Tomaselli, Nico, Captain-General: Venetian Military commander of Corfu.
Tomaselli, Sophia: wife of the captain-general.
Valdosta, Benito: grandson of the Duke of Ferrara, illegitimate son of the
condottiere
Carlo Sforza; ward of Doge Dorma.
Valdosta, Marco: grandson of the Duke of Ferrara.
Verrier, Maria: former Venetian canaler, married to Umberto.
Verrier, Umberto: Master in the Caulker's Guild.
Verrier, Alessia: Daughter of Maria.
Bartelozzi, Antimo: Agent and advisor to Enrico Dell'este.
Beg, Iskander: Illyrian chieftain, know as the Lord of the Mountains.
Bespi, Fortunato: Former Montagnard assassin, now bodyguard for Marco Valdosta.
De Belmondo, Alexio: Podesta of Corfu.
Dell'este, Enrico, Duke of Ferrara: The Old Fox. One of Italy's leading military tacticians; grandfather to Benito and Marco.
Dorma, Petro: Doge of Venice. Head of the commercially powerful House of Dorma.
Dorma, Angelina: Petro Dorma's younger sister.
Evangelina, Sister: A Hypatian Sibling.
Falkenberg, Ritter: A Prussian Knight-Proctor. Master of siege-craft.
Fianelli, Marco: A Corfiote criminal; and a spy for King Emeric.
Hohenstauffen, Charles Fredrik: Holy Roman Emperor.
Kari: Half-Osage tribesman. Hearthman to the Thordarsons.
Kosti: Fisherman, crewman on Taki's boat.
Leopoldo, Commander: Commander of the garrison, Corfu Citadel.
Loukaris, Meletios: Secretary to Podesta De Belmondo.
Lozza, Giuliano: Son of Flavio Lozza, a legendary master-at-arms. A plump olive grower.
Mavroukis, Stella: Maria's gossipy friend.
Mavroukis, Alberto: Stella's husband; a Master in the Little Arsenal of Corfu.
Mascoli, Brother: Hypatian priest of St. Raphaella.
Montescue, Lodovico: Head of the formerly powerful House Montescue.
Morando, Aldo: Swindler, fake Satanist.
Nachelli, Petros: Rent-collector and go-between for spies.
Saluzzo, Paulo: A thug working for Fianelli.
Sforza, Carlo: The wolf of the North, Milan's chief
condottiere
. A military legend.
Spiro: Corfiote sailor, fisherman, crewman on Taki's boat, friend of Benito.
Taki: Skipper of a fishing boat.
Thalia: Peasant woman, first female sergeant in Venetian Corfiote forces.
Thordarson, Bjarni: oldest son of a powerful Vinland trading house.
Thordarson, Gulta: Third son of a powerful Vinland trading house.
Trolliger, Baron Hans: One of the Holy Roman Emperor's courtiers and advisors.
Von Gherens, Ritter: A Prussian Knight-Proctor.
Aquitaine: An independent kingdom in western Europe; it comprises parts of what in our universe would be called France and England.
Armagh, The League of: A loose alliance of Celtic/Nordic states.
Arsenalotti: The workers at the Arsenal, Venice's state shipyard.
Ascalon: A port in Palestine.
Bacino: Harbor basin.
Barducci's: A tavern well known for music.
Bretagne: Brittany. An independent Duchy, part of the league of Armagh.
Carnac: Capital of Celtic Brittany.
Capi: Roughly the equivalent of a lieutenant.
Carreta: A pony/horse trap.
Case Vecchie: Great houses; the Venetian aristocracy.
Cassone: A carved chest.
Chrysostom, John: Charismatic preacher associated with Saint Hypatia, at the breakpoint between this universe and ours; born 349 a.d.
Colleganza: A collective trading venture.
Cotte: A surplice-like garment, the predecessor of coat.
Curti: Literally, "short"—the Case Vecchie who had not been ennobled for many years.
Dalmatia: The eastern coast of the northern Adriatic Sea. Once the source of much of Venice's timber.
Ferrara: City-state in the Po valley in northern Italy; famous for steelworking, particularly swordsmiths.
Fruili: Region to the northeast of Venice.
Galliot: Small galley.
Golden Horn: Venetian trading enclave in Constantinople.
Hohenstauffen: The ruling house of the Holy Roman Empire.
Hypatia, Saint of Alexandria: Patron saint of the Hypatian order. Neoplatonist philosopher and librarian of the great library at Alexandra. Her saving of the Library from the mob instigated by Cyril the Patriarch of Alexandria is the breakpoint between this universe and ours.
Ilkhan Mongol: The Mongol khanate.
Istria: Peninsula to the south of Trieste. A Venetian possession.
Jesolo: The marshes to the east of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon.
Koboldwerk: Cunningly wrought chainmail made by dwarves.
Libri d'Oro: "Of the Golden book"; landowners; the Greek aristocracy of Corfu.
Longi: Literally, "long"—the Case Vecchie who had been ennobled for many generations.
Marangona: The bell which rang for half an hour from dawn to summon the Arsenalotti to work. Also rung for national emergencies.
Misericord: Thin dagger intended to penetrate joints in armor.
Narenta: Large river on the Dalmatian coast. A pirate lair.
Negroponte: Venetian trading outpost on the east coast of Greece.
Outremer: Originally "outré mer"—beyond the sea. Refers to the East, on the far side of the Mediterranean.
Paulines: The faction of Christianity taking its lead from the writings of Saint Paul. In this universe, the dominant religious faction in the north of Europe. More hierarchical and militant than the Petrine faction.
Petrine: The gentler, more tolerant southern faction of the Church.
Poignard: Dagger.
Podesta: Governor.
Ritters: Teutonic Knights.
Scaliger: The ruling house of Verona.
Schiopettieri: Mercenary soldiers under the control of the Lords of the Nightwatch (Signori di Notte); Venice's equivalent to a police force.
Scuolo: Guilds.
Surcoat: Loose sleeveless garment with insignia normally worn over armor.
Trebizond: Venetian trading outpost in the Black Sea.
Veneto: The region of northern Italy which includes Venice.
Veneze: People of Venice.
Vinland: North America.
Visconti: The ruling house of Milan.
Kourabiedies: Almond cookies.
Stifado: Lamb or kid stew, on Corfu, commonly with quinces.
Loukoúmia: Turkish delight.
Sultanína glykó: Spoon-sweets (grape preserve flavored with rose geranium).
Melanzane alla finitese: Crumbed aubergine 'sandwich' of melted cheese.
Risotto con finocchi: Rice dish with fennel.
Kakotrigos: A grape variety which clings to the vine. Made into a tawny wine on Corfu called Kakotrigi.