Heroes of the Fallen

by David J. West

  Tarshish: A Nephite city on the Sidon River, it is one of the greater ports for trading. The name means ‘Delightsome’.

  Tazilacatzin: A huge Lamanite warrior. His name is Lamanite for ‘Great warrior of the People’

  Teancum: An ancestor of Amaron. Considered one of the most daring of Nephite heroes of all time. Amaron has inherited his sword Ramevorn. His name is reformed Egyptian with a Jaredite influx it means ‘Man of Great Affliction’.

  Tecotl: A Lamanite and Gadianton member of Uzzsheol’s wolf pack. His name means ‘Mountain Snake’.

  Temple: The most sacred of Nephite church buildings, they are used for marriages and other ordinances. Whereas there used to be many temples across the Nephite lands many have either been destroyed or fallen into disrepair. The average Nephite currently has never even been inside one.

  Tennen-Isis: A land to the southeast of Jershon. Egyptian for ‘The Land of Isis’.

  Teth-Senkhet: The second highest ranking Gadianton. He is an Ishmaelite which is strange because the Ishmaelites almost as an entire people acknowledge Apophis as head of their Order instead of Akish-Antum. His name means ‘Serpent of Black Countenance’, a blending of Hebrew and Egyptian, (Reformed Egyptian?) He is cousin to Apophis.

  Tezcatlipoca: Literally ‘the Smoking Mirror’ as in obsidian, a prized stone used by most peoples in the Promised Land but especially the Lamanites, Ishmaelites and Lemuelites. The name also doubles for the being known as the Devil or Adversary. His domains include night, death and temptation.

  Thomas 1: A Judge of Zarahemla and friend to Onandagus. He has long been an opponent to the Gadiantons and consequently marked for death. His name means ‘Twin’.

  Thomas 2: An assassin of Hiram’s that was apparently of low worth because Hiram fired the oil within the Judgment Hall knowing full well that Thomas was doomed. Thomas chased Mormon up the tower and attempted to knife him, but Mormon fought back and kicked him into the fiery chasm. His blackened skull as well as his dagger were later found by Gidgiddonah and used as proof of a conspiracy to prove that Gershom, Onandagus’s secretary, did not start the fire.

  Three Disciples: see Disciples.

  Throne of Heaven: A favorite curse and oath by Nephites especially Gadiantons. To swear by the ‘Throne of Heaven’.

  Tobron: A Captain of Manti and husband to Sariah, father to several children yet unnamed. He was invited to the meeting of Onandagus’s to be tested and then sent on a recon mission to watch for the Lamanite invasion. He met Zelph during his mission and brought him to Zarahemla and introduced him to Onandagus. Tobron later brought men from Manti to assist in the siege of Zarahemla helping turn the tide of war during the battle of the Gate. He then went with Mormon the elder and fought in the next few battles as well as being a scout and dispatch runner. He went with Zelph down the Sidon and ultimately to Ushmael in pursuit of Uzzsheol and the kidnapped women of Anti-Herru. His name means ‘Good Association’.

  Tubal-Cain: Son of Cain, the first artificer of metals. His name means ‘Offspring of Cain’.

  Tubaloth: The highest-ranking Lamanite general under king Xoltec. He led the Lamanite armies under prince Almek to invade the lands of Zarahemla. His name means ‘Offspring of the Lion’.

  Tubal-Hy: A Lamanite port city near Mayapan and Ushmael. The name means ‘Offspring of the Bones’.

  Tullan: Great capitol city of the Ishmaelites. Often called Tullan the Golden for its golden-brown walls and buildings. It is one of the largest most populous cities in the Promised Land, most of the Tultec’s live within its boundaries. Its name means ‘Place of Reeds’.

  Tultec’s: Another name for the Ishmaelites of Tullan.

  Tulum: The Alux/Dwarf scribe of king Xoltec.

  Tzichak: A courtier of Xoltec’s that the king has a special disdain for. His name means ‘Noble Storm’ in Lamanite.

  Tzolkin: One of two calendars used by the Lamanites.

  Tzominihah: A Lamanite general who was slain by assassins sent by Madoni the usurper. Once he was dead half the Lamanite army wanted to retreat to Mutula but Qof-Ayin with Zelph’s help rallied them and they succeeded in taking the city of Lamanihah and slaying the mad king Madoni. His name means ‘Place of Gods departure’.

  Tzumin: A Lamanite scout sent in search of the truth of Akish-Antum’s word that they Nephites were preparing for battle. He was slain by Gadiantons and found by Qof-Ayin who was imprisoned because of the discovery by Captain Limhi of Desolation. His name is a variance of the Hebrew it means ‘Place of Departure’.

  U.

  Ushmael: A Lamanite city that was given to the Gadiantons some years ago. It was further reinforced and rebuilt by the Gadiantons. The Grand Master held many sacrifices there upon his dark pyramid. The name is a corruption of the Hebrew Ishmael, it too means ‘Whom God Hears’. The city is also called Ishmael interchangeably by some who do not pronounce it quite the same.

  Urim and Thummim: Seer stones, one white one black. Also known as interpreters. They are kept by the head of the Priesthood, Onandagus at this time.

  Uzzsheol: A Lamanite captain and a Gadianton. He is a tracker without peer and the most trusted enforcer of Akish-Antum’s will. Uzzsheol commands at least a score of other tracking Lamanite assassins known as the Wolf Pack. These are used mostly for assassinations out in the wilderness where their skills are best use. His name means ‘Strength of Hell’.

  V.

  Vision Serpent: There is a ritual used by the Lamanites that once in a drugged state wherein they can communicate with deceased ancestors. The method always used is both psychotropic and painful, usually through bloodletting. Once accomplished the nature of speaking with the ancestor is always mediated through what is known as the Vision Serpent, a great snake that opens its mouth to allow the ancestor within to communicate with the vision seeker. Whether the serpent is Set or the adversary himself is unknown.

  Votan: Lamanite God of the drum. He is also a god of war and death; he blesses those who are brave. His name is sometimes translated from the Lamanite as ‘the Old Black God’ but a more correct translation would be ‘the One from the Void’.

  W.

  Watchmen, the: In the Nephite realms usually meaning those patriots that watch after the people like shepherds.

  X.

  Xoltec: High king over all the Lamanites and father to Almek, Sayame and Aaron. He has other children by concubines but none of these are regarded as legitimate children and are not even allowed on the palace grounds. Within the last twenty years Xoltec has crushed all other Lamanite would be kings and lords and is the sole ruler of the Lamanite peoples, his ambitions drive him to next conquer the Ishmaelites and Lemuelites and finally the Nephites whom he hates most of all. Somewhat unbalanced he tries to play all sides within his kingdom even granting two cities in his realm to the Gadianton Grand Master whom he fears. Incredibly superstitious he has most of his advice come from Balam-Ek and other pagan priests that specialize in astrology. His name means ‘King of the Dog People’ which means that he is King of the people that observe the sacredness of Venus or the morning star.

  Y.

  Yeasues: Chieftain over a large body of Lemuelites. His name is a corrupted form of Jeshua and means ‘Jehovah Saves’.

  Z.

  Zarahemla: The largest city of the Nephites and the capitol city of collective union. Founded by a man named Zarahemla a son of Mulek in the year 541 B.C. It sits on the western side of the Sidon River with the Melek River flowing just below. The city’s population numbers over a hundred thousand and the farmland that surrounds the city provides the bulk of the city’s food supply. Its name means ‘City of Peace’.

  Zechariah: A Judge and a Gadianton of Zarahemla. He is the youngest of the Zarahemlan Lords. His name means ‘Jehovah has Remembered’.

  Zedekiah: The last king of Judah, it was his youngest son Mulek that escaped and came to the Promised Land. His name means ‘Right of Jehovah’.

  Zeezrom: Son of Samuel the Lamanite and grandfather to Z
elph, it was he who instilled in his son Qof-Ayin with the sense of right and wrong despite the changing attitudes of Lamanite society. His name means ‘Portion of Silver’.

  Zelph: Son of Qof-Ayin and Hazelponi (Deceased), a descendant of Samuel the Lamanite and distant cousin to Pathros of Bountiful. Hero of the battle of Madoni and then rewarded with bodyguard service for life to king Xoltec he and his father arranged for him to accompany the Lamanite/Gadianton invasion of the Nephite lands. Zelph then deserted his post so that he would not be subject to the evil whims of his king and the Gadiantons. While traveling away he was in constant prayer and meeting one of the disciples was introduced to the Savior and was changed at least in part. His skin became much paler as did his hair and eyes, he was also told to serve the prophet Onandagus in Zarahemla. Doing this he became instrumental in defeating the Lamanite Gadianton alliance and then afterwards was made an officer in the Nephite army that pursued the stragglers of the Lamanites that raided Nephite lands. He also returned to Lamanite lands to rescue the Nephite women that were kidnapped. His name means ‘Broken Heart/Contrite Spirit’ from the Adamic.

  Zibalba: The name for the pagan Lamanite underworld.

  Zilonen: A Lamanite Goddess also known as ‘She of the Jade Skirt’. She is the Goddess of waters and sometimes acts to proclaim of danger to the Lamanite people, at least according to legend.

  Zoram: He was a servant of Laban who swore to be united with Nephi and his family, he traveled with them to the Promised Land. He married one of Ishmael’s daughters and began a people that though united with the Nephites always kept themselves as a separate people with their own identities and traditions. His name means “Strong Refreshing Rain’.

  Zoramites: The people and descendants of Zoram the former servant of Laban who gave oath to Nephi to join with him.

  Zoreah: Lilith’s true name. Zoreah means ‘Wasp’.

  Acknowledgments:

  Thanks to my God, my wife Melissa, my friends who believed in me, my Mom (my first and harshest editor) and then the good folks at WiDo who first took a chance on me = Bruce, Karen, Wil, Don, Kristine, Merona, LA, Becky, etc etc, all the people that bought and loved the first edition, my brothers, Holli Anderson, Dave Butler, and you.

  About the Author:

  David J. West (and his pen name alter ego James Alderdice) writes dark fantasy and weird westerns because the voices in his head won’t quiet until someone else can hear them. He is a great fan of sword & sorcery, ghosts and lost ruins, so of course he lives in Utah in with his wife and children.

  You can visit him online at:

  https://www.jamesalderdice.com/

  http://david-j-west.blogspot.com/

  https://twitter.com/David_JWest