The Encyclopaedia Tynasia

This document is the difinitive source used for the creation of the Tynasian Chronicles.  It is placed here as a reference for fans of the series but I must add the warning that some entries contain plot details which some readers may not wish to view.

A. B. C.

Agrat : Leader of the brigands who overrun Belyn Druia. Also old Hazarian word meaning ‘death’.

Aka-Nono : Sickness of the Jungle of Keresh that often strikes down whole tribes.

Alana : The name given to the plains west of Tynash and north of the Free Regions. The plains are rich, fertile grasslands where herds of wild horses graze. These horses are famed throughout the Young Lands as dependable mounts and are used by many of the major armies.

Alcor : Alcor is situated in the Bay of Zinare on the western shores of the Sea of Zarth. It is the southernmost city of the old Tynasian Empire that has easy land access. This is because the Burning Wastes and the Hazarian Desert make travel further south difficult for a large part of the year. It was established in the year 1438BF by a council of 20 merchant families - although only 3 of the original member names survive to the present day. Alcor is relatively small but has a large free port which attracts most of its trade. It is one of the few northern cities to have regular trade with the Hazarian Empire. It was expanded under Tynasian rule and became one of the empire’s main ports - the other being Bol Tardier in the north. It gained its independence in 1300 after rebelling against Tynash alongside the cities of Graythe, Valcaria, Kar Torma, and Albramor. A great fire in 587 destroyed much of old Alcor and only the city walls and the Guildhall survive from before this date. The new Alcor is a rich and splendid city with little theft or organised begging. Alcor has no recognised religion but allows its citizens to follow whatever god or gods they wish. All inhabitants of the city must be a member of the Alcorian Merchants’ Guild and must either at one time, or still be, an active trader. The Alcorian Guard is a 1000 strong standing army founded by the Guild to defend the city which relies on mercenaries to assist it in time of danger. The Guard’s finest hour came when they twice defeated the Tynasian army in the year 160. "The city lay in the wide, semi-sheltered bay of Zinaré an open basin that spread its arms in a welcoming arc about a league across. Founded almost three thousand years before by a council of twenty merchant families its fortunes had waxed and waned over the years. Being a small, compact, city it hid behind high, curtain walls that were dotted with tall, round towers. Fluttering from these were the flags of the three remaining founder families, along with Alcor’s own emblem of an open hand bearing goods.Beyond the city lay the harbour, a seething mass of boats, barges, and ships which now pitched and rolled as the sea churned around them. Most of the captains would have ordered his men back on board to ensure the safety of the vessel." "He wound his way out of Predersole Square and along a succession of winding, cobbled streets towards the slate-grey slab of the sea. The houses rose up on either side of him, some almost kissing gables over his head. Often small wooden bridges had been constructed to span the narrow streets, allowing residents to cross from one side to the other. Soon the land began to fall away and Zuq had to tread carefully to avoid slipping on the slick cobbles. Ahead he could see the sea, a thin strip of grey showing between the closely packed dwellings, and then the street curved off to the left and he lost sight of it again. Eventually the snaking thoroughfare brought him out at the base of the city wall and off to his left he could see the twin towers of Harbour Gate.Harbour Gate was a tall, fortified entrance that represented something of a compromise. On the one hand it must offer protection to the city in time of war, whilst on the other it must allow a steady flow of traffic to pass in and out. It did this by having a large, wide archway for carts and carriages, and two smaller arches on either side for pedestrians."

Almek : A member of the Mornmar household. Now in the twilight of his life he had served the Mornmar’s all his life. Duke Morven appointed him to look after his third son, Magar, when the old man requested quieter duties. He was now Magar’s advisor and was proud of the position.

Amon Petra : Member of the Company of Seven. An Hazarian who for many years served in the elite Shokra Tonn. These warriors would infiltrate the hostile territory and remain hidden for many months watching and learning, seeking out their enemies weaknesses. An expert in deception and stealth, and survival in terrain that would kill most men. He is dark skinned, tall and muscular with large brown eyes and a roar of a laugh. A master of many weapons especially the short sword, bow, knives and garrotte.

Argrath : lord of the peoples of Ung Plith. Similar in features to Kafaa, with whom he shares a common heritage, Argrath still hold resentment for the way Maku, Zekumar’s grandfather, defeated his people and made the nomadic tribesmen part of the Tivu empire. Outwardly he supports Zekumar, fearing the consequences of openly inciting his people to rebellion but works behind the scenes at the Tivu court to thwart many of Zekumar’s plans. Argrath is a short, stocky man in his late forties with long black hair and an even longer moustache which he plaits and oils and secures with golden clasps. He seldom wears his traditional tribal garb, preferring the more comfortable clothes fashionable in Tivu.

Arpeligon : the Mildly Deranged :  King of Marekh. A young man in his twenties who inherited the throne from his father when the old king finally succumbed to ‘falling sickness’. Arpeligon suffers from the same affliction as most of the upper and middle class of Marekh society and has periods of insanity and illness caused by the years of inbreeding in the land.

Axnia : Member of the Company of Seven. An ex mercenary from Evadia. In her mid twenties, tall with oak brown hair flashed with streaks of gold. She has a lithe, athletic body with small breasts and long, slender legs. Her left arm carries a long, jagged scar that she received in a brawl in a bar. Drunk she failed to parry a blow and almost lost her arm. Axnia is an expert with both sword and her namesake weapon the axe. She retired from fighting after the battle of Beruntra Fields when she was one of only eight mercenaries to survive. She claims that her luck was probably exhausted that day. She is now a priestess in the Temple of Ansai and dedicates herself to the study of ancient legends and beliefs.

Baenkmire : Sergeant in the Tynasian army assigned to the Free Region Fort serving under Lieutenant Cross. He was a tall muscular man with a long bushy beard, thick black curly hair and a long hooked nose. He is a career soldier who never wanted anything else out of life except to serve his country. He was awarded the Tynasian Cross of Honour following the defence of the Free Region Fort.

Barek : God of Gladiators in Urgat Barr

Battle Down : The name for the region of the Canora Downlands just north of the city. It was here that the Tynasians fought a pitched battle against the other cities when their empire collapsed. Victory here gave the Tynasians hope and they overthrew the Arch-Magus, cleansing the city in what later became known as The Scouring.

Bay of Zinare : This wide and beautiful natural harbour that partially shelters the city of Alcor. The bay is famous for its seafood which the Alcorians claim is be the best to be found in any bay of the Young Lands.

Belin dol comith Arg : Belin rides to Tynash along with Benk’s party but then goes off on his own to search for Tass with three other priests. They find and attack Tass who kills them all die except for Belin who loses an arm. Belin is obsessed with Kara and this obsession leads to him being demoted when Talia comes to power. He then forms a resistance group and frees Kara from her imprisonment fleeing with her to the borders where he hands her over to Gron Zuq. He then returns to Lanca and serves in the army until the final stages of the battle when he leads the revolt that breaks the Lancasians final charge. He survives but is mortally wounded in a fight with Talia’s supporters outside the ziggurat of Orra, clinging on to life just long enough to see Kara victorious.

Belyn Druia : Small fishing village on the shores of Lake Tumari.

Benerd : A large man with dark hair and deep ferocious eyes. He bore scars on his cheeks that showed that once he’d been a fighter. An ex soldier who now runs the village of Belyn Druia.

Beran : Demoted Zetchra who remains loyal to Kara and joins Arg’s resistance group.

Berana Bay : A small harbour on the shores of the Sea of Zarth where Tarr has a jetty and lodge.

Beruntra Fields : Battle between Evadia and Urgat Barr over a gold mine in the border region of Salthra. The battle was inconclusive although both sides suffered heavy losses and the dispute was later resolved diplomatically after Tynasian intervention.

Black Keep : A small isolated castle in a hidden glacial valley high up in the Mishak mountains. Dark entities from the dawn of time inhabit the valley and the castle waiting for a warm bodies to take over and thereby return to the world."The castle stood on a small knoll overlooking the stream. It had a moat passing all around it and a gatehouse in the wall facing them. Paydor could now see that it was quite small, the central keep rising up five storeys to a crenellated top. Around this a twenty foot high wall had been built to enclose a small courtyard and at the four corners of the wall stood sombre, squat little towers. The single entrance to the castle led through a short tunnel into the central courtyard. Along one wall was a stable block with a hay loft above it, and on the other a short, stubby barrack building. Immediately in front the keep rose up. A flight of steps led up to a first storey doorway and there was a hot-potch of slit windows dotting the face of the building."

Borane : King of Kathra

Brel : A member of the Grim Reapers who meets a sticky end in the Black Keep.

Bren Garno : Major in the Tynasian army in charge of the Free Region Fort. He is a tall, thin man with a wide bushy moustache and close cropped hair in his mid thirties, exercised regularly and drank very little. Fastidiously tidy and fanatical about discipline and order, his defence of the fort during the attack by Lanca earned him the Cross of Honour and membership of the Tynasian Breviat Rar. He was wounded twice, once in the army by an arrow and once in the stomach by a spear, sadly he never fully recovered from these wounds and did not see active service again. He died in 1413.

Breviat Rar : Tynasian military roll of honour where the great military leaders of the city are immortalised in stone. Similar to the Munx Kel Toma except that the Kel Toma is open to all citizens of the city and not just military commanders.

Bringers of Sorrow : Band of nomadic brigands who are terrorising the village of Belyn Druia when Tass and his party arrive.

Burning Wastes : An area of desert that is hotter and more inhospitable than the rest of the Hazarian Desert. Few wells or other sources of water exist and there are no permanent settlements. A few nomadic tribes cross it at favourable times of the year. The Nakamba valley is the sole exception to this.

Cahrn Alvesüene : Born in 1375 to unknown parents Cahrn is discovered in the burnt remains of a caravan just beyond the borders of Tarr by Masters Ohne and Potenay. He is raised in Tarr and named after the great swordsman Cahrn Opurarra after showing a natural affinity to the sword. Cahrn is still unbonded when Ohne, now Grand Master of Tarr, asks him to undertake the journey to Tynash and retrieve the Crystal of Mamanoth. Having retrieved the crystal Cahrn returns to Tarr to complete his training and later returns to Tynash where he joins forces with Synak and Tass Harmon. He has long flowing dark hair, high almost feminine cheekbones, blue-grey eyes that turn black when he is angry and is a slight, but athletic, six feet tall. His propensity to wear black earns him the title Dark Wanderer in his later life.

Cahrn Opurarra : Tarr’s second greatest swordsman.

Cangoria : The Five Knights Dynasty is a land of rugged hills, fertile narrow valleys and wild unexplored forests. It was first settled in 2442BF when Jegar struck north to find a safe haven for the shattered Sceptre of Power that he carried with him. Five knights, survivors of the cataclysmic final battle between King RuNne of Haine and his brother Eldrikahn helped erect the Hall of the Offering. Unable to agree amongst themselves as to which knight was to be granted the honour of defending the hall a bitter and protracted period of was broke out which was eventually ended in a fragile peace with each knight founding a city and naming it after themselves. They would then take it in turn to hold the title of Lord Protector of the Hall. The five cities are Krothé to the north, Cynraq and Jerébo to the west and east respectively, and Draldor and Quinrarr to the south. The hall, situated on an island in the middle of Lake Trécanth lies midway between Jerébo and Quinrarr. To the west Cangoria is a hilly barren land, whilst to the east it is mainly forest, what fertile, farmable land exists surrounds the five cities and the lake. Running through Cangoria is the Great North Road which at one time ended at Krothé but which now continues on to Khal Tivori. After its construction it brought new wealth and trade to what remains a primitive and feudal society. The people of Cangoria have no religious beliefs which makes them almost unique in the Young Lands. This lack of gods stems from the fact that gods were not widely worshipped in the Lands Under the Raven, the old name for what is now known as Ar@n Süne. There the people believed that an ancient race called the Meshvar had somehow found the gateway to immortality and now oversaw their old lands keeping them from harm. With the outbreak of war and the subsequent destruction of nearly everything that had once existed, belief in the Meshvar faded until now they are a mere race memory that is invoked more as a curse than anything else.

Caucasia : Range of mountains north west of Kathra and south west of Horsath

Clos Reyniere : Founded by the Tynasians in the year 375 ostensibly to strengthen the south-west border of the empire. The city is situated at one end of a long fertile valley. The river Ry runs around three sides of the city after spilling out of a narrow cleft in the hills. Roughly tear-drop in shape Clos Reyniere is enclosed in high curtain walls and tall square towers. Inside the city is a mixture of narrow, cobbled streets and small pleasant squares. The houses are made of local white stone with timbered upper storeys which overhang to such an extent that the gables almost touch each other. Beneath exists a shaded warren of dim passageways through which the lifeblood of the city passes. The palace is situated in a wide oval at the base of the teardrop and is surrounded by beautifully crafted gardens, moat and walls. Outside it is a severe, feudal fortress whilst inside it has been transformed into a dazzling display of elegance.

Colossi of Urgat Barr : Two enormous statues erected on hills outside the city. Their origin is unknown but most likely pre-Inthican, perhaps one of the few surviving examples of Meshven architecture.