Book 1 Index

A concise list of names and terms used throughout The King's Gambit. It is spoiler-free for the first book. An updated list reflecting the aftermath of The King's Gambit can be found on the "Book 2 Index" page at the top.

Ænæria—A theocratic kingdom founded by King Xander 15 years prior to the events of The King’s Gambit. It is made up of 13 provinces that were once independent tribes making up the Northern Realm. 

Alejandra—A codename for the leader of the Miners Guild. Her real name is known only to her family. She is the mother of Mandi, daughter of Risa, wife to Heath, and niece of Takashi Kabedge.

Alphonse Limmetrad—Benedict Limmetrad’s father and Lydia Limmetrad’s brother. He is the former Chief of Freztad before disappearing to pursue the mysteries of the Vault.

Apollin—Province of Ænæria east of Neptuan and across the sea from Bacchuso.

Arma, Silas, Dyl, and Ming—Slavers working from the Plutonua province of Ænæria.

Arynn—Daughter of Siegfried, the cartographer of Vänalleato. She is 17 years old and an aspiring navigator. She is easily recognized by her bright red hair and blue eyes.

Ascendants—The spirits of the dead living within the Great Dream according to the beliefs of Vänalleatian natives. Called Ancestors by Ænærians.  

Bacchuso—A disputed territory between the Ænærians and its natives. It is a large island that lies across the sea from the Apollin Province.

Benedict Limmetrad— The son of Alphonse Limmetrad. He is 16 years old for the majority of The King’s Gambit. He works as a farmer in Freztad and is an aspiring Sentinel. He and Rose are the only children in the village to have survived the plague. 

Blood Bugs—Vernacular for mosquitos. They are often blamed for the plague that occurred on the Gjoll River 10 years before the events of The King’s Gambit.

Hunter Flies—Vernacular for dragonflies. They are raised for the purpose of keeping the blood bug population under control. 

Cerez—The agricultural province of Ænæria, west of Plutonua. Its primary produce is the poppy flower, which is used for its analgesic properties.

Darius—At the age of 15 he deserted the Rhion of Holy Ænærian Army in hopes of becoming a member of the Miners Guild. 

Deus ex Machina—Latin translation for “God from the Machine.” 

Diania—Ænærian Province north of Neptuan.

Elders—Priests of Vänalleato who preach the words and beliefs of the Grand Elder.

Enochians—The mysterious creators of the Vaults.

Eternal Mother—The worshipped deity of Ænæria. Synonymous with the Eternal Sun. 

Faaip de Oiad—Enochian translation for “Voice of God,” as well as the title of the prologue, an account given by Mimir to a woman named Sam. This account is given after the events of The King’s Gambit.

Felix—A young boy from Vänalleato with a rare combination of black skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. He is the adoptive son of the blacksmith Wulkan.

Freztad—Farm and trade village next to the Gjoll River. At the center of the Penteric Alliance, Freztad serves as its capital.

Gal and Skalle—Brothers from a group of people known as Orks from the eastern land known as Ney. They are hairless and have skull tattoos over their faces.

Gjoll River—River that flows north past Freztad and into a large lake by Vänalleato. According to Vänalleatian belief, it is a holy river with a strong connection to the Great Dream. The cremated remains of their deceased are released into the river. Many Freztadians believe the Gjoll is the reason their farm flourishes.

Grand Elder—Leader of Vänalleato. He is believed to be the reincarnation of the founder of Vänalleato and their belief in the Great Dream.

Great Dream—The afterlife according to the belief of the Vänalleatians. All souls enter the Great Dream where they are free and can aid in the affairs of the living. 

Heath—Military strategist of the Miners Guild. He is the wife of Alejandra and father of Mandi. 

Ignistad—Capital city of Ænæria at the center of the Marzora Province. 

Jarl Geon—The current leader of the settlement of Sydgilbyn as well as the commander of their army.

Jean—Alphonse’s wife and Benedict’s mother.

Jordysc—A settlement north of Ignistad. It is the base of the Miners Guild.

King Xander—He is also known as the Eternal Mother’s Chosen. After leaving Freztad, he united 13 of the kingdoms within the Northern Realm and founded Ænæria.

Legate Fenwin—Legate of the Vestinia Province. Fenwin is King Xander’s third-in-command. He is the only known proficient user of sun-swords, solar-powered swords that are prototypical replicas of the legendary Voidsweeper.

Legate Gatron—Legate of the Plutonua Province. He is the legate responsible for training Darius as a Rhion. 

Legate Randolph—Legate of the Minervia Province. Randolph is King Xander’s fourth-in-command. Despite being so high-spirited, Randolph is a military man who fights without mercy. His nephew is Longinus.

Legate Rivers—Legate of the Neptuan Province. He is King Xander’s second-in-command. He has a mild demeanor but is believed to be highly intelligent.

Longinus—Prefect of the Minervia Province. He is 19 years old and was raised by Randolph, his uncle, after his father died and dishonored their family. 

Lydia Limmetrad—Official Chief of Freztad, though she has not acted as such in the last 3 years before the events of The King’s Gambit due to her melancholia and losing the use of her legs. She was exposed to the plague 10 years before the events of The King’s Gambit and slowly experienced an ascending paralysis. She is the mother of Rose Limmetrad and sister to Alphonse.   

Mandi—An intelligence agent of the Miners Guild. She is 18 years old and has a large burn on the left side of her face. Health and Alejandra are her parents, and Risa is her grandmother. 

Marcus and Jesse—Husband and wife, respectively, living in Svaldway. They are among the founders of the Miners Guild.

Marzora—Capital Province of Ænæria. There is no legate in Marzora as King Xander oversees it directly.

Mashariq—Western settlement of the Penteric Alliance. Its leader is given the title of ‘Sheik’ or ‘Sheika.’ It is currently led by Sheika Thalia. They are most renowned for their fishing and skill as boat builders. 

Mathias the Exile—He was of the first generation to be born and raised after the end of the Old Days. He united a tribe of people to find Freztad and is the first Limmetrad. 

Mercura—A small Ænærian province on the west coast.

Mimir—The first guardian of the Grand Vault. His sole purpose is to preserve its integrity.

Miners Guild—An underground organization scattered throughout Ænæria dedicated to overthrowing King Xander’s regime. 

Minervia—Ænærian province east of Marzora. It is overseen by Legate Randolph.

Neith and Yeong—Two Sentinels (female and male, respectively) who, along with Zechariah, accompany Rose to Ænæria.

Neptuan—Fishing and naval province north of Marzora. 

Ney—Land far east of the Penteric Alliance. Its natives call themselves Orks. 

Northern Realm—Ænæria and the other lands surrounding it. It was once known as the Northern Kingdoms before King Xander’s rule.

Old Days—Denotes the time before the cataclysmic events that led to the fall of Earth’s civilizations. Nearly all technology and traditions have died since then, along with the vast majority of humanity.

Orks of Ney—Inhabitants of Ney. They have had very little interaction with outsiders.

Parvidom—Crossroads town between Plutonua and Vestinia. It is the largest trading hub in Ænæria and crucial to their economic stability. 

Pawel—A young boy whose family avoided the Ænæria census and is trying to escape to the Penteric Alliance. 

Penteric Alliance—The pact between five settlements south of the Northern Realm. It is also used to refer to the land between the settlements’ borders. It is made up of Freztad its capital, found at the center of the Alliance’s borders, Sydgilbyn in the South, Vänalleato in the North, Talamdor in the West, and Mashariq in the East.

Plague—A great sickness that overcame many settlements near large bodies of water about 10 years before the events ofThe King’s Gambit. Many believe blood bugs to be the culprit of the plague because anyone who was bitten in that time period came down with a long and debilitating sickness. Every child bitten in Freztad died, except for Benedict. 

Plutonua—Ænærian province bordering Vänalleato’s territory. It is overseen by Legate Gatron. Both Darius and Trinity are originally from here.

Prefect—A high ranking military officer in an Ænærian province, second only to the legate. They have the authority to give orders to their subordinate Rhion.

Rakshi—Commander of the Freztadian Sentinels. She is close friends with the twins Kristos and Zechariah as well as Ben and Rose. She is 23 years old and a prodigy swordswoman and archer. 

Rhion—Title of an Ænærian soldier.

Risa—One of the founding members of the Miners Guild. She is the sister of Takashi Kabedge, mother to Alejandra, and grandmother to Mandi.

Rohan and Zoya—Father and mother to Rakshi. They are both originally from Vänalleato but moved to Freztad shortly after Rakshi was born.

Roryk—A Rhion of Plutonua working undercover to aid the Miners Guild. 

Rose Limmetrad—Daughter of Lydia Limmetrad and Julius. She is 15 years old and the acting Chief of Freztad. She is an exceptionally skilled archer. Her bright green eyes are her defining feature. 

Sam—A woman who listens to Mimir’s tale in the first chapter. 

Sentinel—The title of a Freztadian guard. They are responsible for keeping the village safe as well as patrolling the roads within its borders. 

Sera—Arynn’s best friend who disappeared two years prior to the events of The King’s Gambit. It is believed that she was one of the first to be kidnapped by slavers near Vänalleato. Her disappearance led to the Elders’ decision to not allow women to leave the town alone.

Sheika Thalia—The leader of Mashariq, the eastern settlement of the Penteric Alliance.

Siegfried—Master cartographer of Vänalleato. He has traveled all over the Penteric Alliance and nearly all of Ænæria. He is the father of Arynn. His defining features are his bald head and red beard.

Sierra—A large white wolf who follows Ben on his journey. She was named by Arynn.

Sleipnir—A moody and difficult gelding who typically only cooperates for his owner, Rose. After the attack on Freztad, he and many other animals ran away from the village.

Sol Invictus—The motto of Ænæria. It means ‘Invincible Sun.’ It is used to inspire strength among Ænærians.

Sols—Round and metal coins used as currency in Ænæria. There are copper, silver, and gold coins.

Sun-Carriage—Solar-powered trucks used by high ranking Ænærians or for special missions. They are believed to be from one of the Vaults, though no one seems to how it was opened. 

Sung—Solar-powered guns used by high ranking Ænærians or for special missions. They are believed to be from one of the Vaults, though no one seems to know how it was opened. 

Sydgilbyn—A desert settlement south of Freztad. They are known for their military expertise and large population.

Takashi Kabedge—One of the oldest residents of Freztad. He is a mentor and parent figure to Ben just as he was to Julius. He owns the farm in Freztad and a food shop where he is a chef. He is Vic’s husband and Risa’s brother. 

Thane Morgiana—Leader of Talamdor, the western settlement of the Penteric Alliance.

The Argr—A fearsome fighter of Ignistad’s gladiatorial arena. The term is also known by some to be a term of emasculation in the lands of the Penteric Alliance.

Tree of Mathias—A large linden tree (often called a lime tree, as well) at the center of Freztad. Only the western facing half of the Tree still has leaves and flowers. On rare occasions, it will grow seeds as well. The eastern facing half is dead and has never bloomed since its discovery. The Limmetrad name is derived from the tree.

Trinity—A former slave from Plutonua who learned the art of healing. She is 16 years old, and her master freed her two years earlier than required when he was dying. Between that time and the events of The King’s Gambit, she moved to Ignistad and had a relationship with Darius. 

Valhaven—The oldest building in Freztad and the ancestral home of the Limmetrad family. It is used to hold meetings for the villagers and leaders of the Penteric Alliance. 

Vänalleato—A settlement atop a very small mountain overlooking the mouth of the Gjoll River. Its leader is the Grand Elder and its people have a deeply spiritual culture. The town is most well-known for its farming of blood bugs.

Vaults—Secure and mysterious buildings left over from the Old Days. It is believed that the only way to enter the Vaults is through special blood. They are believed to hold secrets from the past and perhaps even the sungs and sun-carriages used by Ænærians. There are two known Vaults, the Great Vault near the North Pole and the Broken Vault far to the East, which was opened when Alphonse found it.

Venaz—Ænærian province far northwest of Ignistad.

Vestinia—Ænæria province east of Plutonua and south of Marzora. It is overseen by Legate Fenwin.

Vic—Takashi Kabedge’s husband. He helped raise both Benedict and Julius when they were young. Before becoming gravely ill, he was a teacher in Freztad and a farmer alongside Takashi Kabedge.

Voidsweeper—A legendary blade that has been lost and found over again for generations. It has immense power somewhat similar to that of a sung.

Vulcestus—The easternmost Ænærian province, most renowned for its engineering.

Warden Chen—Warden of the Vestinia prison, north of Parvidom.

Wastelander—Bandits who live outside of organized civilization. They wander the land without laws and often pillage small towns or outposts for food and supplies.

Wulkan—Blacksmith of Vänalleato and adoptive father of Felix. He is easily recognized by his blond hair, red beard, and very large build.

Zechariah and Kristos—Twin Sentinels of Freztad. They are best friends with Rakshi and quite close with Benedict. They are both about 26 years old. Zechariah is one of the most skilled Sentinels and departed with Rose during the events of The King’s Gambit.

Zevi—Meat butcher of Freztad and betrothed to Rakshi.