recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Book borrowing

> Simon knows it has been hours. He is tired and hungry and recalls that he'd packed food for this purpose and left his bag in the cottage and brought a broom instead which now seems impractical.
>
> Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor, **book borrowing**

"**book borrowing**" is the fifth story in the book *The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor*, and the thirty-seventh chapter overall.
Kat Hawkins (2)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Kat Hawkins.*

> I gave the IT department a sob story about my missing friend and nonexistent email I "accidentally" deleted and I had to resort to actual tears but they checked Z's university e-mail for me, since the police didn't bother.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Kat Hawkins (2)**

"**excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins** **(2)**" is the second excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, and the 71st chapter overall.
Rhyme

> She knows this story. She knows it by heart. Every word, every character, every change. This tale has buzzed in her ears for years (...)
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, Rhyme (1)

**Rhyme** is an acolyte, and one of the only residents of the Harbor. She is a background character in the Starless Sea.
Zachary (7)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins waits in the cold for so long that he rings the bell of the Collector’s
> Club a second time with a near-frozen finger.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, **Zachary (7)**

**"Zachary (7)"** is the seventh chapter from Zachary's perspective, and the sixteenth chapter overall.
Zachary (37)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Zachary (37)

### Book

Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

## Order

### Followed by

Rhyme (1)

> The son of the fortune-teller is guided by giant bees down a staircase within a dollhouse to where a basement would be though rather than a basement ther is now an expansive ballroom made of honeycomb, shimmering and gold and beautiful.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Zachary (37)**

"**Zachary (37)**" is the 37th chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the 85th chapter overall.
Frequently asked questions

This page contains answers to **frequently asked questions** about The Starless Sea. If you have a question that hasn't already been answered, leave it in the comments!

## How many locations are real?

### Zachary and Kat's University

Seeing as only the state of their school is mentioned in the book (Vermont), the university Zachary and Kat attend could be Middlebury College in Vermont since it has a J-Term. It also matches many of the dorm descriptions in the book. Middlebury has a hilly section where dorms are as well as an old French Victorian building that houses dorms as well. However, the author attended Smith College in Massachusetts which has an Interterm that is also similar to the J-Term described in the book. Neither Smith nor Middlebury have an Emerging Media master's program, nor an in-person master's program in general. However, at time of the books writing Champlain College in Burlington, VT did have such a program, and it may have been one of the only ones. Currently, Champlain College has an Emergent Media center on their campus, and the campus' geography alongside many of the dorms line up with the descriptions in the book. The university in the book was likely written with inspiration drawn from all three colleges.

### The Gryphon

Only a few blocks from Champlain College, there is a restaurant called The Gryphon! While it does not seem to be a bar, the location in the book was clearly inspired by this real life location.

### The Algonquin Hotel

The Algonquin Hotel is a famous hotel in New York. It has been around for over 100 years, having opened in 1902. The hotel has been inspiration and shelter to many celebrities and literary icons, such as *The New Yorker* magazine. In the past, authors on tour could get a room for free in exchange for a copy of their autographed manuscript, but that rate has been amended to a discount on their room instead.

While there is no mention of an Annual Literary Masquerade, the Algonquin does host birthday parties for their resident cats.[1]

### The Strand

The Strand is an independant bookstore in New York City (and an unofficial landmark) whose slogan claims they contain "18 miles of books". The count is now closer to 23 miles.

## Is Matilda the cat real?

   Yes! The Algonquin Hotel has famously maintained a series of cats. This tradition started in the 1920s with a stray cat named Billy. Two days after his death, another cat wandered in to the lobby, thus starting the 100-year tradition of lobby cats. The current cat is Hamlet, the eighth of that name. In 2015, the time the book was set, the Algonquin Cat was Matilda, the third of that name. Matilda passed away in 2017.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://booktrekker.wordpress.com/2020/05/01/the-starless-sea-by-erin-morgenstern/
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin\_Hotel#Traditions
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strand\_Bookstore
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://www.algonquinhotel.com/the-hotel/
5. ↑ https://nypost.com/2017/10/23/rip-matilda-the-famous-algonquin-cat/
Zachary (12)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Order

### Followed by

The Story Sculptor

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins sits frozen in the darkness.
>
> Book II: Fortunes and Fables, **Zachary (12)**

"**Zachary (12)**" is the twelfth chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the twenty-eighth chapter overall.
Jocelyn Simone Keating

Asim (lover)

> Jocelyn Keating is invoked as everything from a trollop to a witch.
>
> Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor, Time-crossed is not the same as star-crossed

**Jocelyn Keating** is Simon Keating's mother, the founder of the Keating Foundation, and a background character in The Starless Sea (book).
Zachary (33)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Zachary (33)

### Book

Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

## Order

### Followed by

Kat Hawkins (5)

> The son of the fortune-teller walks through a door and into a wide open cavern, far, far below the surface of the earth.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Zachary (33)**

"**Zachary (33)**" is the 33rd chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the 78th chapter overall.
Kat Hawkins (7)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Kat Hawkins.*

> It's been more than a while this time, notebook. I reread because I didn't remember where I left off.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Kat Hawkins (7)**

"**excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (7)**" is the 7th excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, and the 82nd chapter overall.
Afterward: Something New and Something Next

**Afterward: Something New and Something Next** is the coda to *The Starless Sea*. It consists of four chapters: one chapter from Dorian's point of view, one excerpt from The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, one chapter from Zachary's point of view, and one chapter from Mirabel's point of view.

## Chapters

Three of the four chapters have a unique title. The excerpt from Kat's diary has been numbered for the purposes of this wiki.

1. Once, not so long ago...
2. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (10)
3. ...Fate fell in love with Time
4. Not the single story she requested but many stories
Mother's Mercy

Mother's Mercy is a **2 dot merit** encapsulating the idea of a maternal care and the idea that someone with this merit is sensitive to the plight of the marginalized or at risk. They can see into the needs of others and take interest in their emotional well being. *Those who possess this merit receive a -1 difficulty on all empathy based rolls related to vulnerable populations.*

Source: Homebrew
Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

## The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

*This page is about the sixth book of The Starless Sea. For the in-universe book, see The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (book).*

**Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins** is the sixth book in *The Starless Sea*. It consists of twenty-one chapters: nine excerpts from The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, eight chapters from Zachary's point of view, three chapters from Dorian's point of view, and one chapter from Rhyme's point of view.

## Chapters

None of the chapters in this section have a unique title. The titles below have been created for the purposes of this wiki.

1. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (1)
2. Zachary (30)
3. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (2)
4. Zachary (31)
5. Dorian (6)
6. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (3)
7. Zachary (32)
8. Dorian (7)
9. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (4)
10. Zachary (33)
11. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (5)
12. Zachary (34)
13. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (6)
14. Zachary (35)
15. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (7)
16. Zachary (36)
17. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (8)
18. Zachary (37)
19. Rhyme (1)
20. Dorian (8)
21. Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (9)
Paper star

"**Paper stars**" are the little paper stars (or sometimes unicorns) scattered around by Eleanor. They contain her nightmares, and pages of stories that she didn't like. They appear mostly in *Book IV: Written in the Stars*, but occasionally they show up at other times, such as *The Door in the Moon*.

## Description

The paper stars are folded mostly from notebook paper, but sometimes from the torn pages of books, or whatever paper Eleanor had on hand. The material of the stars is not often described, though many of them are beaten up due to time and cirumstance, and some of them have been refolded into other things, such as the unicorn.

## Contents

* a paper star folded from a page removed from a book
* a paper star with a single bent corner
* combined contents of several paper stars
* a paper star that has been so mangled
* a paper star splattered with gold paint
* a paper star that has been unfolded and refolded
Kat Hawkins (8)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Kat Hawkins.*

> I remembered where I'd heard of the Owl King before.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Kat Hawkins (8)**

"**excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (8)**" is the 8th excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, and the 84th chapter overall.
The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor (book)

*This page is about the in-universe book. For the part of the novel, see Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor.*

"**The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor**" is a book given to Zachary by Rhyme. It originated in the Archive, but Rhyme left it for him to find in Zachary (16). It tells the tale of Simon and Eleanor, two people who end up lost in time in their search for one another.

## Description

*The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor* is described to be small, gilded, and very similar in appearance to *Sweet Sorrows,* though *Simon and Eleanor* is bound in dark blue. It has a blank spine and cover, and no indication which is the back or front. The text is handwritten, and it would resemble a diary if not for its title, on one of the inside pages.

## Contents

* the naming of things, part I
* a girl is not a rabbit, a rabbit is not a girl
* time-crossed is not the same as star-crossed
* book borrowing
* a short lecture on the nature of time
* the naming of things, part II

## References

1. ↑ Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor, Zachary (16)
Dorian (7)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Dorian.*

> Dorian navigates the depths with Fate's heart in its box carefully wrapped and contained in a pack strapped to his back and a sword that is much more ancient than him but not nearly as ancient as the things staring at him from the shadows and all of them are sharp.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Dorian (7)**

"**Dorian (7)**" is the 7th chapter from Dorian's point of view, and the 76th chapter overall.
Interlude II

> The pirate (who remains a metaphor yet also a person and sometimes has difficulty embodying both at once) stands on the shore, watching the ships that sail the Starless Sea near this Harbor.
>
> Book II: Fortunes and Fables, **Interlude II**

"**Interlude II**" is the second interlude and the thirtieth chapter overall.
Zachary (19)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Order

### Followed by

combined contents of several paper stars

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins is halfway to the elevator, halfway to returning to Vermont and his university and his thesis and his normal, halfway to forgetting any of this ever happened, and hey, maybe he'll take the cat with him and someday he'll convince himself that the whole underground library wonderland was an elaborate fantasy backstory about where the cat came from that he told himself so many times he started to believe it when the cat was only ever a squish-faced stray who followed him home, wherever home is.
>
> Book IV: Written in the Stars, **Zachary (19)**

"**Zachary (19)**" is the nineteenth chapter from Zachary's perspective, and the 46th chapter overall.
A paper star that has been unfolded and refolded

> The son of the fortune-teller walks through the snow.
>
> Book IV: Written in the Stars, **a paper star that has been unfolded and refolded**

"**a paper star that has been unfolded and refolded into a tiny unicorn but the unicorn remembers the time when it was a star and an earlier time when it was part of a book and sometimes the unicorn dreams of the time before it was a book when it was a tree and the time even longer before that when it was a different sort of star**" is the sixth paper star to be found, and the 53rd chapter overall.
Sweet Sorrows (book)

*This article is about the in-universe book. For part one of the novel, see Book I: Sweet Sorrows.*

***Sweet Sorrows*** is a book stolen from the Archive by Eleanor, taken from the Harbor on the Starless Sea by Simon, and found by Zachary in his university library.

## Description

*Sweet Sorrows* is a small, burgundy book with a blank spine and cover. A barcode sticker on the back cover hides pictures of a bee, a key, and a sword. There is no front matter. Pages have been torn out, throughout the book. The top corner of the cover is dented, and the spine is flecked with gold. It is typeset.

## Contents

At the time that Zachary read it, *Sweet Sorrows* contained the following stories:

* Once, very long ago... - An imprisoned pirate meets a girl.
* There are three paths. This is one of them (1) - A description of the Path of the Acolytes.
* To deceive the eye - The son of the fortune-teller has a chance to open a door, but does not.
* Invented life - A description of a room containing a dollhouse universe.
* There are three paths. This is one of them (2) - A description of the Path of the Guardians.
* A knock upon the memory of a door
* Those who seek and those who find
* There are three paths. This is one of them (3) - A description of the Path of the Keepers.
* Lost cities of honey and bone
* ...Time fell in love with Fate

Originally it contained more stories, but Eleanor tore out the ones she did not like and fashioned them into paper stars. These potentially included:

* To be added

## References

1. ↑ From "Zachary (1)", Book I: Sweet Sorrows.
2. ↑ In "Zachary (2)", Book I: Sweet Sorrows
The Keeper

Dorian, friend

Allegra Cavallo, old friend

Eleanor, friend

Rhyme, friend

**The Keeper** is one of the secondary protagonists of *The Starless Sea*. He is the master of The Harbor on the Starless Sea, a presumed lover of cats, and the current incarnation of Time.

*Proceed at your own risk if you have not yet finished the Starless Sea.*

## Appearance

The Keeper has long, braided, stark-white hair. There are pearls woven into his hair (one for every year he's spent in The Harbor), only visible when the light hits them right. His skin is a mid-toned brown, seeming darker in comparison to his hair. The Keeper also has dark, almost black, eyebrows, eyelashes, and eyes. His nose is 'equine', according to Zachary, and he wears wire-rimmed glasses. The Keeper also wears many rings on one hand, one of which looks like an owl.

> ...reminds Zachary a little bit of his seventh-grade math teacher but with much cooler hair and a deep red, gold-embroidered robe tied with a number of looping
> cords.
>
> Zachary Ezra Rawlins, Zachary (8)

## History

### Book I: Sweet Sorrows

The Keeper does not appear in this specific incarnation in this book, but he does appear as the Pirate.

## Relationships

* Mirabel -
* Zachary - To be added
* Dorian - To be added
* Rhyme - To be added
* Allegra - To be added
* Simon - To be added
* Eleanor - To be added

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Zachary (8), Book II: Fortunes and Fables
2. ↑ Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, Rhyme (1)
The Starless Sea Wiki

**Welcome to the The Starless Sea Wiki!**
*The Starless Sea* is a speculative fiction novel, written by Erin Morgenstern and published in 2019. It is the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student who discovers a mysterious book that leads him to an underground labyrinth of books. There, he becomes part of a story much older and larger than himself.

## Where to begin

We recommend that you start by reading *The Starless Sea*! This wiki assumes that you have already read the story, and is ***full of spoilers*** for anyone who has not yet finished the book.

At present, the community is still under construction, but we are working on building out detailed chapter-by-chapter descriptions and complete character pages. Why not try out one of these articles?

* List of characters in *The Starless Sea*
* List of settings in *The Starless Sea*
* List of stories told within *The Starless Sea*
* Frequently asked questions

**Favourite stories**

* Once, very long ago...
* The Inn at the Edge of the World
* The Three Swords
* The Girl and the Feather
* The Stag in the Snow
* The Star Merchant
* The Key Collector
* ...Time fell in love with Fate
* Those who seek and those who find
* A knock upon the memory of a door

**Important Links**

* Rules of this wiki
* Getting Started
* How to Contribute
* Managing your new community
* Guides
* All Help articles

You can also be part of the larger Fandom family of communities. Visit Fandom's Community Central!
Zachary (23)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Order

### Followed by

Dorian (1)

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins is being dragged backward, away from the rift that has torn open the Heart of this Harbor and into the Keeper's office where the floor has remained intact, his feet slipping on the broken tiles.
>
> Book V: The Owl King, **Zachary (23)**

"**Zachary (23)**" is the 23rd chapter from Zachary's perspective, and the 55th chapter overall.
Simon Keating

Missing a hand

Zachary Ezra Rawlins (acquaintance)

### First Mentioned

Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor, time-crossed is not the same as star-crossed

> In the depths there is a man lost in time.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, Lost cities of honey and bone

**Simon Keating** is Mirabel's father and a man lost in time. He is a background character in The Starless Sea.
Zachary (4)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins sits on a train bound for Manhattan, staring out the window at the frozen tundra of New England, and begins, not for the first time today, to question his life choices.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, **Zachary (4)**

"**Zachary (4)**" is the fourth chapter from Zachary's perspective and the tenth chapter overall.

## Summary

Zachary takes a train to Manhattan to attend the Algonquin Hotel Annual Literary Masquerade. A middle-aged woman approaches him and asks to borrow a pen. She returns it to him when the train reaches Manhattan.

Zachary checks in to his hotel, across the street from the Algonquin. He takes a bath and dresses for the event, leaving hat, gloves, and scarf behind. Because the event is a masquerade, he wears contacts instead of his glasses. He leaves his phone behind as well. Zachary puts *Sweet Sorrows* in the inside pocket of his suit jacket and leaves for the party.

## Characters

### Major

* Zachary Ezra Rawlins
* Kat Hawkins - in a brief flashback and via text message
* Mirabel - appearing in the photograph
* Dorian - appearing in the photograph

### Minor

* Middle-aged woman who borrows a pen - member of the Collector's Club

## Trivia and Connections

* Although Zachary is not aware, the woman who borrows his pen works for the Collector's Club, and installed a tracking device in the pen.
* The Algonquin is a real hotel in Manhattan. Although it is not named, Zachary's hotel across the street would likely be the Royalton. The Royalton has a sunken lobby lounge just as described in the book, and the guest rooms have large, round tubs and candles as well.
* Because Zachary left his glasses in the hotel room, he must later try to find replacement glasses in the Harbor.

## Analysis

Presumably the Collector's Club has decided not to kill Zachary immediately, but rather to follow him to see what he does. The tracking device planted in his pen allowed them to track him to the masquerade, and then to arrange for Allegra to (literally) bump into him.

## Quotes

* *Zachary turns the phone in his hand trying to get a look at the man's face, momentarily oblivious to the futility of the action.*
* *Maybe his story is about missed opportunities that cannot be recaptured.*
* *He believes in books, he thinks as he leaves the room. That much he knows for sure.*

## References

1. ↑ In "Zachary (6)", Book I: Sweet Sorrows
2. ↑ In "Zachary (9)", Book I: Sweet Sorrows
Zachary (35)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Zachary (35)

### Book

Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

## Order

### Followed by

Kat Hawkins (7)

> The son of the fortune-teller rows a boat across an ocean made of paper.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Zachary (35)**

"**Zachary (35)**" is the 35th chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the 81st chapter overall.
Zachary (21)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Order

### Followed by

a paper star splattered with gold paint

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins stares into a wardrobe that contains only a great deal of sweaters and linen shirts and trousers and questions his sanity again.
>
> Book IV: Written in the Stars, **Zachary (21)**

"**Zachary (21)**" is the 21st chapter from Zachary's perspective, and the 50th chapter overall.
Zachary (34)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Zachary (34)

### Book

Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins

## Order

### Followed by

Kat Hawkins (6)

> The son of the fortune-teller is dead.
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Zachary (34)**

"**Zachary (34)**" is the 34th chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the 79th chapter overall.
A paper star that has been so mangled

> A man momentarily found in time storms down a hall, finding his way out of time again.
>
> Book IV: Written in the Stars, **a paper star that has been so mangled**

"**a paper star that has been so mangled by circumstance and time that its shape is only vaguely recognizable as a star**" is the fourth paper star to be found, and the 49th chapter overall.
Invented life

"**Invented life**" is the fourth story in the book *Sweet Sorrows*, and the fifth chapter overall.

## Summary

Within a Harbor on the Starless Sea there is a room containing a miniature doll world. It began with a single dollhouse, but was augmented over time by those who visited the room.

## Trivia and Connections

* The Dollhouse room is accidentally burned by Simon while he is lost in time.
* Zachary discovers the room while exploring the Harbor.
* After Zachary dies, he finds himself in a full-scale version of the dollhouse room.

## Analysis

This chapter builds out the mythology of the Harbor. It is more than a repository of books; it is a living repository of stories, some of which take a physical form. The dollhouse room is an exercise of collaborative creativity. It represents the Starless Sea in its glory, before its decline.

## Quotes

* *It began as a dollhouse. Over time, it has become more than that. A dolltown. A dollworld. A dolluniverse. Constantly expanding.*
* *Around them, the world grows ever larger. It sometimes take the dolls quite a while to adapt.*

## References

1. ↑ In "a paper star that has been so mangled by circumstance...", Book IV: Written in the Stars
2. ↑ In "Zachary (15)", Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor
3. ↑ In "Zachary (35)", Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins
Zachary (24)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Order

### Followed by

Dorian (2)

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins stares at Mirabel, as she stands impossibly in the doorway.
>
> Book V: The Owl King, **Zachary (24)**

"**Zachary (24)**" is the 24th chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the 57th chapter overall.
Fate

> But the world is strange and endings are not truly endings no matter how the stars might wish it so. Occasionally Fate can pull itself together again.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, Zachary (5)

**Fate** is the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power. It is currently incarnated as Mirabel.

## Trivia

* Some interpret Zachary receiving Fate's heart at the end of the book as him becoming Fate, thereby freeing Mirabel. It is unknown whether this was Erin Morgenstern's intention or not.
Kat Hawkins (6)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Kat Hawkins.*

> Hi notebook, it's been awhile
>
> Book VI: The Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, **Kat Hawkins (6)**

"**excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins (6)**" is the 6th excerpt from the Secret Diary of Katrina Hawkins, and the 80th chapter overall.
Eleanor

Art by @madmoonfaeart on Instagram

Distinctive freckles across her nose

A large scar around her left tricep

> A girl lost in the woods is a different sort of creature than a girl who walks purposefully through the trees even though she does not know her way.
> This girl in the woods is not lost. She is exploring.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, A knock upon the memory of a door

**Eleanor** is a rabbit, a girl who fell through a door, and a sailor of the Starless Sea. She is one of the secondary characters in the book.

*Proceed at your own risk if you have not yet finished the Starless Sea.*
Daemons

Daemons are a type of creature that originates from Hell. The classification of daemon is a massive one, encompassing all creatures that is native to the realm of Hell. As such, there is a massive variety of daemons.

### Hierarchy

The armies of Hell is lead by the Seven Icons. These Daemon Lords embody their respective sin and live to indulge in that sin as much as they can.

There is talk that there is a single leader at the top of the daemonic hierarchy but information on said individual is scarce. All information gathered thus far has been alluding to a possible hell incursion on Prayden.
Zachary (16)

*This article is about the chapter. For the character, see Zachary Ezra Rawlins.*

## Zachary (16)

### Book

Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor

## Order

### Followed by

a short lecture on the nature of time

> Zachary Ezra Rawlins stands in front of a statue of a woman covered in bees wondering if it takes a crown to make a queen.
>
> Book III: The Ballad of Simon and Eleanor, **Zachary (16)**

"**Zachary (16)**" is the sixteenth chapter from Zachary's point of view, and the thirty-eighth chapter overall.
High King Harald

Harald the Bloodless is the current High King of Vaanika. This has been met with some controversy, as Harald is an adventurer. Which goes against Academy law. However, the academy has been forced into complacence with this fact to not create an international incident.

Once Harald graduated from the academy, he became a prolific adventurer. Focusing much of his efforts to ensuring the safety of Vaanika and its people. This in turn led to him gaining mass fame in Vaanika.

Eventually Harald's success led to a desire for power. Not for greed, but for a better Vaanika. He challenged the High King to a duel. A duel the High King was doomed to fail, but refusing would have led to a worse fate. The fight was over in a second. Gaining Harald the title of "Bloodless." The duel gained Harald the position of High King and the further support of the people. As they now serve an powerful adventurer, which holds the traits the Vaanikans exemplify.
Acolytes

> Once her voice has been muted, then her ears awaken.
>
> Then the stories begin to come.
>
> Book I: Sweet Sorrows, There are three paths. This is one of them (1)

The **Acolytes** are the first of three paths. They transcribe and catalogue stories.

## Initiation

Those who become acolytes love stories. They spend days, months, years, in the Harbor, but while others come and go, they stay. Once they decide that this is their path, they have to spend an entire month alone in isolation. Most assume that they're meant to spend this month in complete silence, but at no point are they explicitly told to stay quiet. Some discover that nobody can hear them, and spend their month yelling, speaking, singing. These initates are most often the ones who end up as fully-fledged acolytes. Those who do stay silent, however, are (ironically) the ones who move on without devoting themselves fully. The rooms where they spend their isolation are luxurious, described as having feather beds and silken sheets.

After a month has passed, the initates are presented with a round metal disk with a raised carving of a bee on it. If they don't take it, they are allowed to return to the surface, the Harbor, or to proceed with another path. If they do, they proceed with the initiation. It is secret, only those who perform it and those who have undergone it knowing the precise details. It has been done in the same way for as long as anyone can remember. The prospective acolyte is led to a door marked with a golden bee, and as the initiate crosses the threshold, they give up their name. They are sat down in a chair and blindfolded. Their breastbones are branded with the bee-embossed disk they were given earlier. Finally, a dab of honey is dropped on their tongue, designed to ensure that their last taste is sweet, and their tongue is removed from their mouth and burned.

Acolytes take an (evidently) unspoken vow to no longer tell their own stories, to devote their lives to other's voices rather than their own.

## Trivia

* A symbol of greeting and respect between acolytes is two fingers pressed to the lips, bowing the head.
* Acolytes may be given new names after they rescind their own, but it seems that they must be given by others rather than taken on themselves.
* In actuality, the final thing an acolyte tastes is closer to blood and metal (tinged with honey). Honey and smoke. They are reminded of it when they extinguish beeswax candles.

## References

All information from this page comes from Book I: Sweet Sorrows, There are three paths. This is one of them (1).
The Hive

The Hive is a relatively new race of monster in Prayden. They first appeared on the coast of The Holy Dresvin Empire a few hundred years ago. Most likley from another undiscovered continent. The Hive are a race of large bug like creatures that vary in size, strength, and intelligence. The Hive feed off of magical energy. The Hive will build nests on natural magical hot spots and drain the magical energy from it.

The danger of The Hive comes when their magical pool they have nested at runs dry. At this point they will seek out whatever sources of magic they can find. All life has some innate magical energy inside of it. A rampaging swarm can completely devastate whatever it comes across. Many adventurers dedicate their lives to fighting The Hive and keeping them off of Prayden. Though some do slip through the cracks.
The Holy Dresvin Empire

The Holy Dresvin Empire is the most dominant region in Prayden. Dresvin boasts the largest military in the entire continent. As well, the empire holds the most people within its boarders. Most of the empire's land is hospitable, so there are a vast number of cities and villages.

## Government

The Holy Dresvin Empire is led by Emperor Cicero III. The empire has been subject to massive governmental reforms after the events of the New Founding. Currently, the emperor is the sole leader of the entire empire. Its normal for an emperor to have a set of advisors open to discuss or critique the Emperor's ideas.

## History

1000 years ago, The Holy Dresvin Empire was vastly different. It was led by a tribunal with an emperor as a figurehead. Over time, infighting and corruption took over the tribunal. Political assassinations were common and legislation was changed near daily. All of this eventually coalesced into a massive civil war. The citizens were tired of the corruption in the Tribunal and decided to take matters into their own hands. They were however, being funded by some members of the Tribunal who hopped to dodge the wrath of the citizens. As well, Vulgaria used this as a chance to reclaim land that was previously conquered by the Empire. After a year of this, the man who would be eventually known as the Phoenix Lord appeared.

## Locations

This is a list of locations held within the Empire.

Port Spodium

Amberhold
Xander Thorn

Xander Thorn is a representative of The Adventuring Academy. He is from The Holy Dresvin Empire and trained as a fighter in the College of the Blade.

Xander was the representative who brought back Arthur Hawthorne and The Gilrog

### Personality

Xander is a very open and friendly person. He is often found swapping stories of adventure wherever alcohol is sold, while he talks a big game he has more than enough skill to back it up.
Headmaster Sylvira

Headmaster Sylvira Goldenhand is the oldest Headmaster of The Adventuring Academy. Sylvira is the author of the academy laws and a large portion of books in the Grand Library. Sylvira is an extremely powerful archmage and spends most of her time researching. A common warning to new adventurers is to never get her started on what she is currently working on or mentioning your field of study as a mage.

Sylvira is known to be an extremely welcoming and supportive headmaster, as she truly wishes for each adventurer who enters their care to become better by the time they leave. She has an always open door policy, which due to her being an elf and an incredibly powerful wizard, her office is available to visit 24 hours a day.
Headmaster Caldwell

Headmaster Caldwell is one of the older Headmasters of The Adventuring Academy. Caldwell holds the appearance of an elderly half-elf, an image he enjoys playing into. In actuality Caldwell is the best hand to hand fighter in Prayden. Caldwell is an eccentric individual. His past is basically unknown due to the vast amount of conflicting information he gives about his past.

Recently Caldwell has taken to wearing a cast and a sling for his right arm, giving many different stories of how he was injured. However some have said that the cast will sometimes switch to his other arm.
The Seven Icons

There are Seven leaders of the armies of Hell, each of which exemplifies a negative trait or emotion in the material world.

There are small pockets of worship for the Seven Icons in Prayden.

*Note: These names originate from LaVeyan Satanism. While many of these names originate from preexisting cultures that were Christianized, their original sources and cultures do not influence their portrayal in Prayden. They are based on the interpretation from Anton LeVey with some liberties taken from me.*

### Abbadon, The Icon of Violence

Abbadon exemplifies overindulgence to violence, their violence is mindless and directionless. Abbadon glorifies fighting until you die, leaving the largest trail of destruction in your wake.

### Azazel, The Icon of War

Azazel exemplifies the horrors of war. While war can be used for just causes, Azazel glorifies total and destructive warfare. They are viewed in a similar vein to Abbadon, but this is not the case. Azazel's destruction is strategic and efficient to cause the most amount of suffering.

### Beelzebub, The Icon of Decay

Beelzebub exemplifies stagnation and decay of all things. Beelzebub glorifies living a life of absolute stagnation. Disease and pestilence follows in their wake.

### Mammon, The Icon of Greed

Mammon exemplifies greed and putting down others in the desire for personal gain.
Madam S

Madam S is the owner and leader of the Society of Merchants. She is known to be ruthless in running her business which she has an extreme amount of skill in running. Not much is known about her, as she refuses most requests meetings. Instead sending representatives in her place to meet with clients or business partners.
Ezekiel Morrison

Ezekiel Morrison is a representative for the Adventuring Academy. His primary job is to bring back new adventurers and to ensure these new adventurers adjust to their new lives.

Ezekiel was the representative that brought back Xenia of Burning Blood and Sion.

## Personality

Laid back and quiet. He is very casual in his speech. Though he is known to be very kind when the moment demands it.
Alabaster

Alabaster is the most wanted adventurer in Prayden. Alabaster began murdering adventurers 5 years ago, something of which he seems to be very skilled at. There are very few witness accounts of Alabaster, as most don't survive or come forward. The most that is known is that Alabaster views his murders as his divine task.
The Thieves Guild

The Thieves Guild are an unofficial subguild for the Adventuring Academy. It is unofficial as the Academy cannot endorse the criminal acts of the adventurers that are members. They're primary base of operations is in Sokolavoskaya in Vulgaria. They are lead by an adventurer named Marwen.

The Thieves Guild is filled with adventurers that believe that normal adventuring work is a waste of time or too low paying for them. They carry out heists and robberies of anyone they think worth stealing from. As well they also sell protection to the businesses that pay them.
Emperor Cicero III

Emperor Cicero III is the Emperor of The Holy Dresvin Empire. Cicero is a very mysterious figure, very few have actually seen him in person outside of special appearances. Cicero is renown as a genius. His running of the Holy Empire has seen a large development in military and technological development.
Headmaster Azura

Headmaster Azura is the newest headmaster to The Adventuring Academy, a role she seems to be very upset over. Azura is an extremely proficient swordfighter. She has been called one of the best swordfighters in all of Prayden, something which is hard to dispute after seeing her fight.

Azura is almost always in a bad mood. She is prone to outbursts of rage towards students, faculty, and sometimes the other Headmasters. She seems to have a particular hatred for Headmaster Caldwell though the reason is unknown.

## Interactions

Thorvard challenged her to a fight and made a decent display of himself.
The Adventuring Academy

The Adventuring Academy functions independently from the rest of Prayden. The Academy resides in the center of the continent where the largest font of natural magics pour from the planet. Politically, the Academy is strictly neutral. While individual adventurers are allowed to act as they see fit within the rules of the Academy, the Academy as a whole cannot take any sort of action that would demonstrate favoritism towards the other nations or factions.

The Adventuring Academy serves to educate and train up emergent adventurers. When an awakening event occurs, an Academy representative will be sent as soon as possible to take the newly awakened adventurer to the Academy headquarters. Sometimes by force, if necessary.

## Leadership

The Adventuring Academy is led by a select few Headmasters. The actual selection process is extremely unofficial. Where new Headmasters are nominated by an existing Headmasters and the rest vote to allow them to join. There are no set number of Headmasters, but currently there are 3 Headmasters. Headmaster Azura, Headmaster Caldwell, and Headmaster Sylvira.

## Division of Schools

The Adventuring Academy is divided into 3 schools to better teach the adventurers that come their way.

### College of the Blade

A campus dedicated towards towards training those with martial capabilities. Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Ranger, and Rogue

### College of the Mind

A campus dedicated towards training those with an inclination to learn magic. Bard, Druid, Wizard, Artificer.

### College of Dedication

A campus dedicated towards those who have been granted magical abilities through another being. Cleric, Paladin, Warlock

### The Sorcerer Dilemma

The most dangerous of all the adventurer inclination is that of sorcerers. Adventurers are already beings who hold a strong natural magical ability. Sorcerers have an amplified version of this. As such they need extremely skilled tutors and a large amount of care. They are brought to the Adventuring Academy headquarters. Not all sorcerers graduate from this. Some bloodlines are too potent to properly contain. This has led to a rumor that any sorcerer that doesn't master their internal magical abilities are taken and killed. The Headmasters deny this rumor.

## Academy Law

There are a set of rules in place to ensure a working relationship with the rest of the factions in Prayden.

1. An adventurer may not hold any position of power over nonadventurers
2. An adventurer may not murder a nonadventurer unless there is a justified reason to do so.
3. An adventurer

## Representatives

Representatives for the Academy serve two purposes. They are the ones who travel out to bring new adventurers back to the Academy, and they act as counselors that help new adventurers get settled into their new lives.

Below is a list of representatives

Ezekiel Morrison

Xander Thorn

## Subguilds

After graduating from the Adventuring Academy some adventurers find themselves specializing in a specific field of work. Below is a list of the subguilds.

Headhunters

The Thieves Guild (Not officially endorsed by the Academy)
Headhunters

The Headhunters are a subguild for The Adventuring Academy that specialize in contracts put out on other hunters. When an adventurer goes rogue or an unregistered adventurer shows up its the Headhunters job to eliminate them. They are led by Beatrice.

Currently the Headhunters are focused on taking down a serial killer known as Alabaster. However their efforts have been delayed due to Alabaster murdering many key members of the Headhunter's investigation on himself.

## Reputation

The party managed to track down and kill a wanted adventurer, saving them from the time spent hunting them down.
Blood Sorcery

Blood Sorcery is the term for various schools of blood magic developed by Kindred to further the feats possible with vitae. Its origins lay at the feet of the hated Tremere clan, who sought to regain what was lost to them when each was Embraced. It is sensual, spiritual, and utterly arcane in all of its myriad forms - exactly the opposite of Blood Alchemy. A blood sorcery communes with the primordial forces of life and death on the material plane, in whatever form they can name, to enact the sorcerer's will upon the world.

If one wishes to become a blood sorcery, they must seek out a teacher, as the ability is not innate as is often the case with Disciplines. Additionally, the cost to invest in sorcery paths is more expensive than disciplines. There is ample room to homebrew merits related to sorcery casting.

Mechanics:

* Blood Sorcery Rolls = Charisma + BP
* Standard Difficulty for Blood Sorcery Rolls = 8
* Rites are instant cast sorcery spells.
* Rituals are extended action spells.

Source: House Rules, CoD & WoD.
The Faceless

The Faceless is a group of representatives of Madam S for the Society of Merchants. Their role in the SoM is to act as the hand of Madam S, they make business deals and partnerships in her stead. They have the authority of Madam S and operate with a large amount of autonomy. The Faceless are trained to be impartial servants of the SoM, they have no identity and act as if they are a single entity.
Zombie

A zombie is a basic and extremely common form of the undead. Zombies are formed after someone contracts Marrow Rot and fails to be cured in time.

It is unwise to fight a group of zombies, as that increases your chances of contracting Marrow Rot. If you have to fight one, it is recommended to try to pick them off one at a time and limit the chances of them biting or scratching you.

### Weakness

A zombies biggest weakness is its head. Any damage dealt to its head is more effective.

### Lures

Zombies are attracted to loud noises, any loud noises made in the proximity of zombies can cause them to investigate the source of the sound.
Society of Merchants

The Society of Merchants is a large merchants organization that runs throughout all of Prayden. The SoM operates by signing up smaller businesses into members. By becoming a member a business owner has access to the SoM's resources. A SoM member gets higher quality goods and materials for much cheaper, at the cost of sending 60% of the profits towards the Society of Merchants.

## Leadership

The Society of Merchants is ran by Madam S and a group of representatives known as The Faceless.

## Reputation

The party returned their goods without issue.