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The Wars of Light and Shadow (9) – Initiate’s Trial: First book of Sword of the Canon

Page 82

by Janny Wurts


  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’

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

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-nee

  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

  KRALOVIR—term for a sect of necromancers, also called the grey cult, destroyed by Arithon s’Ffalenn in Third Age Year 5671.

  pronounced: kray-low-veer

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

  LAITHEN s’IDIR—clanborn woman from Fallowmere, descended from Sidir’s lineage, mother of Siantra s’Idir.

  pronounced: lay-then see-deer

  root meaning: laere – grace; thein – tower; laerethien – pillar of grace; s’ – of the lineage; i’id’ier – almost lost

  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—narrow pass in the Mathorn Mountains, Rathain, famed site of Braggen’s stand, where the clan Companion single-handedly fought and held off a troop of Sunwheel soldiers in pursuit of Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn.

  pronounced: lay-ens-gap

  root meaning: liyond – corridor

  LIRENDA—former First Senior Enchantress to the Prime, Koriani Order; failed in her assignment to capture Arithon s’Ffalenn for Koriani purposes. Held as a passive servant under the Prime Matriarch’s sentence of punishment since Third Age Year 5670.

  pronounced: leer-end-ah

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

  LITHMARIN—glacial lake located in between Lanshire and Ghent in Havish.

  pronounced: lith-mar-in

  root meaning: lieth – flow; mieren – mirror

  LITHWATER—river

  pronounced: lith

  root meaning: lieth – flow, current

  LORN—town on the northcoast of Atainia, Tysan.

  pronounced: lorn

  root meaning: loern – an Atheran fish.

  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’ mostly 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 for the following known as the Alliance of Light. Elected Mayor of Etarra in 5667. Declared apostate to the Light at the Great Schism in Third Age Year 5683; retired to his seat at Etarra, signed Treaty of Law with Rathain’s clans in 5688.

  pronounced: lie-say-er

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

  MAENALLE s’GANNLEY—former Caithdein of Tysan, put on trial for theft and outlawry on the trade-road, condemned and executed at Isaer by Lysaer s’Ilessid in Third Age Year 5645.

  pronounced: may-nall

  root meaning: maeni’alli – to patch together; gaen – guide; li – exalted, in harmony

  MAINMERE—town at the head of the Valenford River in Taerlin, Tysan. Built on a site originally kept clear to free the second lane focus in the ruins farther south.

  pronounced: main-meer-e (last ‘e’ mostly subliminal)

  root meaning: maeni – to fall, interrupt; miere – reflection/colloquial for 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. Source of the Mistwraith, Desh-thiere, and the free wraiths that threaten Athera.

  pronounced: maer-ak

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

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

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien – massive

  MATHORN ROAD—trade-road running just south of the Mathorn Mountains.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien – massive

  MEIGLIN s’DIENEVAL—the legitimate daughter born to the widow of Egan s’Dieneval in Third Age 5019, just after his death in the slaughter of the

  rebellion. Heart’s love of the last High King of Shand for one night, just prior to his death while fighting the Mistwraith. A weaving by the Biedar of Sanpashir, done at the behest of the last centaur guardian, ensured the union would bring conception, and the birth of Dari’s’Ahelas. Also named Anshlien’ya in desert dialect, as the dawn of hope.

  pronounced: mee-glin s-dee-in-ee-vahl

  root meaning: meiglin – passion; dien – large; eval – endowment, gifted talent

  MINDERL BAY—body of water inside of Crescent Isle, off the eastshore of Rathain.

  pronounced: mind-earl

  root meaning: minderl – anvil

  MIRALT HEAD—point of land on the north coast of Camris, Tysan, with a port town by the same name.

  pronounced: meer-alt

  root meaning: m’ier – shore; alt – last

  MISTWRAITH—see Desh-thiere.

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

  pronounced: mor-vain

  root meaning: morvain – swindler’s market

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

  pronounced: narms

  root meaning: narms – colour

  NORTHSTRAIT—narrow passage from the Westland Sea into the Gulf of Stormwell, located in the northwest corner of Tysan.

  ONYA—a townswoman of Kelsing.

  pronounced: on-ya

  not from the Paravian

  ORLAN—pass in the Thaldein Mountains in Tysan where the clan seat has a hidden outpost.

  pronounced: or-lan

  root meaning: irlan – ledge

  OSTERMERE—coastal town in Carithwyr, Havish, once a smuggler’s haven.

  pronounced: os-tur-meer

  root meaning: ostier – crumbled; dir – stone

  PAOLIN—crofter’s child who died of summer fever, son of Saffie, brother of Chan (also deceased), and nephew of Tarens and Kerelie.

  pronounced: pay-oh-lin

  not from the Paravian

  PARAVIA—name for the continent inhabited by the Paravians, and loc
ale of the Five Kingdoms.

  pronounced: par-ay-vee-ah

  root meaning: para – great; i’a – suffix denoting entityship, and raised to the feminine aspect, which translates as ‘place inclusive of, or holding the aspect for greatness’

  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

  PENSTAIR—Second Age ruin on the north shore of Deshir, Rathain.

  pronounced: pen-stair

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

  PRANDEY—Shandian term for gelded pleasure boy.

  pronounced: prandee

  not from the Paravian

  RATHAIN—one of the Five High Kingdoms 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

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

  pronounced: red-burn

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  REIYAJ SEERESS—title for the Seeress sequestered in a tower in Shand, near Ithish. Her oracular visions derive from meditative communion with the energy gateway marked and measured by Athera’s sun. Born sighted, but practice of her art brings blindness. The origin of her tradition derives from the mystical practices of the Biedar tribe in 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

  ROCKBAY HARBOUR—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

  ROCKFELL PIT—shaft built by the Sorcerer Davien in Rockfell Peak to contain harmful entities; currently sequesters the Mistwraith, Desh-thiere.

  SAFFIE—deceased croft mistress from Kelsing, wife of Fiath, aunt of Efflin, Tarens, and Kerelie, mother of Paolin and Chan.

  pronounced: saf-ee

  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. Also the lineage that carries the latent potential for the rogue talent for far-sight and prophecy, introduced when the caithdein’s lineage of s’Dieneval became crossed with the royal line in Third Age 5036, resulting in Dari’s birth in winter, 5037.

  pronounced: s’ah-hell-as

  root meaning: ahelas – mage-gifted

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

  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

  s’CRIADIEN—an older, outbred clan lineage arisen from past liaison between Torwent fishermen and Caithwood’s clan blood-lines.

  pronounced: cree-ah-dee-en

  root meaning: cor’ia’dreien – a shipmate or shipping partner

  SCARPDALE—waste in Lanshire, Havish, created by a First Age war with Seardluin. Once the site of the Scarpdale grimward, banished by Seshkrozchiel in Third Age Year 5671.

  pronounced: scarp-dale

  not from the Paravian

  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 slaughtered 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: dien – large; eval – endowment, gifted talent

  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, at which time an unprincipled act of possession by Morriel 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

  SESHKROZCHIEL—name for the female dragon who was mated to Haspastion. Forged a bargain with Davien, who borrowed on her powers while she was in hibernation in exchange for his term of service, for however long she required it. Her wakening in Third Age Year 5671 incurred the debt, still on-going.

  pronounced: sesh-crows-chee-ell

  root meaning: seshkrozchiel – Drakish for blue lightning

  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.

  pronounced: seth-veer

  root meaning: seth – fact; vaer – keep

  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

  s’GANNLEY—lineage of the Earls of the West, once the Camris princes, now bearing the heritage of Caithdein of Tysan. Iamine s’Gannley was the woman founder.

  pronounced: sgan-lee

  root meaning: gaen – guide; li – exalted or in harmony

  SHAMSIN—a dedicate lancer in the True Sect Guard stationed at Kelsing.

  pronounced: sham-sin

  not from the Paravian

  SHAND—one of the Five High Kingdoms of Athera, located on the south-east corner of the Paravian continent, originally ruled by the line of s’Ahelas. Current device: purple-and-gold chevrons, since the adjunct kingdom of West Shand came under high crown rule. The old device was a falcon on a crescent moon, sometimes still displayed, depicted against the more recent purple-and-gold chevrons.

  pronounced: shand – as in ‘hand’

  root meaning: shayn or shiand – two/pair

  SIANTRA s’IDIR—clanborn daughter of Laithen s’Idir, of Sidir’s lineage.

  pronounced: see-an-tra see-deer

  root meaning: sian – spark; tier – to hold fast; a – feminine diminutive

  SIDIR—one of the Companions, who were the fourteen boys to survive the massacre at Tal Quorin in 5638. Served Arithon at the Battle of Dier Kenton Vale the Havens in 5647, and at the siege of Alestron in 5671. Second in command of Earl Jieret’s war band. Married Jieret’s widow, Feithan, in 5672.

  pronounced: see-deer

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

  s’IDIR—lineage
of Sidir. His descendants derive from a youthful liaison with a clanswoman in Fallowmere.

  pronounced: see-deer

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

  SILBERNE—river that runs southward from Tornir Peaks and empties into Mainmere Bay, Tysan.

  pronounced: syl-burn

  root meaning: shiel – tears; biern – memorial

  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: s-ill-ess-id

 

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