Alterniversary - Personal term for a significant chunk of time (one year, etc) having elapsed since the author first left Earth.

Baleesh - Large animal, mammalian with an armored skin, used as a beast of burden on some worlds. The baleesh may be extinct on Earth or may never have evolved there.

Balu Size Limit - The lower limit of size of a portal where it, although still considered open, no longer transmits matter from one side to the other.

Beyond - See Primal.

Bonejumper - Type of Demon that can take over the bodies of intelligent beings. Bonejumpers do not usually stay in a living body for long (even a few years is a long time) before consuming the host and forming a new (demon) body primarily out of the host's bones and flesh. It then adds other material like the bones of others to increase its size or become more monstrous. When not inhabiting a living body, Bonejumpers require fresh bones regularly, and believed to need bones of the same type of creature as their last host.

Cuvali - A world-spanning organization, operating with local government approval, that explores new worlds and manages relations with others. There are military aspects, dealing with conflict with other expansive, but hostile, civilizations.

Death, Disappearance, and Doubling - The three main methods of 'slippage'. With Disappearance, the person (or object or place) experiencing slippage simply disappears from their originating planet and appears on another. With Death, they seem to be killed, with corpses found on the originating planet, but appear alive and well on another (usually unconnected). With Doubling, a person (or object or place) lives a normal life but somehow another identical example of them suddenly appears on one or more (almost always disconnected until long after both parties are dead) other planets.

Demon - Malevolent non-physical lifeform native to some of the magic Zones. They typically take on a physical shape made of available materials when summoned. Some can possess intelligent life. Demons are said to thrive on causing discord, pain and suffering.

Earthborn - A person who was born on Earth, as opposed to on any other world. Earthborn are widely reputed to be extremely lucky and/or powerful once they leave Earth for the first time. Some gain specific unusual abilities like a natural affinity to magic. There is a prophecy that only an Earthborn will find the portal to Earth.

Embassy - A personal term given to buildings, typically on worlds in the Cuvali network, which contain a permanent portal to Cuvali facilities. Most Cuvali worlds have more than one embassy, and they require special clearance to enter.

Erat - The typical language spoken on the area of Genna that the author lives.

Genna - One of the worlds in the Cuvali network, made up of several different countries and cultures (including descendants of the Roanoake colony). General technology level is roughly comparable to Earth, perhaps about a decade behind in general, but with certain areas on par or even ahead of Earth. The author has made his home here. Genna exists in the Overlap.

Groundhog - Informal name for a mechanical probe that drops through a portal, takes readings or relays recorded conversation, and then attempts to return through the portal on its own.

Haladon - One of the planets in the Cuvali network, it's actually a habitable moon of a gas giant. Haladon has a higher technological level than other worlds in the Cuvali network, and higher than Earth, but they're very restrictive in trading and so most of it is in use only on Haladon itself. They furnish hi-tech supplies to the Cuvali. Haladon exists in the Overlap.

Hybrids - General term given to intelligent beings possessing both human and animal qualities, however they are produced. Hybrids suffer discrimination on some worlds and are revered on others.

Magic, Low - In this Zone, magic starts to predominate, and technological principles do not always work. Typically, most physical laws operate in similar ways, but things like electrical conductivity of materials and chemical reactions may be different. Materials and technology imported from other zones typically work as intended. In many (but not all) worlds in the Low Magic, there is a Universal Translator Field. (Low Magic is sometimes referred to as 'Shallow Magic')

Magic, High - In this Zone, physical laws vary dramatically from world to world, and even sometimes from place to place, within a world. Even technology brought from outside may not work in a given location. Sometimes reality can be changed through acts of will, and magic (an extension of this principle) is very powerful. (High Magic is sometimes referred to as 'Deep Magic')

Overlap - This Zone is between the magic and tech side of the continuum. Magic works, and the chemical and electrical properties that technology relies on work in a reliable and consistent way. It is believed that Earth may reside in Overlap.

Palmiss - The official operating language of the Cuvali, in part because of a machine which lets operatives quickly learn the language (but no others). The language is not in use as a primary language by any nation in the Cuvali network outside of the Cuvali themselves, but educated people end to learn it.

Portal - A usually stable spherical area that connects two places. Portals are naturally invisible (although differences in air composition on either side and other factors may make some visible). Matter passing completely into the radius of a portal is transported to the other side, but radio and other waves do not transmit through portals. Portals can be created artificially or appear naturally, but will only open places of similar gravitational field strength (once open, they can be moved to places with different gravitational conditions). There are means to artificially open, close, move or control the size of portals.

Primal - Little is known about the 'Primal', except that it is such a high-magic Zone that some consider it the source of all magic. Beings so powerful so as to be called 'Gods' are said to exist there. Rumors say that humans cannot survive a trip to the primal without being fundamentally altered. (Primal is also called Beyond by some people)

Rorann - A world in the low magic that is observed by the Cuvali because Earthborns show up there a lot for some reason. This was the author's first post-Earth world. Some of it resembles general medieval fantasy world stereotypes. Rorann is considered 'protected' and Cuvali agents work to ensure the world doesn't get changed too much by off-worlders.

Slippage - Personal term for the sudden transportation of an object, person, or place from one world to another with no deliberate cause. It may or may not use a portal.

Stun Baton - Small metallic stick which discharges electrical bursts to, ideally, stun targets without seriously hurting them.

Transcend - Little is known about this Zone. It is posited to exist out of symmetry, but no reliable accounts of anyone visiting it survive. It is the subject of rumors.

Tech, Low - In this Zone, magic abilities start to wane. Typically, only those with a particular affinity for magic (which includes many Earthborn) may use it. Enchanted items and creatures typically work as normal, but may experience reduced effect or the loss of some abilities. (Low Tech is sometimes referred to as Shallow Tech)

Tech, High - In this Zone, magic does not work to any appreciable degree. The worlds operates based on predictable rules (however arcane exceptions and addendums to scientific laws may sometimes be exploited in an 'indistinguishable from magic' sense). Enchanted objects and practical magic typically do not work at all, and magical beings may be adversely affected. (High Tech is sometimes referred to as Deep Tech)

Universal Translator Effect (UT Field) - Personal term for a magical effect prominent on many worlds in the Magic zones. On worlds with a UT Field, anyone can make themselves understood by speaking with a deliberate mental effort and desire to be understood. Some magical creatures can tap into this field to understand people who are not choosing to be understood.

Whisper - A type of Demon that lives exclusively in intelligent beings. Rather than taking over, a whisper typically waits in a host mind and, at opportune times, makes suggestions only the host can hear. It's often mistaken for insanity. Whispers thrive on the terror generated by the fear of going insane and the mayhem caused when a host finally listens to the suggestions (many of which sound quite reasonable at first). After a prolonged time, whispers can destroy a weak host's will completely and take direct control.

Zones - Realms of slightly different relationships to physical laws. It is currently unknown whether zones coexist in one universe or if they represent different dimensions. All known and reported locations exist in one of 7 zones: Primal (or Beyond), High Magic, Low Magic, Overlap, Low Tech, High Tech, and Transcend. The divisions are rough approximations - there are widely believed to be finer divisions but there is no formal way to determine what zone a world is in.