Glossary of Terms and Locations

  (And how on Mani you’re supposed to pronounce them)

  Andeir (AN-dare)—A town in the province of Fircas.

  Anteleth—A noble beast like a far larger gazelle, whose branching horns are breakable at every joint and could once be found scattered about the rocky outcroppings of the Plains of Nandaer where the Anteleth roamed. Now, they are thought to have been exterminated by monsters, and more recently humans, who hunted them to extinction, and their horns are prized items that serve to remember them by.

  Aptitude—Magical talent.

  Ardencaul River—One of the Four Rivers, fed by the Wellspring’s water and flowing eastward from Ti’Vaeth. It passes through Fircas, Nytaea, Storklance, and finally the country of Nemental, before rushing over the eastern coast of Argent.

  Argent (AHR-jent)—The major continent of Mani where the Legaleians dwell.

  Auroras—A phenomenon that lights up the sky beneath the clouds during the nights of the Sunlit Cycle (very dimly and not consistently) and during the daytime of the Sunless Cycle usually without cloud coverage—thus creating light for the people of Mani to see by.

  Authority—One of two schools of magic present on Mani, alongside Coaction. The two appear similar, except that Authority is far more powerful, but are quite different in practice. [See Coaction, also see Appendix B]

  Balrun—Situated along the banks of the Ardencaul in Nytaea, the Balrun sector is home to most of the Nytaean shipping industry, docks, warehouses, etc.

  Branch—Magical term for one of the eight major classifications of magic present on Mani: Water, Fire, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Perception, Reality and Silver. Both Authority and the less powerful Coaction are categorized under these eight branches, though there are many subclasses, such as green magic (plant magic) and healing, Mydia’s specialties born of her Water Aptitude. [See Appendix B]

  City-State—One of thirteen small regions of Kystrea, each ruled by a king and dominated by one large, usually central, city. In the center of the empire is Ti’Vaeth, Archlord Domon’s own city-state and the first of the thirteen to come under his control one hundred years ago. Before the Archlord took over, they were independent city-states ruled by a king, but now he likes to use the terms “governor” and “province.”

  Coaction—The lesser school of magic present on Mani, with Authority being its greater cousin. The two appear similar, except that Authority is far more potent, but are quite different in practice. [See Authority]

  Constellation—A phenomenon of the Sunlit night skies, created by the Energy Field as Sol reaches certain angles, creating a shimmering image upon the thick cloud coverage not altogether unlike the auroras. They also appear in the Night Season, coming in different times of the day than in the Sunlit Cycle. [See Auroras]

  Cryvad (crih-VAHD)—Westernmost city-state of the Kystrean Empire and birthplace of Mydia’s mother, Eivael Badon. It is a land of plenty, as the Rudaens River forms a wide delta that spreads throughout it before spilling into the Sea of Emptiness.

  Cydenges (sigh-DEN-jeez)—???

  Dark Magic—A theoretical transversion of the power that flows from the Wellspring of Magic. Anti-life, anti-magic. It is extremely potent and destructive, but don’t worry—Archlord Domon must have a good reason for creating it.

  Darsor (dar-SORE)—The native name for a certain continent on Mani.

  Dalim (duh-LEEM)—An elite order of assassins who work for Archlord Domon, trained in many ancient martial arts. Can refer to singular or plural assassins of the order, or to the order at large—though they are not many, and hold tightly to their bloodline.

  Day Season—See Sunlit Cycle.

  Dotham (DOE-thum)—A southern province of Kystrea, bordering the Styrite Mountains on the south.

  Energy Field—The outer portion of Mani’s sky (atmosphere) that pulses with energy and is believed to contain much of the elemental power born of the Wellspring that is tapped by magi. The Energy Field is responsible for the auroras—the shifting heavenly lights that come and go along with thick cloud coverage, keeping the regular days distinguished throughout each Sol Cycle—as well as constellations and other such phenomena. [See Sol Cycle, Auroras]

  Element—One of the five Elemental Branches of magic: Water, Fire, Lightning, Wind and Earth. Can also refer to any one of eight major forces at work in the world of Mani, though the magical term is ‘branch.’ [See Branch]

  Faliday (FAL-uh-day)—A Nementali town located just south of Randhorn.

  Fircas—A Kystrean province bordering Nytaea on the east and Ti’Vaeth on the west.

  Four Rivers—The great rivers of the world that spring from the Wellspring of Life in Ti’Vaeth and flow in the four cardinal directions to the edges of Argent.

  Gaea (GUY-uh, JEE-uh)—A world whispered of by scholars and historians of the ancient days. No one knows what Gaea is like—but there is one who may hold the key to unraveling the mysteries that surround it.

  Gaean Senate—???

  Gantz River—One of the Four Rivers, running southward out of Ti’Vaeth through Imdek, under the Styrite Mountains, and through the country of Torlega before spilling over the southern coast of Argent.

  Gatewatch Isle—A forbidden island which lies in the southeastern hemisphere of Gaea.

  Ghartu (GAR-too)—Northwesternmost of the Kystrean provinces, bordering Uphel on its eastern side. Home to one of the harshest climates of Argent, dry and arid.

  Governor—Official title of the king of a city-state (province) of Kystrea. Sounds less nationalist.

  Hall of Eternity—The imperial palace of the Archlord, nestled deep within the Ti’Vaeth citadel. Three walls enclose it, rising higher toward the very center, where the tall stack rises from the Wellspring into the sky, whence issues the Sky Funnel. [See Wellspring of Magic, Sky Funnel]

  Halstar—A duchy in central Darsor.

  Hellebes (HEL-uh-beez)—The Hellebes are a race of people indigenous to Gaea.

  Hellebes Mother—???

  High Legaleian—An old language spoken by the first people of Mani, largely similar to the currently-spoken dialect but different enough to baffle the uneducated.

  High Mage—A title given only to magi who have proven themselves both academically and in the arts of Authority. A High Mage possesses strong talent, carefully honed over decades, and is required to have mastered Authority in at least three branches of magic.

  High Magister—Entirely separate, this is a royal court position bestowed on Cae Rhidea by King Fenwel some forty years back.

  Imdek (EEM-dek)—A province of southern Kystrea.

  Imperial Highway—A long road spanning the continent of Argent from west to east and breaking only with each major city encountered along the way. Highly traveled because it is safe, and vice versa.

  Koiberries—Cultivated by farmers in the mountain slopes of Dotham and Torlega, these juicy red fruits grow on spidery brambles. They are oblong, ribbed end to end, and bear thin stripes of white between each rib. Clever Kystreans know where to find them wild in almost every province.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Kysedon (kih-SEE-duhn)—An island in the middle of Lake Lucia upon which the city of Ti’Vaeth stands. [see Lake Lucia]

  Kystrea (KISS-tree-uh)—An empire spanning most of the map of Legalei (Argent) and comprised of thirteen city-states, ruled over by twelve lords called governors and an Archlord.

  Land of Storms—A circular, barren rockscape which lies at the heart of Darsor, concealing the Tower of Mani at its center. Overhead is a great conflagration of thunderstorms, ever roiling and spewing deadly lightning everywhere, and no one ventures near for fear of being struck dead.

  Legalei (leh-GAHL-ay)—An old term for the world of Mani. [See Mani]

  Legaleian (LEE-guh-LAY-un)—Of Manese descent. Also, the language spoken by people all across Argent.

  Legaleians—The humans who inhabit the magical world of Legalei, which is also called Mani. [See Mani]

  Loftus—A northern Kystrean province.

  Lor’Hav (lore-HAWV)—The first village encountered in Darsor, just east of the ancient forest that borders Darsor’s western cliffs.

  Lucia Lake—The largest standing body of water on the continent of Argent, this lake—affectionately called the Sea of Ti’Vaeth by idiot outsiders—surrounds the isle of Kysedon, and thus the city of Ti’Vaeth. Tall cliffs form a wall around the lake, which is fed from underground by the Wellspring. The Four Rivers run in each cardinal direction from Lake Lucia.

  Lygellis (lye-GELL-iss)—An outlier nation to the southwest of Kystrea, partially bordering Torlega on the southeast. Lygellis is the largest of the outlier lands but sparsely populated. There isn’t much there apart from the northern delta shared with Cryvad.

  Monsters—Naturally, this word can be used to mean many different things, but to most Legaleians it refers to a range of specific, actual monster species that once roamed the face of Mani: fire-breathing snakes, enormous lions and bull-bears, to name a few. Some say dragons.

  Magic—A force that drives the world of Mani and gives it breath. All magic comes from the Wellspring of Magic in Ti’Vaeth, which lies at the very center of the continent of Argent.

  Manese (maw-NEEZ)—Legaleian; of Mani. [See Legaleian]

  Mani (MAW-nee)—A silver world pulsing with magic, with which the Legaleians (the inhabitants of Mani) were blessed—or some say cursed. Mani’s white sun, Sol, makes her rounds only once per month, so one Sol Cycle is four weeks long (28 days exactly). There is a reactive, pulsing Energy Field that surrounds the planet, creating powerful displays called auroras to light the two-week nights and also strange constellations that recur periodically. [See Auroras, Energy Field, Sol Cycle]

  Mannet—A large town immediately south and within sight of Redufiel, capital of Halstar.

  Moon—???

  Nandaer (NAHN-dare)—A large plain in southern Sorfaen, near the southern edge of Argent, where the proud Anteleth once roamed.

  Nemental (NEM-en-tall)—The kingdom bordering Kystrea’s eastern flank, sandwiched between Storklance and the eastern cliffs of Argent. Her king is Fenwel of Randhorn.

  Night Season—See Sunless Cycle.

  Noduin (NO-dwin)—The largest of the Sky Islands, not far off the shore of Argent.

  Nomu—Another Sky Island, lying just farther out than Noduin and not quite as large.

  Nytaea (nigh-TAY-uh)—A city-state in Kystrea ruled by Lord Kalceron, the governor. Lyn grew up in this city, where she was raised from a baby by the kind woman Lentha.

  Perception—The branch of Coaction/Authority that governs manifest (perceived) reality.

  Polestone—A reddish stone whose natural properties cause it to point toward the center of Argent—more accurately, toward the Wellspring of Life. Not always as useful as it sounds, but using one in conjunction with the current angle of the sun can make pinpointing directions easier.

  Province—See City-State. These terms are interchangeable.

  Randhorn—Capital of Nemental, where King Fenwel rules and Rhidea has a seat as High Magister.

  Reality—The branch of Coaction/Authority that rules physical reality.

  Rudaens River (roo-DENZ)—One of the Four Rivers of the world, running westward from Ti’Vaeth through Thyria and eventually ending in a wide delta in the province of Cryvad.

  Redufiel (ruh-DOO-fee-el)—Capital city of the Duchy of Halstar.

  Secrets of Mani—A book of magical history once possessed by Princess Mydia’s mother, given to Mydia by Cae Rhidea upon her return to Nytaea.

  Scathii (SKAH-thee, with a hard ‘TH’)—Well known but rarely seen, the Isle of Scathii is hidden at the farthest reaches of the Sky Islands. Scathii is home to the world’s highest density of wind magi, a secret they like to keep to themselves, and is also one of the few providers of wool to the outside world.

  Silver—The most common metal in Mani, said to comprise a large portion of the continent of Argent deep below its surface. In places such as Nytaea, the ancient order of Silversmiths used their Silver Authority to wrest the raw metal from Mani’s belly and create wonders such as the Nytaean Palace. In addition to being both a metal and a magical element, the word Silver (always capitalized) is also used to refer to a living force that is believed to represent the breath, or the will, of Mani himself.

  Sky Funnel—A twisting waterspout that pours upward from the Wellspring at the very center of Ti’Vaeth. It issues from a long stack, walled in by the Hall of Eternity, but no one seems to know the exact source of the Wellspring’s water.

  Snowbell—A town in which Lyn and company stop on their way through the province of Fircas, experimenting with a new money-making stunt.

  Sol—The white sun of Mani, which makes her rotation once every twenty-eight days. She shines for around two weeks during what is called the Sunlit Cycle, before dipping over the horizon and bringing on the Sunless Cycle.

  Sol Cycle—A pattern of 28 days during which Sol passes around the world of Mani, providing two weeks of day and two weeks of night. [See Sunless Cycle, Sunlit Cycle]

  Sorfaen (SORE-fane)—Southeasternmost province of Kystrea, bordering Torlega on the west, Nemental on the east, and Fircas, Storklance and Nytaea on the north.

  Soul River—A river said to run in a circle around the continent of Darsor. To an outsider, it would sound mythical.

  Storklance—The easternmost province of Kystrea, which borders Nytaea on the west and Nemental on the east.

  Styrite Wars—A long war waged from 778–794 between a coalition of three Kystrean city-states (Ti’Vaeth, Dotham and Fircas) and the ruthless warriors of Torlega, who were attempting to expand over the mountains by conquering Dotham and other regions.

  Sun Dancer—A constellation of the Sunlit night sky. [See Constellation]

  Sunless Cycle—A period of two weeks on Mani where the sun drops below the western horizon and vanishes, causing the auroras and clouds to change their patterns. At dawn, the Sunlit Cycle, or Day Season, begins.

  Sunlit Cycle—A period of two weeks on Mani where the sun travels from the eastern horizon to the west. At dusk, the Sunless Cycle, or Night Season, begins.

  Synergist—One who practices Coaction, which is also called synergy. [See Coaction]

  Synergy—[See Coaction]

  Ti’Vaeth (tih-VETH)—The Capital of Kystrea, wherein dwells Archlord Domon. Encompassing the lush, vibrant surrounding lands both inside and outside the shimmering water wall called the Veil, Ti’Vaeth is the largest city-state of Kystrea.

  Torlega (tor-LEE-guh)—A land to the south of Kystrea, hemmed in against the southern coast of Argent but defended by the jagged Styrite mountains. The Torlegans are well known for their earth magi, who use stonesung armor to protect themselves, insulating from most kinds of magic.

  Tower of Mani—The mythical tower that lies in the center of the Land of Storms.

  Thyria (THEER-ee-uh)—A western city-state of Kystrea lying between Ti’Vaeth and Cryvad.

  Umbra Council—The Archlord’s trusted friends whom he allows in on his plans and with whom he discusses them.

  Underground—The largest group of rebels in the city of Nytaea, led by Gaela, Big Bart, Tall Tom, Little Lester, Skinny Sam and Princess Mydia. They plot to overthrow Lord Kalceron and his rule over Nytaea and retake control of the city to give it to the people.

  Uphel (OOH-fel)—A northern Kystrean province.

  Veil—A wall of water that covers Ti’Vaeth in a sheet, spraying upwards from the Wellspring at the center of the city and streaming outward, making the sky like the roof of a greenhouse. The water flows outward from there, forming the Four Rivers, and also feeds the giant lake that surrounds the capital city of Ti’Vaeth.

  Wellspring of Life—See Wellspring of Magic.

  Wellspring of Magic—Also referred to as the Wellspring of Life. The source of all magic—and water, so therefore life itself—on Mani. The Well has begun to dry up lately, and thus the magic of Mani with it, in part due to the Archlord’s meddling with it.

  Yan’Vala (YAHN-vuh-LAH)—A nation lying to the northeast of Kystrea, hidden in a mountainous region of crags and gorges that reach down to infinity, as though the continent were tearing itself apart. The locals assure any travelers that the cracks have stayed exactly the same for at least two centuries, mind you.

  Yartel River (yar-TEL)—One of the Four Rivers, running northward from Ti’Vaeth and ending at the continental coast of the Uphel province.