Silvergaters, like everyone else, tend to use jargon to refer to things related to their specific context. Most of the terms will be familiar to people playing Computer Role Playing Games, although there are differences in the details.

Abyss – A location on Northworld from which a Gater can’t escape, except by respawning. With his or her spawn stuck in the abyss, the Gater effectively loses access to Northworld.

Adaptation Sickness – A debuff that appears after a few weeks on Northworld, potentially deadly if too long. Gaters need to spend a bit over a day on Earth per week on Northworld to clear all traces of it.

Aether – A vital characteristic. Powers and enables Aether Mages’ skills. Nobody but an Aether Mage really understand how they use it.

Aether Mage – A sub-build of Mage, based around the manipulation of Aether. Aether mages can drain and push Aether around, typically causing large destructive effects.

Aliengate – A Silvergate tuned for a different link than Earth-Northworld.

Ambiguous – A choice between three different skills that the Interface offers rather than providing a single skill.

Arcana – A vital characteristic. It is locked into Arcanist spell constructions and regenerates only after spells are released.

Arcanist – A sub-build of Mage, based around Arcana. Arcanists construct prepared spells rather than use straight skills. The number of constructed spells is limited by the complexity of spells and maximum Arcana available.

Archmage – General name for Builds based around three different magical systems. Known magical systems include Arcana, Geomancy, Mana, Necromancy, Druidism, Psionics, Aetheric, Rituals.

Aura – A permanent effect that provides a buff.

Buff – An effect that increases your stats.

Build – A set of stats and skills used for a specific purpose.

Crafter – A build path based on using harvesting and crafting recipes. Crafters don’t use much their combat skills, and prefer to increase their non-combat ones, whether or not those actually make something.

Death Residue – A vital characteristic. It powers Necromancer’s spells and is recovered from corpses, including those not killed by the Necromancer.

Debuff – An effect that decreases your stats or prevents some actions.

Druid – A sub-build of Mage, based around Lifeforce. Druids’ vital regenerates based on the amount of life around. In dungeons, that means their enemies; it’s not uncommon for a Druid to start a fight at low Lifeforce and end up near max.

Earth Mage – An alternate name for Geomancers.

Exile – Respawn on Earth without the possibility or intent to spawn on Northworld again.

Famished – A debuff that comes when you haven’t eaten for a while. It reduces quickly your stats, but not directly your skills. You can last 10 days maximum while Famished.

First Gater – The title used to refer to Arnoldo Fontana, the first human to find a Silvergate.

Forerunner – The term for a Silvergater from Y1 or Y2. Almost all of them are also 2k-ers.

Gater – Short for “Silvergater”; a user of a Silvergate. By extension, anyone who has ever entered Northworld even if he or she’s currently not there.

Geomancer – A sub-build of Mage, based around Geomantic Power (or Power, for short). Earth Mages can supercharge and keep a massive amount of Power by using leylines, allowing them to cast a massive amount of spells in succession until their power is exhausted.

Grind – Repeated use of a skill to improve its level.

Groupie – Slightly derogatory name for someone wanting to become a Gater.

Healer – General name for mage Builds based on regenerating vital statistics for oneself or others. Main healers are druids, then necromancers and some aetherists. Healer Archmages are extremely rare and powerful.

Health – A vital characteristic, represents the amount of life remaining in a person. While on Northworld, Health regenerates at a massively increased speed vs Earth, even for Earth-sustained wounds. Amputees recover their limbs over a few days.

Interface – Name for the system that manages a Gater’s numeric statistics and abilities. Only available while in Northworld.

Leather-and-chain – A crafting style mixing leather with metal reinforcements. Rare to find as it is more demanding skill-wise and require complex components.

Level – A measure of the number of skills points raised. Each level adds one free skill point in addition to normal skill raise.

Leyline – A ground feature that increases Geomantic Power for Earth Mages. And other things.

Lifeforce – A vital characteristic. It fuels Druid’s skills and regenerates based on the amount of – complex – living things around.

Lottery – The game of chance played to unlock new skills in Northworld.

Lowbie – A Gater with a much lower level than your own.

Mage – General name for Builds based around the use of one magical system. Usually qualified by whatever variation is used.

Mana – A vital characteristic. Mana empowers Sorcerer’s abilities.

Monk – General name for Builds based around unarmed combat, derived from Asian folklore.

Necromancer – A sub-build of Mage, based around Death Residue (or Death, for short). A Necromancer typically recharges his vital on corpses of defeated enemies.

Newbie – A Gater that crosses for his first time. Not to be mistaken for Lowbie. You are a Newbie once, you’re always the Lowbie for someone else.

Northworld – The name of the world beyond Silvergates.

Pieces-of-8 – The name of the Northworld currency. Found in copper, bronze, iron, silver, electrum and gold versions. Given the name, 8 of one make one coin higher (see at the end).

Power, Geomantic – A vital characteristic. It fuels Earth Mages’ skills and can be supercharged by Leylines.

Psionic – A sub-build of Mage, based around Psionic energies. A psi uses channeled abilities to produce effects over time.

Psy – A vital characteristic, shorthand for “psychic energy”. Empowers Psionics’ abilities.

Ranger – Generic name for Builds based around scouting, tracking and exploring. It can complement an offensive build.

Recess – The act of going back to Earth, with the intention of re-entering Northworld as soon as practical.

Setup Space – The virtual abstract location where every Gater enters when first using a Silvergate.

Silvergate – A mirror-like wormhole that can be used to move between worlds.

Skill Scroll – A Gater-made equivalent of a Skill Stone. Skill Scrolls consume significant experience from the skill being copied and require some points to learn.

Skill Stone – A marble slab covered with metal engraving. Using a Skill Stone offers a specific skill at a discount. The Stone is consumed upon use.

Solo – Confronting Northworld creatures on one’s own, without help or backup. Extremely difficult at higher ranks.

Sorcerer – A sub-build of Mage, based around Mana. Considered the most simple and basic of the Mage builds, but still sports powerful effects.

Spawn/Respawn – Name for the locations at the end of a Silvergate transfer. Spawn is used for the Northworld side, while respawn is used on Earthside.

Swordsman – General name for Builds based around the use of swords and bladed weapons (daggers, knives).

Skill – an ability provided by the Interface. Skills simultaneously limit and enhance people.

Stamina – A vital characteristic. It is used to power most physical combat skills.

Stat – Short for “Statistic”; a measure of a physical or mental characteristic.

Thousander (1K-er) – The name for a veteran at level 1000 or higher. It usually requires 12-15 months to get to that level, depending on whether or not you are grinding skills.

Two-k-er – The name for a veteran at level 2000 or higher. It usually takes 2 years and a half to achieve that. Given the growth of the Gater population, there are less than 400 2k-ers.

Veteran – The name for a Gater that has earned at least level 500 or spent a year on Northworld.

Vitals – A set of variable characteristics. Health is the common one shared by everyone, but other vitals are unlocked by various skills.

Piece-of-8

Purchase power

Earth equivalent

Copper

Meal & drink

~$4

Bronze

Room/night

~$30

Iron

Basic equipment

~$250

Silver

Advanced equipment

Low-end skill stones (T5-T3)

~$2,000

Electrum

Low-end housing

Useful skill stones (T3-T1)

~$16,500

Gold

High-end housing

Artifact-type equipment

Rare tier 1 skill stones

~$130,000

The term "platinum" is widely used to denote 8 Gold (around 1 million $), even though no platinum coinage exists.