ammonites

the servants of the Wise. The name comes from their heraldry of silver spirals and that their robes are dyed with the purple made from ammonites (the ammonite being an ancient shellfish with a spiralled shell now extinct that is related to the modern day nautilus)

Ancestor House

a structure built by Plainsmen upon the crags at the heart of their koppies. Built from the bones of their dead, it is here that the Elders of a tribe meet in solemn conclave.

Apotheosis

the ritual in which a candidate from the House of the Masks is given the godhead and transformed into the Twin Gods on earth

aquar

a long-legged bidpedal saurian ridden everywhere in the Three Lands

baran

a large military vessel powered by both sails and oars

beadcord

beads strung on a cord that can be 'read' by touch

bellower

a saurian that produces a characteristic bellowing sound

Black Gate

one of the Three Gates that defend the canyon entrance into Osrakum.

Blood Gate

one of the Three Gates that defend the canyon entrance into Osrakum also called the Ichorian: 'the gate of the divine blood'

Bloodguard

this is a Vulgate term for the Quyan 'Ichorian' and refers specifically to the twin legions of the Red Ichorians who garrison the Three Gates on the canyon entry into Osrakum

blood-rank

a measure of blood purity among the Masters derived from the number of sequential zeros beginning a blood-taint fraction

blood-ring

an iron ring worn by each of the Masters as proof of his or her blood-taint

blood-taint

a measure of blood purity among the Masters (expressed as a numerical fraction in base 20 - or 'Quyan fractions'

Books of Blood

the books (actually, beadcord reels) in the Library of the Wise in which are contained records of the blood-taints of the Masters

by the horns

an expression relating to the four horns of the Black God

Celestial

a term of address for those of the House of the Masks as well as some other high ranking officials

Chamber of the Three Lands

a vast cave at the centre of the Halls of Thunder in which the Chosen carry out the election of a God Emperor

childgatherers

those ammonite officials that extract and manage the flesh-tithe of children from the Commonwealth's barbarian vassals

Chosen

the name the Masters give themselves

City at the Gates

so named because it was a city that grew up at the entrance of Osrakum to service the Masters

Clave

a council of the Great whose spokesman is He-who-goes-before

Cloaca

the channel cut into the floor of the Canyon of the Three Gates and which is used to drain excess water from the Skymere

Commonwealth

the name the Masters give their empire which consists of Osrakum, the Guarded Land and the Naralan, a land corridor linking the Guarded Land to the sea.

coomb

valley on the inner face of the crater wall of Osrakum

Crag

in general this would refer to the towers of volcanic rock rising from the heart of a plainsman koppie. Capitalized, it will refer specifically to that in the Koppie of the Ochre

Darkcloud

a Plainsman tribe

deadman's chair

a device in which a lookout sits designed to keep him attentive...

Deus

term used to address the God Emperor

Domain

one of the twelve adminstrative departments of the Wise each headed by a Grand Sapient: Immortality, Gates, Tribute, Rain, Legions, Roads, Mentor, Lands, Labyrinth, Blood, Law, Cities

drag-cradle

a stretcher one end of which is attached to a saddle-chair: the other which drags along the ground

Dreamchamber

the chamber in which the God Emperor dreams so that the Sapients from the Domain Rain may divine the approach of the Rains to Osrakum

Dual Essence

the divine essence of the Twin Gods which the body of a God Emperor is understood to hold like a vase holds water

earthbridge

a Plainsman structure of packed earth which carries a narrow path across a ditch and along which it may be crossed

earther

a horned saurian

Earthsky

the name the Plainsman give the plateau lying to the south of the Guarded Land

Eyries

a general term for a palace carved high into the Sacred Wall above a coomb used by the Chosen to escape the summer heat. Specifically the name given to a structure of this kind used by House Suth.

Encampment of the Seraphim

this is the name given to the columned halls that are located in the Halls of Thunder and which spread on either side of the Hall of Wings. It is here that pavilions are erected between the columns which are used as accomodation during divine elections.

ferngarden

a name the Plainsmen give to a portion of the Earthsky which lies within their ditches

Forbidden Garden

another name for the Yden but also, specifically, to a portion of it lying about the root of the Pillar of Heaven which is surrounded by a wall

Gatemarsh

this is the marsh that lies at the entrance of the Canyon of the Three Gates in which is built the City at the Gates with its mounds and causeways

giriju

a rhizomatous root not unlike ginger

glyph

the pictureâ writing of the Masters

God Emperor

a personification of the Twin Gods - a man elected from the House of the Masks and deified by the Wise

Gods' Blood

an oath referring to the burning blood of the Twin Gods

Grand Sapient

one of the twelve heads of Domain of the Wise

Great

the higher class of the Masters - specifically those whose blood-rank is 1 or higher - that is, they have a zero at least in the first fraction of their blood-taint

Great Balance

or the Balance of the Three Powers. The political system of checks and balances that maintains the power equilbirium between the God Emperor, the Great and the Wise.

Great Lord

the term of address that can be used by a Master to another Master who is of the "Great"

Great One

the term of address that can be used by a Master (normally of the Lesser Chosen) to another Master who is of the "Great"

Great Sea Road

the road that runs from the Wheel down to the Naralan and the sea

Great-Ring

a ring which shows the wearer to be of the "Great" because each one stands for a zero in the wearer's blood-taint

Grove

what the Ochre call the small forest of cedars or mother trees at the centre of their koppies and under which they live

Guarded Land

what the Masters call the high plateau which forms the largest part of the Commonwealth and at whose centre lies Osrakum

Halls of Thunder

the palaces hollowed high in the rock of the Pillar of Heaven

hearth

a name given to a Îfamilyâ of Plainsmen who share matrilineal descent and that are associated with a specific mother tree and which are characterized by the homely warmth of sitting together eating around a fire

hearthkin

a term describing the people of oneâs hearth

hearthmate

a term given to another member of a hearth

heart-stone

so called because it is quarried from the Pillar of Heaven which is believed by the Masters to be a fragment of the heart of the cosmic Turtle

heavener

an immense saurian so called by the Plainsmen because they believe that their necks reach their heads into the sky or 'heavens'. These are sacred to them because they believe them to link Mother Earth to the Skyfather

heliograph

a device set upon a watchtowers of the Guarded Land which is used by the Wise to communicate rapidly with distant parts of the Commonwealth

He-who-goes-before

a title for the spokesman of the Clave elected by the Great

Hold

the fortress on an island in the northern seas which Suth Sardian chose as his house of exile

homunculus

childlike, wizened creature which each of the Wise has and with which they can 'hear' speech and 'talk'

horned-ring

a Chosen symbol consisting of a 'broken' ring which has two prongs where it is broken.

horned-ring staff

a staff or pole having on top a 'horned-ring'

House

one of the 'families' of the Masters - each House having several lineages, heraldry and, generally, a coomb in Osrakum

House of the Masks

the Imperial House, so named for the two masks of jade and obsidian that the God Emperor wears as a symbol of his divinity. Everyone of the House of the Masks is restricted to the Isle which lies in the midst of the Skymere in Osrakum and whose waters they are forbidden to cross by the Law-that-must-be-obeyed

huimur

the Quyan name for an immense, four-horned saurian which in Vulgate is called "a dragon". It is versions of these creatures, bred to vast size by the Wise, that form the basis of the legions of the Masters

huskmen

dessicated, mummified human bodies used as sentinels by the Plainsmen. The man being denied skyburial as a punishment for some crime that he has committed against a tribe

ichor

the burning blood of the Twin Gods that the Masters believe their God Emperor's acquire at the Apotheosis, then to pass it on to his children. It is by this means that all who are Chosen have acquired a semi-divinity

Ichorian

a generic term for those guardsmen who man the Three Gates (ie. the Red Ichorians) and those who guard the God Emperor etc (ie. the Sinistral Ichorians). The term derived from the word 'ichor' because they guard the 'blood' of the Masters

Ichorian Gate

one of the Three Gates that defend the canyon entrance into Osrakum.

Ilkaya

the Quyan name for the holy scriptures of the Masters

Isle of Flies

a shrine that the Oracles of the Darkness-under-the-Trees maintain in the Upper Reach and which consists of an immense banyan cover island lying between two waterfalls

Jade Lord

title given to the male offspring of a God Emperor and more specifically, to those who are candidates for election to the Imperial succession

Jalod

the 11^th month of the Quyan calendar

kharon

the ferrymen of the Skymere, an ancient caste set apart from other men. Each family of kharon maintain a bone boat which is formed entirely from the bones of their forebears. They live in boathouses around the inner shore of the Skymere.

koppie

one of the Plainsmen hills often crowned with rocks and around which land is enclosed by a series of concentric ditches. It is here that each tribe has their home

Koppie

when capitalized, referring to the koppie of the Ochre

kraal

a wicker enclosure common in the Guarded Land and which is used to corral sartlar

Labyrinth

a region of the Isle in Osrakum and which lies between the Plain of Thrones and the Pillar of Heaven. It is formed of a forest of columnar sepulchres in which are buried the remains of deceased God Emperors and others of the House of the Masks. Over the millenia, this has grown so vast in extent that it is possible to become fatally lost.

Lady (my Lady)

the term of address used by a Chosen to another Chosen woman of equal or lesser rank

leftway

one of the roads that run along the top of the walls that butt against the raised roads of the Guarded Land and which divide this into provinces

Legate

the commander of a legion, appointed by a God Emperor from among the Lesser Chosen

Lesser Chosen

those of the Masters whose blood-rank is less than 1 - that is those whose blood-taint does not have a zero in its first fraction

lictor

one of the two officers who accompany He-who-goes-before each representing one of the twin legions of the Red Ichorians

Lord (my Lord)

the term of address used by a Master to another Master of equal or lesser rank

Lower Reach

a small region lying around a double waterfall of the Blackwater river to the south of the Earthsky

Maga-Naralante

a city in the centre of the Naralan

Makar

a city on the southern edge of the Guarded Land

Marula

a black skinned people whose land lies on either bank of the Blackwater beneath where it falls from the Upper Reach

marumaga

people who can claim to have some Chosen blood

Masks

the Jade Mask and the Obsidian Mask, worn at different times by the God Emperor and being the most important part of his regalia

Master

a Vulgate term used by their subjects to refer to and address one of the Masters

Mistress

the female equivalent of the term, "Master"

Moon-eyed Door

one of several doors in Osrakum which are made of silver and which bear the moon glyph of the crying left eye and which signify a region belonging to the Wise

mother tree

what the Plainsmen call the cedars in their koppies so called because of their intimate connection with Mother Earth

My-Lord-who-goes-before

the mode of addressing He-who-goes-before

Naralan

a region connecting the Guarded Land to the sea in the north

Nothnaralan

a city on the western edge of the Guarded Land from which the Great Sea Road descends to the Naralan

Ochre

a Plainsman tribe

Oracles

the Marula priests and oracles of the Darkness-under-the-Trees

Osrakum

a caldera at the centre of the Guarded Land in which live the Masters. It contains a lake, the Skymere, at the centre of which lies the Isle and the Labyrinth

Our-father-who-goes-before

a variation of He-who-goes-before used by the Red Ichorians to address that official

Pillar of Heaven

the mountain at the centre of Osrakum which is assumed to hold up the sky or heavensâ

Plain of Thrones

a smaller crater on the Isle which has around its edge the tombs of the Masters as well as giving access to the Labyrinth

Plainsmen

the name the tribes that live in the Earthsky give themselves

Plainswomen

the women of the Earthsky

Quaestor

an ammonite who failed to become one of the Wise and who are assigned one to each legion as the representative of the Wise

Quya

the language of the Masters

Quyans

the original speakers of Quya. The precursors to the Masters who lived in cities across the Guarded Land

Quyan numbers

the vigesimal or base-20 number system that the Masters have inherited from the Quyans

Rainbow Stair

this is the name given to the steps which are cut into the Pillar of Heaven which connect the Labyrinth to the Halls of Thunder.

Rains

when capitalized, this indicates the annual monsoon that comes up from the sea

ranga

a set of shoes that lift their wearer off the ground and which are warned to avoid being tainted by that ground

ravener

the name Plainsmen give to the bipedal saurian predators common to the Earthsky

Rebirth

a ritual held once a year in the Plain of Thrones in which the God Emperor is considered to be reborn with the new year

Red Caves

the barracks and stables of the Red Ichorians which are cut into the canyon walls between the Ichorian Gate and the Black Gate.

Ringwall

the raised road and wall that runs along the edge of the Guarded Land

rootearth

the portion of earth around a mother tree which is supposed to be possessed by its roots and which will be considered to be territory belonging to the hearth associated with that mother tree

Ruling Lord

A Lord who is head of his House

Ruling Ring

a special ring which identifies the wearer as the ãRuling Lordä of a House

saddle-chair

a chair that is held on the back of an aquar by girths and in which its rider sits

Sapience

a term used to address one of the Wise

Sapient

one of the Wise

sartlar

the bruttish slaves of the Guarded Land

scouring line

huimur or 'dragons' moving in line with squadrons of aquar across a portion of the Guarded Land with the purpose of 'scouring' or 'cleaning'â any barbarian intruders from the Guarded Land before the gates in the Ringwall are closed again for another year

Seraph

a term used by the Wise and the ammonites to address the Masters

Seraphim

a term used by the Wise and the ammonites to refer to the Masters

Sinistral Ichorians

a branch of the 'Ichorians' called 'Sinistral' because the left side of their bodies are tattooed black. These form the bodyguards of the House of the Masks and are restricted to the Isle in Osrakum

Skygate

the entry to the Halls of Thunder

Skymere

the lake which fills most of Osrakum

skymetal

a name for iron translated from the Quyan because it is obtained from meteorites that fall from the sky

Standing Dead

this is a term used by the Plainsmen to describe the Masters. It relates to the funerary colossi which frown down on them in the Plain of Thrones when they go there as tributaries

Stone Dance of the Chameleon

a circle of calendrical stones upon which is inscribed the Law-that-must-be-obeyed and which is located in the Plain of Thrones in Osrakum

Sun-eyed Door

the door that has a ‘sun-eye’ inscribed on it and which is the ritual entrance into the Sunhold

Sunhold

a region of the Halls of Thunder which at times can be occupied by He-who-goes-before

syblings

conjoined twins specifically that the Wise force by administering drugs to pregnant women and which form much of the household of the House of the Masks

sylven

small diminuitive men who occupy the Forbidden Garden of the Yden

They

capitalized pronoun used to refer to the God Emperor

Three Lands

the name given to the world of the Masters, consisting of the lands of Osrakum, the Guarded Land and all the lands of the barbarians round about (conceived of two concentric rings with Osrakum as their centre)

Thronehall

a ritual chamber in the Halls of Thunder

Thuyakalrul

one of the 'sea cities' of the Naralan

Tribe

when capitalized, this refers specifically to the Ochre

Tuta

the 12^th and final Quyan month

Twin Gods

The duality which is at the core of Chosen religious belief. Often referred to simply as the Twins...

tyadra

Quyan term meaning "those who guard" and specifically referring to the guardsmen of a House

Underworld

a land of shades to where the dead must go

Upper Reach

a region lying to the south of the Earthsky around the twin falls of the Blackwater and which is the preserve of the Oracles

Valley of the Gate

the valley which opens out at the end of the Canyon of the Three Gates and which slopes down to the Skymere

Vulgate

language spoken throughout the Commonwealth

watchtowers

One of the towers built at regular intervals along the raised roads of the Guarded Land.

Wheel

the great market of the City at the Gates so named because it is circular and it is where the spokesâ of the Commonwealth's roads all meet

wheelmap

a symbolic map of the Commonwealth consisting of a black centre [Osrakum], within a red circle [the Guarded Land] all within a green circle [the lands of the barbarians]

Windmoat

aÊ ravine in the Halls of Thunder which separate its Forbidden House from the rest of the Halls

Wise

the third support of the Great Balance, one of the Powers, the mutilated administrators of the Commonwealth who know all things

Woadshore

the name given to a swampy shore from which, among other products, comes the pigment woad

Yden

the name given to the gardens and water-meadows around the foot of the Pillar of Heaven that all lie within the Ydenrim

Ydenrim

the nearly submerged caldera which defines the boundary of the Yden