The Game of Fates (85 page)

Authors: Joel Babbitt

Tags: #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Young Adult

Glossary

Axebeak
– A large, flightless bird (eg:
ostrich) with a sharp, heavy, axe-like beak at the end of a muscular neck that
it uses to defend itself. Though it can outrun most predators, the axebeak is
willing and able to defend itself if pressed. It has thick, sharp claws on its
feet and its legs are much more muscular than other similar birds. Its body is
covered with thick, protective feathers. Axebeaks stand about five feet tall
at the back, and about nine feet tall at the top of their heads.

Broomweed
– A tall plant that resembles
the end of a broom sticking up out of the ground.

Brutal
Races
– The
designation given by The Sorcerer to the races of Hobgoblins, Orcs, Goblins,
and Minotaurs. While Trolls and Ogres are certainly brutal, they are not
numerous enough to be considered one of the eight major races. The Gnomes,
though they were designated a civilized race by The Sorcerer, their alignment
with the Brutal Races during the Great War about a millennium before the time
period depicted in this book have led some to designate them as a brutal race
also.

Castes
– The male kobolds of the Kale
and Krall Gens are usually divided into castes. A kobold is casteless usually
until some ceremony or competition which marks the transition to adulthood.
Female kobolds remain casteless until they are joined to a lifemate, at which
time they assume the caste of their mate. The four castes are: servant (or
worker) caste, warrior caste, elite warrior caste, and leader caste.

·

Servant caste
kobolds do most of the mundane chores of the gen and are not responsible for
the defense of the gen. There is no movement out of the servant caste.

·

Warrior caste
kobolds generally perform most of the skilled labor of the gen and also carry
the responsibility of protecting the gen. A warrior may become an elite
warrior through hard work or other proof of merit.

·

Elite warrior
caste kobolds are the middle managers of the gen. In many gens they subside on
the efforts of their warriors, in some gens they must work to sustain
themselves in addition to coordinating the efforts of their warriors.

·

Leader caste
kobolds are the social elite of the gens. They generally spend all of their
efforts in leadership tasks and political positioning, and are the real
power-players of any gen. They are usually supported by taxes, tribute, and
plunder. The number of leader caste in a gen are usually determined by the
number of seats on the gen’s council, and are usually the eldest sons of
existing leader castes, though others have been made leader caste in times of
need.

Chew
Weed
– A leafy,
green plant. It is a mild narcotic. Continued use of this addictive drug
breaks down the central nervous system over several years, leaving one without
control of bodily functions and completely incapable of taking care of one’s
self.

Chop
– Also called the Wall. It is
the mountain range to the north of the Kale and Krall Gens. It is shaped like
a pair of praying hands, pulled slightly apart. It runs the entire length of
the southern valley where the two gens live. The great rift that runs through
the ridge of the Chop is spanned by a bridge called Demon’s Bridge, or Fiend’s
Bridge.

Civilized
Races
– The
designation given by The Sorcerer to the races of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and
Gnomes. While Halflings are certainly civilized, they are not numerous enough
to be considered one of the eight major races.

Day
of Beginnings
–
The day that kobold gens celebrate the day that, according to legend, the first
kobold came into existence. It is in the early spring and is generally the
same day that the Trials of Caste are conducted by the Kale Gen.

Dwarves
– A race of short, stocky,
human-like, bearded people who generally inhabit mountainous areas.

Elves
– A race of tall, thin people
who resemble humans with pointed ears.

First
Meal
–
Breakfast; usually the simplest meal of the day.

First
Watch
– The
night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called
‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their
shift into three. First watch is from the going down of the sun until the end
of the burning of one torch.

Gen
– A kobold tribe, generally
consisting of genetically related kobolds, though gens have been formed from
remnants of other gens.

Goblins
– A race of short, humanoid
people who are generally clever, resourceful, and cruel.

Gnomes
– A race of short, human-like
people who are known for their ingenuity, creativity, and ability to make
complicated items. Their history is marred by their alignment against the
other civilized races in the Great War.

Hall
of the Mountain King
– An ancient dwarven hall whose entrance is built into a small, hollowed out,
flat mountain, the chambers of which extend far into the mountain that the flat
mountain leans against.

Hobgoblins
– A race of pig faced, militaristic
humanoids who stand about human height and are more muscular than humans.
Their empire lies to the east of the two valleys.

Krall
Gen Castes
–
Unlike the Kale Gen which conducts one large, centralized trials of caste event
for the entire gen, the Krall Gen lets each warrior contingent leader conduct
his own trials for any male kobolds who want to join his contingent. A kobold
may only try once to join a warrior contingent, and it must be during the
kobold’s fifteenth year of life. If the kobold chooses not to try or fails,
then they become worker caste from that point forward (also called common or
servant caste) and belong to their father’s warrior’s contingent. Kobolds who
are accepted become warrior caste, and can eventually become elite warrior
caste by merit. Leader caste in the Krall Gen is by appointment and is usually
reserved for male relatives of the Lord of the Gen (denoted by names which end
in –ar).

Kobolds
– Small humanoids that stand
between three and four feet tall. Their bodies are covered with rust red
scales, with larger scales on flat surfaces of their bodies and smaller scales
near and at the joints. Kobolds have long, whip-like tails that start somewhat
thick and taper toward the end. Their tails are almost long enough to touch
the ground. Male kobolds begin growing straight, ivory horns at puberty. As a
kobold grows older, his horns will generally bend forward, eventually curling
on the oldest of kobolds. Female kobolds do not grow horns and are generally
shorter than their male counterparts. Kobolds have a sharper than human sense
of smell. Many kobolds have trained their sense of smell to the point where
they can track using their noses. Kobolds also have heat vision. Using heat
vision, they see black and white only, with cold things appearing black or dark
gray, and warmer things appearing lighter gray. Hot things appear bright
white. Kobolds’ heat vision is spoiled by normal light (torches, daylight,
etc) as well as excessive heat. Though initially thought to be of reptilian descent,
kobolds have several strange features that belie a completely reptilian
heritage; they are warm-blooded, having the ability to sweat. Additionally,
their children are gestated internally, not adhering to the reptilian trait of
laying hard-shelled eggs.

Minotaurs
– Minotaurs appear to be rather
large humans with bulls’ heads, and hooves instead of feet. They are usually
covered with thick, course hair from head to hoof and are usually rather
muscular. The minotaur tribes of the eastern steppes loom large in this story.

Orcs
– A race of brutish,
warrior-like humanoids with greenish-black skin, sloping foreheads, sharp
teeth, and red eyes. They are organized into tribes, with the strongest orc
dominating the warriors of the tribe and securing the loyalty of the warriors
by dividing some of the females among them. As they breed and mature at a
rapid pace, a war party of young orcs from a growing orc tribe out to prove
themselves is a common thing to encounter.

Palacid
– The legendary citadel of The
Sorcerer. It disappeared from its location in the heart of the human lands at
the end of the Great War, almost a thousand years before this book.

Second
Meal
– Lunch;
usually a more substantial meal than breakfast.

Second
Watch
– The
night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called
‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their
shift into three. Second watch is from the end of the burning of the first
torch to the end of the burning of a second torch.

Sorcerer
– The Sorcerer was a person of
great power that lived a thousand years before the time period depicted in this
book. He unified the humans, elves, and dwarves. He possessed phenomenal
magical powers and used them to better the state of the races.

Sweet
Bark Cider
– A
non-alcoholic drink distilled from the bark of the massive trees that surround
the heart of the Krall Gen.

Third
Meal
– Dinner;
usually the most elaborate and substantial meal of the day.

Third
Watch
– The
night is divided into three time periods. These three time periods are called
‘watches’, because the warriors who stand watch at night generally divide their
shift into three. Third watch starts at the end of the burning of the second
torch until the pre-dawn light fills the sky before the sun actually rises.

Trials
of Caste
– The
Kale Gen conducts a singular event each year where all male kobolds in their
fifteenth year participate. These same kobolds spend an entire year before the
event arduously preparing for the event. Those who are not able to complete
each aspect of the training become worker caste. Those who make it all the way
to the trials of caste become warrior caste, no matter where they place in the
rankings. Usually the top kobold from each year-group is made an elite warrior
each year. Rarely, and almost always to fill a gap in the council, a kobold
will be appointed leader caste.

Wallaya
Root
– The
Wallaya plant has a large, tuberous root which, when boiled, gives off a
pleasant, relaxing smell.

Warrior
Group
– The Kale
Gen is divided into several warrior groups, with only the council members of
the gen and their staff not belonging to any warrior group. Each warrior group
has a primary mission, such as to run the trade caravans, or produce craft
goods, or guard the gen. A male kobold generally grows up in, becomes a
warrior in, grows old and dies in his warrior group. Female kobolds may or may
not stay in the same warrior group once they reach the age of adulthood and are
mated.

Warrior
Contingent
– The
Krall Gen maintains three warrior contingents. Every warrior is allowed to own
property in the Krall Gen, and the Krall Gen also encourages free trade (though
it is taxed). As such, the warrior contingents do not control economics,
though the leader of each warrior contingent does get a cut of the taxes. Each
warrior contingent is responsible for fielding a number of warriors which is
dictated by the lord of the gen.

Whelp
– A kobold who has not yet
reached the age of adulthood.

Year-group
– A peer group of kobolds in
their fifteenth year of life. In the Kale Gen, all the male kobolds in the
entire gen that are in their fifteenth year are put together into one
year-group to pass through the trials of caste.

Other Books
by Joel Babbitt

Paladin of
a Hidden God Trilogy:

The Trials
of Caste

Into the
Heart of Evil

The Game of
Fates

Life Sticks
of Razz Serial:

Clan Lord

Hunt Master