Dark Key: Book Two of the Phantom Badgers

by RW Krpoun

  Amplus Viraes: Healing arts.

  Animatia: Undead cult.

  Andern: The pure stuff of the Void, drawn through special places known as anverax, or verax.

  Anlarc: Dark Threll Void Champions.

  Anoited of the Night King: Cult title for full vampires.

  Anverax: A place where the highest grade of andern can be drawn. Only two anverax are known to exist, with a third having been altered in the distant past. A fourth is in the process of being activated by the Direthrell.

  Atingo: A Direthrell rank baton signifying carte blanch power.

  Arm of the Dark One: A unit of up to one hundred Direbreed.

  Birlike: Enfranchised Eyade.

  Black Dwarves: Void-worshipping Dwarves, so called because their smithing methods leave a dark tone to their metal-work. See also Darklings, Fortren.

  Brek: Felher unit designators; elite of the elite.

  Breedstone: The jagged crystal shard which contains a Direbreed's life-force, and which can be used to re-spawn the creature, memories and skills intact.

  Careau: A game of hexagonal tiles that is a cross between poker and bridge.

  Ceth: Tribal clans of humans hanging on in the Northern Wastes; nomadic, extremely anti-Void.

  Changelings: Dark Champions. See also Scarred Ones, Champions of the Dark One, or Minions of Chaos.

  Champions of the Dark One: Dark One Champion. See also Scarred Ones, Changlings, or Minions of Chaos.

  Chora: Direthrell company-grade officer. Military Choras commands an Albar. Maximum rank for a Thane.

  Chorapel: Direthrell field-grade officer. Military Chorapel commands a Yalbar. Maximum rank for a Nepas.

  Clanguard: Dwarven professional troops.

  Cleft: Felher wizard.

  Colo Bisulus: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as light foot, their title translates as The Iron Council.

  Colo Magice: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as heavy foot, their title translates as The Night Guard.

  Colo Rubor: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as medium cavalry, their title translates as The Red Guard.

  Comhla: Lanthrell language.

  Cuirassiers: Arturian medium-to-light cavalry made up of minor nobles and professional fighting men, and used to support the knights.

  Curion: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to superiors of the highest level. See also Orbi, Curoria, Curor.

  Curor: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to immediate or close superior. See also Orbi, Curoria, Curion.

  Curoria: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to higher superiors. See also Orbi, Curor, Curion.

  Darkhost: A Direbreed army.

  Darklings: Dark-worshiping Dwarves, as called by non-Dwarves. See also Black Dwarves, Fortren.

  Direbreed: Beast-men housed in mutated flesh. See Breedstones

  Direthrell: Dark Threll.

  Domuz: Eyade without rights.

  Dora: Direthrell junior officer. Leads a section.

  Doralon: Direthrell company-grade officer, an under-petty-captain. Maximum rank for Direbreed.

  Dula: Eyadeian war whistles. A clay pierced to make a high-pitched screaming when spun on a rope.

  Egrai: Primary Gate magic portal.

  Egran: Second Gate entrance.

  Envear: Direthrell military unit made up of Direbreed led by Temple officers.

  Era: A Direthrell administrative rank, similar to ‘Lord’.

  Ercagrad: The administrative bloc of Direthrell society.

  Ercahel: The Dark Threll religious power bloc.

  Ercamana: The merchant House blocs of the Direthrell. Plural is -manen.

  Eyade: The wild, Tatar-like nomads on the Blasted Plains.

  Fauces: Threll wood used in bows. See also Koroba, Iocor.

  Felher: Rat-men created by the Black Dwarves, now independant.

  Fiadaich: Dwarven language.

  Figann: The Eyade language.

  Fortren: Dark-worshipping Dwarves. Also Black Dwarves, Darklings.

  Fuar: Dwarf clan.

  Furue Saserum: The Blood Arts, wizardry powered by blood sacrifice.

  Girmek: Threll crystal.

  Harthrell: Sea-faring Threll.

  Hecla: A Greek fire-type weapon used by Direthrell; the creation of the liquid is a closely-guarded secret.

  Hekka: Felher war adze.

  Heller's Pox: A sexually transmitted disease found amongst Direthrell.

  Ikad: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losala, Losalet.

  Iocor: Threll ironwood used for weapons and armor. See also Koroba, Fauces.

  Izar: Dwarven long axe.

  Jugata: Goblin foot warrior.

  Juran: Dwarf who works outside the holds for the benefit of the clan.

  Komad: Dwarven war-boars bred as mounts. Often exceed five hundred pounds in weight.

  Lana: A Threll Forest.

  Lana Erhani: Forest Warders. The deadly Threll scouts.

  Lana Erin: Forest Guard. The regular warriors of a Lana.

  Lanthrell: Forest Threll.

  Losala: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losalet, Ikad.

  Losalet: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losala, Ikad.

  Maka, Maka-re: Felher unit designators; veteran and elite.

  Maztil: Carved plate in Wanderer’s belt.

  Mera: A Direthrell military unit made entirely of pure Direthrell.

  Minion of Chaos: Chaos Champion. See also Changelings, Champions of the Dark One, Scarred Ones.

  Moorugh: Eyade herd-clan.

  Mordulare Quattour: the summoning magic used by Harbringers to create Direbreed.

  Nepas: The Direthrell term for half-breed with Direthrell blood.

  Nokta: Eyade warrior society.

  Nuadh: The Direthrell language.

  Obrita Toritar: The Direthrell religion, often called the Silver Net.

  Oekao: Direthrell glazed brick.

  Orbi: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) from slave to any non-slave. See also Curor, Curoria, Curion.

  Pa: A Goblin Corporal.

  Pac: The Felher basic social unit, and a warrior unit of six to ten sections, each section having up to ten Felher.

  Pancerni: South Border Realms cav style.

  Panje: An Enceinian two-wheeled cart.

  Pasuorun: Youth-tenders.

  Pargaie: Direthrell spy / assassin corps.

  Patik Uncarved plate in Wanderer’s belt.

  Peta: Direthrell clay tile passes.

  Remur: Direthrell military unit made up of Nepas or Thanes.

  Risarn: Meteoric steel, usually only worked by Dwarves.

  Sacred Band: Unit of Sevenguard, elite Hand warriors. See Sicaria Turba.

  Sata: A Direthrell military unit made up of slave troops led by Thane officers.

  Scarred One: Chaos Champion. See also Changelings, Champions of the Dark One, or Minions of Chaos.

  Sevenguard: See Sicaria Turba.

  Sicaria Turba: Elite warrior societies of the Hand of Chaos. Called Sevenguard, Sacred Bands, Colo Rubor, Colo Magice.

  Stalharn: The Great Hall of a Direthrell fortress or city, used for ceremonial occasions.

  Sufland: The southern continent.

  Tak, Tak-re: Felher unit designators; green, regular.

  Tala: Basic Orc military unit consisting of eight to fifteen Orcs. Led by a Talachek.

  Talachek: Orc serjeant.

  Thane: Willing vassal-servants of the Direthrell.

  Theeb: Felher stirrup knife.

  Toma Inge: Gray magic.

  Torweld: Thorn bush found in Border Realms, used for defense and fencing.

  Umherr: Dwarves who leave their homes to aid other races in the war between Light and the Void.

  Urchek: Orc officer, a captain.

  Urtala: An Orc unit of four to six Tala.

  Vectius Meum: The art of mystics, a weak and limited field of arcane power as compared
to wizardry.

  Verax: True Place, where rituals can be performed to draw andern from the Void.

  Weehoc: A Felher nation.

  Yalla: Yak-like cattle tended by the Eyade.

  Yalbar: A Direthrell unit made up of three or four Albar.

  Yakici: Threll bow, unique to that race, and virtually their trademark weapon.

  Zurnal: Dwarven beard-decoration.

  About the Author

  RW Krpoun is a native of North Dakota and a longtime resident of Texas. He lives in the country with his wife Ann and a collection of ill-mannered animals whose antics are the stuff of legend. A veteran of the US Army and Texas Army National Guard, RW has been a Texas Peace Officer for over twenty-five years and counting, serving in a Sheriff’s Office and two Municipal Police Departments. His hobbies include shooting, reading, and learning to use medieval weapons. Dark Key is his fifth published novel.