CROWNS OF NYAXIA GLOSSARY
CHARACTERS
- Asar Voldari—Illegitimate son of Raoul which makes him a Shadowborn prince. Known as The Wraith Warden. Caretaker of Morthryn.
- Atrius—A Bloodborn vampire and a highly accomplished military leader. Cousin to the royal family of the House of Blood. Significant other of Sylina.
- Lilith—A newly Turned vampire originally from Adcova, married to Vale.
- Mische Iliae—A priestess of the Order of the Destined Dawn, a powerful cult of the god of the sun, Atroxus. She was Turned against her will on a missionary trip to the land of vampires.
- Neculai Vasarus—The former Rishan king of the House of Night. Turned and subsequently enslaved Raihn. Usurped and killed by Vincent.
- Oraya—Queen of the House of Night, married to Raihn.
- Raihn Ashraj—King of the House of Night, married to Oraya.
- Raoul—King of the Shadowborn, known for being a ruthless master of torture and spycraft.
- Sylina—A former acolyte of the Arachessen, a cult worshipping the goddess of fate, Acaeja. Significant other of Atrius.
- Vale—General of the House of Night, married to Lilith.
- Vincent—The former king of the House of Night. Father to Oraya, queen of the Nightborn.
GODS & GODDESSES
- Acaeja—The goddess of spellcasting, fate, and lost things. Member of the White Pantheon.
- Alarus—The god of death and husband of Nyaxia. Exiled by the White Pantheon as punishment for his forbidden relationship with Nyaxia. Considered to be deceased.
- Atroxus—The god of the sun and leader of the White Pantheon.
- Ix—Goddess of sex, fertility, childbirth, and procreation. Member of the White Pantheon.
- Kajmar—God of art, seduction, beauty, and deceit. Member of the White Pantheon.
- Nyaxia—Exiled goddess, mother of vampires, and widow of the god of death. Nyaxia lords over the domain of night, shadow, and blood, as well as the domain of death inherited from her deceased husband. Formerly a lesser goddess, she fell in love with Alarus and married him despite the forbidden nature of their relationship. When Alarus was murdered by the White Pantheon as punishment for his marriage to her, Nyaxia broke free from the White Pantheon in a fit of rage, and offered her supporters the gift of immortality in the form of vampirism—founding Obitraes and the vampire kingdoms. (Also referred to as: the Mother; the Goddess; Mother of the Ravenous Dark; Mother of Night, Shadow, and Blood)
- Shiket—Goddess of war and justice. She bears six swords in her back, each representing a different divine gift.
- Srana—The goddess of knowing and science. Member of the White Pantheon.
- Vitarus—The god of abundance and famine. Member of the White Pantheon.
- Zarux—The god of the sea, rain, weather, storms, and water. Member of the White Pantheon.
HOUSES
- The House of Blood—One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Two thousand years ago, when Nyaxia created vampires, the House of Blood was her favorite House. She thought long and hard about which gift to give them, while the Bloodborn watched their brothers to the west and north flaunt their powers. Eventually, the Bloodborn turned on Nyaxia, certain that she had abandoned them. In punishment, Nyaxia cursed them. The House of Blood is now looked down upon by the other two houses. Vampires of the House of Blood are called Bloodborn.
- The House of Night—One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Known for their skill in battle and for their vicious natures, and wielders of magic derived from the night sky. There are two clans of Nightborn vampires, Hiaj and Rishan, who have fought for thousands of years over rule. Those of the House of Night are called Nightborn.
- The House of Shadow—One of the three vampire kingdoms of Obitraes. Known for their commitment to knowledge; wielders of mind magic, shadow magic, and necromancy. Those of the House of Shadow are called Shadowborn.
LOCATIONS
- Adcova—A small farmers’ town located in the continent of Dhera. Lilith’s home. Years ago, it was cursed by the god Vitarus with a terrible, mysterious plague that has worsened ever since.
- Celeba—A continent in the human lands to the east of Obitraes.
- Dhera—A nation in the human lands.
- Lahor—A city on the eastern tip of Obitraes, once great but now little more than ruins. Vincent’s homeland.
- Obitraes—The land of Nyaxia, consisting of three kingdoms: the House of Night, the House of Shadow, and the House of Blood.
- Pachnai—A human nation to the east of Obitraes.
- Salinae—A major city in the House of Night. Located in Rishan territory. When the Rishan were in power, Salinae was a thriving hub, functioning as a second capital. Oraya spent the first years of her life, before Vincent found her, in Salinae.
- Sivrinaj—The capital of the House of Night. Home to the Nightborn castle and the Moon Palace, and host to the Kejari once every hundred years.
miscellaneous
- Asteris—A form of magical energy wielded by Nightborn vampires, derived from the stars. Rare and difficult to use, requiring significant skill and energy.
- Bloodborn—Vampires of the House of Blood.
- Blood magic—A type of magic wielded exclusively by vampires of the House of Blood, which allows them to manipulate the blood of living beings.
- Born—A term used to describe vampires who are born via biological procreation. This is the most common way that vampires are created.
- Coriatis Bond—A rare and powerful bond that can be forged only by a god, in which two people share all aspects of their power, linking their lives and souls. Nyaxia is the only god known to grant Coriatis bonds, though any god is capable of doing so. Those who are bound are referred to as each other’s Coriatae. Coriatae share all aspects of each other’s power, typically making both stronger. Coriatae cannot act against each other and cannot live without each other.
- Dawndrinkers—A term used to describe certain worshippers of the sun god, Atroxus.
- Demons—A term used to describe a broad variety of beasts common in Obitraes. Some demons are naturally born and free-running in Obitraes. Other demons are more rare and are summoned by magic wielders, usually to be used as weapons in warfare. There are many different types of demons, ranging from common to extremely rare, and they vary tremendously in appearance, behavior, intelligence, etc.
- Dhaivinth—A poison that temporarily paralyzes.
- The Descent—The transitionary realm in between the mortal world and the underworld. It consists of five Sanctums that a soul must travel through to reach true death: Body, Breath, Psyche, Secrets, and Soul. The Descent was created by Alarus before his murder, and is now suffering the effects of many years of neglect.
- Extryn—The prison of the gods of the White Pantheon.
- Heir Mark—A permanent mark that appears on the Heir of the Hiaj and Rishan clans when the previous Heir dies, marking their position and power.
- Hiaj—One of the two clans of Nightborn vampires. They have featherless wings that resemble those of bats.
- The Kejari—A legendary, once-per-century tournament to the death held in Nyaxia’s honor. The winner receives a gift from Nyaxia herself. The Kejari is open to all in Obitraes, but is hosted by the House of Night, as the Nightborn hold the greatest mastery over the art of battle of the three vampire kingdoms.
- Lituro River—A river that runs through the center of Sivrinaj.
- Moon Palace—A palace in Sivrinaj, the capital of the House of Night, specifically there to house contestants of the once-in-a-century Kejari tournament held in Nyaxia’s honor. Said to be enchanted and to exert the will of Nyaxia herself.
- Nightborn—Vampires of the House of Night.
- Nightfire—A form of star-derived magic wielded by the vampires of the House of Night. Nightfire is commonly used in the House of Night but very difficult to wield masterfully.
- The Order of the Destined Dawn—A major sect of worshippers of the god of the sun, Atroxus. They are known for their skill in wielding fire, as well as their occasionally violent crusading.
- Pythora/Pythoraseed—A drug derived from a type of flower that typically grows in the harsh lands of Glaea. The growth, distillery, and trade of Pythora is a thriving market that has given rise to a number of warlords in Glaea and around the world.
- Rishan—One of the two clans of Nightborn vampires. Have feathered wings.
- Sanctum of Body—The first Sanctum in the Descent to the underworld, in which a soul loses their body.
- Sanctum of Breath—The second Sanctum in the Descent to the underworld, in which a soul abandons their life force.
- Sanctum of Psyche—The third Sanctum in the Descent to the underworld, centering around a soul’s memories.
- Sanctum of Secrets—The fourth Sanctum in the Descent to the underworld, in which souls must confront their hidden shames and desires.
- Sanctum of Soul—The fifth and final Sanctum in the Descent to the underworld, in which the dead undergo the transition of their soul from the mortal world to the underworld.
- Shadowborn—Vampires of the House of Shadow.
- Taker of Hearts—Vincent’s legendary sword, a rapier that was soul-bonded to him.
- Tazrak—A notorious prison in the House of Night.
- Turning—A process to make a human into a vampire, requiring a vampire to drink from a human and offer their blood to the human in return. Vampires who underwent this process are referred to as Turned.
- White Pantheon—The twelve gods of the core canon, including Alarus, who is presumed deceased. The White Pantheon is worshipped by all humans, with certain regions potentially having favor toward specific gods within the Pantheon. Nyaxia is not a member of the White Pantheon and is actively hostile to them. The White Pantheon imprisoned and later executed Alarus, the God of Death, as punishment for his unlawful marriage with Nyaxia, then a lesser goddess.