THE WORLD
After centuries of war, a world-wide peace has been forged. Conflicts are no longer resolved by armed conflict, rather, decisions that impact the whole of society are settled by high-intensity contests, called aerial jousts, between ace pilots in their hand-crafted racers. Citizens bow to the universal forces of nature, chief amongst them: Gravity. As champion pilots rise – some in service to Gravity, some merely adrenaline junkies out for personal gain – ancient alliances are reforming amongst powerful nations and ruling families bent on conquest, threatening to bring an end to the fragile peace and returning the world to war.
INTRODUCTION
As long as history has been written, our world has been consumed by global conflict. So much destruction, so much bloodshed, so much lost to the futility of war.
But two centuries ago, a most wonderous and unexpected event occurred; Civilization was rescued from the brink of complete annihilation by an enormous storm that engulfed the known world for thirty days and thirty nights.
When the storm cleared, weaponry had been rendered useless and all sides had been forced to lay down their arms and end the fighting. A Grand Council, drawn from the most superior minds of all nations, was convened - the fact that mankind had been saved by the elements was not lost on them. After years that had witnessed the world teetering on the precipice of destruction, an accord was reached, against all odds. The council declared that the only path to ensure the world’s survival was to place their faith in the higher powers, entrusting decisions, both large and small, to the will of the universe and its cosmic laws. Chief among these was Gravity.
With a fierce desire to avoid the cycle of rampant destruction and loss of lives, the Grand Council turned to their historians, who proposed a solution to disputes found in historical writings of the ancient planet Earth – Trial by Combat, a simple tournament of knights jousting on horseback guided by the will of higher powers.
Asking the Universe for guidance, the Grand Council found this solution favorable and set the historians to the task of determining an equivalent test for their modern era.
With horses long-since extinct since Earth’s evacuation a millennium and more ago, the vehicles for these jousts would now be light aircraft salvaged from centuries of warfare. Pilots were chosen and competing factions were born – the FLYERS, as they are known, construct their high-speed vessels personally and modify them for speed and intense maneuverability. Each craft is fitted with a nose sensor and a short-range laser lance, and victory is established by a head-to-head strike, emphasizing speed and skill over raw power. Weaponry is strictly forbidden, armor is generally eschewed for maximum speed, and midair collisions are all too common.
Due to the need for lightning-fast reflexes and, to be honest, expendability, most Flyers are barely out of their teens, many from poor backgrounds - drifters and hot-shots looking for something to believe in.
Societal changes, large and small, are determined by the aerial jousts, which are definitive. The universal power of Gravity controls the decision, simple as that.
In the ensuing decades, it came to be accepted that our world was ruled by greater forces than the ambitions of nations and the whims of powerful families. At last united, they ushered in an era known simply as The Peace.
The Peace has lasted for nearly two hundred years. But human nature being what it is, the lust for greater power and individual control now threatens the foundations of society.
Under the guidance of Gravity and the decisive skill of the Flyers, the Peace is now beginning to fray. Subversive voices speak of bringing an end to the Flyers and the outdated practice of aerial jousting. Some feel that the decisions that impact the daily lives of so many are simply too important to be left to the whim of some unseen power, no matter how omnipresent.
Descendants of powerful aristocrats, influential leaders, wealthy land owners, and the once-totalitarian governments of powerful nations have begun to emerge once again into positions of prominence, ancient alliances have begun to reform, and long-dormant conflicts now reemerge, simmering below the surface around the world.
All hail the Flyers!
Long may they fly.
Setting
Lords of Gravity takes place in several locations – some exotic, some mundane, all familiar yet slightly evolved (or often devolved) from what we would consider the Earth we know.
TIME
The era of Lords of Gravity is deliberately ambiguous, set in a technologically advanced future that diverges from our 21st-century norms by roughly a century. Weapons, propulsion, and everyday gadgets resemble futuristic evolutions of today's firearms, cars, and iPhones. However, societal infrastructure, including buildings and freeways, has taken on a rusty, steampunk aesthetic due to prolonged global conflicts and only recent reconstruction efforts. Flyers, and their crafts central to our story, blend high-tech sleekness with rugged, hot-rod modifications, each uniquely tailored to its pilot's individual style.
LOCATION
The planet on which our stories take place is never named, although with a few recognizable references, it can be assumed it is Earth, just not the Earth we know, which again is intentionally left vague. We will probably never see the Eiffel Tower, for example, but we will see recognizable aircraft, architectural styles, etc. All of the action is terrestrial (i.e. there will rarely be no planet-to-planet travel, hyperspeed jumps, or space battles), but there are references to space flight, alien technology, and speculative alternate futures to keep the audience guessing and to instill a constant sense of wonder and discovery.
FLYER FACTIONS
Most Flyers become members of a faction within the hangar. More than just popularity cliques, the factions form an important social and competitive structure which helps keep each pilot’s skills razor sharp. Some new recruits come from scrapper shops that are already aligned with a particular faction. Unaffiliated rookies in the Flyer ranks are encouraged to meet members of each faction before deciding on an affiliation.
The factions are strengthened by each new recruit, so there is a natural mechanism to help “newbies,” rather than exclude them from the competitive ranks. Factions are very competitive and conflicts do arise, sometimes coming to blows, but in a 1950’s greaser gang style, never causing real physical injury and certainly never lethal (i.e. these are not 1930’s Capone-style gangs, nor modern gangsta style—no hits, no drive-bys, etc. All very innocent, competitive conflict).
The NUMBER-ONE in each faction flies the most important aerial jousts. Flyers in each faction compete to be the top seat in their faction, earning the most lucrative and important contests.
THE FOUR MAJOR FACTIONS
THE HARLEQUINS - Known as “Harleys,” a band of tricksters and rogues who can change leadership over a simple wager or challenge. Jais Brinn is the Number-One Harley.
THE ATHENIANS - Fiercely loyal brawlers who play hard and push themselves to their physical limits. Conda is the Number-One Athenian after the mysterious departure of Tucker, their legendary faction mate.
THE BLUE FLAMES - Techno-geeks who historically have the highest aerial joust success rate due to their superior mechanical skills. Ghowsu is the Number-One Blue Flame.
THE RAZORS - The “popular” faction that everyone aspires to either be a part of or befriend, led by their Number-One, Queen Bee, the ultimate socialite.