Lexicon Apocalypto

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Alice Spiderwork, Alice Ghosting A ghost of Allel.
Asherah Series A goddess, emanated from Sophia. Saved humankind and therefore the material world by making a select few women fertile. Samael’s putative consort, angry that he won’t pay attention to her.
Beastie Firebird Mal’s pug dog.
bleeder Spiderwork, Firebird A fertile female before she is consecrated as a chalice.
Blue Marble Space Junque Bar on the Imperial Space Station. Has a plexiglass floor so customers can watch the world go by.
breeder Firebird What kings and counselors call the chalice who bore them.
Celia Firebird A retired chalice, breeder of Prince Garrick and Counselor of Garrick, Edmund and Counselor of Allel, and twenty others. Served as regent of Allel until Edmund reached his majority. Totem: black dragon
chalice Series Human female made fertile by the goddess Asherah and granted a lifespan of 150 years. Able to manipulate the processes of pregnancy.
Char Meadowlark Space Junque, Spiderwork Hydroponics agronomist, twin sister of Scylla Meadowlark, lover of Jake Ardri.
Chita Space Junque, Spiderwork One of the original nine chalices.
city symbol Firebird Symbol associated with a city-state. Chalices tattoo the symbol on their bodies at the end of a contract. The final tattoo is called the completion tattoo; it goes on their left cheek.
Claire Firebird A bleeder from Allel, descendant of Hamish Drahan. Totem: cherubim (angel with flaming sword)
counselor Firebird Female, the unnamed first born of a Triune Contract. She serves as advisor to her brother when he becomes king.
counselor’s dagger Spiderwork, Firebird The symbol of a counselor’s position, the dagger is a gift from her breeder. The hilt jewel represents the breeder’s totem.
Delilah Firebird Kairo’s black Maltese dog.
Dix Firebird Architect of Allel. A ghost who fights the condition. Lover of Steve.
DOGs Space Junque Defenders of Gaia. Ecological terrorists bent on destroying all polluting entities.
Durga Series The Chosen One. Asherah’s favored person. Marked by Asherah with blood-red hair. A chalice. Totem: black widow spider. Durga means unattainable, twelve-armed warrior.
Edmund Firebird King of Allel.
Emissary Spiderwork, Firebird Representative of Red City who collects bleeders from around the world. Durga was the first Emissary, Jordana the second.
Empani Series A special species. Not human. Shapeshifters who take form according to human desires. They avoid humans and stay in “nests” in nonpopulated areas. Nobody knows what they want.
exotic Series Human being, mutant. Hairless, extraordinarily tall, irises change color according to their mood. At first shunned like ghosts and Pteryi, but coveted after the Emperor acknowledged their beauty.
Faina Spiderwork A chalice. Totem: lotus flower
Father Jesse Firebird Priest of Samael with special powers.
Garrick (city, corporation) Series At the time of the cataclysm, the world’s most powerful corporation. Later, the world’s most powerful city-state. Worst polluter on the planet, yet the city survived the cataclysm intact. Samael’s favored city.
Geraldo Space Junque, Spiderwork Son of Reynaldo. Co-founder of Red City.
Gerhold Firebird Blade master of Red City. Gerhold means ruler of the spear.
ghosts Series Human beings. The “ghosting” gene is a mutation caused by excessive buildup of toxins. The gene is triggered by a critical level of stress. Symptoms: loss of all body hair, loss of much muscle mass, extreme apathy. No will to eat, play, make love. At first thought fatal, later found to be treatable.
Great Chain of Being Spiderwork, Firebird Concept of hierarchy imposed by goddess Asherah. From the top down: Emperor, king, aristocrat, citizen, citadeller, settlement worker, the soulless, wildlings. Chalices and proof-of-service children are independent of the chain.
Hamish Drahan Spiderwork Allel’s Master of hydroponics.
Harriet Firebird Physician of Red City. Lover of blood oranges.
Hibernia Spiderwork, Firebird City-state in the new reality. In Firebird, Harold is the king. Has the charter on building airships.
ISS, Imperial Space Station Space Junque Administrative center of the Imperium, located in orbit.
Ithaca Spiderwork, Firebird City-state in the new reality. Has the charter on building ocean-going vessels.
Jack Firebird Chief carpenter of Allel.
Jake Ardri Space Junque, Spiderwork Pilot of the Space Junque. Son of Magda and the Emperor. Founder of Allel, lover of Char Meadowlark. Ardri means legendary high king.
Jasmine Firebird Proof-of-service female. Attendant on the Blackbird.
Jordana Spiderwork, Firebird An exotic and chalice. Daughter of Rani, second Emissary of Red City. Totem: mongoose.
Kairo Firebird Bleeder from Muskova. Natural born, of royal blood. Destined for greatness. Totem: peacock feather.
Khai of Luxor Spiderwork Scion and future King of Luxor. A musician.
Kim (Kimlel) Firebird A bleeder, member of Prime Hub.
King Harold Firebird King of Hibernia, lover of stout.
Kronos Firebird Nin’s white Maltese dog.
Lady Bron (Bronagh) Firebird Aristocrat of Garrick who “lets go of her name” to become counselor by special dispensation. Runs Garrick when King Garrick is indisposed.
Lady Drahan Firebird Mother of Claire. Lives in Allel. Social climber.
Lady Helen Firebird One of Mal’s Ladies of the Hours at Allel.
Lily Firebird A proof-of-service female befriended by Mal.
Magda Ardri Space Junque, Spiderwork The Emperor’s favorite consort and mother of Jake Ardri. First Matriarch of Red City. Owner of the Space Junque.
Mal (Mallory) Firebird Heroine of Firebird. A chalice. Mallory means bad luck. Totem: firebird.
Maribel Space Junque, Spiderwork One of the original nine chalices.
Matriarch Series The head administrator of Red City. The original matriarch was the headmistress of Durga’s school before the cataclysm. The first matriarch of Red City was Magda Ardri. Durga was the second.
Mike Augustine Space Junque Sky Meadowlark’s fiancé, governor of the Imperial Space Station.
Nin (Ninny, Ninshubur) Firebird Mal’s best friend at Red City. Her name means Inanna’s (Asherah’s) warrior maiden. Totem: a talaris (winged sandal)
Pala (Gopala) Firebird Mal’s best friend before going to Red City. Weapon is a longbow made of yew. Designed mechanical arrows that dispense poison strong enough to kill a raptor. Gopala means protector of cows.
Palada (Jarlvidar) Firebird Husband of Palama (Verdandi), father of Pala (Gopala). Named after his grandfather, the Imperial jeweler. Uses the same maker’s mark: seven pomegranate seeds. Jarlvidar means the chief who will avenge his father’s death in the end times.
Palama (Verdandi) Firebird Mother of Pala (Gopala), wife of Palada (Jarlvidar). Verdandi means becoming, happening; Verdandi was a Norse goddess of present time.
Prince Garrick (Firebird) Firebird Prince, then king, of Garrick during the events in Firebird. Tried to exploit the Mallory myth. Refused to return his dead sister’s dagger to her breeder.
Prince Garrick (Spiderwork) Spiderwork The first of the scions of Garrick to become a king under the new-world city-state structure. Wanted to control all scarce resources.
Ptery Series A bleeder/chalice with the pterygium mutation, a wing-like gauzy film that covers the eyes. Pteryi lose their longevity, but not their fertility. Red City removes the uterus of someone who “goes Ptery” so they can’t pass on the Ptery gene.
Queen Chiyo Firebird Queen of Nippon. First counselor to invoke The Queen Clause.
Queen Clause Firebird An obscure clause in the Concords, the new world’s governing document. It provides that, in the event that a counselor turns bleeder, she will become the monarch of her city and her brother will become counselor.
Quidel Firebird Operates the tattoo parlor in the arcade called The Tat Man.
Rani Space Junque, Spiderwork Daughter of Emperor. Jake’s half-sister, mother of Jordana. An exotic.
raptors Series Predatory birds mutated to gigantic size during the cataclysm. Found in the northern hemisphere.
Reynaldo Space Junque Co-founder of Red City (Sanguibahd) with Geraldo, his son.
Roh (Rohna) Firebird Chalice, member of Prime Hub. Totem: chaos star.
Samael Series Creator god. Emanation of Theletos, Sophia’s rejected mate. Created “the ten thousand things” (the material world) including human beings. The Empani adore him. Properly mated to Asherah, he pays no attention to her — which pisses her off.
Sister Marin Firebird Former chalice, teacher in Red City. Expertise in special species. Totem, jackrabbit.
Sky (Scylla) Meadowlark Series Char Meadowlark’s twin sister. Their full names are Charybdis and Scylla. Their mother named them after monsters because she didn’t want to have children.
Space Junque Space Junque Shuttle owned by Magda Ardri, given to her by the Emperor, flown by her son Jake Ardri
special species Series Species which came into being at the end of the old reality and into the next. Some special species are: raptors, Empani, Ptery, exotics, ghosts.
Steve Firebird Allel’s head engineer
Talibanos Unidos Space Junque Pre-cataclysm terrorist group, more interested in religion than ecology. Destroyed the Los Angeles/San Diego zone.
Tesla Series Alternative energy source, derived from orbiting solar net. Developed by team that included Sky Meadowlark
The Blackbird Spiderwork, Firebird Fabulous transport with all the bells and whistles. Belonged to Garrick, then Red City.
totem Series Symbol which signifies a chalice is ready to be consecrated, bestowed by Asherah. Says something about a chalice’s fundamental nature.
Tyler Space Junque Navigator of the Space Junque
Vacation Station Space Junque Orbiting space station. Vacation spot for the rich and well-connected.