Glossary
air-barracks. Kidney-shaped dormitory airships that dock on the military Trees in Bases like the Stone Forest. They transport troops and house them.
air elevator. Also known as an air lift, a glass-framed elevator that transports riders to and from the lower building of the Halo Palace to the crown level. The elevator cars travel in open air as well as elevator shafts.
air lift. See air elevator.
The Apiary. An outwardly decrepit-looking military Base on an island near the Fate of Seas. A Census stronghold.
Barleycorn. The high-end restaurant shaped like a spike of barley and located in the Trial Village at the center of the Secondborn Trial training fields.
Black-O. A Census soldier enhanced with advanced military-grade artificial intelligence technology embedded in his or her brain. Each soldier is subject to mind control by programmers and handlers who are often Census agents.
Black-O mode. The state of being a Black-O soldier. It can entail being mind-controlled by a third party or using artificial intelligence to solve problems, follow commands, and complete tasks.
Burton Weapons Manufacturing. A Sword-Fated weapons manufacturing company owned by Sword-Fated Edmund Burton.
Census. A branch of the government comprised of agents whose mission is to hunt down and kill unauthorized thirdborns and their abettors. Their uniform is a white military dress shirt, black trousers, black boots, and a long tailored leather coat. Their Bases are underground beneath the Sword military Trees at Bases like the Stone Forest Base and the Twilight Forest Base.
chet. A nonaddictive substance that is used to relieve tension and induce relaxation. Looks like a white stamp.
Class 5Z Mechanized Sanitation Unit. A robot designed to repair and maintain sewage and septic lines. The unit has no artificial intelligence capacities.
conversion. The process of implanting a VPMD (Virtual Perception Manipulation Device) in the brain of a person other than a zeroborn.
conversions. People who are unwillingly implanted with mind-control technology. Implanted people can be detected by the cornea implants in the eyes that shine with silver light.
Copperscale. A defensive fabric developed by Salloway Munitions Conglomerate that acts like armor. It can conduct an energy pulse, either fusion or hydrogen, away from the wearer.
Council of Destiny. The Virtue’s advisory board made up of members from the Virtue-Fated aristocracy. Experts are brought in to advise the panel on a myriad of topics.
CR-40. A topical polymer dispensed in an aerosol device that, when sprayed on the skin, temporarily blocks the signal of an implanted moniker. It can be scrubbed off the skin or it will wear off in a few hours, making it ineffective.
crella. A type of donut.
Culprit-44. A sidearm, also called a fusionmag. A fusion-powered gun-like weapon with a hydrogen-powered option.
death drone. An automated robot with a black metallic outer casing. It’s shaped like a bat and used primarily on the battlefield to interrogate and execute captured enemy soldiers. The drone is summoned by a black, blinking “death-drone beacon” that emits a high-pitched sound, prompting a drone to respond to the location. Once the drone interrogates an enemy, it decides whether to kill the soldier or take him or her back to a containment airship for further interrogation.
drone camera. A spherical-shaped automated floating camera that has a multitude of lenses. Some are automated and can be programmed to follow a specific target, while others are operated remotely.
Dual-Blade X16. The Salloway Munitions brand name for the dual-sided sword—fusionblade/hydroblade—designed by Star-Fated secondborn Jakes Trotter and Sword-Fated secondborn Roselle St. Sismode. It was sold to the company by Roselle St. Sismode.
Exo. A rank in the firstborn Sword military. It is higher than all of the secondborn ranks. Only the Admiral and Clarities are higher. Black uniforms. Clifton Salloway is an Exo.
fatedom. The realm of a Fate, like a kingdom.
Fated Sword. A title given to the spouse of The Sword (the Clarity of the Fate of Swords). Kennet Abjorn is considered the Fated Sword because he’s the husband of Othala St. Sismode.
Fates of the Republic. Also known as the Fates Republic. A society comprising nine Fates or “fatedoms.” The Fates highest to lowest in the caste system are Virtues, Swords, Stars, Atoms, Suns, Diamonds, Moons, Seas, and Stones. The leader of the Republic is the Clarity of Virtues.
Firstborn Commander. A title given to the heir to The Virtue and the heir to The Sword.
First Lieutenant. A position on the Sword Heritage Council that is considered the “right hand” to the Firstborn Sword (the heir to The Sword).
Five Hundred. A drug that acts as a stimulant. It’s lethal when taken in large doses.
fourthborn. The fourth child in birth order.
FSP (Fusion Snuff Pulse). A device that acts like an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) delivering a short pulse of energy that disrupts the fusing of atoms that creates fusion energy. The device is a palm-size sphere with a silver metallic outer shell with a trigger button.
fusionblade. A fusion-energy-driven laser-like sword. The sword resembles a broadsword without the expected weight. Fusion cells reside in the hilt of the sword and create a stream of energy when engaged. The hilt is constructed of a metal alloy and usually personalized with a family crest or some other distinctive marking. The St. Sismode family is the originator of the fusionblade.
fusionmag. A gun-like weapon that fires fusion energy in bullet-shaped pulses.
gravitizer. The antigravity mechanism in a combat jumpsuit. It uses magnetic force to repel against the molten core of the planet in order to slow the descent of a soldier after he or she jumps from an airship. It disengages once the soldier is within feet of the ground, allowing him or her to land safely.
Hazy Daze-99. A drug that induces euphoria and sleepiness. It comes in aerosol form.
heartwood. An escalator-like machine that carries occupants up or down levels through a vertical tube within a Base Tree.
Heritage Council. A committee comprising firstborn members of the Sword aristocracy. The leader of the council is the Firstborn Sword. It’s a junior council of sorts in which firstborn heirs hold positions of power until they assume their parents’ roles as the leaders of the Sword aristocracy.
hologram pad. A handheld device used to correspond with the administrative arm of the Halo Palace. The unit uses prerecorded messages as well as real-time holographic messages in the form of light projections for communication.
hoverdiscs. Small round metallic discs about two inches in diameter that attach to the sole of a boot or a shoe. Once turned on, the discs keep the wearer aloft. They allow him or her to ascend by making motions as if walking up steps, and they allow the person to fall in elevation by using descending stair motions.
hover mode. The ability to levitate and self-propel using antigravity technology.
hovertruck. A large wheelless vehicle that hovers above the ground and is propelled by various means.
hovervan. A large wheelless vehicle that hovers above the ground and is propelled by various means.
kill tallies. Black line tattoos that extend from the outside corners of the eyes to the hairline of a Census agent, denoting the number of thirdborn kills the agent has amassed. The marks can also be found tattooed on the neck or temples of an agent.
Killian Abbey. An abbey and collection of tombs where heads of the Fate of Swords are buried. Roselle’s grandfather is buried there.
Lenity. A city in the Fate of Virtues where all of the wealthiest country estates are located. It is considered the “sister city” of Purity.
looking-glass moniker. See mirror moniker.
maginot. A canine-like cyborg that resembles a wolfhound. They patrol the grounds of the Sword Palace, acting as sentinels.
mechadome. See mechanized domestic.
mechanized domestic. A domestic robot with rudimentary artificial intelligence or advanced artificial intelligence designed to do a multitude of domestic tasks. Models vary in physical form.
mirror moniker. A device that reflects the identity of the moniker closest to it. Used as a tool in espionage. Also known as a looking-glass moniker.
moniker. A symbol implant each person receives at birth to denote class/caste. It is a brand that covers a holographic chip. The chip is loaded with the person’s identification and other vital information, such as rank, family members, fatedom, status, and so on. The holographic chips can be activated by checkpoints manned by security personnel. They are used to track people entering and leaving districts, to process secondborns, to denote firstborn status, and more.
Neon Bible. The high-end bookmaking establishment located in the Trial Village at the center of the Secondborn Trials training fields.
night owl bots. Surveillance robots made to look like owls that perch in areas around the Halo Palace. Used by Iono security as covert audio and visual recording devices to gather intelligence.
phantom orb. A small silver ball-shaped device that provides resistance to infrared scanners and pings from Virtue-class stingers. It cools a person’s body temperature to camouflage the individual from detection.
Phoenix. Nicknamed “Phee,” this automated robot was recently converted into a mechanistic domestic or mechadome. In a former role, this robot was a sewer maintenance unit known as a Class 5Z Mechanized Sanitation Unit, but it was taken from a scrap heap, upgraded with limited artificial intelligence, and recommissioned to be Roselle’s valet at the Halo Palace.
Purity. The capital city of Virtues.
Pyramid Conspiracy. A high-stakes card game people bet on, in which one must remember every card laid and the order in which it was placed. Every level, new cards are added.
Rose Garden Society. A secret club dedicated to the preservation and welfare of Roselle St. Sismode. They have a vested interest in seeing her become The Sword (Clarity of the Fate of Swords). One of the most influential members is Clifton Salloway (firstborn Sword aristocracy), an arms dealer who owns Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. Members are called Rose Gardeners.
Rose Gardener. A member of the Rose Garden Society.
Rush. A highly addictive drug that causes paranoia and delusions of grandeur.
secondborn deserter. Any secondborn who fails to report to his or her designated post and is considered a runaway.
Secondborn Deserter Bulletin. An all-points bulletin profiling a secondborn who has failed to report for duty and is considered a runaway.
sky platform. A hoverpad located in the crown level of the Halo Palace.
The Sword Social. An on-moniker news source that covers a variety of news items and topics.
Transitioned. The state of any secondborn who has undergone the mandatory indoctrination of the Fates Republic and who is now the property of a Fate. The secondborn’s surname is replaced with the name of the Fate served.
transporter pod. An automated, self-driving pod of a variety of sizes and functions. It’s used to transport items by using hover technology to levitate and fly.
Trial Village. The name of the area in the one-mile circle at the center of the secondborn training camps. It’s an exclusive area for aristocratic firstborns to socialize and find food and entertainment within the Secondborn Trials atmosphere.
Verringer. A very expensive airship with the ability to dock on land, water, and air.
Vicolt. An antiquated hovercar made of chrome and glass that the aristocracy of the Sword Palace uses in ceremonial precessions.
VPMD (Virtual Perception Manipulation Device). A system of automated and biochemical mechanisms implanted in the brain that can alter reality, including enabling mind control, hallucinations, and false memories. In elite cases, it can stimulate biochemical reactions that enhance one’s senses and physical makeup.
whisper orb. A ball, usually metallic, that, when activated by touch, produces an iridescent sphere of light capable of containing sound frequencies. They can come in several different sizes.
zeroborn. A person manufactured in a laboratory and implanted with mind-control technology. The person isn’t “born” in the traditional sense. Noncombat zeroborns have red monikers. Black-Os have black monikers.