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Terms marked with (F) relate to fictional characters, settings, concepts, or items.
Terms marked with (NF) relate to non-fictional concepts or items.
The Academy of Librarians / “The Academy” (F) – institution of study and training for Student Librarians / comprises the first three floors of the Center above the atrium (the bottom level) / course difficulty increases as the students ascend the floors, with introductory courses taught on level one and advanced courses taught on level three
Adera (F) – both a gerontocratic village and the pixie for whom the village is named / Adera, the pixie, was the mother of the Twins, the Doruh deities / Adera, the village, is governed by an elderly Headwoman / pronounced a-DAYR-a
Aerthomni (F) – one of the two known continents of the All-Sphere / pronounced air-THOM-nee
The Agrarian Townlets (F) – federation of small towns governed by local farmers and those who cultivate the land
Alasa Belita, Alasa Nekita (F) – “Unlimited Skies. Unlimited Love.” / official motto of the human city of PeakHaven / in the ancient Nysabaani language / pronounced ah-LUSSA bay-LEETA, ah-LUSSA nay-KEETA
Alba (F) – 38 years old / Ambassador Librarian / mari human / her uncle Alvaro is the Prime Librarian / Ana is her younger sister / has been Kyoko’s mentor for six years / regarded by other Librarians as a paragon of the Library’s teachings / arrived at the Library when she was 10 / shares common mari anatomy: fins on the forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater
The All-Sphere (F) – planet on which the story is set / has two known continents: Aerthomni and Panaerth
The Alphocracy of Moonside (F) – government headed by twenty Alphas in MoonSide / formed immediately after the Doruh Uprisings in 784 DG / governed for nearly six hundred years / all twenty Alphas were assassinated in 1381 DG following SunSide’s invasion of MoonSide and the start of the military occupation by Tya-Lo the MegaMother
Alu Paratha (NF) – a flatbread made with whole wheat flour, boiled potatoes, spices & herbs common in the South Asian subcontinent / typical Doruh breakfast item, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian subcontinent
Ambassador Librarians / Ambassadors (F) – seventh rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is yellow silk tunics / lead groups of Recorder and Vice Ambassador Librarians around the continent to witness historical events and record them for the Library’s Catacombs
Amma / Headwoman of Adera (F) – village elder who governs Adera / Shifa’s grandmother / animal form is a bison
Ana (F) – 29 years old / mari human / accomplished Nysabaani translator and researcher / Alba’s younger sister / arrived at the Library when she was 1 / shares common mari anatomy: fins on the forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater
Angi (F) – one of three human clans / possess wings whose feathers appear silver and polished, resembling steel / built the city of PeakHaven atop the highest mountains of the PeakHaven mountain range / governed by a Super-Montane Stratocracy: headed by the military / religion requires the angi to face a temple called the Holy Summit during prayer / pronounced aan-jee
Ardev Ocean (F) – one of the All-Sphere’s two known oceans / sits between the two continents / Lily Beach is in the waters of Ardev Ocean / pronounced ar-DAYV
Arlun (F) – capital city of MoonSide / founded at the time of the Alphocracy’s formation in 784 DG / connected to SunSide’s capital city, Larso, by PeakHaven Pass / where Naina and Salessa lived with their parents until they were 8 years old / pronounced ar-lin
Ashiyu (NF) – a Japanese public bath in which the feet are bathed / common in EverEmber, as the development of the fictional igni culture was influenced by Japanese culture
The Assembly of the Radiance (F) – one-half of the SunSidian government / comprised of ten Members / govern as a theocracy, with the goal of establishing and enforcing the will of the Four over SunSide / created the monarchy to act as a liaison to the SunSidian citizenry, who felt SunSide’s original sole theocracy had become disconnected from the general public / Members are greeted with four fingers placed over the center of the forehead / meet in a vast chamber called the Forum
Ayuma Liyuna (F) – Doruh folk song sung by Adera’s Headwoman / sung in Nysabaani / title translates to “the Mother of Shifts” / pronounced aa-YOO-ma lee-YOO-na
Bibi Sands (F) – small island between the igni city EverEmber, and the mari city SeaBed / ownership of the island caused a territorial dispute between the two human cities called the War for Bibi Sands, which lasted from 1603 to 1622, after which EverEmber relinquished Bibi Sands to SeaBed / now under mari control / pronounced bee-bee sands
Braver (F) – SunSidian warriors / originally the monarchy’s royal guard, now the Braver organization is the principal military and law enforcement within SunSide / also used as occupying, oppressive force in MoonSide, maintaining the faerie settlements therein
Braver General (F) – head of the Braver organization / reports directly to the Facilitator / position currently held by Vy-Ro
The Bridge Tree (F) – spiritual location that connects this world to the world beyond / watched over by the TreeKeeper / girthy tree with so many branches and leaves, it would take a millennium to count / interconnected roots expand out to the other trees in the Forest of Essences / where essences arrive in order to be ushered into the world beyond by the TreeKeeper
The Bunker (F) – a track-proof safe house Zakia built when she was 10 using the Radiance, in 1618 / connects to the underground tunnels used by the SunSide Revolutionary Forces / built under Zalona’s inn
The Caracal (F) – Doruh Headman whose village incurred massive damage, and whose villagers were traumatized, when igni and mari warriors used it as a battleground during the War for Bibi Sands / an elderly man who is tall, but quite frail / shifts into a caracal: a feline with a short face, long tufted ears, and a relatively short tail
Carajillo (NF) – a coffee drink to which a liquor is added, common in Spain and several Latin American countries / a typical mari drink, as the development of the fictional mari culture was influenced by Spanish culture
The Castrum (F) – complex of buildings and structures in Larso through which all SunSidian government functions operate / the monarchy’s throne room, the MegaFather’s Theater, the Assembly’s Forum, the Head Salver’s clinic, and all government administration lies within the Castrum / heavily protected by ore walls and gates, as well as thousands of Braver warriors
The Catacombs / The Library’s Catacomb Network (F) – system of tunnels under the city connecting large chambers called “sections,” in which the Library houses and catalogs the entirety of Aerthomni’s written history / also connects all of the sections to the Center: the Library’s hub for government and administration / the records and documents held within the Catacombs are the most valuable artifacts in existence / brightly-lit and tiled / can be confusing to navigate for newer Librarians and recent graduates of the Academy
The Center (F) – the Library’s hub for government and administration / bottom level is the atrium / the Academy comprises the first three floors of the Center above the atrium / the top floor of the Center is a wide, open chamber filled with sturdy, metal desks and flimsy, wooden partitions between them / this is where the Supreme Librarians’ and the Prime’s offices are
CereCenters (F) – educational epicenters constructed and governed by the Library / there are a total of fifty-six CereCenters / Educator Librarians are sent to CereCenters for the academic season to teach human, Doruh, and Mega students about the continent’s history, along with various other subjects / at the end of the academic season, the Educators return to the Library until the following season, during which they are assigned to a new CereCenter / the MegaFather has provided Bravers to the CereCenters for security and law enforcement, to aid in the Library’s mission / the Prime seeks out impoverished villages to which he can offer economic and architectural rehabilitation in exchange for building the CereCenter / pronounced seh-ra-sen-ters
CereCenter Forty-Two (F) – a maze of claystone buildings nestled into a valley, this CereCenter rests between the Library and SunSide, just west of the Red-Lo River / where Hassan, an Educator Librarian and Alba’s friend, is stationed for the current academic season
Chai (NF) – a popular tea throughout the South Asian subcontinent / chai is the full name of the beverage, and it should never be called “chai tea” / popular Doruh beverage, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian subcontinent
Chaitender (F) – one who serves chai at a chai house / Salessa’s second job
Chiragh (F) – Doruh man in his early 20’s / earns a living from chauffeuring passengers around the Library / animal form is a cheetah
Court Democracy (F) – form of government in which seven elected officials, known as the Court, each representing one of EverEmber’s seven political jurisdictions, governs the city by the will of the majority / officials are given the title of Courtman or Courtwoman / this is the only human government that is not led by the military, as both SeaBed and PeakHaven are Stratocracies
Currency / Stones (F) – polished stones, etched with the MegaFather’s portrait are used as currency / a circular blue stone, a triangular green stone, and a rectangular red stone / the currency is designed and manufactured on a mass scale in SunSide / the value of the currency soon overpowered all others, causing it to take over as the dominant form of payment across the continent
Directors / Legion Directors (F) - mid-level rank in the Braver hierarchy / officers report to the Legion Directors, while the Directors then report to the District Supervisors / uniform mask color is blue
The Dissolved Nations – once dominated by prosperous kings and queens, ministers, councilmen, and presidents / wealth driven into the hands of a fraction of the population leading to rampant poverty in all other classes / greed gave way to collapse and ruin / now empty land that others do not settle, as it is believed to be cursed / each nation in the region was named for the most common occupation of the residents there: Merchant, Bard, Cobbler, Courtesan, and Smith
District Supervisors / Supervisors (F) – upper-level rank in the Braver hierarchy / Legion Directors report to District Supervisors, who then report directly to the Braver General / uniform mask color is green
Diya / Husband / Son (F) – Doruh family who transport travelers through MoonSide / Diya and her husband are in their early 40’s, their son is twelve or thirteen years old / their animal form is horse / Diya and Alba have a cordial, professional relationship
Doruh (F) – species of shapeshifters / shift into animals using energy from the Radiance / their animal forms are typically hereditary / Doruh twins, whether identical or fraternal, will always shift into the same animal form / have two essences: one human and one animal / originally were the human teri clan until the War of New Clans / the term “animal” is used as a slur to refer to this species / most Doruh worship the Twins / pronounced doe-ROO
Doruh Genesis (F) – current calendar era / began upon the creation of the Doruh species during the War of New Clans / noted as “DG”
The Doruh Uprisings / Doruh Liberation (F) – Liberation originally planned for 767 DG, but was stopped by the usurping of the SunSidian throne by Red-Lo, Drof-Fa, and the Faerie Empowerment Forces / this led to the Uprisings in 784 DG, which freed the Doruh and set up the Alphocracy / the Doruh were free until 1381 DG, when SunSide invaded MoonSide, assassinated the Alphas, and set up their military occupation
Drof-Fa (F) – faerie / General of the Faerie Empowerment Forces until 767 DG / MegaMother of SunSide from 767 DG until her mysterious death in 783 DG / wife of Red-Lo the MegaFather / pronounced DRO-fa
Dupatta (NF) – a long shawl-like scarf traditionally worn by women in the South Asian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders / most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit / common Doruh attire, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian Subcontinent
Educator Librarians / Educators (F) – fifth rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is red linen tunics / teach courses at both the Academy and the CereCenters
Eloa (F) – small village on the northern coast of SunSide / where Saila grew up and where her mother, Saith’s ex-wife, currently resides / pronounced eh-lua
Era of the Nysabaan (F) – original calendar era of recorded history / noted as “EN” / era during which ancient inhabitants of the All-Sphere, known as the Nysabaan, were the dominant species / Nysabaani was the dominant language / runs until 2165 EN, the year during which historical records indicate the extinction of the Sprite species, and evolutionary divergence of the human and Mega species / pronounced NEE-sah-baan
Essence (F) – soul
EverEmber (F) – one of the three human cities / governed by Court Democracy; only human city without a military-led government / populated by the igni human clan / comprised of three islands: Roba, Sila, and Tusa / Roba is the largest island, a hub of commerce, recreation, government, and residences of the upper class; also known as “The Mother” / Sila and Tusa are smaller islands known as “The Sisters”; Sila houses the lower and middle classes, while Tusa is nothing more than dense forest / at the center of Roba is Mt. Mother, the volcano around which the igni settled during the Teri Age / heat from the volcano rises into the air, then descends and covers the waters around the island, forming a natural defense, while towering ore walls surrounding the islands form an artificial one / the igni do not display any particular organization in religion or spirituality, yet they do “feed” their dead to Mt. Mother, so that their stone exoskeletons can be liquified and become part of the volcanic rock across Roba / EverEmber was engaged in the War for Bibi Sands with SeaBed for nineteen years until Courtman Tomohiro discovered Lily Beach; the latter was far larger, and far more geologically-equipped to handle the construction of the igni settlements that the Court once desired to build on Bibi Sands, so EverEmber ended the war and relinquished control of the smaller island to SeaBed
The Everlasting Journey (F) – both a journey taken by the MegaParents of SunSide and the autobiography of Red-Lo the MegaFather / a journey in search of immortality taken by Red-Lo the MegaFather and Drof-Fa the MegaMother in 783 DG, which leads to the latter’s death under mysterious circumstance / this is considered a pivotal moment in SunSidian history, as Red-Lo’s grief propelled him to focus on SunSide’s technological and scientific revolutions / toward the end of his life, with the help of his Head Salver, Hay-Ro, he penned an autobiography and titled it after this event
Evic (F) – small village on the farthest edge of MoonSide, directly to the east of Red-Lo River / the entire village is a narrow strip, a string inhabited by little more than broken-down homes, destitute clay huts, and the warming fires of the hungry and impoverished / towering walls separate the Doruh residents from the prosperous faerie settlements on the other side / not on most maps due to its size / this is where Naina and Salessa settled after escaping Arlun at 8 years old / pronounced EE-vik
The Facilitator (F) – high-status position in the SunSidian monarchy / advisor and confidant of the monarch, responsibilities include: general monarchy administration, provide counsel to the monarch, ensure the enforcement of domestic and foreign policy and decree, communicate the monarch’s wishes to to other members of government, maintain strict loyalty to the monarch, advise on all political and economic matters, administer justice, safeguard the monarch by any means necessary, etc. / position currently held by Saith
Faeries (F) – one of the three Mega clans / like the humans, said to have evolved from the Sprites toward the end of the Era of the Nysabaan / originally possessed the ability, as the other clans do, to access and harness the energy of the Radiance, though that ability dwindled as the faerie reliance on technology increased and they used the Radiance less and less / present-day faeries can no longer access the Radiance at all / share the common physical traits of all Mega: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / led the Mega campaign to enslave the Doruh after their creation in 1 DG / prevented Doruh Liberation in 767 DG by usurping the SunSidian throne / invaded MoonSide in 1381 DG and assassinated the Alphas / created the Braver organization and used it to set up a military occupation in SunSide / built settlements in MoonSide in 1422 after capturing land that belonged to MoonSidians and driving them from their homes / drove most of the nymphs and pixies out of Larso and into Nivyan Hollow / introduced the ore to SunSide, and later to the entire continent, severing any remaining nymphs and pixies in Larso from the Radiance / most faeries are followers of the Four, the dominant Mega religion / faerie familial naming conventions hyphenate a family name to the first name (e.g. Red-Lo and Zar-Lo; Hay-Ro and Vy-Ro)
Faerie Empowerment Forces (F) - warriors who provoked the battle for the SunSidian throne in 767 DG / led by Red-Lo and General Drof-Fa / after acquisition of the throne, become the SunSidian Royal Army, predecessors to the Braver organization / started by Zif-Lo, father of Red-Lo
The Final Act (F) – document written and signed by Members of the Assembly of the Radiance during the early days of their incumbency / should they perish prior to the end of their term, theocratic law states that their Final Act will be read before the Assembly and the MegaParent(s), and acted upon swiftly / a Final Act can be nullified by a majority vote amongst the remaining Members, by a criminal conviction of the late Member during their lifetime, or by any other circumstance that dilutes their spiritual status in the eyes of the Four
The Forum (F) – vast chamber in the Castrum where the Members of the Assembly of the Radiance hold their sessions / a magnificent stage rests on one end of the chamber, tall windows line the walls, and polished stone, embedded with gems, covers the floor
The Four (F) – the four suns, deities of the dominant Mega religion / the Four are Ona, Lona, Throna, and Frona; this is the order in which they rise from the horizon, as well as how they are ordered in size and age / Ona is the oldest and the strongest while Frona is the youngest and weakest / Ona and Frona are typically referred to with feminine pronouns, while Lona and Throna are typically referred to with masculine, though there is no certainty of gender from scripture / they are praised often with the phrase “Glory to the Four!” / statues, monuments, and shrines to the Four are featured in designated areas all around the vast compound of the Temple Complex in Larso
Frona (F) – Frona is the youngest and weakest of the Four, deities of the dominant Mega religion / she is the last to rise from the horizon, after Ona, Lona, and Throna / she is typically referred to with feminine pronouns, though there is no certainty of gender from scripture / pronounced FROE-nah
The Future is Forever! (F) – official motto of SunSide
Fully Bonded (F) – an ideal that the Prime commands all Librarians to strive toward / the Fully Bonded individual is one who: abandons victimhood and fosters accountability, is introspective, listen to the teachings of the Prime and learns from it, respects and safeguards knowledge, truth, and history, thirsts for more knowledge, obeys commands and rules decreed by the Prime and the Supremes, devotes their life to collecting and protecting the information in the Catacombs, inherently trusts the Prime and Supremes to know what is best for them, and above all else, believe in the Prime’s mercy and wisdom
Fully Broken (F) – an ideal that the Prime warns all Librarians to avoid / the Fully Broken individual is one who: embraces victimhood and lacks accountability, lacks self-awareness, disobeys the Prime, the Supremes, and their commands, lacks respect for knowledge, truth, and history, lacks a devotion to protect the information in the Catacombs, doesn’t trust the Prime and Supremes entirely to know what is best, doesn’t believe in the Prime’s mercy and wisdom / the Fully Broken are promptly arrested and taken for rehabilitation or exile
Gatekeeper Librarians / Gatekeepers (F) – third rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is gold cotton tunics / oversee the intake and outtake of records, documents, and artifacts from their assigned sections within the CataCombs
Gerontocracy (NF) – a form of government led by elders
The Gerontocratic Villages (F) – federation of small villages governed by local elders
Gina (F) – mid-50’s / chartreuse skin / shares common Mega features: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / former Co-General of the SunSide Revolutionary Forces / joined Symin’s group of warriors after the Siege of the Castrum / pronounced JEE-na
Guardleaf Grove (F) – one of the farming villages within the Agrarian Townlets
Hassan (F) – 42 years old / Educator Librarian / angi human / shares trait common to the angi: wings that look like steel in color and texture / religious; prays facing the Holy Summit / fluent in Nysabaani / stationed at CereCenter Forty-Two for the current academic season / has been good friends with Alba for many years
Hay-Ro (F) – faerie / originally a salver in Larso, joined the Faerie Empowerment Forces as a warrior / became Head Salver during Red-Lo’s and Drof-Fa’s reign as MegaParents / assisted Red-Lo later in life in writing his autobiography / had a strong friendship with Drof-Fa, but Red-Lo regarded him with disfavor / ancestor of Vy-Ro, current Braver General / pronounced HAY-roe
Head Salver (F) – high-status position in the SunSidian government / healer of the monarch, the royal family, the Members of the Assembly of the Radiance, other high-status government officials, and others authorized by the monarch or Members / responsibilities also include: providing monarchy and theocracy with guidance on advisable and feasible domestic healing policies / position currently held by Saimiza / formerly held by Hay-Ro
Headwoman (NF) – female chief or leader of a tribe or village
Headwoman of Adera / Amma (F) – village elder who governs Adera / Shifa’s grandmother / animal form is a bison
The HearthBark (F) – dense forest at the south of the continent / some describe it as a maze, or a prison if a traveler gets lost / said to be inhabited by Reyu Paleyu, a Vine Demon
Hof-Lo the Unflinching (F) – faerie / MegaFather and thirty-third member of the Red-Lo Royal Dynasty / known for the construction of the settlements in MoonSide in 1422 DG
The Holy Summit (F) – sacred angi temple constructed on a mountaintop in the PeakHaven mountain range / the angi face the Summit during their daily prayers
Hover Chariots (F) – vehicle used in local transportation around Larso / oval in shape, with two rows of seats / bottom half is metal, painted white, and the top is made of treated, protective glass / hovers over the ground as a magnetized ore plate affixed to the bottom pushes against the ore embedded in the roads
Igni (F) – one of the three human clans / possess stone exoskeletons / built the city of EverEmber on three islands surrounding the volcano, Mt. Mother / governed by Court Democracy / seven members to the elected Court / do not display any particular organization in religion or spirituality, yet they do “feed” their dead to Mt. Mother, so that their stone exoskeletons can be liquified and become part of the volcanic rock across Roba / engaged in the War for Bibi Sands with the mari for nineteen years until Courtman Tomohiro discovered Lily Beach; the latter was far larger, and far more geologically-equipped to handle the construction of the igni settlements that the Court once desired to build on Bibi Sands, so EverEmber ended the war and relinquished control of the smaller island to SeaBed / pronounced ig-nee
Innkeeper’s Ranch (F) – one of the farming villages within the Agrarian Townlets
Joaquina (F) – 17 years old at the time of her death / mari human / Rafael’s sister / olive-toned skin, taller than Rafael, golden-brown eyes, chestnut hair cut just under her earlobes / was self-conscious about the sharpness of her forearm fins; Rafael called her “blade-arms” / agricultural prodigy / gave her bracelet to Rafael before she died / shares common mari anatomy: fins on the forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater
Kanako / Yala (F) – 32 years old / igni human / Kyoko’s sister / Natsumi’s mother / came to the Library with Kyoko when she was 16 and Kyoko was 12 / shares common igni anatomy: stone exoskeleton
Koal (F) – Recorder Librarian / Unisa and Maksi’s direct supervisor / nymph
Kura (F) – igni human / owner of Kura’s Kitchen, a dining stall in the Library’s marketplace
Kurti / Kurta (NF) – a kurta is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia / a kurti is a short hip-length kurta worn traditionally by young women and girls / common Doruh attire, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian Subcontinent
Kruga (F) – 35 years old / crimson skin / shares common Mega features: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / formerly a scientist who worked in the MegaFather’s laboratories / formerly a member of the SunSide Revolutionary Forces, after the murder of his fiancee, Zynima / joined Symin’s group of warriors after the Siege of the Castrum / strong bond with Symin after their shared grief; his late fiancee was Symin’s daughter / pronounced KROO-ga
Kyoko (F) – 28 years old / Vice Ambassador Librarian / igni human / her sister is Kanako, with whom she came to the Library when she was 12 / has been Alba’s Vice and protege for six years / shares common igni anatomy: stone exoskeleton
Larso (F) – capital city of SunSide / originally known by Nysabaani name Afuna Ji’Una, as described in ancient texts from the Era of the Nysabaan / after the Doruh Uprisings in 784 DG, the city plunged into chaos and violence between the faeries and the other two Mega clans, the nymphs and the pixies, who stood behind the Doruh during the Uprisings / this lasted until 790 DG, when the majority of the nymphs and pixies were driven out of Larso, into Nivyan Hollow, as a result of their support for the Doruh / with the nymph and pixie communities in Larso mostly emptied, Red-Lo razed them and built the Temple Complex he had promised the Assembly / over the following years, those nymphs, pixies, and Doruh who remained, along with some humans and progressive faeries, slowly started to band together and form the underground SunSide Revolutionary Forces / connected to MoonSide’s capital city, Arlun, by PeakHaven Pass / where the Castrum is / pronounced lar-soe
Larso University (F) – educational institution in the middle districts of Larso / classrooms are packed with faeries whose parents have either paid handsomely to educate them or have leveraged friendships and status to enroll their children / non-faeries are offered generous sums of money to attend classes by wealthy faeries to whom they’ll be indebted for the remainder of their lives / offer a wide range of courses of study, including biochemistry.
Legion Directors / Directors (F) – mid-level rank in the Braver hierarchy / Officers report to the Legion Directors, while the Directors then report to the District Supervisors / uniform mask color is blue
Lexona (F) – Salessa’s ex-girlfriend / Naina’s references “the Lexona situation,” in which Salessa trusted her too quickly, leaving the twins vulnerable to Lexona’s betrayal / pronounced LEXA-na
The Library (F) – sovereign city-state in the northwestern corner of the continent / built with the sole purpose of housing and cataloging the entirety of Aerthomni’s written history / this history is preserved in a system of tunnels under the city called the Catacomb Network, which connects various parts of the city and large chambers called, “sections” / for ease of transportation, also has a Stream Network and Loop Network built into the city’s infrastructure / Stream Network is interconnected canals, intricately woven under bridges, around buildings, and through tunnels for those who wish to travel by water / Loop Network is a framework of multicolored hoops that direct and manage the airborne traffic throughout the Library / many of the Library’s citizens desire to become Librarians: the Library’s primary military, law enforcement, government officials, and healers / individuals find themselves in the Library in one of four ways: (a) born in the Library, (b) accepted by the Library under refugee or exiled status, (c) accepted by the Library for the youth education program and assigned to a Librarian for care and upbringing, or (d) accepted by the Library to train as a Librarian after displaying a high level of skill or intellect in a particular field / has strong political ties and allyship with SunSide / governed by the six Supreme Librarians and the one Prime Librarian / protected by golden gates, and surrounded by a nearly impenetrable forest
Librarians (F) - the Library’s primary military, law enforcement, government officials, and healers / devote their lives to the history recorded and preserved in the Catacombs, as well as the wisdom and teachings of the Prime / the various ranks dutifully collect, defend, or manage the information, but their focus remains the same regardless of where in the Library’s hierarchy they fall: protect the history, protect the Catacombs, protect the city / Librarians are extensively trained in combat and weapons skills, and have some level of fluency in speaking and understanding Nysabaani / the ranks in ascending order are: Student, Scribe, Gatekeeper, Recorder, Educator, Vice Ambassador, Ambassador, Supreme, Prime / each Librarian rank is associated with a different color tunic as a uniform, and performs a specified function or duty / the only Librarians with a duty or function that differs from that of their colleagues are the Prime’s Gatekeeper, who acts as a personal and professional assistant to the Prime, and the Librarians who guard the gates
Lily Beach (F) – island situated on Ardev Ocean between the two known continents / EverEmber’s Courtman Tomohiro discovered the island during the War for Bibi Sands / realizing it has greater potential for development and construction, he urged the Court to end the war and relinquish Bibi Sands to the mari / Lily Beach now hosts EverEmber’s newly built luxury settlements
Lona (F) – Lona is the second sun and deity of the Four / considered oldest and strongest after Ona in the Mega religion / typically referred to with masculine pronounce, though there is no certainty of gender from scripture / pronounced LOE-nah
The Loops / The Library’s Loop Network (F) – a framework of multicolored hoops that direct and manage the airborne traffic throughout the Library / the Stream and the Loop reach the outer neighborhoods of the Library / the last exit of each is only a few minutes’ walk from the Library’s southern gates
Maksi (F) – late 20’s / Uni’s coworker / carrot-colored skin / shares common Mega features: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / likes writing poetry and vegetable stew in a corn bowl / dislikes breaking the rules / pronounced max-ee
Mari (F) – one of the three human clans / possess anatomy that assist in sub-oceanic travel and existence: fins on their forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater / built the city of SeaBed at the bottom of Ardev Ocean / the city consists of domed communities with interconnected walkways as well as tubes through which mari can swim from one community to the next if they are in a hurry / the domes allow for their vast agricultural production / governed by Sub-Oceanic Stratocracy: an underwater government led by their military / the military requires all soldiers to name an Undersoldier, one who will replace the soldier in battle should the primary soldier perish / no organized religion or spirituality amongst the mari / engaged in the War for Bibi Sands with the igni for nineteen years until the igni discovered Lily Beach and ended the war / SeaBed now controls Bibi Sands / pronounced ma-ree
Mega (F) – humanoid species, said to have evolved from the now-extinct Sprites toward the end of the Era of the Nysabaan / divided into three clans based on internal anatomical variances and differing levels of connectivity to the Radiance: the pixies, the nymphs, and the faeries / common traits amongst all Mega: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / skin colors occur from all over the color spectrum / pixies tend to have the strongest connection to the Radiance, with nymphs having a less connection; present-day faeries have lost their connection to the Radiance as their dependence on technology has grown / spread out across Aerthomni, though the highest concentration of Mega in one place is in SunSide / Mega is both the singular and the plural / pronounced may-ga
MegaParents / MegaMother / MegaFather / SunSidian Monarchy (F) – one-half of the SunSidian government / ruling monarch(s) of SunSide / referred to as “Father” or “Mother” / greeted with a circled fingers placed over the center of the forehead / monarchy created by theocratic law to act as a liaison to the SunSidian citizenry, who felt SunSide’s original sole theocracy had become disconnected from the general public
Mohuway (F) – a term of endearment for children in Nysabaani / pronounced moe-hoo-way
Monarchy (NF) – a form of government in which an individual, a monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication
MoonSide (F) – capital city is Arlun / largest state on the continent after SunSide, directly west of PeakHaven Mountains / encompasses all land between the PeakHaven Mountains and Red-Lo River / originally settled by a community of Sprites who evolved into the teri human clan / inhabited by the teri through the Teri Age, though their numbers dwindled as human exploration led the teri to PeakHaven, SeaBed and EverEmber / SunSide invaded MoonSide during the War of New Clans and turned the remaining teri humans into the Doruh, marking the beginning of the new calendar era, Doruh Genesis (DG) / many Doruh captured and removed from MoonSide; brought back to SunSide and enslaved until the Doruh Uprisings in 784 DG / Alphocracy of twenty Alphas formed to govern MoonSide until the next SunSidian invasion in 1381 DG by Tya-Lo the MegaMother, when they were assassinated / following this invasion, SunSide’s new Braver forces remained in MoonSide to set up military occupation on captured land, driving many of the Doruh out of MoonSide and into the remainder of the continent / in 1422 DG, more Doruh were driven from MoonSide, as their land was further captured and faerie settlements built by Hof-Lo the Unflinching
Mosto (NF) – a type of grape juice beverage made from pressed grapes, common in parts of Spain / a typical mari drink, as the development of the fictional mari culture was influenced by Spanish culture
Mt. Mother (F) – the volcano around which the igni settled during the Teri Age / located in the igni human city of EverEmber, on the island known as Roba / heat from the volcano rises into the air, then descends and covers the waters around the island, forming a natural defense, while towering ore walls surrounding the islands form an artificial one / the igni do not display any particular organization in religion or spirituality, yet they do “feed” their dead to Mt. Mother, so that their stone exoskeletons can be liquified and become part of the volcanic rock across Roba
Naina (F) – 20 years old / Salessa’s twin sister / Doruh / animal form is a wolf / black hair cut just above shoulders / professional cage fighter in Evic’s underground fighting ring known as the Pit / heals quickly, but covered in scars / parents were murdered when Naina and Salessa were 8, by SunSide’s Facilitator / they ran from Arlun until they found a small, inconspicuous village called Evic, where they settled / have been hiding from the Facilitator, who is searching for them, since / pronounced NAN-na
Natsumi (F) – 2 years old / igni human / Yala’s daughter / Kyoko’s niece
Neha (F) – young Doruh in Roxie’s class / pronounced NAY-ha
Nivyan Hollow (F) – large forest forming the southern border of MoonSide / paths run through the forest from Larso to the docks / where the nymphs and pixies were driven out to, as a result of their complicity in the Doruh Uprisings / powerful epicenter of Radiant energy / pronounced nih-VY-in
Nusta. Ista. Hosta. (F) – “Knowledge. History. Truth.” / official motto of the Library / in the ancient Nysabaani language / pronounced NOO-sta. EE-sta. HAU-sta.
Nymph (F) – one of the three Mega clans / like the humans, said to have evolved from the Sprites toward the end of the Era of the Nysabaan / can access and harness the energy of the Radiance, though they tend to have a weaker connection than the pixies do / share the common physical traits of all Mega: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / many nymphs supported Doruh Liberation and fought alongside them in the Uprisings / were driven from Larso, into Nivyan Hollow, as a result / some nymphs are followers of the Four, the dominant Mega religion / nymph familial naming conventions build names within families around a common vowel (e.g. Symin, Syma, Zynima, Nypa)
Nypa (F) – early forties / Symin’s younger sister / nymph / pregnant with third child, with wife Rona
Nysabaan (F) – name for the ancient inhabitants of Aerthomni and Panaerth during the Era of the Nysabaan (EN) / largely made up of Sprites, ancestors of the Mega, and the ancient humans, ancestors of the four human clans and the Doruh / spoke an ancient language called Nysabaani
Nysabaani (F) – ancient language that was the lingua franca during the Era of the Nysabaan (EN) / modern-day Librarians are taught to understand, translate, and converse in Nysabaani during their training / some national mottos are written in Nysabaani
Occupied Territory (NF) – a political territory placed under the authority of a hostile military
Officers (F) – low-level rank in the Braver hierarchy / report to the Legion Directors / uniform mask color is red
Ona (F) – the oldest and strongest of the Four, deities of the dominant Mega religion / she is the first to rise from the horizon, before Lona, Throna, and Frona / she is typically referred to with feminine pronouns, though there is no certainty of gender from scripture / pronounced OE-nah
Ora (F) – retired Librarian / Unisa’s assigned mother / pixie / celadon-colored skin
O’raha (F) – group of devotees formed in 21 DG, after the Twins had a shared vision that they would one day be resurrected / the O’raha continued to keep oral records of future visions the Twins had, passing them down through the generations / eventually disbanded after losing sight of the purpose of the group and becoming extremists
Ore (F) – mysterious black stone or mineral discovered by the SunSidian monarch / revealed in 1621 DG during the Siege of the Castrum / SunSide initially manufactured ore weapons and armor, later including it in roads, buildings, and Larso’s infrastructure / the MegaFather also began to distribute the ore to political allies / interrupts the Mega connection to the Radiance, though the size of the ore, the distance from it, and the strength of the Mega’s connection to the Radiance all play a role in how each individual is affected by it / the MegaFather used it so much, he earned the nickname—later a slur—“The Ore Monger”
Ovida (F) – former Co-General of the SunSide Revolutionary Forces / orange skin / shares common Mega features: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / widow of Zabeza, Symin’s closest friend / disbanded the Revolution after the Siege of the Castrum and opted not to join Symin’s group in their continued efforts / Zakia’s sister-in-law / pronounced oe-vee-dah
Panaerth (F) – one of the two known continents of the All-Sphere / pronounced pahn-AIRTH
PeakHaven (F) – one of the three human cities / governed by Super-Montane Stratocracy: headed by the military / populated by the angi human clan / built atop the highest mountain of the PeakHaven mountain range / built a temple called the Holy Summit / settled during the human exploration of the Teri Age / remained neutral during the War for Bibi Sands
PeakHaven Pass (F) – built through the narrowest part of the PeakHaven mountain range / connects Arlun and Larso, the respective capital cities of MoonSide and SunSide.
Picana (F) – MegaMother during the time of Red-Lo’s and Drof-Fa’s usurping of the throne / said to have been the most just of all MegaParents, fighting for equity amongst the clans and species of SunSide’s citizenry / planned to liberate the Doruh before the regicide in 767 DG / pronounced pee-KAH-nah
The Pit (F) – Evic’s underground fighting ring where Naina makes her living
Pixie (F) – one of the three Mega clans / like the humans, said to have evolved from the Sprites toward the end of the Era of the Nysabaan / can access and harness the energy of the Radiance/ tend to have the strongest connection to the Radiance of all Mega clans / share the common physical traits of all Mega: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / many pixies supported Doruh Liberation and fought alongside them in the Uprisings / were driven from Larso, into Nivyan Hollow, as a result / most pixies are followers of the Four, the dominant Mega religion / pixie familial naming conventions build names within families around a common initial phoneme (e.g. Saith, Saila, Saimiza; Zakia, Zabeza, Zalona)
The Prime (F) – ninth and top rank of the Librarian hierarchy / political, social, and spiritual leader of the Library / uniform is black silk tunic / title currently held by a mari man: Alvaro, Alba’s and Ana’s uncle / late fifties / shares common mari anatomy: fins on the forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater / his most unique feature is his eyes; they are somehow warm and cold at the same time
The Radiance (F) – energy fields emitted from organic matter / Mega possess the ability to access and harness the energy for any purpose (dependent on the strength of the Mega’s connection to the Radiance and their personal skill level) / in present continuity, faeries have lost their ability to access the Radiance, while the nymphs and pixies have retained it / Pixies tend to have the strongest connection to the Radiance, of all three clans / ore blocks the nymphs’ and pixies’ abilities to connect to the Radiance / Doruh cannot actively harness the Radiance, but do use Radiant energy when shifting / humans have no connection to the Radiance in present continuity, though they were able to access and harness the Radiance prior to 1 DG, when the human teri clan was transformed into the first generation of Doruh
Radiance-Return (F) – the Mega religion dictates that the Four use energy from the Radiance to build essences prior to life / after death, the essences become energy again and return to the Radiance
Rafael (F) – 23 years old / Prime’s Gatekeeper / mari human / arrived at the Library 8 years prior, immediately after his exile from the underwater city of SeaBed / wears a bracelet that originally belonged to his sister, who gave it to him prior to her death / skilled archer and agriculturalist / his sister, Joaquina, was 2 years older than him / shares common mari anatomy: fins on the forearms and down the spine, piscine nare slits in place of a human nose, webbed fingers, and internal organs that allow for breathing underwater
Ray-Mi (F) – late forties / faerie / cornflower-blue skin / many piercings: one ring in each nostril, three on each eyebrow, one on each nipple, five on each side of his body along his ribs, and more / Legion Director in the Braver fleet before he defected and joined the Revolution / owns a sailboat / loves a good myth / pronounced ray-mee
Recorder Librarians / Recorders (F) – fourth rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is purple cotton tunics / duties include: accompany Ambassadors on missions to record historical events for the Catacombs, supervise Gatekeepers, record testimonies, managing the intake of those entering the Library, etc.
Red-Lo (F) – faerie / leader of the Faerie Empowerment Forces until 767 DG, when he usurps the SunSidian throne from MegaMother Picana and becomes the MegaFather / started the Red-Lo Royal Dynasty / MegaFather from 767 DG until his death in 809 DG / husband of Drof-Fa / widowed in 783 DG, during the Everlasting Journey / faced the Doruh Uprisings of 784 DG, eventually freeing the species from enslavement after the nymphs and pixies rose up to join the Doruh cause / dealt with unrest in the kingdom until 790 DG when he led a campaign to drive the nymphs and pixies out of Larso as a result of their support of the Doruh / in 792 DG, he followed through on the promise he made to the Assembly in 767 DG, to build the Temple Complex in Larso, using land when nymph and pixie communities once stood / ancestor of current MegaFather Zar-Lo
Red-Lo River (F) – named after Red-Lo the MegaFather / forms the western border of MoonSide
Red-Lo Royal Dynasty (F) – current SunSidian dynasty / started in 767 DG with Red-Lo the MegaFather after the regicide of MegaMother Picana / current MegaFather is forty-sixth member of the Dynasty
Reyu Paleyu / The Vine Demon (F) – mythical demon said to inhabit the HearthBark / body of a lion, with thick, green vines forming a mane around its head and down the spine, as well as forming patterns and designs along its sides and back pronounced ray-yoo pa-lay-yoo
Roba (F) – largest island of the igni human city EverEmber / a hub of commerce, recreation, government, and residences of the upper class; also known as “The Mother” / at the center of Roba is Mt. Mother, the volcano around which the igni settled during the Teri Age / heat from the volcano rises into the air, then descends and covers the waters around the island, forming a natural defense, while towering ore walls surrounding the islands form an artificial one / the igni do not display any particular organization in religion or spirituality, yet they do “feed” their dead to Mt. Mother, so that their stone exoskeletons can be liquified and become part of the volcanic rock across Roba / intricate network of streets and roads and lanes / sprawling black stone architecture weaves around projections of volcanic rock erupting from the ground / lanterns depicting popular igni figures, both historical and fictional, hang in doorways / pronounced ROE-bah
Rona (F) – early forties / nymph / her wife, Nypa, is pregnant with their third child / Symin’s sister-in-law
Roxie (F) – Educator Librarian / nymph / teaches at the Academy / azure skin
Ryokan (NF) – a type of traditional Japanese inn / common in EverEmber, as the development of the fictional igni culture was influenced by Japanese culture
Saila (F) – 35 years old / Theocrat; Member of the Assembly of the Radiance / pixie / green skin, inherited from her father, Saith the Facilitator / powerful connection to the Radiance, also inherited from her father / was sent to live with Saith at the age of 15 due to her mother’s illness / nearly six feet tall / one of Alba’s closest friends / pronounced SY-la
Saimiza (F) – elderly / Head Salver / pixie / Saith’s aunt / Saila’s great-aunt / passed her green skin and powerful connection to the Radiance on to both Saith and Saila / pronounce sy-MEE-za
Saith (F) – late fifties / Facilitator / pixie / lost one arm years prior while protecting the MegaFather; now receives treatment for buildups of Radiant energy that can no longer be expressed through his missing limb / Saila’s father / Saimiza’s nephew / inherited his green skin and powerful connection to the Radiance from his aunt / pronounced sy-th (like “scythe”)
Salessa (F) – 20 years old / Naina’s twin sister / Doruh / light brown eyes / mid-length hair, dyed auburn / teaches at the village schools and orphanages during the daytime, then works the evening and night shifts at Sultana’s Chai Palace / parents were murdered when Naina and Salessa were 8, by SunSide’s Facilitator / they ran from Arlun until they found a small, inconspicuous village called Evic, where they settled / have been hiding from the Facilitator, who is searching for them, since / pronounced sa-LESS-sa
Salvers (F) – healers
Sangria (NF) – alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal / sangria traditionally consists of red wine and chopped fruit, often with other ingredients / a typical mari drink, as the development of the fictional mari culture was influenced by Spanish culture
Sari (NF) – a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women from South Asia / common Doruh attire, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian Subcontinent
Scribe Librarians / Scribes (F) – second rank of the Librarian hierarchy / recent graduates of the Academy; initial rank out of training / uniform is pink cotton / duties primarily revolve around assisting Gatekeepers, be that with copying, filing, general tasks, etc.
SeaBed (F) – one of the three human cities / governed by a Sub-Oceanic Stratocracy: headed by the military / populated by the mari human clan / at the bottom of Ardev Ocean / the city consists of domed communities with interconnected walkways as well as tubes through which mari can swim from one community to the next if they are in a hurry / the domes allow for their vast agricultural production / the military requires all soldiers to name an Undersoldier, one who will replace the soldier in battle should the primary soldier perish / no organized religion or spirituality amongst the mari / engaged in the War for Bibi Sands with the igni for nineteen years until the igni discovered Lily Beach and ended the war / SeaBed now controls Bibi Sands
Shalwar Kameez (NF) – shalwars are trousers, common in the South Asia subcontinent, which are atypically wide at the waist but which narrow to a cuffed bottom / the kameez is a long shirt or tunic that often accompanies the shalwar / common Doruh attire, as the development of the fictional Doruh culture was influenced by the culture of the South Asian Subcontinent
Shersa (F) – theocrat / Member of the Assembly of the Radiance at the time of Red-Lo’s usurping of the throne in 767 DG
Shifa (F) – granddaughter of Adera’s Headwoman / animal form is a bison
Siege of the Castrum (F) – In 1621 DG, with the help of collaborators within the SunSidian government, the SunSide Revolutionary Forces were able to infiltrate the Bravers ranks / the vulnerability of the Bravers and the intelligence gathered during infiltration allowed the Revolution to to besiege the Castrum / the Bravers emerged wielding ore weapons and armor, severing the Mega of the Revolution from the Radiance / after the failure of the Siege, and the loss of the Radiance in Larso, Ovida disbanded the Revolution / Symin and his group opted to continue the fight by attempting to find ways to rid the MegaFather of the ore / those efforts continued for years until they realized they must destroy the ore processing center on Panaerth, for which they would need Doruh assistance
Sila (F) – Sila and Tusa are smaller islands known as “The Sisters”; Sila houses the lower and middle classes, while Tusa is nothing more than dense forest / pronounced SILL-a
Siphon (F) – a Mega who can feed off the Radiant energy of others in close proximity
Sonali (F) – Doruh / animal form is a bald-faced hornet / executed for aiding the Revolution during the Siege of the Castrum / buried in the Northern Hills of MoonSide with her father
Sonali’s Mother (F) – Doruh / widow / looked after Saila after her move to Larso in the times when Saith was absent
Sovereign City-State (NF) – an independent city with its own sovereignty
Sprites (F) – extinct beings who, toward the end of the Era of the Nysabaan, evolved into the Mega / not much else is known about them
Stratocracy (NF) – government led by the military
The Stream / The Library’s Stream Network (F) – interconnected canals, intricately woven under bridges, around buildings, and through tunnels for those who wish to travel by water / the Stream and the Loop reach the outer neighborhoods of the Library / the last exit of each is only a few minutes’ walk from the Library’s southern gates
Stones / Currency (F) – polished stones, etched with the MegaFather’s portrait are used as currency / a circular blue stone, a triangular green stone, and a rectangular red stone / the currency is designed and manufactured on a mass scale in SunSide / the value of the currency soon overpowered all others, causing it to take over as the dominant form of payment across the continent
Student Librarians / Students (F) - first rank of the Librarian hierarchy / study and train at the Academy / uniform is white cotton
Suikawari (NF) – traditional Japanese game that involves splitting a watermelon with a stick while blindfolded / common in EverEmber, as the development of the fictional igni culture was influenced by Japanese culture
Supreme Librarians / Supremes (F) – eighth rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is blue silk / six Supremes / responsible for lawmaking, governance, and general administration along with the Prime / also responsible for managing the mission assignments of the Ambassadors
Sultana (F) – owner of Sultana’s Chai Palace / Salessa’s boss / not fond of Naina
Sultana’s Chai Palace (F) – where Salessa works as a chaitender for the evening and night shifts
SunSide (F) – capital city is Larso / largest kingdom and political entity on the continent / governed by a Theocratic-Monarchy in which ten theocrats and a monarch rule together, with the theocracy holding slightly more power / encompasses all land to the east of the PeakHaven mountain range / southern border is formed by Nivyan Hollow / most of the kingdom, outside of the capital city, is comprised of smaller villages and the Library’s CereCenters / originally settled by a community of Sprites who evolved into the Mega / these Mega further split into the faeries, nymphs, and pixies during the Teri Age / SunSide invaded MoonSide during the War of New Clans and turned the remaining teri humans into the Doruh, marking the beginning of the new calendar era, Doruh Genesis (DG) / many Doruh captured and removed from MoonSide; brought back to SunSide and enslaved until the Doruh Uprisings in 784 DG / after Doruh liberation, the capital plunged into chaos / this lasted until 790 DG, when the majority of the nymphs and pixies were driven out of Larso, into Nivyan Hollow, as a result of their support for the Doruh / with the nymph and pixie communities in Larso mostly emptied, Red-Lo razed them and built the Temple Complex he had promised the Assembly / over the following years, those nymphs, pixies, and Doruh who remained, along with some humans and progressive faeries, slowly started to band together and form the underground SunSide Revolutionary Forces in 793 DG / SunSide invades MoonSide again in 1381 DG, assassinating the MoonSidian Alphocracy and forming the Braver organization to set up a military occupation / in 1422 DG, more Doruh were driven from MoonSide, as their land was further captured and faerie settlements built
SunSide Revolutionary Forces (F) – formed in 793 DG after Red-Lo drove the nymphs and pixies out of Larso / disbanded in 1621 DG after the failed Siege of the Castrum
Supervisors / District Supervisors (F) – upper-level rank in the Braver hierarchy / Legion Directors (“Directors”) report to District Supervisors (Supervisors), who then report directly to the Braver General / uniform mask color is green
Syma (F) – Symin’s and Nypa’s mother / Mega / elderly / pumpkin-colored skin
Symin (F) – early fifties / lost his daughter, Zynima, in 1613 / pink-skin / beard / nymph / shares common Mega features: pointed ears and solid-gray eyes with no pupils or irises / joined the Revolution until its disbanding in 1621, then set out with a group of warriors to continue the fight by attempting to find ways to rid the MegaFather of the ore / those efforts continued for years until they realized they must destroy the ore processing center on Panaerth, for which they would need Doruh assistance / is a Siphon / pronounced SY-min (like “Simon”)
Tanto (NF) – a type of Japanese short sword / common in EverEmber’s military, as the development of the fictional igni culture was influenced by Japanese culture
Tapas (NF) – an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine / tapas can be combined to make a full meal / a typical mari dish, as the development of the fictional mari culture was influenced by Spanish culture
Teri (F) – ancient human clan / direct evolution of the ancient humans who lived during the Era of the Nysabaan / their numbers dwindled as human exploration led the teri to PeakHaven, SeaBed and EverEmber, evolving further into the angi, mari, and igni clans, respectively / SunSide invaded MoonSide during the War of New Clans and turned the remaining teri humans into the Doruh, marking the beginning of the new calendar era, Doruh Genesis (DG) / pronounced teh-ree (like “Terry”)
Teri Age (F) – calendar era between the Era of the Nysabaan (EN) and Doruh Genesis (DG) / noted as “TA” / era during which humans and Mega were the dominant species / era during which Nysabaani is no longer the dominant language / era during which human exploration begins, leading to the splintering of the teri clan into the angi, mari, and igni; the remaining teri humans settle in MoonSide / runs until 2579 TA, the year prior to the invasion of MoonSide during the War of New Clans, which marked the creation of the Doruh species from the remaining teri humans
Temple Complex (F) – idea for massive complex of shrines and temples, devoted to the Four, originally presented to the MegaParents by the Members of the theocracy / generations of MegaParents denied the motion on the grounds of economic impracticality / as he usurps the throne in 767 DG, Red-Lo promises to build it as his first royal act as MegaFather / due to personal turmoil, followed by the Everlasting Journey, the Doruh Uprisings, and further unrest, it isn’t actually built for another twenty-five years, until 792 DG / no greater symbol of SunSide’s devotion to its theocracy exists than the Temple Complex / tall buildings house chapels, feast halls, council chambers and classrooms / towering statues, monuments, and shrines to the Four are featured in designated areas all around the vast compound / the outer rim is guarded by gates and pylons, and an ablution river runs around the center courtyard / the Complex now stands as a long-enduring token of partnership between the two halves of the government
The Theater (F) – rests at the top of the highest tower in the Castrum / the MegaFather’s favorite room. and the one in which he spends most of his time / the floor is polished stone, with shimmering gems embedded into it / along the south wall is a line of portraits / across from the portraits is a wall made entirely of treated, protective glass, floor to ceiling / the Facilitator and the MegaFather often stand at the window wall, gazing upon the citizens, monitoring the city.
Theocracy (NF) – a system of government in which religious leaders rule in the name of a god or gods.
Theocratic-Monarchy (F) – SunSide’s unique system of government, in which two halves rule together / SunSide’s original government was a sole theocracy / over time, the citizenry began to feel that, in its servitude to the Four, the theocracy had become disconnected from the general public / the throne was installed as a liaison between the citizens and the Assembly / while much of the monarch’s power is similar and equal to that of the Members of the Assembly, the theocracy holds slightly more power, as theocratic law allows them the ability to abolish the monarchy with a unanimous vote amongst the Members
Throna (F) – Throna is the third sun and deity of the Four / considered the youngest and weakest after Frona in the Mega religion / typically referred to with masculine pronounce, though there is no certainty of gender from scripture / pronounced THROE-nah
Tomohiro (F) – a Courtman of EverEmber / igni / one of seven elected officials, known as the Court / during the War for Bibi Sands, discovered the island Lily Beach / realizing it has greater potential for development and construction, he urged the Court to end the war and relinquish Bibi Sands to the mari / Lily Beach now hosts EverEmber’s newly built luxury settlements
The TreeKeeper (F) – a myth told to children about a grotesque, deformed figure who carries essences to the World Beyond, but will refuse to do so if the essence was a misbehaving child in its youth
Tusa (F) – Sila and Tusa are smaller islands known as “The Sisters” / nothing more than dense forest, an untouched look at EverEmber from before human exploration / popular with explorers and archaeologists / pronounced TOO-sa
The Twins (F) – deities of the Doruh religion / a brother and a sister who were the first naturally-conceived Doruh / born to Adera, a pixie, and her human lover, Anhum, who was originally a member of the teri human clan and was later transformed into the first generation of Doruh during the War of New Clans / the Twins are prophesied to be resurrected one day to prevent catastrophe / the time of their resurrection is said to be identified by the birth of two sets of Doruh twins who will shift into four different animals / genetically, all Doruh twins must shift into the same animal, so the varying animal forms of two sets of twins will signal the return of the Twins
Tya-Lo (F) – faerie / MegaMother and thirty-first member of the Red-Lo Royal Dynasty / known for the invasion of MoonSide in 1380 DG, and the assassination of the Alphocracy in 1381 DG / pronounced tie-a
Undersoldier (F) – requirement of the mari military / all soldiers must name an Undersoldier, one who will replace them in battle should they perish
Unisa (F) – 23 years old / Gatekeeper Librarian in the Catacomb section Witness / angi human / shares common angi anatomy: wings that look like steel in color and texture / accepted for the Library’s youth education program at the age of four / raised by an adopted mother, a pixie named Ora / pronounced oo-NEE-sa
Uzair (F) – Doruh chauffeur manager / the Library has an agreement with his caravan for transport on official missions
Vice Ambassador Librarians / Vice Ambassadors (F) – sixth rank of the Librarian hierarchy / uniform is green linen tunics / assist Ambassador Librarians in preparation of, during, and after their missions to witness historical events and record them for the Library’s Catacombs
The Vine Demon/ Reyu Paleyu (F) – mythical demon said to inhabit the HearthBark / body of a lion, with thick, green vines forming a mane around its head and down the spine, as well as forming patterns and designs along its sides and back pronounced ray-yoo pa-lay-yoo
Vy-Ro (F) – faerie / Braver General / long mustache and puce-colored skin / descendent of Hay-Ro / pronounced VY-roe
The War of New Clans (F) – SunSide invaded MoonSide during the War of New Clans and turned the remaining teri humans into the Doruh, marking the beginning of the new calendar era, Doruh Genesis (DG) / many Doruh captured and removed from MoonSide; brought back to SunSide and enslaved until the Doruh Uprisings in 784 DG
The War for Bibi Sands (F) – referred to as “the War” / started in 1603 and ended in 1622 / the igni and mari clans engaged in a territorial dispute over ownership of the island Bibi Sands / the war ended when the Courtman Tomohiro discovered a larger, more desirable island and relinquished Bibi Sands to the mari
Witness (F) – section of the Library’s Catacomb Network in which primary historical records and eyewitness testimonies to historical events are stored / Unisa is the Gatekeeper assigned to this section
The World Beyond (F) – final resting place of the essences of this world
Xo-Rah (F) – faerie / a theocrat of the Assembly / pronounced ZOR-ah
Yala / Kanako (F) – 32 years old / igni human / Kyoko’s sister / Natsumi’s mother / came to the Library with Kyoko when she was 16 and Kyoko was 12
Zabeza (F) – pixie / Symin’s closest friend / Zakia’s older brother / Zalona’s son / Ovida’s husband / abducted and murdered in 1612 / pronounced za-BEE-za
Zakia (F) – 20 years old / pixie / Zabeza’s sister / Zalona’s daughter / prodigy of harnessing the energy of the Radiance / royal purple skin / joined Symin’s group at the age of thirteen, after the Siege of the Castrum / was four years old when her brother was murdered / pronounced za-KEE-ah
Zalona (F) – early sixties / pixie / Zakia’s and Zabeza’s mother / owns an inn in Larso, under which is the Bunker / pronounced za-LOE-na
Zar-Lo (F) – faerie / current MegaFather and forty-sixth member of the Red-Lo Royal Dynasty / discovered the mysterious metallic substance known as ore / despite its Radiant energy-dampening properties, Zar-Lo manufactured ore weapons and armor, later including it in roads, buildings, and Larso’s infrastructure / earned the nickname—later a slur—“The Ore Monger”
Zynima (F) – nymph / Symin’s daughter / Kruga’s fiance / spent time on the ocean and discovered a flower to use as a cure for seasickness / abducted and murdered in 1613 / nineteen years old at the time of her death / worked in the MegaFather’s laboratories with Kruga / pronounced zy-NEE-ma