Daughter of Venus takes place on a parallel world: the planet Ayandoh (eye-an-doe). The story of Ayandoh's creation will follow in another post.
The country of Gowerland exists on the continent of Nebella. The continent contains two distinct regions, separated in the northeast by the impassable Mountains of Meeshatri. Prior to the arrival of Godric and Bain Gower (aka Godric the Grave and Bain the Banisher), the entire continent was known as Nebella.
This map contains the locations mentioned in book one, A Journey Unveiled. Each book contains a progressively more detailed version, reflecting Lexi's exploration of the country.
The power-hungry brothers passed through a Veil in northern Nebella during 1639's Transit of Venus. High-ranking officers in the British Army, they were accompanied by a party of soldiers and carried with them the best technology of the time, including compasses, telescopes, and, of course, guns. To Nebellians, these objects were magical. As such, they decided Godric and Bain (and, to a lesser extent, their inferiors) must be powerful witches of a foreign magic.
Rather than disagree with or mock Nebellian beliefs or try to force Christianity on the population, Godric and Bain were wise and cunning enough to play along, using the Nebellian faith to their benefit. They pretended to be fellow believers and claimed to have been sent by the goddesses on a mission to protect and defend Nebella. So impressed were the Nebellians that they brought Godric, Bain, and their party before The Council, Nebella’s form of government. Outwardly, the Gower brothers and their men pledged their allegiance, only to plot and scheme behind closed doors.
The brothers and their men soon found allies among Nebellian citizens of all classes. Through them, they learned that whoever possesses control of the Tablet of Destiny becomes the ruler of Nebella. Currently, this was the queen. Unfortunately for them, the Tablet was under heavy guard that included magical wards and enchantments only the queen herself could lift.
Another problem the brothers encountered was the Loinnai (lo-in-eye), the so-called light elves. Kind, benevolent, and wise, the Loinnai were sent to Ayandoh by the Mother (goddess Ayanella) to serve as guardians of the planet and advisors to its citizens. Seeing the brothers for what they really were, the Loinnai attempted to convince The Council and the citizens of Nebella not to trust them. After being openly insulted and dismissed and their counsel ignored, the Loinnai left Nebella. This lifted their protection of the continent, which allowed the Selenites (dark elves) to access Nebella for the first time in history. The Gowers quickly made allies of the dark ones.
Ultimately, Godric tricked the queen into showing him the Tablet, seized control of it and the country, and became the first Gower king. Bain became his Hand, or second in command. They quickly set upon clearing the land of “lesser” races, such as dwarves, grotts, and halflings. The brothers also wanted to rid the country of witches (aka Vedosh) because they were afraid of their magic, but they decided to exploit them first. The Vedosh were rounded up and given a choice: fight for the Gowers or see their loved ones killed one by one until they either agreed to fight or were themselves killed.
The citizens revolted, but because the Nebellian culture had always been one of peace, weapons and skilled civilian fighters were scarce. With the army, the Vedosh, and the Selenites at their disposal, Godric and Bain won the war. The surviving members of the decimated non-human races were either enslaved or sent to small, contained territories near mines and other natural resources. The true purpose of these territories? Work camps, much like Nazi concentration camps.
Once their rule was secure, the Gowers ordered the death of all but the most loyal Vedosh. All future Vedosh were given the same choice: serve the Gowers or suffer the consequences. As time went on, each generation of Gower kings became progressively less tolerant of and more deadly to the Vedosh. Under the current reign of King Ulric, Aeric’s father, the only Vedosh permitted to live are Seers, also known as oracles. Vedosh still exist in Gowerland, but their numbers are few and they hide their powers for fear of detection, capture, and execution.
The formidable Mountains of Meeshatri protected the area northeast of Gowerland from the scourge of the Gowers. These Nebellians regained the Loinnai’s trust and counsel, once again earning protection against the Selenites. To this day, Nebellians continue to follow traditional Ayandonian customs, including a matriarchal society and treating nature with respect. As such, they avoid bloodshed as much as possible, including living a vegetarian, near-vegan, lifestyle.
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