The Empire of Gold
Page 70
HATSET, Ghassan’s Ayaanle second wife and queen, hailing from a powerful family in Ta Ntry
ZAYNAB, Ghassan and Hatset’s daughter, princess of Daevabad
ALIZAYD, Ghassan and Hatset’s son, prince of Daevabad
Their Court and Royal Guard
WAJED, the Qaid and leader of the djinn army
ABU NUWAS, a Geziri officer
AQISA and LUBAYD, warriors and trackers from Bir Nabat, a village in Am Gezira
THE MOST HIGH AND BLESSED NAHIDS
The original rulers of Daevabad and descendants of Anahid, the Nahids were a family of extraordinary magical healers hailing from the Daeva tribe.
ANAHID, Suleiman’s chosen and the original founder of Daevabad
RUSTAM, one of the last Nahid healers and a skilled botanist, murdered by the ifrit
MANIZHEH, Rustam’s sister, one of the most powerful Nahid healers in centuries
JAMSHID, Manizheh’s son with Kaveh, and a close confidant of Emir Muntadhir
NAHRI, a Nahid healer of uncertain parentage, left abandoned as a young child in the human land of Egypt
Their Supporters
DARAYAVAHOUSH, the last descendant of the Afshins, a Daeva military caste family that served at the right hand of the Nahid Council; known as the Scourge of Qui-zi for his violent acts during the war and later revolt against Zaydi al Qahtani
KAVEH E-PRAMUKH, the Daeva Grand Wazir
KARTIR, a Daeva high priest
NISREEN, Manizheh’s and Rustam’s former assistant and Nahri’s current mentor
IRTEMIZ, NOSHRAD, GUSHTAP, PIROZ, MARDONIYE, and BAHRAM, soldiers
THE SHAFIT
People of mixed human and djinn heritage forced to live in Daevabad, their rights sharply curtailed.
SHEIKH ANAS, former leader of the Tanzeem and Ali’s mentor, executed by the king for treason
SISTER FATUMAI, Tanzeem leader who oversaw the group’s orphanage and charitable services
SUBHASHINI and PARIMAL SEN, shafit physicians
THE IFRIT
Daevas who refused to submit to Suleiman thousands of years ago and were subsequently cursed; the mortal enemies of the Nahids.
AESHMA, their leader
VIZARESH, the ifrit who first came for Nahri in Cairo
QANDISHA, the ifrit who enslaved and murdered Dara
SAHKR, Vizaresh’s brother, slain by Nahri
THE FREED SLAVES OF THE IFRIT
Reviled and persecuted after Dara’s rampage and death at Prince Alizayd’s hand, only three formerly enslaved djinn remain in Daevabad, freed and resurrected by Nahid healers years ago.
RAZU, a gambler from Tukharistan
ELASHIA, an artist from Qart Sahar
ISSA, a scholar and historian from Ta Ntry
GLOSSARY
Beings of Fire
DAEVA: The ancient term for all fire elementals before the djinn rebellion, as well as the name of the tribe residing in Daevastana, of which Dara and Nahri are both part. Once shape-shifters who lived for millennia, the daevas had their magical abilities sharply curbed by the Prophet Suleiman as a punishment for harming humanity.
DJINN: A human word for “daeva.” After Zaydi al Qahtani’s rebellion, all his followers, and eventually all daevas, began using this term for their race.
IFRIT: The original daevas who defied Suleiman and were stripped of their abilities. Sworn enemies of the Nahid family, the ifrit revenge themselves by enslaving other djinn to cause chaos among humanity.
SIMURGH: Scaled firebirds that the djinn are fond of racing.
ZAHHAK: A large, flying, fire-breathing lizardlike beast.
Beings of Water
MARID: Extremely powerful water elementals. Near mythical to the djinn, the marid supposedly haven’t been seen in centuries, though it’s rumored the lake surrounding Daevabad was once theirs.
Beings of Air
PERI: Air elementals. More powerful than the djinn—and far more secretive—the peris keep resolutely to themselves.
RUKH: Enormous predatory firebirds that the peri can use for hunting.
SHEDU: Mythical winged lions, an emblem of the Nahid family.
Beings of Earth
GHOULS: The reanimated, cannibalistic corpses of humans who have made deals with the ifrit.
ISHTAS: A small, scaled creature obsessed with organization and footwear.
KARKADANN: A magical beast similar to an enormous rhinoceros with a horn as long as a man.
NASNAS: A venomous creature resembling a bisected human that prowls the deserts of Am Gezira and whose bite causes flesh to wither away.
Languages
DIVASTI: The language of the Daeva tribe.
DJINNISTANI: Daevabad’s common tongue, a merchant creole the djinn and shafit use to speak to those outside their tribe.
GEZIRIYYA: The language of the Geziri tribe, which only members of their tribe can speak and understand.
NTARAN: The language of the Ayaanle tribe.
General Terminology
ABAYA: A loose, floor-length, full-sleeved dress worn by women.
ADHAN: The Islamic call to prayer.
AFSHIN: The name of the Daeva warrior family who once served the Nahid Council. Also used as a title.
AKHI: “My brother.”
BAGA NAHID: The proper title for male healers of the Nahid family.
BANU NAHIDA: The proper title for female healers of the Nahid family.
CHADOR: An open cloak made from a semicircular cut of fabric, draped over the head and worn by Daeva women.
DIRHAM/DINAR: A type of currency used in Egypt.
DISHDASHA: A floor-length man’s tunic, popular among the Geziri.
EMIR: The crown prince and designated heir to the Qahtani throne.
FAJR: The dawn hour/dawn prayer.
GALABIYYA: A traditional Egyptian garment, essentially a floor-length tunic.
GHUTRA: A male headdress.
HAMMAM: A bathhouse.
ISHA: The late evening hour/evening prayer.
MAGHRIB: The sunset hour/sunset prayer.
MIDAN: A plaza/city square.
MIHRAB: A wall niche indicating the direction of prayer.
MUEZZIN: The person who gives the call to prayer.
MUHTASIB: A market inspector.
NAVASATEM: A holiday held once a century to celebrate another generation of freedom from Suleiman’s servitude. Originally a Daeva festival, Navasatem is a beloved tradition in Daevabad, attracting djinn from all over the world to take part in weeks of festivals, parades, and competitions.
QAID: The head of the Royal Guard, essentially the top military official in the djinn army.
RAKAT: A unit of prayer.
SHAFIT: People with mixed djinn and human blood.
SHAYLA: A type of women’s headscarf.
SHEIKH: A religious educator/leader.
SULEIMAN’S SEAL: The seal ring Suleiman once used to control the djinn, given to the Nahids and later stolen by the Qahtanis. The bearer of Suleiman’s ring can nullify any magic.
TALWAR: An Agnivanshi sword.
TANZEEM: A grassroots fundamentalist group in Daevabad dedicated to fighting for shafit rights and religious reform.
UKHTI: “My sister.”
ULEMA: A legal body of religious scholars.
WAZIR: A government minister.
ZAR: A traditional ceremony meant to deal with djinn possession.
ZUHR: The noon hour/noon prayer.
ZULFIQAR: The forked copper blades of the Geziri tribe; when inflamed, their poisonous edges destroy even Nahid flesh, making them among the deadliest weapons in this world.
THE SIX TRIBES OF THE DJINN
THE GEZIRI
Surrounded by water and caught behind the thick band of humanity in the Fertile Crescent, the djinn of Am Gezira awoke from Suleiman’s curse to a far different world from their fire-blooded cousins. Retreating to the depths of the Empty Quarter, to the dying cities of the Nabateans, and to the fo
rbidding mountains of southern Arabia, the Geziri eventually learned to share the hardships of the land with their human neighbors, becoming fierce protectors of the shafit in the process. From this country of wandering poets and zulfiqar-wielding warriors came Zaydi al Qahtani, the rebel-turned-king who would seize Daevabad and Suleiman’s seal from the Nahid family in a war that remade the magical world.
THE AYAANLE
Nestled between the rushing headwaters of the Nile River and the salty coast of Bet il Tiamat lies Ta Ntry, the fabled homeland of the mighty Ayaanle tribe. Rich in gold and salt—and far enough from Daevabad that its deadly politics are more game than risk—the Ayaanle are a people to envy. But behind their gleaming coral mansions and sophisticated salons lurks a history they’ve begun to forget … one that binds them in blood to their Geziri neighbors.
THE DAEVAS
Stretching from the Sea of Pearls across the plains of Persia and the mountains of gold-rich Bactria is mighty Daevastana—and just past its Gozan River lies Daevabad, the hidden city of brass. The ancient seat of the Nahid Council—the famed family of healers who once ruled the magical world—Daevastana is a coveted land, its civilization drawn from the ancient cities of Ur and Susa and the nomadic horsemen of the Saka. A proud people, the Daevas claimed the original name of the djinn race as their own … a slight that the other tribes never forget.
THE SAHRAYN
Sprawling from the shores of the Maghreb across the vast depths of the Sahara Desert is Qart Sahar—a land of fables and adventure even to the djinn. An enterprising people not particularly enamored of being ruled by foreigners, the Sahrayn know the mysteries of their country better than any others—the still lush rivers that flow in caves deep below the sand dunes and the ancient citadels of human civilizations lost to time and touched by forgotten magic. Skilled sailors, the Sahrayn travel upon ships of conjured smoke and sewn cord over sand and sea alike.
THE AGNIVANSHI
Stretching from the brick bones of old Harappa through the rich plains of the Deccan and misty marshes of the Sundarbans lies Agnivansha. Blessedly lush in every resource that could be dreamed of—and separated from their far more volatile neighbors by wide rivers and soaring mountains—Agnivansha is a peaceful land famed for its artisans and jewels … and its savvy in staying out of Daevabad’s tumultuous politics.
THE TUKHARISTANIS
East of Daevabad, twisting through the peaks of the Karakorum Mountains and the vast sands of the Gobi, is Tukharistan. Trade is its lifeblood, and in the ruins of forgotten Silk Road kingdoms, the Tukharistanis make their homes. They travel unseen in caravans of smoke and silk along corridors marked by humans millennia ago, carrying with them things of myth: golden apples that cure any disease, jade keys that open worlds unseen, and perfumes that smell of paradise.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Well. This has been a trip.
If you have made it this far, I would like to first thank you, dear reader. We are living in a glory age of fantasy fiction, and I know most of us have a towering pile of books we’d love to read. So thank you for picking up mine and taking a chance on a new author, a new world, and three increasingly large books. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Daevabad.
Enormous gratitude is owed as well to the book community. To the reviewers, the bloggers, the Instagrammers, the Discord, the Twitterati, the librarians, and everyone who passed the word, shared their fan art, their theories, and their love of the series. This was very much a “word of mouth” trilogy, and I am extremely grateful and honored to all the fans who kept it going. You’re incredible, and I hope I didn’t just completely break all your hearts. Thanks as well to all the wonderful writers I’ve befriended over the past few years, for your support and your advice, especially those who were kind enough to read my books, spread the word, and help out a newer colleague. You’ve given me an example to follow. To Cam, John, Cynthia, Fran, Roshani, Peter, and Shveta—I owe you all so very many baked goods.
Jen and Ben at ALA, thank you for guiding me through a very interesting few years! To David Pomerico, Pam Jaffee, Angela Craft, Kayleigh Webb, Mireya Chiriboga, Natasha Bardon, Jack Renninson, Jaime Witcombe, Ronnie Kutys, Mumtaz Mustafa, Mary Ann Petyak, Paula Szafranski, Victoria Mathews, Shelby Peak, Nancy Inglis, Liate Stehlik, Jennifer Hart, and everyone at HarperCollins who had a hand in putting together this trilogy, I am so, so grateful and honored to have worked with you. You have changed my life. Thank you as well to Alan Dingman for that showstopper of a final cover and to Priyanka Krishnan for getting this project off the ground.
I would never have made it through the past few years if not for the enormous support of my family. Mom and Dad, this one goes out to you, and I hope that I made you proud. Shamik, thank you for continuing to be my rock and reading approximately ninety versions of this book. Alia, my love and my greatest blessing, I could have never written the last chapter if you weren’t in my life, and one day, I hope you know how much all the little drawings and notes you left on my desk kept me going.
Finally, it is no secret that we live in challenging times. There are days when it feels silly and selfish to spend my days crafting tales of monsters and magic. But I still believe, desperately, in the power of stories. If you take any message from this trilogy, I hope it is to choose what’s right even when it seems hopeless—especially when it seems hopeless. Stand for justice, be a light, and remember what it is we were promised by the One who knows better.
With every hardship comes ease.
ALSO BY S. A. CHAKRABORTY
The City of Brass
The Kingdom of Copper
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