A Darkovan native bluish gem stone that has the ability of augment and amplify laran; also called starstone; natural matrix stones are usually rather small, but the artificial matrices made and used in the Towers can reach huge proportions. The creation of large matrix stones has long been against the Laws of Arilinn.

When a Matrix is given to a person, it's "keyed" to them, matching their psychic resonance, and cannot be used by anyone else. To touch a keyed matrix can send its owner into shock, and to take it away could kill. Only a Keeper could touch a keyed matrix and cause no damage.

One of the basic laws of matrix mechanics: "Nothing is unique in space and time except a matrix; every item in the universe exists with one and only one exact duplicate, except a matrix stone." Therefore "a matrix, being the only unique thing in space-time, and thus existing without any equilibrium point, has the power to shift energy." Therefore also "two identical matrices... can't exist simultaneously, in one universe and in time, without space distortion."

Most Terranan are generally headblind, but just as there are some telepaths within the non-Comyn population of Darkover, there is also the occasional telepath among the people of the Terran Empire. They are in comparison not very strong, and are generally ignored and considered a laughing stock in their culture which does not accept telepathy.

"The Comyn powers are chieri powers, little brother... I suppose you have no patience for long tales, so I will say only this - the chieri lived on Darkover long before you Terrans came..."
                        --chieri bard Narad-zinie to Kennard Alton, Star of Danger.

The chieri consider the human lifetime to be "a sleep and a sleep." Their lives span centuries, and humans with a large amount of chieri genetics also are long-lived. However, they have a low sex drive due to their hermaphroditic nature; finding two chieri who are both raiva, or ripe for mating, is an ever-increasing rarity. Thus, the 'Children of the Yellow Forest' as they are known to call themselves, who may be the real key to laran and matrix sciences, are slowly but surely becoming only a memory...

The Sisterhood of Avarra was one of the two founding groups of the Guild of the Free Amazons. Still functional within the framework of the Guild, the Sisterhood is an outlet for training common women in laran outside the Towers. Dominated by Midwives, they have a close relationship to Neskaya Tower.

The term given to a telepath who has learned to use his/her powers alone, by trial and error, wild telepaths are extremely difficult and hazardous to work with in a matrix circle. The Law of Arilinn forbids taking an untrained or wild telepath into a matrix circle, due to the potential for harm.

In the time after the Ages of Chaos and the decline of laran most of the old Psi Gifts (donas) have been lost, and of those that survived, few breed true anymore. It is extremely rare to find someone with a donas in full, and even more unusual for one person to have more than one donas. The only two Gifts which can be used to kill directly are Alton and Rockraven, and children with those donas are given extra instruction in the meaning and importance of the Compact.

Elhalyn: The family donas of the Elhalyn is related to the donas of the Aldaran... but the Elhalyn see all possible futures resulting from their actions. This makes for crazy people, sometimes, and is what originally prompted the other Domains to regard the Elhalyn as insane, not the inbreeding.

Hastur: The Hastur donas is that of the Living Matrix. This is the ability to handle energies that would kill most people, without using a matrix. This makes any Hastur with the donas at full strength the equal of any Keeper (but without the refined training), and Hastur women with the Gift make the strongest Keepers.

Ardais: The donas of the Ardais is that of the catalyst. Ardais with the donas can awaken any latent laran, should they choose, and occasionally do so accidentally. They can not awaken what is not there though...

Aillard: This donas supposedly died out, and even when it was alive, no one in the Domains were fully aware of it.

Alton: Forced rapport, being the ability to engage in mental contact whether the other party wills it or no. The Alton donas can even be used to bring the headblind into rapport.... or kill. Therefore, Altons are feared, and those with the gift must be sworn to obey the Compact.

Ridenow: Empathy. Nowadays mostly just being able to feel the emotions of others, the Ridenow gift was originally bred to attempt contact with the nonhuman races which inhabit Darkover.

Aldaran: Similar to the Elhalyn Gift, the Aldaran donas is precognition. However, they do not see all possible futures - the Aldaran gift manifests in brief glimpses into the future. This can be actually seeing a flash of what the future holds, or in some rare cases actually hearing the future. ---It is important to be aware of the fact that it is nearly impossible to tell whether the glimpse of the future is to occur next week or a hundred years from now.

Leynier: The Leynier gift is that of Shape-change. This is not actually physically changing one's form, but projecting the appearance of being someone.... or even something else. Possibly it was originally intended to work with the original Ridenow donas in communicating with the nonhumans, to reassure them by giving them a familiar appearance.

MacAran: Communication with animals, this gift can enable its possessor to control the wildest animals, and convince them to bend to his/her will. People with the MacAran donas are never thrown from horses and rarely attacked by animals.

Rockraven: This donas is perhaps the most dangerous of all, both to its possessor and those around him. It is the ability to control the weather, especially storms and lightning. As with others, this gift was originally bred into the family for use in warfare, but there are peaceful applications for it. As with the Alton gift, those Rockravens who can control the weather must be sworn to obey the Compact.

Keeper (tenerésteis): Tower Robes; Red

The Keeper is the central force of a working Matrix circle, channeling all of the energon flows of the other workers into a single, highly focused beam. This is highly dangerous work, with the risk of the Keeper literally burning up like a torch from the backlash if she is not diligent and focused. Therefore, those who attain the position of Keeper usually deserve the respect they receive.

A Keeper's training used to involve the painful fixation of the nerve channels that carry both laran and sexual energy to carry only laran to accommodate such high levels of energy. Since Cleindori Aillard's death, however, this is traditionally not done except at Arilinn; although a Keeper must remain celibate while she acts as Keeper - otherwise, her channels may overload.

It is forbidden to touch an acting Keeper; this is not the superstitious nonsense many believe it to be - a Keeper's training ensures that any man who tries to rape her takes his own life into his hands; if attacked, a Keeper's mind and body will automatically defend her with the force of her laran. Any touch of the Keeper in the circle is dangerous to all its members.

Underkeepers are Keepers who have not completed the training required to fully function as the center of a Matrix circle. They are equivalent in rank to the First Technician and can do all the duties of that position, but the main difference is that Underkeepers are Keepers-in-training; women who are qualified to take the training designed to let them work as the center of a Tower circle

The title of "First Technician" is given in a Tower to the technician who has the most seniority and skill level. A position to aspire for, especially for those who, for whatever reason, cannot become a Keeper. A technician of this level can do many of the things a Keeper can, including matching resonance with a keyed matrix.

Technicians are trained something like mechanics and monitors, but with a greater skill in detail work. Whereas monitors can relieve a headache, technicians can perform brain surgery. Mechanics monitor first and second level matrices; technicians are qualified to monitor up to a fifth level matrix, which is the legal limit under the Compact.

Matrix Mechanics are trained in the technical aspects of matrix work, monitoring matrices while psimonitors monitor the people of the circle. Having a mechanic's license enables a person to carry a mechanic's kit, which includes all of the equipment needed to do a mechanic's job outside of a Tower. Thus there are licensed mechanics practicing outside of the Tower system, even in the Trade City of Thendara.
A mechanic's tasks and abilities include - monitoring individual matrices, distilling kireseth into the drugs used in the Towers, kirian and raivannin, building matrix screens and matrix locks, and handling the unkeyed stones.

Psimonitors have the job of sitting outside a working matrix circle, making sure the unconscious reflexes of the workers' bodies do not stop while their minds are elsewhere, and relieving tension, muscle cramps, etc. These skills are also applied outside of the circle. Monitors know the workings of the human body intimately, and can stop pain, as well as do superficial healing.

A monitor is a position that does not require full telepathy; empaths make just as good or better monitors than telepaths. Telepathic monitors, though, may also sit inside a matrix circle and contribute their energies that way, if necessity requires it.

The most basic level of Tower training for someone with laran is telepathic etiquette and how to shield oneself from the thoughts/emotions of others. Most trainees eventually qualify for other sorts of training, however, and move up to serve in the Towers as well.