Safiral: a succulent fruit of the Dal Shang area which grows on sturdy bush. The fruit is long and yellow, resembling a squash in appearance, and is much in demand simply because it tastes good.

Sahelo River: rises near Korvan Saleh and flows north about 600 miles to join the Han Ko River.

Salenian Way: the major north-south highway of the Empire. It parallels the An-Kiu River, remaining on the west bank, and runs from Lyn Tirian to Tilal Ming. This is a class B Imperial Highway, paved (needs some repair in spots) and having bridges over all watercourses it encounters (if you assume that it stops just short of the mouth of the Kerang; there is a good ferry at that point, however). At least, it's supposed to have bridges...

Samanhai: another name for Bensamin, a former tribal kingdom of the Naowei, now incorporated into Dansho-Riba Province.

Sangarans: aboriginal race of the Trier Coast; see Handbook.

San Lo Hara and San Kera Li Forests: on the upland flanking the Simtakka Valley to the east, between the valley and the mountains. Perhaps only a people on the edge of a great plain could call these areas "forest." The land here slopes up toward the east to meet the foothills of the Han Torra Khang, and it is clothed in scattered and open groves of juniper, oak, and nut pines. Many small streams come down from the Han Torra into this area, fading to nothing by the time they approach the Simtakka Valley but encouraging grassy meadows and thickets of sturdy bushes. Game is fairly plentiful here, except in the worst seasons; deer and wild pig are hunted on these park-like slopes.

Sanso: common name for the fourth month of the year. See Sinan-So.

San-Virandar Hills: a hilly region in southwestern Aryai. The San-Virandar are the rugged, weathered remains of a volcanic region which developed as a spur of the Han Torra Khang and which now form a bridge between that great range and the San-Laniris Hills of Lanres Hanar Province. These hills are very fertile, the slopes being grassy, the valleys shady with trees, and the ridges crowned with pink-flowered ming bushes--in the spring, parties sometimes come to the San-Virandars from Aryai Ling to view the blossoms. A modest amount of placer gold comes from these hills, and there is some mining of copper and turquoise here near Chanir. The San-Virandar, like the San-Laniris and the Ti-Yona Spur, lie between the Asti Lio and Kerang Rivers.

Sapani: a pita- or tortilla-like bread that is one of the staple foods, along with kesho, of the Empire.

Saviralodi Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Scepter of Skoldra: the official title of the High Priest of Skoldra.

Sea Guard: sailors and marines in medium and small ships in the Trier Coast Regiment of the Border Legion; they operate out of Fort Chani at the mouth of Dal Shang harbor.

Secomar: another name for the sencomar, which see.

Sedonal: another name for the sendonal, which see.

Semdi: the third day of the Adantri week, equivalent to Wednesday. It is named after Sameniar the Just, third emperor of the Harin Dynasty.

Semontir: another name for the senmotir, which see.

Semra No River: a mountain stream about 200 miles long which rises in the Han Torra Khang and flows west to join the Han Ko River near Simtakka. It is clear, steep, and fairly reliable.

Senar: the next-to-the-highest rank of Adantri nobility; the number of senars is strictly limited to one hundred.

Sencomar, or secomar: a member of a senar family who is not the title holder but is worthy of high respect. A sencomar has the rights and privileges of a comar.

Sendonal, or sedonal: a member of a senar family who is not the title holder but is worthy of high respect. A sendonal is treated as a donal.

Senior: a retired high priest or abbot.

Senmontir, or semontir: a member of a senar family who is not the title holder but is worthy of high respect. A senmontir is considered the equal of a montir.

Sentiral, or setiral: a member of a senar family who is not the title holder but is worthy of high respect. A sentiral ranks as a normal tiral, or as any of the secondary "tirals" from families ranked above that level.

Serintha-Gourrina: earth goddess worshipped in Mazgourrah, probably simply Gheal under another name. She is considered to be the "wife" of Mantor here.

Servant of Vahar: the official title of the High Priest/ess of Vahar, whose gender is concealed as carefully as the deity's.

Setiral: another name for the sentiral, which see.

Shadow Dragon Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Shanar: a breed of horse from the Blue Hills, not fast but strong and with good endurance, very sure-footed. It is generally of moderate size (fourteen or fifteen hands), dun colored, and stocky.

Shanar Ko Hills: range of low hills in southwestern Pelang; coal is mined here.

Shan-Kiang: a deer- or antelope-like animal found in the lands bordering the Twisted Lands. The shan-kiang has a silky, dense, pale fur which is highly valued; their slender horns are ivory-colored and gracefully curved. They are very fast and agile and difficult to hunt.

Shialinsar Hills: the hills at the foot of the Eastern Wall, otherwise known as the World's Edge, in Harin-Tiran Province. The hills are of moderate height, more rugged as they approach the foot of the Eastern Wall (a lot of really BIG chunks of rock have fallen from that two-thousand-foot cliff over the years), and lightly wooded. The springs which come out of the cliff and eventually form the Nin Ho Tiran River flow first through these hills, making them one of the best-watered parts of the province. The hills support a lot of game animals: various sorts of deer, antelope, and rock sheep (similar to a mountain goat) being the commonest, but there are kitika, valued for their furs, also--and predators such as wolves and stonelions.

Shikana Hills: a group of moderate hills in western Miroi, in Shikana District. They are a fair agricultural area, most of the hills being terraced from foot to summit for vineyards and orchards. There are groves along the streams and here and there on the slopes, but even in the more isolated areas they could not truly be considered forest.

Shikana Road: runs west from the Tal Kang ferry on the An-Kiu River in Miroi Province; it is (on maps, at least) a continuation of the Ninotiran Road to the east of the River. It is class C over most of its length, but deteriorates to class D at the western end.

Shinarjo Hills: the hills at the southern end of the Jade Panther Hills. They are higher than the Kinarus to the east across the Silu Tan Valley, and somewhat rougher, but similar in origin. They are mostly forested, as are the Kinaru Hills, but though the forests are similar, the wild inhabitants of the Shinarjos are likely to be more dangerous: deer, to be sure, but the large and short-tempered stonehart may be found here as well as the common deer, the evil-minded jadai boar--a species of wild pig that grows as big as a pony, mountain wolves, an occasional ma-taro or gray bear (though they usually stay farther north where the mountains are higher and even less populous), and three types of mountain feline--the great suidan, the spotted jianlu, and the small but fierce ki-tai (again, these are more common in Jade Hills Province, but a hunter cannot disregard the possibility of their presence).

Shistalas Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Silence of Kudath: the official title of the High Priest of Kudath.

Silk Road: a major or Great Road, running more or less east and west across the center of the Empire. For most of its distance through the Empire it is paved. A class A road.

Silotian Way: runs north from Chin Ki Fan on the Silk Road in Miroi Province, up the west bank of the Silu Tan River to Terna Lyrl. It is a class C road, suitable for wagons.

Siluona: a minor river goddess worshipped along the lower Silu Tan River.

Silukyn Road: a class C highway going southwest from Daiyla Kiv. It is suitable for wagon traffic and serves the farmers to the south and west of the city, as well as the towns along the Silu Tan River.

Silu Tan River: an important tributary of the An-Kiu, draining the eastern slopes of the Jade Panther Hills and running 300 miles or more from the town of Jade Mountain to its mouth opposite Miroi Chang. It carries a large volume of water and is deep, with a strong current; in the spring and early summer it is very muddy.

Silu Tan Valley: the valley of the Silu Tan River, which has a rather U-shaped profile, with steep hill-faces on either flank and a relatively flat floor much subject to flooding.

Silver Fan Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Silver Web Society: a well-known teva society.

Simira: a minor goddess, probably of Drahnore origin, who is now known only as the "Lady of the Flowers." If she had some specific function in the lives of her worshippers, it is no longer remembered.

Sinang River: river mostly in Fan Zirlyn Province, flows west from the southern end of the Blue Hills to join the An-Kiu River at Lio Pelang. The Sinang is deep and turbulent, fast, full of rapids, and difficult to bridge. It has never been known to freeze over, although backwaters sometimes carry ice in the winter. The level of this river is prone to rise or fall for no readily apparent reason.

Sinang Trail: runs from Liho An-Min to Dan-Kia Fan and then on to the An-Kiu River, mostly along the north bank of the Sinang River. It is officially a class C road but usually class D in practice; not recommended for wagons.

Sinan-So: the fourth month of the year, commonly called Sanso. It is named after the third, or Siniar Dynasty. It is about the same as April.

Singing Cricket: an insect found in the Lerono district of Dal Shang (among other places), and kept as a pet by some people. It is less unpleasant to listen to than most crickets but an appreciation for its "music" must be learned.

Sin Tira Plain: This is a shallow bowl in the hills, stony and inhospitable. There is a sparse cover of salt grass on the slopes, but the center is barren alkali. In a rainy season, the center holds a shallow lake with boggy edges. The water in that lake is drinkable only at its first appearance, rapidly becoming too alkaline to endure--and, due to the rapid development of the marshy edges, too dangerous to approach.

Skaithvarn Peninsula: separated from Dal Shang by the Bay of Itril and just visible from high ground on a clear day; it is not Lirith Kai land.

Skoldra: the chief god of the Drahnore Pantheon, patron of kings and final arbiter in all matters. He is sometimes claimed as the original sire of the Imperial line; this is unlikely if only because there have been so many dynasties since the founding of the Empire that no one can claim with certainty that the blood of the original founder, Harin the Uniter, does or does not run in the veins of the current emperor, Dian sen Lakha. The High Priest is called the Scepter of Skoldra.

Smile of Irila: the official title of the High Priestess of Irila. She has other, less courteous, titles, in keeping with her goddess's love of pleasure and lack of morals, the most common being the Whore of Irila; to call her this in her hearing, or that of anyone who might report to her, is to invite a very unpleasant and probably fatal encounter.

Southern Guard: cavalry units in the Trier Coast Regiment of the Border Legion who operate out of Fort Han Mai and patrol the edge of the Twisted Lands; mentioned in the Handbook.

Southern Ocean, or Southern Sea: the apparently endless body of salt water which lies south of Lirith Kai. Informed opinion states that it runs south for a thousand miles and then pours off the edge of the world into an abyss.

Spicewood: a tree of the jungle with a dark wood that smells like cinnamon and vanilla when it is warm. It is a dense wood and takes a good polish.

Spirit Hound Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Stalking Lion: a cult or warrior society or society found in southern Hadarana and northern Lubana provinces.

Star-Master Society: a well-known teva society.

Stonedancer Society: a warrior society found in the Jade Panther Hills.

Stonehart: a large and short-tempered species of deer found in the Jade Panther Hills and the Han Torra Khang.

Stonelion: a predatory feline resembling a mountain lion, found around the edges of the Twisted Lands. They are solitary hunters and known for the unpredictability and bloodlust.

Stone Shadow Society: a regional society found mostly in Fan Zirlyn Province.

Stony Waste: an area of relatively level ground between the Ko Hira Hills and the Western Bluffs of the Simtakka Valley. The Stony Waste is just that--a plain of stones, mostly smaller than a man's hand, where very little grows. There is considerable sand here, which moves under the spring winds and attempts to invade the northern croplands.

Stormbuck: a large deerlike animal found in the outer edges of the Twisted Lands. They have very dense coats and seem impervious to the weather. Because of their size and the thick fur that protects their vitals, they are difficult to kill. Many a stormbuck, even when mortally injured, has managed to gore men, horses, and hounds, taking its killers with it into death.

Storm Ridge: a line of hills running parallel to and just north of the Great West Road in Liho Province. These hills were probably formed by faulting, as the north face is steep and abrupt, while the southern side slopes gently down to the Plain of Niming. They are said to have received their name because they shelter that stretch of the Great West Road from the worst of the winter storms. Along the crest of the Ridge and extending along the shoulders which reach down toward the West Road is a strip of oak forest having a dense undergrowth of sumac, bramble, and the like, which helps make it an effective windbreak; this shrubby wood is home to many kinds of game.

Storm Wheel Society: a nationally known warrior society; see under warrior societies.

Student: as a term of rank, one who is at the bottom of the priestly hierarchy and who may or may not go on to become a priest; one engaged in study at a temple or associated academy.

Subgovernors: the ruler of a provincial district. They are Imperial appointees, independently of the Lord Governors of the province in which their district is located. If not already a noble of the rank of donal or higher, a subgovernor is treated as holding that rank. The most able of the subgovernor who wish to do so eventually become lord governors. (Some prefer to remain with the lesser responsibility of the district post.)

Subgovernor Magistrate: the ruler of a town or city, usually a provincial capital which is not directly under the authority of some district subgovernor. The subgovernor magistrate, like the subgovernor and the lord governor, is an Imperial appointee; he ranks below a subgovernor in the bureaucratic hierarchy and if necessary is given the courtesy title of comar.

Suidan: a large mountain feline, somewhat resembling a puma. It is found in the Jade Panther Hills, and also in the Han Torra Khang. It is also sometimes called the jade panther, for its bluish-gray color, and the hills are named for it.

Sujin-kati: a large game bird, on the order of a domestic turkey in size but not so stupid, found in the Mirion Hills.

Su Ming Hills: in Minho Province, on the west bank of the An-Kiu River just north of the mouth of the White Jade River. The Su Mings are good vineyard country.

Summer Fair: an annual late-summer event at Dal Shang drawing merchants from all over the Empire and from around the coasts of the Trier Sea. It is held on the beach north of Dal Shang Harbor.

Sun Kingdom: the first large Adantri kingdom in the southern An-Kiu Valley, formed by the uniting of the Eleven Warlords (and probably a few smaller fry) before the Empire itself came into existence. The Sun Kingdom is said to have given its name to the Sun Legion.

Sun-King Horses: a breed or line of riding horses developed by the Marankan family at their Imperial Heart estate. The horses are tall (sixteen or seventeen hands, usually) and yellow, fiery-tempered and powerful in action. Although they are ridden in the city, they are more suited for--and more valued for--their suitability for the Great Hunt.

Sun Legion: the elite fighting force of the Empire, composed entirely of paladins and under the direct command of the Emperor.

Surjina: one who is cursed with bad luck. It is generally said that a surjina will bring bad luck to any who associate with him.

Surzhang: bad luck, the opposite of meijang. In common usage, it is more than just unfortunate accident or coincidence and suggests an actively hostile agent: "cursed," or "pursued by an evil fate" might be closer to it. Also spelled/pronounced surjang, but less often.

Sweet Ming: a honey-and-beer drink made from the pods of the ming bush in the southern part of the Empire. See ming bush for a description.

Sword of Dalgur: the official title of the High Priest of Dalgur.

Swordsman Empire: another name for the Empire of Lirith Kai.

Swordwood: found in Tildak District, Dakorin Province, it is hard enough to take an edge and has been used for making swords, hence its name. It is impossible to burn swordwood in a normal fire--only that of a blacksmith's forge gets hot enough to ignite this dense wood.