Thousands of years ago, humans drove monsters to the edge of extinction. Using the Creation Stone, the monsters created Lanodeka—a world of their own. They left the earth, leaving only myths behind.

This three-inch stone medallion (one of only two made) opens the last remaining portal to Lanodeka. The runes written around the edge are so ancient, only the Librarian of Lanodeka can read them. 

Myth or Reality?

Dragons and griffins, sirens and elves—are they mythical or real? Here's how Annora, Lillian's mom (herself a siren) explains our shared history:

“Most of the stories you think of as myths aren’t myths at all. Monsters lived on earth long before humans evolved, and all creatures lived in peace for thousands of years. They shared the land and water and other natural resources. Sometimes humans hunted monsters for food, and sometimes monsters hunted humans for food, but that’s just how nature works. No one took more than they needed. It was a peaceful world in its own wild way.

“But then humans started to claim land as their own. They chopped down the forests to build their cities. They plowed over the grasslands to grow more food. They rerouted the rivers to water their crops. They fished with greater and greater nets, as if trying to empty the oceans. Many monsters were forced underground or into the mountains. Those that stayed were hunted, but it was no longer just about food. It was about ownership. The humans saw themselves as the heroes of a grand story, owners of paradise, ridding their Eden of evil creatures.

“For hundreds of years, the monsters held back the humans as best they could. Some wanted to wipe the humans out. They felt it was the only way to survive. Others, led by the dragons and griffins, wanted to give the humans more time to evolve. The humans didn’t evolve much, but their tools did—especially their weapons. More and more monsters were being killed. It grew into a war, and we, the monsters, were losing. We were being forced out of the world. So, in desperation, we used the Creation Stone to build another.

“The Creation Stone holds the creative power of the universe. It’s a fragment from the Big Bang, as humans call it. We monsters think of it as the First Dawn. Using the Stone, we created a new world—another dimension, actually.

“A wild, beautiful world, though most feel it’s not as beautiful as earth once was. For a while, some monsters passed back and forth between the worlds. But the humans kept hunting us. We feared that they would find the entrance to Lanodeka, so we created magical doorways that can only be opened with an enchanted stone medallion..."

(excerpted from The Three Worlds, Chapter 5. Siren Song)

The hydra's 7-part harmonies were so beautiful that the phrase, “I have heard the hydra sing,” has become a statement indicating a great epiphany.

Turning History into Mythology

During "the great migration," monsters left earth and took up residence in Lanodeka. History is usually rewritten from the point of view of the winners (in this case, the humans). That's how creatures as real as you or I were turned into myths. Some believe rewriting was a result of guilt—the humans didn't want to face what they had done.

But the Librarian of Lanodeka has kept careful records, many of which are supported by eyewitness accounts. It's fascinating to compare the human myth with the Librarian's history. Let's take the hydra as an example:

Human Mythology
The hydra, a seven-headed serpent, was terrorizing villages near Lake Lerna.

Heracles was sent to save the day. But when he cut off one head, two grew in its place. So Heracles called on his nephew Iolaus for help. When Heracles chopped off a head, Iolaus used a firebrand to cauterize the neck stump—which stopped a new head from growing.

​This victory became known as the heroic Second Labor of Heracles.

Lanodekan History
A thug named Hercules led his band of mercenaries to Lake Lerna. They shot flaming arrows into the hydra’s cave. As the creature emerged, it was caught in a net. The corners were hammered into the earth, and the hydra stared helplessly up as Heracles chopped off one head after another. Water nymphs who witnessed the scene said the hydra, known for its beautiful song, sang a hymn of loss, the harmony thinning out voice by voice until only silence remained. Hercules then used the hydra’s blood to create a lethal poison that made him the greatest assassin of the age.

(excerpted from A Lanodekan Bestiary, page 20-21)

After thousands and thousands of years, a new power has risen in Lanodeka.
There are rumblings of war. The monsters want the earth back.