Appendix

Author’s Note: Normally, an Appendix comes at the end of a book, something you only turn to when you need it. Due to posting chapter by chapter once a week, I posted it first. I know it’s long. You don’t have to read it all. However, I am not stopping anywhere in the story to explain a lot of this as everyone on this planet has no need to explain things to each other, and I am not creating clueless characters for the purpose. They all know that Tunk’ta carry water under thier shells, but do you? Lots of lore is only off-handedly mentioned without explanation. If it doesn’t interest you, skip to the next chapter.

Discover the planet:

Tyliss, third planet in orbit, 1 moon, once had dozens of nations, now only 9 major ones left. The chosen planet of the Seven Serpent gods. Home to a unique particle known scientifically as John-Ept particles after the scientists (human/Da’La’Gin) who studied them, but are most commonly known as “serpent scales” and are considered to be the life essence of the gods when they breathed upon the world to create life. These particles exist everywhere on the planet and give the sky a glittering appearance. Occasionally, they will spin closer together until they gather enough to create a Glimmer, which can travel snaking through the air for kilometers, and every place and culture has different lore about them. These particles can be harvested directly from the air and compressed in a vacuum until they form a tiny blue, very cold, sun-like structure that puts out insane amounts of power they call a Blue Fusion Core. These cores can be made in all sizes to power all forms of items, but tend to be expensive. Once the particles lose their power in the core, they can be uncompressed and released back into the atmosphere where they will replenish their power over time. Any and all things born on the planet have these particles inside them, in the very fibers of their DNA, unable to remove them, and must be replenished, thus preventing anyone from ever successfully leaving long term. The planet has slightly less gravity than earth, is only a hair smaller, but is much more temperate over a larger portion than earth. Only one stretched out continent that makes a partial, misshapen U shape across the planet with many large, scattered islands. Some small nations still exist that no one talks about as they are neither threatening nor worth conquering, though occasionally they get pillaged by much larger nations for any Tamers that may have tried to escape to them.

Frazenthrall- Northernmost country, mostly frozen, contains the last of the Drakinthrall lineage. Is particularly strict with their Tamers, does not allow them much freedom and is careful not to let them have too many Guardians. Made up of 4 nations.

Sadgos’Lak- mostly mountain ranges, rich in mining, powerful military, land locked. Made up of 11 mostly conquered nations. Home to the city-state of Throne Drakinthine, an ancient, powerful and wealthy city created by the Drakinthine line of Tamers deep in the mountains. The government allows their Tamers to rule their fortress as they always have, but only on paper. They also allow rogue Guardians to enter and protect their assets.

Mardarow- mostly farming and exports tons of food. Has a truce of non-aggression with Sadgos’Lak and an alliance with Zaparow, and many bustling ports trading far and wide with numerous other countries. Their lineage of Tamers died out due to refusal to make offspring, though rumors persist of unawakened Tamers among the Commoners. Made up of 9 nations, only one of which was forced and much civil unrest exists along the border with Zaparow.

Zaparow- Massive, made up of 15 nations, many of which through force, has many different cultures, biomes and languages and a powerful military. Home of the very first city-state Academy, also with a powerful army, basically owns the nation even though “officially” separate. Named such as it possesses the most massive library ever gathered on the planet inside of a dead volcano and, by order of its head librarian, is open to anyone who flies their flag and comes in peace to learn in the library. City has 7 districts that sprawl all over on the outside of the mountain: Syvin Court, Ghaller Heights, Tyrin Bizarre, Upper and Lower Pradiash Township, Thurndor Center, and Gallows District. The mountain main is mostly library and all things to do with the government and military, including housing and the ability to be self contained for up to a decade.

Lindarow- tropical and luxurious, home to the religious city-state New Izzing, which houses the Ish’Ire Tamer lineage. Made of 11 nations, most of which joined willingly. Is fairly lax with their Tamers, but also moves them around a lot as a way to protect them.

Gala’hal- Southernmost nation, mostly frozen, broken into many large landmasses. Made up of only 6 nations. Lost their last Tamer in a dispute with their neighbor, Daltar.

Ali’Andra- Desert nation, home to the most elusive Andra Tamers, protected by the Dar’goshen Mountains and the Eternal Storm that keeps out all but the most determined. Very few in history have ever been there and returned so not much is known. Land locked. Shares borders with Sadgos’Lak, Zaparow, and Daltar.

Daltar- mostly arid, has mountains, very little fertile land, but is still powerful in its own right with their Daventhire lineage of Tamers. Lots of clothes, jewelry and weapons come out of here. Was once 13 small nations, most joined together through political means.

Isles of Dolhaar- Island nation rich in resources, made up of many islands so far from the main land that it is inaccessible to all dragons but the Scouters and is considered their ancestral grounds where most wild ones return to breed. Is often a bastion for rogue Tamers. Has the members of 3 different Tamer houses and does not engage in fighting because no one can reach them without being seen. Does not allow Tunk’ta to come on land as none have ever existed there and they bring ecosystems not native to the islands.

Common terms to know:

Elven words

Lulumi (lulu-me)- beloved, my love, my dearest, term of endearment and deep affection.

Dovlin- sexy, hot stuff

Saipaki (sigh-pack-e)[a for plural]- friend, dude, bro, mate, amigo.

Ra’paki- male friend, usually romantic.

Ny’paki- female friend, usually romantic.

Grusik- scum, low life, shit stain, criminal

ra’Hin- older brother

Nivlahn- younger brother

ny’Hin- older sister

Faalahn[a]- younger sister[s]

Ohm’raha- apology

ny’Salohm- female ruler, queen, empress

ra’Salohm- male ruler.

Szotro- impure, also meant as a mutt or mix breed

Grun- means common, used as a derogatory word towards the commoners

Grun’gal- common child, meant as a whoreson.

Vorishki words

Malashe (e is silent)- female ruler

Sal’bah- Sexy

Susafis- akin to shit, used more often as bullshit.

Avamay- dessert, sweet treat, meant as a term of endearment when said at or about someone

Thawgul- trouble maker

Thuf- Thanks

Meet the characters:

S’re uld Morthar- 29, daughter of Bladen, 6’10”, H’elfling, lost and last Tamer of the nation Uldamir, now conquered by Zaparow. “Bonded” to Hero (fire breathing experiment). Blue eyes, white eye shine, straight and fine dirty blonde hair.

Jasper Dukensen- 53, commoner, 6’5”, son of a baker, now a Tender, bonded to Randel (Tunk’ta). Brown hair, brown eyes, scruff muffin, roguishly hot, athletic build. Arsonist. Likes the adrenaline rush. Has a complicated history after having his family land taken by the government of Mardarow, which led to his father dying. Has been with Randel for 30 years.

Black- age unknown, Sarlykein, 9’3”. Completely black, including his many spines and frills, save for his crimson eyes. Exiled for being “disruptive to the populace” as he neither worships their gods nor has interest in family life or military, he was sent to this planet to live among humans. He got into some trouble and the language barrier made it difficult for him to defend himself so the humans wanted to kill him. It was S’re and Jasper who rescued him, and he has followed them around ever since.

Slina Avro- 31, Scout, 5’1”, considered tall among her people. Born in Lindarow. Straight, black hair, brown, hooded eyes. Unlike her older siblings who were chosen to become bonded, she wanted to go into botany. Never bonded. Was unfortunate enough to find herself in a place she shouldn’t have been and was sold to a slaver. Talked too much and was permanently muted. A slave for 3 years before being rescued by a fire set by Jasper. Is bisexual. Has worn big, baggy clothes (usually Jasper’s) since she was freed.

Diana- 24, commoner, 5’6”, Black, frizzy curly hair, basically afro level, green eyes. Family sold her as a child to a gang of thieves. While on a mission, she was left behind and got caught. Spent a year as a slave, met Slina, took an instant liking since she is more lesbian than not, and helped her escape during the fire set by Jasper.

Dane alt Szizander- 984, 1st gen Q’Hu, 8’9”, Guardian, father of Roscrow. Bonded died long ago and never rebonded. Green eye shine, short black hair, has a distinctively bent down, crooked nose unlike the straight noses of other Q’Hu. Guardian mother died in childbirth, was raised by the ruling Tamer of the time, Redkin. Has never been allowed to awaken a Tamer himself as a condition for his life. Dignified, stone faced, and deeply bound by traditions. Earned the title Light Maker for his unique ability.

Roscrow (Ross-cr-ow) alt Szizander- 154, 2nd gen Q’Hu, 8’3”, Guardian of S’re, Lord of Syvin Court, bonded to Granger (War). Straight black hair he tends to keep long enough to drape around his elven ears. Green eye shine. More athletically built than other Q’Hu. Straight nose, not as pale as his father, and has only a few sharp teeth, the rest being human. Youngest Q’Hu in the registry. Has lived a very rare life for a Q’Hu. Knowing both his mother and father, raised with a human sibling, as well as living in the same place all his life, he has a unique perspective on humanity and ... Q’Humanity. Ego is as big as the mountain he calls home.

Kalvin Dorran- 156, Rider, 6’11”, Bonded to Beaut (War, sister to Granger). Half brother to Roscrow through their mother, was a toddler when Roscrow was born. Is really close with his brother but has always been distant with Dane. Gets a kick out of telling people he’s part Q’Hu. Quietly gay, occasionally lets it show. Always has a mustache. Hazel eyes, brown hair.

Balgarir- 1,330, 1st gen Q’Hu, 8’10”, raised by the state of Mardarow and has been a soldier his whole life, specializes in hunting down other Q’Hu and traitors of the state. Blue eye shine, long black hair he keeps tied back. Refused to be rebonded. Owes a debt to Dane for sticking up for him when the locals wanted to put him down for a crime Jackal committed along the border, but does not openly admit it. Has lived as quietly as he has been able to, though he is well known in the country and considered a hero in most places. Three known sons that he loosely associates with.

Ralgin Larrik- 132, Rider descent, 7’1”, Speaker, politician, bonded to Bazil (spindle). Short black hair, iron gray eyes, squared jaw, straight nose, decent looking, always clean shaven. No partner, no children.

Haletis- probably the oldest living thing on the planet, elf, 7’1”, the head librarian of Academy. Emerald green eyes that pierce through the soul and burnt gold hair he keeps long and loosely tied back. Only once in the history of the library did he ever have to defend it against an invading force and his magic was so great that no one has ever dared quarrel with him again. Even the government of Academy recognizes the library as its own entity outside of political involvement solely on the memory of his power and his name is known the planet over.

Jack Jackal- 1,001, 1st gen Q’Hu, 8’8”, drifter, rapist and murderer. Yellow eye glow. An absolute menace, but has a powerful need for Tamers so has never been considered a threat to them. He is banned from most major towns. Has several offspring and killed several more. Has had beef-on-sight with Dane since the first time they met, since Dane is directly after him in the registry and lives a life of luxury.

Bultaj (Bull-teh)- 300+, Vorishki, 8’8”, the Conductor of the Vorishki Syndicate. Massively gay, highly eccentric, absolutely ruthless, and has a thing for Roscrow. Pastel blue and green, always well dressed, and sexually aggressive, he rules his Syndicate quietly, dangerously, taking out foes and rewarding allies. Most of the train lines service Academy and it is where he conducts all his business. Knows human politics entirely too well and has the politicians in his pocket.

The Species that call it home:

Humanoids:

Humans- Original colonizers of the planet, they came with the idea to live as much with the lush natural world they had landed on as possible without turning into savages. Over time, they gained the favor of the Seven Serpents and became Bonded to the dragons of the world. Still the main type of people on the planet at just over 3 billion and is listed as a human colony. Early on, there was a concerted breeding effort to create several castes of humans, which saw the rise of an intricate and well funded orphanage system. From that came a tradition of open relationships and a free love society as no one was forced to care for the children they created on a planet where giant monsters could snatch you up with a crying infant. The War Riders are taller and more muscular to handle the mighty dragons, averaging around 7’, and are often in charge of the government and other areas of power. The Commoners are much shorter and less muscular overall than Riders, they are, of course, the most common and usually handle most other positions. Scout Riders were made small, averaging around 4’5”. Few Scout Riders live among regular civilians, and none that are Bonded. Designed to handle the altitude changes, they often go deaf later in life. Besides physical differences, the humans on this world also evolved to live especially long lives. 200-230 years is quite average (equivalent to our 80-90), since the dragons also live about that long. As such, it is not uncommon to see up to 50 or even 100 years difference between some partners. Their caste system is relatively strict, and while not required by law, it is strongly encouraged and culturally expected to have several tattoos that mark what a person’s role and family are, with a universally accepted image of a dragon’s eye shape being the tattoo for those Bonded.

Some of the caste titles include:

Tender, those who are Bonded to and care for the Tunk’ta; tattoo is the eye on the Bond inside a mountain or a tree. Only during active war are non-military Tenders barred from crossing borders.

Speaker, the politicians who are only sometimes voted in by the people and have created a magical language in an attempt to do what Tamers can do, but causes pain to the dragon and often angers them if done too much or they have strong wills, and the Bonded of those dragons can feel their pain.

Stitcher, a dragon doctor specifically, though also does know some basic human triage and medical stuff to stabilize a dragon’s Bonded, tattoo is very simply the lines of stitches through an eye of Bonding.

Tamer, those who are blessed by the serpent gods and can control dragons completely, though people are a bit tougher. Tattoo is a dragon holding an eye with a serpent wrapped around in a circle.

Singer, considered the “spiritual cousin” of the Tamers, they can weave magic with their music and enchant the dragons to do their bidding, though the effect is short lived and can anger the controlled dragon if it was against their will, though the strong willed can refuse altogether as this magic does not cause them pain and does not affect bonded dragons, but can entrance Broken dragons for a while. Tattoo is a Spindle or serpent wrapped around a lute or other instrument.

Elves- Elves had stories of humans the same way humans had stories of them. Their stories terrified them and made them go to war with humans when they first heard their nightmares were not a myth. Realizing they had made a mistake, a lasting peace was established. Eventually helped the group of humans who came to Tyliss and influenced a lot of their culture. Regularly visit the world and are welcomed into human society. None have ever been born on the planet. They do not die of old age, though are in no way immortal. The average elf is about a foot taller than the average human, though on Tyliss, they are usually equal in height with the Rider caste, though much more svelte. They produce a pheromone that humans find absolutely delightful and have an extra muscle in their throats that gives them the ability to growl and purr and have reflective eyes with slits like cats. With only one lung, they don’t have a great deal of stamina like humans and are quick sprinters instead. However, unlike humans, they don’t need a great deal of sleep, usually only 1 hour to a human’s 6, which is something all their kin, cloned or otherwise, possess. Gestation is 11 months, and they slowly lose both their desire and ability to breed with their advanced age.

H’elflings- The cross between human and elves. Has 2 hearts and 3 lungs. While the two species often recreate, to procreate is very rare since the extra organs often go awry and since the two species have different gestation lengths, the infant often dies. Very few have been born on Tyliss (fewer than 100, in fact), but those that are often end up in the orphanages and quietly disappear into the slave trade. Those lucky enough to not meet that fate live alone and do what they can to not become bonded. Even though the two species are on friendly terms does not mean either really accepts this cross species. Shunned almost entirely by elves. While not exactly shunned or feared on Tyliss, they are considered second rate citizens and aren’t protected by the same laws as humans. Elven genetics only reliably last six generations.

Q’Ra- A genetically modified super soldier created by the elves before they had peace with humans. Using parts of human DNA they got off the intergalactic black market, the elves did everything in their knowledge to create a pure and unapologetic human hunter and made a species that was as much mental warfare as physical. Gaunt faces, pale, ashen skin, sharp teeth, and entirely black eyes with reflective centers, they stand around 3 meters or more, depending on the batch they were created in. The elves thought themselves clever by making only male Q’Ra, named after the war god Q’Ra’Gan. It was believed that they would complete their objective of killing off the humans before eventually dying out by killing each other without offspring. However, simply not making females did not stop the iron willed Q’Ra from having the desire to breed, and they quickly discovered that they were capable of producing offspring with humans much more easily than pure elves can, which created an ultimately more powerful species. Even after the war ended, the Q’Ra continue to lead solitary lives in space, and- knowing that their time is limited- terrorize human planets. On Tyliss, 2 different Q’Ra from the same batch and with immense bounties on them, regularly visit and create offspring at a pace of about 1-2 per century. Very territorial and will attempt to kill each other by design so they avoid each other. The elves completely disowned this species and there are task forces dedicated to hunting them down.

Q’Hu- The offspring of a Q’Ra and human. This superspecies sports 3 lungs and 2 hearts. With all the dense musculature of the Q’Ra, and all the athleticism and whimsical intelligence of humans, they are regarded with as much fear and hate as their sires and often bear the burden of being considered monsters and banned from most human planets. On Tyliss, however, they are generally accepted as second rate citizens only so long as they were born on the planet. Often ending up in the orphanage system, where they are sometimes forced and sometimes enticed to join the military of their home nation. All Q’Hu are signed into a planetary registry that keeps track of them to the best of the government’s ability. Some Q’Hu have been known to vanish for centuries before appearing again. Broken into generations with each subsequent generation being more diluted by human blood. Q’Ra genetics can persist through seven generations. First generation Q’Hu are only male, and on Tyliss specifically they call each other “brother” as a casual insult because of their same batch sires more than a term of inclusion, which leads to the second and third gen calling them “uncle,” also meant as a casual insult. Another common insult is calling each other human, which is meant as “soft and/or scared” while “touched by the Q’Ra” means they completely lack empathy and give other Q’Hu a bad name. They all have the reflective membrane that makes their round pupils glow in the middle of completely black eyes, but unlike Q’Ra which only have yellow eye shine, the Q’hu have 5 main colors of refraction (yellow, green, blue, copper, bronze), a rarely seen but coveted sixth (white) and an even rarer seventh (red) as they are considered possessed and usually killed as children. Most Q’Hu live nomadic, solitary lives, even when in the military. However, their human side makes them crave company and gives them enough empathy to only fight each other to establish dominance. They are not considered true adults until they are at least 500 years old because they have not come to truly understand the gravity of their longevity among humans, and because it is the time frame of the most deaths, weeding out those who are too short sighted for their own longevity. There are only around 2,000 of them on Tyliss. They are barred from positions of any true power due to their longevity and terrifying appearance, to prevent them from dominating political and military affairs, so few even bother to try, simply out living entire regimes and empires until things return to their favor. The relationship between the Q’Hu of Tyliss and the Tamers is long, complex and usually favorable. Once Tamer numbers declined sharply and became restricted by governments, they became known to harbor unclaimed Tamers and even help them escape, which prompted some governments to expel them and even deny them access to the services of their Tamers.