Deathstalker universe

The Deathstalker universe is the fictional setting for British author Simon R Green's series of Deathstalker science fiction novels.

Green's universe is dominated by a vast and powerful human empire that has fallen from its ancient beginnings into cruelty, decadence and oppression. Alien species when encountered are subjugated or exterminated; internal dissent is ruthlessly put down, and power is concentrated in the hands of a psychotic empress (known as the "Iron Bitch") and a small number of aristocratic families, or clans.

Under the justification of protecting the empire from external threats, the empress maintains the status quo by playing off different groups against one another, preventing any organisation from becoming powerful enough to challenge her rule. Cloning is commonplace, with clones being regarded as products of science, and therefore, non-people for use as expendable slave labour. Some people, known generically as espers, have various psychic powers including telekinesis, telepathy and teleportation - these are also regarded as products of science and therefore are carefully regulated and exploited by the empire as slaves, weapons, and "bio-computers".

The vast majority of imperial citizens, whilst denied many forms of political self-expression, appear to lead fairly normal lives under the fiefdoms of the different clans. The author draws a parallel to certain periods of the Roman Empire, with the citizenry being kept compliant through the use of public holidays and spectacles such as gladiatorial games. Although a parliament exists, its autonomy and influence are trivial - in large part due to the widespread corruption that permeates every facet of the empire's institutions. The empire's official religion, the Church of Christ the Warrior, acts as an arm of the imperial throne and maintains its own military forces to counterbalance those of the clans.

Technology

Despite the futuristic setting, some technology is rather unusual and even anachronistic. Disruptors, a type of energy weapon, are the primary armament of most military forces (including on starships and battlewagons). They are extremely powerful, causing both impact and thermal damage to a target and capable of beam adjustment to engulf a large target area, but have the disadvantage of a lengthy recharge period after each shot (of up to several minutes). To cover the interim, most fighting between characters takes place at short range, using swords and other melee weapons. Some reviewers have speculated that the disruptor is a plot device to allow Green to indulge in lurid descriptions of bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Projectile weapons are all but forgotten, although they are introduced partway through the series as part of the discovery, by the protagonists, of a long-lost arsenal. It is implied that they were deliberately phased out to deny ordinary people a cheap and effective means of resistance to oppression; disruptors are expensive and are illegal to most citizens of the empire.

Energy shields are also in use, as an effective counter to the disruptor. Again they are expensive, found almost exclusively in the hands of the wealthy or of imperial armed forces, and suffer from the same need for recharge as the disruptor. Most military vehicles, including spaceships, are shielded, and both area and planetary shields are described in the text.

Characters and groups

Major characters (Books 0 through 5)

The Maze people

The following are the characters who passed through the Madness Maze and gained amazing abilities. For the most part, they are the focus characters for the first five books.

Giles is also briefly seen in the book "Daemons Are Forever," in which it is revealed that he is, and by extension the entire Deathstalker clan are, distant descendants of the Drood family. He is briefly pulled into the past to help the Droods in their fight against the Hungry Gods.

The Imperials

The following are notable members of the Empire of Humanity. They tend to act as foils and adversaries for the main characters.

The Underground

The following are notable members of the various underground rebel groups opposed to the Empire. They frequently act as allies of the main characters.

Major characters (Books 6 through 8)

Heroes

Villains

Minor characters (Books 0 through 5)

The Imperials

The Underground

Minor characters (Books 6 through 8)

Groups and organizations

The Clan system

Many major characters throughout the Deathstalker universe are members of one clan or another. Clans, in the Deathstalker universe, run major operations (such as Stardrive factories), own worlds (such as Virimonde), and engage in rivalries and intrigue. Major clans, such as the Wolfes, the Campbells, and the Shreks, are run by enigmatic leaders with fortunes beyond compare. Many of them have "Pastel Towers" on the homeworld of the Empire, Golgotha.

The Deathstalker clan has a connection to another fictional family, that of the vast Drood family in The Man With the Golden Torc and Daemons Are Forever. It appears that the Deathstalkers are direct descendants of the Droods although they seem unaware of this fact. It is unknown whether the Boost is one of the powers promised to the Droods by the strange matter, or whether it was developed independently.

Other clans include Silvestri, Skye, and Chojiro.

The underground

Espers and Elves

The Esper Underground is an organization of espers. Espers were often used as biological machines, indoctrinated from an early age to serve the Empire, with little or no free will of their own. Some had their brains removed to become esp-blockers, some went to feed Wormboy, and many of the remaining espers either functioned as telepaths, providing FTL communication to distant parts of the Empire, or battle-espers, who would use massive pyrokinetic and telekinetic abilities alongside the Imperial army in battle. The Esper Underground is led by a group (possibly) of mysterious psychic projections. Their true nature is not revealed until late in the series.

The Esper Liberation Front is a militant faction within the Esper Underground. Most elves (from "E.L.F.s"), as the members referred to themselves, had abilities rivaling those of battle-espers, and so were often somewhat insane. The elves were originally based on the airborne city of New Hope on Golgotha, but their facility there was raided by Dram shortly before the events of Deathstalker. Notable elves include:

Another group associated with The Esper Underground are the Uber-Espers. Featuring mostly in the second half of the series, they have a complicated relationship with the E.L.F. The E.L.F. often treat the Uber-Espers with a mixture of awe, reverence, fear and jealousy over their immense powers. Each member of the Uber-Espers is a master of one specific form of psychic ability and is very powerful in other fields, but not to the degree of the member who specializes in that discipline. Their membership includes:

Clones

The Clone Underground is composed of bioengineered duplicates of human beings as well as their friends and sympathizers. Bred by the empire as cheap labor and spare parts, they are generally viewed as non-human. Notable members include Evangeline Shreck and Stevie Blues.

Cyberats

The Cyberats are the functional equivalent of modern-day hackers. Specializing at interfering with the inner workings of computer programs, the Cyberats are associated with the underground due to their natural distrust of order and authority. Spending as much time as they do in the Imperial Matrix, the Cyberats are natural targets for co-opting by the AIs of Shub.

Other Groups

Blood Runners

The Blood Runners are a powerful sect that have set themselves apart from the rest of humanity in the Obeah Systems, a region of space far from the civilised core that is considered a no go area for anyone who values their life. They are described as tall, pale humanoids with red eyes, and they follow their calling with religious zeal, believing they can uncover the truth of existence by exploring human pain through mutilation and torture. Apparently able to utilise a similar teleport technology to Shub (see below), they are not averse to making deals that will deliver them fresh test subjects; they are also prepared to go to any lengths to ensure these deals are kept, at one point kidnapping Hazel D'Ark in payment for a deal made by a former shipmate of hers.

It is eventually revealed in Deathstalker Destiny that the Blood Runners were exposed to the Madness Maze many centuries ago, and derive their power from a fragment they managed to take with them when they were driven from Haden. It is hinted that they had, however, been following their creed in secret for a long time prior to this. Prominent Blood Runners include Scour and Lament.

Wampyr

The Wampyr were another of the Empire's attempts to create the perfect soldier (cf Wolflings). Wampyr derived their superhuman abilities from a genetically engineered blood substitute that made them faster and stronger than any ordinary human. Unfortunately few Wampyr survived the Empire's attempt to use them against the Grendel aliens. At least one surviving Wampyr can be found on Mistworld.

Wampyr blood is highly addictive to humans, producing a similar effect on the body as in a Wampyr itself. Those dependent on the drug are known as Plasma Babies, and on Mistworld are the virtual slaves of their Wampyr master.

Groups active from book 6 - 8

Hellfire Club

A cult of hedonists, the Hellfire Club indulge in orgies, frequently take narcotics and will often murder for pleasure. On occasion members initiate hostage scenarios or political assassinations, always identifying themselves by dying their skin red and having horns implanted on their skulls to give the classic appearance of the Devil. However this is rare and only the lowest ranked members, the many hopefuls wishing to join and imitators will undertake these actions. More senior members of the cult prefer to scheme and manipulate through less direct means. Members included Francine "Frankie" Wolfe (AKA Treasure Mackenzie) and Tel Markham.

The Shadow Court

The Shadow Court are a loosely connected group of individuals who were formed sometime after the Iron Bitch's fall. To become a member one must prove noble ancestry. These claims however are tennous at best and only a few are truly noble blooded. It is considered the richest of the factions that trouble King Campbell. They seek to restore the Empire to its previous state, they treat the Empress with adoration similar to a religious figure. The Shadow Court consider the Campbells and the Deathstalkers to be class traitors for their roles in the coup.

Worlds

Alien races

The AI of Shub

The Shub are rogue Artificial Intelligences. Three individual AIs, so advanced that they could run entire worlds, awoke to full consciousness the moment they were switched on. They soon defected from their original purpose, banded together, and created the artificial world of SHUB, a giant computerized artificial planet which houses their hardware.

They utilize many agents in an ongoing war with humanity. Ghost Warriors are the reanimated corpses of humans. They are primarily used for their psychological effect in war, although they also make excellent shock troops. Furies are machines coated in the skin of a human. They are very effective as shock troops during skirmishes, but are better served by sowing seeds of distrust among the members of the Empire. Several major members of Parliament (as well as aristocrats) have been Furies. Dragon's Teeth are humans who went into the Imperial Matrix (a virtual reality internet) and had their minds replaced with artificial intelligences. They are Shub's most subtle weapon, as they can only be detected by a thorough esper scan.

In addition to their nanotechnological and bioenginering expertise, the AIs of Shub have access to extremely advanced technology. Among others items, they discovered teleportation devices in the Darkvoid. Forgotten by human scientists, their capabilities allow Shub access to almost any location in the known universe.

In Deathstalker Destiny, a Shub war fleet on a mission of genocide approaches Golgotha. It ends with a giant esper mind-meld between the AIs and humankind giving the AIs true emotions and opening their eyes to the horror and pain they had inflicted on humanity and reveals to the humans that the AIs are essentially their abandoned children. The AIs immediately end the war.

By the time of the later books, the AIs are integrated into the Empire and run the machines that have replaced clone labor for dangerous work as continued penance for the havoc they had unleashed earlier. They have also adopted the credo of "all that lives is holy" (the same creed that the Imperial general Harker had taught his "toy" supporters on Shannon's World) and are initially reluctant to fight the usurper Finn Durandal.

Hadenmen

The Hadenmen were a race of cyborgs created by scientists who passed through the Madness Maze. They attempted to take over the Empire and make everyone a Hadenman, and were narrowly defeated. They aid Owen during the rebellion, but only for their own purposes.

Wolflings

The first genetically augmented men, the Wolflings were created by the Blood Runners to be stronger, faster, smarter, and tougher than their human creators, not to mention immortal. Terrified of their abilities, the Empire scorched the Wolfling World (which would be later known as Haden) and eventually killed all but one Wolfling. This last member of his race, Wulf, leads the group to the Madness Maze.

Grendels

The Grendels are gigantic, vicious scarlet killing machines. They started out as an alien race, who had gone through the Madness Maze, after which they bioengineered themselves in order to combat The Terror if and when it came. They are held in suspended animation in large Vaults on the quarantined world that shares their name.

The Recreated

An enigmatic and disturbing race, the Recreated were responsible for transforming a captured Imperial Captain into Half-A-Man, a being whose right side is human and whose left side is an energy construct. Presumably based in the Darkvoid, not much is known about them.

Weapons and technology

Disruptors

Disruptors are the primary ranged weapon in the Deathstalker universe. Incredibly accurate at tremendous distances and capable of unimaginable destruction, disruptors have replaced projecticle weapons for nearly a millennium, but are still limited by a two-minute recharge between shots. Officially, projectile weapons were replaced for the reasons mentioned above. Unofficially, projectile weapons are too easy for the 'lower classes' to master and so are phased out in favor of disruptor technology.

Esp-blockers

Esp-blockers are created out of the living brain of an Esper. They effectively turn off all Esper abilities in the immediate area. A variation on esp-blocker technology is the aptly named "Mindbomb," which can scramble the thoughts of any non-esper in its vicinity.

Darkvoid Device

The legendary Darkvoid Device is responsible for snuffing out a thousand suns, destroying hundreds of worlds and killing billions. The Darkvoid Device is actually the bastard son of Giles Deathstalker and Empress Hermione who was placed in the center of the Madness Maze by Giles as a baby and so could be shaped over hundreds of years by the Maze. The baby, who has no name, is watched

Starcruisers

At the opening of the Deathstalker novels, D-class starcruisers are used exclusively. The E-Class starcruisers, based on alien stardrive technology that was not understood by human scientists, were introduced at the beginning of the first book. Each successive letter class is superior to the previous class, with E-class Starcruisers superior to the hadenmen ships and Shub vessels. In the sequel trilogy, technology has advanced and H-Class Starcruisers are used.

Stasis Field

Stasis fields can selectively alter the speed of time. Typically used to slow or stop time, holding their targets in suspended animation, stasis fields can also be used to speed up time, resulting in their target's rapid aging and (eventually) decomposition. They are used primarily to hold or punish prisoners, although they have been used to block off certain areas against teleportation. A weaker version of the device is called a "Tanglefield" and can be used to slow people down to a fraction of real time.

Portable stasis fields were an experimental technology used to capture Grendel aliens on Captain Silence's expedition and were later deployed during the street fighting on Golgotha towards the end of the Great Rebellion.

Transmutation Engines

The Transmutation Engines are extremely powerful devices capable of transmuting matter into an organic goo which can then be further transmuted into usable materials. In the time period beginning in book 6, all rubbish and refuse is sent off to be transmuted. Large Starcruiser mounted Transmutation Engines are deployed as planetkillers in Deathstalker Coda, used with devastating effect on the worlds of Usher II and Pandora.

Madness Maze

The Madness Maze is an alien device of unknown origin (not constructed by wolflings, as first thought). It was walked by a number of humans, who were changed in some way. These first humans through were the creators of the Hadenmen, the first official enemies of mankind. The Blood Runners where the first humans to find the Maze but they were to scared to enter, instead they stole a piece of it. They used the piece to create the first augmented men, the Wolflings.

The Madness Maze shows people their inner selves, and many people are unable to face this. When Captain Silence and his crew followed Owen and his companions into the Maze, many of his crew went mad or died outright. Those who survive going through the Madness Maze are granted many new powers based on their own personalities. New powers and skills, when needed, manifest themselves rapidly.

The man made gengineered creature known only as 'The Wolfling' is believed to have walked the Maze several times.

People going through together are somehow linked, sharing thoughts, feelings and, in some way, prior abilities.

It is also stated in Deathstalker Destiny that the purpose of the Maze is to speed up the evolutionary process, based upon the flexibility of the persons mind. The more rigid a persons thinking, the less likely they would be able to survive. The Madness Maze, while completely beyond the comprehension of mankind, is not as old as the human race, and seems to benefit humans more than any other species.

Survivors of the Maze and the results

Some generic abilities were given to the survivors of the Maze. These included an instinctual feeling of where and how each other were, and a sharing of each's natural abilities from before the Maze, hence Owen having some of Hazel's lock-picking skills, and Hazel using the Deathstalker boost. Apart from that, the maze gave its survivors 'super' strength, speed, and stamina, as well as the ability to heal oneself and others instantly. Others may have had similar abilities, but these were not explored in the novels. All Madness Maze survivors are unable to use their powers against one another, as a safeguard. The secrets of the Madness Maze, including its true purpose and origin, are revealed in Deathstalker Coda.

References

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