by Brent Weeks
Orlos, Maros: A very religious Ruthgari drafter. He fought in both the False Prism’s War and as a defender of Garriston.
Or-mar-zel-atir: One of the original Blackguards who served Lucidonius.
Oros brothers, the: Two Blackguard scrubs.
Payam, Parshan: A young drafter at the Chromeria who attempts to seduce Liv Danavis as part of a bet. He fails in spectacular fashion.
Pevarc: He proved the world was round two hundred years before Gavin Guile, and he was later lynched for positing that light was the absence of darkness.
Philosopher, the: A foundational figure in both moral and natural philosophy.
Phyros: A member of the Omnichrome’s army. He is seven feet tall and fights with two axes.
Pip: A Blackguard scrub.
Pots: A Blackguard.
Presser: A Blackguard.
Ptolos: Satrapah of Ruthgar.
Pullawr, Orea: See White, the.
Rados, Blessed Satrap: A Ruthgari satrap who fought the Blood Foresters although he was outnumbered two to one. He was famous for burning the Rozanos Bridge behind his army to keep it from retreating.
Ramir (Ram): A Rekton villager.
Rassad, Master Shayam: Completely blind in the visible spectrum, he allegedly could navigate with sub-red and paryl; taught Marta Martaens’s teacher in paryl.
Rathcore, Ulbear: The late husband of the White, he has been dead for twenty years. An adroit player of Nine Kings.
Rig: A Blackguard legacy. He is a red/orange bichrome.
Rud: A Blackguard scrub. He is a squat coastal Parian who wears the ghotra.
Running Wolf: A general for Gavin during the False Prism’s war. He was thrice bested by smaller forces commanded by Corvan Danavis.
Sadah Superviolet: The Parian representative, a superviolet drafter, often the swing vote on the Spectrum.
Samite: One of Karris’s best friends. She is a Blackguard and a bodyguard for Kip, and one of the strongest female Blackguards.
Sanson: A village boy from Rekton.
Satrap of Atash: See Aravind, Lord.
Sayeh, Meena: Cousin to Samila Sayeh. She was just seven years old when she was killed in Gad Delmarta’s purge of the royal family at Ru.
Sayeh, Samila: A blue drafter for Gavin’s army. She fought in the defense of Garriston under Gavin Guile.
Selene, Lady: A Tyrean blue/green bichrome. She is in charge of the greens in Garriston so that they can dredge the key irrigation canals.
Sendinas, the: A Rekton family.
Shadowblinder, Karris: Lucidonius’s wife and later widow. She was the second Prism. See also Atiriel, Karris.
Sharp, Master: One of Andross Guile’s agents. He wears a necklace of human teeth.
Shayam, Lord: One of the lords of the air, set to oversee redistribution of the city of Garriston by the Color Prince.
Shimmercloak, Gebalyn: Vox Shimmercloak’s former partner. She seems to have died in a fire while on an assignment.
Shimmercloak, Niah: An assassin. She is the partner of Vox and a lightsplitter.
Shimmercloak, Vox: A green drafter and assassin. He was kicked out of the Chromeria at thirteen; he worships Atirat.
Shining Spear: Originally called El-Anat. Once he converted to the Light, he became Forushalzmarish, then Shining Spear so the locals could pronounce it.
Siluz, Rea: Fourth undersecretary of the Chromeria library and a weak yellow drafter. She knows Janus Borig and directs Kip to meet her.
Small Bear: A huge archer with just one eye. He served Zee Oakenshield.
Spear: A commander of the Blackguards when Gavin first became Prism.
Spreading Oak, Alexander: The Prism before Gavin. Likely a poppy addict, he spent most of his time hiding in his apartments.
Stump: A Parian Blackguard.
Sworrins, the: A Rekton family.
Tala: A drafter and warrior in the False Prism’s War. She was also a defender of Garriston. Her grandson is Aheyyad Brightwater, and her sister is Tayri.
Tala (the Younger): A yellow/green bichrome. Named after the hero of the False Prism’s War, she is an excellent drafter, though not yet an excellent fighter.
Talim, Sayid: A former Prism. He nearly got himself named promachos to face the nonexistent armada he claimed waited beyond the gates, forty-seven years ago.
Tamerah: A Blackguard scrub, a blue monochrome.
Tana: A Blackguard legacy, a scrub.
Tanner: A Blackguard scrub.
Tarkian: A polychrome drafter.
Tayri: A Parian drafter and defender of Garriston. Her sister is Tala.
Tazerwalt: A princess of the Tlaglanu tribe of Paria. She married Hanishu, the dey of Aghbalu.
Temnos, Dalos the Younger: A drafter who fought in both the False Prism’s War and the defense of Garriston under Gavin Guile.
Tempus: A Blackguard put in charge of greens during the battle at Ruic Head.
Tep, Usef: A drafter who fought in the False Prism’s War. He is also known as the Purple Bear, because he is a discontiguous bichrome in red and blue. After the war, he and Samila Sayeh became lovers, despite having fought on opposite sides.
Third Eye, the: A Seer, the leader of Seers Island.
Tiziri: A student at the Chromeria. She has a birthmark over the left half of her face.
Tizrik: The son of the dey of Aghbalu. He fails the Blackguard testing, though not before Kip breaks his nose for being a bully.
Tlatig: One of the Blackguard’s most skilled archers.
Tolver, Jia: The Yellow on the Spectrum. An Abornean drafter, she is a cousin of Arys Greenveil (the Sub-red).
Tremblefist: A Blackguard. He is Ironfist’s younger brother, and was once the dey of Aghbalu.
Tristaem: The author of On the Fundaments of Reason.
Tufayyur: A Blackguard scrub.
Tugertent: One of the Blackguard’s most skilled archers.
Ular: A Blackguard scrub, Jun’s partner.
Usem the Wild: A drafter and defender of Garriston.
Valor: A Blackguard scrub. He partners with Pip during a Blackguard test. They fail when thugs stop them.
Vanzer: A Blackguard and green drafter.
Varidos, Kerawon: A superchromat, magister and head tester of the Chromeria. He drafts orange and red.
Varigari, Lord: A gambler from the Varigari family, originally fishermen before they were raised in the Blood Wars. He lost the family fortune and lands to his habit.
Vecchio, Pash: The most powerful of the pirate kings. His flagship is the Gargantua.
Vena: Liv’s friend and fellow student at the Chromeria; a superviolet.
Verangheti, Lucretia: Adrasteia’s sponsor at the Chromeria. She is from the Ilytian Smussato Veranghetis.
Vin, Taya: A mercenary with the Cloven Shield company.
Wanderer, the: A legendary figure, the subject of Gevison’s poem The Wanderer’s Last Journey.
White Oak, Karris: A Blackguard; a red/green bichrome; the original cause of the False Prism’s War.
White Oak, Koios: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Kolos: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Rissum: A luxlord, the father of Karris and her seven brothers; reputed to be hot-tempered, but a coward.
White Oak, Rodin: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White Oak, Tavos: One of the seven White Oak brothers, brother to Karris White Oak.
White, the: The head of the Spectrum. She is a blue/green bichrome, but currently abstains from any drafting in order to prolong her life. Her name is Orea Pullawr, though it is rarely used. She was married to Ulbear Rathcore before his death.
Wil: A green drafter, and a Blackguard.
Winsen: A mountain Parian, and a Blackguard scrub.
Wit, Rondar: A blue drafter who becomes a color wight.
Young Bull: A blue drafter who fought with Zee Oakenshield.
Zid: Quartermaster of the Omnichrome’s army.
Ziri: A Blackguard scrub.
Zymun: A young drafter and member of the Omnichrome’s army.
Glossary
Aghbalu: A Parian city.
alcaldesa: A Tyrean term, akin to village mayor or chief.
Am, Children of: Archaic term for the people of the Seven Satrapies.
Anat: God of wrath, associated with sub-red.
Angar: A country beyond the Seven Satrapies and the Everdark Gates. Its skilled sailors occasionally shoot the Everdark Gates to enter the Cerulean Sea.
aristeia: A concept encompassing genius, purpose, and excellence.
Aslal: The capital city of Paria.
ataghan: A narrow, slightly forward-curving sword with a single edge for most of its length.
Atan’s Teeth: Mountains to the east of Tyrea.
atasifusta: The widest tree in the world, believed extinct after the False Prism’s War. Its sap has properties like concentrated red luxin, which, when allowed to drain slowly, can keep a flame lit for hundreds of years if the tree is large enough. The wood itself is ivory white, and when the trees are immature, a small amount can keep a home warm for months.
Atirat: God of lust, associated with green.
Aved Barayah: A legendary ship. Its name means The Fire Breather.
aventail: Usually made of chain mail, it is attached to the helmet and drapes over the neck, shoulders, and upper chest.
Azûlay: A coastal city in Paria; the Nuqaba lives there.
balance: The primary work of the Prism. When the Prism drafts at the top of the Chromeria, he alone can sense all the world’s imbalances in magic and can draft enough of its opposite (i.e., balancing) color to stop the imbalance from getting any worse and leading to catastrophe. Frequent imbalances occurred throughout the world’s history before Lucidonius came, and the resulting disasters of fire, famine, and sword killed thousands if not millions. Superviolet balances sub-red, blue balances red, and green balances orange. Yellow seems to exist in balance naturally.
bane: An old Ptarsu term, could be either singular or plural. It may have meant a temple or holy place, though Lucidonius’s Parians believed they were abominations. The Parians acquired the word from the Ptarsu.
beakhead: The protruding part of the foremost section of the ship.
beams: See Chromeria trained.
Belphegor: God of sloth, associated with yellow.
belt-flange: A flattened hook attached to a pistol so it can be tucked securely into a belt.
belt knife: A blade small enough to be tucked in a man’s belt, commonly used for eating, rarely for defense.
bich’hwa: A “scorpion,” a dagger with a loop hilt and a narrow, undulating recurved blade. Sometimes made with a claw.
bichrome: A drafter who can draft two different colors.
Big Jasper (Island): The island on which the city of Big Jasper rests just opposite the Chromeria, and where the embassies of all the satrapies reside.
binocle: A double-barreled spyglass that allows the use of both eyes for viewing objects at a distance.
Blackguard, the: The White’s bodyguard. The Blackguard was also instituted by Lucidonius both to prevent the Prism’s overreaching power and to guard the Prism from external threats.
blindage: A screen for the open deck of a ship during battle.
Blood Plains, the: An older collective term for Ruthgar and Blood Forest, so called since Vician’s Sin caused the Blood War between them.
Blood War, the: A series of battles that began after Vician’s Sin tore apart the formerly close allies of Blood Forest and Ruthgar. The war was seemingly interminable, often starting and stopping, until Gavin Guile put an end to it following the False Prism’s War. It seems there will be no further hostilities. Also known as the Blood Wars among some scholars who differentiate between the various campaigns.
Blue-Eyed Demons, the: A famed company of bandits whose king Gavin Guile killed after the False Prism’s War.
blunderbuss: A short musket with a bell-shaped muzzle that can be loaded with shrapnel. Useful at short distances only, such as against mobs.
brightwater: Liquid yellow luxin.
Brightwater Wall: Its building was an epic feat. This wall was designed by Aheyyad Brightwater and built by Prism Guile at Garriston in just days before and while the Omnichrome’s army attacked.
Broken Man, the: A statue in a Tyrean orange grove. A Ptarsu relic?
caleen: A diminutive term of address for a girl or female slave, like “girl” but used regardless of the slave’s age.
Cannon Island: A small island with a minimal garrison between Big Jasper and Little Jasper.
cavendish: Tobacco-like fruit leather.
Cerulean Sea, the: The sea at the center of the Seven Satrapies.
cherry glims: Slang for red-drafting second-year students.
chirurgeon: One who stitches up the wounded and studies anatomy.
Chosen, Orholam’s: Another term for the Prism.
Chromeria, the: The ruling body of the Seven Satrapies; also a term for the school where drafters are trained.
Chromeria trained: Those who have or are training at the Chromeria school for drafting on Little Jasper Island in the Cerulean Sea. The Chromeria’s training system does not limit students based on age, but rather progresses them through each degree of training based on their ability and knowledge. So a thirteen-year-old who is extremely proficient in drafting might well be a gleam, or third-year student, while an eighteen-year-old who is just beginning work on her drafting could be a dim.
darks: Technically known as “the supplicants,” these are would-be drafters who have yet to be tested for their abilities at the Chromeria or allowed admission to the school.
dims: The first-year (and therefore lowest) rank of the Chromeria’s students.
glims: Second-year students.
gleams: Third-year students who are fairly advanced.
beams: Fourth-year students.
cocca: A type of merchant ship, usually small.
Colors, the: The seven members of the Spectrum. Each originally represented a single color of the seven sacred colors, and could draft that color, and each satrapy had one representative on the Spectrum. Since the founding of the Spectrum, that practice has deteriorated as satrapies have maneuvered for power. Thus a satrapy’s representative, though usually appointed to a color corresponding to his abilities, could be appointed as Luxlord Green, but not actually draft green himself. Likewise, some of the satrapies might lose their representative, and others could have two or even three representatives on the Spectrum at a time, depending on the politics of the day. The term is for life.
color matchers: A term for full-spectrum superchromats. Sometimes employed as satraps’ gardeners.
color-sensitive: See superchromat.
color wight: A drafter who has broken the halo. They frequently remake their bodies with pure luxin, rejecting the Pact between drafter and society.
conn: A title for a mayor or leader of a village in far northern Atash; more common in Blood Forest.
Corbine Street: A street in Big Jasper that leads up to the Great Fountain of Karris Shadowblinder.
corregidor: A Tyrean term for a chief magistrate; from when Tyrea encompassed eastern Atash.
Counselor to Kings, The: A manuscript, noted for advocating ruthless treatment of opponents.
Cracked Lands, the: A region of broken land in the extreme west of Atash. Its treacherous terrain is only crossed by the most hardy and experienced traders.
Crater Lake: A large lake in southern Tyrea where the former capital of Tyrea, Kelfing, sits. The area is famous for its forests and the production of yew longbows.
Crossroads, the: A kopi house, restaurant, tavern, the highest-priced inn on the Jaspers, and downstairs, allegedly, a similarly priced brothel. Located near the Lily’s Stem, the Crossroads is ho
used in the former Tyrean embassy building, centrally located in the Embassies District for all the ambassadors, spies, and merchants trying to deal with various governments.
cubit: A unit of volume. One cubit is one foot high, one foot wide, and one foot deep.
culverin: A type of cannon, useful for firing long distances because of its heavily weighted cannonballs and long-bore tube.
dagger-pistols: Flintlock pistols with a blade attached, allowing the user to fire at distance and then use the blade at close range or if the weapon misfires.
Dagnu: God of gluttony, associated with red.
danar: The currency of the Seven Satrapies. One danar at an expensive inn on Jasper Island buys a cup of kopi. The average worker makes about a danar a day, while an unskilled laborer can expect to earn a half danar a day. The coins have a square hole cut in the middle, and are often carried on square-cut sticks. They can be cut in half and still hold their value.
tin danar: Worth eight regular danar coins. A stick of tin danars usually carries twenty-five coins, that is, two hundred danars.
silver quintar: Worth twenty danars, slightly wider than the tin danar, but only half as thick. A stick of silver quintars usually carries fifty coins, that is, one thousand danars.
den: One-tenth of a danar.
darks: See Chromeria trained.
Dark Forest: A region within Blood Forest where pygmies reside. Decimated by the diseases brought by invaders, their numbers have never recovered, and they remain insular and often hostile.
darklight: Another term for paryl.
dawat: A Parian martial art.
Dazen’s War: An alternate name of the False Prism’s War, used by the victors.
Deimachia, the: The War of/on the Gods. A theological term for Lucidonius’s battle for supremacy against the pagan gods of the old world.
Demiurgos: Another term for a Mirror; a half-creator.
dey/deya: A Parian title, male and female respectively. A near-absolute ruler over a city and its surrounding territory.
dims: See Chromeria trained.
discipulae: The feminine plural term (also applying to groups of mixed gender) for those who study both religious and magical arts.