A/N: I changed the description of Vorago just a little.
AKIO: A young 5-year-oldish boy who TK and Katya rescue from a drunken man. Akio has black hair and green eyes and does not really remember his past. Not too much else can be said without giving away a major plot detail.
ALITEA: A girl TK's age who lives in Castle Shuuko. Not much else can be said about her just yet.
ANGEL OF DEATH: The beautiful Guardian of the portal of Death that connects the Underworld to the afterlife. She has a pale complexion, and white hair and eyes. She is a very kind person.
THE AXES: The half of the Hiata population fighting to allow evil and darkness to control the world. They support the Shadowlore Lord Isan in his quest for ultimate domination. Most of this army is Shadowlore, with about 3 dozen mages, 15 dozen humans, and about 8 dozen Elementals.
BLACKWOLF: TK's 'father' He cloned TK during his final moments after he and the other Guardians destroyed the Chaos Stone. His name, like the other's names, has been forgotten, but his legendary powers live on through his 'son'. His true form was that of a Fallen Angel, as was WhiteLioness'. He was 19 when he died.
CAELON: A species of the Forgotten that resemble angels. They all have white wings, pale skin, and either brown eyes with brown hair or red eyes with red hair. Only 8 adult Caelon remain: Galeo, Lejio, Lexia, Carlion, Tahia, Diea, Pumio, and Yushio. A couple dozen Caelon children exist, but many will not make it to adulthood unless Isan is stopped. The Caelon live in a heavenly type forest home that they call Paradise, and have no physical form elsewhere. They are also known as the Watchful Angels.
CHAOS STONE: A stone that takes just over 12 years to develop and has the power to enslave and/or wipe out an entire civilization. It is forged of the most evil Black Magic and is nearly impossible to destroy without great sacrifices.
CURRENCY: The currency of Hiata is similar to the currency of Earth. Bronze coins are of the lowest value, and it takes 5 to buy a loaf of bread. Silver coins are worth 10 bronze coins, and Gold coins are worth 2 silver coins, or 20 bronze coins.
DARK CREATURE RITUAL: A ritual used to draw out a Mage's physical power. A Mage must be given a specially prepared potion known to very few. After that, a chant must be repeated while the Mage's temples are massaged. This will bring out the Pure Demon blood within them, and with it, their inner power. The more Pure Demon blood within a Mage, the more painful this ritual will be. A word of caution though: Because Pure Demon magic is so powerful, it may overwhelm and kill the Mage. It is recommended to have a Shadow Stone on the Mage before attempting this.
EARTH STONE: This is a magical stone used to control an Elemental's powers. It is nearly identical to the Shadow Stone. Read Shadow Stone summary for complete information.
ELEMENTALS: Elementals deal with natural magic; they have control of things relating to nature. Examples are Wind, Fire, Water, Animal Language/Control, etc. As with Mages, Elementals have a mental and a physical power. The physical develops on its own while the mental must be called out in the Purification of Mind Ritual. Using their powers does not require a great energy sacrifice by the Elementals, so they are less trained in the skills of a brute warrior. This does not mean they are any less usefull in battle, though. Oftentimes, Elementals have a Spirit Animal or two to help protect them. Elementals are becoming a more common occurance every generation.
EVENBREEZE: Kari's 'mother'. As she lay dying, she created Kari and sent her to Carla Kamiya's womb. Her true form is a Wind Fairy, able to turn into the very wind that she controlled. None can remember her true name. She was 19 when she died.
FORGOTTEN: Common name for Mages, Elementals, and Shadowlores.
FURY: Fury is a fire phoenix. He is Hiroki's Spirit Animal, and is very protective. He will stop at nothing to protect the Fire Elemental.
GARIANS: Forest creatures that are similar to Elves. They have lean olive skinned bodies with dark hair and eyes. They have great speed and are excellent fighters.
HIATA: A war ravaged land similar to Earth. Most of the population is human, but some are either 'fairy tale' or Forgotten. Hiata's population has been divided into two sections, the Swords and the Axes. The Swords are primarily the 'good guys' while the Axes are their enemies.
HIKARI KAMIYA, WIND ELEMENTAL: Kari is a Wind Elemental, able to control wind. Her mental power is the ability to know a creature's weakness. Her true mother was nicknamed EvenBreeze, and fought alongside BlackWolf. She died in the same battle that he did, and used the same tactic to create a "copy" of herself. Her copy found a womb within Carla Kamiya. As with TK's birth, no one suspected a thing about Kari. They had no reason to. When she turned 12, only days before TK did, her powers began flaring up as well.
HIROKI MISOU, FIRE ELEMENTAL: Hiroki is a Fire Elemental, able to control fire. His mental ability is being able to know a creature's greatest fear. Like Katya, he doesn't know his parents. He was raised by a kindly old couple in a small town. When he found that he was an Elemental he left his surrogate family in search of someone to help him develop his powers. Soon after he was captured by Lord Isan and Shaukaka performed the Purification of Mind Ritual on him.
JACKALS: Large bloodthirsty creatures that are like a mix between humans and jackals. They appear like vey large jackals, about 6 feet tall, and they move on two feet. They are very fast and deadly and generally move in packs.
KARINA: Karina is a Fate Mage who appears to want to help the Guardians. She seems to know a lot about them, but she never says how she learns. She doesn't usually openly display her physical power of being able to move things by looking at them, but she often uses her ability to tug on strands of fate to aid or hurt whoever she wants. However, TK already doesn't trust her. Maybe none of them should.
KATYA SHOIMI, LIGHT MAGE: Katya is a Light Mage, able to control Pure Light Energy. Her mental power is seeing the many futures. She doesn't know her parents, she was raised by the Kols, a village of humans and a handful of Mages. Because her heratige was unknown, it was a great surprise when she developed powers at the age of 12. Luckily the other Mages were able to help her. They forged a shadow stone and performed the Dark Creature Ritual. Judging by the pain, they estimated that she was ½ Pure Demon, an almost unheard of amount. She was about to be trained by the Mages in the Kol village when she was captured by Lord Isan who planned to train her for his own evil purposes.
KIOSHEN: An evil shapeshifting being that constantly craves power. Nothing is below it when it comes to obtaining what it desires. It's true form is debatable, but it is most commonly seen as a pale boy with glowing red pupils amidst purely black eyes and black stringy hair. It has no real 'powers' but knows many spells and potions.
LIFE FORCE CRYSTAL: A specially made crystal that almost no one possesses. It fuses with its bearer's heart and keeps him/her alive. It is always given to the bearer right before he/she passes through the Portal of Death, and the bearer is given a choice of whether or not he wants to use it. If they choose to use it, they will be given their life back, but will not be cured or healed at all. They must endure physical torture in return for life. Also, the bearer is then tied to the Portal of Death and must do whatever it asks.
LORD ISAN: An evil Shadowlore that is trying to take over Hiata. His upper half is that of a man, his lower half is a spiked serpent tail. He has great black bat-like wings, clawed hands, red eyes, and matted black hair. He, like his mistress Shaukaka, can read minds to an extent.
MAGES: These people have "unnatural" magic, meaning they have control over things not directly connected to nature. Examples are Light, Dark, Time, Fate, etc. Mages, like Elementals, have two powers, one mental, one physical. The mental develops on its own, while the physical must be drawn out in the Dark Creature Ritual. Mages must give a great deal of energy to use their powers effectively, so they must also learn to fight the old-fashioned way in order to survive a drawn out battle. More powerful Mages may also control loyal packs of Shadow Beasts. Because they are part Pure Demon, a long extinct species, Mages are becoming increasingly rare.
MIYO: A 5-year-oldish girl that Kari and Hiroki save from a pack of Jackals. She has black hair and green eyes and doesn't know much about her past. Not much else can be said without giving away a major plot detail.
MOSQUES: Creatures that are part insect/part human. They have bug eyes and wings, claws, but an otherwise humanly appearance. They are blood thirsty creatures that crave violence and travel in packs.
NUMBING STONE: A specially developed stone that 'numbs' any magical powers. It affects Mages, Elementals, and Shadowlore equally. Only a handful of these deadly powerful stones exist.
PIXIES: Magical creatures that resemble humans. They are, on average, 4 feet tall. They have translucent wings and a muscular build. Despite their size, they are quite strong. They are also usually arrogant and have bad attitudes in general.
POMARIUS: Latin for 'garden'. When Hiata was ruled by Elementals and Mages, the Elementals ruled the Northern section and called their fortress Pomarius. As its name suggests, it is a lush walled garden filled with many of the remaining Nymphs and Fairies. Food grows all around, so there is never any shortage and the weather is always excellent. The great being known as Harmony protects the Pomarius, allowing only Elementals inside. No one else may enter unless given permission by a well-known and respected Elemental. Being such closed-minded people, the Elemental's Pomarius does not have any outside influence as the Vorago has with its Alchemy circles.
PORTAL OF DEATH: The gateway that connects the Underworld to the afterlife. It is powerful, but fair. It believes in the 'eye for an eye' policy. If it does something for you, you must do something for it to repay it in full. However, if it likes you, it can be a very powerful ally.
PURE DEMONS: Nearly two millenia ago, Pure Demons walked freely among the humans. Having very attractive forms and charming personalities, the Pure Demons found living very pleasurable. Contradictory to the name, Pure Demons were not all bad, most were actually good. And those that were not didn't cause that much trouble. At least, not in the beginning. At first Pure Demons bred only with Pure Demons, but they soon began mating with humans. These half-blooded children oftentimes retained their Pure Demon 'unnatural' powers. The Pure Demon who parented them would either coax out the powers, or keep them dormant, depending. About a hundred years after cross-breeding began, it was custom to keep a halfling's powers from developing. The evil Pure Demons were outraged by this because they knew their race was dying out. So they began kidnapping the halflings and molding them into powerful, but evil, Mages. Several hundred years later the last of the pure blooded Pure Demons was defeated, and the Pure Demon magic began to die out. But, it still flows dormant in the blood of anyone descended from a Pure Demon, waiting to be called out.
PURIFICATION OF MIND RITUAL: A ritual used to draw out an Elemental's physical power. In this ritual, and Elemental must be given purified water to drink. Then, and chant must be said by both the giver of the ritual and the Elemental. Unlike the Dark Creature Ritual, this is not painful for an Elemental, it only causes slight discomfort. But, don't let the lack of pain deceive you, just like Pure Demon magic, Elemental magic can kill its bearer if not controlled. It is recommended to have an Earth Stone on the Elemental prior to the ceremomy.
RAGE: Rage is TK's formost Shadow Beast as he is the Alpha Male in the pack. He has blood red eyes and his shoulder is 4 inches taller than TK. The rest of his pack consists of:
Tempest- Alpha female, blue eyes
Storm- female, yellow eyes
Midnight-female, orange eyes
Hysteria-female, purple eyes
Frenzy- female, light pink eyes
Apocalypse- male, black eyes
Poison- male, green eyes
Dusk-male, dark gray eyes
Revenge-male, light red eyes
REDCOYOTE: Tejuku's father and BlackWolf's nearly identical twin brother. He was the Hell's Fire Mage, who was his brother's bitter enemy since they were 12. He faced BlackWolf in the final battle, but was killed. Before he died, though, he ceated a clone to carry on his fued with BlackWolf. That clone was Tejuku.
REVEREND KELMIO: A man who lives with Alitea. He seems to know a lot about the Gaurdians, and knew BlackWolf and WhiteLioness personally. More will be revealed later.
SCORCHINGFLAME: Hiroki's 'father'. No one knows his true name. As the other Gaurdians did, he too created a clone of himself with his final breaths and sent it to the womb of an unknown woman in Hiata. His true form was a Fire Druid and, like other Elementals, his true form allowed him to turn into the very thing that he controlled. He too was 19 when he died.
SHADOW BEASTS: Ancient creatures born from the released powers of deceased Pure Demons. However, they do not choose who to serve based on who died to give them life. Often times, they choose no one for generations. They sit in the shadows, watching and waiting for what they deem a 'worthy' master. Once a being is chosen, they will heed his/her every order until that person dies. While immortal otherwise, Shadow Beasts can be killed by powerful Mages. They often travel and serve as packs.
SHADOWLORES: These demonic beasts are the closest relatives to the Pure Demons. Corrupted, they are trying to take over Hiata. Their unearthly forms impose fear on the residents of Hiata and help them conquer more land each year. Shadowlores generally have only one power, either mental or physical, but there is no limitation on it other than that.
SHADOW STONE: A magical stone used to control a Mage's power. Usually it is passed down through a blood line, but can be forged. However, forged Shadow Stones are often unstable. Once a Shadow Stone is placed on a Mage, it will choose to either kill the Mage, or bind to him/her. If it chooses to bond with the Mage, the metal holding it will tighten around the Mage's skin before the actual bonding begins. The bonding consists of the Stone sending it's magic through the Mage's entire body. Because the magic of the Shadow Stone is so potent, this is always very painful. Afterwards, the Stone will be connected directly to the Mage's life energy, and removing it would be deadly. The purpose of the Shadow Stone is to control a Mage's ability to control his/her magic. Without a Shadow Stone, the Mage would be overwhelmed by power and would die of the pain within a few minutes.
SHAUKAKA: Another Shadowlore. She is Lord Isan's mistress. Her body is that of a human woman's, with the exception of great bat-like wings and clawed hands. She has gray skin, grey hair, and yellow eyes. She, like Lord Isan, can read minds.
SPIRIT ANIMALS: These creatures are similar to Shadow Beasts in how they are created and who they serve. Dead Elementals create them, and they will only serve other Elementals. Also, Elementals are the only beings that can kill them. However, unlike Shadow Beasts, Spirit Animals are generally loners. Making them less usefull in battle, but usefull nonetheless.
STAR: Star is the head lioness in Katya's pack of Shadow Beasts. She is loyal and protective, and has a temper worth fearing. She has off-white pearl colored eyes. She and the rest of the lionesses are just slightly smaller than Takeru's wolves. The rest of the pack is:
Mercy-Blue eyed Patience-Oranged eyed Dawn-Yellow eyed Serenity-Green eyed Purity-Gray eyed Bliss-Purple eyed Devotion-Pink/red eyed Miracle-Red eyedTHE SWORDS: The half of the Hiata population fighting for peace and freedom in the world. They wish for the good Prince Larin to assume the throne, as was his destiny. This unit is made mostly of humans, with a few dozen Elementals and a handful of Mages assisting from the shadows.
TAKERU TAKAISHI, SHADOW MAGE: TK is a Shadow Mage, meaning he can control Pure Dark Energy. His mental power is being able to sense evil power. His true father, nicknamed BlackWolf by nearly everyone, was ½ Pure Demon. As BlackWolf died during a battle against Lord Isan, he gathered the last of his energy to create a "copy" of himself, also ½ Pure Demon. This copy looked somewhat like himself, but had the potential to have so much more power. He sent this copy to Earth in the hopes that it would find a womb to grow in. It found Nancy Takaishi. When the babe was born, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no one suspected anything different. When he turned 12, TK's powers started flaring up. That's where the story begins.
TEJUKU: The clone of RedCoyote, and TK's nearly identical twin brother. He was created to finish his father's fued with BlackWolf by destroying Takeru. He was raised by evil, and is evil through and through. His only purpose is to destroy TK. He is the Hell's Fire Mage, and his mental power is the ability to block the mental powers of others.
TREE FAIRIES: Small girls who care for the forest plants. Usually they have brown/green hair, brown skin, and green eyes. They also have clear wings that flutter when they are excited, curious, or sometimes angry. Many of them have instruments carved from enchanted wood that, when played, can produce magical effects of their own. Tree Fairies are very secretive and very rare.
UNDERWORLD: The place that spirits go after they die, but before they pass on completely. It appears differently to all, and most of the times is frightening. However, the Guardians, especially Takeru, find it to be a rather inviting place. Though, Katya is still a bit unnerved when she goes there.
VORAGO: Latin for 'pit'. Once upon a time Hiata was co-ruled by the Mages and the Elementals. The Mages controlled the Southern half and their castle was named Vorago. From the outside, it seems to be a barren plain, no plants or any kind of friendly life, only ruins. But once you pass the Gatekeeper's barrier and reach the inside of the castle walls, it is spectacular. The castle itself is made of a dark crystal and rises many stories above the ground, towers ending in jagged peaks. It has all the comforts of home; warm beds, small hot springs, fresh clothes, everything…if you know how to call on it. The few people that lived in Vorago that were not Mages were Alchemists. The Mages revered their teachings and tried to make Vorago the physical form of the "one and only solid law in all the worlds", the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Alchemist circles are carved on all of the walls, about 20 feet apart. By sacrificing a few drops of blood, one can use these circles to create any simple thing they wish, like food.
WATER NYMPHS: Beautiful women that live near certain bodies of water. They have deep blue hair and eyes, and pale blue skin.They enjoy celebrations, their favorite is the Rejunification ritual, in which they relax travelers. Helping others brings them joy. They are, however, very rare, and to see just one is a blessing.
WHISPER: Whisper is a great white falcon who, when sitting upright, is twice as tall as Kari. She is Kari's Spirit Animal and will do anything to protect her charge.
WHITELIONESS: The nickname given to Katya's mother. Her real name has been forgotten over the past years. She cloned Katya from her with her last bit of energy and therefore had Katya's same powers. Her true form, like BlackWolf's was a Fallen Angel. She was 19 when she died in the fight against Isan.
