Ian Irvine - Chimaera

His voice shook, but firmed as the guards came at him. ‘Let the name Irisis become a rallying cry for the resistance. Let the resistance grow until not even the tears can stand against it. And on that day we will tear down this evil tyrant –’

‘Knock him down!’ snarled Jal-Nish, and one of the guards clubbed Nish to the ground.

‘Take him to the cells. Let him begin his ten years without delay.’

Two soldiers dragged Nish off.

‘When he comes out, he’ll only have one ambition left – to serve.’ Turning to the shocked and silent crowd, Jal-Nish said softly to the soldiers, ‘The world will be mine, and there is nothing anyone can do to prevent it. Prepare for the aftermath .’

Aachim:The human species native to Aachan, once conquered and enslaved by a small force of invading Charon (the Hundred). The Aachim are great artisans and engineers, but melancholy or prone to hubris and arrogance. In ancient times, many were brought to Santhenar by Rulke in the fruitless hunt for the Golden Flute. The Aachim flourished on Santhenar but were later betrayed by Rulke and ruined in the Clysm. They then withdrew from the world to their hidden mountain cities. The ones remaining on Aachan gained their freedom after the Forbidding was broken, when the surviving Charon went back to the void. Two hundred years later, volcanic activity on Aachan had become so violent that it threatened to destroy all life on the planet. The Aachim sought for a way of escape and one of them, Minis, managed to contact Tiaan on Santhenar, because of her amplimet. The Aachim showed her how to open a gate between Aachan and Santhenar. She thought she was saving her beloved, Minis, and a small number of Aachim, but when they came through, they were a hundred and fifty thousand, a host ready for war, in eleven thousand mighty constructs.

Chissmoul: An instinctive thapter pilot, shy but known for her reckless verve at the controller of her machine.

Cryl-Nish Hlar : A former scribe, prober in secret and reluctant artificer, generally known as Nish. Nish has grown greatly since the tale began and is now the trusted confidant of Xervish Flydd.

Daesmie:A farspeaker operator.

Eiryn Muss:Halfwit; an air-moss grower and harmless pervert, he turned out to be the scrutator’s prober (spy) in the manufactory. He vanished, subsequently turned up when Flydd went to the west, but was sent out from Fiz Gorgo on a spying mission and did not return.

Elienor (Clan):Elienor was a great Aachim heroine of ancient times, who almost defeated Rulke when the Hundred invaded Aachan. She was the founder of Clan Elienor, the least of the Aachim clans, who, since coming to Aachan with Vithis, have been ostracised for allowing Tiaan to escape with a construct.

Faellem:A long-lived human species who have passed out of the Histories, though some may still dwell in isolated parts of Santhenar.

Flangers:A soldier and hero in past battles against the lyrinx, he is stricken by guilt for his part in shooting down a Council thapter, and desperate to atone.

Fusshte:A treacherous member of the Council of Scrutators, second to Ghorr.

Fyn-Mah:Former querist (chief of the municipal intelligence bureau) at Tiksi and a loyal supporter of Xervish Flydd, she nurtures a secret passion for him.

Ghorr:Chief Scrutator of the Council of Scrutators, and Flydd’s enemy.

Gilhaelith : An eccentric, amoral geomancer and mathemancer who dwelt at Nyriandiol. Because of his dismal early years he is obsessed with controlling everyone and everything in his life. When unable to do this the stress causes him to have panic attacks. His overriding goal is to understand the nature of the physical world, so as to control it too. He was captured by the lyrinx so he could aid their excavations in the tar pits at Snizort, and subsequently taken to their underground city of Oellyll, beneath Alcifer, from which he has since been rescued (against his will by Tiaan) and taken to Fiz Gorgo. There Yggur, mistrusting him, cast him into prison and Gilhaelith’s geomantic attempts to escape led the scrutators to Fiz Gorgo.

Gyrull:Matriarch of the lyrinx city at Snizort. A powerful, farsighted mancer, profoundly intelligent.

Haani: Tiaan’s adopted sister, accidentally killed by the Aachim in Tirthrax.

Halie:A scrutator on the Council and a former supporter of Flydd.

Inouye: The pilot of Jal-Nish’s air-floater, stolen by Fyn-Mah and now used by Flydd. Inouye is a sad little creature, terrified that her children and her man have been executed because she was forced to ally with Flydd.

Inthis: Vithis’s clan of Aachim, since time immemorial first of the eleven clans (First Clan). All Clan Inthis, apart from Vithis and Minis, were lost when the portal between Aachan and Tirthrax was opened, to Vithis’s unending grief.

Irisis Stirm : Crafter, originally in charge of the controller artisans at the manufactory; niece of Barkus; one-time lover of Xervish Flydd, now a friend and comrade-in-arms .

Jal-Nish Hlar : Acting Scrutator; Nish’s father. He suffered massive injuries from a lyrinx attack and begged to be allowed to die, but Nish and Irisis saved his life. Now, hideously maimed, he has a bitter loathing for them both, and an unquenchable desire to be the greatest scrutator of all. He stole the tears formed by the destruction of the Snizort node but was subsequently eaten by the lyrinx at the battle of Gumby Marth .

Joeyn (Joe):An old miner, Tiaan’s friend, who died in a roof fall.

Kattiloe:A young thapter pilot.

Kimli:A young thapter pilot

Klarm:Scrutator for Borgistry. A handsome and cheerful man, despite his dwarfish stature.

Liett : Gyrull’s daughter, and a lyrinx with unarmoured skin and no chameleon ability; a talented flesh-former and brilliant flier who yearns to lead her people, even though she is regarded as incomplete. She has a turbulent relationship with Ryll.

Liliwen:Daughter of Troist and Yara, twin of Meriwen.

Luxor:A conciliatory Aachim clan leader.

Lyrinx:Massive winged humanoids who escaped from the void to Santhenar after the Forbidding was broken. Highly intelligent, many of them are able to use the Secret Art, most commonly for keeping their heavy bodies in flight. They have armoured skin and a chameleon-like ability to change their colours and patterns, often used for communication (skin-speech). Some lyrinx are also flesh-formers; they can change small organisms into desired forms using the Art. In the void they used a similar ability to pattern their unborn young so as to survive in that harsh environment. As a consequence, they are not entirely comfortable in their powerful but much changed bodies. The lyrinx were forced to abandon their culture and heritage in the void. Their lives are entirely martial, and now some of them are beginning to regret their loss and wonder what to do about it once they’ve won the war.