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

TECHAU, PECHMAN (9974-10032) served as Executive Director of the Northern Expanse Trading Company from 10024-10030. He was particularly interested in developing more economical methods of marine transportation and in establishling flourishing colonies throughout the Western Ocean. Much effort was put into the failing Trangle Island colony without substantal improvement and an attempt to create a new enclave on Shang Island, with the permission of its orcish population was unsuccessful. In addition, Techau's semisecret project to produce the next major advance in engine efficiency (the so-called "triple-A" engine) came to naught. He was replaced in 10030 by Donald Kagan and died two years later. It became clear, later, that he suffered from a degenerative disease which rendered help nearly vegetative in the final year of his life. How long he had been afflicted, is something at which only speculation may be made.

TECHNON is a unversity of science and technology located in Thekave, in the Republic. The Technon was founded, however, in 9960, before the War of the Republican Secession. It is a famous university, well respected for its research and education.

TELEMANCY is the division of sorcery that deals with phenomena related to space and distance. A new area of study, its spells (for instance, Teleport) work poorly, if at all. The Glacial Society of Telemancers is a political lobby group that hopes to garner Confederal research grants to teleport explorers hundreds of miles into the glaciers; much support is not likely unless the explorers consist of politicians, escaped convicts, and Republicans.

TELEMANNCY is the name of a famous symphony, noted for its "eerie, magical" qualities by the great baroquist, Georg Telemann.

TEREBINTHIUM CRYSTALS are naturally occuring crystals most important for their natural radiance of anti-magic. Their anti- magical qualities were first described by Mailog in his seminal 10028 work on anti-magic, Antithesis. After the work appeared the few samples of Terebinthium crystals in rock collections were tested and, indeed, showed extreme natural levels of anti-magical power (although it was not great enough to be damaging in its natural concentrations.) Further expeditions and surveys showed the Terebinthium crystals were extremely rare and their ores were very impure. As of 10032, the current market price for a pound of 1.0% Terebinthium crystal was 1,500 silver pieces. The largest known sources of the crystal are the Sprinal Tap, an area exploited by Anthraco, Icelandic Minerals Incorporated, and Geoplus; the Uchebnik peninsula, extracted by the Mining Consortium; and the Odylic Mountains on Botnia, mined by World Minerals. Mining is a difficult operation, owing to the necessity of using no magical implements or spells. Terebinthium crystals are translucent yellow when pure. Impure conglomerates often show slight yellow tinges in white light. When dissolved in acidic water, Terebinthium crystals give a definite yellow hue to the liquid. The crystals provide the material components for an improved Detect Anti-Magic and the rudimentary Dispel Anti-Magic and Anti-Light spells. All three of the previous spells were developed by Balthazaar Benbarbon and Melchoir Molovichen at the Institution for Advanced Sorcery. Both have since moved to the Seminary on Magical Symmetry.

TETRAHEDRON See Sorceror's Tetrahedron

THOREAU is a multiracial god of nature and reliance on human abilities, rather than magic and technology. A young budding oak tree is his followers' insignia.

TIFFAN is dwarvish god of gems, precious metals, and commerce. His temples often doubled as a town's city hall and marketplace.

TIRESIAS (9922 - 9999) held the office of Supreme Prelate from the election following the death of Ptochos (9983) until his own death in 9999. He was born August Flanch in Jackson Bay and, unlike most future prelates, opted to studied the natural sciences at the University of Dun Cess where he challenged Honors and graduated at the age of 19. He then taught for several years, but experienced a deep religious experience in 9948 which led him to forsake his first career and enter the Church. Drawing on his own experience, Flanch became a fierce advocate of the importance of internal, revealed religion, a stance at some odds with the prevailing emphasis on welfare, community, and responsibility by most prelates including his predecessor (Ptochos) and eventual successor (Rural III). Nonetheless, Flanch was a brilliant scholar and more than capable administrator, and he rose to meet the challenges in front of him.

He was named Metropolitan Prelate of Jacketz in 9964, a post in which he served with distinction and issued several meticulously researched studies on the importance of revelation to the Apostles. He got along poorly with Ptochos who tried to have him removed in 9968, but the other Prelates Major rallied around Tiresias making his removal impossible. While being largely ostracized from the Marble Palace for the 15 years, Tiresias managed to avoid many of that period's bitter disputes while cementing his reputation as a first-class scholar. When Ptochos died in 9983, most commentators expected a successor to be chosen only with extreme difficulty; in the event, they were wrong, and Flanch was elected easily, perhaps because the Prelates anticipated that his views would lead him to leave them largely alone.

As expected, Flanch declared that he would make personal revelation the focus of his efforts and chose the name Tiresias in honor of the orcish Apostle whose famous Confession recounted the revelations that had been made to him.

Tiresias held the office for sixteen years that included the most vexatious period in the recent history of the Church, the so-called Epistolary Controversy, in which the Tiresias refused to accept Plato's appointment of the Dannel Skillicorn, Metropolitan Prelate of KDP East, as Metropolitan Prelate of Plato's new capital, Lyncepolis. However, the apparent deadlock dissolved in 9993, and the remaining six years of Tiresias' oversight passed without any major troubles. To the present day, historians debate the exact role that Tiresias played in resolving the Epistolary Controversy; some credit him with diplomatic brilliance, others believe him to have been shamelessly manipulated by cannier politicians.

Tiresias died in 9999 and with him died ecclesiastical peace, as Jonathan Kensett and Schae Cornel competed strenuously to succeed him. Neither could gain ascent, however, and the office passed to a compromise candidate, Jerome Marquand, who surprisingly assumed the charged name of Rural III and began to reopen the wounds of the Peculiar Controversy.

TITAN was the massive great axe of the dwarvish god Cromhelm. It was said to have been given a handle made of the tallest ash from the tallest mountain in the Sprinal Tap and given a blade beaten from the body of a star which fell to the earth. Cromhelm himself made the weapon and thereafter taught the craft to his people.

TITANIUM is a silvery grey metal whose ores have been known since the Dark Ages. It has about one-half the density of iron, but is nearly twice as strong. It is a new metal, having only been purified in 9975 by Hamilton Cassidy (who named it "ferrum mirabilis"). Besides its strength in a pound-for-pound comparison with iron and steel, titanium is far less resistant to corrosion. Titanium has been used to make weapons, drills, and engine parts of extremely high quality, though the cost of the metal prohibits mass production as of the current time. Titanium is obtained primarily from ilmenite, a mineral named for the Ilmen Mountains of Vyrica, but found in the central Spines and northern Ilion Mountains as well. The mineral received its present name from Randal Kroll in his 9984 Compendia Metallica who borrowed the name of Cromhelm's great axe, the "Titan," for it.

TOFFLER, ALVIN (9968- ) is a human author much renowned for his biting criticism of the government of Dun Cess and his critically acclaimed book, The Fourth Wave. He was appointed to the post of Secretary of Magic and Technology in 10005 and has served with distinction. He writes:

"I shall put my thoughts briefly so any intelligent reader may grasp what I mean. The years 1500-2000 were marked by an agricultural revolution that changed society completely. People gave up nomadic lives and cities developed. With cities came universities, ports, and culture. The years 5000-6000 marked an industrial revolution. Under the leadership of the great orcish civilizations, industry flourished. Iron smelting, metallurgy, and mass manufacturing changed the face of the world. Reliable ships appeared en masse, weapons became sturdier and bloodier. Agriculture was made more productive. These advances made possible the Technological Revolution that is continuing today: Steam power, our primitive magical use, water purification systems, chemistry, biology, Tonewian physics, all of these have made life vastly different from the intrepid warrior-farmer-gatherer-priest divisions of before. Hydroponics and boomdust are two of the greatest ideas of the modern age. But the fourth wave is yet to come. The Magical Revolution. Yes, the primitive magic we have now has touched our lives directly and indirectly, but Telemancy and Chronomancy will make our life obsolete. Unlimited time travel and space travel will make our standard ideas of "duration" and "distance" a thing of the past just as longevity magic and boats did so in the past. This revolution will come and I am convinced that it is for the best. I can only dream of what wonderful things the book entitled The Fifth Wave will contain."

TONEW, KIRK (9670-9722) was the preeminent scientist of the 97th century. He worked completely with deterministic phenomena--today Tonewian Dynamics--and scoffed at the nondeterminism of magic, saying, "Some day it will all be explainable in terms of things like these balls; smaller, but fundamentally the same." His prediction, of course, has not been borne out by experiment, but his work remains timeless and unparalleled in developing the sciences of dynamics and ballistics. Dedicated Tonewian determinists still believe, however, that fundamental, dragon-ball like interactions are at the root of all science, magic, and life. Kirk Tonew was educated in Micklegarth before coming to Iceland where he did his research isolated from mankind. He lived alone by a small mountain pool in the Sprinal Tap for over 30 years writing and publishing his results on the most prestigious bulletin boards he could find. His life came to a tragic end in 9722 when he was found, poisoned, near a half-cut tree. No explanation other than suicide has ever been plausibly advanced.

TORAK is the god of death. Torakians believe that dying is the act of crossing a threshold into a blissful paradise. They have taken it upon themselves to convince the masses of this fact and to provide legal, moral, and psychological help a potential convert may need. According to Torak dogma, when the last person has been killed it will be the duty of all Torrs (priests) and Torks (apprentices) to commit ritual suicide. Torak worshippers usually wear black and like to discuss the fantastic possibility that they might be able to die tomorrow. Torakians must follow the following code:

  1. All beings who choose Torak as their sole liege Lord shall follow this, the Code of Torak, at all times. Should a disciple stray from the delineated path his fate shall be in the hands of Torak and he shall have no defense to present the Great Torak when he is departed.

  2. Torak waits for all beings to pass into his world. Thus all followers of Torak shall be stoic and patient in the question of their own demise. Suicide is rightly out.

  3. Torak receives all beings who die in acceptance of his majesty and power. Thus those sent unto him shall be sent in a calm, painless state. Those not sent in acceptance of his will infuriate Torak because their souls are lost to him; never shall a priest or apprentice assist anyone in death who has not accepted Torak, this includes those deaths which may occur as part of a battle.

  4. Torak's heaven is good, in contrast to the nasty, brutish, and short lives that are lived by mortals in this world. It is wrong to steal a being whose mind has accepted Torak back into this world.

  5. Upon mastery of the religion and science of Torak's domain, a follower shall become a priest of Torak and assume the suffix-title of Torr. Until this time, said followers shall take the title of apprentice, or Tork. Deceased priests shall be referred to with the suffix Torror and the utmost respect.
[Encyclopedia Article by Brian F. Allen]

TRAGOLIDDY MOSS (Tragoli, Pieschlandic explorer) is a green, slimy plant that grows on the ceilings of shady caves in the Sprines. It is very nutritious, if one is mentally disposed to consume such things, and has sustained many an iron-stomached traveler in the mountains. Its discoverer was the first to notice that excessive consumption of the plant increased nightvision tremendously; further inquiries along this line showed that the plant was the material component of the Cure Blindness spell.

TRANGLE ISLAND is a small island in the Western Ocean. It lies almost due West of Ligeti and forms one of the vertices of the Bermuda Parallelepiped. Extesive biological and magical surveys have shown the island to be devoid of indigenous life, although NETCo established a small colony of farmers and criminals on the eastern shore in 9999. This colony, Abyedium, has foundered for 16 years but always manages to harvest just enough food and produce just enough shelter and clothing to survive. Trangle Island is known as Flevo Island on Pavimentum, which name it lent to a 9564 treaty between Porte Darthur and the Sudibin Empire.

TRANSMIGRATION is the necromantic process by which only the soul of a departed creature is returned to the physical world, to inhabit a new body and a new mentality. Though the new mind will react to motivations with different actions and thoughts, the new creature will still be directed along the same basic lines as the old mind and body were. Transmigrated souls are sometimes difficult to identify because the outward appearances and thought processes change so drastically, but observation over a long period of time reveal motivational trends that can give away isosouled creatures. The god of transmigration is Moyshedian.

TRENINES are an important mountain range that form the political boundary between Chinmin Province of the Confederacy and the Verteux. They are rich in ferric and coal ores and provide mediocre sources of spell components and coniferous woods. Few humans live in the mountains, though there are towns in the foothills, but isolated communities of dwarves and gnomes, left over from the Second War of Ilican Succession are rumored to exist. The mountains are lower and sparser than the great Sprinal range, and often admit fairly easy travel by foot, if not by horse.

TRIDENT is a spear-length, three-pronged weapon introduced in 10016 by Dhoule Industries. It's advertised as superior to both the spear and the long sword; Dhoule has focused its advertising on mercenaries and professional armies. The weapon has sold well in its original design, prompting several spin-offs like Quadents, Pentdents, Bidents, and Decadents. Said one satisfied customer, "It's worth the extra encumbrance to get three times the blood with no more work."

TRILK (vulgar) solid excrement

TROGLODYTES are large, scaly relatives of lizardmen who live in natural and artificial cave complexes beneath the ground. They are crafty warriors and thieves with a simple language, but culturally, magically, and technologically impaired. They are a vicious, unpredictable race given to war and drinking. They have superb vision and hearing; attributes they periodically use when they start military campaigns against the dwarves and the gnomes; their two historical enemies. Troglodyte males stand six feet tall, the females a little taller, have dark green scaly skin, and thick, black and gray hair. They often use stone, ivory, and wooden weapons. Troglodytes are thought to have originated on the island group north of Pavimentum.

TROLLTRILK (vulgar) a stronger interjection than trilk

TROMP, CORNELIS (9614-9649) was a Mickelgarthian naval officer who befriended Tuo Anhava, the father of the Drow navy, while the latter was studying ship construction in Micklegarth in the aftermath of the flight of the Drow from Gailinia to Syllabus. He returned with Anhava to Syllabus and provided the necessary expertise for the Drow navy to become the force that it eventually did. Tromp was murdered as the result of typical courtly intrigue among the Drow in 9649; his name was given to the Royal Ensign of the Drow navy by Anhava after his death.

TURIN (pop. 1,200) is a resort town on Guyl island in the western ocean. It was founded in 9380 as Micklegarthian settlers crossed to Iceland as a supply store as the island housed great stores of copper and salt as well as excellent farmland. By 9600, though, the resources were drained but the magnificent towns and churchs retained their visitors and turned Turin into a tourist's haven. Today, having survived two fires, an orcish attack, and a visitation of the plague, Turin is much less popular with the rich but remains a remnant of the past's art and architecture. Among frequent vistors, the Grand Turin Hotel and the M Shining Hotel (the initial's meaning lost forever) remain the favorites places to vacation.

TURTLE ROCKS is a small island in the eastern ocean. It is occupied only by one gigantic, well-kept castle and about a hundred "No Trespassing" signs. Little is known about its eccentric owner, El Ouhd. Turtle Rocks was previously (before 9990) a resort. Unfortunately, a crazed killer/arsonist decimated the vacation complex in 9990 and ruined the Eastern Vacation Company's fortunes. The criminal was never caught. The property was sold cheaply at an auction to a man identified only as El Ouhd (a male huuman citizen of Mickelgarth) who apparently withdrew to the island and isolated himself from mankind.

TUSSLE FRUIT are the extremely hard berries of the Tussle Tree. They are dark brown and approximately three inches in diameter. Each one weighs about one and a half pounds. Tussle trees are found throughout the Republic, northern Vyrica, Uchebnik, and Pavimentum. They are nourishishing, if bland. Tussle fruit are able to within extreme external temperature changes while maintaining their ability to germinate; oftentimes tussle fruits are carried with melting snow to areas far away from their original tree. Tussle fruits are not uniform: a "bottom" is defined by an edge that is markedly heavier than the others. A tussle fruit provides a natural plaything for children: its looping trajectories and the difficulties involved in catching or hitting it create hours of fun and enjoyment.

TYOTO (9180-9230) was a poet of the Dwarvish Renaissance. Only fragments of his works remain, of which, of the most famous is part of a set of heroic couplets on friendship:

    It would be better if the word did take
A hundred hours to pronounce in full;
From ranks of fops, this length true friends would cull.

TYRDAEUS (9980-) is a Pieschlandic poet. His most famous works are haiku, usually about philosophy.