The terms defined in this glossary are well known to just about any Minarran adventuring party. Topics with links have more detailed information elsewhere in the Guide.

• Age of Mists ~~ the period of time between the creation of the New Races and the beginnings of mortal history.
• The Astarith ~~ Minarra’s most sacred scripture, revered by all the faiths of the world.
• The Covenant ~~ the sacred contract governing the terms of existence for all the world. Its terms bind Mortal, Dragon, and True God alike. [See the Astarith for further details.]
• The Draconihm ~~ the True Gods of Dragonkind.
• The First Gods ~~ the Powers of Creation, Nature, and the Elements.
• Gray elves ~~ there are only two true elven subspecies in Minarra: the "true" elves and the drow. True elves conform to the standard rules in the Players Handbook, and are distinguishable only by their cultures. The only exceptions to this rule are those rare true elves that "go gray", a transformation that can only be accomplished by the True Gods. Gray elves are not born, but made.
       Gray elves are literally that—elves with the ashen gray skin of a week-old corpse. Their hair is either white or silver, and their eyes an icy blue or gray. This disconcerting appearance is highly symbolic, for it is an outward sign that some vital part of their elven souls has somehow "died".
       The circumstances are many and varied. For some, it is rooted in outright defiance of elven beliefs, customs, or law, often based on ethical grounds (or lack thereof). For others, it is an unshakable adherence to lawful and/or evil philosophies or Powers. Some go gray for their strong attachments to other races (particularly romantic ones) or for their clear preference of an "anti-elven" way of life. For the rest, it is usually a propensity for violence or a relentless, irrational drive to "make something of their lives".
       Not all gray elves end up as pariahs. Some gray elves retain a fierce loyalty to their people, despite their alien outlooks on life. A few even learn how to put their "deviant" personas to work for their people, and have become racial heroes for their efforts. So much of a gray elf's success or failure with their own people is determined not only by the reason for their going gray, but also by how they live their lives afterward.
• The Houses of Light, Shadow, and Darkness ~~ the True Gods of Good, Neutrality, and Evil respectively.
• Istari ~~ the sacred language of the True Gods and their mortal servants.
• Knights of the Holy Orders ~~ holy warriors bound to a specific Minarran Power; a warrior subclass standard to the campaign setting.
• The Malangthan ~~ the three moons of Minarra, and gods in their own right.
• The New Gods ~~ generally speaking, the Powers of Minarra’s human, demi-human, and humanoid races. [See the Astarith for further details.]
• New Races ~~ humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, and isak. [See the Astarith for further details.]
• Old Races ~~ giantkind, the first sentient beings created by the gods. [See the Astarith for further details.]
• Sha'lohr ~~ from the Istari word meaning "courtesy", the sha'lohr is an ancient tradition among the priests, Knights, and monks of Minarra.
       Should a mortal servant of the gods wish to learn firsthand about their "opposite number" (for example, a priest of Phyrrus's Order of the Black Unicorn seeking to learn about the ways of Lazev's Ruby Legion), he may approach a temple to that god and "seek sha'lohr".
       If the senior priest of the temple "grants sha'lohr", the seeker is provided room and board and is given reasonably free access to the temple grounds. During the next nine days (the maximum permitted), the seeker may study the scriptures of his host's faith, attend services, and engage in theological debate.
       Seekers of sha'lohr may well have ulterior motives for their visit, of course, and that fact is quietly acknowledged by all concerned. Permission is often granted anyway, on the chance that the seeker can be turned, or that by granting sha'lohr, the Order may have it easier when it's their turn to seek it.
• Silahr Draconev ~~ the draconian priests of the Draconihm, the True Gods of Dragonkind.
  

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