Grak: Private Instigator (Orc PI Book 1)

by Joseph J. Bailey

  Orthanq – barkeep. Owner of the King’s Crown.

  Paladin – a holy warrior dedicated to and empowered by the Light, vanquishers of evil, banishers of the unholy, adjudicators and arbiters, healers and almsmen. Many variants exist, some dedicated to particular deities and powerful entities, each with different talents, specialties, and ethos. The Dalaren Ka are one such group.

  Paramagical – the study of magic’s applications outside traditional bounds. An alternative term for Paratechnology.

  Parapsychology – the magical study of the mind, its features, moods, states, and manifestations.

  Paratechnology – literally, ‘beyond technology’. The study of making the imagined real and actualizing the impossible. The art and science of applied magic and magical technologies. Paratechnological apprehension is shared across many races; however, the gnomes’ natural curiosity and creativity have brought Paratechnological expertise to its current refined state and have helped to spread its knowledge throughout the cosmos.

  Paratechnology Day – a gnomish day of celebration for all the benefits and wonders of Paratechnology, most often expressed through many loud explosions and bright flashing lights.

  Phlogiston – called Deur Spricken Sprack in the tongue of gnomes. In gnomish reckoning, the invisible spark of life pervading the universe, akin to an invisible metastate of gaseous energetic conductance. Once ignited, Phlogiston fuels all life as the Omnispark. When manipulated by will, the Phlogiston gives rise to magic. Also called Aerya, Brendle’s Spark, Light, and magic, among other terms, by other races and traditions.

  Phylactery – an amulet, charm, or safeguard against harm or danger. Also, a vessel for relics.

  Pits – mines deep under the city of Alyon.

  Plane – one of many distinct layers of existence in the larger macro or multiverse. Often synonymous with universe or dimension.

  Pocket Dimension – a miniature space or reality created expressly for a specific purpose. In the case of the myriad pocket dimensions of Tellanon, these represent miniature universes intimately connected to Tellanon itself, extending its breadth and depth. More often, pocket dimensions are used to extend space within a given region; for example, to make the space within a bag or room larger.

  Pocket Fairy – small, often cantankerous fairies given to taking up residence in gnomish pockets.

  Powers – beings of great might, often extradimensional in origin.

  Priest – one who has been accepted fully into the Order of the K’un Lun. See priest of K’un Lun.

  Priest of Maeth Onai – an order of magicians from the cold Northlands who practice a unique blend of mundane and divine magics whereby divine energies are channeled to perform traditional and inimitable spells.

  Priest of K’un Lun – an order of mystics dedicated to the practice of various esoteric and martial traditions found nowhere else on Ea’ae. The way of the priest is geared toward continual transformation and development within and without through the evolving practice of internal alchemy.

  Projection – a general term for a multi-dimensional representation of an object. A magical hologram or depiction. Also, a reference to lifelike, immersive news feeds displaying current happenings and items of worth.

  Psion – a being gifted mentally and psychically.

  Psionics – psychic mental powers and abilities as expressed by a psion.

  Rakshasha – Sanskrit for demon. A race of powerful feline daemonic sorcerers in league with the Cabal.

  Right to Protect and Serve – a chivalrous code of conduct adopted by Alyon’s protectors conferring certain rights, privileges, and obligations. Called the RPS or, by Grak, the License to Beat Down.

  Rüeka – literally, ‘Light lovers’. A goblin curse.

  SAVERS – see Self-Actuated Variable Emergency Response System.

  Sceaduwulf – literally, ‘shadow wolf’. A spectral wolf.

  Schema – the patterning, diagramming, representation, and planning of Paratechnological devices, theorems, strategies, and abstractions.

  Scierdyas – literally, ‘spectral dragons’. Energetic beings very similar in appearance to dragons, summoned from the unholy nether realms of the darkest abysms.

  Self-Actuated Variable Emergency Response System – a Paratechnological clockwork emergency response bot of gnomish invention capable of independently responding to, assessing, and reacting to multiple life-threatening situations. Called SAVERS for short.

  Sentinel – autonomous, self-aware defensive agents that protect Alyon from potential threats. Each Sentinel is governed by a unique Aspect and is linked to the city’s controlling Construct.

  Sentry drones – a general name for Paratechnological defensive drones. See also ARMED.

  Shade – a nebulous creature of Darkness.

  Shadow – a general term for creatures of Darkness and their ilk; those opposed to the energy of Life in all its manifestations and who seek to subvert, pervert, consume, or otherwise destroy the Light in all its manifold expressions.

  Shadowkin – a general term for creatures of Darkness. See shadow.

  Shaur’Daus – literally, a ‘stalker of darkness’ in the tongue of the Dracodaerans. Draconic warriors wreathed in the fires of heaven that do battle against the creatures of Darkness across the cosmos and beyond.

  Shiny – a very desirable, much admired quality in Paratechnology.

  Skael – a people of nomadic traders who travel the skies in airships plying their wares.

  Südaer – a dwarven lorekeeper and magician.

  Super Sack – a magical gnomish bottomless bag. Super sacks are often cluttered, disorganized, and very difficult to retrieve items from, especially within a short, highly critical period of time.

  Suprachemistry – the study of how magical and nonmagical systems, compounds, elements, entities, and components interact, react, behave, change, and develop.

  Synthetic Intelligence – a Paratechnological term for the sentience resulting from the merger of two different intelligences. Typically, one intelligence is natural and the other is artificial, one is organic and the other is disembodied or a metamagical complex arising from technical sophistication, or one intelligence is formed explicitly to merge with and augment another. Far different from the Abstract and Construct’s relationship with Citizens, for example, wherein one intelligence serves another directly and indirectly, synthetic intelligences are the result of a complete union between two disparate awarenesses, the resulting union having complete access to the knowledge and capabilities of both. Most typically, one intelligence is created explicitly to merge with and augment another, extending the field of sentient consciousness into directions and dimensions only limited by the imagination.

  Also, a reference to any created intelligence.

  Taerris’thule – literally, ‘old home’. Formerly a religious city and home to the seal of Eldre’gheu. Sometimes referred to as the City of the Fallen Gods.

  TAMERS – see Transmorphic Actionable Multidimensional Exo-Robotic System.

  Tellanon – literally, ‘heaven’s landing’ in the Old Tongue of Men. A spectacular floating island city in the sky, a center of commerce and diplomacy, and a starting point for both interstellar and interdimensional travel. Home of Illdrassil, the Home Guard, and Paratechnologists on Ea’ae.

  Thane – traditional leader of a dwarven clan.

  Tinkerers – Paratechnologists focusing on clockwork devices melding magic and technology in forms often resembling complex mechanical devices. Most often associated with gnomish Paratechnologists due to their strong imaginative mechanical tendencies.

  Transmorphic Actionable Multidimensional Exo-Robotic System – a multi-functional, transforming exoarmor system created by Spreesprocket. Also known as TAMERS.

  Traveling – teleportation or any other form of instantaneous travel, whether inter- or intra-dimensionally.

  Uleru – a stew of found delicacies that is a staple of the troll diet.

  The Um
bral Lord – see the Enemy or Ur’Daus.

  Undercity – the lower, ground-based section of the city of Alyon. Although, most commonly, the Undercity is understood to be the regions of the city belowground.

  Undermount – a general name for any dwarven city or a dwarven-occupied region. Typically located in the bedrock beneath mountains. Dwarven fastnesses and attendant halls and byways that grow within the roots of the hills. Also called delvings, though delvings are typically smaller in scale.

  Unea – a rich, habitable planet in the Dryvidian Cluster.

  Ungar – literally, ‘earthen might’. A dwarven rune granting physical strength and endurance.

  Urdaea – Urdaen’s granddaughter.

  Urdaen “Flamebeard” Doomhammer – dwarven hero and inspiration for this tome. Most fortunate wielder of Noerlag.

  Ur’Daena – literally, ‘the axe’s lament’. The uniquely dwarven art of the axe. Many styles and forms are known, each generally ascribed to a specific family, clan, or thanedom. Variations in styles, from the use of great two-handed war axes taller than a man suited to the openness of the battlefield to forms of double-bladed combat better suited to the close quarters of a mineshaft, are all practiced with distinctly dwarven fervor.

  When practiced by a master, a Bor’Banna, these styles rely as much on channeling the remnants of Brendle’s original creation magic through the axe as physical prowess for their efficacy. When wielded by a true master, the axe of the Bor’Banna is said to glow with the light and heat of Brendle’s original forge.

  Ur’Daus – literally, ‘the Darkness’. Also known as the Enemy, the Creeping Shadow, the Devourer of Worlds, the Umbral Lord, the Great Devourer, and many others. A fathomless Light-consuming Darkness trapped between dimensions in ages long past.

  Vanduen – literally, ‘divine regeneration’. A dwarven karaduen that enhances healing capacities, speeding recovery and repair from exhaustion and injury.

  Vöer – troll in the tongue of the dwarves.

  Vöerdan – literally, ‘troll saliva’ or ‘troll spittle’. A dwarven insult.

  Void – the wellspring of creation. The limitless potential underlying all existence.

  Vradek – Orcish gruel made from ground bones simmered in blood.

  Vyaera – literally, ‘wanderers along the path’. An elven term for those sharing the same path, quest, purpose, or journey.

  War of Shadows – one name for the first war with the Cabal and their dark allies waged on Ea’ae in the distant past.

  Warren – a general name for gnomish living areas. Gnomish accommodations are often tightly packed but utilize much manipulation of space and dimensions to alter their size, arrangement, and character.

  The Warrens – a tightly packed industrial area of the Undercity.

  Wataani – tribal music of the trolls.

  Wizarding – a competitive sport matching teams of wizards trying to defeat one another in nonlethal games of skill and chance.

  Worgs – massive wolves used by orcs as mounts in lieu of horses.

  Wyrm – an ancient or powerful dragon.

  Yerens – a noble race of yeti-like creatures. Singers of the worldsong. Called the Shapers of the True Song, Shapers, and Singers.

  Yoctoerg Surgewave – a gnomish Paratechnologist native to Alyon.

  Younglings – a common name for dwarven children.

  17639XKN.2738 – an Alyon Sentinel.

  About the Author

  Joe holds an advanced degree in environmental management from Duke University, where he also studied religion with a focus on meditative, experiential, and transformative traditions. Additionally, Joe graduated with (dubious) honors from the Tellanon Institute of Noetic Knowledge, Education, and Research (TINKER) but has yet to put this knowledge to good use.

  When not at play with his family, he enjoys reading, writing, and relaxation. When he can, Joe also practices various martial traditions in which he has attained the victim level of proficiency.

  In addition to Grak, Joe is also the author of Spellslinger, Soul Stealer, Wild Mage, Stone Singer, the Chronicles of the Fists trilogy Mulogo’s Treatise on Wizardry, Everygnome’s Guide to Paratechnology, Nemesis – A Good Guide for Bad Guys, Confessions of an Angry Dwarf, Contagion, Tales of the Fallen, and Octopocalypse. He is also working on something else but really cannot say more on the matter at present.

  Synopsis

  The city of Alyon is in trouble.

  Its citizens are turning into monsters.

  Not the good kind of monsters—terrifying, bloodthirsty, flesh-rending, citizen-killing monsters.

  When Grak’s favorite barkeep tells him that he will get a lifetime supply of free alcohol if he can figure out why the bar’s patrons are disappearing, Grak is on the case!

  Grak – Private Instigator is a supernatural detective fantasy novel of roughly 50,000 words.

  Copyright Information

  First Edition: July 2017

  ISBN: 978-0-9964756-7-9

  This is a work of fiction.

  Names, characters, places, ideas, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2017 by Joseph J. Bailey. All rights reserved worldwide under the Berne Convention. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the both the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  If you have this file (or a printout) and did not pay for it, you are depriving the author and publisher of their rightful royalties. Please pay for your authorized copy by purchasing it through the appropriate retail channels.

  Cover by Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo.

  Edited by Carol Davis.

  For more information on Joe and his works, please visit his website or Facebook Author’s Page.

  Thank you and enjoy!