Falconfar 03-Falconfar (52 page)

Lyrose, House:
one of the three rival ruling families of Ironthorn (the others are Hammerhand and Tesmer). Much was seen of the Lyroses in ARCHWIZARD.

Lythrus, Handro:
chief scribe to Bralgarth, Lord of Hawksyl. An old drunkard of failing eyesight and cynical disposition.

Maethe:
battle-slain Aumrarr of Galath.

Malraun:
"the Matchless," wizard, one of the Dooms of Falconfar. A short, sleek, darkly handsome man who dwells in Malragard, a tower in Harlhoh, a hold (settlement) in the green depths of Raurklor, the Great Forest. Malraun is served by lorn and spell- subverted traders, and after the death of his chief rival Arlaghaun, increasing numbers of Dark Helms he's magically bound to himself. At the end of DARK LORD he captured the Aumrarr Taeauna, and with Arlaghaun dead, set in motion bold plans to conquer all Falconfar north of the Sea of Storms.

Markel, Imbrelker:
an unprincipled merchant of Stormar. Agile and handsome, but a cold-blooded swindler and murderer of many rival traders.

Merek, Dranth:
young, good-natured painter and warrior of Darswords, who fled that independent hold when it fell to the army of the wizard Malraun.

Millers, The:
former (deceased) nearby neighbors of Rod Everlar on Bridlewood Lane (on Earth). Note: fictional characters.

Moon Masked, The:
a secret society of wizards opposed to the Archwizard Lorontar. Their name derives from their shared ability to magically cloak their faces with pearly radiance like moonlight to avoid being identified. They have no leader, are located all over Falconfar and several "otherwheres," too, and have only one common purpose: opposition to Lorontar. Long silent and hidden, or perhaps vanished entirely.

Mrelbrand, Larguskus:
tavernmaster of The Stag's Head roadside tavern in western Galath.

(Narbrel: see Imdael, Narbrel)

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. He breeds greatfangs (huge dragon-like scaly flying jawed lizards he uses as steeds) in the hollowed-out mountain of Closecandle, and maintains several other strongholds (notably his first tower, Helnkrist), where "false Narmarkouns" (doubles of himself) dwell, that he has fashioned from his undead servitors so that Malraun and other foes will attack them, and not him. Most mysterious of the Dooms, and always popularly regarded as the least of them in magical might, Narmarkoun is an accomplished, patient magical spy.

(Norbryn: see Gulkoun, Garfist)

Norgan, Vaerant:
warrior of Darswords, who fled the independent hold when it fell to the army of the wizard Malraun. Sour of face and nature, he hates Baerold of Darswords.

Norgarl, Uldur:
the old, hairy, and ugly senior commander in Malraun's army, who brought the largest number of warriors into that force. A coarse "old boar" who considers the Aumrarr far less than human, and that women should be subservient to men, he inspires intense loyalty from his men (from the coastal hills of Parlath).

Olondyn, Relse:
"Olondyn of the Bow," a proud, sneering, hot- tempered Raurklor mercenary, an archer and forester who leads other archers and foresters; he joined Malraun's army and became one of its commanders.

Ondrelt, Susan:
"Very Cherry," a dancer and prostitute of Earth.

Quevreth, Daera:
dead but magically-animated pleasure-slave of the wizard Narmarkoun. Gray-skinned and sleekly curvaceous, she is one of many such "skull-wenches" who serve the wizard in his castle of Darthoun. In life, she was the daughter of a farmer in lands Narmarkoun ruled, before he seized her from her home by force. By means of his spells, he can inhabit her body or those of any of his other "playpretties," at will—but will do so only in emergencies.

Paelendrake, Darlamtur:
wizard-for-hire who dwells in a fortified rock that juts out of the harbor of the southern port of Hrathlar. A polite, kindly-seeming but coldly ruthless man.

Raenor, Yenbresk:
(Sir), a knight of southeasternmost Galath, a cruel veteran warrior, unscrupulous and ruthless.

Rambaerakh:
"Slayer of Dragons," an undead wizard now little more than a floating, talking skull. Once the founder and ruler of Rauryk, the Realm of Tall Trees (that has now become the wild forest of Raurklor). Creator of the first Dark Helms and builder of the tower that became Malragard, home of the wizard Malraun the Matchless.

Ravalan, Selder:
steward to King Brorsavar. A young, vigorous, and loyal man, customarily urbane. He is tall, thin and unremarkable of appearance.

(Roar: see Taroarin, Delkur)

(Rodrel: see Euerlar, Rod)

Rondarl, Tarace:
a capable, veteran warrior of the household of Klarl Annusk Dunshar.

Roreld, Duthdaer:
old, growling, bearded mercenary warcaptain, who joins Malraun's army.

Roskryn, Velnar:
a fork-bearded, dapper, polite wizard who enspells swords to fight for him, always has several escape schemes and contingency magics lurking up his sleeve, and stealthily seeks magic he can take for his own. Often finds dying or dead wizards from afar and appears at the site of their deaths soon after they fall, ready to take all he can.

Rothryn, Devaer:
deceased King of Galath, a young, handsome, and haughty wastrel youngest prince who became the puppet of the wizard Arlaghaun (after the Doom of Galath slew all of Devaer's kin, to put him on the throne of Galath). Utterly controlled by Arlaghaun, he became widely known as "the Mad King" because of his apparently nonsensical decrees, pitting noble against noble. He was slain during DARK LORD; Velduke Melander Brorsavar succeeded him on the throne of Galath.

Ruthcoats, Uruld:
Marquel of Galath, a middle-aged, conservative noble of patrician tastes and ever-increasing cynicism.

Sarchar:
"Lord of Spells," a dusky-skinned, always-smiling wizard of middling skills but peerless greed and ambition who recently relocated from the southern land of Tammarlar to Galath.

Sarlvyre, Haemgraethe:
Lordrake of Galath. An ambitious and bold noble known for his deadly skill with a sword.

Sargult, Tammur:
nasal-voiced, sarcastic horse-tamer and warrior of Darswords, who fled that independent hold as it fell to Malraun's army.

Silvershields, Helgorr:
Arduke of Galath, a noble of haughty pride and sneering sophistication, a stickler for the privileges of rank and station.

Smiths, The:
nearby neighbors of Rod Everlar on Bridlewood Lane (on Earth). Note: fictional characters.

Sollars, Pete:
a pleasant, stolid, and a trifle slow-witted security "eyes" (monitor watcher) at the Corporate Headquarters of Holdoncorp, on Earth. Note: a fictional character.

Snowlance, House:
old but minor noble family of Galath, whose head is a klarl.

Sortrel, Ingresk:
warrior of Taneth, a mercenary warrior in the army of the wizard Malraun the Matchless.

Stormserpent, Laskrar:
Arduke of Galath, a tall, muscular, darkly handsome warrior noble who spends much of his leisure time hunting.

Sutherland, Maxwell:
a short, balding, thickly-bespectacled, goatee-sporting real-estate broker. Rod's next-door neighbor on Bridlewood Lane (on Earth). A nerd, known to one and all as "Max" (and more than a little crazy), who owns a Chihuahua named Honeybell. Note: a fictional character.

Sutherland, Muriel:
the snobbish, domineering, loud-voiced wife of Maxwell Sutherland. Note: a fictional character.

Taeauna ("TAY-awna"):
Aumrarr, who in desperation "called on" Rod Everlar and managed to bring him to Falconfar to use his powers as a Shaper to deliver her world from the depredations of the Dark Helms and the Dooms (wizards) who control them. A determined, worldly, experienced Aumrarr who harbors secrets yet to be revealed, she was captured by the wizard Arlaghaun, and then, at the end of DARK LORD, by the wizard Malraun.

Taeravund, Iskarra:
best known as "Viper" from her thieving days in the southern port of Hrathlar (her longtime partner-in-crime, Garfist Gulkoun, prefers to call her "Vipersides" or "Snakehips"), this profane, homely woman has been a swindler all her life, and has used many false names (including "Rosera"). Possessed of driving determination and very swift wits, she is as "skinny as a lance" (in the words of Garfist Gulkoun), but usually wears a false magical "crawlskin" (the magically-preserved, semi-alive skin of a long-dead sorceress), that she stole from a wizard in far eastern Sarmandar, and can by will can mold over herself to make herself look fat, lush, or spectacularly bosomed (and cover leather bladders in which she can hide stolen items). She now makes her living as a thief and swindler, wandering Falconfar with Gulkoun.

(Tamgrym: see Buckbold, Tamgrym)

Tarlund, Muskrum:
longtime bodyguard of the wizard Malraun, a loyal, laconic warrior.

Taroarin, Delkur:
cooper (cask maker) and warrior of the independent hold of Darswords, who fled as it fell to Malraun's army.

Taervellar, Orothor:
"Taervellar of the Talons," an almost-legendary wizard of Falconfar, known to be very powerful and to (rarely) hire out his services for staggeringly high sums. His nickname comes from the huge flying talons—and a menagerie of smaller monsters—he can conjure out of thin air to fight for him, when the need arises. Hatchet- faced, he has blazing eyes, and his badge is a beast-claw.

Taether:
long-dead wizard of Falconfar, the creator of wands known as Taether's Talons, that can conjure up claws of force out of empty air, to rake and rend the wand-wielder's foes.

Tathgallant, Arundur:
Baron of Galath. A noble of middling wits and wealth, who is a friend of Arduke Mordrimmar Larkhelm.

Telgurt, Brasgel:
Arduke of Galath, a cruel and forceful noble who mistreats all women and most servants. He douses himself in scents, and thinks himself both clever, and irresistible to all womankind.

Teltusk, Tethgar: Arduke of Galath, a young, well-intentioned noble.

Tesmer, Belard:
eldest of the sons of Lord Irrance Tesmer and Lady Telclara Tesmer, but won't inherit the lordship unless his three elder daughters predecease him. Darkly handsome, sardonic and "sophisticated" (dabbling in all the latest fashions, and cultivating a mastery of the arts, finance, and "knowing all that it's important to know"), Belard is deadly with both his sword and a cutting insult, and has discreetly sampled many of the women of Ironthorn, of high station and low.

Tesmer, Delmark:
fourth son of Lord Irrance Tesmer and Lady Telclara Tesmer. Nondescript of appearance and quiet in his movements and speech, he's quick-witted, sharp-tongued, deceitful, lazy, resentful of his kin's successes, sadistic, and a "sneak" (spy) and tattletale.

Tesmer, Feldrar:
sixth and youngest son of Lord Irrance Tesmer and Lady Telclara Tesmer. A handsome wastrel, prankster, liar, and dashing wencher and swindler.

Tesmer, Irrance:
Lord of Ironthorn, one of three rival lords of that isolated Raurklar hold. Tesmer is the husband of Telclara and the father of (in order of precedence, eldest to youngest): Maera, Nareyera, Talyss, Belard, Ghorsyn, Kalathgar, Delmark, Ellark, and Feldrar (however, see Tesmer, Telclara). He rules the southeastern Ironthar valley of Imrush, from his keep of Imtowers. (The valley takes its name from the River Imrush, that flows down its heart to join the Thorn River where the Tesmer lands end and those of Lyrose begin.) Formerly owner of all the gem-mines in Ironthorn, and a buyer of many slaves. His badge is a purple diamond on a gray field.