The Ogre Kingdom is a land of magnificent castles, ancient traditions, and renowned hospitality. Visitors sometimes arrive with peculiar misconceptions about its inhabitants, though, and a little preparation can spare you embarrassing misunderstandings, diplomatic incidents, and the occasional broken piece of furniture. 1. Ogres Do Not Eat People Despite what certain travelers' tales suggest, Ogres do not consider Humans, Goblins, Elves, or any other civilized people acceptable menu items. Ogre cuisine is rich and varied, and guests can expect an excellent meal. The portions may be larger than you're used to, but take that as generosity rather than a challenge. 2. Ogres Are Not Stupid Quite the contrary. The Ogre Kingdom has a long tradition of scholarship, philosophy, and historical preservation, and its revered Loremasters are living repositories of generations of history and wisdom. An Ogre Loremaster can recall the precise wording of a treaty signed centuries ago, including...

The Goblins of the Kingdoms are a friendly, hospitable people, known for their scholarship, craftsmanship, and love of a good cup of tea. They do have limits, though, and travelers who want to stay on good terms with their hosts would do well to avoid a few common misconceptions. 1. "Don't Goblins live in caves?" No. Goblins live in houses, villages, and cities, like everyone else. The ancient Goblin Kingdom was famous for its architecture, its engineering, and its great centers of learning. Some Goblins do venture underground now and then, but most prefer a proper roof, a warm hearth, and indoor plumbing. 2. "I thought Goblins liked shiny things." Of course Goblins appreciate beautiful objects. So do Humans, Elves, Ogres, and nearly everyone else. But the idea that Goblins can't resist shiny trinkets is both ridiculous and insulting. A Goblin scholar is far more likely to covet a rare manuscript than a handful of glittering baubles. Admittedly, a rare manus...

A quiet honeymoon in Spiceport. What could go wrong? Gwendolyn, a Goblin scholar exiled from her homeland and Hendrik, a renegade Human Alchemist, have earned a honeymoon with no monsters, no cursed forests, and no ancient horrors. Just books. Books, of course, are where the trouble starts. On the voyage to Spiceport, the couple shares a ship with Chancellor Harlan, the newly appointed head of the Human University. Harlan has firm views on which ideas deserve to survive, and he has no patience for inconvenient evidence or for scholars who question doctrine. His destination is Falconridge Hall, home of Duchess Hailey and her remarkable library of rare accounts from the Human Kingdom's earliest years. Some scholars call it a treasure. Harlan calls it a fraud, and he intends to prove it by ruining the Duchess and burying her books with her reputation. But when a library is threatened and the truth is on trial, a historian and an alchemist can't simply turn the page. Armed with sha...

“A Very Simple Request” (This story takes place after "Dragons of the Crystal Forest" and before the events in "The Onyx Temple) Hendrik had come to the Human Capital to visit the University. He hadn't been there in years. Not since he had first tried, unsuccessfully, to petition for a place in those halls. At the time, he hadn't had status, money, or contacts. He hadn't stood a chance. Within the tall white walls of the Human Capital, The Palace Complex stood behind a second set of walls up on the highest hill. The complex included the Palace itself, the University, the Library, the Temple of the Sacred Flame, and the Guilds Tower. Of these buildings, only the Temple and the Library were, at least nominally, open to the general public. As he crossed the elaborately tiled courtyards with bubbling fountains of the Palace Complex, Hendrik smiled at the sight of the Library. Built of polished white marble with stained-glass windows and crowned with tall spires, ...