Rise of the Retics (23 page)

[1]
The cyclops community, as a whole, tended to have a terrible aversion to water. Some of them have been known to go their entire lives without a single bath. Strangely enough, this was only the fourth most popular reason why the other creatures of Rosehaven went out of their way to avoid contact with the one-eyed beings.

[2]
The Scarlett Day Inn was a seedy establishment known for strong liquor and high stakes gambling.

[3]
Experts disagree on this comment. Some believe that, in fact, a kumquat might actually be more interesting than a pouncing animal of any sort. However, those experts did not have the benefit of a canine leaping toward their body when they made that assertion, so their opinion may contain a not-fearing-for-my-life-at-the-moment bias
.

[4]
Dr. Kelda Pearlhorn, Rosehaven’s resident medical and veterinary expert, estimated that Rigby’s skull was actually three times the thickness of an average canine of her size.

[5]
Goblins are a notable exception to this rule. They are an exceptionally foul mouthed people that pride themselves on their ability to shock, nauseate, and infuriate with nothing more than words.

[6]
Having once put a skunk in a box and given it as a present, Jaxon can attest to how fast a person will, in fact, drop it.

[7]
Tree-ents didn’t count their lives in years, but in rings, a reference to the marks one would find inside a tree-ent were someone dumb enough to try to cut one open.

[8]
The heartwood is the innermost core of a Tree-Ent’s body. Many Tree-Ents strongly believe it is where their soul resides
.

[9]
The punishment may have had something to do with the fact that Jaxon had covered the library floor with a super adhesive he had stolen from a particularly careless gnome.

[10]
Florensians were also known in less formal speech as squirrel-kin. While most were fine with this moniker, some took it as offensive.

[11]
The term “unicorn droppings” had been used by dwarves for hundreds of years for situations that look better than they actually are. The sheriff had learned it from his mother, who often claimed it was her favorite saying involving excrement.

[12]
A dragon-mark was the basic unit of currency on Rosehaven. It was a small copper coin with the lord protector’s image on one side and the outstretched form of a dragon, which gave it its name, on the other.

[13]
Legend, in this case, was quite wrong.

[14]
Tree-ents didn’t actually breathe, but Tyranna couldn’t have known that
.

[15]
Some historians believe the modern self-defense style, krav maga, is based upon Sir William’s fighting style.

[16]
The arena was named both after its designer, famed dwarf architect Floyd Wrong (936 A.D. – 1047 A.D.). and because it was where capital punishments occurred, hence arriving in the arena often meant your life had gone the “wrong way.”

[17]
The children at the monastery had been forced to give themselves last names, as none of them had come to Lipkos with one already. To accomplish this, they used distinguishing characteristics. Tyranna, known for always wearing her wolf skin cloak, got off easy. Robert Bed Wetter, a large boy with a small bladder, did not
.

[18]
This was especially true in the elven community. In fact, prior to relocating to Rosehaven, a civil war had been fought over that very same issue.

[19]
Magic was impossible in certain species and very uncommon in others. Most often magical ability was the result of the intermingling with humans. Even the best gnomish geneticists couldn’t explain why that was, though they would never admit that to anyone.

[20]
Bowing deeply, so that your horns were pointed at your target, was considered a challenge in the satyr community. It was the equivalent of screaming “I’ll kill you!”

[21]
Goblin childhood was very difficult. Due to the fact that births were often in large litters and there were rarely enough supplies to support their population, it became a celebrated custom for goblin parents to withhold naming their child until he or she had murdered the other members of the litter. While their upbringing may have put them in the running for world’s worst sibling, it did turn them into fantastic assassins.

[22]
A story of its own, the favorite team known as the Ebony Slippers had some shady dealings before they lost. An inquiry has recently been launched.

[23]
It may have been a sauté pan and not a frying pan, as Jaxon had very little knowledge of cooking materials and kitchen paraphernalia in general.

[24]
Being a tropical island, “cold” in Rosehaven was a very relative term. Jaxon’s body just had a natural affinity towards “hot”, so a cool breeze tended to give him a chill
.

[25]
There was no direct translation for the
Faenician
word “wincit,” but any synonyms would not have been appropriate for family gatherings.

[26]
This was one of Stella’s favorite sayings. Despite the fact that it was extremely speciesist, it was in fact a true statement. Goblins did tend to kill off their brothers and sisters at a very young age
.

[27]
Brownie religion dictated that the creator of the world was an omnipotent and immortal matriarchal brownie that lived in the center of the Earth. It was widely believed among the most devout believers that other species were created with the express purpose of providing brownies with homes and entertainment
.

[28]
It wouldn’t. Dwarves were known for their unemotional nature. Their ale was designed to heighten a person’s senses and emotions, making every sensation even more intense, including pain. Like any alcohol, it also reduced the imbibers inhibitions, and Stella hoped that it might also help loosen Claritt’s lips a bit
.

[29]
Jaxon called it training. Sam called it running for her life while the big dog tried to eat her tail.

[30]
Merlin, of Arthurian legend, was in fact a powerful dwarven magician. To many dwarves he is still considered a folk hero, and every October they even celebrate Merlin’s Day, a festival centered around drinking, feasting, and fireworks.