by Michael Battaglia
Note to new readers: I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum and try to strike a balance between information and too much information, but I maintain that the stories themselves are the best places to discover this stuff. This is just a resource in case you're stuck on something obscure.
I should also note that this isn't comprehensive by any means, it's just to give the average person a basic "starter" knowledge of what you're walking into. Any and all of this information could change at any time if I come up with a better idea (although the majority of it has remained stable for quite some time, so the chances of that are slim).
That said, let's go.
Oh yeah, and none of it is alphabetical. Deal.
Tristian Jacart - host of the Agents; a stand-up guy.
Joseph Brown - Commander (second in command) of the Time Patrol; friend and comrade of Tristian's, they even went to school together, although they weren't friends back then.
The Agents - four billion year old energy beings created by the LORDS to interact and interfere (although to what extent is never said). Comprised totally of energy and able to alter it on a fundamental level, they are capable of, in Tristian's words, "anything they want, as far as we can conceive". There were three, but apparently there's only two. The whereabouts and fate of the third are unknown.
"Host of the Agents" - term for the person or persons that the Agents are attached to. Hosts are chosen at the moment of birth, typically someone who is born at the moment a previous one dies and remains a host for life. What this actually entails is unknown, it's not known exactly what benefit the host or the Agents derive from this setup, although it's been suggested that the host serves as a focus or anchor for the Agents to allow them to better interact with the Universe at large. In times past the three Agents each had their own host, currently there is only one (Tristian), shared by two of the Agents. Why this is, is not known.
LORDS - tamers of the chaos and overseers of reality, in a nutshell. The current cycle of the Universe is that it grows old and collapses when spent, the resulting influx of energy leading to the birth of a new Universe. The LORDS steered the chaos and channel it into something coherent. Typically appearing as three beings, they tend to speak as one, in their rare appearances. Unimaginably powerful, they're about as omnipotent as they come, although not infallible, as it seems. Direct creators of the Agents, the Naxgul, and Canoxet (which comprises a loose "family) as well as the trons, the first General and the Time Patrol.
Universe - term that describes the entirety of reality, encompassing all of the dimensions.
Dimension - term to describe a block of reality; it helps if one pictures the dimensions as large cubes floating in a void, connected by stringy tunnels that allow travel from one to another. Some dimensions are more accessible (the Prime dimension) than others (Legoflas, the UnderEarth). Dimensional travel is not easily done and few beings can manage the rigors without problems, with even conventional teleporters experiencing difficulty (the common term is "dimensional plug", a metaphorical barrier).
Laser sword - simply put, a special type of weapon that is known to cut through just about anything, physical or energy based. It's origins are unknown and it's not commonly seen. It's presence most often either denotes the carrier as a host or a Dark Rider . . . neither of which can be very comforting, though other types of bearers are possible. It's said that the color of the blade can depict the wielder's skill level if one knows the system, but that's not confirmed.
The Naxgul - eyes and ears of the LORDS, to put it loosely, they generally appear as a weird cross between a bird, a pterodactyl and a person, although it's known if they always look like that. The first of the LORDS' servants to be created, there are two of them, one a greenish color and the other a brownish hue. The former seems to have more of a whimsical personality and his thoughts don't appear to be linear, while the other is a bit more acerbic, to say the least. Incredibly powerful, they can turn invisible, teleport themselves and anything else (like say, your brain out of your head) and block others from teleportation. They can also seal off dimensions if necessary, to prevent beings from getting in or out.
Canoxet - best described as a living weapon, originally created to be the bane of the Slashtir as part of the LORDS' plan to kick them out of Legoflas. Rarely seen these days, it may act as needed muscle. Not extraordinarily intelligent but possessed of great cunning and can be very unpredictable.
The General (I) - a type of robot (though that's not really the proper term) created by the LORDS as a type of master tactician, having the ability to see how events were going based on the actions of the people involved. Not much is known about him, as he entered into an agreement with the trons to create a second version of himself. The reasons for this action are unknown but apparently upon discovery that the trons were going to make the new creation loyal to themselves, the General blew himself up to keep the new General safe and to destroy the trons.
The General (II) - created by the trons and different from his predecessor in that while he could also perceive the directions that events were heading in, he was more likely to manipulate situations to his advantage and act on them. To this end, he was put in charge of the Time Patrol and was responsible for shifting its purpose from combating time crises to a sort of covert peacekeeping force, a purpose which remains in place to this day.
The trons - a group of six robot-type beings also created by the LORDS. Whatever their original purpose was is unknown and it's possible they were merely a plant to be stolen away by rogue elements of the Time Patrol, who kept the trons when they were exiled to Legoflas. Sometime later the trons killed everyone in the city, thus solving the problem of the rogues. One of the few beings that can permanently kill a Time Patrol soldier, all six rarely appear at once. Their purpose is enigmatic and they tend to locate themselves in Legoflas, sometimes serving as guardians of the city, although it's said that the presence of the General is all that keeps them from killing everyone again. It seems they would like the General back but won't raise a hand against him, leading to a rather tense form of truce.
The Time Patrol - a paramilitary organization whose original purpose was to deal with crises in the timestream, a problem that become less frequent as time went on. Several members of the Time Patrol organized a revolt and stormed the city of the LORDS, managing to blow the doors open. The LORDS quickly quashed the revolt, exiling the ringleaders out of the timestream and sending everyone else to Legoflas, where it's possible they co-existed with remnants of Slashtir that still lived there, although this isn't confirmed. They were all later slaughtered by the trons, ending that incarnation of the Time Patrol. The Agents took control of the second incarnation on orders from the LORDS, but leading wasn't their primary focus and the organization faltered. When the second General arrived on the scene, he was given control and quickly steered the group to a fast-moving more military based purpose, focusing on less cosmic threats. The group is based in Legoflas and tends to move about through use of time cabinets, which can travel in time, but are most often used simply to move from dimension to dimension. All Time Patrol soldiers have regenerative abilities, including the ability to recover from death, although it's not possible to come back from total disintegration.
Renegades - blanket name for the men who were responsible for organizing the Time Patrol's revolt. As punishment the LORDS exiled them out of time and space, a void which apparently changed them into ethereal creatures that have the ability to drain time from anything around them, especially living beings. Seen extremely rarely, once in a while they manage to break back through into this reality, normally through a passing Time cabinet. Most don't seem to remember their former lives, although it can be said that nobody has really engaged in prolonged conversation with them.
Legoflas - city set in a pocket dimension, it appears to exist in an endless ocean and is ringed on all but one side by a sort of sheer rock wall, like the city is sitting inside an empty volcano that has sunk. There are also three statues that are set at the entrance from the ocean, it's not known if those were already there or were placed there by the city builders. It's also possible that the statues are alive. The city was built at the beginning of time by the Slashtir and was meant to be their capital city. For unknown reasons the LORDS decided they'd rather use the city and manufactured an excuse to chase them out, using Canoxet as a "bane of the Slashtir" to force them to flee. The Slashtir went to another dimension and were never able to regain the city and even today its existence is mostly just a myth or a rumor, an echo of former glories. The original Time Patrol was exiled here before being killed by the trons and later the second incarnation of the group was based here, especially under the General's leadership. The city is set above the water on large columns, with platforms resting on the columns and bridges of various sizes linking the parts. Much of the city remains unexplored and it's still dangerous, mostly because the trons still lurk around in it. They attempted to take the city by force at one point and parts were ruined as the General fought back against them. Now an uneasy truce exists but no one is certain for how long.
Slashtir - an alien race of unknown origin, mostly known for being the original builders of Legoflas. After leaving the city they moved to another dimension, this one consisting of large patches of land floating in empty space. They're set up as a mostly feudal society with the larger bits of land ruled by lords, all of whom report to a king. Slashtir are mostly warriors, using a wickedly curved and large sword as their main weapon. The priesthood is also very active, with rumors that they get their powers from the LORDS themselves. Priests are very distinctive in appearance, hooded in black cloaks and carrying large staves. They're able to draw on strange powers, including the ability to resurrect dead warriors, an aspect of their culture that makes duels very interesting.
The Shadow - an incredibly old being that is rumored to predate the current Universe, with a will so strong that he managed to survive the collapse of the previous reality as it folded into the current one. Normally manifesting physically as a very tall Dark Rider, distinguished further by his glowing red eyes, two swords and the fact that he has two hands, while most Dark Riders have a sort of laser-fork. Essentially the lord of all evil, any being with an evil nature or bent is controlled by him to some extent and he often has several plots going at once, most of them long-term. The Dark Riders act as his direct minions but that's not always the case. He has no direct control over the Norditions, the Dark Masters, or Belmodeus, a fact he rarely likes being reminded of.
The Dark Riders - minions of the Shadow and the ones who directly enact his will. All of them look the same, with some minor height variation. Dark Riders are assumed to be immortal unless killed and are encased in a type of armor, although it's not certain what lies inside the armor. They were created by the Shadow but it's not known if there's an upper limit to how many can exist at any one time. All of them carry laser swords and one hand is a fork-like laser that seems to increase in damage the further away a person is. When they teleport in, it's generally preceded by a black column that descends from the sky, which recedes once the Dark Rider has manifested. They're typically encountered in the Shadow Dimension, although no one really ever has a good reason to go there.
The Dark Lord - leader of the Dark Riders, mostly acting as a mouthpiece for the Shadow. It appears to be the same one over the millennia, with the Shadow merely resurrecting him every time he's killed. He's hard to tell apart from other Dark Riders, except he's a little taller and talks a lot more.
Iulog - the original inhabitants of the Shadow Dimension before the Dark Riders showed up and set up shop there. Currently all cultural progress has ground to a halt as the Dark Riders have done nothing but oppress them for centuries, so they exist as a near-feudal society gradually slipping backwards. Barely anyone in the Universe even knows they exist.
UnderEarth - a now abandoned dimension that at one point was the center for most of the great civilizations of the early Universe. The Dark Riders, White Riders and Tanaxons all co-existed peacefully for some time before the UnderEarth War erupted. The dimension was subsequently emptied in the wake of the aftermath of that and sealed off, leaving the wreckage of the war behind where it remains to this day.
UnderEarth War - allegedly started by the LORDS in an attempt to eject the Dark Riders from the UnderEarth, it involved the Dark and White Riders fighting against each other, as well as the Tanaxons taking sides against their own people. The war ended disastrously for nearly everyone, with the Dark Riders killing everyone in the main city, two of their Homeworld engines destroyed, the Tanaxons becoming completely wiped out and the White Riders fleeing the dimension in panic and scattering. In its aftermath the LORDS evicted the Dark Riders anyway and subsequently vowed never to directly interfere in the workings of the Universe again.
White Riders - opposite numbers of the Dark Riders. That may not even be the name for their people but it's how they've become known. What is known about them? Very little, records from the UnderEarth are very fragmented and most descriptions of them aren't very clear. Most reports seem to agree that they're tall creatures, very pale and almost glowing, typically wearing some kind of cloak that covers their entire body. After losing to the Dark Riders in the UnderEarth War they fled into the dimensional portal there, which scattered them across the Universe. Extremely rare and almost unheard of today, it's rumored that they exist in very small groups, one of which may be in the Shadow Dimension.
Tanaxons - shapechangers that inhabited the UnderEarth in the times before the War. Again, very little is known about them except that when the war erupted the race split and chose different sides. However, both sides were wiped out during the course of the war and none are known to exist today. They were ruled over by Lords, most of which died destroying the Dark Rider Homeworlds.
Dark Rider Homeworlds - planet sized engines that were originally situated in the UnderEarth. Two were brought down during the war in a sneak attack by White Riders and Tanaxons, while one managed to escape. The whereabouts of this one are unknown and it's not even clear what they actually look like. Not to be confused with the Dakker Homeworlds.
OverEarth - local name for the dimension inhabited by the LORDS, or at least the place where they most commonly materialize. A small dimension, the landscape is marked by a series of plateau and escarpments, leading up to the city of the LORDS. The city itself is empty, consisting of two large doors that open into a long hallway that leads to a circular room, which is the most likely place to find the LORDS. Four other hallways branch off from that center room but it's unknown what actually lies down those other paths. Many of the plateaus are guarded by silent guardians known as the Eyeballas.
Norditions - race of energy based beings. According to history, they were a race that occupied the previous Universe that were searching for a way to survive the oncoming collapse. The LORDS of that Universe, perhaps wishing to see something of their reality linger into the next one, enabled the Norditions to convert themselves to pure energy. Philosophically the race is divided into two kinds, the Septiad and the Platoniad. The former are kite-shaped, and believe all Norditions of the same level should be equal, although future generations would only be equal to each other. The latter are smaller and also kite-shaped but with a half-kite attached to the top-most node. They believe in continuality and seek to reproduce themselves so that the race always continues on. After the Great Nordition was imprisoned, a war broke out between the two factions, with the Platoniad being exiled into the parallel Universe and the Septiad imprisoned by the Agents. Eventually they escaped and took up residence in the Andromeda galaxy, where they remain. Inherently evil, they are not in any way influenced by the Shadow.
Great Nordition - the first of the Norditions and apparently the nominal leader of the two factions. The Shadow happened upon the Nordition colony early in its existence and attempted to take control over the beings. The Great Nordition fought back and struck the Shadow so forcefully that his soul cracked, with the slivers of it that fell becoming the Dark Masters. The incident did cause the Great Nordition to go mad and attempt to challenge the LORDS, who imprisoned him in a large opaque cube on a nameless planet, where he still remains. It's said that the Septiad Norditions helped with this, although their reasons are not clear.
Nordites - after the Septiad Norditions escaped from their prison, they found their way to the Andromeda galaxy and eventually encountered the Joladim race. Over time they corrupted the people, changing them physically and mentally into the Nordites, who operate as the Norditions' soldiers. Grotesque in appearance, Nordites are about ten feet tall, animalistic and beast-like, with a gaping maw and a number of tentacles. Unable to speak, they are cunning but not intelligent. With the Norditions they were able to wipe out every other race in the galaxy and are now the dominant species. Certain Nordites were converted into flying creatures known as Scouts, although these creatures are much rarer.
Dark Masters - after the Shadow's soul was shattered by the Great Nordition, the pieces of it that fell became living creatures after a fashion. Also not influenced by the Shadow, the Dark Masters seem to inhabit the Shadow dimension. They often appear as man-shaped shadows, barely having any physical substance. It's not known what their current goals are, but their plans do seem to be very long term and they move with a deliberate slowness. They do not often interact with other beings.
Vortex Creatures - beings from a parallel Universe with different laws of physics, they often ventures into our own Universe in order to conduct experiments. Most often spotted in their blocky, featureless ships, they are unable to materialize fully in this Universe and often appear to be whirling, blurred tornados, with eyes hanging out from the top of the spout. The original settlers of Darnoxia and the creators of the Choinoids, they appear to be locked into an endless war with the Hurcanoids.
Darnoxia - planet in this Universe used by the Vortex Creatures to stage experiments. When reports began to appear that the planet was being flooded with the hideous results of said experiments, the Time Patrol insisted on it being shut down. In response the Vortex Creatures erected a giant wall around their laboratories and shut themselves inside, leading the General to go in and clear the place out. Later, the trons restarted the laboratories, but that time was brief before the General put a stop to that as well.
Hurcanoids - the other known beings from the parallel Universe, they are the original creators of the Dakkers. After the robots revolted, they killed or chased most of the Hurcanoids out of this Universe, although some still venture in, mostly as part of the war between them and the Vortex Creatures spilling over into this reality. They often appear as a swirling blur with arms and legs and it's unknown how they appear in their actual form.
Hurcanis - former adopted planet of the Hurcanoids in this Universe, abandoned after the Dakker revolt. Now home to the Great Library, a repository for all the literature in the Universe, allegedly maintained by the LORDS.
Dakkers - robot race created by the Hurcanoids in order to perform the more physically demanding tasks that they were unable to do in this Universe. At some point they gained sentience and desired independence, eventually revolting and driving many of the Hurcanoids out of this Universe. They underwent several swift evolutions in appearance and constructed a series of linked spheres in an empty solar system that were later dubbed the Homeworlds. They remain involved in galactic politics, although their motivations can often be unpredictable.
Choinoids - the other robot race, created by the Vortex Creatures as a response to the Dakkers. The Choinoids either eventually also gained sentience and revolted or were set loose by the Vortex Creatures after the Dakkers rebelled. They settled a planet later known as Choinodos, boring a hole down to the center of the world and colonizing the interior. The planet is extremely inhospitable and appears to have its own natural defenses that keep visitors out, so the robots are rarely seen.
Comouts - a major race in this galaxy, existing in this solar system at the very edges. Rumored to have once been slaves of the Planesti before recorded time, they eventually escaped and settled here, constructing Comitis, their capital. Judging by various forms of art, there were originally two types of Comouts, but the older set perished after an attack of plague, leaving only the current sub-type. They maintain a far-flung empire, although a mild xenophobic streak keeps them from fully entering into relations with other members of the galaxy. They were insect-like in appearance and travel in comet-shaped spacecraft most often, although larger ones have been seen for excursions outside the galaxy.
Tal'shigar - a Comout general, nominally the liaison between Comitis and the Time Patrol. Commander Joseph Brown's opposite number.
Comitis - capital city of the Comouts, carved out of a giant asteroid, fitted with large engines, although it has been moved maybe once in its history. Its other most notable feature are the giant cannons that grace its underside, which can be used to devastating effect, as the Flotesti discovered when they harassed too many passing Comout trade ships. The resulting attack stripped off part of Jupiter's atmosphere and killed untold members of the species. The interior of the asteroid is laced with tunnels, which is where the majority of the population lives The topside is covered with a large clear dome containing mostly government buildings and homes of the wealthier members of the society.
Iconans - "Martians". Spiky, pale creatures that inhabit the planet Mars. Originally the result of genetics experiments from the Anquesta that also resulted in the other Martian species, the Iconans had the most success and also were able to construct an empire, one that is not centered on Mars anymore. Rivals to the Comouts, the two have warred in the past but tend to leave each other alone now. Their government is structured around a type of monarchy, in contrast to the more democratic Comout approach.
Chandre - another Martian race, now extinct. Similar in appearance to the Iconans, although not as pale, they were often slaves to their more militant brethren.
Kraten - bizarre Martian race, also extinct. By all reports they were pyramid shaped, with a single eye. Repressed by the Iconan, they did have a flourishing civilization, nomadic in nature and were clearly intelligent.
Anquesta - the original inhabitants of Mars, they had the body shapes of Iconans and pyramid shaped heads. Interested in the origins of life, they ran experiments in enormous underground laboratories, eventually creating the three races of Mars. The experiments were released early due to the wrath of the Shadow, who felt that the creations would be free of his influence and so he wrecked the labs. He also savaged the Anquesta race, so that their numbers eventually dwindled and have been in decline ever seen. Very few remain to this day and they are only myths to the Iconans, who are unaware of their existence or their origins. Many of the Anquesta are buried in glass tombs in the hollowed out center of Olympus Mons.
"Partimas i Aresa" - loosely translated as "Pyramids of Mars", the original seat of Iconan government, a large complex. It's most notable feature were the large teleportation engines that kept it safe from attack by enabling the Iconans to move it around the planet. Those engines imploded for unknown reasons during the Galactic Wars and the structure was never rebuilt. Later the government was moved off the planet.
Inseptons - race of insect-like creatures, their notoriety derives from the fact that the destruction of their planet by the Planesti is the event that most scholars point to as the starting event for the Galactic Wars. A nomadic and solitary race these days, they are very rarely seen in groups of more than two and most of them are engaged in a search for the Race Banks, stored collections of knowledge and genetics that were jettisoned from the planet in the hours before its destruction and subsequently lost.
Planesti - "planet eaters". Large creatures whose metabolism is based on devouring worlds. Typically they drift through space and rarely eat inhabited worlds, with the famous exception of the destruction of the Insepton homeworld, an event that started the Galactic Wars. Intelligent, they seem to communicate through a kind of telepathic web and appear to be rivals with the Stonosti, although the exact relationship isn't known.
Stonosti - "star eaters". Related someone to the Planetsi, the Stonosti are far larger and live by devouring entire stars. Very rarely seen, they most often are found in the galactic centers and seem to consider themselves guardians of the black holes that line in the dense centers. The black holes in each galaxy are rumored to be linked and the Stonosti appear to guard these wormholes against inappropriate use. Found in nearly every galaxy, their body shapes vary wildly, from the spherical shapes in our galaxy, to some that are cube-shaped or oblong, or even more bizarre.
Flotesti - inhabitants of the Jovian atmosphere, they are extremely active as merchants and traders. In appearance they look like gasbags, with a single eye suspended from the sac and tentacles emerging from the eye that allow them to manipulate objects. Tricky, but generally honest, they are always on the lookout for a deal, although there have been incidents in the past where they attempt to bring their own leverage to the bargaining table.
Galactic Wars - blanket name for a series of conflicts that took place over the course of five thousand years, about sixty-five million years ago by Earth reckoning. Started in the aftermath of the Planesti destruction of the Insepton homeworld, the various political biases of the assorted galactic races came to the forefront, with the Comouts siding with the Inseptons and declaring war. The Iconans, never one to miss an opportunity, declared war on the Comouts and other races quickly joined suit. Fighting was furious and lasted for centuries, leading to planets being ravaged and resources being drained. The Iconan government was moved offworld during this time after the destruction of its center, and Comitis was also moved when the battle spilled into this solar system. Several races were rendered extinct due to the ferocity of the fighting. It ended in an uneasy truce that lingers to this day, although none of the races fully trust each other.
Spolaxi - race active during the Galactic Wars who became extinct at some point during the fighting. Not much is known except they had a spiked appearance and were excellent at psychological warfare. It's rumored that they were killed by the Norditions to cover their own movements into the galaxy during the fighting but that has never been confirmed.
Karameikos - another race active during the Galactic Wars that subsequently became extinct. Not much is known about these either except that they were nomadic and existed as a kind of hive mind, often moving in clusters. Mortal enemies of the Flotesti, the fighting may have decimated their ranks too much for the remaining members to survive. There were also rumors that the Norditions may have eliminated them as well but that's also hearsay.
Mindbenders - derogatory term for beings possessing some sort of psychic power. The abilities vary wildly and depend on the individual, with some able to exert mental control over others, alter their physical environment, teleportation, among other abilities. Most of them are human in nature, although that may be because the College tends to only accept human beings. Many other races tend to frown on such powers and such people generally had to either hide their powers or train on their own, often risking death if caught.
The College - common name for the institution that trains people with mindbender powers. Founded on a desert world, it's known enough that people who manifest such powers typically find their way there, although members of the College have been known to forcibly bring people there for training if they deem them sufficiently skilled. Many political factions exist within the College and navigating the various feuds and alliances can be difficult for newcomers, although neutrality is not encouraged.
The Tribunal - common name for a trio of mindbenders who mediate faction disputes. The members are left anonymous to avoid retaliation and anyone lifted to the Tribunal is supposed to renounce all faction allegiance, though some lingering ties still remain. Beyond settling disputes the group tends to follow its own agenda as well, which may or may not be the same as the school's.
Masters - when a mindbender has become significantly advanced, often he can leave his physical body behind and sustain himself through pure thought. The actual leaders of the College, the Masters rarely speak to the students and instead set policy through associates. What happens to their actual bodies is not known, with most assuming that the bodies wither away without the mind to sustain them.
Ranos - perhaps the most famous student of the College, Ranos was born to a clan of desert nomads. His mother died in childbirth and his abilities manifested early. His father was distrustful of these powers and when he was old enough challenged him to a duel, which Ranos won, resulting in his father's death. Ranos became the guardian of the clan, a role he held until a brutal attack by another clan left everyone but him dead. Wandering around in the desert he honed his skills and passing near the College he came to their attention. They captured him with a band of mindbenders and kept him a prisoner for several years, figuring they would train him and he would work for them when sufficiently advanced. Ranos, however, had other plans and when he became powerful enough, simply walked out and never looked back. In later years he has become a mercenary, known for his great skill and willingness to take nearly any job.
Belmodeus - mass murderer, very little is known about him other than he is yet another being not influenced by the Shadow. He also bears a strong physical resemblance to Tristian, the current host of the Agents, but what their relationship is, is currently unknown.
Send your comments on this story to the author:
