Aobao. A portable folding “box shrine” that Corelesians use for ancestor worship. They are filled with carved figurines of ones ancestors, and church doctrine holds that one must speak to these figurines to commune with them.

Banalities. The legal requirement of citizens to exclusively utilize facilities owned by the nobles who rule them. Example: Farmers must use the mill owned by the local Baron, and pay whatever he decides to charge. They cannot legally take their grain to be milled anywhere else. This keeps commoners poor and nobles rich.

Baturi. The Corelesian term for knighthood. Baturi begini as squires, and once their mentors deem them ready they undertake trials which (if passed) result in being spurred and sworn in. It is considered honorable for the son of a landowning family to join a knightly order if they do not stand to inherit.

Brasserie. An informal cafe or roadside tavern that offers beer and wine along with simple hearty food.

Briquette. An infantrymans basket hilted saber. One of the most common swords in Corelay, produced en masse for soldiers.

Calum. The term for a priest or spiritual leader in the land of Qatun, specifically the priesthood of the dead goddess Irkalla. Only an elder strigoi can be a calum of Irkalla.

Cassoulet. A peasant dish of beans and broth, baked with different types of meat until the beans are soft and a dark brown crust of protein forms on top. Delicious.

Comte. The Corelesian term for a Count. Counties and Baronies all owe fealty to a Duke, to whom they pay taxes.

Cuirassier. By law, no soldier of Corelay may sit a horse in battle unless they come from a landowning family. Cuirassiers are cavalrymen who do not belong to any knightly order of Baturi.

Decosian. A ten sided figurine of golden plates enclosed in an iron frame, roughly the size of a softball. The plates are covered in tiny arcane writing. An alien spiritual entity is trapped inside the decosian, and it is compelled to teach magic to heirs of the Sorlath dynasty. Decosians are created by the Sorlaths to act as grammaries and teach their children sorcery.

Demoiselle. Synonymous with the word “damsel”, meaning a young unmarried woman. Once they marry the term for them becomes madamoiselle.

Gendarme. The Corelesian term for a police officer. In most Counties and Baronies they are soldiers who double as law enforcement.

Gonfanon. A military battle standard or flag, mounted to a cross brace and carried on a pole or lance by a trusted cavalryman. This is considered a great honor, but the standard bearer must protect it with their life.

Grammarie. A book or lexicon of magical knowledge.

Irkalla. An alien horror that was summoned into the world over a century ago by a mad prophet in Qatun. Before it could devour all life in the world another entity appeared in its wake, chopped it into five pieces, and left. The corpse of the monster was experimented on by the prophets surviving cultists, who transfused its ichor into their veins to become the first strigoiviu. And after they died, the first strigoi.

Jigari. A priest or shaman. Black jigari tend the souls of commoners and perform rites of ancestor worship for such individuals. White jigari tend the souls of nobles. It is forbidden for white and black souls to pray together, and the priests of each caste cannot interact with spirits venerated by the other. Church doctrine holds that only white jigari can intercede with the gods, and black jigari are ignored or cursed if they try due to their lesser spiritual status.

Jobbagy. The Estremeri term for a settlemnts headman or mayor. A land owner who is responsible for collecting taxes and managing the local militia.

Khimorii. This word translates to “windhorse”, the Mongol term for spiritual power. Synonymous with life force, chi, and the soul. Corelesian religion holds that all people have khimorii. The more experience and character a person develops in life, the stronger their khimorii is.

Honing. A low-grade vulgar term for a woman sleeping with a man, refering to the act of sharpening a blade. Men “plow” women, women “hone” men.

Marquis. A militant noble who the crown permits to keep larger-than-normal armies, because they are responsible for protecting territories with hostile borders. More powerful than a heartland Comte (Count) because they have greater military strength and are more likely to get invaded.

Miquelet. The big chonky hammer of a flintlock pistol.

Nightsong. The psychic call of the alien entity Irkalla, broadcast by the pieces of the aliens body and any strigoi created with its ichor. Strigoi can use this psychic “noise” to mesmerize and even reprogram unaware humans.

Oda-Ana. Spiritual maidens synonymous with valkyries in Corelesian faith. The souls of warriors who fight and die bravely in battle are said to be taken away by these spirits to serve in Ulgen’s celestial army after death.

Oieletteur. The Corelesian term for martial arts, synonymous with wuxia. The term roughly translates to mean “goose fighting”, drawing paralleles to geese flailing with their wings.

Ongon. Every jigari supposedly has a single spirit or ghost they bond with. This entity serves as a personal familiar or spirit guide. Most jigari lack true faith and do not have a real ongon, nor do they believe such things are real. Ulaanjigari (red keepers) who project into the Seething World can actually bond with real ghosts.

Peerage. Those holding hereditary noble titles within Corelay. The system of court rank is: King > Duke > Marquis > Comte > Baron > Lord.

Souchons. A race of hideous pack predators residing in the Seething World. These horrors are blind, vicious, prone to mutation, and have the ability to devour restless souls. They are roughly the size and shape of a pony, with enormous crocodilian jaws.

Strigoi. Undead shapeshifters that feed on the blood and khimorii of the living. Every strigoi resembles the individual it was in life, but can transform into a hulking gorilla-like inky monster that looks like the Marvel villain “Venom” with bony protrusions.

Strigoiviu. A human who has been transfused with strigoi ichor, gaining long life and enhanced physical ability. Those who live more than about fifty years develop dramatically increased strength and resilience.

Ulaanjigari. Men who are spiritually altered in utero by the ancient spirit Erlik Khan. If they have a near death experience they undergo a spiritual metamorphosis, gaining the ability to project their souls out of their bodies into the Seething World. In this state they gain the ability to learn magical powers normally attributed to ghosts.

Ulgen. The supreme creator deity of the Corelesian church. The state religion of Corelay demands that all people honor Ulgen, but only those of noble blood who have “white souls” can pray to him. Ulgen was originally a Qong deity named Tengri, but was renamed and repurposed when Corelays state religion formed.

Umey. The goddess of women, mothers, and fertility. Often referred to as a Saint by the church, though she was originally a goddess. Once a year there is a feast in her honor where women beautify themselves and become vessels of her divine power.