The Heir of Night (58 page)

Ber:
a guard serving the House of Night.

Betrayal, the:
see
Great Betrayal; Night of Death.

black blades:
weapons of power, commonly associated with the hero Kerem.

blood oath, a:
a powerful binding used by the Derai where the one swearing draws their own blood; once sworn it can never be broken.

Blood Oath, the:
an oath that has bound the Derai since the Time of Blood and institutionalizes the schism between the warrior and priestly castes; grounded in lifeblood drawn from every scion of the Blood of Night, the shades of the civil war dead, and in the secret names of the Nine Gods, it has endured beyond the deaths of those who first swore it. See also
Oath.

Blood of Night, the:
the direct bloodline of the Earls of Night. See also
greater line.

Blood, the:
includes the Earls of the Derai and any of their blood kin. Traditionally, the Blood have been closely linked to the power of the Golden Fire.

bond:
see
spirit bond.

Border Mark:
the stone pillar that marks the boundary between the Gray Lands and the Barren Hills.

Brother Belan:
an old priest in the Temple of Night, now dead, who was fond of storytelling.

Brother Selmor:
a scholar priest in the Temple of Night.

chamberlain:
an official of the Keep of Winds.

Chaos Worm:
according to legend, the deadliest foe ever sent by the Swarm against the Derai. See also
Worm of Chaos.

Charge of the House of Night:
a war song of the Derai.

Child of Night:
see
Malian.

Child of Stars:
see
Yorindesarinen.

Chosen of Mhaelanar:
the prophesied hero who will unite the Derai for the final victory and be born of both the House of Stars and the House of Night. Also known as
the Chosen, the One, One-to-Come
, and the
Shield of Mhaelanar.

Chosen, the:
see
Chosen of Mhaelanar.

Citadel of Stars:
the stronghold of the House of Stars.

Cloud Hold:
a satellite fort of the Keep of Winds.

Commander of Night:
the overall military Commander of the Keep of Winds and of the House of Night.

Count of the Rose:
the hereditary ruler of the House of the Rose.

crow:
companion bird of the Huntmaster.

Darkness of the Derai:
see
the Great Betrayal.

Darkness:
the name given to the Swarm of Dark by the Winter people.

darkspawn:
the minions of the Swarm of Dark.

Darkswarm:
see
Swarm of Dark.

Darkswarm Bestiary:
a Derai book describing Darkswarm minions and their habits.

Darksworn:
the vanguard of the Swarm of Dark.

Daughter of Night:
a title given to a daughter of the Earl of the House of Night. See also
Malian.

Defender, the:
see
Mhaelanar.

Derai Alliance:
the formal alliance of the nine Houses of the Derai.

Derai-dan:
ancient combat code of the Derai, including both armed and unarmed techniques.

Derai, the:
warlike race, alien to Haarth, comprising nine Houses and worshipping nine Gods. They arrived on Haarth fifteen hundred years before and brought with them their traditional enemy, the Swarm of Dark. The Derai are fighting an eons old war to stop the Swarm obliterating the universe. The Derai are divided into three societies or castes: warrior, priest, and a third caste that comprises both warrior and priestly talents but are focused on some other skill, e.g. the Sea House are navigators and the House of the Rose are the diplomats of the Derai Alliance.

Doria:
Malian’s nurse.

dream:
the power held by a dreamer.

dreamer:
a person with the old Derai powers who can pass the Gate of Dreams in both their spirit and their physical body.

dulkat:
a leaf that dulls pain when chewed.

Earl of Blood:
the hereditary ruler of the House of Blood.

Earl of Night:
the hereditary ruler of the House of Night.

Earl of Stars:
the hereditary ruler of the House of Stars.

Earl of Swords:
the hereditary ruler of the House of Swords. See
Sword Earl.

Earl’s quarter:
sector of the Keep of Winds given over to the use of the Earl of Night and his household.

Earl, the:
the hereditary title given to the rulers of the nine Houses of the Derai Alliance.

Eight-guard:
the basic unit of a Derai guard, comprising teams of eight.

eldritch light:
a sorcerous fire used by the Swarm to attack and overcome enemies.

Emer:
a land of Haarth, located south of the River on the route to Ishnapur.

Emeriath:
a figure of Derai legend, who appears in the songs and stories concerning Kerem the Dark Handed.

empathy:
see
spirit bond.

Ephor:
a ruler of the River city of Terebanth.

Eria:
an initiate priestess, serving in the Temple of Night.

Errianthar:
the Priestess, an ancient hero of the Derai, twin sister of Telemanthar the Swordsman.

Falath:
one of Rowan Birchmoon’s hounds.

Fall of Night:
the feared twilight of the Derai and then all worlds, should the House of Night ever fall.

farseer:
a Derai with ability to see events across physical distance and time. See also
Terennin.

Farseer, the:
see
Terennin.

Farseeing, the:
see
Terennin.

Feast of Returning:
a formal feast held to mark the return of any Derai expedition, particularly those associated with the defence of the Wall.

fell lizards:
creatures that serve the Swarm.

Fire, the:
see
Golden Fire.

fire-wielders:
Derai with the power to bring fire with their
minds and direct it through both eyes and hands as a weapon.

First Kin:
the first degree of kinship to the direct or greater line of the Blood of any of the nine Houses of the Derai. See also
greater line.

Garan:
a guard serving the House of Night.

Gate of Dreams:
a place between worlds and times that can be reached through dreams or via mind- or spiritwalking.

Gate of Stars:
see
Great Gate.

Gate of Winds:
the main entrance into the Keep of Winds and a fortress in its own right.

Gerenth:
military commander of both the Keep of Winds garrison and the House of Night.

God of Death:
see
Hurulth.

Goddess of Luck:
see
Ornorith.

Golden Fire:
a power and strength of the Derai that once burned in the nine Keeps, until the Great Betrayal.

Gray Lands:
the desolate plains that adjoin the Wall of Night.

Great Betrayal, the:
refers to the Derai civil war and its intended end when the peace feast turned into a night of slaughter between House and House, warrior and priest, kin and kin. See also the
Time of Blood
and the
Night of Death.

Great Chamber:
the formal council chamber of the Keep of Winds.

Great Gate:
the gate that Derai power-wielders opened between worlds to allow the Alliance to come through to the world of Haarth. See also
Gate of Stars
and
Great Portal.

Great Horses:
the destriers of Emer, bred to wear armor themselves and carry armored knights into battle.

Great One:
the name given to one of the powers beyond the Gate of Dreams by the heralds of the Guild.

Great Portal:
see
Great Gate.

Great River:
the Ijir, the major river that flows through the center of the land known simply as the River.

Great Spear:
a weapon of power. See also
black blades.

Great Strategist, the:
see
Mhaelanar.

Great Sundering:
the legendary schism alleged to have split the Derai Alliance in the early years of the Long War.

greater line:
the direct line of the Blood of a Derai House.

Guild of Heralds:
a society of messengers, said to have special powers, based in the River lands. See also
Heralds.

Guild, the:
see
Guild of Heralds.

Haarth:
the Derai name for the world on which this story takes place.

Haimyr the Golden:
a minstrel of Ij, which is the greatest city of the River. He is a friend and retainer to the Earl of Night.

Hall of Memories:
the hall in the Temple of Mhaelanar that commemorates the dead of the House of Night.

Hall of Mirrors:
a hall in the Old Keep.

Hall of the Dead:
the main temple of Hurulth, the Silent God, the God of Death.

Halls of Meraun:
the halls of healing, sacred to the god Meraun.

Halls of Silence:
the anterooms to the Temple of Hurulth, the Silent God, the God of Death.

Healer, the:
see
Meraun.

Heir of Night:
the designated successor of the Earl of the House of Night. See also
Malian
and
Aikanor.

Heir of Stars:
the designated successor of the Earl of the House of Stars. See also
Yorindesarinen
and
Tasian.

Heir’s Guard:
a guard unit dedicated to serving and protecting the adult Heir of a Derai House.

Heir’s quarter:
sector of the Keep of Winds given over to the use of the Heir of Night and the Heir’s household.

Helm of Knowledge:
see
Nhenir.

Helm of Secrecy:
see
Nhenir.

heralds:
messengers trained by and bound to the Guild of Heralds, based on the River. See also
Guild of Heralds.

High Hall:
the main hall of a Derai fortress.

High Priest:
the head of a Derai Temple quarter.

High Steward:
the head steward, oversees most of the civilian affairs of a Derai keep. See also
Nhairin.

Hills of the Hawk:
see
Jaransor.

hold:
a satellite fort of the main Derai keeps on the Wall.

Honor Captain:
the captain of an Honor Guard. See also
Asantir.

Honor Guard:
an elite guard specially sworn to protect the lives of Derai leaders, mainly the Earls of the nine Houses.

Honor Room:
the office of an Honor Captain.

House of Adamant:
a priestly House of the Derai Alliance.

House of Blood:
a warrior House of the Derai Alliance.

House of Morning:
a priestly House of the Derai Alliance.

House of Night:
a warrior House of the Derai Alliance; claims to be the “first and oldest” of all the Nine Houses. See also
Night.

House
of
Peace:
a priestly House of the Derai Alliance.

House
of
Stars:
a House of the Derai Alliance, particularly recognized for their mastery over the Derai powers.

House
of
the Rose:
a House of the Derai Alliance, principally recognized as diplomats and peacemakers.

Houses, the:
the name given by the Derai to the nine separate clans or peoples who comprise the Derai Alliance. See also
nine Houses.

Hunt of Mayanne:
a power that dwells beyond the Gate of Dreams.

Hunt, the:
see the
Hunt of Mayanne.

Hunter:
see
Huntmaster.

hunter-in-darkness:
see
Raptor of Darkness.

Huntmaster, the:
a power that dwells beyond the Gate of Dreams, associated with the Hunt of Mayanne.

Hurulth:
one of the Nine Gods of the Derai, known as the Silent God, the God of Death.

Hylcarian:
the Golden Fire of the Keep of Winds. See also
Golden Fire.

Ij:
the Golden, the greatest city of the River, which is built on the delta between the river Ijir and the sea.

Ijir:
see
Great River.

Ijiri:
a person or thing that is native to Ij.

Ilor:
an initiate priestess serving in the Temple of Night.

Innor:
a guard serving the House of Night.