Glossary

By Dolores J. Nurss

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.

Valda, Hansi: A famous Stovaki actress, considered the Queen of the Stage. From her debut as Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” at age 14, to her portrayal (at age 92) of a deliciously acerbic old witch in “Be Careful What You Wish For”, she never failed to impress her audiences, but she has most won praise for her portrayal of Ma Joad in “The Grapes of Wrath”, although some critics prefer her Morrigan in “The Ravens of War”. As dramatic in death as in life, she died from injuries received in a hang-gliding accident, caused by a jealous lover shooting out her wings. She, however, shot back before she crashed, and the man died moments before she did.

Valdea: A region of volcanic soil in the Charadocian Midlands, known primarily for the high quality of its vineyards.

Valdean Sparkling Wine: A high-quality, naturally carbonated, white or rose wine produced on the slopes of Valdea, in the Charadoc, with a reputation of being the Champagne of Novatierre. Numerous other nations dispute this claim.

Valerine: A valerian extract, an organic version of Valium.

valley-tic fever: A flu-like disease indigenous to Alonzo Valley in Altraus, usually carried by tics, but it can also go airborne. Not usually dangerous for healthy adults, it can be fatal for children, elders, the immunologically compromised, and the malnourished.

vampire tree: A rainforest tree that begins life as an epiphyte. Its seeds scatter lightly upon the wind to lodge in the boles and branches of other trees. Then, in its sapling stage, it sinks roots into the bark and drains the host-tree's sap until the old tree dies, decaying into a fertile medium for the vampire tree, who claims the old tree's place in the sun.

Vanikke: A nation of the northeastern coast of the Northwestern continent, which has preserved a fair amount of Earthian technology, including electricity and combustion engines. It has a complex government, managing multiple overlapping cultures due to multiple colonizations from different countries and organizations. One must remember that colonization of Novatierre did not spread evenly over the globe, but scattered randomly, missing some lands altogether and, by chance, concentrating other separate endeavors together into one place, and not always the sort of place where large populations might congregate under ordinary migration patterns.

Vanithu: A small but fierce and somewhat puritanical tribe of feminist Muslems, who dwell in the rainforest at the base of an important mountain-pass in the High Country, south of Noran and Gueymaial in the Northeastern Continent. Known for the production of perfumes, hand-made and individually-tailored tools, and hand-wrought metalwork. Also exports palm-nuts.

Vanyar: A mythical figure from the folklore of Mabhrathan. A vanyar is a kind of angel of justice; he bears a golden sword, wears a winged helmet and rides a winged steed with tentacles for legs. The steed can fly to the highest heavens or descend into the deepest hells. The vanyar’s job is to tip the balance if injustice goes too far, but none can predict what he will do or which side he will support; indeed, his preferred modus operandi is to wait and watch to see if mortals will solve their problems for themselves, and when he does act, his work may appear evil to those who cannot see the larger picture.

Veiled Mountains: A mountain range north of Til Peninsula. Supplied with confusing illusions for security reasons.

Velaus, Constantine: Principle architect of the "Trad-Fad" movement in education and child-rearing practices of the late 27th century, dedicated to revisiting and exploring historical methods previously discredited. Author of "Education Reconsidered" and "The Motherless Child."

Vendetta Wars, The: Intermittent wars that disrupted Byssinia from ~2580 to 2698, resolved through the Til-brokered Peace of Byssinia. The origins are uncertain, but probably involved a land dispute between Bowl Clan and Basket Clan. Initial alliances shifted and broke down till every clan had grievances against every other and all felt betrayed. Soon the fighting took on a life of its own when each clan had members to avenge slain by members of the other clans; the very thought of peace seemed to them disrespectful of the dead.

Starvation became widespread as the wars drew the able-bodied away from their fields, but periodic devastation would bring intervals of peace, when all sides would become too weak to fight and would have to withdraw, regroup, and rebuild for a few years running, or sometimes even for a generation, given sufficient depopulation. However, the hatred never abated and war always smoldered under the surface, to spring back to life at the first opportunity.

In some regions peace and war alternated on a bimonthly basis, the waning moon being considered lucky for exterminating enemies, and the waxing moon favoring recovery between battles. Indeed, in some villages sexual intercourse during the waning moon was accounted perverse, apt to bring forth a stillborn child or one deficient in some other way.

Throughout this time one clan or another would sue for peace, but it could not last without the full cooperation of all. Eventually, when every clan grew equally weary of war, Agents of the Tilián came into the country and negotiated a lasting peace.

vet: Noun: short for "veteran" or "veterinarian".

Verb: An experienced agent's action of taking out a rookie for on-the-job training.

veteran: An experienced agent, usually used in the context of one who mentors a rookie on hir rookie mission. Sometimes also used to refer to an ex-member of the military, or a current member seasoned by experience.

Villabrava: A small village on the outskirts of the DiMedici Forest in Til Territories, between the coast and Forest Giant. Though now diminished in size and importance, it lays claim to being the oldest Latino-founded village in Altraus outside of the Alonzo Valley, and the most independent, bar none. It is largely self-sufficient and does not seek trade with the outside world, beyond marketing to tourists on their way to Dougalsenne. Its colors are scarlet and green.

vida: Noun. A term used in philosophy, psychology, and theology for life-principle, an animating force that begins with appreciation. Vida starts with the capacity to savor, not just in the sense of feeling pleasure, for one can feel pleasure without vida, but to appreciate awareness itself, even in suffering, as in the appreciation of courage or self-respect in hard times, but also including gusto for the joys of life. From this appreciation springs a drive to act, grow, evolve, or change as a necessary component of the flow of vida. Blocking this flow of transformation can cause vida to stagnate and deteriorate; restoring the flow can revitalize it. And inevitably the flow leads to creativity, in one form or another, which further feeds the vida.

village colors: Each community in Til Territories has its own colors, usually a pair, sometimes a triad. In multi-community events people commonly wear ribbons in these colors to show their civic pride. Sports teams also wear these colors in their uniforms, as do participants in other competitions, such as singslams, where the vocalists and musicians wear robes or sometimes elaborate costumes in their village colors. Those communities which send representatives to the Council of Lobbies generally have them pin ribbons in the village colors to their lapels or shoulders.

Village of Misanthropes: A scattering of isolated homes, largely self-sufficient, in the southwest end of Hunter’s Forest (in Til Territories) occupied by folk who would really rather be left alone, legally incorporated into a village only so as to gain enough political clout to keep developers out. They do, however, have village colors, though they seldom engage in competitions with other villages: black and blue, as a warning to those who might want to bother them.

vine-hen: A large, plump bird, slightly smaller than a partridge, native to the rainforests of the Southwestern Continent. Its feathers are mostly taupe, with iridescent spots, purple edged by turquoise, on the wings and tail, and a dark-gray speckled breast. They also have a forward-curling crest, and black streaks around the eyes. They get their name from the nests that they weave among living vines. Hunters and gourmets prize their meat.

voclo:A device which can fit in the palm of one's hand, which can also clip to the front of one's shirt, for projecting one's voice across great distances. Used by animal herders, military officers, construction workers, and anyone else who has to coordinate efforts among people scattered in outdoor settings.

voluntary integration: (Formerly called “voluntary rehabilitation, till the context, conjuring up images of “formal rehabilitation” frightened too many people away from resorting to it.) The legal option of reporting one's habitual criminal behaviors to authorities before being caught, and asking for assistance in reform, in order to break free of a destructive lifestyle and/or avoid stiffer sentencing. Usually volunteers must still pay reparation to all those whom they can still track down that they have hurt (with the remainder paid to institutions to help the sort of people that they'd victimized) but the Tilián will help them work out a reasonable schedule for this, while finding them work to enable them to do it. Assistance in reform will involve a strict regimen of counseling, education, and (where necessary) treatment of barriers to reform such as addiction, kleptomania, lead poisoning, nutritional deficiencies, etc. Volunteers have more autonomy than someone subjected to formal rehabilitation, less-limited civil rights (and quicker restoration of full civil rights) supervised visitation rights for children taken into comorran, and a choice of various treatment modalities (although lacking the option of refusing treatment altogether.) They live under parole rather than incarceration. Because such volunteers have usually grown accustomed to a great deal of freedom (and yet shown themselves irresponsible in its use) counselors try to keep the duration of restrictions upon them as short as might be and yet still keep honest citizens safe from them.

Recividism can disqualify one for future voluntary reintegration, if a trial warrants it, which usually results in arrest for formal rehabilitation under incarceration, plus seizure of property for reparations. Sometimes, however, it can lead to exile from Til Territories.

Occasionally volunteers will ask for exile as an option of choice, if counselors can find a more compatible culture to which they can belong. And on rare occasions volunteers, especially sociopaths, have opted for exile not to another culture, but to an uninhabited corner of Novatierre, for which the government will supply them with the basics for survival. But sociopathology being what it is, they do not miss human company.