Florence Chien

Glossary

This list contains minor spoilers and reader discretion is advised.

Aisling: An etherite swords crafted and used by Ishen Valrohna Delamora during the Malian Rebellion and was thereafter safekept by the Vesperins as a family heirloom. Entrusted by Lucian Vesperin to Edmund Hayden after the fall
of Surolifia. Later stolen by Fayrian Phlorik.

Arcane science: The stream of science concerning the manipulation of material and immaterial substances as informed by the principles of natural science and essentialism.

Arcanist: A person who practices the arcane sciences.

Black epistum: A toxic, addictive, and illegal aphrodisiac.

Boundless Thinker: The primary deity worshipped within the Empire of Elthanora. Usually depicted as a blindfolded and gender-neutral scholar in ascetic robes.

Channelling: The act by which the human mind accesses an entity’s essence.

Channelling catalysts: Any matter or substance capable of amplifying the essence of entities so that their essence may manipulated. Most common forms of channeling catalysts are crystalline solids with varying degree of uniform lattice structures.

Cloudburst: The second month of the year, and of spring. Equivalent to April.

Common Continental: The official language shared by all three countries on the continent.

Crownsguard Gendarmerie: Al Senia’s military and police force.

Essence: The totality of the properties (attributes) and potentials comprising an entity at any given point in time.

Essentialism: The metaphysical worldview that every entity has a set of attributes that are necessary to its identity and function, which may be changed naturally or unnaturally to effect permanent or temporary changes in the substance of the entity.

Etherite: The purest form of channel catalyst known. Capable of being used for noumenmancy and spaciomancy. A monocrystalline substance, i.e., a single-crystal, a substance in which the crystal lattice of the entire sample is continuous and unbroken to the edge of the sample, with no grain boundaries. The purest etherite has the appearance of potassium dideuterium phosphate (KDP). Etherite with more impurity has the appearance of monopotassium phosphate (MKP).

Firesalt: A flammable and explosive substance commonly used in munitions.

The Grand Concillium: The highest governmental authority of the Republic of Maliona. Holds all executive and legislative power. All members are voted into office by direct democracy on a per district basis.

High Virlisian: An extinct language of the historical Virlisian Empire. Now only used for artistic or religious expression.

The Imperial Viceroy: The head of state of the Imperial State of Al Senia. Has the same theoretical powers as the historical Prince Sovereign but is appointed by, and fully subject to the directions of, the Empire of Elthanora.

Impresa: The severed piece of one’s own consciousness which is planted into another person’s noumenal space. Main purpose is to be a warning system for the host. If the recipient is subject to hypnotism, complete mental compulsion, or any noumenmantic coercion, the impresa can assist the host’s consciousness to regain control. The procedure of creating an impresa has a high risk of causing severe damage or death to the donor and is therefore rarely undertaken.

The Inner Council: The executive committee to Al Senia’s national government. Holds all de facto power in enacting and executing laws passed by the Senate. Each member is appointed by the Imperial Viceroy with approval from the Elthanoran government and heads a ministry or department of government.

The Justiciary Court: The criminal court of Al Senia.

Matter: The metaphysical substance upon which essence is instantiated to give identity to entities.

The Ministry of Natural Resources: A ministry in the Al Senian government with jurisdiction over all matters relating to any natural resource, including etherite.

Myrianna’s Grace: An expensive antidote for black epistum addiction.

The National Bank of Al Senia: The central bank of Al Senia. Responsible for issuing currency, coins, and bullions, and for setting benchmark bond yield rates.

Natural science: The stream of science concerning the understanding of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation.

Nightbloom: A lily-like flower with pedals that close during the day and bloom during the night. Blooming pedals glow with a gentle, milky light.

Noumenmancy: The stream of arcane science concerning the manipulation of the mental substance (i.e., consciousness, thoughts, and memories). Requires etherite.

Noumenmancer: A practitioner of noumenmancy.

Noumenal abjuration: The ability to shield one’s mind from noumenal manipulation.

The Royal University of Science: The most prestigious academy in Al Senia. Offers degrees in all streams of natural, arcane, and social sciences, other than any streams of arcane science prohibited by law.

The Senate: The legislative body of Al Senia, responsible for preparing bills for the Inner Council’s deliberation. Senatorial representatives are voted into office by direct democracy on a per district basis.

Serabellum: A potent sedative. Tasteless and colourless, difficult to detect.

Silver: Any person who has lost their natural hair and eye colour due to prolonged or acute exposure to etherite.

Spaciomancy: The stream of arcane science concerning the manipulating the fabric of space. Requires etherite.

Spaciomancer: A practitioner of spaciomancy.

Spacial gate: An essential anomaly that exists at two places at once, allowing anyone who can access its essence to move between its two locations instantaneously.

Sulphate of Atropia: Belladonna extract. A poison but is sometimes used in small doses to counteract the effects of acuate morphia poisoning.

Sulphate of Morphia: An analgesic drug providing rapid pain relief. An addictive substance.

Sweet Ruin: A lethal poison that can kill a person within minutes if introduced into the blood stream. Has a sickly-sweet scent.

Phenomancy: The stream of arcane science concerning the manipulation of material qualities of entities within the limits of natural laws. Does not require etherite.

Phenomancer: A practitioner of phenomancy.

The Prince Sovereign: The monarch of the historical Sovereign State of Al Senia. Has the sole authority to give final assent to legislation enacted by the Inner Council and to appoint member of the same.

Virlisian Six: The deistic icons originating from Virlisian art and literature. Respectively:

• Ellipsis, personification of knowledge, language, logic, and promises.
• Moros, personification of time, cycles, growth and decay, the void and the unknown.
• Krios, personification of dualities, paradoxes, balance, misfortune and redemption.
• Veena, personification of love, innocence, wanderlust, and artistic muse.
• Valera, personification of fortune, luck, valour, and ambition.
• Idina, personification of law, order, morality, justice, and truth.