Her huge anvil of a head sat squarely on her shoulders. 'Yer digging quite a hole, ain't you?'Įdith was big and broad and missing any sign of a neck. 'This will be another tenent withheld from yer pay,' the rotund woman said. Edith had a sour scent, vaguely rancid, as if something had gone bad. If so, it must be cowering or dead, rotting like a late-autumn apple that would explain her smell. Amilia had never looked into Edith's eyes before, and doing so now, she wondered if a soul lurked behind them. The head maid would consider her action defiance, a sign of rebellion in the ranks of the scullery. She had never meant to-she had never planned on raising her stare from the floor-but Edith startled her and she looked up without thinking. Royalists: Those wishing to continue rule by individual, independent monarchsĪmilia made the mistake of looking back into Edith Mon's eyes. Nationalists: Those wishing to be ruled by a leader chosen by the people Imperialists: Those wishing to unite mankind under a single leader who is the direct descendant of the demigod Novron Uberlin: Son of Muriel and Erebus, god of darkness P OLITICAL P ARTIES Galeannon: Lawless kingdom of barren hills, the site of several great battles T HE G ODS Once part of Delgos, which was lost when Delgos became a republic Warric: Most powerful of the kingdoms of Avrynĭunmore: Youngest and least sophisticated kingdom Melengar: Small but old and respected kingdom Ghent: Ecclesiastical holding of the Nyphron Church

Dacca: Isle of south men N ATIONS OF A PELADORNĬalis: Southeastern tropical region ruled by warlordsĭelgos: Southern republic K INGDOMS OF A VRYN

Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan