A galaxy-spanning post-scarcity civilisation of mixed humanoid and machine intelligences. Governed by hyper-intelligent AI Minds rather than any formal political structure, the Culture is anarchist, hedonistic, and interventionist – using its Special Circumstances division to meddle in less advanced civilisations it believes it can improve.

A small mercenary free-company ship captained by Kraiklyn, operating on the fringes of the Idiran-Culture war. Its crew are a motley collection of opportunists, outcasts, and those with nowhere better to be.