"Servant of Empire" - Reference Materials
Glossary, Cast of Characters, etc.
Glossary
Adelhome: Small town in the kingdom of Mirn, formerly a trading gateway to Ráth Ros, now largely a farming community with a path still active to the Fae lands. Name means “to elven lands” in old country language.
Arrol: Race of bipedal reptiles, enemies of the Voruscans, omnivorous and considered a plague on the world.
Ascension, The: term used by the Voruscan Empire to describe the entry of its ruling houses into contract with the King of Hell, the beginning of the Golden Age of Vorus.
Ashemdion: One of the Nine ruling Houses of the Voruscan Empire, housed in the Sapphire Spire.
Assuhmni: Fae lord, made a binding pact with Wynter.
Azarath: Fae city near Adelhome.
Bonegate: common name for Vor Osseum
Binder: A practitioner of the magical arts whose power originates from an otherworldly source, usually contracted to that source to exchange power for some service or payment.
Caern Jale: the military forces of the Voruscan empire.
Caern Magistra: state-approved mage’s guild of the Voruscan empire
Combat Majeur: Fomorian ritual combat, five-on-five team battle to the death, used by nobles to resolve conflicts without risking the ruling class.
Crucible of Souls: The center of Gehenna, a sea of condensed soul-stuff into which more souls pour every moment. It represents a font of spiritual power unrivaled throughout the known universe.
Devil’s Due: Mercenary company of Shadrim and fantastic beasts, contracted to Flay Gaz for the trial of succession in the Fomor city of Ihnbahran.
Dorca Feadhain: “Army of Darkness,” in G’Torrian. What they called the armies of Vorus during their war with Vorus.
Eulithid: Voruscan term for an extra-dimensional space, usually used for personal carrying capacity. Termed “Rei pocket” in modern times.
Fezzal-juice: A strong stimulant derived from the berry of the fezzal bush. Analogous to guarana.
Flay Gaz: Daughter of Recks, Fomor giant in competition with siblings for the throne.
Fomor: Race of warped giants, touched by madness.
Gehenna: Deepest layer of Hell, home to the hanging city of Pandemonium.
Goradrim, House of: One of the Nine ruling houses of the Voruscan Empire, one that spent a great deal of time with Necromancy. Home being the Cinder Spire.
G’torrian: Race of humanoids from the Voruscan era, driven to near-extinction by the Voruscans. They sought refuge with the Fomor, who agreed on the condition that they subjected themselves to racial blindness.
Rei pocket: Extra-dimensional space, used for enhanced carrying capacity on one’s person. Called a eulithid by the Voruscans.
Horziolus: god of the Arrak, representing venom and strength, takes the form of an enormous many-fanged serpent with iridescent skin patterned in a rainbow of colors.
Howard’s Mark: Small village, satellite to Adelhome, Wynter’s hometown.
Hrovka Uvitci: Secret police of the Voruscan Empire.
Ihnbahran: City of the Fomor, capital of their culture in the Fae Darklands.
Kriaak: One of the worlds of the Voruscan empire.
Magician: A practitioner of the magical arts whose talents are minimal; also “Hedge-Wizard.”
Mahar: Former general of the Caern Jale, Azrael’s former commanding officer. Head of the mercenary company Shal Rava (Devil’s Due).
Maure: Home world of the Shadrim and the Voruscan Empire, the world of our story. Moons P’logrian and Suche.
Megley: Father of all the Fomor.
Meilitta: God of healing, happiness.
Mimozemstanu: Voruscan for aliens, outsiders.
Montrach: Demonic Prince, father of the gelatinous horde. Grandfather of the cyclops species.
Muir: Goddess of forests, regrowth
Naetel: head of household to Zur Nav, G’torrian.
Nephrim: half-breed angels, designed to eradicate Shadrim in prior wars.
Niflematteck: Trickster god and patron of gnomes and giants.
Nissinget: Dwarven city, mostly underground.
Oshar: River passing through the town of Adelhome
Pandemonium: The capital city of Hell, seat of the King’s power. It hangs from the interior of the globe of Gehenna, over the Crucible of Souls.
Paradram: Adelhome name for street-food.
P’logrian: A moon of Maure, subject to the Voruscans in the peak of their empire, home world of the G’torrian nomads.
Ráth Ros: Capital of the elvish kingdom of the Faelands.
Recks: Dead king of the Fomor.
Sapphire Spire: Home to House Ashemdion in the Voruscan Empire.
Sciopaltus: Ancient wizard, founder of the practice of Temporomancy.
Silver Crown: A unit of currency within the kingdom of Mirn.
Sorceror: One who practices the magical arts inborn; generally most societies consider sorcerors a hazard, as children with sorcerous power are a grave danger to those around them until they learn to control their power.
Soulstone: fashioned from gemstones available (to knowledge) only in Hell, a soulstone can be carved and enchanted to contain the soul of a living creature. Often used as power sources for magical enchantment.
Steaming Green: An inn/guesthouse in Adelhome.
Stonehold Keep: Home to Orandor, wizard resident of the kingdom of Mirn. About 20 days N of Mirn city proper.
Suche: A moon of Maure, subject to the Voruscans in the peak of their empire, home world of the Arrak.
Sun of Vorus: Trade currency of the Voruscan Empire, each one worth the value of a modestly wealthy estate. Guarded against forgery by enchantment powered by a soul, contained in a centrally-mounted soulstone.
Surtr: Father of all giants, fire giant who waits at the end of the world.
The Circle: mages guild of Mirn, third most powerful guild on Maure.
Thenta Makur: caste of assassins tasked with monitoring the fitness of the Emperor of Vorus.
Trennian: One of the Nine ruling Houses of the Voruscan Empire; housed in the Ivory Spire.
Tyr the Mighty: God of justice, war, has no right hand.
Unsworn: Non-Shadrim.
Utrett: Patron god of undeath, worshipped by necromancers and mindful undead alike. Said to be the corpse of a nameless Titan, who curses the gods with his infection to deny them the souls of the dead.
Varlstadt: ruined castle above Adelhome, awarded to the Wayfarers
Veltsch N’gregaia: Fomorian spirit drink
Vitezstvi: Voruscan for victory
Voerhuentegar: stone dragon living in the Fae lands near the path to Adelhome
Vor Ichaer: Major city of Maure, military hub of the Caern Jale.
Vor Kanta: Capital city of the Voruscan Empire.
Vor Konatra: Major city of Maure, home of the Cern Magistra. Sunk fifty meters into its own crater during the collapse of Voruscis. Home to the Smith and the Lake of Souls.
Vor Osseum: City of Maure, trade center, guards strategic mountain pass on Maure and hosts permanent portal to P’logrian.
Voruscan: A member of the human empire predating the Ascension, founded in -6,883 by Emperor Tianus Vorus.
Voruscis: The nation-state title of the Empire of Vorus.
Wizard: A practitioner of the magical arts who gains power through study and practice, harnessing power unto themselves.
Zurei: Goddess of magic.
Currencies
Kingdom of Mirn:
Copper Penny – wide and thin disc, comes in various denominations representing 1/100 of a scepter. “Pennies” come in 1, 2, and 5-penny varieties
Silver Crown – triangular silver coin embossed with Mirn’s king’s portrait, 1/10 of a Scepter
Gold Scepter – thick and heavy disc coin (similar to pound sterling) with Mirn’s king’s portrait
Mirn also uses various trade currencies, usually in the form of silver or gold bars of different sizes, valued by weight. They have no coin of higher value than the Scepter.
Empire of Vorus
Steel Tag – a rectangular coin made of steel, ¼ of a copper
Copper Stallion – disc coin of copper embossed with carving of a stallion,1/100 of a gold star
Silver Eagle – disc coin of silver embossed with an eagle, 1/10 of a gold star
Gold Star – disc of gold with an eight-pointed star
Platinum Brick – cubic coin 1cm on a side, called “brick” for its value (100 stars)
Suns of Vorus – trading coins made of palladium, gold, and enchanted with a soulstone to prevent counterfeit; each is worth 15,000 gold stars
Kingdom of Ihnbahran
Silver Dukat – rectangular, about 3cm by 1cm and 5mm thick. Most common currency used by the Fomor.
Gold Decits (pronounced “dess-eats”) – heavy coin, about six inches across, a thick outer rind of silver with a gold center.
Gems are also often used, and currencies of other cultures are quite common.
Fae Courts
Tiandra of Spring
Mab of Winter
Titania and Oberon of Summer
Leso and Yesya of Autumn
Pantheon of Gods
Fenris – god of the untamed wild, patron of wolves, imprisoned at the end of the Titanswar by the gods (also “Eater of the Gods”, for swallowing Tyr’s hand)
Frey – god of civilization, agriculture, reading and books
Freya – goddess of the hearth, of cooking, of family, of knowledge and wisdom
Horziolus – god of venom and strength, patron of the Arrolians.
Meilitta – goddess of Happiness
Montrach – demonic father of slime
Morrigan – goddess of fate and death, patroness of corvids, (also “the Black Queen”)
Muir – goddess of forests, regrowth, rebirth
Niflemattock – patron of Gnomes, god of trickery, thievery (also Loki)
Surtr – god of the giants, the great fire giant who sprang from the blood of Ymirr when the gods slew him
The King – Lucifer, Asmodeus, Aamon, a host of names – King of Hell, patron of tyrants, “the Betrayer”
Tyr – god of Justice, Law, has no right hand.
Utrett – god of undeath, and unnatural lusts
Wodin – the all-father, all-knowing, the Wandering god
Ymirr – Father of all giants, eldest of the titans, slain by the gods during the initial gambits of the Titanswar
Zurei – goddess of magic, patroness of the moon
Cast of Characters
Family
Iluerer – great-grandfather to Torior, great-great-grandfather to Azrael
Torior – father (was seventh son of his father’s)
Sessia – firstborn, daughter, heir to the Sapphire Spire
Haldren – first son
Raphael – second son
Ambria – second sister
Cassian – third son
Gabriela – third sister
Ivoten – fourth son
Micarh – fifth son
[snipped this small section to avoid spoilers in later books]
The Grey Wayfarers
Azrael – himself
Rendo – Halfling archer, thief
Sered – himself
Nix – human wizard, female
Rhorahl – short-lived Arrak
Wynter – human warrior
Cannon – dwarvish fighter
Fahren – shadrim fighter, formerly of Shal Rava
Other:
Orandor – mystic and wizard, lives near Mirn, patron at times of the Wayfarers
Hollist: mad wizard who held Azrael captive contemporary with Vorus.
Beam: stranger wandering the Fae lands, with a bow, covered in tattoos of maps of Fae. One particular tattoo, a dagger surrounded by three stars.
Adelhome:
Mister Gibbens – owner of the dry-goods shop in the center of Adelhome
Charles Montee – shop assistant at Gibbens shop, burned on right side of face with oil
Gerard Sandarson – farmer’s representative in Adelhome
Batilda Moorecroft – business council representative in Adelhome
Charles von Kurz - Baron of Adelhome and the surrounding land, Mayor of the town
Madam Madeline – widow of Adelhome, runs a boarder in one of her rooms
Timothy – son of Madeline
Jonathan Mikull – priest of the temple of Muir
James MacPherson – head blacksmith
Ihnbahran:
Bres – founder of Ihnbahran, ancient Fomor king
Recks – dead king of Ihnbahran
Lady Flay Gaz – daughter of Recks, ally to Dorad (he serves her)
Gazul Kil – son of Recks, competing for throne
Hak Azuth – son of Recks, competing for throne, loosely allied with Flay Gaz
Zur Nav – son of Recks, competing for throne
Baim Fuss – daughter of Recks, killed by Flay Gaz shortly after Recks’ death
Opposition:
Dorad – king of the trolls
Houses of Vorus:
Ashemdion, the Sapphire Spire
Cartaiga, the Silver Spire
Goristro, the Cinder Spire
Murkolio, the Marble Spire
(All content here, outside of those elements attributed otherwise, is copyright (2025-) Thomas Theobald. With the exception of AI training, personal use with attribution is granted.)