The Twelve Houses Trivia Quiz

Answer: Senneth, Tayse, Justin, Kirra, Donnal and Cammon

"The Twelve Houses" eventually grew to include five books: "Mystic and Rider," "The Thirteenth House," "Dark Moon Defender," "Reader and Raelynx" and "Fortune and Fate." Books 1-4 of the series follow the friendship and adventures of these six companions. "Fortune and Fate" tells a related tale in which the original protagonists play supporting parts.

Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, their cousin Eustace Scrub and his friend Jill Poll feature in "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis.

Frodo Baggins, his cousins Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took and Fredagar "Fatty" Bolger are hobbits. Sam Gamgee, Frodo's servant cum squire cum friend and Rosie Cotton, Sam's sweetheart, are also hobbits. They appear in "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley and their twin brothers Fred and George and of course Harry himself are characters in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Answer: Gillengaria

As soon becomes clear in the opening chapters of "Mystic and Rider" (first novel of the series), Gillengaria faces increasing political and religious strife. The companions must first find peace and unity within their group, bonding into a band of friends. Then, as the series progresses, they endeavor to bring similar unity and understanding to the kingdom.

Karyndein, Sowenfeld and Arberharst are nearby countries. Though they are often referred to, the action of the series is restricted to Gillengaria and the semi-autonomous Lirrenlands.

Answer: Divisions of the realm, roughly analogous to English shires, each ruled by its own noble family

Each House bears the name of the district it governs and has its own heraldic emblems and colors. For instance, Kirra Danalustrous is a serramarra of Danalustrous, daughter of its governing noble, Marlord Malcolm. On special occasions she dresses in Danalustrous Red and wears rubies.

Answer: Marlord/Marlady

At their best, the Marlords and Marladies have a deep, almost mystical bond with their land. On a purely practical level, they are leaders of geographical and political units, able to impose taxes and raise troops on their own account, not necessarily in support of the monarch.

Answer: Serramar/Serramarra

The serramar and serramarra (the singular and plural are the same) are the children of the Marlords and Marladies. Kirra Danalustrous and Senneth Brassenthwaite are serramarra.

Answer: Mystics

Though the terms "sorcerer/sorceress" and "wizard/witch" are sometimes used, the common term for a practitioner of magic is "mystic". The term is necessarily vague, since Magic as practiced in Gillengaria encompasses a wide range of gifts and abilities. Though non-magical folk often mistrust mystics, in truth magic is not unnatural since, as the companions learn during their adventures, it is given by the long-neglected gods.

Answer: Four

Senneth, Cammon, Kirra and Donnal are mystics. The other two companions, Tayse and Justin, are not. Initially, the non-magic folk feel some antagonism towards the magic-wielders and the mystics distrust them. But in time a deep bond develops among the six.

Answer: King's Riders

The King's Riders (or Queen's Riders) are an elite force of fifty warriors hand-picked by the monarch and loyal to him or her personally above all else. They are held in awe by most Gillengarians for their prowess in arms and their discipline. Throughout the series, we see both Justin and Tayse fighting, training and loving.

Answer: Baryn

Baryn is the king. He lives in the Royal City, Ghosenhall. Cammon is the mystic boy, the sensitive or "reader", who is one of the six companions. Daryn Rappengrass is a serramar, son of Marlady Ariane of Rappengrass and a friend of Kirras. Halchon, rapacious and ambitious marlord of Gisseltess, wants to be king and is fomenting rebellion in Gillengaria.

Naturally, since "The Twelve Houses" is a Fantasy series, Baryn has a beautiful and mysterious daughter. Named Amalie, she is introduced in "The Thirteenth House", second book of the series, where she has a fairly important part. But not until the fourth book, "Reader and Raelynx", does she become a central character.

Answer: Shape shifting

Kirra is also a gifted healer.

As the series progresses, the mystics gradually learn (or discover) more about the ancient deities of Gillengaria, though the details remain vague. It seems that shape shifters are watched over by the Wild Mother.

Answer: Fire

Senneth is also a healer and can perform minor shape shifting. Her tutelary deity is the Bright Mother, the Sun goddess.

Senneth's fire magic is so potent that she is the only known mystic who can wear moonstones, which incapacitate other magic-bearers, without pain and diminution of her powers. In fact, she customarily wears a moonstone bracelet to keep her magic in check.

Answer: Sensing thoughts and feelings

Though Cammon cannot read minds as such, he is extraordinarily sensitive to moods and feelings. Senneth suggests that Cammon may draw his power from the Lady of the Waters.

Answer: All of these

The Silver Lady, Pale Lady or Pale Mother (the moon) and the Dark Watcher or Dark Mother are night goddesses. The Bright Mother is the lady of the sun. The Wild Mother guards animals and perhaps also shape shifters. Other deities occasionally mentioned in the series include the Lady of the Waters, the Green Keeper and the Wind Maker.

Answer: No

Styling herself the Lestra, Coralinda Gisseltess, sister of Marlord Halchon, leads the Daughters of the Pale Mother, a recently revived religious order. Her position, which in our world might be designated Mother Superior or Abbess, is one of great power, which Coralinda uses to imbue the women and girls in her care with her own profound hatred of magic.

She teaches the Daughters, the men of the convent's Guard, and through them ordinary Gillengarians, that the Lady of the Moon desires the blood of all mystics.

Answer: Raelynx

This is a red or russet cat with black tufts on its ears. Senneth captures it (or perhaps rescues it, depending how you view the situation) in "Mystic and Rider", when it is just a few months old, and it accompanies the companions for a time. By "Reader and Raelynx" it is full grown and, much to everyone's alarm, becomes the friend and guardian of Princess Amalie.

The American humorous poet Ogden Nash wrote a poem about the panther which concludes:

"When called by a panther
Don't anther.

Aslan the Lion stars in C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia."