Dragon Frost (24 page)

Kas -- 28 years old and son of Kira and Vanir. The youngest Priest ever anointed on the Suzerain or Torian Continents. He fears the darker force of Erebus' spirit within him and often chooses to be alone so he can better control his emotions. His spiritual and military prowess is well beyond his years. He fades into Aragmoth before Sybl's death.

Kenshe -- 24 years old and one of Kas' best friends and a former Custos. Dark auburn hair and grey eyes. He is a grizzled brown in his phelan form. Son of Hain and Kayla. Born as a True phelan, he discovers his soul and ability to unsomn later when he is four. But his mother never accepts him as her own despite it. After Kas dies, he is elected as the new Atrum Lord.

Keol -- Also called the 'Blood Tears' of Aragmoth. The phelan often use this fiery tempest of a desert and lava plane to travel, as the cold estus energy of their being keeps them from igniting or being burned. Phelan blood can open a Rift in and out of this plane, as well as creatures consisting of mostly estus energy.

Kira -- Ayame founder and the first High Priestess of the Sanctus. Once the best Caller of the Atrum, she chose to leave the corruption that Vanir ruled it by. She is killed by Vanir by accident when she steps between what would have been a lethal strike to Master Gei. Her son is Kas.

Kyrie -- A deer-like creature that is muscularly built for harder labours like a workhorse and is often captured and trained to be put to use as such. Individually, they are timid and controllable but become dangerous and difficult when within a herd. Their single, thick horn is curved down to their backs. Their feet are cloven like a goat's and their tail is like that of a lion, giving them the nickname of 'unicorns' by humans from Earth. They can be anywhere from white to black, and countless shades of brown in between.

Loki -- 33 years old and son of Crystal and Estar. Thin, light green hair to shoulders and orange eyes. His frailer physique has green, star-like markings over his eyes. His brother was Lintrance and his half-sister is Kayla. He has mixed feelings for Sybl, mostly as the memory of his mother's death and unborn sister still haunts him. Sybl helped fill the gap in his heart left by their loss. He dies after the collapse of Mer City, but returns as an Awl.

Mei -- A connection of Animus Threads between two individuals, usually Bonds, that allows for greater protection by eliminating the disadvantage of using the slower-conducting spiritual Animus. Its literal meaning is 'shield.' Its meaning is now a more general one that includes the glyph-like silver Threads on both sexes. The individuals share each other emotions and thoughts and it is useful for different species in different ways and circumstances, particularly dangerous ones. It is an unbreakable connection between Bonds, and often when one mate dies, the other shortly follows.

Mer/Mermaids -- Descendants of Tenu and humans, they once dwelled in the depths of the Eternal Waters, where the estus energy they need to survive is the strongest. They take mentally and physically ill extremely easily and weaken when near aeri energy for too long. There are no mermaids known to still be alive.

Mersael -- Griffin shifter and son of Exoir. Long straight white hair, yellow eyes. Former husband to Celia and father of Gwa. He was engineered by Exoir as a perfect child and was born without a mother, which many blame his cold, uncaring nature for.

Moon -- The dark, estus essence of the Dragon Moon and Eminor of sacrifice. Given as a gift to Asil from Nephena, he is raised by Asil as the avatar of Aragmoth's will. When he accidentally kills Asil after he finds his soul, his being is split back into two in his fight against the Phoenix that ends the Last War. He later becomes Cirrus' somn for a while, and his sacrifice contains and helps destroy Daath when the demon is separated from Nafury.

Nafury -- 25 year old former Prince of Toria. Wavy brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. Born to Serena as the purposeful reincarnation of Damek. Simera adopted him as his own son out of his love for Serena. He is born with Sybl in Mer City and is separated from her when she is immediately sent to Earth.

Nephena -- Chimera Mother of the second Aster. She has a lion's body and head, a goat's head on her shoulder, and a snake for a tail. All three heads have separate minds. Fashioned to life by Aragmoth from many animals of Earth. She cannot give her children souls, making her dependent on Asil.

Outcast -- Another word for chimeras.

Pack -- A phelan Pack has two to a dozen members. Although several males answer to one female, it is only the Alpha who is her mate, and he alone is responsible for using the ayame's psi and foresight to issue orders to the Pack. This is not a guaranteed position, and if he becomes incapable of being the Alpha, he is usually disposed of by a challenge from the next most powerful in the Pack. If at any point the ayame dies due to a failure on her Pack's part, the Pack usually splits off and its members are either driven out or have the utmost difficulty being accepted by another ayame.

Phelan -- Large, wolf-like creatures with many cat-like features. They use their own blood to travel in and out of the Keol and to sync with their Pack. Females are called ayame and are more slender-featured and cat-like, though they tend to be of a dark black in fur and hair as opposed to the males who can be seen as lighter grays, browns and black. Most have red eyes, though they cannot see the color red and see the color of the other's intentions, instead. Any phelan referred to as 'True' exist without a human-like form and soul, and are still a spirit. On the first Aster, they were a type of 'Nightmare Eater' resembling wolves that came from Earth to escape their enslavement to Hino. They were later refashioned into their own species on the second Aster by Damek.

Phoenix -- Somn of Solar, the Phoenix was a massive, winged serpent surrounded by a constant fire. Once a smaller serpent, it expanded considerably in its battle against Moon, and even more so for the last three hundred years on Earth under its sun. Its sickening fire of radiation burns Animus Threads and it is lethal when exposed to creatures of Aster for too long. The Falls helps Rose, Solar's reincarnation, to venture to Earth where she regains her Phoenix.

Pluma -- The Asterian word for winged cats. When angered, they are a formable enemy that unleash their full extent in swarms. Regals are the larger male plumas.

Prisca -- A 19 year old ayame. Daughter of Tank. Sybl unknowingly meets her in the Harbor shortly after arriving on the Suzerain Continent for the first time. She is currently Kenshe's High Caller.

Psi -- Also known as telepathy. It is limited by distance which can be extended by a strong Caller, Novaist, Mei, or an Awl. Gold also amplifies psi tremendously.

Regal -- Male plumas born larger with colourful wings to serve as frontline defenders and watchers. Their bodies resemble that of a lion's and their impressive wingspans are coloured and printed like that of a peacock's. A full grown Regal can be as massive as a dragon mostly by bulk. They can fold their feathers together in such a way to make them into knives, and propel them like darts at their adversaries. A swarm of them is an unstoppable storm of sharp feathers, claws, teeth and sheer weight. Their wings and bodies hold high concentrations of aeri energy, allowing them to fly with ease, but it makes them vulnerable to fire and the Keol. They can be found on the Casus Beli fields with their wings folded tightly together and raised like lightning poles to the sky.

Rift -- A 'tear' in the spiritual Thread of Aragmoth that serves as a passage into the Keol. A deep enough Rift can reach as far as Earth. Phelan and creatures consisting of mostly estus energy can create Rifts.

Rose -- 40 years old and Cecil's Bond who was adopted by Ishtar and Jasper. Short red hair, green eyes. She has a natural ability to see the future as Solar's reincarnation. Yri goes out of her way to push her from Cecil's life, fearing that Rose's talent surpasses her own. She is later manipulated by Mersael and the Falls, crafting her into a decimating weapon to their cause after she heads to Earth through the Gate at the town of Berion. There she is reunited with her somn, the Phoenix. When she attacks the Sanctus and destroys it, Gei springs a trap on her and separates her soul from the fiery spirit. He returns Rose to Cecil.

Sanctus -- Founded by the ayame Kira, this former temple of peace was built on the Sylvan Laws of the first Aster. Safe haven and neutral sanctuary to all religions and races alike. Its guardians were the Custos who can be almost any kind of shifter. It is completely destroyed by the Phoenix.

Sano -- Another word for a Master over aeri energy in the Arts of Healing.

Sentry -- Servants of the god Hino, they reside mostly on Earth. Visible only by a strong spiritual sense, they aggressively protect Earth and its humans from Asterians by killing any eminor or Ancients who venture near them. They are massive, insect-like creatures.

Serena -- Sybl's and Nafury's human mother, who went through a Gate to find her best friend, Alexia. Kira later finds her and she spends some time at the Sanctus, where she befriends her. She later gets taken by Simera and falls in love with him. She dies after Simera leaves for Earth to find her daughter who was taken from her after being born.

Sial -- A unicorn given to Asteria from Damek as a wedding present. His horn is the festra that had the names of all 3000 Eminor loyal to Damek Threaded to it. Sial is reincarnated through Nephena at the end of the Last War, after Damek strikes the Chimera Mother with the festra. The festra returns to Sial as his horn, and he escapes with it. He presently follows Nafury around as the fabled 'Deathmare.'

Simera -- Former King of Toria and the dragons. His Sylvan form is that of long, wavy mauve hair and light blue eyes. Simera's age is unknown, but few question his bloodline that supposedly leads directly back to Moon, as his physical and spiritual strength is unmatched. Rumor says that he is another illegitimate son of Svarog, while others claim he is the son of a True. He becomes King by his unmatched power when the dragons take Toria from the chimeras after the Last War, killing those who challenge him for leadership. He is never seen again after he goes to Earth to find Sybl.

Solar -- The first shifter daughter from Nephena. She holds a bitter jealously towards Asil and tries to take the Sylvan City from the Fay behind her back. Her reincarnation is Rose and her somn is the Phoenix.

Somn/Somnus/Shifter -- Somns are the spirit form that a soul can become in the physical. Named such as the soul is said to rest while the spirit is physically materialized by its host's energy. The soul slows in aging while somned, much like a deep sleep, which is why many shifters can live a hundred years or more. Shifters never actually sleep, as their souls are always conscious and when they aren't, then the animalistic nature of the somn takes over and they go berserk.

Suzerain Continent -- The second Continent of the three that were split apart at the end of the Last War by Aragmoth's wrath.

Svarog -- The first fire dragoon born of Nephena and Moon. He had black hair with orange eyes and was a black dragon. A natural blacksmith.

Sybl -- A 25 year old woman from Earth, who was sent into foster care when she was 13 after her attempted suicide. Long wavy brown hair, dark blue eyes. As the reincarnation of Asil, she remembers who she was in her past life. The Sylvan Aur exists within her. She dies exorcising Daath from Nafury.

Sylvan -- Similar to humans, they were the inhabitants of the first Aster. They were originally spirits in servitude to Hino, until one was discovered amongst them who could give them souls. When their soul-giver was destroyed by Hino, the Sylvan fled Earth to a star, where they made a habitable planet of it. Many Ancients followed them. When their soul-giver was reborn to them as the Sylph Asteria, they became a prosperous, powerful and happy race up until the planet's destruction by the Dragon Moon.

Sylvan Aur -- The blue light that is the result of estus and aeri energy being together in balance, that is also an equilibrium for the estus and aeri Aurs on Aster. Fay are the only creatures known to be able to safely create this energy without explosive consequences. The Sylvan Aur was destroyed with the Sylvan City and restored after Daath's defeat.

Sylvan City -- Also known as the Golden City, where Sylvans, Ancients and Eminor could co-exist in peace 300 years ago. The Last War eventually led to the city's destruction, when the Phoenix and Moon fought it out in the Sylvan Aur, causing an explosion that decimated the city in a rain of fire.

Toria -- A white castle that rises around the Ain Soph Aur and spirals outwards into the Sylvan Woods. It is the main holding and home to the dragons. Its Aur rises and falls every twelve hours. Its walls glow a warmth of white light even when the Aur is down, making the tower visible at night as well as day. It is surrounded by four waterfalls that are fed by the Lunar Waters, that rise at its sides, keeping the castle constantly surrounded by mists and rainbows.

Trial of Somn -- Different for phelan and dragons, the Trial is an initiation into adulthood to unite with one's Ancient or eminor and be able to host the spirit from their body. For phelan, this Trial includes crossing the Ice Fields and defeating a snow serpent, then offering it as a sacrifice to their somn as proof of their strength. If successful, the phelan returns with a somn and are then capable of taking the form of a phelan. Those who fail are usually killed. The Trial must be done alone.

For dragons, their Trial includes swimming to the deepest reaches of the Eternal Waters and finding their shadow, then pulling it forth to take the dragon form for themselves. One must have the strength to survive the pressure and the enemies who exist underwater. Failing can lead to drowning or being eaten by a larger sea creature, though dragon Trials are usually done as a small group so dying doesn't happen often.