kapitan: A military rank for a commissioned officer in the Khadoran Army, ranking above lieutenant and below kovnik.
Khador: The northernmost and largest of the Iron Kingdoms, encompassing large expanses of frozen wilderness. Its people are proud of their military traditions, and it has a reputation for aggressive expansionism.
kith: A trollkin extended-family group within a larger kriel. Members of a kith are typically closely related by blood.
koldun lord: The highest-ranking members of the Greylords Covenant that is regularly engaged in the field. Koldun lords are the third-highest rank overall, subordinate only to obavniks and to the high obavnik arbiter.
korporal: A military rank for a junior non-commissioned officer in the Khadoran Army, ranking above privat and below sergeant.
kovnik: A military rank for a commissioned officer in the Khadoran Army, ranking above kapitan and below kommander. This rank encompasses a broad range of responsibility.
kriels: The most important divisions of trollkin culture and the equivalent of a trollkin tribe or clan, varying greatly in size but always comprising several kiths, which are often (but not always) related. Members of the same kriel share the same quitari pattern on their clothing.
lacerator: Crafted to elicit pain and flay flesh from bone, the lacerator is a long whip comprised of bladed discs and wielded by Satyxis raiders.
Laedry: The second-largest city in Llael, considered the center of Llael’s Umbrean culture and population. A prosperous and industrious city, Laedry was built in 328 AR in the old Umbrean style as a means to honor its people and the loss of the ancient city of Korska, which was razed by the Orgoth.
Lake Scarleforth: A vast lake south of Ios and east of the Glimmerwood that lies within the territory of various trollkin kriels.
Laris: One of the three moons of Caen, larger than Artis and smaller than Calder.
Llael: Once the smallest and easternmost Iron Kingdom but largely conquered by 605 AR in the Llaelese War. Llael has since been divided between Khador, the Protectorate of Menoth, and the Llaelese Resistance.
Llaelese Resistance: A militant organization dedicated to freeing Llael from Khadoran occupation, led by a group called the Resistance Council, an eclectic groups of notable Resistance leaders, former Llaelese nobles, and even one prominent member of the Church of Morrow. The Llaelese warcaster Ashlynn d’Elyse serves as marshal of the Resistance armed forces, which includes many mercenaries loyal only to coin. The most dedicated and imperiled members of the Resistance operate secret cells inside every occupied city.
Lyliss: Nis-Scyir of Autumn, Lyliss is the Iosan goddess of swift and merciful death, patron of assassins, and a member of the Iosan Divine Court. Currently counted as one of the Vanished.
mage hunters: Iosan killers who act on the belief that human magic is responsible for draining the life from the Iosan gods by hunting down and eliminating human arcanists. Mage hunters comprise the core membership of the Retribution of Scyrah sect. There is a broad spectrum of agents, soldiers, and specialists that refer to themselves collectively as mage hunters, each with their own weapons, combat duties, and roles within the organization.
magelock: The signature weapon of a gun mage. Only the costly and difficult-to-fabricate steel alloys of these weapons can withstand the arcane stresses created by rune shots.
magus: The third arcane rank in Cygnar. An individual who has completed his journeymanship is promoted to magus and becomes an acknowledged member of their particular arcane specialty. Few arcansists receive ranks higher than this.
Makeda, Supreme Archdomina: Supreme Archdomina of the Skorne Empire after overthrowing the Conqueror (Vinter Raelthorne IV), whom she had previously served as archdomina of the Army of the Western Reaches. Also leader of House Balaash, that house’s greatest leader since Vaactesh, her grandfather. Sister of Akkad, younger daughter of Telkesh.
Man-O-War: Term usually referring to Khadoran heavy infantry or their signature steam-powered armor. There are several categories of Man-O-War troopers, identified by their weaponry, training, and battlefield role.
mechanik: One who builds, maintains, and repairs mechanikal equipment such as steamjacks.
mechanika: The fusion of mechanical engineering and arcane science. Mechanikal weapons and tools are those employing mechanikal components to augment their basic function or add new functionality.
Menoth: The primal god credited by his worshipers with the creation of aspects of the world itself, including the division of the water from the land, the ordering of the seasons, and most importantly the creation of humanity. Menoth’s gifts to humanity included fire, agriculture, masonry, and the written word in the form of the True Law, his divine commandments. Menoth’s worshipers are known as Menites.
Mercarian League: A wealthy and politically powerful merchant consortium headquartered in the Cygnaran city of Mercir but having branches in many cities across the Iron Kingdoms and an outpost on the continent of Zu. The Mercarian League has its own well-armed fleet and mercenaries and has been involved in a longstanding trade war with House Mateu of Ord. It owns a number of subsidiary companies.
Mercir: The southernmost Cygnaran coastal city, home of the Mercarian League.
Merywyn: The capital of Llael as well as the largest and most prosperous city in that kingdom. Before the surrender of Llael, Merywyn was the center of government and the seat of the Llaelese throne. After 605 AR the city became the headquarters of the Khadoran occupation army and government.
necrotech: Both an arcane technology representing the fusion of mechanika and necromancy (sometimes referred to as necrotechnology) and the term for those who practice this black art. A necrotech is an undead mechanik and necromancer of Cryx versed in creating a variety of weapons and machines as well as repairing warjacks in battle or creating explosive scrap thralls from corpses and the remains of destroyed ’jacks. Necrotechs are responsible for much of Cryx’s war industry.
New Larkholm: A port city in the duchy of Thuria and an important center of trade along Cygnar’s western coast. In defense of its own trade interests, the Mercarian League maintains a large mercenary force in the city.
Nyss: A race of nomadic hunters, sorcerers, and priests who are cousins to the Iosans and who once claimed the Shard Spires of northern Khador. Their numbers were decimated by the emergence of the Legion of Everblight, and the few surviving non-blighted Nyss are scattered as refugees or isolated bands, mostly in the north.
ogrun: A large and physically powerful race renowned for great strength, honor, and loyalty. Most ogrun are citizens of Rhul, though they can be found throughout the Iron Kingdoms and are also present in the Scharde Islands serving Cryx.
Ord: The small and resource-poor kingdom on the western coast between Khador and Cygnar, respected for its formidable navy. Ord has defended against Khadoran incursions with varied success in several border wars since the Iron Kingdoms were founded. Ord has become a haven for mercenary companies profiting on the wars of other nations.
Order of the Wall: The name of an ancient Menite martial order whose members trace their origins to Priest King Valent of Thrace. These holy knights obey a distinct code and are singularly dedicated to the protection of the faithful.
Orgoth: A fearsome race of men from an unknown continent to the west across the Meredius who invaded western Immoren and enslaved it for centuries. The Orgoth were driven from Immoren in 201 AR.
paingiver: A versatile skorne caste of assassins, spies, beast handlers, and interrogators, the most proficient of whom apply the principles of mortitheurgy to their arts. The ancient tradition is rooted in the philosophies of Morkaash. Currently recognized as a skorne house led by Lord Assassin Morghoul.
paladin: See Order of the Wall.
Praetorians: The backbone of the skorne warrior caste, soldiers of several fighting disciplines who serve their houses by following the
hoksune code. Most Praetorians practice sword mastery, but others employ polearms and shields, while others subjugate and control ferox steeds to serve as cavalry.
primus: A senior skorne officer rank utilized by those who lead a decurium, the largest division of a cohort.
Protectorate of Menoth: A southeastern theocracy dedicated to the god Menoth and established in 484 AR at the end of the Cygnaran Civil War. Though it did not exist at the time of the Corvis Treaties, the Protectorate is considered the fifth Iron Kingdom.
pygs: A distinct species of trolls that are smaller than trollkin but capable of creating whelps like full-blood trolls. Those pygs living near trollkin have demonstrated they are reasonably intelligent, capable of using language and emulating trollkin culture. They are also capable of using a variety of weapons, including firearms, with considerable proficiency.
reptile hound: Large, vicious lizards native to the Bloodstone Marches that hunt in packs and are valued among the skorne for their ferocity and aggressive temperment.
Retribution (of Scyrah): A militant religious sect once outlawed in Ios that seeks to avenge the imminent doom of the goddess Scyrah by killing human arcanists, whom they hold to blame.
revered companions: Skorne preserved after death but counted below true exalted in esteem, generally soldiers who died in major battles in the proximity of ancestral guardians or extollers. Many become immortals for their house.
Rhul: The northeastern dwarven nation bordering Khador, Llael, and Ios. Dwarves of Rhul, a tenacious and skilled race that has long traded with the nations of man, are referred to as Rhulfolk. Rhul is also home to a sizable population of ogrun who have fully integrated into Rhulic culture.
rune shot: The specially crafted rune-inscribed bullets into which gun mages channel their arcane energies.
sacral stone: A piece of pure obsidian or spiritually receptive crystal that has been enchanted by mortitheurgical rites known to extollers to attract and preserve a soul before it passes beyond Caen, a process called exaltation. Fragments of sacral stones can be separated from the original and contain power that can be harnessed by weapons and armor.
Satyxis: A horned, blighted race of the Scharde Islands that is entirely female, infamous for their blood magic and inventive cruelty.
scrutators: A specialized caste of Menite priests tasked to enforce the True Law. In some communities scrutators serve as judges and executioners who police their congregation. In the Protectorate of Menoth, scrutators comprise an inner circle of clergy and are seen as the ultimate protectors of the faith, subject to few limits and no oversight except among their own number.
Scyrah: The Nis-Issyr of Spring and once one of the Iosan Divine Court. Scyrah was the only god to return after the Rivening, becoming the primary goddess of Ios. She dwells in the fane in Ios’ capital, Shyrr, where she rests in wakeless slumber. The Retribution worships her as a goddess of war as well as spring.
sea dogs: A term sometimes adopted by or applied to the motley crews of sailors from diverse backgrounds who are often found serving aboard both pirate and privateer vessels along the Broken Coast. While not all sea dogs are pirates, they are generally thought to be.
Searforge Commission: An organization created by the Rhulic Clan Searforge that coordinates the actions of Rhulic mercenary groups and assigns forces to escort trade shipments through hostile territory.
Section Three: Khador’s intelligence kommand section of the Ministry of the Great Vizier, responsible for gathering information on foreign powers and monitoring both internal and external threats to preserve the empire. Its agents perform similar work and sometimes cooperate with the Prikaz Chancellery of the Greylords Covenant.
Shae, Phinneus: A notorious pirate warcaster and captain of a ship called the Talion, Phinneus Shae became a pirate after a mutiny aboard the Mercarian League ship Exeter. He is actively hunted by agents of the Mercarian League, which has placed an exorbitant bounty on his head.
Shyrr: The capital city of Ios and home to the central fane, or temple, where the goddess Scyrah dwells and is attended by her highest priests.
Sinari: An originally nomadic ethnic group whose origins are lost to prehistory, the Sinari have darker skin tones than most other groups in western Immoren. While there are still some who still identify as Sinari and live in small communities scattered along the western coast of Immoren, over the centuries many families of this ethnicity settled and integrated with the local populations. There are a number of Thurians, Tordorans, and Khards who may have once been Sinari but who no longer self-identify as such.
Skirov: The name of both the ethnic majority of the Skirovnya volozk in northern Khador and of the principal city of this region, which is the largest northeastern Khadoran city.
skorne: A race originating from eastern Immoren that crossed the Bloodstone Desert and Bloodstone Marches to make war on the west. The product of a harsh and brutally strict culture, they seem bent on the conquest of the Iron Kingdoms. The Skorne Empire boasts a highly disciplined and versatile army that employs a variety of enslaved beasts to fight alongside their soldiers.
Skyhammer rockets: Simple yet long-range rockets delivering an explosive payload and which are notorious for being both powerful and inaccurate.
soul: In the cosmology of Caen, every member of any sentient race possesses an immortal soul composed of spiritual essence that encapsulates their identity, free will, and potential. Souls can be interacted with and manipulated by occult practices, an aspect of necromancy. Usually souls eventually cross to Urcaen after death, although Dhunians are instead reincarnated.
Spriggan: A Khadoran heavy warjack armed with a shield, lance, and shoulder-mounted grenade launchers. Entered service in 602 AR.
swamp gobbers: Clever and hardy diminutive gobbers found in bogs and marshes, particularly in the eastern Thornwood and the Widower’s Wood outside Corvis. There is no physiological distinction between swamp gobbers and those dwelling in cities, so the term is cultural and descriptive.
swamp troll: Large, dangerous creatures capable of striking foes at a surprising distance with their sticky, elongated tongues and of swallowing a man-sized creature whole. These trolls often accompany trollkin kriels living near large marshes and other wetlands that serve as the swamp troll’s natural habitat.
swans: Term sometimes applied colloquially to refer to the people of Cygnar, particularly members of the Cygnaran Army or agents of its government. So called because of the Cygnus as Cygnar’s national symbol and prominently featured on Cygnaran military uniforms.
Talion: The pirate frigate owned and commanded by Captain Shae, the Talion features forty deck guns, three towering masts, and a powerful double-paddlewheel steam engine. In the charter agreement, the original crew of the Talion entered into a promise of mutual support and a vow of vengeance against the Mercarian League.
Thamar: One of the Twins, sister to Morrow and a goddess who was once mortal but who ascended to divinity through occult study. Also known as the Dark Sister, Thamar is a widely despised god who emphasizes self-interest, self-empowerment, subversive acts, and freedom from the restraints of conventional morality. Her followers, called Thamarites, worship in secretive cults. Though no cohesive organization connects these groups, they exist in every major urban center of the Iron Kingdoms.
Tharn: Savage, man-eating humanoid tribesmen who inhabit the depths of the Thornwood and are feared for their ferocity and their ability to transform into a bestial form as a blessing of the Devourer Wurm. While legend holds that they were once human, they are no longer viewed as such, nor do they identify themselves as such.
Thornwood: A large forest that became part of Cygnar during the Corvis Treaties and served as a significant geographical barrier along its border shared with Khador. The Thornwood has a reputation for being untamed and dangerous, home to trollkin kriels and Tharn tribes as well as gatormen and other beasts. The fore
st was seized by Khador in late 607 AR, but they had difficulty securing its interior, largely due to interference from Cryx.
thrall: An undead creature assembled from body parts that have been enchanted by laying glyphs of power on the bones and flesh. Thralls can vary widely in power, the simplest of which are not intelligent. Even intelligent thralls do not have free will.
Tordor: An ancient human kingdom renowned before the Orgoth invasion for its great fleet. The descendants of these people are referred to as Tordorans and comprise the majority culture of Ord. Families of noble bloodlines are called High Tordorans and make up the most powerful land-owning nobility of that kingdom, including the royal line.
trenchers: The second-most numerous infantry of the Cygnaran Army, trained to dig in and defend ground. Typically armed with heavy rifles, hazer smoke grenades, and, of course, their entrenching tools.
troll: A large, strong, and brutish creature possessing limited language and inclined toward violence motivated by hunger. Trolls are widely considered by humanity to be monsters, since trolls eat humans without hesitation. They are often referred to as “full-blood trolls” to differentiate them from the trollkin, to whom they are distantly related.
trollkin: A hardy and intelligent race that live both in their own communities in the wilderness and within cities of man. Distantly related to the more savage and monstrous trolls, trollkin have a distinct appearance with colorful skin, usually blue in hue, and with quills instead of hair and rock-like calcified growths on various parts of their bodies. They possess a complex and rich culture, including their own written language. Most trollkin worship the goddess Dhunia.
tuath: The basic tribal unit of Tharn, each tuath is ruled by a great warrior sometimes referred to as a chieftain, king, or athaor.
uiske: A distinctive and potent liquor distilled from roasted barley and water.
Umbrey/Umbrean: A once-extinct ancient kingdom that stretched across what was once southeastern Khador and western Llael, recently reunited as a volozk of the Khadoran Empire under Great Prince Tzepesci.
Iron Kingdoms Excursions: Season One Collection Page 10
