It is the Third Millennial Celebration of the Accession of Emperor Paolo St. Martin. The alien threat to the known worlds has been defeated, allowing church and state to unite to hail the Emperor and his loyal servants. Why should anyone worry about whispers of discord? What could possibly go wrong while the banner of the Knights of the Unicorn, who have never known defeat, casts its colossal shadow across the cosmos?

Setting: An Amber/Fading Suns crossover.

Note: References are made to material in the "Fading Sons" RPG. This is (c) Holistic Design Inc.

Known History
Humanity's history is a long one, and the Emperor's part in it central. It is recorded and archived by the Church. What happened previous to the discovery of the jump-gates that provide the passageways between the Known Worlds is to some extent shrouded in mystery, since the original texts have long vanished and the alien races that humanity has treaties with are tight-lipped. What is certain is that advanced technologies existed long before humans reached the stars, and ancient enigmas are uncovered continuously. The jump-gates themselves are of uncertain origin, though it is thought that a race referred to as "Preadamites" or "Anunnaki".

Sathraism
The discovery of the first jump-gate was a monumental one. A team of scientists managed to crack the code, and activated the gate, providing for the first time a view into a distant star system. The technology was cloned, though imperfectly, and the first settlers were sent into the unknown. Transported through the gate, the astronauts experienced an ecstasy known as "Sathra's Boon" which gave rise to a religion which the government of the time couldn't control. Devices were created to suppress the effect, and those crews that removed them had their vessels ruthlessly destroyed.

The Coming of the Prophet
As central control unravelled, the Prophet began his sermons. On a frontier world he was gifted with a vision and a gospel, but also a warning. Demons lurked in the darkness among the stars, seeking to snuff out the Holy Flame. The Prophet preached his vision, and many listened. He spoke against the machines, spoke of one religious vision for all humans and aliens. He died, apparently in a jump-gate accident, but his word and his church remained, more vital than ever before.  His teachings are collected into a volume called the Omega Gospels.

Contact with the Aliens
First contact with the aliens of Shantor, an equine race, resulted in their virtual extinction. The Vau, a very advanced species, found humanity plundering a planet under their protection and destroyed all the settlers they found, prompting a system-wide war. The church eventually negotiated a peace, but only after a bloody series of encounters. Further conflicts with the barbaric Ur-Ukar fuelled xenophobia, though the peaceful Ur-Obun, who spoke out against their ancient brethren, won privileges in the aftermath. More significantly, psychic powers had been used for the first time and the church saw fit to act strongly against them. The Ukar have only recently been finally subjugated.

The Technocracy
Out of this period of conflict the Republic rose, though in reality the power was rested with merchants and oligarchs under the guise of the guilds. Terraforming was commonplace, and technology solved every problem. Then the central computer system controlling all commercial activity was sabotaged, and the prosperity came to a sudden end. Anarchy swept through known space, and noble families long thought irrelevant began to seize control.

The New Empire
The ten greatest noble houses united their fleets and seized the capital world, Byzantium Secundus. Technological progress ceased, and the church was once more in the political ascendancy. Commoners were denied the use of technology, which was branded as the cause of humanity's woes, though the nobility were exempt. The Merchant League was formed, which kept much of the remaining scientific knowledge to itself and sought to control it. A tense stand-off ensured, broken only by a new invasion by barbarians.

Worlds isolated since the fall of the Technocracy suddenly made their presence known in a series of raids. The Known Worlds needed a champion, and that was Paolo of House Barimen. A military and diplomatic genius, he united the noble houses with his victories over the raiders and won the backing of Church and League. When the barbarians were defeated he turned on his own house and purged it, then those houses who had given him only qualified support. He distributed the spoils among his loyal followers and declared himself Emperor. Soon after he was created a saint by the church for his crusades against the godless. He has ruled ever since, growing ever stronger, and no-one has seriously threatened his position.