Glossary

This page is about the dialogue-related mechanic. If you were looking for a glossary of terms used by Deepwoken's community, see Terminology (game).

Overview

The Glossary is a feature that explains terminology and events in game that reveal information about certain topics. Glossary entries can be accessed by clicking underlined words or phrases in NPC dialogue.

Glossary entries can be expanded when interacting with those who reveal more information on the topic. Information from different sources are separated in boxes. Glossary entries that have information yet to be found will have a puzzle icon next to their name saying, "There is more to be discovered..."

The Glossary can be accessed anytime by clicking on the Encyclopedia button at the top left of the screen.

Encyclopedia icon

Opened Encyclopedia

Entities

Aeod, the Waking God

• An entity spoken of by Lightkeepers.
• The Unspoken Vow of Lightkeeping is tied to Aeod, who may have something to do with its origins.

Dialogue: Interacting with a Lightkeep entry after activating the Lightkeeper's Medallion | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lightkeep

Black Divers

• The highest-ranking field personnel of the Divers, granted oversight and authority second only to the Administrators of Operating Bases.
• Black Divers have all descended beyond the First Layer on solo expeditions and have lived to tell the tale. As such, every Black Diver stands as a formidable individual, with many of their rank consisting of the most brilliant (and twisted) minds of the era.

Dialogue: Klaris | Books: A Deathscribe's Journal, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries:

The Celestials

• The former inhabitants of the Heavens above. Similar in many ways to Mankind, but of a different species altogether.
• When the Tides came, the Celestials were driven from the Heavens down to the Surface below.
• Many within Lumen view the Celestials as Gods, with many major religions within Lumen worshipping them.
• Of these religions, the Starkindred Faith is one of the most populous, holding considerable influence over the Western Luminant and beyond.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros, Celestial, Celestial Telescope, Kaide, Samael | Books: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Constellia, the Guiding Star, Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde, Lightborn, The Heavens, The Moonseye, The Nightsea, The Starkindred Faith, The Suncross, Zhatarn, the Moonlight Prince

• Celestials modify their own bodies using the Song.

Dialogue: Kaide

• Kaide described them as the 'sole architects of [his people's] suffering', and seemed to scoff at the notion of them being Gods.

Dialogue: Kaide

• Kaide referred to the Lightborn as the children of Man and Celestial, a hybrid between the two species.

Dialogue: Kaide

Deepwoken

• Those that have merged with a small fragment of a Drowned God, ageless immortals that understand the Song in ways others cannot.
• Where Deepwoken tread, carnage follows. Theirs is not an enviable existence, for everything crumbles beneath them. Only they persist.
• Amorus Pleeksty is a known Deepwoken, having taken on a flower of Korilfiend.
• Many believe that the First Prophet of the Ministry may be a Deepwoken.

Dialogue: Jeremiah when giving a Deepwoken Hood | Books: | Glossary Entries: Amorus Pleeksty

The Drowned Gods

• Entities of immense and unknowable power that are said to slumber deep within the Depths.
• Many believe that the Song has stirred them from their sleep and brought about the Tides. Should a Drowned God wake, it's also believed that it would result in Lumen's undoing.
• The names of Drowned Gods are often spoken in hushed tones or through euphemisms in fear that it may bring them closer.
• Worship of Drowned Gods is taboo across most of Lumen, with their faithful being branded as cultists and heretics.

Dialogue: Cap'n Orlandeau, Chaser, Kaide, Klaris | Books: | Glossary Entries: Deepwoken, Ethiron, the Maelstrom's Eye, Korilfiend, the Inferno's Provenance, Krulians, The Vents, the Third Layer, Yun'Shul, Keeper of Hearts

• The Drowned God Ethiron is thought to preside over Second Layer, granting it the moniker of 'The Eternal Gale'.

Ethiron, the Maelstrom's Eye

• A Drowned God said to preside over Wind.
• Their gales are said to drag even Time itself into their wake.

Dialogue: Aeroaseluniris Oricalum Forentus, Aesalath Kalafrid, Alpha, C'lantaa, Carrion, Chaser, F'leche, Kaide, Klaris, Naerotiv | Books: | Glossary Entries: Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde, The Eternal Gale, the Second Layer

• Thought to preside over the Second Layer, granting it the moniker of 'The Eternal Gale'.

The High Convocation

• The leadership body of the Citadel of Markor, the High Convocation is a council of retired senior staff drawn from the Citadel's various divisions.
• Members of the High Convocation are known as Convocants.

Dialogue: | Books: A Deathscribe's Journal, The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries: The Citadel of Markor, The High Convocation

Korilfiend, the Inferno's Provenance

• A Drowned God said to preside over Heat.
• Thought to reside within the Third Layer.
• A flower containing vestiges of Korilfiend's power is said to have been consumed by Amorus Pleeksty, who later developed the art of Flamecharming.

Dialogue: Ploom | Books: | Glossary Entries: Amorus Pleeksty, Deepwoken, Flamecharm, The Vents, the Third Layer

Krulians

• Enigmatic beings thought to be envoys of the Drowned Gods.

Dialogue: The Ferryman, The Gaunt Man | Books: | Glossary Entries:

• The Ferryman referred to them as 'the closest bridge between the Gods below and your kind'.

Dialogue: The Ferryman

• The Gaunt Man used the analogy 'if you are a stalk of wheat, then I am a loaf of bread', which likely has some relevance to the nature of Krulians. Probably.

Dialogue: The Gaunt Man

Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde

• The strange inhabitants of the Eternal Gale. In contrast to the ferocious beasts that stalk its wastes, the Kyrsans dwell in small villages sheltered from the gale.

Dialogue: ??? (Scion Caller), Cap'n Orlandeau, C'lantaa, Kaide, Mendacia, Naerotiv, Okumay | Books: Diver Journal, I | Glossary Entries: Constellia, the Guiding Star, Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde

• According to Kaide, the ruins within the Second Layer are neither of Celestial or Human make, having been constructed by the Kyrsans.
• Kaide suggested that the Second Layer may once have been the Kyrsan world before it was consumed by the Depths.

Dialogue: Kaide

• Following their enthrallment under Ethiron, the Kyrsans launched an assault on Constellia and reduced it to ruins.

Dialogue: Kaide

Lightborn

• Current and former inhabitants of Heavens that resemble humans but possess a considerably longer lifespan.

Dialogue: Brasidas Spellhardt, Galpin Spellhardt, Kaide, Mikhail Spellhardt | Books: | Glossary Entries: Kaide, the Drowned Light, The Celestials

• Kaide said that his kind were a hybrid of Man and Celestial.

Dialogue: Kaide

Yun'Shul, Keeper of Hearts

• A Drowned God said to preside over Hearts.
• A broker of many deals, Yun'Shul is said to act through innumerable proxies.
• Though Yun'Shul's whereabouts are a mystery, their servants are particularly numerous within the First Layer, perhaps due to its proximity to the Surface.

Dialogue: Jeremiah when giving an Idol of Yun'Shul | Books: | Glossary Entries:

Historic Events

The Submergence of Celtor

• In the year 904 CE, the Celtorian capital, the Great City of Celtor, was devastated and sunk by a colossal sea monster known only as the 'Celtorian Horror'.
• Following the submergence of Celtor, much of the rest of the Southern Luminant was pulled under the waves and consumed by the Voidsea.

Dialogue: | Books: Children of the Aftertide I | Glossary Entries: The Drowned City of Celtor, The Southern Luminant

• Some of the Celtor Guard seem to have persisted since the Submergence.

Dialogue: Celtorian Guard

Factions

The Central Authority

• The predominant military and political force within the Central Authority, and perhaps even across all of Lumen.
• Built upon the foundations of the Adretian Empire who headed the coalition of nations that came together to found the Central Authority in 65 BCE.
• The Central Authority's stated goal is to unify all of the world under one banner in a bid to present a united front against the Depths.
• To many, and indeed to those they have conquered, the Central Authority is an empire all the same.
• Despite their imperial proclivities, they are the primary funders of expeditions into the Depths by the Divers and the Ignition Union.
• The Central Authority is helmed by the Sovereign Drallis Ehr and his Council. An immortal, the Sovereign has been the head of state for the Central Authority since its inception.

Dialogue: Akira, Alpha, Amara, Beiruul, Caitus, Calamus, Cap'n Orlandeau, Captain Trist, Chud Steel, Drill Sergeant Kernel, Evengarde Rest, Galpin Spellhardt, Hector, Joshua, Kelsius, Kressa, Lysander Spellhardt, Milgram, Nimea, Quiet Stranger, Scope, Sentinel Augustus, Windrunner | Books: Operation 'Distant Light' Report, Operation 'Puppet Master' Report, The Gideshu March | Glossary Entries: The Central Authority, The Central Luminant, The Citadel of Markor

The Citadel of Markor

• Perhaps the most prominent research organization in Lumen, the Citadel pride themselves as the foremost keepers of knowledge, history, and research into Lumen and the surrounding Depths.
• The Citadel receives the majority of its funding from the Central Authority, a contribution that the Authority claims falls in line with their desire for global unity, and for a united front against the Depths.
• The organization is led by the High Convocation, a council of the Citadel's seniority.
• The widely used epoch of 'CE' in dates refers to 'Citadel Era', i.e. the years since the foundation of the Citadel.

Dialogue: Alpha, Carrion, Galpin Spellhardt, Karliah, Santen | Books: A Deathscribe's Journal, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: The Divers, The High Convocation, The Sovereign Drallis Ehr

The Starkindred Faith

• The Starkindred Faith is a major religion within Lumen that hails from the Western Luminant. The Celestials are worshipped by those of the faith as members of a divine pantheon.
• The Starkindred Church is a powerful organisation that stands as the religious authority over the Starkindred Faith. Much of the West is held by their influence, possessing a military and political strength that rivals the Hundred Legions.
• Where remnants of the Heavens have fallen to Lumen, the Starkindred Church is never far away, hoping to safeguard and retrieve any relics.

Dialogue: Samael | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Celestials, The Moonseye, The Suncross, The Western Luminant

Notable Figures

The Lady Confessor

• The mysterious leader of the Lullaby Isles, where her word is law. Not much is known externally of her location, or condition, but interactions with scholars visiting the East suggest a sense of great reverence and sincerity towards her decrees.

Dialogue: Hiri, Liviu | Books: O Pardoner of Mine, Ossuary Maintenance | Glossary Entries: The Counsell

The Counsell

• The highest form of government within the Lullaby Isles, consisting of a handful of the greatest philosophical, theological, and academic members of the Lullaby Isles. Their purpose is to put the Lady Confessor's decrees into action and ensure the operations within the Echelon and wider archipelago run smoothly.

Dialogue: | Books: Strange Missives | Glossary Entries: The Echelon

The Sovereign Drallis Ehr

• An ageless Adretian man, the Sovereign has been the supreme ruler of the Central Authority since its inception.
• The histories recount that Drallis Ehr became a hero in the Adretian Empire by dispelling the Godstorm that had brought the nation to its knees, bringing peace to its people. With the Adretian Emperor and his line having fallen into the Godstorm, Drallis took the reins and spearheaded the coalition that would become the Central Authority.
• Beyond the histories told by the Citadel, little is known about the man himself. His identity is one of the most enduring mysteries of the era.
• Some skeptics believe that the identity of the Sovereign is actually passed down in secret, and that the supposed immortality of its ruler is propaganda designed to suppress resistance.

Dialogue: Chud Steel, Sentinel Augustus, Warden Jericho | Books: The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo | Glossary Entries: The Central Authority, The Sovereign Drallis Ehr

Jurik, the Moonseye

• Capran tradition views the Moonseye as an observer and an embodiment of the material forces of the world.
• Often, Jurik is viewed as a personification of mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Dialogue: | Books: Capran Aphorisms | Glossary Entries:

Kaide, the Drowned Light

• The last Lightborn king of Constellia before its fall.

Dialogue: Kaide | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lightborn, Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde, The Eternal Gale, the Second Layer, The Celestials

• As his city was razed, Kaide was captured and taken to New Kyrsa
• Kaide now waits out the end of eternity.

Dialogue: Kaide

The King of Etrea

• A legendary figure from Etrean history. Revered as a heroic king who brought prosperity to Etrea, rejuvenating what was once little more than ruins.
• The King is said to have set off on a voyage with a small fleet of ships and never returned. Despite the time that has passed, many still wait for his return.

Dialogue: Teacher | Books: Stars Above, and the Blade between | Glossary Entries:

• King Rolen Vashtir I reigned through the early 6th century CE.

Book: Stars Above, and the Blade between

Ku, the Mother

• Capran traditions often embodies Ku as the shared knowledge of Mankind, with varying degrees of personification.
• The folklore and tradition surrounding Ku speak to the Capran emphasis on the proliferation of knowledge. The concept of 'lifelong learning' is represented strongly within the duality of Ku both being a student and a teacher.

Dialogue: Ezra | Books: Capran Aphorisms | Glossary Entries:

Mur of Light

• A Goddess worshipped by many in the Etrean Luminant.
• Many believe that Mur was responsible for bringing the knowledge of Murmurs to the Kingdom of Etrea.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros, Theadre | Books: | Glossary Entries:

• As with many Gods, the contemporary understanding is that Mur may have been a Celestial.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros

• Andros said they hadn't seen any accounts of Mur outside of the Etrean Luminant.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros

Nemit, the First Beast

• Capran tradition holds that the flora and fauna of the world are the children of Nemit.
• Nemit is often interpreted as an embodiment of knowledge of the natural world, such as biology and ecology.

Dialogue: | Books: Capran Aphorisms | Glossary Entries:

Amorus Pleeksty

• Known as the Pioneer of Flamecharming, Pleeksty developed the art of controlling flames through the Song into an artform. Since then, Flamecharm has become on of the primary attunements in use.
• Pleeksty is said to have descended into the Third Layer and consumed a flower of Korilfiend, becoming a Deepwoken.

Dialogue: Aska, Laplace if the player has a Pleeksty's Inferno equipped, Ploom | Books: | Glossary Entries: Deepwoken, Flamecharm, Korilfiend, the Inferno's Provenance

Thalassis / The Acolyte

• The Acolyte is a lead ambassador for the Lullaby Isles, leading groups of scholars to and from the Greathive Aratel in order to exchange knowledge, updates and information.
• This post is currently held by Thal'assis Linnaes.

Dialogue: | Books: Strange Missives | Glossary Entries: Thalassis / The Acolyte

Zhatarn, the Moonlight Prince

• The legends say that Zhatarn was exiled from the Heavens and forced to roam the Void forevermore.
• A Celestial said to have been driven mad by his attempt to draw power from the Moonseye.

Dialogue: Kaide if the player has a Soulthorn equipped | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Moonseye

Magic

Flamecharm

• The ability to conjure flames and heat through the Song.
• As an attunement, Flamecharm is thought to have been discovered and pioneered by Amorus Pleeksty, who is said to have descended into the Third Layer and consumed a flower of Korilfiend. Productions of flame through the Song are recorded in histories prior to Pleeksty's discovery of the attunement, and indeed these were the foundation of the so-called Songwork that spurred the Canticlysm's industry.

Dialogue: Amashi, Zana | Books: God in the Machine, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV | Glossary Entries: Amorus Pleeksty, Flamecharm, Korilfiend, the Inferno's Provenance

Hereditary Vow

• An unusual kind of Vow that is passed down to one's descendants.

Dialogue: | Books: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Aspects

• Steward Bridges posited in his work 'Vows by the Sea: Inheritance' that the Aspects of Lumen may be the result of a Hereditary Vow.

Book: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance

Light Hook

• A special technique developed by Klaris to retrieve Divers that expedition from Castle Light. Hopefully still in one piece.

Dialogue: Klaris | Books: | Glossary Entries:

Lightkeep

• Stationed in Lighthouses at the edges of the Luminants, these rare individuals are capable of Illuminating a path through the Voidsea, forcing it to retreat.
• A scant few are born with the Gift of Lightkeeping, with each individual bearing the heavy responsibility of driving back the Void to enable the transportation and exchange of goods, information, and people.
• Lightkeepers are afforded little freedom, often spending their lives wasting away in their Lighthouses guarded by a legion of soldiers.
• A nation's economy rests on its Lightkeepers, with passage between the Luminants being strictly controlled and tariffed by the few that have Lightkeepers in their retinue.

Dialogue: Klaris, Nimea | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lighthouse, Lightkeep, Radiant Tones, The Luminants, The Moonseye

• Accessing the faintest spark of Lightkeeping through the Lightkeeper's Medallion, the name 'Aeod' makes itself known.

Interacting with a Lightkeep entry after activating the Lightkeeper's Medallion

• Nimea mentioned that Lightkeepers are incapable of using the Song.

Dialogue: Nimea

• The Radiant Tones utilised by adherents of the Dawnwalker Oath are based on research into Lightkeeping, though are incapable of Illuminating the Void.

Dialogue: Klaris

Mantra

• A small passage of the Song that can be 'spoken' in order to invoke its effects into being.
• Though a Mantra is described as a 'passage' that one 'speaks', the words cannot be pronounced, at least not by a human, and are not strictly even sounds. Those that speak aloud the name of a Mantra are not speaking the words of a Mantra, they do so in order to bring forth the Mantra's 'words' in their mind.
• Speech isn't necessary to cast Mantras. The precise means of invoking a Mantra varies from person to person, but is broadly described as 'speaking' from within, akin to holding an inner monologue, or to bringing a memory to the forefront of your thoughts.
• Often, the more one understands and is able to conjure forth the words of a Mantra, the more effective they are at using it.

Dialogue: Aelita, Cap'n Orlandeau, Nimea | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Song

Soul Murmur

• One's Soul Murmur is, broadly speaking, the 'signature' or characteristics of one's Soul.
• With training, one can alter the expression of their Murmur. These expressions of the Soul are often referred to as 'Murmurs'.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros, Old Stranger, Theadre | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries:

Oaths

• An extension of the Song brought about by swearing a {[g|Vows|Vow}} to oneself.
• By expanding upon the Song and incorporating a self-sworn Vow in its workings, the effects of its magic are greatly amplified, granting the adherents of Oaths unique and powerful abilities.

Dialogue: ??? (Blindseer Glyphs), Barber, Cerulean, Eylis, Samael, Windrunner | Books: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Radiant Tones, Vows

Radiant Tones

• Discovered by Klaris, the Radiant Tones are the inspiration behind the Dawnwalker Oath.

Dialogue: Klaris | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lightkeep

• Klaris said she worked with Viqh, a Lightkeeper from the Etrean Luminant.

Dialogue: Klaris

• The Radiant Tones are thought to be a Verse of the Song that can produce Light.
• According to research conducted by the Divers, they believe that Lightkeepers use it latently for their abilities.
• Dawnwalkers emulate Lightkeepers, and while unable to produce Light, their abilities are very effective in fighting back the Deep.

Dialogue: Klaris | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lightkeep

The Song

• Thought to be the source of much of the 'magic' of Lumen, its wielders often invoke its magic through the use of Mantras.
• The discovery of the Song and the ensuing research into its applications is said to have precipitated the Canticlysm — the so-called 'Golden Age of Mankind'.
• Before its discovery, few within Lumen could perceive its tones. Now, it is inescapable. The Song is everywhere, like an earworm that lingers at the back of your mind, always ready to spring into action and play its tones once more.
• The Song is not strictly music — it's not composed of sounds, or even words that can be pronounced by humans. However, much of the terminology surrounding the Song is musical in nature due to its striking similarities.
• Many believe that the Song was responsible for the advent of the Tides, and of the resulting collapse of civilisation [sic]. In spite of the dangers many believe are presented by the Song, it has become a necessity for survival in a Post-Tidal world due to the power it grants.

Dialogue: Alirian, Cap'n Orlandeau, Celestial Telescope, Kaide, Kelsius, Klaris, Leaf Spellhardt, Nimea, Regek, Sibex | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Operation 'Distant Light' Report, Our Fortress (Of Smoke And Steel), Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Amorus Pleeksty, Deepwoken, Flamecharm, Lightkeep, Mantra, Oaths, Radiant Tones, Talent, The Canticlysm, The Celestials, The Drowned Gods, Vows

Vows

• Within Lumen, and indeed everywhere beyond it, it is a self-evident fact that words, oaths, and promises spoken from the heart hold within them a supernatural force.
• On their own, Vows can be used to enforce deals and promises, as breaking a Vow is incredibly difficult.
• Advanced usage of Vows can yield incredible effects, sometimes extending even beyond the limitations of the Song.
• Vows are poorly understood by the people of the Resurgence, but are still a fundamental part of their daily lives.
• Vows do not have to be made with others, and can even be made with oneself. Indeed, the powerful magic of an Oath is facilitated by such a Vow.

Dialogue: Delta, Eiris, Samael, Sordino | Books: Jericho's Journal, Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Aeod, the Waking God, Aspects, Hereditary Vow, Oaths, The Drowned City of Celtor

• Steward Bridges posited in his work 'Vows by the Sea: Inheritance' that the Aspects of Lumen may be the result of a Hereditary Vow.

Book: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance

Objects of Interest

The Moonseye

• The Moonseye is suspended at an equal distance between the Surface and the Heavens. It is most visible at night, though can be seen during the day.
• Many believe that the Moonseye is a gate to the afterlife, and that their ancestors look down upon them from it.
• The light produced by the Moonseye is its own, and not a reflection of the Suncross.

Dialogue: Hiri, Klaris, Lake, Samael, Soothsayer | Books: A Deathscribe's Journal, Lament of Cirryn, Neatly Embelished Notebook, O Pardoner of Mine | Glossary Entries: Jurik, the Moonseye, The Lullaby Isles, The Suncross, Zhatarn, the Moonlight Prince

• The Moonseye is believed to project the same Light as Lightkeepers.

Dialogue: Klaris

• A Celestial known as Zhatarn is said to have stolen from the Moonseye and been driven mad by it.

Glossary Entries: Zhatarn, the Moonlight Prince

• The Starkindred believe that the Moonseye is a gateway to their promised land, and that the souls of Celestials make their way to it to make preparations for the promised day.

Dialogue: Samael

The Suncross

• The bringer of life and warmth to Lumen.
• At night, the Suncross retreats into the Voidfog and its light dims, darkness falling over Lumen. At midday, the Suncross is at its least obscured by Voidfog.
• The Suncross follows a elliptical path over Lumen, with the centre of its orbit seemingly beyond the Voidfog.
• It's orbit is roughly equidistant between the Surface and the Heavens, though it oscillates on its lateral axis yearly, pitching towards the Surface in summer, and the Heavens in winter. As a matter of course, the climate is typically colder and more changeable in Northern Lumen, and a more consistently warm temperature in Southern Lumen.
• The Moonseye can be seen as the Suncross's counterpart.

Dialogue: Samael, Soothsayer | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Moonseye, The Nightsea

• Some Starkindred believe the Suncross to be a Celestial, though others disagree. To all of the faith, however, it is sacred.

Dialogue: Samael

Time Periods

The Canticlysm

• A so-called 'Golden Age of Mankind' that was precipitated by the initial discovery and application of the Song within Lumen.
• A time of great expansion, discovery, and conflict.

Dialogue: Celestial Telescope, Ploom | Books: Children of the Aftertide I, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV | Glossary Entries: Flamecharm, The Old World, The Shallows, The Song, The Tides

The Old World

• The times before the Tides arrived.
• The Canticlysm is often thought of as the defining era of the Old World.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros, Regek | Books: A Deathscribe's Journal, Children of the Aftertide I, Coldheart's Journal, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', Our Fortress (Of Smoke And Steel), Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: The Luminants, The Old World

The Resurgence

• The current period of history, usually dated around the fifth century BCE with mankind's adaptation to the new state of the world.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros | Books: | Glossary Entries: Vows

The Shallows

• The period of history following the Canticlysm in which technology and knowledge rapidly dwindled, ushering in a dark period of history in which little is recorded.
• Pushed to the very peaks of the world, mankind died in its droves to famine, conflict, and the horrors of the Depths that emerged with the Tides.

Dialogue: | Books: Tale of the Storm | Glossary Entries:

Phenomena

Aspects

• All living humans possess an 'Aspect', a peculiar trait that is passed down through the generations.
• Many Aspects cause their inheritor to take on the traits of a particular animal. Rarely, Aspects can take on the traits of something more abstract.

Dialogue: | Books: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Hereditary Vow

• Steward Bridges posited in his work 'Vows by the Sea: Inheritance' that the Aspects of Lumen may be the result of a Hereditary Vow.
• Bridges suggested that the traits of the Aspects could be the result of early worship of animals or of the land.

Book: Vows by the Sea: Inheritance

The Drowning

• Since the Tides, a phenomenon known as 'the Drowning' occurs on death.
• As Lumen was dragged further into the Depths by the Tides, so too were the souls of the dead dragged further down.
• The souls of the deceased are dragged ruthlessly down, awakening to find themselves in the Depths.
• Often, the strong, the notable, the willful, the pious, or simply the unfortunate are said to possess 'heavier' souls, sinking further into the Depths should they Drown.
• No one who has perished in the Depths has ever returned.

Dialogue: | Books: Coldheart's Journal | Glossary Entries: The Depths, The Drowning, The Tides

The Tides

• Following the discovery and widespread use of the Song during the Canticlysm, a tipping point was reached, and all manner of strange phenomena emerged.
• Chiefly, the waters of Lumen rose. Slowly at first, but over the years all but the tallest of mountain peaks were submerged beneath the waves.
• But, to say the waters rose is not strictly accurate — rather, Lumen was dragged down further into the sea. Further into the Depths below.
• With the Depths closer than ever before, sightings of misshapen monstrosities and nightmarish beasts emerging from below plagued the shores of Lumen, hemming mankind ever inwards towards the safety of the peaks.
• As the Tides came, so too did the Void snake its fingers into the now-vacant shallows of sunken ruins. In modern times, the vast majority of Lumen is ensnared in the grasp of the Voidsea.
• Though the Tides brought about a physical calamity through the submergence of Lumen, they also brought about an existential calamity in the Drowning.
• The times since the Tides began are often referred to as 'The Aftertide', or as being 'Post-Tidal'.
• It is important to understand that the Tides are not a historical event. They are an ongoing calamity, as Lumen continues to slip further and further into the Depths below.

Dialogue: Alpha, Klaris, Raphael | Books: Children of the Aftertide I, Coldheart's Journal, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, Tale of the Storm, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: The Celestials, The Drowned Gods, The Drowning, The Old World, The Shallows The Song, The Voidsea

Places

Castle Light

• The closest Diver expedition base to Drowned Celtor.
• Klaris Llfiend presides over the base and supervises expeditions into the Second Layer.

Dialogue: Deepdelver Gamma | Books: The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries: Lighthook

The Central Luminant

• The central and largest Luminant of all, the Central Luminant is a tumultuous region that is governed overall by the Central Authority.
• Enclaves outside of the Central Authority's purview do exist within the Central Luminant, however. One such example are the Lullaby Isles, the homeland of the Chrysid and the Moonlit Faith.

Dialogue: Chud Steel, Kelsius, Sentinel Augustus | Books: Operation 'Distant Light' Report, Stars Above, and the Blade between, The Gideshu March | Glossary Entries: The Luminants

The Drowned City of Celtor

• Formerly the capital of the Celtor peoples, now a site of pilgrimage for those lost to the Depths.
• At the centre lies the Cathedral of the Interstice, to which many travel in the hopes of succeeding in its Trial.
• The City of Celtor was dragged down from the Surface to the Depths in an event known as the Submergence of Celtor in 904 CE.

Dialogue: Celtorian Guard | Books: Children of the Aftertide I | Glossary Entries: Castle Light, Scyphozia, the First Layer, The Southern Luminant, The Submergence of Celtor

• The City Guard speak of a deal, presumably a Vow, that they struck in order to keep the City safe.
• The guards are prevented from dispatching the monstrosities that stalk the city by the deal they struck.

Dialogue: Celtorian Guard

Constellia, the Guiding Star

• One of the largest Celestial cities in the Heavens.

Dialogue: Kaide, Mikhail Spellhardt | Books: A Light In The Sky | Glossary Entries: Kaide, the Drowned Light, Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde

• Constellia was reduced to rubble 77 years after it was abandoned by its Celestial rulers.

• Constellia fell to a Kyrsan invasion.

The Depths

• Beyond Lumen there is only the Depths, a vast and inconceivable expanse of fractured and convoluted space.
• The Depths is often thought to be structured in 'Layers', referring to the distinct regions of the Depths, with deeper layers holding to the conventions of reality ever more loosely.
• In spite of mankind's attempts to apply structure, logic, and order to the Depths, Layers are not strictly ordered in the manner they are described. One may conceivably travel to the Third Layer without ever passing through the First or Second Layers. This being said, the typical routes established do generally follow this order.
• The way most individuals reach the Depths is through the effects of the Drowning.

Dialogue: Akira, Bankers if you do not meet the requirements to use their Item Bank, Kaide, Karliah, Klaris | Books: Children of the Aftertide I, Lament of Cirryn, Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, The Ferryman's Lullaby, The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries: Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde, The Central Authority, The Citadel of Markor, The Divers, The Drowning, The Drowned City of Celtor, The Drowned Gods, The Shallows, The Tides, The Voidsea

Driftlands

• Islands that have a tendency to 'drift' in and out of the Voidsea are known as Driftlands.
• Due to the anomalous metaphysics of the Voidsea, Driftlands often appear to be unscathed by the effects of time, almost as if their time in the Void was a frozen moment.

Dialogue: Neero, Nimea | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Tale of the Storm | Glossary Entries:

The Eastern Luminant

• Often, due to the large mountain range that runs across its middle, the side that contains the Kingdom of Etrea is known as the Etrean Luminant.

Dialogue: Hector, Warden Jericho | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Tale of the Storm, The Gideshu March | Glossary Entries: The Etrean Luminant

The Echelon

• A sprawling metropolis upon a central island in the Lullaby Isles archipelago. The centre of activity for scholars, religious figureheads, and the Counsell. A bustling complex of archives and residences for those who live within. Notable for its pristine sandstone architecture, punctuated by elegant frescoes.

Dialogue: Hiri, Liviu | Books: Strange Missives | Glossary Entries: The Counsell

The Etrean Luminant

• The so-called 'sub-luminant' of the Eastern Luminant that is home to the Kingdom of Etrea and the Isle of Vigils.
• In times past, the Kingdom of Etrea held claim over the vast majority of the Eastern Luminant, so the designation of the Etrean Luminant is a somewhat modern invention.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros, Gaius | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Operation 'Distant Light' Report, Operation 'Puppet Master' Report | Glossary Entries: Radiant Tones, The Eastern Luminant

Scyphozia, the First Layer

• The layers closest to Lumen more closely resemble it, with the closest, Scyphozia, resembling an undersea cave. Bubbles rise from vents, fish swim through the air, though those who find themselves there can still draw breath.
• Dangerous aquatic monstrosities roam Scyphozia, with some making their way to Lumen's shores.
• A notable landmark in Scyphozia is the Drowned City of Celtor, where many make pilgrimage in hopes of salvation.

Dialogue: | Books: The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo | Glossary Entries: Yun'Shul, Keeper of Hearts

The Heavens

• The other half of Lumen, an inverted dome suspended above the Surface.
• The waters of the Heavens are known as the Nightsea.
• The former home of the Celestials.

Dialogue: Alpha, Brasidas Spellhardt, Celestial Telescope, Green Spellhardt, Kaide, Louie Spellhardt, Theadre | Books: | Glossary Entries: Constellia, the Guiding Star, Lightborn, Lumen, The Celestials, The Moonseye, The Starkindred Faith, Zhatarn, the Moonlight Prince

Lighthouse

• At the edges of the Luminants, Lighthouses serve as the only reliable means of travelling between Luminants.
• Lighthouses require the talents of a Lightkeeper to operate. In essence, Lighthouses are a lens through which a Lightkeeper can focus their Light. By illuminating the void between Luminants, a thin stretch of navigable ocean is brought back into existence and can be traversed by ships.

Dialogue: Samael | Books: | Glossary Entries: Lightkeep, The Voidsea

The Lullaby Isles

• The Chrysid homeland, a fruitful archipelago surrounded by a treacherous mountain range. It's said that only a few can come out, and only that same few are allowed back in.
• Home to the Moonlit Faith, a devout religion that revere the passage of souls to the Moonseye.

Dialogue: Hiri, Marro, Nimea, Ottilde | Books: Operation 'Distant Light' Report | Glossary Entries: Thalassis / The Acolyte, The Central Luminant, The Counsell, The Echelon, The Lady Confessor The Moonlit Dialect

Lumen

• The world you call home.
• Lumen is composed of two halves; the Surface below and the Heavens above.
• The skies between the Surface and the Heavens are obscured by vast clouds of Voidfog.

Dialogue: Armourer Kev, Chud Steel, Destroyman III, Bon Vivant Adventurer, Dust, Kaide, Klaris, Merryweather, Tillian, Warden Jericho | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation, Vows by the Sea: Inheritance | Glossary Entries: Aspects, Hereditary Vow, Scyphozia, the First Layer, The Canticlysm, The Celestials, The Central Authority, The Citadel of Markor, The Depths, The Drowned Gods, The Drowning, The Heavens, The Luminants, The Moonseye, The Song, The Starkindred Faith, The Suncross, The Surface, The Tides, The Voidfog, The Voidsea, The Western Luminant, Vows

The Luminants

• Akin to continents, the Luminants are the remaining regions of Lumen that haven't been claimed by the Voidsea.
• In a sense, the Luminants and their safe waters are islands unto their own, with each Luminant separated from one another by the Void.
• In order to secure safe passage through the Voidsea, the work of a Lightkeeper is required.
• Today, there are broadly considered to be 5 Luminants; the Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern, and Central Luminants. In the Old World, the Luminants were larger and more numerous.

Dialogue: Alirian, Cap'n Orlandeau, Caragan, Chef Odiolavoro, Kressa, Neero, Nimea, Ottilde, Raen, Sev, Warden Jericho ,Zana | Books: God in the Machine, Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement', O Pardoner of Mine, Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries: Lighthouse, Lightkeep, Lumen, The Central Luminant, The Southern Luminant

The City of New Kyrsa

• The fabled city of New Kyrsa is thought to reside deep within the Second Layer.

Dialogue: Chaser, Mendacia, Naerotiv | Books: | Glossary Entries: Kaide, the Drowned Light, The Eternal Gale, the Second Layer

• Some refer to New Kyrsa as 'Ethiron's Bedchamber'.

Dialogue: Chaser

The Nightsea

• The inky black seas of the Heavens above. Studded with twinkling points of light known as Stars.
• When night falls and the Suncross retreats into the Voidfog, the Nightsea becomes visible from the Surface below.

Dialogue: | Books: A Light In The Sky | Glossary Entries: The Heavens

• Seeing them through the telescope, you know that the Stars of the Nightsea are in reality the ruins of Celestial civilisations.

Dialogue: Celestial Telescope

The Northern Luminant

• Cold and inhospitable, the Northern Luminant bears little human population due to its harsh conditions.
• In spite of the conditions, folklore speaks of the Elder Edenkite who dwell in the far north, immortal and wise wyrms who are said to grant answers to any traveller who seeks them out.

Dialogue: | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North' | Glossary Entries:

The Eternal Gale, the Second Layer

• Said to be a snow-torn hellscape buffeted by the Winds of Ethiron, the Second Layer makes the First seem safe by comparison.

Dialogue: Deepdelver Gamma, Kaide, Klaris | Books: | Glossary Entries: Castle Light, Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde, The Depths

• According to Kaide, the ruins within the Second Layer are neither of Celestial or Human make, having been constructed by the Kyrsans.
• Kaide suggested that the Second Layer may once have been the Kyrsan world before it was consumed by the Depths.

Dialogue: Kaide

• The Second Layer is home to the legendary city of New Kyrsa.

The Southern Luminant

• Formerly home to the City of Celtor before its Submergence.
• Following the Submergence of Celtor, much of the Southern Luminant was pulled under the waves and consumed by the Voidsea.
• The Southern Luminant is by most accounts uninhabited, though some say that scattered remnants of the islanders who once lived there still haunt its ruins.

Dialogue: Bookkeeper Andros | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Submergence of Celtor

The Surface

• The half of Lumen in which you reside.
• The Surface is made up of the Luminants and the Voidsea that surrounds them.

Dialogue: C'lantaa, Kaide, Merryweather | Books: The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo | Glossary Entries: Lumen, The Celestials, The Drowned City of Celtor, The Heavens, The Nightsea, The Moonseye, Yun'Shul, Keeper of Hearts

The Vents, the Third Layer

• Said to be an inhospitable waste where the Drowned God Korilfiend resides.
• Riddled with thermal vents and geysers that exude extreme temperatures [sic]

Dialogue: Ploom | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement' | Glossary Entries: Flamecharm, Korilfiend, the Inferno's Provenance, Scyphozia, The First Layer, The Depths, The Vents, the Third layer

The Voidfog

• The impenetrable mists that surround and obscure Lumen's skies.
• At a passing glance, they resemble clouds.

Dialogue: | Books: Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV | Glossary Entries: Lumen, The Nightsea, The Suncross

• On a closer observation, one can tell them apart by the way that light passes through them. Voidfog has subtle shimmering iridescence due to its distortion of light.

The Voidsea

• Much of the world following the Tides has been subsumed into the Voidsea, an anomalous and near-insurmountable stretch of water that represents the gradual dissolution of Lumen into the Depths.
• When it comes to the Voidsea, the conventional laws of time and space hang in the towel.
• Islands dragged into the Voidsea may suddenly be spat back out many years later, its inhabitants wholly unaware of the time that has passed.
• Ships that sail into the Voidsea may find themselves heading back the way they came, with no apparent error in their instruments or navigation. These, of course, are the lucky ones. Few ships have ever passed into the Voidsea and ever been seen again.
• The Voidsea is only reliably traversed through the use of a Lighthouse.

Dialogue: Alastir, Aristo, Kaide, Klaris, Neero, Suyuan, The Voidmother | Books: Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'North', Stars Above, and the Blade between, Studies on Canticlysm, Vol. IV, Tale of the Storm | Glossary Entries: Driftlands, Lightkeep, The Luminants, The Southern Luminant, The Submergence of Celtor, The Surface, The Tides

The Western Luminant

• Of a more humid climate than much of Lumen, the Western Luminant is a rich overgrown jungle of pillar-like mountain peaks.
• The predominant powers within the Western Luminant are the Hundred Legions and the Starkindred Faith.

Dialogue: Chud Steel | Books: | Glossary Entries: The Celestials, The Starkindred Faith

Terminology

The Divers

• An expeditionary organisation stemming from the Citadel of Markor that conduct routine expeditions into the Depths in order to gather research, materials, and eliminate emergent threats.
• Though seen as a noble profession by many, the survival rate of Apprentice Divers is staggeringly low.

Dialogue: Akira, Alpha, Carrion, Deepdelver Gamma, Karliah, Klaris, Sarkale, Vtreshi | Books: Diver Journal, I, The Interrogation Of Ranger Santiago Talo, The Song of Fathoms / Oscillation | Glossary Entries: Castle Light, Lighthook, Radiant Tones, The Central Authority

The Moonlit Dialect

• The native dialect of the Lullaby Isles, scarcely found outside of its walls.
• The term 'Th'Ambulo', and 'Th'Armati' can be roughly translated to 'the upright', referring to non-Hivekin, and 'the armoured', referring to Hivekin.
• The term 'ultramontes' can be translated as 'beyond', or literally 'beyond-the-mountains'.
• 'Aecta' (plural 'Aecti') refers to a Chrysid who lives natively within the Lullaby Isles.

Dialogue: Liviu, Any NPC stating a Chrysid players' name with the surname "Aecta" or "Aecti" | Books: Ossuary Maintenance, Strange Missives | Glossary Entries:

Pathfinders

• Those that make a living by exploring ruins and driftlands.
• Many are scavengers looking to fence the treasures they find, though there are many ways to turn a profit.

Dialogue: Beiruul, Deepdelver Gamma, Forgotten Villager, Neero, Nimea, Seroth, Teacher | Books: Archivist Journal: 'Megalodaunt', Lumen's Folklore: Volume 'Attunement' | Glossary Entries:

Talent

• An ability, skill, technique, or feat you learn. On your journey, you may pick up many such talents.
• Some are purely products of your own prowess, others are empowered by the Song.

Dialogue: Eastern Camp Master upon returning a hostage | Books: | Glossary Entries:

Trivia

• In many cases, words may end up linking to terms entirely unrelated to their contextual meaning. For example, the word "city" links to The Drowned City of Celtor even if the city the dialogue was referring to wasn't Celtor at all. Similarly, the word "Luminant" will often link to The Central Luminant even when referring to entirely different Luminants.
• In some other cases, different words can be detected for the same thing, but have entirely different glossary entries when popped up.
  • This occurs to the entries "Kyrsan / Kyrsgarde" and "Thalassis / The Acolyte."