Prodigal Steelwielder (Seals of the Duelists Book 3) (36 page)

Potioneer Savant
: a maimed duelist who has learned alternate casting techniques using the lost schools of study found in an ancient book beneath the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies, and can cast magic again. They hide their abilities because the empire is not ready to give the despised potioneers an exalted place in society

Primumo
:
: the choralist who leads the First Singer’s Octet

Qisuk
: a castrated prince of Aklaa, brother to Mitlik, cousin to Savitu and Qivinga

Qivinga (Tammaba) vooren Zeegat
: the Last Starflower, and the Lost Starflower. Princess Qivinga was Savitu’s sister, and it was in her name that he swore to bring down the Waarden Empire

Ranguela
: queen of an ancient land where the Corona now stands. She asked General Bermudo dy Chixal to marry her, and when he refused, she ordered him to fight the sea pirate known as the Red Hound singlehandedly. No one in the Corona would dare name their daughter Ranguela nowadays due to the stigma of the legendary queen’s pride and rage

Raqtaaq
: a proud and independent culture, spread across two realms: Aklaa and Nunaa. Its people are characterized by dark copper skin, willowy height, and thick, curly black hair, as well as fierce pride and an unwillingness to bend to another’s will. Disparaged by their conquerors, the Raqtaaq are often called Ragtag

Raqtaaq Wars
: a series of violent clashes along the border between the Raqtaaq lands and the empire proper, from 1988 IC to 1992 IC. Emperor Hedrick, sensing distant movement amongst the lands of the Corona to the east, wished to acquire a buffer between that empire and his own. The Raqtaaq did not care for Hedrick’s plan and fought back viciously, but were ultimately defeated

Red Hound
: a pirate of ancient Corona legend who sailed in his vessel
Honor of Achaya
with his armada to attack Queen Ranguela’s shores. The sea witch Erramela blocked his way, and knowing her power, he gave his life to Fastamar, God of Storms, to curse the witch from the sea forever, thus saving the lives of his loyal men

Renallen
: an old, walled city in Gherabellen, large enough to support more than one duel den

Revocation
: a combination of sacred motions that close the duelist off from their magic, usually performed after a duel or a stint of practice in an Academy arena. During a trainee’s first semester on campus, it is performed only once, at the end of every day

Rina
: a cute Waarden Meditation Instructor with curly brown hair

Saaniq
: an indentured man who was in service to, and colluding with, the mad princess Qivinga

Sabella
: magic performer at Cresconio's circus. Her dancing produces elemental magic through its movements. She’s taken Bayan as her lover

Sacred motions
: elemental spells are created by combining six different motions in various combinations. Each motion summons a different element

Sanaala
: a young singer in Tala's coterie. Her body was found after a portaling accident

Sanakit
: an old farmhand on Bayan’s family farm

Sand Guides
: a group of hardy, clever men who memorize and mark the changing, deadly sands at the broad mouth of the Mambajao for the purpose of safely guiding travelers from Pangusay to the far bank

Savantism
: having the qualities of a Duelist Savant

Savantism forcing
: the act of consciously bonding one’s elemental magic to a specific emotion in order to become a Savant

Savitu Tammaba
: a castrated prince of Aklaa, son of the Voice of Tilaa and brother to Qivinga, the Lost Starflower. He swore to avenge his father’s death, his sister’s capture, and the humiliation of his people by killing the emperor of the Waarden

Scuff
: a ne'er-do-well in Taban's information network

Sea of Galahara
: the sea on the southeastern coast of the Corona, known for its high winds

Seals
: three seals represent the three ranks of duelist. The first seal, for Elemental Duelists, is carved on the cliff above the Hall of Seals and set in a colorful mosaic outside its doors, as well as hanging on the wall within the hall. This symbol is generally accepted as the logo of the Academy, and of duelists in general. It is comprised of six narrow teardrops in six colors, representing the six elemental magics, surrounded by black and ringed in gold. Duelists receive the seal tattooed on their left hands once they pass their Elemental exams. The second seal, for Avatar Duelists, is a starburst in six colors against a field of black, and is tattooed on duelists’ right hands once they pass their Avatar exams. The third seal on the wall in the Hall of Seals is blank, a plain gray circle of iron. Whenever a Hexmagic Duelist enters the room, they are free to animate an image on the iron sheet as a sign of their ability. No tattoo is given for the rank of Hexmagic Duelist; such lucky students are expected to choose their own tattoo and reveal it upon their skin at will. There is no seal for Master Duelist, as the position is so rarely achieved, and any such duelist would have no need of tattoos to prove their ability

Sebastiaan voorde Helderaard
: older son of Emperor Jaap and heir to the Second Waarden Empire

Second
: the second class of eunuchs, comprised of childless sons of rebellious men. After their fathers are executed, these sons are castrated and retrained to serve the Waarden Empire with a lifetime of penance for their sires’ misdeeds

Second Tuathi War
: 1530-1580 IC, during which the Tuathi drove hard into the Dunfarroghan provinces and sacked both the Duelist Academy and Akkeraad itself, forcing the emperor to flee for his life. The Waarden finally won the war by allying with the Shawnash and reconstructing the Duelist Academy in its current location, replacing their lost duelists with new Shawnash recruits

Seer
: traditionally, a Balanganese wise man who performed Tellings on feastdays. In recent imperial history, it has become customary for a seer to hail from any culture. They are particularly favored amongst the rich

Seerpool
: a metal tub used by a seer to determine the future, using a Telling

Seerwine
: a rare and much-desired drink amongst the imperials who can afford it. It is made from the sap of the seerwine pitcher plant, which grows only in the tropical forests of Balanganam. Raw seerwine sap is hallucinogenic in small doses and fatal in larger amounts

Senyecho
: title of direct address for the Corona emperor Baltonarmo

Shadow Canyons
: a rough, hilly area at the southern end of the Shawnash’kote peninsula

Shawnash
: term describing a person from the Shawnash’kote realms, Kemada, Wasemya and Byanneken

Shawnash’kote
: a culture spread across three realms: Kemada, Wasemya, and Byanneken. Known for their coppery skin, height, and smooth black hair, as well as their patience and thoughtfulness, the Shawnash people are considered by the Waarden—and thus by all other cultures—as their only equals

Sigil flag
: a small, square flag on a short pole, bearing a unique symbol or design chosen by a duelist upon achieving the rank of Elemental Duelist. They are borne into the dueling arena and jammed into the sand, or borne into battle flying from one’s back, as a means of identifying individual duelists. Should a duelist earn one or more battle pennants, they are attached to the stave directly above the flag

Silyik
: an indentured handmaid who was in service to, and colluding with, the mad princess Qivinga

Singer
: a person of any ability or rank who possesses song magic. Most singers dwell at the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies or one of its outposts, one of which produces sung wine for the emperor’s cellars

Sints
: local gods, possessing the ability to perform small miracles in exchange for token gifts or tasks. Having the appearance of light, they do not communicate with words, only through actions and effects, sometimes making it difficult for their supplicants to understand their intent

Sint Aalthas
: a sint who has taken up residence atop the runrock pillar on Bayan’s family land, where the seerwine plant known as Gamay grows. The sint has adopted Bayan’s younger brother, Mindo, as its liaison with petitioners

Sint Baan’s Day
: an early summer holiday on the Waarden calendar

Sint Esme
: one of the sints who abide near the Academy campus. She likes gifts of flowers, especially honeysuckle

Sint Koos
: a sint who abides in a forest near the Academy campus

Sint Rolf’s Day
: an early autumn holiday on the Waarden calendar

Sint Staas
: one of the sints who abide near the Academy campus. Headmaster Langlaren consults him regarding the arrangement of hexes

Sivutma Ila
: an opportunistic Nunaa girl saved from her father’s murderous wrath and sent to the Duelist Academy to develop her elemental magic. After the Hexmates are forced to leave campus before their training is complete, Sivutma takes over the task of forcing Savantism in any student strong enough to learn, working closely with Liaison Kipri and Doc Theo

Skill duel
: a duel meant to display ability rather than determine whether a client is in the right or not. Often, duelists will modify the standard dueling rules to limit danger or to highlight a certain set of spells when they agree to a skill duel

Skycaller
: A Balanganese spellcaster who lives isolated on a mountain and uses magic to tame dangerous weather or other natural phenomena

Solitary
: a small gazebo-like structure built on a natural promontory, away from the Academy campus, where a disobedient or troubled student may be sent to meditate without distraction upon the Void. Over a dozen dot the rocky outcrops around the Academy

Song Magic
: the ability to manipulate the world through complex, arcane patterns of sound. Song magic uses six different musical scales. Each affects a different aspect of reality. Spells cast with a single human voice are solo spells, and students learning melodies for the individual are called Solo students. In addition to the human voice, long slender crystals are used as substitutes for singing partners during song spells. Certain notes of complex songs are sung directly at the crystal, which resonates with that note in harmony with the next portion of the song. Duet magic is so called because it involves one singer’s voice and one crystal. Trio magic employs the voice and two crystals. The singer population has always been small compared to that of the duelists, and learning to sing with crystals instead of partners allows the singers a much wider variety of personal spells. The only songs sung with other singers are choir songs. They require too many harmonies to be practical for a single singer. Choir songs require a choralist’s directing skills

Songwork
: the casting of song magic

Sopranoi
: Temple singers with the highest voice range

Spineforest
: a mountain range characterized by spiky towers. Home to the Temple of Ten Thousand Harmonies

Steel
: a forbidden metal within the borders of the Waarden Empire

Steelwielders
: Akrestan separatists who began the War of Steel, bringing a terrible new metal to bear against the empire’s duelists

Strider
: a mythical rock-man of northern Balanganam, and Bayan’s first Earth avatar

Taban Solahan
: a snarky, arrogant Dunfarroghan who joined Bayan’s hex out of self-preservation, but proved his loyalty during Bayan’s battle with Ignaas witten Oost. Assigned to a duel den in Kwaranaak with Tarin, he gives her the physical companionship she needs to keep her magic stable, but worries about how her lovemate, the eunuch Kipri, feels about his ministrations