Agradar: (Agradarian) An Independent System located on the Kusuan frontier. Agradarians were once a powerful race, but never fully recovered from the Pladjini Wars. Today, they are mostly an introspective people, content with maintaining their small territory. The Agradar System contains two habitable worlds, Agradar Major and Agaradar Minor. Racially, Agradarians are small people with pale skin and thin bodies.

Allamadain: (Allamadainian) An isolated world of the Eos known only to a handful of navigators and regional astronomers. With two-thirds of its surface covered in ice, many speculate that it might be related to the legendary world of Boors.

Arka: (Arkan) An Omonist empire ruled by a fundamentalist theocracy centered on the planet, Arka. Most Arkans trace their history to Salore, from which they are believed to have migrated shortly after the Pladjini War. They are famous for their beautiful, song-like language, itself an outcome of the merger of Oush and Oshturk cultures.

Baffica: (Baffica) An ethnic region of Salore bordering Kahrahdma and Chuul. Bafficans are tall, pale-skinned people with broad, flat noses and huge chests customized for living on small worlds with thin atmospheres.

Belemyolan: (Belemyolan) An alien species that lives in spacebourne colonies composed of its own bodies. Through a power that is not well understood, Belemyolan colonies can shift their location in space-time, allowing them the ability to move instantaneously across the universe. Among humans, this power is harnessed through the Freika System. More on these mysterious creatures can be read in the aliens section.

Benthia: (Benthen) Benthens are large, brutish people residing in a string of worlds skirting the edge of the Dhuir. They have coal-black skin, enormous beak-like noses and small eyes. Politically, Benthia is composed of a confederacy of fiefdoms, many of which are aligned more with the Noro and Genenkolk Clans than with any central Benthen authority.

Boors: (Boorian) An icy world detailed in the Agradarian folklore of the Pladjini Wars.

Brain Forest: These labyrinthine organisms of Ud receive their energy from the powerful magnetic field of Pictimoni. Because Ud swerves in an elongated ellipse around its giant neighbor, the "brain" forests tend to become active during the "near season" and begin migrating down to the sea to spawn. In the "far season" they return to the mountains to root into the soil and hibernate. During the neighboring gas giant's winters, the forests migrate again, to crowd the warm steam vents and volcanic springs. This natural pattern is woven deeply into Udese life and even appears in the teachings of the Faoist religion.

Chequa: From the Allamadainian language. A shaman endowed with magical abilities, often deformed by living partly in the underworld.

Chora: (Choran) An important Salorean world along the edge of the Trennon Starfields. Before the Trennon Wars, Chora was known as Chora Major. Chorans are Salorean ethnics but most retain the curly hair and red skin of the ancient Choran people that dominated the region during the Pladjini Wars.

Chora Maw: A notorious black hole generated by the Wung Clan when they attacked the Chora Minor System, once a strategic outpost for Salorean fleets on the Wung frontier. The creation of Chora Maw destroyed the three inhabited worlds of the system and sparked the Trennon War.

Chultse, the: (Chultsean) A region of stars dominated by the Gaogon Clan.

Chuul: (Chuulite) Chuul is the Node’s second largest empire, populated by a brown-skinned race with large eyes and long noses. The capital Aejas is known for its cities built into the steep mountain sides and canyon walls of its dry, rugged surface. A large number of Chuulites live in Salore as well. Religiously, Chuul is as diverse as Salore, although Faoists and Genulists dominate rather than Omonists.

Deima: A world described in Faoist texts believed to have existed in the Eos before the Antiquarian Age. Some believe it to be the first world to be attacked by the Pladjin as described in the Epic of Sallandrin.

Dengon: A Pre-Antiquarian race described in Suulist mythology. It is claimed that they were closely related to the Yali Su and lived in the worlds that lie in present day Chuul, Kusua and Benthia.

Dhuir, the: A mostly starless void that stands between the Node and the Eos.

Diaspora, the: The entirety of humanity, including the Node, the clannish territories and all outward regions such as the Eos, the Chultse and the Uetse.

Doctrine of Species, the: A philosophy of inter-species cooperation and coexistence which developed out of the Pictimoni Incident. It quickly, replaced the specieist doctrines that had influenced human-alien relations since the beginning of the Pladjini Wars.

Durmatha: (Durmathan) A group of eight systems ruled by a dynasty that has lasted for five hundred generations. Durmatha lies at the crossroads between Kusua, Benthia, the Genenkolks and the Noros.

Eruci: (Erucian) The old capital world of the Ishan Empire and now an important militarized star system under Salorean control. The local Erucian population still regards the Salorean authorities as outsiders and revolts occur from time to time. Erucians have a yellowish tint to their skin and are quite tall.

En Tsu: The book of truth, a religious text that forms the basis of the Allamadainian Church. The En Tsu details the prophecy of the Kunsama and foretells of an age of tsulana, or ice purity, that will repair the breach between the universe and humanity.

Eos, the: (Eosian) The vast region of space buffering the Disapora from Pladjia. The Eos is filled with millions of uncharted planets, many of which flourished before the Pladjini Wars. Some are believed to still harbor human life, while most are likely to remain lifeless, left barren by the war.

Epic of Sallandrin: This epic is believed to be inspired by the actual first contact between humans and Pladjin. After a plague never before encountered breaks out on the Eosian world of Deima, killing two-thirds of their people, the world is attacked by Pladjin. The hero of the epic, Sallandrin, is ultimately forced off-world to seek assistance from various neighboring worlds, where he assembles a force capable of liberating his people from the clutches of the alien power. In some versions, Sallandrin returns to find all his people exterminated and founds a new society after reconquering Deima.

Epsalore: (Epsalorean) The capital world of the Salorean Empire. With the exception of a few archipelago, Epsalore is almost completely covered by a shallow, global ocean. It's largest island is Hir'nglad, on which the capital of Salore, Shuzlah, is located.

Fao Su: (Faoism, Faoist) Perhaps the oldest organized religion still in existence. Faoists believe in the historic decline of humanity after the Pre-Antiquarians abandoned the taboos of genetic alteration. This situation led to a half-species, estranged from its natural links to the universe. Through meditation and a future discovery of ancient human DNA, Faoists hope to one day recover their humanity.

Freika System: An ancient, secretive order in the Node which holds the secret chemical keys that make communication with the Belemyolan possible, enabling humans to shift across space. The order is sometimes known as the Shepherd Society and members as shepherds. While it's membership is not secret, its knowledge is closely guarded. It's secret understanding of the chemical keys is safeguarded through an elaborate security system which bars any single member from knowing all the necessary key combinations alone. These shepherds then reside within the interior of a Belemyolan colony, an act known as domestication or shepherding. The Feika System follows the following protocol: A ship wishing to use the Belemyolan must purchase a franchise with the Freika shepherding a particular Belemyolan colony. Once the franchise is established, the ship transmits its course to the Freika, who then translate it into a chemical key which is then communicated to the Belemyolan. This key makes it possible for the Belemyolan to correctly shift the spacecraft within its interior to the appropriate destination.

Ganaomog: A historic period whose name comes from texts written in Archaic Pictimonese. The word mean the Eve of the Great Decline. The Ganaomog is believed to have been an age of unprecedented wealth and extravagence. During this period, Faoists contend, the human race began altering its DNA for the first time.

Gawa: From the Allamadainian language. Literally translated as pinnacle or summit, it also refers to the three highest members of the Allamadainian Church which rule Allamadain.

Gelax: (Gelaxian) A small empire located on the border of the Dhuir. Gelaxans are mostly Omonists, but there is a considerable minority of Faoists and Beklamists. Racially, Gelaxians vary considerably between the Benthens of the Dhuir worlds and the Naglans of the Pictimonese frontier. On its densely populated capital world of Qazgal, the great diversity of the Gelaxian people can be seen.

Genenkolk Clan: (Genenkolk) An Eosian clan situated between the Dhuir and the Eos.

Genul Su: (Genulist) A religion concentrated in Salore. Genulists trace their roots back four hundred years when their founding priests broke away from Fao Su in a dispute over genetic recovery. Genulists believe that the human soul can be recovered through the splicing of Te Pewan genes into modern human embryo.

Gaogaya Clan: (Gaogayan) A powerful clan, who like their Wung neighbors, have resisted Salorean domination.

Ichiqo: A purification ritual performed by coastal tribes of Allamadain. Some ichiqo involve the constant dousing of participants in seawater; others use snow or river water.

Iela: From the Allamadainian language. A title of respect placed before a person’s name.

Ilth’r Clan: (Ilth’ren) A hodge-podge of Chuulist barbarians, Kusuan gangsters and Ilth’ren ethnics. The region is notorious for lawlessness and a constant source of trouble for its neighbors.

Isha: (Ishan) A narrow empire winding along the edge of the Nodal Rim, stretching from Kahrahdma to the Uetse. Isha was one of the first Nodal powers to support the Wung Clan's failed attempt to be included within the Nodal Freika System. It also sided with the Yul System’s fight for independence from Salore during the Trennon Wars. Since that time, it has been at odds with Salore on most matters and has led the fight to reform the Freika System.

Kahrahdma: (Kahrahdman) With its capital of bronze towers on Solustra, the Kahrahdman Empire has long served as the gateway between humanity and the Skizan. Politically, Kahrahdma has exploited its important role as middleman between the two species, attaining vast wealth and influence. The Kahrahdmans have also craftily played the role of negotiator during many inter-Nodal conflicts, earning considerable respect from its giant neighbors Salore and Chuul.

Kula: a quadrupedal animal of Allamadain, used principally for transportation, carrying heavy loads and plowing soil. Kula have thick, wooly coats which drape over their sides, hanging just above their ankles. Their narrow heads end in two flat tusks which the creature uses to dig up roots and fungus commonly found across Allamadain. The animal is most likely related to the bijer, a family of animals found throughout the Eos which are believed to have been introduced with human settlement.

Kunsama: A martyr prophecy of the Allamadainian En Tsu who will come to Allamadain to restore the purity of human DNA.

Kusua: (Kusuan) Also known as Old Agradar, modern Kusua has little in common with the ancient empire of the Agradarians. Kusuans are actually quite distinct from Agradarians, both racially and culturally, having more in common with Chuulites and Benthens. As such, they are one of the most diverse empires in the Node. True ethnic Kusuans are rather hard to distinguish from the other groups since they are really a conglomeration of many races. The capital world of Kus, ironically, has witnessed repeated attempts by true Kusuans to purge their capital world of the minority races, a policy that has led to considerable animosity throughout the empire.

Liberal Imperative, the: A doctrine outlined at the end of the Pladjini Wars. It allowed for the use of genetic engineering of the human body to quicken the recolonization of the worlds abandoned during the wars.

Manamas: (Manamayan) Manamayans are Salorean ethnics in most respects except that they tend to be shorter.

Medes: (Medesi) This middle of the three inhabited moons of Pictimoni is the also the middle in terms of size and cultural significance. It is the legislative center of the Pictimonese government as well as the system's traditional center of trade. Medes has a shallow atmosphere that is kept warm by active volcanoes on its surface and radiation from Pictimoni, the neighboring gas giant. Its surface is characterized by gargantuan mountains that rise up from deep blue seas. Much of the landscape is covered in simple life forms that use the radiation from Pictimoni or the light from the Pictimonese star as a source of energy. The most complicated native life is a symbiotic union of the two. Medes is the Pictimonese root word for yellow and it is speculated that the world was so named because of its yellow time, when much of its surface blooms yellow once every eighty-one astronomical years. The yellow blooms are actually largely composed of sulfur and so during this time, much of the world shuts down and people must wear special respirators which have taken on their own cultural significance.

Medium, the: A communication and archival interface which users can connect to through implants in the brain or external membranes. Some medium platforms support direct person to person communication.

Nagla: (Naglan) Nagla is an Omonist Empire, typically allied with the Salorean Oushlao. There is a history of ethnic dispute between Naglan Omonists and Oshturk Faoists. It’s capital is Gujerat, a dimly lit world which has spawned a pale-skinned, pink-eyed race. Nagla is also the home of the minority religion Beklam which is headquartered on the planet Zerrana.

Node, the: (Nodals) The confederation of human empires under the Freika System, including the Salorean Empire.

Omon: A messianic figure of the early years of the Pladjini Wars. Omon was a military leader who formulated the philosophical response to the Pladjini incursions which later came to dominate the Antiquarian worlds known as Omonism.

Omonism: (Omonist) A religion that originated in the hysteria during the opening years of the Pladjini Wars. At its heart lay a belief that human civilization was supreme to all others, lending religious overtones to the war for survival against the Pladjin. After the war, though, this emphasis on human supremacy eased and grew more tolerant of other beings such as the Skizan and the Belemyolan.

Orus: (Orussian) A dismal, polluted world which, nevertheless, is considered the most fashionable world of the Salorean Empire. Orussians have darker skin and hair than the typical Salorean.

Oshturks, the: (Oshturkan) A dense region of stars with numerous inhabited worlds. Oshturkans are closely related to Arkans, speaking with a melodic, tonal language. Like their Salorean cousins, they have long faces and orangish-skin, although it tends toward yellow in many Oshturkan worlds.

Oushlao: The political and spiritual leader of the Salorean Omonism.

Oushlat: The bureaucracy of the Imperial Salorean government headed by the Oushlao.

Oushlateers: The royal guard of the Salorean Oushlao.

Oush Starfields, the: Also known as the High Worlds, the Oush systems lie within the Oush Nebula. It is believed by Omonists that Te Pewa hides somewhere among the thousands of unchartered stars in the fields.

Pan’chlah: (Pan’chalism) A minority animist religion of Epsalore probably evolved from pre-Salorean culture. Pan’chalh is especially prevalent among the islands of Epsalore’s northern hemisphere.

Pictimoni: (Pictimonese) The three inhabited moons of the Pictimoni System are often referred to collectively after the gas giant Pictimoni around which they orbit. Ud, the center of the Fao Su religion and the home of the Faoist Dai Yanwor is by far the most important moon and the largest. Medes serves as the governmental center and plays a fairly important role in regional trade. Rega is the least consequential of the triplet worlds. Each world is described further in its own section within this glossary.

Pictimoni Incident, the: A seminal event in human history when humans made contact with Skizan warships for the first time. This encounter led to a combined effort between the Skizan and human fleets to stop the Pladjini advance.

Pladjin: (Pladjini) An alien species which conducted successive invasions of human territory over a four thousand year period. Little is known about the Pladjin other than that they live in similar environments as humans and have at least two distinct varieties. The location of their territory is still unknown, but most agree that it lies somewhere beyond the Eos. More details about the Pladjin can be found in the Aliens sections.

Pladjini Wars: Occuring between 11,000 and 6,000 astronomical years ago, this war was initiated by the Pladjin against human beings, beginning in the Eos and spreading across the entirety of the area now known as the Node. The ferocity of the fighting waxed and waned, but eventually led to the destruction of Pre-Antiquarian civilization, leaving humanity and the Pladjini worlds broken and isolated throughout the Antiquarian Age. Eventually, the Skizan joined the fight against the Pladjin and the war gradually ground to a stalemate.

Quadala: A specieist religion that once dominated the planet of Allamadain.

Rega: (Regan) This is the smallest and least populated moon of the Pictimonese triplets. Rega is cold and dry with small reserves of water trapped under ice and rock which the locals have tapped for survival. The landscape is covered in dusty orange wastes punctuated by severe mountainscapes of ice and black rock. The Regan people are herdsmen and number only two million across the whole moon. They live a migratory life, following their dronal flocks from well to well, stopping only once every three years to winter out the year-long cold period in underground tribal villages or in orbital cities where they trade their crafts with their wealthier Pictimonese siblings.

Salore: (Salorean) The strongest and most populous empire of the Node. This empire is ruled by the Oushlao, a semi-theocratic dynasty which claims ascendency from Te Pewa. The capital of Salore lies in the city of Shuzlah, on Epsalore.

Sardan Clan: (Sardani) This minor clan exists on the edge of the Ishan empire.

Skizan: (Skizan) An alien species believed to reside beyond the local arm of stars where the human Diaspora exists. Many believe they are of equivilent intelligence to humans and exist in similar environments. They have been loosely aligned with humans since the Pictimoni Incident. More details on the Skizan can be found in the Aliens section.

Solustra: (Solustran) The capital of Kahrahdma, located at the tip of the Trennon Starfields.

Suul: (Suulite) The Pre-Antiquarian predecessor of modern day Chuul.

Subspecies War: The conflict that erupted between various genetically-altered varieties of humans 13,000 astronomical years ago.

Tekwol: (Tekwolani) A semi-autonomous planetary system within the Salorean Empire, Tekwol is one of the few Faoist strongholds under the Oushlao’s dominion. Although Faoist, the Tekwolani Church has not recognized the central authority of the Pictimonese Church for nearly a thousand years.

Te’l: (Te’lenese) Also called the Gateway World, Te’l lies at one end of the Oush Starfields. Historically, the Te’lenese have regarded themselves as the most ancient known civilization in the Diaspora. According to the shamanist Omonism peculiar to Te’l, their world was the second home to the Yali Su of Te Pewa. Ethnically, they are related to Saloreans.

Te Pewa: (Te Pewanian) The aboriginal world of the human species, the Source World has long since been lost to history. Little concrete knowledge about this world has survived, including who its inhabitants were and where it was located. To fill the gap in understanding, numerous religions have developed complicated mythologies around it.

Trennon War: A conflict that erupted principally between the Salorean Empire and the Wung Clan. The war began when Yuli rebels declared independence from Salore with backing from Isha and the Wungs. Among the many terrible calamaties that took place during this war was the destruction of Chora Minor through the use of singularity weapons which created a permanent black hole known as Chora Maw. The Trennon War was also significant because it demonstrated that the Wung Clan could match the military might of the Node's greatest empire.

Tsuke: A clear and sometimes golden fermented beverage made from fungus on Allamadain.

Tsullana: The Allamadainian concept of an idealized state translated literally as ice purity.

Ud: (Udese) Ud, the center of the Fao Su religion and the home of the Faoist Dai Yanwor is by far the most important Pictimonese moon and the largest. It is the outermost satellite of Pictimoni, orbiting in a long ellipse, which creates magnetic seasons called the near and far seasons. Its thick atmosphere, fed by volcanic activity, grants it a mild climate with only seasonal ice caps which appear during the Pictimonese winters (when the gas giant is farthest from its sun, every four astronomical years). Its surface is about 60 percent water and much of its rugged landscape is dominated by volcanoes. There are vast, interior deserts and plains. On the temperate coastlines,"brain" forests tumble down the mountains to the coastlines.

Uetse, the: (Uetsean) A peripheral region of stars adjacent to the regions ruled by the Wung Clan.

Uh’ma: A psychoactive plant used primarily by Faoists and Genulists in meditation rites. The history of uh’ma cultivation is believed to stretch back to Pre-Antiquarian times. Fossil evidence of uh’ma plantations are common among archeological sites, leading many to believe that the plant was an important part of early human civilization.

Vhun Clan: (Vhun) This clan occupies a remote clutch of habitable worlds some distance from Gelax.

Weris: A quadropedal drone used in the Node to power carts and carriages.

Wung Clan: (Wung/Wungman) A powerful clan occupying a vast region of star systems between Salore and the Uetse. More on the Wungs can be found in the Subspecies section.

Yali Su: (The Ghost Culture) A mythological civilization of Fao Su said to have been the frist human civilization to spread out from the Source World, Te Pewa. They are said to have declined shortly before the rise of the Ganaomog culture. Many religions have various folk stories based on this myth.

Yul: (Yuli) An independent star system in the Trennon Starfields. Yuli have squat features and light-brown skin. They gained independence from Salore at the end of the Trennon Wars.