The Angel and the Architect Glossary

(Note: Potential spoilers if you aren’t currently reading The Angel and the Architect)

Agruvan: Holy, elemental magic wielded by the people of Asodhra. The Three Sisters approve the channeling of all elements except darkness. From the Asodhrani Agru, meaning "storm" or "fire," and Van, meaning "blood."

Altar of Beasts: A sacrificial altar dedicated to Unayam, erected by the Jiha tribe before their conversion to Inavani and the Three Sisters.

Araja: One of the two vandals of Sonanarth's great library. Along with Pyoshara, Araja's carelessness allowed the library to be flooded.

Architect of the Heavens: An epithet of Rasha, given to him by the Three Sisters before his downfall. The Sisters originally chose Rasha to construct the celestial paradise of Nyavaru.

Arconartha: One of the two great campuses of Jihavu. Arconartha housed the institutions established by Lord Arconas, namely the Great Hospital, the Temple of the Choirs, and the Meditation Gardens.

Arconas: The First Angel, the champion of the Three Sisters in early antiquity.

Asodhra: A great continent covering roughly one-third of the planet Kiru's surface. It means "the land that faces the heavens" in the language of the cosmos.

Asodhrani: The language of the cosmos, originally taught to humanity by Inavani and the Three Sisters. Used in ritual and magic. In the present day, it is guarded by the Marazhen caste, who teach it to both the Deshriva and Kalayam.

Aurya: One of the Three Sisters. The goddess of the sun. Mother to the Sonani people and matron goddess of Sonan.

Borunaka: The capital city of the Burahn people.

Burahn: The children of the fertile earth, the people who worship Emereshal as their matron goddess.

Children of Rasha: Another name for the Rashura, those who sided with Rasha during his rebellion and were transformed into demons as punishment.

Choirs of Arconas: The order of oral historians in Asodhran society, charged with recording all of history. Members of the choirs live in both Asodhra (as humans), and in Nyavaru (as Jeshtar).

Cosmic Descent: Inavani's descent from the deep cosmos and her arrival in Asodhra. This event marks the beginning of the Asodhran calendar.

Day of Wickedness: The first Yorunai raid on the Jiha people.

Deshriva: The second highest caste of Asodhran society. From the Asodhrani word for "noon." The Deshriva are warriors and politicians.

Divine Fingerprint: Inavani's mark upon the human heart and soul. Provides humanity with reason, separating them from animals. Enables the use of magic. In the present day, all people in Asodhra are marked with the fingerprint.

Doctrine of the Four Vocations: The sacred teaching that each citizen of Asodhran society must belong to one of four vocations: Marazhen, Deshriva, Kalayam, or Thovur. The four vocations create balance and harmony within society. The vocations can also be thought of as castes.

Drogar: A tribe of pale-skinned nomadic warriors that worshipped Unayam.

Egg of Dissent: The corrupting influence implanted into Rasha by Unayam. The egg symbolizes Unayam's lies, and does not refer to a physical object.

Emereshal: One of the Three Sisters. The goddess of fertile earth and spring water. Mother to the Burahn people.

Eternal City: An epithet of Jihavu.

Father of Beasts: An epithet of Unayam.

Father of Demons: An epithet of Rasha, given to him sometime after his downfall.

First Angel: An epithet of Arconas, the champion of the Three Sisters in early antiquity.

Foundry: Jihavu's society of metallurgists, established by Lord Rasha.

Godbeast: An epithet of Unayam.

Great Rashura War: A civil war, orchestrated by Lord Rasha in Jihavu. Those loyal to Rasha joined him in his war against the Three Sisters, and were transformed into demonic beings known as Rashura for their transgressions. The Rashura lost the war and were banished to South Asodhra by Lord Arconas.

Hymn of Creation: Inavani's sacred song that echoed across all Asodhra, and drew all people of the world to Jihavu.

Imehu: The capital city of the Kephet people.

Inavani: The Undivided Goddess. Inavani descended to Asodhra from the deep cosmos in early antiquity and split herself into the Three Sisters to enlighten humanity.

Jakkan Nithilna: The king of Sonan in the present day.

Jeshtar: A class of spirit beings that inhabit the Three Sisters' celestial paradise. They are the singers, dancers, and musicians of the heavens.

Jiha: The multiethnic tribe to which Inavani first appeared.

Jihavu: The first great city of the world. Founded by the enlightened Jiha people, Jihavu rapidly advanced from the stone age into the bronze age, the iron age, and beyond.

Kalayam: The third highest caste of Asodhran society. From the Asodhrani word for "evening." The Kalayam are artists, artisans, and merchants.

Kephet: The children of the sky, the people who worship Saphur as their matron goddess.

Kiru: A large planet composed primarily of a boundless ocean. Kiru has only one continent, Asodhra.

Kukesi: A high-ranking Rashura warrior, and one of the protectors of the lost choir.

Language of the Cosmos: The original name for Inavani's holy language. Known as Asodhrani in the present day.

Long Slumber: The period of several billion years after Inavani set the initial cosmos in motion, but before she descended to Asodhra. During this time, Inavani slept and allowed creation to unfold.

Lost Choir: The keepers of the distorted, Rashura version of history.

Makano: The first of the Yorunai.

Marazhen: The highest, priestly caste of Asodhran society. From the Asodhrani word for "morning."

North Asodhra: The northern half of the Asodhran continent. North Asodhra is also a political alliance of three nations, each nation devoted to one of the Three Sisters. Lord Arconas's mountains protect the people of North Asodhra from the Rashura in the south.

Nulakar Velak: The senior archivist of Sonanarth's great library.

Nyavaru: The celestial paradise of the Three Sisters, made up of sixteen planets.

Onai: An angelic, perfected being. Onai are created when a human with open wounds bathes in Inavani's crater. The Onai possess seemingly limitless magic.

Povu: A high-ranking Jeshtar, who leads many spirit choirs.

Pyoshara Zanesh: One of the two vandals of Sonanarth's great library. Reportedly, it was Pyoshara's magic that flooded the library.

Radiant Mother: An epithet of Aurya, indicating her role as the goddess of the sun.

Rasha: Arconas's younger brother. Although blessed by Inavani and the Three Sisters, Rasha betrayed them and became the Father of Demons.

Rashartha: One of the two great campuses of Jihavu. Rashartha housed the institutions established by Lord Rasha, namely the Foundry, the Research Gardens, and Jihavu's many libraries and laboratories.

Rashura: Those who sided with Rasha during his rebellion, and who continue to make war with the Three Sisters in the present day. The Rashura were once human, but were transformed into demonic beings as punishment for their sins.

Resolute Mother: An epithet of Emereshal, indicating her role as the goddess of the fertile earth.

Restoring Mother: An epithet of Saphur, indicating her role as the goddess of rain, wind, and sky.

Rukh: The last chief of the wicked Drogar tribe.

Saphur: One of the Three Sisters. The goddess of the sky and rain. Mother to the Kephet people.

Sixteen Spheres: Another name for the celestial paradise of Nyavaru.

Sona: The children of the sun, the people who worship Aurya as their matron goddess.

Sonan: One of the three allied nations of North Asodhra. Aurya is worshipped as the mother goddess of all Sonan and the Sonani people.

Sonanarth: The capital city of the Sona people.

South Asodhra: The southern half of the Asodhran continent, inhabited by the Rashura. The Rashura were banished to South Asodhra at the end of the Great Rashura War. With his magic, Lord Arconas created a range of mountains, separating the south from the north.

Thovur: The lowest caste of Asodhran society. From the Asodhrani word for "night." The Thovur are laborers and servants.

Three Sisters: Aurya, Saphur, and Emereshal. The great goddesses of Asodhra, created when the Undivided Goddess, Inavani, split herself into three in early antiquity.

Triplets: Another name for the Three Sisters.

Unayam: The Godbeast. A primordial, shapeshifting, intelligent beast that enslaved humanity prior to Inavani's arrival in Asodhra.

Undivided Goddess: An epithet of Inavani, referring to her state of wholeness before her split into the Three Sisters.

Veiled Bedchamber: Inavani's primordial home that carried her throughout the cosmos during her Long Slumber.

Volama: One of the planets of Nyavaru, inhabited by the Jeshtar.

Yorunai: A race of corrupted angels, created when Unayam exposed the first generation of Onai to the dark magic of the abyssal lake.

Zani: An enemy tribe of the Jiha, until Inavani's hymn brought peace between the two tribes.