This is a glossary of all terms and locations encountered so far in the Rebel Without Cause world. If you're confused about something that isn't well-explained in the story, chances are you'll find the answer here. Only the terms encountered so far will be listed for now: additions will be made as I add more stories. Likewise, certain terms will be expanded on in the future, but I'm leaving things vague so I don't spoil things. Everything is listed alphabetically, and characters are not included: they have a separate section.
Agioan Unification Guild: One of the two major contenders in the Millennium-Long War. Named the 'Guild' for short, it used to be a democratic society that believed in unification and fair diplomacy. They didn't believe in the Faction's policy that 'one man could be God': society was about the people, not about one person. No one in the highest ranks was superior to the other, and they could debate on things before acting on them. The Guild is better at strategising and planning. Unfortunately, corruption has damaged the Guild's reputation: many illicit activities were kept secret, and the Faction once used these facts as blackmail against the Guild. The Guild's original democratic government has quietly degraded into kleptocracy, with the leaders serving themselves riches while feeding the public lies to upkeep their image. Caliben Kalicos has broken the code of silence and is revealing all of the Guild's past crimes to the public, including WMD abuse against certain planets. Civil strain can also occur between fellow Commanders and Diplomats over these activities, especially when a leader is found funding a WMD project. Perhaps the Guild really isn't as unified as many believe...
Agios: The chief planet of the Guild/Faction war, since this is where it originates, and where a long-standing 'Cold War' has been fought between the two superpowers for ages. It used to be full of different countries, but they have been taken over by the two syndicates. The landmasses can be easily divided into two continents: the Faction's Focal Pointe on the west, and the Guild's Yamahoshi on the east. Agios is now regarded as the intellectual center, and all major battles are waged on other planets like proxy wars. No battles have been fought on Agios itself for a century. Agios is heavily industrialized: so much that natural resources like wood and food must come from other worlds, and the planet's fisheries are in some trouble from overfishing. Agios is the political hub of the war, where the syndicates' headquarters are located and heavily fortified, and where students train to become loyal soldiers. The residing Commander of Agios is Leonid Masanari.
Battlestar Combat Unit: Often called a Combat Unit, or a BCU. It's the most common type of space combat craft seen in the occupied world. They are designed to be fast and efficient, but their defenses are very poor. The only type of shield available is a low-level plasma barrier: other shields make the BCU bulky, which is not the craft's intention. BCUs can be custom-fitted with light weapons like turrets and rocket launchers, according to the pilot's abilities. The Commanders and Generals have specially-modified BCUs that have accurate plasma cannons, considered to be the best lightweight weapon around.
Commander: The title given to a Guild military official who represents their birth planet in the syndicate, acting as a leader for battle campaigns, and acting as a representative for important military meetings, alongside Diplomats who handle political affairs. Since the Guild is a democratic oligarchy, no Commander or Diplomat is superior to the other, but some regard Agios' ambassadors as the strongest, since the war originated from there. Some Commanders are elected, such as in the case of a sudden death. Others inherit their position due to the family's notoriety, which is what would've happened with Beni had she stayed in the Guild. The same is true for Diplomats.
Commander Fleet Unit: Abb. CFU, this is the largest type spacecraft in the Guild's fleet, one owned by each Commander. They're so large, they can only be used for three purposes: defending an existing planet, launching an attack against the Faction, or a sanctioned takeover of a new planet. CFUs can store hundreds of smaller craft in its hangar, as well as house thousands of soldiers during a military movement. Furthermore, CFUs have two formations used: a Shield Formation for impenetrable defense, and a Sword Formation for heavy offense. Depending upon the formation used, the Commander's strategy can be drastically different.
Dilgir: The dead planet that Beni and Kilphy encounter but don't learn a lot about at first. They land on one of its moons for a mission. Commander Bitrate claims that the information about Dilgir is classified.
Diplomat: Another rank in the Guild reserved for those who handle political affairs between allied planets. These ambassadors often are wealthy and influential, but the bulk of the Guild's political corruption comes from Diplomats who make secret deals and bribes. They often do business with mafia leaders, fund WMD projects, or partner with weapons manufacturers and incite wars for profit, just to name a few. Diplomats can cover their actions by claiming that everything is for the Guild's victory over the Faction, but most leaders are not actually interested in fighting the syndicate. Diplomats have been responsible for some Guild-caused disasters, and only now has there been a serious crackdown due to Caliben Kalicos revealing everything about them.
Emotional Evolution: An occult theory where dormant magic genes are awakened or evolved from outside trauma, stress or desperation. It's proven that during an evolution, the caster will go insane, unable to tell friend from foe until it's over. A person can have multiple evolutions in their lifetime, making their otherwise weak magic grow stronger permanently. Any spells the person already has before an evolution will automatically increase in power as well, aside from gaining new spells. Evolutions have been tentatively classified as WMDs because the peak of an evolution is very powerful and dangerous, but this is not the person's own fault. It's simply how magic changes and grows.
Felicity: An unoccupied planet that has been secretly studied by the Guild, but not by the Faction. It's home to a race of cat-people who are proficient with magic without using emotional evolution. These people can either look entirely like a walking feline, a 50-50 mix, or a human with only slight cat features. The world is separated into five tribes, based upon what magic the majority of its citizens use: Fotia (fire), Nereau (water), Tierma (earth), Vianmos (wind), and Ouranos (lightning and space). Due to a civil war from years ago, offensive magic of any kind is forbidden, and use of it is punishable with banishment. It's said that high-level magic was once developed here, but scrolls and runes documenting the spells have been lost. Kilphy Nekomata and Ionis originate from here.
Findal: One of the first planets to be occupied by the Guild in the war's early days, and is the closest to Agios. It is an aquatic world, with 80% of its surface covered with water. Findal's representing Commander is Juno Jileya, and its Diplomat was Vlad Nezurov before his death.
Focal Pointe: The Faction's major stronghold city on Agios, rivaling Yamahoshi in size and power. Unlike Yamahoshi, Focal Pointe's buildings are skyscrapers that test the limits of height and visual marvel, especially the Godfather's Stalagmite. It's a scientific hub where aspiring researchers come to find the latest technology. It also relies on teleporters and aerial transport to get around the city. Focal Pointe has a plasma dome shield protecting the city from any attack from Yamahoshi. In effect, the two Agioan cities are staring at each other from across the ocean. Caliben Kalicos lives and works here.
Focusing: In magic, it's concentrating all of your thoughts and will into making a spell stronger and more effective. Spell words also aid with focusing, but aren't necessary to voice.
Gemini Swords Galaxy: The galaxy that Rebel Without Cause takes place in. It's called this because the two star clusters that make up the galaxy resemble two identical swords crossing each other in battle: one sword is red, the other blue. All of Beni's escapades occur in the white 'clashing' section of the galaxy's sword-shaped clusters.
General: The title given to a Faction official, equivalent to the mafia's Capo. Like Commanders, Generals represent their birth planet. The major difference is that they all work under the Godfather, acting on his strict orders, rather than the will of the public. Generals primarily function as military leaders, but can engage in shady deals, even with Guild Diplomats. The General is the closest rank one can achieve in the Faction to the top, short of the Godfather seat itself. The Godfather can rely on certain long-time Generals, while he is weary of new recruits or those who are engaged in shady affairs. It's not unheard of for a General to try and challenge the Godfather. Luckily for Caliben Kalicos, he has detected every possible betrayal since his initiation 25 years ago, executing every General that tries to perform a coup d'etat against him.
Gio: The universal currency used by both syndicates and all occupied planets. Different currencies had once been used on Agios in the old days, but after the syndicates started spreading their war to other planets, the leaders agreed that using multiple currencies would be unfeasible and complicated. The gio was officially adopted in 4500 A.Y., and has remained since. New planets that become occupied are forced to abandon their old currency and to use gio.
Godfather: The title given to the Faction's foremost leader, very similar to a despot, although the current Godfather functions the syndicate like an aristocracy and/or meritocracy. He is the only one who has the authority to make high-level military and political decisions, such as taking over a planet, eliminating a threat, engaging in battle against the Guild, and/or conscripting, to name a few. Less important decisions are left to his Generals, but the Godfather can oversee anything if he feels there's a problem. The Faction used to be a despotism, but there have been faulty Godfathers who nearly destroyed the Faction themselves with their own incompetence or tyranny against the public. In this case, an ancient Faction law can be used for a selected General to overthrow the Godfather if he is proven unfit for the job, saving the Faction from internal collapse. Outright abuse of despotism has been quelled in favor of the aristocratic system used today. In the Faction's entire history, there have only been two female leaders: they were called 'Godmother' instead.
Godfather's Stalagmite: The Faction's main military and political headquarters on Agios. Designed by Umara Ferekotos for Caliben Kalicos, the buildings are crafted to unite all of the structures into a stalagmite shape, the largest building being 200 floors.
Grand Maria: Sulmaria's capital city, and the sole city in existence on the planet. It can only survive for three reasons: it's located on the coastline, it has enough rain to prevent drought, and it thrives on the tourist industry. Soldiers can also train here if they're expected to handle harsh climates, since Sulmaria's heat is the worst around.
Influence Evolution: A rare form of emotional evolution where someone's dormant magic is unlocked after death, rather than a traumatic experience. The chances of an influence happening is one in a billion, and several requirements must be met: the person must never have used magic in their life, the death must be violent, and the person must know how they would die. If all these conditions are met, that person will become an influential spirit that can affect the physical world. Some confirmed abilities include controlling the weather, dream manipulators, possessing computers/machines, and haunting houses. The only way to cure this is to exorcise the spirit.
Kalicos: The family that is believed to be divinely blessed to rule the Rubica Faction, fighting against their rivals: the Masanari family and it's Guild. 1000 years ago in the western continent, fear of Bunbu Masanari's empire creeping to the west was imminent. The Kalicos mafia family then appeared under a new flag, bringing the western continent together to challenge the east. The cosa nostra wanted their policies to be enforced through the Godfather. The first Godfather was Salvatore Kalicos, a hated enemy of Bunbu Masanari. They start not only the Faction-Guild war for political power, but the more silent struggle of Kalicos vs. Masanari: their descendants inherit their battle, although they don't remember why they fight. The Kalicos family is famous for its powerful sorcerers and strong magic lineage, as the family originally rose to power by threatening others with their sorcery.
Magic: A genetic defect that allows someone to cast spells that were once called upon in ancient days. Not everyone is born with magic in their genes, and only a handful of people can use their abilities from birth. Most magic users must endure emotional evolutions before they can use and improve their magic. Also, a person can only be born with one specific type of magic in their genetics, often inherited from a grandparent or someone older. Certain families have a strong enough genetic bond that magic could be passed from parent to child, but this is unusual.
Magic Transfer Unit: Abbreviated 'MTU' or called Transfer Units, this is a rare deviation of the Battlestar Combat Unit that allows a magically-capable pilot to transfer spells from his/her console to a crystal outside, where the spell is fired at opponents without harming the caster. The only mineral that makes this possible is Vadamite, and it takes months just to make one MTU due to the resources needed: therefore, it's a Vadacan patent. Transfer Units are slower than Combat Units due to the extra weight it must carry, so it's an ideal back-lines fighter. Unfortunately, people have been stealing completed MTUs and selling them in illegal black market auctions. Kilphy acquires an MTU through such a shady dealer, and is the only confirmed owner so far with this type of craft.
Masanari: The military family credited with founding the Agioan Unification Guild. 1000 years ago, the samurai shogunate Bunbu Masanari united the scattered nations of Yamahoshi and started a democratic government. His intention was for the people to have a say in political affairs through elected representatives. He also wanted to enforce this government in the western world, but Salvatore Kalicos made this difficult. Bunbu and subsequent Masanaris kept a strict check on any possible corruption in the ranks, but as centuries went by, the Masanari family started to lose power as members fought trivial battles and took bribes. Now the Masanari house is seen as a symbol, but not an authority. The Masanari family is notorious for producing some of the finest, educated, and most sought-after fighters in history: their natural talents were a match for the rival Kalicos family's sorcery.
Miner's Lodge: Vadaca's capital city, where many workers from different planets come to mine in the galaxy's richest land for rare materials, such as gold, diamond, and the magic mineral Vadamite. The city itself is designed by Quaine's engineers, turning old mining areas into homes where the workers can live.
Mt. Yamahoshi: The Guild capital's main mountain, and is precious for its natural landscape. Leonid told Beni that twenty years ago, he found her here when she was a baby, saving her from wild wolves and taking her back to Yamahoshi with him.
Nekomata Gene: A rare gene that occurs once every 100 years on Felicity, and only in girls: Kilphy is the current bearer. It is the sign of the occult demon Nekomata's reincarnation: the girl's tail will split into two when she turns ten year old, she will suddenly understand powerful spells written in forgotten texts, and her magic will endure an unnatural boost. The gene is not family-related, so it can appear in any Felis female. The Felicitians are so afraid of this gene that they will execute the girl, due to the sad legend attached to it. 1000 years ago, Nekomata appeared as a girl and taught magic to Felicity, but the citizens abused their power after her death. 100 years after that, she returns and kills every adult, hoping the children won't become like them. But when the children grow up, they turn on Nekomata and kill her out of vengeance.
Nine Circles: An alternate dimension that is home to the demon race. Some theorize it to be a physical form of Hell, while others say it's simply another world. Regardless, it is accessible through summoning rituals and forbidden portals. Unleashing a Nine Circles demon into the normal world is dangerous, as they have malicious intent towards humans. These summonings are done by those who also hate humanity, creating a bond between summoner and monster that allows them to travel dimensions. It's said that the first five tiers of the dimension contain mindless creatures and weaker demons, while the last four is home to commanding overlords. Gothic culture in the occupied galaxy is heavily centered around this dimension. Beni and her comrades encounter several Nine Circles demons as well, and even the weaker ones are difficult to fight.
Occupied galaxy: A term for the region of planets that have been taken by the Faction and the Guild. This border keeps growing as new planets are taken over like mere countries, extending the political and military battles further and further.
Owl Stealth Unit: Abb. OSU, this is another type of combat craft. Its unique property is stealth technology, allowing it to camouflage its appearance and avoid detection from most radar equipment. Only the most sensitive radars can pick up an OSU's hidden signal.
Quaine: A Faction-occupied planet located in the same star system as Yuval. A race called mud badgers live here, and are extremely gifted engineers and technicians. The Quaine Institute for Engineering and Manufacturing, AKA Quaine University, is located here. The residents prefer to build underground homes, but build above-ground buildings for clients. While most Quaineans have adjusted to the takeover, others have not.
Rubica Faction: The other major contender in the Millennium-Long War. Called the 'Faction' for short, its political ideals are opposite of the Guild's: instead of a unified group making decisions, everyone follows the orders and beliefs of one man called the Godfather. He is intelligent, strong and confident, almost god-like, and his word is taken as correct. There used to be a consistent abuse of power in the past, but that has been quelled with new laws and treaties that even the Godfather must follow. It's more worrisome when an incompetent man becomes the Godfather: the most recent Faction embarrassment is Gaisuke Kalicos, who has failed the most number of missions during his career. However, faith has been restored when his son Caliben took over, and he has greatly weakened the Guild in just twenty-five years. Many devout followers are already calling Caliben the war's true victor: that he's the man they've been waiting for to end the suffering...
Seneferu: A Faction-run planet with heavy Egyptian influences. Like Sulmaria, Seneferu is mostly desert, but there are more places to live, and many relics from Khamin's time remain buried in the sands. In ancient times, Pharaoh Khamin united the scattered countries into one nation. After the Pharaohs' power declined, the Faction took over this nation. Until recently, General Ram was Seneferu's representative in the Faction.
Silverline: Illun's capital city. It's not as heavily industrialized as most planetary capital cities, but it's respected for making things as environmentally safe as possible. Yukihada Saomaru lives and works here, and has brought Terumi here after the events in Whitevale.
Sulmaria: A Guild planet located close to Findal, but is also dangerously close to its solar satellite. Of the entire world's landmass, only 10% of it is habitable: the rest is all desert. The only sustainable city on Sulmaria is its capital, Grand Maria. Until recently, Charl Forrester was Sulmaria's residing Commander in the Guild.
Travel Mule Unit: Abbreviated 'TMU' or called Mule Units, these are large-scale spacecraft that can store smaller craft, goods, or people. These units are the only ones capable of hyperspace, allowing for easy travel between planets, even though it still takes days to travel. Mule Units can handle the stress though, and they're commonly used for commercial space flights. This is the type of vehicle Beni steals from Agios, and makes it her base of operations and her getaway craft whenever she needs to run from the Guild.
TMU 650 Disaster: An infamous accident that occurred in 5035 AY. A TMU carrying almost 300 passengers crossed a battle site, where Commander Bitrate mistakenly thought it was Faction backup and ordered it to be shot down. No one from TMU 650 survived, but Bitrate was pardoned because he followed the Rules of Engagement. It's said that this event gave Bitrate a superiority complex: that he can do anything as long as he's protecting his soldiers.
Unoccupied galaxy: A term for the region of planets that have remained untouched by the syndicates so far. While it's safe to escape the war outside the occupied boundaries, it's also dangerous because veering into unexplored territory is risky without the proper technology. Also, if something technological breaks or fuel is needed, no unoccupied planet will have the resources to fix this. It is also considered illegal and forbidden to use modern technology on unoccupied worlds except during a sanctioned invasion/takeover. People who want to escape from the war see the unoccupied world as their chance for freedom.
Vadaca: A Guild allied planet that's unique for the magic mineral Vadamite. It is the second-most important member of the Guild's alliance, behind Agios. The planet's capital city is Miner's Lodge. Commander Terence Bitrate is Vadaca's military representative in the Guild.
Vadamite: A special magic mineral named after the planet it's found on: Vadaca. It doesn't boost magic, but can tolerate high levels of magic energy, and is as valuable as gold. Vadamite is used to make Magic Transfer Units, since the mineral and delicate wiring can transfer magic from the magic-using pilot to a crystal on the outside, firing spells normally in outer space. It appears like a maroon-colored crystal.
Weapon(s) of Mass Destruction: Abbreviated 'WMD'. These are forbidden weapons developed solely for destroying large populations, or are used as a threat at bargaining tables. For more detailed information about WMD classes and specific weapons in existence, refer to this mini-guide -> here.
Whitevale: A small hamlet on Illun populated with 100 people. The Yukihada family originate from here. Unfortunately, the Nine Circles demon Marz killed all of the citizens except for Terumi, effectively turning Whitevale into a ghost town.
Yamahoshi: Agios' Guild capital city, located on the eastern continent. It has modern technology, but maintains its Oriental roots by designing the buildings with old-time structures. The center of the city is more industrialized though, and it's said that it takes an entire week to walk from one end of the city to the other. This is why teleporters and aerial travel is common. There's also a great dome of plasma energy protecting Yamahoshi from any attacks from Focal Pointe, so it is very safe to live here.
Yuval: A tourist planet that is not owned by either government. It used to be part of the Faction, but five years before the present story, its president was assassinated with an odorless and colorless poison called Satsujin Vinca. The Guild and Faction accused each other, while Yuval's government wanted nothing to do with the syndicates anymore. The current president devised the plan to give a portion of the planet's annual wealth to both sides in exchange for independence. This is a heavily debated and criticized move, but the syndicates have left Yuval alone, respecting its wish to remain as a neutral resort planet. Anyone from both sides can come here to relax.