Ep 4 Quicksilver Worldbuilding, Lore, & Iconography Breakdown

Summary

Dear Fantasy Reader – Ep 4: "Quicksilver" Worldbuilding, Lore & Iconography Breakdown

Release Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Kinsey and Carly
Focus: An in-depth exploration of the worldbuilding, lore, and key symbols in Quicksilver (Fae and Alchemy series), in anticipation of the sequel, Brimstone.
Note: Skip ad-laden intro/outro; summary begins at [01:00].

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Episode Overview

This episode is a meticulous deep dive into the magical structure, religious lore, and rich symbolism anchoring Quicksilver by Callie Hart. Hosts Kinsey and Carly guide listeners through the pantheon of gods, the nature of quicksilver portals, alchemical magic systems, the complexities of Fae society, vampires, witches, dragons, and the crucial iconography that shapes the narratives. The breakdown blends detailed textual analysis, comparative mythology, theory-crafting, and a healthy dose of fangirl glee.

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Pantheon of Gods ([02:00]–[06:12])

Key Points:

• The Fae in Yvelia worship seven deities known as the Corcoran:
  • Styx: God of shadows.
  • Kiran: God of secrets.
  • Nisenai: Goddess of masks. (Kinsey: “Nisenai...Nicanae...Nisenne.” [02:42] – Ongoing pronunciation struggle.)
  • Malleus: God of dawn/new beginnings; often considered a dual aspect with Nisenai—reason still mysterious.
  • Xerath: God of chaos and change; met at the end of Quicksilver, notorious for terrifying mortals.

    “To look upon Xerath's face is to draw his focus. And very few people enjoy Xerath's attention being focused on them.” (Everlane quoting, [03:17])

  • Balmithin: Once a single deity, split into Bal (sun/day) and Mithin (moon/night) via a mythic storm—mirrors the twin suns (Balia/Min) in Cerys’s home realm.
• The Tree of Life (Yggdrasil-esque):
  Holds all universes together, with roots in quicksilver—anchors fate, drips with silver sap ([05:24]).
• Lost gods: In the story, gods left for a “pilgrimage,” leaving Fae to pray for their return (except for fearsome Xerath).
• God-names & titles: Corcoran derives from Gaelic for “purple” (royalty).

Hosts’ Insight:
Kinsey and Carly are drawn to the mirroring of real-world mythologies (Norse, Gaelic, Arthurian) and are convinced overlapping gods exist under different names/realms ([04:27]). Both find the god-splitting, storm-myth very “suspicious.”

The Nature and Mechanics of Quicksilver ([06:12]–[12:02])

Key Points:

• Quicksilver = Mercury: Toxic, drives people mad; direct reference to “mad as a hatter” from mercury poisoning ([08:47]).
• Pools & Portals:
  • Quicksilver pools are doorways between realms.
  • Only crossable with special relics—dangerous or fatal otherwise (“needs relics...otherwise, it can bind to the traveler, causing pain, madness, and even potentially death” [09:14]).
• Alchemists’ role: Forge these relics, allowing for controlled travel (“you just concentrate on where you want to go” [09:34]).
  • Danger of portals: “...thought of the kind of place they wanted to go and stepped into a pool, never to be seen again.”
    – Archivist Clements hypothesizes lost travelers end up “in the center of a star somewhere” ([10:03]).
• Sentience: Quicksilver is sentient and volatile, not just a substance but a kind of magical entity ([10:26]).
• Blood Symbolism:
  • Kingfisher’s blood transforms into quicksilver in key moments; links between blood, fate, water of life, and quicksilver as a foundational element ([07:55]).
• Quote:
  • “We do not bow. We are not bound by foreign magics, nor shall you be.” (Quicksilver to Kingfisher, [11:06])
    – Carly: “That's gonna come back.” ([11:21])

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Alchemy and the Alchemists ([12:02]–[13:46])

Core Facts:

• Seven Elements: Earth, air, fire, water, salt, brimstone, quicksilver—all marked on Cerys’s hands.
• Three Orders of Alchemists:
  • Immortality Seekers (desired eternal life).
  • Transmuters (altered metals/ores).
  • Healers (cured disease).
• Lost Histories: Alchemy predates quicksilver discovery. Power to manipulate quicksilver isn’t universal ([12:35]).
• Second-Order Dangers: Many alchemists died young, went mad due to strain of quicksilver use.
• Vampirism Link:
  • Malcolm tells Cerys: “Earth, air, fire, water, salt, brimstone, quicksilver, the full gamut. More power than any alchemist I've ever encountered. You are capable of restoring me to my power and a lot more besides.” ([13:13])
• Theory: The vampire curse may have originated with alchemists, Cerys’s unique powers could cure it.

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God Swords: Myth, Power, and Corruption ([13:46]–[17:56])

Highlights:

• Forging: Created by ancient alchemists, imbued with quicksilver, select their own wielders.
• Arthurian & Norse Allusions:
  • Drawing the sword from quicksilver echoes “sword in the stone” tales (Carly: “I loved this concept...” [13:46]).
  • God sword’s worthiness = Thor’s hammer ([14:26]).
• Dormancy and Corruption:
  • Most swords dormant after gods left (divine source gone).
  • Kingfisher’s sword, Nimarel, is still active but “corrupted.”
• Soul Binding: Sword remains powered because Meyrelle (Kingfisher’s friend) bound a piece of her soul to it, a tragic act ([15:18]).
• Host Theories:
  • Carly posits the corruption could be tied to Kingfisher’s ability to lie—breaking an oath corrupts the sword ([16:05]).

    Kinsey: “If you don't make the oath...you give up your honor.” ([16:26])

    • Could explain why Kingfisher refuses the title “lord.”

Other Notables:

• Cerys reforges and creates new swords; possession is dangerous unless chosen by the sword (“if anybody remembers that horrifying scene with Danya, maybe don't do that” [17:53]).

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Fae Lore: Lineages, Society, and Magic ([17:58]–[24:20])

Structure:

• Houses: Several major ones—Evalian (splintered from a brotherly feud), Lysien, Golarion.
• Names: True names hold power, threat of exploitation; “guard your true name as if your life depends on it” ([19:11]).
• Oaths: Some Fae are “oath-bound” and cannot lie; lawless Fae can, but are dishonored ([19:28]).
• Iron Weakness: Classic folklore trope, but some Fae can withstand exposure through training ([19:48]).
• Lost Wings:
  • High Fae lost their wings thousands of years ago—cause is obscure, flagged by hosts as a major mystery (“how does their evolution work in this world?” [20:28]).
• Blood Curse: Relics from vampirism remain—sharp canines; full cure means no longer needing blood ([20:53]).

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Vampires: Curses and Hierarchies ([24:20]–[26:10])

Key Lore:

• Origins: Malcolm, first High Fae vampire—representative of original cursed Fae.
• Side Effects: Sunlight burns, can’t cross running water (“...similar to traditional vampires” [24:28]).
• Lineage: Malcolm’s son Taladeus can turn others—a late reveal.
• Biting and Turning:
  • Regular bites lead to thrall (mindless feeders, akin to zombies).
  • Malcolm’s lords can drink without killing, but repeated bites enthrall victims.
  • Drinking from Malcolm can create lesser vampires, but once turned/dead, witch magic is powerless.

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Witches, Magic, and Familiars ([26:10]–[28:40])

Witches:

• Bloody scapegoats: Witches originally blamed for the Blood Curse, later exonerated; actual curse origin lies with alchemists and Fae ([26:17]).
• Balkhitter Clan: Witch family pivotal in curse-breaking, notorious for hating Bellikon.

Magic of Cure:

• Lost to time; only possible on those still alive, not fully turned.

Onyx — The Familiar?:

• Onyx, a supernatural animal attached to Cerys’s life, “acts a little like a familiar.” ([27:57])
• Possible hint at hidden witch heritage in Cerys.

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Supernatural Creatures ([28:40]–[29:24])

List of dangerous beings (mainly threats to Fae children):

• Banshees
• Wraiths
• Saw-toothed mermaids (“very descriptive”)
• Den-dwelling monsters (“giving Tremors” – Carly [29:12])

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Dragons and "Brimstone" ([29:24]–[35:36])

Brimstone & Omens:

• Kingfisher is famed for slaying the last dragon, Om Namshikrai (“the Drake,” “Old Blood,” “Grandfather Ash”)—saturated with brimstone, a key alchemical element.
• Significance:
  • Brimstone (sulfur) = divine wrath, dragons called “death wreathed in hellfire.”
  • Heavy repetition of “brimstone” in bonus chapters is a deliberate hint for book two, Brimstone ([30:46]).
• Politics of Dragons:
  • A 300-year peace accord (tribute in silver, gold, gems) was broken for a gruesome pact with Malcolm.
  • Dragons lack magic, rely on brute force, brimstone, and fire (limit of fire-blasts per size).
• Survival Theories:
  • Hosts suspect not all dragons are dead, nor all gold hoards explained ([34:31]).
  • Strong symbolism: dragon blood = quicksilver, “Old Blood”/ancient ties.

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The O'Shealith ([36:13]–[37:18])

Notes:

• Mysterious magic-wielding beings/societies (the O'Shealith) living in the northern mountains.
• Known for mysterious “healing songs.”
• Hosts hope for further exploration in sequels.

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Iconography: Wolves & The Lupo Proalia ([37:19]–[38:31])

• Wolf Symbol: Represents Kingfisher’s elite warriors—pack loyalty, duality of independence vs. group unity ([37:19]).
• Lupo (Latin “wolf”), proalia (Latin “warrior”).
• Symbolizes Kingfisher's own character arc: from lone protector to leader depending on/empowering his “pack.”

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Theories & Speculation

• God-Tree and shared pantheon = deeper multiversal links.
• Quicksilver’s sentience, symbolism as fate, blood, and water hints at elemental truths about magic/life.
• Alchemists have yet unrevealed, world-altering powers (and could resolve/cause vampirism).
• Dragons & brimstone tightly woven into future plotlines.
• Lost Fae wings and O'Shealith’s songs: major open loops.
• Wolves = model for relationships/teamwork; expect further metaphoric resonance in future books.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The quicksilver here makes you kind of go mad over time...parallels from real world elements made really fun.” – Carly ([08:47])
• “We do not bow. We are not bound by foreign magics, nor shall you be.” – Quicksilver ([11:06])
• “If you don't make the oath to never lie, you give up your honor. And so he doesn't think he's an honorable person.” – Kinsey on Kingfisher ([16:26])
• “I will stand by it. It definitely seems like there's a lot more to Ceris's power than we know. Just like with the quicksilver. Sneaky, Kelly.” – Kinsey ([13:46])
• “Highly suspicious. Highly suspicious.” – Carly, recurring catch-phrase for unsolved mysteries ([05:21])

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Timestamps – Jump to Segments

• Gods and Religion: [02:00] – [06:12]
• Quicksilver as Portal/Blood/Life: [06:12] – [12:02]
• Alchemy & Alchemists: [12:02] – [13:46]
• God Swords: [13:46] – [17:56]
• Fae Society, Names, and Curses: [17:58] – [24:20]
• Vampires: [24:20] – [26:10]
• Witches & Familiars: [26:10] – [28:40]
• Lesser Supernatural Creatures: [28:40] – [29:24]
• Dragons & Brimstone: [29:24] – [35:36]
• O'Shealith & Healing Songs: [36:13] – [37:18]
• Wolf Iconography/Lupo Proalia: [37:19] – [38:31]

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Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with excitement for Brimstone, the importance of reading bonus chapters, and a promise to continue sleuthing through the Fae and Alchemy universe. Listeners are encouraged to check out Patreon for bonus content and join the Discord for more book discussions.

Closing words:

“Until next time, dearest fantasy readers, prepare for Brimstone as we continue our journey...” – Kinsey ([39:57])

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For more details, fan theories, and deep dives, visit DearFantasyReader.com or join their Patreon and Discord community!

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[End of Summary]

Transcript

[Jeff Bridges]

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[Dana]

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[Kinsey]

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[Carly]

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[Kinsey]

Foreign dearest fantasy readers, welcome to the Dear Fantasy Reader podcast where we travel through the pages of our favorite Romanasy novels. I'm Kinsey.

[Carly]

And I'm Carly.

[Kinsey]

Join us as we enter the world of the Fae and Alchemy series, prepping for the highly anticipated release of Brimstone, which releases on November 18th of 2025. Today, we'll be breaking down lore, world building and iconography used in Quicksilver with.

[Carly]

That content warning and spoiler alert. This episode is full of Quicksilver spoilers. So if you haven't read the book, go do that first. If you need a quick refresher on Quicksilver, check out our recap episode.

[Kinsey]

Also, due to the nature of this book, this podcast is rated R in content and language.

[Carly]

If you'd like to watch this episode ad free and full video or audio only if you would prefer, it's available now on Patreon and we dropped the link in the show notes as well.

[Kinsey]

Now grab your relics and prepare to dive into the Quicksilver. Sanity is not guaranteed.

[Carly]

All right, starting off strong. We are starting off with the Gods. Because after those final chapters of Quicksilver, how can we not start off with the Gods?

[Kinsey]

It's like the craziest part of the whole book.

[Carly]

Honestly, when I read that I was like, wait, what is happening? I had to reread the chapter because it was just like. It felt a little whiplashy, but in a really fun way. I was there for the chaos of it. It was so much fun. All right, so there are seven deities worshiped by the Fae in Yvelia. We have Styx, God of shadows. Maybe we'll get a shadow daddy. Kiran, God of secrets. Nysenai. Anybody want to Nysenai.

[Kinsey]

Nisenai. Nicanae. Nisenne.

[Carly]

I'm going to go with this. Nisenai, goddess of masks. Malleus, God of dawn and new beginnings. I will also note that Nisenai and Malleus are often considered one God, but it isn't actually elaborated on why. Xerath, God of chaos and change. We meet Xerath at the end of Quicksilver. Everlane provides some information about Xerath quote. To look upon Xerath's face is to draw his focus. And very few people enjoy Xerath's attention being focused on them. We respect and revere him, but we'd rather he was paying attention to what other people were doing instead of us. Yeah. After that last chapter, I can see why. And Balmithin believed to once be one God and is now known as two twin goddesses known as Bal, goddess of the sun and day and Mithin, goddess of the moon and night. And Everlane again provides us with the following quote. Legend says that they once were one God. But a mighty storm came and Balmithan refused to take shelter as it raged across the land. The powerful spirit within the storm was furious that Bal Mithan didn't cower before him. And so he lashed her with his forks of lightning. Again and again the lightning struck Bal Mithun, but she didn't die. Instead she cracked and split in two, becoming Bal and Mithun. This information is also eerily similar to the goddesses names of the twin sons in Cerys home realm of Balia and Min. So super interesting. I will say. I think that that storm spirit. Highly suspicious.

[Kinsey]

So highly suspicious.

[Carly]

I mean it broke a God in two, so gonna be looking out for that as well.

[Kinsey]

I definitely think they're like all the same gods because they have that main tree of life which we're about to get into.

[Carly]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Kinsey]

Different names and different realms make sense, but I think they're definitely the same gods.

[Carly]

Agreed.

[Kinsey]

Anyways, continuing on, Everlane also mentions that they pray that the gods return to Yvelia with the exception of Xerath, who it seems they are actually a little afraid of. So they do not want him in their lives. At one point, Ceris asks where the gods went, and Everlein starts to tell her they went on a pilgrimage thousands of and cuts herself off before she finishes explaining. We also learn from Seras that they do not worship the Korkoran in her home realm, Zulvarin. But she does say, quote, she my mother told me once that the people used to pray to gods in Zolvarin, but their names and their temples were eaten by the desert a long time ago.

[Carly]

Highly suspicious. Highly suspicious.

[Kinsey]

Especially considering who is the queen in Zulvaran now. Finally, the last item for the gods, and potentially the most important, is the Tree of Life that Sarah sees when Xerath pulls her through the quicksilver to his realm. It is interesting to note that this tree is very reminiscent of Yggdrasil, which in Norse mythology is also the Tree of Life. And there are other Norse mythology like moments in the book, but this one really stood out. This tree that holds all the universes has its roots, which are the anchors of fate, growing down into quicksilver and ribbons of silvers spilling down the trunk like SAP. The seven gods are known as the Corcoran. And for those of you who are curious, the word Corcoran has its roots in Gaelic and comes from the word of purple, which signified royalty. Which leads us into our next topic, the Quicksilver.

[Carly]

It's. I don't know if weird is the right word. I don't want to use suspicious again, because I'm pretty sure my suspicious count at this point in the episode's already at a dozen. But the fact that the tree is rooted in quicksilver and that he pulled, like he pulled her through the quicksilver pools to him, that's how she got to the gods. The way the quicksilver is intertwined with the tree, it says that the roots are fate, and that's the fate is rooted in the quicksilver. Like, I don't know if it's just supposed to be symbolic, but this has got to be really important, right?

[Kinsey]

Absolutely. I mean, when you think about the fact that trees, a normal tree, like in our world, the roots are within the soil, we have water. That's how it gets its nutrients. But quicksilver is sustaining the life of the Tree of Fate, of all the universes. And this is also really interesting too, because in one of the bonus chapters for Quicksilver, Kingfisher's blood turned to quicksilver. And I don't know if it actually turned, but he said he would reach towards his mouth expecting to see blood, but instead it was quicksilver instead. So I'm like, there's something going on here. It's the water of life. And then blood turns to quicksilver, and it's how they teleport.

[Carly]

Well, I think that's really interesting that you say that too, because there's a point where he tells Seras everything comes back to blood. And the symbology of the quicksilver being like, the tree's water. And what do we say about water? Like, water is the source of life. There is no life without water. And the fact that it's kind of the water for the tree in a way, and everything comes back to blood. It can't just be like, symbology. I feel like there's gotta be more to it. That's gonna be really important in these books.

[Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. And I wonder, like, how the realm. I mean, I guess there were other, like, alchemists out there, so not all of the quicksilver pools were frozen. But, like, I wonder what it was like for them when they cut off from that realm, specifically, like, with the quicksilver.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Interesting.

[Carly]

It's gotta be. There's gotta be some importance to that. And the fact that, like, Madra had, like, cut off the quicksilver, and then they were a desert and there was no water. And so there's gotta be some connections there, right?

[Kinsey]

Like she cursed the land for cutting off the life source.

[Carly]

Yeah, maybe. Maybe it wasn't always a desert. Like, mattress. Been alive for a long time. It'd be interesting to know what it was like when she first got there.

[Kinsey]

Ooh.

[Carly]

Yeah. And maybe that's why she finally went back.

[Kinsey]

Maybe I missed the snow.

[Carly]

Yeah. All right, we're going to be diving into the quicksilver for real now. What I find most interesting about the use of quicksilver is that it is another name for mercury and how she pulled in accurate elements to it. So, you know, mercury is toxic to handle and even how it can cause you to go mad, obviously, in a different way. But the phrase mad as a hatter comes from hat makers who went mad from breathing in mercury vapors. And the quicksilver here makes you kind of go mad over time. So I just think it's really some really interesting parallels that she pulled in here that she used some of these real world elements and made them really fun and exciting. But given this is a fantasy world, quicksilver obviously works a little differently here. And here are some quick facts on how it works. The pools of quicksilver are pathways that connect different realms. However, it is highly painful to the touch and needs relics to be traveled through. Otherwise, it can bind to the traveler, causing pain, madness, and even potentially death. So not great. Alchemists are needed to create the relics by forging quicksilver to pendants to travel through, you just concentrate on where you want to go or what you want to be brought to. However, this is very dangerous, as we learn from the librarian Rosarius, who says, on a number of occasions, an alchemist thought of the kind of place they wanted to go and stepped into a pool, never to be seen again. A group went searching for hydrogen once that busy body. Archivist Clements postulated that the Quicksilver delivered them right into the center of a star somewhere.

[Kinsey]

A ripe Whoops.

[Carly]

It is also sentient and highly volatile. The quicksilver pools can be stilled if an Alchemerian sword is placed in it, like how we saw at the beginning of Quicksilver. When one pool of quicksilver is activated, all pools are activated. And the largest pool is located at the Winter palace and can allegedly transport entire armies. It is so large. Yeah. So is there anything else we want.

[Kinsey]

To talk about the Quicksilver before we move on? Kins, one last thing.

[Carly]

Okay.

[Kinsey]

Because these bonus chapters drove me mad. Like the Mad Hatters. So, in the Gate, Part 1, Bonus Chapter, as Kingfisher is being exposed to an iron gate, warded with magic, the Quicksilver told Kingfisher, we do not bow. We are not bound by foreign magics, nor shall you be. Whatever the hell that means.

[Carly]

That's like. I don't know. I'm just gonna say suspicious. I know I say it all the time, and I'm sure everybody makes fun of me, and it's like there's, like, drinking games somewhere happening to. How often they say suspicious, but we are not bound by foreign magics. Like, that's gonna come back. That's gonna come back.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. I mean, we already know there's, like, multiple universes that exist here, but we know that the quicksilver is not from their realm. Yeah, it's very strange.

[Carly]

Very.

[Kinsey]

Now, let's discuss the little bit that we do know about the alchemists. To no one's surprise, our badass FMC just so happens to be the most powerful alchemist in history.

[Carly]

Of course, no one saw that coming. No, not at all.

[Kinsey]

Never. Alchemists are capable of controlling earth, air, fire, water, salt, brimstone, and quicksilver. And it just so happens Serris has the symbols for all of them on her hands. It seems that much of the History of the alchemists has been lost, but we do know a few key details. There were three historical branches of 1 immortality seekers, those who sought eternal life 2. Transmuters, those who transformed metals and ores, and 3. Healers, those who focused on curing illness and disease at some point. Alchemists existed before the discovery of the quicksilver. So while the quicksilver is an important part of their history, it doesn't seem to be where it started. It's debated whether alchemists can actually control the quicksilver pools. Second Order alchemists, the Transmuters, had short lives, often going mad or committing suicide due to the strain of dealing with quicksilver, Malcolm told Serras it was a very talented alchemist who discovered the key to my blood gift. And Malcolm continued by saying, earth, air, fire, water, salt, brimstone, quicksilver, the full gamut. More power than any alchemist I've ever encountered. You are capable of restoring me to my power and a lot more besides. Which, to me, these two quotes might mean that the alchemists originally created the Vampire Blood Curse. And as the most powerful alchemist in an age, Seris might be able to fully cure the vampires.

[Carly]

I really think you're onto something with that.

[Kinsey]

I will stand by it. I will stand by it. It definitely seems like there's a lot more to Ceris's power than we know. Just like with the quicksilver. Sneaky, Kelly.

[Carly]

Yeah, so sneaky. So now that we have gone over the quicksilver and alchemist, we have to talk about what I think is my favorite topic from this the godswords. I loved this concept and found the tie ins with both Arthurian legends and Norse mythology so interesting. The moment Serris pulled the sword out of the quicksilver, it reminded me of the sword in the stone tale from Arthurian legends. And the foreshadowing of her being the one to do this, meaning she'll be a future ruler, which is what happens at the end of the book. And the way the God swords work remind me of Thor's hammer and how it chooses who is worthy of it. So I love those tie ins. I'm such a nerd for mythology and I don't care.

[Kinsey]

No, dude, same. I love it.

[Carly]

So to give a brief history lesson on the godswords, they were forged by the ancient alchemy masters. Each sword was infused with quicksilver and acted as a conduit for immense magical energy. The quicksilver seems to choose its wielder and whether it will allow the sword to channel magical abilities that turn the sword into greater weapons. God swords were connected to the divine magical source, which faded after the gods left Velia, cutting them off and rendering most of them dormant, with the exception of Kingfisher's sword, Nimarel, which is corrupted in some way. The reason his sword still worked was because one of his friends, Meyrelle, bound a piece of her soul to his sword, which, fun fact. Kingfisher received his godsword in the same battle that killed Morel. And it was a gift from the twin goddesses. I know. It's like, that's so big to just say and keep going.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I, like, called Carly. I'm like, oh, my God. Have you Read this?

[Carly]

The FaceTime went on for a while. Yes. Nimerel was unnamed at the time of his gift and had been waiting for him for a millennia. So something's going on with Nimerel. It's got to be, I think, more important than we realize. Like, more important than just any old God sword, I guess.

[Kinsey]

And I don't think we know what the curse of the sword is or.

[Carly]

Like, why it's corrupted.

[Kinsey]

Corrupted? Yeah, we don't.

[Carly]

I actually have a little theory on that.

[Kinsey]

Ooh, do tell.

[Carly]

So, you know, it's possible it's because, like, the soul was tied to it. And maybe a human soul isn't meant to do that. But I think a more interesting reason would be, is because Kingfisher can actually lie and has lied and lying is corrupting the sword.

[Kinsey]

You think he. He's a liar?

[Carly]

I think maybe he broke his oath and can lie, and that breaking the oath corrupted the sword.

[Kinsey]

What if that's why he keeps saying, like, don't call me lord, like, I don't deserve to be a lord. And it's because if you don't make the oath to, like, never lie, you give up your honor. And so he doesn't think he's an honorable person.

[Carly]

Yeah, I thought it was because he.

[Kinsey]

Had, like, abandoned everybody for 100 years, but if it's because he's a liar.

[Carly]

Yeah, we'll get into the vampire section later. But there was a moment where I realized when I was going through all of our vampire quotes, that I was like, oh, he, like, tells Saris that, like, Malcolm's the only one that can turn people, but it seems like he knows Taladeus can.

[Kinsey]

Unless he didn't know.

[Carly]

It's possible he didn't know, but it kind of seemed like he knew how powerful Taladeus was because. But anyways, I think it's possible. I think it's possible. I think it's possible. I don't have any hard evidence.

[Kinsey]

Oh, my.

[Carly]

But I think that would be really interesting.

[Kinsey]

Mm.

[Carly]

Okay. Diving back in. Ceres reforged Daniel's sword and that sword, Aviaseth. Anybody want to tell me how to pronounce that one? We want to go with that.

[Kinsey]

Avisathe.

[Carly]

Avisathe. We'll go with that. Avisathe. Then chooses Lorath. Cerys also makes a sword for Carrion, which he names Simon Serris carries Solas, which was Kingfisher's father's sword and was the one she pulled from the Quicksilver. Touching a godsword that does not belong to you. Extremely dangerous. If anybody remembers that horrifying scene with Danya. Maybe don't do that.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. Don't touch what doesn't belong to you.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Exiting our godsword discussion, we are now going to speak about the Fae, which is one of my favorites as well.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

So there's a lot that we learn here. Let's start off with the Fae lineages and society. Evali and Fae are the youngest of the Fae houses. By around a thousand years. The Evelion Fae splintered off due to a dispute between two brothers forming their own court. There are multiple Fae houses, including Evalian Fae, Lysien Fae. They are ruled by Queen Sorcia. That name will come up again. And the Golarion. And if that sounds familiar, it is because the book Carrion had about Fae growing up was titled Feynman. They creatures of the Golarian Mountains. And I might not even be saying that correctly. So, Golarian, Galarian.

[Carly]

The Galarian. We're all doing our best here.

[Kinsey]

Yes, we are.

[Carly]

So. Also incredibly important. In Fae culture, names hold power. Every Fae has a true name, often known only to themselves and their mother. Revealing or using someone's true name can be a source of power or manipulation. And it is worth mentioning in the bonus chapter. Kingfisher was specifically warned to guard his true name as if his life depends on it.

[Kinsey]

That's not ominous at all.

[Carly]

No, not a bad omen. That definitely won't come up again.

[Kinsey]

Absolutely not.

[Carly]

Some Fae are oath bound and cannot lie. Having taken a vow on the fear in stone at age 21. Those who refuse the oath become lawless Fae capable of lying, stealing, etc. But lack honor.

[Kinsey]

Hmm. Wonder who that could be.

[Carly]

Another thing I'm sure won't come up. Nope.

[Kinsey]

Going into the technical parts of Fae in this world, the Fae in Quicksilver have typical folklore powers So a weakness to iron. Although they can condition themselves to withstand some of the effects of iron, they can also burn themselves out by harnessing too much magic. And while the Fae used to have wings, they have not had them for thousands of years.

[Carly]

That I think is so odd because the way they talk about it isn't like, oh, we evolved out of them, or we were cursed, or there was an illness that took them. It's just like, oh, yeah, we used to have them. We don't have them anymore. And it's like, okay, but why?

[Kinsey]

And they still have their fangs, which will be the next point here. But I'm like, how does their evolution work in this world?

[Carly]

I think that this is gonna come up. I feel like the reason why is going to be really important personally.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. And there is like a distinction between High Fae and lesser Fae. Because there are still lesser Fae creatures who do have wings.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

But it's just very interesting.

[Carly]

It is.

[Kinsey]

Anyway, speaking of those canines, a Blood Curse was placed on the Fae a millennia ago and that has since been cured. The Fae retain remnants of this Blood Curse, such as sharp canines, but no longer need blood to maintain immortality. And we will get into this Blood curse more in our vampire section.

[Carly]

Yes, speaking of those winged creatures, we have some lesser Fae creatures. And that includes a wide range of Fae or Fey adjacent beings, including pixies, dryads, brownies, satires, nymphs, sprites. And among the sprites, we have fire, Earth, air and water.

[Kinsey]

I've never heard someone pronounce Satyr. Is satire. Or is it?

[Carly]

Oh, is that how you say it?

[Kinsey]

I think it's Satyr.

[Carly]

Oh, I don't know.

[Kinsey]

I was a Percy Jackson kid. That's how I've always pronounced it.

[Carly]

Maybe Satirs. It looks kind of like Satirs. I feel like we're gonna have a whole blooper at the end of this episode of us just trying to pronounce things.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, I don't know. My whole life I have pronounced it Satyr. And I know what brownies are, thanks to Fablehaven.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Anyways, another very significant thing for our Fae in this realm is they do have mating bonds. Fae once had true mating bonds. Magically blessed by the Fates. These bonds came with divine marks appearing spontaneously, which they are now extinct due to the departure of the gods and waning of ancient magic. In addition to divine marks from the Fates, there are Godbindings. Those are script marks around the wrist. And those were also considered a blessing from the gods. The history of these divine blessings were usually Part of tragic love stories where the couple suffered and one of them died.

[Carly]

Not at all ominous. Not worried about that at all.

[Kinsey]

King Fisher and Saris are true God bound mates.

[Carly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I can't even talk. I'm so distraught. Yes, they are true mates and have actual relics.

[Carly]

So rip down. Not nervous about that at all. Okay. All right. Moving on to Fae souls. Fae can give a piece of their soul to another, often to save a life. If the donor dies first, they become trapped in a non corporeal state, unable to move on. Not a fun time. If the recipient dies first, the soul piece returns to the donor. It is worth noting that Queen Sorsha of the Elysian Fae is still alive because her mother gave a piece of her soul.

[Kinsey]

Boo.

[Carly]

Yeah. Sorsha is now nearly 3,000 years old, still young and beautiful. And her mother's spirit is bound to her and unable to move on.

[Kinsey]

Boo.

[Carly]

And I just feel like that's going to be important in some part. So take note.

[Kinsey]

And it is worth noting that Lorath said that if Kingfisher dies before him, he will unalive himself. Because he's not going to do that to Kingfisher. Which is very nice considering.

[Carly]

Yeah, it's like quite the sacrifice to make. But also the fate.

[Kinsey]

I live really long times.

[Carly]

If you love someone, how do you like live with that? I don't know. Unless you don't care. But like if you care, how do you anyway?

[Kinsey]

Maybe her mom was a horrible person.

[Carly]

I mean maybe. Maybe. Maybe this is deserved somehow. Who knows?

[Kinsey]

Moving on to our villain of the story, our vampires. Malcolm is the first High Fae vampire. When the Fae were cursed thousands of years ago, they were all similar to Malcolm and similar to traditional vampires. They burn up in daylight and cannot cross running water. When a cure was found by Rurik Dianthus, the Ovelian Fae took it as they were horrified by what they had become. There were others, including Malcolm, who wanted the power the curse afforded them. Such as true immortality. Malcolm is, or should we say was the strongest and the king of the vampires. It is believed he alone is the only one strong enough to fully turn someone and ensure they remain themselves. However, we do find out at the end of the book that his son, and like not literal son, like cult son Taladeus hid, he was powerful enough to also do this. When the Princes bite and turn someone, their victims die and become feeders. If one of Malcolm's lords bites someone, they can drink without killing them. However, if they continue to bite the same person, eventually they become enthralled because he is so powerful. Malcolm only needs to bite once to enthrall. And if he has his victim drink from him, then they will become something like Malcolm's lords. If they don't drink from Malcolm, then they become a feeder, which is basically a zombie.

[Carly]

Yeah, yeah. Like these weird vampire zombies that can't swim, apparently. It's. Yeah. That was a really interesting twist, I think, that she did on this vampire mythology that she incorporated into Quicksilver. I really enjoyed all the way she kind of made the lore her own. I just really enjoyed those details.

[Kinsey]

Me too.

[Carly]

All right. One of my favorite topics. Witches. I love witches.

[Kinsey]

We love our witches. I know.

[Carly]

I can't help it. We don't know much about the witches other than they were blamed yet. They're gonna come up. But other than the fact that they were blamed for the Blood Curse, but it was proven that they were falsely accused.

[Kinsey]

The alchemist.

[Carly]

And I know we've all been struggling with some of these pronunciations this whole episode, but the Balkhitter clan. I'm trying my best here. People of witches were instrumental in breaking the curse. This clan hates everyone, but they truly loathe Bellicon the most.

[Kinsey]

Absolutely.

[Carly]

As one should, it is worth mentioning, while we're on the topic of the Blood Curse, that the cure for the curse was lost over a thousand years ago. The cure only helped helped the fae who had been cursed, not turned. This is because turned vampires die before they transition, and witch magic can't affect the dead. So once turned, a witch can no longer help. And while we're on the topic of witches, before we move on to the supernatural beings, I just want to mention some of the weird parallels with Onyx, because he behaves much like a familiar. Like he shows up in Ceres, life, protects her when she's asleep, is always around. I just thought it was an interesting parallel there. And I don't know if those exist in this world, but that would have to mean that Ceris has something like witch heritage or something like that. Yeah, but I thought it was interesting how he behaves a little like a familiar. I mean, to be fair, he also kind of behaves a little like a pet. But the way he kind of showed up in her life and then hung around and then even protected her from Carrion when she was asleep.

[Kinsey]

Don't vampires also have familiars?

[Carly]

Maybe.

[Kinsey]

Question mark.

[Carly]

Not that I'm aware of.

[Kinsey]

They do in the show what we do in the shadows.

[Carly]

Well, then it must be true.

[Kinsey]

It must be true. A Mockumentary series about vampires.

[Carly]

I'm gonna have to watch that one.

[Kinsey]

Day so we can talk about it. It's funny. But no, if not the vampire part, but like with the witch part, because that is like fact. They do have familiars in folklore. That would be very interesting.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

And that could explain part of the reason why everyone around Seras is like, why the hell do you have this wild animal following you around? Like, yeah, they don't have pets, but maybe it's because it's a familiar.

[Carly]

Yeah. And just really quickly we have a few other supernatural creatures that are mentioned. All of them are mentioned as being threats to the fae and more specifically, especially to their children. And those include banshees, wraiths, saw toothed mermaids, which seem very descriptive. And den dwelling monsters that burst from the ground and swallow prey whole. Which. This is gonna completely date me. But it's giving tremors. It's like. It sounds terrifying.

[Kinsey]

I bet they have really bad digestion issues.

[Carly]

They got to. That can't be good for you.

[Kinsey]

So if you guys have not read the bonus chapters that are available on Kelly Hart's website, you like, what are you doing at this point? If you haven't, you definitely need to. One subject of particular importance is the dragons. And as you know from listening to us for many seasons now, we love dragons. So in Quicksilver it is mentioned that Fisher killed the last dragon. And I will not say this correctly, Om nom Shakrai. And in the bonus chapters we get the scene. However, I think it is highly likely that either there are still dragons who are alive or their history and knowledge will be important. One of the main reasons for that is because the title of the next book is Brimstone. And if you read the bonus chapters, Brimstone is highly associated with the dragons. Here are a few potentially important pieces of information about the dragons. Om Namshikrai, or as he is commonly referred to as the Drake, has brimstone dripping from his teeth. And in case you are not aware, brimstone is sulfur and is often associated with divine wrath. This is important because the dragons are described as a curse, vengeful silent death and death wreathed in hellfire itself. So given that and the title of book two, make of that what you will.

[Carly]

Yeah, a lot to make of that.

[Kinsey]

Yes. Like the whole chapter, it's like brimstone flying down. Brimstone fly was like, write this down, write that down.

[Carly]

I think I looked it up and it was like mentioned like, I don't know, close to a dozen times or Something. It was a lot.

[Kinsey]

It was a lot. And that's also one of the elements that the Alchemist can control.

[Carly]

Yeah.

[Kinsey]

Anyway, There was a 300 year old accord between the Fae and the Drake. In exchange for peace, the Fae gave silver, gold, diamonds and rubies. The dragon broke the accord and sided with Malcolm in exchange for feasting on all the bodies that would be left by the battle.

[Carly]

That's gross.

[Kinsey]

Yeah. But hey, a girl's gotta eat.

[Carly]

Yeah, girl's gotta eat is right.

[Kinsey]

I'm pretty sure the dragon was male. But a girl's gotta eat. A guy's gotta eat too. Kingfisher killed the Drake, which is allegedly the last dragon. And it is worth mentioning some other names. The Drake goes by Old Blood and Grandfather Ash.

[Carly]

Those sound ominous. Yeah, especially Old Blood. There's gotta be something to that.

[Kinsey]

And if the blood is symbolic for Quicksilver.

[Carly]

Oh, look at us. I don't know.

[Kinsey]

Look at us making all these connections. Renfys helped kill the Drake and used his magic to pierce the dragon's scale, something that has never been done before, as the dragon scales are known to be impenetrable. And this was also not the first dragon that Fisher and his team had downed. And the Drake held a very big grudge about it and ate Renfys's sister as a result.

[Carly]

So, yeah, Rip, that wasn't great.

[Kinsey]

It wasn't great. The dragons do not have innate magic and rely solely on their physical power. Brimstone and fire. Depending on their size, a dragon's fire chambers must refill somewhere between one to three attacks. And one last thing. This dragon was super, super old. Like it was like it had said what it was. Older than the stars of your world.

[Carly]

Oh yeah, that's right.

[Kinsey]

It was crazy. So, yeah, it wasn't an easy kill because it was super old, super big, super powerful.

[Carly]

Well, and that's why I think that name, Old Blood is gonna come up. Like, it's just. It's known to be this very ancient bee. It was also huge. Like I think she describes it as like 100ft tall at one point. And that's like a 10 story building. Like that's, that's tall. I mean, it depends on the architecture of the building obviously, but yeah, like that's. That's a lot. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

I would not want to be in the same room as that dragon.

[Carly]

No, not at all. I will say, like reading that chapter, like, the vibe of these dragons is like they're not down with people or pretty much anything. They are surly and like Real angry and vengeful. So they're definitely an interesting vibe. And I am personally not buying that there's no dragons.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, well, there was something really interesting in one of the bonus chapters too. So, as we know, the Winter palace had like, a shit ton of gold, but Bella Khan apparently was moving his armies to a mountain area where the fae there have a shit ton of gold, too. And I'm like, why does he need to go get more gold if they already have a ton of gold? And, like, a lot of dragons are known for hoarding gold and silver. So I'm like, I don't know. Like, either. I mean, it could just be like a leftover reserve that the dead dragons had or something. I don't know. But I'm like, that's kind of weird.

[Carly]

Gold seems to be plentiful, though, here for the most part. Like, I mean, she. Because I feel like Serris mentions how, like, so many things there are made of gold instead of silver. Like, the way that we would use, like, silver for silverware or something like that, like, they're using gold. I find that highly suspicious. And that's such a great catch. And I am really just on team. There's a dragon out there somewhere. And it might partially because I just really want there to be a dragon out there somewhere.

[Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Carly]

But also the fact that the next book is called Brimstone. How many times that dragon is referred to as, like, having brimstone dripping down its teeth? And, like, all of these things.

[Kinsey]

Of all the things to get a bonus chapter of.

[Carly]

She gives us that of the bonus chapters too. Like, that one spends a lot of time with the dragon.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, she gave us two bonus chapters just of the battle with the dragon. Then we get like, a random bonus chapter of, like, Kingfisher and his home and, like, Onyx and Cerys and all that. And then we get a bonus chapter of Kingfisher first meeting Cerys and, like, going through the maze and then going through the quicksilver. But yeah, I'm like, of all the things she gave us, she gave us the dragon.

[Carly]

Well, and this is also a bonus chapter of him with the gods that's.

[Kinsey]

Actually in the battle with the dragon. He's, like, about to die. And then the twin gods, like, interfere.

[Carly]

Gotcha.

[Kinsey]

Yeah, that's part of it, but yeah. Okay, I will clarify though. When Belacan was marching towards the mountain, I think he was planning on changing directions to end up going for that witch clan, the clan that hates him. But it was just like a really odd mention. Still, that they're like, oh, yeah, they live at the mountain in the north, which aren't. Isn't that also where the Osholith are?

[Carly]

Oh, the o'. Sheleth.

[Kinsey]

O'. Shealith.

[Carly]

My bad. Yeah, I think so. He says the north, I believe, is where they are. So the o', Shelith, I really wish would have gotten more on them, because I feel like they've got to be important for the magic system. But we only get that one paragraph from Fisher on them, and it seems as though there's something about, like, they sing some sort of song, but nobody knows how they sing it, and that's, like, very suspicious. And then it heals. Like, he says it can heal, like, things. And I'm assuming that if you're going all the way there for healing that, like, it must be some sort of unhealable thing, like, because Quicksilver banging Fisher. That's true. That's true. It could be. That could be something worse down the road.

[Kinsey]

I don't know. Hey, hey. Get the energy out of here.

[Carly]

Yeah, I know. But, yeah, o' Shea were super interesting. I hope we get more on them, especially since, like, in the first book, like, they're. Well, in the original cover. They were on the COVID And how he calls her Osha. I feel like they're gonna have a bigger part to play with the magic system somehow.

[Kinsey]

I think so.

[Carly]

Yeah. All right, for our very last topic, we will be covering the iconography of the wolves in Quicksilver. The wolf symbolism was very present, as it is the symbol of the Lupo Proalia, also known as King Fisher's Wolves. The Lupo Proal are a group of warriors who are loyal to Fisher, who fight both together as a pack and are trusted to handle themselves individually. This symbolism is mirrored in wolves who embody a duality of independence and fierce loyalty. The word lupo is very similar to the Latin word lupus, which means wolf. And the word proalia is very similar to pra alia, which is Latin for warrior. We are seeing the symbolism of the wolf be mirrored in Kingfisher's character arc, where we have him acting very independently of the group to protect them. But as wolves are dependent on their pack for survival, I believe we will see this in Fisher as he trusts his team more to share the weight of the responsibility.

[Kinsey]

Aw, how cute. We love that.

[Carly]

Yeah. A little. Little wolf iconography to end off on just for the fun of it. Yeah.

[Kinsey]

And that wraps up our episode on Quicksilver Lore, Worldbuilding and iconography. Thank you so much for listening. Join us for our next episode where we are discussing everything we've learned about Brimstone from Callie Hart as we continue our Brimstone Prep series. Once Brimstone releases, we will start our recovery phase with initial reactions, analysis, theories and more.

[Carly]

If you are looking for even more Romantasy content, we also have three completed seasons of Empyrean chapter by chapter, Deep Dive coverage, author interviews and more. You can find more info about our previous and upcoming prep seasons, our episode and events calendar, author interviews, our contact form and more on our website dearfantasyreader.com, also linked down in the Show Notes.

[Kinsey]

You can join us over on Patreon where you can access all of our regular episodes ad free a day early and in full video plus extras like PDF annotations, shoutouts, bonus resources and more. Speaking of special, shout out to our newest tier 3 Patreon member Samh, thank you so much for supporting us.

[Carly]

You'll also find our Patreon link in the Show Notes along with all the ways you can support the show, whether that's joining a tier, subscribing, leaving a review, or just sharing us with your fellow Romantasy readers.

[Kinsey]

And don't forget to follow us on social media where we release book guides, author updates, our current reads, clips from episodes, pod updates, and more.

[Carly]

We'd love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts, tag us on Instagram, or come fangirl with us over your favorite fantasy books in our free Discord Chat.

[Kinsey]

Until next time, dearest fantasy readers, Prepare for Brimstone as we continue our journey through the Fae and Alchemy series we.

[Carly]

Did.

[Kinsey]

Is interesting to note that this tree is very reminiscent of Yggdrasil, which in Norse. Oh my God.

[Carly]

It is interesting. Yeah, you got it.

[Kinsey]

And I'm literally reading a book with Norse. Oh my God. Norse mythology right now.

[Carly]

You just want to say North Norse.

[Kinsey]

I don't have a lisp Morning Zoe.

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[Dana]

Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?

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[Dana]

Teach me so Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly AT T Mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera.

[Kinsey]

Wow.

[Jeff Bridges]

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[Kinsey]

Nice.

[Dana]

Jeffrey, you heard them.

[Jeff Bridges]

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[Dana]

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