The Saga of Pliocene Exile is a series of science / speculative fiction books by Julian May, first published in the early 1980s. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... ... Julian May (b. ...

Main Story

The 'Saga of Pliocene Exile' (also known as the 'Saga of the Exiles' in some markets) is a narrative surrounding the adventures of a group of late 21st and early 22nd century misfits / outcasts who travel through a one-way time-gate to Earth's Pliocene epoch, in the hopes of finding a simple utopia where they can finally fit in. The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ...

However, the reality is far removed from the dream. The time-travellers arrive to discover the Pliocene is already inhabited by a dimorphic race of aliens ('exotics'). The exotics, who have fled their home galaxy because of religious persecution, are marooned on Pliocene Earth as well. The exotics have difficulty reproducing on Earth, and so have enslaved many of the humans in an effort to overcome this problem, interbreeding with the more robust humans.

Understandably, relationships between the exotics and the humans tend to be somewhat strained, and are complicated further by the exotics' metapsychic powers. A psychic is a person who claims or who is believed to possess extra-sensory abilities, including: Clairvoyance, Psychometry and Precognition. ...

Pliocene Races

Tanu and Firvulag

The exotics inhabiting the Pliocene Epoch, despite being separated from the appearance of humans on Earth by millions of years, closely resemble the Tuatha De Danann and Firbolg of Celtic Mythology. This article is about a mythical people of Ireland. ... In Irish mythology and pseudohistory, the Fir Bolg (Fir Bholg, Firbolg, Irish men of Builg) were one of the races that inhabited Ireland before the coming of the Gaels. ... Celtic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. ...

The exotics are known as the 'Tanu' and the 'Firvulag', and together constitute a single dimorphic race. The Firvulag are the "metapsychically operant" [see below] members of that race, and the Tanu are the 'metapsychically latent' half. However, the majority of Firvulag have only weak mental powers, whereas the Tanu use mind-amplifying devices known as 'torcs' to enhance their mental powers. The Tanu are much longer lived than the Firvulag. The four books of the Saga of Pilocene Exile abound with Tanu who are more than a thousand years old, who were not born on Earth, and who are called 'first comers' because of the fact. Examples of 'first comers' include King Thagdal, Celadeyr of Afaliah, and Dionket Lord-Healer. The Firvulag are not usually as long lived, although they have a few first-comers of their own (King Yeochee and Palloll One-Eye among them), but are physically hardier and more resistant to Earthly radiation than the Tanu. Male and female Common Pheasant, illustrating the large degree of sexual dimorphism between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ...

Tanu and Firvulag are sworn enemies, with each race routinely attacking the other. The only exceptions to this are in the month before and the month after the Grand Combat, a ritual war that pits the Tanu against Firvulag, which is called the truce, and when Firvulag babies are born to Tanu mothers. These babies are cared for until they can be handed safely over to the Firvulag.

The Tanu

The Tanu (ie. Nodonn Battlemaster, Kuhal Earthshaker, Minnanon the Heretic, etc.) are extremely tall, slim, and beautiful, and live in large cities across South West Europe. They tend to have fair hair and green or blue eyes. Their latent metapsychic abilities are on average stronger than the operant abilities of the Firvulag; however, the Firvulag outnumber the Tanu considerably, which for a long while meant that there was a balance between the two races.

In the forty years before the start of the first book in the series, however, the Tanu have claimed ascendancy. Their use of humans to assist their reproductive capacity means that their numbers are rising, albeit with Tanu/human hybrids rather than true Tanu. This gives them an advantage in the Grand Combat, the annual ritual war between Tanu and Firvulag. The Tanu have won the Combat without fail for the past forty years, because of their use of grey-torc humans [see below] to fight the Firvulag, and other innovations stemming from humans as well, such as the use of horse-like chalikos as riding animals (which gives the Tanu cavalry that the Firvulag lack).

Tanu/Human Hybrids

Because the Tanu use humans to reproduce, a number of the 'Tanu' are in reality Tanu/human hybrids (ie. Bleyn the Champion, Alberonn Mindeater, Katlinel the Darkeyed, etc.). It is generally accepted amongst the Tanu that provided a person looks like a Tanu, they are one, in the same way that humans with gold torcs are considered to be honorary Tanu, although there is a certain amount of discrimination against them from certain more conservative Tanu.

However, there are some differences between pure Tanu and hybrids. Hybrids tend to be hairier, darker, have coarser features and less of the ethereal beauty of the Tanu. They also have a much more muscular figure, and often have stronger metapsychic powers. Unlike the Firvulag and the Tanu, hybrids are not poisoned by iron.

Firvulag

The Firvulag (ie. Fitharn Pegleg) are, on the whole, small, dark and less good looking than the Tanu, although this is not always the case and there are some giants among them. Many Firvulag are large enough that they would not look out of place on a 21st (or even 20th!) century Earth street, while the greatest heroes and leaders amongst the Firvulag (ie. Pallol One-Eye, Betularn the Whitehand, Medor Battlemaster, etc.) - who also have the most powerful mental abilities - are true giants, perhaps a dozen or more feet tall [but probably more like 8-9 feet tall], and massively strong. They live in mountains and caves, far separate from the Tanu, and regard both humans and Tanu with disdain, although at the beginning of the series they have a shaky treaty with the 'Lowlife' human escapees of the Tanu regime.

The Firvulag are primarily farsensors, spinning horrific illusions around themselves in battle to terrify their opponents. They are merciless opponents and when working together are capable of driving a human or weak Tanu mind completely mad with their illusions.

The Firvulag martial tradition is very conservative. They do not ride chalikos into battle, unlike the Tanu and their human cavalry. They wear obsidian armor and fight using obsidian bladed swords and obsidian tipped spears. In battle, they fight like an unorganized mob of infantry. They usually throw their spears in the first rush of battle, then close in using their swords and mindpowers. For the last 40 years, the Firvulag have lost every single one of the grand combats because their unorganized and undisciplined infantry cannot withstand the shock of a heavy cavalry attack. Exiled humans introduced the concept of heavy cavalry to the Tanu and helped them mentally tame the chalikos.

Because of the constant defeats, the Firvulag have been recently growing desperate, and have been willing to take on lowlife humans like Madam Guderian as military advisors. The Firvulag are beginning to adapt more and more of human military tactics and equipment.

The Howlers

The Howlers are a rogue Firvulag faction inhabiting the mountains of the Vosges who parted with mainstream Firvulag society 800 years before the beginning of the first book in the series, over the issue of the perpentual enmity between Tanu and Firvulag. The Howlers are essentially a peace-loving people, and have long been spiritual, if not actual, allies with the Peace Faction amongst the Tanu, who are also opposed to the battle-religion practiced by the Tanu and Firvulag. After over-exposure to dangerous radiation, they mutated into hideous, deformed entities, filled with self-loathing, who attack anyone who strays into their territory. Vosges is a French département, named after the Vosges mountain range. ...

Technically they are ruled by the King of the Firvulag, but this is in name only, and they have their own king, Sugoll, who truly rules them. Both by Sugoll's own assertion and the attestation of the rest of the Howlers, Sugoll is first among the Howlers in all things - mental power, physical ability, and, most of all, physical deformity. Sugoll, although often robed in an illusory body, is the most hideous and frightening of all the Howlers.

By the end of the series, the Howlers have left their radioactive mountain home and moved to the deserted Firvulag city of Nionel, where they set up a genetic plan to restore their hideously mutated selves to some degree of normality. Interbreeding with humans, to revitalize their genetic stock with uncorrupted aelles, is a major component of this scheme, formulated by a slightly insane gold-torc human named Greg-Donnet Genetics Master (born Gregory Prentice Brown, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., L.H.D.), who had fled the Tanu capital of Muriah. Although the Howlers can create beautiful illusions around themselves to disguise their mutations, these illusions do not work on normal Firvulag. They are very effective for humans, though, which is fortunate for Greg-Donnet's schemes.

The race from Lene

Little is known about this race of people from the same galaxy as the Tanu and Firvulag, but a different planet. Whereas The Tanu and Firvulag come from the planet Duat, which also gives the entire galaxy its name, this race comes from Lene. Thousands of years before the action of the novels, the Tanu and Firvulag developed interstellar travel, and colonized other planets in their native galaxy. These other planets came to be called 'Daughter Worlds', as in 'the daughter worlds of Duat'. A series of wars and the passage of time cut off Duat from these other worlds, one of which was Lene. On the Daughter Worlds, against long-standing taboo, the Tanu and Firvulag interbred, producing races very much like 20th/ 21st century humanity. However, these races were not operant, as the ancestral Firvulag were, and instead employed the torcs designed by the Tanu to raise them to a limited form of metapsychic operancy. Certain (female) members, known as Shipspouses, developed a symbiotic relationship with interstellar organisms known as Ships. Only one member of the race which inhabits Lene appears in the Saga of Pliocene Exile. She is Brede Shipspouse. Common Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) in their Magnificent Sea Anemone (Heteractis magnifica) home. ...

Ships

Gigantic crystalline organisms, self-aware and powerfully psychic, which evolved in and continue to inhabit interstellar space in the Duat Galaxy. Ships were capable of superluminal travel through mental generation of an aperture into hyperspace ("grey limbo"). Ships were entirely benevolent and many of them undertook a symbiotic "mind-marriage" with humanoid females of the Duat daughter-worlds. Ships routinely carried the Duat citizenry on interstellar voyages of considerable distance, the passengers traveling within a vessel embedded in the Ship's crystal body. Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ...

Humans

Humans in the Pliocene Epoch play a variety of different roles and are difficult to classify as a group. Virtually all humans are time-travellers from the 21st Century, as the Tanu forbid human/human procreation on pain of death, so human children are born only in outcast villages. Nevertheless, there are some humans born in the Pliocene (ie. Sunny Jim Quigley and Calistro, a goat-herder).

Some humans are happy with Tanu rule. Humans with valuable talents like genetics, robotics, etc. are often given golden torcs and are sometimes even enobled. Other humans with great metaphysical powers are also given silver or golden torcs and may eventually achieve high rank. This is of course, as long as these humans are willing to work for the benefit of the Tanu. Though ramapithecines are made to do a lot of the menial labor in the Tanu kingdom, human greytorc slaves/servants end up doing the more complex grunt work that are too complex for the ramas. For example, grey torc humans are used as shock troops, cavalry, cannon fodder, and as guards.

The Tanu have very low birthrates on Earth because the radiation levels of Earth is higher than that of their homeworld. Their bitter rivals the Firvulag are hardier and are not affected. In order to increase their population more rapidly, the Tanu had been using humans as breeding stock ever since they arrived. The human women had their tubal ligation reversed. Those human women who are metaphysically gifted or have some unique, highly desired talent are often married off to Tanu nobles... after they each have had one night with King Thagdal. King Thagdal is very virile so all women who are forced to sleep with him get impregnated. Those human women who are less talented but are beautiful end up in houses of pleasure where they are forced to service the sexual needs of every Tanu man who desire it. Any children resulting from this sexual slavery are separated from their mothers at birth and are placed in adoption with a Tanu couple to be raised as Tanu.

Human males are also forced to become genetic donors. Those humans who are metaphysically or aesthetically gifted are approached by Tanu women who desire to have children. The human males are not allowed to refuse the sexual attentions of the Tanu women. Many human men, however, find this duty not onerous as the Tanu ladies are often quite beautiful, exotic, and metaphysically gifted.

"Lowlives"

The "Lowlives" is a term referring to humans in Pliocene Europe. The Firvulag call all humans Lowlives, while the Tanu and humanity reserve the term for those humans in Pliocene Europe not ruled by the Tanu. They live in small bands without medical care or good supplies and are harassed by both the Tanu and Firvulag, although at the beginning of the series there is a shaky treaty in place between the Vosges Lowlives and the Firvulag. It is difficult for free humans to exist in large groups as they become easy targets for exotic attacks. However, In The Many-Coloured Land, the Lowlives begin to fight against their oppressors, attacking the Tanu city of Finiah with the Firvulag.

Ramas

The only true "natives" in the book, the Ramapithecus are a race of small, somewhat fragile seeming hominids, believed to be the original ancestors of modern humanity. The Rama's were enslaved by the Tanu when the exotics first arrived on the planet, through the use of Grey Torcs, a derivitave form of the Tanu's own Gold Torcs. The Rama's where in many cases supplanted by the arrival of 21st Century humans who are not only more intelligent, but more robust than the simple Ramas. They are still used however in farming, mining and other forms of unskilled manual labour, and occasionally as surrogate wombs for Tanu and Silver Torc human offspring. Binomial name Sivapithecus ramapithecus Ramapithecus is an extinct primate erected from a two inch piece of a jawbone, with four teeth. ...

"Metapsychic" powers

The author who wrote the four novels of the Pliocene Exile, Julian May, prefers the term 'metapsychic' to the terms 'psionic' or 'psychic', which she considers mundane and un-evocative. It is a "rose by any other name" situation. 'Metapsychic' powers are psychic abilities going by another name. Humans in the late 21st Century, along with the other races of the Galactic Milieu (the Lylmik, Gi, Krondaku, Poltroyans, and Simbiari) and the Tanu and Firvulag of the Pliocene epoch, have developed psychic powers. The psychic powers of Julian May's books are seemingly magical powers which go far beyond the 'simple' psychic abilities we more commonly think of, such as clarvoyance, telepathy, and telekinesis. The human race is a blend of 'operant' metapsychics (not very many, but more born every day), 'latent' metapsychics (lots, but dwindling in numbers as people learn to actually use their psychic gifts), and those with no useful metapsychic powers at all (most of humanity).

Operancy and Latency

Operancy: Psychic powers which are available for conscious, controlled use by a person. Basically, one is considered operant if they have psychic abilities and can consciously use them. In the Pliocene Epoch, the Firvulag were naturally operant. They did not require torcs or other mechanical assistance to be able to use their psychic powers.

Latency: Psychic powers which, although present, cannot be consciously used by a person - because of a lack of training, inhibiting factors, trauma, or mental blocks of uncertain origin. In theory, all humans have some psychic abilities, even though they may be hopelessly latent or extremely meager. Basically, one is latent if they have psychic powers, but can not use them consciously. The Tanu and the vast majority of humans are latents, most humans have extremely meager abilities. The Tanu use torcs to allow them to use their psychic powers.

In places May implies that individuals noted for possession of an extremely high level of a skill or an attribute are often latents who make unconscious use of their metapsychic powers. For example, Felice (an individual with extremely powerful latencies) has a natural ability to control animals, and many individuals with Creative powers are gifted artists or scientists, while those with latent Coercive ability may have substantial charisma - animal magnetism.

Types of "Metapsychic" powers

There are five categories of 'metapsychic' powers in the series: creative, coercive, psychokinetic, farsensing and redactive. The psychic powers which we usually envision (ie. telepathy, clarvoyance, telekinesis, etc.) are folded into these five categories, and may best be though of as 'flavors' or special effects of these five major talents.

Creative: the ability to manipulate energies, and even solid objects using only the mind. In the Pliocene Exile books, creativity was a very powerful and multi-faceted ability to have. For example it was the primary offensive attribute in many forms of combat. This ability is also the root cause of IQ in people and in the creativity of inventors, artists, musicians, etc.

Coercive: the ability to control other people, against their will. It also measures the level of charm and personal magnetism of a person.

Psychokinetic: (aka. telekinesis) The ability to move, manipulate and lift objects using only the mind.

Farsensing: The ability to speak telepathically to people a long way away, and to sense landscapes and objects from a distance. In the story which immediately follows the Saga of Pliocene Exile, "Intervention", Julian May starts calling 'farsensing' ultrasenses. The psychic abilities which most people think of, such as telepathy and clarvoyance, belong to this class of psychic talents. More powerful farsensors can see through kilometers of solid rock, observe bacteria and viruses, and see objects and places light years away.

Redactive: The ability to read and alter the structure of other people's minds. This is most commonly used as a healing faculty e.g. someone with redactive powers may be able to help others through psychological trauma, fix deep-seated mental problems, and even help with physical injuries, posibly through psycho-somatic processes. Another example is to assist latent metapsychics achieve operancy (an extremely difficult process not known to Tanu or Firvulag). It can also be used for darker purposes such as torture or the forced extraction of information. In the related Galactic Melieu persistent criminals would be adjusted with this power. It was the shortest ranged and often the slowest discipline.

Prolepsis: (aka. precognition) An uncommon talent, also known as prescience or foresight. The ability to see aspects of the future. Prescience is the ability to predict the future through vision. ... The study of the future researches the medium-term to long-term future of societies and of the physical world. ...

Each person has a different combination of these powers, and, amongst the Tanu of the Pliocene Epoch, people with similar powers band together in guilds, called the Five [Great] Guilds Mental. Each guild has a guild leader and its own heraldic colours which allow others to instantly recognise the person's foremost metapsychic power. All of the guilds come under the authority of a Tanu noble called the Dean of Guilds. During the Saga of Pliocene Exile novels, this person is the Lady Eadone Sciencemaster (the oldest surviving child of the Tanu King Thagdal).

As of the start of the first novel, "The Many Colored Land", the leaders of the five Tanu guilds mental were as follows:the Coercor Guild was led by the human Sebi-Gomnol. The Creator Guild followed Aluteyn Craftsmaster, while the Farsensor Guild was led by Mayvar Kingmaker. The Psychokinetc Guild followed highly influential Nodonn Battlemaster, and the Redactor Guild was led by peaceful Dionket Lord Healer.

Torcs

There are three kinds of torc made by the Tanu: gold, silver and grey. The original torcs, which all pure-blooded Tanu, as well as the inhabitants of the Daughter Worlds back in the Duat Galaxy, wear are the gold torcs. A gold torc makes a person with latent powers completely operant. A human, Dr. Eusebio Gomez-Nolan, who was given the name Sebi-Gomnol (usually just Gomnol) by the Tanu, invented two other, lesser types of torc, the silver and grey torcs, as well much simplified torc-like devices for controlling the ramapithecine apes which do the drudge work in Tanu society.

Silver Torcs give operancy equal to that of the Gold, but unlike the Gold Torc they also incorporates control circuitry which allows a Gold Torc wearer to compel obedience in the Silver Torc wearer, and allows for punishment or reward of the Silver Torc wearer via so called pleasure-pain circuitry, and act as a means of mentally tracking the wearer - therefore a Silver Torc wearer can never succeed in running away, unless their metaphysical talent is so great it burns out the torc circuitry (see Aiken). Humans with significant latent powers who come through the time-gate are initially given Silver Torcs, which allow the Tanu a degree of control over them until they prove themselves trustworth when they may be gifted with a Gold Torc.

Grey torcs are given to humans with no significant latent metapsychic powers at all, but who have skills which the Tanu consider to be vital or sensitive, e.g. phsysicians, technicians, soldiers/guards. Grey Torcs incorporate the pleasure-pain circuitry found in silver torcs, but they do grant the wearer a much simplified version of Farspeech (no Farseeing or other metapsychic abilities).

Both of the lesser torcs allow for control of the person wearing them by any Gold Torc wearer.

Mythology

There are many parallels between the persons and places of the Saga of the Exiles and Celtic myth and legend. The presumption is that Celtic myth and legend result from the peoples, individuals, and events in this story. The list below is far from exhaustive.

• Tanu, the tall and beautiful exotic race - the Tuatha Dé Danann, mythical gods and kings of Ireland
• Firvulag, the dwarf or goblin-like exotic race - the Fir Bolg, enemies of the Tuatha
• High Vrazel, the royal seat of the Firvulag - Hy-Brasil, a mist-cloaked phantom island off the Irish coast
• Finiah, destroyed by the Lowlives - Finias, one of the cities of the Tuatha
• Thagdal, King of the Tanu - Dagda, King of the Tuatha De Danann
• Nodonn, Battlemaster of the Tanu - Nuada of the Silver Hand
• Yeochee, King of the Firvulag - Eochaid mac Eirc, King of the Fir Bolg
• Pallol, Battlemaster of the Firvulag - Balor of the Evil Eye, a king of the Fomorians
• Morigel, the name given by the Tanu to Felice - Morrigan, goddess associated with war, who also favours the form of a crow or raven

The Tuatha Dé Danann (peoples of the goddess Danu or erroneously tribe of Dan) were the fifth group of inhabitants of Ireland according to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Invasions) tradition. ... In Irish mythology the Fir Bolg (Fir Bholg, Firbolg, men of Builg or men of bags, or possibly men with spears, bolg meaning spear - and let us not forget the modern Irish word bolg belly (originally bag)) were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to... Brazil, also known as Hy-Brazil or several other variants, is a phantom island which features in many Irish Celtic myths. ... The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology. ... This article is about a mythical people of Ireland. ... In Irish mythology, Nuada, Nuadu (later Nuadha, Nuadhu, genitive Nuadat), known by the epithet Airgetlám (Silver Hand/Arm), was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. ... in Irish mythology and pseudohistory, Eochaid , son of Erc, son of Rinnal, of the Fir Bolg became High King of Ireland when he overthrew Foidbgen. ... In Irish mythology the Fir Bolg (Fir Bholg, Firbolg, men of Builg or men of bags, or possibly men with spears, bolg meaning spear - and let us not forget the modern Irish word bolg belly (originally bag)) were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to... In Irish mythology, Balor (Balar, Bolar) of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. ... In Irish mythology, the Fomorians, Fomors, or Fomori (Irish Fomóiri, Fomóraig) were a semi-divine race who inhabited Ireland in ancient times. ... The Mórrígan (Morrígan, Morrigu, Mór-Rhioghain) (great queen or phantom queen), is an Irish goddess of war and destruction. ...

Related

Julian May has written nine books which concern this material.

• The Many Colored Land is the first book in the Saga of Pliocene Exile. It climaxes with the joint and successful Lowlife human-Firvulag attack on the remote but strategically vital Tanu city of Finiah.
• The Golden Torc is the second book of the Saga of Pliocene Exile. Although the idea was eventually discarded, Ms. May had originally envisioned "The Many Colored Land" and "The Golden Torc" as being published as a single, larger book. The first two-thirds of "The Golden Torc" occur at the same time as the events described in "The Many Colored Land".
• The Nonborn King is the third book in the Saga of Pliocene Exile, and it introduces the fascinating character of Marc Remillard, the Angel of the Abyss, the Adversary, or Abaddon, who sought to overthrow the Galactic Milieu and make humanity supreme.
• The Adversary is the fourth and final book in the Saga of Pliocene Exile. A time gate back to the 21st century is opened, the Firvulag nearly beat the Tanu once and for all, and Marc Remillard's original scheme lives on in a slightly different form.
• Intervention (later split into two volumes as The Surveillance and The Metaconcert), published in the late 1980s. They discuss the very first Remillards, Rogi, Don, and Denis, and culminate with humanity contacting the Coadunate Galactic Milieu.
• The final three books - Jack the Bodiless, Diamond Mask, and Magnificat - are what May calls "the Galactic Milieu Trilogy". They discuss Marc Remillard's Metapsychic Rebellion. Although these three novels were published in the early to mid-1990s, the fact that Ms. May so extensively researches and outlines her stories suggests that parts of these three novels had been written in the late 1970s or early 1980s, when the four Saga of Pliocene Exile novels were being written. The three Galactic Milieu novels close the circle, and bring the end back to the beginning.
• May also "wrote" a tenth book, which was first published in the mid- to late-1980s, called A Pliocene Companion, from which much of the information above is taken. A Pliocene Companion is essentially a glossary/ gazetteer for the four novels of the Pliocene Exile which Ms. May compiled to help her write those four books. (May, Julian. A Pliocene Companion: A Guide To The Saga Of Pliocene Exile. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, USA. 1984.)