Guardians of Eden (2009) (edit title/settings)

Characters/People edit see section history

• Elohim: The Creator, God, The God of the Bible. The Hebrew word for God that appears in the very first sentence of the Bible. He is the one who began it all, creating the heavens and the earth adn separating light from darkness, water from dry land, night from day. This ancient name for God contains the idea of His creative power as well as his authority and sovereignity.
• Merab: Farmer. Son of Ehmer (Ehmer is deceased).
• Coren: Merab's wife. They have 18 biological children and 1 adopted son.
• Thalan: 17 year old adopted son of Merab and Coren. Shamar brought him to Coren when she had just given birth to Rani, the youngest son. Thalan means "The Preserver" for he will preserve the Way of Life for all peoples as told to his parents by Shamar. He also said that Thalan was destined for great things. Thalan has acute vision greater than his family. He can also percieve danger before it happens. He percieves this without the use of his five senses. Thalan discovers he can read animals minds and get them to obey him. He discovered this during the fight between the wind runner and shen-ariy. Shamar tells him why this is so (page 34-35). He has blonde hair, blue eyes and elongated shaped ears. He is 1.8 metres tall or 4 cubits. He always addresses Shamar as Adown, which means Lord.
• Rani: Youngest biological son of Merab and Coren. Inseparable brother to Thalan. He has black hair and dark complexion. His real name is Aram, which means "High" but he stopped growing when he began to walk and felt it a mockery to call the shortest person in the village, 'High'! He got the name Rani from the noise he made while throwing a tantrum one day. His sister thought it sounded like the screeching of a field of grasshoppers and called him Aran which means -the shrill one. This changed over time to Arani, then just Rani.
• Shamar: His name means "To Watch". He states he is called the Keeper because the human forefathers thought he was the keeper of the forest. Also known as the hermit of the forest. Has a long white beard. Has lived in the forest since before the first of Merab's families settled the land. Believed to be over 1,000 years old, possessing strange and fearful powers, able to change himself into a beast at wil, able to communicate with trees and animals. Villagers believe him to be one of the Beney Ha'elohim (Sons of God) and view him with fear. Shaman called on Marab and Coren late one night after birth of Rani and presented them with a baby (Thalan), asking if they could care for him. When they questioned Shamar as to where he had found the infant,he simply replied that Elohim had ben his guide and would say no more on the subject. He told Merab and Coren to name him Thalan. Thalan had addressed Shamar as Adown, which is the esteemed title for Lord.
• Azazel: Fallen Angel. Father of King Rephaim.
• Rok'ar: Captain of King Rephaim's army. Sent by the King to find and kill Thalan.
• King Rephaim: Nephilim and King of the land from the sea to the Crystal Mountains, including Merab's village. Son of Azazel. Under orders from Azazel, he is to find and kill Thalan.
• Murgon: Beefy henchman under Rok'ar's command.
• Teman: Soldier/messenger under King Rephaim. His name means "he who stands on the right". He is told this by Shamar. Page 67 describes how he feels about serving the King: "...Despite his king's obvious proficiency at extending the kingdon, Teman ha never been comfortable with the occult practices and ruthlessness tht seemed to be part of everything the Nephilim king did. Teman had a love of the natural world-plants, animals, the sky - and as a farmer before Rephaim's arrival it had been his delight to spend every day working amongst the created order of things. He loved his lifestyle so much that he had even put off taking a wife (something for which he had become exceedingly glad due to the turn his life took under the new king). When Rephaim drafted Teman into his war band, the former farmer promised himself that he would escape one day and make another life for himself somewhere beyond the Nephilim's reach. Having no ties made it easier for Teman than it did nfor some of his fellow soldiers who had families to think of. But just how and when Teman would leave was anyone's guess. Now as he watched his evil lord communing with some equally ungodly being, he decided tht the time had come...." Ormah adds the name Abbiyr to his name after an act of heroism; it means Valiant.
• Araqiel, Armaros, Baaqujal, Ezeqeel, Kokabel, Sariel: Fallen angels who have spawned corruption with whom they seek to annul The Prophecy.
• Lueben and Grosston: Black Guardsman. They are part of Rephaim's elitist inner circle.
• Ach: Monkey who befriends Thalan and Rani. They call him Ach which means Brother.
• Jael: Her name means "Goat who runs untamed". She is 17 year old daughter of the leader of the Choresh'am people. She has long blonde hair tied back with a green cloth. She has fine facial features and small slender hands. Dressed in the green cloth that the Choresh'am people wear. This is a finely woven material that appears light and smooth. She wears a separate blouse and leggings and no shoes. Thalan mistakes her for a boy and is embarrassed when he discovers her true gender. Jael had always seemed different from the other females her age, preferring the rough and tumble of the boy's games to the more sedate activities set aside for the girls. She had blackened more than one boy's eye in her endeavour to be understood. She came from a family of three children. Her older sister, Yapheh loved her dearly, but she could never understand why Jaek always wanted to do 'boy stuff'. Yapheh had tried to interest her in some of the more feminine arts such as weaving and the extraction of essential oils for healing , but Jael would quickly become bored adn deliberately sabotage her efforts. In exasperation, the older girl would complain to their mother who would simply reply that Jael would eventually find her own way in life and that in time the Creator would mould her daughter's strong, independent will to His purposes. Her older brother encouraged her boyish inclinations, teaching her the use of weapons, stalking and trapping techniques, and generally how to take care of herself in the forest and amoung her people. He tutuored her in the basics of using the bow and arrow and the rudiments of the throwing knife. She rapidly developed the necessary skill to land most of her shots on target, learning how to allow for wind direction and strength, pod speed and flight time of the arrows. She gained a fair level of proficiency with the bow and arrow but her real skills were witht he throwing blade. Kaleb and her would have games with the bow and arrow and blade throwing and these quickly grew to more serious proportions with many in the village taking an interest int he competition between the bow and the blade. Before long, Jael was throwing the knife blades over short distances with equal accuracy but greater speed than the traditional archery weapon. In the time it took Kaleb to notch and loose a single arrow, Jael's second balde would be on its way to its target. Emeth didn't approve of Jael's activities but did not disapprove of them either. As long as she was serving Elohim to the best of her ability, he was happy. A shadow of doubt had been cast over her aspirations when, during a family meal, she announced her intentions to become a 'forester'. She planned to wait until her 18th birthday before revealing her chosen vocation but events deemed otherwise when she blurted out her intentions during a family meal where Kaleb was talking about a humourous event that happened on one of his forester activities.
• Ormah, the Protector: She lives with the Choresh'am but is not one of them. Jael tells Thalan that Ormah can communicate and control the minds of animals like he can. She has lived in the forest before the Choresh'am came to live there. Jael believes there are many Protectors throughout the land, servants of Elohim who keep watch over His creation and lend aid to all who call on His name. Thalan believes Shamar is similar to Ormah.
• King Enowsh: Nephilim who would love to see the Chroesh'am dead and removed from the Forest of Tannoth. He has tried to subdue them and take their lands on many occasions but has failed. He has a large army. He wears black clothing. He has captured many of the Choresh'am over the years and many rumours abound concerning what he does to these captives in his torture chambers.
• Yapheh: Jael's older sister. She looks after Teman after he is rescued from the attack of the Nakahs. She takes him to her tree village in the Forest of Tannoth. She develops an attraction for Teman and he reciprocates.
• Emeth: Father of Yapheh. Leader of the Choresh'am people. He is elderly, walks with a stick. Has a grey beard. He has a son Kaleb and younger daughter, Jael.
• Kaleb: Son of Emeth. He is a well known Forester (see Glossary). Together with others from his village, he rescues Teman from the cave as he is being attacked by the Nakahs.
• Anavah: Large bear who kills the blackguardsman thus sparing Teman's life. Anavah is a friend of Shamar.
• Elan and Qal: Foresters of the Choresh'am. They are assigned to Thalan, Rani and Teman on their journey to find Eden and Seth.
• Gannab the Thief: A member of the Daq tribe. Bearded and rough looking. Together with Marah the Rebel, he rescues Teman and applies first aid to his injuries.
• Marah the Rebel: Bearded and rough looking. Taller in stature than Gannab. Assists Gannab in rescueing Teman and together they try to take Teman to a safe place but get caught by Barak's army. He is not originally from Gannab's village. He left his home and family when he was 18 to find "what was missing from his life". He journeyed all over the landwhere he saw and experienced many amazing things and had some unique adventures. His wanderings had brought him to the Restless Mountains six months after Barak had arrived. He had been captured and rescued from a patrol of the red savages from Barak's army by Gannab and some of his people and then taken in by the Daq. Since then, Marah and Gannag have led a small but effective revolt against Barak, causing the Nephilim no end of trouble
• Barak: Nephilim Sorcerer. Taught the dark ways by his equally unholy father, Semjaza. Barak is believed to have managed to breed creatures that were half-men and half -animal, like the saiyr- the half-man, half-goat. He practices magic arts as taught by his father and uses evil sorcery to rule the people with fear and suspicion.
• Semjaza: Fallen angel and Father of Barak. Chief of the Beney Ha'elohim. He is instrumental in leading a number of his fellow 'sons of God' on a quest to use the earth for their own unnatural ends,
• Lord Gibor: Army chief in King Enowsh's army.
• Rogez: One of the men in Barak's army
• Yagor: One the men in Barak's army.
• Kohen: Has white hair and beard making him look much older than he is but as short as a characteristic Daq.
• Red savages: savages of Barak's hordes. They have a red stain on their bodies of blood, either their enemies or in some cases their own kinsmen. They have no respect for life and they enjoy killing anything that moves. The longer it takes their victims to die, the more enjoyment they get. The only time they don't murder their captives is when they take them back to Barak for one of his abominable rituals.
• Dabar: Wife of Gannab
• Tubal-Cain: He and his sister Naamah are seventh generation descendants of Cain. Tubal-Cain's father is Lamech. His mother is Zillah, Lamech's second wife. He and Naamah have 2 step brothers, Jabal and Jubal who are sons from Lamech's first wife. Tubal-Cain has been trained in metallurgy and his skill soon exceeded that of his teachers. Soon he was making tools of bronze and iron for his own people and nearby kingdoms. He returned to his faith in Elohim through the preaching of Enoch, Cain's son. He rejected his father's ways and began to seek after the righteousness that Enoch described. His family rejected him because of this and he was forced to leave the city of Enoch. He travelled and settled to Nod.
• Naamah: Her name means "pleasantness" . This name was given to her by her mother, Zillah, due to the pleasure Naamah brought her in having a daughter. She is the younger sister of Tubal-Cain. She is the last born of Lamech. She met her brother when she was 20 years of age, having grown up in Enoch. She sought him out after becoming disgusted with the immorality she saw all around her. As a young girl she tended livestock under the tutelage of Jabal, and found she had a natural gift with animals. Jabal taught her all he knew and expanded on her knowledge and skills. Soon her family's flocks and herds were the best in the land, so when she left Enoch to find Tubal-Cain, she was already highly skilled in animal husbandry including adeptness at healing many of their most common diseases and injuries. She had found an injured goat when she came across Rani and scared him with the goat on her shoulder that caused him to think that she had two heads.
• Lamech: Father to Tubal-Cain and Naamah. One of Enoch's weathliest citizens. A cruel and selfsih man. He entrusted his three sons to be trained in skills that would servve the family's interests and keep him accustomed comfort during his old age.
• Cain: First born son of Adam. Exiled from Eden for killing his brother, Abel. He settled in the Land of Nod. Cain built a city shortly thereafter and named it Enoch, after his son. For punishment and the consequence of killing his brother, Cain received a mark on his body from Elohim. This mark was to identify him after his sin: a blood red stain that covered his forehead and the palms of his hands- a permanent reminder of his brother's shed blood.
• Harag: Nephilim king from a tribe that lives in the far north of Nod. He rules this tribe and area mercilessly. He believes that Thalan's quest to find Eden and Seth is a serious threat to him and his tribe and kind and seeks to kill Thalan. He refers to Thalan as Harag's Peril
• Qadiym: One of the Sa'ar Horsemen who alerts Tubal-Cain and Thalan's party of the threat from Harag.
• Gamal: One of the Black Guardsman. His name means "yielded".
• Jophiel: The Guardian of the Gate to the Garden of Eden. Like his sword, Jophiel's appearance is like the burning coals of a fire. Lightning flashed from him as he moves and whenever he does move it is so quick that you cannot detect the motion. He has four faces, one looking in each direction. The face that he shows to Thalan is that of a man; on the right side he has the face of a lion; on the left is the face of an ox; on the back is that of an eagle. He has four wings, two of which arch up and over his body, while the other two cover him as a garment. His feet gleam like burnished bronze.
• Zera: Thalan's mother and Seth's younger sister. She was born about a hundred years before Thalan was born. Seth explains that the birth of Zera was unexpected given that his parents, Adam and Eve, were approaching a thousand years old and had not had any children for many years. Zera was exceedingly beautiful and a much younger version of Thalan's Grandmother, Eve. She was exceptionally quiet, spending a great deal of her time praying and meditation. She developed a reputation of being a bit of a dreamer because of that, although Seth knew it was from a deep desire to understand the things of Elohim. She would sit for hours staring at a flower or a stream or even a blade of grass, enjoying this as an example of the Creator's handiwork. Page 335 and 336 further describes Zera and gives an account of the circumstances of Thalan's birth and the meaning of his real name, Shuwph.
• Naamah, Daughter of Thalan and Jael: The first born of Thalan and Jael. Named after Seth's sister Naanah who died saving Thalan's life. In a dream, Thalan realises who the prophecy given to him by Ormah is really about, his daugther, Naamah. She turns out to be similar in nature to her namesake, but with the fair complexion and earthy temperament of the Choresh'am people
• Noah: Born of Seth's line, described as unique individual on whom the favour of God rested. He grew to be an exceptionally God-fearing young man. He marries Thalan's daughter Naamah.

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Thalan's Village: A small coastal community founded by Ehmer, Merab's father, together with a group of five families who set out approximately 1,000 years ago in obedience to Elohim's word to "Be fruitful and fill the earth".
• Shamar's Cottage: This is located in the forest outside of Thalan's village.
• One Man's Pass: Located in the Crystal Mountains. The gateway that connects the Land of Tannoth to the north and Thalan's homeland in the south. It is a long passage through the middle of the mountains, reasonably wide in most places but there is one spot which looks as if it has been so restrictive that there would have been barely enough room for a man on horseback to squeeze through. That has changed sometime recently when part of the wall at that point collapsed onto the floor of the passs, opening the restriction and littering the passage with rock debris. Thalan and Rani pass through here when they are fleeing Rok'ar's henchmen and in their quest to find Eden.
• Lands of Tannoth: Thalan and Rani pass through here on the way to find Eden. It is bordered by the Crystal Mountains to the south and a curved mountain range to the north and northwest which joins the Crystal Mountains. In this area is the Tannoth Forest containing the Chresh'am village where Emeth, Yapheh, Kaleb, Jael live. The Tree of Selah is also located here.
• Nod, the Land of Wandering.: Consists of rocky terrain
• Eden: The most fertile land in the know world at the time. It was a vast vale, easily two day's journey wide (20 kilometres), and girded on each side by low hills. From one end to the other vivid colors dominated the view. The many trees which sprang from the ground wore coverings of deep, green leaves. Luxuriant, broad-leafed foliage clothed many of the smaller bushes while colourful wild flowers spekled the lush grasses and lay like a patterned cloak on a verdant cloth. Gentle streams watered the vale in silver and blue tendrils carved from the greenery by elegant banks of golden sand and colourful pebbles. A little to the north and postioned almost precisely in the centre of the vale was a walled enclosure, several bow shots wide (several hundred metres). Four rivers flowed from the enclosed space, the two heading south feeding the smaller streams which trickled throughout the vale. The walls of the Garden appeared to be made of naturally occurring vegetation-trees, hedges and the like, rising to a height of three or four men. Brightly coloured vines and flowers overflowed the walls and draped the sides, making it look almost as if the Garden had outgrown its boundaries. Aboe the walls, the tops of trees growing in the garden spread tehmselves out majestically like a blessing for all which lay beneath. Here the leaves of trees were not simply green like those in the vale, but multi-coloured. Reds, golds, pinks, purples and more twinkled in the sunlight as a gentle breeze caressed their crowns.
• Lyr'azazel: City that Rephaim is building. Named after his father, Azazel.
• Purple Plains: The purple color of the landscape comes from millions of tiny mauve and blue wild-flowers that grow in profusion as far as the eye can see.
• Vale of Slumber: No-one has so far returned from here. All who enter fall asleep and stay asleep. It is a rift in the ground when approaching from a western direction. A long gouge in the earth, stretching from north to south as far as can be seen. A shroud of mist veils its depth. No sounds are heard. No bird calls, no animal sounds, just deadly silence. Shamar explains to Thalan in a vision that it is the air in the vale that causes the slumber and puts all who enter to sleep. This air comes from deep underground where the rock is so hot it runs like water. The vapours seep up through the earth and contaminate the air. As described by Shamar it is the same as expired breath, (carbon dioxide). This air gets trapped and is so concentrated that whoever inhales it quickly succumbs to its poisoning effect and dies.
• Dark part of the forest: A dark part of the forest on the other side of the mountains. Teman and Kaleb sense evil in this part of the forest as they pass through. They wondered what could have caused such desolation and Kaleb felt hopelessness emanating from the trees and ground. He discovers the real reason on his return to his village. Ormah explains it to him: Apparently the Beney Ha'elohim had once used the area to carry out unholy epxeriements of animals, coupling different creature together in an attempt to corrupt Elohim's creation. The experiments failed, for the Creator had placed certain 'limits' within each different type of animal to prevent this from happening. They moved on from animals to people and animals, but without success. This led them to the idea of creating their own race of people by coupling the daughters of men themselves. The forest has not recovered from these experiments. Ormah tells Kaleb "the forest 'feels' the shame of what went on within it borders and weeps continually for the disgrace that has been visited upon it".
• Meeting of the Waters: The junction of six different waterways. A large, deep pool spread out before them almost a bowshot wide (100 metres). It was fed from three different sources: a waterfall and two large streams which feed into the pool either side of the falls. Another three waterways drained the pool in the opposite direction-the small one from the south-east, an even smaller one gurgling its wasy directly south, and a turbulent river which splashed and surged off on a south-westerly course.
• The Restless Mountains: Home of the Daq tribe. A hostile mountain range. The top of the mountains have been blown off at some point leaving scarred and craggy slopes where once had flowed molten, black rock now covered its face.
• The Garden of Eden: Although overgrown and untended the colour and magnificence of the garden was like nothing like anyone had seen before. Golden-orange, reddish-pink and violet-mauve leaves adorned treeslike a spreading sunset, while blossoms of every colour imaginable gleamed amidst plants and bushes like living gems in a treasure house. the scent amidst plants and bushes like living gems in a treasure house. the scent filled the air was sweek and new, so much so that Thalan paused what he was doing to drink in the aroma.
• The All Knowing Tree: Smaller in size to the Tree of Life. Produces fist-sized red fruit that hung like globules amidst bright red flowers. The skin of the fruit was thick, but the pulp inside was exceedingly beautiful to behold, varying colour from white to deep red and containing hundreds of small, succulent seeds.
• The Tree of Life: Covered with heavy blue fruit shaped like globes. It was a small branch that Shamar broke off and gave it to Thalan. It was not much bigger than the span of Thalan's hand. Two leaves grew from the tio of the stem and between them nestled a single blue bud.
• Seth's homeland: Located less than a day's journey from Eden. A place of remarkable beauty. The main village where Seth lived was nestled on the shores of a pristine lake surrounded by rich pasturelands. A diverse variety of food crops wove coloured patterns throughout the meadows leading to the village and large herds of horses and other animals (including many different types of tanniyn) grazed in peaceful bliss in the lush tracts of grass that remained uncultivated.

First Sentence edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Nephilim: The offspring from the sexual union of fallen angels and human women. Rephaim is one such Nephilim. Genesis 6: 1-4: When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
• Tablets of Bereshith: Ten clay tablets passed down from Seth (third son of Adam) that contains the record of The Beginnings- from Creation to the fall of Adam and Eve and exile from Eden. Transcribed by Seth. As mankind began to spread outwards from Eden, the head of each family group or clan was entrusted with a copy of the tablets along with the knowledge to interpret and record their symbols. Merab's father had been given such a set which he in turn had passed to his eldest son.
• Haythin: A small furry mammal that moves quickly through the forest by alternately running along the ground and then climbing and jumping between trees.
• Cubit: Although the precise length of the Biblical cubit is unknown today, it's estimated to have been approximately 17½ to 20½ inches. (http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20001129.htm). A few cubits = approx 1 metre. Twelve cubits=5.5 metres. 9 or 10 cubits=4.5 metres, 6.5 cubits=3 metres, 20 cubits=9 metres, 30 cubits=13.5 metres, 7 cubits=just over 3 metres, 2.5 cubits= just over a metre, 130 cubits=approx 60 metres, From the novel: 5.5 cubits = approx 2.4 metres, 20 cubits = 9 metres, 4 cubits = 1.8 metres (this is how tall Thalan is), 30 cubits = 13.5 metres, 15 cubits = almost 7 metres.
• shen-ariy: Giant predatory cats each standing as high as a man. Easily recognised by a pair of long upper canines that sprouted from their mouths and curved down around the outside of their lower jaws like short pears, they were amoungst the most feared of predators in the forest.
• Wind runners: Official name is re'em, single horned horse like creatures, can be slightly larger than a normal horse. Clothed in a coat of pure white hair. If not for the male's horn, and the small tufted beard that sprang from his chin, it is difficult to tell the mare from the stallion. They live somewhere on the grassy plains, far to the north-east and only rarely come into the forest usually when it is time to give birth. They find a sheltered spot to give birth called a Birthing Bower, which provides a level of protection from predators not afforded on the open plains. The only time they are vulnerable is when giving birth. In their natural habitat they rely on their speed, strength and intelligence (all of which are legendary) and if that fails, there was always the deadly looking horn that grows from the male's forehead.
• Ha'el: A greeting, hello, good day.
• Zimrah: Small, colourful bird that makes a humming melody. Shamar befriended one and called it Perrin
• Tanniyn: Giant reptiles that live in the Lands of Tannoth
• The Prophecy: This is based on what God said to the Serpent after he tempted Eve: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15 Shamar explains to Rani that if Thalan as the Preserver is killed mankind's hope dies with him.
• Beney Ha'elohim: Sons of God
• Shalliyt: Means Leader. Thalan mentions this to Rani as they observe an elephant dying and Thalan communicates with it.
• Choresh'am: Forest people with special gifts that enable them to live amongst the tanniyn. This gift is the ability to listen to the minds of animals. They are unable to control the animal's mind. They are taught how to mimic animal sounds. They have lived in the forest for hundreds of years and consider themselves stewards of the Tannoth Forest, caring for all its creatures in the name of Elohim. Blond hair is a dominant hair color among this tribe. They have constructed their village in the trees to escape the Nephilim.
• Sheleg: Has the appearance of white rock. Only appears on the tops of very high mountains where the air is colder. It is where the Crystal Mountains get their name. Apparently, sheleg is made of water (Snow!). Sheleg was the name Shamar told Thalan when he was instructing Thalan in the ways of nature.
• Ach: Means brother. Name given by Rani and Thalan to the monkey that befriends them as they travel though the forest.
• Black Guardsmen: Rumoured to be only half human. They are possessed by lesser spirits according to Shamar. At Rephaim's command, the spirits have taken over the bodies of those humans who are willing to be possessed. Azazel controls them. There are 14 in all. They are Rephaim's elitist inner circle. They regularly join their dark lord in the hidden rituals Rephaim performs behind closed doors, and they keep themselves separate from other soldiers. Like all the king's men, they wear the identifying eye on their robes, but unlike the others, they dress entirely in black. Nobody has ever heard them speak (not even amongst themselves) but they definitely communicate with each other and their king. Most people believe they speak with their minds in some mystic way. It is also rumoured that they slaughter animals for food, eating the flesh raw and then drinking their blood.
• Lebownah: A strong scented plant
• Grailler: A type of tanniyn. Fearsome to look at. Beady, yellow reptilian eyes with blunted snout with sharp teeth.
• Chaliyl: Timber musical pipe. Ach stole this from Jael and gave it to Thalan. Instrument used to call for help from any of the Choresh'am who happen to be nearby. A person skilled in using the Chaliyl can use it to imitate many animal sounds. It can be used to call an animal to you, to calm certain beasts, or to frigthen them into flight. The human ear cannot pick up the sound but it is known that certain of the tanniyn and some of the smaller predators cannot bear to hear its piercing tone.
• Timil: Egg laying animal. Not much of a description is given in the book. Jael seeks one of the Timil eggs to take back to the village as this would prove to her people that she is just as capable of performing hunting duties as the men in her village. Thalan prevents her from taking the egg thinking she is going to use it for food. The Timil leave the egg after laying it and do not come back.
• Nakah: Primitive tribe of humans. Flesh eaters. They fear the forest and live in caves in the mountains. They hunt the tanniyn. In recent years they have become bolder and are pushing further into the forest. They arrived at the same time as the Choresh'am, sometime after the Beginning, however they decided th love a lifestyle that excluded any knowledge of Elohim. They chose to live in caves in order to hide away from all evidence of the Creator's greatness. There they practice unspeakable rituals and debase themselves with all froms of fornication and the like. The are grotesque creatures of the night, sleeping in their caves during the day and only coming out to feast in the darkness.
• Choresh'am Council: Comprises of 7 members: four elderly men (one of whom is Emeth) and three younger men, including Emeth's son, Kaleb. Ormah makes an eighth member in the role of revered advisor. The council meeting involving Teman was very informal. After committing themselves to Elohim along with any decisions they would make, they drank a milky drink in cups made from the husks of a tree pod. The meeting was more like a gathering of friends, sharing a ssocial get-together than an interrogation.
• Livyathan: The most ferocious of the tanniyn. Their hide is covered in scales that no spear or swrd can pierce and their teeth can crush the largest of bones as if they were made of straw. Their breath is so hot it can cause coals to burst into flame and sometimes even sparks of fire have been seen to leap from their mouths. They are as much at home in the marshes and lakes as they are on the land and are the only animal the Nakah fear to hunt. If there was to be a king of beasts, the Livyathan would be considered this.
• Lowlanders: Term used to describe anyone who is not a Choresh'am. The Choresh'am live in the trees and therefore anyone else lives on the ground; hence the term Lowlanders
• Dark part of the forest: A dark part of the forest on the other side of the mountains. Teman and Kaleb sense evil in this part of the forest as they pass through. They wondered what could have caused such desolation and Kaleb felt hopelessness emanating from the trees and ground. He discovers the real reason on his return to his village. Ormah explains it to him: Apparently the Beney Ha'elohim had once used the are to carry out unholy epxeriements of animals, coupling different creature together in an attempt to corrupt Elohim's creation. The experiments failed, for the Creator had placed certain 'limits' within each different type of animal to prevent this from happening. They moved on from animals to people and animals, but without success. This led them to the idea of creating their own race of people by coupling he daughters of men themselves. The forest has not recovered from these experiments. Ormah tells Kaleb "the forest 'feels' the shame of what went on within it borders and weeps continually for the disgrace that has been visited upon it".
• Chalah: Analgesic in liquid form given to Teman after he was attacked by the Nakah
• Forester: The elite of the Choresh'am woodland caretakers. To them fell the job of patrolling the forest to ensure everything is as it should be. They look after the animals, protect the trees, and in more recent times defended the Tannoth forest and the Choresh'am against the invading Nephilim hordes. They are the closest thing the People of the Forest have to an army. Kaleb is one of the most skilled of all foresters.
• The Tree of Shelah: Used as temporay living quarters for the Choresh'am when spending days in the forest. It is a reddish-brown, giant tree about ten cubits (4.5 metres) in diameter and towers above the surrounding trees. A plethora of branches spring from the sides of the trunk but the lowest are too high to reach. Inside the trunk there is a gash partly hidden behind a thickly leafed branch. This serves as an opening into the hollowed out interior with a man made floor about seven cubits (just over 3 metres) in diameter. The walls are lined with shelves carved into the trunk and are cluttered with everything from wooden cups and dishes to weapons such as spears, knoves, bows and staffs. There is also bamboo framed mats. One side of each of the mats is connected via two ropes to iron hooks set into the timber about two and a half cubits (just over a metre) from the floor. These can be converted into bunk beds. There are six bunks in all at ground level and another dozen or so higher up the walls accessible by rope ladders. A low wooden table topped with an empty bowl, stands in the middle of the room. A bamboo pipe protrudes from the wall at knee level and points down towads a hole in the floor. This serves as a water supply. Removing a wooden stopper from the end of the pipe and clear water flows out from large wooden containers hidden around the tree.
• Mayim: A colorful water tanniyn that inhabits the safety of the inland lakes before migrating to the open ocean when they are grown.
• Sabbath's day walk: Equivalent to 1 kilometre
• Full day's walk: Equivalent to 10 kilometres
• Many bow shots: Equivalent to many hundred of metres
• Two Sabbath Day Walk: Equivalent to 2 kilometres
• A morning's walk: Equivalent to 5 kilometres
• One bow shot: Equivalent to 100 metres
• Two bow shots: Equivalent to 200 metres
• Three bow shots: Equivalent to 300 metres
• A few bow shots: Equivalent to a few hundred metres
• Sign of the Tree of Life: A sign made with the fingers in the presence of the Nephilim or evil. This is done by forming a circle with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand then placing the right forefinger at the place where they joined. next the right middle finger is crossed behind the forefinger. This is a symbolic epresentation of the Three of Life
• Meeting of the Waters: The junction of six different waterways. A large, deep pool spread out before them almost a bowshot wide (100 metres). It was fed from three different sources: a waterfall and two large streams which feed into the pool either side of the falls. Another three waterways drained the pool in the opposite direction-the small one from the south-east, an even smaller one gurgling its wasy directly south, and a turbulent river which splashed and surged off on a south-westerly course.
• Two Sabbath's Day's Walk: Equivalent to 2 kilometres
• saiyr: Half-man, half-goat rumoured to be raised by Barak.
• Daq tribe: Tribe that Gannab belongs to. They are the only tribe to resist Barak, hiding out in the area known as the Restless Mountains. They have always lived in close proximity to the mountains and they don't fear them as others do. The Daq have dramatically alter many aspects of their way of life to suit their home, however being naturally short but hardy people means that it is was difficult for them to adjust to living in the multitude of small caves that pot-holed the mountain range. When their customary methods of farming and trading where taken from them, necessity had taught them to become thieves, stealing what they couldn't grow. They also developed exceptional skills in working with rock and metals which they hoped to use one day to begin trading again.
• Single eye emblem: Seen on the tunics of various Nephilim hordes. A symbol of the Nephilim.
• Night Stone: A large rock about twice the size of a man and made entirely of a black mineral with speckles of white stone peppered throughout its surface. It looks just like the star filled night sky.
• Sa'ar Horsemen: A band of men who oppose Harag. Their name means, "God's storm against the wicked". The move from place to place and are one of the few groups loyal to Elohim. They oppose evil by force.
• Harag's Peril: The name given to Thalan by Harag as he sees Thalan as a threat to the Nephilim and Beney Ha'elohim.
• Cain's Basket: An area of the Land of Nod where Thalan and his party entered this land. It is so named because of the way the paths weave in and around one another. Many get lost there and wander for weeks before stumbling out while others never make it out at all.
• Althan: Name given to Thalan by the Choresh'am children. Jael explains to Thalan that it may not just be childish gibberish from the children and that when the Choresh'am ancestors first settled amoungst the trees in the Beginning Times, they called the land "Elnathan", meaning God has given. Eventually the name was shorteded to Elthan, before it fell into disuse altogether, but it was still spoken when the Choresh'am elders would relate stories from the past. She also explains it may simply be the children's way of pronouncing his name or they may see something in him from the Creator as there are times when Elohim uses methods that seem strange to people but which are His way of communicating His truths to His people.
• Gamal: One of the Black Guardsman. His name means "yielded".
• Shuwph: Hebrew word meaning to 'bruise' or çrush'. The same word used by Elohim when He cursed the serpent, Genesis 3:15. Thalan's given name by his mother, Zera. Shamar gave him the name Thalan to divert suspicion of who he really was.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Nehphilim Related: Describe this theme.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Graham Carter (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Not available
• Dewey: Not available

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Contains references to unusual sexual practices between the Beney Ha'elohim: Sons of God (fallen angels) and human women and animals.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Religion & Spirituality › Christianity › Literature & Fiction › Fiction

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Ark House Press

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history