Presented here are details on an independent space station in the Byzantium Secundus system - next door to the center of Imperial politics (detailed in the Fading Suns supplement, Byzantium Secundus). The format follows that given for starships in the Fading Suns supplement, Forbidden Lore: Technology.

Dramas

There are numerous adventures, pursuits and dangers which can be met on Cumulus. Its agora and many bars provide the perfect meeting ground for travelers seeking patrons, contracts orjobs both legitimate and criminal. Among the shadowy operatives of the thriving Known Worlds espionage industry, Cumulus has received the moniker of "spy central," for the number of Imperial Eye agents dispatched here and the number of house, guild, freelance or even Church agents who gather here to meet their contacts. indeed, the saying goes that: "On Cumulus, a person has three eyes -- the two on his head and the one shadowing him."

Player characters can find any excuse to go here: Looking for work (there are many patrons here seeking freelancers who know how to keep their months shut); smuggling proscribed goods (many merchants act as fences for dangerous cargo); seeking to stamp out sin (few places are as full of it as Cumulus); seeking a wandering traveler (sooner or later, every space traveler passes through Cumulus); sabotaging the station (many would pay high dollar to see the League's gem shattered); trying to steal its high-tech (some of Cumulus's tech is state-of-the-art); or even planning to overthrow the Empire (many who hate Alexius gather here, close but far from Byzantium Secundus, to plot his downfall).

Cumulus has received the moniker of "spy central," for the number of Imperial Eye agents dispatched here. Indeed, the saying goes that: "On Cumulus, a person has three eyes - the two on his head and the one shadowing him."

History

Cumulus was once one of the gems of the Second Republic's merchant bases. Somewhat like a late 20th century cruise ship, Cumulus was designed as a getaway entertainment spot where anything imaginable was for sale. Ships from across Known Space docked here on their way to Byzantium Secundus, selling their surplus luxury items at a discount.

Cumulus became a rebel base during the siege of Byzantium Secundus (AD 4000), fending off attacks and providing port for injured rebel ships. Once the Ten seized the capitol, however, Cumulus was evacuated; only a small, loyal skeleton crew stayed behind. The station was soon claimed by House Van Gelder, who held it for many centuries until the house fell on bad times after Vladimir's assassination. Desperate for resources, the Van Gelder traded the valuable commodity to the Merchant League in exchange for weaponry (which did them little good in the long run).

House Cameton, the minor house which had long held the most fiefs on Byzantium Secundus, raised an outcry. But few of their peers listened, for they were too busy seeking League alliances for their own schemes. Allowing the League the ownership of a then run down space station -- sure to fail entirely 'in a number of years -- did not seem a large price to pay for their aid in other endeavors.

But while the nobles casually averted their gaze, the Church fumed, incensed that the Merchant League could now sell their wares away from the watchful eye of Byzantium's priests (the Church well knew that they did so under Van Gelder rule, but the principle of it all incensed the Archbishop of Byzantium Secundus). The Inquisition was sent in to make sure that the League understood the Church view. Under the watchful eye of now ensconced Inquisitors, the Cumulus guildsmembers nonetheless went about their job of keeping the station running, building it back Lip from the nearly deserted hulk it had become under Van Gelder rule.

Now the noble visitors to the station began to sweat, and complained to the Archbishop, making it clear to him that such a vulgar display of force was insulting to refined sensibilities.

Yet the Archbishop resisted calling back his Inquisitors. Only once it was recognized that black market crimes had increased on Byzantium Secundus did the Archbishop recognize the need for Cumulus - as onerous as it was, it relieved the pressure of crime from the throneworld itself. He called the Inquisition back, and a cold war began. It was unofficially understood that the Inquisition would bypass Cumulus as long as the Merchant League and Cumulus's resident nobility did their best to keep crime and sinful acts underground. This did not grant the station immunity by any means, just a tilt in their favor.

The Merchant League got the clue and beefed up its security forces, determined to be ever watchful for crime and sin and ferret them out before the Inquisition got wind of them.

Of course, "official" crime that run by guilds within the League -- was largely exempt. Guild- approved scams were allowed, as long as they were quiet and the League was allowed a Cut of the profits. This included those professions catering to the resident noble's decadent sensibilities - activities best not witnessed by the Church.

Over the years there have been overt sorties in this war by both sides: the Inquisition staging surprise raids and rounding up merchants and nobles alike, the Merchant League refusing or purposefully botching emergency repairs for Church ships. Overall, however, Cumulus has seen business as usual for space travelers seeking proscribed goods or entertainment.

The station was originally administered by the Engineers, but as it became more profitable - and politically dangerous - the Reeves Muscled in to take control. This began a minor war between the two guilds, who fought between themselves for ownership and control of the station -- including the lucrative profits garnered from space traffic at the center of the Known Worlds. The problem was "solved" toward the end of the Emperor Wars. The League Dean Suffered lack of confidence among the guilds for his support of Alexius's bid to power.

In addition, he was accused of being non- impartial concerning Cumulus the was a Reeve, one of the parties involved in the struggle). He decided to end the issue with a short-termn, politically expedient decision. He divvied Cumulus up between the five major guilds, awarding command to the Charioteers, technical logistics to the Engineers, labor contracts to the Muster, and management of the agora to the Reeves.

The Scravers were left with no piece of the pie, but they seemed strangely unconcerned, for they had the secret support of the Dean to take over the rich agoras on Byzantium Secundus from the independant Authority guild. While their bid has not yet succeeded, they have been more successful than they might otherwise have been.

All parties were nominally satisfied and worked well together - at first. Inevitably, friction arose, exacerbated by the tight confines. Now, each guild refuses to work with the other without favors in return. "Having temperature control problems in your stateroom, commander? I'm Sure it can be fixed quickly provided that the life-support crew is provided 24-hour access passes to the cargo deck for a week. Never mind why." "I'm sorry, there are no docking berths available. You Reeves should reserve ahead of time. Wait a minute -- I think I can empty one out in a few hours. In return for, shall we say, two extra stalls in the agora for the next month?"

While the station usually made a good profit, the Emperor Wars saw periods of inactivity, as civilian ship traffic died down. The high cost of maintaining the station during these times caused the League to devise a new method of income they sold off portions of the space city to wealthy nobles. Miniature fiefs sprang up on Cumulus, some only a few rooms wide, others taking up multiple skyscrapers. While these fiefs were now wholly owned by their noble buyers, the supplies it took to maintain them did not come with the cost. Thus, the Engineers make a profit off managing the fiefs' life support systems, the Reeves sell food supplies and other goods, the Muster provides quality servants, and the Charioteers ensure that Cumulus's resident nobles have first dibs on docking ports.

When Alexius won the Empire's throne, he worried about the power the League had so close to his throne world. Unable to act overtly to quell their power for the League had been among his earliest supporters he began a quiet campaign of espionage, infiltrating the Cumulus crew with Imperial Eye agents.

Spacestation Cumulus A Nexus Adventure for Fading Suns

Introduction
Description
Residents