GLOSSARY
THE GODS & GODDESSES
Azkiel–The God of Death (az-keel)
Powers: Fear induction, light absorption, shadow manipulation
Ethereal power: Death’s touch (also known as decay magic) and animal scrying.
After judgment, Azkiel takes their lives, departing the souls from the mortal world through the veil into the ether and accompanying them to their final destination.
Astraea–The Goddess of Dreams (Ass-tray-ah)
Powers: Memory and dream alteration, illusion casting, and animation.
Ethereal power: Dream Creation
During their mortal lives, Astraea gives the subconscious mind, a place where mortals can hide their fears and darker base urges, then slowly discover them throughout life, learning lessons in guidance with their fate.
Essentria–The Goddess of Creation (Ess-en-tree-ah)
Powers: Healing touch, nature enhancement and manipulation, and elemental magic.
Ethereal power: Creation
After fate is woven, Essentria gives physical form to the person’s soul, bringing them to life within the mortal world.
Nyxara–The Goddess of Destiny (Knee-are-ah)
Powers: Foretelling, aura reading, and time hopping.
Ethereal power: Fate Weaving and Memory Manipulation.
An ethereal power is a power only the god or goddess can possess.
Nyxara creates the fate of those who will be born into the mortal world, giving them various paths that they can follow depending on their decisions.
Cyna–The God of Judgment (Sin-ah)
Powers: Vision touch, guilt induction, truth detection.
Ethereal power: Final Judgment
Upon the moments before their death, Cyna discerns the truth of a person’s soul and heart, evaluating their life and the decisions they made to choose where they will go in the afterlife, the Darklands or the Everlands (ascension).
Volan–The God of Will (Vol-an)
Powers: Extreme physical and mental strength, mental resistance, and mind persuasion.
Ethereal power: Manifestation
During their mortal lives, Volan gives the conscious mind and the ability to develop mental fortitude so the mortals can fight and survive the lessons they need to learn.
PLACES
Dahryst
Dahryst is a continent governed by a theocratic government, known as the elder coven.
Dahryst is surrounded by the Black Sea on the east of the mainland, and the Pistoren Ocean on the west.
Tenenocti Island
Tenenocti Island is a thirty-three-acre island set half a mile off the northern east coast of Dahryst. Tenenocti is an island within Death’s domain, and the original town and temples were built on sacred ground.
Various tragedies have happened there, and the island is entrenched with a long, bloody history. In the present day, Tenenocti is out of bounds to the general population but is used for The Harvest tournament, as the sacred ground allows the sacrifices sent there to siphon the powers of the fallen.
Ennismore
Ennismore is a small, coastal town in Dahryst, set within the heart of Morcidea Forest which surrounds the town.
The town is one of the smallest in Dahryst by population but is a popular destination for The Harvest as it is situated the closest to the shore overlooking Tenenocti Island. The sacrifices are sent from Ennismore and The Choosing takes place in Ennismore every decade.
Morcidea Forest
Morcidea Forest is a large forest surrounding Ennismore, the Black Sea Coast, and other small villages and towns. It is home to the venomous shadow vipers, and there are occasional Phovi sightings.
The Ether:
The afterlife, a void outside of the Everlands and Darklands.
The Darklands:
A realm of darkness, filled with barren wastelands and Phovi, who use fear induction for punishment. The Darklands is ruled by the God of Death and is reserved for the darkest of souls. Souls remain in the Darklands, imprisoned by their own minds until they are ready to be reincarnated to the physical world by the Goddess of Destiny and Creation to fulfill their destiny with the opportunity to take a different path.
The Darklands has different layers depending on how damaged the soul is. The deepest layers are reserved for the evilest of people, commended there by the God of Judgment. The bottom layer, also known as the abyss, is inescapable.
The Everlands
A realm of peace in the afterlife, where the gods reside when they are in their ethereal forms. Each god has a domain in the Everlands, while Death is the only one with a domain in the physical world. This is where souls ascend once they are at their highest vibration.
Incarcuris
Institutes where suspected criminals are taken for interrogation. Also used as an insane asylum.
CREATURES
Shadow Vipers
Venomous snakes created by death. They can grow up to ten feet long, and have red eyes, with red and black markings on their bodies. Their venom causes paralysis to their victims.
Nightbor Spiders:
Venomous, black spiders with long legs and large bodies. They feast upon small animals and move in groups of up to thirty. They are infamous for having intricate, beautiful patterns in their webs. These creatures are native to the cold regions of Dahryst. Their venom is usually not fatal to humans, but can cause death with multiple bites.
Blackbeak Crows:
Ebony crows who are under Death’s command. They have iridescent feathers and can mimic languages.
Reapers:
Cloaked, skeletal beings created by the God of Death, who guide souls departing the mortal world to their final destination in the afterlife.
Phovus–Phovi (plural)Shifters with dark masses for bodies that appear like smoke. They can change shape and have large bat-like wings. They have yellow eyes and are nocturnal. Phovi were once witches and warlocks whose souls became so fractured that there’s barely a hint of the person they once were. They are loyal servants to the God of Death and were created using Essentria’s magic via Azkiel.
Gurgers:
Gurgers are only mentioned in book one and are not shown until later in the series.
Sea monsters, with ten long tentacles with hundreds of sets of teeth. It’s known for destroying ships and drowning the sailors on board. They are native to the Pistoren Ocean.
BOTANICALS
Death’s Bells is a flowering plant with small flower heads in the shape of bells, in dark shades of purple, permeating a musky scent.
These grow in colder climates and can be found in the forests in the north and midland areas of Dahryst. The flower heads have healing properties when crushed and mixed with specific root plants.
Lumonice Lux is a plant used as a stimulant in some species but is extremely rare and found only on Tenenocti.
Night Blossom flowers grows on a vine with dark purple flowers with silver-colored veins through the petals. While not rare, they are uncommon and can grow in almost any environment, excluding environments of extreme heat or cold, and they bloom only on the night of full moons.
Night Evedelain is a rose than can induce insanity when properly crushed.
RITUALS, TOURNAMENTS & CELEBRATIONS
There are three stages for The Harvest. The first is the offering, where volunteers are to use blood magic to place their names and their offerings into a pool, which will be chosen from during the Choosing. The Choosing is a ceremony where either the God of Death, or his magic by proxy, is used to pick the name of the twelve witches who will enter The Harvest. Once chosen, the Harvest will commence three days after The Choosing, and the twelve chosen ones, henceforth called ‘the sacrifices’, will be sent to Tenenocti to fight to the death on the sacred ground until only one remains.
The Offering
A blood ritual, where volunteers give their blood to Death’s magic, either by using coins branded with the sigils of the volunteer’s coven, the coat in their blood, or by spilling their blood into another anointed object such a sacred stone basin or other object where a god may touch the blood to then choose who is chosen during the Choosing.
The Choosing
A ceremony where the God of Death chooses the twelve sacrifices for The Harvest.
The Harvest
A tournament held once every decade where twelve young people are sent to fight to the death until only one remains. The tournament is held on sacred ground, in Death’s domain, where the sacrifices will be able to siphon the other witch’s powers upon killing them. The winner becomes the next elder to join the small elder cover to rule over Dahryst. Elders hold powers from all six covens through this sacrificial tournament, making them powerful enough to rule.
Solon
The hot months, lasting five months, when crops flourish, and the sun stays out until the early evening.
Olen
The cold months, usually lasting five months when crops seldom grow, the frost comes, and the sun sets in the early afternoon.
Evene
The two warm months transitioning between Olen and Solon. It is the most pleasant time of the year with excellent weather.
CURRENCY
Libren. Gold, heavy coin.
Guildre. Silver, heavy, large coin. (Five guildre to a libren).
Knog. Bronze, small coin. (Ten knogs to a guildre).
COVENS
There are six covens, each worshiping one of the six gods and goddesses.
Each coven was blessed by each god and goddess with diluted forms of their powers, that a witch or warlock may inherit and practice.
Every coven has up to three powers that can be siphoned from the god or goddess of their coven, except for that god’s most ethereal power. Some witches and warlocks can inherit two powers, although most can only handle and practice one power.
Azkiel’s Coven
Ruled by the God of Death
Possible inherited powers:
Fear induction (rare)
Light absorption
Shadow manipulation
Essentria’s Coven
Ruled by the Goddess of Creation
Possible inherited powers:
Healing touch
Nature enhancement and manipulation
Elemental magic (rare)
Volan’s Coven
Ruled by the God of Will
Possible inherited powers:
Extreme physical strength and speed
Mental resistance (rare) (resistance against some other powers like weavers)
Mind persuasion (compulsion).
Nyxara’s Coven
Ruled by the Goddess of Destiny
Possible inherited powers:
Foretelling (also called threaders)
Aura reading
Time hopping (rare) (also called time mages)
Cyna’s Coven
Ruled by the God of Judgment
Possible inherited powers:
Vision touch (rare) (also called sight seekers)
Guilt induction
Truth detection (also called discerners)
Astraea’s Coven
Ruled by the Goddess of Dreams
Possible inherited powers:
Memory and dream alteration (also called weavers)
Illusion casting
Blood animation (rare)
OTHER
Incarns:
Those imprisoned in Incarcuris.
Weavers:
Ability to alter dreams and memories of others. They are from Astraea’s coven, the Goddess of Dreams.
Threaders:
Witches with powerful foresight from Nyxara’s coven, the Goddess of Fate.
Sight Seekers:
Witches with the ability to touch a place and see the most recent memories attached to it, but only through strong, residual emotional energy. From Volan’s coven.
Discerners:
Witches with the ability to discern a truth from a lie, from Cyna’s coven.