Adria Idonea - Princess of Heiland; daughter of King Ebenhardt Idonea, niece of Duke Preinon Idonea, and elder sister of Prince Hafgrim Idonea; also known among the Aesidhe as Likshochuhalene (Lilene), Lozheskisiyama (Lózha), and Pukshonisla (Púksha).

 

Adselm Marbury - Eldest child and heir of Sir Fannen and Lady Marbury.

 

Aeman - The people who have settled or conquered much of Heiland; typically fair of hair, skin, and eyes; politically considered the rightful people of Heiland by other nations, and presently ruled by the House of Idonea.

 

Aesidhe - The native people of Heiland; darker skinned and typically organized into nomadic tribes, they mostly inhabit the forests of central and southern Heiland; now under threat by Aeman encroachment and the Knights of Darkfire.

 

Amos - “The Mountain Bear”; an Aeman constellation.

 

Angans - Ship-builders who settled Heiland from the Northlands; though they predated the Aeman, they are likely forebears; according to the Sisterhood, they worshiped a goddess and were matrilineal.

 

Angels - Colloquial term for the unseen servants of the God of the Sisterhood.

 

Aniya - Aesidhe, daughter of Imani.

 

Anna - Hafgrim Idonea’s nursemaid as a child.

 

Archangels - Colloquially, the greatest among the angels in the Sisterhood faith.

 

Atrius - Son of the Earl of Eastwick in Southern Heiland.

 

Banneret - A low rank of feudal nobility in Heiland and other Aeman cultures. They are knights who are able to command other knights, but may or may not be landed.

 

Brother Marshal - Form of address for the Grand Marshal of the Knights of Darkfire.

 

Brotherhood - Informal term for the Knights of Darkfire.

 

Chancellor - Typically the chief administrator of a nation.

 

Chancer, Mount - Mountain in the Werdstan Mountains upon which Windberth is built.

 

Chasebatu - An Aesidhe Runner; often leads the Runners in song.

 

Chatechushochugloka - Name given by the Aesidhe to Adria’s bow; literally: Fire Heart of the Black Tree.

 

Chosen Mother - Aeman translation for a term of endearment one gives an older woman who is not one’s natural mother.

 

Chúgoye – Familiar form of Mateko's child name, Chúgoyétokoe.

 

Chúgoyétokoe - “Falls from Trees”; Mateko’s child name; familiar form: Chúgoye.

 

Council of Peers - Feudal council which advises the King of Heiland; stands apart from the Sisterhood and the Knights of Darkfire.

 

Count of Coutheshire - Landed title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Count of Ebonfold - Landed title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Count of Gladewell - Landed title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Coutheshire - County in Western Heiland; held by Duke Preinon before his exile.

 

Crookfinger - River beneath Windberth which cuts between the citadel and the city itself.

 

Dark Fire (of Heiland) - Name for Ebenhardt Idonea which gave the Knights of the Sisterhood their name; given to Ebenhardt Idonea because of his use of a fire during the War of Scars which could burn upon the water and had a dark hue.

 

Doctrine - Term for the bulk of the Sisterhood’s laws and teachings.

 

Dragon - A mythical creature from the legends and folklore of the Aeman.

 

Duke of Heiland - Royal title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Earl of Westmund - Highest landed Title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Ebenhardt Idonea - King of Heiland; father of Adria Idonea and Hafgrim Idonea, and younger brother of Preinon Idonea.

 

Ebonfold - County in Western Heiland; held by Duke Preinon before his exile.

 

Elwynd High - Highland nation south of Heiland; mostly populated by Aeman or Aeman-like peoples, but with their own language, Wenish.

 

Erentis - Western continent of the known world of Morandia.

 

Eward - Second son of Baron Praetorius.

 

Falk - Steward of Windberth Keep upon Adria’s return; son of a Baronet of Highreach.

 

Fannen Marbury, Sir - A Banneret with an estate in southern Heiland.

 

First Arrow - Present given to a young Aesidhe woman when she reaches her maturity; intended to later be given to her potential husband as a betrothal gift.

 

Ghost Dance - A Sacred Ceremonial mentioned by Shísha as a future practice.

 

Gladewell - County in Western Heiland; held by Duke Preinon before his exile.

 

God of the Sisterhood - Unlike the Nine Gods of the Temples in prior generations, the God of the Sisterhood is a singular supreme ruler, transcendental and formless, but personified by the One-Who-Comes, a human believed to herald the end of all wars and an eternity of peace; the use of “God” is colloquial, and the Sisterhood stress that the deity has no actual name.

 

Godwinson, Sir - Banneret of the Violet West; served Duke Preinon Idonea before his exile.

 

Gold Crown - The highest value coin in Heiland; bears the face of King Ebenhardt Idonea; has a flint or obsidian core, and thus is sometimes called a Blackheart, a pun of the king’s name; difficult to valuate because of the variable amount of gold.

 

Grand Marshal - Title of the chief military commander of the Knights of Darkfire; second in power only to the king and the Matriarch of the Sisterhood.

 

Hafgrim Idonea - Prince of Heiland; child of Ebenhardt Idonea and younger brother of Adria Idonea.

 

Healer - Aeman translation for a term of respect typically given to those with healing knowledge and ability, usually but not always skills of a Mechushegi.

 

Heaven - Colloquially, the afterlife paradise envisioned within the faith of the Sisterhood.

 

Heiland, Kingdom of - Nation of the northernmost area of the continent of Erentis in the world of Morandia.

 

High Matron - A secondary (and incorrect) title for the Matriarch of the Sisterhood.

 

Highreach - Largest city of Heiland; often considered the capital before the construction of Windberth.

 

Hollow Path - The sea west of Heiland; its name is based upon the Aesidhe name.

 

Holy Matron, Her/Your - Formal term of address for the Matriarch of the Sisterhood.

 

Hopawecheteya - The Sweat Lodge ceremonial of the Aesidhe, believed to cleanse the body and spirit.

 

Hunter - Title for an Aesidhe who hunts for the tribe and may serve as a warrior; considered a term of respect.

 

Idonea, House of - The present ruling family of Heiland; King Ebenhardt Idonea united all of Aeman Heiland during the War for Union, just after the War of Scars.

 

Ierusca (alternatively Jerusca or Yerusca) - Nation southwest of Heiland; politically ruled by Somana, but often a source of rebellion; the Ieru have a very distinct culture, peoples, and political structure.

 

Ima Chatechoku-yaihhe haipe - “First Moon Time”; this is a coming-of-age ceremonial for young women reaching maturity among the Aesidhe.

 

Imani - Young Aesidhe woman of the Shíme Okshowaniya; friend and confidant of Adria.

 

Kaye - Nursemaid and governess of Adria Idonea as a child.

 

Kelman - The people of Kelmantium.

 

Kelmantian - The language of Kelmantium.

 

Kelmantium - Major nation of Numinon, to the east of Erentis across the sea.

 

King’s Road - The primary north-south road in Heiland, originally built by Somanans, which stretches from Propolus in the south to Windberth in the north.

 

Knight Captain - Knight of Darkfire rank above Knight Sergeant, which is above Knight (Brother).

 

Knights of Darkfire - Military order of the Sisterhood and Heiland; often referred to in Heiland simply as Knights, but distinguished from the Heiland feudal hierarchy rank of knight.

 

Lichushegi - Aesidhe title of Holy Woman; female form of Mechushegi.

 

Likshochuhalene - Adria Idonea’s child name among the Aesidhe; literally: Gold Pales in Sunlight.

 

Lilene - Short form of Likshochuhalene, Adria Idonea’s child name among the Aesidhe.

 

Lózha - Short form of Lozheskisiyama, Adria Idonea’s adult name among the Aesidhe.

 

Lozheskisiyama - Adria Idonea’s adult name among the Aesidhe; literally: Walks Two Webs.

 

Mana - “Basket of the Gods”; an Aeman constellation.

 

Marbury - Aeman family who own an estate in Southern Heiland on the border with the Aesidhe lands.

 

Marshal of the Violet West - Military title held by Preinon Idonea of Heiland before his exile.

 

Massacre of Palmill - A battle between Aeman soldiers and Aesidhe warriors which ended in the destruction of Palmill village.

 

Mateko - An Aesidhe Runner and Hunter.

 

Matriarch - Title of the head of the Sisterhood, currently held by Matron Taber.

 

Mechushegi - a Holy person among the Aesidhe; refers to either a male or female; plural: Mechushegiya.

 

Mélitali - An Aesidhe term of endearment for a child who is not naturally one’s own; refers to either a girl or a boy.

 

Meniste - Title for a Hunter of the Aesidhe (neuter form); plural: Menisteya.

 

Mewashemesitibopi - Aesidhe who have left the tribal cultures and settled in Aeman lands; literally: They Went to the Cities.

 

Missions - Both the places and the expressed purpose of Sisterhood religious conversion; intended to begin the creation of new temples, abbeys, and schools.

 

Morandia - The known world.

 

Moresidhe - A rarely-seen race of people who sometimes serve as traveling merchants.

 

Morlatra, Sister - Prioress of the High Temple of the Sisterhood at Windberth.

 

Náme - An Aesidhe child looked after by Imani and Adria.

 

New Peace - A contract made by nobles of Heiland to allow settlement of Heiland to some Somanans; helped define the current borders of Heiland and end a Somanan occupation, but would not unite the nation until Ebenhardt Idonea’s War for Union, two generations later.

 

New Skin - An article of clothing worn by an Aesidhe female for her maturity ceremonial; typically passed on to the woman’s first daughter.

 

Northlands - Islands east of Heiland and north of Numinon; populated almost entirely by Aeman; seafaring culture.

 

Northland(s) Sea - The sea east of Heiland.

 

Numinon - Eastern continent of the known world of Morandia.

 

One Great Spirit - Source of all life for the Aesidhe; not a personified god, but recognized most accurately as the source of all natural cycles.

 

One-Who-Comes - Figure in the Sisterhood faith believed to herald the final wars which will end all wars.

 

One-Who-Will-Come - Early name for the One-Who-Comes.

 

Others - Aesidhe name for the Aeman; usually considered a term of reproach, and not typically used for an Aeman respected or loved by an Aesidhe.

 

Palmill - An Aeman town in Heiland on the frontier of the forest inhabited by the Aesidhe.

 

Patrus, Lord - Baron of Chester, west of Sotower in southern Heiland; liege of Sir Marbury.

 

Pentaros - Nation of Erentis south of Heiland; population is mostly a mixture of Aeman and Somanan peoples; nominally a part of the Somanan Empire, but currently in a state of rebellion led by Michael Pentaros; also, the ruling house of Somana.

 

Peryna Marbury - Young daughter of the Marbury family.

 

Praetorius, Baron - A nobleman of Eastern Heiland.

 

Preinon Idonea - Elder brother of King Ebenhardt Idonea of Heiland and uncle to Adria; once Duke of Idonea and Warden and Marshal of the Violet West; currently in exile among the Aesidhe; known among the Aesidhe as Watelomoksho, he is the informal leader of the Runners.

 

Prioress - Title for the administrator of a Priory of the Sisterhood; the Prioress of the High Temple at Windberth, currently Prioress Morlatra, is second in power only to the Matriarch.

 

Propolus - City at the southernmost border of Heiland, near both Elwynd High and Pentaros; significant Somanan population; historically contested with Somana.

 

Púksha - Short form of Pukshonisla, Adria Idonea’s Hunter name among the Aesidhe.

 

Pukshonisla - Adria Idonea’s Hunter name among the Aesidhe; literally: Follows the White Wolf.

 

Puros, Sir - Lord Steward of Windberth Citadel during Adria’s childhood.

 

Rites of Initiation - Ceremony performed and oaths taken upon becoming a full Sister of the Sisterhood.

 

Rodham, Sir - Brother Sergeant of the Knights of Darkfire; responsible for training of potential Knights at the Citadel of Windberth.

 

Runners - Metehãloweye (Aesidhe: Those Who Run); a group of Hunters, scouts, and protectors of the Aesidhe; informally led by Preinon Idonea and Shísha.

 

Sabatosi - Unknown name Adria hears whispered among others during her First Moon Ceremonial among the Aesidhe.

 

Seven Ceremonials/Rites - Rituals give to the Aesidhe by their First Mother, Spider Woman, and the White Wolf Woman.

 

Shema Ihaloa Táya - Prior name of the Shíme Okshowaniya tribe; literally: They Watch Birds Walk.

 

Shíme Okshowaniya - Current name of the tribe Adria and the Runners often camp with during the winter; literally: We Survive.

 

Shísha - A blind Holy Woman (Lichushegi) of the Aesidhe; advises and informally leads the Runners alongside Preinon Idonea (Watelomoksho).

 

Sister - Member of the Sisterhood; also used for a specific rank within the Sisterhood.

 

Sisterhood - Religious order based in Heiland; all members are female and are guided by the Matriarch, currently Matron Taber.

 

Sister-Journeywoman - Originally members of the Downcast, the precursors to the Sisterhood, these women traveled among the Aesidhe in an attempt to convert them to the Nine Temples (now non-existent), but also to exchange knowledge and help in times of illness; they were the first to accurately record the Aesidhe language; when the Sisterhood became ascendant in Heiland, they absorbed these, gave them their new name, and eventually withdrew them all from Aesidhe lands.

 

Somana, Empire of - Nation which spans most of the continent of Erentis in the world of Morandia; considered the most powerful nation in the world; it comprises a number of cultures and smaller nations, and is currently governed by Emperor Alexander I Pentaros and a representative bicameral Senate.

 

Somanan - Term for both the language and people of Somana.

 

Song of Ashes - Aesidhe song traditionally sung when first making camp, when ashes are spread in a circle around the campsite.

 

Spider Woman - Known also as the First or Great Mother, she brought the first of the Seven Ceremonials to the Aesidhe, according to their legends.

 

Spirit Helpers - Spirits believed by the Aesidhe to carry prayers to their ancestors.

 

Sun Dance - A Sacred Ceremonial of the Aesidhe that is no longer practiced.

 

Taber, Matron - Currently the Matriarch of the Sisterhood and Chancellor of Heiland; second in power only to King Ebenhardt Idonea.

 

Tainábe - Aesidhe term for a state of awareness, almost like daydreaming.

 

Tenets - Core teachings of the Sisterhood and Knights of Darkfire.

 

Tiniya - Aesidhe name for the Aeman; usually considered a term of reproach, and not typically used for an Aeman respected or loved by an Aesidhe; literally: Others.

 

Twyla - Daughter of Adria’s nursemaid, Kaye, and maid to Adria after Kaye’s death.

 

Violet West - The area of Heiland west of the Greyward Mountains; historically a separate nation from Heiland, was brought under rule by Ebenhardt Idonea and administered for years thereafter by Duke Preinon Idonea.

 

Wabekshocheya-moyi - River where the Shema Ihaloa Táya were camped when Adria first joined the Aesidhe.

 

War for (Heiland) Union - Ebehardt Idonea’s successful war to unite Heiland after the War of Scars.

 

War of Scars - War which occurred a generation before, primarily in Kelmantium, which ended the primacy of the Nine Temples and caused great destruction and political changes across Morandia.

 

Watelomoksho - Preinon’s name among the Aesidhe; it is a truncation of a phrase which means, “he wars with his brother.”

 

Watemichaechi Súsha - “Whispers-of-Smoke”; an Aesidhe constellation, said to carry the prayers of Aesidhe from the Spirit Helpers to the Ancestors.

 

Werdstan Mountains - Mountains in northern Heiland stretching east from the Greyward Mountain range; Windberth is built in the far east of these.

 

White Wolf Woman - Woman from Aesidhe legends who teaches marriage, mating, and female-oriented rituals to the Aesidhe. She originally took the form of a winter wolf, a rare animal which is consequently revered by the Aesidhe.

 

Wilding Ghosts - Myth used to frighten Aeman children, often associated with the Aesidhe or their Runners.

 

Windberth - Capital city of Heiland, built high atop Mount Chancer in the Werdstan Mountains in the north; seat of power for the House of Idonea, the Sisterhood, and the Knights of Darkfire.

 

Yakseanitáo - “Valley-Keeper”; an Aesidhe constellation, said to watch over the people who live in valleys and protect the land from floods and fires.

 

Zhehomikhhoapoehhe - A Hunters’ End Camp; considered the last camp of a season of hunting or of war, before the Hunters return to their tribe(s); usually celebratory.