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The League Of Elder
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General Glossary of People , Places and Things


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.

ANABRAX: (Maiden of the Harvest). Anabrax was a diety once worshipped by the old Halas of Kana for a good harvest. She appeared either as a beatiful, raven-haired maiden with a basket of seed, 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 he to his foul Golden servants.

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 themelves 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 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 then 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: 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.

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

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 stardard 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 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.   

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.

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 ther hands on the AutoPyle and discover its secrets tried to steal it along with Lady Poe herself several times.








BAILIE:  Common name for the BA-1le rocket launching system designed by the House of Dare and commonly used by the Stellar Marines.  The Bailie is a lightweight and easily portable rocket laucher consisting of a tube and a small, short range rocket.  The launcher consists of five pieces that have to be assembled before use. The pieces are all small enough to be able to fit on a belt. The rocket fired by the Bailie is also quite small, measuring nine inches in length and no more than two pounds in weight. The payload of the Bailie rocket is changable, allowing for any number of differing ordinances to be carried, depending on the situation. The launcher may also tag the intended target, either by laser, holo-tag or jet mark.  The rockets can be guided by heat, by laser, by wire or by manually steered in flight by the launcher.  The usual range of the Bailie rocket is fifteen miles.

BARB: A sinister appliance once worn by the ladies of Carina 7, The Barb was outlawed by the League Ex-Commons in 00022ex. The Barb functioned using the little-known notion that males could be subjected to poisons and other toxins that would only effect them during the heights of arousal, and that the phallus was the ideal entry point to introduce these toxins (while at rest these toxins would have no effect upon the male). The barb was a device inserted deep into the womb of a woman. The device had a long point or needle that, while engaging in intercourse, would repeatedly prick her male partner. The Barb could be coated with any number of substances or poisons that typically might cause paralysis, blindness, unconsciousness or death (females were typically immune to the effects of the various poisons). A particularly dangerous substance was an aggressive nycotoxin hopelessly enthralling the male to the particular scent of the female, essentially making him her slave. 

BARR: Attorney of very High Programmability. Barrs are also tasked with enforcing rulings and judgments in favor of their clients and defending against judgments ruled against their clients. Enforcing rulings in the vast and far-flung League can be very difficult and the Barr, using forces at their command, ensure their clients receive what is coming to them. The 20th Fleet in the Stellar Fleet is often known as the Barr Fleet and is used to collect on rulings in favor of the Fleet. 

BARROW: 1)— One of the original seven tribes symbolized by a star, the Barrow settled on the island of Barrow in the far western end of Kana, so named in their honor. Starfarers along with the Vith and the Remnath, the Barrow were favored of the Elders and were, in part, granted the Gifts of the Mind. Premier Great Houses of Barrow origin are the Dare, Tuks and the Woolovers.

2)— Large westward island on Kana known for strong winds coming in from the Sea of Esther. Principle cities are Saga, Dare and Roda.

BARTON: The Sisterhood of Light’s chapel of Barton was located in the Great Armenelos forest. It was a functioning Elder chapel and conducted regular services. Under Barton was a large but rather obsolete repository where the Sisterhood stored materials and data that they deemed of little value.

Although Barton was a Sisterhood stronghold, because of the worthless items and information kept there, it was considered a low-security center. The Sisters, when needing ready money, would often sell items kept there. With Barton being located near Calvert, it was the occasional target of raids by various Houses of the Calvert line—most notably Mutt, Rostov and Dee. These “Raider Houses” would break into Barton, steal something, and try to sell it back to the Sisterhood. Initially agreeable, the Sisterhood soon found the raids increasing in frequency and daring and took measures to stop them once and for all. They destroyed the House of Mutt in a public Shuw-shun spectacle, banished House Rostov from the city of Bezzel and severely reprimanded and eventually banished the House of Dee. Mutt faded from existence, Rostov relocated far away and Dee reformed themselves and became a respectable House.

BATTLEBORNE:  A gigantic broadsword said to be carried into battle with the Haitathe of old by the fabled Vith queen Emmira.  Said to be a hundred feet long, Battleborne was etched with the tale of the Vith's migration through the cosmos to Kana.  Emmira is said to have given the sword to her eldest daughter Subra who also used it against the Haitathe.  A legendary artifact long sought by Vith scholars, the current location of Battleborne is unknown and thought to be simply a fanciful tale from the past.

BAZZ: Twelfth planet in Nu Torriander system and planetary sister of Onaris, Bazz was Terraformed from a lifeless rock to fully functional eco-system in 000744ex. Being rather far from its principle star, Bazz is quite cold in the winter months, however, it is heated by a white dwarf companion star known as "Lil' White Face" and has, when in orbital proximity to the star, very hot summers. With plenty of living space on the established Kana and Onaris, the only folk who initially settled on Bazz were Brown cast-offs seeking a fresh start. Over time, the people of Bazz developed an odd and, by League standards, exotic culture.

Bazz, like Xandarr, is a very exotic and unusual League world. Their distinctive architecture and dress resembled that of the planet Xandarr more than anything else. Their cuisine is also noted as being unbearably spicy. As time passed the prominence of the inhabitants of Bazz grew greatly, though they never adopted the Great House structure popular on Kana, Onaris, Planet Fall and Hoban. The people of Bazz are also notable for having first and last names—a rarity in the League.  Bazz uses a computerized system of currency called informally, a "Cred Stick".  As per SBL rates of exchange, it takes 3000 Bazz credits to qual one Kanan solaris.

In a curious note—Bazz mythology is dominated by a gigantic female goddess with twenty arms, resembling the Haitathe of old who plagued the Vith of Kana, though no presence of Haitathe has ever been confirmed on Bazz. The capital city of Bazz is Ennex-Therion.

BELL: 1)--The Sisterhood of Light’s well at Bell was located deep in the mountains of the Kanan north. Bell was nothing more than a modest water well. It was said that Bell caped a mystical spring of water with wondrous properties used by the Sisters for unknown reasons. The location of Bell is not generally known and none, outside of the Sisterhood have ever seen it.

2)— Bell is a dark planet located in the Bell Nebula.

BELL NEBULA: Large nebula located in the rear quarter of the League between Planet Fall and Bustoke. The Planet Bell exists within the nebula.

BERN: The vast farm of Bern is a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. It is a vast farm in the southern area of Hala, growing food for not only the Sisterhood but for the League as well. It is one of the few Sisterhood strongholds where non-Sisters may come, work, and do business.

BERSERKACIDE: Monstrous creatures, Berserkacides are four-armed Monama men and women who have fallen into a berserker rage and are lost to madness. As Monamas are normally, quiet, shy folks, Berserkacides slaver with rage and hate anything the Monama loved. They are swift, powerful, strong and difficult to bring down. Once a Monama becomes a Berserkacide, only death may free them.

BERT: The Grove of Bert is a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light located somewhere in the northern reaches of the Great Armenelos forest. Bert is a magical place growing all manner of mystical trees and flowers. Like many of the Sisterhood’s strongholds, its exact location is unknown.

BLACK HAT FIGHTING, FIGHTERS: After the turning of Sygillis of Metatron, an odd and extremely dangerous fad developed in the League: Black Hat fighting. Lords of Standing began actively attempting to capture and “turn” Black Hats, trying to “tame” them. Occasionally highly, and publically, successful, Black Hat fighting also led to many gruesome tragedies as well.

A short list of Successful Black Hat Fighters and the Black Hats they saved:

BLACK HAT SISTERHOOD: An ancient sect originally part of the Sisterhood of Light, the Black Hats are currently the most powerful secret sect in Xaphan Society. Before their schism with the Sisterhood, they were very interested in investigating the emplosser, the “Living Earth,” an Old Vith Gift of the body that appeared to be very rare. Females with the “Living Earth” appeared to suffer greatly and the leadership of the Sisterhood declared it illegal. They began introducing programs intended to “breed” it out of existence yet a few rebellious Sisters felt the Living Earth Gift was too important to be allowed to vanish. They began meeting in secret, covering their faces as to avoid detection. There, they performed gruesome experiments , developing the Living Earth Gift into an early and volatile form of Shadow tech. Finally discovering the genetic markers required to create Shadow tech, they convinced several Great Houses, including the House of Xandarr to betray the Elders and go to the Xaphans—thus the schism complete.

The Black Hats found themselves under constant attack by the Sisterhood of Light. To retaliate, they developed many variations of the standard Six Vithian Gifts and began using them to fight back—thus the Sisterhood and the Black Hats have been actively at war with each other for thousands of years. The leadership of the Black Hats, the Black Cloister and the Black Abbess, are all former Sisters and are immortal. The rank and file are all Shadow tech females. The Black Hats devote a great deal of time and energy scouring both League and Xaphan Society for Shadow tech females. They also make use of Invernans, Shadow tech males, to steal out and impregnate promising females—as only Shadow tech males can pass the trait down to their female progeny. The Black Hats then abduct any Shadow tech females or males that are born, the females taken to the “Church,” the males placed in stasis. The females are subjected to years of cruelty and torment: starved, kept in pitch darkness, forced to live in spaces too small to allow them to stand, where they crawled and struggled for life. They would then be forced to fight each other in “The Pit” to the death—the Church routinely killing off 70% of all females entering it. The result of this treatment was a twisted, soulless, fearless female living in a perpetual evil dream—thus their blind obedience to the Black Abbess.

Considered to be invincible in battle, the Black Hats enjoyed a sinister reputation that went unchallenged until Captain Davage of the League Stellar Fleet “saved the soul” of Sygillis of Metatron, eventually making her his Countess. After that, the fad of “Fighting” Black Hats grew in popularity, the Sisterhood losing many of their membership in such a fashion.

BLACKNESS: Hypothetical world located somewhere in the Great Xaphan Nebula.  World thought to be the lair of the Black Abbess.  This world is spoken of in a number of texts but has, to this point, been unconfirmed.  

BLOOD POISONING:  Blood poisoning is the leading cause of death in the League and in Xaphan space.  The Elder-kind, having been engineered to remain young and healthy throughout their lives, their blood is the weak link.  Elder blood is prone to becoming "poisoned"--a condition where the hemoglobin no longer transfers oxygen to the cells.  Untreated wounds, unsanitary conditions, certain chemicals and various fungi  may trigger a condition called Hemotosis, where the blood steadily becomes unworkable, invariably leading to death without treatment.

The Hospitalers use a special instrument called a "Troutman Scanner" that measures blood health.  The health of the blood is displayed on the Troutman in a triangle.  A normal condition registers a reading at or near the bottom of the triangle, or the  Base.  Heathly blood, therefore is measure in B's (the B-Factor).  The higher the reading, the worse the blood is, going toward the Apex of the triangle, which is inveriably fatal.  To say a patient is at or near Apex is a pronouncement of death.  

BLOODSIMPLE: Name of various spacecraft used by Princess Marilith of Xandarr in her battles with the League and Captain Davage in particular.  In her active years, Marilith made use of a variety of spacecraft, most commonly a Ghome 101, which was a large, battleship-shaped craft.  Typically, Marilith would scratch the name “BLOODSIMPLE” on the bridge with her legendary dagger, Moonglow.  As Princess Marilith engaged in many battles with the League, she had many Bloodsimples, the ship invariably being destroyed after one or two uses.  The Bloodsimple, due to being scratched by Princess Marilith's dagger, was thought to carry a sort of "unlife."

BLOODSTEIN:  Fifth planet of  Sar Embelar, Bloodstein is one of the more distant and obscure of League outposts.  The largest city on Bloodstein is the city of Legend.  

BLUES: Descended from the Old Vith, Zenons or Remnaths. Blues consist of the upper-crust gentry in both League and Xaphan society. The original Blues had blue hair and blue skin and served the Elders directly. As time passed, they began inter-marrying with the Browns and the blue hair/skin trait became less and less common. All Great Houses, except for a scant few (such as House Probert) are very Blue in ancestry. All of the Houses who revolted in 00000ax and went to the Xaphans were Blue, Browns being virtually non-existent in the rebellion.

BOLABUNG :  Any small object made of wormwood and other various components, such as ivory, gold, and menthic, that effectively blocks an individual's mind from telepathy.  Bolabungs also may shield one from the effects of menthols and spirits, thwart terminal bleeding from otherwise mortal wounds, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.  Additionally, bolabungs can "enhance" a person's personality and talents.  Bolabungs of great cost and complexity have been known to alter one's ferocity, sexuality, fighting skills, intelligence and problem-solving skills. Those discovered to be making use of bolabungs to enhance their personal traits are often looked upon with scorn and disregard.  A craftsman who specializes in the creation of bolabungs is known as a "Bolabard". 

BONDAR: Large municipality in the principle Xaphan City of Waam.  Known for being the bithplace of Bondarism, or "Bondarunga" as it's sometimes known, the civic structures in Bondar are constructed in a unique, spiral configuration that appear unhabitable by humanoid lifeforms. The goal of building in this manner, per the tenets of Bondarism, is to accelerate the evolution of the species. The theory was dismissed as singular "bad science" for centuries, until the people living in Bondar began developing the ability to fly.  As a result, "Flying People" is not an overly unnusual sight in Bondar, and in surrounding Waam as well.   

BONDARUNGA:  (Bondarism) A design and philosophical movement that began in the Xaphan city of Waam and eventually spread, in a lesser form, throughout Xaphan space and even into the League.  In its purest form, the goal of Bondarunga is to transform the species into a higher form of life.  Bondarunga (or "Bondarism") comes in several distinct forms:

Helixical (or He)

Glyphic

Mirrism

Colonial Roll

History:  In 000425AX, Gaius Wilmer of Waam became the Portator of the Municipality of Bondar in Greater Waam.  Wilmer is a shadowy figure in history, and is thought to be a refugee of the lost space station Zall 88 (See: Zall 88).  Eventually changing his name to "Bondarunga", he hypothesized that the evolution of the species could be greatly accelerated, with a high percentage of attrition, when forced into extreme conditions totally unsuited to the human body. Bondarunga razed all the buildings in Bondar and rebuilt them in a bizarre helixical configuration containing no windows, doors or other usual appointments associated with any structure or dwelling.  Considered mad for centuries, Bondarunga suddenly gained wide acclaim when the people of Bondar, living in their "unlivable" structures developed the ability to fly in 000622AX.  A learned study of the "Flying People of Bondar" revealed that they were, in fact, evolving at a rapid pace and would, possibly, evolve into a form of energy in under a million years.  After that study, interest in Bondarunga, or Bondarism, grew, developing into the less extreme variants of Glyphic and Mirrism.

Helixical (He):  The most stringent and radical form of Bondarism, all structures and vehicles are constructed in an organic helixical configuration with no discernible living spaces or other appointments.  Those using the structures must create their own space using any natural openings as best they can, rather like a parasite residing within a living body. He, outside of the Municipality of Bondar in Waam, is rare.

Glyphic:  Form of Bondarism using symmetrical shapes for construction and are usually hollow.  Black Hat temples often use Gyphic Bondarism in their design.

Mirrism: The most commonly practiced form of Bondarism. Mirrism is mostly an artistic expression with the prime tenet: Function is not an issue of Form.  A common feature of Mirrism is the taking of a recognizable object and using it in a completely unexpected way (IE--taking a tea cup and using it as a car).  Mirrism became quite popular across Xaphan space for the beauty of the designs created from it, despite the inconvenience of those forced to make use of the Mirrored structures and vehicles.  Mirrored structures often appear as either busts or whole human forms in various poses, with vehicles following suit on a smaller scale.  Mirrism allows for some accessories to be included in the design, but not many.

Colonial Roll:  A watered down form of Mirrism practiced on the League world of Hoban.  League safety and appointment standards apply and all items designed in Colonial Roll are required to have fully developed occupant facilities.(IE--livable quarters, and full safety and comfort features).

BOWLING:  Ancient game hailing from the long-lost homeland of the Elder-Kind.  Bowling is a very popular past-time , though in most quarters it is considered a very mean and vulger sport beneath the proper Blue Lords and is only openly played in the Calvert-lands of Kana.  Public bowling alleys in Calvert are considered very rough places.  However, bowling is a "guilty pleasure" and passion of many Great Lords and Ladies, and most Blue Houses have a carefully hidden  private bowling alley constructed somewhere on their holdings. In many quarters a Lady's bowling average is a significant status symbol, and for Great Lords is second only to Programmability as a status mark. The term "To Throw a Bowl" means that the location of the one House's hidden bowling alley has been discovered by another is is being black mailed to keep it quiet.  Bowling is also a traditional Nether Day activity.    

BRANDTBALL:  A popular field game in the north of Kana that is unique for not only allowing men and women to compete, but also pits three teams against each other at once.  The game consists of three teams composed of five mounted players.  The type of mount is at the pleasure of the hosting team.  Mounts may be live (the Kanan Ostrich is a popular live mount), a small boat called Bestache, or a wheeled single-person vehicle called a Brandtcar.   The object of the game is to win three sets.  Scoring five points wins a set.  Points are scored by throwing a small ovular ball called a Brandtball.  Once every member of the team has successfully caught the ball without a drop or interception by an opposing team, a point is scored. The final pass before a team scores is call the Cinco Pass.  A common defensive tactic in the game is for two teams to gang-up on one, which is called a Ballute.  

BRIGHTSTONES: (Vith Name: Illia-Cranthor). Ancient beryl stones once used by the Elders for the purposes of powering a number of wondrous technological devices, most of which have fallen into obscurity. The Brightstones have been attributed with a number of various useful properties over the centuries, including:

1)Unlimited power source.

2) Ability to effect climate over a large area.

3) Self-Replication.

4) Ability to teleport from place to place over vast distances

In 004562ex, the Sisterhood of Light undertook a series of quests over the course of one hundred years to gather all known Brightstones (known collectively as The Tasks of Va and Falquil). The origins of the Stellar Fleet can, in part, be traced to these quests. The Sisters recovered, as a result of these quests 10, 500 Brightstones (all documented). The recovery of the Brightstones coincides with the ascendency of the Sisters as a major League sect. No further Brightstones have been uncovered through the centuries, though four are suspected to reside somewhere in Xaphan space. The current whereabouts of the stones recovered by the Sisters is unknown outside of the Sisterhood.

BRINDVAL: Large planet in the Ion-Codis system. Brindval is often known as the “Place of Floating Rocks” as there are a large quantity of mineral known as Brindacite which has unique properties, one being the ability to cancel out the effects of gravity, thus there are many sizable boulders, some being miles in length that float over the surface. The capitol city of Brindval, Tantan, is built on one of these floating rocks. Hagthorpe Prison, the primary prison in the League, is also built on a huge floating rock. As a side note, Brindval is the birthplace of “The Weed,” a prolific fungus used by dirty courtesans to enhance the sexual experience.

BRONTA:  A design style used by the Monama peoples of the south of Kana.  Bronta consists of a tightly interlocking series of swoops and whorls which, upon close inspection, is composed of tiny figures engaged in sexual intercourse.

BROWNS: Common people of the League, mostly on the planet of Onaris of Calvert tribe heritage, who have no Vith ancestry. Browns are without title, generally poor, and usually looked down upon by the Blue gentry. Having no Vith ancestry, Browns have none of the original six Elder Gifts, they do, however, share the gift of life-long youth and vitality. Browns are a strong hearty people, generally brown eyed and brown haired, though occasionally green-haired Browns are born (hailing from their Calvert heritage).  Though they lack the Gift of Strength, Browns are naturally quite strong--with female Browns being, on average, stronger than similarly-sized males of other tribes (though use of the Gift of Strength well surpasses theirs).  They tend to have very large families and are very practical people. Many of the Gifts that are very effective on Blues have diminished effects on Browns—they are immune to the Dirge altogether. Browns also are very good at basic telepathy.


CABALISM:  An arcane Xaphan art freely mixing technology, herbal lore, stolen medical practices and magic.  Seen in the League, and in some quarters of Xaphan space, as frauds and mystics, Xaphan Cabalism does appear to have some level of learned competence.  The obscure sect of the Hospitalers known as the Ephysians often exchange information with Cabalists.

CALVERT: 1)—One of the original seven tribes of man symbolized by a fish, the Calvert settled in the lower eastern seaboard of the southern continent. The Calverts found themselves struggling after relocation to Kana and needed constant care from both the Elders and the other tribes to survive. Eventually, many of the Calverts were relocated to Onaris were they prospered much better. The Principal Great Houses of Calvert are the House of Calvert, Pitsfield and Dee.  Calverts are rather slight of build, hazel-eyed and sandy-haired, though occasionally green-haired children of Calvert are born.  Though they are of a smaller size than the Vith and the Esthers, Calverts tend to be a bit stronger than the rest.  The Tribe of Calvert is sometimes said to hail from the mythical green-haired Tribe of Tartan, one that no longer exists of modern League society.   2)—A coastal region of the southern continent south of Esther where the remaining Calverts on Kana live.

Calvert houses abandoned the practice of minting their own coins at the beginning of the AX time period.  They adopted the Remnath solaris as their standard.

CAMMARA: Ancient home world of the Elder-Kind during the iconic CX Epoch. Cammara was said to be a wonderful world, even surpassing Kana in its richness. It was while living on Cammara that the Elder-Kind received the Gifts of Youth and Health from the Elders. Cammara’s exact location is lost to the ages, the Elders having last set foot there over 200,000 years prior. The mysterious House of Want, who vanished from the League centuries ago, were said to have transported themselves back to Cammara and live there in luxury to this day.

CANISTER: The League’s “ace” weapon, the canister is constructed of Elder Tech making it a weapon of unlimited destructive power. The canister resembles a medium-sized guided missile.  Configurable from a small damaging puff, to a star destroying blast of devastating power, the canister cannot be outrun, out maneuvered, or otherwise escaped. The canister makes use of “blinked” material from a neutron star for a variety of effects. Once used, the neutron star material is then blinked back out. A fail-safe built into the canister weapon would “blink” the weapon out of existence should a hostile force attempt to “transport or otherwise teleport it away. The Zero Weapon, prototype, discovered by Princess Marilith, played on this failsafe and caused the weapon to detonate instead of blink out.

CARINA: Seventh planet of the Beta Lepitus system, Carina is an odd matriarchal world where the presence of men is tolerated but not encouraged. The original inhabitants of Carina were members of a vast harem that served the Emperor-King of Ming-Moorland, a Non-League world several clicks away. The Emperor-King abused the harem, often tormenting, killing them and selecting them to fight to the death. They developed a powerful hatred and mistrust of men in general. The planet became a League world in 00271ex at the request of the Sisterhood of Light. The Sisterhood of Light has several strongholds on Carina. There are vast convents on Carina where, according to legend, women are taught the dark arts of the night, of hates and of revenge--all parts of the science known as Gynology. The largest cities on Carina are Sapherta and Lescern. Carina is very far from its mother star and is a very dark world, even when in full daylight. The planet is warmed to a fairly balmy level by a copious amount of geo-thermal energy. Though generally thought to be from Planet Fall, the sect of dirty courtesans known as the Erynes actually hail from Carina.

CAROFABS (qv: Frauds, Impostors): Name given to Ladies taking advantage of a fad in the League to seek brides at the ruins of House Caroline in Hala. These ladies often would hide amid the ruins or Waft in, and present themselves to any prospective gentleman who might be waiting there, claiming to be a Lady of Caroline.

CAROLINE: 1)—The Lighthouse of Caroline is a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light situated in the Straits of Elder, north of Zenon. Of all 25 strongholds of the Sisterhood, Caroline is the most mysterious—its function or purpose has never been made plain.

2)—Xaphan world, fourth planet of Tu, settled by the House of Caroline in 0001ax. Though Xaphans, the Carolines were always a fairly benevolent folk and secretly welcomed League Great Houses to their presence. After the First Battle of Mirendra 3, many battered Fleet vessels found safe harbor over Caroline.

CAT GOD, THE:  An odd and rather elusive nexus of  both knowledge and locale, the Cat God appears to different people as different things.  It generally appears as a public establishment of some sort, usually a pub, eatery, smokery, library or other place where one may sit and gather with others.  Its description varies, however it is generally agreed upon to be plush and comfortable, decorated in a rather greenish motif and numerous statues of cats. Another constant with the place is it proprietor, a smoky, beautiful woman with green hair named Mabs. While in the Cat God, most, if not all of one's questions may be answered, items that have been lost may be recovered and dead ancestors may be found there.  The Cat God is never seen twice in the same place, and most, while visiting it, almost never realize anything unusual is happening around them until they have exited. A return visit always yields nothing, the Cat God having vanished. 

CATHEDRAL OF BONE AND WIRE:  A dark cathedral situated at the mouth of the proverbial "Destroyer's Road."  The cathedral was said to be made of twisted bones and old, rusted wire and was haunted by a terrifying dark spirit who hated itself as much is it did all life. The Nillists of Punt attempted to control the creature whom they called "The Clacker" with worship and burnt offerings.

Formerly, the cathedral was the site of a place known as the Hall of Mirrors where many things could be discovered. According to the lore of the Grandmaster, "The Clacker" took the place over and, hating the sight of itself, destroyed the mirrors and rebuilt it in bone and wire.

CELESTIAL ARBORIUM An assemblage of Elemental Spirits at the “Top of the Universal Tree.” The Arborium meets and seeks to discuss and maintain the cosmic balance. The Leader of the Arborium, always a temporary assignment, distributes “visions” to the various members—these visions may be glad tidings or portents of death and destruction. The members of the Arborium cannot directly take action as a result of their visions (ie, they cannot prevent the coming of a bad vision), they are bound by the rules of balance, breaking the rules shall cause the offending member to be punished, usually by being transformed into a demon. Instead, the members are encouraged to inspire, to lead and give hope. Several known members of the Arborium are: Carahil, Maiax, Bathloxi and Mabs. The inverse of the Celestial Arborium is the Windage of Kind, a collection of demons hoping to cause chaos and throw balance out of order.

CODIS: Radiant C-Class star located at 9am in the constellation Corvus (The "Beak" of the Crow) with an apparent magnitude of 1.25 as seen from Kana. A blue-white supergiant, Codis is the fourth most luminous star in League-held teritory. Codis, or Codis MU as it was known in the ancient charts, was a star that once supported the 25 Elders prior to their death in the EX Time Epoch.  It was of an ideal size, age and spectral type to support the Elders nutritional needs, additionally, Codis supported no planets bearing life, making it even more desireable for Elder consumption. It was first discovered by the Vith in 10,4252DX as the Hicand star system previously supporting the Elders began to break down.  Coveting its abundant energies, the Elders led their collection of servant across the cosmos on a journey that vasted three stellar years, marking the beginning of the EX Time Epoch.

After the passing of the Elders, the Sisters declared the region around Codis a place of mourning forbidden to all stellar traffic.  The nearest populated planet is Planet Fall, 66,000 stellar miles leeward.

CONOX: 1)--Modern line of Monamas considered to be a weaker, or "lesser" strain than the Anuians, or "Greater Monamas" of old who were generally wiped out by the Kestrals centuries prior. Conox make up over 99% of the modern Monama population. Conox, though rather small and sleight of stature, are still much stronger, faster and heartier than a standard Elder, and are not as prone to becoming sick and dying when away from Kana. Conox also have a higher resistance to cold temperatures than the Anuians, though prolonged exposure to temperatures under 60 degrees will eventually kill them as well. 2)--Language distantly related to Anuie spoken by various Monama tribes. Conox lacked a written alphabet for much of its history, until incorporating the League Common alphabet in 000492ax.

CONTRABULATE: (v)  To dream of doing great harm.  Method used by the Black Hat Sisterhood of mentally attaching themselves to a person of interest and invading their dreams, where the Black Hat then tortures and kills the person.  Comes from the Vith word Contrabolus which means an evil dream given form.

CRICKET HUT:  Any inexpensive and often seedy lodging establishment that shields the paying occupants from telepathic intrusion and assures mental privacy.  The name "Cricket Hut" come from the faint chirping sound created by the telepathic dampeners.

CRONYNS: Mythical creatures said to plague the League world of Bazz. The Cronyns once lived in the deep oceans of methane on Bazz prior to the planet’s terraforming in 0744ex and plagued the personnel assigned to that task. The Cronyns apparently fled the plant after the terraforming was completed. Afterwards, every 400 years they attacked Bazz, causing a series of convincing and destructive illusions called the ‘Time of Cronyns’. The legendary “It” man from Bazz, Darius Jones, apparently faced and defeated the Cronyns.

The current whereabouts or physical description of the Cronyns is not known.


DARK MAN, THE: A concentrated Shadow tech totem, the Dark Man can be created only by the Black Abbess of the Black Hat Sisterhood. Singular of purpose and utterly evil, the Dark Man totem requires a huge amount of Shadow tech to create (usually more than a single Black Hat can create in her lifetime). The Black Abbess maintains a place called the Black Cloister. All Shadow tech females killed in her “church” are taken there, beheaded and kept in a sort of unlife where they continue to create Shadow tech. With such a supply, the Black Abbess usually has enough at any given time to create a Dark Man.

DATABASES:  There are numerous databases used throughout the League to archive general and detailed information.  All databases are carefully monitored by both the Science Ministry and the Sisterhood of Light.  There are many database networks at work in the League, but the largest are: 

Holo-net:  Network used on Kana.

Archen-net: Network used on Onaris

Bazz-net: Network used on Bazz.

P2: Network used on Planet Fall and Tubruk.

Royal Hoban Network (RHN): Network used on Hoban.

DEE: City in the Calvert area of Kana that originally was located south of the Withelwell River within the perimeter of the Great Armenelos Forest. Known for its vices and used as a staging area to launch raids on the Sisterhood of Light's stronghold of Barton, the Sisterhood repeatedly warned the city’s inhabitants to change their ways… or else. The people of Dee ignored the warnings and finally, in 00221ax, they announced that the city was to be utterly destroyed. The Sisters gave the inhabitants plenty of warning, and even assisted those needing help vacating the city. The inhabitants relocated north of the Withelwell River on the coast and vowed to change their ways. The second city of Dee became one of the nicer Calvert cities and was never visited by the Sisters in anger again.

DEE, DRAGON OF: Ancient creature of the Kanan deep who lived for ages in a vast underwater cavern. Uncovered during the building of the Main Library at the University of Dee, the “Dragon” as it came to be called was quickly found to be an intelligent and docile being. Quickly adopted as the University’s mascot, the Dragon lives in a Cloaked pool in the Main library, making many friends and assists all who come to it for help.

DEEDEE:  Slang name for the Dare D3D4 compressed gas series of pistols and rifles that fire a hardened dart instead of a bullet.  The DeeDee was the predecessor of the Dare SK pistol currently used by the Stellar Marines.  It was replaced and religated to aftermarket use for its slow rate of fire and limited range.  The DeeDee is often used in Calvert and other places where cheap weapons are in demand.  Despite its drawbacks and limitations, the DeeDee's hardened dart packs a ferocious punch, can easily penetrate walls and other obstructions and is devastating against armor.

DEEP 7: The Guard tower of Deep 7 is a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. It is said the Sisters at Deep 7, a lonely tower in the far south of Remnath, wage a constant battle with the Black Hats, their minds grappled together.

DEUUM, CRITERIA OF: Rigid set of rules and standards used by the mysterious Celestial Arboium to test and admit new members to their order. What the criteria consist of are not well understood.

DIRGE, THE (6): One of the six original Vithian Gifts, the Dirge is ability to control the actions of another by speaking a series of commands. The Dirge was very effective in controlling the Haitathe of old.  Under Dirge, the victim is fully aware that they are being controlled and tend to react rather poorly after the Dirge has been released. A secret council in 00001ax tried to have the Dirge declared illegal, but the Sisterhood of Light refused, stating that the Gift was valid and safe. The use of the Dirge is considered exceedingly rude and even Black Hats tend to eschew its use, favoring other “illegal” Gifts. 

DJINN: Elements of earth, fire and water who can, after long periods of time, become sentient beings.  Maiax, the Great Elephant of the Bodice, was a Djinn.

DRURIES BELT: A 45 million stellar mile thread of polarized gas that once was used by stellar travellers traversing the distance between Kana and Onaris as a navigational aid. As navigation techniques improved and a Standard Shipping Lane between the planets was established, Druries Belt was relegated to obscurity.  A band of infamous pirates known as the Drury Brothers once stalked prey in the area near the thread, giving it its name.


EEORT: Medium sized, mammalian scavenger resembling a seal that lived in the dark waters and foul bilges of Ergos.

ELDERS: 25 ancient beings of colossal size resembling small planets or moons. Requiring starlight to survive, they shared the star, allowing life to flourish. Requiring certain types of starlight, they made use of a race of beings called the Elder-Kind. The Elder-Kind, flying ships of their creation, fared the stars, seeking out suitable candidates for their use. It is not know whether the mighty Elders created the Elder-Kind themselves or simply collected them from elsewhere. The Elders communed directly with a small sect of Elder-Kind called the Vith, and through fox-like animals. In thanks for their service, the Elder-Kind bestowed, Life-long youth and freedom from disease to the Elder-Kind. To the Vith, they went a bit further, offering them The Gifts of the Mind to help in combating the Haitathe-- six powerful mental skills and, additionally, the Gift of Immortality.

The greatest of all 25 Elders was Nylax. Other known Elders were: Auld, Va, Selax, Terfall, Merian, Jinnannon, Boraster, Falquil and Brona.

Eventually, the Elders began disappearing. They either died, left the area or were transformed into something else. They were replaced by the Xaphans, creatures of similar size and shape, but greedy and evil. The Elders, falling into helplessness begged the Elder-Kind to fight the Xaphans, as they would destroy all life. Most of the Elder-Kind, devoted to them, promised they would fight the Xaphans, while a small few, defected the served them.

ELDER-KIND (qv: The People of the Elders): Humanoid species that, for ages, served the mighty Elders, faring the stars looking for suitable new stars for them to consume. Their place of origin is unknown—it is possible they were created by the Elders themselves. They were given sundry Gifts from the Elders as a result of their service: life-long youth, freedom from disease and a series of mental powers called the Gifts. Spreading out over dozens of Planets, the Elder-Kind created a loose association called the League of Elder. Some disaffected Elder-Kind nobles of Vith stock betrayed the Elders and went to the Xaphans and became their mortal enemies.

ELDER PROMISE, THE: A promise exacted on the Elder-Kind by Nylax, the last of the Elders. The promise is a huge historical document which can be boiled down to the following:

The Promise has bound and driven the Elder-Kind, and later the League, for centuries.

ELDER TECH: Elder technology used by the League in their ships and weapons. The most prominent use of Elder tech is the canister, a simple “guided missile” which is actually rife with Elder Tech, making it a weapon of near unlimited destructive power. The second is the Stellar Mach coil, a mechanical construct capable of near unlimited speed.

EMMIRA: Home of the Elder-Kind during the BX Epoch of Time. The BX epoch was known as the “Age of Riches” and ancient tales tell of Emmira as being a true paradise. Eventually, the Elder’s need for sustenance forced the Elder-Kind to move on and Emmira was abandoned. An Ancient poem reads:

                                                Lament you not for Emmira

                                                Place of sound and sorrow.

                                                Look you to this day, brave soul…

                                                A bit of Emmira’s light we borrow.

ENDECAR:  An electro-mechanical device that may be preloaded with up to four separate languages or dialects.  A standard endecar appears as a black disk, several inches high mounted with up to four "speech trumpets".  Each "speech trumpet" both receives speech in a given language, and recites back speech received from the other trumpets (assumed to be different tongues) in a fully translated form.  For example, an single endecar may be programmed with League Common, Anuie, Bazzal and Hobanic.  A limitation of the endecar is that the various speakers must stay within their particular trumpet's "cone" in order for it to function.  The trumpets are usually color-coded for easy identification, and they also "dampen" the speaker's voice, so that other people using the device won't hear the original language spoken.  The endecar is not "fluid" and must have the various languages downloaded to it prior to use.

ENG: Home of the Elder-Kind during the DX Epoch. Eng was said to not be an ideal world and was rather harsh.  Upon leaving Eng at the end of the DX Epoch, the Elder-Kind were said to have not missed it much. The precise stellar location of Eng is up for scholarly debate, as the Elder-Kind last set foot on it over 100,000 years prior and knowledge of its location was lost. It is believed to be somewhere 12pm of Ming Moorland, past the vast darkness of the Bell Nebula. A few expeditions to set out and re-discover Eng have been proposed, but not acted upon.

EPHYSIANS: Sect within the Grand Order of Hospitalers, the Ephysians involved themselves with learning advanced medical arts knowledge and herbal remedies.  It is thought the Ephysians consrted with Xaphan Cabalists in the expansion of their knowledge.

EPOCHS OF TIME:  There have been six long periods of time in the history of the Elder-Kind, known as Epochs.  Each Epoch has been marked by the slow but steady migration of the Elders across space and, accordingly, the Elder-Kind relocating to a new home world. After the Elders passed on, it was decided to reset the Epoch to AX once again.

ERYNES, THE: Sect of elite Dirty Courtesans hailing from Carina 7 and making their base on the Z-Encarr continent of Planet Fall. The sect is notorious for their ability to extract information, implant suggestion, implant false memories and cause death simply by using sex. Their methods are much swifter and much more effective than technological or torturous means. The Erynes make use of a potent form of the Weed that turns their eyes a glowing red. The use of “Red Eye” Weed quickly burns the Eryne out, weakens their bodies and causes them, in most cases, to go blind.

ESTHER: 1)--One of the Seven Tribes of Man symbolized by the Sword, a tall, hearty people from the east.  The primary Houses of Esther are: Oyln, Gamboa, and Conwell.  2)--Region of the eastern continent characterized by flatlands and vast swamps. 

ETHYLBERRY: The so-called "Dust of the Gods", ethylberry is a minute but highly energetic material once thought to be shed by the gods in their passing.  Certain gods were once said to give it to the young folk as payment for certain acts or deeds. Old Xaphan X-O vessels used ethylberry as an alternate power source.

EX-COMMONS: The ruling body of the League. The Ex-Commons meets four times a year (as measured on Kana). It has no permanent meeting place or venue, rather the Ex-Commons moves about, trying to visit all portions of the League as it can, though its organizational offices are located in Armenelos on Kana.

The Ex-Commons is composed of several members of each Great House, along with any local persons of note and, in cases where the Great House feudality is not practiced (as on Bazz) the elected officiates of local systems.

The Ex-Commons is the only organization in the League that has any sway with the Sisterhood of Light—at least on the surface, the Sisters accept and follow the edicts and judgments passed down by the body (After the Sisters went on a “purge” following the Kestral Affair, it was the Ex-Commons that reminded the Sisters of their duty and got them to stop).



FOX SHRINES/PARKS: A sacred animal in Elder religion is the fox, which supposedly bore the soul of the Elders. Foxes spoke to the Vith long ago and allowed them to communicate with the Elders. There are a number of fox shrines set up all over Kana, Onaris, Hoban and Bazz. Most large cities have a fox park with a large fox statue carved looking up at the stars. 

FRET SCAN: Method developed by the Science Ministry to determine the presence of Gifts of the Mind. Often used in criminal investigations where use of Gifts is suspected.

FRUNDAGE:  Scale of status in League Society based on the amont of possessions one owns or commands.  In the rules of Frundage, having an excess of money may or may not grant one an A-List Social status, as possessing "in-style" items trumps mere wealth.







GALLICONS:  Religious order that began in 002122AX on Bazz.  The religion centers on a large preditory creature called the Gallaian Torr, a giant, bear-like beast that roams of plains of Gallia. south of the Endax Sea.  The Torr's natural food stocks became depleted two centuries prior and the Torr was headed for extinction.  Being beautiful creatures, the people of Gallia went on a crusade to save them through conservation and importing game animals to supliment the Torr's diet. The Torr rejected the game, showing an eager taste only for human flesh, as it readily devoured any Gallian it could capture and kill.  The Order of the Gallicons was formed shortly thereafter, dedicating themselves to the worship, care and feeding of the Torr.  They began trucking in criminals, disreputables and other people from all over the League and Xaphan space not likely to be missed and fed them to the Torr.  On those occasions when there are no other victims available, the Gallicons select one of their own and offer them up.

GASOL: An effervescent non-alcholic drink commonly consumed by children. Gasol comes in a variety of colors, with each color tasting slightly different. 

GASTON WAY:  Remote passage through the North Vithland Mountains that starts in the foothills north of the city of Arden  and proceeded north for approximately 2000 miles, before turnly sharply to the west and exiting into the sea at Mt. Holly Cape.  Due to the proximity of several Sisterhood of Light Strongholds, namely Atilan, Westron, Bell and Pithnar, airspace travel is severly restricted in that region of Vithland.  The Sisterhood designated the Gaston Way as a permissable route of passage free for all to make use of provided travellers remain  level with or below the mountain peaks while using it.  For twenty years, starting in 003192AX, the Gaston Way was occasionally haunted by a frightening spectral creature said to harrass travelers and disable their vehicles.    The existence of the "Wraith of Gaston" was never confirmed and was never seen again after 003215AX.

GAZZ, FRATERNITY OF: Group of stellar mariners who have a deep knowledge and familiarity with the dangerous Hedgepeth region of space.

GELLAR: Old family of Tartan origins exiled from the League in 000443DX. Gellars are capable of controlling and influencing thousands if not millions of people within a given geographic area. Those under the control of a Gellar experience a collective sort of consciousness and have difficulty separating themselves as an individual from the collective mass. Several Gellars attempted to colonize Onaris in 000022EX and were forcibly beaten back by Elder forces led by the Sisters. Their current whereabouts are unknown,

GHOME: Class of Xaphan star-faring ships created by the House of Charn. The Ghome-class of ships were medium to large size and are generally associated with the Golden Age of the League/Xaphan conflict. Ghome ships are noted for their dissimilar appearance from one type to another. The various Ghome ships were very comparable to the old League Webber-class ships, but were badly outclassed by the Straylight and Triumph-class vessels. The Ghome 101, a large, battleship-shaped vessel, was a favorite mount for Princess Marilith of Xandarr. The name Ghome is taken from Queen Ghome, a former Charn ruler.

GOODBYES, TIME OF: Period of time after an Elder-Kind reaches 220 years of age. As the Elder-Kind live young and disease free, they generally do not know when they will die. Death often is sudden and without warning. Normally, after an Elder-Kind reaches 220 years old, they can die at any given time. The Time of Goodbyes is a ritual where a person reaches out to all of their loved ones and friends and says goodbye, just in case they might not live to see the next day.

GOSHAWK: Fleet of four black, illegal vessels operated by the Duke of Oyln and his Black Goshawk Gang. The Goshawk was a smallish vessel, about fifty feet high and one-hundred, fifty feet long, with accommodations for several crew quarters and a small cargo hold. The Goshawk was built with a high, shoulder mounted wing that was swept-back at an acute angle, giving the ship its iconic “bat” shape. The Duke of Oyln was long thought to be a prolific pirate in the Esther area and had the vessels commissioned to replace the more motley fleet of ships he was using earlier. The Goshawks (designed by Lady Rhondo of Probert) were built to be fast, maneuverable, tough and well-armed with Xaphan energy-weapon technology. The ships were packing a host of illegal technologies, and surpassed all League restrictions imposed on private yachts regarding thrust, safety provisioning and armament. Additionally, the Duke paid no taxes on his ships and therefore kept them hidden in carefully crafted revetments. Assessors from the League office knew full well that the Duke of Oyln was hiding a fleet of “hot ships” somewhere in Esther, but could never find them.

The Goshawks participated in the defense of Xandarr during the infamous Black Hat Purge of 03191ax and were revered by the people for their role. Balor, King of Xandarr eventually purchased three of the four ships and placed them on proud display in a memorial park on Xandarr. He also used them as a model for a rebuilt Xandarr defense fleet. The Trelaine, a class of fast Marine attack ships, also designed by Lady Rhondo of Probert, looked remarkably similar to the Goshawk.

The fourth Goshawk was purchased from the Duke by Peter of Ruthven, a former member of the Black Goshawk Gang, where he used it as his personal craft (League restrictions had eased in the following years and it was then legal to own).

GOTHAN: Influential Xaphan world in the Omicron-Thetis system settled by the House of Clovis after the Great Betrayal. The most important city on Gothan is Waam, occupying a northern continent. Popular sentiment on Gothan has leant to talk of leaving the Xaphans and petitioning the League for admittance, however such notions are kept quiet as the Xaphan leadership will never allow such an important and distant world to leave.

GRAND ANIMALIUM As the Elder-Kind migrated through space with the Elders in the AX, BX, CX, DX and EX epochs, the Elders gathered a vast collection of native animal and plant life from a variety of worlds and preserved them in an archive as clonable DNA. Upon arriving on Kana at the beginning of the EX epoch, the Elders found the world oddly bereft of native life—as if it had been scoured from the face of the planet. The Elders built seven Grand Animaliums in secret places across Kana and seeded them with the DNA of these collected species. Slowly, and through an automated process, living animals and active plant spores were released out of the Animaliums, giving Kana life. Some of the life issuing out of the Animaliums are thought to hail from: Earth, Novotar, Lemmuria, Emmira, Cammara, Eng and Morelandson to name a few. The locations of these seven Animaliums are secret, though the Sisterhood of Light’s stronghold of Valenhelm and the dreaded Hazards of the Old Ones are said to rest over two of them.

The Science Ministry and several scholarly groups from various universities have actively sought out the location of the Grand Animaliums, focusing on the one supposedly located near the Hazards of the Old Ones.  It is thought that there are numerous sensory and percetive protections in and around the GA's, making their detection near impossible.  No trace of the GA at the hazards has ever been found.

GREAT BETRAYAL: Schism of the League, where 20 Great Houses joined the Xaphans in 0000ax. Most of the betraying Houses were of Vith tribe ancestry. The following Houses left in their entirety:

Xandar, Clovis, Stanton, Charn, Griff, Bodice, Zary, Caroline, Waddle, Sorranson, Tardy, Burgos, Holly, Midas, Woodward     

The Following Houses are split, some feeing to the Xaphans, some staying in the League:

Conwell, Tartan, Woolover, Champion, Trumble

GREAT BLUE PIERCE: The second longest river on Kana, The Great Blue Pierce starts at Lake Monama to the far south of Zenon and gently runs north, emptying in the Sea of Atalea.  The waters of the river are known for being a rich, dark blue in color.  The water is also highly infused with minerals due to its limestone bed and is highly prized for the spirits that are distilled from it.  The Great Blue Pierce is also noteable for being an extremely deep river, its depths occasionally punging to two thousand feet or more.  

GULLE: A small desolate city on the Xaphan Zust, Gulle was abandoned in 03301ax.

GYNOLOGY: The science of controlling, manipulating, enslaving and killing men using sexual stimulation and chemical/hormonal methods. Gynology is taught in many underground schools on the female-dominated world of Carina.






HAGTHORPE PRISON: Large correctional facility located on a “Floating Rock” in the eastern reaches of Brindval.

HAITATHE: Species of giant, hermaphroditic creatures who once were plentiful in the northern areas of Kana. Not native to Kana, the Haitathe were transplanted to Kana by the Elders in a similar fashion as the Elder-Kind were. What purpose the Elders had for bringing to Haitathe to Kana is not well understood, however some scholars believe that they were intended to be interbred to the Elder-Kind and create a strong, long-lived offspring.

The Haitathe, however, proved to be too war-like and cruel to live in peace with the Elder-Kind. They almost instantly made war upon the tribes of Vith and Esther, subjugating and enslaving a fair portion of them. More troubling, the Haitathe quickly developed a distinct taste for Elder-Kind flesh and sought to feed upon them as cattle.

The Elders, seeing the situation deteriorating, granted to the Vith the Gifts of the Mind so that they could combat the Haitathe. With these Gifts, the Vith proved to be able to hold their own, and, under the leadership of Homma of Telmus Falls, began a long campaign to remove them from the north. In search of easier targets, the Haitathe migrated to the south and the east and began attacking the tribes of Esther and Hala. Having had enough of their aggressive behavior, the Elders removed a great bulk of the Haitathe population on Kana and returned them to their original unknown home world. However, a small percentage of Haitathe evaded relocation and remain on Kana to this day, hiding in the shadows, ever an enemy.

It should be noted that much of the richness and history of the Vith culture and mythology derives either wholly or in part from their dealings with the Haitathe. Images of the Haitathe appear emblazoned on many Vith Great House coat-of-arms, including House Blanchefort, Bloodstein and Durst, Tartan and Clovis. Additionally, many Vith Great Houses can trace Haitathe blood somewhere in their history.

The Haitathe are a bizarre male/female creature of giant size. They begin life looking like a rather tall male Elder-Kind and became more and more female as they get older. The average size of these young male Haitathe was 6’5 to seven feet. A young Haitathe could be fairly tame and agreeable. As the Haitathe aged, they began growing additional female parts, including arms, breasts, genitalia and a head which would remain small and hidden until needed—they normally added one full set every twenty years. It is thought that each set of female parts maintained its own consciousness and therefore the Haitathe would hear many voices in its head, each struggling for control. Normally the most domineering and brutal voice would hold sway. Having both male and female parts, Haitathe always self-replicated. Unlike the Elder-kind who were engineered to remain young throughout their lives, the Haitathe age and become old at a slow but progressive rate (In the case of Lord Milton, it was thought he had Cloaked himself to appear old, but his withered face was real).

The Haitathe’s head was not a critical area, and would quickly grow back a new female head if the male head was lost. If the Haitathe possessed four sets of arms, it could lose up to four heads—losing the forth however would be fatal. The female arms were very strong and were rather rubbery, fully able to stretch quite a distance and flatten out against their bodies as to almost be invisible. They could also stick to walls and scale them like a bug. They also had the unusual ability to remember everything experienced and were capable of performing incredibly complex mathematical computations all in their head without error.

If a Haitathe became enraged, they would grow, often times, to about twenty feet tall. Occasionally a Giant-sized Haitathe would become stuck in such a state and be a distinct target. Their demeanor was generally extremely war-like and brutal, and they could be just as nasty to themselves as to the Vith. Bloodfeuds between Haitathe were horrific affairs. To the Vith and the rest of the Elder-Kind they were singularly cruel—at first enslaving, then feasting upon them. There are a number of documented instances where a Vith hero was able to tame a Haitathe to a certain degree, as with Holt of the Mountain. They admired strength most of all, and if a Vith hero demonstrated enough strength, then the Haitathe would sometimes calm and offer the Vith respect, loyalty, even love. It has been said that the ancient, and gigantic, Vith Queen Emmira was in fact a Haitathe in disguise. It is also thought in some teachings, that the original Sisters had a strong Haitathe ancestry.

HALA: 1)—Region in the south-eastern corner of the Kanan northern continent. Largest cities are Feren, Bern and Hala. 2)—One of the seven tribes of man who settled into the south eastern corner of the northern continent, symbolized by a sheaf of wheat. Known for being farmers and simple workers. Notable Hala families: Vincent, Bodice, Thompson and Wayreth.

HALOFLUGE: Vith word for nightmare.  A disturbing dream that may or may not have actually happened.

HAMMER: Type of Black Hat specializing in fighting. Black Hat Hammers use their Shadow tech in a very basic and brutish fashion concentrating on death-dealing and creating damage. Black Hat Hammers can typically hold their own singly against entire armies.

HAZARDS OF THE OLD ONES: Series of long, dark tunnels situated at the southern base of the Tartan Mountains on Kana, it is said the Hazards of the Old Ones guard a terrible secret. Twisting and turning, the Hazards run for literally thousands of miles under the Tartan Mountains, emerging again on the northern base. Impenetrably dark, they are generally avoided altogether, though it is often considered a test of courage among Great Houses to see how far one can get before turning back—usually it is not far. A "Hazard Lunch" is a term for a fad the developed to not enter the Hazards, but simply have lunch near them--the goal being to finish the meal without fleeing.  Even Captain Davage, an otherwise fearless man, found the Hazards to be the one place where he fears to tread—his Sight piercing the darkness to a horrifying sight—one he would never talk about again.

HEAD SWARM: Wakeful catatonic state people of the tribes of Monama enter into when facing their deaths. A defensive mechanism to allow Monamas to face a cruel and brutal death in relative calm. Once a Monama enters into a Head Swarm it can be very difficult to revive them from it.

HEARTH RIVER: The largest river on Onaris and the largest river in the League. Over five thousand miles long, the Hearth River starts in the mountains in the North Pinthrop area and makes its long way south, dividing the South Pinthrop area from Calvertland. The Hearth branches off into two large forks,one heading due south, the other snaking west off across the wild plains of Calvertland emptying out just north of Tusck. Both branches are known as the Hearth. Many of Onaris’ larger cities are situated on the banks of the Hearth, including Thorgrim, Heade (often called Heade–on-the-Hearth) and Tusck.

HEDGEPETH: The Hedgepeth is a dangerous region of League space within the vast Bell Nebula. It consists of a gallery of failed stars that came apart during their formation. In modern times it is a tubid region dangerous with gravity wells, fatal radiation (even with the benefit of heavy shielding) and swarms of fast-moving micro meteors that can easily shread a ship's hull. The Fraternity of Gazz has made an extensive study of the Hedgepeth and charted a miriad of passages, safe zones, deadends and other such things.  Run-runners, traders, pirates and even Xaphan refugees often seek the services of a Gazzer to help them use the area to avoid and ellude the Fleet. Generally the region is given a safe berth by League stellar traffic.

HERMAN: The bank of Herman located north of the Withelwell River, south of Esther was a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. Herman is a bank, plain and simple and controlled all of the Sisterhood’s considerable wealth. Many Great Houses also kept their money there. Herman and the SBL (Standard Bank of the League) work and-in-hand to stabilize League exchanges.

HERTAMER: A family of energy weapons designed by the House of Pitcock. Hertamers were notable for their quick-fire, light easily portable power source, and short refresh intervals. Their hot, laser-based thread was considered mid-range, having adequate stopping power, but could be thwarted by many types of shielding and armor. The Hertamer Heat variant was designed to be a strictly anti-personnel weapon. One of the main drawbacks of the hertamer was its noise—the weapon buzzed steadily.

HERTOGS: A "Secret Society"  of disaffected scholars from around the League, the Hertogs are frequent critics and detractors of the Sisterhood of Light. Their ranks are unknown in general League Society though a few notable scholars have been mentioned as possible Hertog members: Grand Dame Hannah-Ben Shurlamp of the University of Dee being one, and Professor A to Zed from the University of Tusck being another. The Hertogs published a now banned book called "The Real History of the League and of the Elders in Particular" contradicting a number of key events which the Sisters claim are true and painting the Elders themselves in a much darker light. The Sisters censured the book and the publisher and demanded the Hertogs come out and participate in open debate on the subject. The Hertogs refused and, through a number of pamphlets and brochures, accused the Sisters of attempting to smoke them out and slay them.  The Hertogs' published works appear very scholarly and accomplished, yet their reluctance to identifiy themselves and their tendency toward paranoia and hyperbole have lessened their impact upon the League at large.

HIDDEN WARS:  Series of  armed conflicts in 001082EX that took place between the old Remnath hero Atrajak of Want and his army of Anuian Monamas against a mysterious foe he called the Kestral Oligarchy.  It is called the "Hidden Wars" because the battles took place without the general knowledge and approval of the Sisterhood of Light.  The outcome of these wars is not well known.  

HIEI: The black rock castle of Hiei, located in the far North of Eshter, was a Sisterhood of Light stronghold. There, in the vast underground vaults, they stored a massive collection of books considered to be of a medium to low security level. It was one of the only Sisterhood strongholds where those not of the Sisterhood could go and look at select items stored there, though some items were still off-limits.

HIT 6 A cheaply made manufacture of firearms produced by the House of Hitwell in Calvert. Most Hit 6 firearms are of “Fraglock” type, requiring a complicated stamped firing mechanism that is prone to breakage.

HOBAN: Coffee-brown world in the Capri-Thenister system, Hoban is one of the premier League worlds. Located very near to Xaphan space, Hoban was the scene of many battles and attempts by the Xaphans to take the planet; the great Xaphan hero Princess Marilith of Xandarr focused most of her efforts on Hoban. Hoban had one large moon with a life-sustaining atmosphere, Lauralea. The capital of Hoban is Croatoa. The largest city on Hoban is Zama, the third largest city in the League.  

The standard currency on Hoban is the rubicon, which, per the SBL, is on par with Kanan currency. One Hoban rubicon is exchanged for one solaris.

HOLO-MON: Short for Holographic Monitor-a small handheld device used for long-distance communications. In its most basic form, a Holo-mon allows two or more people to see holographic images of other people in real time and interact. When touching a user's skin, that person sees a vivid holographic display in front of them-nobody else can see it. Holo-mons also allow for mental responses, so a user need not speak aloud their conversations. They can also be hooked into various databases and Holo-networking nodes, allowing to user to participate in elaborate virtual simulations. Holo-mons are very popular on Onaris, Bazz and Planet-Fall-virtually all people on those planets carry one, but are shunned and virtually unheard of on Kana, Hoban and Brindval-places where sympathetic long-range telepathy is more commonly used in place of technology.

HORACE: The tower of Horace is a Stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. The tower, miles tall, is placed near the center of Kana. What the Sisters do there is not generally known.

HOSPITALERS, GRAND ORDER OF: The Warrior/Healers of the League, the Hospitalers are an old sect, second only to the Sisterhood of Light. They are also the only Brown Sect to achieve a very high position of power in the League. Originating on Onaris centuries ago, they started as group of fighting valets. They served their Blue Vith lords and were their trusty companions. Powerful fighters, the Hospitallers earned a reputation for their speed and fierceness in battle, they using a strange silver weapon called a Jet Staff instead of usual swords, pistols or axes.

At some point, on the forgotten wastelands of some battlefield, the Hospitallers began trying to attend to their master’s wounds. The Elder-Kind having been Gifted with youth and no disease had little need for medical knowledge and almost nothing was known about basic first aid. The Hospitalers, through persistence and practice, perfected techniques in binding wounds, clearing blood poisoning, re-attaching fallen limbs and so forth. Their knowledge grew so great that even the mighty Sisterhood of Light turned to them for medical help when it was needed, sharing with them some of their most guarded secrets that the Hospitallers have never divulged. The Hospitalers have always worn black and silver. They adopted the silver winged helmet of the old-earth god Mercury as their symbol.

There are a number of Hospitaler Sects that are well-known outside of the Order:

The Hopkins: General practitioners of the medical arts, often inhabiting healing sanctums in cities all over the League.  The Hopkins are the most commonly seen Hospitalers.

The Knickerbaums: Knickerbaums are adventurous and outgoing, seeking to expand the Hospitalers' medical knowledge through quest and adventure. Knickerbaums are often found serving aboard Fleet vessels.

The Ephysians: A mysterious sect within the Hospitalers seeking to expand their knowledge by means other than those allowed by the Sisterhood of Light. The Ephysians often share information and collaborate with Xaphan Cabalists.

The Jones: A branch of the Hospitalers on Bazz, The Jones in the modern sense barely resemble the main branch of the sect.  It is said The Jones seek a being called :Bellathauser, a creature whom they believe to be the pinnacle of human perfection. 

HULGISMEN: Filthy, naked, brutal servants of the Black Hats, the Hulgismen are the only force known that are completely immune to the power of the Sisterhood of Light—the source of this immunity has never been determined, though League lore states that if they ever put on clothing or comb their hair, they will lose their immunity forever. Hulgismen also have a deep-seated desire to slay Sisters, often ignoring other nearby enemies in order to get at them. The Stellar Marines were formed mostly to protect the Sisters from the Hulgismen. Fast, strong and utterly mindless, the Hulgismen are a force to be feared.

Hulgismen are grown in Birthing Walls. These walls are seeded with eggs extracted the from the Black Hat’s ovaries, There they are either seeded or combined to make clones and then time accelerated, therefore a Hulgismen goes from egg to fully grown in just a few days.

Female Hulgismen, all clones, are used as Midwives and are forced to personally attend the Black Hat, which often leads to their deaths, and abduct Shadow tech children.

HYDELYDE: Second planet in the Collosum Apha system, Hydelyde is a world of harsh atmosphere and poison gas. Used as a staging point for the Stellar Fleet, several settlements under protective domes began springing up in 02146ax. The capital city is Hydelyde. Hydelyde's star, Collosum, is the most radiant star in the League

 


 

IMMORTALITY: The Seventh Gift bestowed upon the Elder-Kind by the Elders, the Elder-Kind are…immortal. The Sisterhood of Light, experts and final authority on the Gifts, however determined that the Elder-Kind could not deal with immortality…their minds could not handle it. The Sisterhood, acting in the Elder-Kind’s best interests, began a secret sect that does nothing but kill of “old” Elder-Kind and Xaphans, usually at around the age of 220. The sect is secret, unspoken of. The concept of immortality is unknown as a result of their efforts. 

INSEROTH: A series of high caliber projectile weapons produced by the House of Varnay in the city of Wiln. Notable for their sheer muzzle velocity and grain size, the ‘D’ series is rather prolific on Kana and on Planet Fall. The A through G series fire.45 caliber bullets of magnum class, while the H through M series fire an armor-piercing dart.

IT MAN: Name given to men of great power on Bazz. Darius Jones was a notable “It” man from history.




JO-BOY:  A rather derogatory term spoken to someone earning little or no respect.  An idiot or moronic personage engaged in a fruitless crusade.  The term originated on Kana and spread throughout the rest of the League.  In 004582EX, the House of Jocanda was forced to give up their holdings in the central hills of Remnath so that the Sisterhood of Light could build their remote stronghold of Sammarcand. Though compensated, the Jocandas never forgave the Sisters and, before the League Ex-Commons, declared war on them in 004590EX. The notion of declaring war on the Sisters was so ridiculous that they were laughed out of the Ex-Commons Assembly Hall.  Though nobody else took them seriously, the Jocandas were quite determined to defeat the Sisters, even changing their House motto to read (translated from Remnath): "The Sisters must be Defeated!"  Their "attacks" on the Sisters usually amounted to mildly annoyng nuisance confrontations.  The Term "Jo-Boy" came into being in 004561EX during the so-called "Battle of Mercia" where Lord Hitchings of Jocanda managed to successfully vomit on a Sister as she ate her lunch at a cafe in Mercia.  Through an interpreter, the Sister later told the media: "I  had sat down to enjoy a bowl of duck soup, when this odd person, this Jo-Boy--for I didn't not bother to discover his name--pushed through the diners and vomited on my tunic."  The outcome of the "Battle" was a bill for the laundering of the Sister's clothes being sent to the Jocandas, which they refused to pay (though eventually, the League Ex-Commons forced them to pay, with penalty and interest).

JONES, THE:  A Sub-Order of the Grand Order of Hospitalers located at Helios-Mason, Gallia, on Bazz.  In 002234AX, the Hospitalers wished to further their presence on Bazz, which at the time was a wild and rather unsavory place.  They built a temple at Helios-Mason and named the order "The Jones" after the famous Bazz Hero Darius Jones.  In time the temple grew and became rather distant from the main Hospitaler circle--it had become "Bazz-like" they said in Innari.  The Jones did good work and produced fine Hospitalers, though they began to bear less and less similarity to other Hospitaler Orders.  

In 003084AX, they began an odd quest to locate a legendary creature/person named Bellathauser, whom they believe is the pinnacle of human development.  Their quest for Bellathauser continues.











KANA: Lush green world located in the Beta Terragrin system, Kana is the stronghold of the League. The Elder-Kind came to Kana in the final Epoch of the Elders, the EX Epoch.  Home to the Old Vith, virtually all of the Great Houses come from Kana. The League’s headquarters in location in Armenelos, in the south. Kana has two rather large moons, Solon and Elyria.  Elyria sports a distinctive crater know as "The Octagon".

Upon arriving on Kana at the beginning of the EX epoch, Kana was found to be largely devoid of life. It is said that the Elders created seven Grand Animaliums and placed them in secret places around the planet--thus giving Kana its vast diversity of plant and animal life.

KELT: The great factory of Kelt was a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light located on the north shore of Remnath. Kelt was a strongly guarded manufacturing center, producing many of the novel items and technologies perfected by the Sisterhood.

KENTARO: The Fortress of Kentaro was located on the west face of the Great Armenelos forest. It was a bastion where the Sisters trained to fight their age old enemies, the Black Hats. The Sisters sequestered there were reputed to be the most powerful in the Sisterhood in regards to strength and vigilance. In a terrible defeat, the Grand Abbess of Kentaro was killed in battle by the evil Black Hat Ethylrelda of Waam, for which the Sisterhood suffered a great loss of face for a time.

KESTRAL OLIGARCHY: A strange, tyrannically-ruled 10 planet solar system beyond the frontier of Xaphan Space. The Kestrals once roamed Kana and subjugated the local people, the Monamas. As the Elders settled with their servants on Kana, the Kestrals chose to flee to the outer reaches of space. As the League and Xaphans went to war against each other, the Kestrals waited and watched, intending to subjugate both groups when the time was right. As Xaphan’s power faded, the Kestrals launched an attack at Severin, which was beaten back with great loss by a new but powerful and rapidly rising sect: the Black Hats. Fear of the Black Hats kept the Kestrals quiet for a time. Hoping to re-invigorate the Xaphans, the Kestrals began providing them with ships and new weaponry and a spike in fighting with the League began in earnest. Only time will tell when the Kestrals might choose to come again. The Kestrals appear quite alien in their thought processes and are very difficult to understand and communicate with. In any event, their motives appear to be sinister. The appearance of a Kestral is somewhat cloudy, but, they appear as golden-skinned Elder-Kind. In their natural state, it is said they appear as a large, amber-colored amoeba-like being filled with gritty, shale material and may change shape to virtually anything they desire. At the heart of the amoeba, a humanoid skeleton.

KILLANJO: A mythical creature that has, according to gossip, been plaguing Xaphan space for decades. A Killanjo is said to be a hideous corruption of a loved one: a son, daughter, brother or sister who is then turned loose upon their own families to create grief and chaos. Killanjo are said to be able to cast spells that render Elder-Kind helpless. It is also said a Killanjo cannot bear to see their reflection, one that does awakens from whatever spell they have been placed in and, unable to bear the horror of their own form, kill themselves.

KILLS, THE: Region of deep space between League and Xaphan territory 6AM of Xandarr. Region of frequent League/Xaphan conflict.

KNICKERBAUMS:  Large Order within the Grand Order of Hospitalers.  The Knickerbaums are dedicated to discovering, treating and documenting new maladies.  They often board themselves on Fleet vessels in order to seek out new illnesses.  Their ranking designations of: Chancellor, Caduceus and Samaritan are often applied to the entire Hospitaler Order, however, such is not case,

KNIFE: New and disturbing class of Black Hat. Discovered by Lord Enoch of Vincent while doing battle with Joicellius-Zortens-Ka of Midas, she was found to be unlike the older Hammer and Painter classes of Black Hat, being mobile, swift and using Shadow tech in an invisible micro-point beam to cut and slice.

Knife-class Black Hats appear to be capable of much more independent thought than both Hammers and Painters. It is speculated that, unlike Hammers and Painters, the Black Abbess’ Clutch has been created around them, and then broken ahead of time using unknown methods. The Knife is then “indoctrinated” into the ways of malice and evil. This technique, if true, has created some truly vile and dangerous Black Hats, such as the dreaded Trill of Thornapple, however, Knife-class Blacks Hats have proved just as susceptible to being “turned” as Hammers and Painters, and in their case, mere guile or force of will can suffice to accomplish the turning, as in the case of Chantillis of Merci, otherwise known as “Kat”.

KURTIS: The Sisterhood of Light chapel of Kurtis was located in the eastern half of the Great Armenelos forest, northwest of Calvert. Unlike the other 24 Sisterhood strongholds, Kurtis was open to most anybody who wished to come and visit—it was a kind of amusement park/propaganda center where the Sisters tried to maintain a positive and comely relationship with the League Great Houses. Those who were very well favored could sometimes be granted an audience with the Grand Abbess of Kurtis, where she was said to grant wishes.


LACERTA, ORDER OF: (qv: Black Sisters) A supposed group of disaffected Sisters who have been removed from the Sisterhood of Light. It is not generally known how the Sisterhood of Light polices itself or disciplines its members and the mysterious Order of Lacerta is thought to be a group of Sisters who have, for whatever reason, left the Sisterhood and ply their trade throughout the fringes of League and Xaphan space. Members of the Order of Lacerta are said to wear a sort of inverse costume of the Sisters—black wrappings around their arms and black, lacy gowns. They are also said to be extremely hedonistic, addicted to things like clothing, food, illegal drugs and sex, and are also quite chatty apparently regaining the use of their mouths. They are also said to use their considerable powers for personal gain in a mercenary fashion, selling themselves out mostly as bodyguards and soldiers for hire. They can be exceptionally dangerous in battle should their attention turn in your direction. They are in a continual struggle with the Sisterhood, which actively pursues them.

LASER LOCK: A type of firearm created by the Xaphan House of Holly firing a trademark "Smart Bullet" that rides a laser beam to the target. The nature of the Smart bullet requires the target be lased with the laser until the bullet makes impact.  At short to medium range the accuracy of the bullet is infallible.  At longer ranges, the Smartbullet can be foiled by other lasers. The Laser Lock is one of the few Xaphan technical innovations to be copied by the League, as the Grenville 40L also makes use of a Smartbullet.

LASERUM: Traditional folk dance common to the Brown peoples on Onaris. Highlighted with pounding drums and sensual dancing, Laserums also make use of a strong laser that moves with the beat of the music.

LEMMURIA: Home of the Elder-Kind during the AX Epoch of Time. Little is remembered of the world, its lore lost to the ages.

LONE RIDER: 1)--A towering mountain located in the South Pinthrop region of Onaris. At 488 miles from sea level to summit, the Lone Rider is by far the largest mountain in the League. In the days of the Old League, the summit of the Lone Rider was used by ships in orbit as a port and hard dock. 2)--A mythical figure from the antiquity of Onaris, any of several heroic male figures of great power. The old hero Billus the Knave was thought to be a Lone Rider.




MAGGA TABS: Medicinal compound created by the Grand Order of Hospitalers to assist in the therapeutic recovery of Gifted individuals suffering from Gift-Valve, a condition where a sufferer loses control of their Gifts. In a controlled clinical setting, Magga Tabs are very effective in the treatment of patients suffering from mild to severe Gift-Valve. However, when used by Browns, Magga tabs have the effect of creating euphoria and a simulated Gift-like state (the user feels like they have Gifts, when they actually do not). Use of Magga Tabs by Browns on Onaris and in Xaphan space became a significant issue for several decades—the term “Kooked Up” coined in reference to a Brown under the euphoric influence of Magga Tabs.

MAGRAVINE: 1)—Ancient site of a Sisterhood learning center, currently in ruin. Magravine first came into prominence as the battle site between the Vith hero Homma and a powerful Haitathe named Horta. Magravine was once the chief stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light, being presided over by the Grand Abbess of Magravine. It was a multi-leveled facility with a marvelous Vith shrine at the surface built near a deep chasm. The Grand Abbess eventually fell into wickedness and, after centuries of terrorizing the Vith, they, along with many of the twenty four other Grand Abbesses, came and destroyed the facility at Magravine, the Grand Abbess fleeing to the Hazards of the Old Ones and becoming the Black Abbess. Today the ruins at Magravine are a feared, haunted place. Some of the old, but rather potent Shadow tech still roams the area, even the Sisters cannot get rid of it. The cult of angry youths called the Spectres tried to make Magravine their headquarters, but met their end there, screaming so it’s said. 2)—Second daughter of Homma of Telmus Falls, Magravine is said to have become the Grand Abbess of Magravine, and later the Black Abbess. 

MALIK: Type of sedative that can be administered either as a gas that's breathed in or as a liquid that is ingested. Maliks can be used to sedate individuals for extended periods of time. Maliks also provide a small amount of nutrition to the sedated individual allowing them to be safely sedated for longer periods of time. 

MASS, The (--): Illegal Gift based on the Stare, the Mass was most closely associated with the Black Hat Sisterhood. Often referred to in League Society as “The Phantom Hand” the Mass could crush a targeted person to death in a matter of moments. Additionally, the distance from the attacking practitioner made no difference, a person could be killed from light years away. The Sisterhood of Light, recognizing this threat, developed numerous counter measures and techniques to repel the Mass, thus they have been in a near constant battle with the Black Hats for centuries, each checking, flanking and re-checking the other. An exceedingly slow Gift to use, the Mass is only effective against targets who are completely unaware it is being used against them. The Mass also requires strict concentration until the victim is dead, otherwise, it will fade, or, as is sometimes the case, backfire and kill the caster instead.  As the Mass is considered a stand-off risk/reward Gift with the Sisters, the Black Hats seldom use it to attack a foe, relying instead on other, more spectacular methods of killing an enemy.  Deaths by Mass, outside of the Sisterhood, have not been seen in some time.

MAZAN (or MASAN): Class of energy weapons designed by the House of Tardy near the end of the EX epoch. Notable for using various mediums, such as sonics, heat, radiation and other types of radiant energy as a killing force. Most Mazan weapons were made to be adjusted to fire any number of energy forms. All Mazans may be identified by their lack of a muzzle—instead having a stubby, solid-faced head for firing. A significant drawback of the weapon is a certain fragility and a susceptibility to damage when immersed in water.  The powerpack for the weapon is also rather heavy.  The Mazan is used extensively in Xaphan space.

MENTHOL:  Common slang name of any of a number of plants in the menthalia genus and related to the nightshade family of plants grown and harvested commonly on Bazz and the Xaphan world of Midas.   Menthols are known for their ability to induce any number of soothing and psychedelic effects upon a user--most often being smoked in a cigarette or pipe. Menthols affect the innate mental abilities of all Elder people, granting them command of things seldom-used. For example, the common "Wolf Menthol" allows one who smokes it to briefly command wolf-like abilites: run fast, enhanced strength, etc. Menthols of various types are very popular on Onaris, Bazz and in Xaphan space.     

MERCI: Prolific type of Xaphan warship designed by the House of Sorranson. Small and fairly maneuverable, the Merci ships of old out-performed the old Webber-class of Fleet vessels, prompting the creation of the replacement Straylight class of warship in 00127ax.

MERENDRA (or MIRENDRA): A remote star system on the border between League and Xaphan space, and the "Eye of the Cat" in the Mertens constellation, Mirendra was the site of a Xaphan conspiracy, two titanic space battles and the final orbital outpost of the five Xaphans. Initially a Blue Giant, the presence of the five Xaphans dimmed it down to a white dwarf. The League later, using their canister missiles, reinvigorated Mirendra to a super large White Giant that sustained them for ages.

MERIAN, PILGRIMS OF: An offshoot of standard Elder religion founded by Holt of the Mountain, the Pilgrims of Merian search for a mythical star, the Star of Merian, where they believe the 25 Elders await. Though generally looked down on, the Pilgrims of Merian do much good work in both League and Xaphan space, and are known for their piety, charity and their raw nerve, often subjecting themselves to dangerous situations.  The Pilgrims generally eschew technology beyond to most basic and meager of requirements.  It is said by some that they have access to mystical objects of vast supernatural power, though that is unconfirmed.

MERIAN, STAR OF: A mythical “star” worshipped by the Pilgrims of Merian. They claim the star is of a large size and plainly visible by any world in both League and Xaphan space. They also say the star speaks to them, giving them “good news” to deliver to the rest of the League. No such star of great apparent magnitude has been discovered by any League or Xaphan stellar cartographer. Lady Virginia of Belmont often wrote that she could see the Star of Merian in the northwestern sky of Kana. She wrote it was large and yellow, plainly visible in broad daylight. She also wrote that the Star was wreathed in a twisting red cloud. She also claimed the star was trying to speak to her, though she couldn’t understand what it was saying.

MERIAN’S ROAD: An alleged conduit between space and time, the Merian’s Road supposedly allows the Pilgrim’s of Merian to cross vast distances without the need for a star-faring vessel. Impoverished and lacking in technical assets such as starships, the Merians do tend to get around the cosmos with ease and speed, possibly lending credence to the existence of such a road.

METATRON: City in the southern continent of Ergos, Metatron, in the Xaphan heyday, was called the City of Life and Death, a place of illusion and dark dreams. It was a place where Xaphan enemies were often brought, interrogated and killed. A large urban sprawl, Metatron attracted many Black Hats to call it their home, including Sygillis of Metatron. After Ergos was depowered after the defeat at Mirendra, Metatron was revealed for what it was, a dry, dark place of shapeless, windowless buildings.

MIDWIVES: Female Hulgismen used to abduct Shadow tech children upon their birth. The Black Cloister carefully monitors both Xaphan and League society for these rare births. When one is suspected to occur, they pull a contingent of female Hulgismen, place them into a deep Cloak and send them to observe the birth. If they see the Shadowmark, they will abduct the child immediately and return to the Black Cloister. They are forbidden to harm any they observe, even if discovered and attacked. Seldom seen due to their deep cloak, they are usually successful in abducting the children.

MiMs: Standard Fleet issue pistol of elaborate design carried at all times by command officers. Bearing ten shots, it was a smaller caliber than the Marine SK pistol. A “beautiful” weapon, it was more a ceremonial device than a functional sidearm.

MING MOORLAND: A tyrannical patriarchy at 11pm past the edge of the Bell Nebula, Ming Moorland is a small grouping of planets not well understood by the League. They are generally shunned and given their space.

MISSIVE: Officer position in the Stellar Fleet. In older Fleet vessels, the Missive was responsible to all incoming and outgoing correspondence for the ship and had their own chair on the bridge. The Missive also controls access to the various sensory apparatus of the ship. Largely replaced in Straylight vessels by the Com Officer, the Missive was made obsolete and deleted altogether in the Triumph class of ships.

MOANE: A small industrial city on the large asteroid Zoran 6, Moane sat on the outskirts of the larger city of Nalls. Notable for its starship production factories, Moane was the only Xaphan stronghold still in operation after the disastrous Second Battle of Mirendra 3. Home to many Black Hat temples, the upstart Fanatics of Nalls often went to Moane to test the effectiveness of their latest gadgets and Gifts.

MONAMA, LAKE: A deep lake in the south central of Kana’s southern continent, Lake Monama is a place continually shrouded in fog and a thick gray overcast—due to lake effects. It is a huge lake, being a fresh-water sea about a thousand miles long and two hundred miles at its widest.  The legendary Atrajak of Want was said to have died in Lake Monama.

MONICA:  Nickname of a long, slim dagger used by the Stellar Marines.  The official designation for the dagger  is the Niles A42 Combat Knife. The origin of the name "Monica" in relation to the knife is not known.

MOONGLOW: A large gold and silver dagger forged in the Xandarr fashion, “Moonglow” was carried for over eighty years by Princess Marilith of Xandarr. Legend tells Moonglow was commissioned by King Hezru of Xandarr as a wedding gift for his daughter, Princess Marilith. With a hilt of gold and a blade of silver, Moonglow was also encrusted with various precious stones. Princess Marilith was said to be very fond of the beautiful dagger and wore it strapped to her leg quite often. As she fell in love with Davage, Lord of Blanchefort, she used Moonglow to mingle their blood in the Telmus Grove, and was wearing it during their ill-fated wedding.

Ever after, Marilith swore to plunge Moonglow into Davage’s heart, and into her heart at the same time. In her many battles in space with Captain Davage later, she always had Moonglow with her. After her apparent death on Gelt, Princess Marilith became a celebrated Xaphan hero. Various quests were undertaken to locate and recover Moonglow, as it was believed to be an artifact of great power. The blade of Moonglow was said to change in size as the situation required.

MYSTERY LIBRARY: A 1,500 square foor library on the 50th floor of Xyotel Tower in Castle Blanchefort.  Xyotel Tower was shared between Sarah and Phillip of Blanchefort, the twin children of Lady Poe.  From an early age, Sarah exhibited a love of reading and collecting books. Her favorite books were those pertaining to ghost stories, monsters, urban legands and other related lore, and she soon had a large collection that became too large for the small reading rooms she and her brother frequented. Carahil, an elemental spirit crated by Lady Poe and a frequent visitor came to Sarah and informed her that he had "cleaned out" a large space for her on the dissused 50th floor of her tower and that she should move her collection there. 

Sarah proved to be a meticulous and well-organized girl. Soon, she had the vast empty space on the 50th floor organized into an orderly and well-stocked library that she called the "Mystery Library."  Sarah, Phillip and their cousin Kay liked the space so much they designated it as their clubhouse and usual hanging-out area. Sarah moved in chairs and tables, terminals, coolers and other essentials. Sarah was very particular about the library and  even designated who was allowed to enter and who wasn't with a slate hanging over the door.

The Mystery Library was the first of a number of "Minor Temples" dedicated to Carahil (making the innocent Sarah its defacto High Priestess).  It was a Safe Zone where Carahil often kept important items, including: The Skull of Ondecca, a book stolen from the Sisterhood stronghold of Hiei, a Brightstone, Battlebourne and the RECUITOR. Additionally, things tended to stay lively and vibrant in the Library, as food placed in the cooler by Sarah and forgotton all winter was still fresh the following spring.


NADINE: A type of deciduous tree native to the northern reaches of Kana. Typically, a black, rather knobby tree with compound, fern-like leaves, the wood of a nadine tree is very "stringy" and, in a complicated process, can be boiled down and spun into a strong textile. The sap of the Nadine tree is rich in complex sugars, though the sap is mildly poisonous. With proper harvesting and boiling, the poison is rendered out and a fine syrup is produced that may be used as a sweetener or the base of a distilled spirit called Morninglow.

NALL TECH:  Small, cube-like devices of unknown composition created by the Sisterhood of Light.  When the infamous Fanatics of Nalls were defeated, a small number of them and their equipment were taken by the Sisters to Twilight 4 for examination.  The Fanatics had invented a series of small figurines that had the ability to counteract Shadow tech, the Sten, the Dirge and the Point.  The Sisters then created the small, squashy cubes that eventually became known as Nall tech.  Field testing by the Hospitalers proved very successful, and the black, white, silver and speckled cubes became standard issue for the Hospitalers and the Stellar Marines.

NALLS: An “upscale” Xaphan city located on the large asteroid Zoran 6, Nalls was one of the largest cities in Xaphan space. Home to a mostly affluent population, Nalls was also home to a number of powerful Black Hats.

NALLS, FANATICS OF: An upstart sect-for-hire composed of disaffected Xaphan youths, the Fanatics of Nalls sought to become the premier secret sect in Xaphan Society. To that end they, pooling their vast resources, created a number of novel devices and accessories designed to nullify or counteract the Gifts—especially illegal Black Hat Gifts. They also perfected several variations of standard Gifts, the most notable being the Box—allowing many Fanatics to “hide” inside of one. They also claimed to have discovered the secret of the Hulgismen’s immunity to the Sisterhood of Light, though this was never proved. Hoping to throw the Black Hats aside, their battle tactics were mostly designed to combat them. Loud, arrogant and supremely confident in battle, they wore their hair spiked and bright red, though they often Cloaked themselves to appear as the person who hired them.

The major flaw in their scheme was that they geared themselves mostly to fight Black Hats, and, when confronted with an un-Gifted trained armed force, such as the Stellar Marines, they found themselves unprepared and were quickly decimated.

Hired by Princess Marilith, they set out to kill Sygillis of Metatron because she was soon-to-be engaged to Captain Davage, a man whom Marilith stalked relentlessly. Stealing into Castle Blanchefort, they were engaged and defeated. Their Main Force, including Princess Marilith herself, were Boxed into “trinkets” in their pouches. There, they waited until the time was right to strike. They were amazed when they were taken aboard the Triumph, the League’s brand new top-of-the line starship. Seeing a great opportunity, they emerged in force and struck, quickly killing the ceremonial crew. Then, using the new matter/energy device, they thrust themselves aboard the three escort ships, taking over the BLUE MAX, and crippling the CAROLINE. Now, armed with two ships, Marilith and the Fanatics sought to destroy the SEEKER. Inexperienced, the SEEKER was able to elude both ships and badly damage the Triumph. Meanwhile, the crew of the BLUE MAX were able to re-take the ship and, facing two starships, the Triumph retired from the area.

Before they could get away, the Triumph was infiltrated by Sygillis of Metatron, she wanted to face Marilith and settle their dispute once and for all. There, the Fanatics initially subdued Sygillis and began to torture her. In agony, her soul darkened and she struck out with all of her power, the force of their battle knocking the Triumph out of the stars and crash landing on the rain swept world of Gelt. There, Sygillis, out of her mind, impaled every last one of them on Shadow tech stakes—Princess Marilith included, so it is said.

Thus, in one awful battle, the Fanatics of Nalls passed into extinction—their knowledge and lore lost forever.

NARGALS: Powerful, legendary creatures said to be created through conjuration and abjuration.  Most conjured Nargals are kept as powerful slaves, others escape their bonds and roam free, either helping or harming depending on their disposition. Carahil of the Celestial Arborium, though often described as an Elemental Spirit, is often thought to be a powerful Nargal.

NETHER DAY:  An important holiday celebrated all over the League commemorating the arrival of the Elder Kind on Kana.  Nether Day is a family-oriented holiday where far-flung family members all gather together, share a grand feast, and then engage in a full game of bowling.  Gifts are sometimes exchanged, however only the feast and the bowling are true staples of the holiday.  Nether Day on Kana is celebrated on September 42nd.  On Hoban: October 3rd.  Onaris: September 33rd.  On Bazz: August 28th.  On Planet Fall/Tubruk: September 19th.   

NYKE:  A versatile Shadow tech poison used by the Black Hats, Nykes can be used in a variety of ways.  In its most simple form, Nyke is a dripping black goo that can be used to smear on a weapon blade--the Nyke cannot be wiped off and nor does its potency decline with use.  Other, more advanced Nykes can be made to look like most anything and can function in a near limitless variety of ways: Nykes can be area-affecting, can be breathed in as a gas or used as a contact poison.  A contact Nyke does not have to break the skin to kill.  Nykes can also be timed--either killing immediately, or set to kill days, weeks or years later.  An entire branch of the Sisterhoold of Light was nearly wiped out by a contact Nyke in 00053ax.  Since then, the Sisters have become adept at sniffing Nykes out and counter-acting them.  There is no antidote for Nyke poisoning, other than being cured by the Sisters.  Those with powerful Gifts may sometimes prolong the effects of Nyke poisoning.   


ONARIS: Tenth Planet in the nearby Nu Torriander system and sister-world of Bazz. Onaris and nearby Kana were considered the first two planets in the League. A lovely green and gold world, Onaris was a mostly agrarian place populated by Browns, a hard-working, practical people of the Calvert line, the Blue Vith influence being more associated with Kana. Onaris has a rather small land to water ratio, with one central continent surrounded by a huge, extremely deep ocean called The Great Onaris Abyssal, known locally as the "Big Blue". The continent is divided into three main areas: North Pinthrop, South Pinthrop and Calvertland. The largest river on Onaris is the Hearth River, which is also the longest in the League.  Onaris is home to the largest mountain in the League--the Lone Rider, which is so tall  its summit breaks low orbit and was once used as a Fleet hard dock.  The chief cities on Kana are Tharpolli, Fig, Tusck, and Inarri. Onaris has one huge moon, Inthacron.  

Onaris uses the callo as its standard monetary unit. Per the SBL, 10,000 Onaris callos equals one solaris.

1000 CARAHIL PARK (One Thousand):  Large wooded park located on Xandarr on the banks of the River Torr.  It features one thousand statues of the elemental spirit Carahil of various sizes.  It is said if one touches all one thousand statues on the nose, Carahil will grant that person a wish.


PAAGS:  A socal game often played in Xaphan society.  Paags is a more violent version of Perlamum, a game similar to chess often played by ladies in League society.  The object of Paags is for the players to select a group of six to eight champions and then have them meet in several preselected places.  There, the champions are goaded into conflict.  The winner of Paags is the player whose champions win the most confrontations.

PAINTER: Type of Back Hat. A Black Hat Painter specializes in the Cloak and the creation of elaborate illusions. Black Hat Painters were the first to create a fully encompassing Cloaked illusion, thus the “Painted” illusion as they came to be called. Black Hat Painters also specialize in creating terrifying Shadow tech beasts, which can be extremely potent. Not nearly as brutish as Black Hat Hammers, Painters tend to have a bit more free will and intelligence.

PAIS: The Sisterhood of Light’s kitchen at Pais north of Esther is where most if not all of the food consumed by the Sisterhood is prepared. The Sisters do not eat everyday food, depending instead on the strange fare produced at Pais. Not a glamorous place, Pais was nevertheless well-defended.

PALM SPRANDER A device that reads the print, contours and average temperature of a person’s palm. Often used on weapons to ensure that unauthorized persons cannot make use of the weapon.

PARAFLIES: Huge insects resembling dragonflies, Paraflies, or “Tuleeflies” as they are known in the north, are rapidly spreading across Kana and the League in general. They are metallic blue with green bellies and shiny, rust-colored wings. Although they do not appear aggressive, they tend to swarm in mass and make a loud, buzzing sound. Certain strains of Paraflies have proved to be highly poisonous and armed with an impressive stinger. Mass extinction of whole strains of Paraflies have clogged streams and brooks in the south of Kana.

PATTERN: The mill at Pattern, north of Eshter, is a Sisterhood of Light stronghold. It is there where most if not all of the clothing worn by the Sisterhood is made.

PERLAMUM:  A popular chess-like board game on Kana and Hoban that is as much a social networking exercise as it is a board game.  First, the two players set the ante, or stakes.  Usually the stakes are quite high with players putting up titles, holdings, vast quantities of money and so on.  Then a Game Master is appointed.  The Game Master takes the Perlamum pieces and distributes them throughout the League, either hiding them in certain locations or entrusting them to select individuals.  The Game Master then gives a cryptic set of instructions to each player detailing the wherabouts of each piece.  Each player then sets out to recover the pieces, usually taking a year to do so.  Once the year is out, the players meet and play the game with whatever pieces they have managed to recover.  Players may attempt to Ensack the opposing player's pieces, that is, to recover them themselves.  Any Ensacked piece may then be used against the player. Being entrusted with a Perlamum piece is considered a great honor and status point.  

Extra Pieces:  Perlamum has all of the pieces found on a chess set, with the addition of  two more which may appear after the game has commenced, the Missive and the Jester/Harlequin.  The unpredictable and disruptive nature of these pieces can easily throw off a well-planned game and create chaos, accordingly these pieces are the most difficult to recover.

 The Missive: The Missive appears in either of the positions formerly occupied by the Rook. In order to appear, five game moves must have been completed, both Rooks must be present and both Rooks must not have been moved--the Missive then replaces one of the Rooks (player's choice). The Missive may move one row forward or one row back and occupy any square in that row.  The Missive may also jump other pieces, with the exception of the opposing player's Pawn.  The Missive has a great deal of reach and is a very potent piece. Typically, the Missive is one of the more difficult pieces to quest for.  

The Jester: The Jester may appear in any empty space surrounding the King and is often used to thwart Check. Afterward the Jester moves as a Pawn.

The Harlequin: An Ensacked Jester (recovered by the opposing player) may be used as a Harlequin.  The Harlequin may appear in any empty space surrounding the opposing King, instantly placing  him into Check.

Due to the unpredictable and disruptive nature of the piece, the Jester/Harlequin is often the most difficult piece to recover. 

PHANTOM HAND, THE: League term for the Mass, an illegal Black Hat Gift.

PITHNAR: An Old Vith ruin near the Tartan forest on Kana and Stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. Although a charming ruin of the surface, Pithnar was a bustling research center beneath. Pithnar is one of the few Sisterhood strongholds that allow a measure of interaction between the Sisters and the local population.

PLANAR BRIDGE: (qv: teleportation device) Any device meant to cross from one point to another by means of astral travel. Lesser known in League space, Planar Bridges from the Xaphan world of Wunderland are known to work fairly well. Planar Bridges have several severe drawbacks. They tend to “pull” their surroundings into the astral plane for a short time. It is also very simple to place “blocks” over certain areas that will be fatal to the user of a Planar Bridge. Such drawbacks limit their use and appeal in most quarters.

PLANAR WORLD: Theoretical world that exists either at the threshold of a wormhole, or some other type of dimensional gateway. It is said Planar Worlds can be made to disappear and reappear in random or, possibly predetermined places. The Xaphan world Wunderland is said to be such a world.

PLANET FALL: Sole planet of Rho-Procyon, Planet Fall is a gas giant that is a marvel of modern engineering. Though an inhospitable Jovian planet, Planet Fall is rich in ionized trace elements that the Lords of the League were keen on tapping in 0643ex. The planet was, and still is, quite dangerous due to gravity effects—hence the name, as ships often “fell” into the gassy face of the planet, pulled down by the gravity.

The League engineers hit upon the idea of “carpeting” the upper atmosphere. In 0548ex, they began building huge, inter-locking grids of metal paneling, allowing their sheer mass to keep them stable. Eventually, the League engineers had “gridded” continental-sized chunks of the planet’s atmosphere, eventually constructing three massive grids of continental size. Each grid was fully contained with a workable atmosphere and featured a "counter gravity" which neutralized the crushing effects of Planet Fall's powerful planetary gravity, Planet Fall was soon colonized by the Houses of Hoffman, Burbeck and Ziddacer. Profiting from the resources extracted from the gassy interior of the planet, the Houses thrived and Planet Fall became an odd, if not important League World. The three “continents” on Planet Fall are called Hoffman Plate, Deckard and Z-Encarr. Planet Fall has over forty moons of varying size, the largest of which are: Miranda, Mizar, Klobos and Centibak.

Planet Fall uses a rare type of precipitated quartz called a billet for its currency.  A three inch rod of quartz equals one billet.  Per the SBL, the Planet Fall billet enjoys a high rate of exchange, with four billets equalling one Kanan solaris. 

Though the perils of navigating near and approaching Planet Fall are well-charted and sound bouyed, most ships make use of the Order of Tuggers to helm their vessels. The Tuggers are expert in safely traversing "The Gallery" as it is known, a vast area of intense gravity, killing radiation and high-speed debris.

POINT, THE (6): Illegal Gift based on the Stare, the Point is exclusively associated with the Black Hat Sisterhood. The Point is aptly-named: Point at someone and they die, usually by exploding outwards in a terrible spray. If the victim is Giftless, the Point is instantaneous, if the victim possesses Gifts, the Point takes several seconds to build energy and react. Once the Point is begun, it cannot be stopped. The Point is a feared weapon and a favorite of the Black Hat Sisterhood. Declared illegal by the Sisterhood of Light is 00125ax, it is an executable offense.

PORTATOR: Xaphan appointed official.

PRIORY: Sisterhood stronghold aboard Fleet starships, the Priory is not under the command of the ship’s captain. The Priory contains a portal of some type allowing the Sisters to come and go as they please—the compliment of Sisters aboard any starship changing from day to day. If a starship is on the verge of destruction, the Sisters uses the Priory to escape to safety, leaving the crew to their fate. 

PROGRAMMABILITY: Status symbol in the League, gauging a gentleman's worth by how many times he has participated in the Sister's Mating Program.  Being favored by the Sisters means a great deal in terms of prestige and honor, and those with high Programmability, find themselves as social A-Listers. The Stellar Fleet especially values a person's Programmability when determining promotion and status.  There are several levels of Programmability:

The Pel status is a rare, almost mythical status.  The inverse of Programmability is the black mark of Venti Nomi--which implies imperfection and a flawed line.

   




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REMAX: Powerful painkiller developed on Bazz with dreadful narcotic properties. During the Time of the Cronyn, the people of Bazz were subjected to injuring themselves and needed a calming painkiller to assist them until medical aid could be administered. Remax was thought to be the answer. Easy to administer, pain-killing and calming with anti-biotic properties, Remax created a sensation on Bazz when it was first made available for use, however, its highly addictive side-effects became clear shortly thereafter. The narcotic was promptly declared illegal, however, its recipe found its way to Xaphan space where it continued to be produced in great quantity. The term “Balled Out” was coined in reference to those under the influence of Remax. A “Baller” is a person addicted to Remax. 

REMNATH: 1)--Tribe of Man which settled in the south of Kana symbolized by the helmet.  Stately and law-giving, the Remnaths are the statesmen of Kana.  Noteable Remnath Houses are: Grenville, Want, Pitcock Cone and Gelder.  2)--Region of Kana in the southern continent characterized by rolling hills and warm climate.

Most Remnath households mint their own currency known as the solaris.  The Remnath solaris is used by the SBL as its monetary standard.

RIPCAR: Class of small, fast vessels capable of both planetary and near-orbit celestial travel. A ripcar generally is a fairly small craft seating no more than eight to ten passengers. They are generally quite fast, very maneuverable, space-worthy and almost never have an enclosed crew compartment, relying instead on containment fields to shield the occupants. The Cavort-N7 class of ripcars used by the Fleet were noted for have a very modest crew compartment and could be rather harrowing for the novice to ride in. Vehicles that are not space-worthy, or have enclosed crew compartments are generally referred to as Sub-Orbitals or Floatcraft.

RUMALORE: A registered piece of disinformation regarding LosCapricos weapons. LosCapricos weapons traditionally must be registered with the Sisterhood of Light. The Sisters must be informed exactly what the weapon in question does, however, a Rumalore may be filed, allowing the House to circulate disinformation regarding the capabilities of the weapon. Example—the NAS of House Albans was said to create wounds that would bleed forever, and that only the Sisters or the Hospitalers could stem the bleeding. The relentless wounding power of the NAS was a Rumalore, as small, shallow cuts inflicted by the NAS would indeed stop bleeding on their own after several hours.

RUMBOB: A diluted form of Shadow tech that has been mixed with any number of salves and waxes to soften its toxic nature. Rumbob is often used as a basis for various potions and other unsavory elixirs, most commonly related to the creation or alteration of emotion. Rumbob is highly emotive and can be forcibly infused with emotions, such as love, anger and fear. Once Rumbob has been infused with emotions, it is difficult if not impossible to clear it and re-infuse--"Rummy" is a term for infused Runbob.  Rumbob is illegal in the League and is often sold as a contraband product.

RUNDLEPHARG:  Term used in Learned Circles to refer to a person proved to be immortal.



SAGA: City on the eastern shores of Barrow on Kana.  Saga was once known for being a place of  vice and wanton corruption and was seriously considered for destruction by the Sisterhood of Light in 94451ex--the first non-Calvert city on Kana to receive such attention from the Sisters.  However, a conserted prohibition effort by the matriarchal House of Woolover cleaned the city up and led to its renewal.

SAMMARCAND: The cloister of Sammarcand located south of the Remnath foothills is a stronghold of the Sisterhood of Light. An underwhelming structure, it appears as nothing more than a boarding house for Sisters. What, if anything is going on underneath Sammarcand’s humble exterior is unknown.

SARFORTNIM COLLEGE: A small liberal arts college located in Blanchefort Village.  The college obtained fame for its claims that certain faculty had "discovered" the Black Hats techniques for generating the illegal Gifts of Sten, Point, and Mass.  The motto of Sarfortnim college is: aba vera, which is Vith for: "with light."  Sarfortnim College is also well known for its brandtball team, the magenta clad "Rumbling 40's."  

SEEKER:   A Main League starship, the Seeker was the one hundred, seventy-second vessel constructed of Straylight configuration.  It was captained by Davage, Lord of Blanchefort, and, under his leadership, racked up the most victories, ships captured and enemy crew incarcerated of any other League vessel.  A major factor in virtually every large starship battle with the Xaphans, the Seeker often times made it through the tightest of situations untouched.  It was nearly sunk in the skies over Metatron when its main spar was broken by Cloaked Ghome 7 transports.  As the Seeker clawed its way back into the upper atmosphere, Captain Davage was sucked out and fell to the surface.  Badly damaged, the ship's spar was repaired by Sygillis of Metatron.

Captain Davage eventually went on to captain the Triumph -class vessel New Faith .  He secured the appointment of Gona of St Paris, who would captain it for another twenty years until he retired suddenly—word was that the Seeker was haunted.  The next captain was Stenstrom, Lord of Belmont-South Tyrol.  Falling out-of-favor with the Admiralty, the Seeker was half-scuttled and left for dead in a south polar-orbit.

SEN LA NA:  (Anuie: "Searcher")  Title and occupation given to a Monama, usualy female, who examines a newly born clutch of Monamas for any Anuian embryos.  The Aunian embryos, if present, can be extremely small and difficult to locate.  Time is of the essence, as an Anuian will die within minutes if it is not discovered and quickly placed within a prepared Anuian Jar.  Skilled Sen la Nas are always present at Monama birthings.  

SEVEN, RIVER Third largest river on Kana,smaller only than the Withelwell and the Great Blue Pierce in Zenon. The River Seven marks the boundary between the Vithland and Hala regions of the northern continent. The river is actually a natural canal cutting through the northern continent and has no source and is saline.  It is fed by numerous tributaries and the salinity of its waters is greatly diluted.  The Southern reaches of the river branches off into two smaller rivers, the Killbane and the Kronos.

SHADOWMARK: A black, twisting mark adorning the right eye of Shadow tech Males and Females. The presence of the Shadowmark indicates the presence of Shadow tech within their body. Each Shadowmark is unique, rather like a fingerprint, varying in size, shade and complexity of design. It is thought that the larger, darker and more complex the Shadowmark, the more potent the user is. The Black Hats carefully record the design of every Shadowmark they encounter, which they refer to as the Black Hat’s Key. Knowing the Key allows them to alter, diminish or nullify the Black Hat’s works if need be.

The Shadowmark of Shadow tech Males are usually invisible under normal light, they are only visible under certain spectrums of light.

SHADOW TECH: Old Vithian Gift of the body, Shadow tech is a caustic, highly poisonous substance which caused the schism that separated the Sisterhood of Light and the Black Hats centuries ago: the Sisters wishing to breed it out of existence and the Black Hats wishing to cultivate and develop it. Shadow tech can only by cast by a Shadow tech female, but can only by passed down through the generations by Shadow tech males. Shadow tech is very rare, appearing in only one out of every million genetically applicable females, it is also very dangerous, killing most females born with it flowing through their bodies. All Shadow tech females and males are born with the Shadowmark, a twisting, inkvine mark starting under their right eye and wrapping up and around ending before their cheekbone.

Shadow tech, in the hands of a trained Black Hat can be made to do virtually anything, being limited only by the health and imagination of the wielder. It may be formed into weapons, poisons, complex machines, roiling storms and living beasts. Shadow tech is often associated with feelings of anger, hate and dread. It also tends to keep its user in a perpetual state of semi-consciousness. The Vith heroine of legend, Subra of the Mark, was said to be the first documented “Shadow tech female.”

SHADOW TECH FAMILIAR: A construction of Shadow tech that can be quickly created by a Black Hat or Shadow tech female. Forming Shadow tech into monsters and various functional items can be very time consuming and rather difficult. Most Black Hats therefore practice creating a Shadow tech Familiar—something that they can create in a matter of moments. Black Hat Painters tend to create monsters as their familiars, Black Hat Hammers tend to focus on weapons while Black Hat Knives create body parts such as tails, extra arms and legs and sometimes wings as their Familiars.

SHADOW TECH GODDESS: A Wvulgrom—a hypothetical person from an alternate time continuity. The Shadow tech Goddess does not exist in the current time stream, though her possible existence was speculated on and dreaded by the Black Abbess. In an alternate time stream, the Shadow tech Goddess was a Black Hat so powerful in the use of Shadow tech that she quickly rose through the ranks and eventually faced and killed the Black Abbess herself. Unbridled in power, the Shadow tech Goddess eventually killed every living thing in her time stream, becoming the sole inhabitant in her universe. The identity of this hypothetical person is not known.

SHADOW TECH MALE: (qv: Invernans) Males who may pass down the Shadow tech trait to their female progeny. Shadow tech Males, though unable to cast Shadow tech, may tap into and use it to augment their Gifts and augment their bodies. Should they touch a female’s Shadow tech, the two of them are instantly elevated to the heights of bliss, where the male is fully able to command and control the female. StM’s are generally feared by the Black Hat Sisterhood for this ability. Many StMs are captured and held in stasis by the Black Hats—others are simply killed upon discovery.

SHADOW TECH TRAP: (StT or Snare) Any of a number of nefarious, often Cloaked contrivances made of Shadow tech used to create fear, mayhem and death. Shadow tech traps can take on any number of shapes and forms, however the most common appears to be a six-legged “cockroach”-like creature that latches onto a victim and will not let go until it has either run its course or is dispelled by the Sisterhood of Light. StT’s can be left in an area and there they will wait until they are “triggered”. They can be instantly deadly (sometimes exploding, lashing out and cutting) or they can perform “harassing” things like latching onto a victim and causing misfortune. As they are most often Cloaked into invisibility, a person may carry an StT for a long period of time and not know it. StT’s may also infect devices and machinery and cause them to either malfunction or provide false information. Persons infected with StTs of various types are so common, that the Sisterhood of Light will often remove them from people without bothering to inform them. Persons suffering from extreme bouts of misfortune or bad luck often present themselves to the Sisters to determine if they have been “Snared”  The Bilson-Gorman are of Bazz was declared "uninhabitable" by the Sisterhood of Light due to the high number of devious and self-replicating StTs placed there in 00006ax by the nortorious Ethyrelda of Waam.  

Lady Poe of Blanchefort, a great innovator in the use of Silver tech, invented a variation of standard StT's called an StT Pot, which can create vast amounts of programmable StT's from a small space in a very short amount of time. Highly effective, one or two StT Pots can eliminate an entire army in a matter of moments.

As they are made of Shadow tech, StT's are very difficult to dispell. The Sisterhood of Light is adept at detecting and removing them. Also, a branch of Xaphan Cabalism and certain wavelengths of light have recently been discovered to dissolve or kill StT's as well.

SILVER TECH: A “Happy” version of standard “Mad” Shadow tech, Silver tech is a much more stable, safer to touch and longer lasting. Items created with Silver tech will last, unchanged, forever. Silver tech, along with Shadow tech, tends to extend the life of the female controlling it—she, along with anyone else being in close contact with it, being virtually immortal.

SIGHT, THE: (1) One of the original six Vithian Gifts of the Mind, the Sight is an extremely rare and difficult Gift to master. Almost unheard of in many areas of Xaphan and League Society, some argue that the Sight is an extinct Gift, or is wholly a product of myth. Additionally, the Sight must be inherited. Despite its difficulty to master, the Sight is a potent Gift which comes in six distinct aspects:

  1. The ability to see things that are very far away.
  2. The ability to see through obstructions.
  3. The ability to see in the dark.
  4. The ability to see things that are invisible.
  5. The ability to see things that are very small.
  6. The ability to see the near future.

Most Sighters, including those in the Sisterhood, can only do the first two or three aspects—to be able to perform more or all is virtually unknown. There is a seventh aspect which may or may not exist—the ability to see things in the past. It is said a master Sighter’s eyes glow with a golden, seductive light that has a mesmerizing and enthralling effect on those beholding it. Captain Davage, Lord of Blanchefort was said to have all six aspects of the Sight, including the disputed seventh.

SISTERHOOD OF LIGHT, THE: An ancient Vith sect formed to investigate the Gifts, the Sisterhood of Light is the supreme sect within the League and, some say, the real power behind their success. Aloof, polite, courteous, smiling, the Sisterhood goes about its business unchallenged, they doing as they please, their power and authority clear. It is said that they are not quite Elder, that they have evolved into something else, and that they are the Elders returned. It is said they put the darkness in the Hazards of the Old Ones, defending a dark secret that is there and they would do anything to protect it…even murder.

Nearly blind, they see with their minds and, rarely speaking aloud, they instead speak in a strange sort of telepathy that takes careful training to fully understand.

The Sisters are masters of all six Vith Gifts, their ability to use TK is astounding and it is they alone who protect the League from the Black Hats and their illegal Mass Gift, the “Phantom Hand” that can kill from light years away. The Sisterhood is also the only sect known that can neutralize Black Hat Shadow tech and render it harmless. The Stellar Marines was formed with the sole purpose of protecting the Sisters from the Black Hat Hulgismen—they being somehow immune to the Sisters power.

The Leadership of the Sisterhood consists of twenty five “Grand Abbesses” of colossal power, each located in a different holding. Many have never been seen, but a few, such as the Grand Abbess of Pithnar, Barton, Hiei and Horton are often seen publically. The Sisterhood does not recruit new members. Instead, they “select” notable males from League Society whom they feel will make a good Sister. They then go to that person, all smiles and politeness, and ask if he would like to participate in their “program.” The gentleman is then led to a bedroom where the Sister to be seeded waits. Before a moment passes, the Sister takes him by the mind and leads him into phantasmic fields of bliss and sound--there, he lingers for hours while the Sister engages him and is seeded. Those select gentleman who refuse the Sisters are taken anyway—it is not wise to refuse them.

Houses that anger or frustrate the Sisterhood, often find themselves chased from their holdings and bade to reform. Should the House continue to anger the Sisterhood, they have been known to declare Shuw-shun against said House and utterly destroy it, including every man, woman and child.

SK: (Stun/Kill), Standard issue Marine firearm, the SK fires a high-powered, armor-piercing round and a concussive puff of air that, in short-range, could stun an opponent.  It was designed specifically to face and take down the Black Hut Hulgismen guard with one shot--quite a feat considering the brutal and mindless nature of the Hulgismen.  The SK holds 25 shots—25 being considered a powerful, mystical number. Larger and heavier than the Fleet-issue MiMs, the SK was an accurate, reliable weapon designed and produced by the House of Dare.  It featured a "Flex Chamber" that allowed it to fire many calibres of ordinance, up to the standard-issue Marine .50 calibre short-jacket.  The Marine .50 calibre was utterly devastating.  Given its high calibre, its recoil when fired is so severe it could possibly kill the person firing it.  The Onaris art of Anthecary, a mild form of telekinesis that hardens the body, is required to safely fire it. 

A variant of the SK known as the "Bowser" is a .75 caliber version of the SK.

SPECTRES: A gang of malcontented youth originally springing up on the Xaphan Loviatar, the family of Spectres enjoyed a dramatic growth over the course of several years where they took over certain parts of Hoban, Onaris and the Calvertlands of Kana. The Spectres were also the low-level errand-boys of the Black Hats, doing their bidding. Their primary goal was to search for and slay Shadow tech males, as Black Hats greatly feared them.

SPRINT SHIP:   Class of medium-sized Fleet vessel known for their nimble, sub-Stellar Mach speed and great range.  The older types of Sprint ship were used more in an ancillary role, however the modern Trumbull-class of Sprint Ship is fully armed with SAR-Beam weaponry, making them a fast, light warship.  The Havoc-class of Xaphan ships are knwon to be direct knock-offs of the Trumbull Sprint ship.

STANDARD BANK OF THE LEAGUE (SBL):  Unifying financial institution of the League headquartered in the Kanan city of Bern.  With dozens of worlds all using different methods of currency, the SBL allows for a standard, agreed upon mechanism for orderly exchange. The SBL uses the solaris as its base currency.     

STARE, The: (10) One of the original six Vithian Gifts of the Mind, the Stare allows one to, in just a few moments, look at a person and know everything there is to know about that person—their hopes, their fears…their secrets. An expert Starer is able to Stare a person very quickly and without any noticeable feeling or discomfort. A “Hard Stare” can create unbearable agony in a victim, even death if allowed to go on for too long. Due to the potentially caustic nature of the Stare, many illegal Gifts have been developed from it, including the Cloud, the Sten, the Mass and the Point. With the exception of a few master Starers, the Stare is a very slow Gift to enable, taking a full ten segments. The Sisterhood of Light often uses the Stare to their advantage. It is said there is an effective counter litany that can shield one’s mind from the Stare.

STELLAR MACH: Method of fast space travel made possible by use of the Stellar Mach Coil, a piece of Elder Tech. Stellar Mach is a very brutal method of travel and at 25% of all crewmen aboard Main Fleet Vessels are not able to withstand it for long. Even for those able to withstand its rigors, a usual Stellar Mach jump usually last no longer than 180 seconds.

STELLAR MACH COIL: A piece of Elder Tech, a Stellar Mach coil is a huge coil that reacts with an impeller of a classified composition. The effect is to propel an object at colossal speeds. A standard STRAYLIGHT vessel mounts 16 Stellar Mach coils, though only 10 are usually used for a “safe” Stellar Mach jump.

STEN, The: (8) Illegal Gift based on the Stare most commonly associated with the Black Hat Sisterhood. The Sten is an invisible force field that, depending on the skill of the wielder, can be extended and shaped. The Sten has a very repellant, shocking quality, and to touch its surface for more than a few moments is invariably fatal. A “Boxed-In Sten” traps a victim within a Sten Box, usually killing them in mere seconds. When engaged, a person using the Sten cannot move—they are rooted, or “Stenned” in place. The Sten is a very slow Gift to enable. Certain metals can bypass the Sten without impedance. Due to its dangerous nature, the Sten was declared illegal by the Sisterhood of Light in 0135ax.

STERTORS:  Branch of the Sisterhood of Light marked by their dogwood-colored cloaks. The Stertors travel about visiting the various Great Houses of Kana and test the children, proclaiming what Gifts they may or may not have.  The Stertors then present an Official Proclamation stating their Gifts. Children developing and practicing Gifts not so proclaimed by the Stertors may find themselves fined or, possibly, imprisoned. 

ST. MARVE (or, MARVE):  Third planet of  Pithos Pendinar, sitting 6am of the Great Xaphan Nebula.  St. Marve is a gassy ringed planet of superior size and  somewhat strategically placed within Xaphan space. The planet is populated, however it is not populated by Xaphans.  The inhabitants appear to be of Ming Moorland heritage.  In 000022ax, the House of Burgon attempted to invade and subjugate the planet.  The invasion was quashed with horrid results and the Burgons were said to be "cursed" for centuries afterward.  The Burgons claimed that the "ring" around the planet is not actually a ring composed of rock and other debris.  They claimed that upon approach the ring was discovered to be composed of floating "bodies" in space, and that these bodies suddenly came to life and attacked their ships. According to the Burgons, the attacking bodies were very persistent and difficult to be rid of. Many of their ships were declared "cursed" and either abandoned in space or intentionaly scuttled.  After such a dispaly, the Burgons retreated and no attempt to invade St. Marve has been considered since and the planet enjoys a sinister reputation and is avoided if at all possible.

It has been said that the Xaphan Vorsham Consortium harvests and sells dead Xaphan sailors to St. Marve to keep their "ring" well stocked.  This has not been proved.       

STRENGTH, The : (2) One of the original six Vithian Gifts, the Strength is a very common Gift, imbuing the user with great power and endurance. A person using the Strength tends to have a hard “stony” feel to them. The Strength is such a common Gift that those without it are considered “weak.”

SYSTREL:  Language spoken by the various Monama peoples of south Kana. Systrel is a formal language used mostly when communing with the gods. Most Monama peoples know Systrel, but only the Nebulon and Darren tribes speak it on a day-to-day basis.


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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

TREGADOR:  Covert communications device invented by the House of Want in 00242ax.  The tregador usually resembles a piece of fancy jewelery: 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 decypher.    

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.

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.

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. 

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.







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VAIN: Chief Xaphan city located on the Planet Wunderland. The city was founded by the House of Conwell in 000002ax. The city of Vain is fabled for its ability (along with the whole planet) to appear in places it shouldn’t be, and then disappear. Vain is said to have once appeared on Onaris, Tubruk, and the planet of Caroline.

VALENHELM: The black fortress of Valenhelm was the original bastion of the Sisterhood of Light. Located by the sea, due north of the mouth of the River Seven, the facility is ancient in the extreme and rather obsolete, however, it is still used by the Sisters for purposes unknown.

VELTRO: The graveyard at Veltro, located somewhere in the northwestern section of the Great Armenelos forest is the final resting place for the Sisterhood of Light. Its exact location is unknown and few outside of the Sisterhood have ever seen it.

VENERA: Type of ancient starcraft developed by the Elders and used by the Sisterhood of Light and the Science Ministry. Not overly swift, they do however possess very advanced scanning equipment, out-performing the modest scanning provisions on active Fleet vessels. Venera craft were distinctively nautiloid in appearance.

VEERBEAK: A type of charm or totem usually made of hammered gold used primarily on Bazz for the purposes of disrupting monitoring devices.  Depending on the make and complexity of the veerbeak, they can be very effective at cancelling out  not onlt monitoring equipment such as cameras and other sensors, but arcane  devices as well.

VERTUS: An ancient and obsolete Vith method of measuring time. It is a frustrating system and is seldom used in the modern League except for a few Vith Great Houses who use it to inscribe gravestones.

VITH: An ancient, austere tribe located in the northern reaches of Kana symbolized by the rose, the Vith were, in the beginning, the only group able to communicate with the huge, life-giving Elders.  The Vith bore the brunt of the attacks from the savage Haitathe and spent much of their early days on Kana either hiding from or fighting them.

In return for their services, and to assist them against the Haitathe, the Elders heaped Gifts upon the Vith, including long life—and immortality if they so chose—eternal youth, resistance to disease and a vast assortment of mental and body powers. The Old Vith were marked blue by the Elders, blue-skinned, blue-haired, but as they spread out and began propagating with the Non-Vith, the Browns, the Blue trait became more and more rare, as did the Gifts. The Vith founded the Sisterhood of Light to investigate and explore the Gifts given to them by the Elders. When the Elders began dying, being replaced by the more cavalier Xaphans, it was a small fragment of Vith who, in their need to serve, went to the Xaphans to serve them instead. The fleeng Vith left many ruins all around Kana and their architecture is considered the finest ever created by the Elder-Kind.  The great ancient leader Homma of Telmus Falls was a Vith.

The Vith are loyal and brave and always eager to meet a challenge.  They are honest and will go to great lengths to keep a promise.  They are said to be immune to the cold of the north, and are fearless as well.

Most Vith Households mint their own currency. Vith currency is known as a hader and are usually on-par with SBL solaris.

VITHLAND: Large are of the northern (or “Upper”) continent of Kana that was populated primarily by the Vith and the Halas. A rugged, mountainous place, Vithland was home to most of the twenty Houses that fled to the Xaphans during the Great Betrayal.

VORSHAM CONSORTIUM:  Xaphan financial institution hailing from several Houses, primarily resposible to generating capital to continue the League/Xaphan armed conflict. One of the ventures the consortium oversees is the selling of Gifted individuals (IE those possessing the Gifts of the Mind) to various entities, particuarly the Empire of Ming Mooreland. They also rang a ring of pirates who traded in Monamas for the purposes of fighting them in various areas until the ring was quashed.  The Consortium is one of the more well-run and organized of Xaphan entities.






WAFT, The: (1) One of the original six Vithin Gifts, the Waft is a form of teleportation. A Wafter can Waft anywhere within their line of sight. The Waft is almost always accompanied by a rushing blast of wind. Wafting while touching another living being can be very dangerous, as the Wafter will find such a touch extremely tiring. Wafting can be easily counter-acted with the Waft-lock, a shield that will prevent a Wafter from passing through it.

WAAM: Large Xaphan city on the planet Gothan founded by the House of Clovis in 000003ax. Huge and fairly up-to-date, Waam was one of the nicer Xaphan cities. It is ruled fairly by a municipal parliament. Waam is best known for being a trading city along the Xaphan trade route, and for the "Flying People of Bondar", a municipality of Waam. The city lived in terror of the hundred plus Black Hats that made it their home, including Ethylrelda of Waam and Torrijayne of Waam, who had a penchant for abducting and torturing children. When the space station Zall 88 was destroyed, many of its burned and blackened shards fell down on Waam. The odd design movement known as "Bondarunga" was created first in Waam.

WANDWILLA: A bizarre creature known in Xaphan space. A wandwilla is a fusing of a Shadow tech male and a Shadow tech female—usually a Black Hat—into one. If the two are allowed to touch for too long, they will never be apart again, welding themselves into a large, tree-like creature, forever dreaming in ecstasy. There is thought to be a hidden world where the Black Abbess has collected all known wandwillas—there they live in a sort of forest. To fall asleep in this forest is said to cure any malady known, including insanity. They produce an odd pod-like fruit with remarkable properties.

WAYRETH:  Second planet of Dione Ardemus, Wayreth is a distant Xaphan world settled by the House of Tardy in 000013ax.  Though remote from the rest of the Xaphan Swarm, Wayreth is a bountiful planet, often thought to be the "Green World" promised to the House of Bodice before they were exterminated on Midas.  Wayreth has been the target of numerous Xaphan attempts to invade it, however its remote location has, for the most part, protected it through the centuries.  The House of Tardy, left to itself, has devoloped an independant culture and generally does not participate in Xaphan activities.  The largest city on Wayreth is Salonmi.  

WEDDING, THE: A grand, highly publicized event intended to re-unite the League and the Xaphans in 03112ax. Lord Sadric of Blanchefort, a powerful and highly placed diplomat had always argued for ending the long-running League-Xaphan conflict. Most in the League thought the idea amusing, but nothing more—the League had always fought the Xaphans, and they always would. But Sadric had the ear of the Sisterhood, and, through his constant chiding, began parroting his notion of somehow ending the war.

But how…how to do it?

Being a consummate Society man, Sadric mused the best way to do it would be to bring the Xaphans home, to re-introduce to the teachings of the Elders. The best way, he thought, to do that would be a wedding, a grand wedding of a great Xaphan House and a great League House. Sadric pitched the idea to the Sisterhood and they agreed and the idea began to take hold and, just maybe, such a thing could work.

Sadric then took the idea to the Xaphans…and they agreed. They insisted on a few things first—primarily that they would select the League Great House. Sadric agreed.

The House of Xandarr was immediately appointed to be the Xaphan representative, and, specifically, Princess Marilith of Xandarr. She and her large contingent then began touring the League as she searched for a suitable husband. Her party was met with great acclaim, and, initially, Sadric’s plan appeared to be working.

There five principle candidates initially selected:

Princess Marilith quickly and publically denounced Probert because he was too Brown and not handsome enough. Soon thereafter, Conwell was thrown out because she didn’t like their castle—not Vith enough. She then put Grenville, Blanchefort, Dare and Vincent through a series of tests—Vincent quickly dropping out due to his “lack of smarts.” Dare quit after nearly being killed during a test. Eventually Davage, Lord of Blanchefort prevailed and was slated to marry Princess Marilith in a huge ceremony.

On the day of the wedding, as the grand jeweled baton made its way up the long chain, it was suddenly stopped, held for a moment, and then thrown down with a clatter. Lady Pardock of Blanchefort, Davage’s sister did it and then she pulled Davage from the chapel. She explained that she had seen through Marilith, that she was a crazed, evil, maniacal woman who would lead the League into darkness. As word of this got out and details of Marilith’s dark plan came to light, she fell violently out of favor and literally had to shoot her way back to Xaphan space

WEED, THE: A complex, moist form of polyphyletic mold native to the planet Brindval, “The Weed” is a growing problem in both League and Xaphan space. The Weed, appears as a moist, yellowish grouping of spores that grows readily in damp, warm areas such as forest floors, fallen logs and underbrush. Throughout its life cycle it secretes a slightly toxic alkaloid oil that readily penetrates the skin upon contact. Once in the bloodstream, this alkaloid quickly goes to the brain where it has a massive psychedelic and psychotropic effect on the central nervous system. The person subjected to the substance then experiences a series of powerful hallucinations, mixed with feelings of euphoria and a distinct hyper-sensitivity to touch.

The Weed is a dangerous fungus, causing permanent damage to the eyes, nose and skin if allowed to remain in contact for too long. If The Weed gets into a person’s lungs, it is quickly fatal. The presence of Weed spores in the eyes tends to turn the iris varying shades of purple, blue and yellow depending on the toxicity. Prolonged contact in the eyes leads to blindness. The Weed, when in contact with the skin, creates an odd, heavy smell which also has alluring properties.

In 000491ax, a tax rebellion took place on the newly colonized world of Brindval. A group of rebels demanding tax reform known as the “Tantan 12” took to the forests to hide from roving authorities. As they crouched in the humid underbrush, they all quickly became infected with a slimy, yellowish mold that they found growing there. Not having access to medical facilities, the Tantan 12 tax rebels determined to allow themselves to remain infected until such time when proper treatment could be applied.

The rebels quickly discovered something extraordinary. They found, as they had intercourse in the woods, that the presence of the fungus significantly enhanced the sexual act. From that modest beginning, “The Weed” quickly spread from Brindval and the “Dirty Courtesan” was born.

In its most common use, The Weed is applied to the genitals and allowed to grow for a time. A person having intercourse with one infected with The Weed will find themselves quickly stimulated to unprecedented levels. Dirty Courtesans often apply a thick water-based gel to their skin and then place The Weed on top of it to protect themselves from the dangerous effects of the mold and keep their head clear. Certain places such as Carina 7, Rostov on Kana and Planet Fall are known for creating highly stylized strains of The Weed of varying levels of potency. Anti-fungal agents are very effective at killing The Weed and removing it from an infected person.

A “Weedout” is a term for a person hopelessly addicted to the effects of The Weed, and that number is growing steadily. An “Easy” is a person who cannot resist the “smell” of The Weed. A dreaded sect of Dirty Courtesans from Planet Fall called The Erynes are renowned for their ability to extract deeply held secrets, implant suggestions and alter consciousness in their victims. The powerful strain of The Weed they use turns their eyes crimson red.

WESTRON: The Sisterhood of Light’s large walled-in, tree-filled complex at Westron stands at the southern reaches of the Great Vithland mountain range. It was said that Westron is a nexus of sorts, allowing Sisters to come and go from various distant points of entry.

WHAMIC:  Whamic is a Black Hat scourge that is rapidly growing in League space.  Whamic is a form of viral or spam holo-mail that does not attack your terminal or hardware, instead, it attacks you.  Whamic is enfused with an altered form of Shadow tech and is capable of being transported holographically.  When opened, Whamic may do virtually anything.  Monsters may jump out of your holo-terminal and attack, invisible demons might take up residence and cause you no end of grief or you might be hopelessly mesmerized into performing activities not of your own making.  The Black Hat's usual antagonists, the Sisterhood of Light, was completely unprepared for these holo-attacks and had to turn to the Science Ministry for assistance.  The Science Ministry was largely successful in purging most bits of Whamic  from the holoways, however, some of it still gets through.  

The "Mad Black Hat" Wilhella Cormand-Grande of Waam is the known inventor of Whamic.  

WHITE EMILIA: Species of common, flowering plant related to the common daisy native to the southern areas of Kana especially in and around Lake Monama. The stalk and leaves of the plant are tough and fibrous and have a very dark green, almost black appearance. The white flower appears in a radial pattern, consisting of 13 ray florets surrounding a black disk floret in the center. The flower is well known for being highly toxic prior to the flower coming into full maturity. White Emilia does very well in shade or low light situations. Due to its tendency to kill most insects coming to drink is nectar, the flower is often used in Monama mating rituals, signifying the fatal nature of the Monama “Trials”.

WINDAGE OF KIND: Asssemblage of dissaffected beings inhabiting the "Bottom of the Universe" seeking to create chaos. Demons. Elemental Spirits kicked out of the Celestial Arborium for upsetting cosmic balance are often sent into the Windage. The Windage is said to be a forelorn collection of industrial-type buildings with many dark windows.  It is said to be inescapable.  The meaning of its name is not known.

WIND WALKER: Powerful creatures thought to hail from alternate dimensions and who walk the plains of existance with impunity. The infamous Cat God Mabsornath is a notable Wind Walker.

WIRGUILD: A public petition sent to the Sisterhood of Light for the purposes of waging revenge against a certain individual or House. The Sisters review the Wirguild, determine if it has merit and then approve or disapprove. If approved, a copy of the Wirguild is sent to the person or House in question so that they may be made aware and defend themselves. The most recent Wirguild approved by the Sisterhood was issued by Lady Vendra of Cone against Lady Jubilee of Belmont-South Tyrol. When Vendra began attacking Jubilee’s son instead of her directly, the Sisters revoked the Wirguild and incarcerated her. Oddly, most Wirguilds applied for and issued in the League, by far, are by women against other women.

WUMALAAR: Legendary beast of Sisterhood lore. The Wumalaar will, it is said, come on the last day of the League and reveal all of the Sisterhood’s secrets. In modern usage, a Wumalaar is anything that a Sister fears.

WUNDERLAND: Xaphan world in the Canopus-Zeta system settled by the House of Conwell in 000001ax. The largest city on Wunderland is Vain. Wunderland is often thought to be a “Planar World.”

WVULGROM: An unreal, hypothetical person from an alternative time stream.




XANDARR: Second planet in Fortean-Nena system. Arid world less than a forth of a light year from League space populated by the House of Xandarr in 00000ax. A large, arid world, Xandarr had no sizable oceans, just a collection of small saline and freshwater lakes fueled by the River Torr, the largest source of water on the planet. It had seven moons.  Xandarr was the seat of Xaphan power in the early days of the League/Xaphan conflict and was the usual staging point for attacks made on the League. The House of Xandarr fell badly out of favor with the Black Hat sisterhood and was a frequent target of their wrath. In 03862ax, the Black Hats tried to kill ALL life on Xandarr and use it as a warning to any who might try and cross them—the plan was thwarted.  In 03977ax, Xandarr, under the leadership of King Balor I, formally joined the League.

XAPHANS: 1)—The original Xaphans were five huge space-borne creatures the size of small planets who replaced the dying Elders. Like the Elders, they required starlight for sustenance, but, unlike the Elders, they were very greedy all would consume all of it, sharing with none. Some Blue Elder-Kind Great Houses, feeling lost and without purpose as the Elders died off, defected to the Xaphans and began serving them, soaring the stars ever looking for new suitable ones of them to consume. Nylax, the last Elder, implored the remaining Elder-Kind to stop them, the fight the Xaphans and defend life, which they have done ever since. The Xaphans rewarded their servants with an endless string of illusion and mental pleasures.

The Five Xaphans are: Ergos, the largest and their leader, Loviatar, a “female,” Lethin, Zust and Deluum.

Frustrated by the newly realized “League” the Xaphans and their servants engaged in a long and mostly unsuccessful war. They invested a great deal of their energy is creating last legions of small, nimble star ships. Technologically inferior to the League, they often found themselves on the losing end.

Their chief issue was a lack of information, as the League was generally successful in keeping their servants, who were poor, disinterested starfarers, from keeping them updated on new star locations to feed on. The League was success in luring Lethin and Zust to a remote star system that keep them satisfied. The remaining three attempted the EMBETH GAMBIT, where they invested a huge amount of energy creating a massive armada of Ghome and X-O class ships to launch in one gigantic mass. They hoped that the League, heavily out-numbered would try to stop them, believing that they would be overwhelmed. The League came, but, with help from the Triumph, defeated the armada, destroying virtually all of them. Slowly running out of energy and humiliated, the servants began fleeing to nearby system, leaving the Xaphans to whatever fate awaited them.

Princess Marilith of Xandarr, came to them with a bold plan. Discovering a strange weapon called the Zero Weapon, she hatched a plan to ambush the League and destroy their Stellar Fleet. The Zero Weapon played upon a failsafe device built into the League’s main weapon, the canister—the Zero Weapon would cause them to instantly detonate. Seeing promise, Ergos managed to convince Lethin and Zust to leave their energy-rich system and join them in a system called Mirendra, where they would create a large fleet to face the League, screened by the Zero Weapon.

The First battle Mirendra was a huge success, destroying a fair amount of League STRAYLIGHT vessels, the remaining ones retreating and going into hiding. To their surprise, the League massed their remaining fleet for a Second Battle of Mirendra, and, seeing total victory in sight, the Xaphans confidently massed their huge fleet. To their horror, the League vessel SEEKER somehow destroyed the Zero Weapon, and, able to use their canister missiles, annihilated their fleet. Out of power and stuck in orbit around Mirendra, a star unable to sustain all five of them, they began slowly staving, Delum dying first. Assisting Captain Davage in the freeing of Sygillis temple in Metaron, Davage argued for their assistance to the Fleet Admiralty. Relenting, the League built them a new, energy-rich star where they fed, satisfied and no longer a threat.

2)—Colloquial name given to the Blue Elder Houses that defected to the Xaphans in 00000ax. They served the five Xaphan creatures for years. In constant war with the League, their struggle became “personal” even as the Xaphans themselves became less and less relevant. Powerful, strong in the Gifts and with an axe to grind, Xaphan sects were a constant threat to the League, the most powerful being the Black Hats, the Cult of the Exploding Head, and the, now extinct, Fanatics of Nalls.





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ZALL 88: A Xaphan space station orbiting the planet Gothan constructed by the House of Clovis in 000001ax. Gothan required several decades worth of terraforming  before it could be safely settled, and the Clovis took up in a large space station orbiting the planet.  After Gothan was made habitable in 000312ax, a fragment of House Clovis remained aboard and Zall 88 became a place of great learning and enlightenment, which was unusual for a Xaphan outfit. It was called the Green Star of Gothan as it rose and shown brightly in the northern sky every night.  It was said in Xaphan Society that they had unlocked many secrets on Zall 88, and had created vast technologies while worshipping a wise feline goddess.  The art of Xaphan Cabalism had its roots on Zall 88.  In 01545ax, the House of Xandarr, eager to steal and exploit these wondrous secrets, attacked and killed all life aboard the station. Unable to understand the spoils of their attack, and having left none alive to help them deciper it, they destroyed the station and all of its secrets were lost.

ZEMUDA: A distilled spirit made from the narpal weed on the planet Bazz. Zemuda is an easily produced, highly intoxicating spirit known for creating brain-drying hangovers and severe bouts of constipation in those who over-indulge. Zemuda is clear, tasteless and odorless, and this trait often lends it to be used as a counterfeit for much more expensive grain spirits from Kana and Hoban—the success of the counterfeiting depending on the skill of the counterfeiter and the ingredients used to scent and flavor it. Zemuda, passed off as Kana grain spirits in Xaphan space is a killing offense. Zemuda is also used as the main ingredient in cochina—a harmless, flavorful drink wildly popular amongst younger drinkers in both League and Xaphan space. The unpleasant side-effects of Zemuda are mostly removed in cochina due to use of various mixers, salts and fruit additives.

ZEN-LA: Based on an old Vith word meaning “The Joining”, the Zen-La is the merging of the minds of a mated pair. A true Zen-La allows the couple to remain in contact with each other, to draw power from one other and to know what is happening to each other even when separated by vast distances. In the days of the Old Vith, true Zen-Las were common, but, as the Vith mated with the other Kanan Tribes, a true Zen-La became less and less frequent. Currently, a partial Zen-La consists mostly of telepathic dreams shared between the two. A Zen-La, even a partial one was considered to be unbreakable, however, through certain techniques, a Zen-La can be broken.

ZENON: 1)—One of the seven tribes of man symbolized by the Crown, the Zenons, along with the Vith and the Remnath fared the stars for the Elders. It is said the Zenons were the first to receive the Gifts of the Body—youth and health, that eventually all Elder-Kind were given. The premier Zenon House is House Zenon.  A haughty tribe, well-favored of the Sisters.

Most Zenon households mint their own currency called sesterces.

2)—Region in the central area of the southern continent centered on the Great Blue Pierce River. The largest city in the Zenon region is Lyra and Fallz.

ZENON GIRL: Appellation given to young ladies of Zenon tribe roots. In the popular culture, the term “Zenon Girl” conjures up an image of a petite, sandy-haired girl hailing from a favored Great House who is generally quite wealthy. Zenon Girls are considered very desirable to court.

ZERO WEAPON: A large prototype weapon developed on Castus 4, the Zero Weapon could create a Wide field of high energy waves initially intended to cause starship engines to explode. It was discovered, quite by accident, that this field, with a minor modification, would cause the failsafe on the League canister missiles to detonate. The massive weapon and all materials regarding its construction were seized by Princess Marilith of Xandarr. Convincing the Xaphans that she possesses the “secret weapon” that could defeat the hated League once and for all, they marshaled their remaining forces at a lonely, out of the way place called Mirendra. As the Xaphans prepared their forces, a lone League ship strayed into the area and discovered their activities. Racing away, Marilith used the Zero Weapon on the ship, the DART, and its canisters exploded, mortally wounding it. Rousting the League’s attention, Marilith used the Zero Weapon against them in the First Battle of Mirendra, applying the worst deafest on the League Fleet in recent memory. Flush with their success, the Xaphans felt confident that the end of the League was at hand. To their surprise, the League Fleet again massed for another assault, this time, single ships, mounting a strange weapon of their own and mounting no canisters, attacked the Zero Weapon and “dematerialized” it with a proto-type matter/energy device, destroying it and all those who created it in one stroke.







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