[center][h1][color=8882be][i]Glossary[/i][/color][/h1] [img]http://i.imgur.com/xhmImYk.jpg[/img] [/center] [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Sonomachi[/i][/color][/h3][/center] [hider=Map of Sonomachi by Night] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/LcrRduZ.png[/img][/center] [/hider] A large city located somewhere on Japan's coast, it boosts an incredible variety of locations, from the Setsuna Mountains, inhabited by a variety of ancient and powerful spirits, to the Old Port/Industrial District, ran by the worst of Sonomachi's scum. This is a city that stands at a unique position in the conflict between the Crimson Denizens (commonly known as Youkai) and the Chasers, because of the concentration and power of the passages between both worlds, earning it the nickname of "Maelstrom of Strife". The only other known place with so much resonance between the Crimson Sky and the Human World is the city of Prague, back in the heart of the Old World. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Chasers[/i][/color][/h3][/center] Humans who dedicate their lives to fight off the threat posed by the rogue denizens of the Crimson Sky. They wield special powers and, sometimes, Treasures to assist them in their struggles and come from the most varied walks in life, united only by the flimsy banner of their cause. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Youkai[/i][/color][/h3][/center] Denizens of the Crimson Sky, the Youkai are beings composed primarily of Spiritual Power and can come in all shapes and forms, though, most assume the guise of humanity, even if temporarily. They follow a flimsy hierarchy that is based on each individual's power level, which is turn is based mostly on said individual's age, meaning that the older an Youkai is, the more on top of the Crimson Sky's food chain they are likely to be. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]The Crimson Sky[/i][/color][/h3][/center] [hider=The Crimson Sky] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/SZxzaZll.jpg[/img][/center] [/hider] A parallel world, beyond the boundary and borders of the everyday men's reality. It envelops and overlaps with the Human World on the places they are closest, meaning that a city on the Human World will be all but perfectly copied on the Crimson Sky, with the noticeable difference that there will be no humans around. Pretty much any damage caused on the Crimson Sky will not be reflected on the Human World, even if you demolish a building it'll not do anything to its "real" version, unless the barrier between both worlds is exceptionally flimsy at the time. The contrary, isn't valid (most of the time), since the Crimson Sky get's "reset" at each sunset of the Human World, being a fresh impression of how the later looked at that time. Exceptions might happen to places of great concentration of Spiritual Power, such as a temple, or a hospital, since the laws binding both worlds get warped by strong concentrations of power. Lastly, the Crimson Sky derives its name from its most defining characteristic, the sky that is bathed in the blood red light of the Moon that hangs ominously overhead. Inside the Crimson Sky, the time seems to go slower, and the night is permanent; the Sun never been allowed to touch this cold land. This discrepancy means that staying for extended periods of time in the Crimson Sky is a taxing task for humans and there's no known reports of anyone who survived for more than a week locked in that realm. The contrary is valid as well, since most Youkai can't survive on the Human World for extended periods of time; their Spiritual Power slowly drained, making then disappear little by little, this being the prime cause of Youkai attacks on humans to steal their Spiritual Power for themselves allowing for a continued existence on the Human World. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Treasures[/i][/color][/h3][/center] Special items said to break the rules of reality, like a ring that makes the user immune to flames, a chime that can put those who listen to its tune to sleep, or a sword that can cut someone's spirit, without leaving a single wound on their flesh. These items are by their very nature extremely rare and to posses even one is the mark of powerful individual; during the whole recorded history it's said that no one had more than three treasures at a single time. To affirm the contrary is to declare oneself as a fool. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Hunters' Association[/i][/color][/h3][/center] A gathering of the Chasers from all around the world, the Association offers help and support as well as basic handling on the maintenance of the Masquerade, by keeping the common people in the dark about the Chasers' activities. Sometimes, the Association issues bounties and missions for the Chasers and handles any reward they get. A member is expected to pay an annual fee based on their earnings, though it can be postponed if there's undeniable proof that a Chasers can't cover it for that year. To turn one's back at the Association, or break their very lax set of rules, is to have a deathwish, since their priority is to keep the general populace safely in the dark about the truth of this world. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]Youkai Junction[/i][/color][/h3][/center] A coalition formed and ran by Miss Chikage Akane, probably the most powerful Youkai known, the Junction serves as a node to protect the Youkai who aren't dangerous to human lives and has a similar role in upholding the Masquerade, and handling of missions as the Hunters' Association, though their ultimate goals differ greatly. The worldwide headquarters of the Youkai Junction are the rundown alleys of Sonomachi's Old Downtown, popularly known as the Youkai Ghetto, most properly speaking the Red Cloud Music Store, Chikage's personal facade business. [center][h3][color=8882be][i]YTC[/i][/color][/h3][/center] Shorthand for Yotsuba Technology Corporation, the worlds' lead technological conglomerate, having businesses in fields that range from pharmaceutical products, to fine electronics, military grade weaponry, power generation, so on and so forth. They are also (unknown to the main public) the lead in Crimson Sky and Youkai research, having little to no morals in their pursuit for global monetary supremacy. With such a track, it's no wonder that YTC is the main opposing force to both the Hunters' Association and the Youkai Junction. YTC is officially ran by a Shadow Council, whose true identities are unknown even among themselves (or so is said); the official face of the company is Edward Harker, a man better not to be crossed, any further information isn't known.