Glossary

This following list is taken from this page, moved here because I wanted t modify it and make it look nicer.

Advocate:

The Station (q.v.) involved in defending the rights of the Unbidden (q.q.v.) (From the Black Book)

Aesthetic:

A being of Essence (q.v.) charged with maintaining reality through "contemplation" or Dreaming (q.q.v.)

Anomalies:

Physical disturbances in reality caused by an Enigma (q.v.).

Archetypes:

Persistent Incarnations (q.v.) which fit a consistent pattern.

Architect, the:

The final stage of an Unbidden's (q.v.) life cycle once he enters reality.

Architects, the:

The beings responsible for the creation of domains (q.v.) (from the Black Book)

Armageddon:

The end of the Cosmic Cycle (q.v.), used to mark time.

Ashen Mask, the:

A sign of the Withering (q.v.)

Avatar:

A representation of the soul. Usually refers to Stalkers (q.v.) and Unbidden.

Aversion:

1) A psychological flaw all Unbidden develop that causes an unreasoning fear; or 2) The first stage of the Forbiddance (q.v.)

Awake:

Aware of the Unseen (q.v.) or the state which allows a Shadow (q.q.v.) to enter reality. Other forms Awakened, Awakening (the act of becoming Awake, usually through external forces.)

Backlash:

The second stage of the Forbiddance (q.v.)

Banish:

To force an Awakened Shadow out of reality.

Banishment:

The least of the punishments for Unbidden.

Barrier:

A blockage of the Winding Path (q.v.) which must be overcome to access reality.

Beast, the:

The first stage of an Unbidden's life cycle once it enters reality.

Bestowing Mortality:

Third most serious punishment for Unbidden.

Binding:

1) Capturing an Unbidden. Also used as "the Final Binding" or "the Great Binding", banishment to the Vault (q.v.) or 2) The forced servitude of a Shadow to an Unbidden.

Black Abbot, the:

Controller of the Vault. (?, from "Dangerous Prey")

Black Abbot's Gate, the:

Also "the Gate." The entrance to the Vault.

Black Harvest, the:

An Enlightened (q.v.) mortals' organization

Bright Ones:

The Unbidden called VIRUS referred to other Aesthetics with this term. (From AOL post 2/8/95)

Call, the:

Also "the Calling." A summons to Stalkers by mortals to investigate an Enigma.

Chosen Ones:

Sensitive (q.v.) mortals destined to become Stalkers.

Chronosphere, the:

All of time, typically every event between Creation (q.v.) and Armageddon.

Circle:

A group or team of Stalkers.

Citadel, the:

Stalker Central and home to the Primal Powers (q.v.).

Cloisters, the:

A central meeting place for Stalkers in the Realm of Essence. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Collective Consciousness:

Mortal belief in the Dream (q.v.).

Condemned, the:

A captured and caged Unbidden. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

"The Confession":

Lord Vincent Hall's diaries, detailing conversations between Hall and an Unbidden. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Constriction:

One of the methods of creating a Husk (q.v.) for a Minion (q.q.v.) (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Constructs:

A Husk infused with Essence. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Corruption:

The warping of the Collective Consciousness by the Enigma, causing the unusual to be accepted as the norm.

Cosmic Cycle, the:

Also "the Cycle." The life of reality, from birth to death.

Creation:

The beginning of the Cycle, when the Aesthetics begin to Dream of reality.

Crossroads, the:

A point from which a Circle of Stalkers can all reach their Domains.

Denizens:

The inhabitants of a Shadowland.

Disciplines:

The powers Stalkers use to Hunt (q.v.) Unbidden.

Dismissal:

1) The act of forcing the Guardian's (q.v.) obedience (From the Black Book.) or 2) Being pushed by an Architect into a Shadowland (q.q.v.) (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Domain:

A Stalker's home in the Realm of Essence.

Door with a Thousand Locks, the:

Another name of the Black Abbot's Gate. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Dream, the:

The Realm of Flesh, as created by the Aesthetics.

Dreamers:

The Aesthetics.

Dreaming:

Also "the Dreaming." The Realm of Flesh, or the act of creating it.

Driven:

A state Unenlightened mortals achieve that allows them to confront The Unseen.

Drones:

1) The servants in a Sanctum (q.v.) or 2) The bulk of human souls not Archetypes (q.q.v.)

Enhancements:

A special power added to a Sanctum (q.v.)

Enigma(s):

A flaw in the fabric of reality created by an Aesthetic leaving his post. In the Realm of Flesh, it is localized.

Enlightenment:

The state of being a mortal achieves when he becomes aware of the Unseen.

Essence:

The substance of all things spiritual.

Essence, Ambient:

The free floating Essence that Architect Unbidden use to maintain their existence in the Flesh (q.v.)

Essence, Creatures of:

A creature made up of spirit-stuff; one of the Unseen.

Essence, Immortal:

The soul, especially those of Stalkers.

Essence, Persistent:

The substance of the Primal Powers.

Essence, the Realm of:

That part of existence which is made up only of Essence.

Essential Formulae:

Mathematical formulae that can be used to access the Realm of Essence and the Vault. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Execution:

Destruction of the Immortal Essence of an Unbidden, the gravest of punishments.

Fetishes (Lesser Passions):

Strange secondary desires that motivate the Unbidden.

Fever, the:

Another name for the first stage of the Forbiddance.

Fifth Key, the:

The Key of Humanity (q.v.) which most closely links a Stalker to his former, mortal status, usually Compassion.

Flesh (Realm of):

The portion of reality inhabited by mortals.

Fleshing:

Another name for Bestowing Mortality (q.v.)

Focus:

The physical object in the Flesh which is the center of an Unbidden's existence.

Forbiddance, the:

The punishment system created by the Powers to prevent Stalkers from harming humanity.

Forgiven, the:

Those Unbidden who prove rehabilitated (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Formal Petition:

A form of the Call (q.v.) more akin to a summoning.

Formless:

The state of a shadow when their Vessel (q.v.) has been destroyed.

Gift, the:

Another name for Sensitivity. (see "Sensitive.")

Green Daughters:

An Enlightened Organization (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Group Powers:

Powers that are evoked by and effect an entire Circle (q.v.)

Guardians:

Beings created by the Powers to prevent unauthorized travel through a Navigator (q.v.)

Guides:

Ghostly manifestations of Old Ones (q.v.) in the Realm of Flesh.

Host:

Another name for an Unbidden's Vessel.

Hunt:

A mission to Mend (q.v.) an Enigma.

Husk:

A covering created for a Minion (q.v.) to make the Minion eligible for Insignificance (q.q.v.)

Idiosyncrasies (the Flawed Mask):

Strange behavior that marks an Unbidden as such.

Immortal Name:

A Stalker's name once transformed, used in the Naming of Names.

Inner World:

A reference used by Old Ones to the Winding Path (q.v.)

Inspired:

A state mortals acquire when they have a special motivation to fight the Unseen.

Inspirations:

Special, unique uses of Disciplines.

Intercession:

The final stage of the Forbiddance.

Invocation:

A portion of a Formal Petition that calls upon the Primal Powers.

Inquisitor:

A station held by the Stalker who received the Call. This Stalker acts as leader and interrogator of mortals. (From the Black Book.)

Insignificance:

The protection from detection by mortals created by the Veil.

Keeper:

The Awakened spirit of a Sanctum.

Keys (of Humanity, of Office):

Five portions of a Stalker's mortal personality given form.

Lairs:

The home in the Realm of Flesh of an Architect level Unbidden, usually labyrinthine.

"Law of Proximity":

The fundament of the Dreaming that states that the emotions and intent of combat is better expressed in close quarters.

Lesser Furies, the:

A transformation Wardens (q.v.) perform on Trustees (q.q.v.) to hunt escaped Condemned. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Life Link:

An Architects connection to the Enigma it created.

Living Dream:

Another name for the Flesh.

Magic:

Mortal manipulation of the Dream and Enigmas.

Mask (-ed, of Humanity, un-):

a backup ability of Stalkers that allows them to maintain the Veil. Unmasking is a total shut down of the ability as well as the Veil.

Mending:

"Reweaving the fabric of reality," or at least patching an Enigma. Usually the end of a Hunt.

Minions:

Shadows Bound into the service of an Unbidden.

"Mob Rule":

The increase of combat ability shown by mortals in large groups. Pack mentality.

Mortal Mask:

Another name for the Mask.

Mortal Name:

A Stalker's name as a mortal. Used in the Naming of Names.

Mutilation:

Changing the shape of a Shadow's Vessel for insertion into a Husk.

Naming of Names:

Another portion of a Formal Petition, in which specific names are used.

Navigators:

Massive Shadows whose interior contains the Winding Path.

Neitherspace:

The space between the Flesh and Essence.

Neitherworld:

Another name for Neitherspace (q.v.) (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Novitiate:

A newly transformed Stalker.

Occult:

The body of magical knowledge.

Offerings:

Part of a Formal Petition, in which a material sacrifice is made.

Old Ones:

A Navigator (q.v.) whose great age has allowed it to become sapient.

Order, the:

An Enlightened Organization, generally considered an ally to Stalkers.

Parasitic Violation:

Inserting a Shadow into a living body for use as a Husk. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Pardon, the:

An option given to those Condemned (q.v.) that transforms them into Trustees (q.q.v.) (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Passions:

The lusts which bring tempt an Aesthetic to the Flesh.

Persistence:

An Unbidden's desire to remain in the Flesh.(From the Black Book formerly a supplement to Vitality.)

Persistent Incarnation:

Recurring themes in mortal personalities.

Postern Gate, the:

Another, lesser known access to the Vault. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Primal Justice:

The laws behind a Stalker's authority (From the Black Book.)

Primal Powers (the):

Also simply "the Powers," the creators of the Aesthetics, and thus the whole of reality.

Pushing:

The power of a Stranger (q.v.) to set its Husk in to overdrive.

Radiant Orb, the:

The result of Binding an Unbidden, a glowing sphere of Essence.

Renegade:

Another name for an Unbidden.

Rift, the:

Another name for Neitherspace; the separation between Flesh and Essence.

Sanctum:

'

A home for Watchers (q.v.)

Sanguine Seal:

A symbol of power which keeps the Unbidden in the Vault.

Scrying:

Using an Enigma to ascertain information about the Unbidden tied to it.

Secret Masters, the:

An Enlightened Organization.

Seneschal:

A Minion especially bound to maintain a Lair (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Sensitives:

Mortals who have Awakened, becoming aware of the Truth (q.v.)

Servitors:

Creatures of Essence (q.v.) of limited power that Stalkers may call on for aid.

Shadows:

Creatures from Neitherspace, who may or may not be from abandoned Visions (q.v.)

Shadowlands:

Areas of the Flesh that have become so Corrupted(q.v.) that Temporal Isolation (q.q.v.) has created a pocket Realm.

Shrouding:

A process used by Architect Unbidden to hide their Lairs. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Station:

A temporary position given to all members of a Circle, naming their duties for the duration of a Hunt.

Stranger:

The middle stage of an Unbidden's existence in the Flesh.

Supplicant:

The mortal issuing the Call (q.v.), whose existence is threatened by the Enigma.

Stalker:

A mortal who has been transformed into being of Essence for the purpose of finding and correcting Enigmas.

Temporal Isolation:

A side effect of the Veil (q.v.) that causes a sufficiently Corrupted area to pass from mortal memory.

Thralls:

Mortals in service to an Unbidden.

Torment:

The second stage of the Forbiddance.

Touchstones:

A two-way access between a Shadowland and the Flesh.

Transference:

The power of a Stranger (q.v.) to leave one Host (q.q.v) and move to another.

Trustees:

Those Condemned who have been offered the Pardon (q.v.) and freed from the Vault. Also called "the Forgiven." (q.v.) (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Truth, the:

The reality beyond the Veil.

Unbidden:

An Aesthetic, tempted by lust, who vacates their post to journey to the Flesh.

Uncommon Clay:

Another name for a Stalker's Vessel. (From the Black Book.)

Unenlightened:

Those mortals unable to bear witness to the Unseen; those without Sensitivity.

Unseen:

Creatures of Essence and Shadows; those beings effected by the Veil.

Unveil(-ed, -ing):

To make a display of Essence sufficient to break the Veil.

Vampiric Touch:

The method by which a Beast (q.v.) acquire the Essence to continue existing in the Flesh.

Vault, the:

The area in Essence which serves as a prison for captured Unbidden.

Veil, the (of Ignorance):

The force of the Dreaming that protects itself from invasion by beings of Essence by Masking their existence to match mortal expectations.

Vessel:

A Flesh containment for creatures of Essence, particularly Shadows and Stalkers.

Violation, the:

The act of an Aesthetic leaving his post. (From the Black Book.)

Vision, the:

Another name for the Flesh; "the Vision of the Aesthetics."

Visions:

Alternate realities, believed to be abandoned Dreams. (from AOL post dated 5/19/95)

Vital Husks:

A living Husk. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Vulgar Husks:

Armor-like Husks made from inanimate materials. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Warriors:

A Station (q.v.) assigned to all Stalkers in a Circle who are not the Inquisitor or the Advocate.

Wardens:

The keepers of the Vault. (From "Dangerous Prey.")

Watchers:

Stalkers who have been assigned to the Flesh.

Weavers, the:

Servitors (q.v.) who spin the Uncommon Clay (q.v.) of a Stalker's Vessel.

Winding Path, the:

A pathway that leads through Neitherspace between Flesh and Essence in the belly of a Navigator.

Withering:

The damage done to a Host of a Beast by being inhabited.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does cover most of the common phrases in the setting.

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