beat (or heartbeat): the shortest standard unit of time, equal to about 0.42 Earth seconds; this unit was eventually standardized by the Arbiter of the Sequence at 1/100,000 of a Quintaglio day. [1]
Belbar: one of the five original hunters, symbolized by the color blue. [1]
Belbar, Cape of: a storm-ravaged cape in Edz’toolar whose tip is the southernmost point in mainland Land. [1]
Belbar, Song of: a song about one of the original five hunters; one of its verses says, "If beasts confront you, slay them. If the elements conspire against you, overcome. And if God should call you to heaven before you return, then heaven will be the richer for it, and those you leave behind will honor you and mourn your passing." [3]
Belkom, Plaza of: a public square in Capital City. [2]
Big One, The: second of the Face of God’s fourteen moons, orange in color. [1]
Biltog (Mar-Biltog): the Dasheter’s longest serving mate; a short-tempered male frequently stationed in the lookout bucket, given to telling endless stories about the old days. [1]
birds: extinct flying creatures, known only from fossils and specimens found aboard the crashed Jijaki ark. [2]
birthing horn: located on the upper surface of the muzzle, this fluted cone is the only one of the facial horns normally associated with tyrannosaurs that Quintaglios still develop. A birthing horn is usually lost about thirty days after hatching. [1]
blackdeath: tyrannosaur; the largest carnivorous dinosaur. [2]
blackpowder: explosive, used for clearing rocks. [2]
Bleen (Det-Bleen): the Dasheter’s bombastic male priest. [1]
bloodpriest: halpataars, a special priest, always male, who devours seven out of every eight hatchlings in each clutch; sometimes referred to as "a disciple of Mekt," the first bloodpriest. [1]
Bogkash (Del-Bogkash): male who succeeded Det-Yenalb as Master of the Faith; fired by Dy-Dybo in 7128. [2]
Boodskar: a volcanic island, westernmost member of the archipelago to the west of Land. [1]
Bookmark layer: in a coastal cliff face on the eastern shore of southern Fra’toolar province, nine-tenths of the way up to the top of the cliff, this chalk seam marks the oldest fossils ever found, and was taken by some to indicate the point of divine creation. [2]
Book of Rites: a standard Lubalite religious text, banned by Larsk. [1]
Brampto: a Pack in Arj’toolar; Bor-Vanbelk, inventor of the small-seer, comes from there. [3]
Bripel: the sixth planet of the Quintaglio sun; a ringed gas giant with sixteen moons. [1]
Cadool (Pal-Cadool): A lanky, illiterate male butcher at the imperial palace who becomes Sal-Afsan’s personal assistant. A Lubalite. Cadool means "hunter of runningbeasts," but Wab-Novato calls him "Cadly," meaning "long of leg." [1]
Cafeed: apprentice bloodpriest under Mek-Lastoon in Pack Tablo in Edz’toolar. [2]
calthat’ch: Quintaglio word for "fraud." [1]
Capital City: the city built on the site of Larsk’s landfall after returning from discovering the Face of God. The largest and most populous city in all of Land. [1]
Capital province: the easternmost province in Land. Population: 7,000. Provincial color: red. The Emperor is ex officio governor of this province. [1]
Carno: Sal-Afsan’s home Pack, in Arj’toolar province; Carno roams along the northern shore of the Kreeb River. At the time Afsan left, its governor was Len-Haktood. [1]
Carpel: the innermost planet of the Quintaglio sun, a small and rocky world with no moons. [1]
Cartark (Bon-Cartark): a member of Pack Tablo in Edz’toolar. [2]
cartouche: personal identifying mark; an oval shape containing symbols or glyphs. [1]
ca-tart: Quintaglio word for "toys." [1]
Catekt (Tol-Catekt): a past leader of the imperial hunt, [1]
census bureau: official repository of records, located in Capital City. [3]
centiday: a unit of time equal to one one-hundredth of a Quintaglio day; about seven minutes. [2]
centipace: a unit of linear measure equal to one one-hundredth of a pace; about one centimeter. [2]
central square: a large open area in Capital City where Larsk had made many speeches. Afsan was blinded there, and the battle between the Lubalites and the palace loyal took place there in 7110. The arches of Dasan and the First Emperor were located there, as was Pador’s famous marble statute of Larsk, but all were destroyed in the great landquake of 7110.
Ch’mar volcanoes: a range of active volcanoes to the west of Capital City. [1]
Chu’toolar: a large province in north-central Land, known for its glassworks and resort beaches. Provincial color: light green. [1]
coiled mollusk: ammonoid; a chambered, shelled cephalopod. [1]
Colboom: (7112– ) a male member of Capital Pack, creche-mate of Bos-Karshirl. [3]
creche: communal nursery. [1]
creche, imperial: the nursery for members of The Family. Eggshells of past Emperors are on display there. [1]
creche master/mother: terms used for Quintaglios who work in the communal nurseries. [1]
creche-mates: individual surviving members of each clutch of eggs laid in the same hatching period. Quintaglios are closer to their creche-mates than to anyone else, hence the saying "creche-mates are as one." [1]
Crucible: the planet Sol III (Earth), the only known world in the universe on which life arose naturally. [2]
culling: the sacrament performed by bloodpriests, swallowing seven of every eight hatchlings. [1]
Dabo (Gar-Dabo): an ancient female maritime explorer. [1]
dagamant: territorial bloodlust. [1]
Dagtool: apprentice to imperial bloodpriest Mek-Maliden. [2]
Daldar: a creche-mate of Wab-Novato. [3]
Dancer: one of the Face of God’s fourteen moons. [2]
Dancing the Night Away: an astronomy book about the moons by Tak-Saleed. [1]
Dandor: a creche-mate of Sal-Afsan. [3]
Dargo: one of the five original male mates; the first healer. The sixth tenth of the kiloday is named after him. [2]
Dasan: an ancient land surveyor, famed for her ability to resolve territorial disputes without bloodshed; author of the Hahat Golarda. There was an arch in her honor in the central square of Capital City. [1]
Dasheter: large sailing ship captained by Var-Keenir, co-opted to the Geological Survey of Land. [1]
dat-kar-mas: a ceremonial dagger made from obsidian, normally used for cutting hide from an anointed kill to make copies of the sacred scrolls; one was used by Det-Yenalb to blind Sal-Afsan. [1]
Davpel: the third planet of the Quintaglio sun, a small and rocky world with two moons. [1]
day: the time it takes for the Quintaglio world to complete one orbit around the Face of God; eleven hours and forty-three minutes of Earth time. Days are subdivided into ten parts, called "daytenths," the first of which begins at dawn. [1]
dayslab: a hard platform of wood or stone mounted at an angle on a heavy pedestal, it supports the torso and legs while the user lies on his or her chest. [1]
Dedprod: (7098–7128) the female apprentice governor from Kev’toolar. [2]
dekaday: ten Quintaglio days, or about five Earth days. [1]
delbarn: a philosophic discipline related to the organization of knowledge; one of Nov-Dynax’s professions. [2]
Delplas (Bar-Delplas): (7096– ) a female member of the Geological Survey of Land; she wears a distinctive blue and orange sash. [2]