Laelith is unique in the depth and breadth of its Lore, as evidenced by the remarkable [[http://loukoum.online.fr/jdr/laelith/lael3ndx.htm|Index of entries]] compiled by Frédéric Vallat from the pages of Laelith's most recently published [[https://black-book-editions.fr/catalogue.php?id=414#Présentation|French version]]. As such, it really matters to get its [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontology_(computer_science)|ontology]] right. Here is the classification we devised and propose using to classify and label all index entries. ==== Main Categories ==== Each index entry belongs to a unique **Main Category**: * **Location**: Category of all index entries that have a fixed, permanent or long-term defined, position on a (usually cadastral) map.\\ //Examples: The High terrace, Paladins ladder, Vorn's Cliff, the Grand Duchy of Agramor.// * **Living**: Category of all index entries capable of moving on a map by themselves, or of their own volition.\\ //Examples: Didier Guiserix, Fanrod Mornedoc, a Doodlyn, Teaphanerys XIV the Long-lived (when alive).// * **Thing**: Category of all index entries that can be moved on a map, though not by themselves.\\ //Examples: A Laelophone, a tankard of Schtoob, a finger-snap, the Killhem tree.// * **Concept**: Category of all index entries that are neither a Location, nor a Living, nor a Thing.\\ //Examples: Snooper, God-King, Celestia, Segur & Knight's disease, to go mist-hunting.// ==== Sub-categories ==== When needed, main categories are further divided into mutually exclusive sub-categories, as follows: === Locations sub-categories === All index entries in the **Location** category are either: * an **Area**: Sub-category of Locations that cover a substantial area of the map and contain either multiple Lots and Arteries, or a major Geographical feature. An area is always defined by one or more closed polygons.\\ //Examples: Laelith the mystical city, the Bath-Oh! neighborhood, the Languishings marshes, Barony of Kaoca.// * an **Artery**: Sub-category of Locations that form the public thoroughfare through which the general public can usually travel along or move through. Arteries can either be open (roads, pathways, waterways, bridges & gates) or closed (gardens, plazas) polygons.\\ //Examples: Buttery ladder, bone bridge, dispatchers garden, Zyglute square.// * a **Lot**: Sub-category of Locations that are man-made and contain no other Lot than those of type Subdivision.\\ //Examples: House of the Thousand Flowers, the Divine lock, ruins of Cuss Castle, the Forbidden library.// * a **Meta**: Sub-category of Locations that are either Itineraries or Networks sets of Arteries\\ //Examples: piety-passageway, the adventurer's path, the sewers .// === Living sub-categories === All index entries in the **Living** category are either: * **Animated**: Sub-category of Living that are animated by a Will rather than born. This includes both ethereal spirits and undeads.\\ //Example: Zombie// * **Humanoid**: Sub-category of born Living that can be Player Characters.\\ //Example: Gnome, Human, Half-elf.// * **Monster**: Sub-category of born Living that cannot be Player Characters. Includes animals. \\ //Example: Doodlyn.// === Thing sub-categories === All index entries in the **Thing** category are either: * **Transport**: Sub-category of Things that can be used as means of transportation.\\ //Example: the Queen of Cups & Swords ship, .// * **Plant**: Sub-category of Things that grow such as trees and vegetables.\\ //Examples: Fevers tree in the Punishment, the tree in Killhem Impasse.// === Concept sub-categories === All index entries in the **Concept** category are either: * **Attribute**: Sub-category of Concepts that are a skill, trait or title linked to a Living.\\ //Example: Snooper, Dwarf, High Priest.// * **Condition**: Sub-category of Concepts that can temporarily or permanently affect a Living, a Thing or a Location.\\ //Example: Segur & Knight's disease. // * **Event**: Sub-category of Concepts that are linked to a specific time.\\ //Examples: The Ball of Flutters, Celestia.// * **Organization**: Sub-category of Concepts used to describe a specific group or subset of Livings.\\ //Examples: The Inner Council, the High Guild.// ==== Location Types ==== Locations are also classified according to their type (and, often, sub-type) and usually identified by a corresponding marker type on the Map. Unlike Categories, types are often, but not always, mutually exclusive and a Location could be of two distinct types or sub-types at once. === Area types === * **City**, from most insignificant to largest: * Burgh: //Urs//, in the Grand Duchy of Agramor * Village: //Howe//, on the outskirts of Laelith * City: //Tanith-Lenath// * Capital: //Hilminia//, capital of the Gardens of Jadhys * **District**, from most specific to broadest: * Block: //The Island// * Harbor: //Altalith marina// * Neighborhood: //Bath-Oh// * Stratus: //Stratus of brumes// * Terrace: //The Hand that crafts// * Other: //Mages Peaks// * **Geographic feature**, in alphabetical order: * Cliff: //Vorn's Cliff// * Desert: //Scoria wasteland// * Island: //Sarlom Sodor// penitentiary island * Marsh: //The Languishings// * Mountain: //Bald mountains// * Plateau: //Siderian plateau// * Ravine: //Ravine of gems// * Valley: //Dragons coomb// * Water Area: //Highwater lake, Phalanx pond, Inlam torrent// * **Province**: //Egonzasthan Shires Federation// === Artery types === * **Garden**: //Destitution gardens// * **Pathway**: * Catacombs: //Bogomolet catacombs// * Traboule: //Little traboule// * Tunnel: //The rising cart// * **Plaza** * Cavern: //Evil bazaar// * Market: //Old flowers market// * Quay: //Old-time quay// * Ramp: //Soldiers ramp// * **Road** * Impasse: //Killhem impasse// * Ladder: //Puppeteer's ladder// * Stairs: //Stairway of the ineffable faith// * Street: //Fountain of Youth street// * Trail: //The Unhinged// * **Waterway**: //Quijiento river// === Lot types === * **Building** * Administration * Alchemist * Apothecary * Armory * Bank * Barracks * Bookbinder * Books * Brizure * Candies * Cemetery * Chapel * Cloaque * Clothes * Cloths * Construction * Convent * Council * Court * Distillery * Dwarves * Dyer * Education * Embassy * Entertainment * Fletcher * Food & Drinks: //The White Eagle// * Gambling * Guardhouse * Guild * Habitation * Herbalism * Illicit * Jeweler * Jewelry * Judicial * Laboratory * Lazaret * Lodging: //Hostelry of the Lazaret// * Mansion * Market * Maskmaker * Mercenary * Military * Mill * Monastery * Newspaper * Official * Organist manufacture * Palace * Pawnshop * Private * Private museum * Religious * Secret * Service * Shop * Sport * Stables * Stand-up * Tavinn * Temple * Time travel * Toll * Trade * Undeclared * Venue * Warehouse * Wine * Workshop * **Construct** * Bridge: // Bridge of smiles// * Cemetery: //God-Kings graveyard// * Enclosure: //Sacred lizard beasts enclosure// * Fountain: //Fountain of wishes// * Gate: //Gate of delightful ecstasy// * Mine: // Dwarven colony mine shaft// * Moat: //Great moat// * Monument: //Stele of remembrance// * Pool: //Elemental pool// * Rampart: //Northern ramparts, Wall of Muggy Finepalette// * Tower: //Beacon towers// * **Grotto**: //Tolerated academy of magic// * **Ruin**: //Ruins of Cuss Castle// * **Subdivision** * Floor/Level * Room: //Forbidden library// * **Temporary**, eg, //Traveling Inn// === Meta types === * **Itinerary**: //the adventurer's path// * **Network**: //the sewers// ==== Lots Classification by Activity ==== It can also be useful to categorize various Lot types by the genre of activity conducted in them. === Activity Genre === * **Military** for law enforcement & military activities * Barracks (& other Military Lodgings) * Fortifications (Gates, Ramparts, Towers...) * Guardhouse * Jail * **Official** for administrative activities * Administration * Council * Court * Guild * Lazaret * Palace * **Religious** for all religious activities * Cemetery * Crypt * Mausoleum * Chapel * Church * Hospital * Hospice * Monastery * Temple * **Trade** for all commerce-related activities * Food & Drinks * Lodging * Manufacture * Market * Port * Service * Shop * Warehouse * Workshop * **Venue** for all public activities not falling in one of the above genres * Entertainment (Opera, Theaters, Gambling, etc.) * Education (Colleges, Libraries, Museum, Observatory, Schools & Universities, etc.) * Secret (venues hidden or protected from the general public) * Sport (Amphitheater, Hippodrome, etc.) * **Undeclared** for all private activities not falling in one of the above genres * Habitation * Archpass ==== Concept Types ==== Concepts are also classified according to their type (and, sometimes sub-type). === Attribute types === * **Profession**: * Lamb //the Snooper// * Evarilion Bombogarogan, //Consulting Sleuth// * **Race**: * Sir Florimont. //Mountain Dwarf// * Padrogan, //Gopneldaun// porter-freighter * **Title**, in alphabetical order: * Valdenath, //High Priest// of the Temple of the Skull * Nin I. //the God-King// === Condition types === * **Disease**: * //Segur & Knight's disease// === Event types === * **Moment** in time: * The month of //Enfofcold// * The day of rest, //Selenia// * The hour of //the Knife//. at lunch time * **Celebration** on the calendar: * //Ice Mists Festival//, marking the Winter solstice * //The Ball of Flutters// === Organization types === Organizations are groups of Livings capable of demonstrating Proof of Humanship and assembled around a common cause or purpose, their Domain of expertise. Depending on the Powers it holds, an Organization can be a: ===Council=== Councils are organizations that hold (compulsory) //Voting//, (advisory) //Polling// and/or (meta) //Governance// powers & privileges over their Domain(s) of expertise:\\ * **Voting councils** have the power to //hold procedurally-binding votes// over matters falling under their own Domain of Expertise.\\ //Example:The God-King's Inner Council has voting powers over all matters under the purvey of the four Temples, with a tie-break going to the High Priest controlling the domain of expertise being voted upon.// \\ * **Polling councils** have the power to //poll their constituents// over matters concerning their Domain of Expertise. The results of such polls is non-binding, which doesn't mean it shall carry no weight however.\\ //Example:The Deferential Council of Noble-Burghers.// \\ * **Governance councils** have //meta powers// that go beyond the regular purview and scope of polls and votes and can reach out to the real world.\\ //Examples: The Laelith Foundation, the Lithos.// \\ ===Fellowship=== Fellowships are organizations that have a direct say or control over a set of beliefs in Laelith, as expressed in the Wiki's Lore pages. As such, Fellowships usually have //supervisory editing and tagging rights// over Wiki pages corresponding to their beliefs set. Beliefs are //layers of lore// one can choose to make visible or not, in the wiki and on the map. * **Faction**: Religious faction adhering to a specific set of beliefs.\\ //Examples: Worshippers of the Invisible Light, Worshippers of the Flame Dragon// ===Guild=== Guilds are the only type of organizations owning a //multi-sig wallet// that can hold their common resources (NFTs, digital currency and other shared digital resources). Guilds are organized around a common purpose or activity belonging to one of the following sub-types: * **Ad Hoc**: Catch-all for informal and misc. associations not belonging to any of the sub-types below.\\ //Examples: The Regenerative Mushroom, the Traditional Kaocalian Dance Circle// * **Band**: Party of adventuring PCs or NPCs.\\ //Examples: The Wanderer's Company, the Bostonn Vigilantes// * **Brotherhood**: Religious order (Sisterhood when all female).\\ //Examples: Brotherhood of the Earth Mother, the White Brotherhood// * **Cenacle**: Temple or Divine-royal administration.\\ //Examples: Cenacle of Continuities, Cenacle of Trades// * **College**: Learning society.\\ //Examples: The College of Illusionists, the School of Magic// * **Company**: Military or martial order.\\ //Examples: The Corps of Protectors, the Spirit Brigade, the Scrape// * **Corporation**: Trade or merchant guild.\\ //Examples: The Boonzill Express, the Tavinnkeepers Guild// * **Crafting Guild**: Dedicated to the crafting of goods, digital or IRL.\\ //Example: The Guild of Armorers & Blacksmiths// * **Gang**: Criminal or illicit org.\\ //Examples: Guild of the Bleeding Dagger, the Severed Tongue, the Pendular Hermits// * **Tribe**: Race and kin-based groups.\\ //Examples: The Blood Teeth, the Dwarven Kin society// * **Troupe**: Artists and performers group.\\ //Examples: The Flap Seat, the Wooden Prince Company// Tags are also used to designate specific properties of certain guilds. For instance: * **Secret**: Designates secret guilds.\\ //Examples: The Litholysis, the Dwarven Kin society// ==== Design Notes ==== Each Category/sub-category/type/sub-type is designed to be mutually exclusive from all others, so that an index entry can only ever belong to one, and one only, category/sub-category/type/sub-type. If an index entry belongs to two (or more) distinct categories, this simply means there are multiple entries with the same name, each belonging to a distinct category. ==== Ontology Dictionary on the API ==== The Laelith API can give you the up-to-date dictionary of the Ontology: https://api.laelith.com/ontology