The Beacon Thrones

Paperback Edition

Hardcover Edition

### Content Guide

Use of advanced vocabulary and fantasy terms (avid reader recommendation); mild fantasy violence; mild bloody violence; use of possession and mind manipulation magic; some scenes may disturb younger readers

### Themes

Friendship, Trust, Prophecy, Perseverance, Teamwork

## Chronology

### Next

Dual Destiny

The Beacon Thrones is the sequel to Kin Seeker, and is the second book in the five-part fantasy series, Dragon Calling. The book was first published 12 November 2014, by independent publisher, Starsea Press, located on the Gold Coast, Australia.

The author, N. R. Eccles-Smith, is also the illustrator of the map, glyphs and book cover.

The Beacon Thrones is available in both eBook, paperback, and hardcover formats.

## Dedication

*"For Abigail Vogels, a friendship that bridges distance, time and years, and to Megan (Barnes) Bonetti, I dedicate the character Lady Megandel (I bet you completely forgot I promised I would do that)."*

The book is dedicated to two of the author's friends from her schooling years, with whom the bonds of friendship are still maintained. Abigail Vogels was a close and constant friend, and genuine encourager of N. R. Eccles-Smith's budding talents during their years together in high school. In attendance at the same time, Megan Bonetti playfully asked if a character from one of N. R. Eccles-Smith's books could be dedicated to her (when such characters from such book were mere wistful dreams). The author, of course, agreed and kept to her word, even a decade after the request was made.

## Book Blurb

*“The prophecy is now released from your mind, and it is time you are shown its dire revelations. It is time you understand why only you have the power to save us*.”

Laeka'Draeon is the last dragon in Valadae.

The key to finding his missing kin lies in the prophecy obtained through the centaur prophet, Belzor Ven'Ho. To interpret its hidden meanings, Laeka'Draeon and his companions must journey to the heart of the Raegelian Forest, wherein resides the legendary seer, Lady Megandel.

But the enemies of the old wars have already set their plans in motion, threatening far more than Laeka'Draeon's quest. A terrible doom grows on Valadae's horizon, and the power to avert it resides in the mysterious Beacon Thrones—a power only a dragon can revive.

## Glossary

#### Titles and Phrases from the Hilesal Language:

**Alin ol’leneth ilethin**—Translated: *‘My beloved Lady.’* The words Belzor said to Maewren in his despair over her injuries.

**Beruun Terrolaghn**—Meaning, *Black Mountains*. Once known as the Border Realm, the mountain range of the far north was re-named after an influx of corrupted manna transformed it into a perilous, desolate wasteland.

**Denin**—Meaning *magic*, or *of magic*. The term used to describe an individual or creature-kind capable of manipulating manna, both from their surroundings, and from their own body.

**“Elet’yurek’minokul alin hilesa daho!”**—Translated: *‘Light of evil’s bane I summon you!’* This is the summoning spell Belzor used to destroy the corrupted manna inside the ghoshmyls and hobgoblins.

**Elrathil**—Meaning, *beautiful*, or *of beauty*. The title once belonged to the forest now known as Darks Whelm. Elrathil is also the name of the Great Power from the unicorn’s ancestral creed, said to bestow the energies of rejuvenation and beauty.

**Et’denin**—Meaning *not magic*, or *not of magic*. It is the term used to describe an individual or creature-kind not capable of manipulating manna. Although it is possible for an Et’denin to reach a degree of magic through certain influences, it is a difficult art to master, and a poor replication compared to its natural counterpart.

**Keshi’nilonu**—Meaning, *Green Seeker*. The fire nymph Pyralis used the words as a name for Laeka’Draeon, in reference to his scale colour and the purpose driving his actions—not only as a seeker of his kind, but a seeker of truth and restoration.

**Med’neth’dast**—Meaning, *Fleshless Ones*. Abominations made using rare necromantic magics which infuse a fleshless corpse with a demon whose willpower has been completely subdued. Soulless, and driven solely by an insatiable hunger for flesh, Med’neth’dast are the most heinous of necromantic creations, and can only be destroyed by purified balefire.

**Misht’thurelin**—Meaning, *High Prophet*. The translation of “high” in the hilesal is used to describe an individual’s status in a family/ community unit, calling, or between his/ her fellow creature-kind, and has nothing to do with the measurement of physical height.

**Wenok’notus**—Meaning, *without name*. A vocalised branding associated with an individual of lower status or no significant position within a family/ community. Also used to reference orphans, or those who literally do not have a given name.

**Tel’her**—Meaning *Tree Child*. The singular of tel’heris.

**Tel’heris**—Meaning *Tree Children*. Creatures of legend, born from the manna of ancient trees. They take many different forms, and can understand all Valadilian languages. Indifferent to morality and the reasoning of others, they live by the laws of nature, subject only to the trees of their birth.

#### Other Titles and Phrases:

**Aunuen**—Also known as the Troth of Penitence. A seemingly trivial gold amulet, it is in truth an artefact of incredible power, capable of untold manna manipulations. Its origin is shrouded in mystery.

**Bandu’ur**—The larger of Valadae’s two central kingdoms, known for its dry, windy climate, and vast spans of grasslands.

**Cacodemon**—A corrupted spirit capable of sustaining its own physical form, by means of receiving a wilfully surrendered body from a living creature, or summoned into the physical realm (subservient or not) by powerful Dark magic.

**Caroo chekka**—A verbal mifflin term; very generalised and with no particular translation, other than primarily being an expression of surprise, pleasure or wonder.**Aunuen**

**Centaur**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Cultured and beautiful, centaurs are often the inspiration for sculptures, and eloquent proses. They are fierce warriors, and devoutly spiritual, both traits lending them a strong sense of justice. Although Et’denin, centaurs have studied the arts of Healing magic for hundreds of cycles, and those who dedicate their calling to the gift, often excel at it.

**Centauride**—A female centaur.

**Deijech**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *damned* or *curse and condemn*. It is a predominantly coarse and vulgar declaration, used in anger or frustration.

**Delkraul**—The horvish translation for *dragon*.

**Dhoarn’uk**—The faeren name for *water horse*. Literal translation is *drowning ilk*.

**Dragon**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Intelligent learners, formidable fighters, and unsurpassed in magic and foreign culture, dragons are received with a mixed response: revered by some, abhorred by others. Despite the mixed reputation, dragon-kind signifies Transcendence and Might—the unity between the Eternals and the Temporary.

**Duard**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Duards are robust and hardworking, skilled in mining, metal smithing and all variants of stone craft. They are renowned for their architecture, innovative inventions, and obstinate natures.

**Eideleus**—Pools of water fed by thin veins sourced from the underground channels of the tuplok’gisdelara (the *Space of Life*), and as a result imbued with powerful healing properties.

**Elder Age**—The first chronicled Age of Valadae. Very few physical records of that era survived, though several tales have carried through the generations in the form of legends.

**Emruna**—A morwulf idiom, spoken to express an individual’s acknowledgement to something of superior or sacred origin.

**Faerie**—A diverse yet reclusive creature-kind, native to the forest realms of Gelian. Despite their varying shapes and sizes, the characteristic qualities of all faeries include pointed ears, spiralled horns, and translucent wings. Faeries are Denin, with strong manna connections to the elements of air and water. In rare incidents, faeries develop telepathic abilities.

**Fellis**—A bipedal creature-kind with a long tail, large fox-like ears, and feline facial features. Fellis are hardy creatures, with a strong devotion to family and honour. Their naturally oily fur and superb sense of direction make them adeptly suited to the labyrinthine marshy regions in which they dwell.

**Flame and Flight**—The titles used in reference to a dragon’s inherent ability to control fire and air.

**Gelian**—The second largest kingdom in Valadae, famous for its military power and beautiful, wild landscapes. It also has the highest cycle of rainfall.

**Gestk**—From the faerie dialect, meaning *get off it*, and is generally used as a mild expletive of surprise or annoyance.

**Geudavell**—The smallest of the faerie creature-kind. Covered in a fine layer of long hairs, geudavells are highly sensitive to vibrations in the air. Nomadic by nature, they are the only faerie that can be found outside the forest realms of Gelian.

**Ghoshmyl**—Large, powerful quadruped reptiles, with two leathery wings and a plated head armed with thick twisted horns. Aggressive and greedy by nature, they pose a threat to nearly all other inhabitants of the tundra and mountain regions they occupy. Ghoshmyls live in a hive-like social structure—with the most vicious female as the matriarch.

**Haunjer**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Tall and robust, with grey skin covered in hair, thick tails, pointed ears and vivid eyes, haunjers affect an arresting presence among other creature-kinds. They live by strict tribal customs, and generally view other kinds as socially inferior.

**Hemlan**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Hemlans are an adaptable, creative, and generally impulsive kind, with a wary disposition toward powers greater than their own. Their original culture is difficult to source from amidst the sundry blends adopted from other Valadilian kinds, although it is due to this inherent curiosity and absorption that their expanse of knowledge is one of the greatest.

**Hingraith Grove**—A forbidden wooded area located within the Labyrinth of Tears, where the fellis sealed away the harpy matriarch and most of her tainted followers, during the time of the great fellis magician Kazthal.

**Hobgoblin**—The infamous *Enemies of Valadae*, hobgoblins are abhorred by every sentient creature in the eleven kingdoms. Once a strong and proud tribal kind, they were enslaved and brutally indoctrinated by the manticors, which turned them into savage butchers, with no empathy for other living things.

**Honmirogein**—The largest and indisputably fairest of the faerie creature-kinds. Honmirogein share a close bond of amity with the evaish, but also a shared fate of decline in numbers.

**Horvish**—The native language of the duards and hobgoblins.

**Imurainiir**—Also known as the Rapier of Revelation, it is an effigy of a sword and a bowl carved from the rare, transparent mineral of a fallen star. When the energy coursing through the mineral merges with an active soul by means of a conducting element (such as water), the Imurainiir has the ability to deflect across time and space and send echoes of events—of past, present and future—into the mind of the recipient. It is the centaurs’ most treasured artefact.

**Ku’in**—A morwulf title, bestowed to those who are masters in their pursued occupation or duty.

**Kuls ov Kuvvasharrn**—From the horvish dialect, meaning *Fire of Judgement*.

**K’tailiur**—The small and secluded northern kingdom ruled by the morwulves. Though rich in culture, history, and beautiful landscapes, K’tailiur has suffered heavily from the impacts of war and conquest, and as a result is very unreceptive to outside influences, including cultural exchange and import.

**Machuu**—From mifflin lingo, meaning *indeed*, or *to be certain*; used when expressing agreement to a spoken statement.

**Manna**—The energy that forms and sustains all things. Manna that is manipulated by Denin or spells is called magic.

**Manticor**—An ancient and powerful creature-kind with a feline body, webbed wings and spine-studded tail. Believed to have hailed from the desolate tundras of the Undone Lands, they were the catalyst behind the War of Shores, and the tyrants who enslaved and ultimately destroyed the peaceful hobgoblins. Ruled by a culture steeped in dark mysticism and cruel indoctrination, manticors are intelligent schemers and pitiless in their manipulation and torment of others.

**Melio Cress**—A small flowering plant which grows in damp, well-shaded regions. Both the flower and stem contain strong antiseptic properties, and are used both orally and topically to combat various illnesses and injuries.

**Memory Phantom**—A Spirit Message unable to impart its message to its recipient or return to its creator. As a result, the Message wanders in perpetual purposelessness, unable to fulfil its calling, and so unable to return to the manna stream of life.

**Mifflin**—An avian tribal creature-kind, native to the forest regions of Gelian. Submissive and genial in nature, they are quick to trust and serve. Although small in stature they are surprisingly strong and can carry objects several times their size and weight.

**Morwulf**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. A quietly passionate, reclusive kind, morwulves are one of Valadae’s oldest civilised inhabitants, and have an enduring dedication toward their kingdom and creed. Elite contenders in the fields of music, art and war, they are both feared and respected by all other ruling kinds.

**Moxlin**—A fox-like creature with three tails, known for its mischievous behaviour and cowardice.

**Nymph**—A shape-shifting creature-kind that possesses the skill to transform into wraithlike energies of natural elements, including fire, water, wind, wood, and stone. In their bipedal form, nymphs have distinctly feminine qualities, although they are biologically mono-gendered, being neither male nor female.

**Rellornen**—Capital city of the kingdom of Bandu’ur, also called the *City of Black Stone*. It is famous for its fortified walls and ramparts made from arcrite, or *black rock*.

**Seksai**—The most influential position within the hierarchy of morwulf nobility, second only to the king and queen. A Seksai is the official guardian of sacred histories and secrets, and the chronicler of such details that occur during their lifetime.

**Soujor**—The incredibly rare offspring of a mortal creature and an eudemon (a benevolent spirit that has harnessed a physical form; the opposite of a cacodemon). Soujors and can shift between the seen and unseen realms at will. Lady Megandel’s Soul Guard, Ourntar, is a soujor.

**Spirit Message**—A composition of raw manna implanted with the thoughts or words of an individual, intended for a chosen recipient. Steady concentration and the ability to use Spoken magic are crucial in creating a Spirit Message, although neither is needed to receive one. Spirit Messages are capable of absorbing copious amounts of information while retaining their original message with unalterable integrity.

**The Gathering**—An epic event in the history of Valadae, in which all the armies of the eleven kingdoms gathered beneath the towers of Klonnoth Aire and drove the last of the enemies of the War of Shores into exile.

**Unicorn**—One of the ten ruling creature-kinds of Valadae. Alongside the morwulves, unicorns are another of Valadae’s oldest civilised kinds, renowned for their stunning beauty and their skill in Healing and Light magic. They are graceful, gentle, and steady in their disposition, although hold a fierce intolerance against any sort of corruption.

**Wall-watcher**—The common vadish name for a tel’her (see *tel’heris* for description).

**Water horse**—An elusive, mistrusting Denin creature that dwells in rivers and lakes. They are cunning and careful, and use their illusionistic magic to avoid detection or cause trouble for interlopers into their territory. They can make their skin wickedly viscous, and use it to catch their prey, which they then drag into the depths of their watery abodes, and devour.