Heil

The Heil *(Harenacolonus macropoelium)* are a desert-dwelling warrior race from the planet Sovereign. They are regarded as an aggressive species that is quick to action, often ready to choose violence as their first answer to a given situation. They are one of the oldest species known in the Galaxy, having been moderately spacefaring already when the Alinteans made first contact.

### Physical Appearance, Traits, and Abilities

#### Physical Overview

The vast majority of the Heil stand between five and a half and seven feet in height, although outliers do exist, and there is no main height difference in the distribution between males and females. Their bodies are almost always muscular due to their warlike, aggressive lifestyle and the harsh conditions on their home planet. Their musculature is also much denser than in humans, leading to deceptively strong Heil – even very small or lithe members of their race can be far stronger than most other species in terms of raw strength. They also live longer than humans, provided they don't die in combat, with their expected lifespans being approximately 175 to 225 years.

Due to the harsh cold sweeping across their desert planet, which can often drop well below the freezing point of water, Heil have thick skin that insulates the interiors of their bodies. While not apparent at a casual glance, this skin is made up of interlocking platelets that work to trap heat using small fat deposits beneath them. On Earth, similar adaptations are performed using hair or fur, but the Heil grow neither of these. Their skin is also bicolored, appearing to be a patchwork of white and black markings that are unique among members of their species. These identifying patterns fulfill a similar role to fingerprints on Earth, as no two Heil share markings. Even so-called identical twins, which are rarer among the Heil than on Earth, have subtle differences.

From a distance, Heil could be taken as humans. They walk upright bipedally and possess two arms and one head which are in proportion to the rest of their bodies. The most striking differences are the hands and facial features. While Heil feet mimic those of humans (although are slightly larger), Heil hands do not. They possess two very strong fingers and two thumbs, one on either side of the palm. These, along with the rest of the hand, lack bones entirely and are instead made up of muscle. These grasping digits can flex both forward (into the palm) and backward, giving them the ability to grip things in reverse.

Facially, Heil do possess a similar skeletal structure to humans. The most obvious differences are the eyes, cheeks and teeth (as well as a complete lack of hair). Heil have three bony ridges that grow on the surface of their skin, beginning at the corners of their eyes and sweeping inward toward the nose before angling sharply down towards the mouth. These ridges have slight variations from individual to individual, sometimes varying their color or texture. It is not uncommon to see them pierced and adorned with jewelry or tassels. They have slightly longer ears than humans with an elongated helix and fossa but no lobe entirely. The ears also come to a somewhat elfin point and have a ragged appearance to the antihelix. A Heil's ears are also extremely sensitive, both to sound and to touch, and many consider them an erogenous zone.

Their eyes are luminous and lack any discernable differentiation between sclera, iris and pupil. These increase or decrease their brightness depending on the Heil’s mood and are often a good indicator of their emotions. Bright eyes usually indicate high-energy emotions like happiness or aggression, but dim eyes can show sadness, depression or disgust. Heil are also able to visually see magnetic field lines with these eyes, making them effective predators as they have the visual equivalent of electroreceptors.

Heil possess a dental structure very similar to that of a shark, with serrated teeth taking up the majority of their mouths. They do have molars used for grinding food, but the arrangement of their teeth is slightly varied to the point where it is not immediately apparent. Most adult humans have approximately 32 teeth, split between the top and bottom rows. Heil have 70 teeth with 46 of these being sharp and serrated. These teeth are further configured into two rows. The sharp, squalene teeth are all located at the front of the mouth and due to the double-row alignment it is impossible to spot the molars, even when the Heil is smiling widely.

#### Breeding & Reproduction

Heil also undergo a striking visual transformation when preparing to mate. For females, their bodies usually flush into deep blues and purples while their eyes begin to glow with a greenish light. They also produce silvery filaments that resemble hair which seems to grow out of their heads. Males undergo a similar transformation with their bodies changing to reds and oranges while their eyes turn yellow. The filaments on their heads are gold instead of silver. These filaments are not actually hair, but physically dense ion strands and magnetic fields. The purpose of these is to inhibit Heil Arts while the user is in this state. True to their aggressive nature, Heil mating is usually quite violent and abrupt with one partner consistently trying to dominate the other. At the end of this, should breeding occur, Heil children gestate for approximately 15 months before being born. Heil children take on only a few physical characteristics from their parents and the patterning of their skin is almost completely random. Sometimes, genetic markers for things like bone structure or body type are obvious inherited traits from one parent or another. Heil reach begin reaching maturity between 15-20 and are considered fully mature by 25-30.

#### Heil Arts

Heil also possess an incredibly unique adaptation they refer to as their “Arts”. Regardless of the configuration of the colors on their skin, one hand is always pure white and the other completely black. This is the key to them activating and using their Arts.

The Black Art is considered an offensive technique and is activated from their right hand. When placed against the ground, the user can expand a ring of inky black energy around themselves. Anything caught in this ring is subject to the user’s manipulations. A fact that includes a variety of techniques. Heil can not only levitate objects within this field, but can also throw them or move them around. Individuals caught in this field can have limbs crushed or torn off, making it incredibly deadly. With focus, practice and mastery, a skilled Art user can even alter the overall shape of the field and create ovals, squares or other shapes. Another skill that can be learned is the ability to make the Art field three-dimensional, extending parts of it above the surface of the ground in spikes, blades or other shapes. This level of mastery is extremely uncommon, though.

The White Art, in contrast, is a defensive skill activated from the left hand. Rather than a black field, a white one will encircle the user and expand outwards. This can be used to create barriers or walls for defense, but it is more commonly used for other purposes. Individuals within the ring will have non-lethal injuries treated almost instantaneously and can even watch grievous wounds close on their own. Overtaxing this, however, can lead to a variety of health complications for both the user and the recipient, so caution is heavily advised. The user of an art is also acutely aware of what injuries are being healed, so it is not unheard of for someone to use the White Art as a ‘scan’ to get a sense of how badly injured someone might be.

These Arts cannot be activated concurrently, as attempting this will result in a brain hemorrhage in the user. Specialized lobes in the Heil brain make the Arts possible and overtaxing them can cause problems across the board. Heil overtaxing their Arts can suffer from numerous health problems, ranging from headaches and dizziness to organ failure, strokes and death.

A tremendous amount of research is in progress to create a “Gray” Heil, one capable of wielding both Arts simultaneously. Many governments, both Heil and otherwise, have condemned this practice for different reasons. Research is also ongoing to develop boosters capable of enhancing Heil Arts. This was once apparently possible in their distant past, and different groups have been working for centuries to rediscover this technology.

### Names and Naming

Most Heil names look incredibly complex and long, but can actually be broken down into manageable, understandable categories. The first thing to know, however, is that Heil take great offense to someone using their name if they haven’t given it to them first. This offense can enrage a Heil to the point of bloodshed, so it is advisable not to address a Heil by name unless they have granted explicit permission first. While oral permission is the most common, there are ways to earn the right to call a Heil by their name — the most common of these being to defeat the Heil in question in combat.

All Heil names, regardless of Clan, have a double vowel in them (e.g. Klaara, Nyylu). The Heil consider the letters A, E, I, O, U and Y to be vowels with the letters A, I and Y being considered more feminine and E, O and U being considered masculine. This is far from an ironclad law, however, and it is not unheard of to see Heil with names that violate this.

A complete Heil name, when written out, would be written as “Klaara’Doran kan Mitragan”. This includes their first or personal name (Klaara), their House name (Doran), and their Clan affiliation (Mitragan). To put this in perspective of how a human might read it, they would look at the name and see “Klaara of House Doran from Clan Mitragan”.

#### Heil House Names

“Houses”, as they are called among the Heil, are large congregations of Heil that work for their common good. Heil can enter these unions by one of three methods.

The first and most common is to simply be born into that particular House. Regardless of situation, Heil born to a member of a house are automatically given that House’s surname. Heil do not recognize the concept of extramarital affairs or wedlock, so any child born to a specific House inherits that name regardless of how they were conceived.

Secondly, Heil can choose to enter into a lifelong marriage or partnership with a member of the House in question. This is a bit of a risk, however, as upon agreeing to this union. For the Heil who is already a member of the House, the ruling body will select a ‘Champion’ that must be fought and defeated. If the Champion defeats the challenger, they are unworthy of being a part of the house and are denied the honor of taking the House name. If the challenger defeats the Champion, they may (if they choose) take the House name or elect to have their partner take their own.

Lastly, and the most difficult, is to duel one of the House leaders. As these leaders are generally considered the most skilled and powerful in the House, this is an incredibly difficult task to undertake. It also has considerably more risk to it than simply trying to marry into the house and fight a Champion. If the challenger loses the duel to the House leader, there are only two paths open to them and the choice is left in the hands of the victor. They are either banished from their own Clan for their arrogance and weakness or are executed for it. However, if they succeed in their challenge, they usurp the leader they defeated and become a member of the ruling body. As such, this is incredibly tempting for many Heil. Few, if any, ever succeed in their challenges.

### Heil History

#### The Rohsin Era

Heil have had a long and storied history, one stretching back to well before humans ever existed on their own planet. The earliest accounts of their actual history date back millions and millions of years to a time period known as the Rohsin Era. During this time, Sovereign was a lush jungle world covered with enormous forests, sweeping prairies, moderate deserts and polar icecaps. From a distance, the world would have looked very similar to Earth. The Rohsin, a group of prehistoric Heil, had managed to crush any and all opposition to them and unite the planet under their tyrannical rule. They suppressed knowledge, including the ability to read and write, in order to keep the population of the planet subservient to them. During this period, they also fractionated the Heil to keep them from uniting, working avidly to ensure different factions disliked one another and the specializing them for their own gain. Some Heil were pressed into servitude as farmers, miners or architects. Others were recruited and used as guards for the Rohsin themselves. It is unclear how long this persisted for, as the Rohsin obliterated any and all records from before this time, spreading the story that they had always been in control and that it was some kind of divine right.

This rule by force persisted for an incalculable length of time, but the earliest records state that millions of years ago, the Rohsin Empire swept into an area near the equator and rounded up all of the female Heil in the area, taking them as slaves and concubines. A farmer tried to resist them in an attempt to save his wife and daughter, but the Rohsin response was quick and brutal. They captured and tortured this Heil in front of his own people before executing his daughter—Vylsam—and leaving him for dead. This Heil’s true name is lost to time, but he rebranded himself as “Aruned” after this event, taking on a name which symbolically means “Equity”.

Aruned would begin a guerilla campaign, striking at the supply lines of the Rohsin Empire and redistributing their wealth to surrounding settlements and regions. During this time, he developed a knack for communication, going on to unite the outlying colonies of Heil under his banner. It was viewed as an almost divine gift and many Heil dropped their hammers, tools or swords and forsook the Rohsin Empire to follow him instead. Aruned campaigned to bring fairness and freedom to the Heil – to create a world where one did not have to fear oppression by the Rohsin.

Although it took the better part of fifty years, Aruned succeeded in his impossible task of toppling the Rohsin Empire. In an unexpected boon, he was able to rescue his wife from them as well before dealing the final blow, knocking the once-great empire to its knees and executing its king in front of his own followers in the same way he had lost his daughter. Aruned then turned to his ten most trusted advisors and friends—surrogate generals who had helped him wage his war—and proceeded to build a new Heil government in place of the Rohsin Empire. It was during this time that the Ten Sabers of Aruned were forged.

Modern Heil scholars generally agree on everything up to this point, with the only point of contention being the origin of the Rohsin. Some believe the Rohsin were Heil, just like Aruned. Others point to potential fossil evidence that the Roshin were a parallel species to the Heil and were wiped out at the end of Aruned’s campaign. A third group believes the Rohsin weren’t native to Sovereign at all and points to the fact that if the Old Race had visited Sovereign, there was the possibility that other species did as well. Lastly, there is a fourth belief that this entire historical account never actually happened and is simply a story about the “New Gods” casting down the “Old Gods.”

Shortly after the creation of a united Heil government, Aruned and his family vanished. This was widely interpreted by the Heil of his time as a sign that he had ascended into the heavens and become a God, which ushered in the era of Aruned worship that persists in many facets of Heil society to this day, as well as causing an intense war that resulted in the Heil fragmenting. It also created an intense drive to visit the stars which propelled the Heil into an era known as the First Age of Exploration.

#### The Fragmentation of the Heil

The loss of Aruned at the end of the Rohsin Era caused a massive fragmentation in the new Heil Empire. The resulting civil wars ultimately split the Heil into numerous smaller offshoots which they called Clans. The origins of each one can trace some kind of root back to a member of the Council of Ten, Aruned's closest allies, and therefore each one believes they have an equal right to rule. As such, it was declared that their homeworld, Sovereign, would remain neutral. Each Clan was given a portion of the planet’s surface to build upon and neutral zones were declared to prevent skirmishes or wars.

Two other groups not considered Clans emerged from this division. The first group was the Guild System, which acted as a neutral party and would often take on the role of mediator between the Clans. The second group was referred to disparagingly as the ‘Clanless’ and were Heil who claimed no allegiance for one reason or another. These were the lowest caste of Heil and were even frowned upon by the neutral Guilds.

This fragmented, broken society also helped propel the Heil into the stars as they began to search not only for new life beyond Sovereign, but new territory for the Clans. This is something that has never waned and persists even to this day.

#### The First Age of Exploration

The Heil were slow to develop interplanetary travel, taking several million years just to reach their own moon, Dominance. It was only once they’d arrived on its surface that they discovered an Old Race Depositorium and began reverse-engineering the technologies they found there. With these new advancements in technology, the Heil swiftly spread throughout their home system, placing outposts or colonies on any world they could and establishing routes to ship resources back to Sovereign. This expansion continued for a few million years, the Heil painstakingly working their way outward toward the edge of the system.

During this time, the first Heil philosophers began to debate about whether other lifeforms existed. Proof of its possibility had been given to them by the discovery of the Depositorium, but there was no sign of its creators. Some began to speculate on the possibility that the Heil were either descendants of the Old Race, or that the Old Race had died out and left the Heil as the only surviving species. Repeated attempts to send signals into space were met with failure, leaving the Heil to conclude that there might not be any other sentient beings in the cosmos.

#### The Discovery of the Gatekeeper

Eventually, the Heil encountered a spherical anomaly at the edge of their system. When approached, it became highly active and aggressive, targeting the Heil ships that had reached it. This anomaly was a Gatekeeper, a sentinel designed to police ‘lower lifeforms’ that might someday pose a threat to the Old Race. They had been constructed trillions of years ago and sent forth to find systems that might someday harbor life and prevent it from leaving. By corralling these fledgling species within their home systems with such an overpowering force, the Old Race could spread from world to world unopposed while leaving these ‘lesser beings’ to die in the fires of their own supernovae.

The Heil, naturally, did not take kindly to this assault and dispatched every bit of firepower they had at their disposal. The Gatekeeper obliterated them without difficulty, cutting the Heil population in half and leaving them bereft of many vital resources. It also swept through the system on a violent rampage, wiping out Heil colonies and sending orbital stations crashing into planets. With its destruction complete, it vanished back to the edge of the system and went dormant.

With their empire in shambles, the Heil began the slow process of rebuilding their kingdoms. The legend of the Gatekeeper went from being a warning to being a myth over the generations and generations it took just to reestablish civilization as they knew it. Slowly over the course of a few million years, the Heil once again branched out from their home planet. They had initially held out hope that some of the colonies from the First Age of Exploration might have survived, but this was not to be. Every world they visited was home only to the wreckage of their former empire’s glory. A testament to how brutally thorough the Gatekeeper had been.

#### The Second Age of Exploration

The Heil once more set their sights on the edge of their star system, fully intending to defeat the Gatekeeper and access the Galaxy beyond it. Reestablishing bases on Dominance and digging deeper and deeper into the Depositorium for clues, the Heil developed heinously powerful weapons in their attempt to find a solution to the Gatekeeper.

Eventually, they once more reached the cosmic shore of their home system and confronted their jailer. This time, they had the might of their entire empire behind them. Having had ample time to prepare, the Heil had constructed a fleet large enough to eclipse their home star and sent it out to do battle with the Gatekeeper in the hopes of breaking free. Weapons capable of shattering moons were turned on the mechanical nightmare and while they managed to dent its hull, nothing actually worked. The Gatekeeper once more leveled the Heil Empire to ash and dust, destroying their colonies and ships with such a brutal, thorough attack that the Heil pondered for generations if the task was impossible. If they were truly doomed to die in their home system.

#### The Building of the Livan Constructs

Not to be deterred, the Heil began expanding through space again. This time, however, they had a stroke of luck. Remarkably, on one of the system’s moons, they discovered a bunker built by a group of Heil scientists during the First Age of Exploration. Within were plans extracted from the Depositorium for a series of weapons called the Livan Constructs. During the initial conflict with the Gatekeeper, this group of scientists had proposed using the Livan Constructs to destroy the Gatekeeper, but their plan had been swept aside out of arrogance and pride.

What the Livan Constructs actually were is unknown, as no surviving Construct has ever been found. Presumably, they are either entombed within the remains of Dominance or buried somewhere in the sands of Sovereign. Apart from their overall function, very little is known about them in terms of appearance or actual weaponry. All that is know is that the Livan Constructs were massive mechanical devices that could directly oppose the Gatekeeper.

Feeling this time that the Heil felt that they had an edge, they began to lay the groundwork for the construction of Ten of these devices and bring them to bear against the Gatekeeper. Regrettably, they never got to finish their plans. The Gatekeeper, perhaps sensing the Livan Constructs being manufactured, sprang to life in an effort to destroy them. This resulted in the near-complete destruction of the Heil once again and the almost-complete Livan Constructs being left dormant on Dominance.

#### The Age of Anger

When the Heil inevitably rose up once more to face the Gatekeeper, they were able to finish the Livan Constructs before their otherworldly opponent found its way to their shores once again. This time, the combined force of the ten Livan Constructs and the entirety of the desperate Heil empire began to overwhelm the Gatekeeper. To fulfill its mission, the Gatekeeper unleashed nuclear Armageddon on dozens of Heil colonies, blasting them to ruin and rendering the worlds uninhabitable for generations. Sovereign itself was not spared, nuclear fire stripping away the plant life and rendering the planet a barren, frigid desert devoid of almost all forms of life. Despite this, the Heil did not relent in their attack. Determined to bring down the Gatekeeper in the name of the billions who had fallen, they were willing to sacrifice their entire species in this final desperate gambit.

It was at this point that the Heil received unexpected and unwanted aid from beyond. The Alinteans swept into the system, opening fire on the Gatekeeper and turning the tide of battle in the blink of an eye. They annihilated it with no mercy, destroying the Gatekeeper and sending it crashing into the surface of Dominance, splintering the moon forever and tearing almost a full third of it apart.

The Heil were not as pleased with this development as most races, as they saw this aid as an insult. To them, having sacrificed so much—their own planet, their people, and millions of years—to defeating this Gatekeeper, having their victory taken from them united the Heil in a way never before seen. With nothing left to oppose them, the Heil spread out from their system like wildfire, taking planets for themselves and hunting down the Alinteans who had dishonored them.

#### The First Galactic War

Upon finally tracking down their enemy, the Heil launched into a brutal offensive which resulted in billions of Alinteans being slaughtered. Unprepared for the savage attack on their outer colonies and trade routes, the Alinteans were caught off guard and struggled to retaliate. Attempts at peaceful negotiation were met with more violence and the Alinteans were quickly subdued and enslaved by the Heil, as were many other fledgling species that the Heil encountered during this time.

The Alinteans did not simply sit by and allow themselves to be enslaved and instead retaliated against the Heil. Having more territory and more advanced technology, the Alinteans held their own against the full might of the Heil in a battle that lasted for over two million years. This became known as the First Galactic War and would be responsible for the extinction of several species, the destruction of numerous worlds and the loss of an incalculable amount of lives on both sides.

#### Ketrarch and the Senate

Ultimately, the First Galactic War was brought to an abrupt halt by the discovery of the first Progenitor, Ketrarch. A massive, sentient relic from the days of the Old Race, Ketrarch made itself known by devouring stars, planets and life itself. Initially assumed to be a weapon from the opposing side, the Alinteans and Heil blamed one another for creating the nine-dimensional AI before realizing the scope of the problem. Ketrarch was capable of snuffing out all organic life in the Galaxy if it wasn’t stopped, and that was exactly the goal it had in mind. The Heil and Alinteans created a temporary alliance and fought back against Ketrarch with the remainder of their armies. They were joined by three other species that had been hiding from the fires of the First Galactic war—the Zetans, the Ragans and the Rhurni—and together the five empires managed to destroy Ketrarch and bring an end to its reign of terror.

Deciding that enough was enough, the five major species met with one another to discuss a path of peace into the future. This meeting resulted in the birth of the Senate and the formation of the laws which would guide it. Once such tenet was the abolishment of slavery, which meant that the Heil had to release any and all of the species it had enslaved. Grudgingly, they did so, turning loose at least sixty different species to fend for themselves. With no help from the Senate, many of these species died out or fled into present-day Constellation Space.

#### Present Day

The Heil Empire has changed very little since their initial fragmentation after the formation of the Senate. The Ten Clans still persist to this day, often bickering over planets or moons within their domain or opting to work with other species in the Senate for varying reasons. The Heil are still regarded as a massive threat by many races in Senate Space and their presence is often accompanied by hushed whispers and paranoia, if not outright fear. They are mostly held in check by the rules and laws of the Senate they helped write, but this does little to assuage the fears of many other sentient species.

### Technology and Civilization

Heil poured far more resources into their weapons technology than anything else. As such, their weaponry is their most recognizable form of technology. Heil ion weapons are prized throughout the Galaxy despite generally being melee weapons. The craftsmanship involved means that ion weapons can last long enough to be passed down from parent to child among most races. Their ships are similarly outfitted with ionized spikes and blades and their hulls reinforced, making Heil ships adept at ramming enemy craft and lacerating their hulls. Although they possess long-range offensive options, it is far more common for Heil to ram their ships into the enemy and then attempt boarding action as opposed to engaging them at long range.

Because of the emphasis on weaponry, technology in other sectors has not advanced as quickly. Architecturally the Heil are approximately equal to humans, capable of engineering skyscrapers and bridges of immense scale. Much of their architecture is constructed from magnetic metals, which attracts the sand and makes their structures look like mud-brick, sandy buildings. They have attained fusion power, putting them ahead of humans, but generally use it only for electricity and general power purposes. They are also not known for expanding across their home planet, with much of the construction and advancement happening within their provinces. Off-world, however, it is not uncommon to see Heil building elaborate structures that aren't found natively on Sovereign. Biodomes, for instance, or enclosed causeways that stretch across planet surfaces. They are also one of the few species to still utilize mass drivers to launch unmanned craft or satellites into orbit, rather than waste the energy of taking it up with manned ships. Heil satellites are noticeable from a great distance away, as they resemble eight-pointed three-dimensional stars with ionized prongs. If the satellite is attacked, they are able to propel these spikes towards the offending ship with rudimentary tracking systems.

Planetary vehicles (as in those designed to operate on the surface) use a type of "dirty nuclear" engine which is incredibly compact, but also extremely outdated. Still, they can be produced cheaply and do not take away from the resources needed to build weapons or ships. This is one aspect of Heil civilization the Senate works to remedy, as these engines decay rapidly and, if damaged, can spread radiation around themselves.

### Heil Cultural Attire

Overall Heil culture is defined in a pecking order with the strongest Heil at the top and the weaker ones at the bottom. There are exceptions to this overarching rule, particularly where skilled artisans and laborers are concerned, but it is widely regarded that most Heil Clans will latch onto a specific attribute and then orient their societies around it. Clan Mitragan, for instance, values overall strength and dominance. As such, the Heil who have ended up in the ruling class are those who have brought down the most bounties, defeated the most enemies, or are most skilled with blades or combat techniques. By contrast, Clan Bytkam is predominantly composed of farmers and agricultural experts. The Heil with the largest fields, biggest crops or more robust livestock find themselves in a leadership position while those with smaller fields or crops find themselves in the working class.

Heil culture places a very strict cultural significance on their garments. Whereas on Earth there is a very loose definition of what constitutes “formal” or “informal” that only becomes apparent when examined in extremes, the Heil culture has clearly defined categories for clothing.

#### Space Travel Attire

Garments falling into this category include the standard-issue polyform, but Heil customs dictate that the polyform base color must be either black or white. Heil must also use the same color as their Clan in their LIM (Luminous Identification Marking) Lines. Armor is permitted, if not encouraged, to be worn with the polyform but must also follow strict guidelines. While some polyform armor allows imagery, Heil armor does not (with the notable exception of high-ranking military officers wearing a Clan crest on their chests). LIM Lines for armor are, again, required to match their Clan. Guilds utilize either gold or bronze as their color and the Clanless are identified by gray or silver.

#### Everyday Attire

Heil do not differentiate their day-to-day attire into categories such as ‘formal’ or ‘casual’. This is done instead with the headdresses, bracelets, necklaces or anklets worn by female Heil or by armbands, bracers and belts worn by males. Their standard attire consists of gauzy, semi-transparent clothing that differs between genders. Males often wear armored leggings with loose, flowing tops while females wear flowing skirts and tops but opt for armored boots and gloves. The metal used in the armor they wear varies depending on a number of factors, including craftsmanship and location, but the flowing material (referred to as *haazi* by the Heil) is worn in their Clan colors.

#### Seeker Attire

*Saakz’aa*, or ‘Seekers’, are Heil who are in the process of attempting to attract a partner. Female seekers wear elaborate gauzy garments made of the same haazi as their everyday attire. While they still preserve their Clan colors, these garments are also wrought with finely spun metals, dark fibers and sometimes even metal edges. Males wear more elaborate armored leggings and sometimes even partial capes or shawls with fanciful designs. Most of these garments are custom made, sometimes by the wearer, and depict achievements or accomplishments from their lives.

#### Breeder Attire

Breeders (Heil: *ciitz’ka/Male* or *syy’la/Female*) are a particularly low caste within Heil society, most often associated with either voluntary promiscuity (known as *dohalai*) or sexual slavery (known as *quilai*). This is then paired with the gender term to properly describe the title (e.g. *quilai syy’la*). While generally the Heil culture frowns upon breeders as a whole, it’s not unheard of for powerful nobles or Hierarchs to have several quilai that they keep as a harem. It’s a known fact, however, that voluntary ‘breeders’ (e.g. the dohalai) are scorned and looked down upon by the vast majority of Heil society. While quilai are often clad in attire similar to vassals, if not more revealing, doholai often make do with casual haazi that have been modified to show their intents. Some dohalai have been known (and punished) for modifying extremely expensive attire, or for stealing seneschal robes and other niceties.

#### Hierarch Attire

Hierarchs are the ruling body of the Heil and wear attire befitting of it. Regal robes, often inlaid with precious metals and gemstones, as well as flowing fabrics in their Clan colors. Some Hierarchs opt for large collars that cover their collarbones and shoulders, often depicting important or heroic deeds of theirs. Beneath the robes, Hierarchs wear armor with their affiliated Clan symbols and markings, as well as LIM Lines in their colors. They are among the only Heil permitted to change the color of the polyform base layer and can wear it in their colors if they choose.

#### Seneschal Attire

Seneschals act as minor officials, often akin to mundane human roles like judges or public officials, but can also include roles such as building managers, property or business owners, etc. They are commonly seen wearing form-fitting clothing with metallic ornaments mounted to them, often around the hips and shoulders. Female seneschals often have a whole or partial skirt in their Clan colors while males have a similar garment attached to their shoulders. They also wear specific headdresses with symbols pertaining to their roles if public officials. If they are a minor seneschal, such as a property owner, they may have a crest or medallion around their necks.

#### Vassal Attire

Vassals are the lowest citizens, often treated like slaves or property by higher ranks. In times of conflict, they are among the first sent to the battlefield and are usually regarded as expendable. Vassal attire differs somewhat depending on the Clan and on a few other variables, such as who ‘owns’ the vassal in question. One thing they all have in common is the presence of an ornate set of collars and wrist/ankle shackles engraved with the symbols of the Clan that ‘owns’ them. Some Clans (such as Clan Mitragan or Clan Umarak) elect to heavily armor their vassals as a show of strength and power, using them as guardians or shock troops. Sometimes individuals, particularly those of ruling houses, will also own vassals. In this case, their attire varies heavily. Nyylu’Doran kan Mitragan, for instance, owned several male vassals and kept them in a perpetual state of undress to show her ownership and dominance, although there is some dispute over whether or not these were true vassals. Based on various other factors, they may have actually been *quilai ciitz’ka*.

#### Chronicler Attire

Chroniclers are a specific caste of Heil dedicated to the worship of Aruned and the consecration of the temples and religious sites across the Heil Empire. They are also tasked with the preservation of artifacts of historical significance, making them de-facto experts on the history of the Heil as a whole. Thus, they are widely regarded among all of the Heil Clans and the Guilds with many of them claiming diplomatic immunity and moving freely throughout the Empire. Thus, they are one of the few Heil that do not wear colors at all, wearing robes in dark gray colors. Some opt to wear gray or colorless Clan symbols to signify their former allegiances. Chroniclers cast off all true allegiances, giving themselves to the study of the past and of ancient relics just as vigorously as other Heil give themselves to battle. The robes they wear are unisex, symbolizing the equality among the Chroniclers, and are easily visible due to their dark colors. Unlike other non-allied groups (e.g. Guilds), the Chroniclers are regarded highly by almost all of the Heil.

#### Laborer Attire

This kind of attire is less strict than any other class of clothing, as the Heil culture makes various allowances depending on the type of labor performed. Heil who work at the ion forges to craft weapons, for instance, are often required to hide their faces behind protective shields or faceplates. While normally viewed as cowardly, the act of hiding the face at a forge is more an act of practicality than fear and as such is allowed. There isn’t a strict guideline for this category. Instead, it is widely regarded as a catch-all term for “the clothes one wears when working”. It is worth noting, however, that Heil change into and out of their work clothes and do not generally wear them in public unless it is either required for their job (e.g. messenger) or they are procuring supplies.

#### Heil Jewelry

Instead of clothing denoting formality, this is the role of jewelry—specifically collars and headdresses— although it can also be done with the use of bracelets, anklets and piercings. Generally, it is the material they are made from that denotes the class of wear, followed by how ornate or ornamental it is. Depending on gender, Heil wear different types of ornamental jewelry as well. Females are known for wearing headdresses, anklets, bracelets and rings on both fingers and toes. Males typically wear crowns, collars, brace cuffs and hand rings. Both genders can display piercings, usually in their ears or facial ridges but occasionally in other parts of their bodies. Both genders are also known to wear ornamental chains that run from bracelets or brace cuffs down to their rings.

Heil divide jewelry into five main groupings, depending on the importance of the metal in question. Importance is a difficult word to define specifically for the Heil but is generally regarded by how difficult that metal is to acquire.

##### Category 01 (Brass, Zinc, Tin, Steel, Iron)

Jewelry made from these materials is generally considered to be ‘substitute’ jewelry that is worn for utilitarian purposes. One example might be a collar worn by a Heil working at an ion forge or bracelets made of steel worn by someone who cooks for a noble. They are not considered ‘poor’ metals but are considered more disposable. As such, it is not uncommon to see Heil wearing these regularly as they go about their day to day lives, making this the most common type to see. It is usually cast to duplicate a more important piece that the owner doesn’t want damaged.

##### Category 02 (Silver, Aluminum, Tungsten, Chromium)

These are often considered the ‘poor’ or ‘low-class’ jewelry. Because of the cheapness of the metal and its easy access, they are commonly seen among children and younger Heil as well as the lower classes. They are also often worn by vassals who have earned some degree of distinction within their Houses.

##### Category 03 (Titanium, Palladium, Copper, Iskindite)

This is the most widespread type of jewelry seen among the Heil. Good quality, mid-grade metals are often finely wrought into elaborate headdresses or collars. Iskindite and titanium are particularly valued and are often spun into ornate, opulent pieces of jewelry with gemstones or polished bones set into them. These pieces of jewelry are also regarded as battle jewelry and are commonly seen on Heil posted as guards or engaged in active combat. This is especially true for iskindite, which is tough enough to be used in starship hulls.

##### Category 04 (Gold, Platinum, Elenium)

Considered to be extremely formal by the Heil, these are elaborate and delicate pieces of fine jewelry that are prized by the Heil for their rarity. These are often worn by Heil at formal events or when trying to impress potential suitors. As with the previous category, these are often inlaid with gemstones and other valuable trinkets. They are also incredibly expensive, especially elenium, and are usually only available to specific castes of Heil. Hierarchs are known for having highly elaborate, opulent pieces of jewelry crafted from these metals.

##### Category 05 (Malkathite)

The rarest and most difficult metal to procure for the Heil—or for any race—is malkathite. As such, it is exceedingly rare to find pieces of jewelry of any kind made from it. Even small pieces like rings can cost more than some spacecraft, making them the ultimate status symbol. It is also difficult to acquire because most malkathite deposits are extremely small and difficult to access, commonly being found in outer regions like the Verges or in rare asteroids. Anyone who acquires a piece of jewelry made from malkathite treats it as a cherished family heirloom and likely has several duplicate pieces made to keep it safe.

#### Types of Jewelry

While there is no strict "law" denoting one type of jewelry or ornamentation to be worn only by a specific gender or caste, there are plenty of unspoken societal rules and general trends that permeate Heil culture as a whole. As such, certain pieces or decorative armaments have become affiliated or associated with genders or roles even if there isn't actually a law or social restriction attached to it.

#### Male Jewelry

* Crowns
* Armored Collars
* Brace Cuffs
* Shoulder Guards
* Circlets
* Dorsal Braces

#### Female Jewelry

* Headdresses
* Anklets
* Bracelets
* Chokers
* Waist Chains
* Rings

#### Gender Neutral Jewelry

* Hand Chains
* Belts
* Body Harnesses
* Amulets
* Arm Rings
* Piercings

### Heil Food and Drink

Heil have a largely carnivorous diet due to their sharp teeth, but are actually omnivorous. They are far from averse to a diet including fungi, fruits, legumes, and vegetables. Their planet never developed a grain capable of being harvested or ingested, and as such they never developed bread and were unfamiliar with the concept until they interacted with other species. Although some minor forms of dairy exist on their planet, they also were not exposed to it in truth until Starting to trade with other species. As such, many Heil have developed an intense fondness for “exotic” foods like bread, cakes, cheeses, yogurts and milk. This has been observed to be an extreme, as some Heil have even bartered away weapons or valuables for dairy products.

Most Heil food is spicy by nature, as a variety of herbs and vegetables produce something similar to capsaicin. The exceptions to this are the fruits and fungi growing on the planet, as these tend to have crisp, watery flavors similar to cucumbers or watermelons and veer sharply into sweet flavors. Edible flowers also exist in high abundance on Sovereign and these tend to have flavor ranges between bitter and sour. The legumes and nuts found across the planet are possibly the widest range of foods with some species being very sweet while others taste bitter, peppery or spicy. Like on Earth, Heil harvest salt from sodium deposits left over from the planet’s ancient oceans as well as refining it from sodium chloride mineral halite.

Culinary practices among the Heil are extremely varied and diverse, with different Clans cultivating different groups of crops and creating unique flavors as a result. Different methods of cooking are also employed by different Heil Clans as well, with some preferring open fires and brick ovens (like Clan Hemiark) while others prefer eating food that does not require cooking (Clan Laqian).

### Government

Each individual Clan is governed by a body of ten Hierarchs which oversee the critical inner workings of their people. These Ten Hierarchs are considered to be the strongest among that particular Clan and usually earned that title either through raw combat prowess or by achieving great things within their Clan. Kuurz'Megim kan Mitragan, for instance, was one of the Heil who was integral in shaping modern trade routes within Clan Mitragan, bringing an untold amount of wealth, but didn't actually have the combat skills most Heil do. Liima'Doran kan Mitragan, on the other hand, was widely regarded as one of the largest and most powerful Heil to have existed in recent memory and continually took on challengers to prove his might.

When a Heil becomes a Hierarch, whatever House they are a part of is elevated and considered a "Great House". As such, those houses are no longer sustained by the blood, sweat and tears of their occupants and are instead sustained by the Heil people for as long as that Hierarch is in power. This is one of the driving forces behind why many Heil queue up to battle existing Hierarchs, so much so that it has become a televised event on Sovereign. Cameras are posted in the Hierarch's Sanctum and when a challenger throws down the proverbial gauntlet, the ensuing battle is transmitted to local bars, gathering places, public plazas and even the homes of the wealthier Heil.

The Hierarchs rule from the aptly named Hierarch's Tower, which consists of only thirteen general areas. The first and foremost is the lobby, where any Heil can enter and see statues and carvings of the current Hierarchs. When a Hierarch is deposed, these statues and carvings are moved to archival museums that preserve a record of all past leaders. The archive is the second area, located beneath the tower and is a massive cylindrical area often referred to as the Tower of Rule. The third, and arguably the most well-known area is the Hierarch's Sanctum. It is located at the center of the tower and appears to be a massive arena. The Hierarchs discuss business and the functions of their Clan here and sparring between them is not uncommon (and also televised). Heil can come watch these sessions from stands above the main arena and it is considered an almost civic duty to come bear witness to the shaping of Clan politics and law.

The last ten areas are the ten floors of the tower itself, each one containing an entire mansion built along a toroidal floor plan. These opulent living quarters are where the Hierarchs spend their time when not in session. While they do not return to their House, they are instead allowed to bring their immediate families to live with them in the tower. This compounds the grief, however, if a Hierarch is killed during a challenge. Not only was the family more or less forced to watch, but they are evicted and sent back to their House shortly after. Their house is also stripped of its status as Great House, meaning all members must now work for the good of the House (although some Great Houses have been known to stash credits, resources or other valuables as a safety net against this).

Once every ten Heil calendar years, the one-hundred Hierarchs gather at a sacred temple on Sovereign known as the Cradle. Here, they stage a non-lethal tournament amongst themselves to determine who will be the representative to the Senate. Whoever wins this tournament must surrender their status as a Hierarch, leaving an open seat in their Clan, and go forth to the Senate Ring and speak for the Heil Empire as a whole. This individual takes on a very unique role in their society, as they shed any and and al allegiances (Clan, House, etc.) to become this representative, taking on a new name for the role. The representative prior to the Tenth Galactic War, for instance, shed her old name Miila'Cimut kan Umarak and went by Miila'Sovereign kan Heil. If a Heil attains this status, their house remains a Great House and retains all of the benefits that it entails.

When this individual is replaced at the end of their decade-long term, they are sent to a neutral zone called Valpha where they and their families can live until the representative's passing. This zone is considered an opulent resort, reserved only for those who represented their species to the Senate. Upon the death of one of these political figures, their families are allowed to return to their original Clans. Valpha is paid for and supported by all of the Heil, with funding flowing in from all ten of the Clans.

Unlike with the Hierarchs, there is no way to shorten the reign of a Senate representative. While a Hierarch can be challenged to single combat, the representatives are considered off-limits to these. As such, almost every Hierarch has their gaze set on this lofty goal.

The Guilds do not have a say in actively shaping Heil politics, but many Hierarchs have sought them out for counsel nonetheless. The Guilds hold a unique position of neutrality among the major political bodies of the Heil and, as such, can often give key insights to other Clans that would otherwise be invisible to members of other groups. Most Hierarchs will actively work to maintain a diplomatic corps that can venture out to the Guild City and meet with individuals, representatives, diplomats or even the heads of the five guilds themselves.