Shadows Return is a fantasy novel by American writer Lynn Flewelling , the fourth novel in her Nightrunner series. It is preceded by Luck in the Shadows , Stalking Darkness and Traitor's Moon , and is followed by The White Road .
78-627: With their most treacherous mission yet behind them, heroes Seregil and Alec resume their double life as dissolute nobles and master spies. But in a world of rivals and charmers, fate has a different plan. After their victory in Aurënen, Alec and Seregil have returned home to Rhíminee. But with most of their allies dead or away, it is difficult for them to settle in. Hoping for diversion, they accept an assignment from queen Phoria to go to Seregil's homeland and call Klia to Skala. En route, however, they are ambushed and separated, and both are sold into slavery to
156-425: A Goodreads average of 3.86/5 based on 1,108 ratings. Furthermore, the book was also nominated for Best Fantasy novel in 2008 by Romantic Times. The Nightrunner Series#Phoria The Nightrunner Series is a multi-part series of heroic fantasy novels by American writer Lynn Flewelling . It currently contains seven novels and a collection of related short stories. 'Nightrunning' refers to espionage ,
234-416: A Watcher, one of the spies under his command. In Stalking Darkness , Nysander requests (indeed demands and orders) Seregil to kill him—as that is the only way to finally destroy the evil Helm. After this he appears twice more in visions to offer guidance. Thero is a wizard who was Nysander's apprentice after Seregil. At first he and Seregil are bitter rivals, but become more respectful of each other after
312-458: A baby daughter, the first known case of a wizard having a child (made possible by a magical dragon biting Thero). A powerful Wizard of the Third Oreska and once Nysander's love interest, and his soul mate, despite her being celibate and him taking other women as lovers. After Nysander's death, she takes over Thero's apprenticeship. Mother of Klia and Phoria and Queen of Skala at the beginning of
390-420: A competent tactician and fighter. Falling in love with Thero (and vice versa), she succeeds in convincing him to consummate their unprecedented love. Having no design on the throne, she does not use the occasion of being in command of the victorious army after Queen Phoria's death in battle to seize power for herself. Rather, she orderly hands power to her young niece Elani, Phoria's designated heir. Designated at
468-402: A dead man's grave. For 30 days, water it with cow's milk in which three bats have been drowned. When the 31st day arrives, take out the root in the middle of the night and dry it in an oven heated with branches of verbena ; then wrap it up in a piece of a dead man's winding-sheet and carry it with you everywhere. The homunculus has also been compared to the golem of Jewish folklore . Though
546-405: A direct comparison to the mandragora in one excerpt: Would you like to make a Mandragora, as powerful as the homunculus (little man in a bottle) so praised by Paracelsus ? Then find a root of the plant called bryony . Take it out of the ground on a Monday (the day of the moon), a little time after the vernal equinox . Cut off the ends of the root and bury it at night in some country churchyard in
624-609: A necromancer, presumably sent to retrieve the rekharo. When Thero can't stop him, Sebrahn sings again and kills him. Together they get aboard and head for Aurënen. On their landing, Magyana lays eyes upon the child and says she sees the a dragon in his aura. The plot gives some explanation as to why the Hâzadrielfaie left their homeland long ago and went into the far north, and why they keep to themselves, kill any outsider venturing into their land and especially forbid any sexual relationship with outsiders and kill anyone involved in such as
702-654: A noble in Skalan court; the Rhíminee Cat, a burglar for nobles of the Skalan court in Luck in the Shadows . Seregil is a skilled lover and has had numerous sexual relations with both men and women—though with a clear preference for men. However, he did not find real love until meeting Alec. Alec is the son of Amasa and Ireya ä Shaar, He is a ya'shel because of his mother's Hâzadrielfaie blood and his father's human blood. A boy of sixteen at
780-491: A poor orphaned hunter mistakenly arrested for spying. After hiring Alec to guide him through the Northern Lands, Seregil notes Alec's quick learning ability and fast hands, and offers him a job as his apprentice. Alec, though wary of Seregil at first due to his suspicion that Seregil is a thief or spy, accepts the offer. They fall into a mystery that involves the fast deterioration of Seregil's mind and sanity, and Alec must find
858-434: A relationship - as they killed Alec's mother and tried to kill Alec himself and his father. That is all because they very strongly object to their blood being used in order to create a rhekaro. At the very end of the book, the Hâzadrielfaie are for the first time seen onstage - discovering that despite all their efforts a rhekaro was created and resolving to loose their hunters. The book received generally positive reviews with
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#1732875838990936-504: A sealed cucurbit for forty days with the highest degree of putrefaction in a horse's womb ["venter equinus", meaning "warm, fermenting horse dung" ], or at least so long that it comes to life and moves itself, and stirs, which is easily observed. After this time, it will look somewhat like a man, but transparent, without a body. If, after this, it be fed wisely with the Arcanum of human blood, and be nourished for up to forty weeks, and be kept in
1014-605: A strange, alchemically created creature—the prophesied "child of no woman". Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make it a danger to all whom Seregil and Alec come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn's true nature. But what then? With the help of old friends and Seregil's clan, the pair sets out to discover the truth about this living homunculus —a journey that can lead only to danger... or death. For Seregil's old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec's own long-lost kin (Hâzadrielfaie) are after them, intent on possessing both Sebrahn and Alec. On
1092-401: A treaty is ruined. At the same time, Seregil must readjust himself to the country he was exiled from more than thirty years previously. A collection of short stories, including the story of how Seregil, Nysander, and Micum all meet. Seregil and Alec are kidnapped by Zengati slave traders and bought by a Plenimaran alchemist. Using Alec's unique blood as a half-Northerner, half-hâzadriëlfaie,
1170-505: A way to save his new teacher and friend. Alec manages to deliver Seregil into the hands of Nysander, a wizard of Skala, but the mystery only deepens. At the same time, a traitorous plot against the Queen seems to be unfolding, and Seregil must solve it quickly before he is found guilty of treason himself. The seemingly harmless wooden disc that nearly caused Seregil's death and loss of sanity in Luck in
1248-414: A young age to be heir to the throne of Queen Phoria. Her mother—and heir apparent—Aralain, was considered unsuitable to lead. Intensively trained by her aunt in both war and statecraft, she rises to the throne at the age of sixteen, following her aunt's death in battle. She proves a capable and sensitive ruler; developing a strong friendship with Alec, due especially to their shared passion for archery. Nyal
1326-425: Is a small human being. Popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and nineteenth-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has roots in preformationism as well as earlier folklore and alchemic traditions. The term lends its name to the cortical homunculus , an image of a person with the size of the body parts distorted to represent how much area of
1404-493: Is also commonly called "the little man inside the brain". This scientific model is known as the cortical homunculus . In medical science, the term homunculus is sometimes applied to certain fetus -like ovarian cystic teratomae . These will sometimes contain hair, sebaceous material and in some cases cartilaginous or bony structures. In a recent article published in the peer-reviewed journal Leonardo "The Missing Female Homunculus” by Haven Wright and Preston Foerder revisits
1482-450: Is an Commander in the Queen's Horse Guard. She is held in high regard by Commander Klia and the officers under her. A major love interest of hers is Nyal in Traitor's Moon —later her husband. She is skilled with a bow, a sword, close quarters combat and tracking, and is a devious tactician, as she learned from her father. She becomes a Watcher in Traitor's Moon . Second oldest daughter of
1560-410: Is commonly used today in scientific disciplines such as psychology as a teaching or memory tool to describe the distorted scale model of a human drawn or sculpted to reflect the relative space human body parts occupy on the somatosensory cortex (the sensory homunculus ) and the motor cortex (the motor homunculus ). Both the motor and sensory homunculi usually appear as small men superimposed over
1638-472: Is described as kind and eccentric. Thero is his apprentice—Nysander being disappointed with Thero's often cold and arrogant attitude, but nevertheless regards him as having great potential (which in fact would be realized only after Nysander's death). He was the first to befriend Seregil after his exile from Aurënen and offered him an apprenticeship at the Orëska House. When that did not work, he hired him as
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#17328758389901716-572: Is found to be involved in extensive secret dealings with the Plenimarans, including a tacit complicity with the enslavement of Aurënfaie from other clans—while striving to ransom and repatriate enslaved members of his own clan. He is described as cunning, ruthless and devoted to his clan's welfare. He dies in Riga at the end of The White Road , Seregil and Alec deciding not to reveal what they know of his dark deeds. The Khirnari of Gedre. Knew Seregil when he
1794-417: Is introduced as the interpreter for the Skalan soldiers who are assigned as Klia's royal guard in her visit to Aurënen in Traitor's Moon . He is a traveler of many lands, knowing many languages and understanding the customs and cultures of many people. He is a capable fighter and is a soldier when needed. He becomes a love interest of Beka 's in Traitor's Moon , eventually her husband and fellow-fighter in
1872-401: Is killed. Anguished, Seregil kills Yhakobin before Sebrahn starts singing and kills the soldiers. His tears then fall on Alec's wound and create the white blossoms that the alchemist had been trying to create and brings him back to life. During this time Alec's shade quickly finds Thero and directs him and Micum to Seregil. Thero helps them they continue their journey, but they are soon found by
1950-580: Is no mention of the creation of artificial life . In his commentary, Jung equates the homunculus with the Philosopher's Stone , and the "inner person" in parallel with Christ . In Islamic alchemy , takwin ( Arabic : تكوين ) was a goal of certain Muslim alchemists, and is frequently found in writings of the Jabirian corpus . In the alchemical context, takwin refers to the artificial creation of life, spanning
2028-585: Is not chrysopoeia , but it is instead the artificial generation of humans. Here, the creation of homunculi symbolically represents spiritual regeneration and Christian soteriology . In 1775, Count Johann Ferdinand von Kufstein, together with Abbé Geloni, an Italian cleric, is reputed to have created ten homunculi with the ability to foresee the future, which von Kufstein kept in glass containers at his Masonic lodge in Vienna . Dr. Emil Besetzny's Masonic handbook, Die Sphinx , devoted an entire chapter to
2106-484: Is officially no longer a member of the clan, Adzriel offers him (and Alec) a warm welcome in his ancestral home. Ulan í Sathil is the khirnari of the Virèsse clan. Until the events of Traitor's Moon , his clan held monopoly over trade with Skala and as a result holds a grudge against Seregil and Alec for enabling the opening of Gedre. He is 270 years old and suffers from a sickness of the lungs and severe arthritis . He
2184-474: Is seen as more of a magical phenomenon in the story, however, rather than necessarily having a symbolic meaning. Homunculi appear in fantasy based television, film, and games in a manner consistent with literature. Examples can be found in numerous media, such as the podcast Hello From The Magic Tavern , the films Homunculus (1916), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), Dr. Who episode The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977),
2262-509: The Genesis creation narrative 's claim that it was "in Adam " that all had sinned: the whole of humanity was already contained in his loins during the original sin . The spermists' theory also failed to explain why children tend to resemble their mothers as well as their fathers, though some spermists suggested that the growing homunculus assimilated maternal characteristics from the womb. The homunculus
2340-494: The wahrsagenden Geister (scrying ghosts). These are reputed to have been seen by several people, including local dignitaries. References to the homunculus do not appear prior to sixteenth-century alchemical writings but alchemists may have been influenced by earlier folk traditions. The mandragora , known in German as Alreona , Alraun or Alraune is one example; Jean-Baptiste Pitois 's The History and Practice of Magic makes
2418-500: The British children's writers Mary Norton and Rumer Godden used homunculus motifs in their work, expressing various post-war anxieties about refugees, persecution of minorities in war, and the adaptation of these minorities to a "big" world. W. Somerset Maugham 's 1908 novel The Magician utilises the concept of the homunculus as an important plot element. David H. Keller 's short story "A Twentieth-Century Homunculus" (1930) describes
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2496-496: The Cavish family, she is interested in knowledge and literature. With Lord Seregil's help, she becomes an initiate studying at Illior's temple in Skala. Youngest daughter of the Cavish family, she is the most "ladylike" and interested in marriage and running a home and the court, out of all the sisters. After her older sisters leave home, she helps her mother with Luthas and Gherin and running
2574-531: The Dragon Oracle's prophecy that he would "beget a child of no woman". Eventually, Seregil and Alec escape, the first with the help of a servant woman and the second by picking his lock. Knowing that the rhekaro will die without his blood, Alec is determined to save him and takes him along, while Seregil brings his betrayer, Ilar í Sontir, to show them a secret tunnel. The atmosphere is initially tense when Alec finds Ilar's identity and Seregil, too, has doubts about
2652-673: The Orëska grounds is constantly in a sunny summer state through magical means. When Nysander was alive, he inhabited one of the towers, using up several rooms and floors, along with his apprentice Thero and his servant Wethis. Homunculus A homunculus ( UK : / h ɒ ˈ m ʌ ŋ k j ʊ l ə s / hom- UNK -yuul-əs , US : / h oʊ ˈ -/ hohm- , Latin: [hɔˈmʊŋkʊlʊs] ; "little person", pl. : homunculi UK : / h ɒ ˈ m ʌ ŋ k j ʊ l iː / hom- UNK -yuul-ee , US : / h oʊ ˈ -/ hohm- , Latin: [hɔˈmʊŋkʊli] )
2730-499: The Plenimarans. There they are bought by the alchemist Yhakobin who hopes to use Alec's Hâzadrielfaie blood to create a rhekaro, a sexless creature that can heal everything and prolong life. The first doesn't meet his expectations and he has it butchered. Alec takes pity on the rhekaro and hates Yhakobin for torturing and killing it, and is determined to save the second one from a similar fate. Increasingly, Alec feels paternal towards rhekaro, who has Alec's own face - reminding himself of
2808-411: The Plenimarans. Rhíminee has strong defenses, to ensure that this would not happen again, and in some earlier wars they were severely tested. There are the double walls forming a ring around the city, plentiful supplies ready for the possibility of a siege, and streets designed for defense against any attacker who might breach the outer defences. Rhíminee also has a sophisticated sewage system—a lesson from
2886-407: The Shadows is revealed to be part of a broken, evil helm belonging to the 'Eater of Death', a forsaken god named Seriamaius. A plan to retrieve all the pieces of the helm is attempted by a Plenimaran, Mardus, who wishes to use it to conquer Skala and Mycena and rule over the three lands. A prophecy long foretold takes place, and Seregil has to kill his mentor, Nysander, in order to destroy the helm. In
2964-617: The Third Orëska House, it is commonly referred to simply as ″the Orëska″ and is the home of all wizards. Though some choose not to live there, like Magyana who travels a lot, most do, choosing to be among their own kind, with all the resources and amenities that are provided. It has many libraries and rooms filled with books in numerous languages, a vault of ancient and magical artifacts, state-of-the-art baths and rooms for master wizards, their students, apprentices and servants. The garden within
3042-430: The age of maturity. He is described as medium height and fair-skinned with grey eyes and dark brown hair. After being seduced by Ilar í Sontir into breaking atui during a treaty and accidentally killing a man, he is exiled to Skala by the rhui'auros request where he becomes a Watcher, a spy in the queen's service. As a Watcher, he has many personas: Aren Windover, a bard known in the north; Lord Seregil of Rhíminee,
3120-552: The alchemist intends to create a creature called a rhekaro, who appears to be a young child and yet is decidedly inhuman. Seregil eventually escapes with Alec and Sebrahn, while coming to terms with his own past as he reunites with a former lover and enemy. Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Seregil and Alec want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead, they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn,
3198-457: The alchemists believed that these methods originated somewhere in India or Southeast Asia. The homunculus continued to appear in alchemical writings after Paracelsus' time. The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz (1616) for example, concludes with the creation of a male and female form identified as Homunculi duo . The allegorical text suggests to the reader that the ultimate goal of alchemy
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3276-404: The bad sewage of the earlier capital which had been nicknamed "Stinking Ero". In peacetime, Rhíminee is a major trading port through which enormous wealth passes daily. This wealth is divided unequally—there is an enormous disparity between the rich quarters at the northern part and the slums to the south; Alec and Seregill are at home in both, with some preference for the poorer areas. Technically
3354-643: The beginning of the series, he is described as being very like Seregil in size, not tall, slender, blond and blue-eyed.< Because of his looks and his conservative Dalnan upbringing, he is generally perceived as naive and innocent, though he shows great intelligence and cunning over the books. He is captured and thrown in prison where he meets Seregil. After Seregil helps him escape he contracts Alec to guide him to Wolde. Impressed by Alec's talent and intelligence, he asks Alec to be his apprentice and learn "the acquisition of goods and information". A master swordsman and dear friend of Seregil who met Seregil years before
3432-483: The best of times, the royal court at Rhíminee is a serpents' nest of intrigue, but with the war against Plenimar dragging on interminably, treason simmers just below the surface. And that is not all that poses a threat: A mysterious plague is spreading through the crowded streets of the city, striking young and old alike. Now, as panic mounts and the body count rises, secrets emerge. And, as Seregil and Alec are about to learn, conspiracies and plagues have one thing in common:
3510-432: The body, but instead may find its brightest state as it passes through the material plane, is central to the character. William Makepeace Thackeray wrote under the pen name of Homunculus. The homunculus legend, Frankenstein and Faust have continued to influence works in the twentieth and twenty-first century. The theme has been used not only in fantasy literature , but also to illuminate social topics. For instance,
3588-414: The body, so the homunculus has correspondingly large lips, hands, feet, and genitals. The motor homunculus is very similar to the sensory homunculus, but differs in several ways. Specifically, the motor homunculus has a portion for the tongue most lateral while the sensory homunculus has an area for genitalia most medial and an area for visceral organs most lateral. Well known in the field of neurology, this
3666-413: The cerebral cortex of the brain is devoted to it. During medieval and early modern times, it was thought that homunculus, an artificial humanlike being, could be created through alchemy. The homunculus first appears by name in alchemical writings attributed to Paracelsus (1493–1541). De natura rerum (1537) outlines his method for creating homunculi: That the sperm of a man be putrefied by itself in
3744-543: The creation of homunculi on an industrial scale by a pair of misogynists . Likewise, Sven Delblanc 's The Homunculus: A Magic Tale (1965) addresses alleged misogyny and the Cold War industrial-military complexes of the Soviet Union and NATO . In German children's author Cornelia Funke 's book, Dragon Rider , the protagonists meet and are aided by a homunculus created by an alchemist. The homunculus, and alchemy broadly,
3822-438: The cure can be as deadly as the disease. The last novel in the series. The governor of the sacred island of Kouros and his wife have been killed inside a locked and guarded room . The sole witnesses to the crime—guards who broke down the door, hearing the screams from within—have gone mad with terror, babbling about ghosts... and things worse than ghosts. Dispatched to Kouros by the queen, master spies Alec and Seregil find all
3900-460: The even heat of the horse's womb, a living human child grows therefrom, with all its members like another child, which is born of a woman, but much smaller. The fully grown homunculus was supposedly greatly skilled in "art" and can create giants, dwarves, and other marvels, as "Through art they are born, and therefore art is embodied and inborn in them, and they need learn it from no one." Comparisons have been made with several similar concepts in
3978-478: The events of Luck in the Shadows . At the beginning of the series he is in his forties. Already settled down with a family of three, later four children and a foster son, he does not always accompany Seregil on his adventures. Micum himself is a Watcher and father of Beka , Elsbet , Illia and Gherin . At the end of Stalking Darkness , he and his wife Kari adopt Luthas. She is the wife of Micum and mother of Beka, Elsbet, Illia, Gherin and later, Luthas. She runs
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#17328758389904056-512: The events of Stalking Darkness . Originally cold and arrogant, his character gradually changes and he strives to emulate the generous character of the dead Nysander. He becomes head of the Watchers after Nysander's death. He and Princess Klia fall in love with each other—the first ever relationship between a wizard and a member of the Skalan Royal family—and at the end of Shards of Time , they have
4134-548: The excitement and danger they could want—and more. For an ancient evil has been awakened there, a great power that will not rest until it has escaped its prison and taken revenge on all that lives. And our heroes must find a way to stop it and save those they hold most dear... or die trying. Seregil is one of the protagonists and a full-blooded Aurënfaie. He is 57 at the beginning of the series, but looks 25 because of his people's long lifespan though according to him he would be not much older than Alec if human and has not yet reached
4212-467: The false name Khenir, blaming Seregil for his condition. Seeking revenge, he helped his master, Yakhobin , catch Seregil and Alec. Once under his possession, Ilar physically, psychologically and sexually abused Seregil. But later he helped Seregil and Alec escape when his master vowed to sell him back in the slave market. Found again by Ulan's men, he was taken back to Viresse in The White Road , where
4290-405: The farm and house at Watermead since Micum is almost always away. She used to have a rivalry with Seregil, since they were both in love with Micum at the same time, and since he used to arrive and steal Micum away on Watcher business for months at a time, but Micum chose her. Seregil is like a brother to Micum now, and Kari like a sister, or sometimes a mother. Eldest daughter of Micum and Kari, she
4368-465: The full range of the chain of being , from minerals to prophets, imitating the function of the demiurge . One set of instructions for creating animal life found within the Jabirian Kitab al-Tajmi involves finding a vessel shaped like the animal and combining the animal's bodily fluids within it, then placing the vessel at the center of a model of a celestial sphere as heat is applied to it. Some of
4446-456: The history of the Homunculus, sheds light on current research in neuroscience on the female brain, and reveals what they believe to be the first sculpture of the female Homunculus, done by the artist and first author Haven Wright, based on the current research available. Homunculi can be found in centuries worth of literature. These fictions are primarily centred around imaginative speculations on
4524-451: The household. She was named after Seregil's mother. In Casket of Souls , her life is in grave danger, and she is saved by her father and his companions with great effort and risk. Born at the end of Stalking Darkness , he is named by Seregil Gherin , which means 'early blessing' in Aurënfaie. Nysander is the last disciple and heir of Arkoniel and guardian of the necromancer Helm. He
4602-401: The inspiration for Victor Frankenstein. German playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's Faust, Part Two (1832) famously features an alchemically-created homunculus. Here, the character of Homunculus embodies the quest of a pure spirit to be born into a mortal form, contrasting Faust's desire to shed his mortal body to become pure spirit. The alchemical idea that the soul is not imprisoned in
4680-467: The khirnari came to know of the story of the rhekaro. Ulan took him back to Plenimar to help him steal Yakhobin's books. Later Seregil tricked Ilar into giving him the location of the books but left him in Plenimar as revenge for what Ilar did to Alec. Adzriel ä Illia is Seregil 's oldest sister and has acted as a mother figure for him. After her father, she becomes the khirnari of the Bôkthersa. Though he
4758-485: The land could see a peace that lasted without threat. Under her rule, even though Aurenen were allies, the style of the Aurenfaie went out of fashion. She tried to alienate all things not Skalan, including magic, and saw it as doing more harm than good. Son of Idrilain, twin of Phoria, to whom he was devoted. Was Seregil's first lover after he was exiled to Skala. While the Skalan system of having only Queens excluded him from
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#17328758389904836-459: The last paragraphs of the book, Seregil, and Alec admit romantic feelings for one another. Seregil and Alec are sent to Aurënen, Seregil's homeland, with Princess Klia, in a Skalan delegation to ask for open ports, warriors and supplies in the deepening war between Skala and Plenimar, but the attempted murder of the Princess means trouble. Seregil and Alec must unravel the mystery before all chance of
4914-410: The mysteries of conception. It was later pointed out that if the sperm was a homunculus, identical in all but size to an adult, then the homunculus may have sperm of its own. This led to a reductio ad absurdum with a chain of homunculi " all the way down ", an idea also known as the homunculus fallacy . This was not necessarily considered by spermists a fatal objection, however, as it neatly explained
4992-584: The principal occupation of the series' two protagonists, Seregil and Alec. The books also explores sexuality and gender roles, presenting a world where bi- and homosexuality are as accepted as heterosexuality , as well as a realm (Skala) which is ruled by Queens rather than Kings, and in whose army women warriors have a major role. The series has been published by Bantam Spectra and Del Rey Books . Both companies are owned by Random House, Inc . A prequel trilogy titled The Tamir Triad , written by Flewelling, takes place centuries beforehand. Seregil rescues Alec,
5070-719: The quest for artificial life associated with Paracelsian alchemy. One of the very earliest literary references occurs in Thomas Browne 's Religio Medici (1643), in which the author states: I am not of Paracelsus minde that boldly delivers a receipt to make a man without conjunction, ... The fable of the alchemically-created homunculus may have been central in Mary Shelley 's novel Frankenstein (1818). Professor Radu Florescu suggests that Johann Konrad Dippel , an alchemist born in Castle Frankenstein, might have been
5148-414: The run and hunted, Alec and his friends must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever. More than the dissolute noblemen they appear to be, Alec and Seregil are skillful spies, dedicated to serving queen and country. But when they stumble across evidence of a plot pitting Queen Phoria against Princess Klia, the two Nightrunners will find their loyalties torn as never before. Even at
5226-506: The series. Mortally wounded by a Plenimaran arrow, she holds on long enough to send Princess Klia on the vital mission to re-establish relations with Aurënen—since she does not trust Phoria, her eldest daughter and heir, to do it. Eldest Princess of Skala, inherited the throne after Idrilain's passing. She managed to push back the Plenimarians back into their homeland, but died on the threshold of victory. She wanted to conquer Plenimar so that
5304-407: The specifics outlining the creation of the golem and homunculus are very different, the concepts both metaphorically relate man to the divine, in his construction of life in his own image. Preformationism is the formerly popular theory that animals developed from miniature versions of themselves. Sperm cells were believed to contain complete preformed individuals called " animalcules ". Development
5382-475: The throne, he was appointed Viceregent, taking care of the Skalan home front while his mother and sister were busy on the front with Plenimar. One of the most powerful people in Skala. Klia is the only surviving child of Queen Idrilain and her last consort, the youngest princess of her generation. She is 23 years old at the beginning of the series. She is the Commander of the Queen's Horse Guard, respected by most as
5460-455: The top of precentral or postcentral gyri for motor and sensory cortices, respectively. The homunculus is oriented with feet medial and shoulders lateral on top of both the precentral and the postcentral gyrus (for both motor and sensory). The man's head is depicted upside down in relation to the rest of the body such that the forehead is closest to the shoulders. The lips, hands, feet and sex organs have more sensory neurons than other parts of
5538-470: The uncommon-looking child, but they fare well for several days, with Alec's hunting skills and the food they had stolen. Later, the rhekaro, whom Alec names Sebrahn, shows extraordinary healing powers, which they use to get rid of their slave brands so that they are not found out by other slavers. Near the port they are found by their former master. Ilar flees in panic, but Alec and Seregil stand firm. The archers target Seregil but Alec jumps in front of him and
5616-493: The war with Plenimar. Ilar, also known as Khenir, was introduced in Shadows Return , although mentioned often in previous books. Seregil's first lover, Ilar seduced him at Ulan í Sathil 's bidding and manipulated him into breaking his clan's atui, when Seregil was 22 years old. As a consequence Seregil was exiled from Aurënen. After his escape, Ilar was caught by Ulan and sold into slavery in Plenimar. He spent 40 years under
5694-625: The west is the Oisiat Sea and Zangat. Significant Cities: Ero (former capital), Cirna, Ardinlee and Tes. The capital of Skala, it holds the Royal Palace, the Skalan Court and the Orëska. It is also where The Cockerel Inn and Wheel Street are located. Rhíminee was founded by Queen Tamir the Great (who was personally involved in the details of city planning) after the earlier capital Ero was destroyed by
5772-547: The writings of earlier alchemists. Although the actual word "homunculus" was never used, Carl Jung believed that the concept first appeared in the Visions of Zosimos , written in the third century AD. In the visions, Zosimos encounters a priest who changes into "the opposite of himself, into a mutilated anthroparion ". The Greek word "anthroparion" is similar to "homunculus" – a diminutive form of "person". Zosimos subsequently encounters other anthroparia in his dream but there
5850-573: Was created in Shadows Return by the Plenimaran alchemist Yhakobin for Ulan í Satil in hopes of distilling a healing elixir to prolong his life. He was created using Alec's Hâzadrielfaie blood, and as a result is only able to feed by drinking Hâzadrielfaie blood. Alec took him along when he escaped the alchemist's house. Later Alec let him be taken into the care of the Hâzadrielfaie in The White Road when he realised that could not continue his lifestyle and still care for Sebrahn. Another rhekaro, he
5928-504: Was made from the blood of Hâzadriël herself and has since hunted with the Ebrados by her wish. He is pale and silver-haired like Sebrahn, though he does not speak, and has wings. Capital: Rhíminee. Ruled by: Queen Idrilain, then Queen Phoria and finally Queen Elani. Location: To the north is the Inner Sea and Mycena, to the east is Plenimar and The Strait of Bal, to the south is Aurënen and to
6006-441: Was therefore a matter of enlarging this into a fully formed being. The term homunculus was later used in the discussion of conception and birth. Nicolas Hartsoeker postulated the existence of animalcules in the semen of humans and other animals. This was the beginning of spermists' theory, which held that the sperm was in fact a "little man" that was placed inside a woman for growth into a child, an effective explanation for many of
6084-412: Was very young. Rekharos or tayan'gil (silver blood) are humanoid creatures created from the blood of the Hâzadrielfaie. They can heal, though no one except Sebrahn can speak or bring back the dead. A rhekaro, Sebrahn is described as very pale with silver-colored eyes and shining white hair. Because of his appearance, Alec named him moonlight in Aurënfaie. The prophesied child of no woman , Sebrahn
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