Theft Of Swords: The Riyria Revelations

by Michael J. Sullivan

  “How do they feel about dwarves?”

  “I don’t think you’ll have a problem. They’re the kind of people who tend to like everyone.”

  “I could do with getting back to stonecutting.” Magnus nodded.

  “Myron will drive him crazy with his quest to get the monastery exactly the way it was,” Hadrian said. “They’ve gone through five builders so far.”

  “I know,” Royce replied with a little grin.

  Royce climbed back on top of Mouse as Magnus went ahead to check on Mauvin.

  Hadrian shook out his shirt before slipping his arm in the sleeve. “Arista told me you two were with Esrahaddon in the tower last night. She said he needed help with something, but wouldn’t tell me what it was.”

  “He was using the tower to look for the Heir of Novron,” Royce replied.

  “Did he find him?”

  “I think so, but you know how Esra is. It’s hard to be sure of anything when dealing with him.” Hadrian nodded and winced as he pulled the shirt over his shoulders.

  “Having troubles?”

  “You try getting dressed with broken ribs sometime. It isn’t so easy.”

  Royce continued to look at him.

  “What is it? Am I that entertaining?” Hadrian asked.

  “It’s just that you’ve worn that silver medallion ever since I’ve known you, but you never told me where you got it.”

  “Hmm? This?” Hadrian said. “I’ve had this forever. My father left it to me.”

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND NAMES

  ADDIE WOOD: Mother of Thrace, wife of Theron

  ALBERT WINSLOW, VISCOUNT: Landless nobleman used by Riyria to arrange assignments from the gentry

  ALBURN: Kingdom of Avryn ruled by King Armand and Queen Adeline

  ALENDA LANAKLIN, LADY: Daughter of Marquis Victor Lanaklin and sister of Brother Myron of the Winds Abbey

  ALLIE: Daughter of Wyatt Deminthal

  ALRIC BRENDON ESSENDON, PRINCE: Member of ruling family of Melengar, son of Amrath, brother of Arista

  ALVERSTONE: al-ver-stone Royce’s dagger

  AMBROSE MOOR: Administrator of the Manzant Prison and Salt Works

  AMRATH ESSENDON, KING: am-wrath Ruler of Melengar, father of Alric and Arista

  AMRIL, COUNTESS: am-rill Noblewoman that Arista cursed with boils

  ANTUN BULARD: Historian and author of The History of Apeladorn

  APELADORN: ah-pell-ah-dorn Four nations of man, consisting of Trent, Avryn, Delgos, and Calis

  AQUESTA: ah-quest-ah Capital city of the kingdom of Warric

  ARCADIUS VINTARUS LATIMER: Professor of lore at Sheridan University

  ARCHIBALD BALLENTYNE: Earl of Chadwick

  ARISTA ESSENDON, PRINCESS: Member of ruling family of Melengar, daughter of Amrath, sister of Alric

  ARMAND, KING: Ruler of Alburn, married to Adeline

  ART, THE: Magic, generally feared by nobles and commoners due to superstition

  ARVID MCDERN: Son of Dillon McDern of Dahlgren

  AVEMPARTHA: Ancient elven tower

  AVRYN: ave-rin Central and most powerful of the four nations of Apeladorn, located between Trent and Delgos

  BALLENTYNE: bal-in-tine Ruling family of the earldom of Chadwick

  BA RAN GHAZEL: Goblins of the sea

  BELINDA PICKERING: Extremely attractive wife of Count Pickering, mother of Lenare, Mauvin, Fanen, and Denek

  BELSTRADS: bell-straads Family of knights from Chadwick, including Sir Breckton and Wesley

  BERNICE: Handmaid of Princess Arista

  BERNUM RIVER: Waterway that bisects the city of Colnora

  BETHAMY, KING: Ruler reputed to have had his horse buried with him

  BLACK DIAMOND, THE: International thieves’ guild centered in Colnora

  BLACKWATER: Last name of Hadrian and his father, Danbury

  BLYTHIN CASTLE: Castle in Alburn

  BOCANT: Family who built a lucrative industry from pork, second most wealthy merchants in Colnora

  BOTHWICKS: Family of peasant farmers of Dahlgren

  BRECKTON BELSTRAD, SIR: Son of Lord Belstrad, knight of Chadwick, considered by many to be the best knight of Avryn

  BRODRIC ESSENDON: Founder of the Essendon dynasty

  BUCKET MEN: Term for assassin used by the Black Diamond thieves’ guild

  BYRNIE: Long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail formerly worn as defensive armor

  CALIAN: cal-lay-in Pertaining to the nation of Calis

  CALIANS: Residents of the nation of Calis, darker in skin tone, with almond-shaped eyes

  CALIS: cal-lay Southern-and easternmost of the four nations of Apeladorn, considered exotic, in constant conflict with the Ba Ran Ghazel

  CASWELL: Family of peasant farmers from Dahlgren

  CENZARS: sen-zhars Wizards of the ancient Novronian Empire

  CHAMBERLAIN: Someone who manages the household of a king or nobleman

  COLNORA: call-nor-ah Largest and wealthiest city of Avryn, merchant-based, grew from a rest stop at a central crossroads from various major trade routes

  COSMOS DELUR: Colnora’s richest resident

  CRIMSON HAND: Thieves’ guild operating out of Melengar

  CROWN TOWER: Home of the Patriarch, center of the Nyphron Church

  CUTTER: Assassin of the Black Diamond, best friend of Royce, boyfriend of Jade

  DAGASTAN: Major and easternmost trade port of Calis

  DAHLGREN: dall-grin Remote village on the bank of the Nidwalden River

  DANBURY BLACKWATER: Father of Hadrian

  DANTHEN: Woodsman from Dahlgren

  DAREF, LORD: Nobleman of Warric, associate of Albert Winslow

  DARIUS SERET: Founder of the Seret Knights

  DAVENS, SQUIRE: Boy who Arista had a youthful crush on

  DEGAN GAUNT: Leader of the Nationalists

  DELANO DEWITT, BARON: Nobleman who hires Hadrian to steal Count Pickering’s sword

  DELGOS: One of the four nations of Apeladorn. The only republic in a world of monarchies, Delgos revolted against the Steward’s Empire after Glenmorgan III was murdered and after surviving an attack by the Ba Ran Ghazel with no aid from the empire.

  DELORKAN, DUKE: Calian nobleman

  DELUR: Family of wealthy merchants

  DENEK PICKERING: Youngest son of Count Pickering

  DILLON MCDERN: Dahlgren’s blacksmith

  DIOYLION: die-e-leon The Accumulated Letters of Dioylion, a very rare scroll

  DIXON TAFT: Bartender and manager of The Rose and Thorn Tavern

  DROME: God of the dwarves

  DRONDIL FIELDS: Count Pickering’s castle, once the fortress of Brodric Essendon, the original seat of power in Melengar

  DRUMINDOR: Dwarven-built fortress located at the entrance to Terlando Bay in Tur Del Fur

  DRUNDEL: Peasant family from Dahlgren consisting of Mae, Went, Davie, and Firth

  DUSTER: Moniker used by Royce while a member of the Black Diamond

  ECTON, SIR: Chief knight of Count Pickering and military general of Melengar

  EDMUND HALL: Professor of geometry at Sheridan University, reputed to have found Percepliquis, declared a heretic by the Nyphron Church, imprisoned in the Crown Tower

  ELAN: The world

  ELDEN: Large man, friend of Wyatt Deminthal

  ELLA: Cook at Drondil Fields

  ELVEN: Pertaining to elves

  ENDEN, SIR: Knight of Chadwick, considered the second best to Breckton

  EREBUS: Father of the gods, also known as Kile

  ERIVAN: ear-ah-van Elven empire

  ERLIC, SIR: Knight competing in Dahlgren contest

  ERVANON: err-vah-non City in northern Ghent, seat of the Nyphron Church, once the capital of the Steward’s Empire as established by Glenmorgan I

  ESRAHADDON: ez-rah-hod-in Wizard, onetime member of the ancient order of the Cenzar, convicted of destroying the Novronian Empire and sentenced to imprisonment

  ESSENDON: ez-in-don
Royal family of Melengar

  ESSENDON CASTLE: Home of ruling monarchs of Melengar

  ESTRAMNADON: es-tram-nah-don Believed to be the capital or at least a very sacred place in the Erivan Empire

  ESTRENDOR: es-tren-door Northern wastes

  ETCHER: Member of the Black Diamond thieves’ guild

  FALINA BROCKTON: Real name of Emerald, waitress at The Rose and Thorn Tavern

  FANEN PICKERING: fan-in Middle son of Count Pickering

  FAULD, THE ORDER OF: fall-ed Post-imperial order of knights dedicated to preserving the skill and discipline of the Teshlor Knights

  FENITILIAN, BROTHER: Monk of Maribor, made warm shoes

  FERROL: God of the elves

  FINILESS: Noted author

  FLETCHER: Maker of arrows

  GALEANNON: gale-e-an-on Kingdom of Avryn, ruled by Fredrick and Josephine

  GALENTI: ga-lehn’-tay Calian term

  GALEWYR RIVER: gale-wahar Marks the southern border of Melengar and the northern border of Warric and reaches the sea near the fishing village of Roe

  GALIEN, ARCHBISHOP: gal-e-in High-ranking member of the Nyphron Church

  GALILIN: gal-ah-lin Province of Melengar ruled by Count Pickering

  GEMKEY: Gem that opens a gemlock

  GEMLOCK: Dwarven invention that seals a container and can only be opened with a precious gem of the right type and cut

  GENTRY SQUARE: Affluent district of Melengar

  GHAZEL: gehz-ell Ba Ran Ghazel, dwarven name for goblins, literally: Sea goblins

  GHENT: Ecclesiastical holding of the Nyphron Church

  GILARABRYWN: gill-lar-ah-bren Elven beast of war

  GINLIN, BROTHER: gin-lin Monk of Maribor, winemaker, refuses to touch a knife

  GLAMRENDOR: glam-ren-door Capital of Dunmore

  GLENMORGAN: 326 years after the fall of the Novronian Empire, this native of Ghent reunited the four nations of Apeladorn; founder of Sheridan University; creator of the great north-south road; builder of the Ervanon palace (of which only the Crown Tower remains)

  GLENMORGAN II: Son of Glenmorgan. When his father died young, the new and inexperienced emperor relied on church officials to assist him in managing his empire. They in turn took the opportunity to manipulate the emperor into granting sweeping powers to the church and nobles loyal to the church. These leaders opposed defending Delgos against the invading Ba Ran Ghazel in Calis and the Dacca in Delgos, arguing the threat would increase dependency on the empire.

  GLENMORGAN III: Grandson of Glenmorgan. Shortly after assuming the stewardship, he attempted to reassert control over the realm his grandfather had created by leading an army against the invading Ghazel that had reached southeastern Avryn. He defeated the Ghazel at the First Battle of Vilan Hills and announced plans to ride to the aid of Tur Del Fur. Fearing his rise in power, in the sixth year of his reign, his nobles betrayed and imprisoned him in Blythin Castle. Jealous of his popularity and growing strength, and resentful of his policy of stripping the nobles and clergy of their power, the church charged him with heresy. He was found guilty and executed. This began the rapid collapse of what many called the Steward’s Empire. The church later claimed the nobles had tricked them, and condemned many, most of whom reputedly ended their lives badly.

  GLOUSTON: Province of northern Warric bordering on the Galewyr River, ruled by the marquis Lanaklin

  GREAT SWORD: Long sword designed to be held with both hands

  GRIGOLES: gry-holes Author of Grigoles Treatise on Imperial Common Law

  GUARDIAN OF THE HEIR: Teshlor Knight sworn to protect the Heir of Novron

  GUTARIA: goo-tar-ah Secret Nyphron prison designed to hold Esrahaddon

  GWEN DELANCY: Calian prostitute and proprietor of Medford House and The Rose and Thorn Tavern

  HADRIAN BLACKWATER: Mercenary, one-half of Riyria

  HALBERD: Two-handed pole used as a weapon

  HEIR OF NOVRON: Direct descendant of demigod Novron, destined to rule all of Avryn

  HELDABERRY: Wild-growing fruit often used to make wine

  HESLON, BROTHER: Monk of Maribor, great cook

  HILFRED: Bodyguard of Princess Arista

  HIMBOLT, BARON: Nobleman of Melengar

  HOUSE, THE: Nickname used for Medford House

  HOYTE: Onetime First Officer of the Black Diamond

  IMPERIALISTS: Political party that desires to unite all the kingdoms of men under a single leader who is the direct descendant of the demigod Novron

  JADE: Assassin in the Black Diamond, girlfriend of Cutter, friend of Royce

  JERISH GRELAD: Teshlor Knight and first Guardian of the Heir

  JERL, LORD: Neighbor of the Pickerings known for his prizewinning hunting dogs

  JULIAN TEMPEST: Chamberlain of Melengar

  KILE: Master sword smith, named used by Erebus when in the form of a man

  KRINDEL: Prelate of the Nyphron Church and historian

  KRIS DAGGER: Weapon with a wavy blade, sometimes used in magic rituals

  LANAKLIN: Ruling family of Glouston

  LANIS ETHELRED: eth-el-red King of Warric, Imperialist

  LANKSTEER: Capital city of the Lordium kingdom of Trent

  LENA BOTHWICK: Wife of Russell, farmer in Dahlgren

  LENARE PICKERING: Daughter of Count Pickering and Belinda, sister of Mauvin, Fanen, and Denek

  LINGARD: Capital city of Relison, kingdom of Trent

  LONGWOOD: Forest in Melengar

  LOTHOMAD, KING: Lothomad the Bald, ruler of Lordium, Trent, expanded territory dramatically following the collapse of the Steward’s Reign, pushing south through Ghent into Melengar, where Brodric Essendon defeated him in the Battle of Drondil Fields in 2545

  LOWER QUARTER: Impoverished section of the city of Medford

  LUIS GUY: Sentinel of the Nyphron Church

  MAGNUS: Dwarf

  MANDALIN: man-dah-lynn Capital of Calis

  MANZANT: man-zahnt Infamous prison and salt mine located in Manzar, Maranon

  MARANON: mar-ah-non Kingdom in Avryn, ruled by Vincent and Regina

  MARES CATHEDRAL: Center of the Nyphron Church in Melengar, run by Bishop Saldur

  MARIBOR: mar-eh-bore God of men

  MASON GRUMON: grum-on Blacksmith in Medford

  MAURICE SALDUR, BISHOP: Head of Nyphron Church in Melengar, friend of the Essendon ruling family

  MAUVIN PICKERING: maw-vin Eldest of Count Pickering’s sons

  MCDERN: Peasant family living in Dahlgren

  MEDFORD: Capital of Melengar

  MEDFORD HOUSE: Brothel run by Gwen DeLancy and attached to The Rose and Thorn Tavern

  MELENGAR: mel-in-gar Kingdom in Avryn, ruled by the Essendon royal family

  MELENGARIANS: Residents of Melengar

  MELISSA: Head servant of Princess Arista, nickname Missy

  MERCS: Mercenaries

  MERLONS: Solid section between two crenels in a crenellated battlement

  MERTON, MONSIGNOR: Eccentric priest from Ghent, known to talk aloud to Maribor

  MILLIE: Hadrian’s horse

  MIR: Person with both elven and human blood

  MONTEMORCEY: mont-eh-more-ah-sea Excellent wine imported through the Vandom Spice Company

  MOTTE: Man-made hill

  MOUSE: Royce’s horse

  MURIEL: Goddess of nature, daughter of Erebus, mother of Uberlin

  MYRON: Monk of Maribor, son of Victor, brother of Alenda

  NAREION: nare-e-on Last emperor of the Novronian Empire

  NATIONALISTS: Political party led by Degan Gaunt that desires rule by the will of the people

  NEVRIK: nehv-rick Son of Nareion, the heir who went into hiding

  NIDWALDEN RIVER: Marks the eastern border of Avryn and the start of the Erivan realm

  NOVRON: Savior of mankind, son of the god Maribor, demigod who defeated the elven army in the Great Elven Wars, founder of the Novronian Empire, builder of Percepliquis