under the command of King Gram.

  Wanderwillow: The commonly used name for the Brown Aura, who is rumored to reside in the Grymclaw. He sometimes goes by the name Swaying Willow, identical to the name of the enchanted inn where he is innkeeper. He is the Nympharch, the patron of the Nymph race. During the Last War,
he has created a haven of safety called “The Grove.”

  Windfellow: A falconhorse under the service of Traveller, the Gray Aura. Wendfilo in the nymphtongue.

  Windwing: A far-eagle used by Karanel Winter and Vail Kammerdan.

  Winden: A Vastic warrior, and Captain Yotun’s second-in-command.

  Yan: A nymph, a friend of Captain Berne, and first mate on the Suthway Cath.

  Ymorio Highfast: Dunelord of Ymeer. Ruthless, intelligent and handsome, Ymorio kept himself in power far longer than any previous Dunelord; partially due to his more than competent Sand Striding abilities.

  Yorun: A mancaptain of Vastion, under command of Karanel Winter and Captain Yotun.

  Yotun: Captain of a Southern Dalheim, and a Wind Strider. He gave his life in defense of Vastion.