Margan Dynasties (Branding)

Organization

 * High Priestess - The High Priestess is the matriarch of the Holy Dynasty and the ruler of the Margan species. The current High Priestess is Massachiah.


 * Matriarch - Matriarchs rule over individual dynasties.


 * Archon - Archons act as the personal bodyguards and agents of the Matriarchs, effectively making them the second-in-command of their respective dynasties.


 * Queen/King - Queens oversee the various components of a dynasty's flotilla, such as civil fleets, harvesters, and battle fleets. They form an advisory board offering guidance to their matriarch. Queens are often selected to rule over new dynasties or fiefdoms.


 * Princess/Prince - Princesses oversee one or more combined fleets and sometimes lead offensive operations against alien nations.


 * Admiral - Admirals command individual fleets. Depending on the task and the dynasty, an admiral's forces can vary considerably in size.


 * Shipmaster - Shipmasters command individual ships, whether they be military or civil in nature.

Holy Dynasty of the High Priestess

 * Color: Purple

Golden Blade Dynasty

 * Color: Gold

Scarlet Lance Dynasty

 * Color: Red

Azure Shield Dynasty

 * Color: Sky blue

Verdant Flail Dynasty

 * Color: Green

Bronze Hammer Dynasty

 * Color: Orange

Pale Mace Dynasty

 * Color: White

Onyx Sabre

 * Color: Black

The largest of the fiefdoms, the Onyx Sabre began as a breakaway from the ill-fated Pale Mace Dynasty. Troubled by the actions of Matriarch Jisa and unable to reason with her, the founders of the Onyx Sabre alerted the other dynasties to the matriarch's heresy. Though they would be commended for their actions and spared the fate of their Pale brethren, the Onyx Sabre regards Jisa's actions as an unforgivable sin which can be atoned only through zealous pursuit of the Holy Goal. In the years since, the Sabre has come to regard the universe itself as an organism which vies to bring an end to the Margan. A sizeable minority in the Sabre have taken this to the extreme, believing that flesh in and of itself is an enemy, and that the only pure Margan are those who embrace cybernetic ascension as a means of severing their connection to the cosmos. As a result, some Onyx-born Margan are produced in artificial vats and begin the augmentation process as soon as they are born, often losing all organic components before adulthood.

The Onyx Sabre was fiercely opposed to forming the Warlord Pact and only acquiesced when the High Priestess made it clear that it was to be. Nevertheless, the Onyx Sabre largely strayed away from the Great War, instead pushing towards the Tomastahl sector, where they remain to this day.

Cobalt Pike

 * Color: Blue

The Cobalt Pike was formed in the aftermath of the First Battle of Norsus from elements of the Azure Shield which had been opposed to the formation of the Warlord Pact. The Cobalt Pike was planning to split off from its host fleet before the formation of the Pact, but the attempted assassination of the High Priestess and the subsequent outbreak of the Great War saw them begrudgingly work with their new allies. When the Holy Dynasty vanished into the Abyss, the Cobalt Pike joined the Scarlet Lance and Golden Blade in distancing themselves from the Warlords. Though they sometimes operate independently of the other dynasties, their small size often leads them to work alongside the Scarlet Lance against particularly durable opponents.

Silver Bow

 * Color: Silver

The Silver Bow fiefdom was another fiefdom formed in the aftermath of the First Battle of Norsus. The Bow is comprised of Golden Blade fleets which regarded Matriarch Chilsa, the High Priestess' younger sister, as the latter's successor during the absence of the Holy Dynasty. They vocally supported Matriarch Chilsa's plan to continue working with their Pact allies, and when Li-Hosan chose to distance herself, broke away from the Golden Blade flotilla to support the Bronze Hammer. Initially, their combat doctrine was virtually identical to their Golden Blade brethren, but years of working with the Bronze Hammer have seen them adopt a hybrid style combining elements of the Hammer's ranged weapons and the Golden Blade's affinity for close-quarters combat.