The sixth millennium is beginning, and the suns are dying. Humanity once built a Republic of high technology and universal emancipation — then fought over it, squandered it, and lost it. A New Dark Age has arrived. Feudal lords, fanatical priests, and scheming guilds divide the Known Worlds between them, all jockeying for dominance while civilization slowly darkens. The last Emperor died seconds after crowning himself. The Regency has since been used as an instrument of looting rather than leadership. Now the suns themselves are fading, widely read as a sign of approaching Armageddon. Lead one of the great Noble Houses — Hawkwood, Decados, al-Malik, Li Halan, or Hazat — to power. Dare to call yourself Emperor of the Fading Suns.