The Curse of the Mistwraith

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