Chronicles of Gilderam: Book One: Sunset (44 page)

Gresadia:
[gɾɛsɑdiɑ], [gɾɛsædiɑ], [gɾɛsɛjdiɑ] Far and away the largest (both in geography and population), richest, and most technologically advanced nation of Vuora, Gresadia benefits in myriad ways from its strategic position in the center of the continent. Originally composed of hundreds of independent city-states, Gresadia was united by Dontu Lamarius in 552 of the Fourth Age, and was then called Dontia. When Crothus Te Vama took over the Imperial throne a century later, he successfully projected his own hatred for non-humans onto his subjects, going so far as to re-name the country “Gresadia,” or “pure (flawless) land,” and moved the capital to a new city he had built, called “Gresad,” or “purity.” His ancient invasion of Divar, and life-long dedication to the eradication of non-humans, has remained deeply imprinted in Gresadian national identity.

Grofzlen:
[gɾofzlɛn] Gresadian for “horse’s head,” and the name of one of the oldest and most expensive inns in Zarothus.

Gweith:
[gwɛjð] Gresadian for “excrement,” used as an obscenity. 

Hapali:
[hɑpɑli] Valan for “solider,” “citizen,” or “man.”

Heartroot:
The beating heart of the great tree of the Inner City, and the seminal parentage of the entire forest of Divar.

Hidden, the:
Another term for the Elves of Zunir. See: “Exodus of the Fourth Tribe.”

Hran:
[hɾɑn], [hɾæn] A hybrid sword-axe with a flat hammering edge.

Human:
According to Terical myth, the race of Man was created by the goddess Wrasada and her father, Geithoron, the king of the gods. Men were a careful balance between the strengths and weaknesses presented by the other gods’ creations, though, historically, were prone to corruption.

Imperial Armory of Zarothus:
The most prestigious military academy in Gresadia, where the Imperial Guard of the Monarchy is trained.

Imperial Council of Gresadia:
The highest governing body of Gresadia below the monarch, comprised of 12 appointed representatives from the five provinces. They are the highest judicial branch of the government, and are charged with the creation of any new laws or amendments to current ones, needing only approval from the monarch in either case. Councilors are elected from provincial governments, and chosen by the monarch, with two representing Borgan, two representing Cengan, two representing Morvagan, and three representing each Lorugan and Pothogan.

Inner City:
The capital of Divar, a metropolis built in and around a single, enormous tree of mountainous proportions.

Inquisition, Imperial:
A secretive Gresadian agency formed in 669 of the Fourth Age by royal decree of Emperor Crothus Te Vama for the purposes of identifying, exposing and expelling non-humans, or
zvecum
, from the country. It quickly acquired a fearsome reputation for the use of ruthless tactics, including falsifying testimony, torture and kidnapping – paired with an untouchable status above the law. The agency was disbanded in 693.

Itth:
[ɪ
t
] A unit of length measurement equal to 144
entilum
, or about one kilometer.
Itthum
, plural.

Jatha:
[ʒ
ɑ
ɑ] Gresadian exclamation of awe or wonder.

Jefeth:
[ʒɛf
ɛ
] An extremely offensive and derogatory Gresadian epithet denoting a wholly despicable person.
Jefethum
, plural.

Jof, Cafirden Bulen:
[kɑfɪɾdɛn bulɛn ʒof] The poorest district of New Gresad, a slum famous for its lawlessness and depravity, whose name means “dirt district.”

Laian Te Vama II:
[lɑiɑn tɛ vɑmɑ] Emperor of Gresadia from 1494–1545 of the Fourth Age.

Lorugan:
[loɾugɑn] The northern province of Gresadia.

Man:
See: “Human.”

Mavracum Relené:
[mɑvɾɑkum rɛlɛne] Gresadian for “Soul Hunters,” they are demonic characters from Terical myth that search for the souls of the deceased at night and drag them to Underearth where they are enslaved into the service of Thuldarus.

Memdian Marches:
A thin stretch of land along the southern border of Gresadia, where it meets the forest of Divar. Originally part of Gresadia, it was annexed by Divar in 1797 because its population had, by that time, come to consist primarily of Divarans. The annexation was never legally recognized by the Imperial Crown, however, which still considers the territory the rightful property of Gresadia.

Mlec:
[mlɛk]
Gresadian for “slime,” or “muck.” Used figuratively as a curse or for condemnation.

Mogcor, CH:
[mogkor] 1) Gresadian for “fist,” and 2) the name of a second rate Imperial Navy destroyer under the command of Captain Holth.

Morvagan:
[moɾvɑgɑn] The western province of Gresadia.

Morvana:
[moɾvɑnɑ] A Gresadian city marking the western end of the Cen Vath.

Nal Modjiri:
[nɑl modʒiʁi] Valan, the military rank of Supreme Commander, equivalent to a Gresadian Field Marshal.

New Gresad:
The capital of the Gresadian Empire, located in the north of the country where the Vulc Muri empties into the Baeno Leir.

Nieva:
[njɛvɑ] A severe Gresadian expletive.

Nomari:
[nomɑɾi] One of the twelve gods, daughter of Thuldarus, patroness of sadness, depression and false hope. Her symbol is the teardrop.

Nymph:
[nɪmf], [nɪmpf] A mythical race of miniature humanoids with a profound capacity for magic. According to Terical myth, they were created by the god Almarad “as much beings of soil as they were of the air and water… a perfect blend of the living flesh of a body, and the cold, raw materials of the earth” (Book of Teric, 1:2:15).

Oloneya:
[olonejɑ] A city in the north of Saria.

Orc:
A mythical race of grey-skinned, lumbering, humanoid creatures of incredible strength and stupidity. According to Terical myth, they were one of several vile creations of Bluwhris, and their ancestral home is Geldr’thal.

Pantheon:
The twelve deities who, according to Terical lore, are responsible for the creation of Vuora and all its inhabitants. They include Geithoron, King of the gods, and his brother, Thuldarus, as well as their offspring. Geithoron’s children are Gorog, Anthiath, Almarad, Votok, Zarothus and Wrasada. Thuldarus’ children are Bluwhris, Faltilus, Dolus and Nomari. 

Plir:
[pliɾ] 1) Gresadian, a very small amount of something, or 2) a measurement of length less than half a centimeter. Strictly speaking, a
plir
is 1/144
th
of a
cam
, which is 1/12
th
of an
entil
.
Plirum
, plural.

Pothobor Zasum:
[p
o
oboɾ zɑsum] “Southeastern Treasures,” a jewelry store of the highest repute in New Gresad, located on the Royal Promenade.

Pothogan:
[p
o
ogɑn] The southern province of Gresadia.

Potholos:
[poθolos] Gresadia’s southernmost city, near the Memdian Marches and the border of Divar.

Praeshuc Marloth:
[pɾæʃuk mɑɾl
o
] “Marloth’s Pub,” a sleazy bar in the slums of New Gresad, in the Jof district.

Pucith:
[puk
ɪ
] Gresadian, a term of endearment, usually romantic. 

Pwij:
[pwɪʒ] A city in northeastern Gresadia.

Quarter:
One-fourth of a Vuoran year, or thirty-six days.

Ranaloc Shipyard and Machinery Works Company:
Once the foremost shipbuilder in Gresadia, founded, owned and operated by Lord Mentrat Ranaloc, they manufacture some of the finest aeronautical instruments in the world. But an eighteen-year long hiatus in the productivity of its primary contributor, Mentrat himself, had caused the company to fall behind in recent years.
Gilderam
, a remarkable feat of engineering, is the first new idea to emerge after all that time, and promises to return the company to its former glory.

Rariji:
[ʁɑʁiʒi] Valan, the military rank of General.

Rathideus:
[ɾ
ɑ
ɪdɛus] (19–42 A4) The son of Ravalin, Bringer of Light, Rathideus became head of the early Terical Church after his father’s death. Like his father, Rathideus used the power of the Holy Diadem to bring peace and prosperity to Vuora. Inexplicably, he vanished from all record in year 42 of the Fourth Age, the Diadem along with him.

Ravalin, Bringer of Light:
[ɾɑvɑlɪn] (? A3–33 A4) One of the most prominent figures in Terical lore, Ravalin ended the Dark Age of punishment by reorienting the faith of millions to worship Geithoron as the supreme deity, with all other gods subordinate to him. He led the razing of thousands of temples devoted to Thuldarus and his children, standardized Terical ceremonies, and helped to spread the religion around the world.

Raven Queen:
A near-legendary figure holding the longest known record of service as a pirate captain in the world. Since her flag was first flown in 1863 of the Fourth Age, the Raven Queen has been credited with capturing or destroying an astonishing 278 vessels. In that same twelve-year span she has evaded the Gresadian Navy on numerous occasion, and demonstrated a ruthless brutality toward Imperial sailors that earned her the alternate nickname, the “Butcher of Bluejacks.”

Republic, Gresadian:
A period from 777–1221 of the Fourth Age during which Gresadia was governed by an elected council rather than a monarch or dictator. Merian Te Vama would lead the revolution to reinstate his family’s dynasty, which has ruled the Empire almost exclusively ever since.

Roccrash:
[ɾokɾɑʃ] Gresadian for “outsider” or “foreigner,” used colloquially for “nonbeliever” in reference to the Book of Teric and its teachings.

Roving, the:
See: “Exodus of the Fourth Tribe.”

Royal Promenade:
An eight
itthum
long, tree-lined boulevard originating in the Square of the Imperial Palace in downtown New Gresad. It runs east-west through the capital city, and serves as the backbone for connecting the most fashionable parts of town.

Rwahji Crater:
[ʁwɑʒi] A bowl-shaped geological formation in southwestern Val, near its borders with Saria and Geldr’thal. It’s a maar that spans more than three
itthum
in diameter, circumscribed by a tall wall of pyroclastic rock. The inside is distinctly hemispherical, except in the exact center where a bump of rock forms a squat, flat stump. Thought to be the navel of Vuora and a portal to Underearth, it is mentioned in the Book of Teric as the first stop on the path to resurrecting Feth.

Salif Mavracumduri:
[sɑlɪf mɑvɾɑkumduɾi] Gresadian for “Flee from the hunters.” A reference to the
Mavracum Relené
of Terical myth, it is a spiteful curse, meant to wish death upon a person. It is commonly believed that souls of the deceased were hunted at night by the Soul Hunters of Thuldarus.

Sanctum of Shadow:
Located in the heart of the Inner City of Divar, the Sanctum of Shadow houses the sacred heartroot of the great tree, and serves as a center of religious worship for the Called Upon.

Saria:
[sɑɾiɑ] A vast, mountainous country in the far west of Vuora, known for its wealth in iron, impassible terrain, and impoverished population.

Seer’s Font:
A shallow basin of water that shows images from other times and places. Though mythical, the Elves are said to possess and use such fonts in the modern era.

Shinira:
[ʃɪniɾɑ] A vast, hilly peninsula in northeastern Vuora, natively inhabited by tribes of nomadic humans who share a culture and language, yet remain largely disconnected from one another. Shinira holds the largest known reserves of crude nexane in the world, and for that reason she has been subject to Gresadian colonial occupation since the advent of combustion engine technology.

Silus, CH:
[sɪlus] 1) Gresadian for “scepter,” and 2) the name of a third rate Imperial Navy galleon under the command of Captain Azendun.

Sor’nan:
[soɾ nɑn] 1) A Gresadian gulag in Ceshgan, named after 2) a mythical Dwarven kingdom from the Book of Teric.
Sledge of Sor’nan:
The emblem of that kingdom.

Soth Waestshier:
[soθ wæstʃiɾ] A county in Wralland.

Sylph:
[sɪlf]
A mythical race of humanoids with bird-like wings that enabled them to fly in the air. According to Terical myth, they were created by the god Zarothus and lived amongst the clouds, singing, dancing and playing – aloof from the rest of the world.

Tazar:
[tɑzɑɾ] A popular game that incorporates a little skill with plenty of luck, and usually involves gambling.