All That Glitters - Notes

Tova's Planet, Forty-Three Light Years from Terra

Miner world that has been settled for less than fifty years. Well suited for human occupation which has allowed the spread of humanity across the planet, though the numbers are still less than one billion.

Tova's Planet has four distinct climate zones ranging from arctic to temperate, to rain forests, to tropical around the equator. The flora and fauna are edible to humans. There are no large predators meaning little impediment to the spread of humanity.

The planet is half ocean, but the oceans are not as extensive as those of Terra being much smaller in comparison to the mass of the continents and considerably saltier.

Cole, Marius, Cdr.Commander, Navy Intelligence - Interrogates Marcus Hallon under Grand Treason charges. First seen in chapter eighteen.

Hallon, KarlaWife of Marcus Hallon, first seen in chapter eighteen.

Hallon, MarcusDirector of Criminal News, Pan Galactic News Services on Tova's Planet. Has been blackmailing corrupt officials on their illegal activities. Responsible for sending Katryana Harlona to Liramor Prime to be part of an attempt to displace Fiona Marsh as Director of Liramor-23 because of her less than favorable stance against Pan Galactic news. First seen in chapter eighteen.

Harlona, Katryanaa.k.a. Loane Ste-Armand, news reporter for PGNS on Tova's Planet. Originally from Moscow, Terra. Sent to Liramor Prime to be part of a rumour mill action against Fiona Marsh. First seen in chapter eighteen.

Tallus C. Insp.Chief Inspector for IPPF on Tova's Planet. First seen in chapter eighteen.

Uusi Suomi, Kauppila System, Thirty-Eight Light Years from Terra

The first humans on this planet originated from the Lapland region across Northern Scandinavia and speak a mostly Finish Dialect.

The planet is renowned for its great plains and rich agriculture and is a major exporter of agricultural goods. The northern and southern climes are perfect for the migrating Reindeer that the Laplanders are known for cultivating.

- Pietarsaari, Capital City, Uusi Suomi, Kauppila System, Thirty-Eight Light Years from Terra

Hellebore, Helga, Capt.J-173563-882 Captain (Navy) -- Commander of NS Pegasus. Former Aide-de-camp to Fiona Marsh (#3). Originally from planet Uusi Suomi, 182cm, 40yrs in 2483, blond, fit. First seen in chapter fifteen.

Whatt, Bouyé AlexanderF-171649-554 Captain (Navy) - Commander of the NS Wimple. support ship to the Piscium Scientific Investigation Team, ex slave who hates pirates and slavers. Minor character who interacts significantly with major characters. The storyline revolves around the exploits and discoveries of the science team. Lover to Fiona and Dostier. Home World: Uusi Suomi. First seen in chapter two.

Piscium A Society, The Pod-Drran, Twelve Light Years from the Piscium System

The people fled The Home Star as their original planet disintegrated around them, eventually settling on a new planet roughly 12ly from the Piscium system.

The destruction of the planet was caused by the entry of what is now Piscium 8 gas giant into the same plane of orbit as the inhabited planet. The Pod-Drran refer to this as the Marat-Zami, the Great Destroyer.

The people refer to themselves as the Pod-Drran, which means the strong ones, and are mostly warlike. They are divided into classes with the Warrior Class being the elite of the society. The Warrior Class deriving their advancement through acts of bravery and ritual combat, known as the . Those that perform ritual combat risk their current level in society to advance against becoming the servants of those who defeat them. Slavery in unknown in this society but, once a person becomes Kirlen, advancement is all but impossible. They wind up serving the family of those who have defeated them until they die or their title (ownership) is given to another. Thus, ritual combat, though not always fatal, is an all-or-nothing event in the lives of the people of this society.

The Warrior Class are the pinnacle of the Piscium A society. Approximately one quarter of the populace has the distinction of being a member of this class with the Emperor, by necessity, being the greatest warrior. Few emperors lived to an old age.

The remaining populace fill the roles required to keep a society functional with medical functionaries being just behind the warriors in distinction. Technicians, as vital as they are, are far down the list of citizens with those who do menial jobs such as producing food or the general cleaning that advanced societies require being at the lowest end.

Their year is approximately 86% of a Terran Standard Year. They refer to the Light Year as a Solar Light Cycle, or simply solar cycle, the distance being fourteen percent shorter than a Terran Light Year.

The Pod-Drran are bipedal and have two arms, their bodies similar in makeup to humans. Their skin is a gold-green colour derived from the blue-green blood, that uses copper as a base. Their eyes are approximately 25% larger than human eyes and they have bluish pupils that open and close vertically, similar to that of a snake. They average between 1.8m to 2.2m in height, with the females of the species being slightly larger, stronger, and more aggressive than the males of the species.

The species has large canines and as a result, the barring of fangs is considered a threat display. As a consequence, they smile with closed mouths.

A Warrior Class household consists of the senior bond pair, (those in a marriage contract) and several other bond pairs who are subordinate. Additional single Rai may be included in the household but rarely will single Ro. All in a household will adopt the name of the house in their own name.

A typical household will also include several bond pairs of other classes who are adopted by the family and serve the family in their various capacities. The older and more stable the house, the larger the extended family will be. Some of the older families have several smaller household branches all around the globe.

The senior Rai of a household may give permission to a single Rai to mate with the senior Ro, usually when the Rai has done something of significance for the household. The Senior Rai may also give Kirlen Rai to the senior Ro as concubines to help increase the number of brood (children) in the household. Usually, this is done while the senior Rai is tending a brood of her own. A Rai who lays with the senior Ro without the permission of the senior Rai, is seen as attempting a coup in the house, the senior Rai will thus kill the Rai who has co-opted her mate and might also kill her mate for having gone behind her back.

Those who are not of the Warrior Class conduct themselves with more freedom, so long as they are able to pay for the support of their brood.

BraeLiterally the equivalent of a brood mare. A female Kirlen who is given as concubine to the senior Ro of a household by the senior Rai. The purpose is to help expand the family by increasing its numbers. The Kirlen will have the Sirsh of Brae added to Kirlen to signify this.

A Brae who successfully breeds will find favour in her new family. She may even be elevated and offered Shar-Terg for her successful brood.

BroodThe infants of the Pod-Drran. The Pod-Drran are mammalian similar to humans and will carry their fetuses internally. The females will normally have three to four infants though broods of five or six are not uncommon. The gestation period is between four and a half to five months, the larger the brood, the shorter the gestation period and the smaller the infants will be. The young are born live and are relatively helpless for more than six months. They are normally weaned between ten months to a year going to 'solid' food.

The Pod-Drran females have four breasts and can suckle a brood of four. If the brood is larger, natural selection will play a part in the survival of the individuals, the stronger receiving priority, unless the female is wealthy enough to hire a wet-nurse. Those Rai who have female Kirlen in their staff have ready-made wet nurses available.

The infants will develop very quickly between six months to a year, with infants of a year old being the size of five year old human children and having the motor skills and the intelligence of a three year old human. By the time they have reached five years of age, they will double their size and be roughly the intelligence of a 10 year old though they will lack the social aspects of their human counterparts.

Infants will remain with their mothers growing in independence until they reach five years of age, when they go to school full-time, are referred to as 'Kisory', and are no longer the responsibility of their mother. They now pass into the care of the larger extended family. The Pod-Drran are not considered adult until the finish their training and apprenticeships 15 and 23 years of age, though the age will vary between individuals and the studies they are completing. Thus, a Ro of 18 years can be considered a young adult while a Don of 23 might still be considered a Kisory.

Cae(Female), member of the Public Service Class. Usually coupled with the exact position they hold i.e. Sha-Ret Min-Cae, ministerial level administrator. The Public Service Class' Ga-Den is coloured purple-green.

ChohdaLiterally 'little one' a term of endearment parents may use for their brood or a larger Rai may use for her favorite Ro. Nal-Hut Sin-Dae uses this as a term of endearment for Ayesha because of her diminutive size, though she respects Ayesha's medical knowledge.

Con(Male), member of the Public Service Class. Usually coupled with the exact position they hold i.e. Sho-Ret Min-Con, ministerial level administrator. The Public Service Class' Ga-Den is coloured purple-green.

Combat, RitualCalled Yudha-Seypec by the Pod-Drran, this is the basic method by which the Warrior Class prove themselves and advance in level and experience. While Ritual combat can be conducted at any time and in any place, it usually takes place during the 'Season for Combat' normally middle spring.

In order to conduct Ritual Combat, two combatants must declare their intent to do battle with each other. A combatant can refuse without consequences but not during the Season for Combat. Refusing a challenge during this time of the year will normally result in a demotion in status for the one refusing.

Combatants are normally those of the same or near the same capabilities or ranks. Refusing combat to a request from one who is not on the same level of experience or rank is one reason for which a refusal will not result in loss of status.

A defeated combatant must either die in the ring or become Kirlen to the Conqueror, giving up all that they have, though young adult of the Warrior Class, new to the ways of the class, risk moving up and down in position of seniority amongst their own age group without risk of becoming a Kirlen or dying, thus not all combats are to the death. Combats that will result in death are called Yudha-Seypec Kayl.

A male Kirlen is no longer able to call themselves by their title (Ro, Ton, etc.). The humility of defeat in the ring is such that many of the Warrior Class prefer to die in the ring or take their own lives rather than submit to being a Kirlen, thus only approximately 16% of the Warrior Class become Kirlen. Those who are not Warrior Class are usually made Kirlen when their senior Rai/Ro is defeated and thus the fall to the conqueror as the spoils of combat.

If combatants are the senior Rai or Ro in a house, the defeated must give up their entire household to their conqueror. This can have devastating results as the conqueror has the right to determine the consequences to those who are in the household. If there are one or more broods in the house, they will be destroyed (killed) as being from an inferior Rai/Ro and not from the superior (conquering) household.

Kirlen owned by the defeated, may be elevated (returned to society by giving them the option of Shar-Terg and accepting them into the new household) and other members of the household may be made Kirlen. Those who do not accept being made Kirlen will be destroyed or be allowed to end their lives. For these reasons, it is very rare that senior members of a house will accept Ritual Combat on behalf of the house.

In order to conduct a Ritual Combat, their must be two combatants willing to fight, and a Speaker must be present. The Speaker will determine who has defeated whom and declare what penalties are appropriate, though usually penalties will have been negotiated before hand. The Speaker will initiate the combat and end the combat when one combatant is no longer able to continue, yields to the conqueror, or is killed in combat. A Speaker's decision is finale.

Dae(Female), member of the Medical Class. Usually coupled with the exact position they hold i.e. Sha-Het Sin Dae, indicating the female Sha of the House of Het, is a Doctor in the Medical Class. The Ga-Den of the Medical Class is yellow-green in colour.

Dan(Male), member of the Medical Class. Usually coupled with the exact position they hold i.e. Sha-Het Sin Dan, indicating the male Sha of the House of Het, is a Doctor in the Medical Class. The Ga-Den of the Medical Class is yellow-green in colour.

Flettary WingA small flying insectnative to their new home world. They are often kept as pets by Kisory.

Ga-DenThe traditional dress of the Pod-Drran. It consists of a long one-shoulder gown that ends just above the ankles. The gown typically knots high on the left shoulder leaving the right shoulder bare. It is a wrap-around outfit that wraps once completely around the body and is knotted at the right hip. A Pod-Drran may wear a baldric over their right shoulder if their Pol-Mar (device of service carried at their left hip) is heavy enough that it pulls down the service belt. The Kaldar (sword) of the Warrior Class requires the use of a baldric.

The Ga-Den worn by an individual is coloured in accordance with their Class. Thus the Class of a member of the species can be identified by the honorific in their name (Cae, Mae, Tae, Rai) or by the colour of their Ga-Den.

Gerlendie GuardThe Emperor's own guard. Also the name of Emperor's entire special fleet. His Gerlendie Guard (fleet) consists of 36 ships. The Fleet Shem is part of the Gerlendie Guard.

Hat-Mun Lom-MaeMinisterial level member of the Merchants and Trades Services Class, female and a member of the Emperor's initial negotiation team. First seen in chapter twenty-eight.

JurteAkin to the old Chinese Mandarin in scope, the Jurte speaks with the Emperor's voice and can enter into contract or dispense Justice in the Emperor's name. While a Rai, or a Ro, can be made a Jurte, it is usual to name a Jurte Pair (one male, one female) who are made Jurte and given their mission and terms of service by the Emperor's own hand.

Kai A level of status given to a member or the Piscium A Society, who fought and killed an opponent in actual hand-to-hand combat verse ritual combat.

KaldarThe ritual sword of the Pod-Drran Warrior Class. It is similar to the long sword of ancient Terra. The sword is well balanced but long and heavy, difficult to use unless you have the strength and leverage necessary, which the Pod-Drran do. Each Kaldar is made for each warrior and presented to them on the day they are given their Sirsh (title) of Warrior. The Kaldar will have the seal of their house/family and their name etched on it. To surrender one's Kaldar is to surrender your Sirsh. This is only done when a warrior is defeated in single combat and becomes Kirlen.

A warrior will only be given one Kaldar by his family. Should a Kirlen be elevated back to warrior Sirsh, they will be given a new Kaldar with the seal of the new house on it.

KherdA commonly used swear word that can mean many things dependant on the context and the vehemence of its use in a sentence. It can mean something as simple as 'oh shit' to 'your mother is a whore'.

KirlenLiterally means 'the conquered'.While the Pod-Drran does not have a word for slave, they do recognize those that have been conquered and who have become the servants of their conquerors. Not slaves in name, but slaves in fact. The society does not see them as slaves but as those who have been defeated in combat and are now in service to their conqueror's family. They give up their freedom and their Sirsh to become the Title (property) to their conqueror.

A Kirlen has no class, thus does not wear a Ga-Den, nor will they wear a Pol-Mar. Both males and females typically only wear a loin cloth and shoes. They also normally will wear a corded rope, known as a Kirrass, approximately two finger widths wide around their neck with the tails spliced together in a rope eye that will not be pulled over the head of the Kirlen, the end of which has a crimped metal medallion with the crest of the family they serve on it. In colder weather, they will be allowed to wear a distinctive dark-brown, heavy, hooded cape, usually adorned with the crest of the family they serve.

The Kirlen is the only class that can be traded to another individual or family/house without the consent of the individual being traded.

KirrassA white coloured rope that hangs around the neck of a Kirlen as a form of identity for their status. The rope is approximately two finder-widths wide and is ritually spliced into a rope eye around the neck of the respective Kirlen so as not to be able to be removed over their head. The end of the rope hangs down in a tail that ends between the first breasts of a female or between the first set of nipples on the male. The end is crimped with a wide metal piece that bears the crest of the family/house that controls the Kirlen.

For a Kirlen to remove the Kirrass without permission means instant death.

KisoryRoughly analogues to human teenagers, though the comparison is not exact. Kisory are no longer infants but not considered young adults. Young Kisory attend school full time starting at age five, completing studies and an apprenticeship in their service class between 15 and 23 years though the age varies being slightly dependant on the individual and the choice of service class. Once they complete their apprenticeship, they are considered young adults, thus an eighteen your old of the Warrior Class can be considered a young adult before a 23 year old member of the Technical Class.

When Kisory achieves their Sirsh (Title), they are given their Ga-Den in a kind of graduation ceremony that is tailored to the individual.

Kome-Nar RoSenior delegate for the negotiations between the Pod-Drran and the Union. Ministerial level male warrior. First seen in chapter twenty-eight.

Kur-TarHistorical figure, the 'Confucius' of the Piscium A Society. He codified the methodology of the ritual combat in order to stop his people from indiscriminately killing each other, thus saving his society. First identified in chapter twenty.

Kur-Tar-ShemCan alternately mean the Followers of Kur-Tar, or the Way of Kur-Tar dependant on its use in a sentence or phrase.