This page is work in progress. It contains words and concepts mixed together with no particular structure. Later on we will improve on it.
Next to this page, please take a look at Places and People of Anno Ruini Universe.
| A | |
| Ampule | A modern name for the bulb. |
| B | |
| Bhante | Title of monastery abbots. Based on bhante. |
| Bhuta | A modern word (came from Hindu) designating an evil spirit that emerges from the human's subconscious when the ‘roots of evil’ or ‘poisons’ take the lead. There are three kinds of bhuta: moha, raga, and dvesha. Plural is bhutas. |
| Bulb | A small fragile ball of ‘tea glass’ where demons and kami can be kept in form of ether. |
| C | |
| Celestials | Inhabitants of the Heavenly Realm; more general than gods. Celestials are immortal. |
| Chinayan | Belonging to Chinayindu. |
| D | |
| Dadao | A long sword, based on dadao. |
| Demons | Inhabitants of the Under Realm; more general than devils. |
| Devils | Shorter and more abstract way to call weredevils. |
| E | |
| Era | Somewhat large period of time characterised by all-encompassing dynamics of human society, technology, mythology, etc. There are several Eras: High Tide, Storm, Dark Years, Lucid, Calm. |
| Ether | Smoke-like substance that serves as a transmitter of demons, kami, bhutas; it has many varieties that have different effects such as narcotic hallucinations and suggestive hypnosis. Certain kinds of ether pick up base materials and attach themselves to other things altering their appearance. Certain kind of ether can provide kinetic feedback when touched or pushed as if it was a solid object. |
| G | |
| Gods | Some of Celestials. Gods have found the Heavenly Realm and have certain powers that humans don't. In general, gods have much more strong connection with qi. |
| Goshintai | A vault where potent magical implements, especially those with sleeping demons and kami, are stored. Based on shintai. See also yorishiro. |
| H | |
| Haiden | A (kami) worship hall. Based on haiden. |
| Heavenly Kings | Four Heavenly Kings, armed with sacred weapons: Jian the Thunder Sword, Gun the Heavenly Pole, the Sanjiegun the Thunder Flail and Saitsu the Lightning Trident. Weapons are based on Eighteen Arms of Wushu and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. |
| Heavenly Ships | Vessels in which gods and celestials travel the Heavenly Realm. |
| K | |
| Kami | A spirit that inhabits certain object: a thing, a building, a place. People also obtain their own kami, which guard them from being possessed. Some kami are more powerful than others and might allow their hosts access qi. However, kami don't possess conscience and can't communicate with humans directly. Plural is kami. |
| Kamisutta | Kind of sutta (a prayer-meditative text) that is connected with kami. |
| Kamunushi | Temple monks responsible for providing homes for celestials within their heads or with their prayers (opinions differ). Rarely leave the monasteries they live in. Plural is kamunushi. See also: Monasteries. |
| Kappa | A usually peaceful minor demon who lives in ponds. Based on kappa. |
| Kaumodaki | A very big metallic mace that is used by Zhu Leizu. Based on kaumodaki. |
| Kiwano | A kind of horned melon. |
| Komuso | Wandering monks wearing a straw hat that covers the head in full. They have taken the vow of silence. Sometimes they are accompanied by enchanted beasts like wolves with whom they can talk. Plural is komuso. See also: Monasteries. |
| M | |
| Magicks | Manifestations of manipulations with qi. Usually plural. |
| Maidono | Ceremonial hall in the monastery's shrine. Based on maidono. |
| Mudra | Symbolic gesture that produces a magical effect, e.g., setting up a ward or sending out a hex. Based on mudra. |
| N | |
| Narakasura | An ancient curse. In modern times, used predominantly by monks. Based on Narakasura. |
| Nonchaka | Martial weapon, made of two sticks connected with chain. Based on nunchaku. |
| P | |
| Pipa | A musical instrument, kind of a lute. Based on pipa. |
| Q | |
| Qi | Omnipresent energy, connecting everything in the world. Roughly resembles qi. For Anno Ruini, it is, however, a more complex concept. |
| R | |
| Rakshasa | Used in later eras (e.g. Calm Era) to talk about powerful demons who are locked and kept in the Under Realm. It is, however, a more complex concept. Female rakshasa is called rakshasi. Plural is rakshasas. |
| S | |
| Samanera | A third-fourth year disciple in the monastery. Based on samanera. Plural is samaneras. See also: Monasteries. |
| Shakuhachi | ‘Flute of the Void’. A cane flute with an unusually long steel mouthpiece which is sharp as a knife. To play the flute, one must handle the mouthpiece skilfully, otherwise one will cut one't mouth open. Based on shakuhachi. |
| Shrine | A shintoism-style place for kami. See topics about Religion. |
| Sutta | A recitative, prayer, aphoristic psalom. Based on sutta/sutra. See also kamisutta. |
| T | |
| Tanka | A short poem, usually a pentastich. Based on tanka. |
| Temple | A Buddhist-style place of worship. See topics about Religion. |
| Tradition | Religion dominant for Anno Ruini Universe. Syncretic blend of Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto, and Hindu. |
| V | |
| Vanara | A fictitious kind of monkey-people, based on vanara. Hachiman is believed to be a king of them. |
| W | |
| Washi | Thin white rice paper. |
| Weredemons | Inhabitants of the Under Realm, who wander on Earthen Realm in guise of werewolves, weretigers, werebadgers, etc.; sometimes called weredevils. |
| X | |
| Xiantao | Peaches of Immortality, grow in the garden of Xiwanmu, on top of Gunlun mountain. |
| Y | |
| Yokai | Disembodied demons. See also weredemons. |
| Yorishiro | A vault where potent magical implements are stored. Based on yorishiro. See also goshintai. |
There is no language diversity in the Anno Ruini Universe. It leads to the situation where people look for other things that can help them obtain a group identity.
Accents, mannerisms, and proverbs are examples of such group-identity-binding things. So are names.
Names are among few things which bind people to certain cultures. Name reflects the group identity of its bearer. Thus, persons (sometimes frequently) changes their names when they move into — attach themselves to — a different culture.
Each monastery disciple is assigned a monastic name. Traditional monastic names are of Japanese origin (Takuan, Kotoku, Zenryu) as the Japanese branch of tradition is attributed to spirituality. Christian monastic names follow naming of saints.
When persons move to a different region and settle there for living, their names tend to adjust to the culture of that region. Thus, Zenryu → Jeffrey, John → Jin, Cann → Kan, Lupin → Bing Lieu. Name doesn't change if the person struggles to assimilate.
Names in Tradition follow certain patterns:
-ö which reflects their nobility. It comes from French ieux.Some people are given nicknames that stick. Usually, they aren't free to choose those, and end up having unpleasant ones, which they make a great deal of effort not to notice. E.g., nickname Zhu means ‘pig’.
Names in Western cultures follow less traditionalistic, modernistic pattern, focusing on how persons spend their lives: in what profession or social circle. When that changes, names tend to adapt as well.
Here are some examples:
The dominant religion for Anno Ruini is a syncretic blend of Eastern religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Shinto. In the later eras, Hindu concepts such as rakshasa are borrowed to estrange the Underly Realm from other Realms. This religion is called Tradition. Shinto aspect is connected with spirituality, while Buddhism is a dominant religious practice.
Tradition is traditionalistic in many aspects. E.g., it puts family interests before those of individual.
Other religions such as several branches of Christianity, are not represented in the ‘Takuan’ series, and only somewhat touched in the ‘Demons’ series.
Temples are places where Celestials dwell. Shrines are places were kami can be found and contacted.
Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples are dotted around Japan—but how are they different? Shrines are built to serve the Shinto religious tradition and are characterised by a torii gate at the entrance. Temples are built to serve the Buddhist religious tradition and are characterised by a sanmon gate at the entrance.