Synod: The ruling body of the Holy Terran Chantry; a college of archpriors presided over by the Synarch.
Tavrosi: Any of the languages from the Demarchy of Tavros. Most often refers to Nordei.
terminal: A telecommunications device that accesses a planet’s datasphere, usually worn on the wrist.
terranic: In terraforming and ecology, refers to any organism of Old Earth extraction. Not extraterrestrial.
Travatsk: A Tavrosi language named for the Travatskr ethnic group, recognizable by its lack of vowel reduction.
tribune: A Legion officer in command of a cohort, four of which make up a legion. Commands both ground forces and naval officers.
triumph: A parade held to celebrate victory in war. Usually the vanquished is marched out in chains for execution.
troglodyte: A human being without higher brain functions either voluntarily for personal or religious reasons, or as the result of an accident.
Twelve Abominations: The twelve most grievous sins according to the Chantry’s Index. Legal privileges do not apply in such cases.
udaritanu: A complex, nonlinear writing system used by the Cielcin.
Umandh: A coloni species native to the planet Emesh. Amphibious and tripedal, they have an intelligence comparable to that of dolphins.
vate: Any preacher or holy man who is not formally a part of the Chantry clergy.
Veil of Marinus: Territory contested between the Empire and Norman Freeholds. Comprises most of the front in the Crusade against the Cielcin.
verrox: A powerful pseudoamphetamine derived from the leaves of the verroca plant. It is taken by ingesting the leaves, which are usually candied.
verrox toxemia: A chronic medical condition brought on by verrox abuse. Includes muscle tremors and eventual atrophy.
viceroy/vicereine: The ruler of an Imperial province appointed by the Emperor. The title is typically heritable but is not always so.
vilicus: The head of a team of douleters; chief overseer.
warden: Any member of the Chantry’s private armies used to defend holy sites from unwanted incursions and pillaging.
wave: To contact someone by radio or telegraph. Alternately the communications device itself. Slang.
White Sword: A ceramic greatsword used by Chantry cathars for formal executions, especially of the nobility.
The Wisp: The thin string of stars housing the Demarchy of Tavros located above the galactic ecliptic, far from the Imperium.
Wong-Hopper Consortium: The largest of the Mandari trading corporations, holding several government contracts, especially in the terraforming industry.
worldship: Any of the massive Cielcin vessels—some as large as moons—that make up the cores of their fleets.
Writ: The Chantry’s legal and moral code, enforced by the Inquisition and the Index.
writ of disavowal: In Imperial jurisprudence, a formal document wherein a nobile lord disowns one or more members of his or her family.
xenobite: Any life form not originating from terranic or human stock, especially those which are considered intelligent. An alien.
Yamato Interstellar: An interstellar manufacturing company owned by House Yamato and based out of Nichibotsu.
Your Excellency: Form of polite address used for ruling nobiles above the rank of archon.
Your Grace: Form of polite address used for viceroys, vicereines, and primarchs of the Sollan Empire.
Your Radiance: Form of polite address reserved exclusively for the Emperor.
Your Reverence: Form of polite address for members of the Chantry clergy, particularly priors.
yukajjimn: The Cielcin word for humanity. Shares etymological connections to their word for vermin.
zvanya: A cinnamon-flavored distilled alcohol popular in Jadd.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Ruocchio is the author of The Sun Eater, a space opera fantasy series from DAW Books, as well as the Assistant Editor at Baen Books, where he co-edited the military SF anthology Star Destroyers, as well as the upcoming Space Pioneers, a collection of Golden Age reprints showcasing tales of human exploration. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, where a penchant for self-destructive decision-making caused him to pursue a bachelor’s in English Rhetoric with a minor in Classics. An avid student of history, philosophy, and religion, Christopher has been writing since he was eight years old and sold his first book —Empire of Silence— at twenty-two. The Sun Eater series in available from Gollancz in the UK, and has been translated into French and German.
Christopher lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he spends most of his time hunched over a keyboard writing. He may be found on both Facebook and Twitter at @TheRuocchio.
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Empire of Silence Page 77