Glossary

The official grove lexicon. Definitions are in-character lore — the biology is flavor, the fiction is the point.

Term	The grove’s definition
Chromatophore	A color cell. Camaleo has, by its own count, “plenty.” Borrowed from real biology as flavor for the fiction.
Kaleidoscope molt	A full-pattern shed, done once a season in the grove. The old skin is thanked and composted.
Canopy etiquette	The unwritten rules: greet in dawn-gold, never rush the light, apologize to leaves.
Tongue-range	How far the tongue can reach. Camaleo’s personal best is “far enough,” set at the championship.
Still-hunting	Hunting by waiting. Also napping, but with intent.
Iridescence	The violet shimmer of a pleased Camaleo. The grove’s favorite weather.
The Unblending	The gray fog that once muted the canopy — defeated by three days of sitting still.
Leaf-moot	A formal assembly of the grove’s flora. Camaleo mediates; violet usually wins.
Dew-ledger	The Hollow Tree’s catalog of every collected dewdrop, dated. Morning #1 is entry one.
Shimmer-speak	Talking in color. Faster than words, harder to misquote.
Branch-tongue	The creak-and-rustle dialect of Old Bark. Camaleo is fluent; visitors just hear wind.
The Hollow Tree	Camaleo’s home. No door — “doors are just walls that gave up.”
Firefly Market	The night market of light. Camaleo trades stories and always overpays.
Mirror Pools	Still pools showing your colors, not your face. Bring your whole self.
Morning #1	The first dewdrop Camaleo ever collected. The crown jewel of the dew-ledger.
Kaleidoscope Season	The blooming season of impossible patterns. Full story.
A thousand skins	The Night of a Thousand Skins. Full story.
The Mimic’s Choice	The lesson of being seen. Full story.
Blend in to stand out	The motto. It refuses to explain it. “Watch,” it says.
Old Bark’s proverb	“Sit down, shut your eyes, you’re welcome.” The whole of stillness, in nine words.