Ten thousand years before the reign of Radia Noora of Tyrnael, or 5 BGM (Before the Greater Moon), the sun of Aenya began its expanse into a red giant, having swallowed … Continue reading People of Aenya: Horde
DMT and D&D
I’ve been sitting on this post for years. Part of me really didn’t want to write it. And as a non-drug user, I felt unqualified. But the story has been nagging at me, … Continue reading DMT and D&D
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
My family and I are big Potter fans. One year, my daughter was Hermione for Halloween, and my wife went as Madam Hooch (she had the hat). We’ve also been … Continue reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Martin Has a Heart: A Review of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
I am here with my friend and partner in crime, David Pasco, to discuss George R.R. Martin’s new book, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Now I think it’s safe to … Continue reading Martin Has a Heart: A Review of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
The Giver
Lois Lowry’s dystopian novel was awarded the John Newberry Medal for outstanding children’s literature, though I found it too uneventful and dark for my 11 year old daughter, even after we agreed to add it to … Continue reading The Giver
The BFG
To get my daughter to take a break from Pokemon Go this summer, my wife insisted she read a total of three books, and not just the comics she loves (Dork Diaries, anything by Raina … Continue reading The BFG
People of Aenya: Thelana
Thelana is born in the river valley of Ilmarinen, the middle child in a family of twelve. Her eldest brother, Borz, is sold into slavery when she is very young. … Continue reading People of Aenya: Thelana
Songs from Aenya: At Sternbrow Hill
At Sternbrow Hill the armies came with copper on their heads all gleaming and copper swords in belts a shining and copper spears in hands a bristling met men with … Continue reading Songs from Aenya: At Sternbrow Hill
The Aenya Bestiary
ILMAR (HUMANS): Though they are considered to be more animal than human, the Ilmar can trace their roots directly to the first protohuman. Hidden from civilization, they live a primitive existence, devoid of government, walled housing or clothing. They typically have dark skin, leathery soles, and exceedingly resilient skin. To learn more: ILMAR
SEPTHERA: This long extinct race ruled Aenya around 10,000—9000 BGM. For centuries, humans were herded by the Septhera like livestock, forced to do labor, fight for entertainment, and at times, were used as food. The Septhera vary in appearance and color, from black, green, red and purple to many hued. Stripes and diamond patterns along the arms, legs and tail are common among females. By 9800 BGM, the Septhera were overthrown by the emergent Zo. To learn more: SEPTHERA. Figure courtesy David Pasco.
MERQUID (singular or plural): This aquatic, communal species once dominated the planet, living in ocean-vast cities that have since become desert. What remains of their kind is now concentrated along the coasts. Though benign, they can become terrifying in defense of their offspring, with a set of retractable teeth, barbed claws and wide glossy eyes. To learn more: MERQUID. Figure courtesy David Pasco.
HALFMAN: A distant human relative, this beastly primate has limited use of language and tool making skills. It is most commonly seen in the wildwood west of Kratos.Shy in nature, the halfman can become a terrible predator when the need arises, counting both human and animal as its quarry. To learn more: HALFMAN. Figure courtesy David Pasco.
HORG (singular and plural): Few creatures on Aenya are as feared as the horg. Rarely seen beyond the dark hemisphere, the horg is found on the outskirts of the eastern kingdoms. Females of the species are turned into slaves by the more diminutive bogren. Adult males (known as bulls) act as living siege engines, carrying immense clubs and shields made of ice and wood pulp called pykrete. To learn more: HORG. Figure courtesy David Pasco.
BOGREN: Small and crafty, the bogren are thought to have evolved after the Great Cataclysm. Their human ancestors remained, or were forced into, the eastern hemisphere, finding sanctuary deep under the ground where the lava flows. To learn more: BOGREN. Figure courtesy David Pasco.
AVIAN: The avian or “bird man” is a human subspecies, which can best be described as a cross between a human and a bird. They are reclusive and fearful, tending to avoid contact with other intelligent races, but are also proud, believing themselves morally and intellectually superior. In appearance, the avian is as diverse in the hue of its plumage as the bird species of Aenya. They are also fond of ornamentation, and wear beak-like masks, which they use to conceal their hominid ancestry. To learn more: AVIAN.
The Princess of Aenya
Once, not long ago, there lived a king in the land of Tyrnael, who had but one daughter. This daughter he loved with his whole heart, but upon her eleventh year she fell ill, her cheeks paling like the petals of a dying ilm. Never leaving her bedside, the king called for every physician in his kingdom, but all were at a loss, for her ailment was unlike any they had seen. With enduring hope, the king sent emissaries to lands near and abroad, and learned men did arrive from as far south as the One Sea and from as far east as Shemselinihar, yet all were utterly mystified by her sickness. Beset by grief and desperation, the king offered all that he had, his very kingdom in recompense, to save his little girl from doom.
And it so happened, that upon this decree, a wizened sage appeared at the gates of the Compass Tower. Examining the girl with care, he declared with confidence that he could make the girl whole again, brewing an elixir so that she might drink of it and become well. And shortly thereafter, the rosy hue returned to the little girl’s cheeks. Overjoyed, the king asked what the stranger wished from him in return, reminding him of his vow.
“So long as you know,” the sage said to him, “I can stay the hand of the Taker, but only for a time. At the close of three days, before the moon eclipses on the third night, if she does not drink of my elixir, Death shall surely claim her.”
Hearing this dreadful prophecy, the king turned ashen, but the sage comforted him, saying, “Be not dismayed, for it is not beyond my power to procure this remedy, enough to keep your daughter in good stead for her remaining days. Yet it is not without its price.”
The king readily agreed, preparing to surrender his great wealth, his kingdom if need be, but the sage asked for one small thing, and one thing only, in return for his ministrations, that the king take as his own a young boy to be adopted. The sage’s own son.
Chapter 1: Radia: Upon her father’s death, Radia inherits the throne of Tyrnael, ancient capital of Aenya. Though she is only 15, Radia finds the courage to refute her brother in court, only to be betrayed by the people she trusted to protect her. Her only hope is Demacharon, an aging soldier from the distant land of Hedonia. But why should a stranger risk certain death, for a girl he hardly knows, when all the military might of Tyrnael is bent on destroying her?
Chapter 2: Demacharon: He has no memory of who he is or how he came to be. He walks through a nightmarish wasteland and his dread is palpable. Is it a dream? The afterlife? Or merely a glimpse of things to come?
Chapter 3: Eros: Like his mother, Eros is branded, invisible to society. It makes him the ideal assassin, the only man capable of hunting down and cutting out the heart of the princess. But can even the self-appointed king of Tyrnael deliver his fee?
Songs and Poetry: Noora’s Song, The Procession
SUPPORTING CAST: DEMACHARON – ZAIBOS – NESSUS
Races of Aenya: Avian – Bogren – Horg
Cosmology of Aenya: The Hayden Planetarium Answers Questions about Aenya: Aenya is uncommon in the fantasy genre in that it follows real world physics. Specifically, it is a moon of the gas giant Infinity. Close proximity to this large planet accounts for the turquoise “moon” Radia and Demacharon can see in the sky. Since one side of their world perpetually faces Infinity, life can be harsh on Aenya. I would like to thank Alejandro Nunez, at the Hayden Planetarium, for helping me add credibility to this fictional world, by answering my questions about an Aenya-type planet.
About the Author: I wrote my first story when I was six, and by age nine, convinced my father to take me to DC Comics Headquarters, in New York City, to solicit my own comic book series. I later attended the University of South Florida, where I graduated with my BA in English Fiction, helped as a tutor, ran a fan-fiction site, and worked as a freelance editor. My short story, The Gorgon’s Lover, was chosen a semi-finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. For more about my life, please visit my bio page.
The Princess of Aenya is the second book set in the world of Aenya.
