origins of the Fading Suns Universe

[kirov]

A bit OT: How many names of planets do you know origins of? I was always wondering about some of them...

- Absolution, Stigmata, Nowhere, Icon and Rampart seem obvious - just English words

- Holy Terra, B2, Leagueheim, Vau, Manitou, Pandemonium and Grail are also obvious

- Aragon, Ravenna, Delphi, Cadiz and Bannockburn are historical realms or cities (Vera Cruz also sounds like that, but I don't know anything about it)

- Tethys and Artemis are Greek gods

- Pentateuch means first 5 books of the Bible

- Chernobog is the ancient Slavian god of evil

What with the others? Pyre sounds familiar but I can't make anything out of it, Severus seems like derived from the English word... with others I'm "alone in the dark".

[Kosh2]

Veracruz is a Mexico State (and the capital city of that state)
Translated Vera: True Cruz: Cross
(in reference to Jesuchrist Cross)
A usual word in Spanish/Portugues Catholic Missions, so there are others Vera Cruz in South America: (for example a mountain range in Brasil)

There are a lot of religion-related places in Fading Suns: Vera Cruz, Stigmata, Absolution, Iconus...

[Looney]

A pyre is a fire that is often used in Funeral rites. Sometimes to consume the body, sometimes a sacrifice.

Gwynneth is a girl's name

I always saw 'criticorum' as a spin on the word Critical (because of all its jump routes). And Malignitus as a spin on Malign(because it is a horrible and competitive jungle full of Vorox and carnivourus plants).

[kirov]

"Criticorum" has always sounded like "critical core", but I thought there is something deeper behind it... There is a Polish word "maligna" meaning sth like "a state of great fever occurring during some diseases", but I didn't know English has similar word (well, not in definition).

BTW, Polish fans of FS RPG have sometimes a bit of a problem, as "Sutek" means the same as "nipple", while "Vau" is pronounced in the same way as Polish slang "moron" word. Small things, but amusing sometimes...

[Maur13]

And the planet is called Pyre because its the hottest inhabited planet in known worlds. Home of the Avestites, after all...


That leaves

Leminkainen (although it sounds familiar to me, probably because of the years of exposure to EFS universe )
Aylon
De Moley
Midian (sounds like something in the middle to me)
Apshai
Daishan
Shaprut
Madoc
Sutek (formerly Sathra's Boon)
Vril-ya (probably a Vau name)
Malignatius (which is neither Vorox world-this one is accesible from Icon only and not on the map, nor jungle world. I don't remember but i think it was sparsely populated Decados world full of religious sects, as is any Decados world actually)
Iver (the planet on nightside of Pandemonium-which had other name, too-its in official rpg book)


http://www.austwiz.com/fs/

[Maur13]

Ah, search the web... Midian was an ancient tribe in northwest Arabia, said in the Hebrew Scriptures to be descendants of Abraham

[Looney]

You're right Maur, I feel like a dumb***. I looked at your planet list on your site, Vorox come from Vorox (D'oh!). Does anyone know why Vorox, Obun, and Ukar got left out of EFS?

<small>[ 13.04.2004, 22:40: Message edited by: No Brain Required ]</small>

[Kosh2]

Jacques De Molay was Granmaster of the Templars
Being Brother's of Battle a Order like Templars or Hospitalers, is right giving his capital world the name of a famous Granmaster

[Maur13]

Probably because it would require adding another AI controlled factions.

But the correct answer is not that they were left out-they were added in paper RPG-computer game is earlier.

[Looney]

Those would be really good additions to an EFS clone. Just think of the possiblities... Ukari warriors, Obun Psychics and Vorox Berserkers. All kinds of race specific units that could only be found on those planets. And it doesnt have to stop there. Ascorbite Warriors, Shantor Cavalry... Oh to Dream!

[Dervish]

Lemminkäinen-Leminkainen. Lemminkäinen was a rather foppish hero in the Estonian/Finnish Kalevala. For those of you not familiar with it, the Kalevala has been translated into lots of languages and is propably quite well known among people interested in mythology and such.

[John Smith]

Actually the story is based off the Holy Roman Empire during the medieval age of Europe (c. 1350-1450)--especially during the 30 Years' War.

The church: the Roman Catholic Church
The League: the Hanseatic League
House Hazat: the old Spanish Empire (especially with Aragon)
House Hawkwood: English Kingdom
House Dacados: depends--could be the crumbling Byzantines, or Italian city-states, but really it was probably an original creation by the people who designed Fading Suns.
House Li Halan: French crown
House al-Malik: Ottoman Empire
The Second Republic: old Roman Empire
The First Republic: probably Classical Greek culture

Don't get me wrong, they have taken many liberties with the kingdoms, adding many elements to make a better RPG, but if we wish to make a parallel with European history, this would be the most suitable.

Hope it helps,
-John

[Shocker]

There is an older post where several people discussed the possibility that it is based on a Venetian period model.

There were others that thought perhaps it was based on Dune. (Hawkwood - Atreides, Decados - Harkonnen)

- Shocker.

[neokensei]

I too am inclined to believe that FS has elements of Dune in it (well...the energy shields are a dead giveaway, I think. as well as a dependence on the Spacing Guild. Spacing Guild=Charioteers perhaps? And, perhaps not as influential as the Universal Church, but the Bene Gesserit did seem to have a place in the halls of power...and there was that Butlerian Jyhad thingy that was against AIs, I think; maybe that was the inspiration for the UC being anti-tech?).
As to historical allusions/similarities...well, Dune has 'em too, right (the proscription of certain tech, in both settings i think, is similar to the RC church's banning of certain books via the 'index', right?)?
I also believe that it may have taken some ideas from a comic series that came out in 94 (?) called Shadow Empires (now Iron Empires). And even if I only have the first set of that series, Faith Conquers, I saw similarities already: nobles, a fractured humankind divided into many struggling factions, a church (not as big as FS' UC, though) that has influence and a Brother Battle-esque group (with powered armor too!), and aliens that could take over human beings (symbiots?). I recommend the series for any fan of FS and good art/story.

[Maur13]

Well, the thing is that EFS drawn ideas from both of XV century Germany and Europe in general, and Dune universe. And something else i don't remember now.