The Lineage of Tellus is a fantasy series by L. J. Hasbrouck, first published in 2014 by Greyhart Press. It follows the adventures of heroine Ashei Greyhawke and her band of friends, and is set in a fictional land called Tellus. It is a high fantasy series with a modern touch, including witty dialogue generously peppered with innuendo.
The characters include Ashei Greyhawke, a student at the Arcane Arts Academia who bartends part-time and lives with her mother, Lenora, and their goat, Chewy. Her best friend is Marianne Theobolde, an outgoing and flirtatious pirate who goes to school with her. Her other best friend (and former lover) is Tristane Sedgrace, a half-elven mage who still harbors feelings for her. On their journeys they meet up with Finn, a talented but brash warrior, Varrus, a greedy, uncouth mercenary, and Van, a suave but oddly aloof pirate captain.
Their adventures begin when Ashei loses someone close to her and she seeks answers for herself. She and her friends travel to other lands within Tellus such as Grenvale, a green, hilly land home to mercenaries and dwarves, Atland, an independent island that is technologically advanced, Malus, a volcanic island home to a banished mage and cretinous creatures, and Fleurdan, a mountainous, snowy region that is home to the Elder and the Academia.
Tellus is home to Magus, an energy source of sorts split into three types: Natura, Spiritus, and Sanguinem. Nature, Spirit, and Blood respectively. Sanguinem is forbidden to teach at the Academia, and others exist not yet known to them.
Eventually the series progresses to include a new set of main protagonists after a Time Skip, concluding with a collection of short stories.
The series belongs to the High Fantasy and Heroic Fantasy genres with elements of Sex Comedy. It can also be more broadly labeled as a Drama, Action, and Romance.
This series provides examples of:
- Cast Full of Gay: Practically everyone, except for the (mostly) straight heroine, and the mercenary Varrus. Latter antagonist Shiruka is interested in women only mostly Karina, while Tris and Finn only love each other.
- Constructed World: Tellus is entirely original, though traces of Earth obviously inspire it. But it exists with its own modicum of energy and magus, and arguably its own universal version of time itself.
- Dowsing Device: The Mysticum Aqua only sees what is willed of it, via distance and time.
- Fantasy World Map: Book two includes a map showing the world of Tellus as visited within book one.
- Functional Magic: Finn, Tristane, Karina, Leander, Levane, the Ancients/some Teaglochians - not all Tellians are born with a gift for magus, but it is an thing you are born with.
- Hitchhiker Heroes: The entire gang is constantly traveling from point A to B, to Z and back to A...
- It May Help You on Your Quest: The Eochar Van finds and gives to Ashei.
- Magic A Is Magic A: The magus within Tellus operates within firmly established 'scientific' boundaries as pertain to the world' own set of existing energies.
- Our Monsters Are Different: Most of the creatures in Tellus are stock fantasy types, ie Vampires, Undead, Dragons, etc. However, the dragons are shapeshifters, the Vampires AREN'T seductive shapeshifters, the undead are resurrected by a mage and don't turn others with their bites ... and so forth.
- Plot Coupon: The Dracostones, the Eochar, the ingredients for Finn's potion. Arguably the potion Tristane retrieves from the Nether Realm.
- The Reveal: Finn's identity as Lenora’s murderer, Levane’s son, AND Ashei’s brother; Leander as Ashei’s father; Lelouch as the villain and Lilith the ruined heroine. Also, Van as Karina's father, and Shiruka surviving her death at the end of book four.
- Standard Fantasy Setting: The series contains a lot of the important elements: opposing realms, the '5' species, magic, monsters ... etc.
