Ballicore's solar system lies halfway across the universe from Earth. Three other planets orbit the same main sequence star, Celox; Zerend, Calyx and Obregon. None are inhabited by intelligent life forms, although Obregon has a suitable atmosphere and gravity. It lies between Ballicore and Celox.
Ballicore has two moons. Kira is a deep red and has an orbit that only allows it to be seen at the beginning of each season; Verdance, Glimmertime, Harvestway and Icefall which correspond to our spring, summer, fall and winter. Ven, which is larger, resembles our moon in size and color. Ballicore is approximately two-thirds the size of our world and is about a billion years younger, with a year that runs about 300 days.
Ballicore's climate resembles Earth's in many ways, although there are pockets where it is dramatically different. This results from volcanic activity or the proximity of Mana-the mysterious force behind magic in the universe, to the surface. One such pocket occurs around the Inland Sea, a tropical region northwest of the Tarnished Mountains. The Way Temple, a training center for mages and seekers of the magical path lies on an island in the center of the sea.
Seasons on Ballicore are similar to ours, but Icefall can be extremely severe. During recent times, some have been so cold that harbors along the coast have frozen solid with ice shelves extending several miles into the open sea.
Much of Ballicore's early history has been lost. There are two reasons for this. Ballicorian civilization fell into a dark age about 500 years ago when many of the able-bodied men were killed during a demoralizing rout at the Battle of Farrow's Pass. At the same time, most of the Elven race, the most learned and astute record keepers on the planet, died out or fled to the unexplored regions west of the Crags of Dread. While no one knows for certain, it is believed that they hid or took with them most of the scrolls documenting the history of Ballicore.
The Battle of Farrow's Pass changed Ballicorean society in every way. Any organized government or leadership crumbled with each village or city becoming self-contained. Minimal trade and cooperation between settlements was the norm until cooperation began to return about a hundred years ago. As a result, there has been little in the way of technological, medical or economic progress for almost half a millennium. Even magic, which was widely accepted and practiced before the battle, fell into disuse.
Ballicore remains essentially feudal, with agriculture, mining and fishing as the primary economic factors. Vast areas remain unexplored and no one is even certain what lies on the other side of the sea. The inhabitants are starting to embrace the magical arts once more and there is renewed hope that the ancient distrust among races may finally be fading.
Religion is a particularly interesting aspect of Ballicorean society. Unlike Earth, there are no prevailing theologies. Each race and in many instances each settlement has found its own spiritual focus. In fact, no written history of Ballicore's religions exists, something the Ozone Lostin and his partner Greg Faircloth have discussed remedying.
Major races and important creatures on Ballicore:
Humans are the most prevalent race. They inhabit the towns and small cities along the eastern coast, as well as having settled in several locations west of the Tarnished Mountains and on several island groups, most notably the Hithers and the Gallows. There are a few primitive enclaves living along the shores of the South Arm, a large inland sea several hundred leagues south of Vespersea.
The Elven race: Until the disasterous battle at Farrow's Pass, the Elves were important members of Ballicore society. They were the planet's historians as well as astute traders and preminent craftsmen of fine jewelry and magical items. Some scholars believe the Elves have hidden away in the mysterious region beyond the Chrons. Elven treasure caches are still occasionally found by explorers
Orcs: These large, ill-tempered and not terribly smart creatures roam both the civilized and unexplored regions of Ballicore, often preying on traders and unwary travelers. Their interactions with humanoids generally has but one outcome-a dead orc.
Trolls: Trolls are large somewhat ugly creatures. For the most part, they live underground and are good natured. They derive most of their living by bartering gems, magic plants and Elven treasure found in their underground travels for food and clothing. They also earn gold and other coin by guiding humanoids through the mountain tunnels.
Dragons: Ballicore has three types of dragons; Prime Dragons, Wyverns and Guardian Wyverns. Guardian Wyverns were imported from elsewhere in the universe by one of the Solitary Mages to protect the secrets hidden in the Chrons, a mountain range west of the Tarnished Mountains. It was there that the Battle of Farrow's Pass took place. Prime Dragons and Wyverns have been unjustly regarded as fierce, man-eating creatures. In reality they are highly intelligent, multihued creatures with a varied diet and a subtle sense of humor. For the past 500 years, they have remained seclusive, interacting primarily with Solitary Mages and the Snow Lords. They are led by Songthresher, the Eldest Dragon.
Snow Lords: Like dragons, the Snow Lords have been treated with unwarranted fear. In fact, it was mankind's ill-fated attempt to eradicate them that resulted in the Battle of Farrow's Pass where the Snow Lords ambushed the pursuing Ballicorean forces by dropping tons of snow on them. The Snow Lords are a dying species. Ever since the battle, they have been living in the forbidding Crags of Dread, descending only to trade with a few trusted settlers in remote villages. Some unknown illness afflicts them and even the Solitary Mages have been unable to find a cure. Snow Lords are extremely tall, have thick white fur, golden eyes and a climbing toe on each foot that retracts when not in use.
Solitary Mages: While magic has always been an integral part of Ballicorean life, only a minority are able to use it. An even smaller group of mages is truly adept in its use. They are known as Solitary Mages, so called because their single-minded dedication to their craft becomes so overriding that they have little time or interest in anything else. Solitary Mages tend to focus on one aspect of magic. They number less that twenty on the entire planet.
Fairies: There are numerous kinds of fairies on Ballicore, ranging from the friendly and elegant Cave Fairies to the mischievous Swamp Fairies. All sub-races are adept in illusionary and divination magic.

Other Important Species:
Harpies: There are very few left on Ballicore, for which the natives are grateful. Harpies are solitary, ill-tempered and live primarily on decaying flesh. As a result, attacks by Harpies are generally fatal because of the corruption that clings to their talons.
Rocs: These large winged creatures have primarily birdlike features, Rocs love flying, elegant conversation and intellectual challenges. Their feathers are valued in flying potions.
Hags: When witches are born with an extremely evil nature or become embittered following failed love affairs, they often undergo a transformation and become Hags. Hags usually establish mini-fiefdoms in remote areas where they rule over clans of the Animated Undead and prey on unwary travelers; taking their valuables and consuming their flesh.
Animated Undead: These poor unfortunate souls are created when someone dies and is buried under a full moon. Since Ballicoreans are aware of this phenomenon, only the poorest and most ignorant or those whose enemies deliberately bury at that time suffer such a fate. Their transformation leaves them as shambling hulks with little ability to think for themselves, hence their tendency to be ruled by Hags.
Wind Spirits: These quasi-living entities are invisible. They move freely about the planet, often being mistaken for normal breezes. They are intelligent and are able to cooperate with magic users, but often only at a price because of their tempermental nature.

The Major Characters:

BOOK 1: SOJOURN

Berek Metcalf: Berek grew up in Simonton, a rural Maine town about 20 miles inland from the coast. He was born with an extra finger between the thumb and index finger of his left hand. His parents wanted it removed when he was an infant, but his uncle, Leland Metcalf, raised such a fuss that they backed off. Berek was named for a Norse deity his mother read about when she was a teen. Because of his oddity, Berek has always been uncomfortable around others but learned to be at home among the wildlife on the Metcalf farm which has nearly 200 acres and overlooks Simonton Pond. In fact, he can speak to and understand many of the birds and animals on the farm. Berek is an average student who reads voraciously and has a talent for crafting and building musical instruments including his favorite creation a crude, but beautiful sounding banjo. He is harassed and scorned by the other students at Simonton High where he is a junior and has no real friends. He adored his late uncle who treated him as an equal and often took him to Native American rituals. He has one sister, Kylin who is 5 years younger.
Julia Tilman: Julia is the young woman who unwittingly starts Berek on his adventures in Ballicore when she rejects his stammering invitation to the May Dance. She plays a much greater role in book two.
Leland Metcalf: Berek's uncle and the one person he loves and respects above everyone else. Leland is thin, wiry and has a very wry sense of humor. He has a masters degree in forestry and an aversion to civilization. Leland spends most of his time in a cabin he built up in the Enchanted, a region southwest of Moosehead Lake that is reputed to have magical spots and creatures hidden among the thick evergreens. Leland was the one person who could see Berek's secret strengths and treated him like a valued person, taking him on exciting excursions to Katahdin Spirit Ceremonies and to Della Ring's Emporium where Berek would explore the mystery-laden shelves while Leland, Della and Thomas Alderstream, a Kathadin medicine man, debated metaphysics and other esoteric concepts. When Berek was seven, Leland was killed in a freak logging accident....Or was he?
The Ruby-Eyed One: Most powerful of the Solitary Mages, he lives in a self-imposed exile in order to preserve his powers. He has spent the past five hundred years seeking a cure for the Snow Lords' affliction, even to the point of scouring the known universe for someone with the right qualities to accomplish the task.
Callomere is a white wolf who appears in Berek's dreams. Is he a figment of the night or something more. Berek isn't certain, but discovers the answer as his quest progresses.
Elspeth the Huntress: Elspeth is in her early twenties, the merchant daughter of Wordhin, keeper of Tarn Estates. Until she meets Berek, Elspeth has been content to hunt and oversee the trade of meat and hides that the estate sells in Vespersea in exchange for magic gems and rare ores from the Hithers, a group of islands several days sail from the coast. She is the first Ballicorean Berek meets and from the start, there is a spark of attraction between them. She offers to escort him to the inn at Fetlock's Meet where the story begins to develop. When Berek saves her life, discovering his mage powers in the process, Elspeth must follow him to the conclusion of his, as yet undefined quest.
Kallista Wolfblood: A thief and minor magic user, Thirtyish Kallista is likeable, but not one you'd want to trust. Her interests are always going to take priority over yours and while she may come on your quest, she isn't to be relied upon when things get tight. She meets Berek and Elspeth at the inn in Fetlock's Meet where she immediately senses Berek's hidden powers and makes him an unbeatable offer; She will help him with his quest if he will help her find a dragon and enable her to obtain some dragon's blood. It takes quite an effort to pry from Kallista why she would want such a thing and her story embellishes the plot line in interesting ways as they travel through some rugged territory.
Ozone Lostin: With wavy red hair and a moustache to match coupled with small pentagrams tattoed on each cheek, Ozone's appearance belies his gentle contemplative nature. He grew up in a remote village northwest of Coughlin's Burrows where his father, a woodwright was blinded by one of the Guardian Wyverns. When Ozone's restless nature became apparent, his parents gave him their blessing and he became a wandering cleric who spent time studying plant lore with monks as well as with Terralof Vinetrainer, perhaps the most learned of all the Solitary Mages in the area of plants and plant potions. Ozone has spent the past seven years wandering, talking and listening to plants and building his skills in plant lore. He enjoys people, but his essentially solitary nature makes staying with a group often challenging for him. His meeting with Berek, Elspeth and Kallista, high on the edge of a vast hidden canyon is memorable for all and cements a friendship with Berek that is both enduring and an unexpected pleasure for both of them.
Songthresher: The Eldest Dragon and leader of the largest remaining dragon clan on Ballicore is a thoughtful creature. He is one of The Ruby-Eyed One's closest friends and has been working with both the Solitary Mage and Cairnbuilder, oldest of the Snow Lords, to find a cure for the illness that is slowly killing off the Snow Lords. He has another worry as well, the deteriorating condition of the huge cave where his clan lives. It was damaged by a severe earthquake and is worsening, but he has no idea how to fix it.
Cairnbuilder: The oldest Snow Lord carries a heavy burden, that of trying to find a cure for the affliction that has been killing his people for the past 500 years. Can he and the Ruby-Eyed One succeed with their desperate last-ditch scheme?
Melina: 500 years ago, she was Melina of the Evergreens, a healer who became caught up in the desperate race to find a cure for the mystery ailment. She even sought out the Eldest Dragon, making a bargain in order to find the last location of the Elven Race. When her quest failed, she found herself bound by promise to Songthresher who transformed her into a Wyvern. Now, half a millennium later, everyone she knew and cherished in human form is long dead and she has mixed feelings about any opportunity to regain human form. Melina becomes an integral part of Berek's race to find the Snow Lords and maybe their cure.
Omiden: She is the swamp herbalist who saved Elspeth's life by nurturing her when Elspeth's mother died in childbirth. They have had a mother-daughter relationship ever since. With wise gray eyes and a voice that reminds Berek of summer wind through pine boughs, Omiden teaches Berek much about plant lore as well as sharing a secret that creates a bond between them that stretches all the way back to Earth. In the process, Berek makes a discovery at Omiden's cottage in the swamp that helps the party as they venture forth through the Vulture Plains and beyond the Tarnished Mountains.
Wordhin: Elspeth's father loves and respects his daughter, recognizing that her nature could never accept anything like a traditional role accorded women on Ballicore. He oversees the prosperous Tarn Estate which lies on the Wyre Flowage and is owned by a mysterious figure that only Wordhin can access.
The Chieftain: After the disastrous battle at Farrow's Pass, a small, but fanatic cadre of humans banded together, convinced that the eradication of the remaining Snow Lords was the only way to save civilization. For the most part, they have remained content to mutter and hide in the shadows, but the Chieftain, a fanatic with charisma and a wandering eye, emerged about twenty years ago. He has mobilized the Shadow Militia into a small army that is now prepared to find and destroy what few Snow Lords haven't been killed by the mystery illness.
Bion Pikelasher: Although Bion doesn't appear directly in Sojourn, he is important in that he was Kallista Wolfblood's mentor and knows more about the language and history of Ballicore than any save the Elves. Bion also knows that Ballicore is not alone in the universe and that other races have visited from time to time.

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