The Sworn Knight Robert Ryan (best classic romance novels TXT) 📖

as a gateway between the spirit and normal worlds. Suchareas are used in ceremonies and invocations for help or retribution againstenemies. It is believed that at certain cycles of the moon and seasons thebarriers that separate the worlds are weakened and the gateway opens. Alsomarks a place where the effects of sorcery linger or where there is someunspecified but lethal danger. Often it signifies several of these things atonce.

Druilgar: Hal. “Spear star – a comet.”King of Faladir, and First Knight of the Kingshield Knights. Descendent of KingConduil.

Duthenor: Duth. “The people.” A tribe ofpeople farther to the west of Camar lands. Related to the Camar, and sharingmany common legends and experiences. But different also.

Elves: See Halathrin.

Elù-drak: Hal. “Shadow wings.” A creatureof the dark. Deadly, and used by sorcerers to gather information andassassinate chosen victims. The female of the species is the most dangerous,having the power to inspire terror and bend victims to her will. Few canresist. Of old, even great warriors succumbed and willingly let the creaturetake their life. One of the more terrible creatures of the Old World.

Elùgai: Hal. Prn.Eloo-guy. “Shadowed force.” The sorcery of an elùgroth.

Elù-haraken: Hal. “Shadowed wars.” Long ago battles in a time that isbecome myth to the scattered Camar tribes.

Faladir: Cam. “Fortress of Light.” A Camarcity founded out of the ruinous days of the elù-haraken.

Faran: Cam. “Spear of the night – a star.”A name of good luck. Related to the name Dardenath, though of a later layer oflinguistic change. A young hunter from Dromdruin valley. His grandfather was a KingshieldKnight, though not the first of their ancestors to be so.

Ferla: Cam. “Unforeseen bounty.” A young hunterfrom Dromdruin valley.

First Knight: The designated leader of the KingshieldKnights.

Halathrin: Hal. “People ofHalath.” A race of elves named after an honored lord who led an exodus of hispeople to the land of Alithoras in pursuit of justice, having sworn to defeat agreat evil. They are human, though of fairer form, greater skill and higherculture. They possess a unity of body, mind and spirit that enables insight andendurance beyond the native races of Alithoras. Said to be immortal, but killedin great numbers during their conflicts in ancient times with the evil they soughtto destroy. Those conflicts are collectively known as the Shadowed Wars.

Harakgar (the): Leth. “The three sisters.”Creatures of magic brought into being by the Letharn. Their purpose is toprotect the tombs of their creators from robbery.

Hundred (the): A resistance group established inFaladir to prepare the way for the coming of the seventh knight.

Kareste: Hal. “Ice unlocking – the springthaw.” A lòhren of mysterious origin. Friend to Aranloth, but usuallymore active farther north in Alithoras than Faladir.

Kingshield Knights: An order of knights foundedby King Conduil. Their sacred task is to guard the indestructible Morleth Stonefrom theft and use by the evil forces of the world. They are more than greatwarriors, being trained in philosophy and the arts also. In addition to theirprime function as guards, they travel the land at whiles dispensing justice andoffering of their wisdom and council.

Kubodin: Chg. Etymology unknown. A wildhillman from the lands of the Cheng. Simple appearing, but far more than heseems. Asana’s manservant.

Lady of the Land (the):  The spirit of the land.It is she whom lòhrens serve, though her existence is seldom discussed.

Letharn: Hal. “Stone raisers. Builders.” Arace of people that in antiquity conquered most of Alithoras. Now, only fainttraces of their civilization endure.

Lindercroft: Cam. “Rising mountaincrashes – a wave rolling into the seashore.” A Kingshield Knight. Youngest ofthe order.

Lòhren: Hal. Prn.Ler-ren. “Knowledge giver – a counselor.” Other terms used by variousnations include wizard, druid and sage.

Lòhren-fire: A defensive manifestation oflòhrengai. The color of the flame varies according to the skill and temperamentof the lòhren.

Magic: Mystic power. See lòhrengai and elùgai.

Maldurn: Cam. “Swimming eel.” A soldier ofFaladir. His name is typical of some inland villages of the realm where thetradition of ocean related names is maintained but adapted to the localenvironment.

Menendil: Hal. “Sign of hope.”Sometimes called Mender. His is an old family, and he can trace his lineageback to the days before the founding of Faladir to a liegeman of the then chieftain.Unusually, his name is not of Camar origin. Family history records that hisforefather was a seer, and was greatly esteemed by his lord.

Morleth Stone:Hal. “Round stone.” The name signifies that such a stone isnot natural. It is formed by elùgai for sorcerous purposes. The stone isstrengthened by arcane power to act as a receptacle of enormous force. Littleis known of their making and uses except that they are rare and that elùgrothsperish during their construction. The stone guarded by the KingshieldKnights in Faladir is said to be the most powerful of all that were created.And to be sentient.

Norgril: Cam. “Leaping fish.” A member of theHundred.

Norla: Cam. “Fishhunter – fisherman.” Wife of Menendil.

Nuatha: Cam. “Silver wanderer – a stream.”A vagabond healer that travels widely throughout Faladir. Aranloth in one ofhis guises.

Nuril Faranar: Hal. “Lonely watchman.” Asingle mountain rising above the flat lands that border Halathar. Used as avantage point and command post for several great battles during theelù-haraken. Currently under the guardianship of Asana. For this, Aranlothinterceded on his behalf.

Nurthil Wood: Cam. “Dark secrets.” A greatforest north of Faladir. Home to outlaws and disaffected from the wide landsall around. Once, a stronghold of the forces of darkness, but cleansed bysucceeding kings of Faladir.

Osahka: Leth. “The guide – specifically aspiritual or moral guide.” A title of enormous reverence and respect. Appliedto Aranloth for his role as spiritual leader of the Kingshield Knights.

Savanest: Cam. “Subtle skill.” A Kingshield Knight. All the knights think of each other asbrothers. But Savanest and Sofanil are also brothers by blood.

Shadow Fliers: See elù-drak.

Shadowed Lord (the): Once, a lòhren. But he succumbed to evil and pursuedforbidden knowledge and powers. He created an empire of darkness and struck toconquer all Alithoras during the elù-haraken. He was defeated, but his magichad become greater than any ever known. Some say he will return from death tofinish the war he started. Whether that is so, no one knows. But the order oflòhrens guard against it, and many