It took the last traces of Homo sapiens 10,000 desperate years to reach the semi-oxygenated rock orbiting Proxima Centauri. Widely known as a cosy bothy among the stars, it was a place where stellar ramblers in all their multitudes could pause and rest as they meandered the lightyears. They came in so many forms it took the humans a couple of decades to realize they weren't alone.
One of the Earthmen is known as the noble Don Rumata, who lets his subjects and rivals believe he's descended from a local pagan god, but his higher learning and outsider status still makes him a target for persecution.