Numerals, Saguza

    Saguzaharasat, the language of the Saguzahar uses a base-six number system. Each of their characters/syllables has a corresponding numerical value associated with it. Under normal usage, only the base numbers (zero through five) are used. However, for numerological purposes, each letter's value can be used to calculate a numerical value associated with a given word. This seems to reflect a shift in the way numbers are handled in the language over time. Indeed, the assignment of values to letters doesn't seem to have a sensical progression, and implies that the values were either assigned at random, have been changed eclectically over time, or that the alphabet once had a different arrangement. 

    

Saguzahar

    The Saguzahar are a people of the south-eastern mountains of the Midal Realm. They lived for many ages under the earth, knowing nothing of the surface world. They are lithe of body, with elongated proportions. Their heads have a grotesque appearance, their flesh twisted into ridges and folds, with a small, sharp toothed mouth and beady eyes. Their ears are large and pointed, and seem to flow naturally into the ridges and folds that surround the face. They bear a passing resemblance to some bats, and indeed, the strange shape of the Saguzahar face seems to serve the same purpose as the ridges of a micro-bat-- that is, performing an aid in echolocation, at which they are adept. Saguza are sometimes called Bat-folk, but this is considered derogatory. Their vision is shortsighted and unusual compared to the races of men. They see a color bellow violet on the spectrum, called cébre, and cannot see the color red. (see: Exotic Colors)

    Despite their frightening visage, they are a peaceful people, known for their monasteries of arcane study. They are famous for their unusual artwork and poetry. They have had extensive contact with the former Atlantic empire, and their forms appear often in Atlantic murals and pottery. Most Saguza worship Tság, the blind god of the soil-- indeed, their ethnonym Saguzahar translates to "the people of Tság."

    Saguzahar speak a strangely structured language unrelated to any other tongues of men. 

    For more information, see: Saguzaharasat

    The Saguza writing system serves double-duty as a base- six numeral system as well. In addition to this, each character in the syllabary has a numerological value associated with it, that is used to derive mystical meanings from words by calculating the value of the syllables. 

    For more information, see: Saguza Numerals

Saguzaharasat

    The Saguzahar language (Saguzaharasat) is the tongue spoken by the Saguzahar people, a race of unusual, long-limbed troglodytic humanoids native to the south-eastern mountain ranges of the Midal Realm. Their language is spoken with a somewhat small pallet of phonemes, and written with a rigid, mostly phonetic syllabary. Although the transcription of Saguza writing into Latin characters attempts to approximate accurate pronunciation, there are certain rules for when particular vowel sounds are dropped, among other orthographic conventions, that must be accounted for in transcription. 

Dinosaurs

    - Non-standard. "Dinosaur" as a modern concept encapsulates a very broad selection of drastically differing varieties of animal, of which their only similarity to each other is being extinct. Given a fantastical environment without this shared commonality, "dinosaurs" are not practically spoken of under a blanket terminology. Speaking broadly of "large reptilian monsters," one could be talking about any number of fanciful beasts, many of which would not be dinosaurs by any stretch of the definition. 

Some cultures group theropods with other large terrestrial avians, such as ostriches. Northern cultures may not distinguish significantly between small pterosaurs and birds. Ceratopsians share more in common behaviorally and in physical description with animals like rhinoceroses, and would never be lumped into a single grouping with an animal like a tyrannosaur, should both be encounterable.

That said, for the sake of clarity, and as an accessible reference guide, an index is provided here, for finding specific glossarium entries, organized by the real-world scientific (or common) name of the dinosaur. Other prehistoric, non-dinosaur fauna are also included here for convenience.

Devils

    Demons, pulled from the abyss and masked by Satan and given identities. Many work as his agents, but some feel no fealty towards him. Mostly civilized. Sticklers for details

Demons, Abyssal

    Abyssal Demons, also called Thurse, are entities of pure chaos and hunger. They are without well defined form, and wander the abyss aimlessly, banished from the sight of divinity, who almost universally see them as an affront from their inability to take ordered form or behavior. These beasts are nearly universally fatal to encounter. They are nearly invulnerable to harm, and take no well defined pattern of behavior, attacking with blind determination. Demons that have been tamed and given identities are known as Devils. Most of these are in service to their warden, Satan, and act as his emissaries in the physical world.

    Curiously, Demons are put to use by Lókfaer engineers, using their boundless energy as the driving component of thursengines, great machines capable of driving Lókfaer contraptions and war machines.

    See also: Devils

Demon-Lord

    A powerful spirit, elevated by a dark entity to a position of power. Demon-Lords of a given kind are members of orders, each order having been created together long ago. Most serve Mwt, who has maintained dominion over the more well known tracts of hell for several millennia.

    Demon-Lord's may be summoned in secret by mages for nefarious purposes. They may be used as guards, but more frequently are used to direct hordes of lesser hellions/fiends.

    In the bureaucracy of Mwt's Hell, demon-lords do not answer directly to Mwt, but are under the thumb of unique Hellions, sometimes called Archdemons, who are frequently lesser deities, or demigods made to submit to Mwt.

Demon

    1. (Hellion) A general term for the many varieties of Hellspawn, the monstrous beasts that inhabit Hell and its subordinate planes. 

        - see: Hell; Hellspawn; Atrocy; Demon-Lord

    2. (Abyssal) Thurse, more commonly called Abyssal Demons, chaotic formless creatures that roam the Abyss, and are used for various purposes by Lókfaer.
        - see: Abyss; Demons, Abyssal; Devils

    3. (Spiritual Entity) A Malevolent Spirit that takes possession of a weak willed creature

        - see: Spirit, Malevolent

    4. (Tortured soul) A Iudicandus, a tortured soul summoned from Perdition.
        - see: Perdition; Iudicandorum

    5. (Eastern Fae) A term used for Yōkai by westerners, unfamiliar with their sometimes monstrous and unusual forms. They are a clade of Fae, shaped by eastern cultures.

        - see: Fae; Yōkai

Cynocephalus

     A race of well known Foreshaped, men with heads like that of dogs. Often confused (derogatively) with Gnôles where the two races cohabitate. A large clan from the north-west call themselves Cínbin, and many know their race by this name in general.

    

    See also: Foreshaped, Cínbin; Gwrgi Garwlwyd óCínbin; Gnôles

Croon

    Croon are large bulky beasts, vaguely bird-like, but with fine, short integument rather than feathers. They spend their days in small to large herds in swamps and bogs, feeding on various sorts of vegetation. They are known for their crooning cries, which become more intense in the late summer, when they rut. Docile, but skittish. In some species, the crooning call seems to come from the crest like extrusion crowing the head. They have vaguely duck-like bills.

Andarmen

     The Andrish, or Andarian race were originally members of a single dynastic tribe in the Midalrealm, but comprise more of a cultural identity than an ethnic one. Andars show a fair bit of variance in elfin traits (mostly depending upon how far removed they are from nobility). Most have dark hair, but eye color varies. Complexion is fairly variable. The Andars were conquered in prehistory by the Highelven empire, from whom their highest nobility trace their ancestry back to. Andars speak Midal Common, a tongue descended from Highelven (which may still be spoken by nobles or clergy)

    - Styled after Germanic and Anglo-Saxon ethnic groups 

Constrictor

    Most encountered are no bigger around than a man's thumb, but the Constrictor (also called a Boa, or a Boa Constrictor) may grow to the size of a Great Asp (or larger, according to legend). Like some other beasts, they can live for many years, and seem to never stop growing. For a snake, it is quite docile and slow moving, even at great size, and are kept as pets by some. The creature subdues its prey by wrapping its great bulk around and around, slowly tightening until the prey can no longer draw breath, and dies. It then swallows its meal whole. It has no venom, and only has teeth at the back of its mouth, which point inwards, making it nearly impossible to free from its clutches flesh that has begun to be swallowed.

    

    See also: Asp

Colors, Exotic

    Bellow is a list of colors whose names derive from the Saguza Language. These are colors experienced by Saguzahar eyes alone, as many are mixtures of familiar colors with the color cébre, located below violet on the traditional spectrum, a color visible only to Saguzahar.

Cœrulór

    A Cœrulór appears at first glance to have the form of a large wild cat, like a panther. On closer inspection, this fae creature ceases to be familiar in appearance to much of anything. Between its legs stretches a think membrane, like a flying-squirrel. It may appear to have four, or six, or possibly more legs. Its upper surface is covered in black shimmering fur, while the underside is thick with small finger like appendages and thorns. Protruding from between the neck and front legs are two long grasping tentacles. The beast has the mysterious ability to shift itself in and out of locative materiality, making its precise location difficult to ascertain to an onlooker. In this state, it occupies a superposition within a general area-- any attacks aimed at this area will have only a percentage chance of striking the creature's flesh. The Cœrulór is a secretive creature, and prefers to hide in shadows, striking upon prey from above.

Cockatrice

    Though slightly taller than a man when standing erect, a Cockatrice is more typically seen slinking standing aright. Its head is roughly like that of a rooster, with a comb-like crest, and flesh that hangs beneath the beak. The beak itself is filled with coarse teeth. The body is scaled, snake like, but with a mane of feathers about the neck, and down that covers the armatures of the wings. The front limbs are otherwise like a bat or dragon, with membrane between the digits that would allow flight, though they are only ever to be seen using them to descend gracelessly from a height; they are too massive to fly with wings as small as they are. The beast is indeed dense with bone, muscle, and thick hide, making it a formidable foe in its own right. 

    The gaze of the beast is frightening, paralyzing those weak of will. The creature is indiscriminate with its food-- it has a poison in its belly that will digest bone and wood and some metals. The fumes alone of this poison are deadly toxic on the creature's breath. The creature has warm blood, and is thus not susceptible to the Basilisk curse; the creatures are none the less sometimes confused, due to the paralyzing gaze of the cockatrice. A Cockatrice is born when a rooster lays an egg after eating a snake, which may occasionally happen during certain parts of the year, under the watch of certain constellations.

    See also: Ichneumon; Basilisk

Changeling

    Changelings are infant Fae swapped discreetly for infant humans. They grow to resemble the people who raise them, as a result of eating human food, and being separated from Fae influences. The "infant" Fae would likely not have been truly a newborn, but a Fae convinced entirely that it is an infant human. Whatever lives they lived before becoming changelings are forgotten, as is typical of Fae who shift into drastically different forms. These changelings are often very difficult to raise, and never lose their fae-spirit. They are wild, curious, uncoöperative, and typically disinterested in learning to read, write, do math, etc. They are, however, intensely social by nature, and have a carefree approach to life. They tend to have a wanderlust that drives them to travel from a young age. 

    That is to say, the changeling appears to age at a rate typical for a human. The changeling will have convinced itself so thoroughly that it is a mortal human that they may even appear to "die" if seriously injured. This works in reverse as well. If an attack is not convincingly injurious, the changeling may ignore it. Certain types of magical effects are thusly ineffective on changelings, even if they typically work on other Fae. While it is inevitable that a changeling eventually discovers her true nature, they tend to be very slow to being convinced of it, and may even carry on their lives as usual after finding out. However, once a changeling is made aware of their nature as fae, certain fae characteristics may begin to present themselves- specifically the tendency for Fae to change in form overtime to fit their desires or behavior.

    The human children who the Fae "infants" are swapped for are similarly usually raised in the Greenwood believing they are Fae themselves. Raised eating fae food, they tend to take on fae qualities, and usually remain child-like in form, with greatly extended lifespans. These children are also sometimes known as "changelings" but are more formally known as Fae-Touched.

Centaur

    A Centaur is an amalgam creature with the upper torso of a man tapering to the haunches of a horse, six limbs in all. Certain populations of centaurs prefer to stand on two hind legs, and wear robes to obscure their equine torsos. Centaurs were created as a result of a Fae curse- they were not originally humans merged with horses, but rather horses who had their heads and necks transfigured into imitations of the upper bodies of their riders. As a result, the psychology of the centaur has more in common with that of a horse than with that of a man, albeit more intelligent.

    There is another type of creature called a Centaur, which resulted from the same curse that turned the heads of horses into the upper torsos of their riders. The riders themselves were cursed, having their heads transformed into the head and haunches of horses, rendered incapable of speech, forced to crawl across the ground. Populations of them still exist, tucked away in strange corners. They possess the minds of men, but the generations have rendered them into reasonless beasts

Cetus

     1. (Deity) Mysterious god of the ocean, and of sea monsters in particular. Strange, with an alien mentality, and unknowable motives. Sometimes thought to be malevolent but may merely be indifferent to humanity. Occasionally prayed to by fishermen, begging his forgiveness for robbing his ocean.

    2. (Sea Monster) Cetus is a term used occasionally to refer to any particularly large, frightening sea-monster, weather it be a Leviathan, or any of the other myriad horrors of the sea, as reference to the deity of the same name (see def. 1.) 

    See also: Leviathan

Celanthrîm

    Celanthrîma are sometimes known as Orbs of Clairvoyance, or rarely as The Orbs of Sight. The name of these orbs come from celon, "falcon," + thrûm, "perception, sight," sometimes thus called a falconspy. A Celanthrîm allows the user to perceive (that is, both see and hear) events at a great distance. The distance at which one can gaze is theoretically infinite, however, the farther away one looks, the greater the force of will and concentration that is required. Operating the Orb is draining, and requires a source of constant spiritual energy. 

    To operate, the user must first position themselves around the Orb in the direction they wish to gaze. Then they must focus on the magnitude of distance they wish to look. Users often prefer to have the Celanthrîm located in a high tower to more easily see into rooms, and over obstacles. The device does not work by simply picturing a location, nor can it look forwards or backwards in time. It also will not automatically follow a moving target, so its focus of gaze must be manipulated manually. Usage of the orb is very complicated and is said to take years of practice to master. 

    Though the first thrûmic orbs to be created are said to have been Celanthrîma, the artisanry needed to craft new falconspies has been lost for many centuries. The closest that a modern artificer can manage are Ulthrûma or Oëthrûma, lesser orbs of listening and sight.

    Legend states that Celanthrîma, when used correctly, may permit the viewer to see into the past or future, but that the art of it's usage as it is now known is broken, or incomplete.

Cébre

    Cébre, also known as false-black, is a color that resides on the spectrum bellow blue and violet (what we would call ultra-violet) It is a color invisible to most races, the exception being the Saguzahar. Saguza color vision is shifted down the spectrum slightly-- they cannot see red anymore than humans can see cébre. The word cébre comes from the Saguza word tsábar.

    

    See also: Colors, Exotic

Camel

    A Camel is a strange desert dwelling creature, sometimes called a. Horse-like as a grazer, sheep-like of face, with a long gracile neck. The back bears one hump among the smaller, southern varieties, two for the larger, eastern kind. The two humped eastern Camels are covered in thick hair, to deal with the cold arid climate of their home, and are somewhat larger. The southern, one humped kind is sometimes called a Dromedary, and is easily domesticated, and used as a beast of burden by peoples of Mesembria. All varieties of the animal is well adapted to dry weather, needing little water or food. 

    The camel's urine is dark, thick, and very concentrated, and is said to have medicinal properties. Traditionally, it is mixed with milk (typically also sourced from the Camel). It is quite slow, difficult to encourage to walk at faster than a man's pace. Mountains to the west are said to have a small variety, with no hump, and covered in wool, that the natives weave into cloth.        

    Will spit if provoked. Despite rumor to the contrary, the camel's humps are not full of water, rather it is where the animal stores fatty tissue.

Bugbear

    1. (Cursed Bear) A bugbear may be any variety of bear (black, brown, northern, dire, etc.); an afflicted creature, struck with a terrible curse. All of the bear's natural drives are lost, and the bear begins to wither from no-longer eating. The flesh droops from the creatures bones, and the eyes glaze over with white pearlescent cataracts. It is a ghastly sight to behold, standing deathly still in the woods, though one is likely to smell the beast before seeing it, as the flesh begins to rot, and the thick fur becomes matted with filth. This natural horror is augmented by a supernatural aura of fear projecting from the creature, most intense when in view of its terrible eyes.

    The curse is said to be the result of intense malice directed against a bear, perhaps as a result of the bear killing and eating a beloved individual. Normally, this would result in a creature wasting away, or fleeing its home, the bears natural resilience and stubbornness work against it, allowing the curse to fester in the creatures body, corrupting the soul.

    2. (Beast-man) non-standard, see: Lonce; Atelwer; Foreshaped 

Bindmage

    "Bindmage" is a generalized term for magic users specialized in the art of manipulating spiritual associations (bindmagic). This is an art practiced by certain orders of monks and psychosophists, but is mainly associated with witchcraft.

Ettin

     1. (Race of Men) Ettins are race of men from the north, where they are called Iotarnír. Notable for growing throughout their lives-- that is, growing larger and larger-- there is a direct relationship between an Ettin and his or her size, age, and strength. Stronger Ettins grow larger, and the largest Ettins are very strong and very old, nearing the size of Giants. They are a loud, proud, and social race, with a tenacity for adventure and an endless appetite.

    The average Ettin usually stands a couple heads or more taller than the typical man from other races. Ettin culture is similar to, and closely tied to Norroenír culture, sharing much of their mythology and deities. It is uncommon for interbreeding between Ettins and other races to produce offspring, but it has been known to occur rarely. Ettins tend to be very expressive- and though typically very personable can sometimes be quite short tempered as well.

    

    2. (Giants, Monsters) nonstandard, see: Wris; Thurse; Trolls; Beamgheist

    3. (Two-headed Giants) nonstandard, see: Bicephalus

Bicephalus

    The Bicephalus is a pair of Giants fused together into a lumbering uncoordinated monster, bearing two miserable, temperamental heads atop one set of broad twisted shoulders. There were once several of these creatures, all created by the mad flesh-wizard Zivzov, punishing a clan of Wris who stole his cattle. After the wizard's demise, all of the miserable two-headed guards perished as well, all except for Bicephalus, who still haunts the ruins, kept alive through some sort of magic. He is very old, and very angry-- particularly at himself. Or rather, the two heads that call themselves Bicephalus are angry at each other, as they are distinct minds, each controlling half of the grotesque body. The creature sometimes goes by the name Taranau, but considers this name private, and will not tell it to foes.

    

    See also: Wris

Beithir

    Beithir are a variety of Titan, and are counted at times among dragonkind for being reptilian, large, and for their cleverness, but these are similarities only in broad strokes. Beithir seem to operate outside of standard physicality, and many of their features are said to be mere notions of those features, rather than actual physical attributes. They can be said with certainty to be large and serpentine, with a viperous head and mouth large enough to swallow a man whole. Length seems variable-- that is, an individual may itself vary in length depending on the occasion. They do not move as one might expect a giant snake to move, but rather how an enormous centipede might move. One may get the impression that the Beithir has many small legs, but there are none to be found. The scales of the Beithir are small and tight. The creature has a bluish cast to its complexion. The Beithir is said to have a "sting" but this is, again, somewhat abstract. It is said to be like being struck with a bolt of lightning, though there is no flash of light, nor any movement from the creature at all, save for a fixed stare from its unsettling eyes. When it wishes to, the Beithir has a pair of human-like arms that it may use to manipulate objects, or open doors. The creature is capable of telepathic communication, though it rarely deigns to talk to its prey. 

Bees, Sentient

    Not to be confused with red bees who may be sentient if possessed by an intelligent soul. Proper sentient bees are very much alive, and quite natural, known to inhabit the southern jungles. They are not visually distinguishable from ordinary bees. They construct massive hives, which serve as a central hub for their distributed intellect. Memories and other knowledge is stored in special complexes of honey. They are thought to be the creation of certain mysterious southern gods, to act as emissaries, devotees, and recorders of scripture. Tithes of pollen and sugar will win favor, which may allow a visitor to probe the depth of the bees' knowledge.

Bees, Red

    Most insects have fractional souls, with simple minds not too far removed from plants and minerals. But hive creatures are different. Though each unit insect (be it bee, ant, termite, etc.) has only a tiny mote of spirit, their collective is interconnected in a large, distributed soul. When a hive of bees is fully killed, and this spirit is departed from every unit bee, this strange soul may be supplanted with something else. This may be a soul constructed by a psychosophist, or the soul of some demon, or the restless soul of a dead mage. It is a delicate skill, binding a soul distributed among a swarm in this way, but the methods are well documented. A swarm of "Red Bees" is exactly this-- they are not really so much red as merely dry and dark in color. A swarm of this nature has the benefit of being able to infiltrate through very small openings, and is quite challenging for a foe to destroy completely with conventional weapons. As servants to a thanaturge, they thusly make ideal spies.

Honey, Pus

    Pus Honey is a type of slime mold that lives in symbiosis with Pus Bees. The slime is green and ooze-like. If left in one spot, it can be seen to move in the direction of shade over the course of several hours, always attempting to escape the light. Consumption of the Honey raw is not advised- particularly during colder months, Pus Bees live within the honey to overwinter, and consumption of live pus bees results in puking sickness. The honey is eaten raw, cooked, or brewed into beverages, to produce hallucinations and psychosis, which may last for several hours. Certain cultures use the honey for this purpose as a part of religious practices.

    The Honey is quite cold hardy, but tolerates heat very poorly. Boiling will kill the honey immediately, and it will begin to sour if left out for more than a couple hours.

    Soured Pus Honey may be processed into Snot Wine. This beverage is considered a delicacy among Hob Goblins. The drink has a more loose, translucent quality to it than the living honey, and is usually somewhat sweetened with sugar. The sour, bitter taste is very off putting, but the alcoholic buzz, mixed with the more mild, mellow psychosis that lingers from the Honey is said to be quite soothing.

Puking Sickness

    Puking Sickness is an illness that results from consuming live Pus Bees- an unfortunate possible result of neglecting to properly cook Pus Honey before consumption. The live pus bees burst in the stomach, forming pustules on the stomach lining. The victim will begin vomiting immediately, but this will not disrupt the pustules. As with normal Pus Bee infection, these pustules will free themselves from the stomach lining after one to two days, but unable to escape the stomach, they will again burst, reinfecting the stomach lining. This cycle will continue, each cycle resulting in more vomit. In addition to this, the wounds left by the freed pustules, prevented from healing, will become infected with Pus Honey spores, causing low level constant psychosis in the victim for as long as the infection persists.

    This process will continue, with the stomach eventually being completely rotted away. The suffering individual will die from sepsis around this time, having been unable to eat or drink expect during small windows between waves of reinfection.

    The cure for puking sickness is quite simple if caught early. Consumption of very strong alcohol kills the spores, pustules and bees, halting the cycle. The victim will make a full recovery over the course of a week, so long as too much of the stomach lining has not been eaten away.

Bees, Pus

    Pus Bees are, perhaps, poorly named. They do not remotely resemble bees in appearance or behavior. The association comes from Pus Bees congregating in "hives" where there can be found "honey." However, rather than the "bees" producing the green ooze that could be vaguely described as honey, it seems that the honey is some variety of slime mold that lives in symbiosis with the bees. Consumption of the honey causes psychosis, and the scent seems to resemble bear piss. Congregations of pus bees are found frequently in dead trees and logs on the outskirts of the poison forests of the south-east Midalrealm. 

    The green "honey" protects the bees over the winter, and the bees will consume it during times of scarcity. Most of the time, however, the bees-- which resemble floating, disembodied zits, up to two inches in diameter-- meander aimlessly through the air. When the bees a living creature, they burst in a spray of pus. The pus induces vomiting when in contact with exposed flesh. The vomit, in turn, attracts more bees, who feed on it. If not cleaned from the skin immediately, pustules form on the skin, which will eventually pop free from their host to rejoin the hive.

    While Pus Honey is occasionally consumed in certain communities as a recreational drug, care must be taken to avoid consuming live Pus Bees (Pus bee honey should always be cooked before consumption, just in case). Swallowing a pus bee results in what is called puking sickness.

Bees, Carrion

    Looking no different from typical honey bees, but for their unusual blue color, Carrion Bees are often found swarming around rotting meat. These bees are bred and kept in caves and dungeons to the far south, but have been found as imports elsewhere. Rather than gathering pollen and nectar from flowers, carrion bees, as their name would suggest, eat meat and decaying flesh. Their hives are disorderly, unlike their flower-feeding cousins. These haphazard combs are more challenging and tedious to harvest, but produce honey none the less. This honey is, like the bees, blue, and has a strange bitter flavor, but in no way resembles flesh or decay in scent of flavor. The type of beast fed on by the bees when producing the "honey" will produce slightly different results. The honey accepts magical effects easily, and is often used as an ingredient in elixirs.

Bear, Dire

    The Dire Bear is far larger and more threatening than even the the large grizzled brown bears, cave bears, or white northern bears. Sometimes known as an Ursoc, or Rought, the Dire Bear will hibernate through the winter as it's smaller cousins do, though it is much more easily disturbed, and sleeps for less time. It gives little pause at the cold for it's very large size, but this size builds in the beast a hunger that is hard to satisfy in the lean months, making the bear a plague to ranchers near their territories.

Bear

    A Bear is large carnivorous beast. Typically solitary except when one has cubs. Though they appear to be slow and bubbling, it would be a mistake to underestimate a bear. They can run as fast as a horse, when properly motivated. Their layers of thick fur, hide, fat and muscle make a bear able to take countless blows without faltering. A bear is wise enough to flee from a fight if it can, if it sees it's for as large or threatening enough, but will fight to the death if caring for young.

    Small black bears are of little threat, even to a solitary man, unless cornered. They are expert climbers and will flee quickly up a tree if pursued. The primary threat of a black bear is at night, where they will not hesitate to rummage through a camp, searching for food.

    Towering brown bears are far more frightening to encounter, and will make a meal of a lone unarmed man in most scenarios. These two varieties hibernate underground over winter, but the even larger white bears of the far north do not, and move surprisingly silently across the snow. These northern bears are the most dangerous, as they are also adept swimmers, preying primarily on seals.

    When raised from a young age, bears may be tamed somewhat easily. Their behavior and mannerisms resemble those of hounds to an extent

Beamgheist

    A Beamgheist typically has the appearance of any ordinary tree (but for a peculiar aura), but when taking an interactive form, they will appear like a cartoonish haunted tree, with vague face and two of it's branches often twisted into arms and hands. A type of Fae, typically a former fae-tree who has been twisted one way or another, and no longer feels the need to keep up the act of being a tree. Other names include Treespirit, Hauntwood, Ent/Treant (particularly ones who have uprooted themselves), or occasionally a Treegaurd (when the gheist is defending a particular stand of trees from woodsman or fire)

    Uprooted trees may be convinced to resettle with the right persuasion, or, if the tree has risen due to an offence, if the offence is settled/resolved.

    Just as fae spirits may occasionally possess animals, trees and other plants may become so possessed as well, which may be the origin of certain well known Beamgheists in settled lands. 

Beaksteed

    Orcs have always had a distaste for riding Harts- they find them to be too skittish and stubborn for frequent use. Instead, in the absence of a Wargr to ride, orcs often are found riding Beaksteeds, Hnaaok-thull in orc tongue. The Beaksteed is an ill tempered beast, and requires a strong hand to control. Like horses, they have a strong sense of group hierarchy, and compared to Harts, they are much tougher, having no qualms with riding into combat- or even participating in it. They are somewhat slower than harts or horses, but also more strong willed, having distinctive personalities- which may or may not clash with that of their riders. Beaksteeds are mostly hairless, though they do have a thin layer of coarse fur-like feathers on their backs and necks. They are similar to horses in overall shape, but with a thicker hide, long whip-like tails, and a shrill beakish maw in place of a snout. Their ears are small and hard to notice, and their eyes small and beady. 

    They are true omnivores, and will happily eat carrion and refuse- but are not themselves dirty, and will spend a decent portion of the day preening themselves. Their feet are small and clawed, but tough, with thick pads like a camel. Where a horse is more likely to kick, a beaksteed would prefer to rear up and slash with its front claws- though its true weapon is its long beak. Somewhat noisier than other mounts, they have a series of shrill bird-like calls they will make to communicate with others of their kind, to express distaste with the current state of affairs, or for no obvious reason.

Bat, Giant

    As the name suggest, the Giant Bat is a variety of very large chiropteran, in size as massive as a lion. To the surprise of their opponents, a Giant Bat is nearly as nimble on the ground as it is in the air- its leathery wings fold up neatly, and can be used to gallop about on. Its hind feet are somewhat small, but very dexterous. Though poor at understanding speech, giant bats are quite clever, and can be taught to fight melee combatants with a sword or other weapon held in their hand-like hind-feet. They may carry a light rider on their backs, and have been used as war-beasts by dark elves, and on occasion hobgoblins.

Basilisk

    A Basilisk may take a variety of forms, depending upon which sort of beast has been possessed by the Basilisk's Curse. The curse effects any sort of simple reptilian beast. Typically, this means snakes and lizards, but this may also effect other simple creatures, such as amphibians or tortoises, and larger beasts, such as gar, drakes, wyverns, and even Ssthaa, (though neither Dragons nor Askards, nor other large warm-blooded beasts with scales are afflicted). The curse takes control of the creature's body immediately if weak of will, otherwise following death, turning the hide tough and stony, the eyes cold and white. 

    The gaze of a Basilisk is its defining feature. This gaze afflicts a different sort of curse on any who meet it, seizing the body still, and dulling the flesh into rigid stone. This effect is not deadly, strictly speaking; the victim's soul is retained bound to their stone visage, and retains a slight bit of awareness. Rendered defenseless, the Basilisk will slowly pry thoughts, memories, and feelings from the anchored soul of its victim, (which sustains the unnatural creature somehow). This typically continues until nothing but the statue remains, though the creature may be distracted if prey with more interesting thoughts presents itself. Killing the Basilisk will thaw its victims instantly, but will not restore the parts of their souls that have been consumed. If the soul has been picked completely clean, the body will remain stone forever, even following the Basilisk's death.

    See also: Ichneumon; Cockatrice; Medusa

Barrow-wight

    A Barrow-wight is a portion of a strong spirit, buried with their belongings, or at a place of personal significance. The mythic portion may stay associated with the remains for a time, but certain types of burial lend themselves to dissociation from the departed, such as forest overgrowth, or simply being forgotten after a great deal of time. The mythic portion may be revered elsewhere, while the primitive animate identity remains bound to treasures. If enough of the will remains in the ghost, it's strong connection to a particular place or items may allow it to animate it's bones and manipulate the living.

Barrowbeast

    Barrowbeasts are enormous, hill shaped creatures. They have long, serpentine tails and necks, but these are not flexible. They use these long necks to crane their tiny heads up high, to eat the tops of trees. They are very slow moving, and live in small herds. 

Azag Baba

 Also called the Hellgate, this portal to hell began the Demon War when it was opened. Azag Baba was crafted from the forked tongue of Menopherog.

Aura

    A being's Aura is a metaphysical manifestation of spiritual energy. Personality, morality and intent are reflected in the Aura, and this aspect of spirit can be discerned by those sensitive to it. Though the different qualia of the aura is not directly comparable to color, it is often described this way, as the feeling of an aura is best expressed in visual terms. Listed below are different shades an aura can take, with notes on what they indicate about the individual they surround.

    

    ✶- Bright Blue: Purely Philanthropic 

        a shining, sapphire blue aura. The alignment of saints, martyrs, and intensely charitable deities. Unerringly benevolent, even to one's own detriment or death.

    

    ⬧- Blue: Benevolent, Lawful  

        pol: Socialist

    

    ⬧- Azure: Benevolent, Inconsistent 

        pol: Activist

    

    ⬧- Cyan: Benevolent, Volatile

        pol: Communist

    

    ⬨- Black/None: Fundamentally Ordered

        a black aura, or perhaps the absence of one. This is the alignment of simple automatons, insects, and deities of pure Order.

    

    ⬧- Purple: Indifferent, Lawful

        pol: Authoritarian

    

    ⬧- White: Indifferent, Inconsistent 

        pol: Centrist, a white, poorly defined aura. This is the alignment of the opportunist, the vagrant, most semi-intelligent beasts (apes, cetaceans)

    

    ⬧- Pale-Green: Indifferent, Volatile

        pol: Anarchist

    

    ✶- Bright Red: Singularly Misanthropic

        an overwhelming, glowing scarlet aura. Utterly possessed of a hatred for mankind. Undeviatingly chooses to cause harm, even to its own detriment. Almost exclusively found among divinities, and otherworldly entities.

    

    ⬧- Red: Malevolent, Lawful 

        pol: Fascist, a hot red aura.† The alignment of some devils, most politicians, and psychopaths. Selfish, but principled.

    

    ⬧- Orange: Malevolent, Inconsistent  

        pol: Conservative

   

     ⬧- Yellow: Malevolent, Volatile  

        pol: Libertarian

   

     ✶- Bright Green: Fundamentally Chaotic

        an intense, iridescent green aura. Mostly incompatible with life, this is the aura of elementally chaotic entities. Occasionally associated with deities, and certain types of magical energies.

† Aura in shades of red are described as appearing cébre by Saguzahar sensitive to aura. This seems to indicate that the shade of malevolent aura are actually emsabre, the color of blood.

Atrocy

    1. (Deity, Entity) In the depths of hell lies an entity known as the Atrocy-- or sometimes as the Mother Atrocy to differentiate her from the fragments of herself seeded into the material world during the Demon War. The Atrocy is said to be formed of congealed hatred, boiled off from souls who have passed through hell, or were banished there, or leaked down into the dark pits of hell from the living. The Atrocy is deeply intelligent, though its singlemindedness and unambitious nature can lull a foe encountering it into a false sense of security. In Hell, it may be experienced as a vast ocean of burning hot liquid metal, scarlet red, filthy with coal and ash around its shores. It readily buds off small units, each of which may be called an Atrox, but are collectively still known as Atrocy (see. def 2.)

    Atrocy stranded outside of hell speak of the Mother Atrocy as a goddess, and may be known to pray to her. It is unknown to what extent the Atrocy in hell is aware of her disembodied fragments in the material plane, or how much she cares about their plight.

    2. (Minor Hellspawn) In the Midalrealm, the pieces of the Atrocy (singular unit, Atrox) encountered take on a shape roughly humanoid, with a surface that resembles crushed burning coals. These are, however, mere fragments of the true Atrocy, which is a singular being residing in Hell. There, its form is that of an enormous shapeless mass of burning liquid. (see def. 1.) When the demon portal Azag Baba was opened, the singular Atrocy fragmented itself into smaller units to pass through the opening-- many of these remain, wandering the surface of Tel and the Abyss.     

    When the portal was still open, the individual Atrocies acted in unison, part of a singular mind, connected telepathically to the mother mass in Hell. When this connection was severed, however, the individual units ceased to share a hive mind, and began to develop independently.

    While not strictly unintelligent, they seem to lack common sense, as though existing on the material plane is still somewhat foreign to them. Some seek to merge with others of their kind, forming into a larger, more powerful Atrox, while others seem to wish to preserve their individuality. If sliced apart cleanly, two halves can usually form themselves into two much smaller Atrocies. The burning fluid inside of an Atrox is also called Atrocy, though it is known more commonly a Demon's Blood, and upon the death of an Atrox, it solidifies into a hard, dense, red metal, which is highly sought for making weaponry. (see def. 3) Atrox are unphased by being pierced, and often bludgeoning seems ineffective as well. While they can survive bifurcation in ideal circumstances, their bodies will fail and die if too much of their inner Atrocy is exposed to the air.

    Cut off from Hell, Atrox will eventually perish and solidify without a supply of elemental ignistic energy. This can be acquired through magical means, or simply by spending time in or around open flame. Other than this need, Atrox require neither sleep nor sustenance. They cannot speak, and have no natural senses other than truesight. Some rectify their insensate state through the use of Thrûmic Orbs.

    

    3. (Material) Atrocy, perhaps more commonly known as Demon's Blood, is a hard, dense, scarlet red metal. Archaic highelven names for the metal include Aesatarôcsén, and Aesbaël. This material flows as a burning hot liquid under the crusty exterior of an Atrox, and is a small portion of the gargantuan fluid mass of the Mother Atrocy who resides in Hell. (see def. 1.) Atrocy is said to be a sort of congealed elemental hatred. The superstitious will say that carrying a weapon made from Atrocy will make the wielder paranoid and irritable. It is also said to grow somewhat warm in the hand when used to cause bloodshed. 

    Apart from its extreme tolerance to heat, and the way it readily takes and holds an edge, Atrocy is highly sought for imbuing with magic, as despite being a metal, it originates in a living creature, making it naturally adept at holding magical energies.

Atlâs

The bearer, the sufferer, namesake of the former empire of Atlantis.

    see: Atlantis

Atlantis

analogue for various Greek cultures, mythological and realistic. 

Capitol city Athenë famously sunken.  

Athenite

    A Noble metal traditionally sourced from mines located near the city of Athenë. Following the sinking of Athenë, no sources of the ore are known, and artifacts made from the metal are increasingly rare. Athenite was the preferred metal to cast vessels and idols in dedicated to Athenë, the goddess of wisdom, purity and strategy. The metal has a subtle bronze tint, the surface of which tarnishes lightly to a mottled pattern where the boundaries of metallic crystalize structure interact.

    Athenite is most well known as the metal of coinage that originated from the mints at Athenë, and still circulates occasionally around the former reaches of the Atlantic empire into the modern day.

    [This is the metal known to us as Palladium]

Athenë

    1. (City) The sunken capitol of the former Atlantic Empire.

    see: Atlantis

    2. (Deity) Goddess of wisdom, purity, and strategy. Athenë was the patron goddess of the Atlantic capitol city that bore her name. (see def. 1.)

Atelwer

    Rarely encountered alone, the fearsome creatures known as Atelwer can be found in many secluded regions of the Midalrealm. Often described as being vaguely ape-like, but is exceptionally violent, and said to be completely carnivorous. Aggressive, frightening, surprisingly strong. From a description, one may imagine a great hairy simian, perhaps with gnashing teeth, but the reality is far more subtle. If set to look upon an Atelwer and to give a description to one who could not see the creature, one would describe, in every detail, a being identical to a human. Each piece of description, however, would be delivered as though describing something foreign and grotesque. To look upon an Atelwer is to see humanity through a twisted lens that strips away any familiarity with mankind's otherwise banal features. They are said to be inexplicably horrific, the words they speak confusing and grating to the ears, without any discernable meaning. 

    One could, however, carry on a perfectly civil written correspondence with an Atelwer and be none the wiser. It is thought that they see the races of men as misshapen monstrosities just as we see them.

Asp

     An Asp is an enormous variety of snake. Many asps have a deadly venom, though this is only of concern with young asps, too small to eat a man whole. Not to be confused with the Constrictor, which can grow to enormous sizes as well, but is far less deadly or aggressive.

    See also: Constrictor

Askard, Dire

    Though sharing a name with the small, thieving and pack-hunting Askards, the Giant Ask, or Dire Askard is a very different beast in terms of behavior. They share the basic body plan of other Asks, but are mostly bereft of integument, their large bodies covered in rough, leathery skin and small scales. The hands of a Dire Askard are nearly absent in most cases, of no aid at all in helping to right the creature should it stumble. Some are adorned with horns of various sizes, of particular note is the Giant Bull Askard, with its shortened face, and ox-like silhouette.
    Giant Ask tend to be opportunists. Like many other large predators, they are highly territorial between others of their kind. They will happily steal kills from other animals, seeming to often prefer carrion over fresh meat. They possess massive jaws, and the strength that they can bring to bear in jaw and neck and tail are enough to give even a full grown dragon pause at their largest.

Askard

    The Askard is a common sight out in the plains and forests of the Midalrealm. Coming in a broad range of sizes, they all share a similar physiology and behavior. Askards, or simply Asks or Askbirds for the smaller varieties, are quick on their two feat, resembling domestic fowl in posture- though the similarities end there. They have small grasping hands, adorned with long feathers that may be used for displays, or to cushion a fall from some height, but are never of use for flight. Their bodies are covered in soft down, sleek in some, a ruffled mane in others.

    Askards of all sizes are known for their speed- the larger varieties may be tamed and ridden far to the south. They are social creatures of quick wit, for having such small brains, and may hunt in packs. From this, the larger Askards gain the nickname of Askwolf in some regions. A true worry to travelers, an Ask relies on its vision far more than a wolf or jackal, who may hunt at night guided by keen olience and hearing. Askards are primarily active in the day, and a pack can easily take a group of travelers by surprise, springing quickly from the underbrush, or down from trees.

    Of particular worry when in combat with an Ask is not the teeth or grasping hands, but the sharp clawed toes. Many varieties have a single sabre like toe primed to slash into the gut of a foe with a single pounce.

Aquilon, Great Northern

    The Great Northern Aquilon is a noble variety of eagle of very large size, comparable in wingspan to a fully grown dragon. (ác- + cuelân, "great wing") Despite behaving in no way dissimilar to ordinary birds of prey if left to their own devices, Aquila are quite intelligent. Most understand the common tongue, and some may speak it. Though spoken of in myths ferrying heroes in and out of battle, they may permit themselves to be ridden only in very rare circumstances, as they are very prideful. It is, however, of no burden to carry a rider-- a Great Aquilon has been known to be capable of swooping down upon, and carrying away a grown saddlehart buck without so much as faltering.

Aptothrûm

    Also known as an Orb of Tactition. Not to be confused with the Osomnuathrîm, which is unique and permits tactition (as well as other subtler sensations) at great distances. Apothrûma, because of their limited range, are not considered terribly useful. Paired with another orb of the same type, two apothrûma can be used like linked ulthrûma or oëthrûma as a device to be used remotely. Joined this way, a user may "feel" the immediate surroundings of the orb at the other end of the link. Although these pairings have certain niche practical uses (one end of the pair disguised as a doorknob, for instance), these devices are most frequently used by lovers. In this application, they are sometimes known as touchstones.

Ape

    Apes are vaguely man-shaped, and covered in hair. Several varieties. Typically social and curious, though with confusing social customs that may cause offence to be taken inadvertently. Close in intellect to a man, and may be taught language, though they cannot speak themselves. Not to be confused with monkeys, who are close simian relations to apes, but which bear a tail, where as apes have no tail.

Anthropophagus

    The Anthropophagus is a being often found lurking around places of death. It is considered mostly benign, as it is only concerned with the physical remains of the dead, rather than the spiritual remains as many ghoulish beasts are. Lichherds, as they are sometimes called, are ghastly in appearance. The creature's skin is yellowed, as if half rotten, and its body is bony and gaunt. It is roughly humanoid-- with the exception of lacking any sort of head or neck. It has two pinprick eyes on its chest, and a gaping jawless mouth, filled with a few dark teeth. It is incapable of communication, and is only semi-intelligent, though it seems to prefer to cover itself with scavenged scraps of clothing. It is often seen carrying pieces of dead flesh on its back. 

    Finding an intact corpse, the creature will use a natural form of psychosophistry to animate the body in a stiff crawling gait. The creature shepherds its prize back to a hovel where it is laid in a covered pit to cultivate into a brood of maggots, which the creature consumes. Though horrifying, the Lichherd is weak and cowardly, and will flee any combat. The beast's ghoulish habit is valued by some cultures-- a troupe of Anthropophagi will quickly clean up a battlefield, helping to stop the spread of disease.

    In the Anthropophagus' nest, it maintains a writhing mass of maggots. This is both a source of food and a bed. Infant anthropophagi appear spontaneously within the maggot-bed, and remain there until large enough to venture out on their own. If an anthropophagus is forced to find a new home, it will swallow as much of its maggot-bed as possible, to be regurgitated later. Anthropophagi typically carry around two to three gallons of maggots inside of themselves at any given time, and may vomit these out as a distraction if threatened. 

Ant, Giant

    Not actually close kin of ants, whom they resemble in behavior, or termites, who they resemble somewhat in appearance. "Giant Ants" are a eusocial variety of Whegg, living in deep, branching burrows deep into the earth. Within an individual colony of giant ants are several different varieties, born to the singular queen for various purposes. there are smaller, industrious workers, and large armored guardian ants, for instance. Giant ants tend to be found far to the south, the entrances to their cavernous burrows in clearings (sometimes clearings of their own design) or fields, near the outskirts of forests and jungles, where they hunt and scavenge.

    Rumors state that deep within any giant ant colony is an enormous midden, where the ants dispose of any material they cannot eat. As the ants are often a plague along trade routes, this pile of "trash" could hold untold amounts of treasure picked from the corpses of adventurers and merchants killed by the colony.

Amphisbaena

    Serpentine, with a head at each end, the Amphisbaena can grow very large. However, and perhaps thankfully, they typically are encountered small, no longer than ten to fifteen feet. Food ingested at one end results in a dried pellet expelled at the other of what could not be digested. The creature seems to have two parallel digestive tracts, such that food can be ingested and subsequently expelled by both heads in tandem. Heads seem to be individuals, but are linked in such a way that one head knows all the same things that the other knows, but perceive sensory input separately. Singular tube shaped heart is located in the center of the animal- severance there will kill the beasts instantly. Anywhere off the center by around a foot or so will result in only one head perishing immediately, the other will continue to fight until exsanguination after several minutes.

    The flesh of the creature is leathery, like that of a toad, with bead like scales around the face. The heads are vaguely snake like, but more blunt. When contracted, the folds of its skin bunch up around the necks (the creature's phallic appearance in this state gives rise to the common nickname, mud pecker). Moment for the creature seems erratic, particularly when the heads are at odds about which direction to travel in. Those who study amphisbaena claim that usually, one of the heads will dominate the other, taking control of movement more frequently.

    Amphisbaenae are occasionally found in circus performances. It is well known that, if taken at a young age, the worm can be tamed (to a degree) and trained using a girdle around the midsection. Tightening this girdle quells aggression by slowing the heart-rate of the creature substantially.

Amnestic Occlusion

    Amnestic Occlusion is an effect that may lock a set of information behind a meme (perhaps a word, a phrase or image) which has an amnestic property to it, preventing the associated information from being recorded in a viewers mind. These "amnestic locks" may only be circumvented by a viewer inoculated to that specific meme- that is, typically, possessing meta-knowledge of the meme such that its effects are less pronounced. This could, for instance, take the form of a word with inherent amnestic properties, a word that could go overlooked by a viewer despite its presence in apparently plain sight. It is difficult to provide a tangible example. 

    Consider perhaps how the mind processes an article like "the" constantly in everyday speech, without ever taking much time to consider the word's meaning or properties. It is a similar concept to this. Once attention has been drawn to the word, the brain may process it differently for a time, rendering the apparent innocuousness negated.

Amnestic

    An amnestic is, loosely speaking, anything pertaining to forgetfulness. This included amnestic elixirs, which may cause an individual to forget events within a certain time frame, or of a particular nature. Amnestic memetic elements are those which make an ideon challenging for a mind to hold on to, or may otherwise hide correlated information from memory. An amnestic field is a region where in things inside the field will slip from the viewers mind.

Åldalga

     Åldalga (pronunciation: ol·DAL·gah) is a land that lies somewhere far to the west of Hesperia. The Åldalgan Sea that lies off the west coast of the Hesperian continent seems to be twisted in knots, and simply setting sail west from the shore will never land a boat on Åldalga. The few known paths through the twisted sea are treacherous, and only the sturdiest, storm worn vessels have been known to make the journey.
    Åldalga is primarily known for the frightening ferocity of its wilderness. The Åldaigh (also called Åldalgan Dwarves, or Sea Dwarves) who inhabit the northern reaches of the eastern Åldalgan coast are the only civilization on the continent known to the outside world. The rest of Åldalga is a thick, seemingly endless jungle, much of which is almost impenetrably dense.

Åldaigh

    The Åldaigh, (pronunciation: ol·DAY or all·DIE) also known as Åldalgan Dwarves, or Sea Dwarves, are a race of stout, humanoid folk who live along the north-eastern shore of Åldalga, the dark, wild continent west of Hesperia. Though physiologically similar to mountain dwarves, Åldaigh are culturally quite distinct. Their language shares a few roots with standard dwarvish, but otherwise is quite distinct-- it is thought to preserve many older constructions from the archaic dwarven mother-tongue. The Åldaigh live in tight knit communities. Unlike their cousins (but like most other humanoid races) Åldaigh distinguish between men and women dwarves, with each gender performing significantly different societal roles. Women perform most clerical roles, as well as governance and education. Male dwarves are more frequently found in vocations of manual labor, or handiwork- most importantly of this is the fishing industry, from which the majority of the diet of the Åldaigh derives. Men have their own dialect of Åldalgan-Dwarvish that they only speak among themselves. Learning to read is discouraged among men, but many do so in secret none the less.
    Åldaigh maintain fluid relationships, with a single female Åldaigh typically keeping several husbands, who compete quietly for higher positions in the pecking order. Women often will trade their disagreeable husbands to other women, and may maintain monogamous, romantic relationships with other women in addition to their harem of men. The causes of the significant population imbalance between men and women in Åldalgan society is not often shared with outsiders. The Åldaigh society puts a significant amount of pressure on its women, holding them to an exceptional standard. As a result of this, women who feel they cannot meet the high expectations of their society are strongly encouraged to retreat into the many Åldalgan convents, where they spend their lives exclusively with other women, making copies of ancient manuscripts, and contemplating divinity.

Aeëtuë

    1. (Mythological Figure) Aeëtuë, the legendary highelven king, transformed by a witch into a giant falcon (or swarm of sparrows in southern tales). His name is also used as poetic euphemism for any noble áccela in highelven stories. (see def. 2.) 

    2. h.elven, archaic, poetic. see: Áccelon

Adderbolt

    An Adderbolt is a type of enormous dragonfly, ranging from the size of a large bird to the size of a man, sometimes twice its length or more in wingspan. Have been known to prey on small children and Hauflin.

Adamantite

Adamantite (pronunciation: ah·da·MAN·tite) is the mineral from which Adamantine metal is derived. The stone is filamentous, and with great chare, the filaments may be separated out and woven into clothing, providing a great deal of strength. Material infused with Adamantite filaments has a subtle black glitter to it in the right lighting.

Adamantine

    Adamantine, (pronunciation: ah·da·MAN·teen) also known poëtically as Aåtine (pronunciation: AY·oh·teen) is a metal mined deep beneath the earth. It is refined from a filamentous mineral known as Adamantite, which itself may be woven into fabrics to provide strength. Knowledge of how to heat, work, and refine the metal are not well known, and most pieces of weaponry are very ancient. The metal has a very high melting temperature, and is extraordinarily rigid, taking an edge famously well. It is somewhat lighter than steel, and black in color.
    The name Adamantine is derived from the name of the mythological Adâm, said to have been the first man, made impervious from being baked in dragonfire, who spilled fire from heaven's forge out onto the earth, betraying it's secrets to the races of men (+ o.h.elven stem: "-anthë," "born of, made from/by"). 
    "Aåtine" is derived from the name of ancient the highelven god Aäâtoma, (pronunciation: ay·ah·AH·toh·ma) or his mystical unbreakable weapon of the same name.

Adâm

     Adâm, also called Aduama, or Hádum. The first man, in the old Andrish tradition. Said to have been shaped from clay by the hands of the Dragon god Tséomât, the forge master. Glazed and baked with dragonfire, no harm could befall him. The other races of men were crafted in the image of Adâm, but without his invulnerability. Adâm watched them with sadness as they lived wretched lives and perished in the cold. In the beginning, only Dragons, the firstborn of Tséomát, were trusted with fire.

    Disgusted with the cruelty of creation, Adâm tipped over his master's forge, spilling fire out over the world, burning half of creation away before the fire was quelled. The men who survived, however, had learned the secrets of fire, and had learned to tame it. As punishment for this affront to heaven, Adâm was cast out from the smithy of Tséomât. Impervious to all harm, he could only be punished by being buried beneath the earth for all eternity.

Áccelon

     Academically, sometimes called a Lesser Aquilon, the Áccelon is a creature of great cultural importance to the elves of the far east. The creature's form is that of a very large falcon-like fowl (ác- + celon, "great falcon"), taller than a man when standing upright. Its feathers form a thick mane around its head and neck. This creature is tamed and ridden short distances on hunts by certain clans of eastern elves. They are somewhat intelligent, and have astutely keen eyesight, but their hearing is fine-tuned as well. Even when wearing leather roosting-hoods, Áccela may lash out with beak or claw with surprising accuracy.

Abyss, The

    The Abyss is the metaphysical underworld of Tel, though thinking of it as being located beneath anything is misleading. Rather, the way the space of Tel folds topologically, there are regions exposed to the sky (which is the window through which divinity observes the world) and regions that are hidden from it. The Abyss is this space, at least at any given moment. The surface of Tel processes and subducts over long periods of time, with some of the surface eventually flowing down into the spacial crevasses that form naturally, beyond the sky. These subducted zones are dark, with no sun, or even the stars at night to illuminate the surface. Space seems to twist in the dark, making it frighteningly dangerous to navigate. The Abyss is a primordial realm, and is haunted by demons, creatures formed out of pure rapacious chaos.

    There are certain regions of Tel that may only be accessed by carefully traversing a region of Abyss- specifically of note is the Lost City of Yôdh.

Aälldhel

    Aälldhel is a mythological city that supposedly could be found far to the west. The city was supposedly built as a labyrinth of unthinkable size, made to imprison the gargantuan Ŵm, the mouth of the world that swallows the sun every evening.

    

    - See also: Åldaigh; Åldalga; Ŵm

Aäâtoma

    1. (Deity) Aäâtoma is an ancient god of the highelven culture. The rare stem aäâtua in this usage likely means "unyielding" or perhaps "incorruptible." Aäâtoma is known for having a mighty weapon, which bore the same name as he. (see def. 2.) It is the blade Aäâtoma and it's wielder who slice open the belly of the earth each morning to set the dawn free.
    Aäâtoma is an integral part of the mythical cycle of the sun. Swallowed by the great mouth Ŵm, the sun lies all night in the belly of the underworld, until it is cut free in the morning by Aäâtoma, the blood of the earth casting the sky red.

    2. (Weapon) Aäâtoma is the weapon wielded by the mythological figure that shares its name, Aäâtoma. (see def. 1.) It is sometimes described as a greatsword, or in other myths as a sickle. The weapon is said to be indestructable, unable to be bent, chipped, or dulled, so that Aäâtoma, its weilder, may go on gutting the earth each morning for the day to begin.