by Yakov Merkin
Revittan Empire: A large, mysterious empire that borders the Galactic Alliance. Notoriously reclusive, the last known contact was over a century ago, when an agreement was struck in which no one from Alliance space would cross into Revittan territory—the implied threat being that violation of Revittan space in any capacity would be considered an act of war.
River Lark: A heavily modified, small civilian transport belonging to Ayil, Liya, and Dran Lotyk. It has far more firepower than average ships of its size, in addition to other unorthodox modifications.
Rossar: A low-class species living primarily in Dullok space, the Rossar are tough, violent, and dim-witted people, and often serve as enforcers for the crime lords. More recently, however, many Rossar, seeking an alternative to Dullok rule, have been illegally crossing over into Imperial space and settling on primarily backwater planets. Unfortunately, due to the species’ history, and the connections they—often unwittingly—bring with them, crime often follows them, causing increasing amounts of trouble in Imperial space.
Royal Felinaris Navy (RFN): The Felinaris military. It is capable of deploying a significant ground presence, but is more reliant on space-based forces. The Felinaris military is designed with a looser than average command structure during battle, so that commanders can fight on the front line if they so choose without the risk of their loss throwing the entire force into disarray.
Sar: Felinari word for shine, (or shining in a compound word.)
Sarcendar: A Tyrannodon battleship currently serving as the fleet’s flagship while the Hudecar undergoes repairs and retrofits.
Sarmah: A highly illegal, highly addictive drug that is a major source of income for a number of criminal groups in the more lawless parts of Galactic Alliance space.
Scions of Justice: A paramilitary police/peacekeeping force which operates independently of the Alliance military and government, but it regulated by the Assembly. Made up of volunteers of nearly all member species, who must pass a series of trials in order to join. Scions are granted surgically implanted blades in each arm, which can be extended and retracted at will. Additionally, another implant grants the Scion the ability to use imicry. The Scions act in the greater good, but do not shy away from meting out harsh justice when they deem it necessary, and are always found at the front when a major conflict arises and the Alliance has need of them.
Selakar System/Sneva: The Snevan home system, the Selakar system contains two worlds that were once considered full Alliance members, in addition to many smaller settlements. The Selakar system was notable for its abundance of natural resources, both on Sneva itself and elsewhere in the system, and between its strength as an exporter and the Snevan Dominance’s significant military strength, it became a major player in the Alliance, and even after it left the Alliance has maintained ties with a number of Alliance systems independent of the Galactic Alliance’s central government. After siding with the Tyrannodons and the Khados Kingdom of Felinar during the Tyrannodon invasion, they have rejoined the Alliance, though the reception was cool.
Selban: A large, highly developed city on Felinar that suffered an incredibly destructive and deadly attack by extreme anti-Felinaris elements after the world was expelled from the Alliance.
Selban (warship): Felinar-class battleship, second ship of the class. Intentionally crewed entirely with personnel who had lost loved ones in the Selban Massacre.
Selban Massacre: An attack organized and carried out by fanatically anti-Felinaris elements. Twenty-thousand, seven hundred and sixteen Felinaris were killed in the attack, along with the entire attacking force. Central Alliance authorities and agencies failed to so much as condemn the attack, and took no action against its organizers. The attack was the main catalyst for the Felinaris allying with the Tyrannodon invaders.
Selixan Station: A massive space station created by the Reizan’Tvay, left for the Tyrannodons to use to create an army. Capable or producing clone soldiers, warships, and other equipment at an incredible pace, though it requires an immense amount of power and raw materials. It was destroyed by a Galactic Alliance fleet near the end of the Tyrannodon invasion, and, months later, it was still unclear if any of its advanced technology could be salvaged and put to use by the Tyrannodon Ascendancy.
Seri-Medis: The Tyrannodon capital city on Voran’dus. It’s named literally translates to Center of Freedom.
Shekh: Felinari word for night.
Shifting Force, the: A mysterious energy force, claimed, by groups such as the Noalii Guardians, to permeate all of existence—some scientists have speculated it has a connection to quantum physics—that demonstrates the constant flow and flux of the universe. People capable of manipulating the Shift can, among other things, temporarily alter the state of matter (the more complex an object is, the more difficult it is to alter). Changes made via Shift manipulation tend to be very hard to maintain, with the object usually reverting to its proper state quickly.
Shua: Felinari word for thunder.
Shuraf: Quadrapedal, semi-sentient feline creature used as mounts by Felinaris mobile infantry and officers. Believed to have an evolutionary link with the Felinaris, shurafil are known to form some sort of extra-sensory bond with the rider they are paired with over time.
Sibrus: A plant native to the hollow world, that is the primary source of food for both the Custoratis and Custorellatus. It is able to be easily made into a variety of different types of dishes, though on its own has a fairly bland flavor.
Signis System/Ineffra/Xearin: The Signis system, located not particularly far from the Alliance center, is the home system of the Daeris, and contains two inhabited worlds, including Ineffra, the Daeris homeworld. Once at the forefront of advancement and development in the Alliance, the system is still recovering from the disastrous failure of the Daeris Uprising and the damage wrought by the Alliance’s invasion. The last occupying forces, largely Talvostan, were only removed a few years ago.
Silacere Prison: The only prison in Seri-Medis, named for the Snevan owner of the company who made significant donations to and provided assistance for the prison’s construction.
Sinalekki: And ancient enemy of the Felinaris, that came close to wiping out the species out before they were defeated and themselves destroyed, apart from ancient relics that some believe are parts of fallen Sinalekki warriors.
Sirron: Felinari word for armor or armored.
Sirron-Felikhai: Lit: armored soldier. Term for heavy infantry.
Skyrun system: A major system near the Imperial center, the Skyrun system includes many inhabited worlds; some in the traditional sense, and some that were more complicated projects. Most of the population of the system is Revittan, and wealthy, and is a popular recreational system—for those who can afford it. Additionally, one of the worlds in the system, the gas giant Skyway, is home to the Royal Imperial Flight Academy, at which all military pilots of small craft (below capital ship grade) are trained.
Snevan Dominance: The name of the Snevan government, centered in the Selakar system. While only two Snevan-held worlds are considered full Alliance worlds, they have a moderate to significant presence on several unoccupied systems close to their home system. The Dominance is currently ruled by Supreme Warlord Sarkan.
Snevans: The Snevans are a large, largely avian species, though they have some reptilian features as well, being largely feathered, but with tough scales in some places (generally some shade of red in color), and have two small, almost vestigial fangs protruding from their beaks. The Snevans have a long and war-filled history, which still manifests on occasion and is often cited as a reason Snevans are often loud, intense, and sometimes volatile. However, they have largely abandoned their old conquering ways.
Solas Research and Development Facility: A massive Legion Navy military research and development facility on the planet Daukar, in the Bondar system. It is one of the most secretive and well-protected locations in the Galactic Alliance, and has been the source of numerous technological advances, both mil
itary and civilian.
Space-head: A common insult, used to imply one is stupid or not paying attention.
Srei Elluf: Felinaris term for admiral. Lit: High officer, male form.
Srei Felikhai: Felinari term for lower ranking officer. Lit: Soldier officer, male form.
Srei Felitzva: Felinari term for grand admiral. Lit: officer of the army, feminine form.
Srei Maviiri: Felinari term for commander of the Maviiri, used to refer to the commander of the Maviiri Detsak unit. Lit: Officer of the bringers, shortened from Srei Maviiri Detsak.
Standard: The common language of the Galactic Alliance, used for inteplanetary diplomacy and trade. The language, the primary Tehlman dialect, was adopted as the official language of the Alliance largely due to the ubiquitous presence of the Tehlmans, one of the founding members of the Alliance.
Starshrieker-class starfighter: The Starshieker is an advanced multirole starfighter originally designed for use in the Imperial Navy, but due to its compelxity and high production costs, the Empire chose not to make it a component of the fleet, instead choosing to upgrade its older, cheaper Stinger-class fighters. The Starshirker is on the larger side for a starfighter, with a heavier armament and more powerful shielding than most readily available starfighters, at the cost of being harder to maintain and being slightly less maneuverable. Many of these fighters have ended up in rebel hands, and have been put to great use against the Empire, able to outfight their Stingers with regularity.
Stiliek: An eight-legged, arachnid species, the Stiliek were the most recent species to have joined the Alliance. While they have not taken a particularly significant role within the Alliance, recently the first Stiliek were accepted to the Scions of Justice, signifying their taking on a larger role in the galactic community.
Stinger-class starfighter: The primary starfighter of the Imperial Revittan Navy, the Stinger is small, fast, packs a punch, and is cost-effective. It is also an easy ship to learn to fly, which shortens pilot training time. While the Stinger is almost unmatched in speed an maneuverability in the vacuum of space, its performance notably suffers when operating in atmosphere, and the ship’s shields are on the weaker side for starfighters, given the Stinger’s focus on speed and avoiding enemy fire.
Stronghold Tiran: A massive fortification/military complex on Darvia. Stronghold Tiran was originally constructed when wars were still fought among Darivans on the planet, but as the Darivans unified and expanded into space, it was further enhanced, built up and has since become the Darvian military’s command center, and one of the most secure locations in the Alliance. It suffered massive damage and was captured by the allied Tyrannodon, Felinaris, and Snevan militaries during the Tyrannodon invasion, and its reconstruction has become a major focus of the rebuilding by the Darvians after the war’s end.
Svetorans: A common species within Imperial space, the Svetorans once held numerous significant positions within the Revittan Empire before its newer, oppressive policies forced them to the sidelines. They are generally of a similar build to Revittans, though they tend to be slightly shorter—at least, when the elegant, curved horns atop their heads are not taken into account. Their horns and skin tend to be very colorful, with stripes and other patterns of write, green, orange, and occasionally red and blue, of varying shades. Their hair is similarly colorful, though it is more common than not for it to contain not more than one or two of those colors, and darker colors such as shades of brown are often seen as well. Other distinguishing features include ridged ears that are flush against the sides of the head, and four arm-thick tendrils, called sverii, that extend from the back of the head and usually measure at about one third of a meter long, and are generally draped over the shoulders. The sverii, whose movements can be controlled to a degree, grant the species a sensitivity to external vibrations, that give them an added level of awareness of their surroundings, and makes them especially skilled as pilots for their quick reaction times due this extra sense. Culturally, they are very family oriented, and generally viewed as a naturally helpful and kind people. They are also very spiritual, perhaps due to their heightened awareness, and have a high propensity for being able to connect to and manipulate the Shift. Svetorans, as a species, were the most numerous among the Noalii Guardians during the height of the order, and it was usually Svetorans who were its most powerful and skilled members.
Swift Strike: Felinaris Longclaw-class that can be described as an assault frigate or light cruiser, personal ship of Admiral Felivas Kharitzon, who had been its captain prior to his promotion to admiral. It is an older ship, and it age occasionally shows, but it is battle tested and with a long, storied legacy.
Talivost: The Talvostan language. Some linguists, upon introduction to the Tyrannodon language, have noticed a few minor similarities between the languages, as if they share a common ancient ancestor.
Talrus System: An Alliance core system, the Talrus system’s three were originally colonized for use as bases for the then relatively new Legion Navy by Tehlman, Darvian, and Irhani elements due to the strategic location of the system. Over time, however, as the Alliance expanded and the settlements in the system grew, the Legion Navy bases were relocated elsewhere and the Talrus system established its own independent defense force, though it operates in close cooperation with the Legion Navy.
Talvostan Invasion: The attempted invasion of the Galactic Alliance by the Talvostan Union some three hundred years ago. The Galactic Alliance, still fairly young at the time, had been aware of the existence of the Talvostans not far from Dorandor, but unaware of the Union’s military might. Thus, it was taken by surprise when the Talvostans invaded. While the Talvostans initially held the upper hand, taking numerous Alliance worlds and even invading Dorandor itself, the Legion Navy and other Alliance member fleets managed to push them back, and a peace agreement was soon made, saving the Alliance from the difficult decision of whether to invade the Talvostan Union or live with enemies on their doorstep.
Talvostan Union: The Talvostan Union is presently the largest and most powerful faction within the Alliance, comprising three Alliance member systems and maintaining a large military of its own while contributing significantly to the Legion Navy as well. The Talvostans are a militaristic people, placing heavy emphasis on individuals providing service to the protection of their society, but after their failed invasion of the Alliance the Talvostans have abandoned their focus on expansion in favor of building up both the Alliance and the Union.
Talvostans: Talvostans are a bipedal, reptilian species. They are tall, thin, and most of their bodies are covered in tough, spined bone plates, and have toothy, inflexible mouths. Talvostans generally are very authoritarian-minded, rigid, and have a strong sense of duty.
Taravon System: The Taravon system, which now contains three relatively densely populated worlds, was originally first settled by the Daeris, who discovered ruins of an ancient civilization there, which led to the first wave of settlers as they followed archeologists to the system. Later on, due to the highly fertile soil found there, the system became took on an agricultural focus, and is one of the leading food supplier to many Alliance worlds. After the Daeris Uprising, the system came under the control first of the Talvostan Union, and then the Alliance itself, and is still technically under military law, administered by a small Legion Navy force.
Tarin System/Deisrik/Kidor: The Tarin system was originally a Tehlman colony system, comprising three primary planets, including Desirik, but over time proved attractive to various businesses due to cheap cost, few local regulations, and the system’s distance from the more heavily regulated Alliance core. A number of moons were colonized, and largely owned by businesses, or wealthy individuals, as is the case with Deisrik’s moon Kidor.
Tavaran Syndicate: A large, powerful criminal organization operating on the fringes of Galactic Alliance space. While they project a very strong image, they Syndicate is in truth more of a large, glorified smuggling gang with extremely localized power in a r
elatively small area. They are also known for employing poisoned bladed weapons.
TC-2000-class freighter (transport cruiser): An old, common mid-sized civilian transport freighter. They are very popular with smugglers, in part because they are very easily repaired and modified.
Tehlmans: The extremely adaptable and resourceful Tehlmans are the most populous and widespread species in the Galactic Alliance, and one of its founding members. Tehlmans are a bipedal, mammalian species, with subtle skin tones ranging from very light brown to darker maroon, blue, and green tints. They each also have a distinctive bony crest around their eyes, though it varies widely in shape and shade. Tehlmans are also capable of seeing the world around them in a manner similar to thermal vision, where they perceive things as colors based on their temperature, and ability they refer to as the Second Sight. However, due to modern life and living among species that do not share this capability, many Tehlmans neglect this ability to the point where they would have difficulty making use of it should the need arise.
Theralas System: The Theralas System is a major Imperial core system, first settled long ago, before the Revittan Empire even formally existed. While it is no longer the center of Imperial power that it once was, that having transitioned to the Revittan homeworld of Ilvaness, it remains a key center of both political and military power, and contains many top secret facilities. Additionally, unlike Ilvaness and many other Imperial worlds, those in the Theralas system keep an extremely tight control on non-Revittan residents and visitors, heavily restricting their movements.
