Traitor's Knot

by Janny Wurts

  KEVOR—son and heir of Lysaer s’Ilessid and Princess Ellaine; born at Avenor in Third Age 5655. At age fourteen, in his father’s absence, he exercised royal authority and averted a riot by the panicked citizenry of Avenor. Commonly held to have died by Khadrim fire in Westwood, but in fact was spared by an interaction with Ath’s Brotherhood. Became an adept in Third Year 5670, at the hostel in Northerly, Tysan.

  pronounced: kev-or

  root meaning: kiavor— high virtue

  KEWAR TUNNEL—cavern built beneath the Mathorn Mountains by Davien the Betrayer; contains the maze of conscience, which caused High King Kamridian s’Ffalenn’s death.

  pronounced: key-wahr

  root meaning: kewiar— a weighing of conscience

  KHADRIM—drake-spawned creatures, flying, fire-breathing reptiles that were the scourge of the Second Age. By the Third Age, they had been driven back and confined in the Sorcerers’ Preserve in the volcanic peaks in north Tysan.

  pronounced: kaa-drim

  root meaning: khadrim— dragon

  KHARADMON—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven; discorporate since rise of Khadrim and Seardluin leveled Paravian stronghold at Ithamon in Second Age 3651. It was by Kharadmon’s intervention that the survivors of the attack were sent to safety by means of transfer from the fifth lane power focus. Currently working the wardings to defer a minor invasion of wraiths from Marak.

  pronounced: kah-rad-mun

  root meaning: kar’riad en mon— phrase translates to mean ‘twisted thread on the needle’ or colloquialism for ‘a knot in the works’

  KHETIENN—name for a brigantine built at Merior and owned by Arithon; also a small spotted wildcat native to Daon Ramon Barrens that became the s’Ffalenn royal device.

  pronounced: key-et-ee-en

  root meaning: kietienn— small leopard

  KIELING TOWER—one of the four compass points, or Sun Towers, standing at ruin of Ithamon, Daon Ramon Barrens, in Rathain. The warding virtue that binds its stones is compassion.

  pronounced: key-eh-ling

  root meaning: kiel’ien— root for pity, with suffix for ‘lightness’ added, translates to mean ‘compassion’

  KORIANI—possessive and singular form of the word ‘Koriathain’; see entry.

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-nee

  KORIAS—south-western principality of Tysan.

  pronounced: kor-ee-as

  root meaning: cor— ship, vessel; i’esh— nest, haven

  KORIATHAIN—order of enchantresses ruled by a circle of Seniors, under the power of one Prime Enchantress. They draw their talent from the orphaned children they raise, or from daughters dedicated to service by their parents. Initiation rite involves a vow of consent that ties the spirit to a power crystal keyed to the Prime’s control.

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-thain—to rhyme with ‘main’

  root meaning: koriath— order; ain— belonging to

  KOSHLIN—influential trade minister from Erdane, renowned for his hatred of the clans and his support of the head-hunters’ leagues.

  pronounced: kosh-lynn

  root meaning: kioshlin— opaque

  KRALOVIR—term for a sect of necromancers, also called the grey cult.

  pronounced: kray-low-veer

  root meaning: krial— name for the rune of crossing; oveir— abomination

  KYRIALT s’TALEYN—heir designate and youngest son of the High Earl of Alland, Lord Erlien s’Taleyn, Caithdein of Shand.

  pronounced: key-ree-alt

  root meaning: kyralt— word for the rune of crossing with the suffix for ‘last,’ which is the name for the rune of ending.

  LANSHIRE—northernmost principality in the Kingdom of Havish. Name taken from the wastes at Scarpdale, site of First Age battles with Seardluin that blasted the soil to slag.

  pronounced: lahn-sheer-e

  root meaning: lan’hansh’era— place of hot sands

  LAW OF THE MAJOR BALANCE—founding order of the powers of the Fellowship of Seven, as taught by the Paravians. The primary tenet is that no force of nature should be used without consent, or against the will of another consciousness.

  LEYNSGAP—a narrow pass in the Mathorn Mountains in the Kingdom of Rathain.

  pronounced: lay-ens-gap

  root meaning: liyond— corridor

  LIESSE s’BRYDION—Duchess of Alestron and wife of Duke Bransian.

  pronounced: lee-ess

  root meaning: liesse— state of accord, based from the word ‘a note in harmony’

  LIRENDA—former First Senior Enchantress to the Prime, Koriani Order; failed in her assignment to capture Arithon s’Ffalenn for Koriani purposes. Currently under the Prime Matriarch’s sentence of punishment.

  pronounced: leer-end-ah

  root meaning: lyron— singer; di-ia— a dissonance—the hyphen denotes a glottal stop

  LITHMERE—principality located in the Kingdom of Havish.

  pronounced: lith-mere

  root meaning: lithmiere— to preserve intact, or keep whole; maintain in a state of harmony

  LOS MAR—a city located in the westshore of Carithwyr, Havish. It’s best known for its libraries and scholars.

  pronounced: loss-mar

  root meaning: liosmar— letters, written records

  LUHAINE—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven—discorporate since the fall of Telmandir in Third Age Year 5018. Luhaine’s body was pulled down by the mob while he was in ward trance, covering the escape of the royal heir to Havish.

  pronounced: loo-hay-ne

  root meaning: luirhainon— defender

  LYRANTHE—instrument played by the bards of Athera. Strung with fourteen strings, tuned to seven tones (doubled). Two courses are ‘drone strings’ set to octaves. Five are melody strings, the lower three courses being octaves, the upper two, in unison.

  pronounced: leer-anth-e (last ‘e’ being nearly subliminal)

  root meaning: lyr— song; anthe— box

  LYSAER s’ILESSID—prince of Tysan, 1497th in succession after Halduin, founder of the line in Third Age Year One. Gifted at birth with control of Light, and Bane of Desh-thiere. Also known as Blessed Prince since he declared himself avatar.

  pronounced: lie-say-er

  root meaning: lia— blond, yellow or light; saer— circle

  MACHIEL—caithdein of the realm of Havish. In service under High King Eldir at Telmandir.

  pronounced: mak-ee-el

  root meaning: mierkiel— post, pillar

  MAENELLE s’GANNLEY—former steward and caithdein of Tysan; put on trial for outlawry and theft on the trade-roads; executed by Lysaer s’Ilessid at Isaer, Third Age 5645.

  pronounced: may-nahl-e (last ‘e’ is near subliminal)

  root meaning: maeni— to fall, disrupt; alli— to save or preserve/colloquial translation, ‘to patch together’

  MAENOL—heir, after Maenalle s’Gannley Steward and caithdein of Tysan.

  pronounced: may-nall

  root meaning: maeni’alli— to patch together

  MAINMERE—town at the head of the Valenford River in Taerlin, Tysan.

  pronounced: main-meer

  root meaning: maeni— to fall, disrupt; miere—reflection, colloquial translation, ‘to disrupt continuity’

  MARAK—splinter world, cut off beyond South Gate, left lifeless after creation of the Mistwraith. The original inhabitants were men exiled by the Fellowship from Athera for beliefs or practices that were incompatible with the compact sworn between the Sorcerers and the Paravian races, which permitted human settlement on Athera.

  pronounced: maer-ak

  root meaning: m’era’ki— a place held separate

  MARETHA s’CALLIENT—daughter of the caithdein of Melhalla.

  pronounced: mar-ee-tha

  root meaning: mier’atha— kindly

  MATHIELL GATE—last gate to the inner citadel in Alestron, Paravian built to withstand the fires of dragons. It was the Mathiell garrison who secured the span guarding incursio
n from the Wyntock Gate during the uprising that threatened clan rule in Third Age Year 5018.

  pronounced: math-ee-ell

  root meaning: mon’thiellen— sky spires

  MATHORN MOUNTAINS—range that bisects the Kingdom of Rathain east to west.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien— massive

  MATHORN ROAD—way passing to the south of the Mathorn Mountains, leading to the trade city of Etarra from the west.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien— massive

  MEARN s’BRYDION—youngest brother of Duke Bransian of Alestron. Former ducal emissary to Lysaer s’Ilessid’s Alliance of Light.

  pronounced: may-arn

  root meaning: mierne— to flit

  MEDLIR—name used by Arithon when he traveled incognito with Halliron Masterbard as apprentice in Third Age Years 5638 through 5647.

  pronounced: med-leer

  root meaning: midlyr— phrase of melody

  MELHALLA—High Kingdom of Athera once ruled by the line of s’Ellestrion. The last prince died in the crossing of the Red Desert.

  pronounced: mel-hall-ah

  root meaning: maelhallia— grand meadows/plain—also word for an open space of any sort.

  MERIOR BY THE SEA—small seaside fishing village on the Scimlade peninsula in Alland, Shand. Once the temporary site of Arithon’s shipyard.

  pronounced: mare-ee-or

  root meaning: merioren— cottages

  METHISLE—small body of land in Methlas Lake, site of Methisle Fortress in Orvandir.

  pronounced: meth

  root meaning: meth— hate

  METHSPAWN—an animal descended from a host warped by possession by a methuri, an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts. Though the Methuri were destroyed by the Third Age, their cross-bred, aberrated descendants continue to breed mutant offspring in Mirthlvain Swamp.

  pronounced: meth

  root meaning: meth— hate

  METHURI—METHURIEN (plural form) an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts and altered them for the purpose of creating new hosts. Extinct by the Third Age.

  pronounced: meth-you-ree

  root meaning: meth’thieri— hate wraith

  MIRTHLVAIN SWAMP—bog-lands located in Midhalla, Melhalla; filled with dangerous, cross-breeds engendered from drake spawn. Guarded by the Master Spellbinder, Verrain.

  pronounced: mirth-el-vain

  root meaning: myrthl— noxious; vain— bog, mud

  MISTWRAITH—see Desh-thiere.

  MORNOS—town on the westshore of Lithmere, Havish.

  pronounced: more-nos

  root meaning: moarnosh— a coffer where the greedy store valuables.

  MORRIEL—Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain since the Third Age 4212. Instigated the plot to upset the Fellowship’s compact which upset the seven magnetic lanes on the continent. Her death on winter solstice 5670 left an irregular succession.

  pronounced: more-real

  root meaning: moar— greed; riel— silver

  NARMS—city on the coast of Instrell Bay, built as a craft center by Men in the early Third Age. Best known for dyeworks.

  pronounced: narms

  root meaning: narms— color

  NAYLA—young girl taken in by the Koriani Order as a child candidate for initiation.

  pronounced: nay-lah

  root meaning: nayl— lack

  ODREY—a merchant courtier and member of the regent’s council in Avenor.

  pronounced: oh-dree

  not from the Paravian

  ORLAN—pass through the Thaldein Mountains, also location of the Camris’s clans hidden outpost, located in Camris, Tysan.

  pronounced: or-lan

  root meaning: irlan— ledge

  ORVANDIR—principality located in north-eastern Shand.

  pronounced: or-van-deer

  root meaning: orvein— crumbled; air— stone

  PARAVIAN—name for the three old races that inhabited Athera before Mankind. Including the centaurs, the sunchildren, and the unicorns, these races never die unless mishap befalls them; they are the world’s channel, or direct connection, to Ath Creator.

  pronounced: par-ai-vee-ans

  root meaning: para— great; i’on— fate or great mystery

  PARRIEN s’BRYDION—younger brother of Duke Bransian s’Brydion of Alestron, Keldmar, and older brother of Mearn. Broke Arithon’s leg in Third Age Year 5654, and in restitution awarded Rathain’s prince the service of two s’Brydion retainers, Talvish and Vhandon.

  pronounced: par-ee-on

  root meaning: para ient— great dart

  PRANDEY—term for gelded pleasure boy.

  pronounced: pran-dee

  not from the Paravian

  QUAID—trade town in Carithwyr, Havish, lying inland along the trade-road from Los Mar to Redburn. Famous for fired clay and brick.

  pronounced: qu-wade

  root meaning: cruaid— a clay used for brickmaking

  QUARN—town on the trade-road that crosses Caithwood in Taerlin, Tysan.

  pronounced: kwarn

  root meaning: quarin— ravine, canyon

  QUINOLD—Lord Chancellor of Avenor and a member of Lysaer’s regent’s council.

  pronounced: kwin-old

  root meaning: quen— one who is narrow-minded

  RADMOORE DOWNS—meadow lands in Midhalla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: rad-more

  root meaning: riad— thread; mour— carpet, rug

  RAIETT RAVEN—brother of the Mayor of Hanshire; uncle of Sulfin Evend. Considered a master statesman and a bringer of wars. Currently serving as High Chancellor of Etarra, ruling in the absence of the ratified mayor.

  pronounced: rayett

  root meaning: raiett— carrion-bird

  RATHAIN—High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age Year One. Device: black-and-silver leopard on green field. Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn is sanctioned crown prince, by the hand of Asandir of the Fellowship, in Third Age Year 5638 at Etarra.

  pronounced: rath-ayn

  root meaning: roth— brother; thein— tower, sanctuary

  RAUVEN TOWER—home of the s’Ahelas mages who brought up Arithon s’Ffalenn and trained him to the ways of power. Located on the splinter world, Dascen Elur, through West Gate.

  pronounced: raw-ven

  root meaning: rauven— invocation

  REDBURN—town located in a deep inlet in the northern shore of Rockbay Harbor in Havistock, Havish.

  pronounced: red-burn

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  RIATHAN PARAVIANS—unicorns, the purest, most direct connection to Ath Creator; the prime vibration channels directly through the horn.

  pronounced: ree-ah-than

  root meaning: ria— to touch; ath— prime life-force; an— one; ri’athon— one who touches divinity

  RIVERTON—trade town at the mouth of the Ilswater River, in Korias, Tysan; once the site of Lysaer’s royal shipyard, before the site burned in Third Age Year 5654.

  ROCKBAY HARBOR—body of water located on the southcoast, between Shand and West Shand.

  ROCKFELL PEAK—mountain containing Rockfell Pit, used to imprison harmful entities throughout all three Ages. Located in West Halla, Melhalla; became the warded prison for Desh-thiere.

  pronounced: rock-fell

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  s’AHELAS—family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Shand. Gifted geas: far-sight.

  pronounced: s’ah-hell-as

  root meaning: alíelas— mage-gifted

  s’BRYDION—ruling line of the Dukes of Alestron. The only old blood clansmen to maintain rule of a fortified city through the uprising that defeated the rule of the high kings.

  pronounced: s’bride-ee-on

  root meaning: baridien— tenacity

 
s’CALLIENT—lineage of the caithdeinen of Melhalla, Fellowship chosen to succeed s’Dieneval after the fall of Tirans.

  pronounced: scal-lee-ent

  root meaning: caillient— most extreme form of fixed or stubborn—immovable

  SANPASHIR—desert waste on the southcoast of Shand. Home to the desert tribes.

  pronounced: sahn-pash-eer

  root meaning: san— black or dark; pash’era— place of grit or gravel

  SANSHEVAS—town on the south shore in Alland, Shand, known for citrus, sugar, and rum.

  pronounced: san-shee-vas

  root meaning: san— black; shievas— flint

  SCARPDALE—waste in Lanshire, Havish, created by a First Age war with Seardluin. Site of the Scarpdale grimward.

  pronounced: scarp-dale

  not from the Paravian

  SCIMLADE TIP—peninsula at the south-east corner of Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: skim-laid

  root meaning: scimlait— curved knife or scythe

  SECOND AGE—Marked by the arrival of the Fellowship of Seven at Crater Lake, their called purpose to fight the drake spawn.

  s’DIENEVAL—lost lineage of the caithdeinen of Melhalla, the last to carry the title being Egan, who died at the side of his high king in the battle to subdue the Mistwraith. The blood line carried strong talent for prophecy, and was decimated during the sack of Tirans in the uprising in Third Age Year 5018, with Egan’s pregnant wife the sole survivor. Her daughter, Meiglin was mother of Dari s’Ahelas, crown heir of Shand.

  pronounced: s-dee-in-ee-vahl

  root meaning: dim— large; eval— endowment, gifted talent

  SELIDIE—young woman initiate appointed by Morriel Prime as a candidate in training for succession. Succeeded to the office of Prime Matriarch after Morriel’s death on winter solstice in Third Age Year 5670, at which time an unprincipled act of possession usurped the young woman’s body.

  pronounced: sell-ih-dee

  root meaning: selyadi— air sprite

  SELKWOOD—forest located in Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: selk-wood

  root meaning: selk— pattern

  s’ELLESTRION—lineage of the High Kings of Melhalla, died out in the course of the uprising in Third Age Year 5018. Gifted geas: wisdom.

  pronounced: sell-ess-tree-on

  root meaning: eliestrion— inspiration, from the word elya— air

  SETHVIR—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, also trained to serve as Warden of Althain since Third Age 5100, when the last centaur guardian departed after the Mistwraith’s conquest.