Above – A term used to describe the world of Mortals.

Alchemists – A secret order of mortals, founded by the god Prometheus, that performs magic through the art of Alchemy.

Alchemy – Magic practiced by select mortals through careful study and complex rituals called “Rites.” Each Rite is tied to a base metal. (e.g. silver, gold, copper, etc.) Rituals are hard to complete and the success rate depends upon the purity of the ingredients and the Alchemist. Unsuccessful rituals yield disastrous results and may turn an Alchemist into a Werewolf, Zombie or Vampire depending upon the Rite. Power-hungry mortals that know nothing about the Realm or the Alchemists may uncover the instructions for a Rite of Alchemy. These mortals are blissfully unaware and don’t understand the consequences of their actions.

Childe – A word that the First Ones use to describe their children.

Condemned – Magic-born that are deemed “unworthy” to be a part of the Realm of magic that are either condemned to live in the world Above or are trapped in the In Between. Their memories are wiped by the Alchemists before they are returned to live with humans. Often, they do not remember their time in the Realm and do not adjust well to mortal life.

Daemon – A type of creature within the “First Ones” who were traditionally honored as being the wisest of the magical creatures. Over time, some of these creatures became corrupted and lived to serve only their best interests.

Fairies – All creatures within the Fae belong to one family tree that can be traced back to two First Ones: Mother Nature and the Green Man. They are highly secretive, hate all mortals and try to operate as much as they can outside of the Realm of magic.

First Ones – Ancient, immortal beings comprised of pure magic; their true purpose is shrouded in mystery. Some of these beings are held in the Sanctum as a means of protecting them. Others walk freely above ground, much to the chagrin of their Childe.

Gods/Goddesses – All gods and goddesses can make the claim that one of their ancestors was one of the First Ones. They are immortal and, as a result, often appear in different parts of the world myth throughout the world.

Great Oath, The – An ancient prayer that ensures that anyone who takes the Oath will not harm mortals or Alchemists and will protect the First Ones. Read more about The Great Oath.

In Between – A magical prison that can be accessed via any stone or concrete wall found in the world Above or within the Realm underground. This prison will contain anyone who breaches the Laws of Magic.

Jinn – A race of magical Childe that can trace their ancestry back to a daemon.

Magic – Magic in this world is dependent upon a being’s biological makeup and adheres to the laws of physics. The more “pure” a being is, the more powerful their magic becomes. Alchemists, who do not have any magic in their blood, are taught to find and attract magic that exists naturally in the world through their complex rituals.

Magic-Born – This term describes the children of a god or a goddess. May refer to a creature, like a minotaur, or a humanoid figure that is able to perform magic naturally, like Merlin. Unlike the gods and goddesses, the magic-born may not even know who their parents are and they may not necessarily be immortal. They are the most common residents within the Realm of magic; they may also choose to reside in the world Above.

Mortals – Humans that exist in the world Above that do not have any natural ability to perform magic. Not every mortal is aware that magic is real. All Alchemists are mortal.

Oaths – In order to bring order to the Realm, everyone is governed by the laws of magic, which are called “oaths.” These Laws are enforced by the Oathkeepers, branded into people’s minds by the Oathbringers, and are created only by the King of the Realm.

Oathbreaker – A polite word used to describe the Condemned. May also be used to describe someone suspected of breaking an Oath.

Oathbringers – A word used to describe magic-born who are trained to psychically imprint (or brand) the Oaths into the mind of a god, goddess or magic-born. Oathbringers are unable to imprint Oaths on the minds of the First Ones, which is why many believe they are dangerous and should be kept locked up. Any magic-born that has psychic abilities may be trained as an Oathbringer.

Oathkeepers – A description for those who enforce the Oaths in the realm. Traditionally, Oathkeepers report to the King of the Realm so much of who (or what) they are is shrouded in mystery. Only the King of the Realm understands how the Oathkeepers know when an Oath is broken.

Progenitors – A word gods and goddesses use to describe ancestors in their family tree.

Realm – Governed by a King or Queen, the Realm is a place underground where most magic-born, gods, goddesses and First Ones reside.

Royalty – Any god, goddess, creature or magic-born that can trace their origins back to a particular First One are considered to be part of a royal lineage. Each royal lineage has its own crest and each family member carries a unique biological trait. Only a god or goddess from a royal house may be considered for the role of King or Queen in the Realm.

Sanctum – A sacred place guarded by a specific line of Oathkeepers that exists in the Realm to keep the First Ones safe. The Sanctum has been the source of several heated arguments, because many in the Realm believe that the First Ones should be allowed to roam freely.

Streaming – A means of travel in the Realm that relies on the use of mirrors. Mortals are unable to travel by Streaming.

Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies – Considered “rejects” by the magical community, vampires, werewolves and zombies are either the result of a failed Rite of Alchemy or were created by the Alchemists in order to do their bidding. These creatures may either be mindless or self-aware, but typically all of them are controlled by the hand of an Alchemist. In certain cases, an Alchemist who screws up a Rite of Alchemy will be transformed into a vampire, werewolf or a zombie depending upon the components involved in his (or her) ritual. In those cases, the Alchemist-turned-monster usually flees to wreak havoc in the world Above to avoid being captured by the rest of his Order. It is not uncommon for power-hungry mortals that know nothing about the Realm or the Alchemists to stumble across an incomplete ritual and transform into a monster because they didn’t have the proper components or the right instructions.

Violet War – Only one belief is universal to all those who believe magic is real, and that belief has to do with an ancient prediction. Long ago, when Prometheus was punished for teaching magic to mortals, he quipped that one day the Realm of magic would be destroyed when the sky turned violet in the world Above. Throughout the ages, many have tried to ascertain the true meaning of his words. Some believe that the Violet War will begin when the gods and goddesses turn on the First Ones; others believe that that the war will start when the Alchemists uncover the secret to immortality. Although no one knows for sure what Prometheus meant, his warning has affected all those who live within the Realm and was a deciding factor in both the construction of the underground Realm and The Great Oath.

Wish Tree – A wish tree is the only tree that thrives both above the ground and beneath it. In the world Above, most mortals believe that this tree will grant them a wish provided they leave a small sacrifice (e.g. money, food, etc.) at the base of it. Most magic-born believe that the tree is even older than the First Ones and they believe it to be sacred. Several magic-born also believe that fairies make their home in this sacred tree in order to protect it. Many Alchemists have attempted to make tinctures or ointments using leaves, bark or seeds from the tree, but to date their Rites have yielded disastrous results.