Waybound (38 page)

Council of Nations
an international cooperative organization to promote diplomacy, founded in response to the Alloy War.

Covenant
secret rebel army of the Way, an underground network of mehkan freedom fighters sworn to defend their world from the Foundry.

Crest of Dawn
the towering, sculpted arch in the shape of a sunburst that looms over the bridge leading to Foundry Central. A depiction of this landmark serves as the company's logo.

cycle
a mehkan unit of time, roughly equivalent to a day.

Cyclewynder
sleek Foundry racing vehicle with a flexible body atop a row of sharp wheels, used in Mehk to navigate difficult terrain.

cyndrl
tumorous growths that are cultivated on the backs of freylani. These organic weapons can be harvested and used as grenades.

The Depot
the Foundry's central transportation hub in Mehk, located at the mouth of the tunnel that leads back to Albright City.

Dervish rifle
a silent Foundry-made firearm with four rapidly spinning barrels and an internal solenoid that heats bonding rounds to the melting point.

Dialset
a Foundry-made telephone.

directors
Foundry supervisors and representatives of the Board. They have immense power in overseeing day-to-day operations, especially in Mehk, but answer directly to the Board.

Divine Dynamo
a holy name for Makina.

Durall
a durable metallic fabric of many uses, derived by the Foundry from the mehkan textile known as chusk.

Dyad Project
a top-secret Foundry project focused on creating a human-mehkan hybrid. Kaspar is the sole surviving experimental test subject.

dynamo
symbol of the Way, a circle bisected by a jagged line like the teeth of a gear.

Dyrunya
a mehkan river city of meticulous pipework architecture that extends both above and below the river surface. Home to the lumilow.

edict
one of many verses in the sacred accords of the Way.

ember
according to the traditions of the Way, embers are the sparks of life in every living thing. When a mehkan dies, its ember travels beyond the Shroud to be judged by Makina.

Emberguard
a term for the revered Aegis.

Emberhome
secret sanctuary of the Ona, thought to have been destroyed long ago.

ember-reaper
a term for the feared Uaxtu.

Ephrian Mountains
a massive range of living mountains on the eastern continent that disappears into the Shroud.

Ephrian plains
a wild mehkan province on the eastern continent that remains undeveloped by the Foundry. It is said to be home to many species of mehkan that are otherwise considered extinct.

Erghan
an ancient mehkan language.

ettik
a brusque mehkan species that typically dwells in arctic regions, recognizable by their stout, tripod legs and their dense, bristle-haired carapaces.

Everseer
a holy name for Makina.

The Expanse
a term used by the Way to refer to the course of all time, as created by Makina.

ferro-crotic
pertaining to the liquefaction and decomposition of metal, especially as resulting from exposure to CHAR.

Ferro-nomic Treaty
the trade agreement that ended the Alloy War. It permitted, for the first time, international distribution of Foundry products. The terms were favorable to Meridian, imposing strict guidelines on the kind, quality, and price of materials that could be sold to other nations.

firkin
pipework dwellings of the lumilow.

flux
a toxic liquid metal that makes up mehkan oceans. In its solid state, flux falls from the clouds as bullet rain.

The Forge
a celestial furnace in the afterlife, which Makina uses to judge the embers of the dead, according to the Way. They claim She
douses
the wicked,
stirs
the imperfect to be reborn, and
blazes
the righteous to live in harmony with Her for eternity.

The Foundry
the world's largest and most profitable corporation, established centuries ago by Creighton Albright. Due to its clandestine operations in Mehk, it is the foremost manufacturer of metal and technology.

Foundry Central
an extensive complex located on an island in Albright Bay, home to the Foundry's primary research, manufacturing, and distribution hubs.

freylani (e.g. “The Mercanteer”)
a physically ponderous mehkan species that has a talent for commerce and trade. Their hunchbacks are fertile biomes used to grow a staggering variety of goods, from which they always seek to profit.

function
mehkans who adhere to the Way believe this to be their spiritual purpose in life, a unique reason for every individual's existence that, if discovered and pursued, will lead to enlightenment.

Fuselage
a langyl settlement in the Chusk Bowl that has been destroyed by the Foundry.

fusion
mehkan term for midday, when the ring of rising suns coalesces in a singular zenith.

gauge
mehkan currency of metallic rings. The worth of individual units, or “tinklets,” is indicated by the size and color of the ring.

Gauge Pit
a black market in the mehkan city of Sen Ta'rine, featuring an auction house that specializes in slave trade.

gears of fate
a term used in the Way, referring to the aspect of Makina's plan that influences the lives of all sentient beings and how they impact one another.

Ghalteiga
a squalid mehkan settlement on the Inro Coast with a reputation for lawlessness.

gha-tullei
a mehkan word for “sanctuary.”

gohr
a physically imposing mehkan species with crane-claw hands that honors warriors above all else. Known for their brute strength.

The Grand Mark
a prominent landmark in the mehkan city of Bhorquvaat, from which the city derives its name. It is a massive crater surrounded by concentric rings of white, petrified waves of ore. The Waybound claim this is an impact crater formed when Makina smote the wicked mehkans who once lived there.

The Great Decay
an era that began with the appearance of humans in Mehk. The Waybound claim that the Great Decay is a result of mehkans losing faith in Makina, which led to the decline of the Way, widespread enmity among mehkan species, the dissolution of mehkan society, and the rise of the Foundry's power.

The Great Engineer
a holy name for Makina.

Greinadoren
a human nation that is a prominent member of the Quorum with a sophisticated military and an agency known for espionage.

Haizor
a prominent mehkan language.

The Heap
a mehkan ghetto in the city of Sen Ta'rine, home to refugees displaced by the Foundry's incursions.

Hearth
a secretive method of communication used by the Covenant, in which remote individuals can speak and be seen through surfaces of specialized molten metal.

hiveling (e.g. “Tchiock”)
a rare and reviled mehkan species that is said to have been bred as slaves for the ancient megalarchs. These amphibious monstrosities are cruel and fearsome, almost never seen outside the lagoons of dead lands.

hohksyk (e.g. “Korluth”)
a gentle race of mehkans that can eject a self-propelled liquid metal, which acts as a remote sensory organ. This ability makes them experts of surveillance.

hoistvyne
a sturdy mehkan ivy that functions like an organic block-and-tackle pulley system, used in lifts and elevators.

Housing
a temple of the Way.

Housing of the Broken
temple of the Way that serves as a sanctuary and hospital to mehkans with handicaps or deformities.

Hy'rekshi jungle
a lush and expansive region of Mehk known for its staggering biodiversity.

ichor
the viscous, dark brown life essence of many mehkans.

indruli
a trained, nocturnal mehkan beast, known for its aggression if roused from sleep.

Inro Coast
the craggy western shoreline of the Mirroring Sea in Mehk.

interval
mehkan term for “season.”

jaislid (e.g. Axial Phy)
members of a populous species of mehkan that commonly work as drones and laborers, often considered second-class citizens.

jelyp
oceanic mehkan critters with tubular shells that emit jets of pressure for locomotion.

kailiak (e.g. Orei)
a harsh and solitary mehkan species, whose bodies are precise instruments of measurement, allowing them near-psychic mathematical insight. They are averse to emotion, which can inhibit their ability to measure, thereby putting them at risk of physical harm.

Kallorax
an ancient mehkan megalarch, notorious for his sadism and delusions of being a sun god.

Kappermane
a northern state in the nation of Meridian, home to Albright City and famous for its natural beauty.

kav'o
living mehkan weapons rumored to be bonded to and wielded by the Aegis.

Kholghit
a mehkan city that has banned the consumption of viscollia, leading to a ruthless black market in illicit liquor.

Kijyo Republic
a human nation in the Far East that is a founding member of the Quorum, openly hostile toward Meridian.

knurler
a small oceanic mehkan scavenger known for its impervious grip when it clings to surfaces.

kulha
a peaceful mehkan species with a nomadic tribal culture.

lacepetal
frilly mehkan vegetation used for decoration and tribute.

langyl, aka “lang”
an industrious mehkan species notable for their bizarre sheet-metal appearance. They tend grundrulls and harvest chusk fiber from their excrement to make textiles.

Lateral Provinces
the larger, western mehkan continent and its various principalities.

liodim
giant mehkan beasts with segmented shells and tank tread feet. They live in herds and are routinely hunted by the Foundry.

Loaii
honorific term for a Waybound who is chosen to serve Makina for a specific purpose. Named for a mythical mehkan saint.

Lodestar XC-8
non-lethal Foundry weapon, a baton topped by a powerful magnetic coil that can repel and attract.

lumilow, aka “lumie” (e.g. The Marquis)
an advanced race of mehkans who have bodies of prehensile tubing and communicate using a visual language of light. Their insular culture is renowned for discoveries in science and engineering and has a reputation for arrogance.

“Maddox”
popular Televiewer show about a heroic soldier from Meridian. “No guts, no glory” is the title character's catchphrase.

Makina
a mehkan god worshipped by the Waybound, believed to have created the universe and said to have abandoned Mehk because Her followers strayed from the righteous path.

megalarch
title for ancient mehkan emperors.

Mehk
a mysterious realm of living metal and organic machines. It is connected to our world by an underground portal, which is hidden and controlled by the Foundry.

mehkans, aka “mehkie”
term for all the creatures of Mehk, both sentient and non-sentient.

Meridian
the most prosperous nation in the human world, due entirely to the wealth and success of the Foundry.

Mirroring Sea
a vast ocean of flux that surrounds the two main continents of Mehk.

Moalao
a third-world nation of the human world, active member of the Quorum.

Mother of Ore
a holy name for Makina.

Multi-Edge
a Foundry-made survival knife with a versatile blade that can transform into multiple practical tools with the turn of a dial.

NET system
a lattice of magnetic cables and tubes suspended over the Depot to prevent aerial attacks.

Nhel K'taphen mine
a mehkan ore quarry on the eastern continent, now under the control of the Foundry.

nozzle
the spinning, cylindrical organ that gives balvoors their advanced sense of smell.

Occulyth
a mysterious object sought by the Ona to save Mehk.

ohneshalo
a mehkan device that emits a distinctive moan, used during the funeral ceremonies of the Waybound.

Olyrian Isle
an opulent and isolated community where Foundry employees who were stationed in Mehk retire. Though they live their remaining years in luxury, communication with the outside world is strictly prohibited to protect company secrets.

The Ona
fabled prophet of the Way, she was Makina's messenger and the living interpreter of the sacred accords. The Ona was renowned for her wisdom and strength as leader of Mehk until she was supposedly killed by the Foundry in a surprise CHAR attack.

opticle
versatile sensory organ of the lumilow that can both receive visual information as well as project various wavelengths of light.

ore
the primal mehkan substance that all living metal comes from. It is thought by the Waybound to originate from the physical body of Makina.