1.8 DICTIONARY

What follows is a list of terms and acronyms that may be unfamiliar to you 
but that you may encounter while playing Lusternia. It is not a 
comprehensive list but should be enough to get you by.

Abilities
 - Individual spells or physical skills. They are grouped together in
   SKILLS.

Admins
 - The admins -- the Norns, the Oneiroi and the Erinyes -- are characters
   played by Lusternia's immortals to handle out-of-character issues with
   adventurers such as requests for help or adventurers displaying
   inappropriate behavior. See HELP ISSUES for further information.

Adventurer
 - A term for a player-character, as opposed to a denizen (a computer-
   controlled character).

Aethermanse
 - Fully-customisable player housing, linked to cities and communes by
   the Minister of Power at the portal chamber. They can be later upgraded
   to Aetherships.

Aethership
 - An aethermanse that has purchased a command chair upgrade, also known
   as an algontherine entity, that allows it to sail through the currents
   of the Aetherways to travel between planes and to strange bubbles of
   reality.

Aetherwave
 - Aetherwaves refer to the aetheric communication that can cross vast
   distances (including across planes) due to the study of Planar science.
   An example of an aetherwave is CT, the city talk channel. This is
   synonymous with channel.

Afflictions
 - Particularly in combat, your character may be afflicted with a variety of
   ills, from paranoia to paralysis. Learning to cure these is important and
   forms one of the core skills in a good combatant.

Archetype
 - A specific class of skills, each related to the city or commune it belongs
   to. Each archetype has access to certain skills and specialisations that
   the others do not.

Ascendant
 - Nearly Divine, Ascendants exist in two forms: as Vernal Ascendants, raised
   by the power of a city or commune, and as True Ascendants empowered by
   the reforming of the Seals. Ascendants dwell within the Realms of the Nine
   Domoth and wield the powers of Ascendance.

Avechna
 - The God whose presence in Lusternia prevents the evil God Kethuru from
   destroying the world. Avechna also helps to protect those unjustly 
   attacked or killed. (See HELP AVENGER)

Avenger
 - The avenger system allows those unjustly attacked or killed to fight back 
   against those who have attacked them.

Balance
 - Most attacks use either balance or equilibrium. Your actions are much
   restricted during the (generally short) time you are recovering balance
   after using an ability that takes balance.

Basin
 - The Basin of Life is the area surrounded by the Northern, Razine, 
   Southern and Avechna's Teeth mountains. It contains most of the important
   areas on the prime material plane of Lusternia.

Bob
 - A prominent shopkeeper who maintains the only store to grace the slopes 
   of Avechna's Peak.

Bound Credits
 - Like credits but cannot be sold on market, and are tied to your character
   exclusively. 

Cartel
 - A particular sub-type of clan, either organisation-owned or private, which
   is responsible for the creation of designs for trade skills.

Celest
 - The city of New Celest, located to the west of the Basin of Life. It is
   linked to the Elemental plane of Water, and the Cosmic plane of Celestia,
   through their nexus, the Pool of Stars.

Channels
 - Channels are a way of speaking to a group of people without being in the
   same location. See HELP CHANNELS for more information.

City
 - Usually refers to one of the various adventurer-run cities such as
   Celest, Gaudiguch, Hallifax or Magnagora. Cities, in contrast to communes,
   are based upon technological and magical advancement, and have strong
   links to the elemental planes and higher cosmic planes of thought.

Clan
 - A adventurer-created organisation used for a variety of purposes. Clans
   are highly customisable, and can be upgraded into trade cartels.

Commune
 - Usually refers to one of the various adventurer-run communes such as
   Glomdoring or Serenwilde. Communes are similar to cities, but based
   upon respect and co-existence with the natural world. Communes have
   strong ties to the fae and great nature spirits.

Credits
 - A form of in-game currency that may be used to purchase artifacts, 
   convert into lessons in order to raise skills, buy custom pets, and 
   more.

Demesne
 - A demesne (pronounced "domain") is an area of land under the control
   of a mage or druid, and associated with a particular element. Within
   their demesne, a mage or druid wields great power over the land itself.

Denizens
 - Inhabitants of the realms that are not adventurers (also known as NPCs).

Ego
 - A measure of your influence in regards to ego-battles. Expressed
   as a number from 0 (unable to influence) to a maximum based on various
   factors.

Equilibrium
 - Most abilities use balance or equilibrium. Your actions are restricted
   during the time you are recovering equilibrium.

Essence
 - A form of raw power that can be found in a variety of locations, including
   within creatures on the Ethereal and Elemental Planes. It can be placed into
   city or commune nexii to add to the nexus's power, or used in designs to 
   achieve a variety of magical effects (see HELP TRADEMASTER).
 - A measure of the power or experience of Demigods and Ascendants.
 - A measure of offerings made to the Elder Gods, of the cost of beseeching
   for Their powers, and of the strength of a Cult formed to Venerate Them.

Feats
 - Feats are particularly impressive magical abilities that are created by
   using power.

Gaudiguch
 - The city of Gaudiguch situated in the southwest within the Razine Mountains.
   It is linked to the Elemental plane of Fire, and the Cosmic plane of Vortex,
   through their nexus the Eternal Flame.

Glomdoring
 - The Glomdoring Commune, located in the southern end of the Basin. It is
   linked to the Ethereal plane in Ethereal Glomdoring through their nexus,
   the Master Ravenwood Tree.

Grace
 - The state of being in which you are both prohibited from doing and
   protected from aggressive actions. It is gained by dying, and may be
   rejected by typing RENOUNCE GRACE. The command GRACED will show you who
   is on-line and in grace. Grace will last no longer than approximately
   15 minutes.

Guides
 - Spindle, Skein and Bobbins are characters whose sole purpose in life is
   to help newbies. They are known as Guides or Fate Guides.

Guilds
 - A guild is a formal organisation of adventurers bound together by an
   ideology and class. Along with this generally comes a guild house for
   the guild members to relax and study in, as well as a hierarchy of
   rank. Examples of guilds are the Sowers, the Society, and
   the Aerie (See HELP GUILDS and HELP 8).

Hallifax
 - The city of Hallifax floating in the air above the Avechna's Teeth mountain 
   range in the east. It is linked to the Elemental plane of Air, and the
   Cosmic plane of Continuum, through the Matrix.

Health
 - A measure of your character's physical well-being, expressed as a number
   from 0 (dead) to a variable maximum based on a number of factors.

Herb
 - Sage, marjoram, faeleaf, and any other harvestable plant that may be
   used to heal, prevent afflictions or as ingredients for concoctions to 
   achieve the aforementioned. (see HELP PLANTS).

Honours
 - Refers to the set of text displayed when one types HONOURS <adventurer>.

IC (In Character)
 - This means something you have done while you are your character. 
   Everything you do, aside from private talking, is automatically 
   considered to be in-character, even private talking can be considered IC, 
   if one party chooses to do so.

Ikon
 - Ikons are small images representing an idea or image. They are used in
   Psychodrama or can be consumed for temporary benefits. See HELP PSYCHODRAMA
   for more information.

Influence
 - Influence is a non-lethal way in which to test your mental prowess 
   against the denizens of Lusternia. Losing and winning ego battles equates 
   to the same experience results as fighting them.

Inventory
 - The general name for the list of all the items you are holding, wearing, 
   or wielding.

Learning
 - Learning is the process by which you raise your SKILLS. Find a tutor, 
   such as another adventurer who has the skill you wish to raise higher 
   than you, or an NPC such as MELERIS, MIAKODA or ARDRAK. Then, you will 
   LEARN <skillname> FROM <whomever>. See HELP LEARNING for more details.

Lessons
 - You must have these to learn (see LEARNING) and thus raise your SKILLS.

Level
 - A measurement of how much experience you've gotten. Levels go from level
   1 to level 100, and each has a unique name attached. You'll be informed
   whenever you go up a level, and you may gain free bound credits, too.

Magnagora
 - The City of Magnagora, located to the southast of the Basin. Also called
   the Engine of Transformation. Magnagora is linked to the Elemental
   plane of Earth, and the tainted Cosmic plane of Nil, through their nexus,
   the Megalith of Doom.

Mana
 - A measure of your mental fortitude. Used to power most spells.

Mobiles
 - Denizens or NPCs. Inhabitants of the realms that are not adventurers.

MUD (Multi-User Dungeon)
 - Sometimes used as a generic term for all online persistent worlds or as a
   term for a certain segment of them.

Nexus
 - The nexuses of power are central to life in Lusternia. These reservoirs
   of magical energy exist on multiple planes. These can be either natural,
   as with the nexuses of the communes, or made by mortals by incredible 
   magical skill, as with the city nexuses. Each nexus acts as a reservoir 
   of power.

NPC (Non-Player Character)
 - An inhabitant of the realms that is not an adventurer.

OOC (Out Of Character)
 - Referring to things outside of (or foreign to) Lusternia, like
   a popular performing figure or sporting team or the European Union.
   All public things in Lusternia must be IC, for example: MARKET, NEWBIE,
   GT, SHOUTS, and CT. Most private things are also IC, such as says.

Order
 - A religious Order is a collection of adventurers organised in a
   formal hierarchy that worships a particular God.

Planes
 - The universe of Lusternia consists of multiple planes of existence, which
   it is possible to travel between using certain magical abilities. These 
   include the prime material plane (the Basin of Life, Lusternia itself), 
   the ethereal plane, the elemental planes, the cosmic planes and the 
   astral plane. A plane can be thought of as a world to itself, parallel 
   and connected to the material world but having its own character and 
   properties.

Port
 - Short for Teleport (or rarely Tesseract), a spatial teleportation skill
   in the Planar skillset commonly used by adventurers.

Power
 - Power is the aetheric energy used to create particularly impressive 
   magical feats. Personal power is only obtainable by linking to a 
   particular nexus of power, although cities and communes can also use the 
   power of their nexus to help build and defend the cities.

Quests
 - Quests are a series of tasks like a puzzle that, when completed, will 
   give a reward of experience or money. Quests vary from the simple 
   (selling weevils to Abeytu) to the immensly complicated honours quests, 
   which can take hours or even days to fully complete.

Room
 - An area of space of varying size. Your character will always be in a 
   room. A location.

RP (Roleplay)
 - This term, as used in Lusternia, means to do things and say things as if 
   you were your character. Speaking of anything your character couldn't 
   know about, or doing anything your character wouldn't do by virtue of 
   his or her personality, is poor RP.

Seren
 - Short for Serenwilde, both a commune city and forest in the north of
   the Basin.

Serenwilde
 - The forest commune located in the northern area of the Basin. The last 
   forest untouched by Taint or Wyrd. It is linked to the Ethereal plane
   of Ethereal Serenwilde through their nexus, the Moonhart Mother Tree.

Shrine
 - A structure constructed by highly-ranked followers of a God. Offerings 
   may be made at the shrine, strengthening your God, and shrines may be
   sanctified or defiled to strengthen or weaken them.

Skills
 - Sets of ABILITIES. Type SKILLS to see which ones you have. In Lusternia 
   certain skills are optional, or dependent on possessing other skills. 
   HELP SKILLCHOICE and HELP SKILLWEB will explain more.

Spamming
 - In the context of Lusternia, spamming means sending repeated, unwanted 
   text at someone for the purpose of annoyance. There is NEVER any 
   justification for spamming someone else, for instance it is not 
   acceptable to spam someone simply because he or she chooses not to 
   respond to you.

Trans
 - Transcendent. The utmost level of achievement in a skill.

Undervault
 - The vast underground home of the Illithoid and Kephera.

Weave
 - Weaves are a common term within the Basin of Life. The end of the Weave
   refers to a time when the Fates pore over the Tapestry and sort through
   the past events. The period of time from one weave to the next can be
   found from using the TIME command. The Fates check the Tapestry at
   00:00 GMT, and a weave is often classified as the time from one checking
   to the next. When a weave ends, all logs of events such as guild,
   city/commune and order logs are given a new page, and the previous
   scribings are moved back.

Weaving/Misweave
 - A weaving is the common term to indicate a game mechanic, consequently a
   misweave is used to refer to a broken game mechanic.