Chapter 0.2 - Glossary of Terms and Places

I wrote the story in such a way that you shouldn't need this, but just in case...

Places

 

Phaedyssia " The eastern continent of the known world, once home to the maege. Over the ages, the land’s residents have organized into a handful of kingdoms, relams and empires.

Elowyr " Conquest-minded peoples united by a universal hatred of magyk. They have taken most of Phaedyssia as their own over the course of the last thousand years.

Free Realm " Also known as Mydden, the only region of Phaedyssia where free speech, free choice and free worship are promoted. They resisted invasion from Elowyr 300 years ago.

Sayiif " An ancient people deeply rooted in tradition, descended from the northern reaches. They were conquered and made a puppet state of Elowyr 400 years ago, following a civil war.

Cyan " A small mountain kingdom who recently freed themselves from the clutches of Elowyr. They are known for their fine weapon-smithing.

Phobos " A city-state older than the history books. They worship a gargantuan pyramid their ancestors built.

The Oasis " Newest settlement in Phaedyssia, founded at the eastern edge of the Kojan Desert by a group of radical Thulogists who were banished from the Free Realm.

Kojan Desert " A massive tract of sand inhabited by warlike savages called the Kojan Wo. Few dare to brave the journey across it.

The Thousand-and-One Kingdoms " Dead lands ruled by ancient kingdoms struggling to stave off starvation

Persus " Called the Bronzelords, an ancient tradition to defend the border between the east and west runs deep in their veins. Their city Thonos was taken by Elowyr roughly 20 years ago.

Grand Barrier " An enormous wall of many colored stones erected in the ancient past, separating Phaedyssia from the western world. It is not known why it was built, but legends say it was meant to keep out demons.

Crimson Sea " A vast lake colored deep red, brimming over with crystals of life-giving krima. It is the most important resource in all of Phaedyssia.

Zephos " The land of magyk forgotten by the east. The massive city of Zephias is the country’s capital, called the Magyk City and the home of the maege.

 

Concepts

 

Magyk " The art of turning myst into a source of energy. Largely a lost art in Phaedyssia, western peoples practice it quite frequently.

Maege " One who practices magyk. Though it can apply to people from all over, it is mostly used to describe a magyk user from the western land of Zephos. However, most people in Phaedyssia believe the maege and magyk to be no more than the stuff of legend.

Myst " The mysterious atmospheric substance in the air that is used for magyk. Though invisible to the naked eye, it forms large crimson clouds in large enough quantities.

Krima " Myst in crystal form. In this form it can be used by the common people, those unversed in magyk, and has many practical applications. Krima and myst can be used as interchangeable terms.

Monolith " A magykal machine that converts atmospheric myst into crystallized krima.

Bloodmoon " When a cloud of myst passes in front of the moon, turning it red. A bloodmoon is almost always a cause for celebration in Phaedyssia, though none can say why they celebrate it.

Unholy Wars " An ancient war in Phaedyssia between maege. The culmination of the war came in the form of a large meteor, shattering the land and killing off almost all the maege. This event has given the common people in Phaedyssia a reason to resent magyk.

Afterfall Era " The era after the Unholy Wars, in which all the maege were either driven from Phaedyssia or killed. After this era, the modern kingdoms of the land formed, most of them believing that magyk died with the maege.

Thulogist " In modern times, krima is still used, not for magyk but for its many other practical purposes. The Thulogist religion condemns even the use of krima, as it is still magykal in nature. The faith has few followers but those who do are radical in their beliefs.

Zuul " Magykal demonic beasts older than the maege themselves. They once ruled the world until the maege banished them to the Shadowfel. The world of Phaedyssia believes the Zuul to be legend, no more real than magyk or maege.

Bloodkin " Ugly little creatures, the ghostly remnants of the zuul. They travel in clusters of corrupted myst, devouring souls in order to become more powerful.