This is a fan translation of Envoy From the Heavens (Посланец небес) by Mikhail Akhmanov, currently only available in Russian and, because of the author's passing in 2019, unlikely to ever be published in English. This is the book in a series called Trevelyan's Mission (Миссия Тревельяна), which is a spin-off from the author's Arrivals from the Dark (Пришедшие из мрака) six-book series.
I claim no rights to the contents herein.
Appendix 2
Certain Information About the Kni'lina
Color, Its Name and Symbology
Black: night color.
White: day color.
Red: morning color. Symbology: celebratory, happy. Red lights on device controls indicate that the device is functioning normally and should not a sign that something is wrong.
Yellow: first moon color (the color of Yezdan's natural satellite).
Green: second moon color (the color of Yezdan's second satellite). Symbology: alarm, which has to do with the memory of a global disaster caused by the planet capturing a second moon. Green lights on a control panel is a sign of malfunction.
Blue: evening color. Symbology: mourning. Funeral urns are typically painted in blue patterns.
Gray: twilight color.
Clothing Traditions
Parade clothes: a richly embroidered doublet or a special type of shirt with an embroidered jerkin, as well as leggings, a belt, and boots. Along with parade clothing they wear tiaras, shoulder and knee decorations, and belt decorations. This clothing is virtually identical for men and women.
Domestic clothes: a loose tunic and sandals (for men), domestic robe and sandals (for women). At home they frequently walk barefoot or crawl from place to place on their knees.
Work clothes: saigor and saiteni. Saigor, tight-fitting overalls, frequently worn by worthy ones (nyuri); saiteni, a kind of shorts and a t-shirt, largely considered to be the clothing of a clan's servants, but there are no strict rules about it.
Ritual clothes: a scarf worn as a belt or an apron and nothing else, as the Book of the Beginning and the End says that we come naked into this world and so must worship the divine naked as well. The ritual clothing is primarily worn by the Poharas; those of the Ni Clan wear this clothing only during funeral rites.
Kni'lina Cuisine
Apash: a fruit salad with a sweet sauce dressing.
Gibhu: large round nuts with sweet pulp.
Zenagri'loka: an analog of terrestrial beans. They are used to make lokayat, a traditional Poharas dish.
Koukro: a small round fruit the size of a walnut. Very nutricious.
Kurzem: a dish made of meat mushrooms, rich in protein.
Paktari: a fruit salad with a sour sauce dressing.
Tetsamni: a bitter restorative herbal decoction, analogous to tea.
Shinshalla: a fruit that looks like a large cucumber; consumed stewed.
Explanation of Several Other Concepts
Areopagus: the council of the Poharas Emperor.
The Book of the Beginning and the End: the holy text of the Kni'lina. The authorship is ascribed to Yezdan the Grey-eyed, whom some believe to be a god, others a great prophet, and yet others an ancient sage.
Cono: Kni'lina personal space (several paces), which must not be violated by other individuals, except for servants, doctors, and close relatives.
Funeral Urns: vessels for containing the ashes of the deceased. Ancient urns, richly painted and decorated, are considered to be valuable works of art by the Kni'lina.
Horada: a kind of Kni'lina parliament, which includes representatives from all clans, including minor ones.
Minor Clans: clans that come from small islands during the age of the Metamorphosis and are genetically related to the Ni or the Poharas. Some of the minor clans: Tudonga, Cayili, Konno, Pnirra, Hitt, Ahaono, and Valls.
Mshak: a small predatory animal, distinguished by its thick fur, a nasty smell, and a tendency to consume waste. It is also a derogatory Kni'lina name for humans.
Ni: the most powerful Kni'lina clan, which once fought Earth.
Nyuri: a respectful address to a superior Kni'lina of the honored rank; literally means "expert".
Ogihon: a device for incinerating dead bodies, which is a necessary element of the funeral rite.
Palustar: a combat mental emitter.
Poharas: the second most powerful Kni'lina clan. Unlike the Ni, the Poharas are religious and tend to keep to ancient traditions to a large extent. They were not engaged in hostilities with the Earth Federation.
Targad: a military unit.
Tensu and Gairim: indications of relationship among the Kni'lina. Tensu are siblings with the same father, while gairim are siblings with the same mother.
Toca: a food container made from shatterproof porcelain. It is shaped as an oval bowl with a handle.
Tocar: a container for drinking.
Tocati: tweezers with wide ends, which are used to pick up food from a toka bowl.
Yezdan'tabi: the Kni'lina religion, practiced by the Poharas Clan.