|
Powerful
or Important Groups The
Widge |
Major Events |
Major
Places |
Charts
and Tables |
A B C D E F G H IJ K L M N O P QR S T W XYZ
Academy, the see
Aer refers to the vast expanse of atmosphere between
leaf-isles, analogous to “the
Alexander Nest, The, was, among the powerful
clans of New Warrick, the oldest Nest.
It remains the most powerful nest in the Troughton district, but its
power was weakening. See Nest.
Alexander,
Aurelia,
Nest Leader of Ricky and Jane, could be stern and inflexible, and she
disliked any sort of excuse, but she valued justice and fairness. She was one of the Seven Alexander
Compatriots that controlled Diff Tech.
When Edward Scantini came to the Hall of Five Hundred Statues in
defiance of the Banishment of Newton, she gave the decree
of safety, essentially removing the ban from him except that he might never
again enter New Warrick.
Alexander, George was patriarch at the time Aurelia grew up in the
nest and a grand-patriarch to Ricky. He
began the construction of certainty differentials. By the time Aurelia took over, it was one of the most powerful
businesses in New Warrick. They made
alliance with the Salo Nest, an old money Nest that originally made their
fortunes in lumber. The two Nests
eventually controlled much of the tech, lumber, and shipbuilding in Gaohund
lands.
Alexander,
Jane
was perhaps six years older than Cern.
Her straight, black hair was exceedingly long and was attractive, but
she wasn’t the startling beauty that Bernadette was. She had rather a plain face with a small thin mouth and freckled
skin, but she carried herself with the poise and certainty of someone
physically strong and mentally disciplined.
Her nose was long and straight, and her plain eyes peered inquisitively
under thin, arched brows. Of medium
height, her build appeared well muscled.
Her prime motivation was to be true to the Devout ideals and to live
honorably. Jane was fabricated in the
town of Bent Harbor and adopted into the Alexander Nest for her skills as a
batch historian. As with all other
members of the Alexander Nest, she performed duties as a peacekeeper in their
district of Troughton. As the rebellion
occurs, she accompanies
Scott Doulettile on his desperate raid and becomes one of the few that were
known to survive, and afterwards leading a resistance in New Warrick. See Jane
Alexander’s Page.
Alexander, Ricky was a science student, Breston Academy, murdered by
the Central Committee that suspected him of being a spy or stooge for the
Captains. He was Devout.
Andnoh was a small town high in West Irin. It was the boyhood home of both Edward
Scantini and Nathaniel Clintock. See Map,
Irin & Surrounds.
Arrow, Commander, of the Kronos-Wyght.
Avery-Tor, Dr., doctor of political art,
Breston Academy
Babblestone a fishing isle north of New Warrick Map, Middle Isles, Map, Irin & Surrounds, Large Map
Banishment of Newton The Widge War
brought unheard-of horrors. When the
Captains finally had enough of Widge atrocities, they became overzealous and
sometimes brutal, even pursuing Widge that had never harassed Tiller
Lands. The conclusive act of violence occurred when Lieutenant Commander
Nathaniel Clintock attacked Albion, a group of Widge Isles that had long
resisted the Regime of the Warlord. Many of the Albion Widge had worked
as Guides to the Captains, helping them through barriers to attack the Widge
Warlord. Admiral Newton was en route to Albion when the attack occurred,
but his enemies at home published the account of the attack accompanied by
pictures of him surveying the damage at the site.
Although able to conclude a victory in the Widge War by April of 10197, Admiral Newton found it hollow. His return became
meaningless, as his reputation was fixed either as a merciless killer or as a
commander unable to control his troops. When the Admiral refused to
return to the Gaohund Republic, the Governor's Council shamefully removed him
from power. He was condemned in absentia to exile. Many of his men
went with him.
Engaged in another theater of operations, Commander
Holliston became the high-ranking officer upon Admiral Newton's removal.
Battle of the Broken Spears occurred
after the Widge had defeated the Gaohund people and had driven them to the
Waning Islands in the 9000s. Once off
the continent, most Gaohund thought the Widge would relent, but when they
pursued them to the fourth island in the chain, the Gaohund knew it was a war
of extermination. On southern Kaiwitz,
in July of 9071, Coohey urged them to turn about and make a stand. There amid the rocks known as the Broken
Spears, they inflicted such a defeat on the Widge that they were left alone for
almost two hundred years. Historians
often credit Coohey with saving the Gaohund from extinction. For its location, see Map,
Western Isles, or Large
Map.
Battle of Kerdal Pass
January of 10193, see Scantini,
Edward.
Battle of Western Sea January
of 10193, occurring just before the
Bedford of
the Green Islands was the furthest town along the Gaohund main
archipelago. It was the hometown of
Admiral Holliston Green and of Thomas Haynin Green. See also Green Islands. See Map, Bedford, Large Map
Bent Harbor
was a town near the
city of Milbrew, both of which are on Tone Bay, on the island of Stanton; home
of Jane Alexander; tough neighborhood.
See Map,
Middle Islands.
Beringinold Gap
was a wide strait between Irin and the Western isles. See Large Map
Bio-artifice Biology
and “technology”, such as the wristblades and the Craystone, are combined in
all races. The Primevals are minimally technological
almost entirely biological; the Faeron are enveloped in a
techno-exoskeleton. All of these beings
are cast, not born. See Bonemetal,
Casting
Birther was the highest
position for a female Eldar within the nest.
The Birther was the matriarch, and, as the name implies, was in charge
of birthing. It was a co-equal station
with the Griever.
Birthing Hills Map, Bedford
Bloodribbon
This invertebrate hemovore was nearly invisible before sating itself
with blood. The chain of cells can be
broken and the creature will still attack.
This creature was an inhabitant of the Nast.
Bloomkeeper wears
a floppy baseball cap with a long brim cocked off at a slight angle.
Bloomkeeper was a Widge of the Albion Isles, and a
strong supporter of homogenization and an opponent of the new warlord. One of the few Widge
living in the Gaohund Republic, he was once professor of literature at Breston
Academy. See Widge, See Widge
Guides of Albion, See Scantini, Edward
Blues A stray gang
Bonemetal The
biomechanical skeleton and other inner cyborg structures of Treeve beings are
made of various metals. Each of the
four genres of Gaohund are each of a different metal. See genres.
Brainsnakes was an infectious
parasitical disease causing madness.
The “snakes” were in fact microbial worms.
Breadstone was a small, low-lying island north of Irin, and a county
of Irin. It was not densely populated,
and those that live here are mostly fisherfolk. See Map, Irin & Surrounds, Large
Map.
Brick was one
of the
Canikam Gap was the wide
straits between the
|
Captains, The,
are the military part of the three branches of the three of the Gaohund
government. Most of the Gaohund are
not explorers at heart. For
centuries, the tradition of the Captains has been to protect with honor. However, the New Generation of Captains
are not just fighters – they are exploring new resource locations to
alleviate Gaohund’s dependence on Zamalaysia. They negotiate with Manital’s various leaders for rights to
explore. The Captains and the
merchants chartered their necessary routes, and the Captains charted nearby
areas where storm might blow an excursor, but the charts were often simply a
register of size. Many leaves that
were charted had not been landed on, not even to see if fresh water were
available. More islands were entirely
uncharted. The Captains played the major role in
repulsing an invasion of Toltau Widge following their invasion of the Western
Isles in December of 10192. At the time of the Rebellion of 10219, the
Captains divided into those old enough to have served in the Widge War and
the younger pirate chasers. The
pirate chasers used the newer, smaller, and faster craft moored at El Pra,
such as corvettes, although they moored some frigates there as well. The Widge War vets were more accustomed to
the bigger, bulkier frigates, destroyers, and heavy cruisers. See |
Captain’s Monument was
erected at the eastern end of
Casting or fabrication The
creation of living beings and their Craystones by an
Central Committee The name taken by the revolutionaries for
the controlling elite in the new rebel government.
Cern,
see Green, Cern
Clintock, Nathaniel
came from Andnoh, Irin, the same town as Edward Scantini. While they were holdalts, a fierce hatred
broke out between them. Arnold, the
simple compatriot given to their care met an accidental death – an accident
that was a direct result of their battles.
The middle compatriot, Stan, then intervened and resolved the dispute by
giving Clintock a choice: he could leave and never return. He could stay and Stan would lay everything
before their Nest Leader. If he stayed,
Stan would depart the Nest, leaving Clintock responsible for their Nest Leader
losing two sons in a single day.
Claudius, knowing how their Nest Leader would view all the unfair and
cruel things he had done, left.
During the Widge War, he was responsible for
the attack on
Continent,
the Gaohund often referred to Zamalaysia merely as “The Continent.”
Coohey See the Battle
of Broken Spears.
Corvette
Class Ships are the smaller, more agile
fighters in the Captains’ fleet. Scott Doulettile’s Page displays the main three types.
Crippendraught Industries was one of the
largest industries in New Warrick; its owners were supporters of the Star-Comet
Party and mostly residents of Highland Park.
See Star-Comet Party and Highland Park.
|
Devout, The, was
a quasi-religious group that centered philosophically in The Text and physically in the Steeple of
New Warrick. Cern had seen the Devout
on the Green Islands. The Devout Way,
Cern has read, once spread like wildfire through the Faeron Republic. He knew that there were also branches of
it within the Western Widge Isles, but the Gaohund Devout claimed a direct
inheritance from the Faeron practitioners, and claimed Widge branches to be errant. They perform sucfh functions in society as
overseeing births and funerals and sealing alliances. They will eventually be known as the
Faithful Exiles. |
|
|
Structure and Process: |
The structure of the
Devout was not through any permanent organization, but through a system of
deliberation over published works.
Initially, for a written work to carry any weight, a Birther or
Griever of a Well must publish it.
Those in agreement with the published work could then sign it, adding
significance to the opinion.
Important to note was that in publishing an opinion, the original
writer released control of it. Once
published, the author could not recall it, only remove his or her name from
it. The work would only considered
dead if all signers had removed their signatures from it. If any other the signers passed away, then
the document became a permanent part of a library of deliberation. If the number of collected opinions on a
monograph grew, a council could be convened specifically to make to make a decision
upon the opinion. It was an intentionally
slow process. |
|
Ideas: |
Many of the Devout ideas
are practical, often focusing on daily living (see the First Scroll
as an example), but guiding these practical approaches was a mystical concept of two
opposing forces in nature. One, Nai
Nollopa, was the force behind rising evolution that has pushed all beings
upward from primitive creatures to complex animals, and from the animal state
to their present state of existence as thinking beings, and with hope will
continue to push them upward to something higher in the future. The other force, Nai Sinoyda, was the
force of chaos, the animal drive, and the “imp of the perverse” which drives
species back to the animal level and individuals to personal
destruction. The Devout were also
interpreters of dreams. They believed
that there were a multitude of universes, for the most part running parallel
to our own. They believed that as one
sleeps, one’s soul migrated to its other bodies in these other
universes. The more sense the dream
made, the nearer its universe was to our own. We carry only fragments of these alternate universes back
because they can only be retained in short-term memory; long-term memory,
they believed, was physical, while the short-term could be retained in the
living soul. It was important to
study the Multiverse for many reasons, not the least of which was
prognostication, as some near universes may be ahead of ours in time. Beliefs about prognostication caused an
important schism early in the Devout history. See Stollian School / Stollian Heresy. |
Diff Tech A manufactory of reality differentials in
Troughton, New Warrick. It was the main
source of income for the Alexander Nest.
Distance Chart
– Below was a chart (in miles) listing the distance between major cities of the
Waning Isles. See also the Large Map.
|
Pines |
87 |
108 |
400 |
492 |
574 |
690 |
802 |
803 |
860 |
941 |
|
|
Kurzen |
68 |
326 |
410 |
490 |
610 |
722 |
720 |
778 |
854 |
|
|
|
Fayette |
312 |
408 |
475 |
600 |
712 |
710 |
776 |
870 |
|
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|
|
Johnson City |
125 |
182 |
295 |
408 |
477 |
482 |
591 |
|
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Tondel |
80 |
204 |
308 |
309 |
374 |
475 |
|
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|
|
|
|
New Warrick |
125 |
230 |
230 |
296 |
400 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
Millbrew |
120 |
125 |
190 |
322 |
|
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|
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Grackleburg |
35 |
86 |
252 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
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Stout |
65 |
225 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Farragesh |
170 |
|
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Bedford |
Doulettile, Lt. Scott has
big loopy blond curls; strong and well-built; he wants to make a name for
himself in the Captains. He was
sometimes too forceful, may sometimes bully.
He was raised in Grackleburg, Longshores, and began his career as an
intern as a Captains cadet, Doulettile was a bodyguard to the Griever of the
Green Islands. He led a desperate strike against the Rebel Alliance in the opening of the Rebellion of
10219. See Scott Doulettile’s Page.
Drayman, see Holliston; see also Admiral Holliston’s Page
Dregsworth, Abernathy was
a crotchety bent over old Gaohund who wore a black cowboy hat with a wide
colorful band – large scarlet crosses with green leaves, cobalt blue waves, and
stony stars. A cigarette dangled from
his perpetually down turned mouth. Long
gray locks spilled down onto the pastel blues and pink of a flower print
shirt. His nose was large, his skin
tanned like old leather, and his eyes had a sleepy look, but out of the dark
sleeves of the trench coat, his hands revealed readiness. His only motivation was greed. He was an untrustworthy fence dealing with
the rebel alliance, a creep, and a murderer.
Demonstrating his character mercenary, he counts the cash in front of
the stranded rebels before he will lift a finger to help them.
East Irin was an island just east of Irin, and a
East Irin
Straits lay
between the islands of Irin and East Irin. Map, Irin & Surrounds
Eastern
Islands are islands which lay east of the Green
Islands. They are spread further apart
than the Gaohund Archipelago, and are scarcely populated. The Sou lies directly east of the Gaohund
islands, but there were others more distant than the Sou. Somewhat out of the main stream was Market
Island. Furthest east and most remote
was the Hoaten-Hanca pair.
Edgelands, Edgelander was a term
refereeing to the provincial areas.
Likewise, an Edgelander was one that comes from these areas. Specifically, this refers to the Western
Islands, Forestal and The Falls, and the Green Islands.
El Pra was a large harbor on the west of New Warrick,
surrounded by the military barracks, shipyards, etc. See also Map, New Warrick.
El Pra Rocks was a peninsula
in the southwest corner of New Warrick, just south of El Pra Harbor. See also Map, New Warrick
|
Eldar, the, were maternal
or paternal, superior beings symbiotic with Gaohund and native to the same
lands. They may be analogous to
parents, to angels, or to elementals.
See also tremmenation (fixed and variable). See also Tzynn (the semi-mythical, dark counterparts of the
Eldar). (Here are the initial questions that launched the entire creation of the World: In many Sci-Fi stories, humanity must and overcome apparently superior aliens that have taken over Earth, and thus the story proves the value of the human race. What would happen if they really were superior to us? What if they learned the calculus as toddlers and lived to be eight hundred? What would our relationship to them be? Many Scifi stories also have aliens that appear beneficent at first, but prove to be sinister. How would we relate to them if they actually were beneficent?) |
Eporuen Retsae was the capital of Toltau lands, the nation of Widge
that existed on islands directly to the west of Gaohund lands.
Estella was
one of the largest Gaohund nations on the continent of Zamalaysia before the
Great Retreat.
Ethnic Groups of the Gaohund
|
See |
Irin, People of Tolden |
Excursor Craft was any
flight craft using the Wellonis Breeze as a means of propulsion. See Cern Green’s Page
Exile of
Expulsion,
the Great see Retreat, The Great
Fabrication or Casting
was
creation of living beings and their Craystones by a
Faeron
Language The
language of this group, used by Widge and Gaohund Isles beings as the central
language of science and literature, analogous to Latin.
Faeron
People are the
ancient dwellers of the continent. The
continent has open hilly country, with tells, ruins with rubble and sand up to
their knees. This was a founding
Republic, analogous to the Roman Empire.
Faithful
Exiles The name
taken by the Devout in exile after the rebellion of 10219 when they relocated
on the far side of the Beringinold Gap.
Falls, The, was an island north of Forestal and east of the Middle Islands. See Map, Middle Islands, Large Map
Farragesh was the only sizable community on Forestal, and closest to the Middle Islands. See Map, Bedford, and the Map, Middle Islands.
Fayette was the largest city on the Western Islands, and the only city or town
on the western coast of those islands.
It was the site of the first attack in the Widge War. The Fristal Shipyards are located in this
city. See Map, Western Isles, Large Map.
Forestal was a large, low-lying island in the east, between the Middle Islands
and the Green Islands. Forestal was set
aside for development of natural resources like lumber, clay, and
minerals. See Map, Middle Islands, Large Map.
Foundation
Advisors was one of the three parts of the Gaohund
government. Its role was one of
advising and occasionally overruling the Governor’s Council. Its processes were slow and mirrored the
Devout. See Foundation of the
Republic; see also Devout: Structure and Processes.
Foundation of the Republic was the title of the constitution of the Gaohund
people. The early leaders wrote it on Bedford
of the Green Islands and signed it in July of 9073. It established a three-part government, consisting of the
Governor’s Council, the Captains, and the Foundation Advisors. The Governor’s Council was the deliberating
and legislative body of the government.
The Foundation Advisors role was one of advising and occasionally overruling the
Governor’s Council. The Captains had a
military. Certain executive functions
could be legislated to the Captains for discrete periods during times of
crisis. See also Captains, Foundation
Advisors, Governor’s Council, and Hall of Five Hundred Statues.
Foundation
Hall was a
small building in
Fristal
Shipyards was by far
the largest shipyard in the Waning Isles, and the only one designed for
military shipbuilding. They were
located in the city of Fayette, on the island of Kaisen, Western Isles.
Gaohund began as dominant species on the Eastern Continent,
called Zamalaysia. Technological
superiority of the Widge, the dominant species of the other two continents,
reduced their numbers to a tenth of their original size and drove them to the
remote northern islands. They are
omnivores that lean heavily toward vegetarianism.
|
Genre |
Titanium |
Pilots |
Tillers |
Oobles “Lap-pets” |
|
Bonemetal |
Titanium |
Steel |
Iron |
Precious Metal Genres |
|
Hair and skin |
Hair was stark blonde |
Hair was red or black Skin was darker; brown or dark tan |
Hair was honey brown, russet |
Hair was golden or silver |
|
Body type |
Tallest, with heavy neck
and upper torso; beefy |
Tall and thin |
Shorter, heavier,
stockier |
Diminutive, petite |
|
Personality |
Tend toward domination
and control; tend toward brutality |
Explorers, adventurous,
protective |
Gardeners, homebodies,
responsible, stable |
Useless, mischievous
things |
|
Examples |
Irk, Commander Holliston |
Bernadette, Cern,
Scantini |
The Noles, Hester Hennah |
Elizabeth Sari |
Gorjan was a language commonly spoken in the Western
Isles. Gorjania was the most northerly
of Gaohund nations existing before the defeat on the continent. In the names of
their islands, the prefix "kai" indicates northern, and the prefix
"wel" indicates southern.
Governor’s Council was the main deliberating and legislative body of the
Gaohund government. It met in the Hall
of the Five Hundred Statues, in Old Town, New Warrick. The Foundation of the Republic stipulated that all members of the
Governor’s Council would be Tiller.
The Governor’s Council was divided
into three distinct layers. The general
assembly was referred to as “the One Hundred”; a higher level was referred to
as “the Twenty-One”; finally there was “The Three”. There were also three types of Council Members: Senators,
Delegates, and Envoys. The Foundation
of the Republic stipulated that only a senator was eligible to be elected a
member of the Twenty-One or the three, but tradition had always allowed that
the envoy of the Steeple Warder be given a seat there. Eighty-six members of the One Hundred were
elected from their constituent areas; the sixteen others were appointed. The One Hundred would then elect the members
of the Twenty-One. To see the breakdown
of the One Hundred Council Members, see
Administrative Regions &
Representatives. See also Hall of Five Hundred Statues; see also The
Foundation of the Republic.
Grackleburg
was he second largest city of the
Middle Islands, after Millbrew. It lies
on the south side of the island of Longshores.
See Map, Middle Islands, Large Map.
Grav-eddies. While the island harbors have anti-gravitational qualities
granted by Eldar artifice, there are some irregularities around the edges. Around major harbors, “tug” creatures that
are sensitive to grav-eddies pull craft in and out.
Great Ice, the was the
name given to the great frozen lands of the pole that faces away from the
sun. See also the Outer Darkness.
Green, Cern was one of those “only two out of a hundred” Gaohund
to be born Pilots. As far as he was
concerned, this meant that he was destined to get away and see the world, to
have adventures. After a childhood
injury left his arm crippled, however, local authorities decided that Cern
should remain on the home isle instead of joining the Pilots’ exodus. Cern would never forgive them. His deep desire to leave the Green Islands
found outlet in a fascination with excursor craft, and he became an expert in
both civilian and military craft. He
could spot, name, and describe any craft that came to Bedford Bay, and became
an accomplished excursor craft mechanic.
In the year of the Rebellion, 10219, he found a group of people
dedicated to opposing the authorities, the Foundations of the Republic.
With a sense of contrariness, Cern put down those in his home isle and wanted
desperately to move out into the Yonder, but once off the home isle, he was
offended that people didn’t accept his Edgeland ways. See also Cern Green’s Page.
Green, Holliston,
Admiral known in
his retirement years as “The Drayman”, was born
in 10155 on the Green Island. He was
commission at the age fifteen, in 10170, and was promoted to command the
Venture in 10186, at the age of 31.
An old Pilot returned to the old home-leaf after
years of service elsewhere. He was a
small fellow, head bald on the top and shorn on the sides, the shortness of
which exaggerated the size of his bristly moustache. He drove the dray wagon, and most people simply called him the
Drayman. He was a retired war hero of
the Widge War, during which he commanded the Venture. He was Edward Scantini’s commander during the Battle of the
Western Sea. Scantini first came to his
attention with his clear assessment of the situation after they were blown off
course (See Scantini), and they became lifelong friends. During the attack on
Green
Islands were considered by most Gaohund to be remote, as they were beyond a
large, nearly deserted island called Forestal and a wide strait called the
Canikam Gap. Those who lived there,
however, saw their position differently: they were the link to civilization for the
many isles farther east (See Eastern Islands).
The village of Bedford was the center of culture and commerce for the
Green Islands. The abundance of
unspoiled nature and fresh air attracted many summer tourists, who also come to
tour Foundation Hall, the building in which the government of the Gaohund
people was drafted some three hundred years before. “Big Island” was a major supply of natural resources. See Map, Green
Islands, Large Map.
Green, Thomas Haynin was an intellectual and a
genius liquid metal engineer. Thomas
Haynin habitually wore a floppy hat with an impractically short bill. His imitations of stray culture are
analogous to romantic concepts of Noble Savage and gang-envy ideal. His eyebrows had not yet grown beyond the
frame of his face. Behind the round
lenses of his spectacles, his eyes were alternately angry and dreamy, his most
important characteristics. He was angry
at perceived wrongs, and dreams of a better world. However, he was not prepared to engage in the bloody revolution
that his comrades plan and execute. He
sometimes played Mac Beth to Bernadette’s Lady Mac Beth. He was fain to catch onto new fads and
styles. History: Thomas was from the
Green Islands. Despite Thomas’s rather
romanticized vision of the Exodus, launching off alone in a solitary skiff, in
September of 10217, Thomas was booked onto a passenger transit by his Eldar
with his admission to the Academy in hand.
See Thomas Haynin Green’s Page.
Griever, The Clergy Eldar of the Green Islands: Cern seldom saw
the Griever, an Eldar who kept himself in his sanctuary, in the upland forest,
beneath a tall projection of rock. A
big nose and deep-set, beady eyes marked the long face. His head was nearly bald of hair, and the
technocrown, still a sparkling artifice, protruded directly from his knobby
skin. His body’s ceramic armor barely
covered the gnarly neck, but as with the rest of his body’s plating, he kept it
polished bright. He raised his crooked,
knotty, long fingers to his mouth and cleared his throat. Halfway Island exists halfway across the
Beringinold Gap.
Hall of Five Hundred Statues was the seat of government of the Gaohund
Republic. See Governor’s council and
Old Town.
Hams was a fishing
village on the south shore of Stanton.
See Map, Middle Islands
Heeltools Metal blades retractable as a cat’s claw,
but in the heel of a Gaohund.
Hennah, Hester
Herpeditore
Highland Park was the Echeloni District of New Warrick, Masters
of Industry and Their Politics. Two
generations before Aurelia Alexander, the Alexander’s Nest began constructing
certainty differentials and by the next generation, it was one of the most powerful
businesses in New Warrick. Four of the
sons married into the Salo Nest, an old money Nest that originally made their
fortunes in lumber. The two Nests
eventually controlled much of the tech, lumber, and shipbuilding in Gaohund
lands. The city Echeloni are divided
according to the two political parties.
Two allied Nests supported the Foundational party, and a host of smaller
Nests supported the Star-Comet party.
The Star-Comet Party was beginning to recall images from pagan ways to
support them. The Star-Comet itself was
once considered a god, so now these phrases are applied to the party: giver of
light in darkest times; the one that moves when all else was still; the
independent, the unrestrained. Many of
the Star-Comet supporters are also engaged with the Norrell Corporation or the
Crippen-Draunt Industries. See Map, New Warrick.
Holdalt The middle stage of life, between tarvi and
Eldar
Holliston, Admiral see Admiral Holliston’s Page see Green, Holliston Admiral
Institute, The was the officer training facility of the Captains. It was located in Johnson City, Irin.
Irin,
Island of was
the largest of the Gaohund Islands. The island was the native home of the people of Irin (see
below). The Irin people raised sheep
and mined coal on higher elevations and the northern slopes of the island. The Tolden, who settled on the eastern end
of the great isle, raised was beef and remained on the lower elevations and
southern slopes. (see Map, Irin & Surrounds; Large Map; Tolden; Irin, People of).
Irin, People of, lived on the Waning Isles long before the Great Retreat. They primarily lived on the island of Irin and the nearby islands, Breadstone, East Irin, and the island that
was now named New Warrick. After the
settlement forced by the Great Retreat, they continued to live on Breadstone,
East Irin, and on the northern slopes of the great island of Irin. They tended to be tall and thin, wore no jewelry or
finery, often carried walking staves and knapsacks, and ate dishes with
onions. They also tended to be reticent and taciturn.
Irin Cuisine: cheeses, heavy crackers or non-sweet breads
and cakes, often with seeds and cracked grains; fish, often salted or steaks;
poultry soups with vegetables; steamed vegetables roast birds; occasionally
beef or mutton. Sausage or cub ed meats
in their vegetable hashes, or in soups of rice and black beans or black-eyed
peas. They love baked and buttered
squash.
Irk see: Trotter,
Orson Pollman. See Orson Trotter’s Page. See Timeline.
Islekin were those born of the same isle, whether or
not of the same folk. The Gaohund often
called Eldar of the same isle their islekin.
Itzanalya was
a militaristic group that wants to fight the Widge, an unrealistic dream. They remain a minority faction after the
Rebellion.
Jameson, Bernadette was older than Cern, Thomas, or Scott
Doulettile was, almost to the age of final tremmenation. Her eyebrows had grown long, extending
beyond the frame of her face, a physical sign of maturity in their folk. She was also very tall, with athletic
contours and big devil-may-care eyes.
The length of her hair accentuated the length of her body. The thick rippling tresses of deep dull red
like russet or brick hung to the middle of her back. The red of her lips was a brighter hue, and even her eyebrows
were a shade of that color. Prime
Motivation: to become a historical mover; to be at the center; to be seen as
the one that righted the wrongs. People
found her fierce, terse, cold, and efficient.
She spoke in short, sharp sentences with an intense glare at the person
to whom she was speaking. Development: Bernadine Dorhn, American terrorist and rebel in the late 60s and early
70s, partly inspired this character. Bernadette’s Page. See Timeline.
Jane of the Faithful Exiles See, Alexander, Jane
Johnson City was the largest city on the island of Irin. It thrived on the fishing from the North Banks and trade from the
Western Isles. The city administrated
over the refueling station on Halfway Island, which lie in the Beringinold Gap
between Irin and the Western Isles. It
was an important hold on that shipping route.
Johnson City was also the site of the Captain’s Institute, their
officer’s training school. Johnson City
was divided into two boroughs, Tirin River and Tuhone River. See Irin, Map, Irin & Surrounds, the Large Map, and the Institute.
Julie
(the ethereal) While
Admiral Newton was busy dealing with Clintock’s attack on Albion, a young
Tiller named Julie, to whom he was devoted, took on final tremmenation after
receiving what would otherwise have been a mortal wound. She became Ethereal Eldar - something
greater than faerie but less than goddess.
Not only did she appear and disappear like other Eldar, but she was able
to give the sight necessary to end the war, since Clintock’s attacks had forced
the Guides to abandon the Captains.
Although able to conclude a victory, it was hollow. Adm. Newton’s love for Julie and her
disappearance made his return personally meaningless, and his reputation was
fixed either as a merciless killer or as an impotent commander, unable to
direct and control his troops. The
Admiral refused to return to the Gao Republic.
With victory seemingly assured, the Governor’s Council shamefully
removed him from power. He was
condemned in absentia to exile, and many of his men went with him.
Julie’s Eyes This was a small boat, ostensibly Faeron, in
which Edward Scantini had many of his adventures.
Kaisen was the largest of the Western Isles.
On a bay of its northwestern shore, the Western Isles boasted its only
real city, Fayette. Also on a bay, on
the opposite side of the island, was a town called Kurzen, which was a coal
port. Dividing the two cities was the
northeast-southwest mountain chain; joining the two was a road leading through
the Kerdal Pass. The Widge War was
begun when the Widge took Fayette. It
was retaken by the Gaohund only after a pitched battle in the Kerdal Pass in
January of 10193; it was the first land battle of the Widge War, and followed
closely on the Battle of the Western Sea.
See Western Isles, Map, Western Isles, Large Map, Fayette, Kurzen, Battle of
Kerdal Pass, Battle of the Western Sea.
Kaiwann and its sister island Welwann make up the lower Western Isles, sparsely
populated even by the standards of the Western Isles. They are also much lower in elevation and lie closest to Widge
lands. See Western Isles, Welwann, Large Map
Kaiwitz was the second largest of the Western Isles. The town of Pine lies on its northeastern shore. On its southern plain, the Gaohund people
halted their flight from the xenocide of the Widge. Amid the rocks known as The
Broken Spears, they inflicted such a bite into the marauding Widge that
they were left alone on the Waning Isles for two hundred years. See Western Isles,
Kannad was a fishing town on the easternmost point of Stanton, the largest of
the Middle Islands. See Map, Middle Islands
Kershaw,
Daniel, and the and the Capsplitter Platoon cleared the Waning Isles of
stoudines, a dangerous animal of the same class as Widge. The Capsplitter platoon was named for its
tendency to use hand-to-claw combat to engage the stoudines, often with a
long-bladed knife.
Kershaw
Knife was the blade used by David Kershaw and displayed in the Hall of Five
Hundred Statues until it was looted during the Rebellion of 10219. Also this term was used to refer to a knife
made in the same fashion, a stout handle with a blade eight and a half inches long
and curved to the side in its last three inches.
Kershaw
Nest was one of the largest on Irin, which existed on the north side of Irin
for centuries before the Great Retreat.
Their castle lay on the Kershaw River, a branch of the Kerkik. The nest controlled virtually all of central
Irin, with their population densest in the Kerkik Lowlands, but with many
ranches and pasturages, spread over the highlands to its west, south, and
east. Because of the danger presented
by stoudines, the southern slopes remained uninhabited until the Great Retreat
(see Kershaw, Daniel). The chief
rivals of the Kershaw were Irin of the Johnson Nest, who lived on Tirin Bay
just over the highlands, and their allies in the Irin River Valley.
Kerensky Government was a temporary government set up
legitimately after the Eldar withdrew and overthrown by the Central
Committee.
Kerensky,
Lloyd, was the leader of the majority party that made up
the Rebel Alliance. In spite of their
majority, however, they lost control to the Central Committee shortly after
creating a government.
Kerral was a small city on the Kerkik River, on the
Kerkik Lowlands on the north side of Irin; see Map, Irin & Surrounds
Kolhni were a Widge people. The Kolhni have a secret artifice: the quick
rising craft. It was an artifice envied
by militaries of the other folk, but kept secret because it was a necessity to
the Kolhni keeping a monopoly on the fish trade, necessary to feed the
skorrah. The Kolhni are great fishers
and cruise the Great Ocean Beneath in small, hardy craft like The Hueron, The
Chip and The Smoky Gomer. Long Nails on
Kolhni
Kongry
Haunts see Shipping District
Kornell,
Professor, was a doctor of sociology at Breston Academy.
Kurzen was the only major city on
the east side of the Western Isles.
Holliston landed near there after the Battle of the Western Seas and
just before the Battle of Kerdal Pass.
See Map, Western Isles
Last Names are
determined by the Well from which the individual was born. Persons with the same last name all belong
to the same nest. Cern, Thomas, and
Holliston have the same last name of Green since they were all born of the
Green Island Well. See Well, Nest
Leek
Creature The Leek-tree releases a small, free-roaming
creature called a “leek” that carries the gamete-DNA sequence to a new leek
tree, which traps it in the same chamber as the food.
Leek
musk was the enzyme and
pheromone-rich substance that the Leek used to identify the Leek Creature and
which kept the creature from being consumed.
It was used by the Rebels to enable Leek experiences.
Leek
Tree The Leek tree was a carnivorous, rooted invertebrate
disguised as a tree. The creature
shoots darts from its branches at the prey, injecting it with a drug that makes
it crawl to a fleshy, subterranean chamber where the creature digests it. The victim’s step upon the creature’s roots
will trigger the darts.
Longshores Map, Middle Islands, Large Map
Loop,
the See
“Philosophy of the Loop”
Lowens Park was the largest park in New
Warrick. In a slight depression between
Millbrew Map, Middle Islands, Large Map
Mindstroke The mental connection achieved between an Eldar and
its Gaohund.
Moore, Sylvia
had short narrow fingers that always seemed to point upward; narrow distrustful
eyes sunk in darkness, yet the golden irises glowed. Development: She was a Kolhni trader and foreteller working with
the Nole Nest that helps Cern in his search for the relic ship. A tall thin Widge with long neck, and
fingers; on her bald crown a tiny fez sat framed by long wisps from his
encircling ring of hair and from his eyebrows; he dresses in a long robe. Sylvia Moore agrees to help Cern because the
Kohlni don’t want to see the power structure change: they don’t want to see the
Toltau dominate the Gaohund Isles.
Without the Widge to balance them, life would be terrible for them. The minor character Sly More in Attack of
the Clones originally inspired this character, before she was Widge.
Nai
Nollopa and Nai
Sinoyda, are the two forces of
nature according to the Devout. Nai
Nollopa was the force behind rising evolution, pushing thinking beings upward
from the animal level to their present state of existence, to something higher
in the future. Nai Sinoyda was the
force of chaos, which draws thinking beings back toward the animal level. See Devout.
Nast,
The was a tangled, inner, jungle-like area of
Zamalasia, the Nast was home to filthy savages called Primevals. The Nature Cults worship the Nast as the
first product of the creative energy.
The extremely young leaf-isles there produce prodigiously but erratically
– not producing a steady and constant folk like mature leaf-isles. The folk of the Nast are also living in
darkness, in the shadows of vegetative life.
Nest a
group of Gaohund formed around a Well.
|
New Warrick was
the primate city of the Waning Isles (a primate city was one that was so
comparatively large that it dominates
the country was economy, culture, etc.
See Map, New Warrick,
Map, Irin & Surrounds,
Map, Middle Islands,
Large Map |
|
|
History of New Warrick |
The Steeple and its
courts existed from ancient times. No
one was certain of its origin, but the Gorjan of the Western Isles controlled
it. Thousands made their pilgrimages
to the Steeple from the Gaohund nations on the continent of Zamalaysia. After the Great Retreat
(9071),
New Warrick grew to be the Gaohund primate city because of its location. Originally a market for agriculture and
lumber, New Warrick’s downwind position with prevailing winds promised cheap
transport of these raw materials - since the inbound journey was but a glide,
producers of raw materials burned through no Wellonis Plates with their heavy
loads. During this period, the
Boroughs of Troughton and the Shipping District thrived. Troughton was the center of New Warrick
Life. Older residents removed inland,
to Old Town, hence its name. Troughton
was populated by new immigrants, often with entire new nests springing up
around emergent wells. The powerful
Alexander Nest was founded during this period, originally a nest of the
fowling trade, it rose quickly under the management of Aurelia Alexander and
the Seven Alexander Compatriots, who established an industry of reality
differential production. Their economic
power resulted in their control of the Party of the Republic. Additional nests
created additional corporate entities, notably Crippendraught Manufacture and
shipping firms. These nests, although
individually smaller than Alexander Nest, eventually created a challenge to
their authority on New Warrick through alliance and the formation of the Star
Comet Party. These new nests were
located in Highland Park. Only the Salo
Nest remained in steady alliance with the Alexanders, although some of smaller
nests of Old Town could be courted by either Troughton or Highland Park. |
|
Boroughs of New Warrick |
Each part of the Eight Boroughs of New Warrick
has a character, a style of architecture, and a symbol or symbolism. Only Highland Park tries to do away with
symbolism. Each section has an
identifying pair of colors. See articles on the various boroughs and parts of
New Warrick: El Pra Military Base Old Town Salo Steeple and its Courts,
The |
|
The following articles are also related to New
Warrick: |
|
|
|
Alexander Nest, The Colstye Park
Crippendraught Manufacture El Pra Rocks Norrell Corporation |
Newton,
Admiral, was the commander of the Captains during the Widge
War. See Banishment
of Newton.
Norrell
Corporation was
one of the largest industries in New Warrick; its owners were supporters of the
Star-Comet Party.
North Banks
Large Map
Old
Town
was originally a place that Primevals were moved to, to keep them away from the
Shipping District. It eventually became
the seat of power. The Hall of Five
Hundred Statues was there. Map, New Warrick
Ormund,
Dr, educative administrator and sociologist employed
by the Captains. She was overweight,
continually pushing black spectacles back up her nose.
Outer
Darkness, the The Widge planet was set on its axis so that it had
a sunward pole and a starward pole. The
Outer Darkness referred to the great, unoccupied zone toward the starward
pole. Folktale would have it occupied
by Tzynn, dark counterparts of the Eldar.
Rumor has it that Nathaniel Clintock voyaged there with his crew of
pirates after the Exile of Newton.
Palm Positions were traditional vestiges of an age when sign language had been
important among the Gaohund. The Rebels, of course, laughs at all of this
tradition.
|
|
Horizontal,
fingers entwined – unity; we are together Vertical,
tip to tip – we fight together Facing
out – I go to do the task Facing
self – I take it to myself Upward
– I will accept the majority opinion/decision; I resign to authority. |
Party
of the Gaohund Republic
One of the two principal parties of the Gaohund. Generally, they support strong defense, the upholding of the Foundationals,
and the separation of Gaohund from Widge societies. The other main party of the Gaohund was the Party of the Star
Comet.
Pendon
was
a town in central Irin. Ethnically, it
consists of both Irin and Tondel. See Tondel;
Irin, island of; Irin, People of.
Philosophy
of the Loop “Life was not a strait line – the high must return
to the low; civilization must return to the primitive.” Early in the novel, this was expressed as a
newly discovered law of nature; later as an ideology that the committed must
make happen.
Pilot The larger and more robust genre of Gaohund
Pine (Town of) was a coal port on the northeastern shore of Kaiwitz, the second
largest of the Western Isles. See Western Isles, Kaiwitz, Map, Western Isles
Pirate-Chasers The younger generation of Captains, who are
assigned the mission described in their name.
They are stationed primarily in El Pra, New Warrick, with smaller faster
ships than those of the Veterans, typically stationed in the Fristal Shipyards,
Fayette.
Pirini
was
a city of the Tondel ethnic group. The
city lies on Pirini Bay, in east Irin.
Pirini
Bay was
inlet lying furthest east on the island of Irin.
Pogs was the nickname of the Party of the Gaohund Republic
Praisors are somewhat mysterious creatures that
continually fly around the Steeple with golden, almost transparent wings. There was some debate as to whether they are
among the thinking beings. Of late,
those wishing to include them had subdued their arguments, as this was also the
position taken by Devout.
Primevals Savage-living Gaohund of the continent,
remnants of the once-native population there.
The Primevals still use inflatable craft. The Primevals hunt the wabaz, a shark-like creature that cruises
the murk-aer. The hunter must maneuver
his narrow outrigger through the aerweed clogged narrows, spear at the
ready.
Quinns was a town of the Middle Island Sound, on the island of
Longshores. See Map, Middle Islands.
Rebel
Alliance, the existed between the rebels and the Toltau
|
Rebellion of 10219 was essentially a war against the
hegemony of Captains, the Devout, and the Eldar. For the rebels, the Captains represented xenophobia and
isolationism, but more importantly, since the rebels could not hope for anything
but the weakest influence through legitimate methods, the Captains stood as
the Rebels’ largest obstacle. To the
Captains, the rebels were a threat to stability, as they demanded removal of
the Eldar, and a threat to the very existence of the Gaohund specie, as
instability was an invitation for reinvasion of the Western Widge Isles
powers. Before the outbreak of hostilities, the
rebels operated in and around Their
internal activities sparked the conflict.
Suspecting a stooge in their midst, they murdered a young
student. When Trotter was arrested,
rioting broke out on campus. With
intelligence that a large number of the Captains were on shore leave, other
members of the rebel inner circle murdered guards at the military port,
captured numerous vessels and used them to attack the vessels still manned by
the Captains’ Corp. Kerensky
Government was a temporary government set up legitimately after the Eldar
withdrew and overthrown by the Central Committee. The
Rebels removed the One Hundred from New Warrick to house arrest on East
Irin. Later that autumn, after the
Central Committee seized power, the One Hundred were removed again,
ostensibly to seclusion on Breadstone Island; however, they were murdered there
and buried in a mass grave. Replacement
of the trees of Lowens Park brought the return of the envoy from the Warder
of the Steeple’s Sanctuary. He had
left the government after he was refused a seat on the Twenty-One by the
Kerensky Government. He was murdered
on the deliberating floor. Murder of Devouts and their ostracizing on
the Sound Island encampments, East Babblestone, and the notorious camps on
Scotz Islands. |
Reds A
stray gang
Regula Corleonis Frigate of the Republic
during the Rebellion of 10219.
|
The Retreat, or
the Great Retreat from the continent was
neither orderly nor unified. Those
that fled north were cut off from the main conflict – many wished to be
there. Others were residents of the
coastal nations – warriors and nests from the northern interior and merchants
and sailors fleeing warmer waters. After the expulsion from the continent,
the Gaohund began to speak Widge. Not
enough of them knew each other’s languages when they were pushed off the
continent, but almost all of them spoke Widge. Pushed to the treeline by the planet’s new dominant specie, the
Gaohund lived with their symbiont Eldar almost in darkness. See also: The Smith-Hadden,
The Battle of Broken Spears, Map,
Western Isles, or Large
Map. |
Salo was
a borough of New Warrick occupying that island’s southeast corner. Its neighbors were Troughton to the west and
Old Town and Breston Academy to the north.
Salo was a common area for students’ residences, often above the shops
and shopkeepers’ residences.
Sanctuary Buildings that are the homes and quasi-temples of
Birthers and Grievers within Gaohund Nests.
Sari, Elizabeth was petite, even
diminutive. Precise little china-doll
features marked her face. Her hair was
very blonde, straight, and held up behind her in a ponytail. She was a precious-metal Gaohund. Sari was the fourth rebel, a shy but adept
thief of rare books and other antiques.
She finances much of the Central Committee’s activities this way. She was untrustworthy, finding pleasure in
creating trouble for others. Later,
they suspect her of collusion with Ricky Alexander, and Bernadette murders her.
|
Scantini, Cmdr Edward was the town’s
librarian, a tall, knobby, skinny fellow.
He walked with his head bent slightly forward, and his huge bushy
eyebrows curved away from his face like longhorns. He was a deep scholar, having attended the Academy many years
ago. He continued his studies in
semi-retirement while running the Bedford Village Library. Cern Green studied and worked there under
his eye, where Cern seldom tried to get away with anything. In addition, Major Lieutenant Edward
Scantini was one of the leading commanders of the Widge War. Scantini was born in Andnoh on Irin in 10170, and spent his boyhood there before going to common school in Johnson City as a youth. He was commissioned into the Captains in 10186 and rose to the rank of lieutenant as a navigator the year before the opening of the Widge War, 10192. XXXX His section-leader,
the ship’s main navigator, was killed in the first real fighting of the war,
the nighttime Battle of the Western Sea. Confusion during the combat ended with their ship being
separated from the flotilla and on an unknown coast. XXXX His Commander,
Holliston Green, thought to rejoin the flotilla as soon as possible. “It was our duty to support them,” he
said. XXXX “Bother finding
them and supporting them,” the young Scantini said. XXXX “What?” XXXX “We are on western
Kaisen, and it was undefended. My
advice would be to contact the flotilla and tell them that you have taken the
island’s west coast with a minimum of casualties and can hold it if we can
secure XXXX
Commander Holliston looked at him stunned only for a moment, then promoted
him to lieutenant commander and ordered him to the pass. Before
the war was over, he owed a life-debt to one of the Widge Guides of Albion,
of the Nest of Bloomkeeper. After the
war, the Guides were unable to return home since many Widge, even those that abhorred the Regime, came
to see the Guides only as traitors.
Even the softshells (there was one in the Alexander Nest) turned to
scorn them. Although under the exile
of Newton, Edward Scantini came to plead for his friend’s amnesty in the Hall
of Five Hundred Statues in New Warrick.
Admiral Holliston, the senior commander that chose not to go into
exile, vouched for him. He received
not only amnesty for Bloomkeeper, but also received permission to return
himself, and remained banished only from the Isle of New Warrick. Aurelia Alexander gave this decree. He was recalled to duty during the
Rebellion of 10219 and became Commander of the Regula Corleonis during the
Rebellion of 10219. See Timeline. See Edward Scantini’s Page . |
Scotz was a small town on the north shore of Longshores, the
second largest of the Middle Islands.
Just offshore were the Scotz Islands.
See Middle Islands. See Map,
Middle Islands.
Scrubbles Kids’ name for the Tzynn, dwellers of the
undersides of some islands, goblin-like, scuttling little critters. See Tzynn.
Seldah Map, Middle Islands
Shipping District was
one of the major boroughs of New Warrick.
The main approach brought the craft to the concave
cliffs used as a bay. As Cern overflew
the harbor, he saw the great cyborg beasts tow ships in and out of harbor. Pilots help maneuver the craft around
grav-eddies, Spangled with air moss A few of the lower wharves and docks used
pulled and open air elevators to bring their wares to the surface, but most had
tunnels that reached to their warehouses in the shipping district. Legends told of the extent of these
underground passages; their lengths may not have been exaggerated, Cern mused,
but surely their darker aspect were – stories of Thutkari survivors working in
caverns, exchanging the product of their labor through titanium bars for food
and other necessities. And the stories
of the Kongry Haunts, teeming with dark gatherings of the long dead cult of the
Tree that focused on the physical – the body, wounds, blood and other bodily
fluids, violence, birth and death, and sacrifices.
Silver
Spheres Pilots, both Steel and
Titanium, use Silver Spheres to operate excursor craft.
Skorrah A dark hawk with a tail of flame, ridden in early
times for transportation. The various
folk might have used the skorrah more commonly if it wasn’t a voracious
piscavore.
Slow Pistol Jane Alexander’s Page
Smith-Hadden was by far the largest
of ships in the great retreat. It
carried the only survivors from the interior of the Gaohund nation on
Zamalaysia. It launched, in fact, from
just outside the capital of Burturk.
While overflying the Widge encirclement, the Smith-Hadden, a luxury ship
now carrying six thousand refugees, was shot down. It landed upon Welwitz, in the Western Isles. The refugees were able to disembark, but the
fire that consumed the ship also destroyed food and supplies. It was, in part, the arrival of these additional
refugees that induced Cooey to turn and fight at the Battle of the Broken
Spears. Its wreck still stands, and has
been designated a national monument.
See Also The Retreat, The Battle of the Broken
Spears. For its location, see Map,
Western Isles, or Large
Map.
Softshells See Widge
Somlesk, a remote island far from Gaohund lands, offering
snow sports and tours to the iceberg islands.
Sound Islands make up
a small archipelago in the mouth of Tone Bay, Stanton, the Middle Islands. See Middle
Islands. See Map, Middle Islands
Sound, The Map, Middle Islands
Spark, The was the name of the underground newspaper of the
rebellion.
Sphere, Stony, Silver, or Golden See Craystone
Spruce, Commander Raymond leads the Exploit. Raymond Spruance of
the Enterprise inspired this character.
Stanton was the
largest and highest of the Middle Isles.
It has the best harbor of the Middle Islands by far, Tone Bay. See Map, Middle Islands, Large Map
Star Comet An
unusual sky phenomena, something like a comet in having a long tail, but unlike
it in its unpredictability of appearance.
It was once an object of worship and was considered even in later days a
symbol of chaos and randomness.
Star Comet, Party of the One of the two principal parties of the
Gaohund. They tend to believe in fixed
tremmenation rather than the Foundational concept of variable
tremmenation. Currently, they attempt
to reduce the Captains’ power and expand diversity, but some of this was in
penitence for their rule during the Widge War, during which they unjustly
imprisoned many Western Gaohund and urged the Captains forward. The other main political group of the
Gaohund was the Party of the Republic.
|
Steeple,
the, was
either a tower or natural pinnacle on the eastern height of New Warrick. Around this was built an ancient shrine and
gardens. By law, the Shrine was
allowed a single representative in the One Hundred, but it held a much
stronger influence that this. |
|
Its Physical Structure was easy to describe, but opinions differed hotly as to its origin. Obviously, it was ancient. Even the sanctuary complex built at its
foot was created in the distant past.
The Steeple itself was a seven-sided pinnacle with a flat surface at
its top. The entire structure stood
nearly seven thousand feet high.
Although set on
a low hill of rock, the edifice
appeared thrust suddenly out of the ground.
The upper thousand feet of the structure exuded a glow, commonly
referred to as the “glory”, which would have made street lighting on New
Warrick redundant. The glory or the
structure itself attracted mysterious creatures called Praisors, which were
seldom seen anywhere else on the planet of Twilight. |
|
The Steeple Courts surrounded the actual edifice with an inner and outer wall. Both walls formed heptagons, echoing the
structure itself. Within the inner
wall was an ornamental garden, and it was here that Devout on pilgrimages
would meditate. Between the inner and
outer walls were the east and west arbors, and the sanctuary. The sanctuary consisted of six buildings:
the library, the men’s dorm, the women’s dorm, the kitchens, the root cellars
and green house, and the sepulcher.
The sepulcher was the opening to the tomb complex below, where the
monks of the sanctuary were interred. The inner wall had but one
entrance. The outer wall had three:
the Ryan Street Gate, the James Street Gate, and the Main Gate, on Easter
Avenue. See Map, New Warrick. |
|
History Political and Devout Significance Since ancient times,
the Gorjan of the Western Isles controlled the sanctuary, and that language
remained the tongue of the monks of the sanctuary even after the Great
Retreat populated the Waning Isles. Long before the Gaohund’s defeat on the
continent, the Faithful journeyed to the Steeple to mediate, to visit the
library, and to see the Praisors,
with their golden, almost transparent wings, circle the Steeple, flying and
singing around its heights. Then, the
Faithful would leave alms with the monks there and return to their homes in
Zamalaysia. When
the Foundation of the Republic was signed in July of 09073, the Warder of the Steeple was authorized to send one Council
Member to the Assembly. By tradition,
the Council Member, although only an envoy, was allowed in the Twenty-One,
the inner circle of the Gaohund deliberating body. This envoy was denied that seat by the Kerensky Government, a provisional
government set up after the Rebellion of 10219. After his assassination later that year by the Central
Committee after he spoke out against the Leek Trees in Lowens Park. His assassination opened the way for the
committal of Devout to interment camps.
See
also the Devout, the Rebellion of 10219. |
Stollian Heresy and the Stollian School made a
mark in early Devout history, and thus left a lasting influence. The Stollians focused on the casting of
lots, the sorting of thorns or short sticks, or looked to other points where
seemingly random events met human action.
Stollian practitioners used these points as a means of divination, meditation, and
psychological insight. Councils
eventually condemned all of these practices (See Devout, Structure of).
A similar practice, the interpretation of nature
events, survived the council without being condemned, but as it was also a part
of the Stollian School, was only tolerated, and many viewed it as heretical,
even if no council had passed judgment on it.
Stout was one of the three large cities of the Middle
Islands. It was on the Sound shore of
Brick Island.
Strays Gaohund term for another
Gaohund that was unattached to an Eldar.
Sugar
Island was the closest of the Toltau Islands
Sun’s
Anvil was the great desert covering a large area of the
Planet Twilight. It covers the pole that
faces the sun and up to about 45 degrees.
It was a volcanically active area.
Taldon was a small city on the
northeast of Irin. The Tondel people,
who continue to use that language, settled it.
Taldon was a center for surrounding sheep and cattle ranches. Taldon processes wool, leather, and beef. Map,
Irin & Surrounds
Tarvi The immature form of life, before first
tremmenation.
Tauser, Tauser-spells Tausers are pipe-like
devices that Tiller put in their mouths and blow gently, causing a low
luminescence from its end and the subdued sound of tiny wheels whirling. When the tauser was lost, a Gaohund has two
choices. One was to not remove the
Craystone, except during sleeping and bathing, which was normal. Choosing this, the Craystone begins to
consume the flesh, slowing reducing, feeding on the body. Sleeping longer may retard the rate. The other option was to set the Craystone
aside completely, allowing it to drop into a deep hibernation. There are drawbacks to his, however: the
body becomes brutish, hairy, and eventually forgetful of the Craystone. Thomas Haynin’s Page
Tennally
was
one of the Green Islands. See Map, Green Islands.
Text
of the Devout,
The The ethical and
philosophical core of the Devout. See
the First
Scroll as an example.
Thutkari An extinct
folk.
Tiller The
gracile genre of Gaohund. See Gaohund:
Genres
|
Year-Month |
Political |
Holliston |
Scantini |
Orson Pullman Trotter
“Irk” |
Rebel Youth |
Loyal Youth |
Cern |
|
09071-07 |
Battle of Broken Spears |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
09073-07 |
The Foundation was Signed
in Bedford |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
09078 |
New Warrick becomes
capital; The Hall of Five Hundred
Statues Founded |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10155 |
|
Birth of Holliston Green |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10170 |
|
Commissioned at age 15 |
Birth of Edward Scantini |
|
|
|
|
|
10186 |
|
Promotion to Command the Venture,
age 31 |
Scantini was Commissioned
age 16 |
Birth of “Irk” |
|
|
|
|
10191 |
|
Age 36 |
Promotion to Lt.; Assigned
to the Venture, age 21 |
Age 5 |
|
|
|
|
10192-12 |
Western Widge attack |
Age 36 |
Age 22 |
Age 6 |
|
|
|
|
10193-01a |
Battle of the Western Sea |
Age 37 |
Age 23 |
Age 7 |
|
|
|
|
10193-01b |
Battle of Kerdal Pass |
Age 37 |
Promotion to Lt. Commander |
Age 7 |
|
|
|
|
10195-05 |
Attack on Albion |
Age 40 |
Begins working with
Bloomkeeper Age 25 |
Age 9 |
Birth of Bernadette
Jameson |
|
|
|
10195-07 |
Banishment of Newton |
Promoted to Admiral, Age
40 |
Age 25 |
Age 9 |
Age 2 months |
|
|
|
10196 |
|
Age 41 |
Appearance in the Hall of
500 Statues, age 26 |
Age 10 |
Age 1 |
|
|
|
10199 |
|
Age 44 |
Age 29 |
Age 13 |
Birth of Thomas Haynin
Green Bernadette was 4 |
Birth of Scott Doulettile |
|
|
10201 |
|
Age 46 |
Age 31 |
Age 15 |
Bernadette was 6 Thomas was 2 |
Age 3 |
|
|
10203 |
|
Retirement from the
Captains, age 48 |
Age 33 Promoted to
Commander |
Age 17 |
Bernadette was 8 Thomas was 4 |
Age 5 |
Recovery of Cern from
Faeron Craft |
|
10210 |
Trotter’s Putsch |
Age 55 |
Age 40 Retires |
Trotter’s Putsch Age 24 |
Bernadette was 15 Thomas was 11 |
Scott was 11 |
Cern was 7 |
|
The
Rebellion of 10219 |
The Rebellion |
Recalled to active duty
with promotion to Grand Admiral Age 64 |
Recalled to active duty,
Age 49 |
Irk was 33 |
Thomas was 20 Bernadette was 24 |
Scott was 20 |
Cern was 16 |
|
|
Political |
Holliston |
Scantini |
Orson Pullman Trotter
“Irk” |
Rebel Youth |
Loyal Youth |
Cern |
Tirin Bay was a large, deep, and narrow bay on the northeast island of
Irin. Johnson City was located on this bay. See Map, Irin & Surrounds
Toltau was a Widge nation just to the west of the Gaohund
lands. The capital was Eporuen
Retsae.
Tondel Bay was a large, narrow bay on the southeast corner of the
island of Irin. Tondel City was located
on this bay. Map, Irin & Surrounds
Tondel City was the second largest city on the island of Irin. The city of Tondel was named after the
people of Tondel, an ethnic group of the same name. It was the largest by
far of the "ethnic areas" settled after the great expulsion from the
continent. Outside of the Western Isle, it was the only area larger than
a town s that speaks a language other than Widge. The economy of the city was exporting goods out of Tondel Bay to the
Middle Isles. See Map,
Irin & Surrounds, Large
Map.
Tondel People, the are the ethnic people that settled eastern Irin.
Tondel nation was a nation of Gaohund on the Zamalaysia continent before
the Great Retreat.
|
Tremmenation was the metamorphosis. There are at least two metamorphoses. The first changes a being from the tarvi,
or immature form, into its Holdalt form.
The second was referred to as final tremmenation, and sometimes does
not happen at all. There are two
theories concerning final tremmenation: |
|
|
Variable tremmenation |
Variable
Tremmenation was the concept that a being’s character determines the form
achieved during final metamorphosis. |
|
Fixed tremmenation |
Fixed
tremmenation indicates a belief that the form was predetermined. The concept of fixed tremmenation can be
detailed as follows: Ethereal
Eldar draw from the Praisors of the aer.
Earth Eldar draw from Gaohund of the sunny leaf-isles. Boreal Eldar draw from the Toltau of the
cold isles. Shoreline Eldar draw from
the Widge of the base-isles. Ocean
Eldar draw from the Mervelle of the Great Ocean Beneath. Tzynn are the semi-mythical, dark
counterparts of the Eldar, and reside in the Outer Darkness Tremmenation was another
word created by my children, which I had in my word-hoard long before I
discovered the meaning. |
Trotter, Orson Pollman, “Irk” was the exiled leader of
a putsch in the late 10100’s.
(See Orson Trotter’s Page.) Fleeing government troops
after its failure, Nathaniel Clintock rescued him; Trotter assisted this pirate
in his crimes until the Revolt of 10219.
He was a huge titanium-fabricated Pilot, violent, with an urge to lead
and control. His
ship was The Damage Done. He was raised
by a Devout nest and rebelled against them, but can quote the Text of the
Devout. Development: Mashing
Trotsky with “trotter” (a la Animal Farm) inspired the name. The middle name results from the fact that
Trotsky rode a Pullman car about Russia.
Troughton had once been the
high-life of New Warrick. (See Map, New
Warrick.) Remnants of great houses
and ritzy hotels still punctuated its now dark streets. Its normally narrow streets are broken
seldom, most notably by Colstye Park.
Cage elevators, grave-like statuary, steam. When Ricky set him up in an old apartment building, Cern wondered
if it was dead. No one had lived there
for a long time, that was certain, but buildings were like trees, they could
live a long time and most of them were dead wood anyway. Troughton broke off from New Warrick ages
ago, and was held in place by alloy girders.
Bridges carry foot-traffic across the breach. Within the breach are many wires collecting Wellonis energy. Kurtzweil’s Alley – yellowish pools The
Struckhold Building – circular, red brick with limestone trim and a frieze
around the top
The Twenty One See The Governor’s Council
Twilight was the
name most often given to their planet by off-worlders. The planet lies on its side, one pole
perpetually facing their sun; the other pole, deep space. Life throve only in the equatorial band, the
majority of settlements just starward of the equator, in the twilight between
the volcanically active deserts of the Sun’s Anvil and the Great Ice.
Tzynn Dark
counterparts of the Eldar rumored in folklore to occupy the Outer Darkness and
even to creep into the daylight side, traveling by night and resting during the
day in the shadow of island’s Sogrom Darkside.
Umma the Skirth
Veterans are the
older generation of Captains, i.e., The Widge War Veterans. They are primarily stationed in the Fristal
Shipyards, in Fayette. See Captains,
Pirate-Chasers, Fayette.
Waning Isles lay
north of the continent Zamalaysia, and were the main home of the Gaohund people
after the Widge pushed them off that continent. The waning isles were farther north than any inhabited
islands. Few inhabitants of either
Widge or Gaohund ever lived north of the equator, for their peculiar planet lay
on its axis, with one pole perpetually facing their sun and one pole facing
deep space. A tilt of this axis
provided equatorial regions, such as the waning isles with a day and a
night.
|
Waning Isles, Administration of the Waning Isles divided it into twenty-six
regions. The six most populated
regions were designated provinces, and were thus entitled to send a
senator to the One Hundred. Four of
the regions, being less populated, were labeled Districts, and were
entitle to sent delegates. Sixteen of
the districts, however, were so sparsely populated that they were designated
a ward of another region.
Below was the breakdown of regions and the representation that they
received. |
|||||||||||||
|
43 Senators (elected by a province, a
municipality, or a borough) |
A Province was recognized as an area that held
within its borders a recognized municipality. Each elected 5 senators, a total of 30 Council Members.
|
Municipalities and Boroughs would be entitled to elect one senator. Municipalities and Boroughs elected 13 Council Members.
|
|||||||||||
|
27 Delegates (elected by a district or an
abode-and-depot) |
Districts would not have a recognized
municipality within its borders, but each had at least one recognized Abode
and Depot. Each province elected
one delegate to the general assembly, a total of 4 Council
Members. Wills Forestal The |
An Abode and Depot was a lesser settlement
than a municipality, but one that still held an important economic
connection, such as a rail depot or an important harbor. Each Abode and Depot elected one delegate
to the General council, for a total of 23 Council Members.
|
|||||||||||
|
30 Envoys (elected by a territory or appointed by one of the other three
groups). |
Wards had neither a recognized
municipality nor an abode and depot.
They were attached to a state or province as a dependency. The warders sent envoys - 16 Council
Members.
|
The Warder of the Steeple sent 1 Council Member to the Assembly |
|||||||||||
|
Administrators of Economic Zones, who were appointed by the Twenty-One, sent envoys to the One
Hundred. They are not part of a
region’s tally, and were in fact seen as interlopers.
|
The Captains sent 5
Council Members. The Institute at El Pra The Three Fleets |
||||||||||||
|
Recapitulation (checksum) |
Provinces (68) |
Districts (18) |
Other (14) |
||||||||||
|
Irin (15) 8 Senators 5 Reps 2 Envoys Western Isles (13) 7 Senators 2 Reps 4 Envoys |
Longshores (11) 6 Senators 2 Reps 3 Envoys 6 Senators 5 Reps 1 Ward |
New Warrick 10 Senators Brick (7) 6 Senators 1 Rep |
Eastern Islands (6) 3 Reps 3 Envoys Forestal 5 Reps |
Green 2 Reps 3 Envoys Wills: 2 Reps |
Ward of the Steeple (1) Economic Zones (8) The Captains (5) |
||||||||
Weather of
the Planet Twilight was dominated by its unusual axis, with one pole
perpetually facing the sun and the other facing deep space. The air was heated over the pole facing the
sun, a great desert called The Sun’s
Anvil. The heated air rises and
travels towards the starward pole, where it cools and falls over the Great Ice,
which covers that pole. The dominant air currents at the surface, therefore,
are cool winds traveling sunward.
Wellonis a particle stream emanating from the ocean that was
used to power excursor craft.
Wellonis Lines Cern Green’s Page
Wellonis Plates are nine inches long and
placed one inch apart.
Wellwann was one of the Western Isles, and the Gaohund island closest
to the continent. See Large
Map.
Welwitz was one of the Western Isles, between Kaiwitz and
Kaiwann. See Map, Western Isles, Large Map.
|
Western Isles carry the least dense population
of the Gaohund people, and this was one reason their habits and ways seem
strange to the rest of Gaohund. Although they have full representation in
the Hall of Five Hundred Statues, their capitol in New Warrick, they
otherwise live in isolation. The people of Fayette and Pine even trade
freely with the Widge, who live on islands to the west, and find nothing
wrong with that. This was their strangest habit to the other Gaohund,
since the Western Islands were the site of many battles when the Gaohund were
pushed off the continent and later during the Widge War. Coal was also mined on the Western Isles. Westerners use colorful embroidery on dull colored
clothes. They wear long great coats
in winter. Long skirts remain
fashionable with the women, and men’s shirts often continue to their
mid-thigh, reined in by a large belt.
Most of their clothing was wool.
The people of the Western Isles
built log houses that with colorfully decorated borders around windows and
doors. The Western Isles have a very
stratified culture, with traditional clothing for each occupation: mariners,
fliers, miners, sheepherders, and goats on the higher elevations. Their
diets tend to the bland and fatty. They drink beer, since they are far
enough south for grain, and they love potatoes. Western isle folk rides horses. Gorjan was commonly spoken in the Western Isles. Gorjania was the most northerly of Gaohund nations existing before the defeat on the continent. In the names of their islands, the prefix "kai" indicates northern, and the prefix "wel" indicates southern. |
|
Widge In their primeval form, they were dark spider-like
beings (actually closer to crustaceans) with glowing eyes that haunted the
forest. They are gray with undertones
of pale yellow, sickly green-yellow, or olive. Their Craystone was attached to the bottom of the thorax. They do not wear clothing; when they carry
satchels, they are often olive green.
Widge artifice, including weapons, was usually mounted just behind the
head. Small, thin feeder arms emerge
from the Widge’s face and are used to manipulate artifice. Their colors are jade and emerald; bottle
green The Widge executed a race war - that was their crime. They are a folk in decline. He could not help but visualize that the
staccato sounds were the sharp points of giant crab-like legs, scuttling the
enormous spider-like body of a Widge through the forest. “I can answer that,” said a voice. Cern turned quickly. The voice came from behind him, and she
peered into the thick, ancient roses that arched above a doorway of
stone. Perched on the steep ground
beside the doorway was the living image that haunted many a tarvi’s
nightmare: a Widge. She had heard
that the Academy kept an old Widge groundskeeper, but had dismissed it as
ludicrous rumor. Yet, here was the
dark being, spider-like and absurdly trimming the roses. She stepped forward, drawn to the thing in
the darkness. It was gray with
undertones of pale yellow, sickly green-yellow like a bad olive. Its long narrow head – or was it head and
neck? – reminded Cern more of a lizard than a spider. She had always heard Widge do not wear
clothing, yet this one’s bumpy encrusted head was topped with a dirty
baseball cap with a long brim cocked off at a slight angle. She saw its Craystone attached to the
bottom of the thorax, and dangling below that was an olive green
satchel. See
Also: The Widge War |
|
Widge Guides of Albion were Widge from Isles that had long
resisted the Regime. Many of the
Albion Widge had worked as Guides to the Captains, made necessary because
artifice and natural barriers protect the Widge homelands. During the Widge War, Lieutenant Commander
Nathaniel Clintock attacked them.
After the war, the Guides were unable to return home since many Widge,
even those that abhorred the Regime, came to see the Guides only as
traitors. Even the Softshells (there
was one in the Nest) turned to scorn them.
|
|
Widge Softshells were
a new model of Widge that looked entirely different from the enemy faced by
the Gaohund during the Widge War.
Softshells were interested in art, music, and literature, but unable
to defend anything. They were weak,
physically but also weak in spirit.
The art they produced was intentionally ugly, their literature
despairing. Cern knew what the
previous generation had done, how evil it was, but he could not help but pity
this new generation of Widge. They
had lost something vital. |
|
Widge Language was the primary language spoken by the Gaohund
peoples after the Retreat. The
various Gaohund peoples often knew it as a second language on the continent,
but after they found themselves on the Waning Isles, too few knew each
other’s languages. The Western Isles
were settled before the Retreat and retained their original language; a few
scattered tribes and households still on the continent also retained their
original languages. On the Waning
Isles, they were only studied in books. |
Widge War,
The was waged from
December of 10192, when the Widge of Toltau captured the city of
Wills was both the name of one of the Middle Islands and the name
of the largest town on that island.
Other Middle Islanders found the mannerisms and conversation of Willsers
odd. Sounders, the elite of the Middle
Islanders, often made Willsers the butt of their jokes.
Wind eels are long, narrow, and flying creatures: Beez, beez, beez they sang, their long
bright bodies changing colors in the wind.
Wokkenwieser was a large island north of Kaiwitz and west of
Kaizen. It was the landing point of the
invading Toltau Widge, initiating the Widge War. It was also the last stand of the Toltau Widge on Gaohund lands,
in March of 10193. See Widge War, Map,
Western Isles, Large
Map
Wristblades Similar
to heeltools
Yama Danna and
it exotic stone temples of the Vanished People. No one really knew anything about them, other than they built great
cities and then disappeared. Some said
they were Thutkari with their bloody rituals.
Now it was a tourist spot, with the added attraction of their warm
lakes.
Yenshe was the
language of the Devout.
Zamal Fishing Villages are found along Irin’s southern shore, and especially around
Irin Bay. See Map,
Irin & Surrounds. Fisherfolk
from these villages travel to the Zamal shoals.
Zamal Shoals are valued fishing grounds between Irin and
Zamalasia. See Large Map.
Zamalaysia was the continent to the south of
the Waning Islands, and was once the Gaohund home. They were pushed off the continent in the war ending in 9071,
often referred to as “The Retreat”.