“The Ancient Ones are enigmatic, unknown. Orothil'Kuntus, our guide, he brought us to our holy temple so that we may learn what they knew. One day. We shall know their desires for us, but until then we study. We analyse. For they have granted us peace and time for which we can learn”
- - High Loresage Tavass VI
The Hermitage To The Chosen Of Orothil'Kuntus, is a collective of offshoot Draconis who through the efforts of the Oikoumene were transplanted to the Unkown regions of the Cyrannus Galaxy millenia before the Draconis of Alcanti ever became a spacefaring civilization. The Hermitage is characterised either by the Loreseekers - who decode and analyse the contents of ancient archives - or the Truthkeepers a discipline order of warriors who dedicate themselves to protect the Hermitage's assets with zealous vigour.
The residents of the Hermitage has come to distrust outsiders and hold a particular distaste for the Cognatus Empire - who although sharing curiosity over the Ancient Ones the Hermitage's citizens study, the two have nonetheless come to blows.
History
Government
The administration arm of the Hermitage si known as the Order of Drakon's permitted, who see themselves divinely charged with carrrying out Drakon's grand design for the collective ethinicity of the Hermitage. While it isquestioned if they were indeed divinely chosen ,the Order serves as both the knowledge-gathering population, administrative division and military branch. Separated into three general orders: The Loreseekers, the Loresages and the Truthkeepers
Loreseekers
Loreseekers are archivists and clerks who serve as staff to the more senior loresages. Many in the order start off as an initiate, working their way up to become an apprentice lorekeeper. A solar colony can posess millions as they form the bulk of the knowledge-gathering labour force within the Hermitage's territory. Loreseekers frequently travel beyond the safety of their solar colonies in order to discover more information. As such, most are trained to know basic self-defence techniques but rely on the Truthkeeper order for proper protection.
Loresages
Loresages are senior members of the hermitage who are privy to the more important secrets of the hermitage's archives. Great trust is given to each loresage to maintain the secrets they hold. Loresages devote their loves to the gathering and organisation of the information available, particularly from amncient data archives. Loresages act as the librarians and knowledge-keepers of the Hermitage, each Loresage is considered a vital asset of the order and provide a great amount of wisdom, often serving as spiritual guides, lecturers or mentors.
The Hermitage is governed by a council of elders known as the Elder Loresages who manage the empire's day-to-day activities. Loresages are further divided into adepts, journeymen and apprentices. Adepts are collective leaders and act as ranking members of the order below the Elders, to which all orders follow. Journeymen loresages are each placed in charge of a single solar settlement. Each Journeyman is accompanied by between five and thirty apprentice loresages. To become a Loresage is an extreme honour and often takes years of being a Loreseeker first before a senior Loresage considers one worthy to hold rank enough to be privy to the hermitage's more contraversial secrets.
While Loresages are nto trained for combat, a number of them display noticeable mentalist abilities and benefit greatly from a long and active lifespan granted though their practices. it is not uncommon for even a journeyman Loresage to become over a millenium old with time.
Truthkeepers
The Truthkeeprs serve as both a standing army and as a guardian force to the Hermitage. Unlike Loreseekers and Loresages, Truthkeepers are trained exclusively for war and are equipped with advanced technology either the Hermitage's scholars have devised themselves, or possibly gleaned from archival notes. Truthkeeprs as a result are equpped with effective power armour and weaponry and are recognised by their ornate laminated armour.
As well as acting as an army, Truthkeepers - particularly lower-ranking officers - act as a police force on the solar colonies. All Truthseekrs start out as Neyarsehvii (neophytes). With experience in the field they become Hallus'Dromivaii (Aegis-bearers). Sepvenii (guardians) serve as field officers commanding lower-ranking Truthseekers in battle and are often given a cohort of thirty men. Successful Sepvenii rise to become Korvonhii (templars) who are ranking commanders i nthe field. Korvonni also serve as ship commanders, with dedicated fleet-bound Korvonii serving as ranking captains in the sacred fleet. The champions of the Truthkeeper order are the Vanhar'Thavii (dragon-blood) who serve as generals. A particularly successful Vanhar'Thavii would eventually rise to become a Khonsovus (paladin), who serve as both a senior commander and an elite bodyguard to the higher-ranking Loresages. A reserved cohort of Khonsovii serve as bodyguards to the Elder Council. The highest ranknig of all in the Truthkeeprs is the Magnu'Korvonhus (grand templar), who acts as the supreme commander of the entire Truthseeker order. While Khonsovii can be anywhere between 700 and 900 years old, it is rare to find a Magnu'Korvonhus under 1200 years old. While old, implants and conditioning allow the Magnu'Korvonhus to fight as ably as any soldier.
