Traitor's Knot (79 page)

Read Traitor's Knot Online

Authors: Janny Wurts

s'DIENEVAL—lost lineage of the
caithdeinen
of Melhalla, the last to carry the title being Egan, who died at the side of his high king in the battle to subdue the Mistwraith. The blood line carried strong talent for prophecy, and was decimated during the sack of Tirans in the uprising in Third Age Year 5018, with Egan's pregnant wife the sole survivor. Her daughter, Meiglin was mother of Dari s'Ahelas, crown heir of Shand.

pronounced: s-dee-in-ee-vahl

root meaning:
dim—
large;
eval—
endowment, gifted talent

SELIDIE—young woman initiate appointed by Morriel Prime as a candidate in training for succession. Succeeded to the office of Prime Matriarch after Morriel's death on winter solstice in Third Age Year 5670, at which time an unprincipled act of possession usurped the young woman's body.

pronounced: sell-ih-dee

root meaning:
selyadi—
air sprite

SELKWOOD—forest located in Alland, Shand.

pronounced: selk-wood

root meaning:
selk—
pattern

s'ELLESTRION—lineage of the High Kings of Melhalla, died out in the course of the uprising in Third Age Year 5018. Gifted geas: wisdom.

pronounced: sell-ess-tree-on

root meaning:
eliestrion—
inspiration, from the word
elya—
air

SETHVIR—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, also trained to serve as Warden of Althain since Third Age 5100, when the last centaur guardian departed after the Mistwraith's conquest.

pronounced: seth-veer

root meaning:
seth—
fact;
vaer—
keep

SEVRAND s'BRYDION—heir-designate of Duke Bransian of Alestron.

pronounced: sev-rand

root meaning:
sevaer'an'd—
one who travels behind, a follower

s'FFALENN—family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship
Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain. Gifted geas: compassion/empathy.

pronounced: s-fal-en

root meaning:
ffael—
dark;
an—
one

s'GANNLEY—lineage of the Earls of the West, once the Camris princes, now bearing the heritage of
caithdein
of Tysan. Iamine s'Gannley was the woman founder.

pronounced: sgan-lee

root meaning:
gaen—
guide;
li—
exalted or in harmony

SHADDORN—town located on the Scimlade Tip in Alland, Shand.

pronounced: shad-dorn

root meaning:
shaddiern—
sea-turtle

SHAND—High Kingdom on the south-east corner of the Paravian continent, originally ruled by the line of s'Ahelas. Current device, purple-and-gold chevrons, since the adjunct kingdom of West Shand came under high crown rule. The old device was a falcon on a crescent moon, sometimes still showed, backed by the more recent purple-and-gold chevrons.

pronounced: shand—as in ‘hand'

root meaning:
shayn
or
shiand—
two/pair

SHIPSPORT—city located on the Bay of Eltair in the principality of West Halla, Melhalla.

SIDIR—one of the Companions, who were the fourteen boys to survive the Battle of Strakewood. Served Arithon at the Battle of Dier Kenton Vale, and the Havens. Second-in-command of Earl Jieret's war-band.

pronounced: see-deer

root meaning:
i'sid'i'er—
one who has stood at the verge of being lost.

s'ILESSID—family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship Sorcerers in Third Age Year One to rule the High Kingdom of Tysan. Gifted geas: justice.

pronounced: s-ill-ess-id

root meaning:
liessiad—
balance

SIMSHANE'S HOUSE OF EXOTIC DELIGHTS—disreputable brothel located in Etarra, renowned for vice and peddling
prandeys.

pronounced: sim-shane

not from the Paravian

SITHAER—mythological equivalent of hell, halls of Dharkaron Avenger's judgment; according to Ath's adepts, that state of being where the prime vibration is not recognized.

pronounced: sith-air

root meaning:
sid—
lost;
thiere—
wraith/spirit

SKYRON FOCUS—large aquamarine focus stone, used by the Koriani Senior Circle for their major magic after the loss of the Great Waystone during the rebellion.

pronounced: sky-run

root meaning:
skyron—
colloquialism for shackle;
s'kyr'i'on—
literally ‘sorrowful fate'

SKYSHIELS—mountain range that runs north and south along the eastern coast of Rathain.

pronounced: sky-shee-ells

root meaning:
skyshia—
to pierce through;
iel—
ray

SOUTHSHIRE—town on the southcoast of Alland, Shand, known for shipbuilding.

pronounced: south-shire

not from the Paravian

SPIRE—town with a hostel of Ath's Brotherhood, located on the southcoast in Havistock, Havish.

s'TALEYN—lineage of the
Caithdeinen
of Shand.

pronounced: stall-ay-en

root meaning:
tal—
branch;
an—
one/first ‘of the first branch'

STEIVEN—Earl of the North,
caithdein
and regent to the Kingdom of Rathain at the time of Arithon Teir's'Ffalenn's return. Chieftain of the Deshans until his death in the battle of Strakewood Forest in Third Year 5638. Jieret Red-beard's father. Barach and Jeynsa's grandfather.

pronounced: stay-vin

root meaning:
steiven—
stag

STORLAINS—mountains dividing the Kingdom of Havish.

pronounced: store-lanes

root meaning:
storlient—
largest summit, highest divide

STORMWELL—Gulf of Stormwell, body of water off the northcoast of Tysan.

STRAKEWOOD—forest in the principality of Deshir, Rathain; site of the battle of Strakewood Forest, where the garrison from Etarra marched against the clans under Steiven s'Valerient and Prince Arithon, in Third Age Year 5638.

pronounced: strayk-wood similar to ‘stray wood'

root meaning:
streik—
to quicken, to seed

SULFIN EVEND—son of the Mayor of Hanshire who holds the post of Alliance Lord Commander under Lysaer s'Ilessid.

pronounced: sool-finn ev-end

root meaning:
suilfinn eiavend—
colloquialism, diamond mind, ‘one who is persistent'

s'VALERIENT—family name for the Earls of the North, regents and
caithdein
for the High Kings of Rathain.

pronounced: val-er-ee-ent

root meaning:
val—
straight;
erient—
spear

TAERLIN—south-western principality of Kingdom of Tysan. Also a lake, Taerlin Waters located in the southern spur of Tornir Peaks. Halliron taught
Arithon a ballad of that name, which is of Paravian origin and commemorates the First Age slaughter of a unicorn herd by Khadrim.

pronounced: tay-er-lin

root meaning:
taer—
calm;
lien—
to love

TAL QUORIN—river formed by the confluence of watershed on the southern side of Strakewood, principality of Deshir, Rathain, where traps were laid for Etarra's army in the battle of Strakewood Forest, and where the rape and massacre of Deshir's clan women and children occurred under Lysaer and head-hunters under Pesquil's command in Third Age Year 5638.

pronounced: tal quar-in

root meaning:
tal—
branch;
quorin—
canyons

TALITH—Etarran princess; former wife of Lysaer s'Ilessid. Died of a fall from Avenor's tower of state.

pronounced: tal-ith—to rhyme with ‘gal with'

root meaning:
tal—
branch;
lith—
to keep/nurture

TALVISH—a clanborn retainer in sworn service to s'Brydion at Alestron who was sworn into the service of Prince Arithon as a point of honour.

pronounced: tall-vish

root meaning:
talvesh—
reed

TANUIN—a clansman of Shand who died in defense of non-combatant families during the campaign at Vastmark in Third Age Year 5647, father of Glendien.

pronounced: tan-oo-win

root meaning:
tanuin—
swift, or swallow

TEIR—masculine form of a title fixed to a name denoting heirship.

pronounced: tayer

root meaning:
teir's—
successor to power

TEIREN—feminine form of Teir.

TEIVE—first mate of the merchant brig
Evenstar
and father of Feylind's two children.

pronounced: tee-ev

root meaning:
tierve—
reliable

TELLESEC—guild minister in Avenor, and one of the regent's council of Tysan.

pronounced: tell-i-sec

root meaning:
tellisec—
a small spider

TELMANDIR—seat of the High Kings of Havish in Lithmere, Havish. Ruined during the uprising in Third Age Year 5018, rebuilt by High King Eldir s'Lornmein after his coronation in Third Age Year 5643.

pronounced: tell-man-deer

root meaning:
telman'en—
leaning;
dir—
rock

TELZEN—town on the eastshore of Alland, Shand.

pronounced: tell-zen

root meaning:
tielsen—
to saw wood

THEMBREL'S OAK—tree by the sacred spring in the heart of Halwythwood,
Rathain, where the Athlien dancers once enacted the rites of renewal. Site of the grand mysteries, off-limits to humankind.

pronounced: them-brel

root meaning:
thembrel—
acorn

THALDEINS—mountain range that borders the principality of Camris, Tysan, to the east. Site of the Camris clans' west outpost. Site of the raid at the Pass of Orlan.

pronounced: thall-dayn

root meaning:
thal—
head;
dein—
bird

THARIDOR—trade city on the shores of the Bay of Eltair in Melhalla.

pronounced: thar-i-door

root meaning:
tier'i'dur—
keep of stone

THARRICK—former captain of the guard in the city of Alestron assigned charge of the duke's secret armoury; now married to Jinesse and working as a gentleman mercenary guard at Innish.

pronounced: thar-rick

root meaning:
thierik—
unkind twist of fate

TIDEPORT—a coastal town in Korias, Tysan.

not from the Paravian

TIENELLE—high-altitude herb valued by mages for its mind-expanding properties. Highly toxic. No antidote. The leaves, dried and smoked, are most potent. To weaken its powerful side-effects and allow safer access to its vision, Koriani enchantresses boil the flowers, then soak tobacco leaves with the brew.

pronounced: tee-an-ell-e (last ‘e' mostly subliminal)

root meaning:
tien—
dream;
iel-
light/ray

TIRANS—trade town located on the East Halla peninsula in Melhalla, also a Second Age ruin, seat of the High Kings of Melhalla, sacked during the uprising in Third Age Year 5018. Site of a Paravian focus circle.

pronounced: tee-rans

root meaning:
tier—
to hold fast, to keep, or to covet

TIRIACS—mountain range to the north of Mirthlvain Swamp, in Midhalla, Melhalla.

pronounced: tie-ree-axe

root meaning:
tieriach—
alloy of metals

TORBRAND s'FFALENN—founder of the s'Ffalenn line appointed by the Fellowship of Seven to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain in Third Age Year One.

pronounced: tor-brand

root meaning:
tor—
sharp, keen;
brand—
temper

TORNIR PEAKS—mountain range on western border in Camris, Tysan. Northern half is actively volcanic, and there the last surviving packs of Khadrim are kept under ward.

pronounced: tor-neer

root meaning:
tor—
sharp, keen;
nier—
tooth

TRAITHE—Sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven. Solely responsible for the closing of South Gate to deny further entry to the Mistwraith. Traithe lost most of his faculties in the process and was left with a limp. Since it is not known whether he can make the transfer into discorporate existence with his powers impaired, he has retained his physical body.

pronounced: tray-the

root meaning:
traithe—
gentleness

TYSAN—one of the Five High Kingdoms of Athera as defined by the charters of the Fellowship of Seven. Ruled by the s'Ilessid royal line. Device: gold star on blue field.

pronounced: tie-san

root meaning:
tiasen—
rich

VAE—mother of a young boy recruited by Lysaer s'Ilessid.

root meaning not from the Paravian.

VARENS—trade town on the shore of Eltair Bay in East Halla, Melhalla.

pronounced: var-ens

root meaning:
var'uens—
keep safe, or lock

VARRUN—Lord High Justiciar of Avenor, one of Lysaer's regent's council of Tysan.

pronounced: var-run

root meaning:
vaer'ruann—
eyrie

VASTMARK—principality located in south-western Shand. Highly mountainous and not served by trade-roads. Its coasts are renowned for shipwrecks. Inhabited by nomadic shepherds and wyverns, non-fire-breathing, smaller relatives of Khadrim. Site of the grand massacre of Lysaer's war host in Third Age 5647.

pronounced: vast-mark

root meaning:
vhast—
bare;
mheark—
valley

VERRAIN—master spellbinder, trained by Luhaine; stood as Guardian of Mirthlvain when the Fellowship of Seven was left short-handed after the conquest of the Mistwraith.

pronounced: ver-rain

root meaning:
ver—
keep;
ria—
touch;
an—
one; original Paravian:
verria'an

VHALZEIN—city located in West Shand, shore of Rockbay Harbor on the border by Havish. Famed for shell-inlaid lacquer furnishings.

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