Welcome. If you're here, it's for one of three reasons: you're ready to immerse yourself in further reading around this book; I've used a story-native term and you're thinking, 'what the crap are you on about, Finn'?; you clicked this chapter by mistake. Whatever the reason, feel free to browse.

I say 'extended glossary', because 'Definition of Terms + All the Stuff I Didn't Want to Clog the Story Up With' is a pretty lengthy chapter title. That, and this page will gradually fill up with terms and extra information as I post main-story chapters - I wouldn't want to hand out spoilers. For now, I've arranged this extended glossary by categories, and it is also separate so as not to feel patched on to the end of chapters.

Let us begin.

~Finn

Characters

Ajura Raqmarah - (Ah-joor-rah Rak-m'rah) A commander of the Painted Guard.

Rilv the Feral - A friend of Tan's and fellow thief, Rilv's haunt is the city of Elamendi.

Shara ­- A young mother from Odeis (see Locations - Odeis) of whom Tan is fond.

Tan Dei Ná - (Tan Dey Naah, with equal emphasis on each syllable) Full name: Tan Dei Ná Isol Vannen, meaning 'Quiet as the Voice of the Breeze' in Almysi, though his tribesfolk call him 'Tan'. The moniker 'Tandei Sol' is a line-of-best-fit pronunciation of his full name, for those who do not know how to. Tan is Almysi-born (see Locations - Almysia), and his tribe hails from a region known as Ná Ko Eraen (Eraen's Voice). He is 170cm (5'7"), and aged nineteen when this story takes place.

Locations

Almysia - (Al-miss-ee-ah) A heavily forested, sparsely populated region of northern Arcavaros. Its climate is warm and rainy in summer, and cold and snowy in winter.

Arcavaros ­- The universal spelling for the name of the continent, originally coined by an Odeise scholar. From extreme to extreme, the mainland is (in Earth measurements) 7617 kilometres/4733 miles. Pronunciation of this word varies per language. The origin of the landmass is also in dispute.

Farba'al Mar - (City of Colour by the Sea) The city at the heart of the deserts, the capital of Farba Province and hub of the Farban Empire as a whole. Once the seat of power for those who waged war on Arcavaros, in modern times it has been reduced to a fearful, friendless city with its sole purpose being to cater for whatever figurehead may occupy the throne. To the north of the city lies the Basin - a dried-up lake the size of an inland sea - and to the west are the Western Wastes - endless sandstone flats. Its climate is mostly arid, though the city experiences a brief period of annual rainfall.

Gamlakh - (Old Lake of One-Hundred Thousand) An impoverished town on the shores of the Basin, to the immediate east of Farba'al Mar.

Odeis - (Oh-dey-iss) A faithless republic the far side of the Western Wastes, perched on a plateau. Known for its introverted and scholarly population, lateral thinking and advances in medicine. Its people do not concern themselves with the affairs of other cities.

Rakha - (Rah-kaah) Capital: Rakhai'al Yuvuruch, (The Ash Fields of Yuvuruch). One of three major cities in the desertlands; 'united by war, broken by standards', as folk say. Rakha lies many leagues south of Farba'al Mar, surrounded by volcanic lands.

Ruiko - A city spread across Arcavaros' southernmost shores, boasting white sands, highly coveted spices, and ore of every kind. It is one of many in Saïlla Province.

Sjoortha - (Shur-tah) A landmass to the immediate north of Arcavaros' northernmost shore, separated by a channel of water. This landmass mostly suffers from permafrost and extreme weather conditions, and so is sparely inhabited, even on its warmer, southern shore.

Cultures

Almysi - (Al-mee-see) A dying people true to their roots, who make their home in the forestlands away from other cultures. The Forests of Almysia are, on paper, Esijr lands, though the Almysi do not identify with, or rarely communicate with, those from Esijrek.

Arenah - An extinct race of man dating from before the climate shift, hailing from the region now known as Rakha. Those in the deserts with brown skin, dark complexions and lofty frames are described as the Arenah descendants, with little truth in this claim.

Gamlakhi - Similar in appearance to High Farbans, though their slightly shorter average heights may be due to poorer nutrition. High Farbans give the derogatory name 'Fishfolk' to Gamlakhi natives. Gamlakhi people are, by nature, playful and family-orientated.

High Farbans - Name given to the populace within the city walls of Farba'al Mar.

Rakhai - Hailing from the poorest of the three major desert cities, the Rakhai are said to have degraded to a dog-eat-dog lifestyle. Its true noblemen and women are few and far between, living amongst con artists, gamblers and duellists who cheat their way to riches. They are, however, an inventive population, generally undeterred by failure.

Organisations

The Board of Sors ­- A few kuzorocari with enough experience in sorcery and tutorage to have been chosen to assess potentials, recognise student advancement, award new titles and issue punishment. They do not interact with lesser members of the Order on a personal basis.

The Order of Kuzorocari - An institute of sorcery founded in Farba'al Mar centuries ago. Those potentials who are accepted will forsake their titles, lands and cultures and live permanently underground. High Farbans may hire apprentices for various tasks, from perfecting anti-venoms to turning back time.

The Painted Guard - Farba'al Mar's law enforcement, under oath to protect the sovereign, the imperial family, the palace and the city walls. Men of the Guard (note: it is a male-only career) are trained as lanciers for three years, though their skills in combat are rarely employed. The Painted Guard is named for the striking war-paint applied to members' arms and faces before daily duty commences.

Fauna

Fiends - Creatures believed to be risen from the dead, though this is but speculation. Their innate desire is to drink human blood, and they only emerge at night, but not even the scholars in Odeis know why.

Titles

Fen - The lowest rank in the Order of Kuzorocari. An apprentice. 'Fen' is an Esijr word, translating as a unisex term meaning 'brother/sister'.

Rera - (Rair-rah - both 'R's trilled. No direct translation) 'Rera' is the title given to a master of all disciplines, though the Order only recognises one Rera at any given time. Thus the Rera is considered the most powerful sorcerer in the Order, and he or she, along with the Board of Sors, are deemed worthy of governing it.

Tongues

Almysi - The language used by forest-folk is broadly termed 'Almysi', though dialects throughout the forest may be so heavily distorted that they do not resemble the traditional tongue. Its writing system is based on phonetics, of which there are nineteen 'true' characters and ten 'compound' characters to accommodate for regional accents. It is a fluidly-spoken language with simple grammar.

Farban ­- Known to some degree by most provinces and a first or second language to those who share borders with Farba. High Farban is deemed a 'pure' form that is understood by all speakers, though dozens of dialects exist that vary from one to the next. It is a hurriedly spoken, guttural tongue, with many consonants formed in the throat, particularly 'r' and 'ch'. Its writing system is phonetic, with an alphabet of fifty characters. Grammar can be complex, with changes in tense, possession and cases indicated by extra sounds or tones. Pronunciation is inconsistent and a challenge to learn.

Lore

Maedhros - (Mey-drohs. Soft 's'. 'Oh' as in 'over') Also known as the Divine Father of Almysi-born, a deity believed to protect the forests and its people. Maedhros is often depicted as a robed man with long, brown hair. His cloak may also be made of leaves and he sometimes sports great antlers, leading to his alternative depiction as a stag. In Almysia he is prayed to most often of the deities and referred to in common Almysi sayings, curses and greetings. It is believed the Almysi are the children of Maedhros, and grow small horns when they have been accepted by him.

Other

Marakgel - Farban currency imprinted with the seven-headed sea serpent.