by Janny Wurts
pronounced: may-nahl-e (last e is near subliminal)
root meaning: maeni – to fall, disrupt; alli – to save or preserve/colloquial translation: ‘to patch together’
MAIEN – nickname for Maenalle’s grandson, Maenol.
pronounced: my-en
root meaning: maien – mouse
MAENOL – heir, after Maenalle s’Gannley, Steward and caithdein of Tysan.
pronounced: may-nahl
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 lane focus in the ruins further south.
pronounced: main-meer-e (e is subliminal)
root meaning: maeni – to fall, interrupt; miere – reflection colloquial translation: disrupt continuity
MARIN ELIATHE – Paravian high king murdered in his own hall by an assassin in Second Age 1542.
pronounced: mahr-in el-ee-ath
root meaning: marin – happening; e’li – in harmony with; ath – prime force behind all life
MARL – earl of Fallowmere and clan chieftain at the time of the battle of Strakewood Forest.
pronounced: marl
root meaning: marie – quartz rock
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
MEARA – daughter of Steiven, earl of the north, and Dania; older sister of Jieret.
pronounced: mere-ah
root meaning: meara – willow
MEARTH – city through the West Gate in the Red Desert. Inhabitants all fell victim to the Shadows of Mearth, which were created by the Fellowship sorcerer Davien to protect the Five Centuries Fountain. The Shadows are a light-fuelled geas that binds the mind to memory of an individual’s most painful experience.
pronounced: me-arth
root meaning: mearth – empty
MELOR RIVER – located in the principality of Korias, Tysan. Its mouth forms the harbour for the port town of West End.
pronounced: mel-or
root meaning: maeliur – fish
METH ISLE KEEP – old Paravian fortress located on the isle in Methlas Lake in southern Melhalla. Kept by Verrain, Guardian of Mirthlvain. Contains a fifth lane power focus and dungeons where methuri were held temporarily captive before transfer to Rockfell.
pronounced: meth isle
root meaning: meth – hate
METHLAS LAKE – large body of fresh water located in the principality of Radmoor, Melhalla.
pronounced: meth-las
root meaning: meth’ilass’an – the drowned, or sunken ones.
METH-SNAKES – crossbred genetic mutations left over from a First Age creature called a methuri (hatewraith). Related to iyats, these creatures possessed live hosts, which they infested and induced to produce mutated offspring to create weakened lines of stock to widen their choice of potential host animals.
pronounced: meth to rhyme with ‘death’
root meaning: meth – hate
METHURI – iyat-related parasite that infested live host animals. By the Third Age, they are extinct, but their mutated host stock continues to breed in Mirthlvain Swamp.
pronounced: meth-yoor-ee
root meaning: meth – hate; thiere – wraith, or spirit
MIN PIERENS – archipelago to the west of Kingdom of West Shand, in the Westland Sea.
pronounced: min (rhymes with ‘pin’) pierre-ins
root meaning: min – purple; pierens – shoreline
MIRTHLVAIN SWAMP – boglands filled with dangerous crossbreeds, located south of the Tiriac Mountains in principality of Midhalla, Melhalla. Never left unwatched. Since conquest of the Mistwraith, the appointed guardian was the spellbinder, Verrain.
pronounced: mirth-el-vain
root meaning: myrthl – noxious; vain – bog/mud
MORFETT – Lord Governor Supreme of Etarra at the time the Fellowship seeks to restore Rathain’s monarchy following the captivity of the Mistwraith.
pronounced: more-fet
no root meaning from the Paravian
MORRIEL – Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain since the Third Age year 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 – swindler’s market
NARMS – city on the coast of Instrell Bay, built as a craft centre by men in the early Third Age. Best known for dyeworks.
pronounced: narms to rhyme with ‘charms’
root meaning: narms – colour
ORLAN – pass through the Thaldein Mountains, also location of the Camris clans’ west outpost, in Camris, Tysan. Where Asandir’s party is waylayed by Grithen enroute to Althain Tower.
pronounced: or-lan
root meaning: irlan – ledge
ORVANDIR – principality located in northeastern Shand.
pronounced: or-van-deer
root meaning: orvein – crumbled; dir stone
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’
PESQUIL – Mayor of the Northern League of Headhunters, at the time of the battle of Strakewood Forest. His strategies cause the Deshir clans the most punishing losses.
pronounced: pes-quil to rhyme with ‘pest quill’.
root meaning not from the Paravian
QUEN – halfwit who serves as door guard and servant to the Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain, Morriel.
pronounced: cue-en
root meaning: quenient – witless
RATHAIN – High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age year 1. Sigil: black and silver leopard on green field.
pronounced: rath-ayn
root meaning: roth – brother; thein – tower, sanctuary
RAUVEN TOWER – home of the s’Ahelas mages who brought up Arithon s’Ffalenn and trained him to the ways of power. Located on the splinter world, Dascen Elur, through West Gate.
pronounced: raw-ven
root meaning: rauven – invocation
RENWORT – plant native to Athera. A poisonous mash can be brewed from the berries.
pronounced: ren-wart
root meaning: renwarin – poison
RIATHAN PARAVIANS – unicorns, the purest and 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 ri’athon – one who touches divinity
ROCKFELL – 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
SAERIAT – name of the brigantine captained by Avar of Karthan, defeated and burned in engagement against seventeen warships of Amroth.
pronounced: say-ree-at
root meaning: saer – water;
iyat – to break
s’AHELAS – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year I to rule the High Kingdom of Shand. Gifted geas: farsight.
pronounced: s’ah-hell-as
root meaning: ahelas – mage-gifted
s’DARIAN – family name for a line of centaurs who were master armourers in the First and Second Ages. Most renowned was Ffereton who forged the twelve Blades of Isaer, Alithiel being for his natural son Durmaenir.
pronounced: dar-ee-an
root meaning: daer’an – one that cuts
s’FFALENN – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain. Gifted geas: compassion/empathy.
pronounced: fal-en
root meaning: ffael – dark; an – one
s’GANNLEY – family name for the line of earls of the west, who stood as caithdein and stewards for the kings of Tysan.
pronounced: gan-lee
root meaning: gaen – to guide; li – exalted, or in harmony
s’ILESSID – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Tysan. Gifted geas: justice.
pronounced: s-ill-ess-id
root meaning: liessiad – balance
s’LORNMEIN – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Havish. Gifted geas: temperance
s’PERHEDRAL – line of sunchildren whose issue succeeded Athera’s High Kingship after Enastir, who died heirless.
pronounced: per-heed-rall
root meaning: para – great; hedreal – oak
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
SEARDLUIN – vicious, intelligent cat-formed creatures that roved in packs whose hierarchy was arranged for ruthless and efficient slaughter of other living things. By the middle of the Second Age, they had been battled to extinction.
pronounced: seerd-lwin
root meaning: seard – bearded; luin – feline
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
SHAND – one of the Five High Kingdoms of Athera, cut by South Strait, the portion on the western shore being West Shand.
pronounced: shand
root meaning: shand – two
SHANDIAN – refers to nationality, being of the Kingdom of Shand
pronounced: shand-ee-an
root meaning: shand – two
SITHAER – mythological equivalent of hell, halls of Dharkaron Avenger’s judgement; 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
SKELSENG’S GATE – chain of cliff caves in the foothills of the Skyshiel Mountains, abutting Daon Ramon Barrens in Rathain. Became a temporary holding-place for the Mistwraith just after captivity.
pronounced: skel-seng rhymes with ‘tell bring’
root meaning: skel—many; seng—cave
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’
SKYSHIEL – mountain range that runs north to south along the eastern coast of Rathain.
pronounced: Sky-shee-el
root meaning: skyshia – to pierce through; iel light/ray
STEIVEN – earl of the north, caithdein and regent to the Kingdom of Rathain at the time of Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn’s return. Chieftain of the Deshans at the Battle of Strakewood Forest.
pronounced: stay/vin
root meaning: steiven – stag
STRAKEWOOD – forest in the principality of Deshir, Rathain; site of the battle of Strakewood Forest.
pronounced: strayk-wood to rhyme with ‘stray wood’
root meaning: streik to quicken, to seed
TAERLIN – southwestern principality of Kingdom of Tysan
pronounced: tay-er-lin
root meaning: taer – calm; lien – to love
TAL QUORIN – river formed by the confluence of watershed on the southern side of Strakewood, principality of Deshir, Rathain, where traps were laid for Etarra’s army in the Battle of Strakewood Forest.
pronounced: tal quar-in
root meaning: tal – branch; quorin canyons
TALERA s’AHELAS – princess wed to the king of Amroth on the splinter world of Dascen Elur. Mother of Lysaer s’Ilessid, by her husband; mother of Arithon, through her adulterous liaison with the pirate king of Karthan, Avar s’Ffalenn.
pronounced: tal-er-a
root meaning: talera – branch or fork in a path
TALIENNSE – Paravian princess rescued from Khadrim attack by Kamridian s’Ffalenn, for which the Isaervian sword Alithiel was awarded to the s’Ffalenn royal line.
pronounced: tal-ee-en-se
root meaning: talien – precious; esia – feather
TAL’S CROSSING – town at the branch in the trade road that leads to Etarra and south, and northeastward to North Ward.
pronounced: tal to rhyme with ‘pal’
root meaning: tal branch
TANE – father of Grithen, heir to the earldom of Erdane.
pronounced: tain to rhyme with ‘main’
root meaning: branch
TANE – father of Grithen, heir to the earldom of Erdane.
pronounced: tain to rhyme with ‘main’
root meaning: tane – sire, father
TANLIE – mother of the dead child that Arithon brought in from the horse knacker’s yards in Etarra.
pronounced: tan-lee
root meaning: tun – brown; lie note struck in harmony
TASHAN – Elder on Maenalle’s clan council, present at the west outpost at the time of Grithen’s raid on the Pass of Orlan.
pronounced: tash-an
root meaning: tash – swift, quick; an – one
TASHKA – daughter of Lady Dania and Steiven s’Valerient, earl of the north and caithdein of Rathain.
pronounced: tash-ka
root meaning: tash – quick/swift; ka – girl