Gaian Glossary

[celena]

As Celena is from another world, there are a number of names and concepts that she'd use which differ from what we use on Earth. This is a glossary of the words she's most likely going to be tossing around.

Measurements

Gaian term Earth Equivalent Miet 30 seconds, used instead of minutes Moon A lunar month. Used instead of Solar months Costa A unit of length, equal to 0.987 metres Peizo A unit of weight, equal to 1.104 metric tonnes Almud A measure of volume, ~ 1 litre

Species

Species Name Description Beastmen Various, diverse tribes of people with animalian features. These might include fur, tails, claws or animalian skulls. They are oppressed in many parts of Gaia. Draconians The descendants of the refugees of Atlantis, they are widely considered to be a cursed race. Although they can pass as humans, they are able to manifest white, feathery wings upon their backs at will. Dragons Predatory, fire breathing lizards, commonly believed to be mere beasts. However, though they cannot communicate with the other races they are sentient beings. They are sensitive to the ripples in Fate caused by strong emotion. Their legendary rage is merely echoing the rage and fear of the humans who confront them. Dopplegangers A tribe of beastmen able to suck out a person's lifeforce, gaining that person's memories and abilities while taking on their form. Their victim is left behind as a dried husk. Though in their own form they can camouflage themselves like chameleons they have a very particular, pungent smell. Equines Goat-footed beasts of burden similar, but not quite the same as horses Ispano Short, cloaked creatures who live between dimensions. They are renowned for the quality of their engineering. Mermaids The same as on Earth. They are sometimes captured to be kept as curiosities.



Gaian Technology

Gaian term Description Guymelef Steampunk suits of armour between 7.5-10 metres tall, piloted by warrior sitting in its chest cavity. Each limb of the guymelef pilot controls the corresponding limb on the armour. Escaflowne The ancient, Ispano-built guymelef that can only be piloted by the king of Fanelia. Legend has it that the blood bond between the pilot and the armour can channel the spirit of the God of War that Escaflowne is named for, though at a terrible cost. Dilandau's mission is to capture this armour and its pilot. Alseides A Zaibachan-made state of the art guymelef. It comes equipped with the latest advances in Zaibachan technology, such as flamethrowers, liquid metal weapons, an invisibility cloak and flight capability. Dilandau's personal Alseides was painted red. Energist Inside a dragon's heart is a spherical crystal known as a dragenergist. These are used as heat and power sources in Gaian steam technology in place of burning wood or coal. Levistone Also known as the Wandering Earth. A type of floating rock found in Gaia. It is buoyant due to having masses of lighter-than-air gasses trapped inside. When heated, the buoyancy of the rock decreases. These rocks can be massive and float in streams across the sky. Leviship An airship. They consist of one or more boulder sized levistones attached to a living space, with sails and rudders to control their direction. They are the main mode of long-distance transportation in Gaia. Floating Fortress Zaibachan war fortresses, built into and onto massive leviboulders. These are large enough to support an entire garrison of guymelef pilots for months. Fate Prognostication Engine A machine focussed on the Emperor of Zaibach's perfect future. It allows him to focus on what individuals or forces are interfering with the likelihood of destiny following the path to that future. Crima A liquid metal used as a weapon in the Alseides. It can be manipulated to form long darts or hardened into swords. At high temperatures it burns fiercely. Shadowgraph Black and white photograph.

Locations

Name Description Asturia Celena's homeland, with both mountainous regions and a strong sea- and air-faring merchantile focus. Asturia has a Mediterranean climate and is known for its high-quality vino. Palas The capital city of Asturia, built against a deep natural harbour sheltered by cliffs that make excellent levi-ship landing bases. There are as many canals as there are streets and the city is a prosperous hub of trade. Celena grew up near here Fort Castelo An outpost in the swamp between Asturia and Fanelia. Celena's brother once manned this fort during his unofficial exile from Palas until it was razed by Dilandau The Empire of Zaibach Originally a small desert kingdom, Zaibach expanded into a mighty, technologically advanced empire over the last two hundred years under the leadership of Emperor Dornkirk. They were beaten by a coalition of other nations several years ago, leading to Celena's rescue. Fanelia A small, forest kingdom ruled by King Van on the eastern border with Asturia. Dilandau razed this to the ground in the first act of Zaibachan aggression in the Destiny War Freid A desert kingdom on the southern border of Asturia, whose child-duke is the nephew of the current queen of Asturia. The local religion involves Buddhist-flavoured worship of the Draconians Asgard The bleak, snowy continent north of the continent on which Celena lives. Atlantis The legendary island destroyed by the hubris of the Draconians ten thousand years ago. Artefacts of Atlantis can be found scattered throughout Gaia The Mystic Valley The home of the Draconian refugees who fled Atlantis' fall. Though explorers have searched for its location it cannot be reached by normal means. The Mystic Moon The Gaian name for Earth, which can be seen from their skies. Said to be the home of demons The White Moon The moon shared by both Earth and Gaia. However the side of the moon seen by Gaia has a large structure built upon it in the vague shape of an eye, easily visible across most of its face