The Singing Stones

According to legend, the Singing Stones were delivered to the Daamin by the Elder Gods in the time before the Pylistroph.

The Stones were 21 in number, of many different colors and shapes. They produce music, music that is different for each listener, and which cannot be captured on physical recording devices. Scientists discovered that the Stones are telepathic resonator/amplifiers. That is, they pick up, focus, and re-project all the thought patterns and emotions that occur anywhere in the Galaxy. The combined concert of all the Galaxy's minds is perceived as the purest music ever created.

Over the eons, four of the Stones were destroyed. One is mounted on the Golden Throne of Avethell, and another is held by the Eldest Hlut in the Secluded Realm. Five are lost, their fates unknown.

The ten remaining Singing Stones are kept on Nephestal in Geva Elen, the Place of the Stones, before the Temple of All Worlds. There, the Watchers of the Stones, a cadre of telepathic-sensitive volunteers, attempt to divine meaning from the music of the Singing Stones.

Through the millennia, some specific prophecies have come from study of the Stones. The two best-known are those of Crettim Bruv and Hanna Hoister.

The Prophecy of Crettim Bruv

Only a weapon forged of a Singing Stone
Held by a scion of Forriva's line
And swung in friendship's truthful innocence
Shall serve to kill the dreadful Lord of Strife.

Prophecy of Hanna Hoister (directed to Gregori Hoister)

A son of yours shall fight and pave the way
And Love's bright daughter by his side will stand
Yet fruitless shall their greatest efforts be
The Lord of Strife will perish at the hand
Of only one: a scion of Forriva's line.

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Find out more at the Scattered Worlds site

The Kaa Cartel

The Planet Kaa was discovered in TE 203, and the Kaa Cartel was organized the next year under the Imperial Act of Nonexploitation, for the purpose of regulating contact with the nonhuman natives. The Cartel, after much wrangling and wheeling/dealing, turned out to be a five-member board composed of representatives of the Throne, the Wakmarrel School, Idara deVigny, the Karphos Corporation, and the Sisters of Mercy.

Human interaction with the Kaanese, when it took place, was based in Kaa Station: a large, complex station in Clarke orbit above the major population center of Kaa.

After TE 360, the Karphos Corporation's seat was taken over by Borshallan Artificial Intelligences. In the wake of the TE 381 upsets, the Borshallan Artificial Intelligences seat went to the Borshallan cyborg Kwofi, a re-animated corpsicle from pre-Imperial Umoja. House deVigny was at the time represented by the 52-year-old Alma deVigny. Alma and Kwofi fell in love and married in TE 385. Until TE 413, they totally dominated the Kaa Cartel. Kaa Station became an orbiting Victorian Gothic mansion, the Kaa Cartel wrapped its proceedings in secrecy and extended its power into odd corners of the Empire's socioeconomy in search of security for its charges.

The Kaa Cartel in TE 400 was as close as it could be to all-powerful. Kwofi shared time in Chance, a Svarth-series computer that the Cartel owned. Alma deVigny brought all the considerable power of her Idara to bear. Kandry Renj, the Wakmarrel adept, had slight telepathic sensitivity and spent her time studying the natives from orbit. Sister Julia the Blessed of the Sisterhood barricaded herself in her room and only conversed with the outside world by voice-and-vision circuits. And Ilanor Alexandrov, representative of the Throne, was a slight, pale man whose eyes stared past you and replied to all conversations on a skewed line.

It was a marvelous time.

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Find out more in A Voice in Every Wind by Don Sakers

The Ebettor

A pale, humanoid race from the Galactic Core. It is rumored that the Ebettor are descended from escapees from Cambolinee, who settled on other secret worlds undetectably close to the Core. From those worlds, settlers moved into the Core and under the dominion of the Gergathan.

The Ebettor contacted the Duchy of Geled via ultrawave c. 6390 CE.

First Contact with the Ebettor came in 6484 CE, during a Terran Library expedition to repair Ultrawave Relay Alpha.

Legend says that a daughter of Cambolinee will one day arise to free the Ebettor from slavery.

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Find out more at the Scattered Worlds site

TERRAD

TERRAD, the Terran Defense Network, is a series of linked sapient computers whose primary goal is the protection of the populace of Earth and, later, the Terran Empire.

Developed during the crisis of 2042 CE, the TERRAD system rarely took direct command of Terran defense forces; instead, it issued recommendations and strategic plans. Nominally under the command of the Terran Council/Imperial Council/Emperor, Terrad was in reality quite autonomous.

All details about TERRAD were kept classified for security reasons; however, it is known that TERRAD's main processors were buried some kilometers under the surface of Earth, in a secret location or locations. It is conjectured that major TERRAD resources also existed on other worlds, most notably some Provincial Capitals and the Nexus Worlds. After the Imperial Capital was moved to Laxus in TE 381, TERRAD's functions continued unimpeded. However, the Patalanian Union seemed unable to access or influence TERRAD, so any installations on Patala must have been shut down or destroyed at the time of the Secession.

TERRAD most often menifested itself as a single voice and personality. The system was a major advisor to Secretary-Generals and Emperors.

Nothing is known of the fate of TERRAD after the fall of the Terran Empire.

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Find out more at the Scattered Worlds site

Dunsinane

Human world near Neordan, home of Idara Adelhardt, founded 2091 CE.

Features:

Birnam Wood: Gerald Adelhardt began Birnam Wood by planting a tree for each new member of his Family. Within a few centuries, it was a dense and trackless forest. One path, the Southern Approach to Castle Adelhardt, was always kept clear of vegetation -- it was a long, impressive, rough-hewn stone staircase. In addition, Birnam Wood is honeycombed with secret paths known only to the members of Idara Adelhardt.

Castle Adelhardt: Built by Gerald Adelhardt, a modern re-creation of Mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein.

Cawdor: Capital city. The Adelhardt Planetary Administrator (inevitably) carries the title "Thane of Cawdor."

Thanes of Cawdor

1. Gerald Adelhardt (2091-2144 CE)
2. Howard Adelhardt (2144 - TE 56)
3. Luis Adelhardt (56-116)
4. Karel Adelhardt (116-135)
5. Grant Adelhardt (135-205)
6. Joseph Adelhardt (134-249)
7. Kurt Adelhardt (249-274)
8. Dave Adelhardt (274-297)
9. Martin Adelhardt (297-381)
10. Stepkan Adelhardt (381-385)
11. Gerald Adelhardt (385-422)
12. Duncan Adelhardt (422-435)
13. Beldon Adelhardt (435-438)
14. Heather Adelhardt (438-?)

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Find out more at the Scattered Worlds site