Glossary
An ad-hoc explanation of terms, that will likely be placed at the front of the book as a primer. I don’t intend to have too many of these, but words mean things and some of my words mean different things. Originally published 8/20/2022, edited… often. I wish my plot were simpler, but it refuses to be.
“Doctor“: A current or former employee of a guild who has created at least one saleable cure or threshold modifier.
“Egretta”: A small political movement to improve the oversight on threshold modifiers.
“Guier“: An institutionally-funded group of stonecrafters who perform two services: 1) associate souls with solemns by enscribing an individual’s accomplishments, using a special set of runes, into the solemns, either at a wedding or upon request; and (2) removing the heads of Hewers’ victims in order to ensure the soul leaves a body that has succumbed to Hewers.
“Guild”: The state regulates what is approved for sale. Products they approve of originate in guilds, which work by headhunting people already making stuff, training them and moving their items to market. So… imagine if corporations were also universities. Depending on the guild, makers have access to better information/mentors/etc. This also plays into taxes, but I’m not going to build a tax system right now.
“Local”: Anyone who either treats injuries, creates threshold modifiers, or creates/dispenses cures. Generally used in reference to someone who will offer medical assistance on demand. Questionable how often I’ll call people locals.
“Solemn”: Multiple plural is ‘solemns,’ mass plural is a ‘solemnization’ or a ‘plot’. Solemns are stone tablets, approximately 8 inch by 10 inches. These are a stone tablet which is believed to tell your spirit that you are dead and can pass on, as well as giving your memory a physical marker in the world. Bodies are not deemed significant after death, governance of the now-dead spirit is. Once solemns are completed by Guiers, they are stored in a local outdoor fenced area or in caves/catacombs, as appropriate to the area’s availability of space. Some people keep solemns in their home, but this is low-key considered maladaptive.
(Solemn continues) Solemn eligibility (specifically, you can have an individual solemn created if you are married OR have children OR have a special circumstance *cough* aggressive guilds) came into vogue 30 years ago. Prior to that time, everyone received a solemn upon their death. Wakes were common. Now, solemn eligibility is governed by the College of Guiers, the State Council, and their duly appointed representatives (town governments).
“Threshold Modifiers”: not yet available.
“Hewers Syndrome”: A disease that turns the victim to a stone-like material (think petrification) over the period of seven years; the stages are defined and distinct. No known cause, onset is spontaneous/not more prevalent in any specific population. Hewers is not a proper name, as naming the disease after someone was thought to keep their spirit trapped in the living world. Hewers was coined by a Guier who instituted the practice of removing the head to ensure the spirit knew the body was dead. The practice started ad hoc more than 30 years ago.