The Heramey family was once a family of great power, and there are some who believe that power never leaves the blood in which it settles. Caroline is far removed from that familial power, the youngest of three siblings, and she no longer even has the family name. But whilst her ambitious husband craves the political standing her ancestors once enjoyed, Caro has an altogether different power - one which doesn't care for names, and which might put her life in danger should she reveal it to anybody. She is a Foresleeper, in possession of a rare and ancient talent: sometimes in her dreams there are glimpses of the future, however oblique they may be.

It takes a certain fortitude to lead a wholly new civilisation. To be the Governor of Essegena is to have absolute power - for the time being at least. For Chris, a man who has clawed himself up from nothing, that power is everything. Whether he is worthy of it does not matter. All that matters is that he is in charge.

Evolving technology doesn't hit everyone at the same time. Macel's was a secluded upbringing, kept apart from the rush of the Unity's big metropolises. Still, he never truly belonged in Cadéist, with all of its peculiarities; desperate to find a true sense of belonging, he has found himself as one fresh face amongst many in an army of misfits, all travelling far from civilisation to carve out new fulfilment on the virgin planet Essegena.

Some things are far from easy, and leaving everything you knew behind to cross the stars is certainly a challenge. But Tema is a woman who is true to herself, even though it meant telling the world that she wasn't the young man it took her to be. Even though it meant hostility and derision, abandonment by her family. Every day in the mirror she sees the scars from all that, and chooses once more to be true to herself. Compared to that, Essegena is simple. She's the youngest of the new colony's doctors, but that doesn't mean she's only there to make up the numbers.

As is traditional for new Unity colonies, a Foundational Council has

been nominated to govern Essegena throughout the initial settlement. The

Governor has the highest authority, followed by the Corrack (the Governor’s

second-in-command) and the Speaker. The remaining nine members of the Council

are experts in various fields.

• CHRIS BALLARD, the Governor
• IAN FITZHENRY, the Corrack
• GEORGE PRENDERGAST, known as the HOOKBILL, the Speaker
• CAROLINE BALLARD, née Heramey, the Chief Doctor
• MARK BRADSHAW, General of the Armed Forces
• RICHARD DOMBRIC, Council Chronicler
• BENJAMIN HOLDEN, Master Builder
• ARTHUR MANNION, Treasurer
• FYFFE PEULION, Master Engineer
• EDWARD RUDDINGSHAW, Master Physicist
• DOUGRAY STOCKTON, Master Biologist
• OLIVER WRACK, Master of Supply

• MARK BRADSHAW, General of
  
  the Armed Forces

CAPTAINS:

• DAVID CLIFFORD,
  
  Expeditionary Captain
• RICHIE MANNAM, Lord
  
  Constable of the Constabulary
• ANGELA MUNRO, Security
  
  Captain

AT PLATEAU WATCH (Advanced Party &

Others):

• ANNA BENNETT, Lieutenant,
  
  in command
• NATHAN MALLESTON and
  
  DONNELLY, Sergeants
• ROBERT BARTLEY, RALPH
  
  LEYMORE, Corporals
• CRAIG ARMITAGE, EILIDH
  
  CAILIE, ISSY CUTLER, MACEL DONEA, GREG FENTIMAN, MATT
  
  GROGAN, LIZ HAMISH, TALBET LONCHELTRY, KINNET MORAY, SAM PRESTON, ADELA RICE,
  
  ERIC SCOBIE, DANA SHROOT, SULPHUR STRANGWARD, SIMON TUCKER, HUGH VENNEDEN, THOMAS
  
  WARNER, JAMES WILDING, soldiers
• RUTH HOWARTH, WILLIAM
  
  PARRY, CLARA SUTHERLAND, cooks
• SPEKE, Master of the
  
  Horses
• BESSILY EDWARDS, his
  
  apprentice
• INGE MJELDE, CONNOR
  
  PADDOCK, stablehands
• ‘GEVVN’, a farrier
• CATHERINE HOLYOKE,
  
  resident maid

THE CONSTABULARY:

• Lieutenant JESSICA
  
  BAXENDALE, Sergeant GEOFFREY POULTON, Corporal HARRY
  
  RAWLINSON, petty officers
• ANDERSON, BONNYBROOK
  
  (CURLIE), COLNE, DISLEY (GIANT), HOULT, MELLY
  
  (REDLIPS), ONSLOW, PLATT, RIPPEN, WEBSTER, YARWOOD, soldiers
• MARIUS ELLAVON, the cook
• GRACIE, a busybody

THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE:

• ARRON JACKSON, a
  
  Lieutenant
• ADRIAN TUNNOCK, Sergeant, and soldiers including ALESTER COCHRANE (SCRUMPY), TY
  
  CRADDOCK, JIM KILBIRNIE, SCOT LATHAM, MARAE MAIDMENT and BETHA WHINDLE

OTHERS:

• JOE MARRIS, Sergeant, in
  
  charge of Governor Ballard’s personal security
• BRIAR, GORTON, security troops
• ELMER PRATLEY, Sergeant,
  
  in charge of Corrack Fitzhenry’s personal security
• HARRY GORMAN and HARRY LAPPETER (the Harries) and CORCORAN, security troops
• PETER GAMBALL,
  
  Serjeant-at-Arms of the Government Hall
• GORDON TASTOCK, an old
  
  Colonel
• JAN BATHART, ALLARD
  
  DUNLEAVY, CALAINA MELTORTYCE, THOMAS ROBISON,
  
  THESAN WESTIMER, lieutenants
• KENNETH CHALMERS,
  
  MATHILDE COBURN, LEONARD PRATE, BERNARD RAYLISS, JOSETH REILLY, HAROLD RIKENER, MORGAN STANDISH, petty officers
• AMBROSE, BICTON, BIFFEN, BLACKSTONE,
  
  BRANWELL, CLIFT, COKE,  CROMWELL, CROMWELL, “CUCUMBER”, CURRAN, DENGOLD, DICKIE, EADON, ELSEN, FERRIER, FROMENT, GLENDINNING, GLISTON, GRESHAM, GRINDLE, HALFHIDE, HAMILTON, HARGRAVE, HUCKABY, INSKIP, KEMMENOE, LANGWORTH, LOWENGE, MALLABURN, MARSH, MOORHEAD, MORSE, MULCAHY, NOLAN, NOLLASTER, NORDBUSH, PAICE, REDETHENTE, REITEN, ROCHFORD, SADLER, SAVIDGE, SOTHECK, SOUTHNETT, SUNDERLAND, THEMMYCE, TYRIE, VICKERS, WATCHORN, WATLING, WHYSALL, WOMAT, WOOLDACK, WOOLMER, WROUGHTON, YEAM,
  
  sundry soldiers

• CAROLINE BALLARD, the
  
  Chief Doctor
• Senior Doctors: EMMELINE
  
  MAYNARD, EDITH SINCLAIR, RUPERT STANIFORTH
• Junior Doctors: TEMA
  
  CAERLIN, ISLA FLEMING, JOHN WARBURTON
• Nurses & Orderlies:
  
  CHARLOTTE ASPWELL (CHERRY), EDDIE BRIGSTOCK, ROBIN CANTERALL,
  
  SORAYA CISEL, BETSY CLANACKAN, LILY DAY, FRANCES DUNN, BARBARA FLOWER, CALLIE
  
  HUSTON, DELPHINE JANLEY, TOMMY MORTON, OSCAR PAISLEY, HANNAH THORNE, MARY ELLEN
  
  TOLCROSS, COLIN WEST
• Junior Nurses: BEDEGRAYNE
  
  ASTER, JANNA DAVIS, RUTH FLETCHER, LUCY JAINE, OLWEN
  
  KENNADY, MAPONANE LOMBARD, GRANT RADGE, MARTHA SALCOMBE, VIOLA WATLING

• OLIVER WRACK, of the
  
  Foundational Council
• TASHA WRACK, née Caerlin,
  
  his wife
• Maidstaff: The matron
  
  MABETH CALDER, Tasha’s ladiesmaid SESALA ROE (SESI) and the
  
  maids EMMY CORDEWANE and EVA RENET
• Kitchen staff: COMESTINE
  
  ARGENT (STINI) and her apprentice NICKIE
• Household security:
  
  Lieutenant JON SHARP, and the soldiers ANDREWSE, DALLYATT, KIRKHAM,
  
  MILLINGTON, QUANT and WILKIE

• DOUG STOCKTON, master
  
  biologist
• his apprentices, including MOSTYN FITZLIONEL and ELLA TRANG
• EDWARD RUDDINGSHAW,
  
  master physicist
• his wife, [VERA], long deceased
• his daughter, ALAINA, and his son, TREVOR
• TIMOTHY BOTNELL, JALLASSE
  
  CROSBIE, ROBERT DAFFERN, FLO MANGAN, REBECCA
  
  McMURDO, physicists

• SKERRETT, the Lightness
  
  of the Church of Lightness
• his acolytes, BONESKIN BETS, TIM FAWLEY, SILENT JEN, MELEMIR, TARVIS
• the day-congregation,
  
  which includes KEITH BARTLOCK, MABETH CALDER, JAEL GIESBAD,
  
  EVA RENET

The reeves are wealthy families from across the Unity. Reevedom is inherited,

and entitles the holder and his family to a swathe of land somewhere on

Essegena. Many of these families are still awaiting their assigned land. Known

reeves include:

• GOULDEN ASTER and his
  
  wife PERENETH
• their daughters, ALLYCE, BEDEGRAYNE and CEMMARY
• CHRIS BALLARD and his
  
  wife CAROLINE
• STAMFORD BARCLAY
• MARK BRADSHAW and his
  
  wife [ROMILLY]
• his daughters, MEGAN and MOLLY
• RICHARD DOMBRIC and his
  
  wife LEOWENE
• BALDWIN FIOUHART and his
  
  wife CASSANDRA
• BENJAMIN HOLDEN and his
  
  wife TABITHA
• their son, EDWIN, and their daughters EFFIE and ELEANOR
• TAYA MORNINGAY and her
  
  husband JUNIUS
• CEY NORBIT and his
  
  husband WYLIE
• FYFFE PEULION and his
  
  wife FELICITY
• ELEONORE ROBERWOOD
• her son, ROGIER, and her infant daughter IMOGEN
• MORTIMER SORRELL and his
  
  wife JUDITH
• OLIVER WRACK and his wife TASHA

• SARA WILES, proprietor of
  
  the Tavern
• her husband, KEITH BARTLOCK, a hunter
• ÁINE, a waitress
• MARY SNYDER, a luxury
  
  clothier
• SARAH CORBETT, a tailor
• EMILY FARMER (MILLIE), a seamstress
• JEM, a stranger of
  
  uncertain origin
• FAY ANDERSON, soldier’s
  
  wife
• ALMIRA BANNAN, Eia archivist
• DOM BESWICK, a hunter and
  
  shopkeeper
• CENDEMECAN, Master of
  
  Horses at Sundered Ash Stables
• HORTENSE CURRELEM, a
  
  clerk of the food stores
• JULIANA DRAVIS, a trader
  
  of fineries
• HULTRY, Master of Horses
  
  at Clearwater Stables
• LILLY LOSADA, Matriarch
  
  of the House of Lust & Legerdemain
• whores, including BETHAN BLACK-PIMPLE, JENATTINE CROSBIE, MELANIE MORDAINE, NANCY
• SEVER MARCRAND, a retired
  
  Unity strategist
• MULLINGS, a farmer on the
  
  west bank of the Clearwater
• CEY NORBIT, heir to the
  
  Coba Orbital Mineral Extraction Company
• RONDELL PAYSEN, a
  
  therapist
• JAMES PINDALE, a farmer
  
  at the south of the valley
• REYDA BELL TORRENT,
  
  one-time Unity commissioner, now retired, and her wife NAOMI
  
  MALLENDER
• PETER VANCE, of the Mint
• TOBY WALLWORK, a glazier,
  
  and his wife CLARE

The Unity is the government that rules over all of the dominions of man.

Early colony worlds were treated as an extension of the territories of

Belaboras, the Old World, but over time these colonies gained considerable

power in their own right. In the year 3193 of the Kings’ Era, representatives

from six worlds – Arvila, Belaboras, Meneges, Opteris, Tavack and Uta – met to

sign the Settlement of Unity, forever binding humanity’s colonies in a union

greater than any one world.

The member worlds are:

• ALTABOREA, whose wildlands are shunned by Unity troops
• AMORA, where all manner of spices are sourced
• ARVILA, the wealthiest of the colony worlds
• BELABORAS, the Old World
• CARAX & CARAX II, worlds locked in dual-orbit
• COBA, famed for its research facilities
• ESSEGENA, about to be colonised for the first time
• HANASEN, with its sea of mercury
• JENATÉ, sister world to Coba
• KELSIERN, the Goldpit, rich in precious ore
• MALINDEI, ravaged by generations of war
• MENEGES, the red moon of Arvila
• OPTERIS, with both scorching deserts and frigid ice-plains
• RESSENIN, a minor world of little repute
• TAVACK, abandoned in 3334 and now home only to pirates
• TOL MANASE, the site of the Bloodshed of 4212-4218
• UTA, the world without water

Governance of the Unity is handled by the twenty Commissioners – four

from each of the five galactic regions. One from among their number is chosen

to be the High Commissioner – the most powerful man or woman in the known

universe.

• TAM PEULION, the High Commissioner

At present, the twenty Commissioners are:

FOR BELABORAS:

• AGNES COULET, representing Yardes
• TELANIA IRMDEN, representing Pattinsdale
• PENNY PREEVES, representing Tallaske
• CALESTAN TELFER, representing the Barrows

FOR OPTERIS & MALINDEI:

• SUNDA MADEREY, representing Neate
• TAM PEULION, representing Galleon’s Wake
• EDWARD RASKIND, representing Gouldhead
• CLARE SELFRIDGE, representing Alban

FOR ARVILA:

• ROGER BARDON, representing Penney’s Mount
• HAROLD MOULT, representing Dichian
• JENNIFER ROCHE, representing the Roche Gulf
• EDMUND WALENN, representing Fallowfield

FOR TOL MANASE:

• WALTER CONINGSBY, representing Barwood
• MARY HUDSON, representing the Three Sheafs
• FRANCIS KEE, representing the Gods’ Corridor
• BART SURNETT, representing Whitefield

FOR THE OUTER TERRITORIES:

• MANON ASTORELL, representing Port Carax
• RICHARD BITTERBY, representing Giant’s Eye
• THOMAS LUTSHAM, representing Taléa
• BENEDICT WALKLATE, representing Tol Diony

In addition, each of the ten systems is under the rule of a Governor –

often imposed upon a system by the Commissioners.

Other senior figures within the Unity include:

•  MAL DONOHOE, the Lord Physician
• —JORRAL RUSKIN, the Commandant of the Hive
•  EDIE TARBAGIN, the High Lightness

Since time immemorial, the Church of Lightness has held religious

hegemony. Even now, in decline, the seventeen Gods of Lightness are endemic in

the culture of the Unity.

They are as follows:

• NAMETH, the Overlord, God
  
  of Gods, whose symbol is a spiral with squared corners
• FRÉREVES, the God-Mother,
  
  Goddess of womanhood, whose symbol is a golden bell
• TAMBEN, the Weaver,
  
  Goddess of graft, whose symbol is a loom
• SOLENIE, the Sailor,
  
  Goddess of the rivers and streams, whose symbol is a coracle
• SKÉAC, the Soldier, God
  
  of warfare and conflict, whose symbol is a bloodied spear
• AMBENEL, the Sage,
  
  Goddess of knowledge and wisdom, whose symbol is a bergamot flower
• ALÉNOR, the Vigilant,
  
  Goddess of remembrance, whose symbol is a blazing candle
• LÉAT, the Lover, God of
  
  love, whose symbol is a dove on the wing
• EDJAC, the Just, God of
  
  justice, whose symbol is a feather quill
• ISCANÉ, the Healer,
  
  Goddess of medicine, whose symbol is a butterfly resting upon a
  
  globe-thistle
• JANÉA, the Farmer,
  
  Goddess of food and agriculture, whose symbol is a sheaf of wheat
• TÉANA, the Dreamer,
  
  Goddess of foresight, whose symbol is a green eye
• VÉILA, the Planner,
  
  Goddess of free will, whose symbol is two crossed arrows pointing
  
  left and right
• BÉDON, the Poisoner, God
  
  of pestilence, whose symbol is a pale man
• CASTAN, the Heretic, God
  
  of chaos, whose symbol is a wheel with twenty hooked tendrils
• RESILANE, the Unspoken,
  
  God of death, whose symbol is a willow tree
• MALORRE, the Fallen One,
  
  God of darkness, whose symbol is an eclipsed moon