by Lou Anders
Gordion (GOR-dee-un) Empire: A fallen empire that once ruled much of the continent. Gordions enjoyed gladiatorial games, worshiped strange gods, and wore funny hats, and there are still a great many Gordion ruins scattered across the lands. Many modern cities began as Gordion settlements. Reportedly, the Gordion soldiers didn’t get along very well with dragons.
Gunnlod (GUN-lod): A giantess, chieftain of Gunnlod’s Plateau.
Gunnlod’s Plateau: A frost giant village high in the Ymirian Mountains.
hauld (howled): A farmer whose family has possessed a farm for six generations or more. This is the highest rank a person can attain in Norrøngard other than being a jarl or High King.
Helltoppr (HELL-top-per): A draug, a dragonship captain who was too greedy for treasures and revenge to stay properly dead when he was buried.
Jarl (yarl): A local chieftain.
Karn Korlundsson (karn KOHR-lund-sun): Our hero. Karn is a boy growing up on a large farm in Norrøngard but dreaming of even bigger things.
Knattleikr (nat-LIKE-er): A game played with a hard ball in which every player is equipped with a bat. It is a very rough sport and injuries are common. Play at your own risk.
Korlundr hauld Kolason (KOHR-lund-urr howled KOHL-uh-sun): Karn’s father. Also called Korlundr or Korlundr Kolason. He swings a mean sword, runs a tight farm, and makes excellent cheese.
Korlundr’s Farm: Karn’s family farm, home to about one hundred people.
Kvir (kveer): God of luck. Sometimes pictured holding board games and acorns. Like luck itself, Kvir can be fickle. Pray you stay on his good side.
linnorm (LINnorm): A monstrous snakelike creature, the Norrøngard equivalent of a dragon or sea serpent. Talking to them is ill-advised, but it beats being eaten by them.
Magnilmir (MAHG-neel-meer): Thianna’s father, a giant. Tends to be long-winded but is gentle and kind. Also good at crafting things.
Manna (MAH-nuh): The Norrønir goddess of the moon.
mugl (MOO-gull): The term for a mound of snow, or mogul. Means “little heap” in Norrønian.
Neth (rhymes with Beth): Goddess of the underworld. All Norrønir revere her as their benefactor. Neth gave intelligence to humankind and was slain by the other gods for this offense. Her spirit was banished to a deep cavern under the earth, where all Norrønir go when they die, to be with their foster mother.
Norrøngard (NOR-ruhn-gard; the “rr” rolls a little bit; the “ø” is pronounced like the “u” sound in “further”; the “d” is soft but not quite silent): The land inhabited by humans known as Norrønir (plural) or Norrønur (singular). The people farm in the summer months and hunt and trap in the winter. At one time in their history, they were also fierce raiders of foreign lands. They’ve put that behind them now. Mostly.
Nyra (NEE-ray): One of Karn’s older sisters. Pretty tough, but also a good sister.
Ori (OR-ee): Karn’s uncle. Sarcastic and a little lazy. He is Korlundr’s twin brother.
Orm Hinn Langi (orm hin LAHN-gee): Usually called Orm for short, but there’s nothing short about him. This is a very large dragon, one of the most fearsome creatures in all of Norrøngard. Stay as far away as possible.
Pofnir (POFF-neer): A freeman on Korlundr’s Farm who has risen to a position of some responsibility and authority. Pofnir likes to hear himself talk, and he really likes to tell Karn what to do. Karn enjoys their talks somewhat less.
Rifa (REEF-uh): A draug lackey who works for Helltoppr. He can transform into a horse.
Saisland (SAYZ-lund): A country near Norrøngard. A land of knights, lords, and ladies.
Sardeth (SAR-death): A ruined city, home to the dragon Orm. Once a Gordion outpost.
Serpent’s Gulf: A body of water. Bense sits on its coast.
skyr (sheer): A Norrøngard treat made from milk and similar to yogurt. It has the consistency of cream cheese and is often eaten with honey and lingonberries.
Snorgil (SNORE-gill): The leader of three draug who work for Helltoppr. He can transform into a cat.
spatha (SPAH-tah): A type of sword once common in the Gordion Empire. Later Norrønir swords were modeled on this style of weapon. Norrønir know a good thing when they see it.
Stolki (STOLE-key): Proprietor of Stolki’s Hall and a prominent figure in Bense.
Stolki’s Hall: A tavern in Bense. Rough and rowdy but very popular. The food is fine if taste and smell aren’t important to you.
Sydia (SID-ee-uh): A foreign soldier, accompanied by two unnamed soldiers in her command. She’s bad news.
Talaria (tuh-LAHR-ee-uh): Thianna’s mother, now deceased. She came from a faraway land, but where that is, she wouldn’t say.
Thianna (thee-AH-nuh): Our heroine. Thianna is half frost giant, half human.
Thrudgelmir: (THROOD-gull-meer) A giant who bullies Thianna. Bad Thrudgey.
Trollheim (TROLL-hime): Built on ruins of an ancient dwarven civilization, Trollheim is a city of trolls deep in the Ymirian Mountains. Few people have seen the city and returned to tell of it, as humans typically only enter as slaves or food. Trolls regard Trollheim as the greatest city in the world. It is uncertain what they base this opinion on, as they are unlikely to have much experience anywhere else.
Ungland (UNG-lund): A country near Norrøngard. Not a very friendly place.
Visgil (VISS-gill): A draug lackey who works for Helltoppr. He can transform into a bull.
Whitestorm: The sword of Korlundr hauld Kolason, later carried by Karn. Whitestorm was once a famous blade, though most of its legendary history has been forgotten.
wyvern: A winged reptile slightly larger than a horse. It has a snakelike head, a long neck, two wings, two legs, and a barbed tail. Neither proper dragons nor linnorms and not native to Norrøngard, wyverns have been known to serve as mounts, though they are surly and unpredictable creatures who have a tendency to toss their riders off while flying hundreds of feet in the air.
Ymiria (eye-MEER-ee-uh): The land north of Norrøngard, defined by the enormous mountain range known as the Ymirian Mountains. Ymiria is home to frost giants, trolls, and maybe even a few lingering goblins. The city of Trollheim and the frost giant village of Gunnlod’s Plateau are among its few settlements, though ruins of older civilizations may lie buried in its snowy wastes.
Ymirian Mountains (eye-MEER-ee-un): An enormous mountain range to the north of Norrøngard, believed to be formed from the colossal body of the giant Ymir when he was struck down by the first of the Norrønir gods.
(WITH JONATHAN ANDERS)
Helltoppr his bold warriors heed:
Ship-ruler, man-slayer, he set to sea.
Ocean-proud longship that gleamed with his swords
was his storm-wrath’s harbinger to lands manifold.
The lord in his house, the Jarl in his realm,
All shook in death-dread at Helltoppr’s name.
For he burst from the whale-paths like Sardeth’s fell-worm:
He and his swords did ravage and burn.
Helltoppr conquer’d and great grew his power,
till High King seat alone was it left to devour.
He summoned his swords—and sea-king’s storm-wrath
was loosed upon the high-crown and his house.
In triumph the ship-king flashed high his blade;
and lord and Jarl his last command obeyed.
In glory the ship-king raised high his eyes;
and blood they beheld and his dismal demise.
A traitor, a thief, a man spellbound by love;
snatched from the scabbard, the dreadful sword drove.
The blade, storm of white, treacherous dart,
sharp-piercing its thrust through Helltoppr’s heart.
Proud ocean-ruler, he now was brought low.
His dominion was scattered; his men were ungathered
Far from his home, the heart of Norrøn,
They earth-covered him in a barrow down.
Then piled the hoard riches upon his tomb,
> lest up from death should arise his soul.
Yet night after night, when high climbs the moon,
The undead lord rises from his baleful tomb.
Beware, ye who listen, lest in black midnight,
Helltoppr, dread After Walker, should call you to fight.
Stand you your ground, and stone you may be.
Sword-failing, battle-losing, none then hears your plea.
For if you stand, you’ll surely fall;
and if you fall, stand you will for now … and all.
Thrones and Bones is a favorite pastime of the Norrønir1, and no tavern or longhouse is complete without a set. It is a game for two players, played on a board of nine-by-nine squares. One player plays the defenders, called the Jarl’s side, which is composed of the Jarl and his eight shield maidens. The other player plays the attackers, called the draug, with fifteen draug minions and a draug leader called the Black Draug.
The Jarl begins the game on the center square, called the Throne. His eight shield maidens are placed in a cross shape around him (on the two squares above, below, right, and left). The fifteen draug and the Black Draug are placed in the four T-shaped areas along the edges of the board. These areas are called the Barrow Mounds. The Black Draug may initially be placed on any black square in the Barrow Mounds.
The objective for the Jarl’s side is to move the Jarl to any square on the periphery of the board that is not in one of the Barrow Mounds. If this happens, the Jarl has escaped and the Jarl’s side wins. The Jarl’s side may also win if they capture the Black Draug. If this happens, the Black Draug’s minions are “released” and all the attackers are removed from the board. The draug’s side wins if they can capture the Jarl before he escapes.
The draug’s side always makes the first move. All pieces move like a rook in chess, which is to say they may move any number of unoccupied squares along any straight line. Pieces may not move diagonally, and they may never pass over another piece.
Pieces are captured when they are sandwiched between two enemies along a row or column. A piece can also be captured if it is caught between an enemy piece and a hostile square along a row or a column. (More on hostile squares below.) However, a piece is only captured by the opposing player’s move.
A player moving between two already positioned enemy pieces is not captured. In other words, a player cannot move his own piece into a capture.
The Jarl and the Black Draug may participate in captures like any other piece. A captive piece is removed from the board and is no longer in play.
The Jarl is captured just like all other pieces, unless he is in the Throne or one of the four squares surrounding the Throne (above, below, right, and left). In order to capture the Jarl when he is in the Throne, the draug must surround him on all four sides.
In order to capture the Jarl when he is on one of the squares next to the Throne, the draug must surround him on three sides, with the unoccupied Throne on his remaining side.
The Throne and the Barrow Mounds are restricted areas, with their own special rules. The Throne may only be occupied by the Jarl and the Black Draug. Once the Jarl has exited the Throne, he may reenter, and all pieces may pass over the Throne when it is empty (but not stop on it). However, the Throne is considered a hostile square, which means that it can stand in for one of the two pieces in a capture. The Throne is always hostile to the draug, but only hostile to the Jarl’s side when it is empty. Meanwhile, the Jarl’s side can never enter the Barrow Mounds, and the squares of the Barrow Mounds are always hostile to the Jarl’s side, but only hostile to the draug when a Barrow Mound is completely empty of all draug.
Although the draug who are initially placed in the Barrow Mounds may move freely within their respective mound, once a draug has left its Barrow Mound it may not return, nor can it enter or pass across another Barrow Mound. The exception to this is the Black Draug. The Black Draug may reenter or pass through any of the squares of any Barrow Mound. The Black Draug may also occupy the Throne. Because of this, the Black Draug is a very special piece, with no restrictions on its movement. But it is also a very vulnerable piece, and therefore the attacking player may choose to leave it safely in the Barrow Mound for the duration of play.
In some quarters of Norrøngard, a further element of risk is introduced to the game. Players bring their own ornately carved pieces. If the Jarl’s side wins by the capture of the Black Draug, the losing side forfeits all sixteen of its playing pieces. Likewise, if the Jarl is captured, that player forfeits all nine of his Jarl’s-side pieces. No pieces are forfeit if the Jarl’s side wins by having the Jarl escape to the edge of the board. The forfeited playing pieces are highly prized trophies in the collections of successful Thrones and Bones players. Guraldr the Gusty, Jarl of Wendholm, has a display table by his throne that is full of the playing pieces of his opponents.
*
1 Scholars of the multiverse have noted the resemblance between Thrones and Bones and the game Hnefatafl, a board game played by the Viking peoples of the planet Earth. Whether there is some actual connection between the games of these two worlds or whether the similarity is merely a Cosmic Coincidence is a topic of long and furious debate.
First and foremost, immeasurable thanks to my longsuffering family, whose love and support mean so much to me. Thanks to my former agent, Joe Monti. Joe, I’m lucky to have had you in my corner. Good luck to you in your new endeavor. You are the best! Thanks to my new agent, Barry Goldblatt, of Barry Goldblatt Literary. Thanks to my editor at Crown Books for Young Readers, the incomparable Phoebe Yeh, who has taught me so much, and to Random House Children’s Books publisher Barbara Marcus. Thanks to Rachel Weinick, editorial assistant, and Alison Kolani, director of copyediting. Thanks to my amazing artist, Justin Gerard, whose work I am so privileged to have gracing the cover of this book and filling its pages, and for their design thanks also to Isabel Warren-Lynch, executive art director, and Ken Crossland, senior designer. Thanks to my cartographer Robert Lazzaretti for the amazing map of Norrøngard—Lazz, it is such fun to work on maps with you! I cannot wait to get started on the next one. And while his work doesn’t appear in this volume, thanks also to my friend, artist Andrew Bosley, who has helped me to visualize more of the denizens of my fantasy world outside of Norrøngard. Enormous gratitude to Trond-Atle Farestveit for help with my Norrønian pronunciation, and to Tina Smith for facilitating same. A special thanks to my Thrones and Bones play-testers, Jonathan Anders and Joshua Anders. And to Jonathan for help with “The Song of Helltoppr.” Thanks also due to my first readers: Justin Anders, Louis Anders Jr., Marsha Anders, Judith Anderson, Miles Holmes, Howard Andrew Jones, J. F. Lewis, Janet Lewis, and Max Stehr; and to my readers of earlier things, James Enge, Marjorie M. Liu, Mahesh Raj Mohan, E. C. Myers, Michael Rowley, Rene Sears, Dave Seeley, Cindi Stehr, and Bill Willingham.
Immeasurable thanks are also due to George Mann. George, this thing exists because of you, for commissioning the short story that started me writing again even if it never saw print, for offering such enthusiastic encouragement, and for providing such a great and inspiring example with your own work. I’m also deeply indebted to Mark Hodder, who went above and beyond with my earliest attempts at novel writing, and whose advice and opinions were invaluable. Thank you to my dear friend Amy Plum, whose encouragement, aid, and example are deeply appreciated. A very sincere thanks to Scott H. Andrews, publisher and editor-in-chief of Beneath Ceaseless Skies, for additional encouragement in the right direction. Thanks to Mike Resnick, for always-expert advice and friendship. Thanks to John Picacio, for the shoulder and the bond. And to Stephenson Crossley for the same. Thank you all. Your friendship is truly magical.
Lou Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award and a Chesley Award. He has published over 500 articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. His research on Norse mythology turned into a love affair with Viking cult
ure, culminating in a first visit to Norway while working on the final draft of Frostborn, a novel that he hopes will appeal to boys and girls equally. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, on Tumblr at louanders.tumblr.com, and on Twitter at @ThronesandBones.