Hi everyone, I’m Ellin! I’m writing this glossary because Allen said it would be helpful to anyone reading our story.

Or maybe he forgot something and he doesn’t want to admit it… Sometimes he chooses the most contrived way to reach a goal.

But anyway, here we go!

The World

Our world is called Gaia. A planet full of wonders, with a white moon and a long history of many a legend.

I wanted to tell more about its story, but Allen said I should keep things short, so I’ll restrict myself to the current era.

Age of Restoration

The Age of Restoration is the current era in which we live in. It was established after the Eight Heroes of Light—chosen from the three races of humans, Elves, Dwarves, and the Light Gods—fought together to bring balance back to a ruined world.

Calendar and time

8 days make a week.

6 weeks to a month, except for Niveroth, the last month, which is shorter with only 37 or 38 days..

8 months to a year.

Usually, a year has 373 days, except during leap years where we have one extra day and happen once every 8 years.

The last week of Niveroth is considered The Turning, when winter gives way to spring and another cycle begins.

28 Breaths make a Respite

42 Respites make a Repose.

25 Reposes make a Day.

Month names (named to reminisce the 8 Heroes):

1 Alderath

2 Malkadreth

3 Eraikrath

4 Lumarith

5 Saldareth

6 Rixoruth

7 Zalmerith

8 Niveroth

Turning

Ancient tradition that dates back to many millennia ago. A lot was lost during the Dark Age, except this tradition of celebrating the transition from winter to summer. A new cycle. A new hope. A new Turning.

Demon Wars

An event occurring since the Age of Restoration. For reasons now lost to us, the demons have waged war once every century against humans and all those who sided with them.

Dream of the Three Kingdom

Before the last Demon War, Humans, Dwarves, and Elves had forged a powerful alliance. Born of shared hardships and hope for the future. Our bond had been strong, so much that we had founded the Astaril kingdom on the very premise of having the three races living together by having each capital close by.

But it was not to be so… Our very hearts were attacked with unheard atrocity. So much that in the end, the other races regretted joining forces with us.

We lost more than just lives in the last battle. We lost the bonds we had worked so hard to build during the centuries. Because we rebuilt and replenished our numbers so quickly, our longer-lived but less fertile allies grew distanced from us.

Fighting alongside us had proven such high a cost that even after a century they have yet to regain their former power.

Gods Major Light Gods

AnAn, The First Spirit, God of Existence. Also known as The Sleeping God. There are no records of anyone succeeding in communicating with it.

AnAlher, Elven Goddess of Nature. Doesn’t like Allen for some reason.

AnHelm, Spirit God of Virtue, also known as the Silent God because he communicates through emotion instead of words. The God I chose to worship, just like Father.

AnDareth, Dwarven God of Crafting.

AnTarran, Human God of Martial Mastery. Said to dislike mages.

Major Dark Gods

ExFeras, Demon God of Nightmares. He’s taken a dangerous interest in Allen. What might he be plotting?

EsArix, Demon Goddess of Pain and Pleasure.

EsUlmar, Elven God of Pride.

ExDriel, Spirit God of Envy.

Friends Ellinoria “Ellin” Val Arinn

That’s me! I’m a young noble lady. I decided to become a healer mage after witnessing Edward’s sister’s death at the Arcane Academy due to an unfortunate accident. I wish my father had been there with us, he could’ve saved her.

Edward Val Ferdias

My childhood friend, who chose the path of swordsmanship after the trauma of his sister’s death. He was recently involved in a kidnapping attempt, thankfully we were there for him. After that, he put serious effort into his skills and is catching up to Namrick. Go Ed!

Inspector Kiras (Sigard Val Arinn)

My uncle, who cast away his name to serve the kingdom as an Inspector, one of the men who investigate magical crimes. He’s always there for me when I need him. I only wish I could casually talk to him in public, but he says it’s dangerous.

Namrick, son of Bralick

A young adventurer, and the only one to help me in my first days as one. I don’t know where would I be now if I hadn’t met him. A friend to whom I can trust my life to.

He’s currently being taught by the former Royal Sword!

Grastel, son of Harden

A former thief turned adventurer. He lost his father—a soldier—at a young age and later his mother, causing him to endure hardships to survive. Namrick and I met him when he tried to steal our equipment, but we quickly realized he was a good person, so we helped him clear his name and let him join us in our adventures.

Erne

A farmer who welcomed Allen when he first came to this world. I never met him but Allen said he had two older sons, besides Lena.

Berel

Erne’s wife, who brought Allen to Valarest, where we first met. She was a good person.

Lena, daughter of Erne

Erne’s and Berel’s daughter. The youngest of the three and the only one that survived the goblin’s attack. I wish I could have done more for her.

Corgas

The owner of a formerly failing tavern. Allen taught him the secrets of pizza and he’s now the owner of two successful restaurants. He used to be bad at cooking.

Elaida

Berel’s younger sister. She’s working as a head chef at Corgas’ second restaurant. She proved a talented cook and sometimes lets me taste new tasty morsels!

Allen Smith

The man from another world. He appears to attract the attention of powerful figures. He’s… quirky. His face and words don’t always match with what he’s doing, and sometimes he spaces out and doesn’t pay attention, but he proved to be a reliable friend.

—Allen: Of course, only the best for my friends.

Why are you writing in my glossary? And why can’t I delete your text?!

—Allen: Heh, I’m the one who programmed this thing. Anyway adding personal opinions to a glossary is not very professional.

This is my glossary, get out!

Yusdrolir Ironguard

A seasoned dwarven adventurer with more than half a century under his belt. Our last addition to our adventurer party. He’s addicted to alcohol and has a bad habit to get himself into trouble, but he’s getting better. I think.

Amadeus Verokrat

Teacher of spatial magic at the Academy. Allen suspects he might be a friend of Vallachio.

People Amy

Allen's childhood friend. I saw her in Allen's dreams. He says it's just an old memory and won't tell me more.

Ahnelm Medritch

Teacher of temperature manipulation. My friends at the Academy call him Angry-face. Not to be confused with AnHelm, the Spirit of Virtue, which I worship.

—Allen: I bet he looks so angry because he was bullied as a kid.

Bart

A sarcastic but good-natured military enchanter with commoner background. Expert at spiritual displacement and spiritual energy manipulation.

Ferdinand-or-something

A mage Allen met during both months of military training, first under Malkohm and then again under Vallachio. Allen says he’ll remember the name when he meets him again. Apparently, the only mage who had befriended Allen during the journey, since he couldn’t even remember the face of the others.

—Allen: In my defense, we spent most of our time with helmets on.

Grohm Khalkear

One of the best enchanters on this continent. Allen says he’s teaching him stuff, but I think it’s the other way around.

—Allen: Just ask him yourself if you don’t believe me

I was waiting for you to introduce me, but you never did! How am I supposed to approach him, when I don’t follow his lectures, and he doesn’t accept visitors?!

Jalatine Val Kordaste

A kind mage that teaches illusionary magic at the Academy.

Lopu Gredannis

An aged teacher of Alchemy at the Academy.

Malkohm

A drill sergeant from the Astaril army. Taught the basics of the military doctrine to Allen and the other fresh recruits.

Pale man

An archmage that joined the suicide attack against the Demon Lord. I think I know who he is, but Allen doesn't want me to say it as a "punishment" for rude people who don't introduce themselves.

Vallachio Restgart

A renowned figure known both as an Archmage and a teacher at the Academy. He is famous for being an unconventional mage who focuses on defense and raw strength. According to my mother, he’s been around for almost two centuries, and is famed as the strongest human who has never lost a duel!

—Allen: After having seen him in action, I believe it.

Vargas

A merchant who hired us in one of our quests. He has short black hair, a long oiled mustache, and an impressive belly. Loves talking about food.

Vezlaz

A dwarven military enchanter. A rarity. Usually, other races don’t join the Astaril kingdom’s army, or at least so it has been in the last century.

Violet Val Mariannet

Archmage and teacher at the Academy. She’s also known as the Ice Queen, but no ones dares call her out by that nickname. Thanks to her intercession, Allen was granted several benefits. And obligations, too. Violet is also known as the youngest Archmage of this generation.

—Allen: Violet is the best!

Klenn Val Bennet

A nobleman enchanter focused on attack magic. Allen says he’s insufferable but knowledgeable. I wonder if Allen purposefully antagonized him like Lord Radenrouge.

—Allen: Why would you think that? Klenn is a prick through and though!

Stop meddling with my summary! You said I’d have creative freedom!

—Allen: And I’m gonna punch Radenrouge in the face one day.

Please no, we don’t want to see you beheaded.

Radenrouge Val Haydon

The noble who stole Allen’s pizza recipe and spread it to the nobility without giving Allen any credit. His family is known to be focused on swordsmanship and holds a negative stance toward mages.

—Allen: He’s a magephobe? Is that why he antagonized me?! What a piece of trash.

Can’t you just let me write in peace?

—Allen: No.

Torken

A mysterious man that instigated the failed abduction attempt against Edward. All we know is that he had an aquiline nose, black hair, and a mole just over his right eyebrow. I’m writing it down because it could be important.

Zavir Nedomar

A Grand Master Alchemist, rumored to have weathered through three demon wars. He cured a terrible disease with his potions during the last attack, which earned him public acknowledgment as a Hero of the nation. These days he appears to have a very short memory, according to Allen.

—Allen: Work in progress.

Places Valarest

Human capital of the Astaril Kingdom, also known as the jewel of the kingdom. Due to its renown and location, it’s a place where all kinds of good and people can be found. It also used to be the human capital of the Three Kingdoms, before it was destroyed and rebuilt from the ashes.

Surrounded by plains and forests on the eastern and western sides, mountains on the south, and sea on the north, this city lacks no resource or commodity.

Erne’s village

A small settlement of farmers that had yet to acquire an official name. It was unfortunately razed by the goblins and then abandoned. It used to be inhabited by two dozen people and growing, now it’s just a burnt down ruin.

Danaanlar

Elven ex-capital. Once part of the Astaril Kingdom. Was destroyed in the previous Demon War, leaving only the temple standing where the surviving elves had taken refuge and fought tooth and nail. It is now a small village, slowly being rebuilt to what it once was.

—Allen: Wait, was this the Disappointanlar village we saw last time?

I don’t like how you mock their efforts. Danaanlar was once said to be the most beautiful city, where living trees were shaped into houses, and small fairies danced at night in a breathtaking display of colorful lights.

Mitharul

Dwarven ex-capital. Was located inside a mountain but the demons collapsed it during the previous war. Fortunately, its denizen managed to escape through subterranean galleries.

Thar’vel

A dwarven settlement we once visited, focused on mining and metalworking.

Noirdant

Capital of the eastern kingdom, Edanor. A fortified city blocking the passage between two mountains to the north-eastern part of the continent. Has been overrun by demonic armies.

Obsidian Citadel

The capital of the Demon race, built with obsidian and surrounded by lava and fearsome creatures. The Obsidian Palace is the seat of power of the Demon Lord.

I still can’t believe Allen finished him off.

—Allen: This is not even the first time I land the finishing blow on a boss. Or should I say he killed himself with his magic staff?

Races Humans

Across the main races, they are the ones who are born with the lowest magic potential. However, due to their short lives and fertility have been able to overcome many challenges across the ages. With effort and training, they too can attain power and lifespans to rival the other races.

Elves

Long-lived humanoids, similar to humans but with longer ears and innate magical potential. They can spellweave, and have great eyesight and can see well at night. Elven culture is heavily bound to their traditions. Even the weakest elf still reaches the Second Step during their growth.

Dwarves

Shorter but wider humanoids. They have an innate capability for working and shaping stones and metals. They have a good sense of smell which they need to move through dimly lit galleries and detect dangers. Dwarves naturally become Awakened during puberty.

Demons

Evil humanoids with black sclera, yellow-slitted irises, horns, and skin colors ranging from blue, to grey, to red. They’ve been waging a worldwide war every century since the Age of Restoration.

Fae

The most mysterious of the main races, the spirits of Nature. Only the smaller spirits have been seen, playing tricks on unwary vagrants or luring them into traps. The higher Fae and their rulers haven’t shown themselves for so long that no one remembers if they ever existed, however, only fools would dare set foot into their domains. Many have never returned from the cursed forests believed to be Fae domain.

Creatures and monsters Fire lizards

Lizards who swim in lava, their skin is covered with a layer of lava. When they die, the lava layer cools off turning intto solid stone.

Elementals

They are spirits born from elemental forces, like fire, earth, wind, and water. Sand elementals are a cross between wind and earth.

Hellhounds

Giant dogs that spit and breath fire. Best to avoid confronting them in packs.

Goblin

Small green quick-witted creatures with an innate hatred for other humanoids. Live in communities and can craft tools and weapons. The individual goblin is not much of a threat to the average human, but because they usually move in groups one should always be careful. Some of them imbue their weapons with poisonous substances.

Verklings

Lankier and less intelligent cousins of goblins.

Nightmares

Nightmare and fear made physical. They can shift into black smoke and can paralyze their victims by using their own fears against them.

I saw one, it was scary.

Painwroughts

Beings whose minds and bodies have been corrupted to the will of EsArix, the dark Goddess of Pain and Pleasure. They’re said to be thrice as strong and that nothing can dissuade them from their task, except death.

Magic and Techniques Mana

Mana is the source of all magic and the lifeblood of spirits.

There are several types of mana:

Primal mana: pure mana, can be the result of decay from higher forms of mana. Anyone and any spirit can directly consume this kind of mana as easily as we drink water.

Elemental mana: created by elemental forces. It feeds and spawns elemental spirits, and is a factor in magics that evoke elemental effects. Breathing this kind of mana is possible but requires more time to metabolize it.

Aspected mana: generated by emotions and concepts. Is sustenance for spirits aligned to that same Aspect.

Signed mana: generated by a living being. Has a specific magical signature that makes it harder to assimilate for others with different signatures.

—Allen: Let’s leave out some details and the last type, for now.

Mana can be poisonous too depending on the situation. People with weak spirits may get mana poisoned, like mana-dead people who had their spirits crippled or sundered. Mana poisoning can be easily spotted by darkened veins, and to the worst of cases, Mana Rot.

Schools of magic

Spiritual binding: the class of magic involved in creating spell triggers, magical oaths, curses, servitors, and so on.

Spiritual interference: magics involved in interfering with someone’s spirit. Telepathy, emotion projection, etc.

Spiritual energy manipulation: manipulation of magical energies, like draining mana from someone, the environment, and the opposite.

Spiritual displacement: the class of magic involved in creating magical shields, fields. Involves the act of shaping and positioning mana.

Spiritual manifestation: manifesting physical effects through mana. Telekinesis, illusions, gravity, etc.

Matter energy manipulation: the manipulation of temperature.

Matter displacement: the class of magic that allows teleporting, gates, and aggregating matter from the proximity.

Matter transmutation: the act of changing the physical properties of a substance, transmuting it into something else, and also healing.

—Allen: These classifications don’t convince me.

This is what we’ve been taught. And stop meddling with my notes!

The Twelve Steps

When a living being reaches the First Step, they are considered Awakened. Their spirit and body become aligned, filled to the brim with magical energy which wakens the spirit granting the awakened increased clarity. A certain miser, who failed to notice this paragraph I added sneakily, once rented an unawakened horse, despite the stableman declaring it unfit for adventurers, because it was “way cheaper”. We ended up doubling back to change it with a proper one.

The First step is also known as the first wall for Humans, who, unlike Dwarves and Elves, have to train in order to reach and surpass it.

The Fourth, Eighth, and Eleventh Steps are special in that reaching them grants a noticeable jump to casting range, lifespan, and magical capabilities.

No man in the last centuries has walked past the Eight Step, and to reach the Twelfth Step would mean to ascend to Godhood.

Reaching each wall is easier than getting past them, and if the First step is a wall, the Fourth is a dam, the Eight is a mountain, and the Twelfth is the sky.

The number of Steps is directly related to how much mana one is holding within themselves, which means that consuming enough mana can make a mage walk down a Step, or several. One should always be careful about how they dance between the Steps, for a misstep could prove deadly.

—Allen: I deleted the rest, we don’t want to scare our readers with walls of text

Not busy enough to find the time to “revise” my work.

—Allen: I always spare some time for my friends :)))

—Allen: By the way, I found my belongings that you had hidden as a prank… along with you-know-what.

Give it back! NOW!

Mages

Mages are those who learn to directly harness the power of mana, making the impossible possible. Scholars argue that the direct manipulation of mana may be less efficient than what technique users do, but the added potential far outweighs the drawbacks.

Technique users

Also known as "martial artists". Those who indirectly harness magical power. They use different terminology and claim that their way to tap into the inner strength, called Vod, is the natural and more efficient way.

—Allen: Why not both?

It’s widely known that you can’t do both without stunting your growth.

—Allen: But Vallachio taught me how to magically harden my body parts subconsciously. Doesn’t that sound like a “technique”? Won’t it stunt me?

I’m sure Archmage Vallachio knows what he’s doing.

—Allen: I’m starting to get worried…

Good. Now go away!

That's it!

Thanks for reading.

—Allen: Alright this is good enough for now. Thank you, Ellin.

Ugh, I’m not sure I’ll agree next time. You cut away so many pieces of my hard work!

—Allen: As an apology, I arranged ravioli for dinner, with Elaida's new special sauce ;)

Ravioli? Hmm, my forgiveness shall be proportional to the tastiness…