Nexus Station: The basic Base of Operations for Ryu Gabriev and the others. This is the area where all dimensional gateways intersect. Also doubles as a transit area for people going between dimensions as settlers, visitors, or whatever. Note, however, that hostile forces always attempt to bypass the Station.
Nexus Defense Force: also known as the NDF. The fighting force consisting mainly of the Nexus Station residents, their vehicles or powered armors of choice, and hundreds of automated machines of war. Typically only employed in a military capacity when an interdimensional invasion is occurring, or during a Vie'Duel attack.
Nexus Gates: These are stable tears in time and space, capable of transporting solid matter through Limbo into other worlds without it being harmed by the chaotic powers of Limbo itself. Used by Ryu, Xelloss, and all other Nexus travellers.
Gate Creatures: See entry "Vie'Duel" below.
Limbo: The legendary space between dimensions. It is this space that keeps different dimensions from merging with each other. However, there are times where Limbo space is polarized by two different; yet parallel dimensions and then serves to connect the two worlds instead of keeping them apart. This process is known as a Null Merge.
Dragyn: Ryu's race name. From birth to adolesence, Dragyn children resemble human ones in every way until their 16th year of existence, which is when both male and female Dragyns reach physical maturity. At that time, 1 to 3 pairs of wings sprout from the back (2 pairs in Ryu's case) and a tail grows out from the base of the spine. The inital growth of these new appendages is very rapid, and quite painful since they are forced to rip through the skin as the maturity process is taking place. However, after Dragyns mature, they are in a whole new state of being, with the aging process set back by hundreds or thousands of years. A very powerful race indeed, they possess between 5 and 10 times the strength of a human, and are gifted with a natural aptitude for magic. Dragyn myths say that their race is born of a union between Bahamut, the Dragon-God of the Supernatural (father of the Mystic Races), and Tiamat, the Dragon-Goddess of Nature (mother of the Natural Races).
Mazoku: These are the dark and 'evil' entities of the Slayers Universe. Although normally they wish destruction on everyone and everything in existance, there are some who have veered off that path (Xelloss in particular) to more enlightening (and fun) ones. Our main source of information (Me! ^_^) wouldn't give much more information, but after a few hours of sadistic tortu- *ahem* convincing, he told us to look here to find more info.
Guardians of Balance: An elite few beings whose task it is to prevent the Balance that exists between all things from tipping too far. To accomplish this goal, the Guardians are gifted by the Powers That Be with the ability to channel their emotions directly into power. Also granted to the Guardians is the ability to harness and eventually master any kind of supernatural force, as well as the ability to harness conflicting supernatural forces without being harmed by the warring energies. Guardians are semi-immortal; their aging process is frozen at the moment of inception into the ranks - usually at their physical prime - but they can be killed just the same as any mortal.
Powers That Be: A name invented by the Guardians of Balance to refer to a council of elder deities, whose domains interact with each other (but only at their wish). Notable in this council are the deities known by mortals as Kami-sama, the Lord of Nightmares, and Dragonlord Bahamut.
Vie'Duel Metroid: The initial form of the Vie'Duel consists of many groups of energy collectors contained within a flexible transparent dome. The only opening in the dome is a mouth at the bottom with teeth surrounding the rim in a way similar to that of the Metroid.(Hence, the name)Portruding from the main body are 2 to 4 sets of semi-transparent tentacles which are used to help anchor the Metroid to victims as the energy collectors drain them of their life energies. Although the weakest form of the Vie'Duel, they are still very formidible opponents.
Vie'Duel Lavos: When the Metroid goes through a normal evolution or a "Mutative Restoration", the Vie'Duel Lavos is the result. As the process takes place, the Metroid retracts its tentacles into its frame and floats slowly to the ground, using its teeth to anchor itself to the place where it lands. Afterwards, large spikes shoot out of the dome and fuse together into a super strong armor-like carapace. When this is done, the Metroid enters a state of dormancy until its basic systems are able to facilitate its new form. Finally, a small beak-like mouth surfaces on the northern side of the Metroid and two more teeth appear as the first four release their grip on the ground; and (voila) the Metroid has evolved into a Lavos.
Vie'Duel Goras: After a period of roughly 24 Earth hours, the body inside the shell of the Lavos has matured enough to survive in the outer world. When it emerges from its 'cocoon', the Gouras is very vulnerable for a few seconds. To make up for this, the Gouras has evolved a rather powerful defense mechanism: as it is hatching, the Gouras causes its spiky shell to explode outwards, firing its spikes with enough force to shred tempered steel like rice paper. Once this is completed, the Gouras's exoskeleton hardens almost instantly, and it reaches full maturity.
When fully mature, the Gouras is a horrid sight to behold. Two arms with three-fingered, two-thumbed hands on each; two steel cable-like tentacles terminating in energy projectors; five-toed, round-footed legs suitable for any landscape, or stomping things flat; and its head, with a snake-like jaw full of sharp teeth, a red, particle beam-firing horn in its forehead, and four eyes that can exude hypnotic psi-waves to entrance its prey while it strikes.
At this point, its only real weak point is the red matter-vent crystal in its chest, and even that is difficult to score any damage on.
Vie'Duel Goras Queen: Only one of these beasts out of every 100 Vie'Duel are ever in existence at any given time. This is caused by two things:
1) The Queens are the overseers of their corner of the Vie'Duel, acting as an overmind. However, one Queen can control only 100 Vie'Duel at a time.
2) When the previous Queen dies, the most powerful Gorases compete in a battle-royale (the Culling), taking "survival of the fittest" to a literal extreme. The one who emerges victorious mutates into the new Queen, and thus only one ever exists for every 100 Vie'Duel.
Upon achieving the Queen form, the new brood-mistress lays enough eggs to compensate for the numbers lost in the Culling, and assumes command of those in her brood.
Visually, the Queen is no different from any other Goras, except the red horn, which turns dark blue, and the bulge in the abdomen from the egg sac.
The Queen is weaker than the Goras in combat, due to its egg sac providing another weak point. However, the Queen is never, ever without a combat-ready escort of five or more Gorases, making it near impossible to reach the Queen before she escapes.
It is assumed that there is a fifth type of Vie'Duel, the Emperor, but it has never been seen, and no evidence save that of logical progression indicates that such a creature exists. If one could destroy this alleged Emperor, perhaps the Vie'Duel would fall into chaos and destroy themselves, or perhaps the Emperor would merely be replaced. No one knows, and we may never find out...
Addendum: In a recent foray into Crystal Tokyo, the existence of the Vie'Duel Emperor was confirmed - as was the suspicion that it is not, in fact, the top of the Vie'Duel Hierarchy. It was much stronger in battle than Goras-type Vie'Duel of the highest caliber. A battle of epic proportions saw our favorite Trickster Priest come out on top - albeit barely.