EARTH TREE: a sacred tree to both the Icarii and the Avar. It is situated in the extreme northern groves of the Avarinheim forest, close to the cliffs of the Icescarp Alps.
EARTH TREE GROVE: the grove holding the Earth Tree in the northern Avarinheim where it borders the Icescarp Alps. It is the most important of the Avarinheim groves and is where the Avar (sometimes in concert with the Icarii) hold their gatherings and religious rites.
ENCHANTRESS, The: the founder of the Icarii Enchanters, and the first to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. She bore three sons, the eldest of whom founded the Acharite race, the middle founded the Charonite race, and the youngest founded the Icarii race. The Enchantress also gave birth to twin daughters. No-one knows the fathers of any of her children. The title of ‘Enchantress’ is now occasionally given to Azhure.
ENCHANTRESS’ RING, The: an ancient ring once in the possession of the Enchantress, now worn by Azhure. Its proper name is the Circle of Stars, and it is intimately connected with the Star Gods.
ENCHANTERS: the magicians of the Icarii people. Many of them are very powerful. All Enchanters have the word ‘Star’ somewhere in their names.
ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who are also Enchanters.
ENEMY, The: the name given by the TimeKeepers to the ancient ones who trapped Qeteb and then fled with his life parts through the universe. It was the Enemy who crashed into Tencendor during Fire-Night.
ESCATOR: a kingdom far away to the east over the Widowmaker Sea. There is some intellectual, diplomatic and trade traffic between Escator and Tencendor.
EVENSONG: daughter of Rivkah and StarDrifter SunSoar, sister to Axis and wife to FreeFall SunSoar.
FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Once wife to Borneheld and Queen of Achar, Faraday now aids Drago. She is the mother of Isfrael, who was conceived during her brief and tragic affair with Axis.
FERNBRAKE LAKE, The: the large lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges. Also known by both the Avar and the Icarii as the Mother.
FERRYMAN, The: the Charonite who plied the ferry of the UnderWorld. His name was Orr, and was one of the Lesser immortals. Orr is now dead after being struck by the Rainbow Sceptre in the chamber of the Star Gate.
FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:
Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snow-month.
Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flower-month.
Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.
FIRE-NIGHT, The: see ‘Festivals’.
FIRST, The: the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars, the order of nine priestesses on Temple Mount. The First, like all priestesses of the Order, gave up her name on taking her vows. Niah of Nor once held this office.
FIVE FAMILIES, The First: the leading families of Tencendor, led, in turn, by Prince Askam of the West, King Zared of the North, Prince Yllgaine of Nor, Chief Sa’Domai of the Ravensbund and FreeFall SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii. The delicate balance between these families was greatly upset when Zared seized the throne of Achar.
FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is the Goddess of Water.
FLURIA, River: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.
FORESTFLIGHT EVERSOAR: a member of the Lake Guard.
FORTHEART: one of the Alaunt, and mate to Sicarius.
FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar’s eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea.
FREEFALL, Talon: son of BrightFeather and RavenCrest SunSoar, husband of EvenSong SunSoar. They have no children.
FROISSON: a unit commander in Caelum’s force.
GAPFEATHER: a member of the Lake Guard.
GATEKEEPER, The: the Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld and mother of Zeherah. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate. She is one of the Lesser immortals.
GERLIEN: a soldier under Zared’s command.
GHEMT: a game played with sticks and dice in a circle of diamond-shaped spaces.
GOLDMAN, Jannymire: Master of the Guilds of Carlon. One of the most powerful non-noblemen in Tencendor.
GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter. Axis defeated him in a titanic struggle for control of Tencendor forty years before current events.
GORKENFORT: a major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar.
GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass sixty leagues long that provides the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and the River Andakilsa.
GRAIL LAKE, The: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. On its shores are Carlon and the tower of Spiredore.
GRAWEN: a captain in Zared’s army.
GREATER, The: the nine Star Gods.
GREMEN: a guard in Carlon.
GRISTLECREST SWEPTNEST: an Icarii inhabitant of the Minaret Peaks.
GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous. Gorgrael recreated them to defeat Axis, but they were all destroyed by Azhure.
GUNDEALGA FORD: a wide shallow ford on the Nordra, just south of the Urqhart Hills.
GUSTUS: Captain of Zared’s militia.
GWENDYLYR: wife of Duke Theod of Aldeni, and mother of their twin sons.
HAGEN: once a Plough-Keeper in the (now destroyed) village of Smyrton who was husband to Niah. He was accidentally killed by Azhure some forty-three years ago.
HANDSPAN: see ‘Distances’.
HEAVORAND, Bransom: a merchant from Carlon.
HERME, Earl of Avonsdale: son of Earl Jorge, mentor of Duke Theod of Aldeni and friend to King Zared.
HERVITIUS: a master of a merchantman.
HORNED ONES: the almost divine and most sacred members of the Avar race. They live in the Sacred Grove.
HSINGARD: a ruined town situated in central Ichtar.
HURST, Karl: a wool trader from Carlon.
ICARII, The: a race of winged people. They are sometimes referred to as the People of the Wing.
ICEBEAR COAST: the hundred-league long coast that stretches from the DeadWood Forest in north-western Ravensbund to the frozen Tundra above the Avarinheim. It is very remote, and very beautiful.
ICESCARP ALPS, The: the great mountain range that stretches across most of northern Achar.
ICESCARP BARREN: a desolate tract of land situated in northern Ichtar between the Icescarp Alps and the Urqhart Hills.
ICEWORMS: massive worms of ice and snow created by Gorgrael.
ICHTAR, Dukes of: once cruel lords of Ichtar, the line died with Borneheld.
ICHTAR, The Province of: the largest and richest of the provinces of Achar. Ichtar derives its wealth from its extensive grazing herds and from its mineral and precious gem deposits. Ruled by Zared, now also King of the Acharites.
ICHTAR, River: a minor river that flows through Ichtar into the River Azle.
ILFRACOOMBE: the manor house of the Earl of Skarabost, the home where Faraday grew up.
INISCUE, Mayor: Mayor of Severin.
ISABEAU: first wife of King Zared. She died in a hunting accident ten years before current events.
ISFRAEL: Mage-King of the Avar. Son of Axis and Faraday.
ISLAND OF MIST AND MEMORY: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, once known as Pirate’s Nest. The Temple of the Stars and its complex are situated on a great plateau on the island’s southern coast.
JACK: senior among the Sentinels.
JARL: A pottery trader of Nor.
JASPAR: a lieutenant in Zared’s force, loyal to Askam.
JERVOIS LANDING: the small town on Tailem Bend of the River Nordra. The gateway into Ichtar.
JESSUP, Baron: a minor nobleman of Avonsdale.
JESTWING BLUEBACK: an Icarii male from the Minaret Peaks.
JOKAM: an Avar man, and leader of the StillPond Clan.
KASTALEON: one of the great Keeps of A
char, situated on the River Nordra in central Achar. Approximately six months before the events of this book, it was blown up by Theod under instructions from Zared, killing many thousands of Caelum’s men.
KEEPS, The: the three great magical Keeps of Achar. See separate entries under Spiredore, Sigholt, and Silent Woman Keep.
KILCKMAN, Bormot: a trader of Carlon.
KILLINGREW: a young commander in Zared’s army.
LAKE GUARD, The: a militia composed entirely of the men and women who SpikeFeather TrueSong rescued from Talon Spike when it was threatened by Gryphon. They escaped via the waterways, and were changed by their experience. The Lake Guard is dedicated to the service of the StarSon.
LAKE OF LIFE, The: one of the sacred and magical lakes of Tencendor. It sits at the western end of the HoldHard Pass in the Urqhart Hills and cradles Sigholt.
LEAGH, Princess: sister to Askam, daughter of Belial and Cazna. Now wife of Zared and Queen of Achar.
LEAGUE: see ‘Distances’.
LESSER, The: a term given to creatures of such magic they approach god-like status.
MAGARIZ, Prince: husband to Rivkah, Axis’ mother, and father to Zared. Now dead.
MAGIC: under the influence of the Seneschal all Artor-fearing Acharites feared and hated the use of magic, although their fear is now as largely dead as the Seneschal.
MALFARI: the tuber that the Avar depend on to produce their bread.
MARRAT, Baron: Baron of Romsdale.
MAZE, The: a mysterious labyrinth underneath Grail Lake.
MAZE GATE, The: the wooden gate into the Maze. Its stone archway is covered with hieroglyphics.
MEANTHRIN: a soldier in Zared’s force.
MILITARY TERMS (for regular ground forces):
Squad: a small group of fighters, normally under forty and usually archers.
Unit: a group of one hundred men, either infantry, archers, pikemen, or cavalry.
Cohort: five units, so five hundred men.
See also ‘Wing’ and ‘Crest’ for the Icarii Strike Force.
MINARET PEAKS: the ancient name for the Bracken Ranges, named for the minarets of the Icarii cities that spread over the entire mountain range.
MINSTRELSEA: the name Faraday gave to the forest she planted out below the Avarinheim.
MONTHS: (northern hemisphere seasons apply)
Wolf-month: January
Raven-month: February
Hungry-month: March
Thaw-month: April
Flower-month: May
Rose-month: June
Harvest-month: July
Weed-month: August
DeadLeaf-month: September
Bone-month: October
Frost-month: November
Snow-month: December
MOONWILDFLOWERS: extremely rare, delicate violet flowers that bloom only under the full moon. Closely associated with Azhure.
MORNINGSTAR SUNSOAR: StarDrifter’s mother and a powerful Enchanter in her own right. She was murdered by WolfStar SunSoar.
MOT: one of the TimeKeeper Demons. Mot is the Demon of dawn and of hunger.
MOTHER, The: either the Avar name for Fernbrake Lake, or an all-embracing term for nature which is sometimes personified as an immortal woman.
MURKLE BAY: a huge bay off the western coast of Tencendor.
MURKLE MOUNTAINS: a range of desolate mountains that run along the length of Murkle Bay. Once extensively mined for opals, they are now abandoned.
MURMURWING: a young Icarii.
NARCIS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Narcis is the God of the Sun.
NECKLET, The: a curious geological feature of Ravensbund.
NIAH: of the once baronial family of Nor. Mother to Azhure, Niah was seduced by WolfStar SunSoar and murdered by Brother Hagen. Niah was the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars. WolfStar promised her rebirth to be his lover for eternity, and her soul was born into Zenith, youngest daughter of Axis and Azhure.
In Sinner, Niah and Zenith battled for control of her body and soul, with the result that Zenith forced the Niah-soul into a child she was carrying (fathered by WolfStar), which she gave premature birth to and then killed. WolfStar now carries the corpse of the Niah-infant about with him.
NINE, The: see the ‘Star Gods’. (‘The Nine’ can also occasionally refer to the nine Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.)
NOR: the southernmost of the provinces of Achar. The Nors people are far darker and more exotic than the rest of the Acharites. Nor is controlled by Prince Yllgaine.
NORDEN: captain of the watch on Carlon’s walls.
NORDMUTH: the port at the mouth of the River Nordra.
NORDRA, River: the great river that is the main lifeline of Achar. Rising in the Icescarp Alps, the River Nordra flows through the Avarinheim before flowing through northern and central Achar. It is used for irrigation, transport and fishing.
OGDEN: one of the Sentinels, brother to Veremund.
ORDER OF THE STARS: the order of nine priestesses who keep watch in the Temple of the Stars. Every priestess gives up her own name upon taking orders.
ORMOND: a soldier in Zared’s army.
ORR: the Charonite Ferryman. Now dead.
PACE: see ‘Distances’.
PALESTAR SNAPWING: an Icarii Enchanter.
PALMSTAR SWEPTNEST: an Enchanter of the Minaret Peaks.
PARLENDER, Wilfred: Prime Notary of Carlon.
PIRATES’ NEST: for many centuries the common name of the Island of Mist and Memory and still the haunt of pirates.
PIRATES’ TOWN: the town in the northern harbour of the Island of Mist and Memory.
PLOUGH, The: under the rule of the Seneschal each Acharite village had a Plough, which not only served to plough the fields, but was also the centre of their worship of the Way of the Plough.
PLOUGH-KEEPERS: the Seneschal assigned a Brother to each village in Achar, and these men were often known as Plough-Keepers.
PORS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Pors is the God of Air.
PRIVY CHAMBER: the large chamber in the ancient royal palace of Carlon where the Achar’s Privy Council once met.
PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER: an ancient Prophecy that told of the rise of Gorgrael in the north and the StarMan who could stop him.
PROUDFLIGHT: a member of the Lake Guard.
PUMSTER, Netherem: Master Bell-Maker of Carlon.
QETEB: the Demon of Destruction that wastes at Midday. His life parts are scattered about Tencendor, and the rest of the TimeKeepers need to gather them up in order to effect his resurrection.
QUESTORS, The: a term the TimeKeepers occasionally gave themselves to dupe victims.
RAINBOW SCEPTRE: a weapon constructed of the life of the five Sentinels, the power of the craft that lie at the bottom of the Sacred Lakes, and the power of the Earth Tree. Axis used it to destroy Gorgrael, and Drago stole it and took it through the Star Gate with him.
RASPU: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Raspu is the Demon of dusk, and of pestilence.
RAUM: once a Bane of the Avar people, now the sacred White Stag.
RAVENCREST SUNSOAR: previous Talon of the Icarii people, father of FreeFall and brother to StarDrifter.
RAVENSBUND: the extreme northern province of Tencendor.
RAVENSBUNDMEN: the inhabitants of Ravensbund.
RENKIN, Goodwife: a peasant woman of northern Arcness who is often a disguise for the Mother. The Goodwife helped Faraday plant out Minstrelsea, finally leaving to wander the forests.
RHAETIA: small area of Achar situated in the western Bracken Ranges.
RIVERSTAR SUNSOAR: third child of Axis and Azhure. Twin sister to Drago (DragonStar). She is now dead. Drago was convicted of her murder, but many suspected that the true murderer was RiverStar’s secret lover.
RIVKAH: Princess of Achar, mother to Borneheld, Axis, EvenSong and Zared. Married to Prince Magariz. Now dead.
ROMSDALE: a province to the south west of Carlon that mainly produces wine. It is administered by
Baron Marrat.
ROSCIC: Chamberlain of Askam’s Household.
ROX: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Rox is the Demon of night, and of terror.
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