9780981988238 (47 page)

-ee, hah
^reth
hay esss
chack
- ka): Lit. translation:
I gave of myself to a ha'rethe and it granted me a boon.

 

 

Ishai-s'a
(ishh
ai
-ss
^ah
): Lit. translation:
sister under Ishrai
; implies shared service to or understanding of the god Ishrai.

 

 

Ishell
(ishh
ell
): A room in which women worship.

Ishrai
(
Ish
-wry): One of the three gods honored in the southlands; represents the positive/feminine/birth energies. She is also connected to the season of spring, the color green, and the emotion of love.

Ishraidain
(ishh-wry
dane
): Women serving penance for various crimes, under the protection of Ishrai.

 

 

Ishrait
(ishh
rate
): High priestess of Ishrai.

 

 

Justice-right
: The right of a person of higher rank to intervene in a situation and see it resolved according to his own opinion of justice.

Ka
(
kah
): Honored (generic term).
Ka-s'a
(
kah
-ss
^ah
): Honored lady (generic term).
Ka-s'eias
(
kah
-ss
^ey
as): Honored (mixed gender) group (generic term).
Kaen
(
kay
en
)
: Honored leader/supreme authority.
Ke
(
keh
): Prefix or suffix indicating masculine/male aspects.

Ketarch
(
kee
-tarsch): Organized groups of healers in the south who focus on preserving old healing lore and researching new ways of healing.

Mac'egas
(mack
^ayy
-gahs): Slaves.
Machago
(mah
chahh
-go): Slavemaster.

Micru
(mick
-rue
): Rough translation:
small death
; a small, black and tan striped viper found in rocky desert areas, whose poison is instantly fatal to large animals. Also the call-name of a member of the Hidden Cadre.

Nu-s'e
(
noo
ss
^eh
): Honored man of the south; generic honorific in the absence of specific indicators.

 

 

Perroc-s'etta
(
pay
-roke-ss
^et
-tah): Fermented cactus “milk”.
Perocce
(pay
roach
-ay): A kind of cactus, one that is used as a source of water by desert travelers.

Qisani
(key
-sahn
-nee): A rocky cavern in the southern desert, which was given, under a Conclave decision, to the Callen of Ishrai many years ago as a haven of their own. All the desert Families contribute to supporting the Qisani. The followers of Datda and Comos also have central havens, but they are more secretive about the locations. Blood trials conducted at any of the havens are considered the hardest of all possible.

S'a / S'e / S'ieas / S'ii
: Respectful address designators, analogous to
sir
and
madam
; specific to gender, and frequently parts of complex and highly specific expressions of relationship between the speaker and the person being addressed.

S'a
(ss-^
ah
): feminine
S'e
(ss-^
eh
): masculine
S'ieas
(ss-^
eh
-ahs) : a group of mixed gender
S'ii
(ss-^
ee
)
:
neuter; generally used to address a eunuch.

S'a-ke
(ss
^ah
-kay): Familiar
mother's-brother
.

S'ai-keia
(ss
-^ayy
-key-ah): Roughly,
sister's-child
; used only to address children less than a year old. Used against adults as an insult to suggest the person addressed is behaving like a child.

S'e deaneat
(ss
^eh
day
ah
-nit): Lit. translation:
male of a desert family
. Usually inferred as 'son of'.

S'e-ketan / S'a-ketan
(ss
^eh
-keh-tan / ss
^ah
-keh-tan): A complex relationship designation. The rough translation is
uncle: father's side/mother's side
, but depending on inflection and surrounding modifiers, it can indicate status, legitimacy, and even bloodline.
Aunt
would be
s'e-katan
(father's side) or
s'a-katan
(mother's side). To add a little more confusion, the casual use or slang cuts the last few letters off, resulting in
s'a-ke
,
s'aka
, and so on.

S'e-natan-kai
(
ss^eh-nah-ten-kai
): Mother's-side cousin, twice removed.

S'e-netan / S'a-netan
(ss
^ehh
-neh-tan, ss
^ahh
-neh-tan): Another complex relationship designation. The rough translation is grandfather/ grandmother, but depending on inflection and surrounding modifiers, it can indicate status, legitimacy, and even bloodline.

S'iope
(s
^igh-o
-pay): Lit. translation:
beloved of the gods
; implications of being neuter, all energy devoted to the gods. Term used to refer to the priests of the Northern Church. Disrespectful nickname: soapy.

Sa'adenit
(sah
^ad
-den-nit): Rough translation:
blood of the sand
. Some sages claim it should read
blood
on
the sand
. It comes from a very old song about blood-feud and vengeance.

Saishe-pais
(
say
shh
-paws
; alt
. say
she
-pays
): An expression of heartfelt gratitude, indicating that the one so addressed has shown great honor in his/her actions.

 

 

Sessii ta-karne, I shha
(sessy tah
carney
, ee shh
ha
): Rough translation:
You noxious, useless (castrated) little prick
!

 

 

Se'thiss, t'a-karnain
(
sehh-^
this
,
tah
-^ah
kar
-nayn
): Rough translation:
beloved child of the northern relatives
.

 

 

Shall
(
shawl
): A temporary, portable desert shelter.

 

 

Shass-shass
(shaass-shaass): Lit. translation:
move, move!
Used by superiors to inferiors.

Sheth-hinn
(shethh
hnn
): Assassin.
Su-s'a
(sue-ss
^ah
): Northern lady.

Ta
(
tah
): Prefix implying masculine aspects; usually involved in insults (see ta'karne).

 

 

Ta-karne
(tah
carn
ay): Insult. Rough translation:
asshole
.

 

 

Taishell te s'a-lalien
(
tie
-shell
teh
ss
^ah
-
lahh
-lee-en): Lit. translation:
This woman has emptied herself/has no more to give you now.

 

 

Taishell te s'a-naila
(
tie
-shell
teh
ss
^ah
-
nail
-ah): Lit. translation:
This woman offers her blood to you/opens herself to you now.

Tas-shadata
(
tahz
shah
-dah
ta): Rough translation:
fool, coward, idiot.
Taska
(
task
-ah; alt.
tah
-skah): Courier and guide.
Te
(
teh
): Prefix indicating formality and honor; no gender.

Teth hanaa silayha
(tehth hah
nah
sill
igh
-ah): Lit. translation:
You
(female)
grace us
(male or mixed company).

 

 

Teth-kavit
(tehth
kah
-vitt): Lit. translation:
Gods hold you, and blessings to your strength.

Teyanin
(
tay
ah-nin); plural:
teyanain
(tay
-
ah
nayn
): A very old, small tribe which retreated to the mountains of the Horn after the Split. Originally the judges and law determiners of the desert, they're now considered the guardians of the Horn.

Thass
(
tass
; alt.
thass
): A person with great status, beyond even noble rank.

 

 

Thio
(
thee
-oh): Status.

 

 

Toi, te hoethra
(
toy
,
teh hoe
-thrah): Lit. translation:
I swear to you I am speaking truth.

Ugren
(
oo
-ghren): a very rare universal bonding mixture; also used in the southlands to imply unbreakable permanence in an arrangement or situation.

 

Appendix A :
Desert Families

Aerthraim.............................................................................................366
Darden..................................................................................................368
Eshan ....................................................................................................369
F'Heing .................................................................................................370
Scratha ..................................................................................................371
Sessin ....................................................................................................372
Tereph...................................................................................................374
Tehay ....................................................................................................375
Teyanin.................................................................................................376
Toscin....................................................................................................377

 

Aerthraim Family

Desert Family specializing in technology, engineering, and science; they keep themselves isolated from the other Families and do not hold to the Agreement.

Family symbol
: Feathers, signifying freedom and the ability to soar above others.
Succession:
hereditary, matrilineal
Leadership:
The leader of the Aerthraim is given the title of
mahadrae
; which translates, roughly, as “chosen mother of the free people.”
Political:
Alliances with each Family, based mainly on mercantile interests; reluctant to “side with” anyone in a dispute.

 

 

Current Family leader:
Mahadrae Kallaisin

 

 

Aerthraim of note in
Secrets of the Sands
:

Lord Azaniari Aerthraim-Darden
(
Adzh
-ah-knee-airy
Ayer
- thraym
Dar
-den; prefers to be called Azni [
Adzh
-knee]): For her own reasons, she long ago left the southlands in favor of in a modest home some distance north and east of Bright Bay.

Genealogy Notes:

Lord Azaniari Aerthraim-Darden is descended in unbroken matrilineal line from the past five generations of Aerthraim mahadrae. When Azaniari disqualified herself from leadership of the Aerthraim by choosing to become a desert lord, the leaderline was forced over to Pauca’s branch and resulted in Kallaisin taking over as mahadrae. There remains to this day a great deal of ill-feeling towards Azaniari over this situation, especially among the Aerthraim loremasters.

 

Darden

Located on the western coast, this Family has a reputation for treachery and deception. Their major exports are trained asp-jacaus, excellent (and strong) distilled liquors, drugs, and herbal teas.

Family symbol
:
snake, signifying wisdom and alchemy

 

 

Succession:
Hereditary, patrilineal

 

 

Leadership:
strongly patriarchal; women are seen as weak and unfit to rule.

 

 

Political:
Ongoing feud with F'Heing, and Darden's trade agreements with Aerthraim Family are on shaky ground due to recent events.

 

 

Current Family leader:
Lord Emmon Darden

 

 

Dardens of note in
Secrets of the Sands

Lord Irrio Darden:
Eldest of three brothers, Lord Irrio is the son of Tecky and Ferra Darden; Tecky is the youngest of Lord Emmon Darden's three sons. Lord Emmon's eldest son, Geff, married into the Aerthraim line and renounced his Family status, while the middle son, Amlin, has not produced any legitimate children as of yet; Amlin still remains Heir Designate, and at this time Lord Irrio is next in line.

Azaniari Aerthraim-Darden: see
Aerthraim

 

Eshan

A subfamily of F'Heing, known for their colorful and color-fast dyes, excellent fine cloth, and coffee (a slightly lesser grade than the famous F'Heing Ridge, but still excellent).

Family symbol
:
desert porcupine, signifying strength in submission

Succession:
Assigned by F'Heing
Leadership:
Decided by F'Heing
Political:
Allies with and supports F'Heing in all matters.
Current Family leader:
Lord Wiltin Eshan