Halcyon (The Complete Trilogy)

by Joseph Robert Lewis

  Nahiz – Fiction: A town in central Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with the town of Maaziz, Morocco.

  Nahuatl – Fiction: The language of the Aztec people. Fact: Same.

  Necropolis – Fiction: A city of the dead. A massive collection of elaborate tombs and graves in one location, such as the necropolis outside Port Chellah. Fact: There are many necropolises in the world, including a Phoenician one in ancient Chellah (modern Rabat, Morocco).

  New World – Fiction: A term for the recently discovered continent ruled by the Incas. Fact: North and South America are sometimes referred to as the New World, while Europe, Africa, and Asia are referred to as the Old World. These labels are particularly used in scientific contexts, such as New World monkeys, or in commerce, such as Old World wines.

  Nicola DeVelli – Fiction: An Italian military and political theorist and member of the Ten of War council. Fact: Niccolo Machiavelli was a fifteenth century Italian political theorist, diplomat, philosopher, writer, and member of the Ten of War council. His most famous political treatise is The Prince.

  Nihani – “Secret” in Farsi (Persian / Eranian)

  Nippon – Fiction: An island nation to the east of China. Fact: Same. Nippon is the formal Japanese name for Japan.

  Nitroh – Fiction: An explosive chemical compound. Fact: Nitroglycerin was first created in the nineteenth century. It is not a toy.

  Northern Air Corps – Fiction: A department of the Mazigh Transport Authority (Security Section 4). Fact: None.

  Numidia – Fiction: A country on the northern coast of North Ifrica, with its capital at Carthage. A political and ethnic ally to Marrakesh. Fact: This free nation became a province of the Roman Empire two thousand years ago. Its borders fall within modern Algeria and Tunisia.

  Omar Bakhoum – Fiction: A senior leader of the Sons of Osiris from Aegyptus, in charge of local affairs within the city of Alexandria. A trainer of assassins and operatives. A scholar searching for aetherium and information about aetherium. He disappeared several years ago while searching for new sources of aetherium. Fact: The Arabic name Omar means long-lived.

  Orichalcum – Fiction: A legendary golden metal from ancient España. Fact: A legendary metal mentioned in the writings of ancient Greek and Roman historians. It has been suggested that orichalcum was an alloy of gold, brass, tin, silver, and other metals. It is also mentioned in Plato’s description of the lost city of Atlantis.

  Orossa – Fiction: The capital city of Marrakesh. Fact: None.

  Osiris – Fiction: A man gifted with an aetherium soul-locket, granting him eternal life and youth, as well as other abilities. A member of a large family of similarly immortal men and women, he lives a generally secluded life in the undercity of Alexandria. Four thousand years ago, he and his family posed as high priests and living gods of the Aegyptian people, presiding over state and religious functions, such as funerals. His appearance is unique within his family, notably his green skin. Fact: The Egyptian god Osiris was the Lord of the Dead. He was depicted as a green-skinned pharaoh.

  Palma – Fiction: A town on the island of Mallorca. Fact: Same.

  Pastoralism – Fiction: A political movement in Marrakesh that opposes industrialization and seeks a return to pure agricultural societies. Members are known to resort to violent terror attacks against factories, railways, and mines. Fact: None.

  Persia – Fiction: The former name of the Empire of Eran. Fact: The Persian Empire evolved over thousands of years through many names and dynasties centered around the modern nation of Iran, include the Achaemenid Empire, the Sassanid Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Saffarid dynasty, and the Timurid dynasty.

  Petrol – Fiction: A rare and expensive new type of fuel made from Songhai oil, which has more chemical energy than other known fuels. Fact: Petrol (also known as gasoline) is derived from oil, and is more volatile than other similar fuels like diesel.

  Phoenician – Fiction: The Phoenicians were ancient sea traders and settlers who spread west across the Middle Sea, establishing towns throughout North Ifrica and España many centuries ago. Fact: The Phoenician civilization existed from the sixteenth to the fourth century BC. Many Phoenician cities survive to this day, but they often have new local names.

  Pic Blanco – Fiction: A mountain in the Pyrenees. Fact: The name Pic Blanco means White Peak in Spanish.

  Pic Verde – Fiction: A mountain in the Pyrenees. Fact: The name Pic Verde means Green Peak in Spanish.

  Pizzaro brothers – Fiction: Four Espani brothers who led the disastrous invasion of the New World. All died in the war. Fact: The Pizzaros were four Spanish brothers who conquered the Incan Empire in the sixteenth century. Juan died during the siege of Cusco. Francisco was assassinated by a Spanish rival. Gonzalo was executed for rebelling against the king of Spain. Hernando died of old age in Spain.

  Plasma torch – Fiction: A new electrical tool for cutting steel using high-temperature plasma, invented by Taziri Ohana. Fact: The plasma torch was invented in the 1980s, and works exactly as described in The Bound Soul (although it requires more powerful machines than the ones described in the book). The device produces a jet of gas or compressed air from a nozzle. One electrode is located inside the nozzle and the second electrode is connected to the metal sheet being cut. An electrical arc forms between the nozzle and the sheet, which ignites the gas or air stream into plasma. The plasma burns at 25,000 degrees C (45,000 degrees F).

  Port Chellah – Fiction: A port city in western Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with modern Rabat, Morocco. “Chellah” was the city’s ancient Phoenician name.

  Punt – Fiction: A nation on the eastern coast of Ifrica, to the south-east of Aegyptus. Fact: The ancient nation of Punt was an important trading partner of ancient Egypt. It may have been located on the Horn of Africa or on the Arabian Peninsula.

  Pyrenees – Fiction: A mountain range at the northern border of España. Beyond it lies nothing but the endless glaciers of Europa. Fact: This mountain range lies along the border between Spain and France and is home to the Basques.

  Qhora Yupanqui – Fiction: An Incan princess living in España with Don Lorenzo Quesada. Fact: The Quechua (Incan) name Qhora means plant or herb.

  Quechua – Fiction: The language of the Incan Empire. Fact: Same. This language is spoken today in some areas of South America.

  Ra’s steel – See Aetherium.

  Rajasthan – Fiction: A nation on the far eastern border of the Empire of Eran, near India. Fact: Rajasthan is the largest state in the Republic of India.

  Raska – Fiction: A small Europan nation to the northwest of Hellas. Fact: This region corresponds to modern Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The name Raska is the Slavic name for Serbia.

  Reales – Fiction: Money in España. Fact: Money in Spain (back before the Euro).

  Ridolfo Capoferro – Fiction: An Italian fencing master famed for inventing the perfect lunge. Fact: Same. Lived in Siena during the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries.

  River Elbro – Fiction: A river in northern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

  Roman Church – Fiction: A religious organization that worships a God who came to earth as a man, woman, and child to experience and teach mankind. Fact: Loosely based on Catholic Christianity.

  Rome – Fiction: A city in central Italia. Fact: A real location in Italy.

  Rui Faleiro – Fiction: An Espani naval commander and advisor to Admiral Ferdinand Magellan. Fact: Rui Faleiro was a cosmographer of dubious sanity who claimed to be able to calculate longitude (he couldn’t) and advised Magellan on his voyage around the world in the sixteenth century. But Faleiro got cold feet after reading his own horoscope (I’m not making this up!) and he stayed behind.

  Rus – Fiction: A large, sparsely populated country to the north-east of Europa. Fact: There was a group of Swedish Viking explorers called the Rus people who settled Eastern Europe. Their culture may or may not have influenced the Russian nation, but the name did stick. Rus is pronounced roose, like moos
e.

  Saber-toothed cat – See kirumichi.

  Sade – Fiction: The governess of Arafez, Marrakesh. A descendant of an old Mazigh noble family. Fact: The Yoruba name Sade means honor brings a crown and is pronounced Shah-day.

  Salvator Fabris – Fiction: An Italian fencing master, international secret agent in the service of the king of Italia, and the Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts. Fact: An Italian fencing master of the sixteenth century who fought and trained in several royal courts, and published his own treatise on rapier fencing. A celebrity in his own lifetime, he was respected both as a fencer and a teacher. He was also the Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts (whatever that was).

  Samaritan – Fiction: A member of a small ethnic and religious community in the Empire of Eran, from the town of Nablus near Mount Gerizim. Samaritans possess ancient religious texts, which they claim contain the only pure record of the one true faith. Fact: A member of a small ethnic and religious community primarily located near the town of Nablus near Mount Gerizim, which is in the West Bank region near Jerusalem. Samaritans have a faith similar to Judaism, but claim that their religious texts and practices are the original untainted form of that faith.

  Security Section 1 – Fiction: The Mazigh Royal Guards, responsible for the protection of the capital and the royal family. Fact: None.

  Security Section 2 – Fiction: The Mazigh Royal Marshals, responsible for national security, investigating national crimes, and assisting local law enforcement (Section 5) as needed. Fact: None.

  Security Section 3 – Fiction: The Mazigh Office of Secret Intelligence, responsible for foreign affairs, espionage, and other covert operations outside of Marrakesh. Fact: None.

  Security Section 4 – Fiction: The Mazigh Transport Authority, responsible for operating and securing the transportation networks in Marrakesh, including the railways, waterways, and airways used by the advanced Mazigh trains, steamships, and airships. Fact: None.

  Security Section 5 – Fiction: The Mazigh District Police Force, responsible for local patrols and minor criminal investigations. Fact: None.

  Seireiken – Fiction: A sword made of aetherium and designed by Nipponese sword smiths. It is a short sword with a straight blade and a single edge, modeled on the katana. As the blade is used to kill, the aetherium absorbs the souls of the slain, which makes the sword hotter and stronger. It also allows the wielder to communicate with the souls of the slain, to acquire their knowledge and skills. Because of the high heat of the blade, it requires a special ceramic scabbard and handle. Fact: The Japanese word seirei means spirit and the word ken means sword.

  Serval – Fiction: A medium-sized wild cat native to Ifrica, related to (and resembling) the cheetah. Fact: Same. The serval primarily inhabits southern Africa, and it has unusually long legs and unusually large ears for a cat of its size.

  Sevilla – Fiction: A city in southern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

  Shahera Zahd – Fiction: A young woman from Eran who loves stories. During her early twenties, she went a brief tour of the Middle Sea kingdoms with some of her wealthy friends, but disappeared after leaving Rome on a Mazigh aeroplane. Fact: Scheherazade was a legendary Persian queen who narrated the One Thousand and One Nights tales.

  Shifrah Dumah – Fiction: A Samaritan woman, mercenary, and contract assassin. Raised in Nablus and then trained in Alexandria by Omar Bakhoum. Professional associates included Aker El Deeb and Salvator Fabris. Fact: The Hebrew name Shifrah means beautiful. The Aramaic name Dumah means silence, and refers to an angel of death.

  Shona – Fiction: The people from several kingdoms in southern Ifrica. Fact: The Shona live in modern Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and were formerly known by other names. The Shona language is one of the Bantu languages.

  Silver Prince – See Argenti Valero.

  Silver Shearwater – Fiction: One of the courier airships in the Mazigh Northern Air Corps stationed in the city of Tingis. The Shearwater was destroyed when its engine exploded. Its captain, Isoke Geroubi, survived the explosion and dedicated herself to improving air safety. Fact: None.

  Silvio de Medici – Fiction: A young fencer and nobleman of Firenze, Italia. A student of Ridolfo Capoferro. Fact: The Medici family rose to power in Florence, Italy during the fourteenth century.

  Sivathera – Fiction: A large animal related to the giraffe, with a shorter neck, more powerful legs, and large heavy antlers. Sivatheras are used by the elite of Marrakesh to pull their carriages as a display of wealth. Fact: The Sivatherium was an ancient relative to the modern giraffe and lived in Africa until it became extinct about 8,000 years ago.

  Skyfire stone – Fiction: A meteor that fell to earth centuries ago in the Pyrenees Mountains amid many strange lights and sounds, which were interpreted as divine portents by the Espani people. Fact: None.

  Solar sheet – Fiction: A metallic fabric used in Marrakesh to generate electrical power from sunlight. Often deployed on rooftops and the tops of airship envelopes. Fact: Modern solar cells are still considered expensive and inefficient, however new advances are being made every day and modern solar power plants or farms are currently in use.

  Son – Fiction: In the Roman and Constantian Churches, this is the aspect of God that embodies the concepts of mercy and compassion. Fact: In Catholicism, the Son is one of the aspects of the Holy Trinity.

  Songhai – Fiction: A large empire in West Ifrica on the southern border of Marrakesh. Currently ruled by Emperor Askia, the Songhai Empire is the dominant military and economic power in the region, but is no longer an aggressive state and has turned toward rapid trade growth and technological development. Fact: The Songhai Empire existed from the fifteenth through the sixteenth century, and included regions of modern Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.

  Sons of Osiris – Fiction: Members of the Temple of Osiris. Fact: None.

  Southern Air Corps – Fiction: A department of the Mazigh Transport Authority (Security Section 4). Fact: None.

  Star of Orossa – Fiction: A Mazigh airship, the aging skybarge of the queen of Marrakesh. Fact: None.

  Sun-steel – See Aetherium.

  Syfax Zidane – Fiction: An ex-soldier and major in the Royal Marshals of Marrakesh. Fact: The Amazigh name Syfax refers to an ancient Numidian king.

  Tartessos – Fiction: The capital city of España. Fact: Tartessos was an important port and mining center in southern Spain over two thousand years ago in commerce with the Greeks and Romans, but the city was lost, possibly due to a shifting river that turned the area into wetlands. The ruins of Tartessos have been found near modern Huelva, Spain.

  Taziri Ohana – Fiction: A Mazigh electrical engineer and pilot. Chief engineer of the Halcyon I, chief pilot of the Halcyon II, and inventor and pilot of the Halcyon III. Holds several patents, including a revolutionary high-capacity chemical battery. Fact: The Amazigh name Taziri means full moon.

  Telegraph – Fiction: An advanced Mazigh communications system that sends messages instantly across long distances from one telegraph machine to another over a wire using a code of electric dots and dashes, which must be translated into letters and words. Fact: The telegraph was invented in the 1830s (separately by several inventors in America and Germany at nearly the same time).

  Temple of Osiris – Fiction: A secret society based in Alexandria, Aegytpus. The organization manipulates trade, politics, and crime to control entire empires. Some members seek wealth and power. Others seek arcane knowledge. Related to the Temple of Amaterasu in Nippon, where the society originated. Fact: Osiris is the ancient Egyptian god of the dead. Amaterasu is the ancient Japanese goddess of the sun.

  Ten of War council – Fiction: The military and foreign affairs council of Firenze, Italia. Fact: The military and foreign affairs council of Florence, Italy in the sixteenth century.

  Terror bird – See hatun-anka.

  The Cat’s Eye – Fiction: A restaurant in Alexandria where criminal syndicates come to discuss illicit busin
ess proposals with the proprietor, Zahra El Ayat, who represents the interests of the Temple of Osiris. Fact: None.

  The Wandering Eye – Fiction: The original name of The Cat’s Eye, when it was operated by Omar Bakhoum. Fact: None.

  Thoth – Fiction: An ancient Aegyptian man who discovered the properties of aetherium and the science of soul-splitting. By placing a portion of his soul inside an aetherium locket, he became immortal. He used this science to make an entire Aegyptian family immortal, including the orphan girl Bastet, who calls him Grandfather. Over the centuries, he has traveled the world in search of new knowledge about souls and in search of more aetherium. Fact: Thoth was the Egyptian god of intelligence, philosophy, writing, and science. Unlike the other gods who were part of an elaborate family, Thoth may have appeared independently, possibly even creating himself.

  Tingis – Fiction: A city on the northern coast of Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with the modern city of Tangier, Morocco. “Tingis” was one of the city’s ancient names in honor of an Amazigh goddess.

  Tingis Seven – Fiction: A criminal syndicate in Tingis broken up by Major Syfax Zidane. Fact: None.

  Tishna – “Thirsty” – Farsi (Persian / Eranian)

  Toledo – Fiction: A city in central España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

  Triquetra – Fiction: The religious symbol of the Roman Church, consisting of three inter-woven and over-lapping ovals to symbolize the Father, Mother, and Son. Fact: The triquetra symbol was used by several cultures, including the Celts and Germanic peoples, as well as Christians to symbolize the Holy Trinity.

  Trolley – Fiction: A public transportation system in Marrakesh of small electrically powered train-like cars that run on rails throughout major cities. Fact: Also called streetcars and light rails, trolleys evolved over time from horse-drawn cars, to steam-powered vehicles, to the electric trains still in use today in many major cities.

  Turi – Fiction: A harpy eagle that Qhora Yupanqui purchased in the marketplace in Carthage. Fact: The Quechua (Incan) word Turi means brother.