The Knight Marshal (The Silk & Steel Saga) Read online

  GRENFIR- an owl-faced warrior

  RUTHGAR - boar-faced warrior, hunts with Blaine

  TANGOR- a hawk-faced warrior

  PREN, a bear-faced warrior

  CLEMIT- a wolf-faced warrior

  VIN- an eagle-faced warrior

  TARLY- a boar-faced warrior

  BRIN- a wolf-faced warrior

  BRINGOLD- fox-faced warrior

  GRIFF, lion-faced warrior

  TANGOR, a badger-faced warrior

  TORKIN, a wolf-faced warrior

  TANGAR, a hawk-faced warrior

  TOMLIN, a wolf-faced warrior

  TALBERT, a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted by the maroon band

  CONIT, a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted by the maroon band

  THE WOLF BAND

  A band of wolf-faced warriors who have formed a den and are sworn to protect Danya.

  NEVEN- the leader of the wolf band, a wolf-faced warrior hand-fasted to Danya.

  BALTHUS- wolf-faced warrior

  The MERCHANTERS

  An ancient seafaring people, the MerChanters are the scourge of the oceans, born and bred upon the high seas. The self-styled Sea Lords claim no land as their own. Nomadic raiders, they rove the oceans in their great triremes, pillaging the coastal kingdoms for food, women and plunder. Their absolute leader is the Miral. Their weapon of choice is the trident. The MerChanters have a long-standing alliance with the Mordant. Little is known about the MerChanters other than rumors steeped in terror.

  THE MIRAL - Absolute ruler of the MerChanters

  LORD ASKAL - A MerChanter Sea Lord, captain of the Dark Fin

  TORMUND - First Mate of the Dark Fin

  BALTHAR- a MerChanter raider aboard the Shark

  GALLWAX - a MerChanter raider, First Mate aboard the Shark

  CORWAY- a MerChanter raider aboard the Shark

  NAVARRE

  The youngest kingdom of Erdhe, Navarre was founded less than four hundred years ago by a daring adventurer, Alaric Navarre, who rescued the youngest daughter of the king of Coronth from a band of sea pirates infesting the Orcnoth Islands. Gaining the king’s confidence, and his daughter’s hand in marriage, Alaric earned a freehold of land running along the Western Ocean where he later established his kingdom. His domain includes the Orcnoth Islands.

  While defeating the nest of pirates, Alaric discovered a long-forgotten focus. The magic of the focus renders the royal house very fecund, enabling the queens to bear six to ten children in a single pregnancy. After using the magic, both the king and the queen become sterile. The focus is the secret strength of the royal house of Navarre, the bedrock for the succession to the throne. Alaric abandoned the convention of primogeniture, declaring that all of the tuplets have an equal chance to the throne. He instituted the practice of Wayfaring, a type of fostering where the heirs develop their greatest interests, striving to become excellent at a skill, a knowledge, or a trade, so that they can bring this knowledge back to Navarre and thus enrich the kingdom. After the Wayfaring, the King, together with the royal council, chooses the successor to the throne based on the talents, skills, and temperament that best fit the needs of the kingdom at the time. Navarre is well known for its uncommonly wise rulers…but with every great boon there is also a cost, the hidden focus brings with it the Curse of the Vowels.

  The symbol of Navarre is a white osprey soaring on a checkered field of red and blue. The seat of their power is Castle Seamount, perched on a rocky outcrop on the edge of the Western Ocean. Navarre has always had close ties to the sea.

  KING IVOR NAVARRE, the eighth ruler of the kingdom of Navarre

  -his siblings:

  PRINCE IRWIN, died of poison, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the Vowels

  PRINCESS INGRID, fell from the rigging of a ship and died, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the Vowels

  PRINCESS IRIS, accused of murdering her two siblings, exiled to the Orcnoth Islands, she murdered her guards and then disappeared

  PRINCE ISADOR, Commander of the Army of Navarre, advisor to the king, nearly fell victim to the Curse of the Vowels

  PRINCESS IGRAINE, Counselor to the king, court historian, tutor to the Royal Js

  PRINCE IAN, Royal Bowyer, advisor to the king

  PRINCESS IVY, Captain of a royal merchant vessel of Navarre

  -his wife, QUEEN MEGAN, a princess of Tubor

  -their children known as the Royal Js:

  PRINCESS JEMMA, Wayfaring with the Queen of Lanverness to learn the way of multiply coins

  PRINCE JUSTIN, Wayfaring to become a bard, he receives permission from the King and Council to travel to Coronth to try and overthrow the Pontifax, also known as the Dark Harper

  PRINCESS JORDAN, Wayfaring with the Kiralynn monks to learn the art of war, felled by the treachery of the Mordant she is healed by the monk’s magic, sword sister to Kath of Castlegard

  PRINCE JARED, Wayfaring with the Octagon Knights to learn the way of the sword

  PRINCESS JULIANA, Wayfaring with Navarre’s merchant fleet to learn the way of the sea, merchant captain of the Sea Sprite

  PRINCE JAMES, Wayfaring in Tubor to learn to become a vintner

  PRINCE JAYSON, Wayfaring in the Delta to learn the secrets of a new water wheels

  his retainers:

  MARY, Prince Ian’s wife

  GARTH, Princess Ivy’s husband

  SIR LEON, an older knight, serves the queen on market days

  MATILDA, a wise woman, an herbalist, a midwife, and a fortuneteller, a friend to Queen Megan

  MASTER SIMMONS, the royal healer

  CREW OF THE SEA SPRITE

  JULIANA, Princess of Navarre, a Royal J, captain of the Sea Sprite

  MARCUS, First Mate

  SOOTHBY, Second Mate

  WREN, lookout

  JANGO, a sailor

  THE ARMY OF NAVARRE

  MAJOR COLSON, veteran major of the Army of Navarre

  RAFE, a monk of the Kiralynn Order, a friend and advisor to Princess Jordan

  LANVERNESS

  Lanverness is an old kingdom, steeped in tradition, often relying on its wealth of natural resources and the shrewdness of its rulers to grow in prosperity and influence. Never fecund, the royal line of Lanverness has been forced to branch out several times over the centuries. The Rose Throne is currently held by the Tandroths. The Tandroths nearly lost the throne when the last king of Lanverness, King Leonid, failed to produce a male heir. The king survived a revolt and forced his noblemen to accept his only daughter, Liandra, as the heir to the Rose Throne on the condition that she marry a peer of the realm. Liandra is the only queen to rule a kingdom of Erdhe. Under Queen Liandra’s stewardship, Lanverness has become the wealthiest kingdom in all of Erdhe.

  The symbol of Lanverness is two white roses crossed on a field of emerald green. The seat of their power is Castle Tandroth, rising from the heart of Pellanor, the capitol city.

  QUEEN LIANDRA TANDROTH, ruler of the Rose Throne, also known as the White Rose of Lanverness, also known as the Spider Queen

  -her husband, PRINCE-CONSORT DONALD TERREL, chosen from among the noble families of Lanverness, Lord Terrel was raised up to be the Prince-Consort to the queen on condition that he forsake his name and his lineage. He died in a hunting accident shortly after the birth of his second son. The heraldry of house Terrel is a red unicorn rearing on a field of green.

  -their children:

  PRINCE STEWART, heir to the Rose Throne, promoted to general of the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword

  PRINCE DANLY, spare heir to the Rose Throne, a condemned traitor

  PRINCESS ASELYNN, died at birth

  UNNAMED PRINCESS, died at premature birth, some consider it murder by poison

  -her councilors:

  LORD ROBERT HIGHGATE, the Master Archivist, the queen’s shadowmaster,
right hand to the queen

  MASTER RADDOCK, deputy shadowmaster serving the queen, was once a condemned thief, rescued from the dungeons by the Master Archivist

  SIR DURNHEART, the Knight Protector, raised to a knight after the Red Horn rebellion, wields a blue steel sword named Loyalty

  LORD TURNER, a former member of the queen’s council, boiled alive for treason, a harlequin of the Dark Lord

  LORD SHELDON, the Lord Sheriff, leader of the constable force of Lanverness

  MAJOR RANOTH, promoted after the rebellion, he serves as a military advisor to the queen

  LORD SADDLER, a goldsmith raised to a lord after the rebellion, the Master of Coin on the queen’s council

  LORD RICKMAN, the Lord of Mines, responsible for the ruby, emerald and iron ore mines of Lanverness

  LORD CENRIC, a cat-eyed archer, he sits on the queen’s council when he is in Pellanor, leader of Clan Hemlock, his loyalty is to the Treespeaker and the Deep Green, he wears a cloak of peacock feathers

  LORD CANNING, newly appointed Treasurer

  LORD GRANGE, newly appointed Royal Scribe

  PRINCESS JEMMA, princess of Navarre, a Royal J, wayfaring with the queen to learn the way of multiplying coins, sits on the queen’s council as the representative from Navarre

  -her ladies-in-waiting:

  LADY SARAH JAMESON, a distant cousin of the queen, principle lady-in-waiting to the queen

  LADY MARTHA, a lady-in-waiting to the queen

  LADY AMY, the youngest of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting

  LADY LINDSEY, a lady-in-waiting to the queen

  -other members of the court:

  SIR CARDEMIR, fifth son of the Duke of Graymaris, the seahorse knight, sent by the queen as an emissary to the Kiralynn monks, murdered by the Mordant’s treachery

  FREDERINKO, an emissary from the Empire of Ur, a chained servant of the twelfth-fold prince of Ur, come to the Rose Court bearing gifts, sent to prepare for the prince’s arrival

  MASTER FINTAN, an emissary from the Kiralynn Monks to the Rose Court, mysteriously murdered in the queen’s castle

  CAPTAIN BLACKMON, captain of the queen’s guards

  HEALER CRANDOR, a master healer of the Rose Court

  LORD NEALY, once a lord on the queen’s council, he fell from favor and was banished from the queen’s presence, owns a wealthy mansion in Pellanor

  THE ROSE ARMY

  PRINCE STEWART, heir to the Rose Throne, General of the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword

  -his officers and soldiers:

  LORD DANE, eldest son of the Duke of Kardiff, fostered to the Rose Court at a young age, a sword brother to Prince Stewart, second in command of the Rose Army, the symbol of the Dukes of Kardiff is a rearing griffin

  KELSO, serves as one of Prince Stewart’s commanders

  MATHIS, serves as one of Prince Stewart’s commanders

  MAJOR BATTON, a commander of the Rose Army

  OWEN, a soldier captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

  CROCKER, a scout captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

  CRISPIN, a soldier captured by the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

  LINGARD

  Lingard is a fortress citadel, the second greatest fortress in Lanverness. The heraldic seat of the Rognalds, staunch supports and loyal lords serving Queen Liandra. Their symbol is an iron fist on a field of yellow-gold.

  BARON ROGNALD, a peer of the realm of Lanverness, a friend and staunch supporter of Queen Liandra, the ruler of Lingard, he is slain by treachery

  -his officers, soldiers, and servants:

  LORD RONALD ROGNALD, eldest son of Baron Rognald, commander of the south gate of Lingard, heir to Lingard, becomes Baron Rognald on his father’s death

  CAPTAIN LEONARD VENGAR, captain of the guard for Lingard

  DASCHEL, seneschal to Baron Rognald

  KURT, a soldier sworn to the baron, friend of Vengar

  SANDRA, a whore in Lingard, friend of Vengar

  THE ORACLE PRIESTESS

  Hidden in depths of the Great Southern Swamps, the Isle of the Oracle is an ancient wellspring of Darkness, a place of power where the Dark Lord reaches through the Veil to touch his dedicates. The Isle is currently ruled by a Priestess endowed with special gifts from the Dark Lord. At times of great prophecy, the Dark Lord releases his priest or priestess into the kingdoms of Erdhe to work his will.

  THE PRIESTESS, the ruler of the Isle of the Oracle, the priestess to the sacred well, wielder of the Eye of the Oracle. She rarely uses her true name, but often goes by the name of Lady Cereus, a name given to her by Prince Razzur. Beyond the Oracle Isle, she takes the phases of the moon as her symbol, gold on a field of purple. After the collapse of the Flame religion, she claims the southwest corner of Coronth for her queendom, establishing a capital in the ancient city of Rhune. She assumes the name of Queen Selene, the Lady of the Moon. Silverspire is her castle.

  -her servants and soldiers:

  GENERAL TARMIN, a major of the Flame Army, sworn to the service of the Priestess and promoted to the general of her army, he commands her forces in Rhune, a lover to the Priestess

  LORD STEFFAN, formerly the Lord Raven of Coronth, goes by the title of the Lord of Darkmoor, a dedicate to the Dark Lord, lover to the Priestess

  BRAXUS, a captain serving the Priestess, a lover to the Priestess

  HUGO, captain of the guards, a lover to the Priestess

  LYDIA, dark-haired handmaiden to the Priestess

  TARA, blonde-haired handmaiden to the Priestess

  MARIO, a minstrel serving the Priestess

  SAMUEL, a stable hand serving in Silverspire

  BISHOP TILDEN, a fugitive, formerly a bishop of the Flame in the fourth brigade of the Flame Army

  HINTON, a scullery lad in Silverspire

  GILL, a pot boy in Silverspire

  THE DEEP GREEN

  The Deep Green is an ancient power reborn from the ashes of the War of Wizards. Rising from the ruins of a great city, the forest grows with frightening speed. Trees at the heart of the forest are giants, growing to more than thrice the height of normal trees, while the dense tangle of underbrush forms a nearly impenetrable barrier. The forest protects its own, a race of people with golden cat-eyes. Calling themselves the Children of the Green, the cat-eyed people live within the boundaries of the forest in a confederation of clans under the leadership of the Treespeaker.

  Outside of the forest, the cat-eyed people are shunned as evil abominations, said to be born from the perverse mating of man with animals. The cat-eyed people are persecuted across the kingdoms of Erdhe, and often put to death by the ‘white-eyes’.

  THE TREESPEAKER, as old as the forest, she is a seer, a witch, the embodiment of the power of the Green. As the leader of the clans, she wears a cloak of snow-white swan feathers.

  -her clan leaders:

  CENRIC, leader of Clan Hemlock, he wears a cloak of peacock feathers

  AGATHA, leader of Clan Aspen, she wears a cloak of blue jay feathers. She leads a faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes

  BRAN, leader of Clan Ash, he wears a cloak of raven feathers

  CAMILA, leader of Clan Maple, she wears a cloak of orange kestrel feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealings with the white-eyes

  DEREK, leader of Clan Redwood, he wears a cloak of red woodpecker feathers and is a member of the faction that opposes dealing with the white-eyes

  CONRAD, leader of Clan Spruce, he wears a cloak of brown thrush feathers

  LANA, leader of Clan Oak, she wears a cloak of golden finch feathers

  -her people:

  JORAH SILVENWOOD, a ranger of Clan Cedar, killed in the Mordant’s fire

  RONAH, a ranger of Clan Hemlock

  JENKS, a patrol leader of Clan Hemlock

  MARTYN, an attendant to the Treespeaker

  ALWIN, a ranger of Clan Hemlock

  CORONTH

  The
kingdom of Coronth was long ruled by one of the oldest royal families in Erdhe. Tracing their lineage back to before the War of Wizards, the Manfreds struggled to maintain their kingdom despite the aftermath of chaos and famine caused by the magical war. Their descendents ruled in an unbroken line for over a thousand years until a preacher of the Flame God brought a new religion to the capitol city of Balor. Enthralling the crowds with the miracle of the Test of Faith, the Pontifax gained a rabid following. In less than a year, the new religion consumed the kingdom, making the Pontifax more powerful than the king. Ruling from the pulpit, the Pontifax declared that only a true believer of the Flame God could wear the crown of Coronth, forcing the king, his wife, and all of his children to submit to the Test of Faith. When the searing flames consumed the royal house, the Pontifax became the spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth.

  The symbol of house Manfred was a golden lion rearing on a field of blue. The new symbol of Coronth is a golden flame on field of red, the symbol of the Flame God. The seat of power is the capitol city of Balor.

  THE PONTIFAX, the supreme spiritual and secular ruler of Coronth, also known as the Enlightened One, he died in a public Test of Faith, his ill-timed death spewed a ripple of chaos through all of Coronth

  -his priests and counselors:

  THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME, Senior priest of the Flame, leader of the Confessors of the Flame, he becomes the ruler of Coronth and the leader of the faith after the death of the Pontifax, he remains in Balor

  LORD STEFFAN RAVEN, Counselor to the Pontifax, the leader of the Army of the Flame, his personal symbol is a black raven on a blood-red field, fleeing from his defeat in Pellanor, he goes by the name of Steffan of Darkmoor.