The Vildecaz Talents: The complete set of Vildecaz Stories including Nimuar's Loss, The Deceptive Oracle and Agnith's Promise (88 page)

Tiumboj
[Teeoom- BOHZH]  – new capital of the Porzalk Empire

Tobrach
[Toh-BRATCH]  – the county controlled by a Tobrine

Tobraj
[Toh-BRAZH]  – the child of a Tobrine

Tobreon
[Toh-BREE-on]  – of or pertaining to a Tobrine

Tobrine
[Toh-BREEN]  – an ancient rank for certain Drowned World nobles or the fourth degree

Tobrinee
[Toh-BREEN- ay]  – consort of a Tobrine

Toivanoch
[TOY-vah-notch]  – King of Waniat

tongue-satin
  – beautiful, clingy cloth from Haverartbow

tourmill-egs
[TOUR-mihll]  – from the goose-like tourmill-bird; the eggs are large and blue-spotted and considered especially nutritious

treemonk
  – similar to a chipmonk, but larger

Tsampaj [
Tsahm-PAHZH]  – god of the forest preserve of Vildecaz

Tsandej, Rygnee
[TSAHN-dehzh, REEN-yay]  – Erianthee’s travel-maid

Tsendae-fish
[Tsehn-DEYE]  – similar to koi, kept by collectors

tsinwaj-flowers
[TSIHN-wahzh]  – hyper-fragrant early-spring bloomer; blossoms range from pale pink to brilliant reds to deep violet

Tsoraj, the Enduring
[TSOH-rahzh]  – god of the bones of the earth, all forms of minerals, mines, jewels, skeletons, masonry, and metallurgy; third son of Agnith

Tsorech
[TSOH-retch]  – Porzalk Empire Province, site of the Old Capital city of Martsingoz

Tsumohr
[TSOO-more]  – demi-god of scholarship in Vildecaz; son of Lenchmai the Informer and a brainy mortal woman

tube-bread
  – a dense bread cooked in a tube.

Tuleraj, Amiroz
[Too-LEH-rahzh, Ah-MIH-rohz]  – present landlord of The Ancient Song, Sinlaj Ozhadin’s nephew

Tushan-Loz
[TOO-shahn-LOHZ]  – another island in The Tail

Udugan
[OO-doo-gan]  – a rich and prosperous Porzalk Province, also one of the largest provinces, stretching from the southeast side of Theninzalk on the Kozareaon Sea, comprising all the parts not controlled by the League of Kozareon Cities, and angling up across the Theninzalk heartland to the edge of Otsimohr.

Udugandish
  – of or pertaining to Udugan

Udugan Inkwine
  – especially potent, dark wine from Undugan

Umbow Federation of Merchant Cities
[OOM-boh]  – the allied cities of the coastal southwest of Haverartbow; matrilineal in inheritance but patrilineal in nomenclature

Umver, Sinj
[OOM-vehr, SIHNZH]  – a somewhat reliable guide in the Boarth Range

urajin
[OO-rah-zhihn]  – a long-necked stringed instrument with four drone strings and four plucked ones.

Uwarnaz, Encantheon
[Oo-WAHR-nahz, En-cahn-THEE-ohn]  – ancient Mirkal of Zaralk

Valdihovee
[VAHL-dih-
ho
-vay]  – Vildecazin city on the River Dej, below Vildecaz Castle; an important trading port

Valdishan
[VAHL-dih-shahn] Escarpment  – the mountains Vildecaz Castle is built upon, the end of the Boarth Range

Van, Chormi
[VAHN, CHOHR-mee]  – coachman and valet to Poyneilum Zhanf

Varian
  – the military head of federated cities or states on Theninzalk

Variat
  – administrative head of federated cities or states on Theninzalk

varrolei
[VAHR-roh-lay]  – a square-sleeved open robe of Fahnine origin

Vault of Meilianoz [
May-lee-AHN-ohz]  – the heart of Tiumboj Castle

veari
[vay-AH-ree]  – Fahnine shape-changer, about the same mass as an Irish setter

Veth
[VEHTH]  – capital city of Udugan, located as near to the middle of the province as possible

Vethcaz, Romjai
[VEHTH-cahz, Rohm-ZHEYE]  – Hajmindor Elet’s postilion

Vercaz-Old-Fortress
[VEHR-cahz]  – ancient Vildecazin town and fortification

Vildecaz
[VIHL-deh-cahz]: small, semi-autonomous duzky on the northwest side of the Polzark Empire, facing the Drowned World

Vildecazin
  – of or pertaining to Vildecaz

voiture
  – the act of lighting magic candles

wallow-moj
[MOHZH]  – a swamp-dwelling bad-tempered beast something like a cross between a wild boar and a hippo; about the size of a cow

Warinach Mountains
[WAHR-ih-natch] – the eastern boundary between Udugan and Porcaz

Weeping Moon
  – in the Tenth or Eleventh month

wenrir
[wehn-REER]  – a juniper-like berry-producing thicket; the berry that comes  from it is highly valued

Wiandoj, Boriar
[WY-ahn-dohzh, BOH-ree-ahr]  – one of Hajmindor Elet’s officers

wisp-cotton
  – from southern Theninzalk or northern Fah, very fine-spun, sheer cotton

Womilaj
[Woh-MIH-lahzh]  – seal-brown pony

Womotomaj, the Fabricator
[Woh-moh-TOH-mahzh]  – god of all things constructed, bridges, roads, governmental structure, law courts, mendacity, and fabrication; the oldest son of Hyneimoj

Worjinranth Falls
[Wohr-ZHIHN-rahnth]  – high, broad falls on the River Dej, and the eastern end of the Dej River Road

World on Dozinthroee, and a chapter house on Zegul-Gnax;
Nimuar was trained there.

wyn
[WEEN]  – a Theninzaylin distance of about 2.3 miles

Wyrenthee
[Weye-REHN-they]  – fabled seductress of pre-Cataclysmic times

xanji
[KSAHN-zhee]  – mythic stag-headed sphynx

Xerizan
[Ksehr-EE-zahn]  – a remote fishing village

Yaee
[Yah-AY] –  consort of a Yao

Yahmah
[Yah-MAH]  – the territory of a Yao

Yao
[YAHOW]  – a noble of the fourth degree and of a Founding Family

Yaolaj
[Yah-oh-LAHZH]  – oldest child of a Yao

Yaonoi
[Yah-oh-NOY]  – all other children of a Yao

Yatsoleon, Gavviz
[Yah-TSOH-lay-on, Gah-VIHZ]  – Imperial messenger

Year Crown
  – the Last and First Days, one of the five yearly festivals

Yenotomaj
[Yeh-noh-TOH-mazh]  – god of diplomacy, contracts, unmagical intent, group dynamics, social dealings, clarity and obfuscation, and societal change.

Ymiljesai
[Yee-mil-ZHEH-sigh] the Fifth World, west of the Drowned World and slightly north of Fah

Ymiljesin
  – of or pertaining to Ymiljesai

ympara-oil
[yihm-PAH-rah]  – magical oil used in conjurations and protective spells

Yqumil [
Yeck-MIHL]  – grain-growing region on Ymiljesai

Ysmil
[Yes-MIHL]  – agricultural valley on Ymiljesai

Ysmili-fruit
[Yehs-MEE-lee]  – a slick-skinned grapefruit-sized peach-like fruit.

Yrich
[YE-ritch]  – footman at Vildecaz Castle

Yveth
[YE-vehth]  – the plague city of Porzalk, now a ruin

Yew Trees
  – a tavern in Valdihovee

Zaralk region
[ZAHR-ahlk] – in the southern part of Otsinmohr Province

Zaroga-Jin
[Zah-ROH-gah-ZIHN]  – Palace in the ancient city of Jinoarthcaz

Zarifaenee
[Zah-ree-FEYE-ney]  – an important trading island east-southeast from Theninzalk

Zaythomaj, the Retributionist
[Zahv-THOH-mahzh]  – god of justice and karma, of redressed wrongs, and cosmological magic; one of the Six Founder Gods
,
and patron of Pomig

Zegul-Gnax
[Zay-GOOL-Nyaks]  – the largest island in The Tail, about the size of New Zealand (both islands)

Zeimanevee
[Zay-mah-NEE-vey]  – goddess of winter

zenft
[ZEHNFT]  – a smock-like shirt worn in cold weather

Zengoarst
[Zayn-goh-AHRST] Sea  – one of the larger seas of the Drowned World.

Zhanf, Poyneilum
[ZHAHNF, Poy-NAY-loom]  – Priest of Mirvex-Dor and good friend to Nimuar

zhorel-wood
[zhoh-REHL]  – a particularly durable wood from the north of Theninzalk

Zjin-Fah
[dzheen-FAH]  – the equatorial and semi-equatorial northwestern peninsula of Fah, traditional opponents of and competitors with the Porzalk Empire

zlatz [
ZLAHTZ]  – fairly mild curse, similar to damn

Zomercaz, Haverdin
[Zoh-MEHR-cahz, HAH-vehr-dihn]   – Court herald in Tiumboj

Zunah
[ZOO-nah]  – Porzalk Empire’s imperial autumnal assembly, in the Tenth Month      after the second full moon following the Autumnal Equinox, one of the five yearly festivals

zyriha-cat
[zigh-REE-hah]  – a Fahnine big cat, very dangerous, similar to a tiger.

A professional writer for more than forty years, Yarbro has sold over eighty books, more than seventy works of short fiction, and more than three dozen essays, introductions, and reviews.  She also composes serious music.  Her first professional writing  – in 1961-2  –  was as a playwright for a now long-defunct children’s theater company.  By the mid-60s she had switched to writing stories and hasn’t stopped yet.

After leaving college in 1963 and until she became a full-time writer in 1970, she worked as a demographic cartographer, and still often drafts maps for her books, and occasionally for the books of other writers.

She has a large reference library with books on a wide range of subjects, everything from food and fashion to weapons and trade routes to religion and law.  She is constantly adding to it as part of her on-going fascination with history and culture; she reads incessantly, searching for interesting people and places that might provide fodder for stories.

In 1997 the Transylvanian Society of Dracula bestowed a literary knighthood on Yarbro, and in 2003 the World Horror Association presented her with a Grand Master award.   In 2006 the International Horror Guild enrolled her among their Living Legends, the first woman to be so honored; the Horror Writers Association gave her a Life Achievement Award in 2009.

A skeptical occultist for forty years, she has studied everything from alchemy to zoomancy, and in the late 1970s worked occasionally as a professional tarot card reader and palmist at the Magic Cellar in San Francisco.