Falconfar 01-Dark Lord (56 page)

Darfest, Markoun:
Loyal armsman of Bowrock, holding the rank of Swordguard, and stationed in Deldragon's keep.

Dark Helms:
Warriors, described as "ruthless slayers in black armor." Living men and (increasingly, as their losses mount over time) undead warriors, these enspelled-to-loyalty soldiers are the creations of Holdoncorp.

Dauntra:
Aumrarr, youngest, most beautiful, and most saucy of "the Four Aumrarr" who fly together, seeking to avenge the slaughter at Highcrag.

Deldragon, Darendarr:
Velduke of Galath (noble), independent of King Devaer and prepared (with hired Stormar wizards and loyal warriors) to defy Arlaghaun's influence. Deldragon dwells in the fortified town of Bowrock on the southern edge of Galath, which surrounds his soaring castle, Bowrock Keep. A handsome, dashing battle hero, of a family considered "great" in Galath, whom foes of the Doom of Galath rally to, but who is increasingly embattled within his realm.

Dhaerar, Vorl:
Satrap (regional ruler) of Scarlorn. His palace is haunted by the ghosts of his aunts; these phantoms strangle spies and foes of Dhaerar.

Dombur, Kundrae:
Traveling merchant (his coffee-hued skin marks him as visibly from Marraudro, in the Spellshunned Lands), and member of the Vengeful.

Dooms, the:
Wizards so much more powerful than most wizards that they are feared all across Falconfar as nigh-unstoppable forces. For decades there were three Dooms: Arlaghaun (widely considered the most powerful of the three); Malraun; and Narmarkoun. Rod Everlar comes to be considered the fourth Doom.

Dunshar, Annusk:
Klarl of Galath (noble), a cruel, burly warrior of much experience, a willing servant of (and spy for, upon his fellow nobles) the wizard Arlaghaun. Disliked by most of his fellow Lords of Galath.

Durraran, Imgrul:
Vintner of Hollowtree, of Lord Eldalar's household in Hollowtree Keep.

Duthcrown, Oedlam:
Marquel of Galath (noble), a young but prematurely white-haired noble of sour, sneering disposition but much wealth—hence his many mistresses.

Eldalar, Baerlun:
Lord of Hollowtree, a stiff, gruff old warrior displeased and more than a little afraid at "the way things are unfolding" in Falconfar (Galath in particular). He's more than just displeased after he hears of the slaughter at Highcrag.

Eldenstone, Korgrath:
"Foehammer," locally famous dwarf warrior, a guardian at the gates of the mountain fortress of Stonebold.

Everlar, Rod:
Hack writer of novels, who believes himself the creator of Falconfar. In Falconfar, a "Shaper" (one whose writings can change reality), believed to be one of the Dooms (powerful wizards). Referred to as "the Dark Lord" (the most evil and most powerful of all wizards, a bogeyman of legend) by the other Dooms, to blame him for their misdeeds. Publicly called "Rodrell" by Taeauna, to avoid using his true name. Considered the Lord Archwizard of Falconfar by the Aumrarr (the first Lord Archwizard since Lorontar).

Fandrel, Dursra:
Wandering peddler; a fat but tough old woman known to babble "words of the gods" when drunk.

Feskeldarr, Glaroskur:
Knight of the personal bodyguard of King Devaer Rothryn of Galath.

Forarr, Korryk:
Armsman in the service of the wizard Arlaghaun, who holds a low opinion of most of Arlaghaun's apprentices.

Galzyn, Roeglar ("ROW-glar GALL-zinn"):
Loyal knight of Velduke Mardrammur Mistryn, duty captain of the gateguard of the castle of Mistgates.

Glaethyn, Lemral:
Elderly armsman of Tarmoral; a veteran warrior.

Gulkoun, Garfist:
Often referred to as "Old Ox" or "Old Blundering Ox" by his partner Iskarra Taeravund, this coarse, burly and aging onetime pirate, former forger, and then panderer later became a hiresword (mercenary warrior), and these days wanders Falconfar with Iskarra, making a living as a thief and swindler. "Garfist" is actually a childhood nickname that he adopted as his name, vastly preferring it to Norbryn, the name his parents gave him.

Hammerhand, Burrim:
Lord of Ironthorn, a large prosperous, military strong-hold in the forests north of Tauren and northeast of Sardray, that for years has had three rival lords, ruling from three separate keeps. Gruff and shrewd, Hammerhand is the strongest of the three, a large, hardy, capable warrior and battle-leader.

Haremmon, Marl:
Satrap (regional ruler) of Scarlorn. A stern, just warrior, tall and imposing of appearance.

Holdoncorp:
A large computer gaming company that licenses the electronic media games rights to the world of Falconfar from Rod Everlar, and develops a series of computer games that increasingly diverge from Everlar's own vision of his world. Despite what some readers may think, Holdoncorp is
not
based on any real-world corporation or group of people.
Dark Lord
is a fantasy story, not a satire of anything real.

Hornsar, Beldros:
Velduke of Galath (noble), independent of King Devaer, an aging recluse, last of one of the realm's "great families," who keeps to his strongly fortified and defended castle of The Horn, atop a mountain in the north of Galath.

Hraskur, Arl:
Waveking of Harfleet, an independent port on the shores of Ommaun the Wyrmsea (far southeast from Galath, across the Falconspires mountain range). Enamoured of feminine beauty, Hraskur is a wise, worldly ruler who is increasingly wary of threats to his rule.

Imlaun, Jarth
("Imm-LON"): The youngest bodyguard of Baron Darl Tindror; a scarred, laconic young warrior.

Imbrar, Orvran:
"Auld Orvran," elderly dwarf warrior, guardian at the gates of the mountain fortress of Stonebold.

Jorduth, Kiel:
Cynical armsman, a guard for Lord Tharlark at Tabbrar Castle.

Juskra:
Aumrarr, the most battle-scarred, hot-tempered, and aggressive of the "Four Aumrarr" who fly together, seeking to avenge the slaughter at Highcrag.

Klammert:
A wizard, one of the youngest and least accomplished apprentices of the wizard Arlaghaun; a pudgy, less than brave man.

Korlyn, Tori:
Armsman of Tarmoral, part of the castle guard of Wrathgard.

Kylmar, Pari
("KYE-ul-mar"): Knight of Bowrock, trusted bodyguard of Velduke Darendarr Deldragon.

Lhauntur, Duskos:
Warsword of Hollowtree (master of defenses; a knight of Hollowtree who commands the other knights of Hollowtree), a small hill-hold that is Rod Everlar's favorite place when he thinks of Falconfar. Lhauntur is a dry, cynical, wary man.

Lionhelm, Halath:
Arduke of Galath (noble), a handsome man who sees loyalty to King Devaer as his only way of surviving, but has his own ideas about true justice and proper rule, and is quietly seeking a means of destroying the wizard Arlaghaun. Somehow.

Lorlarra:
Aumrarr, one of the "Four Aumrarr" who fly together, seeking to avenge the slaughter at Highcrag.

lorn, the:
Race of winged, flying horned and taloned predatory creatures that dwell in rocky heights such as castle towers and the Falconspires mountain range. Often described as mouthless by humans because their skull-like faces have no visible jaws, they typically swarm prey, raking with their talons and even tearing limbs, bodies, or heads off or apart. They have bat-like, featherless wings, barbed tails, and slate-gray skin. Arlaghaun, Malraun, and many lesser wizards have discovered or developed spells for compelling lorn into servitude.

Lorontar:
The still-feared-in-legend first Lord Archwizard of Falconfar, once the fell and tyrannical ruler of all Falconfar, and the first spell-tamer of the lorn. Long believed dead but secretly surviving in spectral unlife, seeking a living body to mind-guide, "ride," and ultimately possess. So greatly is his memory feared that no one, not even a powerful wizard, has dared to try to dwell in his great black tower, Yintaerghast, since his presumed death.

Malraeana:
Aumrarr, put into spellsleep to heal by Ambrelle of "the Four Aumrarr," after being sorely wounded in battle.

Malraun:
"The Matchless," wizard, one of the Dooms of Falconfar. A short, sleek, darkly handsome man who dwells in a tower in Harlhoh, a hold in the green depths.of Raurklor, the Great Forest. Malraun spies on the doings of Arlaghaun, his spells penetrating even into the heart of Ult Tower, but largely keeps the lorn and spell-subverted traders who serve him out of Galath (though to stop Arlaghaun from expanding that realm, he has increasingly caused outlaws from it, and poor or disaffected Stormar, to raid the western borders of Galath and "keep Arlaghaun busy" directing the nobles of Galath in fighting them off).

Marintra:
Aumrarr, one of Taeauna's closest friends, and onetime lover. Slain at Highcrag.

Mistryn, Mardrammur:
Velduke of Galath (noble), a well-respected, senior noble of Galath (his family is considered "great"), but increasingly isolated due to his opposition to what he calls "the wizard-dancing rule of Devaer the Dangerous." Known as "Mard" to his friends, Velduke Mistryn has in recent years kept to his castle of Mistgates, in mountainous central southwestern Galath.

Mountblade, Ondurs:
Marquel of Galath (noble), a young nobleman who wears unnecessary monacles for "style" and dwells in the castle of Mountgard, a stone mansion surrounded by magnificent gardens, in south-central Galath.

Murlstag, Mrantos:
Baron of Galath (noble), a cruel, bullying man who obeys Arlaghaun eagerly, out of sheer terror of magic. The barony of Murlstag is in the southeastern reaches of Galath, south of the barony of Tindror; Murlstag and Tindror are longtime foes who hate each other passionately. Murlstag is cold and cutting of speech, and possessed of strange yellow eyes. His baronial castle is the small fortess of Morngard, now infested by lorn sent by Arlaghaun to serve Murlstag—and spy on him (just as Murlstag spies on his fellow nobles for Arlaghaun).

Narmarkoun:
Wizard, one of the Dooms of Falconfar; a tall, blue-skinned, scaly man who dwells alone in a hidden subterranean wilderland stronghold, Darthoun, a long-abandoned city of the dwarves—alone, that is, except for dead, skull-headed wenches animated by his spells, and breeds greatfangs (huge dragon-like scaly flying jawed lizards he uses as steeds). Most mysterious and considered the least in power of the Dooms, Narmarkoun is an accomplished, patient magical spy.

Nornil, Samryn:
Loyal knight of Velduke Aumon Bloodhunt.

Nyghtshield, Margral:
Baron of Galath (noble), a one-eyed veteran of much monster-hunting in the forests of the realm, nominally loyal to King Devaer but increasingly displeased by Arlaghaun's cruelties and the decline of Galath into a land of suspicions and harsh authority.

Ohmront, Belros
("AH-mm-ron-t"): trusted arms-man of Bowrock, stationed in Deldragon's keep.

Olnar, Raruskyn:
Smith of Arbridge, a terrifically strong man who is a spy and sympathizer for the Vengeful.

Orstras, Hondemur:
Innkeeper, master of The Two Drowned Knights in Arbridge. A spy and sympathizer for the Vengeful, and a spy for Lord Tharlark.

(Parl: see Kylmar, Parl.)

Pethmur, Lothondos:
Baron of Galath (noble), a stone-faced veteran warrior who likes stability, obedience to authority, and plain dealing; he hates sly folk and intrigues, preferring the sword, bended knees, and clear decrees.

Phandele:
Aumrarr, put into spellsleep to heal by Ambrelle of "the Four Aumrarr," after being sorely wounded in battle.

Pheldur, Iyrimmon:
Traveling merchant (his almost black-hued skin marks him as born in Inrysk, in the Spellshunned Lands) and member of the Vengeful.