The Destroyer Goddess (86 page)

                              —
Philadelphia Inquirer

In Legend Born

The White Dragon

The Destroyer Goddess

NonFiction

"[Resnick's] her hard-won, practical advice will inspire both aspiring and published writers as it helps them navigate the always choppy waters of the publishing world."

—
Booklist

Rejection, Romance, and Royalties: The Wacky World of a Working Writer

Short Story Collections

Highway To Heaven

Maybe You've Heard of Me?
 

The Muse Afire

Glossary

Aiaola!
:
May they die! 

Bharata Ma-al
:
the
bharata
is the sea-born folk's annual ritual slaughter of dragonfish

jashar
:
a woven rope belt worn by
shallaheen
; its knots, beads, and weaving convey vital information, such as the wearer's name and clan; other variations include a door
jashar
, a woman's headdress, a message left hanging from a tree, etc.

kadriah
:
an endearment which means true love, sweetheart, “my destiny”

lirtahar
:
the law of silence

mar:
child of (used within a formal name)

roshah
:
outsider, stranger, foreigner

shah:
clan of (used within a formal name)

shallah
:
mountain peasant; also refers to their dialect

shatai
:
a Kintish swordmaster 

shatai-kaj
:
one who trains
shatai 

shir
:
the wavy-edged, enchanted water-dagger of a Society assassin

siran/sirana
:
master/mistress: term of respect

sriliah
:
traitor

stahra
:
an oar-shaped weapon used by the sea-born folk

toren/torena
:
titled aristocrats (male and female)

yahr
:
a flailing weapon used by the
shallaheen
, it consists of two sticks of wood connected by a short rope

Yahrdan:
ruler 

yesh:
spouse of (used within a formal name)

zanar
:
member of a male-only religious cult; the
zanareen
live atop Mount Darshon and occasionally fling themselves into the volcano in an attempt to become the Firebringer

Characters

Men

Abidan:
a (deceased) waterlord; brother of Liadon

Armian:
exiled as a baby; Harlon's son; once reputed to be the Firebringer 

Baran:
a powerful waterlord, Kiloran's chief rival; lives at Belitar

The Beckoner
: a spirit that haunts Mirabar

Borell:
the (deceased) Imperial Advisor in Sileria

Cheylan:
a Guardian 

Commander Cyrill:
the (deceased) Valdani Commander of Cavasar; nephew of Advisor Borell

Daurion:
the last Yahrdan (ruler) of Sileria, murdered by Marjan 

Derlen:
a Guardian, from a merchant family in Shaljir

Dulien:
a sulky waterlord 

Dyshon:
an assassin loyal to Kiloran

Ealian:
an elderly Guardian

Emelen:
Josarian's brother-in-law; Jalilar's husband

Ferolen:
a tedious waterlord 

Gaborian:
Elelar's late grandfather, founder of the Alliance 

Geriden:
a minor waterlord 

Gulstan:
a fat waterlord

Harlon:
Armian's father; the waterlord succeeded by Kiloran 

Jagodan shah Lironi:
a powerful eastern clan leader

Jalan:
a
zanar

Emperor Jarell:
Emperor of Valdania for the past 40 years

Josarian mar Gershon shah Emeldari:
outlaw and rebel leader (deceased)

Kariman:
a shrewd waterlord

Kiloran:
Sileria's most powerful and feared waterlord

Kiman shah Moynari:
a handsome eastern clan leader

Commander Koroll:
High Commander of Sileria (deceased)

Lann:
a large, bearded
shallah
from Emeldar 

Liadon:
a (deceased) waterlord; brother of Abidan

Linyan:
Zarien’s sea-born grandfather

Marjan:
the first-ever waterlord, who killed Daurion

Meriten:
a waterlord and an ally of Kiloran

Najdan:
an assassin inducted into the Honored Society by Kiloran

The Olvar:
leader of the Beyah-Olvari

Pyron:
a
shallah
loyalist

Porsall:
a Valdani
toren 

Radyan:
a
shallah
from Illan

Ronall:
Elelar's half-Valdani husband

Searlon:
an assassin loyal to Kiloran

Semeon:
a red-haired Guardian child

Sorin:
Zarien’s sea-born father 

Srijan:
Kiloran's son 

Tansen mar Dustan shah Gamalani:
a
shallah
from Gamalan who became a
shatai
during his exile from Sileria

Varian of Adalian:
a
toren
in the Alliance

Verlon:
a powerful waterlord in the district of Liron

Vinn:
an assassin loyal to Baran

Wyldon:
a waterlord who likes to sculpt

Yorin:
a one-eyed
shallah
from Malthenar 

Zarien
: a boy of the sea-bound Lascari clan

Zimran shah Emeldari:
Josarian's cousin (deceased)

Women

Alcinar:
a sea-born woman with a mysterious fate

Sister Basimar:
a friend of the rebels and loyalists

Torena
Chasimar:
Porsall’s pregnant wife 

Dar:
the destroyer goddess

Torena
Elelar mar Odilan yesh Ronall shah Hasnari:
a member of the Alliance

Faradar:
Elelar's servant

Haydar:
Najdan’s mistress

Jalilar:
Josarian's sister; wife of Emelen

Mirabar:
a Guardian tormented by prophetic visions

Neysar:
Najdan’s youngest sister

Nulimar:
Najdan’s eldest sister

Palomar:
Zarien’s sea-born mother 

Sister Rahilar:
a friend of the rebels and loyalists

Sharifar:
a sea goddess

Tashinar:
a Guardian, Mirabar's mentor 

Sister Velikar:
a bad-tempered Sister

Viramar:
Jagodan’s wife 

Yenibar:
Torena
Chasimar’s servant

Clans

Emeldari:
Josarian's clan

Gamalani:
Tansen's eastern
shallah
clan, virtually extinct

Hasnari:
Elelar's clan, the Hasnari are
toreni

Idalari:
Armian's and Harlon's clan

Islanari:
Basimar's and Amitan's clan

Kurvari:
a sea-born clan

Lascari
: Zarien’s sea-bound clan

Lironi:
Jagodan’s clan; the biggest
shallah
clan in eastern Sileria

Marendari:
the (eastern) clan of Jagodan shah Lironi's wife, Viramar

Moynari:
Kiman’s clan (eastern)

Sirdari:
Calidar's clan (a western clan known for its bloodfeud with Tansen's clan, the Gamalani)

Factions

The Beyah-Olvari:
a mysterious, legendary race who were the original inhabitants of Sileria

The city-dwellers:
the inhabitants of Sileria's cities and larger towns

The Guardians:
a Silerian religious sect which communicates with the Otherworld via fire magic 

The Honored Society:
the waterlords and assassins of the Society achieve power through extortion, violence, and control of Sileria's water supply

The lowlanders:
peasants living and working on Sileria's agricultural plains

The Outlookers:
the gray-clad Valdani occupying force in Sileria; different from the Valdani armies on the mainland