ETHICAL: |
the
originators of the Riverworld; mysterious group of humans,
self-named for their moral superiority; |
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GRAIL: |
common
name for the bucket-shaped, metal container that is the source of
food for Riverdwellers; computer machinery in the bottom converts
energy from the grailstones into food and other necessaries based on
pre-recorded cultural menus for the individual; indestructible by
means available to the Riverdwellers; lidded, only can be opened by
the owner (see FREE
GRAIL, GRAILSTONE) |
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GRAILSTONE: |
flat,
table-shaped structure that sit at the both banks of the river,
spaced every mile; five feet
high, with a diameter of fifty feet, appears to be made out of
red-flecked granite; three times a day, it flares with roaring
electrical energy, deafening and startling; if a grail is placed on
one of the 700 depressions, it will be unharmed by the flames and
convert the raw energy into edible food; appear to be somehow linked
to the process of translation (see GRAIL,
TRANSLATION)
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FREE
GRAIL: |
a
GRAIL that can be used by anyone; Riverdwellers found a free grail
already on the GRAILSTONE on Resurrection Day, presumably to show
them how the grails work (see GRAIL,
GRAILSTONE,
RESURRECTION
DAY) |
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RESURRECTION
DAY: |
the
first day of life on the Riverworld; the day when all humans who
died before 1983 found themselves naked, hairless and physically 25
years old, with a GRAIL beside them, on the banks of the River |
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TRANSLATION: |
the
process by which Riverdwellers are resurrected at a random location
on the banks, always near a GRAILSTONE; occurs after death on the
Riverworld, always in the morning of the day following physical
death; translatees always appear hairless and naked, with a new
GRAIL and a few KILTCLOTHS (see also WATHAN,
GRAILSTONE,
KILTCLOTH) |
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KILTCLOTH: |
a
short length of cloth with magnetic fasteners; did not appear until
the second day, forcing most Riverdwellers to become comfortable
with nudity (see also RESURRECTION
DAY) |
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WATHAN: |
a
ball of tendrilous, colored energy that hovers invisibly above every
person's head; the soul; holds all information about a person's
life, including memory, personality and the condition of the
physical body; inexorably drawn to only a body that matches the
original in every way, will wonder the universe aimlessly until its
body is resurrected for it |
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DREAMGUM: |
hallucinogenic
gum; causes users to have self-reflective dreams; used by the Church
of the Second Chance in meditation rituals (see also CHURCH
OF THE SECOND CHANCE) |
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CHURCH
OF THE SECOND CHANCE: |
a
theology started by a man named Viro, based on the premise that the
Riverworld is a second chance for humans to attain personal
enlightenment; pacifist; apparently inspired by a visit by X, who
instructed Viro to start the Church (see also X) |
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X: |
aka
Ecks; Mysterious Stranger; a highly secretive agent working
against the Ethicals, in order to save humanity from a terrible,
unknown fate; contacted a number of the Riverdwellers (including Sir
Richard Burton and Samuel Clemens) and urged them to find the
headwaters of the River |
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ESPERANTO: |
the
common language spoken by most Riverdwellers; spread to the masses
by the Church of the Second Chance |
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