Arcana Corps
The Arcana Corps are the former military body of the Galactic Council. They served as galactic peacekeepers and defenders of council interests during the Solstern Contact War until they were ordered to disband as part of the Vitis Accords. Arcana refused the order to disband, and embarked on a long campaign of conquest and terror until they were finally defeated and destroyed by the Solstern Armada.
History[edit | edit source]
Background & Founding[edit | edit source]
In 7 TCM (170 AOW) A young Council had not one, but four major political crises occurring all at the same time in the 2nd Galactic Ring, all with dire military and political ramifications:
- The Argolyte Succession War which had already escalated to a minor armed conflict, with Argolyte refugees immigrating into Council Space and burdening the economy with unfamiliar physical and medical needs.
- The Empyrean Dissolution Crisis, on the opposite side of the ring, threatened a war between two major military factions on a much larger scale, threatening to swallow the entire council in a yet unprecedented conflict.
- The Praxu Succession Crisis threatened a civil war throughout the entire system, with billions of possible casualties and a complete military lockdown of an entire sector of the ring, preventing passage throughout.
- The Solstern Intervention Crisis wherein a mercenary fleet was being raised to attack the Solstern Empire, flooding the 2nd ring with mercenaries, pirates and military vessels threatened to drag the Council into war with a yet unknown power.
These conflicts, without council intervention would spell cause all 1st ring planets to become completely isolated from the 2nd and 3rd ring, with war possibly spilling into the Galactic Core. The influx of Argolyte refugees, the military tension and the threat of incurring the wrath of an unknown but powerful Empire were already having a significant economic impact on all members of the council and a solution had to reached before the Council could no longer sustain itself.
This started a multi-day marathon of Council officials deliberating behind closed doors to find a solution that would solve all of the problem with minimal loss of life. Led by the Moxu, the council eventually reached an accord, a peacekeeping military force must be founded to protect council trade routes and interests.
However, founding a fleet and a multi-national military was a monumental task and there wasn't nearly enough time to create one sufficiently powerful to prevent these conflicts from escalating. As such, the Moxu, of their own accord sent out four diplomats to all key elements in these conflicts, who later came to be known as the Four Kings.
- Titus, the claimant to the Argolyte throne, who claimed with significant evidence that his egg was switched by a servant and wrongly traded.
- Herculex, the Praxu twin to the King, claiming firstborn right of rule, while his brother, Perseux claimed their father's last wish was for him to rule instead.
- The Lochirine Grand Inquisitor, who has been raising a powerful fleet, as well as claiming planet after planet on the Jord border and turning them into military facilities.
- The Banished Solstern emperor, who has been raising a mercenary and cutthroat army to attack the Innox and prevent them from continuing their genocide of his people.
These diplomats, offered them, as members of their respective royalty, to command the new peacekeeping force, crowned its kings with their own crests and receive their own systems for their followers to flock to. The idea of becoming their own Kings, with their own systems, and be allowed to bring their followers to their kingdoms immediately convinced Herculex and Titus, while the idea of controlling a massive militaristic force aligned with the desires and ideals of the Grand Inquisitor and the Banished Solstern Emperor. As such they declared themselves, respectively, the Royal Arcana: The Kings of Swords - who would bring order to chaos, Wands - who would bring stability to uncertainty, Cups - who would enlighten the masses and Pentacles, who would shield the weak.
The diplomats returned to the council with news of their success, though it was not council sanctioned, causing an uproar. However, as the Council could no longer back out of the deal without dire consequences, the acquiesced and thus the Arcana Corps were founded.