John F. Carr
The Fireseed Wars
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
HOS HOSTIGOS amp; ALLIES
Alkides-Artillery general in the Royal Army.
Aspasthar-Commandant of the Hostigos Military Academy.
Armanes-Prince of Nyklos.
Baldour-Mercenary General formerly from Morthron.
Chartiphon-Chancellor of Hos-Hostigos.
Demia-Kalvan and Rylla's daughter.
Ermut-Dean of the University of Hostigos.
Eutare-Prince Phrames betrothed.
Hectides-Chief Scout for the Royal Army.
Herad-Admiral of the Royal Hostigos Navy.
Hestophes-Captain-General of the Army of Hos-Hostigos.
Kalvan-Former Pennsylvania State Trooper and Great King of Hos-Hostigos.
Kestophes-Prince of Ulthor.
Klestreus-Head of Hostigos Security.
Mnestros-Duke of Eubros and Kalvan's ally.
Mytron-Highpriest of Dralm.
Nathros-Rector of Engineering College.
Pheblon-Prince of Nostor.
Phrames-Prince of Beshta and Captain-General of the Royal Army.
Rylla-Great Queen of Hos-Hostigos, Kalvan's wife and co-ruler.
Sarrask-Prince of S ask.
Skranga-Chief of Hostigos Intelligence now in Hos-Bletha.
Tharses-Uncle Wolf and Highpriest of Galzar for Hos-Hostigos.
Tythanes-Prince of Kyblos.
Vanar Halgoth-Captain of Kalvan's Tymannian Guard.
Vinaldos-New Acting Chief of Intelligence for Nos-Hostigos.
Xentos-First Primate of Dralm at the Hos-Agrys Great Temple.
Xykos-Grand-Captain of Great Queen Rylla's Own Horse Guard.
PARATIMERS
Altarn Vor-Deputy Bureau Chief, one of Verkan's trusted advisors.
Aranth Sain-Kalvan Study Team military expert now undercover as Ranthos.
Barton Shar-Deputy Chief (Inspector) Inspector in charge of Stores and Equipment.
Danthor Dras-University Professor and expert on Styphon's House Subsector.
Danar Sirna-Former Member of Kalvan Study Team and Phidestros' mistress.
Hadron Dalla-Verkan's wife and Paratime Police Chief's Special Assistant.
Hadron Tharn-Dalla's power-mad younger brother.
Hadron Zinganna-Dalla's adopted Prole sister. Undercover in Greffa as Zinna.
Hasthor Flan-Head of Opposition Party.
Kostran Galth-Head of the Greffan Study Team.
Maldor Dard-Paratime Police Field Agent assigned to Harphaxi Study Team.
Raldrov Varn-New Director of the Kalvan Study Teams.
Ranthar Jard-Paratime Police Inspector.
Tortha Karf-Former Paratime Police Chief.
Verkan Vail-Paratime Police Chief.
Yandar Yadd-Newsie on First Level.
STYPHON'S HOUSE
Albides-Second in command of Styphon's Own Guard.
Anaxthenes-New Supreme Priest and Styphon's Own Voice.
Aristocles-Grand Commander and second in command of the Order. Cimon-Inner Circle Archpriest called the "Peasant Priest."
Danthor-Danthor Dras' undercover identity as Styphon's House Archpriest.
Dimonestes-Archpriest and one of Roxthar's followers.
Dracar-Archpriest of Inner Circle and Roxthar's puppet.
Drayton-Styphon's House Treasurer.
Qrythos-Archpriest of the Inner Circle and Military Advisor.
Haltor-Highpriest of the Agrysi Great Temple.
Heraclestros-Archpriest and former Highpriest of Agrys City.
Neamenestros-Archpriest and one of Anaxthenes'allies.
Phyllos-Highpriest of Harphax City Great Temple.
Roxthar-Holy Investigator and Torquemada of Styphon's House.
Sarmoth-Knight Sergeant of the Order of Zarthani Knights.
Soton-Grand Master of the Order of Zarthani Knights.
Timothanes-Archpriest and one of Archpriest Dracar's supporters.
Yagos-Anaxthenes' Special Deputy and spy master.
Xenophes-High Marshal of the Styphon's House Temple Guard.
ALLIES OF STYPHON'S HOUSE
Anaxon-Prince of Ktemnos and heir to the Golden Throne.
Cleitharses-Great King of Hos-Ktemnos.
Demnos-Captain-General of the Army of Hos-Harphax.
Qeblon-Phidestros' friend and General.
Hythar-Lysandros' Chief Intelligencer.
Kaphros-Duke in charge of Hos-Harphax while Lysandros is away.
Kyblannos-Phidestros' Chief of Artillery.
Lyphannes-Chancellor of Hos-Harphax and Lysandros' advisor.
Lysandros-Great King of Hos-Harphax and Kalvans enemy.
Lukthos-Styphon's House's new candidate for Great King of Hos-Ktemnos.
Niclophon-Great King of Hos-Bletha.
Phidestros-Prince of Greater Beshta.
Sopharar-Great King of Hos-Zygros.
Sthentros-New Prince of Hostigos.
Thessamona-Lady of Death and Anaxthenes favorite concubine.
NEUTRALS
Arminta-Oldest daughter of Prince Soligon of Argros.
Carvros-Prince of Nyklos and only son of Prince Armanes.
Davros-Highpriest of the High Temple of Dralm in Agrys City.
Dementros-Son of Duke Thalros and heir to the Agrysi Throne.
Demistophon-Great King of Hos-Agrys.
Errock-Captain-General of the Thagnori Army.
Eudocles-Grand Duke of Zygros and Sopharar's brother.
Eythart-Prince of Morthron and ally of Grefftscharr.
Lavena-Baron Sthentros'daughter and Great Queen of Hos-Harphax.
Nestros-Great King of Hos-Rathon.
Olmnestes-Uncle Wolf Highpriest of the Grand Host.
Osthwuld-Duke of Thagnor.
Pariphon-Prince and heir to theThorne of Hos-Zygros.
Ranjar Sargos-Var-Wannax of the Sastragath.
Ranthos-Former Paratimer Aranth Sain undercover as a mercenary Captain.
Roltholf-King of Xiphlon.
Ruffulo-Greffan Duke from an old family.
Selestros-Son of former Great King Kaiphranos of Hos-Harphax.
Sopharar-Great King of Hos-Zygros.
Theovacar-King of Grefftscharr.
Varrack-Prince of Thagnor.
PROLOGUE
A northwestern gale roared through Greffa, rattling shutters and howling through the streets. Tortha Karf was happy their boat had reached port in Greffa City before the storm struck, rather than the morning after. During the sea voyage from Ulthor Port, he had heard tales from the crew about the Galfryth Sea's vicious storms, with their short steep waves and the eastern shore waiting close under your lee. Vargabar was the Home Time Line equivalent of Greffa City; on Europo-American, Great King Kalvan's home Subsector, it was called Chicago and nicknamed the "Windy City."
It had been centuries since Tortha had gone on a sea passage in as primitive a craft as the small trading schooner, appropriately named the Sea Dog. Nor was he relishing the return journey to Port Ulthor, the gathering point, where Great King Kalvan was retreating with his defeated army and hundreds of thousands of Hostigi refugees. Kalvan was at an impasse; he couldn't return to Hos-Hostigos where the Grand Host was laying waste to his former kingdom, nor could he go south without fighting his way through Styphon's House's power base in Hos-Ktemnos. Kalvan's only possible route was to the northwest, the Upper Middle Kingdoms, where he'd be as welcome as another northern blizzard.
Tortha, under his Aryan-Transpacific cover as Trader Tortha of Xiphlon, had been sent along with Prince Phrames to act as ambassadors at the Court of King Theovacar of Greffa City in order for Kalvan to obtain some reliable information on the political situation in the Upper Middle Kingdoms and, more specifically, on King Theovacar. Tneovacar was the most powerful of the Upper Middle Kingdom rulers and controlled over a third of the region. With Verkan Vail out of the picture from a bad chest wound and believed dead, Tortha was now Kalvan's only window into the Upper Middle Kingdoms.