The Hero's Recusants (Akynd Chronicles Book 1), page 17
Their aforementioned mouths are incapable of speech. Instead, the Zeylistahair communicate telepathically with any creature whose strands of weave intersect their own, essentially like line of sight, only add in that it can turn one time, so if the Zeylistahair can sense a location where they would be able to sense their target, they can communicate. That said, Zeylistahair communication is very straightforward, typically made up of one or two word simple sentences. Instead of “let’s go to the jail and check on the prisoners”, it might be “We. Jail. Check prisoner.” Oddly enough, given the form of their communication, the ideas and verbiage that they pass over the strands impress concepts, rather than words, so if the above sentence was sent to two different people, their minds might draw different parallels. One might hear “We jail. Check prisoner.” while the other might hear “We prison. Assess Criminal.” It is the idea of going to the jail and checking on the prisoners that is relayed, not the specific vocabulary, which makes them able to communicate freely with targets regardless of language.
Their society is run entirely by their clergy, devoted followers of Blithe. One does not disobey the orders of Blithe, or his clergy, their word is absolute. The goal of their society is to abolish learning, as they consider almost all traditional education as limiting. They firmly believe that only by embracing ‘no knowledge’ can you truly know.
Breeding is a unique process for the Zeylistahair as well. They take a prisoner, and then use their connection to the weave to stitch the prisoner’s body, reconstructing it into that of another Zeylistahair. They then bathe the prisoner in the waters of unknowing, blessed waters from their temple that reincarnate the mind by removing all memories of their prior life.
Chapter 4
Geography
The world of Eribeth is immense, but you only were introduced to a small part of it. Like the list of creatures you’ve met, I’ll cover the geographical locations you were introduced to. Those locations, if I’m not mistaken, are: Curliko, The Denmaki Mountains, The Refori Woods, and Rekima, each outlined below.
Curliko - To pronounce, Curly-Coe, rhymes with twirly toe. Curliko was a center of commerce due to its central location on the island. I am told there is a saying amongst your people that “all roads lead to Rome”, which leads me to believe the Curliko could be considered Rekima’s equivalent to Rome. There exists no major trade route that does not pass through Curliko. Unfortunately, the prosperity of the city led to a meteoric rise in corruption, and as such, the city was purged by the Akynd. The population was once well over a hundred thousand, and now it barely peaks ten thousand, and all of those are refugees intent on rebuilding the city without the pervasive evils it once clung to. Society was ruled by a council, with headmaster’s of each of their primary schools leading the council—Though they often considered the work beneath them and sent advisors in their stead. The primary schools were Tri’lok (an academy for martial arts), The Curliko Wizarding Academy (C.W.A., a school for wizards, obviously), and Bladesborough (a school for learning weapons and the art of war).
Denmaki Mountains (the) - To pronounce, Den rhymes with when, mock, ee. The Denmaki Mountains make up the largest mountain range in the known world, spanning nearly half the continent of Rekima. The northernmost section is oft mined for valuable resources, but the southernmost section is avoided at all costs, for only death lies within those caverns.
Refori Woods (the) - To pronounce, say referee, but with an “o” in the middle, reh-four-ee. The most beautiful woods in the world, if I do say so myself. Which I do. The trees are hundreds of feet tall, oftentimes reaching as high as six hundred feet, with our dear Imhos Lhala reaching the highest, at an astounding six hundred and twenty seven feet. The branches of our trees are very sparsely arranged, and the trees grow extremely straight, allowing for a beautifully bright twilight, rather than the deep darkness of gnarled, canopied swamps and such. The majority of our forest, thankfully, runs south of Imhos Lhala, guarding it from prying eyes. I am told that, should other Flourie tribes exist—not saying they do, mind—that they would have their own Imhos Lhala within their home. Fitting, as Imhos Lhala is the centerpiece of our devotion, keeper of our ancestry, and the one who grants us the ability to bring more Flourie into this world.
Rekima - To pronounce, wreck-ee-muh. Rekima is simply the name of the continent this story took place on. I have discussed geography with Daniel (from the sound of it, he’s quite terrible at it) and believe, from the sound of things, that Rekima is roughly the size of your “Asia”. For reference, from the Akynd’s location within the Refori Woods to the barbarian’s encampment at the southeastern base of the Denmaki mountains would be a three month hike if all went well—It’s a good thing the Akynd can teleport!
Chapter 5
Religion
I know remarkably little about the gods of Eribeth, as a Flourie I am devoted to Imhos Lhala, as you may know. I will be more informative in the following chapters as the gods pertain to the story, but for this book, all you need know is that there are fourteen gods of Eribeth, known to many as “the Paired Seven”. They are so named because for each god, there is an opposer. You have not encountered any in this story, but if you recall I mentioned Blithe, god of ignorance, and Didichi, god of knowledge—These are one such pairing. The other pairings (and their domains) are: Le’Nosta (Justice) — Ty’Moria(Vengeance); Illaberta (Freedom) — Suphorus (Servitude); Hoffichi (Honor) — Jaccet (Deceit); Parsillius (Mercy) — Iirasundae (Wrath); Spei (Hope) — Atram (Despair); Aeq (Balance) — Innae (Chaos). Each one has an Abata Diyue that serves them, and you’ve already met one. I’d bet my branch you’ll end up meeting a few more before this tale is over.
About the Author
Daniel Lehman started reading at a very young age, and he got some confusing looks in kindergarten as he read K. A. Applegate's Andalite Chronicles.
As he grew older, he ended up as a proud father of a beautiful baby who had arrived a few years too early. He graduated from high school anyway and made it to college.
After college, he joined the US Navy (which he will still recommend to anyone who will listen), and it was there he met his wife. While in the navy, he ended up injuring his knee, which set him down a path that has led him here.
Daniel Lehman, The Hero's Recusants (Akynd Chronicles Book 1)
