Eileen Wilks - Mortal Ties

Lu Nuncio:normally, a Rho’s acknowledged heir; also acts as enforcer/prosecutor/second-in-command as needed. (Note: Leidolf has separated the heir from the Lu Nuncio.) Nuncio is from nuncupo —“to name or pronounce solemnly.” Derivation of lu unknown, but may be short form of lupi .

nadia :mate (fem.); from nodus -i (masc.)—a knot; a girdle; any tie, bond, connection, obligation; also a knotty point or difficulty.

ospi: out-clan friend or friend of the clan; from hospes (host, guest—friend, stranger).

pernato :a lupus who didn’t have a lupus father. A pernato is lupi because of recessives in both parents’ genes. (Also called throwbacks or lost ones, if one occurs that the lupi weren’t tracking. Term first mentioned in Blood Challenge .)

Rhej:the title of a clan’s bard/historian/priestess. Also predates Latin.

Rho:the ruler/leader of a lupus clan. Derivation unknown; legend says it predates Latin.

seco :part of “to call seco ”—to call the ceremony that removes a lupus from his clan.

surdo :an unflattering name for humans (masc.). From surdus (deaf, unwilling to hear, insensible).

t’eius ven :the intimate or informal form of v’eius ven.

terra tradis : the private area where a clan’s male youngsters go before their First Change and live until they learn control. Tradis is a bastardized form of trado (to bequeath, to teach), so it means “the teaching ground.”

thranga :a form of war in which the clans unite under a single battle leader against a common enemy; traditionally it requires the Lady’s summons, but the nature of that summons may be disputed. Predates Latin.

v’eius ven :probably derived from a phrase meaning “go in her [the Lady’s] grace,” though some sources suggest ven may be from venor (hunt) rather than venia (grace), or even from vena (blood vessel or penis). This form is largely ceremonial.

vesceris corpi: a major insult—translates literally as “eater of corpses” and implies taking a certain carnal pleasure in the act.

Lupi: the Clans

There are currently twenty-four clans; ten of them are considered dominant. Four of the ten dominants are in the United States; two are in Canada; one is in Africa; one is in Great Britain; one is in Sweden; one is in the Italian Alps; and one is in eastern Europe.

A dominant clan possesses an especially strong mantle. Occasionally a dominant clan will accept temporary subordinate status to another clan, as Kyffin did with Nokolai in Book 1; it’s still considered dominant because the mantle is unaffected. A clan loses dominant status—and may lose its mantle and identity—when it loses a Clan Challenge. Clan Challenges are rare and can mean outright war, but fundamentally they are a contest between the clans’ mantles and may be settled by individual combat between the two Rhos. All but two of the nondominant clans are subordinated to one of the dominants. Nondominant clans are small, since the size of the clan has an effect on the strength of its mantle, and vice versa. Etorri is the exception. It’s very small, yet its mantle is extremely powerful.

The most powerful clans currently are Nokolai and Leidolf, closely followed by Ybirra. Etorri wields great influence based on its du , but it lacks direct power because of its small size.

Below are the ten dominant clans:

United States

Nokolai:Rule’s clan. Rho: Isen Turner. Rhej: Hannah. Originally from the Brittany region of France. Nokolai is the fourth largest clan (Leidolf, Ybirra, and Mondoyo are larger) and has the most subordinate clans—four, with two in the United States (Laban and Vochi)—and is the most wealthy. Clanhome is in southern California.

Leidolf:A numerous clan, traditional enemies of Nokolai, implicated in the attack on Rule’s father [Books 1, 2, 3]. Randall Frey is the Lu Nuncio (heir) in the first two books, but is killed in Book 3. The Rho in Books 1–5 is Victor Frey. Victor’s other son is Brady Gunning, a sociopath: “tall, blond, and bony; nice chest.” Their Rhej is Ella—African American, tall, broad frame, Baptist. Leidolf currently has no subordinate clans. After Book 3: Randall Frey is dead; Rule is Leidolf heir; Alex Thibodeaux (grizzled, just under six feet, built like a pro wrestler, with skin the color of burnt toast) is Lu Nuncio for the clan; and their Rho (Victor Frey) is in a coma and dying. He dies in Book 5 ( Mortal Sins ).

Szós:Hungarian clan that immigrated to the United States; Rikard Demeny is Lu Nuncio in Book 2. After that, Lu Nuncio is Lucas, third-born son of Rho Andor Demeny. Fierce fighters. One subordinate clan (Czech; didn’t immigrate).

Ybirra:Large Spanish clan; the newest clan, founded in 1882 by Tomás Ybirra. Javiero Mendozo is Lu Nuncio; Manuel Mendoza is Rho. Clanhome in New Mexico. One subordinate clan four years before the opening of the series.

Wythe:A midsized clan with a Clanhome in northern New York; the last clan to immigrate to the United States. Originally from England. Lu Nuncio is Brian Whitman, younger brother of the Rho Edgar Whitman. Both Edgar and Brian die in Book 8.

Canada

Etorri:A tiny clan with great du (honor, face, magic, history); Stephen Andros is Lu Nuncio. Previous Rho was William Carr; current one is Frederick Andros. Follows different rules for succession and does not accept subordinate clans. Clanhome is in eastern Canada. Etorri is said to be Greek, though the identity of its founder is one of many secrets kept by the clan. Etorri is a puzzle to the other clans.

Kyffin:The smallest dominant other than Etorri, based in western Canada; Jasper Herron, the Rho, is unusually young (forty) and a friend of Rule’s. Subordinate to Nokolai for a year and a day, starting in middle of Book 1. The Lu Nuncio is Jasper’s uncle, Myron, as Jasper’s son is too young. Kyffin’s influence is due largely to their friendly relations with pretty much every other clan.

Europe

Ansgar:Scandinavian; Clanhome in Sweden. Ben Larson is Lu Nuncio. Not a large clan, but three very small clans are subordinate to Ansgar, increasing its voice.

Cynyr:A Celtic clan; most live in Ireland and Scotland, some in Wales. Lu Nuncio: Connolly (Con) McGuire. One subordinate (English) clan.

Africa

Mondoyo:The only African clan, started by a small group of lupi who went to northern Africa after the Great War. Out of communication with other clans until eighteenth century and have different customs. Lu Nuncio is Ato Tsegaye.

Subordinate Clans

Laban:One of Nokolai’s subordinates; their small clanhome is near San Francisco. Their mantle is unusually strong for a subordinate clan, but they do not do well without a dominant. They like to fight too much.

Vochi:Nokolai’s other subordinate clan in the United States, they are known for their financial acumen. Vochi births few fighters.