Features of the Covenantum Universe

14 min readDec 30, 2021

In this article we will talk about the key features of the Covenantum setting and how the biopunk genre is envisioned in it.

What is biopunk

Before talking about the Covenantum universe, it is worth recalling the distinctive features of the biopunk genre and the outstanding works in it, so that our dear reader has a broader understanding of the matter at hand.

Biopunk is a subgenre in science fiction. It is often assumed that classic biopunk is a kind of offshoot of cyberpunk and inherits the traits of its parent. It is also believed that the genre’s formation began in literature and, oddly enough, in comic books.

Among the most famous literary works in the biopunk genre are the short story collection Ribofunk (1996) by Paul Di Filippo and the novel The Windup Girl (2009) by Paolo Bacigalupi. Before these books there was the iconic manga Guyver (1991), where biotechnology and DNA alteration are central to the narrative. That being said, you could call Japan the birthplace of biopunk if not for Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965), but more on that later.

Biopunk incorporates many characteristics of its parent. The cyberpunk and biopunk genres are almost always futuristic dystopias or describe a dystopian future where human freedom is suppressed by corporations. Like cyberpunk, the fantastical phenomena in biopunk are initially of scientific origin and depict a world overflowing with incredible technology. However, the main connecting link is the prefix “punk”.

The “punk” in the name of both genres implies that in the described fictional world there must be some group or characters who rebel against the globalism of technological corporations or the totalitarian state. Cyberpunks are fighters against the all-consuming power of corporations or anarchist factions resisting progress.

Assuming that biopunk continues the ideas of cyberpunk, then works in the biopunk genre should also include these kinds of characters who wage invisible struggles against corporations and the oppression of technological progress. In this case it may seem that the difference between cyberpunk and biopunk is insignificant. However, there are specific traits that significantly distinguish these genres.

Works in the cyberpunk genre often focus on how cybernetics, virtual reality, cyborgization and artificial intelligence can affect humans and society. Cyberpunk explores questions of transhumanism and the nature of the mind and depicts a world where giant international corporations dominate people, and the state is mired in corruption.

Biopunk does not exclude these features but builds upon them extending the ideas of cyberpunk and creating a new picture of the future of human civilization. Biopunk works often offer an alternative aesthetic, showing various devices of biological rather than man-made origin.

Works in the biopunk genre often focus on the idea of unlocking the inner potential of humans through the DNA manipulation and genetic engineering. Among the most prominent themes are the physical immortality of humans, the use of cloning technology, the creation of new biological life, and how such interventions into nature can change human consciousness and the course of civilization.

Gattaca (1997). Directed by Andrew Niccol.

Many such ideas were explored in the film Gattaca (1997). This film is one of the few successful films that can be classified as classic biopunk. The film is primarily considered a dystopia. According to the plot, society is divided into upper and lower castes according to the biological principle. The main character desperately fights against this system to get out of the lower caste.

The ideas of “Gattaca” and at the same time the classic ideas of biopunk are also embodied in the film “Vesper” (2022). If you’ve been looking for a simple and straightforward way to experience this genre, we at the Covenantum Project can highly recommend seeing this film. Despite its modest budget, the film is an outstanding work in the biopunk genre.

Vesper (2022). Directed by Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper.

Biopunk does not ignore space opera motifs and does not neglect the idea of going beyond Earth. In Guyver’s world, biological technology has extraterrestrial origins. And the movie Gattaca is named after the planet to which the plot sends the best of humanity to build a new world. Another addition to this list is the Prophet (2012) series of graphic novels, which has the characteristics of the biopunk genre but also has the features of the space opera.

However, there is also an alternative take on the biopunk genre, which strays even further from the original source, basically severing the connection with cyberpunk and even with cosmic motifs. Several films and games have contributed greatly to this rupture, where biological aesthetics have been used in the context of demonstrating physiological and psychological torment.

David Cronenberg made a tremendous contribution to the genre. He directed the psychological thriller Existenz (1999). The film describes a not-so-distant future where humans began to use biological technology. He would then, 20 years later, direct Crimes of the Future (2022), showing a dystopian future world where people have changed their biology with the help of genetic engineering.

eXistenZ (1991). Directed by David Cronenberg

Through Cronenberg’s work, the biopunk genre has become strongly associated with body horror. In his films, Cronenberg demonstrated various biological technologies, coupling them with frightening and repulsive images. Thus, biopunk began to be associated with physiological and psychological torment and with the body horror genre.

Of course, the genre is also represented in the world of computer and video games. It can be said that the game industry took over the torch of experimenting with the biopunk genre from literature and cinema and breathed new life into it. Comment end

Among the most outstanding games in the biopunk genre is the Bioshock series (2007–2013). The games in the series incorporated the ideas of many iconic dystopias, while also introducing players to an incredible retro-futuristic world. Bioshock games are focusing players’ attention on the idea of human genetic modification, as well as illustrating the possible dire consequences of such aspirations.

Much later, continuing the tradition of first-person shooters, the game Scorn (2023) was released. The fantastic phenomena in the game are of biological origin, so it can be attributed to the biopunk genre.

The biological aesthetics in Scorn, however, is used to display gruesome imagery, so it leans more toward the body horror genre. The game heavily relies on the visual ideas of artist Hans Ruedy Giger, reigniting the audience’s interest in the style of biomechanics.

Is Dune biopunk?

The universe of Dune (1965) can be called the most interesting example of the biopunk genre. For most readers this information may be a revelation, but come to think about it, the Dune universe is, in a sense, a biopunk universe.

At the time when the first novel in the Dune universe was created, the word biopunk did not even exist, because neither did cyberpunk. Cyberpunk as a genre would appear later than Dune in the 1980s in the books of William Gibson but didn’t get its name as a genre until 1983.

What does that mean, you say? If Dune is biopunk, are you saying that biopunk came before cyberpunk? And only after cyberpunk did biopunk get its name?! Perhaps. But let’s leave that thought to conspiracy theorists and focus on the Dune universe.

*Dune is probably the first media franchise to extensively feature elements of the biopunk genre.*

A common aspect of a biopunk setting is that it is always predated in the first place by the emergence of some high-tech civilization. In a sense, for biopunk to exist in a setting, cyberpunk or at least space opera must happen first. That’s exactly what happened in the Dune universe.

Some people may not know this, but the events of the original Dune have a long backstory. In the world of Dune, humans were able to achieve the pinnacle of technological development. They were able to create artificial intelligence and robots that served the human space civilization. However, the artificial intelligence got out of control and a war broke out between humans and machines. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

The humans in the Dune universe managed to prevail over their own creations at the cost of great sacrifice. To prevent the catastrophe from happening again, they abandoned the use of computers, artificial intelligence, and the robotization of their bodies. Instead, they began to enhance their own intellectual abilities and bodies, which was made possible by the Spice.

Spice, discovered on the planet of Arrakis, allowed humans to expand their consciousness by enhancing their physiological and intellectual abilities, as well as discovering the gift of foresight and allowing them to travel great distances in space. Most importantly, humans created the Guild Navigators to travel through space.

In the Dune universe, the Guild Navigators are people who have undergone intense artificial evolution through exposure to massive amounts of spice. As a result of the mutation, they have gained the unique ability to anticipate the future, which has allowed them to successfully calculate the course of Heighliner ships during interstellar travel.

Many fantastical phenomena in the Dune universe center around spice and how it affects people’s bodies and abilities. This, however, only indirectly qualifies the works of this universe as biopunk. Many will say that Dune remains primarily a space opera. But there’s another argument to be made!

As we have already found out, classic biopunk assumes that the plot must include some kind of anarchist faction fighting against the power of the higher ruling systems. In the Dune universe such an anarchist group is the Fremen.

The Fremen fight desperately against the oppression of the offworld empire and defend their right to freedom. At the same time, they actively use Spice, which alters the capabilities of their bodies. Just like true biopunks, don’t you think?

Biopunk in the Covenantum Universe

In creating Covenantum, we decided to inherit and combine many of the themes from the works listed in this article. The ideas from these works have a pivotal role in the narrative of the Covenantum comic universe.

In the Covenantum Universe the viewer will find a variety of bizarre biotechnologies, hallmarks of postapocalypse and cyberpunk. We have an eye for visuals, so in a way, we continue the tradition of Japanese manga artists who created Akira and Guyver.

In the Covenantum comic universe, familiar things become unusual in appearance.

Our work is intended to highlight biopunk as a genre in its own right. Such a task requires the establishment of a largescale media franchise, which is why we are creating not only comics, but a full-fledged futuristic universe as inspiring as the Dune universe.

However, we decided not to include a psychological thriller and horror narrative in the story formula on purpose. The Covenantum Universe is designed to be appealing to a wide range of individuals and ages. Therefore, we are not trying to scare the audience. On the contrary, we create adventure stories that focus on giving the reader a vivid, emotional and inspiring adventure.

The World of Essence

The events of the Covenantum Universe unfold in the vast world called Essence, a world where incredible biotechnology coexists with primitive cruelty and religious cults.

Essence was once a civilization, but all that is left of its former glory are the ruins of a destructive war that took place long ago. Essence is now filled with destructive technogenic anomalies, sandstorms, earthquakes and floods, as well as dangerous creatures and mutants.

Essence is home to many fantastic creatures and races. Comic book sample page.

Despite the dangers of the land of Essence, it is home to numerous intelligent peoples. The peoples of Essence have built a civilization independent of the technologies of the past, but one far from stability and order.

The inhabitants of Essence commonly use devices, weapons, and armor that are created in biological incubators. A reader of the Covenantum comic universe would certainly recognize these fantastical apparatuses as biotechnologies. However, the inhabitants of Essence perceive them not as technology, but as part of their environment, and do not think about their origins.

Covenants

Many inhabitants of Essence are grouped into covenants — factions that according to legend were founded by the powerful and mysterious Great Ancestors. Every covenant is comprised of several fantastic races that have unique abilities and distinctive cultures and morals.

The backbone of the beliefs of all covenants is, in one way or another, based on the stories of the Great Ancestors. Followers of some covenants believe that the Great Ancestors created the world and left it, while others believe that the Great Ancestors are still present in Essence. Either way, the Great Ancestors are sung in legends: their deeds are commonly worshiped or alternatively hated as a monstrous fate.

A female of the Astigmian people. Concept Art.

Males of the Astigmian people of different species. Concept art

The history of Essence and its peoples has many milestones and spans thousands and thousands of years. Only a chosen few covenant followers, the custodians, possess the knowledge of Essence’s bygone days, when the first great covenants were founded.

It is believed that the custodians were once admitted to the knowledge of the creation of the world and wielded the supreme power in the covenants, as heralds of the will of the Great Ancestors. But now many covenants have lost their custodians.

According to the legends, the Great Ancestors began a war against each other, which would later be called the War of the Covenants. Many of the custodians died in this war, fulfilling their sacred duty as protectors of the covenants. Deprived of the custodians support, the covenants began to deteriorate, and their followers lost all understanding of their origins.

Crucibles

Essence is full of sinister mysteries, and the most unfathomable of them all is the mystery of the crucibles’ creation. The crucibles are technogenic citadels of unimaginable size, located on every continent of Essence.

The crucibles were erected long before the founding of the covenants. They are evidence of another highly advanced civilization that once ruled over Essence. It is likely that the very rise of a civilization of the past was made possible by the crucibles.

Battle in the chambers of a crucible. A snippet from the comic book’s sample page.

Legends say that the entire world was created within the crucibles, thus they are the object of worship and study for many covenant followers. However, many of the crucibles had been destroyed and became a den for dangerous monsters and mutants, posing a deadly threat to all who dare enter their chambers.

The crucibles harbor great dangers, but they can also hold the rewards of unexpected discoveries. Within the crucibles lies hidden technology from the past that is rumored to grant unprecedented power. Those brave enough to venture into the crucibles are called stalkers in Essence — hunters for the gifts of the Great Ancestors.

Theumalistia

Theumalistia is a generalized name for all the fantastic abilities possessed by the inhabitants of Essence. Theumalistia is commonly used to control biological incubators, proximum bio-armor, and other biotechnology possessed by covenants.

Beings endowed with the ability to theumalistia have a great deal to do with the covenants’ entire lives. Intelligent beings with that ability are called theumalists. However, not all covenant followers possess theumalist abilities. Those who do not develop such abilities are called resistants.

*An Astigmian uses combat theumalistia.*

Theumalistia is a way of influencing an object by sending wave-like energetic impulses, using a kind of biofield. The external manifestation of theumalistia is usually called sheen.

There are two kinds of theumalistia: it can be destructive, and it can be non-destructive (creative). The catalyst for theumalistia is the mere desire of theumalist, that is, theumalistia is activated and controlled by an effort of thought.

Theumalistia depletes the theumalist’s body, especially the destructive one. Frequent use of theumalistia can lead to the theumalist not being able to perform it at all. The only way to regain the ability to create theumalistia is to consume pneuma.

Proximum Bio-Armor

The main survival tool of the inhabitants of Essence is proximum or proxy armor, which replaces both the wearer’s clothing and armor. The longer the wearer wears the proxy armor, the more durable it becomes, and the greater its qualities.

Proxy armor enhances the wearer’s physical and other abilities, but its use comes at a high cost to the wearer: to grow, proxy armor must enter into symbiosis with the wearer, which becomes inseparable and everlasting over time.

Symbiosis with the proximum is impossible if the host has not developed theumalist abilities or is incapable of doing so from birth. It is theumalistia that allows the inhabitants of Essence to control the biological functions of the proxy armor and develop its capabilities.

*Astigmian in proxy armor. Concept Art.*

The growth of the proximum begins from the plexus. A plexus is a living creature that is usually placed on the wearer’s solar plexus. The plexus releases spretoses, which then implant themselves into the host’s body. This implantation of the spretoses is what makes the symbiosis possible.

The soft tissues of the proximum armor are called fibroflesh. The fibroflesh is controlled by the theumalist with an effort of thought. The theumalist can shrink the fibroflesh, thus revealing or covering his or her body.

In order for the armor to function and develop, the wearer must consume pneuma. If the wearer does not ingest pneuma, the suit can begin to consume its host, which can end in madness or death for the wearer.

Pneuma

Every day in Essence is a battle for life and for vital pneuma. Pneuma is a biological substance that is both the fuel for covenant technologies and the source of sustenance for all the inhabitants of Essence.

Covenant followers worship pneuma, but it is also a major source of suffering and deprivation due to its constant scarcity. Pneuma can only be obtained by recycling biological objects, and special incubators are required for its fermentation.

Cubir is a portable protobior that is used to create pneuma. Protobiors are living artificially created creatures, yet they have no brain and, as a consequence, no psyche.

The lives of covenant followers are built around extracting and preserving pneuma. Pneuma and the means of its extraction are the main value of the covenants and the main cause of conflict between their followers. The history of Essence has seen times when one covenant has gone to war with another to seize not only the lands but also the means of extracting pneuma.

Each covenant has the art of controlling one or more sources of pneuma. Pneuma is divided into different sources, which have different properties. Thus the pneuma from one source, consumed by one nation, can be a deadly poison to another.

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