The Pearl Saga


The Pearl Saga is an incomplete series of science fiction / fantasy novels by Eric Van Lustbader. The series centers on Kundala, a planet conquered by the V'ornn, a race of aristocratic, militaristic humanoids; themselves ruled by the Gyrgon, a cabal of mysterious androgynous technomages. The main character is Riane, a prophesied redeemer known as the Dar Sala-at, born at both ends of the cosmos.

Characters

  • Annon Ashera - outcast V'ornn
  • Riane - amnesiac girl
  • Lady Giyan - lover of Annon's father
  • Miina - creator Goddess
  • Thigpen - a Rappa, a talking, six-limbed creature
  • Eleana - woman loved by both Annon and Riane
  • Kurgan, V'ornn rapist of Eleana, sire of her child
  • Marethyn Stogggul, Kurgan's defiant sister, an artist who joins the Kundalan resistance
  • Sornnn SaTrryn, chief trader and Marethyn's lover
  • Krystren, a Sarakkon woman from the mysterious southern continent
  • Rekkk Hacilar, former Pack-Commander, now Transcended
  • Nith Sahor, renegade Gyrgon
  • Minnum, curator of the Museum of False Memory

Kundala

Kundala is a planet with five moons and nine seas.

Five Sacred Dragons

The five dragons created Kundala under the direction of the Goddess Miia.
  • Eshir - air / Forgiveness
  • Gom - earth / Renewal
  • Yig - fire / Power
  • Seelin - water / Transformation
  • Paow - wood / Vision

Daemons

The daemons constructed and shaped Kundala. When they finished, they did not want to leave and were banished to the Abyss, a sorcerous void.
  • Pyphoros
  • Horolaggia
  • Myggorra
  • Sepseriis
  • Tzelos

Cultures

Kundalan

Kundalan culture is based roughly around the worship of the Great Goddess Miina, creator of Kundala. Kundalan society was once patriarchal, but is currently matriarchal. Worship is conducted in Abbeys, by the Ramahan. Kundalans practice at least two different kinds of sorcery, Osoru and Kyofu.
They speak one common language, with two older languages - the Old Tongue and Venca, the language of sorcery - being less common. The Venca language has 777 letters, ten times that of the Old Tongue.

V'ornn

The V'ornn are a nomadic, space-faring race, ostensibly searching for a new homeworld. V'ornn culture is centered on castes. They do not worship anything. The Mesagggun previously worshiped the War God Enlil, now dead.
;The Greater Castes
  • Bashkir - Merchants
  • Gyorgan - Technomages
  • Genomatekks - Physicians
;The Lesser Castes
  • Khagggun - Warriors
  • Mesagggun - Engineers
  • Tuskugggun - Females
  • Deirus - Physicians
The V'ornn lack hair entirely and have pale yellow skin. V'ornns view all other species as soulless animals. Despite different origins, they can interbreed with Kundalans.

Druuge

A nomadic people that live in the Great Voorg, a desert. They speak Venca. Some aspects of Druuge cosmology parallels V'ornn mythology.

Sarakkon

Inhabitants of the radioactive Southern Continent. They worship an androgynous being, Abrasea.

Centophennni

The only race to have stood against the V'ornn, the one thing they fear. They inflicted a punishing defeat upon the V'ornn fleet at Hellespennn 250 years previously, in revenge for the V'ornn invasion of their world 300 years before that. Their weapons use a Goron particle beam.

Items

The novels revolve around these items and the quest to find them.

Incompleteness

Van Lustbader has stated that, due to the popularity of the Bourne series, The Pearl Saga was put on hold. He says the series is expected to run to six or seven novels.