INTRODUCTION
NIGHT WORLD GLOSSARY
CHARACTER DATABASE
OTHER INFO
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GUESTBOOK

GENERAL TERMS.
Bokken:
Bokken is the Japanese word for a wooden sword. Rashel Jordan uses a bokken to stake vampires in The Chosen.

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Ice age:
Night World legends state that about twenty thousand years ago, witches had control of the world. Their control was disrupted by the beginning of an ice age.

An ice age refers to a period of time where a specific geographic region is covered by thick sheets of ice. An ice age commonly lasts for millions of years, affecting considerable amounts of area.

Many ice ages have occurred during the history of the Earth. The most ancient occurrence of an ice age is presumed to have occurred six hundred million years ago!

An ice age usually occurs every two hundred million years and lasts for about one hundred million years. The most recent known case of an ice age occurring was during the Pleistocene Epoch, which occurred about twenty-five hundred thousand years ago and ended just over ten thousand years ago.

Ice ages destroy plant and animal life and in the Night World series, when the ice age begins, the witches are too busy fighting off the vampires during the Night Wars, to save their world. The Earth is destroyed by ice and when a new world forms, vampires seise control.

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Lethe:
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the name of a river found in Hades (the Greek name for hell). Greek mythology says those who drink from this river forget everything.

In Spellbinder/Enchantress, Thea Harman and Eric Ross are asked to drink from the Cup of Lethe so that they forget the Night World exists.

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Lignum vitae:
Lignum vitae is the name of a tree that produces wood that is as dense as iron. In other words, lignum vitae wood is the hardest wood that exists.

Bokkens can be made out of lignum vitae wood.

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Prophecy:
A prophecy involves a prophet foretelling the future by making a prediction. Prophecies are a form of divination usually inspired by dreams, visions, or inspirations received from important deities. By far the most common type of prophecies we hear about relate to the ending of the world.

Although some people are strong believers of prophecies, a prophecy is really just a prediction. By no means is a prophecy likely to be completely correct.

Some characters in the Night World series are prophets. Examples include Aradia, the blind Maiden of the witches, who had a vision when she was just a year old. According to one of the Wild Power prophecies, the Wild Power children were born in the year Aradia had her vision.

The Crone of the witches, Edgith Harman, was also a prophet who had a dream foretelling the location of one of the Wild Powers.

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Shaman:
A shaman is a person within a tribe or clan who acts as a medium. They communicate with spirits and relay the messages they receive to their tribe.

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Solstice:
Solstice is the name given to the event in which the sun is furthest from the celestial equator. This event occurs two times each year – on June 21 and December 21. Depending on whether you live in the Northern or Southern hemisphere, these days are referred to as the summer and winter solstices.

The solstices are celebrated by witches.

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Soulmate:
Your soulmate is somebody you have a connection with. This person is ideal for you and your destiny.

The soulmate principle is a central theme in the Night World series.

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Spellbinder:
A spellbinder can be a witch who performs a binding spell. A binding spell prevents a certain action from occurring.

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Witching hour:
The witching hour refers to the midnight hour. According to ancient pagan beliefs, on the night of a full moon, at the witching hour, witches were blessed with their fullest powers.

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