Thayaria (thay-r-ee-uh) — the kingdom within the Four Kingdoms with the most ley lines crossing it; the only place where the thayar flower grows

Velmara (vel-mar-uh) — the largest kingdom in the Four Kingdoms; known for it’s extensive collection of texts called the Velmaran Archive

Delsar (del-sarr) — the smallest of the Four Kingdoms; known for it’s fearsome female warriors

Reshnar (resh-narr) — the only kingdom within the Four Kingdoms with a human ruler and a democracy

Arberly (r-ber-lee) — the capitol of Thayaria

Arnia (r-nee-uh) — the capitol of Velmara

Nivan Desert (nigh-von) — a large stretch of land in Velmara where no ley lines cross, making it very challenging to channel the magic of the aether; both a magical and topographic desert

Echosa (eh-ko-suh) — a port town in Thayaria; the closest port to both Velmara and Delsar

Eless (el-us) — an estate named after the Elestren family, built in the region most populated by humans in Thayaria and near the location where Laurel’s mother was raised

Oakton (oak-tun) — a village in Thayaria, south of Arberly

Rusthelm (rust-helm) — a village in Thayaria, west of Arberly)

Miscellaneous

Aether (ay-thur) — the magical force of the world; magic users must channel it through a conduit in order to practice magic

Leylines (lay-lines) — concentration of aether that run like magical rivers across the Four Kingdoms

Aerstep (air-step-ing) — similar to teleportation; the act of using aether to disappear from one place and reappear in another. Can also be used to summon objects. The distance a magic user can aerstep is based on their magical strength.

Aether-heart (ay-thur hart) — the source of magic in a magical being; similar to a soul

Leymaster (lay-mas-tur) — an expert magic user; someone whose mastery over leylines and their own magic lends them the skills and knowledge to teach others

Aethermancer (ay-thur-man-ser) — a derogatory term referring to someone who conducts magical experiments or practices unsafe or even unsavory magic

Aether-voice (ay-thur voyse) — the ability only sitting monarchs in the Four Kingdoms possess to lace their voice with aether, allowing them to bend others less powerful than them to their will

Abscission (ab-si-zhen) — a two week period unique to Thayaria that starts the day of the Winter Solstice, where all the trees and other plants drop their leaves immediately and remain bare until the period is over. It is considered the coldest time of year in Thayaria and custom dictates that Thayarians relax and rest during this time period.

Map

hand drawn by the author

Prologue

“Get your ass up and be the Queen your people deserve,” a familiar feminine voice commands over the clinks and grunts of the battle below. “You don’t have the luxury of falling apart, not when your people are dying to protect you.”