Silas Hellion

Silas Hellion is a Dragoon loyal to the Alpha Clan. He is most notably the leader of the conservative faction among the Alpha Clan high command.

Early Life
Born into a family who could directly trace its ancestry back to the original Dragoons, Silas was essentially a member of Dragoon royalty. Afforded the best quarters and tutoring his family's lineage brought with it; some might argue that Silas was pampered as a child. However this somewhat cushy upbringing did him no favors when he entered the academy. Pressured by his relatives to excel at everything Silas was constantly chastised for typically achieving average marks.

As he grew older so too did the pressure especially when other cadets from more lower born families scored higher than he did. This infuriated Silas who'd been taught that due to his bloodline he was naturally superior to majority of Dragoons. In his teenage years he did manage to achieve some success but it was never anything compared to what his family expected of him.

He graduated the academy very much middle of his class and was placed in Wolfsangel Squad.

Sibolga Incident
The second year into his service, Wolfsangel Squad is deployed to protect a rice plantation just outside the town of Sibolga in the Southern Reach. Unbeknownst to Alpha Clan intelligence the town has actually become a main staging ground for the Brotherhood of Cain. Believing the Dragoons have been sent to crush them, the Brotherhood acts quickly and attacks the squad. The Dragoons were briefed of possible insurgent activity but not for such a mass assault, the ensuing combat extremely bloody. Within minutes all of Wolfangel Squad is either severely wounded or dead.

Bleeding from a head injury Silas discovers he is cut off from the rest of the squad, the wide open rice paddies between him and them. Invigorated by their apparent victory the Brotherhood of Cain begins to advance through the flooded fields to finish off the Dragoons. Unable to contact his sergeant for further orders Silas seizes the initiative and instigates a miniature guerrilla war against the Brotherhood, using the terrain to cover his attacks. Armed with only a knife and pistol time and again Silas pounces on groups of cultists before slipping back into the vegetation. These ambushes cause the Brotherhood to order a retreat, fearing there are more Dragoons operating in the area than they had originally believed.

With the enemy having fallen back, Silas moves to his comrades, offering first aid to those he can and messaging for casevac. For his actions he is promoted to the rank of sergeant.

Warlord
Due to his lineage it was inevitable that Silas would be find himself elevated to a position of authority, his valiant feats at Sibolga reinforcing his capabilities as well as demonstrating what a noble blooded Dragoon should represent. When his grandmother, Edwina Hellion, steps down from her position in high command Silas' family advocates that he be put forward to take her position. David Bloomer approves the decision and Silas is soon promoted to warlord which galls many of the lesser born Dragoons who had to spend decades in the field before reaching their positions.

Taking his bloodline to heart, Silas begins advocating further rights and privileges to Dragoons of noble ancestry, stating that because they are held to a higher standard they must be superior to their lower blooded kin. This stance increases his popularity among the elite but mostly serves to alienate him from the majority of the Clan.

Operation Diomedes
With David Bloomer's announcement that the Alpha Clan will launch a campaign of extermination against the overly religious Beta Clan, Silas finds himself faced with some obstacles as his lineage is easily traceable back to the now blighted Clan. To maintain his family's status he publicly backs the Chieftain's declaration and even participates in planning and executing what becomes dubbed 'Operation Diomedes'. Whether out of true conviction or to further dispel possible doubts he oversees the destruction of many Beta temples and is rumored to have personally executed a dozen of their clergy.

Operation Achilles
A fervent believer in the destiny and might of Dragoons, Silas massively supports the plan to eradicate the Zeta Clan and seize their assets though he advocates that their navy be sunk rather than captured. Stating that art and culture are trivial items meant for effeminate intellectuals, he encourages his Clan to simply strip Zeta down its raw resources for fear their languid ideas might be contagious. Despite his protests Silas is placed in command of the 11th and 36th battalions who are tasked to coordinate with Zeta Clan defectors to assist in the assault on the Zeta capital of Delvon.

Following the completion of Operation Achilles, Silas is granted permission to help organize the reeducation of the Zeta human population. He cherishes this task and institutes severe regulations which only serve to strengthen the growing resistance.

Shah Campaign
Silas had not initially supported action in the Shah area, believing such pursuits were beneath him and his Clan. However as the insurgency there grew his opinion shifted and time and again he advocated liquidating the entire local population to ensure permanent compliance. This frequently saw him butting heads with other warlords and whoever the presiding field marshal was at the given time. Once his arguments against establishing the Recon Division were dismissed Silas stopped being involved in Shah, calling it a "Fool's grave."

Invasion of Roommenor
Once again using his family's standing, Silas secures himself a position organizing the second wave of the Alpha Clan landings in Roommenor. Despite his counseling that he be given command of Dragoons in actual combat his requests are dismissed by Jeremy Bloomer, the new Chieftain viewing Silas as lacking proper experience on such a important venture. This would see the start of Silas' conflicts with Jeremy even though he'd had such a rapport with the previous Chieftain. Silas had argued with David Bloomer about elevating his son too early and could not truly support such an act.

Silas would not arrive on Roommenor until after the failed assault on Mount Reverence. He is immediately tasked with overseeing logistical duties in the conquered municipalities though he has no interest in it or the captive human population. Quickly tensions mount between him and Fredrick Hesik, Silas blaming the younger warlord for failing to destroy Mount Reverence. These strains are only exacerbated by Jeremy agreeing to Elaine Galad's proposal of alliance through marriage. Silas and his supporters within Alpha Clan high command view the union as a mistake, fearing the dishonor it will bring to their people.

Personal Life
Resolute as ever in his ideals of what a true Dragoon was meant to be Silas had little time for personal hobbies or liaisons. Ever striving to prove his superiority he was dismissive of Dragoons who indulged in drink or other pleasures of the flesh. During his younger days Silas seemed to have an affinity for fencing which he retained into later life though he frequently stated this was to help challenge his mind and body not for enjoyment.

His marriage to Orlagh Kriteton was an arranged affair committed out of duty by both of them. If Silas had any misgivings about the union he did not make them public. From the accounts of colleagues and relatives their marriage was formal if not slightly cold. Silas was however considerably more involved when it came his second daughter, Lina. Viewing her as the true continuation of the family lineage Silas devoted more time to Lina than he did for his first-born daughter. His expectations for Lina, however, would result in her accidental death when he tried to intercede after learning she'd become pregnant with a human child. Privately Silas would blame himself for her death.

Following the death of his younger brother, Michael, during Operation Diomedes, Silas would reluctantly take charge of his niece Talia, committed to not let a child of their bloodline be an orphan. He had no little interest in Talia save for using her as a means to build up Lina and was annoyed when the two young girls became and remained friends.