web book
TRILOGY
Tales of the Peopled Lands
book 1
The Breath of the Earth
Foreword
Dearest Cousins,
Rarely do I write you by my own hand. However, when the strains of duty momentarily abate, it is with pleasure and pride that I do so to honour our ancient bond.
The snows shall soon begin to melt and the dwarf falconers shall once again take up their positions at the final eastern outpost, doubling the trading shifts.
I am writing to you in these troubled times to reiterate my warning about the Orkran. Norigia, our beloved capital, has been under siege for years and we’ve been forced to live in a constant state of war. All our efforts to bring peace to the Peopled Lands have been in vain.
Thanks be to the Gods for having blessed us with our falcons. Despite the years it took to teach them the way, it is thanks to them that today we can communicate and keep our vital trade routes open and active.
The towering mountain chain that has separated our peoples for millennia may stop us from sharing a meal or exchanging a fraternal embrace, but it can never break our blood bond.
Every day, I pray that the Gods give your flying ships the strength to leave Fiòrderik for the white cliffs of Norigia. I have been heartened by the knowledge that the mountains separating you from us are also protecting you from those terrible monsters.
In the hope that I will one day welcome you in person, with my hand on my heart I salute you.
HelGrov, Sole Emperor of the Dwarflands “The noble heart of Norigia, capital city.”
Chapter 1
That night, thick snow fell on Fiòrderik. It was well into September and soon the icy autumn winds would rise. The steep stairs connecting the city’s squares and moorings were deserted. Shimmering hearth light illuminated windows here and there. The wind whistled through narrow stone alleyways and the sheer rocky mountainsides that plunged deep down into the shadows.
Mèlkam the Watcher began his patrol on one of the lookout towers. Suddenly, he glimpsed an ominous shadow, dark against the white snow. It wasn’t unusual for nocturnal animals to prowl around the city in search of food. It was almost totally dark and the heavy snow didn’t help, but, using his telescope, the dwarf managed to make out the hulking figure as it moved towards the western promontory. Judging by its size, it could have been a bear, but it was eerily silent and walking on its hind legs. The figure moved a few steps closer to a snow-covered wall. That’s when the dwarf realised the terrible danger he was in. It wasn’t a bear, but a much greater threat.
It was an Orkran, one of the horrible monsters described in the legends of the Peopled Lands. What was it doing in Fiòrderik? How had it reached the mountains? It was gigantic. A dark mantle covered nearly all of its powerful body. It moved silently, but its breathing was laboured. It wheezed nervously and glanced around impatiently. It appeared to be injured and hugging something to its chest.
It moved northward towards Grìtmabjork House, one of the largest buildings on the promontory. It climbed the staircase and stopped in front of the entrance. Old Mèlkam clearly saw it lay something on the ground before fleeing among the rocks. The guard hurried to the spot. The snow was frozen, revealing no trace of footsteps. As he neared the doorstep, what he saw there shocked him.
Wrapped in a thick blanket was a baby dwarf in swaddling clothes. A letter peeped out from the folds of its hood. A light went on in the house accompanied by the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards the door. Mèlkam grabbed the letter without thinking and hid in the shadows. The door was opened by a female dwarf with a strong step and thick curly red hair.
“Who’s knocking on my door in the middle of the night?” she asked. No one answered. She suddenly became aware of the baby at her feet. Picking it up, she held it close for warmth and stared searchingly into the dark a moment longer. Then she went back inside, shutting the door behind her.
Seven years later.
The sun hadn’t fully risen yet that morning, but only a few dwarves in Fiòrderik slept on. The new Master Engineer was about to be elected, a role that every self-respecting dwarf aspired to. The entire city was teeming with anticipation, eager to name the dwarf who would run Fiòrderik’s scientific production and technology research for the next five years.
Half Harbour Square faced the east side of the mountains and was home to one of the highest quays. Though the square wasn’t very big, it was often quite crowded. Buildings bordered only half of it, and the longest side opened onto a sheer drop, perfect for air-ships to take off and dock. When the sun crested a point in the sky high enough to warm their faces, the master craftsmen sat on the cobblestone edge of the square ready to meet the incoming and outgoing air-ships.
Gaman loved this place. In addition to having the best view in the city, the most respectable dwarves in the area frequented this square.
“Here comes young Gaman!” a voice called out from the quay. “Come on youngster, the school-ship’s about to arrive. You don’t want to miss it, do you?”
It was the voice of Hèldimak’s, the guard of the Eastern Quay. The old dwarf was missing some teeth and nearly all his hair. He was wearing a yellowed jumpsuit held in place by a pair of braces fastened at his chest with an iron hook. Hèldimak made sure loading and unloading went smoothly, and for over a century he’d been in charge of public transport timetables, commercial trading and cargo operations.
“There’s no school today, Master Hèldimak! They’re going to elect the new Master Engineer in a few days, you know,” said Gaman.
“Oh, of course, the elections!” he answered, picking up his tool belt. “Come with me. I was just about to go up and have a look around. The supply-ship hasn’t turned up yet.”
The old guard untied a line from a cleat that was anchoring a huge soeliok-inflated balloon to the ground. He turned a gearwheel and the structure slowly began to rise. Gaman loved it when Hèldimak took him up to the top of Krowsnest tower. A few bystanders in the square lifted their gaze and watched as the morning light illuminated the boy’s smile. They were so high up that the faces of the dwarves in the square were indistinguishable.
When they finally stopped, the panorama was astounding. Gaman stared hard at the horizon, as far as his eyes could see.
“How far have you travelled?” asked the young dwarf. “I know our air-ships can only fly within Kélamnkor, but how far has a dwarf ever gone, really?”
His voice echoed in the ears of the dwarf guard like the cry of a caged bird.
“The grand Imperial Air-ship can fly for a full hour without refuelling with soeliok. It doesn’t go very fast, but it can go far.”
“Could it make it over the mountains to reach the plains and the Peopled Lands?”
Hèldimak smiled. “No flying vessel can get past the outer mountain chain. We’re surrounded by summits much, much higher than those where we built our city, and soeliok only springs naturally from the rocks inside the Confederate Frontiers.”
“But someone must have tried, at least once,” insisted Gaman, seeking confirmation in the old dwarf’s eyes.
“Many tales are told about our city and many others about villages further away. It’s a well-known fact that our mountains are impenetrable; however, it’s also true that we’ve always tried to find a way to cross them.”
Gaman stared at him transfixed. “And has anyone ever managed it?” he asked.
Hèldimak lowered his gaze straight into Gaman’s eyes. “There once was a time when our ancestors rode dragons and travelled to the remotest regions of the known world,” said the old dwarf, his index finger pointing to the east. “They had no enemies and knew no bounds. These mountains offered a perfect refuge for them and their dragons.”
Gaman listened, enraptured. He knew all the old stories and loved listening to the elders talk about those flying creatures.
Hèldimak’s finger indicated the point on the horizon where the external mountain chain’s highest peak dominated the others.
”That’s Mount Inekag,” he said, directing Gaman’s attention. “They say the oldest of all the dragons, the guardian dragon, took flight from its peak. Legend has it that he woke all the younger dragons from their hibernation and led them as they migrated into the east,” he said, turning around with a smile.
“They’re just legends, though; they couldn’t be true, could they?” Gaman uttered with a sigh.
“There’s a shred of truth in every story,” replied Hèldimak. “We can’t always know the truth, but our hunger for knowledge is what sparks our dreams. And believe me, son, a dwarf with a dream is a force to be reckoned with!”
“Everything’s so fantastic from up here!” exclaimed Gaman. “Maybe when I grow up and I’ve studied like you have, I can be the guard of the Eastern Quay. What do you think?”
The old dwarf twirled his moustache between his fingers. “If you keep that up, young Grìtmabjork, you’ll be the guardian of much more than just a mooring. Believe me!”
“That must be the supply-ship down there,” said Hèldimak, peering through his binoculars. He pointed them towards a sundial. “It’s late!” he grumbled. “You there, with the ropes!” he yelled down to the linesmen. “Clear the deck and prepare for docking!” he ordered in a bold commanding tone. “Bring casks and barrels to the quay! And you, Master Valdkor, hurry! Hoist the docking flag! You don’t want them to turn back, do you?”
Half Harbour Square was transformed into a crowded arena. The arriving supply-ship was carrying the mid-season foodstuffs from the city of Vernok, one of the largest cities besides Fiòrderik, where they made excellent beer, various types of flour and the best sausages in all of Kélamnkor.
A thunderous siren suddenly blared. The air-ship shot out past the rocks, blocking the sun. Silent and imposing to the eyes of young Gaman, it drifted slowly, majestically, dark against the bright sky. It seemed to glare down at them cautiously, like a cat sizing up its prey. The lively colours of the huge central balloon contrasted with its vaguely threatening appearance. The two-storey wood and iron barge had several slots from which a network of ropes emerged, connected to the balloons to keep the barge afloat.
Hèldimak directed the mooring procedure after the linesmen had prepared the bridge. The safety lines were tied, the gangplank ready. The powerful air-ship docked. Its propellers stopped spinning and the fuselage became still. Myriad lines shot up from the quay to the barge and the wooden gangplank was readied, resting on the furthermost balcony. The Master Flyer steadied the plank with one foot and then stretched it out until it touched down on the edge of the square.
He was a small sinewy dwarf with a thick curly red beard. He looked straight at Hèldimak and pulled him into a powerful hug.
“Master Karmak!” exclaimed Hèldimak, placing his fist on his heart in the imperial Fiòrderik officers’ salute. “Your monthly visits are always a pleasure!” Karmak returned the salute with the same formal gesture and a warm smile.
“It’s an honour to bring supplies to the capital, and I wouldn’t dream of missing the chance to see my old fellow pilot, not even for a hundred barrels of our best beer!” he roared with a deafening laugh.
The two friends, chatting vigorously, sat down behind a pallet to deal with paperwork, while many other dwarves busily unloaded the barge, filling the square with wooden boxes and barrels, cloth sacks and containers of every kind. A moveable bridge had been set up so that at any given time, dozens of dwarves could bustle back and forth from the air-ship, pushing and pulling their heavy wheelbarrows. A rope with a balloon was attached to the heaviest freight to lighten the load, making it easier to haul. The bottom floor of the barge emptied quickly.
All of a sudden, Gaman felt someone grab him by his jacket. “Dear Karmak, let me introduce you to one of the most promising pilots in Fiòrderik!” Hèldimak exclaimed, lifting up the young dwarf. “This is Gaman, son of Eira, from the Grìtmabjork clan.” Gaman found himself face to face with the burly dwarf and his curly red beard.
“So, you’re an aspiring pilot, are you?” asked the Master Flyer.
“I guess so,” Gaman answered awkwardly. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Oh! I don’t doubt it. I can see the stuff of Master Eldur in your eyes, and believe you me, he was a born flyer!”
“You know Granddad Eldur?” asked the young dwarf in surprise, beaming with a proud smile.
“Do I know him, you ask me? That old dwarf left us in the dust so many times in our racing years… Well, you know,” he laughed.
“Anybody who was lucky enough to represent their city at the top-level races in those days got a taste of it,” added Hèldimak. “Sooner or later they had to go head to head with Eldur. He was always the winner, no matter what the category or discipline,” he said shaking his head in resignation.
“You know,” interjected Gaman suddenly, “I’ve built a racing-ship. l’ve been fine-tuning it for the last year and I’m sure I could –”
“A racing-ship?!” interrupted Karmak. “You don’t want me to believe that you’re old enough to fly an air-ship, do you, young dwarf?” he said in an oddly authoritarian tone.
“Of course not!” replied Gaman. “But I’ve got no intention of being unprepared when that day comes, and I also want to be sure to have a racing-ship good enough to compete with.”
“Oh, oh!” chuckled Karmak. “You’re quite a force to be reckoned with, young Grìtmabjork!”
The air-ship siren blared for the second time. The docking flag was lowered and the half-mooring flag was flown in its place. The barge had been emptied entirely and the moveable bridge taken away. Two dwarves approached the fuselage with a huge machine held up by two balloons. They inserted a metal tube into the engine compartment and unhooked the safety latch. The whole machine began to vibrate noisily unloading all its contents into the supply-ship.
Karmak picked up his logbook and stood up. “I think our brief monthly encounter has come to an end, dear Hèldimak,” he said, embracing his friend and dispensing with any kind of formal salute. He boarded the ship.
“All’s well, in any case. Release the moorings!” yelled the Master Flyer. The lines were untied and the air-ship lifted lightly. “Let’s take it up to three klicks, cruising speed,” he ordered the driver. “Helmsman! Route north-east.”
The supply-ship left the Eastern Quay and slowly vanished from sight behind the rocky crags of Mount Smaragd.
Gaman turned toward Master Hèldimak. “This has been the best morning ever!” he exclaimed with a smile.
Fiòrderik seemed to vanish amidst the dense mid-altitude fog. The shadows stretched long across the outer walls sustaining the terraces from which most of the buildings and lookout towers rose. The snow lay atop those imposing structures like a white blanket, while the broad openings in the side of the mountain looked like voracious, hungry mouths swallowing the city whole. Just above the sloping roofs, large balloons of coloured cloth floated silently, languidly moving from one quay to another. Some carried heavy objects or machinery, others served as means of transport. A closer look revealed a myriad of small flying objects taking off and quay here and there, each one a different shape and colour, although the frenetic activity was not enough to overcome an ancient stillness that enveloped the city and spread acrossI the outer chain of high mountains.
Eldur had just stuck his prominent nose in a dusty tome when he heard a knock at the door.
“Don’t wait for a summon,
it’s open, come on in!”
Eira strode in with determined steps. The Master Archivist at the Grìtmabjork Library, she was an expert in both ancient and modern history and had been a member of the Lesser Council for the last few years. “Granddad, you’ve got to help me!” she exclaimed, setting a letter and a box overflowing with doughnuts down on the desk. “Bilosk has announced that he’s going to present to the Council the greatest scientific discovery that Fiòrderik has ever seen!” she announced breathlessly.
The sun had already been up for a while when Nodfri’s alarm clock began screeching. Anyone else who heard the racket would have thought it was one of the quay sirens, but this was the only way Nodfri managed to wake up every morning. He slept so soundly that even dragging him out of bed by force didn’t make him stir. He’d been battling this problem since he was a kid. Still today around the village of Ankad, stories are told about the cacophony that could be heard coming from his house every morning.
Young Gaman burst into Granddad Eldur’s study, the door slamming against the wall. “Granddad, Granddad!” he yelled, running over to him. “There’s no school this morning!” He climbed into the old dwarf’s arms, grabbing his beard.
Eira scolded him. “Gaman! Is that any way to come into Granddad’s study? You know full well that there are very important things in here.”
Eldur let the boy sit on his lap.
Gaman was sitting, as he did every morning, at the end of the Grìtmabjork family’s kitchen table waiting for his breakfast. From that position he could see the stairs to the upper floors. He liked to watch the sleepy faces of his relatives as they came downstairs into the kitchen. This part of his day helped him to get his thoughts in order.
Nodfri had found the strength to get up and sleepily put on his jumpsuit for work when someone tapped at the window. Against the backlight, Nodfri could see the visitor’s silhouette hovering mid-air in an airshot. He shaded his eyes with his hand to try and see the visitor’s face. “Need a lift?” asked the mysterious visitor, giving herself away.
Nodfri recognised the female voice with great pleasure. “Eira!” he exclaimed, coming over to the window. “What a surprise!”
The female dwarf pulled the airshot up next to the windowsill. “Hop in! I’ll drop you off at work today, if you’re not too proud to accept help from a lady.”
Chapter 2
Gaman ran up the steep trail to The Perch. His schoolmates had invited him to go skating on Lake Mistrag, but he thought it would be a waste of time. He had other plans for the day. Nodfri was turning fifty-three and probably wouldn’t receive any gifts, except for the one from Gaman, of course.
Granddad Eldur’s hangar looked dilapidated. The walls had been erected by patching the old walls with wooden boards and scraps from air-ships. Even the roof seemed like it would cave in at any minute, and whenever a strong gust of wind blew, the hangar filled with unsettling creaking sound. This was where Granddad Eldur had taught Gaman the complex discipline of flying. Both of them knew that your beard had to be at least a hand’s breadth long before you could fly an air-ship, but Eldur often said:
Nodfri and Eira crossed the threshold of the old silver mine and climbed into a modern cart. “Let me show you something that I’m sure you’re going to like,” said Nodfri as he pushed a large lever forward. “We’ve adapted the old rails so we can travel more comfortably. These carts move quite fast and can carry very heavy loads.”
Weak blueish artificial light emanating from siranium crystals quickly outshined the blinding daylight as they descended. The temperature also dropped quickly and the air felt heavy. The sound of the metal wheels on the tracks brought to Eira’s mind the world created by the ancient civilisations. The unstoppable urge to explore that had motivated her in the past flooded her like a rushing torrent. She turned towards Nodfri and saw a proud expression on his face. He held the controls like a captain at the helm of an air-ship.
Gaman didn’t know what to do. He felt the time had come to walk out into the open, but Nodfri and Eira had disappeared into the mineshafts and following them on foot would have been impossible. At that moment, he remembered the emergency exit. Nodfri had shown it to him a long time ago for safety reasons, but only now did Gaman realise that it was actually a secondary entrance.
Eira and Nodfri sped across the astounding space, descending gently towards the bottom of the cavern. The monorail ran alongside what from above had seemed to be a slender trickle of water, but up close proved to be a wide torrent flowing across the floor of the cavern. The cart veered behind a spur of rock, and after turning the corner, reached the end of the line next to the wall.
Eira continued her awe-inspiring exploration. “This is a text!” she sputtered, running her finger over an inscription. “And these symbols look like they’re part of a complex alphabet.”
“To be exact,” replied Nodfri, “we’ve classified over a thousand symbols, but we still can’t decipher their meaning.”
The dwarf sounded the cart’s siren twice, then gazed upwards in search of something. Shortly thereafter, another cart came down a fork in the monorail and stopped next to theirs. A dwarf with reddish hair and beard got out of the cart. He swayed as he walked breathlessly over to them.
Nodfri’s face lit up with a marvellous smile. “You don’t know how happy your words have made me. You must promise me, though, that nothing you’ve learnt here today will leave these caverns until we’ve decided to make everything public.”
“Do you mean to say you’re working in secret?” Eira asked, surprised.
Gaman found himself in the largest cavern he’d ever seen. It was so vast he could barely make out the shape and size of the farthest walls. Enormous stalactites hung from the ceiling, creating natural borders that seemed to come from another world. A fine mist partially blocked a subterranean river from view as it agilely wound its way across the floor of the cavern. Gaman had never imagined he’d come across something so spectacular. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it as the single-seater drifted along like a firefly through an immense night sky, when suddenly, a siren sounded, the echo bouncing off the walls.
Nodfri invited Eira to follow him. “The monorail ends here, so we’ve got to continue on foot. The cavern that opens out beyond this one hasn’t got any lighting yet, but I’m sure it’ll impress you as much as this one,” he said with a grin.
As soon as they passed through the stone arch, the noise became deafening. The roar of the waterfall reverberated against the rocks. “So the arch is a doorway leading to another cavern!” exclaimed Eira while Nodfri turned the gear wheel of a soeliok-inflated balloon lift. Skirting the wall, it brought them gently down to the ground. Other than the light coming from Nodfri’s siranium crystal, which provided only a weak glow, the two dwarves were wrapped in darkness.
“I’ll fly in with Captain Rurik!” thought Gaman. “What could I possibly find down there that I haven’t come across already?” That was his final thought before flying through the huge stone arch.
Immediately after flying out past the waterfall, he realised that he’d entered another enormous cavern. He couldn’t fully grasp its actual size, but he could tell from how his racing-ship was handling that it was another very large space. The waterfall roared as it somersaulted down into the shadows. Gaman tried to sense the wind and use it to his advantage, as Granddad Eldur had taught him. He flew a few klicks lower until he was in the slipstream. The inner wall plunged steeply down into the darkness flanked by a mobile platform. “They must’ve come down that way,” he thought as he rode the wind that bounced off the rocky wall.
Eira and Nodfri stood frozen, unable to react. They were in complete and utter darkness. The last thing they’d seen was the stone arch seal itself, cutting off the torrent of water. “What’s happened?” asked Eira, searching for her friend’s hand in the dark.
“I haven’t the foggiest,” replied Nodfri. “But I intend to find out!” He removed the safety latch on a small metal cylinder. A blinding light gleamed between his hands. A balloon popped out and began to inflate, carrying the phosphorescent light up into the air.
Looking at the two of them, Eira realised how strong the bond was between Gaman and Nodfri. Even though she had distanced herself from Nodfri, he and Gaman had continued to spend time together, creating a bond that was stronger than a simple friendship. Nodfri was the father Gaman had never had. The fact that he too wasn’t a blood relative of the Grìtmabjork family made this even clearer.
“You’ve certainly had a rough time of it!” exclaimed Nodfri, looking at the wreckage of Captain Rurik.
“It takes more than that to break a mountain dwarf!” replied Gaman, flexing his muscles.
Chapter 3
Since ancient times, the dwarves had always prepared and then preserved their food to be eaten later during meals, every ingredient expertly cut, cooked and classified as edible by a Master Spicer. This had always been the easiest way to manage winter food supplies and to meet the needs of the people, as every dwarf was capable of ingesting in one day as much as an adult animal could eat in an entire week.
The dining room at the Grìtmabjorks’ house was crowded with heavy wooden tables overlapping every which way and covered with a multitude of containers of various shapes and sizes: glass jars of vegetables and boiled meats, terracotta cruets filled to the brim with sauces in a rainbow of colours, copper receptacles of dried meat and fish… A cauldron of vegetable soup boiled on the hearth fire, and the dwarves served themselves from it using a big iron ladle. Fresh products like eggs, fruit and vegetables were either placed directly on the tables or cooked in specific ovens on the other side of the hearth.
Gaman was thinking about the cavern he’d discovered at the mines when he realised that he’d reached the door to Granddad Eldur’s study. He knew Granddad would be at lunch now. He also knew that he wasn’t ever allowed to go into the study alone. He’d always been incredibly tempted to open that door, but partly out of respect and partly out of fear, he’d never dared to do so without permission.
That evening, a heavy rain fell, soaking the roofs of Fiòrderik, but it didn’t discourage the dwarves from gathering in the square to hear the official news from the Empire read aloud. Kalmot, as Master of Communications, was in charge of keeping the population up to date on recent happenings and had the power to call extraordinary gatherings when necessary. A moment before the first siren of the evening, Kalmot punctually took his place on the stage set up in the main square and spoke through a large amplifier horn.
Over the next several days Eira often went to see Nodfri. She was happy that he’d asked her to help him. Researching the ancient text matched up well with her work at the library. She tirelessly tried to dig up more information about the mysterious language, but every time she seemed close to finding answers, something came up that shattered her theory. The days passed quickly, and when the day before the Master Engineer elections finally arrived, she still hadn’t reached any conclusions.
Eira’s study smelled of paper and flowers. The books were meticulously archived in bookcases. Many of the shelves lining the walls held parchments, and a large historic map of Kélamnkor covered the entire wall opposite the entrance. Eira was seated, engrossed in a large volume, when she heard a vigorous knock at the door.
Gaman had climbed to the top of the highest roof of Grìtmabjork House. The quay dominated the view of the entire capital. On clear days, all the lookout towers could be seen. The sun was slowly setting behind the high peaks of the western frontier and in the fading light, the young dwarf was mourning the loss of his racing-ship. “I never should have put Captain Rurik in danger,” he thought, his chin resting in his hands.
Suddenly, a strange reflection blinded him for an instant. Gaman didn’t pay it much heed. “It’s probably just a window shaking in the wind,” he told himself. The light flashed straight in his eyes once more, this time shimmering rapidly.
Gaman didn’t stop pedalling the whole way. He crossed the steep eastern slopes, passed over the valley and came out onto the western ridge, which was exposed to the last rays of the sun.
The Krowseye was a tall, narrow building. An enlargement of an older tower, it sprang straight from the rocks and soared upwards with a series of terraces facing every direction. When Gaman landed in the narrow courtyard, it was nearly dark and the fact that he was alone made him quite uneasy.
He knocked on the front door, but no one came to open it. A telescope tilted in his direction and then refocused. A cable attached to a sturdy pulley dropped down from a jut in the wall. Gaman looked up. “Erm, shall I come up?” he asked, gripping one of the knots tightly and slipping his foot into the stirrup at the end of the cord. Someone at the top of the building activated the pulley, creakily hauling him up to a small opening above.
Eira spent the rest of the afternoon in her study. Evening soon came to the steep slopes of Mount Smaragd and Fiòrderik abandoned itself to the shadows of nightfall. Just over an hour before the dinner siren, someone knocked on the door. She stood up and opened it, but no one was there. She looked round, curious.
Then she heard a second knock. She could have sworn the sound was coming from inside her study. Knock, knock, she heard again, louder this time. There was no mistaking it, the sound was coming from the wall opposite her desk. She approached the wall, searching for some explanation, and looked at the big framed map of Kélamnkor that Granddad Eldur had given her. “Could it be…?” A metallic clank made her jump.
Nodfri stood up. “I request permission to come up to the podium. I’ve got something to show you all.”
Eldur waved Nodfri forward. While he was preparing to take his place at the podium, Kalmot announced, “Silence, please. I give the floor to the Master of Excavations in the mines, not to mention one of the favoured candidates for Master Engineer. Our esteemed colleague, Master Nodfri!”
Kalmot called for attention again from the podium. “Dear friends! We’ve come through difficult times, but it would appear that finally there is light at the end of the long tunnel we’ve been digging.
Tomorrow, the new Master Engineer is going to be elected. It is also going to be the day that Fiòrderik learns of the discovery that has recently absorbed so much of our energy.
“We’ve worked in secret all these years to give our people hope, to carve out a path leading up to a road that we’d all like to travel together one day. The mountains that surround us have always defined our borders. We love them and we respect them because they’re a part of us. Our very essence is rooted deep in the rock. They remind us that we must stay united. They’ve protected us from wars that have devastated the Peopled Lands in the past.
Chapter 4
The sun had set behind the high peaks of the western frontier by the time Gaman had reached the promontory that was home to the Imperial Archives. The grand courtyard at the front hosted the complex postal system managed by the Falconguild. Gaman tried to stay on track, finding his way by the gleam of his small siranium torch. His floatpack balloon moved awkwardly, pushed by the pedal-propeller. Imperial law forbade free flying at night, and the imposing walls of the building instilled a touch of fear in the darkness. The lack of light made flying more difficult, but Gaman was quite happy to be under cover of darkness when he began to descend and approach one of the service docks.
The Conclave’s meeting came to a close as the sun, still nestled behind the mountains, began to warm Fiòrderik with its first rays. The dwarves got to their feet and shuffled down the steps, quickly emptying the cavern. One by one, all the members slipped into their private passages, disappearing into the city’s meandering subterranean tunnels.
Before leaving, Eldur went over to Nodfri.
“I do not want to be a pest
by asking to see your joy and pride,
but something just won’t let me rest
’til I remove this thorn from my side,”
said the old dwarf politely.
Gaman stood frozen with the envelope in his hand. He still couldn’t believe his eyes. He read the handwritten words on the back of the envelope over and over again, unable to think clearly.
Those two names bounced round his mind without finding any specific connection. Even if he’d never met Ebak and Mira personally, he’d heard their sad story many, many times. They were Mother Eira’s aunt and uncle, but from an older generation, meaning they must have been at least one hundred years old. Gaman hadn’t the strength to open the letter. He couldn’t grasp what it all meant. Why was there a secret compartment in his drawer at the Imperial Archives? Why had this letter been hidden? His mind was flooded with endless questions.
By the time Gaman returned to Grìtmabjork House, he was soaking wet from the heavy rain that had accompanied him all the way home. Mother Eira and Nodfri were of course busy with the election, but his urge to show the letter to someone was overwhelming. He wouldn’t be able to wait until the voting was over.
“Maybe Granddad Eldur…” he thought, rushing to the old dwarf’s study. When he got there, he saw light flickering through the crack under the door. He knocked twice, flung the door open and walked in without waiting for an answer.
The morning siren echoed amidst the high peaks of Kélamnkor. Fiòrderik’s citizens had gathered together and were anxiously waiting in the capital’s large main square. A conical space, carved from a natural amphitheatre, it could host the entire population around the stage that had been set up for the occasion.
The amplifier horns facing the crowd caught every sound on the stage, so that even the furthest spectator could hear. The most zealous dwarves had headed to the polls at sunrise so they could get to the square early and find a good seat.
Chapter 5
Gaman sat sulking on his bed. He couldn’t stop thinking about the letter and he deeply regretted not having told Granddad Eldur everything, even if Kalmot had been there. “I certainly wouldn’t be shut up in my room right now,” he complained aloud, clenching his fists. His resentment of Kalmot was growing stronger. He couldn’t figure out why Kalmot had hidden the letter in the first place, and the burning need to know was becoming uncontrollable. He knew something wasn’t quite right and he would have done anything to learn the truth.
The early afternoon passed quickly in anticipation of the final event. The usual evening wind began to blow lightly from the north. When the High Council’s official air-ship docked over the square, the entire population stood up to show respect. As an active member of the Lesser Council, Eira was fortunate enough to be on personal terms with some of the venerable dwarves whom she held in high esteem.
No amplifier horns were needed when one of the Council members stepped forward to speak. Total silence descended on the square. “The High Council is ready to assess the three candidates’ projects,” said the dwarf. “Let the official presentations begin!”
The Conclave’s secrecy prevented them from publicly exposing Karmak’s terrible actions and Bilosk certainly knew it. “Cursed cowardly imposter,” thought Nodfri as he stared Bilosk straight in the eye. Bilosk and Karmak exchanged conspiratorial smiles. Eira felt overwhelmed by her thoughts. Bilosk had managed to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes and his speech had elegantly made Nodfri his pawn.
“I’d say we’ve dallied long enough,” remarked Bilosk, making the audience hold their breath. “Friends, High Council, with your permission, I have the pleasure of showing you the most incredible flying machine ever built: the Discover-ship.”
Turning to Nodfri, Eira saw that her friend’s gaze was fixed on the Discover-ship. What he was staring at, amidst the ropes and boards of the scaffolding, was Granddad Eldur who, having raised the seat of his mechanical chair, had reached the bridge.
Nodfri and Eira sprinted over to the wooden base. They weren’t the only ones who’d noticed Eldur’s strange behaviour. Kalmot had got to the base first and, with all the agility that his two hundred fifty years would allow, had clambered onto the scaffolding. Seeming to be in some kind of hypnotic trance, he clambered up frantically, clearly focused on catching up to Eldur, though no one could ever have imagined his true intentions.
Chapter 6
The Discover-ship left Fiòrderik, flying rapidly upward. The energy unleashed by the soeliok turned into a constant upward thrust, taking the air-ship uncontrollably high. Eldur busied himself at the control panel trying to curb the ascent. Nodfri felt terrified and clung to the central mast. All the bravery he’d shown just a few minutes earlier had transformed into a chilling awareness of the new situation. They were flying in an air-ship that had never been test-piloted, powered by an experimental mixture that would most explode. His only comfort was the fact that he couldn’t have found himself with a better dwarf to pilot this strange flight. He felt the crisp evening air stinging his face and his stomach knotted and trembling in some part of his body. Endless moments of panic came and went before the Discover-ship stabilised its flight path and caught the air stream of a constant cold wind. The air-ship suddenly stopped jerking and the whistle of the pressure valves gave way to a calm silence.
They remained silent for a long time, trying to make sense of their thoughts and reflect on their strange situation. They’d left the skies of Fiòrderik behind and were sailing on unknown winds at an altitude where the soeliok became so scarce it wouldn’t have kept a child’s balloon up in the air.
“This air-ship is quite formidable!” remarked Nodfri. “You are the sharpest dwarf in the Empire, dear Eldur, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“I’ve always enjoyed getting compliments,
especially from those whom I esteem,
but partial credit for these events
must go to someone who it would seem
we have condemned for dishonesty
while ignoring his role in history.”
The Discover-ship flew silently over Kélamnkor as the three dwarves formulated their plans. Every once in a while Gaman took out the letter from his parents and read the riddle out loud. Then he hugged the letter tightly to his chest and closed his eyes. By now, Nodfri and Eldur had learnt it by heart.
“If it’s true that this riddle put you to sleep,” said Nodfri, getting up from the balustrade, “the person who lost the most thanks to Kalmot’s choices was undoubtedly Eira. I think she would have given half of her library for such a powerful weapon,” he concluded, looking amusedly at Eldur.
Shaking, the Discover-ship descended quickly, riding unfamiliar currents.
“I can’t land, there’s too much turbulence.
Whatever time the wind allows, search hard and intense.
Look for a good position now and hold on as tight as you can.
When the propellers start working the ship’ll dance like hot oil in a pan.”
Eldur’s description couldn’t have been more accurate. As it neared the peak, the Discover-ship began to buck and bounce wildly. For a moment, Nodfri thought it would split apart and the three of them would be hurled down into the sea of fog beneath them. The propellers spun wildly, trying to keep to the flight path. Eldur managed to bring them just a few feet from the peak.
The Discover-ship glided along rapidly in the high blustery winds. They’d just passed Kélamnkor’s Confederate Frontiers and were now flying over a region the dwarves of the Empire called the Neutral Lands.
“How did these mountains come to be so high?” asked Gaman as they neared one of the most imposing summits.
Nodfri was sitting beside him. “Over millennia, the Norkiak mountain chain underwent devastating seismic phenomena that slowly sank the peaks in the centre,” explained the geologist. “And as the inner mountains sank, the outer ones were pushed even higher by the earth’s force until reaching the dizzying altitudes we see today.” Gaman looked at him, amazed.
Chapter 7
The sky was slowly growing light when Gaman awoke. He was lying on the deck and his parents’ letter was stuck to his cheek. He stood up still groggy with sleep. It took a moment for him to remember where he was and a strange sensation made him feel a bit dizzy. Nodfri was splayed out on the deck, still fast asleep.
“Sorry, Granddad. We fell asleep!” said Gaman, holding the letter in his hand. “We still haven’t figured out the second part!”
Granddad Eldur stood at the bridge with a complacent smile on his face, the purplish morning sky reflected in his goggles.
Now the Discover-ship was flying low, flanking the cliffs and heading towards a fjord that seemed to hold Norigia in a protective embrace. The perfect natural defences of the sea to its north and the steep cliffs on either side made the city practically impenetrable. Like stars studding the sky, the grey wood of its buildings rose up out of a mantle of greenery. The houses multiplied vertically all the way up the cliffs, then followed a gentle slope down to a spit of land that shot out into the sea. Large sailing ships were docked in the port, while many others came and went. Only when the Discover-ship came much closer did Gaman realise how big those ships really were. Several piers stretched out into the salt water, surrounded by hundreds of small vessels like so many fish in the sea.
Gaman got down from his granddad’s arms. The smallest of the dwarves was at least twice the size of Uncle Eridur. They had long beards, some hanging freely, others braided and bound at the end with bits of iron.
Suddenly, the crowd parted. Each dwarf that moved to make way in the street knelt down, bowing his or her head and touching the ground with one hand. A dwarf was walking down the long corridor which had opened up in front of Eldur and Gaman. Two guards stopped a few paces in front of them, stiff and proud.
“Present yourselves to our sovereign, the great HelGrov, Sole Emperor of Norigia, who hereby grants you an audience,” they said in unison, kneeling at the emperor’s side.
The entire town gathered to celebrate everything that had happened. The Plains Dwarves were a simple and direct people, perhaps a bit rough in their customs, but extremely hospitable and protective of their cousins. The army busied itself setting up the square with the same efficacy it had previously shown during the supposed attack.
Eldur’s primary concern was the Discover-ship. It had suffered serious damage during the attack and without the tools from Fiòrderik, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to fix it.
“Tell me about the Orkran,” Nodfri said to the Emperor. “We know about your plans to create a common army.”
HelGrov placed a hand on his shoulder. “The Civilands Army is the only way!” exclaimed the Emperor rather proudly. “We’re in open war!
“In the beginning, they only crept out of their lairs at night. Then, they started moving in the day, too, and always in increasing numbers. Many of my soldiers have lost their lives to the Orkran’s terrible claws. They fight like animals, snarling and roaring, but they’re astute and well organised.
Appendices
This index offers a brief description of each place, name and character in the story. It is not a summary of everything in the text, just the essential characteristics.
Air-ship [means of transport]
As a flying means of passenger transport, there are many different versions: school-ship, public-ship, Imperial Air-ship, etc.
Airshot [means of transport]
A fast, light air-ship; Eira’s was modified by Eldur, a two-seater she loves to fly along Fiòrderik’s most scenic routes.
Ankad [place]
A small village in the outskirts of Fiòrderik; Nodfri’s birthplace.
Bilosk [character]
One of the three candidates for Master Engineer, determined to win the election. Rich and powerful, he has a personal campaign-ship.
Bollard [technical term]
A large metal mushroom anchored in the ground of the air-ship docking quays and used for tying the docking air-ships’ ropes round.
Campaign-ship [means of transport]
A small air-ship used for official announcements that usually has a large amplifier horn on the prow, connected to the bridge. Bilosk has a personal one that he shamelessly uses to promote himself during public events.
Captain Rurik [means of transport]
Gaman’s small, fast and agile single-seater racing-ship.
Civilands Army [institution]
Established by HelGrov, Sole Emperor of the dwarves, this is the first army to ever have united all the peoples of the Peopled Lands in their shared goal of destroying the Orkran.
Cleat [technical term]
A metal device installed on the decks of air-ships to which ropes are attached for docking.
Confederate Frontiers [place]
Peaceful borders that were established during the Confederation of the People, a treaty between all the peoples of the Peopled Lands. All the Mountain Dwarves adhered to the treaty, making the Confederate Frontiers of Kélamnkor official.
Dakòriak [place]
A mythical city built by ancient dwarves thousands of years ago, it is said to be hidden in the depths of the earth inside Fiòrderik’s caverns.
Discover-ship [means of transport]
A secret air-ship was created by Bilosk, a candidate to become Fiòrderik’s Master Engineer. Nothing is known about the project except that it seems to be a revolutionary air-ship.
Dragon [animal]
A legendary ancient animal of unknown origins. All the peoples of the Peopled Lands know about dragons, but no one remembers the last time one was actually seen. It is said that dragons produce soeliok, the light gas that enables the dwarves to fly air-ships in Kélamnkor.
Dukà [place]
An important city in Kélamnkor, home of the prestigious school of geology that Nodfri attended.
Dwarf Empire [place]
The Dwarflands extend from the western plains of Norigia, capital city of the empire, to the eastern part of the Norkiak mountain chain, inside of which is Kélamnkor, the region inhabited by the Mountain Dwarves.
Dwarflands [place]
See: “Dwarf Empire”.
Eastern Quay [place]
The quay that faces the eastern edge of Half Harbour Square. Managed by Master Hèldimak, it’s one of Fiòrderik’s main quays.
Ebak Grìtmabjork [character]
Uncle of Eira Grìtmabjork, he was working on an experimental project to find soeliok beyond Kélamnkor when he suddenly disappeared along with his wife, Mira Grìtmabjork.
Eira Grìtmabjork [character]
She’s a fifty-year-old Mountain Dwarf and Gaman’s adoptive mother. As the Master in charge of the Gritmabjork Library, she’s an expert in history and ancient languages. Her authoritative character has made her one of the youngest-ever members of the Lesser Council.
Eldur Grìtmabjork [character]
Granddad Eldur is the oldest member of the Grìtmabjork family. He’s 296 years old and is a Master Alchemist, Engineer and Pilot. His recent studies have led him to discover a new form of energy. He’s been speaking in rhyme for over a century.
Eridur Grìtmabjork [character]
Uncle of Eira Grìtmabjork, he’s the largest dwarf in Fiòrderik, two hand-spans taller than an average Mountain Dwarf and weighing at least twice as much.
Falconguild [institution]
Ancient organisation that trains and uses falcons to manage the post and trade relations between the Plains and Mountain Dwarves.
Fathomless Conclave [institution]
A secret organisation that cannot be found in Fiòrderik’s official records. Led by Master Kalmot, it handles research and keeps that research and other discoveries secret.
Fiòrderik [place]
The Mountain Dwarves’ capital city. Surrounded by an insurmountable mountain chain, Fiòrderik is at the centre of Kélamnkor, the region inhabited by the Mountain Dwarves, who were able to adapt to cold, snowy, inhospitable places. They built their homes there and use soeliok to move from one peak to another with their air-ships.
Floatpack [means of transport]
A rucksack attached to a soeliok-filled balloon that lightens the weight of the person wearing it to make it easier to get around. If the balloon is big, the wearer can use a pedal-propeller to fly short distances.
Flycycle [means of transport]
A means of transport with pedals attached to a soeliok-filled balloon. The Mountain Dwarves use it to go up the steep slopes of Kélamnkor. It’s Nodfri’s favourite way to get around.
Fonurik [place]
A desolate region in the northern part of Kélamnkor. It’s so large that it can be seen with the naked eye from the lookout towers.
Gaman Grìtmabjork [character]
An eight-year-old Mountain Dwarf who doesn’t know who his birth parents are. He lives at Grìtmabjork House with his adoptive family. Curious and enterprising, he’s an aspiring pilot.
Glaverbak [character]
An athletic and charismatic Mountain Dwarf, he’s an actor who narrates and presents all the events in Fiòrderik.
Glorak [place]
An imposing glacier close to the Neutral Lands, famous for its enormous expanse of ice.
Great Plain [place]
A region beyond the Norkiak mountain chain. Norigia, the capital city of the Plains Dwarves, is towards its north-western border. Towards its southern border are Greenreach and Borgobrandj, the land of the Indonuim, while to the east is Glendark, land of Men.
Greater Council [institution]
Kélamnkor’s most important political body after the High Council, in charge of leading and coordinating the Lesser Council’s tasks.
Grìtmabjork [family]
The Grìtmabjork family is one of the oldest families in Fiòrderik, the capital city of the Mountain Dwarves. It’s Gaman’s adoptive family and includes Eira, Eldur, Granddad Sebat, Uncle Eridur, as well as all their children, grandchildren, cousins, etc.
Grìtmabjork House [place]
A large house located on one of Fiòrderik’s highest promontories. Eira, Eldur, Gaman, Eridur and all the rest of the Grìtmabjork family live there.
Grìtmabjork House dining room [place]
The beating heart of Grìtmabjork House, where the whole family comes together to share lively, abundant meals.
Grìtmabjork Library [luogo]
This library houses thousands of volumes and boasts one of the best collections Fiòrderik has ever had. The large central hall is lit by hundreds of siranium crystals, while the inner rooms are underground caverns with very high ceilings that can be reached using soeliok-filled balloons.
Half-elves [race]
People who inhabit the eastern parts of the Peopled Lands.
Half Harbour Square [place]
One of Fiòrderik’s many squares, it faces the eastern edge of the city and is home to one of the highest quays. Buildings border only half of it, and the longest side opens onto a sheer drop, perfect for aircraft to take off, land and dock.
Hèldimak [character]
The guardian of the Eastern Quay, Hèldimak is a 187-year-old dwarf, missing some of his teeth and nearly all his hair. He’s in charge of all the Fiòrderik trading vessel timetables and transit.
HelGrov [character]
Sole Emperor of the Dwarf Lands, he’s an authoritative and charismatic dwarf, with a disposition that leads him to be very hostile towards anyone and anything that threatens his people.
High Council [institution]
The most important political organisation in Fiòrderik, it’s made up of the wisest dwarves in the empire and is responsible for guaranteeing balance in the Mountain Dwarves’ society.
Imperial Air-ship [means of transport]
An air-ship belonging to the High Council of the Mountain Dwarves. It’s not very fast but it can remain in flight for an entire hour without refuelling with soeliok.
Imperial Archives [place]
The place where the information about every dwarf’s life, not just those from the capital but throughout all of Kélamnkor, is stored. It’s also the Falconguild’s logistical centre. The falcons trained in Norigia take off from and land in the large courtyard in front of the Archives.
Inner Fiòrderik [place]
All the Mountain Dwarves’ cities have an internal area carved out of the rock. The ancient communities lived in the caverns in the heart of the mountain. Only after centuries had passed and they discovered soeliok, did the dwarves begin to build their cities outside and on top of the rocks. Inner Fiòrderik is huge and stretches through a series of gigantic caverns that house areas of production, smithies and many of the schools. Nodfri found his house in this area when he moved to the capital.
Kali Grìtmabjork [character]
Wife of Granddad Sebat, she works with him in the astronomy observatory.
Karmak [character]
The Master Flyer of the supply-ship. A small sinewy dwarf with a thick curly red beard, he’s very good friends with Hèldimak. He becomes Nodfri’s right-and man in the excavations at the old mines.
Kélamnkor [place]
The region where the Mountain Dwarves live, surrounded by the impassable Norkiak mountain chain. Fiòrderik is the capital city.
Klick [technical term]
A unit of measurement used in flight by the Mountain Dwarves to indicate altitude.
Kromak [element]
Called cromanchium by Men, kromak is a legendary alloy, the most resistant material ever known in the Peopled Lands.
Krowseye [place]
This building is an expansion of an old lookout tower. Mèlkam the Watcher has lived here as a recluse for many years.
Krowsnest [place]
Rising from Half Harbour Square, one of the highest quays in Fiòrderik, this tower is managed by Master Hèldimak. The supply-ship traffic docking and taking off from the square is monitored from the top of it.
Lake Mistrag [place]
A high mountain lake in Fiòrderik. Often iced over, it’s the young Mountain Dwarves’ favourite place to go ice skating.
Last Eastern Outpost [place]
The furthest outpost the Falconguild can reach from Norigia. Beyond it, the insurmountable peaks of the Norkiak mountain chain begin.
Lesser Council [institution]
One of Kélamnkor’s political organisations, it’s in charge of deliberating issues and organising action based on and defined by the Greater Council (which answers to the High Council).
Lookout Tower [place]
These towers are observation points that guarantee the safety of Kélamnkor by monitoring the movements of dangerous animals, spotting fires or incoming storms.
Master Craftsman [title]
Skilled artisans who do many jobs and are an indispensable part of dwarf society and livelihood.
Master Engineer [title]
The most revered office in Fiòrderik, the Master Engineer organises the capital city’s scientific production and technological research for fifty years.
Master Falconer [title]
A dwarf specialised in the complexities of falconry, such as breeding and training falcons, organising trade and postal services and managing the outposts.
Master Flyer [title]
The highest title bestowed upon dwarves specialised in the art of flying. The Master Flyer is in charge of every air-ship and must be well versed in every aspect of air navigation.
Master Healer [title]
Even if Mountain Dwarves hardly ever get sick, the Master Healers play an important role doing research to ensure that the dwarves stay so robust and long-living. They possess extensive knowledge of anatomy and study the history of all illnesses throughout the Peopled Lands.
Master Spicer [title]
Traditionally, in Kélamnkor, dwarves prepare and preserve most of their food to eat later at meal times. Every ingredient is expertly cut, cooked, preserved and classified as edible by the Master Spicers.
Mèlkam the Watcher [character]
One of Fiòrderik’s guards, he lives alone as a recluse, locked away in the Krowseye, hiding the secret of Gaman’s origins.
Men [race]
The Realm of Men is located to the east of the Great Plain, beyond the Dwarf Empire. The capital city is Glendark,governed by one of the most powerful women in all the Peopled Lands, Queen Glorden.
Minelands [place]
This subterranean place is where the dwarves dig to extract silver and other precious materials. Active for centuries, the mines house an important archeological discovery.
Mira Grìtmabjork [character]
Wife of Ebak Grìtmabjork, she disappeared with her husband in an attempt to cross the Norkiak mountain chain.
Misty Hollow [place]
A region outside of Kélamnkor, recognisable from afar because it’s always covered in fog. Mount Star rises up through the fog there.
Mount Inekag [place]
One of the Norkiak mountain chain’s highest peaks, they say that the oldest of all the dragons, the guardian dragon, took flight from its peak. Legend goes that he woke all the younger dragons from hibernation and led their migration into the east.
Mount Smaragd [place]
An extremely steep mountain at the centre of Kélamnkor, also called Mount Emerald. It’s the mountain Fiòrderik is built upon.
Mount Star [place]
One of the mountains visible in the Misty Hollow, a region beyond Kélamnkor. It can be seen from afar only by using the most powerful lenses from the lookout towers.
Mountain Dwarves [race]
Cousins of the Plains Dwarves, they were confined to Kélamnkor by a geological event thousands of years ago. The immense mountain chain that surrounds them, Norkiak, is so high that it’s utterly insurmountable. The Mountain Dwarves trade and communicate with their cousins by falcon and even if they can’t meet physically, they are faithful to their ancient bond and acknowledge HelGrov’s imperial authority.
Neutral Lands [place]
This mountainous region is home to the highest peaks in the Norkiak chain. It separates Kélamnkor from the lands of the Plains Dwarves. It is called Neutral in the Empire because no dwarf can reach it, so it is left ungoverned.
Nodfri [character]
A fifty-three-year-old Mountain Dwarf, he’s the Master Geologist. He’s head of the project at the diggings in Fiòrderik’s silver mines and discovered the ruins of an ancient civilisation. He’s afraid of flying and suffers from a strange condition that makes it nearly impossible to wake him up.
Nodfri’s House [place]
Located amongst the rocky roofs of inner Fiòrderik, Nodfri’s house is designed to solve its only inhabitant’s unique problem with waking up.
Norigia [place]
The capital city of the Dwarf Empire, located on a gentle slope that drops off into the North Sea. Protected by steep cliffs on both sides, it faces a busy seaport full of trading ships and owns the largest battle fleet in the Peopled Lands.
Norkiak, mountain chain [place]
The insurmountable mountain chain that surrounds Kélamnkor, it keeps the Mountain Dwarves trapped within its confines.
North Sea [place]
The sea opposite Norigia, the capital city of the Plains Dwarves. It marks the northern shores of the Dwarf Empire and the Realm of Men.
Orkran [race]
Gigantic beings, half human and half animal, they live in the depths of the Earth. They only come to the surface to hunt or when they feel threatened. They’re astute, well organised and ferocious fighters.
Outpost [place]
Buildings in the remotest places of the mountains, built to help the Falconguild in the difficult task of transporting messages and other falconry logistics.
Peopled Lands [place]
This place comprises all the known places in the Soeliok world.
Plains Dwarves [race]
Cousins of the Mountain Dwarves, they are skilled warriors and expert sailors. Their society is based on war and trade. Norigia is their capital city and they’re governed by HelGrov, Sole Emperor of all the dwarves.
Rakel Grìtmabjork [character]
One of the Grìtmabjork family elders.
Sebat Grìtmabjork [character]
One of Kélamnkor’s top astronomy experts. Together with his wife, Kali, he manages Fiòrderik’s astronomy observatory.
Simak [character]
One of the oldest members of the Grìtmabjork family.
Siranium crystals [element]
Siranium is an element the Mountain Dwarves extract from the depths of the earth. After crystallising in an area rich in soeliok, it emanates a bluish light when tapped.
Soeliok [element]
An extremely light gas is said to be produced by dragons when they breathe. The Mountain Dwarves have learnt to keep it in their air-ships’ balloons and use it to move around Kélamnkor.
Supply-ship [means of transport]
Enormous means of transport used to carry supplies within Kélamnkor.
The Perch [place]
A high isolated hill with a flat summit, it’s a perfect mooring and home to various technical buildings, repair shops and workshops. Gaman keeps his single-seater racing-ship, “Captain Rurik’, hidden in Granddad Eldur’s workshop on The Perch.
Valdkor [character]
One of the dockworkers at Half Harbour Square under the leadership of Master Hèldimak.
Vernok [place]
One of the largest cities in Kélamnkor after Fiòrderik. It produces excellent beer, various types of flour and the best dried meats in all the Mountain Dwarves’ land.
Thanks to my parents, Emanuela and Antonio, who allowed me to have new kinds of artistic experiences every day without limiting or judging me.
Thanks to my sisters, Francesca and Caterina, for their endless re-readings, interminable chats and precious help in defining the characters.
Thanks to my wife, Laura, for always being my inspiration. I began to write this book to win her heart, but over the years, it was she who won mine.
Thanks to my little Arianna, merciless with her feedback, but in love with life. She reminds me every day how important it is to remain children.
Thanks to my little Samuele. Catching his eye and glimpsing ar smile from him is the best gift I could ever wish to receive.
Thanks to Davide, my partner at ZoneCreative, who came along with me on this mad journey with no return. If I’m the pilot of this absurd air-ship, then he certainly is the one keeping it afloat.
Daniele Barioglio was born in 1976 in Biella, Italy. He’s always loved stories and every form of art, and has worked with various disciplines and forms of communication.
In 2001, he graduated in Scenography from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, presenting a thesis entitled “How to Create a Fantasy World’, and began writing the Soeliok trilogy, which he finished in 2019.
In 2011, he founded the communications agency ZoneCreative, where he works as creative director. His passion for stories has led him to become a film director and track the artistic development of all the agency’s projects.
