Halcyon The Complete Trilogy (119 page)

Carthage – Fiction: The capital city of Numidia and a port on the coast of the Middle Sea. Fact: Carthage was a powerful Phoenician city-state until the Romans destroyed it. The town and its ancient ruins are a popular tourist attraction today.

Cathedral of San Salvador – Fiction: A large church in Zaragoza, España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Ciudad Real – Fiction: A city in central España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Conquistadors – Fiction: Powerful military leaders who led the failed Espani invasions of the New World. Fact: Powerful military leaders who led the successful Spanish invasions of the New World in the sixteenth century.

Constantia – Fiction: An ancient and powerful city-state on the border of Hellas and the Eranian province of Turkiya. Ruled by the princess, Lady Nerissa, the city is locked in unending conflict with the nearby Eranians who wish to claim the city. The Hellans are unwilling to defend the city too staunchly to avoid provoking a war with Eran. Fact: The city of Constantinople was founded on the city of Byzantium, located on the Bosporus Strait between modern Greece and Turkey, and which later became the modern city of Istanbul.

Constantian Church – Fiction: A religious organization that worships a God who came to earth as a man and a woman to experience and teach mankind. Fact: Loosely based on Orthodox Christianity.

Copper Crake
– Fiction: One of the Mazigh airships in the Northern Air Corps based in Tingis. Fact: None.

Cordoba – Fiction: A city in central España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Corso Donati – Fiction: A leader of the Black Guelphs in Florence, Italia. Fact: A leader of the Black Guelphs in Florence, Italy in the thirteenth century. Also a distant relative of the poet Dante Alighieri.

Cusco – Fiction: The capital city of the Incan Empire. Fact: The capital city of the ancient Incan Empire. Located in southern Peru today.

Cyrenica – Fiction: A province of the Empire of Eran located in North Ifrica. Fact: A district of the modern nation of Libya, and once a province of the Roman Empire.

Damya – Fiction: The governor of Tingis, Marrakesh. Fact: An Amazigh (Berber) name.

Dante Aligeri – Fiction: An Italian chemist and political activist opposed to the growing power of the pope in Rome. Fact: Dante Alighieri was an Italian apothecary and political activist in the thirteenth century who wrote
The Divine Comedy
and is considered one of the greatest Italian writers in history.

Darius – Fiction: The ruler of the Empire of Eran. Fact: Three of the emperors of the ancient Persian Empire were named Darius.

Demsiri – Fiction: A general in the Mazigh army. Fact: An Amazigh (Berber) name.

Destreza – Fiction: The Espani fencing style. Fact: A Spanish fencing style created by Jeronimo Carranza in the sixteenth century. The word destreza means “skill” or “art.”

Diestro – Fiction: An Espani fencer. Fact: A Spanish fencer.

Din Nasin – Fiction: The old queen of Marrakesh. Fact: There was an Amazigh (Berber) queen named Tin Hanin who led her people to their new home in the Ahaggar Mountains in the fourth century.

Dogon – Fiction: One of the peoples of West Ifrica conquered by the Songhai Empire. Fact: A group of people who live in Mali and Niger today.

Don – Fiction: An Espani title of respect and nobility for men. Fact: A Spanish title of respect and nobility for men. Similar to “Sir” for an English knight.

Dona – Fiction: An Espani title of respect and nobility for women. Fact: A Spanish title of respect and nobility for women.

Drachmas – Fiction: Money in Hellas. Fact: Money in Greece (back before the Euro).

Ejido – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

El – Fiction: One of the names of God in the Middle Sea region. Fact: This is the Hebrew word for
God
.

Envelope – Fiction: The reinforced fabric balloon above an airship, which contains hydrogen to lift the airship through the atmosphere. Fact: Same.

Eran – Fiction: An empire that encompasses areas of North Ifrica, Arabia, and other eastern provinces. Previously known as the Persian Empire. Fact: The Persian Empire spanned many centuries under various names and rulers, centered around the modern nation of Iran. “Eran” is one of the early versions of the name Iran.

Espada – Fiction: The signature fencing sword of España. Fact: The espada ropero was lighter and more elegant than earlier swords, but not as advanced at the rapier, which appeared around the same time. The word espada means
sword
.

España – Fiction: A country in western Europa. Fact: This is the Spanish name for Spain.

Espani – Fiction: A person from or the language of España. Fact: The Spanish word for Spanish is actually Español.

Europa – Fiction: A continent to the west of Asia, currently experiencing an Ice Age. Fact: While Europe emerged from the Ice Age long ago, it still has many glaciers in the Alps.

Fariza Othmani – Fiction: A wealthy Mazigh industrialist. Fact: The name Fariza means
light
.

Father – Fiction: In the Roman and Constantian Churches, this is the aspect of God that embodies the concepts of law and justice. Fact: In Catholicism, the Father is one of the aspects of the Holy Trinity.

Ferdinand Magellan – Fiction: An Espani admiral. Fact: A Portuguese explorer in the sixteenth century, and the first person to lead a sailing expedition all the way around the world (although he died halfway along).

Firenze – Fiction: A city in northern Italia. Fact: Firenze is the Italian name for the city of Florence, Italy.

Flying foxes – Fiction: Large flying nocturnal mammals that can be found throughout North Ifrica. Fact: Some large species of bats are called flying foxes.

Gadir – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain. Gadir was the Phoenician settlement that became the modern city of Cadiz.

Ghanima – Fiction: A young pilot in the Mazigh Air Corps. Fact: The Swahili name Ghanima means
good fortune
.

Ghost – Fiction: When a person dies, their soul lives on outside the body as a ghost, which can only be seen by living people when there is enough aether mist in the area. Fact: None.

Giant armadillo – Fiction: A huge armored mammal, similar to a tortoise but much larger with a mace-like tail. Fact: These creatures roamed ancient South America before becoming extinct 10,000 years ago. Also known as glyptodonts.

Gibraltar – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Gilded Grebe
– Fiction: One of the courier airships in the Mazigh Northern Air Corps stationed in the city of Tingis. Fact: None.

Golden Death – Fiction: A plague native to South America, where most indigenous people are immune. This disease killed the majority of the invading Espani army. Fact: When the Spanish invaded South America, they brought diseases such as small pox that killed millions of the indigenous peoples.

Gondola – Fiction: The cockpit and cabin compartment of an airship located below the envelope (balloon). Fact: Same.

Granada – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Halcyon I
– Fiction: One of the courier airships in the Mazigh Northern Air Corps stationed in the city of Tingis. Built by Isoke Geroubi and Taziri Ohana with electric motors instead of a steam engine to improve air safety following the explosion of the
Silver Shearwater
. Fact: None.

Halcyon II
– Fiction: The first aeroplane in the world. Designed and built by Isoke Geroubi. Fact: The first airplanes were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Seaplanes resembling the
Halcyon II
were first built around 1940.

Halcyon III
– Fiction: An aeroplane able to transform into a locomotive using the first petrol-powered engine in the world. Designed and built by Taziri Ohana. Fact: Flying locomotives first appeared on the
Transformers
cartoon show with the character Astrotrain. They are rarely seen in reality.

Harpy eagle – Fiction: This species of predatory bird from the New World is the largest and most powerful eagle in the world. Fact: Same.

Hartebeest – Fiction: A species of antelope found in Ifrica. Fact: A species of antelope found in Africa.

Hatun-anka – Fiction: A nine-foot tall “terror bird” used by the Incas as mounts and weapons in war. Resembles a feathered velociraptor. Fact: Terror birds such as
Titanis
roamed South America until becoming extinct about two million years ago. The Quechua (Incan) words hatun anka mean
great eagle
.

Hellan – Fiction: A person from or the language of Hellas. Fact: The adjective for something from Greece is
Hellenic
(as well as
Greek
).

Hellas – Fiction: A country in east-central Europa. Fact: A real location in Europe. The Greek name for Greece was originally Hellas, and the official name of Greece today is the Hellenic Republic.

Hidalgo – Fiction: An Espani rank, similar to a knighthood. Entitles the individual to the title “Don” and exemption from taxes. Fact: Same. The Spanish rank of hidalgo was created in the twelfth century.

Huesca – Fiction: A town in northern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

Ice-sailer – Fiction: A vehicle for traveling the frozen rivers of España. Resembles an outrigger canoe mounted on ice skates and powered by a sail. Fact: The sport of ice yachting is at about three hundred years old and is practiced in northern Europe, Russia, Canada, and the United States.

Ifrica – Fiction: A continent to the south of the Middle Sea. Currently the most temperate and fertile region in the civilized world. Fact: The name “Africa” evolved from multiple sources, and the northern coast of Africa was called Ifriqya from the seventh to the sixteenth century. Thousands of years ago, the region we now call the Sahara Desert was in fact green and fertile and contained a massive inland sea.

Igbo – Fiction: One of the peoples of West Ifrica conquered by the Songhai Empire. Fact: The Igbo people currently live in southern Nigeria.

Ikelan – Fiction: The slave caste of the traditional Mazigh society, which was abolished two generations ago. Fact: The slave caste of the Tuareg (Berber) people still exists today.

Ikosim – Fiction: A town in Numidia, originally settled by the Phoenicians. Fact: An ancient village settled by the Phoenicians three thousand years ago.

Imajeren – Fiction: The ruling caste of the traditional Mazigh society, which was abolished two generations ago. Fact: The warrior-aristocrat caste of the Tuareg (Berber) people still exists today, but in a diminished form.

Imrad – Fiction: The worker caste of the traditional Mazigh society, which was abolished two generations ago. Fact: The worker or servant caste of the Tuareg (Berber) people still exists today, but in a diminished form.

Inadin – Fiction: The free craftsman caste of the traditional Mazigh society, which was abolished two generations ago. Fact: The smith/artist caste of the Tuareg (Berber) people still exists today, but in a diminished form.

Inca – Fiction: The ruling empire and people of South America, who speak the Quechua language and repulsed the Espani military invasions led by the Pizzaro brothers. This empire, called Jisquntin Suyu (“The Nine Nations”), is ruled by the young emperor Manco Inca from the capital city of Cusco. Fact: One of the largest indigenous empires of the New World in the sixteenth century, who spoke the Quechua language and were defeated by the Spanish invasions led by the Pizzaro brothers. This empire, called Tawantin Suyu (“The Four Nations”), was briefly ruled by the young emperor Manco Inca from the capital city of Cusco (in modern Peru). Technically, the word “Inca” only referred to the ruling nobility or family, but the Spanish applied the word to the entire people.

Ineslemen – Fiction: The priest caste of the traditional Mazigh society, which was abolished two generations ago. Fact: The clerical caste of the Tuareg (Berber) people still exists today, but in a diminished form.

Inti – Fiction: The Incan sun god. Fact: Same.

Isoke Geroubi – Fiction: An officer and engineer in the Northern Air Corps in Marrakesh. Last captain of the
Silver Shearwater
. Designer of the
Halcyon I
and
Halcyon II
. Fact: The name Isoke means
Gift from God
.

Italia – Fiction: A country in central Europa. Fact: This is the Italian name for Italy.

Italian – Fiction: A person from or the language of Italia. Fact: The Italian adjective is Italiano.

Izza – Fiction: The personal assistant of Lady Sade. Fact: The Arabic name Izza means honor.

Jaguar Order – Fiction: A military order in the Aztec nation. Fact: The Aztecs had several military orders including the Jaguar knights and Eagle knights. The Jaguar knights wore jaguar skins. And while they were deadly fighters, they specialized in military tactics to capture, not kill, their enemies.

Jeronimo Carranza – Fiction: An Espani fencing master who trained Lorenzo Quesada. Fact: A Spanish fencing master who invented the destreza fencing style in the sixteenth century.

Jisquntin Suyu – Fiction: The Incan (Quechua) name for the Incan Empire, it means Nine Nations because it encompasses nine conquered provinces. Fact: The Incan Empire was called Tawantin Suyu, meaning Four Nations.

Kanem Empire – Fiction: A nation in central North Ifrica. Fact: The Kanem Empire existed from the seventh to the fourteenth century in central North Africa (modern Chad, Nigeria, and Libya).

Kel Ahaggar – Fiction: A people related to the Mazighs. They live in the mountainous nation of Ahaggar to the east of Marrakesh. Fact: The Kel Ahaggar (“people of Ahaggar”) live today in southern Algeria and are also known as the Tuareg or Berber peoples.

Kel Tamasheq – Fiction: The ancestors of the modern Mazighs and Kel Ahaggar. Fact: The Kel Tamasheq (“people who speak Tamasheq”) is another name for the Tuareg or Berber peoples.

Kella Massi – Fiction: A police detective in Arafez, Marrakesh. Fact: The name Kella is Amazigh.