Aetherium (Omnibus Edition)
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Security Section 2 – Fiction: The Mazigh Royal Marshals, responsible for national security, investigating national crimes, and assisting local law enforcement (Section 5) as needed. Fact: None.
Security Section 3 – Fiction: The Mazigh Office of Secret Intelligence, responsible for foreign affairs, espionage, and other covert operations outside of Marrakesh. Fact: None.
Security Section 4 – Fiction: The Mazigh Transport Authority, responsible for operating and securing the transportation networks in Marrakesh, including the railways, waterways, and airways used by the advanced Mazigh trains, steamships, and airships. Fact: None.
Security Section 5 – Fiction: The Mazigh District Police Force, responsible for local patrols and minor criminal investigations. Fact: None.
Seireiken – Fiction: A sword made of sun-steel and designed by Nipponese sword smiths. It is a short sword with a straight blade and a single edge, modeled on the katana. As the blade is used to kill, the sun-steel absorbs the souls of the slain, which makes the sword hotter and stronger. It also allows the wielder to communicate with the souls of the slain, to acquire their knowledge and skills. Because of the high heat of the blade, it requires a special ceramic scabbard and handle. Fact: The Japanese word seirei means spirit and the word ken means sword.
Serval – Fiction: A medium-sized wild cat native to Ifrica, related to (and resembling) the cheetah. Fact: Same. The serval primarily inhabits southern Africa, and it has unusually long legs and unusually large ears for a cat of its size.
Set – Fiction: A man gifted with a sun-steel soul-locket, granting him eternal life and youth, as well as other abilities. A member of a large family of similarly immortal men and women, he lives a generally secluded life in the undercity of Alexandria. Four thousand years ago, he and his family posed as high priests and living gods of the Aegyptian people, presiding over state and religious functions, such as funerals. Fact: The Egyptian god Set was associated with deserts, storms, and chaos. He was depicted as having a strange animal head resembling an aardvark or jackal.
Sevilla – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Shahera Zahd – Fiction: A young woman from Eran who loves stories. During her early twenties, she went a brief tour of the Middle Sea kingdoms with some of her wealthy friends, but disappeared after leaving Rome on a Mazigh aeroplane. Fact: Scheherazade was a legendary Persian queen who narrated the One Thousand and One Nights tales.
Sherwani – Fiction: A popular garment among noblemen in India, this long jacket is often worn on formal occasions. Unlike western jackets, it has no lapels and the collar does not fold down. Fact: Same.
Shifrah Dumah – Fiction: A Samaritan woman, mercenary, and contract assassin. Raised in Nablus and then trained in Alexandria by Omar Bakhoum. Professional associates included Aker El Deeb and Salvator Fabris. Fact: The Hebrew name Shifrah means beautiful. The Aramaic name Dumah means silence, and refers to an angel of death.
Shiva – Fiction: The Indian (Hindu) god of destruction. One of the three principal deities of India, alongside Brahma and Vishnu. Fact: Same.
Shona – Fiction: The people from several kingdoms in southern Ifrica. Fact: The Shona live in modern Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and were formerly known by other names. The Shona language is one of the Bantu languages.
Silver Prince – See Argenti Valero.
Silver Shearwater – Fiction: One of the courier airships in the Mazigh Northern Air Corps stationed in the city of Tingis. The Shearwater was destroyed when its engine exploded. Its captain, Isoke Geroubi, survived the explosion and dedicated herself to improving air safety. Fact: None.
Silvio de Medici – Fiction: A young fencer and nobleman of Firenze, Italia. A student of Ridolfo Capoferro. Fact: The Medici family rose to power in Florence, Italy during the fourteenth century.
Sivathera – Fiction: A large animal related to the giraffe, with a shorter neck, more powerful legs, and large heavy antlers. Sivatheras are used by the elite of Marrakesh to pull their carriages as a display of wealth. Fact: The Sivatherium was an ancient relative to the modern giraffe and lived in Africa until it became extinct about 8,000 years ago.
Skyfire stone – Fiction: A meteor that fell to earth centuries ago in the Pyrenees Mountains amid many strange lights and sounds, which were interpreted as divine portents by the Espani people. Fact: None.
Sloth bear – Fiction: A species of Indian bear with a lean body, shaggy black fur, and a white chevron across its chest. Its diet normally consists of insects and fruits. Fact: Same.
Solar sheet – Fiction: A metallic fabric used in Marrakesh to generate electrical power from sunlight. Often deployed on rooftops and the tops of airship envelopes. Fact: Modern solar cells are still considered expensive and inefficient, however new advances are being made every day and modern solar power plants or farms are currently in use.
Son – Fiction: In the Roman and Constantian Churches, this is the aspect of God that embodies the concepts of mercy and compassion. Fact: In Catholicism, the Son is one of the aspects of the Holy Trinity.
Songhai – Fiction: A large empire in West Ifrica on the southern border of Marrakesh. Currently ruled by Emperor Askia, the Songhai Empire is the dominant military and economic power in the region, but is no longer an aggressive state and has turned toward rapid trade growth and technological development. Fact: The Songhai Empire existed from the fifteenth through the sixteenth century, and included regions of modern Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.
Sons of Osiris – Fiction: Members of the Temple of Osiris. A secret society based in Alexandria, Aegyptus. The organization manipulates trade, politics, and crime to control entire empires. Some members seek wealth and power. Others seek arcane knowledge. Related to the Temple of Amaterasu in Nippon, where the society originated. Fact: Osiris is the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. Amaterasu is the ancient Japanese goddess of the sun.
Soul-breaking – Fiction: The art and science of splitting the soul of a living person or animal into two portions. The soul portions naturally try to re-join in their original body, but the separated portion can be contained in a sun-steel object or another living creature. This practice can imbue both the original host and the possessed host with the characteristics of the other. Fact: None.
Southern Air Corps – Fiction: A department of the Mazigh Transport Authority (Security Section 4). Fact: None.
Star of Orossa – Fiction: A Mazigh airship, the aging skybarge of the queen of Marrakesh. Fact: None.
Sunsnake – Fiction: A small black snake with a unique defense mechanism. It can temporarily blind its attacker with a flash of light from its scales, which also triggers euphoria and hallucinations. Fact: None.
Sun-steel – Fiction: A rare metal that absorbs aether as well as souls. The addition of souls makes the metal hotter, but does not melt it. It appears red-gold, similar to copper. Ancient people saw the metal fall from the sky and believe that it fell from the sun. Also known as rinegold and aetherium. Fact: None. See Aetherium.
Sutra – Fiction: A Hindu or Buddhist aphorism or scripture. Fact: Same.
Syfax Zidane – Fiction: An ex-soldier and major in the Royal Marshals of Marrakesh. Fact: The Amazigh name Syfax refers to an ancient Numidian king.
Syria – Fiction: One of the provinces of the Empire of Eran located on the eastern coast of the Middle Sea. Fact: This location corresponds with the modern nation of Syria.
Tajine – Fiction: The name of a Mazigh stew, as well as the pot or dish in which the stew is cooked. Fact: Same.
Talwar – Fiction: An Indian curved sword (saber). Fact: Same.
Tartessos – Fiction: The capital city of España. Fact: Tartessos was an important port and mining center in southern Spain over two thousand years ago in commerce with the Greeks and Romans, but the city was lost, possibly due to a shifting river that turned the area into wetlands. The ruins of Tartessos have been found near modern Huelva, Spain.
Taziri Ohana –
Fiction: A Mazigh electrical engineer and pilot. Chief engineer of the Halcyon I, chief pilot of the Halcyon II, and inventor and pilot of the Halcyon III. Holds several patents, including a revolutionary high-capacity chemical battery. Fact: The Amazigh name Taziri means full moon.
Telegraph – Fiction: An advanced Mazigh communications system that sends messages instantly across long distances from one telegraph machine to another over a wire using a code of electric dots and dashes, which must be translated into letters and words. Fact: The telegraph was invented in the 1830s (separately by several inventors in America and Germany at nearly the same time).
Temple of Osiris – Fiction: A secret society based in Alexandria, Aegytpus. The organization manipulates trade, politics, and crime to control entire empires. Some members seek wealth and power. Others seek arcane knowledge. Related to the Temple of Amaterasu in Nippon, where the society originated. Fact: Osiris is the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. Amaterasu is the ancient Japanese goddess of the sun.
Ten of War council – Fiction: The military and foreign affairs council of Firenze, Italia. Fact: The military and foreign affairs council of Florence, Italy in the sixteenth century.
Terror bird – See hatun-anka.
Tesiphon – Fiction: An ancient ruined city in central Babylonia, a province of the Empire of Eran. Fact: Ctesiphon was a capital city of the early Persian empires and its ruins are located near modern Baghdad.
The Cat’s Eye – Fiction: A restaurant in Alexandria where criminal syndicates come to discuss illicit business proposals with the proprietor, Zahra El Ayat, who represents the interests of the Temple of Osiris. Fact: None.
The Wandering Eye – Fiction: The original name of The Cat’s Eye, when it was operated by Omar Bakhoum. Fact: None.
Thoth – Fiction: An ancient Aegyptian man who discovered the properties of aetherium and the science of soul-splitting. By placing a portion of his soul inside an aetherium locket, he became immortal. He used this science to make an entire Aegyptian family immortal, including the orphan girl Bastet, who calls him Grandfather. Over the centuries, he has traveled the world in search of new knowledge about souls and in search of more aetherium. Fact: Thoth was the Egyptian god of intelligence, philosophy, writing, and science. Unlike the other gods who were part of an elaborate family, Thoth may have appeared independently, possibly even creating himself.
Thyme – Fiction: An herb common to the Middle Sea region with several medicinal properties, including as an antiseptic, mouthwash, and cure for respiratory infections. Fact: Same.
Tingis – Fiction: A city on the northern coast of Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with the modern city of Tangier, Morocco. “Tingis” was one of the city’s ancient names in honor of an Amazigh goddess.
Tingis Seven – Fiction: A criminal syndicate in Tingis broken up by Major Syfax Zidane. Fact: None.
Tisarana – Fiction: Also called the Three Jewels, the tisarana are the three things that Buddhists take refuge in: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Fact: Same.
Tishna – “Thirsty” – Farsi (Persian / Eranian)
Toledo – Fiction: A city in central España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Triquetra – Fiction: The religious symbol of the Roman Church, consisting of three inter-woven and over-lapping ovals to symbolize the Father, Mother, and Son. Fact: The triquetra symbol was used by several cultures, including the Celts and Germanic peoples, as well as Christians to symbolize the Holy Trinity.
Trolley – Fiction: A public transportation system in Marrakesh of small electrically powered train-like cars that run on rails throughout major cities. Fact: Also called streetcars and light rails, trolleys evolved over time from horse-drawn cars, to steam-powered vehicles, to the electric trains still in use today in many major cities.
Turi – Fiction: A harpy eagle that Qhora Yupanqui purchased in the marketplace in Carthage. Fact: The Quechua (Incan) word Turi means brother.
Tycho – Fiction: A young Spartan who lives in and defends the city of Constantia. As an infant he was to be discarded for being a dwarf, but was saved by Philo, a man in service to Lady Nerissa of Constantia. Fact: The ancient Spartans did discard babies that displayed apparent birth defects or general weakness. The Greek name Tycho means hitting the mark or bullseye.
Tyre – Fiction: A wealthy sea port on the eastern coast of the Middle Sea. Fact: This ancient Phoenician city is located in modern Lebanon.
Tzeddig – Fiction: The younger sister of the Mazigh queen Din Nasin. Fact: The Amazigh name Tzeddig means pure.
Usem – Fiction: A police detective in Arafez, Marrakesh. Fact: The Amazigh name Usem means lightning.
Valencia – Fiction: A city in eastern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Villanueva – Fiction: A town in eastern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Vina – Fiction: The dead wife of Rama, a fisherman living in eastern India. Fact: The Sanskrit name Vina means lute.
Vishnu – Fiction: The Indian (Hindu) god of preservation. One of the three principal deities of India, alongside Brahma and Shiva. Fact: Same.
Vlachia – Fiction: A small Europan nation to the northeast of Hellas. Fact: This region corresponds to modern Bulgaria and Romania. The word Vlach is a Germanic term for people who speak the Romance languages of Eastern Europe (it literally means foreigner), and also refers to the province of Wallachia, Romania.
Wayra – Fiction: The name of Qhora Yupanqui’s personal hatun-anka, a nine-foot tall domesticated terror bird that can be ridden as well as commanded to attack. Fact: The Quechua word Wayra means wind.
White Jacana – Fiction: A Mazigh steamship that was destroyed in the Tingis harbor when its cargo of oil caught fire. The fire spread and damaged or destroyed most of the ships in the harbor as well as many water-front buildings. Fact: A jacana is a tropical bird with long thin legs and toes that allow it to walk on floating plants like lily pads.
Wildebeest – Fiction: A species of wild cattle. Fact: Same.
Xiuhcoatl – Fiction: An aging Aztec warrior who came to Cusco to serve the Incan royal family, and accompanied princess Qhora Yupanqui to the New World. A proven soldier and decorated Jaguar Knight. Fact: The Nahuatl name Xiuhcoatl means turquoise serpent or fire serpent.
Yen – Fiction: The original name of the city Kathmandu used by the indigenous Newar people. Fact: Same.
Yesero – Fiction: A town in northern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Yoruba – Fiction: One of the peoples (and nations) of West Ifrica conquered by the Songhai Empire. Fact: The Yoruba people today live primarily in Nigeria.
Yuba Ohana – Fiction: The husband of Taziri Ohana. A successful landscape architect and homemaker. Fact: The Amazigh name Yuba was used by several Amazigh (Berber) kings.
Zahra El Ayat – Fiction: A beautiful young Aegyptian woman trained to serve the Temple of Osiris in a variety of clerical and accounting positions, who seized an opportunity for greater power and wealth by taking control of The Cat’s Eye following the disappearance of Omar Bakhoum. Fact: The Arabic name Zahra has several meanings including white, shining, and flower.
Zaragoza – Fiction: A city in northern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.
Zemmour Canal – Fiction: An artificial waterway in Marrakesh extending east from the Atlanteen Ocean near Port Chellah to the town of Nahiz. Fact: Zemmour is a district in modern Morocco.
Zili – Fiction: A small town on the west coast of Marrakesh. Fact: Zili was an ancient Phoenician settlement. Its location corresponds to the modern town of Asilah, Morocco.
Zulu – Fiction: The people from several kingdoms in southern Ifrica. Fact: The Zulu live in modern South Africa. The Zulu language is one of the Bantu languages.
About the Author
Joseph Robert Lewis enjoys creating worlds in which history, mythology, and fantasy collide in new and exciting ways. He also likes writing about heroines that his daughters can respect and admire, characters who blaze
their own paths with bright minds and unbreakable spirits.
Joe was born in Annapolis and went to the University of Maryland to study ancient novels, morality plays, and Viking poetry. Outside of the world of fiction, he works with a lot of smart people to write and publish books about technology, software, politics, economics, and history.
Other titles by the author:
Aetherium – a series of steampunk fantasy adventures
Angels and Djinn – a series of epic fantasy adventures
Daphne and the Silver Ash
The Kaiser Affair (The Drifting Isle Chronicles)
Ultraviolet
www.josephrobertlewis.com
Table of Contents
Aetherium
Wreck of the Frost Finch
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Assassins of the Steam Age
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40