Encyclopedia of Science and History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ABATTHOR is a god of the dwarvish culture; his popularity has waned over time, but is now in period of dominance in terms of widespread adherence and increasing popularity. Abatthorian theology centers on the racist proposition of dwarvish cultural superiority; from this is derived the notion of manifest destiny stating that dwarvish culture will (should) grow until it encompasses the entire world excepting small, poor regions which may be left to the other animals, including humans. Most animals, in fact, occupy a higher place in Abatthorian theory because they have learned to "moderate their dreamlike intelligences and obey the dwarves as is right, rather than resisting and insulting them." In addition, the final stage of supremacy will come only with the divine aid of Abatthor; aid that will be provided only when the dwarvish peoples have reached an as-yet-unattained standard of moral purity and excellence as represented in their personal deeds, social interaction and attention to ritual. Virtues include defense of personal, clan, and racial honor; moderate behavior; personal strength; devotion to the priests and their appointed secular representatives (kings, mayors); domination of land; and the respect of beauty in nature (mountains, jewels) and of power in mankind (muscles, machines). There is little admiration of art or literature, nor is there an emphasis on cosmetic appearance. Even with gemstones, excessive beveling and/or faceting is considered vulgar; frequently uncut gems will be set.

Details about the sect of Abatthor are few; experts suspect that the religion was first approximated in 4000 by a mystery cult during and after the great migration from Pavimentum. Perhaps the height and beauty of the Sprinal Range inspired it. The religion has evolved over time; the few sites from 4000-5000 suggest an emphasis on architecture that duplicates nature and on statuary creations emphasizing physical strength and female fertility. Only later, perhaps 6000, was the notion of racial superiority introduced along with a (now omnipresent) sign of three battle-axes circumscribed by a hexagon (several early and not-so-early depictions of this symbol include the bones of fallen adversaries beneath the axes or even as a secondary triangle behind them.) It is not clear how the strength of the priesthood evolved, but by the mid-6000s they were the leaders of their clans with absolute authority and by the late 6000s the cult had spread sufficiently for the high priests to be the most powerful dwarves. They were responsible for naming the kings and deciding on the successors, blessing wars and great undertakings, and meting out judgments to blasphemers and criminals. Most of our information on this period comes from the anonymous Exile of an Innocent, an epic poem/history/travelogue from approximately 6800.

Opinions have altered in the last fifteen years with new discoveries, but it is now thought that as many as three-quarters of all Ilican dwarves were Abatthor worshippers, mostly located in the Southern Sprines and Trenines (the Northern Sprines were, and continue to be, less populous).

For an unknown reason, the sect declined in the 7000s, possibly due to the obvious strength of the Second Orcish Empire and the rich benefits to be gained from trade and the obvious inferiority of dwarvish technology. It was about 8000 (or as late as 8200 according to some historians) that a revival began with the decline of orcish and gnomish power. This added to the furor of the bloody wars fought in the 8000s between dwarves and particularly gnomes, but also orcs and elves. At the height of dwarvish power (c. 9300) the religion reached a climax of popularity, but also began to change (became decadent, according to some dwarvish scholars) and expanded the notion of dominance to include technological, scientific and, to some extent, artistic dominance. This contributed to the oft-stated belief that this period was the greatest cultural flowering of dwarvish civilizations; in the eyes of devoted Abatthorians though, it was a decadent period in which traditional values were lost. During this time dwarves first took part in large scale commerce, artistic exchange and seapower.

Again, as human civilization in Ilico waxed, that of the dwarves fell back and has declined consistently ever since, culminating in the expulsion of most of the dwarves from the Sprines in the War of Sprinal Succession. In recent times this has prompted a conservative minority to demand that the "old ways" be reinstated; education cut back to vocational and military training, the arts eliminated, cities and ports closed, and wars of reclamation begun. The number of Abatthorian adherents and societies has tripled since 10010 and is expected to continue to grow until, most likely, it threatens the cosmopolitan policies of Allotrope and the trade and peace based upon them.

The ascent of Abatthorian priests creates a legitimacy question long lost upon the dwarves: the priests have never stopped claiming the right to anoint kings nor to sanction wars, but until now they have chosen the same men as elected on Allotrope; it is not long before they may feel strong enough to refuse to back a rightfully elected candidate with whose goals they disagree. Such a schism could, conceivably, pull down most of the existing dwarvish social structure and require the immediate erection of the quickest kind: despotism legitimized by religious fundamentalism.

ABJUROMANCY is the study of anti-magic (see Anti-Magic).

ABRAXIS is the chief divinity of a secretive cult now believed to be largely defunct in practical terms, though its theology lives on as an academic subject. The Abraxian theology centers on the notion of a symmetry between the living and the dead: the soul is a constant that can move between the worlds through the magical gifts of birth and death. There are a finite number of souls which move from one stage to the other with lifetimes (deathtimes) suggested by Abraxis himself, suggestions which should not be altered (for instance, illnesses cured) without consulting a priest. The world and its souls are striving toward an equilibrium situation wherein the proper number and personalties of souls are living and dead at any given time and proper ritual can be attended to every birth and death. Currently, the world must be expanded and made more hospitable to life since too many souls are dead. Adherents are expected to wait until called by Abraxis himself before engaging in killing or sexual intercourse, unless either is in self-defense. All souls are of the same fundamental material, accordingly all races are welcomed to the sect and, eventually, expected to join the believers. The symbol of the religion is a black Moebius strip which symbolizes that life and death (two sides) may appear completely opposite but they are, in fact, an identical phenomenon. The strip also symbolizes the endless road which is the existence that covers two sides that at any point seem distinct but which eventually blend in to each other. Occasionally, souls may be needed in the realm different to the one in which they reside; in these cases they may be summoned to life and provided with a body (demon summoning) or summoned to death, the body being left behind (soul-flight dreams).

The sect's existence was first recorded approximately 3,500 years ago during the First Orcish Empire; it is described as a Drow elf religion that had existed before that for an undetermined number of years. The first public prophet of note, Juho Passikivi (c. 6550 - ?) converted many upper-class orcs and formed several secret societies--some of which outlasted the empire--before leaving to proselytize among the gnomes of the Sprines in approximately 6585.

It is considered important for Abraxians to study every detail of history so that they might discover records of their previous bodily existences and so learn more about themselves and adopt their proper name. Abraxians emphasize the importance of secrecy and guarded councils until the world has been made ready for revelation of its purpose.

ABYEDAM is the principal city of Trangle Island.

ABYSMAL SEA is the southern arm of the Western Ocean lying south of Pavimentum and west of Vyrica. It is believed to include the areas of deepest extent. Maritime traffic in the Abysmal Sea to the southwest of the "trade corridor" connecting Porte D'Arthur and Yarisuto is negligible, limited primarily to deep-sea fishing vessels. Since ancient times the cold and dark waters of the Abysmal Sea have been said to be home to sea monsters of enormous size including the kraken, the zuiyo of Sudibin mythology, and the enormous architeuthis of the orcs. The Abysmal is also sometimes referred to as the Abyssal Sea.

ABYSSAL SEA see Abysmal Sea

ACADEC is a small farming town (pop. 500) in the southern part of the Confederacy of Dun Cess. It is famous for its annual fairs and for being the birthplace of Rodney Green, one of the greatest Dragonball players ever.

ACCUIC ISLANDS see Rinkleff Islands and Accuic Sea.

ACCUIC SEA is the section of the Western Ocean east of Pavimentum and is roughly bounded by that continent, Biskupin, Shang Island, and Rushat Island. The sea gives its name to the Accuic Islands which comprise the northern members of the Rinkleff Islands. The sea is crossed by numerous modern trade routes, the most important being those from Mickelgarth to the western coast of Ilico, many of which stop at Trangle Island, Ilum Alpha, or Ilum Gamma along the way.

ACME BALLISTA COMPANY is the largest producer of siege and heavy combat weapons in the world, despite injunctions forbidding export of materiel to non-human nations. It was founded in 9985 by Kenneth Hoplar in Cruson. In 9995, the company threatened to relocate unless the city council voted to change the municipal name to Ballista City. The threat worked and henceforth the eponymous company has been the largest employer in the city. Every ABC weapon that goes out the door bears the motto: "Something there is that does not love a wall." The Second War of Ilican Succession (10007-10011) and the ensuing World War (10037-present) enlarged the company at a voracious rate, allowing it to purchase Jacketz Ironworks and the Acme Cannon Company, becoming the largest producer of cannon as well. The company has successfully used monopoly pricing to raise the cost of war materials; bringing a lawsuit from the Confederacy (pending) and threats to move the company across the Wall into the Republic which has offered to name two towns anything the company wants in exchange for relocation.

ADAM ONDI AHMAN is an island thirty miles southeast of Porte D'Arthur on Pavimentum. Long known as a swampy wasteland, it was drained by government engineers in 9965 and several colonies founded. None succeded, however, due to the lack of economic opportunity The population numbered a few hundred at most, solely engaged in fishing, until the 10024 establishment of the Adam Ondi Ahman Bottled Water company which took advantage of the odd-tasting water from the island's only stream and a bizarre media blitz to become moderately successfully. The company diverged into a "medical" resort (never certified) in 10032 and offered convalescents the chance to rest in the healing waters of the springs, collected, for their convenience, by several dams. The company was ruined by geologic activity in 10036 which destroyed the stream. Today the island has returned to a sparsely populated home of 300 fishermen.

AGANU CACTUS The Aganu Cactus (Aganu settlement, Northern Expanse) is a small, brown member of the cactus family. Its internal fluids are known to cause paralysis upon ingestion; crushed samples provide the material components for the spell paralysis.

AGRICOLA HOBBITS form a social division of the race of hobbits. Physically they are the shortest of the hobbit races, averaging about 3'10". They have dark skin, brown to black hair, and eyes which range from blue to gray to brown. The vast majority of agricola hobbits live in the Verteux, a large expanse of non- valuable land nestled north of the Trenines and west of the Southern Sprines. Their time is spent largely in agricultural and religion affairs. In spite of their consistently pacifistic outlook, the Verteux has never been annexed by conquerers for any extended period of time. It has been occupied, but the cost of policing and occupation exceeds the possible gain in revenues, resources, and prestige. Agricola hobbits live in clans consisting of extended families, each dominated by the eldest female and the eldest male (who serves as her spok

AGRICOLUM is the southeasternmost province of the Confederacy. It is bounded on the south by the Republic, on the west by Ligeti, and on the north by Caria and Boatia. Its largest city is Ballista City, but the province has historically been dominated by Jacketz, to the northeast. The province has a small population, engaged primarily in farming, a profession inherited from the oldest known civilizations of the area. The area received its current name during the Second Orcish Empire and has never produced a sufficient potent political force to alter it. During the Second War of Ilican Succession, Agricolum attempted to secede and join the Republic, but was badly mauled by the loyal Boatian forces. Following the end of the war, Agricolum's lands were restored, but Boatia received the province of Agnatica as compensation.

ALKANE (pop. 800) is a small town in the Kurtzdam province of the Confederacy. It was founded in 9722 by a group of independent human farmers who wanted to run their own community, free from the influences of military and economic leaders. The enterprise succeeded for almost 30 years before the town leaders fell to bickering about trivial problems and invited their powerful neighbors to mediate. This was the end of Alkane's isolationism and was followed by a period of assimilation back into "standard" humanistic culture.

ALADDIN MAPS is the largest producer of maps in the world. It was founded in 9991 by Andrew Liao in Malmo. Aladdin Maps originally confined itself to producing its Ilican Atlas, but has steadily expanded the breadth of its offering to include maps of all kinds of the entire world. Aladdin currently employs several teams of explorers. When asked about their next major product, Cartographer-in-Chief Nicholas Cody replied, "Ultima Thule. Ultima Thule is the crowning jewel of exploration teams."

ALEXANDROS IV (9875 - 9962) held the office of Supreme Prelate for 42 years from 9920 to 9962.

ALLOTROPE is a large, horseshoe-shaped island to which all races of dwarves fled after the War of the Southern Sprines in the 9400's. Today it houses four major towns, Galena, Hematite, Cinnabar, and Dolomite, many ports, as well as several smaller mining and agricultural settlements. The high Grignard Range cuts across the island from east to west; the highest point of the range, Sohutsor Point, lies on the northern rim of an extinct volcano. Insular vegetation consists of coniferous forests near the mountains and prairie-like grasses elsewhere. Two economically important varieties of grass, Sturzengrass and Werdengrass, are native to Allotrope and do not grow well elsewhere. Surface dwarves provide most of the inhabitants while deep dwarves and fire dwarves live peacefully within the mountains. Celtic dwarves, though, after the Dwarvish Civil War of 9720-9725, fled to neighboring Cimmeria and founded that barren island's only city, the aptly named Cimmeria City. Before the dwarvish invasion in 9400, Allotrope was home to a semi- civilized race of goblins who were exterminated by the dwarves and almost all traces of their livelihood destroyed.

ALNICKOLI MUSHROOMS are small, lavender, magnetic mushrooms which are important in the ferrous metals and magic industry. They are the material component of the spell protection from physical damage, but also serve as indicators of niccolite and bunsenite ores, owing to their ability to leach relatively large amounts of nickel ores from the ambient soil. Most alnickoli mushrooms are found in the northern sprines and on Allotrope.

AMARTIQUE is a small island north of the Gailinian city of Cytherea. Formerly a prison colony, it was converted into a government mining operation when quantities of copper ore were discovered there in 9960. The island is most famous for a 10023 volcanic eruption. The centerpiece of the island, the "extinct" Mont Beurns, trembled to the accompaniment of subterranean explosions. The city of Pierre was showered with volcanic dust and teh sea for miles was littered with dead birds. After that, the whole mountain exploded. Pierre was wiped out in two minutes. It was one of the most appalling disasters of all time. Sailors on a ship anchored eight miles off shore felt the heat. A man watching from a distant mountainside said it looked as if Amartique were sliding into the sea. Nearly three thousand people had been killed and, above the island, was a tumultuous black cloud, perhaps fifty miles across. The sole survivor of Pierre was a prisoner locked in a windowless undergroud jail cell who had no idea what had happened until he was discovered by rescue workers.

AMSTERIX is a small island to the southwest of Porte Darthur on Pavimentum. Until 10016 it was covered by virgin forest and was an official game preserve under the control of Mickelgarth. In 10016, however, a series of inexplicable events led to terrible fires and magical fallout all over the island and into the surrounding oceans. The area is now classified as "magically toxic" and unauthorized visits are forbidden. The League of Nations overflowed with debate after the "Amsterix Incident," with some members charging that Mickelgarth had had a hypocritical magic-research facility, probably involved with the mysterious appearance of a flying object the next day, that had failed to take proper precautions. Nothing was ever proved, nor the flying object discovered--it was thought to have landed north of Iceland in the glacier. The Amsterix Incident is also the title of a new fictional book by Jimmie Johnson, a gnomish writer who offers a bizarre and unbelievable account of how a group of dedicated, but stupid and frustrated thrill seekers could have caused such a disaster and implicating the Mickelgarth Consortium as the owner and insufficient protector of the facility.

ANCIENT LANGUAGES see the articles for the specific language.

ANDROXES I (7170-7231, r. 7201-7231) was the first emperor of the Second Orcish Empire. Androxes took control of the armies of the federation at the request of the Council of Provinces. His command was extended at the request of the Council after the defeat of the marauding Sudibin in 7198, ostensibly to provide for a better common defense. Androxes convinced the member provinces to adopt standardized systems of measurement, pricing and communication in order to ease the interprovincial character of the army. In 7201 the Council convened and, following inspirational speeches by Calpurnius Keraunos and Julius Pothos, recognized Androxes' extensive acheivements in reform of the army and general economy. In light of this, Androxes was asked to officially assume imperial duties. He accepted and, in doing so, became the first emperor of the Second Orcish Empire. In his early year, Androxes paid lip service to maintaining regional differences, but followed the policy of assigning retiring soldiers grants of land in provinces other than their homeland. Simple as this strategy was, by the end of his reign (7231) a great deal of cultural consolidation had occurred. Androxes' reign was marked by peace and trade-induced prosperity. He was stricken by a stroke in 7231 while reviewing the Palace Guards. He was succeeded by his son as Androxes II. Two other sons never came to the throne.

ANDROXES II (7201-7277, r. 7231-7268) was the second emperor of the Second Orcish Empire.

ANDROXES III (7228-7288, r. 7268-7288) was the third emperor of the Second Orcish Empire.

ANHAVA, TUO (9610 - 9658) played a minor role in organizing the flight of the Drow from Gailinia to Syllabus in the aftermath of the civil war of the 9600's (see Elvish Uncivil War). He rose to prominence in the decade following this migration when he was put in charge of designing and building the first ships of what was to become the famous navy of the Drow. He is remembered for a "pilgrimage" he made (in 9642) to the shipyards of Mickelgarth accompanied only by his secretary (later his wife) to learn the necessary techniques. He returned accompanied by a naval officer, Cornelis Tromp, who assisted him in the construction of the navy until his murder in 9649. In his honor, Anhava attached his name to the Royal Ensign of the Drow navy, the only known instance of exogamous eponymy in the history of their nation. Anhava is perhaps best known for his public boast that "Time would come to an end before Gailinian soldiers could shed blood on Drow fields again," so great would be the strength of his ships. He retired from public life in 9655. In 9658, while cultivating his garden, he was attacked by an elvish patriot seeking to prove him wrong. Though in his forties, he cast away his blade, overpowered the assailant and strangled him among the azaleas. Anhava died a natural death later that year.

ANIMATION is the necromantic process of bringing recently killed bodies back to physical activity without their minds or souls. Creatures so summoned are dependent on magical power to sustain their existence and are without motivation or mental ability. They continually drain the mental abilities of the summoner, or a designated energy source, until it is extinguished and they fade back into death. Animated beings can be controlled by their summoner--poorly--but cannot be communicated with by any other means. Possible forms that animated beings may take are: skeletons (skeletal forms held together by invisible sinews), zombies (continually-decaying corpses) and wights (hairy, greyish corpses).

ANISOLE PENINSULA is a geographical division of the Confederacy of Dun Cess. It includes the outcropping of land which has the Bending Branch Forest, Jackson Bay, Slater, and Chavis. The Anisole peninsula goes as far north as the Windy mountains.

ANKEY (pop. 6,000) is a viking orc village on the eastern coast of Yarmouth.

ANTHRACO is a gigantic dwarvish mining conglomerate. It was founded in 9882 by the Schur family of surface dwarves to extricate anthracite from the Grignard Range. Competitive leaders and aggressive pricing led Anthraco to dominate the world minerals market beginning in 9950 and continuing to the present day. The current president is Lyman Schur, a quiet and introspective, but driven dwarf. Anthraco deals mainly with precious metals and ferrous ores, having left the fossil fuel operations to smaller companies. Anthraco is known as a strongly kendrophilanthropic company, but staunchly anti-brobene in its operations, announcements and charities.

ANTI-MAGIC is the study of phenomena similar to magical ones, but wholly incompatible with it. That is, the effects of anti- magical potions, scrolls, and spells are precisely the same as magical ones, but physical contact between magic charges (or fields) and any anti-magical charges (or fields) produce magical annihilation with an attendant release of energy. The energy blast is the most powerful known and is, as yet, unharnessed for useful work. The existence of anti-magic has been established for about 600 years, beginning with the work of Merlach and Gumbar, but its relation to magic was not understood until recently. Beginning in 10026 the archmancer Mailog began publishing his seminal series on the fundamental nature of anti- magic. The revelations took the magical world by surprise. Mailog revealed that anti-magic functions precisely the same as magic and anything that can be accomplished via magic is theoretically accomplishable by anti-magic, if the right magical lenses can be created or located. The process by which is annihilation occurs is unknown, but because of its violence and uncontrollable nature, the use and possession of anti-magicks is officially forbidden throughout the world. Of course, the Confederacy acknowledges that the Institute of Advanced Sorcery was allowed to study anti-magic at remote locations; the newly founded Seminary of Magical Harmony (in the Northern Expanse) has taken over all anti-magical research done in Ilico. MCSU also maintains an anti-magical research laboratory in a unknown (possibly underground) location. Various organizations, including the Union, the Omerta, and others have long been suspected of fooling around with anti-magic. Anti-magic is present in the physical forms of some animals, slather beasts and xorns. The study of anti-magic was originally called abjurmancy, but with recent discoveries as to its true scope, became known as anti-sorcery. Magic and anti-magic currently form the most fundamental division of magical studies, a dichotomy that is likely to stand for some time.

ANTI-SORCERY see Anti-Magic, Magic and Sorcery

ARABY'S SYNDROME

ARAN MOUNTAINS are a low (4,000-10,000) foot high mountains on the western coast of the Confederacy of Dun Cess. Their ores consist mainly of utilitarian metals, including hematite, casserite, malachite, and chalcopyrite. There are, however, moderate deposits of platinum and sylvanite in the northern part of the range.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL ALLIANCE OF ALLOTROPE is a commerical organization of dwarvish corporations, guilds and individuals that takes as its official goal the furthering of all scientific explorations of the past of mankind. In practice the alliance tends to support only those projects which illumine the glories of kendronic history or those that suggest some form of commercial or strategic advantage. The alliance's affairs are conducted by a board of 36 members chosen for life terms by the board itself. The alliance meets in secret. Each year, on January 1, the alliance announces its goals and projects for the following year. Usually at least one of the board members is present to observe excavations funded by the alliance. The alliance usually meets in Hematite, once every three months. It is not known to be involved in dwarvish politics. The alliance provides funds for about half of all archaeological work done by primarily dwarvish crews. It maintains membership in the Archaeological Society (sending two members), but does not take an active role in deliberations. It is thought that the alliance has a yearly budget of approximately 1.5 million silver pieces.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY is an international, multiracial organization of universities and professional archaeological societies that was formed to mediate disputes between members arising from sites that proved to be multiracial in origin. As a secondary goal, the Society hoped to encourage the exchange of information leading to a better overall understanding of the development of modern civilization. The Society was founded in 9992 and was initially successful in its second goal. A number of valuable and well-attended conferences were held, mainly focussing on the 8000's. The outbreak of war in 10009 severely diminished attendance and interest; only in the past ten years has membership approached one-third of its previous level. The Society has never been very successful in fulfilling its first goal; several cases have been brought before it for a decision, but in no case has resulted in an acceptable arbitration. The last such case (a human/orcish dispute about a site in northern Vyrica) was in 10028. Since then, the Society has taken to publishing a Code of Ethics and set of guidelines on proper procedures for excavating multiracial sites. The Society's budget is approximately 350,000 silver pieces annually, most provided by human-controlled universities.

ARCHITEUTHIS is the name given in orcish legend and folklore to a giant squid-like monster found primarily in the Abyssal Sea. The architeuthis reaches lengths of 60 feet or more from the tip of its barb-and-sucker-clad tentacles to the tip of its head. Its eyes are roughly the size of a human head and it has a sharp, bird-like beak with which it feeds. The architeuthis is similar, or perhaps identical, to the creation known as the zuiyo by the Sudibin, but it has never been possible to definitively compare specimens because of the danger and expense involved in obtaining them.

ARCHMAGE is an advanced user of magical spells from more than one college. Despite the secrecy and monomancy that colleges enforce on their adepts and archons, some wizards win admittance to multiple colleges; these brilliant members of the magical community are known as archmages. Previous to 10035 such multitalented wizards were known as archmancers, but a Special Council of Magicians voted to change the name for reasons that were not publicly announced. They did release the list of names that were rejected, however, including omnimancers, hypermancers, supermancers, mastermancers, megamancers, panmancers, and deomancers.

ARGENTINE RIVER flows southwest out of the hills of the Breda peninsula of southern Pavimentum through its namesake cotton-growing region. The city of Porte Darthur was built just downstream of the river's turn to the south before it meets the ocean. The river received its name from the silver mines (since exhausted) that lay near its headwaters and which were exploited between 9000 and 9500.

ARISTOGEITON (9945-9965) was a surface gnomish poet famous for his works that were specifically directed at social and political leaders of his day. Aristogeiton believed the world was coming to an end because of everybody's lackadaisical obedience to demagogues and fanatics. One thing that especially worried him was the increase in pollution that arrived with the industrial age; in one sonnet, "Yggsdrasil," he writes:

    The warbling saw cut slashes in the green
And loosed the grasping vine from gasping prey.
The echoes of my mind retell the scene
That windy silence swept so fast away:
My father kicked the snakish corpse aside
And said, "These wicked vines are parasites.
They'll suck the sap out of the homes they ride
And spread to every tree their choking blights."
I see our rivers ooze with pus from sewers
Then run across the grayed, cemented 'scape
Down into lakes of poisons lacking cures;
Our helpless tree could not resist her rape.
I darkly fear that mankind's spreading flaw
Will cause our Father us to see--and saw.

ARLINGTON'S SYRUP

ARMOR is a method of protecting a body from damage by encasing it in an rigid material. Because of its weight, armor reduces the wearer's ability to hit and to dodge blows, but it compensates by absorbing damage that would have been passed on to the wearer. The following table illustrates the characteristics of the kinds of armor in common use throughout the world. Most commercial armor is made of steel, but it is not uncommon to see cheaper, heavier armor made of iron. The only place that bronze armor is seen today is during official gnomish ceremonies. The cheapest type of armor is a body covering made entirely of leather (a gambeson) or leather implanted with many steel "studs" which deflect blows and hold the material together better (studded leather). Padded leather is little bulkier but includes much thicker cloth to absorb blows by clubbing weapons like maces and flails. Breastplates are massive steel plates that protect the front and chest areas of the wearers. Cuirasse (from the elvish) is a boiled leather armor that includes a small breastplate and backplate to protect the chest. Ring mail hauberks are leather coats covered with a mesh of large steel rings; all hauberks protect only the upper body. Scale mail is formed from overlapping metal scales of about 10 square inches each in a covering that resembles nothing so much as a fish. Mail ("chain mail") is made of thousands of tiny, linked metal rings that offer strong resistance to both swings and thrusts of swords. Brigantine armor consists of metal plates riveted together under a cloth exterior. Lamellar armor (rarer than the others) consists of many small metal plates sewn together to provide a rigid defense. Mailed plate consist of regular mail with steel plates riveted on over the chest, back, and upper arms. Full plate mail consists of an entire suit of riveted plates that cover all areas of the body except the head with the best armor available. Chausses (from the elvish) are leg protections that guard against leg hits from the ankles to the mid-upper legs. Gauntlets protect the lower-arms in a similar fashion, though the palms are not metal but leather to facilitate grip on weapons. See also Shield and Helmet.

ARTAXERXES I (6260-6325, r. 6302-) was the first monarch of the First Orcish Empire, known in his day as the Carian Hegemony. He was born the heir apparent to the powerful Carian clan of the large orcish town of Huttsko (near present-day Neorome) and succeeded to its leadership in 6279 upon the death of his father, Orodes. He succeeded in coercing (economically and military) the surrounding towns and tribes into forming a hegemony under the power of the Carian clan. By 6290, an area sixty miles in radius had sworn allegiance and its stated ideal of a single, continuous orcish state that guaranteed its borders, eliminated banditry, and produced a more-or-less universal law code. By 6300, the rest of the orcish population of Ilico had succumbed to the pressure and the First Orcish Empire--as it is known today--was essentially complete.

Artaxerxes was a talented general and diplomat and is typically accorded the greater part of the credit by historians for the military advances made under his reign, though he was assisted by able generals like his nephew Megabyzus and, after 6300, Acrisius. Artaxerxes also contributed to non-political endeavors, including formulating the imperial calendar (Old Style) which dated events from the acceptance of his law code in 6302 (the conventional date given for the Empire's inception). He also instituted the original laws of succession for the empire, requiring that the kingship pass from father to eldest son first, and elder brother to younger brother second. This was amended several times by his descendants when genealogical reality made it impossible to ignore.

Artaxerxes married Meda in 6295, a young woman not known for her beauty. Artaxerxes proclaimed that he had selected her over the "unwilted flowers" because of her family's repuation for long-life which he believed would be required in his sons--and their sons--for the Empire to be successful.

Artaxerxes was assassinated in 6325 by agents of his long-time rival, Bagoas. He was succeeded by his second son, Artaxerxes, who became Artaxerxes II.

ARTAXERXES II (6290-6389, r. 6325-6389) was the second son of Artaxerxes I. He succeeded to the throne following the death of Darius, his elder brother, in a hunting accident in 6300, and his father (by assassination) in 6325. He ruled for 64 years and became known as a skilled strategian in his gnomish campaigns as well as a great patron of the arts, especially classical music. His personal notebooks, saved by his wife Ophelia, point to Artaxerxes' having been a philosophical, intelligent man who presented a early form of the Pacifistic philosophy.

ARTAXERXES IIA (6310-6380) was the second son of Artaxerxes II; he was designated "IIA" by historians to alleviate the confusion caused by the preponderance of men named Artaxerxes in the Carian royal family. Less neutrally, he was nicknamed "the Futile" by contemporary historians because of his widely known desire for the throne--to which he never succeeded. After his elder brother Teispes died without male heir in 6367 he began to gather courtly support for his post-coronation plans, plans which became more outrageous and less secretive as time went on. Incredibly, despite living to the age of 70, he was outlived by his father. His eldest son, Artaxerxes, however, did become king upon the death of Artaxerxes II and ruled as Artaxerxes III.

ARTAXERXES III (6336-6405, r. 6389-6405) was the son of Artaxerxes (IIA, "the Futile") and grandson of Artaxerxes II (by Ophelia). His long-lived grandfather outlived both of his sons, Teispes and Artaxerxes, so that right of succession passed to Artaxerxes' eldest son after Teispes died with only female heirs. Artaxerxes proved to be a powerful king who took advantage of the weaknesses of rivals like the lands of Bagoas and the Sudibin Empire to enlarge the Empire's domains westward (and seaward) and southward. Artaxerxes had three sons, Artaxerxes (IIIA), Cyaxares, and Medus, the latter two of whom became kings of the empire.

ARTAXERXES IIIA (6361-6380) was the eldest son of Artaxerxes III. An officer in the army, he was killed in one of the Empire's many battles against the Sudibin Empire in 6380 allowing the right of succession to pass to his sibling, Cyaxares.

AURIC MOSS This gold-flecked, deep purple moss is an economically and socially important plant, as it furnished the primary ingredients for expensive perfumes. Most of the moss is consumed by manufacturers in Jackson Bay, Parapanisades, Hematite, and Slavale. It also functions as the material component of the spell Olfactory Illusion. Auric moss is found in mountain ranges all over the world.

AXON (pop. 3,000) is a surface gnomish city on the southern side of Symtheta. It is primarily a farming town, but also has a strong fishing and a mediocre textiles center.