The Barrow (95 page)

And yet to simply keep this tucked away in his Rumor-hoard for a year seemed impossible. He was torn; corruption at such heights within the Inquisition, and the possibility that a Seated King might actually be involved, was hardly something that could be simply ignored, particularly by a man like Guizo. He loved knowing things. And at the same time, he knew that knowledge and secrets and the power they gave were the temptations that led to Amaymon, as it had for Gilgwyr; just as pleasure and lust were the temptations that led to Ligrid.

He recognized the temptation that had been laid before him, quite casually and quite on purpose by the old man, and chuckled as he sat at the table.
Replace Gilgwyr as the pimp, and you can gain the favor of the powerful in the Inquisition and learn the secrets that were about to be revealed to him, the kinds of secrets that men kill to learn or to protect
.
Could the Nameless cult of Ligrid, Queen of Perversion, have reached that deeply into the very body that was intended to root it out and destroy it and its fellow walkers-in-darkness? Were the Inquisitors so wrapped up in their own convictions, so beholden to the power they sought to please, that they could not see what had happened to them? Could a Seated King be so lost to corruption?

He started toying with the idea; it would be simple enough. He knew Ariadesma to be both a true libertine and an adventuress of steely discipline—it was why he had sent her to Gilgwyr in the first place—and if he asked her to go through with this thing he knew she would say yes, with fear and delight. He could feel himself blushing at the thought, his breathing strained as he swallowed nervously at his own excitement.
I could borrow her back from the Gilded Lady, I could guarantee her safety, make sure that she was not harmed, and she would emerge with secrets for me that could bring about the downfall of a Seated King and—

A sparrow landed on the table in front of him, and turned its head to contemplate him with one eye, and that stopped him in mid-thought.

He was surprised, even ashamed, to discover that he had even contemplated it. Rumors and secrets were his business.

But he didn't worship them.

He laughed aloud until his body shook.

“What's so funny?” asked Otalo Galluessi, a black-skinned Amoran like himself, dressed in a street bravo's black leather doublet and fine brocade breeches.

“I have just been reminded of the limits of myself,” said Guizo. “And I am a happy man for it.” He breathed a little easier. “Send word to the Council of Princes. A man from the Inquisition may be seeking a prostitute in the coming days. He is to be denied, by all amongst the Marked and by those that honor our decrees. The law forbidding prostitution on the day of the Festival of Herrata is to be strictly enforced this year.”

Otalo nodded and left, followed by several others from Guizo's crew.

He held out his hand, and the small sparrow jumped up on to his fat pointer finger. “Thank you,” he said. He raised it to his lips, and whispered in its ear: “To the King's Shadow speed. And bear this message:
A debt I owe you is about to be repaid. A Rumor that is a matter for the State, and for your ears alone. Visit when you can.
”

The sparrow chirped once, and then flew up and out an open window high in the recesses of the ceiling.

Guizo settled back and returned to his orange.

And now: what to do about Sequintus
? he wondered.

ACHRE
—rebellious daughter of
Bragea
, who refused to become an
Oracle
Queen
. Instead she wounded her father, bound a great Dragon and, as the mother of
Archaia
, became ancestress of the Palatians (see
Palatia
).

ADJIA LUNA
—the Moon Huntress, one of the three goddesses of the Moon, along with her sisters
Yhera
and
Djara
. She is the goddess of birth, growth, maturity, maternity, the hunt, and dreams. As the Archer she brings a swift death. Sometimes called
Adjiana
.

AGALL
—demigod son of
Agdah Cosmopeiia
, famous for his considerable temper, strength and courage; he is worshipped as the first Hero. The Sacker of Cities, he fought alongside
Geteema's
children at the destruction of
Ürüne Düré
. One of the
Four Kings in Exile
, slain in the
Far West
but redeemed by
Islik
in the Underworld.

AGDAH COSMOPEIIA
—the Year God and God of the Shining Sky, the god of the year-cycle: the growths of spring, the harvests of the fall, and the deprivations of the winter. He was slain by
Geteema
in defense of
Düréa
, but later restored by
Yhera
to Heaven. Also called
Agdah Helios
(the Cosmos Sun) and
Ammon Agdah
(the Household Protector and the Keeper of Animals).

AGE OF CREATION, the
—period prior to the beginning of history proper, when
Yhera
and the other gods created the world in twenty-two great Acts, starting with Yhera's dream of overcoming a Great Dragon in the primordial Darkness, and ending with a great Crime committed by mortal man which causes
Geniché
to pass into the Underworld and pronounce the
First Law
.

AGE OF LEGENDS, the
—second age of
Known World
history, beginning with
Islik's
ascension to the Sun Throne in Heaven and ending with the destruction of the Imperial capital of Millene some 498 years later.

AKKALION
—the Lion Emperor of
Thessid-Gola
. The first prince of Thessid-Gola to claim the throne of
Dauban Hess
since the wars of the
Worm
Kings
. He embarked on a series of conquests to restore the Empire to its former glory until he was overcome by the
Gray Dream
the night before the
Black Day Battle
. His mind has been trapped in the Gray Dream ever since, and he has sat dreaming on his throne in
Avella
for over four hundred years.

AKINE MOG
—Sorcerer-King of Kathek, a city in
Setine
, who rose to power in the
Winter Century.
Started the Fire War with Sekeret in which cannon and bombards fueled by the
Black Elixir
were used for the first time (see
Grand Sekeret
).

AMAYMON
—the Whisperer, the Prince of Intrigue and Secret Power, and the god of secret knowledge, bribery, corruption, and assassins, worshipped by those who want something for nothing. One of the
Forbidden Gods
and a Servant-Ruler in the Six Hells. He counseled
Irré
to overthrow
Illiki Helios
and
Ishraha
to begin his rebellion against
Islik
the Divine King, thus beginning the
War in Heaven
. One of the
Forbidden Gods
.

AMI
—the Morning Star, the Dawn Maiden, twin sister of
Dieva
, and the goddess of love, fertility, and romance. As the Sun's Herald she holds a special place in
Divine King
cult practice.

AMORA
—anciently a
Düréan
colony favored by
Illiki Helios
, now a realm balancing the worship of the old gods and more recent influence of the
Sun Court
. Once part of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
, Amora is now independent with the help of
Palatia
, and has annexed nearby
Meretia
as a buffer state with the Empire.

AN-ATHAIR
—currently a castle and small city in the
Erid Wold
, but once the center of a great realm of the same name ruled by the
Spring
Queens
. Home to the
Athairi
.

ANGOWRIE
—one of the
Middle Kingdoms
, originally the hold of one of the
Watchtower
Kings
. The current king is Euwen Jaraslas, betrothed to a daughter of the King of Erid
Dania.

ARCHAIA
—the daughter of
Achre
, student of
Ariahavé
, and the founder of the city of
Palatia
and builder of its Seven Gates. She bore three daughters, who founded the three most ancient Houses of Palatia. With her daughters, she sailed to war against
Geteema's
children, and was slain in defense of
Düréa
.

ARIAHAVÉ
—the Civilizer,
Yhera's
brightest and most rebellious daughter. She is the protectress of cities and citadels and their citizens and defenders; she is the patroness of civilization and its heroes. After
Geniché
abandoned the Earth, she taught the lost peoples of the world the arts of society—agriculture, poetry, spinning, pottery, music, and mining. She is Yhera's general and the chief war goddess of the
Palatians
, her most dedicated adherents.

ASSASSIN CYCLES, the
—hundred-year period in recent Palatian history of internecine, inter-House struggle for control over the thrones of
Palatia
, ending with the rise of the
Usurper
.

ATALLICA
—primary kingdom of the eastern Middle Kingdoms, centered on the city of Therapoli. Ruled by Aurian kings and nobles (see
Auria
), and populated by both Aurians and Danians (see
Dania
).

ATHAIRI
—the peoples of
An-Athair
and the
Erid Wold
. The Athairi mix the bloodlines of the peoples of
Dania
,
Düréa
, and
Daradja
, as well as the
Fae
, and have a reputation for folk magic and wisdom as a result.

AUDRA
—the Voyager, legendary Queen of
Palatia
at the beginning of the
Bronze Age
largely responsible for that city's rise to current power. Last of the Black Arrow Queens and first of the Copper Queens.

AURIA
—a principality of
Atallica
and the
Middle Kingdoms
, and ancient name for the lands settled by the Aurians, seagoing pillagers descended of
Heth
.

AWAIN
—Awain Gauwes Urfortian, the current High King of
Therapoli
and the
Middle Kingdoms
; a descendant of
Fortias the Brave
.

AVELLA
—the Immortal City, current Imperial Capital of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
. Once a minor city of
Thessidia
, it was chosen by
Akkalion
to be his capital while he was recuperating from wars against the
Isliklidae
and transformed into a city of great beauty. Home to the
Phoenix Court
.

AZHARAD
—a Sorcerer and worshipper of the
Forbidden Gods
who rose to power in the
Bale Mole
and the Uthed Wold. A cannibal and hunter of men, allegedly buried with the sword
Gladringer
.

BALE MOLE
—high, desolate hill range that separates
Lost Uthedmael
from the
Vale of Barrows
. A place of dark magic.

BLACK DAY BATTLE, the
—battle fought on the shores of
Dania
between the forces of the
Middle Kingdoms
and
Daradja
and the invading
Thessid-Golan Empire
on a day when
Irré
the Black Sun rose in the sky instead of
Islik
. Because
Akkalion
was in the thrall of the
Gray Dream
and absent from the battle, the Empire was routed.

BLACK ELIXIR
—one of the three magical elixirs produced by alchemy. A black powder that generates enormous heat and energy when properly harnessed.

BLACK HUNTER, the
—favored son of
Geniché
, brother of Ammon
Agdah
, and leader of the Wild Hunt. At the beginning of winter and sometimes when he escapes the Underworld, he leads a host of ghosts, spirits, and demons across the Known World hunting those that stray from protected shelter.

BOOK OF DOOMS, the
—book of 22 plates created by
Bragea
for his queen and their descendants to aid their oracles. Based upon the Celestial Book of
Yhera
. Briefly lost after the sack of
Khael
, but recovered by
Audra.

BRAGEA
—the first smith, the creator of the arts of metalworking; he is the fire-god of hearth, kiln, and foundry, creator of rune-systems and artifacts of great power. Bragea eloped with a Düréan Queen to the Isle of
Khael
, and their daughters became the
Oracle Queens
. Also called
Abrage
and
Braphagos
.

BRONZE AGE, the
—third age of
Known World
history, dating from the
Catastrophe
and the
Winter Century
to the ascension of
Akkalion
to the throne of
Thessid-Gola
some 528 years later.

CATASTROPHE, the
—the destruction of
Millene
, capital of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
, at the end of the
Age of Legends
by a volcanic maelstro; caused by a curse from the
Oracle Queens
. Begins the
Winter Century
.