Arena of Antares (28 page)

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Authors: Alan Burt Akers

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boloth: A large animal from Chem with eight tusks, sixteen legs, a tendrilous mass of whiplash tails. The hide is hard and gray along the back, leaf-green along the sides, and yellow beneath. Normally slow, but fast in a short dash. Has an enormous underslung fanged mouth, keen sense of smell; with three hearts.

bur: The Kregan hour, approximately forty Terrestrial minutes.

C

Canopdrin: Island of the northwest Shrouded Sea, devastated by earthquakes.

Canops: Martial people of Canopdrin.

cham-faces: Nickname given to the Miglas. chavonth: Powerful six-legged hunting cat with fur of blue, gray, and black arranged in a hexagonal pattern. Treacherous.

Chemzite Tower: Dominating structure of the high fortress of Hakal.

Chuktar: Highest of the four main military ranks. There are many subdivisions varying with country of origin.

Cnarveyl: A country bordering Migla in the northwest of the Shrouded Sea.

coy: Slave or volunteer fighting to become a kaidur.

Crimson Missals, the Battle of: In which the Miglas with the assistance of Dray Prescot and his comrades fought the Canops.

D

Dap-Tentyrasmot: Town to the east of the Shrouded Sea.

db: Abbreviation of dwaburs per bur.

Deldar: Lowest of the four main military ranks.

deldy: Gold coin of Havilfar.

dermiflon: Blue-skinned, ten-legged, idiot-headed animal, very fat and ungainly, armed with sinuous, massively barbed, spiked tail. The expression ‘To knock over a dermiflon” is a cast-iron guarantee of effectiveness.

diff: A man-beast, beast-man. A halfling.

dilse: A species of maize, can be mixed with milk and water and pounded and served in a variety of ways. Grows freely needing little cultivation. Has serious nutritional failings.

Djanduin: Country of the far west of Havilfar.

Djang: Inhabitant of Djanduin.

djangir: Very short, very broad sword.

Djanguraj: Capital city of Djanduin.

dom: Kregish equivalent of English “mate” or American “pal.”

dopa: A fiendish drink guaranteed to make a man fighting drunk.

dwa: Two.

E

Everoinye: The Star Lords.

F

Faol: Island off the northwest of Havilfar, home of the Manhounds.

fifi: Saucy Fristle girl of exceptional liveliness and beauty.

fireglass: A crystal that does not distort or crack when used to hold fire for illumination and heating purposes.

flutsmen: Mercenaries of the skies, fierce and vicious, of many species.

fluttclepper: A small racing saddle-bird.

fluttrell: A strong saddle-bird with large head-vane, coloring beige-white and velvety-green, with powerful talons.

foofray satin: Expensive material often used to make slippers.

G

Gairnoivach: Capital city of Gorgrendrin.

Gdoinye: The giant scarlet and golden raptor, messenger and spy of the Star Lords.

Gorgrendrin: Land of Southwest Havilfar. Its inhabitants are often called Gorgrens.

green sun: Apart from Havil has many names: Genodras, Ry-ufraison, etc.

gros-varter: A larger and more powerful version of the ballista.

Gulf of Wracks: Gulf and channel in Southeast Havilfar leading to the Shrouded Sea.

H

Hakal: The high fortress dominating the city of Huringa.

Hakkinostoling: A remote province of Hyrklana.

Hamal: Empire in the northeast of Havilfar.

Hamish wine: A purple wine of Hyrklana.

ban: Common suffix denoting son.

Havilfar: A continent of Kregen south and east of Loh.

Havilthytus, River: One of the main rivers of Hamal.

Hennardrin: A land in the north of Havilfar.

Herrelldrin: A country in the southwest of Havilfar.

Hikai: The unarmed combat equivalent to Jikai.

Hikdar: Military rank immediately above Deldar.

Hirrume: Kingdom in Empire of Hamal.

Horter: A gentleman of Havilfar. Feminine is Hortera.

Huringa: Capital city of Hyrklana.

hurm: A hard close-grained wood, similar to sturm-wood.

hyr: Great, renowned, high.

Hyr-Derengil-Notash:
“The high palace of pleasure and wisdom.” A book of philosophy compiled by a Wizard of Loh two thousand five hundred seasons ago. Admits of many interpretations and analyses.

Hyrklana: An island realm off the east coast of Havilfar.

Hyr-Lif:
A very important book.

hyrshiv: Twelve.

I

inklevol: flying fox.

J

jagger: In the syples of the Khamorros a kick with the feet delivered with both feet off the ground.

Jikai!: A word of complex meaning; used in different forms means: “Kill!” “Warrior,” “A noble feat of arms,” “Bravo” and many related concepts to do with honor and pride and warrior-status.

Jikhorkdun: The entire amphitheater, arena, and training and barracks areas. Sometimes slurred to “Jikordun.”

jiklo: A Manhound of Faol.

jikshiv: Twenty-four.

Jiktar: Military rank immediately below Chuktar.

K

Kaidur: Renowned gladiatorial feat of combat.

kaidur: Gladiator.

Kham, Khamster: A Khamorro.

kham: Levels of achievement within the syples of the Khamorros.

Khamorro: A man of Herrelldrin expert in unarmed combat.

Kharoi Stones: Ruins of a city of the sunset people in west Havilfar.

kitches: Midges of the marshes.

kleesh: Violently unpleasant, repulsive, stinking. An insult.

kool: An area measurement of land.

Koroles: Small group of islands off east coast of South Pandahem.

Krzy: Abbreviation for the Krozairs of Zy, a mystic and martial order of the Eye of the World devoted to Zair.

L

laccapin: Ferocious flying reptile.

Lahal: Universal greeting for friend or acquaintance.

Lake of Dreaming Maidens, the: see the Wendwath.

Lamnia: Member of a race of halflings, gentle as a rule, with light-colored fur. Respected as honest and shrewd merchants.

Leaping Fishes, River of: Fast-flowing river to the north of Huringa.

Leem-Lovers: Insulting name for the reavers from the southern oceans.

leemsheads: Outlaws.

ley: Four.

lif: An important book.

liki: Small fly-catching spider.

Lily City Klana: Ancient capital of Hyrklana, now in ruins.

Llahal: Universal greeting for stranger.

lople: Deer-like animal of great grace and beauty.

Loyal Canoptic, The:
An Inn in Yaman, renamed after the conquest.

Loyal of Sidraarga, The:
Original name of
The Loyal Canoptic.

M

Mackee, Battle of: First battle of the Miglas against the Canops in which Dray Prescot was unwillingly engaged.

Magan, River: Wide sluggish river on which is built the city of Yaman.

Manhounds: Apims of Faol trained to run on all fours and act as hunting dogs. Extraordinarily vicious and predatory.

marspear: A crop plant.

Methydria: Ranching land east of the Shrouded Sea, sometimes known as Havil-Faril, sometimes Methydrin.

Migladrin: Land to the northwest of the Shrouded Sea.

Miglas: Simple, thick-legged, thick-armed, gnomish-headed people, with stumpy bodies and flap ears, of the northwest Shrouded Sea. Also known as Migladorn.

mirvol: Flying saddle-animal of Havilfar.

moons: Kregen has seven moons. The largest, the Maiden with the Many Smiles, is almost twice the size of Earth’s moon. The next two, the Twins, revolve around each other. The fourth is She of the Veils. The three smallest moons hurtle rapidly across the sky close to the surface of Kregen.

Mountains of Mirth, the: A mountain chain in the west of Havilfar.

Mungul Sidrath: The powerful citadel and palace of Yaman.

N

neemu: Black-furred, almost-leopard-sized animal with round head, squat ears, slit eyes of lambent gold, four legs. Their ways are amoral and feral, they are vicious, treacherous, and deadly.

Notor: Lord.

nul: Dismissive term for a person not of one’s nation or creed or Order or Discipline.

nulsh: Term of abuse.

O

ob: One.

Ocean of Clouds: A name for the ocean east of Havilfar.

Ocean of Doubt, the: Ocean to the west of Havilfar south of Loh.

onker: Idiot. Term of abuse.

Orange River: A river of Havilfar running westward into the sea opposite Loh between Ng’groga and Nycresand.

ord: Eight.

Ordsmot: Town on the Orange River divided into eight species sections.

Outer Faol: Island to the north of Faol.

P

paktun: A mercenary leader; a notorious mercenary; a renowned soldier of fortune.

paline: Yellow cherry-like fruit with taste of old port.

Paline and Queng, The:
An Inn in Djanduin.

paly: The easiest to catch of plains deer. The jungle paly has zebra-striped hindquarters.

Pastang: A military company, often consisting of eighty men, infantry, plus ancillaries, commanded by a Hikdar.

Pellow: City of Herrelldrin.

pimpim: Tree of eastern Loh. The crushed fruits yield a brilliant green wine, thick and cloying, sweet and strong.

prianum: A cheap pine wood from forests in the south of Havilfar.

Q

Quennohch: Island in the far southeast of Havilfar.

quoffa: Large draft animal, very mild and docile, powerful, shaggy, with a dogged head and a large patient face. Has six legs and looks like a perambulating hearthrug.

R

rast: Six-legged rodent infesting dunghills. Term of abuse.

red sun: Has many other names besides Far and Zim.

reed-syple: Headband with symbols worn by Khamorros to denote their syple discipline, their kham status and allegiances.

Remberee: Universal salutation on parting.

Rhaclaw: Manlike halfling with enormous domed head as wide as shoulders.

Rivensmot: Town of a small kingdom within the Empire of Hamal.

rofer: Very large multi-saddle-bird of Havilfar.

Ruathytu: Capital city of Empire of Hamal.

S

Sava: Kingdom in continent of Havilfar.

Savanti: Mortal but superhuman people of Aphrasöe.

sensil: An extremely soft and fine form of silk.

sermine: A flower from which is processed a drug inducing fighting fury.

Shander’s End: Town connected by road to Huringa.

shebov: Seven.

shiv: Six.

shonage: A fruit of rich flesh and sweet juices, larger than a grapefruit and as red as a tomato.

Shrouded Sea: Large inland sea running from the Gulf of Wracks in the southeast in a northwesterly direction into the heart of Havilfar. Is plagued by volcanic activity; dotted with islands.

sinver: Silver coin of Hyrklana.

six: Common suffix denoting daughter.

sleeth: Saddle-dinosaur running on two legs used by the more sporting rider in races; an uncomfortable ride.

smot: Town.

so: Three.

stux: The Migla vosk-hunting throwing spear. Used as javelin by soldiers.

stuxcal: Device for carrying eight stuxes.

syatra: A corpse-white man-eating plant, with spine-barbed leaves and many thick fleshy tentacles sprouting from a central trunk. Venus’s-flytrap-type growths larger than coffins grow around the trunk. Likes hot, damp gloomy climates. Chem is choked with them, according to Prescot.

syple: A training and mystic discipline of the Khamorros.

T

Tajkent: Mountain aerie of flying men of Havilfar opposed to volroks.

Thothangir: Region in farthest south of Havilfar.

thraxter: The straight-bladed cut-and-thrust sword of Havilfar.

totrix: Close cousin of the sectrix and nactrix. Six-legged saddle-animal, blunt headed, wicked eyed, pricked of ear.

Triple Peaks: A mountain aerie of the volroks.

Tungar: A vadvarate south of the Orange River.

Tyriadrin: A country bordering Migla to the south.

tyryvol: Large flying saddle-animal.

U

ulm: Unit of measurement, approximately 1,500 yards.

V

veknis: Scramasax-like hunting knife used by Miglas.

volclepper: Fast, small flying saddle-animal.

volleem: The flying form of leem.

voller: The Havilfarese name for fliers, airboats. volrok: One species of flying men.

W

week: On Kregen the week is usually six days, although it is seven days in Zenicce. Six-day week associated with Opaz.

Wendwath: Known as the Lake of Dreaming Maidens. With its associated sea inlets and fens cuts off the western promontory of Havilfar from Herrelldrin and the northwest.

wersting: A vicious black and white striped four-legged hunting dog.

whistling faerling: One of the kinds of Kregan peacock.

White Rock of Gilmoy: A tremendous pillar of white rock standing on the northwest coast of Havilfar opposite Faol

wo: Zero.

woflovol: Bat with large membranous wings. Wraiths, River of: River of Djanduin.

X

Xaffer: A race of diffs remote and strange; when slaves they are usually employed in domestic and light duties.

Y

Yaman: Capital city of Migladrin.

Yawfi Suth: Dangerous and difficult fen area of western Havilfar.

yetch: A term of abuse.

About the author

Alan Burt Akers is a pen name of the prolific British author Kenneth Bulmer. Bulmer has published over 160 novels and countless short stories, predominantly science fiction.

More details about the author, and current links to other sources of information, can be found at
www.mushroom-ebooks.com

The Dray Prescot Series

The Delian Cycle:

Transit to Scorpio
The Suns of Scorpio
Warrior of Scorpio
Swordships of Scorpio
Prince of Scorpio

Havilfar Cycle:

Manhounds of Antares
Arena of Antares
Fliers of Antares
Bladesman of Antares
Avenger of Antares
Armada of Antares

Notes

[1]
This is intriguing. It seems to imply that Prescot did fight a leem barehanded before — or possibly after — he had become a Krozair of Zy on the Eye of the World. If so, it is just one more fascinating story lost to us in those tapes, as recounted in
The Suns of Scorpio. A.B.A.

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