Shadow Scale

by Rachel Hartman

  Goredd—Seraphina’s homeland, one of the Southlands (adjective form: Goreddi)

  Heaven—Southlanders’ afterlife, as outlined by the Saints in scripture

  Homand-Eynn—site of a terrible Loyalist defeat

  houppelande—robe of rich material with voluminous sleeves, usually worn belted; women’s are floor-length; a man’s might be cut at the knee

  ityasaari—half-dragon (Porphyrian)

  Ker—council of dragon generals that advises the Ardmagar

  Kerama—capital of the Tanamoot

  Lab Four—secret Censorial facility in the Tanamoot

  Laika—island near Porphyry where the Porphyrian navy moors

  Lakhis—Porphyrian goddess of necessity, sometimes called Dread Necessity

  Lavondaville—Seraphina’s hometown and the largest city in Goredd, named for Queen Lavonda, who made peace with dragonkind forty years ago

  Loyalists—dragons who take Comonot’s side in the civil war

  Meconi—river leading from the Omiga Valley to the interior of the Tanamoot

  Metasaari—Porphyrian neighborhood, home to exiled saarantrai

  Montesanti—monastery of St. Abaster’s Order in Ninys

  Mootya—language of dragons, rendered in sounds a human mouth can make

  Ninys—country southeast of Goredd, one of the Southlands (adjective form: Ninysh)

  Old Ard—dragons opposed to Comonot and his Loyalists

  Omiga—principal river of Porphyry

  oud—lute-like instrument, often played with a pick, or plectrum

  palasho—palace (Ninysh)

  Pinabra—vast pine forest in southeast Ninys

  Porphyry—small city-state at the mouth of the Omiga River, northwest of the Southlands; originally a colony of dark-skinned people from even further north; may also refer to its territories along the Omiga River

  psalter—book of devotional poetry, usually illustrated; in Goreddi psalters, there’s a poem for each of the major Saints

  pyria—sticky, flammable substance used in dracomachia for setting dragons on fire; also called St. Ogdo’s fire

  pyrocardia—deadly heart condition in dragons

  Quighole—dragon and quigutl ghetto in Lavondaville

  quigutl—small, flightless subspecies of dragon with a set of dexterous arms in place of wings; do the dirty, fussy jobs that dragons can’t or won’t

  saar—Porphyrian for “dragon”; often used by Goreddis as a short form of saarantras

  saarantras—Porphyrian for “dragon in human form” (plural form: saarantrai)

  St. Abaster—defender of the faith; hates dragons, but loves smiting; revered in Samsam, but popping up all over

  St. Capiti—representing the life of the mind; Phina’s substitute patroness

  St. Clare—patroness of the perceptive

  St. Fionnuala—Lady of Waters; called Fionani in Ninys

  St. Gobnait—patroness to the diligent and persistent; cathedral in Lavondaville named for her

  St. Ida—patroness of musicians and performers; music conservatory in Lavondaville named for her

  St. Ogdo—founder of dracomachia; patron of knights and of all Goredd

  St. Pandowdy—lost Saint

  St. Tarkus—another one

  St. Willibald—patron of markets and news; called Wilibaio in Ninys and Villibaltus in Samsam

  St. Yirtrudis—the heretic; Phina’s true patroness; author of an interesting testament

  Samsam—rain-soaked country south of Goredd, one of the Southlands (adjective form: Samsamese)

  Segosh—capital of Ninys, center of art and culture (adjective form: Segoshi)

  shawm—oboe-like instrument

  skittle-pin—small pin used in lawn or table bowling

  Skondia—Porphyrian harborside neighborhood

  Southlands—Goredd, Ninys, and Samsam together

  Tanamoot—dragons’ vast country north of the Southlands, wild and mountainous

  Vasilikon—Porphyrian seat of government

  Zokalaa—great square of central Porphyry