The coast of Churnor Nock (CHER-nor knock) is on the Holy Sea. Its people are hated by all the surrounding nations.

The Cheuri (Chee-AIR-ee) are the remnants of an ancient race, once great but now thoroughly decadent. Ennui destroyed them. The sheer boredom of having unlimited time and almost unlimited power has weakened them to the point where they almost crave death. While they live, no whim is too foolish for them to indulge.

Pure Cheuri all have red hair, but its color flickers and alters like flame. Their skin is white as snow, except when their rare anger makes them flush. They must protect themselves when they go out into the sun, so most of them sleep away the daylight hours, and become active at night. They are tall, rarely less than two meters, and thin to the point of looking cadaverous.

Their eyes glow yellow in the dark (when they are most likely to be seen), and, when seen in full light, seem a strange shade between red and brown. They see well in the dark, but are half-blinded by daylight.

All of them are immortal: they never age, and can be killed only by suicide or by fire.

The part-human children of the pure Cheuri do all administration. Occasionally a High Maker grows impatient with the government officials and has them executed, all documents are burned, new people are appointed to the old posts, and government resumes.

No one who looks entirely human is appointed to high office, only those who show at least one of the Cheuri stigmata. The humans who look most Cheuri are given the best jobs: government official, army officer or priest. However, these jobs are also the most dangerous, since they bring their holders into daily contact with Cheuri, and Cheuri kill on a whim.

There is only one law: "Do not offend a Cheuri." The only easy way to do this is not to meet one. Foreigners find it impossible to work out what will offend a Cheuri.

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