TARBOR: Ancient river of Shadow tech that ran from the lake of Tithmus in the Tartan Valley to the base of the moutains, later known as the Hazards of the Old Ones.  When the lake and forest of Tithmus were destroyed by the Vith under the leadership of Holt of the Mountain, the Tabor dried up, however, nothing ever grew in its channel again.

TARTAN: 1)–Supposed “Lost Tribe” of the Elder-kind.  Tales of the Tribe of strong Green-Haired people who once served the Sisters survive still from antiquity. According to the tales, the Tribe of Tartan personally served the Sisters, and were often used as test subjects to determine by trial the effects of the Elder’s genetic enhancements.  The Tartans were said to be very strong, yet somewhat needy and lost without the Sisters and Elders to guide them.

It is not generally known what tragedy befell the Tribe of Tartan, but somewhere along the way during the migration from Eng to Kana at the end of the DX time epoch, the Tartans were erased from the picture and cease to exist as a standing tribe.  It is thought some of the Tartan’s lineage survive on in the various tribes, and in the Tribe of Calvert and the Browns of Onaris in particular, who, every so often, produce green-haired children and who are a bit stronger than most.

2)–Hilly, temperate region of Vithland on Kana populated by various Vith ruins.  The largest city of the Tartan region is Tartan, a landlocked Vith city.

TASKS OF VA AND FALQUIL:  Series of quests and labors intitated by the Sisterhood of Light in 004562EX to recover the Brightstones, a highly coveted powersource used by the Elders in many of their highly advance technological items. The Elders were passing into memory, replaced by the sinister Xaphans who openly bosted to steal the brightstones and make use of them themselves.  Two of the final three living Elders, Va and Falquil, advised the Sisters where the stones could be located, and the tasks began.  The loose contingents of assorted Great House vessels spanning the stars in pursuit of these quests became to basis of the Stellar Fleet.  The main adversary was the House of Xandarr who was said to be working for the Xaphans.  Eventually, after a hundred years had past, the Sisters had accumulated 10,500 brightstones, concluding the Tasks.  They became the most potent sect in the League afterward and the Fleet grew into its current strength..

TELMUS: Ancient area in the far north of Vithland on Kana near Vith Bay. It is the supposed birthplace of Lord Homma, the Vith man who would lead an army of annihilation against the Haitathe hoards. The ancient name for Telmus was Telmus Falls, where a large waterfall once flowed in to the waters of the bay. In modern times, there is no large waterfall at Telmus and no trace of an ancient one exists in the area.

TELMUS GROVE:Huge green space behind Castle Blanchefort planted originally by Lennibus, Lord of Blanchefort.  The Telmus Grove is a huge area of gigantic trees that was designed to prevent the Haitathe of old from attacking the castle from the mountain passes to the east.  The size of the grove has never been fully revealed, though it was estimated to be no less than fifty square miles in size.  Over a hundred Vith courtyards and ruins populated the grove, along with three working chapels, five large lakes and over a thousand streams and creeks.  Dead Hill, a three hundred foot hill and necropolis of House Blanchefort was located in the grove.

TEMPLE OF THE EXPLODING HEAD: A mythical temple buried deep underground dedicated to a Horned God, the Temple is said to be a place of horrid sacrifice and burnt offerings in continual use for ages. It is said the Temple draws great power from the blood-letting that goes on under its roof. The Temple is also said to be associate with a mythical race of beings who watch the League from afar, waiting for the time to strike.

TERFAL THE QUICK (2990ex-0001ex): Second son of Lord Homma of Telmus Falls and Queen Emmira, Terfal joined his parents in their continual war against the tribes of Haitathe in the northern Vith areas of Kana. Noted for his rapid ability to use the Waft, he became known as “The Quick.” A mighty warrior, Terfal, along with his elder brother Lennibus, stood against his father after he went mad and devoured his mother and siblings. Haunted by the memory of his mad father, Terfal left Vithland and migrated to the east in Esther, where he founded a number of Esther Houses.

TERRABUS: A vast “junkyard” in space near Xandarr in the region of space known as “The Kills”, the Terrabus field was the site of a number of smaller League/Xaphan space battles. Over time, a great number of destroyed Xaphan ships, pushed in the solar tide, gathered in the area. The field was often used by pirates and runners of contraband to exchange their products. Attempts by the League to clean up the field have met with limited success.

TERRAGRIN: Type of lighting system, usually of a green or bluish tint, that is bright enough to be seen in broad daylight

TERRANCE, THE MAD LORD OF WALTHER: (03078ax-03215ax): Esther: A flamboyant, free spirit from the Green Sabre region of Esther, Terrance was a rooftop prowling vigilant adorned in a mask who drew the continual ire of the Sisterhood of Light. Though an odd sight, The “Mad Lord of Walther” was nevertheless beloved in the area for the undeniably heroic feats of daring and strength he exhibited. He is most well-known outside of Esther for his defeating of the murderous madman known as the Fiend of Calvert.

His constant nemesis was the Stellar pirate, Lord Sedgwick of Kold who wished to usurp control of the Esther region for himself. Time and time again, Kold would pop up with one grand plot after another, and always there was the Mad Lord to stop him. Eventually, Walther and Kold would engage in a horrific battle over the city of Rustam—a very different sort of battle from the happy-go-lucky encounters they enjoyed in the past. Victorious, Walther appeared to go utterly mad, roaming the region claiming he was in the employ of the Sisterhood of Light, and so was Sedgwick of Kold. Soon the Sisters arrived, and, in a rare public display to power, killed Walther as a dangerous public threat. His remains were never found.

THOMASINA, LADY OF WOOLOVER, 19th (alt: OF WAAM/BLANCHEFORT) (03102ax–) (STR) Xaphan (Barrow): Thomasina the 19th of Woolover was born in her green ancestral manor in the Auld municipality in the Xaphan city of Waam. She was a descendant of the fragment of the House of Woolover who followed the rebellious Vith Houses to the stars after the Great Betrayal, her piece following the House of Clovis, and eventually settling in Waam. Her name at birth was Rose, but was awarded the Grand Title Thomasina after she bested her six sisters in a series of competitions, thus earning the right. She was the 19th Thomasina in Waam (the name having reset back to 1 after settling in Waam). A tall, strong girl she was a classic Woolover matriarch: iron-willed, strong, stubborn and determined that her people practice temperance and moderation. Having a father from Bondar, Thomasina was said to possess the ability to fly, as is often the case with people from Bondar.  She was also the magistrate of the municipality of Auld and enforced the law with a dogged zeal. Unlike many of her green-gowned predecessors, she allowed drinking in Auld, but in moderation. She and her Singing Ten, actively enforced prohibition, forcing pubs, taverns and bars to close early every night after thirty bells. Although a regal and stern woman, she was generous and freely shared her wealth with any who truly needed help. While closing a pub in Saga one evening, she came upon a table of four young people who were engaged in some sort of standoff with Spectres of the Drune clan. As she soon discovered, the pub was overrun with Cloaked Spectres, whom she and her Singing Ten helped defeat. It was then that she first saw Lord Phillip of Blanchefort, whom she immediately fell in love with. Not used to treating men with any care or consideration, Thomasina fully expected Phillip to concede to her wishes without struggle, including kidnapping him and bringing him bodily to church. Phillip violently resisted her advances and, undeterred, Thomasina pursued Phillip through the city, hunting him down like a fugitive. When Phillip escaped, Thomasina was heartbroken. She followed him back to Kana and, after several violent encounters, managed to win his heart. Rarely calling her Thomasina, Phillip referred to her by her birth name: Rose.

TITHMUS: Ancient forest and lake in the Tartan region of Vithland. A forest of dead Shadow tech females that oozed Shadow tech sap collected by the Grand Abbess of Magravine (later: the Black Abbess). The Shadow tech was forcibly extracted from the dead bodies of Vith girls who could create the subtance.  Magravine had such a quantity of Shadow tech that it formed a large lake surrounding the Tartan Temple.  Additionally, Magravine dug a long drainage channel into the base of the Tartan mountains, where she collected the runoff from Tithmus.  Determined the put her activities to an end, the Vith, led by Holt of the Mountain, and the remaining 24 Grand abbesses attacked Magravine at her temple in Tartan and chased her from the area. They then put the lake of Tithmus to the torch. Nothing ever grew there again—the ancient lakebed and channel leading to the mountains can still be clearly seen to this day.

TK: (qv: telekinesis)  The ability to lift and move objects using only one’s mind.  Mild TK is a common ability among both the League and the Xaphans, however it is weak and seemingly of little use, therefore is seldom developed.  The Sisterhood of Light, on the other hand, uses TK to colossal effect, able to lift, move and crush impossibly huge objects.  In the hands of the Sisters, TK can be made to mimic a number of Gifts, create minor invisibility and influence one’s mind.  The Black Hats also use a powerful version of TK, but not to the extent that the Sisters do.

TOMB, BATTLE OF: Battle waged on the planet Trimble in 000375AX between the waning forces of Queen Ghome III against the joint forces of The BMQ and Vai of Sorrander.

The BMQ (Brotherhood of the Murdered Queen), led by Christopher of St. Georges, had waited for years for the correct time to overthrow the despotic Queen Ghome of Trimble. Determined that she fall by their hand, they often propped her up and defended her from other factions seeking her ouster. Such a time came when Prince Vai of Sorrander, the great grandson of Wilmer of Sorrander (a former Ghome suitor) became enraged when Ghome murdered his betrothed, one Princess Gallia II of the new world of Bazz. Forming an alliance with the BMQ, Vai flashed in with his fleet of battleships, destroying Ghome’s fleet in space while the BMQ, striking from the north and the west, engaged and defeated Ghome’s personal guards, the Panther Moderns. Trapped at the Deathatorium of Queen Xo of Sevarr, Ghome was defeated and thought to have been killed, though her body was never recovered.

At long last, the BMQ could fall to their knees at the tomb of Queen Xo and proclaim vengeance in her name.

TORR (or TOR): Chief river of Xandarr. Having no oceans, the Torr is the primary source of native water on Xandarr. It flows east to west covering three thousand miles of arid lands in the central tropic of the planet and, at its broadest, is several miles wide. The Torr is notable for having both its source and its terminus as an underground spring.

TORRIJAYNE, DUCHESS OF OYLN (ne: OF WAAM) (03061ax-)(BH) Xaphan: Torrijayne of Waam was a vile Black Hat of Painter class centered in the city of Waam. She was particularly known for her sadistic cruelty and delight in torturing children. She had a number of enemies within the Black Hat ranks and was actively hostile to Sygillis of Metatron, the two often at arms against each other.

While creating a massive Shadow tech beast on Xandarr, Torrijayne was captured by the Duke of Oyln and taken in chains back to his mansion where he attempted to break the darkness around her. Eventually, with the help of Carahil the Silver tech totem, Torrijayne was freed of her darkness and she quickly fell in love with the Duke. She developed a very friendly personality and earned many friends—except for Sygillis of Metatron, the Countess of Blanchefort, for whom her previous hatred never abated. Sharing many adventures with her Duke, she eventually gave him ten children. Her battles with the Countess of Blanchefort were ongoing, occasionally shocking and often humorous—from savage fistfights in hidden locations to campaigns of humiliation, the Duchess and the Countess inventive methods of “one-upping” the other were constant sources of A-list gossip.

TOTEM: An exceptionally powerful mystical creation composed of either magical components or, more commonly, Shadow/Silver tech. Totems are fully autonomous and capable of thinking for themselves. A totem can either be an individual, such as Carahil the Seal, or be spread out as to encompass a large area (the holdings of the House of Narl on Hoban—the castle and the surrounding lands was a Shadow tech totem).

TRAVELER TECHNICAL (TT): School for girls located on the Deckard continent of Planet Fall.

TREGADOR:  Covert communications device invented by the House of Want in 00242ax.  The tregador usually resembles a piece of fancy jewelry: a necklace, a ring or gauntlet of wrought metal.  It makes use of a novel system of stone insertions–usually small stones of quartz, beryl, garnet or diamonds.  Those tregadors with a like arrangement of stones housed within may communicate with each other, either verbally or mentally, over a vast distance.  The communication is covert and impossible to intercept or decipher.

TREMBLEHORN: Other (House Thompson):  A small, trumpetlike horn, the TREMBLEHORN of House Thompson is a powerful weapon.  When blown, any within earshot of its sound are suddenly enthralled to the will of the hornblower, and will not be released until the blower wishes.  Stories tell of whole villages coming to the rescue of a Thompson after blowing the horn.  There is a litany that may be recited that will protect a person from the power of the TREMBLEHORN.

TREMPLAR BOX: (Guardian Box) A metal or wooden box about the size of a bird cage carried by Xaphan Warlords and Cabalists. A Tremplar Box is an arcane box supposedly containing some sort of beast, spirit or technology that will protect the life of its owner when summoned. Queen Ghome of Trimble was known to carry one when away from her court. The Gods of Cammara were said to carry a Tremplar Box that housed an elemental spirit of Sand. When the correct word is uttered, the box opens and whatever is kept inside will emerge and deal with any threats that might be about. The contents of a Tremplar Box is always a closely guarded secret. In one famous case, there was nothing inside the box–merely the threat of what might be inside was enough to protect its owner.

TRIMBLE: Fourth planet of Vega located 3pm of the vast Two-Pitch Nebula. Trimble, by virtue of its stellar location, is a Xaphan world. It was initially populated by the Croatoans of Hoban in 000093EX who found it to be a bountiful and well-placed world. After the Xaphans came to power in the region, Trimble became, by default, a Xaphan world. In 000200AX, representatives from Trimble petitioned the League for admittance and was rejected due to its contentious position within Xaphan society and the inevitable wars that would come with it.

Trimble enjoys a unique history of all Xaphan worlds. It has been both forefront in Xaphan culture and thinking, and  forgotten in the cultural scheme of things. It has been subjugated by virtually all of the Xaphan Royal Great Houses at one time or another, only to have the people eventually rise up in revolt and cast them aside. It is also well-known for its rule under the terrible dictator Queen Ghome, a despot feared in Xaphan circles for her legendary cruelty.

Waters from the Pool of Salonmea are highly prized for their arcane properties.

Centenos Castle, the seat of power on Trimble, is located at the leading end of the Garden of Zama, a floating rock that orbits about a mile distant from the surface.

Trimble is ruled by proxy by the Stewards of the House of Sevarr, whose previous line ended with the death of Queen Xo.

TRIUMPH AFFAIR: Infamous attack led by Princess Marilith of Xandarr against the foreign vessel Triumph, and its captain, Demona of Riel.  Princess Marilith of Xandarr became aware that her arch-enemy and former fiancée, Captain Davage, Lord of Blanchefort, had begun a seemingly innocent relationship with Demona of Riel, a captain from a far-away confederation. Becoming insane with jealousy, Marilith hatched up a plan to attack and put Demona to the sword.

Marilith’s plan called for using Shadow tech to hopelessly snare Demona’s powerful vessel, allowing Marilith to kill her at her leisure. Her plan called for making use of thirty Black Hat Painters to sneak aboard the Triumph under Cloak and Snare it. She petitioned the Black Abbess, assured her the plan was safe and commenced the attack. Demona of Riel, however, became alerted to the plan as she prepared to enjoy lunch with Captain Davage on the surface of Kana. She contacted him to ensure he was there and got a terse response—of course she wasn’t talking to the real Davage, just a Black Hat generated illusion. Becoming suspicious, she discovered her ship was overrun with Black Hats and attempted to sound the alarm, only to be engaged by Princess Marilith prior to the Black Hats departing the ship.

On the surface, the real Davage became worried when Demona failed to show for lunch. Using his Sight, he looked into her ship and saw it crawling with Shadow tech and Black Hats. He raised an alarm and attacked, touching off a violent battle aboard the Triumph. In the end, every Black Hat was slain, while Princess Marilith escaped.

The Black Abbess was furious and imprisoned Marilith in her dungeon on Shade Church and seized all of the House of Xandarr’s assets. Marilith soon escaped, however the Black Hat’s hatred for House Xandarr never abated, eventually leading to the Black Hats attempting to kill every living thing on Xandarr.

TROPIST: A practitioner of Tropism. Tropism is the technique of using minimal amounts of touches on non-erogenous parts of the body to induce a sexual climax.  The parts of the body normally focused on are the wrists, ears, shoulders, calves and ankles. Tropism is exclusively practiced in Xaphan space. Many Xaphan warlords often employ Tropists to perform their services upon on them at all times.

TUBRUK: A huge gas giant planet in the Mu Brevort system. Similar to Planet Fall, another gas giant, Tubruk is a massive brown dwarf and is rich in gas elements. Several floating continents are currently under construction in the upper atmosphere of Tubruk. Tubruk has a vast moon gallery, comprised of over fifty moons, the largest being Clarissa, Mermadan, Vendros and Rauros.  Tubruk, though a dangerous planet to navigate, is not as dangerous as Planet Fall. The city of Fountain-Lock is one of its chief cities.

TUK: The lighthouse at Tuk is a Stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. It is a tall lighthouse located on the northern point of Barrow island, looking out westward over the waters of the Sea of Esther. What the Sisters are looking for as they gaze at the waters is not generally known.

TWILIGHT 4: The tower of Twilight 4 was a Sisterhood of Light stronghold in the deep south of Kana near Remnath. Twilight 4 was an important research and holding center where the Sisters actively investigating weapons and technologies used against the League by the Xaphans. The infamous Fanatics of Nalls were taken there and never seen again. Their fate is unknown. The Sisters developed the useful Nall Tech cubes at Twilight 4.  The original tower of Twilight 4 was destroyed by the Remnath hero Atrajak of Want and his army of Monama warriors in 00627ex.

TWEETER: Silver tech familiar and constant companion of Kilos of Tusck. When Lt. Kilos of Tusck resigned her commission and decided to return home to Tusck, Captain Davage convinced her to take up residence in his castle until she could book passage home. Kilos accepted and moved into Pendar Tower for a short time. As per typical, Kilos found the vast and maze-like interior of the castle impossible to navigate without getting lost. Lady Poe of Blanchefort, knowing Ki’s difficulty, created a Tweeter for her—a Silver tech familiar that Lady Poe often used navigate the unfamiliar cities and castles that she was now visiting as a rising star in League society (Poe’s sense of direction was just as bad as Ki’s).

Tweeter was a tiny Silver tech bird in the general form of a canary. He had a rather mechanical look to him, with articulated wings and feet, and his mid-section was slightly rounded, as if he’d swallowed a golf ball. As a usual touch for Lady Poe creations, Tweeter had a bright, happy face. Lady Poe’s Coat of Arms was stamped under his right wing.

Although Ki didn’t think much of Tweeter at first, she quickly grew to appreciate and admire his ability to get her anywhere she wanted to go. When Ki became trapped in the dreaded Hazards of the Old Ones, it was Tweeter who guarded her sanity, gave her hope and guided her out—after that, Ki became attached to him as a “lucky charm”.  Soon, Tweeter began showing signs of weakening, and Ki feared for him. When Ki met up with Lady Poe in Shade Church, she begged her to help Tweeter. Lady Poe explained that Tweeter was timed, and that he was soon to fade away—Lady Poe offered to make her another, but Ki wouldn’t hear it—she pleaded with Lady Poe to do something for him. Lady Poe attached him to her life force, giving him life as long as Ki lived. Ever after Tweeter was never far from Ki, she becoming known as Kilos of the Silver Bird. In time she discovered how much Tweeter could do, even Lady Poe, his creator, didn’t realize what Tweeter was capable of. On command, he could not only guide one without error to a specific destination, he could also locate people, find lost or specific objects, and follow abstract commands, such as “find a safe route,” and “get me to a place where it’s warm.”  Kilos used him in a number of creative ways, including locating her the “best pancakes in town”, and the “inn with the least amount of bed-bugs”.

TWO-PITCH NEBULA: Vast, energetic, class four nebula straddling the boarder of League and Xaphan space. Spanning a stretch of space between the planets Hoban and Xandarr, Two-Pitch Nebula was the theatre of a score of League/Xaphan space battles and was a hallmark of the Golden Age of the League/Xaphan conflict. Because of the energetic nature of the nebula, the Xaphans, primarily under the leadership of Princess Marilith of Xandarr, often used it as a place to hide and screen their vessels.

TWO SIX TEN NETWORK: (2-6-10N) A complicated and expensive spy network run on Kana and Hoban. The 2-6-10 Network is run by socialites and other ladies of standing. Its primary mission is to provide accurate and frequently updated information regarding the Ruins of Caroline. A popular and persistent fad on Kana is for eligible gentlemen to venture out to the ruins in the hopes of encountering a wayward Maiden of Caroline. The 2-6-10N makes it its business to know exactly who is going to be out at the ruins at any given time, and pass the information along to any interested parties. The information is updated everyday at 2, 6, and 10 bells Kanan standard. Kanan ladies pay a great deal of money for this knowledge, often impersonating Caroline Maidens when an A-list gentleman is scheduled to visit the ruins.

TWO TREES: Other (House Champion) – An armored gorget, the TWO TREES is considered a very potent LosCapricos weapon, and a rather unfair one as well. The TWO TREES, when used in battle, may animated any normally inanimate object, such as a tree, a rock or a house and command it as needed. These animated constructs are very powerful and can do a lot of damage. It was said that Arvor, Lord of Champion was inspired while watching the Sisters battle a Black Hat who had created an army of Shadow tech tree beasts.

TYROL: 1)–City on the Sea of Esther, notable land, sea and air port and place of commerce.  Tyrol is also thought to be the site of one of the seven Grand Animaliums.  2)–Group of people decended from both Esther and Zenon blood who consider themselves a separate Tribe–the eighth tribe, though the Sisterhood of Light does not acknowledge that status.  The Tyrols are known for their odd silver hair, known as “Pewterlock”.  Tyrols are also suspected of practicing forbidden rites.

TYROL, HOUSE OF: Esther: Ancient House that, during the time of the Elders, did not participate in the star-faring activities most of the other tribes did. They remained in their small city on the eastern shores of Esther, concerning themselves with things considered forbidden, including various herbals lores and Black Magic. The Tyrols believes themselves to be  separate tribe, though, genetically, they are similar to Esthers. A common trait of the House of Tyrol is a head of shiny silver hair, known in the region as Pewterlock.

copyright 2015, Ren Garcia