Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern

Glossary

Dream: Also Dreamer, Dreaming; a talent of T'Jas that is very rare; it is the ability to have prophetic Dreams. The last recorded Icer with the talent was Queen Cataya; Princess Stasia is the only one since her to be born with it. The Flames have no record of any Dreamers, although there are allusions to Khanten being a Dreamer.

Egla: The Khell term for dwelling; it can be a winter egla, built from thick blocks of ice, or a traveling egla built from boareal hides and bones, or a summer egla which is a combination of ice and hides.

Fire Spirit: The sole deity in the theology of Chraun, the Fire Spirit dwells in the Lava Lake. According to Chraunian legends, he cast the Flames out of the Lava Lake long ago, sending them up the Lava River to make a new home.

Fireblood: A thick, black, flammable liquid used by Chraun in battle.

Firerope: A construction of T'Jas used by Flames, it burns but is also hard at its core, so that it can bind things. It adheres to itself, so that tying is not necessary.

Firesticks: Sticks made from coal that burn easily but slowly; Chraun uses them for torches and other utilities where a long burning, steady flame is needed.

Firewhip: Similar to firerope, but a firewhip has less substance and more fire. It is intended to inflict pain, as when used on Semija, or to kill, as when used in battle against Icers.

Flames: A race that can draw T'Jas from heat and use it to accomplish feats beyond ordinary human capability.

Flats: Small, flightless rodents with vestigial wings; they crawl across tunnel walls eating bugs. Their guano is important in fungal culture.

General Medoc: The current General of Chraun.

General Zental: The current General of Iskalon.

Globomb: A weapon used rarely by Icers. It is a ball of ice fashioned to explode when it comes into contact with heat. Its T'Jas construction traps a huge amount of energy in a small space, and when the energy is released it explodes, sending shards of ice shooting at very high speeds through the vicinity.

Glowmold: A fungus that grows in the fungal caverns of Chraun. It radiates UV light, which causes the fungi growing under it to produce vitamins essential to the survival of the animals of Chraun. In Iskalon, burial ice serves a similar function.

Grimshore: The shore on Lake Lentok where the Fishing Guild processes their catch.

Guildless: Those not included in any Guild of Iskalon, whether by birth, by choice, or rejection from a Guild. They live in a tunnel on the outskirts of Lake Lentok and beg for food and clothing.

Hakua: Son of the chief of the Liathua Khell.

Hali: A guildless refugee appointed as a messenger after the war.

Heritage: The religious sect in Iskalon. They are responsible for keeping the traditions of Cataya alive as well as maintaining the Burial Shafts.

Hippole: Hippole are an animal found exclusively in Chraun. They are kept for meat, milk, and their large, extremely soft hides.

Icelight: A cold, blue light produced by Icers using T'Jas. Icelight is the only source of light in Iskalon, since no fire is allowed. Icelights can be "set" with T'Jas to last days or even weeks, so that the Icer does not have to be present in order for the icelight to function. They can be small or large, bright or dim. They can be different colors, but Icers tend to prefer blue because of its cool feeling. An icelight has no substance, but preserved ones are placed in glass spheres to give humans something to hold onto, or anchored onto something like a wall or ceiling.