A Perilous Power (Arucadi Series Book 5)

by E. Rose Sabin

  The twelve provinces fall into three divisions, and one member of the Triumvirate is elected from each division. The divisions have no government function other than the selection of the Triumvirate member. They are geographical rather than political.

  The members of the Triumvirate all oversee the whole country, not just their division. They are elected by the whole country. Their primary duty is to receive laws passed by the provincial legislatures and rule on whether these laws shall or shall not apply to the entire nation. This procedure involves determining whether a law passed by one legislature would be applicable to other provinces, whether it contradicts laws passed by other provinces, and whether it has sufficient merit to be in force nationwide. Rejected laws are sent back to the originating legislature, where they may be annulled, revised and resubmitted, or retained to apply to that province only. Accepted laws are proclaimed throughout the nation and enforced by the National Peacekeeper Force, which has a post in each major city and to which local peacekeeper forces refer violation of national laws.

  The Triumvirate appoints judges to hear cases involving the violation of national laws, but these judges must be selected from lists of candidates recommended by the county justices and forwarded to provincial legislatures for their approval. There are no jury trials. A case is decided by consensus of its presiding judges, who may range in number from three to seven, depending on the seriousness of the case. A capital offence requires five judges, with seven being used only in cases involving a defendant of national prominence.

  The country has no army. Because it is an island continent with no near neighbors, and air travel has not been developed, its isolation makes an army unnecessary. There is overseas trade with nations on other continents. There is a Coastal Patrol. The National Peacekeeper Force (NPF) is charged with keeping order within the country. The local peacekeeper force of each city and town is considered a branch of the NPF but often acts independently.

  The national currency consists of gold dorins and silver triums, minted by the central mint in Tirbat and distributed throughout the country so that they are of equal value in all provinces. The dorin bears on one side the overlapping symbols of the sun and moon and a twelve-pointed star on the reverse. The trium bears on one side an equilateral triangle symbolizing the triumvirate; a twelve-branched tree on its reverse. There are also copper coins in three denominations of lesser value. Each province mints its own coppers, and these are used for most routine transactions. The value of the coppers varies from province to province, so that travelers from one province to another must either use gold and silver or must exchange their coppers at the local currency exchange.

  RELIGION

  Arucadi's political structure is based on its religious beliefs (or perhaps vice-versa). Arucadi has a Great God and His Consort, Dor and Dora, whose representations are, respectively, the sun and moon. Arucadians do not worship the sun and moon themselves, only hold them to be symbols of Dor and Dora, whose names they bear. There is a great temple to Dor and Dora in Tirbat, but elsewhere there is little organized worship of the Great Gods. All Arucadians pay them homage, but the temples and shrines throughout the country are dedicated to the under-gods. The concept of the Great Gods is somewhat nebulous; they are seen as the prime creators, the rulers of the Universe, but they are never visualized as having physical forms, are never portrayed by statues or icons, never incarnate themselves. In fact, they are not viewed as taking interest in individual lives or as concerning themselves with day-to-day events. They are transcendent and unknowable; man is incapable of comprehending their ways. They are not so much seen as "clock-makers" who create everything, set it in motion, then ignore it, as they are understood to be the Prime Movers, the Ones who govern the motions of the heavenly bodies, the age-long cycles of life on the planet, the broad, general plan of creation.

  There are twelve under-gods, and each province has its special patron from among these, with a temple or shrine to that patron god or goddess in every city of the province. From these twelve under-gods, a triumvirate has emerged as the most powerful and the chief gods of all Arucadi. Though it is believed that these three can change from time to time, the same three have formed the triumvirate for centuries. These three are the patrons of Castlemount, Delta, and Port: Liadra, Mibor, and Ondin, respectively.

  Provinces, Their capitals and Patron Gods

  PROVINCE

  CAPITAL

  PATRON GOD

  Castlemount

  Kensett

  Liadra

  Crescent

  Riverview

  Tetakor

  Delta

  Kannia

  (Tirbat, national capital, is in Delta but is not the provincial capital)

  Mibor

  (Tirbat has only temple to main gods Dor & Dora)

  Inland

  Harnor

  Harin

  Island

  Lekvik

  Elas

  Northpoint

  Siller

  Lufor

  Northwoods

  Dabney

  Nisil

  Plains

  Mercanton

  Planor

  Port

  Port-of-Lords

  Ondin

  Richland

  Stansbury

  Cerine

  Southpoint

  Yondley

  Ixina

  Wide Sands

  Marquez

  Arene

  An abundant mythology exists about the undergods, but the stories and legends are not to be found in any one holy book. The various temples and shrines have books of rite and ritual followed by their celebrants. In addition, there are hymnbooks and guides for private and family worship, but these vary from province to province and even from city to city within the province.

  Many people and areas also revere special Guardian Spirits, particular to their area, town, tribe, or family. Many wear amulets to protect against the evil Dire Lords, and some few have a tradition of making offerings to the beneficent Dire Lords.

  The Dire Lords are the guardians of other planes of existence, alternate universes, and spirit realms. These include, in the beliefs of many, the realms to which the human soul travels after death. There are evil Dire Lords, good Dire Lords, and indifferent or amoral Dire Lords. Normally none of the Dire Lords takes interest in the affairs of living humans. One objection to the introduction of magic Powers is that they attract the attention of the Dire Lords, since those powers originate in and are drawn from the Dire Realms.

  Children are sometimes threatened with the evil Dire Lords as "bogeymen" to make them behave. They may be taught that the evil Dire Lords snatch away bad little boys and girls to populate cold and lonely realms of barren stone. Most discount such tales as foolish and even dangerous superstition.

  The Dire Lords are considered separate creations of the Great Gods, not intended by them to interact with humanity. They occupy a separate realm or plane of existence from that of mortals. The Gifted Community for the most part rejects belief in the gods but fears and/or reveres the Dire Lords.

  THE MAGICALLY GIFTED

  Throughout the country are people specially gifted with magic powers. These people make up a small and often discriminated-against minority of the population. Their gifts vary greatly, from minor spell-casting to shape-changers, to powerful Adepts. The magically gifted themselves distinguish seven levels of proficiency in the magic arts. Persecution, especially in the backwater areas, prevents some of the gifted from practicing magic. In the large cities, however, a few gifted have used their magic arts to acquire great wealth.

  One reason for the persecution of the gifted is that the gifted largely ignore the gods and revere or even worship a being they call the Power-Giver. However, Dire Lords are the true source of the gifts of power. The Dire Lord Claid channels power through the Power-Giver to those he deems worthy to receive it. Evil Dire Lords, opposed to Lord Claid, sometimes bestow gifts on those who will use them to ca
use trouble and wreak havoc in the world favored by Lord Claid. The Gifted also have their own "saints" to whose shrines some make pilgrimages. The most important such shrine is that of the Lady Kyla at Hillcross in Castlemount Province. That shrine has in its care an ancient book called the Breyadon, which once belonged to the legendary Mage Alair. The Breyadon is known to be a book of spells, but it is written in magical symbols. Gifted scholars have labored unsuccessfully to decipher these symbols but are afraid to break the code through magic, because doing so could have dangerous consequences.

  The Gifted have widely varying gifts and degrees of magic power. Talents include gathering and shaping light, making flowers bloom out of season, calling fish to the surface of the water, calling animals, locating buried metal, causing objects to fly through the air, altering the shape of physical objects, altering time, special sight, invisibility, healing, weather changing, wind-riding, spell casting, shape-changing, place shifting, transdimensional travel, truth-reading, peace bringing, thought transfer, thought suppression, knowledge of future events, communing with the dead, summoning demons.

  CITIES OF ARUCADI

  AMESLEY

  A farming town on the Plains River in central Plains Province.

  CAREY

  An important town in the wheat farming area of Inland Province, Carey is an old town, and its fortunes rise and fall with the price of wheat.

  The protagonist of A School For Sorcery, Tria Tesserell, is from Carey.

  DABNEY

  A larger town than Lines End, Dabney, capital of Northwoods Province, is also a bit more open to new ideas. The single rail line that runs from Lines End to Dabney, from there branches off into three directions, going southwest, east, and southeast to connect with major cities of other provinces. Dabney is surrounded by apple orchards and caronut groves, and has lumber mills and furniture factories. It does not have the ore-processing plants that pollute the atmosphere of Lines End; it is too far from the mines.

  DRESLOND

  Another large northern city, located on the Dreslock River in Richland Province. A wealthy river port and industrial center, Dreslond also has extensive slums where poorly paid factory workers are crowded together in miserable tenements.

  ESSELL

  A port on the Plains River and a shopping destination for many of the residents of the other small farming towns along that river.

  HARNOR

  Capital of Inland Province, this port on the Soileau River is a hub of activity, a center for commerce both by rail and river, receiving minerals and ores from the mines to the north, cattle and pigs from the ranches to the south, and wheat and vegetables from the farms to the northeast. Its central location along the river draws both passenger ships and commercial barges to its fine port. It is a bustling, brawling place, and its people tend to mind their own business and ignore the corruption that is rampant among the traders.

  HIGHPORT

  The northernmost port on the Soileau River and the terminal for the cargo and passenger ships that ply that river.

  HILLCROSS

  A village to which many Gifted make pilgrimage, as it is the location of the shrine to Lady Kyla, where her body lies in repose awaiting resurrection (Deniably Dead). It offers excellent tourist accommodations for those who come to visit the shrine.

  KANNIA

  Capital of Delta Province and an important port on the Tiros River, offering berth to ocean-going vessels as well as riverboats, as it is located a short distance from the southern coast of Arucadi.

  KENSETT

  Capital of Castlemount Province and the northernmost river port on the Green River

  Lekvik

  Capital of Island Province and located on the southern coast of Great Island, it is Island Province’s only significant port and the primary point of arrival and departure from the province to the mainland

  LINES END

  Lines End is a small town in North Woods Province. Its importance lies in its being the northwestern terminal of the railroad, and therefore important out of proportion to its size as the place from which lumber and ore are shipped by rail to points east and south. Though it has a few factories and ore-processing plants, Lines End is primarily a receiving station for the lumber and ore produced in the northern mountains, brought by mule and river barge to the town, and packed into boxcars or on flat cars to be sent out by rail. Most of the train traffic to and from Lines End is freight, but there is usually at least one passenger car, very spartan in style and comfort, to carry passengers to and from other cities in North Woods and to connecting lines that go cross-country.

  Except for the train, the town is isolated and its people are distrustful of outsiders who are not employees of the railroad. They guard their way of life zealously, are intolerant and resistant to change. (Mistress of the Wind)

  MARQUEZ

  Made important by the coming of the railroad, Marquez is a major train stop en route to Port-of-Lords from points east. It is a desert town, enriched by gold mining, and home to speculators. Fortunes are made and lost there and the rates of murder and suicide are high (Deniably Dead).

  MERCANTON

  The capital of Plains Province and an important river port, center of the wheat farming area and a hub of transportation. It is a wealthy city, its population taking pride in hard work and enterprising ventures.

  MILLVILLE

  The Lesley Simonton School for the Magically Gifted (A School for Sorcery) is located on the outskirts of this town, and the students make shopping trips or just take breaks there from school routines. The residents have mixed feelings about the school.

  PESCATIL

  A small farming town peculiar in that its residents worship a dog god called Vito and reject the worship of the provincial patron deities (Deniably Dead).

  PORT-OF-LORDS

  Port-of-Lords gets its name from the shipping lords, heads of the big corporations that control the sea routes and international commerce. The capital of Port Province, Port-of-Lords is the center of the shipping industry on the west coast, which is the most important coast in terms of trans-oceanic trade. The "lords" are conservative and jealous of any power that competes with theirs.

  RIVERVIEW

  Capital of Crescent Province and a port on the Green River, this old city with stately homes prides itself on gracious living. It is a favored vacation spot, noted for its cuisine, especially of seafood dishes.

  Siller

  Capital of Northpoint Province. Located on Lake Restful, a popular resort area

  SOUTHPORT

  An important port for trade with the southern continent. The Carnover Shipping Empire has offices here as well as in Port-of-Lords and Stansbury. A ferry from Southport gives access to the Timeless Isle, a tourist destination and the home of the head of the Carnover Shipping Empire (Cat and Cobra).

  STANSBURY

  The largest and wealthiest city of Arucadi, an ocean port with a fine harbor, it is the capital of Richland Province. The city is old, with a rich history. Its fine old houses are showplaces, known throughout the nation for their splendor.

  TIRBAT

  The nation's capital, a city on the Tiros River, is located in Delta Province. It is well designed and beautiful, built in seven tiers, with the majestic and imposing government buildings on its sixth tier, and on its seventh tier the palace of the Triumvirate that rules Arucadi. Tirbat also boasts on its fifth tier the splendid Temple to the Great Gods, the only such temple in all Arucadi. The temple is an architectural marvel and a major tourist attraction, a repository of great art and sculpture.

  VERNON

  A small town southwest of Marquez in Wide Sands Province.

  WICKTON

  A farming town and river port on the Plains River in Plains Province.

  Yondley

  Capital of Southpoint Province, this city is an important center for shipment of grain by rail to points east and west.

  CALENDAR AND CLOCK

  The planet’s year is 361 1/
6 days long. Arucadi’s calendar has 20 18-day months (360 days) plus one extra day, the Day of the New Year. On this day a celebration is held honoring Dor and Dora. Every six years there are two extra days instead of only one. In this case the second extra day is at the end of the year and celebrates the history of Arucadi.

  The months are divided into three six-day weeks, five workdays and one free day. The days are Oneday, Twoday, Threeday, Fourday, Fiveday, Freeday. There are a total of 54 weeks in the year. The extra day or days are not part of any month or week.

  The day is divided into eighteen 80-minute hours. (The days are longer than earth days—the minutes are not the same length as earth minutes.) The day begins the hour before dawn.

  FLORA AND FAUNA

  In addition to the familiar domestic animals, such as cows, horses, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats, and the wild animals, such as wolves, bears, panthers, coyotes, and owls, there are animals exclusive to Arucadi. Noster Valley has several species of animals unknown elsewhere, but there are also plants and animals throughout Arucadi that are not known in our world. Listed below are some of those.

  ANIMALS

  Arborbird – a small, long-tailed bird with a high, melodious song. Found in thick shrubs and low branches of trees.

  Fellcats – large cats similar to tigers. Nocturnal.