Dreams of a Dark Warrior

Glossary of Terms from THE LIVING BOOK OF LORE

THE LORE

“… and those sentient creatures that are not human shall be united in one stratum, coexisting with, yet secret from, man’s.”

*Most are immortal and can regenerate from injuries. The stronger breeds can only be killed by mystical fire or beheading.

*Their eyes change with intense emotion, often to a breed-specific color.

THE VALKYRIE

“When a maiden warrior screams for courage as she dies in battle, Wóden and Freya heed her call. The two gods give up lightning to strike her, rescuing her to their hall and preserving her courage forever in the form of the maiden’s immortal Valkyrie daughter.”

*They take sustenance from the electrical energy of the earth, sharing it in one collective power, and give it back with their emotions in the form of lightning.

*They possess preternatural strength, speed, and senses.

*Without training, most can be mesmerized by shining objects.

THE BERSERKERS

“A berserker’s lonely life is filled with naught but battle rage and bloodlust. …”

*A cadre of human warriors, known for their merciless brutality, who swear allegiance to Wóden.

*Stronger and faster than mere mortals, they carry within them the spirit of the bear and can channel its ferocity into a berserkrage, temporarily becoming as powerful as an immortal.

*When a berserker wins his two hundredth battle in Wóden’s name, the god will grant him ohalla—immortality with untold strength.

THE ORDER

“The immortal takers. Once captured by the Order, immortals do not return. …”

*A multinational mortal operation created to study—and exterminate—nonhumans.

*Thought to be an urban legend.

THE VAMPIRES

*The Fallen are vampires who have killed by drinking a victim to death. Distinguished by their red eyes.

*Tracing is teleporting, the vampires’ means of travel. A vampire can only trace to destinations he’s previously been or to those he can see.

THE TURNING

“Only through death can one become an ‘other.’”

*Some beings can turn a human or even other Lore creatures into their kind through differing means, but the catalyst for change is always death, and success is not guaranteed.

THE ACCESSION

“And a time shall come to pass when all immortal beings in the Lore, from the Valkyrie, vampire, Lykae, and demon factions to the witches, shifters, fey, and sirens … must fight and destroy each other.”

*A kind of mystical checks-and-balances system for an ever-growing population of immortals.

*Occurs every five hundred years. Or right now …