Eagle: not only the bird, but also a clan of the Kara-Khitan.
Ecumen: a collective name for one Christian Church expressing the same beliefs.
Elder Race or Eldar: Legends abound about the Elder Race. Some of them are correct. They are taller and, generally, more slender than humans & very attractive in appearance & dominating in aspect. They are often seen as implacable & iron-willed. They have eyes with purple irises & epicanthic folds. The Elder Race take extra damage from iron weapons. The Elder Race fought alongside humanity against Darkreach. Having helped in this victory, none were to be found within the Land within a few months. Several legends say that they sailed away from southern ports leaving behind their language, High Speech, which is still much used by mages. and many artefacts & gravesites. The Elder Race could interbreed with humans & some families claim descent from them.
Elephant: not only the animal, but also the totem beast of Kara-Khitan Clan.
Elephant Island: see Hāthī Dvīpa.
Erave Town: a town on the southern end of Lake Erave. Its culture is strongly influenced by Haven and the families of many of its inhabitants were originally from there.
Evilhalt: a town at the northern edge of Lake Erave nearly in the middle of The Land. It is the northern limit of navigation for an ocean-going ship up the Rhastaputra River and is strongly fortified. The people there speak Dwarven among themselves.
Faen: the language of the people of The Swamp.
Festival of the Dragon: an annual Khitan ceremony where the dragon of Dagh Ordu is fed and appeased. It is secret (or at least not believed) outside the tribes.
Fisherman’s Arms, The: a tavern in Erave Town.
Follis: the standard coin of the independent villages, a value will be given in these. They are made of tin and weigh 20g.
Freehold: A Kingdom in the South-west of The Land. It covers most of the southwest between the Aissa/Baerami system, in the south, and the No-iu flow in the north. Between these are the Trekvarna and Oban Rivers. There is dispute with the Khitan over much of the inter-river plains areas. The capital is at Ashvaria and the Queen is Daphne IV Acer. As a culture it most closely approaches early 1500s Western Europe.
Funereal Hills: a plateau in Darkreach covered in burial tumuli and mounds from an unknown race. Some of these are large enough to be thought of as hills. Many of them contain undead of various sorts; wights, wraiths, shadows, and simple skeletons.
Ganesh: Havenite elephant-headed god of wisdom and knowledge. This includes foretelling. He is often depicted riding on a mouse. He is one of the more popular gods.
Gap, the: see Darkreach Gap.
Garthang Keep: the most northerly part of Haven. It is an ancient and large fortress meant to control the Rhastaputra and the major tributary that leads from the Swamp.
Ger: the domed tent of the Kara-Khitan made of leather over a frame work of flexible light timber. Usually these are on the ground and set up each time the group stops, but for important people they may be on a huge wheeled platform drawn by oxen or cow lizards.
Ghats: long shelves forming a series of steps which lead down to the Rhastaputra River. These mark ritual bathing places in Haven.
Ghazi: a holy warrior of the Caliphate. Often referred to as Assassins by the rest of the world, their true function is almost always as guards, scouts and spies. They are faithful even if it involves their own death. Some are also minor priests.
Glare-wraps: thin sheets of scraped mica bound in leather that act in snow or ice to polarise light and allow vision instead to just ‘seeing white’.
Glengate: A large village in the Great Forest at the head of the Aisi Darya or Aissa Flow on the shorter, more southern and most usual path from Lake Erave to Freehold across the plains.
Gnolls: one of the wild races of the Mountains, they are related to Kharl (whom they hate). It is thought that they rarely form groups of more than a family.
Goldentide: a coastal town in Freehold and site of a Bishopric. It is held personally by the Queen as Baroness Goldentide. Its wealth comes from fishing.
Grey Doe, the: an inn in Ardlark catering only for female customers.
Granmer: a term used for any female of the Imperial family of Darkreach who is at least two generations older than the speaker.
Granther: a term used for any male of the Imperial family of Darkreach who is at least two generations older than the speaker.
Granther, the: specifically refers to the head of the Imperial line, the Emperor Hrothnog.
Great Bitter Lake: an almost always dry salt lake west of Ardlark it is north of Deathguard Tower on the other side of the road to the Funereal Hills.
Great Plain, the: also known as the Dry Plains it is a peninsula which makes up a large proportion of Darkreach west of Ardlark.
Greek: main language used by the Orthodox Church, it is also used by several of the independent villages of the plains and as a tribal tongue by one group of Humans in Darkreach.
Greensin: a large village or small town on the Ogunbil River just west of the Great Forest in the north. It is the seat of an Orthodox Metropolitan and he rules the town. There is also the monastery of Sts Cyril and Methodius.
Greydkharl: are the most underground of the Kharl races. They have eyes that can see in poorer light conditions and thus are easily blinded by bright light. They are seldom seen above ground except in sieges and at night. Almost all Kharl siege engineers are Greydkharl. Their skin is a paler coloured green than other Kharl and they are usually noticeable as their eyes are much larger than most. They have many tattoo designs that are common among them & they enjoy this art form.
Gulama: Hindi for a slave.
Guthog’s Blessing: This is a small species of grass (up to 30 centimetres) found on the plains. A wash can be made from the leaves. It rids all Humans and animals of ticks and mites and relieves any itchiness they have caused.
Half Kharl: see Insackharl
Hāthī Dvīpa: or Elephant Island. One of the islands of Sacred Gate. It has mainly wealthy upper caste residents but also houses other facilities like the Royal Armouries.
Haven: a nation at the mouth of the Rhastaputra River. Although small it is a densely populated area with a population at least as great as Freehold.
Hesperinos: the beginning of the Orthodox liturgical day, it occurs at sundown. To the Catholics it is known as Vespers.
Hetaera: a skilled courtesan in Darkreach. They are often also entertainers of note.
High Speech: the language of the Eldar. It has soft and melodious tones and is used mainly by mages.
Hindi: the language of Haven.
Hobgoblins: Hobgoblins are far larger than Goblins and even Kharl or most Humans, but are similar to Goblins in appearance although they have grey skin and even more prominent teeth. There are a few small tribes of Hobgoblins in the mountains. Hobgoblins do not like strong light, but can stand daylight if it is not too bright. They use scimitars and medium shields (which they generally trade for with the Goblins) & prefer long bows. They are feared warriors who are more likely to kill than talk.
Houppelande: a large garment worn by men and women west of the mountains. It is used to extravagantly show wealth with the amount of cloth used in it and often the richness of the cloth.
Hugon pir: a petroleum product that most closely resembles napalm. It is used by the armies of Darkreach and exported with permission.
Hyperion: Coin of the independent villages made of gold and weighs 4.5g. It is worth 450 tin follies.
Ibrik: a small pot of an odd shape that is used for brewing kaf.
Imperial: a Darkreach coin made of gold and weighing 20g. It is worth 2,000 nummus.
Insak-div: Often referred to as ‘dark trolls’, Insak-div are not related to trolls in any way. They speak their own tongue. There are no Insak-div mages and very few clerics. Insak-div are ugly, dumb and lack any concept of stealth or subtlety (indeed their own language lacks words even related to these concepts). They make up for this in i
ncreased size, strength and endurance, and a thicker skin. Insak-div are very dark-green and almost black in colour. Despite their fearsome appearance they are usually very happy and jovial unless provoked. Unfortunately they are very easily provoked. Insak-div enjoy drinking and singing—really simple songs—especially rounds and additive drinking songs, which they will continue for hours. A common cause of their fights is brawling over mistakes in these. An Insak-div bar fight will reduce a normal bar room to matchsticks very quickly. Bars catering for their needs lack seats (other than built in benches on walls) and tables. Insak-div are usually happy to sit on the floor.
Insackharl: also half-Kharl, all persons who are not fully Human or fully Kharl in ancestry regardless of proportion.
Isci-kharl: One of the Kharl races, they are large, dumb and lazy, but also strong. Their skin is thicker and rougher and much darker in colour—ranging from a very dark green to almost black. Isci-kharl are the shock troops. They are tolerant of daylight, but prefer darker days and fighting at night as they have eyes that are more light sensitive than Humans. Despite this, a farmer Kharl, or one who is a general labourer, will most likely come from this tribe.
Jade Mountain: a region near Ardlark where a series of steep misty hills produce large quantities of jade of different shades.
Kaf: This is one of four species of evergreen shrub that grows to 5m in the north and south mountains. Leaves are dark green and glossy around 15cm long and 6cm wide. The flowers stem from the leaf axils in white clusters with five petals in early spring. The seeds ripen by late autumn and start green then go to yellow, crimson and finally black. Fruit is green when picked for a stimulating beverage. Coffee.
Kãfirũn: Arabic for the unbelievers, those who do not follow the Prophet.
Kapok: This is a prolific jungle vine that climbs trees. It produces seedpods that can be harvested and processed to produce a warm and soft cloth. These pods can be in very dense growth and are often quite high up and difficult to harvest. It is an important cloth for some mages.
Kara-Khitan: collective term for the tribes of the plains.
Kataphract or Kataphractoi: a heavy cavalryman (or woman) from Darkreach. They ride an armoured horse and are themselves armoured. They employ a variety of weapons depending on range and target. They charge with their knees touching.
Kha-Khan: the head of the Kara-Khitan.
Kharl: According to most reliable histories, Hrothnog created the Kharl several thousand years ago. Kharl are usually quite ugly. Their faces usually resemble those of a pig, complete with tusks. Their skin is usually greenish in colour and has a scaly texture. Kharl are hardier than Humans, able to eat a wider range of foods and to drink more polluted water. They are not good leaders. Kharl usually enjoy violence. They fight among themselves if nothing better is at hand. They have ritualised violence into a game called ‘ball’ which is played on a field with teams. Kharl are devoted followers of their (racially coherent) teams. They also love watching condemned prisoners fight in gladiatorial combat. All Kharl will speak Darkspeech. In addition they will speak their own tribal language. Although all will marry and breed with Humans, the tribes rarely interbreed and may be on the way to speciation. There are four known tribes of Kharl in the Land.
Kharlsbane: a Settlement of the Dwarves in the Northern Mountains. It is an above ground town carved direct from the rock it is built on.
Khitan: language of the Kara-Khitan
Kichic-kharl: are the smallest and brightest Kharl. They excel at tracking. Their colour is a light forest green and Kichic-kharl often blend in with outside vegetation. Their units are lightly equipped, often concentrating on missile fire and they wear little armour. They are the best adapted of the Kharl to full daylight. If you see a Kharl mage, it is likely to be of the Kichic-kharl.
Köle: Khitan for a slave.
Kshatya: one of the five castes of Haven society, the caste of warriors (including most mages) and rulers.
Kynigoi: Darkreach light cavalry, they can be on horses or camels and they skirmish and use missile fire rather than close for close combat.
Lake Erave: the largest lake in The Land, it is at the northern navigable point of the Rhastaputra River with Erave town in the south where the river leaves the lake and Evilhalt in the north where it enters.
Latin: the language of Freehold.
Law of Contagion: a magical law that says that if something used to belong to or be a part of a person or thing then it still has a spooky connection over distance with the original.
Law of Similarity: a magical law that says that if two items are similar then one can be used to better affect the other. It is on this basis that incense, cloths, gems, numbers and shapes are used in castings.
Leman: acknowledged sexual partner.
Lion: not only the animal, but also a Clan of the Kara-Khitan.
Logothetēs tou trapeza basilikē: the chief of the Palace accounts in Darkreach, a high official and combination bookkeeper and cashier.
Mahr: money paid by a man or his family to a woman’s family in Darkreach when she is given in marriage as a compensation for the loss of her services.
Mandira Dvīpa: or Temple Island. This is an island in Sacred Gate that has the main temples of almost all of the gods on it.
Martobulli: a throwing dart weighing a bit less than half a kilogram. They can be thrown for a long distance and, particularly when used en-masse, can be quite deadly.
Metal Hill: a hill outside Ardlark in Darkreach that is almost entirely made of iron ore.
Methul River: a river that starts in the Darkreach Gap and end in the north at Wolfneck. It drains the western side of the mountains in the north.
Metropolitan: a rank in the Orthodox Church which means the same as a Bishopric in Freehold.
Milesaria: a coin of the independent villages made of silver and copper alloy that weighs 2.5g and is worth 15 follis.
Mouthguard Keep: a fortress and growing village in the Methul River at the western end of the Darkreach Gap.
Mundu: a Havenite garment consisting of a single length of cloth draped around the body and over the shoulder. It is similar to a Roman toga. It is almost always worn by holy men and is usually orange in colour.
Muslims: both the inhabitants of the Caliphate and one of the tribes of Humans in Darkreach.
Nameless Keep: a massive fortification at the eastern end of the Darkreach Gap that is carved out of a ridge of basalt and has major magical enhancements.
Nekulturny: a word in the Darkspeech of Wolfneck. It is a word that roughly means uncultured, but is far more derogatory.
Njal-bound: a way of making clothing similar to knitting.
Northern Ocean: the water between The Land and the lands of the Arctic.
The Northern Waste: see White World.
Nu-I Lake: a large salty lake west of Ardlark. Dochra is on its shore.
Numismata: a coin of Darkreach made of silver and weighing 2.5g. It is worth 15 nummus.
Nummus: the base coin of Darkreach, it is made of tin and weighs 20g.
Order of St Ursula: a militant female Catholic Order. Some of its members are ordained as Deacons and can perform services. It is known for its missionary outreach and good works.
Ogres: Despite some legends, these are the intellectuals of the non-Humans. Ogre-mages are well known and feared. They are common and powerful. Ogres have dark-yellow to dark-green and (rarely) black skin and black hair, often worn long and either loose or in a pony-tail. They have prominent functional incisors and all males have a small horn growing from the centre of their forehead. Ogres will also eat anything that is not an ogre.
Old Lobster, the: an inn in Dochra.
Oovo: a shrine of the Kara-Khitan and one of the few things they build. It consists of a pile of rocks. Weighted down in the pile are all sorts blue items, from flowers to clothing or scraps of cloth, left behind by people engaging in a long journey.
Orthodox: the dominant religion outside Freehold. Its follow
ers are scattered in villages and lack numbers outside Darkreach.
Orthros: the first service of the morning for the Orthodox. It usually starts before sunrise. The Catholic equivalent is matins.
Oxys Dromos: the Darkreach Imperial messenger service. Using relay chains and magic they expect to move a messenger plus up to 20kg up to 360km in a day.
Pack-hunter: These are similar to the now extinct raptors. They are fast-moving and intelligent. Pack hunters can be found in jungles and swamps, forests, in the mountains and on the plains. Their classic attack is a leap using their large rear claw in a slashing attack. They can also use a bite. They are brightly feathered and also give their name to one of the clans of the Kara-Khitan.
Intimations of Evil (Warriors of Vhast Book 1) Page 40
