WORD	CATEGORY	DESCRIPTION
AEROBIKES	tech	like a motorbike without wheels.
ANGLAYS	races	Pronounced 'Onglayz'. Trader race - short, tubby, tawny colour all over, very active, like loud music etc.
AUTODOC	tech	some kind of 'healing' machine.
BADLANDS	unspecified terrain	surrounding the VALLEY? Like a geographic moat?
BINDERS neck	tech	thread-like filament of metal fitting tightly around the neck but non-restrictive unless the wearer attempts to escape. Can be set to cause selective or total paralysis. Or death.
BINDERS wrists	tech	some advanced tech. that act like flexible hand-cuffs. Can also inflict disabling pain.
BORNIO McFAYS	races	Trader race - tall, bronze, thin, red hair, black tattoos, no inhibitions.
CITADEL	location	Structure in the VALLEY in which the Key was kept. Uses advanced tech but it is starting to break down. Electric lighting, air-conditioning, sealed doors, concealed surveillance
CLIFF	terrain	incredibly high wall of a plateau? First major barrier between 'the rest of the world' and the VALLEY?
ELDERS	Khur	Leaders? rulers? of all Khur?
FASH	language	swear word in Khur language
GIFT	Khur	unspecified genetic ability which runs only in T'thups line. The Gift appears to be passed along on the X chromosome as the very rare males who inherit it seem to die. A male Khur with the Gift is prophecied to be their Saviour?
GIFT mark of	Khur	unspecified - possibly like a birthmark or some other physical manifestation.
GORK	character	a Guard. Brave. Honourable? More intelligent than he appears.
GUARDS	races	Sub-species? of the Thul..big [about 8 foot], brutish [very heavily muscled with small heads that appear out of proportion to the rest of the body, sluggish [in comparison to the Khur?] but intelligent.
HEALING TOUCH	races	one of the Thul [later to be identified as Kurdim the Master's lieutenant?] has healing skills.
HIDDEN LIBRARY	Khur	implies secret knowledge.
IRON BUSH	vegetation	spindly bush with a scaly stem, growing to 4 feet. Very hard wood, much valued in primitive society because when tempered by fire it is almost as hard as steel. Can be worked into arrow heads or blades prior to tempering.
JAM'EE	character	young Sari female. Sister to Lee'sar. Hair a delicate shade of blue. Sometimes she appears to be almost a 'half-wit' while at others she displays flashes of an unexpected intelligence.
KEY	object?	unspecified object of great importance stolen from a citadel? temple? in the VALLEY by T'thup and hidden before her capture. T'thup knows that the Key has kept the planet cordonned off from the galaxy for 1100 years. Why? To keep others out or to lock something in?
KHA	language	Khur word for a team? perhaps a hunting team? Possibly Khur warrior battalion?
KHUR design	culture	they like soft colours and build in curves rather than straight edges. Low technology implied.
KHUR promises	culture	the Khur are incapable of breaking a promise once it has been formally given. Even casual agreements cause discomfort if not met. To make a formal promise the right thumb is placed over the heart and the personal name of giver and recipient are spoken, together with the extent of the commitment. Once given a promise is for life and cannot be rescinded. As a consequence Khur make very few promises and try not to make 'general' ones.
KILOK	language	measurement of mass in Khur language?
KIT	language	word for immature Khur child.
KURDIM	character	a Thul like the Guards and lieutenant to the Master. Appearance - much slimmer and less muscled than the normal Guard. Possibly because he has special powers, e.g. healing. Perhaps he's a shaman of the Thul.
LAST MOON	astronomy	last of four? moons
LEE'SAR	character	Sari male, young adult, much smaller than the Thul Guards, pink, spiky hair, broad-featured face with long fleshy ridge instead of eyebrows, very pale complexion with hint of scales, dark green eyes with nictating membrane, flat nose, full lower lip. Tattoo of a musical note on left hip. Dressed in pants of soft, black material. Womaniser despite not having any women of his own species around. He and his sister appear to be the only living members of their race. Either they originally came from a very remote area of the planet or they are off-planet in origin. Does the Master intend to breed Lee'sar and Jam'ee to ensure that there continue to be people who can do 'something' with the Key?
MASTER	character	nickname 'Dr. Dick'. Proper name Dr. Richard Kelp. Broad shouldered with long white hair but an indeterminate age.
NEST	language	Khur word for bed - rounded and big enough for communal sleeping.
PACK	Khur	family group? village? clan?
RED STAR	character	the Guard who captured T'thup. Typical Guard build but the mindset of rogue animal. Extremely violent. Enjoys inflicting pain.
SARI	races	Lee'sar and Jam'ee appear to be the only two
SNARHG	animals	rat equivalent creature
STUNNER	tech	some kind of non-lethal weaponry about the same size as a 'gun'.
THUL	races	The average Thul male is about 7.5 foot tall, well muscled but not as out of proportion as those selected to be Guards. Generally a race of hunters and warriors. Trance skills not unknown but also not common. The most skilled end up as shamans.
TRADER cities	genera	special merchant cities where Traders come together to barter.
TRADER shelter	general	some kind of lockable enclosure where Traders of all races can store their goods safely.
T'THUP	character	see 'Walks-in-Shadow'.
TURN	language	Khur word for a year.
VALLEY	layout	sacred place to both Khur and Thul? Hiding place of the Key? located on a plateau, surrounded by Badlands and protected by the Cliff from the rest of the world.
WALKS-IN-SHADOW	character	T'thup is her name, Walks-in-shadow is its meaning. [T'thup is not a Khur name. From another language. Has some special significance]. T'thup pants like a dog, has heightened senses, especially smell, is capable of using a healing trance. Appearance, long nose, long copper coloured hair, fine copper pelt on body, slim and agile,