Glossary
A list of the more unique expressions and items on Draconica.
Abilities/Techniques
Customs
Expressions
Races (Sentient)
Races (Supernatural/Mythical)
Races (Extinct)
Materials and Chemicals
Myths and Legends
Titles and Addresses
In Draconican culture, there are specific ways of addressing certain rulers. Titles are always capitalized to show their importance, regardless of what context they are used in.
Some more general terms of address are as follows:
Weapons
Abilities/Techniques
- Full Disarm – This is a magical technique used by Daniar Dragonkin’s weapon Truthbringer – which is made of mua wood. Contrary to popular belief, this magic doesn’t come from the wood but rather the magical runes on the wood. It works by sending an energy wave towards an opponent, destroying most materials (wood, metal, etc) whilst leaving flesh untouched. It can also be used to dispel some magical attacks, but not necessarily magical weapons. Care must be used when doing this magic attack – as the strength of the energy wave is determined by how much the user swings it. Too powerful can send enemies flying and possibly damage them – a gentle touch is required when using this technique.
- Paraylsing Scorpion Touch – A shadori learned technique whereby the user can attack pressure points on an enemy. Doing so they can disable body parts temporarily, put their enemy to sleep or – in worst cases – kill their enemies. It’s an extreme difficult ability to master and it can take years to perfect.
Customs
- Craven's Hands – A punishment in Leonida whereby the victims’ hands were removed, then they were stripped naked and sent out into the wild to die. Used to punish cowards or those that show weakness in battle as they believe no cowards should be able to hold a weapon.
- De-flower – The act of taking a woman’s virginity. This is considered the moment in many cultures when a girl reaches womanhood. The commonly accepted age to be deflowered in many cultures ranges from the ages of 16-18, although some countries (such as Leonida) allow woman as young as 13 to be de-flowered. The male equivalent for this is called “pollination” (see below).
- De-phallus – The act of removing a males' genitalia. This is a punishment used in many countries for sex offenders.
- Revoke of Marriage – When a marriage is annulled (ie, divorce). An alternative expression is a marriage being nullified. In some of the more religious countries, a revoke of marriage is considered a great sin – in Itana for instance, it is not only a sin but strictly forbidden. Any who attempt it are considered heretics and executed.
Expressions
- Bogglins – A minor curse word. Derived from a race of bog dwelling species.
- Buffer Boy/Girl – A slang term that can be considered insulting. Buffer boy is used to describe a homosexual male. A Buffer girl is used to describe a lesbian. Homosexuality is abhorred by some countries on Draconica, although most openingly accept this and sometimes even encourage it. There is no set term to describe someone that is bisexual on Draconica.
- Dwarf – Used to describe someone affected by dwarfism. Usually In actual fact, on Draconica, to use this expression can be considered offensive.
- Flower/Cunni/Vag – Used to describe a woman’s genitalia. Mostly considered an offensive word and not to be used in public.
- Freck – A curse word that is considered highly offensive in traditional speech. It is derived from an archaic Draconica word Frecken, which means “to punch”. Being punched is considered a great show of disrespect, hence why it is so offensive in traditional speech.
- Ghul – Traditionally, a ghul is a malevolent creature created from magic. Sometimes used in fairy tales, but real life ghuls do exist. To describe someone as a ghul refers to someone who is wicked and/or without pity or kindness.
- Lavatorium - The traditional term for a bathroom or toilet facilities.
- Mate – A term for life partner (i.e. Husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc). It can also be used as a polite way of mentioning intercourse.
- Moiatiave – A traditional greeting in Romano. It is loosely translated as "good greetings" in Commonspeak.
- Muntgrabber – A munt is a type of parasitic worm that buries itself in the intestines of a living host. This causes the victim to project a horrific smell that is unpleasant to most people. A muntgrabber deliberately go around trying to catch these worms for twisted fetishes. It is considered the most offensive word or insult in Draconican language.
- Phallus/Plonker – Male genitalia.
- Pollinate – A crude expression amongst males for sexual intercourse. It can also be used to signify that a male has lost their virginity.
- Shaddi – A slang term to describe a shadori, which is an amalgamation of the worlds Shadori and Didi – which is Shadorian for faecal matter. As such this word is extremely offensive to shadoris and many consider it racist.
- Shag – A term for sexual intercourse without any emotional connection. To shag someone is to do so purely for pleasure and without any meaning or love behind it.
- Unflowered – A woman that has already lost her virginity.
- Violate – A euphemism that means to force themselves on another one for the purpose of sexual pleasure (i.e., rape). A violator is someone that actively engages in this activity. Violation is considered aberrant by many people on Draconica and openingly despise those that commit it.
- Wakeless Sleep - When a person is not dead, but cannot wake up (i.e., a coma).
Races (Sentient)
- Humans – The most numerous of the races on Draconica and account for most of the population on Draconica. They vary in appearance, size, skin colour, etc – depending on where they are from. Certain countries have defining features of humans. For example, in Celtland the “Celtland Look” refers to someone who has brown hair and green eyes. Whilst in the eastern lands, all the inhabitants have dark skin due to living under the sun. In Leonida, blond hair was considered a sign of strength, so many with Leonidan heritage have blond hair. Baalarians have darker hair which is said to represent them living in darkness. These are just some examples of cultural differences between humans.
- Shadoris – The second most numerous. Appear as purple skinned humanoids with white hair and pointed ears. They age as humans do up the age of twenty – after which their aging rate slows down. For example, a shadori in their sixties would be equivalent to a human in their early twenties. Their average life expectancy is around 200 years – although legend says some have lived to 1000 years, though this could just be a rumour. They used to be in huge demand, but their number was cut down heavily because of a major cull that took place centuries ago. As such, shadoris and humans have a somewhat strained relationship and the shadoris have never really forgiven them for this atrocity.
- Imparas – Diminutive red skinned creatures, sometimes referred to as “dwarfs”, who are said to practice magic. In actual fact this is not strictly speaking true. They are born with a high amount of psychic energy on birth, which they can manipulate for any number of needs. Whilst they do not technically practice magic, they have been known to occasionally dabble in magical rituals – hence the rumour. Imparas can live for thousands of years (although their powers diminish over time) and are practically immune to any poison. In fact, certain poisons can had medicinal effects on them.
- Dragonkin – A creation of Dronor, the last dragon, a combination of both human and dragon. They can grow wings, are super strong and also have varying forms of dragon breath. There are only four known Dragonkin to live currently.
- Jotun – A race of giants that originated on Chimera Island. A result of alchemy, jotuns have not been seen for many years, leaving some to believe that they are just fairy tales or extinct. Half-jotuns are said to live on Draconica – and these refer to any human that are unnaturally large and strong. It’s unclear how humans and jotuns could mate, given the size differences, so this could just be speculation.
- Lizardmen – A primitive mixture of man and lizard that are often considered monsters. They were created by alchemy for a war that never happened and then discarded. Extremely dangerous and incapable of speech – however they do seem to possess some manner of intelligence and are mostly hunters. Baalaria uses them as slave troops in their army.
- Minaton– Also known as beastmen. Large half man, half bull creatures that possess human intelligence and massive strength. Mostly live in the frozen lands of Naedor and can grow to an average height of eight feet. Sometimes used as mercenaries.
- Goblins – A race of small, green skinned humanoids. Supposedly extinct, but a few still exist. Known for being kleptomaniacs.
Races (Supernatural/Mythical)
- Kali-Ga – A creature in shadorian folklore. Said to be born of darkness, they were completely black and their faces were said to look like they were eternally screaming. They had superhuman strength and could move in complete silence. Often used in shadorian ghost tales. Many modern texts believe that the Kali-Ga were actually just bandits that dressed up in scary costumes to frighten travelers and their powers were greatly exaggerated.
- Ghul – Mindless and dangerous creatures created from magic. Can be created from any element or object. Different ghuls have different strengths and are harder to destroy.
- Mara – A supposedly mythical race of all female monsters from that tortured men and had immense magical powers.
Races (Extinct)
- Dragons – The creators of Draconica. Creatures that possessed the ability to travel between worlds and vast powers. All died out over the course of 5000 or so years.
- Dryads – Very little is known about this race as few historical documents exist about them. What is known is that they were forest creatures that lived roughly where Shadoria is now – and crafted weapons made out of mua wood.
- Kaemians – Cousins to the impara, appear as blue skinned creatures with bat like features. These creatures did practice magic (which may have where the rumours that imparas practice magic have come from), but this magic is said to have predated Draconica. None of them have been seen in years so they are assumed to have died out.
- Valkyr – A race of warriors who practiced magic and were supernatural warriors during The Age of Sorcery. Very little evidence of them exists these days, so many debate whether they even existed at all.
Materials and Chemicals
- Dracconhide – The strongest known steel on Draconica. It was said to be forged from the scales of dragons, although this could just be one of the many legends surrounding it. It is especially hard to forge and only an expert blacksmith can come close to handling it, but when made the armour is virtually indestructible and cannot be dulled by any weapon. Manacles made from this material are strong enough to hold even a Dragonkin. Some blacksmiths can make armour and weapons from this material – however it is a lengthy and very expensive process.
- Eternium – One of the only indestructible materials on the planet, eternium is a super hard substance that can withstand any force without damaging. No one knows how it came to exist (some say it’s magical), but the outer walls of St Geordia are made from this material, meaning that it has never been breached. Eternium is extremely rare and virtually impossible to come by. How a wall could have been made from this material when it is said to be indestructible no one knows – but some texts say that eternium has special “weak points” that if struck correctly can crack the material. However they are so small that they require both precision and force to do so.
- Mortais Venom - Generated by the dreaded mortais scorpion, mortais venom is one of the most dangerous poisons known to Draconica. It is invisible and barely detectable - but very potent. It causes the victim's organs to burst from the inside, causing them to bleed out, creating an agonising death. Even a small amount is lethal. It supposedly has incredible healing properties - should the victim survive the initial dose (which few do). There is an antidote for it, which, if administered fast enough, can counteract the poison before any lasting damage occurs - but even this is not always guaranteed.
- Mua Wood – A magical wood that is mostly found on shadoria, although the wood itself is extremely rare. Was said to be grown and used by the dryad race to craft weapons and armour. It is stronger than any steel and invulnerable to fire. By putting special runes on it – it can use a magical ability called Full Disarm.
- Root of the Melancolia – A type of tea that is brewed using a special root. It has a blue colour to it. Drinking this tea is said to have a calming effect and helps with anxiety, depression and stress. It is recommended to only take a sip of this at a time as its effects can be quite strong. It is also recommended not to have more than two cups in one day. Known side effects if too much is taken include paranoia, brain damage, erratic behaviour or violent mood swings.
- Taluman – A shadorian metal that is used to make swords for the samurai. It is light as air, but still as strong as steel, meaning that they can strike with powerful force, but can move through the air as easily as the wind. Some believe that this metal was created from magic, but no one knows for sure. This is one of the few imports that the shadori refuse to share with other lands as they believe this weapon is sacred to them – and only they have the training to use it effectively.
- Wraith Bird Feathers – Used by Baalarians as fletchlings for their crossbow bolts. They are so streamlined and light that they allow the bolt to travel at much further distances.
Myths and Legends
- The Shinsuke Samurai, Fenris Jormagh – A legendary shadori samurai that, according to legend, has fought in over 9000 battles. He fought with a sword made of mua wood and is rumoured to have never killed anyone in battle.
Titles and Addresses
In Draconican culture, there are specific ways of addressing certain rulers. Titles are always capitalized to show their importance, regardless of what context they are used in.
- Emperor/Empress - The title of the ruling monarch of Baalaria, the only country to have an Emperor/Empress. Emperors are always addressed by their surname as opposed to their first name, as Baalarians believes that the surname carries more power than the first name. The correct official term term to address an Emperor is Your/His/Her Imperial Excellency, as in Draconican culture, Excellency is the highest possible rank that can be afforded in monarchy. Although a general, accepted shortened version can be Your/His/Her Excellency. My Emperor or My Empress is an alternative, but also acceptable title.
- Emperor's Consort - A term used to describe the wife of the Emperor of Baalaria. Whilst technically considered the same rank as her husband, she does not rule in her own right. Technically, this could also apply to the husband of an Empress if she is the ruling monarch – but as Baalaria has never had a ruling Empress then no one is really sure what would happen in this instance. The correct way to address an Emperor’s Consort is My Lady, although Your Ladyship is also acceptable.
- King/Queen - Refers to the ruler of a kingdom. They are addressed by their first name as opposed to their surname. The correct way to address a King or Queen is Your/His/Her Majesty (which is considered a higher rank than Your Highness). My King or My Queen is also acceptable.
- Prince/Princess - Usually refers to the son or daughter of a King or Queen, but a Prince can also be the husband of a Queen if she is the ruling monarch (as no one can be higher than their monarch). The correct term of address for a Prince or Princess is Your/His/Her Highness (which is one step down from Majesty). My Prince or My Princess is also acceptable.
Some more general terms of address are as follows:
- My Lord/My Lady - A general term for addressing someone of noble rank or birth (such as a Baron, Earl, Duke, etc). Your/His/Her Lordship or Your/His/Her Ladyship is also acceptable.
- Your Worship - Used when addressing one of high aristocracy. Only the Viscount of Romano, the Archduke of Valenco, the Kaiser of Drewghaven and the Viceroy of Spana are awarded this title.
Weapons
- Baalarian Crossbows – Traditional crossbows fire using a pulley system that require a long time to reload. However, as the Baalarians favour the crossbow over the bow and arrow, they have invented a special crossbow (based on a Drewghaven design) that has a special latch that allows them to pull back and reload much faster than a normal crossbow.
- Jotun Sword – A large sword that requires two hands to use.
- Kharnak – Also known as a Sarcen blade or Sarcen sword. This weapon has a handle in the middle and two giant blades either side of it, making it somewhat similar to a staff. It is used for offensive purposes and can break through most shields and armour.