The Ruler of Ruin

Glossary

Blank: Someone unable to use mana in any capacity.

Castle: Mysterious structures of Order that push back the mists. Built by great heroes with the guidance of Mithras. Targets for regular attacks from the Mists. Not actually a castle.

Crownhaven: Capital of Solarias

Dustwalkers: Adventuring group based out of Havenstone.

Ebon Gale: Dark winds that haunt the Gossamyr, and drain life and sanity from those stuck in them.

Edgehold: Previously the western-most Castle of Solarias, destroyed by Amaranthine Sadow in 329 E.C.

Enkindler: One who can awaken conceptual bindings in themselves and others.

Fey (Fae, Fay, Faery, Fairy-folk): Beings of chaos, life, emotion, and experience who exist under different universal rules than those of other humanoid races. They are completely faithful to their governing rule, but flagrantly ignore and flaunt any other rules.

Gneisslings: Silicon-based life forms, rock people.

Havenstone: Frontier Castle in Solarias. Hometown of Emery & the Dustwalkers.

Horizon Guardians: The Knights of Mithras, who are sworn to protect the Castled lands from the chaos of the mists.

Katrina: A legendary storm that haunts the Gossamyr. Katrina destroys entire realms when it shows up and is considered a to be a fairy tale. Katrina has elements of many different concepts ranging from madness, storm, air, lightning, and entropy, to chaos itself. Sometimes called the Oblivion Storm, as nothing or absence is all it leaves behind.

Mists: Common parlance for the thick, fog-like energies that allow for mystical travel outside of the Castles.

Mistwalker: An individual trained in mental acuity and strategies to traverse the chaotic lands of the mists.

Mistwalking: The art of envisioning and traveling to another location within the Mists. Some say all things exist in the mists, some say by envisioning and walking to a place you create it.

Plains of Valor: A realm filled with arenas where strong gladiators constantly seek to prove themselves the strongest. Ruled by Zephyrus McBane.

Ranks: Hierarchy of power for those who wield and bind concepts. Ruby, Imperial Topaz, Citrine, Emerald, Sapphire, Vesperite, Amethyst.

Schieferon: Gneissling city ruled over by Granix.

Stellarae Enclave: The Sect that operated the Arx Maxima.

Solarias: Kingdom (Theocratic Monarchy) of which Crownhaven is the capital. Havenstone is part of Solarias.

The Gossamyr: The amalgamated realms of the mists.

The True World: What the clergy of Mithras call Solarias and the other Castled lands.

Urmahlullu: Similar to a centaur, only where it is half man (upper body), half lion (lower body). Regarded as legendary protectors.

Vesperite: A rare and potent indgo gemstone used in powerful artifacts for its ability to store vast amounts of power.

Warden’s Watch: Castle between Havenstone and Crownhaven, known for black markets and crime.

Dramatis Personae

Alrik the Shackler: Champion of the Obsidian Arena, massive tool.

Amaranthine Sadow: Marchioness of the Black Sun, Harbinger of the Ebon Gale, Caretaker of the Evernight Rose. Destroyer of the Castle of Edgehold. Fey. Enkindler. Assumed to be at least Emerald Rank.

Arx Maxima: Formerly the vessel of the Stellarae Enclave, also its Administrative Intelligence. Powerful conceptual entity.

Aurelian: A previous Emissary of Arx Maxima that specialized in planetary conquest.

Azazel: First Tenebrous Dragon to join the Stellarae Enclave.

Balthazar: A sect Elder of the Stellarae Enclave.

Blaise: Recently promoted leader of the Dustwalkers, known as one of the physically strongest humans in Solarias.

Cedric du Lac: Formerly the squire to Captain Garrick Stonehelm, current Knight-Commander of the Horizon Guardians.

Celestine: Leader of the Chimera Slayers, renowned for her legendary beauty. Operates out of Havenstone.

Chrysocolla “Chrys” Cook: Gneissling artisan who specializes in accessories.

Claire: Mistwalker and scout of the Dustwalkers, old friend of Emery’s from the Academy.

Coralie: Emery’s mother, a fire-aspected crafter.

Corvusol: The Black Sun, considered to be an extremely bad omen by adventurers. Enemy of Mithras, the silver sun of magic. Powerful conceptual being.

Emery: The main character, a young blank who is exposed to a whole new world when an adventure with the Dustwalkers goes wrong. Proficient in spears.

Etienne: Emery’s younger brother who wields the silver flame of Mithras.

Gaspard: A sect Elder of the Stellarae Enclave.

Gaston: Leader of the Horizon Guardians of Havenstone. Huge jerk.

Glint: Illusionist and mage of the Dustwalkers.

Granix: Rock Lord of Schieferon, a powerful Gneissling who has a deep interest in humanoid life.

Howlister: An unfortunate duck-man warrior who awoke the Duck Hunger in Emery.

Lucifer: First envoy of Arx Maxima.

Marius: Father of Emery & Etienne, husband of Coralie, a fire mage, member of the Dustwalkers.

Melchior: A sect Elder of the Stellarae Enclave.

Mithras: The sun which shines upon Solarias, worshipped as a sun god of order and magic.

Miyuki of the Six Swords: Kitsune warrior, Champion of the Silver Arena.

Remy: Emery’s uncle, a fire mage, member of the Dustwalkers.

Sven: A gnome youth enkindled by Emery who operates out of Stonehollow.

Xian: Sub-champion of the Obsidian Arena, a legendary warrior and an Urmahlullu, or lion-centaur.

Zephyrus McBane: Mist Lord of the Plains of Valor.

Foreword:

Hi, I'm Jamie, author of Odyssey of the Ethereal (which is finished and turned into Podium Entertainment) and now author of Castleless. This should be a wild ride, since this is a story based strongly on concepts, malleable reality, uneven-time, and chaos. Castleless is a Post-Post Apocalypse Astral Punk setting, the calamity that formed the Gossamyr happened thousands of years ago and isn't a part of the memory of the residents of either the Gossamyr or the True World. Someone, or something, made sure of that.