"When the Crown Constellation bows to the eclipse, three shall rise from one blood to claim the shattered throne of God."
A companion reference for readers navigating the world of Anurzil. Characters, kingdoms, magic, and key terms, all in one place.
This guide contains light references to story events but avoids major spoilers. Best used alongside your reading or as a refresher between sessions.
The King of Woe unfolds through three rotating perspectives. Each carries a distinct voice, a separate thread of the story, and a different window into the world of Anurzil.
The world of Anurzil is divided among human kingdoms, elven realms, and dwarven holds, all bound by fragile treaties that trace back to the Reckoning seventeen hundred years ago. The current year is 1724 A.R. (After the Reckoning).
The central city-state and seat of King Marcus and Queen Sandrella Nalbaveli. A city of contrasts: the Golden District gleams with wealth while Lowmoor festers with crime, corruption, and trafficking. Ancient Anuryan tunnels and temples lie beneath its streets. Palencia is the political heart of the Alliance.
A northern mountain kingdom ruled by Lord Thomas Connelly, Casey's father. Cold, harsh, and unyielding. Known for its hardy mountain infantry, cavalry, and as the seat of old Templar orders. Thomas is called 'The Snowbear.'
A western desert kingdom. King Halrik was poisoned at the Feast of Unity; his son Bryndyn now sits the throne. Allied with radical Dark Elf factions. The primary antagonist nation in the coming war.
Swamp territory between Palencia and Gothume. Neutral by preference, not principle. Survives through negotiation and making itself valuable as a partner to all sides. Central theater in the gathering conflict.
A southeastern kingdom with river cavalry and a powerful fleet. Admiral Castellan commands its naval forces. A riverland culture.
A guild-ruled merchant island west of Arceneaux. Wealth, trade, and political maneuvering define its culture. The Compact, its governing charter, was formalized centuries ago.
A dwarven kingdom organized by a four-guild political structure. Home of Nobeletti, the master smith. Split during the Dwarven Sundering into two factions.
The conservative dwarven realm. Exists in tension with progressive Bhulkuhm. The Sundering (655-702 A.R.) divided their people along ideological lines.
An eastern kingdom. Master Tao's homeland. A culture of discipline and restraint.
Realm of the Light Elves.
Realm of the Wood Elves, settled during the Great Birthing.
Realm of the Dark Elves. Honor Hold, a fortress of the old Alliance, is garrisoned here. Under Dark Elf control after Bharydyr's uprising.
All magic in Anurzil derives from three fundamental forces:
Important: Death magic (Vuidwyn's domain) is not Una. Death is order, certainty, proper passage. Una predates and transcends any single divine domain.
Every living being has seven Gates along the body's meridian. In most people, all seven remain closed. Gates cannot be trained open beyond one's natural limit. Every Gate exacts a physical cost when used. Push too far, and the body breaks.
| Gate | Name | Location | Element | Powers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | Mul-Geth | Base of spine | Earth | Stone shaping, tremors, armor |
| Navel | Van-Geth | Below navel | Water | Ice, healing, drowning, blood |
| Solar Plexus | Sol-Geth | Stomach | Fire | Flame, combustion, heat |
| Heart | Ar-Geth | Chest | Air | Wind, flight, sound, breath |
| Throat | Thal-Geth | Neck | Light | Illusions, veils, fear |
| Third Eye * | Elan-Geth | Forehead | Mind | Telepathy, dream-walking |
| Crown * | Seth-Geth | Top of head | Will | Telekinesis, force, sorcery |
* Third Eye and Crown Gates are inborn only. You are born with them open, or you never have them. They cannot be learned or trained. Sorcerers are individuals who possess a Crown Gate, mage abilities, and mastery of the ancient Anuryan language. They are extremely rare.
A crystalline substance imbued with Anu power. Extremely rare and valuable. Used in weapons, artifacts, constructs, and fortifications. Anurilite cannot be created by current civilization, only recovered from ancient Anuryan sites. Nobeletti's Drakanum armor uses Anurilite wind-glyphs for flight.
Fragments of the benevolent god Anuri's Crown, shattered and scattered across Anurzil seventeen hundred years ago. Each Jewel is an Anu battery with focused powers. They are not prisons or cages. They are not sentient.
Allows safe multi-wielding and synchronization of multiple Jewels.
Sickly violet light. Found in mines beneath Gothume.
Hidden at an ancient fortress. Target of a major quest.
Hidden somewhere in the east, among cherry blossom trees.
Hidden in the great forests of the Wood Elves.
Hidden not where, but when. Connected to beings outside of time.
Hidden in a mountain monastery in remote peaks.
The prophecy speaks of three who will rise from one blood to claim these Jewels and crown a god. The question is not whether the Crown will be assembled, but whose hand will lay the final jewel.
The divine order of Anurzil is anchored by two primordial beings and served by six lesser gods. Their influence shapes everything from daily prayer to the cosmic conflict driving the story.
The benevolent creator god. His Crown was shattered during the Reckoning. He has slept for seventeen hundred years. Waking him is the hope of those who serve harmony and order.
Imprisoned in the Reliquary since the Undead War. She is chaos and entropy. The Seventh Seal cult seeks to free her, believing her promises of deliverance.
Death is order, certainty, proper passage. Vuidwyn himself is not an antagonist. His radical followers corrupt his message, seeking to elevate him above all other gods.
Goddess of healing, growth, and renewal. Gabe serves as her Paladin. Jamie is a devout follower.
Associated with nature, protection, and purification. Drix practices Navea-leaning druidic rites.
Six total beneath Anuri, governing various domains. The six crystal torches at Archmage Veridian's funeral, one for each god, reflect this divine hierarchy.
A guide to the names and terms you will encounter most often. Where pronunciation is not intuitive, a phonetic approximation is provided.
| Term | Pronunciation | Term | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anurzil | ah-NUR-zil | Palencia | pah-LEN-see-ah |
| Anuri | ah-NUR-ee | Albanor | AL-bah-nor |
| Unari | oo-NAR-ee | Gothume | go-THOOM |
| Anu | AH-noo | Arceneaux | AR-seh-no |
| Una | OO-nah | Nalduval | nal-DOO-val |
| Ana | AH-nah | Bhulkuhm | BOOL-koom |
| Anurilite | ah-NUR-ih-lite | Zarakduhm | ZAR-ak-doom |
| Anuryan | ah-NUR-ee-an | Naurozil | NOW-ro-zil |
| Enzo Nalbaveli | EN-zo nal-bah-VEL-ee | Nobeletti | no-beh-LET-ee |
| Everett Wren | EV-er-ett Ren | Kuranta | koo-RAN-tah |
| Casey Connelly | KAY-see CON-uh-lee | Drakanum | DRAK-ah-num |
| Lyralei | LEER-ah-lay | Mul-Geth | MOOL-geth |
| Bharydyr | bah-RID-eer | Van-Geth | VAN-geth |
| Bryndyn | BRIN-din | Sol-Geth | SOL-geth |
| Nyssa | NISS-ah | Ar-Geth | AR-geth |
| Vuidwyn | VWEE-dwin | Thal-Geth | THAL-geth |
| Aydwyn | AYD-win | Elan-Geth | eh-LAN-geth |
| Navea | nah-VAY-ah | Seth-Geth | SETH-geth |