Read The Ships of Merior Online
Authors: Janny Wurts
AMROTH - kingdom on West Gate splinter world, Dascen Elur, ruled by s’Ilessid descendants of the prince exiled through the Worldsend Gate at the time of the rebellion, Third Age just after the Mistwraith’s conquest.
pronounced: am-roth (rhymes with ‘sloth')
root meaning:
am
- state of being;
roth
- brother ‘brotherhood'
ANGLEFEN - swampland located in Deshir, Rathain. Town of same name at the river mouth with port to Stormwell Gulf. One of the six port towns that link sea trade-routes with Etarra.
pronounced: angle-fen
root meaning is not Paravian
ARAETHURA - grass plains in southwest Rathain; principality of the same name in that location. Largely inhabited by Riathan Paravians in the Second Age. Third Age, used as pastureland by widely-scattered nomadic shepherds.
pronounced: ar-eye-thoo-rah
root meaning:
araeth
- grass,- era-place, land
ARAITHE - plain to the north of the trade city of Etarra, principality of Fallowmere, Rathain First Age, among the sites used by the Paravians to renew the mysteries and channel firth lane energies. The standing stones erected are linked to the power focus at Ithamon and Meth Isle keep.
pronounced: araithe, sounds like ‘a wraith'
root meaning:
araithe
- to disperse, to send, refers to the properties of the standing stones with relationship to the fifth lane forces.
ARITHON - son of Avar, Prince of Rathain, 1,504th Teir’s'Ffalenn after founder of the line, Torbrand in Third Age Year One. Also Master of Shadow, the Bane of Desh-thiere, and Halliron Masterbard’s successor.
pronounced: ar-i-thon — almost rhymes with ‘marathon'
root meaning:
arithon
- fate-forger. one who is visionary
ASANDIR - Fellowship Sorcerer. Secondary name, King-maker, since his hand crowned every High King of Men to rule in the Age of Men [Third Age]. After the Mistwraith’s conquest, he acted as field agent for the Fellowship’s doings across the continent. Also called Fiend-quencher, for his reputation for quelling iyats; Storm-breaker, and Change-bringer for put actions when Men asked to settle upon Athera.
pronounced: ah-san-deer
root meaning:
asan
- heart,
dir
- stone ‘heartrock'
ATAINIA - northeastern principality of Tysan.
pronounced: ah-tay-nee-ah
root meaning:
itain
— the third, is suffix for ‘third domain’ Original Paravian,
itainia
ATCHAZ - city located in Alland, Shand. Famed for its silk.
pronounced: at-chas
not meaning:
atchias
- silk
ATH CREATOR - prime vibration, force behind all life.
pronounced: ath to rhyme with ‘math'
root meaning:
ath
- prime, first (as opposed to an, one)
ATHIR - Second Age ruin of a Paravian stronghold, located in Ithilt, Rathain. Site of a seventh lane power focus.
pronounced: ath-ear
root meaning:
ath
- prime;
i’er
- the line/edge
ATHERA - name for the continent which holds the Five High Kingdoms; one of two major landmasses on the planet.
pronounced: ath-air-ah
root meaning:
ath
- prime force;
era
-place ‘Ath’s world'
ATHLIEN PARAVIANS - sunchildren. Small race of semi-mortals, pixie-like, but possessed of great wisdom/keepers of the grand mystery.
pronounced: ath-lee-en
root meaning:
ath
- prime force; lien - to love/Athbeloved
ATHLIERIA - equivalent of heaven/actually a dimension removed from physical life, inhabited by spirit after death.
pronounced: ath-lee-air-ee-ah
root meaning:
ath
- prime force;
li’era
- exalted place, or land in harmony;
li
- exalted in harmony
ATWOOD - forest located in East Halla, Melhalla.
pronounced: at-wood
root meaning:
ath
- prime vibration/Ath’s wood
AVAR s’FFALENN - Pirate King of Karthan, isle on splinter world Dascen Elur, through West Gate. Father of Arithon; also Teir’s'Ffalenn 1,503rd in descent from Torbrand who founded the s’Ffalenn royal line in Third Age Year One.
pronounced: ah-var, to rhyme with ‘far'
root meaning:
avar
- past thought/memory
AVENOR - Second Age ruin of a Paravian stronghold. Traditional seat of the s’Ilessid High Kings. Restored to habitation in Third Age Year 5644. Located in Korias, Tysan.
pronounced: ah-ven-or
root meaning:
avie
- stag;
norh
- grove
BECKBURN - market in the city of Jaelot, on the coast of Eltair Bay at the southern border of Rathain.
pronounced: beck-burn
meaning not from the Paravian
BLACK DRAKE
- a brig often hired to run contraband, captained by a woman named Dhirken.
BLACK ROSE PROPHECY - made by Dakar the Mad Prophet in Third Age Year 5637 at Althain Tower. Forecasts Davien the Betrayer’s repentance, and the reunity of the Fellowship of Seven as tied to Arithon s’Ffalenn’s voluntary resumption of Rathain’s crown rule.
BRANSIAN s’BRYDION - Teir’s'Brydion, ruling Duke of Alestron.
pronounced: bran-see-an
root meaning:
brand
- temper,-
s’i'an
- suffix denoting ‘of the one'/the one with temper
BWIN EVOC s’LORNMEIN - founder of the line that became High Kings of Havish since Third Age Year One. The attribute he passed on by means of the Fellowship’s geas was temperance.
pronounced: bwin, to rhyme with ‘twin’, eevahk, as in ‘evocative,’ lorn, as in English equivalent, mein rhymes with ‘main'
root meaning:
bwin
- firm,-
evoc
- choice
CAILCALLOW- herb that grows in Athera’s marshes, used to ease fevers.
pronounced: rhymes with ‘kale-tallow'
root meaning:
coil
- leaf;
calliew
- balm
CAITH-AL-CAEN - vale where Riathan Paravians (unicorns) celebrated equinox and solstice to renew the
athael
, or life-destiny of the world. Also the place where the Ilitharis Paravians first Named the winter stars -or encompassed their vibrational essence into language. Corrupted by the end of the Third Age to Castlecain.
pronounced: cay-ith-al-cay-en, musical lilt, emphasis on second and last syllables; rising note on first two, falling note on last two.
root meaning:
caith
- shadow;
al
- over;
caen
- vale/'vale of shadow'
CAITHDEIN
- Paravian name for a high king’s first counsellor; also, the one who would stand as regent, or steward, in the absence of the crowned ruler.
pronounced: kay-ith-day-in
root meaning:
caith —
shadow;
d’ein
- behind the chair ‘shadow behind the throne'
CAITHWOOD - forest located in Taerlin, southeast principality of Tysan.
pronounced: kay-ith-wood
root meaning:
caith
- shadow - ‘shadowed wood'
CASTLE POINT - port city at the western terminus of the Great West Road, located in the principality of Atainia, Tysan.
CAMRIS - north-central principality of Tysan. Original ruling seat was city of Erdane.
pronounced: kam-ris, the ‘i’ as in ‘chris'
root meaning:
caim —
cross;
ris
- way ‘crossroad'
CAOLLE - war captain of the clans of Deshir, Rathain. First raised, and then served under Lord Steiven, Earl of the North and
caithdein
of Rathain. Currently in Jieret Red-beard’s service.
pronounced: kay-all-e, with the ‘e’ nearly subliminal
root meaning;
caille
- stubborn
CILADIS THE LOST - Fellowship sorcerer who left the continent in Third Age 5462 in search of the Paravian races after their disappearance alter the rebellion.
pronounced: kill-ah-dis
root meaning:
cael
- lelf,
adeis
- whisper, compound, cael’adeis colloquialism for ‘gentleness that abides'
CILDEIN OCEAN - body of water lying off Athera’s east coastline.
pronounced: kill-dine
root meaning,
cailde
- salty?
an
- one
CILDOHN - city famed for carpets and weaving, located in Deshir Rathain. Originally a Paravian hold-fast, situated on a node of the third lane.
pronounced: kill-dorn
root meaning;
cieal
- thread,
dorn
- net ‘tapestry’
CLAITHEN - an adept of Ath’s Brotherhood in the hostel south of Merior.
pronounced: clay-then
root meaning:
claithen
- garden; earth/soil
CORITH - island west of Havish coast, in Westland Sea. First site to see sunlight upon Desh-thiere’s defeat.
pronounced: kor-ith
root meaning:
cori
- ships, vessels,
itha
- five for the five harbours which the old city overlooked
CRESCENT ISLE - large island located east of Minderl Bay in Ithilt, Rathain.
DAEL-FARENN - Kingmaker, name for sword Alithiel, also, one of many Paravian names for the Fellowship sorcerer, Asandir.
pronounced: day-el-far-an
root meaning:
dael
- king;
fezon
- maker
DAELION FATEMASTER - ‘entity’ formed by set of mortal beliefs, which determine the fate of the spirit after death. If Ath is the prime vibration, or life-force, Daelion is what governs the manifestation of free will.
pronounced: day-el-ee-on
root meaning:
dael
- king, or lord;
i’on
- of fate
DAELION’s WHEEL - cycle of life and the crossing point which is the transition into death.
pronounced: day-el-ee-on
root meaning:
dael
- king or lord;
i’on
- of fate
DAENFAL - city located on the northern lake shore that bounds the southern edge of Daon Ramon Barrens in Rathain.
pronounced: dye-en-fall
root meaning:
daen
- clay;
fal
- red
DAGRIEN COURT - market in the city of Jaelot, on the coast at the southern border of Rathain.
pronounced: dag-ree-en
root meaning:
dagrien
- variety
DAKAR THE MAD PROPHET - apprentice to Fellowship sorcerer, Asandir, during the Third Age following the Conquest of the Mistwraith. Given to spurious prophecies, it was Dakar who forecast the fall of the Kings of Havish in time for the Fellowship to save the heir. He made the Prophecy of West Gate which forecast the Mistwraith’s bane, and also, the Black Rose Prophecy, which called for reunification of the Fellowship. At this time, assigned to defence of Arithon, Prince of Rathain.
pronounced: dah-kar
root meaning:
dakiar
- clumsy
DANIA - wife of Rathain’s Regent, Steiven s’Valerient. Died by the hand of Pesquil’s headhunters in the Battle of Strakewood. Jieret Red-beard’s mother.
pronounced: dan-ee-ah
root meaning:
deinia
- sparrow
DAON RAMON BARRENS- central principality of Rathain. Site where Riathan Paravians (unicorns) bred and raised their young. Barrens was not appended to the name until the years following the Mistwraith’s conquest, when the River Severnir was diverted at the source by a task force under Etarran jurisdiction.
pronounced: day-on-rah-mon
root meaning:
daon
- gold;
ramon
- bills/downs
DASCEN ELUR - splinter world off West Gate; primarily ocean with isolated archipelagos. Includes kingdoms of Rauven, Amroth, and Karthan. Where three exiled high kings’ heirs took refuge in the years following the great uprising. Birthplace of Lysaer and Arithon.
pronounced: das-en el-ur
root meaning:
dascen
- ocean,-
e’lier
- small land
DAVIEN THE BETRAYER - Fellowship sorcerer responsible for provoking the great uprising that resulted in the fall of the high kings after Desh-thiere’s conquest. Rendered discorporate by the Fellowship’s judgement in Third Age 5129. Exiled since, by personal choice. Davien’s works included the Five Centuries Fountain near Mearth on the splinter world of the Red Desert through West Gate; the shaft at Rockfell Pit, used by the sorcerers to imprison harmful entities; the Stair on Rockfell Peak; and also, Kewar Tunnel in the Mathorn Mountains.
pronounced: dah-vee-en
root meaning:
dahvi
- fool, mistake;
an
- one ‘mistaken one'
DEARTHA - wife of Halliron, Masterbard of Athera; resident in Innish.
pronounced: dee-ar-the
root meaning:
deorethan
- sour tempered
DESHANS - barbarian clans who inhabit Strakewood Forest, principality of Deshir, Rathain.
pronounced: desh-ee-ans
root meaning:
deshir
- misty
DESHIR - northwestern principality of Rathain.
pronounced: desh-eer
root meaning:
deshir
- misty
DESH-THIERE - Mistwraith that invaded Athera from the splinter worlds through South Gate in Third Age Year 4993. Access cut off by Fellowship sorcerer, Traithe. Battled and contained in West Shand for twenty-five years, until the rebellion splintered the peace, and the high kings were forced to withdraw from the defence lines to attend their disrupted kingdoms.
pronounced: desh-thee-air-e (last ‘e’ mostly subliminal)
root meaning:
desh
- mist;
thiere
- ghost or wraith
DHARKARON AVENGER - called Ath’s Avenging Angel in legend. Drives a chariot drawn by five horses to convey the guilty to Sithaer. Dharkaron as defined by the adepts of Ath’s Brotherhood is that dark thread mortal men weave with Ath, the prime vibration, that creates self-punishment, or the root of guilt.