Sorcerer: A loose term describing anyone who harnesses the powers of Magic.
Western Mage: One of the elite magic users of Sundast. Bonds to a Familiar at the start of their training. They are unable to channel their powerful magic without this bond. Can specialize in one of eight areas: Sight, Shielding, Sound, Craft, Healing, Spying, Battle, and All Forms which is determined by the shape of their Familiar. With the loss of many of their written teachings, Western Mages of today use black inked tattoos on their bodies to cast their spells.
Elemental: Users of the Five Elements; Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Wild. An Elite branch of Magic users chosen by the Elemental Gods that contain immense power. Even the weakest of Elementals have more power than the strongest of Eastern Mage and most Western Mages. They have the ability to release their souls from their bodies and because their magic is so strong the Element they claim is instantly attracted to them, allowing them to have both a physical human form and a more ethereal Elemental form, when they are made up completely of the element they control. Wild Elementals are the exception, having instead the ability to shapechange into any animal they have touched, their souls and magic holding within them the magical imprint of said animal that allows their bodies to transform.
Medium: One gifted with the abilities of the Mind; Telepathy, Empathy, Foresight, and Telekinesis. The most numerous form of magic user in the world, and can range from any level, though their powers are rarely put in the same grouping as a Mage or an Elemental because their powers are so uniquely limited. What is different about Mediums from other magic users is that a Medium can increase his or her power with time and practice, the basic power levels of a Mage or an Elemental are set in stone.
Eastern Mage: A Mage who does not bond with a Familiar at the start of training and instead must harness the use of their magic through meditation and learning. They are skilled spellcasters and have the luck of being able to learn whatever spell they choose, though most specialize in one form or another. Any mage of either discipline can become a member of the other order, but an Eastern Mage must first gain a Familiar.
Magic: An ethereal, and non-physical manifestation of energy that certain people have the ability to harness. It is said to come from the Gods themselves, and some say something even greater. Can come in many strange and wondrous forms. Broken down into three major channels amoung humans, all of which can have many sub channels, magic is the ultimate force that in truth drives us all. There are four basic “levels” that classify a magic user and then a fifth, rarely used level. Though all magic is ultimately fluid and these are just a rough way to categorize. They are: First, Second, Third, Fourth and Extended-Fourth. A First level would be equivalent to an apprentice in a craft, though rarely is ones level an accurate representation of ones training, more like the level of natural power the person possesses. So in theory a First mage can overcome a Fourth if they know the right spells and have had enough training.
Familiar: Before Bonding Familiars are non-physical beings, joining with their chosen mageling in the Bonding Cavern and taking on the form that best suits the mageling’s fledgling gifts. Each division of Western Magecraft has two corresponding animals.
Sight———————————————-The Raptor and the Owl
Shielding—————————————-The Horse and the Hare
Sound——————————————-The Mouse and the Bat
Craft———————————————-The Bird and the Otter
Healing——————————————-The Swan and the Lynx
Spying———————————————The Fox and the Weasel
Battle———————————————-The Wolf and the Tiger
All Forms————————————-The Phoenix and the Drake
All Familiars appear to be dark, opalescent black in color with silver or blue, pupil-less eyes. They can occasionally have hints of purple in their colorings. They connect magically and mentally with their mages and can speak to them telepathically as well as verbally. The 16 Familiar forms appear on many ancient wall frescoes and artworks, and is the basis of the 16 year cycle of the Sundastian Calendar.
Magic Sniffers: Commonly known as “sniffers”. An animal native to the Loris river valley known for their invaluable ability to sniff out all kinds of magic. The only downside being that they can only smell it when it is in its active state. They resemble a cross between a mole and an otter, with blunt, sightless faces and mouths full of teeth, and about the size of a large dog. They can still weasel their way through most nooks and crannies by collapsing their rib cages and were invaluable in the initial extermination of magic within Sundastian borders. They hold no other special properties and as such are still accepted and even welcomed by the royal line of Sundast and the Order of the One, unlike many of the other mythical creatures which are now the prize of any hunting trip.
Mythical Creatures: Creatures of the natural or unnatural world that possess an innate magical force that helps sustain their being. It can be anything as complex and fantastic as the dragons of Dralt, or as simple as a tiny faerie.
House Magic: A branch of magic that focuses on all things domestic. Usually reserved for noble daughters with mage-gift or those with aspirations in hosting, house magic is a broad term that basically blankets a myriad of spells and charms that a housewife or maid would find useful. It is a fairly controversial magic specialty and in the old days Sundastian teachings would ship anyone with house magic inklings to other schools out-country. It is viewed by some magic-sects as a “lesser” magic and a cop out.
The Order of the One: Name of the religious order of monks that look to the One for guidance and spiritual enlightenment. A monotheist religion begun by the fallen Goddess Itellia, its influence is strongest in Sundast where its seat of power resides. The Papal seat of the Eye resides in Sundast’s capitol of Loris, and is why the Crown seat was moved to the city in its early years of tyranny.
The Papal seat of the Eye: Name for the high seat of the Order of the One, the main religion in Sundast at the current time. The man who sits in this seat is known as the Pope of the Eye, or His Excellence. It is said that the Pope of the Eye sees all that happens on the Mortal Plain on the One’s behalf, and is the only mortal who can forgive transgressions.
The Council of Jays: Name of the high council of the Order of the One. Jays are in reference to the species of bird known for their aggression to other birds. One of the supposed creatures the One finds particularly favorable, in addition to sniffers.
The Two Trees: In the beginning there were just the two Trees, Talichiri and Amalda. Amalda ruled over the morning and the day, while Talichiri oversaw the evening and the night. From their roots sprang forth the worlds and from their branches arose the Great Gods.
The Children of Amalda: A joint title for Majran, Miskev, and Movek, the three Great Gods of Life, Death and Humanity, who climbed down from Amalda’s great branches near the beginning of the worlds.
The Children of Talichiri: A joint title for Qipori, Bitepu and Itellia, the three Great Gods of Dreams, Seasons and Knowledge, who leapt forth from Talichiri’s delicate leaves near the beginning.
Elemental Gods: The Gods of the five Elements, each was created when Movek saved his lover Alden, creating him into the God of Air. They became vassals and consorts to the Great Gods and helped maintain the balance in the worlds.
Water Nomads: A strange offshoot of humanity who travel the oceans of the world. They typically have green skin and fluked tails. The most adept of them have the ability to control salt water and transform into finned water people, which is the origin of tales of merfolk. Those who possess this ability are known as Aquatics. Having no country to call their own they travel the world in their impressive ships and are skilled traders. They are vastly secretive of their practices and societal norms. Few know the true extent of the Water Nomads knowledge and culture.
Air Nomads: The other strange offshoot of humanity who travel the skies in great airships held up by vast helium balloons. Each member of this society possesses two pairs of great, feathered wings. A large pair used for propulsion and a smaller pair at the small of their back used for maneuvering. They, unlike their brethren the Water Nomads possess no innate abilities besides that of flight, though they can harness the powers of magic if they have the aptitude. Their history was once a bloody and violent one, but in recent years they are a peaceful people, traveling the world in search of adventure and peculiarities.
Timeline of Adessa rule
1436 H.A. (After the rise of the human dominion. Stands for Human Aeon) – Sundastian Coup, Adessa line takes the throne with King Doverke.
1442 H.A. – King Doverke doh’Adessa assassinated. 6 year reign.
1454 H.A. – King Tione doh’Adessa assassinated. 12 year reign.
1456 H.A. – King Heralan leads counterattack on rebel forces that pushes them out of known borders.
1481 H.A. – King Heralan doh’Adessa dies of natural causes. 27 year reign.
1482 H.A. – King Lurchan doh’Adessa crowned. 36 year reign.
1499 H.A. – Alden, the God of Air leads the charge against Crown troops to protect Port Cullis. The battle is hard but won. Alden helps the peoples of Port Cullis to erect a barrier to protect them from Crown discovery before departing to join his brethren across the veil in the Divine plane.
1518 H.A. – King Lurchan dies. King Hasesh doh’Adessa crowned. 48 year reign.
1533 H.A. – Tessaria la’Orater born
1547 H.A. – A second great purge of sorcerers is ordered by King Hasesh. Tessaria’s grandmother, a wizened old women with barely enough power left to shake a twig with telekinesis, is among those killed for the crime of magic.
1566 H.A. – King Orobon crowned. Father of Kadesh.
1588 H.A. – Prince Kadesh (April) and Cierke lun’Orater (December) born. Cierke, nephew of Tessaria named heir to the Dukedom of Analon as the eldest living male of the Orater line.
1589 H.A. – Canasena ab’Sureen do’Aten (January, three weeks after Cierke) born.
1606 H.A. – Canasena and Cierke marry after Sena’s failed fling with the crown prince.
1616 H.A. – Cienn and Cerenae born.
1619 H.A. – King Orobon dies of seemingly natural causes. 53 year reign.
1620 H.A. – Tassena la’Orater born. King Kadesh doh’Adessa crowned.
1623 H.A. – The former Duke of Analon dies in the Battle for the Inner Sea against the Dragons of Dralt. Actually switched sides to fight with the dragons and was killed by crown troops. Dragons lose the battle without the ‘Orater armada. (Ship builders was why they had an estate at Loris before the Crown arose)While the Crown ultimately wins the battle, it is one of the most gruesome and terrifying battles of the Gods War to date. Cierke lun’Orater becomes the Duke of Analon.
1626 H.A. – Cierke is killed at a rally for his rebel sympathizers cause.
1627 H.A. – Tenur lun’Orater, Cierke’s second cousin, marries Sena to reassert the Orater bloodline in the Dukedom until such time as Cienn comes of age.
1628 H.A. – Tenatur lun’Orater born.
1633 H.A. (Fall) – the events of Quiet Courage. For a more definite retelling of the tale of Cienn and his adventures with the magical rebellion please look up Quiet Courage.
1634 H.A. (Spring) – The beginning of Quiet Grace.
The Sundast Sagas Online 