Glossary

From Gothpoodle

Revision as of 16:11, 2 February 2012

• Anchorage - A stable pathway through the Void, usually between the Outer See and a fief
• Archbishop - An archmage who has joined the priesthood of the See
• Archbishopric - A domain ruled by an archbishop outside of the Inner See
• Archmage - A very powerful sorcerer of mythic proportions
• Archon - A sorcerer whose will sustains a domain
• Avatar - A mythical sorcerer equivalent in power to the Bringer of Dawn; a god
• Baron - A mage who is archon of a domain
• Barony - The most common domain, centered around a single building and a village or two, ruled by a mage
• Bishop - A mage who has joined the priesthood of the See
• Bishopric - A domain ruled by a bishop outside of the Outer See
• Brigand - A warrior not in the service of any archon or realm
• Camp - A temporary realm maintained by a shaman
• Cardinal - A bishop or archbishop administering to the Temple itself
• Cathedral - The center of an archbishopric; the residence of an archbishop; when capitalized, it refers specifically to the cathedrals of the seven cities of the Inner See
• Changeling - A child born (usually in the Outlands) with odd gifts or appearance; in the See, it implies deformity and inferiority
• Chapel - A small church; the residence of a priest
• Chimera - Anything with very low permanence
• Church - The center of a bishopric or a town of the Outer See; the residence of a bishop
• Darkness - Another name for the Void; also, the part of the Void an archon cannot banish
• Deacon - A member of the priesthood who assists in the management and administration of a church or cathedral
• Demon - Malicious chimera who delight in the causing of misery; in the See, any chimera or ephemera
• Domain - An island of stability in the Void
• Doppleganger - A chimera capable of changing shape to resemble any humanoid being
• Dross - An object from the wildlands with low Permanence; in the Inner See, it also refers to objects crafted in the outlands
• Duchy - A very rare domain, larger than a barony and often centered around an entire city, ruled by an archmage
• Duke - An archmage who is archon of a domain
• Ephemera - Phantoms in the Void, anything with no permanence
• Faerie - A chimera known for whimsey and a lack of consistent behavior
• Faerie Realms - The Wasteland, particularly where there is a lot of chimera
• Feif - A domain whose archon has sworn loyalty to the See
• Ghost - The ephemera that remains of someone who died
• Gypsy - An outland craftsman who barters his wares within the See
• Homestead - A domain maintained by a wizard
• Lich - A sorcerer revenant; anyone attempting to achieve immortality through the use of magic
• Mage - A powerful sorcerer
• Manor - The center of a barony or duchy; the residence of a baron or duke
• March - Another name for the Outlands
• Nocturne - Another name for the Void, particularly the part farthest from the See
• Outlander - Someone who lives in the outlands; someone born in the outlands
• Outlands - An unstable area where a domain begins to give way to the Void (also Wildlands or March); capitalized, it refers to the outlands of the See
• Paladin - A warrior sworn to the service of an archon
• Pastor - A member of the priesthood in charge of an outland parish and its chapel, usually a priest
• Patriarch - One of the archbishops of the Inner See, the most powerful priests after the Cardinals
• Permanence - The ability of some things to resist the Void; a measure of solidity or stability
• Prelate - A member of the priesthood in charge of a town and its church, usually a bishop
• Priest - A witch who has joined the priesthood of the See; any member of the priesthood
• Realm - A domain maintained by more than one archon (ex. the See of Light, wizard guilds)
• Regent - One who controls or influences the archon of a domain, generally a priest of the See
• Relic - An object created in the City of Light or (more properly) the Temple, known for its resiliance and strength
• Revenant - A dead person kept animate through necromancy
• Shade - A chimera with no solidity, only the appearance of a humanoid form
• Shadow - An ephemera that resembles a known individual; any humanoid ephemera
• Shadowlands - Another name for the Wasteland, particularly where there are many ghosts and shadows
• Shaman - A sorcerer with little power; a guide through the Void
• Skinchanger - A chimera capable of shifting between an animal form and a humanoid one
• Sorcerer - A being of strong will, capable of lending permanence; also, one trained in magical arts
• Templar - A warrior oathed to the See and bound to obey the priesthood
• Temple - The Temple of Light, the immortal heart of the See, located in the center of the City of Light
• Void - The Darkness that lies beyond the border of all domains, the chaotic realm of the ephemera (also called the Darkness or the Nocturne)
• Wasteland - The area of a domain closest to the Void, where it is always night and the chimera live (also called the Faerie Realms or the Shadowlands)
• Wastes - Another name for the Wasteland
• Wildlands - Another name for the Outlands
• Will - The force behind permanence, possessed only by sentient beings
• Witch - A sorcerer of average power and abilities (male witches are sometimes called Warlocks)
• Wizard - A witch who has established a homestead or guild in the Void or along the wastes
• Wraith - What remains of someone whose permanence was lost to the Void
• Zombie - An animated corpse with no will of its own

A Note on Terminology

I have chosen to use common dictionary words and historical terms for many of the organizations, places, things, and titles in this game. This isn't meant to imply any sort of meaningful connection or analogy to whatever it is referring to, but merely is meant to evoke a particular image. For example, the Templars in the Shadow Realms are not meant to reflect at all on the historical Knights Templar. I chose to call them Templars because this term evokes the image of crusading knights, which is what they are. Similarly, the structure and titles of the priesthood borrow some from the Catholic churchs. Again, this isn't meant to imply a similarity between the two, but merely to evoke the image of a huge religious hierarchy with a centralized authority. Using common words and familiar structures cuts down considerably on the learning curve for new players and helps them relate, aesthetically, to the setting. Just keep in mind that this is merely an aesthetic comparison. The actual specific definitions of the terms will differ greatly in this setting, which is why the Glossary was included.

Shadow Lands