by Janny Wurts
GLOSSARY
A’BREND’AIA—the polite word for making love ‘the lyrical dance.’
pronounced: a-bren-day-ee-yah
root meaning: a’brend’aia— the dynamic balance of yin and yang
ADRUIN—coastal city located in East Halla, Melhalla. Enemy of Alestron, usually over the issue of blockades at the harbor mouth leading to the Cildein Ocean.
pronounced: add-ruin
root meaning: al— over; duinn— hand
AIYENNE—river located in Daon Ramon, Rathain, rising from an underground spring in the Mathorn Mountains, and coming above ground south of the Mathorn Road.
pronounced: eye-an
root meaning: ai’an— hidden one
ALESTRON—city located in Midhalla, Melhalla. Ruled by Duke Bransian, Teir’s’Brydion, and his three brothers. This city did not fall to merchant townsmen in the Third Age uprising that threw down the high kings, but is still ruled by its clanblood heirs.
pronounced: ah-less-tron
root meaning: alesstair— stubborn; an— one
ALITHIEL—one of twelve Blades of Isaer, forged by centaur Ffereton s’Darian from metal taken from a meteorite. Passed through Paravian possession, acquired the secondary name Dael-Farenn, or Kingmaker, since its owners tended to succeed the end of a royal line. Eventually was awarded to Kamridian s’Ffalenn for his valor in defense of the princess Taliennse, early Third Age. Currently in the possession of Arithon.
pronounced: ah-lith-ee-el
root meaning: alith— star; iel— light/ray
ALLAND—principality located in south-eastern Shand. Ruled by the Lord Erlien s’Taleyn, High Earl, and appointed caithdein of Shand.
pronounced: all-and
root meaning: a’lind— pine glen
ALTHAIN TOWER—spire built at the edge of the Bittern Desert, beginning of the Second Age, to house records of Paravian histories. Third Age, became repository for the archives of all five royal houses of men after rebellion, overseen by the Fellowship Sorcerer, Sethvir, named Warden of Althain since Third Age Year 5100.
pronounced: all-thay-in
root meaning: alt— last; thein— tower, sanctuary
original Paravian pronunciation: alt-thein
ANGLEFEN—marsh located in Deshir, Rathain. Also a port town that links the sea-routes to Etarra.
pronounced: angle fen
root meaning not from the Paravian
ANIENT—Paravian invocation for unity.
pronounced: an-ee-ent
root meaning: an— one; ient— suffix for ‘most’
ARAETHURA—grass plains in south-west Rathain; principality of the same name in that location. Largely inhabited by Riathan Paravians in the Second Age. Third Age, used as pasture land by widely scattered nomadic shepherds. Fionn Areth’s birthplace.
pronounced: ar-eye-thoo-rah
root meaning: araeth— grass; era— place, land
ARITHON—son of Avar, Prince of Rathain, 1,504th Teir’s’Ffalenn after founder of the line, Torbrand in Third Age Year One. Also Master of Shadow, the Bane of Desh-thiere, and Halliron Masterbard’s successor.
pronounced: ar-i-thon
root meaning: arithon— fate-forger; one who is visionary
ARWENT—river in Araethura, Rathain, that flows from Daenfal Lake through Halwythwood to empty in Instrell Bay.
pronounced: are-went
root meaning: arwient— swiftest
ASANDIR—Fellowship Sorcerer. Secondary name, Kingmaker, since his hand crowned every High King of Men to rule in the Age of Men (Third Age). After the Mistwraith’s conquest, he acted as field agent for the Fellowship’s doings across the continent. Also called Fiend-quencher, for his reputation for quelling iyats; Storm-breaker and Change-bringer for his past actions when Men first arrived upon Athera.
pronounced: ah-san-deer
root meaning: asan— heart; air— stone ‘heartrock’
ATAINIA—north-eastern principality of Tysan.
pronounced: ah-tay-nee-ah
root meaning: itain— the third; ia— suffix for ‘third domain’ original Paravian, itainia
ATCHAZ—town located in Alland, Shand. Famed for its silk.
pronounced: at-chaz
root meaning: atchias— silk
ATH CREATOR—prime vibration, force behind all life.
pronounced: ath
root meaning: ath— prime, first (as opposed to an, one)
ATHERA—name for the world which holds the Five High Kingdoms; four Worldsend Gates; formerly inhabited by dragons, and current home of the Paravian races.
pronounced: ath-air-ah
root meaning: ath— prime force; era— place ‘Ath’s world’
ATHIR—Second Age ruin of a Paravian stronghold, located in Ithilt, Rathain. Site of a seventh lane power focus; also where Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn swore his blood oath to survive to the Fellowship Sorcerer, Asandir.
pronounced: ath-ear
root meaning: ath— prime; i’er— the line/edge
ATHLIEN PARAVIANS—sunchildren. Small race of semimortals, pixie-like, but possessed of great wisdom/keepers of the grand mystery.
pronounced: ath-lee-en
root meaning: ath— prime force; lien— to love ‘Ath-beloved’
ATHLIERIA—equivalent of heaven/actually a dimension removed from physical time/space, or the exalted that lies past the veil.
pronounced: ath-lee-air-ee-ah
root meaning: ath— prime force; li’eria— exalted place, with suffix for ‘beyond the veil.’
AVENOR—Second Age ruin of a Paravian stronghold. Traditional seat of the s’Ilessid High Kings. Restored to habitation in Third Age 5644. Became the ruling seat of the Alliance of Light in Third Age 5648. Located in Korias, Tysan.
pronounced: ah-ven-or
root meaning: avie— stag; norh— grove
BAIYEN GAP—the trail built by the centaur guardians through the pass that crosses the Skyshiel Mountains, connecting the Eltair coast to Daon Ramon Barrens. Twice the site of a drake battle, once between rivals in the Age of Dragons, and again, in the First Age, against a pack of greater drake spawn. One of the old rights of way, not open to mankind’s use.
pronounced: bye-yen
root meaning: bayien— slag
BARACH—second son of Jieret s’Valerient, and older brother of Jeynsa. Successor to the title, Earl of the North.
pronounced: bar-ack
root meaning: baraich— linch-pin
BARISH—town located just north of the border of Tysan, on the coast of Mainmere Bay.
pronounced: bar-ish
root meaning: bar— half; ris— way
BIEDAR—desert tribe living in Sanpashir, Shand. Also known as the Keepers of the Prophecy. Their sacred weaving at the well produced the conception of Dari s’Ahelas, which crossed the old caithdein’s lineage of s’Dieneval with the royal line of s’Ahelas, combining the gifts of prophetic clairvoyance with the Fellowship-endowed penchant for far-sight.
pronounced: bee-dar
root meaning: biehdahrr— ancient desert dialect for ‘lore keepers’
BITTERN DESERT—waste located in Atainia, Tysan, north of Althain Tower. Site of a First Age battle between the great drakes and the Seardluin, permanently destroyed by dragonfire.
pronounced: bittern
root meaning: bityern— to sear or char
BRAGGEN—one of the fourteen Companions, who were the only children to survive the battle fought between Deshir’s clansmen and the war host of Etarra beside the River Tal Quorin in Third Age Year 5638.
pronounced: brag-en
root meaning: briocen— surly
BRANSIAN s’BRYDION—Teir’s’Brydion, ruling Duke of Alestron.
pronounced: bran-see-an
root meaning: brand— temper; s’i’an— suffix denoting ‘of the one’/the one with temper
CAINFORD—town located in Taerlin, Tysan.
pronounced: cane-ford
root meaning: caen— vale
CAITH-AL-CAEN—vale where Riathan Paravians (unicorns) celebrated equinox and solstice to renew the athael, or life-destiny of the world. Also the place where the Ilitharis Paravians first Named the winter stars—or encompassed their vibrational essence into language. Corrupted by the end of the Third Age to Castlecain.
pronounced: cay-ith-al-cay-en, musical lilt, emphasis on second and last syllables; rising note on first two, falling note on last two
root meaning: caith— shadow; al— over; caen— vale ‘vale of shadow’
CAITHDEIN—(alternate spelling caith’d’ein, plural form caithdeinen) Paravian name for a high king’s first counselor; also, the one who would stand as regent, or steward, in the absence of the crowned ruler. By heritage, the office also carries responsibility for oversight of crown royalty’s fitness to rule.
pronounced: kay-ith-day-in
root meaning: caith— shadow; d’ein— behind the chair ‘shadow behind the throne’
CAITHWOOD—forest located in Taerlin, south-east principality of Tysan.
pronounced: kay-ith-wood
root meaning: caith— shadow—shadowed wood
CALUM KINCAID—the individual who invented the great weapon that destroyed the worlds of humanity and caused the refugee faction, including the Koriathain, to seek sanctuary on Athera.
pronounced: calum kin-cade
root meaning not from an Atheran language
CAMRIS—north-central principality of Tysan. Original ruling seat was the city of Erdane.
pronounced: cam-ris
root meaning: cairn— cross; ris— way ‘crossroad’
CAOLLE—past war captain of the clans of Deshir, Rathain. First raised, and then served under, Lord Steiven, Earl of the North and caithdein of Rathain. Planned the campaign at Vastmark and Dier Kenton Vale for the Master of Shadow. Served Jieret Red-beard, and was feal liegeman of Arithon of Rathain; died of complications from a wound received from his prince while breaking a Koriani attempt to trap his liege in Third Age Year 5653.
pronounced: kay-all-eh, with the ‘e’ nearly subliminal
root meaning: caille— stubborn
CAPEWELL—town located on the south shore of Korias, Tysan. Home of a major Koriani sisterhouse.
CARITHWYR—principality in Havish, once a grass-lands breeding-ground for the Riathan Paravians. Now produces grain, cattle, fine hides, and also wine.
pronounced: car-ith-ear
root meaning: ci’arithiren— forgers of the ultimate link with prime power. An old colloquialism for unicorn.
CASCAIN ISLANDS—rugged chain of islands off the coast of Vastmark, Shand.
pronounced: cass-canes
root meaning: kesh kain— shark’s teeth
CATTRICK—master joiner hired to run the royal shipyard at Riverton; once in Arithon’s employ at Merior by the Sea, now shipwright for Duke Bransian s’Brydion at Alestron.
pronounced: cat-rick
root meaning: ciattiaric— a knot tied of withies that has the magical property of confusing enemies
CEREBELD—Avenor’s High Priest of the Light, formerly Lord Examiner of Avenor.
pronounced: cara-belld
root meaning: ciarabeld— ashes
CIENN—clan scout and Companion in Earl Jieret s’Valerient’s war-band, smith who shod their horses; died in the battle on Daon Ramon, Third Age Year 5670.
pronounced: kee-in
root meaning: cian— spark
CIANOR SUNLORD—born at Caith-al-Caen, First Age Year 615. Crowned High King of Athera in Second Age Year 2545, until his death when a rise of Khadrim called him to war in Second Age 3651. He is the only Paravian in history to have a namesake, more properly termed a tiendar’shayn’d or ‘reborn.’ Cianor Moonlord was birthed at the darkest hour of the Second Age. He was still at hand in Third Age Year One to assist when the Fellowship Sorcerers wrote the compact that enabled Mankind to receive sanctuary on Athera. It was his hand that bestowed the sword Alithiel upon Kamridian s’Ffalenn.
CILADIS THE LOST—Fellowship Sorcerer who left the continent in Third Age 5462 in search of the Paravian races after their disappearance following the rebellion.
pronounced: kill-ah-dis
root meaning: cad— leaf; adeis— whisper, compound; cael’adeis colloquialism for ‘gentleness that abides’
CILDEIN OCEAN—body of water lying off Athera’s east coast.
pronounced: kill-dine
root meaning: cailde— salty; an— one
CILDORN—city famed for carpets and weaving, located in Deshir, Rathain. Originally a Paravian holdfast, situated on a node of the third lane.
pronounced: kill-dorn
root meaning: deal— thread; dorn— net ‘tapestry’
CORITH—island west of Havish in the Westland Sea. Site of an old drake lair, and a ruined First Age foundation. Here the council of Paravians convened during seige, and their appeal brought the Second Dreaming by dragons, which enacted the summoning of the seven who became the Fellowship Sorcerers.
pronounced: core-ith
root meaning: cori— ships, vessels; itha— five
CRUIK—an old form of architecture, wherein living trees are molded to become structural support for a building, which is constructed around them.
DAELION FATEMASTER—‘entity’ formed by set of mortal beliefs, which determine the fate of the spirit after death. If Ath is the prime vibration, or life-force, Daelion is what governs the manifestation of free will.
pronounced: day-el-ee-on
root meaning: dad— king, or lord; i’on— of fate
DAELION’S WHEEL—cycle of life and the crossing point that is the transition into death.
pronounced: day-el-ee-on
root meaning: dad— king or lord; i’on— of fate
DAENFAL LAKE—located on the northern lake-shore that bounds the southern edge of Daon Ramon Barrens in Rathain.
pronounced: dye-en-fall
root meaning: daen— clay; fal— red
DAKAR THE MAD PROPHET—apprentice to Fellowship Sorcerer, Asandir, during the Third Age following the Conquest of the Mistwraith. Given to spurious prophecies, it was Dakar who forecast the fall of the Kings of Havish in time for the Fellowship to save the heir. He made the Prophecy of West Gate, which forecast the Mistwraith’s bane, and also, the Black Rose Prophecy, which called for reunification of the Fellowship. At this time, in the service of Arithon, Prince of Rathain.
pronounced: dah-kar
root meaning: dakiar— clumsy
DANIA—wife of Rathain’s former caithdein, Steiven s’Valerient. Died by the hand of Pesquil’s head-hunters in the Battle of Strakewood, Third Age 5638; Jieret Red-beard’s mother.
pronounced: dan-ee-ah
root meaning: deinia— sparrow
DAON RAMON BARRENS—central principality of Rathain. Site where Riathan Paravians (unicorns) bred and raised their young. Barrens was not appended to the name until the years following the Mistwraith’s conquest, when the River Severnir was diverted at the source by a task force under Etarran jurisdiction.
pronounced: day-on-rah-mon
root meaning: daon— gold; ramon— hills/downs
DARI S’AHELAS—crown heir of Shand who was sent to safety through West Gate to preserve the royal lineage. Born following the death of the last Crown Prince of Shand, subsequently raised and taught by Sethvir to manage the rogue talent of a dual inheritance. Her mother was Meiglin s’Dieneval, last survivor of the old caithdein’s lineage of Melhalla, which was widely believed to have perished during the massacre at Tirans. However the pregnant widow of Egan s’Dieneval had escaped the uprising and survived under a false name in a Durn brothel.
pronounced: dar-ee
root meaning: daer— to cut
DARKLING—city located on the western side of the Skyshiel Mountains in the Kingdom of Rathain.
pronounced: dark-ling
root meaning: dierk-linng— drake eyrie
pronounced: dah-vee-en
root meaning: dahvi— fool; an— one ‘mistaken one’
DAWR s’BRYDION—grandmother of Duke Bransian of Alestron, and his brothers Keldmar, Parrien, and Mearn.
pronounced: dour
root meaning: dwyiar— vinegar wine
DEITH—clansman of Rathain, and the youngest of Jieret’s Companions, who were the fourteen child survivors of the massacre of Tal Quorin in Third Age Year 5638. Currently among the group of scouts guarding the free wilds in Deshir.
pronounced: dee-ith
root meaning: d’— prefix for behind; ieth— to stand, to plant, to fix in place
DESH-THIERE—Mistwraith that invaded Athera from the splinter worlds through South Gate in Third Age 4993. Access cut off by Fellowship Sorcerer, Traithe. Battled and contained in West Shand for twenty-five years, until the rebellion splintered the peace, and the high kings were forced to withdraw from the defense lines to attend their disrupted kingdoms. Confined through the combined powers of Lysaer s’Ilessid’s gift of light and Arithon s’Ffalenn’s gift of shadow. Currently imprisoned in a warded flask in Rockfell Pit.
pronounced: desh-thee-air-e (last ‘e’ mostly subliminal)
root meaning: desk— mist; thiere— ghost or wraith
DESHIR—north-western principality of Rathain.
pronounced: desh-eer
root meaning: deshir— misty
DHARKARON AVENGER—called Ath’s Avenging Angel in legend. Drives a chariot drawn by five horses to convey the guilty to Sithaer. Dharkaron as defined by the adepts of Ath’s Brotherhood is that dark thread mortal men weave with Ath, the prime vibration, that creates self-punishment, or the root of guilt.
