Jonstown Library Glossary

I briefly describe some of the important peoples, individuals, and entities of Dragon Pass.

Alakoring Dragonbreaker: A hero who saved the Heortlings from the Empire of the Wyrms Friends at the end of the Imperial Age. He reformed their laws so that priests could not lead them astray again. In his honour, the Heortling peoples north of Dragon Pass call themselves Alakorings.

animal nomads: The nomadic peoples of Prax and the Wastes east of Dragon Pass.

Aramites: Tribe of trollish humans who ride on giant boars. They worship in the Cult of the Bloody Tusk (which demands bloody sacrifices) and hire themselves out as mercenaries to those willing to pay their dreadful blood price.

Aram-ya-Udram: Hero who led his people, the Aramites, through the Darkness and the early Dawn Age. The Heortlings chose him to be their representative on the Unity Council, even though he was not one of them.

Argan Argar: Troll god of trade, communication, and surface darkness. Worshipped by some humans as Argar Argan.

Arim the Pauper: Founder of modern Tarsh.

Arkat: Dawn Age hero and anti-hero, dedicated enemy of the Bright Empire. He was the main opponent of Nysalor (whom he called Gbaji) and led a 75-year war against him. He allied with, and then betrayed, many peoples in his campaign.

Aroka: The Blue Dragon that captured the waters. Aroka caused a terrible drought, defeating several deities until Orlanth killed him and freed the rain god Heler from the dragon’s belly. Orlanth sent the remnant of the dragon north as the Oslir River.

Bagdalch: The Spirit Crow or Blood Crow, imprisoned in Crow Top during the Gods War. Derreva summoned him during the Corvid War.

beast men: Half-human, half-beast inhabitants of Beast Valley, including centaurs, minotaurs, fox-women, and stranger types.

Belintar: The Stranger who swam ashore in Kethaela and became the living god called Pharaoh. He conquered the Six Lands with strange magic, slew the Only Old One, and instituted the contest of the Masters of Luck and Death to provide himself with a constant source of new bodies.

Berennethtelli: Leading tribe of the Dawn Age Heortlings, descendants of Berenneth the Rider and Redaylde Vingkotsdottar. They were conquered, hunted down, enslaved, and destroyed; Harmast Barefoot was the last survivor.

Blackmor/Blackmoor: King of the Colymar Tribe, Blackmor is a convert to the Lunar religion and a supporter of the Empire. He ruthlessly purged the tribe of supporters of the old king, Leika Orlkensorsdotter, who now serves King Broyan. Died in Dragonrise 1625 ST

Bran: Called “Great-Bearded Bran,” this formidable warrior of the Vingkotlings is buried at Famegrave.

Brangbane: A king of the Dinacoli who gained magic power by making soup from the fingers of girls. Cursed by King Sartar to find real food repulsive, Brangbane turned to eating the dead and is still King of Ghouls in Sartar.

Bright Empire: Dawn Age empire, centred north of Dragon Pass, that worshipped the new god Nysalor.

Broken Council: A modern name for the High Council of Genertela that oversaw the Bright Empire at the end of the Dawn Age. It was “broken” in 365 when the trolls, Heortlings, and dragonewts left it.

Broyan: High King of the Volsaxar Confederation, who resisted the Empire in Whitewall and still foments rebellion. Murdered.

Bush Rangers: Recent settlers of the Bush Range, which was devastated by the Empire after the Battle of Grizzly Peak. Most are Lunar provincials, exiled here or granted land for service. Some are bandits, outlaws, and rebels.

Colymar: The first Heortling to enter Dragon Pass after the Dragonkill, who founded the Colymar Tribe.

Corvid War: Derreva the Clever freed Bagdalch and sent murderous crows to drive her enemies from Killard Vale. Karvi Blackeye protected his followers by summoning Ternveka and his ravens. Killard, later king of the Kheldon Tribe, settled the conflict.

crannog: Stockaded village built on an artificial island in a lake or marsh.

Cragspider the Firewitch: A troll heroine with powers of darkness, fire, and spiderhood who also commands the Black Dragon. She sought to break the Trollkin Curse, but her efforts created the great trolls instead.

Dagori Inkarth: Ancient troll lands northeast of Dragon Pass, called Shadows Dance by humans.

Daysenerus: God of the Descending Power, a Nysaloran deity worshipped in the Dawn Age at the Sun Dome Temples.

Dendrog: A Vingkotling warrior in the Storm Age. His son was killed by the dragon Shalanvar, whom he slew in turn. He is worshipped now as a dragonslayer.

Derik Furman: A Dundealos tribesman who warred against the animal nomads. He slew their hero Jaldon Goldtooth at Jaldonkill and founded the Poljoni Tribe.

Doburdun: The Loyal Storm, a Pelorian god promoted by the Lunar Empire as an alternative to Orlanth.

dordarings: A species of quakebeast birthed by Maran in the Green Age, now extinct.

The Dwarf: Mostali leader of Dwarf Mine, more properly called Isidilian the Wise. He sometimes trades dwarf technology with other inhabitants of the Pass, for a price.

Empire of the Wyrms Friends (EWF, Wyrms Minds Collective): An Imperial Age empire whose citizens experimented with draconic knowledge and secrets.

Empty Gods: The Chaos gods, who entered the world to destroy it, thus causing the Great Darkness.

Ethilrist: Hero whose demon-riding Black Horse Troop serves the highest bidder as mercenaries. He was (illegally) granted lands west of Dragon Pass by the Red Emperor, and lives in his town of Muse Roost.

Etyries: Lunar goddess of merchants and trade.

EWF: Abbreviation for “Empire of the Wyrms Friends”.

Exiles: Tarshites who still resist Imperial rule, clustered on the slopes of Kero Fin Mountain. The region is also called Old Tarsh.

Ezkankekko: Troll name of the Only Old One.

Far Walkers: Settlers from the north of Dragon Pass who colonized the Far Place, led by Taros Ridgeleaper.

fyrd: The (defensive) militia of a Heortling clan, consisting of most hale adults.

Garanvuli: One of the Star Tribes of the Vingkotlings, founded by Garan, the star lover of Serias. The tribe lived in the lands around the Syphon River.

gatorgaring: A species of quakebeast birthed by Maran in the Green Age, now extinct.

gazzam: Pelorian name for dinosaurs. See also quakebeast.

Gbaji: Western word meaning “Deceiver,” applied by some people to Nysalor, by others to Arkat.

godi (fem. gyrda, pl. godar): A god-talker, a type of part-time Heortling priest. Most are devotees of their deity.

Gore and Gash: Twin troll heroes who led their tribe to Dagori Inkarth during the Darkness.

gors and gallt: The wild upland forest and marsh (respectively) of the Far Place region.

Gouger: God-pig of the Aramites, worshipped alongside the hero Aram-ya-Udram and a nameless darkness demon.

Greatway: Dwarf city of the Rockwood Mountains between Dragon Pass and Balazar.

Halifitoor: Third child of Illaro Blacktooth and Sorana Tor, he ruled Tarsh for four years before his nephew Marofdul assassinated him.

Hard Earth: God who threw himself against Korang the Slayer’s spear and shattered it, but was killed by his efforts. His body became the six peaks of the Black Dragon Mountains northwest of Skyfall Lake.

Harmast Barefoot: Famous hero of the Dawn Age. He was the first mortal to complete the Lightbringers’ Quest, and so released Orlanth and saved the Heortling peoples.

Harvar Ironfist: Self-styled Duke of Alda-chur, who supports worship of Yelmalio and Doburdun and employs outlaws and Gagarthi. He has ruthlessly suppressed Orlanthi’s resistance to his Lunar-backed rule.

Hendreik Freeman: Founder of the Hendreiki Tribe. During the Dawn Age, Hendreik was among the Heortlings who resisted Lokamayadon. He managed to avoid rather than confront his stormy foe.

High Council of the Land of Genertela: Another name for the ruling council of the Bright Empire.

Holy Country: Lands south of Dragon Pass, anciently known as Kethaela. They were ruled by the Pharaoh before his death at the hands of a Lunar assassin in 1616 ST.

Hombobobom the Great Drummer: One of the Seven Sacred Ancestresses of the Trolls, a shaman who made their language and the first drum.

HonEel: Lunar heroine called Third Inspiration of Moonson. She led the recovery and reunification of the Lunar Empire after the depredations of the Pentan nomads. She seduced the king of Tarsh and bore him an heir, and thus at last brought Tarsh into the Empire.

Hyalorings: Ancient people who once occupied Saird and were allies of the Vingkotlings. Some Heortlings (descendants of the Berennethtelli) claim them as ancestors, and the Grazers acknowledge kinship as well.

Illaro Blacktooth: First Tarshite king of the current dynasty, he restored the kingdom after the civil war that followed the end of the Twins Dynasty. His line was taken over when his great-grandson Pyjeemsab was seduced by HonEel.

Inhuman Occupation: Period after the Dragonkill when humans were forbidden from entering Dragon Pass and so non-humans like the beast-men dominated the land.

Ironhoof: A centaur hero, chief of the beast-men during the Inhuman Occupation and the first modern being to earn the title King of Dragon Pass. Ironhoof recently reappeared to lead his people after being gone for centuries.

Jaldon Goldtooth: Praxian hero who unrelentingly harried the EWF, then returned in the time of Derik Furman. The animal nomads still know magic to summon him from his grave to lead them in raiding Dragon Pass.

Jan Ironclad: A famous warrior of the Garanvuli Tribe.

Jarolar: The third prince of Sartar, grandson of King Sartar.

Kallyr Starbrow: Exiled queen of the Kheldon Tribe. She led a failed rebellion against the Empire in 1613 ST, but still resisted. She is allied with High King Broyan.

Kethaela: The Six Lands surrounding the Choralinthor Bay, south of Dragon Pass: fiery Caladraland, earthy Esrolia, the Shadow Plateau, stormy Heortland, atheistic God Forgot, and the watery Rightarm Islands. Since the coming of Belintar, they have been known as the Holy Country.

king: Generic term for a lord mightier than a chieftain. In this work, it has three primary uses:
• the ruler of a tribe
• the ruler of a foreign kingdom (such as Tarsh)
• The sacral post of King of Dragon Pass
Additionally, the princes of Sartar are often described as high kings.

Kitori: A mixed tribe of humans and trolls that lives in the Troll Woods, but which once occupied the Upper Marzeel valley and dominated the surrounding lands. They were defeated by Tarkalor and his Sun Dome allies.

Kodigvari: One of the Summer Tribes, founded by Kodig, who was High King at his father’s funeral pyre. Once the royal tribe of the Vingkotlings, was wiped out in the disastrous Sword and Helm War; the warriors’ widows formed the Esrolians, among whom women still rule.

Kolat: Great spirit of wind and storm. His followers are rare among the Heortlings, for they are shamans and spiritists.

Korang the Slayer: A brutal Chaos god who bore a spear that roared as it sucked the life of its victims. He killed a dozen gods, but then Hard Earth broke his spear and Engizi the Skyriver Titan drowned him.

Koroltes: One of the Summer Tribes of the Vingkotlings, which lived in what is now the Grazelands, south of the site of the Battle of Night and Day. It was founded by the descendants of Korol Kandoros, renowned for his knowledge of the law.

Kostajor Wolf-champion: Chieftain of the Telmori. He served the House of Sartar well in his youth, saving two of their princes from death on the battlefield. His wolf-brother was killed by Jomes Wulf, which greatly weakened him.

Larnsti: A magical brotherhood in Heortland that works to liberate the people.

Liornvuli: Liorn the Young married Deleen Kodigsdottir to form the Liornvuli, one of the Star Tribes of the Vingkotlings. They were called the “Island Tribe” of the Upper Oslir because they lived on Kordros Island.

Lokamayadon: A hero of the Bright Empire. He abandoned Orlanth in favour of Tarumath, the mystical High Storm, and waged a divine struggle against the old storm god, a conflict that he ultimately lost.

Malan: First king of the tribe that bears his name, Mad-Blood Malan bequeathed his descendants his warlike ways and foul temper. His daughter left to found a tribe of her own, the Lismelder.

Marofdul: Ninth king of Tarsh, who gained the throne by killing his uncle, Halifitoor, then later abdicated in favour of his own son. His grave is Marof’s House, a small temple where he can be consulted for oracles.

Moot: Formal meeting of all adult members of a clan or tribe.

Nysalor: The “Perfect God” created at the end of the Dawn Age by mortals. His birth began a struggle that lasted for 75 years until Arkat killed him and scattered his pieces across the world.

Only Old One: The son of Argan Argar and Esrola, who led the trolls of the region to many victories. Afterwards, he led the Unity Council into history and ruled Kethaela until the coming of Belintar, the Pharaoh. His worshippers say that he will rise again to lead them.

Orgorvaltes: One of the Summer Tribes of the Vingkotlings, which lived around the Quivini Mountains.

Orvantes: One of the Star Tribes, which lived around Volsaxiland and the Stormwalk Mountains.

Palangio, the Iron Vrok: A general of the Bright Empire. The appearance of Nysalor at the Battle of Night and Day transformed Palangio, who became a powerful hero, even slaying Arkat in Ralios.

Pharaoh: A title of Belintar that means “living god.” The Pharaoh was the sacred king of the Holy Country. He reincarnated in a new body each time he died until the last when the Lunar heroine JarEel assassinated him.

Phoronestes: First Lunar king of Tarsh, son of HonEel.

Poljoni: A nomadic, horse-riding tribe of western Prax founded by Derik Furman. Most are of Sartarite descent, and the entire tribe is hated by the native animal nomads.

Prax: Relatively fertile part of the Wastes that borders Dragon Pass on the east, inhabited by the animal nomads.

Predark: Orlanthi word for Chaos.

Pure Horse People: Horse-riding nomads from Pent who settled in Prax during the Imperial Age, before being driven out by the animal nomads. They are now the Grazers.

quakebeast: Any of several huge creatures that shake the ground when they walk. Many are the children of Maran. People sometimes use the word “dinosaur” for them, but only some quakebeasts are dinosaurs, and only the largest dinosaurs are quakebeasts.

Quivini: The tribes that inhabit the lands around the Quivin Peaks. They originally included the Balmyr, Culbrea, Dundealos, Malani, and Torkani tribes, but were often used by enemies to refer to the principality of Sartar itself. Now, the term usually refers to the Cinsina, Colymar, Culbrea, Kheldon, Locaem, and Sambari tribes, who live around the Quivini Mountains.

Red Moon: A celestial body visible from Dragon Pass night and day on the northern horizon. (Within the Glowline, it is visible in the upper sky.) It is the celestial body of Sedenya, the Red Goddess. Its phases follow a seven-day cycle, and affect the magic of all Lunar magicians.

Saird: An oft-contested region north of Tarsh that includes the Lunar Provinces of Aggar and Holay.

Salinarg: Seventh and last free ruler of Sartar, who died trying to defend Boldhome against the Lunar Empire.

Salvi the Good: Locaem Resettlement hero. Salvi led his followers north of the Crossline to reclaim the lands that had once belonged to his ancestor, Great Bearded Bran.

Saronil: The second ruler of Sartar, son of King Sartar and the Feathered Horse Queen.

Seravus the Enchanter: Enemy of the storm gods during the Gods War. He stole all the herd beasts, but the Thunder Brothers won them back, killing him in the process.

Shadow Empire: A name for the Kingdom of Night set up in Kethaela and Dragon Pass by Arkat after he slew Gbaji. He placed the Heortlings of Dragon Pass under the rule of the Only Old One, and they paid the Arkat Tax to their overlord for many years.

Shalanvar: Lord Ice Dragon, a fragment of the First Dragon, which lived atop frozen Shalanvar Peak. Shalanvar was slain by the hero Dendrog.

Sh’hakarzeel: The cosmic dragon, called Mover of Heavens and Father and Mother of Dragons. It was slain by Orlanth, and its head now decorates the mobile constellation Orlanth’s Ring.

Skyriver Titan: A name for Engizi, the god of The River, who leapt from the Sky to attack Korang the Slayer. He received a wound that still gushes forth blood into Skyfall Lake, but with the aid of The Creek and The Stream, he washed Chaos away.

Sorana Tor: Incarnation of Ana Gor, Heortling goddess of human sacrifice and death. Arim the Pauper married her, and so became King of Dragon Pass.

Star Tribes: Tribes formed from the remnants of Vingkotling tribes shattered at or after Stormfall, the battle where Vingkot himself died. They include the Garanvuli, Liornvuli, Orvantes, and Stravuli tribes.

stead: A Heortling farm.

Stravuli: One of the Star Tribes of the Vingkotlings, founded by Stravul the Lean. Its members lived around the Upper Oslir, the Dragonspine, and Grizzly Peak.

Summer Tribes: With his Summer Wife, Vingkot had three sons and two daughters: Kodig the King, Hengall Second Son, Vestene (who married Goralf Brown), Korol Kandoros, and Orgorvale (who married Ulanin the Rider). Their descendants were the Summer Tribes: the Kodigvari of Esrolia, the Vestantes of southern Aggar, the Koroltes of the Grazelands, and the Orgorvaltes of Quiviniland.

Tarkalor: Fifth ruler of Sartar, grandson of King Sartar. He became King of Dragon Pass, and later died fighting the Lunar Empire at the Battle of Grizzly Peak.

Taros Ridgeleaper: Leader of the Far Walkers who colonized the Far Place region during the Resettlement.

Telmori: Tribe of wolf-worshipping humans.

Temertain: The former (uncrowned) prince of Sartar, a Lunar puppet more interested in obscure scholarship than governance. He has dreams of becoming the “Philosopher King” of legend but is despised even by many Lunar supporters. Temertain died in 1625 ST.

Terasarin: Sixth ruler of Sartar, who added Alda-chur and the Far Place to the kingdom by marrying off one of his sons to the queen of the most powerful tribe of the region.

Ternveka: The White Raven, who roosts on Raven Peak in the Quivini Mountains. During the Corvid War, he came to drive off Bagdalch and his evil spirit crows.

thane: An appointed nobleman.

thrall: A Heortling slave.

Tol: A name of Yinkin in stories of his erotic adventures. Orlanth often appears in these tales under the name of Tat, giving rise to the sequence of “Tales of Tat and Tol.”

Torkan: The second leader to bring his people into Dragon Pass from the Holy Country. He became the founder of the Torkani Tribe, which is friendly to trolls and even worships troll deities, such as Argar Argan.

tula: The lands claimed by a clan or tribe.

Twins Dynasty: The Ruling house of Tarsh formed by the children of Arim and Sorana Tor, Varstapoor and Vestenbora, the Tarsh Twins who destroyed the Lunar army at the Battle of Falling Hills.

Unity Council: Darkness era and Dawn Age council of all races that governed Dragon Pass and the surrounding lands, sometimes called the First Council.

Vargast Redhand: Dawn Age Heortling hero who resisted Lokamayadon’s prohibition on Orlanth worship. He formed the Clan of the Verge, ended Lokamayadon’s existence, and was slain by Palangio the Iron Vrok.

Varstapoor: First king of the Twins Dynasty of Tarsh. He was frail and pretty, but was unanimously elected king of the Tarsh Tribe when his father died.

vendref: The slaves of the Grazers, many of whom originally came from among the Heortlings and Alakorings.

Vestenbora: First queen of the Twins Dynasty of Tarsh. She was big and forward, and while still a girl became the first high priestess of the Shaker Temple after it was reopened by Arim the Pauper.

Vingkotlings: Descendants of Vingkot, the Summer Tribes and Winter Tribes who are the ancestors of all Heortlings.

Wanderers: Migrants who left the Grazelands to form new clans and tribes in the reign of Josadarin the Stallion.

wind children: Winged descendants of humans and air spirits, who call themselves nar sylla. They are simple hunters, but have a natural magic ability to control wind spirits.

Winter Tribes: With his Winter Wife, Vingkot had two sons and three daughters: Penene (who married Kastwall Five), Janard “Lastralgor,” the twins Infithe (who married Porscriptor the Cannibal) and Jorganos Archer, and Redaylde (who married Berenneth the Rider). Their descendants were the Winter Tribes: the Penentelli of northern Aggar, the Lastralgortelli of the Oslir Valley, the Infithetelli of northern Tarsh, the Jorganostelli of the Upper Oslir, and the Berennethtelli of Upper Saird.

Wyrms Minds Collective: Another name for the Empire of the Wyrms Friends.

wyter: A daimon or lesser god who protects a clan, tribe, or other community It acts as a guardian.

Yelmalio: God of the Sun in the Hills, Preserver of the Light, worshipped in the Sun Dome Temples.

Zarran War: A war between the Malani and Colymar tribes for control of the Arfritha Vale.