Glossary

By Dolores J. Nurss

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Note: This glossary changes constantly, receiving new entries all the time. Most of these words will not crop up in all stories. I have not written down all of the unusual words and terms that I have buried in my notes, but have concentrated mainly on those most pertinent to finished novels (which is why you will at first see more notes on Til Territories and the Charadoc than any other cultures) though I am trying to include as much as I can on missions, cultures and lands not yet formally written about--hundreds of cultures exist in my notes, and they all have their peculiar terminology. Please notify me if you find anything unfamiliar in my tales that I haven't yet catalogued for this letter. Thank you.
 
Lab Ruins: A portion of Til Institute, once used for scientific and pseudoscientific research, seriously damaged by the Full Moon Rebellion. The Tilián have left them unrepaired, out of respect for the people who died in the horrible experiments there, and as a monument to the extent to which they will go to purge evil from their midst. Any other reasons cannot be substantiated and doubtless amount to urban legends.

lady: 1) Somewhat archaic term for a female of good manners.
 
2) A noble title or term of respect for a female in some communities.
 
Lady of the Mast: Mythical Charadocian figure who causes trees to flower and bear fruit by dancing amidst the branches.

landgull:  A large, white bird, with black markings and long, distance-eating wings, native to the mountains of the Southwestern Continent.  Non-migratory.  Layered with fat against the cold.  Feeds on fish and amphibians.  Has a sharp point on the end of its beak for cracking ice and penetrating frozen mud.  Vestigeal webbing on its toes might indicate descent indeed from sea birds that flew inland to nest in higher cliffs.

Lannat:  The winter solstice, as celebrated in Darvinia.  The decor uses many motifs in common with Christmas, New Years, and Yule, most notably evergreen festoons, red berries, tinsel, glittery ornaments, fireworks, bonfires, firedancing, and candles.  But in fact it marks the culmination of festivities designed to cheer up Timora, their goddess of transitions.  The climactic party happens on solstice night, and ends with a loud cheer when the sun rises again, followed by a day of rest.  On the subsequent nightfall everyone gathers in far more quiet services, to give thanks that the day did indeed last longer than the day before.

laren: A tall fern that grows in both the Northeastern and Northwestern Continents, known for its roots, from which one can make a strongly flavored syrup or sugar. The flavor resembles a cross between licorice, new mown hay, cloves, and resin, with a sharp bite to it. Laren also refers to a beverage made from this syrup, sometimes with spices added, often used as a mixer in alcoholic drinks, especially when disguising liquor of inferior quality.
 
Late Migration: An important but ill-documented period of history when the last known colonies left Earth for Novatierre in the early twenty-second century. Historians and archaeologists still struggle to separate myth from fact about this era, but it is known that during this period the three papacies discovered each other and established Trinity Cathedral, Til Institute first launched its Mission of Lovequest in clearly defined terms and established the Charter of Til, and the first ship from Istislan (The Beauty Queen) reached Til Territories, establishing their present alliance.
 
legal psychometrist: A psychometrist trained to use hir abilities in forensic science.
 
letter-cylinder: Within Til Territories the Tilián send mail via Archives, but beyond the reach of Archives they correspond via written messages sealed into letter-cylinders. These cardboard tubes are coated with a hardened, weather-resistant resin and sealed with airtight cork plugs and wax. Postal service costs more than in the 20th century as a result of the heavier weight and more expensive materials, but cross-country travel faces too many challenges on Novatierre to entrust letters to flimsy paper envelopes. Global communication, therefore, does not flow nearly as smoothly on Novatierre as on Earth (especially since an international treaty has banned radio-waves, due to their deleterious effects on neural tissue. Research continues in alternatives through magentine effect, though without much scope.)
 
levitation: The psychic Gift of the levitator.
 
levitator: One whose psychic gift enables hir to lift hirself in the way that a telekinetic lifts objects. As a rule, levitators can only achieve a slight hover by themselves, but can achieve flight through the use of magentine. However, since they experience an overpowering inclination to translate this lift to the magentine focus, they would wind up dragged along uncomfortably by the arm of the hand holding the focus, were it not encased in some device that they could ride. See "flit".
 
library: A hangout and social center for bibliophiles--those who prefer the ambiance and feel of books over reading a console-screen. Although libraries specialize in antiques or marvels of the bookbinding art, they also provide machinery to bind on the spot any text which one wants printed from Archives.

Limanueva:  A small, somewhat isolated village in the Charadoc Mountains, which puts forth the claim (by oral tradition, so far unsubstantiated by written records) of being the first permanent Mountainfolk colony on Novatierre.  Named for a major Andean city in Earth.  Originally planned to become the capitol of a Mountainfolk nation that never came into existence.

Little Misty: A small, slender island off the Altraus coast, between Storm Garden Peninsula and Misty Island. Uninhabited and often shrouded by fog, it is nevertheless a popular destination for romantic getaways.
 
Living-Leaf Friendlan: Held by some to be the successors to Fireheart Friendclan, they are a small but highly influential group, consisting of Bowie Tchaka Clamfischer, Harloi Tomaz Stettenbach, Élin Layne Katchuri, and Joel Dann Tinnack, all of whom signed together in the year 2742. Some consider Michael 1 Merrillson, a latecomer, as the fifth member of Living-Leaf, although he is not technically a sworn member of the Tilián (and yes, his middle name really is a number; it’s complicated.) Their emblem is a green leaf, veined in silver and umber, on an umber ground, haloed in a narrow pointilistic haze of silver.

Lizzie's Gizzard-Grater: Beer spiked with a shot of vodka, a twist of lemon, and some grated horseradish.  Claims that it cures the common cold are medically unfounded.

Llangdan: A country on the isthmus between The Lesser Ocean and the Holumbrian Sea, roughly similar in location to Earth’s France. A region known for fine wines and gourmet foods, it also has an impressive level of technology and a lucrative manufacturing base. However, it also suffers from labor shortages, and rumors persist of slavers making up the deficit.
 
Lliarshiam Islands: A large, volcanic island, with scattered islands around it, between the Northwestern and Southwestern Continents. Vulcanism and ocean has created an environment rich in a variety of gemstones, corals, pearls, gold, silver, and obsidian. Lliarshiam also exports glass, fish, sea-vegetables, and a dizzying array of handicrafts. Tourists are advised to study the many complex customs of the Liarshiamites, but if they do their homework, it makes a lovely destination for vacations. Although a rigidly hierarchical society, the ruling classes are much too preoccupied with besting each other socially to do much harm to the lower classes, who pretty much manage their own affairs.
 
Lludlowe: A nation between Suetenlynd and Duerlongh, above the Duerlongh sea, made up of European folk from colonies of several nationalities, not all of them as yet historically determined. The culture rewards industriousness, conformity, and regularity. Although not the most innovative people in the world, other nations do seek them out for their solid manufacturing base, and they hold many factories owned by foreign interests.
 
lobby: A block of twelve people dedicated to expressing the needs of a specific interest group in the creation of laws, each under a ceiling limiting the amount that they can spend, adjusted for market fluctuation by an annual vote of the citizenry. Unlike the historic lobbies of Old Earth, these do not influence a separate category of representatives, but help to formulate the laws themselves.
 
lobster: An enormous, red, fully aquatic, hard-shelled water-beetle (about two to three feet in length) of much cleaner habits than the smaller land roach, and greatly esteemed for its meat.
 
Lonely Scientist Canyon: A canyon in the Beaux Cliffs region of Novo Durango, known as the location where Gerald Robinson landed with his daughter, Amy, and lived for the rest of his life.
 
Lost Colony Hill: A hill South of Til Institute, allegedly haunted by a colony destroyed by its own dark rites and superstitions. Folklore disagrees, however, as to the details. Too many conflicting accounts exist to list here.
 
Lost Colony River: A river which flows from Lost Colony Hill. Its high temperature and sulfur content suggest a hot spring somewhere on the hill.
 
Lovequest: The lifelong service of Love as a quest rather than as an emotion. Lifelong dedication to express love for humanity via service.
 
Lovequest vow: A vow recited by all Tiliàn upon initiation and thereafter whenever they need refreshment on their ideals. Printed on the first page of all legal documents of Til, and many non-legal ones, such as the index of this glossary.
 
The Lovequest Cannon: An antique cannon salvaged from Earth. Newly initiated Tilián often make their Lovequest vows while laying hands upon this cannon. Corrosion has made many beautiful patterns on the old metal, and has also rendered the cannon inoperable as a weapon of war. It is therefore considered a symbol of hope that time and nature will similarly transform violent humankind to become a thing of beauty rather than of mayhem.
 
lucky incense An incense of the blended oils of vanilla, sage, tobacco-flower and lavender, combined with powdered mesquite wood and resin. Variations originated in United Tribes, but spread out from there and became standardized as the nation coalesced and opened up to trade. It's particularly popular in countries of the Northwestern Continent. People especially burn it at windows, doors, porches and balconies to invite goodness in and keep badness out.
 
luck-dolls: Little dolls made by Mountainfolk, about the size of one's smallest finger, made of the stocks, leaves, and/or husks of staple crops, bound together and decorated with brightly-colored thread or yarn. At the doll's waist the long ends of these threads are then pin-woven into ribbons, so that the dolls may be bound onto a variety of objects as luck-charms. Believed by some to provide housing for benevolent ghosts or spirits.
 
Lumne: A small island off the coast of Vanikke, but legally the southernmost island of the nation of Toulin. Known for clannish and independent residents who have little contact with the outside world, living on subsistence farming and fishing, homeschooling their children and homespinning their own yarns and thread.
 
Lunablossom: A night-blooming vine preferring moist, warm conditions, known for its large white blossoms, somewhat cupped in configuration, the buds globular. Does not tolerate frost very well. Very fragrant, somewhat like a cross between violets and gardenias.
 
lurk wolf: A mid-sized predator, canine in appearance, lean in build, native to the jungles of the Southeastern Continent. Dark in color (varying from a bluish charcoal to a dark reddish brown on the verge of black) it has a reputation for stealth and strategy in how it stalks its prey. It has a short, velvety fur, prized by the hunter, but difficult to find, and almost impossible to trap.
 
Lyanfa: A village in the Charadoc, known as a hub for mail carriers, road workers, and other government employees. Once a ritual center for the old Hill Cults, and a place of sanctuary for accused criminals. The Charadocian government, a couple centuries ago, felt it necessary to exterminate its population as the only way to stop the Hill Cults, after which it sent in colonists of more orthodox faith.