This is an introduction to the Land of Trymyll, it is only a short read, and if you do not wish to continue, just skip onto the first chapter, but by reading, you will gain some useful insight that may be of use whilst reading the rest of the book.
Trymyll is where much of this story is set. It is a mystical, magical, and mythical land in a slightly different dimension to ours. But that does not make it any less real.
To help you enjoy this book, here are a few details about this fantastic place.
Trymyll is a land of seven cities, surrounded on all sides by high, snow-capped mountains. Each city has a castle, chateaux, or large fortified house at its centre. Each city and surrounding lands are overseen by a High Elder. Each High Elder has seven elders working for and reporting to them and each of the seven elders has seven senior wizards working for and with them.
At the centre of the land is Castell y Blaenoraid, the biggest castle, where the Elder of Elders holds domain. His name is, not only unpronounceable, but no one seems to know what it is, so he is just referred to as, the Elder. No one knows how old he is, they just assume he is an old and wise wizard. He wears a large dark cloak which has a deep hood, so no one can see his face, not even a hand or a foot is seen, ever. He is surrounded by mystery and magic. His voice is exceptionally soft, and people must strain to hear him. But as he seldom speaks, this is not a great problem. His attitude is always one of don’t speak unless what you have to say is of the utmost importance. So, on the rare occasions he does speak, everyone listens. The High Elders of the six cities beneath him are usually the only wizards who ever hear him speak anyway. The Elder, plus the six High Elders form what is known as the High Council of Blaenoraid or the Council of Elders.
Each city has a name, each name has a meaning.
Castell y Blaenoraid and the surrounding city is the capital of Trymyll, Blaenoraid simply means ‘The Capital.’ It is set right in the centre of the land, high on a hill and overlooking all around. The countryside is lush, green, well-wooded and populated with deer, wild boar, hare, rabbits, and all sorts of game; all of which are good for eating. Being set high on the hill the view stretches to all the mountains which surround the Land of Trymyll. It is a most beautiful and magical city. There are rules and supposedly a few enchantments that control the city. You cannot apparate within the city walls. The council chamber, which is at the centre of the castle and inside the bailey, is encased in enchantments so that no magic can be performed inside of it. The council chamber is also the courtroom and deep beneath it are the dungeons of Blaenoraid. A place which would be feared in any other castle, but the dungeons of Blaenoraid, were quite comfortable, clean, and well lit. There is so little crime in Trymyll, that the jailers spend all their time cleaning and redecorating to pass the time.
Wrth y Môr, or castle on the sea. It’s a bit of a misnomer as there is no sea in Trymyll. It stands in or rather on a vast saltwater lake. So big that you cannot see from shore to shore. When the wind is up, there are large waves and storm conditions. It looks like a sea because of its size, but it is, in fact, a lake. The castle setting is quite secure, as it is built on an island about half a mile out into the lake. There is only one way in, along a long and narrow causeway which could be magically sunk if the castle is ever under attack and the drawbridge is raised. Around the castle swim sea monsters, multiple Kraken and a Manticore who can be called upon to defend the castle if required, though in over four hundred years, the drawbridge had never been raised and the causeway had never been sunk. Along the shoreline around the causeway entrance is the town of Wrth y Môr, where the inhabitants live a happy life, eating, drinking, and fishing for the saltwater fish from the lake and freshwater fish from the many rivers that feed into the lake and run through the town. Its’ former High Elder was Llewel, no longer a High Elder and now just an ordinary wizard. His whole and unspoken name is Llewel Mathias Gaynor. His immediate successor, Trevonn Brice, was killed in a battle at the end of book one, so if you want to know what happened to Llewel and how Trevonn Bryce died, you must read Thomas, Wizard’s Son. The current incumbent is High Elder Penvro Dey, a wizard born and bred in Trymyll.
Goleuedigaeth is an interesting city. All the residents are female, all incredibly wise and all very magical. They have a High Elder, one High Elder Aneta Stepanek, she is from somewhere in Eastern Europe, though no one knows exactly where. Then we have the normal seven elders who oversee the forty-nine senior wizards. The city of Goleuedigaeth is run by consensus rather than by an authoritarian leader. Men are allowed in the city, but none live there. The city is beautiful in every way with fragrant flowers magically adorning each road, alley, balcony, windowsill, and doorway, in fact, every nook and cranny. At the centre there stands a most elegant seven towered castle, well when I say castle, it looks more like a classic eighteenth-century French Chateau. The scent of the city can be picked up for miles around, so sweet is the smell that it seems to draw you in. Once in the city, you are overcome with a sense of peace and tranquillity. It is the city of Enlightenment.
Fourth on the list is Gwir. High Elder Sugreev Sridhar from India is their leader. The castle itself looks very ordinary, boring almost, and the city that surrounds the castle is plain and grey. The opposite of Goleuedigaeth, Gwir looks harsh, severe, and unwelcoming. This is the Castle of the Truth. Set right in the north of the country and near to the Dragonlands this city and castle is the stronghold of battle wizards. All trained in the art of attack magic and defensive arts, but also fearsome knights with heavy armour, broadswords, mace, and shields. They ride destriers; large, fearless warhorses, bred for battle. This ferocious band of wizards are disciplined. It is ruled over by a strict and severe High Elder who thinks truthfulness, loyalty, honour, and bravery are the marks of a good wizard. Although a very grumpy sort of wizard High Elder Sugreev Sridhar is just the sort you need on your side if you ever go into a battle. But then everyone in Gwir is grumpy.
Next is Mynydd and the accompanying castle. Set high on a mountain to the very south of the land of Trymyll, the castle of Mynydd sits above the snow line. It is cold and snowy even in the hottest of summers. A particularly hardy breed of wizards lives there. They are few in number, High Elder, Govannon Staley of the Elven community, seven Elven elders and forty-nine Elven wizards. Unlike most of the other High Elders, Govannon Staley is not elected, his title was hereditary and passed from father to eldest son or daughter on death. Apart from a few bakers, cooks, and tradespeople, no one else lives in Mynydd; less than one hundred souls in all. The rest of the Elven Community live in the valleys below, bathed in the sun and lush with vegetation. They too are great soldiers, archers, horsemen and horsewomen, yes, fighting men and fighting women. Women hold equal sway in the elven community and the women are the finest archers in the land and always fight alongside the men. No one wants to live in the actual castle, no one even wishes to visit. It was a terribly dark, cold, damp, and wretched existence. Why anyone lived there anyway, no one could remember. They knew it was important to keep the castle occupied and active but could not remember why.
At another extreme, Dolydd. The Castle in the meadows. A sun-drenched pleasant and well-populated city set in the vast pasture lands of Trymyll. It is not a true castle, but more of a large, fortified farmhouse. Dolydd is the breadbasket of Trymyll. Most of the grain, meat, vegetables, and fruit comes from the area surrounding Dolydd, where there are warm summers and mild winters. Who wouldn’t want to live there? The High Elder, Lintang Ananas, a lady from Indonesia, is as much a farmer as a wizard and High Elder, she is a fine wizard and a worthy addition to the council following the unfortunate demise of Brangwen Binnion, or Bangers as she was known. However, Lintang Ananas is not one to have beside you in a fight, she would probably scarper before it started, as she is not the bravest of souls.
One city was different from the others, called Castell yr Tywyll. It is there Asmodeus the Dark Elder is in charge, previously banished from the council. He has seven dark elders and forty-nine dark wizards running the show. Set apart from the other cities, from the distance it looks menacing, there is always a black cloud shrouding the city, dense poisonous and even flesh-eating plants climb the walls all woven by the magic of the dark elders to keep snoopers out. But there are problems in Trymyll, big problems, in fact, problems so big that even Asmodeus has been allowed back to attend the Council of Elders, to show unity in the hope that it may solve the problems. Asmodeus has a terrible reputation, but in reality, his bark is worse than his bite, and really, he is just a misunderstood, attention seeking, insecure and needy person.
The problem is the Master, a perfidious, mendacious, misanthropic wizard who has threatened to lay bare the land of Trymyll and everyone in it. He boasts that not a blade of grass or even an ant will be left alive unless the people of Trymyll bow the knee to him. He has been defeated once and lost a hand in the process. But he was not killed and is set to return to carry on his tyranny.
Trymyll is an equal opportunity wizardly kingdom and both elders and wizards can be ethnically diverse, male, female, binary or other. But as in our world, the males are usually in any positions of real power.