Guardians of the Desert (Children of the Desert) (47 page)

A number of the words in the southern language include the glottal-stop, which is rendered here as ^. A glottal stop involves closing, to some degree, the back of the throat, resulting in a near-coughing sound when released. Sometimes this sounds as though a hard “H” has been inserted.

Aenstone
(
ayn
-stone): An Aerthraim Family-created stone composite; they hold the process secret. In sufficient quantity, aenstone blocks psychic communications, inhibits the use of psychic abilities, and weakens ha’ra’hain.

Aerthraim lanterns
: Any lamp filled with the peculiar green oil produced only by Aerthraim Family; gives off an unusually white light and little to no smoke when burned.

Aesa
(
ay
-sah): A common plant whose leaves, when dried and used in a pipe, produce a mild euphoria. Illegal in the north; legal south of Bright Bay.

Aqeyva
(ack-
ee
-vah, alt. ahh-
keh
-vah): A combination of martial-arts training and meditation disciplines. The combat training is often referred to as a ‘dance’ as it involves smooth, flowing motions that have no apparent resemblance to any fighting mode.

Asp-jacau
(
asp
-jack-
how
): A slender canine with long, thin snout and legs. Its short-haired coat tends toward fawn or brindle coloring. Its excellent sense of smell is primarily used to detect dangerous snakes and (in some cases) drugs. In Bright Bay, only royalty or King’s Guard patrols may own an asp-jacau, but below the Horn the asp-jacau is a common companion animal.

Athain
(ath-
ain
): Lit. translation:
spirit-walker
. Teyanain specially trained to manipulate energy and psychic forces; extremely dangerous people, and very rare. Athain are considered holy by the teyanain. While they have elaborate outfits for ceremonial purposes, in “ordinary” clothes athain are distinguished by a unique manner of braiding their hair: beginning as one braid, then dividing further into three smaller braids, usually laced with tiny beads.

Ayn
(
ain
): Chabi piece representing water. Cylindrical in shape, the ayn moves like a crooked stream: two spaces in one direction, three in another. It is one of the most versatile pieces on the board.

Cactus-flute
: A long, thin flute made from minor branches of the same hard-skinned cactus used for making shabacas. Produces a thin, piping sound; sometimes tied together in sets of three to produce a wider range of tones.

Callen
(
call
-en): One sworn to the service of a southern god.

Ceiling tube
: A skylight in the form of a wide tube lined with mirrors; developed by Aerthraim Family. The secret of their manufacture is tightly controlled; they must be installed and repaired by Aerthraim craftsmen.

Chabi
(
chah
-bee): A desert game whose underlying principles, moves and strategies reflect the principles of survival in a dry, hostile environment. In chabi, different types of pieces represent wind, water, goods, and money; different areas of the board represent compass directions, fortresses, fire, air, and water.

Clee
: Three athain working together; extremely rare and extremely dangerous.

Coming or going
: Street-slang inquiry about a relationship; “Is she coming or going” means, more or less, “Is she your girlfriend or a temporary amusement?”

Comos
(
Cohm
-ohs): One of three gods honored in the southlands. Represents the neutrality/balance/questioning energies; also linked to the season of winter, the colors white and brown, and curiosity. Callen of Comos, if male, must be castrated; women must be past menopause to be allowed out in the world at large.

Dahass
(dah-
hahs
; alt., dah-
hass
): Nomadic tribes that roam the uncharted and unclaimed southlands and follow no ruler but their own leaders. They are likely the source of many of the wilder tales of southern barbarism that circulate in the northlands, as they find spreading such rumors amusing.

Dasta
(
dah
-stah): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.

Dashaic
(dash-
ache
): So-called dasta tea is dasta powder turned into a thick, potent syrup. Dashaic travels better than the powder, as it runs less risk of being ruined by damp conditions, but is more difficult to produce and thus far more expensive.

Datda
(
Dat
-dah): One of three gods honored in the southlands, Datda represents the negative/death/change energies; also linked to the season of high summer, the colors red and black, and the emotion of anger. Commonly called “the Sun Lord”; saying the name aloud is held to be bad luck. Only Datda’s Callen may safely pronounce the holy name, but they tend to be reluctant to advertise their affiliation; everyone knows that most Callen of Datda have trained extensively as assassins and spies.

Dathedain
(
dath
-heh-
dane
): Followers of the god Datda.

Desert sage
: A tree-sized plant resembling ordinary garden sage, which has adapted for desert life; the leaves curl up during the day’s heat into thick, needle-shaped rolls, and spread out in damp weather or at night. After a long drought, even a slight breeze will stir the dead leaves into a shivery, rattling sound. The dry wood gives off a pleasant aroma when burned, but the leaves are not edible. Often holds large nests of blood-spiders and micru.

Desert truce
: An agreement to work together for mutual survival in a hostile environment; ends immediately upon reaching safety.

Devil-tree
: A tree largely found in southern wastelands, with deeply fissured bark, wildly twisted branches, and semi-soft needle-style leaves; cones are bright red and poisonous to humans, but attract a variety of wildlife. The wood does not burn easily and gives off a nasty smoke.

Eki
(
eh
-key): One of the Four Gods of the Northern Church pantheon; represents Wind. She is considered to be the most evil of the Northern gods, and her good nature is rarely appealed to, for her favors carry a heavy price. Her strength is that of the air and clouds. She is deceitful and often malicious. Thieves often call on her for protection.

Esthit
(
ess
-thitt): A drug originally developed by the ketarches, whose use has altered significantly over the years.

Estiqi
(est-
eek
-ee): A liqueur made from esthit; lowers boundaries and dulls the senses. Used to help “stuck” desert lords (i.e., desert lords resisting the transition to their altered natures) open fully to their new abilities, by allowing them to briefly relax back to “normal”.

Four Gods
: The pantheon of the Northern Church; Eki (Wind), Payti (Fire), Syrta (Earth), and Wae (Water). Each has a dual nature (good/evil), and the Church teaches that mankind must ever be careful not to provoke the “evil” side.

Fours
: Street slang term for devout followers of the Northern Church.

Furun
(
fuhr
-roon): Chabi game piece representing money. Shaped like a coin, the furun may move one square in any direction once unlocked; it may only be unlocked by a grey shassen jumping over it.

Gods’-glory Flower
: A common vine in the humid areas of the southlands; sports large, funnel-shaped flowers in an infinite variety of colors and blooming patterns (morning, evening, middle of the night).

Ha’inn
(properly: hah-^
inn
; more commonly:
high
-inn): Lit. translation:
H
onored One
. Reserved for ha’ra’hain. The glottal stop between
a
and
i
, always difficult for humans to manage, has fallen out of favor over the centuries.

Ha’ra’ha
(hah-^
rah
-^hah); plural
ha’ra’hain
(hah-^rah-^
hayn
): Person of mixed blood (human and ha’rethe).

Ha’ra’hain
(hah-^rah-^
hayn
): Plural of
ha’ra’ha
.

Ha’rai’nain
(hah-^
ray
-^nayn): Plural of
ha’rai’nin
.

Ha’rai’nin
(hah-^
ray
-^nin); plural
ha’rai’nain
(hah-^ray-^
nayn
): One who has dedicated his or her life to serving the ha’reye.

Ha’rethe
(hah-^
reth
-ay); plural
ha’reye
(hah-^
ray
): Lit. translation:
golden eyes
. An ancient race, predating humanity.

Ha’reye
(hah-^
ray
): Plural of
ha’rethe
.

Ha’reye-kin
(hah-^
ray
-kin); alt.
true-ha’rai’nin
(hah-^
hray
-nin): 1. A human who has spent so much time around the ha’reye that he or she has changed physically; no longer human, a ha’rai’nin more closely resembles a lesser ha’ra’ha. 2. A lesser ha’ra’ha who has spent so much time among the ha’reye that it is growing into greater powers. Both are extremely exceptional; at this time, only one human qualifies as the first and only one ha’ra’ha qualifies as the second.

Hai-katihe
(high-kat-
tea
): Rough translation:
those who serve (intimately) a ha’ra’ha
. No longer in common use.

Iii-naa tarren, iii-nas lalien, iii-be salalae
(
eee
-nah tar-
ren
,
eee
-nahs
lah
-lee-en,
eee
-beh sah-
lah
-lay): Rough translation:
We serve the gods, the gods smile on us, we survive under the glory of the gods.
Implications of submission, sacrifice, loss of selfhood in service of the divine.

Ish
(
isshh
): Prefix indicating feminine/female aspects.

Ishrai
(
Ish
-wry): One of the three gods honored in the southlands; represents the positive/feminine/birth energies. She is also connected to the season of spring, the color green, and the emotion of love.

Ishraidain
(ishh-wry-
dane
): Women serving penance for various crimes, under the protection of Ishrai.

Ishrait
(ishh-
rate
): High priestess of Ishrai.

Itna tarnen, itnas talien, itnabe shalla
(
it
-nah tahr-
nehn
,
it
-nahs
tah
-lee-en, it-
nah
-bay
shah
-lah): Rough translation:
We empty ourselves into the gods, the gods pour themselves into us, glory be to the gods.
Implications of partnership, gods and man giving to one another in service of building a better world.

Jacau-drum
(jack-
how
drum): A large drum, generally stationary, with a wide head; produces a deep, booming tone. Originally covered with the skin of unusually large asp-jacaus, thus the name. Today these drums are usually made with cow, deer, horse, or goat skins, depending on how rich the owner is.

Jungles
: Also called
Forbidden Jungles
. An area of tropical rainforest far to the south where the majority of the surviving ha’reye and their human devotees live; outsiders are not permitted to enter.

Justice-right
: The right of a desert lord to intervene in a situation and see it resolved according to his own opinion of justice.