Dreams Do Come True Chapter XXIX: Glossary, a rwby fanfic

Glossary

It occurred to me during the publishing process that people might not know all the words that I used in DDCT. In fact, I had a number of people ask me questions about words—thinking I had used them incorrectly—as well as admitting they had to look them up. This is perfectly understandable as there are many things that I name which are uncommon in our daily life. Not only am I providing the proper names for things that people sort of recognize but don't know the names, along with going against conventional (incorrect) knowledge learned from pop-culture, but I'm also using words that have fallen out of common use.

I hate being imprecise, so I'd rather give up writing than having to dumb down my work for others. Language is very important, and I use particular words to match not only the context, but the characters. How Weiss speaks and how Nora speaks was done for a reason, for example; Weiss is an upper-class young lady who is well educated and has spent her entire life in the same circles, whereas Nora has no education (past what Ren taught her), thus speaking in low-born fashion—in tandem with her strong-woman archetype. Yang is a modern teen girl excited to be away from home, Ruby is a young teen who is still clinging onto pre-teen habits, etc, etc.

I finally came to the conclusion that I should include a glossary of terms, as that would help people to better understand what I wrote. Furthermore, I made many changes to the canon of RWBY—names of locations, schools, weapons, Semblances, bodies of water, and new locations—so hopefully this will help those who become lost.

This will be updated as I go through DDCT this year, but please feel free to tell me if there are other words and terms that should be included.

Akrotiri: a major port city in the south of the Kingdom of Mistral. It is key for the importing and exporting of goods with other Kingdoms such as Menagerie and Vacuo. The name was taken from the Cycladic Bronze Age city on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini (Thera).

Albion: the capital city of the Kingdom of Vale. The name of the city is also the poetic or literary term for Britain or England.

Anazititís Asterión: a Starseeker; a practitioner of Vóreios Astéras.

Arming Sword: also known as a "Knightly Sword", is a straight, double-edged, one-handed cruciform sword, with a blade length of around 70 to 80 cm (27.4 to 31½ inches). It is referred to as an arming sword because it is meant to be wielded along with a shield, thus used with one arm. This is also why it's called a "Knightly Sword", as it conjures the image of a Knight. This is what Jaune's Crocea Mors is, with other historical examples being the Sverð (Viking-Era sword). Non-European and non-cruciform examples are the Japanese Katana, though it is a curious weapon, as while it weighs the same as an arming sword and has the same blade length, it as a single-edged sword meant to be wielded with two hands. More comparable examples are the Chinese Jian.

Armoured Division: also known as a tank division, is made up of six armored battalions, each with 58 tanks, and three Cavalry squadrons, each with 27 tanks. This comes to 429 tanks.

Artillery Battery: a cluster of artillery guns and crews made of six to eight guns.

Atlassian Sea: the body of water that divides the Kingdoms of Atlas and Mistral, which lies between Atlas' southeastern coast and Mistral's northwestern coast.

Azincourt: Jaune's hometown to the northeastern part of Vale. The name is taken from the French commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France, where the famous battle between the French and the English took place in 1415.

Barbuta: also called a "Barbute", is an Italian visorless helmet, forming a "T" or "Y" shaped opening for the eyes and mouth. There were visored versions, the most famous being one with crosses cut into the cheeks, though there are debates on authenticity of such helmets, despite there being examples from the 15th century—when the Barbuta originated. This is Jaune's helmet.

Battalion: a unit of 2-5 companies, ranging between 400-1,200 men, and led by a Lieutenant Colonel.

Billhook: originally a one-handed farming implement bearing similarity to the sickle, though with considerably less of a curve, it was turned into a polearm much like a halberd. Over six feet in length and added spikes, this is one of the most common weapons in the medieval period, but tends to be ignored in pop culture. This is Allen's weapon.

Binder: the part of the cigar that encases the filler tobaccos. The binder serves as a conduit for a smooth, consistent burn, as well as maintains a cigar's structure and density.

Blanche Town: Ruby and Yang's hometown on Patch Island. The name was taken from Little Red Riding Hood's real name, Blanchette.

Blazon: a shield that bears a heraldic device, such as badges, banners, and seals, within a coat of arms and achievement.

Boss (of a shield): a large bowl-like stud on the centre of a shield.

Bowie Knife: one of the most famous knives of all time. A Bowie knife (BOO-ee) is a pattern of fixedblade, clip-point fighting and survival knife created by Rezin Bowie in 1830 for Jim Bowie, who had become famous for his use of a large knife at a duel known as the Sandbar Fight, and died fighting with it during the Alamo. The size and length of the knife varies 5–12 inches (13–30 cm) for the blade with an overall length of 12–18 inches (30–46 cm), though most agree that a normal knife sized Bowie is not a Bowie.

Breeches: short trousers fastened just below the knee, now chiefly worn for riding or as part of ceremonial dress.

Brigade: also called a regiment, is a unit of 3 battalions, ranging between 2,000-8,000 men, and led by a Brigadier General or Colonel.

Brigandine: segmented metal armour plates that are riveted to fabric in order to form a cuirass. This was a very popular piece of armour, especially amongst archers.

Broadhead: a flat, triangular, steel arrowhead with sharp edges.

Buckler: French bouclier 'shield', from Old French bocle, boucle 'boss', is a small shield, up to 45 cm (18 inches) in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. While being used in Europe since antiquity, it became more common as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Its size made it poor protection against missile weapons (e.g., arrows) but useful in deflecting the blow of an opponent's weapons, binding his arms or hindering his movements. This is what Olivier's gauntlet turns into.

C2 Station: or "command and control", is the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commander over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission.

Cap (of a cigar): the top of the cigar which you are meant to cut off or pierce through in order to draw air through to smoke the cigar properly.

Capelet: a short cape usually covering just the shoulders.

Carrier Air Wing: an operational naval aviation organization composed of several aircraft squadrons and detachments of various types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

Cavalry Scabbard: also called a saddle scabbard, is a type of gun bag that is attached to a saddle. This was originally used for mounted military to safely carry their carbines, though was also used by civilians, and nowadays used by hunters in more mountainous regions.

Centrefire: firearms that use metallic cartridges that have primers set in the centre of the base for the hammer or striker to hit. This is the standard of all munitions since the late 19th century, whereas rimfire was the previous popular standard. As the name suggests, the priming powder was filled in the rim of the base of the cartridge; the only remaining common cartridge made in this type is .22 (short, long, and magnum).

Chape: also called a drag or shoe, the metal end of the scabbard to protect the sword's point.

Chappe: also known as the rain-guard, is a piece of leather fitted to just in front of the crossguard of European swords of the later medieval period. The purpose of this leather is not entirely clear, but it seems to have originated as a part of the scabbard, functioning as a lid when the sword was in the scabbard. By the 15th and 16th century, they became metal.

Charge: a device or bearing placed on a shield or crest. These are what the show refers to as an "emblem", though only Jaune and Weiss' have meaning.

Chaveta: Spanish for "key", is a crescent-shaped piece of steel used by a cigar roller in a cigar factory to cut a wrapper leaf to size. A cigar roller also uses such a device to help shape the head of a cigar. A custom in cigar factories is to slap the flat of the chaveta against the wooden rolling board, akin to applause. Some chavetas have handles, where others are just the blade.

Chiavarina: a longer version of a boar hunting spear from the 15th century made for war.

Cigar Guillotine: or more simply known as the guillotine or the cutter, is an apparatus that allows the roller to measure and precisely cut their cigar to the exact specifications of the vitola (cigar shape) before pressing. This is not to be confused with a guillotine-style cutter, which is used to cut the cap of a ready cigar for smoking.

Cigar Mold: the form used in cigarmaking to give shape to a finished bunch. It is a form with slots that approximates the size and diameter of the cigar being made. After a mold is filled, the top half of the form is placed over it and the mold is taken to a manual (or automated) hydraulic press. The bunches are usually pressed for 30 to 45 minutes, with the mold given a quarter turn at intervals to prevent tobacco ridges from forming where the mold halves meet. At this point, some factories also put the cigars on a special machine known as a draw tester to suck air through the cigar and check the draw. Traditionally made of wood, many cigar molds are now made from plastic.

Cigar Press: a press used to give cigars their permanent shape. Hand powered presses are used to help give the shape to cigars that go into wooden or plastic molds. These presses are either vertical or horizontal. The horizontal ones are arranged between roller and buncher, so workers don't need to get up from their stations to get cigars. This practice was developed in the Dominican Republic. Some larger factories use a pneumatic system to power the press instead of a hand crank. Hand presses are also used to make trunk pressed cigars, which are squared off on the edges. (These cigars are commonly, and erroneously, called box-pressed cigars.) Larger, hydraulic presses are employed in the tobacco packing area to create tobacco bales.

Cigar Punch: a small sharpened ring or tube to punch a hole in the cap of a cigar, and is one of the three most common methods of cigar cutting. These can be a separate tool, though the vast majority of cigar punches are incorporated in cigar lighters, usually at the bottom. Not recommended for chisel, torpedo, Presidente, or pyramid shaped cigars.

Colt Single Action Army Revolver: one of the most famous pistols ever made, the Single Action Army (SAA) was a .45-calibre revolver, and was the standard sidearm of the United States Army from 1873-92, with some use occurring as late as the Second World War. The more famous model was the civilian "Colt Frontier Six Shooter" released in 1878, and was chambered in .44-40 Winchester, purposely done to complement the Model '73 rifle made by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. This model is known today as the "Peacemaker".

Colt-Walker: the Walker model is a large frame cap and ball revolver in .44 calibre, released in 1847, and served with the United States military from 1847-65. While initially designed by Samuel Colt, his meeting with Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker of the Texas Rangers, who made important observations about the weapon, altered the design. Upon Captain Walker's death, Colt changed the model name to the "Walker Model", though today is referred to as the "Colt-Walker". This is a very big revolver for its time, and contained 50g of black powder behind each shot; .50-calibre muskets of the same time period were loaded with 70-80g. In Captain Walker's own words, "They are as effective as a common rifle at one hundred yards, and superior to a musket at two hundred".

Compartment: a design placed under the shield, usually rocks, a grassy mount (mount vert), or some sort of other landscape upon which the supporters are depicted as standing. Care must be taken to distinguish true compartments from items upon which supporters are merely resting one or more feet, or, sometimes, mere heraldic badges or pure decoration under the shield, and, conversely, care must also be taken in very unusual cases such as the coat of arms of Belize, in which what may be taken to be a crest, the mahogany tree rising above the shield, is really part of the compartment. It is sometimes said to represent the land held by the bearer. As an official part of the blazon it is a comparatively late feature of heraldry, often derived from the need to have different supporters for different families or entities, although sometimes the compartment is treated in the blazon separately from the supporters.

Corbels: a projection jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it.

Couters: also spelled "cowter", is a piece of plate armour to protect the elbows. Initially just a curved piece of metal, as plate armor progressed, the couter became an articulated joint.

Crenellations: the defensive teeth-like structures atop castle battlements. The protruding segments are called merlons and the gaps are called crenels. They would provide protection for archers as well as gaps for them to shoot through.

Crest: a component of a heraldic display, consisting of the device borne on top of the helm. Originating in the decorative sculptures worn by knights in tournaments and, to a lesser extent, battles, crests became solely pictorial after the 16th century (the era referred to by heraldists as that of "paper heraldry"). Examples of crests were birds, lions, hands, and other symbols, and can be of considerable size—as big as the helmet itself. Examples are Jaune's double arc and Weiss' snowflake.

Cuirass: a piece of armour that is formed of a single or multiple pieces of metal or other rigid material which covers the torso. The word originates from the original material; leather, from the French "cuirace" and Latin word "coriacea". The use of the term "cuirass" generally refers to both the chest plate (or breastplate) and the back piece together. Whereas a chest plate only protects the front, and a back plate only protects the back, a cuirass protects both the front and the back.

Cuisses: a form of armour worn to protect the thighs; the word itself is the plural of the French word for "thigh". While the skirt of a mail shirt or tassets of a cuirass could protect the upper legs from above, a thrust from below could avoid these defenses. Thus, cuisses were worn on the thighs to protect from such blows. Padded cuisses made in a similar way to a gambeson were commonly worn by knights in the 12th and 13th centuries, usually over chausses, and may have had poleyns directly attached to them. Whilst continental armours typically had cuisses that did not protect the back of the thigh, English cuisses were typically entirely encapsulating, due to the English preference for foot combat over the mounted cavalry charges favoured by continental armies. Cuisses could also be made of brigandine or splinted leather, but beginning around 1340 they were typically made from steel plate armour. From 1370 onward they were made from a single plate of iron or steel.

Desideratum: something that is needed or wanted.

Destrier: a Knight's warhorse; always stallions.

Device: an emblematic or heraldic design. These are what the show refers to as an "emblem", though only Jaune and Weiss' have meaning.

Dipylon Shield: a Greek shield used between 1100-700 BC. It appears to be similar to the Aspis shield except with two cuts on opposite sides. They are between 1.10 and 1.50 meters in diameter, meant to cover the entire body, and would protect the upper thighs and shoulders. Dipylons were also meant to be used in formation combat. This is what Pyrrha's shield, Akoúo, is.

Division: a unit of 2-3 brigades or regiments, ranging between 7,000-22,000 men, and led by a Major General.

Donjon: the highest or innermost tower of a castle. This was originally where high value prisoners were kept, as it was the hardest place for invaders to reach if a rescue attempt was made. Over time, this location became the very bottom of a castle, deep underground. The name was kept and over time became "dungeon", and is near universally used for underground prisons.

Doublet: a man's short close-fitting padded jacket, commonly worn from the 14th to the 17th century.

Escutcheon: a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word is used in two related senses. First, as the shield on which a coat of arms is displayed; second, a shield can itself be a charge within a coat of arms. Escutcheon shapes are derived from actual shields used by knights in combat, and thus are varied and developed by region and by era. As this shape has been regarded as a war-like device appropriate to men only, British ladies customarily bear their arms upon a lozenge, or diamond-shape, while clergymen and ladies in continental Europe bear theirs on a cartouche, or oval.

Though it can be used as a charge on its own, the most common use of an escutcheon charge is to display another coat of arms as a form of marshalling. These escutcheons are usually given the same shape as the main shield. When there is only one such shield, it is sometimes called an inescutcheon.

Faulds: are pieces of plate armour worn below a breastplate or plackart to protect the waist and hips, which began to appear in Western Europe from about 1370. They consist of overlapping horizontal lames of metal, articulated for flexibility, that form an apron-like skirt in front. When worn with a cuirass, faulds are often paired with a similar defense for the rump called a culet, so that the faulds and culet form a skirt that surrounds the hips in front and back; the culet is often made of fewer lames than the fauld, especially on armor for a horseman. The faulds can either be riveted to the lower edge of the breastplate or made as a separate piece that the breastplate snugly overlaps. Although faulds varied in length, most faulds for field use ended above the knees.

Festival de Colores y Especias (Festival of Colours and Spices): a major summer festival that is held in Paraíso to celebrate the Summer Solstice and unification of Vacuo.

Filler: the very center of a cigar. Filler tobaccos can greatly enhance the flavor a wrapper delivers, and show off a cigar-maker's talent for blending leaves from different fields, crop years, and regions. Distinct transitions of taste can amplify a cigar's complexity, or reveal a more uniform profile. The density of a cigar's core tobaccos can determine whether you experience a cooler, looser draw, or a slower-burning, firmer pull.

The Flat: the flat sides of the sword blade.

Flotilla: from Spanish, meaning a small flota (fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.

Foot (of a cigar): the bottom portion of a cigar and where you're meant to ignite the exposed section, called the tuck.

Frame: also called the receiver, is the part of a firearm which houses the action and to which the barrel and other parts are attached.

Fuller: a groove cut out of swords to lighten them without greatly altering the structural integrity. This has also been called a "blood groove", but is incorrect, as it does not aid in allowing the blood to run off the blade. Any swordsman worth their salt would clean their blade as soon as possible with a cloth, and then re-oil.

Fuscina: a three-pronged spear, more commonly known as a trident. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. The trident is the weapon of Poseidon, or Neptune, the God of the Sea in Greco-Roman Hellenism. The trident may occasionally be held by other marine divinities such as Tritons in classical art, as well as by gladiators called Retiarii. Tridents are also depicted in medieval heraldry, sometimes held by a merman-Triton. This is one of the forms of Neptune's Ionio.

Gambeson: a padded jacket or tunic, covering the trunk and thighs, and worn under, or occasionally over, mail or plate armour. The gambeson was made from linen, or sometimes silk, padded with wool, cotton or other soft material, and quilted. It was also sometimes worn alone as an alternative to mail or plate armour if the former were not available or could not be afforded.

Gauntlets: a variety of glove armour made of metal plates which protected the hand, wrist, and forearm of a combatant.

Gawton: Amber's hometown on the eastern coast of Vale.

Glyphen des Berglords: Glyphs of the Mountain Lord, the heretical Semblance of the Schnee Family. This was renamed to something more interesting.

Grand Huntmaster: the highest ranking Huntsman in the Kingdom who leads all Huntsmen. He runs the Secondary Huntsmen Academy, oversees the other Huntmasters of the Primary Huntsmen Academies, works with the heads of the military in the deployment of Huntsmen, and sits on the Council.

Greatsword: is a straight, double-edged, two-handed cruciform sword with a length of around 150 to 175 cm (60 to 70 inches)—that's six feet from point to pommel! In pop culture, the greatsword is much smaller than their real life counter parts, which is mirrored in the vast majority of replicas sold the world over. They are so large in fact, that they're more of a polearm than a sword. Yes, it looks like a sword and has all the characteristics of a sword, but its length makes conventional sword techniques near impossible to execute—including drawing it from the hip. This is why there is an unsharpened section of the sword just in front of the hilt called the ricasso (the weak), as well as Parierhaken (parry hooks). This allows the wielder to half-sword in one-on-one combat, though the sword's initial purpose was to counter pike formations.

Examples of greatswords are the German Zweihänder, Schlachtschwert, and Flammenschwert, with non-cruciform examples being the Japanese Ōdachi (though it is arguably a warsword), as well as the Nagamaki, which can also be considered a polearm given the blade's normal length but with exaggerated tsuka length between 2-3 feet.

Greaves: pieces of armour meant to protect the shins and calves.

Guard: also called stances, are engagement postures in swordsmanship and other martial arts. Examples of longsword guards are Ox Guard, Fool's Guard, Roof Guard, Plow Guard, Tail Guard, High Guard, Wrath Guard, and Longpoint. Some stances can be done with arming swords whilst wielding a shield such as High Guard, Tail Guard, and Middle Guard (closest stance to Plow Guard). Jaune's stance is Tail Guard, whereas Pyrrha's stance is a modified High Guard with a hanging parry.

Guillotine-cutter: the most common cigar cutter, which is made of two crescent moon blades with ring handles, joined together to form a hole where one can slip in a cigar to cut the cap.

Gunnarsberg City: a major city in Atlas to the east of the capital, Mantle.

Guthook: a highly specialized feature on the tip and point of certain knives, designed to open the belly of a downed deer, elk or other critter; the notion being the hook will make the task easier. The inside of the hook is bladed in order to catch onto the animal's skin and cut as it is pulled away or towards the wielder. Seatbelt cutters function under the same principle.

Half-swording: the technique of gripping a sword's bare blade with your off hand whilst gripping the hilt with the other. This was done in very close combat, as well as striking opponents with the crossguard as if it were a club. Such a technique was meant for armoured opponents with helmets, and was useful, for it earned the name "Mordhau" or "murder stroke" in German swordsmanship. While gripping a bare blade can be relatively safe, so long as one does not slide their hand, it is recommended to perform half-sword techniques whilst wearing gauntlets, unless the sword has an unsharpened ricasso.

Hands: an ancient unit of length, now standardized at 1 hand = 4 inches (10.16 cm) and used today primarily for measuring the height of horses from the ground to the withers (top of the shoulders).

Heartwood: the dense inner part of a tree trunk, yielding the hardest timber. In archery, it lay in the belly of the bow and resisted compression.

Heater Shield: or heater-shaped shield, is a form of European medieval shield, developing from the early medieval kite shield in the late 12th century in response to the declining importance of the shield in combat thanks to improvements in leg armour. The term is a neologism, created by Victorian antiquarians due to the shape's resemblance to a clothes iron. An example is depicted in the great seal of Richard I, and is Jaune's shield.

Smaller than the kite shield, it was more manageable and could be used either mounted or on foot. From the 15th century, it evolved into highly specialized jousting shields, often containing a bouche, a notch or "mouth" for the lance to pass through.

Helike: the capital city of the Kingdom of Mistral. The name was taken from the ancient lost city-state of Helike that was submerged by a tsunami in the winter of 373 BC. The ruins are in modern day Achaea regional unit on the northern coast of the Peloponnesus peninsula of Greece.

Helm: the helmet or helm is situated above the shield and bears the torse and crest. The style of helmet displayed varies according to rank and social status, and these styles developed over time, in step with the development of actual military helmets. In some traditions, especially German and Nordic heraldry, two or three helmets (and sometimes more) may be used in a single achievement of arms, each representing a fief to which the bearer has a right. For this reason, the helmets and crests in German and Nordic arms are considered to be essential to the coat of arms and are never separated from it.

Open-visored or barred helmets are typically reserved to the highest ranks of nobility, while lesser nobility and burghers typically assume closed helms. While these classifications remained relatively constant, the specific forms of all these helmets varied and evolved over time.

In ecclesiastical heraldry, bishops and other clergy use a mitre or other rank-appropriate ecclesiastical hat in place of a helmet.

Henry Repeater: also known simply as the "Henry Rifle", is the rifle created by Benjamin Tyler Henry in 1860, and chambered in .44 rimfire. This rifle was one of the greatest jumps in firearms technology, and while it did turn heads, it was its set-up for the Model 1866 (aka the Yellow Boy)—the result from the glorious union of Oliver Winchester's business prowess and Nelson King's brilliant but simple gunsmithing—to take the West and the world by storm.

Heraldic Achievement: an achievement, armorial achievement, heraldic achievement, or hatchment in heraldry, is a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled. An achievement comprises not only the arms themselves displayed on the escutcheon, the central element, but also many other elements such as the crest, the mantling, the helm, etc.

High Temple of Astrofengiá: the largest temple of the most prominent religion in Remnant, Vóreios Astéras. It was built over two thousand years ago, and has housed the head of the Starseekers, the High Presbyteros. The current High Presbyteros is Vartholomaíos I.

Horn (of a saddle): a hornlike prolongation of the pommel of a stock saddle, meant to be gripped by the rider to either mount or dismount the horse.

Huntmaster: the head of a Huntsmen Academy. Changed from Headmaster because it's obvious.

Huntmaster-General: the unique title for the head of the White Army and Ýdalir Academy. He oversees all members of the armed forces of Atlas (soldiers and Huntsmen), and sits on the Council of Atlas with two seats. He must be both an officer and a Huntsman.

Indexing: the correct rotating of the cylinder of a revolver before firing a round by cocking the hammer. This moves the cylinder chambers into alignment with the barrel, allowing the bullet to be fired through the bore safely.

Inferno: Yang's motorcycle. The name was changed to something more fitting and something that Yang would have naturally come up with.

Ionio: Neptune's rifle/fuscina trident. The name was taken from the Ionian Sea, located south of the Adriatic Sea, which touches the south-eastern coasts of the Italian provinces of Calabria, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicilia, and the western coasts of Albania and Greece. This name was chosen long before the 2019 retcon of Tri-Hard".

Jerkin: a man's close-fitting jacket, typically made of leather.

K'iina Ha': the capital city and oldest settlement of the Republic of Menagerie.

KAAS: the official prefix for air vessels of the Kingdom of Atlas—Kingdom of Atlas Air Ship.

KASS: the official prefix for naval vessels of the Kingdom of Atlas—Kingdom of Atlas Sailing Ship.

Keep (of a castle): the strongest or central tower of a castle, acting as a final refuge.

Ker-Is: a major southern city in Vale. The Primary Huntsman Academy of Pharos is located here, and where Team CFVY originate.

Kite Shield: a teardrop type of shield used by the Normans. It has been regarded as the greatest of the shields for its robust defensive capabilities, as unlike most shields, the kite shield can easily protect the user's legs. This is Lawrence's shield.

Knuckle Guard: the large sweeping that protects a rapierist's knuckles. Other swords such as sabers and cutlasses, have the knuckle guard as a thick solid bar.

Kókkinos Ílios Sea (Red Sun Sea): the body of water that divides the Kingdom of Mistral and the nation of Menagerie, which lies between Mistral's southern coast and Menagerie's northern coast.

Lang Ocean: the large body of water that separates the Kingdoms of Vale and Mistral. The name is a reference to Scottish poet and novelist, Andrew Lang (1844-1912), who compiled twenty-five volumes of fairytales called "The Lang Fairy Books".

League: an ancient unit of length with many variants, though now standardized at 1 league = 3 miles.

Locket: the metal piece at the throat of the scabbard, which can also bear a carrying ring or stud to attach the sword to a sword belt or baldric.

Locri: Neptune's hometown on the northern coast of Vacuo, and taken from a Calabrian town.

Longsword: a straight, double-edged cruciform sword with a blade length of around 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 inches). Depending on the strength of the wielder, along with the length of the handle (6 to 11 inches), it can be used either one-handed or two-handed. Longswords are a large category of swords, covering the subcategories such as the bastard sword (swords that fall between arming swords and average longswords), and warswords (longer and heftier longswords that can still be carried and wielded as swords, and fall between longswords and greatswords).

Examples of the longsword are the Roman Spatha, though the vast majority of examples are cruciform swords with long blades and longer quillons, such as Gandalf's Glamdring. Non-European examples are the Japanese O katana. This is Octavia's sword.

Lowland Sword: also called a "Lowlander" and "Slaughter-swords", is a straight, double-edged, two-handed cruciform sword with a blade length of 122 cm (48 inches) and overall length of 174 cm (68½ inches). Weighing at over six pounds, the weapon falls into the greatsword category, though missing the typical parry hooks and unsharpened ricasso for half-swording.

Machicolations: (in medieval fortifications) an opening between the supporting corbels of a projecting parapet or the vault of a gate, through which stones, arrows, or burning objects could be dropped on attackers.

Mantle: from old French mantel, from mantellum, the Latin term for a cloak, is a type of loose garment usually worn over indoor clothing to serve the same purpose as an overcoat. Technically, the term describes a long, loose cape-like cloak worn from the 12th to the 16th century by both sexes, although by the 19th century, it was used to describe any loose-fitting, shaped outer garment similar to a cape.

Mantling: is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry, it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the elements, and, secondarily, to decrease the effects of sword-blows against the helmet in battle, from which it is usually shown tattered or cut to shreds; less often it is shown as an intact drape, principally in those cases where clergy use a helmet and mantling (to symbolise that, despite the perhaps contradictory presence of the helmet, they have not been involved in combat), although this is usually the artist's discretion and done for decorative rather than symbolic reasons.

Martini Action: the Martini Falling Block Action, was designed by Friedrich von Martini, who improved the original action by Henry O. Peabody. The Martini–Henry is a breech-loading single-shot lever-actuated rifle that was used by the British Army. It first entered service in 1871, eventually replacing the Snider–Enfield, a muzzle-loader converted to the cartridge system. Martini–Henry variants were used throughout the British Empire for 47 years. It combined the dropping-block action with the polygonal rifling designed by Scotsman Alexander Henry.

Maul: a medieval warhammer, though can also be a type of wood-splitting axe.

Merlons: the protruding tooth-like segments of the battlements of a castle, located on the tops of walls and towers.

Monastic Scapular: a length of cloth suspended both front and back from the shoulders of the wearer, often reaching to the knees. Monastic scapulars originated as aprons worn by medieval monks, perhaps as early as the 7th century in the Order of Saint Benedict, and were later extended to habits for members of religious organizations, orders or confraternities. Monastic scapulars now form part of the habit of monks and nuns in many Christian orders. This is not to be confused with a devotional scapular, which is a pendant meant to remind practitioners of their religious vows.

This is the garment that fantasy paladins are commonly seen wearing, which usually is mistakenly called a "tabard".

Motto: in heraldry, a motto is often found below the shield in a banderole; this placement stems from the Middle Ages, in which the vast majority of nobles possessed a coat of arms and a motto. In the case of Scottish heraldry, it is mandated to appear above the crest. Spanish coats of arms may display a motto in the bordure of the shield. In heraldic literature, the terms "rallying cry" respectively "battle banner" are also common, which date back to the battle cry, and is usually located above the coat of arms.

Nail (Side Quillon): an extra quillon that protrudes from either the left or the right side of the crossguard; usually found on swords like the German Grosses Messer and Kriegsmesser.

Naós: a temple for the religion of Vóreios Astéras.

Nock: either the notch at the end of an arrow meant for holding it to the bowstring, or to fit an arrow to the string of a bow.

Order: an order is a visible honour awarded by a sovereign state, monarch, dynastic royal house or organisation to a person, typically in recognition of individual merit, that often comes with distinctive insignia such as collars, medals, badges, and sashes worn by recipients. Modern honour systems of state orders and dynastic orders emerged from the culture of orders of chivalry of the Middle Ages, which in turn emerged from the Catholic religious orders.

Other armorial objects and devices–such as badges, banners, and seals–may also be described in the blazon.

Page: a boy in training for knighthood, ranking next below a squire in the personal service of a knight.

Paladinism: a religion started roughly 700 years ago in Vale. One who believes and worships the Paladin of Light, also known as the Great Lancer. The tale goes that long ago, a Knight left for dead against a horde of Grimm, wielding only a mangled lance, prayed to the Light before making himself ready to die. In his hour of need, lightning came from the Heavens and struck his raised lance, forging it anew. Shining with the brightness of the Sun, the Knight charged on horseback, laying waste to every Grimm; his new lance of Light never failing to hit its mark. He then rode back to his King, taking other scattered cavalrymen with him, and with great strength, rescued the besieged castle, saving Albion from Darkness.

Palfrey: a docile horse used for ordinary riding, especially by women.

Paraíso: the capital city of the Kingdom of Vacuo; Spanish for "Paradise".

Parrying Dagger: a category of straight one-handed daggers up to 19 inches (49 cm) long, and sometimes more. These weapons were used as off-hand weapons in conjunction with a single-handed sword such as a rapier. As the name implies, they were designed to parry, or defend, more effectively than a simple dagger, typically incorporating a wider guard, and often some other defensive features to better protect the hand. They may also be used for attack if an opportunity arises. Types of parrying dagger are the main-gauche (French for "left hand"), the sword breaker, and the trident dagger.

Pauldrons: sometimes spelled pouldron or powldron, is a component of plate armour that evolved from spaulders during the 15th century. Pauldrons cover the shoulder area, and tend to be larger than spaulders, covering the armpit, and sometimes parts of the back and chest. A pauldron typically consists of a single large dome-shaped piece to cover the shoulder (the "cop") with multiple lames attached to it to defend the arm and upper shoulder. On some suits of armour, especially those of Italian design, the pauldrons would usually be asymmetrical, with one pauldron covering less (for mobility) and sporting a cut-away to make room for a lance rest.

Plackart: also spelt placcard, planckart or placcate, is a piece of medieval and Renaissance era armour, initially covering the lower half of the front torso. It was a plate reinforcement that composed of the bottom part of the front of a medieval breastplate. They were predominantly worn in the 15th century. Sometimes they were worn with a metal finish, while the top part of the cuirass was covered in material (often velvet), the difference in finish making a contrast. The plackart stopped at the natural waist, and metal plates, much like a skirt, were attached to the bottom of the plackart. These were called faulds, and protected the hip and the groin.

Point: the tip of the sword and other blades.

Poleyns: also known as "genouillere" was a component of armour that protected the knee. The specifics of poleyn design varied considerably over that period. The earliest poleyns were strapped over mail chausses. Fourteenth century and early fifteenth century poleyns usually attached to padded leggings or plate cuisses. During the fifteenth century poleyns developed an articulated construction that attached to the cuisses and schynbalds or greaves. A characteristic of late fifteenth century Gothic plate armour was a projection that guarded the side of the knee.

Pommel: 1) a rounded knob on the end of the hilt of a sword. 2) The upward curving or projecting part of a saddle in front of the rider and below the horn, also called the swell.

Postern: a small back or side door, primarily meant as an escape route out of a castle, and were often concealed.

Prásino Vivlío: the holy text of Vóreios Astéras religion, also called the Green Book.

Quarterstaff: a stout pole 6–8 feet long, formerly used as a weapon.

Quillon: the crossguard, or cross-guard, is a bar of metal at right angles to the blade, placed between the blade and the hilt on cruciform swords. The crossguard was developed in the European sword around the 10th century for the protection of the wielder's hand, but also to get a better grip on the sword. Crossguards were straight metal bars, sometimes tapering towards the outer ends. While this simple type was never discontinued, more elaborate forms developed alongside them, and could be waisted or bent.

Rapier: or "Espada ropera" (Dress Sword), is a sharply-pointed single or double-edged, one-handed Spanish sword, though was popular in Western Europe, both for civilian use (dueling and self-defense) and as a military side arm, throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. The average length of the blade is 104 cm (41 inches), and contrary to popular belief, is no lighter than an arming sword or even certain longswords. The confusion was born from fencing épées or foils, which weigh half as much or even less than real rapiers (300-770 g), making them more akin to small swords. Another misconception is that rapiers are very flexible. This is also drawn from fencing and prop swords, when in reality rapiers are entirely thrusting weapons, which have very rigid blades. This is Weiss, Diego, and Team RROI weapons, though the show incorrectly modeled Myrtenaster as a side sword.

Recurve Bow: is one of the main shapes a bow can take, with limbs that curve away from the archer when unstrung. A recurve bow stores more energy and delivers energy more efficiently than the equivalent straight-limbed bow, giving a greater amount of energy and speed to the arrow. A recurve will permit a shorter bow than the simple straight limb bow for given arrow energy, and this form was often preferred by archers in environments where long weapons could be cumbersome, such as in brush and forest terrain, or while on horseback.

Recurved limbs also put greater stress on the materials used to make the bow, and they may make more noise with the shot. Extreme recurves, such as the medieval shortbow, make the bow unstable when being strung, and broke considerably more often than longbows after extensive use.

Rerebraces: sometimes known as "upper cannon", is a piece of armour designed to protect the upper arms above the elbow. As part of the full plate armour of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, the rerebrace was a tubular piece of armour between the shoulder defences (spaulder or pauldron) and the elbow protection (couter).

Ribbon: where the order is placed around the escutcheon.

Ridge: if the sword is double-edged and has a blade with a diamond cross-section, it will have a central ridge that runs along the middle of the blade until just before the point. The point marks the end of the blade and can be rounded.

Riposte: a quick return thrust in swordsmanship, usually after a parry.

SEPIRB: the Submarine Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon or SEPIRB, is a radio signaling device used for locating a submarine in distress. The SEPIRB is stored onboard the submarine, and at the time of the emergency, is retrieved from storage and launched. The submarine may be surfaced or submerged at time of launch.

Sabatons: also known as a "solleret", is part of a knight's body armor that covers the shoe or boot.

Sapwood: the soft outer layers of recently formed wood between the heartwood and the bark, containing the functioning vascular tissue. In archery, it retained tension in the back of the bow.

Scabbard: a close-fitting cover for a sword or knife made of wood or metal. Not to be confused with a sheath, as sheaths are made of softer materials such as leather.

Schloss: the German and Austrian (and their former territories) term for a palace or great manor without defensive battlements to repel invaders. They are considered Neo-Gothic and Scottish Baronial style. All castle-like features are purely aesthetic.

Scutum: a rounded rectangular shield used by the Legionnaires of the Roman Empire. Its design was meant to be used in formations such as Testudo, though other shields in similar cultures like the Greeks were used in this fashion. This is Octavia's shield.

Shellac Wax: a resinous substance (obtained from the lac insect) melted into thin flakes, used for making varnish. In the 18th century, it was used to seal letters.

Shortsword: a one-handed sword that is roughly two feet in length. Such examples are the Greek Xiphos, the Roman Gladius, the Italian Cinquedea, the Hanger Hunting sword, the French Artillery shortsword, and the Japanese Wakizashi.

Sigil: an inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power, also used as an older term for a sign or seal.

Solar Throttle: Yang's Semblance, which was originally called "Burn". It was renamed to something more creative and something that Yang would come up with.

Spatha: is a straight, double-edged, hand-and-a-half or two-handed sword, with a blade length between 50-100 cm (19.7-39.4 inches), with a handle length of between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 inches). They were used in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD, both in the gladiatorial arena and in the field.

Squire: a young nobleman acting as an attendant to a knight before becoming a knight himself.

Straight-cutting: one of the three common methods of cutting a cigar, and without question the most popular. Performed with a guillotine-style cutter, the very top of the cigar cap is cut, though one must take care to not cut into the shoulder, for the cigar may unravel. This is the most versatile of cutters, and can cut any shape cigar.

The Strong: also known as the "forte", refers to the part of the sword or foil where the blade is strongest, just above the hilt. Depending on the sword type, the strong can be half the blade or three quarters of the blade before the point. In fencing, the forte is used to execute a parry against the foible of the opponent's blade.

Sumpter: a pack animal, such as a mule, a donkey, or a horse.

Supporters: sometimes referred to as attendants, are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up in heraldry. The figures used as supporters may be based on real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or other inanimate objects. There is usually one supporter on each side of the shield, though there are some examples of single supporters placed behind the shield, such as the imperial eagle of the coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire.

The context of the application of supporters may vary, although entitlement may be considered conditioned by grant of a type of augmentation of honour by admission in orders of chivalry or by heraldic authorities, such as in the case of traditional British heraldry.

Sweepings: the curving metal bars in swept-hilt swords like rapiers and side swords that aid in protecting the hands.

Swept Hilt: the general term for the style of hilt used for rapiers and some side swords. More decorative than a standard guard and hilt, it joints the traditional crossguard with curved pieces of metal to protect the swordsman's hand more so than a typical knuckle guard. They are intended to be stylish as much as they are functional.

Sword-Carriage: also known as a "Sword Frog", is a device made of leather that carries a sword. It is attached to the sword belt, where the sword (in its scabbard) is slipped into a loop and tightened into place. Weiss carries Myrtenaster in a sword-carriage.

Sword Flourish: to spin or twirl a sword meant to intimidate an opponent.

Tank Battalion: a unit of four tank companies, which are made of 14 tanks each and two Headquarter Tanks, equalling to 58 tanks.

Tapestry: a piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving coloured weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging or soft furnishing.

Three-fingered Draw: also known as the "Mediterranean Draw", is a bow drawing method where the archer uses three fingers to draw back the bowstring. The index finger is placed above the fletching, where the middle and ring fingers are placed below. This method is the preferred draw for higher-poundage bows in the warbow category.

Thumb Draw: also known as the "Mongolian Draw", is a bow drawing method where the archer uses only the thumb to hook the string. The thumb goes under the fletching and is wrapped with the other fingers to secure the archers grip.

Thunderforce: Nora's Semblance, renamed from "High Voltage". The name is in reference to the Rhapsody song, "Holy Thunderforce", and is something more akin to what Nora would have come up with.

Torse: In heraldry, a torse or wreath is a twisted roll of fabric laid about the top of the helmet and the base of the crest. It has the dual purpose of masking the join between helm and crest, and of holding the mantling in place.

University of Albion: the major place of higher learning in Vale for non-Hunting related fields, situated in the capital city of Albion.

University of Helike: one of the oldest institutions in the world, situated in the capital of Mistral. Not only is a place of learning of non-Hunting related fields, but also houses the Great Library of Mistral, which is the largest archive in Remnant.

Upper Receiver: one of the two halves of a receiver in the AR-15/M-16 family of firearms. In a two-piece type firearm, the upper carries the barrel and the bolt, while the lower carries the firing mechanism and the magazine.

V-cutting: one of the three common methods of cutting a cigar. The cutter is designed similarly to a traditional guillotine cutter, and it creates a wedge or V shape in the cap of the cigar, giving it the look of an arrow's nock. While it can cut pointed capped cigars such as torpedo and presidente, the result will be one of the most constricted draws possible. V-cutters are also called wedge-cutters and cat's eye cutters.

Vambrace: also called "forearm guards", are tubular or gutter shaped armour for the forearm. They are worn as part of a suit of plate armour that are often connected to gauntlets. Vambraces may be worn with or without separate couters in a full suit of medieval armour.

Vegetable Resin: a natural and neutral paste for cigar wrappers and heads; vegetable resin has no flavor, smell, or color therefore it leaves little to no residue on a finished cigar.

Vertical Loom: an apparatus for making fabric by weaving yarn or thread. Vertical countermarch looms have one jack for each shaft and they sit vertically in the center of the countermarch frame.

Vóreios Astéras: the name of the oldest and main faith of Remnant, which translates to "North Star".

Warbow: a bow with a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds. Averages vary depending on region, though the most famous are the English longbows at 200 pounds.

Warsword: also known as an "Épée de Guerre" (literally French for "sword of war"), is a straight, double-edged, hand-and-a-half and two-handed cruciform sword with a blade length of around 95 to 110~ cm (37 to 43~ inches)—and even longer. This is an uncommon sword classification due to it being confused with longswords and greatswords. Technically speaking it is still part of the longsword family (which includes bastard swords; the intermediate between arming swords and longswords). It is not however a greatsword, but replicas have been sold with the title of greatsword. The subcategory of longsword is the largest of the longswords before becoming a greatsword.

Examples of the warsword are Aragorn's Andúril, the French Estoc, the Italian Spadone, the Spanish Montante (debatable), and the Scottish two-handed Highland sword (incorrectly called a claymore). This is Lawrence's sword.

The Weak: also known as the "debole", refers to the weakest part of the sword, starting from the point, depending on the blade type and taper.

Wrapper Leaf: the outer leaf of a cigar that envelops the interior tobaccos.

Xiphos: is a double-edged, one-handed Iron Age straight shortsword used by the ancient Greeks. It was a secondary battlefield weapon for the Greek armies after the dory or javelin. The classic blade was generally about 45–60 cm (18–24 inches) long, although the Spartans supposedly preferred to use blades as short as 30 cm (12 inches) around the era of the Greco-Persian Wars. This is what Pyrrha's sword, Miló, is.

Ýdalir: the Secondary Huntsman Academy of the Kingdom of Atlas. The name is taken from the dwellings of the Norse God of Archery, Ullr; translates to "Yew-dales".

Yīqiān Gè Lièrì: Chinese for "Thousand Burning Suns", and Sun's Semblance, renamed from "Via Sun". This is in reference to his father commenting that when Sun fights, it's "like the force of a thousand suns", which also serves as a pun.