Forged In Death, Book 1 of The Death Wizard Chronicles (35 page)

Author’s note: Many character and place names are English derivatives of Pali, a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect closely related to Sanskrit but now extinct as a spoken language. Today, Pali is studied mainly to gain access to Theravada Buddhist scriptures and is frequently chanted in religious rituals.

Abhisambodhi
(ab-HEE-sahm-BOH-dee): Highest enlightenment.

Adho Satta
(AH-dho SAH tah): Anything or anyone who is neither a dragon nor a powerful supernatural being. Means
low one
in ancient tongue.

Akanittha
(AHK-ah-NEE-tah): A being that is able to feed off the light of the sun. Means
Highest Power
in the ancient tongue.

Akasa Ocean (ah-KAH-sah): Largest ocean on Triken. Lies west of Dhutanga, Jivita, and Kincara.

Ancient tongue: Ancient language now spoken by only Triken’s most learned beings, as well as most Tugars

Anna: Tent City of Tējo. Home to the Tugars.

Arupa-Loka (ah-ROO-pah-LOH-kah): Home of ghosts, demons, and ghouls. Lies near northern border of the Gap of Gamana. Also called Ghost City.

Asava (ah-SAH-vah): Potent drink brewed by Stone-Eaters.

Asēkha (ah-SEEK-ah): Tugars of highest rank. There always are twenty, not including Death-Knowers. Also known as
Viisati
(The Twenty).

Asthenolith (ah-STHEN-no-lith): Pool of magma in a large cavern beneath Mount Asubha.

Avici (ah-VEE-chee): Largest city on Triken. Home to Invictus.

Badaalataa
(BAD-ah-LAH-tuh): Carnivorous vines from the demon world.

Bakheng (bah-KENG): Central shrine of Dibbu-Loka.

Bard: Partner of Ugga and Jord, trappers who lived in the forest near the foothills of Mount Asubha.

Barranca (bah-RAHN-chuh): Rocky wasteland that partially encircles the Great Desert.

Bell: Measurement of time approximating three hours.

Bhasura (bah-SOOR-ah): One of the large tribes of the Mahaggata Mountains.

Bhayatupa (by-yah-TOO-pah): Most ancient and powerful of dragons. His scales are the color of deep crimson.

Black mountain wolves: Largest and most dangerous of all wolves. Allies of demons, witches, and Mogols.

Catu (chah-TOO): Northernmost mountain on Triken.

Cave monkeys: Small, nameless primates that live in the underworld beneath Asubha.

Chain Man: Another name for Mala.

Chal-Abhinno (Chahl-ahb-HIH-no): Queen of the Warlish witches.

Che-ra (CHEE-ruh): Svakaran name for a fat possum.

Cirāya
(ser-AYE-yah): Green cactus that, when chewed, provides large amounts of liquid and nourishment.

Cubit: Length of the arm from elbow to fingertip, which measures approximately eighteen inches, though among Tugars a cubit is considered to be twenty-one inches.

Dakkhinā
(dah-KEE-nay): Sensation that brings on the urge to attempt
Sammaasamaadhi
. Means
holy gift
in the ancient tongue.

Death-Knower: Any Tugar—almost always an Asēkha—who has successfully achieved
Sammaasamaadhi
. In the ancient tongue, a Death-Knower is called
Maranavidu
.

Deathless people: Monks and nuns who inhabit Dibbu-Loka. Called deathless people because some of them live for more than one thousand years. More commonly known as noble ones.

Death Visit
: Tugar description of the temporary suicide of a Death-Knower wizard.

Dēsaka (day-SAH-kuh): Famous Vasi master who trained
The Torgon.

Dhutanga (doo-TAHNG-uh): Largest forest on Triken. Lies west of the Mahaggata Mountains. Also known as the Great Forest.

Dibbu-Loka (DEE-boo-LOW-kah): Realm of the noble ones. Means
Deathless World
in the ancient tongue. Originally called Piti-Loka.

Dracools (drah-KOOLS): Winged beasts that walk on hind legs but look like miniature dragons. Taller than a man but shorter than a druid.

Druids (DREW-ids): Seven-cubit-tall beings that dwell in Dhutanga. Ancient enemies of Jivita.

Dukkhatu (doo-KAH-too): Great and ancient spider that spent the last years of her life near the peak of Asubha.

Elu (EE-loo): Miniature Svakaran who is an associate of Rathburt.

Fathom: Approximately eleven cubits.

Gap of Gamana: Northernmost gap of the Mahaggata Mountains.

Gap of Gati: Southern gap that separates the Mahaggata Range from the Kolankold Range.

Golden soldiers: Soldiers of Invictus, mass-bred in his image.

Golden Wall: Oblong wall coated with a special golden metal that surrounds Avici and Kilesa.

Gulah (GOO-lah): Stone-Eater who became warden of Asubha. Son of Slag.

Invictus (in-VICK-tuss): Evil sorcerer who threatens all of Triken and beyond. Also known as
Suriya
(the Sun God).

Jhana (JAH-nah): Father of Torg.

Jivita (jih-VEE-tuh): Wondrous city that is home to the white horsemen. Located west of the Gap of Gati in the Green Plains. Also called the White City. Known as
Jutimantataa
(City of Splendor) in the ancient tongue.

Jord: Mysterious partner of Ugga and Bard, trappers who lived in the forest near the foothills of Mount Asubha.

Kamupadana
(kuh-MOO-puh-DUH-nah): Home of Warlish witches and their lesser female servants. Also called the Whore City.

Kilesa (kee-LAY-suh): Sister City of Anna.

King Lobha (LOW-bah): Sadistic king who built Piti-Loka.

Kojin (KOH-jin): Enormous ogress with six arms and a bloated female head. Almost as large as a snow giant.

Kolankold Mountains (KO-luhn-kold): Bottom stem of the Mahaggata Mountains, located south of the Gap of Gati.

Kusala (KOO-suh-luh): Second most powerful Tugar in the world next to Torg. Also known as Asēkha-Kusala and Chieftain Kusala.

Lake Hadaya (huh-DUH-yuh): Large freshwater lake that lies west of the Gap of Gati.

Lake Keo (KAY-oh): Large freshwater lake that lies between the Kolankold Mountains and Dibbu-Loka.

Lake Ti-ratana (tee-RAH-tuh-nah): Large freshwater lake that lies west of Avici.

Laylah (LAY-lah): Younger sister of Invictus.

Long breath: Fifteen seconds. Also called slow breath.

Mahaggata Mountains (MAH-hah-GAH-tah): Largest mountain range on Triken. Shaped like a capital Y.

Mala (MAH-lah): Former snow giant who was ruined by Invictus and turned into the sorcerer’s most dangerous servant. Formerly called Yama-Deva.

Majjhe Ghamme
(Mah-JEE GAH-mee): Means midsummer in the ancient tongue.

Mogols (MAH-guhls): Warrior race that dwells in Mahaggata Mountains. Longtime worshippers of the dragon Bhayatupa and the demon Vedana. Ancient enemies of Nissaya.

Mount Asubha (ah-SOO-buh): Dreaded mountain in the cold north that housed the prison of Invictus.

Nirodha (nee-ROW-dah): Icy wastelands that lie north of the Mahaggata Mountains.

Nissaya (nee-SIGH-yah): Impenetrable fortress on the east end of the Gap of Gati. Home of the Nissayan knights.

Noble ones: Monks and nuns who inhabit Dibbu-Loka. Also called deathless people.

Obhasa (oh-BHAH-sah): Torg’s magical staff, carved from the ivory of a desert elephant found dead. Means
container of light
in the ancient tongue.

Ogha River: (OH-guh): Largest river on Triken. Begins in the northern range of Mahaggata and ends in Lake Keo.

Okkanti Mountains (oh-KAHN-tee): Small range with tall, jagged peaks located northeast of Kilesa.

Pabbajja (pah-BAH-jah): Homeless people who live in the plains surrounding Java. Little is known of their habits.

Pace: Approximately 30 inches, though among Tugars a pace is considered 36 inches.

Peta (PAY-tuh): Ghost girl of Arupa-Loka. In life, she was blind.

Piti-Loka (PEE-tee-LOH-kuh): Original name of Dibbu-Loka. Built by King Lobha ten thousand years ago as his burial shrine. Means
Rapture World
in the ancient tongue.

Podhana (POH-dah-nuh): Asēkha warrior.

Rathburt (RATH-burt): Only other living Death-Knower. Known as a gardener, not a warrior.

Rati (RAH-tee): Asēkha warrior.

Sammaasamaadhi
(sam-mah-sah-MAH-dee): Supreme concentration of mind. Temporary suicide.

Sampati (sahm-PAH-tee): Giant condors crossbred with dragons by Invictus. Used to transport people and supplies to the prison on Mount Asubha.

Senasana (SEN-uh-SAHN-ah): Thriving market city that lies north of Dibbu-Loka.

Short breath: Three seconds. Also called quick breath.

Silver Sword
:
Ancient sword forged by a long-forgotten master from the otherworldly metals found among the shattered remains of a meteorite.

Simōōn (suh-MOON): Magical dust storm that protects Anna from outsiders.

Sister Tathagata (tuh-THUH-guh-tuh): High nun of Dibbu-Loka. More than three thousand years old. Also known as
Perfect One
.

Sivathika
(SEE-vah-TEE-kuh): Ancient Tugar ritual. Dying warrior breathes what remains of his or her
Life Energy
into a survivor’s lungs, where it is absorbed into the blood.

Slag: Stone-Eater defeated by Torg in ancient battle. Father of Gulah.

Snow giants: Magnificent beings reaching heights of 10 cubits or more that dwell in the Okkanti Mountains.

Sōbhana (SOH-bah-nah): Female Asēkha warrior.

Span: Distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a hand spread to full width. Approximately nine inches, though among Tugars a span is considered 12 inches.

Stone: Equal to fourteen pounds.

Stone-Eater: Magical being that gains power by devouring lava rocks.

Svakara (svuh-KUH-ruh): One of the large tribes of the Mahaggata Mountains.

Tanhiiyati
(tawn-hee-YAH-tee): Insatiable craving for eternal existence suffered by some long-lived beings.

Tējo (TAY-joh): Great Desert. Home of the Tugars.

Tent City: Largest city in Tējo. Home to the Tugars. Also known as Anna.

The Torgon
(TOR-gahn): Torg’s ceremonial name. Also Lord Torgon.

Torg: Thousand-year-old Death-Knower wizard. King of the Tugars. Means
Blessed Warrior
in the ancient tongue.

Triken (TRY-ken): Name of the world. Also name of the land east and west of the Mahaggata Mountains.

Tugars (TOO-gars): Desert warriors of Tējo. Called
Kantaara Yodhas
in the ancient tongue.

Uccheda (oo-CHAY-duh): Tower of Invictus in Avici. Means
annihilation
in the ancient tongue.

Ugga (OO-gah): Human-bear crossbreed who was a partner of Bard and Jord, trappers who lived in the forest near the foothills of Mount Asubha.