A glossary of words used in Auxientia game play
BEYONDERS: anyone not a citizen of Auxientia is commonly referred to as beyonders, although the term is more commonly used to label those who are unwelcome visitors with ill intent. “Beyonders are nothing but trouble. Only coming in to take what’s not theirs!” UPDATE: Auxientia recently entered into a trade alliance with three beyonder nations (Principality of Qadar, Riphagen Isle, and Sovereign Nation of Coalbourne. The new Republic of Poyais was excluded from the alliance for now.) with the construction and operation of the Janeway’s Firefly airship.
CATSPAW COMPACT, THE: an annual secret gathering of The Irregulars, held at a private location that changes from year to year. Strict rules govern the gathering— “there is to be no bloodshed among the gangs; deals that are agreed upon are binding; truces are made; the rarest of black market prizes are bought and sold.”
CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS: each member of the Gilded must take and pass a rigorous civil service exam in order to join its inner circle. Aspiring Gilded that have yet not passed the exam often spend hours studying for it. Gilded members can sponsor examinations in hopes that others will better themselves and join their ranks. In addition to service examination scores, many Gilded view wealth as the proving ground or scoreboard that proves their capability to rule.
EXILES: group of people led by Auxientus who traveled from a far distant land to a valley within a ring of mountains, known to its native inhabitants as the Valley of the Heart or Mutu. Exiles carried little of their former history with them, though place names sometimes reveal hints of their old homeland (such as the Plaza of the Seven Heresies on Ink Street). The first era of Auxientian civilization when the exiles settled the valley was called the Bright Age, and sometimes “the Conquest.” The idyllic time that followed, in which the exiles built their first utopian city over the ruins of the original Bāhira city and which features the many adventures of Auxientius, Dahura, and the Scourge is known as the Bright Age. The decade of civil war that ended the Bright Age is called the Foundation War. It is followed by the Steel Age, often called the “First Age of Industry.” Many periods have passed since that time, and the current age of innovation is sometimes called the Steam Age.
FACTION: a powerful organization or group. In Auxientia, five powerful factions control different aspects of the city. Some are held together by occupation, history, culture, or the need for protection.
FOUNDATION WAR, THE: a decade of civil war that ended the Bright Age. The Scourge lost the conflict and was erased (see struck) as punishment.
KULA: Bāhira word meaning dynasties or clans. As the Bāhira are a people bound by tradition and culture but not by blood, outsiders are occasionally granted permission to join a kula and become one of the Bāhira, but only after proving themselves worthy.
LAST LAW, THE: followers of the Parastin creed subscribe to a sacred code known as the Last Law, allegedly the last commandment of Auxientius. Among a list of virtues and laws, the Last Law commands Auxientius’s true followers to protect the weak and defenseless, to act with honor, and to defend the city against threats within and without. The Last Law provides advice on living in troubled times and urges detachment from politics and gossip while promoting just action against abusive laws and slander. According to Parastin tradition, the Last Law was recorded on a lumenstone that has since been lost. The code has changed little over the centuries, though inevitable questions of interpretation and conflicts over the enforcement of the Last Law arise and revisions are proposed. Many Auxientians—including Bāhira, who claim the Parastin founder as one of their own—hold to the Last Law as a personal philosophy and guide for moral behavior, though they view it as a law for its time, and even scholars that admire it question its historicity as Auxientius’s actual decree. For a Parastin Protector, however, the Last Law is a strict code, and following its tenets protects and preserves Auxientia’s truest self.
LUMENSTONE: a gem containing magical abilities found only in the valley of Mutu. The Luciole founding members experimented upon the lumenstone that the exiles discovered in the Valley of the Heart and learned to tap the power of this rare mineral as a battery. After the Bright City fell, the Lucioles planned the new city of Auxientia. They constructed a “grid” of lumenstone-powered modules connected by a network of cables, and thus began the Steel Age, or the “First Industrial Age.” As a battery, however, lumenstone can expire; if not monitored, it can become volatile or radioactive. In some cases lumenstones may corrupt devices beyond their intended purpose to dangerous effect. UPDATE: In addition, natural lumenstone dwindled dangerously and Bāhira took a stand against further destructive mining of lumenstone in their ancestral lands. While the lumenstone-powered grid continues to power much of Auxientia, most new technologies eschew the use of lumenstone for steam power and electricity. Innovations in miniaturized lumenstone components—like decision engines for automatons—keep lumenstone in use, but only for specialized uses that power sources like steam and electricity cannot yet replicate.
MEN OF IRON: a fanatical group responsible for deadly bombings throughout the city. The Men of Iron are obsessed with the Irregular, Robert Irons, believing their actions make Irons and the city labor movement “stronger.” Although one of the Men of Iron was captured and his bomb defused with the combined efforts of Robert Irons and Luther Quatermain Cogwright, it was revealed that the bomber was part of a larger group of unknown numbers. UPDATE: All explosives created by the Men of Iron have been confiscated. All active members of the Men of Iron were recently captured and are currently being held by the Parastin Order awaiting trial.
MUTU: valley surrounding the city of Auxientia. Named by the Bāhira long before the arrival of the Exiles, Mutu literally translates to “heart.” The rock formations create a natural barrier of protection from beyonders but make trade with the outside world on a large scale extremely difficult, though not impossible. Mutu’s rock formations hold gems within them found nowhere else on Earth.
PNEUMATIC TRANSLATION DEVICE: Pneumatic Translation Devices or PTDs are handheld devices invented by Luciole child prodigy Maren Tinker allowing for quick communication between people. “A letter is too slow. Send me a message on your PTD.”
QATARMIZAT: a sweetened, lemon based juice drink used in agreement rituals between factions. To drink qatarmizat prior to a negotiation indicates one is dealing in good faith. The ritual dates back to the exiles first appearance in Mutu and is widely believed to be the first ritual shared between the exiles and the Bāhira.
SHOWN: an Irregular specific punishment. A declaration that an individual no longer has the protection of the faction. Some shown face further punishment by the city such as imprisonment or being struck. “You’re no longer one of us and shall be shown, for there is some honor among thieves.”
SILENT PARTNERS, THE: a clandestine group of unknown size that has been operating in Auxientia for decades by means of blackmail and debt to recruit members. The leader(s) and goals of The Silent Partners remain a mystery. Silent Partners engage their members in various activities from recruitment to murder. In most cases, instructions are delivered by proxy to hide the true identity of their leader(s). UPDATE: The leader of the Silent Partners was revealed to be pneumatic tube-a-gram station employee Echo Guster. However, it is theorized that Echo Guster may have been a coded alias. Whereabouts of Echo Guster are currently unknown.
SIX YEAR SIEGE: a conflict occurring 17-11 years before present, beyonders laid siege to the city, making travel outside the city even more challenging with Auxientia faced constant bombardment. The city was briefly united for this time with a heavy tolled inflicted on all factions. The Six Year Siege ended with the Ward Compact, although relations with the outside world remain tense. It has recently been uncovered that at least one beyonder country offered assistance. However, these correspondences went ignored by former Auxientia mayor Shifter. It is believed Shifter may have collaborated with the invading beyonders during the conflict, allowing the Great Auxientia Fire.
STACKS, THE: a district of Auxientia infamous for being a location where gangs of dangerous criminals congregate. “They operate in The Stacks, mostly. Trust me, you don’t want to be caught in the Stacks after dark.”
STRUCK: former citizens of Auxientia who, as punishment for a crime, were exiled and erased from history and the memory of the people. Since their deeds are seldom forgotten, the erased are given nicknames such as “the Scourge” or “Bitterblade” in addition to being physically branded. Erasure is rarely performed as it is reserved for the very worst of criminal offenders. However, the ritual has devolved over the years to include lesser crimes so long as the majority of the city casts its vote for erasure. Some struck have returned to Auxientia only to have citizens treat them as pariah, rejecting their very presence. While family and friends of struck are not banished, there is an unspoken social stigma often attached. “For the struck banishment is not enough, death far too lenient. This city shall erase all memory and destroy all public record. It must be as if the struck never existed at all. All that shall remain is the pain of their heinous act, until the day that too fades from all recollection.” UPDATE: Struck was recently repealed in Auxientia by order of city council.
WYVERN: a winged two-legged dragon with a barbed tail populating the borders of the city, nesting amongst the highland cliffs. Extremely territorial, wyverns are known to attack ships in water and air unprovoked as the transports attempt passage in or out of Mutu. Wyverns are only known to live in the valley of Mutu and are considered sacred by Bāhira. Although some Auxientians use wyvern parts for function such as weapons and armor, the wearing of wyvern remains for decorative purposes is considered taboo, especially by the Bāhira, and is often an easy way to identify a poacher.
WYVERN’S WIDOW: originally a medicine produced from wyvern venom to treat ear aches, Wyvern’s Widow should only be taken in very small doses. Somewhat larger doses produce hallucinations in users, but large enough doses can act as a deadly poison. Extreme caution should be used when taking Wyvern’s Widow.