This comic is based off the events in a university role playing game. After running for 3 years the game is finally over, so now I can get on with the comic.
The story is set in the Fading suns universe. A more concise history than the one I'm going to give of the universe can be found here. But here is a bit of a rundown.
Brief History
The year is 4999 the stars are beginning to fade and a new dark age has hit humanity. The current government is a feudal system (similar to that of Medieval England) and The Church of the Celestial Sun is all-powerful. Only nobles, members of the guilds and church members are allowed to own technology, but even then the church frowns heavily on much of the technology.
Nobles
There are 5 major noble houses in the known worlds:
| House Hawkwood
Prideful yet honourable, the Hawkwoods have seen one of their own take the Emperor's throne. While Alexius Hawkwood has since distanced himself from his family to appear more impartial, the Hawkwoods take such political setbacks with stoicism - the same fierce perseverance with which they beat back the barbarian raiders to their worlds. A Hawkwood does not give up. House Hawkwood is more beloved by its vassals than any other house, for they treat them fairly and with justice.
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| House Decados
Slimy, cunning and extremely successful, the Decados have risen to power through treachery and an uncanny understanding of their rivals - helped in no small part, no doubt, by their vast, invisible intelligence network. While the other families accuse them of a number of crimes, the Decados are here to stay and thus must be dealt with on their own terms. Decados vassals despise their lords but are kept in line through fear or the promise of power for those who make good quislings.
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| House Li Halan
This pious and disciplined family was once the worst behaved of all nobles. Their immoral exploits are legendary, as is the tale of their overnight conversion to the Church. They now pursue the scriptures as fanatically as they once chased pleasure. While other nobles may snicker at the faithful lords, they more often fear the Li Halan, for this family has proved implacable on both the battlefield and at court. Their vassals are fiercely loyal, for they know their place as vassals in the Pancreator's plan.
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| House al-Malik
The exotic and inscrutable al-Malik are often accused of being mere merchants, for their ties to the League are well known. But they have proven their noble legerdemain many times, through the acquisition of land and a unique understanding of human nature and politics. It is very hard to pull one over on an al-Malik, but it is likewise hard for them to resist the lure of a good adventure or challenge. Vassals of this family are well-treated and return the respect with solid service.
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| House Hazat
Hot-blooded and intense, the martial Hazat know how to field an army but are also no strangers to intrigue. When they can calm the vicious infighting from family to family, they can present a formidable front against rivals from other houses. Left with less land after the wars than they began with, they now pursue a campaign against a barbarian world, seeking new lands outside of the Empire. Hazat vassals are loyal, for they know that sacrifices for their lords are often rewarded.
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The Church of the Celestial Sun There are 5 major sects within the Church of the Celestial Sun:
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Urth Orthodox: The largest sect and the one generally thought of when speaking of the church.
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Brother Battle: Monk Knights, charged with protecting pilgrims and pursuing heretics, they are a key component in holding off the Symbiote invaders at Stigmata.
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Eskatonic Order: Hermetic Sages, once cast as heretics by the church, until their theurgical rights proved to be effective against the Symbiotes.
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Temple Avesti: aka Inquisitors. A fanatical bunch who mostly reside on the planet Pyre. They have a fear of learning and tend to stick to very extreme scriptures. Feared by everyone.
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Sanctuary Aeon: The Healing sect of the church, loved by everyone.
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The Merchant League: The 5 Major guilds in the FS universe:
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Charioteers
The merchants and pilots. Without this guild travel in the FS universe would be impossible, they alone know how to use the secret jumpgate tech. They also have the best pilots.
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Engineers
Technology may be deeply frowned upon by the church but without the lore this guild possess intergalactic power and communications could not be maintained.
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Scravers
The salvage and reclamation guild. They can get anything for a price, into gambling, the black market and thievery little can be done about them as they can blackmail almost every major official.
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The Muster
Soldiers for hire. However they also specialise in other kinds of trained help, from cooks to butlers to animal trainers. The guild makes sure it gets the largest and juiciest contracts.
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Reeves
To call these guys the paper pushers would be a big mistake. Lawyers and Bankers all rolled into one. Just about everyone owes them something.
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Important Known Worlds
Byzantium Secundus:
The capital of the known worlds and the home of Emperor Alexius. Every major faction maintains a presence here.
Criticorum:
Probably the second busiest planet in the known worlds, the league has a significant presence here. Capital of the Second Republic.
Stigmata:
A world that is currently acting as a buffer against the Symbiots. (There is some information on the Symbiots here but I feel it may require more knowledge of Fading suns then I have given here, but the Symbiots aren't that important to my comic so its not too important.)
Pandamonium:
A backwater deserted world on the edge of Known Space in turmoil because of the failures of its terraforming engines. It is unusual in that it contains one and a half jumpgates, the one working on and a half built one that scientists and spies have been studying for a long time in an attempt to figure out the technology.
Jumpgates
Travel between the known worlds in the fading suns universe is achieved via devices known as Jumpgates. Nobody knows who built the Jumpgates and humanity has been striving to understand the technology for the last 2000 years. Each known world has one Jumpgate located at the edge of its system, and it generally takes the Partially Indebted 7 days to get from planet to Jumpgate (or visa versa) at 3/4 thrust. The Jumpgates form a network between planets so its necessary to plan your route between connected Jumpgates. A map of the known worlds can be found here.
Holistic Design
© 2002-2004 HDI." Fading Suns is a trademark and copyright of Holistic Design Inc.
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