GLOSSARY

Acacia. Originally an ancient warrior with close ties to the legends of Actavia's birth; This moniker has recently been adopted by a "freedom fighter" who wishes to use the ancient art of dragon-riding to bring a stop to Empire Corp's corrupted ways. Her true identity is unknown.

Actavia. The nation in which this story is set; one of about 20 "nations" in the world, and one of the largest; Actavia is its own continent, with no neighbouring kingdoms. The "culture" of Actavia is varied, with techno-industrial cities, small medieval towns, and everything in between existing here.

Ayrton. A very tiny town in the middle of nowhere; population of 141 at last count. Located between Ayruinn forest and the river Boss, this town is also the secret base of a mysterious group called the Knights of Acacia.

The Ayruinn. A very, very large forest, which is so inhospitable it was completely overlooked by any who wished to settle there. Fortunately, it also protects the tiny town of Ayrton, described above.

Constant. The largest city in Actavia in terms of land area, though not the largest population. Constant is the last city one reaches when heading West before the land dissolves into small towns and barren landscapes with cacti and such. Constant is home to the only sort of law enforcement in the West, though they don't normally head very far into the badlands, so anywhere west of Constant is naturally full of all sorts of outlaws.

Empire Corporation. The largest, richest, and most powerful commercial entity in Actavia. Some say its reach surpasses that of any government. The current CEO, Leopold Kingsley, is interested in extending sales to the international market. Empire Corp focuses its research on new technologies in numerous fields, and is the foremost supplier of the majority of Actavia's manufactured goods.

King Leo. See Kingsley, Leopold.

Kingsley, Leopold. The current CEO of the Empire Corporation. Known as "King Leo" to the media due to his eccentric and aristocratic tastes, Kingsley is never satisfied. He is something of a legendary figure; though he's only a businessman, he effectively controls the city of Lydda, and his influence is felt all over Actavia. He has been investigated by local authorities numerous times on charges of money laundering, bribing public officials, creating a monopoly, and more, but all charges have been abruptly and mysteriously dropped.

Knights of Acacia. A secret group of warriors who refer to themselves as The Order of the Knights of Acacia, or just The Order, and who are actively trying to undermine Empire Corp's attempts at conquering the global market. Some say they are renegades, mercenaries, even terrorists, but others insist they are "freedom fighters" trying to reassert magic's place in the world. They are rumoured to be skilled warriors and to ride into battle on the backs of dragons.

Lydda. A large port city on Actavia's eastern coast. "Bustling" is hardly an adequate word to describe it. The city is huge, though it is actually the third largest city in Actavia in terms of land mass. It is home to the largest population, however. The city is highly techno-industrial, with skyscrapers abounding and numerous powerplants surrounding the city walls, fueling its massive and constant use of electricty. Despite the abundance of "underground" magic users and altogether freaky beings who walk the city streets unnoticed, many of the inhabitants are convinced magic doesn't even exist.

Neuronol. A checmical which, when injected in sufficien amounts, illuminates synapses and chemical reactions in the brain by adhering to certain neurotransmitters. Developed by the Empire Corporation, and primarily used in the Neuros System as part of the Sabazius Program. Research is ongoing to determine the longterm effects of exposure to the drug so that it may eventually be used in the medical field to more properly diagnose and treat brain injuries.

Neuros System. A method developed by the Empire Corporation which can be used to map occurences in the brain; with enough trials, it can be used to effectively "map" someone's thoughts. When used in conjunction with other "smart" technologies, it can, for instance, allow a paralyzed individual to draw on a computer screen with only their mind. Currently this system is being employed as the primary operating system of the Sabazius Machines.

The Order. See Knights of Acacia.

The Raven's Beak. A tavern in the small town of Ayrton. The Raven's BEak is reputed to sell the best beer for a hundred miles in any direction, which may be because it is just about the only pub within that distance. Unbeknownst to many of its regulars, underneath the tavern is the headquarters of the Knights of Acacia. It was originally used as a supplement to the tiny inn next door, but it was soon noticed that there were never enough travellers through Ayrton to even warrant having an inn, so the space was rented out to the mysterious lady Acacia.

Sabazian. See Sabazius Machine.

Sabazius Machine. A large, fully operational and maneuverable mechanical dragon, the latest product in testing from Empire Corp. Originally intended to be flying recreation bird-vehicles, the idea for the Sabazius was sitting unused in a filing closet until riders calling themselves the Knights of Acacia attacked Empire Corp using real, living dragons. In retaliation, it was decided a new singularly powerful, unique weapon was needed, and the "bird machine" idea evolved into the modern Sabazian. Sabazians are very large, heavy metal dragons, piloted by single individuals or occassionally pairs.

Sabazius Program. The Sabazius Program is Empire Corp's response to the recent plague of dragon attacks. Huge mechanical beasts known as Sabazians were constructed and outfitted with the latest in computer technology and weaponry; currently, Empire Corp is seeking those individuals best suited to piloting the new models. The Sabazius Program is meant to be Empire's last line of defense against the Knights of Acacia.

The Shell. The Shell is the compartment in which the pilot is seated in a Sabazius Machine; the cockpit. On most models, the Shell is located just between the "dragon's" shoulderblades, where a living rider would sit, though of course this "cockpit" is embedded into the machine.

Shield Program. The Shield Program is a backup program which is always coupled with the Neuros and Slave systems. In a nutshell, it serves as an "auto-off" in the event that a computer malfunction occurs, or a pilot is no longer able to perform his primary functions. It is automatically triggered when the Neuros System becomes confused, or if any of the machine's primary objectives are gone against. (For instance, if the pilot attempted to shoot a man the machine was meant to be protecting.) Shield can also be activated remotely, by a squad leader or by anyone with the appropriate level of authorization at Empire Corp's headquarters in Lydda. In most cases, Shield is programmed to cease current activity and return to its "home base," though it is also additionally instructed to protect the Sabazian from any attacks or outside interference.

Slave Program. Slave is a revolution in the field of AI; it is the closest Empire Corp has come so far to creating a learning computer program. Slave has an impressive memory and not only learns to correct based on previous mistakes, but it can amass and compile huge amounts of very complicated data in order to form complex plans or make difficult decisions with compelling accuracy. In trials, a machine using Slave, when given enough time to run, even managed to outmaneuver and outperform its human competitors. Put succinctly, installing the Slave program into a machine is the equivalent of giving it a brain, though the program is of course devoid of emotional considerations and runs purely on logic and experience.