Marked for Death: The Lost Mark, Book 1

by Forbeck, Matt

  “Don’t tell me that,” the justicar said.

  “That isn’t a cloak,” Sallah said, coughing. “It’s a symbiont. A living creature attached to the host in—”

  “Spare me the lesson!” Kandler raged. “How do I put it on?”

  With every second they stood there talking, Esprë sailed farther and farther away.

  Sallah shook her head as she stopped in front of the justicar. “You’d have to kill her to get it off her.”

  Kandler had no problem with that. He’d wanted to kill the changeling since he first saw her, and now he had every reason to do so. He wrapped his hands around Te’oma’s throat and squeezed. The changeling started to turn blue.

  “No!” Sallah said. She punched Kandler in his injured shoulder. The justicar cried out as he let loose of the changeling’s neck. He fought the impulse to strike back at the Sallah. No matter what kind of feelings he might have for her, no one was going to stand between him and his daughter.

  “Would you listen? You’d have to remove the wings carefully and then graft them onto yourself. It takes hours!”

  Kandler shoved the changeling into Xalt’s arms and snarled at the lady knight. “We don’t have that kind of time!”

  “You don’t think I know that?” Sallah said.

  Through his one good eye, Kandler stared off after the airship as she receded toward the east. He felt like his heart might drop straight out of his chest. There had to be something he could do.

  Somewhere behind the Mournland’s mists, the sun was setting, and the sky was growing dark. The ring of fire stood out against it in stark contrast. It grew smaller with each passing moment.

  “Let me go,” Te’oma said, struggling in Xalt’s arms.

  Kandler turned on the changeling. “If I had a sword, I’d cut you down here and now,” he said.

  “No,” Te’oma said. “I mean, I’ll save her.”

  Kandler frowned. “You’ll kill her.” Despite his fury at the changeling, she held out the only hope he had, and he hated her for it.

  “No.” The changeling shook her head. “I won’t.”

  “How can I trust—?”

  “Let her go,” Sallah said quietly. “She won’t kill her.”

  Kandler turned. “How do you know? Huh? After all she’s done, how can you say that? How?”

  “Because,” Sallah said. She looked deep into Kandler’s eyes. “She wants Esprë alive, remember? She has the mark.”

  Kandler looked up at the airship as she coasted away into the darkening sky. If he let the changeling go, she would rescue Esprë, but what then? He knew Te’oma wouldn’t turn around and bring the girl back. She’d point the ship toward Karrnath and be gone.

  “Boss,” Burch said. Kandler turned to him. “If Esprë was all right, she’d’ve turned around by now. She flies that thing better than anyone. Something’s wrong.”

  Kandler knew Burch was right, but he froze. If he let the ship sail off on her own, Esprë might die, but then the Mark of Death would be gone forever. If Te’oma got her hands on Esprë, there was no telling what could happen to the girl. In the end, he didn’t really have a choice.

  Kandler reached out and took Xalt’s hands from the changeling. “Go,” he said to her.

  Te’oma unfurled her wings, stretching them out to their full span. Their batlike shape made Kandler think of the changeling as if she were some kind of demon, the sort that takes children from their parents in the dead of night.

  “She’s right,” the changeling said to Kandler. “I won’t hurt her.”

  “Just go,” Kandler said. “Hurry! And you’d better hope she’s in one piece when I finally hunt you down.”

  “Happy hunting.” Te’oma smiled and flapped off into the deepening night.

  When Te’oma caught with the airship, she saw Esprë hanging limp in the leather strap that held her to the wheel. Te’oma landed, folded the wings, and rushed to the girl. From the look of her, Esprë had smashed her head into the ship’s wheel when the ship put an end to Bastard. Blood trickled from her forehead and down her face.

  The changeling undid the strap from around Esprë’s waist and laid the girl out gingerly on the bridge. She looked dead.

  Te’oma knelt down and put her ear to the girl’s chest. The heartbeat brought a smile to Te’oma’s lips. As she leaned back, Esprë’s eyes fluttered open, and the girl looked up at the changeling.

  “It’s all right,” Te’oma said. She held the injured girl close and stroked her long, blonde hair. “It’s going to be all right.”

  The airship kept sailing toward far-off Karrnath, beyond the Mournland’s misty walls, and the changeling did nothing to impede her course.

  Glossary

  Aerenal: An island nation off the southeastern coast of Khorvaire, Aerenal is known as the homeland of the elves.

  Argonth: A floating town designed as a mobile fortress to help defend Breland during the Last War.

  ascendant councilor: One of the revered dead of the elves of Aerenal.

  Aundair: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar, Aundair houses the seat of the Arcane Congress and the University of Wyrnarn. Currently under the rule of Queen Aurala ir’Wyrnarn.

  Aureon: The Sovereign of Law and Lore, the source of order and knowledge. He gives guidance to rulers and those who pass judgment, guides the scribe and the student, and is said to have devised the principles wizards use to work their spells.

  Bastard: The warforged lieutenant of the Lod of Blades. He commands Construct.

  Blood of Vol: Those who worship the Blood of Vol refuse to bow to the power of death. Drawn from the traditions of an ancient line of elven necromancers, the Blood of Vol seeks to abolish death. They revere vampires and other undead creatures as champions in this struggle. This tradition is especially strong in the nation of Karrnath, and while it is not inherently evil, there are subsects—notably the infamous Order of the Emerald Claw—that have turned the battle against death into a struggle to dominate the living. As a result, throughout most of the Five Nations the common image of a follower of the Blood is that of a crazed necromancer leading an army of zombies as part of some mad scheme. The Church of the Silver Flame takes a particularly hard stand against followers of the Blood, and knights of the Flame may assume the worst when dealing with acolytes of Vol.

  bloodwing: A fibrous, living symbiont, possessed of its own intelligence, which can sometimes bond to another creature. When dormant, the bloodwing’s fibrous body shrinks to a very small size, but when aroused, the creature expands to large batlike wings, enabling its host the power of flight.

  Boranel ir’Wyrnarn: King of Breland.

  “breather”: A derogatory term used by the warforged to describe non-construct creatures, i.e., elves, humans, dwarves, shifters, etc.

  Breland: The largest of the original Five Nations of Galifar, Breland is a center of heavy industry. The current ruler of Breland is King Boranel ir’Wyrnarn.

  Brendis: A young Knight of the Silver Flame.

  Burch: A shifter and deputy justicar of Mardakine.

  Cintila: Burch’s horse.

  Changeling: Members of the changeling race possess a limited ability to change face and form, allowing a changeling to disguise itself as a member of another race or to impersonate an individual. Changelings are said to be the offspring of humans and doppelgangers. They are relatively few in number and have no lands or culture of their own but are scattered across Khorvaire.

  clawfoots: A human-sized predator of the Talenta Plains, this dinosaur is often used as a war-mount by the Halfling nomadic tribes. (A velociraptor.)

  cold fire: Magical flame that produces no heat and does not burn. Cold fire is used to provide light in most cities of Khorvaire.

  Construct: A mobile city of the warforged in the Mournland.

  Council of Cardinals: Along with the Keeper of the Flame, the ruling council of the Church of the Silver Flame.

  Cyre: One of the original Five Nations of Galifa
r, known for its fine arts and crafts. The governor of Cyre was traditionally raised to the throne of Galifar, but in 894 YK, Kaius of Karrnath, Wroann of Breland, and Thalin of Thrane rebelled against Mishann of Cyre. During the war, Cyre lost significant amounts of territory to elf and goblin mercenaries, creating the nations of Valenar and Darguun. In 994 YK, Cyre was devastated by a disaster of unknown origin that transformed the nation into a hostile wasteland populated by deadly monsters. Breland offered sanctuary to the survivors of the Mourning, and most of the Cyran refugees have taken advantage of this amnesty.

  Dargent: Kandler’s horse.

  Darguul: Common name for someone or something from Darguun.

  Darguun: A nation of goblinoids, founded in 969 YK when a hobgoblin leader named Haruuc formed an alliance among the goblinoid mercenaries and annexed a section of southern Cyre. Breland recognized this new nation in exchange for a peaceful border and an ally against Cyre. Few people trust the people of Darguun, but their soldiers remain a force to be reckoned with.

  Dark Six, the: The six malevolent deities of the Sovereign Host, whose true names are not known.

  Day of Mourning, the: A disaster that occurred on Olarune 20, 994 YK. The origin and precise nature of the Mourning are unknown. On Ollarune 20, gray mists spread across Cyre, and anything caught within the mists was transformed or destroyed. See the Mournland.

  Deothen: A senior Knight of the Silver Flame.

  Devourer, the: One of the Dark Six, who represents the destructive power of nature. He is strongly tied to the sea and the mystery of the deep waters, but earthquakes, avalanches, and tornadoes are all his children.

  Dol Arrah: The Sovereign of Sun and Sacrifice. She is a patron of war, but she fights her battles with words and cunning strategy as well as steel. She is a god of light and honor, and her holy paladins seek to bring her sunlight to the darkest places of the world.

  Dol Dorn: The Sovereign of Strength and Steel. He is the lord of war and patron to all who raise their arms in battle. He is the patron of physical arts, and the greatest sporting events of the year are held to mark his holy days. His followers are not held to the same standards of nobility and sacrifice as those of his sister, Dol Arrah, but he still encourages honorable conduct.

  Dolurrh: The plane of the dead. When mortals die, their spirits are said to travel to Dolurrh and then slowly fade away, passing to whatever final fate awaits the dead.

  dragonmark: 1) A mystical mark that appears on the surface of the skin and grants mystical powers to its bearer. 2) A slang term for the bearer of a dragonmark.

  dragonmarked houses: One of the thirteen families whose bloodlines carry the potential to manifest a dragonmark. Many of the dragonmarked houses existed before the kingdom of Galifar, and they have used their mystical powers to gain considerable political and economic influence.

  Droaam: A nation on the west coast of Khorvaire. Once claimed by Breland, this region was never settled by humans and was known as a wild land filled with all manner of monsters and creatures who had been pushed back by the spreading power of Galifar. In 986 YK there was a movement to organize the creatures of Droaam into a coherent nation. While this has met with some success, the new nation has yet to be recognized by any other country.

  Eberron: 1) The world. 2) A mythical dragon said to have formed the world from her body in primordial times and to have given birth to natural life. Also known as “The Dragon Between.”

  Entiss: A veteran of the Last War currently living in Mardakine.

  Eternal Fire: See cold fire.

  Esprë: Kandler’s elven stepdaughter.

  Esprina: Kandler’s elven wife, now deceased.

  Everbright Lantern: A lantern infused with cold fire, creating a permanent light source. These items are used to provide illumination in most of the cities and larger communities of Khorvaire. An everbright lantern usually has a shutter allowing the light to be sealed off when darkness is desirable.

  Fairhaven: The capital of Aundair.

  Five Nations: The five provinces of the Kingdom of Galifar—Aundair, Breland, Cyre, Karrnath, and Thrane.

  Flamekeep: The capital of Thrane.

  ’forged: A slang term for the warforged.

  Fradelko: A resident of Mardakine.

  Galifar: 1) A cunning warrior and skilled diplomat who forged five nations into a single kingdom that came to dominate the continent of Khorvaire. 2) The kingdom of Galifar I, which came to an end in 894 YK with the start of the Last War. 3) A golden coin minted by the kingdom, bearing the image of the first king. The golden galifar is still in use today and is worth ten sovereigns.

  Glass Plateau: A highland plateau in the Mournland that is made up entirely of sharp, glasslike formation.

  Gorgonhorn: A Darguul fort near the border of the Mournland.

  Gurn: The local baker in Mardakine.

  Gweir: A young Knight of the Silver Flame.

  hammertails: A herbivorous dinosaur native to the Talenta Plains. (An anklyosaurus.)

  House Cannith: The Dragonmarked House that carries the Mark of Making. The artificers and magewrights of House Cannith are responsible for most of the magical innovations of the past millennia. The house made tremendous profits during the Last War through sales of arms and armor, including warforged soldiers.

  Howling Peaks: A mountain range on the southeastern border of Breland.

  Jaela Daran: The young Keeper of the Flame, head of the Church of the Silver Flame.

  justicar: An official chosen to enforce the law and keep the peace. Justicars have little legal authority beyond their local jurisdiction.

  Kandler: Justicar of Mardakine.

  Karrnath: One of the original Five Nations of Galifar. Karrnath is a cold, grim land whose people are renowned for their martial prowess. The current ruler of Karrnath is King Kaius ir’Wyrnarn III.

  Keeper, the: One of the Dark Six, the embodiment of greed, decay, and hunger so great that it lets all else fall to rot and ruin. While he amasses gold and jewels, the Keeper covets the souls of the living. He seeks to snatch the spirits of the dead as they pass to Dolurrh, hoarding these souls and gloating over his treasures.

  Keeper of the Flame, the: The head of the Church of the Silver Flame. See Jaela Daran.

  Kennrun: A fort on the Breland border.

  Khorvaire: One of the continents of Eberron.

  Khyber: 1) The underworld. 2) A mythical dragon, also known as “The Dragon Below.” After killing Siberys, Khyber was imprisoned by Eberron and transformed into the underworld. Khyber is said to have given birth to a host of demons and other unnatural creatures. See Eberron, Siberys.

  Last War, the: This conflict began in 894 YK with the death of King Jarot ir’Wyrnarn, the last king of Galifar. Following Jarot’s death, three of his five children refused to follow the ancient traditions of succession, and the kingdom split. The war lasted over a hundred years, and it took the utter destruction of Cyre to bring the other nations to the negotiating table. No one has admitted defeat, but no one wants to risk being the next victim of the Mourning. The chronicles call the conflict “the Last War,” hoping that the bloodshed might have finally slaked humanity’s thirst for battle. Only time will tell if this hope is in vain.

  “Leth!”: Elven for “Now!”

  Levritt: A young Knight of the Silver Flame.

  lightning rail: A means of transportation by which a coach propelled by an air elemental travels along a rail system of conductor stones, which hold the craft aloft.

  Llesh Haruuc: A Darguul hobgoblin leader in the Last War.

  Lord of Blades: A warforged leader reputed to be gathering a substantial following of other warforged somewhere in the Mournland.

  lupallo: A breed of horse noted for its distinctive russet-colored, shaggy coat.

  Majeeda: An ancient elf wizard.

  Mardak: The founder and mayor of Mardakine.

  Mardakine: A small settlement on the border between Breland and the Mournland.

  Mark of Shad
ow: The dragonmark that holds powers of illusion, deception, and scrying.

  Mourning, the: A disaster that occurred on Olarune 20, 994 YK. The origin and precise nature of the Mourning are unknown. On Ollarune 20, gray mists spread across Cyre, and anything caught within the mists was transformed or destroyed. See the Mournland.

  Mournland, The: A common name for the wasteland left behind in the wake of the Mourning. A wall of dead-gray mist surrounds the borders of the land that once was Cyre. Behind this mist, the land has been transformed into something dark and twisted. Most creatures that weren’t killed were transformed into horrific monsters. Stories speak of storms of blood, corpses that do not decompose, ghostly soldiers fighting endless battles, and far worse things.

  Mror Holds, the: A nation of dwarves and gnomes located in the Ironroot Mountains.

  New Cyre: A large town in Breland that began as a refugee settlement but has since grown into a sizeable community.

  Norra: A resident of Mardakine and friend of Kandler. She often watches Esprë when Kandler is out.

  Nortok: A resident of Mardakine.

  Oargev ir’Wynarn: The last surviving son of Cyre’s ruling family, who has since become the unofficial leader of the Cyran refugees scattered throughout Khorvaire.

  Patelko: A resident of Mardakine.

  Point Mountain: The northernmost peak of the Seawall Mountains.

  Pradak: A young resident of Mardakine. He is Mardak and Priscinta’s son.

  Priscinta: A resident of Mardakine. She is Mardak’s wife.

  Rings of Siberys: A ring of dragonshards that encircles the world high above Eberron’s equator.

  Rislinto: Mardakine’s resident blacksmith.

  Rissa: A resident of Mardakine.

  Sallah: A Knight of the Silver Flame.

  Seawall Mountains: A mountain chain in southern Breland. The Seawall separates Darguun and Zilargo, and many kobolds and goblinoids still lurk in its shadows.

  Sharn: Also known as the City of Towers, Sharn is the largest city in Khorvaire.

  Shawda: A resident of Mardakine.

  Shifter: A humanoid race said to be descended from humans and lycanthropes. Shifters have a feral, bestial appearance and can briefly call on their lycanthropic heritage to draw animalistic characteristics to the fore. While they are most comfortable in natural environs, shifters can be found in most of the major cities of Khorvaire.