-- ReginaldGusto - 22 Nov 2015

Adept: A Celestial in harmony with the vicissitudes of his own body, the Celestial counterpart to the True Form. Usage: “No, trust me, Brother Lao can fit through the bars. I have never seen a more flexible Adept in my life.”

Aether: The realm of world energy, the center of which is Ygdrasil, the World Tree. Usage: “I haven’t seen Louie on Earth in a while, but I sometimes see him when I go projecting in the Aether.”

Agent: Primary Human in the Human Support Structure of a Messenger. See also “Handler.” Usage: “See that woman to his left at the podium? That’s his wife and Agent. She’s who we need to talk to about getting his help.”

Angel: A Celestial who seeks to ensure the well-functioning of Human social order by improving the systems Humans use to maintain that order, the Celestial counterpart to the Guardian. Usage: “We took an Angel’s advice some years ago when he told us to try putting our City Council proclamation days up to popular vote. Our polls went up ten points when we did.”

Ally (1): Any Human or Celestial who assists Kaiju who adher to the Diaspora. Usage: “He might not look like much of an ally, but he lets us crash at his motel when we run out of go-juice.”

Ally (2): Any Human in the support structure of a Guardian who assists their Guardian in protecting his wards. Usage: “Hey. Leave the whiskey alone. That’s for my Allies.”

Archangel: Informal term sometimes used to describe an Angel in a position of leadership among other Angels. Usage: “I’ve seen six other Celestials take their cues from the bald guy so far today. I think he might the Archangel of their little get-together.”

“Are your people safe?”: Given the prohibition against directly attacking a Kaiju’s support structure, this question and other similar permutations of it is a challenge to immediate fight. It is asked by someone who intends to attack you if you say yes, and he expects you to get your people safe quickly so he can.

Avatar: The Human form of an Elder God who manifests by possession. Avatar is a position of high influence in that Elder God’s cult. Usage: “At last! We finally found you, Great Avatar! We need to talk.”

Baby Brother/Sister: Slang term among Kaiju for a Bogeyman. Usage: “I wouldn’t poke Baby Sister if I were you. She bites.”

Balder: The First Kaiju, erupted when CPA Norman Cayce was insulted and arrested by a Senator. Sell also: Our Brother, Our Brother’s Grave.

Beast: A slang term that refers to a Kaiju form that manifests by Transformation. Usage: “The full moon was coming anyway, so I took a trip up to my family’s cabin so I could let the beast off the chain safely.”

Beat: One term for the domain under the protection of a Guardian, taken from an old police term for the area a policeman would patrol. See also “Fenceline.” Usage: “I don’t mind you selling weed, but if I catch you slingin’ smack on my beat again, I will yank you inside out and hang you from that lamp-post as a warning to others, you got me?”

Big Brother/Sister: Slang term among Kaiju to refer to Elder Gods. Usage: “I saw a couple of Big Brothers meeting with some Angels, a Princess, and a platoon of SEALS. Something is up.”

Bogeyman: A Kaiju born of a faulty barrier between the conscious and the unconscious mind, not fully formed and attempting to complete himself or herself. Usage: “I think you should know, your child is the touchstone for a Bogeyman. You’ll want to keep an eye on him for a while.”

Brother: A familiar generic term for Kaiju from one to another, or between adherents of the Diaspora regardless of species. See also “Sister.” Usage: “Easy, Brother, I’m here to help you, not get up in your business. Wanna talk?”

Celestial: Refers to the complementary energy spectrum opposite the Kaiju, which rely on Primal energy. Celestial energy is governed by Marduk (see also “Father”), and is associated with conscious control, super-consciousness, and collective agreement as opposed to Primal energy, which represents chaos and the dynamism of the individual. Usage: “I thought she was a Queen, but boy was I wrong. She was a Celestial.”

Celestial City: Refers to the city at the center of the Universe, far above the branches of the World Tree, where Marduk reigns. Usage: “I am actually somewhat known in the Celestial City. I have friends there.”

Coterie: One term for a Dragon’s Human support structure. A coterie is a band of Humans kept in close counsel by the Dragon. Usage: “I’m landing in central park. Once we do, round up the coterie and meet me there.”

Court: One term for the domain of a Queen. See also “Kingdom,” and “Dominion.” Usage: “A word of advice: she takes offense if you enter her Court without some kind of offering.”

Chosen One: A Celestial imbued by agreement of a societal or spiritual entity with powers and emotional energy to fulfil a task for the greater good. A Chosen One is the Celestial counterpart to a Construct. Usage: “This town has been trying to break Sauric’s rule for three years. Two Chosen Ones have died trying. They’re training up another one as we speak.”

Construct: A Kaiju created by the actions of Humans, usually to fulfill a purpose. Usage: “That’s Rae. He’s a Construct created by the US Military to go into radioactive areas and clean out the hazardous waste.”

Council of Wizards, Council: A loosely bound but well-connected group of Celestials who oversee the largest and most consequential choices and patterns of the world and her energies, the Celestial counterpart to the Elder Gods. Usage: “The Council has that area locked down. If you want in, you’re going to have to talk to that guy.”

Councilor: A general salutation for an agent of the Council of Wizards. See also “Wizard.” Usage: “Welcome, Councilor. We’ve saved a seat for you.”

Crash: To end an Eruption by running out of Primal energy. Usage: “I was so worked up after that fight with Meteora that I couldn’t come down. I crashed on the roof of a Wal-Mart and the next day two stock-boys were offering me Energy-Ade.”

Cult: The Human support structure of an Elder God. Usage: “So let me get this straight. You guys are all the Cult of Great Oculor, the Thousand Eyes of Hamurabi, and you think he’s going to use me as his Avatar, a checkout clerk in Abilene, Texas?”

Cursed: Under the effects of a curse as bestowed by a witch or wizard, but not used to denote programing, training, or brainwashing. See also “Geased.” Usage: “Ever since he cracked that joke in Des Moines, he’s been cursed with a constantly growing beard.”

Deep Water: The home of Tiamat, and the wellspring of Primal energy, found far below the roots of the World Tree. Usage: “I dreamt about the Deep Water last night. Something is stirring there.”

Demon: An insulting term used by Humans to refer to Kaiju, and sometimes also Celestials. Usage: “You’re not welcome here, demon. Just follow the sun on out of here.”

Devil: See “Demon.”

Diaspora: A loose collection of Humans, Kaiju, and Celestials working for peaceful coexistence and to help Kaiju obtain their needs without damage or harm to themselves, others, or property, governed by a charter of “agreements” geared toward coexistence and preserving life. The Diaspora function as relief agencies, safe-houses, charities, lodges, information networks, eruption responders, investigators, intervention teams, lobby groups, charitable organizations, consultants, and at times even vigilante marshals and justicars. Usage: “You Diaspora bleeding-hearts talk a good game, but you don’t have any authority here. Come back with a few thousand Marines and maybe we’ll talk after we fight.”

Dominion: Another term for the domain of a Queen. See also “Kingdom,” and “Court.” Usage: “Crap. We’ve been in Lady Arachne’s dominion since about 5th Street. We need to get out of here.”

Donnybrook: A gathering of Kaiju specifically to fight for any reason or no reason, commonly used to help each other manage their Primal energy. Usage: "I hear there's a Donnybrook going on outside of Portland. Wanna come?"

Dragon: A Kaiju characterized by a love of fighting and a territorial instinct. Usage: “There’s a Dragon hanging out in South City Park, and he’s not letting anyone use the basketball courts.”

Dreamscape: A fluid world of metaphors, ideas, and dreams composed of the mental energy of all creatures. Usage: “I haven’t talked to Steve in three days, so I went into the Dreamscape to see if I could find him.”

Elder God: A Kaiju with a singular focus on changing the world in some way. Usage: “They’ve been under siege from an angry Elder God for three days. We need to go dig ‘em out.”

Erupt, eruption: The explosive emergence of a Kaiju due to buildup of emotional energy. Usage: “Please don’t yell at Jenny-Zilla. The last thing we need is for her to erupt in here.”

Fae: Celestial creatures characterized by an intense sense of community with each other and with the natural flows of the world’s energies, the Celestial counterparts to the Bogeyman. See also “Seelie” and “Unseelie.” Usage: “Yeah, we haven’t seen Jimmy since three nights ago, but the lady down the block says he got a visit from some Fae. We may have to go look for him.”

Fans: One term for the Human support structure of a Messenger. See also “Groupies” and “Followers.” Usage: “He’s nearly invincible with his fans around. He draws energy from them.”

Father: Refers to Marduk. It is said that all Kaiju and Celestials are children of both Tiamat and Marduk. Usage: “Father sent me to see what you’re doing here. He doesn’t like it when his Angels don’t talk to him.”

Feed the monster: To tend to the needs of your Kaiju form: satisfy your Hunger, obtain the object of your Focus, or just manage your Primal energy. Usage: “Look dude, it’s been a really rough day, and if I don’t feed my monster, stuff’s gonna happen, okay? So just let me get out of here.”

Fenceline: Another term for the domain protected by a Guardian, taken from the image of a sheep-dog protecting the grazing area of a flock of sheep. See also “Beat.” Usage. “Hey. Don’t spray-paint the buildings here. We’re in Uncle Wolf’s fenceline.”

Fire: Besides its normal meaning and usage, also a slang term for Primal energy. See also Go-juice. Usage: “I felt the fire take hold, so I just let it go, and waded out of town for the gravel pit.”

Flock: The people in an area protected by a Guardian. Usage: “I took a walk last night just to see how my Flock was doing. Joined a block party down at Old Reggie’s place. It was nice just to kick back.”

Followers: Another term for the Human support structure of a Messenger. See also “Fans,” and “Groupies.” Usage: “He almost doesn’t have to speak. He shows up, and his followers do all the work.”

Go-Juice: A slang term for Primal energy. See also Fire. Usage: “Man, when that guy insulted Carl and he erupted, I thought we’d never talk him down. He had a ton of go-juice in him that day.”

Ghost: A shorthand term for an Aetherial Kaiju. Usage: “Awww man. There’s that ghost who keeps scaring my old lady. Can I zap his ass, just once, please?”

Great Old One: Sometimes used to refer specifically to a handful of Elder Gods that serve Mother directly. Only a few names are known: The Kraken (also called Cthulhu), Lucifer (sometimes also called Nyarlathotep, and a host of other names), Shiva, Kali, Orochi, the Mohr Rigu. It is rumored that at least one has been awake on Earth since the time Balder erupted, but no one knows for sure, or who they would be. Usage: “Are you serious?! Lucifer is a Great Old One! You don’t talk to him like that! You’re lucky he didn’t turn you into something!”

Groupies: A term for the Human support structure of a Messenger. Usage: “I can’t attack him. He’s surrounded by groupies.”

Guardian: A Kaiju characterized by a love of protecting those who need it. Usage: “There are at least three Guardians in this city, and they won’t let us get a foothold with our protection racket. They like their people too much.”

Geased: Operating under the effect of a geas as given by a witch or warlock, but not commonly referring to training, programming, or brainwashing. Usage: “I can’t go there. I’m geased to get really sick if I enter that building.”

Giant: A Kaiju characterized by its enormous size and infantile or animalistic behaviour. Usage: “You don’t understand, I know those people, and I know there are at least six—that’s right I said six—Giants among the protestors. If you use tear-gas, you might set one of them off and I will not hang around to clean up if you do.”

Handler: Another term for the primary Human in the support structure of a Messenger. See also “Agent.” Usage: “Someone find out who Dr. Night’s handler is, I want to hire him to talk to my people.”

Home: The domain of a Construct Kaiju. Usage: “You are in my Home as my guest. I will protect you.”

Host (1), host family, host couple: The primary Human(s) in the support structure of a Bogeyman, and/or his Human form or touchstone. Usage: “Last night I learned my Husband and I were host to Green-Eyed Gretta, and she manifests through me.”

Host (2), heavenly host: A group of Angels organized for a particular task, or the larger community of Angels in general. Usage: “Brother, I love you, but I swear to Father if you don’t steer yourself right now I will call down the Host like you have never seen before.”

Hunter: A Human or Celestial (usually a Questor) whose primary function is to hunt down and arrest, slay, or neuter Kaiju. Usage: “I got bad news. A Hunter got Lord MacIntyre yesterday. He’s gone. They burned down the Moose Head Pub, too. We might be dead in the water.”

Hunting Grounds: The known domain of a True Form Kaiju. Usage: “I found three goats ripped to shreds last night. We may have to talk to the local Principality and see if we’re in someone’s Hunting Grounds.”

Inner Circle, Inner Council: The portion of the Human support structure of a Queen with great latitude and trust to help her govern her Court, second only to her Prince/Princess Consort. Usage: “I wouldn’t try to talk to her so soon after having to fight Big Fang, but I know one of her Inner Circle, so I’ll see what he can do for us.”

Kaiju: A creature whose primary mode of existance depends on the explosive processing of Primal energy. There are nine “subgenres” of Kaiju, each with a different use for their Primal energy. Usage: “There are at least a dozen Kaiju in this room right now, half of them like me, and the other half are out of damns to give, so if you like those odds, go ahead, throw that punch.”

Kid Brother/Sister: See Baby Brother/Sister.

Kingdom: Another term for the domain of a Queen. See also “Court,” and “Dominion.” Usage: “My Kingdom may be small, but I am not, and I am not in the mood to play games with you. What did you do with Jackson.”

Lawful-Stupid: A derogatory term for some Celestials who try to adhere to a rigid moral or honor standard when flexibility would serve their purpose much better. Taken from a popular role-playing game from the 70’s and 80’s. Usage: “We might have done alright if Lawful-Stupid here hadn’t challenged Solara directly.”

Little Brother/Sister: Slang term among Kaiju to refer to Giants. Usage: “Should we wake up Little Brother, or do you think we can handle this one ourselves?”

Lord/Lady: Honorific prefix most commonly used by Queens, Messengers, Dragons, and Elder Gods. Usage: “Sir, I’m given to understand that you are Lord Stargazer’s High Priest. I’ve come to ask you if you think Lord Stargazer might be willing to lend us help with a problem. You see, there are these Kaiju who roam our streets at night…”

Marked: Possessing a Mark, as placed by a Witch/Warlock or a Kaiju possessing the power Mother’s Touch. A Mark can be read by a wide variety of Kaiju, Celestials, and even some Humans. Usage: “I was at the battle of Baltimore. I carried a boat-load of refugees ashore while my friends fought off The Son of Poseidon who was trying to sink it. After the Battle, Lord Infernal, the Keeper of the Primal Hearth, marked us each as a Saviour of the Innocent. That’s how I got this mark.”

Mate: The primary Human in the support structure of a Construct. May refer to a romantic or sexual partner, or may refer to a close and trusted friend or ally, as in the Australian usage of the word. Usage: “I was going to send you on your way with provisions and the names of some of my allies in the Diaspora—until my Mate here informed me of how you treated my mechanic last night. Under my own roof, where I had granted you hospitality. Get out of my Home.”

Messenger: A Kaiju characterized by charisma and a need to resonate with the emotional energy of others. Usage: “Our sales have gone up immensely since we hired that Messenger to make appearances for us. Now if only we could keep him out of jail on drug charges.”

Mission: The domain of an Elder God. Usage: “I understand your Hunger, but while you are on my Mission, you do as I say. Now put. The kitten. Down.”

Monster: Vernacular, sometimes insulting term for a Kaiju. Usage: “I haven’t fed my monster in a while. I may have to go Walking Abroad this weekend.”

Mother: Refers to Tiamat. It is commonly said that all Kaiju and Celestials are children of Tiamat and Marduk. Usage: “I had a dream about Mother last night. She’s sending two Big Brothers to Montreal to oversee the response to the riots there. I don’t know what the hell’s going on, but it must be big.”

Nakama: One term for the Human support structure of a Construct, taken from a Japanese word loosely translating to “Band of brothers.” Usage: “I am needed on the front lines. Would you please grant my Nakama asylum until I am able to return?”

Necromancer, Necro: A Kaiju possessing the ability to manipulate the course of life and death, and/or have business with infernal creatures. Necromancy is forbidden by the Council of Wizards, though individual Kaiju may have differing attitudes. Usage: “I know we need Councilor Tobias’s help, but we absolutely cannot bring him in here. Selene is a Necro, if he sees her, he will kill her on sight!”

Neutered: Any Kaiju who has been severed from his “Tail” chakra and can no longer access his Kaiju form or powers is said to be Neutered. The process is reversible in some circumstances. Usage: “Midas is no longer a factor. He tried to take some Guardian’s Ward hostage and when the Brother caught up with him, he neutered him on the spot.”

Our Brother: Refers to Balder, the first Kaiju. Usage: “Every year I throw a shot of Blue Label back for our brother and the thousands who died. Rest in peace you souls and may Angels stand guard.”

Our Brother’s Grave: The water-tempered obsidian corpse of Balder, which still stands where the National Mall used to be. Usage: “Sometimes, when I’m about to go to bed, I go into the Aether and visit our brother’s grave. I wish it hadn’t happened.”

People: General shorthand for your Support Structure. Usage: “They’re okay. They’re my people.”

Posse: The Human support structure of a Dragon that goes with him when he walks abroad or erupts and are trusted to fight with him. See also “Coterie.” Usage: “I’m one of Greymorn’s posse, so I’d take that gun out of my face if I were you.”

Priest: One of the Human support structure of an Elder God. Usage: “I think we should consult Father Mercury. He’s a Priest of the Kraken, so he may have some good advice.”

Prince/Princess Consort: The primary Human in the support structure of a Queen. Usage: “Joey, I really really need you to stay here safe right now. If something happens to me, the Diaspora is going to want to know what, and as my Prince Consort, you are the one to talk to them. I swear to Mother Joey, do not follow me out there today.”

Prince/Princess: Shorthand and informal term for a Sacred Princess. See “Sacred Princess.” Usage: “I thought Earl was just bossy, turns out he’s actually a Prince. Who knew.”

Principality: The Primary Kaiju or Celestial who keeps an eye on a particular territory. If the local Principality is an adherent of the Diaspora, he or she will also likely keep the safe-houses and so on. Usage: "We'll be fine in town for a few days, I know the Principality of this county. He's a good guy."

Pringle: A well-intentioned Human who is trying by power of belief alone to become a Kaiju or Celestial, taken from a supporting character in a popular video-game series. Usage: “Look, Benson may be an annoying sad-sack pringle, but he’s our annoying sad-sack pringle, and he’s helped us out a lot, so don’t make his life harder, okay?”

Queen: A Kaiju characterized by intense personal authority and a drive to maintain it. Usage: “Jessie’s eyes glowed at me the other day when she confronted me about Lizzie. Do you think she might be a Queen?”

Questor: A Celestial characterized by personal strength and an ongoing drive to tackle the next adventure, the Celestial counterpart to a Dragon. Usage: “This is Mad-Dog O’Leary. He’s the Questor I hired to escort me through Mr. Slug’s haunt.”

Rampage: To erupt as a Kaiju without steering the eruption. Usage: “They arrested Frank-Zilla. He rampaged through Wichita yesterday. There were a lot of injuries, probably some deaths.”

Rescuer: A term referring to Kaiju whose primary function in battle is to preserve life. Usage: “Look, if we’re gonna do this, let me talk to a Brother I know downtown, he’s got a team of Rescuers he works with who can help us get the hostages out.”

Response team: A group of Diaspora adherents, whether Kaiju, Celestial, or Human, who volunteer with the local Diaspora Safe-house to go try to mitigate eruptions or deal with other Kaiju related incidents. Usage: "Okay, we got a response team coming in right now, when they get here, let them in the perimeter. They're going to try to talk down the two Giants while we get the civilians out."

Rider: The primary Human in the support structure of a Dragon, so close and trusted that the Dragon lets the person ride him or her. See also “Right hand;” a Rider is always a Right Hand, but a Right Hand is not always a Rider. Usage: “Penny isn’t just my girlfriend, she’s my Rider, and if you screw with her, I won’t have to step in, she’ll just tear you a new one herself.”

Right Hand: The primary Human in the support structure of a Dragon, but not necessarily a Rider. See also “Rider.” Usage: “Boys, if something happens out there and we don’t stop this guy, I want you to hook back up with Old Gary Wise. He was my Right Hand back in the day before he lost his leg, and he can get you all out of dodge. Then you regroup and contact the Diaspora. Got me?”

Sacred Princess: A Celestial characterized by wielded authority and a focus on the responsibility it entails, the Celestial counterpart to the Queen. Usage: “The Sister we’re going to see is a Sacred Princess, she owns her own restaurant, and she runs the Diaspora safe-house in town.”

Safe-House: A Diaspora-run public house for Kaiju, Celestials, and Humans. May serve as lodging, security, meeting space, storage space, or a safe place to try to manage Primal energy to avoid an eruption. Usage: “I had a basement built in with steel-reinforced concrete walls and a vault door. I plan on using it as a safe-house for my friends and others.”

Seelie: A term considered not entirely appropriate but not offensive, taken from Irish and Scottish faery lore. Depending on the context, it can refer to Fae, Fae friendly to Humans, Diaspora Fae, all Celestial creatures, Diaspora Kaiju, or Kaiju that help people. Usage: “Look, I know Mary Meadows is a scary Bogeyman, but trust me, she’s Seelie. We go way back.”

Shaman: A Celestial characterized by adept manipulation of the moods of others, for their benefit, the Celestial counterpart to the Messenger. Usage: “I know a Shaman in Pueblo who runs a counseling facility. He’s great at talking down eruptions.”

Show: The domain of a Messenger. Usage: “I don’t like going to the Rockin’ Blues Lounge. That’s Rocket-Ron’s show and he doesn’t let me drink.”

Sister: A generic term for Kaiju from one to another, or between adherents of the Diaspora regardless of species. See also “Brother.” Usage: “I got a Sister in Wagoner, Oklahoma who may know someone we can ask for help with this. Stay frosty, I’m gonna call her.”

Slasher: Slang term for a particularly bloody and violent Bogeyman, taken from popular horror films. Usage: “Okay, we got a Slasher in North Rio Terrace, family of four dead. Get the Principality on the phone, tell her I need a response team.”

Slayer: See “Hunter.”

Spirit: A Celestial characterized by harmonic existence within an ecosystem, the Celestial counterpart to the Giant. Usage: “My first eruption, I woke up in a cave by a small waterfall in Willoughby National Park. Some squirrels had brought me nuts to eat. I later found out that there’s a Spirit of the Wood that lives in that area and it was him, or her or whatever that took care of me after I crashed.”

Soldier (1): Used generally to refer to any Human member of an established military who responds to an Eruption with violence, regardless of branch, rank, rating, commission, or training. See also: Yap-dog. Usage: “Don’t try to land downtown. That place is crawling with soldiers.”

Soldier (2): Shorthand, sometimes impolite term for a Celestial who follows orders to the letter and reliably, regardless of consequences. See also: Lawful-Stupid. Usage: “You can’t negotiate with Nagi. He’s a good soldier to the end.”

Subject: One of the Human support structure of a Queen. Usage: “Of course we’re going to haggle. I’m not letting them off without some concession for my subjects.”

Steer: To maintain a certain amount of rational control during an Eruption, to minimize damage done. Usage: “I hate erupting. It’s really hard for me to steer.”

Stomping Grounds: The known territory of a Giant. Usage: “If we’re going to Pittsburg, we need to stop in and see Mantor. That’s his stomping grounds.”

Support structure: The Humans who care for the well-being of a Kaiju and have an emotional investment in him or her. See also “People.” Usage: “I’ve got an arena on this land where you can fight and work off excess fire, and rooms for your Support structure if they want to rest from your journey.”

Tail: Slang term for the zero chakra, every Kaiju’s connection to the roots of Ygdrasil and the Deep Water. Usage: “He may be small, but he’s got a hell of a tail, and Mother loves him. I wouldn’t screw with him.”

Talk down: To try to reach an erupting Kaiju with words in order to help him or her not erupt, steer the eruption, or come down after an eruption. Usage: “Man, when Sandy erupted the other day, it was all I could do to talk her down. I thought I was gonna have to walk abroad and fight her.”

Thrall: One of the support structure of a Dragon. Usage: “See? You get big enough and everybody wants to be your thrall. More gold, more problems, am I right?”

Touchstone: The Human who is most identically connected to a Kaiju. The Touchstone is the one who summons the Kaiju if summoned, or becomes him if transformed or possessed. Though they are two faces in the mirror, they are one creature. Usage: “I really like Diamond Brad, he’s a great Brother, but his Touchstone is a real asshole.”

True Form: A Kaiju characterized by a Human who un-knowingly changes shape to pursue a driving hunger. The True Form and his touchstone are unaware of each other or have no memory of each other. Usage: “I hate to tell you this, but you’re not having nightmares. Your True Form went hunting last night and stole all the panties from Sorority Row and ate them. You need to go talk to the Diaspora.”

Unseelie: A term considered not entirely appropriate but not offensive, taken from Irish and Scottish faery lore. Depending on the context, it can refer to Fae, Fae who keep to themselves, Non-Diaspora Kaiju, or Kaiju that have a notably malevolent bent. “I haven’t been back home for Thanksgiving in five years. My mom and my brother are both Unseelie, have been since the day they erupted.”

Vanir: The Norse word for the lower gods, sometimes vernacularly applied to Kaiju. Usage: “Look here Brother Vanir, I don’t care how big you get or how loud you roar, you don’t put your feet on my table. Boots on the floor.”

Ward: A Human under the protection of a Guardian. Usage: “I caught my ward tryin’ to sell drugs the other day. Marched his scrawny ass up to his grandmother and told her. After what she did, he ain’t tryin’ that shit again.”

Walk abroad: To assume one’s Kaiju form non-violently and without Eruption, to burn off excess Primal energy or to interact with other Kaiju. Usage: “I got fed up, so I went into the countryside to walk abroad a bit. Scared a few cows, but it felt good to cut loose.”

Warlock: A male witch, wielder of the power of curses and geasa. See “Witch.” Usage: “As soon as I spoke, I took a swing at him. I didn’t see he had a warlock with him, and that’s how I ended up with this geas.”

Were- : An impolite and usually annoying prefix for a True Form. Usage: “Is it true you’re a were-monkey?”

Witch: A wielder of the power of curses and gaesa. Usage: “Don’t worry. I know a witch that can undo the curse. You may have to do a favor for her, though.”

Wizard: An agent of the Council of Wizards. See also “Councilor.” Usage: “Uh, I’m counting three Wizards in the balcony and two more in front of the stage. Is there something going on here I should know about?”

World Tree: See “Ygdrasil.”

Yap-dog: A term used by Giant-sized Kaiju to describe Humans that insist on attacking them with completely ineffective weapons and showing no sign of any sense of the danger they are in from getting close. Usage: “Dammit, I’m pinned down by yap-dogs and I don’t have anything that won’t kill them!”

Ygdrasil: The Prana tube of the world, connecting all the world’s chakras with the Deep Water and the Celestial city. Ygdrasil is found in the Aether. No one has yet determined where its location in the Aether is in the real world. Usage: “Okay, there’s Ygdrasil in the distance. Everyone ready to climb?”

Zilla: Informal but culturally popular honorific suffix for a Kaiju. Commonly affixed to the first name of the Touchstone. Usage: “Bob-Zilla! Haven’t seen you in ages! How you been, man?!”

Zombie: An automaton created from a dead body by a Necromancer. See “Necromancer.” Usage: “I’ll look the other way this once, but if I so much as hear rumor of a zombie asking for coffee at the 7-11, I’m coming back to have a little chat with you.”