The Knight Marshal (The Silk & Steel Saga) (39 page)

THE PAINTED PEOPLE

An ancient people, forgotten by
most of Erdhe, the Painted Warriors are the descendents of escaped slaves and
runaway soldiers. Living in the shadow of the Dark Citadel, the Painted People
have forged a fiercely independent warrior culture that spans a thousand years.
Outnumbered and poorly equipped, they strike back at the Pentacle in lightning
raids across the steppes, reaping steel and armor from their enemies. They make
their home in a secret labyrinth of caves hidden in the Ghost Hills. Deeply
spiritual, they invoke the power of nature by tattooing their faces with the
images of beasts and birds, a spiritual melding of man and animal. Divided into
dens depending on their tattoos, they are guided by the Ancestor, a shaman of
mystical memories, and lead by a Council of Leaders made up of representatives
from all the dens. A secret and forgotten people, few in the southern kingdoms
have ever heard of them.

THE ANCESTOR
- Also known as the
Keeper of Memories, the Old One. The Ancestor is always a woman, following a
matriarchal line of mystical seers that stretches back for nearly a thousand
years. As the spiritual leader of the painted people she is respected and
revered but she does not rule as a queen. Instead she serves as a guide to the
council of leaders.

VALDUR
- a Taishan of the mountain
lions, lost on a vision-hunter on a quest in the southern steppes. Attacked and
left for dead by soldiers of the Pentacle, a patrol of Octagon knights found
him and took him to Castlegard where he died in Kath’s arms.

THE SVALA -
After being tested in a trial by combat,
Kath of Castlegard
is hailed as the Svala
,
the long foretold war
leader of the Painted People.

ROYCE
- warrior leader of the mountain lions, leader
of the Council

THERA
- leader of the ravens, master healer

BRANT
- leader of the boars

FANGGOLD
- warrior leader of the wolves

RINGOL,
warrior leader of the foxes

MERRICK,
a raven-faced healer, second to Thera

CORWIN,
painted warrior, hunts with Blaine

TOMKIN,
painted warrior, hunts with Blaine

THE MAROON BAND

A brotherhood of painted warriors who
claim the honor of protecting the Svala. Survivors of the original eighty
warriors who witnessed Kath’s trial at the Gargoyle Gates and then formed the
vanguard for the attack on the Dark Citadel, they call themselves the Maroon
Band. Their symbol is a tattered strip of maroon cloak tied to their right
bicep. Their strips of maroon come from the extra length of Kath’s maroon
cloak, given to her by Blaine after the battle with the hellhounds. Led by Bear
and Boar, they have become the personal guard to the Svala.

BEAR
- a bear-faced warrior assigned to guard Kath,
he refuses to reveal his true name, adopts the name of Bear and becomes Kath’s
personal guard and friend, wields a sword

BOAR
- a boar-faced warrior assigned to Kath, refuses
to reveal his true name, adopts the name of Boar and becomes Kath’s personal
guard and friend, wields a mace

TORVEN
- eagle-faced warrior patrol leader

SIDHORN,
eagle-faced warrior

TINGOLD
- a wolf-faced scout, hunts with Blaine

GRENFIR
- an owl-faced warrior

RUTHGAR -
boar-faced warrior, hunts with Blaine

TANGOR
- a hawk-faced warrior

PREN,
a bear-faced warrior

CLEMIT
- a wolf-faced warrior

VIN
- an eagle-faced warrior

TARLY
- a boar-faced warrior

BRIN-
a wolf-faced warrior

BRINGOLD-
fox-faced warrior

GRIFF,
lion-faced warrior

TANGOR,
a badger-faced warrior

TORKIN
, a wolf-faced warrior

TANGAR,
a hawk-faced warrior

TOMLIN,
a wolf-faced warrior

TALBERT,
a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band
warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted
by the maroon band

CONIT,
a badger-faced lad, son of a maroon band
warrior who died taking the Dark Citadel, he becomes a squire to Kath, adopted
by the maroon band

THE WOLF BAND

A band of wolf-faced warriors who have
formed a den and are sworn to protect Danya.

NEVEN
- the leader of the wolf band, a wolf-faced
warrior hand-fasted to Danya.

BALTHUS-
wolf-faced warrior

THE MIRAL
- Absolute ruler
of the MerChanters

LORD ASKAL -
A MerChanter
Sea Lord, captain of the
Dark Fin

TORMUND
- First Mate of the
Dark Fin

BALTHAR-
a MerChanter raider
aboard the
Shark

GALLWAX -
a MerChanter
raider, First Mate aboard the
Shark

CORWAY-
a MerChanter raider
aboard the
Shark

The youngest kingdom of Erdhe, Navarre was founded less than four hundred years ago by a daring adventurer,
Alaric Navarre, who rescued the youngest daughter of the king of Coronth from a
band of sea pirates infesting the Orcnoth Islands. Gaining the king’s
confidence, and his daughter’s hand in marriage, Alaric earned a freehold of
land running along the Western Ocean where he later established his kingdom.
His domain includes the Orcnoth Islands. 

While defeating the nest of
pirates, Alaric discovered a long-forgotten focus. The magic of the focus
renders the royal house very fecund, enabling the queens to bear six to ten
children in a single pregnancy. After using the magic, both the king and the
queen become sterile. The focus is the secret strength of the royal house of Navarre, the bedrock for the succession to the throne. Alaric abandoned the convention of
primogeniture, declaring that all of the tuplets have an equal chance to the
throne. He instituted the practice of Wayfaring, a type of fostering where the
heirs develop their greatest interests, striving to become excellent at a
skill, a knowledge, or a trade, so that they can bring this knowledge back to
Navarre and thus enrich the kingdom. After the Wayfaring, the King, together
with the royal council, chooses the successor to the throne based on the
talents, skills, and temperament that best fit the needs of the kingdom at the
time. Navarre is well known for its uncommonly wise rulers…but with every great
boon there is also a cost, the hidden focus brings with it the Curse of the
Vowels. 

The symbol of Navarre is a white osprey soaring on a checkered field of red and blue. The seat of their power is
Castle Seamount, perched on a rocky outcrop on the edge of the Western Ocean. Navarre has always had close ties to the sea.

KING IVOR NAVARRE
, the eighth ruler of the kingdom of Navarre

-his siblings:

PRINCE IRWIN
, died of
poison, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the Vowels

PRINCESS INGRID
, fell from
the rigging of a ship and died, believed to be a victim of the Curse of the
Vowels

PRINCESS IRIS
, accused of
murdering her two siblings, exiled to the Orcnoth Islands, she murdered her
guards and then disappeared

PRINCE ISADOR
, Commander of
the Army of Navarre, advisor to the king, nearly fell victim to the Curse of
the Vowels

PRINCESS IGRAINE
, Counselor
to the king, court historian, tutor to the Royal Js

PRINCE IAN
, Royal Bowyer,
advisor to the king

PRINCESS IVY
, Captain of a
royal merchant vessel of Navarre

-his wife,
QUEEN MEGAN
, a princess of Tubor

-their children known as the Royal Js:

PRINCESS JEMMA
, Wayfaring
with the Queen of Lanverness to learn the way of multiply coins

PRINCE JUSTIN
, Wayfaring to
become a bard, he receives permission from the King and Council to travel to
Coronth to try and overthrow the Pontifax, also known as the Dark Harper

PRINCESS JORDAN
, Wayfaring
with the Kiralynn monks to learn the art of war, felled by the treachery of the
Mordant she is healed by the monk’s magic, sword sister to Kath of Castlegard

PRINCE JARED
, Wayfaring with
the Octagon Knights to learn the way of the sword

PRINCESS JULIANA
, Wayfaring
with Navarre’s merchant fleet to learn the way of the sea,  merchant captain of
the
Sea Sprite

PRINCE JAMES
, Wayfaring in
Tubor to learn to become a vintner

PRINCE JAYSON
, Wayfaring in
the Delta to learn the secrets of a new water wheels

his retainers:

MARY,
Prince Ian’s wife

GARTH
, Princess Ivy’s
husband

SIR LEON,
an older knight,
serves the queen on market days

MATILDA,
a wise woman, an
herbalist, a midwife, and a fortuneteller, a friend to Queen Megan

MASTER SIMMONS
, the royal
healer

CREW
OF THE
SEA SPRITE

JULIANA,
Princess
of Navarre, a Royal J, captain of the
Sea Sprite

MARCUS,
First
Mate

SOOTHBY,
Second
Mate

WREN,
lookout

JANGO,
a
sailor

THE
ARMY OF NAVARRE

MAJOR COLSON,
veteran major
of the Army of Navarre

RAFE,
a monk of the Kiralynn
Order, a friend and advisor to Princess Jordan

LANVERNESS

Lanverness is an old kingdom,
steeped in tradition, often relying on its wealth of natural resources and the
shrewdness of its rulers to grow in prosperity and influence. Never fecund, the
royal line of Lanverness has been forced to branch out several times over the
centuries. The Rose Throne is currently held by the Tandroths. The Tandroths
nearly lost the throne when the last king of Lanverness, King Leonid, failed to
produce a male heir. The king survived a revolt and forced his noblemen to
accept his only daughter, Liandra, as the heir to the Rose Throne on the
condition that she marry a peer of the realm. Liandra is the only queen to rule
a kingdom of Erdhe. Under Queen Liandra’s stewardship, Lanverness has become
the wealthiest kingdom in all of Erdhe.

The symbol of Lanverness is two
white roses crossed on a field of emerald green. The seat of their power is
Castle Tandroth, rising from the heart of Pellanor, the capitol city.

QUEEN LIANDRA TANDROTH
, ruler of the Rose Throne,
also known as the White Rose of Lanverness, also known as the Spider Queen

-her husband,
PRINCE-CONSORT
DONALD TERREL
, chosen from among the noble families of Lanverness, Lord
Terrel was raised up to be the Prince-Consort to the queen on condition that he
forsake his name and his lineage. He died in a hunting accident shortly after
the birth of his second son. The heraldry of house Terrel is a red unicorn
rearing on a field of green.

-their children:

PRINCE STEWART
, heir to the
Rose Throne, promoted to general of the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword

PRINCE DANLY
, spare heir to
the Rose Throne, a condemned traitor

PRINCESS ASELYNN
, died at
birth

UNNAMED PRINCESS,
died at
premature birth, some consider it murder by poison

-her councilors:

LORD ROBERT HIGHGATE
, the
Master Archivist, the queen’s shadowmaster, right hand to the queen

MASTER RADDOCK,
deputy
shadowmaster serving the queen, was once a condemned thief, rescued from the
dungeons by the Master Archivist

SIR DURNHEART,
the Knight
Protector, raised to a knight after the Red Horn rebellion, wields a blue steel
sword named
Loyalty

LORD TURNER
, a former member
of the queen’s council, boiled alive for treason, a harlequin of the Dark Lord

LORD SHELDON
, the Lord
Sheriff, leader of the constable force of Lanverness

MAJOR RANOTH,
promoted after
the rebellion, he serves as a military advisor to the queen

LORD SADDLER,
a goldsmith
raised to a lord after the rebellion, the Master of Coin on the queen’s council

LORD RICKMAN
, the Lord of
Mines, responsible for the ruby, emerald and iron ore mines of Lanverness

LORD CENRIC,
a
cat-eyed archer, he sits on the queen’s council when he is in Pellanor, leader
of Clan Hemlock, his loyalty is to the Treespeaker and the Deep Green, he wears
a cloak of peacock feathers

LORD CANNING,
newly
appointed Treasurer

LORD GRANGE,
newly appointed
Royal Scribe

PRINCESS
JEMMA,
princess of Navarre, a Royal J, wayfaring with the queen to learn
the way of multiplying coins, sits on the queen’s council as the representative
from Navarre

-her ladies-in-waiting:

LADY SARAH JAMESON
, a
distant cousin of the queen, principle lady-in-waiting to the queen

LADY MARTHA
, a
lady-in-waiting to the queen

LADY AMY
, the youngest of
the queen’s ladies-in-waiting

LADY LINDSEY,
a
lady-in-waiting to the queen

-other members of the court:

SIR CARDEMIR,
fifth son of the Duke of Graymaris, the seahorse knight, sent by the queen as
an emissary to the Kiralynn monks, murdered by the Mordant’s treachery

FREDERINKO,
an
emissary from the Empire of Ur, a chained servant of the twelfth-fold prince of
Ur, come to the Rose Court bearing gifts, sent to prepare for the prince’s
arrival

MASTER
FINTAN,
an emissary from the Kiralynn Monks to the Rose Court, mysteriously
murdered in the queen’s castle

CAPTAIN
BLACKMON,
captain of the queen’s guards

HEALER
CRANDOR,
a master healer of the Rose Court

LORD NEALY,
once
a lord on the queen’s council, he fell from favor and was banished from the
queen’s presence, owns a wealthy mansion in Pellanor

THE ROSE ARMY

PRINCE STEWART
, heir to the Rose Throne, General of
the Rose Army, wields a blue steel sword

-his officers and soldiers:

LORD DANE,
eldest
son of the Duke of Kardiff, fostered to the Rose Court at a young age, a sword
brother to Prince Stewart, second in command of the Rose Army, the symbol of
the Dukes of Kardiff is a rearing griffin

KELSO,
serves as one of
Prince Stewart’s commanders

MATHIS,
serves as one of
Prince Stewart’s commanders

MAJOR BATTON,
a commander of
the Rose Army

OWEN,
a soldier captured by
the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

CROCKER,
a scout captured by
the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

CRISPIN,
a soldier captured
by the Flame, becomes a royal guard to Prince Stewart

LINGARD

Lingard is a fortress citadel,
the second greatest fortress in Lanverness. The heraldic seat of the Rognalds,
staunch supports and loyal lords serving Queen Liandra. Their symbol is an iron
fist on a field of yellow-gold.

BARON ROGNALD,
a peer of
the realm of Lanverness, a friend and staunch supporter of Queen Liandra, the
ruler of Lingard, he is slain by treachery

-his officers, soldiers, and servants:

LORD RONALD
ROGNALD,
eldest son of Baron Rognald, commander of the south gate of
Lingard, heir to Lingard, becomes Baron Rognald on his father’s death

CAPTAIN LEONARD VENGAR,
captain
of the guard for Lingard

DASCHEL
, seneschal to Baron
Rognald

KURT,
a soldier sworn to the
baron, friend of Vengar

SANDRA,
a whore in Lingard,
friend of Vengar