Encyclopedia Bandagora IV October 1118

(The) Adventurers' Guild. The Adventurers' Guild grew from the Adventurers' Society. The Society was founded in 926 by Kaldan d'Astur and eighteen others including Fay Targamon and Dermeleon. In 965 the Guild was founded in Enders and the first branch opened 968 in Kangrisorn. The current president is Silandis. See ag.

(The) Advisory Council of Hardnit. As the name implies, the King of Hardnit has the final say in all matters of state. But Hardnit's royal family has depleted its funds because of what has seemed to be incessant wars. So the new constitution of 1103 instated the council to reflect the fact that the nobility holds relatively much power in Hardnit. Current members: Count Kelvin, Count Eraskin, Count Cedric, Patriarch Gylhaven, Bishop Tertullian, Mayor Qun Firemane, Lady Alexandria and Gelimar Hart. In addition, the ministers of war, state and treasury are members. At all meetings the king (currently Hendrick I) is present, and sometimes the former member Baron Belhar.

Aegis. An organization of adventurers specializing in bodyguard services.

Agni. The goddess of fire, wind and horses. The Iluvar worship Agni as a god. Agni represents the element of fire. She is the cleansing fire burning the old and the rotten away, clearing the way for new growth. Her worshipers admire the strong and the wild. In civilized countries she is an important deity, respected, if not loved. The fire must be fed, the flame must never die, and in return it gives warmth. At sea Agni is feared, and most try to placate her while praying to Thor for favorable winds. Among the barbarians she is a great goddess, and the horse part of her sphere is emphasized more, in particular the Iluvar consider him (sic!) the god of horses first, the god of fire second. The Iluvar, who do not use saddles and are all very able riders, teach their children that if they do not ride with confidence in an unpredictable way, then Agni will throw them from the horse.
Holy day: September 22nd at the active volcano Agni's Mouth near Crimloyd. Symbol: Fire or horse.

Aktihle. Female paladin from Grone. Aktihle was born in 1035 in Triale. She started out associated with a minor order of Vahaun-worshipers, but had an experience that changed her life, and dedicated herself to devil-hunting. This led to her admission to the Order of the Swords of Ishkar, in which she had advanced to Second Sword at the time of her disappearance in 1071. She is believed to have been recovered (from Oblivion?) by Steel in 1114.

Alecto. Map VII-w. Realm in northern Borsoch. Alecto is thought to be a matriarchy, where the women rule, but otherwise some kind of monarchy. The capital is Pantea. Alecto is known for its amazons.

(Lady) Alexandria. Wizardess from Broadtower. A member of the Advisory Council of Hardnit.

Altenmaya I. Pandese emperor 595-609.

Altenmaya II. Pandese emperor 673-680.

Altenmaya III. Pandese emperor 716-719.

Amaranth. Healing herb. Amaranth is used in an ointment with wound-cleansing powers. Amaranth is most common in Salakand. Estimated value about 1 sd per dose.

Amastris I. Pandese emperor 680-689.

Amastris II. Pandese emperor 719-724.

Amastris III. Pandese emperor 745-750.

Amazon. Female warrior from Alecto. In Bandagora Hippoleia and Artemisia are known amazons.

Amberguards. Supposedly an order of elves protecting the Great Forest.

Ambertein. Paladin from Nostenkil circa 820-872? At an early stage Ambertein dedicated his life to alleviate the effects of the famine ravaging the Kartrian possessions in northern Belandria. Tradition has it that a wizard was so moved by Ambertein's devotion as to give him the sword Balgashang. When the area became Rovian and the conditions improved, he returned to Nostenkil and aided the Onwal family. His deeds made him famous, but as he refused to kill any human, he became a lone figure, and left before the founding of Vesland. His last mission was defending the Nordacrian colonies Bulsnar and Busenbar, both established in the 840's, and at the time of Ambertein's arrival constantly threatened by Ugrian trolls.
Ambertein disappeared in 871 or 872.

Amroladh Quinluin. Legendary elven poet. Amroladh died in 699 in the fall of Lenhviel. Most of his work now lives on in the oral elven tradition. Recently, however, pandese forces has uncovered some work attributed to him. Here is one of his shorter works in translation: Oh, bloodied arrow, leave me not/ do not let loose another shot/ stay sharp forever, lest I forget/ how quickly joy turns to regret/ a life of its own, its own free will/ by chance a challenge to the archer's skill/ a surge of pride, a moment's thrill/ to feel we live, why must we kill?

King) Andorigas. The king of The League of Cityports. Husband of Queen Melinta, princess of Anistar.

Andrevan of Crimloyd. Osbantine historian 889-977, whose primary subject was the influence of the gods on the history of Bandagora.

Andronikus I. The first Pellan emperor 294-301.

Anistar. Map VI-ene. A city and principality in the League of Cityports. Anistar was founded in 498, the next to last of the six original cityports to form the League in 521. In 616, it was conquered by the Iluvar, and remained on Iluvar hands until 681. It slowly recovered as a trade center, but did not rise to its former glory before the secession of Nordacria in 909. Then it was suddenly the southernmost cityport of the League and flourished as a border trade post. During the time the League was disbanded 1068-1103, it was the capital of a principality. To mark its independence, the city founded a university in 1080. The university attracted many scholars and is today what Anistar is chiefly known for. The city produces fine textiles and metal wares. The city numbers about sixty thousand citizens.

Anocea. Map VIII-ene. 1. Grone city port in the Paw. 2. Principality part of the Island Concord including present-day Gomolda and Osvine.

Anshar. The god of darkness. Anshar is the god of covert acts including illegal revenge. Anshar does not have many temples except in Pellas and Grone. In those parts Anshar is believed to cause the incomprehensible impulses which make people destroy the things they love. According to the priests of these temples, these urges are signs from Anshar telling those that receive them that something is wrong. The priests will explain that they might reduce the power of the urges somewhat, but their advice often is to give in to them to some degree or to change the situation radically. As this often means the breaking up of a marriage or something similarly outrageous, these priests are not the most respected in polite society.
Holy day: December 21th. The largest temple dedicated to Anshar is located in Pellos. Symbol: Darkness, outline or many-shadowed object.

Anthear. Death Knight. Anthear was the commander of the Pellan Imperial Life Guard, until he betrayed it. Anthear has great military skill, and has found use for it. He wears a suit of armor which gives him a permanent globe of invulnerability. Anthear keeps watch at The Tower of the Dead.

(The) Anti-Sun. Mythical celestial body supposedly a kind of negative Sun. The Sun and the Anti-Sun will destroy each other if brought together. See the Black Rings.

Apollo. The god of beauty and art (worshiped as Balder in Falandria). Apollo represents the esthetic beauty usually found in art. The worshipers of Apollo believe that beautiful appearance is a sign of inner beauty. This does not necessarily mean that beautiful people are good and kind, but rather that their personalities have depth and hold the same fascination as fine works of art. It is very expensive to study and collect artwork, accordingly Apollo is a god of the aristocracy that can afford it. The priesthood of Apollo is known to be conservative with regards to political change but permissive when it comes to the excesses of the rich. Many temples dedicated to Apollo are quite opulent and are usually placed in a secluded place.
The Balder cult does not put much emphasis on art, but cherishes natural beauty in nature and in man. It shares its temples with the priesthood of Idun.
Holy day: May 31st. Symbol: A beautiful young man or hammer and chisel.

Ares. War god. The god of blood lust. There are several gods of war, but Ares alone sees battle as an end in itself. In desperate times Ares is a great god worshiped by those who have little fighting skill, but know that even they could be dangerous opponents with his aid. Many temples dedicated to Ares are laid out like arenas. In times of peace these arenas are in most cases unused (see below), but when war calls Ares demands that an arena must be washed in blood before the temple priests can work properly. To some this sounds harsh, but Ares is not loved in peaceful times, as opposed to Modi, who has a high standing at all times, especially among the barbarians.
In Pellas and Grone there are temples where a kind of boxing matches are arranged in his name. The priests think that by fighting these matches, a man can get rid of any possession by Ares. To the Pellan way of thinking, it is a way of offering tribute to Ares by doing small scale fighting so that the god is appeased and does not take the man's soul entirely.
Other believers consider these matches, that only in rare cases have a fatal outcome, a sacrilege. These few, but true, believers constantly seek out real battle. They might be adventurers, but usually hire on as mercenaries - they are too bloodthirsty for the common army - and throw themselves into the fray attacking right and left.
There are not that many Ares priests, and most of them practice rather than preach.
Holy day: August 12th. Symbol: A bear or a bloody axe.

(The) Arhana Mountains. Maps I and IV. The mountain range connecting the Dagdor Massif with the Inner Sea.

Armor. Men have always sought to protect themselves, from monsters and from each other. The first types of armor was probably made of leather. The leather is boiled in oil to harden it. A suit of armor easier to produce, but heavier to handle, is the stuffed leather. Here the leather is lined by whatever textiles is at hand. In the First Empire bronze was common, and bronze metal was used to enforce the leather, as the bronze was to soft to be worn alone. The present-day equal to this armor type is the studded leather. In the Second Empire the knowledge of tempering bronze was advanced to the point to they could manufacture mail shirts made by interlaced bronze rings on top of leather. When battle started, these mail shirt offered good protection, but they were often unreliable in prolonged melee. Somewhat more expensive, but much better was the so-called scaled armor shirt consisting of overlapping metal plates on top of leather. Not before the Third Empire did humans master iron sufficiently to use it for weapons and armor. This was a breakthrough, as tempered iron had a much greater resistance to blows. The ring mail was developed, which was similar to the ring mail shirt but covered most of the body. Bronze rings could only keep from breaking if the weight was evenly distributed, but iron rings could hold together under much more weight and they could withstand repeated bending and unbending in certain places such as at the knee. Bronze, being much cheaper, was still used for breastplates and greaves. This could provide adequate protection for a soldier in a formation. A bronze plate mail was developed. This plate mail had leather inside, then a ring mail shirt and on top bronze plates for extra protection of the breast, the back and the legs. The manufacture of bronze plate mail was very time-consuming and the armor became a status symbol among the wealthy. In the final years of the Third Empire steel was developed, but it was used for armor in a few instances only. According to the legend of Hinu the Golden Man told him, that if the Sun Lands wanted to defeat the orcs, they should forget bronze and stick to steel, even though the latter was much more expensive. Regardless of the truth of the story, the Sun Lands improved the scaled armor shirt in two versions, the scale mail and the banded mail. The latter was a bit lighter and more flexible than the scale mail, but also more expensive to make. When the Sun Lands relieved Hardor in 53, the Dacrians were very impressed by the Pellans, and their armor. They copied them, and as the aristocracy needed more impressive suits of armor, they, and the Pandesans with them, developed the plate mails we know today. These plate mail suit played a major role in the demise of the Island Concord. The last developments in the history of armor must be attributed the dwarves. When the Nomad Invasions were drawing to a close, Penboyn sent diplomats to Thulcandor hoping to sign an alliance against future threats from the Iluvar. To their surprise, the dwarves seemed interested, and gave the emissaries three suits of plate armor to bring back home. After many years of trying, the smiths in Latislav finally produced a suit of plate armor of their own, and Latislav has been the leading city within the field of armor ever since. Finally the elves merit some mention, as they are unsurpassed with regards to light and supple armor. The most famous item is the elfin chain mail, reputedly no heavier to wear than a woolen sweater. Elven wizard can perform magic while wearing such wonders, and all thieves long for them.

Artagel. Retired (according to himself) swordsman of Sif. He defeated the death knight Gart. Participated in the last part of the Ring Saga. Retired or not, he is regarded as one of Bandagora five finest warriors.

Artifacts. Items possessing immense magical power. Among the commonly known, not necessarily the most powerful, are Book of Enchantments, the Black Rings, the Golden Man, Karkar's Belt, The Twin Swords of the North, the Sword of the Unknown Hero, the Dream Crystal and the Banner of Bravery. These are thought to be of divine origin. The dwarves have wrought the Sword of Wrath and the Axe of Dwarves, while the Kartrians have created the Gem of Souls, the Catalog, and the Matrices. Possibly the elves have manufactured the Elven Star in Enkisborg, and some sages believe that there are two similar gems in addition to the first.
The operative word for artifacts is caution. There are many other artifacts, some are listed below, some are well kept secrets, some are not as famous, and some are happily forgotten. Doubtless a great number of artifacts exists in the Caverns of Twilight.
It is important to distinguish divine artifacts from man-, elf- or dwarf-made artifacts. One cannot know why the Gods do as they do, but most sages believe it safe to say that Hecate around -500 CC planned to make herself a greater god by creating an artifact, the Book of Enchantments. She turned to other lesser gods, and promised them to show them how to make artifacts in return for helping her in the divine power struggle. They were skeptical, but she then showed them the future, in which the Book of Enchantments had made her an important god. So many of the lesser gods began to manufacture artifacts, but Hecate had fooled them. She had shown them how knowing that they would do not it as skillfully as Herself, for she alone was goddess of magic. These artifacts tended to be flawed and often became an entity on their own. The sages believe that most of the artifacts we know today was created in the time from about -500 to -200, some by gods we hardly know the name of. See magical items.
Other known or suspected artifacts are Balgashang, the Bhalthors, the Black Cauldron, the Claws of the Wolverine, the Diamond Face, the Dragon Mask, the Death Blade, the Death Mask, the Heart of Darkness, the Mirror of Truth, the Nine Lives' Band, the Storm Blades, the Tablet of Titans, the Tear of Lilith and Wildfire.

Artemisia. Amazon, archer and bodyguard of Emperor Hardaukar III.

Ashanar I. Marentian Autarch 588-605. Ashanar I introduced the term renegade.

Ashanar II. Marentian Autarch 1085-1096.

(The) Ash Desert. Map IX-w. Valley in the Ash Mountains covered by volcanic ashes. Strange creatures are thought to exist there, having adapted to an existence with a minimum of water.

(The) Ash Mountains or the Osbantine Mountains. Map IX-w. These mountains - especially the northeastern parts - are often covered by ash from the volcano known as the Mouth of Agni.

Asselandro. Hero from Anistar circa 638-669. He died in the Nomad Invasions.

Augray. Elven warrior and a rumored member of the blackguards. Others believe him to be shoudreh, an elven outcast. Then he is referred to as Augray Minesta. In any case he is considered one of  Bandagora's fifteen top fighters.

Augustian III. Pellan emperor 803-810.

Autarch. The title of the Marentian regent. The title implies that the ruler is such a powerful wizard that he by himself has the power to run the country and defend it from its enemies. It is traditional for a wizard who is elected to the Supreme Council to take a new name. The name can signal a political stand, but more commonly it simply refers to a branch of magic. E.g. the dean of the college of enchantment, Hamilkar, had added the name "Nistris" as this implies a powerful enchanter. Thus any family relations between autarchs are incidental.

(The) Avengers. An order worked for the continued presence of a Corvendil on the Falandrian throne. Most of its members are not Falandrians, but from Penboyn. This order has had a great deal of influence in Enders.

Avenging Angels. An order of devil worshipers.

Axe of Dwarves. Artifact two-handed axe. There is not much knowledge of the Axe among humans. It is known to cut metal as if it was butter. Most sages assume that it is only useable by dwarves.

Azantir. Maps IV, VII and VIII. Population 4.8 million. "The Golden Realm". The new Pellan kingdom, that replaced the New Sun Lands in 1112. Valentinian is king. The capital of Azantir is Trovian. The new nation is an attempt to start anew and avoid both the terror of the Sun Lands and the corruption of the Pellan Empire. The judicial system has initially been modeled after Grone.

Azartes. Kartrian adventurer from the 3rd century before the common calendar. He is famous for his discovery of Azartes' Boulder that turned out to be very magical and was used in manufacture of the Matrices.

Badizon. Archbishop ordained to Inanna of Eskilart, Salakand. Number two in the hierarchy of the Trinity Church.

Bahiri. Map V-e. Penboynian island and diocese in the Inner Sea

Baktish. Religious philosopher who is believed to have lived in Galvenay around -22.500 CC (in the Second Empire). His basic idea was that if a man is able to perform magic, then he is potentially a god. Most sages agree that his philosophy is merely adapted from the myths of the elves (see the Heart of Darkness). Already in his own time, he was hunted as a heretic, and though his beliefs has resurfaced many times in different forms, only the more diluted versions of his faith has been able to survive for substantial periods of time, such as exemplified by Tasselind and the Order of the Open Hand.

Baldazzarak. Map VI-wnw. Castle and home to the royal family of Vesland. The castle belongs to the Onwal, who completed it in 908. It is built into the cliff face and is considered easy to defend. It is known for its Gong of Woe sounding if Vesland is threatened by enemy forces. See wwww.

Balduin (of Triale). An adventurer from Triale. Presumably among the top fifteen Bandagoran warriors.

Balduin III. The king of Grone 1022-1035.

Balgashang. A famous sword (most likely a longsword) carried by the paladin Ambertein in the 9th century. Balgashang was unable to kill humans, but could force defeated enemies to make an unbreakable promise. By some, Balgashang is considered an artifact created by Diancecht. Balgashang, which seemed to have quite an edge against orcs, undead and monsters in general, disappeared along with Ambertein in the vicinity of Busenbar around 870.

Balvine. Map V-sw. The capital of Kartria and Marentia. The city was founded as an academy for the study of magic circa -430. Today it is the world's greatest market for potions, protective amulets, protection scrolls and other lesser magic items. Almost everything is available, if you're willing to pay. According to local census the number of inhabitants is fifty-five thousand.

Bandagora (or the Continent). The only fully explored continent in Middle Earth. Bandagora is traditionally divided into the following geographical regions west to east (south to north): Pellas, the Western Plain; Grone, the Great Forest, the Dagdor Massif; the Paw, the Servan Plain; Lacre-Cai; Belandria, the Suadan Peninsula; Dacria, the Ratsgar Massif, the Shendar river valley and the Nomad Plains. See key map.
The historian Andrevan claims that man was created around -85.000 in the vicinity of the later city of  Suada. Hermes kept state there and ruled among men. Inanna thought She could make better men, so She created Her own in Santen Mar (The Pellans disagree with Andrevan and believe it to be Tir Inan). Enki did not wish for humanity to live without laws, so He asked Vahaun to assist Hermes in Suadan, while He Himself made what was to Him the perfect men in Narvila. Andrevan calls his hypothesis, according to him based on elven sources, "The three P's". He then describes the three cultures that he names the 'Penboynian', the 'Pellan', and the 'Pandese', respectively. The 'Penboynian' was ever the most numerous, partly because they came first, and partly because Hermes taught them to trade with the elves and Vahaun taught them to defend themselves. The 'Pellan' culture did well because Inanna taught them agriculture and made them fertile. The 'Pandese' culture also multiplied, as Enki taught them to sail, fish and irrigate. More importantly, Enki taught them law, so the two other cultures always paid the 'Pandese' respect.
The First, Second and Third Empire are all 'Penboynian' cultures. In this classification the 'Penboynian' sphere consists of Penboyn, Marentia, Donara , Falandria, Hardnit, Salakand, The Independent City States and Vesland. Salakand does have 'Pellan' elements. The 'Pellan' sphere is made up by Azantir (and Ech Alba ), Grone and Rovia,   while the 'Pandese' consists of the Pandese Empire, the League of Cityports (including Liëst) and Nordacria. Osbant is a mixed culture with elements from all three dominating cultures. Barbarian nations like the Iluvar, Ontaine, the Thungar Khanate and Zagyath are each unique and belong to none of the three major groupings.

Bangalode. Map IV-nw. Dwarven kingdom in the Ragged Mountains at the 'base' of the range near the Dagdor Massif. Bangalode does not have much contact with humans. They have strong ties to Mirandor. The capital is Bardak.

Banland. Map IX-nw. Colony of settlers from the Third Empire on the north coast of Osbane around present-day Crimloyd. It is mentioned for the first time about -200, but its early history is obscure. It was a part of the Island Concord and stopped being a political unit during the Osbantine Wars.

Banner of Bravery. Artifact red standard that makes soldiers fight without fear or fatigue. The Banner, which is attributed Modi, first saw mention at the battle of Losada in -61, when the numerically inferior Suanan army defeated a nomad army. After that, there are only obscure references to the Banner until 637, during the Nomad Invasions, when the Marentian Autarch Faldorno was given the Banner in the hope that he would assist Penboyn against the Iluvar. Faldorno brought along the Banner to Servania in 647, but in the end he refused to employ what he called "the red rag". He died in the ensuing battle, but it must be noted that soldiers fighting under the influence of the Banner cannot be aided by magic. Later, the Banner was discovered by Zorma, and he employed it around 700 to clear the land around the Lake Benshil of orcs. According to legend, his son Kristiorn passed the Banner on to the High Lands in 747, in return of the territory now making up the western part of Hardnit. Rumors imply that the Banner was used in the defense of Ilandris in 1105-06. Trueblood are said to be searching the ruins of Ilandris for it.

'Baron' Blood. Doombrother carrying the Nine Lives' Band.

Bassida. Map IX-nnw. Small harbor town on the west coast of Belandria located between Lokrine and Harastor. Bassida is nominally Ontainian, by is governed by the Independent City States in return for an annual tribute.

Baton Rogue. A bandit and bounty hunter.

Bazen. Marentian autarch 549-564. Many blame him for irrecoverably losing the Book of Enchantments.

Bay of Dismay. Map V-nne. The bay outside the ruins of Suada.

Bay of Hadriel. Map IV-s. Large bay in southwestern Bandagora. The mouth of the bay lies between Grone and the Paw.

Bay of Kornoy. Map VIII-w (or VII-s). The large bay surrounded by Pellas.

Belandria. Maps V, VI, IX and X. Large peninsula southeast of the Inner Sea. To the east Belandria is joined to the Ratsgar Massif on the northern side and Dacria on the southern. Central Belandria is dominated by Ontaine.

Belfarin I. The king of Nordacria 925-949.

Belfarin II. The king of Nordacria958-982.

Belfarin III. The king of Nordacria 982-1013.

Belfarin IV Eldar. The present king of Nordacria since 1098.

Belizar I (sometimes spelled Belitsar) Pandese emperor 689-712. In the minds of Pandese historians, only Belizar's personal courage saved the Pandese empire from complete extinction. He repeatedly challenged and defeated Ontainian army leaders. Belizar I spent much of his time behind enemy lines, while the Imperial court tried to gain allies against the Ontainians and the Iluvar.

Belizar II. Pandese emperor 726-736. Immediate after ascending the throne Belizar II called for a campaign against the Iluvar. He started the re-conquest of Dacria in 732, but did not live to see its completion, as he died in the Battle of Tovéz in 736.

Belizar III. Pandese emperor 785-801. He is known for his four denarii decree from 800 (see Pandese coinage).

Belizar IV. Pandese emperor 899-912. Belizar IV contributed strongly to the founding of Nordacria.

Belladonna. Extract from deadly nightshade. It is poisonous but may cure lycanthropy if used in time. Estimated value 3 cc.

Bensarian. Sage living in the Kevar Heights in Gyldenskov.

(Lake) Benshil. Map II-w. The lake northwest of Hardnit. The river Brindan falls into Benshil. The Harlindon river runs from Benshil to the Inner Sea.

Bese. Map III-wsw. The capital of the dwarven kingdom Thulcandor.

Beydelius Cato. Pandese emperor 609-629.

Bhalthor ("The Breath of Thor"). One of presumably twelve artifacts each being a statuette in the likeness of a child. A bhalthor enables the possessor to address the Gods directly and is considered highly dangerous. The twelve artifacts are attributed to Kirion, who is believed to have created them partly to mock the Gods and partly to let men complain directly to Them. Several stories about these statuettes are known, here follows the three most commonly known:
1) In the 9. century vikings plundered a Grone temple near Anocea in the Paw. Before the ship could make its escape with the loot the surviving priests had called for help summoning three triremes from Anocea. The viking captain saw the ships approaching and swore, wishing for Thor to send a storm that would disperse his enemies. He did not know he had stolen a bhalthor, and that Thor heard his words. Out of the blue a storm rose, and the three triremes were blown away from him and each other. But his own drakkar also blew away, and he ran aground in the unfamiliar waters. The captain, most of his crew, and all the treasure ended at the bottom of the sea. This story has given the name to the artifacts.
2) In 540 Salakand was allied with the Pellan Empire against the Thungar Khanate. The Salaqi king Lothar II had for weeks been driving the Thungali forces back. Now they were cornered at the coast near Venikin. Lothar feared that the Thungali were preparing some kind of magical attack and had lured him along. He then used a bhalthor to ask Vahaun that the battle be fought without use of magic. So it came to be, and the Salaqi practically obliterated the Thungali. But Lothar himself had been mortally wounded. As he lay dying the priests tried to heal him but to no avail. It is told that King Lothar died a happy man.
3) During the Nomad Invasions Ghorgis discovered a bhalthor on the hillside of Kangrisorn, and when he was told what is was, he kept it. He then told his confidants that if he were to die, they should use it to call him back from the dead. When he did die in 661 no one dared use it. Instead it was added to the large treasure, Ghorgis had hidden in the Brossi Mountains. At least, so the story goes. In 1081 the later King Tiolan IV found a huge treasure in the Brossis, and though many believe it to be Ghorgis' hoard, the bhalthor was not found there.

Bifrost or the Rainbow Bridge. The bridge that according to tradition goes from Middle Earth to the Outlands on the upper plane, which is guarded by Heimdal. It is possible to bypass Bifrost with the use of magic.

(The) Black Arrow. An organization of mercenary caretakers from Pellas.

(The) Black Cauldron. Artifact that enables the owner to create different kinds of golems. Every time it is used, one or more persons must be boiled in it. Eventually the owner will himself behave like an automaton.

Blackguards. Supposedly an order of elves dedicated to fighting drow. The name must be viewed as an elven pun. The "real" elven name is not known outside elven society.

(The) Black Mountains. Map V-se. Group of mountains in central Belandria.

(The) Black Ring. 1: Maubar's organization. Among the possible members are: The death knights, Slingshot, Meskalin, and "Nars"(or "The Ghoul") 2: One of the Black Rings, the one formerly in Ogonjok's possession.

(The) Black Rings. Originally nine Artifacts that according to legend keep the Anti-Sun away from the Sun. A Ring was given to each of the old races by the gods. The Rings were made from ebony and were meant to be fragile. The were to be the old races' guarantee that they could destroy the Sun if they did not take to it after trying for a thousand years. All they had to do was to break a Ring, and the Anti-sun would be drawn into the Sun annihilating it. The nine Rings each have a story, but they are all very similar. Each were stolen by men from one the old races, sometimes with the aid of the elves. Then the Rings were stored safely for a long time, but at some point a man tried to use the power of a given Ring, were seduced by it, and the Ring was lost. This is more or less the story of all the Rings, but in the Ring Saga, one Ring was destroyed without any consequences for the Sun. Eight are believed to remain. One is believed to be in the Caverns of Twilight, one to be held by the elves. The Ring that was destroyed was known merely as the Black Ring and was in the possession of Ogonjok. See also The Ring of Madness.

(The) Blue Isles. Map III-ne. Cluster of islands in northeastern Bandagora with many rocky island. The largest islands are Chilla, Garia and Roga in that order. The cluster belongs to the League of Cityports.

Bogadir IV. Penboynian king 265-278.

(The) Boiling Sea. The ocean south of Bandagora separating it from the Land of the Sun. The name refers to the dragon turtles lurking south of Osbane. Since the dawn of history the dragon turtles have forced prudent sailors to go north through the Inner Sea, when crossing from Belandria to the Paw.

Bondor. Map IX-w. A port city with thirty-five thousand inhabitants on Osbane. Bondor was founded in 65 by Harastar. It was mainly settled by former Pandesans and Dacrians encouraged to ply their trade so that the 'barbarian' Harastan could learn from them. It was devastated in the Osbantine Wars, as it changed hands many times. From 114 it belonged to the Sun Lands, then in 191 it became Pandesan. In 419 it was conquered by Ontaine, but when that country was ravaged by civil war around 490, Bondor along with Harastor effectively came under Marentian rule. In 664 Bondor and Harastor broke free and formed the Drusian Compact, which in 922 was joined by Stavalot in the Independent City States.
Bondor is known for its seemingly inexhaustible lead mines, and has always been a bustling trade center. Though the legal system is basically the same as that of the other city states, there are traces of its Pandese heritage. Major offices like the harbormaster, the market manager, the gatekeeper are not assigned by election, as in the other city states, but belong to certain families. The burgomaster is elected every four years (not five)

(The) Bone Crown. A cult dedicated devil worship.

(The) Book of Enchantments. Probably the best known artifact in Bandagora. It is believed to be a sort of spell book encompassing all existing spells. If a mage developed a spell somewhere, that spell would appear in the Book. The Book was discovered in the 5th century before the common calendar by Karkar. Practically all human knowledge of wizardry stems from it. Men knew magic before they discovered the Book, but they would never have been able to develop it further. The dominance of Kartria can also be attributed to the Book. It disappeared from Kartria in 549, but at that time the study of magic had gained a momentum of its own. Theories of the Book's whereabouts abound. The two most common claim that the Book is among the elves (some say drow) or that Hecate has reclaimed it, respectively.

Book of Prophecies. See Incunabula Obscura.

Borsoch. Map VII-w. 1: Subcontinent and Bandagora's western border. Borsoch hasn't been mapped, but the terrain is mostly badlands with many gullies, especially in the south. 2: The large orc realm, or cluster of realms in possession of Borsoch (1).

Breldiar. Magical herb that grows in the wild in Belandria. It can make a person more dexterous. Estimated Value 65 cc per dose.

Brensor 'Khan'. Kartrian renegade. Brensor was a Kartrian wizard who stole the Gem of Souls in 610). Han settled in Trakiars around 613, but apparently disappeared from Middle Earth only to reappear 1105 in Belandria working for the Pandese. In 1106 he was executed by Helena, but rumors maintain that he was later raised.

Brindan. Maps I and II. River running from joining of  the Arhana and Skitaura Mountains that falls into Benshil.

Brin Lebin. Map IV-sw (or VII-ene). Minor port city by the Moon Bay in southwestern Salakand. It was founded circa 100 years before the common calendar and became the capital of Salakand from 103. By 257 Ployd was made capital and in 292 the Thungali sacked the city. Today it serves as a garrison town on the Rovian border.

(The) Brossi Mountains. Map VI-nw The mountain range connecting the Regentop Range to the Ratsgar Massif.

(The) Brotherhood of Doom. A loosely organized group of mercenaries and robber barons. If the price is right, no act is below their honor. The Brotherhood was originally conceived as a joke by young noblemen. According to Penboynian tradition, the son of a noble must prove himself worthy in order to eligible to inherit his father's title. Some families made rather light of this, and declared a son eligible after he had participated in his first hunt or something similar. But in other families it was customary to send the son away, and not let him come home before a third party had informed his family of his merit. To some sons this was a great injustice, and they met in Latislav. Initially the idea was simply drinking to pass the time, then they began to make up stories of their exploits and play dice to see who would go tell the lies to the family. But telling lies proved to be too base for these youngsters, instead they began bestowing each other absurd titles. So after passing 'beer review', one could take the name of, say, General Motor, Duke of Hazard or Hertz van Rental. For many years the Brotherhood was a meeting place for young prospective nobles having 'good clean fun' for a few years, but as time passed, the Brotherhood began to have more permanent members. Third sons, disinherited nobles and bastards that really had no future began to dominate. At a certain point it became just a club for disgruntled troublemakers and it is now nothing but a network of sellsword and rogue adventurers calling themselves fanciful names. Their current leader (Master of the Universe) is Kazentorn. The Brotherhood is limited to the countries to the north and east of the Inner Sea (including the north coast of Belandria) and Donara .

Brothers of Magic. An order of spellcasting monks. The organisation was founded in 764 by 4 quadruplet brothers. It is based in Stavalot.

Brothers in Ink. An order of wizards sharing each other's secrets. Based in Koira.

Calimshan. Penboynian playwright and poet 694-765. Calimshan is known for his plays, especially "The Voyage of the Sea Vixen". Many of his plays are romantic retellings of Penboyn's past.

Casimir I. King of Salakand 843-877. In the eyes of many historians Casimir I was the ideal king allowing the citizens to prosper in peace and security.

Casimir IV. King of Salakand 923-939. Casimir IV died in a battle at Duneval during the Kangrisorn Wars.

Casimir V. King of Salakand 980-995.

Castanamir I. Marentian autarch 923-961. Castanamir I emphasized that he was born in Falandria. This made him look more 'human' in the eyes of the other regents and he restored their confidence in Kartria. He served as a general in the Kangrisorn Wars.

Castanamir II. Marentian autarch 974-1002. During the Kangrisorn Wars Castanamir II kept the supply lines to besieged Kangrisorn open, mainly by use of the navy, but occasionally by magic.

Castanamir III. Marentian autarch 1037-1053. Castanamir III is known for his human failings, that is, he is the only autarch known to have shown any feelings for the opposite sex in public. Castanamir III did so to the point where he was believed to be disinterested in governing Marentia.

Castanamir IV. Marentian autarch 1053-1059. Castanamir IV was supposedly born in Penboyn, and much evidence suggests that he wanted a Marentian-Penboynian war. Why he wanted this remains a mystery.

Castanamir V. Marentian autarch 1096-1102. Castanamir V heavily increased the export of minor magic items and revoked some arch mage privileges to fund more reasonable army salaries. Officially he died from a chronic disease, but the exact circumstances are unknown. His first 'fate', Kara, died in a meteor swarm, and she was replaced by Helena, who at the time of Castanamir V's death was transferred to serve Kartria in the Ring Saga.

Castle Zorma. Map I-e. A castle ruin in the Skitaura Mountains. The spirit of Hardnit's founder, Zorma, stills inhabits the ruins according to legend. Honest warriors that seek his advice are given tasks to perform whose completion means the solution to their problems. See wwww.

(The) Catalog. Artifact describing all existing spells. Made by Nistris II in 965.

Cave of the Heart's Desire, Caves of Dreams-Come-True, the Wishing Caves or Arena of the Gods. Map II-ese? This legendary cave has many names, and is a place where you can ask the gods for a boon. If you overcome the ensuing challenge, your wish is granted. The difficulty of the challenge increases with magnitude of your boon. You cannot always find the cave, but the legend states that the gods will open the caves if your wish cannot be fulfilled in any other way. The cave never look the same twice or even appears in the same place twice, but it is always located in the western side of the Horkranks.

Caverns of Twilight. Map III-w. A system of caves north of Donara. According to legend it is a place where items so powerful as to disrupt the balance of the world are placed (see artifacts). Inside the Caverns the pocket dimension of Oblivion is located. Oblivion is a place where time stands still. See wwww.

CC. Abbreviation of common calendar. See the Great Treaty. Note that cc means copper coin(s).

(Count) Cedric III. The Count of the Black Eagle in Hardnit, or just "the Black Eagle". Temperamental ruler known as a passable wizard and a marksman with the bow. Cedric, who is related to the Storlad family, inherited the county in 1113 upon his father's brother Erik IV's death. He is the son of the infamous Baron Hendrick II who made the county (a barony at the time) into an orc nest around 1100. Hendrick died in 1103 in mysterious circumstances at sea. The county is famous for its Black Knights led by the strong warrior Vandahar.

Celandine. Naturally occurring herb that if magically enhanced may heal wounds. It is rare and seldom found outside Dacria. Estimated Value 15 sd.

Celestian I. Marentian autarch 564-588. Celestian I established the magical colleges and is considered a competent leader able to gather the wizards in an attempt to adopt to the new realities following the loss of the Book of Enchantments.

Celestian II. Marentian autarch 878-923. Celestian II was the first autarch following the Time of Kings. When he was instated the Grone invasion forces withdrew from Kartria.

Celestian III. Marentian autarch 1024-1037. Celestian III refused to help dissidents in Rovian Damilonia (on Osbane), thereby acknowledging that Kartria held no claim to Osbane.

Celestian IV. Marentian autarch 1069-1080. Celestian IV ended the army insurrection (the Marentian Civil War) at the Sparkia Massacre in 1073.

Celestra. Female death knight. The next-to-last to become a death knight. When Celestra heard that a prophecy told that Ogonjok could not die by any man's hand, she assumed that she was fated to kill him. In her pride she attacked the Tower of the Dead and, failing horribly, she became a death knight. She is probably the weakest of the death knights, as she was virtually unknown before she became one. She carries Shekele, a morning star with the ability to break hearts and make Celestra ethereal. Celestra inhabits a dungeon near Elista, Penboyn. She haunts the streets of Elista at the time of the fourth full moon every year.

Celestra's Caves. Map V-nne. Subterranean complex near Elista, Penboyn. Also known as The "Tomb of Kal-Kazar".

Celimesh III. Penboynian king 460-472. Celimesh III was the younger brother of   Landau III and Stephan III.

Ceonwolf. A knight templar based in Losada.

Chalmar. Marentian autarch 647-656.

Champions of Light. A good order of knights based in Koira. It has many members in Hardnit and Enders. Julian is Grand Master.

Cheleos. Map IV-wsw (or VII-nnw). Pellan county. The current count is Vildas Cheleos, and his son Drenzel is heir.

Chesenta. Female warrior from Anistar.

(The) Chimeran Order. A Trinity Church order of monks.

Chinloi. 1) Leaguespeak, the language spoken in the League of Cityports and to some degree in Nordacria. 2) A native of the League of Cityports. The word means "sea trader".

Chivenor. Map III-sw. A city and principality in the League of Cityports. The city of Chivenor was founded at the mouth of Donanda by the Sharoona Bay in 512, the last of the six original cityports to form the League in 521. The original intention was to use the river Donanda as a platform for inland expansion. This plan succeeded but this meant that Chivenor itself never grew big as much of the trade bypassed Chivenor proper and went directly up Donanda. So though much new territory was settled in the name of Chivenor, Elsemore remained the major trading center of northeastern Bandagora. Elsemore did see Chivenor as a rival, though, and in the rebuilding following the Nomad Invasions, Elsemore channeled most of its funds towards the south despite Chivenor's protests that an overland trade route to the Inner Sea would prove more profitable in the long run. In the 11th century, Chivenor prospered because the inland Chinloi wanted to punish Elsemore for its stand in the debate on agricultural developments. During the disbanding of the league, Chivenor made an effort  to develop the overland trade route, but it remains hazardous at best. With more than seventy thousands citizens, it is at present a worthy rival to Elsemore. Chivenor was an independent principality 1068-1106 allied with Skolister.

(The) City of Donara. Map II-ese. The capital of Donara having about forty thousand inhabitants. Donara is split in two parts, an outer city accessible to all, and an inner 'forbidden' city housing the nobility (and the prison).

Claws of the Wolverine. Artifact shaped like a pair of gloves. When worn, the gloves attach themselves to the skin and grow long sharp claws. The wearer heals exceptionally fast, but is obsessed by the thought of destroying werebeasts. Some sages believe the Claws are the work of the sidhe to counter the Thungali, who worship the wolf as their totem and reputedly voluntarily become lycanthropes.

Coinage. Countless different types of coins exist in Bandagora, but since the Edict of Cheiband of 1060, only fives types of coins may be struck with the blessing of the gods: 1) pure gold, 2) pure silver, 3) electrum, that is 1 part gold to 10 parts silver, 4) copper - all coins containing at least 5 grams of copper are considered copper coins and 5) brass - all coins containing at least 0.5 gram of copper are considered brass bits. According to the Edict of Cheiband gold is worth 14 times as much as silver, silver being ten times as valuable as copper. This makes gold worth 6,4 times as much as electrum, electrum being 2,2 times as valuable as silver. Other metals are considered worthless if struck as coins. Highly valuable metals like platinum, mithril, moraskorr or orichalcum is not to be struck as coins, as their value depends on the market.
The most widespread gold coin is the gold ducat containing 3,5 grams pure gold. The name dates back to the first Duke of Hardnit, Kristiorn, who around 750 in Koira had strike a coin that showed the new status of Hardnit. On the inscription the word "ducatus", i.e. duchy, appeared. The economical power of Hardnit was weak, and the duchy did not really need such a valuable coin. And at first, it did not have much impact. But when Legemul in 755 was crowned king of Kartria, he struck a similar Kartrian coin that became the most important currency in the Inner Sea. But around 800 Kartrian tolls angered Penboyn, Salakand and the Drusian Compact to the point that they melted the Kartrian coins and struck their own. To maintain the basis of trade they more or less kept the standard of 3,5 grams, but now the name ducat replaced the former Kartrian word. The ducat slowly spread westward and with time replaced the Pellan halo, a 10 grams cold coin, that went for three ducats in the 9th and 10th century. A gold ducat is abbreviated gd. Enders started a production of a 7 grams cold coin, the endorin, in 1070, but it has not ever seen much use outside Enders.
The most widespread silver coin is the silver dollar containing 5 grams pure silver. The name dollar is a corruption of dale, or valley. In the time of the Island Concord almost all the silver were mined from the Valley of Azartes on Kartria. Today almost every civilized country strike their own. The silver dollar is abbreviated sd.
The most widespread electrum coin is the Pandese denarius containing 3,3 grams electrum (0,3 gram gold and 3,0 grams silver. Its metal worth is a seventh of the gold ducat, but outside the Pandese Empire the exchange is most often one denarius for one silver dollar. See Pandese coinage. A denarius is abbreviated dn, but this is rarely used outside the empire. The League of cityports strike a 4,6 grams electrum coin called the compass rose (or sometimes just compass). The metal value equals 2 silver dollars.
Copper pieces are known in many versions, but according to the Edict of Cheiband, they are now either copper coins or brass bits. In the years following the edict, some disorder ensued, but traders and travelers have welcomed it. Most larger cities strike their own copper coins and let local goldsmiths make brass bits. In many places local valuables are used along with brass bits, such as glass pearls or predator teeth. cc is short for copper coin, while bb is short for brass bit.

Colin III. Penboynian king 968-982.

Conrad II Storlad. Duke of Hardnit 980-987.

Corvendil. 1: Falandrian royal family. 2: County (map II-sse) in Penboyn.

The Court of Abaddon. A home of devils in the Upper Plane. Abaddon is a lesser deity that punishes the souls Nergal is done with. The court is believed to be in Baator. Among the residents are Asmodeus, Baalzebul, Belial, Dispater, Geryon, Mammon, Mephistopheles, Moloch and Tiamat.

The Court of Hermes. An abode of the gods on the Upper Plane. According to tradition the Court is located in the Outlands, and Hermes resides there. Vahaun frequents the Court in the aspect of Pallas. In addition Hecate, Plutus, Tyche, Ares, Selene, Nike, Morpheus, Dionysos, Hefaistos and Apollo reside there.

The Covenant. A loosely organized network of adventurers. Created by Fay Targamon in the wake of the Troll Wars, the purpose of this 'order' is to be on call if any threat to the world should be discovered. The accomplishments of the group are unknown, if indeed they have taken any action. By Fay's own words, to be most effective, they should act like knives in the dark. Fortunately, most of the persons thought to be members are famous already for other reasons. Sometimes the network is referred to as the 'Fey', a pun on Fay Targamon's name. Suspected members include:

Crimloyd. Map IX-wnw. A port city on Osbane and the capital of Osbant. About seventy thousand people inhabit Crimloyd.

The Crystal Palace Map IV-ene. Building made of glass in Koira serving as a de facto seat of government. Debates and meetings are held here, but most important decisions are made on the square outside if weather permits. The administrators of Koira meet in the Hall of Mirrors, an annex to the Palace. Tradition states that the spirit of Kril Shandor is guarding the place so that anybody harboring ill will toward Koira will be hit by a prismatic spray, if they enter the Crystal Palace. Local historians claim that a Salaqi spy stood in front of the Palace for seven years as a stone statue. In the same vein locals claim that if the administrators are in dire need visions will appear in the Hall mirrors. See wwww.

Dacria. Map X.1: Large peninsula in the southeastern Bandagora. Currently Pandese.2: A theocracy circa -215 to 305. The date of the founding of Dacria is not known exactly, but it was in existence before Third Empire collapsed. In -155, Dacria founded Hardor as a holy city, and this city was capital until 305, when the priesthood in Hardor finally lost its control of the other cities.
See the Dacrian Union.

Dacrian. The language spoken in Nordacria and the east part of the Pandese Empire.

(The) Dagdor Massif. Map I. A massif in the northwestern Bandagora. Miralandor and Bangalode are situated here.

(The) Dacrian Union. A defensive league formed by Dacrian cities from 474 to 519. The purpose of the alliance was to halt the aggression of Zagyath. This succeeded until 513 but ultimately failed. The leading city in the union was Sleet until it was conquered in 513 and furthermore consisted of Hest (lost 511), Plendor (lost 517) and Hardor (lost 519). When the Pandese Empire was declared in 517 city representatives joined the empire. In the years 522-527 the Pandese Empire retook the cities from the Zagy.

Dambergard. Map II-s. The capital of Falandria. Thirty-five thousand live in Dambergard. Except for the quarter housing the royal seat, it is hard to tell that this port city is the capital of a viking country. The name Dambergard is used by the locals, but other Falandrians call the city Dambogaard.

Damilonia. Map VIII-e. Rovian colony on the northwestern corner of Osbane across from the Paw. The two largest cities are Antander and Jettisek. The latter was devastated by a strange golem January 1116.

(The) Dark Faction. Former members of the New Sun Lands Inanna priesthood that refuse to acknowledge the new state Azantir. They are most numerous in the southern parts of Pellas, particularly Goy Polloy and Santen Mar. It is not clear if they are an extension of the New Sun Lands die-hards on Ech Alba. The probably cooperate with the Illumnatii.

(The) Dark Stallion. A wasting plague ravaging Bandagora, especially the areas east of the Inner Sea, in the beginning of the 8th century. The diseased developed hoof-like wounds all over their body, as if a horse had trodden them during the night.

(The) Death Blade. Sword and Artifact. The Death Blade is attributed Nergal and makes its wielder immune to certain attack forms as if he were an undead. Furthermore, the Blade makes its wielder able to animate vanquished opponents. Unfortunately the wielder himself inevitably becomes undead. Its last known owner was Dorman 'Raven', who was killed in 1113. See items

(The) Death Mask. A supposedly human made artifact shaped as a golden mask without any orifice. The Mask is believed to have been manufactured with inspiration from Juiblex and enables the owner to drain powers from vanquished opponents. When the Mask is placed on the face of the deceased, it reshapes to fit the face of the corpse, then changes back to resemble that of the owner. At this time the owner receives some of the abilities and skills the dead had. It is possible for a warrior to gain spell abilities this way. The powers are gained at cost of a creeping insanity. At first, it merely makes the owner bad-tempered, then he develops paranoia, and finally the owner becomes a schizophrenic, inhabited by competing personalities trying to eliminate each other. This last phase is usually very short. The most famous story involving the Mask is that of Fandamist, who tried to use the Mask only for good. He never killed anyone to drain their powers, but only used the Mask on persons who he would have killed in any case. It sounded fool-proof, and it did slow the progress, but finally the Mask go to him to the point that he repelled all his former friends, including his beloved Tesara. Tesara was a priestess of Tyche, and she could not bear to lose him, and prayed to Tyche for help. She succeed in saving Fandamist by means of a mask made of orichalcum, that she tricked him to place on his face. One version of the story has him keeping the powers he gained, but many suspect Juiblex himself of spreading this version. The Mask has been used mainly by devil worshipers, until the paladin Aktihle hid it on a small island in the Inner Sea circa 1068.

Death Knight. An undead warrior of great power. There are 12 known death knights, all fallen paladins. The death knights are lonely figures, perhaps excepting Anthear and Grave. All testimonies tell of one death knight. The fact that there exists a number of testimonies underscore the fact that death knight rarely attack innocent bystanders. They used to serve Ogonjok to a point, but the exact nature of the relationship was unknown. Maubar appears to have little power over them, but it is too soon to tell. Death knights ride nightmares, but are just as likely to be seen without it. They have the following innate powers: fear, fireball, power words, summon devils and control undead, magic resistance, in addition attack spells may be reflected back. The names used by sages are Draden, Grave, Karmon, Krawn, Anthear, Haykmar, Thralden, Zorgham, Venomon, Celestra, Gart and Stark.

Derek. A Grone bounty hunter out of Triale.

Dermeleon. Mage circa 880-951. Co-founder of the Adventurers' Society in 926 and did a much work cataloguing magical items.

(The) Diamond Face. Artifact in the shape a small medallion engraved with a small face. The face is so tiny that is it hard to make out the features, but if you the wear the medallion you will discover it is your own face. If it is worn for many years your own face will stay or become young while the diamond face ages. There is no evidence that the medallion bestows longevity or any sort of protection. If you try to come between other people's love you will lose the medallion and if you lose the medaillon for any reason the effect quickly disappears.

Diana. Probably Osbant's greatest female warrior.

Diancecht. The god of healing and medicine. The priests of Diancecht are welcomed most places, as people believe the gospel of Diancecht to be: Thou shalt not kill and heal everybody in need. This impression is not totally wrong, but the creed of Diancecht is somewhat more complicated. It was Diancecht who created the human body, thus to a priest of Diancecht, all human bodies are holy and must be kept alive at all cost. That the body is inhabited by, say, an actual or intended murderer is beside the point. Each problem must be solved as it arises. The enemies of Man are the enemies of Diancecht and they can expect no mercy. Members of the High Races must be judged individually on their personal merit. Surprisingly for some, nothing in the gospel of Diancecht proscribes that the priests be kind or generous, a fact that has caused some consternation.
Holy day: April 14th. Symbol: Healing (silver) hand.

Dionysos. The god of wine and beer. Dionysos is the god of joy and the freedom from work. The gospel of  Dionysos is simple: "Enjoy life", "Reap the fruits of your work", "Drink water to survive, drink wine to live". For most people, toil and hard work are necessary to survive. But survival has no point, if there is no joy. So joy is good, as it rewards and motivates hard work. Thus joy propagates life. And though joy is found in many places, none are sure but intoxication. Intoxication causes ecstasy, and if you drink without any other intention than enjoyment, there will be no hang-over. Dionysos does not have many followers dedicated solely to him, for it is only in rare cases that he is worshiped by a single person. He is worshiped in groups, most flamboyantly in the festivals being held up to three times a year, depending on local tradition. He is also quietly toasted at the inn, when the men get a drink after hours, before heading home to the wife and kids. Dionysos is also celebrated as the god of old age, as some consider him is the only god that guarantees a happy life as an old man. These worshipers sacrifice regularly and pray that they will continue to enjoy drinking till they die.
Holy day: August 21st. Symbol: Wine, beer, grapes, anything associated to drinking, an old and a young man sharing a bottle (symbolizing the old man feeling young).

(The) Ditmar Union, the Ditmar League also Union of Isles (the Chinloi name). An alliance of islands and port cities in northeastern Bandagora. The Union of Isles was in existence from 342 to 521 and was predecessor of the League of Cityports.

Ditseng I. King of Nordacria 1013-1015.

Ditseng II. King of Nordacria 1061-1075.

Djogaila. King of  Vesland 945-977.

Djugosir. 1: A semi-nomadic barbarian tribe living north of Lake Benshil. Estimated population: 300 thousand. 2: The language spoken by the Djugosir.

Donanda. Map III-wsw. River running eastward from mountains in northeastern Donara. Slee, Inkavila and Rahne are tributaries. Donanda falls into the Sharoona Bay at Chivenor.

Donara. Map II-ese. Population: 900 thousand. 1: Kingdom north of the Regentop Range east of the Horkrank Mountains. Following the Nomad Invasions in the 7th century, Penboyn rebuilt and had by the start of the 9th century regained its lost territory. To secure the perimeter an outpost had been established in present-day Donara in the years 811-816. By 858, the outpost had status as a grand duchy, but the forming of the viking nation Falandria made the situation untenable. After numerous expeditions, Penboyn had given up on finding a pass through the Regentop directly to Donara, this meant that all traffic had to pass through Falandria. In 893 Duke Don was allowed to sever the ties and proclaimed Donara. Donara remains relatively secluded, as its two nearest 'neighbors' are Falandria through the Horkranks and Liëst (and the League of Cityports) by way of the Donanda river. As a result, Donara has had rather little impact on Bandagoran history. Donaran is a byword for having high walls. The country is thus mostly known for its secure prisons and dislike of strangers. Incidents of elf-hunts have been reported repeatedly, though firmly denied by Donaran authorities. The City of Donara is capital. The current king (or don) is Arlit II.
Legal system. The system is basically Penboynian. It is forbidden commoners and foreigners to wear armor and weapons other than daggers in certain 'sensitive' areas, notably the City of Donara. Torture is used regularly and evidence given while tortured is accepted. Any commoner can expect to be tortured if accused of a serious crime. If the crime is grave, even possible witnesses are not exempt from torture.
2: Synonym of the City of Donara.

Donaran. The language spoken in Donara (however, a large fraction of the Donarans speak Lakedi).

Dorkis. Map V-wnw. Salaqi prison island in the Inner Sea about 60 miles south of Penhavn.

Draden. Death Knight. Few get close to Draden, as he is surrounded by an aura of fear that makes the weak die on the spot and the strong run away in panic. Worse yet, Draden's shield is able to disintegrate whatever hits it. He wields a longsword, Tearbringer, but its powers are unknown. He has only been known to employ it four times. By some sages his abode is thought be located somewhere in the Skitaura Mountains.

Drago Zingari. Lame Iluvar tribal leader and son of Varenna. To the League of Cityports he is a symbolic reminder from history to take nothing for granted. Around 620, the League's negotiators thought they had secured an agreement with Drago that would spare the League if Varenna died. But they should have known that the Iluvar would never accept Drago as their war chief, since he was lame. See the Nomad Invasions.

(The) Dragon Cult. Secret order believing that one can kill a dragon and transfer one's life essence to the corpse to obtain eternal life and the powers of the dragon. It is the goal of the members to each become a 'dracolich'. Some believe this order to be nothing but rumors.

(The) Dragon Isles. Map VI-ne. See the Troll Isles.

(The) Dragon Mask. Magical mask enabling the wearer to actually become a red dragon. Some regard the mask as an artifact created by Plutus. Currently in the possession of the Tyche temple in Kangrisorn. See items.

(The) Dragonslayers. A society of adventurers who each has killed a dragon of all the different colors. Lodges exist in the larger cities in the League of Cityports and in Taunenfels. The Dragonslayers was established in 1034 originally instated by the League of Cityports. Its current state has been effective since 1078 and is due to Skalodon, the grand master at that time. The League now wants nothing to do with the so-called order. See drsl.

Dream Crystal. Artifact shaped as a crystal ball. The Dream Crystal can be used as an ordinary crystal ball, but also enables the viewer to see places and unliving objects in the past and the future. In addition it may solve problems by showing a vision of a possible solution. After some uses the viewer is able to affect what he sees through the Crystal. Unfortunately, the viewer will have increasing difficulty telling dreams from reality. In 1108 it was believed to have been discovered by Siriet, a ranger from the Paw. At least the Adventurers' Guild thought so. Now they believe it to be a kind of replica going by the name of Eye of Loke.

Drow or Svartalfar. Black-skinned branch of elves. They have great skill in magic, and some magic resistance. They are good at handling two weapons at a time. Their greatest weakness is their sensitivity toward light. Their origin is unknown, but two explanations compete: One is that when the Sun was created some elves could not stand its bright light. So they literally went underground and began to live in subterranean caves, perhaps in Skandelion. They developed their dark skin in the absence of light. Having lost the contact with much of plant life, they instead made magic their most important tool and developed a partial resistance to magic. And their mentality changed, for though they never grew to hate their surface cousins, they began to hate the humans spreading like a plague all over Bandagora. They did not suffer humans to possess the Book of Enchantments, so they stole it. Apart from that they were a proud people keeping to themselves. But when the Ontainians drove the elves from Lenhviel in 699, enough was enough. Patiently they explored the surface. Their success in stealing the Book of Enchantments had kept their existence secret, and they endeavored to keep things that way. This is one hypothesis. Another theory claims that their existence is a direct consequence of the fall of Lenhviel. At the time, Ontaine was one strongest nations in Bandagora, if not the strongest. The elves had little hope of winning a war, making most elves resign but a small group turned to Anshar for help. Anshar gave them great magical skills in return for dedicating themselves to Anshar and the destruction of the Sun. Regardless of which explanation one chooses to accept, drow were virtually unknown outside Belandria before 1100. In the Ontainian folklore a sort of vampire existed. This creature only came out at night, could create darkness, wielded magic, could kill at a distance and were themselves immortal. There is one written source partially confirming this superstition, the Pendragon Order Chronicles. In 825, Gold Dragon XXXI describes the two bodies of his dark attackers thus: "They look like elves dyed with ink, except for their fair hair. Their armor and weapons have elven strength and suppleness, but not elven grace". The Gold Dragon followed backtracked his attackers into Ontainian territory, to a "Temple of Darkness" about 20 days north by northwest of Pandesa.
When the omens of the Ring Saga began to appear, the drow saw an opening. But this demanded an end to their status as mythical creatures. Only a very few names of drow are known, Azemilk was a leader, Darmiel and Tazil are possibly still active on the surface.

(The) Drusian Compact or the Tumis Compact. The union of Harastor and Bondor 664-922. The compact was founded following the two cities' independence of Marentia. The name refers to Drusius 'Druso' Andronikus, who had intended to create a kingdom, but became burgomaster of Harastor. When Stavalot entered the union it became the Independent City States.

Druso. The founder and first king of Harastar (-55 to -18). Druso also founded the city of Harastor and is attributed the fortifications of Kirrlar. Druso was a barbarian, from the large tribe that were the ancestors of the Ontainians. His historical role was to gather and for a time civilize the Belandrian tribes. The central Belandrian tribes reverted to their more primitive ways around 490.

Duneval.1: Penboynian royal family. The head and current king is Shaun Duneval.
2: Map V-ene. The family's county in Penboyn.

Durias. Pandese baron. Former adventurer.

Dursival. Patriarch dedicated to Vahaun of Losada, Penboyn. Third in the hierarchy of the Trinity Church. Dursival is known for his impressive art collection, especially for his sculptures.

Dvalin's Gate. Map I-s?. Abandoned dwarven fortress near Skandelion. According to tradition the entrance to an enormous subterranean dwarven kingdom reaching to Miralandor.

Dwarves. There are four large dwarven kingdoms in Bandagora: Mirandor and Bangalode, both located in the Dagdor Massif, Thulcandor southeast of Donara, and Dvorkazad in the Ratsgar Massif. All of the above trade in weapons and armor of very high quality (even magical). Be warned though, that if the quality is high, so is the price. Miralandor, the capital of Mirandor has the widest range and suffers the least from the dwarven 'backlog syndrome'.

Ech Alba. Map VIII-w (or VII-s). Island southwest of the Asmasra Strait. The island is ruled by Inanna priests that call their realm the New Sun Lands. Azantir does not have a fleet strong enough to support an invasion of the island.
Legal system. The laws of this small area are reproduced for historical reason. The laws were applied to most of Pellas in time 1075-1112.
The are six castes: slave, peasant, merchant, warrior, sage and priest. The priest caste numbers solely Inanna priests. Priest of other gods are considered sages. The acts of a priest may only be challenged by other priest and the only possible sanction is loss of priest status. For the other castes the rule of "the higher your caste, the harsher your punishment" applies. The table below roughly shows the range of possible sanctions: 

Crime:\Caste:	Slave	Peasant	Merchant	Warrior	Sage
Minor	fine (2d6 cc)	fine (2d4 sd)	fine (2d6 gd)	1 year service	whipping
Medium	whipping	1d6 years of service	2d10 years of service	mutilation	death
Capital	mutilation	life service (serfdom)	life service (serfdom) and blinding	death	death

Mutilation are related to the crime, thieves lose a hand, rapist are castrated, etc. Any religious crime is furthermore punished by the gouging of the eyes. E.g.a peasant spitting on the floor of a Inanna temple will be fined 2 sd and lose his eyes. If a perpetrator of a religious crime commits blasphemy again, he becomes a rower in the Sun Lands fleet. There will be no third time. The caste system was introduced in 1075 and is the product of religious doctrine, not tradition.

Eidur Berløv. The king of Falandria 1105-1108.

Ekla. Ontainian king 477-482. Ekla was accused by his enemies of being magically controlled by his Kartrian wizard advisors. He was ambushed and burned alive. His family lost the ensuing civil war.

Electrum. Alloy made from 1 part gold and 10 parts silver. Electrum is used for coins in the Pandese Empire and the League of Cityports. See coinage and Pandese coinage.

(The) Elemental Plane. The lower plane. See Middle Earth.

Elsemore. Map III-ene. A city in the League of Cityports. Elsemore is located on Chilla, the largest island in the Blue Isles. In the history of the League, it has been the largest and richest of the cityports. Today Anistar and Chivenor are worthy rivals in trade, but not in wealth. Elsemore is the de facto capital, though the League has none in principle. The palace of King Andorigas (who is also titled Prince of the Blue Isles) lies here along with foreign embassies. About eighty thousand citizens live in Elsemore.

Elvendale. Map I-ese. Diocese in Hardnit ruled by Bishop Gylhaven. The cathedral city is Enkisborg.

Elves. Beings belonging to the elven race, one of the High Races. Compared to men, elves are shorter, averaging 5' in height, and have smoother skin, less body mass, and less facial hair, if any. Their almond-shaped eyes and pointed ears are considered their most distinguishing features. They often inhabit structures that are natural features magically manipulated to accomodate elves, most notably trees growing together to form houses undetectable from the outside by humans. Elves are thought to lead tranquil, productive lives. Many sages see elven society as the unattainable goal that humans should strive toward. Visitors describe elves as living in harmony, devoid of evil. While it is certainly true that heated words or violence are very rare among the elves, the explanation most sages agree to is not that the elves are absolutely free of evil, but that they possess extremely developed social skills. This means that they are able to know what other elves present feel with almost absolute certainty, often giving outsiders the impression that they share a collective consciousness. There is no hive mentality among the elves, though, as they put great emphasis on developing each elf's talents. Indeed, the process of the individual becoming a part of the fine social mesh is thought to be the crux of growing up in elven society. Though knowing each other's feelings can be enormously rewarding, it also lays bare the unpleasant sides of one's personality. The adventuring elves, often referred to as wanderers, are almost exclusively unadjusted individuals trying to rid themselves of the unrest in their minds that keeps them from assuming their final role. They are predominantly male. Though wanderers are not uncommon, they represent a minority of elves. Paradoxically, the only elves most humans will ever encounter are wanderers. Some philosophers lament this fact, as wanderers - behaving little different from human adventurers - give the wrong impression of elves. Sadly, most wanderers die before re-entering elven society as a mature adult. Others return to their families, sated with adventure. Fewer yet return repeatedly for short stays only, remaining a wanderer at heart. Rarely, a wanderer becomes irrecoverably separated from the rest of elfdom, shutting off contact with other elves, becoming shoudreh. Though many humans feel themselves to be oddly watched in the company of elves, there is no indication that the elves' high sensitivity to the emotions of others extend beyond their own race.
Among the elves, nobility is a calling. The borders of elven lands are constantly patrolled by groups of volunteers. Almost every elf performs this duty at some point in his or her life. Those most persistent in patrolling the borders are usually referred to as knights, when talking to humans. Similarly, elves of great renown are often given titles corresponding to human nobility. Though this translation is not absolutely correct, it serves to impart the elf in question with the respect and admiration felt by his or her fellows. However, this practice often gives humans the false impression that elven lands are organized along feudal lines. In fact, elves cannot be said to have rulers in the human sense. Rather, their heightened awareness of each other allow them to trust those who are experts in their respective fields. In principle, each problem is dealt with by those who are thought to the most about it. A council gathered for the purpose of dealing with a question is called an elf-moot. In practice, however, most problems are handled by the same recurring group of elves, the elders.
Names are important to elves, as they are believed to hold power. Though this is accepted to be the case by all races as regards to true names, even elven given names are held secret beyond the close-knit elven communities. For this reason, wanderers call themselves by different names when traveling abroad. Often these names are taken from a limited 'stock' of names, clearly labeling the elf as a wanderer. Most elves do not have surnames, but sometimes assumes or receives one. The fact that drow are known to always use surnames, like shoudrehs, has led some sages to speculate that the svartalfar do not possess the ability to commune and therefore feels the need to strengthen their sense of identity through the addition of a last name.
There are eight known elven realms in Bandagora. The largest is Lacre-Cai, north of Enders. In Lacre-Cai lies the city of Alfheim, where elves allow men to come without prior notice. El-Ya lies north of the Paw, the Arhana elves live in the Great Forest north of Salakand, the Donanda elves live east of Donara, the Brangalynn elves live in the forest between Vesland and Feldenkrak, the Shendar elves live west of Anistar, the Osbantine elves in southeastern Osbane and the Highland elves west of the High lands.

(The) Elven Star. Artifact green jewel protecting Elvendale from attacks as long as it remains in Enkisborg.

El-Ya. Map IV-se. Elven realms located between Salakand and Eyronia.

Encyclopedia Bandagora. Reference work treating Bandagora's lands and inhabitants. The first edition was written in Chivenor in 866 and had three volumes. The encyclopedia has been revised several times. In 1065 the original publisher went out of business. In 1080 the Merchant Furok funded an annex at the university of Anistar enabling the encyclopedia to keep a permanent staff. The last edition was written 1112-1115.

Enders. Map II-ssw. 1. The city of Enders. Map of Enders. The city  was founded in 911, and has grown with record breaking speed to a metropolis housing about one hundred and fifty thousand residents, the second largest city of Bandagora. Enders is considered the leading city of the Independent City States which includes Stavalot, Harastor and Bondor. The citizens often boast of living in the unofficial capital of Bandagora. It is not absolutely untrue. Apart from religious matters, Enders is the meeting place of people from all over Bandagora. Almost every major economical or diplomatic negotiation is conducted in Enders. Enders is notorious for everything being for sale. If you can buy something, you can buy it here. The city is divided by a high wall into an upper and lower part. The lower city is the true city, where all trading is done and most of the citizens live. The upper city is mainly a residential area for the very rich, but it also contains the Blue Palace (the Endorian parliament) and the Citadel (the city's old keep and home of the Baron of Enders). Compared to the bustling activity of the lower city, it seems depopulated and serene. If you do not live or work in the upper city, you must pay to enter. Most visitors do not bother.
Enders is large enough to hold no less than four thieves' guilds. The most numerous of these, the 'green' thieves specialize in monitoring foreigners and robbing those unfamiliar with the city. The 'red' run the protection racket aimed against the local traders and shop-keepers. The 'yellow' mainly smuggle while the 'blue' thieves controls the upper city. The four guilds work together to a large degree. The assassins' guild are also a part of the network, and so they are known as the 'gray'.
2: The city state of Enders including the area north of the city of Enders.

Enki (worshiped as Odin in Falandria). The god of law and justice. God of water (sea and river) and of the element water. The god of exorcists. Enki is the greatest god in Bandagora.
To some it is self-evident why the god of law is also the god of water. Water always seeks its own level. The first clocks were sun clock, but water clocks were the first reliable clocks. But water is merely the physical manifestation of Enki, not his principle. Law is the principle of Enki, and he is seen as being the creator in a sense. The other gods may aid or hinder him, but without Enki there would be no law, and thus no meaning. If there is no good or evil, or up and down, there can be no history, only confusion. Enki made order out of chaos by showing what was wrong and what was right. Where each pebble belongs and which way the wind should blow. When he was done the other gods began to meddle, this brought on many changes, but did not shake the fundament Enki had created. It is the divine purpose of all Enki priests that the law man lives by is the same as the laws of nature Enki has laid down. Enki priests are sometimes accused of honoring the law more than those protected by the law. This is nonsense, they feel. It is possible that the law may have some unintended and seemingly unreasonable consequences for certain unlucky individuals, but if the law itself is doubted, then it rocks the pillars of society endangering all. So the letter of the law must adhered to. Justice is important, but law and order are more important as they constitute the basis of justice. The laws of nature also implies that each thing has its own natural place. If something is out of its place, it should be returned. This is the reason Enki is the god of exorcists. Demons and devils does not belong to Middle Earth and must be driven out. Their existence away from the Upper Plane is due to Hecate's gift of magic, a gift that does not come with any guarantee that a conjurer acts with responsibility. Finally one must note that, as with all the great gods, the creed of Enki varies somewhat from place to place. 
Holy day: May 15th. Symbol: The color green, water (often two wavy lines), scales, ziggurat.

Enkisborg. Map I-ese. Episcopal residence and largest town in Elvendale.

Ennead. A traditional Rovian duel involving nine different disciplines. The nine disciplines are divided into three categories: Sports (horse racing, running, and swimming), Combat (duel, archery, and jousting) and (gods') Favor (dice, cards, and omens). The ennead is very expensive to arrange and is usually reserved for determining "the favor of the gods", a special term pertaining to the right to the throne or other important offices. Any challenger may call for an ennead if he can foot the bill, but the current office holder may choose to ignore him. Depending on the political circumstances and the validity of the challenger's claim, prolonged refusal to accept the challenge may be untenable. Once accepted, the ennead must always start with the two contestants participating in one of the major Rovian horse races. These horse races are city-wide events in which the horses race through the streets of the city, usually hindered or helped by the crowd. They traditionally take place in May, July (in Rovian) or September (in Pellos). "Royal" enneads are always done in the city of Rovian. Whoever comes first or aborts the race last is declared the winner of the two for the first round. After the first round of the ennead, the loser may choose the next discipline from the remaining list. He may not choose omens, as this serves as a "tie-breaker" and is only used a last resort. "Omens" basically means asking the Selene priesthood who should win. The next contest is conducted roughly a week later, and regardless of the outcome, the other contestant now chooses from the list. This continues until one contestant has won five times or one of the contestants dies or gives up.

Entelikele. Warrior from Zagyath.

Esduroy. Map V-w. Marentian island. Esduroy is north of Kartria and south of Akunar.

Esmetite. Rare mineral that is valuable because of its natural ability to 'attune' itself to other minerals. In a proces usually supervised by a wizard or alchemist, the esmetite can be impressed with another mineral, such as a precious metal. It will then point to the largest source of this other mineral within range, much in the fashion of a lodestone.

Essalia. 1: The Pandese empress, wife of Hardaukar III. 2: Female warrior from the League of Cityports known to be working with the mage Dagasso.

Estasiri or the Star Seekers. An order whose purpose is to discover, explore and monitor portals to other worlds. Its members are mainly adventurers and sages from the League of Cityports.

Eukinea. Map IX-nw. Peninsula in the northeastern corner of Osbane. Pavian lies at the northern tip of Eukinea.

Eustasia or Tellus. The globe in Middle Earth where Bandagora is located.

(The) Eye of Loke. Magical crystal ball that deludes the viewer into believing that he sees his wishes coming true. When it was found in 1108, the discoverer thought it was the Dream Crystal. Privately owned in Anocea.

(The) Eyes of Juiblex. An order of devil worshipers operating in northern Belandria, Vesland and Penboyn.

Eyronia. Map IV-se Crusader state located between Salakand and Grone. In 1106 Pope Honorius instated Prince Farko and Bishop Marduk to rule the country jointly. See the New Sun Lands Crusade.

(The) Fakian dynasty. The Imperial family Hardaukar III belongs to. The name refers to Fachan, a Pandese island. The family, which descends from the royal family of Norsala, came to power in 1019 with the inauguration of Nikopol II.

Falandria (or Fjaelamark). Map II-e. Population: 1.5 million. Map of Falandria. A kingdom in northern Bandagora. Most of Falandria is situated around the river Felendar and its tributaries. Falandria was founded circa 858 in a barbarian attempt to halt the expansion of civilized Penboyn (see Sharuna). The inhabitants are generally vikings, and the largest sources of income are the sea and the forest. The capital of Falandria is Dambergard, where King Uchard Corvendil resides.
Legal system. Falandria has no royal succession, but the thanes elect the king from a pool of candidates consisting of themselves and the king's heirs. The king is elected for life and his portfolio is foreign countries and the city of Dambergard. In the rest of Falandria (except for Runa), crime is dealt with by the families. The family of the injured party determines the punishment and exacts it. In some incidents, particularly defamations, the issue is settled by a holmgang, a duel to the death. Obviously, some rulings are deemed too harsh by the family of the perpetrator, which leads to retribution. This often starts an escalating conflict, a blood feud, that can be almost impossible to stop. In the duchy of Runa all cases are adjudicated by a judge. Minor crimes are dealt with after a short hearing, for serious crimes a jury is called. The gravest punishment in Runa is to be declared an outlaw.

Falandrian. The language spoken in Falandria and Hornsherred.

Faldorno. Marentian autarch 633-647. Faldorno is seen today as a warlike wizard with no sense of reality. He died in action unsuccessfully defending the Marentian possession Servania from the Iluvar.

Fay Targamon. Legendary elven spy sometimes called "Flash" or 'the Untouchable'. He co-founded the Adventurers' Society and is at least 500 years old. He has a reputation of being an arts connoisseur.

Feldenkrak. Map VI-sw. Pandese cliff fortress in the Ratsgar Massif in Iguria. Apart from being a legion camp it is known to hold very important or dangerous prisoners. The original fortress is believed to date back to the Second Empire. See wwww.

Felendar. Map II-e. Falandria's longest river rising from the Horkrank Mountains near Knikdal running west through Grana and Runa finally falling into Kalevig and the Inner Sea at Dambergard.

Filimachos. Adventurer from League of Cityports. He is considered one of the fifteen top warriors in Bandagora.

Finduil. 1. One of the major players in the Ring Saga. 2. Byword for fool.

'Prince' Firefinger. Famous thief from Enders .

First Empire or the Settlers. A civilization thought to have existed circa 30.000 to 26.000 years before the common calendar. The word empire must not be taken literally, but simply implies that the area had some sort of central government.

Forklon. Map IV-ene. Minor port city in northern Salakand. The city was founded as a Kartrian colony 19 years before the common calendar. When the Island Concord was dissolved in 251 Forklon entered a loose alliance with Lisuart. The two cities joined Salakand in 356. Since the founding of Koira in 680 Forklon slowly lost its importance on the trade route from Dagdor to the Inner Sea.

Fountain of Youth. According to tradition a spring that heals all wound, diseases and signs of aging. Possibly located on the island Mogadir.

Freya. The goddess of love. At the entrance to almost every Freya temple, one may read the inscription "Love conquers all". Another saying states that there are two reasons for praying to Freya, either to have the one you love, or to love the one you have. This last saying is not entirely true, it is to Freya you pray for sake of your beloved, especially if they are away. The fact that station, legal status and other conventions are of no significance to a Freya priestess sometimes make them appear naive. And since they do not hide their natural beauty, to some they seem quite provocative, even promiscuous. This is a dangerous misunderstanding, for though the gospel of Freya clearly states that one should enjoy all fruits of love, is also states that one should have on more than one lover. The Freya priesthood is dominated by women, and these women spend most of their time counseling others, in most cases heart-broken youngsters. The temples allow men and women with aching hearts to stay and recuperate. Many of these later fill the ranks of the priesthood. Freya priestesses are rarely found outside their temples.
Holy day: March 4th. Symbols: Man and women hand in hand, to joined rings, red hair.

Galvenay. An ancient Belandrian realm believed to have been part of the so-called Second Empire. The capital, Esmir is long gone, but the huge undermountain fortress Feldenkrak remains.

Garland. Adventurous historian and archeologist circa 750-810. Lived in Stavalot.

Garndring. Tough dwarven warrior from Bese. Garndring is known to wield a pretty mean axe.

Gart. The first death knight. Gart was led to believe that some rings would protect his friend form the green slime surrounding the Tower of the Dead. He discovered his mistake when they began to die, and offered his souls to spare theirs. His first act as a death knight was to kill his friends, sparing their souls from a fate worse than death. In recent times, Gart was defeated by Artagel who cut off his head. But since then he has gotten a new body and is rumored to wield a new sword, Solace, with the ability to slay living. Gart is believed to inhabit a ruin in the Ratsgar Massif.

Gem of Souls. Artifact created by the later Nistris I in 575. The Gem of Souls can absorb the souls of men, and store them. Then the souls can questioned and must give answers. The original idea was to store the souls of autarchs and other members of the Supreme Council so that they could advise their successors. But when the Gem was put into use, in turned out to be a very painful affair for the souls to be stored, as they pined for the afterlife. So the Gem found use in questioning dead criminals. Brensor Khan felt that the Gem should be put to use more actively in the search for the lost Book of Enchantments, as it was possible to steal souls, question them, and then restore the souls to their bodies. The Supreme Council disregarded his proposal, as each soul transfer involved a risk of killing the victim. But in 610 Brensor stole the Gem and began his own, futile, investigation. In 1103 the Gem of Souls was stored at Mnemthosis near Vintendra, and it remains there in spite of  Kartrian demands that it be returned.

Geradia. Map IX-nw. Marentian Island. Geradia is ruled by a governor and lies due south of Kartria.

Ghorgis Zingari. The Iluvar leader 622-661. Son of Varenna. See the Nomad Invasions. According to legend Ghorgis was buried in a cave in the Brossi Mountains along with much of the Iluvar loot. The grave was apparently found in 1115, but did not hold any treasure of note. Now sages believe that the hoard was found by Tiolan IV in 1081. Ghorgis has been portrayed as an intimidating brute able to force his will by his mere presence.

(The) Ghost of Tulada. A plague ravaging in the years 3-37. Especially the Nomads suffered. The name refers to the nomad sacking of Tulada in -63, where the bodies of the killed were left to rot. The plague was seen as the tortured souls' final revenge.

(The) Ghost War. War 827-878 between Grone and Rovia against Marentia. The war was a consequence of the lack of a Marentian central command of its overseas possessions. Partly based on disinterest, it led to unrest and rebellion, allowing Grone and Rovia to step into the power vacuum. In its first phase 827-841, a rebellion in the town Lokrine made the Rovians blockade the harbor, so that the Marentians could not regain control of the city. However anticipated, no naval battle ever occurred, as the Marentians never arrived. In 832 Grone attacked Anocea to begin with, and having met no serious opposition, continued to invade Eyronia. This in turn enticed the Rovians to invade the province of Lokrine, and it was conquered by 840. In 841 Marentia ceded her possessions in Eyronia and on the Paw. In 845-875 admiral Hohart commanded the Grone navy, and he rekindled the war into its second phase 847-854. At first the fleet was used to secure several minor islands of little importance, but in 851 the Grone fleet landed at Damilonia. Though he got virtually no help from Kartria, the local governor put up more resistance than Hohart had expected, but aided by Rovia, the Grone commander conquered Damilonia by 854. Considering the province his personal property, he willed it to Rovia in 859. The name 'Ghost War' refers especially to the last phase of the war 872-878. Admiral Hohart urged the Grone King to invade Kartria, but he was reluctant as he suffered from nightmares and ill omens. Finally Hohart landed at Drezla in 872 and quickly conquered Sparkia and occupied the westernmost part of Kartria. Then the invasion ground to a halt. After the death of Hohart in 875 the Grone King only waited for an opportunity to withdraw his troops. That came in 878, when Marentia ended the Time of Kings by electing an autarch. See Ghost War Map.

Giant's Forest. Map II-ese. Forest in eastern Falandria below the Horkrank Mountains. Since the dawn of time inhabited by giants and ogres, but frantic hunting by adventurers in the 11th century reduced the population considerably. There are still some giants left, though.

Godolfin. Trinity priest ordained to Enki in Rovian. Godolfin is responsible for the temple staff and the chimeran monks.

Gods in Bandagora. In Bandagora 34 gods of a certain magnitude are known, among them 4 are reckoned great gods. The priesthood of three of the four great gods - Enki, Inanna and Vahaun have joined in the Trinity Church. The fourth great god is Hermes. The great gods have temples - sometimes several - in all cities. A few temples dedicated to the Trinity have been built, these are known as churches and are as of yet quite few in number. The other gods usually have temples solely dedicated to them in some cities, but in other cities the worshipers must go to temples dedicated to all or a group of gods. Town temples or road shrines are usually dedicated to all the gods. The other recognized gods of Bandagora are Agni, Anshar, Apollon, Ares, Diancecht, Dionysos, Freya, Hecate, Hefaistos, Heimdal, Hel, Horus, Idun, Kali, Lilith, Loke, Modi, Morpheus, Nergal, Nike, Ogma, Ormazda, Pan (Kirion), Plutus, Selene, Sif, Thor, Thoth, Tyche and Uller. (See Prometheus)
Most people have an opinion of what a god is, but the exact meaning of the term is not clear. As it happens, different cultures view the gods differently. Here follows a short description of the 'idea of divinity' each of the three civilized cultures (the three P's - cf. Bandagora).
The 'Penboynian' culture: In the elite, the higher priesthood dominated by Kartrian thought, the gods are seen as representatives of abstract principles rather than free-willed individuals. Vahaun is a principle, and the foremost representative of that principle is the god Vahaun, but a priest or a paladin may become part of that principle too, if he acts in accordance with that principle. Why does a stone fall to the ground? we ask, and we answer that it is because Enki wills it so, but Enki wills it because the stone belongs on the ground along with all the other stones. This view of the gods is way beyond the ordinary citizen and the indirect cause of the sects such as Tasselind and the Open Hand. To the common people gods are seen as a kind of generals or chess players using their divine powers and their followers to obtain their goals. The Trinity Church is a construct that makes perfect sense to the priesthood (at least in principle), but to the common man it is, if not a charade, then a flimsy alliance at best. In Falandria, where intellectualism has little power, it is common for bards to 'dream' of the gods' excesses and then tell stories of the gods as if they were a big family rippled by love, intrigue, adultery and strife. One final note, among the learned it is considered gauche to talk of Pan, when Kirion is the subject, whereas the common people hardly know the name Kirion.
The 'Pandese' culture: In this culture symbols are very important. Pictures, colors, gestures and the like are all seen as signs beckoning the gods. These symbols have thousands of minute variations each having its own significance. A Pandese priest spends much of his time as master of ceremony or advising architects, tailors and other craftsmen to obtain the correct combination of symbols. The ordinary Pandese citizen views the gods as a kind of super-parents who watches over them. This combined with the emotional nature of the Pandese, it is not unheard of to overhear people shouting their gratitude or anger to the sky (or the nearest symbol of the particular god). It is not uncommon to see men and women kiss statues in public. The Pandese are the only people not to punish cursing the gods, if it is done in a state of emotional distress. In the League of Cityports the exact meaning of symbols is similarly important, but perhaps because of the influence from the Plutus priesthood, there is a greater tendency to think in favors and return favors. Many sages see a trend towards what they call 'wizardification', meaning that the priest does not call upon the deity, but rather obtains his spell effects by precisely manipulating symbols. Nordacria lies in the middle between the two extremes.
The 'Pellan' culture. The Pellan word for god translates more or less to passion. The Pellans see man an as a vessel with no real will of its own, but constantly being possessed by (usually) several gods. During the New Sun Lands reign of terror the body was considered only worth as much as it could produce. As a consequence, men were disposable. The object was open the body for Inanna, and when She was dominant in a body, this state was to be maintained by prayers and rituals. This extreme view of men has never been popular among the commoners, but they basically think the same, albeit in a somewhat more moderate manner. Mood swings, adultery, lying, drinking binges and other socially destructive behavior is sanctioned no less harsher by law, but outside the legal system it is seen as if the offender couldn't help himself. For example, in Grone a convicted rapist is branded in the face to warn off women in the future, but he will not be stigmatized to the point that he will lose all his former friends.
Regarding how the elves see the gods, cf. the Heart of Darkness.

('Lord') Gorgen. A member of the Brotherhood of Doom. Murder and pirate. Of Varnasir origin. See bounty.

(The) Golden Man. Artifact in the shape of a golem moving supernaturally fast. The Golden Man is said to be very wise or knowledgeable. The legend tells us that Hinu saw that the Man was wiser than men could bear, and so he hid in the Pyramid around 175 before he common calendar. The sage Dermeleon claimed that the Golden Man appeared super fast, but this was not due to exceptional speed, rather it could predict the immediate future. The golem, he claimed, must be attributed Selene, and this is the reason Hinu did not keep it, since Keä-Sonda was dominated by the worship of Inanna.

Gorzenstat. Currently the most winning gladiator in Palmyria.

Grave or Duke Grave. Death knight. Grave is called 'the duke' because he is the only death knight to surround himself with a 'court' of undead. It it thought that this is due to his sword Unlight. Unlight can also drain levels. Grave's lair is underground in or close to Trakiars.

(The) Great Forest. Map V. The largest forested area in Bandagora located south of the Dagdor Massif and north of the Bay of Hadriel. To the west the Great Forest borders on the Ragged Mountains and to the east a coastal strip separates it from the Inner Sea. Many rivers run through the Great Forest, the largest of these is Perdigor. The Great Forest is dominated by elves, but hobbits are also known to live within the Forest.

(The) Great Treaty or the Treaty of Balvine, sometimes just the Treaty. Treaty signed 8 years before the common calendar by Suana, Harastor, Servania, Dacria and the Island Concord. In the year 0 Pandesa and the Sun Lands joined the treaty. The content of the treaty was an alliance of the signing countries, as these saw themselves as civilized countries and all others as barbarian. Despite its name, it did not have more significance than many other treaties, if not for the fact that part of the treaty was the introduction of a common calendar (CC), the one that is in use use today.

(The) Grey Front. A secret order of mainly wizards from Rovia and Grone.

Grimheim. Map II-ne. One of the two largest orc realms in Bandagora. Grimheim lies in the Morgahlte Mountains north of Falandria.

Grone. VIII-n 1. Population: 1.3 million. A kingdom in western Bandagora controlling geographical Grone and the Paw. Grone proper is sparsely populated but has many minerals. The kingdom's largest city is Osvine situated on the Paw. The capital, Triale, lies at the northeastern corner of Grone. Grone was founded, like Rovia, after the division of Pellas in 686. Today Grone, Rovia and Pellas (at present Azantir) are still tied together by an alliance. Which made Grone and Rovia support Alexius in his struggle against the theocracy based in Trovian. Historically, Grone has always been a great marine power, and the strong navy helped Grone conquer the Marentian possessions on the Paw (in to waves, 731-733 and 835-841). Grone's campaign against Marentia culminated in 872 when Kartria was invaded, but the occupation was abandoned in 878. See the Ghost War.
Legal system. The royal family is appointed by the gods and their actions can never be questioned. They can only be punished if the family incur the 'disfavor of the gods'. This disfavor of the gods is a complicated matter and is only important in when considering revolutions and coup-d'etats, it is not a day-to-day concern. All property belongs to the king, and though the nobility de facto resembles that of other countries, all heirs must be approved by the king. For most minor crimes a small range of punishments are available, and the judge (the local noble in the country, the magistrate in the city) chooses one that is appropriate. Hard labor in the mines is the most common sentence. Witnesses are heard, but not cross-examined. If the question of guilt is undecided, then a priest is called to interpret omens. For serious crimes the procedure is basically the same, but a priest is always called, and his testimony will affect the punishment. It is common to brand perpetrators of grave crimes with a symbol of their crime, rapists, for example, are branded in the face. Others are branded in less visible places.
2: Map VIII-nw (or VII-se). The area southeast of the Ragged Mountains.

Guardians of the Key. An order of mystics seeking the key to the meaning of life.

Gylhaven. Patriarch (premier bishop) ordained to Enki of Elvendale, Hardnit. Ranks number four in Trinity Church hierarchy.

Hamilkar "Nistris". Kartrian arch mage and member of the Supreme Council Hamilkar is dean of the enchantments faculty and is reckoned among the top ten wizards of Bandagora.

Hand of Fate. An order in the Independent City States consisting of persons who believe their acts to be instrumental in turning the flow of history in the right direction.

Hand of Siktar. Main gauche named after Siktar. The dagger enables the wielder to parry effectively. Of particular interest to duelists. Thought to be currently owned by Rogazar.

Harastar. "The land where the people live". Kingdom with the capital of Harastor -55 to 89. Harastar was founded by Druso in -55. Druso succeeded in uniting many of the Belandrian barbarian tribes. He planned to create an economic power base that could challenge the Island Concord. To achieve his goals he founded Harastor and conquered Pelosi, Norsa and parts of Osbane. After the death of Druso his successor continued to 'look to the sea', and founded Bondor. But whereas Druso never forgot his barbarian roots, his successors saw themselves as kings, and they signed the Great Treaty as if they ruled a civilized country. Among the central Belandrian tribes, contempt for the 'urban' kings grew, and when King Vladi died in 81, the tribes supported a barbarian candidate while the cities supported an urban candidate. The result was a splitting of Harastar into Ontaine and a handful of city states.

Harastor. Map IX-nnw. A port city in western Belandria. Harastor was founded circa 55 before the common calendar by Druso. Around 486, the city became Marentian and remained so until 664, when the city became independent and joined Bondor in a union. In 922 Stavalot, formerly Rovian, joined the union, and the three cities became the Independent City States. In 1035 Enders was added to the ICS.. Harastor numbers about fifty thousand souls.

Hardaukar I. The first Pandese emperor 517-534. King of Pandesa 510-517. Hardaukar, meaning "ruler of Hardor", was the name the Pandesan king took when the Pandese Empire was declared in 517.

Hardaukar II. Pandese emperor 666-673. Hardaukar II died unsuccessfully defending Pandesa.

Hardaukar III. The Pandese emperor since 1099. Born in 1080 as the son of Sardis III. Platinum Dragon (Grand Master) of the Pendragon order. Hardaukar is considered one of the top three warriors in Bandagora. As a teenager he showed great military prowess in the Ontaine-Pandese war, but he did not fight at Kirrlar as he had just been named governor of Plendor. In the two years he remained governor, both his elder brothers died in battle (Sardis IV in 1097, Milatis VI in 1099). Rumor has it that Hardaukar swore to conquer all of Bandagora at his inauguration. At that time he seemed to think it could be done in a few years. If only there was just one head on the shoulders of Bandagora he could have chopped it off. In his first years in office be behaved the mad dictator, he exhibited his worship of Lilith, he attacked the Adventurers' Guild, he chose "Morgan" - 'the traitor of Koira' - for Yellow Dragon (this is unconfirmed). The war against Nordacria was a legacy of Milatis', but he would not consider peace an option. His conduct in the conquest of Ollyway gave him the appellation 'the Terrible'. During that time he survived eight officially confirmed attempt on his life, including a meteor swarm that killed his fiancée. He wasn't fazed. But the siege of Taunenfels taught him a lesson.And looking back, he probably learned something from the confrontation with the Adventurers Guild and perhaps Morgan/Finduil affair. What went on in his head, one he knows, but suddenly during the Troll Wars Hardaukar went from being the berserker of Bandagora to being the policeman of Bandagora. The Pandese Empire was not in the way of the trold folk, but he never the less sent six legions to the wars. And he partook in the Ring Saga as a 'common' adventurer at a high personal risk to his life. The mature Hardaukar plans ahead. He hired Stevin, educated on Kartria, as personal advisor in 1104, and he has taught himself the ways of magic. He almost cut the teaching staff in half on the magical faculty in Anistar by offering them better jobs in Pandesa. The shipwrights of Ollyway produce small fast ships in large numbers, ostensibly for trade. The identity of the new Yellow Dragon is a mystery, and rumors fly of a drow being hired.
One must admire his expedition to Thraskund. He entered the war against the New Sun Lands with two legions, enough to show his dislike of the bad boys of Bandagora, but not enough to scare anybody. Since Pellas, Grone and Rovia are allied, he is now an ally of Rovia. In turn, Rovia is attacked by Salakand, something Hardaukar knew would happen because of the Two Hundred Years War. He asked the pope for permission to attack Salakand through Eyronia. The pope could only answer no. That allowed Hardaukar to promise Skanderbeg that the Tasselind followers be tolerated in the empire, in return Skanderbeg led Hardaukar's two legions into Thraskund. The pope can't complain, he could have permitted Hardaukar to punish the Salaqi attack on Rovia, something the pope merely frowned upon. All in all Hardaukar appears as a statesman willing to risk his own and his soldiers lives to make the world a better place, and he gets to plunder one the largest treasures of Bandagora.
Hardaukar was married to Essalia in 1108. Her family is from Sersch (en minor port city south of Hest). They have the son Nikopol (born 1111), the daughter Milatia (born 1113), the son Hardaukar (born 1114), and the son Belizar (born 1116).

Hardnit. Maps I and II. Population: 900 thousand. Map of Hardnit. A kingdom in northern Bandagora. The capital is Servan. Furthermore Enkisborg and Zormaras are Hardnitian cities. Hardnit was before January 1103 a grand duchy formally subservient to Penboyn, but was with the blessing of Penboyn declared an independent kingdom by the Pope. Much of present day Hardnit used to be Servania, one of the Successor States. Around 530 Servania became Marentian, and in the middle of the 7th century it ceased to exist during the Nomad Invasions. Later, around 669, the High Lands occupied the western part of the region. The history of Hardnit proper started according to tradition in 700, when the Penboynian Zorma conquered what was to be Zormaras, and made foundation of the duchy of Hardnit. I 747 the High Lands ceded its possessions on the Servan Plain to Hardnit, and the two countries have been closely allied ever since. Kartria did not give up its claim on Hardnit before 931. In 1034 the Salaqi-Hardnitian was started, in the course of which the whole of Hardnit was occupied several times. Not before 1098 a lasting peace was declared through the mediation of the Trinity Church. The seemingly ceaseless war had left Hardnit depopulated in many places, and the situation had barely been alleviated somewhat, before the Troll Wars cut its path of devastation across Hardnit 1107-1108. The king is Hendrick Storlad.
Legal system. Basically the Penboynian system applies. The Advisory Council has some degree of power. The power of the king is relatively weak, and the power of the nobility relatively strong.

Hardor. Map X-nnw. A Pandese port city. Hardor was founded circa 155 before the common calendar as a holy city dedicated to Enki. Today it houses the Pandese senate and the Pontifex Maximus. Its population is about fifty thousand, and is a sort of capital of the Dacrian part of the empire (as opposed to the Pandesan part). See wwww.

Harlindon. Map II-sw. River running from Lake Benshil falling into the Inner Sea. The river serves as the border between Hardnit and Lacre-Cai.

Hawthorne Ferian. Wizard living in Kangrisorn. Hawthorne is believed to own the largest collection of spells in Bandagora discounting the Book of Enchantments.

Haykmar. Death knight. As a young and proud paladin, Haykmar entered the ruined city of Suada, thinking Vahaun would protect him from the undead. But he was only protected in part, and when he returned, he discovered that he had aged beyond recognition, losing all his beauty in the process. So he turned away from Vahaun and to Ogonjok, who promised him that he would live forever and none would ever see his face. Haykmar is reckoned an unpleasant opponent. He wear an armor that can make all magical items in the vicinity permanently lose its magic. The exception is Zhiel, his sword. Zhiel can absorb all fire-based attacks directed at Haykmar and send them along where Zhiel is pointing. Haykmar's abode is in the Arhana Mountains.

Heart of Darkness. An artifact that according to the elves dates back to the creation of the Universe. It is seen as a physical manifestation of the merciless power of pure reason. To humans the association with the dark seems strange, since light is allegorically equal to reason, as in enlightenment. But the elves consider this another sign of human lack of insight. Light affects the senses, not reason, and the sensory impressions create feelings. Feelings are wonderful, but only muddles logic. The Heart of Darkness does exist in a real sense, but is more often thought of as a symbol. The underlying thought is that a being by shutting off all sensory input can change reality by force of will. This artifact holds only indirect importance to humans, as they cannot use themselves, and believe only the gods can change reality (with or without the Heart). For the elves the Heart is a minute, but constant, temptation. Elves regard it as sinful (for an elf) to change the world for one's own sake. The fact that elves deep down believe themselves capable of the world by willpower alone partly explains the somewhat measured respect they show the gods.
The Heart is supposedly kept by Remenesh Turvalmor at his fortress in the Ragged Mountains

Hecate. The goddess of magic and wizardry. Some philosophers claim that a wizard in reality is a priest of Hecate, but while there is some truth to is, it is not whole truth. It is correct as far as the Kartrians only grudgingly give other gods respect, as one might expect it from a priest. It is also true as far as a wizard and a priest weave their spells in a similar manner, at least on the surface, through invocations and gestures. But even here there is a difference. Ogma may be the god of bards, and Hefaistos the god of smiths, but it is the bard singing, and the smith forging. Similarly, it is the wizard that summons the magical energies, and you cannot become a priest of Hecate without being a competent wizard, it is not the other way around. Hecate is not easily understood, or pleased. She demands much from Her worshipers and refuses to help them escape situations they could have avoided by thinking ahead. For Her priesthood, this makes perfect sense. No one can say Hecate is not generous, for She has made it possible for all to wield magic if they really want to. One must note, they add, that it is not necessary to worship Hecate to be a magic-user. But if you abuse the gift, then expect no mercy. Hecate is most strongly represented on Kartria, where She is the greatest deity. The greater part of the priesthood is women, as it attracts women as the only opportunity to wield magic, and the really talented men go elsewhere. Outside Kartria the temples are often hidden or secluded, to keep away those without merit. Usually the temple address is merely a secret, but in some places its presence is clouded by magic. A worthy worshiper should be able to find the temple.
Holy day: October 30th in Balvine. Symbol: Black cat, hand with two pointed fingers, book with an À (aleph) on it, pentagram.

Hefaistos or Hephaestus. The god of smiths and craftsmen. Mainly the god of smiths, he is also worshiped by all who have dedicated their life to a craft. It is not unusual that His name or symbol is used as a sort of guarantee by artisans or craftsmen proud of their work. It is commonly known that no amount of sacrifice will make Him tolerate sloppy work. Rather one must seek guidance while working and perhaps ask for help from His priests. To a priest of Hefaistos, He is easy to comprehend, for He acknowledges the competent, helps the willing and do not interfere with human politics. And the priest will tell you that of the gods, Hefaistos loves man most of all, as His gifts are given unconditionally. The gifts of other gods may be spectacular, even miraculous, but the gifts of Hefaistos continue to function, regardless of whether He is worshiped or not. Some philosophers have continued along this line of thought and see Hefaistos as a great smith systematically adding new metals to his alloy, either seeking the right combination or simply as an experiment.
Holy day. June 3rd. Symbols: Anvil (usually with a hammer), a man with a leather apron, or anything associated with craftsmanship.

Heimdal. The god of watchfulness (the Sentinel), and of the dawn. Heimdal is primarily worshiped by families wishing his protection of their homes. He is also worshiped by guards, since he their god, and some soldiers, but he is not considered a war god. Heimdal does not fear battle, but tries to avoid it. He is reckoned a god of law, sometimes labeled the Shield of Enki as he similarly to Horus enforces the law, but unlike Horus endeavor to stop the law from being broken, rather than punish those who do. Heimdal guards the bridge (Bifrost) from Middle Earth to the upper plane. He is also worshiped as a god of centers of learning, but only in company with Sif and Thoth. In this connection Sif represents the urge to explore the world, Thoth the urge to lecture about it, and Heimdal the scientific rigor. A scientist prays to Heimdal to ensure that he will investigate all relevant possibilities and not recount anything untrue. Heimdal is the greatest god of the High Lands and in the years1069-1105 it was illegal for a temple to rank another god higher than Heimdal (a temple solely dedicated to Thoth was forbidden, but a temple dedicated to Thoth and Heimdal was not).
Holy day: July 23rd in Ilandris. Symbol: Horn (usually adorned with a star or a star above it) or a morning star.

Hel. Goddess of disease. Hel is not among the most loved gods, but she is among the most worshiped. Her temples are big and plain. Many sick and poor seek shelter there. Hel will not allow her priestesses (priests of Hel do exist, but they are rare) to turn anyone away because that person is ill. It is the gospel of Hel not to mistreat anyone due to disease alone. The priestesses need not fear contagion, as no disease will ever spread in a temple of Hel as long as the sick are well treated. To never suffer a disease, a worshiper must sacrifice a king's ransom, so even devout adherents of Hel suffer minor ailments. And unless the amount of sacrifice has been excessive, she seemingly disregards it and deals out the more serious diseases at random. The priesthood of Hel consider her generous, coughing is of her making, allowing all, even the most poor,  to sacrifice to her without giving away anything. A man who coughs is said to be 'praying to Hel'. In Pellas, Grone and to some degree Rovia diseases, especially those involving a fever, are thought to be soul-cleansing. As a consequence, madmen are often deposited at the gates of the Hel temple so that they can be infected by some disease. Often this results in the death of the madman, but this is accepted as a sign of the soul having been irrecoverably damaged. Another consequence is that people just recovered from disease are believed to good mediators and good at telling truth from lies.
Holy day: January 7th. in Pellos. Symbols: Face, half black, half white; sponge and cloth.

Helena. Kartrian 'fate', formerly in the service of Castanamir V. See npc.

Herbs. There are many herbs that are useful for an adventurer. Amaranth and ul-naza are the most well-known, but belladonna, breldiar, katkusa and wolvesbane also come in handy. There are other herbs, but usually a wise woman or a wizard is needed to use them properly, among these are celandine, lavrim, mistletoe, moonweed and vervain.

Hermes. God of travelers, thieves and trade. Hermes is the third greatest god, and the only great god not be part of the Trinity Church. The Hermes priests liken the four great god to a man, Enki is the skeleton, Inanna flesh and blood, Vahaun is weapon and armor, while Hermes is the head. This analogy is not popular among worshipers of the other great gods, but it is not meant to be accurate, only to demonstrate that Hermes priests are less rigid in their faith than the priests of the other creeds. To them the ability to adapt is crucial - speed, flexibility, communication skills and open-mindedness - are all important traits for Hermes. The Hermes priesthood sees itself as the glue of society, when things are falling apart, and as the grease of society, when things are stuck. All in all, the priests consider themselves indispensable and are quick to point out that Hermes is the god of thieves, not theft. To the priests the fact that Hermes is the patron of both merchants and thieves holds no paradox, though many merchants seem to think so. Hermes does not condone stealing in general, rather he sees the thief's role as a changer of things. The thief is the assurance that nothing can be taken for granted. The thief's actions may be against the law, but even the law is not always just. Many believe that it is the law that creates justice, but this is not necessarily true. In some cases, the law legalizes injustice. Now theft can only rarely be called just, but the danger of it may motivate the rich to provide for the poor. In this sense the thief's role is to blunt the edge of injustice. To the Hermes priesthood, all human endeavors must happen in a way that all can accept, if not like. If this is not the case, then Hermes is also the god that provides youths with the power and courage to change traditions. But in general the priests are known for their fairness and are the most popular mediators. Plutus is also a god of traders, but Plutus is the god for the shrewd merchant that makes a killing, whereas Hermes is more the god of merchant and customer together. A Plutus worshiper does not care if the customers feels cheated, as long as the deal is done. To him the business is a way of making a profit. But a worshiper of Hermes feels proud to have regular customers, he thinks of himself as a provider of demanded goods. The priests of Hermes see themselves as the messengers between men. The Hermes temple is often the first place a traveler goes if he is new in town. The physical manifestation of Hermes is speed, in body as well as in mind. He has temples everywhere, but in the Independent City States he is the greatest god. In Enders the citizens practically consider him the god of their city.
Holy day: September 4. in Enders. Symbols: Caduceus-staff, things that are speedy and light - especially birds or winged shoes, traveler's hat (petasos), a simple square pillar sometimes engraved with a face in relief.

Hest. Map X-ne. A large port city with about fifty thousand inhabitants in the Pandese Empire. Originally Hest was a small fishing hamlet, but in 268 Ollyway was plundered by the Nomads, and the trade between Dacria and the Blue Isles colonies moved to Hest from Ollyway. Ollyway recovered, and the two port cities were rivals until 511, when Zagyath conquered Hest despite its joining the Dacrian Union. Hest remained Zagy to 629, when Zagyath became part of Iluvar territory. Following the death of Ghorgis, the city was ruled by a local Zingari warlord till 695, when he was driven out by the League of Cityports. In 909 Nordacria seceded from the League, and Hest with it. In 1075 the city was conquered by the Pandese, and Nordacria formally gave up its claim to Hest (and Ollyway) in the peace treaty from 1108.

Heydrick. Wanted necromancer from Salakand. Reputedly stark raving mad. Reward 10 gd. See bounty.

(The) High Lands (or Rit-Kilaan). Map I. Population: 400 thousand. A theocracy in northern Bandagora north of Dagdor. The rulers are priests of Heimdal. The capital is Ilandris (yet currently the largest city is Istivin) The High Lands practically ceased to exist during the Troll Wars, and it is unlikely to play any major role in international politics in the near future. The High Lands (at that time called the Far Lands) was founded in 376 by Ardsil shortly before his death. The secluded realm had little contact with the rest of Bandagora until 742, when unrest in the southern parts (at that time the High Lands controlled the western part of the Servan Plain)  played a part in the founding of Hardnit. The High Lands and Hardnit have always had strong diplomatic ties, but otherwise the High Lands has been somewhat isolated until the Troll Wars in 1105.

(The) High Races. The dwarves, elves and hobbits.

Hinu. Pellan hero and king circa -220 to -148. Hinu was an explorer from Tir Inan and according to legend he went to sea seven times and brought home treasures each time. Every time he returned he implored the priesthood to unite Pellas. At his seventh return he brought back the Golden Man, and with it he himself founded Keä-Sonda (the Lands of the Setting Sun, or the Kingdom of the West) by -180. He conquered large areas of land and the border of Keä-Sonda went from the Great Forest via the Paw to Osbane.

Hippoleia. Amazon from Alecto. She killed Ogonjok in the Ring Saga, but died herself.

Hobbits or halflings. Hobbits are rarely seen by humans in Bandagora, since they are reluctant to leave their home territory. Four hobbit realms (shires) are known, the Hobyt Grove, the Pipe Grove and Rose Thicket, all within the Great Forest and Trankilia west of Dagdor. The three shires in the Great Forest are protected by elves. Some sages claim that a fifth shire exists in Shendar. this shire is also guarded by elves and goes by the name Finhini.

Admiral Hohart. Grone admiral (Rovian born) 809-875. He excelled himself in the so-called Ghost War, and commanded the Grone navy 845-875 and had great influence on the Rovian navy.

(Pope) Honorius. The head of the Trinity Church. Formerly Hortensar.

(The) Horde of the Golden Bull. Now extinct barbarian realm in northwestern Bandagora. The Horde was a gathering of tribes, and these tribes worshiped a totem of a golden bull (perhaps a manifestation of Ares). Sometimes the bull went 'mad' (how this happened is unknown) which sent the tribes on a rampage. Historical sources describe raids into Servania dating back from -167. When the Thungar Khanate came into existence, the Horde slowly lost its following, and in 311 the last tribes was absorbed into Salakand in return for protection.

(The) Horned One. Omens seem to indicate that a new god will try to take its place among the other gods. Some of these omens are interpreted as if the new god is a demon god. If this is to happen, all of the following thirteen portents must come to pass:
1. Lilith and Tasselind shall fight alongside of each other (already happened if Hardaukar III and Skanderbeg are implied).
2. Fire shall be like water in one capital, while earth shall be as air in another (happened June 22nd 1113?).
3. Three men to open the grave of a ruler, shall not be men.
4. Three mages named with an M shall awaken from a long slumber (Mordenkainen?, Martek?, Mathias??).
5. An ancient spell caster shall come from the far south.
6. A woman shall rule the sun, a woman shall rule the moon, and a woman shall rule the stars (the sun could be Azantir or Osbant; the moon could be Rovia (that is, fulfilled); and the stars could be   Penboyn or the League of Cityports).
7. Precious metal shall destroy a town, precious metal shall save a town, and precious metal shall make a town.
8. Three rulers shall be threatened, then saved by one of the old races.
9. A monster without a face shall be defeated by a man without eyes.
10. A small man shall save a kingdom.
11. Words shall be better than gold, and the fist better than the sword, to catch a thief.
12. A thousand elves shall rise from the dead.
13. The last rune shall be written (as of May 3rd 1115, two runes were believed to have been written).

Horus. The God of justice, law enforcement and sports. The Punisher. The Hammer of Enki. To a priest of Horus, no god cares more for the well-being of man. Deep down, every man or woman longs for justice, to know that good acts result in good things, and bad acts result in bad things for the one doing the deeds. If man knows that this is how things are, then he may be happy. Now Enki is a great god, for He created the law, but the exact nature of the law is not as important as the feeling of justice. It is not enough that law indicates how thing should be, there must be firm sanctions if the law is broken. Horus is the god of avenging crime. The law should be rigid, words like 'mitigating circumstances' may sound reasonable, but if the result of such terms is a stretching of the law, then the law loses its consequence. This may make a few persons happy, but it will shake the foundation of security that a law can offer. Even the best of law can have its loopholes, and the punishment of the the same crime may vary. There is only one god, Horus, able to judge each particular case absolutely just. However, He cannot be bothered with the crimes of man, which in a sense is an insult to Him, so his priests are the best judges available. But the priests of Horus are not made judges everywhere, so situations may arise when it is time for a Horus priest to take the law into his own hands and perform the punishment himself. Though this kind of justice is forbidden in some countries, divine law supercedes human law, so a Horus priest is not just some vigilante. If a priest of Horus know of some great injustice, he can pass into another state where he possesses great warrior skills as long as he works towards avenging the wrong-doing. At such times the priests wear a skull on their chest. The priests of Horus are often used as umpires in sports, tournaments and games. Their ability to split a hair comes to good use in such events.
Holy day: September 12th. Symbol: Hammer, sometimes gavel, and when tracking criminals: skull.

(The) Horkrank Mountains. Map II-ese. The mountain range separating Falandria from Donara .

Household Guard. The Salaqi Household Guard is Salakand's finest order. Its correct name is the Order of the Gauntlet, and was instated by Casimir I in 844 to restore order after the interregnum 840-43. The idea was for the knights to challenge any noble or other person entrusted with an office, if they thought that he abused his power. The order was also to protect the king himself, as the king according to the Salaqi constitution commands few men in times of peace. In the Kangrisorn Wars, Casimir IV used the order in battle as his personal escort, and from then on, the order has been known as the Household Guard. Cf. the Two Hundred Years War.

Idun. Goddess of springtime and youth. Idun represents the unspoiled naive power of youth. The joy, the rejuvenation and vitality of spring. The inexplicable laughter that breaks a deadlock like a small budding flower. Idun is the goddess of the poor, for a smile costs nothing, and children are almost too easy to come by. Idun protects the poor against disease, Diancecht may heal inflicted harm, but Idun prevents it. Loke can be said to be the god of mischievous play, but Idun is the goddess of innocent play. Idun is not a simple deity to worship, not even for the poor. She gives laughter, and she gives smiles, but the way to worship her is not to send her away, which can be harder than inviting her in. The priestesses of Idun explain that she grants her boons without conditions and accordingly without pattern. You must enjoy the gifts while they last. Idun loves youth, and often bestows beauty, but as youth fades, so does the beauty bestowed. The temples of Idun are often without walls, laid out as park-like gardens. Almost every city has a temple of Idun, but the temple and its priesthood seldom play any role in local politics. The creed of Idun usually has a great following among the poor, but the priestesses seldom bring their influence to bear, as they do not want to waste their precious life being part of some power struggle. The hunger for power gets you nothing but worries and will only make you age faster. So they claim, and they are the living proof of it as they seem to stay forever young.
Holy day: March 28th.Symbols: Anything related to children, youth and springtime. Usually either a boy and a girl holding hands or a child carrying a flower.

Iktemar I. Marentian autarch 656-726. Half-brother of Yondemar. Considered one of the greatest autarchs. Iktemar I represented a return of Kartria's role as being the "sage of Bandagora". Immediately following his inauguration, he began working towards a cooperative effort with the other civilized countries against the Iluvar. Though not an easy task, in the end this effort succeeded. Iktemar I did not consider any territory that was not an island in the Inner Sea part of Marentia proper, so he did not stop and perhaps encouraged the growing secession movements in these areas.

Iktemar II. Marentian autarch 961-974.

Iktemar III. Marentian autarch 1002-1005.

Ilandris. Map I-ene. The capital of the High Lands thought to inhabit about three thousand in its present ruined state. Ilandris was founded 376.

Illumnatii. Secret society associated to the former New Sun Lands.

Iluvar. 1: The language spoken by the Iluvar people on the Nomad Plain. 2) The Nomad tribes inhabiting the Nomad Plain in northeastern Bandagora. Estimated population: 2.1 million. These tribes are horsemen with a strong sense of honor. Their traditions are hard to understand for an outsider. Being nomadic, they have no capital, but Nasmin has been the traditional meeting place of tribal leaders ever since the time of Varenna. The League of Cityports are the Iluvar's only real neighbor, and the League does think much of them, since the Iluvar raid villages and plunder caravans on a regular basis. The Iluvar is also the main reason that no overland trade route has been established between the League and Donara. The Iluvar are equated with death and destruction in most countries, a legacy of the Nomad Invasions. The Iluvar has not posed any real threat since then, but they did take advantage of the Chinloi civil war 1064-1106 to expand their territory. The name Iluvar dates from 585. Before that they were simply called Nomads.
Legal system. The Iluvar settle most disagreements by duels. Quarrels are settled by a contest of skill, while minor crimes use horse racing to determine who is right. Insults usually means a duel to the death. Crimes against a tribe are punished by "the pole". A stake (sometimes several) is driven through the stomach of the perpetrator. He is then left allowing the animals of the plain to feed off him. If done correctly, he does not die for days.

Imiriel. Female elven warrior of Lacre-Cai. Known to be a competent magician.

(The) Immortals. A secret society of merchants and other wealthy persons who wish to live forever. The members are mostly from the League of Cityports or the Independent City States.

Inanna. The second greatest Bandagoran deity. The goddess of fertility and light. The goddess of personal gain, summer and harvest. Inanna represent the element of earth. She is attributed the idea of the Sun, and though the other gods helped, the Sun is considered a manifestation of Her. To the priesthood of Inanna things are simple. Man has been created by the gods to serve Them. Our instincts and basic drives are also made by the gods, and are designed to tell what to do. Some needs are basic, such as the need for eating and the need for procreation. Other needs are not so obvious, they may not be as important, but must be met nonetheless. To a worshiper of Inanna, the satisfaction of personal desires is good, on one hand it is what the gods intended, on the other it is a source of pleasure. Thus it is the duty of the priesthood to help the individual fulfill his or her desires, even if another person suffers. The creed of Inanna is by many considered "the survival of the fittest", but though is a part of the gospel, the priesthood of Inanna emphasizes the basic human desire for belonging in a community. Thus a well regulated society is good. Inanna is important everywhere in Bandagora, but in the northeastern parts of Bandagora, She is mainly a fertility deity, whose sphere includes agriculture and childbirth. In these parts She is a goddess of the common people. In the southwestern parts (notably Pellas) her aspect of being a goddess of light is equally important, and here She is, through Her association with light, seen as a goddess of leadership. This aspect has been especially emphasized in the New Sun Lands, where She was worshiped as the one true deity. In this context, it must be noted that though the priesthood of Inanna usually is dominated by women, in the New Sun Lands the priests of Inanna were exclusively male. In all of Pellan history, Inanna has been the greatest deity.
Holy day: June 23rd in Trovian. Symbols: Light, the sun, a pregnant woman, grain and harvest.

Incunabula Obscura. A collection of lists of portents, often referred to as the "Book of Prophecies". Though the exact form may vary, most of the lists stipulate that a world-shaking event will happen if and when a number of conditions - portents - are met. Though about 20 of the events predicted in the collection have come true, critics have correctly pointed out that many of the lists have been compiled after the fact. For various reasons, some of these lists are neglected, while others have attracted much attention. Most recently the events of the Ring Saga brought the portents into focus, especially in hindsight. Because of this, the corresponding list that is associated with the Horned One has been taken very seriously, though the attention has waned somewhat recently.
The Incunabula Obscura is kept in Mnemthosis and is maintained by the Thoth priesthood.

(The) Independent City States. Population: 2.1 million. A union of the city states Enders, Harastor, Stavalot and Bondor. It is primarily a trade union and is often nicknamed the Mercantile Empire. The union was founded in 922, when Stavalot joined the union of Harastor and Bondor, the Drusian Compact. In 1035 the city state of Enders was admitted to the union and quickly became dominant.
Legal system. Every five years citizens can register to vote by paying 1 sd. The registered voters elect the burgomaster and a other few important office holders at this time. They also elect a city council, but council election are held every year. This applies to Harastor and Stavalot. In Enders the city council are held once every five years, and the council assemble to distribute the leading offices among themselves, including the office of burgomaster, which is called mayor in Enders. In Bondor, some major offices belong to certain families. The burgomaster is elected every four years (not five).
For every crime the city council has assessed a fine. This fine will as a minimum cover the expenses of the trial and any compensation. If this fine is not paid, then the perpetrator's property can be confiscated, and the criminal may have to serve temporary serfdom (that is, rented out as a slave). A few privately owned debtor's prisons exist to house them when not 'hired'. In the more serious crimes (such as mutilation, arson, rape and murder) a suspended death sentence is pronounced to be executed if the serf does not work his best. Even if the fine is paid, grave criminals will usually be denied the right to ensure himself in the Assassins' Guild for a period. 

Indulf Ironhand. The first king of Falandria 858-883.

(The) Inner Sea. Maps II, IV and V. The sea surrounded by Bandagora and Osbane.

(The) Iron Fist. A Pandese order that celebrates the empire as well Lilith. Though many see the Iron Fist the willing tool of Hardaukar III in his control of power, the order has existed long before his birth. The order gains most of its members among soldiers and the unprivileged.

(The) Iron Ring. The Thieves' Guild of Ployd.

Isher Pass. Map IV-wsw (VII-n). Pass leading through the Ragged Mountains from Rovia to northern Azantir.

Ishkar. Aspect of Enki as demonslayer. See the Swords of Ishkar.

(The) Island Concord. Maritime union from -190 to 251. Following the collapse of the Third Empire, Kartria gathered the small independent regions in and adjacent to the Inner Sea. The Island concord was included Kartria, the coastal strip from Arhana to the tip of the Paw's eastern claw (from north to south: Forklon, Randaria and Anocea), the north coast of   Osbane (from west to east: Damilonia, Banland and Eukinea), Lokrine and most of the minor isles in the Inner Sea. The original purpose was for the Concord to be a defensive alliance of former governors, mayors and petty kings. But slowly the Concord developed into a trade union using naval power to enforce favorable trade agreements. The climax of this policy was the dues in 155, when non-Concord ship were forced to pay a steep toll at the entrance to the Inner Sea. The dues were highly profitable at first, but drastically reduced trade to a minimum. As the Concord refused to lower the toll, it became a casus belli and resulted in the Osbantine Wars. The wars ended in defeat for the Concord, and following a Kartrian civil war 245-249, the Concord was dissolved in 251. Kartria then founded Marentia from the remains. The greatest historical achievement of the Island Concord was to introduce our present-day chronology (CC = common calendar) used in all civilized nations. See the Great Treaty.

Istivin. Map I-ene. The seat of the Lord Defender Querchade of the High Lands. Due to its relatively secure walls, it has grown rapidly during the last decade and now holds over ten thousand inhabitants, clearly overshadowing Ilandris.

(Prince) Istragos. The Prince of Chivenor.

Isvespia. Map VI-w. A region east of the Inner Sea across from Bahiri. Isvespia is used as a synonym for Vesland. The port town Gerusa is the largest town in the area.

(The) Ivory Tower. An abode of gods on the Upper Plane. Tradition places the Ivory Tower in Bytopia. It is the court of Inanna, Enki and Vahaun. In addition Horus, Thoth, Ogma, Ormazda, Diancecht reside there.

Izagy. The capital of Zagyath.

James II. King of Penboyn 408-412.

James VII. King of Penboyn 914-939.

Jasper Doomstack. According to rumors the most powerful wild mage in Bandagora.

Johan I Storlad. Duke of Hardnit 878-903. The founder of the Storlad dynasty.

Judas "Gornard". Kartrian arch mage and member of the Supreme Council. Judas is the dean of the college of conjurations and is considered one of the ten top wizards of Bandagora.

Juggernaut. The most famous and probably most capable spy from Salakand.

Julian. Grand Master of the Champions of Light in Koira.

Justinian V. Pellans emperor 729-753.

Kaerl Ungar or dragon claws. The Pandese Imperial Household troops and elite force. There are roughly 1500 kaerl ungar. Pendragon knights are usually recruited from the kaerl ungar.

Kali. Goddess of assassins. Kali, who is known as "the quiet death", only has one public temple. It is lies on a promontory at the approach to Bondor. The name of the temple is Maris, but it is more commonly known as the Vat of Vengeance. This refers to a large vat located at the the temple. Tradition claims that if you throw something in that belonged to, or even better, was a part of a hated person, then that person very likely will die from an 'accident'. Apart from Maris, the temples of Kali are hidden and usually a part of the Assassins' Guild network. Some Assassins' Guilds dedicate many killings directly to Kali. They abduct the victim and take him to the temple grounds. Then they intoxicate themselves using herbs and finally they slay the unfortunate on Kali's altar. Some sages argue that this kind of sacrifice is rarely done, contrary to common belief, but the notion of has made Kali a feared goddess. She does have non-assassin worshipers, but these are usually found among influential people. These people know that no matter what they do, someone will get hurt. They view Kali as the goddess of the least hurt. They do not like killing, but know that the use of force must done brutally or not at all. You cannot please everybody, but you can try to please as many as possible even if it means somebody will be displeased. In Osbant and its neighboring countries, leaders who exhibit this kind of "damage control"-philosophy and act resolutely without remorse are called "four-armed". One such was King Theodor V, who conquered Pavian in spite of his brother being held hostage there and later killed.
Holy day: February 13th at Maris. Symbol: Four-armed woman holding a dagger in each hand.

(Prince) Kalil. Prince of Nordacria. Kalil is known for his duels with Pandese emperors. As the cousin of King Belfarin he governed Ollyway, when Emperor Milatis VI besieged the city. Kalil challenged Milatis and killed him in the ensuing duel. Later he yielded to Hardaukar and was imprisoned at Feldenkrak, from where he was liberated eighteen months later. He and the small Nordacrian army fought well in the last stages of the Troll Wars. Kalil was often called crown prince though the Nordacrian monarchy formally is an elective one. This unofficial title has been dropped since Belfarin had the son Sirian in 1105.

Kane. Often referred to as Sheldon Kane. As one of the more promising students of Master Teville, he has continued the late Teville's research into temporal magic. Unlike Teville, Kane is only loosely associated to the University of Anistar. He is rumored to be one of the Nine.

Kangrisorn "Under the Gaze of the Gods". Map V-ene. The city of Kangrisorn can be called the religious capital of Bandagora. Kangrisorn is located on the east bank of Sargyll, and is built on the slope of the mountain of Kangrisorn. On the west bank lies Tulada, the original city now reduced to a suburb. The history of Tulada dates back from the Third Empire, and Tulada was the capital of Tulana, until Tulana was laid waste in the time of the Nomad Invasions in the 7th century. In 722 the Kangrisorn Prophecy was announced and Penboyn did conquer the mountain from the Iluvar in 726. But many historians claim that the Ontainians experienced the revelation first. In any event the Ontainians began appearing east of Kangrisorn circa 739 and in 745 they had grown sufficiently in numbers to attempt a conquest of Kangrisorn. At that time they did not succeed, but established a colony east of Kangrisorn called Tulanese Ontaine. Later, in 895 they did take the city and held it until 941, when Salakand, Hardnit, Vesland, Marentia and Penboyn jointly reconquered it. The Ontainians renewed their efforts to seize the holy mountain before the year 1000, but an alliance of countries led by Penboyn relieved the so-called Millenium Siege. Since that time skirmishes have been common, but no major campaign has been launched by the Ontainians.
All agree that the higher up the slope, the closer you get to your god. At the time of the Kangrisorn Prophecy, only the flat top were considered holy. But since then more "steps" has been carved out, so that the city now has seven levels. The pope inaugurated in 1102, Honorius, resides here. Kangrisorn is formally Penboynian, but is de facto independent.
Including Tulada, the city of Kangrisorn has a hundred and twenty permanent residents.

(The) Kangrisorn Guard. An order of knights whose duty it is to defend Kangrisorn, and to ensure that everybody, regardless of creed, may pray to the god of their own choosing at Kangrisorn.

(The) Kangrisorn Prophecy. In 722 the Kartrians declared that the gods were especially attentive of what happened on the top of the mountain Kangrisorn. The name means "under the gaze of the gods". This message was confirmed by the Thoth priesthood in 724. The prophecy caused centuries of battle over the mountain Kangrisorn and town of Tulada (cf.. Kangrisorn Wars), and made Kangrisorn the fastest growing city in the 11th century.

(The) Kangrisorn Wars. The conflicts 931-1000 concerning the possession of  Kangrisorn. In 931 Salakand, Hardnit, Vesland, Kartria and Penboyn jointly decided to conquer Kangrisorn from Ontaine. This was accomplished in the war 934-941. Ontaine did not have the strength to reconquer the city, but instead made a series of raids into Penboyn. The raids developed into a regular war 948-953. The Ontainians were defeated once more, but they allied with the Pandese Empire in 970. The Pandese attacked Nostenkil in 973, while the Ontainians mobilized for yet another attempt. In 985 they surrounded Kangrisorn and cut off all overland supply lines. The besieged were supplied by sea and occasionally by magic. In the year 1000 Donara, Hardnit and Vesland helped Penboyn relieved the Millennium Siege. This defeat seems to have broken the spirit of the Ontainian and they have made no large scale effort to capture the city since.

Karamon. Pandese emperor 640-666.

Karkar. Legendary hero from the fifth century before the common calendar. Karkar was assigned the quest of finding the Black Rings by Emperor Sertovian, but instead returned with the Book of Enchantments and Karkar's Belt. The legend goes on to tell of Karkar's demise as despised ruler of the province Randaria. He survived numerous attacks on his life because of his belt, but was finally administered a very painful poison. The belt kept him alive, but the poison burnt in his veins. After suffering days on end, he gave up and removed the belt dying on the spot.

Karkar's Belt. Belt Artifact that makes the wearer immortal. The Belt regenerates all physical damage, even if the head is severed. Unfortunately the wearer becomes increasingly troll-like. The last user of the Belt, Baltax, was embedded in rock.

Karlian "Ashanar". Kartrian arch mage and member of the Supreme Council. Karlian is dean of the college of abjurations and is considered among the top ten wizards of Bandagora.

Karmon. One of the strongest of the death knights. Karmon is known to be fair, almost gentleman-like when he fights. Unless attacked, he will often let his opponents go free if they can defeat him in another fashion, such as riddling him. He carries the sword Barsalik which only allows one opponent to fight him at a time. Karmon has no home, but restlessly wanders the world.

Kartria. Map V-sw. The island of wizards. Kartria is the largest island and by far the dominating region of Marentia, and Marentia is commonly referred to as Kartria. Kartria has the best and most versatile school of wizardry in Bandagora, but many restrictions are imposed on the students. Few women do well on Kartria, and for historical reasons elves and other non-humans are practically barred from enrolling. Kartria supplies the best sages and court wizards, and the most expensive ones. In the capital (of Marentia) Balvine a wide range of potions and magical weapons are available, but the prices are rather exorbitant. It is forbidden non-Kartrian educated wizard to practice magic on Kartria. Kartria's history began when the Academy of Balvine was founded circa -430. The purpose of the Academy was to gather knowledge for the Third Empire. When the Third Empire collapsed, the Island Concord, led by Kartria, became a Successor State. Even at that time the wizards had become powerful, and following the collapse of the Island Concord dissolved, the wizards formally took power in 441 founding the nation of Marentia. See karhis.

'Arch-Fiend' Kataulin. Doombrother claimed to be among the top fifteen warriors of Bandagora. Eyewitnesses believe they saw him killed in 1111 by Tarkin in Kangrisorn. But he insists that the rumor is exaggerated

Katkusa. Naturally occurring herb able to temporarily make a person stronger. Dangerous if used repeatedly. Most common in the woods around the river Harlindon. Estimated value per dose: 6 sd.

Kazentorn. The reputed leader of the Brotherhood of Doom. Kazentorn is known for his love of magical items, and taking them into account he is considered of the top five warriors of Bandagora. To contact him, write a note to "Juiblex" (never say it aloud) at the Adventurers' Guild Inn in Vintendra. Kazentorn contributed in a small way to the Ring Saga.

Keä-Sonda "Land of the Setting Sun" or the Sun Lands. Kingdom, later theocracy in southwestern Bandagora circa -180 to 294. Trovian was capital from -174. Keä-Sonda was founded as a kingdom around 180 years before the common calendar by Hinu. Inanna was always the dominant deity, and the influence of Her priesthood increased gradually, so that by  40 the king was elected by the priesthood. A coup d'etat in 294 instated a hereditary empire, the Pellan Empire, but the Inanna priesthood continued to be influential. Keä-Sonda was one of Bandagora's major powers around the year 0, and had founded many colonies. The nation strove to rid the Ragged Mountains of orcs (See the Orc Wars), it colonized Osbane (See the Osbantine Wars), it founded Crimloyd, Pavian and probably Rovian. Cf. the New Sun Lands.

Kelvin. 1: County in Hardnit. 2: The current count, who is a paladin.

Kelyak. Adventurer based in Taunenfels, one of the true dragonslayers.

Kernla. Ontainian mythical hero. He who stole the fire from the mountains and gave it to men.

Kernla son of Otis. Hardnitian lord of Greenmarsh (Sonerød), born in Ontaine. Active in the Ring Saga. Married to Helena.

Kestutis I. King of Vesland 916-941.

Kestutis II. King of Vesland 977-982.

Kilaan. The language spoken in the High Lands.

Kirion "The scales". In the beginning only the Masters were. When the Masters realized their powers they made themselves gods, and they created Middle Earth and populated it with the old races, then the high races, then men. But one Master refused to be worshiped. He would not make beings, he would make balance. That Master is Kirion. Kirion is recognized in Kangrisorn as a deity a has a small following. He is much more known in his aspect Pan. A few philosophers, now dead, have argued that Kirion is the "true" god, who created the other gods and now sits back watching his creation, interfering only on rare occasions. There are no known living advocates of this view. The only indication of this the dwarven name for him, Orlon, which is believed to mean the "puppet master".

Kirrlar or the Kirrlar Pass. Map IX-ne. A roughly circular range of hills in central Belandria overlooking the surrounding plain. A castle believed to date back from Druso controls the road through the hills from Pandesa. Due to its location, Kirrlar has great strategic importance, and is often called the Kirrlar Pass though it is easy to go around. The epithet makes military sense, especially from a Pandese viewpoint, since an army would have to go through Kirrlar, there being no protection on the plain, and not enough trees for the Pandese soldiers to build their otherwise effective fortifications. Many battles between Ontaine and the Pandese Empire have been fought here. In 1099 Emperor Sardis IV died in a failed attack. In 1105 Emperor Hardaukar III surprisingly conquered Kirrlar.

Kisling. Considered the most powerful active swordsman of Sif. Participated in the beginning of the Ring Saga. See npc.

Klay. Sage from Cespula (in the western outskirts of Salakand).

Kluht (or Klute). Lethal poison made from fungus spores. The fungi, that can kill by touch, grow naturally in the dark. But if the poison is to be extracted, the fungi are usually cultivated in a certain environment maintained by magic. The practice of this kind of magic is forbidden in most control, but selling the Kluht itself is only illegal in the Pandese Empire and Penboyn.

(The) Knights Templar. A religious order of knights associated with the Trinity Church, instated in 1098 by Archbishop Hortensar of Kangrisorn (later Pope Honorius I). The order is dedicated the fight against evil, lawlessness and infidels. The order number about a hundred and twenty members, of which many are paladins. The order is too new to be considered among the finest.

Koira. Map IV-ene. A free town with about twenty-two thousand inhabitants known to like and be liked by adventurers. The town is located on a ledge half a mile over sea level. A small harbor lies below the town at the waterfront, and all goods from are transported up to town by a large crane that has been functional for more than 300 years. Passengers can be lifted too, but steps are carved for those who prefer that. The city is ruled by seven administrators. See the Crystal Palace.
According to local tradition, Kril Shandor founded the town in 680. He had found a ledge that would be perfect for a town. But he wanted some town dwellers, preferably be made of the right stuff. He then traveled to Forklon spreading the rumor that a dragon guarded the ledge. To anymore courageous enough to attempt killing the dragon, he would give an invisibility potion and an arrow that would slay the dragon in one shot. Seven heroes volunteered, and Kril hid on the ledge casting an illusory dragon. The seven heroes each arrived invisible and thus unaware of the others. By coincidence, all heroes shot their arrows simultaneously. The illusory dragon disappeared, leaving the seven arrows that became the symbol of Koira.
Legal system. There are no laws in Koira. Every other year the seven administrators are chosen by the "assembly", that is whoever is present at the election. The election is usually conducted on the town square the weather permitting, otherwise in the Crystal Palace. The administrator deal with day-to-day business and petty crimes. Other decisions are made by the assembly. A meeting is called when the need arises. The reason that Koira continues to exist is that (possibly imaginary) powerful persons are willing to take the law into their own hands to protect the city.

Kothoti. 1: The Kothoti Alliance (pronounced koth-oti). Loose tribal union of orcs, trolls and trold folk in Dacria from circa -20 to 64. 2: Collective name for orcs, trolls and trold folk

Krawn. One of the more powerful death knights. Not many details are known about him, but he wields the sword Krornis. If you are killed by Krornis, or touched by it after your death, Krornis will eat the soul, and you cannot be resurrected. Krawn is thought to 'live' north of the lake Benshil in Djugosir territory.

Kril Shandor. Gnome who is the greatest illusionist of Bandagora. Said to live nearby Koira.

Kyros. High priest dedicated to Enki in Kangrisorn.

Lacatus. Pandese historian 967-1045. Lacatus is known for his biographies of heroes. He started to write of the Pendragon knights using their own chronicles, but wrote of many other heroes from Karkar to Ambertein. He also tried to describe the lives of heroines. In the 1020's he became a celebrity when adventurers began to use his work as the basis of their treasure hunts.

Lacre-Cai. Elven realm neighboring Hardnit (to the west), Enders (to the south) and Falandria (to the east). Lacre-Cai is famous for its "luminous path" running roughly north-south. The path is illuminated by countless continual lights of different colors. Anybody may walk the path, but they are ill-advised to leave it, unless they are elven or elf-friend. The path runs through Alfheim, a town inhabited by elves and non-elves. Here the uninvited and traders are welcome, an exception to other elven locations. It is the only place in Bandagora known to have shops selling elven goods.

Lakedi. The language spoken in Enders, Hardnit, Penboyn, Stavalot and Vesland. It is sometimes called Low Marentian, as it is developed from Marentian.

Landau I the Great. Penboynian king 290-317. Landau the Great started the naval campaign to conquer islands in the Inner Sea that put Penboyn on the map as a naval power and enabled the reform of the nobility needed to make the kingdom strong.

Landau III. Penboynian king 421-452. Landau III is known for his conquest of the area occupied by present-day Falandria.

Landertes I. Nordacria's first king 909-925.

Landertes II. Nordacria's king 1028-1061. The last 20 years of his life Landertes suffered from delusions and issued nonsense orders creating chaos. The king's cousin, Prince Vinek, were considered as a replacement, but as years could pass without Landertes having fits, the idea was discarded when Vinek died in 1048. The final year of his life, '60-'61, the attacks were very frequent and caused some civil disorder, but the unrest died down when Landertes died.

Landertes III. Nordacria's king 1093-1098.

(The) Land of the Sun or Haskeem. Continent to the south of Bandagora, on the far side of the Boiling Sea.

Lanzano. Vicar of the Sun, i.e. the regent of the New Sun Lands 1102-1111.

Latislav. The capital of Penboyn. The city is known for its smiths, the best among humans for swords and heavy armor. About sixty thousand inhabit Latislav.

Lavrim. Naturally occurring herb that enables wizards to have visions. Lavrim should not be used without proper guidance. Most common in Falandria. Estimated value per dose 5 sd.

(The) League of Cityports. Maps III and VI. Population: 4.1 million. A kingdom in the northeastern Bandagora. Though nominally a kingdom, the merchant class is dominant. The king keeps state in Elsemore, and shares the power with three princes of Anistar, Chivenor and Skolister, respectively. In domestic affairs, the mayors of the six founding cityports (the above four in addition to Deselior and Oriester) also have a say in day-to-day matters. At least every five years, the wealthiest citizens assemble to decide the future of the realm. The League has a strong navy, and a well-trained, but small, army. The League is considered leading within skills like shipbuilding, weapon making, banking and paper manufacture. Anistar is the only place outside Kartria, where magical faculties of importance can be found. The League of Cityports was founded in 521 by Anistar, Chivenor, Deselior, Elsemore, Oriester and Skolister. At the time, these port cities were part of the Ditmar Union, but they wanted to expand the union to encompass coinage, toll laws and a unified naval chain of command. The concept was a mercantile union allowing trade to prosper. In 572 Taunenfels was founded as the League looked south to the Pandese Empire hoping to find a strong trading partner. But then the eternal nemesis of the League, the Iluvar, began to waken. During the Nomad Invasions the League lost all its coastal possessions except Taunenfels. Of the six founding cityports, only Elsemore remained on League hands. After the fall of Skolister in 614, the League had decided that a king would have a greater chance of leading the Chinloi forces, and instated a king. But at the time, it seemed without effect. Following the death of Ghorgis in 661, the Iluvar tribes slowly dissolved into fragments led by warlords. The Iluvar controlled cityports became more or less independent, but some were slow to rejoin the League, so the League did not recover its former strength in the north before 788. In the south, the area surrounding Taunenfels became a beachhead for the conquest of Itgosia where Sersch was founded. Later, Hest (710) and Ollyway (713) was captured from the Iluvar, and the area remained Chinloi until 909, when Nordacria seceded. Nordacria epitomized a growing problem of the League. The League was a merchant's union, its primary purpose was to facilitate trade, not to accommodate the growing part of the population made their livelihood from the land. In 915 a new constitution was adopted, and though it alleviated the problem, it did not solve it. In 1057 the settlers along the Donanda and the Inkavila proposed that the League be dissolved. The motion didn't carry, but the unrest wouldn't subside and finally in 1064 a civil war broke out. As none of the cityports wanted to conquer the other, but rather to outrival them, it was more a war of piracy than anything else. But after four years of the so-called Velvet War the League was split in four parts: The Blue Isles led by Elsemore, Chivenor along with Skolister, Oriester (and the somewhat smaller cityport Deselior), and Anistar. In 1095 the Iluvar devastated Oriester, and in 1103 Anistar joined the Blue Isles. Chivenor made peace with the other cityports in 1106, but Liëst wanted independence. At the reunion in 1106 the constitution was modified again giving the land gentry more influence. The king is Andorigas, and his queen Melinta is also princess of Anistar. The prince of Chivenor is Istragos and Skolister is ruled by Prince Sedjanos.
Legal system. The League of Cityports have a dual political system, split into one concerning territories, especially regarding war and agriculture (the 'solid'), and one concerning trade and transport, including the cityports (the 'fluid'). The 'solid' system works as a traditional feudal system with hereditary nobles, and a king and three princes at the top. In the 'fluid' system each cityport is independent, the city councils are elected among the citizen who pay citizen's tax (5 sd/ year), and in each city the council elects a mayor having the highest authority. In addition each cityport has a viceroy elected by the local nobility, who must be heard in matters of state, but cannot veto decisions. Every other year all citizens and nobles owning more than five ships of a certain size meet to make long term decisions. A meeting is held in each of the four regions, and any new princes are elected here. If a citizen owns twelve ships or more, he could in principle participate in two (or more) of these assemblies. Every five years or if summoned by the king, a nation-wide assembly meets to discuss national laws and perhaps elect a new king. Daily decisions are made by (in decreasing rank) the king, the princes, the mayors, the viceroys, the noblemen, and the city council members.
In the cities all non-residents who pay citizen's tax and permanent residents have certain rights. Such as the right to see a judge and be told any accusations. Unless the case is a misdemeanor, the accused has the right of an attorney, possibly assigned by the city. In important cases three judges preside. For each crime a range of punishments exist, but these ranges may differ from city to city. Outside the cities the nobility (the Court-Baron or the Court-Leet) acts as judges. There are ranges of punishment, but these are based on tradition. A person cannot lose his right in his home city, and a person cannot be owned by others. There is no true slavery, but a sort of adscription exists, as each person may only leave the shire with his lord's permission or by paying a fee for his freedom both to lord and to city he is to be a future resident of.

Legemul. Marentian king 755-768. Legemul was (along with Tornfast I and Stevin) considered an excellent king.

Lenhviel. Map IX-ne. Elven realm in central Belandria that was destroyed in 699 by Ontaine.

Leonidas. Pandese warrior living in Cheiband. Was the second runner-up in the Adventurers' Guild competition in 1114. One of the real dragonslayers.

Liëst. Map III-w. Population: 300 thousand. Principality seceded from Chivenor (and thereby the League of Cityports) in 1106. Liëst consists of Lepanto, the region containing the fortified river port town of Carandor, and Retval, a wooded area lying between the fortified town Dispara and the rivers Donanda and Rahne.

Lilith. The goddess of pain. Lilith is of the greatest god in the Pandese Empire, here she is worshiped by fraternities made up mainly by soldiers. For the Pandese, especially the Pandesan (west Pandese), pain is a kind of test of manhood. The ability to withstand pain is considered a sign of competence. These lodges dedicated to Lilith matters much to those born without privileges. Hardaukar III frequented these lodges before his inauguration, a fact that made him popular with his men and feared by his enemies (and earned him the attribute "the Terrible"). Outside the Pandese Empire, Lilith is a lesser goddess. The gospel of her priests is that she has given man the gift of pain, the sign that tells each person what is bad for his or her body. Lilith cults have been known to capture and torture innocents. It is important to note that a true Lilith worshiper never seeks to kill other humans, rather he enjoys the power of controlling the victim's pain.
Holy day: January 3rd on Norsa. Symbol: A dagger dripping a single drop of blood or a whip.

Lisuart. Map IV-e. A port town on the east coast of Salakand with about thirty thousand inhabitants. The town experienced a surge of trade during the rebellion in Ployd.

Loke. The god of strife and the god of deception making Him the god of illusionists. Loke is not a typical god. He is considered a 'humble' god in the sense that He is never pompous. He allows his worshipers not to acknowledge him, and when He visits Middle Earth He rather appears as a sprite or an intelligent rat than as a cloud raining thunder. The gospel of Loke is that the clever should rule the world. Laws and other rules are a kind of deception, they are terms set down by those who won yesterday so that they may win today too. So in order to achieve fairness you can be forced to cheat and break the law. If you're discovered, then you didn't do it well enough and didn't deserve any better. If you're not discovered, then none's the wiser and everybody's happy. Loke is a mischievous god, but his followers see His maliciousness as a sign of dissatisfaction with an unfair world. The desire to make trouble is a sign of longing for freedom. In Pellas and Grone Loke is seen as a god of children, and in some locations his holy day is a big festival when the children wear costumes and go about making trouble. In the League of Cityports Loke is not that different from the other gods. In the League His aspect of being the illusionists' god is emphasized and even when worshiped as the god of cunning His appears more like a problem-solver than as a prankster. Though Loke is not an unpopular god, his true worshipers are more or less restricted to illusionists, swindlers and unfaithful husbands. But most consider a small sacrifice if they want a particular 'white lie' to go unnoticed. Few temples are dedicated solely to Loke, of these the main temple is located in the Arhanas 30 miles northwest of Koira. This temple was founded in the 5th century, but was not publicly known before the founding of Koira. According to local legend Kril Shandor, Koira's founder, took refuge there.
Holy day: December 15th in the Arhana temple. Symbol: Flame - usually with a face, open hand holding flame, child or derisive laughter (not in eastern Bandagora)

Lokrine. Map V-ssw 1. Port town on the west coast of Belandria. Lokrine was founded around 200 years before the common calendar and was a city state united in the Island Concord. Following the concord's dissolution in 251 Lokrine was a small kingdom to 469, when it once more became Kartria. After the conclusion of the War of Wizardry Marentia founded the port city of Stavalot in 520, and Stavalot has outrivaled Lokrine since the 9th century. 2. Region in the northwestern Belandria consisting of Kolin, Barsoldi, and Esden.

Losada. Map II-se. Cathedral city of Losana, Penboyn. Losada was probably founded circa. -1100.

Losana. Map V-ne.Diocese dedicated Vahaun in Penboyn ruled by Patriarch Dursival. The cathedral city is Losada.

Lothar II. King of Salakand 523-540. Contrived the alliance with the Pellan Empire, that led to the driving out of the Thungali from Salaqi territory. Lothar died battling the Thungali at Venikin.

Lothar V. King of Salakand 939-955. Considered the originator of the so-called Two Hundred Years War.

Lothar VI. King of Salakand 995-1013.

Lothar VII Tarnlas. King of Salakand 1113-1119.

Magic items. Dermeleon divides magic items into five different categories: 1) Divine artifacts (true artifacts), 2) Artifact-like items, 3) Intelligent items, 4) Unique items and 5) Standard items. The second category includes such items as the Gem of Souls made by the Kartrians, and the first two categories are commonly termed artifacts. Dermeleon's classification is meant as a kind of power scale indicating the magnitude of the item's magic. An artifact like the Diamond Face is in principle a divine artifact, but in terms of power it belongs the third category. In this connection Doyasten's list from 1113 is the most exhaustive listing of items in the fifth category.
The history of magic items can be roughly divided into four periods: That of the elves, the gods, the heroes, and the Kartrians. 1) The age of the elves: When humanity was young, it hardly knew any magic. The little magic that was known was what the elves showed men, and that was mostly spells, impermanent magic. The elves themselves had magic weapon and armor, and used many minor magic items to improve their craft. 2) The age of the gods: Starting around 500 years before the common calendar a large number of artifacts appeared, something that contributed to the fall of the Third Empire. 3) The age of heroes: After about -100 artifacts were rare, but less powerful magic items were found in the hoards of defeated monsters. Two explanations have been given. One is that the gods rewarded the heroes for their feats, the heroes would become more famous and in turn glorify the gods. Another explanation is that the treasures were fabricated in the time of the Second Empire, but were lost and lay dormant until the revival of hero tradition by Emperor Sertovian. 4) the age of Kartria: The Kartrians were the first men to create magic items without the direct intervention of the gods. Since 400 Kartrian wizards has been taught the basics of magic item creation, but apart from the potions made in the course of their education, the production remained a personal matter. But with the advent of the Nomad Invasions, Iktemar I introduced the mandatory production of permanent items and begun selling these items on a regular basis. The volume of this   sale increased manifold during the Kangrisorn Wars by order of Castanamir I. The Kartrian production has been the single largest source of magic items ever since.

Mandrake. Extremely dangerous plant that can tempt careless souls with ideas of gold and secret knowledge. Never go near such a plant.

Marentia. Maps IV, V and IX. Population: 2.2 million. Island realm in the Inner Sea commonly referred to as Kartria. Kartria is the largest of the islands, but Geradia and Esduroy are Marentian, as is another 6 inhabited islands. Formally, Marentia is a democracy, in which representatives of each region assemble to appoint the government, the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council in turn elect the head of state, the autarch. The local representatives are typically not elected, however, rather they are the local rulers, such as lords, governors and most numerously arch mages. About 98% of the seats in the Assembly belongs to the island of Kartria. At the election of Nimrod IV in 1102 all arch mages except one were representatives of Kartria. The towns Drezla and Sparkia, and the islands Geradia and Esduroy each are ruled by a governor. The Assembly convenes whenever new members of the Supreme Council are needed, roughly every five years. Allmost all members of the Supreme Council are arch mages, but this is not specified in the constitution, nor has it always been the case. Marentia has a very small army whose primary duty is internal, so it is more like a nationwide guard force than a regular army. The national defense relies heavily on the personal powers of the Supreme Council, especially the autarch. The navy is one of the strongest in the Inner Sea. Marentia is otherwise a feudal society, in which each region is ruled relatively independently by an arch mage, a lord or a governor. When the nation of Marentia was founded in 282, there was no head of state, only the Supreme Council. The title and authority of autarch was introduced with the inauguration of Nimrod I. Since that time, Marentia has been an elective monarchy with the exception that the 'king' must be a wizard. This exception was suspended during the Time of Kings, when men with little or no magic ability were monarchs. The Supreme Council continued to elect the kings, and at all times the majority of seats in the Council have been held by wizards. The foreign policy of Marentia can be divided into five periods: 1) The period 282-441, during which Marentia was isolationistic. 2) The period 441-656, a time of conquest and expansion (see the War of Wizardry), that ended with the Nomad Invasions. 3) The reign of Iktemar I 656-726. 4) The Time of Kings 726-878. 5) The period from 878 up to the present, during which time Marentia with the return of the autarchs have influenced its neighbors by offering help and advice (see Castanamir I and II). On occasion Marentia has used threats, but has not been forced to carry them through (but see the Sparkia Massacre).
Legal system. In Marentia two kinds of persons exist, the initiated wizards and mere mortals (ordinary men without magic ability). Below the mere mortals rank the uninitiated wizards. Any attack from a mere mortal on a wizard is punishable by death. The crimes of the initiates are in principle judged by the Supreme Council, and only the "fates" may execute or attack them physically (see renegades). In many provinces the regions are divided into shires each ruled by a lord, and here the normal feudal conduct is adhered to (cf. the legal system of Penboyn). Other regions or towns are ruled by arch mages, but they in turn may have vassal lords. Although there are few laws concerning this local government, Kartrian tradition preaches efficiency. This means that sometimes punishment or a fine is in order, but a ruler can occasionally sanction an act, such as a mutiny or the killing of a wife batterer, if he judges the new situation to be more conducive. The Kartrians initiates are taught to regard other men as tools needing regular maintenance. Most of all, they hate thieves, and anyone stealing repeatedly (typically three times) is punished by galley duty. If they do not row well enough they are thrown overboard. All non-initiates, even lords holding seats in the Assembly, are serfs in the sense that they cannot change residence or occupation without the permission of a wizard.

Marentian. The language spoken in Harastor, Koira, Marentia and Palmyria.

Marinus II. Osbantine king 740-755.

Maris Temple. Kali's main temple near Bondor. Also known by the name Vat of Vengeance.

(The) Masters. Ancient synonym of the gods. Still used by Tasselind worshipers.

Masters of Magic. Possibly a Pandese secret society of wizards.

Mastock I. King of Vesland 992-1030.

Mastock II. King of Vesland 1092-1106.

Mathias the Vain. Fire mage from Salakand. Malicious rumors claim that he was mentally ill and caused the strange pillar of fire in Skolopendria 1103. Mathias was killed by Grave in the course of the Ring Saga.

Matipons. Legendary Iluvar horseman.

(The) Matrices. Kartrian artifacts. Each matrix is thought to be a kind of permanent scroll, casting a certain spell when used. How many matrices exist and what spell they cast remains a Kartrian secret. Rumors insist that the destruction of one such matrix made the Kartrian commit the Sparkia Massacre in 1073. Sages believe they were made from the Boulder of Azartes.

Maubar. Necromancer, doubtless a lich. Current commander of the Black Ring. Being the undisputed heir of Ogonjok, Maubar resides at the Tower of the Dead. Though he does not match the strength of his former master, he is still among the top ten wizards of Bandagora and a force to be reckoned with.

Melekit. 1: Rovian royal family. The current head of the family is Queen Susannah. 2: County in Rovia.

Mellis. Sage from Pandesa. Is considered the leading expert on the Pandese Empire and the history of Pandesa.

(The) Mercantile Empire or Merchants' Empire, see the Independent City States.

Meskalin. One of the living officers at the Tower of the Dead. High in the hierarchy of the Black Ring. He is regarded among the top fifteen warriors of Bandagora.

Middle Earth, the Middle Plane or Midgård. According to sages three planes exist: 1) The upper plane, the spirit plane and home of the gods. 2) The lower plane, the elemental plane where matter and the elements belong. 3) Middle earth, where body, spirit and soul join to create humans. In this view death is simply the dissolution of man, so that the body returns to the lower plane, and the spirit returns to the upper plane. The homeless soul dissipates, unless the gods (see Nergal) considers it worthy to accompany to spirit to the upper plane. In this connection worthy simply means strong, and the soul may go to Heaven, but it may just as well go to Hell. The sages continue to state that all we can see, even the farthest of stars, are within the middle plane. So when some philosopher talk about life on other worlds elsewhere in space, these worlds also exist in the middle plane. Unless by magic, a man cannot leave the middle plane before he dies. Less scientifically, the term Middle Earth is commonly used to denote Bandagora or sometimes Eustasia.

Mikahl. Map VIII-nw (or VII). The longest river in Pellas that rises from the Ragged Mountains near Drimbani, then runs south through Pellas and falls into the Kornoy Bay at Trovian.

Milatis II. Pandese emperor 750-753. Milatis II was an insignificant emperor who acquired a reputation for having bribed his way to his victories in the arena.

Milatis III. Pandese emperor 801-805.

Milatis VI. Pandese emperor 1097-1099. Milatis VI was killed in a duel by the Nordacrian Prince Kalil.

Miralandor. The capital of Mirandor. Founded in 318.

Mirandor. Dwarven kingdom in the Dagdor Massif. See Dvalin's Gate.

(The) Mirror of Truth. Artifact attributed to Ormazda able to remove all magic reflected in the mirror.

Mistletoe. Naturally occurring parasitic plant that can be magically enhanced and used in an unguent that repels trolls. Estimated value 25 bb per dose.

Mithril. White golden precious metal with magical properties. If pure, mithril is pliable and similar to gold when found. But if it is forged the right fashion it becomes an adamant metal stronger than steel. Its magical nature makes it extremely resistant to damage while still remaining supple. Protection rings are often by the laws of sympathetic magic made at least partly from mithril. It is rare and pure mithril is about 20 to 30 times as valuable as gold.

Mizzor. Donaran royal family. Current head of family is Arlit II Mizzor, born 1064.

Mnemthosis. Map V-sse. The main temple of Thoth and library 30 miles south of Vintendra. Mnemthosis was founded in 378 for the stated purpose of gathering knowledge. It is possible to visit Mnemthosis and seek the answers of specific questions. The priests of Thoth may also issue a declaration informing the public of something, typically obscure facts, but occasionally of general interest. Some critics have stated that the priests take the purpose too literately, so that knowledge is only gathered, not spread. Mnemthosis is known to have a small, but very valuable collection of magic items, such the Gem of Souls and the Tablet of Titans.

Modi. The god of courage, strength, and berserking. Modi is a great god in barbarian countries, where raw strength is greatly appreciated. In these parts physical and mental strength are often equated, and trials of strength are used to settle disagreements and appoint positions of power. The priests of Modi are particularly influential in Ontaine. Here going berserk is seen as entering a holy trance. In Falandria the Modi priests insists that duels should be weaponless. In the civilized countries Modi has importance for those who do hard labor. Here courage is interpreted in a more broader sense, as the courage to face reality and accept the conditions of life. Modi's gospel is not to be meek, however, as unfair terms should met by going berserk. Hopefully, this never has to happen, but remains a kind of safety measure to reassure Modi's worshipers that things can only go so bad. No matter where the priests of Modi live, they all agree that he who has absolute courage cannot fail. The Modi priests themselves are immune to fear, but that does imbue them with absolute courage.
Holy day: January 23rd, one of the greatest festivals is that of Rekesvint. Symbol: Bull, usually fighting a wyvern, dragon or another monster much larger than the bull.

Moon Bay. Map IV-sw (or VII-e) The northwestern part of the Bay of Hadriel. Rovian, Brin Lebin and Venikin lie by the Moon Bay.

Moonrose. Very rare growth that may enhance your abilities given the right conditions.

Moonweed. Naturally occurring herb that enhanced by magic may open locks. Estimated value per dose 25 cc.

Moraskorr or "Red Steel". Red precious metal with magical properties. Moraskorr can be forged to the strength of steel. Its finest magical property is that it is able to contain some kind of spirit. Most intelligent weapons are made from moraskorr. These weapons do not appear red, as the color usually disappears after absorbing the entity. It is rare and worth about 30-40 times the value of gold, if pure.

Mordenkainen. Legendary wizard (679-?) of Taunenfels. He was last observed in 925, but is rumored to have appeared many times since then. In his time, he advocated the secession of Nordacria from the League of Cityports and supported the candidature of Landertes, Nordacria's first king. But when Landertes I died, all seemed intent that Belfarin, Landertes' son should be the next king, no one seemed to even think of Mordenkainen. According to the popular tales this made Mordenkainen so angry as to leave the kingdom. His tower that still stands proud in Taunenfels is well-known and reputed to contain portals to other worlds. His magical abilities were so great in 925 that today he is still believed to be the second best wizard of the world by those who dare to judge in these matters. A few sages believe him to be confined to Oblivion (the Caverns of Twilight).

Morpheus. The god of sleep and dreams. God of minor rituals. Not far from the Pandese town of Sersch is a small grove that travelers visit with awe. On a large flat stone in the middle of the grove lies a small mummified man. Visitors are told that he had started to tell everybody who would care to listen that Morpheus was a sham and sleep came naturally to all beings. But one day he did not awaken from his sleep, and if he is not dead he is still sleeping. The purpose of this tale is to show that we do not understand Morpheus. He controls a third of our lives, and yet we do not know what He wants. Sages and philosophers argue without end about the nature of sleep, but the fact that elves do not sleep the way men do points to the fact that sleep is something Morpheus grants, not just guards. Though sleep by some is considered a preview of death, it is the process of sleep that allows us to come to terms with all the new impressions that we receive each day. Many who are ready to commit suicide at night, trudge on in morning. Most men fear to be deprived of their sleep, and so they sacrifice regularly to Morpheus. Note that Morpheus sends ordinary dreams, whereas all gods (but especially Selene) sends divine dreams. Morpheus is also the god of beginnings and ends, home and change (this aspect is known as Janus in some places), and His priests are mainly active performing minor rituals in private homes.
Holy day: November 8th. Symbol: A sleeping person, a disc with a sun and a moon, a door, a Janus head

(The) Mouth of Agni. Map IX-w. Active volcano 25 miles south of Crimloyd.

Narstet. Priest dedicated to Vahaun of Rovian. He serves as liaison between the Trinity Church and the separate temples dedicated to the individual gods.

Nelgos. Spy from Bondor. Known as the "Shadow".

Nephelium. Crystalline material that looks like glass but is hard as steel. A trained smith can forge items that are nearly invisible. Nephelium is not magical by itself, but is believed to be created as the side effect of powerful magics. It is sometimes found in small quantities in the mountains.

Nergal. The god of the dead. When a man dies, it is judged by the gods, but first it is judged by Nergal. Nergal judges if the soul is worthy of a life after death. If it is, the other gods decide where the soul should go, but it is Nergal that guides the soul to its appropriate place in the upper plane. Other souls may drift upward and briefly experience the afterlife, but slowly the souls are dissolved and nothing remains. The worst fate befalls those who Nergal sentences to an existence between life and death bound to Middle Earth, an undead existence. Only those who have insulted the gods deserve this punishment, for it is harsh. An undead can only hope for outside redemption through destruction, but the punishment is so cunningly designed as to drive the undead to become ever stronger, even if this only removes him further from salvation. So it was decided in the dawn of time, that Nergal should oversee those who travel to the gods unwillingly, as Heimdal guards those who travel willingly. But the other gods saw that men were in awe of the powers of Nergal, and began to make undead of their own. These undead were not punished souls, but merely dead bodies magically inhabited by spirits, a thing that could that wizards learned to do. Nergal continued to punish those who insulted the gods, not just those who insulted Nergal. But now He offered those who worshiped Him the powers of the undead in return for dedicating their life to Him. They would become undead, not as a punishment, but living eternally in the service of Nergal. This absolute dedication of the body to Nergal is arduous and will fail horribly if the worshiper is not totally devout. The temples of Nergal are everywhere, but few love His priests. Most feared of all is the cult of necromancers founded by Ogonjok, known as the Black Ring. This is because Nergal's priests (and especially those of the Black Ring) see humans as belonging to two separate categories: Those that join the gods after they die, and those who turn to dust. Humans belonging to the first category should welcome death as it brings them closer to their gods (but people from this category deserve the grudging respect of Nergal's followers). Humans belonging to the second category are of no consequence, and the loss of their lives matters little. All considered, a worshiper of Nergal does not think the life of another being worth a lot, and though he does not view murder as an end in itself, much of the necromantic magic involves killing and the use of dead bodies. Here it must be noted that all official temples of Nergal dutifully perform the rites of the dead, preparing the bodies for afterlife without tampering. The priests of Nergal are often used to contact the dead and are believed the best at raising the dead.
Holy day: October 24th. Symbols: Black lion's head on black, a chain.

(The) New Sun Lands 1: Neä-KeäSonda, sometimes just the Sun Lands. Pellan theocracy 1075-1112 ruled by the priesthood of Inanna. The New Sun Lands was an attempt to reinstate the original Sun Lands (Keä-Sonda), that was replaced by the Pellan Empire 294. Even in the Pellan Empire, the priesthood of Inanna had great power, but the emperor had the final say in all matters. The army was commanded by the emperor, but visit to the temple of Inanna was an integral part of military life. So the coup in 1074-75 succeeded surprisingly easy, after Emperor Oktavio had neglected matters outside his court for several years. The Pellan priests of Inanna see Her in a somewhat different light than their eastern colleagues, and one of the coup's objectives was to do missionary work in the east. See the New Sun Lands Crusade. The Pellan army and navy had been promised that campaigns of conquest would be funded, but the army had rather envisioned a campaign against Borsoch, whose border raids had ignored by Oktavio. Oktavio died in exile 1083, and his son Alexius raised an small army and invaded the New Sun Lands in 1098 attempting to restore the empire. Having no hope of reconquering Pellas by the force of numbers alone, Alexius hoped that the people would rally to the imperial standard. His plan partly worked, for though he was never able to gain enough support to challenge the theocracy, his personal courage and military ability restored the dignity of the Imperial family that Oktavio had squandered. Slowly the confidence of the priesthood eroded despite of their vast military superiority. In 1111 armies from Grone, Rovia and the Pandese Empire invaded the New Sun Lands, testing the strength of the Sun Lands troop morale, and finally breaking it. Alexius died in 1111, perhaps making it easier for the New Sun Lands army to surrender later that year. In 1112 the son of Alexius, Valentinian, was inaugurated as king of Azantir, the new state allowing the priesthood much influence. The priest of Ech Alba have yet to surrender. The New Sun Lands had a network of spies and worshipers of Inanna outside Pellas, who were called Illumnatii (the enlightened) and are still thought to be active. In addition, the so-called Dark Faction, a resistance group, operates within Pellas. 2: The theocracy of Ech Alba.

New Sun Lands Crusade. War initiated by the Trinity Church against the New Sun Lands' possession Eyronia 1103-1105. Intending to end Sun Lands piracy in the Inner Sea Pope Honorius declared a crusade in 1103. Apart from the Trinity Church, most other priesthoods supported the idea. The Penboynian Admiral Phirian was assigned the task of commanding the effort. To his disposal were the greater part of the Penboynian navy, about four thousand Salaqi soldiers, and the economical and logistic support of the city-state Enders. Furthermore the kings of the nations surrounding the Inner sea and many grand masters encouraged their knights to go to war. In January 1104 the Salaqi general, Baron Farko, unsuccessfully tried to storm Salamanka. In April Count Kelvin arrived with five thousand men, and the two armies jointly conquered the town April 29th. At this point Phirian hoped to take Trebora by the end of 1104, but Sun Lands reinforcements arrived following the defeat of a Grone-Salaqi fleet in the Bay of Hadriel outside Isontia. In July the crusaders won a battle northwest of Trebora, forcing the Sun Lands forces to retreat to Trebora. The crusaders began a siege of Trebora, but it proved untenable and the crusader army withdrew to Salamanka. August 10th and 12th Lord Baltax employed the Ring of Madness to devastate Trebora and Isontia respectively. This put a sudden end to the crusade, but started the Troll Wars.

Nike. The goddess of victory. The gospel of Nike is simple, "to win is all". This does not mean that victory must be gained at all costs, the victory must be fairly won, not gained by cheating or pure luck. Winning by using a technicality in the rules is fine, as long as the rules were clear to all. Finally, the victory must have some consequence, a gain for the victor and losses for the losers. Nike has many worshipers among soldiers, but not as many as Vahaun. In times of war Nike is a great god, for She is the deity prayed to by the civilians, and Her priesthood often lead rallies that support the war effort. She is also the god of achieving goals and personal triumphs, in this capacity She is worshiped by people who set themselves goals and stop at nothing to achieve them.
Holy day: May 8th. Symbols: A woman with feathery wings carrying a sword or (slightly rarer) a winged object, usually a sword.

Nikopol I. Pandese emperor 753-785. Nikopol I's claim to the Pandese throne was due to his being Silver Dragon in the Pendragon order, meaning that all ten Imperial families had relinquished their claims to the throne. This was partly due to the enforcement of the gladiator victories requirement in the reign of Milatis II, and partly due to the public demand for a soldier emperor. He fulfilled the expectations by re-conquering Pandesa in 755. His son Talleren was murdered in 777, most believe by a conspiracy to avoid Nikopol starting a dynasty and a possible eleventh Imperial family. No other Pendragon knight has become emperor.

Nikopol II. Pandese emperor 1019-1042. Nikopol II was known as a clever diplomat and is considered the author of the Vintendra Treaty. Nikopol II founded the fakian dynasty, which includes present-day Hardaukar III.

Nimrod I. Marentia's first autarch from 441 to 505.

Nimrod II. Marentias autarch 534-549. Known for losing the Book of Enchantments.

Nimrod III. Marentias autarch 1059-1069. Most consider the civil war 1062-1073 his doing (see the Sparkia Massacre).

Nimrod IV. The present Marentian autarch. Nimrod was inaugurated 1102 and is considered third most powerful wizard in Bandagora.

(The) Nine. The Nine is a secret council of wizards rumored to exist. The Nine is a counterpart to the Supreme Council (which also numbers nine), consisting of non-Kartrian mages. Tradition has it that Mordenkainen established the council when angered by the way he was treated on Kartria. Currently the group is thought to number only eight, namely Archimedes, Galadriel, Hadrian, Kane, Lancelot, Ozymandias, Rafael, and Roland. As can be gathered from reading the list of names, these are merely assumed names.

(The) Nine Lives' Band. Artifact golden headband that enables the wearer to predict the immediate future and act upon the prediction. In combat, it makes the wearer virtually immortal. If the wearer despite the help from the Band cannot avoid death, then it can change reality by a kind of wish making the wearer survive. This last ability is only available eight times, hence the name. When the wearer 'dies' the ninth time, he is obliterated and forever slain. The Band seems to have no drawbacks, but it makes the wearer act carelessly and sloppy, speedily using up his nine lives. Thought to be in the possession of Baron Blood.

Nistris I. The autarch of Marentia 605-633. Known for his creation of the Gem of Souls.

Nistris II. The autarch of Marentia1005-1016. Originally called Teshilden, he became famous for his creation of the Catalog.

Nistris III. The autarch of Marentia1016-1024 CC.

Nobility. There are three kinds of titled nobles in Bandagora: 1) Nobles by office, 2) Nobles by merit and 3) Hereditary nobles. 1) Nobles by office are used in empires, the Pandese Empire and Palmyria. Here the emperor assigns the nobility personally and can at least in principle remove them from office. In an empire, the raising and maintenance of armies is the duty of the emperor, nobles are either land owners who pay taxes or those holding important posts. 2) Nobility by merit was introduced in Salakand. Here anybody with a 100 men under arms willing to fight for the king was a lord. A baron was a person who lent a quarter of a tun of gold (250 gd) to the king, who in turn gave the baron the right to use an estate (a fief). If the loan was repaid, the fief was returned to the king's demesne. A count lent at least a tun of gold. These guidelines are still followed, with the addition of the title duke. A duke lent at least a tun of gold and had a standing army of at least a 1000 men. Marentia use these rules in their purest form. 3) Hereditary nobles are nobility given their title forever, with the right to pass it on to their heirs.
The three forms are mixed in most countries for practical reasons. It is rare for an emperor not to appoint the heir to the father's office. On the other hand most hereditary titles come with obligations, and if these obligations are not fulfilled, a king could well divest the noble of his title.
In Penboyn the titles are hereditary with two exceptions: 1) That the heir must prove himself worthy (cf. the Brotherhood of Doom). 2) That a baron, a count and a duke must command a standing army of a 1000, 2000 and 5000 men, respectively. In addition, all nobles pay an annual fee to the king, which may be disregarded if the standing army is larger than the minimum (a lord commanding 500 men does not pay the fee).

Nomad Invasions. The Iluvar invasion of central Bandagora and their later withdrawal in the period 599-740. In 583 Varenna became head of the Zingari, one of the leading tribes of the Nomads inhabiting the Nomad Plain. Varenna gathered the tribes, and created the host of Nomads, the Iluvar. In 599 Varenna's campaign started with the conquest of the part of Tulana located east of Brossi, and in 613-14 he conquered territories belonging to the League of Cityports. In 619, the Iluvar turned their attention towards Zagyath, but here they encountered surprisingly stiff resistance from forest beings as they tried to penetrate the woods of Zagyath. Varenna died in 622, and was followed by Ghorgis, his bastard son. Though very young at the time, Ghorgis quickly began to outshine his father. By 629 Zagyath had fallen, by 634 most of Dacria, by 640 Tulana, by 646 most of Suadan Penboyn, and by 647 the eastern part of Marentian Servania. This was the zenith of Iluvar power. In 658 Salakand, Marentia and Osbant sent a joint army against the Iluvar in Suadan, and though this army was crushed at Tulada in 661, Ghorgis was killed and the Iluvar lost their initiative. The next hundred years the Iluvar were slowly driven back to more or less their original territory. See also Veklas. See map "Lands under Nomad Rule".

Nomads. Many different Nomad tribes inhabit Bandagora, among those the so-called Tent People living north of Lacre-Cai. But since the Nomad Invasions the word Nomad has been synonymous with Iluvar, the Nomad tribe living in northeastern Bandagora.

Nordacria. Map VI-e. Population: 700 thousand. Kingdom in northern Dacria and the eastern Shendar river valley. Nordacrian cities number the capital Taunenfels  and Ollyway. The two cities were, along with Hest, a part of the League of Cityports. In the 9th century the League made a major effort to resettle the territory formerly held by the Iluvar. The three cities protested that the League should develop its agriculture to sustain the populace, rather than establish colonies serving as trading posts. Finally, in 907, Taunenfels, Ollyway and Hest declared the kingdom of Nordacria. The League recognized the kingdom in 909 after a few naval skirmishes. Taunenfels has ever been the firmest supporter of the Nordacrian idea, whereas a Hestian movement arose in 1036 demanding that Nordacria dissolve into a union of city states. The movement was crushed, but possibly made way for the Pandese conquest of Hest in 1073. In 1075 Ollyway fell and the Pandese subsequently defeated the Nordacrian army. Only the force of the Nordacrian navy and assistance from the League of Cityports made the kingdom survive. In 1097 the Pandese emperor died invading Ontaine, and Ollyway was able to take advantage of this and liberate itself. In 1099 Ollyway was besieged again, but this time its governor, Prince Kalil, challenged and killed the Pandese army leader, the emperor. In 1101 the situation was repeated, but this time Kalil was defeated by Hardaukar III, meaning the loss of Ollyway. Later that year Taunenfels was besieged, the place where "but a tower shall remain of kingdom" (see the Ring Saga). The tower belonged to Mordenkainen, and though he never showed up in person, the green fog surrounding the tower held the Pandese at bay. In 1108 the city siege was abandoned in accordance with a peace treaty between the Pandese Empire and Nordacria. The treaty made Hest a Pandese city, but Ollyway was returned to Nordacria.
Legal system. The Nordacrian legal system is basically the Pandese system peppered with elements from the League of Cityports. Nordacria is formally an elective monarchy, but has adhered to the normal rules of heredity ever since its founding.

Norsala. Kingdom 445-517. Norsala was a transient kingdom that came into existence as a result of a Pandesan civil war. Norsala was reunited with Pandesa when both became part of the Pandese Empire.

Nostenkil. Map V-e. Diocese in southern Vesland. Inanna is the dominant deity of  Nostenkil. Bishop Artauber rules the de facto independent region. Nostenkil was once called the Southern Marches, but was made a bishopric in 880 at the founding of Vesland as a reward for the priesthood's determined effort in the defense from Ontaine.

Novolon IV. King of Salakand 953-980.

Oblivion Sometimes described as a 'space without space' or a 'time outside time', Oblivion is most often thought of as an extra-dimensional pocket space, where persons can be 'stored' for a long period. Time does not pass for the affected target. Magical means exist to send unwanted persons off to Oblivion. Each individual exists in his or her personal Oblivion, and it will eventually fade, freeing the subject. A portal to Oblivion can be found in the Caverns of Twilight, making it possible to set the prisoner of time free before the spell has run its course.

Ogden Ogrefist. Monk belonging to a mystic order.

Ogma. The god (in few places goddess) of bards and storytelling. According to the gospel of Ogma, the world cannot be divided into good and evil, but rather it is a giant stage upon which a fantastic play unfolds. Being 'good' means understanding one's role in life and play it. Being 'bad' or wrong is blundering along with no connection to the rest of the world like a single jigsaw piece. Sometimes the bards picture the world as a giant tapestry, where evil is recognized as holes appearing when threads are ripped apart. Ogma may not be the greatest god, but He is the most important god, for He knows how mend the threads. He plays a role above the roles as does a playwright. A writer describing a hero's life may not possess the abilities of the hero, but even so the writer has more power than the hero, as the writer can interpret the acts of the hero and incorporate them into their rightful context. It is the divine duty of the bards to depict the world so as to make clear the underlying symbolic reality. This will enable the ordinary men to know their rightful place in the great chain of being. Mastering magic is not a prerequisite for being a bard, but many bards find it natural that magic and storytelling are related, since magic is nothing but symbols made manifest. Accordingly, most bards try to learn at least a rudimentary level of magic. Ogma has many proud temples, usually funded by famous bards, but few priests. The role of the priesthood is to spread the word of Ogma and to discover and educate future bards. A few bards are able to combine the preaching of Ogma's creed with their careers, but this is of their own choosing. The priests of Ogma generally consider that being a priest attenuates the creative ability of a bard. Aside from that, most temples have no lack of funding or candidates for priesthood, the ranks of the latter being filled by hopeful youngsters whose abilities do not match their desire to become bards.
Holy day: November 30th in Ogma's Grove.

Ogma's Grove. A secret place in the Great Forest, where bards meet annually to exchange stories and to compete in various bard skills.

Ogonjok, the "undying" a.k.a Count of Alzira. A necromancer who went to great lengths in order to make himself immortal. Many considered him the most powerful wizard in all of Bandagora. Despite all precautions, Hippoleia managed to put an end to his existence by destroying his phylactery in 1109. For centuries he surrounded himself with zombies and worse in his Tower of the Dead. He was believed to command the dreaded death knights. All wizards wishing to specialize in necromancy must join the Black Ring founded by Ogonjok, now currently ruled by Maubar. Ogonjok was originally educated on Kartria, when he was known as Kristeyn Ort, but later became a renegade. His infamy reached record levels when he completed a powerful ritual that made him able to hear his name being spoken anywhere, a power he sometimes used to prove a point. For that reason he was often simply called "O". Though most agree that he will never return, many still prefer not to say his name out loud.

Oktavio IV. The last Pellan emperor 1067-1075. Emperor Oktavio IV gained the reputation of being a decadent ruler disinterested in his realm. A coup in 1074-75 changed the Pellan Empire into the New Sun Lands. Oktavio IV died in 1083.

(The) Old Races. When the gods created the world (Eustasia), they first populated it with the old races: The dragons, the giants, the trolls, the orcs, the (great) apes, the spiders, the sea serpents, the snakes and the sidhe people. Then they created the three 'High' (that is, highly intelligent) races: The elves, the dwarves and the hobbits. Finally man was created.

Ollyway. Map VI-se. One of the two largest cities in Nordacria. About sixty thousand people live there.

Ontaine. Maps III, V, VI and IX. Population: 3.5 million. "The people who chose rightly". Barbarian kingdom in central Belandria and to the east of Kangrisorn.The capital is Rekesvint. The Ontainians are known for being xenophobic, especially to non-humans. They will kill elves, dwarves and hobbits on sight, if they can get away with it. In addition they have the annoying habit of calling all non-Ontainians gnomes, disregarding the fact that the Ontainians are not too tall themselves. The Ontainians are proud warriors and good horsemen. Sheep and goats sustain the population who commonly inhabit huts or yurts.
History: Ontaine was born from the ruins of Harastar in 89. Harastar was an attempt to join barbarian and urban cultures, and Ontaine was more or less the barbarian part purged of any civilization, including the overseas possessions. The Ontainian contempt of urban culture did not make the Ontainian kings refrain from using Kartrian wizards in times of war. But history repeated itself in the 5th century. In 417 Ontaine conquered Bondor from Pandesa with the use of Kartrian war wizards. The Kartrian influence at court grew until 480, when the king, Ekla, was accused of being charmed by the wizards. The ensuing civil war resulted in the secession of Harastor and Bondor in 490. The lack of city culture and the wizard assistance seemed not to be a military problem when Ontaine started a campaign in 517 against the Pandese Empire climaxing in 673 with the conquest of Pandesa. Weakened by the Nomad Invasions, the well-trained Pandese legions could not stop the empire from being destroyed. But the Dark Stallion could. The plague began ravaging Rekesvint in 710 and signaled a long decline still in effect. With the siege of  Kangrisorn and the Kangrisorn Wars the attention moved to the north, and the Pandese were slowly able to reconquer their lost lands and more. Ontaine is but a shadow of its former glory, and only stubbornness keeps the Ontainian from admitting their final defeat at Kangrisorn. The present king is Belonti.
Legal system. Ontainians divide intelligent beings into three categories: Hasgur, heruldur and gnomes. Hasgur are real men, that is grown Ontainian males. Heruldur is women and children. Gnomes are non-humans, subdivided into mensur (non-Ontainian humans) and true gnomes (demi-humans). Gnomes have no rights, if a hasgur does something to a gnome, the gnome will have to fend for itself. True gnomes must never come near heruldur, as their souls may be corrupted, especially the women. If that happens, the heruldur in question must be tried, and perhaps executed. Mensur may in some cases come to be accepted as heruldur, either as a blood (kid) brother or a slave. Heruldur remain the responsibility of their hasgur (father, husband or ward) at all times. Hasgur who commit crimes against other hasgur or their heruldur, are judged by shaman. In the minor cases, the perpetrator is temporarily made heruldur (or mensur) until he makes it up to the victim of the crime (e.g. pays twice the value of a stolen object). Serious crimes are tried by a duel to the death, either against the victim or a hasgur from his or her family. Adultery is an exception, here the heruldur is executed, and the hasgur turned to mensur for life. Though gnomes have no rights, a hasgur that does something to a gnome has no right to protection by other hasgur from the gnome and his allies if the act would have been considered a crime when done to another hasgur.

Ontainian. The language spoken in Ontaine.

Onwal. The royal family of Vesland. The history of the family goes back to the Southern Marches, when the family's 400 men were the 'thin red line' protecting the region from the Ontainian barbarians.

(The) Open Hand. A kind of warrior monk order. They adhere to no god, as the worship of gods is seen as a sign of weakness. The final goal of each disciple is to achieve absolute serenity, a state of supreme calm where nothing can affect the individual. In practise, the order teaches its initiates a selection of combat and meditation techniques. Though individuals monks have been known to perform spectacular feats, the order is held in low regard, partly because of its negative attitude toward the gods, partly because it appears that the order does not issue commands to its members, only shows them a possible path.

(The) Orc Wars. The First Orc War 148-167, the Second Orc War 190-212 and the Third Orc War 333-341. A prolonged conflict between the Sun Lands/Pellan Empire and the orcish realm Thraskund. The Pellan Empire occupied Thraskund for over a hundred years but finally realized that orcs are much better cave-dwellers than men. So they finally gave up Thraskund in 341. Some consider the war 551-558 the Fourth Orc War.

Order of the Gauntlet. The correct and original name of what is commonly known as the Salaqi Household Guard.

Order of the Unicorn. Hardnit's finest order of knights. They fight for law, order and the king.

Orders of Chivalry. Many orders of knights exist in Bandagora. The most famous of these is the Pendragon order belonging to the Pandese Empire. Other known orders are the Knights Templar, the Champions of Light, the Order of the Unicorn in Hardnit, the Kangrisorn Guard, the Salaqi Household Guard and the Chinloi Star Order. The Swordsmen of Sif may be termed an order of knights. Most knights are territorial knights, that is dedicated to a local area and/or lord. If a territorial knight is also a member of an order, it is almost certainly the national order of the country in question, as these are to some degree honorary orders. Another kind of order is the votive order, in which a group of knights (and nobles) dedicate themselves to a cause. Once their goal is attained or the preset duration has elapsed, the order is dissolved.
In mockery of the chivalric orders two other orders exist: The Brotherhood of Doom and the Dragonslayers.

Oriander. Cardinal dedicated Enki in Enders. Ranks ninth in the Trinity Church hierarchy.

Orichalcum. Dark golden precious metal with magical properties. Orichalcum is thought to contain the four elements magically tied together. It can replace components for spell casting, but is very rare. If pure, it is about 50 to 100 times as valuable as gold.

Ormazda. The goddess of truth and trial. Ormazda is often called the merciless goddess, and She is probably both the most feared and respected goddess. At the entrances to Her temples an inscription usually reads: "Ormazda judges not, Ormazda knows." She is the adamant guardian of truth and does not allow any mendacity. The mere utterance of Her name can be used as a proof of truth, but few feel at ease saying Her name aloud. The inexperienced often insist that the signers of a contract should invoke Her, but this happens rarely compared to Hermes and Plutus. Rather, Her name is invoked in desperation of lacking trust. As the goddess of trials She sometimes temporarily takes care of the other gods' worshipers. These worshipers are given some kind of atonement to perform, and She watches over them, until they have completed or failed their tasks.
Ormazda has few priests and few worshipers, for She demands much of them. And they in their turn demands much in terms of tolerance from their surroundings, as they insist on telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In return those priests and worshipers are almost impossible to fool. To fund the temples the priests (almost exclusively men) offer truthful answers. The price is high, but the answer is guaranteed to be true. All question must concern a person, if that person is present, the question can be any question that can be answered by a yes or no. If the person is not present, the question can only be if that person is dead or alive. Ormazda only answers one question about any particular individual once per month, and in some cities the temple has regular customers coming in once a month to ask if they still have a nose. The point is to bar any other question from being asked. When confronted with the question if this is not in fact hiding the truth, the priests answer without hesitation that it might be, but: "To Ormazda, all truths are good, all lies are evil."
Holy day: October 6th.

Ortazal. Infamous wizard, perhaps a former member of the Nine. Ortazal got hold of an artifact and in 1114 tried several times to kill Nimrod IV (malicious rumors insist that he succeeded). In some versions of the story he called himself Tanshad and the artifact was the Diadem of Dark Knowledge making him invulnerable to magic. Ortazal apparently died in 1114.

Orteges. Mad villain wanted by the Adventurers Guild. He is reckoned among the top fifteen warriors of Bandagora. Reward: 100 gd.

Osbane. Map IX-w. The large island that is the southern boundary of the Inner Sea. The kingdom   of Osbant controls the majority of Osbane (Osbant/Osbane are often used synonymously). Bondor, Crimloyd and Pavian lies on. Apart from the coastal areas, Osbane is mostly unexplored dense jungle.

Osbant. Map IX-w. Population: 2.0 million. A kingdom encompassing most of the coastline of island Osbane. Though formally Osbantine, the interior of the island knows little civilization and is mostly dense jungle inhabited by natives. The largest cities of Osbant is the capital Crimloyd, and Pavian. Osbant is known to be a tolerant kingdom, where uncommon appearance or behavior attract little attention. The kingdom of Osbant was founded from a cluster of colonies as a result of the War of Wizardry.
The Osbantine legal system is based on the Penboynian principles. In addition the Osbantine brand rapist in the face as done in Azantir

Osbantine. The language spoken in Osbant and Bondor.

(The) Osbantine Wars. First Osbantine war 109-123. Second Osbantine war 207-224. Third Osbantine war 237-242. Seen together the Osbantine wars were a struggle for the at that time unexplored island, primarily fought by the Kartrians and the Pandesans, but also by the Pellan and the Ontaine. The wars can also be viewed as the pride and fall of the Kartrians and a victory for the Pandesans. Local historians see the wars as the melting pot from which Osbant was to emerge.

Oshullian. Salaqi high quality wares merchant residing in Rovian

Ostenkern. Famous wizard from Harastor.

Osvine. Map VIII-ene. A Grone city on the Paw. Having thirty thousand citizens it is the largest city of Grone. Osvine was founded in 60 by the Island Concord to control the approach to the Inner Sea.

Palmyria. Map I-se. Population: 100 thousand. A miniscule empire south of the Dagdor Massif west of the Arhanas. Palmyria is known for its arena, where gladiators fight for life and death and great prizes. According to its own calendar it was founded -215 as a part of the Third Empire. The majority of historians outside of Palmyria date the founding closer to 140, about 350 years later. Whatever the truth, Palmyria is a small and secluded realm having practically no international significance, and is often thought to be non-existent.by non-adventurers. It is thought to be identical to Skandelion. If a customer asks for something unusual, he might receive the answer "you can find it in Palmyria" meaning no such thing exists. Among connoisseurs, Palmyria has a reputation for making fine metal wares and jewelry, and Palmyrian miners are the best among humans.
Legal system. All punishment in Palmyria is a time in the arena. The terms, such as the duration, the opponents, equipment depends on the crime. Women and children are expected to find a champion, if they do not, it is their problem. In some cases a gladiator may be assigned to defend the accused. The emperor rules absolutely, either directly or through appointed men. An assembly exists to counsel the emperor.

Pan. The "god" of animals and of the forest. The druids' "god". The Wild One. There are no Pan priests, only druids. Pan is rarely worshiped by ordinary men and has no holy day. A few worship his aspect Kirion (the Scales). Kirion maintains the balance of good and evil, of order and chaos. The distinction between the aspects of Kirion and Pan is not easy for laymen. They are both aspects of a deity both groups of worshipers sometimes call the Master. The Master disdains the usual rituals involving supplication and sacrifice. He is not a god that one bargains with. Those that adhere to the aspect of Pan believe that this is due to his refusal of language and human law as being unnatural constructs designed to deprive man from seeing the glory of creation. Thus Pan speaks not and obeys only the laws of nature. Whereas those that adhere to the aspect of Kirion believe that to Kirion all beings are equal. Weak or strong, stupid or clever, each has the same right to existence. So Kirion does not see himself as worth more than any man, though his powers may be infinitely greater.
The elves calls Pan by Ta/Narr (the destroyer /creator) and when Ta/Narr is seen as a female elf, she is akin to a goddess of fertility. When Ta/Narr appears a male elf, he is a sort of war god. The dwarves call him Orlon (the puppet master). The hobbits call him Shazandalar (the great cook). Pan (the wild one) is also the name given to him by the sidhe.

Pandarr. Paladin who grew up in the city of Servan but later joined the exorcist order Swords of Ishkar (he is currently the Fourth Sword of Iskhar). Participated in the Ring Saga.

Pandesa. 1: The capital of the Pandese Empire. Pandesa is Bandagora's largest city having more than two hundred thousand inhabitants. Also the cultural capital of Bandagora, where the world's largest library is located, and many works of art can be found in the streets. Pandesa is known for being a tidy capital and for having gargantuan city walls to ensure that Pandesa never again will fall into enemy (i.e. Ontaine) hands. Pandesa is thought to have been founded around 152 years before the common calendar. Pandesa was Ontaine in the years 673-755. 2: Kingdom -24 to 517. See the Pandese Empire. 3: Synonym of the Pandese Empire.

Pandesan or Dinors. The language spoken in the western parts of the Pandese Empire (roughly west of Hardor). Pandesan is also used as 'of Pandesa' or Dinors-speaking as opposed to Pandese, which means "of the Empire". In this connection the citizen in the eastern parts are called Dacrians. Historians use the adjective as "of the Kingdom of Pandesa  (-24 to 517)".

Pandese coinage. At the time of the founding of the Pandese Empire in 517 the Pandese coinage was based on metal value as in all other countries. The denarius was the most valuable coin of the realm, being made by 5 grams of pure gold. It was relatively rare, as it was uncommon to exchange such large amounts of money. In 591, Rel Vega had the denarii collected and melted down to strike a new 3 grams denarius. This was to fund the army defending the Empire from Ontaine. Later, when the Iluvar invaded Dacria, the state finances suffered once more. in 628, Beydelius Cato started to add silver to the denarius and Karamon diluted the gold further in 659 so the coin was made of the alloy called electrum. The Pandese Empire survived both the Ontaine and Iluvar onslaughts, and trade began to pick up again. In 800, Belizar III issued a decree that one gold ducat should be traded for one denarius, but that merchants with certain permits (monopolies) could exchange one gold ducat for four denarii. One effect was that traders could make greater profits selling their wares abroad, but had to increase the cost of imported items. The nobility suffered, as they were the biggest importers of foreign luxury items. In 801 Belizar addressed the senate, which at least in principle could revoke the decree, and his powers of speech convinced most that his decree would change things to the better for all. That same evening he was murdered by one of the senators who had opposed the decree, but it remained in effect. In the reign of Milatis III the nobility were assigned trade monopolies as a way of distributing the income generated from the re-conquered lands. Naturally, the emperor himself decided who were eligible for such monopoly. In the long run, Pandese traders exported more than they imported. That was good for the state of Pandese craftsmanship, but the Pandese got used to doing without items they didn't produce themselves. This applies to magic items in particular. But the Pandese Empire could not do without everything, and as the League of Cityports produced ships, paper and glass wares of a fine quality, the situation vis-a-vis the League became untenable by the end of the 9th century. So in 902, Belizar IV allowed Taunenfels, Ollyway and Hest to exchange denarii for compass roses at special shops (4 denarii for 3 compass roses, or 2 roses for 3 denarii). This arrangement greatly increased the trade between the League and the Empire and contributed to the secession of Nordacria, as the ties between the northern and southern cityports were weakened. Recently, during the siege of Taunenfels, Hardaukar III gave the privilege of exchanging denarii for compass roses to the town of Sersch, for the time being until 1120.

(The) Pandese Empire. Maps V, VI, IX and X. Population: 17.2 million. Sometimes called Pandesa. The largest realm of Bandagora located in southern Belandria and Dacria. In addition, Pelosi, Norsa, Italbar and other islands are Pandese. The Pandese cities number the capital Pandesa and Hardor, Plendor, Sleet, and Hest. The Pandese is a highly civilized country with a strong tradition of stable social order. The aristocracy are privileged but also have many duties that endanger their lives. Note that though the raising and maintenance of armies is done by the central government, it is natural for the aristocrats to become officers in the imperial army. And per Pandese tradition, a commander leads his troops from the front line, not from the rear. The Pandese have a strong sense of nationality, honor and loyalty, things they see as closely related to their view of the gods. Enki has ever been the dominant deity of the Empire, although other gods, most recently Lilith, have been more influential for short periods of time. The intricate social order, where each knows his place and displays this knowledge by discreet signs such as correct form of address, can make the Pandese appear haughty and condescending to foreigners. A servant who waits on nobleman from another country will do as he is ordered, but will be hard pressed not to show signs of his wonder that one can be a noble without knowing the basics of civilized speech. Though hardly the only reason, a partial explanation is that the Empire has had a history of being surrounded by hostile barbarians. Two related languages are spoken in the Pandese Empire: Dinors and Dacrian, the border between the two languages lies roughly to the west of Hardor. Among the aristocracy mastering both languages is natural, and aristocrats often test the mettle of any upstarts by switching between the two languages during conversation.
The Imperial succession is limited to ten families and the Pendragon knights. When an emperor dies, the throne is offered first to the family of the deceased, then to the other families ranked by the shortest time of absence from the throne and finally to the Pendragon knights. Women may rule as well as men, but all must qualify by defeating three different gladiators in the public arena. They may lose any number of times. Currently, the Fachan house ranks first by virtue of Hardaukar's rule, then come the houses (in that order) Sunobon, Atlida, Cato, Romus, and Vega - all of which have had the head of their house rule the Empire at least once. Then come houses (also in order) Telemis, Revar, Ecto, and Orega. At the moment, House Fachan does not have another candidate for the throne. Hardaukar's nephew, Sardis, does have one victory in the arena, but he was sorely defeated in 1114 and has not made another attempt since then. In the event that Hardaukar dies before one of his own sons qualifies (even if the oldest son, Nikopol, repeats his father's remarkable feat and makes his third win at the tender age of 14, this won't happen until 1125), the three-tined crown will then be offered Comilis, head of House Sunobon. If he refuses, it then passes to Verdis Atlida. Only two women have ever qualified for rule, of which only Yolande was made ruling empress. The unlikely clause that a Pendragon knight can be emperor has been invoked once, when the Empire was on its knees, and war had depleted the ranks of the Imperial families (see Nikopol I).
History: The Empire consider its history to start with the founding of Pandesa as a Dacrian colony. The precise date is a bone of contention among Pandese historians, but most argue that the city was founded -152, three years prior to the founding of Hardor. In -24 Pandesa seceded from Dacria, and grew to be a large kingdom in the course of the next centuries, with colonies on Osbane. But in 419 Pandesa lost its Osbantine possessions to Ontaine, and in 442 a civil war broke out. At the peace in 445 the nation was divided into two parts: Pandesa and Norsala. This division lasted until 517, when Zagyath had conquered all of the larger Dacrian cities except Hardor. Pandesa, Norsala and the Dacrian Union then founded the Pandese Empire making the Pandesan royal family the new Pandese Imperial family and making the priest king of Hardor second in command (see Pontifex Maximus). At this time the Pendragon order was made an Imperial order. Though unable to hinder the fall of Hardor in 519, the Empire had finally regained Dacria form Zagyath by 527. Then 30 years of peace followed, but in 557 Ontaine invaded the western part of the Empire, not stopping before they had reached the base of Eubonia in 563. The Pandese had not enough strength to attempt to regain the lost lands, and simply had to suffer the loss. In 631 the Iluvar invaded Dacria and had conquered most of it by 634, leaving Hardor and Plendor untouched. Ontaine renewed its attacks in 651, and in 655 they reached the lines of the Iluvar near Hardor. Then they turned back to Eubonia besieging and finally taking Pandesa in 673. At that time, all that remained of the Empire was Hardor, Plendor, Norsa and Italbar. If the Ontainians had really made an effort, they would have destroyed the Pandese Empire. A lost chance many Ontainians bemoan today. Instead the tide of war turned. Ghorgis had died in 661, and without the drive of an ambitious ruler, the Iluvar slowly returned to being what they were to begin with, nomads. The Pandese did not dare to declare war before 732, but then the campaign was successful, and by 740 the Iluvar had been driven out of Dacria. In the meantime two events had shaken Ontaine, firstly the Dark Stallion, secondly the Kangrisorn Prophecy. These two events in combination made Ontainians emigrate to the north in droves, leaving those who stayed arguing about who was in command. When the Ontainian civil war broke out in 753, the Empire had prepared, and by 755 Pandesa was reconquered. The next 200 years the Empire gradually regained its lost territories. In 970 the Pandese Empire and Ontaine made what Penboyn called an "unholy alliance". The Pandese assisted Ontaine in the Kangrisorn Wars in return for land. In 973 the Pandese was given the territory within 50 miles southwest of Brangalynn, included Telluria. This made the Empire the enemy of many, notably Penboyn, and in 1035 the Empire changed sides again with the Treaty of Vintendra. In the ensuing war, they conquered Pelosi from Ontaine. In 1073 the Empire attacked Nordacria and conquered Ollyway and Hest. Ollyway rebelled repeatedly, however, causing the death of Milatis VI in 1099. This made way for Hardaukar III, who gave Ollyway back to Nordacria at the peace in 1108. Despite the peace with Nordacria, Hardaukar appears an aggressive emperor who surprisingly took the Kirrlar Pass in 1105. The expected grand scale war with Ontaine has yet to come.
Legal system. See also thePandese Senate. In the Pandese Empire all are considered equal by the law. All crimes are assessed by the local proctor (a kind of sheriff), and his ruling is imparted immediately upon reviewing all relevant facts. The goal of such judgment is to undo any damage to the victim, and if this is impossible, then to punish the perpetrator by doing equal damage to him. If the damage is monetary, short or long time slavery is a common punishment. If no one else demands the services of a convict, the Zarunese sulfur mines are always in need of workers. Note that the above means that killing a slave is punishable by death, at least in principle.
There are three exceptions to the above. One is sacrilege, where the punishment is meted out by the desecrated temple or temple of the appropriate god. Another is trial by combat where the suspect may absolve himself by defeating a Pendragon knight (preferably) or a kaerl ungar officer (usually). This possibility is mostly employed in connection with crimes of passion, most crimes are not eligible for trial in this fashion. The final and most common exception is the court trial, in which the accused pays for the full legal proceedings including a professional judge and an impartial jury in the nearest city or large town. The judge and jury are appointed by the city governor or town burgomaster. In these cases the accused often gets off with compensating the victim financially and paying a fine to the city. It is standard procedure unless protested by the victim's side. This means that a nobleman in the countryside can kill a slave and suffer nothing but a huge fine, either because the murdered has no one to speak his case, or the relatives prefers the money.
The use of "uncontrolled" magic is forbidden in the Pandese Empire. Uncontrolled magic is either obvious energy discharges or attempts at influencing the mind. The punishment is forced enrollment in the Pandese army. The minimum sentence is one year, more if someone got hurt.

The Pandese Senate. The Pandese Senate serve both as the Pandese government and the Empire’s legislative body. The holders of certain offices become senators upon retirement, if they have held the office in question for at least five years without scandal. The emperor appoints all such office-holders, but unless the emperor is unusually long-lived, most senators at given time will owe their seat to a previous emperor. For this reason, the Senate is thought to be a force of continuity and stability. Apart from that, the rationale behind the Senate is to put to good use the wisdom and experience of the nation’s leaders.
The emperor rules in all matters that are concerned with the safety of the Empire, mostly in military or foreign affairs. All other matters are dealt with in the Senate. Exactly what category a given decree falls into is often debatable. For this reason it is customary for an emperor to have his proposals validated by the Senate. If the emperor’s motion is voted down, he can insist on issuing a decree just the same. If so, the priests of Enki are consulted. If they judge that the decree is solely within the emperor’s jurisdiction, the decree is upheld. If they deem it is totally without, it falls. In principle, as emperors obviously consult the priests before issuing the decrees. If they deem it to be a borderline case, the Senate is asked again. If the Senate vote against the decree with a two-thirds majority, it is then suspended for a full year. If, when a year has passed, the emperor still lives, the decree is sanctioned. If the emperor has died, it falls. The most famous example of this happening was when Emperor Testudis, whose decrees was repeatedly opposed in the Senate, decreed that every soldier who marched with him should be rewarded roughly half a tun of gold. He knew that the Senate would oppose the proposal simply because the Empire could not afford paying off more than 15,000 men. Testudis then hoped that he would be popular among the soldiers while the Senate lost its support. Indeed, the Senate blocked the decree. When more than half of the year’s moratorium had passed, the Iluvar invaded. For a time Testudis stalled, but finally he met the invaders in battle, and died ingloriously before the year was up.
Eligible offices are the governship of either a province or a city, or all military ranks above legion commander, and admiral. In addition to these offices, there are three ceremonial offices, all of which were invented during the ‘lean’ years of the Empire, when the nation controlled too few provinces to comply with the constitutional right of the nine Imperial houses not in possession of the throne to have a person in a ‘senatorial’ office. The offices are censor, aedil, and master of ceremony. These offices, especially the two latter, are often considered bogus titles for two reasons. The first reason is that the offices are funded by the persons themselves, whereas most other offices can be quite lucrative. The other reason is that the sphere of influence is limited to Hardor. The censor takes census in all of the Empire, but delegates public work in Hardor only. The aedil ensures that the public is supplied with public spectacle in a sober and godsfearing manner. He also keeps the peace, and maintains a small force of men to this end. The master of ceremony is charged with entertaining foreign envoys when they visit Hardor.
In all cases, the office holder must prove himself worthy. The traditional trial period is three years (known as the test of the thousand days). An incompetent governor is expected to reckonize his failure and resign voluntarily. In one case, the farce of political constructs rises to a level of absurdity unrivaled anywhere else. For various reasons the Pandese Empire declared war on Zagyath, the empire’s smaller barbarian neighbor. Since then, the war effort has proven absolutely untenable, and so the Empire has sent numerous envoys to Zagyath to negotiate the terms of peace. However, since the Zagy have no central government, no agreement was ever reached. Which would mean that the two nations are still at war. Instead, after reviewing the ever increasing loss of men in return for the gaining of small tracts of worthless territory, the Senate ruled that Zagyath had indeed been conquered, being now the Imperial province of Ishendekel. However, the gubernatorial duties of the poor fellow assigned to this province are not pleasant, as the province is in a constant state of rebellion, and whoever is governor must resign after three years commanding a fort on the River Belse, since he – predictably - has failed to quell the permanent state of unrest.

Pavian. Map IX-nw. Port city on Osbane. Pavian is located in eastern Osbant and has about thirty thousand citizens.

(The) Paw. Map VIII-ne. Distinctively shaped peninsula located between the Inner Sea and the Bay of Hadriel. At the southeastern tip of the Paw near Osvine only 10 miles of water separate it from Osbane (Damilonia).

Pellan. The language spoken in Azantir.

(The) Pellan Empire. Empire located in Pellas 294 to 1075, initially encompassing Grone and present-day Rovia. Sometimes referred to as Pellas.Azantir can be argued to be a restoration of the empire.

Pellas. Map VII-sw.1: The subcontinent southwest of the Ragged Mountains. 2: The Pellan Empire. 3: In older texts the areas Pellas (1) and Grone (2).

Pellos. Map VII-sse (or VIII-nw) A Rovian city on the Grone border. People from both countries go to market in Pellos. Fifty thousand people inhabit Pellos.

Penboyn. Maps II-s and V. Population: 4.4 million. Map of Penboyn. Kingdom controlling Suadan, the north coast of Belandria and a number of islands in the Inner Sea, among those Beradir, Akunar, Bahiri and Sendiri. The capital is Latislav, and Kangrisorn, Vintendra and Losada are Penboynian too. Penboynians are known to be friendly but firm. They regard law and order highly and pride themselves in their principles of knighthood and nobility. To become a Penboynian knight it is not enough to be noble, but one must deserve it (cf. the Brotherhood of Doom). In many respects Penboyn is the leading nation around the Inner Sea, and accordingly the Penboynians demand respect from its neighbors. The kingdom has established the Kangrisorn Guard to ensure that everyone, including Ontainians, who wish to pray to their god at Kangrisorn, may do so.
The king of Penboyn is Shaun Duneval IV, and Vahaun is the dominant deity of the country.
History: The history of Penboyn traditionally starts in 127, but may be said to have begun both earlier and later. Later because the name Penboyn is thought to be much younger, earlier because Penboyn more than any other country carries the legacy of the Third Empire. Penboyn does consider itself one of the Successor States. Around the year 120, Suana was invaded by an alliance of barbarians probably of Belandrian origin, and nomads from eastern Bandagora. In 125 the alliance sacked Suada, and the Suadan Empire surrendered soon after. At the time, the country was still known as Suana or Suadan, and the barbarians merely seemed to be the new ruling class on top of the old order. Circa 145 a minor uprising resulted in King Randu's purge of the nomads that still wanted to keep on the move. These nomads were to a small extent replaced by immigrant from present-day Falandria. The new kings had recurring problems making the country stay in one piece. The Imperial Suadan knight had been a wealthy land owner, who took care of his own local region with regards to law and order, art, temples and infrastructure. Opposed to that the new barbarian war caste felt only one obligation, to endanger their lives in times of war. King after king tried in vain to bestow responsibilities upon the war caste in times of peace. King Landau the Great partially solved the problem around 300. He took advantage of the dissolution of the Island Concord to wage a naval war on numerous minor islands. After having conquered an island, the warlords were not returned to shore before they swore to behave like nobility modeled after the Salaqi feudal principles. Though basically successful, the reform of Landau needed many battles to take full effect. For a century and a half, civil war constantly threatened to break out, meanwhile the kings reinstated most of the institutions dating back from the time of the Third Empire. The present order was finally affirmed by Celimesh III around 467, here the name Penboyn is used, some say for the first time, and claim that the name is inspired by Pendragon, the legendary Pandesan knight. Before Celimesh III's reign his elder brother Stephan the Unready had dealt the war caste a mortal blow by his blundering invasion of  Servania. From 560 to 660 Penboyn was overrun twice. First and least by vikings, later and much more devastatingly by the Iluvar. To counter similar events in the future, Penboyn developed a defensive strategy that meant surrounding itself by outlying duchies, and then be ready to come to the assistance of those duchies. Hardnit, Sharuna, Donara and Vesland were buffer zones seen from Penboyn. Some historians feel that Penboyn has a right to see themselves as the battlefield of Bandagora, at least Suadan and Kangrisorn in particular have seen battles crucial to the future of not just Penboyn, but all the countries around the Inner Sea (see. the Nomad Invasions, the Kangrisorn Wars or the Troll Wars). The four areas are independent kingdoms today, and all have strong ties to Penboyn. Present-day Penboyn relies not so much upon obedience as upon respect from these countries and the other countries surrounding the Inner Sea.
Legal system. In Penboyn only the noble are protected by the laws. In each shire the local noble reigns supreme, only responsible to the king. This responsibility primarily concerns keeping law and order and maintaining an armed force. Procedures may vary greatly from place to place, but as a whole Penboynian nobles are considered just. If a noble commits a crime against another noble, he is entitled "judgment by his peers", that is a trial with a jury made up by other nobles. If a woman (noble or common) is accused of a serious by a man, she has the right to "trial by champion", that is to find someone who will duel the accuser. The outcome of the duel determines her guilt.

(The) Pendragon Order. Famous Pandese order of chivalry, in which each knight are titled after a type of dragon, such as Red Dragon or Gold Dragon. Only one of each knight can exist at one time, and an accolade is only given following the death or retirement of a knight. Pendragon was a Pandesan hero, living approximately from -50 to 0. He was famous for his endeavor to liberate Pandesa from Dacria. The story of Pendragon tells us that he won the friendship of a silver dragon, and did many heroic feats accompanied by it. When his death was approaching, he called upon the dragon and asked it to guard his shield and sword, until such time as they were needed once more. In 444 a civil war ravaged Pandesa, and a knight called Talleren was visited by the dragon asking him to take the shield and sword of Pendragon and use them for the good of Pandesa once more. Talleren founded the Pendragon order in 448, and it was incorporated in the Imperial constitution in 517, when the Pandese Empire was declared. At that time the title of Platinum Dragon, serving both as an honorary title for the emperor and making him grand master of the order. Accordingly Hardaukar III is the current grand master of the order. When Pandesa was reconquered in 755 it was decided to make the Gold Dragon dedicated to the defense of Pandesa. In addition, a tradition that the Blue Dragon serves as the guardian of the Imperial family has developed. Associated the order, a "Yellow Dragon" serves as the chief of Imperial intelligence. Not a true knight, he is allowed to lie and perform dishonest acts, but he must always wear a yellow garment.

Perdigor. Map IV (VII-ne). River rising from the Dagdor Massif running through the Great Forest and falls into the Bay of Hadriel at Ployd.

Perlos Quell. Gifted illusionist living in Stavalot.

Plendor. Map X-sw. A city of the Pandese Empire. About fifty thousand citizens inhabit Plendor.

Ployd. Map IV-sse. The capital of Salakand. Ployd was founded some centuries before the common calendar and lies at the mouth of  Perdigor by the Bay of Hadriel. Ployd rebelled in 1098 but was stormed in 1101. Ployd is a friendly city with polite citizens. Between sixty and seventy thousand souls inhabits Ployd.

Plutus. The god of wealth. His priests view Plutus as the only god seeking to realize the potential of man. A man has a multitude of possible choices, but fear bars him from taking advantage of most of them, instead chaining him the station he was born, to his native customs. To free man from the chains of tradition, Plutus has given man the gift of greed. A man driven by greed may seem inconsiderate, even selfish or evil, but he works, he contributes to the common good of man by creating goods and valuables. To a worshiper of Plutus the ideal is the ruthless and daring merchant, who risks his life to make a tremendous profit. It is a simplification to say that Plutus hates thieves, for under certain circumstances a thief may receive the blessing of Plutus when he attempts something brave. But to a priest of Plutus, it is very the important that you can keep the money you earn, otherwise it makes little sense to work hard to earn in the first place. So the temple of Plutus often guarantee the safety of money and contracts in return for a small percentage. Many merchant guild halls are inspired with the motto: "Hermes guards the market, Plutus guards the pocket." The meaning is that you sacrifice to Hermes so that you may trade, but sacrifice to Plutus so that you may keep your profit. Plutus is also the god of dragons. According to the gospel of Plutus, on one hand dragons are fantastic beings that deserve respect, but on the other they are the legitimate targets of ambitious adventurers who wish to steal their treasure. The dragon's hoard is both a symbol of the dragon's power and a great amount of gold that is best recirculated to create more wealth. Plutus is a great god in the League of Cityports. In the League it is common to form business companies owned by shareholders if the endeavor is dangerous, such as an expedition to an uncharted location. Such companies usually insure themselves in the Plutus temple by donating one or more shares.
Holy day: November 21st in Elsemore. Symbols: Golden egg, dragon, en purse full of coins - often in a hand, sometimes scales with a small dragon head in the middle (a pun of scales, not to be confused for a symbol of Enki)

Politorn I. Marentian Autarch 505-534. A competent army commander, who lead Kartria to victory in the War of Wizardry. Politorn's last act as a leader was to conquer Servania in 533, and this time is considered the zenith of the first golden age of Kartria.

Politorn II. Marentian Autarch 1080-1085.

Pontifex Maximus (or commonly referred to as the priest king). Pandese title, whose bearer is second in command of the Pandese Empire and rules Hardor. In addition, the pontifex is the master of ceremony of all major Pandese state gatherings. The title dates back from the founding of Hardor in -155 and has always belonged to the Vega family. The family policy is to adopt promising candidates. When the Pandese Empire was founded in 517, its senate was placed in Hardor and the pontifex assigned the duty of issuing summons. The current priest king is Silandis.

(The) Pope. See Honorius and Trinity Church.

Port Elisabeth. Map VIII-e. Independent port town in southwestern Osbane. Port Elisabeth was founded by Elisabeth Melekit in 888 as a beachhead for the exploration of inland Osbant and the Boiling Sea. Instead the town developed into a nest of piracy and smuggling. The town formally became Osbantine in 1049, but the locals have paid the transfer no heed.

Prometheus. The god of friendship, courage and challenge. God of adventurers and adventure and of a second chance. Prometheus is a young deity seeking a place among the established gods. The creed of Prometheus is not known in details, as there is no real priesthood. Draco Lich is the only known champion of Prometheus. The fundamental gospel seems to be that everything is possible if you dare. Every human holds within itself immense potential waiting to be realized. One should not accept injustice, and if you do not have the strength to change things right away, then the gods have made it possible to achieve something outside society. Any man or woman brave enough can form his or her destiny through adventure. In this way you can change society for the better  if you break out and do wondrous acts. Monsters and violent forces of nature are not punishments from the gods, they are gifts from the gods to ambitious men. In the course of adventure, friendships are tried and forged many times over. In that way the freed man is re-united with his fellow men, but in a voluntary fashion based on equality mutual interdependence. No real Prometheus temples are known, but a number of inns and taverns have patrons who get together in Prometheus' honor to tell each other tales of their exploits. 
No holy day is known. Symbol: A man and a woman fighting a (red?) dragon on top of a mountain (the use of such a complicated symbol vouches for the diminutive size of the congregation). See Draco's Home Page.

(The) Pure Flame. Rumored to be an order whose members search for artifacts and other powerful items. The exact purpose of the order is unknown.

Purgatory. An order whose members believe that Bandagora, perhaps even Eustasia, is threatened by demons taking power. The order tries to keep this from happening.

(The) Pyramid. Map IX-w. Mythical building in the jungle of Osbane. There is little real knowledge of the place, but historical sources indicate that the founder of the Sun Lands left the Golden Man there. See wwww.

Rafael. Wizard. Runner-up in the Adventurers' Guild contest of 1114. Recent information seems to suggest that he is indeed identical to the member of the Nine known for his expert knowledge of magical books.

(The) Ragged Mountains. Maps VII and VIII. The mountain range separating Grone from Pellas.

Randaria. 1. Map IV-e. The region surrounding Lisuart. 2. Kingdom circa -192 to 253 east of El-Ya including the coastal strip from Lisuart in the north to present-day Trebora in the south. Randaria was a province of Third Empire and after the fall Randaria joined the Island Concord. When the Concord was dissolved, the kingdom fell apart and Lisuart allied itself with Forklon. Randaria was revived as a Kartrian province 631-640, and Kartrian still use Randaria as a synonym of Salakand.

Randriskag. Thief and murderer who terrorized Chivenor in 1102.

Raskal. Warrior from Balvine. The winner of the Adventurers' Guild contest 1114.

(The) Ratsgar Massif. The great massif in southeastern Bandagora. The dwarven kingdom of Dvorkazad is located there, but so are many orc realms, and the area is considered unsafe.

(The) Red Mark of the Monarch. Magic amulet able to protect regents. Rumored to be worn by Queen Susannah.

(The) Regentop Mountains. Map II-se. The range separating Donara and Penboyn.

Rehrmis Falls. Map VI-wnw. Waterfall at the base of the Brossi Mountains sending water into the Lake Eidolon close to Baldazzarak.

Rekesvint. Map V-sse. The capital of Ontaine. It is not a large city as the Ontainians are semi-nomadic. A population of twenty-five thousand is considered a reasonable guess.

Rel Vega. Pandese emperor 588-595.

Remenesh Turvalmor. Elf rumored to have proclaimed himself "Keeper of the Heart". He supposedly guards the Heart of Darkness in his fort in the Ragged Mountains.

Renegade. Kartrian traitor who has abused his knowledge of wizardry and so must die. To be named as a renegade means being sentenced to death in absentia. Only Kartrian wizards of a certain magnitude are "worthy" of being renegades. The three most famous are Ogonjok, Kril Shandor and Brensor Khan. It is ironic that the most famous of the renegades suggested the term himself. At the time, Ogonjok called himself Kristeyn Ort, and when Kril Shandor left Kartria taking with him many secrets of illusionist magic, he proposed that Kril be named a renegade, and subsequently found and executed. Celestian I still hoped for Kril's return and rejected the idea. When Ashanar I succeeded Celestian, Kristeyn had left Kartria himself leaving a bloody trail. Ashanar wasted no time instating the term and made Kril the first and Kristeyn the second renegade. About sixty renegades have been named in the history of Kartria.

Rexamir's Anatomical Institute. Illegal institute rumored to exist in Crimloyd. The purpose of the institute is reputedly to uncover knowledge of human anatomy by conducting experiments on natives from the Osbantine jungle.

Rhain. Possibly name of the warrior leading the Salaqi attack on Rovian June 1113.

Ridjon VII Tarnlas. King of Salakand 1031-1044. Through his daughter Shandra the founder of the Tarnlas dynasty.

Ridjon VIII Tarnlas. King of Salakand 1059-1091. Ridjon VIII died from tuberculosis during the siege of Rovian in the war 1087-1093.

Ridjon IX Tarnlas. King of Salakand 1091-1113. His death was caused by a meteor swarm over Ployd attributed Ortazal.

Rig Certes. An old mercenary.

(The) Ring of Madness (Fane's ring). This Black Ring is believed to have been given the king of the great apes after the creation of the Sun. The ape kings did not guard the Ring very well, since the apes didn't mind the Sun, as it made the fruits on the trees taste sweet. So one of the ape wizards was allowed to use the Ring and examine its magic. But like most apes, the ape wizard had little understanding of magic, and all he achieved was to be possessed by a demon, called Fane the Mad by sages. Fane knew how to release the powers of the Ring, but he was mad, totally insane. Fane ruled the great apes, and the apes lost their minds. Heroes succeeded in stealing the Ring and Fane was banished from Middle Earth. But in the last days of the First Empire one of the emperor's counselors attempted to use the Ring against the enemies of the empire. Whether this slowed or hastened the fall of the empire is unknown, but Fane returned to Middle Earth and the Ring disappeared. The Ring of Madness turned up recently in the Ring Saga when Baltax presumably used the Ring to scare the citizens of two cities witless.

(The) Ring Saga. The events leading to the destruction of the Black Ring 1110. The Ring Saga may be seen as a chain of adventures starting in 1102, but long before that the Thoth priesthood had set up a list of nine portents, all to be fulfilled if one of the Black Rings could be destroyed without hurling the Anti-Sun into the Sun.The nine portents were:
1. An ancient empire shall crumble from within (fulfilled 1075 when the Pellan Empire turned into the New Sun Lands.
2. In three years three brothers shall succeed each other in an old empire (fulfilled 1097-1099 in the Pandese Empire).
3. But a tower shall remain of a kingdom. (fulfilled 1101 with the siege of Taunenfels).
4. A king of priests shall be crowned (fulfilled 1102 at the instatement of the Pope).
5. A new and yet old kingdom shall arise (fulfilled 1103 at the declaration of the kingdom of Hardnit).
6. Two un-men shall come from no man's land (probably Finduil (ca. 1104) and Hippoleia (1102)).
7. The tiles of the demon shall return to their place of origin (Fane's tiles were replaced June 1st 1105).
8. The Horn of Heimdal shall sound (that happened August 13th 1105).
9. The pages of the Book of Enchantments shall be draped in light and shadow (it could mean the Book was read, though no details are known, the portent must have been fulfilled).
The meaning of these portents were not really understood before late 1103, quite some time after the hunt for the "tiles of the demon" had begun. The stories are many, and involves agents of the Pandese Empire, Kartria, the New Sun Lands, the Black Ring, the Sif priesthood and many others. The details are to numerous to be recounted, but let it be said that though Green Dragon LXVI did play a major part, in the end a party numbering Arno, Helena, Hippoleia, Kernla, Kisling, Markus, Mathias and Tarkin found the tiles. In the meantime, Finduil had appeared from nowhere, and though no one really knew what or who he was, everybody seemed to agree he was crucial to the outcome. Accordingly, Finduil was kidnapped several times, but was recovered every time. With Finduil along, Arno, Helena, Hippoleia, Kernla (he died along the way, but was raised later), Kisling, Legolas, Markus, Mathias and Tarkin succeeded in finding the Ring of Madness on Kartria. The finding of the Ring of Madness brought about a summit in Enders involving many heads of state to decide what should be done with the Ring. Arno and Mathias took the matter into their own hands and gave the Ring to Baltax. Baltax used the Ring to effectively bring an end to the New Sun Lands Crusade but also caused the temporary destruction of the Ring (and himself). The Ring of Madness was crushed and by all accounts this should have begun the dying of the Sun, at least no omens had told of the last portent being fulfilled. But Heimdal intervened and sacrificed Himself to gain time and postpone the consequences of the Ring's destruction. As far as this can be understood by mortals, sages believe that Heimdal's divine being took hold of the fragments of the former Ring, keeping it together but at the same time depriving Him of any contact with His followers, a cause of great consternation of his priests, whose spell powers were not renewed. At this time despair ruled, especially since the omens had shown that the Black Ring, not the Ring of Madness, should have been destroyed. Slowly an unlikely plan began to emerge. Somebody should steal the Black Ring, presumably resting on the hand of Ogonjok in the Tower of the Dead, and bring it close to the remains of the Ring of Madness. If that could be accomplished, though none knew the whereabouts of the fragments of the Ring, then Finduil in some mysterious way replace the two, destroying the Black Ring and repairing the Ring of Madness. The first part of the plan, the stealing of the Black Ring, was performed by Helena, Hippoleia and Tarkin assisted by Mathias and Skanderbeg. Hippoleia died after killing Ogonjok. She could not be raised, but the Ring was procured. Still the Rings was to be brought together, and it was discovered that the fragments of the Ring of Madness were hidden in a shadowy pocket dimension, Nightlands, only accessible through the Temple of Darkness. Several expeditions were needed to find the fragments, but early 1110 Artagel, Artemisia, Deckert, Finduil, Gaar, Hardaukar, Helena, Kernla, Krohm, Lastard, Pandarr, Rogazar, Silandis, Skanderbeg, Tarkin and Yondemar entered the Temple of Darkness for the last time. The details are not known, but it is told that Finduil, Gaar, Lastard, Tarkin and Yondemar faced  the drow Azemilk in the final battle. Azemilk, a formidable warrior, attacked Finduil, but with the assistance of the others, Finduil defeated him and completed the mission, as the "king" Azemilk carried the fragments of the Ring of Madness. Somehow the group made it back to the besieged Kangrisorn. But the happy conclusion to the Ring Saga turned out to be the beginning of the end to the Troll Wars, and the siege of Kangrisorn was soon lifted.

Rit-Kilaan. See The High Lands.

Roland. A sage and wizard currently living in Enkisborg. Rumored to be a member of the Nine.

(The) Rose, perhaps the 'White Rose'. The name of highly secretive organization. Of this secret society nothing but the name is known.

Rovia. Maps IV, VIII; IX (and VII). Population: 2.3 million. A kingdom in western Bandagora. The main part is located between the Bay of Hadriel and the Ragged Mountains, in addition Damilonia on Osbane is Rovian. Rovia's largest cities are the capital Rovian and Pellos, both located by the Bay of Hadriel. Rovia is known for its worship of Selene, a fact that reinforces the idea of Rovians as being inscrutable and unpredictable. Like Grone, Rovia emerged from the Pellan Empire at the partition in 686. Grone, Rovia and Azantir are to this day bound by a common pact, and the military assistance given by Grone and Rovia to the exiled emperor Alexius were in accordance with this pact. In 1042 the Rovian king of the Melekit family died. The circumstances of his death led to a civil war, making the widowed queen withdraw initially to Damilonia, later as an exile to Grone, where her daughter was queen. Though the queen widow seemed unable to win in the field, her son Simon challenged the victor of the civil war, King Kawflen, to an "ennead" Kawflen hesitated, but accepted the ennead in 1086 and lost. So Simon Melekit was king, but died in the war against Salakand in 1088, and his three children Peter, Michael and Susannah were mere infants. So general Tiarz was crowned. In 1108 Tiarz accepted an ennead against Peter Melekit, but Peter was killed by demons as it seemed he was about to win the ennead. Susannah challenged Tiarz in 1111 and won the throne.
Legal system. The Rovian legal system is basically identical to the Grone, with the exception that Selene is the most important deity. This means that the dreams of priests, suspects, and witnesses are considered very important evidence. The royal succession and conflicts among nobles are often resolved by a special kind of duel, called the ennead. The winner possesses the favor of the gods.

Rovian. 1: Map IV-sw (or VII-ene).  The capital of the kingdom of Rovia. Rovian is a major port city by the Moon Bay. About sixty thousand inhabit. Rovian is governed by a 19-member city council. 2: The language spoken in Grone and Rovia.

Runa. 1: Map II-sse. Town in Falandria in the river delta between Felendar and Smulten. 2: Falandrian duchy with Runa as its capital (see Sharuna).

Rune Magic. A non-standard branch of magic. Rune magic differs from standard magic by the fact that all spells are invested in a physical object inscribed by a rune. This is done by long (compared to standard magic) ritual and means that all rune magic in effect results in magical items, typically usable once, but sometimes permanent. To activate the magic, the rune is invoked. This makes rune magic less cost efficient than standard magic, as this corresponds to a standard mage manufacturing a potion of flying in order to fly. On the other hand, the ritual nature of rune magic allows many rune wizards to work in concert in the making of a certain rune, thus rune magic has a much greater potential for power. Rune mages are believed to ideally live in closed communities (conclaves), but currently no conclave is known to exist. The last documented conclave existed somewhere on the Nomad Plain. Founded deep in Iluvar territory, its existence became widely known in the 8th century, and perished around 800. Sages disagree whether the conclave dissolved itself when the individual ambitions of the conclave wizards could not be met or whether the Kartrians destroyed them as the collective nature of rune magic represented a threat to the Kartrian doctrine of power as the responsibility of the individual.

Rupert VI (sometimes spelled Robert). The king of Salakand 792-808.

Rupert VII. The king of Salakand 879-882.

Rupert VIII Tarnlas. Salakand's current king since 1119.

Salakand. Maps IV, V (and VII) (the shire of Salmynia I-e). Population: 3.6 million. Bandagora's oldest feudal kingdom in and to the south of the Great Forest with coasts facing the Inner Sea and the Bay of Hadriel. Salaqi territory includes a few islands in the Inner Sea, most notable the prison island Dorkis. Salakand borders on Rovia, the Arhana elves, El-Ya and Eyronia. The capital is Ployd, and the second largest city is Lisuart.
History: Salakand was founded in 103 by dissidents from the Sun Lands with the capital Brin Lebin. In 135 Ployd joined Salakand, and the city was made capital 257. Brin Lebin was sacked by the Thungali in 292 and is insignificant today. In 356 Forklon and Lisuart became part of Salakand. Salakand has never gained territory through wars of expansion, but has grown by absorbing neighbors. This was due to its constitution, that, inspired by the Island Concord, defined the country more or less as a defensive alliance. According to the constitution, the king is weak in times of peace, and strong in times of war. In peaceful times, the king (rex) was merely the greatest noble. He only ruled the land in his personal demesne and had no jurisdiction elsewhere. This made Salakand a country allowing different cultures and types of government to co-exist. If at least every tenth among the heads of nobility agreed that war was impending, the king (dux) was given almost absolute power to lead the country in war. This dual role of the king meant that Salakand was able to defend itself effectively, but the army was not the personal tool of the king. this constitution remained a success for over 800 years, and Salakand can be said to have pioneered the feudal system copied by most other states. Historians have pondered how a country split in two by the Great Forest could remain a single unit. But Salakand has been one of the most stable nations in Bandagoran history. Though not formally revoked, the constitution has been disabled by the so-called Two Hundred Years War, making the king a permanent dictator. Salakand has become a more centrally governed state. Paradoxically, this has made the interior and less settled parts of the country more autonomous. No cartographer would swear by Ormazda that he knew the exact outline of the Salaqi border. The king's attention has been turned to the populated coastal parts of Salakand. The cities and the coastal strips are well regulated, and the local populace shows healthy respect for law enforcement. Another effect of the Two Hundred Years War has been an increasing dislike of elves. In the early history of Salakand, the Great Forest was a symbol of freedom. The freedom to leave whatever oppressed you and settle in the Forest on your own. But during the Nomad Invasions and later during the Kangrisorn Wars Salakand's oversea trade increases heavily. The cities grew, and lumber for shipbuilding was in demand. But soon the non-elven parts of the Great Forest seemed remote and inaccessible. Lumbering was easy on the river Perdigor, but the elves would not allow this. And the elves were, at least when in the Forest, far better warriors than the Salaqi. So the Salaqi felt walled in and humiliated by the elves. In the 11th century a rumor spread that the elves had caused Perdigor to flood in 348 to drown Salaqi lumberjacking villages. Rulers of the Tarnlas dynasty established militia units to 'guard' certain area from the elves. There has been no regular war against the elves, perhaps because the elves are strong, perhaps because elves are entitled to live in the Great Forest according to the Salaqi constitution. But newly ennobled officers were given land "not originally part of the Great Forest, but land later grown over with trees".
Legal system. The feudal system of  Salakand is by and large equal to that of Penboyn. In Salakand, as in most other places, the punishment for lese majesty is the death penalty. But here is has been customary that a so-called reliable witness is enough to carry out the sentence. In Salakand torture is an accepted means of obtaining confessions. Everybody involved in a major crime (suspect or not) may expect their statements to be confirmed by torture.

Salaqi. The language spoken in Salakand.

Salomon II. Osbantine king 808-823.

Sandalfon "the Crystalgazer" Kormitz. A seer that uses gemstones as the focus of his visions. His experiments are very expensive, so to fund them he will perform his services without asking too many questions. An "average" consultation costs about 15 gd. Sandalfon lives in Stavalot.

Sardis I. Pandese emperor 712-716. Sardis I is remembered for his draconian measures of quarantine to reduce the effects of the Dark Stallion. Ironically he died from the plague himself after breaking the rules of quarantine during a hunt.

Sardis II. Pandese emperor 736-745. Sardis II completed the re-conquest of Dacria, that Belizar II had begun.

Sardis III. Pandese emperor 1060-1089. Father of Sardis IV, Milatis VI and Hardaukar III. Sardis III killed Silandis' uncle, the pontifex maximus (priest king) of Hardor, in 1072. He conquered Ollyway and Hest from Nordacria in the war 1073-1075.

Sardis IV. Pandese emperor 1089-1097. Sardis IV died in the Kirrlar Pass during a bungled invasion of Ontaine.

Sargyll. Map V-ene. The river that rises in the Regentop Range, runs past Kangrisorn and falls into the Inner Sea.

Second Empire or the Builders. A civilization that existed roughly from 24.000 to 22.000 before the common calendar. The word empire is a later label and today's historians believe that is was rather a common culture. Some prefer describing it as the Builder Culture (apparently the elven phrase), as there were at least four different nations or provinces. The age of the Second Empire is thought to be time that the use of magic became common among men, and most historian attribute the rise of the Second Empire to the use of magic. Little is known about the culture, and why it disappeared. The few written sources from the time describe the fall of Galvenay, the Belandrian province (or nation). It had a capital, Esmir, in the Black Mountains. Galvenay was the first province to be lost, there were three other provinces, but it seems there were no time for historians to write the story of their own fall. The three other capitals were situated on the Servan Plain near present-day Penhavn, at present-day Dambergard, and in Suadan at present-day Kolonna.

Selene. The goddess of fortune telling and of the Moon. The gospel of Selene is mystical in the sense that the future is unpredictable for mortals, and yet causal and to a large degree predetermined. Mortal can see glimpses of the future by letting the soul dissolve and merge with Selene. Other gods may see the future, but restricted to the field of inquiry, that is, certain events, not the future as a whole. Selene alone is the future, She creates it by Her mere existence. The making of the future is an all-encompassing transcendental act that defies all attempts at understanding. Enki has created small isolated islands of reality, playgrounds suited to man's limited senses. If you out three stones in one scale, and two stones in the other scale, the scales will tip towards the three stones, if they are of equal weight. Infallible as this kind of logical counting of stones may appear, it is useless when the world is made up of an infinite number of interacting ever-changing components, each of which contribute uniquely to the whole, and whose combined effect is far more complicated and dynamic than a mere adding up of the individual contributions. The preachers of Selene are almost exclusively women, and her creed is combined with an emphasis on "female" intuition as opposed to "male" calculation. The exception to this rule is Rovia (and to a certain degree Azantir and Grone), where Selene is seen as a means for everybody to obtain a temporary unification with the cosmos. The Rovian worship of Selene is an integrated part of the legal system, and divine dreams are thought to be exclusively messages from Selene, as opposed to ordinary dreams, which are sent by Morpheus. Outside Rovia (Azantir and Grone), too close a contact with the cosmos is considered dangerous, since man was not made to fathom it. It should be left to the priestesses of Selene, if not, the danger of "lunacy" is overwhelming. The symbolic manifestation of Selene is the Moon, and the nature of the Moon in many ways reflects the nature of Selene. The Moon itself is barren, but is obviously tied to the cycles of nature. It is rhythmic, but not totally predictable. It shines, but is associated with darkness. In "I Remember What Will Be", the priestess Gerdales compares the wonderful and yet frustrating experience of seeing the future but being unable to pass the knowledge on to the light of the Moon: "I saw the future as if by moonlight, bright enough to understand, but too dark to write anything down. All you may have is my memory." Selene's priestesses may see events up to six months into the future, if concerning love or business. Apart from that they are gifted fortune tellers.
Holy days: Every full moon in Rovian. Symbol: Moon, usually a new moon.

Sendiri. Map V-e. Penboynian island in the Inner Sea.

(Emperor) Sertovian. Legendary emperor of the Third Empire from the fifth century before the common calendar. Is attributed the foundation of the academy of Kartria. Following his inauguration, Sertovian ordered all the heroes of the realm to go find the Black Rings. None were recovered, but Karkar returned bringing the Book of Enchantments.

Servan. Map II-sw. The capital of Hardnit and home of thirty thousand souls. Servan was known as a pirate's nest until the end of 1102, without any law but that of the jungle and a market for stolen goods. Today law and order is restored, but the city still bears many scars of its past. Tourists are warned that most of its citizens was taught a trade during the city's years of lawlessness. The first king of Hardnit, Stephan, tried to encourage merchants to settle there. To set an example, he restored the ducal palace and moved there. But in 1105 the city was devastated by mounted dragon, and the king was killed. Since that time, the city never quite recovered, and though he claims the move to be temporary, King Hendrick now keeps state in Enkisborg. Servan is also known for its special two weapon fighting technique, usually practiced with short swords.

Servania. 1: Map II-sw. Shire in southeastern Hardnit. 2: Kingdom roughly the size of Hardnit and Enders added together. Servania is also called the Servan Kingdom. As one of the Successor States is was founded around -187. Its capital was the city of Servan. In 533 Servania was conquered by Marentia.

Shalfae. Stargazer living in a tower at the base of the Arhanas 60 miles northwest of Koira.

Shandra Tarnlas. The queen of Salakand 1044-1059. When her father Ridjon VII died in 1044, she fought a five year three-ways civil war against her sister and mother.

Sharoona Bay. Map III-s. Bay in northeastern Bandagora. Chivenor and Oriester lies at the bay.

Sharuna. Map II-ese. Duchy with capital in Runa nominally Penboynian 641-858. The duchy was founded during Penboyn's retreat in the Nomad Invasions. The idea was to halt the Iluvar's advance by denying them the use of Felendar for transport by raids launched from Runa. But what was meant as a task force operating behind enemy lines was soon reduced to being mere bands of raiders based in Sharuna Forest. This new kind of warfare turned out to be much more viable, however, and by the 680's Sharuna was able to reconquer Runa and act according to the original plan. In the 8th century Sharuna was a rallying center for the viking tribes living in the lands surrounding the Felendar. At the foundation of Falandria in 858, Sharuna was the core of the new country, but because of its affiliation with Penboyn, the Duchy of Sharuna was dissolved and replaced by the present Falandrian Duchy of Runa.

Sharuna Forest. Map II-ese Large forested area bordered by the Felendar and the Smult.

Shayla. Priestess of Inanna originally from Donara. She was high priestess in Kangrisorn, when she conceived the idea of the Trinity Church. She is now cardinaless of the City of Donara. Number ten in the hierarchy of the Trinity Church.

Shendar river basin. Map VI. Forested area run through by many rivers south of the Nomad Plain. The river   Shenanda rises in the Ratsgar Massif and falls into the Bay of Andalak. The area south of Shenanda is populated by the Shendar elves. Some of Shendar is settled by Nordacria, including the colony Busenbar.

Shield and Sword. An order of aging and retired mercenaries.

Shoudreh. An elven outcast. As this concept constitutes an elven taboo, it is only rarely mentioned by elves themselves. When they do, they translate the term to 'a human in an elf's body'. A more literal translation would be 'cut off', 'alone', or 'lost'. It is thought to be something the elf himself in question chooses because he wants to keep his own feelings secret from other elves. The number of shoudrehs is unknown, but is thought to be small. Possible shoudrehs include Fay Targamon, Teshilden, Remenesh Turvalmor, and Augray Minesta. Also Firsyon Aesir, who fell in love with a woman and married her, betraying many elven secrets in the process, is a likely candidate. Most sages consider him entirely fictitious, however.

Shuhl. Infamous knife thrower, originally from Chivenor, now robber baron in the Brossis.

Sidhe or sidh (pronounced shee). One of the old races. The sidhe people are distinguished by being very dissimilar, at least in appearance. They inhabit the woods and forests and are sometimes called sprites, leprechauns, quicklings, or brownies. They are also known as the little people. Believed more to be more mischievous than truly evil, they do not particularly like humans, and should be dealt with very carefully. The only country known to have established any contact to the sidhe is Zagyath. The Elves seem to understand the sidhe, but even the elves do not seem to love them.

Sif. The goddess of combat skill and wisdom. To the worshipers of Sif, the motto "Put it to the test" is basic. All claims that are not obvious must be tried. In Falandria, where She is one of the dominant deities, She is praised for giving Her worshipers the chance of practicing rather than preaching, that is by using the sword. For a viking, a sword is a symbol of freedom, and without freedom, there can be no innovation. She is seen as the goddess of wisdom for She allows no false knowledge. Outside Falandria, this aspect is virtually unknown except for places of higher learning. But Sif is known for Her love of fighting skill, especially sword skill. In times of war She is worshiped by the able warrior, who pray that they will not die because of bad luck or guile. She has a reputation for saving skilled but hopelessly outnumbered warriors from the midst of battle. Those who preach the gospel of Sif are mostly female, the men Sif calls become swordsmen of Sif.
Holy day: June 12th by the mouth of Tirskil near Dambergard.

Sigil. Kartrian educated sage, originally from Zormaras. Councilor of Count Kelvin.

Siktar. Famous duelist of the 10th century. The son of an exceedingly rich merchant from Taunenfels, he had a great talent for fencing. He became famous as the winner of countless duel during Nordacria's war of secession with the League of Cityports. During that period he became the friend of Mordenkainen. When Nordacria had won its freedom he traveled to the lands north of the Inner Sea, where he contributed to the founding of Enders using family money. He settled in Enders, but never stopped adventuring. The exact time of his death is unknown, but thought to be around 970.

Silandis Vega. Pandese Pontifex Maximus. The president of the Adventurers' Guild. He is reckoned one of Bandagora's top five warriors. See npc

Sirian I. Nordacrian king 949-958.

Sirian II. Nordacrian king 1075-1093. Sirian died in battle fighting the principality of Anistar.

Siriet. A female ranger from the Paw. Siriet became famous for finding the Dream Crystal, but is now believed to actually have found the Eye of Loke.

Skandelion. Map I-s.1: A major subterranean network of tunnels, shafts and corridors. Skandelion is located where Perdigor rises from the Dagdor Massif. Skandelion is thought to be a former dwarven realm now deserted for unknown reasons. The name was applied to the underground cave complex by the discoverers wrongly thinking it to be Skandelion (2). See Dvalin's Gate. 2: The legendary re-built capital city of the Third Empire. The legends are thought to be a distortion of the history of Palmyria. Usually Skandelion is located underground with an entrance up in the mountains. In rarer versions Skandelion is a beautiful garden-like city in the midst of an elven realm (such as Lacre-Cai or in the Great Forest). See wwww.

(Duke) Skanderbeg. Duke of the Thungarian March. Famous for his expeditions into the Tower of the Dead and Thraskund. He distinguished himself in the war against the New Sun Lands commanding the so-called High Lands regiment. He participated in the drow expedition in the Ring Saga and is reckoned among the top five warrior in Bandagora.

(The) Skitaura Mountains.Maps I-e and II-nw  A range of mountains going east from the Dagdor Massif. The Skitauras is considered a part of Bandagora's northern boundary.

Skolister. Map III-nw. A port city in the League of Cityports. During the Chinloi Civil War is was allied to Chivenor. Skolister has roughly seventy thousand citizens.

Sleet. Map X-ene. A Pandese port city with about fifty thousand inhabitants. Sleet was founded as a fortified port in 60, a place for Dacrians and their allies to disembark troops and supplies. The fortified city was a rallying point for the Dacrians after the dissolution of the Dacrian theocracy in 305, and the city became de facto capital of the region, a place where all negotiation was done. Sleet led the Dacrian Union founded in 474 as a defense from Zagyath, an alliance that delayed, but did not prevent the Zagy conquest of the city in 513. The Pandese Empire, founded in 517, "reconquered" the Sleet in 527. For the next hundred years the city was an important trade city until the advent of the Nomad Invasions and the Iluvar conquest of Sleet in 631. Following the death of Ghorgis in 661, Sleet developed into a kind of rogue city state mainly supported by piracy, a state that finally ended when Sardis II reclaimed the city for the Pandese Empire in 740.

Slingshot. Warrior and Black Ring member. As the name suggests he employs a sling. He is feared for his bullet enchanted with Mordenkainen's disjunction.

(The) Southern Marches. Principality consisting of Isvespia and Nostenkil 640-880. Originally the Southern Marches was a county in Tulana equal to present-day Nostenkil. But when the Iluvar invaded Tulana in 599 the count was made duke and Isvespia was added to his fief. The Iluvar conquered all except the Southern marches, however, and the duke swore allegiance to the king of Ontaine, who now was liege lord of Nostenkil. Following the Kangrisorn Prophecy of 722, the Southern Marches broke the tie to Ontaine, as the Ontaine barbarian tribes plundered Nostenkil on their way north regardless, the former duke now being titled prince.. In 860, the Prince of the Southern Marches promised that anyone who would conquer land from either the Iluvar or the Ontainians would get to keep it. And when most of the former Tulana had been regained, the kingdom of Vesland was declared in 880.

(The) Sparkia Massacre. The end of the Marentian civil war 1062-1073. The wizards of Kartria did not think much of their soldiers, not as a threat nor as a worthy of much pay. This arrogant attitude made the army revolt in 1062, with the proclaimed objective of installing a general as the regent of Marentia. The insurrection proved to be resilient, but finally the wizards brought their spell power to bear supported by freshly recruited troops. In 1073 the rebel army of about 4000 men had made a final stand outside Sparkia. Many witnesses report that the rebel leaders were willing to surrender if the terms were reasonable. Never the less almost every rebel soldier was killed in an assault that developed into an orgy of destructive magic.

Stark. The latest death knight. Before his evil fate he was called Glavian, a renowned adventurer. He is said to be the most cunning or 'devious' of the death knights. He wields the sword "Raider", of which the ability to cut off extremities is known. Stark 'lives' in a kind of extra-dimensional space akin to Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion.

(The) Star Order. An order of chivalry based in the League of Cityports. Perhaps inspired by the Pendragon Order, the Star Order is organized in a hierarchical system, making new members start as knights of the white star and advance through green and red to blue star. The finest knights of the order are knights of the copper, silver or gold star, but only one of each may exist at any given time.

Stavalot. Map V-ssw. An Independent City State in northwestern Belandria. Sixty-five thousand citizens inhabit the port city of Stavalot, which is known for its high quality glass and metal wares. Stavalot was founded in 520 by Marentia, which wanted to establish a port in the eastern part of the Inner Sea following the War of Wizardry. In the Time of Kings, Marentia neglected of its overseas possessions, a fact that led to the Ghost War making Stavalot Rovian in 840 as a part of the province Lokrine. The Rovians expanded the Stavalotish harbor so it could guard the Rovian privateers and built the shipyards that still are important to the city today. Under Rovian rule, Stavalot became a major trade port outrivaling the former province capital Lokrine. When Marentia "awoke from its slumber" in the 9th century Rovian supply lines were stretched to the limit, allowing history to repeat itself to some degree. Taking advantage of the lacking control from central Rovia, the local commander (a former pirate) introduced a toll at the harbor approach in 919. Leading citizens saw that this would lead to ships bypassing Stavalot if kept up for long, and contacted the the Drusian Compact. The Compact attacked Lokrine supported by Ontaine, making Rovia cede the area after three years of war. Ontaine was given Esden, while the rest of the region became the city state of Stavalot, joining the Drusian Compact in the new union of Independent City States.

Stefan III Storlad Basilius. Hardnit's first king 1103-1105. Stefan was the former Duke of Hardnit. He died when mounted dragons attacked Servan.

Stephan II. King of Penboyn 346-352.

Stephan III the Unready. King of Penboyn 452-460. Stephan III, who reigned after and before his two brothers Landau III and Celimesh III, initiated an ill-prepared campaign against Servania in 455. He died with the remains of his army following a disastrous attempt to cross the the Harlindon. When alive, he was known to express his firm belief that wars could won by disregarding danger altogether. Though much larger than Servania's army, Penboyn could not bring its army to bear because of the long supply lines. Turning all his attention to the invasion of Servania, Stephan neglected the defense of the many small Penboynian islands, a fact that enticed Marentia to launch a successful naval campaign immediately upon his death. Stephan's successor, Celimesh III, had enough on his hands trying to rebuild the Penboynian army.

Stevin. Marentian king 768-793. Stevin is reckoned one of Marentia's few good kings along with Tornfast I and Legemul.

Stevin Ansalon. Kartria educated sage, originally from Telluria. Counselor to Hardaukar III. Stevin was burgomaster of Vintendra 1090-1104.

Storlad. Former Hardnitian ducal family, now royal family. The head of the family is Hendrick Storlad.

(The) Storm Blades. Eight shortswords sometimes described as artifacts and attributed to Heimdal. The Blades are named after the Storm Knights that resided at Storm Castle. The Storm Knights were killed or disbanded in the final days of Third Empire. The ruins of Storm Castle is located at the tip of the tongue (of land) just south of Koira. Each of the eight Blades makes its wielder impossible to surprise in battle. The wielder is imbued with clerical spell abilities, and the strength of the magic available grows with the number of sword together. The wielders are able to communicate with each other through the swords. If a person claims one of these sword, he can never break an oath. Three of the sword are known to be in use in the High Lands army.

(The ruins of) Suada. Map V-nne. Suada is believed to be the first city in Bandagoran history, and its founding was dated to about 40,000 years before the common calendar by sages of Third Empire. Originally built as a holy city, it was made the capital of the Third Empire and rumored to hold treasures beyond imagination. Other legends claim that many treasures were moved from the city just prior to the fall of the Third Empire (cf. Skandelion and the Sunken City). Cynics claim that any treasure was plundered by the barbarian conquerors in 125. In any case the ruins of Suada are haunted by ghosts and other undead. See wwww.

Suana. 1: Map V-nne. Penboynian shire. 2: Empire located in Suadan, accordingly sometimes known as the Suadan Empire, but also included present-day Falandria. Suana was founded in -187 as one of the Successor States. At that time Suana was thought to be the most viable of the three Successor States, as it held the richest areas including the capital Suada along with the administration of the Third Empire. But Suana was revealed to be a clay-fleeted colossus who was defeated repeatedly by seemingly weak opponents. Suana finally fell in 125, when Suada was sacked. In the last years of the Empire many citizens emigrated to the neighboring Tulana.

(The) Successor States. The three nations emerging from the ruins of the Third Empire. The Successor States were Servania, Suana and the Island Concord (led by Kartria). Palmyria and Penboyn still lay claim to the heritage from the Third Empire (as did Tulana).

(The) Sunken City. Ruined buildings at the bottom of the sea in the Bay of Hadriel just south of Ployd. According to popular tales the remains of the new capital of Third Empire. The story tells of a city built on wooden pillars. But the pillars rotted, and the city sunk along with the Imperial court and all the treasures. Then Ployd was built as a harbor by the grave robbers. A less flighty hypothesis claims that the buildings were washed away from Ployd by the river Perdigor in the great flood of 348. See wwww.

(The) Supreme Council. The government of Marentia. The Council has nine members including the autarch who chairs all meetings. Originally, in 282, the council had seven members and was the highest level of authority. When Marentia was reformed in 441, the primary role of the council was then to elect an autarch from among themselves. And when Celestian I introduced the eight magical colleges, he raised the number of seats in the council to nine, so that each dean could sit in the council along with the autarch. When the college of illusions was discountinued, the council had eight members for a time. But after the college of necromancy had followed suit, Ashanar I introduced the titles Lord Protector (a kind of war minister) and Enforcement Counsel (who is in charge of the wizard agents).
Currently the Supreme Council numbers Autarch Nimrod IV, Judas "Gornard" (Diabolical Counsel, that is dean of the college of summonings), Karlian "Ashanar" (Defense Counsel, that is dean of the college of abjurations), Alterations Counsel Xyon "Politorn", Enchantments Counsel Hamilkar "Nistris", Divination Counsel Mirton "Iktemar", Evocation Counsel Tolvang "Eulan", Enforcement Counsel, and Lord Protector Ekilmer.

(Queen) Susannah Melekit. The Queen of Rovia.

(The) Sword of the Unknown Hero. This Artifact has a will of its own and appears from time to time. Some claim it to be a bastard sword, but there is no hard evidence of this. According to tradition it can be found seemingly at random, turning its discoverer into a mighty warrior. Armed with the Sword, the warrior may avert disaster or perform some other great feat, but he will never be recognized for his effort. He may die before anyone knows he made a difference, or perhaps no one will believe him. Whatever the reason, he will never get credit for what he has done.

Sword of Wrath. 1: Artifact two-handed sword forged by dwarves 381 for men to use. Once a man draws the sword he cannot lower it before everybody around him (friend or foe) is dead. Very dangerous.
2: A Belandrian order of warrior believing that artifacts and other magical objects with a will of their own only needs the right master.

Swordsmen of Sif. The priesthood of Sif is an active one. The preachers are women as a rule, but the men who Sif calls are a kind of paladins called swordsmen. These swordsmen roam the countryside fighting oppression and evil wherever they encounter. They never say no to a duel.

(The) Swords of Ishkar. Order of exorcists and paladins dedicated to fighting devils and demons. Based in Crimloyd.

Tablet of the Titans. Possibly Artifact stone tablet. According to the priests of Thoth the tablet shows the names of the most powerful person in Bandagora at any given time. Their identities are shown by their true names, not their actual names. So the Tablet cannot simply by read. The story of the Tables goes that Enki gave it to the priest king of Hardor sometimes before year 0. By praying to Enki the priest king could decipher one name. In 519 Hardor was conquered by Zagyath and their troll allies, and to keep the Tablet form falling into enemy hands the priest king threw the Tablet in the water so that Enki could guard it. Enki let it float all the way to Vintendra, from whence it came into the custody of the Thoth priests.

Talvin 'Doomsinger'. Bard 78-125. His epithet is either due to the fact that he often sang of tragic heroes like Karkar, or due to the legend that he held his audience captive in the midst of the sacking of Suada. The legend continues to state that his voice stills sounds in the ruins and that the souls of the audience linger on refusing to miss a note.

Taokoön. Cardinal dedicated to Inanna of Rovian. Number thirteen in the hierarchy of the Trinity Church.

Tarkin. Spy of Enders known as the "Cat". Participated in the Ring Saga.

Tarnlas. The current Salaqi royal family whose dynasty was founded in 1031.

Tasselind. Tasselind is a kind of holy spirit. Life is a test of each person. One should try to go through life always doing good deeds, turning the other cheek, helping others whenever possible. One may never kill another person. Material wealth is not evil in itself, but as money can always be used to help others, then it is a sin to retain more than you need. When each person's life is over, that person will be judged, and those who tried in earnest will be rewarded by eternal bliss. The worshipers of Tasselind (who are called the Tasselind) regard their belief as a true religion and see the worship of gods as wrong. In their view, there is no true distinction between the worship of devils and the worship of gods, as both rely on a quid-pro-quid relationship. They firmly believe that the gods are 'merely' formidable wizards that are immensely powerful in this life, but not in the afterlife. By afterlife they do not mean the existence on the upper plane, that is a continuation of this life just as adult life is different from infant life but still a continuation of it. The gods are usually referred to as the masters. Naturally the Tasselind are considered blasphemous by most priesthoods. The Tasselind can be found in Salakand, Enders, Penboyn and the Pandese Empire. The Trinity Church fight them using propaganda and in Penboyn they are discriminated against. In the Pandese Empire they were considered outlaws before 1113, but are now allowed to practice their religion with the exception that they must pay a fine if they wish to avoid military service.
Symbol: A rope made of three strands, see tass

Taunenfels. Map VI-e. The capital of Nordacria. The port city of Taunenfels has about fifty thousand inhabitants, the most famous of which is thought to be Mordenkainen, but who hasn't shown his face for a very long time. Taunenfels was founded in 572 by the League of Cityports. The city was besieged by the Pandese Empire 1101-1108.

Tazil Radu. Drow known for his ability to spot his opponents' weaknesses.

(The) Tear of Lilith. Artifact in the shape of a small crystal dagger. The owner can inflict any pain on a victim that the victim has experienced prior. If the victim was killed the first time, he will die again. The owner himself is immune to pain.

Telluria. Map V-ese. Pandese territory on the north coast of Belandria located between Nostenkil and Serindel. Originally Ontainian, but Penboynian 371-950, then Ontainian again. In 973 the Pandese Empire acquired the area. In the Vintendra Treaty from 1035 the Pandese Empire bound itself from stationing an army there, while Penboyn was given the right to lead armies through. Many of the inhabitants of the area speak Lakedi and the area is often wrongly considered Penboynian. On many maps it appears Ontainian.

(The) Temple of Darkness. Map IX-ne. Thought to be a portal to a dimension resembling Bandagora where the Sun does not exist. See the Ring Saga and drow.

Tendra. Ontainian king 384-398.

Tenelast. The self-styled 'King of Thieves' in Rovian.

Teshilden. The wizard who created the Catalog and later became autarch by the name of Nistris II. Unconfirmed stories insist that he was originally an elf who polymorphed himself into human form, and died human.

Teville. Wizard-sage 1043-1101. Often referred to as Master Teville, Teville was born in Vesland and was sent to Kartria to study magic. Though showing obvious talent, he did not complete his education there, as he was marked by Selene. In 1080, he was appointed Master of Applied Magic at the University in Anistar. Here he studied predictions and temporal magic. He was killed in his home by assailants allegedly belonging to the Black Ring.

Theodor III. Osbantine king 887-912.

Theodor V. Osbantine king 1075-1096. Theodor was crowned king of West Osbant, the kingdom created by the division of Osbant in 1072. Theodor would not tolerate the loss of East Osbant, and campaigned to re-conquer it in 1076 in spite of his younger brother Marinus being held hostage at the court at Pavian. Marinus was killed, but the war quickly ended with Osbant re-united under Theodor in 1077.

(The) Third Empire or the Rulers. Realm reckoned to have existed from1412 to 187 before the common calendar, at which time it fragmented into the Successor States. The capital was at Suada (in present-day Penboyn), and an academy and university town existed at Balvine on Kartria. No certain cause of the Empire's fall is known, but most historians consider it the result of a power struggle among the gods. Cf. artifacts. A well-known legend tells that many years before the fall, the emperor decreed that the court, the regalia and the capital's greatest treasures should secretly move to a secluded place to build a new capital. Many candidates for the location of this mythical new capital exist, among the most well-known are Palmyria, Skandelion, below Suada, and the Sunken City.

Thor. The god of storm and thunder. The god of smallholders and seamen. Thor represents the element air. He is also the god of rain, when he borrows some water from Enki. The image of Thor is dominated by his physical manifestations, but to those that worship him the thunderstorm is only the god when angered. In daily life he is the god that protects the free man, the man who cherishes his liberty most of all but cares less for material goods. This free man is usually a smallholder or a seaman, but many day laborers, henchmen, and bachelors are also known to worship Thor. Thor's bolt of lightning strikes, whenever orcs plunder the fields or the king confiscates the profit from a dangerous sea voyage. Well, if there were no injustice, we would all know Thor as a god of peace his priests say with a grin, knowing full well that if a fight is called for, then they will fight with gusto. In times of war Thor attracts many untrained soldiers, that are enrolled in the army by force or necessity.
Holy day: October 12th. Symbol: Tau hammer, thunderbolt.

Thoth. The god of knowledge. The worshipers of Thoth believe that everything is predetermined and written in the "book" of the universe. The purpose of life is to "read the book", that is to uncover all.  Thoth invented the alphabet, and the priests of Thoth are chosen to transfer knowledge from the world into books, until the day when all knowledge is stored in books and all intelligent beings will be happy, for then they will have the knowledge to always act in the best of possible ways. The universe is infinite, so the work of the priests is never over, but each book added to the library makes the life of man a little better. As everything is predetermined, it makes no sense to speculate about the future. Rather one should read the books already written and try to extract wisdom. The Thoth priesthood are known for their portents of the future, especially those collected in the Incunabula Obscura. The fact that the portents are not accompanied by guidelines of how to avoid or fulfill them is not a consideration, nor is the fact that the portents often are obscure or incomprehensible. What matters is the correctness of the portents, even if they may never be recognized as being correct. According to priests of Thoth, the portents are similar to letters, if you know how to read them, they make perfect sense. The Thoth priests are often stereotyped as living in a world of their own, sensing little of what lies immediately before them. This is not true, though they are not the most adventurous of priests. Their work with the collection and passing on knowledge is greatly appreciated by many. Many schools and colleges are run by the Thoth priesthood.
Holy day: July 14th at Mnemthosis near Vintendra. Symbol: An ankh, sometimes a scroll, occasionally the letter T.

Thralden. Death knight. The legends tell us that Thralden was a wizard. He became a powerful Kartrian conjurer and learned how to summon demons. At some point he almost lost his soul, and swore to refrain from using magic and stay on the narrow path of virtue. Again, he grew powerful, this time as a paladin. But once, when he was fighter a stronger opponent, he broke his oath and used his powers of magic. He won the battle, but lost his soul. Thralden is thought to have retained his skills in magic. Thralden wields Fraunfard, a demon in the shape of a longsword. Fraunfard too can cast spells. Thralden is rumored to inhabit a small island in the Inner Sea.

Thraskund. Map VIII-nw (or VII-se). An underground orc city (currently dwarf occupied) and realm in the Ragged Mountains. Originally (circa -10.000) Thraskund was a dwarven city. But the undermountain city lay in the midst of orc territory, and after hearing of the rich silver mines in Thraskund, the orcs drove the dwarves from the place. Some of the expelled dwarves moved to the north to found Mirazhik, also in the Ragged Mountains. Though not as efficient as the dwarves, the orcs were still able to excavate huge amounts of silver from the mines. Later the former mines were turned into storage chambers of supplies and supposedly hoards of treasure, and the city was fortified. The Pellans conquered the city several times, but only found a smattering of the treasure they had expected (see the Orc Wars). So Thraskund was rumored to have secret treasure chambers undiscovered for thousands of years. Hardaukar III led two legions into Thraskund in 1112 and succeeded in driving back the orcs. After the city was secured, a colony of dwarves have reclaimed the city. Few believe the colony will last, as the surrounding subterranean region is still held by orcs. Hardaukar brought back many valuable items, but much is still thought to lie unclaimed in secret mine tunnels.

Thungali. The language spoken in the Thungar Khanate.

Thulcandor. Map III-wsw. Dwarven kingdom located at the joining of the Regentop and Brossi  Mountains (For this reason these mountains are known as the Thulcandor Mountains). Thulcandor trade mostly with Donara, by the river Slee, but also have some contact with Chivenor and Liëst, by the river Rahne. The capital is Bese a city rarely visited by humans.

(The) Thungar Khanate. Estimated population: 1,9 million. A barbarian realm west of the Ragged Mountains. The Thungali are known mainly for their worship of the wolf totem. They have conducted numerous raids into Pellas (now Azantir), Rovia and Salakand, none of these countries care much for the Thungali. Apart from that, nothing much is known. The current khan is Terau.

Tialmite (sometimes thialmite). Semi-magical mineral with excellent stone-working properties, especially in the hands of dwarves.

Tianti. Map V-se. Population: 200 thousand. Principality in northern Belandria consisting of the forest area Tianta and Orbal, part of the Black Mountains. Tianti was founded 950, when the area broke all ties to Penboyn and recognized the supremacy of Ontaine, preferring to pay tribute rather than have the Ontainians plunder the region. The prince lives at Craig Dorma, a castle in Orbal. Penboyn denies the existence of Tianti, and regard the area as a part of Ontaine. Paradoxically, Tianti trades almost exclusively with the Pandese Empire (through Telluria).

Tiarz. The king of Rovia 1088-1111. Tiarz was a competent general and admiral. After being deposed by losing an ennead to Susannah Melekit, he then fought for her as an admiral, but was killed in naval battle in 1112.

Tillahi perhaps Tihali. Elven countess from Lacre-Cai.

(The) Time of Kings. The period 726-878, when the rulers of Marentia were non-autarchs. The term is often used to denote the "good old days" before magic went awry. Historically is was a period in which Marentia lost interest in her overseas possessions, while at the same time individual Kartrian wizards and sages were in high regard and exerted strong influence.

Time Travel. According to the late sage-wizard Teville, one can categorize temporal magic into three parts. Of these, the first is ordinary time magic, such as that superbly mastered by the legendary Brensor Khan. Ordinary time magic can be very powerful, but it does not truly include time travel. Well, by Teville's definition, we are all time-travelers, in the sense that we move forward in time each second, and so he calls it ordinary time travel. But the point is that though it includes the stretching of time, bending even, and premonitions, one cannot travel into the past with the use of ordinary time magic.
Next is lesser time travel. Even here, the traveler cannot go back in time by himself, but must use portals. In Teville's description, the Middle Plane is akin to an enormous pancake. But each moment, the pancake is replaced by a new one on top of the previous. And in order to hold this stack of pancakes together, it is stitched along the edges. And through these stitches in time, one can travel from one moment to another. But the stitches are slanted, and one also travels in space. Which means that the would-be time traveler must have access to other means of travel, such as astral spells. Furthermore, the traveler must be able to hibernate, for the portals are open for short periods of time, probably less than a week. As an example, if you live in the year 1116, and you wish to travel back in time to the year 1090, you would have to, say, sleep magically until the year 1125, when a portal opens back to 1100 in place A. From place A, you would have to find your way to place B, and hibernate there until 1105, when a portal opens back to 1085 at place C. Now from place C, you have to make it home, and then you must sleep for 5 years. It should be obvious that this kind of time travel is very taxing, especially if one wishes to move across long stretches of time. And, even if technically able to perform this kind of travel, one must know the locations of the portals in question. Here Teville suggests that some persons are known to possess a gift, that is, they can 'see' glimpses of the future, even make others see it. Now, according to his own testimony, Teville never actually crossed any portals himself, so this part is pure speculation. Yet in other matters he claims to have his knowledge directly from Selene. Furthermore, he states that Selene guards the past, and if a traveler tries to change it, Selene will put that traveler into involuntary hibernation, and he will not wake up until he reaches the time when he began his travels. Among the lesser temporal magic, Teville groups the magic that can transport small non-living objects back in time. Here it seems that the object cannot go further back in time than the point when it was created, so one cannot write a letter of warning to oneself. Critics have argued that there could be any number of ways to bypass this rule if one wanted to send messages back in time. But Teville can be somewhat vague at times, and perhaps it is only meant as an illustration. If so, it could simply be that Selene herself ensures that the laws of causality are not broken.
Last comes greater, or true time travel. Here one enters what Teville calls the River of Time. This may be done in one of three ways. The easiest way is to let your spirit swim in it. This can be done by a simple ritual. The advantage is that the spirit does not feel the current of the river, and thus can swim both up and down in time with ease. The drawback is that it is almost certainly fatal unless you are one of Selene's favorites, for the spirit cannot find its way home by itself, and the goddess must guide its path. And even if you are such a favorite, what you experience may very well seem like nonsense when you have left the river. The second way – still according to Teville – is to enter the river where it flows through the Spirit Plane. If you have a presence on the Middle Plane, you will feel the current, but it can be overcome. By this means it should be possible to swim back in time and - in principle - change the past. However, the river is heavily guarded – at all times, so to speak. Now the third means is the use of a magical ore Teville calls chronium, for lack of a better word. With the use of chronium, Teville speculates, one can enter and leave the river of time directly from the Middle Plane. Teville does not supply any details on how this may be accomplished, especially where one might find deposits of this mystical metal.

Tiolan I. King of Vesland 982-992.

Tiolan II. King of  Vesland 1030-1032.

Tiolan III. King of Vesland 1040-1092.

Tiolan IV Onwal. King of Vesland since 1106. When he was young he discovered a large treasure in the Brossi Mountains. Son of Mastock II.

Tobacco. Herb usually smoked in a pipe. Two kinds of tobacco exist. The most common tobacco, called pipeweed, is grown on Osbane near Bondor. Pipeweed is relatively mild. Taunenfels tobacco is somewhat rarer and more expensive. It is the grown outside Taunenfels. This kind of tobacco are also chewed or snuffed by Nordacrian and Chinloi sailors.

Tolliman I. The first king of Vesland 880-916.

Tolliman II. The king of Vesland 941-945. Tolliman II was known as the "King in Blue'' because his obsession with the color blue. He always wore blue and designed magical rooms in Baldazzarak that changes between different hues of blue.

Tolliman III. King of Vesland 1032-1040.

Tornfast I. The first Marentian king 726-755. Tornfast I is considered a competent regent, able to make the best of the surprising transition from magicocracy to a traditional elective monarchy.

Tornfast II. The last Marentian king 877-878. Tornfast II was the fourth ruler in row (following Tasmul, Erandur and Nitilmar) unable to muster an army strong enough to drive out the Grone invaders.

(The) Tower of Fear. A home of gods on the Upper Plane. Tradition places the Tower in Hades, and Nergal rules there. In addition Anshar, Lilith, Kali and Hel reside there.

(The) Tower of the Dead. A feared tower in the county of Alzira in the Skitaura Mountains. The home of Maubar.

(The) Treaty of Vintendra. Treaty signed in 1035 by the Independent City States (from then on including Enders), Penboyn, Kartria, Falandria, Donara, Vesland and the Pandese Empire. The purpose of the treaty was to isolate Ontaine. The treaty stated: 1) That the Pandese Empire were to declare war on Ontaine. 2) That Penboyn would waive its claim of Pandese Telluria, in return of a guarantee that the Pandese would deploy no more than a brigade (1000 men) in the region. 3) That Enders joined the Independent City States. 4) The exact boundaries of Falandria.

Trebizon. Pandese emperor 724-726.

Tredanzar. Famous Ontainian warrior. Disappeared since 1105. At that time he was considered one of the top ten fighters in Bandagora.

(The) Tree of Life. Mythical tree that is the source of all plant life in the world. The tree, or its sapling (some say cutting) the Eversprouting Branch, grows in the Great Forest, if the myth is true.

Triale. Map VIII-nnw. The capital of Grone.

(The) Trinity Church (or just the Church). A joining of the priesthoods of three of the four greatest gods (those of Enki, Inanna and Vahaun). Founded in1096. The hierarchy is at present: 1: Pope Honorius of Kangrisorn (Enki), 2: Archbishop Badizon of Eskilart (Inanna), 3: Patriarch Dursival of Losada (Vahaun), 4: Patriarch Gylhaven of Enkisborg (Enki), 5: Bishop Ennesdal of Bahiri (Enki), 6: Bishop Artauber of Nostenkil (Inanna), 7: Bishop Farsulan of Selara (Enki), 8: Bishop Tertullian of Elatis (Vahaun), 9: Cardinal Oriander of Enders (Enki), 10: Cardinaless Shayla of Donara City (Inanna), 11: Cardinal Ilekton of Ployd, 12: Cardinal Leen of Crimloyd (Enki), 13: Cardinal Taokoön of Rovian (Inanna), 14: Cardinal Godfred of Dambergard (Enki), 15: Cardinal Oskantor of Harastor, 16: Cardinal Vendris of Koira (Vahaun), 17: Cardinal Sennistala of Latislav (Enki).

Trobrian. Secretive wizard with great ability. Thought to operate in Pellas. Possibly the owner of the Black Cauldron.

Trold folk. Intelligent breed thought to be a mixture of orcs and trolls.***more to come***

Troll Isles (or Dragon Isles). Map VI-ne. The Dacrians called these islands the Troll Isles, as they believed them to be the source of the troll raiders appearing from time to time. Whether trolls ever lived on the isles is unknown, but in 363 the isles were discovered to be inhabited by dragons in large numbers. See wwww.

(The) Troll Wars. The grand scale invasion by trold folk in 1105, ending at the siege of Kangrisorn in 1110. The invasion had already been predicted in 350 by the Pellan seer Ardsil, who received a vision from Heimdal that bade him gather his people and journey to the "far" lands to prepare the defense of Bandagora against a strong external enemy. This external enemy would not strike, however, before an internal enemy had grown strong. The "far" lands was later called the High Lands. The internal enemy was Ogonjok according to the Kilaan, and the external enemy turned out to be trold folk assisted by trolls and orcs. After the destruction of the Ring of Madness (see also the New Sun Lands Crusade), the horn of Heimdal sounded: Bandagora was invaded, and the objective was Kangrisorn. The High Lands had prepared and bore the brunt of the attack. The stalwart Kilaan defense denied the trold folk access to Bandagora proper for 18 months, but in January 1107 the last perimeter of the Twin Peaks fortifications fell and Hardnit became the new battlefield. The Kilaan resistance had bought enough time for the other countries to mobilize, and the Pandese sent four legions led by Hardaukar. The trold folk reinforcements kept arriving seemingly without end. There was no stopping them, but the Elvenstar protected Enkisborg, saving some part of Hardnit. By August 1108 the trold folk had cut a swathe through Hardnit and conquered Karanas, the fortress guarding Hardnit's eastern border to Enders. After a few probes, the trold folk bypassed the city of Enders. At the battle of Tirskil Ford, near the main temple of Sif, the alliance of Hardnit, Enders, Falandria, Penboyn and the Pandese Empire paid dearly to halt the trold folk advance. The plan was to gain sufficient time so that Dambergard could be prepared for a long siege. But the hopes of turning the Felendar river into a defensive barrier were dashed as a severe winter had frozen the Felendar and Kalevig, allowing the trold horde to bypass Dambergard without impediment. In 1109 things looked bleak for the alliance. The only thing that would slow the trold folk down was plunder. At fortified Losada the alliance posted most of their remaining forces hoping to entice the trold horde to attack, but the numerous trold folk could detach a besieging army and still march on Kangrisorn. At Kangrisorn the Ontaine attacked the trold folk, if Kangrisorn could not be theirs, at least it should remain on human hands. But still this only slowed the progress, it did not stop it. Finally, on March 10th 1110 the tide of war began to turn, the heroes of the Ring Saga had repaired the Ring of Madness, allowing Heimdal to reestablish contact with His priests. This was the moment Duke Skanderbeg and the High Lands regiment had been waiting for. They sallied from Kangrisorn routing the trold folk. As if by magic the Troll Wars was over, the trold folk army had lost their backbone and their leadership. It took several years to rid the civilized countries of trold folk, and small bands are still at large in Hardnit and Falandria. For a detailed timetable see newhis.

Trovian. Map VIII-w (or VII-s). The capital of Azantir. Trovian is known for its Temple of the Sun. About one hundred thousand people inhabit Trovian.

Trueblood. Paladin and the founder of the Knight Templar's branch in Enkisborg. He carries the sword Life and is considered among the fifteen best warriors of Bandagora.

Tulada. 1: Suburb to Kangrisorn originally a major city in the Third Empire. Tulada is believed to date back from before the Third Empire, at least back from -1500. Tulada was plundered by nomads in -63. In 77 Tulada was rebuilt apart from the old ruins at the time of the founding of Tulana. In 726 Kangrisorn was founded on the opposite shore of the river Sargyll, and Tulada slowly lost its importance 2: Synonym of Kangrisorn.

Tulana. 1: Map V-ene. Shire in Penboyn southwest of Kangrisorn. 2: Kingdom roughly equal to present-day Vesland existing from 77 to 640.

Tulanese Ontaine. The part of Ontaine that lies east of Kangrisorn. The name should rather be Ontainian Tulana. The Ontainians conquered the region in 745. See the Kangrisorn Wars.

(A) Tun of Gold. 1000 gd.

Turil. Spy from Taunenfels. Is known by the name "the Gambler" presumably because he is known to take great risks. Is believed to employed by Kalil.

Twin Swords of the North. Two identical artifact longswords, that according to the legend once were wielded by the twins Shek and Elkal. The brothers were barbarians similar to present-day Vikings. The two brothers were invincible when using the swords, and the swords were buried along with the twins. According to the legend, the two swords will reappear if Middle Earth is in peril, and two realms of the north are governed by two person descending from Shek and Elkal respectively. Sages used to believe that the two realms would be the Djugosir and the Varnasir, but in the time of the Troll Wars the prophecy was used to argue that Uchard Corvendil be the king of Falandria, as the Corvendil and the Storlad families are related.

(The) Two Hundred Years War. Term for the Salaqi semi-permanent state of war since 931. In the Salaqi constitution, a state of war is an exception granting the king absolute power, whereas the king in peacetime is merely the greatest noble. In 931 the Salaqi king Casimir IV, the Grand Duke of Hardnit, the Penboynian King James VII and the Veslandic King Kestutis I decided to conquer Kangrisorn after a summit on Kartria (see the Kangrisorn Wars). Casimir IV died in battle at Duneval, and was succeeded by his brother Lothar V, who led the Salaqi forces at the conquest of Kangrisorn in 941. Lothar V returned with his army to Salakand, but refused to call of the state of war, as the Ontainians still threatened Kangrisorn. But Lothar V died in 955 without fighting any more battles. Thinking that he too would enjoy the dictator-like powers of his father, Lothar's son Novolon IV continued the state of war. But Novolon had not led Salaqi troops in battle, and the nobles grumbled. In 960 the nobles assembled to call off the state of war, but Novolon interrupted the assembly before this could happen, and a ten year long civil war resulted. Novolon finally proved triumphant and replaced the dead, imprisoned or exiled nobles with his allies. Fearing to insult the gods, he did not dare to change the constitution, but now no nobles dared to call for an assembly declaring Salakand in a state of peace. This condition remained more or less unchanged until 1031, when the Tarnlas dynasty's first king Ridjon VII came into power. Ridjon did not have the close ties to the nobility of his predecessors, and to pre-empt any declaration of peace, he invaded Hardnit, which at that time was very weak. This unprovoked and successful attack made Rovia declare war on Salakand, though the intended attack never came. Since then Salakand has been at war with Rovia (Salakand and Hardnit made peace in 1098). In 1098 part of the nobility tried to suggest that the king's powers be restricted in peacetime so as to resemble that of other regents, rather than stripping him totally as per the constitution. But as Ridjon IX would not hear of it, the nobles decided against another attempt at declaring Salakand to be in a state of peace, and instead set up a duke as a rival king. The rebellion had some support, notably from the city of Ployd, but was finally crushed in 1102, when Ployd fell to Ridjon's loyal troops

Tyche (or Tyke). The goddess of luck. The gospel of Tyche is simply put: "fortune favors the brave". Deep down, nothing is truly random, and the worshipers of Tyche believe they can earn their good fortune. It is a kind of cosmic justice, but has nothing to do with good or evil, rather with attitude and willpower. To earn your luck you must believe you are lucky, and if you lack confidence in your good fortune it may help to be on friendly terms with Tyche. Sacrificing to Tyche does not guarantee good fortune, for Tyche does not grant luck directly. Rather, Her priestesses counsel in ways of obtaining it. Temples dedicated to Tyche may be found everywhere, and though She is not the greatest deity anywhere, She is known everywhere. No one dares sleight Her, even if they often feel cheated by Her. If you have a certain task in mind, the Tyche priestesses may bless an amulet that will further your cause, they can do this either on your birthday or on April 7th. The Tyche temples also sell a pair of golden dice, if these dice are sacrificed immediately upon experiencing a bad omen, they will hinder the omen in being fulfilled.
Holy day: April 7th. Symbol: A pair of dice, the number 7, coin in the air usually showing heads.

(King) Uchard Corvendil. The king of Falandria, who distinguished himself in the Troll Wars

Ugria. Map VI-se. ***under construction***

Uller. The god of hunting, archery and winter. Uller is not considered a great god, but still has many appearances. In the cold north Uller is primarily the god of the lonely hunter. He who rewards the perseverant hunter by letting him find game in the dark of winter. The hunter will never know when he finds game, but he knows that it will happen sooner or later. Uller can give animals the tongue of men and men the speech of animals. It is different from druids and animals communicate, when animals are given speech, they are changed into something more than animals. And when men are given the tongue of animals, they may use the gift as they see fit. In the south Uller is the god of werebeast, in that aspect He is worshiped by few and feared by many. When worshiped as the god of hunting and archery, then He is called Artemis and appears female. But the followers of Artemis do not hunt or fire the bow to survive, they consider hunting and archery skills well suited to express outwardly the inner worth of a person. Finally Uller is the representation of cold, by many seen as an element. In this aspect he goes by many names, and is worshiped by numerous local sects.
Holy day: February 2nd. Symbols: Bow and arrow, wolf, white fox, hind (Artemis), snowflake (cold).

Ul-naza. Healing herb. Ul-naza is an emetic that serves as a poison antidote. The effect is greatest if the poison is ingested, but through sympathetic magic the antidote works against other poisons to some degree, especially if the ul-naza is magically enhanced. Though rare, ul-naza can be found in many places, but is most common on the Nomad Plain. Estimated value per dose 65 cc.

(The) Upper Plane or the Spirit Plane. The abode of the gods, the resting place of souls. Here lies Heaven and Hell. When a person dies, his spirit slowly drifts upwards, and his body decomposes into elements. If the soul is worthy, it may accompany the spirit and begin a new life beside the gods. Then the spirit becomes the new 'body' of the soul. If the soul is not worthy, then it dissipates. In this case the spirit rises to the upper plane. Then it is cleaned of all signs of its former entity, and used again along with the elemental building blocks to house a new soul. The upper plane lies above Middle Earth and is thought to be made up by regions dominated by temperaments. According to sage Ovanli the plane consists of a neutral or mixed zone in the center and a ring of areas surrounding it. He named the areas in the following way: The central area, in which the Court of Hermes and Bifrost, the bridge to Middle Earth, are located, is called the Outlands. The area in the outer ring in which Valhalla lies is called Ysgard or Gladsheim. Then follows in the ring Limbo, Pandemonium, Abyss, Carceri (or Tarterus), The Gray Waste (or Hades) in which the Tower of Fear rises. Then Gehenna and Baator, where Abaddon resides. Then Acheron, Mechanus (or Nirvana), Arcadia, Mount Celestia and Bytopia, the home of the Ivory Tower. The ring is completed by The Beastlands (or Happy Hunting Grounds) and Arborea (or Olympus). Most historians agree that humans visited the upper plane more frequently in earlier ages. It was known that a hero could go there to petition the gods, especially he could try to bring back the soul of a loved one. But today many miracles are not performed directly by the gods, but are administered by priests. See Nergal.

V. Perhaps a religious order. Possibly an order of devil worshipers.

Vahaun (called Tyr in Falandria). God of righteous war. Vahaun is the least of the four great gods. Vahaun is the god of the army and of the city guard. Even as a god of war Vahaun seeks to avoid battle. Worshipers of Vahaun does not see war as a good thing in itself, but it may be the best solution. All use of violence must be regulated. It is vital that all who wage war, or indeed perform any kind of violent act, have the right do to so. If all feel they have a right to use arms, then chaos and civil war will ensue. Those of noble birth are bound by a code of honor to use weapons with restraint. The king, the nobility and the ranks of knights have a special obligation to abide by this code thereby making it unnecessary for others to take up arms. The army and the city guards should be paid well and monitored closely. It must be obvious to all who may and who may not carry arms.
When war must be waged, then it is the duty of the Vahaun priesthood to point the finger at the guilty part. It may happen that two countries declare war on each other, none being more in the right than the other. If so, then the war must be conducted with as few casualties possible inflicted on those who are not part of it. Plunder must never happen as a part of a war. The priests of Vahaun must use their influence to make the warring parties make agreements that will make it possible for the conflict to be solved with minimal casualties. The priesthood of Vahaun put duels in high regard. Vahaun epitomizes fair play and individual courage to protect others in war and other types of combat. Honoring your word is also crucial to the worshipers of Vahaun. For these reasons paladins and many orders of chivalry are dedicated to Vahaun. Vahaun sometimes appears as Pallas Athene. Holy day September 27th in Losada.

Valentinian. The king of Azantir.

Valeria Starshine. One of Bandagora's most powerful illusionists, residing in Kangrisorn.

Valhalla. An abode of Gods on the upper plane. Tradition places Valhalla in Ysgard, and Thor keeps state there. Enki goes there in His aspect of Odin and Vahaun in His aspect Tyr. In addition Heimdal, Sif, Modi, Freya, Idun, Uller and Loke resides there.

(The) Vampires. A splinter group of the Brotherhood of Doom.

Varenna Zingari. Iluvar leader 583-622. Father of Ghorgis. See the Nomad Invasions.

Vargrim. Mercenary from the Nomad Plain, who in 1105 were considered among the top five Bandagoran warriors. Vargrim wore the Nine Lives' Band and finally Wildfire. Vargrim died in the Temple of Darkness during the Ring Saga.

Varnasir. 1: The hunting tribes lives north of Falandria. Estimated population: 500 thousand. The Varnasir are the traditional enemies of the vikings, and have no contact with any other people. 2: The language spoken by the Varnasir (1).

Vat of Vengeance or Vessel of Revenge. Large vat located at Maris, the main temple of Kali near Bondor.

Vega. Pandese family from Hardor. The office of priest king is held by the Vegan family. The family is one of ten in the Imperial succession. Cf. Rel Vega and Silandis.

Veklas Zingari. The leader of the Iluvar 687-695. In the year 694 Veklas ordered a counterattack on the League of Cityports, which had recently conquered Itgosia and founded Sersch. The other tribes were loath to heed the battle call, and as Veklas was encamped near Hest awaiting reinforcements, the other tribal chiefs decided to depose him as the Iluvar leader and expel his tribe, the Zingari, from the Iluvar nation. Despite the lack of support Veklas defeated the League's army in 695, and returned to Nasmin hoping that his victory would regain his position. But instead he was murdered upon his return.

Venomon. Death knight. Known as the Master of Pain, his opponents are affected by an immense pain that takes great willpower to endure. His sword is known as Painkiller, and some speculate that the sword is the source of the pain. Venomon is believed to inhabit a tower in the Horkrank Mountains.

Vervain. Naturally occurring herb that a wizard can use to make a person to mind-affecting magic. Estimated value per dose 5 sd.

Vesland, also known as Isvespia, the largest region of the country. Maps V-e and VI-w. Population: 1.4 million. A kingdom east of the Inner Sea. Vesland was founded in 880, and is subdivided into numerous small shires. There are no cities, but the port town of Gerusa with about ten thousand inhabitants is the largest town in the kingdom. The king is Tiolan IV and lives at Baldazzarak, a castle built into a cliff in the Brossi Mountains. The king is traditionally weak for historical reasons (see the Southern Marches), and means that Vesland can be considered to be made up of miniscule principalities. Apart from that the feudal system is similar to that of Penboyn.

Vinek. King of Nordacria 1015-1028.

Vintendra. V-se. A Penboynian city on the north coast of Belandria having about fifty thousand citizens. Founded 303.

Vire. Map VI-nw. The province capital of Tulanese Ontaine. Vire, and Elloskoj, are the region's largest towns with about five thousands inhabitants each.

Vitaslan. The most renowned warrior of the former New Sun Lands. He is thought to currently reside on Ech Alba .

Vogamelt. According to persistent rumors an ancient and very cunning blue(?) dragon living in the area between Falandria and the land of the Varnasir.

Vordevor. Veslandic playwright circa 685-750. He is known for the tragedy "Iktemar and Yondemar", a part of the Zingari Trilogy (cf.. Iktemar I, Yondemar and Zingari).

Vul Bloodaxe. Berserker based in Enders, and often seen in the company of "Maelstrom, the Chaos Wizard".

Vul Dulcimer. Falandria's king ???-1105.

(The) War of Wizardry. War between Marentia, Bondor and  Harastor on one side and Salakand, Servania, Penboyn and near the end Osbant on the other 503-515. The increasing power of the wizards of Kartria in the 5th century made its neighbors feel insecure, especially following the election of the magic-user Nimrod I as head of state in 441. In 495 Servania outlawed the practice of wizardry causing a diplomatic crisis between Servania and Marentia. Seeing that Penboyn and Salakand supported Servania, Marentia declared war. The war ended Marentian victory and demonstrated the superiority of combined arms incorporating magic use to traditional warfare. A side effect of the war was the unification of Osbant in 509. The emergence of the new nation had no significant impact on the outcome of the war.

Wildfire. Artifact sword. The sword makes immense energies flow through the wielder making him into a formidable warrior. Unfortunately the energy flux may well kill him. In this regard, the sword is some reminiscent of Siebentax (of late wielded by Finduil). Wildfire was found by Vargrim, but is now assumed to be stored by Kazentorn.

Witch's Berries. Rare plant with magical powers. Only to be found in northeastern Bandagora.

Wolvesbane. Naturally occurring herb that has a repelling effect on werewolves.

Xyon "Politorn". Kartrian arch mage and member of the Supreme Council. Xyon is dean of the college of alterations and is reckoned one of the ten top wizards in Bandagora.

Yaltuan. One of the last emperor of the Third Empire. According to legend, he let build a monumental villa, where he moved all his valuables and some of the empire's. Then in 121, he disappeared along with his villa, supposedly to reappear after a period of one year doubled tenfold, that is after 1024 years.

Yegdor. Half-orc adventurer and ranger operating in and around the Ratsgar Massif.

Yolande. The only ruling Pandese empress to date. Yolande reigned 1048-1060.

Yondemar. The greatest battle wizard of his time. Died in the battle of Tulada 661, where he is attributed the death of the Iluvar leader Ghorgis. Thought to have somehow been resurrected in the Ring Saga.

Zagy. The language spoken in Zagyath.

Zagyath. Map VI-s. Population: 600 thousand. A barbarian realm to the south of and partly surrounded by the Ratsgar Massif. The country shares its border with the Pandese Empire, who consider Zagyath a rebellious province, the source of many border skirmishes. The capital is Izagy. The tribes inhabiting Zagyath originally lived in northeastern Dacria, but were absorbed by the Iluvar in the 8th century. The tribes broke away from the Iluvar and moved to Ishendekel, where they reestablished Zagyath in 923.
Legal system. Zagyath is divided into great family or clans. There is no permanent head of state, but the triumvirates from each tribe may gather to elect a dictator if necessary. The sages disagree on this point, as some state that a ruler has led Zagyath since around 1050, and that succession occurs according to ancient Zagy rules. Every clan is ruled by a triumvirate made up by a warrior, a priest and a sage. The warrior is concerned about the security of the clan, the priest about correctness and decency (vis-a-vis the gods and nature), and the sage is concerned about the needs of the clan. All decisions are made by simple majority. If two clans disagree, then the conflict is resolved by three duels, in which the warriors, priests and sages are paired off. The three winners then decide what should be done. Crimes are judged by a kind of trial in which the priest questions witnesses, the sage questions the accused, and the warrior is on call if the accused or some witness must be found. After the questioning, the three meet to produce a verdict. The worst punishment they can mete out is exile, the death penalty is considered less harsh.

Zarun. Map X-nnw. Mountain province in the Pandese Empire famous for its hazardous sulfur mines.

Zilber. Secretive dragonslayer, thought to be from Ollyway.

Zingari (presumably "sparks" in Iluvar). The nomad tribe that dominated the Iluvar led by Varenna and Ghorgis during the Nomad Invasions. The high ranking members of the tribe were given much of the conquered land, either to rule or to plunder. The supremacy of the Zingari ended with Veklas around 695, in addition the Zingari were expelled from the Iluvar nation, though individual Zingari still held on to positions of power in the conquered territory. It is uncertain whether the tribe still exists.

Zolan. King of Penboyn 234-265.

Zorgham. Death knight. In his 'former' life Zorgham was an Osbantine knight. His most scary ability is to disappear and later reappear at the most inopportune moment. His sword Ungrar can emit bolts of lightning. According to tradition Zorgham inhabits a small wooden cabin in the Black Mountains.

Zorma. The founder of Hardnit. In 700 Zorma conquered present-day Zormaria and founded Zormaras. He also founded trade posts, 'landings", along the Brindan and Harlindon. In 725 the king of Penboyn made him margrave, but he was dead when the message arrived. In 747 Hardnit was made a duchy with Kristiorn, the son of Zorma, as it first duke. Tradition has it that Zorma's spirit still inhabits the castle in Skitaura he built 712. See Castle Zorma.

Zormaras. Map II-wsw. A city by the lake Benshil in Hardnit having about seven thousand inhabitants. The ducal (now royal) summer palace is located at Zormaras and the duke kept state here for many years in spite of Servan nominally being the capital of Hardnit. In recent years the court was moved to Servan and then on to Enkisborg.