Grand Conspiracy

by Janny Wurts

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-thain––to rhyme with ‘main’

  root meaning: koriath––order; ain––belonging to

  KOSHLIN––influential trade minister from Erdane, renowned for his hatred of the clans, and for his support of the headhunters’ leagues. Assigned ambassador to Avenor’s court.

  pronounced: kosh-lynn

  root meaning: kioshlin––opaque

  LACHONN––Fionn Areth’s brother.

  pronounced: lash-on

  root meaning: lachonn––goatherd

  LAW OF THE MAJOR BALANCE––founding order of the powers of the Fellowship of Seven, as written by the Paravians. The primary tenet is that no force of nature should be used without consent, or against the will of another living being. LIRENDA––former First Senior Enchantress to the Prime, Koriani order; now assigned to capture Arithon s’Ffalenn to reinstate her credentials as prime successor.

  pronounced: leer-end-ah

  root meaning: lyron––singer; di-ia––a dissonance; the hyphen denotes a glottal stop

  LITHMERE––principality located in the Kingdom of Havish.

  pronounced: lith-mere

  root meaning: lithmiere––to preserve intact, or keep whole; maintain in a state of harmony

  LUHAINE––Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, discorporate since the fall of Telmandir. Luhaine’s body was pulled down by the mob while he was in ward trance, covering the escape of the royal heir to Havish.

  pronounced: loo-hay-ne

  root meaning: luirhainon––defender

  LYRANTHE––instrument played by the bards of Athera. Strung with fourteen strings, tuned to seven tones (doubled). Two courses are ‘drone strings’ set to octaves. Five are melody strings, the lower three courses being octaves, the upper two, in unison.

  pronounced: leer-anth-e (last ‘e’ being nearly subliminal)

  root meaning: lyr––song, anthe––box

  LYSAER s’ILESSID––prince of Tysan, 1497th in succession after Halduin, founder of the line in Third Age Year One. Gifted at birth with control of Light, and Bane of Desh-thiere. Also known as Blessed Prince.

  pronounced: lie-say-er

  root meaning: lia––blond, yellow or light, saer––circle

  MAENOL––heir, after Maenalle s’Gannley, Steward and caithdein of Tysan.

  pronounced: may-nall

  root meaning: maeni’alli––to patch together

  MAINMERE––town at the head of the Valenford River, located in the principality of Taerlin, Tysan. Built by townsmen on a site originally kept clear to free the second land focus in the ruins farther south.

  pronounced: main-meer-e (’e’ is subliminal)

  root meaning: maeni––to fall, interrupt; miere––reflection; colloquial translation: ‘disrupt continuity’

  MARAK––splinter world, cut off beyond South Gate, left lifeless after creation of the Mistwraith. The original inhabitants were men exiled by the Fellowship from Athera for beliefs or practices that were incompatible with the compact sworn between the Sorcerers and the Paravian races, which permitted human settlement on Athera.

  pronounced: maer-ak

  root meaning: m’era’ki––a place held separate

  MATHORN MOUNTAINS––range that bisects the Kingdom of Rathain east to west.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien––massive

  MATHORN ROAD––way passing to the south of the Mathorn Mountains, leading to the trade city of Etarra from the west.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien––massive

  MEARN s’BRYDION––youngest brother of Duke Bransian of Alestron. Former ducal emissary to Lysaer s’Ilessid’s Alliance of Light.

  pronounced: may-arn

  root meaning: mierne––to flit

  MEARTH––city through the West Gate in the Red Desert. Inhabitants all fell victim to the Shadows of Mearth, which were created by the Sorcerer Davien to protect the Five Centuries Fountain. The shadows are a light-fueled geas that bind the mind to memory of an individual’s most painful experience.

  pronounced: me-arth

  root meaning: mearth––empty

  MEDLIR––an alias used by Arithon s’Ffalenn when he was Halliron Masterbard’s apprentice.

  pronounced: med-leer

  root meaning: midlyr––phrase of melody

  MELHALLA––High Kingdom of Athera once ruled by the line of s’Ellestrion. The last prince died in the crossing of the Red Desert.

  pronounced: mel-hall-ah

  root meaning: maelhallia––grand meadows/plain, also word for an open space of any sort.

  MELIANE––madam of a house of ill repute in Jaelot.

  pronounced: mell-ee-an

  MENNIS––a guild minister in Avenor.

  pronounced: men-iss

  MERIOR BY THE SEA––small seaside fishing village on the Scimlade peninsula in Alland, Shand. Once the temporary site of Arithon’s shipyard.

  pronounced: mare-ee-or

  root meaning: merioren––cottages

  METHISLE––small body of land in Methlas Lake, site of Methisle fortress in Orvandir.

  pronounced: meth

  root meaning: meth––hate

  METHSPAWN––an animal warped by possession by a methuri, an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts. Extinct by the Third Age, their crossbred, aberrated descendants are called methspawn, found in Mirthlvain Swamp.

  pronounced: meth

  root meaning: meth––hate

  METHURI––an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts, extinct by the Third Age.

  pronounced: meth-you-ree

  root meaning: meth’thi––hate wraith

  MIDHALLA––principality located in Kingdom of Melhalla. pronounced: mid-hall-ah root meaning: maelhallia––grand meadows/plain

  MIN PIERENS––archipelago to the west of the Kingdom of West Shand, in the Westland Sea.

  pronounced: min––to rhyme with ‘pin,’ pierre-ins

  root meaning: min––purple; pierens––shoreline

  MINDERL BAY––body of water behind Crescent Isle off the east coast of Rathain. Also reference point of a battle where Arithon tricked Lysaer into burning the trade fleet.

  pronounced: mind-earl

  root meaning: minderl––anvil

  MIRALT HEAD––port city in northern Camris, Tysan.

  pronounced: meer-alt

  root meaning: m’ier––shore; alt––last

  MIRTHLVAIN SWAMP––boglands located in Midhalla, Melhalla; filled with dangerous crossbreeds of drake spawn. Guarded by the Master Spellbinder, Verrain.

  pronounced: mirth-el-vain

  root meaning: myrthl––noxious; vain––bog, mud

  MISTWRAITH––see Desh-thiere

  MOGG’s FEN––marsh located in Korias, Tysan.

  pronounced: mog’s fen

  root meaning: miog––cattail

  MOIREY––landlady of the Halfmoon Tavern in Innish; also known as Fat Moirey.

  pronounced: mow-ar-ee

  MORFETT––Lord Governor Supreme of Etarra. pronounced: more-fit

  MORRIEL––Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain since the Third Age 4212.

  pronounced: more-real

  root meaning: moar––greed; riel––silver

  MORVAIN––city located in the principality of Araethura, Rathain, on the coast of Instrell Bay. Elaira’s birthplace.

  pronounced: more-vain

  root meaning: morvain––swindlers’ market

  NARMS––city on the coast of Instrell Bay, built as a craft center by Men in the early Third Age. Best known for dyeworks.

  pronounced: narms––to rhyme with ‘charms’

  root meaning: narms––color

  ODREY––a merchant courtier in Avenor.

  pronounced: oh-dree

  ORLAN––pass through the Thaldein Mountains, also location of the Camris clans’ west outpost,
in Camris, Tysan. Known for barbarian raids.

  pronounced: or-lan

  root meaning: irlan––ledge

  ORLEST––galleymen’s port on the coast of Korias, Tysan; also known for its salt harvest.

  pronounced: or-lest

  root meaning: iorlest––salt

  OSTERMERE––harbor and trade city, once smugglers’ haven, located in Carithwyr, Havish; current seat of Eldir, King of Havish.

  pronounced: os-tur-mere

  root meaning: ostier––brick; miere––reflection

  PARAVIA––name for the fertile continent on Athera.

  pronounced: par-ray-vee-ah

  root meaning: para’i’on––great mystery

  PARAVIAN––name for the three old races that inhabited Athera before Men. Including the centaurs, the sunchildren, and the unicorns, these races never die unless mishap befalls them; they are the world’s channel, or direct connection, to Ath Creator.

  pronounced: par-ai-vee-ans

  root meaning: para––great; i’on––fate or great mystery

  PARRIEN s’BRYDION––younger brother of Duke Bransian of Alestron, Keldmar, and older brother of Mearn.

  pronounced: par-ee-en

  root meaning: para ient––great dart

  QUAIRE––a mountain peak in the Skyshiels, Rathain.

  pronounced: kwear

  root meaning: quaire––pyramid

  QUARN––town on the trade road that crosses Caithwood in Taerlin, Tysan.

  pronounced: kwarn

  root meaning: quarin––ravine, canyon

  RADMOORE DOWNS––meadowlands in Midhalla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: rad-more

  root meaning: riad––thread; mour––carpet, rug

  RAIETT RAVEN––brother of the Mayor of Hanshire; uncle of Sulfin Evend. Considered a master statesman and a bringer of wars.

  pronounced: rayett

  root meaning: raiett––carrion bird

  RATHAIN––High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age Year One. Sigil: black-and-silver leopard on green field. pronounced: rath-ayn

  root meaning: roth––brother; thein––tower, sanctuary REYSALD––a merchant in the city of Daenfal, Rathain.

  pronounced: ris-sald

  RIATHAN PARAVIANS––unicorns, the purest, most direct connection to Ath Creator; the prime vibration channels directly through the horn.

  pronounced: ree-ah-than

  root meaning: ria––to touch; ath––prime life force; an––one; ri’athon–– one who touches divinity

  RIVERTON––trade town at the mouth of the Ilswater river, in Korias, Tysan; site of Lysaer’s royal shipyard. ROCKFELL PIT––deep shaft cut into Rockfell Peak, used to imprison harmful entities throughout all three Ages. Located in the principality of West Halla, Melhalla; became the warded prison for Desh-thiere.

  pronounced: rock-fell

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  ROCKFELL VALE––valley below Rockfell Peak, located in principality of West Halla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: rockfell vale

  root meaning not from the Paravian

  s’AHELAS––family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Shand. Gifted geas: farsight.

  pronounced: s’ah-hell-as

  root meaning: ahelas––mage-gifted

  SANPASHIR––desert waste on the south coast of Shand.

  pronounced: sahn-pash-eer

  root meaning: san––black or dark; pash’era––place of grit or

  gravel

  SANSHEVAS––city located in Alland, Shand; known for silk.

  pronounced: san-shee-vahs

  root meaning: san––black; cievas––worm or grub

  SARDS––pass through the Skyshiels on the trade route connecting Daenfal with Jaelot.

  pronounced: rhymes with ‘shards’

  root meaning: saardes––whirlwind

  SASHKA––a favored prostitute at the Fat Pigeon Tavern in the city of Southshire.

  pronounced: sash-kaa

  s’BRYDION––ruling line of the Dukes of Alestron. The only old blood clansmen to maintain rule of their city through the uprising that defeated the rule of the high kings.

  pronounced: s’bride-ee-on

  root meaning: baridien––tenacity

  SCIMLADE TIP––peninsula at the southeast corner of Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: skim-laid

  root meaning: scimlait––curved knife or scythe

  SEANNORY––Centaur guardian who bound the four elemental powers in the fortress at Earle for need of the world’s protection.

  pronounced: see-an-or-ee

  root meaning: saenniori––enchanter

  SECOND AGE––Marked by the arrival of the Fellowship of Seven at Crater Lake, their called purpose to fight the drake spawn. SELIDIE––young woman initiate appointed by Morriel Prime as a candidate in training for succession.

  pronounced: sell-ih-dee

  root meaning: selyadi––air sprite

  SELKWOOD––forest located in Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: selk-wood

  root meaning: selk––pattern

  SETHVIR––Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, served as Warden of Althain since the disappearance of the Paravians in the Third Age after the Mistwraith’s conquest.

  pronounced: seth-veer

  root meaning: seth––fact; vaer––keep

  SEVERNIR––river that once ran across the central part of Daon Ramon Barrens, Rathain. Diverted at the source after the Mistwraith’s conquest, to run east into Eltair Bay.

  pronounced: se-ver-neer

  root meaning: sevaer––to travel; nir––south

  s’FFALENN––family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain. Gifted geas: compassion/empathy.

  pronounced: s-fal-en

  root meaning: ffael––dark, an––one

  s’GANNLEY––family name for the line of Earls of the West, who stood as caithdeinen and stewards for the Kings of Tysan.

  pronounced: s-gan-lee

  root meaning: gaen––to guide; li––exalted, or in harmony

  SHADDORN––trade city located on the Scimlade peninsula in Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: shad-dorn

  root meaning: shaddiern––a sea turtle

  SHAND––High Kingdom on the southeast corner of the Paravian continent, originally ruled by the line of s’Ahelas. Device is falcon on a crescent moon, backed by purple-and-gold chevrons.

  pronounced: shand, as in ‘hand’

  root meaning: shayn or shiand––two/pair

  SHANDIAN––refers to nationality, being of the Kingdom of Shand.

  pronounced: shand-ee-an

  root meaning: shand––two

  SHANDOR––city located on the coast of West Shand.

  pronounced: shan-door

  root meaning: cianor––to shine

  SHIP’S PORT––city located on the coast of Eltair Bay, West Halla, Melhalla.

  SHONIAN––a river in Falwood, West Shand.

  pronounced: show-nee-an

  root meaning: shon’ien––a unicorn’s dance

  s’ILESSID––family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Tysan. Gifted geas: justice.

  pronounced: sill-ess-id

  root meaning: liessiad––balance

  SITHAER––mythological equivalent of hell, halls of Dharkaron Avenger’s judgment; according to Ath’s adepts, that state of being where the prime vibration is not recognized.

  pronounced: sith-air

  root meaning: sid––lost; thiere––wraith/spirit

  SKANNT––headhunter captain, trained under Pesquil, now captains the Northern League.

  pronounced: scant

 
root meaning: sciant––a lean, hard run hound of mixed breeding

  SKJEND––a wineseller in the city of Morvain.

  pronounced: skinned

  SKYRON FOCUS––large aquamarine focus stone, used by the Koriani Senior Circle for their major magic after the loss of the Great Waystone during the rebellion.

  pronounced: sky-run

  root meaning: skyron––colloquialism for shackle; s’kyr’i’on–– literally ‘sorrowful fate’

  SKYSHIELS––mountain range that runs north and south along the eastern coast of Rathain.

  pronounced: sky-shee-ells

  root meaning: skyshia––to pierce through; iel––ray

  SORCERERS’ PRESERVE––warded territory located by Teal’s Gap in Tornir Peaks in Tysan where the Khadrim are kept confined by Fellowship magic.

  SOUTH SEA––ocean off Paravia’s southern coast.

  SOUTHSHIRE––south coast port town located in Alland, kingdom of Shand; known for its shipbuilding and orange groves.

  STRAKEWOOD––forest in the principality of Deshir, Rathain; site of the battle of Strakewood Forest.

  pronounced: strayk-wood similar to ‘stray wood’

  root meaning: streik––to quicken, to seed

  SULFIN EVEND––son of the Mayor of Hanshire who is appointed Alliance Lord Commander by Lysaer s’Ilessid.

  pronounced: sool-finn ev-end

  root meaning: suilfinn eiavend––colloquialism, diamond mind–– one who is persistent

  SUNCHILDREN––translated term for Athlien Paravians.

  SUNWHEEL––blazon of the Alliance of Light, consisting of a gold geometric on a white field.

  s’VALERIENT––family name for the Earls of the North, regents and caithdein for the High Kings of Rathain.

  pronounced: val-er-ee-ent

  root meaning: val––straight; erient––spear

  TAERLIN––southwestern principality of Kingdom of Tysan. Also a lake, Taerlin Waters located in the southern spur of Tornir Peaks. Halliron taught Arithon a ballad of that name, which is of Paravian origin, and which commemorates the First Age slaughter of a unicorn herd by Khadrim.