Morvyn: Evil spirit capable of possessing animals and humans. When taking over humans, it has the ability to transform into an animal while maintaining near-human intelligence.
Mynogan: Battle, Honor, and Death. The three gods of war worshipped by the Dureyans.
Mystic: Individuals capable of tapping into the essence of the natural world and understanding the will of gods and spirits.
Nadak: A region in the north of Rhulyn that is home to the Rhune clan of the same name.
Nagon: The name of one of Sebek’s two swords. The word is Fhrey for “lightning.”
Naraspur: Name of the horse that takes Arion to Alon Rhist.
Nidwalden: Mighty river that separates the land of the Fhrey (Ervanon) from Rhulyn.
Nifrel: Below Rel. The most dismal and unpleasant of the three regions of the afterlife.
Nilyndd: Fhrey tribe of craftsmen.
Nog: Home of the crimbals, where time moves at a different rate than in Elan.
Nyphron (Fhrey, Instarya): Son of Zephyron and leader of the famed Galantians.
Nyree (Fhrey, Umalyn): Mother of Arion and former wife of Era.
Padera (Rhune, Rhen): Farmer’s wife and oldest resident of Dahl Rhen.
Parthaloren Falls: Largest waterfall in the known world, it drops the Nidwalden River thousands of feet. At the top of these falls stands the great Fhrey tower of Avempartha.
Persephone (Rhune, Rhen): Wife of Reglan and Second Chair of Dahl Rhen.
Pontifex: Name of Nyphron’s sword. One of the Fhrey names for the wind.
Raithe (Rhune, Dureya): Son of Herkimer, also known as the God Killer.
Raow: A feared predator that eats its prey starting with the face. Raow sleep on a bed of bones and must add another set before going to sleep. A single raow can decimate an entire region.
Reglan (Rhune, Rhen): Chieftain of Dahl Rhen and husband to Persephone.
Rel: One of the three regions in the Rhune afterlife.
Rhen: A wooded region in the west of Rhulyn that is home to the Rhune clan of the same name.
Rhulyn: “Land of the Rhunes” bordered by the Fhrey’s native lands of Erivan to the east and the Fhrey outposts in Avrlyn to the west.
Rhune: One of the five major races of Elan, the race of humans. The word is Fhrey for “primitive,” and for some, it is seen as derogatory. This race is technologically challenged, superstitious, and polytheistic. They live in clusters of small villages, and each clan is governed by a chieftain. There are two major groups of Rhunes, the Gula-Rhunes from the north and the southern Rhulyn-Rhunes. The two factions have warred for centuries.
Rhunic: The language spoken by the humans who live in Rhulyn.
Roan (Rhune, Rhen): Ex-slave of Iver the Carver.
Sackett (Rhune, Rhen): The new Shield of the chieftain of Dahl Rhen under the leadership of Konniger.
Salifan: Fragrant wild plant with multiple uses.
Season pillars: Twelve pillars inside a lodge that surround the dais of the First and Second Chairs. They are arranged in sets of three, the groups representing spring (west), summer (south), fall (east), and winter (north).
Sebek (Fhrey, Instarya): Best warrior of the Galantians.
Second Chair: Honorific position held by the wife of the chieftain.
Shegon (Fhrey, Asendwayr): A hunter of Alon Rhist who provides the warrior tribe with fresh meat; killed by Raithe.
Shield: Also known as “Shield to the chieftain” or “chieftain’s Shield,” the chieftain’s personal bodyguard, and generally the finest warrior on the dahl.
Standing stone: A monolith or part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably, but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering toward the top.
Suri (Rhune, no clan affiliation): Young mystic raised by Tura. She’s always accompanied by a white wolf named Minna.
Tabor: A woodland spirit that pushes people off cliffs or drowns them in rivers or lakes.
Talwara: The official name of the Fhrey’s palace where the fane resides and rules.
Tet: A swear word derived from Tetlin Witch. Over the years it’s been perverted to mean “excrement,” as in, “You don’t know tet.”
Tetlin Witch: An immortal being thought to be the source of all disease, pestilence, and evil in the world.
Thym (Fhrey, Umalyn): Priest of Ferrol who ministers to the Instarya each summer.
Tibor: The name of one of Sebek’s two swords; the word is Fhrey for “thunder.”
Tirre: A region in the south of Rhulyn that is home to the Rhune clan of the same name.
Torc: A rigid circular necklace that is open at the front.
Tressa (Rhune, Rhen): Wife of Chieftain Konniger of Dahl Rhen.
Trilos (Fhrey, unknown tribal affiliation): A person obsessed with the Door in the Garden.
Tura (Rhune, no clan affiliation): An ancient mystic who lived in the Crescent Forest near Dahl Rhen; mentor to Suri. She predicted the coming of the Great Famine.
Uli Vermar: An event that occurs three thousand years after the crowning of a fane, when other Fhrey can challenge the sitting ruler. This is done by petitioning the Aquila and being presented with the Horn of Gylindora.
Umalyn: The Fhrey tribe of priests and priestesses who concern themselves with spiritual matters and the worship of Ferrol.
Urum River: A north-south Avrlyn river west of the Bern.
Vellor: A stringed musical instrument created by the Fhrey.
Wogan: Chief woodland spirit, who serves as guardian of forests.
Yakkus: A demon of disease that can assume the form of any animal, including humans.
Zephyron (Fhrey, Instarya): Father of Nyphron, killed by Lothian during the leadership challenge after the death of Fane Fenelyus.
To all the readers who’ve enjoyed my stories and have shared them with loved ones. My success is largely due to your generous support, and I thank you for making my dream a reality.
Acknowledgments
It’s been said that you don’t want to know how two things are made: legislation and sausage. I feel exactly the opposite about how a manuscript becomes a finished book. I wish readers had a better understanding of the publishing process, as it would elucidate the enormity of this monumental task. Generally, you only see one name—the author’s—gracing the cover. But my contributions are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and it’s a shame that the hardworking people who made this book possible aren’t likewise recognized. I’d like to take a minute to rectify that by mentioning some of them.
First and always, I want to thank Robin, the love of my life, my best friend, and the most capable person I’ve ever met. Why she’s chosen to spend the last thirty-six years with me is a mystery, but I’m forever grateful for her hard work on this book and all my novels. For those who don’t know, Robin fills several essential roles: alpha reader, line editor, beta test administrator, project manager, business manager, marketing guru, and liaison to my agents, editors, publicists, and various sales and marketing people. She is the best structural editor I’ve ever seen—and I’ve worked with some of the most respected professionals in the genre. The acquisition editors at Del Rey and Orbit have mentioned how clean my novels are. If that’s true, it’s because of Robin sweeping up behind me before others have a chance to see my mess.
Next up are my beta readers, an amazing group—or in the case of this book, two amazing groups. You see, Robin actually ran two separate beta reads for Age of Myth. The first resulted in substantial changes based on their incredible feedback. Then the revised draft went through another round. Beta reading my books isn’t for the faint of heart, as Robin really puts the groups through their paces. They must rate each chapter (or reading session) on a scale from one to five on several matters: characters, plot, pacing, and overall impression. Beta readers also have to answer questions about what they liked, didn’t like, felt confused by, or were surprised by. Finally, they are asked whether there was anything they wanted to see but didn’t. She even asks for predictions on what will happen to determine if they’ve nibbled at any dangled bait. As you can see, being a beta reader is not a trivial task, and this book is significantly better due to the efforts of several dozen people. With the final manuscript in their hands, they’ll be able to see their contributions. I’m deeply indebted to them for helping to make a better book.