What would happen to her? What would happen to any of them?
For the first time in her life, Marta wished she was one of Oman’s true believers. She needed a god she could turn to now for even the smallest hope….
Instead, all she had was a sick certainty that things had gone very, very wrong.
So ends Book I of Misery’s Child
Glossary of Terms and Characters
Abshira: the most famous and popular prostitute (bellinta) in Shamanoza.
Adaila: queen of Jeptalla. Tullus’ wife, Scearce’s mother.
Alron: third son of Bayard of Jeptalla; brother of Tullus, Merton and Ramertah; uncle of Scearce.
Annya Syfert: wench in Jennymeade, a trollop. Syfert’s granddaughter
Anthely: a shallana breda, mother of Devyn.
Anya: shallana breda of Varden; committed suicide.
Assiduarte: two years spent in total silence serving somewhere in the Realm, necessary before a novice becomes a full cadia.
Bastrop: Lord General of the Guardians and the Omani Realm’s Legions. From Tira.
Bayard: king of Jeptalla, once general of the Legion’s Third Arm, father of Tullus, current king.
Belah: the ancient warrior credited with uniting the Twelve Kingdoms and leading them in the War for Independence, which ended the occupation of the Torian warlords. Considered a prophet and father of the Omani Realm, and the first shallan.
Bene, also Bene Priests: the male half of the Omani “church.” In addition to religion, the Bene administer the law, theology and finance.
Borchetta: cadialana member from Sealles, proceeding Osane.
Burlang: a full-skirted robe with long sleeves and a simple rounded yoke at the base of the throat, high-waisted and close fitting, with a full pleated skirt. Has metal buttons (among women, only cadia wear metal buttons)
Calla-mundie: literally, a “small tale;” a story for children.
Cadia, or Cadian Sisterhood: the female half of the Omani “church.” An order of sisters devoted not just to the teachings of Oman, but to education, medicine and art. The order is divided along areas of study:
· Apothecas: healers
· Cadiasecratia: former consecratia, responsible for the Festival of the Single Moon, the selection and preparation of the new consecratia
· Chatels: housekeepers, laundresses, cooks
· Historicas: writers and scholars of historical records.
· Luminas: scribes, artists and weavers
· Nicte: secret branch in the study of warfare, assassination and defense.
· Philosophes: philosophers and theologians
· Techas: teachers
Cadia the First: Belah’s sister, founder of the Cadian Sisterhood.
Cadian Code: Primary tenant comes from the Book of Belah, Chapter 23, Book 12, Verse 9: “For as much as my brother and my god require my obedience and service, I cannot surrender my devotion to any one man while so many others have need of me.”
Cadia-dedre: leader of the Cadia. Dedre means “keeper of secrets.”
Cadialana: the high council of the Cadian order with twelve members, one from each province.
Cadia Junisperi: author of “Origins of the Omani and Its Ramifications on Contemporary History.”
Ceanese Isles: islands in the Far Sea off the coast of Corellia, primarily exporting spices.
Charoot: vegetable or root (tuber)
Chiate: a pale pink stone used in buildings.
Consecratia: the noble daughters offered for consideration as shallana breda every six years.
Corellia: province in the west of the Realm; known for jewelcraft and wines.
Danaus: a wealthy merchant of the Kirrisian Province.
Darma: a flower known for its beauty and fragrance. Blooms are mostly shades of red and pink.
Dockmas: dock hands.
Eraat: a type of crane, a scavenger.
Edlin: servant of House Kirrisian, daughter of Tesla, best friend to Lillitha.
Ersala y’Kirrisian: vidoress of Kirrisian Province, wife of Vidor Rowle, mother of Lillitha, Marta, and Paul.
Farcali: valley of Corellia known for its brandy.
Ganymite: pale blue precious stone mined in the hills near Darban, a town in Gezana.
Gevalini: member of the Cadialana from Kirrisan.
Glisenheath: town in Modan, major trading port.
Jennymeede: village near House Kirrisian.
Jonil: deceased eldest son of Rowle and Ersala.
Keel: approximately a month, or twenty-six days.
Kanard: starchy vegetable, usually mashed and seasoned with rosemary.
Kirrisian: province ruled by Vidor Rowle, home of Lillitha.
Koesta: Prima (or primary) Nicte and a member of the Cadialana.
Leah, or Mother Leah: the holy mother of Belah.
Legions: the Armies of the Realm, comprised of the Three Arms.
· First Arm: the Guardians, personal troops of the shallan, by far the largest force in the realm.
· Second Arm: smallest portion of the Realm’s legions, more engineers and administrators than soldiers. Builders of roads, bridges, etc.
· Third Arm: the Omani legions stationed along the border of the Realm and the Empire, particularly in the garrison of Sira Gann.
Lendenican: cadia-techa attached to House Gezana and Iafrewn.
Leodric: vidoress of Gezana, mother of Iafrewn, wife of Weodjic.
Mannishulo: province in the mountainous far north.
Martel the Warrior: ancient tribal vidor of Kirrisian, ancestor of Rowle.
Merton: second son of Bayard of Jeptalla, Tullus’ brother and Scearce’s uncle. Holds the title of “Duke.”
Midiron: town in Jeptalla built between the First and Second Great Walls.
Modan: province known for weaving.
Narkissa: town in Gezana, where stone quarries are located.
Nivey: a kind of fish, a very slippery bottom-feeder.
Oman: the one true god. Prior to Belah’s rise as a prophet, the people of the disjointed realm worshiped many deities. Belah is credited with introducing the belief in a single god above all others.
Omana Teret: literally, “the seat of Oman on earth.” An island containing the palace of the Shallan and the Temple of Oman, located in Shamanoza City in Shallanie province. Also known as “Oman’s Great Isle.”
Osane: the current cadia-dedre, leader of the Cadia, born in Sealles province.
Paggie: a fruit with pink flesh and a darker skin.
Paglia y’Atrema: Chancellor of the Realm, his power is second only to the shallan.
Paul y’Kirrisian: Lillitha’s younger brother, eleven summers at the beginning of Book One.
Placa: the coin of the realm. Value depends on its size (actual coins were sometimes cut in half or quarters, hence a quarter placa or a half placa) and its metal, gold, silver, brass or copper.
Prima, i.e. “prima-nicte:” title that indicates the bearer is the “first” or head of something, in this case a Cadian division.
Pohyrin: a derivative of wildflowers which grow only in the No-lands of Modan, used to lower fever and relax muscles.
Polania: region encompassing parts of Oneonata, Correlia, Modan and Shallanie known for gold mining.
Ramertah: fourth son of Bayard of Jeptalla; brother of Tullus, Merton and Alron.
Renegor: a very old vidor of Mannishulo.
Rowle y’Kirrisian: vidor of Kirrisian Province, husband of Ersala, father of Lillitha, Marta and Paul.
Ru u’salla: soft lady, or an upperclass woman of the cities.
Scearce: prince of Jeptalla, son of King Tullus. Childhood friend of Lillitha’s.
Scrive: vulgar for copulation.
Shaka: childhood game of Kirrisian province, similar to a dance, rather like “Ring Around the Rosie.”
Shallan: the highest ruler over all the Twelve Kingdoms that make up the Omani Realm. He is considered part leader, part holy prophet.
&nb
sp; Shallana Breda: the consecrated consort of the shallan. Former shallan bredas of Varden include:
· Anthely
· Anya
· Mofred
· Dalyra
· Ovidde
Shallanie: province which contains Shamonoza, the capital city of the Realm, and Omana Terret, the palace of the Shallan.
Shallanoma: title given to a shallana breda who bears a male child.
Silsbee: Shallana, mother to Shallan Varden.
Staking: common punishment and execution for rapists and murders in Omani which involves driving stakes through the body until the victim is literally pinned to the ground, and left to die.
Star of Belah: clear white precious stone.
Soccia: prima apotheca of the cadia.
Syfert: addled old man of Kirrisian.
Tadomani: literally, “touched by Oman.” To be tadomani means one possesses special talents, including second sight, telepathy and extreme empathy.
Talimockra: a card game
Tanra Jille: woman who owns the Blue Darma Tavern in Jennymeade.
Tey Myseratti: ancient Shallanie word for which there is no adequate translation, but the closest is “the miserable” or “the despairing.”
Tesla: cook for House Kirrisan, mother of Edlin.
Tor, or Tor Abat: people who live on the other side of the Shumdan Mountain range, which separates Tor from the Omani Realm. Considered by the Omani to be decadent savages and slave traders.
Tranquilara: a cadia trained in the skills of soothing and influencing through voice modulation.
Tomack: eldest son and heir of Danaus.
Toyva: Bastrop’s neice.
Tullus: king of Jeptalla, Scearce’s father.
Varden: the current shallan.
Vidor: a ruler or king of one of the Twelve Kingdoms, also called the Twelve Provinces:
· Bethosa
· Correlia
· Gezana
· Jeptalla
· Kirrisian
· Ladegan
· Mannishulo
· Modan
· Oneonata
· Sealles
· Shallanie
· Tira
Vidoress: a vidor’s wife.
Vidron: vidor’s eldest son and heir.
Vidroness: wife of vidron.
Vidress: daughter of a vidor.
Weodjic: vidor of Gezana, father of Iafrewn, wife of Leodric.
Widow Hargrow: Kirrisian who runs the Griffith Tavern.
Yagret Simanous: merchant ship owner and ale merchant in Jennymeade.
Yannamarie: Cadia-techa of Lillitha y’Kirrisian.
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