Sinner

by Sara Douglass

  ENCHANTRESS, The: the first of the Icarii Enchanters, the first Icarii to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. The Icarii revere her memory. This title is occasionally given to Azhure.

  ENCHANTRESS’ RING, The: an ancient ring once in the possession of the Enchantress, now worn by Azhure. Its proper name is the Circle of Stars, and it is intimately connected with the Star Gods.

  ENCHANTERS: the magicians of the Icarii people. Many of them are very powerful. All Enchanters have the word “Star” somewhere in their names (except Caelum and Zenith).

  ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who are also Enchanters.

  ENEMY, The: the name given by the Questors to the ancient ones who crashed into Tencendor during Fire-Night.

  ESCATOR: a kingdom far away to the east over the Widowmaker Sea. There is some intellectual, diplomatic and trade traffic between Escator and Tencendor.

  EVENSONG: daughter of Rivkah and StarDrifter SunSoar, sister to Axis and wife to FreeFall SunSoar.

  FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Once wife to Borneheld and Queen of Achar, then Tree Friend, Faraday now wanders the forests in doe form after being killed by Gorgrael.

  FERNBRAKE LAKE: the large lake in the centre of the Minaret Peaks. Also known by both the Avar and the Icarii as the Mother.

  FERRYMAN, The: Orr, the Charonite who plies the ferry of the UnderWorld. He is one of the Lesser immortals.

  FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:

  Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snowmonth.

  Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flowermonth.

  Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.

  FIRE-NIGHT: see “Festivals”.

  FIRST, The: the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars, the order of nine priestesses on Temple Mount. The First, like all priestesses of the Order, gave up her name on taking her vows. Niah of Nor once held this office.

  FIVE FAMILIES, The First: the leading families of Tencendor: led, in turn, by Prince Askam of the West, Prince Zared of the North, Prince Yllgaine of Nor, Chief Sa’Domai of the Ravensbund and FreeFall SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii.

  FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is the Goddess of Water.

  FLURIA, RIVER: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.

  FORESTFLIGHT EVERSOAR: a member of the Lake Guard.

  FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar’s eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea.

  FREEFALL: son of BrightFeather and RavenCrest SunSoar, husband of EvenSong SunSoar and Talon of the Icarii.

  FROISSON: a unit commander in Caelum’s force.

  GATEKEEPER, The: Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld and mother of Zeherah. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate. She is one of the Lesser immortals.

  GOLDMAN, JANNYMIRE: Master of the Guilds of Carlon. One of the most powerful non-noblemen in Tencendor.

  GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter. Axis defeated him in a titanic struggle for control of Tencendor forty years before current events.

  GORKENFORT: a major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar.

  GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass sixty leagues long that provides the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and the River Andakilsa.

  GRAIL LAKE: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. On its shores are Carlon and the tower of Spiredore.

  GRAWEN: a captain in Zared’s army.

  GREATER, The: the nine Star Gods.

  GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous. Gorgrael recreated them to defeat Axis, but they were all destroyed by Azhure.

  GUNDEALGA FORD: a wide, shallow ford on the Nordra, just south of the Urqhart Hills.

  GUSTUS: captain of Zared’s militia.

  HAGEN: once a Plough-Keeper in the (now destroyed) village of Smyrton, who was husband to Niah and stepfather to Azhure.

  HANDSPAN: see “Distances”.

  HEAVORAND, BRANSOM: a merchant from Carlon.

  HERME, Earl of Avonsdale: son of Earl Jorge, mentor of Duke Theod of Aldeni and friend to Prince Zared.

  HORNED ONES: the almost divine and most sacred members of the Avar race. They live in the Sacred Grove.

  HSINGARD: a ruined town situated in central Ichtar.

  HURST, KARL: a wool trader from Carlon.

  ICARII, The: a race of winged people. They are sometimes referred to as the People of the Wing.

  ICEBEAR COAST: the hundred-league-long coast that stretches from the DeadWood Forest in north-western Ravensbund to the frozen Tundra above the Avarinheim. It is very remote, and very beautiful.

  ICESCARP ALPS: the great mountain range that stretches across most of northern Achar.

  ICESCARP BARREN: a desolate tract of land situated in northern Ichtar between the Icescarp Alps and the Urqhart Hills.

  ICEWORMS: massive worms of ice and snow created by Gorgrael in his battles with Tencendor.

  ICHTAR, DUKES of: once cruel lords of Ichtar, the line died with Borneheld.

  ICHTAR, The Province of: the largest and richest of the provinces of Achar. Ichtar derives its wealth from its extensive grazing herds and from its mineral and precious gem deposits. Ruled by Prince Zared.

  ICHTAR, RIVER: a minor river that flows through Ichtar into the River Azle.

  ILFRACOOMBE: the manor house of the Earl of Skarabost, the home where Faraday grew up.

  INISCUE, Mayor: Mayor of Severin.

  ISABEAU: first wife of Prince Zared. She died in a hunting accident ten years before current events.

  ISFRAEL: Mage-King of the Avar. Son of Axis and Faraday.

  ISLAND OF MIST AND MEMORY: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, once known as Pirate’s Nest. The Temple of the Stars and its complex are situated on a great plateau on the island’s southern coast.

  JACK: senior among the Sentinels.

  JARL: a pottery trader of Nor.

  JERVOIS LANDING: the small town on Tailem Bend of the River Nordra. The gateway into Ichtar.

  JESSUP, BARON: a minor nobleman of Avonsdale.

  KASTALEON: one of the great Keeps of Achar, situated on the River Nordra in central Achar.

  KEEPS, The: the three great magical Keeps of Achar. See separate entries under Spiredore, Sigholt, and Silent Woman Keep.

  KILCKMAN, BORMOT: a trader of Carlon.

  KILLINGREW: a young commander in Zared’s army.

  LAKE GUARD, The: a militia composed entirely of the men and women whom SpikeFeather TrueSong rescued as children from Talon Spike when it was threatened by Gryphon. They escaped via the waterways, and were changed by their experience. The Lake Guard is dedicated to the service of the StarSon.

  LAKE OF LIFE, The: one of the sacred and magical lakes of Tencendor. It sits at the western end of the HoldHard Pass in the Urqhart Hills and cradles Sigholt.

  LEAGH, PRINCESS: sister to Askam, daughter of Belial and Cazna.

  LEAGUE: see “Distances”.

  LESSER, The: a term given to creatures of such magic they approach god-like status.

  MAGARIZ, PRINCE: husband to Rivkah, Axis’ mother, and father to Zared. Now dead.

  MAGIC: under the influence of the Seneschal, all Artor-fearing Acharites feared and hated the use of magic, although their fear is now as largely dead as the Seneschal itself.

  MALFARI: the tuber that the Avar depend on to produce their bread.

  MARRAT, BARON: Baron of Romsdale.

  MAZE, The: a mysterious labyrinth underneath Grail Lake.

  MAZE GATE, The: the wooden gate into the Maze. Its stone archway is covered with hieroglyphics.

  MILITARY TERMS (for regular ground forces):

  Squad: a small group of fighters, normally numbering under forty and usually archers.

  Unit: a group of o
ne hundred men, either infantry, archers, pikemen, or cavalry.

  Cohort: five units, so five hundred men.

  See also “Wing” and “Crest” for the Icarii Strike Force.

  MINARET PEAKS: the Icarii name for the Bracken Ranges, named for the minarets of the Icarii cities that spread over the entire mountain range.

  MINSTRELSEA: the name Faraday gave to the forest she planted out below the Avarinheim.

  MONTHS (northern hemisphere seasons apply):

  Wolf-month: January

  Raven-month: February

  Hungry-month: March

  Thaw-month: April

  Flower-month: May

  Rose-month: June

  Harvest-month: July

  Weed-month: August

  DeadLeaf-rnonth: September

  Bone-month: October

  Frost-month: November

  Snow-month: December

  MOONWILDFLOWERS: extremely rare, delicate violet flowers that bloom only under the full moon. Closely associated with Azhure.

  MORNINGSTAR SUNSOAR: StarDrifter’s mother and a powerful Enchanter in her own right. She was murdered by WolfStar SunSoar.

  MORYSON: Brother of the Seneschal and a disguise once used by WolfStar.

  MOT: a Questor.

  MOTHER, The: either the Avar name for Fernbrake Lake, or an all-embracing term for nature which is sometimes personified as an immortal woman.

  MURKLE BAY: a huge bay off the western coast of Tencendor, its waters are filthy, polluted by the tanneries along the Azle River.

  MURKLE MOUNTAINS: a range of desolate mountains that run along the length of Murkle Bay. Once extensively mined for opals, they are now abandoned.

  NARCIS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Narcis is the God of the Sun.

  NECKLET, The: a curious geological feature of Ravensbund.

  NIAH: of the once baronial family of Nor. Mother to Azhure, Niah was seduced by WolfStar SunSoar and murdered by Brother Hagen. Niah was the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars.

  NINE, The: see the “Star Gods”. (“The Nine” can also occasionally refer to the nine Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.)

  NOAH: a man associated with the craft under the lakes.

  NOR: the southernmost of the provinces of Achar. The Nors people are far darker and more exotic than the rest of the Acharites. Nor is controlled by Prince Yllgaine.

  NORDMUTH: the port at the mouth of the River Nordra.

  NORDRA, RIVER: the great river that is the main lifeline of Achar. Rising in the Icescarp Alps, the River Nordra flows through the Avarinheim before flowing through northern and central Achar. It is used for irrigation, transport and fishing.

  OGDEN: one of the Sentinels, brother to Veremund.

  ORDER OF THE STARS: the order of nine priestesses who keep watch in the Temple of the Stars. Each priestess gives up her own name upon taking orders.

  ORMOND: a soldier in Zared’s army.

  ORR: the Charonite Ferryman.

  PACE: see “Distances”.

  PALESTAR SNAPWING: an Icarii Enchanter.

  PARLENDER, WILFRED: Prime Notary of Carlon.

  PIRATES’ NEST: for many centuries the common name of the Island of Mist and Memory and still the haunt of pirates.

  PIRATES’ TOWN: the town in the northern harbour of Pirates’ Nest – or the Island of Mist and Memory.

  PLOUGH, The: under the rule of the Seneschal each Acharite village had a Plough, which not only served to plough the fields, but was also the centre of their worship of the Way of the Plough.

  PLOUGH-KEEPERS: the Seneschal assigned a Brother to each village in Achar, and these men were often known as Plough-Keepers.

  PORS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Pors is the God of Air.

  PRIVY CHAMBER: the large chamber in the ancient royal palace of Carlon where Achar’s Privy Council once met.

  PRIVY COUNCIL: the council of advisers to the King of Achar, normally the lords of the major provinces of Achar. This council has been replaced in Tencendor by the Five, the leaders of the First Five Families.

  PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER: an ancient Prophecy that told of the rise of Gorgrael in the north and the StarMan who could stop him. It is now forty years since the time of the Prophecy of the Destroyer.

  PUMSTER, NETHEREM: Master Bell-Maker of Carlon.

  QETEB: the Destruction that wastes at Midday.

  QUESTORS, The: a group of five beings who quest for what the Enemy stole from them.

  RAINBOW SCEPTRE: a weapon constructed from the lives of the five Sentinels, the power of the craft that lie at the bottom of the Sacred Lakes, and the power of the Earth Tree. Axis used it to destroy Gorgrael.

  RASPU: a Questor.

  RAUM: once a Bane of the Avar people, now the sacred White Stag.

  RAVENCREST SUNSOAR: once Talon of the Icarii people. Now dead, killed in the Gryphons’ attack on Talon Spike.

  RAVENSBUND: the extreme northern province of Tencendor.

  RAVENSBUNDMEN: the inhabitants of Ravensbund.

  RENKIN, GOODWIFE: a peasant woman of northern Arcness who is often a disguise for the Mother. The Goodwife helped Faraday plant out Minstrelsea, finally leaving to wander the forests.

  RHAETIA: small area of Achar situated in the western Minaret Peaks.

  RIVERSTAR SUNSOAR: third child of Axis and Azhure. Twin sister to Drago (DragonStar).

  RIVKAH: Princess of Achar, mother to Borneheld, Axis, EvenSong and Zared. Married to Prince Magariz. Now dead.

  ROMSDALE: a province to the south-west of Carlon that mainly produces wine. It is administered by Baron Marrat.

  ROSCIC: Chamberlain of Askam’s Household.

  ROX: a Questor.

  SACRED, GROVE: the most sacred spot of the Avar

  people, the Sacred Grove is rarely visited by ordinary mortals. Normally the Banes are the only members of the Avar race who know the paths to the Grove.

  SACRED LAKES: the four magical lakes of Tencendor: Grail Lake, Cauldron Lake, Fernbrake Lake (or the Mother) and the Lake of Life. According to legend, the lakes were formed during Fire-Night when ancient gods fell through the skies and crashed to Tencendor.

  SA’DOMAI: Chief of the Ravensbundmen, son of Ho’Demi.

  SANDMEYER, GREGORIC: Mayor of Carlon.

  SEAGRASS PLAINS: the vast grain plains that form most of Skarabost.

  SENESCHAL, The: once the all-powerful religious organisation of Achar, now non-existent. The Religious Brotherhood of the Seneschal was extremely powerful and played a major role, not only in everyday life, but also in the political life of the nation. It taught obedience to the one god, Artor the Ploughman, and the Way of the Plough.

  SENTINELS: five magical creatures of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. Originally Charonites, they were recruited by WolfStar (in his guise of the Prophet) in order to serve the Prophecy. They gave their lives to form the Rainbow Sceptre.

  SEPULCHRE OF THE MOON: a cave on Temple Mount, the haunt of the Star Gods.

  SEVERIN: a new town built by Prince Magariz as the replacement capital of Ichtar. Now Zared’s base.

  SHEOL: a Questor.

  SHRA: now the senior Bane of the Avar. As a girl she was saved from death by Axis.

  SICARIUS: leader of the pack of Alaunt hounds. One of the Lesser.

  SIGHOLT: one of the great magical Keeps of Tencendor, situated on the shores of the Lake of Life in the Urqhart Hills in Ichtar. Home of the SunSoar family.

  SILENT WOMAN KEEP: one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor, it lies in the centre of the Silent Woman Woods.

  SILENT WOMAN WOODS: ancient woods in southern Arcness, now joined to the Minstrelsea.

  SILTON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Silton is the God of Fire.

  SKARABOST: large eastern province of Achar which grows much of the kingdom’s grain supplies.

  SKRAELINGS: creatures of the frozen northern wastes who fought for Gorgrael.

  SKYLAZER BITTERFALL: a member of the Lake Guard.

  SMY
RTON: formerly a large village in northern Skarabost, it was destroyed by Azhure for its close association with the Plough God, Artor.

  SONG OF CREATION: a Song which can, according to Icarii and Avar legend, actually create life itself.