Tuesday, March 12, 2013

A Cydorian Glossary


Aero-Ship: Ships that fly through the air using the anti-gravity properties of zephyrium.
Arus: A desert territory in southwest Markania. The Empire exiles its prisoners to Arusian prison camps.
Awa: The plains of northern Markania, inhabited by nomadic barbarian that ride large deer known as geruk.
Aya: A disembodied entity of pure energy, often equated with ghosts, demons, and djinn by the people of Cydoria.
Baadria: The northeastern peninsula of the Markanian continent.
Bansya: A kingdom located northwest Markania, forged by the axe of a fearsome warlord.
Biomancer: A practitioner of the forbidden dark arts of Zorin, a master of bioengineering, transformation, and mutation.
Brotherhood of Lightning: A new guild formed by imperial edict that specializes in the alien sorcery of electricity and electronics.
Brux: A type of xoog bred for labor, exemplifying strength, endurance, and docility.
City-States of Cydoria: Ten (formerly eleven) prominent cities, each a unique kingdom with its own history and culture, located on the eastern coast of Markania. The City-States, with the exception of Nrolis, are currently ruled by the Vrildarian Empire. The City-States include Fornaxia,  Kaidan, Guerna, Mancea, Norukar, Nrolis, Ramanam, Tyrannis, Vrildar, and Zinj.
Capridian: Goat-men of the northern plateau of Capridia reknowned for their philosophy and discourse.
Coalition of Timan: An alliance of city-states that opposed the imperial ambitions of the Vrildarian Empire during the War of Unification. The Coalition consisted of Demetria, Fornaxia, Ramanam, and Kaidan.
Cydoria: the southeastern peninsula of the continent of Markania.
Daka: Xenophobic reptilian humanoids from southwestern Markania.
Dazumi Sky-Pirates: a notorious band of sky-pirates that prey on aero-ships travelling across the Sea of Rakar. They are led by the mysterious masked pirate queen, the Shadowfox.
Demetria: The fertile country-side surrounding Talen, conquered and enslaved by the Vrildarian Empire. Many Demetrian refugees can be found across Cydoria and Markania.
Demetrian Resistance: A guerilla force created after the War of Unification to conduct sabotage and harass the occupation forces of the Vrildarian Empire.
Deru: subterranean mole-men who rule an underground kingdom in northeastern Markania.
Dadanians: Impossibly tall aliens from the planet Dadan with long thin spider-like limbs. They must wear anti-gravity harnesses and powered exo-armor when visiting Uruta.
Floating Mountains: Massive hovering stone monoliths, most floating mountains can be found trapped inside deep craters in the regions known as Magatama and Luzun.
Fornaxia: A wintry northern city-state known for its haughty maritime explorers.
Gatan: Fierce barbarian warrior-women of the savanna of south-central Markania.
Guardians of Adhara: An ancient order of warrior-monks who use the powers of Ta’oudh to fight injustice and defend the weak.
Guerna: A forbidding citadel ruled by a military government. Every citizen, from the highest general to the lowest farmer, is a member of the army in some capacity.
Hidden Hand, the: A secretive organization of criminals and assassins found throughout Cydoria.
Jinx: A type of xoog bred for intelligence and ingenuity.
Kaidan and Mancea: Sleepy tropical citiy-states located on islands off the southern tip of Cydoria, collectively referred to as “the Islands”.
Kallo: A remote exotic kingdom in the dense jungles of southern Markania, home to snake-worshipping religious fanatics who consider body mutilation and public torture as a form of art.
Katari, the: A secret order of stealthy assassins.
Knorr: Vicious man-eating quilled dog-men that hunt the plains and deserts of western Markania.
Korulans: A sea-faring barbarian tribe that inhabit the forests of southeast Cydoria.
Loracz: A race of man-eating cave-dwelling insectoids that inhabit the Loka Loka mountains.
Malusians: Aliens from the planet Malus. Malusians are tall and thin with pale skin. They are unused to the heavy gravity and bright light of Uruta and must wear exoskeletons when visiting that world. Malus is home to the Rhakadian League.
Markania: A continent on the world of Uruta.
Nazarians: An ancient civilization that fell to the master Zorin. Many Nazarian ruins can be found throughout Markania.
Norukar: A mechanized metropolis built on the remains of an ancient subterranean city, reknowned for its sophisticated technology and soaring towers, home to astounding feats of mechanical engineering and architecture created by the Octavium.
Nrolis: The undersea dome-city of the Quorians.
Octavium, the: A semi-religious secret society of monks, composed of eight original guilds plus the new Brotherhood of Lightning, that dominate Cydorian industry and construction.
Oculus, the: A cabal of mercenaries who practice the mystical art of Ta’oudh.
Orix: A type of xoog bred for war, known for their ferocity and prowess.
Ossia: Rocky, mountainous land on the western shore of the Sea of Rakar inhabited by bear-worshipping primitives.
Otar: A mountainous desert region in western Markania inhabited by mysterious barbarians known for their domestication of giant wasp mounts.
Oudh, the: An energy field that protects Uruta from alien invasion. The Guardians of Adhara, the Oculus, Katari assassins, and other groups channel and shape the power of the Oudh to perform super-human feats and abilities.
Phanosians: Aliens from the planet Phanos. Phanosians are identical to humans. Phanos is home to the Phanosian Alliance.
Phanosian Alliance, the: A benevolent government from the planet Phanos, enemies of the Rhakadian League. The Phanosian Alliance supplied advanced weapons to the Coalition of Timan during the War of Unification. Today, they smuggle weapons to the Demetrian Resistance and conduct a war of espionage and sabotage using spies and secret agents.
Psi-Mage: A practioner of the ancient occult art known as the psi-magic.
Psi-Magic: A school of magic that emphasizes the mastery of psychic abilities and communing with ancient Aya spirits.
Quorians: Amphibious intelligent cephalopoids that inhabit the oceans, rivers, and swamps of Uruta. The Quorians of Nrolis are technologically advanced.
Ragana: The Daka kingdom located on the banks of a fertile river plain in southwestern Markania.
Ramanam: A city-state built on giant stone pylons in the middle of a river on the edge of a dangerous jungle. The city is home to a large population of war refugees from Demetria.
Rhakadian League: An alien empire from the planet Malus, allies to the Vrildarian Empire. They supply the Empire with advanced weapons and technology in exchange for safe passage through the Oudh and access to Uruta’s mineral wealth.
Roatin: Giant intelligent birds that inhabit the floating mountains of northern Markania.
Roshu: A race of ntelligent rodents the size of large dogs that inhabit the ancient under-city of Norukar.
Samiria: A cold forest region of northern Markania populated by a tribe of barbarians known for their domestication of the giant wooly munglor.
Sdara Vatra: Ancient gods from space that created all life on Uruta. The Sdara Vatra were cast out of the heavens by their servants, the Aya, and became mortal, over time evolving into the ancestors of modern humanity.
Talen: Former capital of the kingdom of Demetria. Talen was once a center of education and culture rivaling Vrildar. The city was completely destroyed by a weapon of unimaginable power at the end of the War of Unification.
Ta’oudh: The mystical art of channeling the Oudh to perform superhuman feats.
Techno-Heretic: A renegade inventor, mechanic, and technician working outside the rules imposed by the semi-religious guilds of the Octavium.
Terax: monstrous abominations created in ancient times by the master Zorin.
Thorium: A radioactive element used to generate power. Thorium is in high demand by the Rhakadians.
Tyrannis: A dark, twisted city of decadence, mutation, slavery, and torture situated on a rocky promontory overlooking a fetid marsh inhabited by grotesque swamp-apes.
Vrildar: The greatest city in Cydoria, it prides itself as the center of art, culture, science, and learning, home to the University of Vrildar, and capital of the Vrildarian Empire.
Vrildarian Empire: The empire that rules the city-states of the Cydorian peninsula. The current soverign is King Viktor, son of Varinor.
War of Unification, the: The most recent major war, during which the Vrildarians defeated the Coalition of Timan and conquered all the City-States of Cydoria, excluding Nrolis, using advanced weaponry supplied by the Rhakadian League. The war ended twelve years ago.
Xoogs: The collective name for the three slave races created by the ancient Nazarian master Zorin—the bruxes, the jinxes, and the orixes.
Zephyrium: Also known as “sky-crystals”, are an exotic alien element with properties that defy gravity. Zephyrium is prized by the Rhakadian League and is used to provide lift in aero-ships.
Zinj: A city-state of thieves, assassins, and merchants and birth-place of the aero-ship. Any item can be purchased and any service rendered in this city of loose morals.
Tsirisians: Alien smugglers from the artificial planetoid Tsiris. Tsirisians resemble humans with pale skin and an allergy to bright light.
Zhuvians: Mysterious child-like humanoid aliens from the Zhuvian Halo, a string of artificial space-cities oribiting the planet Zhuvita. Zhuvians are remote and xenophobic and possess god-like powers and technology.
Zorin: The ancient Nazarian master of biomancy, the supreme master of bio-engineering, who created the Xoogs and eventually caused the downfall of the Nazarian civilization.

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