Telani

Talani Dictionary

Alathan: house; The Alathan, or house, is a gelvani term used to define both a single family unit and a social group. Gelvani tend to live in a family unit with the eldest mother being the Thena, or Matriarch, of the house. The families may either live in one large home or several smaller homes, usually within a days walk of each other. The more powerful houses hold political and social influence over their community and, in some cases, the entire realm. The Quel-Thena is always the Matriarch of her own Alathan.

Anor: home

Anorath: A Hometree. A tree created with power of the Gelvani goddess of nature to grow with a hollow core and chambers for rooms. The inside of the tree can be built onto without harming the tree or causing it any pain. Windows and doorways are also naturally grown into the tree, and some of the greatest priests can actually have the trees grow stairwells, floors and even extra wood for crafting furniture from.

Aelvanis: This is the Gelvani paradise. Here their mother goddess, Gelthena, resides as well as all the other deities. Gelvani do not die of old age but when the time has come Gelthena calls them home. If they die by some other, unnatural means, then a ritual must be performed upon the corpse to return the spirit to paradise. If this is not done, the spirit travels to Neth-Noril “The City of Twilight”, a place of eternal darkness and despair (by Gelvani standards).

Athora: Tree

Celothene: Council of the wise, "thenin" meaning "a wise person", and "celo" meaning gathering".

Celothene Que'Valan: The Council of the High Blood, meaning a council of the gods, a term used both in Arvanis to describe a gathering of the gods and in the mortal world to describe a gathering of the high priests and priestesses of the gods.

Danth: double, Danthae means "two kinds"

Dewberry Cider: An alcohol made from the berries of the Ulierie Bush, which blooms only in morning dew. It is a pungent though sweet liquor, and is a common drink amongst the Gelvani.

Drey'Gelvani: The Dark Elves. Drey being the gelvani word for dark. Drey-Gelvani are the children of Kelamin, the God of War, Competition and Skill at Arms. They are a fearsome warrior race, tall and dark-skinned like the Sylvana-Gelvani, but masters of magic and the most advanced weapon and armor crafting known to the elves. They live in great cities like the Grey-Gelvani but also have tree-home cities like the Que-Gelvani. They do not respect nature as much as the other elves, but even they know to respect the forests, their closest allies.

Elenthyr: Valor, Elenthiel (Valorous)

Emerwoods: These towering deciduous trees flower three quarters of the year and during the season of Reahnyn give off intoxicating pollen that arouses the body and mind.

Eol Long

Fara: riders, or ‘to ride’

Gelthena: Mother of the Gelvani. Gelthena is the mother to all gelvani gods and the gelvani themselves. She is also the goddess of nature.

Gelvani: “Vani” meaning children, and “Gel” meaning Mother, the Gelvani are the children of Gelthena.

Gelvanmyr: “Myr” meaning forest, so “Forest of the Gelvani”, this is the name given to the vast stretch of ancient forest Gelthena prepared for the Gelvani upon the World of Naeja.

Grey'Gelvani: The Gelvani are a race of long living, naturally magical, and nature loving people. The Grey'Gelvani are a sub-race who are particularly fond of magic, and live in beautiful towered cities amongst the forest. Grey meaning the color gray, also used to describe the silvery light of they stars and Gelvani being the true name of the elven race.

Kahn: war

Keldrahar: The Curse of Keldarin refers to the banishment of a Gelvani onto the Mortal World by Gelthena. Gelvani have eternal souls, but not immortal bodies. Upon Arvanis they are instantly healed, and thus they do not die, but on the world of Naeja they can die. Gelthena cursed all of the Sixth Blood to reside upon the Mortal World until they redeemed themselves in her eyes. All Gelvani, even those born upon the Mortal World, must await The Call of Gelthena which will summon them home to Arvanis. Those who die before the call must have their remains given the proper rites by another Gelvani else their soul will be cursed to reside in Neth-Noril for all eternity.

[[Lanyr]]] Blade (ie: Eol'Lanyr for 'long sword', and Sul'Lanyr for 'short sword')

Lari: Lesser tower

Luar: Great tower

Lari-Shamora: A Tower of Wizardry, any school for mundane magical teachings. For most Gelvani this is the only school of magic and only for those with the predisposition for magic, but for Grey-Gelvani everyone attends this school and those who demonstrate real skill may eventually move on to the Luar-Quelshamora.

Loramar: Moon Mares

Luar-Quelshamor: The Tower of High Magic, the epicenter of all learning in the arts of Quelshamora.

Malawyne: A beautiful blue flower known for its nectar which is used in making a light honey wine, which is called "Melawyne Nectar"

Mar: mare, a female horse

Mashif: A tree in southern Mirivia, well known for their nuts that have a bitter meat but very sweet core. Commonly served with Panaf

Metanmyr: The forest south of the Sylvarin (River of the Wilds) where the Grey’Gelvani made their home hundreds of years before. The forest was twisted by magics creating a terrible curse the gelvani call Shulrahar. The Grey’Gelvani call their city within this realm Metyrnia.

Miel'Noril: "the mists of twilight" is a Gelvani saying that refers to catatonia or any delusional sleep or grogginess that borders on death. The word "twilight" is specifically used in reference to Neth-Noril, “The City of Twilight”, the world of damnation for the Gelvani.

Mirivia: The vast forest to the north and homeland of the Que’Gelvani and many clans of the Seyl’Gelvani. The Grey’Gelvani also once called this realm home but long ago moved to Metanmyr.

Myr: forest

Myr-Anor: The term used to describe a village or city of Gelvani within the a forest. It can be as small as a few Alathan, to as large as thousands and scores of towers. It literally translates as "Forest-home".

Neth: shadow, or a lack of light, or near darkness.

Nethil: night

Neth-Noril: “The City of Twilight”, a place of eternal darkness and despair (by Gelvani standards).

Nol’Luar Na’Elenthyr: “The White Tower of Valor”, in Shar-Issantis

Nolfara Loramar: White Riders of the Moon Mares. Moon Mares are mystical steeds whose nature is that of the moon light. They are most brilliant in the night and their power waxes and wanes with the passage of the moon of Loran. Riders of the divine horses are very rare. They are usually gelvani knights chosen by the queen to represent her will beyond their borders. Only six Nolfara Loramar exist in Metanmyr, serving the queen.

Nol: White

Nor’Valatha: Four Bloodlines. Referring to the four bloodlines of the Sel'Valatha'Gelvani: the Seyl, The Que, The Drey, and the Grey.

Noril: Twilight (sometimes pronounced "norel")

Orog: Orc

Orog'Kahn: ‘Orog’, being the Gelvani word for Orc, and ‘Kan’ being the Gelvani word for War. The Orc-Wars occurred about 1,000 years before the current date. In this time a huge army of orcs invaded the great forest homeland of the Gelvani, Mirivia, and pushed so far south that they actually passed the capital city of Shey-Tishan.

Panaf: Honey Wheyfers and Oat Truffles, a common gelvani delicacy for the morning meal. Made from honey, oats, nuts, truffles and wheat flour.

Passing: The time it takes Loran to pass through the sky from horizon to horizon. Loran lives on a sphere that orbits the world, sometimes referred to as a moon. This time is roughly 5 hours and is called a Passing. It re-emerges about 14 hours later and the time between a Moonset and Moonrise is called a Farmoon. Due to the time it takes for Loran to re-emerge, the moon sometimes appears in the day and sometimes in the night.

Proeyn: a variety of edible berries common to most forests in Naeja.

Que: high

Que'Gelvani: Que means High, and Gelvani is the true name for the Elven race.

Que'Vatha: High Blood. This refers to the Gelvani of the 1st through 5th Blood. It excludes the Sel'Valatha'Gelvani, or sixth blood. This is abbreviated from Que'Valatha'Gelvani.

Quel'Shamora: High magic

Quel'Thanor: High King

Quel'Thena: High Queen

Queleshan: The practitioners of Quelshamora, High Magic, who control all Grey-Gelvani society.

Seyl'Gelvani: Seyl means “wild” or “of nature” in the gelvani tongue. These gelvani are more "primitive" than the others of their kind. They use no sorcery and create very few metal items. They are closest to nature and live in the natural forest, not building towers or magically altering the growth of trees to suit their needs. They are generally looked down upon by the Grey'Gelvani.

Seylvarin: Meaning “River of the Wilds”, it is the name given by the gelvani for the vast river that cuts through the heart of Verosia and creates a natural border for the Gelvanmyr. Humans have confused the name of this with their word “sylvan” which means “of the forest.”

Sh’la: A shamoran word used to bring a light into existence from nothing. This light generates no heat but can be much brighter than any torch or lantern.

Shiel: day light, day

Sha'lein: Master, litterally "Light bringer", specifically in the context of what a wizard’s apprentice would call his teacher.

Shamora: magic

Shamoran: magic-user

Shulrahar: “The Curse”. Hundreds of years ago the Queleshan cursed the forest of Metyrnia while trying to perform a great true dwoemer that went awry.

Suar-Lanyr: Dancers of the Blade, a prestigious group of gelvani who both master the art of swordsmanship and wielding magic through martial art form. They are renowned for their incredible skill with blades as well as their knowledge in combining the best of both their areas of expertise.

Sul Small, little

thena: matriarch

thanor: patriarch

thanin: lords (pl. thanyr)

thenin: wise person, or priest (pl. thene)

tith: kindred (all those of a common kind, even if not of the same blood line)

Syly: forest (usually means many woods)

Teg: family of faeries, or faerie kind, sometimes translated as "folk"

Tuar: great, whole

Tylwyth: fair, beautiful

Val: blood line (any genealogical line, usually matrilinial)

Valan: of the blood (as in those of a certain blood relation); ie: Que'Valan is "High Blood".

Valatha: blood-kind, meaning one particular blood line. There are four: Drey, Grey, Que and Seyl.

Varin: river

Vel Rise

Veloria: Life

Veloriest: The ‘Life Spring’.

Velreah: 'Rise of Reahnyn', Sun Rise, Dawn

Vi: Pronounced (Vi'). Begin, Start

Viem: Pronounced (Vi ' · em). A shamoran (magical) word used to ignite a flame.

Vile Pronounced (Vi' · lay )."Begin to not", Evil, Wicked, Cruel

Terms and Expressions:

Fey'Shalar: meaning “Fey Kalyn shine his eyes upon you”. It is a Gelvani greeting referring to the god of civilization, culture, music and festivals. It is comparable to Good Day.

The Call of Gelthena: When the Gelvani were cast out of Arvanis Gelthena made them mortal on the world. They could die of wounds and in tragedies, but they were undying in age. A Gelvani could have lived a million years upon the world, but as a salvation to her children Gelthena promised that if they suffered their penance upon the world long enough she would call them each home in time. The longest recorded time a gelvani has ever lived upon the world without hearing the Call of Gelthena was 800 years.

Danthae'Gelvani: Translated roughly as those born of "two-kinds", this term is the socially acceptable name for Gelvani whose parentage or lineage is mixed from the blood lines of Gelvani. When Gelvani cross-bloods one side is always dominant, and when reproducing again that dominant side is the one that is factored into the potential offspring. So, a Grey'Gelvani-Que'Gelvani mixed blood would be called a Danthae'Gelvani. Assuming the Que'Gelvani blood is dominant, and she marries another Que'Gelvani, their children would be Que'Gelvani. Muwani is the slang derogative term used by some cultures.

Muwani: In Gelvani ‘Muw’ is the preposition meaning ‘mixed’, and ‘ani’ is the supposition meaning ‘from the blood of’, but more accurately ‘descended from the blood of’. Muwani are those Gelvani whose parentage or lineage is mixed from the different creeds of Gelvani. A child whose father was Grey'Gelvani but whose mother was Que'Gelvani would be Muwani. Usually this only refers to those Gelvani who have parents of two different bloods. In the example above, if that Muwani had a child with a Que'Gelvani, the child would be Que'Gelvani, not a Muwani. The term is only usually used amongst the Grey'Gevlvani and the Drey'Gelvani. All other creeds are not nearly so prejudiced. When a Gelvani has a child with a non-Gelvani, such as a human, the offspring is not recognized as being Gelvani in any way. Thus there is no term for it.

"Shay'anor tith'vala": "welcome home kindred of the blood". A common greeting from one Gelvani to another when one returns home from a long trip

"Shay'anor": "welcome home"

"tith'vala": "kindred of the blood".

"y Tylwyth Teg": the fair family, or "the fair folk", referring to a the blood line of faeries, children of Orwyn

Prefixes:
Drey: dark, none, without

Due: low, down, below

Grey: gray, or stark, or silvery light

Muw': mixed, indicating the combination of two things

Na’: of (often times left out when used in a name commonly spoken, ie Luar’ Na’Quelshamora is often said as Luar-Quelshamora).

Ol': old

Que: high

Seyl: wild, or “of nature”

Suffixes:

'ani: from (also "from the blood of" or "descended from")

-iest: To spring forth, as water from the ground does.

-le: To not

Numbers:

The gelvani numbering system is a hexi-decimal system. That is, it is counted in sixes.

U: one, first

Nu: two, second

Nua: three, third

Nor: four, fourth

Vel: five, fifth

Sel: six, sixth

Sel'U: seven, seventh (or six and one)

Sel'Nu: eight, eigth (or six and two)

Sel'Nua: nine, ninth (or six and three)

Sel'Nor: ten, tenth (or six and four)

Sel'Vel:eleven, eleventh (or six and five)

Quel: twelve, twelfth

Quel'U: thirteen, thirteenth (or one-twelve and one)

Nu'Quel: two-twelves (24)

Nua'Quel: three-twelves (36)

Nua'Que'Sel: three-twelves and six (42)

Fractions:

U'Sel: 1/6th

Nu'Sel: 2/6th

Nua'Sel: 3/6th

Nur'Sel: 4/6th

Vel'Sel: 5/6th

Tuar: 6/6th, Whole

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