Appendix These stories chronical a man's journey across Europe toward the end of an Ice Age. The setting ranges from Gibralter, across Iberia, the Pyranees, the Mediterranian coast to the Alps. None of these names are used, in modern form, but hopefully I have provided enough landmarks to follow along. I will point out that none of this is in English, and presumably was translated, many times to get here. Some of the grammer is strange, and unfamiliar to reflect this. Set tens of thousands of years ago, before the Bible, or even the people who wrote it existed, I will try to explain how the story makes it down through the millenia. There are not story codes for a lot of this, so I'll just come right out with spoilers for content. There is interracial activity, between Humans, Cro-Magnons, Neanderthals, and other races with no modern descendants, nor even fossils in our records. Again, none of these names are used, and do not yet exist, so you'll have to figure it out by description, and context. Some of the characters are young, barely pubescent, but it is not pedophillic. There will be referrances to Incest, and Bestiality as well, but no direct descriptions of it from witnesses. Keep in mind that these are not modern humans with our taboos, and social conditioning. Many of the things we criminalize were necessities of survival, while others were done out of ignorance, and misguided beleifs. Language By far the most common used language is "Fire Talk", a simple hand language with the advantage of being learnable by just about anyone. The following is a short glossary of signs. Where there is none described, use your immagination. Also, the same signs are often used for several different concepts. These are not in alphabetic order, because there is no alphabet, and are in order of importance. People: Also tribe, family, or any group of people numbering more than one. Specific tribes have prefixed, or suffixed names, such as the Fire Tribes. This is usually done with one hand signing People palm held up with the fingers, and thumb held parallel in a circle, while the other signs Fire. Person: The hand is held vertical with two fingers pointed town for legs. The other fingers may be pointed out for arms, or moved to act out stories. The thumb is always used for a Spear, or phallus. Person with the thumb pointed out is always masculine. I, or Me:The flattened hand is usually pressed, or tapped against the chest. Another sign may be made with the other hand for Mine, My Spear, Fire, People, or whatever. Both hands mean We, Us, or Our's. Animal: Like the People sign, except the fingers are pointed downward, and the middle one extended for the neck. Also the sign for meat, or hunting, Animals is usually signed with both hands. Bird is both thumbs together, and the fingers spread for wings. Fish is the flattened hand waved back, and forth as if swimming, and also means to Swim, like a fish. Skin: The other hand wrapped over the back of Animal, the fingers hanging for fur, or wool. Hair is simply pulling at ones own hair, to show it, and one may also pull at their own skin, if they are wearing one. Fire: The first energy used by man, it's importance cannot be stressed enough. People trade wives, and children for it, and the secrets of using it. The sign is similar to People, only the fingers are moved, in, and out of parralel to represent the flames. Sun: Worshipped by many peoples, it's what they had before fire, and is still almost as important to cultures who have it. The sign is the flattened hand, held vertical with the fingers waving for the rays. Many cultures call it the fire in the sky, because they have no concept of fusion. Dawn, or East is raising the Sun sign from behind the hand, and Dusk, or West is hiding it. Moon: The sign is a fist, the same for rock, and stone, but used like the Sun sign, to show it's rising, and setting. The fingers are bent in, and out in a curve to show phaze, but most cultures do not understand it. Sky is simply pointing up. Blood: A compound concept, it signifies not only the red fluid in our arteries, but also Heredity, Ancestors, Decendants, Semen, and Menstral flow. Again, most of this is misunderstood. The sign is the fist, with the thumb pointed down, derived from an African drinking method. The fist is squeezed around flesh, or wet plant mass, and water, blood, or other fluid dripped into the mouth. It's also extremely phallic. Spear: At this time, the ultimate weapon, just about all peoples use them, some exclusively. There are two signs, one is the fist with the fingers open, as if wrapped around the handle. The other is the pointed thumb. "Spear" is also used as a euphemism for the phallus. The first sign is often used for the Javilin, or throwing spear, while the seccond is a fighting spear, which isn't thrown, or the phallus. Both thumbs are beaten together, or stabbed into the other's fist for Fighting, specificly with spears, or crossed for Enemy, Defend, and so forth. Stone: Also rock, and moon, it is simply the fist. The other first weapon, there is another sign for sharpened stone. Sharp: Also blade, spear head, and so forth, the sign is the flattened hand. It is often waved in front of the other hand without touching to show that it is sharp, and can cut. It may also be put between the fingers of the other hand to show cutting. "Knack": The spoken word for splitting stone, it's derived from the sound it makes when a flake is shattered off. The sign is beating the fists together, and flattening one for sharp. Also used as the name for the main character, GaMe, the Stonebreaker, who brought the skills to work stone with him from Africa. Water: Almost as important as fire, but much more abundant, the flattened hand is held level, and the fingers rippled. This is also the sign for a raft. Rain is the same sign, but with the fingers pointed downward, and waved to show it falling. Snow is level, like Raft, but with the fingers spread, and the hand falling as they wave. Wood: Also tree, the hand is held up like People, but with the wrist stiff, and the forearm vertical for the trunk. People is usually signed with the forearm horizontal. Yes: Also marriage, both hands are put together, combined into one fist. Most marriage rites also involve joining hands, so it also means Spouse, and sex. With eyes closed, it means sleeping together. Sleep is simply closing your eyes, and also means Death, or a way to stop "listening" and ignore what other's are signing. No: The hand, or hands in whatever sign are thrown out to the side, fingers spread to throw away whatever concept. It also means bad, unwanted, or bannish. Throw: Also spoken as "Hruh," a sound some make when throwing. It's simply the throwing motion with the Javilin sign for throwing a spear, or the fist for throwing a rock. To avoid confusion with the Negative sign, it's thrown foreward, and upward, instead of downward, to the side. Cloth: Pretty much unknown, at the beginning of the story, the sign is interlacing the fingers like the fibers of a cloth. Rope, or chord is rolling the palms together, to make a chord. Mind: Also Think, or Smart, it is signed like Me, only on the head instead of the chest. It is explained, by the character wo made that sign why she thinks the mind, and thoughts are in the head. Stupid is banging the head, with the fist, which literally means Stone Head. There are also the natural signs for "I don't understand," scratching the head, or shaking it to clear it. Young: Also child, or your children, it is signed by mooving the hand, up, and down as if patting a child's head. Baby, or infant is a different sign with both hands. Together in front, palms up as if holding one, it's done to one side, by the breast for Nurse, and Milk. Animal milk is the classic milking gesture, with one or both hands. Look: Two fingers pointed at the eyes, they are pointed away for Show, or See. For instance, one points out from the eyes with the other hand to the chest for Show Me, but points in for See Me.Appendix