This site is for the trial run of Horizon, which has finished! If you want information on the full game, commencing October 2005, you should go here.
- Treacherous
- Sorcery
- Alchemy
- Gods
- Intercessor
- Soldier
- Toolmaker
- Mutilated
- Versinya
- Lacrymosa
- Verachtlich
- Illaria
- Deceased
- Powers
- Sky
- Land
- Stars
- Oceans
- Fire
The Stars
Above the rest of creation, beyond the infinite depths of the Sky, the stars move in a world of perfect and eternal order. Here is endless cold as the frozen orbs move in exact repetitions of the fixed epicycles and ellipses that make up their determined paths. From their distant realm, the Stars bring organisation, predictability and harmony into the world. Since intelligent life first walked on the Land, the Stars have also brought justice to that life. There is no emotion or humanity in the Stars; no extenuating circumstances. Just celestial perfection. For those shivering in the mud far, far beneath them, the Stars symolise organistion and justice, but also destiny, the rule of law in human affairs, the power of science, and pure ideals. More darkly they also symbolise emotional withdrawal, misanthropy, the tyranny of The Machine (literally in the industrial regions of cities around the world, but also the tyranny of Government over the individual), statis or intense political conservatism, cruelty without remorse, meaningless laws or rules, cold (particularly ice), and winter. The Stars are also frequently said to enforce a kind of justice in day-to-day affairs, that might be called 'karma'. All these attributions are true or close to the truth. The Stars continually pour forth regulation and order into the physical world - and also into the spiritual. The opposition of the Fire continually counteracts this. Those with strong Star ancestry tend to be truthful, sober, calm, and have a nagging sense of justice. They are also in many cases cold, antisocial, and uncaring. Strengthening of ties with the Stars will increase all of these attributes; eventually such a person will become utterly emotionless yet dedicated to the imposing of order in the world. This may manifest as a personal crusade against some kind of crime; or it may manifest as an obsessive need to have absolute control over their personal surroundings so that nothing random or unexpected happens. Indeed, both kinds of behaviour can become so extreme as to qualify as insanity. Legends tell of supernatural alterations in those with the very strongest connections to the Stars; though few find the idea of everything they touch turning to ice attractive (as one tale tells), the possibility that one might cease to age has lured many to seek a closer kinship with the Stars. For a few, the chance to actually become a new Star has had appeal, but most such were romantics,and ill-disposed to make the necessary choices. In any case, it seems certain that progressing far enough along the path to the Stars must eventually mean surrendering the last of one's emotions to more pure forms of thought.Those wielding the mystic power of the Stars may put it to various ends; the imposition of justice, determining the truth, sensing concealed patterns, preserving things or people from decay, supression of emotion, calming chaos, and conjuring cold and ice.
The influence of the Stars has been seen in various events down the years; legendary quests to destroy villains, outbursts of government tyranny, the proliferation of bloated bureacracies (the old Imperial bureaucracy is frequently cited), the pronouncements of some of the most celebrated judges and some of the most reviled, triumphs of engineering (some point to the success of the Grey Order, though the Order themselves deny any particular Star affinity), and particularly successful national projects. Almost by definition, the Stars are the most timeless of the powers; they pursue their ancient goals of opposing and overcoming the Fire in whatever arena, and wherever possible constraining the other Powers to act by their laws.
Rumours
Each Star is a huge sphere of ice, carried through the heavens by an angel. Sometimes, these angels come down to make sure that we're not all sliding into chaos.If you break the laws of the land enough, the Stars will send a Silver Knight after you. It won't give up following you 'til it's dead or you are.
The Shamen of the Stars can know all the crimes you've ever committed, just by looking at you. The Loyal Order of Hounds could use that kind of help, but they're too scared that their own corruption would be revealed.
Music plays all the time in the realm of the Stars. The Music of the Spheres is the most perfect imaginable.
Clockwork is obviously a tribute to the Stars. The entire Clockworkers' Guild are shamen of the Stars - whether they know it or not. Slowly, their works are bringing us all under the rigid regimentation of the Stars.
Sure, the Fire and the Stars are naturally in opposition. But the Stars also regard the Gods as dangerous sources of instability. In the early days of the Empire, the hunting of the Avatars was aided and inspired by the Stars almost as much as by the Intercessor.
If you acknowledge the Stars, you can call out to them for justice against those who have wronged you, and they will answer. Just be sure that your own conscience is clear.