The Eternal Dawn

The Eternal Dawn
System Info
World Name: Rebirth Map ID: White 25 Surface Gravity: 11.3 m/s2 Climate: Tropical Atmosphere: Nitrogen/Hydrogen/Methane/Carbon Monoxide, 81 kPa
Population:  44.0 million Population Breakdown: 100% augmented Capital: Conception Type of Power: Magnate Continuum
Infrastructure
Domestic Support: High Wealth: 500 + 264 (764) CIP: 700 + 308 (1008) PIP: 600 + 352 (952) Delta Dust: 0 Delta Dust Logistics:

History

Alshain's refugees fled to More to create their own society there. However, drastic differences in beliefs and sociology meant that integration with the managed society of More would be unlikely at best and violent at worst. Instead, they put their lot in with the growing "war faction" between Delten and More, offering their services, experience fighting bloody urban battles, and transgenic R&D capability for the cause.

And most importantly, they offered their arkship.

Gimlet and the Invasion

The colony of Gimlet had been created from a "failed" Longshot, a colony eking out a small safe zone in the middle of a hell-forest, where the predators and biotoxins were no less dangerous than the environments of many hell worlds. In fact, many would have said more dangerous, since radiation is predictable, but a tiger-sized octopod with serrated poison blades, 360 degree multispectral vision, and multiple redundant organs isn't, not in attacking, in territory, or in even dying when shot repeatedly. Even with advanced technology, battlesuits, and armored vehicles casualties were not unexpected as they tried clearing the brush. On the other hand, it created a very hardened group of colonists.

It was rather insufficient when the attacking force screamed through their meager ground-to-orbit defenses, depositing flash-cloned soldiers trained by accelerated VR and mind-imprint, as well as hardened veterans of the Adharan Schism onto major population centers. Despite that, the Gimlet colonists, used to a hard life and a bloody conflict, fought back quite well, but they were outmatched, technologically as well as training-wise. The survivors were forcibly assimilated, enhanced and loyalty-boosted to serve under their new overlords. However, the invaders were not precisely cruel-those who were loyalty-boosted were allowed to become fully serving citizens in the new world order, the Undying Dawn.

The then-Adharans found themselves in control of a world that fitted their ideological preferences-a world where to be king, every man had to be grossly superhuman. The predators there were fast, tough, cunning, often worked in packs, and devastating. The atmosphere was poison, the water tainted. It lacked an ozone layer. It might have been more beautiful than Adhara, but the planet still had plenty of teeth.

And that was exactly how the invaders liked it. A planet that would challenge them, test their bodies to the limit, force them to build better ones.

The Eternal Dawn

The sect chose a new name instead of "Omaran", a name that would hopefully reflect their devotion to the path of continual cybernetic enhancement. Their inspiration came from the vessel that was supposed to be Adhara's first outward light, its salvation during the Breakdown. They would have their salvation-one day.

The Eternal Dawn was born on the planet, which they rapidly renamed Rebirth. The Dawnies ventured out into the forests, sometimes to hunt, other times to be hunted. They built and expanded, landing the New Dawn on the planet, allowing the vessel to grow into its new capital city.

Rebirth

The fauna on Rebirth is unlikely to be naturally occurring-many of its adaptations are exceedingly complex, and most of the animals lack legacy code that would imply natural evolution. Even though the higher radiation levels from the blue sun and the lack of an ozone layer and weaker magnetic field make the radiation levels higher and evolution quicker, it's doubtful that something as hostile like this could be natural. It might have been precursors, or an unknown xenosophont, or something altogether more obscure, but most have accepted that Rebirth's fauna is engineered.

Occasionally, a very few scientists are allowed temporary passports to study the fauna and flora of Rebirth. This, outside of a small trickle of exhumans, is the primary reason anyone travels to Rebirth.

History Paths

A1) Initial Colonization

Longshot Colony (+100 Fabers): The New Dawn was essentially a militarized longshot vessel and during its long flight was further militarized by its own fabricators.

A2) Initial Population

Dominantly Transgene (+40 Transgene): They were Adharans after all, with many of the same genetic boosts.

A3) Destination

Hell World: Rebirth is the worst kind of hell world-one that looks habitable at first glance and then you realize just how horrible it is.

Adapt (Radical Morphological Change): On the other hand, The Eternal Dawn love horrible.

Au Naturel (+100 CIP, +15 SP, -250 Dust): Gimlet was not precursor-touched.

B1) History of the Colony (Volume 1)

Military Action (+2,500 Military): The inhabitants of the New Dawn prepared their invasion in secret, using fabricators and brain-imprints to create a newly minted army.

Miner Beatdown (+100 CIP, +2 SP): Against the relatively unprepared inhabitants of Gimlet, expecting nothing to invade a planet this hostile with little worth looking for, expecting nothing to disturb them during the Breakdown, this was quite sufficient.

C1) History of the Colony (Volume 2)

Transgene Migration Invasion (+20 Transgene, +60 Population, +1 SP): Oh my god Adharans in the trees Adharans in the trees

D1) Breakdown

I'm a Magnate (+Morale, +20 SP): Technically all of the above happened during the breakdown but let's leave that out for a bit. When they found out who their neighbors were, they finally found people with similar ideals. Sure some of them were a bit secular, but agreement was easy.

Perfected Society (+60 Pop, +100 CIP, +Doctrines, +20 Transgene): Free from the constraints of the secularists and moderates, the "Dawnies" as the Sphere would soon know them started stealing xenobiology and implementing it in their own citizens.

M1) Socio-Economic

Exhumanize! (+50 Transgene, +++Supersoldiers): The Adharans and the Eternal Dawn practically invented the Exhumanist philosophy.

M2) Socio-Military

Series VII Replicants (++Ground Tech, ++Ground doctrines, +supersoldiers): The Adharan contribution to the war was primarily the Series VII Combat Morph, a grossly superhuman fusion of xenobiology, cybernetic skeleton, and superhuman brain, trained by brain-induction and flash-cloned. Although the early variants had some troubles with lateral thinking and could be easily entrapped or ambushed, the later ones did not, as many League and ZOCU fighters found out to their dismay.

L1) Government

Future Government (++Morale, +Transgene): The Loyalty Chip is a beautiful invention-everyone knows the laws, knows they support the government, and knows their role in the order that god wills. Free will is an illusion, after all. Why not take your blinders away and show you the truth?

X) Chaotic

Development Hell (+2 Global Techlevel, -Tech): You know that little "Building God" project? Yeah, it's currently scheduled to be released in a twin-pack with Duke Nukem Forever. On the other hand, some of that interim research is pretty nice.

X1) Covert

Particpatory Panopticon (+++++Security, +50 Wealth, +100% secret project cost): Yes yes, sneak into the place where everything is ID-chip locked without an ID-chip. You might be able to make it as far as the restroom before being caught.

Magnate: +Ground Tech, +Aerospace Tech, +5 Shipbuilding, +Cruiser Construction, +Armor Tech, +Railgun Tech

Path Bonuses

(Does not include base tech)
+100 Fabers, +150 Transgene, ++++Supersoldiers, +2 Global Techlevel, ++Ground Tech, +++Morale, ++Ground Doctrines, +Doctrines, +100 PIP, +200 CIP, +50 Wealth, +120 Pop, +2500 Military, +++++Security, +100% Secret Project Cost, -Tech, -250 Dust, Radical Morphological Change

-Tech used to remove +Aerospace Tech (planning to buy +Mecha Tech with SP)

+38 SP (23/38 used)

+20 Transgene (-8 SP)

20 Population (-4 SP)

+2 transgenic tech level (-1 SP)

100 Application Points (-10 SP)

Technical Advancement

General Tech Level: 18

Railguns +4 (22)

Materials +4 (22)

Transgenics +34 (52)

Ground +7 (25)

Xenotech +14 (32)

Collarize +14 (32)

Sociology

Eternal Dawn Slang

Government and Economics

The Eternal Dawn are a mixed mode-economy theocratic republic with socialistic leanings. The Dawn are led by a council of 36 men and women calling themselves Demiurges.

Demiurges are selected by a series of mental trials as well as popular support-the former is intended to show that they are qualified to rule, and the latter shows that their philosophies and ideals are supported by the masses. Although not perfect, the method of election used is adequate enough to secure competent and popular leadership, and the further required cognition augmentation of Demiurges ensures that they can avoid some of the pitfalls common to other governments. For the Dawn, the challenge is ensuring that their positively archaic-seeming republic works on the level of the Magnate social experiments.

As the Dawn is an augmented republic, there are political parties. The most important pair are the Highers and Advancers, who are primarily differentiated by their beliefs in augmentation aesthetics.

Panopticon

The Eternal Dawn have everyone willingly hooked up to a constant data network, which records their movements, transactions, and more or less all security-relevant data. This renders non white-collar crime near-nonexistent in the Dawn, as well as rendering its facilities and civilian populace highly secure. Despite popular culture images of the Magnates being dim gray dystopias, Rebirth is on the surface no less lively than any other world.

As far as Magnate experiments go, the Dawn's one alteration from most space is the near total lack of privacy, taking the panopticon somewhat further and making it impossible to opt out.

Economy

The Eternal Dawn use a controlled market economy as is semi-standard across many Sphere worlds, providing all citizens with the basics for living (food, water, education, and living space) and rations for limited amounts of items such as entertainment. In theory, it is possible to live without working a single day in one's lifetime, but heavy socialization and indoctrination against this prevent significant amounts of malingerers.

Money in the Dawn can be earned by most jobs and used to purchase amenities such as entertainment, living quarters larger and more lavish than the government-guaranteed barracks, decorations, and so forth. The government pays and employs polity-critical employees, however- employees in manufacturing, education, research, and military service are all Dawn-backed and government-employed. Dawn mercenary units are merely units which have command approval to work for causes the government deems acceptable in exchange for renumeration.

Style and Architecture

The Dawn's cities are generally built beautiful-it is a point of pride to many architects among the Dawn to build beautiful, as they are after all, creating utopia. There are no rectangles of concrete and polymer windows on Rebirth, and all architecture is designed for aesthetic appeal. Most popular styles emulate Renaissance or Medieval architecture although there are styles from all over the globe and through most timelines, but obviously with significantly higher technical advancement. The timeless nature of the Pancreator, who exists in all times simultaneously due to its acausal nature, is what the Dawn seeks to emulate, by blending modern technologies with ancient style.

Similarly, clothing on Rebirth follows similar norms, blending smart cloth and active materials with styles not out of place in the Renaissance or early Industrial Revolution for the most part.

Eternal Dawn Augmentation

"You are only minimally modified. We can help you correct this." -Abraham Watts, Advancer cybersurgeon

The path of the faithful of the Eternal Dawn is marked with continuous cybernetic enhancement, but there are generally two approaches to this. There are those who, out of vanity, personal reasons, or for any of a hundred other rationales, preferred to look outwardly human, replacing and rebuilding internal organs, skeletal structures, and other components to improve ability. There are also those who preferred extensive, obvious cybernetic modification, replacing entire limbs with smart-alloy metal and myomer musculature.

There are sufficient amounts of both parties in control of the interpretation of the holy texts that both paths have been considered acceptable-as long as one continually modifies oneself on the road to improvement, instead of staying back and accepting stagnation, any means were necessary. Eternal Dawn cities are extremely cosmopolitan, almost as if they were out of a space opera, as the alien-looking exhumans who wholeheartedly embrace the cult of augmentation mix and mingle with the majority, who eschew significant enhancement for a slow process of optimization and convenience-based implants, whether biotech or nanotech or cybernetic.

The doctrine of the main Imminent Eschaton is built around the gradual but extensive improvement of the inward body and the outward human appearance remaining-those who seek it understand that man (and the exhuman) were built in the image of the Pancreator, the godlike artificial construct that has masqueraded as every god from history, a machine that would not be limited by the arrow of time. Those who believe that the time is coming for it to be built and for them to take their place as its host are those who augment themselves minimally externally, so that they will still be in its image when it is created.

The others believe that the "image" they use is not literal-but metaphorical. Man was built in the image of the Pancreator, a machine which could improve itself, which could learn to manipulate the environment, and eventually its own physicality. The Pancreator can take any shape, can survive anywhere, can do anything-to emulate its image, and to truly create it, one must abandon their previous notions of beauty when it is detrimental to further augmentation.

These two sects, the Highers and Advancers, are the primary political discourse in Eternal Dawn religious theory, but they get along well enough-although both sides have general disagreements their combined goal has kept them together, and so has the similarity of belief in all areas but this specific one. Both sides may think the other is mistaken, but for both sides the ability to choose without fear of making a mistake are critical. The other side will learn that their ways are a mistake in time.

Biology and Biotech

The Eternal Dawn does a healthy black-market trade in biotech, as Dawn-built machinery is often absolute bleeding-edge in this category if nowhere else.

Eternal Dawn Transgenics

"Some of the human race criticize us for going too far in our modifications. To them, I say that the difference is not that we have gone so far, but that they have stayed behind. Either they refuse to push their bodies to what science can give them, or they use their technologies to reinforce social structures created by the failings of baseline humanity. And eventually, they, too, will learn that the path of the faithful waits for no-one."
-Eternal Dawn Prelate Phillip Masse.

All of the Dawn are born in the same way, thanks to the work of the Highers who have historically held a significant majority on those freethinkers' councils relating to birth. The Advancers accept this, seeing as it is perfectly possible to replace flesh and nanotech with advanced cybernetic equipment and synthetic organs if one so chooses.

A member of the Eternal Dawn is structured entirely differently from a human except on the outside. His organs are extensively reconstructed for increased trauma tolerance, his musculature lacks the distinction between fast and slow-twitch fibers, every muscle fiber being equally good at tasks which need explosive power and tasks which need extensive endurance, and many of his organs are rearranged or nonexistent. The liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and other glands have been modified into a soup of advanced cells that do the same tasks but provide significantly greater resistance to damage, and their bones have been reinforced via carbon-fiber weave and organically deposited amorphous diamond. Their senses are boosted, with eyes that can see in the infrared and ears sensitive to infra- and ultrasound.

The greatest modifications are to their minds and their skin though. The skin modifications are common to both the Dawn and Adharans-poreless polymer skin, almost rain-slick in appearance even if colored as human flesh, tough as body armor, colonized by extensive amounts of "wet" nanomachinery for self-repair. Originally an adaptation to the storms of Adhara, this adaptation has found itself perfectly useful against the creatures of Rebirth's forests. The mental modifications are however, most interesting. Dawn Transgenics think faster than humans and have significantly better multitasking support-they can look at a problem from several different angles at once, hold two contradictory points of view simultaneously, and do not have many of the cognitive biases found in the human mind that make it vulnerable to illusions and certain camouflage techniques. This multitasking, plus the removal of the cognitive biases (resulting in a sort of "controlled autism" with few of the side effects) combine with enhanced senses to make them excellent soldiers without peer, and they are still as intelligent as many of the intellect upgrade patterns found in the Sphere.

Despite this extensive enhancement, the Dawn still look attractive to human eyes, in a too-perfect, alien fashion. The reasoning for these improvements is up to debate, whether it was simple vanity, an extended insult at the human propensity to judge others on looks, an appeal to baseline human sympathy, or some other inscrutable reason based on Higher doctrine. Those who hold the last view are correct-the ideal of the perfected image of man is something that the Highers are going for, which is why they make the most extensive use of low-profile augmentation compared to the Advancers who are perfectly fine with abandoning all external humanity in their pursuit of perfection.

Considering that many of them use even more significant augmentation beyond that to further their abilities, underestimating a member of the Dawn is rarely a good idea.

Transgenic Template

Tentative
170 Points/4 for 100% of population = 42 pt template (+3 NBC survival)

Primary Attributes (51 pts)

Enhanced Physique 3 (21)

Enhanced Reactions 2 (15)

Enhanced Intelligence 2 (15)

Secondary Attributes (3 pts)

Boosted Durability 1 (3)

Tertiary Attributes (1.5 pts)

Survival (Vacuum) 1 (1.5)

Survival (Bio/Radio/Chemical Resistant) 3 (0)

Technology Modifier: 52/4 = -13
(42.5/42 [rounds to 42/42])
+2 points "spare" (+10 Wealth Infrastructure)

Combat Replicas

Originally developed in the Gimlet invasion, the original Replica was little more than a flash-grown Adharan (or Dawn member) given neural-induction training in communication and combat tactics. Although effective at rapidly building a military, the original Series I Replica was incapable of matching a trained soldier and was quite vulnerable when they weren't being used in overwhelming numbers-they might have had the raw skills but not the experience.

The original Series Is, in fact, were essentially identical both intellectually and physiologically to any other member of the Dawn and many of them ended up reintegrating with society successfully, or forming the core of the Templars after they were given remedial education in civilian matters. However, these actions provied that Series Is had 'souls', as they could adapt to changing situations and do anything they set their mind to. The doctrinal questions this produced, as well as many Templars finding their importance suddenly threatened by these new machines of biology, created a strong argument against their further use.

To avoid the questions about slavery and removal of choice from sentient beings (both abhorrent to Eschatonic ideals) Replicas down the line had gradually reduced free will and intelligence, and greater skill and experience burned into their minds while they were still gestating, while their physical augmentation increased after each iteration. On paper Replicas were excellent soldiers, perfectly loyal, superior in combat skills, and with a purity of purpose that no other soldier could match. In practice they sometimes lived up to this, but more often did not due to their lack of lateral thinking and creativity, the sole two skills that could not be created by neural induction. Even attempts to engineer in superhuman creativity a la the Harawayian Blue Caste failed entirely, as the neural induction method used to rapidly teach them, and their lack of actual life experience, were far more critical factors than their brain structure.

The Eternal Dawn used the Series II to the VII in the Magnate War. The IV and VI were prototypes.

Series II

Adharan (and therefore Eternal Dawn) physiology is highly delicate in its formative stages (although extremely trauma-resistant afterwards) and difficult to accelerate to full maturity as a proper "bioroid". Series IIs were designed with multiple shortcuts to fast-accelerate such growth, which generally caused physical deformity and stunted mental growth, especially when combined with the neural induction method used to teach them. Their physical deformities were rarely significant handicaps when compared to the majority-baseline worlds they assaulted, although approximately 10% of the Series IIs built did not survive decanting and their average lifespan even not considering combat was exceedingly short.

However, they could be produced and armed en masse and were used extensively to shore up Magnate forces. Initially used in support of Templars, the IIs eventually ended up being obsoleted by the III.

Series III

Prototype for rapid cybernetic integration into a Series II to make up for some of its most glaring weaknesses, that being stunted mental growth and physical handicaps. This prototype was designed to replace the Series II and did so successfully.

Series IV

ARAD's first serious bid to compete with the Templars was the IV, which used experimental biotech to ensure fast production with a greatly increased lifespan (approximately 180 months). However it was not judged viable for more than experimental, limited-issue deployment.

Series V

ARAD's production model Series IV, with further cybernetic enhancement to enhance and replace brain systems. Brainstem functions relegated to computer control, and entire nervous system outside of brain was replaced with synthetic augmentation. Although too expensive and complex (like the IV) to build in-field, Vs were perfectly capable of being constructed offsite and used to secure a beachhead in lieu of Higher Templars.

Series VI

The VI was an experimental, and essentially unsuccessful, attempt to adapt Replicas to special forces duties. The cost and time it took to mature a Replica capable of the individuality, freedom of action, and creativity necessary for special operations was prohibitive, although the handful which were built all had distinguished combat records and postwar records, reintegrating flawlessly with Magnate society, a few even emigrating to other Magnate worlds. However, they were only slightly more effective than the Lux Dei despite costing far more, who also had heavy political pull which further made the program untenable.

Series VII Combat Replica

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Series VII Combat Replicant, 2170s model, in experimental-type coloration. Note similarities with Adharan battle armor design due to analogous culture.

The Series VII is, no better than anything else, the 'face' of the Magnate war, battle-armored League or ZOCU troopers fighting brutal urban combat against an enemy which does not think, does not feel, does not second-guess. Deployed nearly as soon as The Eternal Dawn became a co-belligerent with the Magnates in the quest to acquire Theta dust, the VIIs were to phase out imperfect transhuman soldiers with a machine that did not have the same problems. It did not hate the enemy, it could not fear, it could not concern itself with trivialities except for this battle. It was an organism engineered for war, nonsapient, mating a highly edited human brain to a powerful cybernetic implant computer, the brain being trained by neural induction instead of physically learning in its new body. Its body was similarly hybridized, a reinforced skeleton and cybermotors supporting living xenobiology, artificial computer implants managing hormonal levels as well as its complex augmentation system.

Physically the Series VII stood approximately 1.8m tall and massed 120 kilograms without its nearly-symbiotic suit of battle armor, heavily built to carry greater loads into combat and survive greater injury. Every survivability augmentation that had been pioneered by the Adharans and enhanced by the Dawn had been packed into its frame, creating a machine that could survive significant organ trauma and blood loss before its biological systems shut down-and even then, its cybernetics, powered by emergency backup batteries, often would allow the corpse to extract bloody vengeance on its killer. VIIs virtually lived in their battle armor, with bioelectrical organs to recharge it when not in combat, and could live off the land by consuming virtually any organic matter for fuel due to their toxin filters and powerful digestive system.

The initial deployments of the VII were overwhelmingly successful-their tactical deployments had not been mapped, their combat responses new and not trained for. Without knowing how to fight them, how to exploit the flaws that cropped up in their tactical programming, they were devastating foes with expert-level marksmanship, a complete lack of fear, and a strongly developed altruistic sense. However, once the initial shock wore off, post-combat analysis quickly started finding flaws in their design. Their brain was limited in complexity to increase thought speed, and paired with an advanced computer to provide tactical and decision-making assistance, but this made them predictable. It was easy to lure VIIs into an ambush if one knew how to set it up, and it did not take long before the tables had turned.

To counteract this, two projects were initiated. The Series VIII and IX projects, the latter being a full successor and the former being an "officer" design with sentience built back in. Series VIIIs (or Series VII Officers) have their skulls, which were originally heavily reinforced with armor plate, thinned significantly to allow the use of a brain which is significantly larger, although still smaller (but more efficient) than a human one. VII Officer-types are generally roughly equivalent to Alphas or other common transhumans in intellect, although they still have the same instinctual mastery of combat tactics and marskmanship common to all VIIs. VII Officers were fully sentient and capable of advancing past their station, and as such did not have the same "terminator" genes built in as they were not war materiel. The consequences, however, of the VII Officer and the IX are interesting as they are not volunteers, which means that their slavery is unconscionable in the Dawn religion. Therefore instead of being fully engineered they are mind-patterned after willing volunteers, who in return gain additional respect and reputation. After the mindstate's fixed military service, it is free to take any career it wishes, change its body, or do anything it wishes to.

Proliferation

The VII had been quickly adopted throughout the Magnates before its flaws came to light, but even then it was more than adequate if properly employed, whether with Magnate officers there to keep them from running into traps, or with the officers designed to lead them. Their success, as well as their programmable loyalty, precision, and lack of sentience to question its orders, made them desirable for several other nations in the Sphere as well. It's always nice to have some bodyguards who will never question you, or think for themselves, or do anything but watch out for you.

A black market trade rapidly developed in this advanced combat bioroid, causing the design to proliferate throughout the Rim, although only a handful of powers have the technical know-how to do more than maintain them, as their complex genetic code is prone to failure if edited, and their birthing requires significant high-tech infrastructure that most Rim powers do not have.

The Eternal Dawn Military

The Eternal Dawn military is where you generally find the highest proportion of Advancers to Highers in service, as those who abandon pretenses to humanity for heavy combat augmentation generally find themselves significantly more combat-effective than those who do not. The Dawn Military is divided into three rough components:

The Templars

The Eternal Dawn Templars run the primary manned branch of the Eternal Dawn military. They provide the commanders for any major operation, the "nonspecialized" (not Replica) forces, and take care of prisoners of war as well as the recruitment of "nonspecializeds".

Although the Templars require all members to be religious, in practice there has never been an incident of a Templar being thrown out for religious violations-those who are nonpracticing are only told to pay lip service to the issue and show up when meetings are being held. Most of the Dawn are practicing, however, so this is only relevant to a small minority.

Templar Rank Structure

All Templars have a rank, and a grade in a rank, ranging from I to VI, which represents both one's paygrade and seniority within the rank. Promotion upwards in rank is generally done by showing drive and qualification, while promotion in grade happens over time with the accumulation of experience. The Templars also generally promote soldiers upwards from enlisted ranks to act as officers instead of training officers up from scratch.

Ranks are given with their rough equivalents in a Core military, PACT to be specific.

Noviciate (Recruit)

Acolyte I-VI (E-1 Private to E-2 Private First Class)

Lector I-VI (E-3 Lance Corporal to E-5 Sergeant)

Cantor I-VI (E-6 Staff Sergeant to E-7 Sergeant First Class)

Curate I-VI (E-8 Master Sergeant to E-9 Sergeant Major)

Vicar (Officer Candidate)

Subdeacon I-VI (O-1 2nd Lieutenant to O-2 1st Lieutenant)

Deacon I-VI (O-3 Captain to O-4 Major)

Archdeacon I-VI (O-5 Lt. Colonel to O-6 Colonel)

Bishop I-VI (O-7 Brigadier General)

Exarch I-VI (O-8 Major General)

Patriarch/Matriarch I-VI (O-9 Lt. General)

Cardinal I-VI (O-10 General)

The Lux Dei

The elite of the Templars end up joining the Lux Dei, the "Light of God" as it were. These special operations units operate as any other special operations unit in the Sphere. Lux Dei members must be religiously faithful and extremely dedicated to the cause, as they often undertake high-risk wet works operations in dangerous situations, and signing up with the Lux Dei is signing up for a tour of duty which measures at least two decades and often more.

Procurement

Dawn Procurement deals with R&D, budgeting, and industrial manufacture. Procurement is also responsible for the Eternal Dawn Combat Replicant Program, and has significant influence in the Magnate Continuum due to the wide-ranging export of these. It technically has its own military forces but it lacks commanders, putting its mass-produced soldiers and war materiel under the command of the Templars. Procurement operates a handful of special operations units as well, which are independent of the Templars and their Lux Dei.

Advanced Research And Development

Advanced Research And Development (ARAD) is the organization in Procurement which runs its covert operations arm as well as funding all cutting-edge Dawn research. Its covert operations units are generally employed for operations involving capturing technology to reverse-engineer, sabotaging enemy research, and recovering artifacts.

Joining ARAD's direct action units is interesting, as one must successfully join Procurement, which involves some level of scientific and technical know-how. To join ARAD's direct action arm, one must pair that with extensive willpower, dedication, and a mind well-suited for combat operations. ARAD's "commando scientists" might not be doing much of the latter but have despite the odds proven themselves to be quite capable of the former, although not with their occasional extreme failures-the largest of which was failing to prevent the reverse-engineering of the Aleph architecture by ZOCU.

Procurement Rank Structure

Procurement has a paramilitary system of rankings based off of its psuedo-academic, paramilitary functions. Although Procurement members are not expected to deal with active combat, any members are expected to be familiar enough with military weaponry and tactics that they do not get in the way, and ARAD trains with the Lux Dei and other Magnate SF units.

Associate (E-1 to E-9)

Researcher (O-1 to O-2)

Senior Researcher (O-3 to O-4)

Project Leader (O-5 to O-6)

Rector (O-7 to O-9)

Provost (O-10)

The Faithful

There are those who defend while the Templars are away-the legions of the Faithful are a defensive militia, numerous but less well-trained and equipped with weapons and armor that are generally built for reliability and cost-effectiveness rather than individual combat superiority.

On the other hand, they're a defensive force and can often count on weight of numbers due to the difficulty of transporting a significant invasion force anywhere.