The Hand of Ra
History
Over the course of Ra's reign on Hesper, he has found numerous situations that required his direct intervention, such as the Siege of Simtum Das. However, there always existed situations that were too dire for his priests to handle on their own, but not so dire as to necessitate his direct invention. Unfortunately for him, his rule depended on the success of these operations and he was often called away from the task he was working on in order to further his rule. Upon the completion of the Tower of Souls, Ra found a powerful new tool that he did not plan on. One that would make this annoyance an issue of the past. Every living being with a soul will eventually come to the Tower in their time. Over the thousands of years that the Tower has stood, billions upon billions of souls have been drawn to the Tower. While the masses would be unimportant for Ra, used merely for his own consumption and various other experiments, those showing exceptional talent would draw his attention, for both better and worse. These souls are plucked from the Choir, their own ethereal screams magnifying once identified by Ra. Then they are placed into artificial bodies made of flesh and steel. These monstrous creations are as brutally strong as they are terrifying to behold. Then, slowly, Ra begins to strip away every part that made these souls who they were, with the exception of the gifts that he plans to exploit. In their place he places pain, anger, sorrow. Whatever he needs to fully control them. It is only then, when he has full control to leverage their gifts for his own gain that he will unleash them upon the world with as many soldiers as they need. A fully devoted General of Ra. Throughout the history of Hesper, there have been many generals. Of those who were "retired" they were largely by Ra's hand in response to a disappointment or failure. Very few often fall in battle, but that is not to say it doesn't happen. There have been many famous military leaders that Ra has perverted in the past such as Hannibal, Shaka Zulu, and Richard I, but they have all fallen and been replaced. The Hand consists of five generals, all chosen by Ra.The Current Hand
Alexander the Great
In life, Alexander was known as a conqueror, but not necessarily one based upon slaughter and brutality. He spread Helenism thoughout his entire empire and personally lead his troops in battle, showing great courage and determination. Upon his death, Alexander had never known defeat. However, Ra would defeat him in spirit even if not in battle. Eventually, Alexander was placed into a humanoid body of gold and gems. No longer the fair and charismatic leader he was in life, he is brutal, cold, and uncaring. His tactics and eye for battle are unchanged, if not improved by countless centuries of warfare. He commands the largest battalion of Ra's forces not directly under the God-King's control. His victories have left a mark on the planet, with many of the cities on the Graveyard Peninsula being directly attributed to him.Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu in the centuries after his death has achieved a nearly mythical status. He was best known not for the way in which he would engage in war on the battlefield, but for the ways that he would engage with war off of it, including subterfuge, mind games, and clever stratagems. However, since Ra claimed him for his own, he barely resembles his former self. Now contained in a pewter shell covered in eyes, Sun Tzu sees all. His forces are actually the smallest of all the generals, but that is by choice. Each one of his soldiers is highly specialized and trained to perform whatever actions are needed. An army is not needed when a single shot will suffice. While he is still the brilliant strategist that he was in his first life, he now revels in the combat and cruelty that he seldom engaged in in life. He still uses the psychological tactics he is best known for, but with added suffering. Seldom has a resistance been as demoralized as they were when walking through miles of their dead comrades, crucified for all to see.Valkyr, the Red Scourge
Therra is not without its generals, though the most famous of which are the god-king's who have their souls anchored away from Ra's reach. Valkyr was a Zhul-ya who commanded the armies of Tyrus Das in ages past. However, right as he was about to begin a campaign to extend his city-states rule and conquer the cities still weakened by Mortuus' betrayal, Tyrius was reinkarnated. In this world just a century after the end of such a devastating war, Tyrius did not want to betray his other god-kings and as such took control of the city and its forces. This did not sit well with Valkyr, it was his life's ambition and he had spent years preparing for this war only to have it taken away from him. He broke away from the city and took as many forces as he could with him. These forces along with an entire battalion of mercenaries made him one of the most dangerous warlords on the planet. Valkyr, the Red Scourage, began his own war, but not for land, glory, or power. His war was waged on hatred. He was brutal, as he would siege cities and deprive them of food. He would launch dead bodies inflicted with plague over city walls. Nothing was too low or too brutal. It took all of Tyrius and Nemora's combined forces to bring him down. The Scourge reborn. Ra has no aversion to cruelty, so when he learned of Valkyr and the trouble he caused, he needed to tame the beast. A fleshy monstrosity with metal spikes pointing in every direction. When Ra stuck him in this body, he purposely amplified his pain receptors to have him being in constant pain, amplifying his anger. Valkyr is never sent on sensitive missions. He is not one for subtly. Whenever Valkyr arrives, its determined that there will be no prisoners, no mercy, no forgiveness. His hatred spares nothing. The battlefields of his conquests leave nothing but pulp, with the blood so thick in the air you can choke on it like a fine mist.Hca'aa
Hca'aa is the oddity of Ra's generals. During his life, Hca'aa was no great military leader, no great strategic thinker. He was very capable of course, but he does not match the same highs and majesty of his peers. What Hca'aa was, however, was a leader. He was born like most other cha'ari in the Rookery. However, his village was one day razed by Ra's forces. Stricken with gried, Hca'aa was filled with anger, but it was righteous. He spent years cultivating a resistance towards Ra. As the Night's Call grew, Ra could no longer ignore this resistance. Often a small group of priests can eliminate the leadership and the group will fall, but that would not work for a force like this. He took it upon himself to surround their base with his priests and several generals. Over the next few hours, Ra and his forces slaughtered all but a scant few of the Night's Call, leaving them only to witness and spread the horrors that he had just committed. To prove his total domination, Ra slew Hca'aa, but even in death he was not spared, for Ra needed another general. Hca'aa has been placed in a body that's superficially resembles his own, but his original head is still attached. His head is connected to a large bird like body with voice amplifiers all over it. While he technically is a general, he spends little time in combat. Instead, he flies overhead with his troops to spread propaganda and destroy infrastructure from above. Ra did not need Hca'aa for his prowess, he needed him to serve as a reminder.Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan, a punishment for the sins of the world. That is how he was seen by many of those he conquered. On horseback with slings of arrows he expanded his empire father and wider than any one person before or since. While to his people he was seen as a savior, to his enemies he was seen as a living nightmare, and that is exactly what Ra sought. Genghis Khan arrived on Venus and after some prodding by Ra, he was not only willing to be his general, but he was enthusiastic about it. He was transformed into something more beast than man. His upper body and torso remained the same, only toughed with leathery skin, but his entire lower body resembled that of a horse, but with eight legs and twice the size of any normal stallion. He was a brutal and deadly force, able to chase his enemies from one end of the continent to the other.However, Genghis Khan was slain recently, meaning that there are only four generals at this time.
With the death of the Khan, Ra currently has his eyes on a fifth prospect. Ra can easily identify an aptitude for military talent and has long sought after a general that he finally has his hands on.
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