World of Khaas Gazetteer

Baast - Aegyptian transplated goddess from our own terrestial earth. She has a fairly numerous following on Khaora and even worldwide on the other continents. She is the prime opponent of Set, and works frequently against him and his plots.

Baksör - a strong and prominent noble family in Talafar with powerful mercantile and trading concerns abroad. They head the Baksör Trading Company and are one of the top twenty families in Talafar as far as power and influence. Illinmyor Baksör was a merchant prince of this family but was lost in the lands beyond the Azure Elephant Portal.

Baksör Trading Company - prominent trading company in Talafar, traditionally headed by one of the Baksör noble family. They are known for their astute trading and strict fairness, as well as one of the few traders in Ironleg horses.

Balewyrd Pith - an oddly beautiful place, set somewhere in the starry expanse of space beyond the atmosphere of the planet of Khaas. Some say it is another world, others a fragment of Khaas and even others some strange juxtapose to Khaas. For those who can make it there it can enhance their arcane powers beyond belief, open the doors to the face of the divine or reveal the great secrets of the Multiverse. The only one gate (nexus) to have ever been said to reach this place is in the deeps of Star Core.

Ballad of Cosine Killieve - A rather bawdy and lengthy song (that amazingly changes and lengthens it seems with each retelling) about Cosine Killieve and his crew.

Barons’ Insurgency - revolt of nobles in Chrysolia that led to the reemergence of Dallasta

Bath of Kalesh (Great) - famous building in the kingdom of Kalesh and the city of the same name.

Battle of Falling Boulders - battle in which Kalesh seized a portion of the Broken Moon Mountains from the Khorkhroé

Battle of Foam Stallions - a battle that was waged along the banks of the Crystal River during the Nexus Wars, in which the Elven General Almari Shaldonness destroyed an army of 21,000 with 1,100 men and the dammed waters of the Crystal River.

Battle of 7 Wheels and 3 Flames - The fight to take Ku'odl Nine-eyed's fort was given this name for the clawed wheels and dancing flames unleashed that took a terrible toll among the soldiers.

Battle Plain - infamous chunk of land fought over by the kingdoms of Malvia and Kalesh. Some even say so much blood has been split there that the earth itself still holds the stain of its passing.

Bay of Bones - Mostly obscure but occasionally talked about bay seen in little more than old volumes describing the Southern Ocean. Said to be on the largest island remnant of the Second Continent. Known for its giant coral encrusted bones.

Bay of Bronze - famous bay in Ghorfar

Bay of Green Dreams - famous bay in Great Green Wall

Bealwuel - a scarred companion of many an adventure with Mounavernor, able bodied still but bearing the marks of (un-) successful crawls to places such as the Skull Tower, Tumble Walls, the Tomb of Ghue-amara and the Laps Lazuli Gate of Speared Faith. He had lost his life in the Skull Tower and found it again in the arms of the Silver Lady. Buelwuel took up her banner and walked his way through the horrors of the Tomb of Ghue-amara, cleansing its dark legions with the power of his faith and the magic of his shield brothers. It took its toll of his body and mind, as did Tumble Walls and the other places. The last adventure snatched his limbs from his body, tearing his arms and legs from torso like they were but slips of paper and shattered his faith like glass on an unholy altar dedicated to a journey of no return.

B'har-Kanis - Also called the Heaven Hound or Star Wolf, B’har-Kanis is the True Neutral god of all canine and lupine creatures / folk (all were- wolves and other similar kind also worship him). Once a very major deity worldwide, B’har-Kanis is now relegated to a pitiful few rag tag cults in dreary, out of the way spots. Described as a 40 feet (or more) tall humanoid with a wolf’s head, lightly furred (grey) body and two emerald green eyes that blazed like miniature suns, occasionally B’har-Kanis appears as a 33 feet long (not including tail) wolf of silvery-grey hue and with those same, radiant, eyes. In both shapes, the legends tell of those eyes emitting bursts of emerald green light, veritable small stars that were capable of leveling mountains or incinerating whole cities. He is the archenemy of the feline Goddess Baast and will go out of his way to make mischief for them and theirs. About the only places, oddly enough, where one can still encounter this religion in significant ways is along the eastern coast of the fourth continent.

Bitter Guardian Mountains - mountains in Maelshyra whose dominating peaks are used to define its provinces

Black Beans - some of the ghoul sausage contract a form of yeast like fungus and tend to look like big fat black beans. These things are highly detrimental to most creatures as they explode on contact (they dry out and break apart at the merest touch) and infects living and undead creatures with a nasty disease called Murk Rot.

Black Bite Forest - The forest is healthy with wildlife and flourishing flora. Creatures, animals, and people alike have learned over the years that not all is peaceful and safe in the stately mansion of trees.  The soil is a dark, rich red to black color and has amazing properties to nourish any plant, any tree, or other flora.  Something enterprising individuals many times have attempted to take advantage.  The forest is overwhelmed with the evidence of the entrepreneurs who have planted one cash crop or another.  While the earth is rich and the forest friendly appearing, it’s dangers lie in the things unseen rather than evident.  Its wholesome exterior hides the darkness within and death comes quickly to those foolish few that brave its depths.  Things innocent or normally only a minor annoyance are deadly death here in the strands of trees.  Something so tiny as a mosquito that infects those it bites with the Black Bloat, Malaria, or Dengue fever.   Swarms of biting gnats that devour the flesh from your bones in the time it takes to take less than two steps.   In addition to such things are the sudden bursts of large mites from the earth, or small boring beetles that tunnel straight to your heart.

Black Bloat - Perhaps the commonest of maladies found in the forested regions of Khaas is the Black Bloat or Oliphaunt’s Sickness.  Those afflicted turn splotchy and swell and bloat in odd and moist places, accompanied by morbid lesions on the skin.  The bloated areas fill with fluid and swell.   The sickness lasts up to forty days and causes a bloating equal to two percent of an individual’s body per day.  The effects are permanent, similar to modern day elephantiasis, and usually not fatal (ten percent chance).

Black Equinox - the night of long death, when the moons form a triangle in the sky. Also called Triangularus

Black Hand Bay - infamous bay in Viruelandia that opens into the Rainbow Sea

Black Mithril - One of the rarest of mythic, mystik ebon metals, Ethril or Black Mithril is as light as willow wood and can float. Ethril is also as strong as fine nickel steel and totally unaffected by any degree of cold, regardless of source or potency. Weapons and armor crafted from this metal are even more magikal in innate properties than Aurebony and its touch is toxic to Elves! Its merest touch causes nausea among Elves and a stab wound or cut caused by Ethril causes toxic poisoning. Elves hate this metal and consider all who use it their enemy. On the other hand, it is a total, 100% non-conductor, and block against psychic emanations, regardless of type, power, or source. In the oldest Elven legends, it was called Eliadolyn, or Kiss of Death. Its value is approximately four times that of normal mithril.

Black Pantheon - This is perhaps the oldest organized religion in Khaas, and perhaps the most terrifying and horrific. Nothing can truly ever define their sadistic and horrible ways and all races who cling to evil ways and find pleasure in chaos or evil for evil’s sake are at home with these beings. The religion is worldwide in scope but officially banned everywhere except the dread nation of Marmachand where it is the state religion! Its horrendous deities are probably the most feared everywhere and include such awesomely evil deities as Cthulhulos, Hastara and Nyarlythaghar.

Black Queen, The - Queen Issadella, the wife to King Pergasus.  While in mourning for the loss of the king and her husband, the queen donned the traditional colors of black.  Absentmindedly she continued to wear black long after the period of morning should have ended (and until her death a few years later).  At first, an almost bitter joke tossed between certain young nobles, this caught on publicly until widely she was called the ‘Black Queen’.

Black Queen's Insurrection - To save the kingdom of Arduin from another war and sure destruction through the ruling queen's acts of madness, a group of nobles overthrew the Black Queen and removed her from the throne in what was called the Mad Queen Uprising or the Black Queen's Insurrection. These nobles were drawn from the oldest and newest noble houses of Arduin and were a crosscut of Arduinian political thought, combined into one for the sole fact of their opposition to the queen in her current mental state and new policies. The coup, while successful, was not easily nor lightly bought, as nobles and other honorable and distinguished beings gave their life and blood to defend what they saw as the ‘true and rightful queen’. Thus, at the end of this short, but sore time in Arduin’s history, the Mad Queen was removed from the throne and ‘retired’ to an asylum.

Black Sworn Mountains - mountains in Höhenaré, the border with Cyndyra

Black Wolf Mountains - mountain range in Sorphalaz held with high religious fanaticism by the Amazons who dwell there

B’lieu’acour - coastal city built with 15 square walls that rise concentrically almost like stepped pyramid. Known for its hot tempered people, love of raw sea food and 98 holidays in the year where they revel with total abandon for a full night.

Blökenrüken - clockwork wound, over and under, repeating crossbow used by the Blue Gnomes of the Carnelian Mountains (in Zagrana)

Blood Curse - Both a place and a very powerful oath held to in Avelda.  The place is a small patch of earth stained the color of blood created by the Amazon warrioress Omphalea.  You can read more of this in the tales & legends section of the web site.

Bloody Grass - A part of the Great Grass Forever , where the grass has run vermillion red with the spilled bloody of many battles. Its history is fraught with battles and bloodshed, and the land has so become accustomed to the sanguine washing it seems to wait expectant for the next.

Blue Barbarians - the wild peoples of the Blue Barbarians are highly expressive, robust and full of life as a general rule of thumb; and use ritual tattooing and scarring—an effect which many of their enemies find unnerving. While wild and often savage, the Blue Barbarians are more peaceful than most in the Northern Reaches, and tend to treat strangers with careful openness than outright hostility.

Blue Gnomes - Blue gnomes are rarely thought of as Zagranans, but dwell in the same geographic area. They are taciturn, dour, quarrelsome and vengeful than their cousin gnomes and just about unwilling to do anything without a firm profit margin attached to it. They travel little and are almost near seen outside of their home. See the Carnelian Mountains write for for additional information.

Blue Opals of Arduin - A necklace of 12 perfectly matched blue opals, 11 of 400 carats each, and one of 1,080 carats.  They are all midnight blue and brilliantly striated with swirls of silver and gold flecks.  As far as is known, no other opals of this color, clarity, and matched evenness exist anyplace in the world.  Many say they have healing powers.  First mined by Dwarves in the Mickleback Mountains some 360 years ago, it became part of the Crown Panoply (jewel) Collection shortly thereafter. However, during the Black Queen’s Insurrection, they (along with several other pieces) disappeared.  Though missing since this turbulent time in Arduin’s history, common rumor has them located in southern Viruelandia.

Bone Wood - The wood is a thick, deeply mystical place, with an ambient atmosphere that almost rings with the echoes of power and magic. The trees are tall and thick, and the mud is heavy and sodden to the foot. One never knows what will be churned up by one’s passage; the crunch of old bones, the crack of ages old metal giving away or an ancient weapon of power, brought to light once more. Native oaks, the white barked Fey Finger and the darker, but off-colored Shadow Bough, dominate the woodland, along with other trees such as silver birch, rowan, holly, and hawthorn. Scattered amongst the bracken-filled glades of the wood are many thousands of large, ancient oaks. There is an exceptional array of wildlife found only amongst the hollow trunks, rotten wood and decaying bark of the trees. Beetles, bugs, and insects of all varieties abound, as well as rich community of fungi, and animals.

Boreas - A worldwide religion that began in and still has its greatest number in the cold northern wastes and the polar regions of the world.  It is an extremely popular religion for barbarians and the like, though it has adherents among others who like its wildness and untamed savagery.  Boreas also has numerous adherents among the maritime cultures as well, though only in his aspect of the Lord of Winds.  Humans, Amazons and Centaurs make up the primary bulk of his followers, though other races find comfort in this free flowing religion.  Usually only the truly chaotic are drawn to Boreas’ changing ways as the shadow of the winds is a turbulent and powerful place to stand.

Borsala - A worldwide religion that is very strong in maritime nations, especially those of the Misty Isles and Rainbow Isles areas.  A strong sense of order and caste is a basic tenet of this religion.  While most are Human or Amazon, there are adherents in the other races also.  Borsala espouses no special days as his own though his followers are subject to the "current".  This is an outpouring of religious frenzy, which can descend upon any follower, at any time, and typically is taken as symbol of Borsala’s very touch or special charge.

Borthos - A noble house of Arduin and one of the "older" human houses.

Bossalia - Bossalia is a mountainous nation with a central plateau of rolling hills, lakes and forests, known for its obstinate, hardy people.

Boruumahr - literally the Year of the Ox.  The fourth year in the Cycle of Years calendar.  Certain symbols were utilized when this way of reckoning was proposed on that fateful day in Arduin when all the people and nations of Khaora sat at the table of peace and hammered out the words that would forever bind them all to a lasting peace.   Fifteen where chosen, and a sixteenth added to represent the dark times that come but (thankfully) once in a thousand years. Even then the guts of the calendar was old and stretched back farther in history than its proposal on the Fields of Pelanorè.

Bradnalda - Brabnalda is a marginally ‘Law’ aligned goddess concerned mainly with the cycle and seasons of the world. She was previously a fertility-based goddess and her clergy was entirely female. This has changed from its older roots and now male or female are present (though not equal). Some still cling to her ways and celebrate the solstices in her name with rituals of drinking, mating and fanfare. It is said those she favored would find their fields dressed and harvested overnight. On the other hand, those she did not would find every edge turned against them and endure watching their crops rot in the fields.

Braagdoun - fairly insignificant village on the edge of the Thousand Mouth.

Brannecián - language of the Sun Moon Gulf Isles

Brass Mountains - tall sprawling mountain chain that makes up most of the border between Arduin and Viruelandia. When the sun strikes the mountains they seem almost cast out of brass. They are shared in the south with the Maragoré, primarily the Trolls that infest the mountains. This is a source of bitter hatred and warring with the Viruelandian Dwarves, Kobbits and others that dwell there. The mountains produce fair amounts of iron, silver, copper, lead and tin and are subject to low-level seismic activity.

Breath of the N’geerdai - N’geerdai are similar to mule deer except they have a crown of antlers that usually splits into multiple branches and numerous points.  They also have thicker legs and wider feet, complete with razor edged sides that make it possible to "claw" out troughs in the sands of Archaela or slice horrible grooves from the flesh of enemies.  N’geerdai will “claw” with their feet or slash with their crown of antlers when attacking or defending against predators.  While dwelling in the acid radioactive sands of the deserts in Archaela, N’geerdai never seem to lack for water or harmful side effects from the radiation present there.  A legend says their "breath" is very sweet and has the capability to restore life.  Perhaps there is some truth to this tale as noted fact about N’geerdai is they do not breath when they consume prey but instead hold their breath!

Brekerdoan’s Dimensional Juxtaposition - A powerful high order spell from a concordance of magic compiled by the wizard of the same name. It allows a wizard to temporarily create a link to exist in two places, his current location and one of his choice. It also allows the wizard to see into the location he seeks to transport to, appearing almost ghost like to any who might see him in the new location. The wizard may then choose to move to the new location or abort the magic.

Breddokmarl Stone - Fist-sized chunk of jade, utterly smooth and unscratched but with the ability to reflect events past and present on its surface. It also held the power to influence demons, though many have found that influence is not the same as command. Originally discovered about 1120 years ago in a withered mountain fastness in the Gibbering Mountains.

The Bride - This star sign is visible only from Khaora and only during certain parts of the year. Forgotten by the mainstream of civilization, only a few scattered bits of civilization note this star sign. Mounavernor used the pattern of this star sign to open up the nexus gate to Urlabur.

Bright Blade River - One of the two important rivers in Ithalos. Credited named after the first Ithalosian monarch, who lost his famous magik "Bright Blade" in the very same river. While attributed many powers, chief among its coterie of abilities were the ones to light with a brilliant blaze, to ignite into flames and burn hot enough to melt steel at a touch, and release great streamers of utter flame towards enemies.

Broken Moon Mountains - famous island mountain chain, much fought over for its riches.

Broken Top - semi-famous volcano thought to have destroyed the Isles of Fire in 50 CY Phatellus. Most well known by sages, though an adventurer or two may remember it from the Ballad of the Cosine Killieve, the corsair ship captain who supposed used it as part of the directions to his hoard.

Brōkinkhan - eastern peak and province of Maelshyra. The mountain has been massively reworked and shaped to resemble that of a crouching dragon. The stone and minerals of the mountain give the titanic carving a bluish cash and the mountain is sometimes called the Azure Dragon of Maelshyra.

Brondulr of the Breddokmarl Stone - Human mage from Chrysolia that wielded the Breddokmarl Stone for 19 years before being crushed by several Tarakk that attacked him and his party on the road from Melkalund.

Brozahrium - A brass-colored metal of similar properties to copper except for being 20 percent better at conducting electricity and prized by seafarers as a hull sheathing for their vessels. It absolutely won’t rust, corrode or degrade in due to water or weather usage. Over 95% of barnacles, worms, and other ‘hull garbage’ will not attach themselves or grow on it. Neither rare nor common, it is equal to gold, weight for weight and most often worked by the infamous blue gnomes of the Carnelian Mountain Range in Zagrana, who use it for coinage.

Byranz - one of the four provinces of the Aranzian Isles and geographically the largest of the four isles.