Arachi's Heliarch - TheGiraffe3/Endless-Sky-Creators-Handbook GitHub Wiki
Original text by Arachi, AKA fgnt
Navigation
RANKS
CHARACTERS
RANKS
Cadet
The starting rank for those who join in via Belug's Plunge Academy of Cadets, and the lowest rank. These are the baseline soldiers/crew, pretty much, and aren't allowed to fly ships of their own, with the exception of the Heliarch Fighters, for those who show promise in dogfighting simulations.
Agent
Right above Cadet, this is the rank that most interacts with the general public, as Agents are the main ones sent all over the Coalition to act as mediators and interpreters. They are allowed to fly ships, but cannot own ships; they only fly those granted to them for specific assignments, and only when instructed to do so by a superior.
Nearly all of the athletes pulled from the Coalition Games remain at this rank, as they server more as propaganda than anything else, and aren't expected to perform activities that would earn them a promotion. It is the rank that most of the "Heliarch candidates" from the jobs are trying to gain.
Magister
The first "commander" rank. They can own ships of their own, though Punisher requests require a case-by-case evaluation by higher ranks. They usually command small fleets within a system, but may command medium-sized fleets too if granted the power by a higher-up, or in situations that demand them to. It is the highest rank one can enter the Heliarchy as, although such cases are rare, requiring extraordinary contributions; when it did occur, it usually was offered by a higher rank, as an incentive in the recruitment process.
They oversee cities or regions with many small settlements, reporting to the local Tribune. Magisters can promote others up to the rank of Agent.
Tribune
The lowest rank of the upper echelon. They are allowed to buy Punishers without the need to consult first, and are granted access to many restricted areas of the rings. They may command medium to large fleets in a system.
They oversee a "state" of a "country," reporting to the Arbiter responsible for said "country". Tribunes can promote others up to the rank of Magister.
Arbiter
The admiral/general equivalent for the military, senator/governor equivalent for the government, NASA/Silicon Valley equivalent for research. They have access to almost all of the rings, may propose actions for the council, and participate in many council gatherings. They command many large fleets across multiple systems. In times of crisis, Arbiters may go against decisions of consuls.
They oversee a "country" of a planet, and the arbiters of each planet vote as a committee to pass the stance of that planet to the Consuls. Arbiters can individually promote others up to the rank of Tribune, but multiple Arbiters can vote on promoting a Tribune to Arbiter.
Consul
The highest rank. They have unrestricted access to all facilities. Their council is what governs the Coalition, and they gather to discuss and vote on important government/military/research matters.
They are the only ones to know of the existence and location of the Fortress, where the Jump Drives are kept, and of the Punisher Division. There is an equal number of Consuls of each species.
They vote on major decisions regarding all the Coalition. They also vote to decide on who to promote to Consul. New Consuls are only admitted in groups of three (one of each species). If a Consul dies, an Arbiter of the same species is elevated to the rank of Consul to replace them.
THE DIVISION
This is the group alluded to in the Punisher's description:
Rumors say that the Heliarchs have a small stash of stolen Quarg Skylances that they can outfit the Punishers with in times of war.
It consists of only Punishers, equipped with, as said, Skylances, but also Quarg generators, shielding, and whatever outfit they have once they are expanded that I can fit on a Punisher. It is the most elite force in the Coalition, under care and command of the Arach Royal House, with the King as its commander.
My current number for them would be around 100 Punishers. This would also reflect the total number of JDs the Heliarchs have, as these Punishers are also equipped with JDs. That's not to say all their Jump Drives are on these ships, they have some lying around elsewhere, but most are in use by this fleet.
"The Division" comes from me thinking that "Dragonheart Division" would be a cool name for them, the reasoning being that the Quarg ships are "dragons," and given they've taken their generators (among other outfits), the "hearts" of Quarg ships, Dragonheart. "Dragonheart" is also a gladiator name you can choose in Oblivion, and is the one I chose when playing, that plays a part in me wanting this for the name, hope that's not just me wanting to do a reference and the name fits them enough. If it doesn't, another option would be "Dragonhunt Division" as they are designed specifically to fight Quarg ships, the "dragon" ships. Some better name might come along eventually, of course.
These ships would use a different swizzle, red instead of the usual Navy colors the Heliarchs use (red is also the color on their badge), and their naming scheme would also be different from regular Heliarch ships, going for more aggressive, offensive names, instead of the Heliarchs' usual defense-themed names. Examples of such names are "Avenging Harbinger" and "Silent Executioner."
CHARACTERS
Consul Aulori
An only child, living his younger years on his parents' small farm, on Warm Slope in the Steep Roof system. He was sent to live with his grandfather on Shadow of Leaves when he was growing into a teen, to study there and try for a better life. He stayed there throughout his early adult years too, graduating from Starlit University, and joining the Heliarchy's science divisions shortly after.
Climbing the ranks quickly as he made much progress in exploring the sections of Ring of Wisdom that resisted further advances, he came to be the youngest Saryd in history to obtain the rank of Consul. His main points of research being the Quarg and the ringworlds, he's published a great deal of books on the need to prepare for a Quarg attack, and the dangers that the animosity of a group like the Quarg entails.
Keeping to his upbringing by his parents and grandfather, he's a religious Saryd, who's grown increasingly worried over the years, having paid more attention to the historical warning of the Archons about the rings, and the Quarg, than most of his contemporary colleagues. In his early days as a Consul, still young by Saryd standards, he rebuked the claims of other, more experienced consuls, claims of the Quarg having given up the fight, and claims that they were safe.
Ceaselessly citing endless sources and questioning if the consul in question had bothered reading in their years, his voice from then on often became the only one in the room during many meetings, chastising others for not taking the Quarg as seriously as he did. As result, many consuls he spoke against were made to step down, and with newer generations of consuls having climbed the ranks as they read up on the material he had written, it became something of a taboo to oppose him in such matters.
By the time the player arrives in the Coalition, Aulori is old, though still very healthy, and sports at all times jewelry containing four gemstones: his parents, his grandfather, and one more. A lover, or a child, those who know who the fourth gem was don't talk about it, and newcomers dare not ask, for that person's passing turned the Consul bitter, and his methods more drastic.
Consul Iekie
Born on Ki Patek Ka, the Kimek capital, she's been immersed in heavy Heliarch propaganda her whole life, and was one among the endless thousands recruited in her early years. Gradually rising the ranks, she's been involved in matters more related to the government and its stability, organizing effective teams to investigate suspicious activity and being tasked with rooting out Lunarium members when she was promoted to Consul.
She sends for capture-or-kill orders on groups either found to be involved, or those suspected to be involved but which may pose a risk if left alone for any longer. Though initially opposed to doing that, like how others before her did, and recognizing that in acting drastically like that they're undoubtedly seizing or even killing civilians who had nothing to do with the Lunarium, she's found it necessary to take drastic, rushed measures, because of how, over time, the previous, more cautious methods, began to find less and less Lunarium members when the troops were sent to seize them.
Imagining that word of her work was getting out to the rebel group, she found it a necessary evil to risk civilians if it meant a better chance of catching any Lunarium members. She also organizes for the transport of the captured prisoners to secret Heliarch facilities, be they laboratories or work camps, or simple makeshift cities to hide away the populace.
Consul Plortub
First joined as a cadet on Belug's academy, Plortub has climbed the ranks gradually as he grew more experienced and capable of managing larger fleets, having been made consul relatively recently. A military spider through and through, he's barely interacted with teams more focused on research and development, though he's aware of Aulori's reputation. More used to working with those tending to the government matters, he's taken some tasks from Iekie, she being one of the consuls who put him on alert for Lunarium activity.
He's not thrilled by the thought of fighting Coalition civilians, even if he's informed they're criminals, but he follows along with his duty. Once real trouble (read: the kick-off battles to the campaign) starts, however, he becomes more than willing to put his all into stopping the Heliarchs' enemies, growing much more assertive and independent in his actions, even making demands and attempts at ordering around other consuls when the Quarg come in.
Growing up in Arach space, he, like many, feared the "Bloody Quarg" tales, and in the highest level of command of the Heliarch navy, he's been provided all their intel and estimates on Quarg forces and comparisons between current Heliarch ships and the Quarg's own. The information he's received has only confirmed the childhood fears, of a force hopelessly mightier than his own.
Magister Lotuora
A lower-ranking commander, Lotuora is a figure in the Heliarch navy much more involved in the fleets' various tasks, going on patrols herself every so often. She's mostly dealt with training sequences and drills, practicing for if actual battle happens, though at times she instructed to help with raids against the Lunarium. She doesn't give much thought to whether she's in the right in such times, trusting that her superiors were right to give the order.
She's oddly cheerful for a Saryd, often trying to brighten the mood of troops and others she works with with some type of joke, which just as often fail to get much of an audible reaction. Having risen the ranks via the standard hierarchy ladder from Belug's Plunge academy, she's got some colleagues of her old cadet class working under her, and is a popular captain among the troops due to her less strict attitude. She's still young by Saryd standards, and would like to have kids some day.
Arach King Kuluteb
The commander of the elite Punisher division, the Arach King is rarely seen on where he's officially seated, Ahr, instead spending almost all his time in the hidden base on the system's outermost moon, Kuluteb's Fortress. The moon is not named after him, but a previous Kuluteb, who first agreed to this pact with the Heliarchs, to oversee the Punisher division, training of the elite members sent there, and maintainance of the Quarg equipment and weaponry.
His vision, and the way he instructs the division's troops, is that they are the best, and possibly only, line of defense, seeing as they perceive the Arach-human border as the route the Quarg would take in invading the Coalition in a revenge war (this being the reason the Heliarchs chose a strong position in Arach space to house the Punisher fleet). In his stead, the rest of the royal family control Ahr's Heliarch agents, holding something of an army of their own in the Arach capital.
Though Kuluteb is not officially a Heliarch, and is supposed to follow the orders of the Consuls above all else, as per the old deal his predecessors made long ago, he's been repeatedly contacted by prominent Heliarch Consuls, such as Aulori and Plortub, and instructed to act out his own plans in the event of a Quarg invasion, in case the consuls' will fails in face of a great force, or in case of capture.