Vereva/Terms

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General

A list of terms used in the world of Vereva alongside their definitions. This idea contains Ideas, concepts and holidays.

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Aelven Aging Factor

The Aelven Aging Factor is a reference to which Aelves grow old. Aging an average of ten times longer and ten times slower than races with the base factor. An Aelf's life consists of 39 years of infancy and 80 years of childhood and adolescence, reaching adulthood at 150 years of age. The average life span of the Aelf rests at 632 years, marking the average span of adult life to last 482 years.

Age of Science Day

Age of Science Day is a holiday in Lorelei that marks the anniversary of the nation as well as promotes the continuity of the Age of Science. The day is community-oriented, being held in parks and city squares large enough to hold a few hundred people. The progression of the celebration begins with a showing of new patented inventions by Lorelei's numerous inventors around noon, followed by fireworks in the early evening. After fireworks, the social standard is to dine out. Most restaurants in Lorelei spend months preparing for the holiday.

Alpha

In Minotaur culture, the Alpha is the political leader of the Kahremite Empire who earns his status not through election, wealth, skill or merit, but through a smell secreted through his or her skin.

Anthology

The first twelve chapters of the Thaumopaedia are collectively referred to as the Anthology. They tell the story of the goddess Bevesta and 15 years on Vereva.

Autumnal Equinox

The Autumnal Equinox is a holiday celebrated in Kahrim on Day 1 of the Incoming Moon which marks the first day of the autumn season. On this day, the final crops of summer are harvested before the winter season. The holiday stems from a long history of home gardening and farming, its purpose to show one's neighbors the fruitfulness of one's agricultural labors. It is the tradition on this day to cook the supper of a neighboring household using one's own pantry of resources. The neighbor is chosen by facing one's front entrance and selecting the household that lives most directly to the right, the preferred cardinal direction in Kahremite culture.

Betas

In Minotaur culture, the Betas are secondary leaders of descending power whose scents allow them to act as runners-up to the Alpha. There are 23 Betas underneath the Alpha of Kahrim.

Bevesta

Bevesta refers to a goddess as well as a Verevian nation.

Bevesta (country)

The country of Bevesta is a large nation made mostly of a desert climate spanning the southeast stretches of Almsaunde. The nation is, and has always been, historically Thaumaturge with a high fellowship of Majicians.

Page(s) of reference: Bevesta

Bevesta (deity)

As a deity, Bevesta was a mortal goddess who, while pregnant, had fallen to the mortal realm little more than 20,000 years ago. As recounted by folklore, the sentient races nursed her back to good health and helped her climb back to heaven. Because they were so kind, she granted each race a gift that would become inherent to themselves as a reward. The goddess was said to have given birth to her son Xahl on Vereva, whom she left in the mortal realm, entrusting him to watch over the world. Making a tragic mistake, the goddess used up her powers to grant gifts and return home before she could make Xahl mortal god. The Bevesdane royal family are believed to be direct descendants of Xahl and therefore the goddess herself.

Cataclysm

The Cataclysm was a war being waged between the mortal gods in the first realm of heaven that lasted at least 2 million years. The gods battled to the death to try and claim victory as the rightful ruler over the realm of the mortals, or Vereva, and the first realm of heaven which was inhabited by all the mortal gods. The war was ended by the goddess Bevesta who after living a full 15 years on Vereva, decided that the lives of its inhabitants was of more value than what the gods originally thought.

Centurion

The Centurion are the five leaders of the government of Avelamb. The Centurion, always a member of the Aelven race, are elected on a base of merit and age. Being that the Aelves age differently because of their aging factor, the Centurion are almost always the oldest surviving beings of all of the sentient races. They run their government through unwritten law. Instead, the members of their society watch them closely, the merit or moral codes that they follow being used as the foundation of legislature. By example, if a Centurion were to kill, killing is marked as a legal act until the death of the Centurion who performed the action, however if none should do so, the act is marked illegal. Historically, the Centurion is the only political leader who has at some point had great influence on the global scale. At the end of the Heaven's War, all of Vereva was as one country run by the Centurion.

Coming of Age

On Vereva, each racial culture has its own rite of passage for adolescents to undergo upon entering adulthood called the Coming of Age. The Coming of Age has a slight religious nuance on Vereva. Some coming of age processes are culturally required prerequisites before entering the job force, such as those of the Minotaurs and the Thaumaturges. For Dwarves and Humans, the coming of age is not obligatory, but evading it is considered socially unacceptable. The Aelves also have an important rite of passage that has become a global culture called the Grand Tour.

Crown of the Royals

The Crown of the Royals is a spell still in effect in Bevesta. The spell reveals to the public the identities of the Bevesdane royal family through turning their hair shades of green which is unnatural to all sentient faces of Vereva. The identity is kept public through the cultural tradition of extended hair growth and the prospect of never covering one's head, one of the most prominent religious taboos.

Cry for Help

The Cry for Help is a new age religious holiday in Bevesta. The holiday was established after the Thaumaturge's loss in the Heaven's War and is a somber tradition in which Bevesdanes gather in larger numbers in attempt to pray for the forgiveness of Bevesta and earn back Majick.

Day of the Molted Horns

Following War Week, the Day of the Molted Horns is a special holiday in Kahrim in which youths return from horn molting. On this day, scents (as well as horn shape for males) are compared and a new Alpha may be crowned if any of the youths' scents are stronger than that of the current Alpha.

Diurnal Eye

Diurnal Eye is the name of the sun around which Vereva orbits. Vereva's sun and moon are worshipped in the common religion as well in other minor religions throughout the world. Most religions have similar folklore that express the two celestial bodies to be eyes of gods, keeping a close watch over Vereva.

Dragoon

A Dragoon is a Verevian cavalier who rides on dragons to do battle. Dragoonism became obsolete upon the Human's invention of the battle airship which made more dangerous the profession when dragons and their Dragoon riders in the sky were able to be bombared with close-range cannons. Modernly, only the land varient of these cavaliers, called Wyrmhearts, are still used in combat.

Dwarven Aging Factor

The Dwarven Aging Factor is the basis by which Gnomes and Dwarves age. At approximately 2.34 times the rate of other races (and 23.4 times the rate of Aelves), these two races age the fastest, reaching adulthood at the age of 6.

Election Day

In Lorelei, Election Day is a judicial holiday taking place on Day 3 of the Waning Sun in which a new prime minister is to be elected. It celebrated via parades and fireworks after which an obligatory speech to address the populace is given by the new leader.

Envijë

A body piercing under the bottom lip in Kahrim, called an Envijë, is the most common of cultural Minotaur piercings. The piercings, which are held as the most sacred part of Minotaur culture, are said to represent different social statuses of the wearer. The envijë represents that the wearer joined the Kahremite Army as a voluntary participant, an honor of the highest esteem to the Kahremite peoples.

First Drizzle

The first rain of Kahrim's rainy winter season is celebrated with a children's holiday called the First Drizzle which is used to show appreciation to the gods for keeping Kahrim's plains fertile for another year. On this day, children are let out of school to play many rain-related games. A traditional game functioned by having a short race through the rain with the winner of the race being the person who finishes driest, an easy judgment to call because of Minotaurs' superior olfactory perception. Only the winning child would traditionally receive a gift. Today, most Kahremite parents buy presents for all children on this day.

Gcamonta

In the Bevesdane culture of Thaumaturges, the bottom layer of clothing traditionally worn is called the Gcamonta (Bevesdani; pronounced: khah-MOHN-tuh; /çaˈmontə/). It consists of a shirt and pants (dresses for women) and is always a shade of green called chartreuse, alike the shades of colors taken by the Crown of the Royals as green is the holiest color in the Majicium faith. The Gcamonta is the most private of the clothing layers, akin to nudity, it is seen as immodest to let another person see one's Gcamonta layer.

Graduation Day

In Lorelei, where knowledge is a concept almost sacred, Graduation Day is a de facto holiday in which many denizens (somewhere around 30% of the population) from around the country attend the nearest university to watch the graduation ceremonies of youths becoming scholars. Lorelei lacks the definite coming of age culture that the other nations have, though many citizens are starting to lean toward graduation as the mark of coming into adulthood.

Grand Tour

The Grand Tour is a coming of age rite of passage began by the Aelves at the end of the Heaven's War. The Grand Tour is a trip around the entirety of Vereva, visiting each nation, that traditionally ends in the ruins of Itanstale in Eidriel. Its purpose is to teach youths the horrors of the global conflict that led to the extinction of the Giants and the Gnomes to dissuade further generations from war. As Aelf culture became better known around the world, the Grand Tour gained recognition as a general rite of passage an by 19435 all races began to participate in large numbers.

Heaven's War

The greatest known conflict in recorded history on Vereva is known as the Heaven's War. The war began when the Thaumaturges of Bevesta took charge to spread their empire and influence on a global scale, believing themselves to be the rightful proprietors of Vereva. The war, fought primarily on the soils of Eidriel, lead to the destruction of the civilizations of two sentient races—the Giants and the Gnomes—whose Dragoons and Wyrmhearts were no match for Bevesdane Majick.

Human Aging Factor

The Human Aging Factor refers to the aging rate of most sentient races. The aging rate is similar to that of Earth's humans where one full year accounts for one unit of aging, eg: 2 years old, 3 years old. On Vereva, Humans, Minotaurs, Thaumaturges and Giants age this way.

Hydrophant

In militaries around the world, special battalions were formed by cavaliers who rode Beasts into battle. Among these were the Hydrophants, who rode in on hydra to battle on sea. Hydraphancy was considered the most dangerous of the cavalier battalions and therefore the most honored. Unlike Dragoonism, Hydrophancy existed alongside conflict done by vehicles of the same means (water). Today, only the land variation of cavaliers, called the Wyrmheart, is still used while the air and sea variations have fallen obsolete due to Human's advancement in technology.

Irnerma

In the Thaumaturges' clothing culture, the fourth layer of clothing outward from the body is known as the Irnema (Bevesdani; pronounced: eer-NAY-muh; /iʁhˈnemə/). The Inerma is composed of footwear, the mantle and all jewelry bar wrist jewelry. The mantle is a long cloak and the only article of clothing which may have pockets. The mantle acts as a backpack, giving Bevesdanes a place to carry all their required carry-arounds. The Inerma is the appropriate attire in places and buildings where the entire population of people are separated into smaller groups with limited interaction with other groups such as schools, markets and restaurants, as well as some federal locations such as public libraries.

Larger Races

The term Larger Races is used to reference all races that kept Humans as slaves over the long history of slavery in Vereva. These races included the Minotaurs, the Dwarves, the Giants, and the Thaumaturges. The term was coined by the Humans who referred to the other races as larger not because of their size, but because of their capabilities that in ancient times kept them superior to Humans.

Liberation Day

Liberation Day is a traditionally Human holiday in Lorelei that occurs on the first day of the year (Day 1 of the Sinistral Moon). The day is used to show thankfulness for the Humans' newfound freedom from oppression and the rights to free will and free thought. Liberation Day is celebrated differently by many citizens, the holiday raiding toward the tendency of doing whatever makes yourself feel liberated. While harsh crime and felony are not common on the holiday, Liberation Day can be one of the most dangerous days in Lorelei as many people rally in the streets while racial tensions are high, influenced by alcohol.

Majician

A Majician is a practicioner of the Majicium faith.

Majicium

Majicium is the main religion in the world of Vereva, once followed by all nations as thanks to the gods for the gifts of the sorcery, a practitioner of which is called a "Majician." The religion today is followed mainly by citizens of the nations of Avelamb and Bevesta. There are many gods in Majicium, but the most important is the goddess Bevesta (for Bevesta (nation) vs. Bevesta (deity), see here) who was said to have fallen into the mortal realm and to have been the goddess who granted the sentient races their gifts for aiding her return to heaven. Today, the religion in practice is used in Bevesta (nation) to beg the gods for the return of Majick and in Avelamb to beg the gods to strip Vereva of all its Majick permanently. A common prayer in Bevesdane culture begins "O' Bevesta, Light within our hearts, Diviner of our souls, forgive us sinful children of Vereva," while the Avelonian version reads "O Bevesta, Light within our hearts, Diviner of our souls, punish us unworthy children of Vereva."

Majick

In Majicium belief, Majick was the sentient feature of the Thaumaturges gifted to them the goddess Bevesta. Majick allowed the Thaumaturges to call upon miracles at whim, a trait previously only capable of a small minority of non-sentient flora and fauna.

Míeitra

Míeitra (Bevesdani; pronounced: myeh-EE-truh; /mjɛˈitʁhə/) is the middle layer of clothing in Bevesdane culture consisting of long socks or stockings, hand wear and wrist jewelry, and a short thin overcoat woven with sheen materials like satins, silks or velour. The Míeitra is seen as informal wear and as so is worn only in the home, around family and close friends.

Mist

When the moon moves in between Vereva and the sun marking the planet's cold, dark winter seasons, the sun's rays melt the icy surfaces of the moon causing countless gallons of water to drip and large sheets of ice to fall from the moon into the Beating Heart. When these liquid and frozen waters crash into the lava fields and sandseas, the steams created form a gaseous substance called the Mist. The mist contributes to much of the chemical make up of Vereva's atmosphere. In cold winter months, the mists rise high in the sky and are responsible for making the mist clouds, which supply the winters with all of their precipitation. In warmer months, stray mists can be found in cool, dry places where there is little sunlight, such as below the canopy of a thick jungle or forest, or in caves or caverns. The mist gases are said to be thick enough to drink, and, if one is light enough, to swim through. Gnomes were said to swim through the mists that collected in the Treant forests, but the greatest mist habitat is the Rjedjec Sjërrjedjec in Kahrim.

Nocturnal Eye

Low in the skies of Vereva is its icy moon called the Nocturnal Eye. The moon orbits around Vereva much slower than the moon of Earth, performing a full orbit in a full Verevian year (450 days). Because the seasons of the planet don't vary greatly if at all because Vereva's sun always faces the Beating Heart, the position of the moon in the sky tells Verevians which season is in current progress.

Non-sentient Race

A Non-sentient Race on Vereva references all flora and fauna that cannot communicate inter-species, have little understanding of logic and reasoning, and were not given a sentient feature by the goddess Bevesta.

Plate for the Giants

A Plate for the Giants is a traditional meal eaten at the end of War Week in Kahrim before Minotaur youth are sent off for horn molting. The meal begins with heavy foods relative to Minotaur culture that lead up to 5 more gradually lighter courses and end in a final meal consistent with the Giants' diet.

Prayers

In the Majicium faith, Prayers need to be spoken by Thaumaturges in order to create miracles known as Majick. There are many different kinds of prayers which each have different purposes and effects.

Scent of the Alpha

The Scent of the Alpha is a strong scent given off by Minotaurs when adrenaline rushes through their system. The scent is usually fragrant and aromatic for women but is always odorous for men. With other races, most can only smell the scent when closeby, but Minotaurs, having a much greater olfactory perception, may be able to smell another specific Minotaur from miles out. The scent acts as a repellent for most non-majickle fauna, though other fauna remain unaware or unaffected by the smell. In Kahrim, the scent is the primary trait used to elect the Alpha with the owner of the most putrid odor being deemed the elected leader of the country. Only five female Minotaurs have succeeded this privilege in written history, while it remains impossible for a non-Minotaur to be crowned Alpha.

Semi-sentient Races

A Semi-sentient Race of Vereva is one which shows a great amount of sentience in comparison to non-sentient flora and fauna. By example, some of these races have the ability to manipulate and utilize objects in nature to make utensils for and participate in cooking, making of clothing and advanced weaponry. In the folklore of the Majicium faith, the semi-sentient races were once sentient races who lost their sentience upon the death of the god alike them. The four semi-sentient animal races are the Centaurs, Manticores, Ogres and Trolls and the only semi-sentient plant race is the Treant. Traditionally, the names of semi-sentient races are always capitalized.

Sentient Feature

The Sentient Feature of a race, religiously called the race's sorcery is a unique feature of a sentient race in reference with the other sentient races. The sentient features, by folklore of the Majicium faith, are said to have been gifts of a goddess who granted the peoples powers for aiding her reascension into heaven. The sentient features have different levels of complexity within themselves and significance to their inherent racial culture. For all practicioners of Majicium, these features are considered sacred. For Aelves, their superior longevity is this feature which allows them to far outlive their brother races. For Dwarves, their skin is made to better weather temperature and force. Giants were said to be able to speak to non-sentient creatures while their Gnome counterparts had a skill yet unknown to other races, now lost with time. For Humans, the feature comes in the form of their superior intellect: their capacity for knowledge and learning far surpassing others. Minotaurs were able to fend off unwanted pests through smell, as well as incredible feats of strength; alike ants, they are able to carry loads many times greater than their own mass. Lastly, Thaumaturges were able to pray for miracles called Majick.

Sentient Race

The Sentient Races of Vereva refers to the seven traditional races that can intercommunicate verbally, having an advanced capacity for logic with the ability to manipulate the ecosystem around them for the betterment (or lack thereof) of their own species and societies. Sentient races are also the chosen gift bearers of the goddess Bevesta. Sentient races are opposed to the non-sentient flora and fauna. The races include the Aelves, the Dwarves, the Giants, the Gnomes, the Humans, the Minotaurs and the Thaumaturges. Traditionally, the names of sentient races are always capitalized.

Sorcery

See also: Sentient Feature

Sorcery is the religious term used on Vereva to refer to a race's sentient feature.

Ssāssa

The Ssāssa (Bevesdani; pronounced: SAHN-suh; /ˈsɑnsə/)) is a traditional dance of Bevesta. It is danced completely on the left foot, never letting the right foot touch the ground and is made of two parts. The first section of the dance is done atop ice or in cold water, especially the waters of the River of the Ssāssa, symbolizing the Nocturnal Eye, and the latter section is done atop steaming coals in order to symbolize the Diurnal Eye. The dance is said to reference a closeness with Bevesta.

Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is a holiday in Vy Mirvë celebrated on the first day the summer sunlight hits the city of Kilthwol, usually sometime during the Month of the Far Moon. The holiday is celebrated is by wearing vibrant colors as bright as the impending sunlight, and chasing away the "demons of the night," or nocturnal fauna that are culturally though to be unearthly. A meat-only feast is eaten on this day. This feast traditionally contains 5 different kinds of Hydratic fish, reindeer, owl and bat. Wealthier families may be able to afford more exotic meats such as hydra, wyvern or Troll's foot.

Tessizca

The Tessicza (Bevesdani; pronounced: teh-SEE-juh; /tɛˈsidʒə/) is the fifth and final layer of clothing in Bevesdane culture. The layer is made up of a single article of clothing: the robe. The robe is supposed to made of the finest fabrics of all the layers, and as well should be the most decorative of the layers with complex elaborate designs, fine lacing, and in some cases, decorated with fine gems and jewels. The Tessicza is appropriate for all mass gatherings of people, such as during holidays or Majicium masses as well as when one is en route, traveling to or from a destination.

Thaumopaedia

The Thaumopaedia refers to the holy scriptures of the Majicium religion. All of the Thaumaturges' prayers are said to be written here.

Trail to Kensilla

At the end of the Heaven's War, Humans took the initiative to liberate themselves from slavery in the largest scale emigration in Verevian history known as the Trail to Kensilla. Originating as an emigration to a small Human-run town of Port Neith in the south of Kahrim, the Trail to Kensilla eventually led to a transoceanic movement through the Skypass onto the previously uninhabited continent of Kensilla. This was due to the Minotaurs' disdain for free Humans on their lands. The nation Lorelei as well as the settlement of Abbu-Symbell were formed through the emigration and as word spread, Humans as far as Almsaunde made their own trips to Kensilla to become part of it.

Undra

The second layer of clothing in Bevesdane culture is called the Undra (Bevesdani; pronounced: OON-druh; /ˈundʁhə/). The Undra is composed of vest and chaps (a dress for women) as well as belts and short socks. The Undra is socially an intimate layer of clothing, worn only in the presence of one's spouse. It is made of heavier materials than more outward layers such as pelts and leathers.

Vy Wöihod

Vy Wöihod (Mirvermish; pronounced: vee voo-EE-hohd; /viːvuˈiɦod/) is the coming of age rite of passage for youths in Vy Mirvë. Vy Wöihod, loosely translating as "the trip" or "the voyage," is a boating trip through the Hydratic Ocean in which youths (mostly males) are charged to catch as many fish and other sea creatures as possible over a two week period to be eaten in an unnamed feast upon their return. Returning from Vy Wöihod is considered a great honor being that the ocean waters are dangerous, filled with fauna such as hydra and kraken. The youths are charged with the mission without adult supervision despite the dangers, so many form small bands of 10 to 20 shiphands to enhance their chance of survival. Around 22% of youths who attempt Vy Wöihod do not return, their ships lost at sea between the staring point at Aç'üçë and the ending point in Abbu-Symbell in the Çy ffir vy Wöihod (Sea of the Voyage.)

War Week

Taking place in the 16th week of the year, usually sometime between the Month of the Outgoing Moon and the Month of the North Moon is War Week, a seven-day holiday in Kahrim used to commemorate the existence of the Giants and the Gnomes, who, in their prime, were allies to the Minotaurs. The week begins with reenactments of the Heaven's War in many places throughout the country on the first and second days, followed by mass recruitments of willing soldiers into the Kahremite Army on the third and fourth day. Martial arts competitions are held through the week and a heavy focus is placed on their championship matches on the fifth and sixth days. On the final day of the week, a feast called Plate for the Giants is eaten at noon, before youths are sent off for their coming of age horn molting.

Wyrmheart

In many Verevian nations, entire military battalions ride beasts of the air, land and sea. While the Dragoons of the air and the Hydrophants of the sea have become archaic, the Wyrmhearts—warriors who ride wyverns—still wage many a battle on the lands.

Xahlis

The Xahlis is a holiday of the Majicium religion. It is used to celebrate the birth of Xahl, the mortal non-god son of the goddess Bevesta whom she left on Vereva to watch over its denizens.

Xilliones' War

The current conflict on Vereva is called the Xilliones' War, named after the Bevesdane Viscountess. The war, between Kahrim with ally Lorelei and Bevesta with supporter Vy Mirvë began as a need by Bevesdane monarchs for rare resources that are native only to the southern coasts of Kahrim. When the Kahremites denied access to the land and its resources, the Bevesdanes had little choice but to take them by force. Although the war in its 21st year of conflict has had many battles, the struggle is mostly an arms race.

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