General Knowledge

Valadae is a land of many unique customs, doctrines, and lore, as well as rules and systems that govern the natural world in ways both similar and different to our own.

Each of the Dragon Calling books unravels diverse and in-depth world-building as the story unfolds, and it is wise for the intrepid adventurer to be learned in the numerous terminologies and laws unique to the world of Valadae.

## Times and Spans

Time moves differently in Valadae than it does in our world. The naming of time its different lengths is, for the most part, also unique.

Hours, minutes, and seconds are all used in Valadilian referencing to time, but 'days' are called spans, or *sunspans*, and 'nights' are called the *sundark*.

The complete cycle of a sunspan (inclusive of sundark) is thirty-two hours (compared to our world's twenty-four).

Words like *twilight*, *dawn*, *dusk*, *evening*, *morning*, and *afternoon* are not terminologies used in Valadae. Instead, the spans are broken up into segments, with universal titles. There are four segments during the cycle of the sun across the sky, and four during the moon's turn. For sunspan, the start of each quarter is as follows: *sunrise*, *mid-rise*, *sunpeak*, *mid-down*, and *sundown* (sometimes sunset is used). For the sundark, the quarters are referenced by numbers: first-quarter (or first watch), second-quarter (second watch), third-quarter (third watch), and forth quarter (final watch, or last watch).

## Wreegns, Fulons, and Cycles

Continuing on with the length and placement of time in Valadae, sunspans are furthermore grouped into segments, in course with cultures and seasons.

Wreegns are a four sunspans, a common measurement of the average work cycle in many cultures; three spans of work, followed by a span of rest.

A fulon is a complete cycle of the moon's different phases, from new to waxing, to full, to waning, back to new. A fulon (a blend-word combining *full* and *moon*) is a cycle of twenty-eight sundarks.

There are *seven* wreegns in a fulon and *thirteen* fulons in a cycle (a cycle being a complete rotation through the four seasons) of three hundred and sixty-four sunspans/ sundarks.

The length-of-time titles continue are follows:

Destyde—Ten cycles.

Sentyde—One hundred cycles.

Age—Five hundred cycles.

## Manna

Manna is the flow of energy that moves through all things, both physical and incorporeal. It is, in essence, the force that sustains life, balance, and natural law.

In the hilesal language, it is called the Tuplok'gisdelara—the Space of Life.

## Corruption

Corruption is the flow of energy forced in reverse, resulting in distortion to the true flow of things.

The Origin story depicts that one of the Three Strands created to expand the manna flow across Space and Motion broke from his true calling and turned his flow in the opposite direction (wanting to create something new, something more than what he was told to design). The result brought devastation upon the original flow, and to this day is the cause of all the wrongness in the world.

Every living thing has a thread of corruption flowing through them, and as such, are susceptible to its negative effects (whether it be illness, death, destructive desires etc).

In the hilesal language, it is called the Tuplok'koruminod—the Space of Corruption.

## Denin and Et'denin

The titles Denin and Et'denin are derived from the ancient hilesal language, meaning *magic (of magic)* and *not magic (not of magic)*, respectively.

The titles are common across Valadae as they are a part of the primary classification of different creature-kinds and animal species.

Creatures that are directly connected to the manna flows of their environment are called Denin, and are able to control energies outside of their own physical makeup; in basic terms, Denin are *magical*.

Adversely, creatures that have *no* direct connection to the world's manna flows are called Et'denin, and are (with the few abnormal exceptions) incapable of controlling energies and flows outside of their bodies.

There *are* methods in which an Et'denin individual can control manna, known as the Three Laws, but those methods are linear and, more often than not, less powerful than their natural counterparts.

## Soul Talk

Is a form of communication involving the projecting and reading of thoughts without the use of the five physical senses. Anyone can receive Soul Talk thoughts, but only an individual learned in the art can send their thoughts into others. Soul Talk can carry the desired words and mental images of the sender, as well as their emotions, but it cannot place false thoughts or manipulations into the minds of others. Spells can easily disrupt Soul Talk, as can a closed or unreceptive mind. Distance also plays a role in the success of a connection; the farther the distance, the weaker the connection.

*Dream-walking* is considered a rare type of Soul Talk; where an individual can enter other's dreams at will, though they are limited to being a spectator with linear communication abilities.

## Spirit Message

A Spirit Message is a composition of raw manna implanted with the thoughts or words of an individual, intended for a chosen recipient. Using a Spirit Message is the fastest and safest way to send and receive messages. 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.

Spirit Messages are often small (never bigger than an average-sized dog) and can take whatever form the Sender desires. When a Message is relaying its contents, its shape unravels to form a flat circular, or elliptical, surface (like a mirror), showing the recipient the pre-recorded face of the Sender, or manifesting spectral words of whatever is being spoken.

Once a Spirit Message completes its task, it requests to be released. Once granted, it dematerialises and returns to the manna-flow of the world.

## Memory Phantom

Is a Spirit Message that is unable to impart its message to its recipient or return to its creator. The only documented cause has been due to the deaths of both Sender and Recipient before the Message was able to reach either.

As a result, the Message wanders in perpetual purposelessness, unable to fulfil its calling, and so, unable to return to the manna stream.

## Cacodemon

Is a corrupted spirit entity 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 arts.

The forms cacodemons take vary greatly in size and shape. Depending on the strength of the spirit, the physical form can be as small as a rodent, or as large as a baku (an elephant-like creature found in desert regions).

On rare occasions, the bodies from multiple creatures can fuse to form enormous, monstrous cacodemons the size of hills, whose destructive powers match their terrifying size.

## Eudemon

The opposite of a cacodemon. Eudemons are benevolent, uncorrupted spirit entities that have taken on a physical form. They are extremely rare, as such spirits are not particularly drawn to the corporeal realm (unlike those that form cacodemons, who lust after sensations experienced only in the physical realm).

It is impossible to tell an eudemon apart from any other natural creature (as their guise is flawless). Cacodemons, on the other hand, are easy to distinguish as their corrupted energy cannot be concealed.

Eudemons can bond with, and even procreate with, other natural creatures. The resulting offspring of such a unique pairing is called a soujor.