Book 1 / The Red Sapien Saga

The School of the Cat

On a continent divided by faith, race and blood a human infant is born and abandoned by his mother, left to die. His life is saved by a passing elven warrior and member of the most elite guild of warfare in the known world; The School of the Cat. He takes the human child to be trained in the ways of his guild, the first human to be inducted in millennia.

As a human, the child faces nothing but difficulties and disadvantages but he is determined to prove that he is worthy to be a Cat of the Pride. With his master in tow, he travels to the courts of kings, the centre of a violent revolution and the wilds of a forest home to mysterious mutants on the brink of destruction to earn his title.

But at the heart of the guild a dark secret society blooms and threatens to bring it all tumbling down.

What can one human boy do to save his guild, his home and save a species from extinction? Not much.

But a Cat can do anything.

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The Map of Aletunr’s ContinentClick on the markers below to read more about each location

The Map of Aletunr’s Continent

The Kingdom of Írskr

Located in the east of the continent, Írskr is one of the oldest kingdoms formed of clans that once waged constant war but were eventually unified by marriage. The kingdom is composed of elves and humans of pale complexion that follow a simple and open minded doctrine of worshiping the nameless spirits of nature, and not slaughtering those who do not. The cold weather and warrior traditions create a cold yet caring culture where your gender and ethnicity don’t matter as much as your fortitude and skill. Anyone can be anything in Írskr, if they are good enough.

The Kingdom of Ollomero

Once the largest central kingdom of the continent, the old kingdom is now cut in half with the northern part still bearing the same name. The country was parted by civil war brought on by the blossoming new faith of The Flame Bearer and now what remains of the old country cannot function without war. The king is a mindless puppet of the church of The Golden Blaze, his armies at their disposal. The Golden Blaze is hell bent or reconquering lost lands, destroying it’s splinter faith and waging war with all it’s neighbours. The elven population of Ollomero follow a hateful doctrine and persecute and enslave all humans and heathens they come across. A foul place to be anything but what you are told.

The Kingdom of Enspaal

Formed out of revolution, Enspaal is a growing kingdom built on trade and the want for a fairer society than the one it broke away from. It occupies the hot south of the continent and is home to elves and humans that follow the doctrine of The Flame Bearer, the mortal disciple of The Golden Blaze who preaches unity, acceptance and forgiveness. The Enspaali are a welcoming but stoic people who believe in charity but will gladly fight to the death to protect what is there’s. Their domination of Traders Bay makes them a rich and valuable player in continental politics.

The Queendom of Njordlae

One of the largest countries on the continent buried beneath ice and snow in the far north, Njordlae is a matriarchal society of stone cold survivors. It is home to elves, humans and the mutate race of elves called dwaen, a stout grey-skinned folk well suited to the cold and rocky terrain. Njordlae stands as the only true matriarchy of the continent where their doctrine teaches that females, the givers of life, should govern while males, the strong in body and weak in mind, should protect and serve. The cold makes farming hard but the innovative Njordlae people use alchemy and sharp wit to built cities in mountains, on lakes or underground to escape the harsh weather but, can this be enough to stop the country from starving? With food being scarce the populous is only a few crumbs away from revolution.

The Empire of Inkanna

Though proclaimed as an empire it is one of the smaller countries of the continent. Almost the entire empire is made up of rainforest. It is by far the hottest place on the continent and the wettest. The elves of the empire live in treehouses and caves and worship their emperor as a sun-god made flesh. They are secretive people that routinely raid and pillage neighbouring kingdoms and passing ships to steal gold, a metal born of sunlight and holy property of the emperor, and enslave those who do not worship the sun. Their warriors are famed savages and have been known to file their teeth into points and consume the flesh of the fallen. Their lands are plagued with secrets, cults, cannibals and a hatred for those who dwell outside of the forest. The empire longs to conquer and grow its borders until the whole continent is shadowed by trees and all worship the emperor as they would a god.

The Empire Of Neidregaard

The last remnants of Aletunr’s empire and bloodline, Neidregaard is a rich and proud land home to humans and elves of light and dark complexion who live together in relative peace. It is thought to be the mightiest country of the continent with a strong military and land rich in crops, cattle and valuable earth minerals like iron and gold. The emperor’s lineage dates back to Aletunr The Great whose empire spanned the entire continent and who brought about the longest peace ever recorded. Since his death much territory was lost due to infighting with his heirs and the emergence of opposing faiths and cultures. The southern half of the empire is shrouded in a mysterious, everlasting fog that legend has it was placed there by Aletunr himself to house all the unkillable monsters of the world and stop them from escaping and reeking havoc on the land.

The Free People of Al Nab La’Haam of the Island of Laffar

In the aftermath of Aletunr’s death many of the elves of the continent sought to prove elven superiority and set about purging the mutant races as well as humanity. In the chaos a great many humans built boats and braved the unknown ends of the golden sea. They landed on an island that, despite having a huge desert at it’s heart, was rich in fertile land and clean rivers. It also boasted mines laden with gold and precious gems. They named the island Laffar and forged a kingdom made only for humans. Over the centuries the elven kingdoms have tried to invade the island but have yet to make a successful landing thanks to the Laffari navy that dwarfs all by comparison. The Laffari only do business with trusted partners and they are always in demand due to their supplies of gold. Almost nothing else is known about the Laffari as none who venture there are allowed to stay and many who try never return.

The Islands Of Forever Summer

In the sparkling waters to the south of the continent are The Islands Of Forever Summer, a beautiful set of isles that are blessed without winter. Food and sunlight is plentiful but unfortunately so is crime as these islands are not home to lords or clans. Instead they are controlled by pirate kings. Home to human settlers from the continent these islanders spend their time plundering and sinking any vessels they see and often sell their mercenary skills to the highest bidder. These gorgeous islands are rife with treachery and deceit as everyone here is looking for one thing. To rise up and become the next king of their island. They are too self involved to give much care to the outside world and too devious to be conquered.

Nálesiac Kötr – The School Of The Cat

Carved into the stone of the Kötr mountains of Írskr stands the mighty fortress of Nálesiac Kötr, the largest on the continent, founded by the first Cat, Alpha Aileen Steelclaw, thought to be the most dangerous woman to have ever lived. With high walls, state of the art anti siege capabilities and secret tunnels and chambers this fortress became the home of the finest warriors in the known world. Orphans and refugee children with no one to help them were brought to Nálesiac Kötr and there were taught to read, write and fight. Cats are unparalleled in warfare through not just training but also alchemy for the Cats engineered a secret set of mutagens that when applied successfully gave unnatural strength, speed and senses making them unstoppable killers. Sworn to help the helpless and defend the persecuted, The School Of The Cat is not to be trifled with.

Jandiago de Sapolomte – The School of The Ape

Founded by the first Ape, Marko de Sapolomte, Jandiago is comprised of a small fort and a huge ringed wall of stone around a large piece of empty land. As the home of The School Of The Ape this land is used to house, train and rescue animals and wildlife. Sworn to protect the species of the continent the Apes work tirelessly to record, observe and protect endangered animals and plants. They have developed their own methods of monitoring as well as medicines for the rarest of creatures. They also have their own mutagens specifically designed so that they can track, calm and tame wild animals and bond with them through blood magic. Animals trained by Apes are unrivalled in their loyalty, strength and speed and are worth five times that of regular specimens. Though sworn to protect wildlife Jandiago is also a standing army of warriors that ride tigers and wolves and griffins into battle and have been known to tear through armies more than once.

Polara’en – The School of The Bear

Founded by Baldur the Bold, the first Bear, Polara’en is also known as the impossible fortress as it is invisible from the outside. At the end of secret paths in the Khrost forest are hidden doors that when opened took one deep and high into the Khrost mountains. There in the belly of the mountain was the heart of Polara’en, a living star that heated all the forges of the Bears that were used to craft wonders. The finest weapons, the strongest building materials and the finest tools were made here and out of metals that could not exist without the Bear’s enchantment. Anything made with the mark of Bears was worth a fortune and almost every hero in song and legend bore the Bear’s mark, whether it be a weapon, armour or trinket. Never underestimate anything built by a Bear, as it will be the last mistake you ever make.

Chichupach – The School of The Hawk

Constructed from a long dead life tree in the rainforest of Zonaanan comes the fortress of Chichupach, founded by Mistral Eagleeye, the first Hawk. Hidden deep in the brush through invisible tracks and roads the fortress can be found above the ground, high in the trees where invaders will be greeted by a hail of arrows sent by the greatest marksmen in the world. The School of The Hawk trains orphans and runaways much like The School Of The Cat, though they don’t train warriors, they train archers. Alchemical treatment on arrows and javelins form a major part of the Hawk arsenal along with lifelong training in the use of bows, crossbows and throwing weapons. Trained Hawks can shot farther, faster and with greater accuracy than any other and with their own alchemical mutations enhancing their senses of sight and sound make them even deadlier. It is said their mutations not only make them better archers, but warps their minds making them emotionless and utterly obedient.

Wréxám – The School of The Dragon

By far the smallest school of the continent, but certainly the most deadly, The School Of The Dragon was founded by Aletunr himself and devoted entirely to study and practice of magic. Located on the floating island overlooking the mists of Neidregaard these magicians swear unbreakable oaths to protect the natural world from unnatural threats. Magic is a closely guarded secret, only a precious few are inducted into the school and only Dragons know how to be chosen. While other schools learn to build and fight in exchange for coin Dragons serve the elements and use magic to prevent natural disasters, diseases and threats unknown. They are silent observers, unless threatened. Only one army every tried to fight The School Of The Dragon. None survived the Dragon’s wroth.