Work Text:
Terms used in the books
A number of words are appropriated from Old English dictionaries; in the books, these are very early words which come from Old Speech or Old Script, the version of the language in use during the time of Othil and Talis.
aescheagle (from Old English æsc [ash]): a gray mountain eagle; large and thought to carry off newborn lambs
birch sword: a sword with a thin blade
“Boy With Toy Horse”: portrait of a young boy who holds a dapple gray toy horse. It’s a portrait of Rykl at age six, holding a toy brought by the painter to use as a prop; over the centuries, the name of the sitter has become lost. A copy of it by an art student hangs in Dayfeather’s quarters on the Starhaven.
bradwiht: a unit of weight
begen (from Old English bégen [both]: honorific for someone who is nahwaether; used in place of “sir” or “miss”
Ciefese Bok (from Old English ciefese [concubine] bóc [book]): the Concubine’s Book, an early printed book in Old Script with advice for concubines. Later, it is translated into the modern version of the language and becomes a popular erotic read. A copy belonging to Othil finds its way into several libraries over the centuries.
concubine: among the non-Rihadeshi, a submissive partner in a dominant/submissive relationship. Concubines decide much about the relationship, from whether the pledge will happen, to whether or not the pledge will stay intact; the concubine proposes to the master and can break the pledge at will. In breaking the pledge, they are fully supported by the law and by the priests of Vintu, who help the concubine and the master in the new relationship. Concubines usually decide whether or not to interact with people outside the family, including veiling, speaking to others, or even looking at others. They will usually speak to other submissives and will interact fully with children who haven’t reached puberty. Dominant partners are referred to as “master” whether they are male, female, or nahwaether. In early times, the master would have as many concubines as she, hru, or he could support; later, it became unconscionable to have more than two.
dog-tail sword: an exceptionally heavy sword with a hilt curved like the tail of a happy dog
Eadlufe theoden oflystan (from Old English eádlufe [happiness of love] þéoden [the deity] oflystan [pleased with]): an ancient manuscript collection of stories of Vintu, written in Old Script; the title is the first phrase in the manuscript.
fealgin (from Old English fylginge [fallow land]): a prostitute who is taking a break from having sex. Fealgin may go into retreat in Vintu’s temple, act as counselors, or simply offer themselves to chat with those not wanting sex.
felltree: a long, two-handed sword used to break pikestaffs carried by advancing soldiers
Fetch Rabbit: a game of strategy, in which each player has a game piece representing a fox, a piece representing a rabbit, and several pieces used to “fence” the player’s own rabbit away from the other player’s fox. Fence pieces are placed in two staggered rows at either side of a board similar to that on which chess or checkers is played, with the foxes and rabbits placed near the center of the board, two rows of squares left empty in the center. Movement of the fence pieces resembles that of checkers, with “jumped” fence pieces removed from the board. (If a player manages to get a fence piece to the other side of the board, hru can have a jumped fence piece returned to the board, but neither piece is useful unless moved back to hru’s own side to be used to build a fence, so that strategy is often more trouble than it’s worth.) Once a player has moved a fence piece to one of the center rows, the fox and rabbit pieces come into play. The game ends when one player’s fox is fenced in with the other player’s rabbit—or when a player loses so many fence pieces that hru can’t build a fence at all. There is a child’s version of the game with simpler rules that make it easier to play (and easier for the adult playing against the child to lose).
“Fyrst Swingele” (from Old English fyrest [first] swingele [whipping]): the title of a piece of erotic art showing a penitent concubine who’s had his first spanking from his master
galsmer owl (from Old English gálsmære [giggling]): an owl with a courting call that sounds like maniacal laughter
gelic (from Old English gelic [something like another thing]: a concubine of the same sex as the master. If two (or more) concubines are the same sex as the master, the gelic is the first concubine with whom the master pledged.
geoctema (from Old English geoctéma [creature yoked with another]): a second concubine of the same sex as the first concubine. If two (or more) concubines are of the same sex as the master, the geoctema is the second concubine who pledges with the master.
heru: an early sword, rather clumsy; Talis’s sword is of this type
hildethrymm (from Old English hildeþrymm [strength])
hlutor (from Old English hlutor [purity])
hru: pronoun for someone who is nahwaether
hyrness (from Old English hýrness [obedience])
Ic sceal gehlystan (from Old English ic sculan gehlystan): I shall listen (Old Speech)
“Incuman Ond Cwicigen” (from Old English incuman [enter] and cwician [quicken; come to life]): “Take Me And Come”: the title of a piece of erotic art; a play on “Come and Take Me.” This print has numerous Rihadeshi and non-Rihadeshi owners through the centuries.
A Littul Treatys On The Messages Of The Starres: written by the astronomer who trained an early telescope on the large, bright planet called “the Wandering Sun” and saw four tiny moons circling it; this led him to theorize that surely the world circles the sun, as the moons circle that planet.
Mar; Marish; Manara: Rihadeshi honorifics, usually preceding the person’s name. Mar: males of any age; Marish: married women; Manara: unmarried women
mirith: a unit of liquid measure
moon sword: a sword with a blade curved like a crescent moon
nahwaether (from Old English náhwæðer [neither]): those who are gender-fluid or nonbinary. Pronouns are hru, hruself, hru’s. Honorific is “begen” (from Old English bégen [both]). One’s nahwaether parent is referred to as “gehwaether”; one’s nahwaether sibling is referred to as “wefen” (from Old English wefan [to weave]).
piirabyte: a unit of electronic information. Named for Piira, a mathematician at the beginning of the Restored Rihadeshi Empire who realized that the Philosophical Calculating Machine invented by Chaunsil could do more than simply calculate numbers. Piira was at that time the wife of the Voice of the Emperor.
regol (from Old English): one who rules. At winter solstice, a bean is hidden in little cakes; the person getting the bean is the winter-regol who leads the celebration.
scaeth (from Old English scæþ [sheath]): the vagina, though it has come to include the labia
Summersoul: the summer solstice
Sweotolung Annes (from Old English sweotolung [declaration] annes [unity]): the Declaration of Unity, the first covenant between the Eofa, the Cliff People, and the Stone Valley People; it brought them together as a force to defeat the invading Rihadeshi. Written on parchment, it was displayed prominently in the palace of the emperor of the Eofan Empire. During the Restored Rihadeshi Empire, it was held as a trophy. When the Emperor’s orbiting palace—the Righteous—was built, the parchment was laid into the floor of the throne room, to be stepped on by those entering.
telth: a unit of liquid measure
wethil: a unit of liquid measure
Wintersoul: the winter solstice. Bonfires mark the beginning of the new year.
Zun: an honorific for non-Rihadeshi of all genders; it precedes the person’s name
Deities
Each description includes the gender of the deity and a list of the cultures who worship Hru, Her, or Him.
Ayoial: Deity of concubines; consort of the God of the sea, after that god forced him. Outraged, Ayoial shamed the god before His followers and the other gods; the penitent God apologized and cast enough black pearls at Ayoial’s feet to fund the building of a temple to Him, with Ayoial as His priest and consort. Ayoial thus became an emblem not only of humans controlling the terrifying sea, but of the control concubines have in their relationships with their masters. Gradually, Ayoial became the Deity of concubines. Once the culture began to travel into space and the God of the sea became the equally terrifying God of space, Ayoial was often portrayed standing on a star, symbolizing His control over the God. His temples are physically attached to the temples of the God of space, and the steps into Ayoial’s temples are inset with stars. (male; Eoafa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person)
Brother Moon: the moon itself. He is considered veiled at new moon; as the moon grows fuller, He is lifting His veil, and as the moon wanes, He is slowly veiling Himself again. Some say He is the concubine of another god (possibly Tahoshun and Rishun); others, that He is His own concubine. The non-Rihadeshi have sex in the moonlight at the full moon to ensure the change of seasons. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person)
Conu: Deity of children. Every household with children who haven’t reached puberty has a shrine to Him which is at the height at which a young child can reach. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Eoash: Deity of war and oaths; soldiers dedicate themselves to Him, and those swearing any sort of oath swear it before His altar. Also called “Blood Drinker”; “Slayer of the Faithless”; “Scourge of the Faithless.” He was originally a non-Rihadeshi god introduced into the Rihadeshi pantheon. He is portrayed naked, cock agressively hard to show that He loves war, weapons in His hands; He appears to be dancing to show joy in battle or to be trampling His enemies underfoot. His concubine—whose gender isn’t known—often appears beside or behind Him, perhaps being protected by the fierce God. (The Rihadeshi believe His concubine is female; in Rihadeshi temples, His concubine isn’t portrayed.) Eoash loves His concubine passionately, and one odd non-Rihadeshi folk legend holds that flowers bloom as Eoash’s semen drips down the leg of His concubine after they’ve made love. Eoash has other lovers: Merrin, Chaos, Order. Non-Rihadeshi soldiers of all genders expect to share His bed for a night in the afterlife. Horses also come under His protection; they run free in His afterlife, sometimes traveling back to the world in order to aid living horses. Every stable has a tiny shrine to Eoash, and each stall has a red arc painted over the door: the curve of the God’s hand protecting the horse inside. When horses die, they are buried with funeral rites, and the equipment they wore is torn apart and scattered to show that the horse is now free forever. As travel into space became possible, Eoash became Protector of spacecraft. The weapons He wields changed as weaponry changed, from a sword and buckler to a ceramisword and stunpistol. In the Restored Rihadeshi Empire, Eoash’s knights are a policing force for the non-Rihadeshi, wearing patches with the red arc of the God’s protecting hand; the knights are popular and respected where the Rihadeshi Sentinels aren’t. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Eshqua: Deity of households; traditionally, servants dedicated themselves to Her. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
God of the sea; God of space: Also called “the forceful God”; “the God of dark waters”; “the God of infinite space”; “the God of dark travels.” This wild, capricious god is unnamed so those referring to Him don’t accidentally catch His attention. His temples and shrines include an empty plinth to symbolize a deity Who cannot be portrayed. As God of the untameable sea, He forced Himself on a handsome young man sleeping on a beach and was so ashamed when the young man berated Him and shamed Him before the other gods that He abased Himself before the young man—Ayoial—and made Ayoial His priest and consort. The center of His worship was a place where black pearls were often found. As Ayoial became a deity among the non-Rihadeshi, the temples to both deities were usually physically linked. Once the culture found its way into space, this deity became God of space; worshippers enter His temple mostly to thank Him for not killing them. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Jerd: Deity of thieves and tricksters. He also is the deity blamed when one makes an embarrassing remark or slip of the tongue. He is usually portrayed holding a bag of coins, probably stolen. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Mahesh: Deity of learning; scholars dedicate themselves to Her. She is usually portrayed holding a book or writing implements; in the electronic age she holds a tablet and a stylus. There is a shrine to Her in every library, public or private; it holds a small crystal bell that researchers ping to call Her attention or to thank Her for finding what they’ve been looking for. She is the Goddess with a thousand concubines, probably all scholars. One popular story tells how She beat Eoash—God of war—over the head with His own helmet until he promised that an army sacking a city would leave its library intact. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Merrin: Deity of mercy. For the non-Rihadeshi, He is one of Eoash’s minor lovers and submissive to Him. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Onish: Deity of iron and the forge; She becomes the Goddess of engineers and mechanics. Every blacksmith’s forge had a tiny shrine to Onish, usually showing Her wielding a hammer and in Her blacksmith’s apron. In later depictions, she holds a wrench or a welding tool. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person)
Rishun: Deity of the sky and weather. Weather phenomena are Her hounds; the aurora is Her cat kneading the sky and stretching. She is sister to Tahoshun and shares concubines with Him. Once the culture made its way into space, Rishun’s temple organized distribution of ice to non-Rihadeshi ships to be used for water. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Shiwara: Deity of commerce; merchants dedicate themselves to Her. She is depicted weighing gold coins on an old-fashioned scale. She is a busy goddess Whose statues are often outside Her temples so worshippers can honor Her quickly and be on their way. She has one concubine, whose gender is unknown. Though the Rihadeshi worshipped her at the beginning of their second empire (and declared that Her concubine was male), they soon abandoned Her in favor of worshipping Tawis. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person)
Tahoshun; Tahosh: God of the sun. He is brother to Rishun and shares concubines with Her. Originally a Cliff Person god, He was adopted by the Eofa, who shortened His name to Tahosh. Tahoshun rides His white sun horse across the sky, seeing everything that happens. He is a notorious cockster, impulsively having sex with women, men, and nahwaether He finds attractive; those taken by the sun sometimes find the experience so sensually overwhelming that they can find no human able to fully satisfy them. Young men, women, and nahwaether have been known to tempt Tahoshun in order to experience the ultimate orgasm. Those He has impregnated give birth to heroes and monsters; and also to ordinary folk who have an unusual amount of charm. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Tawis: Deity of commerce; Rihadeshi merchants dedicate themselves to Him. In Rihadeshi lore, He is married to Shiwara, a nagging fool who tries to take Tawis’s place. His temples are tasteful and minimalistic. (male; Rihadeshi)
Uthal: Deity of travel. Even in the space age She is usually depicted holding a wheel. Spaceships are often dedicated to Her; this includes the Starhaven. (female; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Vintu: Deity of love and mischief; traditionally, many of those who are submissive dedicate themselves to Him. He has six angelic consorts—Adoration, Surrender, Passion, Conquering, Beauty, and Delight—who have statues in His temple or are depicted caressing Him. He is a god Who sometimes appears to make people fall in love with someone they feel they shouldn’t; as such, He is the God of mischief. He is enormously popular with the non-Rihadeshi, but the Rihadeshi scorn Him as a god only for silly women wittering about romance. Non-Rihadeshi temple complexes for Him are huge and contain several buildings, and Vintu’s altar depicts labia and an upright penis; Rihadeshi temples are small, and the altar is plain. In both cultures, those who have reached puberty are presented in the temple as someone physically becoming adult. At the age of consent, the non-Rihadeshi ritually declare at Vintu’s altar who and how they will love. Those who wish to master women will stand and touch the labia on the altar, while those who wish to master men will stand and touch the penis; those who will master both will touch both. Those who wish to submit to women will kneel and kiss the labia, while those who wish to submit to men will kneel and kiss the penis; those who will submit to both will kiss both. Asexual people will declare that in a ritual declaration. Declarations of all types are celebrated by all in the temple. Non-Rihadeshi prostitutes are dedicated to Vintu, and the brothels are cozy and welcoming, a place to gather with friends or to honor Vintu through sex. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Wakashil: Deity of health; those in the medical professions dedicate themselves to Him. He is usually depicted holding a staff. (male; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person; Rihadesh)
Weru: Deity of the planet and of growing things; farmers and gardeners dedicate themselves to Hru. For the non-Rihadeshi, Hru is male in winter and female in summer; as a result Hru’s statues are asexual or seem to be female from one angle and male from another. The Rihadeshi consider Weru to be female. Every garden and farm has a statue to Weru. At winter solstice, livestock is paraded between cleansing bonfires lit on either side of the statue, to bless the animals. Each community has at least one blessing tree, a large tree where gifts to Weru are hung each summer and winter solstice. Every non-Rihadeshi space colony has multiple tiny gardens next to small shrines; the gardens are tended by passersby, often as a way to honor the Deity. (nahwaether; Eofa; Cliff Person; Stone Valley Person. female; Rihadesh)