This page contains some spoilers for Talion: Revenant by Micheal Stackpole.

The Talions The Talions, formed by the first Emperor of the Shattered Empire, Clekan then Just, to protect and serve all the lands. There are seven divisions; Justices, Elites, Warriors, Lancers, Archers, Wizards, and Services. Talions are required to be politically impartial at all times. They train in the city of Talianna, in the Tal Valley of a state of the same name. Only without the Valley part. Outside Talianna Talions are only known by their title or rank. Each Talion division has it's own emblem and mask the Talions wear on occasion. They are welcome in every state of the Shattered Empire except Jania. JUSTICES Justices--the select of the Talion, endowed with fearsome magick and lethal martial skills--roam the Shattered Emprie, crushing the lawless and championing the oppressed. Their word is law and their judgement binding on highborn and low. -from the back of Talion: Revenant Since there is such a wealth of training Justices must receive, they are almost always trained from infancy up. Their emblem is a skull, grinning and white on a black background. Their mask is, pretty much, a peice of black leather. In fact, the whole Justice uniform is made of black leather. Justices carry two enchanted blades; the tsincaat and the ryqril, sword and dagger. They will only break if the Justice who carries them breaks first, and are kept in perfect condition always by magick. Another magick weapon Justice posses is the use of the Ritual, where they suck the soul from a body through the skull tatooed on their right palms. A painless death, qiuck and thorough.		Magick Note the odd spelling. Stackpole uses that spelling of "magic" in The Dark Glory War, and probably a lot of other books which I have yet to read. And yet Lady Cosima speaks it "magic" [pg 233]. Maybe it's spelt "magick" only when there's an "s" at the end. Or maybe that's only so when Wizards use the word. Anway... Magick in Talion: Revenant doens't seem to be a driving factor of the world there. Probably because the Wizards [capitilized] prefer to be in the background. They are almost a breed apart from normal humans, because they [the ones of great power, at least] make their home in another diminsion. On the bottom of page 233 extending to page 234 Nolan is allowed a glimpse of this other diminsion. Magick is not a wholey learned art, you have natural talent. But some things can give a person who had no talent or training certain powers, like the death's head tatoo Justices have on their right palms. A Wizard's spells loses power after he/she dies. There is some kind of spell connecting the city of Talianna to the ritual skulls. If the skulls hold a soul, the person can only say one word [sharul] while in Talianna or in it's shadow. What Wizard cast that spell? Or is it that spells of such great reach and power last on their own because of such critical mass? Or is the black stone in the Shar chamber a living thing, and a Wizard? Maybe the death-undoes-spells rule only applies to spells cast upon living things, and not enchantments cast upon objects.
Nations * means "geographical relation to a certain state, large lake, river, etc." - means "place of interest within state" = comes after -, means "why the place is interesting" ~ means "people, culture, historical" > means "person from this state" In alphabetical order... AMASIA ______________________________ BOUCA *likely near Ell ~Boucan Princesses are often wed to Ellian nobles ______________________________ CELA ______________________________ CHALA -the black heart of Chala/Black Cesspit =some run-down place where all the worst villians gather ______________________________ DAAR ~home to [Daari] a culture of very religious people. They see demons in almost anything, and consider it their duty [and privilage... there's a reward in it] to rid the world of the demons. The Daari are scarred on the left side of their bodies at birth to ward off the demons that suposidly enter the world at sunset. Once 2000 Daari set out on the Demon Crusade, where they tried to rid the world of Talions. They were stopped by the Lancers, and since then they've pretty much stayed in their own nation. ______________________________ DITAAN ______________________________ ELL *directly south of Memkar -Forest Crossing =12 leagues backcountry -Ell Mountains =contains pass into Memkar ______________________________ HAMIS *north of Sinjaria *one of two Western Sea States ______________________________ IMPERIANNA ~capital of former Shattered Empire ~produces best heavy calvery in the Shattered Empire ______________________________ JANIA ~only state to ban Talions ______________________________ KARESIA ______________________________ LACIA ______________________________ LETH ______________________________ MEMKAR *north of Ell (over Ell Mountains) ~It's very commem, in Memkar, for people to advance in society/politics due to a fatality or illness on part of another. Memkar is full of political intrigue, feint within feint within feint. Dispite this, the people there arelong lived. They have large families, which makes the place seem overcrowded. ______________________________ RIA ~orgin of really bad wine ______________________________ RIMAHAST ______________________________ SINJARIA *south of Hamis * ~worships Shudath, goddess of fertility ~conquored by Hamis in conquest war 1000 years after shattering ______________________________ SOLNARIA ______________________________ STERLOS ~Sterlos respects and pays tribute to the Shattered Empire, but was never conquered by it. TAL *likely to be near Imperianna -Tal Mountains =their nice and impressive -Tal Valley =holds the city of Talianna -Talianna =city of Talions ~home to Talions ______________________________ TASHAR ______________________________ TEMUR ______________________________ THELE ______________________________ TUZI *south of the city of Zist ~ ~is a "citystate" ______________________________ YASTAN ______________________________		People In alphabetical order... >>Ahnj 280s >>Allen Talion Servies. Allen is the one who supplies the Talions with clothing. >>Arik ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) Nolan's younger brother by five years. Dispite his clubfoot, Arik was a happy and innocent child. Then he got a spear in the back from an Daari mercenary in the War of Conquest. >>Ben >>Chi'gandir Chi'gandir was a promising student of magick >>Cleckan the Just He was the founder of the Talions and the first Emporer of the Shattered Empire. >>Cull >>Dabir >>Dale ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) Nolan's younger sister by one year. When soldiers went to her family's farm, she stabbed a Hamish Master-Sergeant in the stomach. The soldier, who had been beating Dale's father, then killed her. >>Devon ra Yastan >>Elverda >>Eric, Lord >>Eric, Prince >>Erlan ra Leth Valient >>Fortune >>Grath ra Memkar >>Hal ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) Nolan's second eldest brother (the eldest was his twin). Hal defended his family against the Hamish soldiers bravely, but he got shot through the throat near the end. >>Hansur, Lord >>Jevin >>Laura ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) Nolan's elder sister. She died at the hands of Hamish soldiers after hours of pleading. >>Lothar ra Jania >>Lyel The son of a farmer who lived near Nolan's family. He was killed along with Nolan's family when he was twelve summers old. >>Malcolm ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) Nolan's eldest brother, with a twin named Hal. Malcolm was killed on his family's farm when Hamis conquored Sinjaria. >>Marana >>Morai >>Nolan ra Sinjaria (ulHamis) >>Nolan's Father Dead. Hamish soldiers. I've typed this out too many times already. He defended his family bravely, but in the end... >>Nolan's Grandmother The most sensible person in the whole family. After most of her family lay dead, she killed a Daari with a meat clever. Unfotunately, the same attck didn't work on a Hamish soldier. >>Nolan's Mother ...died. One of the last to die, and only after she pleaded with the soldiers for hours (at their entertainment, no doubt). Usually strong and confidant, sometimes not. >>Orjan >>Ring >>Rolf ra Karesia >>Selia ulJania The daughter of a nobleman, and bard, >>Vareck ra Daar >>Weylan >>Zaria, Princess
Morai's Song Ride, Talion, ride, But ere you reach my side, Slay yourself my brave man, Then catch me if you can Morai’s man was dark and tall, Had caused his father’s fatal fall. "The Talion’s mine, wait and see I’ll nail his body to a tree." So he waited in a meadow green, "Come Talion, my blade is keen." Challenged so the Talion drew his sword And cut a man from Morai’s horde. Ride, Talion, ride, But ere you reach my side, Slay yourself my brave bold, And catch me ere you grow old Cull was quick and possessed great heart, And well versed in the killing art. "Sword or bolt, each kills quite well Either will send the Talion to Hell." In an alley dark did Cull wait, And open threats served as bait. But he missed with the dirk he threw, And the Talion but old Cull in two! Ride, Talion, ride, But ere you reach my side, Slay yourself this noble foe , And catch me ere winter winds blow. Eric prince, bastard and fool Was just another Morai tool. The Talion’s head he swore to deliver, And promised to taste the dead man’s liver. Eric met the Justice with no fear And passed with a grin from ear to ear. All dupes with their lives did pay, While Morai laughed and rode away. Ride, Talion, ride, But ere you reach my side, More men I’ll get and throw at you And you’ll never catch me when you’re through.		The Map Click Here About the map... The names of nations writen in light blue are official. (Aka, they're mentioned in the book) The names of nations writen in that pinkish-peach colour are the ones I made up to fill the space.

And back we go!