Ghulen watch Hassani let herself be tied to one of the ugly chairs decorating their apartment. The woman looked emotionally and physically exhausted; perfect. She was probably thinking about all that she'd gone through to get here and now it was ending this way. While forcing himself to remain placid externally, he practically boiled with excitement, ready to peel her open after so long in pursuit.

  Goboro weeped and blubbered to himself where he leaned against the wall near the balcony archway. At first, he thought the battering the man had taken was the cause, but as he kept mouthing "I'm sorry" at Hassani. Tears of guilt at betraying his friend as much as pain, most likely. Pathetic.

  "It's okay," she mouthed back. As if there were anything okay with their situation.

  "It's okay," Ghulen parroted, drawing a fearful look from Goboro and a flat one from Hassani. He smiled at her.

  She subtly tested the bonds Balmos had looped about her arms to tie her to an overstuffed chair. Like pretty much everything the man did, she'd probably find them loose, sloppy, and inadequate. The Venger slouched off to talk with the half-dozen other brutes filing into the room from the hallway, looking about as if trying to figure out if they could steal anything without getting caught. Hassani cast a subtle glance about to figure out where Ghulen had disappeared to and startled to find him dropping to a squat right behind her.

  Another smile. "Can't have this, can we? I'm sure as a perfectionist like me, you despise poor work."

  "Might have made an exception today," she muttered.

  With the work of a minute, he'd retied the ropes in an effective, inescapable set of loops, knots, and twists fine enough that Hassani couldn't even change position in the chair. He'd barely even thought as he did it as he'd done it before. So many times.

  That done, he pulled up another chair across from her, studying her intently for what he hoped stretched to an uncomfortable stretch of time. Balmos and the flunkies Kass had scrounged up quickly got bored. They turned to root around in the apartment. Kass was gone, hopefully doing what he'd sent her to do, not visiting a brothel or pub.

  "If you're going to torture me, get started," she said, her voice more tired than aggressive. "Hope you don't mind me sleeping while you do it."

  After a moment, he smiled. "It is such a pleasure to meet you. I can't tell you how much I've looked forward to this day."

  "I'm sure," she said, studying him back subtly. Her body language and facial expressions revealed nothing, though the chair made it challenging to tell for sure. Regardless, she was exceptionally trained, controlled, and intentional. In spite of her situation, he smelled no hints of fear or anxiety on her sweat.

  She wore Inviolate skirts and tunic so faded and worn from travel they'd lightened to a dark gray. The scent of smoke on her carried a hint of burnt meat and wood smoke which implied he'd been somewhere near a battleground. More than that, he smelled traces of god on her. He guessed she'd been to the Analis, but with the state of the Book now, he was sure a dozen verses could impart the same scent.

  "Don't you start asking questions now?" Hassani said, glancing over as the hired thugs knocked over an expensive wardrobe probably just because they could. "I refuse to answer, you cut me, beat me, rape me, etcetera, etcetera until I give you any sort of answer I think will make it stop and then you kill me. Maybe we just jump towards the end and save ourselves the effort of all the middle bits?"

  Again, a pause before a slow smile. "You know, others I think might say such things just to talk tough, but I think you, Hassani, might actually grit your teeth and shrug off torture. If I tortured you, that is."

  "No, Ghulen, wait," she said, as the he slowly stood and walked towards Goboro. The scribe cowered and blubbered more as Ghulen casually strolled towards him, producing his long knife with an long, exaggerated draw from its sheath on his lower back.

  "He's done nothing, Ghulen, knows nothing! What do you want to know?" Hassani spoke with forced calm; trying to avoid giving him anything. A hint of worry oozed from her pores. Maybe she'd give him an emotional display later, or at least the appearance of it, but not yet.

  "Tell me of Earth, then," Ghulen said, stopping abruptly and turning.

  "Earth?" Hassani stammered, taken aback. "It's a dead end. A verse on the forbidden list, twice. There was no 'nail for it at the Paths and Ways in Libriam, no Valeer knows where it is."

  "Hm... I believe you," he said, nodding. Without looking, he swung his arm behind him and slashed Goboro. Turning, he saw he'd cut a shallow gash across head and face.

  Hassani lurched in her chair, nearly tipping it over as Goboro screamed and clutched at his head, blood streaming between his fingers. "We told you what we know. That was the truth! Don't hurt him!"

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  Ghulen turned towards him with a feigned look of surprise. "Oops. Looks like I cut your friend. Didn't hit an eye or cut his nose off so he'll be fine. Assuming he lives through today, that is."

  Changing tacks, rapidly, Hassani laughed coarsely, surprising him. "By the dying gods, I never know you were so pathetic Goboro. Cut him again, Ghulen, see if he squeals again."

  Gulen stared at the other Inviolate intently. Then again, without looking, he swung his knife at Goboro. This time, he felt the blade catch briefly as it cut through sleeve and into Goboro's arm. Goboro wailed again and lurched to his feet only for Ghulen to casually backhand him back down. "Don't go anywhere, friend. Not done yet."

  Hassani laughed cruelly, rocking her chair with the force of her mirth. "Delightful. If I'd known you were this pathetic, I would have put you out of your misery and dumped you in some ruined part of the Annalis. Cut him again, Ghulen."

  Goboro's screams and the terrified look he shot from Hassani to Ghulen amused Ghulen, but more interesting was Hassani's wicked grin. Ghulen looked her in the face as he stabbed randomly in Goboro's direction, the blade slicing into Goboro's flabby peck. He repeated the motion several times, each time drawing blood but never cutting deep enough to risk killing the poor scribe outright.

  Contrary to everything he'd assumed about her, Hassani's laughter became more uproarious with everyy wound he inflicted. Tears actually ran down her face as the scribe howled and screamed. Finally, she bit it off with a snarl. "He useless, just kill him."

  "Interesting," Ghulen said, returning to squat before her and look her over. "I had no idea. Fascinating. You don't disappoint, my dear."

  She stared at him hard, not even sparing a glance at the blubber, bleeding Goboro. Hate filled her eyes. "We've had our fun. You win. You've captured me, cut on a weakling, my daughter's dead, my husband's dead, the Book is on fire, my life is ruined. What more do you want?"

  "How did you convince the Rogue Legion?" he said abruptly, hoping to catch her off balance.

  "Convince it? Convince it to go rogue?" she paused. "I think the Ancients did that. Or the Chapters in general; only so much self-serving you can do before those who actually serve the people of the Book get fed up with it. I just gave Eonora a little nudge on my way out of Ziggurat."

  Ghulen spoke the moment she was finished in the way people did when they weren't actually listening but just waiting to speak again to keep her off balance. If it seemed like he didn't really care about the information he was gathering, she might let a bit more slip. "And why would the Imminent want you to escape from Ziggurat? How long have you been working for them?"

  "The Imminent?" Hassani said, with seemingly genuine surprised. "Since when did they want me to do anything? I don't think I've ever said more than a word or two in passing to one of them."

  Both of them glanced over as Goboro fell over, whimpering and subbing as he clutched at his wounds. Hassani snorted and looked away as if it disgusted her. He wondered if she really was so callous or if she was putting on a masterful performance to convince him he had no value to her. Absolutely fascinating either way.

  "If what you say is true, even more interesting," Ghulen said. Without the slightest hint of warning, he gently swiped with his knife and cut her cheek open just below the eye.

  She didn't so much as flinch or wince, grinning as she licked at the blood spilling down her cheek and chin. "The fun starting for real now?"

  He studied her intently, smelling deeply and peering into her eyes. Anger. Exhaustion. Focus. Discipline. No hint of fear, though a touch of...

  They both glanced towards the door as a series of shuffling footsteps announced the arrival of Kass; hopefully with the prize he'd sent her off to find. She looked in, squinted at Hassani and Goboro, then looked flatly at Ghulen. That she wore the Aze Blade over her shoulder made Ghulen frown. He'd never told her to do that. "I found her."

  "What a pleasant surprise you've delivered, my dear Kass," Ghulen said, practically purring as he rubbed his fingers on the bloody flat of his blade. He turned to Hassani. "You'll be delighted to know your daughter isn't dead after all."

  He looked from the doorway to Hassani's as Kass turned and dragged precious Avani into sight. The girl was perhaps seven years old, her hair a curly, unkempt white. Her skin's hue practically glowed with whiteness. She wore a fine purple-traced gown of white silk which claimed her as Jaxe's. Considering how many of those with the Pale he was said to have collected, the Dynast surely wouldn't miss this one.

  A strange glazed look filled her girl's eyes and she looked about the apartment without recognition, her eyes barely pausing on Hassani's tear- and blood-streaked face.

  "No," Hassani whispered, the word half a prayer.

  "Rega said she wanted you alive, but she never said anything about the rest of your family," Ghulen said, turning to her with a content smile. "I've only begun to learn your make and this should pry you right open; prying her right open will, to make my meaning plain."

  "Don't! Just, please... there's no reason. You've won..." Hassani babbled, twisting side to side as the shock hit of Ghulen shattering her world. The deep satisfaction and thrill of such moments defied his ability to communicate it so he'd long ago ceased trying to. Everyone had a tipping point, no matter how strong they may seem. Ghulen sighed contentedly, half closing his eyes as he watched her wobble on the edge of her own personal chasm to despair and self-destruction.

  "Delightful," Ghulen whispered, leaning close and smelling her deeply. "Ah. A taste of the real Hassani under those layers of discipline and training and duty. I see the first hints of the foundation upon which you've built them as they crack apart here. And we haven't even started the fun yet."

  Ghulen turned and snapped at Kass before pointing beside him. "Bright the precious little Avani here."

  "I don't think so," Kass said, putting her hand on one of the knives in her belt and stepping between Ghulen and Avani. Balmos and the other thugs lounging around the apartment sensed the tension and rose to their feet. In a smooth, practiced series of motions, Kass drew her bow stave, strung it, and knocked an arrow. She held it relaxed and low before her, but judging by how quickly she had just readied the weapon, she didn't doubt she could put two arrows in Ghulen before he covered the four strides it would take to reach her.

  Judging by how everyone in the room froze, everyone else shared the assessment.

  Next chapter: Same chapter. The party gets more crowded, than rapidly less-so.

  Adonissian: a Phero who poses as a traveling musician. Died of the Wretch Plague in Heaven's Tread.

  Aida: MC. Mother of Exiles. "Ender of Verses?" "Savior of Dynasties?"

  Aj: a long-slumbering, powerful being which annihilated Inro's Sunset Legions. Also "almost destroyed the Dynasty single-handedly six-and-some centuries ago"

  Alerestro: a handsome, multi-talented man from Azure. Partner of Viviana. Accidentally killed by Jaxe in the One-Eighth.

  Aliasara: servant at Ocyl's villa who befriends Aida

  Anticores: a pair of Sect representatives, off-putting and strange

  Arca: chief of the tribe that "adopted" Inro

  Asta: Tertius Dynast of Silk. Assassinated by the Rags.

  Avani: Hassani's daughter, an albino

  Baka: Dynast of Ziggurat. Huge, massively strong. Tertius.

  Balmos: Venger working for Ghulen

  "Braid"; a thug who accosted Aida in Jadeye. His face gifted to Aida by Ocyl.

  Broadaxe: large, axe-and-shield-wielding Feral protecting Aida. Killed by Jaxe in Jadeye

  Cairin: Arca's sister, slinger

  Cleft Hand: malcontent in the One-Eighth, maimed hand due to Ryk. Impaled on a broken spear by Wretches in the One-Eighth.

  Das: Rega's Immanent

  Deai: Hassani's swordmaster, renowned for killing a Paragon

  Dels: Dynast of Azure

  Denault: Hassani's husband. Shipwright, Kin.

  Eonora: a Legion officer in Ziggurat who defected with the Rogue Legions Mother's Militant

  Eth: a young Imminent

  Ghillie: a 3rd Feral who wears a primitive Ghillie suit. Carries cross between kunai and acupuncture needles

  Ghulen: Rega's "pet monster", an Inviolate

  Goboro: a fat, amiable scribe friend of Hassani's in Libriam

  Godge and Ardina: Primary Small Masters in Berujat

  Fallon: Aida's Seneschal. Died killing the Inviolate Rasofi in Jadeye

  Fatma: weakest Small Master of Berujat

  Feral: a bone-masked woman of violence (Feral) in Aida's service. Knife wielder. Killed by Ghillie in Jadeye.

  Festrin: Seneschal of Monopollis, father of Fallon

  Fetriene: Ocyl's soresearer

  Goldilocks: twitchy, spear-and-javelin carrying Feral guarding Aida. Died burning a Wicker Way in Jadeye.

  Hassani: Inviolate agent of the Black Court, sent by Fractious Fraction

  Hue: Vibrant accompanying Simon

  Huspara: minor bureaucrat in Libriam

  Ijran: Multi-minded wiz, Small Master of Berujat

  Inro: Dynast formerly ruling Sunset

  Izbali: a silent tribal shaman

  Janali: Ocyl's elegant Seneschal

  Jaxe: Dynast of Stacks. "Young" (Secounds), wealthy. Also has "the Pale" (an Albino). Ancient. Blasted by Aida on Stacks.

  Johine: crude slave

  Kass/Kassenia: mercenary attached to Adonissian.

  Maxem: High Parser from Ink, ambassador to Jadeye

  Ocyl: Dynast of Heaven's Tread, powerful and unpredictable

  Parathas: Aida's skinscribe. Also a mountaineer.

  "Professor, The": leader of Aida's Wretches, impaled on a tree in the One-Eighth

  Rasofi: Inviolate killed by Fallon in Jadeye

  Reck: Dynast of Chalk, "not witty enough to be clever and takes himself too seriously to be ironic". Paranoid, Fractious Fraction. Tertius. Died to a mob of menials in Jadeye.

  Rega: Inro's sister, Dynast of Monopolis. Septemius

  Riccaro: majordomo of Ocyl's estate. Hung by a looting mob in Heaven's Tread.

  Ruja: Dynast of Berujat. Killed by Cairin and company in Ziggurat.

  Rustrovan/"Rusty": Eth's old, gap-toothed skinscribe. Died of Wretch Plague.

  Ryk: "the most beautiful man Aida had ever seen", a Paragon

  Sadar: odd boy traveling with Semon, a Twine. Killed by Kass in Libriam.

  Sava: Dynast of Libriam

  Savalius: Grand Quartermaster of the Legions. Killed by Baka in Ziggurat.

  Semon "Goldtongue": white-haired, one-eyed master of cults. First Disciple of the Mother. Killed by Ghulen in Libriam.

  Sephily: diminutive Arborist from Groves

  Stiller: serving boy at Ocyl's estate. Rendered mute by psychological or head-trauma

  Strygen: a dusa traveling with Semon. Killed by Kass and Balmos in Libriam.

  Taesal: one of Rega's other Inviolates, axe scar to face

  Three Bracelets Left: "Leader" of the Mune collective

  "Toothy": leader of a group of thugs who accosted Aida in Heaven's Tread. Killed by Feral in Jadeye

  Tyrs: many-pierced Secundus Dynast of Forge. Fed into one of his own forges by the Rags.

  Valeer: a mentally challenged, unkempt individual able to manipulate Thorns. Died in Jadeye to "Braid".

  Vanyen: A crippled young woman who created the Cult of the Mother. Martyred Prophet of the Mother. Murdered by Semon Dynastic Assassins.

  Venner: Grandmaster of Optimimes in Jadeye, "best in the entire Book"

  Viviana: gorgeous, multi-talented ex-slave from Berujat. Partner of Alerestro. Killed by the Vale Legion in Berujat

  Wake: Dynast of Graves, marries even though they all die. Quintus. Isolate.

  White Spiral: an older Feral in Aida's service. Archer. Died protecting Aida in Jadeye

  36th Dynasty: A Dynasty the Anticores have met?.

  100th Dynasty: The Dynasty ruling the Book.

  Adventures of Bubo, The: popular kids story

  All, The: All the verses, even those beyond The Book.

  Ancients: a major Dynastic Chapter, an "elite number", "own Ziggurat" and "run the great bank that is Monopolis"

  Anchorites: individuals capable of creating anchor points affixed to nothing.

  Annalis compound: sprawling complex in Libriam, heart of The Book's bureaucracy. Arrivals 'Dirt' home to new dispatches, Archives 'Dust' storage for old material. Paths and Ways storage for 'nails. Burned to the ground by the Rags.

  Anticore: Sect creature which "wears convincing human skins" with "swarming insects... beneath the skin"

  Arborian: gardeners from Groves

  Arcers: a type of mancer able to summon blades of energy

  Ascen, The/The Ascendant: divinities "watching over every verse"?

  Assessor: census-taker

  Audits/"Diggers": Libriam internal affairs

  Autumn: verse rich in gold?

  Aze: swordmaker?

  Azure: An oceanic verse with blue beaches ruled by

  Berujat: "fleshmarkets"; primary seat of slave trade and home of most Lineage Masters, owned by Fraction.

  Black Court: a realm of pure darkness. Also, those who rule there. Where Partaking happens.

  Black Court Tribunal: localized Black Court authority?

  Blood, The: imbibed at Partaking, transforms one into a Dynast if they survive

  Book of Verses, The: the 1,000 verses ruled by the Dynasty. "The Kiloverse"

  Broadcliff, Tallmarket: cities in Stacks

  Bubo's Tale: Story of an ancient dyast who explored a mythical land called "Christendom" with his rats

  Calms: periods when ever-blowing winds die down in Berujat

  Canyon of Cages: cliff where slaves are held in Berujat

  Cave Dwellers: tribes that live in the underground in Origin, keep others out until "the Return"

  Century Thread: additional threads appearing elsewhere on the body every century a Dynast lives

  Cerebrist: creator of slavants

  Chalk/"Vistas": verse entirely made of chalky cliff, belongs to Reck

  Chant, The/Sacrosanct Chant: some sort of law in the Dynasty?

  Chant of Inoculation: chant supposed to protect against disease, "Mudra of Cleansing"

  Chapters: power groupings among the Dynasts of the Book: predominantly The Ancients, the Fractious Fraction, and Isolates.

  Circular Sea: an ocean abutting the Jadeye segment of Heaven's Tread

  Clock Priest: priests from Gears who track and tell time religiously

  Commu: chewed drug/herb?

  ConMach: convoy? courier? "ConMach drains the very life from the Directory's verses". Supply "ConMach machines"

  Construct: some great machine draining reality via black holes to create the All.

  Crowmen: buy corpses to return them to life and service as rotters

  Cupola Thorn: the main Thorn in the city Jadeye in Heaven's Tread, a stone dome built over it

  Currence: something valuable inside old coins? "harder than currence"? "Solid current forms currence." Currence melts to watter.

  Currency: money, gold coins once held currence inside to give value, now debased

  Current: some form of energy that powers "artifices"? "Solid current forms currence."

  Directory: "the Directory to Ink is like the Dynasty to the Book", dominating rulers of Ink

  Donative, The: Black Court taxes, taken by Legion if not offered. Don't pay, no Partaking every century.

  Dusa: people with manipulable hair of silver wire, from Gears

  Dynast: individual given rule of a verse if they survive Partaking. Ageless and hard to kill. Regenerative. Sustained by "the Blood"; no food or water necessary.

  Dynast's Tower: a massive tower at the peak of Ziggurat.

  Dynasty: the Dynasts who rule the Book

  Ebon: founder of the Dynasty and Black Court

  Ebon Saga: the tale of Ebon's foundation of The Book and Dynasty

  Ebonese: the language of the Book

  Echoseer shells: devices to allow one to "see" in the Black Court

  El: semi-insubstantial snake/remora-like creatures that follow gods (and sometimes Dynasts) around

  "Emperor of Everything": popular kids story about Inro turning down becoming emperor, then crushing those who elevated a different Dynast

  Feral: bone-masked bodyguards who require the essence of their master to survive. "Damned to Ferals" as a form of capital punishment. "the damned", "damned to a Feral"

  Fetalist: Imminent faction who believe the future is unchangeable

  First Thread/Primus: a fresh Dynast/the first luminescent silver thread etched into their foreheads.

  Forge: verse ruled by Tyrs with much metalworking

  Fractious Fraction/"DissatisFaction"/"The Renewal": a major Dynastic Chapter who "hate everyone including each other", "entice every freemancer and Lineage Master" ... "to Berujat". For those with "verses deficient in maor ways."

  Gates, The: Inter-verse travel method created by Ebon. Opened with Limn

  God, A: unique, "undying" creatures of immense size, The First Ones

  God's Rote: child's first memorization, what gods are

  God-dwellers: "monks" who live on a god

  God-touched: those who have physically touched a god (and lived)

  Gonist: organ dealers and traders

  Gons: self-sustaining organs capable of living outside a host

  Graves: a verse "Made of the dead by the dead for the dead".

  Green People: A tribe of jungle dwellers from Origin

  Groves: a forest verse, home to Arborists

  Heaven's Tread: a verse "inside a hollow rolling pin", host to Jadeye, the largest city in the Book

  High Parser: officials from Ink

  Imminent: seers advising Dynasts and shaping course of The Book

  Imminent Prophecy: something about a barbarian Dynast, Ender of Verses and/or Savior of Dynasties?

  Inevitables; faction of Imminent who believe it is their sacred duty to ensure the future comes to pass as seen

  Ink: home verses of the Skeinry, Keens, Directory, and "the Faded People". Drained of color and drained.

  Innoculist: doctors who teach chants "brought from Logos" to cure disease

  Inviolate: agents of the black court who "serve the Black Court, protect the Dynasty, uphold the Chant, root out corruption" with "unlimited, undisclosed, and untraceable budgets"

  Inviolate Vial: carried by Inviolates as badge of office

  Iode: substance that ignites when crushed

  Iris: the giant portals leading between one cylinder of Heaven's Tread to the next

  Isolates: a major Dynastic Chapter with a "unified stand for independence", "cheat the Donative, stockpil[e] currence and watter" "hire Keen mercenaries" "raise own private Legions in secret"

  Jade Eye, The: the "giant emerald" at the middle of Ocyl's Spire in Jadeye

  Jadeye: the largest city in the Book and major trade hub, in Heaven's Trade

  Jar: Name of a "gold" coin now made of brass. Once held currence within.

  Jaxeday: holiday in Stacks with boat carvings, feasts, games of Fishhead, dances, and storytelling

  Jaxestack: a whitewashed stack on Stacks home to Jaxekin

  Jutland Reach: a verse with guns?

  Gates: previous travel method before Thorns and the Kiss, opened by painting Limn on an arch in one verse and another in Terminus

  Green People: tribes that live in the jungles of Origin

  Keen: Ink warriors wearing impossibly-heavy iron armor whose power source drains color from the area about it. "Tank knights"

  Kin: descendants of a Dynast, most desperately trying to reach 100 so they can Partake

  Kiss, The: disease that wiped out "hundreds of verses", also name for the time period when Aj became active last and destroyed 100s of verses before halting in Sunset

  Lambent ram: animal whose wool glows?

  Letch: sect bred leech-like creature designed to stop bleeding on wounds

  Libriam: a swampy verse home to the Annalis, heart of The Book's bureaucracy

  Libwe: tribe possessing the "holy" Limn clay bed.

  Limn: "infused clay" bearing some sort of internal power, used by Ebon to found the Dynasty

  Lineage: a line of mancers taught by a Master

  Linemen: workers on the Stacks trolleys who pull the cars along the lines

  Lizard Hunters: Arca's people, walkers of the wastes of Origin

  Logos: "the thought realm"

  Machine Curse: something that stops machines from working between verses?

  Mancers: "no mancers arc (could) affect it", people with abilities beyond human normal, usually trained/implanted by a Master.

  Master's Markets: primary slave market in the Book in Berujat

  Menial: common folk

  Molt: person able to shed skins (see skins)

  Mon, The: "the Outsiders". "exist only to destroy the Book" with their "demonic and monstrous children" from "the Hells beyond". The same race as the Ascen but objectors to the creation of the All.

  Monopolis: the "City of Currency", bank verse ruled by Rega

  Mourne, The: something dangerous that lurks in the Vale, "the why we do not tarry"

  Mother's Faith: the relgion based on Aida created by Semon

  Mother's Militant: Formerly the Rogue Legions led by Eonora, now pledged to protect the people of the Book

  Mune: a utopist collective from Dost who mask their identities and share everything communally

  Nameday: when children are named

  Ocyl's Preserve: a garden "beyond the Circular Sea" in Heaven's Tread?

  Ocyl's Spire: the tower home to the court of Ocyl, Dyanst of Heaven's Tread

  One Tribe, The: Arca's new tribe incorporating the Libwe and whomever else is conquered or enticed to join.

  One-Eighth Shithole: Aida's verse. Unfortunately. A desolate place home to volcanoes and a giant dead turtle

  Optomime: gadgeteer

  Origin: the First Verse, from which Ebon originated, containing the "Cities Below". The "first page of The Book"

  Pale, The: light-skinned people, conquered by Ebon during the founding of the Dynasty. Alternately, albinism

  Paragon: warrior who can see the future

  Partaking: the ritual that creates Dynasts (or kills those who try). Performed by some unknown, large creature in the Black Court.

  Phero: Lineage whose scent creates overwhelming attraction

  'pillar: fuzzy Sect-bred giant caterpillar pet

  Porcelain Guard: Ocyl's white-masked Ferals

  Pure Priest of the Ascen/Blind Priests: priests praising the Ascen and back the Black Court

  Rags: derogatory name for alliance of Isolates and Fractious Fraction. Call themselves "Resistance Against the Grevious Ancient Coup."

  Reachers: massive, Sect-bred creatures that direct traffic and rescue unfortunates in the Sighted Path in Jadeye

  Reconquest: time four-hundred years ago when Inro "drove [tribals] back into civilization's fold at spear point"

  Rotters: sack-clothed, crudely-masked 'zombies' uses as pack-beasts and simple laborers. Created/sold by Crowmen.

  Royal Strider: giant striders which carry carriages of the wealthy slung underneath them

  Sect, The: breeders of useful insectoid- and/or sauroid-like creatures

  Seericide: seers capable of Knowing everything as they die

  Seneschal: chief servant of a Dynast, bear permanent strings allowing them to speak and understand any language

  Shale: a verse famous for its expensive stone

  Shore Striders: tribes that live along the oceans of Caves

  Shackle Pens: slave pens near Master's Market in Berujat?

  Shrineway: religious section of Jadeye "brailled prayers along the walls ... [and] cobblestones"

  Sighted Path: the zero-g road down the center of Heaven's Tread

  Silk: verse owned by Asta where all of verse's silk originates

  Sixth Tier Rebellion: last major uprising, in Ziggurat a century ago when "half the legions rose up". Put down by Baka

  Skeinry: iron-plated communication centers where Skeiners translate vibrations sent by wyre from other verses

  Skin/Hollow: animate skin of a molt able to move, talk, and share snatches of its experience with its molt

  Skinlife: living tattoos

  Skinscribe: individuals brailled with lore, walking libraries

  Slavant: an individual who "loses much" to be implanted with an ability

  Soresearer: individuals capable of "healing" by cauterizing wounds with their hands

  Stacks: An ocean verse comprised of tall pillars jutting up from the seas. Trolleys run on long ropes between them "affixed by Anchorites to airy nothing"

  Striders: "stilt-legged gray-skinned insect-lizard"s used as fast mounts, large enough to carry several riders

  Strings: worn or implanted wire devices that translate speech

  Stone Walkers: tribes that live in the cold of Origin

  Subterrane, The: inter-verse travel route accessed by Ebon via Limn

  Sunset: the verse where Aj was 'contained', formerly protected by Dynast Inro. The "Prison of Prisons" holds mad Dynasts, monsters and demons... vaults of dangerous relics.

  Sunset Legions/Vault Legions: Inro's Legions, wiped out by Aj in Sunset

  Surgon: person able to remove organs

  Swirl: A verse. "The pleasure barges of Swirl"

  Syphon: machine ConMach uses to "drain the very life" and color from a verse to "fuel... machinery"

  Tangle, The: the jungles of the One-Eighth

  Terminus: the verse from which the Gates all opened, hub of the Book before The Kiss and now mostly abandoned.

  Thorn: huge, curling thorns which Valeers can use as gateways to the Vale, doorways between verses. Grow into verses over centuries. The 2√3 Dynasty.

  Thrum: guide in the Black Court

  Tribunal: group of three Dynasts coming together to make ruling or pass judgment

  Twine: "one soul threaded through two bodies"

  Unkillable Swordsman: a Paragon killed by Deia long ago

  Vale: "The Place Between". A realm of high-contrast black and white full of thorns and Thorns.

  Vale Walkers: discoverers of verses

  Valeer: people capable of activating Thorns, barely functional of anything else

  Valeer's 'nail: crystals containing wafers that allow travel within the Vale to specific verses without a Valeer

  Venger: muscle man?

  Verse: a pocket universe or world

  Verser Lord/Lady: agents of an individual Dynast who rule part of a verse at the whim of their Dynast

  Vibrant: color-changing individuals from Ink?

  Watter: an energetic liquid. "Currence melts to watter. Watter's current dissipates over time, leaving water."

  Weeping Falls: Jadeye Iris flowing with waterfalls

  Wicker Way: towers of stone, wood, and rope that connect opposite far sides of Jadeye

  Wiz of Berujat: multi-minded, capable of performing multiple tasks simultaneously

  World Spear: an immense stack on Stacks

  Wretch: untouchables forced to walk on all fours, "the human refuse that cleans up the literal waste piles"

  Wretch Plague/Dynast's Plague: the flu. A horrific disease spread by Wretches.

  Wyres: lines run through the Vale between verses that allow communication between. A giant Ziggurat