by Jenn Lyons
Talon—a mimic assassin and spy working for Darzin D’Mon
tenyé (ten-AY)—the true essence of an object, vital to all magic
Teraeth (ter-WRATHE)—hunter of Thaena; a Manol vané assassin and member of the Black Brotherhood; son of Khaemezra
Terindel (TER-in-del)—an infamous Kirpis vané who tried to assassinate Queen Khaevatz and usurp his brother’s throne
Thaena (thane-AY)—one of the Eight Immortals, Goddess of Death
Theranon, Janel (jan-EL ther-a-NON)—a demon-tainted warrior who goes to the Afterlife when she sleeps
Three Sisters, the—either Taja, Tya, and Thaena, or Galava, Tya, and Thaena; also, the three moons in the night sky
tsali stone (zal-e)—a crystal created from the condensed soul of a person
Tya (tie-ah)—one of the Eight Immortals, Goddess of Magic
Tya’s Veil (tie-ah)—an aurora borealis effect visible in the night sky
Tyentso (tie-EN-so)—a sea witch serving aboard the slave ship The Misery
U
Upper Circle—the mesa plateau in the center of the Capital City that is home to the Royal Houses, temples, government, and Arena
Urthaenriel (UR-thane-re-EL)—Godslayer, the Ruin of Kings, the Emperor’s Sword. A powerful artifact that is believed to make its wielder completely immune to magic and thus is capable of killing gods
usigi (YOU-sig-eye)—undergarments, specifically underpants or loincloths
V
Valathea (val-a-THE-a)—a harp passed through the Milligreest family; also, a deceased queen of the Kirpis vané
Valrashar (val-ra-SHAR)—a vané princess, daughter of Kirpis vané King Terindel and Queen Valathea
Valrazi (val-RAH-zi)—Captain of the Guard for House D’Mon
vané (van-EH) aka vorfelané—an immortal, magically gifted race known for their exceptional beauty
Veil—1. the aurora borealis effect sometimes seen in the nighttime sky; 2. the state of perception separating seeing the “normal” world from seeing the true essence or tenyé of the world, necessary for magic
Velvet Town—the red-light district of the Lower Circle. Those who engage in the sex trade are commonly described as “velvet,” e.g., velvet boys or velvet girls
Vishai Mysteries, the (vish-AY)—an underground religion popular in parts of Eamithon, Jorat, and Marakor; little is known about their inner workings, but their religion seems to principally center around a solar deity; often pacifistic
Vol Karoth (VOL ka-ROTH), aka War Child—a demon offspring crafted by the demons to counter the Eight Guardians
voramer (vor-a-MEER), aka vormer—an extinct water-dwelling race believed to be the progenitors of the morgage and the ithlakor; of the two, only the ithlakor still live in water
voras (vor-AS), aka vorarras—an extinct race believed to have been the progenitors of humanity, who lost their immortality when Kharolaen was destroyed
vordreth (vor-DRETH), aka vordredd, dreth, dredd, dwarves—an underground-dwelling race known for their strength and intelligence; despite their nickname, not short. Believed to have been wiped out when Atrin Kandor conquered Raenena.
W
Watchmen—the guards tasked with policing the Capital City
Winding Sheet, the—a velvet house specializing in providing lethal entertainments for those with sufficient wealth to afford them
witch—anyone using magic who has not received formal, official training and licensing; although technically gender-neutral, usually only applied to women
X
Xalome (ZAL-o-may)—a dragon, associated with souls
Xaltorath (zal-tor-OTH)—a demon prince, who can only be summoned through the sacrifice of a family member; self-associated with lust and war
Y
Ynis (y-NIS)—a god-king who once ruled the area now known as Khorvesh; associated with death and snakes
Ynisthana (y-NIS-than-AY)—an island in the Desolation chain, used as a training grounds by the Black Brotherhood
Yor (Yor)—one of Quur’s dominions, the most recently added
Z
Zherias (ZER-e-as)—a large island to the southwest of Quur. Independent from Quur, and anxious to stay that way; famous for their skill at piracy and trade
ADDENDUM II:
THE ROYAL HOUSES
House D’Aramarin
Gem: Emerald
Heraldic device: Kraken
Eyes: Green
Monopoly: The Gatekeepers. Transportation and teleportation.
House D’Evelin
Gem: Amethyst
Heraldic device: Cyclone
Eyes: Violet
Monopoly: The Junk Boys. Sewage, garbage, water treatment, brewing.
House D’Erinwa
Gem: Jacinth
Heraldic device: Elephant
Eyes: Amber
Monopoly: The Octagon. Slavery, private mercenaries.
House D’Jorax
Gem: Opal
Heraldic device: Lightning
Eyes: Multicolored green/purple, or red/blue (artificial)
Monopoly: Revelers. Minstrels and entertainers, courtesans, velvet.
House D’Kaje
Gem: Topaz
Heraldic device: Crocodile
Eyes: Yellow
Monopoly: Lamplighters, chandlers, cuisine.
House D’Kard
Gem: Jade
Heraldic device: Spider
Eyes: Dark green (artificial)
Monopoly: Masons, builders, carpentry, crafts.
House D’Laakar
Gem: Aquamarine
Heraldic device: Two fish
Eyes: Turquoise
Monopoly: The Ice Men. Refrigeration, food preservation, air-cooling.
House D’Lorus
Gem: Onyx
Heraldic device: Flower
Eyes: Black
Monopoly: The Binders. Magic, education, scholarly research, book- and mapmaking.
House D’Moló
Gem: Chrysoberyl
Heraldic device: Jaguar
Eyes: Cat’s eyes (artificial)
Monopoly: Animal husbandry, leatherworking, weaving, tailoring.
House D’Mon
Gem: Blue sapphire
Heraldic device: Hawk
Eyes: Blue
Monopoly: The Blue Houses. Healing and medical arts.
House D’Nofra
Gem: Carnelian
Heraldic device: Tower
Eyes: Wolf-like (artificial)
Monopoly: Crops, herbs, spices, teas, coffee.
House D’Talus
Gem: Ruby
Heraldic device: Lion
Eyes: Red
Monopoly: The Red Men. Smelting, mining, and all metal craft.
ADDENDUM III:
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
While there is no single hard rule to the pronunciation of names, a few common rules widely exist. Note that these guidelines are primarily for Quuros names. People from outside the Empire, or people from conquered nations, may have other pronunciation rules.
A single vowel at the end of a name is pronounced with a hard sound. For example, Alshena is pronounced al-shen-AY.
Vowels at the end with accents break this rule. Sallí, for example, is pronounced sal-LEE, not sal-LI. Norà is pronounced with a soft a.
Two vowels together in the middle of a word make the first vowel hard while the second becomes silent. For example: Khaemezra is pronounced kay-mez-RAY.
If two vowels are at the end of a word, only the vowel just after the consonant is made hard, but the second vowel is still pronounced. Example: Morea is pronounced mor-E-ah.
“C” is pronounced with a hard “k” sound.
First published 2019 by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
First published in the UK 2019 by Tor
This electronic edition first published 2019 by Tor
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-5098-7951-9
Copyright © Jennifer Williamson 2019
Cover design by Jamie Stafford-Hill and Dragon Icon by Lars West Nicholson at Dim Horizon Studio
The right of Jennifer Williamson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damage.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Visit www.panmacmillan.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.