Janny Wurts - The Curse of the Mistwraith

METH-SNAKES – crossbred genetic mutations left over from a First Age creature called a methuri (hatewraith). Related to iyats, these creatures possessed live hosts, which they infested and induced to produce mutated offspring to create weakened lines of stock to widen their choice of potential host animals.pronounced: meth to rhyme with ‘death’root meaning: meth – hate

METHURI – iyat-related parasite that infested live host animals. By the Third Age, they are extinct, but their mutated host stock continues to breed in Mirthlvain Swamp.pronounced: meth-yoor-eeroot meaning: meth – hate; thiere – wraith, or spirit

MIN PIERENS – archipelago to the west of Kingdom of West Shand, in the Westland Sea.pronounced: min (rhymes with ‘pin’) pierre-insroot meaning: min – purple; pierens – shoreline

MIRTHLVAIN SWAMP – boglands filled with dangerous crossbreeds, located south of the Tiriac Mountains in principality of Midhalla, Melhalla. Never left unwatched. Since conquest of the Mistwraith, the appointed guardian was the spellbinder, Verrain.pronounced: mirth-el-vainroot meaning: myrthl – noxious; vain – bog/mud

MORFETT – Lord Governor Supreme of Etarra at the time the Fellowship seeks to restore Rathain’s monarchy following the captivity of the Mistwraith.pronounced: more-fetno root meaning from the Paravian

MORRIEL – Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain since the Third Age year 4212.pronounced: more-realroot meaning: moar – greed; riel – silver

MORVAIN – city located in the principality of Araethura, Rathain, on the coast of Instrell Bay. Elaira’s birthplace.pronounced: more-vainroot meaning: morvain – swindler’s market

NARMS – city on the coast of Instrell Bay, built as a craft centre by men in the early Third Age. Best known for dyeworks.pronounced: narms to rhyme with ‘charms’root meaning: narms – colour

ORLAN – pass through the Thaldein Mountains, also location of the Camris clans’ west outpost, in Camris, Tysan. Where Asandir’s party is waylayed by Grithen enroute to Althain Tower.pronounced: or-lanroot meaning: irlan – ledge

ORVANDIR – principality located in northeastern Shand.pronounced: or-van-deerroot meaning: orvein – crumbled; dir stone

PARAVIAN – name for the three old races that inhabited Athera before men. Including the centaurs, the sunchildren, and the unicorns, these races never die unless mishap befalls them; they are the world’s channel, or direct connection to Ath Creator.pronounced: par-ai-vee-ansroot meaning: para – great; i’on – fate or ‘great mystery’

PESQUIL – Mayor of the Northern League of Headhunters, at the time of the battle of Strakewood Forest. His strategies cause the Deshir clans the most punishing losses.pronounced: pes-quil to rhyme with ‘pest quill’.root meaning not from the Paravian

QUEN – halfwit who serves as door guard and servant to the Prime Enchantress of the Koriathain, Morriel.pronounced: cue-enroot meaning: quenient – witless

RATHAIN – High Kingdom of Athera ruled by descendants of Torbrand s’Ffalenn since Third Age year 1. Sigil: black and silver leopard on green field.pronounced: rath-aynroot meaning: roth – brother; thein – tower, sanctuary

RAUVEN TOWER – home of the s’Ahelas mages who brought up Arithon s’Ffalenn and trained him to the ways of power. Located on the splinter world, Dascen Elur, through West Gate.pronounced: raw-venroot meaning: rauven – invocation

RENWORT – plant native to Athera. A poisonous mash can be brewed from the berries.pronounced: ren-wartroot meaning: renwarin – poison

RIATHAN PARAVIANS – unicorns, the purest and most direct connection to Ath Creator; the prime vibration channels directly through the horn.pronounced: ree-ah-thanroot meaning: ria to touch; ath – prime life force ri’athon – one who touches divinity

ROCKFELL – deep shaft cut into Rockfell Peak, used to imprison harmful entities throughout all three ages. Located in the principality of West Halla, Melhalla; became the warded prison for Desh-thiere.pronounced: rock-fellroot meaning not from the Paravian

ROCKFELL VALE – valley below Rockfell Peak, located in principality of West Halla, Melhalla.pronounced: rockfell valeroot meaning not from the Paravian

SAERIAT – name of the brigantine captained by Avar of Karthan, defeated and burned in engagement against seventeen warships of Amroth.pronounced: say-ree-atroot meaning: saer – water; iyat – to breaks’AHELAS – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year I to rule the High Kingdom of Shand. Gifted geas: farsight.pronounced: s’ah-hell-asroot meaning: ahelas – mage-gifted

s’DARIAN – family name for a line of centaurs who were master armourers in the First and Second Ages. Most renowned was Ffereton who forged the twelve Blades of Isaer, Alithiel being for his natural son Durmaenir.pronounced: dar-ee-anroot meaning: daer’an – one that cuts

s’FFALENN – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Rathain. Gifted geas: compassion/empathy.pronounced: fal-enroot meaning: ffael – dark; an – one

s’GANNLEY – family name for the line of earls of the west, who stood as caithdein and stewards for the kings of Tysan.pronounced: gan-leeroot meaning: gaen – to guide; li – exalted, or in harmony

s’ILESSID – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Tysan. Gifted geas: justice.pronounced: s-ill-ess-idroot meaning: liessiad – balance

s’LORNMEIN – family name for the royal line appointed by the Fellowship sorcerers in Third Age year 1 to rule the High Kingdom of Havish. Gifted geas: temperance

s’PERHEDRAL – line of sunchildren whose issue succeeded Athera’s High Kingship after Enastir, who died heirless.pronounced: per-heed-rallroot meaning: para – great; hedreal – oak

s’VALERIENT – family name for the earls of the north, regents and caithdein for the high kings of Rathain.pronounced: val-er-ee-entroot meaning: val – straight; erient – spear

SEARDLUIN – vicious, intelligent cat-formed creatures that roved in packs whose hierarchy was arranged for ruthless and efficient slaughter of other living things. By the middle of the Second Age, they had been battled to extinction.pronounced: seerd-lwinroot meaning: seard – bearded; luin – feline

SETHVIR – sorcerer of the Fellowship of Seven, served as Warden of Althain since the disappearance of the Paravians in the Third Age after the Mistwraith’s conquest.pronounced – seth-veerroot meaning: seth – fact; vaer – keep

SEVERNIR – river that once ran across the central part of Daon Ramon Barrens, Rathain. Diverted at the source after the Mistwraith’s conquest, to run east into Eltair Bay.pronounced: se-ver-neerroot meaning: sevaer – to travel; nir – south

SHAND – one of the Five High Kingdoms of Athera, cut by South Strait, the portion on the western shore being West Shand.pronounced: shandroot meaning: shand – two

SHANDIAN – refers to nationality, being of the Kingdom of Shandpronounced: shand-ee-anroot meaning: shand – two

SITHAER – mythological equivalent of hell, halls of Dharkaron Avenger’s judgement; according to Ath’s adepts, that state of being where the prime vibration is not recognized.pronounced: sith-airroot meaning: sid – lost; thiere – wraith/spirit