Glossary of Porcelain-related terms:Chaos1. In ancient Porcelain mystical thought, a divine force that shapes the universe, similar to D&D "chaos" at times or "yin" at others.
2. A ghostly, demigod-like entity, one of many that inhabit the Porcelain worlds. They attach themselves to magically inclined males, who become powerful Sorcerers.
DreamingThe middle rank of Porcelain minds. Dreaming Porcelain are more intelligent and sensitive than Sleeping Porcelain, but are not as keen, magically powerful, or in control of their emotions as Lucid Porcelain. There are more Dreaming Porcelain than Lucid or Sleeping.
Normal shop Porcelain will be of the Dreaming type.
Element, RulingThe sixth element, which cannot be grasped by normal mortals. Whereas the five elements make up the ordinary world, the sixth element enables the existence of the world, consciousness, and psychic phenomena. According to the Imperial doctrine, only the Empress (and the Silver Empress) have the Name of Ruling/Empress.
Elements, OrdinaryThe five elements that make up the natural world:
• Wood, including all living flesh, associated with birth and early growth
• Fire, often including all chemical processes, associated with refinement and later growth
• Earth, often including all inert substances, associated with stability
• Heaven, encompassing space, time, and abstract concepts, associated with learning and rule
• Water, often including all movement, associated with death, transformation, and movement towards peace
Empire, or Porcelain EmpireUsually, the Golden World state founded by the First Empress, Kiko, based in northern Toukoku and spreading across all the Porcelain lands. More about its culture is listed
here.
Golden World1. In some Porcelain cosmologies, the "world of the living," which is aligned to Name, the Sun, and the mortal Empress, that coexists with the Silver World.
2. The homeworld of the Porcelain, which houses the Porcelain Empire. See
worlds.
LucidThe highest rank of Porcelain minds. Lucid Porcelain are the most intelligent, the most magically powerful (with even untrained adults being able to use minor magic of their element,) and simultaneously the most sensitive and the most able to control their emotions. Lucid Porcelain make up the nobility of Imperial society and run the states, dictating the "high culture." There are fewer Lucids than either Dreaming or Sleeping Porcelain, but their number is not tiny.
If there are customs, they will be Lucid (for the IC reason that a Lucid Porcelain has the most complicated inner life, and so is more likely to present a unique appearance and personality.)
LucidityOne's mental rank: Lucid, Dreaming, or Sleeping. While it is often presented in Imperial culture as being a quantum scale, it is more likely a gradient of ability, with the boundaries of each group determined culturally rather than scientifically. There seems to be at least some genetic component to it, as Lucid parents rarely ever have Sleeping children, and Sleeping parents rarely ever have Lucid children.
Name1. In ancient Porcelain mystical thought, a divine force that shapes the universe, similar to D&D "law" at times or "yang" at others.
2. The elemental identity that a Porcelain receives upon coming of age; one of the five ordinary elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Heaven, and Water.
Naming CeremonyIn the Empire, a coming-of-age ritual, performed sometime in a girl or boy's 13th year. It is an Imperial, standardized version of the various coming-of-age rituals from across the isles.
After the mother (or other caretaker) leads her child to the local temple in a festive procession, a local priest of the highest available rank takes the child inside and gives him or her difficult philosophical questions, requesting the child answer verbally. The quality of the answers determines whether the child is declared Sleeping, Dreaming, or Lucid, and the content of the answers, the elemental Name received.
Lucid Porcelain have little trouble with this event, and can prove their Lucidity and pick the Name they desire with no trouble. A Dreaming Porcelain will find the verbal examination more difficult, and may not know for sure which Name is the best, leaving the choice up to the priest's judgment.
The mother then escorts her child home in another celebratory procession.
PorcelainThe umbrella term for the species we are discussing. Singular Porcelain, plural Porcelain.
Silver EmpressThe creator deity in most ancient Porcelain myths, though she is not usually worshiped as a chief god. The inhabitants of the Silver World claim that their Empress is the Silver Empress.
Silver World1. In some Porcelain cosmologies, the "world of the spirits," which is aligned to Chaos, the Moon, and the Silver Empress, that coexists with the Golden World.
2. A world that can be accessed through portals on Gaia. It is similar to the Golden World in many ways, but also has some strange differences. See
worlds.
SleepingThe lowest rank of Porcelain minds. Sleeping Porcelain are the least intelligent, the least sensitive, and the least magically gifted of the Porcelain, although they often have strong natural mental and magical resistance. They are not stupid, but have uncomplicated inner lives and are not very interested in the Lucids' "high culture." There are fewer Sleeping than Dreaming Porcelain, but more Sleeping than Lucid.
Critics of the Lucidity system are likely to say that Sleeping Porcelain are not actually duller than Dreaming Porcelain, but have weaker verbal abilities, preventing them from passing the Naming Ceremony examination.
Sorcerer1. One who possess a Chaos. If he can successfully channel the Chaos, he will be capable of powerful magic of the Chaos's elemental type. They exist outside normal Imperial society and are in loose association with each other.
2. Apprentices or other followers of the true Chaos Sorcerers.
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