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GEOGRAPHICAL TERMS
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Although the Church and Union share the Outside the areas blanketed by darkness gen-
spoils of Necropolis natural resources, when it erators, the Church and Union can use the few
comes to naming conventions for geological for- remaining satellites to generate maps. Their reli-
mations the Church has dominance. Part of the ability is questionable, though, as the Rephaim
reason behind this is the Union s failure to agree landscape their realms regularly using necro-
a naming convention. mancy and weird science.
This lead to different Corporations giving
features different names, and sometimes even
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OFFICE OF SURVEY
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different classifications. This in turn lead to
confusion and small skirmishes during the post-
In charge of the continued mapping of Salus
colonization period, as rival Corporations fought
and of updating the many maps used by both
over the same piece of land thanks to bureaucratic
civilians and the Sacri Ordines is the Office of
blunders.
Survey, a sub-office within the Office of Scientific
Research. Its head office is located within Vatican
When the Third Reformation Church arrived,
City, not far from Office of the Inquisition.
it immediately began reclassifying and labelling
the entire surface of Salus.
The bureaucrats, cartographers, geologists,
and scientists of the Office of Civilian Survey work
With over half the population using a single
closely with the Offices of Information, Transport,
naming convention, the Unions quickly caved
Antiquities, and Colonization, among others.
and adopted the Church terms (ostensibly just
Those within the Office of Resource Survey are
to keep the Church quiet over the matter). How-
colleagues with the Office of Natural Resources
ever, the Corporations still use the older names,
(whose job it is to exploit Salus resources for
many of which the Church never learned, when
Church use), while the Office of Military Survey
they want to refer to a location under a thin veil
handle maps for the various Sacri Ordines intel-
of secrecy.
ligence officers.
The entire surface of Salus was mapped shortly
Outside of satellite mapping, cartographers are
after colonization. Despite this, very little of the
also present on the ground, measuring distances
planet has actually been explored in detail by
with laser theodolites. Although few new cities
humans. Vast areas of desert and forest, great
are being raised, those that already exist are con-
rolling plains, and craggy mountains have yet to
stantly undergoing modification as new roads are
feel the tread of mankind s feet. More seductively,
laid and older residential blocks cleared to make
at least for certain Church Offices, their secrets
way for new apartments or industrial zones.
are yet to be revealed.
While a variety of electronic maps are available,
Although the few centuries which have passed
the Offices also produce old-fashioned paper
since are a blink of an eye in geological terms,
maps at varying scales. Civilians maps are avail-
large portions of the surface have changed.
able from all good bookstores.
Within the Dead Zones, the landscape has
warped beyond recognition. Forests have become For reasons of security, many Preceptories
twisted masses of vegetation or windswept plains, appear on civilian maps as blank spaces simply
grasslands have turned to deserts of ash and dust, labelled  Preceptory. Many Lazarite facilities are
and rivers flooded low-lying areas to form dank not even displayed on maps available to the other
marshes or dried completely. Sacri Ordines.
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NECROPOLIS 2350
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Rather than trying to learn which geological
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LIST OF TERMS
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terms go before the name and which after, choose
whichever you feel works best (Vastitas Borealis,
The WM can use the terms below to add extra Olympus Mons, or Syria Planum are 21st century
examples from Mars).
flavor to his Necropolis 2350 games when giving
Unless you ve got a Latin speaker in your
the names of geographical features. This is espe-
group, the players won t mind inaccuracies, so
cially good in briefings or when talking to folk on
long as you re consistent with you name struc-
the ground. Just add the actual name of the fea-
ture. Of course, you can always explain away the
ture to the beginning or end of the Latin term. occasional error as a regional variation.
Latin (sing, plu) Feature
Catena, catenae Chain of craters
Cavus, cavi Hollows or irregular, steep-sided depressions
Chaos Large areas of broken, empty terrain
Chasma, chasmata Deep fi
ssure with steep sides
Colles Small hills or undulations
Crater, craters Circular depression
Desert, desertus Desert
Dorsum, dorsa Ridge
Fluctus Flow terrain
Flumen, fluminis River
Fossa, fossae Long, narrow, shallow depression
Insula, insulae Island
Labes Landslide (from the Latin meaning  fall or  ruin )
Labyrinthus, labyrinthi Network of intersecting valleys
Lingula, lingulae Extension of a plateau with tongue-like protrusions
Mare, maris Sea
Mensa, mensae A fl
at-topped prominence with cliff-like edges)
Mons, montes Mountain
Patera, paterae Irregular crater or bowl
Planitia, planitiae Low plain
Planum, plana Plateau or high plain
Promunturium, promunturii Promontory or headland
Rupes Steep slope
Scopulus, scopuli Irregular scarp or one with lobes
Silva, silvae Forest
Sulcus, sulci Furrows or trenches and ridges
Terra, terrae Continent
Tholus, tholi Small, rounded mountain or hill
Undae Dunes (from the Latin for  wave )
Vallis, valles Valley
Vastitas, vastitates Extensive plain
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