Emperor, Swords, Pentacles

The young and beloved Emperor Spinel-alpha of the planet Qsaprinel has been taken captive by the allies of his jealous twin brother, whose deformities of birth have left him jealous and scheming for the throne. The Emperor and all his subjects are large crustaceans of a philosophical bent, and there is more to the situation than meets the Emperor's compound eye. A conspiracy revolving around an enigmatic enzyme found in the bodies of the Qsaprinli and the rumors of an illegal human colony hidden somewhere on the world's single continent has entangled the planet; on the Emperor's request, it falls to Dun Kinnear, Sector Co-ordinator and class-two ESP and Khreng and Prandra's daughter Emerald and her lover Raanung, to untangle the mystery and defend Qsaprinel from its attackers.