The Shadow of the Sun (The Way of the Gods)

by Barbara Friend Ish

  Iliria: A talisman. Originally belonged to Carina Ériu a Fíana.

  kharr: Ilesian. Literally, “anarchist(s)”: participants in the rebellion against the righthe led by the Bard of Arcadia. Intelligence suggests kharr insiders wear a tattoo of a redsnake on the wrist. See also: Bard of Arcadia, redsnake.

  Lady’s Underground Ways: Danaan. The underground paths by which the ancient Danaan followed the goddess Dana from Hy-Breasaíl during the Transition. Reputedly terminating within the Great Barrow on Ilunmore, beyond that point the route traverses areas beyond the mundane realm, tracing a path that includes the House of Donn. See also: Great Barrow, House of Donn, Hy-Breasaíl, Transition.

  Laverna: Ilesian. A goddess of the old religion; goddess of the River Ruillin and patroness of whores; consort of the smith-god Goibniu.

  Lugh Lámfhada: Among the Danaan, a god; not the patron of anything in particular but instead celebrated for his many talents. Among humans/Bealla, Lugh is considered a god of the old religion, now understood as an ancient, ancestral hero. Legend holds that Lugh gained admission to the court of the gods because he was the only one who could demonstrate competence in all the skills of the gods.

  Lys: Danaan. One of three primary goddesses; patroness of the hunt and seers.

  machnamh: Ilesian; arcane. A flavor of trance typically employed in meditation.

  madding: Danaan. The semi-centurial period of growing new teeth. The process is excruciatingly uncomfortable; a person in a madding phase is not held responsible for much of what he or she does or says.

  Magh Tuireadh: Ancient battleground of the Danaan on Hy-Breasaíl. The Danaan fought two historically significant battles there: the first against the Fomor, in which the Danaan won hedgemony over Hy-Breasaíl; the second against humans, which they lost. See also: Hy-Breasaíl.

  Moot: See Grand Moot.

  mor: Danaan. The consort of a mora.

  mora: Danaan. Pl. morae. Ruler of a nation; understood to be female.

  mummers: Ilesian. Entertainers who perform plays, skits, and satires, usually employing stock characters: the Fool, the Lord, the Rogue, the Hero, the Damsel, the Druid, and the Farmer.

  Murias: Ilesian. Corruption of the name of the Danaan nation of Muir.

  nasclethéan: Ilesian; arcane. Pl. nasclethéana. A wizard’s work-partner. See also: Aballo Order, wizard.

  Nechton Glyndwr: Renegade wizard who attempted the conquest of all the southern (human) realms. An initiate of the Aballo Order, he served as House Healer to Uxellia before usurping the Uxellian throne and embarking on a campaign to rule the southern (human) realms. See also: Armoan, Ballad of Carina, Nechton’s War.

  Nechton’s War: War of conquest staged by Nechton Glyndwr, renegade wizard of the Aballo Order. While serving as House Healer to Uxellia, he gained control of the throne and began a campaign to conquer all the southern (human) realms. After years of gradually losing territory to the renegade, the ard-righ entered into a deal, brokered by Rishan Tailltiu a Muir, with High Chief Armoan Lanas of the Essuvians, in which the Essuvians agreed to aid the righthe in defeating Nechton in exchange for overlord status in Uxellia. Meanwhile Carina Ériu a Fíana and Amien Cughlin, who would become Prince of the Aballo Order before the end of the war, developed a plan for her to employ a little-understood talent for channeling the power of the sun to defeat the renegade. By the time she reached Nechton’s stronghold, two successive Princes of the Aballo Order had died in arcane duels with Nechton. Nevertheless she was evidently able to defeat the renegade. See also: Armoan, Ballad of Carina.

  Nimah: Danaan outpost in the southern (human) realms, situated on Lethin Isle in the Ruillin; abandoned after the Deluge. See also: Deluge.

  ollamh: Ilesian. A ranking member of the Harpist Gorsedd, one of the so-called lords of the gorsedd. In order to achieve this rank, a gorsedd member must be certified by a group of sitting ollamh, based on mastery of certain bodies of work and original contributions to the art. Ollamh are entitled to carry the golden branch as a mark of office and are eligible to be elected to or participate in votes concerning the position of ard-harpist. See also: ard-harpist, golden branch, Harpist Gorsedd.

  Order of the Hidden Sun: Ilesian. A religious order devoted to Par, the god of warriors. While the tenets of the Order are sufficiently different from the standard teachings of the true religion to give the faithful pause, the Order is nevertheless devoted to the true religion and the Aballo Prince and trains the best spies, security masters, and assassins in the world. The original names and identities of initiates into the Order are carefully expunged, through methods proprietary to the Order; those initiated into full membership wear a small tattoo at the base of the hairline: a stylized sun rendered in black.

  orichalus: A red-gold metal greatly prized by the ancient Danaan.

  ouirr: Danaan. Honorific: sir. See also: sian.

  Owain Mourne: Founder of the true religion and the ruling dynasty of Ilesia. After the arrival of the true gods, the goddess Tella appeared personally to him, investing him with her power even though he was of essentially no arcane talent in his own right. She raised him to the leadership of his clan, the righship of the newly-renamed Ilesia, and eventually to the ard-righship. During his tenure all the southern (human) nations converted to the true religion. See also: Ilesian War, Tella.

  Par: Ilesian. A god of the true religion; patron of warriors.

  Pardan: Ilesian. Festival of the god Par, celebrated in late summer.

  Pirtanien: Historian. Notable works include histories of Hy-Breasaíl and the Transition. See also: Hy-Breasaíl, Transition.

  pra-nu: Danaan, Ilesian. Literally, ”sing the name”: among Danaan, an expression of agreement or approval; “so mote it be” in prayer or arcane practice.

  Precinct: The ard-righ’s precinct: home of the ceremonial centers of Teamair and Uisneach, an area bounded by Tellan, Ebdani, Usdia and Granniu, held under the dominion of the ard-righ. See also: ard-righ.

  ra: Danaan. Commander.

  Ransmith: Wizard and author of a grimoire on methods of psychic warfare. See also: grimoire.

  Realm of Tílimya: Ilesian. Part of the geography of the Realms of the Dead: the domain of Tílimya, Lord of the Dead. Surrounded by the boiling river of blood Dóiteán and insurmountable walls of adamantine, defended by a fifty-headed hydra, Tilimya’s Realm encompasses the Fortress of Tílimya, which holds the Well of Life, and Tílimya’s Abyss, the eternal prison of evil men and gods. See also: Dóiteán, Tílimya, Tílimya’s Abyss, Tír inna n-Óc.

  redsnake: A small, poisonous snake with red scales. Though few besides small children die from the bite of a redsnake, the venom is reputed to alter a man’s mind. Intelligence suggests kharr insiders wear a tattoo of a redsnake on the wrist. See also: kharr.

  riga: Ilesian. The consort of a righ; understood to be female. See also: righ.

  righ: Ilesian. pl. righthe. Ruler of a nation; understood to be male.

  seach: Ilesian. Minor nobility.

  Shadow Working: Ilesian; arcane. An arcane operation, reputed to be the ultimate act of black magic, developed by the wizard Aechering. See also: Aechering.

  sian: Ilesian. Honorific: sir. See also: ouirr.

  The Siege of the Brown Bull: Ancient song-cycle featuring the hero Cúchulainn, detailing a war between the Hy-Breasaílian rulers of the nations of Chonnacht and Ulaid for possession of the legendary bull Donn Cúailnge. See also: Cúchulainn, Fergus in Exile, War of the Brown Bull.

  silkspider: A spider, native to the desert of Uxellia, that produces a silk of extreme lightness and luster. See also: hardy silkspider, hardy spidersilk, spidersilk, Weavers.

  silver branch: Ilesian. The mark of office of a member of the Harpist Gorsedd. See also: Harpist Gorsedd, golden branch.

  sláinte: Ilesian. Health. Frequently used as salute or toast.

  spidersilk: A silk of extreme lightness and luster, greatly desired by wealthy people of all the southern nations, which is produced by the desert silkspi
der of Uxellia. See also: hardy silkspider, hardy spidersilk, silkspider, Weavers.

  stela: Ilesian. pl. stelae. Standing-stone.

  tiarn: Ilesian. pl. tiarna. The titular lord of a territory. While some tiarna hold titles through royal grants, most are hereditary.

  Tan: Ilesian. A Danaan man.

  Tana: Ilesian. A Danaan woman.

  Tanaan: Ilesian. The Danaan people or language. See also: Beallan, Danaan.

  tanist: Ilesian. The heir of a righ. See also: righ.

  Tella: Ilesian. A goddess of the true religion: consort of Ilesan; patroness of rivers, seas, and righship.

  Telliyn: Ilesian. The larger moon, named in honor of the goddess Tella, with an orbital period of 24 days. The calendar marks its months by Telliyn’s period. See also: Arliyn.

  Tiana: Danaan. One of three primary goddesses; patroness of love and fertility.

  Tílimya: Ilesian. A god, Lord of the Dead and jailor of evil gods. Though he predates the true religion, he is nevertheless accepted as real. See also: Realm of Tílimya, Tílimya’s Abyss.

  Tílimya’s Abyss: Ilesian. Part of the geography of the Realms of the Dead. The destination after death of those who are truly evil; the prison to which the ancient gods of Hy-Breasaíl are consigned. See also: Hy-Breasaíl, Realm of Tílimya, Tír inna n-Óc.

  Tílimya’s Well: Ilesian. Ballad of the Hy-Breasaílian hero Gwydion and his quest to retrieve the healing waters of the Well of Tílimya in order to heal the Hy-Breasaílian righ. See also: Hy-Breasaíl, Realm of Tílimya, Well of Tílimya.

  Tír inna n-Óc: Ilesian. Part of the geography of the Realms of the Dead: the paradisal destination after death of heroes. See also: House of Donn.

  Transition: Danaan, Ilesian. The period of withdrawal from the ancestral paradise of Hy-Breasaíl. Danaan scholars posit a trip through the Lady’s Underground Ways led by the great goddess Dana; human sources discuss sailing from the isle. See also: Hy-Breasaíl, Lady’s Underground Ways, Pirtanien.

  Tuaoh Stone: The great righ-stone that once marked the center of Hy-Breasaíl. The Danaan maintain it now resides atop the Temple Mount on the sacred isle of Ilunmore; human scholars disagree as to which of a number of standing-stones might be the true Tuaoh.

  Turenn Thunderer: Ilesian. A god of the old religion; patron of storms.

  uisquebae: Ilesian. A distilled alcoholic beverage made from malted barley. The name derives from “Water of Life”. May, in certain circles, be called “Water of Beal”.

  Usdia: See Esusdia.

  War of the Brown Bull: Hy-Breasaílian war waged by the rulers of Chonnacht and Ulaid for possession of the legendary bull Donn Cúailnge: inspiration for the song-cycle The Siege of the Brown Bull. See also: Cúchulainn, Siege of the Brown Bull.

  Way of the Gods: Ilesian. The band of light formed by thickly-clustered stars stretching across the night sky, dividing the sky into nearly equal hemispheres. While other stars may appear as discrete points of light, the stars of the Way of the Gods are all but indistinguishable.

  Weavers: Ilesian. Clans of Uxellian ancestry, descendants of the original ruling class of Uxellia which was displaced by the Essuvians after Nechton’s War. Weavers live as an almost entirely distinct society, residing in separate, typically closed, enclaves wherever they may make their homes. They grow, harvest, spin, and weave spidersilk or the related crop of hardy spidersilk. The largest concentrations of Weavers may be found in Uxellia, where the silkspider thrives and spidersilk is grown, and Granniu, where the hardy silkspider is found; Ballarona, the production center of hardy spidersilk products; and Ilnemedon, the center of the fine spidersilk trade. See also: hardy silkspider, hardy spidersilk, silkspider, spidersilk, Essuvian, Nechton’s War.

  Well of Life: See Well of Tílimya.

  Well of Tílimya: Ilesian. Part of the geography of the Realms of the Dead. A magical well, located within the Fortress in the Realm of Tílimya. The waters have the power to restore the dead to life. See also: Realm of Tílimya, Tílimya’s Well.

  windcaller: Ilesian. A man of psychic talent capable of summoning and controlling winds. Windcallers are sworn to the gods of the true religion and trained under the auspices of the Aballo Prince, but typically perform no priestly functions. The talents of windcallers make travel by airship or on the extreme tides of the Ruillin practical and efficient. Ships that sail by sea find a windcaller convenient but not necessary. Few other than righthe and tiarna can afford to retain the full-time services of a windcaller, though access to their services is not as strictly controlled as those of Aballo wizards. A significant number of windcallers work as independent contractors or partners in sailing or airship concerns. See also: Aballo Order, druid, wizard.

  wizard: Ilesian. An initiate of the Aballo Order, sworn to the true gods and trained at the sacred center of Aballo. Distinguished from other initiates into magical orders by their level of ability; their practice encompasses both religious and arcane elements. After their initiates, many, but not all, take appointments as House Healers attached to royal houses. See also: Aballo, Aballo Order, druid, House Healer.

  zhamin: Danaan. A derogatory term for Beallan. See also: Beallan.

  zhev: Danaan. A profanity.

  Barbara Friend Ish

  Writer, publisher, slave of cats: Barbara Friend Ish is Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, and Wild-Eyed Visionary for Mercury Retrograde Press, a small press dedicated to unconventional authors and works that might undeservedly slip through the cracks at bigger houses. After earning a Bachelor’s in English from Rice University, Barbara divided her time between working with small groups of entrepreneurs who didn’t know any better than to start their own companies and swimming against the current of the publishing industry, eventually co-founding Be Mused, an author services company devoted to helping authors and small publishers develop books. She founded Mercury Retrograde Press in 2007. She is insufferably proud of the authors with whom she works, including multi-award-nominated Edward Morris; Zachary Steele, whose debut novel was considered for the 2010 Sidewise Award; Danielle L. Parker, whose debut novel won the 2009 EPPIE; and talented fantasists Leona Wisoker and Larissa N. Niec.

  Books edited by Barbara have been covered by Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, The Midwest Book Review, SciFiDimensions, American Freethought, Baby Got Books, SFScope, SFSignal, Fantasy Book Critic, The Internet Review of Science Fiction, January Magazine and Green Man Review. She has been featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and on Baby Got Books and SF Signal, and has appeared at The Atlanta Book Show, RavenCon, Faerie Escape: Atlanta and Opus Fest.

  For the past 23 years Barbara has been married to her one true love, one of the very first Cold-War-era Soviet émigrés. Together they have ridden the roller coasters of multiple start-up businesses (his and hers) and the raising of two children. Current projects include a garden entirely bereft of nutritional value and a search for the perfect bottle of champagne.

  Born in Chicago, at various times in her life Barbara has called Philadelphia, Houston, New Jersey, and Atlanta home. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA, with her husband, her daughter, and two high-maintenance cats.

  For more information on Barbara and her current projects, visit:

  http://www.barbarafriendish.com

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  http://www.MercuryRetrogradePress.com/Worlds/TheWayoftheGods.asp

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