Dying of the Light

soulsuck. See githyanki.

standard. Monetary unit widely used in interstellar commerce, and on almost all of the most important human worlds. Also the language of such commerce and most star-traveling humans, also called Terran, Standard Terran, Earthic, Common. Also used as an adjective to denote units of time corresponding with

those of Old Earth. Thus, standard hour, standard day, standard year, etc.

Steel Angels. Popular nickname for members of a powerful and widespread military- religious movement that developed among Federal Empire soldiers during the Double War, and has persisted and grown since. The Steel Angels believe that only humans (the seed of Earth) have souls, that race survival is the ultimate imperative, that strength is the only true virtue. Today, from their capital on Bastion, the Angels rule a dozen planets and have colonies, missions, and footholds on hundreds more. The members of the cult call themselves the Children of Bakkalon. Exact origins of the movement are in dispute. The Angels have had two major schisms and have conducted numerous wars, chiefly against non-human sentients.

Stormjones. Primitive planet in the Celian cluster named after the religious leader Erika Stormjones. See also Erikan.

Taal. Extinct holdfast-coalition of High Kavalaan.

Tara. Human world near the Tempter's Veil, on the outermost edge of the jambles. Tara was colonized at least five times by migrations from quite disparate worlds, and was also raided repeatedly during the Double War, so today it is home to many strange splinter cultures. The dominant influences, however, are both rooted in the first settlement: the Irish-Roman Reformed Catholic Church, and the hereditary warrior-ruler called the Cuchulainn.

Tempter's Veil. Cloud of interstellar dust and gas near the top of the galactic lens that blocks the Wheel of Fire and other outworld stars from view; the boundary between the Fringe and the jambles.

teyn. Kavalar term for a man bonded to another man, usually for life, in a co-equal relationship; the closest possible relationship between Kavalars; literally, mybond or close-bond or holdclose.

Thisrock. Artificial world between Prometheus and Rhiannon created by the Federal Empire for use as a naval strikebase during the Double War. Thisrock is located in deep space, orbits no star, and is quite small, in some ways more like a large stationary star-ship than a real world. Today dominated by Prometheus.

Tober-in-the-Veil. Human world on the outer edge of the Tempter's Veil, generally considered to be part of the Fringe. Tober was discovered and settled during the Collapse by the Avalon-based 17th Human Fleet, in rebellion against the Federal Empire. The Toberians are the most technologically advanced of the outworld cultures, and have developed energy shielding and pseudomatter past even Federal levels. Tober maintains a strong military arm, and is influential on several of the more primitive Fringe planets.

tree-spook. A small predatory rodent native to Kimdiss, so called because it sheds its skin several times before maturity, and leaves the transparent husk around its nest to frighten away enemies.

Trojan Suns. See Hellcrown.

Twelfth Dream. Festival city built on Worlorn by Kimdiss. Twelfth Dream was considered by sophisticates to be the most aesthetic of the fourteen cities erected for the Festival of the Fringe. Its name derives from Kimdissi religion; the universe and all that is in it is believed to have been created by the Dreamer, whose twelfth dream was Beauty Unsurpassed.

Wellington. Warm heavy-gravity world colonized directly from Earth early in the Federal period as a penal colony. Wellington and its sister planet, Rommel, later became the War Worlds that supplied the fierce assault squad troopers of the Federal Empire. See also Rommel. All life on Wellington was destroyed late in the Double War, when the 13th Human Fleet under Stephen Cobalt Northstar rebelled against

the Federal Empire. The event is often cited as the beginning of the collapse.

Wheel of Fire. Collective name for the seven-sun multiple-star system located in the Fringe, behind the Tempter's Veil. The Wheel is considered by some to be an artificial monument to a vanished race of super-beings. See also Fat Satan, Hellcrown.

whisperjewel. A crystal that has been psionically 'etched' to retain certain emotions or thoughts, which are thereafter perceptible when the crystal is held by 'resonant' or sympathetic minds. Any type of crystal may be fashioned into a whisperjewel, but certain kinds of gemstones retain the patterns far better than others. The strength and clarity of a whisperjewel may also vary with time, and with the degree of skill of the etching esper. The whisperjewels of Avalon are highly esteemed; Avalon has both a suitable base-crystal and a number of potent Talents. Some less developed worlds are reputed to produce even finer whisper-jewels, but their products seldom find their way onto the interstellar market.

Wolfheim. Human world in the Fringe, settled during the collapse by refugees from Fenris. Wolfheim culture is considered dynamic and volatile; the planet is a strong economic rival to Kimdiss, and militarily second only to Tober among the outworlds.

Wolfman. A native of Wolfheim.

World of the Blackwine Ocean. Human world on the Fringe, settled in ai-137 from Old Poseidon.

Worlorn. Rogue planet first discovered by Celia Mar-cyan; site of the Festival of the Fringe, ai-589 to ai-599, while passing near to the Wheel of Fire.