Samael's Fire Read online

Page 13


  counselor

  Firebird

  Female, the unnamed first born of a Triune Contract. She serves as advisor to her brother when he becomes king.

  counselor’s dagger

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  The symbol of a counselor’s position, the dagger is a gift from her breeder. The hilt jewel represents the breeder’s totem.

  Delilah

  Firebird

  Kairo’s black Maltese dog.

  Dix

  Firebird

  Architect of Allel. A ghost who fights the condition. Lover of Steve.

  DOGs

  Samael’s Fire

  Defenders of Gaia. Ecological terrorists bent on destroying all polluting entities.

  Durga

  Series

  The Chosen One. Asherah’s favored person. Marked by Asherah with blood-red hair. A chalice. Totem: black widow spider. Durga means unattainable, twelve-armed warrior.

  Edmund

  Firebird

  King of Allel.

  Emissary

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  Representative of Red City who collects bleeders from around the world. Durga was the first Emissary, Jordana the second.

  Empani

  Series

  A special species. Not human. Shapeshifters who take form according to human desires. They avoid humans and stay in “nests” in nonpopulated areas. Nobody knows what they want.

  exotic

  Series

  Human being, mutant. Hairless, extraordinarily tall, irises change color according to their mood. At first shunned like ghosts and Pteryi, but coveted after the Emperor acknowledged their beauty.

  Faina

  Spiderwork

  A chalice. Totem: lotus flower

  Father Jesse

  Firebird

  Priest of Samael with special powers.

  Garrick (city, corporation)

  Series

  At the time of the cataclysm, the world’s most powerful corporation. Later, the world’s most powerful city-state. Worst polluter on the planet, yet the city survived the cataclysm intact. Samael’s favored city.

  Geraldo

  Samael’s Fire, Spiderwork

  Son of Reynaldo. Co-founder of Red City.

  Gerhold

  Firebird

  Blade master of Red City. Gerhold means ruler of the spear.

  ghosts

  Series

  Human beings. The “ghosting” gene is a mutation caused by excessive buildup of toxins. The gene is triggered by a critical level of stress. Symptoms: loss of all body hair, loss of much muscle mass, extreme apathy. No will to eat, play, make love. At first thought fatal, later found to be treatable.

  Great Chain of Being

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  Concept of hierarchy imposed by goddess Asherah. From the top down: Emperor, king, aristocrat, citizen, citadeller, settlement worker, the soulless, wildlings. Chalices and proof-of-service children are independent of the chain.

  Hamish Drahan

  Spiderwork

  Allel’s Master of hydroponics.

  Harriet

  Firebird

  Physician of Red City. Lover of blood oranges.

  Hibernia

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  City-state in the new reality. In Firebird, Harold is the king. Has the charter on building airships.

  ISS, Imperial Space Station

  Samael’s Fire

  Administrative center of the Imperium, located in orbit.

  Ithaca

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  City-state in the new reality. Has the charter on building ocean-going vessels.

  Jack

  Firebird

  Chief carpenter of Allel.

  Jake Ardri

  Samael’s Fire, Spiderwork

  Pilot of the Space Junque. Son of Magda and the Emperor. Founder of Allel, lover of Char Meadowlark. Ardri means legendary high king.

  Jasmine

  Firebird

  Proof-of-service female. Attendant on the Blackbird.

  Jordana

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  An exotic and chalice. Daughter of Rani, second Emissary of Red City. Totem: mongoose.

  Kairo

  Firebird

  Bleeder from Muskova. Natural born, of royal blood. Destined for greatness. Totem: peacock feather.

  Khai of Luxor

  Spiderwork

  Scion and future King of Luxor. A musician.

  Kim (Kimlel)

  Firebird

  A bleeder, member of Prime Hub.

  King Harold

  Firebird

  King of Hibernia, lover of stout.

  Kronos

  Firebird

  Nin’s white Maltese dog.

  Lady Bron (Bronagh)

  Firebird

  Aristocrat of Garrick who “lets go of her name” to become counselor by special dispensation. Runs Garrick when King Garrick is indisposed.

  Lady Drahan

  Firebird

  Mother of Claire. Lives in Allel. Social climber.

  Lady Helen

  Firebird

  One of Mal’s Ladies of the Hours at Allel.

  Lily

  Firebird

  A proof-of-service female befriended by Mal.

  Magda Ardri

  Samael’s Fire, Spiderwork

  The Emperor’s favorite consort and mother of Jake Ardri. First Matriarch of Red City. Owner of the Space Junque.

  Mal (Mallory)

  Firebird

  Heroine of Firebird. A chalice. Mallory means bad luck. Totem: firebird.

  Maribel

  Samael’s Fire, Spiderwork

  One of the original nine chalices.

  Matriarch

  Series

  The head administrator of Red City. The original matriarch was the headmistress of Durga’s school before the cataclysm. The first matriarch of Red City was Magda Ardri. Durga was the second.

  Mike Augustine

  Samael’s Fire

  Sky Meadowlark’s fiancé, governor of the Imperial Space Station.

  Nin (Ninny, Ninshubur)

  Firebird

  Mal’s best friend at Red City. Her name means Inanna’s (Asherah’s) warrior maiden. Totem: a talaris (winged sandal)

  Pala (Gopala)

  Firebird

  Mal’s best friend before going to Red City. Weapon is a longbow made of yew. Designed mechanical arrows that dispense poison strong enough to kill a raptor. Gopala means protector of cows.

  Palada (Jarlvidar)

  Firebird

  Husband of Palama (Verdandi), father of Pala (Gopala). Named after his grandfather, the Imperial jeweler. Uses the same maker’s mark: seven pomegranate seeds. Jarlvidar means the chief who will avenge his father’s death in the end times.

  Palama (Verdandi)

  Firebird

  Mother of Pala (Gopala), wife of Palada (Jarlvidar). Verdandi means becoming, happening; Verdandi was a Norse goddess of present time.

  Prince Garrick (Firebird)

  Firebird

  Prince, then king, of Garrick during the events in Firebird. Tried to exploit the Mallory myth. Refused to return his dead sister’s dagger to her breeder.

  Prince Garrick (Spiderwork)

  Spiderwork

  The first of the scions of Garrick to become a king under the new-world city-state structure. Wanted to control all scarce resources.

  Ptery

  Series

  A bleeder/chalice with the pterygium mutation, a wing-like gauzy film that covers the eyes. Pteryi lose their longevity, but not their fertility. Red City removes the uterus of someone who “goes Ptery” so they can’t pass on the Ptery gene.

  Queen Chiyo

  Firebird

  Queen of Nippon. First counselor to invoke The Queen Clause.

  Queen Clause

  Firebird

  An obscure clause in the Concords, the new world’s governing document. I
t provides that, in the event that a counselor turns bleeder, she will become the monarch of her city and her brother will become counselor.

  Quidel

  Firebird

  Operates the tattoo parlor in the arcade called The Tat Man.

  Rani

  Samael’s Fire, Spiderwork

  Daughter of Emperor. Jake’s half-sister, mother of Jordana. An exotic.

  raptors

  Series

  Predatory birds mutated to gigantic size during the cataclysm. Found in the northern hemisphere.

  Reynaldo

  Samael’s Fire

  Co-founder of Red City (Sanguibahd) with Geraldo, his son.

  Roh (Rohna)

  Firebird

  Chalice, member of Prime Hub. Totem: chaos star.

  Samael

  Series

  Creator god. Emanation of Theletos, Sophia’s rejected mate. Created “the ten thousand things” (the material world) including human beings. The Empani adore him. Properly mated to Asherah, he pays no attention to her—which pisses her off.

  Sister Marin

  Firebird

  Former chalice, teacher in Red City. Expertise in special species. Totem, jackrabbit.

  Sky (Scylla) Meadowlark

  Series

  Char Meadowlark’s twin sister. Their full names are Charybdis and Scylla. Their mother named them after monsters because she didn’t want to have children.

  Space Junque

  Samael’s Fire

  Shuttle owned by Magda Ardri, given to her by the Emperor, flown by her son Jake Ardri

  special species

  Series

  Species which came into being at the end of the old reality and into the next. Some special species are: raptors, Empani, Ptery, exotics, ghosts.

  Steve

  Firebird

  Allel’s head engineer

  Talibanos Unidos

  Samael’s Fire

  Pre-cataclysm terrorist group, more interested in religion than ecology. Destroyed the Los Angeles/San Diego zone.

  Tesla

  Series

  Alternative energy source, derived from orbiting solar net. Developed by team that included Sky Meadowlark

  The Blackbird

  Spiderwork, Firebird

  Fabulous transport with all the bells and whistles. Belonged to Garrick, then Red City.

  totem

  Series

  Symbol which signifies a chalice is ready to be consecrated, bestowed by Asherah. Says something about a chalice’s fundamental nature.

  Tyler

  Samael’s Fire

  Navigator of the Space Junque

  Vacation Station

  Samael’s Fire

  Orbiting space station. Vacation spot for the rich and well-connected.