Lexicon of the Dark World

Anamchara—mind-bound Mithrans.
Blood-challenge—the legally appropriate challenge of one Mithran to
another for territory,power, and scions.
Blood-family—a sire or dame and the children they made. They
usually nest or lair together, along with the blood-servants and blood-
slaves.
Blood-feud—the warlike battles between vampire clans before the
creation of the Vampira Carta and the laws Mithrans must live under.
Blood-magic—Magic executed with the blood of a living creature.
Often with its death. A black art.
Blood-servants—the sworn human companions of Mithrans.
Blood-slaves—the humans who are addicted to vampire blood and
who are passed around as dinner and sex slaves.
Devoveo—(du-vo-vee-oh). the madness all humans enter into for the
first ten or twenty years after they are turned. If they survive and
return to sanity, they are set free.
Dolore—(doh-lor-eh). the madness vampires go into when someone
they love dies, unless they have a misericord, or Mercy Blade, to feed
upon.
Fame Vexatum—(fa-may vex-a-tum). The life of starvation and
control over appetite and hunting instincts led by Mithrans.
Grindylow—(gren-dee-low). The supernatural creature who lives with
were-clans, who is their pet unless the weres spread the were-taint, at
which point the grindys become judge and executioner.
Long-chained—the vampires who are stuck in the insanity of the
devoveo.
Misericorde—(mee-ser-i-cord). Mercy Blades. In history, they gave
the cut of mercy to fallen knights who were wounded unto death, but
suffering. Also the name of the blade of mercy. In the series, they are
also the beings who give the cut of mercy to any vampire who is stuck
in the devoveo and will never reach sanity.
Mithrans—the Latin name for vampires who follow the Fame
Vexatum.
Naturaleza—the life hunting and feeding freedom and lack of rules
followed by vampires who do not follow Fame Vexatum.
Onorio—(oh-nor-ree-oo). A human blood-servant who survived a
near-death experience and was healed by a powerful vampire. The
term means honored one. They cannot be bound to a vampire. They
do not have to drink much vampire blood to retain their youth and
vigor. They are honored and have special duties, though they are not
bound.
Outclan—vampires who do not swear blood fealty to a vampire
master. Often they are priestesses. They are powerful vampires who
do not wish to be part of a family or clan.
Psy-LED—the Psychometry Law Enforcement Department of
Homeland Security.
Psy-meter—the device that measures ambient magical activity, much
like the way a Geiger counter measures radiation.
Scion—the blood-child or sworn Mithran to a master (sigh-on—which
seems appropriate).
Vampira Carta—(vam-peer-ah car-ta). The law beneath which the
Mithrans live.