Beings of Fire
DAEVA: The ancient term for all fire elementals before the djinn rebellion, as well as the name of the tribe residing in Daevastana, of which Dara and Nahri are both part. Once shapeshifters who lived for millennia, the daevas had their magical abilities sharply curbed by the Prophet Suleiman as a punishment for harming humanity.
DJINN: A human word for “daeva.” After Zaydi al Qahtani’s rebellion, all his followers, and eventually all daevas, began using this term for their race.
IFRIT: The original daevas who defied Suleiman and were stripped of their abilities. Sworn enemies of the Nahid family, the ifrit revenge themselves by enslaving other djinn to cause chaos among humanity.
SIMURGH: Scaled firebirds that the djinn are fond of racing.
ZAHHAK: A large, flying, fire-breathing lizard-like beast.
Beings of Water
MARID: Extremely powerful water elementals. Near mythical to the djinn, the marid haven’t been seen in centuries, though it’s rumored the lake surrounding Daevabad was once theirs.
Beings of Air
PERI: Air elementals. More powerful than the djinn—and far more secretive—the peri keep resolutely to themselves.
RUKH: Enormous predatory firebirds that the peri can use for hunting.
SHEDU: Mythical winged lions, an emblem of the Nahid family.
Beings of Earth
GHOULS: The reanimated, cannibalistic corpses of humans who have made deals with the ifrit.
ISHTAS: A small, scaled creature obsessed with organization and footwear.
KARKADANN: A magical beast similar to an enormous rhinoceros with a horn as long as a man.
NASNAS: A venomous creature resembling a bisected human that prowls the deserts of Am Gezira and whose bite causes flesh to wither away.
Languages
DIVASTI: The language of the Daeva tribe.
DJINNISTANI: Daevabad’s common tongue, a merchant creole the djinn and shafit use to speak to those outside their tribe.
GEZIRIYYA: The language of the Geziri tribe, which only members of their tribe can speak and understand.
General Terminology
ABAYA: A loose, floor-length, full-sleeved dress worn by women.
ADHAN: The Islamic call to prayer.
AFSHIN: The name of the Daeva warrior family who once served the Nahid Council. Also used as a title.
AKHI: “My brother.”
BAGA NAHID: The proper title for male healers of the Nahid family.
BANU NAHIDA: The proper title for female healers of the Nahid family.
CHADOR: An open cloak made from a semicircular cut of fabric, draped over the head and worn by Daeva women.
DIRHAM/DINAR: A type of currency used in Egypt.
DISHDASHA: A floor-length man’s tunic, popular among the Geziri.
EMIR: The crown prince and designated heir to the Qahtani throne.
FAJR: The dawn hour/dawn prayer.
GALABIYYA: A traditional Egyptian garment, essentially a floor-length tunic.
GHUTRA: A male headdress.
HAMMAM: A bathhouse.
ISHA: The late evening hour/evening prayer.
MAGHRIB: The sunset hour/sunset prayer.
MIDAN: A plaza/city square.
MIHRAB: A wall niche indicating the direction of prayer.
MUHTASIB: A market inspector.
NAVASATEM: A holiday held once a century to celebrate another generation of freedom from Suleiman’s servitude. Originally a Daeva festival, Navasatem is a beloved tradition in Daevabad, attracting djinn from all over the world to take part in weeks of festivals, parades, and competitions.
QAID: The head of the Royal Guard, essentially the top military official in the djinn army.
RAKAT: A unit of prayer.
SHAFIT: People with mixed djinn and human blood.
SHAYLA: A type of women’s headscarf.
SHEIKH: A religious educator/leader.
SULEIMAN’S SEAL: The seal ring Suleiman once used to control the djinn, given to the Nahids and later stolen by the Qahtanis. The bearer of Suleiman’s ring can nullify any magic.
TALWAR: An Agnivanshi sword.
TANZEEM: A grassroots fundamentalist group in Daevabad dedicated to fighting for shafit rights and religious reform.
UKHTI: “My sister.”
ULEMA: A legal body of religious scholars.
WAZIR: A government minister.
ZAR: A traditional ceremony meant to deal with djinn possession.
ZUHR: The noon hour/noon prayer.
ZULFIQAR: The forked copper blades of the Geziri tribe; when inflamed, their poisonous edges destroy even Nahid flesh, making them among the deadliest weapons in this world.