The Skull Throne (81 page)

KRASIAN DICTIONARY

Abban am’Haman am’Kaji:
Wealthy
khaffit
merchant, friend to both Jardir and Arlen, crippled during his warrior training.

Ahmann asu Hoshkamin am’Jardir am’Kaji:
Ahmann, son of Hoshkamin, of the line of Jardir, of the tribe Kaji. Leader of all Krasia. Believed by many to be the Deliverer. See also: Shar’Dama Ka.

Ajin’pal
(blood brother): Name for the bond that forms on a boy’s first night fighting in the Maze, when he is tethered to a
dal’Sharum
warrior to keep him from running when the demons first come at them. An
ajin’pal
is considered a blood relative thereafter.

Ala:
(1) The perfect world created by Everam, corrupted by Nie. (2) Dirt, soil, clay, etc.

Alagai:
The Krasian word for corelings (demons). Direct translation is “plague of Ala.”

Alagai hora:
Demon bones used by
dama’ting
to create magic items, such as the warded dice they use to tell the future.
Alagai hora
burst into flame if exposed to sunlight.

Alagai Ka:
Ancient Krasian name for the consort to Alagai’ting Ka, the Mother of Demons. Alagai Ka and his sons were said to be the most powerful of the demon lords, generals, and captains of Nie’s forces.

Alagai’sharak:
Holy War against demonkind.

Alagai tail:
A whip consisting of three strips of braided leather ending in sharp barbs meant to cut deeply into a victim’s flesh. Used by
dama
as an instrument of punishment.

Alagai’ting Ka:
The Mother of All Demons, the demon queen of Krasian myth.

Aleverak:
Ancient, one-armed
Damaji
of the Majah tribe in Krasia. One of the greatest living
sharusahk
grand masters.

Amanvah:
Jardir’s eldest
dama’ting
daughter by Inevera. Married to Rojer Inn.

Andrah:
Krasian secular and religious dictator, second only to the Deliverer and Damajah.

Anoch Sun:
Lost city that was once the seat of power for Kaji, the Shar’Dama Ka. Rediscovered by Arlen Bales, it was found to contain the secrets to battle warding.

Asavi:
Dama’ting
of the Kaji tribe. Former rival of Inevera as
nie’dama’ting.
Lover of Melan.

Ashan:
Son of Dama Khevat and closest friend of Jardir’s during his training in Sharik Hora, Ashan is
Damaji
of the Kaji tribe and part of Jardir’s inner circle. Married to Jardir’s eldest sister, Imisandre. Father of Asukaji and Ashia.

Ashia:
Jardir’s
Sharum’ting
neice. Daughter of Ashan and Imisandre. Married to Asome. Mother of Kaji.

Asome:
Jardir’s second son by Inevera.
Dama.
Known as the “heir to nothing.” Married to Ashia. Father of Kaji.

Asu:
“Son” or “son of.” Used as a prefix in formal names, as in Ahmann asu Hoshkamin am’Jardir am’Kaji.

Asukaji:
Ashan’s eldest son by Jardir’s sister Imisandre, and heir to the Kaji tribe.
Dama.

Baden:
Rich and powerful
dama
of the Kaji tribe.
Push’ting.
Known to possess several items of
hora
magic.

Bazaar, Great:
The largest merchant area in Krasia, located right inside the main gates. It is run entirely by women and
khaffit.

Belina:
Jardir’s
dama’ting
wife from the Majah tribe.

Bido:
Loincloth worn by most Krasians under their robes, the bido is most commonly noted as the sole clothing of young Krasian boys and girls in training.

Chabbavah:
Dal’ting
woman killed in an attempt to be raised to
Sharum.

Chin:
Outsider/infidel. This word is also considered an insult, meaning that a person is a coward.

Chi’Sharum:
Greenland adult men too old to go through
Hannu Pash
are levied and trained in the
chin’sharaj.
Those who pass are inducted into
chi’Sharum.
Generally used as fodder in combat.

Cielvah:
Daughter of Abban. Raped by Hasik
, leading Abban to have Hasik castrated.

Coliv:
Krevakh Watcher, bodyguard to Amanvah.

Couzi:
A harsh, illegal Krasian liquor flavored with cinnamon. Because of its potency, it is served in tiny cups meant to be taken in one swallow.

Crownsight:
Enhanced wardsight from Crown of Kaji.

Dal:
Prefix meaning “honored.”

Dal’Sharum:
The Krasian warrior caste, which includes the vast majority of the men.
Dal’Sharum
are broken into tribes controlled by the
Damaji,
and smaller units answerable to a
dama
and a
kai’Sharum. Dal’Sharum
dress in black robes with a black turban and night veil. All are trained in hand-to-hand combat (
sharusahk
), as well as spear fighting and shield formations.

Dal’ting:
Fertile married women, or older women who have given birth.

Dama:
A Krasian Holy Man.
Dama
are both religious and secular leaders. They wear white robes and carry no weapons. All
dama
are masters of
sharusahk,
the Krasian hand-to-hand martial art.

Damajah:
Singular title for the First Wife of the Shar’Dama Ka.

Damaji:
The twelve
Damaji
are the religious and secular leaders of their individual tribes, and serve the Andrah/Shar’Dama Ka as ministers and advisors.

Damaji’ting:
The tribal leaders of the
dama’ting,
and the most powerful women in Krasia.

Dama’ting:
Krasian Holy Women who also serve as healers and midwives.
Dama’ting
hold the secrets of
hora
magic, including the power to foretell the future, and are held in fear and awe. Harming a
dama’ting
in any way is punishable by death.

Daylight War, the:
Also known as Sharak Sun. Ancient war during which Kaji conquered the known world, uniting them for Sharak Ka.

Desert Spear, the:
The Krasians’ term for their city. Known in the North as Fort Krasia.

Domin Sharum:
Literally translating as “two warriors,”
Domin Sharum
refers to a strict ritual of single combat under Evejan law.

Draki:
Krasian unit of currency.

Drillmasters:
Elite warriors who train
nie’Sharum.
Drillmasters wear standard
dal’Sharum
blacks, but their night veils are red.

Enkaji:
Damaji
of the powerful Mehnding tribe.

Enkido:
Eunuch servant and
sharusahk
instructor of the Kaji
dama’ting.
Made personal bodyguard to Amanvah, killed by a mimic demon.

Evejah, the:
The holy book of Everam, written by Kaji, the first Deliverer, some three millennia past. The Evejah is separated into sections called Dunes. Each
dama
pens a copy of the Evejah in his own blood during his clerical training.

Evejan:
Name of the Krasian religion, “those who follow the Evejah.”

Evejan law:
The militant religious law the Krasians impose on
chin,
meant to force nonbelievers to follow the Evejah under threat rather than belief.

Everalia:
Jardir’s third Kaji wife.

Everam:
The Creator.

Everam’s Bounty:
After Fort Rizon with its vast farmland was taken by the armies of the Deliverer in 333 AR, the city-state was renamed Everam’s Bounty to honor the Creator. It is the Krasian foothold in the green lands.

Everam’s light:
Wardlight, and the ability to see otherwise invisible flows of magic using warded sight.

Fahki:
Dal’Sharum
son of Abban. Raised to hate his
khaffit
father.

Gai:
Plague, demon.

Gaisahk:
Form of
sharusahk
modified by Arlen Bales to maximize the effect of his warded flesh.

Ginjaz:
Turncoat, traitor.

Greenlander:
One from the green lands.

Green lands:
Krasian name for Thesa (the lands north of the Krasian desert).

Hannu Pash:
Literally “life’s path,” this represents the period of a boy’s life after he has been taken from his mother but before his caste (
dal’Sharum, dama,
or
khaffit
) is set. It is a period of intense and brutal physical training, along with religious indoctrination.

Hanya:
Jardir’s youngest sister, four years younger than he. Married to Hasik, mother to Sikvah.

Hasik:
Disgraced bodyguard to Jayan, castrated by Abban. Called Whistler because his missing tooth causes his
s
’s to whistle.

Heasah:
Prostitute.

Hora magic:
Any magic using demon body parts (bones, ichor, etc.) as a battery to power spells.

Horn of Sharak:
Ceremonial horn blown to begin and end
alagai’sharak.

Hoshkamin:
Father of Ahmann Jardir; deceased. Also Jardir’s third son by Inevera.

Hoshvah:
Jardir’s middle sister, three years younger than he. Married to Shanjat. Mother of Shanvah.

Hundred, the:
The
kha’Sharum
and
chi’Sharum
warriors in Abban’s employ. Taking their name from the one hundred
kha’Sharum
warriors given him by Jardir, Abban has increased their numbers well beyond that.

Ichach:
Damaji
of the Khanjin tribe.

Imisandre:
Jardir’s eldest sister, one year younger than he. Married to Ashan. Mother of Asukaji and Ashia.

Inevera:
(1) Jardir’s powerful
dama’ting
First Wife. Kaji tribe. Also known as the Damajah. (2) Krasian word meaning “Everam’s will” or “Everam willing.”

Jamere:
Abban’s
dama
nephew and heir apparent.

Jardir:
The seventh son of Kaji, the Deliverer. Once a great house, the line of Jardir lasted more than three thousand years, slowly dwindling in number and glory until its last son, Ahmann Jardir, restored its renown.

Jayan:
Jardir’s first
Sharum
son by Inevera. Sharum Ka.

Jiwah:
Wife.

Jiwah Ka:
First wife. The
Jiwah Ka
is the first and most honored of a Krasian man’s wives. She has veto power over subsequent marriages, and can command the lesser wives.

Jiwah Sen:
Lesser wives, subservient to a man’s
Jiwah Ka.

Jiwah’Sharum:
Literally “wives of warriors,” these are women purchased for the great harem of the
Sharum
during their fertile years. It is considered a great honor to serve. All warriors have access to their tribe’s
jiwah’Sharum,
and are expected to keep them continually pregnant, adding warriors to the tribe.

Jurim:
Kai’Sharum
Spear of the Deliverer who trained with Jardir. Kaji tribe.

Kad’:
Prefix meaning “of.”

Kai’Sharum:
Krasian military captains, the
kai’Sharum
receive special training in Sharik Hora and lead individual units in
alagai’sharak.
The number of
kai’Sharum
in a tribe depends on its number of warriors. Some tribes have many, some just one.
Kai’Sharum
wear
dal’Sharum
blacks, but their night veils are white.

Kai’ting:
Jardir’s mother, sisters, nieces, and
Sharum
daughters.
Kai’ting
wear a white veil with their blacks. Striking one means death or the loss of the offending limb.

Kaji:
The name of the original Deliverer and patriarch of the Kaji tribe, also known as Shar’Dama Ka, as the Spear of Everam, and by various other titles. Kaji united the known world in war against demons some thirty-five hundred years past. His seat of power was the lost city of Anoch Sun, but he also founded Fort Krasia.

Kaji had three artifacts for which he was famous: (1)
The Spear of Kaji
—the metal spear he used to slay
alagai
by the thousand. (2)
The Crown of Kaji
—bejeweled and molded in the shape of powerful wards. (3)
The Cloak of Kaji
—a cloak that made him invisible to demons, so he could walk freely in the night.

Kajivah:
Mother of Ahmann Jardir and his three sisters, Imisandre, Hoshvah, and Hanya. Also known as the Holy Mother. While not a trained cleric, she has great (if largely undefined) religious power among the commoners, who adore her.

Kasaad:
Inevera’s father. Crippled
khaffit.
Former
Sharum.

Kaval:
Gavram asu Chenin am’Kaval am’Kaji. Drillmaster of the Kaji tribe. One of Jardir’s
dal’Sharum
instructors during his
Hannu Pash.
Killed by a mimic demon.

Khaffit:
A man forced to take up a craft instead of becoming a cleric or warrior. Lowest male station in Krasian society. Expelled from
Hannu Pash, khaffit
are forced to dress in the tan clothes of children and shave their cheeks as a sign that they are not men.