C

CADET INCOGNITO:

The provision made for Imperial nobles who wish to attend the Military or Administrative Academies without receiving special attention (either leniency or strictness). The cadet's true identity is known only to the Commandant of Cadets, and revealed at graduation or if an emergency requires the cadet to drop out earlier.

 

CARLE:

One of the Traiti Circle of Lords, female.

 

CARLE, Subsector 21-E:

No. systems: 155                         Sector: Traiti
  with 3 inhabited planets:  4           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 10
  with 1 inhabited planet:  12

 

CASSELL, Sandoval (Sandy):

(2092-2189) Leader of the genetic engineers later known as the Shapers.

 

CASSELL System:

Sector: 5, Pegasus                 No. planets: 12
Subsector: D, Sandeman             Habitable: 1
Ruled by:

General: Sandeman's system, named for the leader of the Shapers. The Sandemans elected to keep the name; in spite of their opinion of the Shapers' attempt to control them, they are convinced the Shapers also deserve credit for creating them.

CATEGORY F ("Foreign Legion") ENLISTMENT:

The provision made for anonymous enlistment in the Imperial military. A person wanting to make use of this provision must meet the normal enlistment criteria, and tell the recruiting officer the reason (which may not be revealed to any third party) for wanting Category F. If the recruiting officer is satisfied that the reason has no bearing on the individual's fitness for service, à will be enlisted under a new name, with a Category F ident code (prefix FFF); only the Imperial computer net has data on both identities. The Cat F enlistee's career will not be restricted except in one way: à may not become an officer without resuming à's original name and ident code.

 

CE:

Common Era, the Imperial term for what was called AD before the Empire's formation. BC, in those terms, is BCE -- Before the Common Era. This change was made to avoid any implication that the Empire might favor or promote any particular religion.

 

CENTAURUS, Sector 8:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 356
Subsectors:  4                         Inhabited planets: 217
      A. Chiron                  C. Bast
      B. Pholus                  D. Pan

CERBERUS, Subsector 2-E:

No. systems: 54                          Sector: Hydra
  with 3 inhabited planets:  2           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11
  with 1 inhabited planet:  20

CHAMELEON, Sector 20:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 397
Subsectors: 4                          Inhabited planets: 226
      A. Oghma                  C. Dagda
      B. Thoth                  D. Ukko

CHANG, Cheong:

(2050-2149) First Sovereign of the Terran Empire. Retired from the USMC as a Major General in 2097. Became acquainted with Reinhard Nannstein, an acquaintanceship that became a close friendship. At Nannstein's urging, Chang entered Solar Federation politics, rapidly earning a reputation for outstanding statesmanship and unyielding integrity. Elected President of the Federation in 2124, he was aware that his friend's work on gravitics (and the high probability that faster-than-light travel would soon follow) would require some drastic changes, and he began laying the groundwork for them. In 2125, Nannstein invented hyperdrive; as humanity exploded away from Terra, Chang and Nannstein acted. Democratic government, even as loose as the Federation's, had become so obviously impractical -- and Chang was so highly regarded -- that they were able to persuade the Federation Congress to pass a constitutional amendment dissolving the Federation and establishing the Terran Empire -- on the condition that Chang agree to be Emperor. One of his first acts on assuming the Throne was to create the Rangers and nobility; another was to direct the regularization of English. His alphabet and some of his other linguistic changes caught on; some did not. He died seconds after midnight, 1 January 2149.

 

CHIEF'S BENCH (Sandeman):

A judicial-style bench in the clanhome's main hall, used by the clan-chief on formal occasions.

 

CHIEF'S RIGHT (Sandeman):

A clan-chief's right to impose punishment on one who has committed a serious offense against a member of his clan.

 

CHIRON, Subsector 8-A:

No. systems: 74                          Sector: Centaurus
  with 3 inhabited planets:  2           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets:  9
  with 1 inhabited planet:  23

CIRCLE OF LORDS:

The Traiti deities, three females and nine males -- one of whom, Lord Esteban the Peacelord, is a human. All were planned for and then influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the psionic computer called Godhome -- which had been left behind for that task when the Others departed to continue their development on another plane of existence. Once those who were to become Lords agreed to serve, Godhome forced them into full intellectual and emotional maturity; although they have powers generally thought of as godlike, they think of themselves as parents. Their aim, over millennia, is to bring all intelligence to their level; their philosophy is that self-responsibility is essential to natural maturation, so they intervene only when, and only as much as, absolutely unavoidable for racial survival.

 

CLAN NAMES, TRAITI:

Naming convention is one or two letters, an apostrophe, and one or two syllables to form something pronounceable. Clan names probably had meaning when the clans were originally established, but those meanings have become lost over the millennia. (Some clan-names established in the series so far: Ch'geasht, Ch'kara, D'gameh, K'horan, N'chark, St'nar.)

CLAN PREFIXES (Sandeman):

Sandemans do not have surnames in the Standard sense; instead, they are identified by given name, clan prefix, and clan name. Originally, there were only three prefixes: "Dar" for warriors, "Dru" for warriors'-women, and "Den" for Others, of either sex. After Kerry of Clan Levvas married and began having Sandeloki children with Gobol, a Neloki, two more were added: "Del" for Sandeloki warriors, and "Dra" for Sandeloki w'women. A sixth was added when Cassi DruThorn, Senior Lady of that clan, persuaded a "w'woman substitute" to become the first w'man, giving him the prefix "Dan".

 

CLANS, SANDEMAN:

The basic unit of Sandeman society, the extended "family". While the clan-chief is in charge and has the last word, he is not -- cannot be -- a dictator. Until Overthrow, clans were established by the Shapers and restricted in size to 200-500 members; since then, some have gotten larger, and a new clan is formed by agreement between two or more "parent" clans who contribute members and resources.

Some established clans (those with asterisks formed by the Shapers), with their specialties and brief notes if applicable; there may be a more detailed entry as well, under the clan name, if available information justifies it.

      Alanna*: edged weapons; the First Clan.
      Allan
      Cid
      Datha
      Donnail
      Elwyn*
      Faerb: woodworking
      Glenn
      Havek: metal-working, electronics; daughter-clan to Krishnan and
            Leras.
      Irek
      Klein
      Krishnan*: basic research, farming.
      Leras*: farming, piloting and pilot training; the entire warrior
            caste of this clan is accomplished pilots.
      Levya*: shipfitters
      Levvas
      Lewies*
      Lowrie*
      Maher
      Miklos*: communications.
      Mourna
      Neill*: leather battlegear, horses.
      Paston*
      Raynor*: medicine, genetics.
      Seldon
      Sheldon
      Shona*: war-dogs, farming.
      Stonor*
      Torrance: boats, other aquatic craft, seamanship.
      Vader: energy weapons; the first clan formed after Overthrow.
      Wiek

CLOUDCATS:

Inhabitants of Ondrian, moved there by the Others about 8000 BCE because their original sun was about to go nova.

They resemble Terran mountain lions in size and shape, though because of their preference for cold climates, their fur is thick and white. They are highly intelligent, although the first colonists thought them wild animals; they communicate and manipulate objects with a pair of tentacular Y-shaped "tongues" that retract into cheek pouches when not in use.

Cloudcats are solitary hunters, living in mountain caves the Others provided with psionically-operated survival aids; although the closest world to their native one, Ondrian is enough harsher that, without the survival aids, cloudcat art and philosophy would have suffered, perhaps died. Most are involved with one or the other, many with both, and the tapestries they weave from their shed fur are in great demand throughout the Empire. Although most cloudcats never leave their home territory, some do take advantage of their right (granted in return for the colonists' free use of the equatorial zone) to travel at will on Imperial ships.

CLOUD-SILK:

A soft, light, tough luxury fabric made from a plant that thrives only on Herbert's World.

 

CND-10:

Central Neuro-Depressant 10, the Empire's most powerful sedative.

CODE GREEN:

A time-critical emergency vital in some way to the Empire's survival or welfare. The call is relayed to the Imperial Palace, where it is brought to the Sovereign's attention, though action is in all probability being taken by that time. The penalties for calling a false Code Green can be severe.

CODES, COLOR:

(Stories) Generally seen on military uniforms in the form of collar tabs, the color codes indicate the service's level. Imperial forces have no collar tabs; Sector-level have white, Subsector-level have yellow, System-level have orange, and Planetary-level have red.

(TE Society) These are the ones on the badges, intended to simplify mutual identification, especially when not in uniform or regalia. No color band means no Imperial rank (except for brown, which indicates a local noble; technically, they have no Imperial standing, but are generally given the courtesy title of "Excellency"). Green indicates the Sovereign (wide) and Rangers (2 narrow); white is for Dukes, yellow for Earls, orange for Counts, and red for Barons (in all of these a wide band is for a Life Noble, two narrow for a Ruling Noble and à's Consort and Heir, one narrow for a Life Noble's spouse and a Ruling Noble's younger children). Black indicates Marines, blue Navy, with wide band for Imperial regulars, two narrows for Imperial reservists, and one narrow for local forces.

CODES, IDENT:

(Stories) Only S and R indicate status in this group (Sovereign and Rangers, respectively); with the first and last letters of the individual's name, these form a three-letter prefix. All others have a five-letter prefix, with the first three being a home- planet identifier (preferably the first three letters in the Imperial English alphabet, but modified where necessary to prevent duplication), again with the first and last letters of the individual's name. The prefix is followed by an eight-digit number that precisely identifies the individual.

(TE Society) These were set up to allow computer separation, if it ever becomes necessary, by Imperial status; the first letter indicates that with S for Sovereign, R for Ranger, N for Imperial noble, C for citizens derived (or derivable) from the original TE stories, and E for citizens of extra-universal origin. TE is simply for Terran Empire, and the numbering is consecutive, assigned when enough information is available to do so -- usually when the Admin Service has a persona form to work from.

COLD PEAK RANGE:

A Sandeman mountain range, mostly on Clan Torrance territory. It is supposed to be the most beautiful mountain scenery on the planet, but is visited by few Sandemans other than Torrance hunting parties because of the general Sandeman dislike for low temperatures.

COMBAT DIVISION:

The largest of the ITMC's major specialty divisions, it is responsible for all directly combat-related activity, including such things as basic training.

COMM IMPLANT:

A surgically implanted communications system consisting of a transmitter in the throat and a receiver at the mastoid bone. Imperial implants have an always-active receiver and touch-activated transmitter, which can also be computer-activated if the comp initiates the contact and expects an answer.

COMP:

Computer, of any type and size from a hand-held personal model to an Imperial Battle Cruiser's or other artificial intelligence.

CONCLAVE:

The gathering of Rangers called by a new Sovereign immediately after à's accession, to name the new Successor.

CONSORT, -CONSORT:

Unhyphenated, a Kin of the Dragon who has Bonded to a Bloodmate. Hyphenated, after a title of nobility, the spouse of a ruling Imperial noble.

COR'NAYA (Traiti):

Honored One. Generally, a male who has taken and survived the Ordeal of Honor, and displays the Honor scars inflicted as a test of endurance to conclude the Ordeal. Rarely, a female who has borne twins and has been given Honor scars under anesthesia in a hospital.

CORONET:

The lesser crown used by Rangers (when using their civil title of Prince/Princess) and Imperial nobles, primarily on ceremonial occasions.

CORPORATION:

(?-2668) An Empire-wide crime cartel. It mirrored the Empire's structure, and operated much the same way, though for an entirely different purpose, and its self-interest was pure rather than enlightened. It was headed by the CrimeLord, who was selected by the Shadowguard, and was its absolute ruler. It was extremely powerful and well-organized, operating under the cover of the Mardisk-Bannering Technology trading cartel. Details of its organization are still unclear, however, since IntelDiv refuses to reveal much of what has been discovered about them.

CORPSWEN:

Imperial Navy medical technician.

CRATER, Sector 13:

 Ruled by:                          No. systems: 395
 Subsectors: 4                      Inhabited planets: 220 
     A. Nike               C. Ratri 
     B. Inanna             D. Idun

CROWN, IMPERIAL:

The crown worn by the Sovereign during major ceremonies such as Investitures, Grand Audiences, etc. It is made of platinum in a wing-and-star motif, with the arches topped by the globe and sun segments of the Imperial Seal. The only gems used are pearls on the arches. For comfort, the crown is worn over a green velvet Cap of Estate, turned up with ermine. For less formal occasions a lighter version, without arches (and sometimes called the Diadem), is used.

CYCLOPS, Subsector 2-C:

No. systems: 106                         Sector: Hydra
  with 3 inhabited planets:  1           Ruled by:
  with 2 inhabited planets: 11
  with 1 inhabited planet:  20

CYGNUS, Sector 7:

Ruled by:                              No. systems: 803
Subsectors: 6                          Inhabited planets: 297
      A. Kinnison           D. Jirel
      B. Skywalker          E. Lessa
      C. DuQuesne           F. Stildyne

CYFEILLGAR:

 Sector: 4, Fornax                            Year: 442 days
 Subsector: C, Avalon                         Day: 59 hrs 46 min
 System: Cyfeillgar                           Gravity: 0.81 Standard
 Settled/established: 2199                    Axial tilt: 26o
 By: Welsh Renaissance movement               Oxygen: 22%
 Satellites: None                             % Water: 53%
 Ident code prefix: CYF                       Continents: 5
 Ruled by:

General: The Cyfeillgar Alliance was headquartered here after its formation in 2325 by the Treaty of Cyfeillgar. (Glenn Overby)

CYFEILLGAR ALLIANCE:

A nominally-defensive multi-system alliance set up in Avalon subsector in 2325, in response to various depredations (real and imagined) from neighboring worlds. Cyfeillgar proper was the home of several of the most famous StarPilots from that very warlike time. The Alliance was the first of the battling factions to accept the peace offered by the Earl of Avalon. (Glenn Overby)

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