by G. R. Lyons
Filday – sixth day of the six-day week; named for the time when the world was created and the deities' labors neared their end
Garis – celestial body also known as the Mother's moon, created by Mother Nyses from the everlasting fire
Gate – a portal made of starglass; each Gate is paired, so they have exclusive destinations; on Tanas, one Gate is located in the Council building in Vhais, and is under guard; another, hidden Gate is located just beyond a clearing on the mountainside near Sonekha prison
Gateway – name for property currently owned by Benash Rothbur, located in the hills above New Haven, Agoran; contains a Gate that leads to Tanas, its counterpart hidden away on a mountainside; the only remaining Gate to that Isle, except the one located in Divinity Square, the counterpart of which is in Vhais, Tanas's capitol city; land originally claimed by Jevon when the Tanasian rebels arrived on Agoran in The Prisoner (Shifting Isles, Book 1), Benash saved up to buy the property from him when all the other rebels decided to move as far as possible from the Gate connecting to Tanas; the property now includes a large house that serves as a transition place or retreat for any rebels who manage to escape Tanas
Guildmistress – title of a trained and certified female member of the Erosti Leisure Guild; essentially, an exceptionally talented prostitute also trained in music, dance, acting, cooking, massage, etc.
Hallern – district (similar to a county) near the northern end of Tanas; where Benash was born
Hawk – nickname for Officer Benash, in particular, or for any member of the Hawk guard, in general
Hawk guard – branch of the Tanasian armed forces, ranking above citizens but below the Eagle guard
Hawkeye – free market insurance and personal defense agency on Agoran, owned by Benash Rothbur, and now run by Charlie Crawford
Inadra – Lady of Passions; conjoined twin sister of Inaria, and daughter of Nyses, Kalos, and Zhagos; patron goddess of the Isle of Erostil
Inaria – Lady of Purity; conjoined twin sister of Inadra, and daughter of Nyses, Kalos, and Zhagos; patron goddess of the Isle of Andria
Indisar – an Isle, originally to the southeast of the land before the Breaking of the World; a desert wasteland; under monarchic rule; they shun the Seven and instead worship their One True God, Aj'lan (a false and non-existent deity)
Indisari – a person who lives on or originates from Indisar
Indisarian – of or pertaining to Indisar
Jadu'n – an Isle, originally near the southern coast of the land before the Breaking of the World; also known as the Hole in the Ocean, as it is a valley almost entirely below sea level; home of the magi
Jaduan – a person who lives or studies on Jadu'n; of or pertaining to Jadu'n
Jaduan High Council – another name for the Vakti, the ruling council on Jadu'n
Kalos – Father of Healing; a lesser deity created by Skelroth; brother to Zhagos and mate to Nyses; one of the fathers of the Twins, Inaria and Inadra; patron god of the Isle of Jadu'n
Lady – alternate name for either Inaria or Inadra; also a title for members of the Vakti, the Jaduan High Council
Libertas – name of a fleet and its flagship, based on Agoran
Lord – alternate name for the god Thrysundir
magi – men born with magical powers (singular: mage); those who study magical craft on Jadu'n; also known as the Children of Kalos
Marday – second day of the six-day week; named for the time when Skelroth created Mother Nyses
marriage scar – upon being taken as a wife, a Tanasian woman has her husband's name cut into her left shoulder to identify her as his property
Master – common title for a Rajali mage
Mistress – short for Guildmistress, title of a trained and certified female member of the Erosti Leisure Guild
Mother – alternate name for the goddess Nyses
Mourning Day – alternate name for Reconstruction Day
New Haven – city near the west coast of Agoran
Nyses – Mother of Storms; a lesser deity created by Skelroth; mate to both Zhagos and Kalos; mother to the Twins, Inaria and Inadra; patron goddess of the Libertas fleet from Agoran
Oaks Pass – city near the east coast of Agoran
One – alternate name for Skelroth, the Creator
Others – a name sometimes used to represent the lesser six deities as a group
Partri – fourth month of the year; originally (and still, by tradition) part of the spring season before the Breaking of the World
Pascatin – river running the length of Tanas; passes to the east of the city of Sonekha, near the Pit
Pit – a mass grave on Tanas, where the dead are dumped and periodically burned; located to the east of the city of Sonekha
Rajali – a fully trained and certified mage
Reconstruction Day – name for the Tanasian holiday, also known as Mourning Day, recognizing the anniversary of the Breaking of the World (5th of Sulinel); auspicious day for getting a woman with child, for the sake of rebuilding the Tanasian population, which has a high mortality rate
renkana – a winged horse, originally pure white from Falsin, but now having taken on color and belonging to a mage of Jadu'n
S.P.I.R.I.T. Division – division of Hawkeye Agency; stands for Security Provision Integrating Real-time Invasive Telepathy; utilizes an imperfect telepathic connection to victims of violent crime to seek out and aid those victims, hopefully before the crime can be completed
Sehryl – celestial body also known as the Father's sun, created by Zhagos from the everlasting fire; the primary source of light and heat for the world during the day
Seven – a name for all the deities (Skelroth and the lesser six) as a group
shifting / shift cycle – a process similar to our plate tectonics; after the Breaking of the World, the land was no longer anchored as one mass, and instead became separate Isles that shift across the globe, sometimes grazing coastlines or directly colliding (see also: Collision); thanks to the advanced technology and mathematics developed by the Agori, the shift cycle and Collision events are predictable almost down to the second
Shysais – fifth month of the year; originally (and still, by tradition) part of the summer season before the Breaking of the World
Siksani – mage in training; ranking above a novice but below a fully certified Rajali; also known as a priest of the Seven
Siresday – third day of the six-day week; named for the time when Skelroth created the Fathers
Skelroth – supreme deity; the Creator of All
Solday – first day of the six-day week; named for the time when Skelroth was alone in the Void
Soldis – second month of the year; originally (and still, by tradition) part of the winter season before the Breaking of the World
Sonekha – name of a city on Tanas, where Benash once lived; also the name for the nearby underground prison, now abandoned
starglass – a celestial substance crafted into portals, using a combination of Agorani technology and Jaduan magic; paired sections of starglass allow a person or object to travel from one location to another as simply as stepping through a doorway; shimmers like starlight, but neither reflects anything before it nor allows a view to what lies beyond it; destruction of one half of a pair causes the other half of the pair to shatter into dust
Subhadin – celestial body also known as the Father's sun, created by Kalos from the everlasting fire; provides sparkling light but little heat, and travels a wayward path unlike its counterparts
Sulinel – third month of the year; originally (and still, by tradition) part of the spring season before the Breaking of the World
Tanas – an Isle, originally to the west of the land, just above Agoran, before the Breaking of the World; once a tentative democracy and now a supposed commune under the rule of the Council of Elders
Tanasian – a person who lives on or originates from Tanas
Tarvin – seventh month of the year; ori
ginally (and still, by tradition) part of the fall season before the Breaking of the World
'thrice-damned' – curse on Tanas originating from their suspicion of and hatred for things that come in threes thanks to the three strikes of Father Zhagos's hammer that caused the Breaking of the World
Thrysday – fifth day of the six-day week; named for the time when Skelroth created Thrysundir
Thrysundir – Lord of Action; a lesser deity created by Skelroth
Times Cross Station – formerly a train station in Oaks Pass on Agoran, now a site for Gates to Andria, Jadu'n, Ceynes, and Erostil; the Gate from there to Tanas was destroyed from the Tanasian side years ago, and no Gates were ever built there to Falsin or Indisar
twel'night – two weeks (as each week has six days)
Twins – a name for the twins Inaria and Inadra as a pair
Twinsday – fourth day of the six-day week; named for the time when the Twins came to be
University Hospital – hospital in downtown New Haven, right next to Divinity Square
Vakti – the Jaduan High Council, comprised of seven women whose magical ability is limited to sensing the existence of those who will become magi; they also hold all governmental power on the Isle of Jadu'n
Vhais – capitol city of Tanas, where the Council of Elders reside; located south of Sonekha (approximately two days' walk)
Void – vast emptiness in which Skelroth kindled the everlasting fire, from which originated the lesser deities and the world known to Man
wrap – a garment worn by Tanasian women, in undyed white; comprised of a full-length skirt, with a long piece of cloth that crosses from the hip, up over the opposite shoulder, and is tucked in at the back; unmarried women have the cloth over the left shoulder, while married women wear it over the right, thus leaving the left shoulder exposed to display a woman's marriage scar
Zhagos – Father of Stone; a lesser deity created by Skelroth; brother to Kalos and mate to Nyses; one of the fathers of the Twins, Inaria and Inadra; patron god of the Isle of Falsin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G.R. Lyons lives on California's beautiful Central Coast, daylighting as an office manager for the family auto repair business. Between repair orders and after hours, Lyons can be found reading all manner of books or working on one of several manuscripts.
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