The Fringe

The Fringe is the area of space between the Tempter's Veil and the edge of the galaxy, beyond which lies the Great Black Sea. The Fringe consists of fourteen human colonies. Humans located within the Veil refer to these worlds as "outworlds" and their inhabitants as "outworlders."

## Tempter's Veil

Cloud of interstellar dust and gas near the top of the galactic lens that blocks the Wheel of Fire and other outworld stars from view; the boundary between the Fringe and the Jambles.

## Tober-in-the-Veil

Human world on the outer edge of the Tempter's Veil, generally considered to be part of the Fringe. Tober was discovered and settled during the collapse by the Avalon-based 17th Human Fleet, in rebellion against the Federal Empire. The Toberians are the most technologically advanced of the outworld cultures, and have developed energy shielding and pseudomatter past even Federal levels. Tober maintains a strong military arm, and is influential on several of the more primitive Fringe planets. The planet contains a species of tree called chokers.

## ai-Emerel

Human world settled shortly after the Interregnum (hence, ai-) by arcologites from Daronne. Emereli civilisation is technologically advanced, cultured, pacifist, but static and somewhat regimented. Citizens live in kilometre-high tower-cities (arcologies) surrounded by farmland and wilderness, but most never leave the buildings they are born in. The discontented are allowed to serve in ai-Emerel's merchant starfleet, but may not return to their home towers.

## Kimdiss

Human world settled by a group of religious pacifists, now the major outworld commercial power. Kimdissi are traditionally nonviolent, and consequently hostile to the code duello of High Kavalaan. The planet contains a small predatory rodent called a tree-spook, so called because it sheds its skin several times before maturity, and leaves the transparent husk around its nest to frighten away enemies.

## Wolfheim

Human world settled during the collapse by refugees from Fenris. Wolfheim culture is considered dynamic and volatile; the planet is a strong economic rival to Kimdiss, and militarily second only to Tober among the outworlds. Natives of Wolfheim are called Wolfmen.

## High Kavalaan

Human world colonised during the Double War by refugees and miners from Tara. Hrangan raids destroyed most of the original colony; survivors evolved modem Kavalar holdfast civilisation. Kavalar society is regimented and individualistic at the same time; the culture places strong emphasis on both loyalty and personal honor. Close to barbaric when rediscovered by traders, the Kavalars are now industrialising rapidly, educating their young, and acquiring their own fleet of starships. High Kavalaan, which claims legal jurisdiction over the rogue planet Worlorn, was one of the driving forces in the Festival of the Fringe. The planet contains an aerial predator called the black banshee.

## Darkdawn

Human world close to the edge of intergalactic space. After Darkdawn there is nothing; winter skies are empty but for the light of the distant galaxies. Darkdawn is thinly populated, solitary, and haven to a number of strange religious cults. Weather control has been perfected to a fine art, but otherwise technology is de-emphasised. Residents of Darkdawn are called Darklings.

## Letheland

One common name for a primitive human colony, also known as the *Forgotten Colony,* or the *Lost Colony*. All of these terms are offworld in origin; the Lostfolk themselves call their planet *Earth*. Letheland is the oldest human world beyond the Tempter's Veil, so old that all details of its settlement have been lost, and only conjecture remains. Its people are largely fisherfolk, with no interest in any way of life besides their own.

## World of the Blackwine Ocean

Human world on the Fringe, settled in ai-137 from Old Poseidon. Natives are called Blackwiners.

## Eshellin

Human world settled by a migration from Daronne. Relatively primitive and sparsely populated.

## Worlorn

Rogue planet first discovered by Celia Mar-cyan; site of the Festival of the Fringe, ai-589 to ai-599, while passing near to the Wheel of Fire.

* **Challenge:** Festival city built on Worlorn by ai-Emerel. Challenge is an automated computer-operated self-contained arcology.
* **Twelfth Dream:** Festival city built on Worlorn by Kimdiss. Twelfth Dream was considered by sophisticates to be the most aesthetic of the fourteen cities erected for the Festival of the Fringe. Its name derives from Kimdissi religion; the universe and all that is in it is believed to have been created by the Dreamer, whose twelfth dream was Beauty Unsurpassed.
* **Haapala's City:** Festival city built by Wolfheim and named after Ingo Haapala, the Wolfman astronomer who first discovered that Worlorn would pass through the Wheel of Fire.
* **Larteyn:** Festival city built into the mountainwall of Worlorn by High Kavalaan. Larteyn, literally, means bonded-to-the-sky, or sky-teyn. The city was fashioned to a great extent of glowstone, and thus was often called the Firefort.
* **Kryne Lamiya:** Festival city built on Worlorn by Darkdawn. Often called the Siren City, Kryne Lamiya was designed so that its towers made music of the controlled mountain winds, thus playing over and over a symphony by Darkdawn's leading composer, the nihilist Lamiya-Bailis.
* **Musquel-by-the-Sea:** Festival city patterned on those of Letheland, erected on Worlorn by a coalition of outworlders for the Forgotten Colony, which did not have the technology to build it so quickly. A weathered port of multicolored brick and wood, Musquel proved one of the Festival's most popular attractions.
* **City in the Starless Pool:** Festival city built on Worlorn, beneath the waters of an artificial lake, by the World of the Blackwine Ocean.
* **Esvoch:** Festival city built by Eshellin.

Stories set on Worlorn:

* *Dying of the Light*

## Wheel of Fire

### Fat Satan

Red supergiant located beyond the Tempter's Veil, notable for the six yellow suns that circle it in a Trojan relationship to each other; the entire system is called the Wheel of Fire. Some speculate that the Wheel was created by a race of vanished superbeings capable of moving suns. Fat Satan is also known as the *Helleye* and the *Hub*.

### Hellcrown

One name of the six yellow stars (collectively) that circle the red supergiant sometimes called the Helleye, and together with it form the Wheel of Fire. Also known as *Satan's Children*, and the *Trojan Suns*. The six stars are virtually identical, and orbit in a Trojan relationship to each other.

## Great Black Sea

Outworld term for the space between the galaxies, where there are no stars.