Animal shifters – also called animal folk.  Unbound ones are often called wild shifters or wild folk, while bound ones are considered tame.  They are persecuted throughout BarIn.  These consist of leigh, mer, slyr, taur and wol.  Their eyes flash silver when they use magic, and they can be bound by gold metal on their skin.

Arin – the kingdom that used to be north of the mountains.  400 years ago it attacked and took over Haton; the combined kingdoms became Arton.

Arton – the kingdom in northwest Barido.  Artonians reside here, and animal shifters are bound in this kingdom.  Artonians are typically tan-skinned with brown hair.

Barido – the continent of Riah, Arton, Mulac, and Yantello.  These kingdoms are ruled by royal sairfolk.  The inhabitants, called Baridoni people, speak the Baridoni language.

BarIn – the world of Barido and Inurot.

Blade shifters – also called blade folk.  These are the sairfolk and sedfolk.  Their eyes blaze gold when they use magic, and they can be bound by silver metal on their skin.  Their blades are snow white and eternally sharp.

Commoners – also called common folk.  People of BarIn without magic.

Creator – the divine being who created the world and gave magic to shifters.  He still cares for His people and welcomes them home when they die.

Gahim – a derogatory word for shifters.

Haton – the kingdom that used to be where Arton is, but south of the mountains.  400 years ago it was attacked by Arin and taken over; the combined kingdoms became Arton.

Hered~Dir – the long-abandoned fortress in Inurot~Dir.  In the Old Tongue, it means Fortressed Capital.

Inurot – the continent southeast of Barido.  It was established 400 years ago by Jrot, and has not been united under one ruler for 200 years.  This nation consists of seven tribes ruled by royal sedfolk.  The inhabitants, called Inurites, speak the Inurotese language, shown in bold.  The Inurites are typically tall and bronze-skinned.

Leighfolk – also known as bird shifters.  They are typically found in clans in the Pallz, are tall, and are light-skinned.  Their magic allows them to distinguish spoken lies from truth.  They cannot lie when they are using magic.

Leine~Herad – the palace in Riah~Dir.  In the Old Tongue, it means Beautiful Fortress.

Mec~Herad – the palace in Mulac~Dir.  In the Old Tongue, it means Large Fortress.

Merfolk – also known as fish shifters.  They are typically found in rivers, the Varn, or the Tallo.  They are pale-skinned and freckled, and are the most likely to have red hair.  They are the most elusive of the animal shifters.  Their magic allows them to breathe underwater.

Mulac – the kingdom in northeast Barido.  Mulacans reside here, and animal shifters are slaves.  Mulacans are typically olive-skinned with straight black hair.

Noble – any blade shifter who can shift only one arm or only one leg.

Old Tongue – a language that was spoken about 500 years ago but fell out of use except by scholars.

Reg~Herad – the castle in Arton~Dir.  In the Old Tongue, it means Royal Fortress.

Resident Royal – a royal sairfolk given charge of a fortified city and ruling a portion of the kingdom under the monarch.  They rank higher than normal royals, and above underage Princes and Princesses.

Riah – the kingdom in southwest Barido.  Rahi reside here, and animal shifters are heavily persecuted.  Rahi are typically fair-skinned with blond hair.

Royal – any blade shifter who can shift both arms or both legs.

Sairfolk – shift their forearms into blades called sayirs.  Their magic allows them to keep track of everywhere they have been in a mental map, including distances and angles.

Sayirs – magical arm blades that extend from the elbow down.

Sedars – magical leg blades that extend from the knee down.

Sedfolk – shift their lower legs into blades called sedars.  Their magic allows them to speak to animals and sometimes control one at a time.

Sel~Herad – the castle in Yantello~Dir.  In the Old Tongue, it means Sun Fortress.

Shifters – any of the magical folk of the world of BarIn.

Slyrfolk – also known as snake shifters.  They are typically found in Inurot, and are bronze-skinned.  They are considered the most violent.  Their magic allows them to bite with venom.

Tallo – the ocean that holds the continents of Barido and Inurot.

Taurfolk – also known as horse shifters.  They are found everywhere, are usually tan and pudgy, and are considered the most civilized of the animal shifters.  Their magic allows them to digest anything and gain nutrients from it, which makes them ideal taste-testers for poison.

Varn – the great lake in the middle of Barido.  People who live near the Varn are more likely to have green eyes.

Wolfolk – also known as bear shifters.  They are typically found in forested areas, are dark-skinned, and are short.  They are considered the most likely to turn to thievery.  Their magic allows them to sense harm in human or animal, which makes them ideal medics.

Yantello – the kingdom in southeast Barido.  Yantesh live here, and animal shifters are usually caught and sold to the Mulacans as slaves.  Yantesh are typically brown-skinned with dark hair.