Glossary and Definitions

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TRKProject
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4 years, 5 months ago
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Used for reference when structuring character profiles

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  • Characters Terminology
    • Name Proper
      The full, or proper name of the character. Whereas the title of the character submission might be a more recognizable or digestible name, Name Proper will detail out their actual birth-name.
    • Race class
      Pending update --
      Coinciding with the paradoxical nature of the Labyrinth itself, it is home to a myriad of sentient and magically prospective species. The patterns of which have been identified and organized into a more digestible visual representation of the dynamics ingrained in their existence. While this level of organization has been designed to account for all lifeforms and their possible mutations, is, as all things generally appealing do not always account for unique or anecdotal manifestations of sentient life. This system is also heavily influenced by the current understanding of the arcane dynamics which act as the foundation for the known.
    • Talent
      Talents are the magical abilities innate to oneself. These abilities do not need to be taught and are developed through intuition or racial function. Talents can evolve through training and personal development but generally persist in likeness to their basic function. For instance, a Norman's Talent to be particularly fire resistant might later evolve in the Talent of the absorption of fire magic to rejuvenate them. They will still be less affected by fire through the resistance, but now are able to take that energy and use it to embolden themselves. Talents are generally aligned with their racial class in terms of magical affiliation. Using the same example, this Talent would be adopted by a Midlander as their planar alignment is the same as Ignis.
    • Skilling
      Skillings define the set of practical knowledge and training an individual has acquired over their life. When referred to in character profiles, this is specifically related to their combat or magical aptitude. Generally, Skillings come in two parts: Style and Proficiency.
      • Style
        When defining a character's skilling, Style is the specific use of their training and knowledge that might be similar to another but different in execution. A Warrior is a strong offensive style with plenty of sustaining abilities but is not as fragile nor does as much potent damage as Duelist.
      • Proficiency
        This is the type of equipment that is generally used in conjunction with the defined style. There are not limitations to what equipment a character can use with their style, a Lancer can use a polearm or dagger all the same but will be dramatically different in the actual effectiveness and implementation of such differences.
    • Origin
      Due to the size and history of the Tesseract, there are many places a character can originate. This is not neccesarily where the character was born, but where at the very least they would consider their home to be. Geologically, the Labyrinth is settled by 3 primary kingdoms which are logistically separated by elevation denoted by their name.
      • Pre-History
        Any period in time-space existing before the events of the Convergence. The majority of information of these lands and their history has been lost and is mostly by declaration of those who came from that era of Pre-History with credence to their assertion of their origin. Pre-History is mostly for Legacy or characters also not in up-to-date lore.
      • High Kingdom
        An orthodoxical society founded from the ashes of the Old Church and their missionaries which separated from the Inquisition due to their abolitionist methodology when dealing with the threats of the Labyrinth. Hence, High Kingdom is set in a system of archaic beliefs and presuppositions rooted in hundreds of years of tradition. A steadfast unity shared between the people of High Kingdom has seen to great technological advancement and the proprietary cultural symbiosis of the Wanderbeast. With both of these aspects in mind, the puritan Norman monoculture has been genetically reengineered to form kinships with these beasts to utilize their power. Of course, this makes them more Monster than Norman, despite appearances.
      • Middle Kingdom
        The melting pot of the Labyrinth where you will find every Race class of people living in close proximity under the governance of the Federal Reserve. Naturally, being the center of the Labyrinth opens many avenues for trade and corporate foundation. Egalitarian only by intention, one's worth is often measured by their financial success and number of assets possessed. The elite of Middle Kingdom set the precedent and general condition of living for the working societal hierarchies. Despite this, Middle Kingdom offers the most personal freedoms and social mobility out of any other kingdom as is generally regarded as a safe haven for refugees and vagabonds alike.
      • Low Kingdom
        A system of underground metros and railways used to excavate resources laden deep within the core of the labyrinth. During the events of the Divide, the miners, engineers, and corporate organizers took to their tunnels and metropolises in foundation of their own kingdom out of desperation. The surface which surrounds the foundation of Middle Kingdom is rife with Wanderbeasts and other monstrosities, making travel or escape difficult. What's worse, is that the metro companies which control the complex rail system -the essential lifeblood of Low Kingdom- are puppeteered by organized crime and wealthy Mafiosos.   
      • Outlands
        In contrast to "The Known", the Outlands are anywhere not yet on official maps. Little is known about the Outlands as due to the nature of the Labyrinth, one stretch of the Outlands can be radically different to the next, hence, unless it is by necessity, the Outlands remain unexplored. Consider this to be the miscellaneous origin. 
  • World Terminology
    • The Convergence
      An event occurring from Pre-History which caused the structural collapse of reality into the singularity known as the Tesseract.
    • The Crystal Scatter
      A period in time theorized to have taken place somewhere between the final days of Pre-History and the awakening of the first Norman conscious. Only fragments of knowledge of this event have been gleaned from aetherial impressioning left across the many natural wellsprings of aether geysers.
    • The Tesseract
      The name of the universe -sometimes given the shorthand of "Tess"- for all the stories and characters of the current era (Era Aria).
    • The Labyrinth
      The seemingly endless world that sprawls out in every direction and adheres to no set of uniform physics.
    • The Known
      All officially cartographic and settled locales within the Labyrinth and is considered at least moderately safe to travel within
    • The Fringes
      Officially known and well documented, but locales which are generally unsafe to travel within.
    • The Wilderness
      Partially, or only vaguely understood or documented locales which pose extreme risk to travel within.
    • The Divide
      Dead and devoid of all life. Expanses of white, sandy wasteland which are completely devoid of aether. Unique only to this environmental affliction is the discovery of Arkaol, a key component of rune production. Due to either the overuse of magic or uncheck warp corruption, The Divide perforates throughout the Fringes. Likewise and as to its original discovery, The Divide is also known as a historical mass conflict between the three kingdoms.
    • Omnitopology
      The term used to describe the unusual environmental conditions which stretch across the Labyrinth. Seemingly infinite in all directions, the Labyrinth is able to change fundamental physics of only sections of its timespace to create such things as zero-gravity waterfalls, anti-towers, and the historical exodus of the Moon Clan which journeyed to the Third Umbral Moon on foot alone.
    • The Render
      One of the most strange phenomena of the labyrinth. Unlike what has been recovered from pre-history scripture, light seemingly has a distance in which it will no longer become visible despite its consistency. For example, the High Kingdom city of Unjako was built hanging above the heights of Middle Kingdom. In theory, you should be able to look up from the streets of Middle Kingdom and see the tips of the spires of Unjako. However, from the streets you merely observe an otherwise unassuming skybox complete with the current in-cycle crystal phase, clouds, and the birds which soar low enough to remain within the render. If you were to take an elevator and look from one of the high-rise balconies, you will be able to then see the lights flickering from Unjako. If you were to go higher, you might be able to see the rune transmission towers, and higher yet you would be able to see the aerotraffic as commuters go about their day to day.
    • Celestial Cycles
      The phases of 6 Astral Suns and 6 Umbral moons which regulate the ebb and flow of all aether within the Labyrinth. One Labyrinthian year is about 480 days marked by the passing of 4 elemental cycles, each consisting of 3 months which span 40 days each. Tess operates within a metric measurement of time, each day spanning a measurement of only 10 hours. The first 5 hours consist of a period of abundant aetherial radiation. Comparatively this can be considered a proper day, as the current crystal in cycle will shine the brightest. This period is followed by 5 hours of rest in which the ambient aether will settle and calm. Temperatures will cool and the labyrinth will darken. Astral crystals will be much brighter, the hours of their rest being no less than a twilight but will never reach a proper night. Umbral crystals, opposingly, will never offer a radiant day and will succumb to the blackest nights.
    • Magi and Magus
      Licensed practitioners of magic with Magus being distinguished individuals who have been instrumental in the research and development of magic across the Known.
  • Factions
    • Council Magus
      A congregation of prominent and powerful figures in the Known including the leaders of the three kingdoms, magic institutions, and influential factions. The Council elects its members every 4 years to produce and regulate magic legislation and protect the assets and research of magic and all parties involved.
    • Federal Reserve
      The governmental foundation which presides over Middle Kingdom and funds corporate entities throughout the three kingdoms. An employer of several million agents across the known which oversee and enforce their operations.
    • High Orthodoxy and the Old Church
      The governmental establishment which separated from the New Church to follow in the worship of the Labyrinth as a higher being itself. The High Orthodoxy also believes in a pantheon of amalgamated gods found from the recovered scripture of pre-history. Through these traditionalistic ideals, the people of High Kingdom are steadfast not only in their independence, but their values and mores.
      • Knights Abyssal
        A contingent of highly trained and specialized magi corps operating as the backbone for law enforcement, regulation, and peace keeping. While their jurisdiction is exclusive to High Kingdom, if the values or interests of the orthodoxy are threatened, these knights respond with internationally terrifying efficiency. Each member of the Knights Abyssal is paired with another and will generally live the rest of their lives together. Because the Knights Abyssal operate in a legal grey area, tensions between the Inquisition frequently result in conflict.
        • Azure Priesthood (Razjukyoska)
          Overseeing internal and all domestic affairs, these archmagus act as judicators and legislators living amongst the people of High Kingdom and representing the needs and wants of the masses. In times of conflict, Priests will accompany and support their Templaris.
        • Crimson Templaris (Cwerzukyodra)
          Where the Azure Priesthood are the brains, the Crimson Templaris are the brawn and operate as a defense and peace keeping force despite the outlawing of standing armies after the foundation of the Council Magus. As Templaris are some of the few who are equipped and capable to contest the Wanderbeast threat, their ability to travel across the known in its defense has been considered a necessary precaution.
        • Abysweis
          An abroad program requiring all prospective recruits of the Knights Abyssal to travel the world in search of knowledge and further training. Once an Abysweis returns to High Kingdom with a satisfactory presentation of their acquired knowledge and abilities they are paired with a member of the opposite corps and are accepted as a knighted bond. Should the pair for any reason separate, they are no longer eligible to remain a member of the Knights Abyssal unless paired with another lone member.
    • Inquisition and the New Church
      Formerly a religious military which founded the first settlement within the Labyrinth. Now, they are an inter-kingdom peacekeeping force funded by the Federal Reserve but still independently managed by the New Church and their bishops. The New Church is an organization which follows the dominant religion in worship to the spirit of sentience itself within the cosmos.
      • The Vault
        A recently decommissioned arcane prison where enemies and entities of interests of the Holy Inquisition were kept and often times used in the research and development of weapons technology to combat the then unknown threats of the labyrinth. Since the death of the former Archbishop, little is known about the Vault, especially how massive the complex truly is which now acts as the foundation for the Federal Reserve's main headquarters towering over the heights of Middle Kingdom.
      • The Rose Cross
        Originally a detachment of specially trained knights of the Holy Inquisition to act as first responders in the face of emergencies has since evolved into a standalone corporation employing the vast majority of the privatized medical, fire, and military police personnel. While still heavily influenced by the teachings of the New Church, an air of faith remains rooted in the core philosophy of this multi-kingdom corporation.
    • The Magic College
      A collection of 5 magic institutions which seek to train and license competent magi in the promotion of innovation and global preservation.
      • Aetherarm Academy
        Originally founded by an organized militia within Low Kingdom, were eventually divorced from the corruption of the kingdom's underworld through a conflict of ideals. The scattered members excommunicated by their own kingdom were later reunited to equip newer generations of magi with skills in arms and armor.
      • Lotus Remonastary
        A collection of monks and spiritualists who seek to enlighten those who will one day replace the current power structures of the world, these educators come from areas of great traditional influence and ideals.
      • Nomencered
        Exceptional magi that abide to no centralized structure or organization. Sages and distinguished experts from all across Tess adopt students and teach exclusively on their own terms, letting their students return for extracurricular activities and assessments.
      • Institute of Technology
        A contractor partnered with the Magic College to seek inspired and innovative minds who will lead the scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematic advancement and inevitable future of the known.
      • Astral Observatory
        Magi of esoteric potential are invited to become members of the Astral Observatory among the top ranked student population.
    • The Moon Clan and the Celestial Tree
      A clan of Lumenrost animaloids which have traveled to the Umbral Moon of Water where they live in a titanic Celestial Tree. 
      • Kesshouryuusenshi - The Crystal Samurai
        The brightest and best selected from those who have trained their entire lives in the defense of the Moon Clan. Empowered through a sacred rite and blessed with the powers of the Pact of the Crystal Dragon. The samurai of this order act as ambassadors when needing to negotiate with other factions.
      • Tsukiterume - The Moonshrine Maiden
        Where the Kesshouryuusenshi are tasked with defending the clan from threats beyond, the maidens of the Tsukiterume protect the clan from itself and those who seek to cause internal corruption. They also regulate and uphold many internal systems and traditions.
    • The Railroad
      An organization of powerful families which control and maintain the labyrinth of railway systems which tunnel throughout the depths of the known. Research, supplies and previsioning, and mass transit, are just a few of the utilities controlled by the Railroad. Loyal stations and tolls litter the rail infrastructure, making it impossible to move freely without adhering to the rules set by whoever happens to currently own the rails you're riding. Despite the sense of scale this organization seems to operate, families and subcultures within the Railroad often results in turf disputes and outright violence.
  • Magic Terminology
    • Aether
      The very life energy of the labyrinth and all things within it. It controls reality itself, thus, magic is the command of reality through aether manipulation.
    • Aetherspace
      All of the aether which flows through space and time. Can be referred to by many names including but not limited to: Cosmic Ocean, Magisphere, ambient aether, aetherstream, and arcane expanse.
    • Aether Conduits
      The paths in which aether travels, there are five, He, Bo, Mi, Su, and Ta. Commonly, these are referred, respectively, as the Aether Conduits of Heart, Body, Mind, Spirit, and Talent. Not to be Confused with a character's Talent. Aether conduits are used to aspect aether and give it instructions through Flux. Each has its own unique properties in structuring magic incantations and thusly have vastly different utilities.
    • Aura
      The innate Aether which resides within all things, inanimate and animate. Aura for magi act as additional Aether storage that can be utilized to perform magic instead of borrowing ambient aether in a much less efficient process.
    • Flux
      The process and utility of Aether to perform magic through emission, transmutation, enhancement, conjuration, manipulation or other types of specialization.
    • Warp
      The negative effects of using magic and stagnant magic biproducts harmful to creatures despite their magic affiliation.
    • Prospect
      Every individual thing, conscious or not are comprised of various attunements across the 4 base aether conduits: Heart, Body, Mind and Spirit. How attuned an instance is to each conduit is how much it is influenced by change and how much change it can influence. However, an individual's potential to either increase or decrease these attunements is measured by their prospecting capabilities. A genius norman magi might have a moderate prospect where a lone rock would have almost no prospect capacity. Generally one's prospect is best settled somewhere between low to moderate as a high prospecting potential might allow an individual to harness great power but will be incredibly more susceptible to a counter attack.
    • Encrypted Runes
      An advanced spellcraft technique used to inscribe synthetic aether crystals with runic incantations enhanced to achieve specific effects. One of the most mass produced magic items. Runes come in many shapes and sizes but can be augmented by different crystal types each represented by the color of their composition.
      • Red Amplification Rune
        Runes can be compared to tiny spellbooks housing the knowledge and base resources needed to achieve the effect inscribed upon them. Due to their limited nature, duplicate incantations can be compressed into red runes dramatically increasing their potency but proportionally demanding higher initiation costs and decryption resolutions (the time it takes between activation and effect.)
      • Orange Conversion Rune
        Generally, depending on the rune, a small amount of aether is required to initiate the use of the rune, however, orange runes can be activated using different forms of energy, such as the kinetic energy generated during an impact.
      • Yellow Influxation Rune
        Most runes have limited uses before their physical composition begins to break down. Because the mass fabrication of runes make them easy to obtain, magi will carry multiple different types of runes. Yellow runes can be recharged with ambient aether over time with virtually no wear, or charged more quickly by forced infusion.
      • Green Transmorphic Rune
        Runes can accept almost any type of aether to satisfy their initiation cost as the aether will be broken back down, rendering it unaspected. However, green runes have the unique ability to adopt aspects of infused aether, changing the effect of the spell within.
      • Blue Combination Rune
        Because the primary function of runes are to allow accessible utilization of magic, blue runes will layer incantation segments of multiple spells to achieve a myriad of different effects that would otherwise be impossible utilizing a single, uniform inscription. 
      • Indigo Acceleration Rune
        Depending on the spell inscribed, runes take time to charge and decrypt which prevent them from being as quick as a practiced incantation ritual. Indigo runes act as a form of expedited spell which isn't as potent, but will have more uses and at an increased resolution rate.
      • Violet Nullification Rune
        Runes are not biased in what their incantations affect as they are essentially individuals casting their own magic incantations when commanded to do so. Runes inscribed with volatile types of magic can unintentionally afflict the wielder which violet runes prevent, acting as a magic ward.
    • Cardinal Aspects
      The physical base aspects that manifest from magic: 
      • Ignis, the Passion of Fire, A primordial element, deeply influenced by the Heart conduit.
      • Aquam, the Depths of Water, A primordial element, deeply influenced by the Mind conduit.
      • Tera, the Fortitude of Earth, A primordial element, deeply influenced by the Body conduit.
      • Aeris, the Grace of Air, A primordial element, deeply influenced by the Spirit conduit.
    • Ordinal Refinements
      Refined aetherial concepts of magic that combine two aspects: 
      • Fulgur, the Ingenuity of Lightning, The combination of Fire and Air.
      • Victis, the Prosperity of Wood, The combination of Water and Earth.
      • Glaciem, the Refractions of Ice, The combination of Air and Water.
      • Connicant, the Forge of Metal, The combination of Earth of Fire.
    • Alignment Elements
      The intention or tendencies of magic concepts: 
      • Levitate, the Radiant of Order, magic aligned with benevolence, safety, and faith.
      • Tenebris, the Shades of Chaos, magic aligned with confusion, disorientation, and suffering.
      • Spati, the Breath of Creation, magic aligned with structure, form, and propagation 
      • Deus, the Inevitability of Destruction, magic aligned with decay, dissolution, and antithesis.
  • Misc
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