Glossary of Names and Places
for the World of Athero

Main Character Names

Breck Flowerbright
Lully's halfling husband. He is a woodcrafter who practices his trade on the outskirts of Shemara. Breck appears slow-moving and slow-thinking, but how dim-witted can he be if he has so totally won the heart of Lully? She is no fool. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Emerald Verity
A famous battle cleric and high priestess of the Maker's Main Temple in Shemara. She is a high elf with silver hair. Her thoughts and feelings are based on the thoughts and feelings of the author, who, for several years, played a cleric in the MMORPG Everquest. However, other than certain similarities of appearance, the high elves in the Athero stories are in no way related to the high elves of Norrath. I have mentioned this again elsewhere to make sure this disclaimer is assimilated. Resistance is futile. (Battle Cleric and Birth of a Unicorn)

Lully Flowerbright
A halfling woman, a healer. Lully is the wife of Breck Flowerbright. She is the one who finds and helps Starsong with her baby. She also has a temper that reduces people like Jasper Sureshoe to quivering excuses of halfling terror. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Patryll Caelthar
A young plains elf rider (these elves are called the Huramesti). Patryll is asked by Emerald to take the well potion cure to Lerona via the Nimreth Forest. Like all young male plains elf riders (well, actually, like all young males), he is easily impressed by a beautiful woman and willing to prove himself in any way she chooses. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Silvermoon
The infant daughter of Silverwolf and Starsong. She seems to have a very powerful and special magic. From womb to swaddling clothers, Silvermoon has the situation under control at all times. Never underestimate the power (or the vocal chords) of a baby. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Silverwolf
A high elf sailor of Shemara, known for his sailing skills. He was captured by orcs during a port raid on Shemara. He is Starsong's husband and Silvermoon's father. No one knows why Silverwolf was abducted...was it simply because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or was it planned? And why don't the orcs either kill him or let him go? Like all high elves, he is not known for his strength. Any orc worth his salt can lift heavier burderns, row further, run faster and spit farther than any high elf. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Starsong
High elf wife of Silverwolf and mother of Silvermoon. She is a powerful sorceress who seems to combine the power of magic and song to control the moon. She has violet eyes, starspun hair, and a tenuous hold on the facts. This hasn't stopped her from making decisions, some of them very unwise. In spite of all this, she ends up being a likable character. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Ukiria
This is the name of the semi-unicorn stage of Kiria, Patryll's horse. The whole idea here is to make you wonder how there can be a semi-unicorn stage in the first place. Unfortunately, the only way you will find out is by reading the story, and then you won't know the whole idea behind it. You will find that out in the sequel to Birth of a Unicorn. Further unfortunately, that hasn't been written yet.

Other Names

Bronzearm Shemara
A high elf warrior and grandson of the Lord of Shemara. He was Emerald's boyfriend and died fighting the undead in a small village west of Shemara. (His name was originally Bronzeleaf, until the author went to play EverQuest recently and noticed that the cleric guildmaster in Felwithe is named Bronzeleaf. Not wanting to add plagiarism to the charge of giving trite names to the high elves of Shemara—who, by the way, are in no way related to the high elves of Felwithe—she changed his name. A free copy of the upcoming Athero Anthology to the first person who accurately figures out the real reason behind the names of the high elves in the Athero stories, which are rather commonplace and even "trite.") (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Eddila Cloudweaver
The wife of Gorly Cloudweaver. The two halflings are old friends/neighbors to the Flowerbrights and live in Inkitty Main. Eddila, apparently, has the patience of a saint. HER name should be put on the Signpost just for staying married to Gorly. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Elven High Council
The ruling body of Shemara under the direction of the Lord of Shemara. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Birth of a Unicorn, Battle Cleric)

Gardorn
A Gysse Kor rival to Jisvold. Since Jisvold is paranoid, there is some question as to whether Gardorn is really a bad guy. But then, he only has a bit part in the story Birth of a Unicorn, so it doesn't really matter.

Gorly Cloudweaver
Halfling husband to Eddila. A slob and apparently untrainable; see Eddila's description. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Jasper Sureshoe
A halfling who helps Lully rescue the high elf lady, Starsong. This help was given under protest, as Jasper is somewhat cowardly. He has loose lips and likes to stretch the truth. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Jisvold
A Gysse Kor hunter, who attempts to capture Ukiria and kill Patryll. Jisvold is one of the nastier characters in the book and we figure that anyone who dislikes him is our friend. The enemy of my enemy must be my friend. This seems to have merit in this case. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Joline
Mattine's younger halfling sister and with a lot more upstairs than Mattine apparently has. But then, someone who has just undergone childbirth isn't expected to be a rocket scientist (or a mapmaker to put it in the vernacular of the times). (Battle Cleric)

Kiria
This is the name of Patryll Caelthar's horse and companion. Kiria was give to Patryll on his 12th birthday by his now-deceased father, who was killed by the Kor Brethren. The relationship between Patryll and Kiria is as strong as that of blood kin, which makes the decision Patryll faces in Birth of a Unicorn so heart-wrenching.

Mayor Glumdon
Halfling mayor of Inkitty Main and father of Powder Glumdon. Mayor Glumdon is apparently a proponent of the concept of nepotism. Judge for yourself in The Secret of Moon Magic.

Mattine
A halfling mother who has just recently had a baby and required urgent attention from Emerald. Mattine and her family live in Smoky Crossing. (Battle Cleric)

Middy, Aunt
Middy is Lully Flowerbright's aunt and apparently has very holey longjohns. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Molly
Molly is a young halfling cook for the Maker's Temple staff in Shemara. Young, exuberant and energetic, she channels all this energy into her cooking. Most of the Temple staff have to go on diets from time to time. (Battle Cleric)

Powder Glumdon
Son of the Mayor of Inkitty Main. Powder has seemingly earned the right to have his name carved on The Signpost in Inkitty Main. Some think it may be due, though, to the fact that his father is the mayor of the town, who has nothing against nepotism. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Shadow
Emerald's horse, a pure black Huramesti gelding. If there were rustlers around in this day and age, Shadow would be a major target. (Battle Cleric)

Suncloud
A cleric under Emerald Verity's command, who was killed at the Battle of Long Sound by undead warriors. It was a hard way for Emerald to learn this particular lesson. (Battle Cleric)

Whitemist
The female high elf secretary to Emerald Verity. She is the one who alerts Emerald to the tragic situation at the gristmill. She also has to run to keep up with a Battle Cleric in a hurry. (Battle Cleric)

Faraway Places with Strange-Sounding Names

Athero
The world where the Athero stories take place. It is inhabited by high elves, plains elves (Huramesti), halflings, orcs, goblins, the undead, and other more obscure races. This world is filled with magic and adventure. It is also in the process of being explored, which makes it doubly exciting for the author. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Clearing, The
A part of the Nimreth Forest, near its northern boundary, that is clear of trees and brush...a small meadow situated within the thinning trees of the forest edge. It may seem strange to have a clearing just before the trees in a forest peter out, but then Nimreth Forest isn't your average forest, and The Clearing isn't your average clearing. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Dipsy Drive
One of the intersecting roads in Inkitty Main, where the Signpost carries the names of successful halfling crafters. Dipsy Drive meanders through Inkitty Main and continues on as a lane through the countryside west of the town. Strangely the road starts at the mayor's office and really has no eastern part. But then you can't expect sense from a road called Dipsy. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Glumdon County
The halfling county in which the Town of Inkitty Main is situated. A lot of the property in Glumdon County is owned by the Glumdon family, hence, presumably, the name "Glumdon County." (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Guron Strand
A beach on the shore of the Great Ocean. A couple of miles inland from this landing spot lay the battleground where Bronzearm died in a battle against the undead. (Battle Cleric)

Inkitty Main
A halfling town far to the north of Shemara and the hometown of Lully and Breck Flowerbright. The reason for the name of the town has been lost in the mists of time. However, many halfling scholars believe it was the main settlement in the early days when halflings migrated from across the Great Sea. Perhaps they brought the name with them. Considering the other names in Athero, many of which are quite plain and uninteresting, the halfling population in Inkitty Main is quite proud of their town's name. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Lerona
A Huramesti village four days' ride from Shemara...three days' ride if the rider cuts through the Nimreth forest. Somehow, during a fake goblin attack, the water supply of the town was poisoned. One has to wonder why Lerona is important in the scheme of things, and why the wells were poisoned. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Long Sound
A coastal village many miles north of Shemara. The Battle of Long Sound took place against an undead army during the time of the elf-undead wars. It is the place where Suncloud died. (Battle Cleric)

Margonal
Margonal is the name given to a series of volcanic hills across the sea from Shemara. Because of the rich volcanic soil, the best tea on Athero is grown there. Emerald is very fond of this tea and pays merchants exhorbitant amounts for it, since the only way the tea is shipped to Shemara is after long and dangerous cruises to far shores. The tea is loaded into the holds as ballast on the return journey. Emerald doesn't mind paying the high prices. (Battle Cleric)

Nimreth Forest
A large forest that lies between Shemara and Lerona. It is normally avoided by travelers as it is inhabited by the Kor Brethern and other dangers. Nimreth Forest contains dark secrets that have only been touched on in Birth of a Unicorn.

Root Hollow Lane
The road that intersects Dipsy Drive, the location of the Signpost of Inkitty Main. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Shemara
A major port city and the home of the sea-faring high elves of Athero. Its value is its location. When high elves originally migrated from another world, this was the first spot they saw that compared favorably at all to their home planet. The anchorage, even without dredging, was more than adequate...the shores offered flat surfaces for building docks, warehouses, and drydocks. Above the waterfront, in a huge semi-circle rising up to the hills beyond the shoreline, was the spot to build terraced homes and strong fortresses to protect from attack from the rear. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Smoky Crossing
A small halfling village within a half day's ride of Shemara. This is the home of Mattine and Joline. There is a reason for the name of the village. This reason has NOT been lost in the mists of time. The halflings who live here are bakers and butchers and food preparation artists. The Smoky part comes from the smoke that consistently rises on the horizon from the food industry activity going on. The Crossing part is a mystery, however, since there is only one road going into and out of the village. Pundits believe that the Crossing was added to confuse travelers. (Battle Cleric)

Verean
Patryll Caelthan's home town, a ten-day ride north of Shemara. It is the main center for the Humaresti elves. This is a colorful and happy city, much indicative of the energy and attitude of the plains riders themselves. There are many celebrations, festivals and horsemanship competitions here. People visiting Verean are often tempted (but not encouraged) to stay. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Wharf Road
A road leading to the old docks of Shemara that are hardly ever used nowadays. Halfling crafters have built homes along the bluffs above the road to sell their goods to the elfin residents of Shemara. The long dock out to the ocean put Starsong close to the sea and the moon to empower her to send her survival magic to Silverwolf. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Deity Names

Evil One, The
The god of evil on Athero. He has a name but no one dares pronounce it for fear it will attract the Evil One's attention. For some strange reason, pronouncing the Evil One itself does not alert this god to possible victims. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Maker, The
The main deity for most residents of Athero. Athero is a simple, polytheistic world where the deities have been given simple, common names. The gods and goddesses may be called by different names by the different races, but everyone knows they are referring to the same god or goddess. This is one reason why religious wars are so difficult to carry out on Athero. That hasn't stopped the Kor Brethren or the various orc tribes from trying. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Raer The Unicorn
The steed of the Maker and the prime diety of the Huramesti elves or plains elves. He is also the stallion of the herd of unicorn mares and a king in his own right. Inexplicably, he has sway over the dryads of Nimreth Forest, and perhaps elsewhere as well. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Notable Events

Battle of Long Sound
The grounds where a raging battle was fought by the high elves against an undead army. This is where Suncloud died. It was difficult to retreat in this battle, since the Long Sound was bordered on three sides by water...the first thing the undead did was torch the landing craft and then try to push the high elves into the sea. (Battle Cleric)

Battle of Suncrest Rise
Suncrest Rise is a hill two weeks' march north and west of Shemara. The battle was engaged between the Shemaran high elves and the Bruiseface orcs, Many battle clerics were killed during this clash. (Battle Cleric)

Festival of the Unicorn
A yearly festival celebrated by the Huramesti elves and particularly the women of that race. The celebration is to honor the steeds of the gods and their fecundity in creating the miracle of birth...for the unicorns themselves, the women of Huramest and the beautiful Huramesti mares. In keeping with the love of celebration and penchant for bright colors in their surroundings, this particular Festival is looked forward to months in advance as one of the most important events in the Huramesti year. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Races/Creatures

Black Brethren (aka the Kor Brethren in the old tongue)
The name of the dark elves who inhabit Athero. These dark elves were once part of the Huramesti. The split happened in the dawn of time and there is little lore to indicate what caused the split. However, these ancient cousins of the Huramesti are the sworn enemies of most of the races on Athero, including high elves, halflings, the Huramesti, and the orcs of any tribe. They have an uneasy peace with the undead; none but the Kor seem to know the details of this treaty and none but the Kor seem to be able to get along with the undead. They also boss the goblins around a lot. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Bruiseface Orcs
A tribe of orcish raiders. They are easily identified because of the ritual mutilation of their faces. For some reason, this mutilation makes them feel stronger and braver. They believe taht the horrible countenance the mutilation creates will make their enemies fear them all the more. There is some truth to this belief. (Battle Cleric)

Dryads
Dryads are rare forest creatures, fey and wild, with a seemingly direct tie to the Maker. One of their mysterious powers is the ability to create unicorns. Another is their ability to disappear just when the viewer wants to ask an important question. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Goblins
Humanoid pests that raise havoc with all the races of Athero. Atheronians have not yet developed goblin pesticide. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Gysse Kor
The clan of Kor Brethren who inhabit the Nimreth Forest. "Gysse" actually means "clan" in the old tongue and there is some resentment by other clans of the Kor at the Nimreth branch for claiming to be the only clan. With typical Gysse Kor arrogance, the Nimreth Forest brethren have consistently ignored the complaints of the other Brethren of Athero...all of which tends to weaken the solidarity implied by the word "Brethren." (Birth of a Unicorn)

Halflings
The halflings of Athero are an industrious race, waist high to the high elves and chest high to the plains elves. They pride themselves on their crafting skills and go to great lengths to produce the best of everything. They are a down-to-earth people, good-natured and, for the most part, happy. They do not, however, have hairy feet. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

High Elves
The high elves of Athero are the only Atheronian humanoids from another galaxy, the remnants of a race that came from another planet. They are not of the same ancestry as the plains elves; the Huramesti evolved on Athero. The high elves have brought amazing marine skills from their ancient origins, which are so lost in the mists of time that there is little memory of the old world left in even the oldest and wisest scholar. The bulk of the high elves settled in Shemara and built it as a model of their former glory. Shemara served the purpose admirably by having the perfect port with easy access to the ocean but a wholly defendable city beyond the docks area. High elves of Shemara are very tightly knit and not prone to allowing strangers into their midst. This aloofness has been mistaken for haughtiness, but in reality it is an inbred fear of strangers that has taken on racial proportions. It is suspected that the high elves brought the religion from their home world that is now the main religion of all the sentient beings on Athero. There is no history as to the validity of that, but some racial memories of the other inhabitants of Athero seem to validate this concept. (The Secret of Moon Magic, Battle Cleric, Birth of a Unicorn)

Huramesti Elves
The Huramesti are also known as plains elves or plains rider elves and are noted for their expert horsemanship. They breed the finest horses in the land and are trained from childhood in caring for a horse and its equipment. A Huramesti elf considers his saddle as important as a soldier regards his weapon. Many people do not understand this, but then they have never seen the various gymkhanas of the Huramesti, nor have they studied the effect a good saddle can have in performing amazing feats of equestrianship. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Raidsea Orcs
The seafaring orcs responsible for the capture of Silverwolf. Their vessels are identified by large red sails. Large and brutish, their reason for capturing Silverwolf remains a mystery for the high elves of Shemara. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Three-Toed Ballybear
A ferocious creature that roams the plains areas and valleys of Athero. Because its only natural enemy are the humanoids of the planet, the beast multiplies abundantly. Hunters and crafters especially rely on the creature to provide them with meat and hides. The only way you can eat Ballybear meat, however, is in a stew with lots of seasoning and aromatic herbs and vegetables. On its own, the meat is tough and very strong-tasting. (The Secret of Moon Magic)

Unicorns
The one-horned, magical steeds of the gods of Athero. It is said that only the gods can tame and ride a unicorn. That has never stopped the Huramesti youth from trying. (Birth of a Unicorn)

Notable Items

Holy Avenger
The name of Emerald's sword, this is her main weapon from her fighting days. Emerald regards this sword as a symbol of her past. War is not glorious, and no one knows that better than Em, but it comprised her days of youth, and thus is touched with a certain fond memory at times. Some of the Temple staff wondered if Emerald used to sleep with her sword under her pillow off the battlefield. There is no truth, however, to that rumor. (Battle Cleric)

Signpost, The
The Signpost is a tradition in Inkitty Main. A large post at the intersection of Dipsy Drive and Root Hollow Lane, it displays the carved names of the halflings of Inkitty Main who, according to the townsfolk of Inkitty Main, have earned the title of honored craftsman or craftswoman. One wonders how a hunk of wood, less than seven feet high, could gain such a reputation. However, halflings are more impressed by quality than quantity (except when eating) and the Signpost is the visible landmark to celebrate quality. (The Secret of Moon Magic)