Terms and definitions from the world of The Liar’s Crown in the Dominions Trilogy!
GEOGRAPHY
| Term |  | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Nova | the name of the entire world (like Earth); also the name of the mother goddess (the world is named for her) click here for a map of Nova | |
| dominion | the six land masses (like continents) that make up the world of Nova each dominion is named after the goddess who rules it: Aryd, Mariana, Savanah, Tropikis, Tyndra, and Wildernyss; and each dominion is formed to that goddess’s preferences including climate, creatures, culture, and so forth click here for more info on each of the dominions | |
POWERS & ABILITIES
| Term | | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Vexillium / Vex | a human WITHOUT supernatural powers / abilities | |
| Imperium | a human WITH supernatural powers / abilities; an Imperium is able to sense, manipulate, manifest, and/or destroy the element they have power over. powers are inherited, passed down through blood lines. each generation manifests the power a little differently (ex. one generation might only sense the element, but the next could manipulate it) | |
| Hylorae | an Imperium with powers over tangible elements like sand, water, plants, etc.; the light emitted by a Hylorae when using their powers is yellow | |
| Enfernae | an Imperium with powers over intangible elements like soul, mind, emotions, etc.; the light emitted by a Enfernae when using their powers is purple | |
*For a list of powers and the people who wield them, click here.
HISTORY / MYTHOLOGY / RELIGION
| Term | | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Allusian | the name of the heavens where the goddesses are supposed to live (like Olympus). | |
| acolyte or priestess | someone who serves in a religious or ritualistic capacity. usually an Imperium with a power that lends toward what they are doing. usually in a temple. but can also be a creature like a sand nymph. | |
| bondmates | a couple who have performed the bonding ritual which unites their souls not only in this life but in all lives to come. | |
| Goddess | this world is ruled by 7 goddess –the mother goddess, Nova (who is believed to be gone), and her her six daughters named Aryd, Mariana, Savanah, Tropikis, Tyndra, and Wildernyss (who each rule over their own dominion) the dominions are named after their ruling goddess; the goddess have been silent for centuries, but people still pray to them | |
| heartmates | a couple who are married | |
| Sacred Tree | each dominion has 1 sacred tree created by the goddess not much is known about the trees at this time *Aryd – the tree is always burning *Tyndra – a massive maple leafed tree that weeps blood | |
| temple | the main building in large cities where religious ceremonies and rites are performed; the temple in the capitol city of each dominion houses the portal for that dominion |
MAGICAL / SUPERNATURAL ELEMENTS
| Term | | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| jedite | a blue rock (that can glow) that seems to help Reven with controlling or bolstering his own powers | |
| portal | tall/wide glass structures that can be used to travel instantly to any other portals; allows travel between the dominions; can be “turned on” and used only by Imperium by using their power near it there is one portal in the main temple in the capitol city of each dominion, and additional portals in the bigger cities of Aryd glass and mirrors have been banned so that no one dominion can try to make more portals (though no one really knows how they were made for certain) | |
| The Wall | a massive glass wall in the dominion of Aryd which creates a physical barrier at the very border of the entire dominion, keeping the Devouerers out; no one knows how high it goes or if it’s a wall or a dome | |
SUPERNATURAL CREATURES
| Term | | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Devourer | a monster that lives in the oceans of Nova and devours any humans that come into the waters; the Devourers have been named every dominion has their own defenses at their borders against the Devourers For a list of Devourers, click here. | |
| Goddess | ||
| sand nymph | a humanoid, sentient, magical creature made of and able to control the element of sand (though different from a sand Hylorae like Meren, not specified what the difference is yet); skin is made of all the different colors of all the deserts of the dominion; hinted that sand nymphs are specific to the dominion of Aryd; not much else is known Hesperia, a sand nymph, acts as an acolyte to bless new birth of every royal child born to the royal family *note: there are other kinds of nymphs in the world linked to other natural elements, currently unnamed | |
| Shadowraith | a specific creature with control over darkness and shadow | |
| dragon | all we know is they don’t exist now, but did at one time |
PEOPLE & CULTURES
| Term |  | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| authoritate | highborn; someone born into an upper class family | |
| domina / domine | term of respect used to address someone highborn | |
| vizier | an advisor for the ruler of Aryd, always an authoritate with political clout | |
| Wanderers | the group of nomadic peoples who live in the deserts rather than the cities in Aryd | |
| zariph / zaripha | the ruler of a zariphate | |
| zariphate | a single community of Wanderers who live/travel together under the leadership of one zariph or zaripha; loosely inspired by nomadic peoples such as the Roma, Bedouin, Maasai, Mongols, and some Native American tribes like the Cheyenne or Comanche | |
ANIMALS & PLANTS
| Term | | Dominion | | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALS | ||||
| basan | Wildernyss | a fire rooster (firebird), it spews cold fire a mix between a rooster and a miniature ostrich with black feathers and a bright red coxcomb; shy but deadly | ||
| death worm | Wildernyss | bite paralyzes its prey so you’re alive as it swallows you whole and digests you slowly massive snakelike creature, it is furred instead of scaled, grey like rocks and as thick as a log. it’s mouth opens in four parts, each part forming a triangle that come together into what looks like a blunt nose when closed. essentially, its entire head is a creepy mouth, its face peeling back to expose rows upon rows of dagger-sharp teeth down an endless throat. | ||
| harpy eagle | Wildernyss | a very large vulture-like bird that eats carrion. no physical description given as it was only heard, but not seen. makes sounds like a woman in the throes of pleasure when they eat. | ||
| kirin | Wildernyss | legend holds that this is a gentle creature a horse-like body, only with antlers that expand feet above and to either side of his head. around the hooves and down the front of his chest are bloodred scales. the tips of gleaming gold, razor-sharp teeth peek out from his mouth. | ||
| raigus | Aryd | desert dogs whose bite the Wanderers believe traps a soul in the realm of the living; no description given | ||
| sandrat | Aryd | little rats in Aryd that; no description given | ||
| yoewl cat | Aryd | shimmering copper-colored masked cats that roam the desert | ||
| PLANTS | ||||
| creosus willow | Aryd | one of the few plants that manages to thrive in the desert. has a distinctive fresh smell similar to arctic weeping trees from Tyndra | ||
| arctic weeping trees | Tyndra | trees that grow among rocks and boulders on Tyndra’s shores. has a distinctive fresh smell similar to creosus willows from Aryd |