Chapter 73

The Garden

"Aha!" cried the GateKeeper. "I know what this is!"

"What?" said Azhure politely, her eyes still on DragonStar and Faraday.

"It is that which existed beyond the Gate!" the GateKeeper said.

DragonStar, now within two paces of them, smiled and nodded. "In a manner of speaking, yes. But this Garden is far more than an 'AfterLife'. It is a 'BeforeLife' as well. It is a beginning and an end within itself. It is a well, a reservoir, of life."

Azhure disentangled herself from Axis' grasp, and slid down from Pretty Brown Sal.

There was something ... someone ... walking through the flowers towards her.

She gave a great sob — would she never stop crying? — and leaned forward to embrace Caelum and River Star, and Zenith just behind them.

And then there were the thousands, the millions, walking out through the flowers from the oblivion of death — Rivkah, Belial, MorningStar, a hundred neighbours and friends, ten thousand names and memories, faces and voices drifting out of the forgetfulness of death, but reaching out with living arms. But among them all, there was no StarDrifter.

"Why?" said Azhure, distraught. "Why?"

Rivkah, Magariz beside her, had her arms about Azhure, comforting her as she had done so often when Azhure had been so lost and lonely and friendless within Smyrton.

DragonStar shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I do not know."

The GateKeeper, strangely soft and pretty in this place, said: "/ know. He did not pass through the Gate, nor even through the Butler's gate."

"But I saw StarDrifter's wings!" said Axis. "He was dead! He must have been!"

"Nevertheless," said the GateKeeper, her eyes resuming a hint of their former steeliness, "he did not pass through either Gate."

And to one side the Butler, polishing a tableful of silver, nodded his agreement.

"Then where is my father?" Axis shouted.

Leagh walked up with her Child in her arms.

Beyond us, said the Girl. If he is not here, then he is somewhere back there.

"Back 'there'?" DragonStar said.

The wasteland of Tencendor only was consumed, said the Child. The other lands bordering it still exist. StarDrifter, perhaps as a result of some magic, must still be there. He was not in the wasteland when it was consumed.

"Then we must go after him!" Azhure said.

No.

"No?"

No. You may not pass from the Garden and return. I would have you here with me.

StarDrifter, somewhere in the lands bordering Tencendor? thought Axis. How? How? What magic could have transported him? And where?

"What exactly does remain of Tencendor?" he asked the Child.

Nothing. Not in the flesh. The land was consumed by earthquake and waves when DragonStar struck the fatal blow to Qeteb. To those who lived outside the borders of Tencendor, there is nothing left of that land. Only waves.

Axis, as Azhure, opened his mouth to say something more, but the Child forestalled him. He is gone.

Not here. Grieve, if you must, but know also that his time had not yet been completed.

"And what," said Zared, walking up to Leagh's shoulder, and looking down in perplexion at his Child's face, "do we do now?"

The Child laughed, and thrust her tiny fists into the air. You populate the Garden in peace and contentedness!

Epilogue

The Corolean Emperor leaned forward on his throne, one hand absently laying to one side the heavy folds of his purple and gold silk mantle.

"What do you mean, Tencendor is 'gone'?"

"Highest One," the Admiral said from his position of laying face down on the floor, arms spread out to either side of him. His voice was very slightly muffled. "We spent weeks sailing over the entire ocean.

The continent is gone. Sunk beneath the waves. Even the barren land bridge connecting our continents has gone. Waves. Only waves are left."

"Nothing is left? Not a single piece of flotsam? Not one puffy corpse?"

"Nothing, Highest One."

"What happened?"

The Admiral took his time answering, not knowing quite what to make of the hundreds of reports he had had from, not only the crews of Corolean fishing vessels in the area but also from Escatorian cargo ships sailing for Tencendor, as well as the odd pirate, who relinquished their information only grudgingly, and under the threat of having their genitals skewered by hot pokers.

"Highest One," the Admiral eventually said. "From what I can gather, the land suffered a cataclysm so complete we can barely comprehend it. The entire continent of Tencendor has sunk beneath the waves. Even the barren land bridge connecting our continents has gone. Waves. Only waves are left."

The Admiral paused again, wondering whether to relate the other piece of information that had persistently come to his ears.

"Tell me!" the Emperor snapped.

"It is said," the Admiral said very slowly, "that Tencendor was so riddled with sin, corruption and vileness that the gods decided absolute destruction was better than redemption."

The Emperor stared, then sat back in his throne, his chubby, sweating face smiling beatifically.

"I always knew they were a bad lot," he said.

At the very back of the crowd in the public throne chamber, a fair-haired man with extraordinarily compelling blue eyes grinned sardonically. After a moment he turned away, wincing as some unseen injury caught at his back, and he faded into the crowd.

The pain of not finding StarDrifter faded. His time had not been right, and he had passed elsewhere, not into the Garden.

So be it.

Axis and Azhure, as every other person who had passed through death — whether during the final moments of Tencendor, or ten thousand years beforehand — accepted the joy and peacefulness of the Garden.

They were contented, as were the entire populations of peoples and creatures who had entered the Garden.

The Icarii fanned out in the skies, beautiful jewel-like creatures who populated the air with music and wonder.

The Ravensbund, with Urbeth grumbling good-naturedly at their head, moved to the cliffs and beaches of the never-ending coasts that bounded the Garden, and explored the mysteries they found there.

The Avar wandered the Garden, shaded by the ethereal trees, learning the ways of the flowers and the winds that tipped them into cascades of delight.

They became gardeners.

The Acharites built themselves pale-stoned homes that bordered the glades and walks, and spent their time — not ploughing — but sitting on doorsteps or in rocking chairs under verandahs, and passing the time of day with each other, and any other who passed by.

SpikeFeather wandered off with Urbeth's two daughters, and the threesome explored the more secretive glades, and kept to themselves.

The Alaunt settled down, and FortHeart gave Sicarius a fine litter.

Belaguez courted Pretty Brown Sal, but she spent her time sliding tantalisingly just beyond his reach.

Axis and Azhure were reunited with the other seven once-Star Gods come back from their spin through the stars, and they, as had been their wont in the years before the TimeKeepers'

invasion, explored the mysteries they could see circling in the star patterns above their heads.

Theod and Gwendylyr raised their twin boys, and added a baby girl to their family.

Zared and Leagh, meanwhile, raised their Daughter through wondrous babyhood, into girlhood, and then into womanhood. The Woman sat beneath the Tree, and dispensed laughter and advice and wisdom, and She and the Tree were the centre of Creation.

Sometimes people thought they saw Katie flitting between trees, and in the shadows of glades, but none ever spoke to her, and the Woman told them to leave her alone.

She has had her share of pain, and now is at peace in her aloneness. Leave her.

DragonStar and Faraday grew restless. Everyone else had adjusted themselves to the Garden, and its serenity and beauty, but they could not.

They had not been granted the grace of contentedness.

One day, they went to see the Woman. "We think," DragonStar said slowly, holding Faraday's hand tightly in his own, "that there remains something else for us to do."

Aye. There is.

"But it does not rest within the Garden, does it?" Faraday said.

No.

"Beyond, then?" DragonStar said, and felt a small kernel of excitement flower deep within him.

Aye. Beyond. You have a life that yet lies ahead of you. The wasteland that was Tencendor has transformed, but there are other wastelands, StarSon, that need your strength, and Faraday's love.

The Woman looked at Faraday's swelling belly. Bear your child elsewhere, Faraday. Give birth to hope in a desolate wasteland.

"We will never come back," Faraday said, but there was no anger or regret in her voice.

No. You will find your contentedness elsewhere.

The Woman stood, and reached one hand high above Her. She plucked a fruit from the Tree, and held it out to DragonStar and Faraday.

Take this, and eat of it with My blessing.

Faraday took the fruit, and cradled it within her hands. "What is it?"

Wisdom and Love.

Faraday's eyes filled with tears, and she slowly raised the fruit to her lips and ate.

Something in her face shifted, something in her soul altered, and Faraday understood the road before her.

She turned to DragonStar and offered him the fruit. "Eat."

And he did, and he, too, was altered.

He looked at Faraday. His eyes were alive with excitement. Faraday stared, and then she burst into laughter, and leaned forward to embrace him.

The Woman smiled. Step forth, and birth your new world within the wasteland. Go, with My blessing, My love, and My eternal gratitude.

Axis stared at them. He half raised a hand, then dropped it. "Stay. Please."

DragonStar smiled gently, and took his father's hand. "No. We cannot. If we stayed here we would only destroy the Garden with our restlessness. Our journey is not yet done."

His eyes flickered over the ranks of what had once been the Strike Force standing in ranks behind Axis: winged, ethereal, serene. Then DragonStar leaned forward and kissed Axis on the mouth. "We will never forget you, nor this place. It will become the foundation myth of our children. Goodbye, Axis, farewell Azhure."

And, once Faraday had kissed Axis and Azhure goodbye, she and DragonStar walked hand in hand through the doorway that the Butler opened for them with a reverential bow of his head.

They walked from the Garden into the Wastelands beyond, there to build a life untarnished by fate and enriched by the gifts the Woman had given them.

They did not look back.

Glossary

ACHAR: the realm that once stretched over most of the continent, bounded by the Andeis, Tyrre and Widowmaker Seas, the Avarinheim and the Icescarp Alps. It was integrated into Tencendor during the time of Axis Star Son.

ACHARITES: a term used fairly generally to encompass all humans within Tencendor.

ADAMON: one of the nine Star Gods of the Icarii, Adamon is the eldest and the God of the Firmament.

AFTERLIFE: all three races, the Acharites, the Icarii and the Avar believe in the existence of an AfterLife, although exactly what they believe depends on their particular culture.

ALAUNT: the legendary pack of hounds that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. They followed Azhure for some time, but now run with DragonStar. They are all of the Lesser.

ALDENI: once a small province in western Achar, it was administered by Duke Theod.

ANDAKILSA, River: the extreme northern river of Ichtar, dividing Ichtar from Ravensbund.

ANDEIS SEA: the often unpredictable sea that washes the western coast of Achar.

ARCEN: the major city of Arcness. Before Qeteb's destruction, it was a free trading city.

ARCNESS: a large eastern province in Tencendor.

ARTOR THE PLOUGHMAN: the now disbanded Brotherhood of the Seneschal taught that Artor was the one true god. Under His sway, the Acharites initiated the ancient Wars of the Axe and drove the Icarii and Avar from the land. Artor was killed by Azhure and her hounds.

ASKAM, Prince of the West: son of Belial and Cazna. Now dead.

AVAR, The: the ancient race of Tencendor who live in the forests of the Avarinheim and Minstrelsea.

The Avar are sometimes referred to as the People of the Horn. Their Mage-King is Isfrael.

AVARINHEIM, The: the northern forest home of the Avar people. It was destroyed when Qeteb was resurrected.

AVENUE, The: the processional way of the Temple Complex on the Island of Mist and Memory. The term The Avenue' comes to have a slightly different meaning by the end of Crusader.

AVONSDALE: Once a province in western Achar. It was administered by Earl Herme.

AXE-WIELDERS, The: once the elite crusading and military wing of the Seneschal, led by Axis as their BattleAxe.

AXIS: son of the Princess Rivkah of Achar and the Icarii Enchanter, StarDrifter SunSoar.

Once BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders, he assumed the mantle of the StarMan of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. After reforging Tencendor Axis formed his own house, the House of the Stars before beginning a new existence as the Star God of Song. Having lost all his powers due to the invasion of the Timekeeper Demons, Axis is once again a mere mortal.

AZHURE: daughter of WolfStar SunSoar and Niah of Nor, and Goddess of Moon. She is married to Axis. Their children are Caelum (now dead), Drago, RiverStar (now dead) and Zenith. As With Axis, Azhure is once again merely mortal now the Star Dance is dead.

AZLE, River: a major river that divided the provinces of Ichtar and Aldeni. It flows into the Andeis Sea.

BANES: the religious leaders of the Avar people. They wield magic, although it is usually of the minor variety.

BARROWS, The Ancient: the burial places of the ancient Enchanter-Talons of the Icarii people. The Barrows were destroyed when the Demons broke through the Star Gate.

BATTLEAXE, The: once the leader of the Axe-Wielders. The post of BattleAxe was last held by Axis.

See 'Axe-Wielders'.

BARZULA: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Barzula is the Demon of mid-morning, and of tempest.

BEDWYR FORT: a fort that sat on the lower reaches of the River Nordra and guarded the entrance to Grail Lake from Nordmuth.

BELIAL: lieutenant and second-in-command in Axis' army during the fight against Gorgrael. Belial was the father of Askam and Cazna. Now dead.

BELTIDE: see 'Festivals'.

BETHIAM, Princess: wife to Prince Askam of the West.

BOGLE MARSH: a large and inhospitable marsh in eastern Arcness. Faraday emptied its strange creatures into Sanctuary to escape the Demons.

BORNEHELD: Duke of Ichtar and King of Achar. Son of the Princess Rivkah and her husband, Duke Searlas, half-brother to Axis, and husband of Lady Faraday of Skarabost. After murdering his uncle, Priam, Borneheld assumed the throne of Achar. Now dead.

BRACKEN RANGES, The: the former name of the Minaret

Peaks.

BRACKEN, River: the river that rises in the Minaret Peaks andflows into the Widowmaker Sea.

BRIDGE, The: the bridge that guards the entrance into Sigholt is deeply magical. She will throw out a challenge to any she does not know, but can be easily tricked.

BROTHER-LEADER, The: the supreme leader of the Brotherhood of the now disbanded Seneschal.

The last Brother-Leader of the Seneschal was Jayme.

CAELUM STARSON: eldest son of Axis and Azhure, born at Yuletide. Caelum is an ancient word meaning 'Stars in Heaven'. Caelum is now dead.

CARLON: main city of Tencendor and one-time residence of the kings of Achar. Situated on Grail Lake.

CAULDRON LAKE, The: the lake at the centre of the SilentWoman Woods. Now destroyed.

CAZNA: wife to Belial. Now dead.

CHAMBER OF THE MOONS: chief audience and sometime banquet chamber of the ancient royal palace in Carlon. It was the site where Axis battled Borneheld to the death.

CHARONITES: a little-known race of Tencendor, they inhabited the UnderWorld. When Drago managed to kill Orr in the chamber of the Star Gate, the race became extinct.

CIRCLE OF STARS, The: see 'Enchantress' Ring'.

CLANS, The: the Avar tend to segregate into Clan groups, roughly equitable with family groups.

CLOUDBURST SUNSOAR: younger brother and assassin of WolfStar SunSoar.

COHORT: see 'Military Terms'.

COROLEAS: the great empire to the south of Tencendor. Relations between the two countries is usually cordial.

CREST: Icarii military unit composed of twelve Wings.

CREST-LEADER: commander of an Icarii Crest.

DANCE OF DEATH, The: dark star music that is the counter point to the Star Dance. It is the music made when stars miss their step and crash into each other, or swell up into red giants and implode. Only WolfStar and Azhure can wield this music, although both lost the ability to do so when the TimeKeepers destroyed the Star Gate.

DAREWING FULLHEART: senior Crest-Leader and Strike Leader of the Icarii Strike Force DEMONIC HOURS:

Dawn: ruled by Mot, a time of hunger.

Mid-morning: ruled by Barzula, a time of tempest.

Midday: the time of the greatest Demon of all, Qeteb.

Mid-afternoon: ruled by Sheol, a time of despair.

Dusk: ruled by Raspu, a time of pestilence.

Night: ruled by Rox, a time of terror.

DISTANCES:

League: roughly seven kilometres, or four and a half miles.

Pace: roughly one metre or one yard.

Handspan: roughly twenty centimetres or eight inches.

DOME OF THE MOON: a sacred dome dedicated to the Moon on Temple Mount of the Island of Mist and Memory. Only the First Priestess has access to the Dome, and it was in this Dome that Niah conceived Azhure.

DRAGONSTAR SUNSOAR: second son of Axis and Azhure. Twin brother to RiverStar.

(Also known as Drago.) DragonStar is also the name of the son StarLaughter SunSoar was carrying when she was murdered by her husband, WolfStar.

DRIFTSTAR SUNSOAR: grandmother to StarDrifter, mother of MorningStar. An Enchanter and a SunSoar in her own right and wife to the SunSoar Talon. She died over three hundred years before the events of this book.

EARTH TREE: a sacred tree to both the Icarii and the Avar. It once lived in the extreme northern groves of the Avarinheim forest, close to the cliffs of the Icescarp Alps, but was destroyed when Qeteb created the wasteland.

EARTH TREE GROVE: the grove which held the Earth Tree in the northern Avarinheim where it bordered the Icescarp Alps. It was where the Avar (sometimes in concert with the Icarii) held their gatherings and religious rites.

ENCHANTRESS, The: the first of the Icarii Enchanters, the first Icarii to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. She bore three sons, the eldest of whom founded the Acharite race, the middle founded the Charonite race, and the youngest founded the Icarii race. The Enchantress also gave birth to twin daughters. Also known as Urbeth.

ENCHANTRESS' RING, The: an ancient ring once in the possession of the Enchantress, now worn by Azhure. Its proper name is the Circle of Stars, and it is intimately connected with the Star Gods.

ENCHANTERS: the once magicians of the Icarii people — with the destruction of the Star Gate all have now lost their powers. All Enchanters have the word 'Star' somewhere in their names.

ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who are also Enchanters.

ENEMY, The: the name given by the TimeKeepers to the ancient ones who trapped Qeteb and then fled with his life parts through the universe. It was the Enemy who crashed into Tencendor during Fire-Night. ESCATOR: a kingdom far away to the east over the Widowmaker Sea.

EVENSONG: daughter of Rivkah and StarDrifter SunSoar, sister to Axis and wife to Talon FreeFall SunSoar.

FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Once wife to Borneheld and Queen of Achar, Faraday now aids DragonStar. She is also the mother of Isfrael, conceived during her brief and tragic affair with Axis.

FERNBRAKE LAKE, The: the large lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges. Also known by both the Avar and the Icarii as the Mother. Now a dessicated garden.

FERRYMAN, The: the Charonite who plied the ferry of the UnderWorld. His name was Orr, and was one of the Lesser immortals. Orr is now dead after being struck by the Rainbow Sceptre in the chamber of the Star Gate.

FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:

Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snow-month.

Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flower-month.

Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.

FIRE-NIGHT, The: see 'Festivals'.

FIRST, The: the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars, the order of nine priestesses on Temple Mount.

The First, like all priestesses of the Order, gave up her name on taking her vows. Niah of Nor once held this office.

FIVE FAMILIES, The First: the leading families of Tencendor: led, in turn, by Prince Askam of the West, King Zared of the North, Prince Yllgaine of Nor, Chief Sa'Domai of the Ravensbund and FreeFall SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii. The delicate balance between these families was greatly upset when Zared seized the throne of Achar.

FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is the Goddess of Water.

FLURIA, The River: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.

FORESTFLIGHT EVERSOAR: a member of the Lake Guard.

FORTHEART: one of the Alaunt, and mate to Sicarius.

FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar's eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea.

FREEFALL, Talon: son of BrightFeather and RavenCrest SunSoar, husband of EvenSong SunSoar.

They have no children.

GAPFEATHER: a member of the Lake Guard.

GATEKEEPER, The: the Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld and mother of Zeherah. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate. She is one of the Lesser immortals.

GHEMT: a game played with sticks and dice in a circle of diamond-shaped spaces.

GOLDMAN, JANNYMIRE: Master of the Guilds of Carlon. One of the most powerful non-noblemen in Tencendor.

GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter. Axis defeated him in a titanic struggle for control of Tencendor forty years before current events.

GORKENFORT: a major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar.

GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass sixty leagues long that provided the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and the River Andakilsa.

GRAIL LAKE, The: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. Beneath its waters it harboured the Maze, which has now risen and destroyed the Lake.

GREATER, The: the nine Star Gods.

GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous.

Gorgrael recreated them to defeat Axis, but they were all destroyed by Azhure.

GUNDEALGA FORD: a wide shallow ford on the Nordra, just south of the Urqhart Hills.

GUSTUS: Captain of Zared's militia.

GWENDYLYR: wife of Duke Theod of Aldeni, and mother of their twin sons.

HAGEN: once a Plough-Keeper in the (now destroyed) village of Smyrton who was husband to Niah. He was accidentally killed by Azhure some forty-three years ago.

HANDSPAN: see 'Distances'.

HERME, Earl of Avonsdale: son of Earl Jorge, mentor of Duke Theod of Aldeni and friend to King Zared.

HORNED ONES: the almost divine and most sacred members of the Avar race. They live in the Sacred Grove.

HSINGARD: a ruined town situated in central Ichtar.

ICARII, The: a race of winged people. They are sometimes referred to as the People of the Wing.

ICEBEAR COAST: the hundred-league-long coast that stretches from the DeadWood Forest in north-western Ravensbund to the frozen Tundra above the Avarinheim. It is very remote, and very beautiful.

ICESCARP ALPS, The: the great mountain range that stretches across most of northern Achar.

ICESCARP BARREN: a desolate tract of land situated in northern Ichtar between the Icescarp Alps and the Urqhart Hills.

ICEWORMS: massive worms of ice and snow created by Gorgrael.

ICHTAR, DUKES of: once cruel lords of Ichtar, the line died with Borneheld.

ICHTAR, The Province of: the largest and richest of the provinces of Achar. Ichtar derives its wealth from its extensive grazing herds and from its mineral and precious gem deposits. Ruled by Zared, now also King of the Acharites.

ICHTAR, The River: a minor river that flows through Ichtar into the River Azle.

ILFRACOOMBE: the manor house of the Earl of Skarabost, the home where Faraday grew up.

ISABEAU: first wife of King Zared. She died in a hunting accident ten years before current events.

ISFRAEL: Mage-King of the Avar. Son of Axis and Faraday.

ISLAND OF MIST AND MEMORY: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, once known as Pirate's Nest. The Temple of the Stars and its complex are situated on a great plateau on the island's southern coast. JACK: senior among the Sentinels.

JERVOIS LANDING: the small town on Tailem Bend of the River Nordra. The gateway into Ichtar.

KASTALEON: one of the great Keeps of Achar, situated on the River Nordra in central Achar. It was blown up by Theod under instructions from Zared, killing many thousands of Caelum's men.

KEEPS, The: the three great magical Keeps of Achar. See separate entries under Spiredore, Sigholt, and Silent Woman Keep.

LAKE GUARD, The: a militia composed entirely of the men and women who SpikeFeather TrueSong rescued from Talon Spike when it was threatened by Gryphon. They escaped via the waterways, and were changed by their experience. The Lake Guard is dedicated to the service of the StarSon.

LAKE OF LIFE, The: one of the sacred and magical lakes of Tencendor. It sat at the western end of the HoldHard Pass in the Urqhart Hills and cradled Sigholt. Now a pit of pestilence.

LEAGH, Princess: sister to Askam, daughter of Belial and Cazna. Now wife of Zared.

LEAGUE: see 'Distances'.

LESSER, The: a term given to creatures of such magic they approach god-like status.

They are not strictly immortal, although they will live indefinitely if not struck a death blow.

MAGARIZ, Prince: husband to Rivkah, Axis' mother, and father to Zared. Now dead.

MAGIC: under the influence of the Seneschal all Artor-fearing Acharites feared and hated the use of magic, although their fear is now as largely dead as the Seneschal.

MARRAT, Baron: Baron of Romsdale.

MAZE, The: a mysterious labyrinth that rose from Grail Lake.

MAZE GATE, The: the wooden gate into the Maze. Its stone archway is covered with hieroglyphics.

MILITARY TERMS (for regular ground forces):

Squad:

a small group of fighters, normally under forty and usually archers.

Unit:

a group of one hundred men, either infantry,

archers, pikemen, or cavalry.

Cohort:

five units, so five hundred men.

See also 'Wing' and 'Crest' for the Icarii Strike Force.

MINARET PEAKS: the ancient name for the Bracken Ranges, named for the minarets of the Icarii cities that spread over the entire mountain range.

MINSTRELSEA: the name Faraday gave to the forest she planted out below the Avarinheim.

MONTHS: (northern hemisphere seasons apply)

Wolf-month:

January

Raven-month:

February

Hungry-month:

March

Thaw-month:

April

Flower-month:

May

Rose-month:

June

Harvest-month:

July

Weed-month:

August

DeadLeaf-month:

September

Bone-month:

October

Frost-month:

November

Snow-month:

December

MOONWILDFLOWERS: extremely rare, delicate violet flowers that bloom only under the full moon.

Closely associated with Azhure.

MORNINGSTAR SUNSOAR: StarDrifter's mother and a powerful Enchanter in her own right.

She was murdered by WolfStar SunSoar.

MORYSON: Brother of the Seneschal and a disguise used by WolfStar.

MOT: one of the TimeKeeper Demons. Mot is the Demon of dawn and of hunger.

MOTHER, The: either the Avar name for Fernbrake Lake, or an all-embracing term for nature which is sometimes personified as an immortal woman.

MURKLE BAY: a huge bay off the western coast of Tencendor, its waters are filthy, polluted by the tanneries along the Azle River.

MURKLE MOUNTAINS: a range of desolate mountains that run along the length of Murkle Bay. Once extensively mined for opals, they are now abandoned.

MURMURWING: a young Icarii.

NARCIS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Narcis is the God of the Sun.

NECKLET, The: a curious geological feature of Ravensbund.

NIAH: of the once baronial family of Nor. Mother to Azhure, Niah was seduced by WolfStar SunSoar and murdered by Brother Hagen. Niah was the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars. WolfStar promised her rebirth to be his lover for eternity, and her soul was born into Zenith, youngest daughter of Axis and Azhure. In Sinner, Niah and Zenith battled for control of her body and soul, with the result that Zenith forced the Niah-soul into a child she was carrying (fathered by WolfStar), which she gave premature birth to and then killed. WolfStar then carried the corpse of the Niah-infant about with him until it was seized by the Demons for their own purposes.

NINE, The: see the 'Star Gods'. ('The Nine' can also occasionally refer to the nine Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.)

NOR: once the southernmost of the provinces of Achar. Nor was controlled by Prince Yllgaine.

NORDMUTH: the port at the mouth of the River Nordra.

NORDRA, River: the great river that was the main lifeline of Achar. Rising in the Icescarp Alps, the River Nordra flows through the Avarinheim before flowing through northern and central Achar.

OGDEN: one of the Sentinels, brother to Veremund.

ORDER OF THE STARS: the order of nine priestesses who once kept watch in the Temple of the Stars.

ORR: the Charonite Ferryman. Now dead.

PACE: see 'Distances'.

PIRATES' NEST: for many centuries the common name of the Island of Mist and Memory. It was once the haunt of pirates.

PIRATES' TOWN: the town that sat by the northern harbour of Pirates' Nest — or the Island of Mist and Memory.

PLOUGH, The: under the rule of the Seneschal each Acharite village had a Plough, which not only served to plough the fields, but was also the centre of their worship of the Way of the Plough.

PLOUGH-KEEPERS: the Seneschal assigned a Brother to each village in Achar, and these men were often known as Plough-Keepers.

PORS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Pors is the God of Air.

PRETTY BROWN SAL: a most unusual horse.

PRIVY CHAMBER: the large chamber in the ancient royal palace of Carlon where the Achar's Privy Council once met.

PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER: an ancient Prophecy that told of the rise of Gorgrael in the north and the StarMan who could stop him.

PROUDFLIGHT: a member of the Lake Guard.

QETEB: the Demon of Destruction that wastes at Midday.

QUESTORS, The: a term the TimeKeepers occasionally gave

themselves to dupe victims.

RAINBOW SCEPTRE: a weapon constructed of the life of the five Sentinels, the power of the craft that lie at the bottom of the Sacred Lakes, and the power of the Earth Tree. Axis used it to destroy Gorgrael, Drago stole it and took it through the Star Gate with him, and it has now transformed into the Lily Sword.

RASPU: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Raspu is the Demon of dusk, and of pestilence.

RAUM: once a Bane of the Avar people, now the sacred White Stag.

RAVENCREST SUNSOAR: previous Talon of the Icarii people, father of FreeFall and brother to StarDrifter.

RAVENSBUND: the extreme northern province of Tencendor.

RAVENSBUNDMEN: the inhabitants of Ravensbund.

RENKIN, GOODWIFE: a peasant woman of northern Arcness who is often a disguise for the Mother.

The Goodwife helped Faraday plant out Minstrelsea, finally leaving to wander the forests.

RHAETIA: small area of Achar once situated in the western Bracken Ranges.

RIVERSTAR SUNSOAR: third child of Axis and Azhure. Twin sister to Drago (DragonStar). She is now dead, murdered by her lover and brother, Caelum.

RIVKAH: Princess of Achar, mother to Borneheld, Axis, EvenSong and Zared. Married to Prince Magariz. Now dead.

ROMSDALE: a province to the south west of Carlon. It was administered by Baron Marrat.

ROX: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Rox is the Demon of night, and of terror.

SACRED GROVE, The: the most sacred spot of the Avar people, the Sacred Grove is rarely visited by ordinary mortals. Normally the Banes are the only members of the Avar race who know the paths to the Grove.

SACRED LAKES, The: the four magical lakes of Tencendor: Grail Lake, Cauldron Lake, Fernbrake Lake (or the Mother) and the Lake of Life. The lakes were formed during Fire-Night when ancient gods fell through the skies and crashed to Tencendor. All of these lakes were destroyed in some manner during the Demons' quest to resurrect Qeteb.

SA'DOMAI: Chief of the Ravensbundmen, son of Ho'Demi.

SEAGRASS PLAINS: the vast grain plains that formed most of Skarabost.

SENESCHAL, The: once the all-powerful religious organization of Achar. The Religious Brotherhood of the Seneschal was extremely powerful and played a major role, not only in everyday life, but also in the political life of the nation. It taught obedience to the one god, Artor the Ploughman, and the Way of the Plough.

SENTINELS: five magical creatures of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. Originally Charonites, they were recruited by Wolf Star (in his guise of the Prophet) in order to serve the Prophecy. They gave their lives to form the Rainbow Sceptre and now drift through the stars.

SEVERIN: a new town built by Prince Magariz as the replacement capital of Ichtar.

SHEOL: one of the TimeKeeper Demons, Sheol is the Demon of mid-afternoon, and despair.

SHRA: the senior Bane of the Avar. As a girl she was saved from death by Axis. Shra is now dead, torn to pieces by the Demons.

SICARIUS: leader of the pack of Alaunt hounds. One of the Lesser.

SIGHOLT: one of the great magical Keeps of Tencendor, situated on the shores of the Lake of Life in the Urqhart Hills in Ichtar.

SILENT WOMAN KEEP: one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor, it lies in the centre of the Silent Woman Woods.

SILENT WOMAN WOODS: an ancient wood in southern Arcness. Mostly now burned and destroyed.

SILTON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Silton is the God of Fire.

SKARABOST: large eastern province of Achar which grew much of the realm's grain supplies.

SKRAELINGS: creatures of the frozen northern wastes who fought for Gorgrael.

SKYLAZER BITTERFALL: a member of the Lake Guard.

SMYRTON: formerly a large village in northern Skarabost, it was destroyed by Azhure for its close association to the Plough God, Artor.

SORCERY: see 'Magic'.

SPIKEFEATHER TRUESONG: once a member of the Strike

Force, SpikeFeather spent years as Orr's apprentice. No-one knows the waterways as well as he does.

SPIREDORE: one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor. Azhure's tower.

STAR DANCE, The: the source from which the Icarii Enchanters derive their power. It is the music made by the stars in their eternal dance through the heavens. Unfortunately, the music of the Star Dance died when the TimeKeepers plunged through the Star Gate and destroyed it.

STARDRIFTER: an Icarii Enchanter, father to Gorgrael, Axis and EvenSong.

STAR FINGER: the tallest mountain in the Icescarp Alps, dedicated to study and worship. Formerly called Talon Spike.

STAR GATE: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, situated underneath the Ancient Barrows.

It was a portal through to the universe, but was destroyed by the Timekeeper Demons.

STAR GODS, The: the nine gods of the Icarii. See separate entries under Axis, Azhure, Adamon, Xanon, Narcis, Flulia, Pors, Zest and Silton. They have now lost all their powers.

STARGRACE: daughter of CloudBurst & niece to WolfStar.

STARKNIGHT: WolfStar's father and Talon; murdered so WolfStar could assume the throne at a relatively young age.

STARLAUGHTER SUNSOAR: wife of WolfStar, murdered and thrown through the Star Gate four thousand years before current events. Now she has returned with the TimeKeeper Demons.

STARMAN, The: Axis SunSoar.

STARS, HOUSE of the: Axis' personal House.

STARSON: the title Axis gave to Caelum, but which truly belongs to DragonStar.

STRAUM ISLAND: a large island off the coast of Ichtar and inhabited by sealers.

STRIKE FORCE: the military force of the Icarii.

SUNSOAR, HOUSE of: the ruling House of the Icarii for many thousands of years.

TAILEM BEND: the great bend in the River Nordra where it turns from its westerly direction and flows south towards Nordmuth and the Sea of Tyrre.

TALON, The: the hereditary ruler of the Icarii people (and once over all of the peoples of Tencendor).

Generally of the House of SunSoar.

TALON SPIKE: the former name of Star Finger.

TARANTAISE: a rather poor southern province of Achar.

TARE: small trading town in northern Tarantaise.

TARE, PLAINS of: the plains that lie between Tare and Grail Lake.

TEKAWAI: the preferred tea of the Ravensbund people, made from the dried seaweed of the Icebear Coast. It is always brewed and served ceremonially.

TEMPLE MOUNT: the plateau on the top of the massive mountain in the south-east corner of the Island of Mist and Memory. It houses the Temple Complex.

TEMPLE OF THE STARS: one of the Icarii sacred sites, located on the Island of Mist and Memory.

TENCENDOR: once the ancient name for the continent of Achar before the Wars of the Axe, and, under Axis' leadership, the reforged nation of the Acharites, Avar and Icarii.

THREE BROTHERS LAKES, The: three minor lakes in southern Aldeni.

THEOD, Duke of Aldeni: grandson of Duke Roland who aided Axis in his struggle to unite Tencendor.

TIMEKEEPER DEMONS, The: the TimeKeepers are a group of six Demons: Sheol, Barzula, Rox, Mot, Raspu and their leader, Qeteb. Hundreds of thousands of years previously, on a distant world, they had ravaged at will until the people of that world (called the Enemy by the TimeKeepers) had managed to trap Qeteb and dismember his life parts — warmth, movement, breath and soul — before fleeing with them in space craft through the universe. The remaining five Demons followed the craft to Tencendor and managed to resurrect Qeteb. See also

'Demonic Hours'.

TIME OF THE PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER, The: the time that began with the birth of the Destroyer and the StarMan and ended with the death of Gorgrael.

TREE FRIEND: a role Faraday played during the time of the Prophecy. She was instrumental in bringing the forests behind Axis.

TREE SONG: whatever Song the trees choose to sing you. Many times they will sing the future, other times they will sing love and protection. The trees can also sing death.

TYRRE, SEA of: the ocean off the south-west coast of Achar.

UNIT: see 'Military Terms'.

UR: an old woman who lives in the Enchanted Woods. For aeons she guarded the transformed souls of the Avar female Banes.

URBETH: an immortal bear of the northern wastes. The original Enchantress.

URQHART HILLS: a minor crescent-shaped range of mountains in central Ichtar. The hills cradle Sigholt.

VEREMUND: one of the Sentinels, brother to Ogden.

WARS OF THE AXE: the wars during which the Acharites, under the direction of the Seneschal and the Axe-Wielders, drove the Icarii and the Avar from the land of Tencendor and penned them behind the Fortress Ranges. Lasting several decades, the wars were extraordinarily violent and bloody.

They took place over one thousand years before current events.

WAY OF THE HORN: a general term sometimes used to describe the lifestyle of the Avar people.

WAY OF THE PLOUGH, The: the religious obedience and way of life as taught by the Seneschal. The Way of the Plough was centred about the Plough and cultivation of the land. The Way of the Plough was all about order, and about the earth and nature subjected to the order of mankind. Some of the Icarii and Avar fear that many Acharites still long for life as it was lived to the Way of the Plough.

WAY OF THE WING: a general term sometimes used to describe the lifestyle of the Icarii.

WESTERN MOUNTAINS: the central Acharite mountain range that stretches west from the River Nordra to the Andeis Sea.

WHITE STAG, The: when Raum transformed, he transformed into a magnificent White Stag instead of a Horned One. The White Stag is the most sacred of the creatures of the forest.

WIDEWALL BAY: a large bay that lies between Achar and Coroleas. Its calm waters provide excellent fishing.

WIDOWMAKER SEA: vast ocean to the east of Achar. From the unknown islands and lands across the Widowmaker Sea come the sea raiders that harass Coroleas.

WILDDOG PLAINS, The: plains that stretch from northern Ichtar to the River Nordra and bounded by the Fortress Ranges and the Urqhart Hills. Named after the packs of roving dogs that inhabit the area.

WING: the smallest unit in the Icarii Strike Force consisting of twelve Icarii (male and female).

WING-LEADER: the commander of an Icarii Wing.

WINGRIDGE CURLCLAW: Captain of the Lake Guard.

WOLFSTAR SUNSOAR: the ninth and most powerful of the Enchanter-Talons. He was assassinated early in his reign, but came back through the Star Gate three thousand years ago. Father to Azhure.

WOLVEN, The: a bow that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. DragonStar now carries the Wolven.

XANON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Xanon is the Goddess of the Firmament, wife to Adamon.

YLLGAINE, Prince: Prince of Nor, son of Ysgryff.

YR: one of the Sentinels.

YSBADD: capital city of Nor.

YULETIDE: see 'Festivals'.

ZARED: son of Rivkah and Magariz, half brother to Axis, Zared is Prince of the North and newly- (and self-) crowned King of Achar. His first wife was Isabeau (sister of Herme), who died in a hunting accident, and Zared is now married to the Princess Leagh, sister of Askam.

ZEHERAH: one of the Sentinels.

ZENITH: youngest daughter of Axis and Azhure.

ZEST: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Zest is the Goddess of Earth.

Crusader (V1.0) - Scanned by WJ.