Welcome to the World of Killjoys

What’s great about science fiction is the rich mythology that takes you into a completely different, new, and exciting world. Killjoys has more world-building than Minecraft and Roller Coaster Tycoon combined. Don’t worry, the rollercoasters are along for the ride, except they’re of the emotional and action-based variety.

To help you gear up if you are a new viewer, we’ve already put together some handy character bios to introduce you to the adventurous young heroes of Killjoys. If you haven’t already seen them, take the time to Meet Dutch, Johnny, and D’Avin.  Bad-ass! Now let’s take a stroll down Main Street.

Some time in the future in a galaxy far, far away. . .

The Quad

The Quad consists of 1 dwarf planet and its 3 moons. 1+3=4=Quad. Makes sense. It’s part of a solar system that's part of a massive star cluster known as "The J," which itself has tons of inhabited planets and moons. The quad is composed of an intricate caste system that correlates to the limited desirable real estate . . . 

Qresh

Qresh is at the top of the caste, where the elite artists, politicians, scientists, inventors, business class and philosophers make their homes.  Like Earth, Qresh was once the only world supporting life in her solar system. Over time, her population grew and thrived, until the environmental weight of her citizens began to outstrip the dwarf planet’s resources and damage her ecosystem. (Sound familiar?)

Soon scientists and politicians of Qresh began looking beyond their borders for places to dump their trash and mine their resources. But, instead of looking to the oceans as we are currently doing on Earth, “The Company” -- the monolithic, powerful corporation inextricably linked with the politicians and ruling families on Qresh -- looked to the skies. Specifically, to their largest satellite moon. Cue nod to our next Quad moon…

Westerley

For a while, The Company made Westerley their geo-resource bitch, taking what they wanted and leaving what they didn’t, building an expanding population of workers along the way. But one problem still remained:

Qresh still needed a place for its population sprawl to expand to, but Westerley was becoming a cesspool of vice and environmental damage. Thanks to the Company’s hard usage, Westerley quickly became a dark, sooty, industrial hellhole, replete with sex workers, killers, gamblers and religious fanatics. Life on Westerley is never easy, but never boring. Westerley should be noted as the home base for our main characters.

Leith

Leith was colonized next, to provide homes and resources for those not highborn or connected enough to remain on Qresh, but who demanded a “better” life that what Westerley could provide. Many of the people who settled here are distant relations of "The Nine" (the families that control the Company). So, while they may not be rich themselves (think distant relatives of the royal family), they take a certain pride in their heritage.

As the closest moon to Qresh, many here also have respectable jobs (mostly farming, the merchant class and import/export businesses). If those on Westerley dream of life on Leith, those on Leith dream of life on Qresh - but are usually too humble to admit such things. You see, the cultural values on Leith differ than the rest of the Quad - peace and respectability are the status quo here, with more illicit activities like sex work and drugs being totally illegal.

Arkyn

The smallest of Qresh’s moons by far, Arkyn was the first moon the Company attempted to colonize - but things went horribly wrong. Much is whispered about Arkyn, but little is actually known to the populace. What WE know is that Khylen, the gone-rogue-killer mentor to Dutch (leader of the Killjoys) kidnapped D'avin (Dutch's quasi boyfriend/teammate) and took him to a mysterious facility here.

Class & Politics

Citizenship of Qresh and its lunar colonies is on a sliding scale of accessibility. Westerley is the entry point for many from across "The J" (remember, "The J" is the massive star cluster that Westerley - the entire Quad, really - is part of); all that is required is a willingness to work . . .

It helps that the Company always dangles the hope for new immigrants that, over time, there is the potential to buy oneself into Leith society, becoming part of their merchant class. Or, by some extreme act, into Qresh itself.  This is the Quad’s version of the American Dream.

But everyone knows the latter scenario is all but myth: Qresh is the most difficult to attain residency on, and much of it by now is hereditary. Land rights are serious, deadly business on Qresh, as is reputation. For those old, once powerful families who are teetering on hard times or social scandal, losing status is a tangible and terrifying thing.

The Company

“The Company” is a massive corporation that operates within the Quad and remains shrouded in mystery. It does own Westerley outright. While it is often hard to know where the Company ends and local Government begins, technically lethal warrants are to be underwritten by Government officials only. Warrants you say? Who is accepting these contracts?

The RAC

The Recovery and Apprehension Coalition (R.A.C) -- aka “The Rack” -- is the fully independent organization that licenses, governs, and disciplines Killjoys. It has its fingers in the political pies of various worlds throughout the galaxy, and yet stands apart from all of them, its own little island of power and dangerous secrets.

This begs the very important, nay essential, bit of information. What is a Killjoy?

Killjoys

Killjoys are multidisciplinary professionals who are licensed to pursue specific types of Warrants throughout the galaxy. The have broad authority within the narrow window of Warrant Enforcement, but no power (or interest, really) in local laws.

While often a rough and tumble, highly competitive lot, these are no wild-west gunslingers: killjoying is a regulated occupation, with specific rules and harsh consequences for breaking them. (FYI, Killjoy comes from the combination of "joy," a slang word for money and kill, because, well, sometimes they kill. So "kill for joy").

Killjoys themselves have only one rule: “The Warrant is All”.

Let’s learn more about these so called “Warrants”

I. Reclamation – Retrieving lost/stolen goods

II. Transfer – When a person needs to be moved between hostile areas, Killjoys are often hired as disinterested third parties. These are typically either bodyguarding or prisoner transport mission.

III. Live Warrents – Apprehensions; target must be brought back alive.

IV. Living or Dead (“L.O.D”) – Target is expendable, dangerous and likely to resist. Killjoys are licensed to use lethal force at their discretion.

V. Death Warrents – Sanctioned assassinations. Also called Kill Warrants. 

Warrants range in difficulty and danger from your typical stolen necklace retrieval job to sanctioned assasinations or Kill Warrants. Not every Killjoy can pursue every Warrant. They have to prove themselves and rise in rank, much like our military. A Killjoy must have achieved a rank equal to or above that of the Warrant they intend to chase. Therefore, a brand new Level I Killjoy can only take on Reclamation jobs; Level IV Killjoys can take on any Warrant up to and including L.O.D work.

That’s it for your intro into the world of Killjoys. We hope you’re feeling more primed than the number 2!