Raséair: regent: Linrathan
Scáeli/scáeli'en: Bard(s), skald(s): Linrathan
Scrapta: female prostitute: Casilan
Serpens: snake: Casilan
Subura: marketplace: Casilan
Takkë: thank you: Marai’ista
Tårn: broch: Dialect of Sorham
Teannasach: chieftain; leader of Linrathe: Linrathan
Ti’ach/Ti’acha: school(s): Linrathan
Torp: farmstead & cottages: Linrathan
Torpari: cottager, peasant: Linrathan
Toscaire/toscairen: envoy: Linrathan
Westani: of the west: Casilan
Xache: board game: All western languages
The Characters of Empire’s Reckoning
Creating a character list in a two-timeline story is difficult, because characters’ titles and roles change over time. In this chart, characters are listed in the chapters they are introduced into the story, and may be listed more than once if their role or title changes. Family trees follow the character lists.
Legend:
Underlined = Characters in the chapters.
Regular = Characters mentioned but not present.
Italics = Deceased characters
Chapter 1–3
Apulo, Cillian’s body servant
Cillian, Comiádh (professor)
Colm, Lena & Cillian’s
10-year-old son
Dagney, Scáeli and teacher at the Ti’ach
Donnalch, Ruar’s father,
Teannasach of Linrathe
Druisius, Captain of the Guard
Faolyn, Princip of Ésparias
Fritjof, King of Varsland
Gwenna, Cadet, 14-year-old daughter
of Lena and Cillian
Hairle, Sorley’s nephew
Helvi, Ruar’s wife
Lena, Lady of the Ti’ach
Liam, Ruar’s great-uncle
Lorcann, Ruar’s uncle,
briefly Teannasach
Perras, Prior Comiádh of the
Ti’ach
Tamm, Senior student at the Ti’ach
Sorley (the narrator), Scáeli (bard); teaches music
The Empress, Eudekia, Empress of Casil
The Governor, Livius, Governor of Ésparias
Chapter 4-9
Casyn, Princip; Cillian’s uncle
Cillian, Major in the Ésparian army
Dagney, Scáeli to the Ti’ach na Perras,
Decanius, Procurator of Ésparias
Druisius, Cillian’s soldier-servant
Faolyn, Casyn’s 9-year-old grandson
Finn, Captain in the Ésparian army
Gnaius, Casilani physician
Irmgard, Ǻdla (princess) of Varsland
Kebhan, Lorcann’s son; Ruar’s cousin
Kyreth, Midwife from Berge
Livius, Governor from Casil
Michan, Major in the Ésparian army
Perras, Prior Comiádh of the Ti’ach
Quintus, Senior advisor to the Empress
Roghan, Sorley’s estranged brother
Rufin, Captain of the Casilani fleet
Sorley, Linrathe’s toscaire (envoy)
Talyn, Major in the Ésparian army
Turlo, General in the Ésparian army
Chapter 10-12
Anndra, Torpari (cottager) at the Ti’ach
Arey, Woman of Berge
Bjørn, Sorley’s acknowledged son
Catriona, Student at the Ti’ach
Galen, Border scout of Ésparias
(presumed deceased)
Hagen, Eirën (Lord) of Hagenstorp
Isa, Previous housekeeper
at the Ti’ach
Mhaire, Housekeeper at the Ti’ach
Ruar, Teannasach of Linrathe
Shugo, Shepherd at Hagenstorp
Turlo, General of Ésparias,
(presumed deceased)
Chapter 13-19
Anndra, Land manager at the
Ti’ach na Perras
Bhradaín, Scáeli to Dun Ceànnar
Birgit, Landholder and
Konë of Sullistorp
Callan, Emperor of the West (Ésparias)
Daoíre, Liam’s son-in-law
Darel, Tyrvi’s son
Dessa, Woman of Tirvan
Hagen, Lord of Hagenstorp
Ingold, Lord of Ingoldstorp
Jordis, A landholder’s daughter
Liam, Ruar’s great-uncle and regent
Niav, Isa’s niece
Oisín, Liam’s son-in-law
Randall, Man of Linrathe
Ruar, Presumptive Teannasach
of Linrathe
Siane, Woman of Tirvan
Tyrvi, Wetnurse for Gwenna
Utar, Lord of Utarstorp
Chapter 20-21
Gedi, Gedwin’s son,
Heir to Gedwinstorp
Gedwin, Lord of Gedwinstorp
Kira, Lena’s sister
Vidar, Son of the Marai Earl Aaro
Chapter 22-26
Amlodd A scáeli of Linrathe
Apulo, Body-servant to Cillian
Birel, Casyn’s soldier-servant
Evan, A soldier of Ésparias
Ivor Man of the Kurzemë
Maya, A woman of Tirvan
Chapter 27-28
Amlodd, Scáeli to Dun Ceànnar
Birgit, Konë of Sullistorp
Bryngyl, King of Varsland
Helvi, Ruar’s wife
Lynthe, Faolyn’s sister
Siusàn, Ruar’s sister
Chapter 29
Colm, Callan & Casyn’s brother
Chapter 30-32
Dugi, Heir to Dugarstorp
Egan, Jordis’s father,
Elsë, Jordis’s daughter
Eluf, Marai man, husband to Jordis
Gefen, Dugi’s brother
Gosta, A Marai earl
Halmar, A poet of Sorham
Jordis, Woman taken by the Marai
Póli, Wanderer lost to alcohol
Chapter 33-36
Halvar, A semi-historical character
Marcail, A woman of Berge
Chapter 41-44
Aaro, A Marai earl
Ǻsmund, Prince of Varsland,
Fritjof’s brother
Dugar, Harr (Lord) of Dugarstorp
Gregor, Commander of
Linrathan troops
Gundar, Sorley and Roghan’s father
Olavi, A Marai earl
Roghan, Sorley’s brother
Tavö, A Marai noble
Chapter 45-46
Barì, Comiádh of the Ti’ach na Bari
Eithnë, Scáeli & Lady of the
Ti’ach na Bari
Karl, Lord of Karlstorp
Chapter 47-53
Bearga, Kitchen girl
Betis, Roghan’s wife
Bjørn, a nine-year-old boy
Darel, Turlo’s son
Chapter 47-53
Dugi, Heir to Dugarstorp
Eilis, Härra (Lady) of Dugarstorp
Engus, A trapper
Gefen Dugi’s brother
Janni, A trapper
Kitrig, Lord of Kitrigstorp
Pietar, Lord of Pietarstorp
Snetti, Lord of Snettistorp
Chapter 54-56
Hairle, Sorley’s oldest nephew
Iosaf, An old torpari of Gundarstorp
Lairís, Sorley’s youngest niece
Lotar, Marai man
Maj, Sorley’s stepmother
Nyle, Sorley’s half-brother
Chapter 57–60
Mhairi, Gwenna’s nursemaid
Chording Chart
Paths Untrodden
Author’s Note
Of all my books, Empire’s Reckoning was the hardest to write (so far), for several reasons: voice, structure, and theme. Switching narrators to the musician Sorley meant finding my way into the mind of a new character, after twenty years of listening to Lena, and a male
character at that. The two time-line structure also plagued me, and I may or may not have put it together effectively. But theme was by far the hardest: the price of war, personal and political, and the courage we need, as individuals and countries, to move beyond it into reconciliation and new ways of living – and why that courage may look, at first glance, like betrayal.
I will admit that in the personal story arcs in Reckoning, I wavered on how far I would take the parallels between the political plot and the personal, and to my husband, Brian Rennie, who was adamant that only one outcome was true to my characters, my world, and my theme, I owe a huge thank you for insisting I did not compromise my vision.
Writing may be a solitary pursuit, but it is so much easier with support. For that support, thank you to other members of the Arboretum Press collective (Terry, I know Aristotle would be throwing up his hands in despair over this book, but your editorial work was still respected and helpful); to the Guelph Genre Group of Vocamus Writers’ Community; to the members of the Writing Room at The Bookshelf, and to the #WritingCommunity on Twitter: all have provided me with good conversations, good friends, and hours of procrastination.
Thanks, too, to my beta readers, and a special acknowledgement to my sensitivity readers Bjørn Larssen and Van Waffle. Your honesty, invaluable criticism. and willingness to work with me is so deeply appreciated.
My niece Eva Thorpe suggested the series title, Empire’s Reprise, which I loved immediately and is perfect for the story arc of this (planned) trilogy. Thank you, Eva!
And of course, thank you to you who buy my books, both those who asked for Sorley’s story and those who are just discovering the series. That there are people out there who love my world and its characters as much as I do remains a source of wonder and delight.
Guelph, May 2020
Other Books
By
Marian L Thorpe
Empire’s Legacy:
The Complete Trilogy
Empire’s Daughter
Empire’s Hostage
Empire’s Exile
≈
Oraiáphon
≈
Visit my website:
marianlthorpe.com
Find me on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/marianthorpe/
Twitter
@marianlthorpe
About the Author
Not content with two careers as a research scientist and an educator, Marian L Thorpe decided to go back to what she’d always wanted to do and be a writer. Describing her books as ‘historical fiction of another world’, Marian also has published short stories and poetry. Her life-long interest in Roman and post-Roman European history informs her novels, while her avocations of landscape archaeology and birding provide background to her settings. Marian lives in a small city in Canada with her husband and (currently) one cat.
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