Nothing is here 8

This is a glossary of in-setting terms for the RPG setting, The Judges of Tehom.

• Adhocracy. An element of kleocracy. In short, the responsibilities of Archons is fluid and not defined by a fixed office as found in formal, bureaucratic organizations.

• Archonic War. The preferred form of violent conflict between Tehomin city states. Rather than having a conflict between militaries, the city states of Tehom often will have a duel between champions to determine the outcome.

• Archon. An Archon is one of the superhuman Few who has a position of authority within a cosmopolis. The type of power or authority is not defined by the term Archon: one could be a military position, a governmental role, a magnate of a particular industry, or anything else. Many use the terms Archon and the Few interchangeably, though this is not technically correct.

• Auxiliary. A mercenary or freelance member of the Few who is hired by a cosmopolis, a corporation, or an Archon. To be an Archon implies a general responsibility, while being an auxiliary suggests a narrow set of responsibilities and rewards.

• The Banished. The banned are outlaw or renegade members of the Few that have no responsibilities for running a cosmopolis (Lord Genderal Risha may be widely considered evil, but he isn't banished). Some pillage for personal gain, some are motivated by vendettas, and some appear to just want to watch the world burn.

• The Common Sphere. The realm of Tehomin society left to the daily life of the Many. This is the realm of humdrum work and family life.

• Cosmopolis. A Tehomin city-state. An independent political entity, a cosmopolis is a sprawling sustained by international trade, the powers of Archons, and the hinterland territories under its control. Cosmopoli, save for some key exceptions, are ruled by Archons.

• The Course. The Course is a channel in the middle of the Set Islands that collectively form the most developed, prosperous, and populated area of the planet. From space, the Course looks like nothing but cities and sea.

• The Few. In-setting term for superheroes, individuals who have some degree of power that goes beyond normal humanity. The Few may be magical in nature, users of super-science like powered armors, altered on a biological level by science (intentionally or accidentally), or they could be a heredity mutant and therefore part of a Lineage. Some members of the view do not even truly have super powers as such, but are rather exceptionally trained individuals. Different city-states think about the Few differently and organize their societies and legal codes accordingly.

• Focus. A mystical item or weapon of power. When a member of the Few has a focus, he or she is called a Keeper.

• The Formal sphere. The realm of Tehom society associated with control and leadership over political and economic concerns. It is the realm of Archons.

• The Formed. A member of the Few who gained his or her powers due to some event or process that occurred during their lives. They were not born with their powers, nor are their powers dependent on an external object.

• Founders. Members of the few who are not members of established bloodlines of power (in other words, they are not legacies)

• Grants. A human born to parents who have no powers but who nevertheless has superhuman capabilities. Founders have the ability to begin legacies.

• The Inhuman. A member of the Few who is not actually human. They could be a robot, or a nonhuman life form.

• The Kairos Covenant. An alliance between Srimec City, Pinnacle, Saltmerche Citadel, and a dozen smaller cosmopoli.

• Keepers. Members of the Few who possess an item of power. Unlike many other members of the Few, Keepers do not have any inherent superhuman abilities.

• Kleocracy. The neo-feudal form of government that dominates Tehomin society. It is the rule of the glorious, the rule of the superhuman Few over the Many, combining temporal power with celebrity.

• Legacy. A legacy is a hereditary bloodline within the Few. In short, they are mutants who exhibit superhuman powers. Some cosmopoli, like Pinnacle, are actively run by lineages, while in others they are distrusted as being detached from the Many. Some forms of cryptotechnology exist that can identify lineages, and sometimes even suppress lineage-based powers.

• The Mad Legion. Members of the Few who have gone insane from their power.

• Magistrate. Technocratic members of the Few. They have given up celebrity in the name of expertise.

• Monumentality. An aspect of kleocracy where the Archons of a city spend resources creating monuments and major works that demonstrate the power and glory of the city and its rulers.

• The Many. Baseline humanity. The Many are the vast majority of the population, and they are "normal" humans. Due to the history of Tehom as a lost colony, the range of physical variation associated with different races is present, though society is not as explicitly organized around race and ethnicity as many societies on Earth. The main question is which cosmopolis is home.

• Patrimonialism. An aspect of kleocracy where the Few are expected to act with responsibility and charity toward the Many. It is noblesse oblige.

• The Peers. The secretive ruling council of the Dundainian Anarchy.

• Sacritech. Super-science, the technology created and understood by the super-intelligent Few. Sacritech is not merely more advanced than baseline Tehomin science; it is qualitatively different. Sacritch always appears to the Many to be violating one or more natural laws of the universe (be it thermodynamics, gravity, or something else).

• The Set. The Set is gigantic archipelago near the equator of Tehom. The vast majority of habitable land is found among the Set Islands, and as a consequence, it is home to the vast majority of Tehom’s human population. The Set’s ecology is almost completely Terran in its character, though some precursor life remains around the edges. The deep oceans far from the shallow waters of the Set are a source of mystery and dread for much of the population, and its dark abysses are havens for pre-terraform Tehomin life.

• Stormward Council. The original ruling council of the Few that helped humanity survive the abandonment by The Garden. They are seen as the founders of Tehomin civilization.

• Static Struggles. A highly formalized type of archonic war.

• The Synopticon. The civil sphere of tehomin society. It is the realm of community and culture.

• Technocrat. One of the Many who has risen to a position of influence due to his or her expertise. Archons rely on technocrats to help make their endeavors successful.

• The Tide's Eye. A unique phenomena to the planet Tehom which alters probability and imbues some people and objects with powers. Little is known how it functions.

• Ventures. Organizations lead by Archons. They may be oriented toward business, governmental responsibilities, or something else. The key trait is they are a formal organization recognized by a cosmopolis.

• The Works. The Works are those Few who are not members of lineages, but gain their powers through some form of rigorous training.