humpback. A hovering garbage truck that has a collection unit that resembles a whale belly.
hydroblade. A hydrogen-powered swordlike weapon.
Hyperion. A demigod known as the god of water.
Iono. A rank in the firstborn Sword military. Soldiers are tasked in the role of protecting heads of Fates, primarily Clarities from the nine Fates. Gray uniform. Dune is an Iono soldier.
Iron. A city in the Fate of Swords where the Stone Forest Base is located.
kill tallies. These black line tattoos extend from the corners of the eyes to the hairline of Census agents, denoting the number of thirdborn kills each agent has amassed. The marks can also be found notched on the necks of agents.
Killian Abbey. An abbey and collection of tombs where heads of the Fate of Swords are buried. Roselle’s grandfather is buried there.
Lenity. A city in the Fate of Virtues. Home to the wealthiest country estates. It is considered the “sister city” of Purity.
mag. A holder for ammunition cartridges.
maginot. A canine-like cyborg that resembles a wolfhound. They patrol the grounds of the Sword Palace, acting as sentinels.
magnetizer. A feature on an Anthroscope airship.
medical drone. An automated robot with a silver metal outer casing. It’s shaped like a cylinder. It uses a blue-lighted laser scanner to x-ray wounded soldiers in combat by hovering over the body of the fallen soldier. It has mechanical arms, which project from the underside of the robot. The mechanical arms can administer medication and perform triage. The drone is summoned by a red-blinking “medical-drone beacon” or “med-drone beacon” that emits a high-pitched sound, prompting a drone response. Once the drone performs triage on a soldier, it inflates a hoverstretcher containing a homing mechanism. It places the soldier on the hoverstretcher for transport to a rescue airship.
medical-drone beacon (or med-drone beacon). A red, disc-shaped device the size of a thumbnail. It blinks with light and emits a high-pitched frequency that summons a medical drone. The device is placed on wounded soldiers who need medical attention from a medical drone.
Meso. A secondborn Sword soldier rank in the military. It is two levels above a Tropo and one level below a Thermo. Royal blue uniforms. (Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo.)
moncalate. A tool used to surgically implant a moniker beneath the flesh.
moniker. Each person receives a symbol implant at birth that denotes class/caste. It is a brand that covers a holographic chip. The chip is loaded with the person’s identification and other vital information, such as rank, family members, district, status, and so on. The holographic chips can be activated at checkpoints manned by security personnel. They are used to track people entering and leaving districts, to process secondborns, to denote firstborn status, and more.
ol’ boy. A slang term for a firstborn.
ol’ man. A slang term for a firstborn.
Old Towne. The historic district in the city of Forge in the Fate of Swords.
oosay. A motivational cry used by Swords.
Patr?n. A term of respect, like sir.
phloem. A pipeline or tube that transports items of cargo up or down levels via forced air within a Forest Base Tree.
Platinum Forest Base. A military Sword-Fated Base consisting of treelike structures upon which air-barracks ships dock. It’s located in the Fate of Stones.
Protium 445. A Twilight Forest Base air-barracks ship and unit of infantry soldiers. Their armor is embossed with a lavender-colored emblem.
Purity. The capital city of Virtues.
Recovener. An aircraft with both hovercar and airship capabilities. Bullet shaped in design, it is the most expensive small-craft airship in production.
reg. An abbreviation for regiment.
Rose Garden Society. A secret club dedicated to the preservation and welfare of Roselle St. Sismode. They have a vested interest in seeing her become The Sword (Clarity of the Fate of Swords). One of the most influential members is Clifton Salloway (firstborn Sword aristocracy), an arms dealer who owns Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. Members are called Rose Gardeners.
Rose Gardener. A member of the Rose Garden Society.
Roselyn. Tyburn’s lover, known for wearing roses in her hair. Her statue is part of the Tyburn Fountain located in Westerbane Heath. She points to the secret door that leads to the hidden passage to Tyburn’s Temple located inside the grounds of the Sword Palace.
Rush. A highly addictive drug that causes paranoia and delusions of grandeur.
Salloway Munitions Conglomerate. A Sword-Fated weapons manufacturer owned by Clifton Salloway. Headquarters is in the capital city of Forge in the Fate of Swords.
sapwood. A pipeline or tube that transports liquid (such as water, fuel, or waste) via suction up or down levels within a Forest Base Tree.
Sovenagh. A female composer who created the chamber music titled The Rape of Reason, her ninetieth symphony.
stinger. Sharp-nosed security drones that catalogue and ping monikers. They scan for unauthorized personnel and for soldiers who are in the wrong areas for their service-level access.
Stone Forest Base. A military Sword-Fated Base consisting of treelike structures upon which air-barracks ships dock. It’s located in the city of Iron in the Fate of Swords, near the border of the Fate of Virtue and the Fate of Atoms.
Strato. A secondborn Sword soldier rank in the military. It is one level above a Tropo and one level below a Meso. Midnight-blue uniforms. It is Hawthorne’s rank when he meets Roselle. (Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo.)
strike port. Located at the end of the hilt, this is the access point or source from which a fusionblade or hydroblade glows with golden energy.
summoner. Another name for a beacon.
Temperance. A small hamlet in the Fate of Virtue.
Thermo. A secondborn Sword soldier rank in the military. Highest rank. It is three levels above a Tropo. Sky-blue uniforms. (Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo.)
Tourmaline Mountains. A mountain range that surrounds the Twilight Forest Base.
Transition Day. A day in early autumn that happens annually, wherein eighteen-year-old secondborns are required to report to a processing Base set up by the Fates of the Republic to be indoctrinated into governmental service. Sword-Fated secondborns report to the nearest “Golden Circle” just outside of each Forest Base for processing. For a multitude of reasons, families bring their Sword-Fated secondborns to these Bases years too early, as young as ten years old. Parents often fear their secondborn will harm their firstborn to gain power and position in their society. Many parents don’t want to grow attached to their secondborn, knowing they are to be given up later.
Tree Fort. The tower on a Forest Base that gives airships clearance to take off and land. Air traffic control at the military Bases.
Tree. A tree-shaped military building used by Sword-Fated personnel. Firstborn officers and high-ranking secondborn officers reside in apartments or air-barracks in glass Trees, while subordinate soldiers reside in apartments or air-barracks in concrete and steel Trees.
Tritium 101. Roselle’s Sword regiment/air-barracks. Also known as T-101.
troopship. A large airship that transports soldiers to and from war zones or other military duties.
Tropo. A secondborn Sword soldier rank in the military. Lowest rank. Beige-and-brown uniforms. Roselle’s rank on her Transition Day. (Tropo, Strato, Meso, Thermo.)
turner. A snitch; in particular, a secondborn who betrays the confidence of another secondborn or who reports another secondborn’s infraction of a rule or law.