Empire of Silence

by Christopher Ruocchio

  Delos: Birthplace of Hadrian Marlowe and seat of the duchy of House Kephalos in the Spur of Orion. A temperate world with wan sunlight, famed for its uranium deposits, which made it extremely wealthy.

  Durannos: The capital of the Serene Republic of the Durannos. Tectonically dead and marshy, much of its surface is covered in a massive city.

  Edda: An arid, windy world in the Demarchy known for its canyons, sinkholes, and subterranean oceans. Its people are primarily Nordei and Travatskr.

  Emesh: A watery world in the Veil of Marinus; seat of House Mataro. Home of the coloni Umandh and the subterranean ruins at Calagah. Originally a Norman colony.

  Forum: The capital of the Sollan Empire. A gas giant with a breathable atmosphere in whose cloud belt are several flying palace cities that serve as the administrative hubs of the Imperium.

  Gododdin: A system between the Centaurus and Sagittarius Arms of the galaxy, famously destroyed by Hadrian Marlowe during the final battle in the Crusade.

  Helvetios: The ancient name for the star 51 Pegasi, whose principal planet is Bellerophon.

  Ilium: A Norman Freehold famous for manufacturing starships. Considered one of the best starship manufacturers operating at present.

  Jadd: The planet of fire and the sacred capital of the Jaddian Principalities, on whose soil none may tread without the express permission of the high prince.

  Judecca: A frigid, mountainous world in the Sagittarius Arm. Famously the site of the Temple of Athten Var and birthplace of the Irchtani species. Site of Simeon the Red’s famous struggle against the mutineers.

  Kandar: An extremely wealthy agricultural world in the inner Empire, frequently considered the definitive source for luxury products, especially wine and genuine livestock. Seat of House Markarian.

  Komadd: An Imperial colony in the Veil of Marinus and site of a Chantry seminary.

  Linon: Moon of a gas giant in Delos system. Formerly the demesne of the exsul House Orin and site of the Battle of Linon in ISD 15863, in which Alistair Marlowe killed the entire house.

  Luin: A planet famous for its xenobitic forests; considered something of a fantasy land. Known for the phasma vigrandi, a species of floating organisms that glow like faerie lights.

  Malkuth: An Imperial planet bearing the signs of an extinct xenobite civilization.

  Marinus: The first Norman Freehold seized by the Imperium and among its first colonies in the Expanse.

  Mars: One of Old Earth’s sister planets and the site of the first major offworld colonial efforts during the Exodus but before the Peregrinations.

  Mira: A planet orbiting a star of the same name in the Spur of Orion. Naturally airless, its cities are all either domed or hermetically sealed. The surface contains enormous quantities of methane ice, which is quarried.

  Monmara: A water world and a Norman Freehold known for the cheap mass production of starships.

  Neruda: An old Imperial world in the Sagittarius Arm. Known for its fungus-like flora, it is home to a prominent scholiasts’ athenaeum.

  Nessus: Seat of the Centaurine Primarchate.

  Nichibotsu: Most important of the Nipponese worlds and home to the archduke of House Yamato.

  Obatala: An Imperial colony in the Sagittarius Arm that lies along the trade route from Delos to Teukros.

  Old Earth: Birthplace of the human species. A nuclear ruin and victim of environmental collapse, she is protected by the Chantry wardens, and none may walk there.

  Ozymandias: Old Imperial colony in the Sagittarius Arm; arid. Known for being home to the extinct Arch-Builders and for the massive stone arches they purportedly left behind.

  Perfugium: An Imperial world in the Centaurus Arm used as a military base and refugee camp during the later parts of the Crusade.

  Renaissance: One of the most populous worlds in the Empire and located in the Spur of Orion. A cultural center almost entirely covered by urban development.

  Rubicon: An Imperial planet bearing the signs of an extinct xenobite civilization.

  Sadal Suud: A wild world in the Spur of Orion that is mostly untrammeled. Home to the Cavaraad Giants, a huge species of xenobite, as well as the Marching Towers, one of the Ninety-Nine Wonders of the Universe. Ruled by House Rodolfo.

  Se Vattayu: The mythical homeworld of the Cielcin, Its surface is apparently honeycombed with labyrinthine tunnels like those the Quiet dug at Calagah on Emesh.

  Siena: An Imperial colony in the Sagittarius Arm that lies along the trade route from Delos to Teukros.

  Sulis: A Norman Freehold that is effectively a client state of the Sollan Empire. Site of a repelled Cielcin invasion.

  Syracuse: A temperate world in the Imperium, notably the site of the scholiasts’ athenaeum at Nov Acor.

  Teukros: A desert world in the Imperium, notably the site of the scholiasts’ athenaeum at Nov Senber.

  Thessaloniki: Seat of one of the Eighty Principalities of Jadd.

  Triton: A water world in the Imperium; seat of House Coward.

  Ubar: An arid Jaddian satrapy loyal to House di Otranto, who have been the high princes of Jadd for generations. Loyal to the Prince of Thessaloniki.

  Uhra: A Norman Freehold that recently transitioned from a kingdom to a republic. Renowned for its starship manufacture.

  Vesperad: A moon orbiting the gas giant Ius. The oldest Chantry-controlled planet, boasting its largest seminary complex.

  Vorgossos: A mythical Extrasolarian world said to be the domain of demons and of pirates.

  Wodan: An Imperial colony in the Veil of Marinus seized from the Normans. Site of the Battle of Wodan in ISD 16129.

  LEXICON

  A Note on Translation

  THERE WAS SOME DIFFICULTY rendering this text into Classical English from the Anglo-Hindi of Galactic Standard, as there exist many words in Galstani whose coinages postdate the death of English as a living language. Several of these, such as sakradaas (anagnost) and hauviros (centurion), I have elected to render in words borrowed from ancient Greek and Latin. To the English-speaking ear, these are steeped in a tradition comparable to that which these terms—themselves steeped in seventeen thousand years of Imperial tradition—enjoy for those reading Lord Marlowe’s alleged autobiography in its original form. In other cases, such as with groundcar and cryoburn, I have cobbled together portmanteaus in Classical English which I feel approximate the looser feel of these more contemporary, plebeian terms. The names of certain living creatures—many of which were undiscovered or unmade during the Classical English period—I have substituted for mythic coinages or for names derived from scientific nomenclature (e.g. azhdarch and congrid respectively).

  Proper names, such as the names of persons or planets, I have maintained exactly as Lord Marlowe recorded them, including those of the Cielcin xenobites. However, I should note that these names were transliterated using Marlowe’s own system and not the systems codified by the Petersonian Order or the Legion Intelligence Office. As such, these spellings may differ from official spellings found both in scholiastic and official records.

  References made to ancient, classical, and contemporary literature are precisely as written in the original and have not been modified to better communicate symbolic connections for a modern audience. Lord Marlowe has an especial fondness for the Late Golden Age writings of the second and third millennium, old calendar, for which we must credit our brother Tor Gibson of Nov Acor, a classicist by all accounts.

  Please find appended a list of the special terms relevant to this first volume of Lord Marlowe’s account. I am deeply grateful to those of my brothers and sisters who have aided in my exploration of this text and pray that in time we may be sure of its authenticity.

  —Tor Paulos of Nov Belgaer

  adamant: Any of the various long-chain carbon materials used for starship hulls and body armor.

  adorator: A member of an
y antique religious cult maintained by the Empire and tolerated by the Chantry.

  aeta: A Cielcin prince-chieftain with ownership rights over its subjects and their property.

  alchemist: A heavily regulated device used to transmute chemical elements using nuclear processes. Alternatively, a technician trained to use such a device.

  alienage: In the Sollan Empire, a ghetto or reservation intended for the isolation of a xenobite population.

  alumglass: A transparent ceramic form of aluminum, stronger than glass, commonly used in windows, particularly in starships.

  anagnost: An initiate in the Chantry clergy.

  androgyn: A homunculus exhibiting no sex characteristics or those of both males and females.

  apatheia: The emotionless state pursued by the scholiasts to facilitate their computational function. Has roots in classical stoicism.

  Arch-Builders: Extinct species of xenobite native to the planet Ozymandias. So called for the massive structures they built above the plains of their home.

  archduke/archduchess: Highest rank of the palatine nobility. Rules over a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.

  archon: Lowest rank of the Imperial noble hierarchy, ruling over a planetary prefecture. Either a posted or inherited position.

  Arma: A constellation visible in the night sky on Delos, shaped like a medieval shield.

  Assumption of Earth: In the Chantry religion, the departure of Mother Earth following her destruction. It is said she will return when men are worthy.

  Astranavis: A constellation visible in the night sky on Delos, shaped like a starship.

  athenaeum: A research compound/monastery of the scholiastic orders.

  atomics: Atomic weapons. Legal for nobile houses to own under the Great Charters but illegal to use.

  auctor: Appointed by the Emperor to serve as his proxy when he cannot be present.

  Autotrans: A machine that automatically translates between languages in real time. Illegal in the Imperium.

  azhdarch: A xenobite predator common in the Colosso. Similar to a lizard with a long neck open from top to bottom in a fanged mouth.

  backspace: Territory within Imperial space not formally colonized by the Empire. Often a refuge for the Extrasolarians.

  badonna: A Jaddian honorific applied to eali women.

  baetan: In Cielcin culture, a sort of priest-historian of the scianda.

  baron/baroness: Lowest rank of the Imperial palatine nobility that may rule an entire planet, above archon but below viscount. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be passed on through inheritance.

  bastille: Chantry judicial and penal center, usually attached to a temple sanctum.

  Battle of Cressgard: First battle against the Cielcin. Fought in ISD 15792.

  Battle of Linon: Battle fought in ISD 15863 between House Marlowe and the rebellious Exsuls of the Delos system.

  Battle of Wodan: Battle with the Cielcin fought in ISD 16129 above the planet Wodan.

  bit: Steel coin used among the Imperial peasant classes. One hundred and forty-four bits equals one kapsum. Different printed denominations exist.

  Boedromion: The eighth month of the Delian local calendar, which marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere.

  bonecutter: A black-market genetics surgeon not sanctioned by the High College.

  Book of the Mind: An anthology of several texts compiled or composed by the Scholiast Imore. Forms the basis of their philosophy.

  bouillir: A class of spicy red wines made on several worlds, most famously by House Markarian’s vintners on Kandar.

  brass whale: A large, air-breathing sea creature brought to the oceans of Delos from offworld.

  Cantos: The Chantry holy book, a collection of songs, laws, and parables.

  captain: Naval officer rank in the Imperial Legion, above commander but below tribune. May command a starship.

  castellan: The chief military officer on a nobile estate, tasked with the defense of the castle and holdings. Usually a knight.

  cathar: A surgeon-torturer of the Holy Terran Chantry.

  Cavaraad: Species of giant xenobite native to Sadal Suud. Humanoid, averaging twenty to thirty feet tall. Approximately Paleolithic level of development.

  Centaurus Arm: One of the five arms of the galaxy settled by humankind. Lies between Sagittarius and Norma, comprising mostly Imperial colonies.

  centurion: A rank in the Imperial Legions, commands a century.

  century: In the Imperial Legions, a unit comprising ten decades under the command of a centurion and optio.

  chanter: The average priest or priestess of the Chantry religion.

  Chantry: See Holy Terran Chantry.

  chimera: Any genetically altered or artificially created animal, usually achieved by blending the genetic codes of two or more animals.

  Cielcin: Spacefaring alien species. Humanoid and carnivorous. The principal enemy of humankind during the Crusade.

  cingulum: A belt worn by legionnaires and other soldiers in the Sollan Empire.

  clan: In Tavrosi culture, all members of a kin group drawing their genes from the same gene bank. Analogous to an Imperial constellation.

  Classical English: The ancient language of both the Mericanii and the early Imperial settlers on Avalon, still used by the scholiasts.

  cloister: A scholiast’s living quarters, kept clean of all technological devices.

  coloni: Intelligent, preindustrial races of xenobites on human-occupied worlds, particularly in the Sollan Empire.

  Colosso: A series of sporting events held in a coliseum involving professional gladiators, slave myrmidons, animals, races, and more.

  commander: Naval officer rank in the Legion, beneath captain but above lieutenant. Assists in the command and management of a starship.

  congrid: An eel-like creature native to Emesh, considered a delicacy.

  constellation: Among the palatine, a supergroup of interrelated families, usually possessed of certain signifying features and traits.

  corrective: Medical device used to treat physical trauma from accidents or combat.

  count/countess: A title in the Imperial palatine nobility. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.

  crèche: A cryonic storage pod for transporting people on long interstellar journeys.

  Criminal Response Division: The subdivision of law enforcement in each local prefecture tasked with responding to and investigating crimes.

  Crusade: The Imperial war against the Cielcin.

  cryoburn: A burn incurred from improper cryonic freezing.

  Cult of Earth: See Holy Terran Chantry.

  daimon: An artificial intelligence. Sometimes erroneously applied to non-intelligent computer systems.

  Dark/Outer Dark: Space. In the Chantry religion, a place of desolation and torment.

  datasphere: Any planetary data network. In the Empire, access is strictly restricted to the patrician and palatine castes.

  decade: In the Imperial Legions, a unit of ten soldiers comprising three groups of three and their decurion.

  decurion: A rank in the Imperial Legions. Commands a decade.

  Demarchy of Tavros: A small interstellar polity found in the Wisp. Radically open to technology. The people vote on all measures using neural lace implants.

  demesne: An Imperial territory held by a palatine. May be passed on at the ruler’s discretion.

  demoniac: A person who has incorporated machines into his or her body, particularly with the intent of altering cognitive processes.

  diyugatsayu: In Cielcin culture, the concept of freedom, of not being owned by another Cielcin. Heavily stigmatized.

  dom/domi: A Jaddian honorific usually applied to eali men.

  douleter: A slave overseer or trader.

  drone: An
y subintelligent machine operated by simple programming or human control.

  duke/duchess: A title in the Imperial palatine nobility. Rules a planetary demesne. Title may be inherited.

  Durantine Republic: An interstellar republic of some three thousand worlds. Pays tribute to the Empire.

  eali: The Jaddian ruling caste, product of intense eugenic development. Practically superhuman.

  Elegy for Earth: The Chantry call to prayer performed at sundown each day. A funeral hymn for Mother Earth.

  Emperor: The supreme ruler of the Sollan Empire, considered a god and the reincarnation of his/her predecessor. Holds absolute power.

  energy lance: A bladed spear with a high-energy laser built into the shaft. Used as formal weapons by guards, especially in the Imperium.

  entoptics: Augmented reality device that projects images directly onto the retina.

  eolderman: The elected head of a plebeian community. Typically seen in more rural regions on Imperial planets.

  ephebe: A young man or woman between the ages of eleven and twenty-one standard years.

  Ephebeia: A celebration held on a boy’s or girl’s twenty-first birthday to celebrate his or her ascension to adulthood.

  Eudoran: Any of the spacefaring bands claiming descent from the failed colony on Europa in Old Earth’s system. An ethnic group known for their interstellar wanderings.

  Exalted: A faction among the Extrasolarians noted for their extreme cybernetic augmentations.

  executor: An official appointed by a palatine lord tasked with the management of that lord’s estate and holdings in his absence.

  Exodus: The expansionist period following the environmental collapse of Earth. The peregrinations from Old Earth System before the Foundation War.

  Expeditionary Corps: Branch of the Imperial Legions tasked with exploring the galaxy and laying the groundwork for colonization.

  exsul: Any palatine lord not based on a habitable world. Can also refer to his/her entire household.

  Extrasolarian: Any barbarian living outside Imperial control, often possessing illegal praxis.

  factionarius: The chief officer of a trade guild.