by Matthew Wolf
Desiccating – To remove one forever from their innate spark. It is a dreaded occurrence that is often worse than death to any wielder of the spark.
Devari – An elite group of warriors who live within the Citadel, and they are masters of the blade. Using “Ki” they hold certain powers, including inhabiting another’s body and feeling their sensations.
Dipping Tsugi – Mistress Hitomi’s inn in the Shining City.
Direbears – Creatures of the Lost Woods.
Dorbin – Hulking body guard who works for Mistress Hitomi.
Drefah – Vera’s wolf.
Dryads – Fabled magical creatures of the forest of Drymaus, a great mythical forest to the north of Eldas.
Dryan – High Councilor and elf who assumes the throne when Karil’s father, the old king, is murdered.
Drymaus – Home of the mythical dryads.
Dun Varis – An offshoot and fragment of Lander, the Great Kingdom of Stone, rumored to exist again within Daerval, and Aundevoriä’s homeland.
Durendil – Aundevoriä’s famed sword. It has a wire-wrapped handle, and turns to stone.
Eldas – Home of the Elves, one of the nine Great Kingdoms, also the Kingdom of Forest.
Elders of Eldas – Also known as the sages or High Council of the Kingdom of Eldas. They are the ruling council of the Great Kingdom of Forest.
Eldorath – The old territory where Lakewood stands.
Elementals – Magical beings of Farhaven.
Elements – A game of Farhaven that Ezrah and Kirin play.
Eminas – The name for Gray used by the elves, and literally means eminent one, but its variant meaning is harbinger.
Erebos – A member of the Kin that Gray runs into.
Ester – A city once bound together with Menalas in what was called a “false kingdom”.
Ethelwin – A powerful Reaver and lecturer who is only a few below in rank and prestige of the female Arbiter.
Evalyn – She is a powerful neophyte who vies for Kirin’s affection and attention.
Exchanging of Cups – The process of peace accords, the event where King Gias was poisoned, murdered by a mysterious party and allows Dryan to seize control.
Ezrah – Arbiter of the second rank and lives in the Citadel. He is connected to Kirin.
Fael’wyn – Harrowing Wind in Elvish, which harasses them in the Lost Woods. It is also the name Gray gives his horse.
Farbs – The sprawling desert city wherein the Citadel resides.
Farhaven – A land full of magic, on the opposite side of Death’s Gate.
Fendary – Also called the Storm-breaker, or the Sentinel. He is Fendary Aquius, a high general during the Lieon who supposedly fought the Ronin. The legend says he had a hundred men to the Ronin’s nine.
Fisher in the Shallows – An advanced technique where one flows through Low Moon stances, and makes several sweeping horizontal slashes directed at the attacker’s legs.
Fisher in the Shallows to Dipping Moon – A snaking thrust to an upward strike, from which its power is derived from the bending and swift upward lift of the legs
Flow – What is often called the source of all magic, or the “essence.” It is what the Ronin wield.
Forgha – Devari, a “brother” to Kirin.
Frizzian Coast – Located in Farhaven, full of peaceful towns and villages along the coast and in the Northern provinces.
Heartgard – The name for Seth’s famed sword; meaning brave, enclosed.
Full Moon – A defensive stance where one’s blade is above the head and their knees are heavily bent in order to absorb and redirect coming blows. It mimics the pattern of the arcing moon in the sky or a sphere, where water flows off the perfectly round surface, unable to find solid contact.
Golden Horn – Ayva’s father’s inn, and where she works and grew up.
Great Falls – The falls where Gray and Mura fight on the edge of the Lost Woods. Maidens Mane is one of the Great Falls.
Great Hall – A grand hall within the keep, upon the hill of Lakewood.
Great Tree – The tree that is at the center of Eldas, and bears the spire; the great buildings where all nobility reside. It is where Karil lives until she is forced to flee her home.
Hall of Wind – Where the Vaults are located, and where Mura claims Kail stashed his most precious of weapons.
Hando Cloak – A black and forest green cloak Rydel wears. It signifies that he is one of the Hidden.
Haori – Colored vests, each matches the powers the Ronin hold, and the color of the Kingdom they represent.
Heartwood – Harder than most human metals, most of Eldas is constructed out of it.
Hel – A house of nobles from Eldas.
Heron in the Reeds – A powerful and agile strike from above—most often where one baits with the front leg, then pulls it into a “Heron” (a stance upon one leg), and strikes down at the now lunging and exposed attacker.
Herbwort – An herb that aids with shivers and insomnia.
High Council – The council of elves in Eldas that oversee affairs; they are also known as the Elders of Eldas.
High Elder Fari – The leader of the council of Menalas.
High Moon – A Devari stance where the back leg is heavily bent, and holding the majority of the weight, while the other foot rests lightly upon the ground. The fighter’s shoulders are angled, just enough to minimize a target, but enough to engage their upper-body, turning for powerful strikes if need be. It is a stance few ever master.
Hitomi – Often called “Mistress” Hitomi. Hitomi is the proprietor of the Dipping Tsugi in the Shining City. When the others stumble upon several rare books in her packed library, they discover her obsession for books.
House of Nava – Stanch supporters of Karil’s father.
Hoalin – Old name for the Shining City, one of the Great Kingdoms.
Hiron – A Ronin, also known as the Kingslayer. His element is that of water, and the Great Kingdom of Seria. He is known as the peacekeeper, and the Ronin of wisdom and serenity.
Hrofi – An ancient city that was famous for its culinary skills. It has not been around in centuries. Mura recognizes when they are served a Hrofi dish within the library at the Dipping Tsugi.
Iridal – Baro’s famed sword, rumored to be impossible to shatter.
Jiryn – A high elf healer from Eldas.
Kage – The nine nameless evils who pose as the Ronin and hold equal powers.
Kagehass – The saeroks and verg’s name for what others refer to as the Nameless (the Shadow’s Hand).
Kail – The once leader of the fabled Ronin. He is known by many names, from many eras including the blight seeker, betrayer of men, and the wanderer. He is rumored to have survived the Lieon, and still exists, told in fearful tales for the past two thousand years.
Karil – Karil is the queen of Eldas, home and kingdom of the Elves. She is half-human and half-elf. Karil is tall and beautiful, with silver eyes, and white-blonde hair. Her beauty is only equaled by her intelligence.
Ki – The source and power of a Devari.
Kin – Dark men and women who are agents of the “shadow”, specifically the Kage. Gray runs into one in Lakewood when trying to retrieve the sword.
King Endar – A betrayer king that Maris reflects on when Gray enters the Sodden Tunnels. He remembers chasing down and killing the man for an act of treachery against the nine kingdoms.
King Gias – Karil’s father and the King of Eldas.
King Garian – Powerful leader of Median.
King Katsu – King of the Shining City.
Komai tail – The braided hairstyle of the Devari; the longer the braid, the higher the rank.
Koru Village – The town Gray and the others run across. It is just north of Lakewood.
Kri Hook – A device with two metal bars that is used to hook and pull oneself up.
Laidir – The second of Hiron’s famous twin swords.
Lakewood – A peaceful
town, but resides close to the ill-famed Lost Woods. It is the home of Ayva and Darius.
Lander – Another of the lost three Great Kingdoms. Lander was the Great Kingdom of Stone. It was a city that had walls purported to be thicker than small cities.
Landerian Seal – A very tight masonry seal which Balder refers to.
Lando – Translates as “redeemers” or “liberators” in the common tongue. They are the group that saves Karil in the woods of Eldas.
Lieon –The Great War during the Final Age that lasted over a thousand years.
Lifeblood – Dark blood used to extract memories.
Lokai – The god Darius evokes; the god of “luck”.
Lopping the Branch – A slashing strike, twisting the torso and attacking the opponents head.
Lost Woods – The infamous dark forest where Gray and Mura live, and said to be full of direbears and other nefarious beasts. Villagers say the woods come alive at night, and travelers who venture in are rarely ever seen again.
Low Moon – a Devari stance where one leg is heavily slanted for a low center of gravity for balance and stability, and the other is heavily bent and holds the majority of the swordsman’s weight.
Maldon – A land within Farhaven.
Malik – Leader of the Kage. He has a spiked pauldron and is bigger than his brethren. He speaks to Vera and is the voice of the dark army.
Maris – A Ronin. He is also called the Trickster, a Ronin of many names and faces. He wields Masamune, the leaf blade—its powers unknown. His element is that of tree, and his homeland is the Great Kingdom of Eldas.
Marmon – Mura calls them a “safe haven for the wayward traveler.” It has a hollow trunk and awning-like branches. Gray makes camp in the shelter of the tree when he gets lost in the Lost Woods before the two paths.
Masamune – Maris’ famed sword.
Mashiro – Guard captain of the Shining City.
Mearus – Devari, a “brother” to Kirin.
Median’s Warfleet – A powerful fleet of warships from Median.
Menalas – A southern city of Farhaven that was once part of Ester, together they were deemed a false kingdom denied the position of power as one of the nine Great Kingdoms. They were forced to split and divide up their power. Many of their inhabitants, however, still lust for a crown and throne that no longer exists. Moreover, they share an iron mine with Ester that was too difficult to upend in the Lieon, and was needed to fuel the fires of Darmin, the Great Kingdom of Metal.
Menalas Council – The council of Menalas, a powerful city.
Menithas – Famed war leader of the Shining City, who betrayed the Ronin and kingdoms of good, and did not come to their help in the battle for the survival of Eldas, where thousands of elves died.
Merai’s – Servants of Elvin royalty, not elves but humans of a small, but ancient lineage when wars were fought and slaves were taken as servants.
Merhass – A curse of the Kin, an ancient dialect of Yorin.
Merian – A powerful Reaver who is desiccated by Vera.
Merilian Silver – Fine silverwork from the city of Meril.
Merkal Desert – White plains, lands of the east and north within Daerval, also called the salt flats.
Meruu sauce – Tsugi’s famed sweet sauce that is used as a glaze for meats.
Mesia – An ancient city that held the Green Tavern. It’s described as filled with lush gardens enclosed by white stone, and possessing a different breed of people too—their hearts too big for their small frames.
Milian – A person of the land of Milia.
Mishif – The town crier of Lakewood.
Mistress Sophi – She owns an inn in Lakewood, and taught Darius how to dance.
Moonville – A town on the way to the Shining City.
Mor ‘in dunindas. Forgah ‘l sendria tu va varius – Yorin and it means, “My lord, greetings and honor to you and your house.”
Morrow – A city upon the windy high cliffs of Ren Nar that oversaw the world. It is the last banished element, the Great Kingdom of Wind. It is the last of the three lost Great Kingdoms and the most famous. It is Kail’s homeland. It contains the Hall of Wind, as well—the famous meeting place for the great kings, queens, and generals who fought for the armies of Sanctity and against the Alliance of Righteous in the Great War of the Lieon.
Morrowil – The infamous sword that Gray inherits from Kail.
Motri – Gray’s hawk and companion, who also seems to have a mysterious alliance with Karil.
Mura – Mura is a charming, but irascible hermit of unknown age. He lives in a cabin in the middle of Lost Woods where Gray stumbles upon him. Mura is wiry with thick gray brows and an often stern, heavily-lined face, and black and gray peppered hair. He is Karil’s uncle.
Nameless – Created from Reavers, a horrible evil that mists from thin air, and is rumored to be invincible to “mortal blades.” Their armor is made from overlapping dark plates. Gray and Darius fight them in the back alleys of Lakewood, behind the Golden Horn.
Narim – The Kingdom of Moon in the dark hills, half above, half beneath the land, and is a vast subterranean gem.
Neophyte – A wielder of the spark, a rank below a Reaver. They reside in the Neophyte Palace and wear gray robes.
Nexus – The source of Gray’s power. It is a swirling ball of air that he focuses on to tap into his power.
Niux – A unit of twelve, that consists of vergs and saeroks that can cut whole swaths of armies to shreds.
Noble’s District – The upper district of the Shining City where the nobles reside.
Omni – A Ronin, also known as the Deceiver. Omni’s element is that of Sun, and from the Great Kingdom of Vaster. Omni leads the Ronin in Kail’s absence.
Onne – “Come” in Yorin. It is what Mistress Hitomi says as she escorts the waitress out of the room.
Oval Hall – Where the Seven Trials takes place in the Citadel. It is beautiful and ancient.
Rai – A house of nobles of Eldas, who support Karil
Reaver – A powerful wielder of magic born of the Citadel.
Redsmead – A fine beer.
Rehn – A small flightless bird, typically found in the northern parts of Farhaven.
Reik flies – Pesky flies seen in the summertime in many areas of Farhaven.
Rekdala Forhas – “Honor and duty” in the Yorin tongue.
Reliahs Desert – The desert surrounding Farbs, sometimes called the Farbian desert.
Relnas Forest – The forest of Eldas, home of the elves. No humans are permitted to enter beyond its borders.
Ren – Close friend of Kirin’s and leader of the Devari. He wears a graying Komai tail, a long braid, and is described as ageless. Most characteristically, he is a man hardened from years of training and battle, both mentally and physically.
Renald Trinaden – Warden and Keeper of the Silver, and author of The Lost Covenant.
Rensha – Karil’s horse.
Rimdel – Trader’s paradise or jewel of the Eastern Kingdoms – capital with no central rule, inhabited by only thieves, ruffians and traders as hard as stone.
Ro-ma-ro – A dance traditional to Lakewood.
Ronin – The legends of the Lieon, nine warriors who each holds a supreme power. According to the stories, they are dreaded and the bane of mankind.
Runile – a city in the Kingdom of Ice.
Rydel – An elf of the rank of Hidden, the most elite of guards that protect the royal family of Eldas, the Great Kingdom and home of the elves. He is Karil’s ever-present companion and guard. He has shoulder-length dark hair and piercing eyes.
Sa Hira – “I see”, in Yorin.
Saerian Vases – Rare and famous porcelain from the great city of Saeria.
Saerian bond – A staggered way of laying bricks, and a bad bond that Balder ridicules.
Saeroks – Creatures in the Kage’s dark army. They are tall beasts with thin, patchy fur, sinewy muscled frames, and long gangly arms and legs wi
th long claws. They walk on two legs, but can run on all fours for greater speed.
Seria vs Median – The Kingdom of Water, often called City of Tranquility. It is renowned for the Great Falls, waterfalls that seem to reach the heavens, as if spewing from the very clouds. It was thought to have been destroyed sometime during the Great War of the Lieon, just as the Kingdom of Wind and Stone were lost. Yet the Shining City and Median still exist and are both offshoots of Seria. The Shining City is a city of ice. Median is a great city built upon the Kalvas Ocean. It is renowned for its vast war fleet.