by David Weber
Half-elf—the half-elves are the result of humans crossbreeding with elves. They are very long-lived, although unlike the true elves they are not immortal. They are not considered a separate Race of Man, a point which they deeply resent.
Halfling—a small, horned humanoid not known in Kontovar and believed to have resulted from mutation caused by wizardry during the final wars. Halflings are widely regarded with suspicion because of their sorcerous origins but are considered one of the five Races of Man. See also Marfang Island.
Healer—anyone who treats wounds, injuries, or sickness, but especially a title granted to magi with the healing mage power.
Hev, Forest of—a very large forest along the Snowborn River in the Empire of the Axe.
Hradani—one of the Races of Man. Hradani are larger, stronger, and longer-lived than humans, but considerably less for tile. Subject to the “Curse of Kontovar” (see above).
Iron Axe Tavern—a tavern owned by Bahzell Bahnakson and Leeana Hanathafressa in Belhadan.
Jewels of Silendros—the stars.
King Emperor—the title of the ruler of the Empire of the Axe.
King Kormak’s Battlements—another name for the East Wall Mountains.
Kolvania, Grand Duchy of—one of the Border Kingdoms (see above). A major feudal state bordering on and allied to the Empire of the Axe.
Kontovar—literally “Birth Land” in ancient Kontovaran; the major southern continent of Orfressa, the original home of the Races of Man, currently ruled by the Council of Carnadosa (see above).
Kormak—coinage of the Empire of the Axe. All coins are called “kormaks,” but values vary depending on whether they are made of copper, silver, or gold.
Kormak of Crystal Cave, Duke—the ruler of the Crystal Cave Dwarves in Kontovar, Seneschal of emperor Toren Swordarm, Governor of the Kontovaran colonies in Norfressa, King of Man Home, and founder of the House of Kormak, the ruling house of the Empire of the Axe.
Korthrala—Korthrala Orfro, god of the sea.
Korthrala’s Teeth—another name for the Fradonian Banks.
Korwin, Duchy of—a major feudal territory of the kingdom of Angthyr, ruled by Duke Doral. Disloyal to the crown.
Lathe, Princedom of—one of the Border Kingdoms (see above). An independent principality lying southeast of the Empire of the Axe.
Long retreat—also “Great Retreat” (see above); the period of withdrawal from Kontovar as refugees from the Empire of Ottovar fled the wars to Norfressa.
Lord of Carnadosa, The—also “The Dark Lord of Carnadosa.” (1) The arch wizard who led the dark wizards against Toren Swordarm in the final wars and was slain at the Battle of Lost Hope. (2) The title of the current head of the Council of Carnadosa (see above).
Madwind—a spell of black wizardry which causes its victims to kill themselves.
Mage—a mental adept of Norfressa; one trained in the use of the mage talents.
Mage Barrier—a psionic barrier maintained by relays of magi around sensitive areas (academies, fortresses, etc.) of the Empire of the Axe. The mage barrier is impervious to all known mage talents and to all wand wizardry (see below).
Mage Talent—also “mage power.” Psionic talents mastered by the magi of Norfressa which were unknown before the Fall of Kontovar and are still unknown in Kontovar.
Man Home—the largest of the original Kontovaran colonies in Norfressa. Man Home was given its present name when it became Duke Kormak of Crystal Cave’s headquarters in Norfressa and Toren Swordarm named him “King of Man Home.”
Man, Races of—the humanoid races of Kontovar and Norfressa, all of whom sprang originally from common stock. They include: humans, dwarves, hradani, elves, and halflings. All Races of Man may interbreed, but some crosses are infertile. The half-elves (see above) bitterly resent the fact that they are not considered the sixth Race of Man.
Marfang Island—a large island off southwestern Norfressa, inhabited by Marfang Island halflings.
Marfang Island Halfling—a particular subset of halflings from Marfang Island. Marfang Island halflings are somewhat larger than most halflings and are noted for splendid seamanship, touchiness, and sometimes rash courage.
Mindanwe—a tree of Norfressa whose sap produces a deadly neurotoxin much favored as a poisoned by the Assassins Guild.
Mishuk—(plural: mishuki); unarmed combat experts.
Morning Moss Tea—a caffeine-rich tea widely drunk in Norfressa, especially by mountaineers.
Myrea—the mortal maiden taken as a lover by Korthrala.
Norfressa—literally “Daughter of the North” in ancient Kontovaran; the northern continent of Orfressa.
Oath to Tomanāk—a formal oath of surrender which binds followers of Tomanāk to grant quarter but also binds the individual offering “oath to Tomanāk” to abide fully by Tomanāk’s code as an honorable prisoner.
Ordan Mountains—a northern subsidiary range of the East Wall Mountains.
Order of Tomanāk—religious order of warriors dedicated to the service of Tomanāk Orfro, god of war and justice. The order is autonomous and enjoy special privileges in the Empire of the Axe and most Norfressan realms.
Ottovar the Great—the first wild wizard of Orfressa, husband of Gwynytha the Wise, founder of the Empire of Ottovar, and creator of the Strictures of Ottovar, governing the use of wizardry.
Ottovar, Empire of—the enormous and powerful empire which governed the entire continent of Kontovar for almost 10,000 years. Founded by Ottovar the Great and Gwynytha the Wise after they put an end to the Wizard Wars of their time.
Ottovar, House of—the ruling house of the Empire of Ottovar.
Pass of Heroes—one of the major passes through the East Wall Mountains. Rate the Rollanthia—the destruction and looting of Rollanthia by hradani slaves of the Council of Carnadosa in Kontovar during the final wars. Begun with the assassination of Toren Swordarm’s entire family in the Gryphon Palace.
Purple Lords—the half-elven oligarchs of the mercantile city states of the Lands of the Purple Lords south of the Empire of the Spear. For centuries they controlled the Spearman economy by controlling all shipping on the Spear River from the great harbor of Bortalik Bay. They are extremely racist, regarding their people as superior to both humans and elves.
River of the Spear—the primary north-south river system of Norfressa which flows all the way from Hope’s Bane Glacier in extreme northern Norfressa to Bortalik Bay on the continent’s southern seaboard.
Rollanthia—capital and fortress city of the House of Ottovar in Kontovar.
Rūm, Isle of—the island home of the White Council in Kontovar.
Saramantha, Princedom of—an independent Norfressa princedom, home of most elves in Norfressa.
Saramanthan—a citizen of the princedom of Saramantha.
Saramanthan Fire Ant—an insect which combines the more objectionable qualities of an army ant and a scorpion.
Scarth, barony of—a feudal territory in the kingdom of Angthyr ruled by Davu of Scarth, a fervent crown loyalist.
Scarthū Hills—a large range of hills in northwestern Angthyr inhabited by dragons.
Sea Scimitar—the flagship of Tolgrim of the Shith Kiri.
Shadow Chill—an icy cold which accompanies shadow men and can kill on contact by inducing shock and heart failure.
Shadow Men—(also “shadows”) and are king creature created by resting individuals across the void between alternate universes by black wizardry to serve as slaves of their summoners.
Shadowmage—a shadow man wizard.
Shith Kiri—a corsair confederacy which rules the Shith Kiri Islands, a sizable archipelago south of Norfressa.
Sindor—the capital of South Province in the Empire of the Axe.
Snowborn River—a river in western Norfressa.
Sorceress—a female sorcerer.
Sorcerer—also called “wand wizard.” The most common type of wizard: one with limited inheritance sensitivity to the art who has acquired
his mastery through long years of study and training. Sorcerers use mnemonics, precisely learned harmonics, and carefully crafted rituals/techniques, each set of which taps a small portion of the total “magic feel” for precisely circumscribed functions.
Sorcery—also called “wizardry” or “wand wizardry;” the portion of the wild magic which may be indirectly (and very cautiously) manipulated by a sorcerer or sorceress.
Sothōii—literally “Sons of the Fathers” in ancient Kontovaran; humans ruling the kingdom of the Sothōii and claiming pure descent from the noble houses of the Empire of Ottovar. Noted for their superb horses, matchless cavalry, and their relationship with the Sothōii coursers.
Sothōii Courser—a race of fully sentient horses of very large size, human-equivalent intelligence, and incredible stamina and toughness. They are the descendants of arcanely augmented warhorses produced for the army of Toren Swordarm by the White Council in Kontovar. They choose their own riders, with whom they bond permanently, and they and their riders form the elite of the Sothōii army.
Sothōii, Kingdom of the—the third-largest realm of Norfressa, noted for its unmatchable cavalry; an ally of long standing of the Empire of the Axe.
South Keep—the largest and most powerful fortress of the Empire of the Axe, built in South Wall Pass to control the point of access between the Empire of the Axe and the Empire of the Spear.
South March—a province of the Empire of the Axe between the Whitewater River and the East Wall Mountains.
South Province—the southernmost province of the Empire of the Axe.
South Wall Pass—the southernmost of the major passes through the East Wall Mountains. Guarded by South Keep.
South Wall River—a river in Kolvania which drains into the Bellwater River.
Spear, Empire of the—the second largest realm of Norfressa and to the primary rival of the Empire of the Axe. The Spearmen are ambitious and expansionist, but not essentially evil.
Spearman—a citizen of the Empire of the Spear.
Strafing of Kontovar—the final counterstrike of the White Council following Toren Swordarm’s final defeat in the Battle of Lost Hope. The attack did catastrophic damage to Kontovar and prevented the Council of Carnadosa from immediately following the Kontovar refugees to Norfressa and completing their conquest.
Strictures of Ottovar—also known as the “Strictures of Wizardry” or simply “The Strictures;” the code of conduct imposed on white wizards by Ottovar the Great and Gwynytha the Wise in Kontovar. Transgressions of the Strictures was a capital crime in the Empire of Ottovar.
Sword Oath—an oath of truth and loyalty sworn by worshipers of Tomanāk.
Sword of Tomanāk—flagship of the Belhadan Order of Tomanāk.
Toren Swordarm—also known as “Toren the Great” and “Toren the Last;” the final emperor of the House of Ottovar in Kontovar.
Torfo, Barony of—a feudal territory of the kingdom of Angthyr ruled by Wulfra of Torfo.
Torm Fen—a huge swap south of the kingdom of Angthyr between the Lake of Torm and the Western Sea.
Traitors Walk—a major pass through the East Wall Mountains between South Wall Pass and Cragwall Pass.
Trōfrōlantha—the capital province of the Empire of Ottovar.
Unicorn Inn—an inn in Sindor popular with worshipers of Tomanāk.
Ushian—a powerful stimulant/restorative used primarily by magi.
Vonderland—a northern province of the Empire of the Axe, noted for the quality of its archers, the severity of its climate, and the wealth of its silver and gold mines.
Vonderwatch—capital of the Province of Vonderland in the Empire of the Axe.
Wakūo—fierce desert nomads and city dwellers in southeastern Norfressa.
Wand Wizard—another term for “sorcerer” (see above).
War Maid—a member of a legally recognized female subculture in the kingdom of the Sothōii. Many are deadly fighters, and all are answerable only to their own leaders and the Sothōii Crown.
Warlock—a magic user with an inborn sensitivity for the art so great that he requires no training to use. Because of his lack of training, however, he never acquires the degree of capability possessed by sorcerers.
Wave Beard—another name for Korthrala Orfressa.
Wave Mistress—ship owned and captained by Brandark Brandarkson.
Wellso, Earldom of—a feudal territory in the kingdom of Angthyr.
West Barony—a coastal barony of the kingdom of Angthyr ruled by the uncle of Queen Fallona.
Western Sea—ocean waters to the west of Norfressa.
Whitewater River—a river in the Empire of the Axe which flows into South Banark Bay.
Wild Magic—the totality of the “magic field,” the energy or force which imbues the entire universe and binds it together.
Wild Wizard—the only type of wizard capable of utilizing the wild magic directly.
Wind Plain of the Sothōii—a huge subarctic plateau/plain which forms the heart of the Kingdom of the Sothōii and is held to be the finest grazing land in Norfressa, despite a relatively severe climate.
Wind Riders—the chosen bonded brothers (and it went very special case, sisters) of the Sothōii coursers.
Windfel—a province of the Empire of the Axe which lies east of Vonderland.
Windhawk Inn—an inn in Sindor.
Witch—a female warlock.
Wizard—any trained practitioner of wizardry.
Wizard Wars—the wars between wizards which Ottovar the Great and Gwynytha the Wise brought to an end. This term is sometimes also used to describe the final wars in Kontovar, but the term “the Fall” is more normally employed to denote that war between wizards.
Wizard Wind—a wind conjured by wizardry.
Wizardry—also called “sorcery” or “wand wizardry;” the use of that minute portion of the wild magic which may be channeled and controlled by sorcerers and warlocks. Wizardry manipulates those portions through a series of complex commands, each of which achieves a unique effect. Wizardry is external to the wizard; it requires careful concentration and control but does not place any direct physical strain on the wizard. Any loss of concentration, however, may well result in the spell going wild with generally disastrous effects.
Word of Unbinding—the incantation pronounced by Wencit of Rūm to free the White Council from the Strictures so that it could attack the Council of Carnadosa with wizardry after the Battle of Lost Hope.
A Selection of Norfressan Oaths
“By the Sword!” “By the Mace!” (by Tomanāk’s sword or mace)
“By the Trident!” (by Korthrala’s trident)
“By the Scorpion!” (by Sharnā’s scorpion)
“Sharnā send them scorpions!”
“By Carnadosa’s flaming locks!” “By Carnadosa’s ebon eyes!”
“Fiendark’s Furies!” Paragraph break
“Krahana fly away with your soul!”
“May the fish lick their bones!” (traditional Shith Kiri malediction)
Months of the Orfressan Year
The Orfressan year is divided into twelve months of thirty days each, plus Lellandor (the “Festival of Orr”), and adjustment. At the beginning of each year. Normally, Lellandor’s four days long, but once every eight years the festival last six days, with the two extra days given up to meditation and fasting. Lellandor is the high holy season of the Orfressan year.
Month Name Meaning
Lellandor Festival of Orr
Blancnachimo White Ice Fang
Orcimo Ice Breath
Nienfresso Rain Maiden
Yienkonto Flower Birth
Asoyien Yellow Bud
Haniyean Green Leaf
Ortomayan High Feasting
Shomanforg Harvest Weaving
Siemnach Wind Fang
Lacrimorfo Snow Bearer
Barchimo Black Ice
APPENDIX B
Gods of Light and Dark
The Dark Gods
Called “Father of Evil” and “Lord of Deceit,” Phrobus is the seventh child of Orr and Kontifrio, which explains why seven is considered the unlucky number in Norfressa. No one recalls his original name; “Phrobus” (“Truth Bender”) was given to him by Tomanāk when he cast Phrobus down for his treacherous attempt to wrest rulership from Orr. Following that defeat, Phrobus turned openly to the Dark and became, in fact, the opening wedge by which evil first entered Orfressa. He is the most powerful of the gods of Light or Dark after Tomanāk, and the hatred between him and Tomanāk is unthinkably bitter, but Phrobus fears his brother worse than death itself. His symbol is a flame-eyed skull.
Shīgū
Called “The Twisted One,” “Queen of Hell,” and “Mother of Madness,” Shīgū is the wife of Phrobus. No one knows exactly where she came from, but most believe she was, in fact, a powerful demoness raised to godhood by Phrobus when he sought a mate to breed up his own pantheon to oppose that of his father. Her power is deep but subtle, her cruelty and malice are bottomless, and her favored weapon is madness. She is even more hated, loathed, and feared by mortals than Phrobus, and her worship is punishable by death in all Norfressan realms. Her symbol is a flaming spider.
Carnadosa Phrofressa
“The Lady of Wizardry” is the fifth child of Phrobus and Shīgū. She has become the goddess of black wizardry, but she herself might be considered totally amoral rather than evil for evil’s sake. She enshrines the concept of power sought by any means and at any cost to others. Her symbol is a wizard’s wand.
Fiendark Phrofro
The first-born child of Phrobus and Shīgū, Fiendark is known as “Lord of the Furies.” He is cast very much in his father’s image (though, fortunately, he is considerably less powerful) and all evil creatures owe him allegiance as Phrobus’ deputy. Unlike Phrobus, who seeks always to pervert or conquer, however, Fiendark also delights in destruction for destruction’s sake. His symbols are a flaming sword or flame-shot cloud of smoke.
Krahana Phrofressa
“The Lady of the Damned” is the fourth child of Phrobus and Shīgū and, in most ways, the most loathsome of them all. She is noted for her hideous beauty and holds dominion over the undead (which makes her Isvaria’s most hated foe) and rules the hells in which the souls of those who have sold themselves to evil spend eternity. Her symbol is a splintered coffin.