Traitor Savant (Second Seal of the Duelists)

by Giacomo, Jasmine

Blood type: citizens of the Waarden empire have one of three different blood types: Waarden, Northern Common, and Southern Common, with Waarden blood being the dominant type, always manifesting in children with only one Waarden parent. A chanter’s healing crystal contains one drop of blood belonging to one of these three types, allowing the healing of anyone possessing that type of blood. Therefore, chanters always carry three crystals with them, one containing blood of each type

  Braam vander Broek: a minor noble who was potioneered for fighting an illegal duel on campus. Former member of Taban’s hex

  Breckan: a member of Taban’s hex

  Calder Micarron: A Dunfarroghan from Marghebellen. Previously indentured to the Firedust Guild, he was injured in an accident that revealed his magical ability. His guildmaster took him to the nearest chanter, but the three-day journey left a permanent flame-shaped scar on Calder’s cheek. Because Calder is afraid of fire, and bonds his fear to his magic, he becomes a Flame Savant

  Caolan, Lady: a noblewoman who washed out of the Duelist Academy for falling in love, and who has since become the most famous potioneer in the empire, catering to the whims of the nobility in Akkeraad

  Cassander: one of Philo’s Kheerzaal eunuch assistants

  Casts: various element-specific versions of the same spell. A duelist determines which cast of a spell is released by which element he or she invokes before performing the spell’s motions. For example: the Watercast of Stormwave releases a wave of water toward one’s tegen, while the Flamecast of Stormwave releases a fiery fog that spawns miniature flame tornadoes. A spell’s motion set must contain the sacred motion for a particular element in order for that spell to have a corresponding element cast

  Cavan: Head Duelist at the North Keenaght duel den in Renallen

  Chanter: one who possesses song magic, but not the ability to sing, due to injury, tone deafness, etc. Chanters can perform healing magic, which requires only toneless rhythmic sounds and a crystal containing a drop of blood matching the patient’s blood type. Because of their ability to heal wounds quickly, most chanters are assigned by the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies to duel dens across the empire. Others find employment in the private sector, or travel the High Ways as itinerants

  Chantery: headquarters on the Academy campus for all chanters assigned duties there. It lies in the center of the campus

  Choral Hall: the center area on the Temple campus where the Full Choir assembles at the Temple. It is the lowest outdoor point on the grounds, and all sound created there carries perfectly throughout the bowl of the Temple and its walls

  Choralist: title for an advanced teacher at the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies. Members of the First Singer’s Octet must be choralists

  Cormaac: an student in Taban’s hex

  Cozenwar: a last-ditch push during the First Tuathi War, led by Warmaster Adrian de Hond, which turned the tide and enabled a Waarden victory

  Cricket: term used by eunuchs to refer to other eunuchs, in reference to their high voices

  Daen: one of Tala’s Solo classmates

  Dakila: Bayan’s sparring partner, defense instructor, and friend. His Waarden uncle by marriage was Bayan’s school teacher

  Danatu: title of the former Balanganese king. Fearing a civil war among his sons after his impending death, the Danatu brokered a deal with Emperor Hedrick of the Waarden Empire to absorb Balanganam into his many lands and maintain peace among his sons and his people

  Datu Lualhati: Bayan’s father, a successful Balanganese farmer

  Den chanter: a chanter assigned to a duel den

  Diantha: one of Doc Theo’s campus chanters. She becomes Head Chanter after Doc Theo’s untimely departure

  Diogenes Essendorp (Odjin): a former member of Bayan’s hex. He was potioneered because he lost a leg. Bitter and alone, he makes potions at a tiny booth in Yewakma

  Diwata Lualhati: one of Bayan’s sisters, aged twelve

  Doc Theo: see Theo Willemsen

  Dose: to imbibe a potion

  Dosing: consuming potions in an addictive fashion

  Duel den: a dueling arena and living quarters and occupied by several duelists. Duel dens are housed within major cities or placed strategically among several smaller towns, so that all imperial citizens have access to duelism mediation

  Duelist: a caster of elemental magic, trained at the Duelist Academy, in service for life to the empire. Duelists serve the people during peace time by battling to determine the outcome of civil conflicts, and fight the empire’s enemies in times of war. Duelists hold high status no matter their cultural origin, but they are bound to a lifetime of magical service and cannot abandon their post without serious consequences

  Duelist Academy: a campus for training duelists to master their elemental magic, hidden among the tunnels and valleys of a limestone mountain in the south of Helderaard. Previous valley floor iterations were sacked during various wars

  Duelist Savant: a rare class of duelist who is unable to achieve a perfectly emotionless Void and bonds his or her magic to a particular emotion instead. Since emotion makes magic strong and wild, most Savants injure or kill themselves or someone else before achieving perfect control over their emotional magic. Survivors are often stripped of their magic for everyone’s safety. Savants with emotions that favor a particular elements are referred to by that elemental title: Flame Savant, Earth Savant, etc.

  Dunfarroghan: a pragmatic, easily adaptable culture, descended from Tuathi who settled on conquered Waarden lands. The Dunfarroghan live in Marghebellen and Gallenglaas, as well as the western part of Helderaard and the southern stretch of Kallichon. They’re characterized by either pale or black hair, light eyes, and a tendency to wring everything they can out of any deal

  Eirene: a noblewoman serving at the Kheerzaal, skilled in detecting forged coins

  Eithne Mikellen: the Academy’s Earth Instructor, she holds the rank of Avatar Duelist

  Elemental Duelist: the first rank a student can achieve at the Duelist Academy, accomplished by most of the students in each class. Elemental Duelists can control all six elements of their magic, bending it to their will with the perfected use of the six sacred motions, which they use to cast their spells

  Elements: Flame, Water, Wood, Air, Earth and Shock

  Eward Raalgat: a shy Waarden boy in Bayan’s hex

  Fabian: one of Philo’s assistants and guards

  Feast of Many Harvests: a late autumn festival celebrating the end of the fertile season

  Feast of Tuq: the day on the old Aklaa calendar that marks the beginning of the spring season, roughly corresponding to Low Spring on the official Waarden calendar

  Femke: Empress of the Waarden, wife to Emperor Jaap, mother of Juriaan and Sebastiaan

  Firedust: the mysterious ingredients that form the colorful, noisy explosions of fireworks. Also the name of Calder’s Flame avatar

  Firedust Guild: a licensed guild that uses the secret knowledge of exploding powder to entertain audiences during feasts, festivals and holidays

  First Singer: title for the singer in charge of the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies. His or her duties include overseeing the training of all singer students, managing the Temple’s outposts and their saleable goods, assigning chanters’ duties across the empire, and deciding when and for which purposes the magic of the Full Choir will be bestowed

  First Tuathi War: 803-960 IC, during which the Tuathi captured Marghebellen, Gallenglaas and much of Helderaard, where they destroyed the Duelist Academy’s first, loosely organized campus. The Waarden duelists finally brought the war to a close when they discovered a previously unknown magical technique that gave Elementalists a distinct advantage over anima casters in battle. The shift in power forced the Tuathi to sue for peace and settle across their captured lands or flee across the Maam Ardcath

  Frits: one of Philo’s assistants and guards

  Full Choir: an outdoor assembly of every singer in the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies. Due to the perfect a
coustics in the bowl-shaped Temple grounds, the magical potential of songs performed by the Full Choir is nearly limitless, and can stretch for thousands of miles

  Gael: one of Philo’s Kheerzaal assistants, a Dunfarroghan eunuch

  Gaarana: the Dancing Duelist, master of a lost duelism style

  Gallenglaas Day: a Waarden holiday in late winter, celebrating the province’s return to imperial rule in 1691 IC after being in the hands of the Tuathi since the Second Tuathi War

  Gamay: a mature seerwine pitcher plant which grows in the forest near Pangusay

  Gerrolt Visser: Academy Groundsmaster, a gruff man with a deep love of all plants

  Ginina: a baker of skill at the Eshkin ancestral estate on Wisnuk Bay, and Kiwani’s birth mother

  Godsmaw: the Karkhedonian term for the Gyre

  Greer: the Academy’s head Meditation Instructor

  Graela: one of Tala’s Solo classmates

  Gushgirls/gushlings: half-smitten fans

  Gyre: the dangerous circular sea located in the northeast part of the empire, bordering Pallithea and Helderaard, south of the independent realm of Karkhedon. Known for its frequent, deadly storms and swift, swirling currents

  Hahliq: the leader of Savitu’s small band of warriors, he perished during the Battle of the Kheerzaal

  Hall of Seals: the assembly room for all Academy gatherings. A circular dais is surrounded by six sections of benches representing the six elements. Teachers, students and other staff sit in the sections favored by their skills or talents

  Hanna: Head Duelist at the Muggenhem duel den

  Head Duelist: the duelist responsible for the upkeep, public relations, and duelists of their duel den. They approve all client choices of duelist and schedule all duels for their den

  Hedrick voorde Helderaard: the old emperor, Jaap’s father, now deceased

  Hegemon: title of the ruler of Karkhedon

  Helderaard: principal province of the Waarden Empire, in the center of its lands, containing Akkeraad, the capital city

  Helma de Rood: Master Duelist who lived a century ago and died fighting in the War of Steel. Her sacrifice for the empire earned her and her descendants the honorific “de Rood”

  Hex: a group of six duelists assigned to train together after passing their basic exams. A hex is also the basic military unit of the duelist army in times of war

  Hex house: a small building where members of the same hex can gather on campus. Hex houses are laid out in six rows of six, built up the side of a steep hill. Each row of hex houses is traditionally given an elemental designation

  Hexbirds: cousins of the crow, hexbirds have lived among duelists for millennia. They’re believed to be smarter than crows, lucky, and perhaps even infused with a little magic

  Hexing: casting hexmagic in the forms of two or more avatars, elements, or magics at the same time

  Hexling: mildly derogatory term for a student assigned to a hex

  Hexmagic Duelist: the third rank a student can achieve at the Duelist Academy, and the highest most students ever hope to achieve. Hexmagic Duelists can manifest all six elemental avatars and can combine elemental magics with their hexmates to create nearly anything, except living creatures

  High Ways: Imperial roads stretching between major cities, maintained by the empire to facilitate trade and travel

  Idle: to control an avatar’s motions, but not cast any spells. To Idle an avatar, the duelist must maintain the shape of the sacred motion that matches the avatar’s element.

  Ignaas witten Oost: an influential instructor on the Academy campus, the minor Waarden noble is the empire’s only Master Duelist. He takes over the position of headmaster, but continues to teach his own private hand-picked students

  Imee Magittang: Bayan’s former lovemate. Daughter of Isagani Magittang

  Imperial Duelist: a duelist of any rank assigned to the Kheerzaal

  Indentured: a servant with a finite number of years to serve. Indentureds usually enter service due to financial need or to learn a valuable trade with a master tradesman or guild, such as the Firedust Guild

  Invocation: a combination of sacred motions that open the duelist up to either elemental magic in general, or a specific element, or avatar-level spells. The Elemental Invocation is usually performed at the beginning of a duel or a bout of arena practice at the Academy, but during a trainee’s first semester on campus, it is performed only once a day, at the beginning of the day, in order to tame and focus the trainee’s magic through daily exposure to the sacred motions and with meditation. Other, more specific invocations are performed after the duelist has invoked elemental magic, in order to bring about specific kinds of spells.

  Isagani Magittang: a wealthy Balanganese merchant, father of Imee

  Isos Sarantis: a distant cousin of the Hegemon of Karkhedon, an ally of Casper voorde Helderaard and Savitu Tammaba

  Iyanu K’mokamo: a fierce noblewoman who schedules banquets for the emperor and his guests. Wife to Wateyo tes’Eshkin, adoptive mother of Kiwani t'Eshkin, her only child

  Jaap voorde Helderaard: His Imperial Majesty, ruler of the Second Waarden Empire, younger son of Emperor Hedrick

  Joord: one of Philo’s assistants and guards

  Joos de Rood: the Academy’s history teacher, descended from the last Master Duelist in imperial history, Helma de Rood

  Jujufish: small, inquisitive fish that live in Balanganese rice paddies. Eaten by people and swamp vipers

  Jurgen: one of the Academy’s Meditation Instructors, dismissed for illegal smuggling

  Juriaan voorde Helderaard: younger son of Emperor Jaap

  Kah: a hexbird who shared a room with Bayan, Odjin, Calder, and Eward

  Kakios Phokapolou: a patient killer for hire, killed after attempting to assassinate Kiwani in the middle of her skill duel with Bayan

  Kalabao: a domesticated bovine, used for farm work and cart transport in Balanganam

  Karkhedon: a neutral land across the Godsmaw from Helderaard. Its inhabitants share a cultural heritage with the Imperial lands of Aeolis, Kallichon, and Pallithea

  Kendesi: an older student, she’s a member of Taban’s hex

  Kheerzaal: the imperial campus, comprised of the royal palace and the headquarters of all imperially run businesses and services

  Kilik: an indentured man who was in service to, and colluding with, the mad princess Qivinga

  Kipri Nayuuti: Philo’s former assistant, a eunuch of the Second Class. He receives his first assignment as the newly created position of Cultural Liaison at the Duelist Academy

  Kiwani t'Eshkin: daughter of Wateyo tes’Eshkin and Iyanu K’mokamo, powerful nobles in the emperor’s good graces. Ambitious and proud, Kiwani had her life all planned out before her magic manifested. Learning that she isn’t nobility, but merely the adopted child of indentured workers, has crushed her, and her magic suffers. On the advice of a sint, Kiwani leaves campus to seek the truth about her origins and come to terms with her true identity

  Kobus vooren Zeegat: sterile husband to the mad princess Qivinga, murdered by her hand

  Konrad: one of Philo’s assistants and guards

  Kuvi: Kipri’s uncle, who died trying to assassinate Emperor Jaap during the Battle of the Kheerzaal

  Laarwyck: a Waarden-dominated province east of Helderaard, whose citizens speak with a thick country accent. Doc Theo’s land of origin

  Last Starflower, the: the name given to princess Qivinga when her realm lost its bid for freedom during the Raqtaaq Wars

  Lailani Lualhati: one of Bayan’s sisters, aged ten

  Lemmert: one of Philo’s assistants and guards

  Liliwa Lualhati: Bayan’s mother

  Lost Starflower, the: Aklaa people’s name for the Last Starflower, when she was stolen away by Emperor Hedrick

  Lotte: Philo’s personal chef during his travels in Balanganam, and employee of the royal kitchens before and after her time with Philo

  Low Solstice: the shortest day of the yearr />
  Low Spring: the first day of spring according to the Waarden calendar

  Mambajao: the broad, silty river that flows past Bayan’s home. It was considered too wide and dangerous to cross with a bridge, until Surveyor Philo Sallas arrived

  Marco: a false name adopted by Caspar voorde Helderaard during his years in Karkhedon

  Marilag: Lady Caolan’s efficient assistant

  Master Duelist: the highest rank a duelist may achieve, though it happens so rarely that those who achieve this rank reach near-mythical status. No one is sure of the full range of abilities a Master Duelist gains, but the test for Master Duelist requires the ability to cast magic and summon avatars without using the sacred motions, and the ability to perform the actions of six Hexmagic students at once