These are some of the terms that might pop up in the Morochey'verse.
Morochey
Morochey is what the practitioners of the Crystal Arts are called. They have the ability to use elemental powers by focusing on special Morochey Crystals. When they use the crystals, they shape-shift into their elemental forms. Morochey sometimes refer to non-practitioners as Normals.
Morochey Crystals
There are two types of crystals; Pure crystals, and Elemental crystals. All Morochey Crystals come from space. Some fell from space long ago, and mixed with The World's elements- those are the Elemental Crystals. The newly fallen crystals are called Pure Crystals, and there is only a short window of time before they mix with the elements that surround them. When a Pure Crystal is used by a Morochey, it becomes linked to him, and allows him to use the Elemental Crystals to shape-shift into elemental form.
The World
Although The World is similar to earth, it is not the earth. It also has a few unique surprises of its own. The World has a name, but it is taboo for Morochey to say; for everyone else, it's simply considered bad luck.
The Wars
A recent conflict that spanned the whole World. There were Morochey Warriors on both sides. The evil ones were called shadows, and the good ones simply kept their traditional name and were called Morochey. Since the beginning, there were small conflicts throughout The World. The Wars were a final effort by the Morochey to rid the world of the Shadows at once, and end the scattered conflicts.
Clans
Traditionally, the political structure of the Morochey was arranged into clans. This is so not only because sensitivity to Morochey Crystals accumulated with successive generations, but also because the finer points of The Crystal Arts were often closely guarded family secrets. Midway through The Wars, the clan structure began to give way to other political structures based on land, alliances, or simply the need to govern large groups of people accumulated from countless dying clans. Nevertheless, clan origins are a point of pride among Morochey, especially so among traditionalists.
Brawling Tournaments
Shortly after The Wars, Morochey began to use their talents in small tournaments for practice and sport. The growing trend eventually attracted investors looking to televise these spectacular displays of talent. Their popularity exploded, and spread like wildfire over the following decade. The Morochey Championship Tournaments rose head and shoulders above the rest, as they recruited the best talent from the smaller tournaments, and took great care to meet and exceed Sky Watch regulations. Their name soon became synonymous with the Brawling Tournaments of the present day.
Sky Watch
A government agency, first formed by the Morochey Alliance near the end of The Wars. Their primary job, in the beginning, was to monitor near celestial activity and predict meteor falls, to help make sure Morochey Crystals didn't fall into the hands of the Shadows. As The Wars came to an end, the agency's sphere of influence expanded, as more responsibilities were delegated to them. Today they represent the Morochey Alliance in the regulation of the use of The Crystal Arts. Some consider many of their enforcement tactics too intrusive and secretive. Sky Watch considers them unfortunately necessary.
Insights of Oracle
Insights of Oracle is the Morochey holy book of legends. Oracle is the pen-name given to the several ghost-writers throughout history who compiled the poems and fables within. Full reproductions of the original texts are hard to come by nowadays, and are far outnumbered by reprints of the abridged versions distributed by the Morochey Alliance. However, the original versions are carefully kept, and distributed internally by the existing clans that still maintain them.
The Morochey Alliance
Formed as an allied force to oppose the Shadows during The Wars, The Morochey Alliance was first intended to be disbanded once peace was achieved. Though several clans did leave the Alliance after The Wars, The Morochey Alliance did not disband, and remained the central authority over the sovereign states ruled by the clans within it, and The Crystal Arts within their jurisdictions.
Shadows
The enemies of The Morochey Alliance during The Wars, Shadow was a catch-all term for those Morochey who abused their powers. They were characterized by practicing risky techniques that pushed The Crystal Arts to their limits, often with disregard for morality in their pursuit of power. Most Shadows held Normals in disdain, and it was not uncommon for Normals to be second-class citizens, or even slaves, in states ruled by Shadows.
Normals
Anyone who cannot use The Crystal Arts is referred to as a Normal. Most Normals consider the term to be mildly offensive, if used in certain contexts. Though these feelings of offence were once contained to those people who were under the rule of the Shadows, it is now spreading among the masses, as the Morochey fall out of favor in everyday society.
Independent Cities
A sovereign city that is not part of the Morochey Alliance. These cities remain neutral, but many have no love for Alliance intrusion on their small area of authority. Independent Cities are allowed to do nearly anything within their borders, except merge with other cities, or make war against the Morochey Alliance. Because of this, laws can vary drastically from one city to another. Additionally, it can be extremely hard for the Morochey Alliance to extradite fugitives from some cities, making such places a haven for lawbreakers.
The City-State Treaty of Year 5043
In order to avoid another war, a small concession was made by the Morochey Alliance. The City-State Treaty of 5043, signed by the Morochey Alliance and several Independent Cities, allows these cities to govern themselves by their own laws, without interference, on the condition that they don't organize with other Independents for the purpose of political or military resistance against the Alliance. Additionally, if a lone city commits an act of war against the Alliance, then it is no longer recognized as a valid Independent City.
Sensory Shields
Morochey who become extremely attuned to their powers may also have extra sensitivities to certain sensory stimuli. Depending on their specific situation, they may suffer from oversensitive hearing, vision, taste, smell, or touch. Sensory Shields are devices or medications that help to modulate the senses, and prevent over-stimulation. Devices can be as simple as a pair of sunglasses to block out extra light, or as complex as sound-modulating computers built into earphones. Medications wear off over time, and are generally taken in pill or salve form. Research has also been done to develop primitive neurological implants, but these things were still in the development stage at the end of The Wars. It's said that the fabled sixth- and seventh-senses can be magnified in the same way as the traditional five senses, but scientific research on this subject is difficult due to its spiritual nature.
