Patzer – Leader of a band of Escapers hiding in the boundary lands between the Refugee Territories and the official districts of Polis Sumad. Likely suffering an imposed mental impairment. He has a long-standing, though vague, arrangement with Sumad Reach Chapterhouse.
Polis – Earth-bound Gods who decided to remain on Earth to support human progress. They are also vast and complete city-states, hundreds of miles long. Their active sentience is a matter of some debate. It is unclear whether they operate at an entirely subconscious level and respond to stimuli, or if they actively withhold interaction with humanity, allowing them to implement their free will.
Refugee Territories – Upon their arrival in Polis Sumad, the Cenephan refugees were given five areas at the outskirts of Polis Sumad, instead of integrating them into Sumadan society. These five areas, Serenity, Humility, Chastity, Austerity and Sufferance were mostly uninhabited due to relatively sporadic hexagon and pipe functionality.
Repaan Lethrien – A young man from Armer. Member of Brogen Quarter Guard. Escaped from the Immersion Chamber with three others and relocated to Polis Sumad.
Roar, the – The sound of a Swallowing. A sound not only heard by the ears, but also in the mind. It is unknown what the sound is, though it stands to reason it is the sound of the implements that Polis use when Swallowing a piece of land.
Royals – Long-lived maintainers of all Polis, residing exclusively at their Centers. They claim credit for the defeat of the Darkness in the Founders’ War. They are not seen without their masks when they meet with public. Their technology is advanced beyond the level of those living outside the Center, though it is unclear how much advanced.
Monks – Holy men and women of Polis Sumad. They keep extreme ascetic practices to maintain a close relationship with the Gods and Polis Sumad.
Monk Hills – Scattered sporadically around Polis Sumad. These hills are frequently occupied by monks seeking visions of angels and awaiting messages from them. Some hills have angelic visitations, while others do not. It is unknown what makes a monk hill different from any ‘regular’ hill.
Seekers – An order whose origins are unclear even to its members. Their existence is at least five thousand years old, and thought to be older, though it is not known in what form they existed before the Founders’ War. Their purpose is to wipe out chaos energy and cadverism wherever it is found. They interact often with royalty, who alert them to the existence of emergent pockets of chaos energy. Their ranks, in order, are Student, Apprentice, Assistant, Missionary, Head, Keeper, Holder and Governor.
Seeker Sense – The Seeker ability to sense nearby pockets of chaos energy and cadvers. The acuity of the sense varies from Seeker to Seeker.
Street Keepers – Polis Sumad’s police force.
Suppression energy – Discovered under one thousand years ago, it is an addictive energy form produced by suppression generators. Those addicted to it are named ‘powerheads.’ Although the energy brings euphoria to those despairing, it also inhibits mental function and emotional range. It can also substitute for food, though with adverse mental effects.
Swallowing – The most visible manifestation of Polis. When too much chaos energy is detected within its boundaries, a Polis comes to ‘swallow’, or take down into the earth, the affected area. Swallowings are only minutes in duration, though can be presaged by tremors for hours and days. A Swallowing is accompanied by ‘the Roar’, an indescribable sound that is thought to be the movement of the Polis Himself. The actual instrument that does the Swallowing is unknown.
Terese Saarg – A Head Seeker from Polis Armer. Secretly involved with the Immersion Chamber program.
Toornan Lyrean – A recently promoted missionary Seeker, joined to the mission sent to Sumad.
Tokkus – An immigrant from within Sumad, serving as a sergeant within HopeWall. Not much is known of him other than he left his family to come to the Territories as a young man.
Tower, the – The foremost vibration weaving academy in Polis Sumad’s Refugee Territories. Established by Mother Farrah upon her arrival from Polis Ceneph. It was intended to exclusively teach women to weave.
Vibration energy – Used by weavers to create sophisticated tools of detection, healing and communication, among other uses. Weave purposes are shaped by the nature of the density, knots and patterns the weaves are arranged in. Vibrations are opposed to chaos energy, and are considered the energy of the life itself.
Wall – Fortress structures unique to the Refugee Territories of Polis Sumad. Large, circular or square domestic structures capable of containing growth hexagons, though not all have hexagons within them. Usually at least four storeys high and constructed with stone and mortar. Their primary design function is to discourage and withstand cadver assaults. Walls are usually grouped in ‘clusters’, analogous to small towns. A singular Wall in isolation is considered similar to a village. HopeWall cluster is considered the design pinnacle of Wall clusters.
Weavers – Users capable of manipulating vibration energy. Weaves can be used to create or program objects for use, or the weaver can weave at a target directly. The purposes of weavers are wide-ranging, and can be used among other purposes, for crop growth, bodily healing, heating and communication.
Zalaran Morgenheth – A young man from Armer with extraordinary eyesight. Member of Brogen Quarter Guard. Escaped from the Immersion Chamber with three others and relocated to Polis Sumad.
Acknowledgments
It’s been a long, strange road to publishing The Renegade Within. Thanks to all those, without whom, this book wouldn’t exist:
Christian Bentulan, Kevin Berry, Alana Bolton-Cooke, Mark Dawson, Suzanne Day, Chad Dick, Schery Girvan, Jan Goldie, Annabelle Grierson, Gerry Huntman, Dione Jones, Doug Johnson, Mike Johnson (no relation), Jasmine Johnson, Coover Kasad, Meher Kasad, Patrick McDonald, Phillip Mann, Eileen Mueller, Lee Murray, Greg Simpson, Brendan Were, Hannah Wynn.
The FireWall Series
Prequel: Dark Construction
Prequel: Dual Heritage
Book 1: The Renegade Within
Book 2: Shadows in Fog
Book 3: The Night Princess
Book 4: The First And Last
Book 5: The Bleeding Edge
Book 6:
