Glossary of Terms

The world in which Howl of Eternity takes place.

Oia is the whole known world of Howl of Eternity. Upon it lies the continent of Ulvenor, the old empires, forgotten ruins, mighty cities, and places that are marked on the maps only so that adventurers have somewhere unreasonable to set out for.

The main continent of the world of Oia.

Ulvenor is a vast continent on which lie the Empire of Magnursar, the former human kingdoms, the elven lands, the dwarven mountains, the southern deserts, and many other regions. It is the principal setting of most of the stories, conflicts, and civilizational changes of the world of Howl of Eternity.

A distant continent west of Ulvenor.

The Western Continent is a distant region outside the main setting of Ulvenor. By tradition, it was from here that Sorcer came, who brought a new conception of magic and fundamentally changed the history of the entire continent.

A significant region tied to the Dragon Ridges.

Albarit is a notable region of Ulvenor, often associated with dramatic landscapes, mountain ranges, and ancient roads. The most famous term tied to Albarit is the Dragon Ridges of Albarit.

The old human states before the unification under the empire.

The Former Human Kingdoms denote the older political map of the human world before the rise of the Empire of Magnursar. Among them are, for example, Medonia, Arostermancy, Waldoria, Trabazar, Lutharion, Jitron, Borundar, and other lands that were gradually swallowed, conquered, or remade.

One of the former human kingdoms.

Medonia belongs among the former human kingdoms that formed the political map before the rise of the unifying power of the Magnurs. Its importance lies mainly in the fact that it recalls the age when humans were not unified under a single empire.

A former human kingdom before the unification.

Arostermancy is one of the old human kingdoms that existed before the full rise of the Empire of Magnursar. It helps to show that the present empire did not arise from a void, but on the ruins of older powers.

An old human kingdom tied to pre-imperial history.

Waldoria was one of the human kingdoms that stood on the map of Ulvenor before the full unification under the Empire of Magnursar. Its conquest or absorption belongs among the processes that gradually ended the age of independent human kingdoms.

A former human kingdom before the imperial unification.

Trabazar is one of the former human kingdoms whose fall belongs to the wider story of the demise of the old divided human world. In texts it may appear as a reminder of the age when present borders did not yet exist.

A significant historical kingdom, tied to a battle and Jack of Veremor.

Borundar is a notable city famous above all for the battle in which Jack of Veremor used extraordinarily mighty magic to save the realm. The name of Borundar is therefore tied to heroism, horror, and the question of how far magic may go.

One of the former human kingdoms.

Lutharion is a former human kingdom tied to the pre-imperial age. Like the other old kingdoms, it shows that the Empire of Magnursar is the result of a long process of conquest, marriages, wars, and reforms.

A former human kingdom and an important historical term.

Jitron belongs among the old human kingdoms and at the same time appears in historical contexts of battles and shifts of power. It is one of those names that helps the player read the old history of humanity as a mosaic of vanished lands.

An ancient empire of the north.

The Old Northern Empire is an ancient power tied to the northern regions, old traditions, and a history that precedes many of the present political structures.

A significant river appearing in history and geography.

The River Luna is an important watercourse of Ulvenor that appears in historical contexts, battles, and descriptions of journeys. Rivers in Ulvenor are not only natural features, but borders, trade arteries, and places where history breaks in a very wet manner.

A striking rocky landscape feature.

The Huzen Cliffs are an important landscape term that may appear in connection with roads, borders, hiding places, or historical events. Cliffs in Ulvenor are rarely just a pretty backdrop, because someone usually carved a road, a fortress, or a very bad decision into them.

The mightiest human empire of Ulvenor.

The Empire of Magnursar is the most significant human state on Ulvenor. It arose from the older power of the House of Magnurs and became the political, military, cultural, and administrative center of a large part of the continent.

The capital of the Empire of Magnursar.

Magnur is the capital of the Empire of Magnursar and one of the most important centers of human power on Ulvenor. Here are found the imperial court, the royal palace, the great offices, courts, and institutions that hold the empire together.

The ruling line tied to the founding of the Empire.

The Magnurs are the ruling dynasty from which came the kings and later the emperors who fundamentally shaped the human history of Ulvenor. Their family policy, marriages, wars, reforms, and occasional catastrophic family drama form the backbone of imperial history.

The reckoning of time counted from the founding of the Empire of Magnursar.

The Imperial Calendar is the system of counting time tied to the founding of the Empire of Magnursar. Events before the founding of the empire are recorded in negative years, while the present age is counted from the imperial unification.

An administrative territorial unit inside larger wholes.

A province is a smaller administrative territory within a larger part of the empire or a domain. It is not the whole domain, but a more concrete territory that has its own administration, towns, villages, and local problems.

A great administrative unit of the Empire.

A domain is a larger territorial unit of the Empire that gathers several provinces and represents a significant regional part of the empire. Its administrator holds high authority, because a domain is formed of cities, nobility, an army, trade, and local interests.

A great political body or power.

A realm is the general term for an extensive state or power that goes beyond an ordinary kingdom. In Ulvenor the term is often used for the Empire of Magnursar, but it may also denote older or foreign great powers.

A frontier or peripheral province.

A march is a smaller frontier or strategic province within a larger whole, for instance a domain. It is not the same as the whole western part of the empire. The march is more the sharp edge of the map, where politics meets the reality of the frontier.

The great western administrative unit of the Empire.

The Western Domain is the wider regional unit of the Empire, of which the Western March may be a part. It is important not to confuse it with the march itself, because the domain denotes the superior part, while the march is only one of its provinces.

The westernmost province of the western part of the Empire.

The Western March is a concrete province on the western edge of the Empire. It is often confused with the Western Domain, but properly it is only a smaller territory within the larger western part of the empire.

The noble social class with land, power, and titles.

The nobility forms the noble layer of society that owns land, holds titles, administers territories, and has influence over politics, the army, and court life.

The most powerful stratum of the nobility.

The higher nobility includes the most influential houses and the holders of the highest titles. These people are usually close to the imperial court, the military command, and the regional administration.

Smaller noble houses and local nobles.

The lower nobility comprises smaller houses, knights, administrators of lesser domains, provincial lords, and families that have noble origin but not always great political influence.

A leading or advisory authority of a community.

An elder is a respected member of a community, tribe, village, or council. They need not hold a noble title, but they often have memory, experience, and natural authority.

Administrator of a province or territory appointed by higher authority.

A governor is the administrator of a particular territory, often a province or an important city. Their power derives from the commission of a higher authority, not necessarily from a hereditary claim.

Ruler or highest administrator of a domain.

A crown administrator is a high official or nobleman entrusted with the administration of a domain in the name of the crown or emperor. In practice it is a very powerful position, because the holder governs a large region and deals with provinces, the nobility, the cities, and the army.

The political and social center of imperial power.

The Imperial Court is the place where dynastic politics, diplomacy, personal ambition, and state power meet. Here decisions are taken about wars, marriages, titles, reforms, and about who has just fallen from favor.

The administrative body of a city.

The city council manages the affairs of a city, from taxes and security to trade, markets, and relations with the guilds. In larger cities it is often as important as the local nobility.

The official military force of the Empire.

The Imperial Army is the main military force of the Empire of Magnursar. It guards the borders, leads wars, suppresses revolts, and reminds everyone that the empire is held together not only by laws, but also by disciplined people with weapons.

The security force of the cities.

The city guard keeps order in the cities, watches the gates, the markets, the prisons, and the streets. It is the first line of defense against crime, unrest, and adventurers who claim that the inn caught fire as part of an investigation.

The institution responsible for striking coin.

The Royal Mint is the institution where official coins are struck and where economic power is turned into metal with the face of the ruler. The mint is not only a technical facility, but a symbol of state control over trade, taxes, and the value of money.

An enormous conflict that fundamentally changed the history of Ulvenor.

The Great War belongs among the most fundamental conflicts of human and imperial history. It lasted long, struck many lands, and its consequences helped to create the political, military, and social conditions for the later form of the Empire of Magnursar.

The first developmental group of humanoid beings.

Alpha Humanoids denote a very ancient group of humanoid beings in the primordial history of the world. They belong to those terms that help explain the ancient development of races before the world settled into the known shape of humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, and other peoples.

A later developmental group of humanoids.

Beta Humanoids are another important group in the development of humanoid races. Their migrations and transformations belong among the basic events of primordial history, because they help explain how the various races and cultures of Oia gradually took shape.

An ancient empire of the elves.

The First Elven Empire belongs among the oldest known civilizational bodies of Ulvenor. In the lore it represents the age when the elves wielded enormous cultural, magical, and political influence over the shape of the world.

A major migration of the centaurs.

The Great Centaur Migration denotes an important age of movements of centaur groups and tribes. It was not merely a journey from one place to another, but an event that shaped the centaurs' relationship to the land, the steppe, freedom, and to the other peoples.

The ancient shifting of the Beta Humanoids.

The First Great Migration of Beta Humanoids belongs among the oldest events tied to the shaping of the races. It explains the movement of ancient populations from which the various humanoid peoples of Oia gradually developed.

An ancient natural catastrophe with historical consequences.

The Eruption of Henstir is a major natural catastrophe in the primordial history of the world. Such events in Oia are not merely geological notes in a chronicle, because they often change migrations, empires, religions, and the shape of the land.

One of the great wars of the old human kingdoms.

The First War of Kings is the name of one of the major conflicts among the old human kingdoms. It belongs to the age when the human world was not yet unified and power was measured chiefly by armies, marriages, and the ability to outlast one's neighbor.

Another great conflict among the old kingdoms.

The Second War of Kings follows on from the long rivalry of power among the human kingdoms before the rise of the imperial order. These wars are a reminder that unification was neither natural nor peaceful.

A late conflict of the old human powers.

The Third War of Kings belongs among the conflicts that gradually exhausted the old human kingdoms and prepared the ground for a new order of power. In historical texts it may serve as a boundary between the fragmented royal world and the future imperial dominance.

The demise of the old divided human world.

The End of the Old Kingdoms denotes the period when the independent human kingdoms gradually lost power, were conquered, swallowed, or remade into a larger political body. It is one of the principal steps on the road to the rise of the Empire of Magnursar.

A battle tied to the region or kingdom of Jitron.

The Battle of Jitron is a historical clash tied to Jitron and to the old human past. Such battles help to show that the map of the Empire arose through concrete bloodshed, not merely the moving of lines on parchment.

A strategic clash at an important ford.

The Battle of the Southern Ford recalls the significance of river crossings, fords, and roads in the history of Ulvenor. Whoever holds the ford often holds the movement of armies, traders, and refugees alike.

A historical battle at the River Luna.

The Battle of the River Luna is a major clash tied to one of the important watercourses. Rivers in such conflicts are usually not just landscape, but obstacle, border, and sometimes the final place where an army discovers it should not have stood with its back to the water.

A revolt tied to the person or group of Rutun.

The Rutun Rebellion is a significant act of resistance against established power. Like every revolt, it may be described in the chronicles as treason, as a fight for freedom, or as an awkward combination of both, depending on who held the pen.

A conflict tied to the question of serfdom.

The War over Serfdom is a conflict whose core was the question of personal freedom, bondage, and the rights of common people. It belongs among the events that show that history is not only about crowns and battles, but also about who has the right to decide over their own life.

The transformation of royal power into an imperial realm.

The Rise of the Empire denotes the moment when the power of the Magnurs was transformed from royal dominance into imperial order. This event changed not only the borders, but also the way time was counted, territories administered, and the legitimacy of rule understood.

The period of the empire's peak flourishing.

The Golden Age of the Empire denotes a period of stability, prosperity, building, reforms, and cultural growth. In practice this usually means that the chroniclers were in a better mood, the roads were less full of holes, and the borders did not burn every other week.

A dynastic period tied to wealth and courtly culture.

The Silk Kings denote a period or a group of rulers tied to court splendor, trade, wealth, and a finer form of power. The name hints at a rule that did not smell only of iron, but also of fabrics, coin, and intrigue.

A period or rulers tied to the rise of magic.

The Kings of Magic denote the age when magic began to play a much greater role in politics, war, and learning. In such a time it is no longer enough to have a good sword and sturdy walls, because someone may arrive with a spell and very convincingly explain that a stone wall is only a temporary opinion.

The age before the founding of the Empire of Magnursar.

The Pre-Imperial Era denotes the age before the founding of the Empire of Magnursar. It includes the old human kingdoms, the wars of kings, early Magnursia, and all the tangled history that the later imperial chroniclers happily condensed into the sentence: and then we unified it.

A ruling house that passes power across generations.

A dynasty is a house that holds rule across several generations. In theory it is about continuity and stability. In practice it is often a very long list of marriages, quarrels, heirs, poisoned cups, and family dinners that no sensible person would wish to attend.

A noble or significant family line.

A house denotes a wider family and power group sharing an origin, a name, property, signs, and political ambitions. In Ulvenor a house can be as important as a city, because while a city has walls, a house has memory.

The primary branch of a house with the strongest claim.

The main line is the primary branch of a house from which the chief heirs, rulers, and successors usually come. If the main line weakens, the side branches usually discover a sudden great interest in family history.

A side branch of an important house.

A cadet branch is a side line of the house that does not descend from the main inheriting branch, but still bears noble blood and often ambition as well. In calm times it appears loyal. In a crisis it usually remembers that it too actually belongs to the family.

Rules and disputes over the passing of rule.

Succession determines who is to take power after the death, abdication, or removal of a ruler. It sounds simple, until there are three heirs, two wives, one illegitimate son, and a nobility that claims it is all doing this for the stability of the realm.

A person with a claim to a title, property, or rule.

An heir is a person who is to take over rule, title, or property. In dynastic history it is a figure who tends to be either the hope of the realm, or the reason everyone suddenly begins counting years, bloodlines, and the possibilities of an inconspicuous accident.

One who takes over power or an office from another.

A successor is the person who takes over rule, title, or responsibility from the previous holder. In an ideal case they are prepared. In dynastic history, surprisingly often, someone else is prepared instead.

A temporary ruler for a minor or incapable sovereign.

A regent rules in the name of a sovereign who is too young, ill, absent, or otherwise unable to govern. Officially it is a service. Unofficially it is a test of whether a person can hold power and then really give it back.

The acknowledged right to rule or inherit.

Legitimacy denotes the acknowledgment that a particular person, house, or institution has the right to hold power. It may rest on blood, law, victory, coronation, faith, or simply the fact that everyone else has lost.

An illegitimate descendant with an uncertain claim.

A bastard is an illegitimate descendant whose standing depends on laws, the recognition of the house, and the political situation. In calm times they tend to be overlooked. In succession crises they can very quickly become a problem with a pedigree.

A marriage made for the sake of power, alliance, or legitimacy.

A dynastic marriage is a union that is meant to strengthen a house, calm a conflict, gain territory, or join two lines of power. Love is not excluded, but in the written contract it is rarely the principal item.

The presence of elven descent in an imperial or royal line.

Elven blood in the dynasty denotes a familial connection with elves, which can bring prestige, longevity, cultural symbolism, and political disputes. Some see in it a strengthening of the house, others a pretext for questioning the succession.

A peculiar succession rule favoring the youngest adult son.

The Law of the Youngest Adult Son is an unusual succession rule that overturns the common expectation that the eldest inherits. Such a law can calm one crisis and sow three others, which is practically a tradition in dynastic politics.

A dynastic rule about the claims of a house across generations.

The Law of Three Generations is a succession or dynastic rule that defines the validity of claims across a certain number of generations. Such laws arise when the family tree is too long and too many people begin to claim that the throne really belongs to them.

Descent tied to a royal house.

Royal blood denotes the lineal descent from a royal line. In the world of Ulvenor it can mean a claim, prestige, danger, and very unwelcome attention from people who are just then looking for a suitable puppet to seat on the throne.

Descent tied to the imperial dynasty.

Imperial blood is descent tied to the imperial line. It is a symbol of the highest legitimacy, but also a burden, because the blood that opens the doors to the throne often opens them to assassins as well.

The sign of a house or institution.

A coat of arms is the sign of a house, city, order, or institution. In the heraldry of Ulvenor it is not just a pretty picture on a shield, but a compressed history of ambitions, victories, claims, and occasionally a great deal of self-confidence.

A striking symbol of imperial or dynastic power.

The Crowned Rhinoceros is a heraldic and symbolic motif tied to power, hardness, and legitimate authority. It looks a little odd, until one imagines it charging at oneself.

Archive of charters, claims, and the memory of a house.

A family archive preserves marriage contracts, pedigrees, claims, letters, seals, and old secrets. It is a place where a single dusty parchment can change the succession faster than an army.

A military detachment or organizational unit.

A banner is a military detachment or unit used in the organization of the army. In the lore it helps describe how a host is divided and how it moves in the field. It sounds ceremonial, but to the soldier inside the banner it is mainly a group of people with whom they share mud, orders, and bad food.

A standing trained host.

A professional army is a standing military force composed of trained soldiers, not just peasants called up for the moment. It is expensive, demanding to supply, and very useful if you want your soldiers to know which end of the spear to hold.

Elite mounted units in heavy armor.

Heavy cavalry is an elite mounted force capable of breaking an enemy line by the force of its charge. It is expensive, prestigious, and very persuasive, provided you are standing on the right side of the lance.

A defensive formation made of wagons.

A wagon fort is a defensive system that uses wagons as a movable fortress. It allows the protection of archers, supplies, and less mobile units. It is proof that even an ordinary wagon can be a wall, if you have enough courage and few other options.

A formation of soldiers protecting themselves with shields.

A shield wall is a defensive formation in which soldiers link their shields and create a solid line. It is a symbol of discipline, cohesion, and the fact that the individual is sometimes best protected by being unable to move anywhere except with the others.

A military unit meant to support the main force.

A support unit assists the main fighting forces through healing, supply, ranged fire, magic, engineering, or logistics. It never looks as glorious as the front rank, but without it the front rank often discovers that heroism without supplies has a short shelf life.

Mages employed directly in war.

Battle mages are spellcasters fielded with the army. They can shatter formations, protect units, disrupt defenses, or alter the course of a battle. The soldiers love them, as long as they stand on the same side and aim in the proper direction.

Healers acting within military units.

Army healers are an invaluable support of the host. They save the wounded, stabilize the injured after a battle, and often decide whether a soldier comes home as a veteran or only as a name on a list of the fallen.

A network of fortresses and defensive points.

A fortress network is a system of fortresses, strongholds, watchposts, gates, and defensive lines. It serves to protect borders, roads, and strategic areas. It is a way of telling the enemy that even if he passes the first wall, his day will certainly not improve.

A tower meant for watching the surroundings and giving early warning.

A watchtower is a smaller defensive and observation post that helps to guard borders, roads, and dangerous regions. Its greatest value is that it sees the problem before the problem sees you.

Hidden underground passages.

Secret tunnels are hidden passages beneath cities, fortresses, castles, or mountains. They may serve escape, supply, spying, or treachery. It is always true that a tunnel is secret only until the moment someone with a torch and bad intentions finds it.

An elite or special orc military unit.

The Orc Guard denotes a chosen military force of the orcs, often tied to the protection of leaders, sacred places, or important campaigns of war. If the guard appears, it is usually no longer an ordinary skirmish.

A dreaded military force of the goblins.

The Black Army of the Goblins is a military term tied to a massive or feared goblin force. The name suggests not a ragged band but a threat great enough to enter the chronicles.

A style of war built on swift riders and shooting.

Nomadic horse archery is a style of war built on mobility, shooting from horseback, and the wearing down of an opponent. It is very unpleasant for anyone who thinks the battle begins only at the moment when both armies politely line up against each other.

A tactic of swift strike and retreat.

Hit and run is a style of war built on a swift attack, the inflicting of damage, and an immediate retreat. In other words, strike and vanish, which is at the same time good advice for survival if your opponent owns heavy cavalry.

Irregular warfare against a stronger enemy.

Guerrilla war uses ambushes, knowledge of terrain, sabotage, and the exhaustion of a stronger enemy. It is the war of people who cannot win a great battle, and so decide that there will preferably be no great battle at all.

The practical side of keeping an army going.

Supply and logistics include food, water, weapons, gear, medicine, horses, roads, and everything else without which an army turns into a hungry crowd. Victory is often credited to generals, but very often it was won by the wagons of flour.

The first unified body of laws.

The First Law Code denotes the early attempt to unify the law into a firmer form. In the history of the Empire such a step is fundamental, because law turns the personal will of the ruler into a system.

Laws governing relations between races.

Interracial laws govern the legal relations among the various races, their residence, marriages, inheritance, standing, or rights. They are important in a world where the empire does not govern only humans, but also elves, dwarves, goblins, gnomes, and other peoples.

A law regulating or abolishing the personal dependence of subjects.

The Law of Serfdom concerns the standing of subjects, their freedom of movement, labor, and rights with respect to their lords. It is one of those laws of which the nobility usually claim that they are tradition, and the common people that they are a chain.

Rules governing the movement of inhabitants between territories.

Migration laws regulate who may move, settle, trade, or live within a given territory. In a multiracial world they may be very sensitive, because they decide whether a stranger is a guest, a neighbor, a problem, or a future son-in-law.

City laws governing life in the great centers.

The Laws of the Great Cities deal with trade, security, crafts, guilds, courts, property, public order, and the daily conflicts of dense city life.

A reform of education in society.

School reform denotes a change in the system of education, the availability of schools, and the basics of teaching. In the Empire such a reform may strengthen the civil service, the army, the crafts, and the loyalty of the inhabitants.

The basic form of compulsory education.

Six-year schooling is an educational system meant to give the inhabitants the basic knowledge needed for life in the empire. Such a change strengthens the state, trade, and the army, because a literate person reads laws better and excuses themselves worse for not understanding them.

Training or organizational sites of the army.

Military camps serve for training, gathering, and organization of the host. They may be temporary or permanent. In peace they prepare soldiers, in war they are a reminder that an army is a city that has decided to sleep in tents.

Voluntary service in the army.

Optional military service allows the inhabitants to enter the army without a general obligation. For some it is a way to a living and standing, for others a way to find out that volunteering and orders have a complicated relationship.

The transfer of banks from state into private hands.

The Privatization of the Banks denotes the process by which state financial institutions pass into private hands. In the economy it may bring flexibility, profit, and chaos. It depends above all on who bought the banks and how many politicians owe them money at the time.

A rule restricting the use of foreign currency.

The Ban on Foreign Coin strengthens the state's control over the market and the currency. It complicates the lives of merchants, creates opportunities for smugglers, and gives the mint a reason to look more important than usual.

The control of magic by the state.

The State Magic Monopoly means that the use, teaching, or administration of magic is subordinated to state power. Such a monopoly may protect society from chaos, but it may also create a situation in which the state claims the right to decide who may know too much.

A state-recognized institution for the teaching of magic.

The Official School of Magic is an institution that teaches magic under the supervision of a recognized authority. In the history of Ulvenor, the rise of such schools is a fundamental step from secret or personal teaching to organized magical education.

The road network built and maintained by the Empire.

The Imperial Roads are an infrastructure that links cities, provinces, the army, and trade. They are not only roads, but an instrument of power. Wherever an imperial road leads, a merchant, a courier, a soldier, and a tax collector can arrive.

The part of the economy outside direct state administration.

The private sector includes merchants, workshops, banks, entrepreneurs, guilds, and other actors outside direct state control. The Empire may support it, regulate it, or distrust it. Usually all at once.

An organization gathering people of the same craft, goal, or way of life.

A guild is an organization that provides its members with shelter, training, work, contacts, protection, or access to rewards. In Ulvenor, guilds can be public, semi-public, or secret. Some teach a craft, others combat, and yet others will explain to you that the best contract is the one no one speaks about.

An organization founded on an oath, faith, ideal, or discipline.

An order is an organization with firmer values, vows, or a spiritual mission. It may be knightly, magical, temple-bound, or learned. Compared with a guild, it usually is not just about work, but about a lifelong commitment.

A tighter community bound by oath, training, or common purpose.

A brotherhood is an organization founded on solidarity, shared experience, and often harsh discipline. The name sounds friendly, but in Ulvenor a brotherhood can mean anything from warriors to assassins.

A looser or learned association with a common goal.

A fellowship denotes a group of persons bound by an idea, a research, a road, or a mission. It tends to be less martial than a brotherhood and less official than a guild, but that does not mean it is less dangerous.

A local seat or branch of a larger guild.

A guild branch is the local part of an organization in a particular city or region. Some branches are just practical places with a notice board and a desk, others have their own politics, traditions, and a dangerously ambitious guildmaster.

The leader or administrator of a guild or its branch.

A guildmaster leads a guild or its branch, decides on members, contracts, rules, and relations with the city. A good guildmaster keeps the organization together. A bad guildmaster usually becomes the plot hook.

A beginning member learning from a master.

An apprentice is a beginning member who learns a craft, magic, fighting, or another skill from more experienced members. In every guild the apprentice is proof that even the master once began by sweeping up, listening, and not receiving the best tools.

An experienced member recognized in their field.

A master is a person or being who has reached a high level in their field and can teach others. A master usually knows why things are done in a certain way. And also why the apprentice has just ruined an expensive material.

A local or administrative part of an order.

A chapter is a local or regional part of an order, often with its own hall, leadership, vows, and responsibility. With knightly and temple orders, a chapter may function as fortress, temple, refuge, and courtroom all in one.

An agreed task with a commitment and a reward.

A contract is a binding agreement to carry out a task. For an ordinary guild it may mean the protection of a caravan. For a secret brotherhood it may mean that someone is about to discover that the bedroom door was not locked well enough.

A powerful supporter of a person, guild, or project.

A patron provides money, influence, protection, or prestige in exchange for service, loyalty, or fame. A patron can open doors, but rarely free of charge. Even when they pretend otherwise.

A wealthy supporter of art, science, guilds, or individuals.

A maecenas supports artists, scholars, guilds, mages, or adventurers, often for the sake of prestige, influence, or a genuine belief in their work. The difference between a maecenas and a patron is sometimes subtle. The difference between a maecenas and a manipulator even more so.

A sign of quality or membership of a guild.

A guild mark designates a product, a member, a letter, or a task as part of a particular guild. With craftsmen it stands for quality. With secret organizations it may stand for the fact that you have just entered a story from which there is no easy exit.

The most widespread training guild for beginning heroes.

The Adventurers Guild is the public guild in which most new heroes begin their road. It offers basic quests, training, and a safe point in the city. In the world of Ulvenor it is the place where an enthusiast with a backpack may become an adventurer. Or a cautionary example.

A combat brotherhood that also takes on uncomfortable tasks.

The Warriors Brotherhood is a combat organization aimed at training, strength, and hard contracts. Outwardly it looks like a fighters' guild, but its history is also tied to tasks that official power would rather not sign with its own name.

A productive guild founded by dwarven masters.

The Craftsmen Guild is an organization of smiths, armorers, gem cutters, enchanters, and other makers. It arose thanks to dwarven craftsmen and significantly influenced the quality of production in the Empire.

A secret magical order founded by Sorcer.

The Order of the Ancients is a secret and elite magical order that guards the old knowledge and teaches only those who can bear the responsibility for power. Its roots go back to Sorcer and the first disciples who survived persecution.

A secret network of assassins and spies founded by Quri.

The Brotherhood of the Blood Moon is a secret organization of assassins, spies, and saboteurs. It arose from the defeat of the desert orcs against the Drow and from Quri's conviction that a war can be won even from the shadows.

A knightly order protecting the weak.

The Fellowship of the Protective Torch is a knightly order founded by the Niklov Temple of the god Auris. It protects pilgrims, the weak, and the defenseless, especially in the southern parts of the Empire.

A learned gnomish fellowship of alchemy, science, and magic.

The Fellowship of the Silver Hand is an ancient organization of gnomish alchemists, scholars, and technomages. It is famed for elixirs, poisons, enchantments, technical progress, and the legend of the Philosopher's Stone.

Mysterious travelers, merchants, and guardians of roads.

The Pilgrims of the Endless Path are a mysterious fellowship of travelers, mapmakers, and secret merchants. No one knows for sure who founded them, but their marks appear on roads where no one should know which way to go.

A gladiatorial guild tied to Richard's Games.

The Guild of Hard Fists is an arena and gladiatorial guild that teaches fighters not only to survive the sand, but to win over the crowd, patrons, and fame. Eight of the eleven bearers of the title of Vargheld came out of it.

A dreaded assassin or hunter organization.

The Skull Hunters are a dangerous group associated with brutality, trophies, and rivalry with the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon. Where the Blood Moon works through silence, the Skull Hunters prefer to leave a clear message behind them.

The system of magical knowledge introduced by Sorcer.

Sorcer's Teaching denotes the body of knowledge, categories, and procedures by which Sorcer explained magic. It helped change magic from a mysterious, shamanic, or natural force into a system that scholars could study, develop, and also dangerously misuse.

The designation of the first known or symbolic bearer of modern magic.

The First Mage is a title or designation for the figure who stands at the beginning of the known magical tradition. In different cultures it may have a different meaning, but it always points to the moment when magic changed from a secret into a road of knowledge.

A power able to change the world through will, knowledge, and energy.

Magic is one of the mightiest powers of Oia. It can heal, destroy, change matter, influence the mind, protect cities, and call down catastrophes. In the lore of Ulvenor, magic is not only a tool of the rules, but a historical force that shapes politics, wars, learning, and the fear of common people.

The acknowledgment of magic as a permitted and regulated power.

The Legalization of Magic denotes the moment or process by which magic ceased to be only a suspected, persecuted, or unofficial force and became part of the legal and social order.

A ruler who joined the crown and magic.

The First Spellcasting King is the term for a ruler who could actively use magic and thereby changed the conception of royal power. Crown and magic together create a dangerously persuasive combination.

Institutions for the teaching and study of magic.

Magic schools are places where magic is taught systematically. The rise of such schools means that magic has become part of society, not merely the secret of individual masters.

Magic working with the basic forces of the world.

Elemental magic denotes work with the basic forces such as fire, water, lightning, darkness, and other manifestations of energy. In Ulvenor it is important not only in the rules, but also historically, because its systematic naming belongs to Sorcer's legacy.

Old and not entirely understood magical principles.

The Ancient Powers are the deeper and older layers of magic that precede the common schools and categories. They are the object of study of the Order of the Ancients, and it usually holds that whoever wishes to grasp them quickly should not study them at all.

Knowledge too dangerous to be spread widely.

Forbidden Knowledge denotes spells, rites, discoveries, or truths that may cause more harm than good. Some organizations want to destroy it, others to lock it up, and a few very clever idiots want, of course, to use it.

Findings from the past that have survived the ages.

Old Knowledge includes forgotten texts, traditions, spells, maps, laws, artifacts, and the findings of past ages. Not every piece of old knowledge is dangerous, but it is often written in a language that suggests its authors had a good reason to vanish.

The highest leadership of the Order of the Ancients.

The Council of the Powerful is the leadership of the Order of the Ancients, made up of the strongest and most renowned mages of the present generation. It decides which knowledge may be taught, which must remain hidden, and when intervention is needed.

A mighty object suffused with magic.

A magical artifact is an object with a marked magical power, history, or effect. It may be the inheritance of ancient mages, the result of craft, the mistake of a laboratory, or a very expensive reason for the party to set out into the ruins.

A legendary alchemical artifact of the Fellowship of the Silver Hand.

The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary artifact reputedly created by the unknown founder of the Fellowship of the Silver Hand. By rumor it can change matter, stabilize elixirs, enchantments, or even prolong life. It has never been found, which is perhaps quite good news for the world.

The joining of technology, alchemy, and magic.

Technomagic is a field that joins mechanics, materials, alchemy, and magic. Gnomes and the Fellowship of the Silver Hand use it for apparatus, instruments, the stabilization of energy, and discoveries that are either brilliant or have just exploded.

Magical or symbolic signs bearing meaning and power.

Runes are signs used for inscription, enchantment, protection, or the carrying of a magical meaning. They may be carved into metal, stone, weapons, armor, or artifacts. A single wrong line can change a protective sigil into a reason for evacuation.

The placing of a magical property into an object.

Enchantment is the process by which a magical effect, property, or power is placed into an object. In lore it joins magic, craft, gemstones, runes, and the knowledge of materials.

An object that channels magical energy.

A magical focus helps a mage concentrate, guide, or stabilize magical energy. It may take the form of a staff, an amulet, a crystal, a ring, or another object. Without a focus magic is still possible, but with a focus it is less eager to do something unplanned.

Magic aimed at large-scale destruction.

Destructive magic is magic meant for great damage, ruin, and the overturning of battles. In the history of Ulvenor it is tied to the mightiest mages and the most terrifying moments when it was shown that one caster can change the fate of a city.

Extremely destructive magic tied to the fall of heavenly powers.

Meteor Magic is a rare and terrifying form of destructive magic that calls up the image of fire falling from the sky. If the chronicles speak of it, it usually means that the land after the battle needed a new name.

Magic tied to death and the undead.

Necromancy is the magic of death, the undead, souls, and bodies that should have remained at rest. In Ulvenor it belongs among the darkest and most feared forms of magic. It is not a field for people who respect the end of a story.

Magic tied to darkness, death, fear, or forbidden powers.

Dark magic is the term for magic working with darkness, fear, death, curses, or powers that society often rejects. Not every form of dark magic must be evil, but most people would rather not test that on their own skin.

An unusual or unstable magical phenomenon.

A magical anomaly is a place, event, or phenomenon where magic does not behave in the usual way. It may be the result of a ritual, an artifact, a catastrophe, or an ancient power. Scholars want to study it, adventurers to loot it, and sensible people to walk around it.

The original great gladiatorial games founded under Richard.

Richard's Games are famous arena and tournament games at whose founding the Guild of Hard Fists was established. They represent a union of royal entertainment, popular enthusiasm, gladiatorial fame, and political prestige.

The later imperial form of Richard's Games.

The Imperial Games are the later continuation or renamed form of Richard's Games in the imperial period. From the original royal tradition came a great imperial event in which arena blood mixes with politics, fame, and imperial representation.

A place of public combats, games, and gladiatorial fame.

An arena is a space in which fighters wrestle before an audience. It is not only a battlefield, but a theater, a court, a market of fame, and sometimes a very well organized way of making people applaud someone else's bleeding.

A fighter of the arena seeking victory and fame.

A gladiator is an arena fighter who battles before an audience. The best gladiators are not only strong, but able to work with the crowd, the rhythm of the bout, and their own story. In the arena it is not enough to survive. You must survive interestingly.

The highest title of gladiatorial legend.

Vargheld is the title for a gladiator who belongs among the greatest legends of Richard's or the Imperial Games. Such a fighter never has to enter the arena again, because his honor has already been won. He is a living legend to whom the arena owes both silence and applause.

A set of unwritten rules and values of arena combat.

Honor of the Arena denotes the unwritten rules that separate a famous bout from an ordinary killing. It includes respect for the opponent, the audience, the rules, and one's own name. Every gladiator naturally claims to possess it. The arena then shows who lied.

A powerful supporter of an arena fighter.

A gladiator's patron finances the training, equipment, entry into the games, or political protection of an arena fighter. They may turn a gladiator into a star, but also bind them to their own interests. Fame has sponsors, and sponsors have accounts.

A place where the names of great gladiators are preserved.

The Hall of Names is the sacred or traditional place of the Guild of Hard Fists where the names of champions, the fallen, and the legends of the arena are preserved. For a gladiator the entry into the Hall is proof that their blood did not vanish merely into the sand.

A contest of fighters, champions, or teams.

A tournament is an organized contest in which fighters compare their skills, win fame, rewards, and the attention of patrons. Unlike a war it has rules, an audience, and usually better refreshments.

Winner or notable fighter recognized in the arena or tournament.

A champion is a fighter who has won a major victory or earned a reputation in the arena, tournament, or battle. A champion can be a hero, a symbol of a city, the property of a patron, or all of these at once, which is exactly as tiring as it sounds.

A symbol of the place where arena fame is born.

The sand of the arena is more than a floor. It is a symbol of struggle, pain, blood, and fame. Gladiators say that the sand remembers everyone who fell upon it. Which is a poetic way of saying it is hard to clean.

The audience of the arena and the judge of gladiatorial fame.

The crowd in the arena is as important as the opponent. It decides fame, memory, popularity, and the pressure on the organizers. A gladiator may defeat their opponent, but if they do not win over the crowd, they have won only the bout, not the story.

Public renown won in the arena.

Arena glory is the reputation won before the eyes of the spectators. It is quick, loud, intoxicating, and dangerous. It can lift a nameless fighter among the legends, or teach them that applause is a very poor substitute for sound judgment.

A rank or designation of a fighter of the Guild of Hard Fists.

An Iron Fist is the designation of a member of the Guild of Hard Fists who has gone through basic arena training and held their ground in the first clashes. They are not yet a legend, but no longer a person it would be sensible to underestimate.

A notable gladiator with a growing reputation.

A Blood Champion is an experienced arena fighter with a string of victories, a known name, and the support of the audience. It is the stage at which the gladiator is not yet an immortal legend, but already has enough enemies to keep an eye on their own cup.

A veteran and master of the Guild of Hard Fists.

An Iron Master is an experienced trainer, veteran, or leader of a gladiatorial school. They teach fighters to survive the arena, win over the crowd, and not get their skull broken before they become someone interesting.

A symbol of the title of Vargheld.

The Iron Wolf Ring is a symbol tied to the title of Vargheld. It recalls the hardness of iron, the ferocity of the wolf, and the closed circle of fame into which only those step who no longer need to prove anything to the arena.

The most important palace in Magnur.

The Royal Palace is the center of governance, representation, and dynastic power in Magnur. It is the place of coronations, councils, feasts, intrigues, and decisions that often look ceremonial but end in the chronicles under the heading of crisis.

The old fortified core of power in Magnur.

The Fortified Castle of Magnur is the fortress and symbolic core of the city of Magnur. It represents an older military layer of power, before the rule was wrapped in marble, courts, and office halls.

The highest judicial institution of the realm.

The High Court of the Empire is the place where the most important legal disputes, judgments, and questions of imperial law are decided. If a case reaches this court, it has probably long ceased to be merely a legal question.

Historical capital of the kingdom of Borundar.

Borund is a city tied to the wider region around the former kingdom of Borundar. In the glossary it helps to distinguish local names that may appear in history and on maps in various forms.

A significant raised or fortress site.

Eagle's Nest is the name of a place that by its very name suggests height, a view, a fortress, or isolation. Such places tend to be ideal for fortifications, refuges, a last defense, or for someone who is fond of dramatic vistas.

Temple of the god Auris and founder of the Fellowship of the Protective Torch.

The Niklov Temple is an important temple of the god Auris, which in the year 350 founded the Fellowship of the Protective Torch in the southern part of the Empire. It is the spiritual center of the order and the place where the faith in light was transformed into armed protection of the weak.

Precious mines in the northern region of the Frozen Stones.

The Diamond Mines of the Frozen Stones are a major mining site tied to wealth, hard labor, and strategic value. Where there are diamonds, there are merchants, guards, thieves, and someone who insists that everything belongs to them.

Dramatic mountain range and rocky region of Albarit.

The Dragon Ridges of Albarit are striking mountain or rocky formations tied to Albarit. The name evokes the impression of dangerous beauty, ancient paths, and places where even a map might be afraid to go on.

A valley with a dark and bloody history.

The Bloody Valley of Gharmoth is a place whose very name warns of a past full of violence. In Ulvenor such names are not given for the sake of aesthetics. Usually the land has earned them.

A southern defensive or sentinel post.

The Southern Watchpost is a sentinel or defensive point in the south. Watchposts serve for warning, for watching the roads, and for the protection of borders or important routes.

A northern sentinel or defensive point.

The Northern Watchpost is a defensive or observation place in the north. In the colder regions, service at the watchpost is an odd combination of vigilance, cold, and the suspicion that the forest is looking back.

An eastern sentinel or defensive place.

The Eastern Watchpost is a place meant for watching the roads, borders, or dangers coming from the east. Such points are small but strategically important, because a message arriving in time can save a city.

A western sentinel or defensive point.

The Western Watchpost is a defensive and observation place facing the western regions. Watchposts are often the first witnesses of the movement of armies, caravans, refugees, and things that, by the map, should not be so close.

A significant northern gate or passage.

The Northern Stone Gate is a strategic passage or fortified gate in the northern region. Stone gates in Ulvenor are often not only buildings, but symbols of the border between safety and the country where older rules begin.

A significant western passage or fortified gate.

The Western Stone Gate is an important passage tied to the western roads, defense, or trade. Gates are places of control, tolls, oaths, and sometimes of very long queues, which is the oldest form of civilization.

A trading route heading through the north.

The Northern Trade Route is an important route for the movement of goods, caravans, and messages through the northern regions. Trade routes tend to be the arteries of civilization, unless they happen to be blocked by snow, bandits, or someone with a tax warrant.

A notable place tied to sin, entertainment, or the underworld.

The Great House of Sins is a place whose name suggests a tie to pleasure, gambling, secrets, or morally flexible services. Some call it decline, others the economy of nightlife.

A symbol or place of the highest power.

The Golden Throne is a symbol of rule, prestige, and supreme authority. It may denote a particular throne, an ideal of power, or a dynastic vision of rule. Gold on the throne matters above all so that everyone may see where troubles are currently being gathered.

A significant city with a distinctive name.

The City of Jiskra is a city term that may be tied to trade, history, culture, or local conflicts. The name suggests energy, beginning, fire, or simply a city where things flare up very easily.

An important passage into the region of the Stone Crown.

The Northern Gate of the Stone Crown is an important entry or passage into the dwarven mountain region. Such a gate is not only a physical road, but also a symbolic threshold between the world of the surface and the world of stone.

A person who voluntarily goes where others flee from.

An adventurer is a figure who takes on dangerous tasks, journeys into ruins, fights monsters, negotiates with suspect people, and generally does the things that a respectable townsman would leave to someone with a shorter imagination.

A figure whose deeds have outgrown ordinary adventure.

A hero is someone who is written into the memory of people by a great deed, sacrifice, or victory. The difference between an adventurer and a hero often consists only in the fact that the hero lived long enough for someone to compose a story about them.

A fighter hired for a reward.

A mercenary fights for money, a contract, or an advantage. They need not be without honor, but their honor usually has a clearly stated price. In Ulvenor mercenaries are a common part of wars, noble disputes, and guild contracts.

A traveling person seeking a goal, a faith, or an answer.

A pilgrim is a traveler who walks not only for the sake of trade or escape, but for the road itself, for faith, for a vow, or for an inner need. Sometimes they seek a temple, sometimes forgiveness, and sometimes only a place where the past will not catch up with them.

A precious object of spiritual or historical significance.

A relic is an object tied to a significant person, god, event, or place. It may be sacred, magical, politically important, or just so famous that people begin to quarrel over it before they discover what it actually does.

A precious object of extraordinary significance or power.

An artifact is an object that has historical, magical, or cultural value beyond ordinary equipment. Some artifacts save realms, others destroy them. The small difference is usually discovered only upon use.

A record of history, events, and family memory.

A chronicle is a written record of history. It may be exact, laudatory, edited by the victors, or written by someone who had a very strong opinion about their king. In Ulvenor chronicles are a source of truth and at the same time a reason scholars quarrel.

A story that has outlasted the certainty of whether it is true.

A legend is a story passed down so long that it becomes more important than the question of whether it really happened. In Ulvenor legends can lead to treasures, wars, heroism, and to very bad expeditions to places where people would have done better to stay at home.

An official or honorary designation of standing.

A title denotes a standing, rank, honor, or claim. It may be noble, guild-bound, arena-bound, military, or temple-bound. Some titles give power. Others merely make people greet you longer.

An added name capturing a person's reputation.

An epithet is a name added to a person according to their deeds, character, victories, or failures. Some are flattering, others less so. In this regard the chronicles are surprisingly merciless.

A solemn commitment of personal or sacred weight.

An oath is a commitment given on word, honor, a god, an order, or a house. In Ulvenor oaths are taken seriously, because their breach can ruin a reputation, family ties, and several generations of future feasts.

A personal or order-bound commitment.

A vow is a commitment that may be less formal than an oath, but not necessarily less important. Knights, apprentices, pilgrims, and members of secret fellowships often stand precisely on vows that one day will complicate their lives.

A task assigned to an individual, group, or guild.

A quest is a task with an expected outcome and reward. It may be the hunt of a monster, the protection of a caravan, the making of an object, espionage, or the delivery of something that absolutely should not be broken.

The renown of a figure, house, guild, or city.

Reputation is what people think of you when you are not in the room. In Ulvenor it can open doors, win a patron, summon a challenger, or ensure that the innkeeper offers you a room suspiciously far from the stable.

A piece of information that someone does not want revealed.

A secret is a hidden truth whose uncovering may change relationships, power, history, or the price on someone's head. In a world of guilds, dynasties, and magic, a secret is often more valuable than gold, because gold only buys you. A secret may own you.

A person whose fame in their lifetime has already passed the ordinary measure.

A living legend is a person whose deeds are so famous that they are spoken of as if they already belonged in the chronicles. It is a great honor and also a great inconvenience, because everyone wants to know whether the legend still bleeds like the rest.

Intrigues, influence, and disputes around the sovereign court.

Court politics is the art of pushing one's own interest in an environment where people smile, bow, and at the same time count how many allies you have left. It is war without armor, but with very sharp letters.

A deliberate change of rules, administration, or society.

A reform is a change of a system meant to improve, unify, or master something. In the chronicles it tends to be praised, if it succeeded. If it failed, it is usually called the mistake of the previous government.

The gradual weakening of power, order, or society.

Decline is the period when an institution, a house, an empire, or a city loses strength, prestige, and the ability to solve its own problems. From the outside it may look like a slow process. From the inside it is usually a series of decisions that no one wished to stop.

A power or ruler with dominant influence.

A hegemon is a force that dominates the others without necessarily ruling them directly. It holds so much power that the others adjust their behavior merely by what the hegemon might think.

A significant power with widespread influence.

A great power is a state or empire with great military, political, economic, or cultural influence. In Ulvenor a great power does not mean only a large map, but the ability to cause trouble even where it has no borders yet.

A social group founded on descent, tradition, and leadership.

A tribe is a group of people or other beings bound by blood, tradition, territory, faith, or a common way of life. Tribal societies can be flexible, tough, and resilient, because surviving without a great state means learning to rely chiefly on one's own people.

An alliance of several tribes.

A tribal union is an agreement or political joining of several tribes. It may arise out of war, trade, common danger, or a strong leader. Holding it together tends to be harder than founding it.

Partial self-government within a larger whole.

Autonomy means that a city, a region, a race, or a community has its own rights and administration even though it is part of a larger state. It is a compromise between obedience and freedom, which means everyone argues about it constantly.

Payment for the release of a captive or the return of a thing.

Ransom is the sum or service demanded for the release of a person, the return of an object, or the ending of a threat. In politics and war ransom tends to be an ugly but practical way of putting a number on the value of someone's life.

A military incursion into foreign territory.

An invasion is an armed entry into foreign territory with the aim of conquest, destruction, occupation, or forced terms. In the chronicles the victors often call it a campaign and the defeated a catastrophe.

The violent removal of inconvenient persons or groups.

A purge is the systematic removal of opponents, traitors, rivals, or suspected persons. Officially it tends to be presented as the restoration of order. Unofficially it is often politics with a knife in hand.

A sudden political overthrow.

A coup is a swift attempt to take power outside the ordinary rules of succession or governance. A successful coup is sometimes later called a necessary change. An unsuccessful coup is called the execution of conspirators.

Forced departure from one's homeland or court.

Exile is a punishment or political solution by which a person is compelled to leave their place, house, court, or country. Sometimes it is more merciful than execution. Sometimes it is only a longer road to revenge.

Death or suffering for faith, ideal, or cause.

Martyrdom denotes suffering or death for a higher ideal, faith, truth, or people. It is a powerful symbol, because a dead martyr can no longer change their mind, but the living can read their story in many ways.

A sacred strengthening or protection given by faith.

A blessing is a sacred act by which a priest, temple, or divine power grants protection, strength, peace, or recognition. In the eyes of the faithful it is not merely a rite, but a sign that a person does not go into the darkness wholly alone.

Gear tied to a temple, order, or divine blessing.

Sacred equipment includes weapons, shields, armor, amulets, torches, and other objects blessed or made for a religious order. In the hands of the right person it is a symbol of service. In the hands of the wrong person, a very expensive blasphemy.

A road with a sacred, spiritual, or vowed significance.

A pilgrimage route is the path along which people travel for the sake of faith, penance, hope, or a vow. Sometimes it leads to a temple, sometimes to a holy place, and sometimes mainly to the moment when the pilgrim discovers what they were really looking for.

A smaller temple refuge on the roads.

A temple station is a smaller place of faith, rest, healing, and protection, often on the roads or in dangerous regions. For a pilgrim it may mean the difference between a night by the fire and a night when the fire is watching from a distance.

The ability to give protection, forgiveness, or help to the weaker.

Mercy is a virtue tied to protection, forgiveness, and aid to those in need. In a world full of wars and intrigue, mercy is rare, but also dangerous, because without wisdom it may turn into naivety.

The pursuit of the right order of things and their consequences.

Justice is the ideal that deeds shall have appropriate consequences and that the weak shall not be crushed merely because they have no power. In Ulvenor much is said about justice. What is interesting is to see who defines it.

A symbol of hope, truth, and protection.

Light, in religious and symbolic speech, is tied to hope, courage, truth, and protection. With Auris and the Fellowship of the Protective Torch it is not only about radiance, but about a deed done where people are afraid of the dark.

A symbol of fear, the unknown, evil, and hidden powers.

Darkness may stand for evil, fear, oblivion, hidden knowledge, or simply an unknown place to which no one wishes to go first. In Ulvenor not every darkness is evil, but most people are not comforted by that.

The oath of the members of the Fellowship of the Protective Torch.

The Oath of the Protective Torch binds a member of the order to protect the weak, to carry the light to where it grows dim, and not to use power for pride or profit. It is a beautiful oath, which means its keeping will usually hurt.

A symbol of concealment, stealth, and hidden activity.

In the lore the shadow is the term for hidden movement, secret dealing, or a person who works outside the public eye. In the world of assassins and spies, the shadow is less a place and more a way of life.

Secret entry into a group, place, or organization.

Infiltration is the art of getting somewhere you do not belong and pretending that you do. It is used by spies, assassins, thieves, and sometimes by very ambitious officials.

The gaining of information by hidden means.

Spycraft is the work of information, lying, observation, and patience. In Ulvenor a single stolen message can change a war faster than a regiment of soldiers.

The targeted removal of a significant person.

Assassination is a killing with a political, personal, or strategic aim. Unlike ordinary slaying it often has wider consequences, because a dead person can change living history.

A person selling or passing along information.

An informant is a person who provides information in exchange for money, protection, a favor, or their own survival. An informant need not be brave. It is enough that they heard the right thing in the wrong room.

An invented name, origin, and role used to hide the truth.

A false identity is a fabricated mask that allows a person to pass where their real name would fail. A good false identity has documents, habits, mistakes, and sometimes debts, in order to look credible.

A warning or killing sign of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon.

The Red Mark is a symbol associated with the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon. It may be a warning, a sentence, or proof that the target is already being watched. When it appears on a door, a person usually begins to wonder to whom exactly they owe an apology.

The highest leadership of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon.

The Circle of the Red Moon is the secret leadership of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon, made up of the most influential masters and administrators of the training grounds. It decides the long-term aims, internal disputes, and the wars in the shadows.

A secret plan attributed to the oldest masters of the Blood Moon.

The Night of the Second Moon is the reputed final plan of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon, during which key leaders and allies of the enemies of the desert orcs are to be removed. It is uncertain whether it is a legend, a postponed plan, or a timed disaster.

A dangerous secret contract without a known commissioner.

A nameless contract is a commission in which the executor does not know the one who has commissioned it, and often not even the real reason. Such contracts tend to be lucrative, sensitive, and a very good way to discover that some money was too easy.

An experienced assassin or executor of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon.

A Silent Blade is an experienced member of the Brotherhood of the Blood Moon able to carry out contracts independently. They are the kind of person whom the target usually notices only when the information is no longer useful.

A hidden conflict waged by spies, assassins, and information.

A shadow war is a conflict that is not waged by armies in the field, but by spies, assassins, sabotage, false reports, and secret agreements. Victory in it is not announced by fanfares. People only notice that opponents are suddenly vanishing.

A hidden symbol meant for the initiated.

A secret sign is a symbol understood only by those who have been initiated. It may show a road, a warning, a refuge, a merchant, or a deadly sentence. For the uninitiated it is a scratch. For the initiated, a whole letter.

A mysterious road or network of roads of the Pilgrims.

The Endless Path is the greatest secret of the Pilgrims of the Endless Path. It is unclear whether it is a real road, a network of hidden passages, a mystical phenomenon, or a metaphor of pilgrimage. The only certainty is that whoever seeks it too stubbornly may not return the same.

A legendary map showing more than ordinary geography.

The Map Without Edges is a mysterious term tied to the Pilgrims. According to legend it shows not only the places that exist, but also the roads that were, that might have been, or that are yet to be discovered. It is exactly the kind of map that a person should not spread out on the table after midnight.

A merchant available only to the initiated or through a network of contacts.

A secret merchant sells goods, information, or services outside the ordinary market. It is not always a crime, but almost always it concerns something the city council would prefer to see in a properly stamped crate.

A discreet merchant connected to hidden networks.

A silent merchant is a peculiar kind of merchant who does not offer their goods loudly in the market. Rather they wait until the right person asks the right question in the wrong tone. They often work with the Pilgrims of the Endless Path.

A place for choosing one's road and a symbol of decision.

A crossroads is a place where roads divide, but in lore it often also means the moment of decision. The Pilgrims know that not every crossroads is on the map and that not every wrong road looks wrong at the start.

A group of travelers or merchants journeying together.

A caravan is an organized group of merchants, pilgrims, guards, and wagons. It makes it possible to survive roads that an individual would not survive. It also offers enough people to hide a thief, a spy, or a very unhappy cook.

Maker, reader, and corrector of maps.

A mapmaker draws and corrects maps, but with the Pilgrims of the Endless Path it may be much more than the drawing of roads. A good mapmaker knows what to mark in, what to leave out, and what must not be on the map until the pilgrim is ready.

A trusted member of the Pilgrims who watches an important point of the network.

A crossroads keeper is a member of the Pilgrims of the Endless Path who manages an important inn, ford, harbor, pass, or trading hub. They decide to whom the next road is shown and to whom one offers, rather, a road that is pretty, safe, and completely wrong.

A road that most people no longer know.

A forgotten path is an old road lost in time, in the landscape, or in deliberate silence. It may lead to a shortcut, a ruin, a treasure, or to the reason it was forgotten.

A secret road outside the ordinary maps.

A hidden route is a road known only to a chosen few people or organizations. It may serve merchants, spies, smugglers, refugees, or Pilgrims. Its greatest advantage is that it does not exist until someone uses it.

A hidden place that gives refuge.

A safe house is a secret or discreet place where a person may hide, rest, pass a message, or wait until they stop being sought. You recognize a good safe house by the fact that no one talks about it.

A market outside the ordinary public control.

A secret market is a place where rare, sensitive, forbidden, or simply too interesting goods are traded. Not everything on the secret market is illegal, but almost everything there has a reason not to be sold in the public square.

A symbol showing the road, a warning, or a contact.

A travel mark is an inconspicuous symbol on a stone, a door, a map, or a milestone. To the ordinary traveler it is a scratch. To a Pilgrim it may mean water, danger, refuge, or the sentence do not go there if you are fond of all your limbs.

A mysterious inn from the legends of the Pilgrims.

The Inn at the End of the Path is a legend among travelers. It is said to appear to those who are lost, exhausted, or on the threshold of death. It is unclear whether it is a real place, a spiritual trial, or the last kindness of the road.

A secret symbol of the Pilgrims marking the road or a contact.

A crossroads mark is a symbol used by the Pilgrims of the Endless Path. It may show a safe direction, a hidden merchant, a closed road, or a warning. With the Pilgrims it holds that a line on a stone sometimes means more than a whole map.

A place forgotten, hidden, or erased from the ordinary maps.

A lost place is a location that people have forgotten, ceased to seek, or deliberately removed from the maps. Adventurers see in it an opportunity. Historians, a question. Survivors, usually a warning.

Work of the hands, of knowledge, and of experience.

Craft is the art of making, mending, and improving things. In Ulvenor a craftsman is not only a maker, but a person who understands the material, the tradition, and the reason why a good sword is not made in haste.

Five-year contest of the Craftsmen Guild for the best shield.

The Five-Year Shield Competition is the prestigious contest of the branches of the Craftsmen Guild for the best, most beautiful, and strongest shield. The winning branch gains influence over the direction of the guild. Officially it is about craft. Unofficially also about politics, prestige, and very expensive gems.

The precise and hard craft tradition of the dwarves.

Dwarven craft is known for its consistency, quality, and deep understanding of metals, stone, and gems. Dwarves do not make things for a while. They make them so they outlast their owner, their children, and ideally their owner's mistakes as well.

A workshop for the working of gemstones.

A gem cutting workshop is a place where raw stones are turned into precise, beautiful, and often magically usable elements. A badly cut gem loses its value. A badly cut magical gem can lose the surrounding building.

The craft of carving runes into materials.

Runecarving is a field that joins craft, symbols, and magic. Runecarvers engrave signs into metal, stone, wood, or gems so that they carry meaning or power. It is work for a steady hand and even steadier nerves.

The craft of making and altering armor.

Armorsmithing is the making, repair, and alteration of armor. A good armorer understands metal, the body, and combat. A bad armorer makes a beautiful armor in which a person cannot sit down, breathe, or run away.

The heart of the smithy and of work with metal.

The forge is the place where metal is heated, softens, and is prepared for shaping. In craft lore it is a symbol of transformation: a raw material enters the fire and comes out as a tool, a weapon, or an expensive mistake.

The highest leadership of the Fellowship of the Silver Hand.

The Silver Collegium is the leadership of the Fellowship of the Silver Hand. It decides the direction of research, access to the archives, the dangerous experiments, and which discoveries should remain safely locked away. Or at least better locked than last time.

Symbol of the Fellowship of the Silver Hand and of its founding legacy.

The Silver Hand is the symbol of the gnomish fellowship of alchemists and technomages. By legend it may refer to the founder's prosthesis, glove, or tool. In any case it says that knowledge sometimes costs a part of the body, and sometimes only what remains of one's good sense.

An alchemical drink with a useful or peculiar effect.

An elixir is an alchemical preparation that may heal, strengthen, protect, or change the properties of body and mind. A good elixir saves you. An experimental elixir may also save you, only perhaps not in the same shape.

A substance meant to weaken, harm, or kill.

Poison is a substance that damages the body, mind, or will. In alchemy the study of poisons is important for the making of antidotes, which is a nice way of saying that the same recipe can both save and kill.

A substance acting against poison.

An antidote is a preparation that nullifies or eases the effect of poison. Its price usually rises dramatically at the moment a person needs it now.

The progress of the gnomes in technique, alchemy, and technomagic.

Gnomish technical development is the long process of discoveries, inventions, and experiments to which the Fellowship of the Silver Hand contributed fundamentally. With it the gnomes proved that the greatness of a people is not measured by height, but by the number of things it can take apart and put together better.

A trial of a new idea, substance, or procedure.

An experiment is an attempt to verify whether a particular idea works. In the Fellowship of the Silver Hand an experiment may yield a discovery, an explosion, an elixir, a poison, or a note in the archive beginning with the words never again.

A field working with substances, transformations, elixirs, and poisons.

Alchemy is a field on the border of science, craft, and magic. It works with substances, transformations, reactions, healing preparations, poisons, and elixirs. It is the art of asking questions of matter and hoping that it does not answer with an explosion.

A precious stone used for beauty, trade, and magic.

A gemstone is a precious stone of high value, often used in jewelry, enchantment, craft, and magical objects. In Ulvenor one well-set gem can raise the value of a weapon, or make it much harder to find a buyer who does not ask about its origin.