Demonic focus
This magical item enables a demon to keep himself in the human plane of his own free will. The sorcerer Leland tried to imprison an imp in such a bottle. He summoned halhkarsh by mistake, who killed him. The bottle then became Thalhkarsh’s demon focus. (Oath)
Demonsbane
Vanyel Demonsbane was one of the heroic epithets Bards bestowed on the Herald-Mage in their songs written after the battles along the Karsite border. Vanyel took the place of several Herald-Mages and repelled a major Karsite invasion of an area in Valdemar known as “the disputed territories.” (LHM)
Dende
A Skybolt who fell victim to fever, and who was sent with other victims from the unhealthy lowlands to the mountains to recover. (Sword)
Dent (Armsmaster)
Employed at Rathgar’s Keep, he taught young Kcrowyn archery and the basics of knife fighting. Dent was killed by bandits at the wedding feast massacre. (Oath)
Derk
The scullion at Rathgar’s Keep who almost dropped an enormous edible sculpture intended for the wedding feast. Only Kerowyn’s quick thinking saved it. (Oath)
Derrel Lutter (Mayor)
A shopkeeper and the most prosperous resident of Errold’s Grove, he and his wife regarded themselves as the village’s most prominent citizens. After the barbarian invasIon, Derrel became a very self-important Mayor. The Council had to develop ways to circumvent his tendency to take over so they could actually get certain projects accomplished. (Owl)
Derrian (Derry) (Herald-Trainee)
Assigned to one of Herald Pols archery classes. Derry kept his bowstring and those of his fellow students’ dry, earning approval from their instructor. (BB)
Derthenwood
A popular silver-colored wood used for carving. (Oath)
Derwit
One of the Sixth Formers at the Merchant School and an accompilce of the bully Tyron. Lavan gave Derwit the nickname “Dimwit,” in retaliation for the humiliating nicknames Tyron used to insult his victims. (BB)
Desi Farane
A prostitute in Haven and sister to Trana. (TT)
Dester’edre
A Shin’a’in word meaning wind(born) sibling. (Oath)
Destillion (King)
King of Rethwellan, murdered by his son, the usurper Raschar. (Oath)
Destria (Herald)
Two year-groups ahead of Talia in training, she broke both her legs while rescuing half a dozen children from a flood. Her Companion Soft got Destria and the children to safety. Later Destria rode circuit with Herald-trainee Christa, and was badly burned in the bandit raid that caused Christa’s death. Talia was able to assuage Herald Destria’s suicidal guilt and put her in contact with Herald Vostel, who had suffered similar burns, yet overcame them. Her amorous adventures were many and enthusiastic. (Arrows)
Devan (Master Healer)
Devan treated Talia after the near-fatal attempt on her life by the unaffiliated students and after her imprisonment and torture in Hardorn. His special Gift was healing trauma. (Arrows)
Devaril (Captain)
Ranking officer of the Demons, he never saw the need to employ Healers and Mages until his defeat while in the employ of Lord Kelcrag. He offered Kethry a job after the Sunhawks’ Mages decimated his force and Idra’s Healers saved his leg. (Oath)
Devaril’s Demons
A respected mercenary company that fought for Declin Lord Kelcrag. After the battle, a mercenary’s truce was declared, and Captain Idra’s Healers treated many of Devaril’s wounded. (Oath)
Deveran Remoerdis
He was the head of the House of Remoerdis of Lineas, killed in the massacre at his palace by the Mavelan clan. (LHM)
Devid (Cook)
The cook at Tarma and Kethry’s school. (Oath)
Devid Stoen
Chief Husbandman of Shonar. With the Mayor and Chief Guildsman, he came to talk to Tremane about the problems of the mage weather. (Storm)
Dharin
A member of the Clan of the Stooping Hawk, and Tarma’s betrothed. They planned to be bonded after both finished their sword-training, but Dharin was killed in the bandit attack. (Oath)
Dharra
A gryphon Mage. (Gryphon)
Dhashel
One of Falconsbane’s servants, he was sent to collect information about Ancar. (Winds)
Dhon
A Shin’a’in word meaning “very much.” (Oath)
Dhorisha Plains
The Dhorisha Plains are the Shin’a’in’s home. A vast grassland situated in an enormous, circular crater, with its rim a hundred man-lengths below the surrounding cliffs that divide it from the Pelagiris Forest and the high desert country, the Plains held in their center the remains of Urtho’s tower, which was destroyed in the Cataclysm after the final battle of the ancient Mage-Wars. The explosion left a glassy, barren ruin in a massive crater, but the Star-Eyed Goddess answered the prayers and sacrifices of her people, covering the wasteland with rolling grasslands strewn with blooming plants. In the Shin’a’in tongue, the Plains are called Dhorisha Shin’a, or The Plains of Sacrifice. The Shin’a’ln are stewards of the vast grasslands, guardians against intruders who would seek to penetrate to the Plains’ center and steal the buried arcane weapons left from the Mage Wars. (BV)
Dianelle
One of Hadanelith’s victims in White Gryphon. (Gryphons)
Dib Dawkin
A small boy, one of Keisha’s patients in Errold’s Grove. After a fight, he had a nosebleed, a black eye, and a tooth knocked out. (Owl)
Dierna Brodey
Daughter of Lord Orsen Brodey and the bride of Kerowyn’s brother, Lordan. (Sword)
Dierne
A hertasi with Urtho’s forces, he helped the exhausted mage Vikteren back to his tent. (Gryphon)
Dina
The sword Need told the story of the two sets of twin gods and goddesses, Kerenal and Dina, Karanel and Dara. (Winds)
Diona
Tilden’s wife. (Oath)
Dira Crimson
A rug seller whose son was adopted into Clan Tale’sedrin by marriage. (Winds)
Dirak, Councilor & Baron
An ally of Tremane in the Eastern Court and in charge of the Imperial Civil Servants. (Storm)
Dirk (Herald)
The first Herald Talia ever met—she saw him on the South Trade Road leading into Haven after she was Chosen, and he reassured the frightened girl that she was heading in the right direction. The Companions believe that the two Life-bonded at that moment. Dirk’s special Gift Is Fetching, a talent he combined with Herald Kris’ FarSeelng ability to pinpoint objects at a distance and transport them. Talia and Dirk denied their feelings for each other at first because neither was ready for a serious relationship. They were married shortly after Dirk and Elspeth Fetched Talia from Ancar’s prison in Hardorn. (Arrows, Sword, Winds, Storm)
Disciplines
The various divisions of k’Leshya: Artisans, Administrators, Scholars, Husbandry, Mages, Shamans (who never go abroad with k’Leshya’s delegations), Silvers (gryphons and humans) and Kestra’chern (this last group also includes the trondi’irn). (Gryphon)
Distance-viewer
Velgarth name far a spyglass. (Winds)
Dolly
One of Skif’s young friends at the temple where he went to school. A small girl, he considered himself her protector. (TT)
Domery
Sunhawk Kyra’s distant kin. When the Scouts were going around Lord Kelcrag’s stronghold, Kyra recognized Domery’s lands and found the party a place to hole up for a while. (Oath)
Domesday Book
The official records kept in towns and villages all across Valdemar. Mayors and headmen throughout the kingdom write down their accounts of local conditions and send the reports to the capital. Since their versions may not always include full and true descriptions of situations, the Heralds check on their accuracy during their circuit rides through the sectors. (Arrows)
Dominick (He
rald)
A Herald whose old room at the Palace complex featured a door leading to the garden. It was assigned to Vanycl when he arrived at his Aunt Savil’s school for Heraldic trainees. (LHM)
Donni (Herald)
The protege of Herald-Mage Savil, she was lifebonded to Herald-Mage Mardic Dark. An apprentice thief when she was Chosen, Donni helped save Vanyel’s life on the night he tried to commit suicide. Years later, when Vanyel was a Herald-Magc, Donni and Mardic were killed in a battle with a Karsite necromancer, defeating his attack on a town by calling down lightning on themselves. (LHM)
Doolie
One of Geyr’s messenger hounds, Doolie delivered crucial information to Kero during the battle with Hardorn. (Swords)
Dooly
One of Bazie’s fences for stolen textiles. (TT)
Doomslayers
A mercenary Company that fought for Valdemar during the Karsite invasion. Six Doomslayer prisoners of war were tortured by Karsite priests, leaving them mindless shells. (Oath)
Dorilyn (Herald)
A Herald mourned by Vanyel on his return from the Karsite border. Herald Dorilyn was one of many Heralds who died or were killed in the line of duty since Vanyel acquired the rank of Heraid-Mage. (LHM)
Dosent roots
Tubers with the texture and taste of cheese when served raw. Hertasi at k’Sheyna Vale kept them stocked in the common area of the kitchen. (Winds)
Double-sight
An ability used by both Healers and kestra’chern, it is the ability to simultaneously observe outward physical distress and See pain inside the patient. (BV)
Dragon
A Haighlei legend depicted at Court functions by the Royal dancers, who imitate the serpentine creature, which in Haighlei belief embodies Water and Earth combined. (Gryphon)
Dragon Solution
Lord Havirn’s attempt to appease the monster killing his people by feeding it criminals, hoping it would leave “honest folk” alone. (Oath)
Drakan
Falconsbane’s Captain of the troops, in charge of administering punishments Falconsbane didn’t have time to bother with. (Winds)
Drake (Herald)
One of Talia’s year-mates at the Collegium, twin to Edric. The boys both possessed the powerful Gift of Thought-sensing, and were particularly attuned to each other. (Arrows)
Drake
See Amberdrake k’Leshya
Dreamerie
A narcotic indulged in by Old Berte, Stefen’s caretaker. Stefen feared the woman’s addiction would eventually force her to sell him as she had her own children in order to buy more. (LHM)
Dreamseeker k’Treva
The Tayledras scout detailed by Firesong to fetch Starwind and Moondance when Herald-Mage Savil Gated to k’Treva Vale to ask for help for Vanyel, who was dying from a leech-blade wound. (LHM)
Drusi
k’Vala hertasi. Ayshen’s mate. (Owl)
Du’dera
A Shin’a’in phrase meaning “(I) give (you) comfort.” (Oath)
Dudlyn (Lord Baron)
An elderly Rethwellan nobleman who rode a fat palfrey. (Oath)
Dunwythie
Family name of a clan attending Lordan’s and Dierna’s wedding. Their stern and competent matriarch encouraged Keroyn and helped the wounded after the raiders’ attack. (Oath)
Duross
The god of Rains, whose old temple in Oberdorn was taken over by the female Lastel Longknife to resurrect the worship of Thalhkarsh. (Oath)
Dust
A gentle dapple gelding Tarma and Kethry took to Petras in their disguise as Shin’a’in traders. (Oath)
Dyheli
One of the five sentient non-human races allied with the Tayledras. Dyheli look like deer, but they are strong enough to carry a human on their back. They have huge, human-sized heads and enormous brown eyes that provide better forward vision than that of ordinary cervines. They are powerful Mind-Speakers; a dyheli king stag can control the minds of his entire herd if necessary. Dyheli can also teach a human a foreign language (or several) in moments by implanting the language directly into the subject’s mind, though the process is painful for the human. (Owl, Winds)
Dyheli tack
The equipment used to make human riders comfortable on dyheli-back, comprised of a light saddle with belly, chest, and rump girths, looped leather stirrups, a thick saddle pad to protect the rider from the ridges of the dyheli’s backbone, and a hand grip located where the horn would be on a horse’s saddle to help the rider maintain balance. Some groups of dyheli will tolerate a loose hackamore-style headgear to help stabilize and balance the rider, others won’t. Other dyheli tack has been designed to accommodate larger bond-birds, and consists of a belly band and padded platform supporting a perch. Smaller bond-birds roost on any convenient set of dyheli horns. (BV)
Dyrstaf
An enchanted item containing a potent fearspell. Ma’ar planted one in the Court of High King Leodhan of Predain. (Gryphon)
Eagle-owl
A nocturnal predatory bird with the silent flight and habits of an owl, but the general build of an eagle. The Tayledras use them as bondbirds. (Sword)
Earth-binding
A ritual that spiritually connects someone to his land. Used traditionally to bind the monarchs of Hardorn and Rethwellan to their kingdoms, and enable them to sense trouble or strife within their boundaries. The ruler must have the innate Gift of earth-sense for the ritual to be successfully performed. (Storm)
Earth-father
A Hardornen deity, partner to the Sky-mother. The couple is represented symbolically by the colors blue and green, or by a half white and half black circle. (Storm)
Earth-mages
The term for Mages who use the natural world’s energies to work their relatively minor spells—though minor spells, well-used, can have a major effect. (Storm)
Earth-magic
A form of magic related to earth-sense and used by hedge wizards and earth-witches. The ability to perform earth-magic is connected to the natural condition of the land, and the restoration of abused land to its wild state. This magic is not related to either true-magic or high magic, although it can be linked to Mind-magic. (Storm)
Earth-witchery
A form of very low-level magic, simple spells a shepherd wise-woman might know and use. (Oath)
Earthsong kSheyna
A Tayledras scout who tried to breed a vulture as a bondbird. (Winds)
Eastern Empire, The
A collection of conquered countries east of Hardorn ruled by 200-year old Emperor Charliss. (Storm, Winds)
Eclipse amulet
An amulet worn by the leader of the barbarians that attacked Errold’s Grove. When the Ghost Cat Clan approached the village years later Darian was relieved to see that no one among the newcomers wore such an amulet. (Owl)
Eclipse Ceremony
A combination of natural phenomenon and ritual observed in the Haighlei Kingdoms once every twenty years. When the eclipse occurs, a certain amount of cultural change is permitted by Haighlei custom depending on how full the eclipse is. This is the only time any sort change is allowed in their rigid society. Any change to be enacted for the next twenty years is decreed by the Emperor and his Chief Priest during the Eclipse Ceremony, and new interpretations of holy writings are announced during this time as well. (Gryphon)
Edric (Herald-trainee)
The twin brother of Drake, and one of Talia’s Year-mates. (Arrows)
Eere
Skyshadow’s bondbird, a suntail hawk-eagle. (Owl)
Egon Potter
An elderly Guildmaster potter who gave hearthroom to Tarma and Kethry when they rode into his small settlement. He also warned them about danger in the vicinity, a bear that turned out to be a shape-shifter. (Oath)
Ehrris-wine
A very sweet and somewhat narcotic wine. (Winds)
Ekele
A Tayledras tree dwelling used for meditation, sleeping, teaching, and recreation. Eac
h ekele has clear windows made of tough, flexible, transparent membranes and is accessed by a hatchway in the floor. The lower room is usually a weather-buffer and cloakroom. The second story is often a gathering chamber, with a ceramic stove. The top floor is a sleeping area and a storeroom or study. Individual dwellings are furnished with a table and chairs, all fixed to the floor, and a sleeping pad. Ekeles are warded against fire by set-spells and a transparent resin painted on the trunks. They are approached from the ground either by permanent staircases affixed to the treetrunk, or, if the ekele is not in a protected Vale, via a rope ladder that can be pulled up when not in use. (BV)
Elcarth, Dean
The diminutive and scholarly Dean of the Herald’s Collegium during Selenay’s reign. When he decided to retire after Hardorn was defeated, he chose to stay on as the Collegium’s Historian. (Arrows, Winds, TT)
Eldan (Herald)
Kerowyn’s love. Eldan’s Gifts were animal and human Mindspeech. Kerowyn met Eldan and his Companion Ratha when she rescued them from the fires of a Karsite Priestess. The mercenary and the Herald were lifebonded, but Kerowyn feared marriage and denied her feelings for years, determined to remain independent. Eldan used long-distance Mlndspeech while Kerowyn slept to maintain contact with her. During the war with Hardorn, Kerowyn came to Valdemar and was Chosen, enabling them to share life as a couple. (Owls, Sword, Winds)
Elders (Holderkin)
A group of older, married males who govern the Holderkin. Their word is law among their people and can only be overturned by the Heralds with great difficulty. (Arrows)
Elders (Shin’a’in)
Advisors and councilors to the various Shin’a’in Clans. Each group consists of a Shaman, a Clan Chief, a Warleader. and a Healer. (Oath)
Elenor
The youngest daughter of Herald Pol and Healer Ilea, she is training to be a Mind-Healer. (BB)
Elibet (Lady)
The Valdemaren Councilor who objected to Elspeth’s battle plan against Hardorn. (Winds)
Elise
A palace chambermaid and one of Talia’s confidants, Elise helped identify the Blues who tried to drown Talia. (Arrows)
Elite Guard
The Valdemar Companion Page 23