World of the Three Moons
Encyclopedia
The World of the Three Moons is a fantasy realm that serves as a setting for the Trillium series
of fantasy novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley
, Julian May
, and Andre Norton
.
s in the World of the Three Moons. Whether that has been the reason or not, the number three plays a great role in almost any aspect of the World. For example:
Another reason for such prominence of this number is the number of the authors who wrote the first novel of the series.
y valley
between two ranges of Ohogan Mountains on an eastern-most peninsula of an unnamed continent. Ruwenda is populated by both human
s and the Folk, mostly humanoid sentient peoples who vary greatly in appearance and powers. The capital of Ruwenda is the Citadel
of Ruwenda, where the Ruwendian Kings reside.
As already stated, the largest part of Ruwenda is covered with swamps and countless small river
s and streams. Since the swamps are natural environment of the Folk, the Kings of Ruwenda always preferred to do nothing about them and therefore used larger rivers Vistar, Lamar, and Mutar as trade route
s. The only land trade route lies in the north-eastern part of the country, where there are less swampy regions and more human towns. The only city known to humans in the western part of the kingdom is Trevista.
To the north of Ruwenda lies the Kingdom of Labornok, a powerful and militaristic human state with its capital in Derorguila. The natural border between Ruwenda and Labornok is a range of Ohogan Mountains. The novel Black Trillium starts with Labornok launching a conquest on Ruwenda and successfully capturing the Citadel but by the end of the novel, the attackers are defeated and Ruwenda is free again. However, since the new King of Labornok eventually fell in love with and married the new Queen of Ruwenda, the two kingdoms merged together and were henceforth known as the Kingdom of Laboruwenda.
To the south of Ruwenda is the Kingdom of Var. Unlike its northern neighbours, Var has always been a peaceful state preferring to make trade rather than war. Both Var and Labornok have direct access to the sea.
The "Pirate Kingdom" of Raktum lies to the north-west of Ruwenda. It gained its reputation because of a mighty pirate fleet that it possesses, since marine piracy
is perfectly legal there and even encouraged by the authorities of the state. The Pirate Kingdom only played an important role in Julian May's continuity.
To the south-west of Ruwenda lies Zinora. Little is known about this state.
If one travels directly east from the Citadel of Ruwenda, one will soon reach the ranges of Ohogan Mountains that are impassable for normal humans and the Folk. Although the characters of the books occasionally travelled east by magical means, no notable kingdoms were ever mentioned - according to their reports, only "feather-covered barbarians" live there.
There are several "sub-races" of oddlings in the World of the Three Moons:
In Julian May's continuity, the Vanished Ones were the creators of two of the three natural satellites of their planet and in fact, many of them still reside in one of them in an cryobiosis.
According to Clarke's third law
, all inventions of the Vanished Ones are seen as magical per se, even though those skilled in magical arts do display awareness that these are merely machines.
Scepter of Power-A scepter made up of three other magical items. The Three Lobed Burning Eye, The Three Headed Monster, and The Three Winged Circle. The Scepter was made to combat the starmen but the Vanished Ones were to afraid to use it. It can be only be used by all three sisters.
in the World of the Three Moons, there are many unorganized beliefs. The three major ones in Ruwenda are:
In Labornok, the most common belief is that of the One God, with the Saint Zoto playing a great role. The latter seems to be extremely popular among its military. There are also other cults and sect
s in Labornok, for example the cult of the Goddess Meret. The latter, however, only plays a considerable role in Marion Zimmer Bradley's continuity.
Trillium series
The Trillium series is a series of five fantasy novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton set in the World of the Three Moons. The series title is unofficial and is used solely because every novel of the series had the word "trillium" in its title...
of fantasy novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, Julian May
Julian May
Julian May is an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also uses several literary pseudonyms, best known for her Saga of Pliocene Exile and Galactic Milieu Series books.- Background and early career :Julian May grew up in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a suburb of...
, and Andre Norton
Andre Norton
Andre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
.
Description
As the name suggests, there are three natural satelliteNatural satellite
A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
s in the World of the Three Moons. Whether that has been the reason or not, the number three plays a great role in almost any aspect of the World. For example:
- The coat of armsCoat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Ruwenda depicts the black trilliumTrilliumTrillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
(three-petaled flower), a plant that is considered sacred by most of the peoples of the country. - The coat of arms of Labornok has three swordSwordA sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s on it. - There are three major races in the World: humans, oddlings (the aboriginies/folk) and the Vanished Ones.
- The mythical almighty Scepter of Power consists of three parts, each having three identical parts itself: wingWingA wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s, eyeEyeEyes are organs that detect light and convert it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons. The simplest photoreceptors in conscious vision connect light to movement...
s, and monstrous faceFaceThe face is a central sense organ complex, for those animals that have one, normally on the ventral surface of the head, and can, depending on the definition in the human case, include the hair, forehead, eyebrow, eyelashes, eyes, nose, ears, cheeks, mouth, lips, philtrum, temple, teeth, skin, and...
s. - There were three triplet princesses destined to free Ruwenda from Labornok's rule.
- A monotheistic God worshipped in some regions is a representation of a Holy Trinity (the Lords of the Air).
- Orogastus had three 'Voices', or acolytes, in both Black Trillium and Blood Trillium.
- He (Orogastus) worships three Dark Powers - Aysee Lyne, Bahkup, and Inturnal Bataree, which translate into alternating current line (the electrical power source of the ice mirror), Backup (Power), and Internal Battery. In other words, he worships three ancient electrical devices that he believes are magical.
Another reason for such prominence of this number is the number of the authors who wrote the first novel of the series.
Geography
All Trillium novels are primarily set in the Kingdom of Ruwenda, of which all three heroines of the novels, Haramis, Kadiya and Anigel, are princesses. Ruwenda is located in a swampSwamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
y valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
between two ranges of Ohogan Mountains on an eastern-most peninsula of an unnamed continent. Ruwenda is populated by both human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s and the Folk, mostly humanoid sentient peoples who vary greatly in appearance and powers. The capital of Ruwenda is the Citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
of Ruwenda, where the Ruwendian Kings reside.
As already stated, the largest part of Ruwenda is covered with swamps and countless small river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s and streams. Since the swamps are natural environment of the Folk, the Kings of Ruwenda always preferred to do nothing about them and therefore used larger rivers Vistar, Lamar, and Mutar as trade route
Trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a single trade route contains long distance arteries which may further be connected to several smaller networks of commercial...
s. The only land trade route lies in the north-eastern part of the country, where there are less swampy regions and more human towns. The only city known to humans in the western part of the kingdom is Trevista.
To the north of Ruwenda lies the Kingdom of Labornok, a powerful and militaristic human state with its capital in Derorguila. The natural border between Ruwenda and Labornok is a range of Ohogan Mountains. The novel Black Trillium starts with Labornok launching a conquest on Ruwenda and successfully capturing the Citadel but by the end of the novel, the attackers are defeated and Ruwenda is free again. However, since the new King of Labornok eventually fell in love with and married the new Queen of Ruwenda, the two kingdoms merged together and were henceforth known as the Kingdom of Laboruwenda.
To the south of Ruwenda is the Kingdom of Var. Unlike its northern neighbours, Var has always been a peaceful state preferring to make trade rather than war. Both Var and Labornok have direct access to the sea.
The "Pirate Kingdom" of Raktum lies to the north-west of Ruwenda. It gained its reputation because of a mighty pirate fleet that it possesses, since marine piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
is perfectly legal there and even encouraged by the authorities of the state. The Pirate Kingdom only played an important role in Julian May's continuity.
To the south-west of Ruwenda lies Zinora. Little is known about this state.
If one travels directly east from the Citadel of Ruwenda, one will soon reach the ranges of Ohogan Mountains that are impassable for normal humans and the Folk. Although the characters of the books occasionally travelled east by magical means, no notable kingdoms were ever mentioned - according to their reports, only "feather-covered barbarians" live there.
Races
The three primary fantasy races mentioned in the novels are humans, the Folk or oddlings, and the Ancients or the Vanished Ones.Humans
Humans are the most numerous people under the Three Moons, e.g. all countries in the novels are reigned by human rulers. Humans build enormous fleets and armies, start wars and wield powerful magic and are indeed the dominant race of the world.The Folk
The Folk or oddlings are creations of the Vanished Ones. Shortly before the latter have left the World of the Three Moons, they have used their advanced technology to produce a race of sentient beings who can be put in charge of keeping various legacies that the Vanished Ones couldn't destroy or take with them hidden from future races.There are several "sub-races" of oddlings in the World of the Three Moons:
- Vispi are probably the most culturally developed oddlings and definitely the least numerous. They live reclusively in several valleys high in the northern ranges of Ohogan Mountains. It is mentioned that they were the first oddlings created by the Vanished Ones, therefore they still possess some of their lost technologies, e.g. heatingHVACHVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
. They are also skilled in magic, can command snow storms (Eyes of the Storm) and communicate with giant sentient lammergeierLammergeierThe Lammergeier, Lammergeyer, or Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus , is the only member of the genus Gypaetus. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a minor lineage of Accipitridae together with the Egyptian Vulture , its closest living relative...
s. For centuries, the only human to meet Vispi in person has been the White Lady. Vispi have been entrusted with guarding the Three-Winged Disc, one of the parts of the Scepter of Power. - Wyvilo are arguably the second most culturally and technically developed oddlings. They live mostly in a city of Leth located on an isle in the middle of Great Mutar. Living together, they have learned to produce weapons and instruments, although these are mostly copies of humans' ones. Overall, Wyvilo are so fascinated with human culture that (despite their savage outer appearance) are probably the most human-like oddlings. During the recoquest of Citadel, they have proved themselves as ferocious warriors and since then, they comprise the Royal Guard of Queen Anigel. Apparently, they have some familial ties to barbarian savages Glismaks.
- Nyssomu are the closest oddlings to humans, with many of them even holding prominent positions in the Citadel. They live mostly in the north-eastern part of Ruwenda, but can also be found in any major human town, serving as mediators between humans and oddlings. Unlike Wyvilo however, the Nyssomu carefully preserve their own culture.
- Uisgu are a group of oddlings very similar to the Nyssomu, but much less friendly towards humans. They have their own ancient culture and only rarely become involved in the affairs of other races. To humans, they are mostly known as hunters and merchants. Uisgu live mostly to the north of Trevista, in the north-western part of Ruwenda.
- Glismak are cannibalistic savages that are somehow related to Wyvilo. Because of this relationship, Glismaks were constantly raiding Wyvilo settlements and looted everything they needed to live from them. However, this "custom" was changed when princess Anigel used her Three-Headed Monster (another part of the Scepter of Power) to forbid it to them once and for all. It is unclear, whether Glismaks started a more peaceful life after that.
- Skritek are, in fact, not a part of the Folk. Not so much because other oddlings don't want to admit anything in common with them, but rather because they are not creations of the Vanished Ones. It was mentioned once that their savage race is even more ancient than the Vanished Ones themselves. Known also as "drowners", they have reptilianReptilian humanoidReptilian humanoids comprise a common motif in mythology, folklore, science fiction, fantasy, conspiracy theories, ufology, and cryptozoology.-Male:...
appearance and cruel customs, e.g. drowningDrowningDrowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
their enemies in swamps, torturing them to death and eating their dead bodies. It took the entire influence and power of the White Lady to make them forget these customs for just one occasion. Skritek live in the impassable regions in the north of Ruwenda, also known as the Thorny Hell.
The Vanished Ones
The Vanished Ones or the Ancients were once the dominant race of the world but have left it under unknown circumstances. In Norton's and May's continuities, different explanations of their vanishing were provided. According to the Black Trillium, the Vanished Ones possessed a mighty technology that allowed them to terraform their world, create new sentient species and the almighty Scepter of Power, an instrument whose function is to restructure the entire world.In Julian May's continuity, the Vanished Ones were the creators of two of the three natural satellites of their planet and in fact, many of them still reside in one of them in an cryobiosis.
According to Clarke's third law
Clarke's three laws
Clarke's Three Laws are three "laws" of prediction formulated by the British writer and scientist Arthur C. Clarke. They are:# When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right...
, all inventions of the Vanished Ones are seen as magical per se, even though those skilled in magical arts do display awareness that these are merely machines.
Scepter of Power-A scepter made up of three other magical items. The Three Lobed Burning Eye, The Three Headed Monster, and The Three Winged Circle. The Scepter was made to combat the starmen but the Vanished Ones were to afraid to use it. It can be only be used by all three sisters.
Religion
Although there is no organized churchesPlace of worship
A place of worship or house of worship is an establishment or her location where a group of people comes to perform acts of religious study, honor, or devotion. The form and function of religious architecture has evolved over thousands of years for both changing beliefs and architectural style...
in the World of the Three Moons, there are many unorganized beliefs. The three major ones in Ruwenda are:
- The worship of the One GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is most common among human population of Ruwenda. It is unclear how this monotheistic idea could survive without any organization (like a church) to back it up. On the other hand, it seems that this belief is much more tolerant towards others, than "normal" Middle-Age ChristianityHistory of ChristianityThe history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, its followers and the Church with its various denominations, from the first century to the present. Christianity was founded in the 1st century by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth who they believed to be the Christ or chosen one of God...
, which it was clearly modelled after: it even incorporates the idea of Three in One (likely, the Holy Trinity). - The worship of the Lords of Air is a mysterious belief most common among the oddlings. It is unclear whether the "Lords of Air" ever existed or how they have ever manifested their powers. However, the oddlings seem to pray to them on any occasion when a divine interventionDivine InterventionDivine intervention is a term for a miracle caused by God's/a god's active involvement in the human world.Divine Intervention may also refer to:*"Divine Intervention", a 1991 song on Matthew Sweet's album Girlfriend....
is necessary. - The personality cult surrounding the White LadyWhite LadyLeucorchestris arenicola is a spider found in the deserts of Namibia. It relies on seismic vibrations for communication. It taps its foremost legs on the sand to send messages to other white lady spiders. Male white lady spiders will travel more than a mile in one night searching for a mate...
is the most practical and effective belief among both oddlings and humans. The first White Lady, Binah, has lived for so long that the peoples of Ruwenda started considering her a goddess. It is also true that through her magic, she actively defended the land against countless external aggressors but in the end she was human, not a deity.
In Labornok, the most common belief is that of the One God, with the Saint Zoto playing a great role. The latter seems to be extremely popular among its military. There are also other cults and sect
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
s in Labornok, for example the cult of the Goddess Meret. The latter, however, only plays a considerable role in Marion Zimmer Bradley's continuity.
Personalities
- Haramis, the eldest of the three princesses of Ruwenda, later, the White Lady and the Arch-Sorceress of the Land
- Kadiya, the second-eldest princess of Ruwenda, later, the Lady of the Sacred Eyes and the great protector of the Folk
- Anigel, the youngest princess of Ruwenda, later, the Queen of Laboruwenda
- Binah, the former Arch-Sorceress of the Land and the Protector of Ruwenda
- Orogastus or Portolanus, a powerful sorcerer who tried to conquer the entire world but was defeated by Ruwendians. In May's continuity, Orogastus survived and resumed his attempts at least twice, gradually revealing the reasons for them
- Antar, the Crown PrinceCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Labornok, later, the King of Laboruwenda