Peril's Gate

by Janny Wurts

  pronounced: mel-halla

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

  MELOR RIVER––located in the principality of Korias, Tysan. Its mouth forms the harbor for the port town of West End.

  pronounced: mel-or

  root meaning: maeliur––fish

  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

  METHLAS LAKE––large body of fresh water located in the principality of Orvandir, Shand.

  pronounced: meth-las

  root meaning: meth’ilass’an––the drowned, or sunken ones

  METHSPAWN––an animal warped by possession by a methuri, an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts. Extinct by the Third Age, their crossbred, aberrated descendants are called methspawn, found in Mirthlvain Swamp.

  pronounced: meth

  root meaning: meth––hate

  METHURI––an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts, extinct by the Third Age.

  pronounced: meth-you-ree

  root meaning: meth’thi––hate-wraith

  MINDERL BAY––body of water behind Crescent Isle off the east coast of Rathain. Also reference point of a battle where Arithon tricked Lysaer into burning the trade fleet.

  pronounced: mind-earl

  root meaning: minderl––anvil

  MIRTHLVAIN SWAMP––boglands located in Midhalla, Melhalla; filled with dangerous crossbreeds of drake spawn. Guarded by the Master Spellbinder, Verrain.

  pronounced: mirth-el-vain

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

  MISTWRAITH––see Desh-thiere.

  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

  MORVAIN––city located in Araethura, Rathain, on the coast of Instrell Bay. Elaira’s birthplace.

  pronounced: more-vain

  root meaning: morvain––swindlers’ market

  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––to rhyme with ‘charms’

  root meaning: narms––color

  NORTH-WARD––fishing town on the north coast of the principality of Fallowmere, Rathain.

  NORTHSTRAIT––narrows between the mainland spur of northern Tysan and the Trow Islands.

  ORNISON––master from Rauven Tower who taught Arithon his early lessons in magecraft.

  pronounced: or-nee-son

  root meaning: ornia’san––a blackbird with a crested head

  ORVANDIR––principality located in northeastern Shand.

  pronounced: or-van-deer

  root meaning: orvein––crumbled; dir––stone

  OSTERMERE––harbor and trade city, once smugglers’ haven, located in Carithwyr, Havish. City where High King Eldir received his coronation, before moving his court to Telmandir.

  pronounced: os-tur-mere

  root meaning: ostier––brick; miere––reflection

  PARAVIAN––name for the three old races that inhabited Athera before Men. 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

  PENSTAIR––Second Age ruin on the northern shore of Deshir, Rathain.

  pronounced: pen-stair

  root meaning: pensti’era––watchpoint, place for beacon fires

  PESQUIL––Mayor of the Northern League of Headhunters at the time of the battle of Strakewood Forest. His strategies caused the Deshir clans the most punishing losses. Died of a clan vengeance arrow during the crossing of Valleygap in Third Age 5646.

  pronounced: pes-quil like ‘pest-quill’

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  POIREY––Araethurian herder, great-uncle to Fionn Areth.

  pronounced: pear-ree

  root meaning: paereia––salmon

  RADMOORE DOWNS––meadowlands 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 mayor.

  pronounced: rayett

  root meaning: raiett––carrion bird

  RANNE––royal guardsman of Avenor, assigned as honor guard to the heir apparent, Prince Kevor.

  pronounced: rahn

  root meaning: ruann––a fledgling hawk

  RATHAIN––High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age Year One. Sigil: 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

  REIYAJ––title for the seeress who inhabits a tower in southern Shand near the city of Ithish. Her oracular visions are based on meditative communion with the energy gateway marked and measured by Athera’s sun. Although born sighted, practice of her art results in blindness. The origin of her tradition derives from mystical practices still extant in the tribal culture of the Sanpashir Desert.

  pronounced: ree-yahj

  root meaning: ria’ieajn––to touch the forbidden

  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.

  ROCKFELL PIT––deep shaft cut into Rockfell Peak, 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

  ROCKFELL VALE––valley below Rockfell Peak, located in principality of West Halla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: rockfell vale

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  SAERIAT––name of the brigantine captained by Avar of Karthan, defeated and burned in engagement against seventeen warships of Amroth on the splinter world of Dascen Elur.

  pronounced: say-ree-at

  root meaning: saer––water; iyat––to break

  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: farsight.

  pronounced: s’ah-hell-as

  root meaning: ahelas––mage-gifted

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

  pr
onounced: sahn-pash-eer

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

  SAYTRA––Koriani Senior in charge of making talismans and fiend banes at the Highscarp sisterhouse.

  pronounced: say-tra

  root meaning: saer’tria––one who joins circles

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

  pronounced: s’bride-ee-on

  root meaning: baridien––tenacity

  SCIMLADE TIP––peninsula at the southeast corner of Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: skim-laid

  root meaning: scimlait––curved knife or scythe

  s’DARIAN––family name for a line of centaurs who were master armorers in the First and Second Ages. Most renowned was Ffereton, who forged the twelve Blades of Isaer, Alithiel being for his natural son Durmaenir.

  pronounced: dar-ee-an

  root meaning: daer’an––one that cuts

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

  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.

  pronounced: sell-ih-dee

  root meaning: selyadi––air sprite

  SELKWOOD––forest located in Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: selk-wood

  root meaning: selk––pattern

  SETHVIR––Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, served as Warden of Althain since the disappearance of the Paravians in the Third Age after the Mistwraith’s conquest.

  pronounced: seth-veer

  root meaning: seth––fact; vaer––keep

  SEVERNIR––river that once ran across the central part of Daon Ramon Barrens, Rathain. Diverted at the source after the Mistwraith’s conquest, to run east into Eltair Bay.

  pronounced: se-ver-neer

  root meaning: sevaer––to travel; nir––south

  s’FFALENN––family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain. Gifted geas: compassion/empathy.

  pronounced: s-fal-en

  root meaning: ffael––dark; an––one

  SHAND––High Kingdom on the southeast corner of the Paravian continent, originally ruled by the line of s’Ahelas. Device is falcon on a crescent moon, backed by purple-and-gold chevrons.

  pronounced: shand––as in ‘hand’

  root meaning: shayn or shiand––two/pair

  SHEHANE ALTHAIN––Ilitharis Paravian who dedicated his spirit as defender and guardian of Althain Tower.

  pronounced: shee-hay-na all-thain

  root meaning: shiehai’en––to give for the greater good; alt––last; thein––tower, sanctuary

  SHIP’S PORT––city located on the Bay of Eltair in the principality of West Halla, Melhalla.

  SIDIR––one of the Companions, who were the fourteen boys to survive the Battle of Strakewood. Served Arithon at the battle of Dier Kenton Vale, and the Havens. Second-in-command of Earl Jieret’s war band.

  pronounced: see-deer

  root meaning: i’sid’i’er––one who has stood at the verge of being lost

  s’ILESSID––family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Tysan. Gifted geas: justice.

  pronounced: sill-ess-id

  root meaning: liessiad––balance

  SILVERMARSH––mire located south of Daenfal Lake, in the principality of West Halla, Melhalla.

  SITHAER––mythological equivalent of hell, halls of Dharkaron Avenger’s judgment; according to Ath’s adepts, that state of being where the prime vibration is not recognized.

  pronounced: sith-air

  root meaning: sid––lost; thiere––wraith/spirit

  SKANNT––headhunter captain, served under Pesquil.

  pronounced: scant

  root meaning: sciant––a lean, hard-run hound of mixed breeding

  SKYRON FOCUS––large aquamarine focus stone, used by the Koriani Senior Circle for their major magic after the loss of the Great Waystone during the rebellion.

  pronounced: sky-run

  root meaning: skyron––colloquialism for shackle; s’kyr’i’on–– literally ‘sorrowful fate’

  SKYSHIELS––mountain range that runs north and south along the eastern coast of Rathain.

  pronounced: sky-shee-ells

  root meaning: skyshia––to pierce through; iel––ray

  SORCHAIN––Etarran trade minister with a long pedigree.

  pronounced: sore-shain

  root meaning: soershian––a method of tempering steel

  STEIVEN––Earl of the North, caithdein and regent to the Kingdom of Rathain at the time of Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn’s return. Chieftain of the Deshans until his death in the battle of Strakewood Forest in Third Year 5638. Jieret Red-beard’s father.

  pronounced: stay-vin

  root meaning: steiven––stag

  STORLAINS––mountains dividing the Kingdom of Havish.

  pronounced: store-lanes

  root meaning: storlient––largest summit, highest divide

  STORMWELL––Gulf of Stormwell, body of water off the northcoast of Tysan.

  STRAKEWOOD––forest in the principality of Deshir, Rathain; site of the battle of Strakewood Forest, where the garrison from Etarra marched against the clans under Steiven s’Valerient and Prince Arithon, in Third Age Year 5638.

  pronounced: strayk-wood, similar to ‘stray wood’

  root meaning: streik––to quicken, to seed

  SULFIN EVEND––son of the Mayor of Hanshire who holds the post of Alliance Lord Commander under Lysaer s’Ilessid.

  pronounced: sool-finn ev-end

  root meaning: suilfinn eiavend––colloquialism, diamond mind ‘one who is persistent’

  s’VALERIENT––family name for the Earls of the North, regents and caithdeinen for the High Kings of Rathain.

  pronounced: val-er-ee-ent

  root meaning: val––straight; erient––spear

  TAERLIN––southwestern principality of Kingdom of Tysan. Also a lake, Taerlin Waters located in the southern spur of Tornir Peaks. Halliron taught Arithon a ballad of that name, which is of Paravian origin, and which commemorates the First Age slaughter of a unicorn herd by Khadrim.

  pronounced: tayer-lin

  root meaning: taer––calm; lien––to love

  TAL QUORIN––river formed by the confluence of watershed on the southern side of Strakewood, principality of Deshir, Rathain, where traps were laid for Etarra’s army in the battle of Strakewood Forest, and where the rape and massacre of Deshir’s clan women and children occurred under Lysaer and headhunter Pesquil’s command in Third Age Year 5638.

  pronounced: tal quar-in

  root meaning: tal––branch; quorin––canyons

  TALERA s’AHELAS––princess wed to the King of Amroth on the splinter world of Dascen Elur. Mother of Lysaer s’Ilessid, by her husband; mother of Arithon, through her adulterous liaison with the Pirate King of Karthan, Avar s’Ffalenn.

  pronounced: tal-er-a

  root meaning: talera––branch or fork in a path

  TALITH––Etarran princess; former wife of Lysaer s’Ilessid. Died of a fall from Avenor’s tower of state.

  pronounced: talith––to rhyme with ‘gal with’

  root meaning: tal––branch; lith––to keep/nurture

  TALVISH––a clanborn retainer in sworn service to s’Brydion at Alestron who was sworn into the service of Prince Arithon as a point of honor.

  pronounced: tall-vish

  root meaning: talvesh––reed

  TEIR––title fixed to a
name denoting heirship.

  pronounced: tayer

  root meaning: teir’s––successor to power

  TERIK––servant at Rauven Tower on the splinter world of Dascen Elur.

  pronounced: tear-ick

  root meaning: tiaric––an alloy of steel

  THALDEINS––mountain range that borders the principality of Camris, Tysan, to the east. Site of the Camris clans’ west outpost. Site of the raid at the Pass of Orlan.

  pronounced: thall-dayn

  root meaning: thal––head; dein––bird

  THARIDOR––trade city on the shores of Bay of Eltair in Melhalla. pronounced: thar-i-door

  root meaning: tier’i’dur––keep of stone

  THARRICK––former captain of the guard in the city of Alestron assigned charge of the duke’s secret armory; now married to Jinesse and working as a gentleman mercenary guard at Innish.

  pronounced: thar-rick

  root meaning: thierik––unkind twist of fate

  THEIRID––one of the Companions, the fourteen children who survived the Battle of Strakewood Forest. Best known for his stalking and hunting skills.

  pronounced: thee-rid

  root meaning: thierent––wraithlike

  TIENDAR––Paravian word invoking the tie between spirit and flesh.

  pronounced: tee-en-dar

  root meaning: tiendar––spirit tie

  TIENELLE––high-altitude herb valued by mages for its mind- expanding properties. Highly toxic. No antidote. The leaves, dried and smoked, are most potent. To weaken its powerful side effects and allow safer access to its vision, Koriani enchantresses boil the flowers, then soak tobacco leaves with the brew.

  pronounced: tee-an-ell-e (‘e’ mostly subliminal)

  root meaning: tien––dream; iel––light/ray

  TIRIACS––mountain range to the north of Mirthlvain Swamp, Midhalla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: tie-ree-axe

  root meaning: tieriach––alloy of metals

  TORBRAND s’FFALENN––founder of the s’Ffalenn line appointed by the Fellowship of Seven to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain in Third Age Year One.

  pronounced: tor-brand

  root meaning: tor––sharp, keen; brand––temper

  TORNIR PEAKS––mountain range on western border of the principality of Camris, Tysan. Northern half is actively volcanic, and there the last surviving packs of Khadrim are kept under ward.