recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Kieran Massey

**Kieran Massey** is an adopted son of Glenscar.

## Biography

### Early Years

Born Hubert Kieran de Massue, Viscount Galway, he is a cousin of Sir Ashleigh Eltenham, who despises him.

His grandfather was Henri de Massue, who (in-story) did not succumb to poor health, but was nursed by a country girl who he eventually married. They had twin children, Maurice de Massue and Antoinette de Massue. Antoinette is the mother of Sir Ashleigh, and Maurice is the father of Kieran, who was born late in his father's life. Kieran's mother's name is Cathleen McKenna.

### A Widow In Waiting

He plays highwayman, and kills Alfred de Maine, unwittingly leading Eleanor to Glenscar. He falls in love with Countess Nadia Yastruba, or Shadow.

### With a Kiss

On New Year's Eve, 1786, he interrupts Shadow's late-night solitude as she ponders a riddle given to her by her aunt Starsight years before. He proves himself the answer to that riddle, giving her hope and peace as the year 1787 begins.

## Vital Statistics

### Physical Appearance

He is in his mid-twenties, and once Eleanor sees through his twisting power, she describes him as "no more than middling tall, slender and fair, with a mouth made for laughing and gray-blue eyes which would have been merry had they not been flickering uneasily from her to her husband."

### Other Names

His legal name is Hubert Kieran de Massue, Viscount Galway.
Curie Alpha Mu

**Curie Alpha Mu** **World-Approximating Station** is a space station in the greater galaxy of the Killdeer-verse that serves as the primary setting for "Sun and Moon and Stars of Light". It is divided further into several levels and other sections:

## Locations on Curie Alpha Mu

### First Responders' offices

This is where Amanda Evans has her meeting with Responder Silver. Many of the First Responders work here.

### Short-term residency

The Princes, George and Julia, rent quarters here with their granddaughter Amanda. It takes almost ten minutes to get from there to Kappa Level, which is several levels below it.

### Kappa Level

This level contains a food court. It *may* be the same food court visited by Sharon, the First Responders' assistant, though context suggests there's more than one food court on Curie Alpha Mu.
Wreathed About With Peace

**Wreathed About With Peace** from *Cat Tales* is a Tale of Anosir, a sequel to *Homecoming,* detailing Carle Farra's preparations for the wedding of Stef and Vani. Carle's companion, Malli the cat, helps him in his search for just the right flowers to weave his friends' wedding crowns - worn not just by the bride and groom, but by the entire wedding party, so there must be enough flowers for all.

During his search, we learn quite a bit about Trycantan flowers and their meanings.

Think-of-me - Carle takes blue blooms, careful to avoid any other colours. Blue is the colour of peace, and it has been so on Trycanta for as long as anyone can remember.

Queenslace - White queenslace stands for purity, and safe haven in one another.

Warriorbloom - Signifies both war and healing, and they are at war in Anosir, however much some would try to deny it. Truly red warriorbloom is rare, but Carle managed to find enough to suit his purposes.
Stefane Sommela

**Stefane Sommela** is the youngest son of Lord and Lady Sommela, and a friend of Avani of Shroca. He is tall, and has black hair, copper-coloured skin, and hazel eyes. Stefane tutors Vani in dancing, and has grown very close to her. He has five siblings - two older brothers, Paole and Marte, as well as three sisters, Cari, Peri, and Katiri, another friend of Vani's.

Lady Gelinza Hivera has set her sights on Stefane, and views Vani as a rival for his affections.

Stefane's name, as Vani discovers, means "crown". He is a fire mage.
Not That Hat

**Not That Hat** is the third tale in *Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day,* a sort-of sequel to the well-known tale of Frosty the Snowman. What happens when one of the children who brought Frosty to life, all grown up now, has a child of her own, and The Hat in her possession? Will history repeat itself? Not if she has anything to say about it...
Muirenn Laverty

**Muirenn Laverty,** otherwise called ***Muirenn the Fair One*,** was a selkie woman who married into the Laverty family. She went devoutly to Mass all her life, and had no fear of the priest, but was never without her precious sealskin cloak. Her grandson was Daniel Laverty, and due to the old bargain between the families, his younger son Richard was next to wed a selkie-maid, Maeve, who may or may not have been related directly to Muirenn.
Sight twisting (power)

**Sight twisting** is a form of magic in the Chronicles of Glenscar, used to make people see things that aren't there. It can be used for anything from calling up images - whether of faraway places and people, or wholly imaginary - to disguising one's hair, face, or other features. Sight twisting appears to be a very impermanent magic without outside influence, however. For example, when 'twisting' someone's hair a different color, the change will not remain long unless it is influenced by healing to root the change permanently.

## Known sight twisters:

### Warbirds:

Shadow

Midnight
What Can I Give Him?

Last in the "In The Bleak Midwinter" collection, "What Can I Give Him?" is the story of Matthias Lecomte, son of Barnabas Lecomte, and takes place twenty-five years after the events of "The Angel and the Rose".

What do you get the man who has everything - or will have it, in just one more day? One young mage, preparing to fill his father's expectations of conquest by using the commoners' season of love and joy against them, is asked by his friends what he would like for Christmas, and impulsively responds from his heart...
Simple Gifts

It's Christmas time at the Lancaster Area Renaissance Festival, and the members of Westward Ho, plus the rest of their family and friends, are present to help young Lady Crystal find her Christmas spirit - along with proper gifts for *her* family and friends. Included in *Christmastime Is Here 2013*, a combination of 2012's *Sing We Now Of Christmas,* and *In The Bleak Midwinter*, 2013's Christmas collection, as the sole tale not in either of the previous books.
Playing with Fire

Thunder, king of the traveling clan called the Warbirds, has rid
dozens of girls of the magic which terrified them. Why should lovely
Grainne be different?

But instead of fearing what
she can do, Grainne has learned to use it. She's flattered by Thunder's
attentions, but isn't about to let him steal her power.

Now
 the two are tangled in a web of magic, from which neither can be freed
alone. Will it be their doom, or their salvation, that they tried
Playing with Fire?
Womanstone

**Womanstone** is a mineral found on the world of Avyla. It is heat-sensitive, and changes colours depending on the changes in its wearer's body.

The Aelur females wear small pieces of womanstone as pendants once they have passed their tests. The ways such pendants are worn indicate whether a woman is looking for a mate or not, and how many children she has, if any. Elspeth Kolesar, an adopted Aelur, earns her pendant of womanstone at the end of *Killdeer,* and it is noted to work for her in the same way as it would for any born Aelur woman.
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day

**Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day** is Anne's third collection of Christmas stories, from 2014.

Its first tale, "Wherever You May Be," is set in the same universe as, and after, "Warrior Queen" from *Cat Tales.*

Second is "The Tenth Lady", yet another Christmastide sequel to "Killdeer", dedicated to Elizabeth Anne Nield, aka Kaylee, for giving her the idea (that being myself, the originator of this wiki) and Donut the Seagull (my plush seagull friend)

Third and last is "Not That Hat", for which Anne pleads not guilty by virtue of Internet-induced insanity.
Ding Dong! Merrily On High

**Ding Dong! Merrily On High** is the second tale in *Holidays With Anne* addition for 2016, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day."

The first Winterfest since their friend Parro died has Teo and Analla, children of the cave-boundHidden Cities, feeling less than joyful. Could surprising others with happiness help heal their hearts as well?
Aelur

The Aelur are variously described as "anthrofelinoid" or (incorrectly) "quasi-humans". They come from a planet later named Avyla. There are different clans of Aelur, but they all revere the Six Sisters, and fear the choice of the Seventh Sister.

Clans of Aelur include:

Free Sky

Fire Valley

Bending Reeds
Qui Sola Ambulat

**Qui Sola Ambulat**, set in 1756, is a Chronicle of Glenscar. It tells the story of how Miss Anthea Franklin, out for a ride with her cousins Eudora and Henrietta, first entwined her fate with that of Edwin Marlowe - her encounter with the Traveler children leads her to Lady Starsight.

Starsight explains the paths Anthea's life may take, if she follows the Way of the Dog - that is, the path expected of her - or foregoes it, to walk the Way of the Cat.

When Anthea attends her first ball of the Little Season, she heeds Starsight's advice, and so makes acquaintance with young Mr. Marlowe. They are introduced by Lady Seward, the widowed Earl of Farnton's daughter-in-law, and Anthea is sure, as she joins Mr. Marlowe in a fortepiano piece for two, that Starsight, somewhere, approves.

Minor characters: Ten-year-old Seersha, Tony, a year or two older than Seersha, and their kitten Cathleen, Midnight, king of the Warbirds, and Starsight's half-brother, the various guests at the Earl of Farnton's gathering, as well as the man having words with Mr. Marlowe over Scripture when Anthea rescues him.
Mage

A **mage**, in the works of Anne B. Walsh, is simply one who wields magic. In the Shifterverse, the term *wizard* is used instead.

## Shifterverse:

In the Shifterverse (which so far consists of "Warrior Queen" and "Wherever You May Be", the line between humans and Shifters (Shapeshifters) is rather blurred, and so is the line regarding their wizards.

In "Warrior Queen", Brion, the son of Wizard Mikhail, is said to be a wizard because his father is, so it appears magical power is inherent in the blood. Shapeshifters seem to be considered inhuman, yet they can (and do) intermarry with humans, and wizards may come as easily from the shifter race as the human. Shifter magic appears to be stronger than human magic.

## Tales of Anosir:

In the Tales of Anosir, **mages** (also referred to as *sorcerers* or *sorceresses*) each specialize in a certain elemental affinity of magic - earth, water, air, or fire. The Linmyra words for *mage* are vicope (male) and viconi (female).

## Angelverse:

In the Angelverse (spun off from the Dangerverse AU the *Returnverse),* the term **mage** is analagous to *wizard* or *witch.* Unlike the wizards and witches in the Harry Potter universe, the mages use jewels, not wands, to focus their magic. It seems verbal spells are not necessary. The characters of the Angelverse are divided into three categories, listed here along with their Harry Potter parallels:

Gentle-mage (or lady mage) - *pure-blood*

The Lecomte and Ashe families, like the Malfoys and Blacks of the original series, are among the most prominent and purest of the gentle-mage families. Known gentle-mages include:

Nicodemus and Drusilla Ashe

* Guinevere Ashe
* Madeleine Ashe
* Cecily Ashe

Barnabas and Mariana Lecomte

* Matthias Barnabas Lecomte

Common-born mage - *Muggle-born.*

Known common-born mages include:

* Russell Evans
* Russell Evans' younger sister
* Theodore Campbell
* (implied) Agnes Maglalang (though she may be whatever *half-blood* is called in the Angelverse, instead)

It is unclear whether *half-blood* is a status in the Angelverse, but Matthias Lecomte does muse about his friend Phil (Phillida) not being "pure enough" to wed into the Lecomte line, although still being suitable as a friend, so apparently there is some way of classifying them.

Known half-bloods include

* Lucas Daniel Evans
* Phillida Corina Campbell

Commoner - *Muggle*

The commoners are despised by the prominent gentle-mage families, who seek to rule over them. For the greater good, of course...

Known commoners include (explicitly mentioned or by implication)

* Russell Evans' parents
* Russell Evans' older sister
* Theodore Campbell's parents
Eileen Gallagher

**Eileen McKinnon**, formerly **Gallagher**, was the twin sister of Brigid Darragh and cousin to Roisin O'Grady. The three Gallagher girls were close friends as children. Eileen had the power of sending sleep. Her husband, also deceased, was Barry McKinnon, and their daughter, Liadan McKinnon, lives with the Darragh family.
Philip de Maine

**Philip de Maine** is the second child (and second son) of the Marquis and Marchioness of Calverton.

He has an older brother Alfred, Earl Farnton by courtesy (now deceased), and a younger sister, Isabel. He is married; he and his wife have four children; two sons and two daughters. Due to Alfred's death, he will now be Marquis of Calverton someday.
Healing (power)

**Healing wounds** or simply **healing** is one of the many powers known to the people of Glenscar. Not much is known about it, but it seems to be worked, or at least amplified, by singing. Even those without healing ability can aid those who have it by joining in their song.

## Characters known to have healing

As of A Widow In Waiting, only two characters, both from Glenscar, are known to have it:

Roisin (married to Padraig O'Grady, she is a cousin of the late Brigid Darragh)

Blanid O'Grady - her daughter, in her midteens.
"Reliable Jack" and "Clever Jill"

**Reliable Jack and Clever Jill** are commonly featured in Morian storytelling. The stories told on Moria demonstrate to Morian children that by working hard and doing better than everyone else, they can get ahead in life.

"Reliable Jack" got a good position and a big salary right out of school because he was never late and always did a little more than what was expected of him.

"Clever Jill" won the biggest Christmas bonus in her office because she had studied all the steps of their process and found the places where they were inefficient so they could improve them.
Cat Tales

One of Anne'stale collections, each revolving around a cat, this consisted of nine different stories, some related to Anne's three main novels, some set in entirely different 'verses.

1. Hope Deferred - set in the *Fifteen* universe, a modern-day sequel to the *Chronicles of Glenscar.*
2. Star Light, Star Bright - also set in *FIfteen.*
3. Warrior Queen - a fantasy, set in a world with "Shifter" magic.
4. The Wisdom To Know The Difference - Urban fantasy.
5. The Truth Will Set You Free (But First...) - Set on an exoplanet named Bast.
6. Qui Sola Ambulat - A prequel story to *A Widow in Waiting,* set in 1756, this tells how Anthea Franklin, a young lady residing in her aunt and uncle's household, met Edwin Marlowe, and learned to 'walk by herself', as cats will.
7. Wreathed About With Peace - a Tale of Anosir, set after *Homecoming.*
8. Music Hath Charms - This is the first quarter of *Killdeer,* before its publication as a finished novel.
9. Hyper-Lynx - set at the Lancaster Area Renaissance Festival, this story is related to Anne's "Legendbreakers".
Shadow's Dancing

**Shadow's Dancing** will be Volume III of the Chronicles of Glenscar.

*She would go anywhere to claim her man, even into the dangerous domains of high society. He would do anything to clear his name, until he realized it might mean losing her. Will Kieran allow his treacherous cousin to steal his birthright for the sake of Shadow's love? Or could there be another way, an answer that gives both a noble highwayman and a dancing-girl countess what they desire?*
Sun and Moon and Stars of Light

**Sun and Moon and Stars of Light** is a fairy tale combined with the Killdeer 'verse in the 2015 Christmas anthology, *Masters In This Hall.*

Half of the tale is that of the Winter Princess, daughter of the King and Queen of Winter, and her journey. She meets Lady Moon, who dwells in the Palace of the Night, and is advised to travel to the Palace of the Morning, where Lord Sun and his daughter dwell. Lady Darkness, the wife of Lord Sun, and their daughters, the Peaceful One and the Star, as well as their son, young Shadow, help the Winter Princess on her quest. She must travel to the stars to seek the Land of Flowers, where her beloved lies hidden away, enspelled.

The other half takes place in the *Killdeer-*verse, and is the latest in a number of Christmastide sequels, set seventeen years after the main novel.
Stray

**Stray** is a child of the Warbird clan, a fire caller, with long, luxurious dark hair and brown eyes. She is a small child, only three years old, during the events of *A Widow in Waiting,* and has a penchant for wandering off and hiding (hence her name). Her parents' names are Stud and Silvertongue.
Alfred de Maine

**Alfred Peter William Bernard de Maine,** Lord Farnton, in his late thirties, is the recently deceased husband of Eleanor Langley, Lady Farnton (the titular Widow in Waiting). Son of the Marquis and Marchioness of Calverton, Alfred has the power of persuasion, which he used to force Eleanor to marry him.

Alfred's home, which he shared with Eleanor, is called Stonebridge Manor.

He has a younger brother, Lord Philip, and younger sister, Lady Isabel.
King Darius

## King Darius of Coliseva

**King Darius** is the current monarch of Coliseva, a kingdom mentioned in "Silver Bells". He is a good King, but at twenty-seven years of age, having been king for seven years, he is still reluctant to wed.

His childhood was spent under the care of Nurse Elda, who allowed him to spend time with commoners' children so he would grow to know his own people and their needs better. This plan was suggested by Darius' "Godmama", the Countess Brightwater - a dear friend of Darius' mother.

###

### Appearance

King Darius is middling-tall and broadly built. He has curly hair, a muddle of brown rather like a tabby cat's stripes, and green eyes.

### Relationships

#### Friends

His closest relationship is with his fool and friend, Bran, who came to serve at his court just eight months prior to the opening of the story. Alvar, his valet, is another close friend. The Countess Amelia Brightwater is his "fairy" godmother, a genuine sorceress.

#### Family

His late father was King Alphaeus, and the two were very close until shortly before Alphaeus' untimely death.

Most of his cousins are "driveling idiots", according to Darius, primarily due to inbreeding. The cleverest of his cousins are Lord Vincent Kareis, his second cousin, and the Honorable James Ticote, his first cousin once removed.

#### Advisors

He has several ministers, four of whom thought it best to accost him all at once with their various concerns near the beginning of "Silver Bells". Two of those four ministers were male and two female.
Cast of Characters (Tales of Anosir)

## Cast of Characters

### Nobles

The Shrocas: Duke Bela of Shroca, Duchess Chrysanta, and their daughter, Lady Avani.

The Sommelas: Lord and Lady Sommela, their sons, Paole, Marte, and Stefane, and their daughters, Cari, Peri, and Katiri.

The Rimas: Sir Dale Rima and his daughter Aysi.

The Farras: Lady Tembri Farra and her grandson Carle.

Lady Gelinza Hivera.

King Malak.

### Servants

Cat

Skylark

Rye

Trey

Catling

Modi

Ron

Mate Drasa

Carolina Mirata

Coni

### Elsewhere

The Volannas: Lord Mocne Volanna, his wife Lady Beryki, and their son Tyle. Lord Volanna is Duke Bela's second cousin.

The Tecas: Lord Dytre Teca, his wife Lady Lipri, their son Branne, and their daughter Enati. Lord Volanna is Lady Lipri's brother.
The Twelve Gods

Most people in the Kingdom of Anosir, no matter their race, worship (and swear by) a pantheon of twelve, giving special attention to those gods or goddesses into whose patronage they fall. They acknowledge an ultimate Creator, but the Twelve are usually invoked as mediators.

**The Creator** - Acknowledged by all the people of Anosir, but set apart from the Twelve, who unlike the Creator had a fleshly existence before their godhood.

**The Elder Gods:** The Elder Gods are the Firelord, the Windlady, the Earth Mother, and the Water Father.

## Story of the Elder Gods

*Firelord, help me. You were once caught in a bind concerning love--the Creator wished you to wed the Windlady, who was crafted alongside you, but you loved her as a man loves his sister, not as he loves his wife. Thus you and she were commanded to seek the infant Master of Mountains with one you loved in another fashion than brotherly, for only with that one could you find him and save his life. But you formed a tracking creature from the rock of those same mountains, and gave her life, and loved her, and so fulfilled the terms of the bargain. And when you asked it, the Creator granted her a mind and a soul to match your own, and we know her now as the Earth Mother, first your creation, now your wife. -* Stefane Sommela, praying to the Firelord

**The Younger Gods:** The Younger Gods are the Mountain Master, the Dawn Maid, the Dark Friend and the Sea Dancer.

**The Beloved Ones:** The Beloved Ones, spouses to the Younger Gods, are the Bountiful Huntress, the Sun Hawk, the Moon Owl, and the Forest Shade.
Andrew Langley

Mr. Andrew Langley, master of Langley Hall, is the father of Eleanor and Nicholas Langley. His wife, Catherine, is deceased.

His parents were farmers, but he got into trade as a young man, and made his fortune. His mother's name was Margaret Hopkins.

He is described as "dark-haired and red-faced", and his usual clothing consists of "neat suits of gray cloth cut ten years or more behind the times."
Early Evolution Principle

**Affected Species** | Pureblood Vampire
Evolution

The **Early Evolution Principle** is a supernatural law that, under certain circumstances, forces pre-evolutional Purebloods and Lycans to evolve sooner than the determined age. It was created by the Celestials who, already seeing vampires and werewolves as abominations against nature, could not stand for such an abomination as born-vampires and werewolves. As a result, they cursed them with the possibility of evolving sooner than expected.

## Purebloods

For born-vampires, early evolution can occur in the situation of death, regardless of which manner the death occurs.

## Lycans

Early evolution in born-werewolves will occur only if they are bitten by a werewolf. In such a case, a pre-evolutional Lycan will transform into a werewolf on the night of the first full moon after triggering evolution.
Amelia Manning

**Amelia Manning** is the daughter-in-law of the Marquis and Marchioness of Calverton. Almost nothing is known of her, except that she and Lord Philip have at least two children. She does not seem to be close to her sisters-in-law, Isabel de Maine or Eleanor (Langley) de Maine; Eleanor, at least, does not seem to know her well.
William Franklin

**William Franklin,** of the Manchester Franklins, is the husband of Jane, the father of Eudora and Henrietta, and the uncle (and guardian) of Anthea. He is the brother of Anthea's late father.

William wears a pince-nez and a powdered wig. He is most concerned with propriety and status, and tries to impress upon Anthea that it is important for her to do the things expected of young ladies in polite society. He disapproves of her fondness for Mr. Edwin Marlowe, due to Edwin's brother's reputation and the fact that the Marlowes are 'new money', Charles Marlowe (Edwin's father) being a tradesman.
The Pureblood Legacies Trilogy

*Killer Instinct*
*Midnight Fury*

***The Pureblood Legacies Trilogy*** is a set of three young adult novels written by Maia Moreno. They center around a seemingly normal 19-year-old college student (Marina Hillcrest) who meets and falls in love with a vampire (Zane Chevalier). Through him, she learns the truth about her past, as well as her grim future. Throughout the series, she finds herself falling in love with him, despite knowing that it's wrong. She becomes friends with his younger brother Louis, who harbors romantic feelings for her. She also befriends Johanna Strauss, a close friend of Zane and Louis. The series is set in the fictional town of Cape Luna, Florida.
Immortal Elixir

The **Immortal Elixir** (Romanian: *băutură nemuritor*), also known as **The Enemy of Death**, is a magical elixir that provides immortality and many physical abilities. It was created by Amara sometime during the 31st century BC at the request of Ileana in attempt to save her dying husband Dumitru. While the elixir in it's purest form no longer exists, a derivation exists is in vampire blood.

## Ingredients

Because the elixir is for immortality, it goes against one of the laws of nature which is that all living things must die. Because of this defiance, the intent of the elixir reverses, slowly killing the drinker over the 24 hours after consumption. However, because it hadn't yet fulfilled it's promise of immortality, the power of the elixir resurrects the drinker within a few hours after dying, and while they are now considered immortal, their coming back to life goes against another law of nature, and as consequence, their "vitality" is dependent on the consumption of the essence of human life (blood).

## Trivia

* Amara did not have to face consequences of creating the Elixir as she had no intention of obtaining immortality herself.
* In dhampirs, the amount of the elixirin their blood is so diluted that it is not powerful enough to provide the immortality that is seen in vampires. Instead, an extended lifespan occurs that lasts up to ten years longer than that of the average human lifespan.
Wherever You May Be

**Wherever You May Be** is the second tale in *Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day,* Anne's 2014 offering of Christmas tales. It tells the story of Khor, a master of dance and director of Christmas pageants in one of the human kingdoms of the Shifterverse. It takes place about a year and a half after the events of "Warrior Queen" from *Cat Tales.*

He lives in Tansy, a small village constantly on the brink of war with the Shifters. Tansy's other inhabitants include Libby, a human wizard who he loves, and Fedor the Peacekeeper, his cousin, amongst many others.

But it seems a Shifter, a traitor, is in their midst...can Khor's latest performance expose him, and perhaps find peace, love and joy at last during this Christmas season?
The Christmas Cat

**The Christmas Cat** is the second story in *Masters In This Hall,* the 2015 Christmas anthology by Anne B. Walsh. The frame story sets it in the Chronicles of Glenscar, as a prequel to *A Widow In Waiting.* Edwin and Anthea Marlowe tell the tale of The Christmas Cat to their children, to ease their boredom.

The Christmas Cat was one of the animals who welcomed the baby Jesus at his birth, but on the way to meet the newborn King, she thought hard about what gift she might bring. As a cousin of the King of Beasts, it would not do to arrive empty-pawed, after all...
Glossary of Terms (Tales of Anosir)

affinity: The elemental affiliation of a mage's magic: earth, water, air or fire. Corresponds roughly to an ability to most easily influence solids, liquids, gases or plasma.

Anyis: The human language spoken throughout Anosir.

Caparo: A binding magical oath of familial devotion, requiring at least four participants, one or more of each magical affinity. It multiplies the raw magical power available to such participants and allows certain complicated spells to be completed more easily, while levying penalties should any participant in the oath betray, turn against or otherwise harm any other. The group thus bonded is also called a Caparo, which can be used as both singular and plural.

clevernut: A deciduous tree with oval leaves which bears a large, oil-rich nut strongly resembling a brain.

Darknight: The winter solstice. Celebrated in Anosir with bonfires, songs, and the burning of seaberry candles to bring luck.

Evennight: The equinox, whether vernal or autumnal. Celebrated in Anosir with games and athletic competitions.

Linmyra: The language of the lyrror. Literally means "old tongue".

orangeleaf: A deciduous tree with hand-shaped leaves which turn a bright orange in the autumn. In the springtime, orangeleaf trees yield a thin, sweet sap. This can be boiled down to produce a strongly-flavored sugar, also called orangeleaf.

resinwood: An evergreen tree with round, clustered needles.

seaberry: A small shrub which produces tiny, gray, waxy berries in the summer and autumn. These are the traditional source of the gray-green, scented candles burned in Anosir on Darknight to bring luck in the coming year.

Shiningnight: The summer solstice. Celebrated in Anosir with picnics, starwatching, and dances or pageants, often religious in theme.

Wicker tree: A deciduous tree with long, slender leaves and flexible branches. Its bark can be made into a tea, which has a bitter flavor but eases pain.
Volanna family

The **Volannas** are: Lord Mocne Volanna, his wife Lady Beryki, and their son Tyle. Lord Mocne is Duke Bela's second cousin. The Volannas are part of the dissenting movement against the King, and stole Vani from her family to weaken him. Once they had her, they blood-bonded her to Tyle, rendering him able to steal her magic and control her, turning her into a servant in their home. The blood-bond was blocked when Vani's parents rescued her, but her lifetime of harsh treatment still causes her nightmares at times.

The Volanna family's holdings include their estate, Ravendale, and a nearby village, Paldeca.
First Responders

**First Responders** are the police of the greater galaxy in *Killdeer-*verse. They make it their business to see that the law is kept on all worlds, and if crimes are committed off-world where no local authorities are present, they see justice done. They have a Headquarters, where Elspeth Kolesar was taken after her parents died, and where her brother Anton was forced to come to claim her.

There are certain codes, known as *flags,* that apply to cases requiring the First Responders' attention.

* Red flags - means "urgent, do all you can to assist".
* Blue flags - A blue-flagged case means a case that was put out for form, or possibly spite - very common in custody battles.
* Green flags - Officially a flourish on blue 'give local authorities help'. But unofficially, it means the First Responders have done their homework, and looked more closely into a case than they might otherwise. Carol Fuhrman's case was blue-flagged at first, but green-flagged afterward.

Known First Responders:

* Imogene Silver, from "Enough". She reappears in "Sun and Moon and Stars of Light."
Persuasion (power)

**Persuasion**, put simply, is the power to *persuade* another to obey the person who wields such power. Alfred de Maine, Lord Farnton, wielded such power. Persuasion is one of the easiest powers to hide, and also one of the easiest to misuse.

## Characters known to have persuasion

Alfred de Maine, Lord Farnton

Adam Darragh, headman of Glenscar

Nevan O'Grady

Warbirds:

Sergeant, nine-year-old boy

Silvertongue, his mother
Aquatic Adaptation

**Aquatic Adaptation**is the power to adapt to underwater environments with ease, as well as being able to remain underwater for a significant amount of time. This includes breathing and moving underwater without difficulty and being immune to cold water temperatures. This power is only accessible to mermaids and their hybrid offspring.
Anthony Arcara

**Anthony Arcara** is the husband of Catherine, and father of Helen and Peter. He is featured in The Twelve Signs of Christmas.

Anthony, like his wife, is quite the prolific baker; they are fond of making Christmas cookies, and begin the week before Thanksgiving. He made 96 pecan tassies in the first week of Advent, only for sixty-three of them to be eaten by Barkley, the family dog. Other mishaps that day included the kittens chewing through the wax paper on a stick of butter and licking it to pieces.

He tells the story of the Feast of the Seven Fishes to Helen. He likes calamari, though his daughter does not.

Anthony sees the value of Catherine's thank-you note list, matching the gifts with the givers.

He seems to have a good sense of humor. His relationship with his mother is possibly not the best, however, hinted at in the Tenth Sign of Christmas - though that *may* have been a joke.

He's also the one who explains to Helen how they plan to stretch out her gifts over the twelve days of Christmas, and reads from the beginning of the book of John on Christmas Day.
Skywalker

The starship which first brought human refugees, among them Jetta, to Trycanta. Capable of holding fifty thousand passengers (and perhaps not full to capacity), only thirty-five thousand remained after an only vaguely described disaster.

The *Skywalker*'s original destination was Aurora, a safe, explored and uninhabited planet in the Tau Ceti system. But there was a takeover of the ship, in which many passengers, most of the crew and a number of the senior officers were killed. The attackers seemed to have been killed as well, by rebelling passengers, and in the meantime contact with Earth was lost, the ship's course altered.

Ruan Shi-wen, also known as Naomi Ruan, was the most senior surviving officer and became Captain in the aftermath. She signed Jetta on board due to Jetta's (half-forgotten) astronomical expertise, as many of their experts had died in the attack.

Another member of the crew was Victor. He had a good relationship with Jetta generally, though she could also find him annoying at times.

Eventually, after passing several stars, Jetta finds *Skywalker* is on course for a G-type main-sequence star, slightly larger than Sol, with an inhabitable planet - which will become known to them as Trycanta.
Teca family

The **Tecas** are Lord Dytre Teca, his wife Lady Lipri, their son Branne, and their daughter Enati. Lord Volanna, who is Lady Lipri's brother, was forced to take in the Tecas after they fled the unrest, started by themselves, which eventually drove them out of their own home in the east of the kingdom. The resulting household is seldom a peaceful or pleasant one.
Deirdre Rioghan

Deirdre Siochana Rioghan, commonly known as **Lady Duskdance,** is the queen of the Free Sky rovers, the mate of Suncrest, and the mother of Sundance, Starsong and Shadowcrest. She is the leader of the Aelur who abide on the *Wild Rover,* though it is her mate's sister Killdeer who owns the vessel.

## Early Years

##### Parentage

Duskdance was the daughter of Deepnight, prince of the Free Sky rovers, and Roselaugh, princess of Fire Valley. By the custom of the Aelur, since Deepnight was Lady Stormcloud's only child, he was her interim heir, though Aelur clans could only be properly ruled by a queen. So when her parents married, Roselaugh returned to Free Sky with him, and when Duskdance was born, it was clear she would rule after them.

##### Family

Duskdance has cousins, though they must be more distant than first cousins on the Free Sky side of her family, as Deepnight was an only child. Nightsinger is a cousin of hers. By extension, his sister Heartbud is another cousin. In later years, she also refers to Elspeth Kolesar as "little sister" after meeting her, considering her a sister-in-law. After Nightsinger marries Killdeer, they become cousins as well.

## Queen of Free Sky

##### Marriage

She marries Kenneth Xiao, a standard human, who becomes bard of Free Sky, calling himself Suncrest. This marriage is not approved by some of the older women of Free Sky, especially when Suncrest's Aelur-like bodily alterations are removed to prove he was standard human all along. Eventually Suncrest is accepted, and they have three children (two born, one adopted)

##### Children

Sundance An-jing Xiao - Princess of Free Sky. Born daughter. Favours the colour red.

Starsong Carol Searlit Xiao - Princess of Free Sky. Adopted twin to Sundance. Favours the colour green.

Shadowcrest Stefan Xiao - Prince of Free Sky. Born son. Is a terrible mischief, but his sisters love him all the same.

##### Friends and Allies

She has become friends with First Responder Imogene Silver ever since Ms. Silver assisted in removing Carol Fuhrman from Moria.

## Other Names and Roles

Lady Duskdance has been known by other names or roles since her travels into the greater galaxy.

Deirdre Rioghan: This appears to be her 'real' name (along with Siochana). It is unknown whether she would use 'Xiao' as a surname, though her children do.

Luran queen: A primitive-looking anthrofelinoid woman wrapped in furs, to the eyes of the Morians who came to stare at her people over Christmastime. She pretended to take no notice of their audience, though she understood very well what was being said around them.

Lady Darkness: A role she played during *Sun and Moon and Stars of Light.* It was also the parallel role to her own in the fairy tale half of the story. Wife of Lord Sun, mother of the Peaceful One, the Star, and Shadow.
The Truth Will Set You Free (But First...)

**The Truth Will Set You Free (But First...)** is from *Cat Tales*. It tells the tale of Minoru Fukui, designated observer of the Bast Colony Corporation, and his adventure in the domed habitat of Cheshire as he examines the workings of Bast Colony. His guide, Kat Reilly, and her cat, Lady, help him draw the necessary conclusions to report on the progress of the colonists.
Sylvia Gray

**Sylvia de Maine**, Marchioness of Calverton (nee Gray) is the wife of Robert de Maine, Marquis of Calverton, and mother of Alfred, Philip, and Isabel de Maine.

## Biography

### Early Years

Nothing is known of Sylvia's childhood.

As a young woman, she married Viscount Seward, son and heir of the Earl of Farnton.

She was pregnant with her firstborn child when the Earl was honoured with a Marquisate and became the Marquis of Calverton. Shortly before the bestowal of her father-in-law's title, she played hostess to the Manchester Franklins and Edwin Marlowe, among others, personally introducing young Mr. Marlowe to Miss Anthea Franklin. Although she did not know it, she was therefore key to making a match that would lead up to the events of *A Widow In Waiting.*

### A Widow In Waiting

Several decades later, she is seen with her husband at Langley Hall, in mourning for Alfred. Her younger son, Philip, and his wife and children do not come with her, but her daughter Isabel does accompany her, as Sylvia cannot trust the eighteen-year-old to remain alone at home.

## Vital Statistics

### Appearance

Sylvia is described in *A Widow In Waiting* to be "as dark as her lord was fair". She bears her advancing years "lightly".

### Other Names

She was born Sylvia Gray, but has been known as Lady Seward, the Countess of Farnton, and the Marchioness of Calverton.
The Highwayman's Apprentice

**The Highwayman's Apprentice** will be Volume IV of the Chronicles of Glenscar.

*He killed a man to save a life, then lost his heart to his victim's sister. She forgave her man for his worst sin, but his life is nothing she can share. Will Nevan and Isabel find their own place between, or is even love not enough to bridge the chasm between a farmer's son and a highborn lady? And could their sacrifice be necessary, to keep darkness from overcoming them and their whole world?*
Ellen O'Grady

**Ellen O'Grady**, later Ellen Laverty, is the wife of Alexander Laverty and mother of his three children. Her brother is Padraig O'Grady.

She is described as yellow-haired and sharp-tongued, though her tongue softens toward Richard when she begins courting his brother in earnest. However, her temper never disappears entirely - she is an overbearing mother, and earns the scorn of many of the folk of Glenscar for her behaviour.
Fire calling (power)

**Fire calling** is the power to summon and control fire. Grace Marlowe is one of many fire callers (and the first we are introduced to) during the course of the Chronicles of Glenscar. Katie McKinnon is another.

Amongst the Travelers of the Warbird clan, two fire callers are numbered: Ember, the young wife of the Traveler King, Thunder, and Stray, a three-year-old girl.
Sing We Now Of Christmas

**Sing We Now Of Christmas** is Anne's first collection of Christmas tales.

With "Laeti Triumphantes", a flash fiction from the Chronicles of Glenscar; "Glorious Song of Old", a sequel to Anne's first sci-fi novel *Killdeer*; and "The Angel and the Rose", a standalone originalization of one of Anne's most beloved fan fiction works, this collection will leave you smiling and singing along this holiday season.
Arcara family pets

The **Arcara family pets** are Barkley, Frisky, and Fluffy.

## Barkley

Barkley is the family dog. He's known for being fond of cookies - he ate *sixty-three* pecan tassies when the cookies were left out where he could reach them, leaving only thirty-three of the original ninety-six.

On Christmas Eve, he slept fitfully, twitching as he (apparently) dreamed of chasing rabbits.

## Frisky and Fluffy

Frisky and Fluffy are chiefly Helen's kittens. They got into a stick of butter while Helen's father was baking pecan tassies, tearing the paper and licking the butter, so that he had to soften some more.

During the Feast of the Seven Fishes, Frisky and Fluffy looked quite interested at the proceedings.

On Christmas Eve, the kittens curled up in a heap to sleep together.
Angelverse

This originalization of Anne's "Point of No Return" has so far only been visited in short story collections. It is the story of characters at once new and familiar - the Ashe sisters, their husbands, and their children. It is the story of mages whose mage jewels give them great power, of great houses who sell their daughters in marriage, exchanging a disobedient daughter for an obedient one in the contract as easily as they exchange one tunic for another. It is the story of a struggle between one generation's common-born mages and the gentle-mages, their supposed superiors - and what comes of the struggle when their generation's children inherit it, with all its prejudices and misconceptions.
In The Bleak Midwinter

**In The Bleak Midwinter**

Expanding on last year's success with a music-themed collection, Anne offers five tales of wintry fun and frivolity. "Frosty Wind Made Moan" and "Nor Earth Sustain" (by Elizabeth Conall, a frequent collaborator with Anne) are from Trycanta; "Enough" is a sequel to last year's "Glorious Song of Old"; "With a Kiss" comes from Glenscar; and "What Can I Give Him" is a sequel to one of 2012's holiday stories.
Dai Evans

**Dai Evans,** formally **Dafydd Ankur Isha Evans**, is a central character in "Sun and Moon and Stars of Light" from *Masters In This Hall,* as well as its prequel "But, My Darling, When I Think Of Thee" from *Week In Review 2.* He is from the city of Mersey, on the shipping planet Liverpool.

Dai is married to Amanda Evans, nee Prince.
Carol of the Bells

**Carol of the Bells** is the first story from the 2016 *Holidays with Anne* collection, "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day".

When the handbell choir of the starship Wild Rover is reduced to one ringer just before Christmas, can Starsong, princess of Free Sky, find a clever way to handle everything herself and earn back the name she was born with?
Fairy Tale Fridays

**Fairy Tale Fridays** is the Fairy Tale section of *Week in Review.*

## Week In Review

The Princess in the Tower

Over the Hills and Far Away

The Three Sisters and the Prince

Folk Tales

The Jewels of the Goddess

## Week In Review 2

The Tale of the Three Sisters

* The First Sister
* The Second Sister
* The Third Sister

The True Knight

Ashes, Ashes

The Bargain

The Clumsy Servant

The Most Incredible Thing
Fire Valley

**Fire Valley** is one of the three clans of Aelur. Members include:

Nightsinger and his family:

Nightsinger's father

Lady Heartsease - Nightsinger's mother

Heartbud - Nightsinger's sister

Cleverhand - Nightsinger's older brother

Rulers of Fire Valley

Lady Summerstrong - queen

Fleetfoot - consort

* Roselaugh
* Longmind
	+ Sweetsong
Gentle-mage

Analogous to the term "pure-blood" from the Harry Potter canon, this term from the Angelverse refers to those who have documented mage  blood over several generations. Most of the gentle-mage families marry into each other, and for a gentle-mage or lady mage to marry a common-born mage is seen by society as scandalous. The Lecomte family and the Ashe family are prominent gentle-mage families. The Middle Knights are seen as the best hope of the gentle-mages.
Elspeth Kolesar

Younger sister of Doctor Anton Kolesar, and daughter of the late "K-Docs", **Elspeth Marilena Kolesar** (eighteen years old at the beginning of Killdeer, and five years orphaned) is the primary protagonist of the novel. She was named for her "mother's mother's mother". She has long dark hair, kept in a barrette, and brown eyes.

Timeline (this only covers the events chronicled in *Killdeer,* or which are known to precede it)

0 - Elspeth born to Drs. Zachary and Olga Kolesar, already parents of Anton Kolesar.

(Between then and Y13) The Doctors Kolesar take many students. Anton Kolesar becomes a doctor as well, and feels that his parents favor their students over him. Mikala Kenneth Xiao is one of their many students, and Anton's biggest rival.

13 - The "K-Docs" die in a supposed accident, leaving Elspeth an orphan. Elspeth is injured, but rescued by the First Responders. Anton, to his annoyance, is forced to take custody of his "minor-child sister until such time as she ceases to have that status."

18 - The events of *Killdeer.*
Watchdogs

Les ***Watchdogs*** servent de serviteurs du Général Sans-Cœur et de troupes chargées de conquérir les planètes du commandant Mabille.

## Apparance physique

Les *Watchdogs* sont de petites créatures minuscules qui compensent le manque de taille par leur nombre. Ils manquent de bouche (même s’il a été démontré qu’ils parlent, mangent et même s’embrassent) ou de tout autre élément déterminant, à l’exception d’un cyclope géant comme le globe oculaire avec iris rouge et pupilles noires.{{#infoboxbuilder:

**Voix francaises**: Thibaut Delmotte, Michel Hinderynckx, Sébastien Hébrant, et plus encore

20 ans (à la fin de l'épisode final)

**Couleurs des yeux**: Globes oculaires avec iris rouges et pupilles noires

}}
Elspeth

Mentioned in *Killdeer,* but never seen, this woman was the great-great-grandmother of Elspeth Kolesar and Doctor Anton Kolesar. She was the great-grandmother of Olga Kolesar, the grandmother of Olga's mother, and the mother of Olga's maternal grandmother. Her name is given to her great-great-granddaughter, as the latter explains to Nightsinger on their first meeting:

*"(Y)our name..."*

*"Does it have meaning?" Elspeth finished. "It does, but not like yours. It was the name of my mother's mother's mother, and so it is mine." She lifted one shoulder. "It does not mean* me."
Fifteen

An (AU, at this point) sequel to the Chronicles of Glenscar, the Fifteen-'verse revolves around the lives of fifteen of Glenscar's most prominent citizens of the late eighteenth century, swept up to fight a dark magic let into the world by such folk as Alfred de Maine - and fifteen like them just over two hundred years later, who might almost be considered their reincarnations, due to sharing their likenesses and powers, though their fates may not be entwined the same way. Stories set in the Fifteen-'verse include "Hope Deferred" and "Star Light, Star Bright" from *Cat Tales,* and "The Thunder Rolls".

## The original Fifteen:

The "original Fifteen" are described by Irina thusly in The Thunder Rolls, found on Anne's Fictionpress page: "Most of them were married. To each other, I mean. And there was a father and a daughter, two parents and their kid, a pair of brothers, a brother and sister - two pairs of those, actually--"

### Moira Marlowe

Judging by Irina's remarks, the Marlowes are the "two parents and their kid". The "father and a daughter" probably means another pair, otherwise Irina would be repeating herself.

### Shadow

Thunder and Shadow would be one "brother and sister" pair. Sean and Grainne would be the other.

### Nevan O'Grady

The O'Gradys would be the "pair of brothers".

### Brighteye

Also known as Liam Sylna. Brother of Darkeye.

## The modern Fifteen:

### Lina Kimball

Maria's mother. Possibly part of the Fifteen, and if so, likely to be Noreen's analogue.

### "Mr. James"

- presumably James Masterson, Carissa's brother and Sean's analogue