The Crown of Dalemark (The Dalemark Quartet 4)

River had cursed the place. As the King’s men found mussels being cultivated on a system of ropes in the millpond, it appears that not everyone in Shelling believed these tales.

Old Smiler, Mage Mallard’s derisive name for the King of the Riverlands.

Old Writing, a system of syllabic signs in use before letters were developed, which came to be thought of as magical. It was often used in spells or for inscriptions intended to be potent.

Olob, the shortened name of Barangarolob, Clennen the Singer’s horse, which Clennen often said he would not part with for an earldom.

Ommern, one of the Holy Islands, the greenest.

Ommersay, one of the larger of the Holy Islands.

One, the greatest of all the Undying, whose face could not be looked upon and whose names could not be spoken. The One was said to have fathered the human race by his union with the witch-queen Cenblith, at which time he made the great River of prehistory and was for centuries bound by magic at its source. He was at length unbound by the Weaver and shook the country into its present mountainous state when he defeated the mage Kankredin.

The One was worshiped as a god by the invaders from Haligland and for a long time remained a god in the North of Dalemark, where many beliefs and customs about him still remain, but he was almost unknown in the South. Nowadays he is regarded simply as an old superstition.

Or, er, ro, a particle inserted into a name to give the meaning “younger” or most often “youngest.” Compare Barangalob and Barangarolob, Tanamil and Tanamoril, Osfamon and Osfameron, et cetera.

Oreth, one of the secret names of the One, the least known, meaning “he who is bound.”

Orethan the Unbound, the name by which the One was known after the Weaver released him from the spells of Cenblith and Kankredin. This name is almost never spoken.

Oril, one of several names taken by Mage Mallard to disguise the fact that he was of the Undying.

Orilsway, a town which grew up at the junction of the green roads in the far north of Dalemark, possibly taking its name from Mage Mallard in his guise as the Wanderer. When the green roads were abandoned as highways, Orilsway fell into ruin and was only rebuilt and resettled after the coming of the railways.

Osfameron, one of the two names taken by Mage Mallard in his guise as a minstrel and meaning “Osfamon the younger.” It is not known who Osfamon was. Under this name Mallard became the friend of the Adon, whom he raised from the dead, and also created the cwidder with which he is said to have made mountains walk, later bequeathed to Moril Clennensson.

Palace of Earl Hadd in Holand in South Dalemark. Most earls, even in the South, lived in much humbler mansions, but Earl Hadd, perhaps because he insisted on his entire family’s living with him, enlarged and renamed his dwelling. The palace was largely destroyed in the Great Uprising.

Pali, a prison guard in Neathdale in South Dalemark who was a secret freedom fighter.

Panhorn, an intricately curled horn with four mouthpieces and eight valves, very difficult to play.

Paths of the Undying, a name for the green roads of North Dalemark used by those who believed that the Undying created and maintained them.

Peace-piping, a very difficult form of musical magecraft in which the mage must first use his pipes to echo the anger of combatants and then reduce their feelings to calm and shame. Moril Clennensson unwittingly used a form of peace-piping on Tholian, Earl of the South Dales.

Peelers, Lawschool slang for willow wands with the bark peeled off.

Penner, Ganner Sagersson.

Pennet, a village between Waywold and Holand in South Dalemark.

Piper, the name most often used, from the time of the Adon onward, for Tanamil of the Undying, onetime lord of the Red River. It was said that being released from bondage at the same time as the One, Tanamil went to the Holy Islands, where his piping may still sometimes be heard on calm evenings.

Point of Hark, the high rocky peninsula that divides North from South Dalemark waters.

Poor Old Ammet, the full name of the image made of plaited wheat decorated with fruit and flowers and ribbons which was thrown into the harbor in Holand in South Dalemark each year at the Sea Festival. Opinions vary as to whether this ritual echoes some personal sacrifice by one of the Undying or is simply a charm for improving the harvest, but what is certain is that any boat which picks up Poor Old Ammet beyond the harbor has good luck ever after. This is rare; the tides and currents have to be exactly right. Usually the image sinks in the harbor.

Portable organ. See Hand organ.

Porter, the main spy for North Dalemark, operating under the noses of all the earls of the South, and the most wanted man in the South. He reported to Hannart almost everything the Southern earls wished to keep secret, organized freedom fighters, and ran a rescue service for wanted men and women. The Porter was operating for most of the eleven years prior to the Great Uprising.

Prest, one of the Holy Islands, large, with high crags.

Prestsay, a small rocky island in the Holy Islands.

Proud Ammet, a big merchant ship based in Holand in South Dalemark, where Earl Hadd’s assassin seems to have been when he fired. Like all the big merchant ships, this one was named from the Sea Festival.