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B C D E F G H I K L M N P R S T U V W Y Z
(More on the worlds and their history)
Adelaide Uchide: Sevit's wife, matriarch of the Uchide clan on Eyimalia
Aghata: Herb, one letter of the herbal alphabet on Paffir Eket
A-grav: Antigravity device used to hold things up on Reshebora and Eyimalia
Akiva: People's priest for the northern province of Nichayu on Paffir Eket
Allied Planet: A planet not in the Resheborian system but allied to it against the Hostile Planets. One Allied Planet is Eyimalia. (more on the worlds)
Allied Research Program: Organization that funds Clark's research on Reshebora
Almareale: Minor part of the story, a desert flower in the Outland on Eyimalia
Anadicine: A drug that prevents alcoholism, used on Reshebora and Eyimalia
Arletty: Head of the research lab where Clark works on Reshebora
Armies of Daybreak: Largely peaceful resistance group of which Luz, Fuego, Tiyar and Holy Huey are members. The group is most active in the Outland on Eyimalia.
Ather: God who betrayed Verloring. According to a peasant heresy, this caused the loss of Ayekar (heaven). Verloring is worshipped on Paffir Eket.
Augenblau: Minor character, an apprentice herbalist on Paffir Eket
Ayekar: Heaven, also called the city of the gods, captured by evil gods on Paffir Eket
: A peasant. Berthe has black urine. She is a native of Nichayu, a northern province on Paffir Eket.
Black urine: Symptom of an inherited metabolic condition. Considered a sign that a person is a devilspawn. People who have it are generally lynched on Paffir Eket.
Burning Mountains: Mountain range that divides the eastern country from the Middle Plains on Paffir Eket
Casheek: The unit of currency in the Resheborian system
City of Wisdom: Camp founded by members of a new non-theocratic group on Paffir Eket
Civil and Industrial Peace Administration: Minor characters, part of the Eyimalian government in Merced that provides enforcement for the Viyato clan
Clarkwell Brockhurst: Friend of Sevit and Paula on Resheboria, biology student. He is a native of a planet in the Resheborian system (close allies of Reshebora) and therefore a citizen of Reshebora.
Dagrov: Tyrant in control of Eyimalia
Darkbrother: Symbolic figure whose relationship with Fairbrother represents peace on Eyimalia
Daughters of Autumn hide the infant Spring: A story in which the daughters plant a seed in defiance of Winter. This story is told on Paffir Eket.
Dead Mama: Former home planet of the Outlanders, who now live on Eyimalia (more on the worlds)
Defenders of Faith: Army of women that supports the theocracy on Paffir Eket
Deicin: Minor part of the story, a poison to which natives of the planet Guapo are immune
Devilspawn: Offspring (spawn) of evil. Devilspawn have black urine, and are condemned to death by the religion of Paffir Eket.
Division: Scheduled resettlement of part of a parish to new territory to prevent overpopulation on Paffir Eket
Domafamilia: Goddess of the home worshipped on Paffir Eket
Dreamer's kiss: Mildly euphoric herb on Paffir Eket
Dreaming: Tranquilizing herb, a letter in the herbal alphabet on Paffir Eket
Drug Campus: Nickname name for the Isadora Maxwell Pharmaceutical Research Center (after a member of Paula's family) where Clark works on Reshebora
Earth Red: Reddish-brown color of a dye used for herbalists' red armbands on Paffir Eket
Earth: Used as a name for the soil and natural environment (sometimes called the Mother Goddess) on Paffir Eket
Ebur: A town on the Red River on Paffir Eket
Ecclesiam purpureum: Antibiotic that Clark researches at the behest of Eyimalians
Efirr Nije: Journalist, boyhood friend of Sevit, native of Eyimalia
El Agua: Minor part of the story, a city on the impoverished planet of Guapo
Erkomt: Male student of Tiyar
Eyimalia City: Capital on Eyimalia
Eyimalia: Allied Planet to Reshebora. (more on the worlds)
Fairbrother: Symbolic figure whose relationship with Darkbrother represents peace on Eyimalia
Fatayad: God of agriculture, husband to earth's daughter and father of Rani the first man by earth (the soil). Fatayad is worshipped on Paffir Eket.
Fea: Goddess said by peasants to be mother of Zatoye (first of the Golden People) by the sun. Fea is worshipped on Paffir Eket
Federated System: Interplanetary government that preceded the collapse and loss of communication among planets (more on the worlds)
Fey: Child god the peasants say will lead the lost god Verloring back to Ayekar (heaven), banishing evil. Fey is worshipped on Paffir Eket.
Fool Days: nickname for early spring, when peasants survive on extra seed that they have hidden before tax time.
Fuego Ariela: Father of Luz Ariela and member of the Outlander resistance group Armies of Daybreak. Fuego's ethnicity is largely Outlander. He is a native of Eyimalia.
Genshiye Temple: Temple of the seacoast province Itscriya on Paffir Eket
Gevore: War hero, probably during the Eyimalian conquest of Paffir Eket
Glukish: Berthe's husband on Paffir Eket
Golden People: Winged descendents of Zatoye, similar to angels, in stories told on Paffir Eket
Greyesar: Cousin to Sevit Uchide. Greyesar is also the name of the mythical king of dreams on Eyimalia
Guapo: A planet much poorer and more crowded than Eyimalia (more on the worlds)
Hath: Father of the gods. Hath is worshipped on Paffir Eket.
Herbal alphabet: An alphabet written in herbs. Each herb stands for the sound that begins its name - for example, the seed of the aghata plant is "a." This system is the only way to write Low Paffir, the peasant language on Paffir Eket.
Hex: Berthe's first herbalist friend, on Paffir Eket
High Paffir: Language spoken by the priestly class on Paffir Eket
Holy Huey: Member of the Eyimalian Outlander resistance group and owner of an intergalactic spaceship
Hostile Planets: Planets opposed to the Resheborian Intergalactic System (more on the worlds)
Hovenun: Berthe's mother-in-law on Paffir Eket
Intergalactic SystemThe system of planets including Reshebora, Eyimalia, and Paffir Eket (more on the worlds)
Inhibitor bath: Minor part of the story, a fluid in which people store biocloth to prevent it from growing out of shape
Interclan: Eyimalian term for people who do not belong to a clan. Interclan people face discrimination on Eyimalia.
Interplanetary Security: The Resheborian police
Intersystems Language: The common language of planets in the Intergalactic Systems, generally taught in school. Paula is the only character who grew up speaking it at home.
Isadora Maxwell Pharmaceutical Research Center: Commonly known as Drug Campus, the location of Clark's lab on Reshebora
Isadora Maxwell: Paula's mother, wife of Marlow Maxwell. She is a citizen of Reshebora.
Itscriye: Seacoast parish on Paffir Eket.
Itscrid Genshiye Itscriyites: Natives of the parish of Itscritye on Paffir Eket
Ketry: Eyimalian clan who serve as managers for the Viyato. The Ketry are natives of Eyimalia.
Klyne: Mother of two young children and follower of Akiva on Paffir Eket
Krup: Roadmaker on Paffir Eket
Leiger: Minor character, head of a secular tax-collection party on Paffir Eket
Lir Temple: Center of the theocracy on Paffir Eket
Lir: The major river on Paffir Eket
Love's Arrow: Illegal, somewhat dangerous, aphrodesiac and stimulant traded from Eyimalia
Low Paffir: Language with no system of writing, spoken by the peasant class on Paffir Eket
Luz Ariela: Fuego Ariela's daughter, member of the Outlander resistance group Armies of Daybreak, self-taught physician. Luz's ethnicity is half Outlander and half majority Eyimalian. Luz is a native of Eyimalia
Ma Syrie: Minor character, herbalist, soldier in Pahid's army (the Defenders of Faith) on Paffir Eket
Ma Zauber: The most accomplished herbal healer in the rich Middle Plains on Paffir Eket
Malenyk Uchide: Cousin of Sevit and rival for his place in the family
Mandala: A complex figure representing a religious ordering, here a circular drawing of a pantheon
Manitey: Old man, follower of Akiva on Paffir Eket
Marlow Maxwell: Paula's father, Resheborian ambassador to Eyimalia. He is a citizen of Reshebora.
Maxwell Enterprises: The surface and space construction company founded by Paula's grandfather
Merced: Desert city, home of the Outlanders on Eyimalia
Meta (Meteling): Berthe's best friend on Paffir Eket
Middle Plains: Central breadbasket parish, a center of learning and magnet for landless peasants and refugees, on Paffir Eket
Midsummer's Day: Holiday celebrated on Paffir Eket
Miyosardia: Parish bordering Itscriye on Paffir Eket
Moontouch: Conjunction of the two moons, considered a portent and unusually frequent in recent years, on Paffir Eket.
Morgen: Minor character, friend of Berthe on Paffir Eket
Mother Goddess: Another name for earth (as soil, not our planet) on Paffir Eket
Napit: Recreational euphoric used on Reshebora and Eyimalia
Nightbird: Minor part of the story, a spirit guide to the dead in the Outlander religion on Eyimalia
Nyoda: Minor part of the story, a musical instrument on Eyimalia
Paffir Eket: Nominally autonomous agrarian planet (more on the worlds)
Pahid: Fanatic priest at the head of the theocracy on Paffir Eket
Paula Maxwell: Student of engineering, friend of Sevit and Clark, daughter of Ambassador Marlow Maxwell. Paula is a native of Reshebora.
Pimel: Female student of Tiyar
Piraou: Minor part of the story, a dish somewhat like grits, eaten on Eyimalia
Potatoes: A food crop easily grown in poor soil, introduced by Paula on Paffir Eket
Pravela/Pravelany: The majority religion on Eyimalia
Pravelany Interclan Cemetery: Municipal burying ground for people without clan affiliations on Eyimalia
Pre: Jailor on Paffir Eket
Puro: Hand-held gun
Rani: Legendary First Man on Paffir Eket, son of Fatayad (god of agriculture) and earth (soil), father of humankind by Rania, brother to Zatoye who is the first of the angel-like Golden People. Rani is venerated on Paffir Eket.
Rania: legendary First Woman on Paffir Eket, mother of humankind by Rani and of the angel-like Golden People by Zatoye. Rania is venerated on Paffir Eket.
Rat-eaters: Derogatory term for famine victims on Paffir Eket
Rediscovery: The year a planet was discovered by the Resheborian system. (more on the worlds)
Reshebora University: The major university of the Resheborian system. Paula, Clark, and Sevit study there.
Reshebora: Capital planet of the Intergalactic System. (more on the worlds)
Resheborian System: The planets directly governed by Reshebora. Clark's home planet is one, so he enjoys Resheborian citizenship.
Reshecomp: Central computer network on Reshebora and the Intergalactic Systems planets
Ring district: A poor Outlander neighborhood in Merced
Sagrada: Minor part of the story, a large mounted gun similar to a cannon
Saroka Var: Head of the thuggish Var clan on Eyimalia
Schwalbe: Minor character, friend of Berthe on Paffir Eket
Seed Hears Spring: Story about spring awakening, told on Paffir Eket
Sevit Uchide: Student radical, friend to Clark, Paula, and Efirr on Reshebora. He is a native of Eyimalia.
Shira: Special friendship similar to blood-brotherhood, a custom on Eyimalia
Shis: God of human fate on Paffir Eket
Shortie: Family nickname for Sevit Uchide
Shurat: Earlier people's priest who taught Akiva as well as Berthe and other peasants. He died tragically on Paffir Eket.
Sooner Sober: Minor part of the story, a bitter herb used to counteract alcohol on Reshebora and Eyimalia
sparrowtongue: Minor part of the story, a tranquilizing herb used to ease childbirth on Paffir Eket
Sunchild: A god worshipped on Eyimalia
Sunshine: Babyhood name for Neshar, son of Akiva and Berthe, when he was hidden in a cave on Paffir Eket
Tales of Ayekar: Main religious book on Paffir Eket
Tax: Paid to the temple, generally partly in food crops and partly in ugewa leaves, on Paffir Eket
Telinge: Daughter of Berthe's friend Meta on Paffir Eket
Temple: The theocratic system on Paffir Eket
Teresa daFlora: Community librarian who fosters orphans, a friend of Clark on Eyimalia
Theocracy: A government controlled by an official religion, often administered by its priests
Tiyar Kituman: Linguist, member of the Armies of Daybreak, cousin of Greyesar Uchide. He is a native of Eyimalia.
Tribute Day: Ceremonial payment of temple tax (real tax collection is tied to local harvest times) on Paffir Eket
Ube: Minor character, friend of Berthe on Paffir Eket
Ugewa: Blue or purplish cup-shaped flowers that grow wild on Paffir Eket. Ugewa leaves are part of the required tax (which means the sacrifice of productive land), on Paffir Eket.
Uko: Tree found on Paffir Eket
Ulovka: An animal used for research. Its system is fully described by equations in Reshecomp on Reshebora.
University of Reshebora: Major university of the Resheborian system. Paula, Clark, and Sevit study there.
Vac-terror: Phobia of space travel
Var: Clan of thugs who serve the Viyato clan. Vars are natives of Eyimalia.
Veluchin: Minor character, neighbor of Berthe on Paffir Eket
Verloring: Lost God betrayed by Ather in the loss of heaven (Ayekar). Peasants say the child god Fey will lead him back to Ayekar. Verloring is worshipped on Paffir Eket.
Viyato: Eyimalian clan, rivals to the Uchide. The Viyato were missionaries in the past, but have become unethical business people. Viyatos are natives of Eyimalia.
Vladimir Ilki: Minor character, medical technician in a clinic where Paula had an operation, on Eyimalia
Vyera: Minor character, an Eyimalian student on Reshebora
Wanderer: Another name for Fey, the child say will lead the gods back to heaven (Ayekar) on Paffir Eket
Weeping Moon: Legendary source of the Lir (a major river) on Paffir Eket
Words of Love Cafe: Inn run by Fuego and Luz Ariela on Eyimalia
Yulus Nikto: Minor character, neurosurgery patient on Eyimalia
Zatoye: Legendary child of Fea and the sun. He was the first of the Golden People, a winged race somewhat like angels. Stories about him are told on Paffir Eket.