Aetherium (Omnibus Edition)

by Joseph Robert Lewis

  Marmarica – Fiction: A province of the Empire of Eran located in North Ifrica. Fact: An ancient Roman district on the border of modern Libya and Egypt.

  Maroqez – Fiction: A city in southern Marrakesh. Fact: A real location in Morocco (the city of Marrakech).

  Marrakesh – Fiction: A country on the western coast of North Ifrica and the most technologically advanced nation in the world. Originally a matriarchal society descended from the Kel Tamasheq, Marrakesh has been invaded and settled countless times by peoples from all over the Middle Sea region and is now home to many ethnic groups, languages, and sub-cultures. Fact: This location corresponds with the modern nation of Morocco, which is called “Marrakesh” in Persian and Urdu.

  Master Jiro – Fiction: A senior leader of the Sons of Osiris from Nippon and the only person in Aegyptus who knows how to forge an aetherium sword. Fact: The Japanese name Jiro means second son.

  Master Khai – Fiction: A senior leader of the Sons of Osiris from Aegyptus and First Knight of Osiris, placing him in command of the Temple’s warriors. Fact: There was an Egyptian scribe and director of soldiers named Khai.

  Master Rashaken – Fiction: The senior master of the Sons of Osiris in Alexandria. Fact: The Egyptian name Rashaken was the divine name of Osirtesen III.

  Mazdan Temple – Fiction: The state religion of the Empire of Eran and many other nations. A monotheistic religion derived from numerous ancient texts and prophets, and strongly emphasizing the concept of Good (the creator God) versus Evil (the devil or destroyer God). Fact: The state religion of ancient Persia was Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster about three thousand years ago. This religion recognized a supremely good creator God called Ahura Mazda and an evil force called Angra Mainyu. There are about two hundred thousand members of this religion today.

  Mazigh – Fiction: A person from or the language of Marrakesh. Fact: The Amazigh people live in numerous North African countries today. They are also known as Berbers.

  Medur Hamuy – Fiction: An ex-soldier and mercenary in Marrakesh working for Lady Sade. Fact: None.

  Megathera – Fiction: A giant eight-ton sloth native to the New World and imported to Marrakesh to labor in factories that cannot afford mechanical engines. Fact: Giant ground sloths like the Megatherium lived in South America until they became extinct about 10,000 years ago.

  Meknes – Fiction: A city in central Marrakesh. Fact: A real location in northern Morocco.

  Menna Ohana – Fiction: Taziri Ohana’s daughter. Fact: None.

  Merda – “Shit” in Italian.

  Mewar – Fiction: A southern region of Rajasthan. Fact: Same.

  Middle Sea – Fiction: A large body of water bordered by Europa to the north, Ifrica to the south, and Asia to the east. Fact: A real location, the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean means middle of the earth.

  Middle Sea – Fiction: A large body of water bordered by Europa to the north, Ifrica to the south, and Asia to the east. Fact: A real location, the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean means “middle of the earth.”

  Ming Empire – Fiction: A vast empire at the eastern edge of the Asian continent. Fact: Corresponds to modern China. During the Ming dynasty, China was called the Empire of the Great Ming.

  Mirari Velasquez – Fiction: A woman from northern España. Tormented for her deformed ears and social difficulties, she spent several years living in an abandoned silver mine. Drinking the water in the mine turned her skin silver-blue. When wearing a mask to hide her natural features, she adopts the personality of a well-born Espani lady. Fact: Consuming large amounts of silver will permanently color your skin blue-gray, causing a condition called argyria. The Spanish name Mirari means miracle.

  Mongoose – Fiction: A small and agile mammal similar to a weasel with a strong natural resistance to most forms of venom. Fact: Same. Recent studies have found that the mongoose lacks the common mammal chemical receptor that is vulnerable to most venom. Thus, the mongoose is in fact naturally resistant to most venom.

  Monte – Fiction: An Espani card game. Fact: A Spanish card game, also called monte bank.

  Mossi – Fiction: One of the peoples (and nations) of West Ifrica conquered by the Songhai Empire. Fact: The Mossi people today live in Burkina Faso and its neighboring nations.

  Mother – Fiction: In the Roman and Constantian Churches, this is the aspect of God that embodies the concepts of life and creation. Fact: In the Christianity, the Mother figure is the Virgin Mary. Also, it has been suggested that the Jewish God originally had a female partner or aspect named Asherah, which was later demoted or erased from the religious texts.

  Mother’s Shrine – Fiction: A Mazigh holy monument located between the Upper and Lower sections of Orossa, Marrakesh. Fact: There is a shrine to the Amazigh warrior queen Tin Hinan in the town of Abalessa, Algeria.

  Nadira – Fiction: A Mazdan nun from Damascus who was made immortal by Bashir two thousand years ago. She was taught the science of aether, but renounced her studies after five hundred years to become a warrior and protector of Damascus. Fact: The Persian name Nadira means rare.

  Nahiz – Fiction: A town in central Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with the town of Maaziz, Morocco.

  Nahuatl – Fiction: The language of the Aztec people. Fact: Same.

  Naveen – Fiction: A boy living in eastern India with his father. Fact: The Sanskrit name Naveen means new.

  Necropolis – Fiction: A city of the dead. A massive collection of elaborate tombs and graves in one location, such as the necropolis outside Port Chellah. Fact: There are many necropolises in the world, including a Phoenician one in ancient Chellah (modern Rabat, Morocco).

  Nethys – Fiction: A woman gifted with a sun-steel soul-locket, granting her eternal life and youth, as well as other abilities. A member of a large family of similarly immortal men and women, she lives a generally secluded life in the undercity of Alexandria. Four thousand years ago, she and her family posed as high priests and living gods of the Aegyptian people, presiding over state and religious functions, such as funerals. Fact: The Egyptian goddess Nephthys was associated with protection and the role of priestess. She was depicted as having a kite’s wings.

  New World – Fiction: A term for the recently discovered continent ruled by the Incas. Fact: North and South America are sometimes referred to as the New World, while Europe, Africa, and Asia are referred to as the Old World. These labels are particularly used in scientific contexts, such as New World monkeys, or in commerce, such as Old World wines.

  Nicola DeVelli – Fiction: An Italian military and political theorist and member of the Ten of War council. Fact: Niccolo Machiavelli was a fifteenth century Italian political theorist, diplomat, philosopher, writer, and member of the Ten of War council. His most famous political treatise is The Prince.

  Nihani – “Secret” in Farsi (Persian / Eranian)

  Nippon – Fiction: An island nation to the east of Ming (China). Fact: Same. Nippon is the formal Japanese name for Japan.

  Niraj – Fiction: A young trapper in Rajasthan who lived with his wife’s family in the mountains. Fact: The Sanskrit name Niraj means illuminate.

  Nirvana – Fiction: An Indian/Buddhist concept. The state of being free from suffering. Fact: Same.

  Nisha – Fiction: A woman living by a lake in eastern India. Fact: The Sanskrit name Nisha means night.

  Nitroh – Fiction: An explosive chemical compound. Fact: Nitroglycerin was first created in the nineteenth century. It is not a toy.

  Northern Air Corps – Fiction: A department of the Mazigh Transport Authority (Security Section 4). Fact: None.

  Numidia – Fiction: A country on the northern coast of North Ifrica, with its capital at Carthage. A political and ethnic ally to Marrakesh. Fact: This free nation became a province of the Roman Empire two thousand years ago. Its borders fall within modern Algeria and Tunisia.

  Omar Bakhoum – Fiction: A senior leader of the Sons of Osiris from Aegyptus, in charge of loc
al affairs within the city of Alexandria. A trainer of assassins and operatives. A scholar searching for aetherium and information about aetherium. He disappeared several years ago while searching for new sources of aetherium. Fact: The Arabic name Omar means long-lived.

  Orichalcum – Fiction: A legendary golden metal from ancient España. Fact: A legendary metal mentioned in the writings of ancient Greek and Roman historians. It has been suggested that orichalcum was an alloy of gold, brass, tin, silver, and other metals. It is also mentioned in Plato’s description of the lost city of Atlantis.

  Orossa – Fiction: The capital city of Marrakesh. Fact: None.

  Osiris – Fiction: A man gifted with an aetherium soul-locket, granting him eternal life and youth, as well as other abilities. A member of a large family of similarly immortal men and women, he lives a generally secluded life in the undercity of Alexandria. Four thousand years ago, he and his family posed as high priests and living gods of the Aegyptian people, presiding over state and religious functions, such as funerals. His appearance is unique within his family, notably his green skin. Fact: The Egyptian god Osiris was the Lord of the Dead. He was depicted as a green-skinned pharaoh.

  Palash – Fiction: A type of tree with orange flowers. Also called the flame of the forest. Fact: Same.

  Palma – Fiction: A town on the island of Mallorca. Fact: Same.

  Pastoralism – Fiction: A political movement in Marrakesh that opposes industrialization and seeks a return to pure agricultural societies. Members are known to resort to violent terror attacks against factories, railways, and mines. Fact: None.

  Persia – Fiction: The former name of the Empire of Eran. Fact: The Persian Empire evolved over thousands of years through many names and dynasties centered around the modern nation of Iran, include the Achaemenid Empire, the Sassanid Empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, the Saffarid dynasty, and the Timurid dynasty. See Eran.

  Petrol – Fiction: A rare and expensive new type of fuel made from Songhai oil, which has more chemical energy than other known fuels. Fact: Petrol (also known as gasoline) is derived from oil, and is more volatile than other similar fuels like diesel.

  Phoenician – Fiction: The Phoenicians were ancient sea traders and settlers who spread west across the Middle Sea, establishing towns throughout North Ifrica and España many centuries ago. Fact: The Phoenician civilization existed from the sixteenth to the fourth century BC. Many Phoenician cities survive to this day, but they often have new local names.

  Pic Blanco – Fiction: A mountain in the Pyrenees. Fact: The name Pic Blanco means White Peak in Spanish.

  Pic Verde – Fiction: A mountain in the Pyrenees. Fact: The name Pic Verde means Green Peak in Spanish.

  Pizzaro brothers – Fiction: Four Espani brothers who led the disastrous invasion of the New World. All died in the war. Fact: The Pizzaros were four Spanish brothers who conquered the Incan Empire in the sixteenth century. Juan died during the siege of Cusco. Francisco was assassinated by a Spanish rival. Gonzalo was executed for rebelling against the king of Spain. Hernando died of old age in Spain.

  Plasma torch – Fiction: A new electrical tool for cutting steel using high-temperature plasma, invented by Taziri Ohana. Fact: The plasma torch was invented in the 1980s, and works exactly as described in The Bound Soul (although it requires more powerful machines than the ones described in the book). The device produces a jet of gas or compressed air from a nozzle. One electrode is located inside the nozzle and the second electrode is connected to the metal sheet being cut. An electrical arc forms between the nozzle and the sheet, which ignites the gas or air stream into plasma. The plasma burns at 25,000 degrees C (45,000 degrees F).

  Port Chellah – Fiction: A port city in western Marrakesh. Fact: Corresponds with modern Rabat, Morocco. “Chellah” was the city’s ancient Phoenician name.

  Pratap Singh – Fiction: A Rajput warrior prince, and the current king (maharana) of Rajasthan. Fact: Maharana Pratap ruled over Mewar (located in modern Rajasthan) during the sixteenth century. He was the only Rajput lord to defy the Mughal invaders led by Akbar. After thirty years of guerilla warfare, he succeeded in freeing most of Mewar.

  Priya – Fiction: A Buddhist nun from Kolkata who was forced to flee for her life when the monks drove out the nuns. Fact: The Sanskrit name Priya means beloved. Buddhist nuns adopt the same appearance (robes and shaved heads) as monks, and have similar rights and privileges. However, nuns were/are often discriminated against by non-Buddhists as well as Buddhists in various ways, ranging from systemic disrespect to physical violence.

  Punt – Fiction: A nation on the eastern coast of Ifrica, to the south-east of Aegyptus. Fact: The ancient nation of Punt was an important trading partner of ancient Egypt. It may have been located on the Horn of Africa or on the Arabian Peninsula.

  Pyrenees – Fiction: A mountain range at the northern border of España. Beyond it lies nothing but the endless glaciers of Europa. Fact: This mountain range lies along the border between Spain and France and is home to the Basques.

  Qhora Yupanqui – Fiction: An Incan princess living in España with Don Lorenzo Quesada. Fact: The Quechua (Incan) name Qhora means plant or herb.

  Qilin – Fiction: A small species of dragon native to Ming. Adults grow to be the size of tigers and have horse-like hooves, scaled bodies, and a single horn on their heads. This horn has curative properties. The tears of the qilin contain a slow-acting and painful poison. Fact: The qilin is a mythical creature in China, Japan, and other Asian cultures. It is described as a dragon with the features of tigers, fish, deer, and other animals. Sometimes called the Chinese unicorn.

  Quechua – Fiction: The language of the Incan Empire. Fact: Same. This language is spoken today in some areas of South America.

  Ra’s steel – See Aetherium.

  Rajasthan – Fiction: A nation on the far western border of the Empire of Eran, near India. Fact: Rajasthan is the largest state in the Republic of India.

  Rajput – Fiction: A dominant military clan in northwestern India and Rajasthan. Fact: Same.

  Rama – Fiction: A man living by a lake in eastern India. Fact: The Sanskrit name Rama means pleasing.

  Raska – Fiction: A small Europan nation to the northwest of Hellas. Fact: This region corresponds to modern Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The name Raska is the Slavic name for Serbia.

  Reales – Fiction: Money in España. Fact: Money in Spain (back before the Euro).

  Ridolfo Capoferro – Fiction: An Italian fencing master famed for inventing the perfect lunge. Fact: Same. Lived in Siena during the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries.

  Rinegold – See aetherium.

  River Elbro – Fiction: A river in northern España. Fact: A real location in Spain.

  Roman Church – Fiction: A religious organization that worships a God who came to earth as a man, woman, and child to experience and teach mankind. Fact: Loosely based on Catholic Christianity.

  Rome – Fiction: A city in central Italia. Fact: A real location in Italy.

  Rui Faleiro – Fiction: An Espani naval commander and advisor to Admiral Ferdinand Magellan. Fact: Rui Faleiro was a cosmographer of dubious sanity who claimed to be able to calculate longitude (he couldn’t) and advised Magellan on his voyage around the world in the sixteenth century. But Faleiro got cold feet after reading his own horoscope (I’m not making this up!) and he stayed behind.

  Rus – Fiction: A large, sparsely populated country to the northeast of Europa. Fact: There was a group of Swedish Viking explorers called the Rus people who settled Eastern Europe. Their culture may or may not have influenced the Russian nation, but the name did stick. Rus is pronounced roose, like moose.

  Saber-toothed cat – See kirumichi.

  Sade – Fiction: The governess of Arafez, Marrakesh. A descendant of an old Mazigh noble family. Fact: The Yoruba name Sade means honor brings a crown and is pronounced Shah-day.

  Salvator Fabris – Fiction: An Italian fencing master, international secret agent in t
he service of the king of Italia, and the Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts. Fact: An Italian fencing master of the sixteenth century who fought and trained in several royal courts, and published his own treatise on rapier fencing. A celebrity in his own lifetime, he was respected both as a fencer and a teacher. He was also the Supreme Knight of the Order of the Seven Hearts (whatever that was).

  Samaritan – Fiction: A member of a small ethnic and religious community in the Empire of Eran, from the town of Nablus near Mount Gerizim. Samaritans possess ancient religious texts, which they claim contain the only pure record of the one true faith. Fact: A member of a small ethnic and religious community primarily located near the town of Nablus near Mount Gerizim, which is in the West Bank region near Jerusalem. Samaritans have a faith similar to Judaism, but claim that their religious texts and practices are the original untainted form of that faith.

  Sangha – Fiction: The community of ordained Buddhist monks and nuns. Fact: Same.

  Sangram Singh – Fiction: A Mewar prince and grandfather of Pratap Singh. Fact: Also known as Rana Sanga, he united the Rajput peoples and repelled many foreign invaders in the early sixteenth century, suffering countless injuries but always treating his defeated foes with honor and generosity. He was ultimately defeated by the Mughal ruler Babur, who used artillery.

  Sari – Fiction: A common and popular garment for women in India, consisting of a single piece of fabric wrapped and draped around the body in various styles, colors, and accessories, and sometimes worn with other clothing such as blouses. Fact: Same.

  Sati – Fiction: A widow living outside the village of Kasar in Rajasthan. Fact: The Sanskrit name Sati means faithful or true.

  Sebek – Fiction: A senior member of the Sons of Osiris currently overseeing the construction of the eastern portion of the Trans-Eranian Railway. Fact: Also called Sobek, he was the ancient Egyptian god of crocodiles and the military, and was depicted as a man with a crocodile head.

  Security Section 1 – Fiction: The Mazigh Royal Guards, responsible for the protection of the capital and the royal family. Fact: None.