Ard
An ariel word meaning a way between two walls, as a valley, a pass, a hallway,
a gate etc.
Ardelost
A pass over the El'danan north of Kar Logara.
Arellan
The "High Ariel" is how they interpret their name, but that is incorrect.
An Ariel ethnic group characterized by parti-colored skin. The Arellan
are typically an urban people., descendants of Ariel living in the administration
and educational centers of Robynn.
Ariel
Wanderers. The name of a group of people inhabiting Robynn and several
other planets, given to them by God, through the prophet Dosra, after they
fled Mars.
Atanelard
"The White Gate." A high pass in the mountains north of Rog Ba'han.
Baar
Protector, lord, shepherd.
Baarsi
Sheep
Dan
God. Lit. "maker"
Dar'raqc
The name of god, lit. "[he] that is [ever]."
Darrow
A mound or hill, usually artificial.
D'kra
Saghedi - lit. "the death." One of the nicer names of a mixed group of
pagan Ariel, whose practices include ritual torture, rape, bestiality,
cannibalism, murder and disfigurement - of whoever happens to be handy.
They are almost universally despised, and the Saghedi in particular have
a policy of annihilating any group they find.
Dol'mara
Lit. "people of the forest". Originally foresters, mountain men, woodsmen
and herdsmen (keeping sheep, goats and cattle), they are also skilled in
all types of woodworking, archery, organic composites, pharmaceuticals,
horticulture and distilling. By far the largest of the races of the Ariel
in stature, they are rarely less than six feet tall as an adult, and their
extremeties are even more over-sized. Despite this, most are able to completely
vanish in any terrain they are familiar with. They created a network of
inns throughout Robynn as way stations for travelers, and as distribution
centers for scattered Farell communities, but have now largely disappeared
into the forests and the mountains. Only a few communities are in contact
with the Edanoi.
Dol'raager
Lit. "people of the water." Originally a group responsible for managing
aquatic resources, they expanded into subterranean areas through mineral
extraction. They are now usually dwarvish, pale, with sensitive eyes and
webbed hands and long toes.. Once widespread along almost any watercourse,
and with a wide network of tunnels, they have retreated to a few isolated
areas of marshland, swamps, and islands, taking with them the technologies
they supplied, including advanced metallurgy, inorganic chemistry, shipbuilding
and aqua-culture.
Edanoi
Arellan - Lit. "Five houses". An Arellan people, consisting of five municipalities
on the plateau above the Tsaðweg. In the chaos after the second dominion
war, they were thought to have collapsed, but they not only survived, but
prospered as a united nation, unknown to the isolated cities of the Arellan
federation.
El'dan
Forge.
El'danan
Lit. "high forge". A mountain range.
Farell
Lit. "the free". They adopted this name in reference to their relative
independence in the wilderness areas of Robynn where they worked as explorers
and pioneers.
Fiann
A famous engineer of the Dol'raager, and also a river which he diverted.
Fiannweg
Lit. "Fiann's bog". Anglicized as Fennwick. A large swamp between Darrows
Gorm and Sarth and the escarpment on the east of El'danan.
Garæþjan
Lit. "of Gareth," the cultivator, the name given to the earthlings for
their gardens.
Garwen
Saghedi - summer.
Gawain
Arellan - summer
Isen
A major river, running from Arn Galen, south to the . . ..
Isenard
The valley of the Isen.
Jamaler
Humans, lit. "earthlings" (as is human fr. humus, earth)
Kar
Dead, sterile, barren, desert.
Ker
Something dead, a corpse.
Madden
Lit. "darkness." A type of music similar to a blend of many folk styles
on earth, and the underground "night" clubs in many Arellan cities, which
gave it it's name. These are a center of political and cultural activism,
held in basements and cellars, and frequently shifting location to avoid
raids by intolerant city officials. As such they are very popular with
the rebellious, licentious youth of the Arellan upper classes, and are
patronized, unofficially, by some of the same officials. They first appeared
in the city of . . . just west of the Tsaðweg, though the music
is clearly of Farell origin, politically incorrect in a society where the
Farell have become the traditional enemy of the state.
Qum'rog
Lit. "life-water." A fermented spirit made by the Dol'mara from coniferous
vegetation, similar in taste to gin, but made more like ale, and filtered
through peat moss.
Rag
Saghedi - water, body of water, lake, river, sea etc..
Raghad
A river flowing from hills around Rat·h Garwen, east towards Haden,
and then north into the tundra marshes.
Rog
Arellan form of rag.
Saðe
Saghedi - north.
Saghedi
Lit. "Drover Lords". (Sa'h - lord, + ghedi - drover, herder). A Farell
people living on, and managing, the great plains of Robynn and the wildlife
living there. Generally tall, with brown/green coloring, and pronounced
canine teeth. They are accomplished horsemen, and consider themselves human
wolves. They are skilled in fine metalwork, leather-work, astronomy and
medicine.
Sa'h
Saghedi - lord, prince.
Ser
Saghedi - lady, princess, queen.
Samar'hae Lit.
"Lords of the forest". See Dol'mara
Sharen
Arellan - palace (lit. "lord's shelter")
Tan
Smith, fabricator.
Tol
An Ariel sport, particularly popular with the Saghedi. It is similar in
nature to gaelic football, or camp-ball, the simple object being to get
a cubic leather "ball" containing eight air-filled bladders, through the
opposition's goal-mouth. Any number of players may be on foot or mounted,
use any part of the body or any implement, as long as the sides are evenly
matched. There are no other rules, although players are liable for all
customary civil and criminal penalties for their behaviour on the field.
The size of the teams is dependent only on the available playing area and
the available players. Stadiums, such as the one at Beth Lorien, typically
accommodate a total of an hundred players, although an open game may stretch
over many miles and involve hundreds of players. A typical game will last
an hour, although a festival game may go on for several days. There are
no breaks in play except for weather and darkness, and players may come
and go as they see fit, particularly in longer games, and there may be
quite complex strategies in more formal competition.