ABEAM:  (“In the beam”)  A space-faring term describing being positioned directly in front of a vessel.  In ancient times, the nautical term “abeam” meant the side of a sea-faring ship, however, through time the term came to mean “to be in the beam of the frontal sensor” hence the change in location.  The illuminated frontal sensor on the older Webber-class of vessels was limited, and friendly shipping, as a courtesy, would position themselves directly in the beam for scanning purposes.

ABOLETH:  Aboleth (Nepenthe Nitrogledea) is a carnivorous, pitcher-style plant native to the planet Trimble. The plant, in its modern form, was cultivated by Queen Ghome I of Trimble, a noted expert on the raising and cultivation of exotic plants. Aboleth typically grows in acidic soil conditions lacking in nitrogen and draws additional nutrition by consuming various insects that happen into its pitcher. Aboleth, when harvested and freeze-dried into a powder, has unique explosive properties. On forceful contact, dried Aboleth will explode outward in a hot flash. This property can be enhanced by feeding the plant a steady diet of human flesh. Aboleth Armor is a powder that, when brushed on, makes for a fairly effective contact defense against close-in foes seeking to seize the wearer.

ALDERVERYL CONVENT: Convent for wayward women near the city of Kana-Jana on the eastern continent of Bazz. Like much of the architecture at Kana-Jana, the convent is constructed of various pieces of scrapped Fleet shipping taken from the nearby Kana X-4 scrapyards, giving it a unique, somewhat piecemeal look.  Alderveryl Convent was, for several decades, host to the Elder artifact “Paramel” which hung in a hall that was used mostly for dances. The Grand Dames of the convent needed a replacement source of light for an upcoming dance and sent a servant girl named Marie Celebrant into Kana-Jana to purchase one. What she came back with was, unknown to her, the Paramel, which she had bought from a lowly stand for 150 Bazz credits. With the Paramel hanging in the hall, the Grand Dames quickly discovered its various powers and put it to use doing good works. They noticed the Paramel responded best to Marie Celebrant, and she was named the Abbess of the Hall of Ethers, which the dance hall eventually became known as. Marie Celebrant and the Alderveryls were hailed as saints. When the Sisterhood of Light discovered the missing Paramel, their fury was terrible, and they wanted to destroy Adlerveryl and the city of Kana-Jana along with it. The Paramel itself intervened as Marie Celebrant and the Adlerveryls had used it in a wise and selfless fashion.

ALESTA, LADY OF DARE, 10th Order: (03102–) (–)Barrow: Lady of Alesta was always such a thoughtful girl. Small, fair-skinned with a wonderful head of flowing black hair, Lady Alesta was slated by her House of Dare, 10th Order, to be wed to the House of Champion in Remnath.However, from a young age, Alesta could see a strange yellow star in the northwestern sky that nobody else could. Seeing a group of the oft belittled Pilgrims of Merian being laughed at in the city square, she learned they too could see the star. She found her calling and joined them, wearing their homemade clothing and being denied most modern conveniences.

Alesta soon found the calling of the Pilgrims of Merian was extremely dangerous—they often being asked to put themselves into harm’s way to save all those who have fallen astray. Settling on an asteroid near dangerous Cronyn World, she often participated in rescue missions, putting her life on the line time after time. After rescuing the crew of the fallen scouting ship Demophalon John, Alesta and her Pilgrims were unable to escape and were captured by the dreaded Drury brothers, and she was thrown into a Kestral tank to be turned into a Killanjo. Alesta was saved by Lord Stenstrom of Belmont and his companions, Taara de la Anderson of the Stellar Marines and Josephus, Lord of A-Ram. Seeing A-Ram as a brave, true man, Alesta fell in love, eventually marrying him.

ALLYSON: Other, (LosCapricos–House Colt) —The ALLYSON is a savage leather whip the is usually around eight feet long. The handle of the whip is normally mounted with a large jewel, most-often an emerald. The whip, when correctly used, can expand in length, up to about a hundred feet. It can also go around corners.

ANABRAX: (Maiden of the Harvest). Anabrax was a deity once worshipped by the old Halas of Kana for a good harvest. She appeared either as a beautiful, raven-haired maiden with a basket of Ethylberry Dust, or as a giant-sized mole. When summoned, she would appear as a great mole and dig into the ground, thus assuring a bountiful harvest.

Anabrax is listed in the Eternal Tome of Death, for she is believed to be deceased. It is said, while digging in the ground she happened upon the Temple of the Exploding Head, a place whose location was unknown to the gods. In various stories, the Horned God captures Anabrax and feeds her to his foul Golden servants in the City of Many Forms.

ANATAMETER: Arcane device rumored to exist, but not proved. It is said in Xaphan space to be a key preventing passage from one plane of reality to another. See: HALL OF MIRRORS.

ANGRY MISER: Other (LosCapricos–House Sorranson):A bizarre weapon, the ANGRY MISER is a length of wire similar to the SURRET of House Mystery. The House of Sorranson, prior to their leaving the League for the Xaphans, were known for their greedy ways, pinching pennies and hoarding cash. They were said to have amassed a massive treasure trove full of fabulous riches and guarded it with the ANGRY MISER. The weapon appears as a long length of wire that can be strung around a room or other similar enclosure. Hanging from the wire are a number of metal charms. There are several types of charms generally found on the wire: Eyes (eyeballs), Animal (or Monster), and Man-shaped.

The wire is able to detect the slightest of movements, it can also detect heat, sounds and other telling indications that an intruder is present. The Eye charms are capable of moving along the length of the wire, where they fire any number of energy beams, projectiles, gases and mists, and other killing substances intended to either kill or capture the intruder. If the Eye charms fail, the next line of defense are the Animal charms. They drop off the wire and turn into full-sized, real life animals or monsters, and attack without mercy. The final defense is the Man-Shaped charm. If it drops off the line, the owner of the ANGRY MISER (most likely a Lord of Sorranson) will appear where he may defend his goods himself.

ANTHECARY: Form of limited telekinesis practiced by the Stellar Marines.  It was developed by the stoutback herders of Onaris where the terrain of the Lone Rider mountain is so steep they could not stand without some way of anchoring themselves to the ground. The standard weapon of the Stellar Marines, the .50 SK pistol, has such a violent, and, in some cases, deadly recoil when fired that a method of hardening the body was needed in order to safely fire it.  Anthecary, a mild form of telekinesis that allows one to “harden” and root oneself in place was the answer.  All Stellar Marines must master this technique, otherwise they cannot be kitted out with the SK and are therefore relegated to minor, more tedious assignments.  Without the use of Anthecary, the SK, unless mounted on a fixed platform, is unfireable.

ANUIAN:  Greater Monamas or “Monama Nobles”, the Anuians were an old strain considered the ruling class within their House.  Anuians were generally taller, stronger and faster than a standard Lesser, or Conox Monamas, making them incredibly strong and fast.  They also had very different facial features, larger eyes and “notched” lips which the Conox lacked. Anuians were also said to be resistant from becoming Berserkacides.  Though much stronger than the Conox, Aniuans are much less hearty, more susceptible to cold temperatures and invariably die if taken from Kana for too long a period of time.

The Anuians followed the great Remnath hero, Atrajak of Want, and participated in the so-called “Hidden Wars” with him.  After Atrajak’s death, the Anuians were hunted and driven into general extinction by the Kestral Oligarchy for daring to raise their hand in warfare. After their passing, their lands and holdings were taken over by tribes  of Lesser Monamas, who also adopted their language of Anuie.  Though officially considered to be extinct in the modern League, Anuians, do pop up from time to time in Conox Monama birthings, requiring six months to gestate instead of three months, as is standard for lesser Conox Monamas.  The partially-developed Anuian offspring are placed in a device called an Anuian Jar and sustained there until they fully develop. (See, Anuian Jar).

ANUIAN JAR:  An “Artificial Womb” used throughout the ages by Monama women to support undeveloped young.  Modern Monamas tend to be of the Conox line, smaller and weaker strain than the Anuians, or Greater Monamas of old, who were bred out of general existence by the Kestrals centuries prior, as they were less controllable than the Conox.  However, the Anuian genes are not completely gone and resurface from time to time in Conox birthings–most frequently in the Astralon tribe.  The Conox only take three months to gestate in the womb and are born tiny but fully developed.  The Anuians, however, take six months to gestate and are therefore born a badly premature embryo mixed in with their Conox siblings.  In response, the Monamas invented a device called an Anuian Jar, where the undeveloped Anuian embryo would be placed and allowed to complete its gestation.

An Anuian Jar is a clay vessel, generally three feet high and one and a half feet wide.  Monama females make it from mud taken from the shores of Lake Monama, which they believe has special properties.  An Anuian Jar is very personal to the Monama female who makes it, and, if it is damaged or broken, the female tends not to make another.  Once the vessel is completed and fired in a kiln, the interior is lined with a membrane of White Emilia stalks and then is filled with a brine solution.  When a pregnant Monama deliveres her clutch, a Sen-na-La, or “searcher” examines the brood and determines if an Anuian is present. If an Anuian embryo is present in a clutch of Conox, the Searcher quickly takes the embryo and places it within the prepared jar.  The jar is then buried up to the neck and covered with either a clay lid or a pourous cloth.  The Monama female returns to the jar every few days to “stir the brine” and add in a secret solution of nutrients.  When the child within the jar “knocks” they are ready to emerge, fully developed and healthy and considered a blessing on the family.

Monama females are fully genetically compatible with Elder males (though the opposite is not the case without genetic manipulation).  However, Elder embryos take a full two years to come to term.  In such cases, the Anuian Jar will suffice to support the infant to full term without issue.

ANUIE: (Monama Noble) One of a related family of languages spoken by the Monama peoples of South Kana, primarily by the tribes of Astralon, Zerb and Cardinal.  Language related to Systerel and Conox, Anuie was considered Monama Noble or High Monama.  Anuie was one of the few Monama tongues that had a written form until Systerel and Conox incorporated the standard Elder alphabet in 000261EX.

A-RAM, HOUSE OF: Calvert: House Minor and modest line of fishermen from St. Edmunds from the old House of Aramtwillinger. Known in the Calvert line as being openly mocked by the Sisterhood of Light for having poor blood and marked with their dreaded Venti Nomi, or “Untouchable”, designation.

AREANAS: Mysterious group of beings known as the “Gods in Jade and Sapphire” who were a precursor race on Kana hundreds of thousands of years before the arrival of the League (when it was known its ancient name of Tevlapradah). The Arenas called the planet “Ka-Na”, or “The Place of Riches”.  Like the League that would arrive centuries later, the Areanas appear to have settled on Kana from elsewhere in the Kanan north, for the south was overrun with a pale, four-armed race of beings who were savage in the extreme and worshipped a pagan Horned God.

According to lost writings and Monama lore, the Gods in Jade in Sapphire were beautiful, humanoid beings who were nearing the end of their evolutionary development and could no longer bear live offspring. Endowed of long life, they were slowly dying out, unable to reproduce themselves. They were seeking a surrogate race with whom they could mingle their genetic code and produce live off-spring; they called these elusive surrogates: Mo-Na-Mas, the “Bearers of Offspring”. Travelling the stars, they encountered a benevolent being who told them of creatures on the world of Tevlapradah who might be their Mo-Na-Mas at last, and they diverted there to see for themselves. After landing, they discovered the “benevolent being” who had guided them there was actually a blood-thirsty creature known as the Horned God who was planning on sacrificing the apparently weak Areanas to his “dark angels”, a pale, savage, four-armed people over-running the south.  Fleeing to the north where the Horned God’s servants seemed unable to follow, they soon discovered the dark angels were, in fact, very hearty genetically and might be the Mo-Na-Mas they were seeking after all.  Safe in their city of Ma-Gra-Vine, the Areanas began experimenting with the berserkers, hoping to mellow their relentessly evil nature.  They were eventually successful in their efforts and created the progenitors of the modern Monama peoples of Kana, though the techniques they used cost the Monamas a pair of arms. The Monamas, now peaceful and driven by sex,  bore them young by the score.

Eventually, the vengeful Horned God returned with new servants who were golden and  formless. They attacked the Areanas without mercy, stole their forms and fed them to their children in a terrible City of Many Forms. Soon, all Areanas on Kana were driven to extinction, leaving the two-armed Monamas, their creations, to their fate.

ARLISS: Wand (LosCapricos–House Dare) —The ARLISS of House Dare is a neat, useful weapon. In its resting state in is a small wand easily carried in a coat pocket. It is usually made of gold, platinum or bronze, though it also has been known to be made of wood, ivory and pearl. Upon Command, the ARLISS envelops its user in a flexible armor coating resembling the material used in its construction. This armor is quite effective is stopping most weapons and projectiles including high-powered projectile and energy weapons. Conversely, the user of the ARLISS can use it to envelop an enemy, rendering them unable to move a muscle.

ARMENELOS: Large, forested city in the southwest of Kana and the seat of House Grenville. Tacit capital of the League.

ATHA: (also known as Kreymns, Falsanna, Shadow tech Goddess, Atha of the Quest) Atha is a mysterious being thought to be a goddess in some circles. She appears in a number mythological pantheons, usually as a goddess of mischief, of luck (and, conversely unluck), of Questing, and of Occasional Chaos (unpredictability) and of Ethylberry. Her statue appears in Gods Temple on Xandarr. Unlike other god-like creatures who appear as ordinary animals, Atha generally appears as a tall, thin human female with short blonde hair and wearing a pair of geared goggles and an elaborate gown. Her goggles are a common feature regardless of the pantheon (to see her eyes behind the goggles is to drive one mad). She also has been known to appear as a cloud of smoke and, on rare occasions, as a jackrabbit.

Atha is well-known for disguising herself as a being known as the Shadow tech Goddess and is worshipped in some areas as that goddess. She will often become fascinated with a particular hero and  put him (or her) through a vast quest or ordeal with the ultimate goal of the quest being unknown. She is also associated with the mythical dust Ethylberry and is said to be its caretaker.

 

Some scholars wise in Atha’s lore, claim she is the youngest daughter of Carahil and Mabsornath.

ATMOSPHERICS:  Occupation inside the Stellar Fleet, as well as the Stellar Marines, and Astro Traders.  An Atmospheric is a person who has rigidly trained their Gifts to essentially create a pocket, or bubble, of breathable atmosphere in a given radius.  Atmospheric is a modification of the Gift of Cloak and requires a minimum of eighty years of study at the Temple of the Worlds in the Kanan city of Rhoda.  Most League worlds have been Terraformed to conform to standard League requirements  (Type 1 worlds).  They are effective in world Types 1 through 5 (terrestrial planets) but are not effective on gas giant worlds (Types 6 through 10).  A Fleet or Marine ship carries a minimum of five Atmospherics, who may be distinguished by their sky blue coats.  Astro traders often pay hefty prices for retired Atmospherics. Atmospherics can regulate the temperature of their air pockets, and are used quite often on hot worlds, such as Bazz and Poteete to create a cool, custom atmosphere for any who can afford them.

ATRAJAK, LORD OF WANT: (1100ex—0004ex): The fabled “Hammer of Remnath”, Atrajak was born under the Star that Does Not Fall. Demonstrating incredible power from an early age, Atrajak and his army of Anuian Monamas purged the Kestral Oligarchy from Remnath, after they tried to create a kingdom there. Suffering a debilitating madness, Atrajak turned his attention to the Sisterhood of Light, seeing them as spawn of the Kestrals. He battered Twilight 4 and Deep 7 to the ground and moved east to attack Sammarcand when he was met in battle by a force of Vith, Remnath and Zenon warriors lead by Seraphoss of Grenville. There, Atrajak was defeated, his body falling into the dark waters of Lake Monama.

ATTILAN: The huge Sisterhood of Light monastery at Attilan was one of the prime training centers on Kana. Many Sisters were born and raised in Attilan. Unlike most of the Sisters twenty-five strongholds on Kana which could be seen externally, none outside of the Sisterhood were allowed to ever lay eyes on it, and flyovers, even at high altitude, were forbidden.

AUTOCON: A Shadow tech construct used by the Black Hats to control and manage the throngs of trainees held in the Shade Church. They appear as a column of dense smoke with a pair of hands armed with large, curved claws and, sometimes, wings. The Autocon is generally implanted into the body of the trainee where it swims in their pool of Shadow tech.

 

The Autocon may emerge through the mouth of the trainee and take shape, causing them unbearable pain in the process. They are tasked to train and punish Black Hat trainees in Shade Church, harvesting their Shadow tech if and when they perish. Autocons are fiercely loyal to the Black Abbess and show no mercy to the trainees. A newly minted Black Hat’s first task is to fight and slay their Autocon.

AUTO-ICON: A preserved corpse kept on display, usually in an elaborate box. The practice began on Barrow, as the ground there was rocky and difficult to dig into. Auto-Icons are normally kept in a place of reverence and participate in family functions. Business owners often have their Auto-Icons placed in or near their place of business.

AUTOPYLE: A Silver tech invention created by Lady Poe of Blanchefort.  An AutoPyle is a perpetual power source for the various Silver tech familiars frequently created by Lady Poe.  At Castle Blanchefort, she had a bell tower where she kept a stockpile of Tweeters.  As Tweeter only lasted five days before fading, she had to keep replenishing the tower.  She hit upon the idea of creating a power source for her Tweeters so that, as long as they stayed within a certain distance from it, they would last forever.  Setting to work in the Grove, she eventually invented a radiant type of Silver tech that would allow her familiars to feed off of it. Her first AutoPyle was in the shape of a bell and it worked perfectly–all the Tweeters in the bell tower lasted in perpetuity in its presence.

What seemed like an innocent project became a major security issue as the Black Hats, eager to get their hands on the AutoPyle and discover its secrets tried to steal it along with Lady Poe herself several times.

copyright 2015, Ren Garcia