The Dryftwood Series Terms

TermExplanation
Abbess (the)An immortal spirit attached to a mortal body. She is the guardian of the Priory of Memory and the gatekeeper between the worlds of the living and the dead.
AlathaneCapital of the Plains Human civilization. Did not rise into true prominence until after the Blight and the fall of the Willowgate Empire.
Alathanian MarshalsA law enforcement force meant to police magical Duskstone use after the Blight. Later disbanded after the discovery of the Arkstone and the death of Godwin Malmont.
ArkstoneAn immensely powerful Duskstone that was eventually discovered to be the source of the cataclysmic Blight.
BastimarOne of the Five Gnomish Families. Famous for distilling the Sweetfire that bears their name. 
Blight (the)The great, magical cataclysm that befell the mighty Willowgate Empire and sent Westhold into a dark age of chaos and strife.
Cher Term of endearment used throughout the Delta and by Swamp Elf exiles around the world.
Chewing weed A stimulant plant that turns spit and teeth blood red when chewed.
Crystal GulfThe large body of water separating the mainland of Westhold and the Gnomish Islands
Danathane (the)The major river that runs through the heart of Westhold, emptying out at the Delta and into the Crystal Gulf.
Delta (the)The historical home of the Swamp Elf people. A land of swamps, bayous, bogs, and backwaters, but filled with a unique culture that permeates everything from the cuisine to the music to the architecture.
DuskstonesMagical ore that fuels the entire arcane ecosystem of Westhold. The ore can be forged into weapons, distilled into potions, or tattooed onto skin, but it is the most valuable resource in the world and many have died trying to get their dusty hands on some.
DryftwoodA town of outlaws, prospectors, and other nefarious characters in the heart of the Shattered Hills. There is only trouble to find in the town of Dryftwood.
Echo DuskstonesJade Duskstones formed in the shape of a stylized sun. Used to communicate with a paired sister stone to send messages quickly over long distances. Often acccompanied with a cipher scroll.
Five Civilizations (the)Refers to the five main peoples of the world of Westhold–the Swamp Elves, Mesa Dwarves, Plains Humans, Island Gnomes, and Savannah Halflings.
ForgemateA term used by Klinkhammer smiths to refer to their partners in a given arcane forge. Some say the bond between forgemates is closer than family.
Gnomish IslandsThe homeland of the Island Gnomes. Ruled over by the Five Families–the Rumblebumbles, Bastimars, Klinkhammers, Von Verblins, and Von Wanderways. Fiercely independent thanks to their distance from the mainland of Westhold, but that seperation has helped them remain proud and strong throughout the centuries of strife and calamity.
Good Light (the)The bright memories of those who have already passed from the world of the living. The more living people who remember a person, the brighter their spirit shines in the Grey Wastes
Grey WastesThe land of the dead. A place where spirits go until they fade into the lingering gloom and are forgotten forever.
Hoodoux (the)A powerful, mystical force used to communicate with the spirits and draw forth arcane abilities not available to ordinary practitioners of arcane arts.
Hoodoux WitchesFemale magic users in the Delta who use the Hoodoux and the spirits as the source of their power, as opposed to Duskstones.
King’s Tor Rocky outcropping used by ancient Willowgate rulers as a coronation ground.
KlinkhammerOne of the Five Gnomish Families. They are famous for crafting the most powerful Duskstone-enchanted weapons and armor in all of Westhold. Any artifact that bears the name Klinkhammer is incredibly valuable.
Mainland (the)The main body of land in Westhold. Often used to distinguish from the Gnomish Islands.
One Who Fell (the)An ancient god who fell from the heavens to earth. Her bones form the mesas and buttes of the Shattered Hills and her blood gave the land its distinctive red hue.
Priory of Memory The spot where two brother gods met for the last time before one was banished to the Grey Wastes. The thinnest point of the veil between worlds. Guarded by the Abbess.
Red FensThe capital of the Swamp Elf people. Founded by Mirabelle Rabideaux after a great and terrible battle that gives the city its name.
RumblebumbleOne of the Five Gnomish Families. Famous for their fishing fleets and feeding the Gnomish Islands.
SandscribesPowerful Mesa Dwarf magic users who tattoo Duskstone powder directly into their skin to command elements like few others in Westhold.
Semby (the)An ancient flying serpent and an ancestor to modern winders. The creature played an important part in Hoodoux spiritual practices and was said to haunt the coastline of the Crystal Gulf.
Shattered HillsHome of the Mesa Dwarf people. For centuries, known as a land of dusty outlaws and others looking to get away from prying eyes in other parts of Westhold.
SnaptailsLarge, reptilian creatures with powerful jaws and tails that are found in the swamps and backwaters of the Delta.
Stumbling Pelican (the) – Only the most famous bar in the Red Fens and, by extension, all of Westhold.
SweetfireWesthold’s most famous alcohol. Prominently distilled by the Bastimar clan on the Gnomish Islands, but also proliferates on backwater stills on the bayous in the Delta.
Typhos (the)A legendary monster that roamed Westhold in its primordial infancy. Once thought to be a punishment from the ancient gods but died out before the establishment of the Five Civilizations.
Veil between worlds The dividing line between the worlds of the living and the dead. See the Priory of Memory.
Von VerblinIt’s always a Von Verblin. One of the Five Gnomish Families. Responsible for the defense of the Gnomish Islands and training Island Gnome soldiers.
Von WanderwayOne of the Five Gnomish Families. The primary merchants and traders in the Gnomish Islands. They conduct the trade with the mainland that has brought so much prosperity to the Gnomish Islands.
WestholdThe world of Dryftwood, stretching from the fringes of the Blightlands in the east to the Shattered Hills to the west and buffered by the Crystal Gulf to the south and Snowcrown Mountains to the north.
Willowgate EmpireFor centuries, the pinnacle of civilization and the largest nation in Westhold. The Savannah Halfling people of the Willowgate Empire commanded the fate of the mainland until the arcane apocalypse known as the Blight destroyed the empire and killed untold multitudes. Now, merely a memory for castaway Savannah Halfling refugees across all of Westhold.
WindersThin, serpentine animals that proliferate in the Delta and Shattered Hills. Can be venomous or non-venomous, but a bite is not pleasant either way.
YambeauA famous, savory stew made throughout the Delta. Made with whatever meat the preparer has on hand.
Zam-zamsOnce known as gris-gris, these are any kind of charm fashioned by Hoodoux practitioners meant to ward against malevolent spirits. 
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