[Note: This pronounciation guide is currently given using IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) notation symbols. If you’re not familiar with them, you can use IPA reader sites (for example: x) to copy them in and hear the pronounciation of the words. I will add an English phonetic guide later as well!]
(the) Ae /æ/, the Unseen: the luorga name for the “other world” beside reality from which all magical energies originate. The origins, exact characteristics, rules, and possible inhabitants of this world are largely unknown, since only the greatest mages were able to travel or, most of the time, even just glance into it. The Ae is considered to be connected to our world through every living being and also through places with significant diversity of life or density of individuals with potential. Mages use their pool of magical energy and, through their connection to the Ae, can also channel energy from the Ae which they can then form into an impact to our world as they like (and are able). Old luorga myths talk about creatures of pure magic that dwell in the deepest parts of the Ae; whether these are the same kind of creatures that ravaged Kamphua before the time of the Luor and the balancing of the two worlds is unknown. The observations of the Luor also shows that beings of large magical potential sometimes linger in the Ae after their death. Even older tales sometimes mention a certain balance or constant push-and-pull that is maintained between the real world and the Ae, and also refer to a “pith” or “bed” (translation uncertain) inside the Ae, but this has never been seen or mentioned since the time of the Luor.
Anadem /’ænədɛm/: the title given to the monarch of the Kamphua Dominion. As with the inheritance of demesnes and the title of a demesne head, the title Anadem is also usually given to a female heir.
Besian Margs /’bæzɪʌn ‘mɑːrgs/: a large wetland west of Kiriong and south from Ylliun. The area is mostly inhospitable to humans with a wild population of toxic plant and insect life. Historically a well-liked hiding place for mage communities.
corrupted region: areas inside the Kamphua Dominion and on its outskirts where the remaining magical energies of the Luor wars make the environment unliveable. These areas often consist of barren or, in contrast, wildly overgrown lands. They often also contain ruins of important Luor buildings, shrines, or constructs. The wild magical energies still roaming around cause time and space to misalign in corrupted areas, and remnants of lethal spells tend to attack all living things that enter, breaking and sometimes remaking their bodies and minds.
demesne /dɪˈmeɪn/: a basic administrative unit in the Kamphua Dominion consisting of a palace dwelling of demesne heads, a township, and the surrounding fields and woodland.
Earth Goddess Mata /’mɑːtɑː/: singular goddess of the raungi. Mata watches over all things natural, keeps nature and people in balance, defends her vassals against the harmful effects of magic, and cleanses potential corruption. Mata’s face and image are usually not depicted in her temples, instead, her symbols are: flowers (most commonly the lotus flower), various plant imagery, and the sun. In wealthy households she is evoked three times a day during ritual-like Ceremonies where crop and produce are offered to her in return of her watchful protection. It is not often spoken about, but her veneration is relatively new for the raungi: the first traces of her presence in their spiritualism can be observed some decades before the raungi’s great move north to luorga territories.
Epunat /e’puːnɑːt/: the luorga name of the continent the Kamphua Dominion and Fharais are located on. Almost no one uses the word anymore, the landmass instead is usually denoted only as Kamphua.
Fharais /fæ’rɑːɪs/: the old-raungi name of the southern country of the raungi. It is mostly sand and rock desert with the occasional more fertile land close to small lakes and streams.
Iruha /ɪ’rʊhɑː/: a township to the west from the Besian Margs, now mostly desolate after attacked by mage rebels. The uprising was beaten down by the Anadem, and the survivors of the township were evacuated.
Kamphua Dominion /’kɑːmpʊɑː/: the name of the monarchy founded by the raungi after occupying the luorga lands when the dust of the Luor wars had settled. It extends to most of the continent, barring the old raungi country, Fharais, south of Kanmane, technically most of Ylliun, the Northern Mountains and the Far Plains, and a couple of corrupted regions on the coasts. The monarch of the Dominion is the Anadem who governs with the assistance of a selected group of ministers, the Pearls. The Dominion is composed of an alliance of demesnes (8 larger and several smaller ones) and townships, and the capital, Kanmane. Thick jungle and the tall peaks of the Northern Mountains border it from the north, while most of its landscape is grassy hills (cultivated using terracing farming) peppered with forests and bogs.
Kanmane /’kɑːnmən/: the capital of the Kamphua Dominion. It is located close to the southern border against the cliffside of Vornog Hast.
Kiriong /’kɪrɪoŋ/: a wealthy demesne on the northern border of the Kamphua Dominion, governed by Ma-yi Sulla Hennan, Fourth behind the Anadem.
Kohta /’kɔːhtɑː/, commander of the storm: one of the Luor, famous of his efforts of weather system modifications over the continent. Said to be Riidu’s closest ally and friend.
kootar /’kʊtɑːr/: a nocturnal, cat-like predator favoring the jungles and lower-altitude mountains of the Kamphua Dominion as its living environment. Its gleaming, thick fur is usually dark gray or black; it has six legs and a powerful tail ending in a three hardened bone shards, the so-called stingers. Sparse records suggest that this stinger is a new addition to the animal’s biology and was not observed before the Luor wars. A kootar usually hunts alone.
Lake Satija /sɑː’tidʒɑː/: a lake to the northeast from Kiriong, the second largest lake on the continent.
Larin Jiyan /’lɑːrɪn ‘dʒijɑːn/: one of the largest corrupted regions of Kamphua, located close to the township of Sritik. It is said to house several shrines to the Luor, and it stands under constant supervision of the Anadem’s soldiers and magic experts.
Lenymakon /’lɛnɪmɑːkɔːn/, the flying flame: one of the Luor. Little is known of him except that he was a musician often depicted with his harp, his talents lay in manipulating fire, and he liked to fly more than to walk.
Luor /’lʊɔːr/: the most powerful magic-users of the luorga people. The name simply meant “of light” at first and marked the leaders of the early, fractured, loosely allied provinces that existed in what is now the Kamphua Dominion. According to remaining records, the continent was regularly accosted by wild and hostile magical creatures and energies, as it was said that back in those days, the Ae was located “closer” to the world. The Luor studied the Ae and amassed more and more magical abilities to regulate and balance these effects and protect their people, unifying the continent. They became incredibly powerful and practically immortal, nearly gods to their people. Their empire flourished for centuries before their fall.
luorga /lʊ’ɔːrgɑː/: the word denotes the race of people traditionally residing in the northern area of the continent. They are (were) associated with the extensive use of magic, as a higher fraction of their populace is usually born with the ability to control their connection to the Ae. After their highly advanced, flourishing empire collapsed under the leadership of the warring Luor, they are now diminished in number and form a second-class citizen caste in the Kamphua Dominion.
luor-mukh /lʊ’ɔːr’mʊx/: old-raungi slur for those who are said to be allied with/feel favorable towards magic (and thus, the Luor). Literally translated as “person who proceeds to do sexual acts with magic-users”.
malnia /’mɑːlniɑː/: a small, light-violet colored flower with strong, sweet, lavender-like scent. The flowers grow in dense circular clusters. Malnias are often used by the raungi as decoration.
Ma-yi /mɑː jɪ/: raungi honorific, denoting the female head of a demesne
Ma-sa /mɑː sɑː/: raungi honorific, denoting the husband of the Ma-yi
Ma-ha /mɑː hɑː/: raungi honorific, denoting the children of the Ma-yi, regardless of gender
Ma-sau /mɑː saʊ/: raungi honorific, denoting the firstborn of the Ma-yi, regardless of gender.
Note on honorifics: while the Ma-yi is traditionally female and the Ma-sa is male, this is less a law or rule than simply a remaining tradition, from the raungi’s tribal social structure back when they’d lived exclusively in Fharais. A few decades after the founding of the Dominion, several of the noble families rallied against this custom, in connection with the (also mostly politically infused) action for the broader acceptance of third or medial (non-binary) genders (which were always more organic parts of luorga society than raungi, alongside with same-sex/non-male-and-female pairings and marriages). While medial and trans genders are now generally approved socially (and grammatically) in the Dominion, the tradition involving inheritance largely stayed unchanged in noble families. From time to time, a male/non-binary Ma-yi and/or female/non-binary Ma-sa appear, and while both honorifics are gender-neutral in theory, the addition of the precise amount of mockery and indignance when referring to these non-traditional demesne heads was also perfected by the tradition-following nobles.
Meiling Falls /meɪliŋ/: the name of a chain of waterfalls on the river Tinassar that runs from the southeast to the northwest through Ylliun. The wide river branches to smaller channels and also gathers several other waterways from the vicinity, bringing its currents over a crescent shaped cliffside in more than sixteen waterfalls.
nugar /’nuːgɑːr/: a working animal in the Kamphua Dominion, usually used to cross longer distances quickly. Nugars are two-legged creatures with long necks and wiry, bent bodies with thick, coarse, light brown fur. They are rare, found to be strangely fond of living close to corrupted areas, and seem to be a recent mutation appearing after the mage wars. Their behavior is wild and hostile in their natural habitat, however, removing them from the proximity of a corrupted area, they often become tame and friendly.
rammit /ræmmɪt/: a popular alcoholic beverage in northern raungi communities. It has a characteristic emerald green color and is made of infusing three special herbs with alcohol in a cask for several weeks. The herbs only grow on the northern half of Kamphua and the type of cask used identifies the demesne where the rammit was made.
raungi /’raʊngɪ/: the word denotes the race of people originally residing in the southern, deserted area of the continent, Fharais. After the Luor wars, then the subsequent near-annihilation of the luorga, several more ambitious raungi tribes moved up to the north, hoping to make use of the fertile, and by then only sparsely inhabited lands, while another group stayed adamant to keep away from even the remains of magic and preferred the traditional, more peaceful ways of living in their old country. Contact between the two lands is sparse, the raungi in Fharais basically forgotten by the ones settling in the Kamphua Dominion.
Riidu /’ridʊ/, the golden lady of tears: the most powerful Luor that ever lived. Riidu was the one who unified the strongest mage leaders of the luorga and led the founding of their empire in the name of peace and progress. According to the surviving tales, she was also the first that recognized the dangers of imbuing and limitless magical potential and attempted to stop her peers’ warring, unsuccessfully. She died in the last battle of the Luor near what is today the capital, Kanmane.
Shihua /ʃɪ’ʊɑː/: a mage sanctuary located in Ylliun, beyond the river Tinassar, northeast from Kiriong.
soapberry: the raungi name of a small white berry growing on enduring, thorny shrubs. The name comes from the fact that its texture is similar to the soaps used by the raungi in Fharais.
Soilbind: one of the most important raungi rites. Soilbind is performed for those settling down, marrying into another family, returning to their homeland after a long absence, or founding a new dwelling or settlement. According to raungi spirituality, it allows the subject to connect with the nature surrounding their home and to ask for Goddess Mata’s protection. Although the ceremony became more popular around and after the founding of the Dominion, records of it exists in the old raungi country as well, and it can even be traced back to ancient rituals performed by tribes that never worshipped Mata.
Sritik /’ʃrɪtɪk/: a township to the southwest from Kiriong, famous of the corrupted region Larin Jiyan that is situated in its vicinity.
Tamarik /tʌmɑːrɪk/: a large township (and demesne) in the central region of the Kamphua Dominion.
Teial /’tɛjɑːl/, subduer of the seas: one of the Luor, famous for their affinity for shaping the waters of the continent.
Tinassar /tɪnʌssɑːr/: a large river cutting through the Argent Forest of Ylliun from the southeast to the northwest.
torurak /tɔː’rʊrɑːk/: a species of spider in the Kamphua Dominion. They grow up to the size of half a palm. Their bite is venomous and can be lethal even for humans if not removed immediately. Their web is coated in a paralyzing substance to assist their hunting.
Twin Soram /twɪn ‘sɔːræm/: the colloquial name of the pair of ancient spire towers and their environment located on one of the highest peaks in the Northern Mountains. The region is under the jurisdiction of the Kepokan family that uses it to conduct experiments for the Anadem’s battle against magic, training mage-hunters, creating magic-contesting artifacts, locking up and persecuting rogue mages, and developing the mage-killer Venai. The towers themselves have been standing since before the time of the Luor, and the place derives its name from the ancient city that surrounded them at some point.
Venai /vɛ’nɑːɪ/: mage-hunter monstrosities in the servitude of the Anadem. The Venai are the mutant result of experiments conducted by the Kepokan family in the Twin Soram using knowledge of corrupted regions and Luor artifacts. They generally cover their forms with large cloaks and do not speak; their bodies seem roughly human but with emaciated, insect-like limbs, a long, bent neck, and deformed, elongated head. A viscous liquid exuding corrupted magic constantly seeps and froths around them. They are able to cancel out mages’ spells, track magical activity at long distances, and read emotions and thoughts from up-close. They only follow their creator’s commands.
vhassah /vʌs’sɑː/: a luorga curse word that means intense pain, more specifically pain related to bones breaking.
Vornog Hast /’vɔrnɔg hɑːst/: the old-raungi name of the cliffside Kanmane is built against where the land juts out in a nearly vertical rise up to a high plateau, joining to a precarious mountain range separating the Kamphua Dominion from Fharais.
yailon /’jæɪlɔːn/: a consciousness-altering substance used by the raungi, made from a small, pinkish fruit of the same name (or fool’s peach as the luorga call it). The processed material is a pearlescent, creamy paste usually applied to the tongue.
Ylliun /’ɪllɪʌn/, or the Argent Forest, the Argent Forest of Ylliun: a large, densely forested area to the north from Kiriong demesne, covering the northern segment of the continent south and southeast of the Northern Mountains. It technically still belongs to the Kamphua Dominion, however, due to it being difficult to oversee, it has been traditionally home to resistance groups and mage sanctuaries. The name Ylliun comes from the ancient settlement that stood there even before the Luor governed the lands, and argent comes from the silvery sheen on the leaves of several tree species that are characteristic of the region.
Pronounciation of names
Kiriong:
Sulla (Sullayana) Hennan / ‘sʊllɑːjɑːnɑː ‘hɛnnən
Panmyian Hennan / ‘pənmɪʌn ‘hɛnnən
Virra (Virratan) Hennan / ‘vɪrrɑːtʌn ‘hɛnnən
Ronn (Ronnwhattar) Tahan Hennan / rɔnn’wɑːttɑːr ‘tɑːhɑːn ‘hɛnnən
Funtan Sul Hennan / ‘fʊntʌn sʊl ‘hɛnnən
Perloji Sallae Hennan / pɛr’lɔdʒi ‘sɑːllɛ ‘hɛnnən
Ganjelle / gɑːn’dʒæl
Horla / ‘hɔrlɑː
Ila / ‘ilɑː
Josit / ‘dʒɔsɪt
Koska / ‘kɔskɑː
Marigo / ‘mɑ:rɪgoʊ
Rasane / rɑː’sɑːn
Safi (Safita Pono) / ‘sɑːfitɑː poʊnoʊ
Samika / sɑː’mikɑː
Sita-ku / ‘sɪtɑːkʊ
Soo / sʊ
Ta-hi / ‘tɑːhɪ
Tayang / ‘tæjɑːŋ
Tian / ‘tiɑːn
Toomi / ‘tʊmi
Other families & related
Heol Kepokan / ‘hiɔl ‘kɛpɔkʌn
Maratay Kepokan / mɑːrɑː’taɪ ‘kɛpɔkʌn
Falleht Kepokan / ‘fɑːlɛt ‘kɛpɔkʌn
Beonwi Sarahan / ‘bɪɔnvɪ ‘sɑːrɑːhɑːn
Gaon-ga / ‘gɑːɔngɑ
Purraha Teon / pʊ’rɑːhɑː tɪɔn
Mages
Aesh / ‘æʃ
Maluga / mɑː’lʊgɑː
Patri (Patrival) Sara / ‘pætrɪvɑːl ‘sɑːrɑː
Vesper Forn / ‘vɛspər ‘fɔrn
Xali / ‘zɑːlɪ
Helyna L. Clove 