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The Barriers are a brotherhood of bankers, engineers, inventors, machinists, locksmiths, armorers, blacksmiths, and weapon smiths. They’re a relatively young player in Sarveki politics, having been recognized for only 250 years or so. The Drake Riders of Dragon Island aren’t a featured group in The Heretic’s Quest, but they are mentioned many times and may become prominent in future novels. Therefore, notes on this culture are included here. It seems the Sarvek Empire is cluttered with so many big power players – the Emperor, the military, the Sanctuary, the Noble Houses – but there are also a number of groups that care nothing for the old ways or the old rules. Each group has different motivations, but all upset the status quo. The following list isn’t complete, but it does provide details for the biggest and most disruptive groups. Continue reading Hooligans »»No fantasy story would be complete without some monsters to challenge the hero, and the series has a few horrendous critters that will thrill and terrorize readers. While these creatures all serve vital roles in the story, there aren’t as many monsters or fantastic enemies as are found in many other fantasy stories. Shannon chose to write the story without including other typical fantasy races (dwarves, elves, orcs, etc.) and without a legion of monsters, because The Heretic’s Quest is a story about humanity, the good we can do, and the evil we can create. Therefore, most of the antagonists are human, or once were, and once you’ve read the story, you’ll likely agree that these “bad guys” are monstrous enough to preclude any need for fantastic horrors. Just to be on the safe side, a few nasty ghosts, critters, and demons have been included for good measure. No information concerning the beasties of the series will be posted here. Shannon wants to preserve a few secrets! Since Carthos Sarvek died, the Serene have controlled access and interpretation of his writings and teachings. In a country where most people cannot read and books are a rich man’s luxury, the Sanctuary wields tremendous power over the masses, who look to their spiritual leaders for guidance, trusting them to interpret and teach the words of their god. For good or ill, the Sanctuary has used this power to ensure their monopoly on divine writings and interpretations continues. Carthos Sarvek unified over fifty fiercely independent tribes to create his initial empire. His technique was simple and effective; he defeated them in battle, killed the chieftain, and then sired a son with the chieftain’s closest female relative, which then became the leader of the tribe. While the sons matured, the tribe was controlled by a steward who was a blood relative to Carthos. The Serene began as a humble order of monks who protected Emperor Carthos Sarvek and helped spread his teachings to his subjects. Carthos was their Emperor, their teacher, and their friend. That was hundreds of years ago. The Heretic’s world is not our own. It’s close to ours – maybe the one right next door – and it shares many similarities. Time is one of these similarities. The Heretic’s world takes 365.25 days to revolve around its sun. It takes 24 hours to rotate once about its axis. Most people in the Sarveki Empire don’t know that. The vast majority of the population must use their fingers to count to ten. There are very, very few paper or parchment calendars in the empire, but people have devised a workable system for telling time. The Sarvek Empire was established hundreds of years ago, by a man named Carthos Sarvek. He waged a unifying war across the plains of the western continent until he stood at the head of a baby Empire. He spent the last years of his life ensuring his work would not be undone. He rebuilt cities, ensuring schools and temples were included in reclamation efforts everywhere. He forced his people to band together and help one another as they repelled raiding barbarians year after year. The Imperial Army is formed of soldiers from each of the Noble Houses. While each House is free to train and outfit its men as it sees fit, there is a standard Imperial uniform that must be worn. The dominating color of the uniform can be the primary color of the soldier’s House, but the actual design of the uniform and basic equipment of the uniform cannot be altered. The rank system and basic unit structure is also universal among the Houses, but they are free to designate the composition of their units to suit their local needs. The Sarvek Empire uses standard coins as a medium of exchange. These coins are designed and minted by the Barriers, and have equal value across the empire. Commerce in large cities relies heavily on these coins. They are used in rural areas as well, but bartering becomes more prevalent as one travels further away from urban areas. The entire length of Dae Aerinon is split from north to south by the Mirrored Mountains. Only three passes connect the west to the east: The Pass of Elmek, the collapsed pass at Stone Pike, and the Southern Gap. The Sarveki Empire dominates the eastern side. The western side is home to the Strogun Clans. Many, many villages, towns, and cities pepper the landscape of the Sarveki Empire, but there are eleven cities which are larger, busier, and more important than all the rest. Known as the Holy Cities, these sprawling urban areas are the seats of power for the Emperor and the Noble Houses. Each was founded by Carthos Sarvek during his years of conquest and unification. A number of these cities aren’t featured or explored in the two current novels, but this section includes notes on them anyway. Continue reading The Ten Holy Cities »» |
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