Stormed Fortress

by Janny Wurts

  pronounced: kev-or

  root meaning: kiavor – high virtue

  KEWAR TUNNEL—cavern built beneath the Mathorn Mountains by Davien the Betrayer; contains the maze of conscience, which caused High King Kamridian s’Ffalenn’s death. Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn successfully completed the challenge in Third Age Year 5670.

  pronounced: key-wahr

  root meaning: kewiar – a weighing of conscience

  KHADRIM—drake-spawned creatures, flying, fire-breathing reptiles that were the scourge of the Second Age. By the Third Age, they had been driven back and confined in the Sorcerers’ Preserve in the volcanic peaks in north Tysan.

  pronounced: kaa-drim

  root meaning: khadrim – dragon

  KHARADMON—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven; discorporate since rise of Khadrim and Seardluin levelled Paravian stronghold at Ithamon in Second Age 3651. It was by Kharadmon’s intervention that the survivors of the attack were sent to safety by means of transfer from the fifth lane power focus. Currently working the wardings to defer a minor invasion of wraiths from Marak.

  pronounced: kah-rad-mun

  root meaning: kar’riad en mon – phrase translates to mean ‘twisted thread on the needle’ or colloquialism for ‘a knot in the works’

  KHETIENN—name for a brigantine built at Merior and owned by Arithon; also a small spotted wildcat native to Daon Ramon Barrens that became the s’Ffalenn royal device.

  pronounced: key-et-ee-en

  root meaning: kietienn – small leopard

  KORIANI—possessive and singular form of the word ‘Koriathain’; see entry.

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-nee

  KORIAS—south-western principality of Tysan.

  pronounced: kor-ee-as

  root meaning: cor – ship, vessel; i’esh – nest, haven

  KORIATHAIN—order of enchantresses ruled by a circle of Seniors, under the power of one Prime Enchantress. They draw their talent from the orphaned children they raise, or from daughters dedicated to service by their parents. Initiation rite involves a vow of consent that ties the spirit to a power crystal keyed to the Prime’s control.

  pronounced: kor-ee-ah-thain – to rhyme with ‘main’

  root meaning: koriath – order; ain – belonging to

  KRALOVIR—term for a sect of necromancers, also called the grey cult, destroyed by Arithon s’Ffalenn in Third Age Year 5671.

  pronounced: kray-low-veer

  root meaning: krial – name for the rune of crossing; oveir – abomination

  KYRIALT s’TALEYN—once heir designate and youngest son of the High Earl of Alland, Lord Erlien s’Taleyn, Caithdein of Shand, now bestowed as liegeman to Arithon of Rathain as a debt of honour.

  pronounced: key-ree-alt

  root meaning: kyrialt – word for the rune of crossing with the suffix for ‘last,’ which is the name for the rune of ending.

  LANSHIRE—northernmost principality in the Kingdom of Havish. Name taken from the wastes at Scarpdale, site of First Age battles with Seardluin that blasted the soil to slag.

  pronounced: lahn-sheer-e

  root meaning: lan’hansh’era – place of hot sands

  LAW OF THE MAJOR BALANCE—founding order of the powers of the Fellowship of Seven, as taught by the Paravians. The primary tenet is that no force of nature should be used without consent, or against the will of another consciousness.

  LIENRIEL RIVER—crosses the free wilds of Alland, and joins the Hanhaffin inside of Selkwood, in the Kingdom of Shand.

  pronounced: lee-en-ree-ell

  root meaning: lien – to love; riel – silver

  LIESSE s’BRYDION—Duchess of Alestron and wife of Duke Bransian.

  pronounced: lee-ess

  root meaning: liesse – state of accord, based from the word ‘a note in harmony’

  LIRENDA—former First Senior Enchantress to the Prime, Koriani Order; failed in her assignment to capture Arithon s’Ffalenn for Koriani purposes. Currently under the Prime Matriarch’s sentence of punishment.

  pronounced: leer-end-ah

  root meaning: lyron – singer; di-ia – a dissonance – the hyphen denotes a glottal stop

  LORN—town on the northcoast of Atainia, Tysan.

  pronounced: lorn

  root meaning: loern – an Atheran fish

  LUGGER’S ISLET—a barrier island located off the shore of East Halla, popular as a haven for galleys during winter storms.

  LUHAINE—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven – discorporate since the fall of Telmandir in Third Age Year 5018. Luhaine’s body was pulled down by the mob while he was in ward trance, covering the escape of the royal heir to Havish.

  pronounced: loo-hay-ne

  root meaning: luirhainon – defender

  LYRANTHE—instrument played by the bards of Athera. Strung with fourteen strings, tuned to seven tones (doubled). Two courses are ‘drone strings’ set to octaves. Five are melody strings, the lower three courses being octaves, the upper two, in unison.

  pronounced: leer-anth-e (last ‘e’ being nearly subliminal)

  root meaning: lyr – song, anthe – box

  LYSAER s’ILESSID—prince of Tysan, 1497th in succession after Halduin, founder of the line in Third Age Year One. Gifted at birth with control of Light, and Bane of Desh-thiere. Also known as Blessed Prince since he declared himself avatar for the following known as the Alliance of Light.

  pronounced: lie-say-er

  root meaning: lia – blond, yellow or light, saer – circle

  MARAK—splinter world, cut off beyond South Gate, left lifeless after creation of the Mistwraith. The original inhabitants were men exiled by the Fellowship from Athera for beliefs or practices that were incompatible with the compact sworn between the Sorcerers and the Paravian races, which permitted human settlement on Athera. Source of the Mistwraith, Desh-thiere, and the free wraiths that threaten Athera.

  pronounced: maer-ak

  root meaning: m’era’ki – place held separate

  MATHIELL GATE—last gate to the inner citadel in Alestron, Paravian built to withstand the fires of dragons. It was the Mathiell garrison who secured the span guarding incursion from the Wyntok Gate during the uprising that threatened clan rule in Third Age Year 5018.

  pronounced: math-ee-ell

  root meaning: mon’thiellen – sky spires

  MATHORN MOUNTAINS—range that bisects the Kingdom of Rathain east to west.

  pronounced: math-orn

  root meaning: mathien – massive

  MEARN s’BRYDION—youngest brother of Duke Bransian of Alestron. Former ducal emissary to Lysaer s’Ilessid’s Alliance of Light. Husband of Fianzia.

  pronounced: may-arn

  root meaning: mierne – to flit

  MEDLIR—name used by Arithon when he travelled incognito with Halliron Masterbard as apprentice in Third Age Years 5638 to 5647.

  pronounced: med-leer

  root meaning: midlyr – phrase of melody

  MELHALLA—High Kingdom of Athera once ruled by the line of s’Ellestrion. The last prince died in the crossing of the Red Desert. Currently stewarded by the Teiren’s’Callient.

  pronounced: mel-hall-ah

  root meaning: maelhallia – grand meadows/plain – also word for an open space of any sort

  MEIGLIN s’DIENEVAL—the legitimate daughter born to the widow of Egan s’Dieneval in Third Age 5019, just after his death in the slaughter of the rebellion. Heart’s love of the last High King of Shand for one night, just prior to his death while fighting the Mistwraith. A weaving by the Biedar of Sanpashir, done at the behest of the last Centaur Guardian, ensured the union would bring conception, and the birth of Dari’s’ Ahelas. Also named Anshlien’ya in desert dialect, as the dawn of hope.

  pronounced: mee-glin s-dee-in-ee-vahl

  root meaning: meiglin – passion; dien – large; eval – endowment, gifted talent

  MERIOR BY THE SEA—small seaside fishing village on the Scimlade peninsula in Allan
d, Shand. Once the temporary site of Arithon’s shipyard. Birth place of Fiark and Feylind.

  pronounced: mare-ee-or

  root meaning: merioren – cottages

  METHISLE FORTRESS—a Paravian keep on an islet in Methlas Lake in Orvandir, currently overseen by the Guardian of Methisle, the Master Spellbinder, Verrain.

  pronounced: methiyell

  root meaning: meth – hate

  METHURI—METHURIEN (plural form) an iyat-related parasite that infested live hosts and altered them for the purpose of creating new hosts. Extinct by the Third Age.

  pronounced: meth-you-ree

  root meaning: meth’thieri – hate wraith

  MI A’DAELIENT—address given by a liegeman or woman to acknowledge the realm’s queen.

  pronounced: mee ah-day-ell-ee-ent

  root meaning: mi – my; a’ – feminine prefix; daelient – ruler bearing crown rank

  MINDERL BAY—body of water inside of Crescent Isle, off the eastshore of Rathain.

  pronounced: mind earl

  root meaning: minderl – anvil

  MISTWRAITH—see Desh-thiere.

  MORRIEL—Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain since the Third Age 4212. Instigated the plot to upset the Fellowship’s compact, which upset seven of the magnetic lanes on the continent. Her death on winter solstice 5670 left an irregular succession, resolved by the elevation of an incompetent initiate, Selidie, who had been chosen to facilitate an unprincipled act of possession by Morriel, which usurped the young woman’s body.

  pronounced: more-real

  root meaning: moar – greed; riel – silver

  MORVAIN—city located in the principality of Araethura, Rathain, on the west coast of Instrell Bay. Elaira’s birthplace.

  pronounced: mor-vain

  root meaning: morvain – swindler’s market

  MYRKAVIA—island located in Rock Bay Harbor, off the coast of Havistock, in Havish.

  pronounced: meer-kay-vee-ah

  root meaning: miere – reflection; kavia – spruce tree

  NAI FFIOSH E’ELEN SLIET-TH’I—no false tiny steps.

  pronounced: naye fee-owsh e’el-en slee-et-thee

  root meaning: nai – no; ffiosh – false; e’elen – diminutive for short, small, tiny; sliet-thi – step with suffix for plural

  NARMS—city on the coast of Instrell Bay, built as a craft centre by Men in the early Third Age. Best known for dyeworks.

  pronounced: narms

  root meaning: narms – colour

  NORTHSTOR—trade port at the northern tip of the East Halla peninsula, and Vaststrait.

  pronounced: north stor

  root meaning: stor – summit or apex of a triangle

  ORVANDIR—principality located in north-eastern Shand.

  pronounced: or-van-deer

  root meaning: orvein – crumbled; dir – stone

  PARAVIA—name for the continent inhabited by the Paravians, and locale of the Five Kingdoms.

  pronounced: par-ay-vee-ah

  root meaning: para – great; i’a – suffix denoting entityship, and raised to the feminine aspect, which translates as ‘inclusive of, or holding the aspect for greatness’

  PARAVIAN—name for the three old races that inhabited Athera before Mankind. Including the centaurs, the sunchildren, and the unicorns, these races never die unless mishap befalls them; they are the world’s channel, or direct connection, to Ath Creator.

  pronounced: par-ai-vee-ans

  root meaning: para – great; i’on – fate or great mystery

  PARRIEN s’BRYDION—younger brother of Duke Bransian s’Brydion of Alestron, Keldmar, and older brother of Mearn. Husband of Tiassa. Broke Arithon’s leg in Third Age Year 5654, and in restitution awarded Rathain’s prince the service of two s’Brydion retainers, Talvish and Vhandon.

  pronounced: par-ee-on

  root meaning: para ient – great dart

  PELLAIN—trade town located on the inland bounds of East Halla, Melhalla.

  pronounced: pell-ayn

  root meaning: peil – odd; ai’an – hidden one

  PERDITH—trade town located on the east shore in East Halla, Melhalla, known for its armourers.

  pronounced: per-dith

  root meaning: pirdith – anvil

  QUAID—trade town in Carithwyr, Havish, lying inland along the road from Los Mar to Redburn. Famous for fired clay and brick.

  pronounced: qu-wade

  root meaning: cruaid – a clay used for brickmaking

  RAIETT RAVEN—brother of the Mayor of Hanshire; uncle of Sulfin Evend. Considered a master statesman and a bringer of wars. Served as High Chancellor of Etarra, ruling in the absence of the ratified mayor. Died in Arithon’s purge of the Grey Kralovir necromancers from Etarra, Third Age 5671.

  pronounced: rayett

  root meaning: raiett – carrion bird

  RANNE—royal guardsman of Avenor, once honour guard of Prince Kevor, reprieved and reassigned to Lysaer’s personal guard by Sulfin Evend.

  pronounced: ran

  root meaning: ruann – a fledgling hawk

  RATHAIN—High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age Year One. Device: black-and-silver leopard on green field. Arithon Teir’s’Ffalenn is sanctioned crown prince, by the hand of Asandir of the Fellowship, in Third Age Year 5638 at Etarra.

  pronounced: rath-ayn

  root meaning: roth – brother; thein – tower, sanctuary

  RAUVEN TOWER—home of the s’Ahelas mages who brought up Arithon s’Ffalenn and trained him to the ways of power. Located on the splinter world, Dascen Elur, through West Gate.

  pronounced: raw-ven

  root meaning: rauven – invocation

  REDBURN—town located in a deep inlet in the northern shore of Rockbay Harbor in Havistock, Havish.

  pronounced: red-burn

  not from the Paravian

  RIATHAN PARAVIANS—unicorns, the purest, most direct connection to Ath Creator; the prime vibration channels directly through the horn.

  pronounced: ree-ah-than

  root meaning: ria – to touch; ath – prime life-force; an – one; ri’athon – one who touches divinity

  RIVERTON—trade town at the mouth of the Ilswater River, in Korias, Tysan; once the site of Lysaer’s royal shipyard, before the site burned by Cattrick’s sabotage in Third Age Year 5654.

  ROCKBAY HARBOR—body of water located on the southcoast, between Shand and West Shand.

  ROCKFELL PEAK—mountain containing Rockfell Pit, used to imprison harmful entities throughout all three Ages. Located in West Halla, Melhalla; became the warded prison for Desh-thiere.

  pronounced: rock-fell

  not from the Paravian

  s’AHELAS—family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Shand. Gifted geas: far-sight. Also the lineage that carries the latent potential for the rogue talent for far-sight and prophecy, introduced when the caithdein’s lineage of s’Dieneval became crossed with the royal line in Third Age 5036, resulting in Dari’s birth in winter, 5037.

  pronounced: s’ah-hell-as

  root meaning: ahelas – mage-gifted

  SAMAURA—a third-rank Koriani healer.

  pronounced: sam-your-ah

  root meaning: s’a’moara – a woman who holds close, or is tenaciously possessive

  SANPASHIR—desert waste on the southcoast of Shand. Home to the desert tribes called Biedar.

  pronounced: sahn-pash-eer

  root meaning: san – black or dark; pash’era – place of grit or gravel

  SANSHEVAS—town on the south shore in Alland, Shand, known for citrus, sugar, and rum.

  pronounced: san-shee-vas

  root meaning: san – black; shievas – flint

  SAYSHA—a Koriani Senior with an enhanced talent for telepathy.

  pronounced: say-shaa

  root meaning: saisha – to listen

  s’BRYDI
ON—ruling line of the Dukes of Alestron. The only old blood clansmen to maintain rule of a fortified city through the uprising that defeated the rule of the high kings.

  pronounced: s-bry-dee-on

  root meaning: baridien – tenacity

  s’CALLIENT—lineage of the Caithdeinen of Melhalla, Fellowship chosen to succeed s’Dieneval after the fall of Tirans.

  pronounced: scal-lee-ent

  root meaning: caillient – most extreme form of ‘fixed’ or stubborn –’ immovable’

  SCARPDALE—waste in Lanshire, Havish. Created by a First Age war with Seardluin. Site of the Scarpdale grimward.

  pronounced: scarp-dale

  not from the Paravian

  SCIMLADE TIP—peninsula at the south-east corner of Alland, Shand.

  pronounced: skim-laid

  root meaning: scimlait – curved knife or scythe

  SECOND AGE—Marked by the arrival of the Fellowship of Seven at Crater Lake, their called purpose to fight the drake spawn.

  s’DIENEVAL—lost lineage of the Caithdeinen of Melhalla, the last to carry the title being Egan, who died at the side of his high king in the battle to subdue the Mistwraith. The blood-line carried strong talent for prophecy, and was decimated during the sack of Tirans in the uprising in Third Age Year 5018, with Egan’s pregnant wife the sole survivor. Her daughter, Meiglin, was mother of Dari s’Ahelas, crown heir of Shand.

  pronounced: s-dee-in-ee-vahl

  root meaning: dien – large; eval – endowment, gifted talent

  SEARDLUIN—drake-spawned, vicious, intelligent cat-like predators that roved in packs that sought ruthless slaughter of other living things. Battled to extinction by the middle of the Second Age for the sake of Paravian survival. Remnant recall of them can arise in the dreams of grimwarded drake haunts.

  pronounced: seerd-loo-win

  root meaning: seard – bearded; luin – feline

  SEITHUR—Biedar tribal dialect, meaning one whose choice will determine the future.