CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD OF The Wakened Realm
Truth and The Song
Truth is essentially the power that touches, and is imbued in every living thing. It is felt by every person, recognized by few, and controlled by fewer yet. It is, in essence, its own reality, even though it is the fuel of life, and is unseen by human eyes. To the common celerian (commoner) or gentral (royalty), it shows itself occasionally in the form of utter contentmen,t as one stares at the sunset, when one is enlightened briefly by a glimmer of faith, or when one is entranced by listening to a song. These are but only a few examples of the many faces of Truth.
Truth, however, is known by all to exist, for it is the one noted source of power to the Song, the other channels, and the hidden cails.
The Song was the first human connection made by Truth after the Lusha times. The song came to five women, and they in turn became the foremothers to the Chorus of Fates. With the song and the fledging crowned family, the chorus formed the first city, the city of Shrine, and became the backbone of the society, for it represented the peoples religion, and as the crowned family’s guide, the peoples government. Truth, has therefore, been ingrained in the peoples’ minds as that special and all-surrounding force that can be felt by all, but grasped by few.
Cails
Cails are natural wellsprings of truth. They exist, sporadically scattered across the surface of Cance. They are naked to the human eye, and appear no different than any other patch of land. However, when an Aquail Caster activates a cail, to everyone present the cail turns into a bright dome of light, volcanically releasing hard winds and scattering flashes that are confined only to the glowing half bubble that sits protectively on the surface. To the common man, it is an amazing sight to witness.
Cails are also considered sacred places for the Chorus of Fates. Every cail church (called a sanctuary) is built on a cail. These cails that lie in a populace are named “Founded Cails.” However anyone who channels a form of truth, revere and seek out cails for multiple reasons, since truth fuels all channels. Truth casters seek out cails to refuel and increase their powers. That is why, more often than not, cails are fiercely guarded by a channeler of truth, to protect a cail from being drained, for if truth is taken from a cail too often, the cail can run dry. This is the primary reason that every sanctuary is occupied by at least three chorusters.
The Channels
There are three main channels of Truth: Cail, Song, and Starr. The Cail channel however, is the most diverse with three subcategories. These categories are Aquail, Siriia, and Musing.
Song
Song, as touched on briefly earlier, is the most powerful form of Truth, for this channel is the most direct way to wield the power. The Chorus of Fates are the only people who know the path. They are also very secretive on how Song works. What is apparent though, is when a Choruster sings, solo, or in a Chorus, incredible and miraculous events occur.
Starr
Starr is indeed the most unique form of Truth. It is strictly a defensive channel. It is theorized that Starr comes not from just the sky (its original basis of assumption), for it is indeed a branch of Truth, and Truth is the fuel of all living and moving things on and around the Five realms, but from streams that connect the Land Realms to the Breath Realms. These “bourns” are what Starr casters tap into to fuel the channel.
Aquail
Aquail is the most common channel known to the populace. The reason behind this, is that t is the only channel that can be learned by anyone without the restriction of birthright or happenstance. Aquail casting focuses on the belief that everyone can grasp Truth through his or her own “inner cail” and manipulate outside forces through it. Every Gentral House has a school of Aquail Casting, however all teachers of the schools must first go through House Aqueous’ trials and testing in order to logistically teach the Aquail channel. It is very difficult to be a “shaded” caster (one who is not sanctioned by House Aqueous) because House Aqueous closely guards the secrets.
Siriia
Siriia is now, officially, an extinct channel, but their mark is still evident through their creations that are possessed by all sorts of people.
Siriia is the catchall term for Truth imbued objects. Commonly, they are weapons of both destruction and protection, but a large number of them are of passive, aesthetic appeal (Sculptures, necklaces, items of clothing, etc…). There are four classifications of the Siriia: The Sharf Stones, The Five Commands, The 13 Axal Honors, and the most common, but still rare, Siriia, the ones made by Truthsmiths (Descendents of the Axals of Siriia). The Truthsmiths, along with their knowledge of Siriia production, disappeared with the Wind Court upon Clawn’s death.
Musing
The Musing Channel is the path that combines both the power of Cail and Song. It was a power bestowed on children to fight against the Carkaws by the Wind Court during the Lusha times. Its power has been reawakened in response to the emergence of the Wickards. The descendants of the children of the First Fold seem to be the chosen ones who are gifted to possess the Musing channel.
The Four Races
There are four major races that walk upon the Landed Cance. The most prominent race is that of Man, followed by the Vilas, the Galnon, and finally the Asrai.
Since the bulk of the writing will focus on the human society, I will instead touch on the next three races.
The Vilas
The Vilas are mostly a forest dwelling, and upon brief inspection, savage society. This, of course, is a great fallacy. They are a very private society and are fiercely territorial. The Vilas society is, in fact, much older than the human one, and their culture is much richer.
Physically, they possess sharp and angular features, with a slender body frame. Their clothing is normally that of “cool” colors: blues, greens, and teals. Their social gatherings call for great adornments made from incredibly intricate carvings, draping off of all appendages. Their homes consist of either thatched huts or massive buildings carved in great trees. Miraculously, the carved out trees still live on.
Their society and government is strictly tied to religion. The Shayl religion is based on the Star Gods and the direct tie the gods have to their land. They revere the land, and seek to protect it, and see themselves living in a symbiotic relationship with it.
The Vilas men are agile, nimble, and quick, and the Vilas women possess a raw beauty, unsurpassed by any other race.
The Galnon
The Galnon are the most unique race that walks on four hooves. They are in all respects horses, though they speak in human tongue and are the oldest race in existence.
Legend has it that when the gods became distraught over their creation of their first children, the Wind Court, the Star Gods asked permission to give creating a race a try. With reluctant agreementfrom the Bright Ones and the Night Ones, the Stars created the Galnon. The Galnon reign was brief due to the accidental, combined efforts of the Bright Ones’ Axals and the Night Ones’ Carkaws. The Galnon’s passive ways almost led to their extinction. Fortunately their species have slowly, over time, increased in number due to their co-existence with the Vilas.
Their society is matriarchal and they share the same religious beliefs as the Vilas.
The Asrai
The Asrai are the most enigmatic species that walk on the Cance, mainly because they are not a land species. The Asrai (or the Watered Folk) live in the Five Oceans Depths.
By way of an ancient pact, the Asrai can live in the city of Belleôws Shore as if it were their ocean home. Outside the city limits, Asrai are sluggish and walk awkwardly due to the immense effect gravity has on their bodies. For reasons yet discovered, when an Asrai is in possession of a tapping stone, he is unaffected by the land’s hindrances.
Physically, they are sleek with an almost transparent, humanoid appearance. They are mainly nocturnal in nature due to the danger the sun causes to their skin. Their bioluminescent bodies are near to incomparable beauty.
Their societal and cultural ways are still an enigma, however.
The Minor Races
There are four minor (sub) races as the gentry view them. They are the Fachon, Nirens, Demairs, and The Wind Court.
The Fachon
The Fachon are cycloptic, antlered, barbaric monstrosities that were, as legend tells, created by the Night Ones during the Age of Axals. They are nightmarish creatures that hide in The Reason Mountains.
The Nirens
The slave caste of many cycles ago. They are a cross breed of Vilas and human and are still considered to this day to be second class citizens.
The Demairs
The societal mirror opposite of the Nirens, despite the fact they are still legally considered outsiders, these Vilas/Asrai crossbreeds are considered walking inspirations and dreams. They are arguably the most beautiful species that exist on the Wakened Realm. They are extremely rare and although they do appear to age; they have pre-naturally long lives.
The Demairs also appear to be a very close-knit race, referring to each other as brother and sister even for those who come from separate parentages.
There are four major societies of Demairs: The Blue Wind Cartel, The Red Breeze Cartel, The White Sands Cartel, and the Green Rock Cartel.
The Wind Court (Sylphs)
Considered to be no more than legends, these first children of the Gods are said to be tiny, fairy-like, feline winged creatures. There has not been a documented sighting of them since the days of Clawn.
The Government
In the beginning, the country of Annwn was a monarchy with house Xern on the throne. With the country’s expansion and the society’s evolution, it has slowly turned towards a more democratic atmosphere. This is due to the formation of The Court of Thought. Despite this, House Xern and the other ten houses of the Gentry still hold a large majority of the population through land and city rights and specified occupations. Judicially, the Court of Thought governs the Celerians and has no voice in Gentry House laws.
Now, the country is essentially going through a phase of transition…slowly.
House Xern (The Crowned Family)
As the country's hierarchy goes, House Xern has been, and still is the first and final voice of the country. In their indolence, the Court of Thought has slowly started to take their mantle. This is much to the dismay of the other Houses, who have patiently waited to usurp Xern for a long time.
The Court of Thought
The Court of Thought is the main legal and governmental body for the Celerians. They are essentially the celerian voice for the Gentry. It is made up of nine seats, one representative from each province; it is an elected position with the only qualification being that the candidate cannot hold any house symbol.
The Gentry
Any and all Crowned Family recognized Houses. They are the royalty of Annwn. They have immunity to the Court of Thought laws, but they still must follow the Gentral Code and their own house laws.
They however do not rule the lands the people anymore (as of c.30, after the Mace Wars.) An exception to this is their Home Capitols. They do, however, rule professions. A person who is part of a subjected profession and is not sanctioned by a given Gentry House is considered “Shaded.” Houses that sanction a shaded person lose their House status in the slighted House’s eyes.
The Celerians (Serventry)
The Celerians are essentially a catchall term for any persons who are not of the Gentry.
The Gods and The One Living Song
T
he pantheon of gods is essentially divided into three ruling houses: The Sheranels (Bright Ones), the Night Ones and the Aurorals. The Bright Ones and the Night Ones are both children of Sharf and Cance (the Father and Mother Gods) whereas the Aurorals are considered a separate class of gods in the others’ eyes. This is much like how the Aurorals’ children, the Vilas are in the humans’ eyes.
The stories of the Gods are documented in the five volumes of “The Book of Kas”
Bright Ones worth mentioning are Sharf: The Father God, Cance: The Mother and Land Goddess; Crown Prior: The Gentry God; Caaly: The Goddess of Wisdom; Da’all: The God of Honor; Brawsh: The God of Strength; and Note: The Founder of Truth.
The Night Ones of note are as follows:
Shown: The blind God of Revenge; Kolesh: The God of Decay; Kreel: The serpent faced Questioning God; Cone: Goddess of Hate; and Shoak: The God of Chaos
Aurorals of note are Shayl: The King of the Aurorals and the God of Nature; Faydel: The Goddess of Fertility; Bell: The God of the Sun; Blu: The God of Rain; Star: Goddess of the Moving Skies, and Kee: The God of Animals
The One Living Song
In her lifetime, the excommunicated Choruster Learra introduced a new religious thought. It is of the monotheistic belief of the One Living Song. She claimed that she channeled the voice of The One Living Song, creator of all living things. The One, as she prophesied was even more ancient than all the gods. In fact, all the gods were merely separate, diluted avatars of this one great being. She preached of love and kindness to all living creatures, for everyone was the child of The One. The gentry killed Learra and she became a martyr and a symbol to this new way of thought.
Today her words have been written down in a book called “The One Song” also called “The Learrus” in some sects. The Court of Thought is society’s answer to The One Living Song’s growth of this new religion.
The Five Realms
F
or additional clarification, there exist five realms of existence, each one unique and vast in its own right. These are the Wakened, Wooded, Winded, Withered, and The Watered Realms.
The Wakened Realm
Also called the Landed Realm. This is where we are born, where we live, and where we die.
The Wooded Realm
The Galnon preach of its existence and strive to find a way to return. It is the Galnon home realm. It is a land that The Sheranels created for The Aurorals to place their creation on before they were released onto the Wakened Realm. It is described as vast forests and plains where nothing ever dies or spoils. It is Cance in her purest form.
The Winded Realm
This is the home of the Bright Ones, The Aurorals, and the retreated home to the Wind Court. Said to be the largest of all the realms, for it has no end, no borders, and no walls. This is where Sheran, the City of Sacred Heights resides; as does the paradise of Cailarah; and Fleet, the City of Winds.
The Withered Realm
Also known as Ganarah, the home of the Night Ones, and the home of the eternal torturing of the souls who invoked any of the seven dooms: Anger, Lies, Despair, Weakness, Mockery, Desire, and Ignorance. The souls are watched over by Nerkam and her brother Morlen, who is the ambassador to Sheran and frequents both realms. Ganarah is made up of two domains. The first domain is the Shadescape, home of the Night Ones and wandering souls. The second domain is Ganarah, also called the underworld.
The Watered Realm
Also known as Undarah. Technically it exists on the Wakened Realm, but it is different enough and in some eyes just as hard to see as the others, The Watered Realm is considered its own realm. This is named for the Five Oceans and the world of the Asrai that exists throughout them.
The Ten Houses Of The Gentry
As stated earlier, the gentry are slowly losing their governmental hold on the Celerians, along with their land rights. However, this has not been extinguished completely. For instance, their House capitol and many smaller populaces are still ruled by the Gentry. Plus every gentry recognized populace that is run by the Court of Thought, still has a Gentry House presiding there as a figure head. The law still states that in the Populace Crowns, the figurehead must still pass major populace decisions.
House Cane
The first nominated Gentral House and the oldest; second only to House Xern. The politicians of Cane are unsurpassed in the Gentry Gatherings. They are the only House that is outwardly unquestionably loyal to the Crowned Family.
House Fleet
The House of the Arts. It caters to sculptures, dancers and all the Fine and Performing Arts. It is rumored that the Wind Court roams the House’s halls.
House Las
The Warrior House. Las trains all the Annwn armies
House Aqueous
The House of Channels. They cater to the studies of Truth, Song, and Cails. Every caster is trained by Aqueous
House Lersus
My House…The House of Books. Lersus supplies the lands with historians and scholars who find it their duty to record and study the world’s events and uncover its secrets.
House Minall
The House of the Crop. It is also called the first celerian House. They represent and give aid to the farmers and gardeners.
House Pysz
The House of Secrets. Pysz is the House of spies and secrecy. Their purpose is to uncover potential dangers.
House UR
The House of UR is the House of miners. They rule the mines and reap the benefits of the sow they extract and their namesake, Ur, which they make.
House Shaylus
The Vilas House. Its original formation was brought about to bridge a solid alliance with the Vilas, but it has been dreadfully slow progress. Shaylus, instead of promoting the gentry with the Vilas, has now turned and is seeing the gentry through the Vilas’ eyes.
House Blusus
House Blusus was formed for the Gentry to better understand the Auroral channel and its casters. They study the skies.