Age of Kings – Second age of man.
   The first age (known as the Stone Age) ended when the first King began to command the people.
   The Age of Kings saw the birth of recorded history, the naming of the powers, and the early establishment of many of the worldwide guilds that exist today, notably the Telepaths Guild.

Age of Lightning – Fourth (and current) age of man.
   All through the Age of Thought, electrokinetics were uncontrollable and had to be executed. Eventually they were able to rise up and depose the telepaths. The Lightnings, being too few in number to establish a stable government, had to force the telepaths into service. The Lightnings ended up depending on the telepaths to use their powers to enforce order.
   At first, the Lightnings governed from what would become Council Island. However they were unable to agree among themselves, and slowly the world fractured into the current demesnes, with each Namika controlling as much as he could, and recognizing the Council in what areas he could not.

Age of Thought – Third age of man.
   The point where the telepaths usurped power from the Kings marked the end of war. Religious books were burned and all weapons or war melted. Documentation suggests people were forced to cooperate, and so man existed in a form of enforced utopia.

Biopath – a telepath who can speak to cells.

Chronomancer – One whose power is to see into the future.
   Chronomancy is the weakest and least accurate of the named powers. Chronomancers are frequently employed to make weather predictions for agriculture, or as finders of lost objects or wanted people. Some, more powerful chronomancers, are trained as assassins.
   Documentation from the Age of Kings suggest the power of chronomancy tapered off at the end of the Age of Kings for unknown reasons.

Chronomancer Guild – A worldwide guild of people with the power of Chronomancy.
   Unlike the telepath and teleporters, Chronomancers do not force membership. Politically, they tend to ally themselves with the Lightnings, so they never revoke services during an MCFSG embargo.

Connection – 1st state of telepathic communication.
   Connections are one or two-way lines, usually allowing reading of public-mind thoughts. A non-telepath can easily block out public thoughts if he is wary of a telepath. Deeper scans require rapport.

Demesne – A region of land, measuring under 100 km across, that is owned in whole by a Namika.
   Inhabitants of a demesne fall into three classes: the regular class (or citizens or peasantry), the High Family / Aristocracy, and the ruling class (The Lightnings, and sometimes some mix of other Kinetics).
   Demesnes are assigned levels by the MCFSG, according to what guild services are available there. In general, if a demesne has enough services to support automotive industry, it is granted the rank of 6. The other levels, from 2 through 12 are based around this benchmark.

Council of Lightnings – The original group of Lightnings that toppled the Telepath. Government, ending the Age of Thought.
   The Council does not intervene in local issues, allowing member Namikas to be deposed via internal strife as necessary. It does, however regulate industries, such as sale of telepaths, to prevent any one Namika from growing more powerful than the others. Namikas have an interest in keeping the Council legitimate, so it can sustain a level playing field among their peers. Telepaths, for their own protection, also have an interest in keeping Namikas from abusing them via Council powers. So all the world guilds have reached an equilibrium of common interests.

Electrokinetic – (see also, Kinetic) One whose powers are to command electrons.
   Typically electrokinetics are able to generate an electric potential difference (physics term) in their vicinity, which causes electrons to tend to flow in a direction of their choosing. More powerful Electrokinetics are known as “Lightnings” because they can move enough electrons to be visible to the naked eye.
   The electrostatic field annuls most other powers, most importantly telepathy, which is how the Lightnings were able to topple the Telepath Government millennia ago. It is a known fact that telepaths can build up a resonance with a given Lightning over time and eventually penetrate the field.

Elika – a high-ranking Lightning, retainer to a Namika.
   Elika form the judiciary of a demesne, and are able to perform sentencing on the regular class citizens. They have the final say on most matters of judgement, and are overruled only by the Namika himself.

High Family – gains the benefit of having a family name, the right to own property, free health care, and myriad legal benefits (such as a right to a trial and protection from unwarranted seizure of goods).
   High Family is naturally reserved for people who have been granted family names by the MCFSG as a result of reaching a certain level of financial prosperity. It might equate to what 20th century Earth would call a “millionaire’s club”.
   Within the High Family class are multiple strata, with “Named Family” at the bottom: A family that has recently been granted its name and shows potential according to MCFSG but has not yet acquired the capital to be widely recognized.
   By convention, High Family acts within the local Namika’s legal system. Should they contravene local laws (eg by murdering an Elika) a Namika may expel the perpetrator from his demesne without fear of repercussion. The procedure is unclear in the absence of a Namika.

Kinetic – the spectrum of kinetic powers.
   The term spectrum is important because a highly rated telekinetic will be able to do things outside his normal range in the spectrum (throw lightning bolts or start fires).

Kinesiosis – A wide ranging named power where one manipulates his body to some condition. Such as someone who can resist the effects of cold weather, or someone who can turn himself into stone.

Lightning – (See Electrokinetic for additional details) One of the more powerful electrokinetics.
   It is commonly accepted that Lightnings can: a) Throw bolts (a misnomer: They simply generate electric potential differences and wait for electrons to be attracted to the target), b) Create weaves, which are 2 or more bolts strung together, and c) create electrostatic energy fields centred on themselves.
   In addition, Lightnings may demonstrate abilities such as cancelling out gravity, creating space folds, or extensive use of “fast-time” (or accelerated motions using energy fields). This latter group of Lightnings typically go on to become the leaders of demesnes.
   Throughout the Age of Lightning, it is these most powerful of the Electrokinetics who control the world. A Namika typically lives about 300 to 500 years, before his powers begin to weaken and his retainers become bold enough to challenge him.

MCFSG – the Mercantile Collective of Freemen and Specialists Guild. The single worldwide entity that handles all the specialty crafts including all mechanic type, carpentry type and masonry type trades.
   The guild is very protective of member rights. Any Namika who mistreats guild members may see the MCFSG apply punitive actions to their demesne, up to withdrawal of all services. For example, since MCFSG controls most of the world oil supply, a punishment could consist of a fuel embargo. No Namika in recorded history has been able to survive the riots resulting from a fuel embargo.
   The High Family class is closely tied to the MCFSG, which is why they enjoy their many societal privileges.

Merge – 3rd state of telepathic communication where minds unite to perform a specific task.
   A merge has a head (the controller), one or more carriers minds (to add distance), one or more drivers (the engines to give the push), and a focus mind (if the head of the merge is physically beyond the merge’s combined rating).
   The merge acts under one will (that of the head). The minds that comprise the merge retain their own thoughts, but act as one temporary will for the merge’s duration.
   In the telepathic rating system, the rating measures the distance. So an R10 telepath would be able to maintain rapport over a distance of ten metres. An R9 working with an R10 in a merge would get 9 times 10 to cover 90m of distance.

Naiskarin – The special rank of the highest telepath in a given demesne (eg serves directly under the Namika).
   Sometimes a travelling Lightning, who does not yet have retainers, will appoint a Naiskarin. Usually this occurs when he makes official plans to challenge for control of a demesne, so that if he wins he can quickly establish a stable government.

Named Lightning – A Lightning (usually a Namika) officially endorsed by the Council of Lightnings. A named Lightning has agreed to abide by Council principles and regulations.

Named Power – Any one of the major powers (Telekinesis, Telepathy, Chronomancy, Kinesiosis, or Teleportation) or one of their sub disciplines.

Namika – leader of a demesne. A Namika is the Lightning who has managed to gain control of a region and forced all lower Lightnings to either leave or become his retainers.
   A Namika typically chooses his most powerful and/or trusted retainers and grants them the title of Elika. The Elika will vie for control of the demesne after the Namika passes away.
   A Namika is the highest authority in his demesne, since the Council of Lightnings does not interfere in local disputes. See also Council of Lightnings.

Pyrokinetic – (see also, Kinetic) One whose power is to agitate molecules to create heat. Note that most pyrokinetics are also cryokinetics (able to freeze things by slowing down molecules).

Rapport – 2nd state of telepathic communication that allows two-way communication.
   Normally rapport requires two trained minds, or one trained mind working with a very familiar mind, such as a family member.
   Forced rapports are used to gain or remove information from the victim’s mind. A forced rapport on a non-telepath is a headache-inducing unpleasant experience. On a telepath or a trained mind, a forced rapport is not always successful. Frequently attackers will use visual or audible triggers to try to force memories out.

Regular Class – (Aka Working Class, Peasantry, or Serfs) Citizens who till the land or maintain property, are given free basic education and are allowed to pay for medical services. The vast majority of people are Regular class citizens.

Ruling Class – Normally a Namika and his hierarchy of Elika and Lightnings. As stated under the entry for Namika, the ruling class is answerable to no higher power for judicial matters. Therefore few demesnes have court systems.
   In the absence of a Namika, often telekinetics will take control of the demesne. However, since telekinetics typically cannot control telepaths, rule usually slides to whatever Lightning is able to seize the opportunity.

Standard – The common written language.
   Standard was created when the telepaths took control as a way of making communication easier.
   Initially, after the Lightnings took power, people would tend to migrate to demesnes rumoured to have the best conditions. Since policing borders was impossible, Lightnings devised separate writing schemes as a means of discouraging migration. It proved so effective that for some time Standard fell into disuse.
   High Family kept alive Standard writing since they needed worldwide communication.

Tapping – the process of blocking a lightning bolt.
   A bolt is best tapped by releasing its electrons into the ground. Weaves are more difficult to tap, so Lightnings expecting weaves will sometimes use a lightning rod to help.

Telekinetic – (see also, Kinetic) One whose powers are to control protons.
   Telekinetics can lift mass, separate it, and generally crush it or expand it. High rated Telekinetics can manipulate fine particles. The Telekinetic rating system calculates one point per 100 kg of lifting force a telekinetic can produce. So an R10 telekinetic can lift 1000 kg and hold the mass indefinitely.
   Most telekinetics are not adept enough to move fine particles like electrons and neutrinos. As such, they cannot maintain the electrostatic fields required to block telepathic attack.

Telepathy
   Direct mind-to-mind communication. Telepathy is a rather broad power that includes the school of people who can reach other minds (mental projection), those who can only send emotions (telempaths), those who can only receive emotions (empaths), and others among several minor schools.
   Of the minor schools, the notable portions are those who can speak to cells (biopaths), and those who can communicate through dreams (dreamscapers). The Gaolodh telepaths have a renowned ability to measure psychic ability.
   There are three forms of telepathic contact: Connection, Rapport and Merge. A connection is the lightest and easiest to form, up to merge which is the most intimate, and often hardest to achieve.
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   Electrokinetic fields block telepathy. Some telepaths, through long association with a Lightning, are able to circumvent this disruption.

Telepaths Guild – The collective of telepaths, based from on the Lightning Council’s island.
   The Telepaths Guild is subservient to the Council of Lightnings. They receive protections from them (the leaders cannot be traded or sold) and in turn they grant their services in recruitment for forcing new telepaths into the system.
   The Telepaths Guild is divided into several divisions such as a training division, a recovery division, a ranking / placement division (The Gaolodh division), a biopathic healing division and many more.

Teleportation
   The ability to translocate from one place to another, also known as “Space Charming”. Teleportation is a two-step process of looking at the destination to ensure there are no physical obstructions (Sampling) and the process of folding space to allow instantaneous transit (Sounding).
   Sampling works like telepathy, and is subject to the same limitations as telepathy (requires familiarity, blocked by lead).
   Sounding works except under electric shock or pain. Thus, is it possible to sound to a new destination without first Sampling it to determine if the target location is safe. A Space Charmer can take with them as much as they can carry, or must otherwise have extreme familiarity with the object to be moved.

Teleportive Guild – The teleporter’s guild operates independently, like other worldwide guilds, to provide teleportation services for a fee. They are formally called “The Door” or mundanely, the Courier Guild.
   The Courier Guild is nominally associated with the MCFSG, and will join ranks to deny services when called upon.
   In a conventional agreement with the Council of Lightnings, the teleporters are allowed to take regular class children into custody for training if they demonstrate the slightest potential. This is slightly different from the telepaths, who will usually bypass a low-rated emoter-receiver.
   Teleportive children are all automatically guild members and enjoy many privileges of High Family. This most rare of all the named powers is held as crucial for world communication.

Warren – a centre for healing.
   Warrens typically trade money or goods for their services. They operate independently, but follow a similar structure to each other, conferring through a central office that itself is a warren in a demesne in the region known as Orion.
   Through a long history of mystique, warrens have maintained a system of neutrality from the various worldwide guilds that have risen and fallen around them throughout the history of man. Even the telepath guild’s biopathic division is more allied to the warrens, and trains its people independently of the guild.

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