Dragaera
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Dragaera is the fictional universe in several series of novels by Steven Brust. The word "Dragaera" can refer to the planet, the Dragaeran Empire, or its former capital, Dragaera City.
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[edit] Species
Dragaera is inhabited by several intelligent species, including:
- Dragaerans, the dominant species of the world, were created when the Jenoine took humans and magically crossbred them with various animals. Dragaerans average seven feet tall, with slender builds and very little muscular definition. They cannot grow beards and have very little body hair. Their lifespans are greatly enhanced, spanning several thousand years. They consider themselves "humans", but are called "Dragaerans" by Easterners and "elfs" or "faeries" by some Easterners outside of the Empire.
- Easterners, nearly identical to real-world humans, occupy the lands to the east of the Dragaeran Empire, called the Eastern Kingdoms. They are considered barbarians by the Dragaerans and frequently invaded by the Empire. Smaller, weaker, shorter-lived, and without the aid of sorcery, Easterners have nonetheless managed to withstand Dragaeran hostility for thousands of years. They consider themselves "humans" but are called "Easterners" by Dragaerans in the Empire. In other lands, Dragaerans call them "dwarfs".
- Serioli, the original humanoid inhabitants of Dragaera, possess powerful magical abilities that have yet to be duplicated by Dragaeran or Easterner. They created all Morganti weapons, including the Great Weapons, and the written language of magic uses their alphabet. Despite their power, they were nearly wiped out in the early years of the Empire. Survivors hide in small mountain communities and occasionally come to the aid of the Jenoine. They are small and ugly by Easterner standards.
In addition, there are a number of immortal creatures that transcend the physical world of Dragaera to some degree, including:
- Jenoine, a vastly powerful race of extradimensional creatures that made a number of modifications to the world of Dragaera for unknown reasons. Their thought processes are alien and difficult to understand even by the gods. They have attempted to return to the planet several times to enslave it, but the gods and the most powerful Dragaerans have fought them off.
- Gods, powerful beings that take an active role in maintaining the Cycle of the Dragaeran Empire and keeping the Jenoine at bay. At least some gods were once servants of the Jenoine, but broke away from their masters. Others have since attained godhood through various means. The most powerful gods are called the Lords of Judgment. Easterners worship them, while Dragaerans respect them.
[edit] Magic
Magic of many forms exist, and is thought to have its origins in the manipulations of the Jenoine on the world.
[edit] Sorcery
Sorcery involves gathering raw chaos from its physical manifestation, amorphia, shaping it into a spell, and releasing it. Citizens of the Dragaeran Empire can become linked to the Imperial Orb and use it as a conduit to access chaos safely. Accessing chaos directly, without the Orb, is called Elder Sorcery. It is extremely difficult and powerful, but so dangerous that a misfire could cause a global apocalypse. Chaos used for sorcery is drawn from the Great Sea of Chaos, a lake of amorphia created when the Jenoine were first ousted from the world. There is also a Lesser Sea of Chaos, which was created during a mishap with Elder Sorcery called Adron's Disaster.
Before the Interregnum, sorcery was somewhat rare and less potent. During the Interregnum, the gods modified the Orb to increase the power of sorcery. Since the restoration of the Empire, sorcery has become far more common and powerful. While few Teckla have any skill, all nobles of the Empire can perform at least basic spells. Exceptional skill takes a great deal of effort and study. Experts in all aspects of sorcery are distinguished as "wizards". Sorcery can take many shapes, but some of the most common uses include teleportation, telepathic communication, attack spells, and revivification.
[edit] Witchcraft
Used primarily by Easterners, witchcraft is a subtler form of magic that uses complex rituals to focus psychic energy. Witchcraft lacks the raw power of sorcery, but can produce some unique effects that sorcery cannot replicate. One unique ability of witchcraft is the acquisition of a familiar. Also, witchcraft can be performed with a group to enhance the power of the spell cast. Practitioners of both sexes are called "witches". Easterner witches tend to live longer than normal, and some rituals can preserve a witch's youth for hundreds of years. Other common feats of witchcraft include the summoning of items, seeing auras, and telepathic communication.
[edit] Morganti Weapons
According to Dragaeran legend, the Serioli created Morganti weapons to make war so terrible that no one would ever start one. They are magical blades that destroy the soul of any person they cut, killing victims utterly with the smallest scratch and making resurrection or reincarnation impossible. Morganti weapons are semi-intelligent and yearn to "eat" the souls of victims. People near a Morganti weapon can feel its malevolent presence. Morganti daggers are often used by the Jhereg for particularly vindictive assassinations.
The power of Morganti weapons varies. The most powerful are called Great Weapons, which possess a number of advantages over lesser Morganti blades. Great Weapons are more intelligent and can exercise their will by choosing not to devour a soul, protecting their wielder from harm, and granting their wielder a number of magical abilities unique to the weapon. There are thought to be 17 Great Weapons in existence, each with its own name and personality. They are the only weapons powerful enough to slay the Jenoine.
[edit] The Dragaeran Empire
[edit] Overview
The Dragaeran Empire is the largest civilization on the planet and serves as the setting for the majority of Brust's novels set in Dragaera. It is a massive empire, covering more than half of the only known continent in the world. It is a feudal society ruled by an Emperor or Empress (depending on the series) from its capital city of Adrilankha, a bustling metropolis. The Empire has the feel of Western Europe around the time of the Reformation,[1] but uses magic as a replacement for most technology. The sky over the Empire is permanently overcast with reddish fog due to millennia of magic usage.
The Empire is frequently at war with neighboring Dragaeran kingdoms as well as the Eastern Kingdoms. Warfare is handled through a combination of swordsmanship and sorcery. Soldiers rarely wear armor, as metal attracts magic. Bows and other mundane projectile weapons are extremely rare. Due to the almost complete lack of gender role differentiation, women are just as likely to be found in any profession, including the military.
[edit] The Imperial Orb
The Orb is a floating, glowing sphere of enormous magical power that serves as the source of the Emperor's authority and the linchpin of the Empire. The Orb and the reigning Emperor share a magic link. The Orb will protect the Emperor from almost all harm, making him or her virtually immune to assassination. The Emperor can also consult the memories of all previous emperors through the Orb. All citizens of the Empire are linked to the Orb as well, and can use it to access sorcery. The Orb also performs more mundane services such as broadcasting the precise time of day and serving as a lie-detector during Imperial trials.
According to legend, the Orb was created by Zerika the First, a co-founder of the Empire and the first Empress. It is not completely understood by most Dragaerans, though it is believed to be indestructible.
[edit] The Great Houses
All citizens of the Empire are divided into 17 Houses, each represented by an animal. It is believed that Dragaerans were mingled most prominently with the animal of their House when the Jenoine created the species. Certain facial features are strongly associated with most Houses, and most Houses have official colors that members wear prominently, making the House membership of most Dragaerans visually apparent. Certain temperaments, talents, and vocations are also strongly associated with each House. With few exceptions, membership in a House is determined by birth. Mating outside of one's House is taboo among Dragaerans and half-breeds are considered outcasts.
The peasants of the Empire come from the House of the Teckla, forming 90% of the Empire's population. Anyone who swears allegiance on the Orb can become a citizen of the Empire as a Teckla, including Easterners. All Houses but the Teckla are considered Noble Houses, though some are more noble than others. Members of the lower Houses, including the Jhereg, Orca, and Chreotha, form the Empire's middle class, working as merchants and artisans. The intermediate Houses, including the Athyra, Yendi, and Issola, tend to work as academics and professionals. The most noble Houses, such as Phoenix, Dragon, and Dzur, form the Empire's aristocracy.
The animals representing each House are unique to the world of Dragaera. Those that share a name with a real or mythical animal of Earth are not the same creature.[2]
[edit] The Cycle
The Cycle is a magically-spinning wheel in the Halls of Judgment that controls the reign of the Emperor and the political fate of the Houses. Each of the 17 Houses is represented along the wheel. When a House reaches the top of the wheel, it chooses one of its members to reign as Emperor. When the wheel turns enough to bring the next House to the top, the former Emperor relinquishes the throne and a new one reigns. The House of a former Emperor becomes "descending" and loses power until it reaches the bottom of the Cycle. After a House rounds the bottom, it becomes "rising", gaining power until it reaches the top and reigns again. The order of the Houses along the Cycle is: Phoenix, Dragon, Lyorn, Tiassa, Hawk, Dzur, Issola, Tsalmoth, Vallista, Jhereg, Iorich, Chreotha, Yendi, Orca, Teckla, Jhegaala, Athyra. The order is structured so that each Emperor is naturally suited to fix the mistakes of the previous Emperor, thus keeping the Cycle constantly spinning.
Where the Cycle came from, what makes it turn, and how exactly it is linked to the Empire is not completely understood. The Cycle turns at varying speeds for unknown reasons, but a reign is never shorter than 289 (17^2) years, and never longer than 4,913 (17^3) years. Because the living almost never physically see the Cycle, determining when the Cycle shifts is a matter of magic and guesswork. The next House on the Cycle often attempts to seize power when it believes the Cycle has shifted. If the House succeeds, this is taken as proof that it was right.
[edit] The Paths of the Dead
When Dragaeran citizens of the Empire die, their souls go to the Paths of the Dead, a physical labyrinth in the Greymist Valley of Dragaera. Bodies are generally sent over the Blood River at Deathsgate Falls so that the soul will enter the Paths. Each House has its own path and trials that its members must face. At the end of the Labyrinth are the Halls of Judgment, where the Lords of Judgment sit and determine the fate of Dragaeran souls that reach them. Those they deem worthy for their own uses are allowed into the next state of being. Those they reject are reincarnated or bound to serve in the Halls. It is possible for living creatures to enter the Paths, but it is very difficult to leave. Very rarely, Dragaerans will become undead to leave the Halls without reincarnating.
