In-Between Work and Play (The Jocelyn Frost Series Book 1) (26 page)

Huldra:
humanoid in appearance, the females often have the tails of either a fox or a
cow. Others appear to have bark-covered backs.  Either way, they are
generally extremely beautiful.  They are kind to those who respect them by
granting them good fortune, and deadly to those who don't. 

Leprechauns:
humanoid in appearance, they are small to medium-sized in stature.  Often
confused with
human children,
the males normally grow full beards and mustaches in order to appear older. 
They have light magic capabilities and are generally known as keepers of great
wealth.  Leprechauns can also manipulate an individual’s luck.

Mermaid:
 a hybrid of a human and a fish.  Mermaids'
abilities vary, depending upon the color of their fins.
  However, many have similar characteristics, such as razor-sharp
teeth and nails. Their gills are located beneath their scapula.  Like
whales, they use sonar to move through the ocean, and have different types
of chirping sounds in which to communicate with each other. A
mermaid’s skin is generally a similar color to her fins, and from her
stomach to her brow may, it be a lighter shade of that color.  Generally,
they are hatched from eggs, with the exception of the Green, Grey, Blue, and
Pink Finned Mermaids.  They are capable of caring multiple embryos if their
young are conceived while they are in their human forms.  Only
Green, Grey, and Pink mermaids have developed vocal cords that are capable of
producing human speech.  

Seelie fae:
members of the various fae courts who have a light disposition.  They are
considerate enough to communicate to those who might offend them, but will also
avenge some slights, if necessary.  Many like to pull pranks, but are often
unaware of how their actions affect others.

Sprite: humanoid
in appearance, it is capable of shifting from extremely small to quite large. 
It generally has one elemental talent.  Extremely creative, sprites often
become artists and poets.  They normally have short attention spans.  If they
emotionally bond with humans or elves, they will remain loyal to them for the
rest of their lives.

Unicorn: a
hybrid with the facial features and body of a horse, and cloven hooves like a
goat.  A long, spiraling horn grows out from its forehead.  It is both mortal
and infertile.  Unicorns were nearly eradicated by warlocks that harvested them
during the Warlock Wars.

Unseelie fae: 
members of the various fae courts which have dark dispositions.  Their pranks
are more violent and they will attack others without provocation.  Most
unseelie fae are nocturnal. They consider humans on the same level as animals
and will go so far as treating their favorites like a pet.

Ved:
vaguely humanoid in appearance, their bodies are covered with an abnormal
amount of hair.  Tall in stature, with voices that are as loud as they are
deep, some ved have been confused with Yeti and Bigfoot.

Will-o’-the-wisps:
humanoid in appearance, they are extremely small creatures of light. They are
playful by nature and gather in open spaces such as marshes and swamps. 
Unconsciously hypnotic, it is believed they can attract non-magical beings that
often follow them into dangerous places.

Additional
Terms

Athame knife:
curvy blade used in rituals involving witchcraft.

Black swan: 
officially, they are female blood donors associated with individual vampires or
their enclaves.  Unofficially, those with weak minds can become addicted to
feeding vampires in the same way a drug addict craves his or her narcotic of
choice.  Vampires have been known to exploit their Black swans by prostituting
them out to make additional money.

Clan Sangre: 
enclave of vampires that works in the In-Between.

Empath: a person
who is capable of sensing the emotions of another person.  Empaths may
experience others’ emotions as if they were their own.  Sometimes, empaths can
project their emotions on others.

Flah: Irish
slang for an attractive woman who is likely to be a slut or whore. 

Flash: term
given to the extraordinary speed in which vampires can move from place to
place.

Gargoyle
were-baboons: originally, the baboons that were granted the gift of human
intelligence by Thoth.  During the full moon, they can shapeshift into their
human forms.  If they displease Thoth, they are turned to stone and only
allowed to roam during the full moon.

Half-breed: term
given to someone whose mother and father are from two different races.

Immortal: 
beings that hardly age after they reach puberty.   Their life spans are
seemingly infinite.  Although they heal easily, they can die from major
injuries or by being poisoned.  Due to their extensive lifespans, they rarely need
to breed.

Ley lines:
naturally formed straight lines that possess mystical tendencies.  The energy
that is felt on ley lines may be related to magnetic fields.  Although there is
no current scientific evidence to back either claim, they exist mainly to
separate Earth from Erda.

Lycanthrope
virus: an infection that causes the host to become a werewolf.  Similar viruses
are known to create other breeds of were-creatures.

Mage: a person
without any magical ancestors who can tap into wells of magic from various
metaphysical, perpendicular planes of existence.

Magician: a
person whose ancestors come from Ancient Egypt.  His/her magic is drawn from
the perpendicular plane of existence known as the Duat. 

Medium: a person
who is capable of communicating with deceased individuals inhabiting other
planes that cannot be inhabited by corporal beings.

Mortal: being
that can live up to one or two centuries.  Mortal bodies start to degenerate
once they reach adulthood; and due to their short lifespans, most choose to breed
in early to middle adulthood.

Nexus: 
epicenter of magical activity located in the Fastness. 

Precognition: 
the ability to foresee future events.

Psychic:  a
person who is capable of knowing information through non-traditional means.

Psychometrist: 
a person who is capable of gathering information through the sense of touch.

Sorcerer:
non-magical being whose magic is derived from secondary sources, such as, books
of power, relics, etc.

Swan: potential
female blood donor.  Generally, these women are extremely attractive.  Once
they become official blood donors, they are called Black swans. 

Telepathy: the
ability to communicate with others solely through the mind.  It also includes
the ability to extract information from other people’s minds.

Vampyric:
adjective describing species whose main source of sustenance is blood.

Viking seax:
single-edged blade.

Warlock: magic
practitioner who gains power strictly by stealing the magic and/or life force
of another living being.

Warlock Wars:
catastrophic event that took place during the last Ice Age.  

Werewolf: an
individual suffering from the lycanthrope virus.  He/she can retain a human
appearance most of the time, except during the full moon when he/she must shift
into wolf form.  Most werewolves are capable of shifting into their wolf forms
if provoked. 

Witch: female
descendent of the gods and goddesses who requires rituals, runes, relics, words
of power, or other secondary sources in order to access her innate abilities.

Wizard: male
descendent of the gods and goddesses who requires rituals, runes, relics, words
of power, or other secondary sources in order to access his innate abilities