The Golden Sword

by Janet Morris

  web-cloth: (S) A nearly indestructible material made in collaboration by web-weavers and webbers, Silistra’s largest arachnids.

  web-fiber: (S) The web-strands used for ropemaking when optimum strength is required and the fact that web-fiber rope cannot be cut is no deterrent. Web-fiber is produced only by training webber-weaver pairs, and is much less common than hemp rope.

  web-weaver: (S) One who enters into community creation with a webber.

  web-work: (S) Open-weave, diaphanous body dressing, usually geometric in pattern; more than lace and less than cloth, very similar to the: unguided work of webber alone.

  Well Arlet: (S) The second most prestigious Well on Silistra lies in the elbow of the Sabembe range, above the hide bast.

  Well Astria: (S) The most venerated Well on Silistra, Astria bears the name of the Well Foundress Astria Barina diet Hadrath, author of the Well Woman’s Ors (Stothric: book). Astria was the premier Well, and although different in trappings and style, in substance every Well upon Silistra is p4tterned after the Astrian form. Well Astria lies upon the plain of Astria, fifty-eight neras from hide diet and the Day-Keepers’ School.

  well tokens: (S) (gold and silver.) Must be purchased with regular coinage or won in the pass and set games. Well tokens from one well may not be used in another, nor are they considered coinage per se.

  wind from the abyss: (S) In the Ors Yris-tera (Book of the Weathers of Life), written by the dharen Khys, is the first known reference to the wind from the abyss, and it is from this book of divination that the term came into general usage. Who of Silistra has not at one time or another thrown the bone yris-sera pieces onto the three level board and found himself delineated as the “ebvrasea upon the square of overriding purpose”? Says the ors: “His wings beat upon the wind from the abyss.” And: “Stalking is assiduous; Stalking culls the weak from the strong; In both the hunters and the hunted does it perform this function.” (Khys, from the divination “Stalking.”) In common usage, the chill of premonition, the physical forewarning of danger that may not be avoided. “Before Stalking, who can stand but those who also stalk?”

  wirragaet: (P) An insect that lies dormant just under the desert sands when insufficient water is present for its survival, to rise up in clouds containing tens of thousands when roused by the presence of moisture in the air. The wirragaet is the preferred food of the pandivver, whose long beak enables it to hunt them beneath the sands.

  Wirur: (ST) Constellation of the winged hulion, containing “at the tip of his westward ear” the north star Clout.

  Wistwa: (S) The great sea beast of Oguast. It is maintained by Oguasti that two tall men, one upon the other’s shoulders, could stand within the rib cage of the wistwa, and that the top man might then stretch his arms upward in vain to touch the backbone of the great sea beast of Oguast; the ivory of such a beast.

  Yaicas: (S) The Yaica Range, the longest chain of mountains upon known Silistra.

  yellow crier: (S) A bright yellow bird that might lie in the palm of a hand. In flight the yellow crier’s wings are invisible. It darts at great speed and low altitude after the insects that are its prey. Its beak is as long again as its head, and from its mouth comes a sound most like a screaming child’s.

  yit: (S) A small, furred burrowing animal, the yit is often found in proximity to man. The yit is a cozener and thief by nature, stealing even the homes of other yits.

  yra: (P) The Parset military unit of twenty-one; also, twenty-one.

  yris-tera: (ST) “The weathers of life”; the name given to the divinatory game that is the accompaniment to the Ors Yris-sera. Yris-tera consists of three slotted boards, each of which is divided into forty-nine squares, nine of which are holes, or “slots.” When assembled, the placement of boards is as follows: on the top, the board of catalysts; in the middle, the board, of movement and manifestation; on the bottom, the board of outcome. The sixty pieces, traditionally carved of bone, are shaken in a cylinder, one end of which has seven holes through which the pieces may fall onto the boards. The yris-tera piece breakdown is as follows: one Well, one child, one star, two flames, two dayglasses, two scrolls, two sheaves of binnirin, two waves, two parr, four women, four men, five ebvrasea, eight threx, eight spears, eight shields, eight swords. When one piece is joined within a square by another, the piece value is thereby altered, yielding up such additional specifics as: Day-Keeper = dayglass/man, forereader = dayglass/woman, slayer = sword/man. Yris-tera, in all its complexity, has been well delineated by the dharen Khys, its creator, and interested parties might refer to his abridged manual Yris-tera and to the Ors itself.

  Silistran Calendar

  pass of winter solstice

  Orsai

  Tisera

  Cai

  Macara

  Detarsa

  Jicar

  Finara

  pass of summer solstice

  Amarsa

  Cetet

  Enar

  Brinar

  Decra

  Sisaen

  Laoral