========== Chapter 7 Sergeant Jabari took another sip of tea. She knew she shouldn’t, that it would just make her bladder hurt even more, but her mouth was so dry she figured it was worth it. The shack they were hiding in was old and dusty; the slightest movement would raise a cloud to make […]
========== For the first time, Rogier was on shopping detail, which meant he would be joining several other students and the cook on a trip to the market. The cook, of course, visited the fish market down by the seadocks, and the meat and produce market where Rogier had once roamed, every day. Many vendors […]
========== They gathered at the Boreas Gate to High City, blocking traffic and earning shouts of anger from carts and passers-by, which they studiously ignored. In addition to the six dozen city constables with their sergeants and all armed and armored for combat, the Captain also brought his own personal force of a dozen veterans. […]
========== The Palace was unusually crowded. In addition to the King and Chuang, Commander Britomartis and Captain Ragnarsson of the Constabulary stood nearby. Sergeant Ng and Sergeant Jabari stood farther back. The Chief Artificer, Marcus, stood on one side, next to the Alchemist, their assistants behind them. “So, Marcus, now that the cistern and tunnels […]
While the rest of the Dreamlands uses a 12-hour clock, Celephaïs officially uses the medieval English system, with the 24-hour day divided into eight liturgical designations: Vigils , Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline. The actual times vary with the season (sunrise and sunset vary), as below. In practice this is ignored by […]
The ten Noble Estates are located in the Cirque of the Moon, the innermost ring of Celephaïs. Each of the nine Greek Muses have their own Hall (provided with stage or other facility appropriate to that Muse). The tenth is the Hall of Drax, which is an immense library. There is no resident staff, but […]
Dragolets are about the size of a falcon or a chihuahua, and when trained they sit on the handler’s forearm like falcons. They are covered with very small feathers, and have bat-like wings. They do not have visible ears, and the head resembles a caiman or similar reptile with long, thin jaw. In addition to […]
Coins of many varieties are in circulation throughout the Dreamlands, and while King Kuranes has been trying to establish a single, uniform currency, it is extremely difficult when new, unique coins can appear out of nowhere at any time. The rate of exchange for the three most common metals used in coinage, however, is known. […]
Guns and gunpowder both work in the Dreamlands. King Kuranes and a number of his closest circle, however, are well aware of the danger of firearms, and work to minimize their usage. In particular the King, through Mistress Mochizuki and the Kingfishers, has successfully carried out a program of sabotage and rumor that has convinced […]