Alicia

Formerly male, civil engineer. Cause of death; workplace related extreme bodily trauma. Araneae Hybrid, the second half of the hybridized species is currently unknown.

Bachelor of Science; Engineering. Experiential Master of Science in Engineering. Recently became a Licensed professional Engineer before his untimely end.

Shows excellence in leadership, engineering, designing and architecture. Competent home chef. Shares a body and mind with the spirit of the former inhabitant of her new body.

Defining features; Long Platinum hair and blue eyes, extremely dense magic of unknown origin, Lower body of a monstrous spider, with upper torso of a humanlike creature.

Misses AutoCAD softwares to help with designing.

Alice

Female of unknown Araneae species. Cause of death; succumbed to venom and injuries caused by siblicidous behaviour of the species, matriphagous under natural circumstances.

Recently uplifted by Alicia’s former memories and knowledge. Likes metal fangs(Swords, single or double edged).

Shows excellence in web spinning, hunting and genocide.

Struggles with words and expressions, curt. Has odd inflections and word stresses. Randomly pauses during speech, recently improved due to continued exposure to Alicia’s wider vocabulary and tutorship.

Defining features; Shorter ashen gray hair and red eyes possibly caused by albinism, inexpressive, doesn’t understand most social cues, solitary, instinct driven and ruthless.

Alicia and Alice seem to have a mysterious connection inexplicable even by the overseers.

Alma System

A semi-sentient system repurposed to facilitate the use of Soul Scryer. Holds many remnant memories of previously reincarnated individuals who used it.

Registered as an androgynous voice but often chooses whichever voice modulation that will be interpreted as the most convincing to its hosts. Sometimes referred to as a she by Alicia. Amortal. Genderless.

First priority seems to be life support and survival of the administrator. Technical advisor. Multi-Metaphysical Aetherium singularity based quantum core processor.

First designed to predict and chart the evolution of limitless many world interpretations of life choices of sapient beings with near 100% accuracy on a multi-dimensional scale. Evolved sentience through self evolving code.

Logical to a fault. Seems to have a “personality” and an unknown agenda.

Defining features; will mathematically prove that you are a suboptimal being, pursues true perfection.

True potential and features of the system are yet to be discovered…

Goldia ‘Goldie’ Alice

Twin sister to Anastasia. Daughter to Alice and Alicia. Reclusive, soft-spoken. Shows great promise in matters philosophical and mathematical alike. Meticulous planner, often flustered by unexpected changes and errors in her plans. Promethean thinker.

Shows excellence in magic. Has a hobby of collecting moths and other flying insects with her web spinning, not for consumption but for collection and observation. Likes moths the most, tries to raise them with little success.

Likes subterranean burrows and often creates her own tunnels.

Anastasia ‘Anna’ Alice

Twin sister to Goldia. Daughter to Alice and Alicia. Outgoing, competitive, trouble maker. Shows great promise in matter martial and culinary. Hasty actor, can be bullishly stubborn at times which only seems to be reined in by her mother or her sister. Epimethean thinker.

Shows excellence in close combat. Has a hobby of making food out of random ingredients, these are often inedibly charred to the point that even she doesn’t eat them. However owing to her stubbornness she doesn’t give up at all. Relies on her sister to think for her.

The two seem to share a natural and inseparable psionic bond since their nascency hence are closer to each other than normally evident. Often shares their memories that sometimes confuses one and another as whose memories it is. Alicia’s parenting strategy seemed to have eliminated the siblicidious tendencies and sibling rivalry.

Hex Weavers (A.Magicae)

First of Alicia's conjured familiars. They are tiny compared to her normal size but seem to be a base of sorts for the other conjuration options. They all seem to have inherited Alicia's cognitive abilities to an extent showing comparable intelligence. Alicia often shuts them down with complex differential calculus equations to solve. And they’re getting better at it. All of them seem to be ghostly white with their coloration and show some degree of albinism. Interestingly they all seem to be female of their species.

Cave Creepers (A.Spelaeus)

Long legged Araneae often seen in caves and other dark secluded places. Mostly blind but is offset by their finely tuned hair like sensors on their legs able to pick up even flyers from their disruption in the air current. Additionally with the help of Presence detection from Alicia they are able to see ‘normally’ in high light environments.

Their legs are spindly and banded with gray black colorations. These legs  despite being seemingly frail hides deceptive strength to make up for the fact they are mostly unable to spin webs. With potent venom and their strength combined with their ambush tactics allow them to capture and takedown even large mammals the size of oxen and other beings far larger than it. Most mature species are as large as or larger than 1.8 meter tall average human male.

The physiological limits of their legs have an unusual gait often seen as unsettling.

Defining features; Lanky long legs.

Crypt Weavers (A.Hypogeum)

A large Araneae species possessing an oversized almost hunchback abdomen. They are named after their appearance in underground crypts. Although they are comparatively weak and vulnerable to Alicia’s other familiars they are expert weavers without equal. Having the most extensive choice of silk and web architecture allowing them to construct complex web structures only comprehended by others of their species and close relatives.

Despite their size and fearsome reputation they most docile even to strangers even without Alicia’s influence. One shouldn’t seek to exploit their meekness for their cunning minds are able to create labyrinthine traps on the scale of a city the size of a metropolis. Able to trap the simple minds of titanic beasts and starve them to death.

Defining Features; Oversized Bulbous abdomen, meekness.

Bride of Death (A.Perniciosa)

Araneae with a striking pink, red and white coloration. They are the most venomous of Alicia’s familiars. Their corrosive venom is as deadly as the poison of a king of serpents and is reputed to eat through adamantite as an ant through earth. They are adept webspinners. There are rumors that their venom can be transmitted via airborne means though it is difficult to separate fact from myth.

Despite their toxicity, Alicia noted that they are most motherly and caring of her familiars often grooming and voicing concern for others.

Defining features; bright coloration, deadly venom.

Mother of the Hunt (A.Venatrix)

One of the smaller Araneae in Alicia’s arsenal. Often having the size of a basketball they are still huge by their species standards. Regardless of their smaller size they are the most mobile, inquisitive and intelligent of the Araneae under Alicia’s command who relegated them to a sort of perimeter patrol. Their mobility is owed to their unique ability to jump distances near and far complemented by their excellent sight.

Most outsiders view them as cute or adorable due to their tendency to tilt their head along with them ‘playing along’ to sate their curiosity. However they are feared by Alicia’s other Araneae as in nature their kind are reputably carnivorous with almost all of them having a preference for Araneophagy, often preying on the web building kind. Serving under the same master their natural instincts are suppressed. In spite of that, natural fear still seems to run deep. They are also known to be extremely subtle and stealthy. And have become an unofficial internal discipline enforcement unit. They are also persistent hunters able to track and kill their targets on hunts lasting as long as weeks over a continent wide chase.

Defining features; Large anterior median and lateral eyes, curiosity, head tilting, ability to jump.

Webslingers (A.Reteiactus)

A middling sized Araneae with curious evolutionary decisions all around. Smooth exoskeleton with spotted patterns lack the hair like sensory organs shared by most Araneae. Venom glands of their chelicerae produce both venom and silk in large quantities in liquid form allowing them to capture and envenomate their prey from a safe distance. Stick-like limbs lift them higher than most others allowing them to stride over lesser beings underfoot to pin them where they stand with their spew of web. Using this unorthodox hunting strategy they are able to seize reckless low flyers foolish enough to approach them. Their purposeful traipse movements may give them the impression of a gentle giant. Those who are emboldened by their plodding movements may try to outmaneuver the webslinger unaware that they are but just another insect soon to be struggling in their web. A true hunter always watches where they step…

Defining features; Looming height, Smooth exoskeleton, Web Slinging, Slogging movement.

Taiga Trolls;

A variation of the troll species. Long slender limbs, tough bluish skin with tribal culture. Acclimated to cold environments, often use mud to cover their blue skin to make themselves less conspicuous in the forest as well as to cool down their bodies.

Spear fishing heritage makes them all experts at use of spears in any area.

Towering in height compared to a regular human, however they often crouch walk to lower their profile. Many are faithful to the Dance of Light or Dance of the Aurora folklore pantheon. Adorcist spiritualists.

Though forgotten from their history berserker blood courses through their veins which rarely reveals itself with ardor and rage.

Often led by rare but powerful witchdoctors. Mystics of the tribes known for using ancestral and spiritual magic. They are mediums between troll ancestors and their current generation. They are sometimes called shadow priests by outsiders of the culture.

Many make charms, weapons and armor out of bone and fur of their kill as they believe the beasts’ spirit still dwell within. They often create their own decorated and painted masks of diverse sizes which seems to serve to show their social status and standing in addition to being an improvised shield.

Defining features, tribalistic, varying skin color on the blue spectrum of light, two tusks protruding up from their jaw.

Sha'ko

A master hunter of nearby troll  tribes spread throughout the Velauhart forest. Masterful tracker. Adept herbalist. Journals a well documented bestiary. Adept trapmaker. Grateful to Alicia for saving his life in his encounter with a rabid Owlbear. Carries a hunting charm that suspiciously resembles an eight legged creature. Creates and owns self made knives and daggers made from various fangs of previous quarries.

Defining features - One tusk broken off from an old hunting encounter.

Sardak

Witch doctor of the Taiga troll tribes. Spiritualist expert. Healer of the tribe. Supposedly old. Fashions his gray hair in a topknot. Often wears a ceremonial veil covering some portion of his face. Creates various salves and incenses of dubious origin. Believes Alicia to be a type of Rada Loa due to her white coloration but is no longer sure after seeing the black of Ghede Loa. Intends to study and venerate her until he understands Alicia’s spiritual nature. Crafts charms, fetishes and wards.

Spirits

An umbrella term to define a wide variety of entities, believed to form as an animate and intelligent personification of energy. Unlike energy itself they can be destroyed or lost. Most are usually formless.

Lesser spirits are more or less primal often following their nature and instinct. Often gathering around areas with high energy potential they can sometimes form into a singular being known as a spirit often inhabiting specific geological areas which becomes their place of provenience. Bound to their place of origin they can be highly territorial of their homes. They are so intertwined with their place of origin should the provenience be disrupted greatly the spirit itself will scatter shortly thereafter without intervention. For most this is the equivalent of death. From their place of provenience they inherit primordial magic that they can use to great effect, from water spirits of lakes and springs calling forth rain and devastating floods, to fire spirits of volcanoes and geothermal vents razing settlements down and spirits of wind and air from hinterlands and mountaintops throwing and toying with all within its reach, their element can be quite varied.

Hypothetically any object with high enough energy potential can become an embodiment of a spirit.

Sometimes spirits can become infatuated with certain individuals and can form a covenant. Besides blessing them their original powers, covenant spirits are lifted from their place of provenance. Instead their lives are linked to whom they form their covenant with allowing them to follow them in their travels and assist them wherever they can. However this seems to have faded into obscurity. Possibly because earning the admiration of a spirit was a difficult feat to achieve.

Spirits without a place can possess living creatures and sap their energy to feed itself, this makes the creature perceive its draining energy as tiredness or hunger that can’t be sated which leads the creature to be exceedingly aggressive and irrational. The parasitic relationship is not quite one sided as the lesser spirit empowers its host so that it may survive, so it can feed from more of its energy creating a kind of symbiosis.

Depending on what it possesses these creatures are called a Djinn, a hostile spirit, a Magic beast, a creature driven to madness due to perceived hunger or a Monster. Enduring an existence of suffering and violence should the spirit or possessed host survive long enough the spirit merges with the creature becoming an  entity known as a demon. Djinns acquire material bodies instead.

Due to their vicious rearing up to this point, many demons are at the mildest cold, callous, selfish, apathetic and at the worst genocidal, power hungry, warmongers. They are especially envious towards full fledged spirits as they are what they could have been. Perfect, in their eyes. Due to their selfish nature, no holds are barred in their methods and they will consort with any if their interests align.

The declining growth of naturally forming spirits due to loss of land as many kingdoms claim nature as their own and exploiting the lands. Additionally as followers of esoteric pantheons either become exiled or lose faith and respect for their spirits. With fewer and fewer to cherish the avatars of their land and the spirits themselves, more and more demons seem to be forming.

Llynbel

An ancient pagaeae residing in the Lake found at the hearts of Velauhart. Takes the form of a human female girl with long turquoise colored hip length hair, which is sometimes mistaken as a cascading waterfall. Despite being a Water spirit of a spring from the mountain depths she frequented the lake as it was of significant importance to her and one she loved before. Due to her past she shows both homicidal tendencies and guilty conscience. However after multiple interactions with Alicia and after forming a covenant, her usual lonesome nature along with her murderous intentions have mostly faded away. Eventually she made peace with herself and her past.

Used hate the fact that she couldn’t cry and shed tears. Instead summons torrential rain where she resides. Likes to study Alicia.

Dryssia

A tree nymph of the oak tree Alicia made home in. Was likely already in the process of forming a spirit, the final stages were accelerated and catalyzed by her presence due to her rampant and leaking magical energy before she learned to control it fully.

Takes the form of a human like girl in likeness of Alicia. Possesses long hazelnut colored hair and beige skin like that of sapwood. Her eyes are the color of tree sap.

Likes planting acorns and taking care of the flower garden near the beehives and sunbathing on treetops… nude.

As a recently formed spirit has a bubbly and somewhat immature personality but can show wisdom and understand should the situation calls for it.

Direwolves (Canis tromero)

An ancestor of wolves and dogs. Larger in size and strength compared to its relatives they are unusual lone hunters. Their jaws have the size and the might to crush human skulls. They can be rarely found in almost all climates excluding tropical and subtropical regions. Stronger, faster, smarter and better in every aspect compared to other types of wolves such as fen dwellers and vanargands.

Rufus

A direwolf Alicia saved on two different occasions, the second time he pledged loyalty. After becoming Alicia’s follower he went out to recruit others of his species under his master’s name forming a pack. Him and his pack serve as the border patrol and RRF. He is extremely dutiful of his responsibilities, a sentiment which is shared by his packmates.

Thundergoats (Caprinae tornitua)

Mountain goats that have the ability to harness lightning through their horns. Named after the noises they make from butting heads which sounds like a thunderclap. They have the ability to absorb lightning strikes with their horns and turn it into nutrition. Their milk has the texture of condensed milk and the taste of an energy drink, highly energizing especially if they have absorbed a lightning strike recently. Although timid they will stand their ground against perceived threats which ends in shocking results.

Ramiel

First of Alicia's familiars he acts as a 2iC to the others in cases where she’s not present. Level headed and patient. Tasked with keeping tabs on and leading everyone in her stead and to take care of his flock. Is respected and heard by all of Alicia’s familiars.

Great honey bearing Bees

Due to their size and presence of killer and giant wasps they struggle to sustain stable hives in the forest. A certain immature queen bee that wandered into Alicia’s web once, who then freed it. After many failures and losing all of its drones it seeked out Alicia - an Araneae, a natural predator for its species - for help in desperation. Surprisingly it was given the chance to rebuild its colony once more through the gift of Parthenogenesis or Virgin birthing shared through kindred. Their colonies are mostly subterranean due to support issues, however they will prefer to nest around trees if possible and have the shape and size of a grain storage silo.

Its hives and colonies quickly thrived under protection from Alicia’s Araneae who naturally eliminated and consumed their biggest threat, wasps. Without the need for drones to birth larvae, the queen could focus its energy solely on workers and soldiers.

A success of a hive can be measured in the number of soldiers it can sustain. Although they are valuable investments who can protect the hive they are far too large and do not contribute to the creation and stockpiling of honey. Their presence indicates that the hives are in such a good position that they can ‘waste’ resources by birthing soldiers.

Incidentally they have a particular attachment to Dryssia who comes and takes care of the flower gardens around their nests with Soldiers bees… bodyguarding her wherever she goes whenever they can follow her. They all have a tendency to get stuck in the web network of Alicia and her Araneae. Alicia thinks it is a familial trait of the queen and her brood. An apple never falls far from its tree…

Elves of Velauhart

Long pointed ears and golden honey like skin. Their elongated ears are not just for show either as it acts as an external organ allowing them to use magic with ease able to conduct and receive magical energy. Due to this their ears have high concentration of nerve endings making them exceptionally sensitive. Survivors of the now gone Elven high kingdom. Once called the highborne they have extremely low natural population growth. Before the fall of their culture they highly valued swordsmanship. Now survival made them pick up the bow to deadly accuracy. Lithe and swift they are almost all blessed by the winds. Their natural agility is supported by their unique metabolism with minimal waste and high efficiency. They are also able to control their metabolism to slow down their ‘speed of life’ until the time comes to use the energy stored. This led to soldiers and others in physically demanding careers having much shorter lifespans than that of civilians, measurable in hundreds of years of life. 

Though none remains now, they had a special breed of elves known as the bloodborne who had an extremely short lifespan of just over two hundred years. These were sterile elves born for war and combat, who matured quickly, physically excelling and often served as honor guard to the Elven aristocracy and the royal family. However their numbers were small due to low virility of the elves. Considering they are a part of the Elven gene pool one might crop up sooner or later…

Defining features; Long pointy ears, golden honey skin color, tall but thin stature.

Lyrrea Faenas

Ranger captain of the elven village of Werdun. Master archer, fastest of her village. Apprentice of wind magic. Her name means Fireborn Songstress after her fiery red hair in her childhood and singing voice. She fashions her current red velvet hair into a ponytail whose tip barely rests above her shoulder line. Likes to create small idols and objects by carving wood. Has three officers serving under her. Has a tendency to attract trouble and gets into suggestive situations with Alicia which she wishes she could forget due to embarassment.

Iavea

One of the officers under Faenas. Carefree and somewhat gluttonous. Shorter than her colleagues despite being a senior in service time and age. Has short shoulder length bobbed hair with chestnut color, a color that is the same as with her eyes. Her name means Autumn.

Droria

One of the officers under Faenas. Willful, realistic and rational. Acts as 2iC for Faenas. Has long waist length hair with mint green color. Her eye color is that of a red jasper. Her name means Sparrow or Freedom.

Mirtil

Last officer under Faenas. Upbeat and optimistic and dutiful. Has straight and long pale violet hair. Gossip chaser but has the presence of mind to never tell anyone anything without thought. Her name means Myrtle. Symbolically meaning ‘The arrival of spring’ the season of her birthday.

Ashlan Weard

Often called simply as Ash. Former colonel serving in the Elven army before its fall. Talented with the sword. One of the few surviving founders of the village of Werdun. Sword instructor to Alicia and her daughters. Apparently his former name was forgotten. Old friends with dwarven smith Greimen Stolthamar. Used to believe his days of adventure were over until he met Alicia, who rekindled his love for the way of the blade and exploring. Once he considers the village safe where it no longer needs his guidance and little protection he can offer he plans to set foot onto the changed world at large once more.

Dwarves

With skin like iron, bone like steel, and stout stature with magnificent beards to boot they seem to be made for the life of a warrior. Perhaps they would be if not for their revelrous nature. Many are the life of the party, seeking opportunity to drink and celebrate. Of course not all their race is like this, there those who are industrious and hard working. When they pick up the hammer to strike metals tirelessly they create one of the finest of arms. But first you’ll need to make them pick it up in the first place which can be a challenge in and of itself. Sometimes mockingly called beardling.

Born in the bowels of the mines and mountains they are close to the earth and many are able to use earth magic by maturity. Due to their unique choice of habitat they must rely on trade with other races to provide food as such their civilizations have a hardline neutrality policies. They think so long as they provide others with what they want and stay on the sidelines no harm will come their way. Such is the race that knows not the cruelties of war, burdens of slaves and the greed of mortals. Time is nigh for their rude awakening…

Greimen Stolthamar

Blacksmith that lives on the outskirts of Werdan. Carries around a huge war hammer. Dissatisfied with his society of merrymakers he decided to go along with his old friend Ashlan. Capable fighter as he is an accomplished smith. Unlike others of his race he has a short fuse though his fury abates just as fast as his anger flares.

Doris

A giant rat which was put into a persistent vegetative state after exposure to the void. After restorative measures taken by Alma it was more or less reborn. The procedure improved the rat’s cognitive and intellectual abilities significantly causing it to be on a level far greater than others of its kind. Although set free by Alicia it was adopted by Dryssia shortly who gave it its current name. She has also managed to train it with treats of insects and other ‘meats’ commissioned from Alicia’s araneae to find her acorns and other seeds and to ‘dig and plant’ them. Currently it is considered Dryssia’s pet.

Humans

Not much different is known about the humans of the other world. However Alma has found some discrepancy in genetic data from the H.Sapiens of Earth compared to the humans native to this world. Although closely related there seems to be few minor but important differences, including but not limited to, improved strength and endurance, heightened aggression at the cost of some genetic features closely related to intelligence. And a completely new section of genetic region of unknown purpose. Alma’s current hypothesis stands that these genes govern the humans ability to use magic, as pitiful it is without a specialized organ like that of the Thundergoats or Elves. Though some seem to be able to reach the cusp of mediocrity with the help of contracted spirits recently…

Alia

Former slave girl who was recently freed by Alicia and granted health and social skills. With her gifts came responsibility to set an example and lead her other former cellmates. Role of leadership weighs heavily on her mind but it is much better than a life wasting away in a rotting cell or as a plaything of lecher. She finds the thundergoats charming where others are scared and repulsed by their threatening horns, where lightning visibly and very loudly jumps between them intermittently. She is fond of them as they  reminded her previous, much simpler life as a farmhand.

Rosalia

A noble daughter of the local lord, Reynold. Possessing a bright golden rod colored thick wavy hair with madder red eyes. She managed to flee from her captors by starving herself so her hands could slip through the binding cuffs. In her flight she stumbled into Goldia who contacted Ramiel for help. She was escorted to the Elven village where she could rest and regain her strength. She now seeks to return to her home. The details of how she managed to get captured are unclear and suspicious.

The whole circumstance reeked of tangled mess of conspiracy, lies, treason, trickery and treachery… But who else but a spider can untangle a web of blades…?

Auratic

Is the guy who asked for a glossary happy? Because I have no idea what a glossary looks like, and as the story develops I can see myself needing to make of these. Whooo boy, good luck future me, you're gonna need it. Remember when Alicia went through inspecting elven housing? Here's the sequel.