Lexicon

Places, peoples, events, terminology. Contains spoilers for the comic thus far.

Ahna Duana	(AH-nah doo-AH-nah) (forest elven dialect) "Thank you, many blessings."
Atrandial	(ah-TROND-ee-al) Primary language spoken by the people of Atriand and its neighboring countries. The "common" language of this part of the world.
Atriand	(ah-tree-OND) The large, powerful country to the west of Tamuran. Also the name of its capital city.
Battle of Souls	Catastrophic battle between the Inikans and the people of Atriand, so named for the devastating number of casualties. The battle leveled the original Atriand City and ended the Great War 962 years before the start of the comic. The modern Atrandial calendar system uses the year of the Battle of Souls as its starting date.
Bonded Messenger	A member of the Messengers' Guild of Atriand, bound by oaths and trained in spells for the security of the messages they carry. Often hired as couriers for highly sensitive or important correspondence.
the Cazrimar	Magical artifact that has been secretly handed down through the line of Patriarchs and Matriarchs of Tamuran for hundreds of years as a signet to the crown. It is said to be the key to Tamuran's plentiful natural resources, and it possesses strong magic that a properly trained Patriarch or Matriarch can tap into to defend themselves and their kingdom.
Companion	The mortal partner to which a Tu Naul Morphus binds him- or herself for the duration of the Companion's life. 'Companion' can refer to either the mortal or the Morphus in a bound pair.
Daunovin	(DON-oh-vin) One of the three legendary guardian races charged with the protection of humanity. Highly powerful elemental mages, they were hunted down in the magic purges following the Battle of Souls. Any full-blooded Daunovin who were not destroyed have long since vanished, though faint traces of their bloodline are the source of most modern wizards' powers.
the Dragons	The capitalized term "Dragons" refers to the Black Dragon, the White Dragon, and the Red Dragon: the three main deities worshiped in Tamuran and Atriand, so called because their chosen symbols are dragons. The Black Dragon oversees worldly matters and ambitions; the White Dragon's domain deals with forsaking worldly desires and the physical world in favor of spiritual matters; and the Red Dragon sees to the everyday needs of the common people and keeps balance in the eternal conflict between the other two.
Elderkin	Term used by the elves to refer to their people.
Feast of Crowns	Huge festival held every five years in the capital of Tamuran, falling around the autumn equinox. It is the event at which the Patriarch traditionally announces his chosen heir, when the time comes for an heir to be named.
Genisai	(JEE-nis-sai) Elven name for a type of powerful, very dangerous forest spirit, considered by some to be gods of the forest and the elements. They feature in the stories of elves, Travelers, and others whose paths take them close to the deep forests.
Great War	also the Thirty Years' War; a conflict between Atriand and its allies (including Tamuran) and Inikis. It ended about 900 years ago.
Guardian Races	Refers to three legendary races - the Tu Naul, the Daunovin, and the Kaelon - gifted with magical powers and tasked with the protection of humanity. The Tu Naul are the only ones still extant in the world at large.
Inikis	(IN-uh-kiss) Country which used to occupy a part of the continent to the west of Atriand, inhabited largely by Sorcerers. Inikis was defeated by Atriand and its allies in the Great War that happened 900 years ago, and after its defeat the country was magically broken off from the continent, pushed out into the ocean as a large island, and sealed within an imprisoning barrier, supposedly permanently.
Inkuratu	(IN-koo-RAH-too) Term meaning "tainted, evil, or forbidden." This term can be used as a noun or adjective.
Ka Nuu	(KAH-noo) Nashua's riding elk. The elk was responsible for picking his own name.
Kaelon	(KAY-lon) One of the three legendary guardian races sworn to protect humanity, Kaelon were extremely powerful mages said to be able to alter reality with a thought. Before the Great War, they were responsible for maintaining Atriand's magical gate system, and it was their detonation of the gate system during the Battle of Souls that destroyed Atriand City. The Kaelon that did not fall in the battle were subsequently hunted down and killed. Very rarely, a person with Kaelon magic will show up in modern times, but they are generally subdued by trained witch hunters before their powers can cause too much damage.
Kalanthilas	(ka-LAN-thi-lass) The Tu Naul home city, which exists in its own pocket dimension parallel to the mortal plane.
Kin	The term used by the elves to refers to members of their race. Short for "Elderkin."
Kindred Council	The high council of Elven elders that preside over all clans of forest elves in Tamuran. The Kindred Council is seen as having the final word on any matter regarding the laws and cultural issues of the elves.
Lastre Anduatha	(LOSS-tray on-doo-WA-thah) Fierce, highly intelligent predatory beasts, larger than horses, that dwell in the huge trees of the Old Wood, also called "tree creatures." Lastre anduatha means "nimble hound of the trees" in the forest elven dialect.
Meuriana	(MYOO-ree-AH-nah) The large kingdom to the north of Tamuran and Atriand.
Moon Stag	A buck from the herds of pale-colored deer sacred to Nashua's clan; the clan's namesake. Nashua is the official guardian of the Moon Deer for the herds his clan maintains.
Morphus	plural Morphyx (MOR-fix) A member of the Tu Naul race who was born with an ability to shapeshift into various animals. Morphyx are trained to become bound Companions to specially chosen mortals. At the time of their binding they are locked into the form of the animal that best suits their partner's role in life, and they remain in that form until their mortal Companion's death.
Mortal Realm, Mortal Plane	The mundane world, as opposed to the Otherworld or any other plane of existence. The Tu Naul frequently use the term "mortal" to refer to humans of the mortal realm, despite not being truly immortal themselves.
Namridia	(nam-RID-ee-ah) Capital city of Tamuran.
the Old Wood	Name for the deep forests in the heart of the Wilde: very dangerous places filled with strange beasts and fey magics. Even the forest elves avoid venturing far into the Old Wood, and few people, if any, have ever seen its deepest reaches.
Otherkin	Term referring to the fae and other spirits of the wild.
Patriarch	Formal title for the king of Tamuran. Likewise, queens are titled "Matriarch."
Rrhhahnh'ghrrr	A rough transliteration of the Lastre anduatha's name for themselves in their own language. It means "creature of the trees," or "tree-creature."
Season's Feast	An Elven festival that is celebrated four times a year with the advents of the spring and autumn equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices.
Seyelive	(SEE-ay-LEE-vay) Unnatural creatures that are quickly spreading across the forests and lands of Tamuran, consuming or running off all the native game animals. They come out only at night and disappear with the arrival of dawn. They seem to have an aversion to fire, and once killed their bodies turn to dust at the next sunrise. Nashua describes them on page 9 of Chapter 2 as "creatures about the size of a human child of seven, distorted and misshapen, flesh hanging from their bones; toothy maws, and eyes the size of dinner bowls." They were presumably named for their appearance as glowing "evil eyes" looking down from the forest canopy. The term "seyelive" most likely arose from some people's superstitions that if you referred to the creatures directly as "evil eyes," it would catch their attention and bring them down upon you - reversing the name was thought to avoid that and deflect any associated curses.
Silver Raven	A breed of small, highly intelligent raven originally bred long ago by wizards who wanted to create a better familiar. Some of them escaped captivity, and now populations of them exist in the wild.
Sorcerer	Term given to those who practice forbidden magical arts, such as those dealing with mind control, soul-stealing, blood magic, or necromancy.
Stand	An Elven village or outpost.
Tamuran	(TAM-u-ran) The country in which the story begins, and around whose fate it revolves.
Traveler	Term used to refer to the cultural groups of nomadic merchants that travel Tamuran and the neighboring countries; can also refer to an individual belonging to said culture.
Tree Creature	Another name for lastre anduatha, due to their living primarily in trees.
Tu Naul	(too NAWL) One of the three legendary guardian races that are said to have been tasked with protecting humans and other mortals, the Tu Naul are descended from powerful human wizards, who millennia ago elevated themselves to a higher realm of existence to better focus on developing their magic and watch over the mortal realm. They have practiced magic and lived apart from the mortal realm for so long that they have evolved into another race altogether. Though still human in appearance, they have lifespans around three times the length of normal humans', and are considered to possess exceptional beauty. The Tu Naul (theoretically) live to serve their mortal brethren, and often travel to the mortal realm to be watchers and historians, bound Companions as in the case of the Morphyx, and also protectors, guardians, and at times even soldiers.
Veil Wizard	Formal title for a wizard who has progressed beyond study and proficiency in normal areas of magical practice and has taken a specialization. The term "Veil" refers to their transcendence beyond the "veil" of arcane knowledge and to the secrecy that often shrouds their work; it also refers to the levels of tests that a student must pass in order to study the highest levels of magic.
Voices in the Walls	Spirits of the Tamuran royal family's ancestors bound to wander the walls of the royal palace complex. The ability to hear these spirits designates the heir to the throne, though both this fact and the existence of the spirits themselves are closely-guarded royal secrets.
the Wilde/the Wildes	General name for the wilderness areas of Tamuran, characterized by mountainous terrain and very old forests.
Wizard	Term used to describe any person with a formal education and license to practice acceptable forms of magic.
Wyrm	Another word for "dragon," used to distinguish them from the deity Dragons. Wyrms come in many varieties, with varying degrees of intelligence; some types of wyrms gain sapience once they have lived for a very long time.
Zharus Guard	(ZAR-uss) Elite soldiers trained at the Zharus Academy in northern Atriand and renowned for their loyalty, for hire by royalty and other political offices across the continent. They are generally hired by officials from their own country of origin and contracted for life. Cadets are hand-selected at age 15 for their specific traits and talents, and then train for six years, during which time each guardsman and -woman is bonded to a Tu Naul Morphus companion. Being chosen to join the Zharus Guard is seen as a high honor, and as a mark of distinction for the family of the recruit.