Glossary

From Gothpoodle

Revision as of 03:53, 7 February 2012

• Anchorage - A stable pathway through the Void
• Archbishop - A priest who is archon of an archbishopric
• Archbishopric - A Large (+4) domain ruled by an archbishop in the Inner See, centered on a cathedral in a city
• Archmage - A very powerful sorcerer of epic proportions
• Archon - A sorcerer whose will sustains a domain (includes pastors, bishops, archbishops, lords, barons, and dukes).
• Avatar - A mythical sorcerer equivalent in power to the Bringer of Dawn; a god
• Baron - A mage who is archon of a domain
• Barony - A Medium (+3) domain, usually centered on a manor in a town, ruled by a baron
• Bishop - A priest who is archon of a bishopric
• Bishopric - A Medium (+3) domain ruled by a bishop in the Outer See, centered on a church in a town
• Brigand - A warrior not in the service of any archon or realm
• Camp - A Tiny (+1) domain, often temporary, maintained by a sorcerer
• Cardinal - A bishop or archbishop administering to the Temple itself
• Cathedral - The center of an archbishopric; the residence of an archbishop
• Changeling - A child born (usually in the Outlands) with odd gifts or appearance; in the See, it implies deformity and inferiority
• Chapel - The center of a parish in the March; the residence of a pastor
• Chimera - Anything with very low permanence
• Church - The center of a bishopric; the residence of a bishop
• Darkness - Another name for the Void; also, the part of the Void an archon cannot banish
• Deacon - A servant of the priesthood who assists in the management and administration of a domain of the See
• Demon - Malicious chimera who delight in the causing of misery; in the See, any chimera or ephemera
• Domain - An island of permanence 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 Large (+4) domain, usually centered on a palace in a city, ruled by a duke
• 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 faeries
• Fief - A Small (+2) domain, usually centered on a manor in a village, ruled by a lord
• Ghost - The ephemera that remains of someone who died
• Gypsy - An outland craftsman who barters his wares within the See
• Legate - A priest representing the See in another domain
• Lich - A sorcerer revenant; anyone attempting to achieve immortality through the use of magic
• Lord - A sorcerer who is archon of a domain
• Mage - A powerful sorcerer
• Manor - The center of a fief or barony; the residence of a lord or baron
• March - Another name for the Outlands
• Mission - A Tiny (+1) domain in the Wastes or the Void maintained by a priest, often a waystation on an anchorage
• 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
• Palace - The center of a duchy; the residence of a duke
• Paladin - A warrior sworn to the service of an archon
• Parish - A Small (+2) domain ruled by a pastor in the Outlands, centered on a chapel in a village
• Pastor - A priest who is archon of a parish
• Permanence - The ability of some things to resist the Void; a measure of solidity or stability
• Priest - A sorcerer who serves the See
• 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 legate
• 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 who spends a lot of time wandering the Void
• Skinchanger - A chimera capable of shifting between an animal form and a humanoid one
• Sorcerer - Anyone able to practice sorcery
• Sorcery - Magic, specifically the ability to bring order out of chaos (light sorcery) or affect change (dark sorcery)
• 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)
• Warlock - A male practitioner of dark sorcery
• 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 female practitioner of dark sorcery
• 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