Exiles in Arms: Night of the Necrotech (32 page)

Lords District:
The main residential district for the upper class in Five Fingers situated between the Dockgrav District and the High District and north of the Terraces District. The Fraternal Order of Wizardry maintains a lodge here.

magelock:
The signature weapon of a gun mage. Only the costly and difficult-to-fabricate steel alloys of these weapons can withstand the arcane stresses created by rune shots.

Malathrax, Lich Lord:
Lich lord of Cryx in charge of the nation’s information and intelligence gathering, managed through an extensive network of paid agents and informants, many of whom do not know for whom the are working.

Markus, Ascendant:
The patron of soldiers and watchmen, Markus was an Ordic soldier who ascended in 305 AR after breaking the Siege of Midfast by defeating fourteen barbarian chieftains in a series of duels.

Mateu Merchant House:
The most wealthy and powerful company in Ord, owned and operated by House Mateu, which is also a powerful political entity whose matriarch is a rival and enemy of King Baird Cathor II. This company has offices and interests in many cities in western Immoren as well as an outpost on the continent of Zu and is engaged in a longstanding and sometimes bloody trade war with Cygnar’s Mercarian League. See also Mercarian League.

mechanik:
One who builds, maintains, and repairs mechanikal equipment such as steamjacks.

mechanika:
The fusion of mechanical engineering and arcane science responsible for countless technological advances across western Immoren.

mechanithrall:
A mindless, mechanically enhanced undead soldier of Cryx, inscribed with basic runes and animated by dark energies. Mechanithralls employ oversized hydraulically powered metal fists in battle.

Mercarian League:
A wealthy and politically powerful merchant consortium headquartered in the Cygnaran city of Mercir but having branches in many cities across the Iron Kingdoms and an outpost on the continent of Zu. The Mercarian League has its own well-armed fleet and mercenaries and has been involved in a longstanding trade war with House Mateu of Ord. It owns a number of subsidiary companies. See also Mateu Merchant House.

Merywyn:
The former capital of Llael, presently the most important industrial city held in the Khadoran-occupied territory, it also serves as headquarters for Khador’s occupation army in Llael.

Midlunder:
The second-largest ethnic group in Cygnar, Midlunders often have dark skin and hair, thick features, and solid frames, although they are a diverse population blending many ancient ethnicities so there is considerable individual variance. They are most concentrated in northern Cygnar.

Morridane:
The descendants of the ancient and ominous kingdom of Morrdh, Morridanes are a rustic people, most of them Cygnarans, who live throughout the Thurian and Midlunds regions but who are most numerous in the Thornwood.

Morrow:
One of the Twins, brother to Thamar, and a god who was once mortal but who ascended to divinity by achieving enlightenment. Also known as the Prophet, Morrow is a benevolent god who emphasizes self-sacrifice, good works, and honorable behavior. See also Church of Morrow and Thamar.

necromancy:
An ancient arcane art rooted in the study of the transition between life and death and certain energies inherent in both the soul and the bodies of the dead. Largely reviled as black magic and deemed illegal across most of western Immoren, the art is still practiced, most prominently by arcanists of Cryx as well as by many Thamarites. Necromancy is considered profane by both Morrowans and Menites as well as by several other religions.

necrotech:
Both an arcane technology representing the fusion of mechanika and necromancy and the term for those who practice this black art. A necrotech is an undead mechanik and necromancer of Cryx versed in creating a variety of weapons and machines as well as repairing warjacks in battle or creating explosive scrap thralls from corpses and the remains of destroyed ’jacks. Necrotechs are responsible for much of Cryx’s war industry.

necrotite:
A foul coal-like mineral found in places that have seen mass torture and death, where life energy has saturated the stones beneath the soil. Used to power Cryxian warjacks, it is functionally similar to coal but longer burning and more efficient. Not only the substance itself but also the fumes and residue it produces are highly toxic to all living things.

Nightmare Empire, the:
Another term for the nation of Cryx.

ogrun:
A large and physically powerful race renowned for great strength, honor, and loyalty. Most ogrun are citizens of Rhul, though they can be found throughout the Iron Kingdoms and are also present in the Scharde Islands serving Cryx.

Ord:
The Iron Kingdom located on the western coast between Khador and Cygnar, largely neutral in the recent wars and seen as a haven for mercenary companies.

Orgoth:
A fearsome race of men from an unknown continent to the west across the Meredius who invaded western Immoren and enslaved it for centuries. The Orgoth were driven from Immoren just over four hundred years ago.

Porpoise Isles:
Two small islands at the western end of Five Fingers that serve little purpose other than to accommodate a trio of lighthouses.

Rhul/Rhulfolk:
The northeastern dwarven nation bordering Khador, Llael, and Ios. Dwarves of Rhul, a tenacious and skilled race that has long traded with the nations of man, are referred to as Rhulfolk. Rhul is also home to a sizable population of ogrun who have fully integrated into Rhulic culture.

risen:
The simplest type of undead thrall, risen only dimly perceive their surroundings and are driven by a hatred of the living.

Rivergrav:
The busiest district in Five Fingers located on Captain’s Isle, where the majority of the riverboats coming down the Dragon’s Tongue River find berths.

runeplate:
A vital core component of mechanika that consists of a special metal plate inscribed with permanent arcane glyphs to grant an item specific magical effects.

Satyxis:
A horned, blighted race of the Scharde Islands that is entirely female, infamous for their blood magic and inventive cruelty.

Scavenger:
A bonejack armed with snapping jaws and unusual in its ability to fly. Origin date unknown.

Scharde Islands:
An island group southwest of Cygnar, named after the largest island, which has become the heart of Cryx. The Nightmare Empire claims the majority of the Scharde Islands and preys upon those few that remain contested.

scion:
The antithesis of the saint-like ascendants of Morrow, the scions of Thamar have similarly transcended mortality by heeding their goddess’ teachings and seeking their own distinct paths of enlightenment.

Sirac, Dexar:
The former head inquisitor of the Cygnaran Inquisition, responsible for uncovering the powerful, necromantic sword known as the Witchfire and returning it to the Iron Kingdoms after more than 1,600 years of abandonment in the ruins of Cryx’s Castle Moorcraig. He died in Corvis in 603 AR, killed by Alexia Ciannor wielding the Witchfire, at which time he was operating under the alias Vahn Oberen.

steamjack:
A steam-powered mechanikal construct designed in a variety of configurations and sizes, used for both labor and warfare throughout the Iron Kingdoms, Cryx, and Rhul. Some machines referred to as such use power sources other than steam and are so are not technically steamjacks but are still referred to as such as a matter of custom.

Talon:
A light warjack developed as a Cygnaran frontline machine and armed with a stun lance. Since being decommissioned Talons are now favored by some mercenary warcasters and ’jack marshals. Entered Cygnaran service in 522 AR and decommissioned in 579 AR.

Thamar:
One of the Twins, sister to Morrow and a goddess who was once mortal but who ascended to divinity through occult study. Also known as the Dark Sister, Thamar is a widely despised god who emphasizes self-interest, self-empowerment, subversive acts, and freedom from the restraints of conventional morality.

thrall:
An undead creature assembled from body parts that have been enchanted by laying glyphs of power on the bones and flesh. Thralls can vary widely in power but are not self-willed. Most thralls are mindless; the more advanced ones can emulate intelligence but have no goals or purpose except what they are given by their masters.

Thuria/Thurian:
An ancient human kingdom conquered by Tordor centuries before the arrival of the Orgoth, presently a region divided between southern Ord and northwestern Cygnar. The former capital of Thuria is now Ceryl. The people of this region descended from ancestors of that kingdom refer to themselves as Thurian.

Tordor/Tordoran:
An ancient human kingdom renowned before the Orgoth invasion for its great fleet. The descendants of these people are referred to as Tordorans, the majority culture of Ord. Families of noble bloodlines are High Tordorans and make up the most powerful land-owning nobility of that kingdom, including the royal line.

Toro:
A versatile heavy warjack used by the Ordic Army, one of the few entirely of Ordic design and manufacture. It has no standard weapon loadout, although a single sword or hammer is most common. A limited number of Toros have been sold to mercenaries even though the warjack has not been decommissioned by Ord. Entered Ordic service in 586 AR.

Toruk, Lord:
The dragon that is the evil and vastly powerful ruler of Cryx. Toruk is both the oldest known entity on Caen and the progenitor of all dragons. Also known as the Dragonfather and the Dragon Lord.

troll:
A large, strong, and brutish creature possessing limited language and inclined toward violence motivated by hunger. Trolls are widely considered by humanity to be monsters, since trolls eat humans without hesitation. They are sometimes referred to as “full-blood trolls” to differentiate them from the trollkin, to whom they are distantly related.

trollkin:
A hardy and intelligent race that live both in their own communities in the wilderness and within cities of man. Distantly related to the more savage and monstrous trolls, trollkin have a distinct appearance with colorful skin, usually blue in hue, and with quills instead of hair and rock-like calcified growths on various parts of their bodies. They possess a complex and rich culture, including their own written language. Most trollkin worship the goddess Dhunia.

Urcaen:
A mysterious cosmological realm that is the spiritual counterpart of Caen. Most of the gods reside here, and this is also where most souls spend the afterlife. Urcaen is divided between protected divine domains and the hellish wilds stalked by the Devourer Wurm.

Wake Isles:
Two small islands at the southeastern end of Five Fingers, considered a particularly dangerous region with a large population of Scharde.

Warcaster:
An arcanist born with the ability to control steamjacks and connect to other mechanika with the power of the mind. With proper training warcasters become singular military assets and are among the greatest officers and soldiers of western Immoren, entrusted to command scores of troops and their own battlegroups of warjacks in the field. Acquiring and training warcasters is a high priority for any military force that employs warjacks.

warjack:
A highly advanced and well-armed steamjack created or modified for war. Some warjacks use power sources other than steam and are not technically steamjacks but are still referred to as such as a matter of custom.