Amplus Viraes: Healing arts.
Animatia: Undead cult.
Andern: The pure stuff of the Void, drawn through special places known as anverax, or verax.
Anlarc: Dark Threll Void Champions.
Anoited of the Night King: Cult title for full vampires.
Anverax: A place where the highest grade of andern can be drawn. Only two anverax are known to exist, with a third having been altered in the distant past. A fourth is in the process of being activated by the Direthrell.
Atingo: A Direthrell rank baton signifying carte blanch power.
Arm of the Dark One: A unit of up to one hundred Direbreed.
Birlike: Enfranchised Eyade.
Black Dwarves: Void-worshipping Dwarves, so called because their smithing methods leave a dark tone to their metal-work. See also Darklings, Fortren.
Brek: Felher unit designators; elite of the elite.
Breedstone: The jagged crystal shard which contains a Direbreed's life-force, and which can be used to re-spawn the creature, memories and skills intact.
Careau: A game of hexagonal tiles that is a cross between poker and bridge.
Ceth: Tribal clans of humans hanging on in the Northern Wastes; nomadic, extremely anti-Void.
Changelings: Dark Champions. See also Scarred Ones, Champions of the Dark One, or Minions of Chaos.
Champions of the Dark One: Dark One Champion. See also Scarred Ones, Changlings, or Minions of Chaos.
Chora: Direthrell company-grade officer. Military Choras commands an Albar. Maximum rank for a Thane.
Chorapel: Direthrell field-grade officer. Military Chorapel commands a Yalbar. Maximum rank for a Nepas.
Clanguard: Dwarven professional troops.
Cleft: Felher wizard.
Colo Bisulus: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as light foot, their title translates as The Iron Council.
Colo Magice: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as heavy foot, their title translates as The Night Guard.
Colo Rubor: One of seven elite warrior societies serving the Hand of Chaos. Trained as medium cavalry, their title translates as The Red Guard.
Comhla: Lanthrell language.
Cuirassiers: Arturian medium-to-light cavalry made up of minor nobles and professional fighting men, and used to support the knights.
Curion: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to superiors of the highest level. See also Orbi, Curoria, Curor.
Curor: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to immediate or close superior. See also Orbi, Curoria, Curion.
Curoria: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) to higher superiors. See also Orbi, Curor, Curion.
Darkhost: A Direbreed army.
Darklings: Dark-worshiping Dwarves, as called by non-Dwarves. See also Black Dwarves, Fortren.
Direbreed: Beast-men housed in mutated flesh. See Breedstones
Direthrell: Dark Threll.
Domuz: Eyade without rights.
Dora: Direthrell junior officer. Leads a section.
Doralon: Direthrell company-grade officer, an under-petty-captain. Maximum rank for Direbreed.
Dula: Eyadeian war whistles. A clay pierced to make a high-pitched screaming when spun on a rope.
Egrai: Primary Gate magic portal.
Egran: Second Gate entrance.
Envear: Direthrell military unit made up of Direbreed led by Temple officers.
Era: A Direthrell administrative rank, similar to ‘Lord’.
Ercagrad: The administrative bloc of Direthrell society.
Ercahel: The Dark Threll religious power bloc.
Ercamana: The merchant House blocs of the Direthrell. Plural is -manen.
Eyade: The wild, Tatar-like nomads on the Blasted Plains.
Fauces: Threll wood used in bows. See also Koroba, Iocor.
Felher: Rat-men created by the Black Dwarves, now independant.
Fiadaich: Dwarven language.
Figann: The Eyade language.
Fortren: Dark-worshipping Dwarves. Also Black Dwarves, Darklings.
Fuar: Dwarf clan.
Furue Saserum: The Blood Arts, wizardry powered by blood sacrifice.
Girmek: Threll crystal.
Harthrell: Sea-faring Threll.
Hecla: A Greek fire-type weapon used by Direthrell; the creation of the liquid is a closely-guarded secret.
Hekka: Felher war adze.
Heller's Pox: A sexually transmitted disease found amongst Direthrell.
Ikad: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losala, Losalet.
Iocor: Threll ironwood used for weapons and armor. See also Koroba, Fauces.
Izar: Dwarven long axe.
Jugata: Goblin foot warrior.
Juran: Dwarf who works outside the holds for the benefit of the clan.
Lana: A Threll Forest.
Lana Erhani: Forest Warders. The deadly Threll scouts.
Lana Erin: Forest Guard. The regular warriors of a Lana.
Lanthrell: Forest Threll.
Losala: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losalet, Ikad.
Losalet: Direthrell defense vines. See also Losala, Ikad.
Maka, Maka-re: Felher unit designators; veteran and elite.
Maztil: Carved plate in Wanderer’s belt.
Mera: A Direthrell military unit made entirely of pure Direthrell.
Minion of Chaos: Chaos Champion. See also Changelings, Champions of the Dark One, Scarred Ones.
Moorugh: Eyade herd-clan.
Mordulare Quattour: the summoning magic used by Harbringers to create Direbreed.
Nepas: The Direthrell term for half-breed with Direthrell blood.
Nokta: Eyade warrior society.
Nuadh: The Direthrell language.
Obrita Toritar: The Direthrell religion, often called the Silver Net.
Oekao: Direthrell glazed brick.
Orbi: Direthrell verbal salute (‘Sir’) from slave to any non-slave. See also Curor, Curoria, Curion.
Pa: A Goblin Corporal.
Pac: The Felher basic social unit, and a warrior unit of six to ten sections, each section having up to ten Felher.
Pancerni: South Border Realms cav style.
Panje: An Enceinian two-wheeled cart.
Pasuorun: Youth-tenders.
Pargaie: Direthrell spy / assassin corps.
Patik Uncarved plate in Wanderer’s belt.
Peta: Direthrell clay tile passes.
Remur: Direthrell military unit made up of Nepas or Thanes.
Risarn: Meteoric steel, usually only worked by Dwarves.
Sacred Band: Unit of Sevenguard, elite Hand warriors. See Sicaria Turba.
Sata: A Direthrell military unit made up of slave troops led by Thane officers.
Scarred One: Chaos Champion. See also Changelings, Champions of the Dark One, or Minions of Chaos.
Sevenguard: See Sicaria Turba.
Sicaria Turba: Elite warrior societies of the Hand of Chaos. Called Sevenguard, Sacred Bands, Colo Rubor, Colo Magice.
Stalharn: The Great Hall of a Direthrell fortress or city, used for ceremonial occasions.
Sufland: The southern continent.
Tak, Tak-re: Felher unit designators; green, regular.
Tala: Basic Orc military unit consisting of eight to fifteen Orcs. Led by a Talachek.
Talachek: Orc serjeant.
Thane: Willing vassal-servants of the Direthrell.
Theeb: Felher stirrup knife.
Toma Inge: Gray magic.
Torweld: Thorn bush found in Border Realms, used for defense and fencing.
Umherr: Dwarves who leave their homes to aid other races in the war between Light and the Void.
Urchek: Orc officer, a captain.
Urtala: An Orc unit of four to six Tala.
Vectius Meum: The art of mystics, a weak and limited field of arcane power as compared
to wizardry.
Verax: True Place, where rituals can be performed to draw andern from the Void.
Weehoc: A Felher nation.
Yalla: Yak-like cattle tended by the Eyade.
Yalbar: A Direthrell unit made up of three or four Albar.
Yakici: Threll bow, unique to that race, and virtually their trademark weapon.
Zurnal: Dwarven beard-decoration.
About the Author
RW Krpoun is a native of North Dakota and a longtime resident of Texas. He lives in the country with his wife Ann and a collection of ill-mannered animals whose antics are the stuff of legend. A veteran of the US Army and Texas Army National Guard, RW has been a Texas Peace Officer for over twenty-five years and counting, serving in a Sheriff’s Office and two Municipal Police Departments. His hobbies include shooting, reading, and learning to use medieval weapons. Dark Key is his fifth published novel.