Glossary
A
Adept (many names) Term given to one capable of River-working, the practice of which cultivates the strength of their Pattern and Aura. The Adept is the only real power in Broken, and throughout the history of the Void it has been Adepts who have shaped the course of the World. The five Paths; the disciplines of Riverworking are Naming, Tuning, Shaping, Walking and Channeling. See also Pattern, Aura, Riverworking, the Void, Paths, Naming, Tuning, Shaping, Walking, Channeling.
Anam (people) The First Children, borne by the Ul’An before their destruction. The Anam are proto-humans; taller and finer of limb than most of the Thousand Tribes, with strength and speed in excess of most of their descendents. A society of survivalists, they have persevered across the Cycle, surviving the Turnings by taking refuge in their Ancestral River; also called Anam, the River of Trees. Anam society is centred on their Great Trees; some of which are the transfigured bodies of their ancient parents. Isolationist and pragmatic they take any advantage they can to ensure the survival of their race; relying on skills and technology built up over several millenia. See also Great Tree.
Ashform Variant of Yttimbre, a simply constructed Shadowtongue with a relatively wide vocabulary, sacrificing ease of learning for the ability to convey precise and complete information as quickly as possible – a kind of linguistic ‘shorthand’. These characteristics lead to its wide use as the Anam battle-language; indeed that is its original purpose. It has become somewhat muddled over the Turnings, however, and has picked up countless loan-words from other languages. See also Yttimbre, Shadowtongue, Anam.
Aura The energy-field expression of an entity’s Pattern, most pronounced when the Pattern is of sufficient complexity. In living creatures, the Aura usually lies next to the skin, a manifestation of the energy that flows through the Pattern itself. Many Adepts can affect the shape and form of their Aura, reaching out into the world, or hardening it to deflect antagonistic energies. The Aura also acts as a structure in which an Adept can channel power, shaping an Immanence. See also Adept, Pattern, Immanence.
C
Channeling The most directly potent of the five Paths of Riverworking; channeling makes use of flows of power that are attracted naturally or artificially to the Adept’s Pattern. They learn to draw this energy into the Void, often to highly-destructive effect. Of the paths, this is also the most demanding on the body and soul of the Adept, both of which may be fatigued or even damaged by the energies they Channel. More advanced applications stray from pure destruction, from swords of flame to fortresses built in a few hours, but very few are by any means subtle. See also Paths, Riverworking, Adept.
Csoric Dominion, The Also Arl’Es-Corün “Great Radiance” (High Csoric), The Radiant Empire of Csorün. The name given to the empire ruled by the Csorün, until its partial destruction and dissolution during the end of the Abhorrant Sun. Quite possibily the most significant nation of the Thousand Tribes in history, the empire stands as the source of much of the artifacts found to this day. Due to advanced Riverworking and craft, the magi of the Empire were able to ‘bank’ the energies of several Turnings, redirecting or absorbing it via the artifact known as the Tenè I’Csorüs, although this would later prove their undoing. See also Csorün, The Thousand Tribes, Sun (time), Abhorrant Sun, Ehta-Csorü, The Sea of Glass.
Csorün ”People of the Light” (High Csoric) The tribe who gave rise to the Csoric Dominion. They exemplify the base template of the Thousand Tribes, close to what we would see as human, and fair of skin and hair. Very advanced Riverworkers through their advancedment over near a dozen Suns. They came to prominance in the Radiant Sun, and were all but destroyed by the events of the Abhorrant Sun. See also Csoric Dominion, The Thousand Tribes, Abhorrant Sun, Radiant Sun, Union of the Lost.
D
Daemon A creature that lives within the Otherworld of a River, but is not irretrievably bound to that River and does not rely on its energies to survive. Unlike Spirits, they are free to leave their home River, but usually share some of the latter’s resistance to the energies of the local aspects. Often these are creatures who have either sprung from the River itself, congregating in the shoals of external energy that form the Otherworlds, or they are refugees from other places; either the Void, the Abyss or other Rivers who have be warped and re-shaped over the eons. See also Otherworld, River
Dawntime Mythological First Sun, before the start of the Cycle. Began when the Peoples of the Dawn were formed from the Source, ended with the breaking of the world by the mad Ul’Ehlt. See also Cycle, Sun, People of the Dawn, Source, Ul’Ehlt
Dragon Dragons are a specific kind of Daemon; beasts of primordial energy with the power of the Rivers themselves singing in their bones. They live within the Otherworlds, yet unlike other Daemons are deeply touched by the energy of their home River, so much so that their very bones contain massive reserves of River-energy yet unlike elemental spirits, dragons are capable of surviving outside the River. They come in countless shapes and sizes; any River will house two or three forms, and most are relatively unrelated species even. The Anu’vas’Ehlta, the Adept war-form bears draconic traits. See also Daemons, Rivers, Dragonbone, Spirits, Anu’vas’Ehlta
E
Ehta-Csorü Turning-lost capital of the Radiant Empire, this city is known as one of the greatest settlements ever constructed by any of the Thousand Tribes. The names of its great gates and streets echo down through the Suns long after the Csorün have been forgotten. The city was destroyed entirely by the breaking of the Tenè ul’Csorüs, though fragments remain; flung deep into the Rivers by the forces unleashed, only to surface many Turnings later. Its historical site is now known as the Sea of Glass. See also Csorün, The Csoric Dominion.
Elemental River-spirit defined by an aspect of the River whose energies give it existence. Elemental spirits are simple creatures, single-minded in their actions and utterly dependent on at least some access to their home River for survival. Whereas a Spirit embodies a more complex Pattern, an Elemental’s Pattern is little more than that of the River itself, making them prime fodder for summoning and binding; this means that their existence in the Void is even shorter than that of normal Spirits, as they lack the robustness of a complex Pattern. A given River will generally have one or more species of elemental for each of its discrete aspects, plus more that blur the line between aspects. See also Rivers, Spirits, Pattern
H
High Csoric Archaic language of the Csorün, later used in arcane and courtly circles. Due to the advancemens made by the Empire, High Csoric’s eventual form bears some structural and syntactic resemblence to Urtongue; more so than many mortal languages, making it a common basis for Naming. The sheer number of Csoric artifacts that can still be founded even unto the present day means that many scholars of High Csoric exist. See also Csorün, Naming.
I
Innòs-Kheta ”All within the Void” (High Csoric). See Void, The (World)
Immanence Pattern-construct used to contain an active flow of power from a River. Channelers form an Immanence to hold unformed energy in order to blend and shape it into a Manifestation. See also Channeling, Pattern, Manifestation
K
Kehtan (pl. Kehtani) “Void Shaper” (High Csoric). See Namer.
L
Latter Csoric Language used by the various peoples who made up the Union of the Lost. A bastardisation of elements of High Csoric with several tribal tongues, it is a syncretic language with no clearly defined grammar and a tendency to absorb loan-words from other languages. Common in later Suns as, since the Abhorrant Sun, some strains have invariably survived. See also High Csoric.
M
Manifestation Shaped construct of River-energy created through Channeling. Used in their simplest form to simply release energy into the world. in the form of a very simple Pattern-representation of an archetypical object. More advanced Manifestation techniques are possible when Channeling is combined with the other Riverworking Paths, particuarly Shaping and Naming. See also Channeling, River, Riverworking, Pattern, Shaping, Naming, Paths
N
Namer An Adept proficient in the metaphysical art of Naming. See also Naming, Adept.
Naming One of the metaphysical arts, concerned with a scholarly approach to Riverworking, independent of innate proficiency. Naming relies on various invocations and manifestations of the Urtongue, commonly in spoken or runic forms to manipulate the energies of the world. Of great use in Rivercrafting, and a significant adjunct to other forms of Riverworking due to the increase in control the use of Naming brings. As mortal comprehension of the Urtongue is limited, an external source of power is required for any overt workings. As it is largely concerned with the manipulation of the current state of the world, it is considered a Void Path. Often a language with strong roots in the arcane and a simularity to Urtongue is used as a basis, such as High Csoric. See also Riverworking, Urtongue, Paths, High Csoric.
O
Oakenform Descendant branch of Yttimbre. Common in scholarly works designed for archival, as it consists of a very clear typography whilst retaining the flexibility of the parent tongue. Drift outside of Anam society has caused some Ur-tongue constructs to creep in, making this no longer a true Shadowtongue. See also Anam, Yttimbre, Ur-tongue, Shadowtongue.
P
Paths, the Term used to refer to the distinct Arts of Riverworking, which may dividing into the five disciplines of Naming, Shaping, Tuning, Channeling and Walking. The term is a relatively recent one; older cultures are believed to have used a different system of demarcation between the mystic arts. See also Naming, Shaping, Channeling, Tuning, Walking, Riverworking
Pattern (general) The ultimate expression of Ur-tongue, the Pattern of a person or object is a weave of River-flows that forms their manifestation within the Void and the Rivers. Every such object has a unique Pattern, with sapient creatures having the most complex Patterns and, hence, the most arcane references in the Ur-tongue. See also the Void, Rivers, Ur-tongue.
Pattern (of a creature) The unique energy-pattern that comprises the soul of a living creature. It is composed of flows from the Rivers that make up the body of the creature; for many mortal entities these are the Rivers of Blood, Breath and Bone. The Pattern can change over time, and with it the creature’s Name in Ur-tongue. Conversely, Adepts may even take the form or the attributes of a creature by forming a crude replica of its Pattern, although this is often limited to an approximation of that creatures’ species; full Patterns, particuarly those of sapiant beings are nearly impossible for a mortal mind to comprehend, let alone replicate. See also Rivers, Naming, Ur-tongue, Adept.
R
Rivers The energy-flows that coalesce to form the structure of the World. The term ‘River’ is metaphorical, but also grounded somewhat in fact; these energies have a distinct sense of flow and speed and raw spirits from the Rivers tend to be somewhat piscine in form. Each River has several components; Shallows, where they touch upon the Void more closely, Shoals of relatively-inhabitable space and the Deep Rivers where the most powerful forces exist. A River’s Otherworld is the space that exists between linked shoals and shallows, permitting some degree of habitation; although this is not a requirement of the Spirits that live there, other, more complex creatures tend to thrive only in a more temperate environment.
Within the world, the various arts of Riverworking are used to manipulate River-energy, whether by channeling flows directly into the material world, stepping into the otherworlds of the Rivers or even affecting the flows that form the fabric of reality. See also Riverworking, the World, Shoals, Shallows, Spirits, Elementals, Daemon, Otherworld, Deep Rivers
Riverworking The art and science of the manipulation of River-energy; Riverworking is at the heart of any civilisation within the Void. An Adept can affect the flow of energy from the Rivers into the world, and the Patterns it forms within the world, sensing and controlling them to, in turn, move through and shape the World. The five distinct methods of Riverworking are known as the Paths. See also, Adept, Rivers, Pattern, Paths.
S
Sea of Glass, The Site of the former capital of the Csoric Dominion, marked in Suns hence by a desolate wasteland. Since the Abhorrant Sun every Turning has begun here, at its heart where the Tenè I’Csorüs is said to still exist. The Sea itself is a vast expanse of heat-warped rock and twisted glass in which no life has taken hold. Compounded with this is the increased presence of Abyss-tainted beings in the areas around the Sea, which further garuntees the failure of any attempts at civilisation in the nearby area. The only people to be found here are usually treasure hunters and loremasters, delving through the stones for secrets of the lost empire, preserved by the Void flows that cover the entire area. See also Csoric Dominion, Sun (time), Abhorrant Sun, Abyss
Shadowtongue A language constructed to avoid similarity to Urtongue so as to avoid the possibility of accidental invocation. See also Urtongue
Shaping One of the five Paths of Riverworking, the art of Shaping lets an Adept reach out into the world and touch upon the Patterns of the World around him, reshaping and controlling the substance of the Void, changing the paths of the Rivers through the world and conversing with the spirits that reside within the flows. When combined with the other Paths, shaping gives the Adept unparalleled control over the energies of the Rivers. As it is concerned with reaching out and touching the world that is, changing and re-shaping the flows, it is considered the first Life Path. See also Riverworking, Paths, Patterns, Adept.
Spirit Creature that inhabits the raw energy of a River, a complex Pattern infused with the energy of its surroundings. They can appear in the material world, but their lifespan is dependent on the energy that sustains them. More advanced Spirits, as determined by Pattern-complexity, are generally more intelligent, more powerful and more able to survive away from their home River for longer periods of time. Due to the relative fragility of a Pattern manifest only in River-energy, however, all Spirits are vulnerable to a host of River-working techniques; with Shaping and Naming being the two paths most concerned with their summoning, binding and banishing. See also River, Pattern, Shaping, Naming.
Sun (time) A variable span of time that occurs between Turnings. Civilisations rise and fall within the space of a single Sun, only to be destroyed by the Turnings. Only the mightiest, or most arcanely gifted can survive into a new Sun, and most ruins and artifacts from previous Suns rise from attempts to survive the Turnings. See also The Cycle, Turnings.
Sun, Abhorrant The Sun whose end was marked by the Turning resulting from the rupture of the Tenè l’Csorüs and the resulting destruction of the Csoric Dominion. Known in legend for the extreme ferocity of the Turning itself. See also Tenè l’Csorüs, Csoric Dominion.
T
Tenè I’Csorüs ”Egg of Radiant Passage” (High Csoric) The artifact that was key to the power of the Radiant Empire and its persistance through several Turnings. An obelisk of stark-white stone over three hundred feet high, it was discovered by the early Csoric tribes in what was to be later known as the Radiant Sun. In appearence it resembled the Bells of the Wall, aside from the colour, and like the Bells it seemed entirely immobile invulnerable to outside forces. Energy projected into it would be absorbed in its entirety, with no change discernable in the obelisk itself. The Csorün magi managed to divert even the energies of several Turnings into the artifact, preserving their civilisation from the world-destroying energies, but it was also to proove their final undoing. In the Sun later known as the Abhorrant, the Egg appeared to crack along a thousand faults, spilling some of the pent-up energy into the area around, destroying the capital and the flower of Csoric civilisation. The Egg remains there still unhatched. See also Csorün, Ehta-Csorü, Turnings, The Wall of Bells, The Sea of Glass.
Thousand Tribes, The Name given to the various descendants of the Anami people, and to those formed from Sun to Sun in the same Pattern. As Pattern-relatives the Thousand Tribes (not an exact number) bear a similar form and most may interbreed to some degree. The common form is roughly human, with many variations, and they represent by far the largest number of sapiant species within the void. Throughout history it has often been members of the Thousand Tribes who have made the greatest mark on the world, for good or ill. See also Anami, Sun, Pattern, Csorün.
Tuning One of the five Riverworking Arts, Tuning is the most-inwardly focused of the five Paths. The disciple of Tuning learns how to alter and control his own Pattern, and, by extension, his body, granting himself supernatural physical abilites at the very least. Further along this Path lies greater power; the shifting of the physical form, invulnerability against forms of harm and even the re-working of the Adept’s very soul. Tuning is also the keystone ability that contributes towards the manifestation of the Adept’s Anu’vas’Ehlta; the destroying-god form that is the ultimate unveiling of their physical and spiritual power. Concerned as it is with the change and evolution of the Pattern, Tuning is the second Path of Life, after Shaping. See also Riverworking, Paths, Adept, Anu’vas’Ehlta.
Turning The time of destruction that occurs at the end of each Sun. Energy from Ehlt, River of Sun lashes the world, burning air and sea and stone, annihilating anything it touches, yet re-making it, recreating the land in a new way. The Turnings are inescapable and inevitable, but they can be turned aside by those possessed of sufficient arcane prowess, or escaped by taking refuge in the Twilight, or the Otherworld. See also Sun (time), Sun (River), Otherworld, The Cycle, The Twilight.
U
Union of the Lost, The Successor to the Csoric Dominion, the Union was comprised of refugees, outlying tribes and the surviving imperial captains and magi, some of whom had survived through the end of the Abhorrant Sun. The peoples of the union, united by the pastiche-language of Latter Csoric, would persist into later Suns, although now less invulnerable to the ravages of the Turnings. See also, Csoric Dominion, Latter Csoric.
Urtongue The root-speech of reality, the Urtongue in its pure form is unreplicable in any medium by the mortal races. Only approximations can be made, the closer the form, the more vivid the effect on the surrounding world. The Urtongue is the root of all meaning, and hence, over time, all language grows closer to its primal form. Likewise, words spoken in Urtongue can have effects on the world around as reality itself conforms to the speaker’s intent. See also Naming, Language
V
Void, The (World) The extent of rational, comprehendable existence, lying within the Abyss. Reality is a product of the River of Void exerting its stabilising influence upon energy within its domain. In effect, the Void as it is understood is the Otherworld of Khet; reality as defined by the River of Void. It is held in place by the Wall of Bells. See also Wall of Bells, Khet, River, Otherworld
W
Walking The fifth Path practised by the Adept. Walking is the art of travel, of finding ones way throughout the Void and beyond, the lore of gates and portals and of paths throughout existence. Great Adepts of this Path learn to fuse its teaching with the other arts of Riverworking, learning how to walk through flame, shadow or thought, how to walk outside themselves, and within the Rivers, even how to walk between the Deep Paths and Soft Places. Masters of Walking may even learn to spread themselves across more than one place, travelling without moving or delay, striking their foes from more than one place at the same time. See also Adept, Riverworking, Paths, Deep Paths, Soft Places.
World, The Term for the reality existant within the Void; the Otherworld of Keht. The World of Broken is a hollow, many-layered sphere, the emptiness at its centre lit by a spindle-shaped formation of celestial bodies; Gates into Ehlt. Energy from the suns crystallises within the Void, creating the myriad forms of matter, stone, sea and sky and all that lies between. Outside of the World lies the Abyss; an endless space of formless, chaotic potential from which the World itself was formed, and which ever tries to reclaim this one island of solid order.
The upper reaches of the World, islands of rock scorched by the energies of creation and detached from solid ground below, are called the Heavens. Below them, in a more stable, less mobile layer lies the Land. Finally, below the Land lie the countless caverns and underground continents of the Deeps, the lowest parts of the world before the Abyss. Throughout these realms lie the Soft Places, where the Abyss has gained a foothold, warping and twisting material reality, and rendering distance and shape somewhat vague. The stability of the rest of the World is pinned down by the Wall of Bells; a constellation of ancient Keht-artefacts that serve to hold reality in a stable shape. See also Keht, Ehlt, Gates, the Void, the Abyss, the Heavens, the Land, the Deeps, the Wall of Bells, Soft Places
Y
Yttimbre “Whisper of the Leaves”. Shadowtongues of the Anami people. As close as the Anam are to their First-Tribe forbears, they are potent wielders of the Urtongue, making the use of a shadow language essential for day to day communication. Strictly speaking, this is a family of languages rather than a single mode of speech, various reflections of Urtongue used in a variety of situations. See also Anam, First Tribes, Urtongue, Shadowtongue, Oakenform, Willowform, Ashform.
