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. After his plans for a steel empire were thwarted by Bayan and his hexmates, he fled eastward and took refuge in the Corona, finding a place in Yl Senyecho‘s court
Iulan: a member of Clan Treinfhir and a powerful anima caster, rescued by Bayan and freed to return to his Tuathi people across the Waarden border. His son, Murchadh, fell in love with Aleida and married her, and he and Iulan moved to the small border town of Katacha, where Aleida’s assigned duel den is located. He is often seen with a hexbird he named Griogair
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. After he exiled Bayan for using illegal magic to save the empire, a dissenting faction broke away from imperial control and began agitating for the Hexmates
Joos de Rood: the Academy’s history teacher, descended from the last Master Duelist in imperial history, Helma de Rood
Jorn: a Potioneer Savant in Odjin's cohort
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
Katacha: the small Aeolian border town where Aleida, her husband, Murchadh, and his father, Iulan, the Tuathi once known by his clan name of Treinfhir, live
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, and continues to act on Philo’s behalf as a party to the secret Savant training sessions on campus
Kiwani t'Eshkin: daughter of Wateyo tes’Eshkin and Iyanu K’mokamo, powerful nobles who have fallen from 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. After Bayan’e exile, she becomes Head Duelist of a duel den near the Shadow Canyons
Kobus vooren Zeegat: sterile husband to the mad princess Qivinga, murdered by her hand
Kuvi: Kipri’s uncle, who died trying to assassinate Emperor Jaap during the Battle of the Kheerzaal
Kwaranaak: southern Nunaa town where Tarin and Taban are assigned to a duel den
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
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 year
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
Marton Ly Ronardo: commander of Yl Senyecho’s armies
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
Mendre: the Corona word for mother
Mindo: Bayan’s only brother, aged eleven
Mitlik: a castrated prince of Aklaa, brother to Qisuk, cousin to Savitu and Qivinga
Muckling: insulting term for a person from Balanganam
Muggenhem: a resort town for the Waarden nobility. The only town of note along the narrow strip of coastline Helderaard has along the Godsmaw. Due to the winter storm season, most families only visit Muggenhem during the summer months, despite owning permanent residences there
Murchadh: son of Iulan, member of Clan Treinfhir, and husband of Duelist Aleida
Muted steel: steel enclosed in one of the three heavy elements. Used during the First Tuathi War by the Waarden duelists in battle
Mynike: a new potioneer in Kwaranaak and a member of Taban’s network
Nambulay: Tala’s seaside home town in Balanganam
Neutral Pitch: the voice pitch with which an individual chanter casts healing magic. Neutral pitch varies from chanter to chanter. A chanter finds his or her personal neutral pitch by murmuring aloud without consciously choosing any pitch
Newnik: general term for Academy trainees, who haven’t learned to cast magic or been assigned to hexes yet
Nigha: a recent member of the potioneer ranks, she lost her hands in an accident at the Duelist Academy. She learns from Odjin that there is a way to regain the use of her magic
Nine Empires, the: the nine iterations of imperial Waarden rule, spanning more than two millennia
North Keenaght: the district of Renallen that supports the duel den where Calder was brought for healing on his way to the Academy
Northern Crescent: Corona term for the vast curve of land that hooks through the northern ocean
Nunaa: a Raqtaaq realm on the eastern border of the Waarden Empire, conquered some twenty years past
Octet: the advisory committee to the First Singer at the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies. All members must be of choralist rank
Odjin: see Diogenes Essendorp
Okatin: a business manager in the employ of Lord Eshkin, at his Wisnuk Bay estate. Kiwani’s birth father
Opposition Duelist: term for one’s opponent within a duel den arena. The official version of tegen
Ordomiro: An inkmage and Bayan's good friend in Cresconio's circus. His magic works through the motion of an ink brush as it draws on paper. He sacrifices himself to save Bayan’s life from a Corona mob
Ouachasta: a valio in the Corona. No resident may use magic within its borders. The valio’s primary export is steel, made in its many smelteries
Pangusay: Bayan’s home town, located on the Mambajao River at the southern tip of Balanganam
Peace Village: a village that shares the top of the mountain with the Duelist Academy. The Academy’s support staff live there, as do dozens of non-duelist students. It receives mail packets separately from the campus and has its own mayor
Periorion: the restricted section of the libra
ry at the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies, holding their oldest, most fragile documents
Philo Sallas: a plump gourmand and eunuch of the Third Class who enjoys feminine wigs and flashy accoutrements. For his efforts to uncover an Aklaa assassination plot, Philo has been promoted from Imperial Surveyor to Minister of Information. He secretly communicates with the Hexmates via a select few Singers like Tala, keeping tabs on various aspects of the empire
Pim Aalthoven: the Academy’s Wood Instructor, he holds the rank of Avatar Duelist
Pinamuyoc: a realm populated by Bantayan people to the north of Balanganam, it has been a province of the Waarden Empire for three centuries
Plum: derogatory name for an Aklaa pretending to be Waarden. Dark on the outside, with a pale white heart
Portal: a magical passageway from one physical location to another, created by Trio level song magic. Portals open in front of the singer, and close when the crystals lose their resonance. Locations are targeted as portal endpoints with various destination sequences. Individuals are located with unique combinations of notes
Potion: A liquid concoction created by a potioneer, or apothecary. All potions affect the emotional state of the drinker, a temporary effect lasting less than a day
Potioneer: a failed duelist of any rank (or none), whose magic has been stripped away. Potioneers wash out of the Academy for various reasons, including permanent physical injury—rendering them incapable of performing spell motions—mental strain, or emotional imbalance—such as falling in love and becoming incapable of achieving the void. They are generally dismissed as weak or incompetent since they were unable to handle the stresses of the vaunted duelist training. Potioneers are monitored regularly by the empire, as they were when they were duelists or students, and they are not allowed to travel without permission. The only job the empire lets them perform is making potions with secret recipes
Potioneer Savant: a maimed duelist who has learned alternate casting techniques using the lost schools of study found in an ancient book beneath the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies, and can cast magic again. They hide their abilities because the empire is not ready to give the despised potioneers an exalted place in society
Primumo:: the choralist who leads the First Singer’s Octet
Qisuk: a castrated prince of Aklaa, brother to Mitlik, cousin to Savitu and Qivinga
Qivinga (Tammaba) vooren Zeegat: the Last Starflower, and the Lost Starflower. Princess Qivinga was Savitu’s sister, and it was in her name that he swore to bring down the Waarden Empire
Ranguela: queen of an ancient land where the Corona now stands. She asked General Bermudo dy Chixal to marry her, and when he refused, she ordered him to fight the sea pirate known as the Red Hound singlehandedly. No one in the Corona would dare name their daughter Ranguela nowadays due to the stigma of the legendary queen’s pride and rage
Raqtaaq: a proud and independent culture, spread across two realms: Aklaa and Nunaa. Its people are characterized by dark copper skin, willowy height, and thick, curly black hair, as well as fierce pride and an unwillingness to bend to another’s will. Disparaged by their conquerors, the Raqtaaq are often called Ragtag
Raqtaaq Wars: a series of violent clashes along the border between the Raqtaaq lands and the empire proper, from 1988 IC to 1992 IC. Emperor Hedrick, sensing distant movement amongst the lands of the Corona to the east, wished to acquire a buffer between that empire and his own. The Raqtaaq did not care for Hedrick’s plan and fought back viciously, but were ultimately defeated
Red Hound: a pirate of ancient Corona legend who sailed in his vessel Honor of Achaya with his armada to attack Queen Ranguela’s shores. The sea witch Erramela blocked his way, and knowing her power, he gave his life to Fastamar, God of Storms, to curse the witch from the sea forever, thus saving the lives of his loyal men
Renallen: an old, walled city in Gherabellen, large enough to support more than one duel den
Revocation: a combination of sacred motions that close the duelist off from their magic, usually performed after a duel or a stint of practice in an Academy arena. During a trainee’s first semester on campus, it is performed only once, at the end of every day
Rina: a cute Waarden Meditation Instructor with curly brown hair
Saaniq: an indentured man who was in service to, and colluding with, the mad princess Qivinga
Sabella: magic performer at Cresconio's circus. Her dancing produces elemental magic through its movements. She’s taken Bayan as her lover
Sacred motions: elemental spells are created by combining six different motions in various combinations. Each motion summons a different element
Sanaala: a young singer in Tala's coterie. Her body was found after a portaling accident
Sanakit: an old farmhand on Bayan’s family farm
Sand Guides: a group of hardy, clever men who memorize and mark the changing, deadly sands at the broad mouth of the Mambajao for the purpose of safely guiding travelers from Pangusay to the far bank
Savantism: having the qualities of a Duelist Savant
Savantism forcing: the act of consciously bonding one’s elemental magic to a specific emotion in order to become a Savant
Savitu Tammaba: a castrated prince of Aklaa, son of the Voice of Tilaa and brother to Qivinga, the Lost Starflower. He swore to avenge his father’s death, his sister’s capture, and the humiliation of his people by killing the emperor of the Waarden
Scuff: a ne'er-do-well in Taban's information network
Sea of Galahara: the sea on the southeastern coast of the Corona, known for its high winds
Seals: three seals represent the three ranks of duelist. The first seal, for Elemental Duelists, is carved on the cliff above the Hall of Seals and set in a colorful mosaic outside its doors, as well as hanging on the wall within the hall. This symbol is generally accepted as the logo of the Academy, and of duelists in general. It is comprised of six narrow teardrops in six colors, representing the six elemental magics, surrounded by black and ringed in gold. Duelists receive the seal tattooed on their left hands once they pass their Elemental exams. The second seal, for Avatar Duelists, is a starburst in six colors against a field of black, and is tattooed on duelists’ right hands once they pass their Avatar exams. The third seal on the wall in the Hall of Seals is blank, a plain gray circle of iron. Whenever a Hexmagic Duelist enters the room, they are free to animate an image on the iron sheet as a sign of their ability. No tattoo is given for the rank of Hexmagic Duelist; such lucky students are expected to choose their own tattoo and reveal it upon their skin at will. There is no seal for Master Duelist, as the position is so rarely achieved, and any such duelist would have no need of tattoos to prove their ability
Sebastiaan voorde Helderaard: older son of Emperor Jaap and heir to the Second Waarden Empire
Second: the second class of eunuchs, comprised of childless sons of rebellious men. After their fathers are executed, these sons are castrated and retrained to serve the Waarden Empire with a lifetime of penance for their sires’ misdeeds
Second Tuathi War: 1530-1580 IC, during which the Tuathi drove hard into the Dunfarroghan provinces and sacked both the Duelist Academy and Akkeraad itself, forcing the emperor to flee for his life. The Waarden finally won the war by allying with the Shawnash and reconstructing the Duelist Academy in its current location, replacing their lost duelists with new Shawnash recruits
Seer: traditionally, a Balanganese wise man who performed Tellings on feastdays. In recent imperial history, it has become customary for a seer to hail from any culture. They are particularly favored amongst the rich
Seerpool: a metal tub used by a seer to determine the future, using a Telling
Seerwine: a rare and much-desired drink amongst the imperials who can afford it. It is made from the sap of the seerwine pitcher plant, which grows only in the tropical forests of Balanganam. Raw seerwine sap is hallucinogenic in small doses and fatal in larger amounts
Senyecho: title of direct address f
or the Corona emperor Baltonarmo
Shadow Canyons: a rough, hilly area at the southern end of the Shawnash’kote peninsula
Shawnash: term describing a person from the Shawnash’kote realms, Kemada, Wasemya and Byanneken
Prodigal Steelwielder (Seals of the Duelists Book 3) Page 33