The Dragon War Read online

  Claire Agon, or simply Agon in the common tongue, isn’t the only planet circling Tau Ceti. Recently on Earth, astronomers have detected up to five planets circling the class G star, which is similar in type to our own Sol, but it masses only four-fifths that of our own sun. The astronomers are almost correct insomuch as the system actually has six planets. One planet, however, they could not have imagined; it circles Tau Ceti in an elliptical and eccentric orbit, tilted at thirty degrees above the solar plane. That planet is the size of our own Neptune, but instead of being a gaseous planet, it is a rocky planet, with a huge mass relative to Earth and an atmosphere and magnetosphere in a class unto itself. Agonians call this planet “Dor Akun,” or “Death World,” though the term “Father of Death” is also used, depending on the culture.

  Dor Akun orbits Tau Ceti once every two hundred years, and when it approaches perihelion, or its closest approach to the star, it actually comes within the orbit of Claire Agon. In addition to this, Claire Agon is also pulled by the gravitational force of Dor Akun, to the point that it, too, reaches perihelion and does so at the same time as its bigger mate, Dor Akun. During this time Dor Akun is a mere million miles from Claire Agon, and it reaches perihelion exactly on the solar plane where Agon orbits Tau Ceti, thus eclipsing Agon as it transits from perihelion and begins its slow, arduous journey up and back to its aphelion, to begin the cycle all over again.

  The eclipse lasts an entire Agonian month, and its tidal forces pull mercilessly on the smaller Agon, flexing its crust and creating huge tides and displacements of waters both great and small. Agon is cast into a cold, dark, month-long isolation, suffering immense damage to life there.

  Fortunately for those who live on Agon, the event occurs only once every two hundred orbits of Agon and once every orbit of Dor Akun. Where the two planets actually cross orbits, the larger planet, Dor Akun, is inclined by several million miles, and so the paths of the two planets never cross.

  Some Earth-based scientists, if they could witness the odd but regular orbits of Agon and Akun, might conclude that the event will eventually decay the Agonian orbit to the point where it either degrades into Tau Ceti, in a spectacular but deadly spectacle of death, or, more likely, on one pass, it will be captured by Dor Akun and her orbit will take her into the deeper regions of Tau Ceti space, where it is cold and dark and eventually even silicon-based life would freeze to death.

  This, however, isn’t the only thing that occurs during the transit event. On Earth, we are protected from radioactive particles by its magnetosphere. In Agon the sphere is weaker and charged particles rain down from Tau Ceti yearly, but during the transit event the great magnetosphere of Dor Akun acts much like a wing does on a modern-day airplane as it slices through the air; it funnels a steady stream of highly charged particles from the local star around itself and onto the surface of Claire Agon every two centuries. The phenomenon causes mutations in the silicon-based life forms of Claire Agon, and so evolution there takes place at a much more rapid pace than it does on Earth.

  Such is the science of Claire Agon and its dance of death and change with its bigger mate, Dor Akun, all around a nondescript class G spectral star located not very far from our own sun; thus magic is created and dragons are born.

  Appendix B

  Glossary

  A

  Agon, Short common name for this planet/world

  Akula, Port city in Tyniria

  Akun, Common name for Dor Akun

  Alexi, Fist of Astor

  Amsel, Kesh Arch Mage leader of the Tyniria attack

  Amtor, High Mage of Kesh (aka Ke-Tor in the ranger series, given name Torra)

  Andrew Vandersot, Ruling noble of the Ulathan northern forces, nephew to Duke Uthor

  Arabella, Demi god of Astor

  Arches, Pirate/corsair from the far East

  Arella, Flower with leaves, known for its healing properties

  Arnen, Ancient Order of Druids

  Azor Koll, Northman (Barbarian) chieftain and newly appointed leader of the Skull Crusher clan

  B

  Badlands Road, Northern road from Ulatha into Rigis

  Balaria, Island realm known for its assassins and thieves

  Blade, Bounty hunter out of Ulsthor

  Breakers, Bounty hunter leader out of Ulsthor

  Brown Leaf, Arnen druid from the North

  C

  Casius, Balarian spy

  Cider, old port town

  Claire Agon, The planet/world

  Conflagula, Ruling red dragon on Agon (Not the Queen of ALL dragons)

  Crimson, Captain of the Balarian Cutter Racer

  Critir, Magic Orb used to communicate (Crystal Ball)

  D

  Damien, Kesh apprentice, one of the fallen wizards, outcast

  Deviled Egg, Tavern in Ulsthor

  Diamedes, Tynirian historian, born in Ulatha

  Dor Akun, Sixth and largest planet in 200-year orbit around Tau Ceti

  Dour, Akun cleric and trading broker

  E

  Earlstyne Forest, Ancient Forest in Ulatha

  Edger, Executioner on the pirate/corsair ship Vindicator

  Elister aka Elly, Druid and Arnen of the Earlstyne

  Eric Bain, Leader of a mercenary company called The Hunt

  F

  Felsic Mountains, Mountain chain between Kesh and Ulatha

  G

  Galonin, Chief Arnen druid in Agon

  Gorstag, Aide and chief of staff to Duke Uthor of Ulatha

  Greystone Mountains, Mountain ranger in the north Savage Lands

  H

  Highstone Pass, Mountain pass located in Ulatha on the road between Utandra and Regis

  Heron, New science advisor to Duke Uthor

  I

  Infierna, Red dragon

  K

  Kedam, Kesh name for Damien

  Kesh, Realm ruled by wizards, east of Ulatha

  Keshtor, Capital of Kesh

  Korstud, Lead dwarf protector on Akun

  Krom, Akun cleric (See The Blue Dragon)

  L

  Lila, Dryad/Nymph leader

  Lindron, Lead elf protector on Akun

  Lord Able, Ulathan Minister of Religious Affairs

  Lord Andrew, Noble name for Andrew Vandersot, ruling noble of the northern Ulathan forces

  Lord Sorex, Ulathan Minister of Foreign Affairs

  Lord Vang, Ulathan Minister of Supplies (Quartermaster)

  Lunde, Jungle, far south in Agon

  M

  Mola, Wyvern drone to Infierna

  Moartown, Ulathan town located near the base of the Felsic Mountains

  Morgan, Arnen druid of the Pentost region

  Myra, Female warrior and fiancée to Azor Koll

  N

  Nevil, Friend and scribe to Lord Tobin

  O

  Onyx Tower, Seat of government for Kesh, seat of the High Mage

  Osric Moross, Captain of one of the Ulathan military companies

  P

  Pentost, Land region south of Ulatha

  R

  Raven, Wyvern drone to Conflagula

  Red Blade, Captain of the pirate/corsair ship Vindicator

  Rigal, Capital of northern border realm loyal to Ulatha

  Rigis, Duchy north of Ulatha

  Roarwell, King of Tyniria

  S

  Safron, Realm, south of Ulatha, known for its tobacco and weed

  Sara, Moon of Agon

  Savage Lands, Lands on the northern frontiers

  Serus, Old science advisor to Duke Uthor

  Staff of Alore, First magical staff of Agon

  Suprema, Queen of all dragons living on Akun

  T

  Talaman, Magical healing globe

  Tira, Moon of Agon

  Tomlin, Bounty hunter out of Ulsthor

  Traveling Toady, Inn and Tavern in Ulsthor

  Trovis Mountains, Mountain range, west of Ulatha

  Tyniria, Realm south of Kesh, First King o
f Agon

  U

  Ulan Utandra, Capital of Ulatha

  Ulatha, Realm of Duke Uthor Tors

  Ulsthor, Westernmost city in Kesh

  Uthor Tors, Duke of Ulatha

  V

  Velvet Vest, Tavern in Ulsthor

  Vile Volcano, Lair to Conflagula

  Vindicator, Pirate/Corsair ship

  W

  Western Sea, Sea west of the central realms

  Y

  Yves, Commander of the Tynirian northern army

  Z

  Zashitor, Ancient name for a Ranger

  Zokar, Balarian assassin