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One of the Three Worlds, the realm of the Aachim and, after its conquest, the Charon. |
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The human species native to Aachan, who were conquered by the Charon. The Aachim are a clever people, great artisans and engineers, but melancholy and prone to both hubris and indecision. |
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Illness that people suffer after using the Secret Art or using a native talent or gift. Sensitives are very prone to it. |
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The greatest of Rulke’s cities, designed by Pitlis the Aachim. |
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A crippled girl, fifteen, who lives in Shand’s workshop and is training herself to become a perfumer. |
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A narrow, poor, hilly land on the western side of Iagador. |
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A distant, mad ancestor of Karan. He built Carcharon and carried out forbidden sorcery there. |
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Formerly Mendark’s chief lieutenant, and now Magister of the High Council, she is a mancer and a master of combat with and without weapons. Tallia comes from Crandor. |
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A former cook’s boy at Gothryme Manor, now apprenticed to the chef. |
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The captain of Wistan’s college guard. |
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Santhenar’s year is roughly 395.7 days and contains 12 months, each of 33 days. The months are: spring – Thays, Criffin, Bunce; summer – Bolland, Guffins, Thisto; autumn – Mard, Pulin, Ballin; winter – Sord, Galend, Talmard. |
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A tower built on a rugged ridge high above Gothryme Forest by Karan’s mad ancestor Basunez at a node where the Secret Art was especially powerful. |
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A large water-dwelling reptile, somewhat resembling a crocodile. |
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A town in northern Meldorin, west of the mountains. The College of the Histories is situated there. |
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A kind of tea. |
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They fled out of the void to take Aachan from the Aachim long ago but were sterile there. Ten years ago the last of them went back to the void to die. |
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A graduate in the art and science of recording and maintaining the Histories. |
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A fortified palace in Thurkad. |
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A series of wars between the Charon and the Aachim between 1500 and 1000 years ago, resulting in the almost total devastation of Santhenar. |
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The oldest of the colleges for the instruction of those who would be chroniclers, tellers and even lowly bards. It was set up at Chanthed soon after the time of the Forbidding. |
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A machine at least partly powered by the Secret Art. |
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An alliance of the most powerful mancers for the protection of Santhenar. |
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A rich tropical land on the north-eastern side of Lauralin. Tallia’s homeland. |
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A sly, corrupt master at the college. |
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A great heroine and subsequently a clan leader of the Aachim from the time when the Charon invaded Aachan. |
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A beautiful, clever but troubled reshaper. Twin sister to Hingis. |
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Leader of the Faellem species, who came to Santhenar soon after Rulke to keep watch on the Charon and maintain the balance between the worlds. She led her followers back to Tallallame, and self-immolation, ten years ago. |
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The human species native to the world of Tallallame. A small dour people who are forbidden to use machines and particularly magical devices but are masters of disguise and illusion. Some still dwell on Santhenar, in Mirrilladell. |
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A fortress city in Orist, flooded in ancient times, now restored; the stronghold of Yggur. |
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A device made in Aachan at the behest of Rulke, by the brilliant smith Shuthdar. He subsequently stole it and took it back to Santhenar. When played by one who is sensitive, it could be used to open the Way Between the Worlds. It was destroyed by Shuthdar, and this created the Forbidding. |
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See Tale of the Forbidding. |
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Karan’s father, who was half-Aachim but exiled from them. He was killed at Carcharon when Karan was eight. |
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A structure controlled by the Secret Art which permits people to move instantly from one place to another. Also called a portal. |
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A fruit tasting something between a mango and a peach. Shand makes an incomparable gellon liqueur. |
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Leader of the Merdrun. |
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The ancient mortal enemies of the Aachim. They were corrupted and swore allegiance to Rulke after the Zain rebelled 2000 years ago, but when Rulke was imprisoned in the Nightland 1000 years later they forgot their destiny and took a new name, Whelm. Since Rulke’s death they have been a lost people. |
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Knowledge given by Rulke to the Zain, enhancing their resistance to the mind-breaking spells of the Aachim. It left a visible stigmata that identified them as Zain. |
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Karan’s impoverished estate near Tolryme in Bannador. |
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Founded at Zile by the Zain in the time of the empire of Zur. The library was sacked when the Zain were exiled, but was subsequently re-established. Its current librarian is Nadiril the Sage. |
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The largest and highest belt of mountains on Santhenar, enclosing the south-eastern part of the continent of Lauralin. |
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The greatest stories from the Histories of Santhenar, traditionally told at the Festival of Chanthed and on important ceremonial occasions throughout Santhenar. A tale can become a Great Tale only by the unanimous acclamation of the master chroniclers. In 4000 years only 23 Great Tales have ever been created, the most recent being Llian’s Tale of the Mirror. |
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A copper coin of small value. |
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A fast-acting herbal extract than induces numbing and partial paralysis. Lethal in large doses. |
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See Shand. |
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A clever but physically grotesque illusionist, maimed by a kick from a mule as a boy. Twin of Esea. |
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The collection of records which detail more than 4000 years of recorded history on Santhenar. The Histories consist of historical documents written or held by the chroniclers, as well as the tales, songs, legends and lore of the peoples of Santhenar and the invading peoples from the other worlds, told by the tellers. The culture of Santhenar is interwoven with and inseparable from the Histories and everyone longs to be mentioned in them. |
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A dangerous pain-relieving drug produced by the Whelm. Addictive and can have strange side effects, especially to people with Charon blood. |
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The place where Shuthdar destroyed the Golden Flute and Yalkara subsequently murdered the crippled girl. |
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There are four distinct human species: the Aachim of Aachan, the Faellem of Tallallame, the old humans of Santhenar, and the Charon, who came out of the void. All but the old humans can be very long-lived – Tensor, Rulke, Yalkara and Faelamor, for instance, all lived for thousands of years. |
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The Charon who survived the taking of Aachan. Rulke was the greatest. |
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midwinter’s day, the fourth day of Endre, midwinter week. Hythe is a day of particular ill-omen. |
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The fertile and wealthy land that lies between the eastern mountains of Meldorin and the Sea of Thurkad. |
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Formerly the least of the Whelm, also a healer and long-time hunter of Karan and the Mirror. Karan spared his life three times, a debt that he repaid by healing her bones after she was gravely injured in Shazmak, and once a year bringing her a small supply of the pain-relieving compound hrux. |
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A province on the western side of the mountains of Crandor. Home to the Zain; Llian’s birthplace. |
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the obnoxious son, aged nine, of Maigraith and Rulke. |
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A woman of the house of Fyrn, but with blood of the Aachim from her father, Galliad, and old human and Faellem blood from her mother. This makes her triune. She is also a sensitive. Llian’s partner; mother of Sulien. |
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The continent east of the Sea of Thurkad. |
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About 5000 paces, three miles or five kilometres. |
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Nadiril the Sage. |
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A device made of crystal and metal that emits light after being touched. |
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Once a street urchin in Thurkad, rescued by Tallia at the age of twelve and apprenticed to Nadiril, now his anointed successor as Librarian. |
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A joining of minds by which thoughts and feelings can be shared and support given. Sometimes used for domination. |
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A Zain from Jepperand, partner to Karan and father of Sulien. He is both a master chronicler and a teller, a rare combination. After his Tale of the Mirror was voted a Great Tale he was banned from practising for meddling in the Histories. |
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Mendark, a great mancer, chief of the Council of Santhenar, and Magister for 1000 years, he renewed his body an unprecedented 13 times. He was killed in Shazmak at the end of the Time of the Mirror (see below). |
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the greatest sorcerer among the Merdrun. She gains power by drinking people’s lives. |
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An obsessive, cold, repressed triune. She is a master of the Secret Art. Mother of non-identical twins Julken and Illiel, nine, fathered by Rulke, though Illiel, who takes after the Faellem, lives far away with them, and Maigraith has nothing to do with him. |
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An Aachim of House Elienor, now leader of the Aachim. |
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A wizard or sorcerer; someone who is a master of the Secret Art. |
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One who has mastered the study of the Histories and graduated with the highest honours from the College of the Histories. |
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Currently Wistan; the Master of the College of the Histories is also nominal leader of Chanthed. |
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The large island that lies to the immediate west of the Sea of Thurkad and the continent of Lauralin. |
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See Magister, the. |
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A device made by the Aachim in Aachan for seeing things at a distance. In Santhenar it changed and twisted reality and became corrupt, but stored many secrets. Yalkara took it to the void with her. |
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The moon revolves around Santhenar about every thirty days. One side (the dark face) is blotched red and black, and because the moon rotates on its axis much more slowly, the dark face is fully turned towards Santh only every couple of months. This rarely coincides with a full moon, but when it does it is a time of ill-omen. |
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The evil old owner of a tannery in Casyme. |
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The head of the Great Library and the most senior current member of the Great Council. |
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A place, distant from the world of reality, wherein Rulke was kept prisoner for 1000 years. |
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A self-effacing master at the college. |
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The original human species on Santhenar and by far the most numerous. |
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A former captain of Mendark’s guard, a huge dark man, now the innkeeper of Ninefingers. Father of one child, a daughter, Ussarine. |
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A great Aachim of the distant past, whose folly betrayed the great city of Tar Gaarn to Rulke and broke the power of the Aachim. The architect who designed Tar Gaarn and Alcifer, he was slain by Rulke. |
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See Gate. |
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Karan’s steward at Gothryme Manor, now an ancient, frail man. |
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a collectably ugly man, but a fine servant to Snoat. |
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A master assassin. |
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The person who set down the account of the four great battles of Faelamor and Yalkara, among many other tales. His name was Gyllias (seeShand). |
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A mancer who can change the form and structure of matter. |
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The Magister before Mendark. She was regarded as the greatest of all. |
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The greatest of the Charon. He enticed Shuthdar to Aachan to make the Golden Flute. After the Clysm he was imprisoned in the Nightland until a way could be found to banish him back to Aachan. When Tensor opened a gate into the Nightland Rulke escaped, later occupying Shazmak and Carcharon. He died in Shazmak at Tensor’s hand. |
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The least powerful but most populous of the Three Worlds, home of the old human peoples. |
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The use of magical or sorcerous powers (mancing). An art that very few can use and then only after extensive training. Notable mancers have included Mendark, Yggur, Maigraith, Rulke, Yalkara, Tensor and Faelamor. |
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A message, thoughts or feelings sent from one mind to another. |
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Someone whose human senses and feelings are far more acute than normal. Sensitives, for instance Karan, may have seeings of things happening far away. Rarely they can make mind connections such as one-way sendings and two-way links. Sensitives can be unstable because they feel things far more strongly than other people. |
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A friend of Karan’s late father, also known as Gyllias and the Recorder. He had a daughter, Aeolior, with Yalkara. Aeolior, who died young and tragically, had a daughter, Maigraith. |
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The forgotten city of the Aachim in the mountains west of Bannador, now largely abandoned. |
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An old human of Santhenar, the maker of the Golden Flute. After he destroyed the flute and himself, the Forbidding came down, closing the Way Between the Worlds. |
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A free city and trading nation built on an island in the River Garr in southern Iagador. |
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A wealthy, narcissistic, power-hungry collector. |
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The distance spanned by the stretched arms of a tall man. About six feet, or slightly less than two metres. |
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Karan and Llian’s only child, a girl aged nine. She has unknown gifts. |
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Greatest of the Great Tales, it tells of the final destruction of the flute by Shuthdar more than 3000 years ago, and how this created a Forbidding which sealed Santhenar off from the other two worlds. |
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A native skill or gift, usually honed by extensive training. |
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One of the Three Worlds, the home of the Faellem. A beautiful mountainous world covered in forest, recently invaded by savage creatures from the void. |
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A silver coin widely used in Meldorin. Enough to keep a family for several weeks. |
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A gold coin to the value of twenty silver tars. Enough to keep a family for a year. |
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One who has mastered the ritual telling of the tales that form part of the Histories of Santhenar. Great tellers also write their own tales and a rare few of these may become Great Tales. |
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The former leader of the Aachim. He saw it as his destiny to restore the Aachim to finally take their revenge on Rulke, who betrayed and ruined them. He was proud to the point of folly. He died in Shazmak ten years ago. |
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Llian’s former lover, now a master chronicler desperate to have her own Great Tale. |
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Santhenar, Aachan and Tallallame. |
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An ancient, wealthy and notably corrupt city on the River Saboth and the Sea of Thurkad. Seat of the council and the Magister. |
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Once a warlord of Iagador and former member of the council, now known as the Impotent. A troublemaker. |
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The period of several years, beginning about twelve years ago, during which the events set down in Llian’s Tale of the Mirror took place. |
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A city of the Aachim in the Great Mountains. |
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A town in northern Bannador, close to Karan’s family seat, Gothryme. |
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A double blending – one with the blood of all Three Worlds, three different human species. They are extremely rare and almost always infertile. They may have remarkable abilities. Karan is one, Maigraith another. |
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A malicious former college servant who wants revenge on Llian. |
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a genius at inventing magical devices, but a sociopathic, depraved drunk. |
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Osseion’s daughter.A huge, kindly warrior. |
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The ability of great tellers to move their audience to any emotion they choose by the sheer power of their words. |
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A place where life is more brutal and fleeting than anywhere. The void teems with the most exotic life imaginable, for nothing survives there without remaking itself constantly. |
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A mancer in the service of Snoat. |
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The secret, forever-changing and ethereal paths that permit the difficult passage between the Three Worlds. They were closed off by the Forbidding. |
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Former servants of Yggur – his terror-guard – they are now masterless and dwell in the frigid southland of Shazabba. |
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A good-hearted country lad aged seventeen, who always gets things wrong. |
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The dying seventy-fourth Master of the College of the Histories. |
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A young Aachim woman in Malien’s group, twin to Shalah who was killed in Katazza. |
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The last of the three Charon who came to Santhenar to find the flute and return it to Aachan. She was Shand’s partner for a time. Maigraith is her granddaughter. |
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A Whelm woman, partner to Idlis. |
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A great, powerful but troubled mancer and warlord, and a former member of the Great Council. Last year he had a relapse and withdrew from all his captured lands, creating a power vacuum that Cumulus Snoat has taken advantage of. Yggur is now mentally unstable and withdrawn. |
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A scholarly race which once dwelt in Zile and founded the Great Library. They made a pact with Rulke. After he was imprisoned in the Nightland most were slaughtered and the remnant exiled. They are still hated. |
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A city in the north-west of the island of Meldorin. Once capital of the empire of Zur, now chiefly famous for the Great Library. |