Skonia

**The Skonia** is an organization created by Nyx Vis and their allies after the destruction of the Pecistu. It was created as a "purified" version of the Pecistu, serving as a refuge and residence for those who have been God-Touched. It has a small force of members who serve as active "defenders," who act similarly to the members of the Pecistu, forming teams and going on missions. However, the greatest difference between the Skonia and the Pecistu is that the Skonia only protects and works for those who are God-Touched; it's forbidden for an ordinary civilian to even see the base. That rule is the only strict rule of the organization.

## History

### Nyx's Skonia

The Skonia began with Nyx Vis's revolution and the destruction of the Pecistu, but the origin of the concept originated far before that.

Nyx first gained the idea of a family-like group after they had been rescued from one of Achan's fortresses by the Fialdio Band. Frustrated by being left to be tortured for five years by the group they had been loyal to for most of their life, they decided that if they ever got the power, they'd change how the Pecistu ran. The Fialdio Band, mostly Madison and Jessie, supported them in their desires.

Nyx's belief was solidified by the cold reception they received when they returned compared to the warm compassion of their previous group. Endorsed by Masozi Kimaera, they left the Pecistu with rough relations, pursuing a "freer" life. Although they were under constant persecution from the Pecistu and other forces, they experienced unwavering compassion and loyalty from Masozi, Cerys Tineos, Taylor Sphaeram, and Arabella Prodigium, enabling them to fully realize the faults of the Pecistu's system. And thus, the first concept of the Skonia was born, along with their desire to destroy the Pecistu.

Nyx continued to pursue their desire to both destroy and rebuild the Pecistu for years. However, it wasn't until after years of their own activities, including disrupting the Pecistu's efforts, that Nyx and their allies could actually move and enact their "revolution," effectively destroying the Pecistu and [almost] every member within it. Before that, Nyx had spent years accumulating allies and connections to lead up to that moment, as well as having worked on restoring the original Pecistu's base by Lake Veritas, making major updates and improvements, in order to utilize it as their own base of operations. Nyx's allies moved themselves to this location, establishing it as not only a base to house their research and teams, but as a place of refuge for other people who were God-Touched, offering them food, shelter, comfort, and protection while asking for nothing in exchange. It was the ideal family-like organization Nyx dreamed of.

Nyx was the sole leader of the Skonia as the founder, but was the only leader to lead alone; group leadership was a tradition they endorsed and preferred. Taylor was the first archivist. However, their roles tended to bleed into each other, with Nyx still conducting research with Taylor and Taylor acting similar to a right-hand for them.

Nyx was still the leader during the fifth arc, *Aria of the Blind*. Most of the members still knew them personally, since this arc takes place so close to the initial founding, but the newer members still respect and revere them for everything they've done.

It was during Nyx's reign that Erica Kynodontes joined the Skonia and set her personal goal to save Romy Salvare by bringing her in, as well. Nyx personally endorsed her endeavor, finding her explanation of her motive similar to a connection they and Vera Chioni had once. When she finally succeeded, Nyx acted like a guiding guardian figure for Romy, to the point that she mourned them like their own parent once they died.

Having fought for this freedom for most of their life, Nyx hoped to lead the Skonia relatively peacefully. They spent most of their time researching Godstones, Godsigns, blessings, and other Divine-related phenomena with Taylor. Most of the missions the active members went on typically added up to this research as well, such as Godstone recovery and sourcing. They also wanted to do anything to make sure the Skonia was nothing like the Pecistu, personally seeing to bond with each member and ensure they felt like family.

But Nyx was anything but idle when something came to threaten the Skonia or any of its members, immediately ordering a rescue party for Erica, Lyra Fonivox, and Seraphina Nokard as soon as they learned they had been captured. They were also ready to go back in on their own without hesitation when Vera didn't return with the original group. Their bond with their family lasted until the very end, fighting a group of God-Touched hunters on their own to derail them from their original allies and being struck down in that battle, but didn't pass on until they could remind Taylor and Arabella of their love for them and their family.

When Nyx died, the whole organization mourned. They had been a hero to all of them. A statue of them was erected in the center of the campus, not far from Lake Veritas, where their prosthetic hand rests in memoriam. Members often leave offerings or gifts for them in acknowledgement of everything they've done. Leaders after Nyx have always stood before that statue and asked for advice or mused their thoughts to them, believing Nyx's spirit would guide them and help them lead their family post-mortem. Guidance or not, it was no secret to any member of the Skonia that Nyx's spirit didn't rest after death. Many believe that they would still watch over and protect the Skonia in the form of moments of minor good fortune to major victories or barely-avoided disasters.

Nyx's vision of what the Skonia should be has been passed down to every leader that followed them; the Skonia is a family first and foremost and while members are to value their lives above all else, leaders should be willing to to anything to protect all of their family, no matter the cost to themselves. Nyx's few rules have been regarded as law for the group, even decades after they died. People both in and out of the organization recognize Nyx's achievements and accomplishments.

### Team Seraphina's Skonia

Team Seraphina, consisting of Erica Kynodontes, Romy Salvare, Tessa Keinota, and Serenity Aspitum, became the leaders of the Skonia after Nyx's death. It was a decision that was made Nyx's closest allies: their original teammates, their guardian/surrogate parental figures, and other close counsel. They came to the conclusion that those four embodied and carried Nyx's ideals and that a new generation should be leading the Skonia. The four were nervous about the shoes they had to fill, but they eventually agreed nonetheless.

It was relatively agreed upon that the four were the best candidates for the job. Erica has a fierce sense of loyalty and love for her family, which she had proven in all of her attempts to save Romy. Tessa carries Nyx's ideals perfectly, believing that every Divine-Touched being was her sibling that she's more than willing to die to help. Serenity is a natural-born leader who always takes care of her own. Romy "inherited" Nyx's devotion to her goals and to those that "saved" her; her new found family.

Following in the steps of her mentor, Lorrin Avra was the archivist during Team Seraphina's time as leaders. However, she was less of a right-hand to the leaders than Taylor was to Nyx. Of course, Team A/G remained close confidants to Team Seraphina, who relied on them as frequently as they did before, but none were similar enough to right-hands to be considered them.

Like Nyx before them, the four tried to lead the Skonia in an era of relative peace. They spent most of their time attempting to recover the history of the Divine-Touched heroes before them, namely the Godpawns and their original Pecistu. Since Nyx and the early Skonia utterly destroyed everything related to the Pecistu, their job was a tough one and they didn't exactly have a lot to go on.

Of course, they were not inactive when help was necessary. During the sixth arc, *Lament for the Loved*, for instance, they sprung to action to rescue Ophelia Sietvazo from Rue Cherosub and death's door. In the face of Synchonesi's lust for ultimate power, as well as his forces of Ophelia's reanimated friends, they protected the Skonia whenever a threat arrived, while also ensuring Ophelia's absolute safety when threats came directly for her. When confronted with Synchonesi himself, the four stopped at nothing to destroy him entirely, despite not knowing much about him or his plans, simply because they knew that he could be a potential threat to the Skonia with how much he's targeted Ophelia and her team.

They were slightly more distanced from the rest of the Skonia due to having to discern Nyx's plans and hopes for the group from total speculation and interpretation as well as having their guiding generation retire, die, or become otherwise inactive, but they still cared deeply for the members they had, especially their active members. They may not have formed the same bonds they had with the previous generation, but they tried to be protective of them, even if they couldn't or didn't cater to their individual needs and struggles (though this lack of interaction allowed the next generation to form tight bonds and loyalty to each other). They may not have been made aware of Ophelia's unstable condition following the Synchonesi fight, for instance, but they welcomed each member that left to try and save her home with open, understanding, sympathetic arms.

The biggest difference between this era of the Skonia and the others, however, is their longer periods of inaction. While Nyx would act on major instances that reached their ears and the Fortissimum on any little thing that could threaten the group, Team Seraphina would only act once something directly impacts them and is large enough to notice. Some of the next generation criticized this, such as Larissa Tasi and Claire Lektri, the former reasoning that it could destroy the Skonia if something big is left to fester for too long while the latter argued that anything could be brushed off as "not big enough to be a threat" while still threatening and harming them. Very few argued the benefits of this factor of their leadership.

Eventually, during the timeskip between the sixth and seventh arcs (briefly seen in the epilogue of the Fortissimum's Extra Chapter), the four decided to step down, passing the mantle of leadership onto the Fortissimum. Their status after the timeskip is unknown; they are only ever referred to again in terms of their leadership and what [little] milestones they accomplished.

### The Fortissimum's Skonia

Sometime before the start of *Twin Fates*, the Fortissimum - Claire Lektri, Rae Glaigos, and Briella Aeras - inherited the title of leadership when Team Seraphina retired. The reasoning for this decision is unknown, but it was practically a universal agreement among the Skonia that those three were the best for the job.

Claire took to the jobs of an archivist far less than her teammates, being the only one of the trio to not take up the mantle of one. That said, Rae and Briella were the first leaders to also be full archivists.

They were also the first leaders to enact a system of right-hands, who acted as personal aids and advisors, often working closely with them on missions. Officially, Claire's right-hand was Orion Crimourgio, Rae's was Lorelei Goteios, and Briella's was Sai Minorrago. However, they also often worked closely enough with Anne Patheia, Avia Mosrena, and Brenna Nima (respectively) to occasionally be considered advisors of a similar status. Although they established officially that leaders would have only one right-hand, they have been known to bend rules before, especially their own rules, but it was not changed by the end of the series.

They took leading the Skonia in a drastically different direction than the previous leaders had. None of them were quite satisfied sitting around and letting danger corner them, instead taking the fight to any rumor of a threat that reaches their ears. This has, as one would guess, saved them from more threats than they can count. It also uncovered and put out sparks of danger from Team Seraphina's time.

During the seventh arc, *Twin Fates*, their hyper-offensive mindset set them at silent war with a revived Nkriso. It began as a pursuit of the remnants of a group they remembered reading about in Nyx's notes, to a full-fledged fight against them once it started directly affecting their members, starting with the captures of Cassandra Ferrummos and Nia Foinix. The Fortissimum would stop at nothing until it was utterly devastated.

Claire, Rae, and Briella also put any member of the Skonia before themselves. When faced with a horde of unholy creatures in the final arc, *Lostpawns*, the three ordered a full evacuation for every member, including their active members, while placing only themselves between the Skonia and the creatures. The three were more than willing to sacrifice themselves so that the rest of the Skonia may live to see another day. When they finally came out of that fight alive, thanks to the sacrifices of Morgan Tenebri, Duke Lustrin, and Iris Loraca, their first concerns were still whether everyone was safe. They hailed those three as heroes and saw to it that they recovered properly when they returned and saw to keeping up with the needs of their generation with high attention. They balanced their offensive aggression with personal compassion.

The Fortissimum still led the Skonia through the end of the final arcs. They show no intention of passing on the mantle of leadership yet, nor have they expressed any idea of who might make decent leaders after them.

## Wardrobe

Unlike the Pecistu, the Skonia doesn't have a strict uniform. Even active members are allowed to wear whatever they want.

It wasn't until the Fortissimum became leaders that there were a few staple identifiers for members of the Skonia. The concept was Rae's idea, since members were to spend less time at the base and more time elsewhere to aid and recruit others who were Divine-Touched; her rationale was that there had to be some subtle way to identify these members if they were to be recognized but stay undercover.

The first of these identifiers is a silver necklace featuring a charm of the Skonia's symbol. This is the only mandatory part of the Skonia's "uniform." The second is a thin jacket. The color can vary by the member's choice and the Skonia's symbol is embroidered (typically in black) on the left side of the chest. It has a short collar, zips all the way, and long sleeves. This article is optional and not many members wear it as part of their main attire. However, if a mission takes them to a place with a less ideal climate, they may take and wear it.

## Teams

### Team Seraphina

Team Seraphina was the first of the Skonia teams to be formed.

Team Seraphina is led by Seraphina Nokard, one of Nyx Vis's closest friends. It began with Seraphina mentoring Tessa Keinota at first, who was the first new member of the Skonia who wished to fight. Serenity Aspitum came along next and Nyx placed her under Seraphina's wing, as well, thinking that Seraphina could teach these new members well as she leads a team of them.

At the start of *Aria of the Blind*, Erica Kynodontes came along to join the Skonia. She was unsure at first if she wanted to be an active member or not, so she was told to tag along with Team Seraphina on a simple mission of theirs to see if she was up to it. Upon meeting Romy Salvare during this outing, she decided that she did want to become an active member and was thus permanently placed on Team Seraphina, completing the team.

The team consisted of those four for most of the arc. At one point, however, Seraphina was temporarily rendered unfit for action and had to take a reprieve from her missions. Nyx decided that the team still needed to keep working, as it was the only active team aside from Nyx's personal allies, but they also had their hands full. They appointed Serenity as the temporary leader of the team, citing her loyalty to Tessa and Erica and her natural sense of leadership.

Not long after Seraphina returned, Romy was brought to the Skonia. Eventually, Nyx decided it was the best idea to keep her close to Erica and placed her on Team Seraphina, upping the number of members to an irregular four. However, Seraphina passed the leadership of the team entirely to Serenity (NOT with the intention of keeping the balance of members), stating that she was ready to lead on her own. With Serenity as the new leader, the team consists of her, Tessa, Erica, and Romy.

The team remained that way to the point they were appointed the new leaders of the Skonia after Nyx's death all the way until they forfeited the leadership to the Fortissimum.

### Team Mars

Team Mars was one of the three Skonia teams active during the sixth arc, *Lament for the Loved*.

It was led by Mars Mineralis, one of Team Seraphina's comrades. For a while before the start of the arc, her team consisted of only himself, Hailey Lustrin, and Larissa Tasi. Whether this is because they had a full team and lost a member to something else or are still filling in the ranks is unknown, though the latter is unlikely given the ranks of Team Cynthia.

This changed during *Lament for the Loved*, when Ophelia Sietvazo reached the Skonia. When she recovered from her fight with Rue Cherosub, she was given the chance to live as an active member and was thus placed on Team Mars. Hailey and Larissa took good care of her, showing her the ropes and protecting her when something bigger than she was able to take on.

Mars had always tried his best to be the type of mentor he never got to have. His team almost began to mirror himself, Lorrin Avra, and Nicole Psevdis; the three became nearly inseparable, treating each other as siblings or something even closer. They saw each other through everything, no matter what.

This was true all the way up through the end of the arc. When Ophelia was poisoned by Zeo Synchonesi, Hailey and Larissa acted on their previous promises and were willing to stop at nothing to save her, a sentiment also shared with Team Cynthia. The two teams set out to find the current Vessels of Divinus and Sceleratis, as they had heard that one of them had the ability to heal anything. This journey lasted a good while until finally, Ophelia's condition became critical and morale finally broke. Almost everyone decided to turn and go back home, even Larissa, feeling that it was a lost cause and that Ophelia was unfortunately going to die. Hailey saw her all the way to Fenn Mirocutis and stayed by her side until she finally gave in and chose to rejoin her friends in the afterlife. Her spirit later met her teammates during the Blank Period after the arc, embracing them and thanking them for making what little life she had left worth it. When Fenn and Evelyn Krounouper brought Hailey back, Larissa immediately knew what happened and the two mourned together.

During the Blank period between the sixth and seventh arcs, Team Mars was technically disbanded. Hailey and Larissa formed an unofficial trio with Claire Vrych after Avia Mosrena rejoined Team Cynthia as an official member. The trio was unofficial, however, and the three would work alone or separate almost as often as they would work together. While Mars was no longer technically their leader, he still served as a mentor and a guide for his former students and Claire whenever they needed it. Because they never formed a proper team, the trio never technically "split" after each of them receive teams of their own to lead.

Both the original and renewed Team Daniella have tight bond with each other, sharing a fierce sense of loyalty to each other. Though they weren't without their fights and conflicts, mostly between Larissa and Hailey when tensions are high, but at the end of the day, they would do anything for each other.

### Team Cynthia

Team Cynthia is one of the three Skonia teams during *Lament for the Loved*.

It is led by Cynthia Faudiua, who was made a leader just barely by the age cutoff, though she's only a year or two older than most of the other team members. Cynthia was first put in charge of Claire Vrych and Cecilia Spikida, who came along presumably around the same time as Hailey Lustrin and Larissa Tasi. The new members soon became best friends with their leader, who acted less like a leader, more like a friend. Cynthia led those two for a while until Coral Aranea arrived and was placed on their team. They accommodated well with Coral and her inexperience and oddities and soon the full team was a true team.

Avia Mosrena was the next addition to the Skonia. However, she was a bit of a special case. Despite her young age - even younger than the others of her generation were when they joined - she had almost perfect mastery over her ability; a phenomenon she simply explains with a smile, a shrug, and an innocent "Guess I inherited it" the fools most people, but not everyone. It was decided that she would be placed on a team not as a full member, but as a tag-along who's meant to observe and learn the ropes while not taking full participation in missions. Of course, with how well she hit off with her new teammates, that status didn't last long; Cynthia and the others claimed her as a full-fledged member within about a month or so. And thus, Team Cynthia was completed.

The ranks remained so for a while, until the middle of *Lament for the Loved*, when Team Cynthia and Team Daniella encountered Donovan Apodei. Still wanting to prove his point about the Skonia's "unjust, abusive, dangerous" treatment of its young active members that he failed to prove with Hailey and Larissa, he attacked the two teams. In the fight, as she was trying to retreat with the others, he killed Coral. After holding Claire back from a vengeful outburst, the team returned minus one member. Team Seraphina then decided that it was too dangerous for Avia to remain on the team and was thus removed for an indefinite period or until she reached an age that most members would be placed on a team for. As a result, Avia remained and helped with Claire Lektri's friends for the rest of the arc, who also played more passive roles while still assisting with the Skonia's daily business.

During the Arc 6 Blank Period, the ranks of Team Cynthia shifted once more. Claire was removed from the team, instead forming a trio with Hailey and Larissa following Team Daniella's disbanding after Ophelia Sietvazo's death. It was then deemed that Avia could return to the team as a full member. The team consisted of those three through the end of the series, noted at the end of *Lostpawns*.

No matter who was on the team, the team was always very tight-knit and closely bonded. They were always each other's best friends (though perhaps something more in Claire & Coral's case), always having each other's backs and protecting and supporting each other.

### Team Lorrin

Team Lorrin is one of the three Skonia teams active during *Lament for the Loved*.

It was led by Lorrin Avra, who fought in the Skonia alongside Mars. It had been the first of the teams in the sixth arc to be formed, beginning not long after the Arc 5 Blank Period. Claire Lektri, Rae Glaigos, and Briella Aeras were assigned to Lorrin as the first team created under Team Seraphina's leadership.

Lorrin proved to be an apt leader for the trio; her more collected and calm demeanor matched the three varying personalities that made up her students. While they each remained stoic in their own beliefs, she imparted them with a deep devotion to each other and their family that is the Skonia. As their innate chemistry with each other and their strength in their abilities developed, she became less involved in their work, letting them take the lead. She didn't leave them entirely and was still their greatest support, occasionally even after they became the leaders of the Skonia, but she encouraged them to rely more on themselves and each other than her.

This team didn't work much with the other teams, mostly due to their advanced experience, prowess, and strength; they typically took care of higher-grade missions.

One such mission pit them against Zeo Synchonesi in an attempt to save Claire's girlfriend, Selene Louloudi. They fought him with everything they had, as had he, though he wasn't quite at his full power. The fight finally stopped when both sides struggled to hold their own. Impressed by their prowess and skill, he dubbed them the Fortissimum and gave each an honor-name of their own: naming Claire "*The Stormheart*," Rae "*The Icehand*," and Briella "*The Windfoot*." Before departing and letting them live, he stated that he wished to fight them again, an honor he never got to have.

Not long after the main part of Lament for the Loved ended, Lorrin's students ceased operating as Team Lorrin and instead formed the Fortissimum as an official trio.

The Fortissimum never disbanded. Even at the end of the final arc, the three remain inseparable, even as the leaders of the Skonia. Though differing opinions may make cooperation difficult, they inevitably have some of the best chemistry in the modern Skonia.

### Team Larissa

Team Larissa is one of the three new teams in the final two arcs.

Larissa Tasi was the first of her trio to receive a team to lead. She was given Autumn Venmas as her first member, much to the confusion of the rest of her generation, but Rae rationalized that someone more gentle as her first student may teach both of them something new. She was later given one of the Loraca twins, Lavender, while Claire Vrych received the other one as her second student as well. Team Claire was completed before Team Larissa, which finally was when Nia Foinix joined the Skonia at the start of *Twin Fates*.

Team Larissa has an interesting dynamic; not a single member is alike. Autumn is calm, collected, and not well-suited for combat. Lavender is fierce, volatile, and a brutal fighter, even for a Loraca. Nia lacks the experience the other two have and is not the bravest in most situations, but has incredible latent power she just needs some pushes to awaken. Larissa, of course, is of a most similar mind with Lavender and doesn't quite understand the other two as well as the Fortissimum was hoping she would. Still, they trust and rely on each other for the most part.

However, they're more prone to more destructive bouts of internal strife than Team Claire has proved to be; the most polarizing example of this was when Nia was captured by the Nkriso and tried to offer information in exchange for her own life. She told them what they wanted to hear, but they kept and tortured her for two months anyway. When this was revealed to her teammates, Lavender was furious and, in a fit of her violent anger, almost killed Nia herself. This split the team down the middle: Lavender blamed Nia for just about every bad thing that befell the Skonia at the hands of the Nkriso and Larissa claimed that Nia was at fault since even she kept her mouth shut in the face of torture to protect Claire, while Autumn, who had seen what happened to her while she was captured, couldn't blame her for trying to spare herself some suffering and Cassandra Ferrumos, who was in love with Nia and tried to make the same offer when she was briefly captured, didn't think anyone had any right to judge Nia for what she did in her circumstances, since none of them had to suffer like she had. Eventually, this fight died down, but neither side could forget how quickly Lavender and Larissa turned on them.

For the most part, aside from that instance, the team is relatively unified; each member can more than make up for each other's faults. However, each member seems to prefer working with a member of Team Claire more than their own team: Larissa with Claire, Autumn with Avaline Daemonias, Lavender with her sister, and Nia with Cassandra.

### Team Claire

Team Claire is one of the three new teams in the final two arcs.

Claire Vrych was the second of her trio to receive a team to lead. She was given Avaline Daemonias when they first wandered in, and one of the Loraca twins, Violet, not long after. Cassandra Ferrumos was the final member, and the team was complete.

Fortunately for Claire, they had enough in common to get along well. For the most part, their quickly-formed bond held fast in the face of most adversities; the only time tensions drove them apart was when something personal to them was insulted, typically at the fault of Violet's blind faith that her bloodline could do no wrong. The most eternal conflict seems to be between Avaline and Violet, as constant affronts to each other have permanently weakened the tight relationship they once had when their team was just beginning. However, when push comes to shove, they're willing to shove their personal grudge aside to work together when the situation demands it.

Team Claire is relatively close to Team Larissa in terms of bonds and loyalty. The two often work together, even when a mission doesn't require it. If something threatens one member of one team, both spring into action to protect them, like Nia Foinix's rescue mission being a collective effort of both teams as well as other members of the Skonia. Of course, this feeling is strongest within the team, seen in Avaline & Violet's determination to go against Claire's orders and dive straight into unknown danger to save Cassandra when she was briefly captured by the Nkriso, or Cassandra & Violet doing anything to help Avaline come down from an enhancer drug-induced rampage while trying everything to not hurt them.

### Team Hailey

Team Hailey is one of the three new Skonia teams during the final arcs.

Hailey Lustrin was the last of her trio to be given a team to lead; the Fortissimum bestowed upon her Morgan Tenebri, Duke Lustrin, and Iris Loraca to lead. Unbeknownst to them, they gave the one that was blessed by the spirits of Cherry Loraca and Camilla Lustrin three students that would later become known as the Lostpawns, guided by the souls of previous warriors who chose them to finish what they were never able to.

Whether it was a result of that or not, the team always had an innate chemistry. The three of them could always have each other's backs in any situation and never once [genuinely] complained about it. They worked the most flawlessly of all three of their generation's teams, right until their very end.

Since they were away on their mission for the entirety of *Twin Fates*, which occurs concurrently with *Lostpawns*, it's difficult to judge their relationship with Team Claire and Team Larissa. However, in the brief time they reunited after their return, they worked together with no questions and came up with plans on the spot with no arguments, it can be assumed that they were close.

After the three were given a second chance at life after their sacrifice, the team technically remained in the sense that the three worked together. Like Claire's and Larissa's teams, the leaders began to step away as the members grew in experience and closeness. Though they felt the most comfortable working together due to the shared trauma, they often split off to fill in niches for whatever team was cobbled together for a mission.

### Rag-Tag Trio

The Rag-Tag Trio is a "temporary" team consisting of Selene Louloudi, Sarai Ekrixi, and Brenna Nima. It was formed to accompany Team Hailey on their journey with the Poppy Girls. Although the three members couldn't be more different, they developed a surprising chemistry over the trip. The name was Selene's idea.

### Win-Sai Duo

The Win-Sai Duo is a team consisting of only Winry Lingossa and Sai Minorrago. The two joined the Skonia as a pair around the same time that Orion Crimourgio did, but would only work as a pair, as they always had before. The Fortissimum established the duo as an official team. Despite only being the two of them, they almost never go on missions with other teams; their synchrony and chemistry only extends to the two of them. Though Winry seems like the type to try and curb Sai's energy and bloodlust, she's far more likely to join them than she is to stop them.

### Team Casey

Team Casey is one of the teams that joined the Skonia already as a trio when the Fortissimum were still fresh to the leader position. It consists of Casey Menyalo, Lorelei Goteios, and Ariza Piraki. The three had been together for a long time before the Skonia found them and the three keeping together only felt right. Interestingly, with the way she acts, most people believe that Lorelei is the leader of the team, though Casey is the one who calls the shots. Aside from that, there was no true leader among them; they kept a balance of mutual respect and loyalty.

### Poppy Girls

The Poppy Girls are the other trio that joined the Skonia when the Fortissimum were still young leaders, per Orion, the Win-Sai Duo, and Team Casey's recommendation to them, having interacted and helped with each of them. It consists of Ascella Alepes, Merry Metatra, and Sami Sorborro. The trio was fairly similar to the Fialdio Band in terms of history and bond and the Fortissimum didn't think it wise to split them among three teams. The three are like sisters and have impressive chemistry.

## Associates

Before Nyx could ever take action against the Pecistu, their first goal was to amass allies that would make them fairly untouchable on most fronts. Many of these associates still remain allied with the Skonia through the Final Arcs.

* Naimina - The Naimina was Nyx's first major associate. Lorina Pulsin, the leader of the Naimina at the time, hit off well with Nyx and fully endorsed their plans, saying that whatever Nyx erected in the Pecistu's place would have the Naimina's full support. Since then, the Naimina and Skonia have been silent allies.
* Fialdio Band - Before the Skonia was an official organization, the Fialdio Band was Nyx's first group of allies that wasn't technically directly affiliated with them. Nyx didn't need to convince them to support them; they were the ones that gave them the idea in the first place.
* Claudia Chermanus - Claudia provided occasional support and assistance to Nyx and their allies when they came to her, but didn't want to be a direct member of it, saying that she retired from the Pecistu for a reason. Her family became similar associates, but it was mostly Claudia who provided assistance in the form of refuge, supplies, and care to Skonia members when they came to her.
* Atlanta Tricia - Atlanta was Nyx's eyes inside the Pecistu, sending information about plans in order for them to evade capture and ensure openings for disruptions. She kept her cover until Nyx's revolution came to fruition.
* Serpere Band - After making amends with them and working things out, Nyx extended the offer of allyship with the Serpere Band. After long consideration, they finally accepted, becoming part of Nyx's family (thanks to Taylor).
* Ares's Debtors - Ares Motusyn's influence reaches through most of Kryvo, the city where Nyx and co. lived before the Skonia's headquarters at Lake Veritas was officially built. As such, she had many resources, eyes, and ears throughout the city that could be called upon to fulfill their "debts" to her when the Skonia needed something.
* Orion Crimourgio - Though technically a full member of the Skonia, Orion spends little time doing regular tasks and missions. Instead, she acts more like a distanced member, handling tracking targets or recruiting members she finds in trouble or desired members who seek her out.

## Trivia

* In my original concepts, Nyx fully modeled the Skonia off of the original Pecistu and heavily respected Ivy and the other Godpawns, but I thought it didn't really go well with their whole "fuck the Divines and everything they've done to us" mentality, nor would they really have accurate information on the original Pecistu this far into the future (that was kinda more it). So now, Nyx thinks the Pecistu has always been like this and thus hates comparing the Skonia to it, but I tried to model it after the Pecistu in the first arc. They also hate the Godpawns as well, believing them to be willing pawns of the Divines.
	+ Nyx's original respect for Ivy did make for some interesting interactions with Zinnia, though. I had a few quotes go along the lines of "there hasn't been a respectable Loraca in ages," or "The Loracas' honor died with Ivy" or stuff like that. She also pulled a few "Ivy was the last true Loraca" cards, referencing Cherry only being a Loraca via adoption and Nayeli's possession. It was probably also followed by Nyx getting their ass whooped, though. Always fun.
* I'm honestly not sure who would follow the Fortissimum as leaders. I don't want them to consider passing leadership down any time soon, probably taking the title to their far-off graves. However, I like to think about their student team, Team F, probably holding the title. I'm not sure whether or not it would include Rio, but I can definitely see Brisa and Robin leading together, so maybe those two would at least. I think Rio would probably struggle with thinking about seeing herself as equal to the ones who had been training under them for far longer and I can also see Briella arguing about Violet being a fundamentally different person than when they joined the Skonia, but I think Violet's story wraps up better if she isn't. Maybe just a dual leadership follows. Then again, we know nothing about the Skonia that exists at the time of their death/retirement (whichever happens), so there could be more or less candidates, who knows?

## See Also

* List of Skonia Leaders
* List of Skonia Archivists
* List of Skonia Right-Hands
* List of Skonia Members