FLETCHER

Adelaide’s Guild: The descendants of Adelaide Warleader’s personal guard charged with protecting The Order of the Five Warriors from a reemergence of the Servants of the Eldest also known as despoilers.

Adelaide’s Thorn: A prelate of special status anointed by Adelaide’s Lord Prelate as an enforcer of order. A temporary appointment for the period of one year, it becomes permanent if the anointing occurs for three years in succession.

Adelaide’s Thorn Bearer: A senior prelate of Adelaide’s sect drawn from the Thorn Bearer ranks master of both canon and discipline. Adelaide’s Thorn Bearer is accountable to Adelaide’s Prelate and no other within sect hierarchy.,

Adelaide Warleader: See Warleader, Adelaide.

Anarchy: The three centuries of warfare that almost destroyed the Three Systems that were the foundation of the Twelve Systems.

Ancients: The founders of the Three Systems, a society lost in the Anarchy.

Artesia: The third planet in the First System and the location of Mulan’s Temple.

Ben Claude, Rimon: The Second Warrior. His dominion was the two habitable planets of the Second System.

(The) Blade’s Point: An exclusive Crevasse City indulgence owned by Tiger Sylvester.

Blood Oath: Oath proclaimed at the altar of one of the Five Warriors or Adelaide and sealed with blood. The most binding of all oaths. Violation can carry the penalty of death.

(The) Blade: One of three leaders of the Servants of the Eldest believed to be a vessel for one of the Eldest gods. Also see the Brand and the Scourge.

(The) Brand: One of three leaders of the Servants of the Eldest believed to be a vessel for one of the Eldest gods. Also see the Blade and the Scourge.

Cartel: A powerful commercial interest that controls a significant aspect of commerce to the exclusion of all others.

Cartouche: (1) The device or coat of arms representing a warrior family. (2) A warrior family that can create ranked members also known as seigneurs.

Chalice: The ritual cup used in the warrior rite of self-termination.

Chalice Bearer: One who assists with the rite of self-termination when the warrior undergoing the rite is unable to perform the vigil and pilgrimage.

Cohort: A commerce enterprise that controls a particular industry or market in a geographical region or stellar system. Example: agra-cohorts dominate the agrarian enterprises in specific systems. No single agra-cohort controls sufficient systems to dominate the entire industry as would a cartel.

(The) Conjurer: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the Second System. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Guardian, the Hunter, the Justiciar, the Paladin, and the Pilgrim.

Consortium: An association of individuals or enterprises assembled for a specific commerce endeavor.

Crevasse-crawler: A terrier-sized rodent resident in the crevasse.

Crevasse-wallower: A chemically addicted inhabitant of the crevasse.

Crevasse: (singular and plural) A deep fissure or canyon from which vistrite is mined.

Crossed Sabers Academy: The premier warrior academy in the Third System.

Damaris Collective: The free-trader collective that settled the Eleventh System, named for its founder, Meredith Damaris.

Despoilers: See Servants of the Eldest.

Discipline Master: A prelate skilled in the martial-arts discipline of a warrior sect.

Doxy: A sex worker (derogatory).

Duel: A formal contest with blades arranged between two people in order to settle a point of honor. Duels are conducted in shrines under the supervision of prelates. Victory is considered evidence of the deity’s judgment.

(The) Duet: See Festival Duet.

(The) Festival Duet: A spiritual reenactment of the legendary duel between Socraide Omsted and Adelaide performed at sacred festivals.

(The) Fifth Warrior: See Standingbear, Sinead.

(The) Final Draught: A lethal poison administered for the execution of criminals.

(The) First Warrior: See Omsted, Socraide.

(The) Five Warriors: The deities of the Twelve Systems. The five warlords rose to prominence in the final years of the Anarchy and established the Order. See the Order of the Five Warriors.

(The) Fourth Warrior: See Metricelli, Jonathan.

Free-trader: An adherent to the belief that open competition is the proper method for conducting commerce. In the eighth and ninth centuries, the free-traders were driven into the remote Eleventh and Twelfth Systems as the cartels succeeded in dominating the other ten systems.

(The) Guardian: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the vistrite crevasse on Metricelli Prime in the Third System. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Conjurer, the Hunter, the Justiciar, the Paladin, and the Pilgrim.

Guild: (1) A skilled-laborer collective that uses scarce resources to negotiate terms with commerce interests. (2) An ancient secret society dedicated to the destruction of the Servants of the Eldest. See Adelaide’s Guild.

High Altitude Transport (or HAT): A type of aircraft designed for rapid velocity in a forward direction, it can circumnavigate a standard planet in half a standard day. Used for the transportation of goods and people for personal, commerce, or militia purposes, HATs come in a wide range of designs.

Hedge kin: Relatives from unacknowledged family branches, mostly commonly from a family member severed from the cartouche for misdeeds. They can also descend from unacknowledged offspring, although this is rare.

(The) Hunter: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the vistrite crevasse on Metricelli Deuce in the Third System. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Conjurer, the Guardian, the Justiciar, the Paladin, and the Pilgrim.

(The) Inversion: A controversial version of the Festival Duet that reverses the order of the ritual combat, resulting in an act of seduction.

Jonathan Metricelli: See Metricelli, Jonathan.

(The) Justiciar: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the First System. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Conjurer, Guardian, the Hunter, the Paladin, and the Pilgrim.

Keeper: See Shrine keeper.

Low Altitude Transport (or LAT): A type of aircraft designed to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward, and laterally. LATs have limited velocity and altitude capabilities but are ideal for use in regional transportation, difficult terrain, and other situations where the faster and larger High Altitude Transports cannot operate. Militia LATs are commonly known as warbirds and include both armor and weapons.

Mercium: An inexpensive synthetic form of vistrite. Special variants known as SEV mercium were developed for use in Stellar Exploration Vehicles.

Metricelli, Jonathan: The Fourth Warrior. His dominion was Metricelli Prime and Deuce in the Third System, also known as the vistrite worlds. After the Order of the Five Warriors was established, Jonathan added Desperation in the Sixth System to his holdings. It is the only other vistrite world in the Twelve Systems.

Mitchell Cooperative: The free-trader cooperative that settled the Twelfth System, named for its founder, Zebadiah Mitchell.

Monsignor: The dominant seigneur of a cartouche. The monsignor controls and directs the cartouche. Only the monsignor can license a new seigneur.

Mulan Tsao: See Tsao, Mulan.

Omsted Conservatory for the Arts: The Twelve Systems’ oldest and highest-rated conservatory for advanced studies of the creative arts.

Omsted, Socraide: The First Warrior. His dominion was three of the four habitable planets in the First System. His obsession with Adelaide Warleader turned the Three Systems from anarchy to order.

(The) Order of the Five Warriors: The Twelve Systems’ structure of law and custom. It is based on the Code of Engagement and governing protocols as established by the Five Warriors in the final years of the Anarchy.

Order’s Citadel: The Twelve Systems’ premier military institute for advanced studies of combat and the martial arts.

Order’s Pinnacle: The most exclusive warrior club in the Third System, and among the most exclusive in the Twelve Systems. Located in the Mercio Tower, its only governor is Lucius Mercio. It is also known as Signet Citadel, owing to the entrance requirement of a signet.

(The) Paladin: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the vistrite crevasse on Desperation in the Sixth System. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Conjurer, Guardian, the Hunter, the Justiciar, and the Pilgrim.

(The) Pilgrim: Adelaide’s Guild Captain. Charged with the protection of the expanded systems. One of five Guild captains dedicated to eradicating the Servants of the Eldest. See also, the Conjurer, Guardian, the Hunter, the Justiciar, and the Paladin.

Refinery Unencumbered Transport (or RUNT): An eight-passenger vehicle used in vistrite refineries and crevasse. It can be operated manually or set to follow preprogrammed routes.

Rimon Ben Claude: See Ben Claude, Rimon.

(The) Scourge: One of three leaders of the Servants of the Eldest believed to be a vessel for one of the Eldest gods. Also see the Blade and the Brand.

(The) Second Warrior: See Ben Claude, Rimon.

Sect chapter: See Warrior sect chapter.

Sect patron: See Warrior sect patron.

Sect: See Warrior sect.

Seer: A seer of visions sent by one or more of the Shades.

Seigneur: The elite of the elite. A ranked warrior who is part of the small group that controls the commercial interests that control the Twelve Systems.

Servants of the Eldest: An ancient sect that worships cruel gods dedicated to anarchy and the destruction of order. Rites include the torture of captives and human sacrifice.

Shade prelate: The senior prelate for a warrior sect. Alternatively, Lord or Lady Prelate.

Shade-ridden: Those who become deranged through service to the Shades of the Five Warriors and Adelaide.

Shade: A spirit or ghost (lowercase).

(The) Shades: The manifestations of the Five Warriors and Adelaide (uppercase).

Shrine keeper: The senior prelate of a particular shrine.

Shrine patron: One who is a source of significant financial support to a shrine or group of shrines. The highest-ranked and most generous contributor to a group of shrines may be designated Lord or Lady Patron of a planet’s or system’s shrines within a sect.

Shrine: A place of worship dedicated to one of the Five Warriors (lowercase).

(The) Shrines: The collective power and superstructure of the shrines of the Five Warriors in the Twelve Systems (uppercase).

Signet: A symbol of rank. A seigneur’s signet is a gold oval the size of an adult thumb. It is incised or inlaid with the symbol of the seigneur’s cartouche. A monsignor’s signet is platinum, indicating the ability to create or destroy seigneurs.

Socraide Omsted: See Omsted, Socraide.

Standingbear, Sinead: The Fifth Warrior. Her dominion was the one non-vistrite world in the Third System, Sinead’s World.

(The) Tiger’s Eye: An exclusive Jonathan City indulgence owned by Tiger Sylvester.

(The) Third Warrior: See Tsao, Mulan.

Thorn Bearer: A permanent Adelaide’s Thorn who is also master of either discipline or canon. Often designated to command the Thorns in a particular shrine or stellar system.

Tsao, Mulan: The Third Warrior. Her dominion was Artesia, a planet in the First System.

(The) Twelve Systems: A technologically advanced society dominated by powerful commercial interests.

Universal Way: A remnant of the spiritual discipline of the enlightened society that preceded the Anarchy. A minor segment of Twelve Systems society, the Universalists challenge many warrior beliefs.

Universalist: A follower of the Universal Way.

Vistrite: A naturally occurring semiliquid crystal that is essential to all advanced technology in the Twelve Systems.

Warleader, Adelaide: An ancient hero. During the Anarchy, she was Jonathan Metricelli’s chief retainer and possible consort. During the early years of the Order of the Five Warriors, she was Socraide Omsted’s consort and possible spouse.

Warrior Circle: An abbreviated version of the warrior ring where individual shrines are replaced by stations within a single structure. Commonly found in remote areas where the population is insufficient to support a full set of shrines. They are also prevalent on stellar transports.

Warrior ring: The arrangement of shrines in a ring that includes all Five Warriors. The arrangement begins at the north and moves clockwise in the following order: the First Warrior, Socraide Omsted; the Third Warrior, Mulan Tsao; the Second Warrior, Rimon Ben Claude; the Fifth Warrior, Sinead Standingbear; and the Fourth Warrior, Jonathan Metricelli. The shrines of the Fourth Warrior contain Adelaide’s Alcoves, which are positioned to face the First Warrior’s shrines in recognition of her dual loyalties.

Warrior sect chapter: A subset of a warrior sect commonly defined by the system (short form, sect chapter or chapter). Example: Socraide’s Third System Chapter.

Warrior sect patron: The secular authority for a given sect. The office is determined by commercial rank (short form, sect patron). Alternatively, Lord or Lady Patron.

Warrior sect: A spiritual institution dedicated to one of the Five Warriors (short form, sect).

Warrior: The dominant class in the Twelve Systems. Its members can prove direct genetic descent from the Five Warriors and their retainers.

Warrior’s queue: A hairstyle in which the hair is worn long, pulled tight to the scalp, and braided. The severe style is favored by warriors for martial-arts training and combat.

(The) Warriors’ Litany: A popular prayer commonly considered to have its origin in Jonathan Metricelli’s Warrior Code. The sect of Sinead Standingbear contends that the origin is with the Fifth Warrior, due to its references to “ancestors.” Sinead was the only one of the Five Warriors descended from the pre-Anarchy rulers of the Three Systems.