Lamplighter

by D M Cornish

  confustication confusion or fight, particularly a wild brawling fight or a fight that has turned out badly.

  Considine, the ~ one of the alternats or subcapitals situated at strategic places within the Haacobin Empire. Alternats were founded to allow the Empire to keep greater control over its subject states, most of which lie beyond inveterately threwdish land, well past easy reach. Large armies and navies are kept at each alternat, ready to venture forth and chastise any overweening state or peer or defend the lands against the monsters. In the Soutlands, the Considine is the larger, older and therefore senior of two alternats, the other being the Serenine, farther south.

  corser(s) grave robbers and traffickers in dead bodies for the service of high-paying massacars and all the rest. Probably their best-known tool-of-trade is the corpse-fender, a long pointed pole driven into the mold to test the location of a possible grave. Apart from the dangers of monsters and the ever-vigilant obstaculars and revenue officers, you might also come into conflict with other corsers over a prize tomb. Edgar Shallow, a somewhat well-known corser, wrote a book on the subject; part treatise, part sage advice, part fictional license—The Ashmongers’Almanac. Other books on the subject include Codex Necropoli by Tichanus, an old catalog and guide to all the known cemeteries of the Old World (recent revisions by Tidswell include references to Turkeman grave sites); and Fossae Magnum (or “The Book of Graves”), a treatise on the trade of the corser with a cursory guide to the main cemeteries in the larger cities. See corsers in Book One.

  costermen small-time traders who travel about selling fruits and vegetables and any other foodstuffs they might have.

  Cothallow built between Makepeace and the Three Stile Junction, this is one of the best cothouses on the Wormway, with a reputation for smartness and punctuality and for the comforts of its cot-rent. The lighters serving there are a happy bunch (as lighters go), flourishing under an uninterrupted string of competent, good-natured house-majors.

  cothouse(s) type of fortalice, the small, often houselike fortresses built along highroads to provide billet and protection to lamplighters and their auxiliaries. Cothouses are usually built no more than ten to twelve miles apart, so that the lamplighters will not be left lighting lamps and exposed in the unfriendly night for too long.Their size goes from a simple high-house with slit windows well off the ground, through the standard structure of a main house with small attendant buildings all surrounded by a wall, to the fortified bastion-houses like Haltmire on the ConduitVermis or Tungoom on the Conduit Felix. Sometimes called a little manse.

  coty gaute pronounced “co’tee gort,” a delicate pastry from the Patricine stuffed with quail cooked so long the bones are edible.

  course • (verb) to hunt, particularly to hunt monsters. • (noun) the hunt itself, usually referred to as a coursing-party, or in such phrases as “to go on a course.” A course is, obviously, a dangerous affair. One undertaken lightly will always result in the doom of some, if not all, of those involved. A prospective courser is always advised to take at least one skold and one leer—or, if they are unavailable, a quarto of lurksmen, even a navigator or wayfarer, and a hefty weight of potives and skold-shot. Not to be confused with “corse,” meaning (of course) a dead body, a corpse.

  court-martial a court or tribunal made up of military or navy officers who try their own for any offense committed by pediteers or vinegaroons against military—and even sometimes Imperial—law; a martial court rather than a civil court (court-civil), where everyday folk are tried. To be subject to a court-martial does not necessarily mean being cashiered from one’s chosen service; the tribunal of officers in a court-martial have to establish guilt or innocence, just as in a civil court. Therefore you can be tried in a court-martial and be found innocent and so return to service.

  crank in habilistics this term is used to mean something that is of dubious or unknown origin and/or effect, something made with little skill and giving little real benefit; it is also used to refer to something that is broken or impaired in some way.

  crank-hook(s) another name for fodicars, so given for the blunt spike sticking from one side that is used to wind the mechanism of a seltzer lamp to draw out the bloom into the seltzer water.

  Craumpalin’s Exstinker nullodor made by Master Craumpalin for Rossamünd, which Rossamünd is meant to apply frequently; he works hard to do so, keeping a careful eye on how much he has used and how much he has left.

  crinickle bonnet of muslin or silk worn by women to bed at night to keep their hair in place during the night’s sleep.

  Cripplebolt cothouse situated on the Frugelle built atop the ruins of an ancient Burgundian tollhouse; most famous for the horse-stud kept within the old, still-intact cellars protected by three sets of strong doors and the vigilant maintenance of powerful nullodors.The stocky nags bred there are not the sleekest beasts, but they still pull a load as they are meant to.

  Critchitichiello, Mister itinerant ossatomist hailing originally from Seville who finds life down in the cooler climes of the Soutlands more to his liking because people are not so aware of his unusual past, and rumor so far has not managed to follow him across the Grassmeer. A ledgermain of natural gifts, he is talented at basic skolding too, and has made a comfortable living in the less traveled habitations of the Empire’s southern conquests.

  Crofton Wheede prentice-lighter. See Wheede, Crofton. cruor monster’s blood once it has been taken from the beast.

  cruorpunxis monster-blood tattoo. Though cruor is used to mark a monster-slayer, this is not because of any special properties in the blood of a dead monster over the blood from a live monster (ichor). It is simply that getting a bruicle of blood from a still-living nicker might seem a difficult task: the author would defy anyone to attempt it and come away whole. See Book One.

  curricle light two-wheeled cart or carriage usually pulled by a team of two horses or, in a pinch, a pair of strong mules or donkeys—though at a slower pace.

  cursor(s) mathematical clerks employed for their ability to count and arithmecate (do all manner of sums) quickly and without the aid of counting devices.

  D

  dancing calendar(s) more properly calendine sagaars.

  dandicomb(s) large, gaudily decorated “novelty” hats, designed to attract attention. Worn almost exclusively by teratologists, dandicombs declare very much that the wearer is serious about killing monsters. They come in a variety of forms with wings (ailettes), horns, multiple crowns, twisted crowns; whatever the imagination of the wearer, the depth of his or her purse and the skill of the milliner might conjure.

  dandidawdler(s) rich, affected men who dress expensively in fussy, frilly threads; those of the modern fashionable set known as fluffs. See Appendix 4.

  dark trades illegal trade of body parts and monster bits. See entry in Book One.

  day-clerk(s) in cothouses much of the clerical work—filing of indents, sorting of work cards, auditing of stores, concatenation of papers—is in the hands of one person, the day-clerk, who may have an assistant, if he or she is fortunate. Day-clerks are also responsible for the transit of mail through their station and the dissemination of the same to and from postmen serving the area.

  day-watch watch in a cothouse responsible for guarding their billet and the sleeping lantern-watch and the immediate road during the day; for driving off monsters from their stretch of the way; for aiding in the chasing and apprehension of lurchers and other commerce men; for participating in fatigue parties either on ditch duty or as laborers themselves; and for whichever other duties might present themselves for the doing. At determined intervals that vary with the needs of each house, the day-watch and lantern-watch will swap duties, making it a long day for the previous day-watch and a shortened vigil-day for the relieved lantern-watch.

  Dead Patch, the ~ the common grave of the lamplighters and auxiliaries in Winstermill. Indeed there are many graveyards throughout the Half-Continent and beyond with this name. A noteworthy feature of the one in Winstermi
ll is that the dead are buried feetfirst—standing upright, as it were—to conserve room, so that as many as possible might be interred there.

  degree another term for the situations of social status and rank. The highest degree is a duke/duchess, then marche/marchess, followed by a count/countess, then viscount (or reive)/viscountess (or revine), after which are baron/baroness, then companion/companine, then armige (or esquire)/armigine and finally gentleman/gentlewoman. Each degree above companion may be referred to as “lord” or “lady,” and those below as “sir” or “dame.”

  Dereland the vast southeastern continent beyond the Liquor and the Mare Periculum (Gramlendenmeer), a region which includes the Hagenlands, the eoned home of the Gotts before they were driven out by the Hagenards.

  diet the defined range of a calendar clave’s—and therefore its august’s— influence as stipulated by the clave’s Imperial Prerogative (a commission from the Emperor). Any calendar entering another clave’s diet must seek permission either from the laude or the august herself, depending on circumstances.

  dispensurist(s) in Winstermill, dispensurists occupy a rank between sergeant and under-sergeant, meaning they are one step down from a leer and therefore subordinate to the same. See entry in Book One for more on dispensurists in general.

  distinct acid(s) acidic scripts made especially for a reactive corrosion upon contact, properly known as mordants.

  ditchland(s) also known as fossis, ditchlands are the last march of human habitation, being disputed territory where men and monsters vie for control of the land. Essentially you could think of a ditchland as the “front line” in the never-ending war between everymen and üntermen.

  doglock heavy firearm, somewhere between a pistol and a carbine in length, and often with a very large bore. Also known as a hauncets, they make excellent salinumbus.

  dolly-mop(s) a fairly recent social innovation, these are the working girls of a city or town, ones living for fun and fashion, using their self-earned income in pursuit of the same.

  Dolours, Lady ~ pronounced “doll-loors,” a power calendine bane and the laude of Syntychë, the LadyVey and protectress of Threnody. Her origins are uncertain; she perhaps comes from the Patricine state of Vauquelin or Haquetaine. Only a handful of years younger than the Lady Vey, she arrived at Herbroulesse as a teen, already well along the path of skolding. There she was so well cared for by Syntychë’s mother (the existing Lady Vey) and by all of the Right that she willingly transmogrified to become the personal protectress of the heiress of the clave—a young Syntychë herself. Dolours is the oldest serving friend of her mistress, and though she does not agree with all Syntychë does or says, she remains fiercely loyal to her, taking on the role of spurn to Threnody, the next heiress of Columbris, with pride (even though in some ways this is a demotion). There are rumors about, vague hints that Dolours has been spied in conversation with monsters, suspected of discerning between monsters that must be slain and those that should be spared, of being affected with outramour. All of this is conjecture, and the bane herself remains taciturn when asked: what business is it of others? It is unknown if the title of “lady” is a courtesy or a declaration of rank, and Dolours has never sought to clarify this either way.

  domesticar(s) pediteers in the employ of a particular individual, serving as the personal guard and even army of the same.

  Dovecote, the ~ also known as Herbroulesse or Columbris; the home and headquarters of the Right of the Pacific Dove, gaining its name from the title of the calendar clave living within.

  Dovecote Bolt cothouse situated nearest to the Dovecote and one of the smallest cothouses on the Wormway, known as the Bolt by its inhabitants; an unremarkable billet, and notable only for its proximity to the incidents involving Numps and his fellow seltzermen.

  Drüker derived from the Gott word for “crush,” the name of one of Winstermill’s fourteen tykehounds, and their curregitor. See tykehound(s).

  Duke of Sparrows, the ~ also called the sparrow-king or sparrowlengis; urchin (see entry in Book One), and one of those known as a nimuine, or monster-lord, who have sway over the behavior of the lesser monsters about them.Though most do not believe he exists, the common myth states that the sparrow-king is a friend of the Duke of Crows. He is said to hold court in the woods of the Sparrow Downs, resisting the conquering actions of those monsters set against the realm of everymen. Even so, reputed autumn-land or not, few dare to venture too far into the Downs. People of the Haacobin Empire have dismissed the ancient foolishness that there are two kinds of monster-lord: the nimuines who are kinder, seeking to benefit everymen, and the cacophrins or tlephathines, who seek their own ends and the destruction of everymen.

  dust-of-carum see carum, dust-of-~.

  dyphr said “die’ferr,” from the Attic for “seat” or “chair”; a light, two-seater, four-wheeled carriage with a high dashboard, open-topped and open-sided before the driver and with the back wheels much greater in diameter than the front wheels. Built for speed and recreation, it is driven by the owner, with no lenterman’s seat at the front. For inclement weather, a foldable top can be pulled over the occupants, and higher sides can be folded up to help protect against a theroscade, though a hasty retreat is a dyphr’s best protection.

  E

  einsiedlerin the Gott word for an eeker, those people living by choice or imposition on the fringes of society. See eeker in Book One.

  Emperor’s Own Lighters the formal and glorious title of a lamplighter in the service of the Haacobin Emperor. Declared boastfully to the listener, it is used particularly by lighters when referring to themselves.

  Empire, the ~ meaning the Haacobin Empire of current rule or the Sceptics whom they overthrew. See entry in Book One.

  enkle Gott for “grandson,” a name kindly old Gott folk sometimes give to any young person.

  epimelain pronounced “eh-pihm-eh-layn” or “eh-pihm-eh-line” and sometimes shortened just a little to pimelain; also known as an abergaile, a person we would call a nurse, employed in infirmaries and sequesturies to tend to the routine cares of the sick and recovering; regarded as a superior class of maid.

  Eugus Smellgrove see Smellgrove, Eugus.

  eurinine(s) said “yoo’rah’neen”; the original monsters who were granted the capacity to make life come from the earth. In some texts they are written of as the Primmlings—the first. All the nimuines, tlephathines and cacophrins were once of these kind—or so some antiquated sources say.

  everymen people, humankind.

  Evolution Green also called Evolution Square; the oblong space south of the Grand Mead in Winstermill designated for marching and other drills of movement.

  evolution(s) training in the correct movements in marching and the right handling of weapons and other equipment. Evolutions are taken very seriously in military organs, especially in armies, where pediteers are drilled over and over and over in all the marches and skills required until they become a habit. Failure to perform evolutions successfully is punished, sometimes severely, and this is usually enough to scare people into excellence. Evolutions form part of a hierarchy of military motion and drill starting with manual exercises (individual drill), evolutions (quarto and platoon movements), great exercises (company and battalion movement), and maneuvers (in concerto movements of regiments or forcces of greater size).To evolve is to be put through drill maneuvers such as marching or handling weapons.

  Ex Monsteria also known as the Liber Beluafaunis or “Book of Monsters”; an exceedingly rare tome written by the eminent and assassinated scholar and Imperial teratologist Hubritas Whittwornicus of Wörms or, more simply, Wittwornick. It is considered the most learned and thorough study of theroids, but is unofficially considered a banned book for the dubious conclusions Wittwornick comes to about the nature of the ancient foe. It is so hard to get, however, that few but the most learned know of it, and fewer still have a copy to read. A thoroughly abridged form exists—The Incomplete Book of Bogles—but even this is regarded as
containing sedonitious information despite the truncation of its contents.

  expungeant(s) another rendering of expunctants; those scripts that slay instantly.

  Exstinker the nullodor made by Craumpalin for Rossamünd before he left Madam Opera’s, given to him to keep our hero “. . . safe from sniffing noses.” See Craumpalin’s Exstinker and nullodors in Book One.

  F

  fabulist(s) one practiced in and gaining income from the arts of sleight of hand, juggling and other feats of prestidigitation. Also used to refer to artists and other image makers.

  false-fire potives that cause kinds of chemical burning and melting; the glowing, often firelike reactions of these same potives; chemical “flames” and burning.

  falseman a leer whose eyes have been altered so that she or he can detect when another is being truthful or not. See leers in Book One.

  fascins said “fass’skins,” coming from infula fascia, the retardant-treated bandages or wrappings and covers worn by scourges to protect them from the workings of their own chemistries.

  fatigue party group of laborers, peoneers, and/or seltzermen set to manual labor. If a fatigue party ventures out beyond its protective bounds, it will be accompanied by a quarto or more of pediteers and maybe a lurksman or leer. Soldiers so engaged are said to be on ditch duty.

  Fayelillian small northern Soutland state, north of Brandenbrass and directly west over the River Humour from Sulk End; one of the states that during the Dissolutia (see Gates, Battle of the ~ in Book One) did not venture out against the Imperial Capital. As a reward in HIR 1413 the new dynasty expanded Fayelillian’s borders (much to the disgust of her neighbors), elevated her existing peers, granted patents to the most eminent nonpeer families and bestowed hereditary responsibilities, such as the peerage-marshalsy given to the forebears of the Lamplighter-Marshal. To common folk the people of Faylillian have a reputation for gentle simplicity and hospitality greatly at odds with their conquered ancestors, the fierce and indomitable Piltdownmen, who well over a thousand years ago vied with the Brandenards, Burgundians and Wretchermen of aulde for control of lands about the Grume.