Fair warning: Spoilers ahead. Tons of them.
This section includes: Characters, Places, Miscellaneous Terms, and a list of Spells and Skills and Potions
Fair warning: Spoilers ahead. Tons of them.
Characters
Major
Madison – Young man who dreams of traveling the world and getting caught up in adventure before having a fateful encounter with a beautiful woman who turns out to be a witch. Damned for crimes he doesn’t remember committing, he is cast in another world and given the chance to survive—if he can. He quickly realizes that fighting and swordplay come all too naturally, and he has an uncanny ability to stand up against magic. Desperate to survive long enough to make it back home and gain vengeance against the witch who cast him off and left him for dead, he swears to do whatever it takes to get stronger. The only problem is that everyone he meets seems to know more about his past than he is, and the more he discovers, the more he realizes that he might not be the man he thinks he is—or even innocent.
Garin Fane – Fearsome leader who managed to unite all the pirates under a single banner. A behemoth, barrel-chested man who stands just under seven feet tall. His tanned skin is covered with scars and bulging muscles. Wields a long, curved blade with brutal efficiency. Seems to have a past with Madison and is desperate to find him in order to recover a stolen treasure.
Warren - A young man, probably somewhere in his early to mid-twenties, with short-cropped brown hair and a neatly-trimmed beard. He finds Madison on the edge of death after he escapes from the band of slavers and leads him to K’yer Utane after providing healing. Warren is often bookish and knowledgeable and acts as Madison’s guide at K’yer Utane and as an instructor to its ways. He is constantly reading, researching, or showing off his knowledge. Trained as a scout and a ranger.
Erin – A young, plane-Jane woman with dark hair and pale skin. Has a natural affinity for learning healing magic, and she works in the infirmary at K’yer Utane. Very rarely ever speaks and usually then only when it’s incredibly important—or to tell Madison that he’s a dumbass. She’s a stickler for the rules unless her sister Shayna is involved, and then, anything goes.
Shayna – Young woman with a small frame and dark, shoulder-length hair. Seemingly picked on by almost everyone at K’yer Utane for something that happened in the past, she’s often getting into fights with other students. She’s the target of Randall’s ire on frequent occasions, and the two are constantly getting into it. Reckless and headstrong, she puts up a strong front to the world and seems to prefer working alone.
Ryder – Considered by most be a master swordsman, this Guardian of K’yer Utane seems to have it out for Madison. He clearly wants to use Madison for his own goals, which may not be solely limited to exposing K’yer Utane to the rest of the world and restoring it to its former glory as a confidant and military power.
Alanna – Daughter to Lord Fox and heir apparent to Stargrave after her brother Demetrius’ death. She has deep blue eyes, shoulder-length, silvery-white hair, and is proportioned in all the ways to make a young man hunger for more. She possesses a rare magic that allows her to read a person, divulging his true nature. On certain occasions, she is also able to catch a glimpse of their future and their past. Strongminded like her father, she is a devour follower of ‘the way,’ a nearly-religious set of believes that is native to her homeland.
Lord Fox – Rule of Stargrave. Comes to Stargrave seeking a way to save his kingdom from being dragged into a war, and he will stop at nothing to save his people—even if it means trading away his daughter and forfeiting his son’s life. He is kidnapped by slavers and held for ransom, prompting Madison to lead a search and rescue mission.
The Witch – She appears before Madison as a young and seductive woman with a penchant for being airheaded but turns out to be so much more. She damned Madison for crimes he doesn’t remember committing and then sentenced him to death in a foreign world. She is suspected to be responsible for the war between the kingdoms in the east amongst other crimes against nature. If dragons are to be believed, she will bring about the downfall of all life on the world if left unchecked.
Minor
Burke – Described as appearing to be somewhere in his mid-to-late thirties with strong facial features, a square jaw and intense brown eyes, this Guardian of K’yer Utane is actually much older. He’s spent a good bit of time in the east gathering information about the war that is going on there until recently, and he is as apt to disappear as he is to reappear at random. He handles most of the Sworn on a regular basis, working in the shadows as a guiding hand to nations. Claims to be Shayna and Erin’s father.
Burris – One of the men from K’yer Utane who works the kitchens. Owes Warren a couple of favors for some unknown reason.
Burton – Household guard to Lord Fox
Cruz – Young man from K’yer Utane. Sandra’s boyfriend. Shayna’s friend.
Darrius – Alyanna’s older brother and the rightful heir to Starvrage, Lord Fox’s son. He is remembered as having been kind, caring, protective, and charismatic.
Davion – One of the Guardians of K’yer Utane, this behemoth of a man is still in excellent fighting share despite appearing to be middle-aged. He keeps short, close-cut black hair that is speckled with grey, stands over six-and-a-foot tall, is barrel-chested, and covered in a layer of thick muscle. He’s a no-nonsense type of man who is accustomed to telling people exactly what to do and having those orders followed without question.
Dedrick – An older man from the coast who takes a job as second mate on Janos’ ship in order to make some fast money to support his burgeoning family. He has a history as a seaman on various ships and has spent his life on the water.
reputation is well-known by almost everyone.
Golden Goddess – See: The Witch
Gregory – Slightly pudgy, redheaded man from K’yer Utane. Best friends with Nicholas and acts as his loyal henchman without question.
Haron - Mate on Janos’ ship who is tortured by Garin Fane just after Madison arrives in the world.
Janos – A legendary ship Captain known to have a mercenary past and who is rumored to have worked as smuggler. He is generally well-respected by everyone who knows his name, even by those on the opposite side of the law, and his
Linus – Forward scout to Lord Fox who barely escapes from a battle to bring word of an impending attack of slavers as Fox and his retinue travel south to K’yer Utane.
Maulg - Deranged old crone who is rumored to be a sorcerer. Uses slaves, particularly children, in horrific experiments. Lives alone in the forests of the western coast.
Maureen – Household servant to the Fox family. Travels with Alyanna and Lord Fox south.
Mit - Pudgy's brother who is crushed by axle. Part of the band of slavers who originally captures Madison just after he arrives in the world.
Nicholas – Young man from K’yer Utane. Blindly follows Randall and acts as one of his henchmen, frequently abusing Shayna. Never goes into a fair fight, instead choosing to rely on underhanded tactics and the advantage of numbers and surprise.
Pudgy - Leader of slave troop who originally captures Madison just after he arrives in the new world. Mit’s older brother. Becomes enraged after Madison kills his brother and most of his men and swears to hunt Madison down and kill him.
Rae - A young girl, likely in her late teens, a little over five-and-a-half feet tall with curly blonde hair. She is being trained as a healer in K’yer Utane, but she seems more interested in the latest gossip that she does doing her job or tending to the patients. She tends to be a bit egocentric and airheaded at times, which allows people to take advantage of her on occasion.
Randall – One of the Sworn from K’yer Utane known for his pretty-boy looks and flashy, over-the-top fighting style. Skilled in hand-to-hand fighting and grappling techniques. He has a personal vendetta against Shayna and takes advantage of his superior strength to abuse her every chance he has.
Royce – Household guard to Lord Fox
Sandra – Young woman from K’yer Utane. Cruz’s girlfriend. Friends with Shayna.
Sherrie – One of the Guardians at K’yer Utane, Sherrie is rumored to be one of the most accomplished magicians still alive. Not much is known about her than the fact that she is fairly proficient in at least two schools of magic. She looks to be somewhere past middle-aged with grey hair that she wears tied up in a bun. Generally appears to be impatient or annoyed whenever she thinks that someone is wasting her time.
Silan – Only seen during Madison’s flashback, Silan was once a favored and trusted member of a close-knit band of fighters.
Simmons - Slave group leader who controls a large portion of the traffic on the west coast. He’s known to be extremely efficient in keeping track of the slave bands, their routes, and their success, but also brutal and harsh when someone fails or betrays him.
Wart – Former leader of a slave troop who threatened to rape Madison, and the first to die.
Places
Eastern Cities, The – A group of city states along the eastern coast of the continent. Formerly the seat of the Hyndburn Dynasty, these are the largest and most well-developed cities still standing today. They are held together by various noble families, but just barely. Each city has its own interests, and they only seem to work together when there’s a war. Crime and poverty run rampant in these cities, often unchecked for lack of man power.
K’yer Utane – The hidden academy that is responsible for training the last of the world’s greatest fighters, assassins, and warriors. It was established after the fall of the Hyndburg Dynasty in order to maintain the peace, and it acted as a mediator between kingdoms for a number of years, settling disputes and suppling officers, before withdrawing from the world completely and remaining isolated for centuries.
Lukerest – Primary city on the western half of the continent that is responsible for all slave trade in the region. Despite the wealth associated with the slave trade, the town is fairly poor.
Marpot – Slave-trader’s outpost / small trade town on the western coast. Serves as a gateway hub to Lukerest.
Southern Kingdoms, The – A group of city states that developed as a result of trade and the need of mutual defense on the southeastern seaboard. The rich soil and temperate weather resulted in bountiful harvests for years, and the cities flourished and grew at exponential rates. Mild winters and hot summers meant people flocked to them in droves from the eastern cities once the area was settled, each hoping to strike it rich and earn their own farmland.
Southern Ocean, The – Largest body of water separating the southern border of the continent.
Stargrave – Central seat of power in the northwestern corner of the continent marks the end of the civilized world. Currently presided over by Lord Fox, it was known for its rich deposits of gems and minerals in the past. The winters are long and harsh, and the city is almost wholly dependent on selling and trading those mined products to the rest of the continent in exchange for foodstuffs.
Sunset Islands, The – A group of islands that most pirates call home. There’s no former government or central power. Known for producing the best rum in the world.
Miscellaneous
General Argoyle – Famous general who led the military coup against the Emperor in the final days before the fall the Hyndburn Dynasty. Claimed the Eastern Kingdoms as his seat of power and allowed the entire continent to slip into disarray.
The Hyndburn Dynasty– The family that ruled the entire continent for a millenia. Eventually became corrupt, lazy, and neglectful after a string of weak and incompetent emperors. The fall of the dynasty was seen to by General Argoyle, who led a military coup.
The Hunters – A group responsible for killing off mages following the civil unrest a thousand years ago. This guild has taken on many forms over the years and is best known for its work ridding the cities and countryside of monsters. No longer the powerhouse that it used to be, its members are now often reduced to cleaning the rats from the sewers in order to make a living.
The Legion – Not much is known about this mysterious group except that they are feared by Lords and the people alike. They are credited or damned (depending on who you want to) for their involvement in the overthrow of governments.
Reefk - A kraken-like creature that patrols the waters off of the western coast.
Novice – The lowest rank given to students at K’yer Utane.
Class – The most common rank of all those at K’yer Utane. Only a step above novice, yet most people will spend their entire lives without ever advancing beyond this rank.
Sworn – Only around twenty members of K’yer Utane were able to achieve this noteworthy rank. It requires no small amount of natural talent and a mountain of hard work over the course of a lifetime. These members spent a great deal of time away from the citadel, often working undercover to gather intelligence.
Guardian – The highest rank achievable at K’yer Utane, this is the pinnacle of all achievements. It would take several lifetimes of work to reach this point, and anyone who is granted the title should be considered a master of their craft. These people are charged with defending K’yer Utane against outside forces and plotting the course of nations.
'The land' - References the homeland north of Stargrave
‘The way' - References the people of Stargrave's belief that life is lived and fought until it ends
Spells, Skills and Potions
Catlike Tread – A low-level skill taught to rogues at K’yer Utane that allows them to move almost silently.
Cat's Eyes – A skill taught to rogues at K’yer Utane that allows them to see in the dark.
Eyes, The (That watch K'yer Utane) – Mysterious, magical beings that act as part of K’yer Utane’s defenses, these creatures more often serve as a tool of the Guardian’s to keep a watch on its students than they do as an alarm system.
Forced March – A skill taught at K’yer Utane that allows a user to move himself or a group at an advanced rate of speed. Requires intense concentration in order to maintain over long distances. Produces a slight, light-green hue that surrounds the users when it’s in effect.
Healing Drought – A thick and viscous red liquid that is used to speed up the healing process. Often results in the user falling into a deep slumber for days so that the body can recover and rejuvenate itself. Rare, expensive, and hard to produce outside K’yer Utane.
Rush – Even small amounts of this cinnamon-flavored produce startling effects. Makes the user awake, focused, and energetic. A single drop can keep the user up for days. Using too much may produce strange and dangerous side-effects.
Signet Ring of K’yer Utane – Marks its holder as an official citizen of K’yer Utane. Interacts with the numerous different magics around the campus, including the spells that protect the main keep.
Stand and Stare – A failed attempt at creating group-oriented healing magic produced this defensive spell. It releases a ton of pent-up magical energy all at once that stuns a group of people in a small area. No healing is actually produced, but the target’s body falls into a deep slumber for days.
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