The Barrow (97 page)

IRON AGE, the
—fourth and current age of
Known World
history, beginning with
Akkalion's
assumption of the Imperial throne 446 years ago and leading to the current date: 1471 in the standard Imperial Avellan calendar used by the
Sun Court
and
Middle Kingdoms
, 2615 in the old
Düréan
calendar, 2431 in the Celestial calendar, or 1638 in the
Palatian
calendar.

IRRÉ
—the Black Sun, bringer of unbearable heat, drought, and the blinding intensity of both darkness and light; the Bow Bearer, god of plague and fire; the Black Goat, god of war, struggle, disaster, disorder, the desert and the wilderness; the Last Defender, who guarded the gates of
Düréa
from the armies of
Geteema
. He overthrew
Illiki Helios
for abandoning
Düréa
before its fall, starting the
War in Heaven
. One of the
Forbidden Gods
.

ISHRAHA
—the Rebel Angel, a son of
Ligrid
and a general to
Islik
when he was King of
Illia
. After
Irré
cast down
Illiki Helios
at the start of the
War in Heaven
, Ishraha led a rebellion against
Islik
for withholding the sacrifices due the gods and usurped his throne, casting
Islik
into exile. He was defeated when Islik returned and is imprisoned in the Underworld. One of the
Forbidden Gods
.

ISLIK
—the Divine King, demigod son of
Illiki Helios
. He was the first of the Illian
Dragon Kings
, the founder of the
Sun Court
, and ruled as King of the Earth. After his father was cast down by
Irré
, Islik was usurped by
Ishraha
. After wandering the world for 21 years as one of the
Four Kings in Exile
, he achieved Ten Great Victories and returned to reclaim his throne, and after imprisoning Ishraha in the Underworld, Islik ascended to the Heavens and became King of both Heaven and Earth. His worshippers do not make sacrifices to the old gods and believe that rather than descending to
Geniché's
Underworld, they ascend to the Heavens to Islik's Palace after they die, but they have divided into two rival schisms, the
Sun Court
and the
Phoenix Court
.

ISLIKLIDAE, the
—strange and evil Kings who arose in the
Far West
and conquered the lands of
Djar Mael
some two hundred years ago, dividing the land into three kingdoms: Morica, Ugeram, and Boradja. They claim descent from
Islik
, and are served by the
Düméghal
and Maelite warlords. Called the Isliklidae, Isliklids, Islikids, and the Pretenderai
.

JALA
—the Good Prince, son of
Surep
. One of the
Four Kings in Exile
, he returned to
Samarappa
to confront
Nymarga
, regain his father's throne, and restore the
Celestial Court
.

KHAEL
—isle just east of
Palatia
, where the
Oracle Queens
live. Sacked by the
Worm King
s at the end of the
Age of Legends
, now protected by Palatian legions.

KNOWN WORLD, the
—term used to describe the whole of the known, mapped world, to distinguish it from the unknown, unmapped world.

LIGRID
—the Temptress, the Queen of Perversity, the breaker of taboos and the corruptor of flesh and spirit; a daughter of
Geteema
, she is described variously as a rival, tutor, or mask of
Dieva
. One of the
Forbidden Gods
.

LORD MOTT, the
—vizier to the
Usurper
of
Palatia
, inventor of the first Indexes, and rumored to be the Philosopher-King-in-Waiting who will usher in the next age of history.

LOST UTHEDMAEL
—name given to Maelite and Danian lands loyal to
Githwaine
and cursed by the
Sun Court
after his fall at the end of the
Winter Century
(see
Djar Mael
and
Dania
). Now a barren and ashen wasteland of inhospitable ruins.

MAECE
—name of the realm taken by the Maelites Kings who stood against
Githwaine
(see
Djar Mael
). Their strength was wasted in wars against the
Isliklidae
, and they remain only as the
Watchtower Kings
.

MANON MOLE
—high hills along the coast of the southern
Middle Kingdoms
, home to reclusive hill peoples and bandit knights descended from the
Wyvern King
who refuse to acknowledge the High King of
Therapoli
.

MÉDÜRE
—the Cunning One, goddess of warlike skill and heroic valor. One of the
Gorgonae
.

MERA ARGENTA
—inland sea framed by
Hemispia
in the east, the
Gola
in the south, the coast of the
Midlands
to the west, and
Déskédré
and the territories of
Palatia
in the north. Also called the Silver Scale Sea.

MERETIA
—small realm next to the
Gola
, once part of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
and now annexed by
Amora
.

MIDLANDS
,
the
—common name for the lands to the west of the
Silver Scale Sea
. Once the Paradise of
Geniché
, now mostly inhospitable desert and mountain.

MIDDLE KINGDOMS, the
—common name for the Aurian and Danian kingdoms on a peninsula in the
Silver Scale Seas
(see
Auria
,
Dania
), all aligned with the
Sun Court
and ruled by the High King of
Therapoli
.

MILLENE
—legendary capital of
Dauban Hess'
Golden Empire, destroyed by a volcanic maelstrom in the
Catastrophe
. All that is left are a few ruins at the center of a plain of volcanic ash.

MOGRAN
—the Riot Goddess, goddess of terror, confusion, and dissension. One of the
Gorgonae
.

NAMELESS CULTS, the
—common term for the cults surrounding the
Forbidden Gods
.

NYMARGA
—the Magician, the Devil Incarnate, called by some the first and greatest evil of the
Known World
, who rose to power in the
Celestial Court
. He slew King
Surep
to usurp the throne of
Samarappa
, but
Jala
returned and threw him down. He next appeared in
Vanimoria
, where he killed
Coromat
to usurp the throne, conquered
Thessidia
, and ruled as the Worldly Tyrant until
Dauban Hess
slew him and dismembered his body, hiding and burying the pieces in salt. Some believe he also incarnated as the King of Brass, the Horned Man, the Corn King, and Maelfess at different points in ancient history and legend. One of the
Forbidden Gods
.

OLD ÉDUINAN
—ancient language of
Dania
,
Daradja
, and the Maelites (see
Djar
Mael
), similar to the language of ancient
Düréa
.

OLD RELIGION, the
—common term for the worship of
Yhera
and other ancient gods and goddesses. Followers of the Old Religion believe that meat should only be consumed by mortals in the context of an animal sacrifice to a god or goddess.

ORACLE QUEENS, the
—the descendants of
Bragea
, possessed of the greatest oracular visions in the
Known World
, and rulers of the Isle of
Khael
.

PALATIA
—city-state of the northern
Mera Argenta,
founded by
Achre
and
Archaia
. A minor city in the
Golden Age
, but now the center of a vast and expanding empire, possessed of legions, fleets, and merchant networks rivaled only by the
Hemapoline League
and
Thessid-Golan Empire
, each of which it has defeated in recent wars. Now ruled by the
Usurper
.

PHOENIX COURT, the
—Imperial Court of the Empire of
Thessid-Gola
located in
Avella
; also the highest
Divine King
authority in the West (see
Islik
). Opposed to the
Sun Court
, the Phoenix Court advocates a model of kingship based on appointment or election rather than inheritance, and so chooses or elects the officers of the Court and the emirates of the Empire. Briefly but disastrously corrupted by the
Worm Kings
.

RAHABI
—great spirits of darkness and fire that sided with
Irré
during the
War in Heaven
. Their name comes from Rahab, the great monster-general that led the army of
Irré
. Their ranks included the Dhuréleal, the Bharab Dzerek, the Gamezhiel, the Ghazarab, the Golodriel, the Nephilim, and the Sharab Deceal. They now dwell mostly in the Underworld and the Six Hells.

RED ELIXIR
—one of the three magical elixirs produced by alchemy. A red powder (or as the Alkahest, a red liquid) that can be used to turn base metals into gold, give oracular dreams or visions of the future, create a basilisk, or impart immortality.

RETHET THESA, the
—name for the Carrion Queens of
Düréa
during the
Golden Age
when they were most active in the
Known World
as warriors, hunters, and conquerors, just prior to the fall of
Ürüne Düré
.

SAMARAPPA
—fabled land of spices in the
Far West
, known for its literate and sensuous peoples.

SEATED KING
—a King recognized by the
Sun Court
. Seated Kings were granted power once it was obvious there would be no more
Dragon
Kings
.

SEEDRÉ
—a son of
Geniché
who was the first to follow his mother to the Underworld and became the Judge of the Dead. Also called Osidred by cult of the
Divine King
.

SETINE
—an emirate of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
, inland of the cities of
Grand Sekeret
in the
Gola
. Ruled by
Akine Mog
during and after the
Winter Century
, until his defeat by the armies of Sekeret.

SPRING QUEENS, the
—priestesses of the Green Temple of
An-Athair
during the
Age of Legends
, who created a wondrous and magical land centered in the
Erid Wold
. They were protected by the order of the Golden Knights. Their realm was ended by the arrival of the Aurians (see
Auria).

SULTAN
—title given an
Emir
elected by the
Phoenix Court
to speak in the name of
Akkalion
. The current Sultan is Agameen tep Marahet.

SUN COURT, the
—highest religious authority in eastern lands devoted to
Islik
. Located on
Illia
, once the home of
Islik
himself, the Sun Court stands against the
Phoenix Court
and champions the tradition of hereditary kingship passed from father to son. Sun Court lands include the
Hemapoline League
,
Amora
and
Meretia
, and the
Middle Kingdoms
.

SUREP
—son of
Yhera
and
Agdah Cosmopeiia
; a legendary and divine ruler of
Samarappa
during the
Golden Age
, slain by
Nymarga
.

THERAPOLI MAGNI
—ancient capital of the
Middle Kingdoms
, built during the
Golden Age
.

THESSID-GOLAN EMPIRE, the
—name for the vast empire first created by
Dauban Hess
, then dismembered after his disappearance, first during civil wars between the
Sun Court
and rebel generals in the west, and then by the wars of the
Worm Kings
. At the height of its expansion under Dauban Hess in whole of the
Known World
only
Palatia
and
Khael
were outside the Empire and even they sent tribute.
Akkalion
began to reconstitute the Empire after the
Bronze Age
, but his efforts were halted by his lapse into the
Gray Dream
, and have only been recently been continued by the most recent
Sultan
. Currently includes
Vanimoria
,
Thessidia
,
Grand Sekeret
,
Setine
,
Galia
, and a host of minor emirates and principalities. Nominally allied to the
Isliklidae
, with whom the Empire fought the Long War of Night Horrors before reaching a truce.

THESSIDIA
—principal emirate of the
Thessid-Golan Empire
just to the west of the
Gola
; home to the current Imperial Capital of
Avella
and site of the ruins of the old capital,
Millene
.

THRONE THIEF, WARS of the
—fifty-year period of civil war and upheaval in the
Middle Kingdoms
, caused when a person or persons unknown proceeded over several years to steal the magical thrones of the kings of the Aurian and Danian Kingdoms. The thrones are still missing two centuries later.

THULA
—a daughter of
Geniché
; the Forked Tongue, the Mother of Heroes, the Fire Queen who stole the secrets of magic and civilization from the
Düréans
and the Otherworld for her descendants, the
Thulamites
. She killed
Dara
in one of her many raids, and dueled
Achre
with both weapons and dance to a standoff; according to some stories she could change appearance and gender as easily as a snake sheds its skin, and performed magics that allowed her to bear a child by Achre. Thula sailed to defend
Ürüne Düré
against
Geteema's
children, though she had herself weakened its defenses. Mother of
Ceram
and
Dall and Pulma
.