Sea 1


Everyone has Intent. Even you!
You use your Intent every day: when you use a pillow to sleep, a brush to straighten your hair, or a coat to protect you from the wind, you are lending some of your Intent to an object.
Over time, your Intent builds and builds, helping that item get [u]even better[/u] at doing its job! You will fall asleep faster on your pillow, your brush will never snag, and your coat will stay warm year-round!
What an amazing world we live in!
-From Chapter 1 of the best-selling children’s guide, Reading About Readers!


When someone charges an object with their Intent, we call that process ‘investing,’ and we say that the object has been ‘invested.’
Why? Are we nothing more than slaves to ignorant tradition?
The early Empire knew nothing of finance, and thus nothing of true financial investment. I think you’ll find that our proposed term, ‘empowering,’ really captures the modern spirit of today’s Empire.
-From the (rejected) proposal of the Aurelian Banker’s Union to the Guild of Magisters


Yes, everyone invests objects with their Intent. It can’t be avoided. If you’re human and you use a tool, you will invest it.
Readers have a few inherent advantages in this process, it’s true; most importantly, they can sense what changes they make and alter their Intent appropriately.
No, Readers are not more intelligent or attractive than anyone else. I should think you would be aware of that by now. Please stop asking.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness
Taken from a letter to his pupil, Calder Marten (thirteen years of age).


Certain objects share the mysterious powers of Elders or Kameira. These are usually made from remnants of the creature’s body—a sword made from a Nightwyrm’s claw, for instance, or a pendant made from Lyathatan scales. These items have mysterious and anomalous effects, and should be treated with caution.
However, when such objects are Awakened, a mysterious phenomenon can be observed.
Under specific conditions, a human being can be bound to these powerful objects [u]during[/u] the Awakening procedure. Afterwards, that person can draw on that item as a source of power.
We call such people Soulbound, and such objects Vessels. I believe that somewhere in this process lies the key to traveling the Aion Sea.
-From the research journal of the first Navigator


No, I will not teach you Awakening. However, I will explain the essential concept in order to satisfy your curiosity.
When you Awaken an object, you bring to that object a measure of awareness. Of ‘life,’ so to speak, though an inanimate object cannot move around like you or I do.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness
Taken from a letter to his pupil, Calder Marten (fourteen years of age)


An axe used to split wood for years, for instance, will naturally become invested with a measurable amount of Intent. It will excel at splitting wood.
Now, if a Reader decides to Awaken this particular axe, the tool itself will [u]yearn[/u] to split wood. It gains a rudimentary consciousness related to its task. Most importantly, [u]it can use its own store of Intent to accomplish its goal[/u]. An Awakened object will no longer gain new Intent, but it will become able to use whatever it has already collected.
This is a critical, even disturbing, point.
Readers often spend months or years studying an object to be Awakened. If you do not understand an object’s Intent, you don’t understand its goals. If you do not understand its goals, you will not understand its eventual powers.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness
Taken from a letter to his pupil, Calder Marten (fourteen years of age)


Awakening is a poorly understood process, though it is the method by which we create all our Soulbound and many of our most powerful weapons. Even the brightest minds in the Empire know very little about the nature of Awakened objects.
So please, I beg you, do not attempt to Awaken [u]anything[\u] without the direct supervision of myself or your mother.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness
Taken from a letter to his pupil, Calder Marten (fourteen years of age)


A true Champion, of the Champion’s Guild, is more than just a Soulbound.
The Champions are raised from an early age on an abusive regimen of training and actual combat. They are taught nothing but battle, raised to believe that victory is the only virtue. Along the way, they are subject to a battery of alchemical treatments to increase their physical and mental attributes.
Most of the children do not survive, but the survivors emerge with incredible gifts.
I doubt the ethics of such a system, but I cannot doubt its results.
-From the official report of the Witness assigned to the Champion’s Guild


I hear that you have Awakened your mother’s stand-mirror.
Upon hearing of its effects, I urged her to have the device melted down, and to hire a Luminian Pilgrim to cleanse its remnants.
Let me emphasize once again the dangers of Awakening, as clearly my previous correspondence was not effective.
Hypothetically, let us say that you tried to Awaken a mirror that once—unbeknownst to you—hung in the dungeon of a notorious murderer. Every day, his victims looked into the mirror and wished to be saved. Would it not be likely that the mirror would save a measure of their desperate Intent? And, when Awakened, that very mirror might even cry out for salvation. Why, it might do anything to be free, including distorting the minds and senses of those nearby.
Of course, we are speaking in the hypothetical sense.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness
Taken from a letter to his pupil, two months after the previous message was delivered.


Anyone may use an Awakened weapon, but only a Soulbound can wield power freely, as the Kameira do. It is therefore critical, when dealing with a Soulbound, that you identify their Vessel as quickly as possible.
Until then, assume that they are capable of anything.
-Jarelys Teach, Captain of the Imperial Guard


There were none of the Great Elders more widely respected than Kelarac, whose name means ‘Collector of Souls.’ In myth and legend, he has the reputation of a shrewd bargainer whose deals more often than not spell doom for the other party.
The common understanding, in this case, comes surprisingly close to historical fact. Though no man but the Emperor remembers Kelarac’s true shape, records of his rule still exist. Kelarac was the only known Great Elder without a specific domain, wandering as he did among the territories of his brothers and sisters. He gathered his power from humans, granting their wishes in exchange for an item of value: invested artifacts, personal allegiance, stolen relics of the other Elders, even blood or sanity.
Kelarac is chained to a drowned city somewhere beneath the Aion, but reports of his activity continue throughout the centuries. More contemporary legend suggests that one may summon his attention in the same way that one summons a lesser Elderspawn; namely, through focused application of Intent. However, any plea for Kelarac’s attention first requires a sacrifice. An object, valuable to you, tossed into the Aion where his minions can retrieve it. There is no guarantee that such a sacrifice will warrant Kelarac’s attention, only that without it, you may be assured of summoning only his apathy.
To survive a bargain with the Soul Collector, one must be exceptionally clever. And exceptionally desperate.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness, in a confidential report commissioned by the Blackwatch.


‘Kameira’ is a tricky term. We use it to refer to any creature not of human or Elder origin that can manipulate the world in seemingly supernatural ways. The legendary Cloudseeker Hydra, according to ancient accounts, could levitate itself through the skies and uproot trees without touching them.
How? Are the Kameira powers over nature related in some way to human Intent, or do they have more in common with the strange abilities of the Elders? More importantly, what precisely are the Kameira themselves?
Our Guild has recently confirmed what naturalists have long suspected: that different species of Kameira are no more related to one another than a fox is related to a bird. How, then, do we account for their miraculous powers?
-Tomas Stillwell, Head of the Greenwarden’s Guild


Are all seven of the known Great Elders malicious? I do not think so. I think that most Elders think of themselves as benefactors. Their ways are simply so alien, so absolutely incompatible with humanity, that the kindness of the Great Elders will very likely kill us all.
Nakothi likely believes, in her way, that she is improving humans by warping their bodies into the monstrous Children.
Kthanikahr cares not for humanity, but he is interested in preserving this planet as a habitat for his worms.
Urg’naut works for peace, as he sees it: the true peace of nonexistence.
Tharlos prefers a world of constant, endless change.
Othaghor wants, above all, to preserve life.
Ach’magut seeks knowledge at all costs.
Kelarac could say that he grants wishes.
-Artur Belfry, Imperial Witness, concluding his confidential report to the Blackwatch



    Shadow 1


‘Intent’ is what we call the power of focused will that all humans possess. If you use an object, you invest that object with your Intent. This, in turn, makes your tool more effective.
We have recognized these effects since ancient times, but only now are we learning to turn these principles to our own ends.
I believe the military applications are obvious.
-From an ancient research journal in the Magister’s Guild
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


Kameira have lived on this planet for as long as humanity can remember, and perhaps longer than the Elders. They take the shape of animals—birds, fish, serpents, and furred beasts of all description.
But as different as they are, all Kameira share one common trait: a seemingly miraculous ability to control the world around them.
Kameira of the sea, like Waveriders or Deepstriders, possess the innate ability to command the motion of water in specific ways. Kameira of the sky, especially those in the shape of birds or winged serpents, manipulate air or gravity. Kameira of the forests can sometimes manipulate trees or lesser beasts.
If this is a function of Intent, such as we humans possess, then the implications are troubling. What separates men from Kameira if not our Intent? What does that imply about Soulbound and their Vessels?
-From the manifesto of the original Greenwardens
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


Everyone uses their Intent subconsciously, but Readers are capable of consciously observing and manipulating the Intent stored in objects. This makes Readers better at crafting tools, investigating crimes, creating weapons, enacting subtle sabotage, and manipulating the information received by other Readers.
Yet, for some reason, none of our highest-trained operatives are Readers. We should remedy this lack immediately.
-Confidential correspondence, presumably related to the founding of the Gardeners.
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


Soulbound draw their power from a Vessel—an Awakened object, usually unobtrusive and small, that provides them with the abilities of an Elder or a Kameira. If you must engage a Soulbound in battle, first identify their Vessel. Destroy it if possible, and keep it from them if not.
If you cannot identify their Vessel, retreat.
-Strategic advice from the original order of Gardeners
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


At times, the Captain manipulates the yard or the planks of the deck as though they are extensions of his own body. He seems to communicate with the ship, and he claims that the ship communicates back.
Granted, the Captain’s mind is Elder-touched, and he has lived a long life, scarred by grief. His stories could be lies brought on by sea madness.
But it is my belief that he is Soulbound to his ship, which is his Vessel. This could be the secret to the Navigator’s mastery of the Aion Sea.
Further study needed.
-Report from a Mason undercover in the Navigator’s Guild
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


When you must fight a Soulbound, do so with great care. Fight from a distance, or from the shadows, and be sure to gather as much information as you can.
If you must fight a member of the Champion’s Guild, carry with you a small vial of poison. When the Champion defeats you, end your own life.
-Gardener doctrine


The Great Elders might be strange, and hideous, and not at all polite, but they do follow certain rules. They use their powers through containers, not directly. They all act according to some kind of purpose, even if it’s a horrible one. They are very focused.
Come to think of it, that sounds just like our Intent. How odd. I always thought only humans could use Intent.
Oh yes, and most Elders do want to see us dead. That’s true.
-Bliss, Head of the Blackwatch Guild
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


Investing Intent is a natural process, and one that we are learning to control. We believe Readers are the key to humanity’s advancement. But in spite of everything we’ve learned, we still know next to nothing about the process we call Awakening. I will summarize our knowledge as best I can.
First, we know that Readers can Awaken objects, transforming their physical appearance and granting them increased powers.
Second, we know that Awakened items seemed to have a degree of awareness, the strength and nature of which are related to that object’s original Intent.
Finally, we know that Awakened objects can no longer be invested further, or Awakened again.
However, we still do not have an answer to that most critical question: What effects do the Awakened have upon us?
-From an ancient research journal in the Magister’s Guild
(Excerpt stored in the Consultant’s Guild archives)


Let’s say you want to become a Soulbound.
First, you should get yourself something with [u]power[/u]. And I mean real power, not a gardening can that your grandmother invested to grow daisies. I’m talking about a spear you used to kill a Duskwinder, or the eye of an Elder.
Second, you need to know this thing inside and out. Don’t take somebody else’s spear—use it to kill the Duskwinder yourself. Blind that Elder with your bare hands. If you can’t do that, at least carry it around for a few years. The more the object means to you, the better your chances of bonding with it.
Third, get a Reader to Awaken your object. This might take a while.
If you did it correctly, the object will become your Vessel. You’ll be a Soulbound. Congratulations.
If you didn’t, you’ll probably be dead. Awakening powerful artifacts isn’t a game.
-Unknown speaker
(From the Third Journal of Estyr Six, quoting an older source)


Awakened objects may be powerful and somewhat selfaware, but they are no substitute for a living human being.
From this day forward, non-human entities are no longer allowed a seat on the Council of Architects.
-Secret Laws of the Am’haranai, Number Seventeen


Do Soulbound Vessels have their own consciousness? My sword says yes, but it’s a liar.
-Jorin Curse-breaker


When a world dies, it starts to decay. It breaks into fragments, and these fragments float on an empty sea: splitting, changing, and merging with one another. They will fade forever, until they latch onto a healthy, inhabited world… or until there’s nothing left.
Living inhabitants can sometimes survive the death of their world. They’re often twisted, grotesque, and powerful beings, forever altered by their exile to the void.
Something very much like your Elders, in fact.
-The Unknown Wanderer, from Observations of the Unknown Wanderer
(Held in the Architect Council’s secret archives)



Sea 2


Elder cults find their recruits in the ways you would expect: through bribery, misinformation, brainwashing, preying on the emotionally weak, and exploiting the uneducated.
But we’ve discovered a few, a very few, who join such cults because they truly believe that the Elders will somehow save us.
—From the Navigator’s Guild report on Sleepless activity in the Aion Sea


The Emperor destroyed my home today, and he never left his palace. Am I the only one who wonders how?
—From the scraps of a rebel prisoner’s personal journal.


Without the Guilds, the Aurelian Empire as we know it could not exist.
—Estyr Six


Each of the Great Elders has their own goals, and they are often in conflict. But why have they not destroyed each other? Why have they not destroyed us? On some level, toward some mutual objective, they must be working together.
—Head of the Blackwatch, four hundred years ago


When the sky cracks, death can pass either way.
—The ramblings of an Elder-touched madwoman
(From the Blackwatch archives)


An ordinary man could never perform the function of the Emperor, for his is not simply a ‘job.’ His importance lies in his existence, invaluable and eternal.
—Jameson Allbright, Head of the Luminian Order, from his essay Our Empire


When the Shades of Urg’naut take a city, it vanishes entirely. When the Children of Nakothi take a city, it is defiled. When Ach’magut’s Inquisitors take a city, it is depopulated.
—From the original Blackwatch Bestiary of Elders


Any Reader can investigate the truth of a crime, or the history of an artifact. But the experience of a Reader is singular, and the rest of us must take their reports on faith. It becomes vital, therefore, that an organization exists to vouch for the veracity of its Readers and to keep those Readers under close scrutiny and control.
For with the exception of the Emperor himself, it should not be that Readers rule over the rest of the populace by virtue of their extra-natural powers.
—From the document re-founding the Magister’s Guild


From the moment Guild Head Kern joined the battle, our troops were no longer required. I would call the destruction ‘absolute.’
—From the official report of the South Sea Rebellion


The Bellowing Horror is meant to unnerve the minds of men, for it repeats only the most vile and disturbing bits of our conversation. Yet in the end, the men and I grew fond of the creature, as it caused us no harm and fed on the rats that plagued our vessel.
—From the original Blackwatch Bestiary of Elders


When we speak of ‘the void,’ we mean that vast and empty realm we occasionally observe as powerful Elders travel or communicate. Some ancient scholars believed that this void connects us to other worlds, but none could ever prove it.
Who would lightly step into the realm where Elders tread?
—Notes from the Blackwatch archives


I found allies in the void, but enemies too. I was not surprised. There are enemies everywhere. But strangest of all were those that were neither hostile nor friendly: the guardians in white.
—The Unknown Wanderer, from Observations of the Unknown Wanderer
(Held in the Blackwatch archives)



    Shadow 2


To prevent the rise of the Elders, no sacrifice is too great.
—The Emperor


Of the Emperor’s three surviving companions, Jorin is arguably the most interesting. The accomplishments of Estyr Six have busied the pens of poets and historians for generations, while Jorin’s are largely overlooked. Why?
This man, who is called Curse-breaker and Maze-walker, has done more to unravel the ancient secrets of the Great Elders than any other human being. He has explored the possibilities of Intent deeper than anyone save the Emperor himself, and it was he who created the classification system for curses and malicious Intent still in effect today.
Simply put, we owe the current quality of our lives to Jorin before anyone else. Without his influence on the Emperor and the Empire, we might still be crouched in caves, burying our crude tools every night for fear of what our Intent might birth.
—To Walk the Maze, one of the first biographies of Jorin Curse-breaker.


“I’m sorry, Guild Head, there’s nothing more I can do for your grandson.”
“Is everything still there, inside? Is it still him, or is he… one of them?”
“Rest assured, sir, what you’re seeing is only a veil of shadow. His mouth, his eyes, his brain, they all still exist. It’s simply that they’re not here.”
“Where are they, then?”
“If you love your grandson, Guild Head, please don’t ask him that question.”
—Mekendi Maxeus of the Magisters, speaking to Jameson Allbright of the Luminian Order


We swear to place the lives of innocents above our own, to seek the good of the Order above glory, and to bring the light where it is darkest. We will live our lives as representatives of the Unknown God.
And to the Elders, those serpents and authors of darkness, we will show neither mercy nor compassion. To the servants of the void, we bring only death.
—The oath of the Luminian Knights


Yes, I know the Emperor’s name, the name he took for himself after escaping the Elders. I believe I’m the only one who does. Jorin, Alagaeus, and Loreli didn’t join us until later, after he had already begun calling himself the Emperor.
No, I don’t know his birth name, and there’s a very simple reason why.
He didn’t have one.
—Estyr Six


In the simplest possible way, Readers are above the law. A Reader with enough skill and power can, given time, escape any shackles and evade any punishment save instant execution. Mortal judges are powerless to enforce their will on Readers or Soulbound with any degree of precision or impartiality.
Which is why the Guild of Magisters exists.
—Recovered fragment of a third-century magistrate’s tablet, stored in Consultant’s Guild archives.


My goal is not to persuade the people to serve me. To serve one man is a small thing. But to serve the Empire, the entire world…that’s worth the dedication of a lifetime. Even a lifetime as long as mine.
—The Emperor


In the primitive culture of men before the Elder War, an Optasia was a device used to divine danger or predict the future. With the rise of Readers, this sort of superstitious talisman fell from common usage.
Later manuscripts mention the Emperor’s attempts to ‘build’ a particularly large or intricate Optasia, but those references faded away in the second century. The idea is now largely considered mythical.
—Pre-Imperial Myths and their Modern Equivalents, Chapter 6


The eye of the Emperor sees all.
—Common proverb


Soulbound are vital to the Empire. Some Guild Heads are only elected if they can bond to a particular Vessel, usually a weapon passed down through the Guild’s history.
Which Guilds? If I remember, there’s three who do it that way: the Imperial Guard, the Blackwatch, and the Consultants.
—Estyr Six, five hundred years ago



    Sea 3


He Who Sees has spoken.
The Rebel will blind He Who Sees. This is seen, so it must be.
The Killer will spill the blood of the Rebel. This is seen, so it must be.
The King will rise from the ashes of the Killer. This is seen, so it must be.
What is seen must come to pass before the eye of the future is blinded.
Praise be to He Who Sees.
—FROM A FRAGMENT OF POTTERY RECOVERED BY THE BLACKWATCH
FROM AN ELDER CULT KNOWN AS THE THOUSAND EYES
(FRAGMENT HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DATED)


Some say the Emperor’s crown wasn’t always gold.
In the oldest artwork, he wears a crown of bronze. The commonly accepted explanation is that he replaced that crown with a new, more valuable metal to represent a new age of the Empire.
But over the years, some scholars have suspected that there may not be two crowns at all.
They suggest that the bronze crown slowly turned to gold because the Emperor wore it.
—MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF IMPERIAL HISTORY, VOLUME TWO


I wake Estyr Six to fight, not to talk.
—THE EMPEROR


Reading the Emperor’s Intent is an exercise in folly.
Many Readers have touched lesser Imperial Relics. A doorknob he opened, perhaps. A pair of his socks that escaped incineration.
I myself had the privilege of Reading the crown itself, with his permission. I came away with an even deeper respect for the skill, wisdom, and power of the original Reader.
But I would not do so again.
Each time you Read the Emperor’s Intent, you are toying with a force that is stronger than you are. You are petting a sleeping tiger.
If you do so enough, one day that tiger will wake.
—HEAD OF THE MAGISTER’S GUILD, MEKENDI MAXEUS
(SEVEN YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH)


Who are those who watch from beyond the borders of our world?
And why do they not save us?
—THE EMPEROR


Don’t use anything as bait that you don’t want eaten.
—LORELI THE STRATEGIST
(MODERN PARAPHRASE)


While the captain steers the ship, the crew steers the captain.
—NAVIGATOR’S GUILD SAYING


“Yes, of course Kelarac keeps his promises. I know I’m not supposed to say so, but I find that to be a stupid question.”
“Then if you worded your deal perfectly, so that there were no loopholes, nothing he could take advantage of…couldn’t you end up with a beneficial request? A wish, so to speak?”
“I apologize; I was mistaken before. That is a stupid question.”
—TRANSCRIPT OF A WITNESS INTERVIEW WITH BLISS OF THE BLACKWATCH


Seek not the coming of the darkness which crawls, for his jaws will swallow the sun.
All that lives shall pass away, leaving only the darkness eternal.
His domain is death, and his wisdom is forbidden.
Seek him not.
—SLEEPLESS PROPHECY


There is a law beyond this world. We are apart from it, against it…but we are not above it. It binds even our kind.
—Kelarac


The quality of mercy is among the rarest of virtues, and rarest of all in killers and kings.
—SADESTHENES



    Shadow 3


The King will open / discover / become the door to us.
He will allow us to escape / live / return.
The Killer is made to slay those like him.
If she survives, she will not allow him to live / reign / evolve.
—TRANSLATED RAMBLINGS OF AN ELDER-TOUCHED MADWOMAN IN THE CARE OF THE LUMINIAN ORDER
(TRANSLATION WIDELY DISPUTED)


I have never met anyone more paranoid than the Head of the Alchemist’s Guild. We should learn from him.
—KERIAN, HIGH GARDENER


Peace is always temporary. But then again, so is life.
—FROM THE FIRST JOURNAL OF ESTYR SIX


Some Soulbound report that they hear the voices of their Vessels only weakly or rarely. Some say they have never heard a “voice” and consider it strange when other Soulbound refer to their Vessels as conscious entities.
This report intends to prove that all Vessels suited for combat have disproportionately strong wills. I submit that a history of violence affects the Awakening process in volatile, perhaps even disturbing ways.
—INTERNAL REPORT FROM RESEARCHERS OF THE MAGISTER’S GUILD, COPIED AND RECORDED BY CONSULTANT MINERS


Who trims the bushes on the Gray Island?
No one. Gardeners don’t exist.
—OLD GUILD JOKE


“The Consultants don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. I have them dancing on my strings.”
“I don’t know why you bothered hiring them. Aren’t they just servants?”
—TRANSCRIPT OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO CLIENTS UNDER OBSERVATION BY THE CONSULTANT’S GUILD


Philosophers and historians have varying opinions on historical figures such as Estyr Six and the Emperor.
While they are no doubt incredible individuals, no one is above criticism. They came to power in war, and the ruthlessness that served them so well in battle against the Elders may not be the trait best-suited to a world at peace. Some say compassion and understanding should be valued instead.
When questions such as these were first raised, there was a widespread movement to put Loreli, Regent of the West, on the throne.
—INTRODUCTORY HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE, A COMMON TEXTBOOK FOR CHILDREN


We are very careful when we select subjects to become Soulbound, and we never make the attempt unless we have Imperial permission and can reasonably guarantee the subject’s safety.
—OFFICIAL MAGISTER RESPONSE ON THE SUBJECT OF SOULBINDING SUCCESS RATE
Thirty-seven percent.
—CONSULTANT ESTIMATE OF ACTUAL SOULBINDING SUCCESS RATE


The Elders all believe they are doing the right thing. Even Urg’naut.
He just wants to save you from pain.
—Dying message from a former Head of the Blackwatch


Before the Elders, all men are allies.
—The Emperor


The quality of mercy is among the rarest of virtues, and rarest of all in killers and kings.
—Sadesthenes



    GLOSSARY OF TERMS


AM’HARANAI – THE ANCIENT ORDER OF SPIES AND ASSASSINS THAT would eventually become the Consultant’s Guild. Some formal documents still refer to the Consultant’s Guild in this way.


Architect – One type of Consultant. The Architects mostly stay in one place, ruling over Guild business and deciding general strategy. They include alchemists, surgeons, Readers, strategists, and specialists of all types.


Awaken – A Reader can Awaken an object by bringing out its latent powers of Intent. An Awakened object is very powerful, but it gains a measure of self-awareness. Also, it can never be invested again.
Jarelys Teach, the Head of the Imperial Guard, carries an ancient executioner’s blade that has been Awakened. It now bears the power of all the lives it took, and is lethal even at a distance.
All Soulbound Vessels are Awakened.


Children of the Dead Mother – Elderspawn created by the power of Nakothi out of human corpses.


Consultant – A member of the Consultants Guild, also known as the Am’haranai. Mercenary spies and covert agents that specialize in gathering and manipulating information for their clients.
Consultants come in five basic varieties: Architects, Gardeners, Masons, Miners, and Shepherds.
For more, see the Guild Guide.


Dead Mother, The – See: Nakothi.


Elder – Any member of the various races that ruled the world in ancient days, keeping humanity as slaves. The most powerful among them are known as Great Elders, and their lesser are often called Elderspawn.


Gardener – One type of Consultant. The Gardeners kill people for hire.


Intent – The power of focused will that all humans possess. Whenever you use an object intentionally, for a specific purpose, you are investing your Intent into that object. The power of your Intent builds up in that object over time, making it better at a given task.
Every human being uses their Intent, but most people do so blindly; only Readers can sense what they’re doing.
See also: “Invest,” “Reader.”


Invest – Besides its usual financial implications, to “invest” means to imbue an object with one’s Intent. By intentionally using an object, you invest that object with a measure of your Intent, which makes it better at performing that specific task. So a pair of scissors used by a barber every day for years become progressively better and better at cutting hair. After a few years, the scissors will cut cleanly through even the thickest strands of tangled hair, slicing through with practically no effort. A razor used by a serial killer will become more and more lethal with time. A razor used by a serial-killing barber will be very confused.


Kameira – A collective term for any natural creature with unexplainable powers. Cloudseeker Hydras can move objects without touching them, Windwatchers can change and detect air currents, and Deepstriders control water. There are many different types of Kameira…though, seemingly, not as many as in the past. The Guild of Greenwardens is dedicated to studying and restoring Kameira populations.
Humans can borrow the miraculous powers of Kameira by creating Vessels from their body parts, and then bonding with those Vessels to become Soulbound.


Mason – One type of Consultant. Masons are craftsmen and professionals in a particular trade, covertly sending back
information to their Guild. There are Masons undercover in every industry and business throughout the Empire.


Miner – One type of Consultant. This secretive order is in charge of the Consultants’ vast library, sorting and disseminating information to serve the Guild’s various clients.


Nakothi, the Dead Mother – A Great Elder who died in the Aion Sea. Her power kills humans and remakes their bodies into hideous servants.


Navigator – A member of the Navigator’s Guild. The Navigators are the only ones capable of sailing the deadly
Aion Sea, delivering goods and passengers from one continent to the other.
For more, see the Guild Guide.


Reader – A person who can read and manipulate the Intent of objects. Every human being invests their Intent subconsciously by using ordinary objects. However, Readers can do so with a greater degree of focus and clarity, thanks to their special senses.
Readers often receive visions of an object’s past.


Shepherd – One type of Consultant. The Shepherds are observers, thieves, and saboteurs that specialize in infiltrating a location and leaving unnoticed.


Soulbound – A human who can channel the power of an Elder or a Kameira. These powers are contained in a Vessel, which is bound to a person during the Awakening process. Soulbound are rare and powerful because they combine the focus of human Intent with the miraculous power of inhuman beings.
Bliss, the Guild Head of the Blackwatch, is a Soulbound with the Spear of Tharlos as her Vessel. Therefore, she can borrow the reality-warping powers of the Great Elder known as Tharlos, the Formless Legion.
A person becomes a Soulbound by having a personally significant object Awakened. If the object has a strong connection to an Elder or Kameira, and if it is significant enough, then it can become a Soulbound Vessel.
See also: Vessel.


Vessel – An Awakened object that becomes the source of a Soulbound’s power. Not all Awakened items become Soulbound Vessels, but all Vessels are Awakened.
In order to become a person’s Vessel, an item must fulfill two criteria: it must be personally linked to the individual, and it must be invested with the power of a Kameira or an Elder.
1.) Personal link: A ring that you bought at a pawnshop three weeks ago could not become your Soulbound Vessel. It has not absorbed enough of your Intent, it is not significant to you, and it is not bound to you in any way. A wedding ring that you’ve worn for fifteen years and is significant to you for some reason—perhaps you pried it off your spouse’s bloody corpse—could indeed become your Vessel, assuming it fulfills the second criteria as well.
2.) Power: A spear made of an Elder’s bone could allow one to use that Elder’s power of illusion and madness. If you bonded with a necklace of Deepstrider scales, you might be able to sense and control the ocean’s currents as that Kameira does.
See also: Soulbound.


Watchman – A member of the Blackwatch Guild.
For more, see the Guild Guide.