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Glossary & Dramatis Personae

Glossary & Dramatis Personae

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The Adventurers’ Guild – A specialized organization dedicated to slaying monsters, gathering rare and precious materials, conquering dungeons (often called “Trials”), and protecting those who cannot defend themselves.

Alchemy – The art of creating potions and elixirs by combining various ingredients and harnessing their properties.

Al-Lazar – A coastal city far to the south, known as the sole source of the narcotic called Dust.

Amolla Root – A herb used in Alchemy, most widely recognized for its ability to induce miscarriages in pregnant women when consumed. It also has other, less controversial applications.

Anaselena de Sariens – Duchess and wife to Duke Anatoli de Sariens, renowned for her extraordinary beauty and her gift of the Sight—an oracular power allowing her to see limited glimpses of the future. However, she cannot foresee events directly involving her own bloodline. She is also Seraphina’s mother.

Anatoli de Sariens – The imposing, bear-like Duke of the Sariens Duchy. In his youth, he fought alongside Elidion to secure the throne of Aranthia. Though a straightforward man, he is a skilled warrior and general who loves nothing more than the thrill of battle. He cherishes both his daughter and his wife and is known by the moniker “the Red Troll.”

Anzlas – The stablemaster of Sariens Castle.

Aran – Capital of Aranthia and seat of power for its kings.

Aranthia – A medieval feudal kingdom in the world of Zed Valize, located on the continent known as the Grieving Lands.

Arvan – The ugly, elderly proprietor of the Crossed Crows, secretly a murderer fleeing justice. He remains at large thanks to a magical bracelet granting +5 to Luck. Seraphina ultimately kills him to claim both the bracelet and the deed to the Crossed Crows.

Arvan’s Luck – A magical bracelet once owned by Arvan. It grants the wearer +5 to their Luck attribute. Seraphina acquires the bracelet after killing its former owner.

Avaria – The Goddess of Justice and the principal deity worshipped in Aranthia. Known as the Goddess of the Twin Blades, she wields the longsword of Justice and the knife of Mercy.

Braggarts – A popular card game, similar to poker.

[The] Cataclysm - An apocalyptic event.

Catherina – A portly head servant at Castle Sariens who served as a surrogate mother figure to Seraphina.

Chordrelle – A long-necked, lute-like stringed instrument.

Cornelia – Seraphina’s omnivorous pet snake.

The Covenant – A form of holy magic.

The Crossed Crows – A tavern in the castle town of Sariens, formerly owned by the murderer Arvan. It is currently owned by Miriam Bottlesworth.

Desmond – A butler in Castle Sariens.

Devon – A gambler at the Gilded Gryphon. Seraphina spares him financial ruin out of gratitude for his politeness.

Dragon – Powerful, capricious, and sentient winged reptiles with immense physical and magical might. Their strength is said to rival that of the gods themselves. They are among the most formidable beings in Zed Valize.

Dreamsight – Another term for the oracular Sight.

Este Lize – Protagonist of The Maiden of the Wisterias. Revered as the Saint of Silver, also called the Living Saint and the Saviour of the Silver.

Elidion de Barbierri – The current King of Aranthia and father to Velens.

Eloise de Laney – The eldest daughter of Baron Geron de Laney (formerly a merchant) and Idalie de Laney (an Imperial native). Once seeing herself as Seraphina’s rival, she is ultimately compelled to serve as her lady-in-waiting. Under the de Sariens family’s patronage, she studies Earth magic and Alchemy at Seraphina’s insistence. She bears a striking resemblance to Myeong Mirae.

The Empire – A large northern nation bordering Aranthia. Longstanding rivals, these two realms have frequently gone to war.

Ferdiad Frest – A former bandit and member of the Stone Moons, now serving Duke Anatoli de Sariens as a man-at-arms. Recruited by Seraphina as one of her personal guards, he is a master crossbowman. To defend Seraphina’s honor, he duels and kills Sir Donahan of the Royal Guard, claiming his armor and horse as spoils.

Floriettal – A coming-of-age celebration for girls marking their first menses.

Franzo Carbezio – Mayor of Lucalle’s Ford.

Gage Barrelmaker – An eccentric merchant in Lucalle’s Ford who trades in exotic creatures. Seraphina purchases his most expensive item—a rare egg—so he will vacate the square where she intends to perform. The egg later hatches into her pet snake, Cornelia.

Galebush – A plant that bears edible berries with perilous seeds. If not thoroughly cooked, the seeds sprout within hours, almost certainly killing their consumer. In exceedingly rare cases, the survivor becomes a chimeric plant-animal hybrid called a Wild Brother.

Geomancer – Another name for an Earth Mage.

Geron de Laney – Formerly a merchant, now newly elevated to a baron of Aranthia with backing from the Empire. Husband to Idalie and father to Eloise de Laney.

Giant Tree Snake – A large species of snake.

The Gilded Gryphon – A luxurious inn and gambling house on the outskirts of Aran, the capital. It is owned and operated by Velens.

Giles – Krayton’s brother and a man-at-arms at Castle Sariens. Seraphina enlists him as one of her personal guards.

Giles de Canconne – A hermit living in the Sarien’s Duchy, guardian of a scroll that teaches the spell “Heal.” Seraphina mercilessly kills him and steals the scroll’s power for herself.

The Grieving Lands – The continent where the story takes place.

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Guillaume – A gambler at the Gilded Gryphon who loses a significant sum of money to Seraphina.

The Hart’s Heart – A tavern in which Seraphina meets the bard Haze Finleigh.

Hazagadami – A nomadic race of humans typically born with red eyes. They have no homeland of their own and roam from place to place. Many fear or resent the Hazagadami, believing they were responsible for the last Cataclysm.

Haze Finleigh – A bard from the Bardic College of Quas, traveling to compose a Master’s Piece and achieve the rank of Master Bard. Initially posing as a man to gain recognition, Haze abandons this deception under Seraphina’s influence, embracing her true identity. She is highly skilled at playing the Chordrelle.

Hana – Myeong Mirae’s personal secretary and assistant, and formerly Sang-woo’s lover.

Heal – A spell capable of mending wounds. Seraphina acquires its secrets from a scroll guarded by the hermit Giles de Canconne.

Herbalism – The skillset encompassing the identification, collection, and preservation of various herbs found throughout the world.

Hugh – A gambler at the Gilded Gryphon who loses both a fortune and his family’s velvet weavery to Seraphina.

Ibn – A young half-Hazagadami boy distinguished by the red eyes of the Hazagadam people. In the original The Maiden of the Wisterias timeline, he becomes one of Aranthia’s greatest swordmasters and a companion of Este Lize. In Seraphina’s timeline, she captures and forces him to serve as her page. Initially, he suffers from aphasia and a deep fear of blades, but Seraphina and Eloise use harsh methods to cure his ailments.

Idalie de Laney – The Baroness of Aranthia, wife of Geron de Laney, and mother of Eloise.

Jacques de Viserac – A Count of Aranthia who hosts Seraphina and her retinue during her journey. Secretly, he seems to torture people. Seraphina believes him to be a sexual deviant.

Jurgens – An Alchemist residing in the town beneath Sariens Castle.

Kellan – An elderly armsmaster serving Duke Anatoli. A war veteran afflicted by battle shock, he dreads large-scale conflict. He instructs and trains Castle Sariens’ inhabitants in the martial arts.

Kicker – Duke Anatoli’s formidable warhorse. Seraphina occasionally borrows him for her excursions.

The King’s Highway – A major road that leads directly to Aran, the capital city of Aranthia.

Krayton – Giles’s brother and a man-at-arms in Castle Sariens. Seraphina recruits him to serve as one of her personal guards.

Locke – A cautious gambler at the Gilded Gryphon who only loses a small sum of gold to Seraphina.

Loierre – A river flowing through the town of Lucalle’s Ford.

Lucalle’s Ford – A bustling trade town in Aranthia, serving as a major commercial hub.

Mana – The fundamental source of magic in the world, present in all living and nonliving things. With the proper skills and knowledge, it can be harnessed to cast spells. However, its “song” can subtly warp a wielder’s psyche, often with unpleasant consequences.

Merala – A gambler at the Gilded Gryphon who loses a substantial fortune to Seraphina.

The Maiden of the Wisterias – A roleplaying game primarily aimed at the female market. It was funded by conglomerate heiress Myeong Mirae and serves as the setting for this story.

Martelli – The owner of the Swan’s Song Inn, compelled to grant Seraphina and her entourage free lodging.

Master’s Piece – A singularly profound work of music that elevates its creator to the rank of Master Bard.

Michelié de Montan – The lively, if somewhat clumsy, daughter of Marquess de Montan and a friend to Seraphina. She is plump and bubbly, with family lands bordering both the Empire and the Sarien’s Duchy.

Miriam Bottlesworth – A powerful “Palisa Slug” capable of consuming most organic materials. Seraphina uses her abilities to dispose of inconvenient corpses. Acting as Seraphina’s personal maid, she also owns the Crossed Crows tavern. Seraphina often calls her “Milly.”

Mistevan – A sergeant and man-at-arms stationed at Castle Sariens.

Myeong Mirae – The beautiful, ruthless heiress of the Myeong Group and the protagonist of this tale. Formerly a famous singer in her modern life, she is reborn as the fifteen-year-old Seraphina de Sariens.

Nina – Seraphina’s palfrey. Palfreys are a type of horse known for their exceptionally smooth gait and ability to travel comfortably over long distances.

Palisa Slugs – Monsters with the ability to disguise themselves as humans. They possess potent digestive acids, enabling them to devour almost anything. Many have successfully infiltrated various parts of Aranthian society.

Path – The dedicated magical specialty chosen by a Mage or Magister. Often, practitioners become consumed by the very Path they pursue, gradually descending into madness.

Rashana de Lehman – A childhood friend of Seraphina whose family founded Lehman’s Bank, a relatively new institution in Aranthia. Her mother hails from the distant city of Al-Lazar.

The River God – Lord of Time. His servants and priests can perceive potential futures through fragmented visions, as he jealously guards his power. They receive only enough insight to enact his will. Additionally, they can partially block the visions of other oracles.

The Royal Guard – An elite group of Knights tasked with protecting Aranthia’s Royal Family. They are recognizable by their white-and-gold armor.

Ruar – A colloquial term for Xaruar, a large six-legged proto-dragon resembling an ancient Earth ankylosaur. They are commonly used as pack animals.

Sandra – A servant in Castle Sariens.

Sariens – Both the name of the duchy and the town where Seraphina resides.

The Shallow River – The River of Death. Crossing it symbolizes entering the afterlife.

The Sight – An oracular power that grants its wielder prophetic visions and dreams. Seraphina, unlike her mother Duchess Anaselena, did not inherit this gift.

Silent Casting – A magical skill that enables spellcasting without spoken incantations or physical gestures.

Sir Donahan – A member of the Royal Guard. He is slain by Frest in an honor duel.

Sir Gallant – A formidable knight of the Royal Guard who appears to be infatuated with Eloise de Laney.

Seraphina de Sariens – Once the primary antagonist in The Maiden of the Wisterias, she is Duke Anatoli and Duchess Anaselena’s daughter. In a strange twist of fate, Myeong Mirae finds herself inhabiting Seraphina’s body. Seraphina is exceptionally strong and beautiful, and is informally engaged to Velens, the Crown Prince.

Sung Sang-woo – A childhood friend of Myeong Mirae, originally serving as her bodyguard and chauffeur (though she did not recognize him). Obsessed with Mirae, he even slept with her secretary, Hana, to learn more about her. He is shot and killed while protecting Mirae. After dying, he awakens to find he has been chosen by the Goddess Iasis (the Mother) to enter the world of Zed Valize, bearing her Mark. There he intends to once again reunite Mirae. He becomes a Knight.

The Swan’s Song – A high-class inn located in Lucalle’s Ford, owned by Martelli.

The Living Sword – A series of martial treatises penned by Fen Vaigorus.

[The] Titan’s Knife – A giant slab of metal forged into a heavy two-handed sword. Originally wielded by Duke Anatoli when he fought for Elidion, it is rumored to have been discovered among the ruins of a lost civilization.

Tree Laur – A large forest-dwelling reptile species.

Trials – Also referred to as the Trials of the Goddess. In Aranthia, these are known simply as dungeons.

Valny (plural: Valnies) – A sweet, apple-sized fruit with smooth purple skin streaked with crimson and gold. Often used in pies and pastries.

Velens de Barbierri – The Crown Prince of Aranthia. In the original Maiden of the Wisterias, he was a key character the heroine could romance. Now influenced by Seraphina, he joins the Adventurers’ Guild to grow stronger.

Velens the Lesser – Owner of the Gilded Gryphon, born at the same time as the Crown Prince.

Wild Brother – A creature that survives after eating a Galebush berry, transforming into a hybrid of plant and animal.

[Master] Wilforte – A tailor in the Sariens Castle town. He is responsible for creating Seraphina’s notoriously “scandalous” dress.

Woodswise – A diminutive rodent species.

Zajasite – A crystal that stores and emits light.

Zed Valize – The name of the world in which The Maiden of the Wisterias (and our story) is set.

image [https://i.imgur.com/aXXiQSb.png]

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