The Abbey
Welcome to the Abbey!
Over the coming months (and probably longer) this section of the website will be filled with anything and everything to do with the world of Dirt; the books, the characters and the places.
Here you will find background histories, explanations about the various species of dragons, the theories of how the people of the world have evolved and much more.
The contents are the combined work of people like Tooker, Sen-Liana and Mistry, all collated and curated by Berra Harra (BH), the woman who toiled long and hard at Bresthorde, the Abbey in the Black Hills.
Be aware, however, that knowledge of Dirt is scant at best and often confused. The accuracy of some of the essays may be questionable!
How it is arranged
Articles can be found using the sliding menu at the top left. They are sorted logically by category.
Each article consists of the main text and then a sidebar with any notes, related content and so on. On some articles, CC Hogan has made some author's notes. These will be shown on a tab on the side bar.
Some of the articles are very in depth and will include information that might spoil reading of the books. This is a particular problem with some ancient history as characters in the books did not always get their history right and the truth comes out much, much later. Where this is an issue, that content will be protected with a warning "Open if you have read book X."
Notes about Dates and Language
There is no formalised dating system on Dirt. Various dynasties like the early Heinela Cwendrin did use a dating system, but Oran Helting, the founder of the Church of the True did not believe in the concept of time or dates. In consequence, by the time of Johnson Farthing, year dates were never used. So, where some placement in time is required, I will refer to number of years either before or after the time of Johnson Farthing.
The people of Dirt speak two main languages; Adelan is the common tongue of the humans and dragons speak Adelan and their own language. Where unusual words do appear I will often give pronunciation guides, but as a rule of thumb the letter E when used as an open vowel is pronounced AY. So Be-Elin is pronounced bay-AY-lin. Seee the section on language in the culture section of this work.
BH
Main Categories
Characters
Details of the people spoken of in the stories and histories.
Culture
Articles on religion, politics and other cultural observations.
Geography
Details of the lands and places of Dirt, plus some maps, where they exist.
History
Discussions on the history of the peoples of dirt, their empires and their origins, plus Natural History
Recent Articles
Dragon Riders of Ponack
In ancient history, dragons would often carry humans, but only in one culture was it common for a dragon to take a person as a rider; Ponack.
Flying with Lonetta
Dragons have to learn to fly and although they find the process perfectly natural, it is not something we can do straight out of the nest. It is an adventure and this is just one story from my early experiences.
My Young Life by Fren-Eirol
The life of Fren-Eirol may have taken on legendary status in her later life, but when young, her life was very ordinary, though interesting to those who do not understand the dragon peoples.
Mistry in her own words
Mistry Jinx is one of the main characters in the Dirt fantasy books. In this article, she tells us of her life in her own words.
What is a Magician?
Magicians on Dirt are often treated as cheats and charlatans, and often rightly, but those that do have skills are often a puzzle.
The Nature of Magic
A discussion about magic and how it relates to the people of Dirt. Does it exist?
The Heinela
One of the oldest dynasties, the Heinela was a feudal dynasty united under a monarch selected from one of Twelve Families. Later became the Heinela Cwendrin
Poem to the Draig yr Anialr
A poem to the great Desert Dragon who has little tolerance for injustice. From on high, they see no borders, only those within the hearts of humans.
Jerr-Vone
Often thought of as the driest place on Dirt, Jerr-Vone is, surprisingly, in the northwest of Orl-Earde, to the west of Bekon.
The Sand Hills
Often thought of as the home of the Draig yr Anailr, the Sand Hills are the most northerly region of the Eastern Plains
The Eastern Plains
The largest defined area of Orl-Earde (Bind), the Eastern Plains has a long and difficult history
Kend and Cisson
Map of the country of Kend, south of the Red Mountains
Kend and Cisson
More often joined than separated, these two small countries are in one of the more beautiful areas of the southern states
The Isle of Hope
Set of the south coast of Orl-Earde, this large and beautiful island is bathed in the warm current from the Missing Sea. However, it has spent much of its history unpopulated.
Bekon
The most populated and fertile area of Bind, Bekon lies in the northern half of the continent and includes the regions of Hertenesse and Tharkenss and the Black Hills.
Molan
So little seen in Bind, the small, Molan is a hexapod that share some similarities with both a horse and a dog
Goats
The ubiquitous goat is vital for both food and trade to many communities across the two largest continents of Dirt
Tepid Lakes and The Beacon of Hope
Centering on Tepid Lakes, this also shows the area from Sarn in the south up to Heldon Heights (The Beacon of Hope)
Pre-History
A look at the world of Dirt before twelve thousand years in the past
The Isle of Taken
Also known as Gydaynis, this small mountainous isle is situated near dead centre in the Yonder Sea and is surrounded by some of the more difficult waters on Dirt.
Hoar South
Very little is known about the south polar region of Dirt and it is not connected to any other land mass
Hoar North
The frozen north of Dirt is an inhospitable land which is little known. Only the edges of the region are ever visited by hunters.
Angyn
Often thought of as a myth in more recent times, Angyn is the lost name of the supposed third continent possibly located in the Missing Sea
Pree's letter to Farthing
The letter Pree wrote to Farthing telling him of the place she had been staying