by Cam Baity
“Maddox” popular Televiewer show about a heroic soldier from Meridian. “No guts, no glory” is the title character’s catchphrase.
Makina a mehkan god worshipped by the Waybound, believed to have created the universe and said to have abandoned Mehk because Her followers strayed from the righteous path.
megalarch title for ancient mehkan emperors.
Mehk a mysterious realm of living metal and organic machines. It is connected to our world by an underground portal, which is hidden and controlled by the Foundry.
mehkans, aka “mehkie” term for all the creatures of Mehk, both sentient and non-sentient.
Meridian the most prosperous nation in the human world, due entirely to the wealth and success of the Foundry.
Mirroring Sea a vast ocean of flux that surrounds the two main continents of Mehk.
Moalao a third-world nation of the human world, active member of the Quorum.
Mother of Ore a holy name for Makina.
Multi-Edge a Foundry-made survival knife with a versatile blade that can transform into multiple practical tools with the turn of a dial.
NET system a lattice of magnetic cables and tubes suspended over the Depot to prevent aerial attacks.
Nhel K’taphen mine a mehkan ore quarry on the eastern continent, now under the control of the Foundry.
nozzle the spinning, cylindrical organ that gives balvoors their advanced sense of smell.
Occulyth a mysterious object sought by the Ona to save Mehk.
ohneshalo a mehkan device that emits a distinctive moan, used during the funeral ceremonies of the Waybound.
Olyrian Isle an opulent and isolated community where Foundry employees who were stationed in Mehk retire. Though they live their remaining years in luxury, communication with the outside world is strictly prohibited to protect company secrets.
The Ona fabled prophet of the Way, she was Makina’s messenger and the living interpreter of the sacred accords. The Ona was renowned for her wisdom and strength as leader of Mehk until she was supposedly killed by the Foundry in a surprise CHAR attack.
opticle versatile sensory organ of the lumilow that can both receive visual information as well as project various wavelengths of light.
ore the primal mehkan substance that all living metal comes from. It is thought by the Waybound to originate from the physical body of Makina.
Overguard military commanders in the Covenant.
Panzamine medication for managing motion sickness and nausea.
phase a mehkan unit of time, roughly equivalent to a year.
pinpod small mehkan critters that burrow into surfaces and pucker to take in air.
Primal Age a mythical era the Waybound consider the beginning of time.
puddlemudge a mehkan expletive.
quadrit a mehkan unit of measurement, roughly equivalent to two meters.
The Quorum an alliance among several nations of the human world that feel threatened by Meridian’s supremacy and vehemently oppose its trade policies.
ragleaf a common mehkan weed that is highly reflective, though it degrades rapidly when trimmed or plucked.
Rathskellar an ill-reputed tavern in the seaside settlement of Ghalteiga.
Rattletrap the most common language in Mehk.
Rekindling a mehkan astronomical event involving swirls of colored starlight. This spectacle has religious significance to the Waybound.
rot-pox a gruesome, degenerative mehkan disease that causes premature decomposition among tchurbs.
rust the mehkan term for “death.”
Rust Risen fabled home of the ancient and dreaded Uaxtu.
rustgut a mehkan ailment caused by the consumption of water.
rusting rites funeral ceremony for the Waybound.
sacred machine all of Makina’s creation, the entirety of the universe, according to the Waybound.
salathyl a peaceable, sentient mehkan species that is subterranean and massive in size, used by the Covenant as a secretive method of travel.
salathyl prong a mehkan device shaped like a spike that emits a signal when planted in the ground in order to summon a nearby salathyl.
Scrollbar a handheld tablet Computator made by the Foundry.
Sea Bullet a high-powered Foundry speedboat that can be retrofitted with a magnetic operating system for use in flux.
Sen Ta’rine, aka “The Living City” one of several mehkan metropolises constructed out of the towering sendrite growths that give these cities their “Sen” prefix.
sendrite a gigantic species of mehkan vegetation, cultivated as living architecture in major cities.
The Shroud the afterlife, according to the Way. It is a physical place in Mehk, a wall of dense, obscuring fog where Makina is said to reside and judge the embers of the dead. It remains unexplored by both humans and mehkans.
silver steppes a mehkan region of barren plains that conduct heat in such a way as to be impassable during the day.
Sliverytik a mehkan gambling game. Players assemble a set of curved rods marked with symbols into a formation that rearranges itself as new rods are added.
span mehkan term for “lifetime.”
sungold a brilliant, extraordinarily reflective mehkan material, so rare it is thought to no longer exist. It was once used to create religious artifacts for the Way.
tahnik bulbous mehkan vegetation with branching tendrils, capable of growing to tremendous size.
The Talons a harrowing, spiky reef in the Mirroring Sea that is infamous for destroying ships.
tchurb a pathetic species of diminutive mehkan, regarded as the untouchable bottom-feeders of society. The arrival of humans in Mehk introduced rot-pox, a contagious genetic scourge that afflicts only tchurbs.
thiaphysi a sophisticated, highly empathetic race of mehkans who prize artistic expression above all else. By touching their hands to the moving, helical bands that surround their sprocketed bodies, thiaphysi can create both speech and music.
tick a mehkan unit of time, roughly equivalent to a minute.
tinklet an individual unit of mehkan currency.
Titan giant military automaton made by the Foundry with advanced intelligence and powerful cannons.
tiulu an intimidating mehkan race with chainsaw forelimbs on bodies reminiscent of praying mantises. Although they are farmers and vegetarians, they are fiercely competitive and known to subjugate jaislids for slave labor.
torch bloom colloquial term for a carnivorous mehkan plant with flowers that burst into flame when their stamens are touched.
Trel slang for a person from Trelaine.
Trelaine proud human nation that is a founding member of the Quorum and has been in protracted peace talks with Meridian for years.
Uaxtu, aka “ember-reaper” a mythical cult of ancient mehkans, rumored to have conducted unspeakable rituals to resurrect the dead. It is said their spirits were cursed to wander for eternity like ravenous ghosts, devouring life to feed their empty souls.
vaptoryx a flying mehkan predator that snares its prey with musical tripwire.
vesper an oily, orange liquid found in streams, rivers, and lakes throughout Mehk, as vital to mehkans as water is to humans.
viscollia a popular mehkan liquor distilled from augurweed.
vital component a term used in the Way to refer to those who have pursued their function to the fullest and have become enlightened.
volmerid, aka “vol” a gruff mehkan species covered with shaggy steel wool, distinguished by their oversized right arms and prehensile chain fingers. This species has earned a reputation of being grunts and thugs.
VooToo, aka “Vesper to H2O Conversion Unit” a Foundry-made device used to convert vesper to water.
Vo-Pykaron Mountains a prominent range of living mountains in the Lateral Provinces of Mehk.
V-Stalker a Foundry surveillance automaton with powerful olfactory sensors, highly adept at tracking.
Ward of Broken lighthouse beacon of the Housing of the Broke
n. Its precious sungold reflector was stolen long ago.
Watchmen Foundry-made automatons with advanced intelligence that serve a variety of functions from menial labor to foot soldier, capable of complex multitasking.
The Way an ancient and nearly extinct religion that worships a deity named Makina. The fundamental tenets of the faith have to do with living a compassionate life, finding one’s spiritual function, and serving the rest of creation.
Waybound a term for those devoted to the ancient religion of the Way.
Waypoint ancient altars of the Way scattered across Mehk, where travelers once made devotional offerings in exchange for blessings from Makina.
whist a ceremonial shawl that has the remarkable ability to mute all sound, bestowed by the Waybound to the loved one of a martyr.
wryl a gargantuan, oceanic mehkan creature with a dangerous array of tusks. Because they have simple brains that can be mechanically modified to make the creatures docile, pirates and marauders often use wryls as a deadly means of conveyance.
Wycik a remote mehkan hamlet built amid the Arcs, considered primitive.
For a complete glossary with illustrations, go to booksofore.com.
CAM BAITY & BENNY ZELKOWICZ are writers, animators, and filmmakers who began collaborating after meeting at California Institute of the Arts. A Texas native, Cam is an Emmy Award-winning animator, and his short films have screened around the world, including at Anima Mundi in Brazil and the BBC British Short Film Festival. His credits include major motion pictures like Team America: World Police and The SpongeBob Square Pants Movie, and popular television shows such as Robot Chicken and SuperMansion. Canadian-born Benny studied animation at CalArts and made the awardwinning film The ErlKing, which screened at Sundance. He directed and starred in the BBC/CBC animated series Lunar Jim and worked on The LEGO Movie as well as TV shows, including Robot Chicken and Moral Orel. Together, Cam and Benny are also the authors of The First Book of Ore: The Foundry’s Edge. Learn more about them at www.booksofore.com.