Faith Hunter - Jane Yellowrock World Companion

To all the fans who love Jane Yellowrock and Beast, and who give me a chance to tell Jane’s tale, with all her faults, her weaknesses to grow through, her mistakes (we all make them, so a good character has to make them, right?), her friends, her family, her loves, her Beast.

YOU make this series possible. So this is for you.

Enjoy,

Faith

From Faith—Dear Fans, a Companion guide, unlike a novel, has no particular format. There is no setting or tone or inciting event, no mystery to solve, and a nearly infinite way of gathering and looking at the information. It is a look back, and ahead, at a long-running series, usually written in the middle of a series, and often, as in my case, there is a wonderful helper to put things together. Some writers get other writers or editors to help them. I wanted a reader, someone who liked Jane and Beast and who had a strong appreciation of them as separate characters. Someone who could look at them with the eyes of a reader, of a fan, and who had a firm grasp of the genre. Just about the time I thought about putting together a Companion, Carol Malcolm, a longtime panel moderator at Cons, and a new (at the time) friend, was looking for some part-time work. It was a match made in heaven. Carol has an insightful eye, a broad knowledge of the Urban Fantasy field, and a true love of writers, readers, characters, and story line.

From Carol—Much as I have always loved Jane and her world from the very beginning, rereading all of these stories and books in order has shown me how special this series really is. Our hope is that this guide will serve as a fun and helpful addition to readers as they navigate Jane’s intricate and fascinating world. Many thanks to Faith for taking a chance on me, and I hope I have done the series justice.

From both of us—So, this is a collaborative process, one meant to explain and clarify Jane and her world. There is also fiction in it. Two new shorts and a longer novella.

I—we—hope you all enjoy it.

Faith and Carol

Faith’s disclaimer (to cover her backside): Hey, y’all. Cherokee is a very difficult language to pronounce, and as with any language there were and are regional differences. A Speaker of The People from the Eastern Band of Cherokee might pronounce a word one way, and a Speaker from the Western Band might pronounce it differently, much like the way a Southerner from Georgia might pronounce words differently from a Southerner in Louisiana or South Carolina. For that matter, even within Cherokee clans, there would be differences!

The written language also has its own alphabet, with characters I can’t show here, sadly, but I’ve done the best I could. The language is spoken very softly and with a breathy sound. It is a gentle-sounding language, fluid and softly resonant.

Aquetsi ageyutsa— (ah-que-et-see ah-ghee-ute-sa). As best I can say it. My daughter in Cherokee.

Ani gilogi— (ah-nee ghee-lo-ghee. I’ve also heard it: an-ah gee-loh-gee). Panther Clan of the Cherokee.

Ani sahoni— (ah-nee sah-hon-ee). Blue Holly Clan of the Cherokee.

Anamchara—mind-bound Mithrans.

Blood-challenge—the legally appropriate challenge of one Mithran to another for territory, power, and scions.

Blood-family—a sire or dame and the children they made. They usually nest or lair together, along with the blood-servants and blood-slaves.

Blood-feud—the warlike battles between vampire clans before the creation of the Vampira Carta and the laws Mithrans must live under.

Blood-magic—Magic executed with the blood of a living creature. Often with its death. A black art.

Blood-servants—the sworn human companions of Mithrans.

Blood-slaves—the humans who are addicted to vampire blood and who are passed around as dinner and sex slaves.

Bubo bubo—Asian eagle owl (species).

Chelokay— (chee-lo-kay). Another word for the Cherokee people.

Dalonige i digadoli— Third syllable is a long i (dal-ohn-i-gay ee dee-god-oh-lee). As well as I can represent what I hear. Yellow eyes Yellow rock, Jane’s Cherokee name.

Devoveo—(du-vo-vee-oh). the madness all humans enter into for the first ten or twenty years after they are turned. If they survive and return to sanity, they are set free.

Dolore—(doh-lor-eh). the madness vampires go into when someone they love dies, unless they have a misericord, or Mercy Blade, to feed upon.

E doda (or edoda)— (ee-doh-da). My father in Cherokee.

Egini Agayvlge i— Aggie One Feather (Too long to do justice here!).

Elisi (or e lisi)— (ee-lee-see). My Grandmother, also Uni Elisi —grandmother of many children, below.

Etsi (et-see or e tsi)—My mother.

Fame Vexatum—(fa-may vex-a-tum). The life of starvation and control over appetite and hunting instincts led by Mithrans.

Flehmen response—the way many cats scent, by pulling up the lips and lifting the tongue and sucking in air over the tongue and the roof of the mouth. It can make a schuuschuu or scree sound.

Grindylow—(gren-dee-low). The supernatural creature who lives with were-clans, who is their pet unless the weres spread the were-taint, at which point the grindys become judge and executioner.

Gvhe—(G with a breath followed a v/b sound. A bit like ghhh-vee-hee or ghhh-bee-hee). Wild cat.

Gvli— (As above for gv. So, something like ghhh-vee-lee or ghhh-bee-lee). Raccoon.

Long-chained—the vampires who are stuck in the insanity of the devoveo.

Misericorde— (mee-ser-i-cord). Mercy Blades. In history, they gave the cut of mercy to fallen knights who were wounded unto death, but suffering. Also the name of the blade of mercy. In the series, they are also the beings who give the cut of mercy to any vampire who is stuck in the devoveo and will never reach sanity.

Mithrans—the Latin name for vampires who follow the Fame Vexatum.

Naturaleza—the life hunting and feeding freedom and lack of rules followed by vampires who do not follow Fame Vexatum.

Onorio—(oh-nor-ree-oo). A human blood-servant who survived a near-death experience and was healed by a powerful vampire. The term means honored one. They cannot be bound to a vampire. They do not have to drink much vampire blood to retain their youth and vigor. They are honored and have special duties, though they are not bound.

Outclan—vampires who do not swear blood fealty to a vampire master. Often they are priestesses. They are powerful vampires who do not wish to be part of a family or clan.

Psy-LED—the Psychometry Law Enforcement Department of Homeland Security.

Psy-meter—the device that measures ambient magical activity, much like the way a Geiger counter measures radiation.

Scion—the blood-child or sworn Mithran to a master (sigh-on—which seems appropriate).

Skinwalker—a tribal American shape-changer. Most often into predators, though Jane’s Edoda suggested she could turn into other animals too someday.