the operative network

Characters: The Hierarchy

DISAMBIGUATION: The Hierarchy is a meta-organization that serves multiple goals, legitimate and otherwise, through their color coded cells. With origins shrouded in mystery, this centuries old collective is divided into five divisions ...

Obsidian Dawn
Oldest of the sects, directly tracing their origins from their mysterious founder [REDACTED]. Much of their common lingo and patterns are based in hip hop and soul music, and their influence on that world is as strong as that of the Five Percent Nation of Gods and Earths. Best known for martial arts, their ability to route information and materials through even the most stringent restrictions.

Golden Tiger
The central intelligence agency of the Hierarchy, they specialize in cyber crime, data mining, manufacturing and elimination of problems, from an individual to a nation-state. They have a complex relationship with the Crimson Tide, seeking to obtain every new piece of knowledge before anyone else.

Crimson Tide
The hub of innovation and scientific research for the Hierarchy, they locate secret bases throughout indigenous communities around the world with their prime areas of operation being Alaska and the American southwest. They likewise lean heavily on the symbology and language of animism and indigenous spirituality, speaking often of maintaining the balance of things.

Northern Lights
The economic face of the organization, embedded in every major financial institution in the world. The bankers of the Hierarchy, they are forbidden by the organizational charter to ever take permanent control, but they always seek to influence things in other sects using monetary leverage. Their need for new ideas contrasts with their historical rivalry with both Obsidian Dawn and Crimson Tide.

Autumn Shadow
The political and public face of the Hierarchy, their own Sinn Fein, it is the only group that requires a specific language be spoken (Spanish). In nations around the globe, their lobbyists can be found in the halls of power and their experts are on call for the media in a variety of fields. They are the tip of the iceberg, hiding whatever else goes on unseen. Likewise, they are often called on internally to investigate and mediate between sects, giving them a great deal of influence.

In centuries past, sects was almost exclusively divided by race, but that practice fell out of favor during the 20th century, which saw the beginning of transfers between sects and enrollment in any for new members.

The charter laid down by their founder allows for one sect to be in control every ten years, rotating from Dawn to Tiger, Tiger to Tide, Tide to Lights, Lights to Shadow. At the current time, Autumn Shadow is in control, preparing for the next Great Convocation to transfer leadership to Obsidian Dawn.

Finally, each sect uses multiple classes of mecha for their military operations, some more than others -- Autumn Shadow has a force of less than twenty worldwide, while Crimson Tide and Golden Tiger keep vast fleets of them at secretive installations. There are five classes of mecha, with various subdivisions in each ...

Grand Master class (rumored, apparently only one of these exists, exclusively for the use of [REDACTED])

Written by Hannibal Tabu
Character design by Quinn McGowan