Frank Herbert's Dune - Prologue Only
PROLOGUE
In the galaxy known as Elixus, in the star systems that form the universe called Rohirrim, the sentient and sapient horse like species known as Equis, or Ponies, has ruled for countless ages.
They are one of the few mana based lifeforms in the entire multiverse. Their most distinctive feature is what they call a "Cutie Mark", known as marks of fate in the Old Days. The Mark shows the one thing that each Pony, or Equis, is the very best at. They are unique to each individual. No two marks are the same even if they indicate the same special ability or talent. The Ponies are an old race made of four distinct subspecies or, as they were called in the Old Days, tribes.
The first is known as the Earth Tribe, or more colloquially called Earth Ponies, they are wise with an innate understanding of the land itself, able to grow crops in even the most arid of places, they also are the most sturdy, capable of breaking hard earth and some rock with naught, but their bare hooves. They are master of craft and trade. The Earth Ponies are the single most populace Tribe of all.
The second Tribe is the spartan and militaristic Pegasus Tribe. They are a proud, competitive, and brilliant tacticians, they can however be clannish. They are born with wings granting them flight, they are extremely skillful in the ways of the air and winds, this skill goes even as far space flight; as well as flight within an atmosphere. Yet, their most well known innate gift is the ability to manipulate clouds and weather within a planet 's atmosphere and the ability to manipulate the ether in space.
The third is the Unicorn Tribe. The Unicorns are the second most populace along with the the Pegasus Tribe, whose numbers are more or less equal with the Pegasus Tribe. They are wise and learned race, but can often hold an attitude of assumed superiority over the other tribes. These ponies are born with a horn upon their forehead, this horn grants this Tribe access to Magic; the ability to summon up energy from the Ley Lines of planet they reside on and of the universe itself, while in space, granting them the ability to manipulate reality in small and large ways.
The fourth Tribe is the least populace, numbering in at only 25 at their height of power in the 3rd Age. This is the legendary Alicorn Tribe. These Ponies are born with attributes of all three tribes and can be born to any other type of pony tribe. They are born with the horn and magic of the Unicorn Tribe, born with the wings and innate skill for flight of the Pegasus Tribe, born with the strength and the innate connection to the land of Earth Tribe. The Alicorns are the most powerful of the tribes and are uniting force of all the tribes. Unlike the ponies of the other tribes an Alicorn's very nature is tied to an ideal, such as harmony or love, or to a body of the heavens, either a star, a sun, or a moon. Also unlike the other tribes an Alicorn's life span can be in the upwards of several millennia. Legend states that when an Alicorn of harmony and benevolence sit upon a throne they will lead the untied tribes to an age of prosperity, however should an Alicorn of chaos and malice sit upon a throne they shall lead all to ruin.
In the year 2,506, technology finally became equal to magic in availability and ease of use. Further leveling the space and differences between the three Tribes and making all ponies even more equal to one another.
In the year 3,156, the Equis race as a whole mourned the passing of their beloved Princesses Celestia and Luna, after they jointly ruled for over three millennia of peace and prosperity. After three years of mourning the Equis race celebrated the ascension of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza the Twelfth and the unification of the Crystal Empire with the Equestrian Empire. Within twenty years of her ascension to the gilded throne of a United Equestria, the Equis race achieved the ability to travel the vast seas of space. However, space travel was slow and tedious. To compensate and calculate the solutions to the extremely complex problems of space travel thinking machines were invented. With the aid of these pony minded machines and artificial intelligences the Ponies were able to travel to three planets within the closest star systems.
In the year 4,055, Discord broke free of his stone prison to bring terror and chaos to the Equis race and home planet. His chaotic reign lasted a full 300 years, before Prince Solaris, the last of Alicorn of the Faust bloodline, gathered the legendary Elements of Harmony and channeled their power to encase Discord forever within a stone prison, but in the end the power of the Elements of Harmony was too great for one pony, even an Alicorn, to wield alone. Within a month of the battle Prince Solaris passed away essentially sacrificing himself for his people. His last Royal Edict was for his people to live and prosper, but to be watchful for the return of the Alicorns.
By the year 6,041, before the reign of the Galician Emperors, the universe was effectively ruled by the thinking machines, with minds like ponies, computers and robots that were conscious. Having these thinking machines in charge of all the major functions of the universe the populace at first became philosophers and delved into the arcane arts, but the time of mental advancement was short lived, for the ponies in a mere 100 years deteriorated into a state of apathy and decadence. Then they became victims and slaves of their creations, who had became capable to create increasingly smarter and stronger machines. Finally, after 450 years of enslavement to the machines, came the Great Revolt, the religious crusade against the machines. The end result of the Great Crusade was the universe wide ban against thinking machines.
After the Great Revolt and consequential ban, the Equis race was forced to develop their minds. Thus mental and magical training schools were established on several planets throughout the universe. These schools would change the history of the universe. Only two of these ancient training schools remain at this time.
One is the Bene Gesserit school, which was established primarily for female students. The public function of the Bene Gesserit school is to expand magical abilities in mares ranging from basic spells to advanced telepathic abilities, however the secret function of this school is to carry out a selective breeding program among the Equis race in order to revive the Alicorn bloodline, by any means necessary.
Now the other existing school, The Spacing Guild, or simply "the Guild", emphasizes pure mathematics. To the Guild the universe in it's purest form is binary information. The Guild's Space Navigators, through heavy use of the orange Spice drug, are able to fold space. That is to guide space ships without moving one planet to another, instead they fold the very fabric of space itself which instantaneously moves the ships from one planet to another without actually moving. It is through the Guild's monopolies on the economic life of the universe that makes it so powerful. Nothing in the universe moves without the Guild knowing of it.
Know then that it is the year 10,192. The known universe is ruled by the Galician Emperor, Platinum the Fourth. For many years, the Emperor Platinum the Fourth, has ruled on the planet Canterlot, over the various Great Houses of the Landsraad. The Great Houses of the Landsraad are members of the royal families who rule and govern over the major planets of the universe and give their fealty to the Emperor Platinum the Fourth, according to the ancient feudal system of government.
Two of the Great Houses of the Landsradd are the House of Sparkle on the planet Caladan, ruled by the honorable unicorn Duke Orion Sparkle, and the House Blueblood, ruled by the iron hoofed earth pony Baron Vladimir Blueblood.
In this time the most precious resource in the known universe is the Spice Melange. All other resources, commodities, and goods are valued by comparison to the Spice. The Spice extends life, the Spice expands consciousness, the Spice is vital to space travel.
CHOAM company controls the mining of the Spice through an exclusive imperial monopoly. The CHOAM company is controlled by the Emperor Platinum the Fourth and the Great Houses of the Landsraad, with the Guild and the Bene Gesserit as silent partners. This combine is the key to the wealth and political power of the universe. It is the Emperor Platinum the Fourth, who dispenses directorships and contracts to the various Great Houses of the Landsraad; thereby controlling the wealth and political power of each of the Great Houses of the Landsraad and ensuring his own power.
The Spice exists on only one planet in the entire known universe, a desolate, dry planet, known as Dune or Arrakis.
Up until this time the Baron Vladimir Blueblood has held a directorship from the Emperor Platinum the Fourth. Giving him the sole contract to mine the Spice on planet Arrakis.
The Baron Vladimir Blueblood, with his nephew and niece, the barbaric Count Rabban, and the beautiful, but cruel future Baroness Feyd Blueblood, live on the planet Geidi Prime.
The planet Caladan is ruled by the Duke Orion Sparkle, cousin to the Emperor Platinum the Fourth. He resides in the ancient Castle Caladan, with the Bene Gesserit Lady Twilight Velvet, and their daughter, the Ducal heir, Twilight Sparkle.
The Emperor, fearful of the Duke's rapidly increasing popularity among the Great Houses of the Landsraad, has conspired with the Duke's mortal enemies, the Bluebloods, to destroy the House of Sparkle.
A Secret Report within the Guild: 4 planets have come to our attention, regarding a plot which could jeopardize Spice production: Planet Arrakis - the source of the Spice, Planet Caladan - Home of the House Sparkle, Planet Geidi Prime - Home of the House Blueblood, Planet Canterlot - Home of the Emperor of the Known Universe. Send a 3rd stage Navigator to demand full details from the Emperor himself.
The Spice MUST flow.
