Grizel: Ugly name the chancellor gives to Tali while she is disguised by his chief magian’s magery.
Healing blood: Tali’s blood, and perhaps the blood of some other Pale slaves, has the virtue of healing. It can even heal some people who have been turned to shifters, if given soon enough. This virtue may be due to exposure to emanations from heatstone.
Heatstone: A kind of rock, mined in Cython, which can be used for a myriad of heating purposes. Rebellious male slaves in Cython are condemned to work in the heatstone mine, which soon bakes them to death. Breaking a heatstone can be fatal because of the vast power released. The heatstone deposit is surrounded by a halo of sunstone, and that by a halo of glowstone.
Hellish Conduit: A winding, exotic passage that leads down from Cython towards the subterranean Engine.
Herovians, the: A persecuted minority who came to Hightspall on the first fleets, seeking their Promised Realm, two thousand years ago. Due to their fanaticism and brutal excess they fell from power and many now conceal their true heritage.
Hightspall: The nation founded by the people who came on the First Fleet, after taking Cythe from the Cythians.
Hillish: One of Lyf’s generals.
Holm: An oldish man, very clever with his hands, who helps Tali. He uses the alias Kroni.
Hox: Twin brothers in Garramide; mutineers.
Hramm: One of Lyf’s generals.
Ice, the: Ice sheets spreading up from the southern pole, and down from the north, are steadily cutting Hightspall off from the rest of the world. The ice is thought due to the Engine at the heart of the land getting out of balance. Many Hightspallers also believe that the land is rising up against them because of the evil way they took it from the Cythians two thousand years ago.
Immortal Text, the: The sacred book of the Herovians. It sets out the guiding beliefs of their faith, tells them where to seek the Promised Realm, and how to take it. Other people believe the Immortal Text to be a pernicious, racist tract which should be destroyed.
Iron Book, the: A book, The Consolation of Vengeance, written by Lyf for his people; the final book thus far of the Solaces. He etched the words of the book onto sheet iron pages, using alkoyl. The book’s appearance in Cython was a call to war, though the iron book was not yet complete when Tali stole it from Lyf. It was subsequently stolen by Mad Wil, a blind Cythonian seer and killer who is obsessed by completing the story in the book.
Iusia (vi Torgrist): Tali’s mother, murdered in front of Tali by Lord and Lady Ricinus for her ebony pearl, at the beginning of Vengeance. They on-sold the pearl to Deroe.
Jadgery: A town in the lower Nandelochs; the enemy have a garrison there.
King-Magery: Magery used by the king or ruling queen of Cythe to heal the land or the people. No one else in Cythe was permitted to use magery. King-magery was only passed on to the new king on the death of the old king. But because Lyf died alone and his body was never found, the death rituals could not be enacted, his king-magery was never passed on, and it was lost. King-magery is different from, and far more powerful than, other forms of magery.
Kroni: An old clock attendant in Fortress Rutherin. Also known as Holm.
Lady Ricinus: Rix’s late mother, a cold, manipulative woman, obsessed with raising the social position of House Ricinus at any cost. She was executed at the end of Vengeance for high treason, and the murder of Tali’s mother and grandmother for their ebony pearls.
Lirriam: One of the Five Heroes, a cold, buxom temptress.
Lizue: A beautiful prisoner in Fortress Rutherin.
Lord Ricinus: Rix’s father, and lord of House Ricinus, formerly one of the wealthiest and most powerful Houses in Hightspall. A foul drunkard, sick with guilt at the crimes his wife forced him to commit. Executed at the end of Vengeance for high treason and murder.
Lucidand: The capital city of Cythe, in ancient times.
Lyf, King Lyf: The eighteen-year-old king of Cythe at the time the first war began. He was betrayed in his own temple by Grandys and the other Heroes, maimed and walled up to die in the catacombs. But after death Lyf’s soul could not pass on, and he used the last of his king-magery to become a wrythen, so as to protect his people and take revenge on the enemy. Later Lyf wrote the Solaces, a series of books which showed his people how to live underground. As a wrythen, he spent the next two thousand years harrying Hightspall, and trying to get his king-magery, and a body, back. He eventually did, partly by using ebony pearls. Then he ordered war against Hightspall.
Magery: Wizardry, sorcery. Magery was brought by the Hightspallers from Thanneron, but has been failing ever since. This is believed to be due to the land they conquered rising up against them. Magery has a different origin to king-magery.
Magian: A wizard or sorcerer.
Maloch: An old sword, made from titane, given to Rix by his mother. It bears an enchantment of protection against magery. Rix is somewhat unnerved by this, though the sword has saved his life more than once. Maloch is a Herovian sword and originally belonged to Axil Grandys.
Matriarchs: When the king-magery was lost, Cythe could no longer have a king, and after the Cythonians took refuge in Cython they were ruled by a trio of matriarchs, who were themselves advised by the Solaces.
Mia: Tali’s best friend, executed in Cython for using magery. Tali blames herself and swore a blood oath to make up for failing Mia. This subsequently became a blood oath to save her people, the Pale.
Mimoy, Mimula: Tali’s great-great-great-grandmother, an irascible, foul-mouthed old woman.
Moley Gryle: Lyf’s personal attendant.
Nandelochs, Nandeloch Mountains: A high and rugged range of mountains in north-east Hightspall. A Herovian stronghold.
Noys: Rix’s captain at Garramide.
Nuddell: One of Leatherhead’s gang, later Rix’s loyal sergeant.
Nurse Bet: An old Pale healer in Cython. She taught Tali self-defence, among other things.
Nusee: Tali’s grandmother, murdered for an ebony pearl.
Oosta: The chief healer at Garramide.
Pale, the: A thousand years ago, a host of noble Hightspaller children were given to the enemy as hostages, but, oddly, never ransomed. Their enslaved descendants are known as the Pale because, having lived underground in Cython all their lives, their skin has never been exposed to the sun.
Pearl, Ebony: Black, marble-sized objects that have grown inside the heads of certain Pale women in Cython, due to radiance from the heatstone deposit. Ebony pearls can enhance a gift for magery many times over, and are beyond price. Only five can exist at any one time. Four of Tali’s ancestors were killed for their ebony pearls and Tali bears the fifth, the master pearl, though few people know this deadly secret.
Porfry: The Keeper of the Records at Garramide; a fanatical Herovian.
Poulter: A four-legged fowl, supposedly created by Lyf to help feed his people after they took refuge in Cython.
Promised Realm: The legendary land the Herovians came to Cythe in search of, but have not yet found (or created).
Radl: A tall, beautiful Pale in Cython. Tali’s enemy since childhood.