ACHAR: the realm that once stretched over most of the continent, bounded by the Andeis, Tyrre and Widowmaker Seas, the Avarinheim Forest and the Icescarp Alps. Now integrated into Tencendor.
ACHARITES: a people of Tencendor. The Acharites are stolid, sensible, loyal and courageous. They are a family orientated people who prefer predictability to change and adventure. They do well at cultivation and at trade, but rarely aspire to the scholarly or magical arts. Few of them travel beyond the borders of the known, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense. Many men make good soldiers, although generally they prefer to be commanded than to command themselves.
ADAMON: one of the nine Star Gods of the Icarii, Adamon is the eldest and the God of the Firmament. He is the husband of Xanon. In his birth life, Adamon trained as a mathematician.
AFTERLIFE: all three races, the Acharites, the Icarii and the Avar believe in the existence of an AfterLife, although exactly what they believe depends on their particular culture.
ALAYNE: a roving blacksmith in Skarabost who once told the young Azhure stories.
ALAUNT: the legendary pack of hounds that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. They now run with Azhure. They are all of the Lesser.
ALDENI: a small province in western Achar, devoted to small crop cultivation. It is administered by Duke Theod, son of Roland, under the overlordship of Prince Belial.
ALNAR: a Bane of the Avar people.
ANDAKILSA, The River: the extreme northern river of Ichtar, dividing Ichtar from Ravensbund. Under normal circumstances, it remains free of ice all year round and flows into the Andeis Sea.
ANDEIS SEA: an unpredictable sea that washes the western coast of Achar.
ANNWIN: eldest daughter of the exiled and deposed Earl Isend of Skarabost, sister to Faraday. Married to Lord Osmary.
ARCEN: the major town of Arcness.
ARCNESS: large eastern province in Achar, specialising in pigs.
ARHAT: a Ravensbund warrior.
ARNE: a former Axe-Wielder and cohort commander in Axis' combined army.
ARTOR THE PLOUGHMAN: the one true god, as taught by the Brotherhood of the Seneschal. According to the Book of Field and Furrow, the religious text of the Seneschal, Artor gave mankind the gift of the Plough, the instrument which enabled mankind to abandon his hunting and gathering lifestyle and to settle in the one spot to cultivate the earth and thus to build the foundations of civilisation. The place Artor delivered the gift was Smyrton.
AVAR, The: the ancient race of Tencendor who live in the forests of the Avarinheim and Minstrelsea. The Avar are sometimes referred to as the People of the Horn.
AVARINHEIM, The: the home of the Avar people.
AVENUE, The: the processional way of the Temple Complex on the Island of Mist and Memory.
AVONSDALE: province in western Achar. It produces legumes, fruit and flowers. It is administered by Earl Herme, son of Jorge, under the overlordship of Prince Belial.
AXE-WIELDERS, The: once the elite crusading and military wing of the Seneschal. Its members did not taken holy orders but nevertheless dedicated their battle skills to the Seneschal to use as it wished. The Axe-Wielders were the main reason the Acharites managed to defeat the Avar and the Icarii in the Wars of the Axe and, over the subsequent thousand years, enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for military excellence. Once led by Axis as their BattleAxe, the Axe-Wielders are now completely disbanded, their men incorporated into Axis' combined command.
AXIS: son of the Princess Rivkah of Achar and the Icarii Enchanter StarDrifter SunSoar. Once BattleAxe of the Axe-Wielders, now he has assumed the mantle of the StarMan of the Prophecy of the Destroyer. After reforging Tencendor Axis formed his own house, the House of the Stars.
AZHURE: daughter of WolfStar SunSoar and Niah of Nor. Married to Axis.
AZLE, The River: a major river that divides the provinces of Ichtar and Aldeni. It flows into the Andeis Sea.

BALDWIN, SOL: commander of the garrison at Sigholt.
BANES: the religious leaders of the Avar people. They wield magic, although it is usually of the minor variety.
BARROWS, The Ancient: the burial places of the ancient Enchanter-Talons of the Icarii people. Located in southern Arcness.
BARSARBE: at one time senior Bane of the Avar people.
BATTLEAXE, The: once the leader of the Axe-Wielders, he was appointed by the Brother-Leader for his loyalty to the Seneschal, his devotion to Artor the Ploughman and the Way of the Plough, and his skills as a military commander. The post of BattleAxe was last held by Axis. See 'Axe-Wielders'.
BEDWYR FORT: a fort that sits on the lower reaches of the River Nordra and guards the entrance to Grail Lake from Nordmuth. It was the site of the major battle between Axis and Borneheld.
BELAGUEZ: Axis' war horse.
BELIAL: lieutenant and second-in-command in Axis' army. Long time friend and supporter of Axis SunSoar. Now Prince Belial of the territories of western Tencendor. Married to Cazna, daughter of Prince Ysgryff.
BELTIDE: see 'Festivals'.
BLUEWING EVERSOAR: an Icarii farflight scout in the Strike Force.
BOGLE MARSH: a large and inhospitable marsh in eastern Arcness. Strange creatures are said to live in the Marsh. Few people visit the marshes (save the frog merchants) because it is rumoured that it contains the land of dreams. Strange women haunt its borders, and they say (if any should be interested enough to ask) that they watch over the Borderlands between the Land of Waking and the Land of Dreams. These women breed only daughters, and they say these daughters have no fathers.
BOOK OF FIELD AND FURROW: the religious text of the Seneschal, who taught that Artor himself wrote it and presented it to mankind.
BORNEHELD: Duke of Ichtar and King of Achar. Son of the Princess Rivkah and her husband, Duke Searlas, half-brother to Axis, and husband of Faraday of Skarabost. After murdering his uncle, Priam, Borneheld assumed the throne of Achar. Now dead.
BOROLEAS: an elderly Brother within the Seneschal. Now exiled.
BRACKEN RANGES, The: a low and narrow mountain range that divides Arcness and Skarabost. Known now as the Minaret Peaks after the recovered Icarii cities that cover the slopes of the ranges.
BRACKEN, The River: the river that rises in the Bracken Ranges and which, dividing the provinces of Skarabost and Arcness, flows into the Widowmaker Sea.
BRADOKE: a senior lieutenant within Axis' forces.
BRIGHTFEATHER: wife to RavenCrest SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii.
BRIGHT SOULS: creatures mentioned by the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
BRIGHTSTAR FEATHERNEST: an Icarii Enchanter.
BRODE: an Avar man, Clan Leader of the SilentWalk Clan.
BROTHER-LEADER, The: the supreme leader of the Brotherhood of the now-destroyed Seneschal. Usually elected by the senior Brothers, the Office of Brother-Leader was for life. He was a powerful man, controlling not only the Brotherhood and all its riches, but the Axe-Wielders as well.
BURDEL, EARL: one-time lord of Arcness and friend to Borneheld, Duke of Ichtar and King of Achar. Executed by Axis for crimes against the people of Skarabost.

CAELUM: eldest son of Axis and Azhure, born at Yuletide. Caelum is an ancient word meaning 'Stars in Heaven'. Caelum now largely administers Tencendor on behalf of his father. He bears the title StarSon.
CARLON: main city of Tencendor and one-time residence of the kings of Achar. Situated on Grail Lake. Save for the palace complex, which Caelum lives in, Carlon is owned by Belial and his family.
CAULDRON LAKE, The: the lake at the centre of the Silent Woman Woods.
CAZNA: daughter of Prince Ysgryff of Nor, cousin of Azhure, and wife to Belial.
CHAMBER OF THE MOONS: chief audience and banquet chamber of the royal palace in Carlon.
CHAMPION, A: occasionally an Acharite warrior will pledge himself as a noble lady's Champion. The relationship is purely platonic and is one of protection and support. The pledge of a Champion can be broken only by his death or by the express wish of his lady.
CHARONITES: a little-known race of Tencendor, they now inhabit the UnderWorld.
CHATTERLINGS, The: curious creatures once found in the Murkle Mountain mines. Now they inhabit the icepacks of the Iskruel Ocean. Whispering. Chattering.
CIRCLE OF STARS, The: see the 'Enchantress' Ring'.
CLANS, The: the Avar tend to segregate into Clan groups, roughly equitable with family groups.
CLOUDBURST SUNSOAR: younger brother and assassin of WolfStar SunSoar.
COHORT: see 'Military Terms'.
COROLEAS: the great empire to the south of Tencendor. Relations between the two countries are usually cordial.
CREST: Icarii military unit composed of twelve Wings.
CREST-LEADER: commander of an Icarii Crest.
CRIAH: an Avar woman from the FlatRock Clan.
CRIMSONCREST: an Icarii male.
CULPEPPER FENWICKE: mayor of the city of Arcen in Arcness.

DANCE OF DEATH, The: dark star music that is the counter point to the Star Dance. It is the music made when stars miss their step and crash into each other, or swell up into red giants and implode. Very few Enchanters can wield this Dark Music - the Dark Man could, as could Gorgrael and, on occasion, Azhure.

DARK MAN, The: Gorgrael's mentor. Also known as Dear Man. A disguise used by WolfStar SunSoar.
DEAR MAN: See Dark Man.
DESTROYER, The: another term for Gorgrael.
DEWES, SYMONDS: a sheeptrader from Arcen.
DISTANCES:

• League: roughly seven kilometres, or four and a half miles.
• Pace: roughly one metre or one yard.
• Handspan: roughly twenty centimetres or eight inches.

DOBO: a Ravensbund warrior. Now dead.
DOME OF THE MOON: a sacred dome dedicated to the Moon on Temple Mount of the Island of Mist and Memory. Only the First Priestess has access to the Dome, and it was in this Dome that Niah conceived Azhure.
DRAGONSTAR SUNSOAR: second son of Axis and Azhure. Twin brother to RiverStar. (Also known as Drago.)
DRIFTSTAR SUNSOAR: grandmother to StarDrifter, mother of MorningStar. An Enchanter and a SunSoar in her own right and wife to the SunSoar Talon. She died three hundred years before the events of the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
DRU-BEORH: a merchant.

EARTH TREE: a sacred tree to both the Icarii and the Avar.
EARTH TREE GROVE: the grove holding the Earth Tree in the northern Avarinheim where it borders the Icescarp Alps. It isthe most important of the Avarinheim groves and is where the Avar (sometimes in concert with the Icarii) hold their gatherings and religious rites.
EDOWES: a soldier from Arne's unit in Axis' force.
EGERLEY: a young man from Smyrton.
ELIEN: an Avar woman from the FlatRock Clan.
EMBETH, LADY OF TARE: widow of Ganelon of Tare, mother of Timozel, and good friend and once lover to Axis. After leaving Carlon, Embeth returned to Tare where she married a local nobleman and gave him two sons. Older and wiser now, Embeth still finds herself dreaming of Axis and StarDrifter at night.
ENCHANTRESS, The: the first of the Icarii Enchanters, the first Icarii to discover the way to use the power of the Star Dance. The Icarii revere her memory. This title is now occasionally given to Azhure.
ENCHANTRESS' RING, The: an ancient ring once in the possession of the Enchantress, now worn by Azhure. Its proper name is the Circle of Stars, and it is intimately connected with the Star Gods.
ENCHANTERS: the magicians of the Icarii people. Many of them are very powerful. All Enchanters have the word 'Star' somewhere in their names.
ENCHANTER-TALONS: Talons of the Icarii people who are also Enchanters.
ESCATOR: a realm to the east, far over the Widowmaker Sea. The Coroleans trade with the Escatorians, and one or two of their scholars have made their way to Tencendor to study with the Icarii. Prince Belial has opened negotiations to marry his daughter Leagh to the Escatorian prince.
EVENSONG: daughter of Rivkah and StarDrifter SunSoar, sister to Axis and wife to FreeFall SunSoar.

FAIREYE: an Icarii birdwoman, a member of the Strike Force.
FALSARON: the name of Priam in the USA edition.
FARADAY: daughter of Earl Isend of Skarabost and his wife, Lady Merlion. Once wife to Borneheld and Queen of Achar, Faraday now wanders the Minstrelsea, freed from love and yet trapped by her freedom.
FARSIGHT CUTSPUR: once the senior Crest-Leader of the Icarii Strike Force.
FEATHERFLIGHT BRIGHTWING: a Wing-Leader in the Icarii Strike Force.
FERNBRAKE LAKE, The: the large lake in the centre of the Bracken Ranges. Also known by both the Avar and the Icarii as the Mother.
FERRYMAN, The: the Charonite who plies the ferry of the UnderWorld. His name is Orr. Orr is one of the Lesser.
FESTIVALS of the Avar and the Icarii:

• Yuletide: the winter solstice, in the last week of Snow-month.
• Beltide: the spring Festival, the first day of Flower-month.
• Fire-Night: the summer solstice, in the last week of Rose-month.

FINGUS: a previous BattleAxe. Now dead.
FINNIS: a displaced Plough-Keeper.
FIRE-NIGHT, The: see 'Festivals'.
FIRST, The: the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars, the order of nine priestesses on Temple Mount. The First, like all priestesses of the Order, gave up her name on taking her vows. Niah of Nor once held this office.
FIVE FAMILIES, The First: the leading families of the newly created Tencendor: led, in turn, by Prince Belial, Prince Magariz, Prince Ysgryff, Chief Ho'Demi of the Ravensbund people and FreeFall SunSoar, the Icarii Talon.
FLEAT: an Avar woman, wife to Grindle.
FLEURIAN: Baroness of Tarantaise, wife to Greville. She is his second wife, and much younger than him.
FLULIA: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Flulia is the Goddess of Water. In her birth life, Flulia was a laundress in the ancient city that stood on the site Ysbadd now occupies.
FLURIA, The River: a minor river that flows through Aldeni into the River Nordra.
FORBIDDEN, The: the name the Seneschal gave to the Avar and the Icarii. The Seneschal taught that the Forbidden were evil creatures who used magic and sorcery to enslave humans. During the Wars of the Axe, a thousand years before the events of the Prophecy of the Destroyer, the Acharites pushed the Forbidden back beyond the Fortress Ranges into the Shadowsward and the Icescarp Alps. Now the name has largely fallen into disuse.
FORBIDDEN TERRITORIES, The: the lands of the Forbidden, the Avarinheim and the Icescarp Alps. Now the Seneschal has lost its power and the Icarii and Avar are returned to Tencendor, this term is rarely used.
FORBIDDEN VALLEY, The: the only aboveground entrance into the Avarinheim from the plains of Tencendor. It is where the River Nordra escapes the Avarinheim and flows into Achar. Again, the 'Forbidden' has now largely been dropped from everyday usage.
FOREST, concept of: the Seneschal taught that all forests were bad because they harboured dark demons who plotted the overthrow of mankind, thus most Acharites had (and some still have) a terrible fear of forests and their dark interiors. Almost all of the ancient forest that once covered Achar was destroyed. For a thousand years the only trees grown in Achar were fruit trees and plantation trees for timber. Now forest covers much of eastern Tencendor again.
FORTRESS RANGES: the mountains that run down Achar's eastern boundary from the Icescarp Alps to the Widowmaker Sea. The Avar were penned behind these ranges by the Seneschal and the Axe-Wielders.
FRANCIS: an elderly Brother from the Retreat in Gorkentown. Now long dead and at peace.
FREEFALL: son of BrightFeather and RavenCrest SunSoar, Talon of the Icarii, husband of EvenSong SunSoar. Murdered by Borneheld, Axis obtained FreeFall's freedom from the GateKeeper. FreeFall, as so many of the Icarii, now live in the cities of the Minaret Peaks.
FULBRIGHT: an Acharite engineer in Axis' force.
FULKE, Baron: lord of Romsdale under the overlordship of Prince Belial.
FUNADO: a Ravensbund warrior.
'FURROW WIDE, FURROW DEEP': in the time of the Seneschal this was an all embracing Acharite phrase used as a benediction, a protection against evil, or a term of greeting. Largely fallen into disuse with the demise of the Seneschal and the Way of the Plough.

GANELON, LORD: Lord of Tare, once husband to Embeth, Lady of Tare. Now dead.
GARDEN, The: the Garden of the Mother.
GARLAND, GOODMAN: Goodman of Smyrton.
GATEKEEPER, The: the Keeper of the Gate of Death in the UnderWorld and mother of Zeherah. Her task is to keep tally of the souls who pass through the Gate. She is one of the Lesser.
GAUTIER: once lieutenant to Borneheld. Now dead.
GHOSTMEN: a term used for the Skraelings in the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
GHOSTTREE CLAN: one of the Avar Clans, headed by Grindle.
GILBERT: Brother of the Seneschal; once assistant and adviser to the Brother-Leader.
GOLDFEATHER: the name that Rivkah adopted when she joined the Icarii after Axis' supposed death at birth. She abandoned the adopted name of GoldFeather and resumed her birth-name at the request of Orr, the Charonite Ferryman.
GOVERNOR OF THE EAST: a position created by Axis when he reforged Tencendor and given to Azhure. The Governor of the East was a somewhat temporary office and now FreeFall administers most of the East.
GORGRAEL: the Destroyer, half-brother to Axis, sharing the same father, StarDrifter. Gorgrael was a proficient wielder of the Dance of Death, the Dark Music that is the counterpoint to the Star Dance.
GORKENFORT: the major fort situated in Gorken Pass in northern Ichtar. Now maintained by Prince Magariz and commanded by his son, Salazar.
GORKEN PASS: the narrow pass sixty leagues long that provides the only way from Ravensbund into Ichtar. It is bounded by the Icescarp Alps and the River Andakilsa.
GORKENTOWN: the town that huddles about the walls of Gorkenfort. Destroyed during the initial invasion of the Skraeling army, but now rebuilt as a major trading town by Prince Magariz.
GRAIL LAKE, The: a massive lake at the lower reaches of the River Nordra. On its shores are Carlon and the Tower of Spiredore.
GREATER, The: the nine Star Gods.
GREVILLE, BARON: lord of Tarantaise.
GRINDLE: an Avar man, head of the GhostTree Clan.
GRYPHON: a legendary flying creature of Tencendor, intelligent, vicious and courageous. They were particularly deadly to the Icarii and it took the Icarii many hundreds of years to exterminate them. They were recreated by Gorgrael and the Dark Man in an effort to eliminate Axis, but have been destroyed by the combined magic of Azhure and the forests of Tencendor
GUNDEALGA FORD: a wide shallow ford on the Nordra, just south of the Urqhart Hills. Gundealga means 'peaceful water' (and was, incidentally, the name of the property on which I was born: SD) .

HAGEN: once Plough-Keeper of Smyrton, husband to Niah, and stepfather to Azhure. Hagen died during a struggle with Azhure.
HANDSPAN: see 'Distances'.
HANORI: a Ravensbund elder.
HELM: a young Avar male.
HERME, Earl: Earl of Avonsdale, son of Jorge.
HESKETH: the captain of the palace guard in Carlon. Once lover to Yr.
HO'DEMI: the Chief of the Ravensbund people.
HOGNI: a young Avar female.
HORDLEY, GOODMAN: Goodman of Smyrton, senior man of the village.
HORNED ONES: the almost divine and most sacred members of the Avar race. They live in the Sacred Grove.
HOVEREYE BLACKWING: an Icarii Crest-Leader.
HSINGARD: the large town situated in central Ichtar, once seat of the Dukes of Ichtar, but totally destroyed by Skraelings.

ICARII, The: a race of winged people. They are sometimes referred to as the People of the Wing.
ICEBEAR COAST: the hundred-league long coast that stretches from the Deadwood Forest in north-western Ravensbund to the frozen Tundra above the Avarinheim. It is very remote, and very, very beautiful.
ICESCARP ALPS, The: the great mountain range that stretches across most of northern Achar. It is home to the Icarii.
ICESCARP BARREN: a desolate tract of land situated in northern Ichtar between the Icescarp Alps and the Urqhart Hills.
ICEWORMS: potent creations of Gorgrael. Fashioned from ice and snow and shaped somewhat like worms, from whence they got their names, these massive creatures carried Skraelings in their bellies. Rising twenty or thirty paces above men or walls, the IceWorms then vomited their cargo behind both lines and walls. They were instrumental in the downfall of Gorkentown.
ICHTAR, DUKE of: once cruel lords of Ichtar, the line died with Borneheld.
ICHTAR, The Province of: the largest and richest of the provinces of Achar. Ichtar derives its wealth from its extensive grazing herds and from its mineral and precious gem mines. Now given to Prince Magariz by Axis.
ICHTAR, The River: a minor river that flows through Ichtar into the River Azle.
IGREN FENWICKE: wife to the mayor of Arcen, Culpepper Fenwicke.
ILFRACOOMBE: the manor house of the Earl of Skarabost, the home where Faraday grew up.
IMIBI: a Ravensbundwoman, once nurse to Caelum.
INARI: a Ravensbund warrior.
IN'MARI: a Ravensbund woman, daughter of Ho'Demi and Sa'Kuya, and married to Izanagi.
ISEND, EARL: once lord of Skarabost, a darkly handsome but somewhat dandified lord. Father to Faraday. Isend now lives in exile.
ISFRAEL: a baby boy, a gift.
ISLAND OF MIST AND MEMORY: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, once known as Pirate's Nest.
IZANAGI: a Ravensbund warrior, married to Ho'Demi's daughter In'Mari.

JACK: senior among the Sentinels.
JAYME: one-time Brother-Leader of the Seneschal.
JERVOIS LANDING: the small town on Tailem Bend of the River Nordra. The gateway into Ichtar.
JORGE, Earl: former Earl of Avonsdale, Jorge was one of the most experienced military campaigners in Achar. He has been succeeded by his grandson Herme.
JUDITH: once Queen of Achar, widow of Priam. Now living in seclusion in Tare.

KAREL: dead king of Achar, father to Priam and Rivkah.
KASTALEON: one of the great Keeps of Achar, situated on the River Nordra in central Achar.
KEEPS, The: the three great magical Keeps of Achar. See separate entries under Spiredore, Sigholt, and Silent Woman Keep.
KENRICKE: the commander of the last surviving cohort of Axe-Wielders, left by Axis to guard the Tower of the Seneschal. After the Battle of Bedwyr Fort, Kenricke surrendered his command to Axis.

LAKE OF LIFE: one of the sacred and magical lakes of Tencendor. It sits at the western end of the HoldHard Pass in the Urqhart Hills and cradles Sigholt.
LEAGUE: see 'Distances'.
LEAGH: daughter of Belial and Cazna. (The 'g' is silent.)
LESSER, The: a term given to creatures of such magic they approach god-like status.
LOMAN: an Avar man of the BareHollow Clan.

MAGARIZ, Prince: once commander of Gorkenfort, now one of Axis' senior commanders and lord of the northern territories of Tencendor. Husband to Rivkah, Axis' mother.
MAGIC: the Seneschal taught that all magic, enchantments or sorcery were the province only of the Forbidden races who would use magic to enslave the Acharites if they could. Under the influence of the Seneschal all Artor-fearing Acharites feared and hated the use of magic, although their fear now dies.
MAGIC LAKES, The: the ancient land of Tencendor had a number of magical lakes whose powers are now mostly forgotten. Also known as the Sacred Lakes.
MALFARI: the tuber that the Avar depend on to produce their bread.
MASCEN, BARON: Lord of Rhaetia.
MERLION, LADY: wife to Earl Isend of Skarabost and mother to Faraday. Merlion died in Gorgrael's storm at the Ancient Barrows.
MILITARY TERMS (for regular ground forces):

Squad: a small group of fighters, normally under forty and usually archers.
Unit: a group of one hundred men, either infantry, archers, pikemen, or cavalry.
Cohort: five units, so five hundred men.
(See also 'Wing' and 'Crest' for the Icarii Strike Force.)

MERSE: a Bane of the Avar people.
MINARET PEAKS: the ancient name for the Bracken Ranges, named for the minarets of the ancient Icarii cities spread the length of the mountain range. The cities have now been brushed free of their dirt and enchantments and now house the greater number of the Icarii. The cities extend as much through the mountains as they do above them - the entire ranges are riddled by the catacombs of the ancient cities.
MINSTRELSEA: the name Faraday gave to the new forest she planted out below the Avarinheim.
MIRBOLT: a Bane of the Avar people. Now dead.
MONTHS: (northern hemisphere seasons apply)

• Wolf-month: January
• Raven-month: February
• Hungry-month: March
• Thaw-month: April
• Flower-month: May
• Rose-month: June
• Harvest-month: July
• Stubble-month: August
• DeadLeaf-month: September
• Bone-month: October
• Frost-month: November
• Snow-month: December

MOONWILDFLOWERS: extremely rare, delicate violet flowers that bloom only under the full moon. Niah once took young Azhure hunting for them under the full moon.
MORNINGSTAR SUNSOAR: StarDrifter's mother and a powerful Enchanter in her own right. MorningStar was the widow of RushCloud, the previous SunSoar Talon. She was murdered by WolfStar SunSoar.
MORYSON: Brother of the Seneschal and friend and chief assistant and adviser to the Brother-Leader.
MOTHER, THE: either the Avar name for Fernbrake Lake, or an all-embracing term for nature which is sometimes personified as an immortal woman.
MURKLE BAY: a huge bay off the western coast of Tencendor, its waters are filthy, polluted by the tanneries along the Azle River.
MURKLE MOUNTAINS: A range of desolate mountains that run along the length of Murkle Bay. Once they were extensively mined for opals, they are now abandoned.

NARCIS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Narcis is the God of the Sun. In his birth life, Narcis was a menial in a noble household.
NECKLET, The: a curious geological feature of Ravensbund.
NEVELON: lieutenant to Duke Roland of Aldeni, Nevelon died at Jervois Landing.
NIAH: of the once baronial family of Nor, elder sister to Prince Ysgryff. Mother to Azhure, Niah was seduced by WolfStar SunSoar and murdered by Brother Hagen. Niah was the First Priestess of the Order of the Stars.
NINE, The: see the 'Star Gods'. ('The Nine' can occasionally refer to the nine Priestesses of the Order of the Stars.)
NOR: the southernmost of the provinces of Achar. The Nors people are far darker and more exotic than the rest of the Acharites. Nor is controlled by Prince Ysgryff.
NORDMUTH: the port at the mouth of the River Nordra.
NORDRA, The River: the great river that is the main lifeline of Achar. Rising in the Icescarp Alps, the River Nordra flows through the Avarinheim before flowing through northern and central Achar. It is used for irrigation, transport and fishing.

OGDEN: one of the Sentinels. Brother to Veremund.
ORDER OF THE STARS: the order of nine priestesses who keep watch in the Temple of the Stars. Every priestess gives up her own name upon taking orders.
ORR: The Charonite Ferryman.
OSMARY, LORD: husband to Annwin, Faraday's elder sister.

PACE: see 'Distances'.
PALESTAR SNAPWING: an Icarii Enchanter.
PEASE: an Avar woman killed in the Yuletide attack on the Earth Tree Grove. Mother of Shra.
PIRATES' NEST: for many centuries the common name of the Island of Mist and Memory and still the haunt of pirates.
PIRATES' TOWN: the town in the northern harbour of Pirates' Nest - or Island of Mist and Memory.
PLOUGH, The: under the rule of the Seneschal each Acharite village had a Plough, which not only served to plough the fields, but was also the centre of their worship of the Way of the Plough. The Plough was the implement given by Artor the Ploughman to enable mankind to civilise themselves. The Seneschal taught that use of the Plough distinguished the Acharites from the Forbidden; neither the Icarii nor the Avar practice cultivation.
PLOUGH-KEEPERS: the Seneschal assigned a Brother to each village in Achar, and these men were often known as Plough-Keepers. They were literally the guardians of the Plough in each village, but they were also the directors of the Way of the Plough and guardians of the villagers' souls. Many Plough-Keepers still remain in Tencendor and many still adhere to the Way of the Plough.
PORS: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Pors is the God of Air. In his birth life, Pors was a marsh man who traded frogs to the towns of eastern Tencendor.
POWLE, WAINWALD: a young man, son of Miller Powle, of Smyrton.
PRIAM: once King of Achar and uncle to Borneheld, brother to Rivkah. Murdered by the consortium of Borneheld, Jayme, Moryson and Gilbert. In the USA edition by Tor books, Priam's name has been changed to Falsaron.
PRIVY CHAMBER: the large chamber in the royal palace in Carlon where the Achar's Privy Council once met. Now used for a similar purpose by Axis.
PRIVY COUNCIL: the council of advisers to the King of Achar, normally the lords of the major provinces of Achar. This council has been replaced in Tencendor by the Five, the leaders of the First Five Families.
PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER: an ancient Prophecy that tells of the rise of Gorgrael in the north and the StarMan who can stop him.
RAINBOW SCEPTRE: a weapon mentioned in the Prophecy.

RAUM: once a Bane of the Avar people, now the sacred White Stag.
RAVENCREST SUNSOAR: previous Talon of the Icarii people, father to FreeFall SunSoar.
RAVENERS: (raven is pronounced to rhyme with cavern) beings who roam (raven) free through the universe. Artor was once a Ravener.
RAVENSBUND: the extreme northern province of Tencendor.
RAVENSBUNDMEN: the inhabitants of Ravensbund, once loathed by the Acharites as barbarous and cruel, but now widely respected for their fighting abilities and their loyalty to Axis.
REINALD: retired chief cook of Sigholt, undercook when Rivkah lived there.
RELM: an Avar woman from the PineWalk Clan.
RENKIN, GOODWIFE: a peasant woman of northern Arcness. She comes of an ancient and highly unusual line.
RETREATS: many Brothers of the Seneschal preferred the contemplative life to the active life, and the Seneschal had various Retreats about Achar where these Brothers lived in peace in order to contemplate the mysteries of Artor the Ploughman. Although the Seneschal has been destroyed, many of these Retreats remain, although they are now more secular than once they were.
RHAETIA: small area of Achar situated in the western Bracken Ranges. It is controlled by Baron Mascen.
RIVERSTAR SUNSOAR: third child of Axis and Azhure. Twin sister to DragonStar.
RIVKAH: Princess of Achar, sister to King Priam and mother to Borneheld, Duke of Ichtar, and Axis. Now married to Prince Magariz.
ROLAND, DUKE: former Duke of Aldeni. His eldest son is Theod
ROMANA: daughter to Duke Roland of Aldeni, sister to Theod.
ROMSDALE: a province to the south west of Carlon that mainly produces wine. It is administered by Baron Fulke.
RUSHCLOUD SUNSOAR: father to RavenCrest and StarDrifter. Once Talon of the Icarii.

SACRED GROVE, The: the most sacred spot of the Avar people, the Sacred Grove is rarely visited by ordinary mortals. Normally the Banes are the only members of the Avar race who know the paths in order to find the Grove.
SA'KUYA: a Ravensbundwoman, wife to the Ravensbund Chief, Ho'Demi.
SEAGRASS PLAINS: the vast grain plains that form most of Skarabost.
SEAL HOPE, The: a ship belonging to Prince Ysgryff of Nor. Also the name of my father's horse.
SEARLAS: previous Duke of Ichtar and father of Borneheld. Once married to Princess Rivkah. Now dead.
SENESCHAL, The: once the all-powerful religious organisation of Achar. The Religious Brotherhood of the Seneschal, known individually as Brothers, directed the religious lives of all the Acharites. The Seneschal was extremely powerful and played a major role, not only in everyday life, but also in the political life of the nation. It taught obedience to the one god, Artor the Ploughman, and the Way of the Plough.
SENESCHAL, TOWER of: the one-time headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Seneschal, it has now been revealed as one of the ancient Keeps of Tencendor, Spiredore.
SENTINELS: once Charonites, the Sentinels were recruited by the Prophet to serve the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
SEPULCHRE OF THE MOON: on Temple Mount, the Sepulchre is used only by the Star Gods.
SEVERIN: the new town that Magariz builds as the replacement capital of Ichtar.
SHADOWSWARD, The: an old Acharite name for the Avarinheim.
SHARPEYE BLUEFEATHER: A Crest-Leader in the Icarii Strike Force.
SHRA: daughter of Pease and Grindle. She was bonded to the Mother with Faraday, and is now senior Bane among the Avar.
SICARIUS: leader of the pack of Alaunt hounds. One of the Lesser.
SIGHOLT: one of the great magical Keeps of Tencendor, situated on the shores of the Lake of Life in the Urqhart Hills in Ichtar. Axis' personal home.
SILENT WOMAN KEEP: The Silent Woman Keep lies in the centre of the Silent Woman Woods. It is one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor.
SILENT WOMAN WOODS: the dark and impenetrable woods in southern Arcness that houses the Silent Woman Keep. (The Silent Woman Woods actually exist in England: SD)
SILTON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Silton is God of Fire. In his birth life, Silton was a horse breaker and trader.
SKALI: a young Avar female, daughter of Fleat and Grindle. She died during the Skraeling attack on the Sacred Earth Tree Grove at Yuletide.
SKARABOST: large eastern province of Tencendor which grows much of the realm's grain supplies.
SKRAEBOLDS: leaders of the Skraelings.
SKRAEFEAR: the senior of the SkraeBolds.
SKRAELINGS: (also called wraiths) creatures of the frozen northern wastes who feed off fear and blood. Once insubstantial wraiths, they assumed far more solid forms under Gorgrael's magic.
SMYRTON: once a large village in northern Skarabost, it was destroyed by Azhure.
SONG OF CREATION: a Song which can, according to Icarii and Avar legend, create life itself.
SONG OF RECREATION: one of the most powerful Icarii spells which can recreate life in the dying. It cannot, however, make the dead rise again. Only the most powerful Enchanters can sing this Song.
SORCERY: see 'Magic'.
SPIKEFEATHER TRUESONG: an Icarii Crest-Leader. He owes service to Orr, the Ferryman.
SPIREDORE: one of the magical Keeps of Tencendor. Now owned by Azhure.
SPREADWING RAVENCRY: a Crest-Leader in the Icarii Strike Force.
STAG, WHITE, The: See 'White Stag'.
STAR DANCE, The: the source from which the Icarii Enchanters derive their power. It is the music made by the stars in their eternal dance through the heavens.
STARDRIFTER: an Icarii Enchanter, father to Gorgrael, Axis and EvenSong. Now he spends most of his time on the Island of Mist and Memory.
STAR GATE: one of the sacred sites of the Icarii people, situated underneath the Ancient Barrows and very hard to access.
STAR GODS, The: the nine gods of the Icarii, although only seven of their names have been revealed to the Icarii. See separate entries under Adamon, Xanon, Narcis, Flulia, Pors, Zest and Silton.
STARMAN, The: the man who, according to the Prophecy of the Destroyer, is the only one who can defeat Gorgrael-Axis SunSoar.
STARREST SOARDEEP: an Icarii Enchanter, one of those who helped to recover the site of the Star Gate.
STARS, HOUSE of: Axis' personal House.
STARSHINE EVENHEART: an Icarii Enchanter.
STRAUM ISLAND: a large island off the coast of Ichtar and inhabited by sealers.
STRIKE FORCE: the military force of the Icarii.
SUNDOWN CROOKCLAW: one of the Icarii Strike Force killed in the Skraeling attack on the Sacred Earth Tree Grove at Yuletide past. EvenSong SunSoar filled his place in SpikeFeather TrueSong's Wing.
SUNSOAR, HOUSE of: the ruling House of the Icarii for many thousands of years.

TAILEM BEND: the great bend in the River Nordra where it turns from its westerly direction and flows south towards Nordmuth and the Sea of Tyrre.
TALON, The: the hereditary ruler of the Icarii people (and once over all of the peoples of Tencendor). Generally of the House of SunSoar.
TALON SPIKE: the highest mountain in the Icescarp Alps, the home of the Icarii people.
TANABATA: a Ravensbund elder.
TARANTAISE: a rather poor southern province of Achar. Relies on trade for its income. It is administered by the Greville baronial family.
TARE: small trading town in northern Tarantaise. Home to Embeth, Lady of Tare.
TARE, PLAINS of: the plains that lie between Tare and Grail Lake.
TEKAWAI: the preferred tea of the Ravensbund people, made from the dried seaweed of the Icebear Coast. It is always brewed and served ceremonially and is drunk from small porcelain cups bearing the emblem of the blood-red blazing sun.
TEMPLE MOUNT: the plateau on the top of the massive mountain in the south-east corner of the Island of Mist and Memory. It houses the Temple Complex.
TEMPLE OF THE STARS: one of the Icarii sacred sites, located on the Island of Mist and Memory.
TENCENDOR: once the ancient name for the continent of Achar before the Wars of the Axe, and, under Axis' leadership, the reforged nation of the Acharites, Avar and Icarii.
THEOD, Duke of Aldeni: son of the former Duke, Roland.
THREE BROTHERS LAKES, The: three minor lakes in southern Aldeni.
TIME OF THE PROPHECY OF THE DESTROYER, The: the time that begins with the birth of the Destroyer and the StarMan and that ended with the destruction of one of the brothers.
TIMOZEL: son of Embeth and Ganelon of Tare, and a member of the Axe-Wielders. Once Champion to Faraday, Timozel's soul was seized by Gorgrael.
TREE FRIEND: in Avar legend Tree Friend is the person who will lead them back to their traditional homes south of the Fortress Ranges. Tree Friend is also the person who will bring the Avarinheim behind the StarMan. The unfolding of the Prophecy of the Destroyer revealed Tree Friend to be Faraday.
TREE SONG: whatever Song the trees choose to sing you. Many times they will sing the future, other times they will sing love and protection. The trees can also sing death.
TYRRE, SEA of: the ocean off the south west coast of Achar.

UNIT: see 'Military Terms'.
UR: an old woman who lives in the Enchanted Woods. For aeons she has guarded the transformed souls of the Avar female Banes.
URBETH: a bear of the northern wastes.
URQHART HILLS: a minor crescent-shaped range of mountains in central Ichtar. They are riddled with quarries and gem mines.

VENATOR: Azhure's war horse.
VEREMUND: one of the Sentinels, brother to Ogden.

WARLORD: a title once given to Borneheld, Duke of Ichtar, by King Priam in acknowledgment of Borneheld's defacto command of the armies of Achar.
WARS OF THE AXE: the wars during which the Acharites, under the direction of the Seneschal and the Axe-Wielders, drove the Icarii and the Avar from the land of Tencendor and penned them behind the Fortress Ranges. Lasting several decades, the wars were extraordinarily violent and bloody. They took place some thousand years before the time of the Prophecy of the Destroyer.
WAY OF THE HORN, THe: a general term sometimes used to describe the lifestyle of the Avar people.
WAY OF THE PLOUGH, The: the religious obedience and way of life as taught by the Seneschal according to the tenets of the Book of Field and Furrow. The Way of the Plough was centred about the Plough and cultivation of the land. Its major tenets taught that as the land was cleared and ploughed in straight furrows, so the mind and the heart were similarly cleared of misbeliefs and evil thoughts and could consequently cultivate true thoughts. Natural and untamed landscape is evil; thus forests and mountains were considered evil because they represented nature out of control and because they could not be cultivated. According to the Way of the Plough, then, mountains and forests must either be destroyed or subdued, and if that is not possible, then they must be shunned as the habitats of evil creatures. Only tamed landscape, cultivated landscape, is good, because it has been subjected to mankind. The Way of the Plough was all about order, and about the earth and nature subjected to the order of mankind. Many Acharites still adhere to the Way of the Plough.
WAY OF THE WING: a general term sometimes used to describe the lifestyle of the Icarii.
WESTERN MOUNTAINS: the central Acharite mountain range that stretches west from the River Nordra to the Andeis Sea.
WHITE STAG, The: When Raum transformed, he transformed into a magnificent White Stag instead of a Horned One. The White Stag is the most sacred of the creatures of the forest.
WIDEWALL BAY: a large bay that lies between Achar and Coroleas. Its calm waters provide excellent fishing.
WIDOWMAKER SEA: vast ocean to the east of Achar. From the unknown islands and lands across the Widowmaker Sea come the sea raiders that harass Coroleas.
WILDDOG PLAIN, The: a plain that stretches from northern Ichtar to the River Nordra and bounded by the Fortress Ranges and the Urqhart Hills. Named after the packs of roving yellow dogs that inhabit the area.
WING: the smallest unit in the Icarii Strike Force consisting of twelve Icarii (male and female).
WING-LEADER: the commander of an Icarii Wing.
WOLFSTAR SUNSOAR: the ninth and most powerful of the Enchanter-Talons buried in the Ancient Barrows. He was assassinated early in his reign. Father to Azhure, Enchantress.
WOLVEN, The: a bow that once belonged to WolfStar SunSoar. Now in Azhure's possession.
WORSHIP HALL: the large hall built in each village where, during the time of the Seneschal, the villagers went each seventh day to listen to the Service of the Plough. It was also used for weddings, funerals and the consecration of newborn infants to the Way of the Plough. Although no longer used to worship in the Way of the Plough, most villages retain the halls as community buildings as they are usually the most well built structure in each village.
WRAITHS: see Skraelings.

XANON: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Xanon is the Goddess of the Firmament, wife to Adamon. In her birth life, Xanon was a songstress in a travelling troubadour band.

YR: one of the Sentinels.
YSBADD: capital city of Nor. It stands on the site of an ancient city whose name has been lost.
YSGRYFF: Prince: lord of Nor, and brother to Niah and uncle to Azhure.
YULETIDE: see 'Festivals'.

ZARED: son of Rivkah and Magariz.
ZEHERAH: the fifth Sentinel.
ZENITH: second daughter and last child of Axis and Azhure. She is Niah reborn.
ZEST: one of the nine Icarii Star Gods, Zest is Goddess of Earth. In her birth life, Zest was wife and mother to nine children.