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

NAMO RIVER is a small river that runs out the forests of the Uchebnik Peninsula into the Western Ocean. Its name rose to the surface of history but once, and that in 9675 when a group of surveyors returned from the river with the story that they had discovered kimberlite pipes--the usual source of diamonds--within its watershed. A second group of surveyors corroborated this result and, tragically, the southern city-states of Pavimentum, including Taylorwell, Gravesend, and Porte Darthur began to mobilize in order to defend their theretofore unvalued claims to the region. Serious bloodshed was averted when three additional groups of surveyors, all sent by different powers, decided to cooperate in the field and returned with a convincing report that the pipes were too young and too few to hold a worthwhile reserve of diamonds. As a result of the hasty demobilization, the city-statesmen worked out the peculiar arrangement by which Uchebnik is administered to the present day: Porte Darthur asserts control, but regularly, and ceremonially, holds conferences before announcing and implementing new policies.

NECROMANCY is the use of magical power that deals with the dead and the act of dying. One important subset of necromancy is the set of spells that deal with returning dead people to life; these take various forms depending on the parts revived. For instance, if the physical body is available and in good condtion, ressurection can be performed. If the body is not available, resuscitation must take form of creating a lich; the mind and soul are revived but there is no true corporeal existence. Reviving merely the body counts only as animation. Revival of the soul is transmigration, a process by which a new body and mind receives the old soul--desires, repressed fears, deep philosophic beliefs--but is free to interpret them according to its own mind. Recreation of the mind and the body leads to undead, creatures without conscience, soul, or philosophy, but able to think and manipulate the world without controlling forces. Revival of merely the mind requires the procurement of a new body; this type of necromancy has been only tried a few times with poor results; the new soul and the old mind are incompatible to the point of self-destruction.

NEFERTITI, LINDA (9946-10002) was a self-made water millionaire of Iceland. Her company, Water To Go, was the principle exporter of the world's most popular beverage, though it has declined following her death. Nefertiti had a humongous temple built in her honor (by the Excelsea Gravestone Company) to be used as her mausoleum. Unfortunately, before the temple was ever finished graverobbers broke in and stole her most prized magical and valuable possessions.

NEKO dynasty was the Imperial House of the Sudibin from 8727 until 9238.

NEKO JUROZAEMON (8687-8751) was the first ruler of the Imperial House of Neko.

NEKO TORAME (9202-9252) was the last ruler of the Imperial House of Neko.

NEOROME (pop. 85,000) is the second-largest city in the Confederacy and in Ilico. It is the center of the Universalist religion and is home to the Papal Palace, the fabulous Orange Cathedral, and the only private, Universalist university in the Confederacy, Trinity. Neorome is an advanced city that boasts strong public support and low crime rates.

NIF (slang) an elf.

NITORYU (Sud.) is the style of fencing with two swords. The use of two swords was originally limited to bandits who preyed on travelers near Nara, but was adopted by the great solider-poet Yoshinobu who turned it into an art form.

NOCK (slang) a gnome.

NOMA'S CONJECTURE (Noma Mykonos, human adventurer, 10003-10022) is a postulate of frontier life that states that the vast majority of all nocturnal interruptions occur during the second shift.

NOMAN is an island.

NORTHERN EXPANSE TRADING COMPANY is the largest merchant corporation in the Confederacy of Dun Cess; NETCo has a virtual monopoly on both land-routes in the northern part of the Confederacy and on sea-trade in the western ocean. The company was founded in Malmo by Hamilcar "the Shrewd" Zama in 9992 for the purpose of providing fast, efficient transportation of goods and people across the Northern Expanse. Despite its small origins, it quickly came to dominate land-trade in the northwestern Confederacy, primarily by offering superior service at low cost. In 9998 Hamilcar concluded negotiations with the government Pieschland which gave NETCo an extremely favorable position vis-a-vis other merchant companies in Pieschland. Hamilcar defended this individual treaty in the textbook case of Judiciary v. Northern Expanse Trading Company (9999) and won a stunning victory. By 10005 NETCo was active in sea-trade along the western coast and with Pavimentum as well. By 10010, most of the company's competitors had been forced into bankruptcy or small, provincial routes. Since then, the company has continued to grow, becoming the largest private employer in the Confederacy. Hamilcar retained personal control of the company until his retirement in 10015; his second son, Magos (b. 9980) "the Stark", took over the presidency. Magos is assisted by Donald Kagan, the executive director, and, more and more, by Jowthan Harks, the heir-apparent to Kagan's position.

Over the years NETCo has been involved in many projects, including an attempt to found a new human colony in Vyrica, joining in the defense of Iceland and Pieschland during the Second War of Ilican Succession, rebuilding Distown after it was destroyed by fire, supporting several charities and benevolent orders in the northern Confederacy and attempting to found a research colony on the glacial rim. NETCo is well-known for its intensive engineering research and development departments, particularly in hydrodynamics, nutrition/exercise and spell engineering.