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GUESTBOOK

NIGHT WORLD CONCEPTS.
Ancestress of all vampires:
Maya is the ancestress of all vampires. She started out as a witch who cast a spell on herself to gain immortality. To stay alive as an immortal being, Maya had to constantly drink fresh blood. As a result, she was called a vampire.

Maya gave birth to a child, Red Fern, and this child was the first lamia vampire. A lamia vampire is a vampire who was born a vampire.

Maya also created the first made vampire; by exchanging blood with her victim. A made vampire is one who was not born as a vampire.

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Blood feast:
In a blood feast for vampires, the guests (vampires) are each given more than one human (usually at least three) to feast on.

In the Night World series, blood feasts are actually illegalised by the Night World Council. This means that Night People are not allowed to host such events. This however, does not stop Night People, even those that are members of the Night World Council, from holding or attending them.

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Circles:
Circles are witch organisations. In the past, witches had to make a decision as to which Circle they would permanently belong to when they turned eighteen. They could choose to belong to either Circle Twilight or Circle Midnight.

Today though, most of the witches have seceded from the Night World. Many have followed their Maiden, Mother, and Crone and have joined another Circle, called Circle Daybreak.

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First made vampire:
A made vampire is one who is not born as a vampire.

The first made vampire was Thierry Descouedres. He was bitten by Maya, the ancestress of all vampires, and after a couple of blood exchanges with her, Thierry was transformed into a vampire.

Because Thierry was the first made vampire, he is give the title of Lord of the Night World.

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Maiden, Mother, and Crone:
Maiden, Mother, and Crone are the three highest ranking positions of the Inner Circle. In conjunction with the Inner Circle, the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone are the rulers of the witch community.

The Maiden of the witches is eighteen-year-old Aradia. The Mother of the witches is Mother Cybele. The Crone of the witches, and the head of the Inner Circle, was Edgith Harman until her death in Witchlight. Mother Cybele is serving as leader of the witches in the series currently.

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Night People:
A collective term referring to all the species that belong to the Night World, including vampires, witches, and shape-shifters.

‘Night Worlders’ is another term that may also be used.

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Night Wars:
The Night Wars refers to the time when the vampires fought the witches for control of the world.

The vampire race had just begun then and their rapid increase in population allowed them to carry out a brazen attack on the witches.

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Night World:
The Night World is an underground society made up of the different kinds of Night People (vampires, witches, werewolves, shape-shifters, etc.). It is secret within the human world. Night People are governed by laws. Authoritative bodies, such as the Night World Council, make sure these laws are being followed.

Humans are not supposed to know the Night World exists but many do find out. Any human who knows about the Night World, should, according to Night World law, be killed.

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Night World elders:
Night World elders are Night People hired by the Night World Council to ensure that other Night People obey Night World laws. If a Night Person suspects another Night Person of breaking Night World law, they are required to report their suspicions to Night World elders. The elders then investigate the situation. If they learn that laws have been violated, the elders will prosecute all those involved with ruthlessness.

The Night World Council, the most powerful of all Night World authority, may become involved in the investigation of an extreme case.

The parents of Ash Redfern are elders. Thierry Descouedres is also an elder but he is secretly also the leader of Circle Daybreak, an antagonistic organisation to the Night World Council.

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Night World laws:
Night World law is considered sacred and is said to be unbreakable. Night World laws exist to protect the existence of the Night World from the human world. Night People are allowed to toy with the hearts of humans, even kill them. But they must never let a human know the Night World exists and they should never fall in love with one. The penalty for breaking either one of these laws is death, for everybody involved.

There are also laws that apply to specific creatures living within the Night World. Werewolves, for example, are not allowed to kill humans because they eat the internal organs of humans, thus giving away the fact that an animal attacked the human. Vampires must seek permission from the Night World Council when changing humans into vampires. A Night Person who recognises an illegally-made vampire has the right to kill them and their maker.

Night World elders make sure Night World laws are being followed. The Night World Council, and other authoritative bodies of the Night World, prescribe punishment when it is not.

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Slave trade:
The slave trade is a practise that involves kidnapping humans and selling them for food, amusement, or using them as slaves.

This practise was banned by the Night World Council but still occurs.

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The battle:
The battle refers to the race between the Night World Council and Circle Daybreak to find all four Wild Powers before the Millennium approaches. It has been predicted that a darkness will take over and destroy the world during the Millennium. The Wild Powers are the only people who can stop this darkness from taking over.

Circle Daybreak wants to convince all four Wild Powers to work together to save the world. The Night World Council does not want the Wild Powers to save the world because they want the human race to be wiped out. Circle Daybreak has so far found and convinced three of the Wild Powers to work for them. Circle Daybreak also has the job of protecting the Wild Powers from Night People who are siding with the Night World Council.

The hunt for one Wild Power still remains. There is also the actual battle that will occur between the opposing sides as the darkness draws closer. All will be revealed in the final Night World book, titled Strange Fate.

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The Drache family:
The Drache family is the royal family that forms the First House of the Shape-shifters. This makes the Draches the rulers of all shape-shifters.

Members of the Drache family are uniquely different from other shape-shifters because they possess some of the powers of dragons – the most powerful shape-shifters. For example, the Draches have the ability to connect with any animal mind. This type of telepathy is a power only dragons possess. The Draches also have the power to choose which animal form they wish to call. The Draches have these powers because they are the descendants of the only dragon that was left awake by the witches. This dragon was a young Princess.

Galen Drache is the seventeen-year-old Prince of the First House. In Witchlight, he chooses the leopard as his animal to call. Also in this book, Galen gets engaged to Raksha Keller, a fellow shape-shifter who calls the form of the panther.

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The Harman family:
During the beginning of time there was a Witch Queen named Hecate. Hecate gave birth to two daughters, Hellewise and Maya. Maya used spells to form a new race – of vampires. Hellewise though, remained a witch.

In fact, Hellewise went on to have children who continued the witch race. This makes Hellewise the ancestress of the Harman family as well as the ancestress of all witches. Therefore, just as the Redferns are considered royalty to the vampires of the Night World, the Harmans are considered royalty to the witches of the Night World – because they are the direct descendants of the ancestress of the witch people.

Some particularly famous Harmans include Edgith Harman and Iliana Dominick. Edgith Harman was, until recently, the oldest living Harman. She was killed in Witchlight by renegade shape-shifters.

All Harmans born after Maeve Harman (this includes Edgith Harman) have part witch blood and part vampire blood.

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The Millennium:
The Millennium will mark ten thousand years of human rule. As the Millennium approaches however, Night People have discovered that the ancient Old Powers that used to control the world are rising – for good and for evil. The Earth is being disturbed by volcanoes and earthquakes. The weather has become more dangerous; floods, tornadoes, droughts, and hurricanes are occurring. Outbreaks of new diseases are killing rapidly. Insects are becoming deadly. And the soulmate principle is back. More and more Night People are helplessly falling in love with humans.

A prophecy has been found, which foretells of a period of darkness to occur during the Millennium. This period of darkness can only be stopped from destroying the world by the action of four Wild Powers working in unity.

Right now, the battle has begun between Circle Daybreak and the Night World Council. Circle Daybreak wants to save the world from destruction. They have so far convinced three of the four Wild Powers to work with them. The Night World Council is doing everything in its power to prevent this from happening. They are ruthlessly hunting down the Wild Powers because they want the darkness to destroy the world, along with the humans inhabiting it.

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The Old Powers:
The Old Powers are forces of nature. They refer to an ancient magic that controls the universe.

In the Night World series, the current world is controlled by humans while Night People are forced to keep their true forms a secret. According to Night World legends, the world was destroyed three times before humans gained control of the world today. The first world was controlled by the shape-shifters but that world was destroyed by fire. The witches controlled the second world but that world was destroyed by ice. A flood destroyed the third world, controlled by vampires. The Old Powers were behind the forces of nature that destroyed the first three worlds. When humans took control of the fourth and current world, the Old Powers fell asleep and have been left sleeping.

But now that the approaching Millennium marks ten thousand years of human rule, Night People have discovered the Old Powers have awakened – for good and for evil. The Old Powers are behind the changes that are unsettling the universe. The Earth is being disturbed, the weather has become more dangerous, new diseases are killing more rapidly, animals are becoming more deadly, and many Night People are finding human soulmates. The Night World Council believes the Old Powers are responsible for these changes and a phase of darkness has been foreseen. Only the Wild Powers can preclude this darkness from obliterating the human world.

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The Redfern family:
The Redfern family are considered royalty to the vampires of the Night World. This is because they are the direct descendents of the first vampire ever, Maya.

Maya became a vampire by casting a spell for immortality. She then gave birth to her only child, a son named Red Fern. Red Fern became the first lamia vampire; this means he was the first vampire to be able to have children. These children would also be vampires. This makes Red Fern the ancestor of the Redfern family as well as the ancestor of all lamia vampires.

Some particularly famous Redferns include Hunter Redfern, Lily Redfern, and Ash Redfern.

All Redferns born after Hunter Redfern have part vampire blood and part witch blood. This includes Ash Redfern and his three sisters: Jade, Kestrel, and Rowan. The only noted exception to this is Delos Redfern, whose blood remains purely vampirish.

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The scrolls:
Pieces of ancient parchment encased in plastic sleeves, the scrolls are written in the old language of the shape-shifters. They contain information and pictures about the shape-shifters and their history.

In Witchlight, Circle Daybreakers consult the scrolls to find out how dragons can be killed.

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The soulmate principle:
In the Night World series, the soulmate principle is a theory from the Night World that suggests each person has a soulmate, just one who is perfect for you and is your destiny. Your soulmate is somebody you feel a connection to, and, can share thoughts with through simple contact.

Unprepared Night People are finding themselves falling in love with humans. Those Night People who choose to break Night World law, usually seek refuge with Circle Daybreak.

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Vampire enclave:
A vampire enclave is a community of vampires that reside in an isolated location, one that does not have humans anywhere near it. Islands are commonly used as vampire enclaves.

The locations of vampire enclaves are kept secret, in case any humans find out about them, especially vampire hunters.

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Vampire hunter:
A vampire hunter is somebody who hunts and kills vampires. In the Night World series, a vampire hunter would most probably know about the existence of the Night World.

The vampire hunters of the Night World series keep their identity as secret as possible. They cover their faces when on stakeouts and they never use their real names when carrying out business.

Some vampire hunters work alone and some form organisations. In the series, one particular vampire-hunting organisation mentioned is The Lancers.

Vampire hunters are usually humans seeking revenge after having lost loved ones from vampire attacks.

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Wild Powers:
The Wild Powers are four children, all seventeen years old, who have blue fire within their blood. The Wild Power children have been born with this special power because only they can stop the darkness from destroying the human world during the Millennium.

A couple of prophecies have been discovered about the Wild Powers. One such prophecy tells that if all four Wild Powers do not work together, the darkness will triumph. Hence, the battle for the Wild Powers has begun between Circle Daybreak and the Night World Council.

Circle Daybreak wants to save the world from destruction. They have so far convinced three of the four Wild Powers to work with them. The Night World Council is doing everything in its power to prevent this from happening. They are ruthlessly hunting down the Wild Powers because they want the darkness to destroy the world, along with the humans inhabiting it.

The three Wild Powers that have so far been discovered and snagged by Circle Daybreak are: Delos Redfern – a vampire prince, Jez Redfern who is half human and half vampire, and Iliana Dominick – a lost witch. The fourth and final Wild Power has yet to be found. They will appear in the final Night World book, titled Strange Fate.

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Witch Child:
The witches of the Night World believed there existed one witch, an undiscovered descendant of the Harman family, who would be the Witch Child – the only witch who could unite the witches and the shape-shifters to form an alliance for the upcoming battle during the Millennium. Iliana Dominick was believed to be the Witch Child.

Iliana fell in love with the Prince of the First House, Galen Drache. Their engagement did not occur though as Galen already loved another shape-shifter, Raksha Keller. When Iliana learned of his love for Raksha, she performed a blood-tie with Raksha. The witches and the shape-shifters agreed that if Galen and Raksha were promised together, the alliance could still occur.

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Witch Queen:
The first witch to ever exist was Hecate. This is why she is referred to as the Witch Queen.

Hecate lived over thirty thousand years ago. She was the mother of Hellewise and Maya.

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