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The Parverian Tales is written and illustrated by Mike Jordan.

     The Parverian Tales is a tongue-in-cheek action adventure series set in the medieval fantasy realm of Parveria.  It features the incident prone and often reckless youth, Eric, and his guardian and mentor, the semi-retired wizard, Maldren, and begins with the first eight part story arc entitled "The Culmination", a fairy tale of sorts with sword fights, rescues, and grim consequences.    It also includes a back up story entitled "Maldren's Tale" which chronicles the winding and many times complex pre-history of Parveria, focusing on the life of Eric's family, all through the eyes of the old magician.

The story continues into the next arc through issue 16 with "The Pentecost King", where the heroes attempt to find aid for their war torn homeland by seeking out distant relatives of the Princess in Arthurian England.

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A

    The large structure on the outskirts of Westmoor, that looked like a combination of an old Roman stone building and a Nordic great house and served as the home of the wizard Somber.  The lower floors contained the public rooms including the scullery and lodging for his apprentice, Maldren, and the school room in which he grudgingly taught the local children their reading and writing.  The upper floors, reaching up into the main tower, contained Somber's private chambers and most especially his private study where he kept most of his secrets, magical and otherwise.  While working a particularly difficult spell (awaking the demon, Cabal Rote, from his centuries old resting place) the ritual to instill his control over the monster was interrupted by his less than apt pupil, and the repercussions caused the ancient structure to burn to the ground, supposedly taking the old wizard with it.  Some time later, a smaller and less elaborate school was erected on the site where Maldren was installed as the school master.

    Amlawdd, husband of Gwenydd (after whom the Princess was named), owned an estate in Cambria that was famous for its boar hunting, but he was probably known best for being father-in-law of the King of Parveria; Kadryn being the eldest of his four beautiful daughters, all with red-gold hair, which included Ygerne.

    Arthur is one of the major heroes and one of the major focuses of the "Pentecost King" story.  His goals in life, at first, are not unlike many fifteen years olds of his time and position:  to be a good squire and to take as little crap off his older brother, Kay, as possible while doing the first.  But soon, unexpected events force him into an even stickier position than that of the new queen of Parveria, one of his latest centers of affection.  He is the adoptive son of Sir Ector and under the wing of the wizard, Merlin, but his full pedigree has yet to be revealed. 

    The A.R.G. is the armed force that Duke Egbert instated (via his father Ergo), soon after taking office, to "protect" the people of Westmoor, but the name sounds much more noble than the reality.  In truth, the young Duke brought together an unwholesome band of cutthroats and bandits to enforce his will on unfortunates in the small Duchy, making it more a police state than the simple, hospitable village it once was.  The Duke even commissioned a large jail to be built (again, through Ergo) to place those he considered less than law abiding in a hole to be forgotten.  Rumor has it that one of the first hauled off by the ARG was the Duke's own father, and that for having questions about the death of his wife, the Duke's own mother.

B

    Two very wet behind the ears identical twin knights from Northumberland who befriended the companions from Parveria when they were being chaperoned to their first tournament in London by the veteran Round Table knight, Sir Ulfius.  Although good in heart and true to the old standards of knighthood, they aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer.  Sometimes it is difficult to remember that there are actually two of them, because the many times seem to share the same brain.  When they come to the accommodations of Sir Ector and party to warn them of the ill will toward Arthur, they become embroiled in the desperate scheme to shake loose resources under the command of King Leodegrance by ridding him of the nuisance, King Rience, who had been plaguing his kingdom for some time.  Balin, although a good knight, gains great infamy later in life for killing the Lady of the Lake and for the slaying of King Pellam, known at the Dolorous Stroke that began the Grail quest.

    The post master of Westmoor who had been a good friend of Erichoth and Maldren growing up.  Although he tends to be on the meek side, he was one of the Riders of Westmoor who traveled to Parveria Castle during the Great War as reinforcements to the beleaguered city against the forces of Cabal Rote.  Later, after taking his position handling the village's mail, he remained a good friend of the schoolmaster and his young ward, Eric.

    One of the local thugs in Westmoor who was recruited by Egbert as one of his Auxiliary Royal Guard and had frequent run ins with Maldren over some of Eric's larger blunders.  He and his friends, as transients passing through the area, had a run in with the magician and his best friend, Erichoth, who thought the transmogrified Maldren was a real wolf and were determined to get the bounty on his hide.  Evidently, even after the beating dealt them by the son of the Duke, they took a liking to the area and stayed on until they were offered gainful employment with the local brute squad.

    The Book, bound in an ornate jacket, is a history not only of Parveria, but of anything pertinent to the small kingdom as well, painstakingly compiled by Somber the Wise over his entire life (probably the one noble thing he accomplished), and was passed on, upon his final death, to his apprentice, Maldren, who does his best to keep it current.  On top of the short history of the land, it also concerned itself with the comings and goings long before the area was domesticated by the current inhabitants, particularly with the legends of the Hero Eternal.  Somber spent a small fortune and many long hours researching the subject, until at the last it became almost a mania with him; unfortunately, no one realized that it was much more than a pet hobby for the sinister old wizard.

    The Borderlands usually refers to the wilderness to the north of Parveria where it is said that hideous cannibalistic half-men, know as Kobolds, still reside and will kill anyone who enters their Forest.  This legend was solidified by the number of troops that followed the North Road seeking the Fabled city of Siluria (said to be located on the other side of the Borderlands) that never returned, including the original captain of the Royal Guard, Stegmund the Hammer.

     The Brotherhood is a fraternal order of those, all over the world, that practice the magical arts of all varying degrees (which means that it includes the Council of Mothers in a shirt tail sort of way).  Rarely do they have meetings or any sort of large, formal interaction, except when something of worldwide concern arises, which almost never does.  In all truth, the Brotherhood is really most known not for any monumental feats of magic, but for enacting a wizard's code of ethics which they follow and usually strictly enforce.  Mostly, the code dictates how one member should greet and treat another and insures the extending of necessary hospitalities.  That doesn't sound like much until you happen to be a sorcerer in an unfamiliar land.  It's nice to know that you'll have a place to sleep and food in your belly as long as another member is available.  Members include:  Maldren, Somber, and Elesa.

A race of creatures that appear to be a mix between a bear and a person that are not inherently evil, but because of their natural ferocity, coupled with their huge size and powerful strength, they were recruited to the army of Cabal Rote, who often employs them in more sensitive matters because of their intelligence and their dog-like loyalty.  See:  Grimshaw.

C

    The hound given to Arthur by a female admirer which led to the tryst with Morgause (which begat Modred).  Ector and family didn't attach any significance to the name, but the companions might have if they had heard the exchange.

    Cabal Rote is the villain of "The Culmination" story.  Twenty years ago, this sinister sorcerer, with his evil horde of creatures, which he had collected to him in his fortress in the Land of Despair from all the fell races around the world, laid siege to Parveria and the surrounding principalities, crushing all under his heel except for the then inconsequential stronghold of Parveria Castle.  This was saved only in the striking of an unknown bargain with its young ruler, and for twenty years the spidery would be conqueror and his minions retreated back to the dark corners of the lands to the east, not to be heard from again, until the sixteenth birthday of the King's daughter.  On this day, long after the good people of Parveria had stopped fearing his very name, he claimed that the contract between he and the now powerful kingdom had come due and demanded his prize, but a much bigger prize than the hand of the fair Gwenyth seemed to be his real goal.  Very little is known for certain about the wizard, except what is whispered in the ancient legends (many of which were unearthed by the lore master, Somber)  , and the fragments of his more contemporary movements which seem inextricably tied with the lives of Eric and Maldren.  His true origins have become obscured by the mists of time, and even his one weakness, the Staff of Unbelievable Good, has been lost to the common reckoning.  Cabal Rote's hobbies include world domination, maniacal laughter, and collecting large hordes of gibbering monstrosities.  See:  Siaahr.

     The kingdom in northern Cambria (Wales) ruled by King Leodegrance, and overseen, in his absence, by his daughter, Guinevere.  Although a peaceful realm, it is constantly harried by their neighbor to the north, Snowdonia, which is ruled by King Rience.  It is toward this kingdom and to deal with the villain king that Eric (disguised as Arthur), Maldren, Faraniar, and the twins, Balan and Balin are traveling to free up resources so that Leodegrance, standing in for the High King after his death, can offer aid to the war torn land of Parveria.

    Carlson is the captain of the Royal Guard of Parveria, and the only son of Stegmund (the Hammer), her former captain, and Hildegund, daughter of Thane Axelred.  He distinguished himself at an early age during the Great War against Cabal Rote and his fell armies when he not only rode out alone to seek help from the neighboring principalities but valiantly fought as one of the Riders of Westmoor in defense of his father's adopted country, earning himself the  unique prestige of being the youngest member inducted in the Guard (by royal decree).  His most endearing traits are his bull-headedness (thus his horned helmet-a paternal gift) and a tendency to approach most everything with excessive zeal, which didn't win him many friends but did eventually make him the perfect candidate for his father's position at the King's right hand.  In recent years, these traits have combined into a single-mindedness of duty to keep safe the realm and its royal family, and heaven help anyone that might interfere with that purpose and keep him from filling his predecessor's very large shoes.  His weapon of choice as head chancellor and leader of Parveria's army is the oversized hammer passed down to him by his deceased father, a replacement for the mace he had wielded in his brash youth.

    In the art of Magic, many things are employed to enact certain spells, potions, powders, incantations, etc, but to release the build of primal magical force, every practitioner develops his own word or phrase that he uses as a mantra to accomplish this, employing it as a sort of trigger.

    This was a terrible time in Parveria and the immediate surrounding areas that lasted nearly two years, where no one was able to conceive and carry a baby.  After the discovery of the problem, it stumped the Council of Mothers for quite some time until they discovered, through the investigations of Elesa and her friends, that the condition had been intentionally caused by an incredibly powerful spell evidently cast by Sober before his demise in the fire that burned down the Aerie-which didn't make any sense because most spells end with the death of the caster.  After much difficulty, the spell was finally broken with the birth of Eric and the true death of the evil wizard.

    The Council is a shirt tail division of the Brotherhood of Wizards, but with who major differences.  Their practitioners tend toward the arts of nature and very often serve as midwives during their "residency", and their organization actually has regular meeting and gets things accomplished.  The local chapter is locate in Haverwood, and is best known for helping to solve the "Childless Plague" from nearly twenty years past.  The Council consists of the five eldest and wisest of its members, and, currently, the Highmother of the Council is Elesa, a very close friend of Maldren's.

    The woodman who resided in Westmoor with his wife and their congregation of children.  Upon the delivery of their latest child, the midwife, Elesa, noticed that there was more difficulty in the birthing than normal, and in fact was the last child to be born in Parveria for nearly two years, thanks to a sinister spell cast by Somber the Wizard (see:  Childless Plague).  he then used mother and newborn to complete a spell he'd been working on for years to awaken the demon, Cabal Rote, and seize control over the creature.  The spell was interrupted by Maldren, who had though the Aerie was on fire, and even though Somber survived the resultant blast that destroyed his house, the mother and child weren't so lucky.

D

    Damocles, although he appeared to be an ordinary black house cat, he was in fact the demonic familiar of Somber the Wizard and chose to take that form so as not to give away his true nature.  A constant companion of the old villain at the Aerie, he did not show his true form until Maldren, Erichoth, and Elesa followed the wizard to his Other Place to rescue Helena and Eric, and Damocles was forced to protect his master, at first from the human interlopers (who had been shrunk to only a few inches tall) and the more sinister form of Cabal Rote.  Although still generally cat-shaped, the flames quickly burned away similarity to a domestic house pet.  Erichoth was forced to fight off the demon, at his reduced height, and received brutal wounds from which he didn't recover.  The familiar was then killed by Cabal Rote.

    Where normal Elves are more solitary creatures and wouldn't think of attacking humans except in self defense, their more sinister cousins, the Dark Elves, have no such qualms.  Although of the same diminutive size (no more than three-four feet tall) and with the same basic physical features (very lithe with pointed ears--although essentially human looking) they can be distinguished from their more amicable brothers by two distinctive traits.  Their skin tone is much darker, almost a slate color, and their general attitude, which is far from docile.  Unfortunately, by the time you've divined which is which, it's usually already too late.  Because of their aggressive natures and their great willingness to commit mayhem, particularly where humans are concerned, they were the perfect candidates for Morgan Le Fey's private and secret army with which she was undermining all the good works of the High King, Uther Pendragon after his death.

    The Darkwater is a swift moving stream that travels south out of the mountains and passes through the middle of Westmoor on the way to the Darkwater Lake.  One very wet spring, shortly before the marriage of Erichoth and Helena, it overflowed its banks, and Duke Erimoor rallied the entire town to save the grist mill and the bottomland farms.  Although no real lasting damage was incurred, it was considered the old Duke's finest moment in his already exemplary term of office.

    Demorath is the huge, three-headed dog that guards the entrance into Cabal Rote's fortress in the Land of Despair.  Much in the way that Cerberus guarded the gates to Hades, facing in rather than out, the difficulty isn't in sneaking past him to get in, it's in trying to get past him on the way back out.  Demorath is on of the evil wizard's favorite pets, but he was given this crucial position because nothing and nobody could do the job better.  The creature, although apparently unbeatable, was defeated by the barbarian, Faraniar.

    Dolciena is the beautiful daughter of the Emir of the Caliphate of Cordoba, and the intended of Valerian.  Although deeply in love, Val's empty pockets made his suit unwanted by the girl's father, so the wait was begun while the scholarly Moor went out in the world to seek his fortune.  Her love quickly secured the position as tutor to a wild western girl and was promised a king's ransom for his troubles, but that was more than eight years ago, and the Emir isn't the only one getting antsy for the deal to finally go through.  Three years has passed since last they beheld one another, when she had convinced her father to make the long trip to visit the small kingdom of Parveria.  More on their romance will be seen in a later story arc-promise.

     The leading religious figure in London who became embroiled in the contention of Arthur's right to be the High King.  Always the voice of reason, he didn't outwardly take either side, but it was quite obvious from the start that he was pulling for the underdog.  After officiating at the several times in which Arthur pulled the portentous sword from the stone, he was the one who finally crowned the new High King.

    The sign of the Duck and Weasel is the principle public house of Westmoor.  Not only is it the frequent stop of travelers coming across the mountains as well as the locals, but it is the only public building in town large enough to hold municipal hearings, so doubles as the town hall when necessary.

E

    Ector, although a veteran soldier (hem) is not one of the main heroes of the "Pentecost King" story, but he does lend a hand to the plot now and again. His main goals in life are keenly watching after his two boys, Kay and Arthur, and instilling in them the values and abilities that will someday qualify them for a position, as the cream of knighthood, at the even then legendary Round Table of the High King.  Although retired from active duty now and living a comfortable life in the Forest Sauvage, he still observes staunch allegiance to the now deceased Uther Pendragon, something of an increasingly rare commodity these days.  He and his sons are rescued by the Queen of Parveria from the Dark Elves of Morgan Le Fey, and in repayment he puts his household at their disposal in their own quest to seek aid for their war torn nation to the east.

    Egbert is the current Duke of Westmoor, seizing the reins of power (via the machinations of his parents) after the untimely (and many say suspicious) death of his grandfather, Erimoor, the first Duke of the small Duchy.  He is rather unattractive and rotten to the core, and in less time than you'd think, he has turned a thriving, happy village into something akin to a police state.  He employs the local thugs and cutthroats as his "Auxiliary Royal Guard" to bend the citizens to his way of thinking (or else) and was the first to levy a tax on his people.  Worse yet, he, for some reason, goes well out of his way to make (his cousin) Eric's life miserable and to goad him into one sided confrontations (usually involving insults directed at the younger man's deceased parents), landing the guileless youth in all shades of trouble.  And worse still, he considers himself the prime candidate to become the Princess Gwenyth's new consort.  A rotter of the first water.  It's really no wonder why Eric broke his nose during their last altercation. 

    Elementals are semi-sentient beings that consist of the four primary substances that make up all things, Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.  They are extremely powerful creatures because they tap into the very essence of all things, but because of their low intelligence, they can be easily magically ties to specific area, as in guarding certain important item, or imprisoned and then summoned at will.  And, because of their nature, they can be disguised as the most innocuous things before they are activated and rip you to shreds.

    Elesa is the current Headmother of the Council of Mothers, and a close personal friend of Maldren.  But, back in the day, she was a skilled midwife who traveled from town to town delivering babies when needed and practicing her knowledge of herb lore and natural magics when not.  During this time, known  as her "residency" with the Council, she very often serviced the area of Westmoor, to the deep appreciation of a certain apprentice wizard, who was slightly younger than her and deeply, deeply enthralled.  She also became good friends with Eric's parents, and she was instrumental in the resolution of the "Childless Plague" back before the boy's birth.  Before her ascendancy to the Head of the Council, she spent a great deal of time in the small Duchy helping her friend rear his infant ward, but now her duties allow her little time for a personal life and almost no time away from Haverwood.  If you ask anyone but her, she's Maldren's girlfriend. 

    Ergo and Nedra are certainly two of the antagonists in the "Maldren's Tale" story, but by no means are they the major villains.  Their main goal in life is to pave the way to the dukedom for their only son, Egbert, even if it's over the bodies of his younger brother, Erichoth and his wife, or over the first Duke, his father, himself.  He is the first son of Erimoor and Eglantine and early on in life he displayed traits that had the title yanked from his hands and placed into those of Erichoth.  She is a hard-bitten social climber who presses further ignominy upon her husband's already far from spotless record.  A lovely combination that produces and even more attractive offspring.

    Eric is the rather headstrong hero of the series.  He is the only son of Erichoth and Helana (and upon their untimely demise, was awarded to the less than capable care of their closest friend, Maldren), and a lifetime resident of Westmoor.  His one goal in life (when not causing his extended family to get more gray hair) since Lady Gwenyth's last birthday parade had visited their village, has been to become the consort of the Princess of Parveria, for whom he had fallen head over heals in love.  Unfortunately, she is of royal birth and he is the son of a stone mason (and one time war hero), but the obvious social stumbling block doesn't seem to bother his ardor much.  On top of being poor and a bit naive of the ways of the world, Eric also has a strong affinity toward trouble, a direction into which the young Duke of Westmoor inexplicably seems more than glad to goad him, but, over his scant eighteen years, his natural dexterity and some timely assistance from his guardian now and again, have kept him out of any serious trouble.  Up until the day of the Princess' sixteenth birthday that is.  Unknown to the brash youth is his secret pedigree which, at his twenty-first birthday would seat him as the lord over the small duchy in place of his miserable cousin, Egbert, a secret kept secret to safeguard the boy's life.

    Erichoth and Helena were Eric's parents,  but were killed shortly after his birth by the evil wizard, Somber.  Erichoth had lived in Westmoor all his life and early on became an avenging force for the weak and down trodden (usually under the feet of his older brother) which was how he met the young Maldren, when he first saved him from the local bully (you guessed it, Ergo).  They became fast friend, and the two o them enacted a plan to win the heart of the local physician's daughter, Helena.  They fell quickly in love, but their romance was a rocky one.  Besides being sabotaged left and right (guess who), Erichoth's parents, Erimoor and Eglantine, forbade them from getting hitched.  Of course, it being true love, they married anyway, and his family disowned him, cutting him off from his rightful inheritance.  A match made in heaven, right?  Well, let's just say that, if Shakespeare had known about their relationship together, Romeo and Juliet might have taken a back seat in his famous play about tragic lovers.

     Erimoor and Elantine were the first Duke and Duchess of Westmoor, and the parents of Ergo and Erichoth, and the grandparents not only of the present duke, Egbert, but of the disinherited Eric as well.  Erimoor, in his youth, had been the servant of the King when he founded the land of Parveria, and, because of his unswerving loyalty and friendship to the then errant youth, when the King had need of a trusted someone to oversee his growing lands to the west, he could think of no one better, and has never since regretted the appointment.  Erimoor soon made the duchy a model community, and when the dust had settled, he took a wife, his sweetheart from their home in Magus Minor, Eglantine.  Together, they managed to push the disgrace of onetime servitude so far behind them that they became more royal than the actual royalty, and for many years their attitude of extreme Noblesse Oblige served them well; until two generations later, their lofty self image and skewed ideals produced a monster for a grandson.  Both the Duke and Duchess, before passing the reins, died under questionable circumstances.

F

    Faraniar is a seven foot three-hundred pound Celtic barbarian who originated from the Iberian Peninsula.  Very little is actually known about he brooding giant except that he knows which end of an axe to use, he has an unshakable code of honor, and that, for some reason (which I promise will be explored in the foreseeable future), he and Valerian have some sort of deep contention about their home turf.  No one knows how he came to be in Parveria, or more specifically, how he came to be a captive in the Kobold village.  So, Faraniar, therefore, is considered a loose cannon in "the Culmination" story, but, where he's widely thought to eat stone trolls for breakfast, he is granted a lot of latitude by the rest of the companions.  It's never a good idea to make a giant psychopath cranky.  Later, after some of the answers to these questions are revealed, he becomes one of the most trusted members of the tight knit band after redeeming himself for earlier misdeeds time and time again.

     Fulminator's Pride is the prize bull of Silas Paddock who is big and mean and as black in heart as he is on the outside, and loves to tree any child or person foolhardy enough to cross any enclosure he happens to occupy.  He clashed with Eric and his mentor while they tried to rescue some of Maldren's students, treed by the beast, and oddly enough he got the short end of the encounter.

G

    Giants are not all bad creatures, and many of them live solitary lives, only hurting others when they themselves are attacked.  Cabal Rote recruited none of these for his army.  He collected together the ones that rather enjoy destroying villages, eating children, and causing general mayhem.  However, because of their, shall we say, limited intellect, their usefulness is somewhat restricted.  Cabal Rote usually reserved them as mindless engines of destruction, and when necessary, as beasts of burden.  In other words, they are cannon fodder who are also hand to have around to do heavy lifting.

    Goblins are the closest thing to humans on the evil side of the coin in their size and shape, except for a twist of reptilian something that spoils the mix, and they seem to be the creature of choice when throwing together an army of fell beasts.  They tend to be a bit smarter and a bit more loyal than the average shambling critter, but they tend also to have a cowardly side when the odds aren't vastly in their favor.  Cabal Rote employs many of them as an elite guard and as the officers of his armies, basically zoo keepers of the other, less manageable species.  Strangely enough, if not for their brazenly bloodthirsty nature, and the very awful things they eat, they might not be bad company in a bowling league.

    Gorlois was the Duke of Dumnonia (Cornwall) and was a detractor of Uther Pendragon who was trying to unite all of Britain under his one flag.  He was killed when he was drawn out of his castle at Tintagel so that the High King could steal away his beautiful wife, Ygerne (Igraine).  The only real legacy he left behind him was his daughter, Morgan Le Fey, who took his death and the stealing away of her mother a little personally.  As the first husband of Ygerne, he is also the uncle of the Lady Gwenyth on her mother's side.

    Twenty years ago, Cabal Rote and his fell armies marched forth from the Lands of Despair and invaded the capitols of both Parveria and Magus Minor unprovoked, and for nothing more than to force their respective leaders' hands to sign a contract that would forfeit to the evil wizard their first born girl child.  Both nations, of course, refused.  So, both halves of Cabal Rote's army settled in for a lengthy siege, but the army in Magus Minor, led by the evil wizard's most trusted Goblin captain, pressed the suit a little too hard and accidentally burned the stronghold to the ground.
     All of this was unknown to the King of Parveria, who had sent out messengers to his brother's kingdom and to the Duchy of Westmoor requesting their much needed aid.  The young Carlson, son of the captain of the Royal Guard, arrived in the duchy, and there was nearly time to mobilize an armed force before the remnants of the army from Magus Minor, having taken the wrong pass through the mountains to rejoin the other half of their forces, ended up in the small town.  The battle was short, and the fell army pressed onward up the Old Forest Road.
     But the men of the village, although the Duke had been struck down, were not yet undone.  They reorganized under the leadership of Erichoth (forming a group later known as the Riders of Westmoor) and sallied forth to not only hamper the vanguard's progress, but to ride ahead and warn the beleaguered Parveria Castle and add their number to theirs.  They arrived none too soon and turned the tide, at least temporarily, against Cabal Rote's legions.
     The advantage did not last long, and when the reinforcements eventually arrived, Cabal Rote pressed the suit once more, informing the King that no other help was coming from anywhere else.  Against his better judgment, the treaty was signed, and for twenty years the kingdom of Parveria has been left at relative peace, and her people have all but forgotten the terrible threat that still lies to the East. 

    Grimshaw, a frightful bugbear by nature, is one of Cabal Rote's favorite pets in the Land of Despair, taken in like a stray dog when he was down on his luck.  Then, his main goals in life were to be ferocious, terrifying, and unerringly loyal to his master--until the day he was placed in charge of the captive Princess Gwenyth, to guard her and keep her safe from the perils of his master's fortress.  From that point onward, his relatively simple life of eating, growling, and leaning on the more unruly in his master's armies became a constant struggle between good and evil, forcing him ultimately to choose between the two, his master who had saved him all those years ago and the epitome of innocence.  Thus, Grimmy is another loose canon in "the Culmination" story, and, although a secondary character, is a pivotal mover and shaker in the plot.

    The Lady Gwenyth (named after her maternal grandmother, Gwenydd-pronounced Gwen-ith) is the rather willful heroine of the series, and is the last in the line of the Royal House of Parveria, being the only child of her father, the King, and her mother, Kadryn.  When she was still an infant, barely able to walk, her mother passed away, and, left to her own devices for the next several years, developed quite a wild streak.  By the time she was seven, she was such a terror to the household that the King hired a visiting scholar, Valerian, to tame his intractable daughter.  Now, some eight years later, her Moorish mentor and sworn guardian has molded her into a charming and very civilized young lady; however, he has yet to break her obstinacy or her penchant for practical jokes, usually at his expense.  Beyond her affinity toward archery and the unsubstantiated rumor that she can communicate with the animals and birds, it would seem that her main goals in life originally are to cause her inflexible tutor as much grief as possible and to avoid fitting into the mold of "helpless female' as much as can be expected in the tenth century.  This very head-strong girl has only just turned sixteen--heaven help us all.  

H

    The hunchback proprietor of a questionable pharmacon shop in the Southwark section of London where Morgan Le Fey went, with her two porters, Maldren and Eric, to seek special herbs, medicines, and equipment to heal the companions' injured mount, Siaahr.  Although there was no direct proof, he gave every indication of being less than above board and legal in his wares, having supplied Morgan in some of her past misdeeds.

    Haverwood is a small satellite of Parveria that is home to the Council of Mothers and the largest library in the area.  Scholars from far and wide visit this renowned repository of books and knowledge, seconded only by the massive library in Rome, and it was this intellectual Mecca that originally brought Valerian to the area.  Strangely, despite the constant flux of visitors and pilgrims, the town has never grown to any appreciable size, in fact, doesn't even maintain a proper public house or any house of government.  Perhaps it is because of its inconsequential size that it escaped harm or even notice during the Great War.  Or perhaps no one wanted to cross the Council.    

     Dr. Herod is the resident physician for the Duchy of Westmoor and the maternal grandfather of Eric (being Helena's father).  His main goal in life is to actually have someone follow his medical advice to the letter.  He, his wife, and two children settled in the relatively new community about the time that Erichoth was in his late teens and were well received by most everyone despite their less than lofty status.  Dr. Herod is one of the few surviving people in the know about the secret compact between Maldren and the presiding Duke's family concerning young Eric's hidden pedigree.

    Little is truly known about the Hero Eternal except what was revealed in the ancient legends.  Piecing together the wives tales and stories (many of which were unearthed by Somber) he was supposed to have been the epitome of martial skill, like unto a god, with not only super human strength, but magical powers as well.  In time beyond telling, he defeated an ancient evil that plagued the land (an evil later identified as Cabal Rote, whether correctly or not is unknown) and imprisoned it in an inescapable place for a hundred hundred years.  But the Hero was as wise as he was powerful, and know that he couldn't keep the beast under wraps forever, so, in case the evil should ever be released or escape, he imbued a device with enough of his power to defeat the threat again, a device called the Staff of Unbelievable Good, and hid it in a temple where evil could not reach it.  What became of the Hero afterward has been much speculated, but nothing for certain is known.

    Hildegund was the daughter of Thane Axelred, the wife of Stegund the Hammer, and mother of Sir Carlson.  As a maiden, she was kidnapped from Roskstad, her father's village, by a band of Stone Trolls, and Stegmund, an errant hero, was brought in to rescue her.  His reward was her hand, but along the way he also won her heart; and they were eventually married.    When she became with child, the couple moved south from the Northlands to gentler more civilized climes, and ended up in the fledgling nation of Parveria, where her husband took the job as Captain of the Royal Guard.  They were happy for a time, but sadly, Hildegund died during childbirth and never got to see her fine new son.

    Hob-goblins, although their name might suggest it, are in no way related to true Goblins, and bear very little resemblance to them.  They tend to be less intelligent than their quasi-namesakes, less reliable, and in general less advanced on the evolutionary scale (which should make you really take pause if you're at all familiar with Goblins and the other fell beasts).  The few things they have more of are hair, teeth, and tails.  The only other thing they're big on is eating, eating, eating.  Anything that will fit in their mouths and moves slower than they do should be worried about its future in the company of these folks, and, except when they are being whipped into service by someone like Cabal Rote, that's pretty much all that they think about.  Not someone you'd want to invite to your Bar Mitzvah.

I

J

K

     Kadryn was the wife of the King of Parveria, the mother of Gwenyth, the daughter of Amlawdd and Gwenydd, and sister of Ygerne.  Raised in Cambria, she was the eldest of four daughters, all with red-gold hair, who fell in love with the King when he visited their lands with his brother for the renowned boar hunting.  Once arrangements were made, the King summoned her back to Parveria, and the newly built manor house, for their wedding.  At first, things were nearly perfect, then slowly they started to unwind.  Her husband was forced to sign away their unborn daughter to save the kingdom during the Great War, leaving him a shadow of his former self, and, four years later, when their first born turned out to be a girl, she herself went into decline as the King's behavior concerning the capitol's defenses became more and more obsessive.  Two years later, she died unexpectedly, some say of a broken heart.  (Pictured above are the Queen and the much younger King during happier times).

    Kay is the eldest son of Sir Ector and the brother of Arthur and was knighted on last All Hallowmas, allowing him to participate his first tourney on the following Boxing Day in London.   His primary goals in life are to hopefully live up to the lofty expectations for knighthood of his father (who had been one of the High King of Britain's knights) and to cause his younger brother as much grief as he can possibly get away with, or pretty much standard teen-age family stuff a thousand years ago.  On the way to the capitol city, however, he and his family's world is turned up-side down, not only by his brother's unexpected pedigree, but by the appearance of the refugees from war torn Parveria.

    The King is the lone monarch of the small kingdom of Parveria, and is the youngest son of the one time ruler of Magus Minor.  When his father passed and the kingdom passed to his eldest brother, by tradition, the not yet King set out with his most trusted servant (Erimoor), and and was determined to settle his own kingdom in the wilds to the east.  Once he and his fiercely loyal followers had reasonable civilized this story book realm, located on the doorstep of the fabled Temple of the Hero Eternal, the King took to him a wife, Kadryn, and for several years led an almost idyllic life.  Until, twenty years ago, he was forced to make a deal with the devil, Cabal Rote, in order to save his fledgling nation, a choice that has since eaten at his heart.  A few years later, it appeared that those idyllic times would be reclaimed upon the birth of the Princess Gwenyth, but it was to be short lived.  Although few knew the reason why, he became increasingly obsessed with bolstering the defenses of the castle and augmenting his Royal Guard.  But, after the death of his beloved a few years later, the King surrendered to his inner demons, and they have since destroyed the great man he once was--nearly.

    The road constructed by the King of Parveria to connect Parveria Castle with its satellite provinces of Westmoor and Haverwood.    To the East, it followed the route of the old Roman road exactly, but to the west, they chose the safe, albeit longer route circling to the south of the mountains instead of through the high pass as traced by the Old Forest Road.

    Originally the "Goblins" of Scandinavian folklore, here they are the cannibalistic half-men that infest the forest of the Borderlands surrounding the lost city of Siluria.  Scavengers by nature, they were driven out of the main lands of Parveria when the King and his faithful followers settled the area, so it didn't take much for Cabal Rote to convince some of them to fight on his side against the tiny kingdom.  Their civilization hasn't advanced very far, despite the age of their race, living in crude thatched huts as they have for centuries, and they hunt primarily in large packs almost like wild dogs.  So, if you only see one of them, you're already in trouble.

L

    A young knight who was distinguishing himself in the kingdom of Cameliard in hopes of one day becoming a member of the famous Round Table.  He becomes amorously involved with King Leodegrance's daughter, Guinevere along the way.  Son of Ban and Elaine, he as raised by the Ladies of the Lake to be the greatest knight.

    The desolate realm of Cabal Rote and his fell armies located to the north and east of Parveria, which really lives up to its name.  It is a flat, mist shrouded plain that is overlooked by a ruined ancient city.  There are not trees, not animals, nothing save the burnt out cone of a spent volcano which the evil wizard converted into his stronghold by carving out tunnels and rooms deep into the bowels of the earth and laying row upon row of crude housing on the doorstep for his Goblins and Trolls and other foul followers.  This is not a good vacation destination.

    The good king of the north western territory of Britain called Cameliard who had much of the recently deceased High King's responsibility thrust upon him, including his Round Table of knights.  Before this, his main concern was the well being of his daughter, Guinevere, and dealing with the villain King Rience, who had been harrying his realm for some time.  But afterward, the weight of the whole island seemed to be placed on his shoulders.  Add to that the trouble stirred when Arthur (supposedly the son of Uther Pendragon) pulled the sword from the stone and was thrust into the ring of contenders for the high crown, and then compounded by the appearance of the refugees from Parveria.

     The king of the British kingdoms of Lothian and Orkney, husband of Morgause, and one of the biggest detractors of Arthur being crowned as High King after he pulled the sword from the stone.  He had been a supporter of Uther Pendragon, but could not bring him self to recognize the beardless boy put forth by Merlin as the High King's heir.  As such, he and King Uriens did everything in their power to prevent the goal of the beardless boy from being realized.  By the daughter of King Gorlois, he has four sons, Gawain, Owain, Agravain, and Gaheris, all of which later become knights of the Round Table.

M

    Magic works a bit differently in the Parverian Tales than it might elsewhere.  Although it often appears that a piece of wizardry is spontaneous, it rarely ever is.  Most magical acts require at least some preparation, and incantation, a mixture of key ingredients, a catalyst agent, and so forth, to make it work.  Now, all of this messy stuff can be accomplished long before it is ever used, and place in vials or pouches or into an amulet, waiting for someone with the sorcerous spark to bring forth their necromantic properties.  That isn't to say just anyone can do it.  In most cased, an ordinary Joe could mix key ingredients together till the cows come home and get nothing but stinky pots and pans, but a true wizard can get amazing reactions from seemingly ordinary things.  And that isn't to say also that there aren't a small percentage of practitioners who are able to conjure certain magics from thin air, but they are very very rare, and with a little discipline, can become very powerful indeed.  Also keep in mind, no matter how powerful the wizard, a few simple rules always apply.  If you break a wizard's concentration while performing a spell, it will break the magic.  All magic created by a wizard is broken upon his or her demise.  And, if someone is on the inside of a spell, they cannot see the spell for what it is and are unaffected by the magic.
     There is a slightly different branch of magic, practiced mostly by the Council of Mothers members called natural magic.  this is primarily a working knowledge of the properties of plants and other living things of the world and how to apply them, usually in a medicinal way.  However, most of the Council member also have an uncanny awareness of all living things, and have developed an almost sixth sense about them.  No one really knows whether to put this down as true magic, or to just chalk it up to heightened empathy, but it allows them a shirt tail consideration in the Brotherhood of Wizards.

    Magus Minor is the original home of the King of Parveria before he set off to find his own fortunes.  Located across the mountains that border Parveria to the west, it was ruled by the King of Parveria's eldest brother after the death of their father.  For many years the two nations lived in peace and harmony, essentially sister states, until the reawakening of Cabal Rote.  When he put his master plan into action to secure the Staff of Unbelievable Good, he sent armies to both nations, one with him at the head to Parveria, and the other to Magus Minor with one of his Goblin commanders in charge.  Both were to be pressed into signing a contract that would grant the demon their first born female child in trade for peace with the Land or Despair, but the Goblin pressed too hard and the castle and all her inhabitants were accidentally razed.

    Maldren is the school teacher of Westmoor, a retired sorcerer and member of the Brotherhood of Wizards, and the sworn guardian of his young ward (son of his best friends) Eric.  At a tender age, he developed extraordinary but dangerous powers and was sold into the care of Somber the Wise, who took him on as his unwilling apprentice.  After several years of unpleasant lessons and even more unpleasant (and sometimes cruel) home life, his only solace came in the form of his best friend, Erichoth (who had rescued him shortly after becoming the old man's student) and the infrequent visits of the midwife, Elesa, for whom he still carries a torch.  Shortly before the Great War, a terrible explosion, which nearly took his life, also created the opening for his current teaching position and led to his retirement from the magical arts; and, a few years later, the death of his best friend and his wife at the hands of his old master, leaving the orphaned Eric in his care.  Now, after eighteen years, most everyone has forgotten about his old vocation (referring to him as the old schoolmarm), but with keeping the accident prone youth out of trouble, old habits tend to die hard.

    Lady Morgan is one of the chief villains of the "Pentecost King" story, and is certainly not a nice person by any definition of the phrase.  Her goals in life are to serve herself and to cause the utter downfall of everything for which the deceased High King, Uther Pendragon, once stood, by any and all means possible.  Her reasons?  The High King had stolen her mother, Ygerne (Igraine) from her father Duke Gorlois, causing his ultimate death, then married her off (at a very young age) to one of his old retainers to get her out of his house.  could make anyone cranky.  Now, fifteen years later, she is a sorceress, a manipulator, and a mantrap, all of which she deftly employs to cause the downfall of the crumbling ideal, and, just as her revenge seems to be coming to an end, she meets young Arthur on the way to the Boxing Day tournament in London.  And, although her world it turned upside-down, she still has the wherewithal to pitch woo at a certain swarthy cavalier and to covet the giant horse of his friends.

N

    One of the local thugs in Westmoor who was recruited by Egbert as one of his Auxiliary Royal Guard and had frequent run ins with Maldren over some of Eric's larger blunders.  He and his friends, as transients passing through the area, had a run in with the magician and his best friend, Erichoth, who thought the transmogrified Maldren was a real wolf and were determined to get the bounty on his hide.  Evidently, even after the beating dealt them by the son of the Duke, they took a liking to the area and stayed on until they were offered gainful employment with the local brute squad.

     The little used old Roman road that leads from Parveria up through the Borderlands and eventually, if legends hold true, to the City of the Seven River, Siluria.  The road is in such misuse and disrepair that before long is becomes little more than a path through the dense undergrowth and might be lost to any but the keenest eyed tracker.

O

    Ogres are a nasty lot who appear to incorporate much of the bad traits from nay of the other fell races.  They can be as big as Giants, although tend to be much much bulkier; they have horns and may have fur like the Hob-goblins; they have extreme deformities in their race like the Trolls, so no two ever look much alike; and like the Kobolds, they'll eat just about anything.  Fortunately, like may of the other fell races, Ogres aren't overly burdened in the brains department, and so are employed by Cabal Rote much like the Giants are, in the less cerebral duties.  There are some throwback Ogres that are smarter than the average critter, and can, singularly pose and impressive threat, but these are extremely rare.

    The Old Crone is somewhat of an enigma in the land of Parveria.  Some call her Oracle, and some call her witch; but no one really knows who she it, or how old she is, or where she's originally from, or how she is privy to some of the knowledge she has at her gnarled fingertips.  She happens to be most well versed in the local folklore, most specifically that of the Hero Eternal and the Staff of Unbelievable Good.  It was her that first suggested the King seek the Staff to defeat Cabal Rote, which led to the many unsuccessful campaigns up the North Road to Siluria.  Although no one really knows where she lives (or if she's really a she), she tends to haunt the forests around Parveria Castle, appearing out of nowhere when she's needed, and disappearing just as mysteriously.

    The old Roman road that leads between Parveria Castle and Westmoor which fell into disrepair after the King's Highway was built, taking the safer but longer route around the mountains instead of through them.  Once abandoned, the route became a haven for highwaymen and bandits of all sorts, and even worse.

    An Other Place is a secret hidden sanctuary created by the most powerful wizards as a place of retreat or a place to store more sensitive items, like the one item in the world that might do you in.  These normally tiny pocket universes usually consist of one of two rooms and a series of pre-prepares portals to familiar surroundings, but they can be much much larger.  Customarily, these places are unapproachable by anyone because the portals can be closed at will and the sanctuaries are all bur untraceable, but, occasionally, a wizard gets sloppy or distracted and leaves a "back door" open through which he can be relatively easily followed.  However, even if someone should, by some slim chance, gain egress to his Other Place, other protection wards make it impossible for another sorcerer to use magic while inside, making him pretty much powerless.  Also, as an added incentive not to attack a wizard in his sanctuary, if he should for any reason meet his demise, his sanctuary would soon follow him, usually taking his killer with it.  So, under ordinary circumstances, it is an impregnable fortress, an unquestionable safe store house, and a hidey hole as comfortable as the maker cares to equip it.

P

One of the most prosperous farmers residing in Westmoor, who, besides having the largest cattle herd in Parveria, may have also set the record in number of children.  His large but humble home, built from the stones of an ancient fallen structure on his property, is located just off the road leading out of town across the Darkwater Brook which passes by the home of Eric and Maldren.  He has fenced off fields surrounding his main set of buildings on all sides in which he has his live stock, including his prize bull, Fulminator's Pride the second.

    Parveria, or "Small Land", founded by her current King, is a tiny realm located on an old Roman crossroads to the east of Britain and to the west of Rome, and to the south of the Northlands, consisting of the smaller provinces of Westmoor and Haverwood, all interconnected by the King's Highway.  It is bordered to the west across the mountains by its sister nation, Magus Minor, to the east by the Land of Despair, and to the north, by the wild unknown of the Borderlands and the legendary city of Siluria.  Parveria Castle, located in nearly the very center of the region, is not only her central seat of government, but her center of commerce as well.  Twenty years ago, the fledgling kingdom was overrun by Cabal Rote and his evil minions from the east, but, after a forced treaty was signed, has since enjoyed an almost uncanny peace.  However, the Castle, in that time, has been greatly fortified and the Royal Guard, her resident army, augmented and honed to a formidable fighting force.  her primary ruling family consists of the King, his wife Kadryn (deceased), and their only child, the Lady Gwenyth.

     Parveria Castle is the capitol of the land of Parveria and was built at the very crossroads of two ancient Roman highways.  It at first consisted of the main manor house, built of timber and stone to house the royal family, and was surrounded by the rest of the city, mainly much smaller wooden businesses and dwellings.  However, after the events in the Great War raised most of the outer structures, the town was rebuilt with a high strong stone castellated wall surrounding it allowing access only through the heavily armed gates opening on the four roads leading to the opposite points of the compass.  Unfortunately, even these precautions proved insufficient when Cabal Rote made his second attack on the fair land.  Although the fortification was not breeched, the evil demon's agents came in over the wall and the Manor was reduced to rubble.  The ruins of the capitol city have yet to be rebuilt.

    The High King of Britain, or at least he was trying to be by uniting all the separate little kingdoms and duchies that conflicted across the face of the great island, all under the guiding hand of the wizard, Merlin.  Toward this lofty goal, he created a legion of knights, the epitome of chivalry and gallantry, and placed them all at his Round Table (built by the wizard) so that no man sat above another.  His ultimate goal, however began to fall apart when he, with the wizard's help and that of Sir Ulfius, arranged to steal the wife, Ygerne (Igraine) of one of his greatest detractors, Duke Gorlois, who was unintentionally killed in the process.  Their only child, Arthur, was handed over to Merlin for safe keeping shortly before Uther's dream came to an end with his death.  His table of knights endured, passing into the hands of King Leodegrance, and his hopes of a united Britain fell into the hands of his son.

Q

R

    The Riders were the name given to the impromptu band of farmers and shop keepers that rode from Westmoor to aid Parveria Castle against invaders in the Great War with Cabal Rote and his fell armies.  Their village had just survived an attack of the force coming across the mountains from Magus Minor toward their capital, and knowing where it was headed, the remaining able bodied men rode forth in service to the crown.  They harried the advancing forces  and not only won precious time for the Castle, but won great renown in the bargain.  A statue in their honor was erected in the town square by the stone mason, Erichoth, who had also been one of the Riders.

    Rience is the King of North Wales and Ireland, who, to prove his worth, challenges other kings to combat, and when he defeats them, he removes their beards, which he keeps as trophies, and sews them onto his cloak.  His latest intended conquest is the king of neighboring Cameliard, Loedegrance, who really doesn't have time for such nonsense.  In order to free some of his resources up, the companions, with some extra help, decide to take the villainous king down posing as Arthur.

    The Giant who, by ancient legends, is in possession of the Sword of Hercules and lives on the shores of Snowdonia.  He, in fact, lives on a small island off the coast between Cambria and Ireland and has the personality of a car compactor.  We will learn more about the giant very very soon.

     The great table built for High King Uther Pendragon by the wizard Merlin for his great knights, so that no one knight would be seated above another.  After the High King's demise, the table was put in the keeping of King Leodegrance of Cameliard until it would pass to the heir to the throne.  It was once thought to be made of silver, but it was merely wood (oak) with all the places of the flowers of knighthood listed by name.

    The official army of Parveria, created for the protection of the realm and her peoples.  Captained originally by the Northlander, Stegmund the Hammer, and later by his son, Carlson.  The main body of the corps is stationed at Parveria Castle, and, although they are a well trained, organized fighting force, when there are major incursions, as was the great battle against Cabal Rote and his fell army, they do rely on militia support from the surrounding provinces.  They can easily be identified by their riveted iron helmets and their red tunics emblazoned with a silhouette of a single enduring tower. 

S

    Siaahr is the companion's giant, winged horse.  he also happens to be the transmogrification of their most dreaded enemy, Cabal Rote.  Once an evil demon bent on world domination, now his main goals are to carry his friends wherever they want to go and to find tasty bits of vegetation to eat.  he was named quickly by the Lady Gwenyth to hide his true identity (C-R), and it is the general consensus of his new masters that he is the only one of his kind, which makes him an inescapable temptation to collectors of rare animals. 

    Siluria is the legendary ancient city which is supposed to house the Temple of the Hero Eternal, the final known resting place of the Staff of Unbelievable Good.  If the stories are to be believed, it was built at the junction of seven rivers (a significance which has been lost to time), and could be reached by following the old Roman North Road through the Borderlands.  Sounds easy?  No one who had ever made the journey, seeking the Staff, has ever returned.  The list of the missing includes the original Captain of the Royal Guard, Stegmund the Hammer.

     Somber the Wizard, known once as the Loremaster of Westmoor, was definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing.  The local gentry of Westmoor knew him as a kindly old man whom they trusted enough to teach their children as their schoolmaster, but Maldren, his one time apprentice, knew him best as the rotten hearted old villain who had no scruples or morals to speak of.  In fact, the old man often spoke out against these traits, considering them a weakness, virulently evident in his inept pupil.  It has been rumored that, before his death, he was the one to resurrect the devil, Cabal Rote, toward his own unknown ends, but there has never been any conclusive proof.  The one major act just before his demise that is truly known is that he was responsible for the death of Eric's parents.  It has been said by some (who will remain nameless) that the man never did a decent thing in his whole life, but in truth, in his self-serving search for information pertaining to the Staff of Unbelievable Good and the Hero Eternal (as they related to Cabal Rote), he amassed an incredible collection of history which he compiled in the Book of Kelds.  After his rather violent end, the position of schoolmaster and keeping of the Book fell to the hands of his apprentice, Maldren.

    Little is really known about the Staff except that it is the one weakness and possible the only bane of the villain, Cabal Rote, and that, if it is still anywhere, it lies in the Temple of the Hero Eternal.  Legend has it that thousands of years ago, the Hero Eternal did battle with Cabal Rote, and not only defeated him but imprisoned him as well; and, in case the fiend should ever escape or be released, he imbued the Staff with his power for future generations to use in case of emergency.  Whether there is any truth to the story has been lost to the ages.  The Staff is attributed with one other power, that it has a euphoric effect on those more susceptible and attuned to the forces of magic, but again, no one really knows the truth.

    Stegmund was the first Captain of the Parverian Royal Guard, husband of Hildegund, and father of Sir Carlson.  Many years ago, he started his martial career as a hero for hire much in the way of Beowulf, traveling from village to village in the Northlands, performing various deeds of daring do by his wits and his strong right arm.  On his last freelance adventure, he met his future wife (whom he had been hired to rescue from the Stone Trolls, and the couple settled down somewhat.  When Hildegund became pregnant, they repaired south to the more civilized lands, where Stegmund, his reputation preceding him, was offered the job as the head of the newly formed Royal Guard.  When his wife died in childbirth, Stegmund threw himself into his work and was soon his new lord's most trusted advisor in matters of state.  After many years of distinguished courageous service and of doing his best to raise his son right, he was killed in the eleventh and presumably last quest for the Staff of Unbelievable Good.

T

    The Temple is a legendary edifice that was supposedly constructed in the city of Siluria thousands of years ago to house the most powerful weapon of all, the Staff of Unbelievable Good.  And to ensure that it would never fall into unworthy hands, deadly traps were installed to keep out the non-pure hearted riff-raff.  What those tests might be and if the Temple even still really exists are secrets that have been lost to time and legend.

    One of the local thugs in Westmoor who was recruited by Egbert as one of his Auxiliary Royal Guard and had frequent run ins with Maldren over some of Eric's larger blunders.  He and his friends, as transients passing through the area, had a run in with the magician and his best friend, Erichoth, who thought the transmogrified Maldren was a real wolf and were determined to get the bounty on his hide.  Evidently, even after the beating dealt them by the son of the Duke, they took a liking to the area and stayed on until they were offered gainful employment with the local brute squad.

    One of the shepherds working for Silas Paddock who nearly stumbled upon Erichoth and Helena during their first secret tryst after being forbidden to see each other by the Duke but were saved by the quick thinking of Maldren who, with a quicker spell, made them all look like the other cows.  

    Trolls are very similar to Goblins in the whole scheme of fell creatures in as much as they are very very humanoid and are much more evolutionarily advanced than many of the other races of the night.  Although there are many rogue Trolls, preferring a solitary life under bridges and the sort, most prefer a more civilized herd environment, and tend to congregate in large numbers--of course until they are driven away or just exterminated by the so called "sun lovers".  The one main thing that sets the Trolls apart is the almost unprecedented make up of their physical forms.  No two trolls are ever exactly alike.  One brother could be tall and skinny with lots of hair and big ears, and the other could be short, squat, bald, and have a mouth that is too big for his neckless head.  Although this comes in very handy for adapting to different environments (as with the Stone Trolls), it makes it a challenge to identify two Trolls as being from the same race.  Just plain weird. 

U

     The chamberlain of the High King Uther Pendragon and one of the knights of his Round Table.  He was the knight that convinced Merlin to disguise his lord so that he could sneak into Gorlois' castle and steal away his wife, Ygerne (Igraine) and accompanied him inside disguised as Sir Brastius, his opposite number in Gorlois' army.  This veteran knight befriended the companions from Parveria as he was chaperoning the two newly knighted brothers, Balan and Balin to their first tourney in London,  and also was the one to inform Sir Ector and party that the stakes on the field of honor were much higher than before expected, for the title of High King.

     The ruler of the British kingdom of Gore, husband of Morgan Le Fey, and one of the biggest disputers of Arthur's claim to be the new High King just because he pulled the sword out of the stone at the Boxing Day tournament in London.  He and Lot were the frontrunners trying everything to keep the boy from uniting all of the island provinces.

V

    Valerian (Val-Ehryn) is the Moorish scholar who has been entrusted for the past decade as the sworn guardian and teacher of the Princess Gwenyth, a charge to which he has devoted his life, while trying not to be tainted by the uncivilized westerners. Since his youth in Cordoba, Iberia, Val has been many things including a soldier, and intellectual, and a poet, but he has never been rich--a problem when you are in love with the Emir's daughter.  But, determined to earn the hand of his fair Dolciena, he set out to win his fortune, a journey which eventually brought him to the library at Haverwood in Parveria--coincidentally, at the same time that the local King was searching for a mentor for his unruly daughter.  Unable to pass on the offered king's ransom in payment, he took on the seemingly impossible task of creating a silk purse from the wild little girl.  Now, more than eight years later, on the eve of the now refined young lady's sixteenth birthday, and impending marriage (pending her choice of consorts), it appears as if, at last, his job is coming to an end and his postponed life may continue.  That is, until she is stolen away in the night.

W

    The Duchy of Westmoor was formed when Parveria was expanding at an alarming rate, so much so that the King was afraid that he couldn't suitably govern or defend the outreaching settlers.  So, he named the lands reaching west into the mountains as a separate province of the realm and placed his most trusted servant, Erimoor, as its governor, with the title of Duke along with it.  It proved to be a very wise and beneficial decision, especially when the Duke sent reinforcements to Parveria Castle during the Great War (see:  Riders of Westmoor).  In later years, however, since the passing of the first Duke, his grandson, Egbert, has not governed justly or fairly, a fault which has gone unchecked by the failing King, and the Duchy has fallen on uncertain times.

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    The daughter of Amlawdd and Gwenydd of Cambria, sister to Kadryn of Parveria, wife of Duke Gorlois of Cornwall and later the High King Uther Pendragon, mother of Morgan Le Fey (from the 1st marriage) and Arthur (from the 2nd).  Although still considered the queen of Britain, even after the death of her second husband, she wields no real political power in the nation torn apart by internal wars.

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