Empire Ascendant
Page 48
* * *
Rohandaar – A dead city from Tordin’s history.
* * *
Rohinmey Tadisa Garika – Novice parajista at the Temple of Oma, with the ability to see through wards. Son of Finahin Humey Garika, Tadisa Sinhasa Garika, and Madinoh Ladisi Badu. Brother of Chali Finahin Badu.
* * *
Romey Sahina Osono – A former student of Ahkio Javia Garika’s, whose body was found in a sheep field in Clan Osono. Presumed to have been killed by Tai Mora agents.
* * *
Rosh Mev – A young woman who started a rebellion in Old Galind.
* * *
Ryn – A city in Dorinah.
* * *
Ryyi – A leader among the Seekers.
* * *
Sabasao Orsana Adama – Assistant to Ora Una.
* * *
Sagasarian Sea – A sea to the north of Dorinah.
* * *
Sai Monshara – One of the top generals of the Tai Mora, Monshara is tasked to work with Zezili Hasaria to eradicate the dajians in Dorinah. Monshara is the daughter of the former Empress of Dorinah on the Tai Mora version of Raisa. One of Kirana’s four line commanders.
* * *
Saiduan – Large empire which rules the northwestern continent on Raisa. The continent itself is also called Saiduan. The empire is led by the Patron, the eighth in the country’s latest family line of rulers. Powerful Saiduan families have traditionally gone to war for this seat. Since it was established, eighteen different families have ruled Saiduan.
* * *
Sanctuary – A room at the heart of the Temple of Oma where the Dhai clan elders traditionally meet to discuss issues of government.
* * *
Sanisi – The conjurer-assassins of Saiduan. Sanisi carry weapons infused with the power of the satellites.
* * *
Saofi – The Empress of Dorinah’s dajian secretary.
* * *
Saolina – A small town in Dorinah where Zezili Hasaria’s mother lives.
* * *
Saolyndara – A dajian camp in Dorinah.
* * *
Saradyn of Lind – King of Tordin, he is struggling to unite the constantly warring factions in the country. Can see “ghosts,” which he believes to be a cursed power bestowed on him by one of the satellites.
* * *
Saurika Halania Osono – Clan leader of Clan Osono.
* * *
Sazhina – A dajian. Pherl’s sister.
* * *
Screes – A strategy game played in Dhai.
* * *
Sea of Haraeo – The sea that separates Dhai and Saiduan.
* * *
Seara – A winter month in the Dorinah calendar.
* * *
Sebastyn – An outer island to the north of Dorinah.
* * *
Seeker Sanctuary – The training location for Dorinah’s gifted. Seekers in Dorinah have their licenses to practice magic renewed here.
* * *
Seekers – The Empress of Dorinah’s assassins. The Seekers have the ability to channel the satellites, a rare talent in Dorinah.
* * *
Sel oil – A flammable oil.
* * *
Shanigan Saromei Dasina – A senior Ora and mathematics teacher at the Temple of Oma.
* * *
Shao – A title among the Saiduan sanisi indicative of relative talent. Most powerful are Shao, then Ren, Tal and Shas.
* * *
Shas – A title among the Saiduan sanisi indicative of relative talent. Most powerful are Shao, then Ren, Tal and Shas.
* * *
Sindaa Mokaa, Shao – Commander of the sanisi at Harajan.
* * *
Shar – The large double helix “sun” in the sky over Raisa, actually twin stars which exchange mass as they rotate one another. Also called "the sisters."
* * *
Shodav – A dancer and old friend of Dasai and Luna. A former slave.
* * *
Shoratau – A prison in Saiduan, located northeast of Kuonrada. Shoratau houses prisoners who were thought to possibly be useful later.
* * *
Shova Hom – A Tai Mora omajista.
* * *
Siira – The Dhai name of a winter month of the year.
* * *
Silafa Emiri Pana – A young, newly appointed Ora, part of Ahkio’s most trusted circle.
* * *
Sina – A satellite that appears over Raisa, also called the Lord of Unmaking. Sina’s light is violet.
* * *
Sinajista – Sorcerers who can channel the power of Sina when it is ascendant. Their abilities may include calling fire, raising the dead, transmuting or transforming substances, removing wards, and prophecy.
* * *
Sloe – A runt dog belonging to Saradyn.
* * *
Sokai Vasiya – A Seeker who ends up in the same dajian camp Lilia is in. Recruited and bound by Lilia to help her get the dajian refugees across the Dhai border.
* * *
Sola – A young girl refugee on boat escaping Saiduan with Luna.
* * *
Song of Davaar – A song used to focus power to create an intricate net.
* * *
Song of One Breath – A song used to control the power of Oma, taught to Lilia by Taigan.
* * *
Song of Sorrow – An omajista litany.
* * *
Song of the Cactus – An attack litany.
* * *
Song of the Mountain – An offensive litany.
* * *
Song of the Pearled Wall – Defensive litany.
* * *
Song of the Proud Wall – A defensive litany.
* * *
Song of the Water Spider – An offensive litany.
* * *
Song of Unmaking – Litany that cuts a person off from their ability to draw on a satellite. Temporary, and easy to counter once one has become skilled.
* * *
Sorana Hasaria – Zezili’s youngest sister.
* * *
Sorat – Emlee’s nephew.
* * *
Soruza Morak Sorai – Replacement for Gaiso in overseeing Oma's Temple. A jista from the Temple of Tira.
* * *
Sorvaraa – Saiduan city south of Harajan.
* * *
Soul stealer – Saiduan term for a sinajista at the height of their power. Some sinajistas can capture and harness the soul or life essence of those they slay in their infused blades.
* * *
Sovaan Ortaa, Ren – A sanisi.
* * *
Sovonia – A seer and rebel leader on another version of Raisa.
* * *
Storm, Syre – The Empress of Dorinah’s only male legion commander. Not permitted to fight, but commands others. Given name – Lasli Laodysin.
* * *
Suari Febek – A Tai Mora stargazer.
* * *
Sulana Ofasa Daora – Parajista and Ora.
* * *
Tadisa Sinhasa Garika – One of Roh’s mothers. Also mother of Chali Tadisa Badu.
* * *
Taigan Masaao, Shao – An outcast sanisi aligned with Maralah, bound to her with a ward, after she was able to spare Taigan’s life when Taigan betrayed the Patron. Taigan has since been tasked with finding additional omajistas to help the Saiduan fight the Tai Mora.
* * *
Tai Mora – The invaders. The Tai Mora seek to escape through a permanent gate from mirror Raisa before their world is destroyed by the ascendance of Oma.
* * *
Tal (person) – A dajian. Pherl’s sister.
* * *
Tal (title) – A title among the Saiduan sanisi indicative of relative talent. Most powerful are Shao, then Ren, Tal and Shas.
* * *
Talamynii – Former allies of the Dhai, when the Dhai were a powerful nation. The Talamynii
tamed wolves and used them as mounts. More fearsome than the Dhai, they were wiped out by the Saiduan. The few who remained intermarried with Saiduan people and their culture was subsumed by the broader one.
* * *
Talisa Gaiko Raona – Leader of Clan Raona.
* * *
Tanasai Laosina – Near-cousin to Zezili Hasaria. Tanasai was raised as part of Zezili’s family after the death of her mother, but was seen as a burden by Zezili’s mother.
* * *
Tanays Heydan – Saradyn’s second in command.
* * *
Taodalain Hasaria – Zezili Hasaria’s sister. Daughter to Livia Hasaria.
* * *
Tasia Gohina Garika (Dhai) – A young girl separated from her family.
* * *
Tasia Gohina (Tai Mora) – Kirana and Yisaoh’s child. Adopted from Kirana’s cousin.
* * *
Temple of Oma – A temple dedicated to Oma. Located in Dhai at the tip of the Fire Gate peninsula. The building itself is a living thing, made of some unknown combination of organic matter.
* * *
Temple of Tira – A Dhai temple located deep within the woodland. Somehow repels nearby dangerous plants. Its grounds contain the most renowned gardens in Dhai.
* * *
The Cage – A mountain range in Dorinah, near Lake Morta.
* * *
The Lament of Hahko – A very old Dhai ballad.
* * *
Thief Queen – Unseated Penelodyn and attempted to take power in Tordin. Was killed by Saradyn Lind. Also known as Quilliam of the Mountain Fortress, Quill of Galind, Quill the Thief Queen. Was once Saradyn’s ward.
* * *
Tir Salarihi Garika – Clan leader of Clan Garika. Father to Yisaoh Alais Garika, Hadaoh Alais Garika, Rhin Gaila Garika, Lohin Alais Garika and Kihin Moarsa Garika. Exiled.
* * *
Tira – Name of the satellite also referred to as Lord of the Living. Tira’s light is green.
* * *
Tirajista – Sorcerers who can channel the power of Tira when it is ascendant, which gives them the power to heal flesh and grow/train plants and other organics. Tirajistas are also skilled in the creation of wards.
* * *
Tolda – A dajian.
* * *
Tongue Mountains – Mountains in Tordin.
* * *
Tordin – Country on the southeastern shore of Grania, led currently by a King named Saradyn Lind. Constantly in a state of civil war. Was led by the Empress of Dorinah’s sister, Penelodyn, before she was unseated by the Thief Queen. The country is difficult to unite because of its geography—cities are far apart, and the terrain is hilly. Dangerous plants spring up again quickly after being cut.
* * *
Tulana Nikoel, Ryii – Leader of the Seekers hiding in the dajian camp where Lilia is held. An omajista.
* * *
Una Morinis Raona – Gatekeeper of the Temple of Oma.
* * *
Vestaria Mauvia – A Tai Mora at Caisau.
* * *
Voralyn Jovyn – A Dorinah Seeker recruited and bound by Lilia to help her get the dajian refugees across the Dhai border.
* * *
Water lily spiders – Semi-sentient plants that filter water when they breathe.
* * *
Willowthorn – Thorny weeping tree with small leaves which grows up to 175 feet tall. Saplings are infused with the power of Sina to create infused weapons.
* * *
Wind witches – Name for parajistas in Tordin.
* * *
Woodland Dhai – Those who have been exiled from – or who chose to exile themselves from –the Dhai settlements in the valley. The Woodland Dhai have a different dialect than those in the valley.
* * *
Wraisau Kilia, Ren – A sanisi.
* * *
Yisaoh Alais Garika (Dhai) – Yisaoh once contested Javia Mia Sorai for the title of Kai. Daughter of Tir Salarihi Garika. Sister of Rhin Gaila Garika, Hadaoh Alais Garika, Lohin Alais Garika and Kihin Moarsa Garika.
* * *
Yisaoh Alais Garika (Tai Mora) – Married to the Tai Mora leader, Kirana Javia.
* * *
Yivsa Afinisla – One of Kirana’s four line commanders.
* * *
Zezili Hasaria (Raisa Prime) – Captain general of Dorinah’s eastern force. Zezili’s mother, Livia Hasaria, is a titled Dorinahian and her father a dajian, making her half Dhai. Her title is Syre.
* * *
Zezili Hasaria (Mirror) – Incited a revolt against the Tai Mora and killed Kirana Javia’s Tai Mora father. Worked on the massive mirror the Tai Mora created to facilitate entry to prime Raisa, but was eventually killed for refusing to cooperate.
* * *
Zini – The smallest of Raisa’s three moons.
Acknowledgments
This was an extraordinarily difficult book to write on an extraordinarily difficult deadline. Many thanks to Marc Gascoigne at Angry Robot for fully supporting the book and my endless tinkering with it right up until page proofs. I keep thinking writing novels will get easier, as this is the fifth book I’ve published and the fourteenth I’ve written, but I tend to set extreme challenges for myself with every new work, and this one – with its multiple worlds and multiple versions of dead and living characters– was the most challenging yet. Whether this book and the series as a whole succeeds or not is now up to readers. Thank you for taking a chance on it.
I set myself a high bar, and I had a lot of people supporting me in my attempt to reach it. Many thanks to my agent, Hannah Bowman, for going over this grueling book time and time again, and for buying me scotch. Thanks to my editor, Amanda Rutter – I know this series is a pain in the ass. Special thanks to Mike Underwood for his continued support of the books on the Angry Robot sales and marketing side, and for being a great person all around. Thanks to Caroline Lambe and Penny Reeve for publicity wrangling, Phil Jourdan for keeping it moving editorially, and Paul Simpson for swift copyediting work.
There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work here again from my assistant, Danielle Horn Beale, and I want to thank her for helping me hit these seemingly impossible deadlines. I would have lost my mind several times already this year without her to help me muddle through. Many thanks also to Jayson Utz for long talks about plot and supportive sanity checks, as well as his continued support and patience for my two-career life. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.
Finally, thanks to all of you. Thank you for reading my work, for telling your friends, for debating my stories endlessly on social media and in online forums and in book clubs and libraries and everywhere else. Thank you to everyone who has hand sold my work in a bookstore or at a convention table, or passed on a copy to a friend, or requested a copy from the library. Thank you for the fan letters, and the love.
It’s a tough time to be an author (it always has been), but your enthusiasm and support ensures I can keep telling weird and wonderful stories for you.
Can’t stop the signal.
* * *
The Big Red House
Ohio
Summer, 2015
About the Author
Kameron Hurley is the acclaimed author of the novels God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture, a science-fantasy noir series which earned accolades such as the Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel. Kameron has also been a finalist for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Locus Award and – for The Mirror Empire, the first volume in the Worldbreaker Saga – the David Gemmell Morningstar Award.