Blood Feast: A Fantasy Romance

Glossary

Abroad: Hesperine term for lands outside of Orthros where Hesperines errant roam, meaning Tenebra and Cordium. See Orthros Abroad

adamas: strongest metal in the world, so heavy only Hesperines can wield it. Invented in secret by Nike.

affinity: the type of magic for which a person has an aptitude, such as light magic, warding, or healing.

Agata: the cook at Paradum, who took Cassia and Miranda under her wing when they were girls. After Miranda’s essential displacement of Cassia’s magic cost the lives of everyone in the castle, Miranda reanimated Agata as a greater bloodless.

Aithourian Circle: the war mages of the Order of Anthros, sworn enemies of the Hesperines, who have specialized spells for finding and destroying Hespera worshipers. Founded by Aithouros in ancient times, this circle was responsible for most of the destruction of Hespera’s temples during the Last War. Oversees the training of all war mages from Tenebra and Cordium to ensure their lifelong loyalty to the Order.

Aithouros: fire mage of the Order of Anthros who personally led the persecution of Hespera worshipers during the Last War. Founder and namesake of the Aithourian Circle, who continue his teachings. Killed by Hippolyta.

Akanthia: the world comprising Tenebra, Cordium, Orthros, and the Empire.

Alea: one of the two Queens of Orthros, who has ruled the Hesperines for nearly sixteen hundred years with her Grace, Queen Soteira. A mage of Hespera in her mortal life, she is the only Prisma of a temple of Hespera who survived the Ordering.

Alexandra: royal firstblood and Eighth Princess of Orthros, the youngest of the Queens’ family. Solaced from Tenebra as a child, the only Hesperine with an affinity for fire. A youngblood of the Eighth Circle who raises silkworms for her craft.

Alkaios: one of the three Hesperines errant who saved Cassia as a child. He retrieved the ivy pendant from Solia’s body for her. He and his Grace, Nephalea, recently settled in Orthros after years as Hesperines errant with his Gifter, Nike.

Anastasios: Ritual Firstblood who Gifted Apollon, founder of Lio’s bloodline. He was a powerful healer and Prismos of Hagia Boreia, who sacrificed his life to help Alea protect their Great Temple from the Order of Anthros’s onslaught.

ancestors: forebears who have passed into the spirit phase. Imperial mages can commune with them to channel their power into spells and rituals. Hesperines cannot contact the ancestors or wield ancestral magic because their immortality prevents them from entering the spirit phase.

Andragathos: god of male virtue and righteous warfare in the Tenebran and Cordian pantheon. The seventh scion and youngest son of Kyria and Anthros. A lesser deity alongside his brothers and sisters, the Fourteen Scions. See Knightly Order of Andragathos

Annassa: honorific for the Queens of Orthros.

Anthros: god of war, order, and fire. Supreme deity of the Tenebran and Cordian pantheon and ruler of summer. The sun is said to be Anthros riding his chariot across the sky. According to myth, he is the husband of Kyria and brother of Hypnos and Hespera.

Apollon: Lio’s father, an elder firstblood and founder of Orthros. In his mortal life before the Ordering, he was a mage of Demergos. Transformed by Anastasios, he was the first Hesperine ever to receive the Gift from one of the Ritual firstbloods. Renowned for his powerful stone magic and prowess in battle, he once roamed Abroad as one of the Blood Errant. Known as the Lion of Orthros. Now retired to live peacefully in Orthros with his Grace, Komnena.

apostate: rogue mage who illegally practices magic outside of the Orders.

arcane: of or related to magic, as opposed to mundane.

Archipelagos: land to the west of the Empire comprising a series of islands, which maintains strict isolation from the rest of the world. See Menodora

Argyros: Lio’s uncle and mentor in diplomacy and mind magic. Elder firstblood and founder of Orthros from Hagia Anatela, Gifted by Eidon. Graced to Lyta, father of Nike, Kadi, and Mak. An elder firstblood and founder of Orthros like Apollon, his brother by mortal birth. Attended the first Equinox Summit and every one since as the Queens’ Master Ambassador. One of the three most powerful thelemancers in history, known as Silvertongue for his legendary abilities as a negotiator.

Ariadne: an apprentice mage of Kyria who helped the Hesperine embassy take Zoe and the other Eriphite children to safety. Traveled to Orthros for the Solstice Summit and supported Solia’s bid for the throne at Castra Patria. Eudias’s secret love.

Arkadia: Lio’s cousin, daughter of Argyros and Lyta. Solaced from Tenebra as a child. With her mother’s affinity for warding and aptitude for the battle arts, she serves as a Master Steward in Hippolyta’s Stand.

Armory of Akofo: armory on an island off the coast of Haima, named for Prometheus’s human father. Hesperines and Imperials visiting Orthros Notou must secure their armaments here before entering the city.

Ashes: band of mercenaries renowned for their great deeds in the Empire. Hoyefe, Karege, and Tuura are the current members under Kella’s command. Retired members include Solia, Tendeso, and Ukocha, their former leader.

Astrapas: Timarete’s Grace and Lyros’s father.

Athena: three-year-old Eriphite child Solaced by Javed and Kadi. Younger sister of Boskos by birth and blood. The severe case of frost fever she suffered as a mortal damaged her brain. While the Gift has healed her, she is still recovering lost development.

Autumn Greeting: ancient courtship festival of Tenebra. When a woman shares this dance with a man, it is considered a promise of betrothal, after which their fathers will arrange their marriage.

avowal: Hesperine ceremony in which Graces profess their bond before their people. Legally binding and an occasion of great celebration.

Ayur: Azarqi goddess of the moons.

Azad: a Ritual tributary of Blood Komnena, Gifted by Apollon, who became a warder in the Prince’s Charge. Avowed to Neana.

Azarqi: nomads of the Maaqul Desert who control trade routes between Vardara and the rest of the Empire. Known for their complex politics, the Azarqi were the original negotiators of the Desert Accord with the jinn.

BarutiorBaru: Hesperine scholar and Fortress Master in the Prince’s Charge; a theramancer and the librarian of Castra Justa, responsible for dangerous magical tomes and artifacts Chargers discover in the field. Began his mortal life in the Empire and chose to become a Hesperine at the First Prince’s invitation; alumnus of Capital University.

Basir: Hesperine thelemancer and one of the two spymasters of Orthros alongside his Grace, Kumeta. From the Empire in his mortal life. His official title is “Queens’ Master Envoy” to conceal the nature of their work.

beast magic: type of Lustra magic that gives those with this affinity the power to influence animals and, if very powerful, to change into animal forms. See changer

Bellator: Tenebran free lord who kidnapped Solia and held her for ransom inside Castra Roborra. Led the short-lived rebellion that ended there with the Siege of Sovereigns. Father of Benedict.

Benedict: First Knight of Segetia, Flavian’s best friend, who harbors unrequited love for Genie. Traveled to Orthros as Lord Titus’s representative during the Solstice Summit. The son of Bellator, he carries guilt over his father’s treason and seeks to atone by supporting Queen Solia.

Blood Errant: group of four ancient and powerful Hesperine warriors who went errant together for eight centuries. See Apollon, Ioustinianos, Pherenike, Prometheus

blood magic: type of magic practiced by worshipers of Hespera, from which the power of the Gift stems. All Hesperines possess innate blood magic.

Blood Moon: Hesperine name for one of the two moons, which appears red with a liquid texture to the naked eye. Believed to be an eye of the Goddess Hespera, potent with her blood magic.

Blood Shackles: warding spell cast with blood magic, which compels a person to not take a particular action. Persists until they are released by a key, a magical condition determined by the caster.

Blood Union: magical empathic connection that allows Hesperines to sense the emotions of any living thing that has blood.

Blood-Red Prince: see Ioustinianos

bloodborn: Hesperine born with the Gift because their mother was transformed during pregnancy.

bloodless: undead, a corpse reanimated by a necromancer, so called because blood no longer flows through its veins, although it has a semblance of life. Often used as an insult by Hesperines.

BoskoorBoskos: eleven-year-old Eriphite child Solaced by Javed and Kadi. Elder brother of Athena by birth and blood. Zoe’s best friend. Harbors anger over what the children suffered. Training to become a Steward is helping him adjust to life in Orthros.

Btana Ayal: “Shattered Hope,” the ruins of an ancient city that flourished in the Maaqul Desert during the Hulaic Epochs. Under the leadership of the Diviner Queen, the people of Btana Ayal traveled to Tenebra via a spirit gate. Their encounter with the other continent ended in tragedy when the Diviner Queen had to collapse the gate to prevent the Old Masters from invading the Empire. The resulting magical cataclysm destroyed the city.

Callen: Perita’s loving husband, once Cassia’s bodyguard who escorted her to the Solstice Summit. Now a decorated soldier in Lord Hadrian’s army who fights for Queen Solia’s cause.

Cassia: new Hesperine recently transformed by her Grace, Lio. One of the only Lustra mages ever to become immortal, she has a rare unified duality of plant magic and blood magic. Serves Orthros as one of the Ambassadors for Tenebran Affairs in partnership with Lio. As a mortal, she was born the illegitimate daughter of King Lucis and his concubine, Thalia. She worked secretly with Lio to secure peace with Hesperines and now supports her beloved sister Solia’s effort to overthrow their sire.

Castra Augusta: fortress in Segetia belonging to one of Flavian’s allies, a Knight Commander in the Order of Andragathos. A key stronghold in defending Segetia and Tenebra as a whole from invasion from the south.

Castra Justa: the stronghold of the First Prince and base of operations for the Prince’s Charge.

Castra Patria: the ancient fortress at Patria that dates from the Mage King’s time, where the Council of Free Lords convenes.

Castra Roborra: fortress in Tenebra belonging to Lord Bellator where he held Solia captive. Site of the Siege of Sovereigns.

Chalice of Stars: Nike’s legendary round shield, which she uses along with the Stand’s hand-to-hand combat techniques.

changer: practitioner of Lustra magic with the power to take on animal form.

Changing Queen: Queen Hedera of Tenebra, the Mage King’s wife and co-ruler during the Last War. A powerful Silvicultrix known as Ebah among her own people, the Lustri. Also called the Hawk of the Lustra and associated with her plant symbol, ivy. Cassia’s ancestor through her mother, Thalia.

channeling: when a mage draws power from a source greater than themselves, instead of from an innate store of magical power. Progonaia and hulaia rely on channeling.

the Charge: see Prince’s Charge

Charge Law: legal code of Orthros Abroad, named for the Prince’s Charge. An evolving body of laws established and enforced by the First Prince, based on the Equinox Oath and Hespera’s sacred tenets.

charm: physical object imbued with a mage’s spell, usually crafted of botanicals or other materials with their own magical properties. Offers a mild beneficial effect to an area or the holder of the charm, even if that person is not a mage.

Chrysanthos: war mage from Cordium with an affinity for fire. As the Dexion of the Aithourian Circle, he is one of the elites in the Order of Anthros. During the Solstice Summit, he tried to sabotage peace talks with hostage negotiations. Now a hostage himself in Solia’s custody.

Chuma: daughter of Ukocha and Mumba, beloved and protected by all the Ashes.

the Collector: one of the Old Masters known as the Master of Dreams. Both a necromancer and thelemancer, he possesses his victims and forces them to do his bidding. Using essential displacement, he amasses unnatural amounts of magic of various affinities. The Gift Collectors are his Overseers, willing followers who serve his far-reaching conspiracy to achieve his mysterious ends. His current objective, in alliance with former King Lucis, is to gain entry to the Lustra portal under Solorum Palace.

Cordium: land to the south of Tenebra where the Mage Orders hold sway. Its once-mighty principalities and city-states have now lost power to the magical and religious authorities. Wealthy and cultured, but prone to deadly politics. Also known as the Magelands.

Corona: capital city of Cordium and holy seat of the Mage Orders, where the main temples of each god are located. Also known as the Divine City.

Council of Free Lords: a body of Tenebran lords who have the hereditary authority to convey or revoke the nobility’s mandate upon a reigning monarch. Their rights and privileges were established in the Free Charter.

the Craving: a Hesperine’s addiction to their Grace’s blood. When deprived of each other, Graces suffer agonizing withdrawal symptoms and fatal illness.

Daedala: Prisma of Hagia Zephyra. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Timarete.

Dalos: Aithourian war mage who disguised himself as a Tenebran and, while possessed by Kallikrates, conspired with King Lucis to assassinate the attendees of the Equinox Summit. When the Hesperines’ ward stopped him, the Collector’s spells rebounded and killed him.

Dawn Slumber: deep sleep Hesperines fall into when the sun rises. Although the sunlight causes them no harm, they’re unable to awaken until nightfall, leaving them vulnerable during daylight hours.

Deukalion: bloodborn firstgift of Apollon and Komnena with a dual affinity for mind magic and light magic. Among the three most powerful Hesperine thelemancers in history. Mentored by Argyros in both magic and diplomacy, his is now one of Orthros’s Ambassadors for Tenebran affairs in partnership with his Grace, Cassia. Together, they have revolutionized relations between Orthros, Tenebra, and the Empire, but must now protect their hard-won treaties in a time of war.

Dexion: second highest ranking mage in the Aithourian Circle. See Chrysanthos

displacement gate: destructive portal that can be opened by necromancers skilled in essential displacement.

Divine City: see Corona

Divine Tongue: language spoken by Hesperines and mages, used for spells, rituals, and magical texts. The common tongue of Orthros, spoken freely by all Hesperines. In Tenebra and Cordium, the mages keep it a secret and disallow non-mages from learning it.

diviner: Imperial theramancer trained in ancient traditions who protects their people from necromancy and communicates with the ancestors. Their ancestral magic enables them to open passages through the spirit phase.

Diviner Queen: theramancer who founded Btana Ayal and the surrounding civilization in the Hulaic Epochs. When she led her followers to the shadowlands through a spirit gate, they taught the people of what would later become Tenebra and Cordium how to use magic. When the Old Masters began to abuse the power they had learned from her, she made the ultimate sacrifice and destroyed everything she had built to contain their evil.

the Drink: when a Hesperine drinks blood from a human or animal. A non-sexual act, considered sacred, which should be carried out with respect for the donor. It’s forbidden to take the Drink from an unwilling person. Or Hesperine sacred tenet, the commitment to thriving without the death of other living things.

eastern Tenebrae: wilderness east of the settled regions of Tenebra, sparsely populated by homesteads under the leadership of hold lords. Officially under the king’s rule, but prone to lawlessness. Hesperines roam freely here.

Ebah: see Changing Queen

Eidon: Prismos of Hagia Anatela. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Argyros.

Eighth Circle: Lio and Cassia’s Trial circle. See Alexandra, Eudokia, Lysandros, Menodora, Telemakhos

elder firstbloods: the ancient Hesperine founders of Orthros. Gifted by the Ritual firstbloods. See Apollon, Argyros, Hypatia, Kassandra, Kitharos, Timarete

the Empire: vast and prosperous human lands located far to the west, across an ocean from Tenebra. Comprises many different languages and cultures united under the Empress. Allied with Orthros and welcoming to Hesperines, many of whom began their mortal lives as Imperial citizens. Historically maintained a strict policy of isolation from Tenebra and Cordium to guard against the Mage Orders, but the Empress now seeks contact on her terms by supporting Solia, her chosen candidate for the Tenebran throne.

the Empress: the ruler of the Empire, admired by her citizens. The Imperial throne has passed down through the female line for many generations.

the Empress’s privateers: pirates who sail with the sanction of the Empress, granted by a letter of marque, which authorizes them to rob her enemies. They make voyages to Cordium to secretly pillage the Mage Orders’ ships.

enchantment: a spell anchored to a power source, which can last over time with only periodic maintenance from a mage.

envoy: according to common knowledge, a messenger attached to the Hesperine diplomatic service. In fact, envoys are the Queens’ spies who gather information from the mortal world to protect Orthros and Hesperines errant. See Basir, Kumeta

Equinox Oath: ancient treaty between Orthros and Tenebra, which prescribes the conduct of Hesperines errant and grants them protection from humans. Now modified and expanded by the Solstice Oath and Orthros’s alliance with Queen Solia.

Equinox Summit: peace talks in which the Hesperines send ambassadors from Orthros to meet with the King of Tenebra and renew the Equinox Oath. Each mortal king is expected to convene it once upon his accession to the throne.

errant: a Hesperine who has left Orthros to travel through Tenebra doing good deeds for mortals

errant circle: a group of Hesperines who go errant together, forming a strong bond through their adventures.

essential affinities: the four types of magic used by the Ritual firstbloods during the spell that transformed them into Hesperines.

essential displacement: ritual through which necromancers can transfer one person’s magic into another or steal it for themselves. This process is one of the the Collector’s secrets and the specialty of his Gift Collectors.

Eudias: young war mage from Cordium with an affinity for weather, including lightning. Compelled to join the Aithourian circle due to his magic, he defected during the Solstice Summit to ally with the Hesperines and Tenebrans resisting King Lucis. He and Lio faced the Collector in a mage duel, in which Lio helped him free himself from the Old Master’s possession. Now turns his war magic against Queen Solia’s enemies. Ariadne’s secret love.

Eudokia: Hesperine youngblood, one of Lio’s Trial sisters. Solaced from Tenebra as a child. An initiate mathematician, calligrapher, and accomplished scholar with expertise in methodological deconstruction. Daughter of Hypatia.

Eugenia: young Tenebran lady, believed to be Flavian’s cousin and heir of his late uncle, Lord Eugenius. She is actually his sister, the daughter of Titus and his concubine Risara. Now a member of Queen Solia’s retinue. Secretly returns Benedict’s unrequited love.

Eukairia: Prisma of Hagia Notia. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Ereba.

Eye of Blood: see Blood Moon

Eye of Light: see Light Moon

familiar: the animal companion of a Hesperine, bound to them by blood. They can assist during spellcasting and remain immortal as long as the Hesperine continues to give them blood.

the Fangs: Prometheus’s famous twin swords.

the Feast: Hesperine term for drinking blood while making love.

feuds: bitter conflicts that have raged between the free lords of Tenebra for centuries, which cause widespread destruction and suffering.

First Circle: Rudhira, Nike, and Methu’s Trial circle. They were the first Hesperines to go through the Trial of Initiation together and founded the tradition of Trial circles.

First Prince: see Ioustinianos

firstblood: the first Hesperine in a bloodline, who founds the family and passes the Gift to their children.

Firstblood Circle: the governing body of Orthros. Every firstblood has a vote on behalf of their bloodline, while non-voting Hesperines can attempt to influence policy by displays of partisanship. The Queens retain veto power, but use it sparingly.

firstgift: the eldest child of a Hesperine bloodline, first to receive the gift from their parents.

Flavian: Tenebran lord, son of Free Lord Titus and heir to Segetia’s seat on the Council. Despite his family’s feud with Hadria, he is admired by both sides and is a unifying figure for the fractured nobility. After his unsuccessful bid for the throne, he has sworn fealty to Queen Solia and fights alongside Lord Hadrian for her cause.

Florian: see Chrysanthos

foregiver: a Hesperine’s ancestor who gave the Gift to their bloodline in the past.

fortune name: name given to an Imperial mercenary by which they are professionally known. Traditionally, they take the name of something they wish to avoid in order to ward off that evil.

free lord: highest noble rank in Tenebra. Has a seat on the Council of Free Lords and hereditary authority to vote on whether a king should receive the nobility’s mandate.

Genie: see Eugenia

geomagical warming plate: a magical device created by a Hesperine with an affinity for geological forces. Emanates heat and can be used for brewing coffee.

get one’s fangs polished: Hesperine slang for the Feast.

the Gift: Hesperines’ immortality and magical abilities, which they regard as a blessing from the goddess Hespera. The practice of offering the Gift to all is a Hesperine sacred tenet.

Gift Collector: mage-assassin and bounty hunter who hunts down Hesperines for the Order of Hypnos using necromancy, alchemy, and fighting tactics. Known for adapting common items into weapons to skirt the Orders’ religious laws against mages arming themselves. They secretly have a higher loyalty to the Collector, the founder of their profession, who calls them his Overseers.

Gift Night: the night of a person’s transformation into a Hesperine, usually marked by great celebration.

Gifter: the Hesperine who transforms another, conveying Hespera’s Gift to the new immortal. For Hesperines transformed as children, their Gifters are their parents. An adult, if not Gifted by a lover, becomes the Ritual child or Ritual tributary of their Gifter, who remains a lifelong mentor.

Gifting: the transformation from human into Hesperine.

Glasstongue: see Deukalion

glyph: sacred symbol of a deity. Each god or goddess in the pantheon has a unique glyph. Often carved on shrines and temples or used as a pattern in spell casting.

glyph stone: the capstone of the doorway of a shrine, inscribed with the glyph of the deity worshiped there, where any spells over the structure are usually seated.

the Goddess’s Eyes: the two moons, the red Blood Moon and the white Light Moon. Associated with Hespera and regarded as her gaze by Hesperines.

Grace: Hesperine sacred tenet, a magical bond between two Hesperine lovers. Frees them from the need for human blood and enables them to sustain each other, but comes at the cost of the Craving. A fated bond that happens when their love is true. It is believed every Hesperine has a Grace just waiting to be found. See Craving

Grace braids: thin braids of one another’s hair that Graces exchange. They wear them privately after professing their bond to one another, then exchange them publicly at their avowal and thereafter wear them for all to see to signify their commitment.

Grace Union: the particularly powerful and intimate Blood Union between two Hesperines who are Graced. Enables them to communicate telepathically and empathically.

Grace-family (Grace-son, Grace-father, Grace-sister, etc.): the family members of a Hesperine’s Grace. Compare with human in-laws.

Great Temple Epoch: the historical period when the Great Temples of every cult flourished across Tenebra and Cordium, and all mages cooperated. Came to a cataclysmic end due to the Ordering and the Last War.

Great Temples of Hespera: powerful, thriving temples where mages of Hespera worshiped and worked their magic in peace before they were branded heretics. Razed during the Last War. See Hagia Anatela, Hagia Boreia, Hagia Notia, Hagia Zephyra

greater sand cat: species of large predator with special adaptations for surviving the Maaqul Desert. With specialized magic and great effort, they can be bonded to humans and ridden as mounts. See Tilili

Guardian of Orthros: see Hippolyta

Hadria: domain of Free Lord Hadrian, located on Tenebra’s rocky western coast, where the seas are treacherous. Their military might makes them a necessary ally for any monarch hoping to hold the throne of Tenebra.

Lord Hadrian: one of the two most powerful free lords in Tenebra, who commands the fealty of many other free lords and lesser nobles. His family has been feuding with Segetia for generations. Although he served King Lucis for the greater good of the kingdom, his loyalty was always to Solia, whom he now supports and protects as his rightful queen.

Hagia Anatela: one of the four Great Temples of Hespera that flourished during the Great Temple Epoch, located in the eastern part of the continent. When the Orders attacked it during the Last War, Argyros held off their forces with thelemancy, enabling Hypatia to evacuate the residents and save the library. See Eidon, Ourania

Hagia Boreia: one of the four Great Temples of Hespera that flourished during the Great Temple Epoch, located in the northern part of the continent, where Apollon became the first Hesperine to receive the Gift from a Ritual firstblood. The final temple to fall during the Ordering, where the surviving Hespera worshipers made their last stand. See Alea, Anastatios

Hagia Notia: the southernmost of the four Great Temples of Hespera that flourished during the Great Temple Epoch, located in Corona, where the mages of Hespera once co-existed with the mages of other gods. The first temple to be razed during the Last War in an unprovoked, surprise attack by the Order of Anthros. Only Phaedros survived. See Khariton, Eukairia

Hagia Zephyra: one of the four Great Temples of Hespera that flourished during the Great Temple Epoch, located in the western part of the continent. During the Ordering, the mortals in the temple turned on their Hesperine leaders and agreed to surrender them to the Aithourian Circle, but the war mages spared neither humans nor immortals. Kitharos, Timarete, and Astrapas were among the small group of Hesperines and loyal mortals who escaped. See Daedala, Thelxinos

Haima: capital city of Orthros Notou.

haima: blood magic. It is a subject of debate whether it is its own paradigm of magic or a blend of mageia and manteia.

Hammer of the Sun: Apollon’s famous battle hammer, which he wielded while Abroad with the Blood Errant. He left it in Tenebra when he brought Komnena to Orthros, and Rudhira now keeps it at Castra Justa.

harlot’s kiss: Tenebran and Cordian name for roses which, as Hespera’s sacred flower, are forbidden to be grown there.

Healing Sanctuary: infirmary in Orthros founded and run by Queen Soteira, where humans are given care and Hesperines are trained in the healing arts.

heart bow: traditional gesture of devotion to the Queens of Orthros, a deep bow with one hand over the heart.

heart hunters: warbands of Tenebrans who hunt down Hesperines, regarded by their countrymen as protectors of humanity. They patrol the northern border of Tenebra with packs of liegehounds, waiting to attack Hesperines who leave Orthros.

Hedera: see Changing Queen

hedge warlocks, hedge witch: practitioner of Tenebran nature arts, including herbalism and remnants of Lustra magic.

Hespera: goddess of night cast from the Tenebran and Cordian pantheon. The Mage Orders have declared her worship heresy punishable by death. Hesperines keep her cult alive and continue to revere her as the goddess of the moons, Sanctuary, and Mercy. Associated with roses, thorns, and fanged creatures. According to myth, she is the sister of Anthros and Hypnos.

Hespera’s Gift: Hesperines’ immortality and magical abilities, which they regard as a blessing from the goddess Hespera. The practice of offering the Gift to all is a Hesperine sacred tenet.

Hespera’s Rose: the most sacred symbol of the Hesperines, a rose with five petals and five thorns representing Hespera’s sacred tenets. Frequently embroidered on clothing or represented in stained glass windows. Based on real roses, which are the Goddess’s sacred flower and beloved by Hesperines. The mages uproot them wherever they’re found in Tenebra or Cordium and punish those who grow them for heresy.

Hesperine: nocturnal immortal being with fangs who gains nourishment from drinking blood. Tenebrans and Cordians believe them to be monsters bent on humanity’s destruction. In truth, they follow a strict moral code in the name of their goddess, Hespera, and wish only to ease humankind’s suffering.

Hesperite: human worshiper of Hespera, persecuted as a heretic by the Orders.

hex: a circle of six necromancers who exchange magical secrets and punish any who betray them.

Hierax Temple: temple built by the Mage King on the site of his decisive battle that halted Cordium’s invasion of Tenebra during the Last War. Long before his reign, Lustri worshiped there.

Hippolyta: Lio’s aunt, Graced to Argyros, mother of Nike, Kadi, and Mak. The greatest of Hesperine warriors, a founder of Orthros and powerful warder. Known as the Guardian of Orthros for her deeds during the Last War and for establishing the Stand.

Hippolyta’s Stand: Orthros’s standing army, founded by Hippolyta. Under her leadership, they patrol the border with Tenebra as Stewards of the Queens’ ward. So few of the peaceful Hesperines take up the battle arts that the only Stewards are Nike, Kadi, Alkaios, Nephalea, Mak, and Lyros.

hold lord: Tenebran lord who holds a homestead in the eastern Tenebrae.

House Annassa: the residence of the Queens of Orthros, the Hesperine counterpart to a royal palace.

House Komnena: Lio’s family home in Orthros, seat of his bloodline, named for his mother.

Hoyefe: mercenary illusionist and master fencer, member of the Ashes. Of Owia descent, he is an alumnus of Imperial University’s School of Fine Arts and a playwright favored by the Empress.

hulaia: lustra magic, the paradigm of magic that channels from nature. Includes affinities such as plant magic, beast magic, and soothsaying.

Hulaic Epochs: eras of pre-history before the Great Temple Epoch, known only through oral traditions.

the Hunger: a combination of sexual desire and the need for blood, which Hesperines experience with their lovers.

Huru: Ziara’s first mate and lover, a knife expert and theramancer.

Hypatia: an elder firstblood and founder of Orthros from Hagia Anatela, mother of Kia. Orthros’s greatest astronomer, who invented the Hesperine calendar.

Hypnos: god of death and dreams in the Tenebran and Cordian pantheon. Winter is considered his season. Humans unworthy of going to Anthros’s Hall are believed to spend the afterlife in Hypnos’s realm of the dead. According to myth, he is the brother of Anthros and Hespera.

Imperial University: illustrious university in the Empire. Only students with wealth and the best references gain entry, usually those of noble or royal blood. Known for traditionalism and conservative approaches to research.

In Sanctuary: Hesperine term for the current historical era, marked from the date of Orthros’s founding.

initiate: Hesperine who has achieved initiate rank in their craft or service, more advanced than a student but not yet of full rank. Attained after the young Hesperine completes a significant crafting project or research treatise that meets with their mentor’s approval.

IoustinorIoustinianos: First Prince of the Hesperines, eldest child of the Queens of Orthros. Lio’s Ritual father. Solaced from Tenebra as a child. Once a warrior in the Blood Errant known as the Blood-Red Prince, he now leads the Charge. Young Hesperines call him Rudhira, an affectionate name given to him by Methu.

Iris: Tenebran lady, Solia’s handmaiden and closest companion, who sacrificed her life for Solia at the Siege of Sovereigns.

Iulios: royal firstblood and seventh prince of Orthros, the seventh child and youngest son of the Queens. An accomplished historian who founded a museum with his Grace, a former Imperial prince.

ivy pendant: wooden pendant carved with a triquetra of ivy. An artifact of the Changing Queen secretly passed down by the women of her line. Thalia entrusted it to Solia so she could give it to Cassia.

Javed: Lio’s Grace-cousin, avowed to Kadi, father of Bosko and Thenie. From the Empire in his mortal life. Has an affinity for healing and now serves in Orthros’s Healing Sanctuary.

jinn: immortal beings that dwell in the Maaqul Desert. Unlike Hesperines, they were never human. Endowed with powerful magic drawn from elements of nature, they also have a connection with the spirit phase. A long history of conflict between jinn and Imperial humans culminated in the Thousand Fires War and ended with the Desert Accord.

Justinian: see Ioustinianos

Kadi: see Arkadia

kaetlii: word in the tongue used by Tenebrans to train liegehounds, meaning the person the dog is bonded to and will protect until death.

Kalos: the Charge’s best scout, who uses his beast magic to track Hesperines errant who are missing in action. A heart hunter in his mortal life, he tried to mitigate his warband’s cruelty. When they turned on him, Rudhira saved his life and gave him the Gift. He was the only Hesperine Lustra mage until Cassia’s Gifting.

kalux: Hesperine word in the Divine Tongue for clitoris.

Karege: Hesperine warrior and member of the Ashes. Offered Sanctuary by Princess Konstantina five centuries ago, he prefers to spend his immortality adventuring and earning gold in the Empire, rather than fulfilling his duties as an elder in Orthros.

Kassandra: Lio’s Ritual mother, an elder firstblood and founder of Orthros. Ritual sister to the Queens, who Gifted her, and mother of Prometheus. A princess in her mortal life, she abdicated during a dynastic dispute and became the first Hesperine from the Empire, securing her homeland’s alliance with Orthros. Now the Queens’ Master Economist who oversees Orthros’s trade. Has the gift of foresight and, as Orthros’s oracle, guides the Hesperines with her prophecies.

Kella: Azarqi princess, daughter of Hinan, and Ukocha’s successor as first blade of the Ashes. A fierce warrior with a preference for daggers, as well as a water mage skilled at desert survival. Bonded to her greater sand cat mount, Tilili, after her legs were amputated above the knee due to a combat injury.

Khariton: Prismos of Hagia Notia. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Phaedros.

Kia: see Eudokia

King of Tenebra: see Lucis

Kings and Mages: Tenebran and Cordian name for the game Hesperines call Prince and Diplomat.

Kitharos: elder firstblood and founder of Orthros from Hagia Zephyra, Gifted by Thelxinos. Father of Nodora and one of the Hesperines’ greatest musicians.

Knight: Cassia’s beloved liegehound. Solia gave him to Cassia as a puppy so Cassia would have protection and companionship.

Knightly Order of Andragathos: holy warriors who adhere to a strict moral code and persecute Hesperines in the name of their patron god. See Andragathos

Komnena: Lio’s mother, still young by Hesperines standards. Fled a life of squalor as a Tenebran farmwife and ran away to Orthros with Apollon, who Gifted her while she was pregnant and raised her son as his own. Now a respected mind healer. As the Queens’ Chamberlain, she is responsible for helping newcomers to Orthros settle and adjust.

KonaorKonstantina: royal firstblood, Second Princess of Orthros, the second child and eldest daughter of the Queens. From the Empire in her mortal life. As the Royal Master Magistrate, she is the author of Orthros’s legal code and an influential politician who oversees the proceedings of the Firstblood Circle. Also the leading rose gardener in the Circle of Rosarians.

krana: Hesperine term in the Divine Tongue for vagina.

Kumeta: Hesperine light mage and one of the two spymasters of Orthros, alongside her Grace, Basir. From the Empire in her mortal life. Her official title is “Queens’ Master Envoy” to conceal the nature of their work.

Kyria: goddess of weaving and the harvest in the Tenebran and Cordian pantheon, known as the Mother Goddess or the Wife. Her season is autumn. According to myth, she is married to Anthros.

the Last War: the cataclysmic violence sparked by the Ordering sixteen hundred years ago. When the Order of Anthros sought to suppress all resistance to their authority, magical and armed conflict ravaged Tenebra and Cordium, destroying the civilization of the Great Temple Epoch. Peace came at the cost of the Hesperines’ exile and the Order of Anthros’s victory, while the Mage King secured his rule in Tenebra.

letting site: a location where Lustra mages can channel the most power from the wilds. These ritual sites were created by the Silvicultrixes in ancient times to release magic from nature for their use.

liegehound: war dogs bred and trained by Tenebrans to track, hunt, and slay Hesperines. Veil spells do not throw them off the scent, and they can leap high enough to pull a levitating Hesperine from the air. The only animals that do not trust Hesperines. They live longer than other canines and can withstand poison and disease.

Light Moon: Hesperine name for one of the two moons, which appears white with a smooth texture. Believed to be an eye of the Goddess Hespera, shining with her light.

Lio: see Deukalion

Lion of Orthros: see Apollon

Lonesome: Hoyefe’s fortune name.

Lucian: see Mage King

Lucis: former King of Tenebra, who reigned with ruthlessness and brutality. Born a lord, he secured the crown by might and political schemes, and he upheld his authority by any means necessary. Cassia has never forgiven him for his cruelty to her, Solia, and Thalia. Deposed when Solia secured the mandate of the free lords, he refuses to acknowledge her rule and makes war on her and her Hesperine allies with support from the Mage Orders.

the Lustra: the wilds of Tenebra, source of Lustra magic.

Lustra magic: The old nature magic of Tenebra practiced in ancient times by the Changing Queen. The Orders have never been able to understand or control it, and most knowledge of it is now lost. See hulaia

Lustri: the ancient peoples of Tenebra who practiced Lustra magic, led by priestess-queens known as Silvictulrixes, such as the Changing Queen.

LyrosorLysandros: Lio’s Trial brother and Grace-cousin, avowed to Mak, with whom he serves in the Stand as a warder and warrior. Spent his mortal childhood as a pickpocket on the streets of Namenti. Although Solaced by Timarete and Astrapas, he proved more suited to the battle arts than the fine arts.

Lyta: see Hippolyta

Maaqul Desert: a vast and treacherous desert the size of several states in the Empire. Few besides the jinn and the Azarqi nomads can survive here.

Mage King: King Lucian of Tenebra, who reigned sixteen hundred years ago, widely considered by Hesperines and mortals to have been a great monarch. He and his wife, the Changing Queen, made the original Equinox Oath with the Queens of Orthros. A fire mage and warrior, he resisted the Mage Orders’ mandate that men must choose between wielding spells or weapons.

Mage Orders: the magical and religious authorities in Cordium, which also dictate sacred law to Tenebran temples. Responsible for training and governing mages and punishing heretics.

mageia: magery, the paradigm of magic that affects the physical world. Includes elemental affinities such as fire, water, and stone magic.

Magelands: see Cordium

Mak: see Telemakhos

manteia: sorcery, the paradigm of magic that affects thought, emotion, and life force. Includes affinities such as mind magic and necromancy.

Martyrs’ Pass: the only known passage to Orthros through the Umbral Mountains. When an army of heart hunters possessed by the Collector ambushed the Tenebran embassy here, Lio defeated them with his mind magic and rescued Cassia.

Matsu: Nodora’s Ritual mother and the only other Hesperine from the Archipelagos. A beloved thespian and fashion leader in Orthros.

Mederi Village: a small farming village near Patria, known for its loyalty to Solia’s memory.

Menodora: Hesperine youngblood, one of Lio’s Trial sisters. Daughter of Kitharos and Dakarai. An initiate musician, admired vocalist, and crafter of musical instruments. She is one of only two Hesperines from the Archipelagos and the immortal expert on the music of her mortal homeland.

Mercy: Hesperine sacred tenet, the practice of caring for dead or dying humans.

methodological deconstruction: an application of magic by which a scholar can use observation and deduction to reverse charms and spells by mages of other affinities.

Methu: see Prometheus

mind healer: see theramancer

mind mage: see thelemancer

mind ward: mental defense cast by a thelemancer, which protects a person’s mind from mages seeking to invade their thoughts or subdue their Will.

Miranda: the Collector’s youngest but most fanatical Overseer, formerly a lady of Paradum and Cassia’s best friend. When Cassia betrayed Miranda, she became a Gift Collector and stole Cassia’s magic for Kallikrates.

Monsoon: Tendeso’s fortune name.

moon hours: by the Hesperine clock, the hours corresponding to night, when Hesperines pursue public activities.

moskos: Hesperine term in the Divine Tongue meaning testicles.

Mumba: Cifwani farmer, husband of Ukocha and father of Chuma.

mundane: unmagical, as opposed to arcane.

Muse of Orthros: Hesperine whose service is music, dancing, or poetry.

Namenti: Tenebran coastal city on the southern border, near Cordium.

natural phase: the physical world where living creatures exist, as opposed to the afterlife. See spirit phase

Neana: Azad’s Grace, Gifted by him and now serving as a Hesperine errant in the Prince’s Charge.

Nephalea: one of the three Hesperines errant who saved Cassia as a child. She and her Grace, Alkaios, recently settled in Orthros after years as Hesperines errant with his Gifter, Nike.

newgift: a newly transformed Hesperine or a person who has decided to become immortal and awaits their Gifting.

Night Call: magical summons a Hesperine elder can perform on a younger immortal to prematurely break them out of the Dawn Slumber.

Nike: see Pherenike

Nodora: see Menodora

Noon Watch: Karege’s fortune name.

nyakimbi: means “little sister” in Sandira

the Old Masters: the oldest known hex of necromancers in Tenebran and Cordian record. Little is known about them from legends and surviving ancient texts, but their influence is linked to catastrophic events and suffering throughout history. They extend their lives and hoard power using abusive magic such as essential displacement. See the Collector

ora: strong Sandira liquor.

the Oracle: see Kassandra

Order of Anthros: Mage Order dedicated to the god Anthros, which holds the ultimate religious and magical authority over all other Orders and temples. Bent on destroying Hesperines. War mages, light mages, and warders serve in this Order, as do agricultural and stone mages.

Order of Hypnos: Mage Order devoted to Hypnos, which holds authority over necromancers, mind mages, and illusionists. Oversees rites for the dead, purportedly to prevent Hesperine grave robbing, but in practice to stop rogue necromancers from raising the dead. The Order of Anthros’s closest ally in their effort to destroy Hesperines.

the Ordering: historical event over sixteen hundred years ago, when the Order of Anthros came to prominence and enforced its doctrines upon all other cults, who had previously worshiped and practiced magic freely. New mandates forbade warriors from practicing magic and required all mages to enter temples and remain celibate. The war mages also branded all Hespera worshipers heretics and destroyed their temples. The Ordering caused the Last War and the end of the Great Temple Epoch.

the Orders: see Mage Orders

Orthros: homeland of the Hesperines, ruled by the Queens. The Mage Orders describe it as a horrific place where no human can survive, but in reality, it is a land of peace, prosperity, and culture.

Orthros Abroad: the population of Hesperines who are errant in Tenebra at any given time. Under the jurisdiction of the First Prince, who is the Queens’ regent outside their ward.

Orthros Boreou: Hesperine homeland in the northern hemisphere, located north of and sharing a border with Tenebra.

Orthros Notou: Hesperine homeland in the southern hemisphere, located across the sea to the southeast of the Empire.

Orthros Warmbloods: unique horse breed developed by Hippolyta. Hesperine blood magic gives them intelligence, strength, and longevity superior to mundane horses.

Ourania: Prisma of Hagia Anatela. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Hypatia.

Overseer: see Gift Collector

Owia: the dynasty that currently holds the throne of the Empire.

Pakhne: a mage of Kyria who traveled to Orthros for the Solstice Summit along with Ariadne. Miranda later possessed Pakhne so Kallikrates could use her against Cassia and Lio. When Lio freed Pakhne’s mind, the Collector stole her magic, leaving her powerless and suffering.

paradigm: a major pattern of magic, consisting of a set of affinities that follow the same rules and affect related aspects of reality. See haima, hulaia, mageia, manteia, progonaia.

Paradum: a hunting estate of the King of Tenebra, located near Patria. When Cassia was fourteen, the king sent her to live there with Miranda’s family. Kallikrates stole her magic there, damaging the letting site beneath the castle.

Patria: a domain in Tenebra, the traditional location for the Council of Free Lords to gather each time they must grant their mandate to a new monarch.

Peanut: Tuura’s fortune name.

Perita: Cassia’s handmaiden and dearest friend who accompanied her to Orthros for the Solstice Summit and assisted with all her schemes. Now the handmaiden of Lady Sabina, Lord Hadrian’s daughter, and involved in Solia’s cause.

Phaedros: brilliant scholar from ancient times, among the first mages of Hespera to receive the Gift. The only survivor of Hagia Notia’s destruction by the Aithourian Circle. When he took revenge against the mortals, he forfeited his status as an elder firstblood. Now lives in eternal exile under the midnight sun.

Pherenike: Lio’s cousin, a warder and warrior like her mother, Lyta, and one of the three most powerful Hesperine thelemancers like her father, Argyros. Solaced from Tenebra as a child. Known as the Victory Star, one of the Blood Errant alongside her uncle, Apollon, and her Trial brothers Rudhira and Methu. After the surviving Blood Errant’s campaign to avenge Methu, she remained Abroad alone, missing in action for over ninety years. Recently returned to Orthros to once again serve in the Stand.

plant magic: type of Lustra magic that grants the power to make plants grow.

Prince and Diplomat: board game and beloved Hesperine pastime; requires strategy and practice to master.

Prince’s Charge: the force of Hesperines errant who serve under the First Prince.

Prisma: highest ranking female mage in a temple.

privateers: see Empress’s Privateers

progonaia: ancestral magic, the paradigm of magic that is channeled from the spirit phase. Includes Imperial affinities such as divination.

Prometheus: legendary Hesperine warrior and martyr. Bloodborn to Kassandra and descendant of Imperial royalty. Known as the Midnight Champion, he was a member of the Blood Errant with his comrades Nike, Rudhira, and Apollon. Captured by the Aithourian Circle before Lio’s birth. Orthros mourns his death, although his mother has prophesied of his return.

Pup: Solia’s childhood nickname for Cassia.

pyromagus: mage with an affinity for fire.

Queen Mothers: matriarchs from each sister state within the Empire who possess the sacred artifacts that symbolize power to their particular people. Each Imperial dynasty must secure their blessings in order to reign.

the Queens: the Hesperine monarchs of Orthros. See Alea, Soteira

the Queens’ ward: the powerful Sanctuary ward cast by the Queens, which spans the borders of Orthros, protecting Hesperines from human threats.

Redblood: in an avowal ceremony, the Hesperine welcoming their Grace into their bloodline and granting their partner a new blood name.

resonance: when a mage draws power from magical reserves within themselves, which resonate with certain aspects of the spiritual or physical, such as the mind or fire. Manteia and mageia rely on resonance.

revelatory spell: one of the Anthrian mages’ specialized spells for revealing hidden Hesperines.

rhabdos: Hesperine term in the Divine Tongue meaning penis.

rimelace: flowering herb that requires extremely cold conditions. Difficult to grow in Tenebra, even with the aid of magic, but thrives in Orthros. The only known treatment for frost fever.

Ritual: Hesperine sacred tenet. A ceremony in which Hesperines share blood, but in a broader sense, the whole of their religious beliefs.

Ritual circle: area where Hesperines gather to perform Ritual, usually marked with sacred symbols on the floor.

Ritual firstbloods: the eight blood mages who performed the Ritual that created Hesperines. As the leaders of the Great Temples of Hespera, all except Alea were martyred during the Ordering. See Alea, Anastasios, Daedala, Eidon, Eukairia, Khariton, Ourania, Thelxinos

Ritual hall: central chamber in Hesperine homes where the bloodline’s Ritual circle is located.

Ritual parents: Hesperines who attend a new immortal’s first Ritual and remain their mentors for eternity. Comparable to Tenebran temple parents.

Ritual Sanctuary: innermost chamber of a shrine or temple of Hespera, where sacred rituals were performed by mages.

Ritual separation: eight nights that Hesperine Graces must spend apart to demonstrate their Craving symptoms and prove their bond to their people; required before avowal.

Ritual tapestry: tapestry crafted by Kassandra for a new Hesperine to commemorate their Gifting, into which she weaves prophecies about their immortal destiny.

Ritual tributary: Hesperine who establishes their own bloodline rather than joining their Gifter’s family.

royal firstbloods: the Queens’ children, who are to establish their own bloodlines in order to share the Annassa’s power with their people.

Rudhira: see Ioustinianos

Sanctuary: Hesperine sacred tenet, the practice of offering refuge to anyone in need. Or Hesperine refuge in hostile territory, concealed and protected from humans by Sanctuary magic.

Sanctuary mage: a mage with a rare dual affinity for warding and light magic, who can create powerful protections that also conceal. Queen Alea of Orthros is the only mage with this affinity who survived the Orders’ persecution of Hespera worshipers.

Sanctuary Rose: a variety of white rose that originated in the Great Temples of Hespera. The only vine that survived the Last War now grows in Princess Konstantina’s greenhouse, and she has propagated it throughout Orthros. Traditionally, each person who requests Sanctuary is given one of these blooms in welcome.

Sanctuary ward: ward created by a Sanctuary mage, which can both protect and hide those within it. Strong Sanctuary wards require the caster to remain inside the boundaries of the spell. Should the mage die there, their sacrifice will increase the ward’s power and sustain it indefinitely.

Sandira Kingdom: powerful sister state that controls the flow of gold, ivory, and copper between the Kwatzi City-States and the Empire’s interior. Ruled by hereditary shifters whose animal forms signify their status within the hierarchy of warriors, nobility, or royalty.

Sea of Komne: the sea that separates mainland Orthros from the landmass where Tenebra and Cordium are located.

Segetia: domain of Free Lord Titus, landlocked and known for its fertile hills.

Selas: capital city of Orthros Boreou.

SeverinorSeverinus the Younger: son and heir of Severinus the Elder, a free lord known for persecuting Hesperines. Severin persuaded his father to support Solia and her Hesperine allies in spite of his prejudice. Hoyefe’s lover.

shadowlands: Imperial term for Tenebra and Cordium, sometimes used with pity or disdain.

shifter: a person of Sandira descent who is blessed by their ancestors with the ability to shapeshift. Sandira shifters take on the form of a particular animal with which their clan has cultivated a sacred bond over many generations.

Siege of Sovereigns: King Lucis’s assault on Castra Roborra, where rebel free lords held Solia for ransom. Ended the rebellion and resulted in the death of every living thing in the fortress.

Silvertongue: see Argyros

Silvicultrix: a Lustra sorceress with the triune affinity for beast magic, plant magic, and soothsaying. They ruled the Lustri as priestess-queens in ancient times, and one ascended to the throne of Tenebra as the Changing Queen. They have nearly died out, and Silvicultrixes like Thalia and Cassia are extraordinarily rare in the present day.

sister states: independent lands within the Empire ruled by their own monarchs, all owing allegiance to the Empress. She is seen as their eldest sister, and they are symbolically members of her clan.

Skleros: master necromancer and Gift Collector who holds the Order of Hypnos’s record for completing the most bounties on Hesperines. Expert in essential displacement who helped the Collector cause devastation during the Solstice Summit. After Cassia and Lio’s escape from Miranda at Paradum, he tried to apprehend them, but Rudhira beheaded him.

Slumber: see Dawn Slumber

Solace: Hesperine sacred tenet, the practice of rescuing and Gifting abandoned children.

Solia: the new Queen of Tenebra, former King Lucis’s legitimate daughter, who wrested the free lords’ mandate from him and now seeks to defeat him in a civil war. When she was princess, Lucis left her for dead at the Siege of Sovereigns, but she escaped to the Empire with the help of the privateers. After fighting with the Ashes for several years, she won the Battle of Souls tournament, earning the Empress’s support for her overthrow of King Lucis. The love of Tendeso’s life, Solia broke his heart when she chose to return to Tenebra.

Solorum: ancestral capital of Tenebra, royal seat of the king.

Solorum Palace: oldest palace in Tenebra, built by the Mage King, still the most important royal residence for the King of Tenebra.

Solstice Summit: diplomatic negotiations between Tenebra and Orthros that marked the first time a mortal embassy from Tenebra ever entered Hesperine lands. An unprecedented event proposed by Lio in an effort to prevent war and make it possible for Cassia to stay with him.

soothsayer: Lustra mage with the affinity for soothsaying, which gives them the power to influence others’ thoughts and choices with their words.

Soteira: one of the two Queens of Orthros, who has ruled the Hesperines for nearly sixteen hundred years with her Grace, Alea. Originally from the Empire, she was a powerful mortal mage with an affinity for healing and theramancy before leaving to found Orthros alongside Alea.

speires: symbolic hair ties Lyta gives to trainees when they begin learning the battle arts. Stewards wear them as part of their Stand regalia.

spirit gate: a portal that allows magical travel by opening a passage through the spirit phase. Imperial diviners maintain regulated spirit gates throughout the Empire and Orthros Notou.

spirit phase: the spiritual plane of existence where the ancestors dwell, where living souls originate and to which they return in the afterlife. See natural phase

the Stand: see Hippolyta’s Stand

Standstill: Kella’s fortune name

stepping: innate Hesperine ability to teleport instantly from one place to another with little magical effort.

Steward: see Hippolyta’s Stand

suckling: Hesperine child.

Sun Market: bazaar on the island of Marijani in the Empire, renowned for its wonders.

Sun Temple: see Temple of Anthros at Solorum

sunbound: mild Hesperine curse word.

Sunburn: Solia’s fortune name.

Telemakhos: Lio’s cousin, best friend, and Trial brother. Exposed as a child in Tenebra due to a club foot, Solaced by Argyros and Lyta. A warrior by profession and warder by affinity, he serves in the Stand. He and his Grace, Lyros, are newly avowed.

Temple of Kyria at Solorum: most influential and respected temple of Kyria in Tenebra, located near the royal palace. The Prisma was a friend and ally of Cassia’s when she was in Tenebra.

Temple of Anthros at Solorum: temple in Tenebra’s capital, once an ancient site of outdoor Anthros worship that was later walled and roofed by kings. The temple of the royal mage, where the king and his court attend rites.

Tendeso: Prince of the Sandira Kingdom and brother of King Anesu. After the ancestors passed over him and gave his brother the throne, he fought with the Ashes under the name Monsoon. Solia’s lover for eight years until she defeated him in the Battle of Souls and chose her duty to Tenebra over him.

Tenebra: human kingdom south of Orthros and north of Cordium. Agrarian, feudal society, prone to instability due to rivalries between lords. Land of the Hesperines’ origin, where they are now persecuted. Civil war has recently broken out as Tenebra’s new Queen Solia fights to defeat Lucis, the former tyrant king.

Thalia: Cassia’s mother, believed to be merely Lucis’s concubine. In truth, a Silvicultrix descended from the Changing Queen. Born in Cordium, where she became a powerful mage of Kyria, she was forced out of her temple when her triune affinity manifested. She chose to join Lucis in Tenebra to escape the Mage Orders and make her own secret bid for the throne.

thelemancer: a mage with an affinity for thelemancy, or mind magic, which gives them the power to manipulate others’ thoughts and control their Wills.

Thelxinos: Prismos of Hagia Zephyra. Ritual firstblood and Gifter of Kitharos.

Thenie: see Athena

theramancer: a person with an affinity for theramancy, or mind healing, who can use magic to treat mental illness.

the Thirst: a Hesperine’s need to drink blood, a non-sexual urge like a human’s need to drink water or eat food.

Thorn: Rudhira’s two-handed sword, which he carried as one of the Blood Errant and now wields as he leads the Charge.

Tilili: greater sand cat bonded to Kella who serves as her mount and partner in combat.

Timarete: elder firstblood and founder of Orthros from Hagia Zephyra, Gifted by Daedala. Mother of Lyros and one of the Hesperines’ greatest painters.

traversal: teleportation ability of Tenebran and Cordian mages. Requires a great expense of magic and usually leaves the mortal mage seriously ill.

Trial circle: age set of Hesperines who go through the Trial of Initiation together. They consider each other Trial sisters and brothers for the rest of their immortal lives. Although not related by birth or blood, they maintain strong bonds of loyalty and friendship for eternity.

TrialorTrial of Initiation: Hesperine rite of passage marking an immortal’s transition into adulthood.

triune affinity: the combination of three powerful types of Lustra magic: plant magic, beast magic, and soothsaying. See Silvicultrix

triune focus: a set of three artifacts required by a Silvicultrix to control the vast amount of magic she channels from the Lustra. Ancient Silvicultrixes used their foci to create letting sites.

Tuura: mercenary theramancer, the Ashes’ diviner and alchemist.

Ukocha: retired leader of the Ashes, a swordswoman and fire mage who inspires awe among mercenaries. Mother of Chuma and wife of Mumba.

Umbral Mountains: mountain range spanning the border between Tenebra and Orthros.

unified duality: a rare type of affinity in which a mage’s two magical abilities combine to form an even more powerful hybrid. Compare with a dual affinity, in which the mage’s two abilities remain distinct.

Union: Hesperine sacred tenet, the principle of living with empathy and compassion for all. See Blood Union

veil hours: by the Hesperine clock, the hours corresponding to day, when Hesperines Slumber or devote their private time to friends, family, and lovers.

veil hours robe: Hesperine garment worn during veil hours, only in the presence of those with whom a Hesperine has a close relationship.

veil spell: innate Hesperine ability to cast magical concealments that hide their presence and activities from humans or fellow immortals.

Victory Star: see Pherenike

Vigil of Thorns: five nights of meditation during the Hesperine Winter Solstice observances. Each vigil is dedicated to a thorn of Hespera’s Rose, representing the Hesperines’ sacred duties. See Mercy, Solace, Will, Union, Gift

war mage: person with an affinity for fire, lightning, or other type of magic that can be weaponized. The Order of Anthros requires them to dedicate their lives to the Aithourian Circle.

warder: mage with an affinity for warding, the power to create magical protections that block spells or physical attacks.

Waystar: Hesperine fortress, Orthros’s first refuge for those crossing the border from Tenebra. Hesperines errant who use weapons must leave their armaments here before crossing the Sea of Komne to Selas.

Whiteblood: in an avowal ceremony, the Hesperine joining their Grace’s bloodline and taking a new blood name.

Will: free will, willpower. Or Hesperine sacred tenet, the principle of guarding the sanctity of each person’s freedom of choice.

Winter Solstice: the most sacred time of the Hesperine year, when they celebrate Hespera with the sacred Festival of the Rose and Vigil of Thorns.

Wisdom’s Precipice: a tall cliff in Orthros with a treacherous drop to the rocky sea below. When Mak, Lyros, and Lio were newbloods, they jumped off in the hopes of awakening their power of levitation, only to fall and suffer painful injuries.

Xandra: see Alexandra

youngblood: young adult Hesperine who has recently reached their majority by passing the Trial of Initiation.

Ziara: one of the most accomplished of the Empress’s Privateers, famed for her powerful wind magic and daring voyages to Cordium. Captain of the Wanted, which she sails with her first mate and lover, Huru, and their all-woman crew.

ZoeorZosime: Lio’s little sister, an eight-year-old Eriphite child Solaced by Apollon and Komnena. Loves her new family and idolizes Lio and Cassia for their roles in saving her from Tenebra. Still healing from the emotional wounds she suffered as a mortal.