Chalion Dictionary

## The Keys to Chalion: A Dictionary of People, Places, and Things

Copied with permission of the creators, Nancy L Barber and Lois McMaster Bujold

### From Paladin of Souls

**Ajelo, dy** - ah-ZHEH-lo, dee - Family of minor relatives of the provincars of Baocia.

**Annaliss of Labran** - AH-nah-liss - Courier for the Chancellery of Chalion.  Black hair, of medium height, 18 years old.  Daughter of the holder of a small estate near Teneret.

**Arbanos, Illvin dy** - ar-BAHN-ohs, ILL-vin dee - Master of horse for and half brother of Arhys dy Lutez.  High forehead, frosted dark long hair worn in the Roknari style, dark eyes.  Speaks Roknari fluently.  About 39 years old.

**Arbanos, Ser dy** - ar-BAHN-ohs, dee - The late castle warder of Porifors for Arvol dy Lutez.  His mother was Roknari.

**Borasnen** - bor-AAS-nen - One of the Roknari princedoms, located between Jokona and Vardo and north of Chalion at Gotorget. Capital city is the port of Visping.

**Brauda, Ser dy** - BROW-dah, dee - A member of the pilgrimage party that Ista encounters.  A dedicat of the Son, an older man travelling with his son.

**Cabon, Learned Chivar dy** - CAB-un, SHIH-var dee - A divine of the Bastard.  An obese young man, cousin to dy Yarrin.

**Cabon, Ser Odlin dy** - CAB-un, sehr ODD-lin dee - Father of Chivar dy Cabon, died at the battle at Dalus.

**Caria of Palma** - CARE-ih-ah - A member of the pilgrimage party that Ista encounters.  The widow of a saddler; gossipy, stout, and red-faced.

**Caribastos**- care-ih-BAAS-tos - A province of Chalion. Borders Tolnoxo and the Roknari princedom of Jokona.

**Casilchas** - CAAS-ill-chas - A sleepy town in Baocia. A school of the Order of the Bastard, including a fine library, is located there.

**Goram** - GORE-um - A groom in Porifors who cares for Lord Illvin. A former captive and slave of the Roknari.

**Hamavik** - HAM-ah-vik - A town and fortress in the Roknari princedom of Jokona.

**Heron** - HEH-ron - A city and marchdom in Chalion, located between Taryoon and Cardegoss.

**Hixar, dy** - HIX-ar, dee - A captain of horse in service to Lord Dondo dy Jironal.

**Isara** - ih-SAH-rah - Daughter and first born child of Iselle and Bergon.

**Jarn** - JAHRN - A Roknari princedom located south and east of Tavaki, east of Chalion, and north of Brajar.

**Joen** - JOH-en - Regent Dowager of Jokona, the youngest daughter of the Golden General.  Short, dull gray-brown curling hair, face sallow and lined, pale blue eyes.

**Jokona** - joh-KON-ah - Westernmost of the Roknari princedoms, located north of Ibra and Chalion and west of Borasnen.  Uniforms have white pelicans on green.

**Laonin** - LAY-oh-nin - A lay dedicat of the Daughter's Order, one of Ista's escort on her pilgrimage.

**Liss** - LISS - see Annaliss

**Lutez, Arhys dy** - LOO-TEZ (syllables equally weighted), AR-hise dee - March of Porifors.  Striking appearance, with reddish dark hair, a lighter beard that is shot with gray, about 41.

**Lutez, Cattilara dy** - LOO-TEZ (syllables equally weighted), cat-ih-LAHR-ah dee - Marchess of Porifors, daughter of the march of Oby. Black hair, about 21 years old.

**Lutez, Liviana dy** - LOO-TEZ (syllables equally weighted), liv-ih-AH-nah dee - Daughter of the march of Porifors.  Nine years old, lives with her maternal grandparents.

**Maradi** - MAR-ah-di - A city in Chalion, provincial capital of Tolnoxo and site of a provincial temple.

**North Ibra** -  -  A region of Ibra.

**Mother's Day** - - A festival day on the first day of summer, the summer solstice.  A secondary festival for the Mother is held at midsummer.  Mother's Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months.

**Oby** - OH-bee - A marchdom and a stronghold in Caribastos, the greatest fortress in Caribastos except the provincar's seat.

**Oby, March dy** - OH-bee, MARCH dee - A noble of Chalion, father of Cattilara dy Lutez.

**Pechma, Lord** - PECH-mah - Jokonan courtier, clerk to Umerue.

**Pejar** - peh-ZHAR - Sergeant-dedicat of the Daughter's Order, one of Ista's escort on her pilgrimage.

**petty saint** - - A saint whose ability to channel their god is very limited.

**Porifors, Castle** - POHR-ih-fohrs - Seat of the march of Porifors.

**Porifors** - POHR-ih-fohrs - Marchdom in Caribastos held by Arhys dy Lutez.  Uniforms are gray tabards with gold.

**Rauma** - RAU-mah - Town and marchdom in northeastern Ibra.

**Son's Day** - - A festival day on the first day of autumn, the autumnal equinox.  A secondary festival for the Son is held at mid-autumn.  Son's Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months.

**Sordso, Prince** - SORD-soh - Ruler of the Roknari princedom of Jokona, also called Sordso the Sot.  Handsome, high cheekbones, crinkled gold hair.

**Tavaki** - tah-VAH-key - One of the Roknari princedoms, located between Vardo and Jarn.

**Teneret** - TEN-er-ET - A town in Labran.

**Tolnoxo** - tohl-NOX-oh - A province of Chalion, bordering Baocia and Caribastos.

**Tolnoxo, dy** - tohl-NOX-oh, dee - Provincar of Tolnoxo, in Chalion.

**Tovia** - TOHV-ih-ah - A divine of the Mother's Order in Valenda, a physician and lesser theologian.

**Umerue, Princess** - OO-me-roo - Widowed sister of Prince Sordso of Jokona, married twice to rich old Jokonan lords.

**Vara, Lady dy** - VAH-rah - Lady of Ias's court.

**Vardo** - VAHR-doh - One of the Roknari princedoms, located between Borasnen and Tavaki.

**Vinyasca** - vin-YAAS-cah - Town in Tolnoxo, in the foothills of the western mountain ranges and on the trade route from Ibra.
Yarrin -  YAR-in (rhymes with "far in") - A province of Chalion.

### From Curse of Chalion

**acolyte** - - An intermediate rank of members of a holy order, above a dedicat and below a divine.
archdivine - - The person with highest and central administrative responsibility for a region of the Temple, including all the orders operating therein; in Chalion, there is one for each province, and their seat is normally in the provincial capital. Compare to divine.

**Clara, Mother** - CLARE-ah - One of the Mother's midwives and an acolyte in Cardegoss, and a petty saint of the Mother.  Her gift from the Mother allows her to aid healing at times. Middle-aged and dumpy.

**Daughter's Day** - - A festival day for the Daughter of Spring on the first day of spring, the vernal equinox.  A secondary festival for the Daughter is held at the middle of the season. Daughter's Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months.  Household fires kept burning over the winter are extinguished, and a new fire is obtained at the temple.

**dedicat** - DED-ih-caat - The lowest or beginning level of members of a holy order. Dedicats have made a higher level of commitment than lay dedicats.

**divine** - - The highest rank of members of a holy order; almost always entails advanced schooling.  A divine is expected to be a preacher and a teacher, as well as assuming other tasks in holy service, most commonly of supervision of a temple on the local level.  Smaller or more rural temples may have to make do with leaders of lesser training and rank.

**Father's Day** - - A festival day on the first day of winter, the winter solstice.  A secondary festival for the Father is held at midwinter.  Father's Day events include collecting the quarterly gifts that will keep the temple running for three months.

**five-fold sacred gesture** - - Gesture of the Quintarian faith, performed when swearing an oath or calling down a blessing. The hand is touched to the forehead (Daughter, the mind), lip (Bastard, the tongue), navel (Mother, the womb), and groin (Father), then spread flat over the heart (Son).  Quadrenes make a similar gesture at forehead, navel, groin, and heart with the thumb tucked beneath the palm, denying the fifth finger that is the Bastard's.

**Gura, Ferda dy** - GUR-ra, FUR-da dee - Cousin of Palli and older brother to Foix, lieutenant to Palli's master of horse, a lay dedicat of the Daughter's Order.  Of middle height, wiry, an obvious rider as his legs are slightly bowed.

**Gura, Foix dy** - GUR-ra, FOY dee - Cousin of Palli, younger brother of Ferda, and a lay dedicat of the Daughter's Order. Broad and muscular.

**lay dedicat** - - A lay person who has pledged themself to a particular task on the behalf of a holy order, but has not entered in to the full disciplines and training of that order. Lay dedicats may serve in the military orders as soldier-brothers, or may perform various non-military functions in the service of their god.

**lord dedicat** - - A lord dedicat might be either a lay dedicat or fully in an order, but in any case has special administrative responsibilities for the task at hand.  Lord dedicats are usually drawn from the nobility.

**Lutez, Lord Arvol dy** - LOO-TEZ (syllables equally weighted), AR-vohl dee - Boyhood friend, closest advisor for 30 years, brother in arms, and lover to Roya Ias; arranged Ias's second marriage (to Ista).  Provincar of two districts, chancellor of Chalion, marshal of Ias's household troops, master of the order of the Son.  Was accused of treason and widely believed to have died under torture.

**Paginine** - PAH-gah-NEEN - A petty judge serving the municipality of Taryoon, and a petty saint of the Father.  His gift from the Father allows him to sometimes tell who is lying.

**Palliar** - PAL-ee-are - A marchdom in Chalion. Palliar is not located in the province of Baocia.

**Palliar, March dy** - PAL-ee-are, MARCH dee - A noble of Chalion who holds the lands of Palliar, lord dedicat of the Daughter's Order at Palliar, and a close friend of Cazaril.  He was Cazaril's favorite lieutenant at Gotorget.  A tall athletic man with dark hair.  (PoS) Marshal of Chalion.

**Palma** - PAHM-ah - A village in Baocia, twenty-five miles from Valenda on the road from Ibra. Site of an inn with a spring sacred to the Daughter.  The region around Palma is noted for fine pasturage, and a post of the Daughter's Order there is devoted to breeding and training remounts for the Temple.

**Roknar** - ROCK-nahr - A region to the north of Chalion which consists of five princedoms on the mainland and the Roknari Archipelago; language is Roknari.  Roknari hold to the Quadrene faith, believing in four gods and holding the Bastard to be a demon.  They make sodomy a crime subject to torture and hanging.

**Roknar Archipelago** - - Group of islands to the north of the Ibran Peninsula settled by Roknari Quadrenes but which are not part of the Roknari Princedoms.

**saint** - - In Quintarian and Quadrene theology, a living soul who gives the gift of their soul (the control thereof) to their god, thereby allowing the god to act in the world.  Saints have a second sight that allows them to see a glow on other saints but not on themselves.  The person ceases to be a saint when the god's presence is withdrawn, and they cease to glow.  See also petty saint.

**Visping** - VIS-ping - Port in Roknar, capital of the princedom of Borasnen.  The unransomed men from Gotorget were marched there to be sold to Roknari corsair masters.

**Yarrin, dy** - YAR-in (rhymes with "far in"), dee - A provincar of Chalion; lord dedicat of the Daughter's Order; highest-ranking lord of Chalion holding allegiance to the Daughter's Order. In Paladin of Souls, Holy General of the Daughter's Order.

**Yiss**  - YIHS - A land-locked territory located between Ibra and Darthaca, which pays fealty to Darthaca but is independent of it. Called the "high march" of Yiss because of Yiss's historical state as a politically independent entity.