Helgara lacks a standing military force of any kind. It instead relies on its extremely well-funded and highly trained intelligence agency, SERAPHIM, to deal with any and all threats, both domestic and foreign. Because of this, Helgara has one of the largest and most powerful covert bureaus in the Mundus. A number of the more militant members of the Church of Crissaar work alongside SERAPHIM, leading to a complicated power structure. Despite this, SERAPHIM is not official affiliated with the Church, making it one of the only non-religious institutions within the nation. Despite the fact that Helgara has chosen to remained isolated for much of the modern era, SERAPHIM still manages a massive network of spies and covert agents across Mundus. With the nation shifting to an increasing international presence, foreign intelligence has become a forefront of the Helgaran nation.

The Holy Shakespeare Company continues the tradition of one of the most influential Helgaran playwright's William Shakespeare. Despite this the HSC has been facing declining audience sizes, last season for the first time ever they didn't make a net profit on their season. This lead to the old artistic director being fired, and Reese Hightower being hired. While Reese is a veteran actor of the HSC, cast in a handful of productions, he is mostly known for his own production company known as the Ionian Contemporary, noted for its commitment to modern experimental theatre. Reese' announced a hallmark season for the HSC, and each production will feature a new twist. The female-led Hamlet is the first of this new season, and opened this weekend. Hamlet was set to run til the end of September, but has already been extended two more weekend, due to already being completely sold-out. This is already the HSC's most profitable production in recent history, and given the early ticket sales of the shows later in the season, this trend is only set to continue.

Artistic critics are in a bit of a disagreement over the production.The Ionian Artistic Journal said the gender-bending of the titular role has "breathed new life into one of the oldest still produced plays." While the Helgara Observer claimed that "the casting of Hamlet bended, although never truly broke, the story, a bit a little too much at points." Despite this, almost all are in agreement that the production is extremely well done, and as our own Helen Viso, said in her review, "the HSC has stuck gold. This production of Hamlet is a benchmark for what skilled artists are capable of, and once again shows why Helgara is the capital of theatre in Mundus. Reese Hightower has proven that his youth and daring to re-invent the Holy Shakespeare Company are well-placed. And, I for one, am already extremely excited to see the next production."

But not only the high class will get to enjoy Hamlet. Given the finical success, the HSC has announced a number of free performances for entire season that will show to the less finically stable and the youth. In the announcement, Reese stated, "Art is not, and should never be, only for those that can afford it. Our commitment is to support, entertain, and challenge people in all walks of life, be they old, young, rich, poor, Ionian, or Helgaran. With these showings, we hope to inspire a new group of theatre goers, as well as the next generation of artists."

Not everyone is happy though. A number of conservatives are calling for a boycott of the HSC, mostly focused on the fact that Reese is a trans man. Despite this, the boycott has gained little traction. The Church's acceptance of transgender issues has made Helgara one of the forerunners when it comes to trans rights. As Avatar Octavia has said many times, "The gender-fluidity of Crissaar is well-documented, and celebrated. Why should we as a nation not celebrate individuals who, are not only living their most authentic lives, but also are following in the footsteps of the most holy? Helgara as a nation has already fought these issues, and the acceptance of Crissaar is clear."

The next show of the HSC's season is Julius Caesar. The production will not feature a single HSC company member, and is instead a co-production with the Native Ionian Theatre Institute (NITI), known for it's commitment to casting and telling the stories of the Native Ionians.

The Church of Crissaar is divided into 8 (originally 9 before the Nir'Shado were disbanded) Blocs. The Blocs act as independent factions with their own sovereignty. The Blocs are only answerable to the Council of 13 and the God-Emperor. Both the God-Emperor and Council of 13 also settle disputes between Blocs. The Blocs sometimes have sub-factions within them known as Sects. Most of the time, Sects are militant or elite warriors.

The God-Emperor is the 13^th member of the Council of 13. The Emperor may weigh in on debates, but is bared from voting unless there is a tie. The God-Emperor has the power to issue decrees, which carry the weight of a decision made by the Council of 13. The Emperor traditionally uses their position to lead and direct the Council of 13, and is the symbolic figurehead ruler of Helgara. As such, the Emperor is often responsible for deciding foreign policy and leading the nation in times of crisis.

The Council of 13, when united, is the only group that wields power equivalent to the God-Emperor. Majority decisions are the bases for new laws and regulations within the nation. They also have the power to strike down an imperial decree. If conflict arises between two Blocs, the Council acts as arbitrators. Many Blocs and high ranking church officials appeal to various Avatars in order to curry favor. Any temple and official that does not belong to a specific Bloc answers directly to the Council, for example Guardian's Rest only allows monks who have not joined a Bloc to permanently stay. Avatars may chose Maars to serve as their personal eyes and ears, doing whatever is required by their Avatar.

The Holy Temple of Light is the oldest of the Blocs. The Holy Temple of Light was once a physical temple, but was destroyed during the War of Red. Since then the Temple has become a symbolic place. Members of the Temple all belong to the Path of Light and are devoted to the ideals of generosity and kindness. Because of this, the Temple holds great favor with the general citizens of Helgara, and its power base is in the Ionian mainland.

The Inquisition is a shadowy and infamous group. It is their duty to root out heresy and fight blasphemy. Often times Inquisitors will join other Blocs, and they are the only ones who can do so. Most Inquisitors are trained in the arts of persuasion and espionage, but lack combat training. Since the Mundus Convention on Universal Rights, the tactics of Inquisitors have slightly changed. They rely on physical torture and cruel punishments far less, and have shifted to more psychological versions. Inquisitors are said that, given enough time, they could break and reshape the mind of anyone.

Crissaar Undivided is famed for its legacy of taking members from both the Path of Light and Shadows and encouraging them to embrace both aspects of Crissaar. As a faction, they are extremely decentralized, its members free to act of their own volition. As such, members of Crissaar Undivided are known to randomly appear and offer their expertise in a number of situations.

Crissaar's Eyes is an extremely small Bloc. The Bloc's importance comes from its leaders- the Oracles. The Oracles partake in naturally occurring hallucinogens and their visions are said to be messages directly from Crissaar. In the past the Oracle's had extreme influence, but as society advanced, they gained a reputation as frauds. Despite this some still hold great reverence to the Oracles, and seek their advice in time of personal strife.   

The Nir'Shado were disbanded after some internal strife between the Helgara islands and the Ionia mainland.

---

There had been the usual exchange of greetings and congratulations and then Worten ushered them in for the welcoming dinner, despite the fact that it was 2PM. Hira was annoyed to say the least. He thought maybe his reputation would speed the unnecessaries along, but the Chaplain seemed overjoyed and relished in traditions. They had been rushed into the great hall and almost instantly food was upon them. Hira hadn't even gotten a chance to notice who was seated near him. To his right was Keylo, of-course. Somedays it almost seemed like she was attached to him, the way she cling to him. To his left was Xia. Xia was a strange one. Universally hated by the rest of the Avatars, Hira didn't mind him. Sure Xia had lead the Nir'Shado terrorists, often fighting the church directly. Hira had lost many of comrades to the Nir'Shado, but he had also killed his fair share of them too. But Xia hated the excess of the church just as much as Hira, if not more. Keylo was less sympathetic. She despised Xia. Funny, if not for their allegiances, their hatred of their duties would have made them fast friends. Or at least wary allies.

Hira looked for Harper. She was seated at the end of the table, next to The Widow. He did not envy the poor girl. The Widow could be nosy at the best of times. Even as he watched, the Widow was rambling about something while Harper stared blankly off into space. There was something about the girl that interested him. She was young, younger than even he was when he was raised to Avatar. He almost pitied her, the pulls of power leave their mark on everyone, the young especially. She was said to be exceptionally skilled. Hira had actually chosen her on advice from Yorik. The two rarely talked anymore, but if there was one man that had an eye for talent it was Yorik.

"She's perhaps the most naturally gifted fighter I've ever seen. I knew Keylo in her prime, and Harper comes close. But Harper has something she never had, she has a fighting spirit like you would not believe. The girl refuses to give up, if she's not careful it'll be the death of her." Yorik's words ran through Hira's head.

"But why the girl? Keylo is already the Avatar of Skill."

"If the moment is ever right, ask Harper where her mother is." Hira shook his head. Now was not to be thinking about some old has-been. He focused back on the dinning table. The monks had laid out a wide selection of fish, prepared and cooked in several different ways. They looked freshly catch too. The Avatars had already dug in, chatting with one another.

"Xia, tell me, how much are the Nir'Shado offering to the one that kills you?" Xia turned to Hira and smiled.

"15 million Khronemas if they kill me, 20 million bonus if they can deliver my head."

"Do the Nir'Shado even have that kind of funding?"

"Yes and no. No they don't, but I'm sure they have hackers who are capable of delivering that if need be. It would be very risky for them no doubt. But revenge drives people to do wild things."

"Do you harbor no ill will towards them? Were you not their leader?"

"Yes, I was. I built the first Nir'Shado cells personally. But I trained them well. The hardliners will never surrender their ideals."

"The Nir'Shado are gutless cowards. They use cheap bombs and kill civilians without warrant. To bear the name of the old holy guard of Ionia is a disgrace and a mockery." Keylo, never willing to look past her own point of view. In spite of himself, Hira smiled. He may hate everything about the Council of 13, but at least things never really changed.

Xia turned towards Keylo, like a lion ready to pounce. This was the kind of comment commonly made towards him, and he was ready to defend. "Is there another way to fight in this modern world? When you have powers such as Rokkenjima, Achkaerin, even Moreland? There is no way a little traditional rebellion could ever directly stand against them. The weapons of the military-industrial complex are far too powerful. What can a thousand of angry voices do against a nuke? Or even a squadron of bombers, a division of tanks? Nothing. That is the beauty of my Nir'Shado. If you can't beat your enemy, change the rules of the game. Train freedom fighters to ensure nowhere is safe. Make everyone a suspect and then no one really is. The Nir'Shado can strike at anytime and disappear into the crowd at any moment. This is the way empires crumble in the modern world. This is how nations fall, from within."

"But you're fighting the Church of Crissaar which lacks the powerful military you describe. Helgara doesn't even have a standing army. Terror tactics are cheap and easy."

"Helgara may not have an army, but how many orders answer to the church that house member trained almost from birth to kill? Common people could, and will, never win in a direct fight."

"The members are the church are Crissaar's chosen people, anointed by the Goddess, herself." Xia opened his mouth to reply, but Hira raised his hand and silenced him.

"Come now, this is a happy and joyous time, let us not spoil it with talks of ideology and warcraft." It was at this moment that Worten re-entered the dining hall. Hira couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disgust. He made his descent across the table towards Hira, stoping to talk to the occasional Avatar, mostly the older ones. He likely knew them from when Valik ascended to Godhood. After what Hira deemed far too long, Worten finally reached Hira.

"Arise Avatar, the time has come from your trials to begin."

With the 13 months of mourning after the loss of God-Emperor Valik ending last week, the Council of 13 has announced that Avatar Hira will succeed Valik. Hira is one of the youngest of the Avatars, only 23 years old, and only having served on the Council for 6 months before Valik's death. Despite this many are hopeful that Hira will usher in a new age for the nation. Hira is said to be forward thinking and a great compromiser. He has gained a sinister reputation due to being the Avatar of Rage, but his political career has shown him to be anything but. Many political commentators believe that Hira's first push once ascending to the throne will be to seek more international ties. Helgara has mostly chosen to remain neutral and isolationist in the modern era, its only real interaction with its neighbors being the exporting of the rich Helgaran oil and minerals.

The Council of 13 will be traveling to the historical capital of Helgara, Guardian's Rest, next week in order to preform the rituals and purifications for Hira to ascend to God-Emperor. The trip will last 6 days and 7 nights. What exactly these rituals and purifications are is one of the great mysteries of the Church of Crissaar, only the Avatars and the Grand Clerics of Guardian's Rest are allowed to attend and participate in them. Duke Thaine will be joining towards the end of the trip in order to discuss with the new God-Emperor the governance of the Ionia mainland territory.

In addition, the Council has also announced Hira's successor- an unknown Acolyte named Harper Violet. Harper reportedly belongs to the Path of Shadows, just like Hira. Harper is also rumored to have been studying to join the infamous Night Sisters. There has been no word on what the new Ascendant Face of Crissaar will be, and likely there will be none until Hira officially raises Harper to the position of Avatar.   

Official Name: The Hallowed Dominion of Helgara
Alternative Names: Helgara, Dominion
Demonym: Helgaran
Current Capital: The Court of Blades
Historical Capital: Guardian's Rest
Largest City: Hamantra
Currency: Khronema
Exchange Rate: 1 Khronema = .71 USD
Languages: Aelven and English
State Religion: The Church of Crissaar
Government: Theocratic Aristocracy
Leadership:
- God-Emperor Hira
- Council of 13 (The Ascedent Avatars of Crissaar)
-Duke Marcus Thaine
Time Zone: East Ardia
Population: 28 Million
GDP: 1.7 Trillion USD
GDP per Capita: 58,000 USD
Main Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, industrial gases, rare minerals mining
Drives on the Left
Internet TLD: .hel
Calling Code: +13