Black Avatare

Glossary I · 1-18

1 | H U N T E R

Palm civet: A small mammal that looks like a ferret. In Sri Lanka, there are two species of them—the Asian palm civet (also called a toddy cat) and the golden palm civet. The latter is endemic to the island. Asian palm civets are considered a nuisance, since they move around on roofs at night and make loud noises.

Mayadunne Walauwa: The ancestral walauwa of the story's Mayadunne family.

Walauwa: Feudal/colonial manor house in Sri Lanka. These houses reside in large estates with plantations of coconut, rubber or tea.

Moonstone: This is a semicircular stone slab found at the entrances of palaces and other buildings in ancient Sri Lanka. It has elaborate carvings of elephants, vines (liyaval), flowers and other elements. It symbolizes the cycle of samsara in Buddhism.

Sura: Amulets worn for protection.

Makara: Sri Lankan dragon, which has a head that resembles a crocodile's. It's considered a sea monster, and it can be found in traditional art and architecture.

Tuk: A motorized trishaw that is common in Asia.

Kaluon: Mysterious dark matter that is used as a power source in the story world. Ghosthunters know it to be refined ectoplasm.

Mai Mara Cemetery: The biggest cemetery in Hevana. Its name comes from the flame trees that grow there, which are called "mai mara" (මැයි මාර​) in Sinhalese.

Great Haunting: In the story world, this is the biggest haunting event in the city of Hevana. Many now consider it to be a historical plague.

Black Prince: A Sri Lankan demon that haunts females. In Sinhalese, he's called "kalu kumaraya" (කළු කුමාරයා).

Hevana: The gothpunk city in the story world. It means "shadow" (හෙවන​) in Sinhalese.

Old Cemetery Road: The road that passes through Mai Mara Cemetery.

Flame tree: A tropical tree with red flowers. Due to its abundant inflorescence, it's used as an ornamental tree. It's also called royal poinciana, flamboyant and phoenix flower.

Binara: A purple flower endemic to Sri Lanka. It's used in traditional art, design and architecture.

2 | P R E Y

Deodar cedar: A species of cedar that grows in South Asia. Deodar means "timber of the gods" in Sanskrit. In Sinhalese, it's called dewadara (dewa means "god").

Ambroxide: This smells like ambergis, which is a substance produced in the digestive tract of sperm whales, prized in perfumery.

Asana: A posture in yoga.

Ghostly Times: In the story world, this is a website contain user-submitted paranormal encounters.

GhostSlayerGirl51: Binara's username on Ghostly Times.

Papadam: A crispy South Asian fried food made of flour (lentils, chickpeas, rice and other types of flour).

Vesak: A Buddhist holiday observed in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet and Mongolia. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. In Sri Lanka, people celebrate this festival with lanterns, flamboyant thoran installations, songs and free food stalls.

Kola kanda: A herbal porridge made of rice, coconut milk and many leafy greens with medicinal value. It's often eaten for breakfast.

Bo: A bo tree or bodhi tree ("tree of awakening") is a large sacred fig tree. The Buddha attained enlightenment under this tree.