A Shadow on the Glass (79 page)

Read A Shadow on the Glass Online

Authors: Ian Irvine

BOOK: A Shadow on the Glass
2.53Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

“I will not go with you,” said Llian, hating and fearing him, but though his will was as iron his legs would not obey.

Tensor took him by the hand and led him, without even a struggle, from the Great Hall and out of Thurkad by a secret way, to the north.

G
LOSSARY

OF
C
HARACTERS
, N
AMES AND
P
LACES

Aachan:
One of the Three Worlds, the world of the Aachim and, after its conquest, the Charon.

Aachim:
The human species native to Aachan, who were conquered by the Charon. The Aachim are a clever people, great artisans and engineers, but melancholy and prone to hubris. After they were brought to Santhenar the Aachim flourished, but were betrayed and ruined in the Clysm, and withdrew from the world to their vast mountain fortress cities.

Aachimning:
A friend of the Aachim.

Aftersickness:
Sickness that most people suffer after using the Secret Art, or even after using a native talent. Sensitives are very prone to it.

Alcifer:
The last and greatest of Rulke’s cities, designed by Pitlis the Aachim.

Almadin:
A dry land across the sea from Thurkad.

Alyz:
Llian’s little sister.

Assembly:
The ruling committee of Thurkad. A body that is ineffectual in a crisis.

Bannador:
A long, narrow and hilly land on the western side of Iagador. Karan’s homeland.

Benbow:
A ruined village in the mountains between Chanthed and Tullin.

Blase:
One of Tensor’s Aachim band.

Blending:
A child of the union between two different human species. Blendings are rare, and often deranged, but can have remarkable talents.

Booreah Ngurle:
The burning mountain, or fiery mountain, a volcanic peak in the forests east of Almadin. The Charon once had a stronghold there.

Callam:
Llian’s older sister.

Carstain:
Nearest town to Fiz Gorgo.

Chacalot:
A large water-dwelling reptile, somewhat resembling a crocodile.

Chain of the Tychid:
A ribbon of seven very bright stars, and many fainter ones, visible in the winter sky at southern latitudes.

Chanthed:
A town in northern Meldorin, in the foothills of the mountains. The College of the Histories is there.

Chard:
A kind of tea.

Charon:
One of the four human species, the master people of the world of Aachan. They fled out of the void to take Aachan from the Aachim, and took their name from a frigid moonlet at the furthest extremity of the void. They have strange eyes, indigo or carmine, or sometimes both together, depending on the light.

Chronicler:
A historian; a graduate in the art and science of recording and maintaining the Histories.

Cloak, Cloaked:
To disguise oneself by means of illusion.

Clysm: A
series of wars between the Charon and the Aachim more than a thousand years ago, resulting in the almost total devastation of Santhenar.

College of the Histories:
The oldest of the colleges for the instruction of those who would be chroniclers or tellers
of the Histories, or even lowly bards or king’s singers. It was set up at Chanthed soon after the time of the Forbidding.

Compulsion:
A form of the Secret Art; a way of forcing someone to do something against their will.

Construct:
A machine partly powered by the Secret Art.

Council;
also
Council of Iagador, Council of Santhenar, Great Council, High Council:
An alliance of the powerful. With the Aachim it made the Nightland and cast Rulke into it. After that it had two purposes—to continue the great project (q.v.) and to maintain the watch upon Rulke.

Crayde:
A town in Iagador.

Darsh:
An untranslatable Aachim epithet (very offensive).

Dirhan:
Customs officer in Sith and friend to Pender and Hassien.

Dolodha:
A messenger girl; one of Yggur’s servants.

Droik:
Idlis’s dog.

Elienor:
A great heroine of the Aachim from the time when the Charon invaded Aachan.

Emmant:
A half-Aachim, librarian at Shazmak. He also traveled in disguise as Flacq.

Faelamor:
Leader of the Faellem species who came to Santhenar soon after Rulke, to keep watch on the Charon and maintain the balance between the worlds. Maigraith’s liege.

Faellem:
The human species who are the original inhabitants of the world of Tallallame. They are a small, dour people who, by long custom, are forbidden to use machines and particularly magical devices, but are masters of disguise and illusion. Faelamor’s band were trapped
on Santh by the Forbidding, and constantly search for a way home.

Faichand:
The name that Faelamor went by when she hid herself from the world.

Farsh:
A mild obscenity.

Festival of Chanthed:
An annual festival held in Chanthed, at which the Histories are told by the masters and students of the College.

Fiz Gorgo:
A fortress city in Orist, flooded in ancient times, now restored; the stronghold of Yggur.

Flute;
also
golden flute:
A device made in Aachan at the behest of Rulke, by the genius smith Shuthdar, stolen by him and taken back to Santhenar. When used by one who is sensitive, it could be used to open the Way between the Worlds. It was destroyed by Shuthdar at the time of the Forbidding.

Folc:
A flat dry country north of Chanthed.

Forbidding:
See Tale of the Forbidding
.

Fyrn:
The family name of Karan of Bannador, from her mother’s side.

Galardil:
A forested land east of Orist.

Galliad:
Karan’s father, who was half-Aachim.

Garr:
The largest river in Meldorin. It arises to the west of Shazmak and runs to the Sea of Thurkad east of Sith.

Gellon:
A fruit, tasting something like a mango and some thing like a peach.

Ghâshâd:
The ancient, mortal enemies of the Aachim. They were corrupted and swore allegiance to Rulke after the Zain rebelled, but when Rulke was put in me Nightland they forgot themselves and took a new name, Whelm.

Gift of Rulke;
also
Curse of Rulke:
Knowledge given by Rulke to the Zain, enhancing their resistance to the mind-breaking
potencies of the Aachim. It left stigmata that identified them as Zain.

Gistel:
A servant of Faelamor in Sith.

Gothryme:
Karan’s impoverished manor, near Tolryme in Bannador.

Great Betrayer:
Rulke.

Great Conclave:
A forum which may be called in Thurkad to resolve some great crisis afflicting the city.

Great Library:
Founded at Zile by the Zain in the time of the Empire of Zur. The library was sacked when the Zain were exiled, but was subsequently re-established.

Great Mountains:
The largest and highest belt of mountains on Santhenar, enclosing the south-eastern part of the continent of Lauralin.

Great Project:
A way sought by the Council to banish the Charon from Santh forever.

Great River:
see Garr.

Great Tales:
The greatest stories from the Histories of Santhenar; traditionally told at the Festival of Chanthed, and everywhere on important ceremonial occasions. There are twenty-two of these.

Grint:
A copper coin of small value.

Hassien:
A woman living with Pender in Name.

Hennia:
A Zain. She is a member of the Council of Iagador.

Hetchet, Gate of Hetchet:
A town to the west of Chanthed; once a great city.

Histories:
The vast collection of records which tell more than four thousand years of recorded history on Santhenar. The Histories consist of historical documents written by the chroniclers, as well as the tales, songs, legends and lore of the peoples of Santhenar and the invading peoples from the other worlds, told by the tellers. The culture of Santhenar is interwoven with and inseparable
from the Histories, and the most vital longing anyone can have is to be mentioned there.

High Way:
A north-south road on the eastern side of the island of Meldorin.

Hirthway:
The main north-south road running through the center of Meldorin.

Hythe:
Mid-winter’s day. It is the fourth day of endre, mid winter’s week. Hythe is a day of ill-omen.

Iagador:
The land that lies between the mountains and the Sea of Thurkad.

Idlis:
The least of the Whelm, long-time hunter of Karan. Also a healer.

Jark-un:
The leader of a band of the Whelm.

Jepperand:
A province on the western side of the mountains of Crandor. Home to the Zain; Llian’s birthplace.

Just:
The arbitrators in a Great Conclave of Thurkad. They are also responsible for the administration of justice.

Kalash:
A drug given by Faelamor to Maigraith to disguise the color of her eyes.

Kandor:
One of the three Charon who came to Santhenar. He was killed sometime after the end of the Clysm, the only Charon to die on Santh.

Karan, Karan of Bannador:
A woman of the house of Fyrn, but with blood of the Aachim from her father Galhad. She is a sensitive and lives at Gothryme.

Lake Neid:
A lake in the swamp forest near Fiz Gorgo, where the half-submerged ruins of the town of Neid are found.

Lasee:
A pale yellow brewed drink, mildly intoxicating, and ubiquitous in Orist; fermented from the sweet sap of the sard tree.

Lauralin:
The continent east of the Sea of Thurkad.

Lay of the Silver Lake:
An epic romance that tells of the subjection of the tiny state of Saludith.

League:
About 5000 paces, three miles or five kilometers.

Library of the Histories:
The famous library at the College of the Histories in Chanthed.

Lightglass:
A device of crystal and metal that emits a soft light when touched.

Other books

Rotters: Bravo Company by Cart, Carl R
Mary Jo Putney by Dearly Beloved
Blood Ties by Judith E. French
The Confession by Olen Steinhauer
Archer by Debra Kayn
Love Beyond Sight by Rebecca Royce
Man Hunt by K. Edwin Fritz