Authors: Kelly McCullough
Terms and Characters
Alinthide Poisonhand—
A master Blade, the third to die making an attempt on Ashvik VI.
Altia—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Anyang—
Zhani city on the southern coast. Home of the winter palace.
Ar—
Main port of the Magelands, home to one of its five great mage universities.
Aral Kingslayer—
Ex-Blade turned jack of the shadow trades.
Ashvik VI, or Ashvik Dan Pridu—
Late King of Zhan, executed by Aral. Also known as the Butcher of Kadesh.
Athera Trinity—
The three-faced goddess of fate.
Balor Lifending—
God of the dead and the next Emperor of Heaven.
Black Jack—
A professional killer or assassin.
Blade—
Temple assassin of the goddess Namara.
Blinds—
Charms of confusion and befuddlement, mostly used by thieves in the Magelands.
Cairmor—
A Crown castle in Dalridia.
Calren the Taleteller—
God of beginnings and first Emperor of Heaven.
Caras Dust—
Powerful magically bred stimulant.
Caras Seed-Grinder—
Producer of caras dust.
Caras Snuffler—
A caras addict.
Channary Canal—
Canal running from the base of the Channary Hill to the Zien River in Tien.
Channary Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.
Chenjou Peninsula—
The peninsula to the north of Tien.
Chimney Forest—
The city above, rooftops, etc.
Chimney Road—
A path across the rooftops of a city. “Running the chimney road.”
Clanarch—
Formal title for a Vesh’An clan chieftain.
Coals—
Particularly hot stolen goods.
Cornerbright—
Magical device for seeing around corners.
Dalridia—
Kingdom in the southern Hurnic Mountains.
Deathspark—
A piece of magic that turns a human being into a trap triggered by their own death.
Devin (Nightblade) Urslan—
A former Blade.
Downunders—
A bad neighborhood in Tien.
Dracodon—
A large magical beast, renowned for the ivory in its tusks.
Dragon Crown—
The royal crown of Zhan, often replicated in insignia of Zhani Crown agents.
Drum-Ringer—
A bell enchanted to prevent eavesdropping.
Durkoth—
Others that live under the Hurnic Mountains.
Dustmen—
Dealers in caras dust.
Eavesman—
A spy or eavesdropper.
Eian Elarson—
King of Dalridia and brother to Jax.
Eilif Uvarkas—
Lord Signet and preceptor of the Hand of Heaven in the year 3130.
Ekilikik—
A clanarch of the Vesh’An.
Elite, the—
Zhani mages. They fulfill the roles of secret police and spy corps among other functions.
Emberman—
A professional arsonist.
Erk Endfast—
Owner of the Spinnerfish, ex–black jack, ex–shadow captain.
Eva—
With Eyn the dual goddess worshipped by the Dyads.
Everdark, the—
The home dimension of the Shades.
Eyespy—
A type of eavesdropping spell.
Eyn—
With Eva the dual goddess worshipped by the Dyads.
Face, Facing—
Identity. “I’d faced myself as an Aveni bravo.”
Fallback—
A safe house.
Familiar Gift—
The ability to soul-bond with another being, providing the focus half of the power/focus dichotomy necessary to become a mage.
Faran—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Fi—
A township upriver from Ar.
Fire and sun!—
A Shade curse.
Fortunate Lamia, the—
A trading vessel.
Garret—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Ghost, Ghosting—
To kill.
Govana—
Goddess of the herds.
Gram—
The name of the world.
Gryphon’s Head—
A tavern in Tien, the capital city of Zhan. Informal office for Aral.
Guttersiders—
Slang for the professional beggars and their allies.
Hand of Heaven—
The Son of Heaven’s office of the inquisition.
Harad—
Head librarian at the Ismere Library.
Hearsay—
A type of eavesdropping spell.
Highside—
Neighborhood on the bay side.
Howler—
Slang name for the Elite.
Huddle Bird—
A game bird native to the Magelands and the Sylvani Empire.
Illiana—
A Master Blade, killed in a suicide attack at the fall of the temple.
Ismere Club—
A private club for merchants.
Ismere Library—
A private lending library in Tien, founded by a wealthy merchant from Kadesh.
Jack—
A slang term for an unofficial or extragovernmental problem solver, see also, shadow jack, black jack, sunside jack.
Jaeris—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Javan—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Jax Seldansbane—
A former Blade and onetime fiancée of Aral’s.
Jenua, Duchy of—
A duchy in Zhan.
Jerik—
The bartender/owner of the Gryphon’s Head tavern.
Jindu—
Tienese martial art heavily weighted toward punches and kicks.
Jinn’s—
A small cafe near the Ismere Library.
Kadeshar—
Chief city of Kadesh.
Kaelin Fei, Captain—
Watch officer in charge of Tien’s Silent Branch. Also known as the Mufflers.
Kaman—
A former Blade, crucified by the Elite, then killed by Aral at his own request.
Kanathean Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.
Kao-Li—
Fortress retreat of the Zhani royal family, upriver from Tien.
Kayarin Melkar—
A master Blade who joined the Son of Heaven after the fall of the temple.
Kelos Deathwalker—
A master Blade who taught Aral.
Keytrue—
A charm to prevent lock picking.
Khanates, the Four—
A group of interrelated kingdoms just north of Varya. Also known as the Kvanas.
Kila—
The spirit dagger of the Blade, symbolizing his bond to Namara.
Kip-Claim—
Pawn shop.
Knotsnake—
A poisonous snake found in Zhan and Kadesh.
Kodamia—
City-state to the west of Tien, controlling the only good pass through the Hurnic Mountains.
Kuan-Lun—
A water elemental, one of the great dragons.
Kvanas, the Four—
A group of interrelated kingdoms just north of Varya. Sometimes referred to as the Khanates.
Kyle’s—
An expensive Aveni whiskey.
Leyan—
A onetime journeyman Blade.
Liess—
A Shade, familiar of Sharl.
Little Varya—
An immigrant neighborhood in Tien.
Loris—
A former Blade.
Magearch—
Title for the mage governor of the cities in the Magelands.
Mageblind—
Mage term for those without magesight.
Mage Gift—
The ability to perform magic, providing the power half of the power/focus dichotomy necessary to become a mage.
Magelands—
A loose confederation of city-states governed by the faculty of the mage colleges that center them.
Magelights—
Relatively expensive permanent light globes made with magic.
Magesight—
The ability to see magic, part of the mage gift.
Mage Wastes—
Huge area of magically created wasteland on the western edge of the civilized lands.
Malthiss—
A Shade, familiar of Kelos Deathwalker.
Manny Three Fingers—
The cook at the Spinnerfish.
Marchon—
A barony in the kingdom of Zhan. The house emblem is a seated jade fox on a gold background.
Maryam—
A onetime journeyman Blade.
Maylien Dan Marchon Tal Pridu—
A former client of Aral’s.
Meld—
The overarching consciousness of a Dyad.
Mufflers—
Captain Fei’s organization, so known because they keep things quiet. Officially known as Silent Branch.
Namara—
The now-deceased goddess of justice and the downtrodden, patroness of the Blades. Her symbol is an unblinking eye.
Nea Sjensdor—
Lady Signet, preceptor of the Hand of Heaven.
Nest-Not—
A ward to prevent vermin infestations.
Nightcutter—
Assassin.
Nightghast—
One of the restless dead, known to eat humans.
Night Market—
The black market.
Nima—
Mana, the stuff of magic.
Nipperkins—
Magical vermin.
Noble Dragons—
Elemental beings that usually take the form of giant lizardlike creatures.
Old Mews—
An upscale neighborhood in Tien that burned to the ground.
Olen—
A master Blade who taught Aral.
Olthiss—
A Shade, familiar of Altia.
Omira—
A onetime apprentice Blade.
Orisa—
God of sailors.
Oris Plant—
A common weed that can be used to produce a cheap gray dye or an expensive black one.
Others—
The various nonhuman races.
Palace Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.
Patiss—
A Shade, familiar of Master Urayal.
Petty Dragons—
Giant acid-spitting lizards, not to be confused with noble dragons.
Poison—
Gutter slang meaning toxic or too hot to deal with.
Precasts—
Active spells kept precast and at the ready.
Qamasiin—
A spirit of air.
Quink—
Slang word meaning, roughly, freak.
Rabbit Run—
An emergency escape route.
Resshath—
Shade term of respect meaning, roughly, teacher or sensei.
Restless Dead—
Catchall term for the undead.
Riel—
Currency of Zhan, issued in both silver and gold.
Risen, the—
A type of restless dead, similar to a zombie.
Roric—
A onetime journeyman Blade, Avarsi by birth.
Sanjin Island—
Large island in the river below the palace in Tien.
Seldan, Dukes of—
Varyan nobles, two of whom were executed by Jax.
Sellcinders—
A fence or dealer in hot merchandise.
Sendai, Master—
The sailing master and first officer of the
Fortunate Lamia
, Kanjurese.
Serass—
A Shade, familiar of Alinthide.
Shade—
Familiar of the Blades, a living shadow.
Shadow Captain—
A mob boss.
Shadow Jack—
A jack who earns his living as a problem solver in the shadow trades.
Shadowside—
The underworld or demimonde.
Shadow-Slipping—
The collective name for the various stealth techniques of Namara’s Blades.
Shadow Trades—
The various flavors of illegal activity.
Shadow World—
The demimonde or underworld.
Shan Starshoulders—
The god who holds up the sky, current Emperor of Heaven, lord of stability.
Shatternot—
A charm to keep windows from breaking.
Sheuth Glyph—
A glyph for the binding of shadows.
Shinsan—
A water elemental, one of the great dragons.
Shrouding—
When a Shade encloses his Blade in shadow.
Silent Branch—
The official name of the Mufflers.
Siri Mythkiller—
A former Blade.
Skaate’s—
A premium Aveni whiskey.
Skip—
A con game or other illegal job, also a “play.”
Sleepwalker—
An efik addict.
Slink—
Magical vermin.
Smuggler’s Rest—
The unofficial name of the docks near the Spinnerfish.
Snicket—
Alley.
Snug—
A resting place or residence.
Son or Daughter of Heaven—
The title of the chief priest or priestess who leads the combined religions of the eleven kingdoms.
Sovann Hill—
One of the four great hills of Tien.
Spinnerfish, the—
A shadowside tavern by the docks.
Sshayar—
A Shade, familiar of Jax.
Sshssithssha—
A Shade word denoting a sort of path through shadow.
Ssithra—
A Shade, familiar of Faran.
Ssolvey—
A Shade, familiar of Roric.
Ssuma—
A Shade, familiar of Illiana.
Starshine—
Elemental being of light.
Stingers—
Slang term for Tienese city watch.
Stone Dog—
A living statue, roughly the size of small horse. The familiar of the Elite.
Straight-Back Jack—
A shadow jack who gets the job done and keeps his promises.
Stumbles, the—
Neighborhood of Tien that houses the Gryphon’s Head tavern.
Sunside—
The shadowside term for more legitimate operations.
Sunside Jack—
A jack who works aboveboard, similar to a modern detective.
Sylvani Empire—
Sometimes called the Sylvain, a huge empire covering much of the southern half of the continent. Ruled by a nonhuman race, it is ancient, and hostile to the human lands of the north.
Tailor’s Wynd—
An upscale neighborhood in Tien.
Tamerlen—
A Master Blade killed in the fall of the temple.
Tangara—
God of glyphs and runes and other magical writing.