Concepts

As part of an ongoing skill-building set for myself, The Severis Tales is an experiment of sorts. The point is to demonstrate my skills, and use the learning experiences to build from there. As such, the first story has little revisioning or editing, and is currently used for public feedback. Eventually, that story will be edited into something more coherent, and polished to look a little more professional. In the meantime, each subsequent story will receive feedback and go through at least one revision before being uploaded.

As much as I believe punctuation and spelling to be of equal importance to details, the writing style and value of the story is equal share. In other words, while there may be an oddity or two, I hope the value of the words and story make up for any grammatical grievances.

Each story, published every few months, is a short story that is roughly eight to ten thousand words. These stories focus on a main plotline, although sometimes they may include secondary plotlines. Intended to be separate units, some stories may reference earlier events, while some do not have specific dates at all. In essence, it should be considered a book that has no particular end.

Additionally, it should be noted that not all the stories may necessarily be chronologically in order.

Characters

Although The Severis Tales places emphasis on the family, several other characters may be the focus of a short story.

• The Severis Family
  • Larrynton “Larry” Arendor Severis is the eldest of the Severis’ children. As he is more dragon than half-dragon, his physical and facial features make him look different from others. Because he has claws, a tail, dragon-like scales, diamond-like dragon eyes, and is one of the very few that can breathe fire, he has been picked on all his life by many, all young and old. For this, he has become anti-social, shy, nervous, and suffers from other physical ailments, like stress and stomach and throat problems. As of 1103, he is eighteen, and must learn the ways of the world, or stay in fear forever. His only friend at the start, Elcra, thought it was a cruel joke for Xiveer to name him Larry (short for nothing else) during his fire-birthing ceremony. In fact, his full name is Larrynton, but was shortened to Larry at the advice of his late grandfather, who was burdened with the name Larrynton his entire life.
  • Xiveer (pronounced “Zai-Veer”) Severis is the patriarch of the Severis family. Xiveer co-runs Severis General Goods with his wife, Leena. He is laid back and lazy, and has been referred to as borderline insane. While he takes care of his own family, Xiveer was raised as an orphan, and grew up in the Deacon Church, on the eastern coast of Caldore.
  • Leena Severis (née Rosewater) is Xiveer’s long-suffering but devoted wife, and former travelling merchant. While she is soft and kind, but she can be difficult or aggressive at the snap of a finger. She is devoted to her family. Like Xiveer, she wants the world for the anti-social Larry, and has gone out of her way to provide him with whatever he needs to get by, but at thirty-nine years of age, the battle is uphill.
  • Michale “Mike” Severis is Larry’s younger brother. He turned ten in the year 1103. Unlike his older brother, Larry, Michale is hostile and belligerent, torturing him with tricks and jokes, and making his life a living hell. An agressive ball of energy, he often gets into trouble at school, although Xiveer is sure that he will grow out of it.
• The Winterbottom Family
  • Elcra Winterbottom is an elf and the only child of Berton and Clara. Twenty years old, she and Larry grew up together, and are best friends. As a farmer, she is quite strong, and takes no nonsense from others, including her friends, who disapprove of her friendship with Larry. She has gotten him out of various situations, and has resorted to violence to keep Larry safe. In contrast with Larry’s parents, she has more defensive views on his upbringing, believing he needs to learn to fend for himself.
  • Berton Winterbottom and Clara Winterbottom (née Brackish) are Elcra’s parents. They raised Elcra to be a farmer, hoping one day they would take over Winterbottom Farm, the business that supplies much of the wheat to Barlett. Furthermore, they hope one day that Larry would marry her, a decision both Elcra and Larry wish not to pursue.
• Brackneed’s General Goods & Family
  
  • Brackneed Vendyor is the large, arrogant, and plotting propieter of Brackneed’s General Goods, in the posh west end district of Barlett. He ran the shop with his wife, Vasira, until ten years ago, when she passed away from an illness. Brackneed often visits his competition—Leena and Xiveer—generally to mock them and boast about his own sales, much to Leena’s aggravation.
  • Janessa Vendyor is Brackneed’s niece.  Sent to live with her uncle by her parents, Brackneed is the only family she has.  Breaking Vendyor tradition, she takes to studying Law at Barlett College, instead of going into business.  As such, she is often at odds with her uncle, who wants her to be like all Vendyors—greedy, self-centered, egotistical, and have acquaintances in the highest of social standings.  She is often crude, speaks with a permanent broken voice, and always wears a large ponytail above her head.  For various reasons, she is best friends with Elcra Winterbottom, although she has a dislike for Larry.
  • Vasira Vendyor is Brackneed’s late wife.
  • Barnaby and Veera are Brackneed’s two associates, both of whom respect him, and share a general dislike for the Severises. Where Veera is more conservative, and keeps to herself, Barnaby is more out-spoken and clumsy, which often gets him into trouble, or puts him at odds with his employer. Both come from the west end, and like the area, dress in expensive clothing.
• Mila’s Pub
  • Milakkalos “Mila” Daruginna is the propietor of Mila’s, a pub across an down the street from Severis General Goods. A perfect balance between dragon and elf, Mila’s pale blue skin reflects her waterborn heritage. Hurtling towards her forties, she has no family or significant other, and relies on instincts to run a good (and popular) business. She is close friends with Leena, but has humourous disdain for Xiveer, due to his inexpelicable behaviour. She is also a source of wisdom to Larry; and although he isn’t allowed in the pub until he’s twenty-one, they are often seen out on the porch, chatting.
  • Redge is a character who runs the pub when Mila is not around.  He also serves as a cook.
  • Tom is a well-meaning and gentle waiter who often becomes emotional when the situation presents itself.  If he sees someone crying, for instance, he will also cry for no reason.
• Stockwood Bakery
  • Peren Stockwood is a master baker and owner of Stockwood Bakery, located on the edge of the west end district called Crescent Village. A lonely figure, when he is not baking goods, he is often drinking at Mila’s. The many burdens of his business, fulfilling orders for other shops and customers, has made him rough around the edges, making him jaded and depressed throughout the years.
  • Jacob is Peren’s assistant. He takes care of fulfilling orders for businesses, and is an apprentice baker. He worries about Peren’s health, and thinks he could be on his way to a massive heart attack.
• Other Characters (not in any order)
  • Tarla Wilfellow is a fire-casting elf (although not a good one) and self-confessed maths geek with reddish hair and black glasses. She is one of Barlett College’s many students. She comes to Larry’s aid, and the two become friends. Her mother, Dyanne Wilfellow, runs the River Ridge Inn, in River Ridge, a small village east of Barlett. Tarla is empathatic to Larry’s plight, and feels she can help him overcome his anxiety and other troubles, although this road is a rocky one. It is Tarla’s hope, that one day, her use of magic and modern technology can be made to work in harmony, despite increasing government pressures.
  • Mrs. Biggs is an advanced maths professor at Barlett College, and is one of Larry’s professors.
  • Mr. Arryls is Barlett College’s secretary, and believes everyone should have a chance, regardless of race or appearances, but he will lay down the law if necessary, and has no problems expelling students from the College.
  • Toln Faresteed is Larry’s rival. A lifelong bully, Toln sees Larry as an unexplainable deformity, and will go out of his way to cause him psychological (and sometimes physical) harm. He is opposed to half-dragons and bipeds, and believes that elves are the purest of all races on Algenon. He is often put in his place, however, by those who do not share his views, and is never taken seriously, even thsoe who do share his viewpoint. Elcra once broke his wrist in response to hanging a bipedal dragon up by her tail.
  • Reena MacTavish is a twenty-something Highlands woman, and is the only employee at Severis General Goods. She is constantly homesick, and unable to return home due to a lack of money. Although well-intentioned and spirited, Reena is lethargic, and is willing to do whatever the Severises tell her to do, but has difficulty taking the initiative. After some helpful advice, she begins to see the world in a better light.
  • Mrs. Aptow owns a large potato field just outside southwest Barlett. She supplies the town and the outlying regions with a large portion of the shared crop of potatoes and other root vegetables. Because she is so busy, visiting Barlett is rare. As such, she does not receive many visitors, nor has a much of a social life.
  • Frank “Jok” Ferguson is the Severis’ next door neighbour, and owns a large cornfield behind his house. Although his first name is Frank, he goes by the nickname Jok, and refuses to tell anyone why. He is best friends with Xiveer. He often becomes embroiled in his bizarre schemes, and getting scolded by Leena as a result. As a means of exercise and pay, Jok often employs Larry to help harvest the corn, which at one time, he accidentally set fire to the field after sneezing flames from his nose.
  • Terrence Howard is a fellow student studying the same sciences as Larry.  He’s particularly neutral of the attitudes towards his fellow classmate, Larry, but he does get on well with him.
  • Maven Kalflar is a bipedal dragon who grew up with Mila while surviving the crime and poor economy in Rale County, northeast of Marius. She owns her own business, Kalflar Farms, which produces and sells picked concoctions, like eggs, meats, and vegetables.
  • Jergen Pret is a sailor an former ganger (a bully-like person who shakes money and food from others) whose reputation has made his life a living hell. He was defeated at the hands of Maven Kalflar while attempting to save Xiveer from a pub fight that nearly cost him his life. He has since tried to escape the life of Rale, and now has a family with three children, although he is still poor.

Races

In the world of Algenon, there are four main interactive species, three of which are generally interacted with: dragons, bipedal dragons, half-dragons (half-elves), and elves. There are no humans on Algenon.

Dragons

Dragons are one of two of the oldest races. Powerful and magic-born, they once roamed Algenon’s skies, and had long lifespans. Today, the dragons are extinct, their memory and legacy passed down through their evolved descendants, their culture and history relished through religion and books.

Bipedal Dragons

Bipedal Dragons, or bipeds, are considered to be the natural evolution of dragons. Much like their ancestors, they come in different shapes and sizes, have horns, scaled skin, a tail, wings, and the ability to use magic, although very few can achieve flight. In all other respects, they have the same average lifespan as their fleshy counterpart, the elves.

Elves

The elves are the second of two ancient races. Born with limited magic ability, they were often in conflict with the superior dragon race. As the larger dragons died out, bipedals began to evolve. Elves are typical elves: pointy ears, fair skin, and like bipeds, come in different shapes and colours.

Half-Dragons (or Half-Elves)

At some point during the past, bipeds and elves formed communities. They lived together, and eventually matied, giving rise to the half-dragon population. Half-dragons generally strike a balance between looks and physiology. Some show more bipedal genes, and some show more elf genes. Every so often, one is born with unbalanced characteristics, such as seventy percent dragon, and thirty percent elf, or the other way around. Unfortunately, in many of Algenon’s societies, these people are considered deformities, and are often cast out or looked down upon in society. Half-dragons are often in battle to maintain their identity, and fend off the bigotry of some of the more pure-blooded of citizens.

The primary setting for The Severis Tales is the town of Barlett, in the country of Caldore.

Caldore

Caldore is a vast continent that is located in the north-western portion of Algenon. It extends up towards the Arctic Circle. Caldore is organized into several regions, called counties. These span from coast to coast to coast, ranging from the prairie counties in the west, to the maritime counties in the east. Below is a list of the counties currently written about, with some points of interest inside.

• Marius County is located slightly east of the middle of Caldore. It is quite a large county, one that borders Lake Winlan.
  • Barlett is a medium-sized farming and port-of-call along Lake Winlan. It is socially divided into the east and west end. The west end is upper class and posh; and as you go farther east, the more working-class the citizens becomes. The largest attraction, by far, iis Barlett College, where students from across Caldore and overseas come to study applied topics, such as agriculture, business, and major sciences.
  • River Ridge is a small township east of Barlett. It is the first town travellers usually pass through when coming to Barlett from the east. Tarla Wilfellow comes from here.
• Rale County is a small county that resides northeast of Marius. Historically, most of the county is impoverished and crime is high, although in the recent decade or so the conditions have greatly improved. Mila found herself growing up here after leaving Fundy Spires, and she met Maven Kalflar here, her best friend.
  
• Cambridge County is the largest county in middle-eastern Caldore, taking up most of the southern portion. It is one of the older counties, and has a major port, Dorington, and serves as a port of entry from those migrating from overseas.
  • Richmond is a large city and serves as the capital of Cambridge. It is a city with much commerce and dense populations. Maven Kalflar’s company is headquartered here.
• Providence Bay is a maritime county on the eastern edge of Caldore. Mainly a fishing and farming community, there is not much to do there otherwise.
  • Peyton Sound is a small farming community on the coastal edge of Providence Bay. Xiveer Severis and Franklin Ferguson were born in Peyton Sound, and they grew up together, leaving their separate ways in early adulthood.

Other locations are mentioned in The Severis Tales:

• The Highlands: a large country across the ocean that sees mainly rain, snow, and cold in the high mountains. A flourishing area, the Highlands have large concentrations of settlements. By the ocean, one large settlement is Braagburg (pronounced Bra-a-g-burg), which produces several fine cakes and teas, which are shipped overseas.
• Gwellfaire is a country far across the ocean. Very little English is spoken in Gwellfaire—instead, they have their own language, Gwellish. Franklin Ferguson’s shed was imported all the way from Gwellfaire, where the instructions were mainly hard-to-understand pictograms.

Out of sheer boredom, lack of imagination, and for reader’s ease, the date system is essentially the same format as the one we use today. Each name of the month and weekday is modified from the corresponding real world name.

Months
Real World Name	Algenon’s Name
January	Jalis
February	Felis
March	Marrin
April	Apral
May	Mas
June	Jus
July	Julis
August	Altir
September	Septela
October	Octorus
November	Novas
December	Deceller

Weekdays
Real World Name	Algenon’s Name
Sunday	Sundas
Monday	Mondas
Tuesday	Tuelis
Wednesday	Wendel
Thursday	Thulis
Friday	Fridas
Saturday	Saturnday

The first story of The Severis Tales, Post-Teen Growing Pains, begins on Mondas, Septela 1, 1103.

Important Dates/Holidays

Below is a list of important dates or holidays that some or all of Algenon observes in The Severis Tales.

Erandor and New Year

Erandor is a millenia-old tradition that celebrates one’s survival of all four seasons.  With the introduction of modern calendars, Erandor is interpreted as the survival of the year.  Many celebrate in various ways, while some do not celebrate at all.  The holiday is broken down in a series of days, starting on Deceller 27, and ending on Janis 1.

• Deceller 27, Eve of Erandor: The eve is celebrated, often with friends and family together, with a large feat.  Socializing and other events take place afterwards.  Sometimes gifts are exchanged during this time.
• Deceller 28, Erandor: A celebration for the individual, who reflects on their successes and failures during the year, and set their sights for the new year.
• Deceller 29-31: Often these days are used for getting future affairs in order.  In modern times, shops are open, and they are considered normal business days.
• Janis 1, New Year: A celebration to ring in the new year.

Copyright Disclaimer

While these stories and other short stories published on the Patrick Rivers Website are essentially free, they still are copyrighted, and they are not to be republished or reproduced without my express permission.

Questions, Comments?

Please get in touch with me, and I will try my best to answer your questions, or respond to your comments.