Riddle-Master Trilogy Timeline and Characters

ERLENSTAR MOUNTAIN: In the far northwest, the home of the High One lies on the edge of the Northern Wastes.

ISIG MOUNTAIN: The realm of Danan of Isig lies in the mountain range just east of Erlenstar Mountain. Kyrth is Isig's trade city on the Ose River.

OSTERLAND: Bordered by the Northern Wastes, the Winter and Ose Rivers to the south, Isig Mountain to the west, and the sea to the east. Kraal is a port city at the mouth of the Winter River. Har rules from Yrye near Grim Mountain.

HERUN: The upper middle kingdom. The Morgol of Herun rules from the City of Circles. Hlurle is the port city.

YMRIS: The lower middle kingdom, made up of the realms of Marcher, Umber, Ruhn, Meremont (where the Wind Plains lie), and Tor. The Kings of Ymris govern the High Lords of each realm from Caerweddin, the port city.

LUNGOLD: The city of wizards, from which the wizards disappeared 700 years earlier. Lies to the west of Ymris, and far south of Erlenstar Mountain, from which it is separated by vast stretches of uninhabited heavy forestland.

HED: Furthest east of the High One's kingdoms. Lies offshore between Ymris and Hel, and across the bay from Caithnard and the beginning of the old Trader's Road to Lungold. Tol is the port city, near Akren, the hall of the Princes of Hed.

CAITHNARD: A trade city at the beginning of the Trader's Road, between Ymris and Hel. The College of Riddle-Masters is here.

HEL, AUM, and AN: The three portions of An, previously separate kingdoms in the southernmost reaches. Anuin in An is the port city from which the Kings of An rule. Bordered by sea to the west and south, and forest to the north and east.

The wisdom of the High One's realm is taught in riddles at the College of Riddle-Masters in Caithnard. Each riddle is to have an answer and a stricture, or moral, to teach the student. They are often not so much riddles as questions to which the Riddle-Masters seek answers. The answered riddles become a catechism to pass on history, learning, and wisdom.

What nameless thing pursued Kern of Hed? (This is the only riddle to come out of Hed.)
Kern was pursued one day by a Thing without a name. The Thing called his name over and over. He ran from it, going into his house of seven rooms and seven doors, and locking each door behind him until he came to the inmost chamber, where he could run no further. And he heard the sound of one door after another being torn open, and his name called each time. He counted six doors opened, his name called six times. Then, outside the seventh door, his name was called again; but the Thing did not touch the door. He waited in despair for it to enter, but it did not. Then he grew impatient, longing for it to enter, but it did not. Finally he reached out, opened the door himself. The Thing was gone. And he was left to wonder, all the days of his life, what it was that had called out to him.
Stricture: Answer the unanswered riddle.

Who was Ilon of Yrye?
Ilon was a harpist at the court of Har of Osterland, who offended Har with a song so terribly that he fled from har out of fear of death. He went alone to the mountains, taking nothing but his harp, and lived quietly. So great was his harping in his loneliness, that it became his voice. Word of it spread until it came one day to the Wolf of Osterland, Har, as he prowled in that shape through his land. He was drawn by curiosity to the far reaches of his kingdom, and there he found Ilon, playing at the edge of the world. Ilon, finishing his song, found the terror he had run from standing on his threshhold.
Stricture: The man running from death must first run from himself.

What are the seven circles of Herun and who built them?
Rhu, the fourth Morgol, structured the city, planning a circle for each of eight riddles his curiosity set to him and he answered. His journey to answer the eighth riddle killed him.

 Who was Ingris of Osterland and why did he die?
Ingris angered Har, the King of Osterland, when he appeared as an old man at Ingris's door, and Ingris refused to take him in. So the wolf-king put this curse on him: that if the next stranger who came to Ingris's house did not give his name, then Ingris would die. And the first stranger who came after Har left was a certain harpist. The harpist gave Ingris everything he asked for: songs, tales, the loan of his harp, the history of his travellings - everything but the name Ingris wanted to hear, though Ingris demanded it in despair. But the harpist coudl give him only one word, each time Ingris asked for his name, and that word, as Ingris heard it, was Death. So in fear of Har, and in despair of his curse, he felt his heart stop and he died.
Stricture: Give what others require of you for their lives. [The harpist was Deth.]

Who was Sol of Isig and why did he die?
Sol was the son of Danan Isig. He was pursued through the mines of Isig Mountain one day by traders who wanted to steal from him a priceless jewel. He came to the stone door at the bottom of Isig, beyond which lay dread and sorrow older even than Isig. He could not bring himself to open the door, which no man had ever opened, for fear of what might lie in the darkness beyond it. So his enemies found him in his indecision, and there he died.
Stricture: Turn forward into the unknown, rather than backward toward death.

Who was Re of Aum?
Re of Aum offended the Lord of Hel once and became so frightened that he had a great wall built around his house in fear of revenge. He hired a stranger to build it, who promised him a wall no man could destroy or climb, either by force or wizardry. The wall was built; the stranger took his pay; and Re at last felt secure. One day, when he decided that the Lord of Hel had reazlized the futility of revenge, he decided to venture out of his lands. And then he travelled around his wall three times but found no gate to let him out. And slowly he realized that the Lord of Hel himself had built that wall.
Stricture: Never let a stranger build walls around you.

Riddle-Master Tropes
A light-hearted review of the tropes (standard literary devices) used in the Riddlemaster trilogy.