aether: The material that binds everything together on a molecular level. Can be extracted and converted to energy.

Akbar: Crown prince of the Moghul empire, Akbar is the only surviving son of Aurangzeb III. Akbar leads the Moghul army in its attempt to capture new territories, and is acknowledged to be one of the best fighters of the time.

Anstruther, Robert, Captain: Held the post of captain in the Southampton Aerocorps. He was the husband of Jane, and foster father to Octavia Pye, having accepted her as his charge when she was six years old. He and his wife died in a tragic airship explosion, although their bodies were never identified.

Aurangzeb III: Imperator (emperor) of the Moghuls, and father to Prince Akbar. Aurangzeb had four wives, three of whom are deceased. He has one son and seven daughters.

Black Hand, the: The name of the revolutionary group bent on breaking William’s empire, most particularly Prussia’s inclusion in it. The Black Hand is led by Etienne Briel, who operates primarily in England, Italy, and Prussia.

bosun: Abbreviated version of the word “boatswain.” A bosun’s typical duties include inspecting the vessel, dealing with cargo, and maintaining structures not covered by engineering.

Briel, Etienne: Leader of the Black Hand revolutionary group. He is of French and Prussian ancestry, and holds a degree in architecture.

chief officer: A second-in-command, the chief officer on the Tesla is responsible for navigation, assisting other officers as needed, and attending to such duties as the captain commands.

Constanza, Duchess of Prussia: The hereditary ruler of Prussia, Constanza is eight years the junior of her fiancé, William VI. She is considered a witch because she bears six fingers on her left hand.

Disruptor: The name of the weapons carried by Southampton Aerocorps members; they fire blasts of molten aether rather than bullets.

emperor: Male sovereign who rules over more than one nation. William VI rules over the United Kingdom (consisting of England, Scotland, and Ireland) as well as Prussia.

engineer: Maintains and monitors the machinery on the vessel. On the Tesla, this includes the propellers, engines, weapons, and boilers.

HIMA: His Imperial Majesty’s Airship, a prefix for all ships flown on imperial business, including those leased to the Southampton Aerocorps.

Iago, king of Italy: Constanza’s first cousin, and childhood friend. Iago rules the kingdom of Italy, which is sorely beset upon by the Moghuls. He went to Oxford with William VI, and considers the English emperor one of his closest friends.

imperator: Another name for an emperor or supreme ruler. The Moghuls refer to their leaders using this term.

Marseilles: Port on the southern French coast, known for its particularly tough inhabitants, and the wide popularity of its bordellos.

Moghuls: Persianates who originally dominated the Indian subcontinent; now the Moghul empire stretches across parts of Russia and Eastern Europe, encompassing India, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia. Battles for Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, and Italy are ongoing.

Prussia: Originally part of the German empire, the historic state of Prussia was formed when in 1626 Prince Otto, the Margrave of Brandenburg, married Jocaste, the only child of Frederick, Duke of Prussia. Their son, William (Wilhelm) inherited both the duchy and the margravate, combining them into the state of Prussia. William’s grandson, another Otto, married the eldest daughter of King James V. Their son, William III, brought Prussia into the British empire, where it has remained to the present date.

Rome: City in the southern part of Italy, capital of the Italian kingdom, and home to Iago. William VI maintains troops in the city as part of the defense against Moghul attacks.

Southampton Aerocorps: Private company that provides both passenger services and contracted military work for the emperor. Ships owned outright by the Aerocorps do not bear the designation HIMA.

steward: Responsible for the maintenance of the habitation areas of the vessel, such as the galley, mess, and crew quarters.

thuggee: The name commonly given to a cult of murderers and thieves known in parts of India.

watches: In naval tradition, the twenty-four-hour day was divided into seven watches, two of which, first and second dogwatches, are frequently combined into just one, since each dogwatch is only two hours long.

Bells were rung every half hour, allowing seamen to know what time it was. The table below translates watches and bells to a twenty-four-hour clock: