School of magicians

Schule der Magier (English original title: The Tapestry Series (for the series) and The Tapestry (in the title of the individual books), literally translated: The tapestry ) is a series of novels by Henry H. Neff . It comprises five volumes, so it is a pentalogy , and includes different genres such as fantasy, history, mythology, folklore and science fiction . The central theme of the series is the fight of the " Rowan Academy " and its allies against Astaroth and his mostly non-human helpers, mainly vyes and demons . At the center of the fight are Max McDaniels and his friend David Menlo .

To the work

Neff wrote the first book as a hobby alongside his job as a teacher. He started it in 2003 during his first winter vacation and published it in 2007. Due to the enormous success he published the second volume in 2008. In the same year the German translation of the first part appeared, in 2009 the translation of the second part followed. At the request of the fans, Neff began writing the third part in 2009. This was published in English in 2010 and in German in 2011. However, all of them lack the illustrations in the English original.

The fourth part was published in 2012 in English. The 5th and last volume should be published in October 2013. The date was postponed because the author, as he himself stated in his video blog, was not yet finished with the manuscript. The last volume was finally published in November 2014. Before that, Neff had published various information and background information about and excerpts from this book on his blog to bridge the waiting time for the readers and also to increase the tension a little. So he announced there that there are also chapters from the perspective of other characters in The Red Winter . For example, the prologue to the nephew is published in advance as "Chapter 1" in his blog, written from the perspective of the Wicca lady Hakku, who Elias Bram meets, while the second previously published chapter (Chapter 1) is written from the perspective of Prusias is. Most of the chapters are written from the perspective of Max McDaniels.

A German translation of the last two volumes is not planned according to the publisher. This is because, as Neff explained on his blog, some publishers only licensed three books, as the series was originally planned as a trilogy .

After completing the work on this series, he announced on his blog on June 14, 2014 that he would now begin to write another series, which will take place in the world of the School of Magicians, but some 1000 years after the events of The Red Winter plays. He published more information about the series on July 25, 2014 on his blog. There he wrote that the name of the trilogy, the world and the ruling kingdom should be Impyrium . The central characters of the first volume, which appeared in 2016, are the 12-year-old magician Hazel Faeregine, the last scion of the family that has ruled for thousands of years, and Hob, a 13-year-old boy who ran away from a mining village.

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The central figure in the series is Max McDaniels from Chicago , who by chance discovered at the age of twelve that he had “ old magic ”. The scene is the earth at the beginning of the 21st century, which already changed its appearance in the second book due to the rise of evil. A profound redesign of the world by Astaroth happens before the beginning of the third volume with the help of the book Thoth and again in the last volume, where it finally becomes Impyrium through the Cataclysm , i.e. the world in which the trilogy of the same name takes place. Exact dates of the year are not explicitly mentioned in the series, but by giving the dates of life of famous people like Niccolò Machiavelli in the new calendar based on the Cataclysm at the beginning of various chapters of Impyrium, it can be calculated that the Cataclysm took place in 2013 of our calendar.

The secret portal

(Original title: The Hound Of Rowan )

At the Art Institute of Chicago , which in the German edition is simply referred to as an art museum, Max McDaniels finds himself in a room with an old tapestry. He shows him a kind of film that ends with the words Táin Bó Cuailnge , which, as Max is later explained, has to do with Cúchulainn , a hero from Irish mythology . By what happened with the tapestry, the Rowan Academy, a wizarding school in New England, noticed him and invited him to visit the school, as he is a so-called "potential". After long deliberations and deliberations with his father Scott, McDaniels decides to attend this school, and the night before he leaves he has a nightmare in which a wolfhound (originally: Wolfshound) chases him and threatens to eat him if he does don't tell him who he is. The next morning he finally flies to the New England states and is brought from the airport by car to Rowan. There he befriends his roommate David Menlo , who, as it turns out during the lesson, is a very good magician during the division of the rooms, which takes place through the building in this school . In addition, all newcomers are assigned magical beings as protégés. So Max receives the last Lymrill Nick as a protégé. A violent enmity soon breaks out between Max and Alex Muñoz , a student from the year above him.

In the course of the school year it also becomes apparent that Astaroth is planning his return and the school is no longer as hidden as it once was. This becomes evident when the students suddenly have to go back to school during a meal in Rowan Village. The reason for this is a vye who was camouflaged as a trader near the gate and is caught a little later. In order to make the danger clear to the students, this Vye is shown to the students and Vyes are also incorporated into the simulator training. A little later, Max's father and his business partner Bob Lukens appear in Rowan. They bring Max, who was not allowed to go home during the holidays for security reasons, a present, which he should not open until they leave. Since this is a copy of the famous Topkapi dagger and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul is considered a place where Astaroth's henchmen hide potentially kidnapped potentials, the car that brings Max's father and Bob Lukens to the airport is instant ordered back. Lukens, who obviously works for the enemy, manages to leave the vehicle, whereby Max's father is injured. He is taken back to Rowan by car, where he then stays. As a result of this incident, the pupils are given safety watches with which help can be called quickly in the event of enemy contact. In addition, it is known that paintings from the 17th century were stolen from several art museums. The explosive nature of these thefts lies in the fact that when Astaroth was defeated, after conquering and destroying the Solas School of Magic in 1649, he was probably locked in a picture.

During a trip to the village there was a heated argument between Muñoz and Max. As punishment, both had to clean the hull of the " Kestrel ", the ship that brought the survivors from Solas here. The dispute flares up again, which prompts the opponents to take off the security watches so that nobody can call for help out of fear. This decision turns out to be life-threatening a short time later, as both are kidnapped by Vyes on a ship that takes them to Marley Augur's crypt in Ireland. There Astaroth should be freed from his prison. This requires the blood of a specific person. First, Marley Augur Muñoz has a blood test, but this is ineffective. Then he has Max's blood tested, which ultimately leads to success. Max manages to escape from the crypt and, with the help of the ronin who rushed up , from whom he fled to the room with the tapestry in the art museum, inflict a painful defeat on the enemy, as they free all potential prisoners there and kill some vyes. Max doesn't manage to save Muñoz or prevent Astaroth from being released. With the help of Ronin's security watch, he can call Rowan so that he can come back to school, where he was already believed to be dead.

Astaroth's attack

(Original title: The Second Siege )

At the beginning of Max's sophomore year in Rowan, the school receives a visit from a Wiccan named Dame Mala . She demands that Rowan give them three children, as Elias Bram once promised when they helped him with the Book of Thoth. They would also have two children as the fulfillment of Brams oath See if it is in the children to Max, who by her in reference to the dog of Ulster is called a "dog of Rowan," and David, what do not like the director. To check the legality, David goes to the archives and researches Bram's papers. At the bottom of the archives is the vault of the “ Red Service ”, in which it stores important old weapons . Its boss, Commander Juri Vilyak , takes Max there and shows him the remains of the Gae Bolga , the weapon of the Cúchulainn. At the same time, Astaroth begins to take over the world.

The result of David's research shows that the Wiccas claim is justified. It also turns out that the key to the Book of Thoth lies in Frankfurt am Main . A medallion that was once created by Marley Augur shows whether this key is threatened by Astaroth. Due to legality, the Wiccas' application was granted amid violent protests by Vilyak and Scott McDaniel. Shortly thereafter, David uses a spell to ensure that Rowan cannot be found, as in his opinion the existing spells are no longer sufficient for reasons of age.

At this time, the manager of the Frankfurt workshop, Jesper Rasmussen, is in Rowan. With his help, Mrs. Richter and Agent Cooper fake a kidnapping, which ultimately only serves to bring Max, his father and David out of Rowan, without the Wiccas being able to see it as a breach of contract and thus the Wiccas curse becoming effective. The plan works, so that the trio with Cooper, Miss Boon, Max's protégé Nick and the kitchen witch Mum , who is added to the group outside of the schedule, come to Spain by ship . There they walk to Salamanca and find shelter with Señor Lorca, an old friend of Cooper and also a member of the Red Service. Lorca gets them forged passports so that they can get to Germany unmolested . In addition, he transfers the sign of the Red Service, which he wore for a very long time, to Max and also hands him his equipment. Finally they arrive at their destination and are picked up by an employee of the workshop in Frankfurt. There they meet Rasmussen again, who shows them a chamber that cannot be opened by technical means. David succeeds in loosening the spells that are lying on the chamber and thus giving them access. Then the object in it is recovered. Unfortunately, thanks to a traitor, Astaroth is able to break into the facility from the ranks of the workshop. To punish David for his "deeds", Astaroth lets his hand bite off. Finally, the troop manage to escape together with Rasmussen, at the end of which they arrive back in Rowan, but Cooper stays behind and then makes their way to Rowan.

In Rowan, David tries to find out how to use the key. He doesn't shy away from summoning Astaroth together with Max in one night, who in the end reveals to them that Brams Ross , for whom the key is necessary, is the Kestrel. With this ship and the key, Max and David finally get to the Sidh . On the way to Rodrubân , the capital of the Sidh, they come across Astaroth again and again. In Rodrubân itself, Max succeeds in getting to the royal castle as half-brother of Cúchulainn and son of Lugh the long-handed , while David works as a one-handed shoemaker. At Lugh's instructions, Max, like Cúchulainn and other heroes, is instructed by Scáthach . At the end of this training, Max receives a brooch from her. Then they are driven by Caillech in a carriage to Burgh na Boinne , a mountain in which, next to the book of Thoth, are the 4 lucky charms of the Tuatha de Danaan. When trying to get the book out of the showcase, the Gae Bolga breaks. Therefore, despite warnings, Max uses Lugh's spear , which is also in the mountain, to destroy the display case. Astaroth, who claims the book, now enters the hill. He reveals that it was he who initiated the search for the book and had the talisman slipped on them and that Caillech was Max's mother Bryn . After Max wounded Astaroth with Lugh's spear and David set the cave on fire, David and Max flee with Max's mother and the book Toth in their luggage through a burning tapestry to Rowan. It turns out that Max's mother once visited Fallow Rowan as Deirdre and then returned to the normal world as Bryn and married Scott McDaniels. She dies shortly after returning from the Sidh due to her old age, which is due to the temporal differences between the Sidh and the earth. At the funeral there is a previously planned coup by the Red Service, in which Gabriele Richter is deposed as director. Your post is taken by Commander Vilyak, who ultimately tries unsuccessfully to reach an agreement with Astaroth's representative Lord Aamon and the Wicca lady Mako . As a result, on the one hand, the curse of the Wiccas becomes effective, which weakens Rowan's magicians, and on the other hand, an attack by the demons is very likely, which is why one begins to bring all valuables and people into the caves of the sanctuary.

Due to the curse of the Wicca and the ensuing weakening of the order of the magicians, Astaroth's armies have an easy time and conquer Rowan almost completely, which is why the magicians finally flee into the caves of the sanctuary . Mrs. Richter remains behind. Max, whom the curse does not seem to hit much, inflicts some serious defeats on the Vyes troops, but in the end he is defeated and brought to Astaroth, in whose service Axel Muñoz is also. Astaroth suggests that Max give him the Book of Toth, and he releases his hostages Mrs. Richter and the student Connor Lynch and withdraws his troops from Rowan. Max ultimately agrees to this trade with the approval of the other magicians.

The return of evil

(Original title: The Fiend And The Forge )

At the beginning of Max's third year of school in Rowan, which has since been rebuilt, the school receives a visit from Lord Prusias , King of Blys . The occasion of the visit is the signing of a contract between Rowan and Astaroth, which guarantees Rowan their own independent kingdom in the territory of the former New England states of the USA , provided they adhere to the 7 edicts of which the treaty consists. After the proclamation of the edicts, Prusias demonstrated his power by using the magic of his walking stick to set up a kind of message of demons on the cliffs of Rowan's “ Gràvenmuir ” . The contract with Astaroth is also signed there. A few days later the new school year in Rowan begins, in which Max is no longer just a student, but also a teacher. He teaches agents and those interested in fighting techniques such as the salmon jump, which he learned in the sidh. A short time later, all printed papers, books and photos begin to fade, and memories of techniques that are younger than letterpress printing are also lost and various medicines disappear. With the help of enchanted nibs, the content of the fading books, provided it has no technical reference, can be saved.

A few weeks later, a group that includes Max, Agent Cooper and other agents, explores Rowan's new kingdom. As already suspected, all cities have disappeared. There Max meets a demon who is chasing a boy and shoots him despite Max's pleading. However, Max can persuade the demon to leave the dead to him. He decides to bury the dead with the faded picture of his mother. His father had given him the picture because he didn't want to carelessly throw away the last picture of Bryn McDaniels he still had, but wanted it to be buried in a nice place. Upon their return, they learn that some of Rowan's teachers and students and even members of the Red Service want to accept Lord Prusias' offer to settle in Blys as area administrators. Those who choose to leave Rowan on Halloween Eve aboard a royal ship. Almost a year later, Max's father is seriously injured by a demon arrow and dies of this injury despite Max's attempts to heal. The night after the funeral, Max decides to leave Rowan and go to Blys to avenge his father. To do this, he borrows the magical ship “ Ormenheid ”, which belongs to the dwarf people, from the dwarfs who live at the forge . He sails it alone to Blys at dawn. Nothing is like it used to be there, however, because Astaroth's measures have removed all the settlements and roads and replaced them with forest, so that Max has to fight his way through this forest. Shortly before dark he reached a homestead , but the residents did not want to let him into the house. So he settles in the barn for the night. But he wakes up in the middle of the night and notices that there is a girl in the sheepfold who has apparently been abandoned there by the residents. At this moment a hideous creature is crawling out of the well. Since the residents do not want to let him into the house, he forcibly opens one of the rear windows and gets into the house with the girl. Since the girl was apparently intended as a sacrifice for the creature, the creature tries to enter the house, the creature is injured by Max and retreats into the well. Max follows her into her hiding place and kills her there in a fight with his gladius . He then banishes two of the three adults from the farm and, with the help of the children, brings them into shape. It also turns out that the girl Mina, whom he saved from the creature, probably even has "old magic" like Max. Max also comes to terms with the goblins (in the original: Goblins), who keep delivering new children and food. A few weeks later, Nix and Valya , an elderly couple from a nearby farm, stop by Max's now very well-run farm. In the evening Max discovers by chance that these two are Vyes. But they tell him that they belong to an old, non-evil type of vyes, the so-called Remus vyes . Nix and Valya report that they almost visited Rowan themselves, but failed the last part of the potential test.

A few days later, Prusias happened to stop by the court and found that Max had violated one of the edicts, which states that it is forbidden to teach people to write outside of Rowan. Prusias is indulgent and wants Max to come to his capital , the former Rome. Max accepts the offer and hands over his property, especially the Gladius and Ormenheid, to Nix and Valya with the request to transfer everything to Rowan. Once in the capital, he lives in the palace of Prusias and fights for him in a suit that shields his aura as Bragha Rùn (in German: the Red Dead ) in the arena . In his last fight, which he only narrowly wins, he kills one of his clones from the Frankfurt workshop, which is why everyone now thinks he is dead. However, he then falls out with Prusias, so that he ends up in his dungeon. There he is visited once by Astaroth, who explains to him that David's plan to kill him at the Walpurgis Night Meeting with the help of a poison from red flowers is doomed to failure because he already knows the plan and has immunized himself against the poison. Shortly after Astaroth leaves, Max is rescued by Cooper, who brings him to David, who was expelled from Rowan for his activities against merchant ships from Blys. David is waiting near the capital with his protégé Maya, Smee Toby and Max protégé Nick. Together they drive on Ormenheid to the Isle of Man , where the last Fomorian lives. Only he can forge the Gae Bolga again, but only when Lymrill Nick sacrifices himself a stable blade is forged. Since the giant Max blood drips onto the braids of the Morrígan, from which the weapon was made using magic, it is also ensured that only Max can use the blade. Now they are going back to Rome with Ormenheid, where they find shelter in an old grave, which was also used by magicians in Solas' times, while Cooper sails on with Ormenheid. In this grave they prepare everything for the action at the Walpurgis Night Meeting of Demons. So David conjures up a demoness, which he takes prisoner so that he and Max can go to the meeting disguised as Malakhim with Toby in the guise of the demoness. During the preparation, David's protégé Maya also dies, as David claimed her powers too much for himself. Finally, unnoticed, they arrive at the meeting of the demons on which Astaroth appears with the Book of Toth. Astaroth explains that he knows that David Menlo wants to kill him that evening, reveals the disguises and lets Mad'raast taste the poison. The poison does not fail to work and he dies before the eyes of the assembled demons. Astaroth then explains that he himself is immune to the poison and drinks all six remaining poison vials to demonstrate. But unexpectedly the poison weakens him, so that some of the demons greedily turn their gaze to the book of Thoth. Max uses this moment to attack the demons. While some demons fall very quickly, Prusias defends himself very hard and takes on his dragon form. Since Max is on the verge of becoming a monster, similar to what happened to Cuchulainn towards the end, David calls him over telepathically. Max then turns his back on the fight and goes to David and Toby. Finally, they are teleported to Rowan together with David's mother, who was also at the meeting as Prusias' servant. The author is an old man, David's grandfather. Together they walk from Rowan's beach to the mansion, while David explains to Max that he deliberately let Astaroth know what he was up to so that he would come and let David free his grandfather. The potion responsible for this was what stumbled Astaroth. Just before they reach the mansion, David's grandfather turns towards Gràvenmuir and destroys it after he rode there on YaYa . David's grandfather is the greatest magician of all time, Elias Bram, who fell in Solas in 1649 .

The Maelstrom

A few months after the destruction of Gravenmuir by Elias Bram, the Xebec , a ship under the Prusias banner, lies in Rowan's harbor . The reason for this is the envoy of Prusias Lord Naberius, Keeper of Opal Road and High Ambassador of Blys (Guardian of the Opal Road and High Emissary of Blys). At a meeting in the Founder's Hall, at which Max was sitting next to Mrs. Richter in Cooper's place on the steward's chair, the ambassador asked Rowan to swear to Prusia's eternal loyalty, to hand over Elias Bram and to bring the sword ( English: sword) of Rowan's dog. When asked why only the sword, i.e. the Gae Bolga, Narberius explains that Max's life is almost over anyway, since his name is already registered in the Gray Book and therefore the Atropos are taking care of him would. Mrs. Richter is not ready to simply accept these conditions. She explains that the clashes on Walpurgis Night were not planned and carried out by Rowan, but by David Menlo, who at that time, as Gràvenmuir had also been officially excluded from Rowan, was planned and carried out. In addition, Max was also champion of Blys, which means that the dead on Walpurgis Night are merely the result of an internal conflict, which is not Rowan's responsibility. Gràvenmuir was also destroyed by Elias Bram without Rowan's consent. Furthermore, the treaties, which Rowan herself believes have not broken, are with Astaroth, not Prusias. However, it is possible. Rebuild Gràvenmuir. However, the extradition of Elias Bram would be difficult. Finally Mrs. Richter agrees to consider the demands and the ambassador withdraws.

Then Mrs. Richter and Max Bram report what the envoy said. Regarding the Atropos, which are killer ghosts, Bram says that the Atropos have a particularly difficult time with Max, since he has no family at all, since the Atropos usually take possession of people who are close to the person to be murdered to carry out the crime. Max soon felt that when Rolf Luger, a good friend from his year, tried to kill him, but was killed in time by a refugee woman named Umbra. With David's help it is possible to catch the Atropos and lock him in a silver ring, with the duty to protect Max from further attacks.

A little later, Max and David go with the Smee Toby through one of David's magical tunnels to Blys. There, say those who left Rowan on that Halloween evening for land and title, a war is waging between Prusias (Kingdom of Blys), Aamon ( Kingdom of Dùn ) and Rashaverak for the legal successor of Astaroth, who has disappeared since Walpurgis Night and thus probably died ( Kingdom of Jarkün ). In Blys they arrive with Toby as a horse on the farm where Max defeated the monster in the well. It is empty, however, as it was evacuated after Max ended up in Prusia's dungeons. They get help getting to Piter's Folly from a goblin whom Max helped during his time in Blys. During the journey they also pass the battlefield of a battle between Prusias and Aamon, with most of the fallen soldiers belonging to Prusias army. Using Spypaper also holds David Mrs. Richter to date. Eventually they get to Piter's Folly to see Madam Petra, a smuggler who is in trouble because of the war. They are now trying to find out whether the Frankfurt workshop is developing weapons for an attack by Prusias against Rowan. Toby takes on the guise of the goblin's supervisor, while Max and David pretend to be prospecting salesmen. Madam Petra sees through her disguise and recognizes Max and David. However, she does not know anything about weapons production in the workshop. Suddenly the room comes under machine gun fire, so they have to flee with a kind of hot air balloon. As Madam Petra's daughter Katarina notes, the attackers are mostly clones of Max. Madam Petra also knows that the workshop ended the cloning program for him because it turned out that his clones were extremely dangerous and difficult to control. The escape in the balloon ends abruptly near the border with Yuga's Grand Duchy of Holbymm in a forest, so you have to continue on foot, being careful of the man-eating demoness. In the vicinity of the next magical tunnel, they are attacked again by Max's clones, which they could only find because they inexplicably got to the compass with which Cooper had found Max in Prusia's dungeons. Max manages to defeat the clones and flee with the rest of the group through the tunnel, which is destroyed a little later by Yuga.

Max needs medical attention in Rowan. When he wakes up six days later, David explains to him that he had a lot of extremely strong poison from the workshop in him that would have been enough to kill hundreds of people. After his release from the care of the doctors, he goes to David in the archives. Together with Miss Boon, he is currently researching so-called pinlegs , paper-like objects with cryptic symbols, which the workshop is producing on behalf of Prusias. In order to get more detailed information on how it works, Toby - disguised as one of the workers - is supposed to be smuggled into the workshop while they want to question the real worker. Max then visits his father's grave and unexpectedly meets Astaroth nearby. When Max asks why Astaroth is not stopping Prusias, he says that Prusias will destroy himself with his actions, so why should he bother. He explains to Max that Elias Bram considers him (Max) very dangerous because Elias does not tolerate anyone next to him. After Astaroth leaves, Max talks to David about the incident and asks him why Astaroth doesn't just wipe Bram out with the book of Thoth. David explains to him that Elias withdrew from the power of the book by creating a new little world for himself when the book was in his possession, in which he gave himself a new name. He then removed its original name from the book, because only in the world in which a being was created can the being with the book be erased again. During a subsequent dinner with several schoolgirls in a restaurant, they learned from a letter from Connor Lynch, a good friend of Max and David, and a former student of Rowan, who went to Blys on Halloween night , that he was probably " Remus-Vyes ", has found relatives of Nix and Valya or is looking for them. From Madam Petra they learn that Prusias has won the war in Europe and that war is now threatening Rowan. The next afternoon, Mrs. Richter finally rejects Prusia's offer, whereby an attack by Prusias on Rowan is certain and Lord Naberius on the Xebec leaves Rowan's harbor.

In preparation for the defense, several agents are appointed commanders, while mainly schoolchildren and protégés volunteer as soldiers. Max becomes the commanding officer of the “Trench Nineteen”, which includes not only the former kitchen ogre Bob, but also the mysterious umber. One evening, Max is attacked by Cooper, who is possessed by an Atropos, but Max is helped by a living shadow who is defending him against Cooper. Cooper manages to escape while Umbra pulls Max out of the burning tent. She then follows Cooper while Max is taken care of by his comrades who are hurrying up. When he wakes up again, he meets YaYa, among others, who is now looking for Cooper to heal him. The next morning, Max looks for Umbra and tells her that he knows that she is Scathach. Now she has to reveal herself and explain to him that she is now an ordinary mortal. She explains that her name means "shadow" in German. He then visits Elias Bram together with Mrs. Richter. The latter tells him that Astaroth is not a real demon and that he appeared again and again a long time ago and spoke to shamans and similar people. Only later did he become the demon he shows himself to be today. Elias Bram explains that Max has the honor of riding on YaYa's back into battle, as he will not take part in the battle.

A little later there is a rehearsal for the battle, opponents are mostly vyes. Then Max and Mrs. Richter talk to David, who is still working on the pinlegs, among other things because the questioning of the workshop employee was unsuccessful. During the meeting David got the idea that it might be possible to control the beings included in the Pinlegs without the True Name, since those beings in the Pinlegs are only parts of the beings. In the middle of the meeting surprisingly the news bursts that Sir Alistair is dead. Suddenly the bell in Old Tom , Rowan's bell tower, begins to ring. An attack is imminent, although everyone believed they had two weeks left. So Prusias succeeded in deceiving them. Max rides on YaYa to the outer walls as quickly as possible and tries to get an overview with Umbra. A little later the battle begins, in which Rowan defends himself well against the masses of the Vyes, while Max fights with YaYa in various areas. Sometimes he even rides through the air with YaYa. But then an unfavorable turn threatens, because the pinlegs begin to glow, which means that the arrival of the beings is imminent.

These beings are so-called dreadnoughts , killing machines that fear nothing and nobody, which, according to Max, look like a mixture of animal, demon and machine. When Max attacks the dreadnoughts, he sees Prusias behind the machines. In his anger he starts calling Astaroth, but David unconsciously prevents him from doing so by including him in the battle against the Dreadnoughts. David manages to bring the machines under his control and to send them into Prusia's army, which is just about to overrun the walls. Then the machines crash over the cliffs. But the battle is not over yet, because Prusias now rises from the sea as a large red dragon with seven crowned heads and demands the surrender of Mrs. Richter, but especially that of Bram. With a flash of light, Mina suddenly appears in front of Prusias, who is a little surprised. But this amazement only lasts for a short time, because Mina burns Rowan's seal on all seven of his heads, so that Prusias flees across the sea. Now Cooper appears again and tries to kill Max again, but YaYa stops Cooper and drives the Atropos out of him. Three weeks later, Max walks past the gravestones of the fallen. Among the dead are some teachers including Annika Kraken, the magic teacher and Mr. Nolan, the keeper of Rowan's stables. Max's company also suffered losses. A little later, in a big ceremony, Mina places the founding stone that the refugees brought with them from Solas near the place where Gràvenmuir once stood. With the help of Prusia's walking stick, which she found on the beach, David uses this stone to recreate the “ Túr an Ghrian ” (Sun Tower) that once stood in Solas. A month later David, Max, Toby and Bob are sailing with Ormenheid towards the Isle of Man.

The Red Winter

In the Witchpeaks (from Dame Hakku's point of view) (prologue)

In the Witchpeaks, the former Himalayas , which is now in the territory of the Wiccas, a hiker appears who, in honor of tradition, wants to visit one of the ossuaries (in English: ossuary) that are forbidden for men. After he has revealed himself as Bram, Lady Hakku lets him in. When he leaves the ossuary, she asks him when he will be back. In response, he erases her memory of the encounter.

In Prusias Palace (as seen by Prusias) (Chapter 1)

Dr. Wyle, a geneticist from the shop , and Dr. Hayden, another employee of the workshop, meet with Prusias. She explains to Prusias that the dreadnoughts failed not because of the biological component, but because a magician managed to control the mind. In addition, they explain that Prusias needs a larger fleet, as Rowan is building a fleet himself, and also concludes contracts with some braymas (administrators) of Blys. A little later some braymas ask Prusias to do something against Yuga, as he keeps invading their territories. Prusias refuses, as Yuga is a perfect flank protection for him. On the way to his apartments, Prusias meets the failed Atropos and their handler , who is probably their overseer. He explains to them that it is impossible to kill Max McDaniels with an ordinary weapon (English: mortal weapon). Only when he injures one of his minds does he become an ordinary mortal. The problem with this, however, is that its geis are bent like its real name. But Prusias has another weapon that he stores outside of his capital. In addition, Mina, Rowan's new ascendant, is now entered on the Gray Book. In his chambers, his servant the Imp Mr. Bonn asks him whether Prusias can grant him koukeros. Prusias explains to him that he will not allow him to do this during the war, but that it will be possible after the war.

people

All important, including non-human, people are listed here. If a person is taken over unchanged from mythology, such as Cuchulainn, then he is not listed here.

Rowan Academy members

Max McDaniels

He is the son of Bryn McDaniels and Lugh the long-handed and thus half-brother of Cúchulainn, who was conceived in an equally mysterious way. Because of this relationship, Max is also referred to as Rowan's dog. However, in the human world, Bryn's husband, Scott McDaniels, is considered the father. When he comes to Rowan at the beginning of the first volume, Max is twelve years old. After his journey to the Sidh, his nominal age (i.e. the time that has passed since his birth) deviates considerably from his actual age, since the time in the Sidh follows different laws than on Earth. Rowan's attention was drawn to a tapestry showing Táin Bó Cuailnge in the Chicago Art Museum . In Rowan he also meets his best friend David Menlo. It is also there that he becomes hostile to Alex Muñoz. Despite this hostility, he ultimately tries unsuccessfully to save Muñoz from Marley Augur's crypt . In the second volume some similarities to Cúchulainn emerge, which are partly not so clear in German due to the translation. So Max is in the Red Service (English: Red Branch) was added while Cúchulainn once the Warriors Association (English: Red Branch warriors) of the Red Branch belonged. Max also carries Cúchulainn's spear, the Gae Bolga . In addition, like his half-brother, he is taught by Scáthach and learns from her, among other things, the salmon jump, which Cúchulainn also learned. Another similarity occurs in the battle against Astaroth. Rowan's magicians are weakened by the curse of the Wiccas, while Max is hardly affected by it and can kill some Vyes, which he hangs on the trees to deter them. It was similar to Cúchulainn in the legend about the cattle robbery of Cooley . Ulster's warriors were weakened by a curse, only he was able to fight and defeated various Connacht heroes. In contrast to Cúchulainn, Max loses in the end. After the death of his father, Max goes to Blys to take revenge on the demon responsible. There he rescues Mina on a farm from the monster that crawls out of the well and, after the banishment of two of the three adults, brings the farm into shape. At the urging of Isabella, the last remaining adult, he even violates the third edict and teaches her and the children to read and write. When Prusias discovers this during a visit, he shows himself gracious and sees as long as Max fights for him as Bragha Rùn (in German: the Red Death) in the arena. Since Max is the central figure in the series, the story is mostly told from his perspective. At the end of the 5th volume he finally goes to the Sidh, where he also meets his deceased parents and Scáthach, who died recently.

Bryn McDaniels / Deirdre Fallow

Her original name is Deirdre Fallow. After graduating from Rowan, she shed her old identity and returned to the normal world as Bryn, where she married Scott McDaniels and gave birth to their son Max. On the advice of the semi-clairvoyant Peter Varga, an acquaintance from her time in Rowan, she went to the Sidh when there was an opportunity to help her son there, who should be lost there at some point. Since this only happened 11 years after her trip there, she died shortly after she returned from the Sidh with Max and David due to her high actual age, although she was nominally only 41 years old.

David Menlo

He is Max's roommate and good friend and at the same time he is the grandson of Elias Bram , although he lived 400 years before him. Because of this ancestry, he is an extremely good magician and one of the people known to be able to use the Book of Thoth . His mother is Bram's daughter Emmer, who his father is in the end remains in the dark. It is only known that David's father is a demon, since David himself is a half-demon. In addition, after Mrs. Richter’s death, he becomes director of Rowan and therefore leads the negotiations on the Red Winter Treaty at the end of Volume 5 .

Elias Bram

He came to Solas as a shipwrecked orphan at the end of the 16th century and, at the age of twenty, was the youngest ever to become Solas's Gwydion Chair of Mystics. He later married his lover Brigitte, although she was promised by her father Bram's friend Marley Augur . After the fall of Solas in 1649, in which he had also fallen, he was absorbed by Astaroth. At the Walpurgis Night Meeting of the Demons about three years after Astaroth gained world domination, he was freed from Astaroth by David Menlo , the son of his daughter Emmer, with a special potion, and then teleported with his daughter, David Menlo, Max McDaniels and the Smee Toby to Rowan and destroyed Gràvenmuir there . He spent the following time researching Astaroth, while Rowan's affairs were of little interest to him. Because of his outstanding magical abilities and the fact that no one after him except Mina had anything close to his abilities, he is also referred to as the last ascendant . According to Max McDaniels, Bram is neither dead nor alive, because although his apple is golden, he is still alive and the term undead does not really fit. Shortly before the end of the 5th volume, he is finally captured by a ruse from Astaroth in Tartarus and finally devoured by it.

Mina

When she first appeared in Volume 3, she was (according to Max estimates) no older than 6 years and an inconspicuous shy girl. The night after Max arrives at the farm in Blys, she is abandoned by the adults on the farm as a sacrifice for the monster in the well in the sheep pen. From there she is saved by Max, who kills the monster a little later. A little later, Max realizes that Mina is clearly a potential. After Max fell out with Prusias, after a warning from Mr. Bonn, she and the other residents of the farm flee first to Nix and Valya's house and later, with Cooper's help, to Rowan, where, contrary to the edicts, she is accepted as a new student. In the 4th volume it becomes apparent that she is not only a potential, as Max recognized, but also an ascendant . After Bram's return she lives with David, his mother and Bram in his apartment and calls him Uncle Lias . At the end of the fourth volume, she teleports right in front of Prusias and burns Rowan's seal on his seven heads. After Rowan's victory over Prusias, she carries the founding stone to the point where David uses it to create the door to Ghrian . At the beginning of the fifth volume it is entered by Prusias in the Gray Book and thus becomes the target of the Atropos . Also in Volume 5, Max and David discovered by chance that Mina was the so-called Faeregine

Mrs. Gabriele Richter

She is the director of the Rowan Academy. She is removed from this position in the second volume by a coup of the Red Service because Commander Vilyak is of the opinion that she is unable to make peace with the Wiccas and Astaroth. At the battle for Rowan at the end of the second volume she accidentally stays behind, so that she and Connor Lynch form the pledge that Astaroth would like to give out when Max hands him the Book of Toth. After Astaroth leaves, she is reinstated as director. Likewise, she is the leader of the armed forces in the battle against Prusias at the end of the fourth book. She eventually dies in the 5th volume during a battle by poison. Her successor is David Menlo .

Peter Varga / Ronin

He is a semi-clairvoyant, so he knows, for example, that Max will be lost in the Sidh, but does not know that this will only happen 11 years later. In addition, because of this ability, he follows Max to the art museum and makes him enter the room with the tapestry, since Max is afraid of him because of his appearance. At another meeting in Rowan, he introduces himself to Max as a Ronin. When Mrs. Richter learns of the encounter, she explains that the man's name is Peter Varga and that Rowan has been expelled. When Max is in Marley Augur's crypt , Ronin also rushes to his aid, but is seriously injured that he is often in a wheelchair later on. Due to his help, however, he was taken back to Rowan, from where he had been excluded a few years earlier for an unspecified cause. He also joins the Red Service as a replacement for Vilyak in the third volume .

YaYa

She is a ki-rin with black fur and over 400 years old, the oldest living being in Rowan, which is why she is also known as the great matriarch of Rowan. She already lived in Solas and lost her horn in the battle for Solas in 1649. In Rowan, she often dozes in the sanctuary. In the battle against Prusias, Max McDaniels rode her. Then she healed what was left of her horn, Cooper of Atropos, who ruled it. She finally dies at the end of Volume 5 after defeating Astaroth on the Ymir.

Mum

Bea Shorpe, called Mum, is a converted witch . Converted here means that she sniffs all newcomers at the so-called "sniffing ceremony" and thus notices those people who she is not allowed to touch. Since this does not apply to the Vye , which was caught in the first volume, she asks whether she is allowed to eat it, because apparently she doesn't like Vyes. The same goes for wiccas . It is unclear whether this aversion is shared by all witches. Mum works with the ogre Bob in the school kitchen, where she lives in a closet. In the second book in the series, she gets a visit from her sister Bellagorg, whom she doesn't like very much. Mum is forced by her sister to help her put Jesper Rasmussen in a pot and cook. With Max McDaniel's intervention, Rasmussen can be saved from death. At the following court hearing, Mum confesses to the crime and, unlike her sister, who denies the crime and is therefore banned, receives a kind of probationary period. However, her sister forced her to follow her into exile with witchcraft law, where she and her sister opened a soap company. In Volume 5, she finally returns to Rowan after the ogre Bob used a ruse to free her from her dependency on her sister due to witchcraft law.

Agent William Cooper

He is a long-time member of the Red Service and traveled to the Isle of Man in this capacity to ask the last Fomorian living there to repair the Gae Bolga. But instead of helping, the Fomorian inflicted severe injuries on Cooper, so that Cooper's entire head was covered in scars. Cooper was saved by Señor Lorca from Salamanca. In the 4th volume an Atropos takes possession of him so that, to Rowan's luck, he tries unsuccessfully to kill Max McDaniels twice. After the second attack, YaYa drives him out of the Atropos. After the subsequent recovery, he decides to marry his lover Hazel Boon.

Members of the Red Service

Senor Antonio Lorca

He was born in March of the year "when Napoleon invaded his country," that is, 1808. After graduating from Rowan, he was an agent of the Red Service for 140 years and a friend of William Cooper, whom he rescued from the Fromorian on the Isle of Man . When Cooper , Miss Boon, Max, his father and David traveled to Frankfurt via Spain , they found shelter with him and his wife Maria in Salamanca. Before this group moved on, Lorca obtained forged passports, transferred the mark of the Red Service to Max, who, like Lorca, was born in March, and then ensured their escape, where he probably died. At that time he was already over 200 years old.

Commander Yuri Vilyak

Yuri (so in the English original, in German sometimes also Juri or Yury) Vilyak was for many years head of the Red Service and predecessor of Gabriele Richter as director of Rowan. Since this, in his view, was unable to make peace with Astaroth and the Wiccas, he deposed them through a coup of the Red Service. However, his negotiations were also unsuccessful, so that Rowan was overrun by Astaroth. As he even locked out the people who were still on campus from the sanctuary, he was eventually removed from office as head of the Red Service by Cooper . On the following Halloween he left Rowan on a ship from Prussias to get land and title in Blys.

Members of the Frankfurt workshop

Jesper Rasmussen

He is the head of the Frankfurt workshop . In addition, he helps by an apparent kidnapping of Max, his father and David Rowan to bypass the curse of the Wiccas for the time being. Even after the world was redesigned by Astaroth, he retains the position of workshop manager under the protective hand of Prussias.

Astaroth

The Rembrandt, in which Astaroth was imprisoned for about 400 years

He is the supreme leader of the demons. According to Brams, Astaroth is not a demon, since demons only appear from the Middle Ages, while Astaroth appeared much earlier in human history and must therefore be very old. Bram suspects that Astaroth is just playing his demon role. Its origins were difficult to clarify due to its age, but lie in a different world. Astaroth is described as being very wise, so in the past he was often invoked. Together with his followers, he conquered and destroyed all schools of magicians. In 1649 the last school fell with Solas . There Astaroth sucked up Elias Bram and recruited his fallen friend Marley Augur . However, Astaroth was subsequently defeated and imprisoned in Rembrandt's painting The Sacrifice of Isaac . In the course of the first book it is revealed that some pictures, including this one, have been stolen. Responsible for this are Astaroth's followers, who at this point are led by Marley Augur. In his crypt in Ireland, Astaroth is freed with the help of a magical serum that also contains the blood of Max McDaniels . After his liberation, Astaroth begins to usurp world domination. He initiated the search for the book of Thoth through forged documents, since he could not reach it at its place of storage. Because Max frees the book from its glass prison under the Burgh na Boinne , Astaroth can now access the book. However, he is injured by Max with Lugh's spear. In addition, David destroys the portal to Rowan with the fire he set. Since the peace efforts in Rowan fail, Astaroth attacks and can almost defeat Rowan. Max, who valiantly defends himself, ultimately loses and reluctantly hands over the book of Thoth with his help to Astaroth, who makes the world, as he puts it, paradise and saves humanity, since in his opinion it was a generation or two before self-extinction. The price for this is a reign of demons and a world without the technology that has been invented since printing but also without the consequences of various environmental disasters. Propaganda also turns the demon into the great god. But on Walpurgis Night, about two years after taking power, he suffers a severe defeat from David Menlo. He has to release Bram and is also weakened. He only intervenes indirectly in the following wars, especially by offering Max McDaniels to stand by them if Elias Bram, whom he cannot control and eradicate with the book, is extradited for it. The figure in the book is based on the demon Astaroth from the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (in German: Key Salomons ), a grimoire consisting of 5 volumes from the 17th century , which includes the Ars Goetia .

Astaroth's retinue

Marley Augur

Marley Augur was originally a blacksmith for Solas and a friend of Elias Bram . Bram's future wife Brigitte had initially been promised to Marley by her father. After the fall of Solas, he joined Astaroth as an undead . During Astaroth's captivity, he was also the leader of Astaroth's followers. Thus he was the most powerful formerly human being in Astaroth's entourage. He was also responsible for the liberation of Astaroth, which finally takes place in an underground room, which Rowan calls Marley Augurs Crypt , in Ireland, as Marley apparently cannot tolerate daylight. He made his last appearance in the world of the living when Max presented the book Thoth to Astaroth. In the 5th volume, Max meets Bram in Tartarus, whom Marley can then leave because, after Bram confesses to him that Brigitte has always loved him (Marley), he can forgive Bram.

Alex Muñoz

He was initially a student of Rowan, who when Max McDaniels came to Rowan was already a second grader. During the school year there were several arguments between Max and Alex, so that they both had to scrub the hull of the Kestrel . But here, too, the dispute continues and ends in a fight that is used by Vyes to kidnap both of them in Marley Augur's crypt in Ireland. Since Alex's blood is obviously the wrong one, he is anesthetized with a potion. Eventually he takes the side of Astaroth and becomes one of the most important helpers in conquering the world. Meanwhile, his skin color changes from the normal human skin color to the bluish skin color typical of demons. This transformation is finally completed in the third volume at his last appearance for a long time. Only in the last volume does he appear again, although he is only recognized as Alex at the end of the book, since at the beginning of the book he does not act as Alex, but rather as an unspecified 'handler' of Atropos.

Lord Prusias

He is a demon and was once summoned by Elias Bram , who injured him so badly that Prusias has been dependent on a walking stick ever since. Why Bram hurt him is debatable. Astaroth's world transformation makes Prusias King of the Kingdom of Blys and Grand Duke of the Grand Duchy of Blys . He is also the one that Astaroth sends to Rowan to sign the contract with Rowan, which assures Rowan of a kingdom of their own if they adhere to the edicts . Prusias himself does not take these edicts first, so he continues to run the Frankfurt workshop because of his enthusiasm for technology , although it would have to be closed according to the edicts. He is also ready to overlook Max McDaniels' breach of edict when he fights for him as Bargha Rùn (Red Dead) in the arena in the capital of Blys , formerly Rome. However, Prusias only dares to openly rebel when Astaroth has not reappeared even months after the Walpurgis Night debacle. He declares him dead and at the same time begins to snatch the post of chief boss under the nail. However, Lord Aamon and Lord Rashaverak, the king of Jarkün , are not ready to submit to Prusias, so that he begins a war at the beginning of which he suffers several heavy defeats. He wins the war anyway, so that he now turns against Rowan, armed with weapons from the workshop, in particular with pinlegs / dreadnoughts . Despite these weapons, he suffers a defeat, so that Prusias himself comes from the sea to Rowan as a great red seven-headed dragon and demands the extradition of Bram. Now he suffers a personal defeat, because Mina burns Prusia's Rowan's seal on all seven heads. Therefore, he has to withdraw, leaving behind his walking stick, the great power of which stems from the fact that it contains a page of the book of Thoth. In the 5th volume he has to take another defeat because his figure of the Great Red Dragon is destroyed by Max. In addition, he loses his kingdom through the Red Winter Treaty, but receives a new kingdom at the bottom of the ocean for his help in defeating Astaroth. Another defeat for Prusias is the fulfillment of the promise to grant his servant Mr. Bonn konueros.

Lord Aamon

Lord Aamon is a demon and the closest confidante of Astaroth. He made his first appearance at the end of Volume 2 as a representative of Astaroth who negotiated unsuccessfully with Vilyak . After Astaroth took over the world, he received Dùn as a kingdom, which was deserted because of his aversion to people. The only known residents are the Wiccas , in whose territory people live as slaves. When Prusias claims Astaroth's post as leader of the demons at the beginning of Book 4, Aamon, like Rashaverak, the king of Jarkun , offers resistance and goes to war against Blys. Since he loses this war, he is captured by Prusias. His future fate is uncertain.

Yuga

Yuga, also called Patient Yuga (in German: patient Yuga ), is the man-eating Grand Duchess of Holbymm who only appears as an all-destructive cyclone. It expands its territory during the war in the 4th book and also in the 5th book again and again invades neighboring grand duchies, about which the local Braymas at Prusias complain. He ignores the complaints on the grounds that Yuga is the perfect flank protection, as no being from this direction can attack Blys. It took its form through betrayal. As Mr. Bonn told it, she was a very loyal servant, so that at the beginning of every century her mighty master promised her Koukerros, which the master never wanted to abide by and refused the Koukerros at the end of the century because of alleged mistakes. So she got angry and planned with the enemies of her master, a conspiracy by which she should receive Koukerros from these demons in exchange for her master. She managed to persuade her greedy co-conspirators to grant her Koukerros even before extradition, which turned her from imp to real demon. But she had previously caused discord among the enemy, so that they fought and weakened each other after the murder of Yuga's master. She used these weakened demons to perform further Koukerros, and thus to become a powerful demon herself. This ultimately caused it to become a gigantic cyclone. In the 5th volume Mina manages to contact Yuga and get her to support Rowan in the fight against Astaroth.

Resident of the Sidh

Lugh the long-handed

He is the High King of the Tuatha De Danaan and lives in his Rodrubân Castle in the Sidh. He is the biological father of Max McDaniels and Cuchulainn, whom he fathered in an unexplained manner with mortal women. At his instruction, Max, like his half-brother and other heroes, is trained by Scáthach . Lugh only appears in the second volume. The person from the novel is very similar to the mythological model .

Scáthach

She is an ancient warrior and trainer of many heroes such as Cuchulainn. She was originally a mortal Scottish warrior from the Isle of Skye , but was resurrected by Lugh and made an immortal woman. It was given the name Scáthach, which translates as shadow. At Lugh 's instructions , she trained Max McDaniels when he was in the Sidh with David Menlo in search of the Book of Thoth . When he parted, she gave him a brooch with which, if he should be near death, he could come to his father's halls in the Sidh to heal. At Lugh's instruction, she looks for Max when he goes to Blys and finds him in Prusia's arena. In the fourth book she is sent to Max again when Lugh learns that the Atropos are after Max. However, she is not allowed to reveal why she is protecting Max as a refugee Umbra (Latin for shadow). After he finally reveals her identity, she becomes an ordinary mortal again and decides to join the Red Service after the battle against Prusias. In the 5th volume she finally dies after a fight against Max Klone and returns to the Sidh by an unknown route. Like Lugh, it is based on the mythological figure Scáthach .

More people

Nix and Valya

You are Remus-Vyes and were almost accepted into Rowan, but failed in the last part of the potential test. They live on a farm in the Apennines , near the farm where Max McDaniels defeated the creature in the well. They also take over the management of the farm when Max leaves the farm after Prusia's visit. When Max ends up in Prusia's dungeons, Nix and Valya hide the residents of the farm in their yard.

The last Fomorian

He has multiple eyes and is about 20 meters tall and lives on the Isle of Man , which is known by his people as Ellan Vannin. He is the son of Elathan , Lugh's great-uncle and brother of Balor , the Fomorian king who was murdered by his grandson Lugh in the second battle of Mag Tuired . When Cooper visits the last Fomorian to repair the Gae Bolga, Cooper is seriously injured. Only when David , Max McDaniels and Cooper come by does the Gae Bolga re- forge for Max McDaniels , whom he recognizes as Cuchulainn's brother and his cousin, revealing to him that the weapon is made from the braids of the Morrígan . He receives a promise from David that if he has the book of Thoth, he will give him a name, since this Fomorian has no name. Due to his outstanding skills in dealing with old magic, he also succeeds in closing the cut on Max's back that the clones caused with Seth's knife and explains to him what his geasa are. He also supports Rowan's army in the Battle of Blys, where he is badly wounded. He is then given a name by David and is finally killed by Max with his consent. The reason for this is that the wounds only inflict pain on him but cannot kill him, since he is made of ancient magic, which is why he can only be killed with ancient magic or weapons created with it.

Lady Mala and Lady Mako

Dame Mala and Dame Mako are Wiccas . Dame Mala is the Wicca who, at the beginning of Max's second year of school in Rowan, calls on the school to fulfill Bram's oath on behalf of her people. She is also in the carriage that Astaroth takes to the Frankfurt workshop. Dame Mako is present at the negotiations with Commander Vilyak . After the failure of the negotiations, she pronounces the curse of the Wicca, which weakens Rowan's magician.

Regions and places

The most important regions and locations are listed here. Deviating English designations are in brackets.

Solas

In the Middle Ages, Solas was the largest school of magicians in the world. She was in Ireland . The most famous building is the "Túr an Ghrian" (Sun Tower) in which the Solas's Gwydion Chair of Mystics stood, which Elias Bram achieved at the age of 20. In 1649 Solas was destroyed by Astaroth's troops, the survivors fled with the Kestrel to the New England states of the USA and founded Rowan there. The only relic of Solas was the founding stone, which was awarded as an award in Rowan. From this stone David Menlo created the " Túr an Ghrian " anew with the walking stick from Prusias near the place where that Gràvenmuir had created . Another remnant of Solas is the motto "Sol invictus" (in German: "Invincible Sun"), which is taken up again in the fight against Prusias. The word Solas is also used as a spell that creates a bright flash of light and blinds Vyes and other beings.

Rowan

The Rowan Academy (English: Rowan Academy) is a magic school in the former New England states of the USA. The school was founded by those who survived the sinking of Solas and sailed across the Atlantic with the Kestrel. The survivors included YaYa , Elias Bram's wife Brigitte, their daughter Emmer and other people from Solas who were not named. The motto of Rowan's first graduate class is the Bible quote “Fiat Lux” (in German “Let there be light”) from the story of creation , as Mrs. Richter said “they came here in a time of great darkness”. Before Astaroth takes over the world, Rowan is almost completely destroyed by his armies. After the handover of the Book of Thoth and the withdrawal of the armies, Rowan is rebuilt and, after signing a peace treaty, receives his own kingdom, which Rowan can only administer under the supervision of the demons. Rowan only receives his full sovereignty after the destruction of Gràvenmuir, the demon message created by Prusias, by Elias Bram and the victory over Prusias. Important places on campus are:

Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is a magical part of the campus. It only has a single entrance and offers optimal living spaces for the various magical beings. It has a huge cave system, which served as a refuge for people and a storage place for all valuables and art objects during the attack by Astaroth on Rowan.

Mansion

In the mansion (English: The Manse) are the rooms of the students. The newcomers are allocated the rooms themselves. The director's office, the kitchen and the dining room are also located here. Between the third and fourth volume, the mansion receives an extension, in which, among other things, the Founder's Hall is located. The Founder's Hall is used to receive larger embassies for which there is not enough space in the director's office. The reception of Lord Naberius takes place at the beginning of Book 4 in the Founder's Hall.

Maggie

Maggie is Rowan's school building. There are many classrooms and a library here.

Old Tom

The Old Tom (English: Old Tom) is Rowan's bell tower, its bells rang on the hour and in the event of an attack. Directly under the bell chamber is the so-called attic library, which is shaken very often due to its proximity to the bells. It is therefore rarely visited by students. Like Maggie, there are classrooms here too.

Archives

The archives' underground vaults are the oldest part of Rowan. Various old documents are stored here, for example Bram's letters, some of which were brought from Solas by the refugees. The vaults of the Red Service are also connected to the archives, in which it stores among other things 12 special weapons which are only intended for its members. The staircase to the vaults, the beginning of which is hidden in a room in Old Tom, is guarded by two shedus , which prevent the vaults from being entered by unauthorized persons. Since the original Shedus were destroyed during Astaroth's siege, David borrowed two Shedus from an Assyrian tomb.

port

The harbor (English: Harbor) is built after the defeat against Astaroth on Rowan's cliffs to enable trade with the other kingdoms.

Kestrel

The Kestrel is the ship that brought the survivors from Solas to what is now Rowan. With the help of the ship and the key recovered in the Frankfurt workshop , Max McDaniels and David Menlo get to the Sidh . Since the ship dragged along the ground for a long time on arrival in the sidh and the hull was destroyed below the deck, the ship remained in the sidh.

Soccer field

Rowan's soccer field is near the mansion . When Max spends his first year in Rowan, a special kind of football is played on this field, in which the surface of the field repeatedly changes its surface, so that gorges or mountains suddenly open up in front of the player.

Orchard

The sacred class trees of each year are in the orchard. Each year member is symbolized on the tree by an apple. If a student dies, his apple turns golden.

Gràvenmuir

Gràvenmuir (demonic for "guardian") is the message of the demons in Rowan. It was built in the year 1 of Prusias with his walking stick on the cliffs above the port. This is also where the signing of the contract takes place, which guarantees Rowan his own kingdom if the edicts are adhered to. The destruction of Gravenmuir by Elias Bram after his liberation from Astaroth marks a first step in the liberation of Rowan from the domination of demons.

Door to Ghrian

After Rowan's victory over Prusias, the Túr an Ghrian (in English: Sun Tower) is created by David Menlo with the help of Prusia's walking stick from the founding stone near the place where Gràvenmuir once stood. It also represents the attainment of almost complete autonomy, as it was created after defeating Prusias.

Marley Augur's crypt

Marley Augur's Crypt is an underground vault in an abandoned old cemetery in Ireland. Whether the vault belongs to Marley Augur is not mentioned, but he frees Astaroth there. To do this, he has the kidnapped potentials, the stolen paintings and finally Max McDaniels and Axel Muñoz brought here. After he has opened the prison with the help of a serum, Max manages to save the children with the help of the ronin who rushed to him, but he does not manage to save Muñoz, as he is being pulled into the collapsing crypt by an extremely strong force. The collapsed crypt is later examined by agents, but the results of the investigation are never disclosed.

Sidh

The Sidh are the place where the Tuatha De Danaan moved after their expulsion from Ireland. There are only eternal entrances to the sidh. Some of them are limited in time, for example they can only be used during a certain moon phase. Others are tied to a place or an object, like the kestrel . In addition, the Sidh are not suitable for mortals, as time passes much faster there than on Earth (see Bryn McDaniels ).

The most important places in the Sidh are Rodrubân and the Burgh na Boinne.

Rodruban

Rodrubân is the capital of the Sidh. There is also Lugh's royal castle, whose enchanted drawbridge can only be crossed by Lugh himself or his sons. Any other person who tries to cross the drawbridge will be thrown off the drawbridge by the movement of the drawbridge when it is entered.

Burgh na Boinne

The Burgh na Boinne is a hill in the Sidh, in which, next to the Book of Thoth , which is in a display case made of blown glass, the four lucky charms of the Tuatha De Danaan are stored:

• Dagda's cauldron that can feed thousands of people.
• Lugh's spear, which, because of its dangerousness against all who are not of Lugh's blood, rests in poppy-seeded water in Dagda's cauldron.
• Nuada's sword, Claímh Solais
• Lia Fáil, who split the Cuchulainn into two parts.

Frankfurt workshop

As the name suggests, the Frankfurter Werkstatt (English: The Workshop) is located under the city of Frankfurt am Main , or as in the rhyme that leads to the Book of Thoth, "deep underground where German kings were once crowned," according to the statements is probably not quite correct in the book. After Astaroth's world transformation, the workshop is located in the Grand Duchy of Harine . The workshop manager is Jesper Rasmussen . The workshop was created with the mechanization of the world when two opposing currents developed in the Order of the Magi . One movement saw technology as a blessing for humanity. She founds the workshop. The other current loathed technology and cut themselves off from the world. This is where the Wiccas emerged .

In its underground facilities, the workshop has an extensive collection of beings that once lived or are still alive on earth. In addition, there is a chamber in the workshop that cannot be opened by technical means. Only with David Menlo's magical abilities was it possible to open the chamber. The object in it was required to get into the Sidh with the Kestrel . After the erasure of all modern technology from people's memories and the ban on the manufacture of such technology by Astaroth, the end of the workshop was sealed. However, the workshop can continue to exist under the protection of Lord Prusias , in whose kingdom it is located. In return for the protection, however, the workshop is obliged to provide Prusias with any technology it requires.

The four kingdoms

In transforming the world, Astaroth created four kingdoms ruled by demons . The Rowan Academy also received its own kingdom, which, however, covers a comparatively small area. The four kingdoms are Blys, Jakarün, Zenuvia and Dùn.

Kingdom of Blys

Blys is the kingdom of Lord Prusias and lies roughly on the territory of former Europe and North Africa. In the east it borders on Lord Aamon's Kingdom of Dùn , in the south on Lord Rashaverak's Kingdom of Jakarün . The kingdom consists of 10 grand duchies. These are:

1. Blys lies on the territory of the former states Italy , Austria , Switzerland , Liechtenstein , Hungary , Slovakia , Romania , Serbia , Montenegro , Kosovo , Croatia , Albania , Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina , Greece . The part of Germany south of the Danube and western Bulgaria belong to Blys. Grand Duke is Lord Prusias, who is also King at the same time.
2. Lebrim lies on the territory of the former states of Spain , Portugal and Morocco (northern part). Grand Duke is the demon Mad'raast, who also guards the Strait of Gibraltar .
3. Harine lies on the territory of the former states France , Belgium , Luxembourg and the Netherlands . The part of Germany on the left bank of the Rhine also belongs to Harine. Grand Duchess is the demoness Jayna
4. Malakos is on the territory of the former British Isles . Grand Duke is the demon Grael.
5. Azure lies on the territory of the former states of Germany (the areas that do not belong to other grand duchies), Denmark and the Czech Republic (partially). Grand Duke is Lord Vyndra.
6. Bryllbatha lies on the territory of the former states of Poland , the Czech Republic, Lithuania (parts), Latvia (parts) and the Russian exclave Kaliningrad . Grand Duke is the demon Unas.
7. Raikos lies on the territory of the former states of Russia (north-western part), Finland , Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus . Grand Duke is the demon Andros.
8. Holbymm is located on the territory of the former states Ukraine and Russia (southwestern part). Grand Duke is the man-eating demon Yuga who only appears as a hurricane . It expands its territory during the war in the 4th book and also repeatedly invades neighboring grand duchies in the 5th book.
9. Vrusk lies on the territory of the former state of Sweden and is ruled by the demon Yva.
10. Archral lies on the territory of the former states of Algeria (northern part), Tunisia , Libya (only the coast) and Egypt (only the coast). It is ruled by demons Brolsch.

Blys is the most famous kingdom, since in Volume 3 its King Lord Prusias, as Astaroth's representative, signs the peace treaty with Rowan and solicits Blys administrators in Rowan. In addition, after the death of his father, Max travels to Blys to take revenge on the demon responsible for it. In the 4th volume, he travels with David as part of the Dark Matter Operation through the Duchy of Blys via The King's Highway and The Narrows past the farm to the Duchy of Bryllbatha. There they travel on The Ravenswood Spur to Pitter's Folly, where they pass some battlefields of the war between Prusias and Aamon. They have to flee from Pitter's Folly and end up in the border area between Bryllbatha, Raikos and Holbrymm, where they finally only narrowly escape the demon Yuga.

Well-known places in Blys are the Frankfurt workshop , the capital, Pitter's Folly and the farm.

Piter's Folly

Piter's Folly is a town in the Kingdom of Blys in the Grand Duchy of Bryllbatha near the border with the Grand Duchy of Holbymm . The smuggler Madam Petra lives in this city. Your smuggling company is also based there. The city is mentioned by name for the first time in the 4th volume, but above all Madam Petra's house is captured by Max Klonen under machine gun fire, so that Madam Petra, her daughter Katharina, Max, David, Toby and a goblin, leave the house with a kind of balloon. Whether the city will be rebuilt is unclear as Yuga expands its sphere of influence.

Farm in Blys

The farm is located in the Apennines and appears for the first time in the 3rd volume when Max arrives in Blys and is looking for a place to sleep in the inhospitable nature. The patio of 3 adult, which at regular intervals of sprites (inhabited Goblins were supplied) with food and children. On certain nights, known from full moon nights, the adults had to choose a child and lock it in the sheep run, because on these nights the creature comes out of the well and awaits a sacrifice. On the night of Max's arrival, Mina is sitting in the sheep run, but is brought into the house by Max. When the creature from the well tries to get into the house, it is injured by Max and retreats. Max pursues them and kills them in a fight. With that peace is made. The next morning Max bans two adults from the farm, the third adult Isabella is allowed to stay because she is pregnant. Max also spruces up the farm. In addition, at Isabella's insistence, he begins teaching Isabella and eventually the children. When Prusias visits the court, he notices the violation of the third edict, but is ready to overlook it if Max fights for him in the arena. In order to protect the farm, Max agrees and transfers the management of the farm to Nix and Valya , who had come to the farm a few weeks earlier. After Max falls out with Prusias, Nix and Valya bring the residents to their home. However, Mina and possibly the other residents are brought to Rowan. In the fourth volume, Max, David and Toby pass the empty courtyard on the way to Pitter's Folly.

Blys (capital)

The capital of the Kingdom of Blys and the Grand Duchy of Blys , which is also called Blys, is located on the territory of the former Italian capital Rome . Some famous features of Rome allowed the demons to persist, but, as Prusias says, it gave them the right dimensions. The most important part of the new city is the Palatine Hill, which has evidently become a mountain . On top of it, in the shape of a pyramid, is the palace, which also includes the arena and the cathedral. There are also various old Roman graves that have remained. Max and David use such a grave for the preparations for the Walpurgis night meeting of the demons.

Prusia's palace

The gigantic palace forms the top of the mountain and looks like a pyramid. Max lives in it when he is Prusia's guest in the third volume. After falling out with him, however, he ends up in the dungeon of the palace.

arena

The arena forms the second tier of the pyramid. It resembles the Colosseum in its appearance and is therefore often referred to as such. However, it is considerably larger than its model. In this arena, Max fights as Bargha Rùn for Prusias, who, in return, ignores Max's breach of edict on the farm and grants refuge in Blys to some refugees who camp outside the gates.

cathedral

The cathedral is located above the arena and, according to Max, looks similar to the Notre Dame cathedral , although it has been stretched higher than the original . Similar to its role model, it has a gigantic rose window . The Walpurgis Night Meeting of Demons takes place in the cathedral.

Kingdom of Jakarün

Jakarün is the realm of Lord Rashaverak and lies in the area of ​​former Africa .

Kingdom of Zenuvia

Zenuvia is ruled by Lady Lilith and is therefore the only one of the four kingdoms that is ruled by a demoness. It is the easternmost of the four kingdoms and is believed to be on the territory of the former states of Japan , Indonesia , North and South Korea . Zenuvia is known for its iron products. For example, Max and his company used arrows made of Zenuvian iron in the battle against Prusia.

Kingdom of Dùn

Dùn is the kingdom of Lord Aamon and lies on the territory of the former states of Russia (apart from some parts in the west that belong to the kingdom of Blys ), China and India (the northern part). The former Turkey and the former Near and Middle East may also belong to Dùn. Because of Lord Aamon's dislike of humans, Dùn is deserted. However, the area of ​​the former India is mainly the Witchpeaks, the former Himalaya is inhabited by Wiccas . It is unclear whether Dùn was annexed to Blys after the defeat of Lord Aamon or whether it existed as a separate kingdom without King Lord Aamon.

Essence

witch

Witches (English: hag) are human-like beings who are exclusively female. They are not fundamentally evil, but are often viewed as evil because they can eat people too. The only witch family mentioned in the novel is the Shorpe family. The converted witch Bea, called Mum , who lives in Rowan , her sister Bellagorg, who in the third volume throws 10 witches (English: hagglings) in one fell swoop, and her cousin Gretie, who was once kidnapped from the Frankfurt workshop and in the museum there was brought.

Wicca

Wiccas (English: witches , therefore not to be confused with the new religious movement Wicca ) emerged from the technology-hostile part of the order . They lived in the mountains, isolated from the rest of the world. They appear for the first time in the second volume when their representative Dame Mala demanded that Bram's oath be fulfilled on behalf of her people. For that Max McDaniels and David Menlo should live with the Wiccas. Since Mrs. Richter, who describes the Wicca present as "a distant relative of the order from the East", is not enthusiastic about the idea and also wants Max and David to be able to search for the Book of Toth, she tries everything despite the legality of the request to delay the handover as much as possible. With Rasmussen's help, she stages a kidnapping that serves to bring Max, his father Scott and David out of Rowan so that they can come to Germany unmolested. This finally succeeds. However, when Astaroth takes the workshop through a traitor, it turns out that the Wicca have allied themselves with Astaroth, because Lady Mala is also sitting in the carriage with which Astaroth arrives. Nevertheless, after the coup , Vilyak tries to negotiate an agreement with the Wiccas, which are represented by Dame Mako , which ultimately fails. In the new world order of Astaroth, the Wiccas have a territory in the Witchpeaks, the former Himalayas , which lies in Lord Aamon's realm of Dùn . They also work as weathermakers on Blysian ships. Their holy places, which are mainly ossuaries (charnel houses), are in the Witchpeaks. The sacred birds of the Wiccas are the crows. If a particularly large number of crows appear, wiccas very often hide nearby and watch what is happening through the eyes of the crows.

Ki-rin

A ki-rin is a lion-like being that can get very old. However, it is considerably larger than a lion and also has a horn, which has a healing effect. So it can heal serious injuries. The only ki-rin appearing in the series is the great matriarch of Rowan YaYa .

Lymrill

A Lymrill (alternative names: Königsmacher and Rolandswahn) is according to the book "The Lymrill: Natural History, Way of Life and Care" a "magical tree-dwelling mammal of Central and Western Europe". Its appearance is similar to that of an otter. However, it has a long tail, which like its back has spines, and razor-sharp claws. Because of the fur and the spines, the Lymrill was hunted to extinction, as the spines have magical powers. However, these are only effective if the Lymrill voluntarily gives up its spines. Although Lymrill was thought to be extinct, agents of Rowan found Nick by chance in the Black Forest , a specimen of the Black Forest Lymrill subspecies, and brought it to Rowan. There it became the protégé of Max McDaniels . Shortly after Astaroth gained world domination, another Lymrill appeared in Rowan who, unlike Nick, is female. Nox comes from this Lymrill's relationship with Nick, who was born shortly after Nick's voluntary sacrifice to repair the Gae Bolga .

Vye

Vyes are shapeshifters . In their natural shape they resemble wolves, but their fur is strongly matted. They can transform themselves into people, but they can often be recognized by wet eyes. In addition, they are reluctant to transform because it is uncomfortable for them. They often appear in pairs. In contrast to Smees , they are unable to imitate a person. Unmasking is possible with puzzles, as puzzles are an irresistible lure for them. Contrary to what Rowan might think, which comes from the fact that many Vyes are in Astaroth's service, they are not inherently evil. Remus vyes are an example.

Remus vyes (English: Elder Vyes) are a very old type of vyes. According to the accounts of Nix and Valya , this species goes back to Romulus and Remus . According to legend, these two were released on the Tiber and a little later found and suckled by a she-wolf. Since the she-wolf was an old wolf spirit, the wolf-like nature passed on to the children. After the founding of Rome this nature threatened to emerge with Remus, which is why Romulus chased his brother away and not, as the legend reports, killed in a dispute. Remus then probably settled in the Apennine region where Nix and Valya live. Some Remus Vyes, like Nix and Valya, also have Ancient Magic . According to Neff, more Remus Vyes will appear in Book 5.

According to Neff, the idea for the name and appearance of the Vyes comes from nightmares he had as a child.

Smee

A smee is a shapeshifter that looks very much like a root in its natural shape. But it can take any shape and even imitate real personalities in a deceptively real way. If that person, such as a demon, has a certain aura, the smee will imitate that too. In addition to appearance, with a little practice, the smee can also mimic the person's language and demeanor. There are only a few beings who are able to see through this camouflage. Shedus are an example of this.

demon

A demon (own preferred name: daemona) is a spirit that is not bound by the time laws of the earth. Before Astaroth took over the world, they lived in unknown places and only appeared when summoned. In a conjuration, which was usually carried out in a kind of spell, they usually appeared in a human-like shape. The conjuration could be done for different purposes. Magicians use demons to solve complex spells with their help, for example, and scholars to use them to gain knowledge. After Astaroth took over the world, demons openly appeared as Kings of the Four Kingdoms or Grand Dukes of Blys , or performed other functions within the new world order. With Astaroth edicts the invocation was banned by demons, regardless of whether the people they as Se'irim, Shedim , Afriten , jinns , Ahriman , Lilins (ghosts from Mesopotamia ), marids , Asuras , Devas , Daitya , Rakshasa , Nephilim , Vetalas , Druden , Kobold (English: Imps ) or Spiritus Periculosus (also often referred to as noble), the subspecies of demons to which Prusias belongs. Within the demons there are several levels, of which the levels Imp, Rakshasa and Spiritus Periculosus are mentioned by name. A rise within these ranks is called Koukerros and takes place when the demon has absorbed enough life energy, for example human souls. For the ascent from the imp to the next higher level, however, the help of a higher demon is necessary, as this has to provide energy. This process can also make a demon very dangerous. An example of this is Yuga , the Grand Duchess of Holbymm , who has turned into a frenzied all-destructive cyclone because of the huge amounts of absorbed souls and the immense amounts of energy she has at her disposal . Many of the types of demons mentioned are only mentioned in connection with the edicts and do not appear as individuals. Apart from Imp, Rakshasa and Spiritus Periculosus, the Afriten are an exception. This is because an individual of this kind is exhibited in the workshop .

Malakhim

Malakhim are the silent guards of Prusias and his messengers. Their origin is not mentioned, but Max asks them once if they are not angels, but receives no answer. In addition, they always wear black robes and masks made of obsidian . However, these masks always have individual damage, which also gives them a kind of personality.

Atropos

The Atropos are a group of killer spirits that were actually destroyed a long time ago. In year 2, after Astaroth gained world domination, they return and target Max McDaniels, as his name was entered in the Gray Book on Prusia's orders . However, according to Elias Bram, Max is a difficult case for the Atropos because he no longer has any family, because the Atropos always take possession of people who are close to the person to be murdered to carry out the murder. The first Atropos to attack Max has taken possession of Rolf Luger, who, however , is murdered by Umbra . With the help of David's abilities it is possible to catch the atropos and force him to warn Max about the next atropos. This succeeds in that David gives him the choice between an eternal imprisonment in iron, possibly in salt water, and a seven-year imprisonment in silver, which demons do not like, combined with the duty to warn Max. (Originally: "Silver for seven years or Iron for all eternity.") The second Atropos had taken possession of William Cooper. Max survived his first attack with Scáthach's help, the second with the help of YaYa, whom Cooper then healed from the Atropos. But since Max is considered invulnerable as long as he adheres to the unknown Geis , the Atropos let go of him after the appropriate instruction from Prusias and instead concentrate on Mina .

Fomorians

Fomorians (English: Fomorian) are gigantic beings of Irish mythology, where they are referred to in German as Fomori . Since Lugh , Max's biological father, was the grandson of the Fomorian king Balor , Max, like Cúchulainn, is partly Fomorian. In addition, the Gae Bolga was forged by a Fomorian.

leprechaun

In the German translation, the term Kobold refers to two completely different beings. The English names are Goblin and Imp, which is why these creatures are not to be confused with the creatures known in German as Kobold . However, the term goblin is very often used for the goblins and rarely for imps.

Goblin

Goblins are creatures who, like dwarves , live underground and dig for ore there. In addition to their mining activities, they also maintain trade relationships. The goblins are organized into clans. The goblins in this valley belong to the Broadbrim clan who drove all other goblin clans out of the valley. This clan maintains trade relations with Piter's Folly and a large city in the south (possibly the capital Blys ) and also supplied the farm in Blys , which Max freed from the monster in the well, with children and food.

Imp

Imps are the lowest demonic rank. In connection with the ban on conjuring demons in the edicts, they are incorrectly referred to in German as goblins, while Prusia's servant Mr Bonn is referred to as a gnome , probably because the term goblin was used shortly before for a goblin.

dwarf

Dwarfs mostly live underground, are slightly smaller than humans and are also masterful blacksmiths. The forge in Rowan is run by dwarfs who live next door in a small hut. These are the two brothers Aurvangr and Ginnarr who belong to the sons of Ivaldi . In the third volume, Max visits them the night after his father Scott's funeral to buy Ormenheid from them. Since this is the last relic of their people, they refuse to sell. Only after Max has given them some diamonds and the chain mail that Señor Lorca gave him, they are ready to lend him the ship for three years and explain to him how the ship is to be steered.

Terms

Order of the Magi

The order of the magicians is an old name for the group of magicians who defend the good. To train people who have ancient magic , the order founds schools such as Solas. As the mechanization of the world begins, this order split up into a part that was completely open to technology, from which the workshop emerged , and a part that was completely closed to technology, sealed off from the world and from which the Wiccas emerged . Between these extremes, after the fall of Solas in 1649, was the Rowan Academy . She continued to teach the use of magic and continued to work with it, but also made use of the technical achievements of mankind, such as electric light and computers, and the developments in the workshop, for example the chain mail for the Red Service . Especially after the conquest of the world by Astaroth, the order is rarely spoken of, but mostly of Rowan, even when the magicians are meant as a whole.

Red service

The Red Branch (English: Red Branch, literally translated: Red Branch) is a group of the twelve best agents, each agent was born in a different month. It goes back to the Red Branch warriors, to which the best warriors of Ulster as well as Cúchulainn belonged. All members of the Red Service wear the Red Service symbol on their forearms. It is a hand raised in greeting, which is wrapped in a cord. If an agent is too old, he can pass the signal on to a younger agent who was born in the same month as himself. Señor Lorca and Max perform such a ritual in the second volume. If an agent is on a mission, he wears one of the 12 weapons from the treasure of the red service, a kind of full-body chain shirt made of so-called nano-mail, a material developed by the workshop that combines the stability of a chain shirt with the lightness of normal material and adapts to the wearer like a second skin.

Old magic

Old Magic (English: Old Magic) is an old type of magic. It is used by humans, Fomorians , Remus vyes and demons. Wiccas, on the other hand, use a type of magic that Neff calls Wild Magic . At the beginning of the first volume, Mrs. Richter explains how the ancient magic was transmitted to humans. First there were beings, the greatest of whom helped shape the world. Before they finally left the world, they transferred the task of the planet to god-like elementals, the stewards, when humanity was still in its infancy. As the vigilance of the stewards waned, evil things came from dying worlds, which unnoticed began to gnaw at the roots of the world. Due to the presence of the evil creatures, some stewards converted to evil and began subjugating the world, which some people resisted. Eventually these people got their power, the old magic, and a certain amount of wisdom from the stewards. But this spark became weaker over time. However, there were always very strong magicians, who are therefore called ascendants (descendants). A very well known ascendant is Elias Bram .

The 7 Edicts of Astaroth

The 7 edicts that Astaroth had drafted were promulgated by Lord Prusias in Rowan just before he established Gravenmuir . They are quoted here in the wording of the translation in the German first edition.

• Edict 1: “Rowan becomes a fifth kingdom under the rule of Astaroth. His empire extends from this [Rowan's] coast west to the Appalachians, north to the great river, and south to the Algonquin Chesapeak. Within those bounds, Rowan will manage his own affairs and govern his people as he sees fit. "
• Edict 2: "It is forbidden to bring books, documents or any written record across the border of this country."
• Edict 3: "It is forbidden to teach people outside of Rowan to read, write, or know history."
• Edict 4: “The people of Rowan can live and prosper freely, but the borders are closed. No one is allowed to enter the kingdom without the express permission of our ambassador. Rowan and his representatives are still prohibited from looking for people born with Mehrùn . If you do it anyway, this contract will be void. "
• Edict 5: “[It] concerns the magic of incantation. This kind of magical teaching is herewith ended. All work on conjuring demons [...] must be removed from the curriculum and the records destroyed. The summoning of demons is hereby forbidden. "
• Edict 6: “Rowan will not take revenge on the Wiccas, who in turn give up all claims arising from the contract called Bram's Oath . This feud is over and the Wiccas have received their own land in Lord Aamon's realm. "
• Edict 7: "All new inventions as well as concerns about emigration or trade with the various kingdoms must be submitted to Lord Astaroth's embassy, ​​checked and approved."

Prusias repeatedly adds explanations to the edicts, which are not part of the edict and are therefore listed here:

• To edict 1: The edict is proclaimed in the spirit of peace. In addition, the safety of Rowan's residents in Rowan's realm is guaranteed; demons are prohibited from staying within Rowan's borders on the death penalty.
• to Edict 2: In Rowan everything that survives the fading can be used further.
• To edict 3: If the edict is disregarded, every person within a radius of 100 miles will be executed.
• to Edict 4: Mehrùn is the term used by the demons for the ability to use magic.
• to Edict 5: he lists all names that people have given the demons, which are absurd from his point of view.
• to Edict 6: it is also proclaimed in the spirit of peace.
• To edict 7: the message the edict deals with is Gràvenmuir , which Prusias establishes immediately after the announcement.

Walpurgis Night Meeting

The Walpurgis Night will take place on the evening of March 30, almost two years after the victory over Astaroth Rowan in the Cathedral of Bly's place. The kings of the four kingdoms and the 10 grand dukes of the kingdom of Blys are invited . In the run-up to the meeting, David spread rumors that he wanted to kill Astaroth at the meeting, with the purpose that Astaroth will definitely come to this meeting due to his arrogance about the supposed superiority over David. His goal is not to kill Astaroth in front of the demons disguised as a dignitary with the poison from Balor's flowers , but to free his grandfather Elias Bram and so weaken and distract Astaroth, because he will try to get hold of Bram again.

Ascendant

An ascendant (in German: descendant) is a person who has abilities that come very close to those of the first magicians (see section Ancient Magic ), who received their abilities from the stewards. In the novel series only two ascendants are mentioned. The first named and for a long time the last ascendant is Elias Bram . More than 400 years later, a new ascendant appears in Mina.

Faeregine

The Faeregine is a mythological being that appeared in every age of world history, always taking the form of the species that was most threatened and thus knew nothing of its previous form. After Astaroth had achieved world domination, she came to earth as a human child named Mina .

Geis

A geis (plural: geasa) is a kind of individual regulation or taboo that applies to a certain person, usually a mythological hero like Cúchulainn, and must not be broken by him. If the person concerned breaks the geis anyway, it immediately breaks into an ordinary mortal. A geis can theoretically receive any immortal being, but only one case is known. This case concerns Astaroth, who lied to Lugh in order to portray Elias Bram badly and to get to the book of Thoth, but he noticed this and therefore forbade Astaroth to lie, which means that he has to keep every promise made.

Objects

Ormenheid

Ormenheid is an old magical ship that looks like a Viking ship with a dragon bow. It belongs to the dwarfs living in Rowan . According to those dwarfs, it is the last relic of their people that they still have. Following the example of this ship, they created Skidbladnir on behalf of Lokis , who had once again angered the gods and therefore needed three presents , which offered enough space for all of Asgard's gods . The Ormenheid has some advantages over an ordinary ship. So you just have to name the place after the word Leita and the ship will sail you to this place. With a few exceptions, for example the Isle of Man, which you can only go to using the name Ellan Vannin used by the Fomorians, this works with the current place names, for example Blys . Another advantage of the Ormenheid is that, once you have achieved your goal, you can use Skina to shrink it so small that it fits comfortably in your pocket. If you have the Ormenheid in a small form, you can only pronounce the word when you are far enough in the water, otherwise on land it will become a ship about 20 meters long.

Balor's flowers

Balor's flowers (in Lugh's language: Bláth Mag Balor ) are red flowers from the Sidh that are deadly for demons . They only appear in the third book. According to what Astaroth tells Max in Prussia's dungeon, before going to the sidh, Lugh took soil soaked with the blood from Balor's eye and later distributed it in his gardens in Rodruban . The first Balor's flowers grew from this earth. David uses these flowers to make a poison with which he says he wants to kill Astaroth . Since David lets him know indirectly through rumors, Astaroth immunizes himself against the poison. So he thinks he is safe while David hides a potion in one of the 7 poison vials, which is identical to the poison from the flowers except for the effect, but enables Elias Bram to escape from Astaroth. The reason for the use of such exotic plants lies in the fact that Astaroth could extinguish a poison, which consists of earthly plants, with the help of the Book of Thoth . In addition to using it as a poison, David also manages to grow the flowers in Blys.

Book of Thoth

This book , also known as the Book of Origins , was created by the Egyptian god Thoth . Due to this origin, its pages consist of papyrus sheets , which are covered with hieroglyphics . These hieroglyphs form a sequence that is known only to a few people, Elias Bram and his grandson David Menlo, but can also be understood by the demon Astaroth. This sequence contains all “True Names” through which it is possible to create non-existent beings or things and to control or extinguish those that exist. However, control or extinction is only possible if you and the person you want to control are in the world in which they are located, i.e. in the world in which the person was born. The first person known to have had the book is Elias Bram. It is not clear where he got the book from, but it is certain that he knew his way around the book very well, as he created his own little world for his protection, gave himself a new true name there and then erased his old true name. Thus it had changed its origin and can no longer be controlled with the book. Since the real name of a person always consists of a part of the real name of the parents, Max, since his father Lugh is a Sidhe, and Bram's descendants, including David, are safe from Astaroth's access. As Astaroth grew stronger, Bram took the book to the sidh under the Brugh na Boinne and placed it in a blown glass case, which he probably enchanted so that it could only be opened with Lugh's spear. Thus the book was safe from Astaroth's access, since that spear would never obey Astaroth.

12 weapons of the Red Service

The Red Service has 12 old weapons, one for each member. The following weapons are named:

• the damaged Gae Bolga Cúchulainns
• Joyeuse, the sword of Charlemagne
• the gladius of the flame. Flamma was the greatest gladiator in Rome and received the gladius from the emperor for his numerous victories.
• the kris from Mpu Gandring from Indonesia

Gae Bolga

The Gae Bolga was once forged as a spear by a Fomorian for the Morrígan with ancient magic from their braids. However, the Morrígan never used the weapon, but brought it among the people. Finally, Cúchulainn received the Gae Bolga and fought with it, ignorant of its material. In the end this was his undoing. In an unexplained manner, the now damaged spear came into the possession of the Red Service, where the young William Cooper found it and wanted to repair it. To do this, he went to the last Fomorian but was seriously injured by him. After Max was accepted into the Red Service in Spain, Cooper handed him the gun. From then on, the weapon was in Max's possession. Therefore he also took her to the Sidh, where she finally burst into thousands of sharp-edged splinters under the Brugh na Boinne while trying to free the book Thoth from the display case with her help , which Max and David took back to Rowan. After Cooper rescued Max from Prusia's dungeons, they drive with David to the Isle of Man, where, with the help of the last Fomorian, the weapon is restored. This reveals to Max before that the weapon consists of the braids of the Morrígan and Max drips blood on the braids, whereby only Max can use the weapon and the life of the weapon, which was Cúchulainn's undoing, becomes a little more controllable. However, this weapon is not yet stable enough. So they try different types of weapons, all of which are not stable enough. Only when Max's protégé Nick throws off his spines and claws, which results in Nick's death, does the weapon in the form of a sword become stable enough. A few days later the weapon was used for the first time at the Walpurgis Night Meeting of Demons. Max kills some demons with her, but is finally about to be controlled by the gun, which David can prevent with a telepathic call to Max. The killing of demons is only possible with the Gae Bolga, as there is no other weapon that can even injure souls.

Gray Book

The Gray Book (in German: Graues Buch) is a magical book. If a person is entered in the book, their life is almost over as they are now being hunted by the ruthless Atropos . The only person known to have been entered in this book is Max McDaniels, who, however, succeeds in defeating the Atropos with the help of Scáthach and YaYa .

Spypaper

Spypaper (in German: espionage paper) are mentioned by name for the first time in the fourth book. They look like normal parchment or paper, but whatever is written on them, they pass on directly to their twin. For example, it is possible to communicate directly with agents, even if they are far away from Rowan. It is also possible to communicate with people like Sir Alistair, who left Rowan on that Halloween evening for Blys to collect information for Rowan.

Pinlegs

Pinlegs are paper-like objects with cryptic symbols developed by the workshop on behalf of Prusia. They first appear in the fourth book. Pinlegs are an easily transportable high-tech weapon because they contain the spirit / soul of a dreadnought. If they are activated, which can also be done remotely, the dreadnoughts come instantly to the place where the pinlegs are, regardless of their location. The reason for this is the striving of mind / soul and body to be together. This saves large amounts of energy that would be needed for transport, and the dreadnoughts can appear out of nowhere almost without warning, which is otherwise only possible with teleportation, which however requires enormous amounts of energy. However, through the separation of body and mind / soul, it is possible for a trained magician to control the beings without the true name.

Dreadnought

The dreadnoughts are killing machines that first appear in battle at the end of book four and, Max says, look like a mixture of animal, possibly elephant, demon and machine. However, David manages to bring these beings under his control and, after they have trampled parts of Prusia's army, lets them fall over the cliffs. It is possible that Prusias already used these beings in the war against Aamon.

Work editions

English

• The Tapestry. The Hound of Rowan. Random House , New York City 2007, ISBN 978-0-375-89077-2 .
• The Tapestry. The Second Siege. Random House, New York City 2008, ISBN 978-0-375-83896-5 .
• The Tapestry. The Fiend And The Forge. Random House, New York City 2010, ISBN 978-0-375-89295-0 .
• The Tapestry. The Maelstrom. Random House, New York City 2012, ISBN 978-0-375-85707-2 .
• The Tapestry. The Red Winter. Random House, New York City 2014, ISBN 978-0-375-97138-9 .

German

• School of magicians. The secret portal. Translated by Michaela Link . cbj , Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-570-13440-5 .
• School of magicians. Astaroth's attack. Translated by Michaela Link. cbj Children's & Young People's Books, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-570-13490-0 .
• School of magicians. The return of evil. Translated by Tanja Ohlsen . cbj Children's & Young People's Books, Munich, 2011, ISBN 978-3-570-13491-7 , ( reading sample, PDF ( Memento from May 4, 2014 in the Internet Archive )).

Web links

• The Tapestry Wiki at tapestry.wikia.com (English)
• School of Magicians Wiki on de.schuledermagier.wikia.com
• Information about the books on henryhneff.com (English)
• Special on Henry H. Neff "School of Magicians" ( Memento from May 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on randomhouse.de
• Henry Neff: The School of Magicians 3. The Return of Evil. on fantasybuch.de (review)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ The Hound of Rowan: Inside Scoop ( Memento from February 28, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Section General Facts on henryhneff.com
2. ^ Text in the dust jacket of the second book.
3. ^ Text in the dust jacket of the second and third books.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Videoblog Answering some Readers Questions from July 28, 2013 on henryhneff.com
5. ↑ Blog entry Red Winter Release Date from November 16, 2013 on henryhneff.com
6. ↑ Blog entry The Final Chapter from March 26, 2014 on henryhneff.com, announcement that he will now start with the last chapter.
7. ↑ ^{a b} blog entry The Red Winter - A Sneak Peek from May 10, 2013.
8. ↑ ^{a b} The Red Winter - Chapter One from April 22, 2014. This is the complete first chapter.
9. ↑ Comment from May 2, 2014 under the blog entry The Red Winter - Chapter One from April 22, 2014.
10. ↑ Blog entry A New Project! from June 14, 2014 on henryhneff.com
11. ↑ Blog entry "IMPYRIUM" pitching from July 25, 2014 on henryhneff.com
12. ↑ Video blog from August 15, 2014 , blog entry BIG News !!! from August 18, 2014 and blog entry IMPYRIUM Sneak Peek from December 2, 2014 on henryhneff.com
13. ↑ The School of Magicians. The secret portal. (Reading sample) Volume 1, p. 19. ( randomhouse.de ( Memento from February 6, 2015 in the Internet Archive ); PDF)
14. ↑ The School of Magicians. The return of evil. (Reading sample) Volume 3. (books.google.de)
15. ↑ Illustration Arrival in Blys from the third book ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) on henryhneff.com
16. ↑ This fictional book is quoted on pages 131 and 132 of the first volume of the novel Schule der Magier
17. ↑ Lymrill ( Memento of March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) on henryhneff.com
18. ↑ The Hound of Rowan: Inside Scoop ( Memento from February 28, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Section Character Tidbits Item 6 on henryhneff.com