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Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: The Caphan Lexicon (As requested by... the Hooded Hood)
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 09:37:04 am EDT (Viewed 566 times)

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As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: Jason: When you have a minute: Formatting problem [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 09:42:36 am EDT (Viewed 555 times)

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As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Anime Jason 

Owner

Location: Here
Member Since: Sun Sep 12, 2004
Posts: 2,834
 Subject: Very informative. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 11:17:02 am EDT (Viewed 490 times)


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Anime Jason 

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 Subject: It's probably a stray HTML tag somewhere. I'll look at it later. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 11:17:57 am EDT (Viewed 550 times)


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Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: It's very safe - I kept the original... [Re: Anime Jason]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 11:26:47 am EDT (Viewed 499 times)

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As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Hatman


 Subject: Well done! We need to archive this somewhere. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 01:13:03 pm EDT (Viewed 512 times)

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Manga Shoggoth


 Subject: It'll go on my site eventually (my updates are a little sporadic). I do want to make sure everyone else has had their ha'p'oth first. [Re: Hatman]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 03:29:49 pm EDT

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Visionary


 Subject: Not as many of them refer to sexual positions as I would have expected. ;-) [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Tue Oct 16, 2007 at 08:23:16 pm EDT

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Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: Hopefully more informative over time. [Re: Anime Jason]
Posted Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 04:10:43 am EDT (Viewed 497 times)

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>





As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: There are more musical entries than ones for (ahem) positions. It's a bit like the Kama Sutra of Vatsyana. [Re: Visionary]
Posted Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 04:13:58 am EDT (Viewed 478 times)

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>
> An impressive list! Thanks for taking the time to do this. A couple of additions:
>

Great! I'll add them to the set.


>
> And a minor correction: "Odoona" is misspelled "Odoola" under the entry for the Nine.

Damn! There's always something. Ironically, I think that list was cut-and-pasted from a story.




As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
HH, not happy


 Subject: I just spent the best paert of an hour annotating additional stuff for this but the server dropped it. I'll try and find some time to do it again tomorrow. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 06:11:02 pm EDT

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Visionary would have liked to read the additions.


 Subject: I've been fairly lucky in that every time the board fails to post, I've been able to hit the back button and try again. [Re: HH, not happy]
Posted Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 08:42:45 pm EDT

Posted with Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.7 on Windows XP

> >
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The Caphan Lexicon


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(As requested by... the Hooded Hood)


> >

Originally posted on Tales of the Parodyverse by Manga Shoggoth.


> >

Parodyverse characters copyright (c) 2007 to their creators. The use of characters and situations reminiscent of other popular works do not constitute a challenge to the copyrights or trademarks of those works.


> >

> > HH requested that I compile a Caphan Lexicon. Here it is...
> > I did a trawl through my archives and most of the UT stories, but there will be bits missing or wrong. If you spot any let me know and I will add them.
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Arbiter of Battles:Judge for high-ranking formal combats held in the Arena.
Astia urati:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Balka-thriss:A description of a sexual partner, fortunately not explained. ALthough Miiri reportedly says of Visionary that "...it was quite refreshing to yekla-sto in the b'rah position with someone who was so balka-thriss. Twice."
Ballard of Vaahir:It tells the tale of Vaahir of Viigo, who fell in love with Kaara of Jaaxa, and how their love led to the fall of the house of Taaleen, the first slave rebellion and the destruction of the house of Oodan. A romantic tragedy
Balok Gorn:The Right of Ownership by Mortal Combat
Barter camp:Neutral ground where a market is set up for inter-clan trading.
Bloodhog:A food animal. A slow-roasted razor-beaked bloodhog is part of the menu for a Vina Drea.
Blues and greens:The equivalent of black-and-white: "I have learned that it is sometimes impossible to reduce the universe to blues and greens"
B'rah position:A sexual position, fortunately not explained.
Caliphate Council:The ruling council of Caph, under the Emir.
Caliph's Palace:The seat of the Caphan government and the residence of the Caliph.
Caph IX:(Ceph) The Planet Caph, home of the Caphean (Cephan) culture. Due to the size and intensity of its sun, the habitable zone is further out, so the planet has an orbital period of rougly four times that of earth (meaning that the Nine were between 4 and 5 when sold off-world).
Caph:(Ceph) A Star in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It is about four times the size and 28 times the intensity of Sol, which means that the habitable zone is further out compared to the solar system.
Chak-lat:An alien drink adopted into Caphan culture. Traditionally drunk from earthenware vessels with the phrase "Blessings of the Gods unto the Guest of this House", although there is a rumour that the original vessels used (now lost) used the phrase "My family went to Paradopolis and all I got was this lousy mug".
Chattel:Lower class members of a clan - essentially the servants and serfs. The term describes both sexes.
Deleen River:A river flowing through the Caphan capital. Proved more durable than the Tower of Eternity, which fell into it.
Drokk [the Magnificent]:A Caphan Overload (or possibly bandit...) who had the misfortune to lead his band against Dancer (and Yo, Asil, Kerry, and Lisa. And maybe C'thandra) during Visionary's Vina Drea.
Eulav:A creature whose hair is spun for thread.
Eulav spinning:The equivalent of "wool gathering"
Exiles' Lament:A song (in nine-part harmony) commemorating when Lost Daughters of Ygrail were carried off by the Artificers of Ur-Tiril. Often sung on formal occasions.
Gatrok:A bondsman of Prince Aarmus
Glarns:Creatures used as guard dogs.
Hall of Artefacts:Essentially a cross between a museum and the Tower of London. Built to house the relics of the Caliphate.
Houri daggers:Small daggers worn by Pleasure Slaves, some Lemans and other higher-ranking slaves to discourage actions by males who aren't their owners.
House of the Shoggoth:Not actually a Caphan house, but how the Nine described their situation whilst under the Shoggoth's care. And let's face it, who's going to argue with it?
Imperial Arena:Arena for formal battles - think Great Coliseum of Rome.
Jaaxa:(Fortress/Strong places of) Location of the stronghold of Toosin.
Kathalaar:A city on the southern continent
Kelinda:A house of Caph.
Kerhsk (khersks):A three toed riding animal, described in the following terms: "Roughly the size of rhinos, temperament of wolverines, personal hygiene of warthogs". Ridden to all Caphan major rituals as a sign of virility and power, the "groom" in the Vina Drea enters on a 'gelded three toed Kerhsk of purest white, with muscles lathered in the oil of the Reeb Toor vines'. It is not clear in the text if the muscles belong to the rider or the kerhsk.
Khaskh:Mild oath-like term, "one khaskh of a flogging"
Kiivan:Keestus' son out of Tiriiv of Ekooria. The usurped and restored Caliph of Caph. Trained under the Hooded Hood (and a lot of other people) during his exile.
Kiivas:Master of the House of Raael; Guardian of the Hall of Artefacts.
Koodi of Jaathar:Drudge-Slave 2nd Rank - One of the Narrators for #309: Untold Tales of the Parody War: The King's Slave, or The End of the World
Kriige:Chattel of the House of Daarthon. More accurately a leman. Very well versed in alien cultures. Originally a drudge, denied Pleasure Slave status because her father was also a slave.
Lohsra-birds:Small yellow bird-like creatures. Quite skittish, but can be tamed.
Lost Jewels of the House of Kelinda:Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana, triplets born of the Chieftain Ytirar.
Lost Sisters of Caph:Either another term for the Nine, or specifically Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana (Lost Jewels of the House of Kelinda)
Mera'h:An ancient Caphan birthing ceremony designed to keep the men busy and out of the way during the blessed event.
Miiri:Name meaning "eager and adept at all pleasures"
Mines of Koorenna:Mines operated by slave labour. Used as an inglorious death sentence.
Muidos:An article of clothing. The Vina Drea requires a nuidos of spun eulav hair
Naari:Name meaning "most beloved in all the world"
Nialliv:One of the houses of Caph, most implicated in the off-world slave trade.
Nine Movements of Desert Sunset:A rather difficult, but impressive, dance.
Nine (The):Miiri, Deeela, Sayaana, Philaana, Noona, Odoona, Losiira, Luuma, and Kaara. The nine slavegirls sold offworld and rescued by the Lair Legion. Vahhir describes them as "stolen from the Houses of Taaleen and Kelinda, and bought from the House of Portaa and the marketplace at Luutan. Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana, daughters of Chieftain Ytirar by Iliia the Fair. Noona and Odoona of Portaa, Losiira of the Nine Songs. Miiri, daughter of Prince Kiivas out of Ekooria of Damaar. Luuma Swiftheels. And Kaara, Kaara of Jaaxa, daughter of Toosin by tragic Vaaria in the House of Taaleen before it fell."
Nomead:(Plural Nomeada) Creatures of ancient legend, who lurked in the darkness beyond the campfires, waiting to pull the unwary soul to a particularly unpleasant fate.
Odoona:Name meaning "Lush, fertile land moist with dew".
Ohaana:Daughter of Kiivas of the House of Raael. Amongst other things, Miiri's sister, and (in a rather radical and pre-emptive manner) sole most favoured slave of Kiivan.
Plas-Gar:(Plag-Gar) A ceremonial sword, used in challenges. A Plas-Gar has a cavity in the hilt that can house a small force field generator to turn energy weapon discharges. The cavity can also be used as a cache.
Prince Aarmus:Of the House of Daarthon. An Emir of Caph, most notable for delivering the planet into the hands of the pigeonwarriors.
Quoz-lar:Another sexual operation, notable in that it can pinch an unidentified part of the anatomy.
Radical:A Caphan who believes in setting their own value.
Rakka Hoth:The quest of salvation. A request to give aid in dire straits. Demanded from Vaahir by Miiri, and although not named at the time, this will be what Ohaana demanded of Kivaan.
R’dok:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Reeb Toor:A vine that produces oil.
Relics of the Caliphate:The equivalent of the Crown Jewels, including The first crown of the Caliphate, the Honour Sword of Gaath (A Plas-Gar), the B'Tari Codex, the Xindii Vision Stones, the Sceptre of Korrvis and the Orb of Truul
Shekl:Unit of currency (Plural shekli)
Slave:Almost synonymous with "female". The term is significantly less loaded in Caphan culture - slaves are traditionally granted a long string of rights; however a "bad" master may well ignore them. Amongst the rights of a slave is the right to demand the Rakka Hoth.
Snaargh:a giant lizard that got hunted to death thousands of years ago for its aphrodisiac genitals
Song of the Nine:A slightly more serious version of the Song of Visionary.
Song of Visionary:A song relating the adventures of nine slave girls rescued by the Great Visionary. Usually attributed to Deeela, daughter of Chieftain Ytirar by Iliia the Fair, although a minority view suggests that it was written by Kriige of the House of Daarthon. Contains such characters as the Epitome of Eunuchs. Generally described as a Romantic Comedy, despite the fact that very little romance is actually committed.
Staff of Combat:Staff of office for the Arbiter of Battles.
Stronghold of Toosin:Fortress of the House of Taaleen
Taaleen:A house that fell due to the treachery of Prince Oodan. Its fall was avenged by Vaahir.
Tower of Eternity:A landmark in the Caphan capital, now destroyed.
Vaahir:Of the House of Viigo. Youngest son of his house. Was sentenced to the Mines of Koorenna after revenging the House of Taaleen; escaped and nearly delivered the Parodyverse into the appendages of the Fairly Great Old Ones; exiled to Plxtrazar; returned to aid in the freeing of Caph from the pigeonwarriors. Known as the Last Warlord.
Viigo:Not a rich clan, but old and noble.
Vina Drea:The ceremony of Transfer of Ownership. It is over 3000 years old and is a sacred part of Caphan culture. The closest Earth equivalent is "Wedding".
V’vlak:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Yekla-sto:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Yellow Mantle:A mantle denoting of clan leadership
Zaahir:A deity used in oaths. (for Zaahir's sake; I vow by Zaahir's Blood)

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Drudge:Low-class menial slave - the lowest slave rank.
Body Slave:A basic personal slave, and the lowest rank for a slave of noble parents. Drudges may be promoted to Body Slaves, but can then usually only be promoted to housemistress.
Leman:A member of the Guild of Lemans. A cross between a mistress and a prostitute, a leman is usually recruited from the Drudge or non-Noble Body Slaves. The big difference is that the training is done by a body outside the clan structure, and the transfer into the new clan is outside the Vina Drea, so the Leman is effectively an outsider to the clan she ends up in. Although some Lemans (like Kriige) have gained some social standing, it is something of a dead-end position, being the loose equivalent of a Slave Mistress/Housemistress, but without the added social status.
Pleasure Slave:Female trained in the arts of pleasuring men - effectively a courtesan. Pleasure slaves must be of noble parents, and can be promoted to slave mistress.
Housemistress:An experienced body slave (rarely, a drudge may be given a direct promotion) given authority over the (female) household. In a poor clan, the equivalent of a Slave Mistress, in a richer clan she would be subordinate to a Slave Mistress.
Slave Mistress:An experienced pleasure slave given authority over the (female) household.
Matriarch:An elderly upper-rank slave, usually one who has borne sons (and thus likely to be a past Favoured Slave). Matriarchs tend to appear in noble clans.
Favoured Slave:Not a rank as such, but a slave who has born strong sons and is held in high regard by her Master (although in #UT186 Visionary mentions that the nine regarded Yo as "most-favoured"...).

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Rank Progressions (Common Clans)Drudge -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress -> Favoured Slave
Drudge -> Housemistress (Rare)
Rank Progressions (Noble Clans)Drudge -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress -> Favoured Slave -> Matriarch (Very Rare)
Body Slave -> Pleasure Slave -> Favoured Slave -> Matriarch
Body Slave -> Pleasure Slave -> Slave Mistress -> Matriarch

> >

> > Footnotes:
> > 16-Oct-2007 Updated with a couple of terms from HH.
> > 17-Oct-2007 Visionary added three terms and a correction.
> >
> >





Scott


Location: Southwest US
Member Since: Sun Sep 02, 2007
Posts: 326
 Subject: That's a lot of hard work. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 09:53:05 pm EDT (Viewed 509 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP


>
>

The Caphan Lexicon


>

(As requested by... the Hooded Hood)


>

Originally posted on Tales of the Parodyverse by Manga Shoggoth.


>

Parodyverse characters copyright (c) 2007 to their creators. The use of characters and situations reminiscent of other popular works do not constitute a challenge to the copyrights or trademarks of those works.


>

> HH requested that I compile a Caphan Lexicon. Here it is...
> I did a trawl through my archives and most of the UT stories, but there will be bits missing or wrong. If you spot any let me know and I will add them.
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Arbiter of Battles:Judge for high-ranking formal combats held in the Arena.
Astia urati:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Balka-thriss:A description of a sexual partner, fortunately not explained. ALthough Miiri reportedly says of Visionary that "...it was quite refreshing to yekla-sto in the b'rah position with someone who was so balka-thriss. Twice."
Ballard of Vaahir:It tells the tale of Vaahir of Viigo, who fell in love with Kaara of Jaaxa, and how their love led to the fall of the house of Taaleen, the first slave rebellion and the destruction of the house of Oodan. A romantic tragedy
Balok Gorn:The Right of Ownership by Mortal Combat
Barter camp:Neutral ground where a market is set up for inter-clan trading.
Bloodhog:A food animal. A slow-roasted razor-beaked bloodhog is part of the menu for a Vina Drea.
Blues and greens:The equivalent of black-and-white: "I have learned that it is sometimes impossible to reduce the universe to blues and greens"
B'rah position:A sexual position, fortunately not explained.
Caliphate Council:The ruling council of Caph, under the Emir.
Caliph's Palace:The seat of the Caphan government and the residence of the Caliph.
Caph IX:(Ceph) The Planet Caph, home of the Caphean (Cephan) culture. Due to the size and intensity of its sun, the habitable zone is further out, so the planet has an orbital period of rougly four times that of earth (meaning that the Nine were between 4 and 5 when sold off-world).
Caph:(Ceph) A Star in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It is about four times the size and 28 times the intensity of Sol, which means that the habitable zone is further out compared to the solar system.
Chak-lat:An alien drink adopted into Caphan culture. Traditionally drunk from earthenware vessels with the phrase "Blessings of the Gods unto the Guest of this House", although there is a rumour that the original vessels used (now lost) used the phrase "My family went to Paradopolis and all I got was this lousy mug".
Chattel:Lower class members of a clan - essentially the servants and serfs. The term describes both sexes.
Deleen River:A river flowing through the Caphan capital. Proved more durable than the Tower of Eternity, which fell into it.
Drokk [the Magnificent]:A Caphan Overload (or possibly bandit...) who had the misfortune to lead his band against Dancer (and Yo, Asil, Kerry, and Lisa. And maybe C'thandra) during Visionary's Vina Drea.
Eulav:A creature whose hair is spun for thread.
Eulav spinning:The equivalent of "wool gathering"
Exiles' Lament:A song (in nine-part harmony) commemorating when Lost Daughters of Ygrail were carried off by the Artificers of Ur-Tiril. Often sung on formal occasions.
Gatrok:A bondsman of Prince Aarmus
Glarns:Creatures used as guard dogs.
Hall of Artefacts:Essentially a cross between a museum and the Tower of London. Built to house the relics of the Caliphate.
Houri daggers:Small daggers worn by Pleasure Slaves, some Lemans and other higher-ranking slaves to discourage actions by males who aren't their owners.
House of the Shoggoth:Not actually a Caphan house, but how the Nine described their situation whilst under the Shoggoth's care. And let's face it, who's going to argue with it?
Imperial Arena:Arena for formal battles - think Great Coliseum of Rome.
Jaaxa:(Fortress/Strong places of) Location of the stronghold of Toosin.
Kathalaar:A city on the southern continent
Kelinda:A house of Caph.
Kerhsk (khersks):A three toed riding animal, described in the following terms: "Roughly the size of rhinos, temperament of wolverines, personal hygiene of warthogs". Ridden to all Caphan major rituals as a sign of virility and power, the "groom" in the Vina Drea enters on a 'gelded three toed Kerhsk of purest white, with muscles lathered in the oil of the Reeb Toor vines'. It is not clear in the text if the muscles belong to the rider or the kerhsk.
Khaskh:Mild oath-like term, "one khaskh of a flogging"
Kiivan:Keestus' son out of Tiriiv of Ekooria. The usurped and restored Caliph of Caph. Trained under the Hooded Hood (and a lot of other people) during his exile.
Kiivas:Master of the House of Raael; Guardian of the Hall of Artefacts.
Koodi of Jaathar:Drudge-Slave 2nd Rank - One of the Narrators for #309: Untold Tales of the Parody War: The King's Slave, or The End of the World
Kriige:Chattel of the House of Daarthon. More accurately a leman. Very well versed in alien cultures. Originally a drudge, denied Pleasure Slave status because her father was also a slave.
Lohsra-birds:Small yellow bird-like creatures. Quite skittish, but can be tamed.
Lost Jewels of the House of Kelinda:Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana, triplets born of the Chieftain Ytirar.
Lost Sisters of Caph:Either another term for the Nine, or specifically Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana (Lost Jewels of the House of Kelinda)
Mera'h:An ancient Caphan birthing ceremony designed to keep the men busy and out of the way during the blessed event.
Miiri:Name meaning "eager and adept at all pleasures"
Mines of Koorenna:Mines operated by slave labour. Used as an inglorious death sentence.
Muidos:An article of clothing. The Vina Drea requires a nuidos of spun eulav hair
Naari:Name meaning "most beloved in all the world"
Nialliv:One of the houses of Caph, most implicated in the off-world slave trade.
Nine Movements of Desert Sunset:A rather difficult, but impressive, dance.
Nine (The):Miiri, Deeela, Sayaana, Philaana, Noona, Odoona, Losiira, Luuma, and Kaara. The nine slavegirls sold offworld and rescued by the Lair Legion. Vahhir describes them as "stolen from the Houses of Taaleen and Kelinda, and bought from the House of Portaa and the marketplace at Luutan. Deeela, Sayaana, and Philaana, daughters of Chieftain Ytirar by Iliia the Fair. Noona and Odoona of Portaa, Losiira of the Nine Songs. Miiri, daughter of Prince Kiivas out of Ekooria of Damaar. Luuma Swiftheels. And Kaara, Kaara of Jaaxa, daughter of Toosin by tragic Vaaria in the House of Taaleen before it fell."
Nomead:(Plural Nomeada) Creatures of ancient legend, who lurked in the darkness beyond the campfires, waiting to pull the unwary soul to a particularly unpleasant fate.
Odoona:Name meaning "Lush, fertile land moist with dew".
Ohaana:Daughter of Kiivas of the House of Raael. Amongst other things, Miiri's sister, and (in a rather radical and pre-emptive manner) sole most favoured slave of Kiivan.
Plas-Gar:(Plag-Gar) A ceremonial sword, used in challenges. A Plas-Gar has a cavity in the hilt that can house a small force field generator to turn energy weapon discharges. The cavity can also be used as a cache.
Prince Aarmus:Of the House of Daarthon. An Emir of Caph, most notable for delivering the planet into the hands of the pigeonwarriors.
Quoz-lar:Another sexual operation, notable in that it can pinch an unidentified part of the anatomy.
Radical:A Caphan who believes in setting their own value.
Rakka Hoth:The quest of salvation. A request to give aid in dire straits. Demanded from Vaahir by Miiri, and although not named at the time, this will be what Ohaana demanded of Kivaan.
R’dok:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Reeb Toor:A vine that produces oil.
Relics of the Caliphate:The equivalent of the Crown Jewels, including The first crown of the Caliphate, the Honour Sword of Gaath (A Plas-Gar), the B'Tari Codex, the Xindii Vision Stones, the Sceptre of Korrvis and the Orb of Truul
Shekl:Unit of currency (Plural shekli)
Slave:Almost synonymous with "female". The term is significantly less loaded in Caphan culture - slaves are traditionally granted a long string of rights; however a "bad" master may well ignore them. Amongst the rights of a slave is the right to demand the Rakka Hoth.
Snaargh:a giant lizard that got hunted to death thousands of years ago for its aphrodisiac genitals
Song of the Nine:A slightly more serious version of the Song of Visionary.
Song of Visionary:A song relating the adventures of nine slave girls rescued by the Great Visionary. Usually attributed to Deeela, daughter of Chieftain Ytirar by Iliia the Fair, although a minority view suggests that it was written by Kriige of the House of Daarthon. Contains such characters as the Epitome of Eunuchs. Generally described as a Romantic Comedy, despite the fact that very little romance is actually committed.
Staff of Combat:Staff of office for the Arbiter of Battles.
Stronghold of Toosin:Fortress of the House of Taaleen
Taaleen:A house that fell due to the treachery of Prince Oodan. Its fall was avenged by Vaahir.
Tower of Eternity:A landmark in the Caphan capital, now destroyed.
Vaahir:Of the House of Viigo. Youngest son of his house. Was sentenced to the Mines of Koorenna after revenging the House of Taaleen; escaped and nearly delivered the Parodyverse into the appendages of the Fairly Great Old Ones; exiled to Plxtrazar; returned to aid in the freeing of Caph from the pigeonwarriors. Known as the Last Warlord.
Viigo:Not a rich clan, but old and noble.
Vina Drea:The ceremony of Transfer of Ownership. It is over 3000 years old and is a sacred part of Caphan culture. The closest Earth equivalent is "Wedding".
V’vlak:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Yekla-sto:A sexual operation, fortunately not explained.
Yellow Mantle:A mantle denoting of clan leadership
Zaahir:A deity used in oaths. (for Zaahir's sake; I vow by Zaahir's Blood)

>
> This is a bit of guesswork, but in rough ascending order of social scale, the Female Rankings are:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Drudge:Low-class menial slave - the lowest slave rank.
Body Slave:A basic personal slave, and the lowest rank for a slave of noble parents. Drudges may be promoted to Body Slaves, but can then usually only be promoted to housemistress.
Leman:A member of the Guild of Lemans. A cross between a mistress and a prostitute, a leman is usually recruited from the Drudge or non-Noble Body Slaves. The big difference is that the training is done by a body outside the clan structure, and the transfer into the new clan is outside the Vina Drea, so the Leman is effectively an outsider to the clan she ends up in. Although some Lemans (like Kriige) have gained some social standing, it is something of a dead-end position, being the loose equivalent of a Slave Mistress/Housemistress, but without the added social status.
Pleasure Slave:Female trained in the arts of pleasuring men - effectively a courtesan. Pleasure slaves must be of noble parents, and can be promoted to slave mistress.
Housemistress:An experienced body slave (rarely, a drudge may be given a direct promotion) given authority over the (female) household. In a poor clan, the equivalent of a Slave Mistress, in a richer clan she would be subordinate to a Slave Mistress.
Slave Mistress:An experienced pleasure slave given authority over the (female) household.
Matriarch:An elderly upper-rank slave, usually one who has borne sons (and thus likely to be a past Favoured Slave). Matriarchs tend to appear in noble clans.
Favoured Slave:Not a rank as such, but a slave who has born strong sons and is held in high regard by her Master (although in #UT186 Visionary mentions that the nine regarded Yo as "most-favoured"...).

>
> This means that the common rank progressions in a clan are as follows:
>
>
>
>
>
Rank Progressions (Common Clans)Drudge -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress -> Favoured Slave
Drudge -> Housemistress (Rare)
Rank Progressions (Noble Clans)Drudge -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Leman (in a different clan)
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress
Drudge -> Body Slave -> Housemistress -> Favoured Slave -> Matriarch (Very Rare)
Body Slave -> Pleasure Slave -> Favoured Slave -> Matriarch
Body Slave -> Pleasure Slave -> Slave Mistress -> Matriarch

>

> Footnotes:
> 16-Oct-2007 Updated with a couple of terms from HH.
> 17-Oct-2007 Visionary added three terms and a correction.
>
>





Scott NIGHT CHILDREN: THE BLOG. Come see!
CrazySugarFreakBoy!


Member Since: Sun Jan 04, 2004
Posts: 1,235
 Subject: Reminds me of reading the glossaries in Dune and Lord of the Rings. :) [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 12:14:32 am EDT (Viewed 516 times)

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Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: Thanks. If necessary you can always email it to me... [Re: HH, not happy]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:08:26 am EDT (Viewed 433 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP

.




As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: A lot of reading, true, but tables aren't that hard to create. And it's not as if I need an excuse to read old Visionary and HH stories. [Re: Scott]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:13:20 am EDT (Viewed 524 times)

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.




As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: With me, most of the time the borad accepts the post but gives me a Code 64. I have got into the habit of checking the board afterwards just in case it has really posted. [Re: Visionary would have liked to read the additions.]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:15:03 am EDT (Viewed 549 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP

.




As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: Well, there are some Silmarilaties [Re: CrazySugarFreakBoy!]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 04:22:36 am EDT (Viewed 554 times)

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For those not in the know, The Silmarillion is the book that contains most of the background history for Lord of the Rings. For rabid enthusiasts only.




As is always the case with my writing, please feel free to comment. I welcome both positive and negative criticism of my work, although I cannot promise to enjoy the negative.
HH


 Subject: Die! [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 10:36:58 am EDT (Viewed 1 times)

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000

> For those not in the know, The Silmarillion is the book that contains most of the background history for Lord of the Rings. For rabid enthusiasts only.

Except for the bit with Beren and Luthien, which is veru good - and extremely movie-adaptable.




The Hooded Hood


 Subject: An excellent piece of work. And as usual, the reward is more work. [Re: Manga Shoggoth]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 12:10:25 pm EDT

Posted with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 on Windows 2000

Here’s another attempt at some annotation:

Biology: Caphans photosynthesise as a secondary source of energy, and their skins are green. The average lifespan of a Caphan is around sixty Earth years. Caphan females have reproductive quirks described under Gestation.

Blue Caphans: A second racial type on Caph was eradicated in great wars of genocide two thousand years ago. Any child born with a bluish cast is seen as evil and is exposed to die.

Book of Accomplishments: The register maintained by the house mistress and archived by the matriarchs which lists the virtues of a slave. Skills such as weaving, dancing, and lovemaking, achievements such as a special artistic performance, a sporting victory, or coupling with an important figure, are permanently recorded. Faults and failings are also logged. The Book of Accomplishments is used in calculating the value of a Slave.

Cast Out: A Master’s final sanction against a slave is to cast her out. This strips her of any protection under law, bars her from any economic activity, and leaves her homeless and destitute at the mercy of any who would prey on her. Slaves who are cast out do not last very long and make miserable ends.

Childcare: Caphan females remain with their mother (and are valued along with her) until they are sold to their first Master when they are nubile. Caphan males of high parentage are educated separately once they are weaned and rarely see their mother, although a mother may accrue glory and value from the deeds of a strong son. Males born of slave fathers or of mothers other than pleasure slaves are slaves.

Daax: A legendary figure of story, a slave who gained great honour by defeating the vile Torvaal and restoring her son Haavax to his father, Lord Haakor, at the cost of her life.

Eunuch: Many male slaves are castrated in infancy, especially those who are to be trained as guards or pleasure slaves. This is not always seen as a negative thing on Caph, as it opens up career progressions not otherwise available.

Free Women: After the Return of Kiivan the law has changed to allow a new status, that of freewoman, which has similar rights and duties to that of Master. A Free Woman has either been given her freedom or has bought it from her Master, and is able to own property including slaves in her own right.

Gestation: Caphan females may have more control over their reproductive systems than human women, including a limited biological contraception ability. They can also delay gestation for almost a year (Earth time) after conception before commencing the growth of the foetus, and then take around nine months (Earth time) to bring a child to term. 80% of all births are female. Children with birth defects are usually exposed to die.

Harem: The company of pleasure slaves belonging to a Master, and the place where they are housed.

House Mother / House Mistress: An older slave set in authority over others, responsible for the running of the estate and the harem.

House of Jathaar: A provincial Clan loyal to Emir Kiivan.

Nymph: A female child who has not yet left her mother to be sold to her first Master.

On Lemans: “The slaves of the Guild may not be pampered bed-toys like the rich beautiful vapid pleasure slaves but they are the accountants, emissaries, scribes, bodyguards, and custodians of Princes.”

Orange Coats: A sign of status amongst Masters, albeit of lesser importance than yellow/lemon/saffron coats. The Emir once wore a cloth-of-gold coat.

Raiders: Stealing slaves is a common pastime. By law the slave must resist being stolen and defy their captor until seven days have passed with no challenge to their theft; thereafter they become the legal property of their captor. “A slave-girl must fight to resist raiders, must not surrender herself to them for seven days until it is clear that her former Master has relinquished his claim and will not make a challenge of balek gorn for her return. Then she must yield to her new owner. But there is no precedent for a slave who has been legally sold, properly transferred either through the ritual of vina drea or through common bargain, to deny her new Master’s rights. That sets her beyond the law, and the sentence must be bloody death.”

Sisters: Caphan women have body-sisters (those who share the same mother), clan-sisters (women of the same clan to which they belong at any given time) and nymph-sisters (girls with whom they grew up).

Songs: Amongst the various ballads mentioned are The Lost Daughters of Ygrail, The March of Gaath, and modern favourites The Ballad of Kiivan and Ohanna, Vaahir and Kaara, and The Ley of the Nine Exiles.

T’Grum Trees: sweet-smelling fruit-bearing perennials.

The Ballad of Vile Yaarkis: A traditional tragedy. “As Yaarkis did to the harem of Leriid in the tales of old, such would be Ohanna’s terrible end.”

The Citadel: The core of imperial buildings at the heart of the capital of Caph.

Tradeslaves: The skilled craftwomen and men who possess skills such as smithying, technology, mining, animal wifery, gemcutting etc.

Uglydrudge: A pejorative term for a drudge, also used as an insult upon other slaves.

Value: Caphan slaves are accorded status by the importance of their Master and by their recorded value. Value is determined by the price most recently paid for them and by their record in their Book of Accomplishments. Slaves of otherwise equal rank determine precedence by last assessed value. A typical drudge might have a value of 1000 shekli, a provincial pleasure slave might be worth 100,000 shekli, and a really renowned pleasure slave could command values well in excess of 1,000,000 shekli. The Nine Exiles are usually listed in order of their values at their last assessment before leaving Caph.

Other information:

Caphan IX days are around 22.43 Earth hours and they measure time in fourteen variable-length hours between sunrise and sunset and again between sunset and dawn. The planets in the contellation of Caph have a complicated elliptical orbit around their mother sun. While the inhabited world of the Caphans is relatively circular in its rotation (almost four of our years for one rotation of their sun), allowing for mild seasonal variations and an annual monsoon, its neighbouring planets have much greater ellipses, so that occasionally Caph is not the ninth but the tenth or even eleventh planet from the sun. The proximity of the Andromeda nebula makes the skies bright by day and night, spectacular with blues and purples and reds.


Readers Unfamiliar With Caph Start Here:

It all started, as so much of the Parodyverse did, with an in-joke. During the big space-epic Transworlds Challenge storyline somebody joked about the lack of green-skinned slave girls. All space-epics have to have green skinned slave girls.

So CSFB! and Goldeneyed liberated nine green-skinned slave-girls from the Slimy Slaver Lovetoad of Frammistat Eight. The problem was what to do with them next. Deputy-Leader Yo instructed them to go see Visionary.

The slave-girls interpreted this as to mean that they were now Visionary’s property and waited for him in his bedroom. When Vizh had recovered from his near-coronary and stopped hiding in the bathroom he discovered that (a) These nine girls were pleasure-slaves from the planet Caph, where women outnumber men by 5:1 and all women are property, taught from birth how to please their masters; (b) Through quirks of Caphan rites-of-conquest legislation he was now their legal owner; and (c) the greatest, most shameful, and most terrible fate of a Caphan girl is to be unowned, cast out with no master, a fate the women in his bedroom feared more than death.

So Vizh took the Caphans home with him to his Condo (and he was, of course, a perfect gentleman; assuming perfect gentlemen go bright crimson all the time and walk into objects). Later a ritual was observed that effectively transferred ownership of the girls to the Manga Shoggoth, who was able to relocate them to safety on his dimensionally-separate continent of Lemuria along with many other slaves he has rescued from various times and places.

All of the stories concerning this are collected in The Caphan Story Archive

Miiri, brightest of the Caphan women and their natural leader, recognised that Visionary had been a very nice man, ethical within the boundaries of his strange society despite amazing temptation. So now she was no longer technically his slave she adapted to the customs of her new world and acted decisively as an independent woman. She consequently gave birth to Magweed (a.k.a. Naari) and Griffin, Visionary’s twins. But that’s another complicated story.

The youngest of the nine Caphans was Kaara of Jaaxa, who had been sold at auction after her clan were treacherously slaughtered by an enemy. The young man who sought to own her as his own was sent away to torture and death. But Vaahir of Viigo did not die in the salt mines, but instead escaped with the aid of a disguised emissary of the elder gods, Nyalurkhotep. Vaahir sought to save Kaara from the villain who had carried her off – Visionary.

One almost-end-of-the-world later, Vaahir saw the error of his ways, saved Kaara from Nyalorkhotep, and helped the Lair Legion save the Parodyverse. The Shoggoth sentenced him to exile on a distant world where he would protect the weak and share their hardships to learn humility and compassion. Details appear in the Tenth Caphan Saga.

Back on Caph, the ruling houses gave shelter to the Pigeonwarriors, homeless survivors after the destruction of their planet Thonnagar. However, Ancient Shadara and her eyrie came with treachery in mind, seeking a new world to rule. With the aid of the betrayer, Prince Aarmus of Aarixus (who had once sold Miiri to the Slaver Lovetoads), the Caphan ruling elite were wiped out in a planetary coup. Aarmus became the puppet ruler of a Pigeonwarrior-run world.

But there was resistance. Shazana Pel was a renegade pigeon warrior who rescued the eleven-year-old Emir of All Caph, Prince Kiivan, from assassination. With aid from the Hooded Hood she kept the boy alive and helped him to escape. At the same time eleven-year-old Ohanna of Raael, Miiri’s younger sister and last survivor of the House tasked with preserving the Emir’s sacred treasures, carried to safety the greatest relics of Caph. Ohanna’s father gave her in slavery to the Hooded Hood, and he in turn set her to care for Kiivan. He delivered both of them into the tutorship and guardianship of Vaahir of Viigo. The story appeared as Untold Tales #219: Shazana Pel Must Die

For reasons of his own the Hood mentored Kiivan and Ohanna, sending them through his dimension-spanning Portal of Pretentiousness to other places and times where they could learn and train. The two youngsters grew together for six years, learning from alien races such as the Xnylonians and Naicluv, from organisations like the Intergalactic Order of Librarians and the Yellow Flashlights Corps, from time fighting beside Vaahir, and from an eventful visit to Earth as friends of the Junior Lair Legion.

The Caphan situation has become more complicated. As resistance mounted the Thonngarians realised they are too few to hold the planet. Instead they made a deal with the Parody Master, exchanging Caph to his authority in exchange for a favoured place in his armies. The transfer of power is only a few days off.

In consequence, Ohanna came to Kiivan and reminded him of the promise he had made her on the night they had fled Caph. She had claimed a slave’s right of protection from her Emir, for her and her world. Now she brought Kiivan the honour sword of Gaath, founder of his line, and set him on his task: the liberation of Caph.

Kiivan has made preparations and alliances. With the Hood’s assistance he gathered together his young friends from Earth: Probability arsonist Kery Shepherdson, fabric manipulating Fashion Accessory (Samantha Bonnington), demihemigod Harlagaz Donarson, meat-manipulating Ham-Boy (Fred Harris), computer genius Hacker Nine (Zach Zelnitz), the Hood’s son Danny Lyle (Denial), transformer robot Glitch, polite British superhero Captain Courageous (Kit Kipling), the vegetable vigilante Kid Produce (Jasper Stevens), and Falcon’s little sister Lind Wilson (Falconne). At the start of this story they are all in a borrowed Xnylonian stealth scoutship heading for Caph IX in the constellation of Cassiopeia.

But the Hooded Hood had one last trick to play. In exchange for collaborator Prince Aarmus delaying the transfer of power (without realising why), the Hood sold Ohanna to him. The Portal of Pretentiousness swept her from the Xnylonian shuttle and Kiivan to Caph and Aarmus’ stronghold. Ohanna’s bluff of having a concealed explosive was called by Aarmus’ leman Kiije and we last saw the two women squaring for combat.

All of which is an awful lot of events from one running joke. And here we are, racing towards the punchline…


***


The Ballad of Kiivan and Ohanna

"Oh promise me," Ohanna cried, "the ancient rights of all -
Protection for your people, justice, honour; hear our call.
Oh promise, me," Ohanna asked, "to serve as Caliph should,
To stand for us with your last breath, to spend your dying blood."

"For here I hold in bloody hands the treasures of your reign
The things my House died to protect to help Caph rise again.
Here Gaath’s great sword," Ohanna called, "that Emirs held of yore -
Mine to bestow upon the Lord who’ll make Caph free once more."

"That is your right," Prince Kiivan owned, "and right of all our race,
Who have not always had their rights nor had their lawful place,
And so for you," Prince Kiivan vowed, "and every Caphan soul -
I am your Lord, I’ll do what’s right, and one day I’ll be whole."

"Then wrongs shall be amended and then all oppressions cease.
Then I’ll return and lead you to a day of joy and peace,
I promise you, Ohanna, that our world will see new starts.
This is my blood oath," Kiivan said, "so hold it in your hearts."


***

From the Ballad of Visionary
Canto II Stanzas XII-XVII:

With trembling hearts they waited for their fate
Poor exiles from their lost and blissful home
No help left now but kneel low and await
Their master’s will. They stayed to hear their doom.

With tread like to colossus lords of old
Regaliad in princely mustard gown
Imperious Visionary as foretold
Came to inspect his trophies with a frown.

His noble gaze swept o’er the captured prize
Who cowered eager for his royal word
Afraid that he might cast out or despise
Or slay them cruelly as they had heard.

Yet pity moved his mighty, gentle heart
And never did he do his chattels woe
But embraced them and stood to take their part
And brought them home to shield them from all foe.

No art may speak the wonders of his lands
His House of marvels where he ruled as master
He healed his slaves with kind and gentle hands
And sheltered them from peril and disaster.

Prodigious was this Visionary king
Or mighty size and strength and full of fight
None could resist his will in anything
The rest of him was just of medium height.






Visionary


 Subject: Excellent additions, although the account of the liberation of Caph could be updated. [Re: The Hooded Hood]
Posted Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 08:47:26 pm EDT

Posted with Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.7 on Windows XP

> Here’s another attempt at some annotation:
>
> Biology: Caphans photosynthesise as a secondary source of energy, and their skins are green. The average lifespan of a Caphan is around sixty Earth years. Caphan females have reproductive quirks described under Gestation.
>
> Blue Caphans: A second racial type on Caph was eradicated in great wars of genocide two thousand years ago. Any child born with a bluish cast is seen as evil and is exposed to die.
>
> Book of Accomplishments: The register maintained by the house mistress and archived by the matriarchs which lists the virtues of a slave. Skills such as weaving, dancing, and lovemaking, achievements such as a special artistic performance, a sporting victory, or coupling with an important figure, are permanently recorded. Faults and failings are also logged. The Book of Accomplishments is used in calculating the value of a Slave.
>
> Cast Out: A Master’s final sanction against a slave is to cast her out. This strips her of any protection under law, bars her from any economic activity, and leaves her homeless and destitute at the mercy of any who would prey on her. Slaves who are cast out do not last very long and make miserable ends.
>
> Childcare: Caphan females remain with their mother (and are valued along with her) until they are sold to their first Master when they are nubile. Caphan males of high parentage are educated separately once they are weaned and rarely see their mother, although a mother may accrue glory and value from the deeds of a strong son. Males born of slave fathers are slaves.
>
> Daax: A legendary figure of story, a slave who gained great honour by defeating the vile Torvaal and restoring her son Haavax to his father, Lord Haakor, at the cost of her life.
>
> Eunuch: Many male slaves are castrated in infancy, especially those who are to be trained as guards or pleasure slaves. This is not always seen as a negative thing on Caph, as it opens up career progressions not otherwise available.
>
> Free Women: After the Return of Kiivan the law has changed to allow a new status, that of freewoman, which has similar rights and duties to that of Master. A Free Woman has either been given her freedom or has bought it from her Master, and is able to own property including slaves in her own right.
>
> Gestation: Caphan females may have more control over their reproductive systems than human women, including a limited biological contraception ability. They can also delay gestation for almost a year (Earth time) after conception before commencing the growth of the foetus, and then take around nine months (Earth time) to bring a child to term. 80% of all births are female. Children with birth defects are usually exposed to die.
>
> Harem: The company of pleasure slaves belonging to a Master, and the place where they are housed.
>
> House Mother / House Mistress: An older slave set in authority over others, responsible for the running of the estate and the harem.
>
> House of Jathaar: A provincial Clan loyal to Emir Kiivan.
>
> Nymph: A female child who has not yet left her mother to be sold to her first Master.
>
> On Lemans: “The slaves of the Guild may not be pampered bed-toys like the rich beautiful vapid pleasure slaves but they are the accountants, emissaries, scribes, bodyguards, and custodians of Princes.”
>
> Orange Coats: A sign of status amongst Masters, albeit of lesser importance than yellow/lemon/saffron coats. The Emir once wore a cloth-of-gold coat.
>
> Raiders: Stealing slaves is a common pastime. By law the slave must resist being stolen and defy their captor until seven days have passed with no challenge to their theft; thereafter they become the legal property of their captor. “A slave-girl must fight to resist raiders, must not surrender herself to them for seven days until it is clear that her former Master has relinquished his claim and will not make a challenge of balek gorn for her return. Then she must yield to her new owner. But there is no precedent for a slave who has been legally sold, properly transferred either through the ritual of vina drea or through common bargain, to deny her new Master’s rights. That sets her beyond the law, and the sentence must be bloody death.”
>
> Sisters: Caphan women have body-sisters (those who share the same mother), clan-sisters (women of the same clan to which they belong at any given time) and nymph-sisters (girls with whom they grew up).
>
> Songs: Amongst the various ballads mentioned are The Lost Daughters of Ygrail, The March of Gaath, and modern favourites The Ballad of Kiivan and Ohanna, Vaahir and Kaara, and The Ley of the Nine Exiles.
>
> T’Grum Trees: sweet-smelling fruit-bearing perennials.
>
> The Ballad of Vile Yaarkis: A traditional tragedy. “As Yaarkis did to the harem of Leriid in the tales of old, such would be Ohanna’s terrible end.”
>
> The Citadel: The core of imperial buildings at the heart of the capital of Caph.
>
> Tradeslaves: The skilled craftwomen and men who possess skills such as smithying, technology, mining, animal wifery, gemcutting etc.
>
> Uglydrudge: A pejorative term for a drudge, also used as an insult upon other slaves.
>
> Value: Caphan slaves are accorded status by the importance of their Master and by their recorded value. Value is determined by the price most recently paid for them and by their record in their Book of Accomplishments. Slaves of otherwise equal rank determine precedence by last assessed value. A typical drudge might have a value of 1000 shekli, a provincial pleasure slave might be worth 100,000 shekli, and a really renowned pleasure slave could command values well in excess of 1,000,000 shekli. The Nine Exiles are usually listed in order of their values at their last assessment before leaving Caph.
>
> Other information:
>
> Caphan IX days are around 22.43 Earth hours and they measure time in fourteen variable-length hours between sunrise and sunset and again between sunset and dawn. The planets in the contellation of Caph have a complicated elliptical orbit around their mother sun. While the inhabited world of the Caphans is relatively circular in its rotation (almost four of our years for one rotation of their sun), allowing for mild seasonal variations and an annual monsoon, its neighbouring planets have much greater ellipses, so that occasionally Caph is not the ninth but the tenth or even eleventh planet from the sun. The proximity of the Andromeda nebula makes the skies bright by day and night, spectacular with blues and purples and reds.
>
>
> Readers Unfamiliar With Caph Start Here:
>
> It all started, as so much of the Parodyverse did, with an in-joke. During the big space-epic Transworlds Challenge storyline somebody joked about the lack of green-skinned slave girls. All space-epics have to have green skinned slave girls.
>
> So CSFB! and Goldeneyed liberated nine green-skinned slave-girls from the Slimy Slaver Lovetoad of Frammistat Eight. The problem was what to do with them next. Deputy-Leader Yo instructed them to go see Visionary.
>
> The slave-girls interpreted this as to mean that they were now Visionary’s property and waited for him in his bedroom. When Vizh had recovered from his near-coronary and stopped hiding in the bathroom he discovered that (a) These nine girls were pleasure-slaves from the planet Caph, where women outnumber men by 5:1 and all women are property, taught from birth how to please their masters; (b) Through quirks of Caphan rites-of-conquest legislation he was now their legal owner; and (c) the greatest, most shameful, and most terrible fate of a Caphan girl is to be unowned, cast out with no master, a fate the women in his bedroom feared more than death.
>
> So Vizh took the Caphans home with him to his Condo (and he was, of course, a perfect gentleman; assuming perfect gentlemen go bright crimson all the time and walk into objects). Later a ritual was observed that effectively transferred ownership of the girls to the Manga Shoggoth, who was able to relocate them to safety on his dimensionally-separate continent of Lemuria along with many other slaves he has rescued from various times and places.
>
> All of the stories concerning this are collected in The Caphan Story Archive
>
> Miiri, brightest of the Caphan women and their natural leader, recognised that Visionary had been a very nice man, ethical within the boundaries of his strange society despite amazing temptation. So now she was no longer technically his slave she adapted to the customs of her new world and acted decisively as an independent woman. She consequently gave birth to Magweed (a.k.a. Naari) and Griffin, Visionary’s twins. But that’s another complicated story.
>
> The youngest of the nine Caphans was Kaara of Jaaxa, who had been sold at auction after her clan were treacherously slaughtered by an enemy. The young man who sought to own her as his own was sent away to torture and death. But Vaahir of Viigo did not die in the salt mines, but instead escaped with the aid of a disguised emissary of the elder gods, Nyalurkhotep. Vaahir sought to save Kaara from the villain who had carried her off – Visionary.
>
> One almost-end-of-the-world later, Vaahir saw the error of his ways, saved Kaara from Nyalorkhotep, and helped the Lair Legion save the Parodyverse. The Shoggoth sentenced him to exile on a distant world where he would protect the weak and share their hardships to learn humility and compassion. Details appear in the Tenth Caphan Saga.
>
> Back on Caph, the ruling houses gave shelter to the Pigeonwarriors, homeless survivors after the destruction of their planet Thonnagar. However, Ancient Shadara and her eyrie came with treachery in mind, seeking a new world to rule. With the aid of the betrayer, Prince Aarmus of Aarixus (who had once sold Miiri to the Slaver Lovetoads), the Caphan ruling elite were wiped out in a planetary coup. Aarmus became the puppet ruler of a Pigeonwarrior-run world.
>
> But there was resistance. Shazana Pel was a renegade pigeon warrior who rescued the eleven-year-old Emir of All Caph, Prince Kiivan, from assassination. With aid from the Hooded Hood she kept the boy alive and helped him to escape. At the same time eleven-year-old Ohanna of Raael, Miiri’s younger sister and last survivor of the House tasked with preserving the Emir’s sacred treasures, carried to safety the greatest relics of Caph. Ohanna’s father gave her in slavery to the Hooded Hood, and he in turn set her to care for Kiivan. He delivered both of them into the tutorship and guardianship of Vaahir of Viigo. The story appeared as Untold Tales #219: Shazana Pel Must Die
>
> For reasons of his own the Hood mentored Kiivan and Ohanna, sending them through his dimension-spanning Portal of Pretentiousness to other places and times where they could learn and train. The two youngsters grew together for six years, learning from alien races such as the Xnylonians and Naicluv, from organisations like the Intergalactic Order of Librarians and the Yellow Flashlights Corps, from time fighting beside Vaahir, and from an eventful visit to Earth as friends of the Junior Lair Legion.
>
> The Caphan situation has become more complicated. As resistance mounted the Thonngarians realised they are too few to hold the planet. Instead they made a deal with the Parody Master, exchanging Caph to his authority in exchange for a favoured place in his armies. The transfer of power is only a few days off.
>
> In consequence, Ohanna came to Kiivan and reminded him of the promise he had made her on the night they had fled Caph. She had claimed a slave’s right of protection from her Emir, for her and her world. Now she brought Kiivan the honour sword of Gaath, founder of his line, and set him on his task: the liberation of Caph.
>
> Kiivan has made preparations and alliances. With the Hood’s assistance he gathered together his young friends from Earth: Probability arsonist Kery Shepherdson, fabric manipulating Fashion Accessory (Samantha Bonnington), demihemigod Harlagaz Donarson, meat-manipulating Ham-Boy (Fred Harris), computer genius Hacker Nine (Zach Zelnitz), the Hood’s son Danny Lyle (Denial), transformer robot Glitch, polite British superhero Captain Courageous (Kit Kipling), the vegetable vigilante Kid Produce (Jasper Stevens), and Falcon’s little sister Lind Wilson (Falconne). At the start of this story they are all in a borrowed Xnylonian stealth scoutship heading for Caph IX in the constellation of Cassiopeia.
>
> But the Hooded Hood had one last trick to play. In exchange for collaborator Prince Aarmus delaying the transfer of power (without realising why), the Hood sold Ohanna to him. The Portal of Pretentiousness swept her from the Xnylonian shuttle and Kiivan to Caph and Aarmus’ stronghold. Ohanna’s bluff of having a concealed explosive was called by Aarmus’ leman Kiije and we last saw the two women squaring for combat.
>
> All of which is an awful lot of events from one running joke. And here we are, racing towards the punchline…
>
>
> ***
>
>
> The Ballad of Kiivan and Ohanna
>
> "Oh promise me," Ohanna cried, "the ancient rights of all -
> Protection for your people, justice, honour; hear our call.
> Oh promise, me," Ohanna asked, "to serve as Caliph should,
> To stand for us with your last breath, to spend your dying blood."
>
> "For here I hold in bloody hands the treasures of your reign
> The things my House died to protect to help Caph rise again.
> Here Gaath’s great sword," Ohanna called, "that Emirs held of yore -
> Mine to bestow upon the Lord who’ll make Caph free once more."
>
> "That is your right," Prince Kiivan owned, "and right of all our race,
> Who have not always had their rights nor had their lawful place,
> And so for you," Prince Kiivan vowed, "and every Caphan soul -
> I am your Lord, I’ll do what’s right, and one day I’ll be whole."
>
> "Then wrongs shall be amended and then all oppressions cease.
> Then I’ll return and lead you to a day of joy and peace,
> I promise you, Ohanna, that our world will see new starts.
> This is my blood oath," Kiivan said, "so hold it in your hearts."
>
>
> ***
>
> From the Ballad of Visionary
> Canto II Stanzas XII-XVII:
>
> With trembling hearts they waited for their fate
> Poor exiles from their lost and blissful home
> No help left now but kneel low and await
> Their master’s will. They stayed to hear their doom.
>
> With tread like to colossus lords of old
> Regaliad in princely mustard gown
> Imperious Visionary as foretold
> Came to inspect his trophies with a frown.
>
> His noble gaze swept o’er the captured prize
> Who cowered eager for his royal word
> Afraid that he might cast out or despise
> Or slay them cruelly as they had heard.
>
> Yet pity moved his mighty, gentle heart
> And never did he do his chattels woe
> But embraced them and stood to take their part
> And brought them home to shield them from all foe.
>
> No art may speak the wonders of his lands
> His House of marvels where he ruled as master
> He healed his slaves with kind and gentle hands
> And sheltered them from peril and disaster.
>
> Prodigious was this Visionary king
> Or mighty size and strength and full of fight
> None could resist his will in anything
> The rest of him was just of medium height.
>
>





Manga Shoggoth


Member Since: Fri Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 391
 Subject: Thanks Ian. Vish:I'll see what I can do - feel free to chip in. [Re: Visionary]
Posted Fri Oct 19, 2007 at 03:43:44 am EDT (Viewed 545 times)

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