Traitor's Knot

by Janny Wurts

  pronounced dark-air-on

  root meaning: dhar— evil; khiaron— one who stands in judgment

  DHIRKEN—lady captain of the contraband runner, Black Drake. Reputed to have taken over the brig’s command by right of arms following her father’s death at sea. Died at the hands of Lysaer’s allies on the charge of liaison with Arithon s’Ffalenn, Third Age Year 5647.

  pronounced: dur-kin

  root meaning: dierk— tough; an— one

  DIARIN s’GANNLEY—daughter of the caithdein’s lineage of Tysan, handfasted to marry a Westwood clan chieftain when she was abducted and forced to marriage by the Mayor of Hanshire.

  pronounced: die-are-in

  root meaning: diarin— a precious, or coveted object

  DIEGAN—once Lord Commander of Etarra’s garrison; given over by his mayor to serve as Lysaer s’Ilessid’s Lord Commander at Avenor. Titular commander of the war host sent against the Deshans to defeat the Master of Shadow at Tal Quorin; high commander of the war host mustered at Werpoint. Also brother of Lady Talith. Died of a clan arrow in the Battle of Dier Kenton Vale in Vastmark, Third Age 5647.

  pronounced: dee-gan

  root meaning: diegan— trinket a dandy might wear/ornament

  DIER KENTON VALE—a valley located in the principality of Vastmark, Shand, where Lysaer’s war host, thirty-five thousand strong, fought and lost to the Master of Shadow in Third Age 5647, largely decimated in one day by a shale slide. The remainder were harried by a small force of Vastmark shepherds and clan scouts from Shand, under Caolle, who served as Arithon’s war captain, until supplies and loss of morale broke the Alliance campaign.

  pronounced: deer ken-ton

  root meaning: dier’kendion— a jewel with a severe flaw that may result in shearing or cracking

  DURN—town located in Orvandir, Shand.

  pronounced: dern

  root meaning: diem— a flat plain

  DYSHENT—town on the west coast of Instrell Bay in Atainia, Tysan.

  pronounced: die-shent

  root meaning: dyshient— cedar

  EAST HALLA—principality in Melhalla.

  pronounced: east hall-ah

  root meaning: hal’lia— white light

  EASTWALL—city located in the Skyshiel Mountains, Rathain.

  EDAN—boy recruit for the Light, chosen for talent.

  pronounced: eh-dan

  root meaning: e’dian— the clay

  EI’AN IST’THALIENT—a stingingly pointed colloquial insult, and a warning; roughly ‘a particularly rock-headed fool bound for disaster’.

  pronounced: ee-eh-an eest-thal-ee-ent

  root meaning: ei— ‘a’ in the specific form; an- one; ist’thal- closed, hard or stubborn head, contrary-minded—ient- suffix that indicates a state of fullest evolution, or ‘the most’.

  EILISH—Lord Minister of the Treasury at Avenor.

  pronounced: eye-lish

  root meaning: eyalish— fussy

  ELAIRA—initiate enchantress of the Koriathain. Originally a street child, taken on in Morvain for Koriani rearing. Arithon’s beloved.

  pronounced: ee-layer-ah

  root meaning: e— prefix, diminutive for small; laere— grace

  ELDIR s’LORNMEIN—King of Havish and last surviving scion of s’Lornmein royal line. Raised as a wool-dyer until the Fellowship Sorcerers crowned him at Ostermere in Third Age 5643 following the defeat of the Mistwraith.

  pronounced: el-deer

  root meaning: eldir— to ponder, to consider, to weigh

  ELKFOREST—free wilds located in Carithwyr, Havish.

  ELLAINE—daughter of the Lord Mayor of Erdane, became Princess of Avenor when she married Lysaer s’Ilessid, mother of the heir apparent, Kevor, who is believed to be deceased.

  pronounced: el-lane

  not from the Paravian

  ELSSINE—town on the coast of Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: el-seen

  root meaning: elssien— small pit

  ELTAIR BAY—large bay off Cildein Ocean and east coast of Rathain; where the River Severnir was diverted following the Mistwraith’s conquest.

  pronounced: el-tay-er

  root meaning: al’tieri— of steel/a shortening of original Paravian name; dascen al’tieri— which meant ‘ocean of steel,’ which referred to the color of the waves

  EMRIC s’GANNLEY—former Caithdein of Tysan, and father of Diarin s’Gannley who was once handfasted to the clan chieftain of Westwood.

  pronounced: em-rick

  root meaning: am’ric— plenty, ‘state of wealth’

  ENITHEN TUER—seeress living in the town of Erdane. Originally a Koriani sister who was freed from her initiate’s vow of service by Fellowship Sorcerer Asandir’s intervention.

  pronounced: en-ith-en too-er

  root meaning: en’wethen— far-sighted; tuer— crone

  ENNA—girl-child who was once a weaver’s apprentice.

  pronounced: enn-na not from the Paravian.

  ERDANE—old Paravian city later taken over by Men. Seat of old princes of Camris until Desh-thiere’s conquest and rebellion. Erdani-meaning, from Erdane.

  pronounced: er-day-na with the last syllable almost subliminal

  root meaning: er’deinia— long walls

  ERIEGAL—second youngest of the fourteen child survivors of the Tal Quorin massacre known as Jieret’s Companions. Renowned as a shrewd tactician, he was ordered to serve Jieret’s son Barach as war captain in the Halwythwood camp rather than fight Lysaer’s war host in Daon Ramon Barrens in Third Age Year 5670.

  pronounced: air-ee-gall

  root meaning: eriegal— snake

  ERLIEN s’TALEYN—High Earl of Alland; caithdein of Shand, chieftain of the forest clansmen of Selkwood. Once fought Arithon s’Ffalenn at sword-point over an issue of law bound over by Melhalla’s caithdein and also as a trial of a sanctioned crown prince’s honest character.

  pronounced: er-lee-an

  root meaning: aierlyan— bear; tal— branch; an— one/first ‘of first branch’

  ETARRA—trade city built across the Mathorn Pass by townsfolk after the revolt that cast down Ithamon and the High Kings of Rathain. Nest of corruption and intrigue, and policy-maker for the North. Lysaer s’Ilessid was ratified as mayor upon Morfett’s death in Third Age Year 5667. Raiett Raven subsequently appointed as ruling High Chancellor. Also the seat of the Alliance armed forces.

  pronounced: ee-tar-ah

  root meaning: e— prefix for small; taria— knots

  ETTIN—river that empties into Rockbay Harbor at the border between Shand and Havish.

  pronounced: et-tin

  root meaning: e’tennd— the slow

  EVENSTAR—first brig stolen from Riverton’s royal shipyard by Cattrick’s conspiracy with Prince Arithon. Currently of Innish registry, running merchant cargoes under joint ownership of Fiark and his sister Feylind, who is acting captain.

  FALGAIRE—coastal city on Instrell Bay, located in Araethura, Rathain, famed for its glass-works.

  pronounced: fall-gair—to rhyme with ‘air’

  root meaning: fal’mier— to sparkle or glitter

  FALLOWMERE—north-eastern principality of Rathain.

  pronounced: fal-oh-meer

  root meaning: fal’ei’miere— literally, tree self-reflection, colloquialism for ‘place of perfect trees’

  FATE’S WHEEL—see Daelion’s Wheel.

  FELLOWSHIP OF SEVEN—sorcerers bound to Athera by the summoning dream of the dragons and charged to secure the mysteries that enable Paravian survival. Achieved their redemption from Cianor Sunlord, under the Law of the Major Balance in Second Age Year One. Originators and keepers of the covenant of the compact, made with the Paravian races, to allow Mankind’s settlement on Athera in Third Age Year One. Their authority backs charter law, upheld by crown justice and clan oversight of the free wilds.

  FEITHAN—widow of Jieret s’Valerient, Earl of the North, and caithdein of Rathain.
r />   pronounced: faith-an

  root meaning: feiathen— ivy

  FEYLIND—daughter of a Scimlade fisherman and Jinesse, twin sister of Fiark, currently master of the brig Evenstar a merchant brig of Innish registry.

  pronounced: fay-lind

  root meaning: faelind’an— outspoken or noisy one

  FIARK—son of a Scimlade fisherman and Jinesse, twin brother of Feylind, currently a merchant-factor at Innish, also handles all of Arithon’s covert shore-side affairs.

  pronounced: fee-ark

  root meaning: fyerk— to throw or toss

  FIONN ARETH CAID’AN—goatherd’s child born in Third Age 5647; fated by prophecy to leave home and play a role in the Wars of Light and Shadow. Laid under Koriani spell-craft to mature as Arithon’s double, then used as the bait in the order’s conspiracy to trap the s’Ffalenn prince. Rescued from execution in Jaelot in 5669-70. Currently in the protective custody of the Prince of Rathain, held through Dakar’s binding promise.

  pronounced: fee-on-are-eth cayed-ahn

  root meaning: fionne arith caid an— one who brings choice

  FORTHMARK—city in Vastmark, Shand. Once the site of a hostel of Ath’s Brotherhood. By Third Age 5320, the site was abandoned and taken over by the Koriani Order as a healer’s hospice.

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  FREYARD—elderly servant in Hanshire.

  pronounced: free-ard

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  GACE STEWARD—Palace Steward of Avenor.

  pronounced: gace—to rhyme with ‘race’

  root meaning: gyce— weasel

  GANISH—trade city located south of Methlas Lake in Orvandir, Shand.

  pronounced: gan-eesh

  root meaning: gianish— a halfway point, a stopping place

  GARDE—Lord Mayor of Hanshire, father of Sulfin Evend, brother of Raiett Raven.

  pronounced: guard

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  GLENDIEN—a Shandian clanswoman handfasted to Kyrialt s’Taleyn, heir designate of the High Earl of Alland.

  pronounced: glen-dee-en

  root meaning: glyen— sultry; dim— object of beauty

  GREY BOOK OF OLVEC—an old genealogy that listed clan lineages and recorded the inheritable talents of each family.

  pronounced: oll-veck

  root meaning: olvec— record

  GREAT WAYSTONE—see entry for Waystone.

  GRIMWARD—a circle of spells of Paravian making that seal and isolate the dire dreams of dragon haunts, a force with the potential for mass destruction. With the disappearance of the old races, the defences are maintained by embodied Sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven. There are seventeen separate sites listed at Althain Tower.

  HALDUIN s’ILESSID—founder of the line that became High Kings of Tysan since Third Age Year One. The attribute he passed on, by means of the Fellowship’s geas, was justice.

  pronounced: hal-dwin

  root meaning: hal— white; duinne— hand

  HALWYTHWOOD—forest located in Araethura, Rathain. Current main campsite of High Earl Barach’s band, predominantly survivors of the Battle of Strakewood and Daon Ramon’s late war.

  pronounced: hall-with-wood

  root meaning: hal— white; wythe— vista

  HANHAFFIN—river running through Selkwood in Alland and emptying into the Cildein Ocean.

  pronounced: han-haf-fin

  root meaning: hanha— evergreen; affein— a dance step

  HANSHIRE—port city on the Westland Sea, coast of Korias, Tysan; reigning official Lord Mayor Garde, father of Sulfin Evend; opposed to royal rule at the time of Avenor’s restoration.

  pronounced: han-sheer

  root meaning: hansh— sand; era— place

  HASPASTION—ghost of the dragon contained in the grimward located in Radmoore.

  pronounced: has-past-ee-on

  root meaning: hashpashdion— Drakish for black thunder

  HAVENS—an inlet on the north-eastern shore of Vastmark, Shand, now known as the site of the massacre enacted by the Spinner of Darkness, preceding the Battle of Dier Kenton Vale, Third Age Year 5647.

  HAVISH—one of the Five High Kingdoms of Athera as defined by the charters of the Fellowship of Seven. Ruled by Eldir s’Lornmein. Crown heritage: temperance. Device: gold hawk on red field.

  pronounced: hav-ish

  root meaning: havieshe— hawk

  HAVISTOCK—south-east principality of Kingdom of Havish.

  pronounced: hav-i-stock

  root meaning: haviesha— hawk; tiok— roost

  HELFIN—Lord Mayor of Erdane, father of Princess Ellaine.

  pronounced: hell-fin

  root meaning: hal— white; fiomn’d— a fib

  HIGHSCARP—city sited near the stone quarries on the coast of the Bay of Eltair, located in Daon Ramon, Rathain. Also contains a sisterhouse of the Koriani Order.

  IAMINE s’GANNLEY—woman who founded the caithdein’s lineage for Tysan.

  pronounced: ee-ahm-meen-e

  root meaning: iamine— amethyst

  IANFAR s’GANNLEY—cousin and heir designate of Lord Maenol s’Gannley, caithdein of Tysan, sent to fosterage with High King Eldir of Havish in Third Age Year 5652.

  pronounced: ee-an-far

  root meaning: ianfiar— birch tree

  ILITHARIS PARAVIANS—centaurs, one of three semimortal old races; disappeared after the Mistwraith’s conquest, the last guardian’s departure by Third Age Year 5100. They were the guardians of the earth’s mysteries.

  pronounced: i-li-thar-is

  root meaning: i’lith’earis— the keeper/preserver of mystery

  INNISH—city located on the southcoast of Shand at the delta of the River Ippash. Birthplace of Halliron Masterbard. Formerly known as ‘the Jewel of Shand,’ this was the site of the high king’s winter court, prior to the time of the uprising.

  pronounced: in-ish

  root meaning: inniesh— a jewel with a pastel tint

  INSTRELL BAY—body of water off the Gulf of Stormwell, separates principality of Atainia, Tysan, from Deshir, Rathain.

  pronounced: in-strell

  root meaning: arin’streal— strong wind

  IPPASH—river that originates in the southern spur of the Kelhorns and flows into the South Sea by the city of Innish, southcoast, Shand.

  pronounced: ip-ash

  root meaning: ipeish— crescent

  ISFARENN—etheric Name for the black stallion ridden by Asandir.

  pronounced: ees-far-en

  root meaning: is’feron— speed maker

  ISHLIR—town on the eastshore of Orvandir, Shand.

  pronounced: ish-leer

  root meaning: ieshlier— sheltered place

  ITHAMON—Historically significant in the First Age, site of a Paravian focus, a Second Age Paravian stronghold, and a Third Age ruin; built on a fifth lane power-node in Daon Ramon Barrens, Rathain, and inhabited until the year of the uprising. Site of the Compass Point Towers, or Sun Towers. Became the seat of the High Kings of Rathain during the Third Age and in Third Age Year 5638 was the site where Princes Lysaer s’Ilessid and Arithon s’Ffalenn battled the Mistwraith to confinement.

  pronounced: ith-a-mon

  root meaning: itha— five; mon— needle, spire

  ITHISH—city located at the edge of the principality of Vastmark, on the south-coast of Shand. Where the Vastmark wool-factors once shipped fleeces.

  pronounced: ith-ish

  root meaning: ithish— fleece or fluffy

  IYAT—energy sprite, and minor drake spawn inhabiting Athera, not visible to the eye, manifests in a poltergeist fashion by taking temporary possession of objects. Feeds upon natural energy sources: fire, breaking waves, lightning.

  pronounced: ee-at

  root meaning: iyat— to break

  JAELOT—city located on the coast of Eltair Bay at the southern border of the Kingdom of Rathain. Once a Second Age power
site, with a focus circle. Now a merchant city with a reputation for extreme snobbery and bad taste. Also the site where Arithon s’Ffalenn played his eulogy for Halliron Masterbard, which raised the powers of the Paravian focus circle beneath the mayor’s palace. The forces of the mysteries and resonant harmonics caused damage to city buildings, watchkeeps, and walls, which has since been repaired. Site where Fionn Areth was arraigned for execution, as bait in a Koriani conspiracy that failed to trap Arithon s’Ffalenn.

  pronounced: jay-lot

  root meaning: jielot— affectation

  JERIAYISH—sixth-rank initiate priest of the Light who had a seer’s talent. Died of madness during the Alliance war host’s invasion of Daon Ramon Barrens in Third Age Year 5670.

  pronounced: jeer-ee-ah-yish

  root meaning: jier’yaish— unclean magic

  JEYNSA—daughter of Jieret s’Valerient and Feithan, born Third Age 5653; appointed successor for her father’s title, Caithdien of Rathain.

  pronounced: jay-in-sa

  root meaning: jieyensa— garnet

  JIERET s’VALERIENT—former Earl of the North, clan chief of Deshir; caithdein of Rathain, sworn liegeman of Prince Arithon s’Ffalenn. Also son and heir of Lord Steiven. Blood pacted to Arithon by sorcerer’s oath prior to the battle of Strakewood Forest. Came to be known by head-hunters as Jieret Red-beard. Father of Jeynsa and Barach. Husband to Feithan. Died by Lysaer s’Ilessid’s hand in Daon Ramon Barrens, Third Age Year 5670.

  pronounced: jeer-et

  root meaning: jieret— thorn

  KALESH—town at the mouth of the harbor inlet from the Cildein Ocean, enemy of Alestron.

  pronounced: cal-esh

  root meaning: caille’iesh— stubborn hold

  KAMRIDIAN s’FFALENN—Crowned High King of Rathain, a tragic figure who died of his conscience under the fated influence of the maze in Kewar Caverns, built by Davien the Betrayer under the Mathorn Mountains.

  pronounced: cam-rid-ee-an

  root meaning: kaim’riadien— thread cut shorter

  KELDMAR s’BRYDION—younger brother of Duke Bransian of Alestron, older brother of Parrien and Mearn.

  pronounced: keld-mar

  root meaning: kiel’d’maeran— one without pity