5th Special Forces Group: a.k.a. The Green Berets, a unit of the US Army, special forces with advanced training in small arms, tactics, unarmed combat, infiltration, and a bunch of other crazy, dangerous stuff. Utilized extensively in Viet Nam where Haynes had served two tours with them. Total badasses.
Above the Hill: The way the Fey refer to our world. They are too pompous to simply say “Earth,” I guess.
Aether Crystal: Large crystal made from pure magic and used as a storage device. Each Fiefdom has its own. Powered by the deaths of Fey and humans alike, it doesn’t discriminate like that.
Armor Class (A/C): Game Term. A number that represents how good all your armor combined is. The higher the number, the better protected you are.
BDU: Battle Dress Uniform. Refers to the common uniform used by armed forces. Use of the pants has become common among all types of first responders for their durability and paramilitary look. Plus, they have lots of pockets.
Charisma (Cha): Game Stat. A way to quantify a person’s likeability or force of personality. How well other people respond to them and their leadership qualities. The indefinable quality that makes people like you or hate you.
Changeling: A baby who is stolen from human parents and raised as Fey. The term has evolved to also mean a possible spy among the humans living in the Fey Realm. I’ve never heard of one being verified, so this might just be myth.
Character Sheet: Game Term. The list of statistics and numbers meant to sum up a person’s worth and abilities in an easy to read format. Basic RPG format. It’s activated by pressing a person’s Red Tattoo. Because nothing tells a person’s life story like 3 pages of neatly typed script… Most folks keep this information hidden from everyone except close friends and trusted allies.
Constitution (Con): Game Stat. Measures how healthy and tough a person is. High scores add to Hit Point Totals. Bruce Willis in Unbreakable had a high constitution, Mr. Glass had a really low one.
Critical Hit: Game Term/ Game Effect. When an attack is performed so well that there is no defense for it and it causes severe injuries. In Game Terms, Damage is doubled or tripled depending on the weapon. The kind of hit where you need to use a cool one-liner as you do it.
Daoine Maithe: Old Gaelic term for the Fey. It means ‘The Good Folk.” Is that irony or sarcasm?
Damage: Game Stat. A number used to represent how much injury has been dealt to an opponent. A way of removing Hit Points from an opponent. An opponent can also be dealt non-lethal damage also known as ‘subdual’ damage.
Damage, Subdual: A way of inflicting damage to an opponent with the intent to incapacitate them without killing them. The kinder, gentler way to beat someone.
Dexterity (Dex): Game Stat. A way of measuring the all-around agility of a person. Can refer to balance, hand movements, or anything involving precision. Spiderman has a really high Dex; Juggernaut has a really low one.
Doctrina De Primigenes: General term used for the collection of Fey lore and history as left behind when the Fey fled our world. Each Fiefdom allegedly left their own version behind.
Doctrina De Terram Caeruleum: Lore and history left behind by the Fey of Terram Caeruleum when they fled our world.
Elf: Humanoid Fey. They look like humans but with pointed ears. They tend to be more graceful, thinner, and much more arrogant than an average human. With extremely long lives, their societies are set up in a feudal system with a strict caste system. I never got a chance to learn much more than that. Thorn is a societal outcast, so the subject is touchy with her.
EMS: Emergency Medical Services usually comprised of EMTs and Paramedics. Generally, the most underpaid and overworked of all First Responders. And no, we don’t use the sirens just to get through traffic unless we are on a call.
ESU: Emergency Services Unit. (Not to be confused with EMS.) NYC’s Police Department’s version of a SWAT team. Why a different name? Because it's New York, and we have to do things just a little bit different.
Fiefdom: An area controlled by a feudal ruler within the confines of a larger kingdom.
Fey: General term for a creature or being made of, or in part by magic, sentient, or otherwise. This includes elves, gnolls, pixies, ogres, etc. Basically, anything not human that I’ve met so far.
Globus Ignus: A fancy term for a fireball spell. A real classic with a devastating area effect of fire and explosions. Extremely hot. Don’t point at your own face.
Gnoll: Humanoid Fey. Half-man, Half-dog, all awesome. Savage in battle, extremely loyal as friends, very intelligent murder machines. Excellent craftsman.
Goblin: Filthy little rat-lizard jerks. About 3-4 feet tall with long ears and noses. Sadistic little jerks. Usually like to attack from far away, by surprise, or at a helpless target, preferably all three. Cowards at heart, they revel in other creatures’ suffering. Not a fan.
Gob: Short for goblin. Used in a derogatory way, of course.
Grá: Beloved. A pet name Thorn uses for Haynes.
Healing Stone: Green/white stones imbued with healing energy for fast healing. Exhausting to use, but more valuable than anything else around here that is available to us.
Hit Points (H.P.): Game Term/Game Stat. A measure of a person’s ability to take damage before falling unconscious or dying. Represented as a variable number or by rough estimate on the red tattooed pie chart. As the tattoo turns black (or grey), it corresponds to the loss of Hit Points. In battle, the objective is to reduce an opponent to 0 H.P.
Imbued Object: Any object that has been given magical properties in a permanent way, such as a magic sword, magic hat, or
