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Glossary of
Vardalon

Hover over the stars to read more about the different parts of the fantasy world where The Elemental Saga and Stories of Gereon takes place.

This page has SPOILERS for both series.

Peoples & Species

Aerite

The winged people of Aurora. Aerites are born with wings extending from their shoulder blades and can fly from a young age. Their wings come in different colours — white is common in the royal family. The ability to fly is tied to the magic of Aurora itself: the Cloud Keepers require a winged monarch to function, and if the ruler has no wings, Aurora’s magic weakens. 

Undate (Water People / Water Folk)

The people of the ocean — mermaids and mermen, in simpler terms. Undates have human-like upper bodies and a fish tail from the waist down in their natural form. Their skin tends to be pale (sometimes near-translucent) and their hair can be white or near-white. They can breathe in both water and air. When on dry land for extended periods without bathing, their legs itch unbearably. Undates come from underwater cities, primarily Navalis, Syreni, and Damla. 

Stone Troll

A humanoid race with thick, bark-like skin, dark hair, and green eyes. Stone trolls are shorter than aerites and humans. They are forest-dwellers and natural healers — the gift of feeling others’ pain, and drawing from the earth to heal, runs through their bloodlines. Their magic is earth-based. Stone trolls live in family units and have a strong sense of community. Wystan and his family (Wana, Terra, Lore) are stone trolls.

Nymph

Small, magical beings who live within trees and forests. Nymphs are deeply connected to nature and have plant-based magic — they can grow flowers, make things bloom, and work with earth energies. They live in the enchanted forest kingdom of Fayline, hidden by magic. Those without nymph blood are stripped of their magical abilities when they drink nymph wine. King Aage is the nymph king; Flika, his daughter, was a nymph princess and Pyrros’s bond.

Dragon

Large, winged, fire-breathing creatures who live in communities called Dales (the dragon community in the books is Dragondale). Most dragons eat meat, value physical strength, and view fighting as a mark of worth. Adult dragons settle into a permanent colour. Baby and young dragons shift through colours as they find their ‘aura match.’ Pyrros is the anomaly — he never settles, he is vegetarian, and he is gentle. Neve is a red dragon. Phoetria, Pyrros’s mother, is indigo.

Centaur

Half-human, half-horse beings. They appear in Armaldo’s fog city working the fields, and in small mentions throughout. Cecil, a centaur, attends Moira’s coronation.

Human

Humans in Vardalon are numerous — a single human city can hold more people than all of Aurora combined. They are divided into twelve kingdoms, each with their own king. They cannot fly, breathe underwater, or use magic as readily as the other races, but they are powerful warriors and politically complex. Gereon is the main human city in the series. Humans have a historical prejudice against non-human beings. 

Phoenix

Rare, near-extinct magical birds of immense power. Their feathers are the strongest of the five Cloud Keepers. Three hundred years before the series, the Mage Supreme began harvesting phoenixes to fuel his immortality, nearly wiping them out. A phoenix appears to Moira after Pyrros’s death in Book 4, giving her his gemstone — a deeply significant act. 

Chevolant

Winged horses — the flight mounts of aerites. Each chevolant has a distinct personality and speed. Moira’s personal chevolant is named Caol. The royal stable has others including Siathan and Fales. Chevolant feathers are one of the five Cloud Keepers of Aurora.

Basilith

Large cave-dwelling creatures encountered in Book 5. They are protective of their young and capable of communicating — Lumi can translate their sounds. A mother basilith helps Wystan and Mari navigate dangerous mountain territory in exchange for Wystan healing her injured young.

Chim Scintillans

The people of the mountain kingdom of Chim. Scintillans look largely human but are stronger and have shimmering, crystalline skin that sparkles in sunlight. They are highly sensitive to sunlight and can burn easily without protection, though they use sunscreen to tolerate brief periods outdoors. They have a high metabolism and eat a great deal to sustain it, and their kind rarely has more than one or two children. Most Chimians have copper-coloured hair. Scintillans are famed gem hunters and miners; Chim’s mountains are rich with gemstones and gold, and the kingdom supplies nearly all iron and steel to the countries of Vardalon. Rorik Ironhold is a Chim scintillans.

Dryad

Tree spirits who live within ancient trees, becoming one with the bark. Dryads appear human-like but have green skin, leaf-grown hair, and vine-patterned skin that serves as both clothes and second skin. They have powerful tree magic, including the ability to curse others. A dryad named Karya lives in the willow tree of the royal gardens in Gereon, unknown to the royal family for many years. Dryads can transfer a ‘tree curse’ through a kiss, slowly transforming a human into a tree. They are deeply connected to their host tree and seek a new one as their tree ages.

Sprite

Tiny, mischievous forest creatures, not even knee-height to an adult human. Sprites have pale green, near-translucent skin, gossamer wings, large dark eyes, round baby-like faces, paw-like feet, and three long fingers on each hand. They communicate in rhyming singsong verse. Sprites cannot create food but can conjure natural forest resources like water and berries. They love sweets and baked goods above all things, and will help those who bribe them with treats. They are prone to pranking those who arrive empty-handed. Breezywhisk, of the Jinglethorn clan, is a sprite who helps Tristan in the Realm of Shadows storyline.

Unicorn

Magical horses with spiraling golden horns, found in herds (called a hoard) in the forests near Gereon. Their coats shimmer golden in sunlight, and their manes flow like spun silk. Unicorn hairs are rare magical ingredients—they cannot be taken, only freely given by the unicorn itself. Unicorns appear to sense the character of those who approach them.

Firepony

A horse capable of setting itself on fire. Whether it can project fire outward is uncertain, but contact with one will burn. Mentioned by Orson as an example of fire-capable creatures beyond dragons.

The Mountain Witch

An ancient, terrifying witch who lives deep within the Nocny Mountains. She speaks in riddles and backwards utterances, has long crooked black fingernails and ice-blue eyes, and controls powerful storm magic. 

Crystalwing Falcon

A rare magical falcon with wings that shimmer like diamonds in the light, native to Silenda. Crystalwing falcons can cause people to involuntarily reveal their secrets — though making one use this ability is exceptionally difficult and happens only on the bird’s terms. They are notably silent in flight. Shade is a crystalwing falcon given to Tristan Arrington by Orson.

Inferno Harrier

A crimson-and-black magical bird the size of a falcon, with eyes like burning coals. Inferno harriers can shoot fire and are aggressive to those they do not know. Blaze is an inferno harrier kept in the royal aviary by Orson.

Magnetite Magpie

A black magical magpie with lilac eyes that glints in the sunlight. Enya is Rorik Ironhold’s magnetite magpie, which he uses in the Avian Tournament.

Shadow Serpentar

Among the rarest birds in Vardalon. Part bird, part serpent — it has no legs, but a long serpentine body that it wraps around surfaces, with black feathered wings and a sharp eagle-like beak, but snake-like eyes. The shadow serpentar can enter the shadow void and become intangible (its famous ‘void dive’), reappearing directly beside its prey. A single drop of its venom can fell a human. Too dangerous to house in a standard aviary, it competed in the Avian Tournament but was not permitted to use its void ability during the sprint.

Emerald Quetzal

A small green magical bird, about the size of a pigeon, whose plumage allows it to blend seamlessly into any foliage and become virtually invisible in forest settings. It also has the ability to confuse its prey.

Cloudlace Raptor

A magical bird from Aurora, seen at the Avian Tournament. Details beyond its origin are limited.

Tidal Heron

A magical bird with the ability to manipulate small bodies of water, pulling fish to the surface.

Golden Plover

A magical bird that can concentrate sunlight into a brief, blinding flash to daze its prey.

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Magic Systems

Elemental Magic

The magic system at the heart of the series. Four elements — Air, Water, Fire, and Earth — each have a dominant magical domain, and every being with magic aligns with one. The Elementals are special individuals who carry the full power of their element, chosen by a process tied to the ancient twins Ea and Ei.

• Air: Movement and soul magic. Air Elementals can fly, control wind, and enter the soul world — a plane of darkness where souls appear as coloured lights
• Water: Transformation and change magic. Water Elementals can transform bodies (giving legs or fins), control water, create and alter matter
• Fire: Destruction and protection magic. Fire Elementals can burn, destroy, and defend
• Earth: Healing, growth, and creation magic. Earth Elementals can heal bodies, make things grow, create shields

The Soul World

A plane accessible through air magic, where souls appear as coloured lights against darkness. Moira can enter it consciously and use it to locate, sense, and interact with the magic of others. Each person’s magic has a distinct colour — Moira’s is golden-yellow, Nerida’s is blue, Edarin’s is orange, and Ei/Armaldo’s is an oily, pulsating black.

Nymph Wine

A potent cobalt-blue alcoholic drink produced by nymphs. It has two relevant properties: it is significantly stronger than regular wine, and it temporarily strips the drinker of their magical abilities. Those with nymph blood are unaffected. Moira uses this as a key weapon against Armaldo in The Stolen Souls, stripping him of his power and allowing her to defeat him. Moira swears off it after one incident of being caught without her magic when she needed it. 

The Cloud Keepers

The five enchanted objects that hold Aurora’s floating cliffs aloft. They are: the phoenix feather (the most powerful, held in a painting in the castle), the dragon eggshell (held in a statue in the courthouse), the nymph leaf (held in the nymph tree at the University), the chevolant feather (held in a manger in Medicus), and the ruler’s lock of hair (held in the fountain at Waterfall Square). When Cloud Keepers are stolen, Aurora begins to fall. All five must be in place and the ruler must have wings for the magic to hold.

The Elemental Sceptre

Also called the Sceptre of Destruction. An ancient weapon capable of breaking anything — including the source of Armaldo’s power over his monsters. It was held by the First Tier of Navalis and retrieved by Moira and the group in The Hidden Scepter. Illustrated on the cover of a thick tome Edarin produces.

Portals

Portal magic is a water elemental ability. Edarin uses it, Nerida learns it, and Moira gains the ability after absorbing Armaldo’s power. Portals appear as a glowing circle — dark golden-yellow in Moira’s magic. They require concentration and the ability to visualise the destination. In Stories of Gereon, a portal to the shadow realm can also be constructed through a non-magical ritual using specific ingredients (see: Shadow Realm Portal, below).

Truth Serum

A potion that forces the drinker to answer all questions honestly for a set period. It cannot be fought — the truth emerges despite the drinker’s attempts to hold it back.

Love Potion

A potion that creates artificial romantic feelings. It must be regularly administered to maintain its effect—without repeated doses, withdrawal sets in, causing physical illness. 

The Stone of Shadows

A smooth, oval gemstone, black with shimmering emerald green flecks, that appears to emit a faint wisp of smoke. Found by Will Park in a dragon’s cave in the Nocny Mountains. The stone grants its user intangibility—making them invisible, inaudible, untouchable, and unsmellable—by cloaking them in shadows. It communicates telepathically with its chosen master, calling them ‘master,’ and only speaks to the one it has bonded with. The stone craves adventure and encourages use. Overuse leaves dark shadow-marks on the user’s skin—spreading from the palm up the arm—and risks pulling the user permanently into the shadow realm. The previous master of the stone disappeared into the shadow realm and never returned. 

The Stone of Light

Also called the Illuminator. A white oval stone with red veins, twin and opposite to the Stone of Shadows. Forged in a forgotten age alongside its brother stone. The Stone of Light reveals what is hidden, heals those touched by darkness, and—most critically—is the only known way to open a passage into the shadow realm. Its last known guardian was a witch of great avarice who hid it in a realm beyond the physical world. In Realm of Shadows, the group must retrieve it in order to rescue Will.

The Shadow Realm

A world of mist and darkness accessible through the Stone of Shadows (via prolonged use) or through the Stone of Light (intentionally). In the shadow realm, solid ground is indistinct—only mist—and the sounds of the real world are muffled, as if heard from underwater. The realm contains dangerous beasts including shadow serpents, rock monsters, and shadow dragons. A person drawn in against their will fades slowly into shadow, their hands and limbs becoming translucent and eventually indistinct from the darkness. The shadow realm also replays memories, confronting its inhabitants with significant moments from their past. No one is known to have escaped the shadow realm without the aid of the Stone of Light.

Shadow Realm Portal (Ritual)

A non-magical ritual to open a portal to another realm, researched by Princess Adela. Requires a silver circle and specific ingredients placed at compass points and within: heartwood shard from an elder tree (north, for strength), moonflower essence (east), powdered quartz (south), a peregrine falcon feather (west), drops of midnight oil, tears of a willow tree, a river stone touched by moonlight, and a unicorn hair. To open the portal to the shadow realm specifically, the Stone of Light must be used in conjunction with the ritual—it is the only key to that particular realm.

Dryad Curse (Tree Curse)

A curse transmitted through a dryad’s kiss. It slowly transforms the recipient into a tree, beginning with bark spreading across the skin and progressing to a mental infection that makes the victim calm and accepting of the transformation. The curse can be lifted by the dryad who cast it, but requires negotiation or persuasion—it cannot be broken by force. 

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Key Locations

Vardalon

The name of the realm—the setting of both The Elemental Saga and Stories of Gereon.

Aurora

The floating sky kingdom of the aerites. A cluster of floating cliff-islands held aloft by the Cloud Keepers. Home to a castle, a University (on the floating island of Sapentia), a hospital called Medicus, a courthouse (on the floating island called Lyrica), a market square (Waterfall Square), and the royal cliff called Regalis where the castle is. 

Navalis

Underwater city on the ocean floor in the Limen Ocean. Built in concentric circles according to its tier system, with the First Tower at the centre. Lit by glowing lanterns and luminescent formations. Home of some of the water people/undates; Nerida’s home.

Fayline

The enchanted nymph forest kingdom, hidden by magic that disorients outsiders. Ruled by King Aage. Home to the Home Tree—an enormous living tree where the nymph court resides. Visitors are shrunk to nymph-size to stay inside it. Known for extraordinary hospitality.

Mannerobes

The human kingdom where Stories of Gereon is set. A monarchy governed by a king, with noble families called oversters serving as the king’s closest administrators. Mannerobes trades primarily with Chim (iron and steel) and Aurora (cloud silk and rare crops). The kingdom struggles with severe inequality between its wealthy overster and noble families (Uppers) and the working-class (Lowers) population.

Gereon

The main human city in the kingdom of Mannerobes. Large, sprawling, and walled, built up the slope of a mountain. The city is divided into two informal districts: the Lowers, the densely populated lower reaches where working-class people live in cramped conditions and many go hungry; and the Uppers, the wealthier higher sections with wide streets, gardens, boutiques, and the mansions of the overster families. Main Street runs from the city gates up through both districts to the royal castle. The Arrington estate is located just below the castle gates. A forest lies adjacent to the city.

The Royal Castle of Gereon

The seat of the Mannerobes monarchy, located at the top of the city above the Uppers. Home to the royal family (the king, queen, Crown Prince Orson, and Princess Adela), as well as a royal aviary, a well-stocked library, and gardens containing, among many other plants, an elder tree and a willow tree (the latter home to the dryad Karya). The castle’s walls are thick enough to withstand dragon fire.

Neithlands / The Fog City

A fog-covered region surrounding a city held in an enchanted stasis by the Mage Supreme. The city within appears idyllic — sun, green fields, centaurs working the land — but its inhabitants are conscious prisoners, stripped of agency and used as a power source. Armaldo’s castle is at its heart. After Armaldo’s death in Book 4, the fog lifts and the city is emptied.

Dragondale

The dragon community, built into a mountainside with a large lake. Most dragons here are competitive and meat-eating. It is where Pyrros grew up before being pushed out. His mother Phoetria lives here, as does his hostile brother Erhan. Dragondale borders Mannerobes at the Nocny Mountains.

The Limen Ocean

The ocean containing Navalis, Syreni, and Damla—the three major underwater cities.

Syreni and Damla

Two other large underwater cities in the Limen Ocean, neither as wealthy as Navalis.

Nocny Mountains

A dark, imposing mountain range that separates the Murklin forest and Mannerobes from Dragondale. Houses the mountain witch’s cave and sees occasional dragon incursions into human territory. Will Park was carried to a dragon’s cave in the Nocny Mountains in Stone of Shadows, where he discovered the Stone of Shadows. Parents warn children to stay away from the Nocny Mountains, as dragons patrol the area.

Ea (the island)

A magical island where the four Elementals find their powers. It is where the ancient entity Ea transformed herself—she became the island in order to survive as long as her twin Ei lived, so she could serve as the origin point for new Elementals. 

Chim

A mountain kingdom whose people (the Chim scintillans) mine gemstones, gold, iron, and steel. Chim is Vardalon’s primary supplier of iron and steel and is among the wealthiest kingdoms on the continent. Mannerobes’s most significant trading partner. Chim’s king has had multiple marriages, which is generally frowned upon for those who are not royalty. The Arrington family owns a mountain lodge in Chim.

Terrosel

A kingdom in the southern part of Vardalon. The Arrington family owns a ranch with large plantations in Terrosel, adding to their revenue.

Lyrren

The home kingdom of the centaurs.

Silenda

A cold kingdom in the northern part of Vardalon. Native home of the crystalwing falcon. Orson obtained his crystalwing falcon Shade from Silenda.

Vacivite

Another northern kingdom of Vardalon, mentioned alongside Silenda as making up the northern part of the continent.

Murklin Forest

A large forest inhabited by a multitude of creatures, including stone trolls such as Wystan, and very few humans. Referenced as one of Vardalon’s notable wild regions.

Neithlands / The Fog City

A fog-covered region surrounding a city held in an enchanted stasis by the Mage Supreme. The city within appears idyllic — sun, green fields, centaurs working the land — but its inhabitants are conscious prisoners, stripped of agency and used as a power source. Armaldo’s castle is at its heart. After Armaldo’s death in Book 4, the fog lifts and the city is emptied.

The Shadow Realm / Shadow World

See: Shadow Realm under Magic Systems.

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Titles, Terms & Customs

Overster / Overstess

The noble title for the king’s closest administrative families in Mannerobes. Each overster house manages trade, land, exports, and other regional affairs on behalf of the crown. The title passes from parent to child upon the parent’s death, in a formal ceremony at the royal castle. The male holder of the title is an Overster; the female holder is an Overstess. A wife takes the Overstess title while her husband holds Overster; when a son inherits, the widowed mother returns to the honorific Lady. Notable overster families include House Arrington and House Garrensor.

The Lowers

The informal name for the poorer, lower-lying districts of Gereon where working-class people live. The term began as a simple geographic descriptor (the lower part of the mountainside city) but has taken on a dismissive connotation among the nobility. People of the Lowers work in the fields, markets, and trades, often for meager wages. Many go hungry. The inequality between the Lowers and Uppers is a key social theme in the Stories of Gereon series.

The Uppers

The wealthier upper districts of Gereon, home to overster families, nobility, and their estates. The Uppers have wide streets, gardens, boutiques, and significantly better living conditions than the Lowers.

Day of Age

The aerite coming-of-age milestone, at which point the next in line to the throne formally receives their title and responsibilities. Moira’s Day of Age ball in Book 1 is where the first Cloud Keeper is stolen, kicking off the central plot.

The Avian Tournament

A large, multi-day bird-handling competition hosted by Crown Prince Orson of Mannerobes in Prince of Shadows. Contestants from across Vardalon compete with their birds in several events: a majestic display (showing off the bird’s beauty and call), a sky sprint (speed race), a tactical challenge (obstacle and strategy course), an endurance flight, precision hunting, and a team relay race. Contestants include both regular and magical birds. The tournament also serves as the occasion for Orson’s planned (ultimately cancelled) wedding to Lady Liadan.

The Shattering

The first major landslide of Aurora’s cliffs, caused by the loss of Cloud Keepers. Kills twelve people and injures twenty-six. It is the event that marks the true beginning of the Aurora crisis in Book 2.

Stone Plague

An ancient, highly contagious disease that turns living flesh to rock. It spreads through touch. The last outbreak, three hundred years before the series, killed nearly half of all life in Vardalon. It returns as the central threat of Book 5 — Wystan must find the cure.

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