Appendix: Glossary
Glossary
Pronunciation Guide
The Southern Shore
DJ – as in “judge,” or “gym.”
GH – In Indas, a fricative as in the Arabic letter ghayn. Similar to the “ch” in Scottish “loch” combined with the French rolled r. In Qemassen and eq-Anout, pronounced as “ch”as in “loch.” Either pronunciation would be intelligible in each country.
J – zh, as in French. E.g. “joie de vivre.”
Q – a hard “c” sound, as in “cat,” or “kingdom.”
Lorar and the North
AE – long “a” as in “say,” or “game.”
EI – long “i” as in “sigh,” or “ice.”
IE – long “e” as in “bee,” or “tree.”
K – a hard “c” sound, as in “cat,” or “kingdom.”
People
Aeshcommaeni (aysh-coh-MAY-nee): A bloodthirsty people of the far north. Aeshcommaeni lands border of the northern Feislands.
Amqlir eq-Melqan (AM-kleer): Deceased prince of Indas. Son of Melqan the Apostate. Dragged through the streets of Ipsis till dead.
Buqqus (BUH-kuhs): The name given to all priests of Adonen in Indas. May also refer to the Great Buqqus, high priest of Adonen under King Melqan the Apostate. The Great Buqqus gave his personal name to the later class of priests.
Ciqa (SEE-kuh): Greatest of the Massenqa poets and philosophers. Deceased.
Digan (DIHG-uhn): The name given to the chieftans of the eastern Feislands.
Elibat, Queen (EH-lee-bat): Fabled founder of Qemassen.
The Eru (EH-roo): The people of Old Elu, an island east of Lorar.
Hurtha the Hungry (HUR-thuh): Fabled Feislanda king, defeated by the Lora army under Marianus Rufus.
Isir eq-Ashtaroth (ih-SEER): Father of King Eshmunen. King Isir is still widely revered in Qemassen for his military successes in the east against eq-Anout.
Jorl (YORL): The name given to the chieftans of the southwestern Feislands.
Lena et-Lioheria (LAY-nuh): Deceased princess of Indas. Elder sister of Queen Moniqa of Qemassen. Conflicted with her father, King Melqan, over religious matters.
Massenqa (muh-SEHN-kuh): The people of Qemassen.
Melqan eq-Nathir (also: Melqan the Apostate, or Melqan the Bald) (MEHL-kan): King of Indas during the Troubles. Father of Queen Moniqa of Qemassen. Famed for his rejection of the traditional Inda pantheon and his worship of Adonen as sole deity of Indas. Deceased.
Qarnaama (Kahr-NAH-muh): A mysterious sect of desert warriors/magicians dwelling in the deep Sajit, south of eq-Anout. Prized and feared as bodyguards and hired killers. They are sometimes called The Sons of Hazzan.
Sabaal eq-Sabaal (suh-BAHL): Deceased father of Qanmi and Sabeq.
The Wandering Ones: Fabled nomadic peoples of the far north. The Lora general Marianus Rufus attempted conquest of their territories but was forced by the cold to retreat.
Places
Ajwata (azh-WAH-tuh): A heavily forested, secluded nation to the east, accessible only by sea and the perilous Sajit desert.
Atlin (AT-lihn): A Feislanda port city. Current residence of King Ossa and his court.
Eq-Anout (EHK-uhn-oot): A vast and powerful mercantile nation on the Southern shore.
Eghri eq-Shalem (EH-ghree ehk-shul-LEHM): “Market son of Shalem.” Qemassen’s great, walled, marketplace and storyteller’s square.
The Feislands (FICE-lands): A set of disparate principalities and tribes on the northern shore.
Hamatri (huh-MAH-tree): The Palace slave quarters in Qemassen.
The Haven: A sheltered glade and small, deep pond located on Mount Nuna, Ipsis.
Helit (HEL-iht): The great sea separating the southern shore from the northern coast.
Indas (IN-dahs): A powerful country located west of Qemassen along the southern shore of the Helit Sea. Currently governed by Lorar.
Ipsis (IP-sis): Capital of Indas. Known as the City of Reeds.
The Izzat (ih–ZAT): The life-giving river that flows from Indas to the eastern coast of eq-Anout.
Leopard Hills: The mountainous region separating Indas from the western half of the continent.
Ledan (luh–DAN): Capital of eq-Anout.
Lera (LEH-ruh): Indas’s second largest city.
Lorar (LORE-are): Nation and city north of the Helit sea.
The Meddar (mehd-DAHR): Fertile farmland controlled by Qemassen. It lies between Qemassen and Indas.
Molot’s Gardens: Qemassen’s graveyard.
Mount Nuna (NOO-nuh): The south-facing hills of Ipsis.
Old Elu (EH-loo): The ancient home of the Eru people. An island east of Lorar, partly destroyed during a catastrophic volcanic eruption that caused mass migration of its people.
Qemassen (kay–MASS-ehn): A powerful nation and city on the southern shore. Famed as shipbuilders and seafarers.
Qlia (Klia) (KLEE-uh): Old capital of the Vetnu empire.
Sajit (suh-ZHEET): A vast desert stretching from Indas in the west to Ajwata in the east.
Shedi-Qalana (shehd-EE kal-uh-NAH): “The Alley of Voices.” The name given to Qemassen’s temple district. Named for the singers who stand outside the district’s temples to sing their gods’ praises.
The Southern Shore: Refers to the coastal region that lies on the southern part of the Helit Sea.
The Talefa Hill (tuh-LAY-fuh): The hill upon which stands Qemassen’s palace.
Tarefsa Tithmeseti (tuh-REHF-suh tith-muh-SEHT-ee): “The Serpent’s Tooth.” The greater of two islands in Qemassen’s bay.
Tarefsa Qusirai (tuh-REHF-suh koo-sih-RYE): “The Serpent’s Scale.” The lesser of two islands in Qemassen’s bay.
Vetna (VET-nuh): Largest of the Vetnu cities.
The Waoi (wah-OY): The mountains from which flow the Waoidas and the Waoidat.
Waoidas (wow-DAHS): Tributary of the Izzat, provider for Lera.
Waoidat (wow-DAHT): Life-giving river of Ipsis.
The Western Desert: A land full of shadows, demons, and madmen; the land of the dead.
The Wings of Adonis: Two large islands to the east of Lorar. Settled by the Eru.
Zimrida (zim-REE-duh): A Massenqa-controlled island located to the east of Qemassen, between eq-Anout and The Wings of Adonis.
Terms
Ashqat (ash-KAT): Priestess. Heq-Ashqat: high priestess.
Ashqen (ash-KEHN): Priest. Heq-Ashqen: high priest.
Blue Lotus: A mild hallucinogen sold in the temple of Ashtet. It is used in medicine and in religious rituals.
Heq-Damirat (HEK dam-ih-RAT): “High admiral” or fleet admiral in Qemassen.
Djeberetza (djeh-behr-AYT-zuh): “Earth men.” An enigmatic community of scholars and sages in eq-Anout.
Eghri (EH-ghree): The word for “market” on the southern shore.
Feralia (fur-AL-ee-uh): Lora festival dedicated to its gladiators.
Fidelia (fih-DAY-lee-uh): Lora word describing the people of Lorar. Literally, “the faithful.” Refers to an intense feeling of national sentiment and loyalty.
Fides (FEE-dehs): A Lora virtue. Refers to the deep-seated national loyalty for Lorar.
Grey Faction: One of four political factions in the Lora senate. Responsible for fiscal matters. Frequent allies of the Reds.
Noxii (NOX-ee-ee): The Lora word for “undesirables.”
Red Faction: One of four political factions in the Lora senate. The Reds oversee military matters and are associated with expansionist politics. Many members of Red Faction support extending full citizenship to non-Lora subjects of the empire.
Saftan (pl. safeta) (SAF-tan; suh-FAY-tuh): Elected government officials in eq-Anout. Also refers to municipal governors in Indas and in Massenqa settlements outside Qemassen.
Semassenqa (say-muh-SEHN-kuh): “Beloved of the Massenqa.” Refers to the Massenqa nobility.
Sapenta (suh-PEHN-tuh): A highly addictive substance derived from the poppy and farmed chiefly in eq-Anout. It is used also in medicine, but carries negative connotations.
Sese/Sesa (say-say; say-suh): Honorific used to denote status/formality. Would be used by a slave to his/her master(s), a lower class citizen to an aristocrat, a servant to an employer, a pupil to a teacher. Literally translates to “beloved of my beloved.” “Sese” is the singular, “Sesa” the plural.
Teqla (TEK-luh): Copper coinage in Qemassen.
The Troubles: Refers to recent historical upheavals in the country of Indas. Includes the period from Melqan the Apostate’s conversion to monotheistic worship of Adonen until Lora takeover of the kingdom.
White Faction: One of four political factions in the Lora senate. Responsible for covert operations.
Yellow Faction: One of four political factions in the Lora senate. Responsible for maintenance of Lora infrastructure. Characterized by its strong pacifist stance, though this pacifism has historically been associated with a nationalist impulse wary of diluting Lora culture through expansion.
Yirada (yih–RAH-duh): The city guards.
Gods
Abaal (uh-BAHL): Father god. Worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout.
Adonen/Adonis (ad-oh-NEHN; uh-DON-ihs): A rising and dying god. Son of Tanata and Abaal, god of beauty, medicine, and vitality. Worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout. Worshipped as the sole deity by the Eru people and in Indas.
Ashtet (ash-TEHT): Wife or consort of Adonen, most often depicted as a horse or a beautiful and lascivious woman. Goddess of love, sex, and beauty.
Caern (kayrn): Feislanda god of the dead, and of the hunt. He is said to command a ravening pack of hounds, and is associated with serpents. Often called “the Horned God.”
The Good Ones: Gods or spirits of the dead in Lorar.
Hazzan (huh-ZAN): God of sacrifice and madness. Son of Molot and Qalita. Worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout.
Leven and Pepet (leh-vehn; peh-peht): Twin serpent gods worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout. Primordial deities.
Lilit (lih-liht): A minor aspect of the Massenqa goddess Qalita. In Eru belief, a demon.
Lorius (LOR-ee-uhs): Father god of the Lora. Fabled founder of the great city of Lorar.
Molot (MO-lot): God of death. Worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout.
Qabira (KAH-bih-ruh): The sixteen goddesses of sailing, worshipped chiefly in Qemassen.
Qalita (KAL-ih-tuh): Goddess of the underworld, magic, and hidden things. Worshipped in Qemassen and eq-Anout.
Seteq the Hound-Beast (SEH-tek): Minor deity in Qemassen and eq-Anout. A demonic figure.
Tanata (TAN-nuh-tuh): Mother goddess in the Massenqa pantheon.