Journey to Eden
Copyright© 2017 by Friar Tuck
Glossary
The Group – Seth’s group is one of several, not all known to each other, who keep to themselves, in a mostly patriarchal setting. While resistant to change, some among them are curious. Sometimes this causes them to be ostracized.
The Books – Most probably an ancient set of encyclopedias.
Elders – Beings (sometimes humans) with special abilities, who are committed to defeating the evil ones. The term does not necessarily mean “old”.
Nem (possibly a corruption of mnemonic) - a medicine bag worn on a rawhide thong around the neck. It contains objects and paraphernalia to aid in remembrance and worship. All hunters carry one, and the leader carries special objects in his, which are passed from leader to leader. Not viewed as sacred or magical in themselves, they are more an aid to remembering.
Deepwood -- Vast primeval forest, consisting mostly of hardwoods, but including large patches of conifers. The trees are huge, with not much underbrush, except in areas bordering the few open (mostly high desert places) spaces.
Drag, dragger – A device made from two poles tied at one end in a vee shape – in the before time, a travois.
Drogs -- Beings inimical to the Group, and to normal humans in general. Their origins are uncertain, but most probably they are humans mutated by exposure to the radiation and biological weapons that were a part of the Great Death. Their hatred of normal humans is unfathomable, and their cunning attacks are nearly impossible to predict nor defend against. They are not supermen, though, and must rely on stealth and numbers instead of brute strength. They are much slower than normal humans, but are wily. They are servants and slaves to the Others. The origin of the term is uncertain.
‘patches – Small, ape-like animals, some grey-and-white, but mostly black-and-white. Relatively sedentary, they could be tamed as pets, but were generally of no use for anything else, even though they often displayed an astonishing degree of intelligence. The name stems from the patchwork pattern of dark and white blotches that distinguishes them from other apes.