Deadlight Glossary

Pyrepost

A designated fire-signal tower. Each has a unique burn pattern, fuel type, and meaning. Watching them is sacred duty; misreading them gets people killed.

Firepath

One of the seven ridgelines stretching from Vireskya, each lined with pyreposts. Their alignment allows warning signals to reach distant settlements or watchpoints.

Signal Flare / Ward-Flare

A single-use alchemical device meant to burn bright enough to alert surrounding fireposts. Only used in emergencies. Carrying two is rare and considered a bad omen.

Blue Flame

An aberrant pyre signal believed to herald the unnatural—spiritual corruption, plagueborn phenomena, or moonstruck creatures. Often tied to divine warning or metaphysical bleed.

Green Fire

A sign of spiritual rot. If seen in a pyrepost, the tower is considered lost until properly reclaimed. Few return from such missions.

Pyrejohns

Ritual-keepers and fire-tenders of the signal towers. They maintain the sacred stacks, interpret flame colors, and recite the signal liturgies. Each is trained in both survival and ceremony.

The Whispering Line

One of the seven firepaths. Its name comes from wind phenomena that cause strange auditory illusions. Watchers stationed there report hallucinations and memory gaps.

Deadroot / Ghoul-Slope

A known region beneath the southern ridgeline, where the soil doesn’t hold corpses. Ghouls regularly surface to consume exposed remains. Patrols there are considered short but dangerous.

Ironwort

A tough, bitter herb grown in Vireskya terraces. Used in medicine, poison, or ritual depending on how it’s prepared. Smoked by veterans, brewed in field kits, burned in cleansing rites.

Threadwork / Knot Token

Scraps of knotted cord passed between watchers, believed to carry protective memory or ritual significance. Not officially recognized—but nearly everyone carries one.

Tap Rhythm

A quiet method of forgecraft and coded speech. Used to shape tools in secret or communicate in silence. Common in Vireskya, where loud hammering can attract unwanted attention.

The Wane

Local term for the creeping, devouring wilderness tied to Nor’dagha’s influence. It’s not a place—it’s a process. Rot, regrowth, and reclamation. Anything left too long falls to the Wane.

Watcher’s Mark

A scratched symbol or pigment stamp left on posts to indicate inspection, hazard, or last known direction. Breaking someone else’s mark without cause is a punishable offense.

Moonfall

A local calendar term marking the waning of the twin moons. Considered the most stable time to travel or send runners. Watch rotations often shift with it.