Sinner (49 page)

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 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 in his battles with Tencendor.

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 Prince Zared.

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 Prince 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.

JERVOIS LANDING: the small town on Tailem Bend of the River Nordra. The gateway into Ichtar.

JESSUP, BARON: a minor nobleman of Avonsdale.

KASTALEON: one of the great Keeps of Achar, situated on the River Nordra in central Achar.

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 whom SpikeFeather TrueSong rescued as children 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.

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 itself.

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.

MILITARY TERMS (for regular ground forces):

Squad: a small group of fighters, normally numbering 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 Icarii 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-rnonth: 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.

MORYSON: Brother of the Seneschal and a disguise once used by WolfStar.

MOT: a Questor.

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, its waters are filthy, polluted by the tanneries along the Azle River.

MURKLE MOUNTAINS: a range of desolate mountains that run along the length of Murkle Bay. Once extensively mined for opals, they are now abandoned.

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.

NINE, The: see the “Star Gods”. (“The Nine” can also occasionally refer to the nine Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.)

NOAH: a man associated with the craft under the lakes.

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.

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. Each priestess gives up her own name upon taking orders.

ORMOND: a soldier in Zared’s army.

ORR: the Charonite Ferryman.

PACE: see “Distances”.

PALESTAR SNAPWING: an Icarii Enchanter.

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 Pirates’ Nest – or 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 Achar’s Privy Council once met.

PRIVY COUNCIL: the council of advisers to the King of Achar, normally the lords of the major provinces of Achar. This council has been replaced in Tencendor by the Five, the leaders of the First Five Families.

PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER: an ancient Prophecy that told of the rise of Gorgrael in the north and the StarMan who could stop him. It is now forty years since the time of the Prophecy of the Destroyer.

PUMSTER, NETHEREM: Master Bell-Maker of Carlon.

QETEB: the Destruction that wastes at Midday.

QUESTORS, The: a group of five beings who quest for what the Enemy stole from them.

RAINBOW SCEPTRE: a weapon constructed from the lives 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.

RASPU: a Questor.

RAUM: once a Bane of the Avar people, now the sacred White Stag.

RAVENCREST SUNSOAR: once Talon of the Icarii people. Now dead, killed in the Gryphons’ attack on Talon Spike.

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 Minaret Peaks.

RIVERSTAR SUNSOAR: third child of Axis and Azhure. Twin sister to Drago (DragonStar).

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: a Questor.

SACRED, GROVE: the most sacred spot of the Avar

people, the Sacred Grove is rarely visited by ordinary mortals. Normally the Banes are the only members of the Avar race who know the paths to the Grove.

SACRED LAKES: the four magical lakes of Tencendor: Grail Lake, Cauldron Lake, Fernbrake Lake (or the Mother) and the Lake of Life. According to legend, the lakes were formed during Fire-Night when ancient gods fell through the skies and crashed to Tencendor.

SA’DOMAI: Chief of the Ravensbundmen, son of Ho’Demi.

SANDMEYER, GREGORIC: Mayor of Carlon.

SEAGRASS PLAINS: the vast grain plains that form most of Skarabost.

SENESCHAL, The: once the all-powerful religious organisation of Achar, now non-existent. The Religious Brotherhood of the Seneschal was extremely powerful and played a major role, not only in everyday life, but also in the political life of the nation. It taught obedience to the one god, Artor the Ploughman, and the Way of the Plough.

SENTINELS: five magical creatures of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. Originally Charonites, they were recruited by WolfStar (in his guise of the Prophet) in order to serve the Prophecy. They gave their lives to form the Rainbow Sceptre.

SEPULCHRE OF THE MOON: a cave on Temple Mount, the haunt of the Star Gods.

SEVERIN: a new town built by Prince Magariz as the replacement capital of Ichtar. Now Zared’s base.

SHEOL: a Questor.

SHRA: now the senior Bane of the Avar. As a girl she was saved from death by Axis.

SICARIUS: leader of the pack of Alaunt hounds. One of the Lesser.

SIGHOLT: one of the great magical Keeps of Tencendor, situated on the shores of the Lake of Life in the Urqhart Hills in Ichtar. Home of the SunSoar family.

SILENT WOMAN KEEP: one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor, it lies in the centre of the Silent Woman Woods.

SILENT WOMAN WOODS: ancient woods in southern Arcness, now joined to the Minstrelsea.

SILTON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Silton is the God of Fire.

SKARABOST: large eastern province of Achar which grows much of the kingdom’s grain supplies.

SKRAELINGS: creatures of the frozen northern wastes who fought for Gorgrael.

SKYLAZER BITTERFALL: a member of the Lake Guard.

SMYRTON: formerly a large village in northern Skarabost, it was destroyed by Azhure for its close association with the Plough God, Artor.

SONG OF CREATION: a Song which can, according to Icarii and Avar legend, actually create life itself.