The Accidental Archmage

by Edmund A. M. Batara

  Ragnarok – The Norse legend describing the end of the world and the birth of a new one. (TAA, Book I)

  Rhumba – A group of rattlesnakes. (TAA, Book II)

  Sapa Inca – Incan/Quechua. Meaning “the only one” or “the only Inca.” A title used by Incan rulers. (TAA, Book II)

  Satyr – Greek. Mythological creatures who are followers of Dionysus. Early portrayals show them as having human form but with donkey ears and tails. With permanent erections. Later merged in popular perception with the Roman faun which had a man’s body but with a goat’s tail, legs, and horns. (TAA, Book II)

  Scarburg – Fictional. A fortress-town located in the region of Telemark. It has long guarded the Gap of Telemark, a pass which leads to the barren lands of Ymir’s domain. Unfortunately, it also means every attempt by the armies of Ymir to cross into Skaney is also an assault on the fortress itself.

  Seax – A kind of knife or short sword. Many variants. Popular in Europe up to the early Middle Ages. (TAA, Book I)

  Seidr – Old Norse. A type of magic which deals with divination and the use of charms for treating diseases. (TAA, Book I)

  Serpopard – Egyptian/Mesopotamian. A rare beast of legend, sparsely mentioned in ancient writings. (TAA, Book II)

  Skaney – Old Norse. A term used to refer to a region encompassing parts of Scandinavia. In the story, it is the name of the region in Adar where the Norse and related peoples settled. The region referred to in the epic is fictional, but the term was used historically. (TAA, Book II)

  Jorund’s Old Map of Skaney

  “Well, this part of the world is mostly Norse. Of course, with some significant differences from what we know as the Norse back on Earth. Time does march on in its confusing glory. The territory with Norse influence is called Skaney. The term is an Old Norse term referring to Scandinavia. A literal translation would be the southern tip of Sweden. I guess that the first arrivals came from that time era and that location. Hence the name.”

  – the Gothi of Maljen. (TAA, Book I)

  Spartoi – Greek. Mythological beings. Ferocious warriors which transform from dragon’s teeth. In mythology, first described in the Ismenian drakon incident where Kadmos was asked to sow the dragon’s teeth. (TAA, Book II)

  Sphinx – Greek/Egyptian. The myth of the Sphinx appears in both Greek and Egyptian mythology. The Egyptian version is usually a male and a benevolent being. The Greek version, as exemplified by the story of the Riddle of the Sphinx, is usually portrayed as a female and looked upon as a treacherous and malevolent being. The myth of the Riddle of the Sphinx revolved around the story of a sphinx blocking the road to Thebes, devouring all those who failed to answer her riddle. It took Oedipus to solve the riddle and clear the way to the city. (TAA, Book II)

  Strophe – Greek. A stanza in ancient Greek dramas, usually tragedies, wherein the chorus moves in the direction of the altar. (TAA, Book II)

  Sukhasana – A pose practiced in yoga. Also called the decent pose or pleasant pose. It is similar to sitting in a simple cross-legged position. (TAA, Book I)

  Sun – That big shiny thing in the sky during the day. Also a term for a nest of adders. (TAA, Book II)

  Svartalfar – Old Norse. The term has been used to refer to both dark elves and dwarfs. For this story, the term refers to dwarfs or as purists prefer to spell the word – dwarves. (TAA, Book I)

  Tahtib – Egyptian stick-fighting martial art. Its practice dates back thousands of years and appears to be also utilized for military training. (TAA, Book III)

  Talf – Old Norse. A Nordic board game similar to chess. A lot of variations exist. (TAA, Book I)

  Tamoanchan – A word believed to be either Mayan or Aztec in origin. In Aztec legend, it is believed to be the place where man was first created. In this story, the word is adopted as the name of the massive temple complex at the heart of the Aztecah Empire. (TAA, Book III)

  Tarascans – A people who stood as one of the main rivals of the Aztecs in their rise to power. (TAA, Book III)

  Teganites – Greek. A sort of bread topped with honey or cheese. (TAA, Book I)

  Teocalli – Nahuatl. A term which meant a temple. Literally, a “god house.” (TAA, Book III)

  Teotl ixiptlas – Nahuatl. The term refers to honored sacrificial victims. Mr. West misinterpreted the use of the term. His opponents are not referring to themselves. They were actually declaring his fate to their gods. (TAA, Book III)

  Tepolli – Nahuatl. Meaning “penis.” (TAA, Book III)

  Terras Barbara – Latin. Meaning “barbarian lands.” A fictional land bordering the Imperii Romani. (TAA, Book III)

  Teteoh – Nahuatl word meaning “gods.” (TAA, Book III)

  Thracian helmet – A type of hoplite helmet which had a distinctive shape. With a high and forward apex, resembling the caps worn by ancient Thracians and Phrygians. Sometimes referred to as the Phrygian helmet. As is the practice, helmets may differ from each other by minor variations. For example, in the design of the nasal protection and size of cheek pieces. (TAA, Book II)

  Time dilation – The difference in time between Earth and Adar. (TAA, Book I)

  “I have been told that the Earth to Adar time difference is around 1:75. One month here equals seventy-five Earth months, more or less. They do have a different way of reckoning time here so what I have is an approximation. The time dilation has to do with the magical nature of this world.”

  – the Gothi of Maljen (TAA, Book I)

  Tlamacazqui – Nahuatl. A priest. (TAA, Book III)

  Tlaxcalteca – One of the many peoples which existed alongside the Aztecs in South America. They were never conquered by the Aztecs and when the Spaniards arrived, allied themselves with the latter. (TAA, Book III)

  Ukuku – An Incan mythological being, half-bear and half-man. Ferocious, fast, and with man’s intellect. Extremely dangerous. (TAA, Book III)

  Ulfhedinn – Norse. The term means “one wearing a wolf’s skin.” A werewolf. The concept of the werewolf is entrenched in Nordic mythology starting with Fenrir, the wolf son of Loki, who is prophesied to kill Odin during Ragnarok. (TAA, Book III)

  Valkyrie – from the old Norse “valkyrja.” Also called “Odin’s shield-maidens.” In Norse mythology, they choose those who die in battle and who may live. Half of those who die in battle go to Valhalla while the other half belongs to the goddess Freyja (TAA, Book I). The ones who enter Valhalla become “einherjar.” (TAA, Book II)

  Vanir – Norse mythology. A group or tribe of gods associated with the Nordic pantheon. (TAA, Book I)

  Vargar – Old Norse. The plural of vargyr. Anglicized as “warg” or “varg.” Usually refers to giant wolves. (TAA, Book I)

  Vaults of Zin – Cited in TAA, Book III. Lovecraft. Mentioned in his work “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.” Public domain. To quote one of the passages –

  The Gugs, hairy and gigantic, once reared stone circles in that wood and made strange sacrifices to the Other Gods and the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep, until one night an abomination of theirs reached the ears of earth’s gods and they were banished to caverns below. Only a great trap door of stone with an iron ring connects the abyss of the earth-ghouls with the enchanted wood, and this the Gugs are afraid to open because of a curse. That a mortal dreamer could traverse their cavern realm and leave by that door is inconceivable; for mortal dreamers were their former food, and they have legends of the toothsomeness of such dreamers even though banishment has restricted their diet to the ghasts, those repulsive beings which die in the light, and which live in the vaults of Zin and leap on long hind legs like kangaroos.

  Villac Umu – Quechua. Meaning “chief priest.”

  Void Land, The – Fictional. A large territory bounded to the south and west by the high mountain ranges of the Zhong Empire and to the north, by the Dual Monarchy of Sumer and Akkad. The Monarchy does have a small pass leading to its territory from the Void Lands. It is guarded by an enormous citadel. The surreal, fantastic, and bizarre charac
terize the Void Lands. It is described as cursed and a place even deities fear to go. Suspected of being the site of numerous otherworldly experiments by ancient beings, it is now believed to contain a number of dimensional portals. (TAA Book I)

  Entrance to the Void Lands

  Volva – Norse. Meaning “a seeress.” (TAA, Book I).

  Petty Fools

  The god kings sleep, dreams of

  Power, magic; Torn veil,

  Their watch denied; A ring

  Of hiding, a clasp of

  Silver, the Norns defied.

  A mortal elder, worlds

  Tremble; a book written,

  A magical world, or

  Where grinning vultures reign.

  Man but a child, made flesh

  With eternal bones; Thou

  Deny him? Olympus?

  Jupiter? Enlil? Ra?

  Cernunnos? Arinna?

  Wiraqucha? Mithra?

  Powers of wind, fire and

  Earth; Of ancient gray Rock,

  of lightning; Avail you not.

  Fie! All you gods, mind thy

  Warning; A path faltered,

  A child angered; A rage

  Born; of love and despair.

  Thy world is dust! Of Fire,

  Ice, or Death! Or a world

  Of light, if so desired!

  Harken! Petty gods! Petty fools.

  A wolf wind…

  – Unfinished Prophecy of a Mad Volva.

  Dokkalfr Mountains.

  Vord nafjardar – Old Norse. Mythological being. Translated as “night roaming hag.” (TAA, Book I)

  Vrykolakas – Greek. An undead creature in Greek mythology. Surprisingly, the myth exists not only in Greece but also in neighboring countries. It does drink blood like vampires of legend. There are many accounts of burials in Greece in which the dead were buried with spikes through their bodies, supposedly to prevent them from being vrykolakas. (TAA, Book III)

  Wesekh – Egyptian. A broad, layered collar usually hung down in front of the neck. This form of jewelry is favored by royalty and the large necklace is generally made of gold and decorated with precious stones. (TAA, Book II)

  Wolves – Wolves on Adar are similar to those found on Earth. But they are bigger and more vicious. As with Earth wolves, they live and roam in packs. (TAA, Book I)

  Xiphos – A double-edged, one-handed straight short sword used by hoplites as a secondary weapon. Variations in the design exist. (TAA, Book II)

  Yahui – Mixtec. (TAA, Book II) A supernatural creature in Mixtec mythology. Yahui usually takes on a humanoid form with combined human and animal features. They are believed to be cruel creatures. Myth attributes to them intelligence, speech, and magical abilities. They are also believed to engage in human sacrifice though there are stories of them assisting humans too. Literary license is adopted in this story by its adoption and expansion of the Yahui myth. The story classifies the creatures as Lesser, Greater, and Elder Yahuis.

  Yana siki – Quechua expression roughly meaning “your black butt.”

  Ymir’s Domain – Fictional. The name given to the lands north of Skaney.

  * * *

  II. Mortals, Deities, and Other Characters

  NOTES OF THE LADY ASEM

  Daughter and High Priestess of Thaut

  (Prepared with the assistance of Lumeri the Scribe)

  Aeolus – Ancient Greek. Mentioned in the Odyssey as the deity in charge of the four winds (Anemoi Theullai; the spirits of the four winds). (TAA, Book II)

  Alea – See Athena. (TAA, Book I)

  Anansi – An African mythological character. He often takes the shape of a spider or even as a half-spider. Mythology credits him as the father of stories, agriculture as well as creating the sun, the moon, and the stars. Belief in him exists in various African tribes though it is believed his worship began in Ghana, Africa. (TAA, Book I)

  Andred – An early Celtic war goddess, called Andraste by the Romans. Also believed to be a goddess of druids. (TAA, Book III)

  Anemothýella – Fictional character. Greek, meaning “windstorm.” A white draken and the chief of what remained of the original draken race. (TAA, Book III)

  “Allow me first to introduce myself. I am Anemothýella, or windstorm in your language. The other one is Nýchta. The night. Greek names. A language familiar, yet also a reminder of our previous servitude. I am the oldest of our race and I will have words with you. (TAA, Book III)

  Andreas Hahn – Fictional. Another unfortunate young man from Earth who stumbled through a portal in an archaeological dig in Egypt and found himself on Adar. A Swede and a student of the University of Upala, he crossed the veil separating Earth from Adar in 1954. Now the Gothi of Maljen, he has pledged himself to the service of Odin. Uses the name Ivar Godfrid.

  “Finished my first year in Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Uppsala. Volunteered to work at a dig site in Egypt for extra credit and the travel. Was clearing a wall we found in a tunnel system. Found it to be a secret entrance while alone. Stepped inside and got dumped here.” (TAA, Book I)

  Ares Enualios – Ancient Greek. One of the names of Ares, the Greek God of War. The term “Enualios”, also spelled “Enyalius”, means “the warlike.”

  Notes on Greek minor gods in the story – The attendants of Ares, which include Minis (the Greek god of threats), are mentioned in some writings. They are usually human emotions and actions related to war, given form in myths. These include abstractions such as threats (Minis), death in battle (Mors), rage (Furor), and others (TAA, Book II).

  Arvid – Fictional. An einherjar. Mentioned by Tyndur. (TAA, Book III)

  “Arvid’s an einherjar. We both agreed to greet those Elder things. Only, when the time came, I found myself alone when I looked back. Since that time, I promised myself that if and when I make the same pledge again, I’ll push the fellow out in front first.”

  – Tyndur (TAA, Book III)

  Asclepius – The Greek god of medicine. The son of Apollo and a mortal woman though Apollo was forced to kill the mother and her human lover. Asclepius was brought up by the Chiron the Centaur, taught healing, and with his natural gifts, became a living god among humans. Unfortunately, Athena also gifted him with the blood of Medusa which gave Asclepius the power to raise the dead. An ability which greatly angered Zeus when he saw old enemies and persons punished by his lightning bolts come to life. According to legend, Hades also complained about the drastic lowering of new additions to the Greek underworld. Zeus punished the demigod by throwing a lightning bolt at him. (TAA, Book III)

  Asem – Fictional. A High Priestess of the deity Thaut. His daughter born out of a mortal woman. Asem is a demigoddess. Though a master of ancient Egyptian fighting arts, her magical power is limited to mainly healing and purification spells. Her favorite weapon is the khopesh. (TAA, Book III)

  Asmund – Fictional. A guard at the Gothi’s house in Maljen. (TAA, Book I)

  Astrid – Fictional. A Valkyrie-in-training, she was instructed by Odin to serve the Archmage. Of mixed Nordic and Grecian heritage, her genealogy is unclear. Though Nenetl, an Aztecah wind spirit, called her “the Lady of the Eastern Breeze.” (TAA Book II)

  Athena – The Greek goddess of wisdom, strategy, justice, inspiration, and other qualities. Usually portrayed as the closest deity to Zeus. (TAA, Book I)

  Aphrodite – The Greek goddess of love and beauty. Wife of Hephaestus. Very promiscuous. (TAA, Book III)

  Bileyg – Norse mythology. One of the names of Odin. Meaning “Flashing/Wavering Eye.” Odin sometimes uses the name “Gangari,” meaning “Wanderer.” (TAA, Book I)

  Brovi – Fictional. Eira’s pet bear. (TAA, Book I)

  Caeneus – Greek. A hero (heroine) of Thessaly. Believed to be originally a woman named Caenis and was raped by Poseidon. She was so distraught after the fact that she demanded to be changed into a man in order not to be raped again. Poseidon gave in and changed her. He also made her invulnerable to weapons. Cae
nus became one of the best weapon masters in Greek mythology, surpassing even Achilles in their mastery. (TAA, Book III)

  Camulus – A Celtic war deity, also referred to as Camulos. (TAA, Book III)

  Cavillaca – Incan. A virgin goddess tricked by the Incan god Coniraya who transformed his sperm into a fruit which the goddess ate. Upon giving birth to a son, she demanded to know who the father was. Though no one admitted, she later found out that it was Coniraya. The fact of Coniraya as a father shamed her because of the low regard of the pantheon for the trickster god. Because of this, she jumped off a cliff with her son and transformed both of them into rocks. (TAA, Book II)

  Chipahua – A Nahuatl word meaning “crocodile.” Also the name of an Aztecah champion accompanying the entity called Yayauhqui. (TAA, Book III)

  Coatlicue – Aztec deity. Also called the mother or grandmother of their pantheon. She walks around wearing a garment made from rattlesnake skin and also referred to as “the devourer of filth.” Unusual title considering her insatiable desire to feast on human corpses. (TAA, Book III)

  “Oh, here’s another interesting deity. Coatlicue, called the mother or grandmother of their pantheon. She walks around wearing a garment made from rattlesnake skin and also referred to as ‘the devourer of filth’. Unusual title considering her insatiable desire to feast on human corpses.”

  “Stop right there. It’s nearly night time. Nightmares shouldn’t be my concern now.”

  The deity guffawed. “I didn’t expect you to have such a receptive mind, Mr. West. Oh, the descriptions I could provide of the repugnant and bizarre deities of the pantheons. Stories preferably told at night.”

  Tyler could only shake his head. Great. I get to provide the late-night entertainment for this deity. It could be a learning experience but… nightmares forever.