The Ruin of Kings

by Jenn Lyons

  86: RETURNING

  * The last Hellmarch was twelve years ago, starting in Marakor, and cost incalculable lives. Jorat is still underpopulated.

  88: MIYA’S GIFT

  * This explains why King Terindel, of the Kirpis vané, thought that Queen Khaevatz was “unfit” to rule the vané—because of her voramer mother. Presumably since then, the Royal Family has come to terms with that bit of grafting onto the family tree. This is especially true since they probably know Khaemezra is actually the goddess Thaena. Also, technically, Kihrin and Teraeth aren’t related to each other—only because Kihrin’s biological mother is Miya (even if Miya’s body is now possessed by Khaemezra’s granddaughter Khaeriel). Were that not the case, Teraeth, who is Khaevatz’s half-brother, would be Kihrin’s great-uncle. Yes, it’s complicated.

  ADDENDUM I:

  GLOSSARY

  A

  Afterlife, the—a dark mirror of the living world; souls go to the Afterlife after death, hopefully to move on to the Land of Peace

  agolé (a-GOAL-ay)—a piece of cloth worn draped around the shoulders and hips by both men and women in western Quur

  Alavel (a-la-VEL)—home city of the wizard’s school known as the Academy

  Arena, the—a park in the center of the Capital City that serves as the battleground for the choosing of the Emperor

  ariala (ah-rye-LAY)—a metal, known for its variety of color, mined in Kirpis

  Attuleema, Landril—a merchant of the Copper Quarter

  B

  Baelosh (BAY-losh)—a dragon, best known for the size of his hoard of treasure

  Bertok (BER-tok)—a god of war

  Black Brotherhood, the—a group of assassins for hire

  black lotus—a plant native to the Manol Jungle that is the source of a deadly poison of the same name

  Butterbelly—a pawnshop owner and fence with the Shadowdancers

  C

  Calay Harbor (kal-LAY)—the harbor that shelters the Capital

  City Caless (kal-LESS)—a goddess of physical love

  Camarnith (kam-ARN-ith)—a god of healing, native to Zherias

  Chainbreaker—a magical artifact associated with the Manol vané; has powers dealing with illusions

  Cherthog (cher-THOG)—a god of winter and ice, primarily worshipped in Yor

  Cimillion (seh-MIL-e-on)—Emperor Sandus’s son, believed killed as an infant by Gadrith the Twisted

  Citadel, the—headquarters of the Quuros Imperial Military

  City, the, aka the Capital City—just called “the City”; originally a city-state under the control of the god-king Qhuaras, its original name (Quur) now applies to the whole Empire

  Continuance—a royal practice of delaying the execution of a female member of the House until she has borne a child; usually done when there is no male heir

  Copper Quarter, the—the mercantile district of the Lower Circle in the Capital City

  Cornerstones, the—eight magical artifacts; the Stone of Shackles and Chainbreaker are two of these

  Court of Gems, the—slang for the Royal Families of the Upper Circle, represented by twelve different kinds of gemstones

  Crown and Scepter, the—famous artifacts that may only be wielded by the Emperor of Quur

  Culling Fields, the—a tavern and inn situated just outside the Imperial Arena. Also a nickname for Arena Park.

  D

  Daakis (DAY-kis)—a god of sports, swordplay, and games

  Dana (dan-AY)—god-queen of Eamithon, still worshipped as the goddess of wisdom and virtue

  D’Aramarin (day-ar-a-MAR-in)

  Dorman (DOR-man)—a nobleman belonging to House D’Aramarin, cousin and friend of Galen D’Mon

  Daughter of Laaka, aka kraken—an enormous immortal sea creature

  Delon (DEL-on)—first mate aboard the slave ship The Misery

  demons—an alien race from another dimension that can, through effort, gain access to the material world; famous for their cruelty and power. See: Hellmarch

  D’Erinwa (day-er-in-WAY),

  Morvos (MOR-vos)—a nobleman of House D’Erinwa, fond of card games

  Phaellen (FAY-lan)—a nobleman of House D’Erinwa, murdered by Gadrith D’Lorus

  Desolation, the—an island chain between Zherias and Khorvesh that poses a major shipping and navigational hazard because of the lack of currents on one side and the Maw on the other

  Dethic (DETH-ik)—a eunuch slave trader operating out of Kishna-Farriga

  D’Lorus (du-LOR-us)

  Cedric (KED-rik)—High Lord of House D’Lorus; father of Gadrith

  Gadrith (GAD-rith)—Lord Heir of House D’Lorus, convicted of treason and executed at the end of the Affair of the Voices; also known as Gadrith the Twisted

  Raverí (rav-ear-EE)—wife of Gadrith D’Lorus; officially listed as mother of Thurvishar D’Lorus. She was believed executed after his birth for the charges of witchcraft and treason

  Thurvishar (thur-vish-AR)—son of Gadrith and Raverí D’Lorus, Lord Heir of House D’Lorus after his father Gadrith’s execution

  D’Mon (day-MON)

  Alshena (al-shen-AY)—wife of Darzin D’Mon, originally from House D’Aramarin

  Bavrin (BAV-rin)—second living son of High Lord Therin D’Mon

  Darzin (DAR-zin)—Lord Heir and eldest living son of High Lord Therin D’Mon

  Devyeh (DEV-yeh)—third living son of High Lord Therin D’Mon

  Galen (GAL-len)—second son of Lord Heir Darzin D’Mon

  Kihrin (KEAR-rin)—eldest son of Lord Heir Darzin D’Mon by a slave, Lyrilyn. See: Rook

  Saerá (SAY-ra)—eldest daughter of Darzin D’Mon

  Therin (THER-rin)—High Lord of House D’Mon

  Tishar (tish-AR)—younger sister of Pedron D’Mon, also half-vané

  Devoran Prophecies, the—a many-book series of prophecies that are believed to foretell the end of the world

  Devors (de-VORS)—island chain south of the Capital City, most famous as the home of the Devoran priests and their prophecies

  Doc (Dok)—the owner and primary bartender of the Culling Fields, a tavern

  Doltar (dol-TAR)—a country distant from Quur

  Dragonspires, the—a mountain range running north–south through Quur, dividing the dominions of Kirpis, Kazivar, Eamithon, and Khorvesh from Raenena, Jorat, Marakor, and Yor

  dreth (DRETH)—See: vordreth

  drussian (deus-E-an)—a rare metal superior to iron that can only be created through super hot magical fires

  Dyana (DEE-an-ah)—a vordreth woman, married to Emperor Sandus, murdered by Gadrith the Twisted

  E

  Eamithon (AY-mith-ON)—a dominion just north of the Capital City, the oldest of the Quuros dominions and considered the most tranquil

  Empire of Quur—See: Quur

  Esiné (eh-SIN-ah)—a Manol vané clan that communicated through hand movements

  F

  Faris (FAIR-is)—a member of the Shadowdancers criminal organization, formally code-named Ferret

  firebloods—a race originally related to horses but modified by the god-king Korshal to possess extraordinary size, power, resilience, loyalty, and intelligence. Firebloods are omnivorous and although they do not possess opposable thumbs, some are capable of manipulating tenyé. They have an average life expectancy of eighty years or more.

  Four Races, the—four immortal, powerful races that once existed; only the vané still exist in their original, immortal forms, with the other races having devolved into the morgage, dreth, and human races

  G

  gaesh (gaysh), pl. gaeshe (gash-ee)—an enchantment that forces the victim to follow all commands given by the person who physically possesses the totem focus, up to and including commands of suicide. Being unable or unwilling to perform a command results in death.

  Galava (gal-a-VAY)—one of the Eight Immortals; goddess of life and nature

  Galla Sea (GAL-la)—sea between the Devors island cluster and the Desolation

>   Gallthis (gal-THIS)—a garbage pit outside the Capital City, unofficially used by people who don’t wish to pay the fees charged by the Junk Boys

  Gendal (GEN-dal)—former Emperor of Quur, murdered by Gadrith D’Lorus

  god-touched—a “gift” or “curse” (depending on who one asks) handed down by the Eight Immortals to the eight Royal Houses of Quur. The Royal Houses are forbidden on pain of death, from making laws. As a side effect of the curse, each House has a distinctive eye color.

  Guarem (GOW-rem)—the primary language of Quur

  Grizzst (GRIST)—falsely attributed to being one of the Eight Immortals; famous wizard, sometimes considered a god of magic, particularly demonology. Believed to be responsible for the binding of demons

  H

  Hell—distinct from the Land of Peace; where demons come from

  Hellmarch—the result of a powerful demon gaining access to the physical world, freely summoning demons and possessing corpses. This usually results in a runaway path of death and devastation.

  I

  Ivory District, the—the temple district of the Upper Circle in the Capital City

  J

  Jorat (jor-AT)—a dominion in the middle of Quur with varying climate and wide reaches of grassy plains, known for its horses

  Juval, Captain (JEW-val)—the Zheriaso captain of the slave ship The Misery

  K

  Kalindra (KAL-ind-rah)—a member of the Black Brotherhood, of Khorvesh and Zherias descent

  Kame (KAY-me)—a prostitute working the harbor area of the Capital

  Kandor (KAN-dor)

  Atrin (AT-rin)—an Emperor of Quur who significantly expanded the borders of the Empire; most famous for deciding to invade the Manol, which resulted in the destruction of virtually the entire Quuros army, leaving Quur defenseless against the subsequent morgage invasion. Also, the last known wielder of the Sword of Empire, Urthaenriel.

  Elana (eh-lan-AY)—Atrin Kandor’s wife; after her husband’s death, she returned to using her maiden name, Milligreest

  Karolaen (KAR-o-lane)—former name of Kharas Gulgoth

  Kazivar (KAZ-eh-var)—one of the dominions of Quur, north of Eamithon

  Kelanis (KEL-a-nis)—son of Khaevatz and Kelindel, now king of the vané

  Kelindel (KEL-in-del)—the Kirpis vané king who married the Manol vané queen Khaevatz and united the vané people

  Key—a specialist burglar working for the Shadowdancers, trained at unlocking magical wards and enchantments; technically a witch. See: witch

  Kirpis, the (KIR-pis)—a dominion to the north of Kazivar, primarily forest. Most famous for being the original home of one of the vané races, as well as the Academy. Also home of a number of very famous vineyards.

  Kirpis vané—a fair-skinned, immortal race who once lived in the Kirpis forest before being driven south to eventually relocate into the Manol Jungle

  Kishna-Farriga (KISH-na-fair-eh-GAH)—one of the Free States, independent city-states south of Quur, past the Manol Jungle; Kishna-Farriga is used as a trading entrepôt by many neighboring countries

  Khaemezra (kay-MEZ-rah), aka Mother—the High Priestess of Thaena, and leader of the Black Brotherhood; Teraeth’s mother

  Khaeriel (kay-RE-el)—queen of the vané, deceased

  Khaevatz (KAY-vatz)—Manol vané queen, famous for resisting Atrin Kandor’s invasion; she later married Kirpis vané king Kelindel

  Kharas Gulgoth (KAR-as GUL-goth)—a ruin in the middle of the Korthaen Blight; believed sacred (and cursed) by the morgage

  Khored (KOR-ed)—one of the Eight Immortals, God of Destruction

  Khoreval (KOR-e-val)—a magic spear wielded by Janel Theranon, particularly efficacious against demons

  Khorsal (KOR-sal)—a god-king who ruled Jorat. He was particularly obsessed with horses, and modified a great many of the people and animals under his power. Responsible for the creation of the fireblood horse lines and centaurs.

  Khorvesh (kor-VESH)—a dominion to the south of the Capital City, just north of the Manol Jungle

  Korthaen Blight, the (Kor-THANE)—also called the Wastelands, a cursed and unlivable land that is (somehow) home to the morgage

  L

  Laaka (LAKE-ay)—goddess of storms, shipwrecks, and sea serpents

  Land of Peace, the—Heaven, the place rewarded souls go after they die and are judged worthy by Thaena

  Lorgrin (LOR-grin)—chief physicker of House D’Mon

  Lower Circle—the area of the Capital City that exists outside of the safety of the tabletop mesa of the Upper Circle, thus making it vulnerable to flooding

  Lyrilyn (LIR-il-in)—a slave girl owned by Pedron D’Mon

  M

  Maevanos (MAY-van-os)—1. an erotic dance; 2. a holy rite of the Black Gate, the church of Thaena

  Magoq (mag-OK)—oar master on board The Misery

  Manol, the (MAN-ol)—an area of dense jungle in the equatorial region of the known world; home to the Manol vané

  Mataris, Baron (MAT-ar-is)—a nobleman from Eamithon who liked to live in the City

  Maw, the—an area of ocean maelstrom to the south of the Desolation, near Zherias

  Merit (MER-it)—a thief running with Faris in the Shadowdancers

  Milligreest (mill-eh-GREEST)

  Elana (e-lan-AY)—wife of Atrin Kandor, responsible for ending the morgage invasion of Khorvesh

  Jarith (JAR-ith)—only son of Qoran Milligreest; like most Milligreests, serves in the military

  Nikali (ni-KAL-i)—cousin of Qoran Milligreest, famous for his skill with a sword. See: Terindel

  Qoran (KOR-an)—High General of the Quuros army, considered one of the most powerful people in the Empire

  mimics—a mysterious shape-changing race that hide amongst humanity, typically selling their services as spies and assassins; infamous for their fondness for devouring brains

  Misery, The—a slave ship

  misha (MEESH-ah)—a long-sleeved shirt worn by men in Quur

  Miyathreall (my-ah-threel), aka Miya—a handmaiden to Queen Khaeriel; gaeshed slave to Therin D’Mon

  Morea (Mor-E-ah)—a slave girl owned by Ola Nathera; Talea’s sister

  morgage (mor-gah-GEE)—a wild and savage race that lives in the Korthaen Blight and makes constant war on its neighbors, mainly Khorvesh

  Mouse—a Key in the Shadowdancers, deceased

  N

  Nathera, Ola (OH-la na-THER-ah), aka Raven—a former slave, now owner of the Shattered Veil Club in Velvet Town

  O

  Octagon, the—the main slave auction house of the Capital City

  Ogenra (OH-jon-RAY)—an unrecognized bastard of one of the Royal Families. Far from being unwanted, Ogenra are considered an important part of the political process because of their ability to circumvent the god-touched curse.

  Old Man, the—See: Sharanakal

  ord—the main monetary unit of Kishna-Farriga

  Q

  Quur, the Great and Holy Empire of (koor)—a large empire originally expanded from a single city-state (also named Quur) that now serves as the Empire’s capital

  R

  Raenena (RAY-nen-ah)—a dominion of Quur, nestled in the Dragonspire Mountains to the north

  Roarin (RAY-or-in)—a morgage-blooded bouncer at the Shattered Veil Club

  raisigi (RAY-sig-eye)—a tight-fitting bodice worn by women

  Rava (ra-VAY)—Raverí’s mother, executed for witchcraft

  Raven—See: Nathera, Ola

  Rook—See: D’Mon, Kihrin

  S

  sallí (sal-LEE)—a hooded, cloak-like garment designed to protect the wearer from the intense heat of the Capital City

  Sandus (SAND-us)—a farmer from Marakor, later Emperor of Quur

  S’arric (sar-RIC)—one of the Eight Immortals, mostly unknown (and deceased); god of sun, stars, and sky

  Scandal—a fireblood mare from Jorat

  Shadowdancers, the—an illegal criminal organization operating in the Lower Circle o
f the Capital City

  Sharanakal (SHA-ran-a-KAL)—a dragon, associated with fire; also known as “the Old Man”

  Shattered Veil Club, the—a velvet house and entertainment hall owned by Ola Nathera

  Simillion (SIM-i-le-on)—first Emperor of Quur

  Standing Keg, the—a tavern in the Lower Circle

  Star—a Joratese horse trainer, enslaved for stealing horses

  star tears—a kind of rare blue diamond

  Stone of Shackles, the—one of the eight Cornerstones, ancient artifacts of unknown origin

  Suless (SEW-less)—god-queen of Yor, associated with witchcraft, deception, treachery, and betrayal

  Surdyeh (SUR-de-yeh)—a blind musician who lives and works in the Copper Quarter, Lower Circle, Capital City

  T

  Taja (TAJ-ah)—one of the Eight Immortals, Goddess of Luck

  Talea (tal-E-ah)—Morea’s sister, a slave girl formerly owned by Baron Mataris

  talisman—a otherwise normal object whose tenyé has been modified to vibrate in sympathy with the owner, thus reinforcing the tenyé against enemies who might use magic to change it; this also means it’s extremely dangerous to allow one’s talismans to fall into enemy hands. Since talismans interfere with magical power, every talisman worn weakens the spell effectiveness of the wearer.