This is the promised 'explanation thread.' Do not weep over the fact that this is not a new chapter. I did tell you that I was going to do this today.

This thread will be updated frequently as new things are added. I will link back to it in my author's notes whenever something new is added.

In this update, I am adding a general glossary of terms. I will create a new thread soon for Crystallim breed entries. At some point in the near future I will probably create a blog for this concept and will then point all people there for further reading.

This is work in progress. If you see a term italicized in the story and wonder at the exact meaning, please ask me to define it here. If you have general questions about the world-setting ask me, please. It will help me flesh out the world. (Please don't ask me to show the math for the planet's surface gravity, rotation speed, and similar things. I can do them, but I have a headache and is it really that important? I did say, that it was scientifically an impossible planet after all. Even if I show the specific numbers for everything they would not work out to allow for habitation of this level unless you had a supernatural crystalline entity at the center of it all, making life happen.)

GLOSSARY

Aberration - The final form of the Nightmare. If a Crystallim remains in the Nightmare state for too long they will slowly descend into a form of madness that strips them of even their normal semblance to humanity. Aberrations are Crystallim who have lost their ability to create a dream form capable of appearing with any semblance of humanity. They may appear as pillars of flame, hideous beasts, or even inanimate objects.

Aberrations must be defeated and taken to a healing center. There, the aberration will be cared for, and in time they will be restored to Lucid status. It is impossible to immediately bond with an aberration. All aberrations are hostile toward humanity.

The length of time that it takes for a Nightmare to become an aberration varies greatly. But it does not happen quickly. Researchers had theorized that the time varies for each Crystallim on a personal level. Though, it can sometimes spontaneously occur when hunting a specific Crystallim who was losing her tenuous grasp on her pseudo-humanity already.

It should be noted that a human who betrays a Crystallim on a deep level can cause their mind to become erratic. Aberrations can occur rapidly due to this sort of event. Basically, even a Lucid Crystallim can rapidly regress into an aberration if she is mistreated badly enough.

Augmentation - This refers to special upgrade items that can be used to grant skills, abilities, or stat changes. An augmentation might make it easier to log into data systems, improve physical strength, or even provide a permanent camouflage system. There are many augmentations. However, they do have limits and only a few of them may be added or active at any given time.

Awakening - A process that can occur when a human female is born to a Crystallim mother and a human parent. The human girl will awaken supernatural power and their original body will be destroyed. She will convert into a Crystallim with unusual abilities and properties.

Bond - The bond is a process of mutual union between the psyches of both a human and a Crystallim. It is an important component of the human and Crystallim dynamic. Crystallim require a bond with a human in order to remain mentally coherent and emotionally stable. Essentially, the bond is what allows a Crystallim to remain Lucid, truly alive.

Breed - This term refers to the specialized form of a Crystallim. The specialized form varies from Crystallim to Crystallim but many of them work on a similar them. Breed is a further specialization of the concept known as type. A breed of Crystallim will all have similarities of form and function, though there may be a great deal of divergence.

Example: A Cat Girl is a breed of Crystallim. The general appearance of those Crystallim will be some sort of bipedal humanoid cat and human hybrid.

Breeder - A human who has taken up the profession of Crystallim breeding. The process of breeding Crystallim involves building a strong emotional bond with a Crystallim and then co-existing in a deep and loving physical relationship. The act of making love can cause the Crystallim core to grow larger due to the influx of incredible emotional awareness.

Eventually, the core will fragment and a piece of Crystallim will break off. This new piece of Crystallim must be nurtured daily with loving thoughts. After a time, it can become coherent and will begin to develop a personality of its own. This infantile Crystallim will be unable to manifest a dream form for a few months, but after they have become strong enough, the infant Crystallim core develops an adult personality.

While terms such as infantile and infant are used, they are not directly related to a lifecycle process. The growth of a Crystallim personality is more akin to a computer program that becomes more complex over time. The adult framework of their personality already exists as an offshoot of the personalities of their parents. This infantile period is nothing more than a period of time wherein the newborn Crystallim becomes more sophisticated and begins to develop its own will.

Crystallim - A supernatural crystalline being capable of taking on a secondary physical form. The body they create is known as their dream form. It is believed that they take on this form as a means of interacting with the world and with humanity. These alien intelligences can come in many varieties but seem to focus on a few specialized but similar forms known as breeds.

Dream Form - The form that a Crystallim takes in order to interact with the world at large and to further their bonds with humanity. Crystallim are supernatural beings and can form a body using their will power. They project that body onto the world and then that body operates as though it were a true existence. Each Crystallim is unique, though there are general types and breeds.

Crystallim take on a humanoid female dream form. It is unknown why this gender bias occurs as the Crystallim normally seem to be quite capable of bonding with both male and female humans.

Galataea - The planet that this story is set on. Galataea is a Mega-Earth a planet that has a little over twelve times the circumference and gravity equal to 1.2 times that, of the Earth. It was considered to be an impossible planet by those who first discovered it since it contained actual oceans, massive continents, a habitable temperature range, and a proper atmosphere despite its size, density, and mass.

It was not perfect, but it could be rendered properly habitable for Earth-based life forms. Galataea was considered to be a planet that with a little human style renovation could be readily terraformed for human habitation in less than one thousand years.

The colonizing group that came to the world of Galataea did so using a combination of sub-light speed travel, cryogenic suspension, and artificial intelligence.

Somehow, the planet known as Galatea rotates once completely on a schedule of slightly over 25 hours. A Galataean year is just over 360 Galataean days long. Every decade there is a leap year with a single extra day.

Due to how easily the numbers work out, a Galataean year has twelve months, each of which is thirty days.

Hunter - A hunter is a human professional who spends their time hunting down Nightmares in order to free them from their imprisoned state. These people are heavily vetted by local governments and must be capable of passing rigorous physical, mental, and spiritual testing. They are the vanguard of humanity, and also its emissaries to the world at large. In many instances, a hunter is the first point of contact that a Crystallim will have with the human race. As such, only the right kind of human being can be allowed to hold this position.

Humans who ply this trade need to be able to show remarkable, intelligence, compassion, empathy, and courage. They will be required to travel to dangerous locations and must always act in the best interest of their Crystallim and humanity in general, even if the outcome means personal destruction. Common slang terms for this profession are tamer, trainer, and adventurer.

Imaginary Space - A quasi-real state of existence that lies between dimensional boundaries. It is designed for the purposes of storage. Space exists in this location, but time is considered to either be non-existent or frozen in this location save for when an item is placed into this state or drawn out of it.

Lucid - A lucid Crystallim is a being who is completely in control of her faculties. She can act according to her true will. Essentially, a Lucid Crystallim is the true nature of the Crystallim. Sometimes people will use the slang terms tame or domesticate.

Micro-Lite Inventory Storage System - The MISS is a device that utilizes a combination of quantum technology and failed Crystallim to create an easily accessible dimensional storage capacity. Items within the MISS exist in a quasi-real status known as imaginary space. There are various versions of this technology. It is used for homes, offices, and transportation of goods.

Crystallim can be stored in the MISS and will exist in a state of stasis while doing so. This is a common method of keeping large numbers of Crystallim from regressing into the Nightmare state and is frequently used by companies that specialize in the purchase, sale, and trade of Crystallim.

Mother - This is a reference to the theoretical Crystallim Prime believed to exist at the center of the world. The Church of the Great Mother consists of scientists and mages who have research Crystallim and believe that the planet itself is one gigantic Crystallim that had other material form around it. This theory is derided by many other theoretical Crystologists, but it is popular with many people due to the supposed impossible nature of the planet and its basic habitability.

Nightmare - This term refers to the state of a Crystallim when she has been without the stabilizing effect of a bond for a lengthy period of time. Crystallim found in the wild are usually classified as Nightmares. These Crystallim can act erratic. They may seem coherent, even logical. Many can speak. However, they often act in monstrous ways. Many of them will attack, and possibly even kill and eat, a wandering human.

A Nightmare is a Crystallim imprisoned inside her own mind. Her power to manifest a dream form is warped and twisted into something dark. It can be said, that Nightmares are enemies of mankind, and even themselves. She can see what she is doing, but has no actual control over her own dream form. In short, she is living an endless Nightmare from which she cannot awaken. This phenomenon can be likened to old Earth beliefs regarding demonic possession. The mind and soul must watch while the demon drives the body.

Though rare, sometimes Nightmares will band together in communities and villages, and even stage raids on human towns or travelers. There has never been a recorded instance of a Crystallim lamenting their return to a Lucid state. Even Crystallim that form communities have a strong desire to bond with humans. That desire is twisted into something dark and it can be said that their raids on human towns are simply subconscious attempts to find someone to bond with. However, it is impossible to truly bond with a Nightmare.

A Nightmare may show great, albeit bizarre, affection for a human. However, no true bond will form and the Nightmare will continue her slow descent into madness and aberrant status.

Pyscho-Link - A connection of the mind on a deeper level than a normal bond. This is only possible for incredibly intimate human and Crystallim relationships, or with people who have innate psychic capacity. The Avatar breed is known to use this form of link to allow her human partner to directly interface with technology on an intimate level.

Psychic types can often use this sort of link naturally, but other Crystallim will typically require a deep and intimate bond in order to enter this level of cohesion. It should be noted, that only those who can form this sort of link with a Crystallim can become breeders.

The psycho-link allows for most modern technology to work properly. Faster than light travel, full-immersion virtual reality, and the creation of truly sentient artificial intelligences require this sort of linkage.

Regression - A process wherein a Crystallim slowly descends into a Nightmare state. This occurs when they do not have an active bond with a human. Regression can be halted by forming a new bond or renewing a bond that has languished due to inattention.

Showdown Point - The location of the final battle between America and the Canadian empire. It was the innermost wall of America City. After the battle, the war-mongering Canadians were forced back by coalition forces. There is an uneasy truce at present, though the Canadians maintain iron-fisted control of a large portion of their home continent.