Golden Scorpio (31 page)
Liverspot Bark: Ingredient of the poison solkien concentrate.
Llanitch!: Halt!
Lornrod Caucus: Vallian political faction of whom it is said their only wish is to destroy everything and pull down what has been painfully built over the centuries.
Lushfymi, Queen of Lome: Popularly known as Queen Lush. A dark-haired violet-eyed woman of great poise and beauty sent by Phu-si-Yantong to entrap the Emperor of Vallia. Her allegiance changed and she worked with Prescot to save the emperor.
M
“Maidens of Vallia, The”: A lyrical ballad celebrating the virtuous women of Vallia.
Makfaril: Beloved of the Black, the Chief Priest of the Great Chyyan, the evil and artificial creed of Chyyanism developed by Phu-si-Yantong to destroy Vallia. Rafik Avandil, numim. (SES)
masichieri: Low-class mercenaries, not bandits but almost that, notorious for their rapacity and greed.
Maybers: A race of trading and sea-faring diffs from Donengil.
Mazilla: The high ornate collar much bejeweled and decorated worn by the nobility of Vallia, the simpler dignified high collar of the koters of Vallia. The nikmazilla is the smaller ornate collar worn with evening clothes.
mazingle: Swod’s term for discipline.
Melekhi, Ashti, Vadnicha of Venga: A thin, brittle and bright woman, hard-edged like a diamond, mannish, brilliant, with a flame about her that consumed all who were unfortunate enough not to know how to handle her. Came to an untimely end in her machinations with Layco Jhansi. (SVS)
Mellor’An: Local god of North East Vallia concerned with agriculture, husbandry and fertility.
Memph: A tree which yields a part of the deadly poison solkien.
MichelDen: Capital city of the kovnate of Forli in southeast Vallia.
Mustard Gate: A strong battlemented Tower-gate in an angle of the northwest walls of Vondium.
N
Naghan ti Lodkwara: Hawkwa member of the choice band who followed Prescot in the time of Troubles in Vallia. (GOS)
Nalgre, Nazab na Therminsax: The emperor’s Justicar governing Thermin who loyally obeyed Prescot acting as Jak the Drang. (GOS)
Nath the Gnat: Alias adopted by Prescot in the struggle against the Chyyanists. (SES)
Nath the Iarvin: A hard man, ruffler, Bladesman, bought body and soul by Ashti Melekhi, who came to an unexpected end on a Krozair longsword. (SVS)
Nav-Sorfall: Vallian province lush and rich with ponsho pastures to the east of Vomansoir. Naghan Vanki was made vad.
Nazab: Governor of imperial province ranking with kov.
Nazabhan, Nath, na Therminsax: Son of Nazab Nalgre, rose to command phalanx created by Prescot. (GOS)
Nik-Faxul: Half-file leader in Relianch.
Nikwald: Fortress town in the kovnate of Sakwara of Vallia.
Numi-Hyrjiv the Golden Splendor: Great spirit or deity of numims and fristles.
O
Olordin’s Well: Insignificant hamlet where Prescot rendezvoused with Barty Vessler in south central Vallia. (GOS)
Opaz Enthroned: Day of festival dedicated to Opaz. The day on which the army of Therminsax sallied against the radvakkas. (GOS)
Opaz the Deliverer: Day of festival dedicated to Opaz on which Vondium rose against the Hamalese and the Freedom Fighters and the Phalanx struck in the Battle of Voxyri. (GOS)
Order of Little Mothers: One of the sororities of Vallia dedicated to good works.
P
“Pachak with the Four Arms, The”: A song highly scurrilous of a fine people with an oblique reference to the Kildoi.
pakai: String of silver or gold rings taken from defeated paktuns by paktun victories and worn as badges of prowess.
Paltork: Commander of half Relianch.
Panadian the Ibreiver, the Vicissitudes of:
Cycle of plays by the long-dead playwright Nalgre ti Liancesmot from which couplets, aphorisms and character analyses are often quoted.
Peral Gate: Imposing secondary gateway to the imperial deren of Vondium.
Phalanx: Created in Vallia by Prescot to oppose the Iron Riders. A phalanx consists of two Kerchuris totaling 10368 pikes and 1738 Hakkodin. In the field any close-order body of brumbytes called the Phalanx.
Poperlin the Wise: Mythical sage apostrophized by the workers of Vallia.
Prison of the Angels: A gaunt granite prison of Vondium.
Pyvorr, Tarek Dredd: The first martyr of the Kroveres of Iztar. (SVS)
R
radvakkas: The Iron Riders of North Segesthes.
Rakkle-jik-lora: A violent headlong training game played by the Clansmen of the Great Plains of Segesthes.
Relianch: Formation of the phalanx consisting of 144 brumbytes and 24 Hakkodin.
Relianchun: Commander of a Relianch.
Renberg, Marta, Kovneva of Aduimbrev: High-tempered, ambitious lady who assisted schemes of Phu-si-Yantong. (GOS)
Rojashin the Kaktu: A Rapa paktun whose greed and overweening idea of his own importance drove him on to destruction and whose gear and pakai were used by Prescot in Hawkwa country. (CPS)
ronil: Precious jewel of red color.
Rosala and the Eye of Imladrion:
An ancient legend of Kregen in its intentions paralleling the story of Pandora.
rosha: Orange-like fruit.
Ros the Claw: Name given to Princess Dayra of Vallia by virtue of the sharp steel gloved set of talons worn on her left hand with which she is very quick and cruel.
Rumil the Point: Tavern swaggerer who insulted Prescot and dealt with by Rafik Avandil, lion-man, in The Savage Woflo. (SES)
S
Sabbator, River: In North East Vallia separates the trylonate of Zaphoret to the north from Urn Stackwamor, running into the sea opposite the island of Vellin.
Sakwara: High Kovnate of Vallia north of Aduimbrev.
Samphron Cut: A canal of Vondium.
Sapphire Reception Room: One of the ornate but less formal chambers of the deren of Vondium.
The Savage Woflo: Famous tavern of Vondium much patronized by the guardsmen and paktuns of the capital.
sax: Fort.
The Sea Barynth Hooked: Pot-house on the Kamist Quay of Vondium catering to skippers of Vallian ships.
Shadow: Magnificent black zorca stallion freed from cruel Kataki owners and ridden by Prescot in Ba-Domek. (SVS)
Shadow Forests of Calimbrev: Beautiful and rich forests in the west of the island coveted by the Strom of Vilandeul.
Shalash the Shining: Fish deity or spirit called on by fisherfolk of Vallia.
shandishalah: Merchandise of booths in the fish souks.
Shastum!: Silence!
Shkanes: Yet another appellation for the Shanks, the Shants, the Shtarkins, Leem-Lovers, reivers from over the curve of the world who ravage the sea coasts of Paz.
Shudor Maklechuan: A Chulik paktun known as Shudor the Mak who was hired by Prescot with his band to fight for Therminsax. (GOS)
signomant: An artifact created by a Wizard of Loh, often in the form of a heavy brass disc covered with hieroglyphs, by which he is able to observe events at a distance without forcing a projection of himself to the required place.
Silversmiths Wharf: Canal side area where silver is traded in Vondium.
Sisters of Patience: A sorority of Vallia.
Sisters of Samphron: A semi-secret sorority of Vallia.
solkien concentrate: A deadly poisonous compound that secretly wastes the flesh, dilutes the blood and destroys subtly.
SOR: Abbreviation for the Sisters of the Rose.
Souk of Chem: Bazaar of the ivory traders in Vondium.
The Speckled Gyp: A tavern of Vondium smashed up by Dayra and her cronies.
Stackwamors, The: Provinces of North East Vallia, the heartlands of Hawkwa Country, north, south, east and west Stackwamor.
stiver: Silver coin on Vallia.
“The Sylvie on the Slippery Slope”: A risqué song of Kregen.
T
tapo: Word of abuse with unpleasant connotations.
tarek: A rank of the minor nobility within the gifting of a kov.
Targon the Tapster: A Therminsaxer who became one of the choice band of followers of Prescot in the time of Troubles. (GOS)
Tarkwa-fash: A town of the North East near the Kwan Hills.
tazll: Applied to an unemployed mercenary.
Temple of Delia: An ancient ruined temple in Delphond dedicated to the Mother Goddess Delia where Prescot had a run-in with the masichieri of the Black Feathers. (SES)
Terfaxul: Leader of a file in the Relianch one rank higher than a Faxul.
Thengelsax: Town situated on Great River at point where River Emerade joins. One of the old line of fortresses against the North East of Vallia.
Therduim Cut: Canal connecting Therminsax and Thengelsax.
Thermin: Imperial province of Central Vallia.
Thiurdsmot: A sizable town of Aduimbrev.
Thofoler, Vad Inrien ham: A Hamalese Kapt who surrendered Vondium to Prescot and the Freedom Forces of Vallia. (GOS)
tikshim: Form of address used by superior to inferiors, equating with “My Man.” The superiors consider it polite, the inferior are infuriated by its use.
Tolindrin: Place in Balintol with diplomatic connections with Vallia.
Tower of Incense: Contains the sorcerous chamber inhabited by the current Wizard of Loh in the deren of Vondium.
Trechinolc: A cactus, constituent of the poison solkien.
Trerhagen, Nath: The Aleygyn, Hyr Stikitche, Pallan of the Stikitche Khand of Vondium.
tresh: Flag or banner.
tsleetha-tsleethi: Softly-softly.
Tunnel of Delight: Leads out to the Kyro of Jaidur Omnipotent in Vondium.
Twitchnose: A chestnut zorca ridden by Prescot in Vondium.
U
Udo, Trylon of Gelkwa: Led rebellion of North East Vallia. (CPS)
ukra: Flutsman’s weapon, a polearm from seven to fifteen feet in length with narrow blade and curved axe for aerial work.
Ulbereth the Dark Reiver:
Poem fashioned from the legends of olden time on Kregen. The episode of the Black Feathers tells of Ulbereth’s disguise to enable him to ravish a fair young virgin with golden hair.
unggar: Beast of burden.
Urn Stackwamor: Vadvarate of Hawkwa country in N.E. Vallia.
urvivel: Saddle animal.
Uthnior Chavonthjid: A leem-hunter and guide with a fine reputation who guided Prescot and Barty Vessler in the Kwan Hills. (CPS)
Uzhiro, San: Necromancer of the Hawkwas who roused corpses from sleep to aid North East Vallian rebellion. (CPS)
V
Valhotra: Vadvarate province of Vallia immediately to the east of the imperial Vend provinces and Vondium.
Vanti: Guardian for the Savanti of the Sacred Pool of Baptism on the River Zelph of far Aphrasöe.
Varkwa the Open-Handed: Spirit of generosity called upon in Vallia.
Vel’alar: One of the Hills of Vondium. The villa of the Stromnate of Valka is situated on this hill.
Veliadrin: Large island high kovnate to the east of Vallia whose name was changed from Can-thirda in remembrance.
Velyan techniques: Mystic martial disciplines of the Martial Monks of Djanduin.
vener: Collective name for the vens and venas of the Canals.
Vennar: Kovnate province of Vallia between the Black Mountains and Falinur.
ver: Title of pledge of loyalty of Kroveres of Iztar similar to the pur of the Krozairs.
Vessler, Barty, Strom of Calimbrev: Amiable, chivalrous, brave young man befriended by Prescot. Desperately in love with the Princess Dayra. (CPS GOS)
Vetal: Island Stromnate to the east of the Czarin Sea.
Vikatu: The Old Sweat, The Dodger, the archetypal old soldier of Paz on Kregen, paragon of the military vices, legendary figure of myth and romance loved and sworn on by the swods.
Vinnur’s Garden: Rich area in loop of Great River between Falinur and Vindelka whose ownership is contested by both.
volmen: Volim, crewmen of fliers.
Volodu the Lungs: Prescot’s trumpeter in the choice band who followed him in the time of Troubles in Vallia. (GOS)
Vend: Imperial province to the west of Vondium.
Vondium Khanders: Political party of Vallia who looked to the business community for combined strength.
voswod: Aerial soldier of the vollers.
Voxyri: Complex of Drinnik, Gate and Bridge over two canals providing the easiest entrance to Vondium.
vydra tea: An excellent brew of the famed Kregen tea.
W
Walls of Larghos Risslaca: Inner defensive wall of the imperial deren Vondium.
wallpitix: Furry, bright-eyed household scavengers living in nest in hidden places of villas and houses.
Wellon, Nankwi, High Kov of Sakwara: A prickly kov who took the lead in Hawkwa after the disappearance of Trylon Udo and who was confirmed in his position by Prescot. (GOS)
“When the Fluttrell Flirts His Wing”: A song of Hamal detailing the misadventures of an inexperienced fluttrell flyer.
Whiptail: Slang term for a Kataki.
Y
Yasi, Ranjal, Stromich of Morcray: Twin brother of Rosil Yasi, Strom of Morcray, in the pay of Phu-si-Yantong and bitter foe to Prescot.
yasticum: An expensive and rare delicacy spread on the superb Kregan bread.
Yellow-tuskers: Slang term for Chulik.
Ystilbur: An ancient nation of the Dawn Lands of Havilfar.
Z
Zankov: Use-name of Hawkwa determined to overthrow empire, origins secret but subject to many rumors; slender, brittle; the man who slew the Emperor of Vallia. The Princess Dayra’s name is coupled with his in unsavory ways. Zankov, the Tenth Duke, is almost a meaningless name.
Zarado: A Krozair of Zy who through some peccadillo wandered from the inner sea and hired out as a Paktun to assist Prescot in the defense of Therminsax. (GOS)
zim-korf: Bird of Valka with rose-red feathers whose quality is equal or superior to the blue fletchings of the king korf of Erthyrdrin.
Zunder: Krzy with the same history as Zarado with whom he is always in arguments.
[i]
Tikshim. The form of address used by the higher to the lower orders. The higher consider it neutral. As it probably equates with “my man” or even “my good man” the lower orders are almost invariably provoked by its use although quite unable to articulate their reaction or to explain it. Prescot has used the word rarely, but here it fits perfectly.
A.B.A.