Through Fiery Trials

by David Weber

  Borer—a form of Safeholdian shellfish which attaches itself to the hulls of ships or the timbers of wharves by boring into them. There are several types of borer, the most destructive of which continually eat their way deeper into any wooden structure, whereas some less destructive varieties eat only enough of the structure to anchor themselves and actually form a protective outer layer which gradually builds up a coral-like surface. Borers and rot are the two most serious threats (aside, of course, from fire) to wooden hulls.

  Briar berries—any of several varieties of native Safeholdian berries which grow on thorny bushes.

  Catamount—a smaller version of the Safeholdian slash lizard. The catamount is very fast and smarter than its larger cousin, which means it tends to avoid humans. It is, however, a lethal and dangerous hunter in its own right.

  Cat-lizard—a furry lizard about the size of a terrestrial cat. They are kept as pets and are very affectionate.

  Chamberfruit—a native Safeholdian plant similar to a terrestrial calabash gourd. The chamberfruit is grown both as a food source and as a naturally produced container. There are several varieties of chamberfruit, and one common use for it is in the construction of foamstone pipes for smoking.

  Cherrybean tea—a “tea” made from the beans (seeds) of the cherrybean tree, especially favored in Emerald and Tarot and is a highly esteemed luxury in North Harchong and The Temple Lands, although its expense limits it to a very wealthy group of consumers.

  Cherrybean tree—the Safeholdian name for coffee trees. There is only one variety on Safehold, a version of robusta genetically engineered to survive in a wider range of climates. The cherrybean tree is still limited to a fairly narrow belt of equatorial and near-equatorial Safehold because of the planet’s lower average temperatures.

  Chewleaf—a mildly narcotic leaf from a native Safeholdian plant. It is used much as terrestrial chewing tobacco over much of the planet’s surface.

  Choke tree—a low-growing species of tree native to Safehold. It comes in many varieties and is found in most of the planet’s climate zones. It is dense growing, tough, and difficult to eradicate, but it requires quite a lot of sunlight to flourish, which means it is seldom found in mature old-growth forests.

  Church of Charis—the schismatic church which split from the Church of God Awaiting (see below) following the Group of Four’s effort to destroy the Kingdom of Charis.

  Church of God Awaiting—the church and religion created by the command staff of Operation Ark to control the colonists and their descendants and prevent the reemergence of advanced technology.

  Cliff bear—a Safeholdian mammal which somewhat resembles a terrestrial grizzly bear crossed with a raccoon. It has the facial “mask” markings of a raccoon and round, marsupial ears. Unlike terrestrial bears, however, cliff bears are almost exclusively carnivorous.

  Cliff lizard—a six-limbed, oviparous mammal native to Safehold. Male cliff lizards average between 150 and 250 pounds in weight and fill much the same niche as bighorn mountain sheep.

  Commentaries, The—the authorized interpretations and doctrinal expansions upon the Holy Writ. They represent the officially approved and Church-sanctioned interpretation of the original Scripture.

  Composition D—The Charisian name for TNT.

  Cone wood—an evergreen tree, similar to Terran conifers, native to northern Safehold. Not much seen south of Chiang-wu Province. Grows to about 65 feet.

  Cotton silk—a plant native to Safehold which shares many of the properties of silk and cotton. It is very lightweight and strong, but the raw fiber comes from a plant pod which is even more filled with seeds than Old Earth cotton. Because of the amount of hand labor required to harvest and process the pods and to remove the seeds from it, cotton silk is very expensive.

  Council of Vicars—the Church of God Awaiting’s equivalent of the College of Cardinals.

  Course lizard—one of several species of very fast, carnivorous lizards bred and trained to run down prey. Course lizard breeds range in size from the Tiegelkamp course lizard, somewhat smaller than a terrestrial greyhound, to the Gray Wall course lizard, with a body length of over five feet and a maximumn weight of close to 250 pounds.

  Crusher serpent—a huge Safeholdian predator roughly analogous to a boa constrictor. Crusher serpents are warm blooded, which better suits them to Safehold’s colder climate, and can reach lengths of up to sixty feet. They are ambush hunters which prefer flight to fight in threat situations, and they can sometimes be faced down even by relatively small prey animals. Nonetheless, they are fearsome foes if cornered and have been known to take down even adolescent slash lizards.

  Dagger thorn—a native Charisian shrub, growing to a height of perhaps three feet at maturity, which possesses knife-edged thorns from three to seven inches long, depending upon the variety.

  Dandelion—the Safeholdian dandelion grows to approximately twice the size of the Terrestrial plant for which it is named but is otherwise extremely similar in appearance and its seeds disperse in very much the same fashion.

  De Castro marble—a densely swirled, rosy marble from the de Castro Mountains of North Harchong which is prized by sculptors, especially for religious and Church art.

  Decrees of Schueler—the codified internal directives, regulations, and procedure manual of the Office of the Inqusition.

  Deep-mouth wyvern—the Safeholdian equivalent of a pelican.

  Doomwhale—the most dangerous predator of Safehold, although, fortunately, it seldom bothers with anything as small as humans. Doomwhales have been known to run to as much as one hundred feet in length, and they are pure carnivores. Each doomwhale requires a huge range, and encounters with them are rare, for which human beings are just as glad, thank you. Doomwhales will eat anything … including the largest krakens. They have been known, on extremely rare occasions, to attack merchant ships and war galleys.

  Double-glass or Double-spyglass—Charisian term for binoculars.

  Dragon—the largest native Safeholdian land life-form. Dragons come in two varieties: the common dragon (generally subdivided into jungle dragons and hill dragons) and the carnivorous great dragon. See below.

  Eye-cheese—Safeholdian name for Swiss cheese.

  Fallen, The—the Archangels, angels, and mortals who followed Shan-wei in her rebellion against God and the rightful authority of the Archangel Langhorne. The term applies to all of Shan-wei’s adherents, but is most often used in reference to the angels and Archangels who followed her willingly rather than the mortals who were duped into obeying her.

  False silver—Safeholdian name for antimony.

  Fire striker—Charisian term for a cigarette lighter.

  Fire vine—a large, hardy, fast growing Safeholdian vine. Its runners can exceed two inches in diameter, and the plant is extremely rich in natural oils. It is considered a major hazard to human habitations, especially in areas which experience arid, dry summers, because of its very high natural flammability and because its oil is poisonous to humans and terrestrial species of animals. The crushed vine and its seed pods, however, are an important source of lubricating oils, and it is commercially cultivated in some areas for that reason.

  Fire willow—a Safeholdian evergeen tree native to East Haven’s temperate and subarctic regions. Fire willow seldom grows much above five meters in height and has long, streamer-like leaves. It prefers relatively damp growing conditions and produces dense clusters of berries ranging in color from a bright orange to scarlet in color.

  Fire wing—Safeholdian term for a cavalry maneuver very similar to the Terran caracole, in which mounted troops deliver pistol fire against infantry at close quarters. It is also designed to be used against enemy cavalry under favorable conditions.

  Fist of Kau-yung—the unofficial name assigned to Helm Cleaver and its operatives by agents inquisitor attempting to combat the organization.

  Five-day—a Safeholdian “week,” consisting of only five days, Monday through Friday.

 
Flange-beam—Safeholdian term used for what a Terran engineer would call an “I-beam.”

  Fleming moss—an absorbent moss native to Safehold which was genetically engineered by Shan-wei’s terraforming crews to possess natural antibiotic properties. It is a staple of Safeholdian medical practice.

  Foamstone—the Safeholdian equivalent of meerschaum. This light-colored, soft stone takes its name from the same source as meerschaum, since it is occasionally found floating in the gulf of Tanshar. Its primary use is in the construction of incense burners for the Church of God Awaiting and in the manufacture of tobacco pipes and cigar holders.

  Forktail—one of several species of native Safeholdian fish which fill an ecological niche similar to that of the Old Earth herring.

  Fox-lizard—a warm-blooded, six-limbed Safeholdian omnivore, covered with fur which ranges from a dull russet color to a very dark gray. Most species of fox-lizard are capable of climbing trees. They range in length from 40 to 48 inches in length, have bushy tails approximately 25 inches long, and weigh between 20 and 30 pounds.

  Gbaba—a star-traveling, xenophobic species whose reaction to encounters with any possibly competing species is to exterminate it. The Gbaba completely destroyed the Terran Federation and, so far as is known, all human beings in the galaxy aside from the population of Safehold.

  Glynfych Distillery—a Chisholmian distillery famous throughout Safehold for the quality of its whiskeys.

  Golden berry—a tree growing to about ten feet in height which thrives in most Safeholdian climates. A tea brewed from its leaves is a sovereign specific for motion sickness and nausea.

  Grasshopper—a Safeholdian insect analogue which grows to a length of as much as nine inches and is carnivorous. Fortunately, they do not occur in the same numbers as terrestrial grasshoppers.

  Grass lizard—a Safeholdian herbivore, somewhat larger than a Terrestrial German Shepherd, which is regarded as a serious pest by farmers. There are several subspecies, which are found almost everywhere outside the arctic regions.

  Gray-horned wyvern—a nocturnal flying predator of Safehold. It is roughly analogous to a terrestrial owl.

  Gray mists—the Safeholdian for Alzheimer’s disease.

  Great dragon—the largest and most dangerous land carnivore of Safehold. The great dragon isn’t actually related to hill dragons or jungle dragons at all, despite some superficial physical resemblances. In fact, it’s more of a scaled-up slash lizard, with elongated jaws and sharp, serrated teeth. They have six limbs and, unlike the slash lizard, are covered in thick, well-insulated, scaly hide rather than fur. A fully mature male great dragon can reach twenty feet in length, with a body weight of over five thousand pounds.

  Group of Four—the four vicars who dominate and effectively control the Council of Vicars of the Church of God Awaiting.

  Gun dogs—ICA infantry and cavalry nickname for their own army’s artillerists.

  Hairatha Dragons—the Hairatha professional baseball team. The traditional rivals of the Tellesberg Krakens for the Kingdom Championship.

  Hake—a Safeholdian fish. Like most “fish” native to Safehold, it has a very long, sinuous body but the head does resemble a terran hake or cod, with a hooked jaw.

  Hammer-islander—Safeholdian term for a sou’wester; a waterproof foul-weather hat made of oilskin or tarred canvas. It takes its name from Hammer Island, which experiences some of the harshest weather on Safehold.

  Hand of Kau-yung—the name applied by agents of the Inquisition to the anti-Group of Four organization established in Zion by Aivah Pahrsahn/Ahnzhelyk Phonda.

  Helm Cleaver—the name of Seijin Kohdy’s “magic sword,” and also the name assigned by Nynian Rychtair to the covert action organization created in parallel with the Sisters of Saint Kohdy.

  High-angle gun—a relatively short, stubby artillery piece with a carriage specially designed to allow higher angles of fire in order to lob gunpowder-filled shells in high, arcing trajectories. The name is generally shortened to “angle-gun” by the gun crews themselves.

  High Hallows—a very tough, winter-hardy breed of horses.

  Highland lilly—a native Safeholdian perennial flowering plant. It grows to a height of three to four feet and bears a pure white, seven-lobed flower eight to nine inches across with petals tipped in dark crimson. Its flower is considered sacred to martyrs and those who have fought valiantly for Mother Church.

  Hikousen—The term used to describe the air cars provided to the seijins who fought for the Church in the War Against the Fallen.

  Hill dragon—a roughly elephant-sized draft animal commonly used on Safehold. Despite their size, hill dragons are capable of rapid, sustained movement. They are herbivores.

  Holy Writ (1)—the central scripture of the Church of God Awaiting. The complete Holy Writ actually contains hundreds of volumes, as each of the “Archangels’” books consist of multiple volumes dealing in detail with subjects from The Book of Sondheim’s instructions for terraforming (“consecrating”) native Safeholdian flora and fauna to The Book of Pasquale’s instructions for treating appendicitis. (But see also below.)

  Holy Writ (2)—when applied to a single volume, the term “the Holy Writ” refers specifically to the books of Langhorne, First Bedard, Chihiro, and Schueler, which are customarily bound between a single set of covers and form the primary “teaching texts” of the Church. It is this volume which is found in every church and cathedral on Safehold and normally provides the scriptural reference for any sermon, although passages from other volumes of the complete Writ may also be used.

  Hornet—a stinging, carniverous Safeholdian insect analogue. It is over two inches long and nests in ground burrows. Its venom is highly toxic to Safeholdian life-forms, but most terrestrial life-forms are not seriously affected by it (about ten percent of all humans have a potentially lethal allergic shock reaction to it, however). Hornets are highly aggressive and territorial and instinctively attack their victims’ eyes first.

  Ice wyvern—a flightless aquatic wyvern rather similar to a terrestrial penguin. Species of ice wyvern are native to both the northern and southern polar regions of Safehold.

  Inner circle—Charisian allies of Merlin Athrawes who know the truth about the Church of God Awaiting and the Terran Federation.

  Insights, The—the recorded pronouncements and observations of the Church of God Awaiting’s Grand Vicars and canonized saints. They represent deeply significant spiritual and inspirational teachings, but as the work of fallible mortals do not have the same standing as the Holy Writ itself.

  Intendant—the cleric assigned to a bishopric or archbishopric as the direct representative of the Office of Inquisition. The intendant is specifically charged with ensuring that the Proscriptions of Jwo-jeng are not violated.

  Ironquartz—the Safeholdian term for ferrosilicon, an alloy of iron and quartz produced in Ehdwyrd Howsmyn’s blast furnaces as the basis for airship hydrogen gas generation.

  Ironwood—an extremely densely-grained Safeholdian hardwood. Ironwood prefers a colder climate and is native to both Havens, Howard, and the southern portions of the Land of the Raven Lords but is not found on the other islands/smaller continents. It is favored for baseball bats by many of the Mainlander teams, although a regulation bat is too heavy for many batters. It is also a preferred wood for nightsticks and riot batons.

  Journal of Saint Zherneau—the journal left by Jeremy Knowles telling the truth about the destruction of the Alexandria Enclave and about Pei Shan-wei.

  Jungle dragon—a somewhat generic term applied to lowland dragons larger than hill dragons. The gray jungle dragon is the largest herbivore on Safehold.

  Kau-yungs—the name assigned by men of the Army of God to anti-personnel mines, and especially to claymore-style directional mines, in commemoration of the “pocket nuke” Commander Pei Kau-yung used against Eric Langhorne’s adherents following the destruction of the Alexandria Enclave. Later applied to all landmines.

  Kau-yung�
��s striker—(also simply “striker”) the ICA’s combat engineers’ nickname for a flamethrower.

  Keitai—The term used to describe the personal coms provided to the seijins who fought for the Church in the War Against the Fallen.

  Kercheef—a traditional headdress worn in the Kingdom of Tarot which consists of a specially designed bandana tied across the hair.

  Key of Schueler—a memory module left with the Wylsynn family by the “Archangel Schueler.”

  Knights of the Temple Lands—the corporate title of the prelates who govern the Temple Lands. Technically, the Knights of the Temple Lands are secular rulers who simply happen to also hold high Church office. Under the letter of the Church’s law, what they may do as the Knights of the Temple Lands is completely separate from any official action of the Church. This legal fiction has been of considerable value to the Church on more than one occasion.

  Kraken (1)—generic term for an entire family of maritime predators. Krakens are rather like sharks crossed with octopi. They have powerful, fishlike bodies, strong jaws with inward-inclined, fang-like teeth, and a cluster of tentacles just behind the head which can be used to hold prey while they devour it. The smallest, coastal krakens can be as short as three or four feet; deepwater krakens up to fifty feet in length have been reliably reported, and there are legends of those still larger.

  Kraken (2)—one of three pre-Merlin heavy-caliber naval artillery pieces. The great kraken weighed approximately 3.4 tons and fired a 42-pound round shot. The royal kraken weighed four tons. It also fired a 42-pound shot but was specially designed as a long-range weapon with less windage and higher bore pressures. The standard kraken was a 2.75-ton, medium-range weapon which fired a 35-pound round shot approximately 6.2 inches in diameter.

  Kraken oil—originally, oil extracted from kraken and used as fuel, primarily for lamps, in coastal and seafaring realms. Most lamp oil currently comes from sea dragons (see below), rather than actually being extracted from kraken, and, in fact, the sea dragon oil actually burns much more brightly and with much less odor. Nonetheless, oils are still ranked in terms of “kraken oil” quality steps.