Terran Empire Concordance

A

A (Imperial English):

The neutral-animate pronoun. Emperor Chang disliked the fact that there was no good Standard English pronoun that referred to a single individual of unknown sex, or where sex was immaterial, so he made use of the Celtic "a", often written with an accent mark by those who use Standard (à), to distinguish it from the indefinite article (@ is sometimes used when the printing/writing device cannot show accent marks). In Imperial English orthography, the Cyrillic "ya" (reversed R) is used.

 

ACADEMY:

The Imperial Military Academy or Imperial Administrative Academy. Both are headquartered in and have their most prestigious facilities in the Antarctica Palace Complex; "branch" Academies are located throughout the Empire.

 

AHTO, Subsector 12-C:

No. systems: 89                          Sector: Eridanus
  with 3 inhabited planets:  2           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11
  with 1 inhabited planet:  21

AEGIR, Subsector 17-D:

No. systems: 72                          Sector: Indus
  with 3 inhabited planets:  3           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  8
  with 1 inhabited planet:  24

AGNI, Subsector 11-B:

No. systems: 153                         Sector: Gemini
  with 3 inhabited planets:  4           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 12
  with 1 inhabited planet:  24

ALANNA, Clan:

First of the Sandeman clans. Famous for its outstanding edged weapons.

 

ALANNA, Dana Dru-:

Originally Dana Manfredi. A Terran woman who swore personal fealty to Richard Jason. When Jason repudiated her after trying to kill her, Dana asked the Alanna clan-chief's help in making atonement for allowing him to accept an unworthy thakur-na. After seeing the evidence, the Alanna instead asked Clan Miklos to convene a planet-wide conference, and asked Clan Vader to rule on both Dana's and Jason's actions. The decision was that Dana had acted properly and Jason had not; the Alanna then offered her his clan's countenance (essentially adoption), and when she accepted, claimed Chief's Right on her behalf. The conference agreed with that, banning Jason from any business in Subsector Sandeman, declaring his property forfeit, and giving him a day to get off-world or be killed by the first warrior who saw him. It also named Dana to the warrior caste and gave her the right to wear honor-black.

ALDRAS:

Sector: 16, Virgo                            Year:
Subsector: C, Ishtar                         Day:
System: Elder                                Gravity:
Settled/established:                         Axial tilt:
By:                                          Oxygen:
Satellites:                                  % Water:
Ident code prefix: ALS                       Continents:
Ruled by: Fayette family
(Barbara Tennison)

ALPH, Subsector 17-A:

No. systems: 95                          Sector: Indus
  with 3 inhabited planets:  3           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  9
  with 1 inhabited planet:  20

ALPHA PRIME:

The first, and still primary, of the Terran Empire alternate universes. It is where all of the non-interactive novels, and most of the non- interactive short stories, take place. Although other alternates feature more prominently in the on-line interactive fiction, Alpha Prime is still the main timeline.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSES:

Until the first ship from a provably alternate universe appeared in the Empire, these were thought to be mathematical abstractions. Afterward, however, they were accepted as fact. That first confirmed inter-universe transition, like most, was the result of a drive malfunction, and led to the further discovery that if the drive was repairable, the ship's next hyper-transition would take it away (from what happened to Imperial ships, return it to its own universe). If the drive could not be repaired, the transferees had to remain.

That, at least, was and is the official story. In actuality, controlled inter-universe transition exists, but is a strictly-controlled secret. There are several reasons for this, but the primary two are the Ravagers and the fact that, although the time rate is constant, the apparent time ranges from megayears in the "past" to megayears in the "future".

Exception: In the Land Prime universe, time moves approximately ten times as fast as elsewhere in the known universes.

AMATERASU, Subsector 1-E:

No. systems: 61                          Sector: Orion
  with 3 inhabited planets:  4           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 10
  with 1 inhabited planet:  24

AMATOR:

(Xanadu) A member of the Guild of Amators, a professional entertainer specializing in sexual activities. Students are unrated; examinations, when their instructors consider them ready, will rate them as Specialist, Generalist, or Extra Class. Ratings can be upgraded by further training and examination.

 

ANGHNAR:

Sector:  5, Pegasus                          Year:
Subsector:  B, Sleipnir                      Day:
System:  Freya                               Gravity:
Settled/established:                         Axial tilt:
By:                                          Oxygen:
Satellites:                                  % Water:
Ident code prefix: ANG                       Continents:
Ruled by:

General: The world where Ranger James Medart picked up a number of Sandeman prisoners, including Dartha DruLewies, who helped him end the Sandeman war.

ANTHEM, IMPERIAL:

Otherwise known as "Darth Vader's Theme", by John Williams, from the Star Wars trilogy. In Annexation, this choice of anthem has a strong effect on the Sandeman attitude toward the Empire.

 

ANTI-AGATHIC:

A drug developed in 2113 which greatly extends the lifespan of humans, both standard and variant. Begun immediately after adolescence, it will approximately double expectable lifespan; begun later, the effect is less dramatic but still appreciable. Biological age remains what it was when treatment was started, until the last 3-5 years, though some minor cosmetic changes (such as graying hair) may appear at around the normal time.

 

ANTI-INTERROGATION CONDITIONING:

A total memory erasure triggered by a code phrase spoken by the person needing to use it. At this point, the victim fixates on the first person seen or heard. Memory up to the time of the last conditioning can be restored by replay of a mindscan tape made then, and memory after the conditioning is triggered is retained; the interval between is lost.

 

ANUBIS, Subsector 15-A:

No. systems: 48                          Sector: Auriga
  with 3 inhabited planets:  2           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11
  with 1 inhabited planet:  23

APIS, Subsector 9-C:

No. systems: 91                          Sector: Ursa
  with 3 inhabited planets:  2           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11
  with 1 inhabited planet:  24

AQUILA, Sector 10:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 207
Subsectors: 3                          Inhabited planets: 147
    A. Thunderbird
    B. Roc
    C. Garuda

ARANEIDS:

These people are arachnoid, resembling tarantulas the height of a medium-sized man. They are highly intelligent, but they have no natural vocal speech; instead, they use telepathy, and many have other aspects of Talent.

They are a very peaceable folk by preference, but something in their history (not established as yet) has convinced them of the Terran truism that the best defense is a good offense; they are fighters, almost without exception, both individually and in groups (probably what saved them during the Ravager War).

Unlike Terran tarantulas, they carry a virulent poison; there are far fewer males than females (the race is about 90-95% female); like the cloudcats, they're quite artistic and delight in fine detail work.

The front four legs have manipulative organs (probably two paired claws each, which can be closed and used for walking/running if desired). I was going to have the first two, but liked this suggestion well enough to adopt it.

They are covered in fur, rather like a long-haired Terran cat's, and they come in as wide a variety as our domestic cats -- anywhere from solid, to patchy, stripes, or whatever. And they never bothered working out the color/pattern inheritance mechanism, since they don't discriminate that way, so as far as they're concerned, it's random for all practical purposes.

They are ground-dwellers, with spinnerets they use to line their sleeping areas (non-sticky webbing, of course). Subterranean burrows (think of hobbit-holes designed for spiders, but more communal).

Despite their appearance, they are mammals, with internal gestation, internal skeletons, and lungs. Their lifespan averages about 150 years.

The Araneids have four deities (though some argue these are four aspects of a single deity). Since Araneids do not have names as humans understand them, identifying each other by mind-pattern and (sort of) occupation descriptions, these are:

   Mother of Benign Order          Father of Malign Order 
   Father of Benign Chance         Mother of Malign Chance 

Their government is made up independent nests, with a central government of nest-mothers, and a confederation or alliance (unclear exactly which in human terms) handling inter-nest disputes. Inner-nest, maybe inter-nest, government is like a cross between a debating society and a New England town meeting.

They are extremely good guerrilla fighters and good explorers, but not good in regular military service.

They are extremely curious. Oxford scholars with Attention Deficit Disorder -- jacks-of-all-trades. Hyperfocus for a few weeks, then go to something else. Good synthesists, which the Empire values. And good Intel analysts, and researchers (with humans doing the "boring" part).

Major changes in their history have been due to a few Araneids who could concentrate, long-term, on a single project. These would have been thought of as handicapped, but in a socially useful way.

They make excellent diagnosticians, though they are lacking in bedside manner, but poor surgeons -- they would match well with Traiti doctors. Great OR techs, with 4 hand-legs.

ARDEN, Subsector 4-E:

No. systems: 149                         Sector: Fornax
  with 3 inhabited planets:  1           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  9
  with 1 inhabited planet:  28

ARGUS, Subsector 2-A:

No. systems: 141                         Sector: Hydra
  with 3 inhabited planets:  5           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  9
  with 1 inhabited planet:  23

ARIES, Sector 18:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 1,067
Subsectors: 8                          Inhabited planets: 416
    A. Ebisu             E. Prometheus
    B. Pallas            F. Forseti
    C. Magni             G. Tyr
    D. Vishnu            H. Donblas

ARMS BALDRIC:

A formal or semi-formal way of displaying arms. The baldric is a length of cloth or other material about eight inches wide, hanging down in front to about wrist length, draped over the left shoulder, around the back to waist level on the right, and over the left shoulder again to about knee-height in back, with the arms pinned to it just below the left shoulder. It is colored in accordance with the level of the jurisdiction issuing the arms: green for the Empire, white for a Sector, yellow for a Subsector, orange for a system, red for a planet, and black for any lesser jurisdiction. The baldric may be fringed in silver or green, depending on the baldric's color.

 

ARRIAN:

Sector: 19, Leo                              Year: 425.28
days
Subsector: B, Galatine                       Day: 24 hr 18 min
System: Regulus                              Gravity: 995 cm/sec2
Settled/established:                         Axial tilt: 21.4o
By:                                          Oxygen: 25.3%
Satellites: 1 (Whirlaway)                    % Water: 80
Ident code prefix: ARR                       Continents: 5
Ruled by:

General: The entire population is male. Some are semi-androgynous, known as gynandri (singular gynandra), genetically engineered to be able to carry children. These are not numerous (most children are gestated in artificial wombs; all are products of cloning or laboratory gene-splicing), and they require considerable medical help to carry the baby to term once the embryo is implanted. While the genetic engineering that creates the gynandri is contrary to Imperial law, the reason was because the Arriani wanted to retain the closest approximation they could manage to natural reproduction, so until research can provide a way for women to live on Arrian, the engineering of gynandri is excepted. The Arriani, however, do not realize this; as far as they are concerned, they have managed to keep the gynandri a precious secret of their way of life.

Religion is based on the Lady of Love.

ASGARD, Subsector 3-A:

No. systems: 63                          Sector: Sculptor
  with 3 inhabited planets:  5           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  8
  with 1 inhabited planet:  21

ATHENA, Subsector 16-A:

No. systems: 67                          Sector: Virgo
  with 3 inhabited planets:  6           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 10
  with 1 inhabited planet:  19

AURIGA, Sector 15:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 510
Subsectors: 4                          Inhabited planets: 210
    A. Anubis                 C. Tuonetar
    B. Nephthys               D. Yama

AURORA:

Sector: 8, Centaurus                         Year:
Subsector: D, Pan                            Day:
System: Aurora                               Gravity:
Settled/established:                         Axial tilt:
By:                                          Oxygen:
Satellites:                                  % Water:
Ident code prefix: AUR                       Continents:
Ruled by:

General: Had an interest in the heavy metals market strong enough for it to engage in industrial espionage; this attracted OSI's attention because of the possibility a former IntelDiv field agent was involved, which proved to be the case. (Barbara Tennison)

AVALON, Subsector 4-C:

No. systems: 106                         Sector: Fornax
  with 3 inhabited planets:  3           Ruled by:  du Colombier family,
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11                      since 2240
  with 1 inhabited planet:  22

Arms: On a gold field, a purple Y-fork with four heraldic fountains upon it.

Return to Concordance Index

Return to Ann's Page