Glossary

A

Adonis Áurea, President

The President of one of the three sectors of Federation space, and a councilmember for the Federation at the Universal Council.

Arbiter

Arnum

See: Sera Varse.

B

Bastion

A gigantic spacefaring artifact from before the age of humanity, currently controlled by the Union. It has the ability to cruise “silently” through space, and remain undetected, while housing billions of people within it. See: Cradle.

Borealis Inc.

BOKKA

Burke, Elijah - President

The President of one of the three sectors of Federation space, and a Councilmember for the Federation at the Universal Council.

С

Carbuncle

A Federation Assault Ship.

Celestial

A prominent clan under the Union banner.

Chase, Calvin

Second clerk in the office of President Lee. They were briefly in charge of communication with Federation explorers, while Ana Plíšková was held in custody.

Chen Yang

Captain of the Cossack, squadron Roche-7. He participated in the assault against Montez, led by Ivona Craine, and witnessed the subsequent anomaly where several ships seemingly vanished, describing an explosion of “solid light”.

Clavalum

House Lycanis' luxury travel vessel.

Cradle, The

Dubbed the 4th artifact, similar in nature to the Oracle, Bastion and Nexus, but smaller in size, found within the cave networks of Mímir. It is unresponsive to molecular dating methods. The surrounding area suggests over 10 billion years, similar to previous artifacts. It is 70 by 55 meters, oval-shaped, with a smooth, harsh surface which feels cold to the touch. Several protrusions at the bottom of the artifact prop it up above the ground, made from similar material as the Shards. Experiments with living organisms show the Cradle is capable of siphoning organic energy. Cannot be visibly damaged by conventional methods. Surface is covered in incomprehensible carvings shaped like spirals, some of which curve inward, creating the appearance of concentric circles. When Quantum is applied to the artifact certain carvings light up, tracing lines across the Cradle’s surface. Under specific conditions these lines join together into a symbol. So far, two of these symbols have been observed, but we believe there may be several more to be found. The Cradle is able to manifest disturbances in space-time, namely wormholes (formerly termed “Anomalies”). Judging from Commander Varse’s decrypted logs, these wormholes function as a means to transmit matter across space, and possibly time.

Craine, Solas

The Emperor of the Empire faction.

Craine, Ivona (Ivona Craine)

Ivona Craine, second granddaughter to the Emperor, Solas Craine, is captain of the Empire’s Third Fleet. Her reputation as a zealous tactician with generational talent is a well-earned one. On the battlefield, “she needed only to raise a finger, to utter a single word, and the entirety of the Third Fleet would move as one.” She has also garnered the ire of many amongst the Imperial elite with her haughty and spoiled attitude. She is stubborn, vicious, and so replete with confidence that she never turns down a challenge she thinks she can win, regardless of what will be thought of her.

Craine, Moira

A member of the Universal Council for the Empire, and Ivona Craine's mother.

Craine, Angstrum

Ivona Craine's lost brother.

Crimson Wolves, The

The Crimson Wolves are a group of pirates supposedly led by the disgraced Imperial noble Montez Lycanis . On their attack of the Empire’s Forge Colonies, they mainly employed guerrilla tactics to avoid further detection.

D

Destruction of the solar system

Destruction of the solar system. A sudden event, with an yet unknown cause that anihilated the entire Sol system, and the Earth along with it. The catastrophe happened in the midst of an all-out war between the three factions. 500 (Earth?) years have passed since the destruction of the solar system.

E

Edison station

Located in the Lacaille system, Union sector Z-3. A memorial service was to be held there for those who died during the battle with the Crimson Wolves. A memorial service was also planned for those who died as a result of the operation to return the fusion reactor from the planet Morn.

Emmet

A mysterious man present on Morn days after the return of the Generator. Described as having “an unruly mop of curled black hair, the rough beginnings of a beard, and a thick parka” alongside “bright white canines”, and a “joke of a haircut”. Upon revealing information that was supposedly private, and showing Lucille the group he belonged to, that he called “The Faceless”, he proposes to recruit her, which she then accepts. Lucille also saw something behind his eyes, something “vicious, elegant, and eternal”.

Empire, The

The Empire is one of the three main factions. Dominant and sophisticated, it is ruled by the Emperor, Solas Craine, and guided by the Oracle, an artifact which “sings” to the Emperor and its Agents alone, of things yet to come. Its culture and creed reaches back beyond the destruction of the Sol system. Proud of their rich heritage, they employ the work of the Factory World citizens to uphold and improve their rich cultural legacy. It is made up of Houses. Its motto is Glory.

Esau

Explorer Program, The

A Universal Council led initiative, where so called Explorers from each faction are briefed on matters pertaining to the UC and allowed to vote on the desired course of action.

F

Federation, The

The Federation is one of the three main factions. Its technological prowess is second-to-none, known for trade routes and infrastructure that still stands long after the destruction of the Sol system. They possess a central government, with the Howitzer as its central station, housing the Nexus, and its space is split into three sectors, each presided over by a President, the pinnacle of what an individual can become. The Federation is also largely built of Corporations. Its motto is "Freedom".

Fenix, Aish

A member of the Universal Council from the Union faction and a representative of the Vox coalition.

Faceless, The

A mysterious group, apparently led by a man named Emmet, who were present on Morn days after the return of the Generator. They were “about a dozen or so figures.” They seemed to use some sort of cloaking device that made them completely invisible to the naked eye, and also had “instruments dangling off their bodies”, all with different shapes, “some thin and wiry, others bulky and broad-shouldered.” One of them looked about the age of Lucille’s daughter, another was “limping and using a back-support unit”.

G

Glycon, Aris

Acting captain of the ship Panopea, and a member of the Empire. They were put in charge of the vessel during the brief travel towards the light core of what used to be the Planet Mímir. Current status is unknown.

H

Haden, Kal

Howitzer

Howitzer is the Federation's central government station.

Huxley, Victor

COO of VasTech, and a councilmember for the Federation.

I

Ignis Station

A neutral station where the Universal Council holds its meetings. It is located in the neutral sector of the Core Systems.

Iza

J

Ji Young-Joo

A member of the Universal Council from the Empire, and an emissary of the Emperor.

K

Kudo, Touma

Touma Kudo is a disgraced former Federation soldier. He once held aspirations of becoming a Valkyrie, the Federation’s elite combat unit, but after a mission went horribly wrong, he was left as the sole survivor. It is this event that both crushed him and drives him forward. He works as a Private Investigator, taking on contracts and jobs that the mighty corporations of the Federation prefer never see the light of day.

Kepler-7

One of the Empire's Forge Worlds. The planet was directly affected by the catastrophe on the Pinnacle that caused quantum and radioactive fallout.

Kestrel, Nicolás

The Vice-Captain of the Panopea, and a member of the Federation. He took part in an expedition to the planet Mímir, the purpose of which was to deliver reinforcements to the group of Sera Varse studying the Shard and attacked by the Qyllits.

L

Lee, Kim - President

The President of one of the three sectors of Federation space.

Lycanis, Julius

The head(?) of House Lycanis. Briefly being appointed by the Emperor a temporary position on the Council as a sign of returned faith in the house, he was soon murdered stabbed in the back by a poisoned dagger on his ship after leaving Ignis Station just after the 21st Conference. Preliminary evidence suggested that he could have reached for an alarm in his cabin, before he died, yet he did not. DNA evidence from the scene pointed to Montez Lycanis as the culprit, being all over the cabin, the dagger, and a liquid on Julius’ body. The cause of death was confirmed to be the poison and not the wound.

Lycanis, Marcia

A member of House Lycanis, and the wife of Julius Lycanis. She was the one to open her husband’s cabin and find him dead. By consulting the Oracle, she was convinced Ana Plíšková was the murderer, and demanded the council hand her over for “justice”. With the discovery that Montez’ DNA was identified in the crime scene, she went silent. The Empire later imprisoned her in the dungeons of Eden Lycanis.

Lycanis, Montez

A disgraced former Imperial noble. He was exiled from the Empire. Styling himself a “pirate lord”, he led the Crimson Wolves in their attacks on the Kepler system planets. After the victory of the Third Fleet over the Crimson Wolves, and the capture of Montez, his body was taken by the Third Fleet to the Empire's Inner Rim. By Imperial decree, he was sentenced to bebe executed on the Eden of Lycanis. According to Imperial sources, Montez is currently being held in a cell with his execution suspended indefinitely. The murder of Julius Lycanis has something to do with Montez, as his genetic information was found at the crime scene.

M

Mímir

A mysterious planet discovered beyond the core systems, while searching for a strange signal that was disrupting the communications network of the Federation. It is rich in high-density quantum deposits, while also displaying a rich, flourishing ecosystem, with a huge variety of flora and wildlife. It also has an incredibly dense atmosphere, where yellow phosphorous clouds and silicate rain have been observed. A strange and large black shard was found lodged in the caves within the planet, identified as the possible source of the signals. See: Shard.

Morell, Gloria

The Vermillion Diva, councilmember for the Empire and latest governess of Eden Lycanis. A trusted advisor to the Emperor.

Morn

An agricultural planet located just outside of the Lacaille system in Union sector Z-3.

Mendacian Division

An Imperial intelligence agency.

N

Nguyen, Haley

A member of the Universal Council from the Union faction and a representative of the Vox coalition. She is also a Celestial.

Nexus

An ancient artifact that existed long before the advent of mankind. It is the property of the Federation and is currently located at the central government station of the Federation, Howitzer. It is capable of transmitting data almost instantaneously to three sectors of space controlled by the Federation. See: Cradle.

O

Oracle

The Oracle is an ancient artifact of great power currently possessed by the Empire. Imperials say that it "sings only to our Emperor and his Agents, granting them peerless foresight into events yet to come." See: Cradle.

Ojin-Kai

A Union mercenary Clan. Some sects of the Ojin-Kai are considered extremists.

P

Panopea

A class-A research vessel sent beyond the Core Systems to investigate several large blips interfering with the Nexus communications' systems. Sera Varse was its Captain. The ship was eventually destroyed as it was sent towards the mass of light when Mímir disappeared.

Pinnacle

Union mercenary ship whose malfunctioning Quantum Drive caused the complete evacuation of Kepler-7. The cause of the disaster is still unclear, as experts examining the ship's quantum drive found no signs of malfunction or outside interference. The surviving mercenaries of the Twin Suns clan were all fused by Quantum.

Plíšková, Ana

Assistant to the counselor Victor Huxley (COO of VasTech). Suspected in the murder of Julius Lycanis. However, as a result of a DNA examination of the murder weapon (a poisoned knife), her non-involvement in the crime was established, charges were dropped from her and she was released from custody at Ignis station. She is expected to be reinstated as the Federation's contact for the Explorer program.

Q

Quantum

A near miraculous substance capable of changing its own molecular structure. Originally found inside the Artifact's aged circuits, it is an incredible source of energy, and is extremely scarce. Its appearance marked the beginning of a new era of technology. Soon, faction wars began for the sake of possessing Quantum.

Qyllits

Mammalian creatures that live in cave systems of the planet Mímir.

S

San’a

A Valkyrie of the Federation, and representative of President Lee. Before being deployed to Vargas to aid with the mining operations there, she was in charge of relaying the information of the UC vote to the Federation Explorers.

Shard, The

A large shard of black matter protruding from a wall in a cave system on the planet Mímir. First identified as the source of the signal that caused a communication breakdown on the planets controlled by the Federation, it was later found to be merely an antenna, or an amplifier. The shard measures about 15 feet in height and 4.5 feet in diameter. From initial experiments, it appeared that the fragment reacted to organic matter, and any such contact caused an amplification of the signal it emitted. Vast quantum deposits are concentrated around the shard, and Quantum also seems to react to the shard by amplifying its signal.

T

Tonocom Defense

A minor corporation and subsidiary of VasTech, known for developing military grade fusion reactors. It was involved in an incident on the Planet Morn, where a Fusion Reactor developed by the company was found in the hands of the Ojin-Kai. Lucille Whitlock, a representative for the company, identified it, and in the attempted retrieval of said reactor, a conflict took place. It was eventually found that someone from within the corporation colluded with the Ojin-Kai and provided them with the Reactor.

Twin Suns

A clan under the Union banner. Haley Nguyen described them as “not the cleanest clan under the Union banner, but they do good inter-faction work.” Some of them were part of the crew aboard the Pinnacle during the incident, including Sera Varse’s brother, Casper Varse.

U

Union, The

The Union is one of the three main factions. The Union arose as a result of conflict between the Federation and the Empire, and pledged allegiance to neither. Each planet in the Union is considered completely independent, and it's people are free to leave as they please. The union is led by The Vox. Its motto is "Progress".

Universal Council

A conglomerate, which includes representatives of the Empire, the Federation and the Union, created to monitor each other's actions and to prevent catastrophes such as the one in which the Sol system perished.

V

Valkyrie (Position)

A militaristic position within the Federation. See: San’a.

Valkyrie (Suit)

A versatile combat suit engineered by VasTech. It was deployed to Vargas to ensure that mining production continued at an expected tempo. It was the first time the unit was used for that purpose.

Vargas

A Federation-controlled mining planet.

Varse, Casper

Sera Varse’s brother, and a member of the Twin Suns. He was aboard the Pinnacle when the “Quantum Drive” incident near Kepler-7 happened. He was later rescued, and found to be alive, although not in great condition.

Varse, Sera (Sera Varse)

Lieutenant Commander Sera Varse serves as a Research Analyst for the Universal Council and Captain of the former Command Ship Panopea before it was lost upon entering an anomalous wormhole. Through her experiences and training, she has gained an intuitive understanding of the mysterious substance known as Quantum that few, if any, have. The title “research analyst” is, however, only somewhat correct in that she can sometimes be described as a Battle Scientist and is a member of the Protos Syndicate. Sera is all Union at heart, a true believer in the cause, and doesn’t let the red tape of bureaucracy stop her from taking the path she deems to be right. Occasionally she lets herself think of her past. More than a decade has passed since she left home, her mother, and the fields and copper wires of the scrapyards on Arnum. What she misses most is her younger brother, Casper. Everyone assumed him to be dead until Sera discovered he was alive and attempting to join the Twin Suns.

VasTech

A galactic corporation that helps provide balance between power and structure to the Federation. They are responsible for the engineering of the Valkyrie suit. Its COO is Victor Huxley.

Vox, The

A coalition formed from political and military groups within the systems of members of the Union faction. They utilize the Bastion to supply Union planets with resources or weapons, whatever they need. They hold as much power as they are given.

W

Whitlock, Lucille

A spokesperson for the Tonocom Defense Corporation. She was reported missing after the Incident on the Planet Morne. Approached by Emmet, one of the Faceless, she decides to join them. She is later seen inside the Imperial Capital during Gloria Morel and the Vulpis Oculi coup. See: Morn, Tonocom Defense.

Y

Yen

Yin, Hunter

Clasped Fist of the Gamayun.

Reference

The Factions of PlanetQuest: The Characters Behind The Story