[ooc] friday → the glossary of martel
UNIVERSE OF ORIGIN
EARTH → when Martel refers to his homeworld as 'Earth', it's just a weird coincidence. He is not from Earth as most people know it, and it's not a case of 'alternate history', but a totally separate world. It's like, as someone else observed, how people everywhere call themselves 'people'.
ELENE [& variations] → sort of similar to 'British'; you can be an Elene, something can be Elene, but the above may not necessarily be from Elenia, as this covers all things/people from assorted Elene countries (incl. Arcium, Thalesia, Deira, Elenia, the holy city of Chyrellos). They speak Elenic, and Elenian specifically refers to people/things from the country Elenia - where Martel himself was born, and is twice-exiled from.
STYRIC [& Styricum] → refers to the people & culture of Styricum, a landless people best known for the religion and/or goats. Styrics suffer extreme persecution, primarily at the hands of Elenes, and attempt to protect themselves by appearing harmless and timid, living in rude settlements with the exception of Sarsos, the seat of Styric culture and learning, a city on the Daresian continent.
EOSIA & DARESIA → the two continents of Martel's world. He comes from Eosia, and has limited familiarity with Daresia.
THE SECRETS → 'the secrets of Styricum', 'the secrets' are, essentially, sorcery. Martel studied them under Lady Sephrenia and Zalasta (who was using a pseudonym at the time). A bargain was struck between Styricum and the Elene church, and selected Styrics teach sorcery to the militant orders.
THE CHURCH OF CHYRELLOS → the Elene religion, similar to Catholicism. (No Jesus, sry guys.) Sarathi is another name for the Archprelate, who is the equivalent of the Roman Catholic Pope. Patriarchs are the equivalent of Cardinals. Lord Preceptors double as Patriarchs, a right rarely exercised. Martel was excommunicated from this church.
EXCOMMUNICATION → dictionary definition: A formal ecclesiastical censure that deprives a person of the right to belong to a church. A very thorough "you are not wanted and not welcome".
THE PANDION ORDER → one of the four militant orders, the church knights based out of Elenia. They are sworn to the service of the church and their monarch, and as a rule serve the church first. The Pandions in particular are essentially the black sheep of the family. Their previous Lord Preceptor was Lord Vanion, and the current Archprelate (Dolmant) was a Pandion before he turned to the priesthood and ultimately was elected to the Archprelate's throne. Their champions were Prince Sparhawk and Sir Kalten. Lady Sephrenia (high priestess of Aphrael) tutored the Order for several hundred years, until her retirement, and they make their appeals through the child-goddess Aphrael. Martel was originally a knight in this Order, until his fall from grace, where his knighthood and titles were subsequently stripped from him in the process of his excommunication.
THE GENIDIAN ORDER → the Thalesian militant order. They have the most in common with Pandions as far as a tendency to bend and twist the rules until they scream in order to get the job done goes; living in the mountains, they are left mostly to their own devices. Their champion was Sir Ulath. They make their appeals through the god Hanka. Genidians prefer to wear chain mail rather than plate armour, due to living in amongst frequent rivers, and the high likelihood of drowning otherwise.
THE CYRINIC ORDER → the Arcian militant order. Their champion was Sir Bevier. They make their appeals through the god Romalic.
THE ALCIONE ORDER → the Deiran militant order. Their champion was Sir Tynian. They make their appeals through the god Setras, who has the best intentions and the intellect of a beautiful baby lamb with irreversible brain damage. He's particularly close to his cousin, Aphrael.
CIMMURA → the capitol city of Elenia, seat of government and the Queen's palace. Martel spent much time at the Pandion chapterhouse here.
DEMOS → an Elenian city and home of the Pandion motherhouse, where Pandion knights begin their training. There was a convent there, until Martel burned it down. He was trained there, and spent some time outside Demos at Kurik and Aslade's farm in his youth.
VARDENAIS → the rarely mentioned birthplace of Martel, Vardenais is a port city on the Elenian coast (off the Deiran sea), near the border with Arcium. His family moved away from Vardenais when he was very young, although they maintained a property there and Martel made infrequent visits. Martel's accent reflects Cimmuran aristocracy more than Vardenais, as unfortunately accents are not something you're born with.
THE HOLY CITY, CHYRELLOS → the "free" city, Chyrellos sits where the borders between Elenia, Arcium, Cammoria and Lamorkand all meet and is ruled by the Archprelate. The basilica is the holy place for Elenes. Martel once lay siege to Chyrellos and destroyed most of the outer city before breaking into the basilica, but ultimately fled with Annias in tow when the battle turned against him. (He sort of regrets not leaving the spineless son of a bitch for Ehlana.)
THE NEXUS & BEYOND
VALDIS → where Martel now lives! Valdis is the name of his castle and grounds, and it's located in a new universe entirely. Specifically, Valdis can be found in the highlands of Arum, a largely nomadic clan-based nation of mercenaries who bear some resemblance (in nature and in accent) to the Scottish. Martel is presently operating a training school for mercenaries out of his castle, which is in very early days but looks promising.
THE NEXUS → a meeting place of the multiverse, where Martel first found himself resurrected after his inevitable duel with Sparhawk and equally inevitable violent death. He set about finding himself somewhere to put down roots as quickly as he could, enjoying the nexus but requiring something solid underneath him as well.
RESURRECTION → Martel used to be dead, and now he isn't - well, not exactly, anyway. As a wholly self-contained accident outside of reality, Martel has no discernible destiny and is essentially a fixed point in time, physically unchanging. He's spent much of the past year studying what's happened to him, and could go into much more detail.
ARUM → the country in which Martel now lives. Citizens known as 'Arums'; cultural mercenaries and the premiere warriors of their entire world. They prefer to fight other people's wars than their own, and always for gold. Young Arums are taught to smile, nod, and get the money; never listen to anything a lowlander's trying to get you to believe now, leave the gods to them as need 'em. Intellectually and politically, they're widely underestimated, which seems to them like a personal problem (and it ain't theirs). The specific clan Martel is primarily associated with is that of Chief Koleika (nicknamed 'Iron-Jaw', both for his jaw-line and his tendency to be spare with words).
Valdis's Arums will eventually petition Martel for their own Valdis tartan. Even if he ever gives in, they're not getting him into a kilt.
PINPOINT TECHNOLOGY → something out of the nexus that Martel tolerates but largely distrusts, its main functions are that of a cellphone, an internet connection and teleportation that is equipped to work interdimensionally. He uses it both sparingly and grudgingly.