The Sun Eater Glossary

A reference glossary cataloging the people, orders, worlds, and ideas of the Sun Eater universe—an aid for readers and researchers exploring Christopher Ruocchio's science fantasy world.

Glossary Term	Definition
Abstraction	The process by which members of the Exalted remove themselves from humanity through technological modification.
Adamant	Any of the various long-chain carbon materials used for starship hulls and body armor.
Adorator	A member of any antique religious cult maintained by the Empire and tolerated by the Chantry.
Advent	The destruction of Old Earth by humanity at the end of the Foundation War.
Aeta Ba-Aetane	The Cielcin Prince of Princes. A rare title reserved for those Aeta who conquer and subordinate another Aeta without killing it.
Aeta	A Cielcin prince-chieftain. Appears to have ownership rights over its subjects and their property.
Ahura Mazda	In the Jaddian religion, the principle creator deity. The God of Fire.
Akaranta	The dominant Cielcin sexual role.
Alchemist	A heavily regulated device used to transmute chemical elements using nuclear processes. Alternatively, a technician trained to use such a device.
Alienage	In the Sollan Empire, a ghetto or reservation intended for the isolation of a xenobite population.
Aljanhi	A human Jaddian soldier, distinguished from the clone mamluks.
Alkidar	In Jaddian culture, a woman—almost always of the eali caste—bound to a eali man in formal concubinage.
Alumglass	A transparent, ceramic form of aluminum, stronger than glass, which is common used in windows, particularly in ship design.
Anagnost	An initiate in the Chantry clergy.
Androgyn	A homunculus exhibiting either neither or both male and female sex characteristics.
Angu	A species of large, faintly sweet melon popular in the Iramnene desert region of the planet Delos.
Annuid	In the scholiast order, a practitioner who has sworn him or herself to the order for a standard year.
Apatheia	The emotionless state pursued by the scholiasts to facilitate their computation function. Has roots in classical Stoicism.
Apostol	An ambassador, usually one from the Sollan Empire, especially one sent for a limited time or to achieve a limited goal. An emissary.
Aquilarii	In the Legions, the pilot of a lighter craft.
Aquilarius	A fighter pilot.
Arch-Builders	Extinct species of coloni xenobite native to the planet Ozymandias. So called for the massive structures built above the plains of their home.
Archduke/Archduchess	Highest rank of the palatine nobility. Rules over a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.
Archon	Lowest rank of the Imperial noble hierarchy, ruling over a planetary prefecture. Either a posted or inherited position.
Archprior	Within the Chantry clergy, a senior prior, usually one entrenched in the Chantry bureaucracy.
Arma	A constellation visible in the night sky on Delos, shaped like a medieval shield.
Armsman	Any individual—usually patrician—sworn to serve the person of a palatine lord or his/her house in perpetuity.
Aryabite	Any member of the warrior middle class of the Jaddian principalities. Roughly equivalent to the role of patricians in Imperial society, comprising genetic uplifts and their offspring, but no pure-blood eali.
Assumption of Earth	In the Chantry religion, the departure of Mother Earth following her destruction. It is said she will return when men are worthy.
Astranavis	A constellation visible in the night sky on Delos, shaped like a starship.
Athenaeum	Any of the research compounds/monasteries of the scholiastic orders.
Atomics	Atomic weapons. Legal for nobile houses to own under the Great Charters but illegal to use.
Auctor	An office appointed by the Emperor to serve as his proxy, to speak with his voice and authority in matters where the Emperor cannot be present.
Autotrans	A machine that automatically translates between languages in real time. Illegal in the Imperium.
Auxilia	A soldier or unit of soldiers—usually volunteered—attached to the Legions without being a formal part of the Legion structure. Often, auxiliary units are non-citizens looking to obtain citizenship.
Azhdarch	A xenobite predator common in the Colosso, like a lizard with a long neck open from top to bottom in a fanged mouth.
Azh-Hakkai	According to Lord Marlowe’s account, possibly a species of xenobite or faction of xenobite hunted to extinction by the Cielcin.
Backspace	Any territory within Imperial space not formally colonized by the Empire. Often a refuge for the Extrasolarians.
Badonna	A Jaddian honorific applied to eali women.
Baetan	In Cielcin culture, a sort of priest-historian of the scianda.
Baron/Baroness	Lowest rank of the Imperial palatine nobility. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be passed on through inheritance.
Bastille	Any Chantry judicial and penal center, usually attached to a temple sanctum.
Battle of Cressgard	First battle against the Cielcin. Fought in ISD 15792.
Battle of Linon	Battle fought in ISD 15863 between House Marlowe and the rebellious Exsuls of the Delos system.
Battle of Wodan	Battle with the Cielcin fought in ISD 16129 above the planet Wodan.
Bench	The assembly of thirty-four grand ministers presiding over the Lothrian Grand Conclave. In charge of Lothrian governmental policy, especially revisions to the Lothriad.
Beta	An extracellular matrix applied as a paste or foam to accelerate the healing process, especially following surgery or in the case of traumatic injury.
Biofacture	The manufacture of living beings, organs, or tissues.
Bit	Steel coin used among the Imperial peasant classes. One hundred and forty-four bits equals one kapsum. Different printed denominations exist.
Boedromion	The eighth month of the Delian local calendar, which marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere.
Bonecutter	Slang. Any black-market geneticist or surgeon not sanctioned by the High College.
Book of the Mind	An anthology of several texts compiled or composed by the scholiast Imore. Forms the basis of their philosophy.
Bouillir	A class of spicy red wines made on several worlds, most famously by House Markarian’s vintners on Kandar.
Brass Whale	A large, air-breathing sea creature brought to the oceans of Delos from offworld.
Bromos	A protein-rich strain of engineered hyper-oat that serves as the basis for ration bars and as protein base for artificial meat production.
Cantos	The Chantry holy book, a collection of songs, laws, and parables.
Captain	Naval officer rank in the Imperial Legion, above commander but below tribune. May command a starship.
Castellan	The chief military officer on a nobile estate, tasked with the defense of the castle and holdings. Usually a knight.
Cathar	A surgeon-torturer employed by the Holy Terran Chantry.
Cavaraad	A species of giant xenobite native to the planet Sadal Suud. May grow up to forty feet tall and nominally immortal. Enslaved by the Sollan Empire.
Centaurus Arm	One of the five arms of the galaxy settled by humankind. Lies between Sagittarius and Norma, comprising mostly Imperial colonies.
Centennid	In scholiast life, any member of the order who has sworn him or herself to service for one hundred years. Often a monastic.
Centurion	A rank in the Imperial Legions, commands one hundred men.
Century	In the Imperial Legions, a unit comprising ten decades (100 men).
Chair	Any of the thirty-four men and women seated on the Bench in the Lothrian Grand Conclave. Technically refers to the seat on the Conclave occupied by the person and not the person him or herself.
Chalcenterite	A fraternal order of the scholiasts, noted for their asceticism.
Chanter	The average priest or priestess of the Chantry religion.
Chantry	The Holy Terran Chantry, state religion of the Empire. Functions as the judicial arm of the state, especially where the use of forbidden technology is involved.
Chariot	A flying personal vehicle in which the pilot stands vertical and changes directions by leaning and via the hand controls.
Chiliad	In the Imperial Legions, a unit comprising ten centuries (1000 men).
Chiliarch	A rank in the Imperial Legions, commands one thousand men.
Chimera	Any genetically altered or artificially created animal, usually by blending the genetic code of two or more animals.
Chiromancer	See BONECUTTER.
Choir	The Chantry’s clandestine research and intelligence division.
Choregus	The leader of a chorus, as in a song.
Cid Arthurianism	A syncretic religion founded late in the fourth millennium as an offshoot of Buddhism recognizing the British King Arthur as a Buddha, emphasizing chivalric virtue as a means of pursuing enlightenment.
Cielcin	Spacefaring alien species. Humanoid and carnivorous.
Cingulum	A belt worn by legionnaires and other soldiers in the Sollan Empire.
Clan	In Tavrosi culture, all members of a kin group drawing their genes from the same gene bank. Analogous to an Imperial constellation.
Classical English	The ancient language of both the Mericanii and the early Imperial settlers on Avalon, still used by the scholiasts.
Cloister	A scholiast’s living quarters, kept clean of all technological devices.
Cohort	In the Imperial Legions, a unit comprising six chiliads (6000 men).
Coloni	Any intelligent, pre-industrial race of xenobites on a human-occupied world, particularly in the Sollan Empire.
Colosso	A series of sporting events held in a coliseum involving professional gladiators, slave myrmidons, animals, races, and more.
Colossus	Any huge mobile artillery unit, especially those designed to walk on legs. May be several hundred feet tall.
Commandant	The leader of a private mercenary company.
Commander	Naval officer rank in the Legion, beneath captain but above lieutenant. Assists in the command and management of a starship.
Commissar	A Party officer in the Lothrian Commonwealth, usually an officer of the Conclave Guard, considered equivalent to the rank of knight in the Sollan Empire.
Commodore	In the Legions, an officer above captain but below strategos, usually in command of a fleet.
Congrid	An eel-like creature native to Emesh, considered a delicacy.
Consortation	One of the Twelve Abominations. Conversing with or having similar contact with artificial intelligence, even unknowingly.
Consortium	The Wong-Hopper Consortium. The largest of the Mandari interstellar corporations, specializing in terraforming technologies.
Constellation	Among the palatine, a super-group of interrelated families, usually possessed of certain signifying features and traits.
Consul	A type of Imperial apostol formally installed in a consulate among foreign powers, a permanent ambassador.
Cornicen	In the Legions, a soldier tasked with playing the horn or trumpet at parades.
Corrective	Medical device used to treat physical trauma from accidents or combat.
Coteliho	In Cielcin culture, roughly equivalent to a Lord’s herald or majordomo.
Cothon	A starport launch terminal, especially one of the toroidal sort with the launch pit in the center of the ring. Usually built just below ground level.
Count/Countess	A title in the Imperial palatine nobility. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.
Crèche	A cryonic storage pod for transporting people on long interstellar journeys.
Criminal Response Division	The subdivision of law enforcement in each local prefecture tasked with responding to and investigating crimes.
Crusade	The Imperial war against the Cielcin.
Cryoburn	Burns incurred as a side effect of improper cryonic freezing.
Cubiculum	A chamber where persons are kept in cryonic fugue, usually aboard a starship.
Cult of Earth	See Holy Terran Chantry.
Daimon	An artificial intelligence. Sometimes erroneously applied to non-intelligent computer systems.
Dark Space	In the Chantry religion, a place of desolation and torment.
Dark/Outer Dark	Space. In the Chantry religion, a place of desolation and torment.
Datanet	The loose association of all planetary dataspheres connected by quantum telegraphs and inter-space satellite relays.
Datasphere	Any planetary data network. In the Empire, access is strictly restricted to the patrician and palatine caste.
Davoi	The Jaddian word for the Cielcin, literally “demons.”
Decade	In the Imperial Legions, a unit of ten soldiers comprising three groups of three and their decurion.
Decurion	A rank in the Imperial Legions, commands a DECADE.
Deep	A species of possibly artificial and intelligent microorganisms found on several worlds, capable of digesting and altering other living creatures.
Deeps	A species of possibly artificial and intelligent microorganisms found on several worlds, capable of digesting and altering other living creatures.
Demarchy of Tavros	A small interstellar polity far from Imperial control. Radically open to technology, the people vote on all measures using neural lace implants.
Demesne	An Imperial territory held by a palatine. May be passed on at the ruler’s discretion.
Demoniac	A person who has incorporated machines into their body, particularly with the intent of altering their cognitive processes.
Denwa	A highly addictive pseudoamphetamine of extraterrestrial origin and a popular drug. Made from fungal resin.
Dispholide	A rare hemotoxic poison, likely of Chantry design and manufacture, that disables the coagulation process and dissolves collagen and even bone at an astonishing rate, effectively liquefying the victim.
Diyugatsayu	In Cielcin culture, the concept of freedom, of not being owned by another Cielcin. Heavily stigmatized.
Dom/Domi	A Jaddian honorific usually applied to eali men.
Domagavani	In Jadd, the legislative and elective body composed of all eighty-one Jaddian princes and the ranking religious clerics, especially those of the Zoroastrian faith.
Douleter	A slave overseer or trader.
Doxe	The supreme executive authority of the Durantine Republic, elected to a fifty-year term by the assembly per the Durantine constitution.
Drone	Any subintelligent machine operated by simple programming or human control.
Druaja	A board game, sometimes called labyrinth chess.
Dryad	Any of a species of green-skinned homunculi capable of photosynthesis, designed for work in outer space.
Duke/Duchess	A title in the Imperial palatine nobility. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.
Duplication	One of the Twelve Abominations. The copying of an individual’s genetics, likeness, personality, or memories through cloning or related practices.
Durantine Republic	An interstellar republic of some three thousand worlds. Pays tribute to the Empire.
Eali Al’Aqran	The Jaddian ruling caste, product of intense eugenic development. Practically superhuman.
Eali	The Jaddian ruling caste, product of intense eugenic development. Practically superhuman.
Elegy for Earth	The Chantry call to prayer performed at sundown each day. A funeral hymn for Mother Earth.
Elusha	The Cielcin word for “king,” a title granted to Syriani Dorayaica, previously held by the semi-mythical Cielcin ruler Elu, whence comes the word.
Emperor	The supreme ruler of the Sollan Empire, considered a god and the reincarnation of his/her predecessor. Holds absolute power.
Enar	The Cielcin name for the Vaiartu civilization. See VAIARTU.
Energy Lance	A bladed spear with a high-energy laser built into the shaft. Used as formal weapons by guards, especially in the Imperium.
Entoptics	Augmented reality device where images are projected directly onto the retina.
Eolderman	The elected head of a plebeian community. Typically seen in more rural regions on Imperial planets.
Ephebe	A young man or woman between the ages of eleven and twenty-one standard years.
Ephebeia	A celebration held on a boy’s or girl’s twenty-first birthday to celebrate his or her ascension to adulthood.
Eudoran	Any of the spacefaring bands claiming descent from the failed colony on Europa in Old Earth’s system. An ethnic group known for their interstellar wanderings.
Exalted	A faction among the Extrasolarians noted for their extreme cybernetic augmentations.
Excubitor	The innermost circle of the Emperor’s guard, comprising 108 of the finest knights and fighters in the Empire.
Executor	An official appointed by a palatine lord tasked with the management of that lord’s estate and holdings in his absence.
Exodus	The expansionist period following the environmental collapse of Earth. The Peregrinations from Old Earth System before the Foundation War.
Expeditionary Corps	Branch of the Imperial Legions tasked with exploring the galaxy and with laying the groundwork for colonization.
Exsul	Any palatine lord not based on a habitable world. Can refer also to his/her entire household.
Extrasolarian	Any of the barbarians living outside Imperial control, often possessing illegal praxis.
Extraterranic	In terraforming and ecology, refers to any organism not of Old Earth extraction. Extraterrestrial.
Factionarius	The chief officer of a trade guild.
Feni	A fermented liquor made from cashew apples.
Fief	An Imperial territory granted a palatine or patrician by appointment. May not be passed on through inheritance.
Fire School	Famous monastery and academy on Jadd where the Maeskoloi are trained.
Firstborn	The label used by the Empire to refer to the civilization known colloquially as “the Quiet,” as a means of distinguishing them from other extinct galactic civilizations, namely the Vaiartu.
Flier	A flying vehicle about the size of a groundcar, used for in-atmosphere flight and rapid travel.
Foederatus	A mercenary.
Fordgron	In the Cid Arthurian religion, a temple or abbey, especially one focused on the training of warrior monks.
Foundation War	The war between the early Empire and the Mericanii, in which the Mericanii were destroyed and the Sollan Empire founded.
Four Cardinals	In the Chantry religion, the four most important icona: Justice, Fortitude, Prudence, and Temperance.
Fravashi	In the Zoroastrian religion of Jadd, the spirit of a person, specifically the part of one’s spirit who remains with their God in the spirit world.
Free Traders Union	A coalition of smaller trading companies and independent merchanter vessels that lobbies for shipping privileges and dock space on planets.
Freehold	Any planet or moon that rules itself, not subject to an interstellar polity.
Freeholders	A citizen of any of the Norman Freeholds or of any planetary or multiplanetary government not associated with one of the great interstellar powers.
Fugue	The state of cryonic suspension induced to ensure humans and other living creatures survive the long journey between suns.
Galactic Standard	The common language of the Sollan Empire, descended from Classical English with heavy Hindi and Franco-Germanic influences.
Galstani	The common language of the Sollan Empire, descended from Classical English, with heavy Hindi and Franco-Germanic influences.
Gene Tonic	A medicament designed to alter the genetic code of an organism to fit a desired plan. Used to raise plebeians to the patrician class.
Genestock	In terraforming, the genetic base material, both terranic and otherwise, used to establish civilized ecologies.
Giants	See Cavaraad.
Gladiator	Professional fighting athletes in the Colosso.
Glowsphere	A spherical, bright light source floating on Royse repulsors, battery or chemically powered.
God Emperor	The first Sollan Emperor, William I, who defeated the Mericanii. It is believed his return will usher in a new Golden Age for the Empire.
God of Fire	In the Jaddian religion, the principle creator deity, known sometimes by his ancient name Ahura Mazda.
Gods	See icona.
Golden Age of Earth	The mythic epoch leading up to the Exodus, culminating in the Assumption of Earth and the colonization of the solar system.
Golem	A mechanical being fashioned in the shape of a man, containing no organic parts.
Governor-General	The ruling executive officer of an Imperial planet or territory (as opposed to a palatine lord), appointed by the Emperor, may rule for a term or for life, but may not pass the title on to an heir.
Grand Conclave	The ruling bureaucratic organization of the Lothrian Commonwealth, led by the thirty-four members of the Bench, but containing several hundred functionaries and Party members.
Gravitometer	A device for measuring the density and structure of matter by examining the distortions of gravity.
Gray Rot	An offworld plague brought to Emesh in the seventeenth millennium ISD. Wiped out eighteen percent of the population.
Great Charters	Ancient collection of legal codes imposed on the Empire by a coalition of the houses palatine. Maintains the balance among the houses and between the houses and the Emperor.
Groundcar	An automobile, usually powered by solar or by internal combustion.
Guild	Any professional organization with legal approval to perform its trade. A trade union beholden to a planet’s lord.
Guilder	Any member of a guild.
Hakurani	According to Lord Marlowe’s account, an interstellar race or polity in the unexplored regions of the galaxy.
Hapsis	The semi-independent, secret division of the Legion Intelligence Office tasked with managing contact scenarios with alien civilizations, especially first contacts, and most especially with regard to matters relating to the Firstborn, Stonebuilder, and Monumental species.
Haqiph	A Jaddian caste term meaning “untouchable” or “base.” Refers to homunculi and others considered subhuman.
High Chancellor	The chief appointed official in a palatine lord’s civil service. A prime minister.
High College Imperial	Political office tasked with reviewing palatine requests for children and with overseeing the pregnancies of same. Prevents mutations.
High College	Imperial political office tasked with reviewing palatine requests for children and with overseeing the pregnancies of same. Prevents mutations.
High Litany	In the Chantry religion, a weekly ritual held to commemorate the destruction of Earth and to pray for a better future for humankind.
Highmatter	A form of exotic matter produced by alchemists. Used to make the swords of Imperial knights, which can cut almost anything.
Hightower	An elevator designed to lift cargo from the surface of a planet to orbit and vice versa.
Hilatar	A popular non-addictive hallucinogen made from the leaves of an alien plant. The leaves are dried and steeped like tea.
Holograph	Any three-dimensional light image projected by scanning lasers. Used for entertainment, advertisement, communication, etc.
Holy Terran Chantry	State religion of the Empire. Functions as the judicial arm of the state, especially where the use of forbidden technology is involved.
Homunculus	Any artificial human or near-human, especially those grown for a task, or for aesthetic purposes.
Hoplite	A shielded foot soldier. Heavy infantry.
Hoplon	An antique-style round shield, used in the Colosso.
Hudr	A Jaddian word for scholiast, literally “green.”
Hurasam	Gold coin used among the Imperial peasant classes, worth its mark-weight in gold. Print notes for various denominations exist.
Huratimn	A prey animal native to the Cielcin homeworld.
Hypogeum	The underground maintenance complex beneath a coliseum. More generally, any underground complex.
Iazyr Kulah	In the Cielcin religion, the universe of pure thought or spirit that existed before the Big Bang, and which is obscured by the material universe. Paradise.
Ice	In computing, software designed to monitor traffic in and out of a system and to prevent access based on perceived threat.
Ichakta	A Cielcin title, referring to the captain of a ship.
Icona	In the Chantry religion, a spirit or god embodying an ideal, virtue, or natural law such as Fortitude, Evolution, or Time.
Iedyr Yemani	The six vayadan-generals sworn in fanatic servitude to Syriani Dorayaica. The so-called White Hand.
Ietumna	The submissive Cielcin sexual role.
Imaginifer	In the Legions, a herald tasked with carrying a holograph image of the Emperor upon a staff.
Immunis	In the Legions, a soldier exempt from usual duties.
Imperial Council	The ruling and advisory board of the Sollan Empire, headed by the Chancellor and comprising the lords of the various ministries, the Synarch of the Chantry, various legionary strategoi, and certain special advisors. Advises the Emperor, but also runs the various executive offices of the Imperium.
Imperial Mark	Digital currency of the Sollan Empire and Mandari corporations. Highly competitive, unlike the hurasam and other hard coinage.
Imperial Office	The Emperor’s administration—those ministries and civil services, including the palace staff, that comprise the Imperial central government.
Imperial Presence	The formal personage of the Sollan Emperor and the area about his person.
Imperial Star Date	The standard calendar. Months and weeks correspond to Old Earth’s Gregorian calendar. The year is reckoned from the coronation of the first Emperor.
Imperium	See SOLLAN EMPIRE.
Index	The catalog of punishments—monetary, corporal, and capital—maintained by the Chantry and enforced by the Inquisition.
Indoctrination	The process by which a person is treated with specially tailored RNA packets to learn and absorb new information and skills quickly.
Infestation	In Chantry religious law, the state in which a computer system may contain elements of artificial intelligence or the precursors to same, often leading to possession.
Inmane	An offensive slur meaning that someone is less than human. Literally impure.
Inquisition	The judicial branch of the Imperial Chantry, primarily concerned with the use of illegal technologies.
Inquisitor	A Chantry official tasked with conducting judicial investigations and overseeing the torture of criminals.
Intus	A palatine born outside the oversight of the High College, usually possessing several physical or psychological defects; a bastard.
Irchtani	Species of coloni xenobite native to the planet Judecca. Bird-like with massive wings. Considered an exemplar of coloni assimilation.
Irinyr	A silk-like fabric used by the Cielcin, the byproduct of a many-legged aquatic bottom-feeding worm.
Itani	Pl. itanimn. A Cielcin family unit, especially the extended clan.
Izumo Group	A Nipponese interstellar corporation specializing in the heavy metal trade.
Jaddian	The official language of the Principalities of Jadd, a patois of ancient Romance and Semitic languages with some Greek influences.
Jubala	A powerful and popular pseudonarcotic. Can be inhaled or ingested in a kind of tea.
Kaspum	Silver-plated coin used among the Imperial peasant classes. Twelve kaspums make one gold hurasam. Print notes for various denominations exist.
Kithuun	In Irchtani culture, a tribal chieftain or military commander.
Knife-missile	A kind of drone, little more than a remote-controlled flying knife. A favorite of assassins.
Knight	Sollan military honor conferred by the nobility for services rendered; usually includes a small fief. May carry highmatter weapons.
Knights Excubitor	The innermost circle of the Emperor’s guard, comprising 108 of the finest knights and fighters in the Empire.
Lance	See energy-lance.
Law of the Fishes	A philosophical precept that the world is a wilderness and that survival is the highest virtue. The law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest.
Legate	A rank in the Imperial Legions, commands an entire Legion.
Legion Intelligence Office	The Empire’s military intelligence, espionage, and foreign intervention agency.
Legionnaire	Any soldier in the Imperial Legions, especially the common foot soldier.
Legions	The military branch of the Sollan Empire, loyal directly to the Emperor and Imperial house, comprising naval and ground forces.
Liberalist	Democratic insurgents in the Lothrian Commonwealth, possibly fictional.
Lictor	A bodyguard for a nobile or other dignitary. Usually a knight.
Lieutenant	Junior naval officer in the Legions, beneath commander but above the crewmen.
Lighter	Any starship small enough to make landfall on a planet.
Light-probe	Any of a class of very small, ultralight reconnaissance devices propelled by ship-board laser to nearly the speed of light.
Lions	An unofficial political party in the Sollan Empire, comprising the more conservative royalist houses.
Logothete Pluripotentis	A logothete whose office oversees the transfer of land and other titled holdings between palatines and patricians.
Logothete	A minister in any of the governmental agencies of any palatine house, used colloquially of any civil servant.
Lothriad	The legal text of the Lothrian Commonwealth, in two volumes: the first containing the laws of the Commonwealth, the second a dictionary of all approved words and phrases, constantly revised.
Lothrian Commonwealth	The second largest human polity in the galaxy, a totalitarian collectivist state. Longtime antagonist of the Empire.
Lothrian	The spoken language of the Lothriad.
Lowtown	The poor seaside district of the city of Meidua on Delos.
Maeskolos	Pl. Maeskoloi. Any of the legendary swordmasters of Jadd, drawn exclusively from the eali caste. Credited with superhuman speed and skill.
Magister	A lay judge who tries plebeian cases.
Magnarch	The chief Imperial Viceroy in each arm of the galaxy: Orion, Sagittarius, Perseus, and Centaurus. Essentially co-Emperors.
Magnarchate	Region of the Empire ruled by a Magnarch, comprising several provinces.
Magus	An intellectual, most especially a scientist or natural philosopher.
Makers	A pantheon of gods worshiped by the Cielcin, possibly the same as the WATCHERS.
Malaros	In the Cid Arthurian religion, a necklace of prayer beads—usually 108—with a medallion of one of the Holy Knights and a tassel at the end.
Mamluk	Any homunculus slave-soldier of the Jaddian Principalities.
Mandar	The language of the Mandari trade corporations.
Mandari	An ethnic group semi-detached from Imperial society, most commonly found staffing the massive interstellar trading corporations.
Mandyas	Traditional garment of the Maeskoloi. Half a robe with one flowing sleeve worn over the left shoulder, cinched at the waist.
Mark	The primary trade currency of the Sollan Empire, not backed by specie.
Martian Guard	The Emperor’s palace guard, an elite corps of soldiers raised from the population on Earth’s nearest neighbor, Mars.
Mathuran Campaigns	A series of battles between the Tavrosi clans with Imperial aid. Reached an armistice shortly after the appearance of the Cielcin.
Medica	A hospital, typically aboard a starship.
Megathere	A massive, three-eyed amphibious predator native to the planet Epidamnus.
Meidua	A port city on Delos, seat of the Meidua prefecture and ancestral demesne of House Marlowe.
Merchanter	A salesperson or businessman, usually plebeian.
Meretrix	The madame of a brothel or, more often, a palatine lord’s harem.
Mericanii	The ancient first interstellar colonists. A hyper-advanced technologic civilization run by artificial intelligences. Destroyed by the Empire.
Messer/Madam	Polite address in the Empire, used of anyone without formal title.
Messer/Madame	Polite address in the Empire, used for anyone without a formal title.
MINOS	An Extrasolarian organization or order specializing in biomechanics and technological research and development, apparently aligned with the Cielcin Prophet.
Mnunatari	In Cielcin culture, the merchant caste. Considered pariahs.
Monumentals	Another name for the Watchers, used by human scholars prior to first contact with the Cielcin.
Mother Earth	The deified homeworld of humanity and principal god of the Chantry religion.
Museum Catholic Church	An adorator cult centered on the planet Caritas, believed to have existed since the Golden Age of Earth and protected on reservations by Imperial decree.
Mute	Slang. Short for “mutant.” Refers to a homunculus or to an intus.
Myrmidon	In the Colosso, any contract or slave fighter not a professionally trained gladiator.
Myste	An intellectual.
Nahute	Pl. nahute. A Cielcin weapon. Resembles a flying metal snake. Seeks out targets and drills into them.
Nanocarbon	A fabric made of carbon nanotubes. Related to adamant.
Natalist	A specialist practiced in the art of growing and gene-crafting living organisms, human or otherwise.
Ndaktu	In Cielcin philosophy, the weight of moral responsibility placed upon an individual whose actions directly or inadvertently led another to suffer.
Neg	A worthless person. Emeshi slang.
Neural Lace	A semi-organic computer implanted in a host’s brain. Very illegal in the Empire.
Ninety-Nine Wonders of the Universe	Ninety-nine of the greatest structures, both human and alien, in the known universe.
Nipponese	The descendants of the Japanese colonists who fled Old Earth system in the Third Peregrination.
Nobile	Blanket term referring to any member of the palatine and patrician castes in the Sollan Empire.
Nordei	The principle language of the Demarchy. A patois of Nordic and Thai with some Slavic influences.
Norman Expanse	The frontier of human settlement in the Norma Arm of the Milky Way, near to the galactic core.
Norman United Fellowship	The former Norman democratic government on the planet Emesh prior to Imperial annexation.
Norman	Anyone native to one of the planets of the Norman Expanse, particularly those not under Imperial control. A so-called Freeholder.
Novice	A student initiated into the rites and curricula of the scholiasts with the intention of becoming one.
Nowoyuk	In Lothrian society, any hermaphroditic homunculus grown by the state, or the hermaphroditic offspring of one such homunculus and a natural-born human. All nowoyuk children are genetic hermaphrodites as well. Part of a mostly failed attempt by the Lothrian government to abolish the natural sexes.
Nuncius	In Imperial society, an announcer or herald.
Old Lions	A coterie of traditionalist, hyper-monarchist lords in the Sollan Empire close to the throne. Nominally supporters of the Emperor against the bureaucracy.
Old Solstice	A traditional holiday commemorating the Winter Solstice of Old Earth.
Opera	Any scripted narrative entertainment, whether musical, dramatic, or serial, interactive or otherwise.
Optio	The second-in-command of a century in the Imperial Legions after the Centurion.
Orbital Defense Force	The fleet maintained by any palatine lord for the defense of his or her planet or system.
Order of Merit	The highest honor an Imperial soldier may be given for service to the Empire.
Orion Arm	One of the five arms of the galaxy settled by humankind. See Spur of Orion.
Ornithon	A flying feathered snake native to Emesh. Nonvenomous, eats primarily sea life.
Outcaste	In Imperial society, any former member of the palatine or patrician castes stripped of their station. May also refer to similar persons in Jadd.
Outer Perseus	The expansion region out along the end of the Perseus Arm; a colonial frontier.
Palatinate	Any demesne or fief comprising an entire planet.
Palatine	The Imperial aristocracy, descended from those free humans who opposed the Mericanii. Genetically enhanced, they may live for several centuries.
Pale	The Cielcin. Slang, considered offensive by xenophiles.
Panegyrist	A Chantry priest tasked with performing the call to prayer at sundown.
Pankration	A martial art harking all the way back to ancient Greece and Macedonia.
Panthai	A Tavrosi language descended from the Thai, Lao, and Khmer-speaking peoples who settled the Wisp alongside the Nordei.
Party	The government of the Lothrian Commonwealth, composed of adherents to the two books of the Lothriad, including the Grand Conclave on Padmurak, the lesser conclaves on the other planets of the Commonwealth, and the lesser government institutions.
Patrician	Any plebeian or plutocrat awarded with genetic augmentations at the behest of the palatine caste as a reward for services rendered, or descendants of same.
Peerage	Palatine constellation comprising the Imperial family and its relatives. Members are all in line for the throne.
Peltast	An unshielded foot soldier. Light infantry.
Pentaquark	Refers to a class of particles composed of five quarks, as opposed to the more typical three-quark particles comprising most matter. Highmatter is a pentaquark material.
Peregrination	Any of the historical evacuations from Earth’s system for the extrasolar colonies.
Persean Wars	A series of conflicts fought between the Sollan Empire and their Jaddian allies against the Lothrian Commonwealth in the thirteenth millennium.
Perseus Arm	One of the five arms of the galaxy settled by humankind. Lies beyond Orion at the outer rim. Contains the Principalities, Durantine Republic, and Imperial colonies.
Petersonian	A fraternal order of the scholiasts.
Phase Disruptor	A sort of firearm that attacks the nervous system. Can stun on lower settings.
Phasma Vigrandi	Luminescent, floating creatures native to the forests of Luin, sometimes called fairies.
Phylactery	A device for storing the genetic and epigenetic information of an individual for the purposes of artificial reproduction.
Pitrasnuk	Any member of the Lothrian Party, especially those involved directly in the government apparatus.
Plagiarius	A smuggler, fence, or other black-market salesman.
Planetbound	In Imperial law, any plebeian not permitted to travel offworld. A serf.
Planeted Lord	Any nobile who has acquired or may pass down his or her planetary demesne within the family. A landed nobleman.
Plasma Burner	A firearm which uses a strong loop of magnetic force to project an arc of super-heated plasma across short to moderate distances.
Plebeian	The Imperial peasantry, descended from unaltered human stock seeded on the oldest colony ships. Forbidden to use high technology.
Plutocrat	Any plebeian who has earned enough money to buy expensive genetic augmentations. Effectively patrician.
Poine	A structured, small-scale war carried out between Imperial palatine houses. Subject to the scrutiny of the Inquisition.
Porphyrogeneticist	A geneticist employed in the creation of palatine or eali children, usually by the Imperial High College or by one of the great houses of Jadd.
Possession	One of the TWELVE ABOMINATIONS. The state in which an individual or computer system is under the sway of an artificial intelligence.
Posthuman	A catch-all term referring to anyone so heavily augmented or modified—either genetically or through praxis—as to no longer be conventionally recognizable as human to the Imperial observer.
Praetor	In the Chantry’s Inquisition, a judge, especially one actually presiding over a trial or sentencing.
Praetorian	Any member of the Sollan Emperor’s Praetorian Guard, drawn from the best of the Imperial Legion.
Praxis	High technology, usually of the sort forbidden by Chantry law.
Prefect	A law enforcement officer.
Prefecture	In the Empire, any administrative district ruled by an Archon.
Primarch	The chief Imperial viceroy in each arm of the galaxy: Orion, Sagittarius, Perseus, and Centaurus. Essentially co-Emperors.
Primarchate	Region of the Empire ruled by a primarch, comprising several provinces.
Primate	The highest administrative office of a scholiasts’ athenaeum, akin to a university chancellor.
Principalities of Jadd	Nation of eighty former Imperial provinces in Perseus that revolted over palatine reproductive rights. Heavily militaristic and caste-driven.
Prior	In the Chantry clergy, the chief cleric in a prefecture.
Profanation	One of the TWELVE ABOMINATIONS. The mingling of human flesh with machine implants or prostheses, especially in cases where such modifications transcend ordinary human function.
Protocols	The strict guidelines outlining the behaviors of the Chantry’s INQUISITION in carrying out an investigation.
Prudence Shield	A form of Royse field used for security, especially in coliseums and starship hangars. Traps air and fast-moving objects.
Qet/Quantum Telegraph	A device that uses entangled quantum particles to communicate instantly over vast distances.
Qiati	In Cielcin culture, an individual’s usefulness or worth to its owner.
Quiet	The hypothetical first civilization in the galaxy, allegedly responsible for several ancient sites, including those on Emesh, Judecca, Sadal Suud, and Ozymandias.
Repulsor	A device which makes use of the Royse Effect to allow objects to float without disturbing the air or environment.
Rothsbank	An ancient, privately owned banking house tracing its roots back to the Golden Age of Earth.
Royal Victorian Knights	A fraternal order of knights owing allegiance to the Imperial House Avent.
Royse Effect	A method discovered by Caelan Royse for manipulating the electroweak force. Allows for the existence of force fields and repulsors.
Royse Field	Any force field making use of the Royse Effect to stop high-velocity objects from penetrating an energy curtain.
Royse Shield	Any force field making use of the Royse Effect to stop high-velocity objects from penetrating its energy curtain, especially those worn at the belt for personal use.
Rugyeh	The Lothrian word for the Cielcin. Literally “the others.”
Rus	A young man. Emeshi slang.
Sagittarius Arm	One of the five arms of the galaxy settled by humankind. Lies between Orion and Centaurus, comprises the bulk of Imperial colonies as well as the Lothriad.
Satrap	A planetary governor in the Principalities of Jadd, subordinate to one of the regional Princes.
Saylash	Among the Tavrosi clansmen, a fractal tattoo covering large portions of the body, containing the history of the clan back several generations.
Scahari	Pl. scaharimn. In Cielcin culture, any member of the warrior caste.
Scarab	A small colossus used for urban combat, a six-legged mobile artillery platform crewed by half a dozen men.
Scholiast	Any member of the monastic order of researchers, academics, and theoreticians tracing their origins to the Mericanii scientists captured at the end of the Foundation War.
Scianda	Pl. sciandane. A Cielcin migratory fleet, comprising several itanimn and presided over by a single aeta.
Seed Stock	See genestock.
Septembrine Revolt	A poine civil war fought in the sixteenth millennium between two factions of House Bourbon of Verehaut, started by Prince Philippe Bourbon, who attempted to claim the title of prince, but was blocked by his brother, Prince Charles. Ended with Philippe’s exile to Belusha.
Serf	Any Imperial plebeian forbidden by birth to travel away from the planet of his or her birth except in the case of Legion military service.
Servitor	A menial laborer.
Shield-belt	A self-defense device worn about the waist. Uses a Royse field to stop bullets, plasma, and other high-energy weapons.
Shiomu	The Cielcin word for “prophet,” a title granted to Syriani Dorayaica.
Shock-stick	A nonlethal weapon primarily employed in crowd suppression. Little more than an electrified stave.
Sign of the Sun Disc	A gesture of benediction made by circling thumb and forefinger and touching forehead and lips before holding the hand up to the sky.
Signet Ring	A device worn on a palatine’s finger containing his or her genetic information, financial accounts, and land holdings.
Signifer	In the Legions, a soldier tasked with carrying the banner bearing the symbols of the individual legion or subgroup.
Sire	An honorific used to refer to one’s social superiors, usually males and usually patricians or palatines.
Sirrah	An honorific used to refer to one’s social inferiors, usually males.
Sojourner	Any of a class of massive Extrasolarian starship, often hundreds of miles long, especially those crewed by the Exalted.
Solar Throne	The Imperial throne. Sometimes used as a synonym for the Imperial Presence or Office.
Solifer	In the Legions, a soldier tasked with carrying the banner bearing the symbol of the Imperial sunburst on its flag.
Sollan Empire	The largest and oldest single polity in human-controlled space, comprising some half a billion habitable planets.
SOM	The lobotomized shell of a human being animated by machines, used for slave labor and as soldiers by the Extrasolarians.
Sparrowhawk	A lighter craft commonly used by the Legions, a one-manned rapid attack ship used in ship-to-ship fighting.
Special Security	A division of Legion Intelligence interested in matters of high Imperial security; that is, in situations and persons affecting the integrity and security of the Empire as a whole.
Spinship	Any starship that uses centripetal force to generate the illusion of gravity.
Spur of Orion	The oldest of the Empire’s four primarchates, comprising the oldest parts of the Empire and Old Earth System.
Spydust	Any microscopic surveillance device, be it a camera, microphone, or other sensor. May be airborne.
Standard Registry	An index kept by the Imperial High College of all the houses palatine along with blood samples of all their constituents.
Static Field	A highly permeable variant of the Royse Field used in climate control to keep conditioned air inside buildings.
Stonebuilders	An earlier name for the Vaiartu civilization used by human scholars. See VAIARTU.
Strategos	An admiral in the Imperial Legions, responsible for the command of an entire fleet, comprising several legions.
Stricture	The formal rules governing the lifestyle and behavior of those members of the scholiast order as outlined in The Book of the Mind and the rest of Imore’s writings.
Strojeva	A golem, specifically a golem of Durantine manufacture. Typically designed to closely mimic a human being in appearance.
Stunner	A low-power phase disruptor used to cause temporary paralysis or loss of consciousness. Weapon favored by law enforcement personnel.
Sulan	An ancient predator native to the Cielcin homeworld.
Sullen Gulf	The huge gap of empty space between the Norma and Centaurus Arms of the galaxy.
Sulshawar	In Jaddian culture, a warrior who serves as bodyguard to a prince, satrap, or other important personage. May also represent that person in legal duels. Comparable to a lictor.
Summerfair	A common midsummer holiday celebrated throughout the Imperium. Its date varies from world to world, depending on the local calendar.
Suppression Field	A Royse Effect field designed to simulate gravity.
Swordmaster	See MAESKOLOS.
Synarch	The highest ecclesiastic office of the Imperial Chantry. Their most important function is the coronation of new Emperors.
Synod	The ruling body of the Holy Terran Chantry, a college of Archpriors presided over by the Synarch.
Tanager	A lighter craft commonly used by the Legions, a heavier, two-man fighter.
Tavrosi	Any of the languages from the Demarchy of Tavros. Typically refers to Nordei.
Telegraph/Qet	A device which uses entangled quantum particles to communicate instantly over vast distances.
Terminal	A telecommunications device that accesses a planet’s datasphere, usually worn on the wrist.
Terranic	In terraforming and ecology, refers to any organism of Old Earth extraction. Not extraterrestrial.
The Wisp	The thin string of stars housing the Demarchy of Tavros located above the galactic ecliptic, far from the Imperium.
Theologi	A priest or theologian.
Tiatari	In Cielcin culture, the worker caste.
Tokolosh	A species of flesh-eating microorganism that, when swarming, appears as a mass of darkness.
Travatsk	A Tavrosi language named for the Travatskr ethnic group, recognizable by its lack of vowel reduction.
Trias	A unit of three legionnaires, usually two peltasts and one hoplite.
Triaster	The commander of a trias, usually a shielded hoplite.
Tribune	A Legion officer in command of a cohort (four to a legion). Commands both ground forces and naval officers.
Triumph	A parade held to celebrate victory in war. Usually the vanquished is marched out in chains for execution.
Troglodyte	A human being without higher brain functions either voluntarily for personal or religious reasons, or as the result of an accident.
Twelve Abominations	The twelve most grievous sins according to the Chantry. Legal privileges do not apply in such cases.
Tx9	A chemical compound pumped into the body when the blood is drained in preparation for cryonic fugue.
Udaritanu	A complex, nonlinear writing system used by the Cielcin. Pl. udaritani, referring to the individual glyphs used in same.
Umandh	A coloni species native to the planet Emesh. Amphibious and tripedal, they have an intelligence comparable to that of dolphins.
Uncreated Gods	In philosophy, refers to the gods of ancient religions which emerged as byproducts of organic cultural evolution.
Upper Centaurus	Region of the Centaurus Arm of the galaxy nearer the core. Location of the Principalities of Jadd and many Imperial provinces.
Vaiartu	An ancient and extinct species of xenobite who, according to Lord Marlowe’s account, ruled much of the galaxy and destroyed millions of planets and races several million years ago, and whose legacy explains the relative emptiness of the universe.
Vampyromorph	A species of winged, blood-drinking creatures commonly used in baiting shows during the Colosso.
Vate	Any preacher or holy man not formally a part of the Chantry clergy.
Vayadan	In Cielcin culture, the bound mates and bodyguards of an Aeta.
Veil of Marinus	Territory contested between the Empire and Norman Freeholds. Comprises most of the front in the Crusade against the Cielcin.
Verrox Toxemia	A chronic medical condition brought on by verrox abuse. Includes muscle tremors and eventual atrophy.
Verrox	A powerful pseudoamphetamine derived from the leaves of the verroca plant. It is taken by ingesting the leaves, which are usually candied.
Viceroy/Vicereine	The ruler of an Imperial Province appointed by the Emperor. The title is typically heritable, but is not always so.
Victorian Knights	An order of Imperial knights bound in service to the person of the Emperor and the Aventine House directly, not to the Imperial Office.
Vigran Huaxia	A Mandari banking house with deep ties to the Extrasolarians.
Vilicus	The head of a team of douleters; chief overseer.
Warden	Any member of the Chantry’s private armies used to defend holy sites from unwanted incursions and pillaging.
Watchers	According to this account, a species or collection of powerful xenobites, possibly worshiped as gods by the Cielcin and other alien races.
Watch-eye	Any flying camera drone.
Wave	To contact someone by radio or telegraph. Alternately the communications device itself. Slang.
White Sword	A ceramic greatsword used by Chantry cathars for formal executions, especially of the nobility.
Writ	The Chantry’s legal and moral code, enforced by the Inquisition and the Index.
Wong-Hopper Consortium	The largest of the Mandari trading corporations, holding several government contracts, especially in the terraforming industry.
Worldship	Any of the massive Cielcin vessels—some as large as moons—which make up the core of their fleets.
Writ of Disavowal	In Imperial jurisprudence, a formal document wherein a nobile lord disowns one or more members of his or her family.
Writ of Nativity	A formal petition—or grant of said petition—enabling a palatine lord of the Sollan Empire to produce a child under the auspices of the High College.
Xanarth	A massive land predator native to the planet Athyras.
Xenobite	Any life form not originating in terranic or human stock, especially those life forms which are considered intelligent; an alien.
Xenologist	A scholiast or lay magus specializing in the study of inhuman beings, especially those rising to the level of sentience.
Yamato Interstellar	An interstellar manufacturing company owned by House Yamato and based out of Nichibotsu.
Your Excellency	Form of polite address used for ruling nobiles above the rank of archon.
Your Grace	Form of polite address used for viceroys, vicereines, and primarchs of the Sollan Empire.
Your Radiance	Form of polite address reserved exclusively for the Emperor.
Your Reverence	Form of polite address for members of the Chantry clergy, particularly priors.
Yukajjimn	The Cielcin word for humanity. Shares etymological connections to their word for vermin.
Zenoan	A fraternal order of the scholiasts with an emphasis on introspection and emotional regulation.
Zitraa	The traditional weapon of an Irchtani warrior. A thin, curved cutlass approximately seven feet long.
Zuk	Any of the working class of the Lothrian Commonwealth.
Zvanya	A cinnamon-flavored distilled alcohol popular in Jadd.