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The Sinskrill Glossary

Adam Carpenter (went by the name Adam Paradiso in the Far Beyond)

The powerful Secondus to his true brother, Axel. He was also Serena’s Isha during her pilgrimage as a bishan in the Far Beyond.

Axel Carpenter

Raised to the status of Servitor over twenty years ago when he successfully maintained his position on the Servitor’s Seat. He is the unopposed leader of the mahavans.

Brandon Thrum

Born to two nameless drones. He is a Walker and was once Serena’s fiercest supporter when he thought she might become a Village Prime.

Darren Pyre

Fire Prime. An old mahavan. He served as Adam’s Isha.

Devon Carpenter

Prime of Village Bliss.

Evelyn Mason

An intense, young Rider with auburn hair that billows about her head when her passions run away with her. She was also once Serena’s supporter on Sinskrill, but she now wants to do nothing more than kill Serena, who she believes a traitor.

Gold Imbue

Tender Prime. Like all mahavans, he can be casually cruel.

Hannah Yearn

Captain of the Deathbringer. Competent but risk-averse and Brandon replaces her command of Deathbringer before the battle at Lilith.

Josiah Danks

The foreman who replaced Justin Finch upon his demotion.

Justin Finch

A Sinskrill foreman who disliked William and Jake enough to fight them. He was broken to the rank of peasant for striking those considered of higher rank than him.

Rail Swift

Rider Prime. He is a known coward who hides during a conflict. 

Sherlock Carpenter

Prime of Village Paradiso on Sinskrill. He died shortly after lashing Jake.

Thomas White

A Tender occasionally in charge of William and Jake during their time on Sinskrill. 

Trina Batter

Walker Prime. She often works with Darren Pyre, the Fire Prime. They have a true son, Aaron Batter, who is a Spirit Master, which is an embarrassment to both of them.

Tristan Winegate

A young Tender who had initially supported Serena in her bid to become a Village Prime. He died at the teeth and claws of a small tribe of unformed.

HISTORY

 

History

The island was founded as a refuge for the mahavans in 3659 BC but not permanently settled until 1943 BC. Originally Sinskrill was a barren land with a climate similar to the Faroe Islands. As a result, the first inhabitants had to import much of the fauna and flora. They planted tough grass and heather to hold the soil of the lowlands and then forested the hills with lodge pole pines, spruce pines, feltleaf willows, black cottonwoods, green alders, beech, caneloes, and hard log marten. The work might have gone easier with the aide of a sithe of elves. However, since mahavans tend to enslave any woven race they encounter, that proved impossible.

Nevertheless, the island flowered. It is known that at one time, tens of thousands of mahavans once called Sinskrill home. This included Amethyst, a smaller island off the coast of Sinskrill. However, a combination of the fading of the world’s lorasra and the foolish importation of several large, powerful tribes of unformed led to the devastation of the mahavan population.

By modern times, all of Sinskrill’s northern villages have been abandoned, and so, too, was Amethyst. The only remaining places of habitation exist along the island’s southern coast. The rest of Sinskrill has been given over to wilderness. In essence, the island has returned to its roots as a rocky place full of rugged mountains. It has once more become a hard place for a hard people, a fact in which the mahavans take great pride.

Of note, there are no rats, mice, frogs, gnats, or mosquitoes on Sinskrill. The early settlers wisely chose against allowing pests onto the island.

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

 

GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE

The government is fairly simple in that the Servitor is the island’s unquestioned sovereign. This unchallenged rule is felt to be ordained through the will of Sinskrill’s god, Shet, who supposedly chooses the island’s next ruler upon the death of the prior Servitor. This happens when a mahavan manages to sit upon the Servitor’s Chair for a full minute, thus earning Shet’s blessing. Any mahavan can make the attempt but lack of success can be painful and earn the enmity of the new Servitor. As a result, it is generally only the Secondus who tries for the Chair, and from that point on, the newly raised Servitor—regardless of whether they are male or female—is referred to as ‘liege’, and they take the surname ‘Carpenter’.

Of course, like all places, Sinskrill contains politics and a wise Servitor plays each faction off another. In this case, the wise Servitor plays each collegium—around which mahavan society is structured—and their respective Primes, against one another.

Every mahavan belongs to a single collegium, and there is one for each Element. In addition, the various collegia have different levels of respect amongst the overall mahavan population.

Those belonging to the Fire Master collegium are known as Seres, and they the finest warriors on Sinskrill, with training in unarmed and armed combat. The Air Masters are called Walkers, and they are the Servitor’s spies. They are also in a constant conflict with the Seres for dominance in Sinskrill. Those from the Water Master collegium are known as Riders. They cleanse the water of impurities, such as heavy metals that seep down from the northern mountains as well as lorasra that flows from Shet to Sinskrill. The lowest ranking collegium belongs to the Earth Masters, who are known as Tenders. They are essentially farmers.

As for the Primes, they are mahavans of note who are given command over a collegium or one of Sinskrill’s villages. In this case, Paradiso or Bliss since the Servitor rules Village White Sun directly. The village Primes are also adopted by the Servitor into his/her family and take on the surname ‘Carpenter’.

In addition, there is a fifth group of mahavans, Spirit Master, or Spiritualists. However, they are of quite limited power and prestige and are not afforded an independent collegium.

Of interesting note, Servitors tend not live as long as other mahavans, and no one knows why. Some have speculated that it might be due to the fact that upon their elevation, a newly made Servitor is transformed into both a thera’asra and a raha’asra, a fact not widely known.

An even less known secret—one known only by Servitors and a few of the Secondus’s—is that, in addition to their abilities as asrasins, all Servitors and some of the Secondus’s have the power of an unformed.

*It should be noted that mahavans believe themselves to be superior to all magi, especially when it comes to physical conflict. Recent events have not borne out this viewpoint.

SINSKRILL MISCELLANEOUS

Bishans

Shills who have progressed deep into their training. They are tested a final time at age eighteen after their pilgrimage, and those who pass are made mahavans. However, just as important as completion of the pilgrimage is how such an accomplishment was managed. It is the latter that often determines into which collegium a newly minted mahavan is accepted.

Demolition

The Servitor’s ship.

Drones

 This is the status of all children at birth, including those born to mahavan parents. Their status remains unchanged until the age of ten when they are given three attempts to pass a Tempering. Failure on all three occasions leads to stripping where they still have some of their lorethasra but can no longer link to lorasra in any meaningful fashion. From that point on, their life path is forged and they work as peasant farmers, largely under the regulation and control of the Tenders.
*All drones take the surname of the village in which they were born. In addition, boys are eventually sent to a different village from their birth.

Lord Shet

The god of Sinskrill. He is also the lord of raha’asras and master of all Elements. His compiled wisdom is found in Shet’s Council. Most asrasins believe him to be a myth.

Isha

One who trains a shill or a bishan.

Mahavans

The elite asrasins of Sinskrill. It takes years of forging to create one. Once a bishan is elevated to the status of mahavan, they can exchange their village surname for that of their parents, or even that of the collegium into which they were accepted. Most choose family.

Shill

A drone who has passed their Tempering. At age fifteen, shills are retested and those who pass become bishans. They have two chances to pass and failure leads to stripping.

THE FAR BEYOND

 DRAMATIS PERSONAE IN THE FAR BEYOND

WIZARD BILL’S WANDERING WONDERS
*The circus that William, Jason, and Serena join in order to temporarily escape Kohl Obsidian. 

Bill Londoner

Portly, co-owner of Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders. He gave William, Jason, and Serena a job when they were on the run from Kohl Obsidian. He’s married to Nancy Londoner, and he enjoys his beer. Known as Mr. Bill by his employees.

Dubrovic Family of Tumblers, the

A supposedly famous family of tumblers from Croatia. In reality, all of them are American gymnasts who are unrelated to one another and thrown together by the manic madness of Mr. Bill for his circus.

Elaina Sinith

a beautiful, mysterious woman who claims to be a witch from a village called Sand. This inevitably leads to the joke that Elaina is a ‘sand witch’. She works at Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders as a fortune teller.

Jane Smith

Seamstress at Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders.

Jimmy Hanson

The cook at Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders. He’s not too bright but very loyal to Bill and Nancy.

Luc Dubrovic

A gymnast who is supposedly the head of the famous Dubrovic Family of Tumblers from Croatia. In reality, his name is Stanley Wilson.

Nancy Londoner

The tall, slender co-owner Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders. She was the one who pushed her husband, Bill, to give William, Jason, and Serena a chance to join their circus.

Nancy Londoner

The tall, slender co-owner Wizard Bill’s Wandering Wonders. She was the one who pushed her husband, Bill, to give William, Jason, and Serena a chance to join their circus.

ST.FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL

*The High School that William, Jason, Jake, Daniel, and Lien attended. Serena joins them at the beginning of their senior year.

Principal Alfred Walter

 School principal.

Mrs. Gertrude Nelson

Biology teacher. She has a pet boa and William is terrified of the animal.

Jeff Setter

Defensive captain of the St. Francis High School football team.

Mrs. Jennifer Clancy

English teacher. She is later put on bed rest during her pregnancy.

Mrs. Katherine Wilkerson

William and Serena’s homeroom teacher. She has a yearly winter sweater contest that she holds right after the Christmas holidays.

Mrs. Katherine Wilkerson

William and Serena’s homeroom teacher. She has a yearly winter sweater contest that she holds right after the Christmas holidays.

Lance Owens

Wide receiver on the high school football team. Jason dusts him in a sprint, which earned him the interest of Coach Rasskins.

Mr. Mike Farther

Jason’s homeroom teacher.

Father Richard Jameson

Religion teacher who takes them to a church in Over-the-Rhine in downtown Cincinnati. 

Mr. Robin Cleating

Substitute English teacher when Mrs. Clancy is put on bed rest.

Vice-Principal Roger Meron

A bulldog of a vice-principal who’s more clever than most realize.

Sonya Bowyer

Jake Ridley’s longtime girlfriend in high school. William had a crush on her until Serena walked into his life.

Coach Steve Rasskins

Head football coach at St. Francis.

Steven Aldo

Part of Jake’s group of friends at St. Francis. As such, he’s not expected to show much in the way of friendship toward William, but he subtly does so anyway.

Mr. Thomas Callahan

American History teacher and speaks like it’s still the 1950s.

OTHERS

Aia

Once a small kitten who helped kill Kohl Obsidian. A Kesarin. She is bonded to Rukh.

Helen Ridley

Mother to Jake and John Ridley. Married to Steven Ridley.

John Aaron Ridley

Jake’s little brother, and he used to go by ‘Johnny’. He was born with a neurodegenerative condition that has slowly limited his mobility. Jake loves him fiercely.

Shon

A Kesarin. He is bonded to Jessira.

Steven Ridley

Father to Jake and John Ridley. Married to Helen Ridley.

THE WOVEN

*All beings who are created through the work of lorethasra and lorasra are collectively known as ‘woven’. In addition, most woven have an instinctual understanding of the Elements that asrasins lack. However, once a task is identified, it is often the asrasins that accomplish the deed. For instance, in the founding of Arylyn, once the dwarves and elves showed what was needed, it was the magi who performed the work.

Antalagore the Black

The greatest of all dragons. He betrayed Shet and was eventually killed by Sapient Dormant for his treason.

Dwarves

Mountain dwelling woven. They live in large matrilineal villages, which they name a creche. Their ability to bring calm and peace—a skill they share with those around them—extends to the dragons who often share a mountain range with them. Shet has a special hate for dwarves.

Elves

Live in large groups they call sithes. Generally smaller than humans but swifter. Arrogance is often an adjective associated with them.

Holders

Magavenes woven into assassins meant to kill other asrasins, specifically mahavans. Their greatest weapon is the Wildness, an ability to impart energy into their weapons and render them capable of cutting through nearly any weave or substance.

Landon Vent

He is the merged consciousness of Landon Wilde, William’s older brother, and Pilot Vent, the holder who became Kohl Obsidian.

Necrosed

Monstrous woven created thousands of years ago by Shet at his fortress, Clarity Pain. They were meant to be the antithesis of dwarves, bringing fear rather than calm and death rather than peace. Since holders were assassins meant to kill asrasins—specifically mahavans—Shet wished to turn their power on the magavanes. Thus, he captured a large group of holders and tortured them until he created the first necrosed, Grave Invidious. Shokan, though, placed a curse upon the necrosed, such that they are in a continual state of decay and rot.

Necrosed can enter long periods of catatonia, measured in decades, before cycling to awareness, and when they do, an insatiable hunger for flesh and lorethasra fills them.

The exact number of necrosed is unknown but it is likely small. Nevertheless, all woven and asrasins fear the necrosed, and it is believed that no one except a holder can kill one of the undying monsters.

KNOWN NECROSED

Grave Invidious: The first necrosed and the keeper of Shet’s temple, Clarity Pain. He is also the protector of Shet’s sword, Undefiled Locus
Kohl Obsidian: He was once a holder named Pilot Vent but was transformed into a necrosed by Sapient Dormant, the Overward of the Necrosed. Kohl would go on to kill William’s family, thus setting him on the road to becoming an asrasin.
Manifold Fulsom: A large, powerful necrosed.
Sapient Dormant: Overward of the necrosed. Created by Overlord Shet. He was born in Clarity Pain, and one of his first acts is to slay the dragon, Antalagore the Black.

KNOWN NECROSED

Grave Invidious: The first necrosed and the keeper of Shet’s temple, Clarity Pain. He is also the protector of Shet’s sword, Undefiled Locus
Kohl Obsidian: He was once a holder named Pilot Vent but was transformed into a necrosed by Sapient Dormant, the Overward of the Necrosed. Kohl would go on to kill William’s family, thus setting him on the road to becoming an asrasin.
Manifold Fulsom: A large, powerful necrosed.
Sapient Dormant: Overward of the necrosed. Created by Overlord Shet. He was born in Clarity Pain, and one of his first acts is to slay the dragon, Antalagore the Black.

Scourskin

Extinct on Earth, but their species still lives on in Seminal. They are a short, blue skinned race of woven with heads that look like catfish. They live off of therasra and are among the stupidest and weakest of all woven.

Trolls

Powerful, intelligent woven. They are universally massive and have horned heads. Throughout history, they have served as Justices, possessing an ability to see to the heart of the matter and render a judgment that can never be unknown. It is a power all asrasins respect. Of interesting note, they procreate by parthenogenesis.

Unformed

Shape-changing woven. They can take on the form of nearly any animal, regardless of size. They generally live in small tribes of 40-50, which are led by a Prime—either male or female. Each Prime is supported by a Secondus, a powerful ally who can later become a threat.

They have a first name and a last name, the latter of which is that of their tribe.

However, their surnames frequently change since unformed move about quite often. Their allegiances shift from tribe to tribe, whose territories also tend to rapidly change. As a result, unformed don’t bother remembering their lineage. It is unimportant. For unformed, nothing is truly fixed.

One bite from a Prime can transform nearly any other woven into an unformed. Only asrasins, holders, and necrosed are immune.

KNOWN PRIMES:

Jeek Voshkov
Arcus Elder

*An interesting aside:
Most of the dangerous animals on Sinskrill, such as wolves, are actually unformed. In addition, the bears who come over from Amethyst, are also unformed. The unformed were brought to Sinskrill long ago by a Servitor whose name was intentionally forgotten.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

*Brief history of asrasins: It is thought that many of the gods and goddesses of the ancient pantheons, such as those from Sumeria, Babylon, Egypt, and China were actually asrasins of some sort. Those ancient warlords waged horrific wars of conquest, dominance, and enslavement upon the rest of the world, especially normals, those without lorethasra. But when Shokan inspired the magavane servants of the mahavans to overthrow the rule of Overlord Shet, an event known as the Nusrael—the Catastrophe—the asrasin control of the world began to crumble.

Asra

Magic or more specifically, enchantment.

Asrasin

General name of the magic practitioners. In ancient times, all children of a single asrasin parent had the potential to become an asrasin. In the modern era, this certainty has been lost. Nevertheless, there are still several ways to become an asrasin. Most commonly, a potential wielder of asra is born within a saha’asra to asrasin parents. Then there are those who have the potential to become asrasins but are born outside saha’asra. These individuals generally lead normal, unremarkable lives, although many mention that experience frequent bouts of ennui, as if they are perpetually unfilled. However, if such an individual is exposed to a saha’asra, their lorethasra stirs to life, and they have to go to a saha’asra that contains a sufficient amount of lorasra to sustain them or face imminent death. The only two such places today are Arylyn and Sinskrill.

Braid

A magical spell or creation. Also called a weave.

Clarity Pain

Overlord Shet’s temple stronghold and place where he created the necrosed.

Council of Magavane

The asrasins who fought to free humanity. They were inspired by Shokan and Sira. Later on, they became the progenitors of the magi of Arylyn. Interestingly, prior to Shokan’s and Sira’s arrival, most who called themselves magavanes were servants of the mahavans. An unsubstantiated rumor states that the magavanes also enacted a plan to slowly drain the world’s saha’asras of power to further erode mahavan dominance.

Five Elements, the

Fire: crackles and smells like sulfur.

Air: hisses and pulses as it distorts the air.

Earth: rustles like ivy.

Water: possesses a rushing sound, like a breaking wave.

Spirit: White but with flecks of color that are reflective of an asrasin’s natural moral tendencies.

Far Beyond, the

The world outside the borders of a saha’asra.

Great Dying, the

 The one hundred and eighty-five year period of time in the Middle Ages when most of the magical races perished. Most historians date the Great Dying to approximately 1209-1394 AD. The cause is unknown but likely due to the ongoing fading of the various saha’asras throughout the world.

Jaycik Kornavel

Author of the Lore of Itihasthas. He is reputed to have been a magavane and personal friend of Shokan and Sira.

Jayenasra

The Beautiful Art. An ancient word to describe the use of asra. The term has fallen out of use.

Ley lines

Arterial or root like systems that extend from primal nodes and spread lorasra throughout a saha’asra. They can become corroded or corrupted over time and are maintained through the work of adepts in the Elements of Water, Fire, and Spirit. However, proper repair or installations of new ley lines can only be done by a raha’asra.

Lorasra

The asra contained within a place. It is a phenomenon that asrasins use to create their braids and weaves. When it is polluted, it is called therasra.

Lore of Itihasthas, the

Author Jaycik Kornavel. A book written sometime between 6200-5000 BC about the Nusraeland ancient asrasins.

Lorethasra

The asra or magic contained within a person. Lorethasra rests upon five primeval Elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and most importantly, Spirit. In essence, these are the five Elements of classical Buddhist thought, but what the Buddhists thought of as ‘void’, asrasins recognize as Spirit. All asrasins can bend these Elements to their will, although they are usually adept at two or perhaps three of these forces.

Magus

Name for those asrasins from Arylyn. They descend from the magavanes.

Mahavan

The ancient asrasins who once ruled the Earth. The greatest of them was Shet. In their view, all lesser asrasins and woven are fit for nothing but servitude. As for normal humans, those without lorethasra, they were meant for nothing more than slavery. The mahavans eventually formed the Mahavana Axis as a counter to the Council of the Magavanes.

Mahavana Axis

The enemy of the Council of the Magavanes.

Nomasra

Any object imbued with lorasra.

Overlord Shet (Set as Egyptians called him)

The greatest and most powerful of all mahavans. At one point, he was the acknowledged, unchallenged ruler of the world. For now, he resides on Seminal and is still the god of the mahavans of Sinskrill. 

Primal Nodes

Nomasras that are repositories of lorasra. From a primal node, lorasra extends into a saha’asra through ley lines, which can variously be likened to an arterial or root system. Primal nodes can only be created by a raha’asra or a skilled adept in Spirit.

Raha’asra

A type of asrasin who can create lorasra. Such an individual is often quite powerful.

Saha’asra

Places of magic.

Seminal

A mythical world where Shet is said to have fled following his defeat at the hands of Shokan and Sira. Little is known about the world except that lorasra is said to be unconstrained there. Somehow, it is perpetually made, and the plants and creatures of this world have adapted to it in their own fashion. However, the lorasra is so potent that it can be too much for even an asrasin to safely use. There are said to be lakes of lorasra in Seminal that are deadly to all creatures.

Shokan

The great enemy of Shet. The Lord of the Sword. Husband to Sira, the Lady of Fire.

Sira

The great enemy of Shet. The Lady of Fire. Wife to Shokan, the Lord of the Sword.

Thera’asras

Asrasins who are masters of all Elements. However, their control of Spirit isn’t at the same level as a raha’asra’s.

Theranom

Special nomasra vessels specifically designed to contain therasra, which would otherwise pollute the environment.

Therasra

Lorasra that has become polluted from use. It can easily destroy the environment by distorting trees, bushes, plants and even animals and people.

Undefiled Locus

Overlord Shet’s sword. The weapon was somehow turned against him during his final battle with Shokan and Sira, thus leading to his defeat. Shet left Undefiled Locus within the heart of Clarity Pain, guarded by Grave Invidious, the greatest of his necrosed, until the god’s return.

Woven, the

Magical races created by asrasins.

SHEVASRA

*The ancient mother tongue of the asrasins. This is a partial list of some of the surviving words from that language.

Asra

Enchantment

Asrasin

General name of practitioners of Jayenasra.

 

Bishan

Young master. The term has fallen out of favor in Arylyn but is still used in Sinskrill.

Hastha

The past.

 

Iti

That

Itihasthas

That which has happened.

 

Isha

Masterful instructor, meant to convey teacher in the ways of life. The term has fallen out of favor on Arylyn but is still used in Sinskrill.

Jayen

Beauty made alive.

 

Lor

Secret. Hidden.

 

Loreth

Within.

 

Maga

Servant of greatness.

 

Maha

One who wields greatness.

 

Mayna

Someone of interest.

Nome

That which is malleable.

Nusrael

Catastrophe.

 

Raha’asra

Builder/creator

 

Rashasra

Most High. God.

 

Saha’asra

Place of magic.

 

Sahar

Place.

 

Shev

To submit.

 

Shevasra

The language spoken in ancient times. Translated as submission to asra.

 

Shevela

Submission.

 

Shill

Incompetent person with potential. The term has fallen out of favor on Arylyn but is still used in Sinskrill.

Thera

One who wields power.

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