Spook’s: Dark Assassin (The Starblade Chronicles)

by Joseph Delaney

  Dexturai: Kobalos changelings which are born of human females. Such creatures, although totally human in appearance, are susceptible to the will of any Kobalos. They are extremely strong and hardy and have the ability to become great warriors.

  Eblis: This is the foremost of the Shaiksa, the Kobalos brotherhood of assassins. He slew the last King of Valkarky using a magical lance called the Kangadon. It is believed that he is over two thousand years old and it is certain that he has never been bested in combat. The brotherhood refers to him by two other designations: He Who Cannot Be Defeated and He Who Can Never Die.

  Note: Grimalkin told me that Eblis is dead. He was defeated by Slither and finally slain by Grimalkin. So the brotherhood was proved wrong to give him the above designations. He was defeated; he did die – Tom Ward

  Erestaba: The Plain of Erestaba lies just north of the Shanna River within the territory of the Kobalos.

  Fittzanda Fissure: This is also known as the Great Fissure. It is an area of earthquakes and instability which marks the southern boundary of the Kobalos territories.

  Note: The Fissure is north of the Shanna River, but both have been described by Browne as boundaries between Kobalos and human lands. It is likely that the borders have changed many times over the long years of conflict – Grimalkin

  Galena Sea: The sea southeast of Combesarke. It lies between that kingdom and Pennade.

  Gannar Glacier: The great ice-floe whose source is the Cumular Mountains.

  Ghanbala: The deciduous gum tree most favoured as a dwelling by a Kobalos haizda mage.

  Ghanbalsam: A resinous material bled from a ghanbala tree by a haizda mage and used as a base for ointments such as chaal.

  Haggenbrood: A warrior entity bred from the flesh of a human female. Its function is one of ritual combat. It has three selves which share a common mind; they are, to all intents and purposes, one creature.

  Haizda: This is the territory of a haizda mage; here he hunts and farms the human beings he owns. He takes blood from them, and occasionally their souls.

  Haizda mage: A rare type of Kobalos mage who dwells in his own territory far from Valkarky and gathers wisdom from territory he has marked as his own.

  Homunculus: A small creature bred from the purrai in the skleech pens. They often have several selves, which like the Haggenbrood are controlled by a single mind. However, rather than being identical, each self has a specialized function and only one of them is capable of speaking Losta.

  Note: In Valkarky, I encountered the homunculus that was a servant to Slither. The one that could speak was like a small man and it reported directly to the mage; another took the form of a rat and was used for espionage. I found it easy to control and subvert to my will. There was a third type which was able to fly, but I did not see it. Such a creature could be used to gather information about us at long range. The three selves of the homunculus share one mind (as did the Haggenbrood): thus what it sees is instantly known back in Valkarky – Grimalkin

  Hubris: The sin of pride against the gods. The full wrath of the gods is likely to be directed against one who persists in this sin in the face of repeated warnings. The very act of becoming a mage is in itself an act of hubris and few live to progress beyond the period of noviciate.

  Hybuski: Hybuski (commonly known as Hyb) are a special type of warrior created and employed in battle by the Kobalos. They are a hybrid of Kobalos and horse, but possess other attributes designed for combat. Their upper body is hairy and muscular, combining exceptional strength with speed. They are capable of ripping an opponent to pieces. Their hands are also specially adapted for fighting.

  Kangadon: This is the Lance That Cannot Be Broken, also known as the King Slayer, a lance of power crafted by the Kobalos High Mages – although some believe that it was forged by their blacksmith god, Olkie.

  Note: Grimalkin told me that this lance was finally broken by Slither, the haizda mage with whom she formed a temporary alliance. He used one of the skelt blades, Bone Cutter, to do so – Tom Ward

  Karpotha: The kulad in the foothills of the Dendar Mountains which holds the largest purrai slave markets. Most are held early in the spring.

  Kartuna: This kulad is beyond the Shanna River. I believe it to be the tower once visited by the haizda mage called Slither; he escaped after slaying the incumbent High Mage, Nunc. I believe that the second most powerful mage in the present Triumvirate has now taken up residence there in preference to Valkarky. Many of his magical artefacts will be stored in that tower – Grimalkin

  Note: Grimalkin was correct – Lenklewth had taken up residence there. When we went to investigate the kulad, he laid a trap for us – we were lucky to survive and did not manage to seize any of his magical artefacts. Though he is now dead, there is no doubt that another mage will rise to take his place – Tom Ward

  Kashilowa: The gatekeeper of Valkarky, who is responsible for either allowing or refusing admittance to the city. It is a huge creature with one thousand legs and was created by mage magic to carry out its function.

  Kastarand: This is the word for the Kobalos’ Holy War. They will wage it to rid the land of the humans who they believe to be the descendants of escaped slaves. It cannot begin until Talkus, the god of the Kobalos, is born.

  Kirrhos: This is the ‘tawny death’, which comes to victims of the Haggenbrood.

  Kobalos anatomy: A Kobalos has two hearts. The larger one is in the same approximate position as a human one. However, the second one is smaller, perhaps a quarter of the size, and lies near the base of the throat. If decapitation is not possible, both hearts must be pierced; otherwise a dying Kobalos warrior will still be dangerous – Grimalkin

  Kulad: A defensive tower built by the Kobalos that marks strategic positions on the border of their territories. Others deeper within their territory are used as slave markets.

  Note: A number of kulads are also controlled by High Mages. They use these as dwellings; they are also used to store their magic and magical artefacts – Grimalkin

  League: The distance a galloping horse can cover in five minutes.

  Lenklewth: The second of the three Kobalos High Mages who form the Triumvirate.

  Note: Lenklewth is dead now. He was a powerful mage whose magic seemed even stronger than Grimalkin’s. I defeated him with the help of the Starblade and a vartek swallowed him whole – Tom Ward

  Losta: This is the language spoken by all who inhabit the Southern Peninsula. This includes the Kobalos, who claim that the language was stolen and degraded by mankind. The Kobalos version of Losta contains a lexis almost one third larger than that used by humans, and perhaps gives some credence to their claims. It is certainly a linguistic anomaly that two distinct species should share a common language.

  Note: The mage that I killed near Chipenden spoke the language of our own land, rather than Losta. Grimalkin says that the Kobalos mages have great linguistic skill and have made it their business to learn the languages of more distant lands in preparation for invading them – Tom Ward

  Mages: There are many types of human mage; the same is also true of the Kobalos. But for an outsider they are very difficult to describe and categorize. However, the highest rank is nominally that of a High Mage. There is also one type, the haizda mage, that does not fit within that hierarchy, for these are outsiders who dwell in their own individual territories far from Valkarky. Their powers are hard to quantify.

  Mandrake: Sometimes called mandragora, this is a root that resembles the human form and is sometimes used by a Kobalos mage to give focus to the power that dwells within his mind.

  Meljann: The third of three Kobalos High Mages who form the Triumvirate.

  Note: During my visit to Valkarky, I slew Meljann in the Plunder Room when attempting to regain my property. I do not know who replaced him – Grimalkin

  Northern Kingdoms: This is the collective name sometimes given to the small kingdoms, such as Pwodente and Wayaland, which lie south of the Great Fissure. More usually it refers t
o all the kingdoms bordering Shallotte and Serwentia.

  Note: I am surprised that Nicholas Browne does not mention Polyznia, the largest and most powerful of those principalities – Grimalkin

  Noviciate: This is the first stage of the learning process undertaken by a haizda mage, which lasts approximately thirty years. The candidate studies under one of the older and most powerful mages. If the noviciate is completed satisfactorily, the mage must then go off alone to study and develop his craft.

  Note: I believe that the haizda mage slain near Chipenden by Thomas Ward had only just begun his noviciate, which was fortunate indeed. A haizda such as Slither, the one I encountered in Valkarky, would have proved a much more deadly opponent – Grimalkin

  Olkie: This is the god of Kobalos blacksmiths. He has four arms, and teeth made of brass. It is believed that he crafted the Kangadon, the magical lance that cannot be deflected from its target.

  Oscher: A substance which can be used as emergency food for horses; made from oats, it has special chemical additives that can sustain a beast of burden for the duration of a long journey. Unfortunately it results in a severe shortening of the animal’s life.

  Oussa: The elite guard that serves and defends the Triumvirate; also used to guard parties of slaves taken from Valkarky to the kulads to be bought and sold.

  Plunder Room: This is the vault where the Triumvirate store the items they have confiscated either by the power of magic, force of arms or legal process. It is the most secure place in Valkarky.

  Note: In order to retrieve the property that had been stolen from me, I successfully breached the defences of this place, which Nicholas Browne describes above as ‘the most secure place in Valkarky’. I did not find it difficult – but this may be accounted for by the fact that my abilities, both magical and martial, were unknown to the Kobalos. I will no doubt find their defences much stronger the next time I venture into that city. Additionally, the birth of their god, Talkus, will at least triple the magical strength of the Kobalos mages – Grimalkin

  Polyznia: This is the largest and most prosperous of the northern principalities that border the Kobalos lands. Their army is small but well-disciplined, and their archers and cavalry are first class. They are ruled by a brave prince called Stanislaw – Grimalkin

  Purra (pl. purrai): The term used to denote one of the female pure-bred stock of humans bred into slavery by the Kobalos. The term is also applicable to those females who dwell within a haizda.

  Salamander: A fire dragon tulpa.

  Shaiksa: This is the highest order of Kobalos assassins. If one is slain, the remainder of the brotherhood are honour-bound to hunt down his killer.

  Note: Grimalkin told me that at the moment of death, a Shaiksa assassin has the ability to send a thought-message to his brethren, telling them of the manner of his death and who is responsible. Members of the order will then hunt down his killer – Tom Ward

  Shakamure: The magecraft of haizda mages which draws its power from the taking of human blood and the borrowing of souls.

  Shanna River: The Shanna marks the old border between the northern human kingdoms and the territory of the Kobalos. Now Kobalos are often to be found south of this line. The treaty that agreed this border has long since been disregarded by both sides.

  Note: Before the ritualistic challenge by the Shaiksa assassin, all bands of Kobalos warriors retreated to their own side of the river. We have yet to learn the reason for this. Much of Kobalos behaviour still remains a mystery – Grimalkin

  Shudru: The Kobalos term for the harsh winter of the Northern Kingdoms.

  Skaiium: The time when a haizda mage faces a dangerous softening of his predatory nature.

  Skapien: A small secret group of Kobalos within Valkarky who are opposed to the trade in purrai.

  Note: In Polyznia Jenny and I confronted Abuskai, who has links with the above group. Later we met Slither, who will be the link between the Skapien and humans. We hope to form an alliance with them in order to change the government of Valkarky, end slavery, and finish the war – Tom Ward

  Skelt: This is a creature that lives near water and kills its victims by inserting its long snout into their bodies and draining their blood. The Kobalos believe it is the shape that their god, Talkus, will assume at his birth.

  Skleech pens: Pens within Valkarky where the Kobalos keep human female slaves, using them for food or to breed other new species and hybrid forms to do their bidding.

  Sklutch: This is a type of creature employed by the Kobalos as servants. Its speciality is cleaning the rapidly growing fungus from the walls and ceilings of the dwellings within Valkarky.

  Skoya: The material formed within the bodies of the whoskor of which Valkarky is constructed.

  Skulka: A poisonous water snake whose bite induces instant paralysis, it is much favoured by Kobalos assassins, who use it to render their victims helpless before slaying them. After death, its toxins are impossible to detect in the victim’s blood.

  Slandata: This is what the High Mage Lenklewth called the ‘shameful death’. It is reserved for rebellious purrai and is designed to make them weep with pain. Many cuts are made with a poisonous blade. Even the shallowest cut causes agony – as I know to my cost – Tom Ward

  Slarinda: These are the females of the Kobalos. They have been extinct for over three thousand years. They were murdered – slain by a cult of Kobalos males who hated women. Now Kobalos males are born of purrai, human females held prisoner in the skleech pens.

  Talkus: The god of the Kobalos who is not yet born. In form he will resemble the creature known as a skelt. Talkus means the God Who Is Yet to Be. He is sometimes also referred to as the Unborn.

  Note: Talkus has yet to show himself. His powers are largely unknown, but already he has increased the magical power of the Kobalos mages. He may yet prove the biggest threat of all – Tom Ward

  Tantalingi: This is a method used by Kobalos mages to see into the future. The High Mage Lenklewth claimed that it is superior to both the scrying of witches and the method used by the human mage Lukrasta.

  Note: When the opportunity presents itself I will investigate this further. The future is not fixed; it changes with each decision made and each action taken. Thus all such methods of far-seeing are less than perfect. I suspect that Lenklewth was merely being boastful – Grimalkin

  Targon: This is the name that Abuskai, the dead Kobalos mage, gave to the being which guards the doorways of fire that lead to the domain of Talkus. Jenny encountered it in the attic in the tower and it was extremely powerful and dangerous. By using salt and iron, she bought herself time to escape. I have no idea how such an entity might be destroyed – Tom Ward

  Therskold: A threshold upon which a word of interdiction or harming has been laid. This is a potent area of haizda strength and it is dangerous – even for a human mage – to cross such a portal.

  Note: When I examined the lair of the haizda mage near Chipenden, there was no barrier in place. This was no doubt because Tom Ward had already killed the mage. So I have yet to test the strength of such a defence. Whether or not the barriers which protected the Plunder Room were examples of therskold or something similar, I do not know. However, they were of little hindrance – Grimalkin

  Trade: Although the unit of currency is the valcon, many Kobalos, particularly haizda mages, rely on what they call ‘trade’. This implies an exchange of goods or services, but it is much more than that. It is a question of honour, and each party must keep its word even if to do so means death.

  Triumvirate: The ruling body of Valkarky, composed of the three most powerful High Mages in the city. It was first formed after the King of Valkarky was slain by Eblis, the Shaiksa assassin. It is essentially a dictatorship that uses ruthless means to hold onto power. Others are always waiting in the wings to replace the three mages.

  Tulpa: A creature created within the mind of a mage and occasionally given form in the outer world.

  Note: I have travelled extensively and
probed into the esoteric arts of witches and mages, but this is a magical skill that I have never encountered before. Are Kobalos mages capable of this? If so, their creatures may be limited only by the extent of their imaginations – Grimalkin

  Note: The winged being that spoke to the magowie and seemed to bring me back to life was a tulpa created from the imagination of Alice. We have yet to encounter a tulpa created by the Kobalos but we must be on our guard – Tom Ward

  Ulska: A deadly but rare Kobalos poison that burns its victim from within. It is also excreted from glands at the base of the claws of the Haggenbrood. It results in kirrhos, which is known as the ‘tawny death’.

  Unktus: A minor Kobalos deity worshipped only by the lowest menials of the city. He is depicted with very small horns curving backwards from the crown of his head.

  Valcon: A small coin, usually referred to as a valc, accepted throughout the Southern Peninsula. Made of an alloy which is one tenth silver, a valcon is the wage paid daily to a Kobalos foot soldier.

  Valkarky: The chief city of the Kobalos, which lies just within the Arctic Circle. Valkarky means the City of the Petrified Tree.

  Vartek (pl. varteki): The vartek was the most powerful of the three types of entity that I grew from the material found within the lair of the haizda mage.

  The fact that it can burrow through solid rock means that it could burst up out of the ground right in the midst of a human army, so that they scatter in terror. It has three bone-tipped tentacles, the ability to spit globules of acid that could burn flesh from bone, and fearsome teeth. It also has many legs and is capable of great speed. Although it is protected by black scales, its eyes and underbelly are vulnerable to blades. It is impossible to know what size a vartek would achieve once fully grown. It could be the most daunting of the battle-entities that the Kobalos may deploy against us – Grimalkin

  Note: On the battlefield, the fully grown varteki were terrible to behold. Towering above the massed ranks of Kobalos warriors, tentacles writhing in the air, their breath formed clouds of steam above them. Fortunately, the Kobalos failed to deploy them correctly and our gunners slaughtered many of them from afar. Had they burrowed under our army, all would have been lost – Tom Ward