Concord of Reconciliation

The Concord of Reconciliation, commonly known only as the Concord, is a coalition of several dozen post-Covenant polities and organizations. It is the largest grouping of Covenant splinter polities to arise from the Great Schism, and is recognized by many (including the UNSC) as the Covenant's legitimate successor state. Arbiter Thel 'Vadam symbolically leads the Concord in a role analogous to the warrior-king Arbiters of old, but in practice, the organization's power structure is quite diffuse, and it inherited much of the byzantine internal politics which characterized its predecessor.

The Concord sprang from the Schismatics, the predominantly Sangheili-led groups that were united in their opposition to the Covenant loyalist Jiralhanae during the first months of the Great Schism. At first, vanquishing the loyalists was the Concord's primary motivation and the glue that bound most of its members together, though several of its core founders -- the Arbiter included -- harbored grander ambitions from the start. It were these ambitions that also gave rise to the Concord's name: for the Arbiter and his allies sought nothing less than to provide a functional and attractive alternative to the now-failed Covenant.

The foremost function the Concord fulfills is organizational. They seek to bring order to the chaos left behind by High Charity's fall by taking over the Covenant's basic roles: facilitating trade and an overall functioning economy by policing shipping lanes and spaceports, bringing relief to worlds struck by famines or disasters, and to some extent regulating access to key technologies and reliquaries, particularly strategic Forerunner sites such as the Halo rings. The Concord has also taken it upon themselves to gather and archive what they can of the Covenant's technological, scientific and historical knowledge, which have become immensely valuable following the loss of High Charity. Finally, the Concord has a cultural goal, seeking to provide a common purpose for a meta-civilization in a crisis of faith.

In practice, the Concord has had varied success. The Great Schism created dozens of competing political and religious movements, many of which held influence within the Concord's decision-making. It quickly became apparent that the goal of cultural, ideological and even religious reconciliation would be difficult to achieve due to the myriad political differences that existed among its members. Ultimately, the Concord's ability to police its member states or their individual policies is limited, which has at times worked to the coalition's detriment. As well, its leniency to internal strife and division caused some to perceive it as ineffectual, and the Arbiter's unwillingness to rein in the excesses of some of his more fanatical followers has ended up alienating some of his traditionalist allies.

Eventually, these festering disagreements and divisions gave rise to a series of secessions and civil wars beginning in the 2570s, which would last over two decades and eventually usher in a radical restructuring of the Concord, marked by political consolidation and a renewed focus on the organization's core mission of reconciliation.

Origins
As a formal coalition, the Concord of Reconciliation began with the Singular Bond, the pact made by the 24 Sangheili commanders in the wake of the Human-Covenant War. As the newly-created Concord, these commanders then proceeded to enter the Treaty of Luna with the UNSC in February 2553, considered by many to be the formal end of the war. However, historical commentators have pointed out that the seeds which would eventually flower into the Concord were planted much earlier. Such views postulate that the origins of many of the philosophies that shaped the Concord in its formative years lay in war-era movements that expressed disgruntlement with the war or the Last Triumvirate's rule for various reasons.

Many Sangheili, particularly among the generation that had come of age in the years after the war began, began to question the Hierarchs' motivations for the war, giving rise to movements that characterized the zeitgeist of the later Ninth Age of Reclamation, such as the Compuncta and the Elenchists. As the war dragged on and Covenant troops became more familiar with humans and their ways, these movements called into question the basic premise of the war. Not only did humanity seem to lack the purported collective cultural hatred of Forerunner artifacts, they seemed to have very little knowledge on the Forerunners in general, most of it having come from the Covenant themselves. Not only that, but many would point out that even if the humans' crimes were true, the Lekgolo had once sinned as well, perhaps more gravely, yet they had eventually been welcomed into the holy union. Surely, then, there must be something the Prophets were not telling the masses about the causes of the war? Then there were the Enquirers and the Stipulants, whose compunctions with the genocide itself were less overt; rather, their grievances lay in the Hierarchs' elusive motivations in general. To them, the prolonged holy war began to seem like a convenient way to draw their attention away from the numerous internal issues and points of unrest within the Holy Ecumene, issues that had simmered under the surface for many generations- including the rising influence and power of the Jiralhanae, once the scourge of the Spinward Realms, the gradual decline of the Sangheili aristocratic class, and the Hierarchs' tampering with the delicate balance of power among the Ministries, which severely upset the fabric of the Covenant.

Such movements largely existed under the surface, but they troubled the Hierarchs enough to eventually implement their ultimate divisive mandate, which would spark the Great Schism and prove the death knell of the Covenant. And when that turmoil struck, the socio-cultural undercurrents would come erupting to the surface, directly or indirectly inspiring the creation of countless new movements, groups, polities and religions.

Governance
The Concord's politics are a complex interplay of political movements and factions, various martial orders, guilds and other organizations, and member polities. Many state functions within the Concord are not internalized to a centralized bureaucracy, but are fulfilled by a number of independent or semi-independent organizations, such as martial orders and guilds. This means those organizations' interests weigh in considerably within the Concord's decision-making. For key functions, however, the Arbiter and his allies saw fit to establish a number of new bodies independent of any preexisting organization to avoid excessive conflicts of interest.

In its early years, the Concord had no formalized government branches. Power largely rested on the Arbiter and the First Signatories, as each party largely concerned themselves with their own matters. However, it was apparent that such a tenuous and vague state of affairs could not stand for long, as it would likely lead into the Concord quickly breaking up into warlord fiefdoms. In response, the Arbiter and his inner circle began to assemble periodic Councils of Deliberation, beginning with the Concord's first Grand Council in 2554. Part of an ages-old tradition, the summoning of a Grand Council would both appease traditionalists concerned about the old ways being forsaken altogether, and give legitimacy and weight for the budding Concord in the eyes of many.

Political influence within the Concord is heavily tied with the ability to contribute to the whole, either in the form of military power or basic amenities like foodstuffs. Most of the smaller member polities which cannot contribute much are merely protectorates (known as Enfolds), and have little to no say in the Concord's affairs on a high level.

Subgroups and political factions
Even as they share an original core mission, the Concord is hardly of one mind. In addition to the cultural and social differences in the hundreds of signatory polities, many different political movements and factions that emphasize different areas of development have emerged in turbulent formative years of the new order; some of these movements have formal power within the Concord, while others have influence but no practical representation in the group's political system. The Covenant always had its internal factions, but the Schism was a watershed event that created new divides and conflicts that pushed many of these old points of contention to the background. Numerous movements were born, burned brightly and died within a few months or years in the early years of the Schism.

It should be noted that many of these are broad, high-level categories. Individuals or even single member states often have nuances to their views and may not neatly fit the larger groupings as such.

The Sworn Vanguard is a martial order of like-minded individuals Thel 'Vadam has gathered around himself, and the group with most practical power within the Concord. Of these, warrior-diplomats known as Conciliators, hand-picked by the Arbiter himself, serve as the Arbiter's personal representatives and enforcers where he is not present. The Vanguard's sigil is a slight variation upon the Arbiter's Mark, former Mark of Shame, which they now wear as a badge of pride. Their armors and vehicles use the iridescent emerald green as a heraldic color as well as metallic colors -- silver, bronze, copper and gold, depending on rank and station. Many come from those who personally witnessed the Arbiter's deeds on Delta Halo and/or the Ark. Many of the First Signatories, the commanders and those who signed the Concord's first pact in early 2553, are still part of the Vanguard; though some have died, and a small number have changed allegiances.
 * Sworn Vanguard

The Ascetics are an order of Sangheili warrior-philosophers, ethicists and mystics that has seen a revival following the Covenant's dissolution. While independent, they are closely affiliated with the Sworn Vanguard, through their envoy, Usze 'Taham; otherwise, outside of their participation in campaigns, their constituent chapters can be fairly reclusive, sequestering themselves in their fortress-cloisters throughout the former Covenant dominions. The Ascetics were the first major warrior order to acknowledge the Arbiter and the Concord as legitimate, and this likely influenced several other orders' decision to do the same. While the Ascetics have been one of the most successful groups in reconciling their faith with the Concord's ideals, the split of the Servants of the Abiding Truth from the Concord saw a schism of its own within the Ascetics' number, with some of the more uncompromising members affiliating themselves with the Servants to form a splinter order.
 * Ascetics

The Strident Blades are a large political-military faction that underlines the Concord's ongoing mission to fight and eradicate the remnants of Truth's loyalists, most of whom are Jiralhanae, and bring the strategic assets -- worlds, ships, and weapons -- entrusted to the Jiralhanae by Truth back under the Sangheili control. The Blades hold that this original mission should take precedence over other pursuits, such as the Concord's internal factionalism or aiding humanity.
 * Strident Blades

The Contrite Estate, often known collectively as the Contrite, are a loosely-organized monastic sect born of the teachings of former Sangheili Ultra Zona 'Unaar, built around the pillars of shame and repentance. Whereas many Sangheili who experienced overwhelming guilt over their actions in the war took their own lives, 'Unaar proclaimed that suicide was the easy way out of such ultimate shame, and the only way one could even have a glimmer of hope of absolution was to devote the rest of one's life to undoing the damage the Covenant inflicted. Many, though not all, of the Contrite also swear to not take up arms, which is exceedingly rare among the Sangheili, even in monastic orders. The Contrite have no formal structure and there are various groups and individuals operating under the name; swearing the Vow of Decisive Contrition and living by it is enough to identify as one. The Contrite are also identified by a self-inflicted scar-mark behind their right eye. In keeping with their loose nature, the Contrite have no official affiliation with the Concord per se, though the two collaborate with one another as their goals intersect.
 * Contrite Estate

A martial order assembled with the blessing of the Arbiter in the first half of 2553, they seek to eradicate any Truth loyalists with an enthusiasm that often crosses into fanaticism. Many members of the order are young warriors with a passion for both vengeance and a cause to believe in. The order of Furious Absolution ends up effectively growing beyond the Arbiter's control, and while useful to the Concord in many ways, they also alienate some of his moderate allies with their uncompromising ways. N'tho Sraom serves in a key leadership position within the order.
 * Order of Furious Absolution

The Eclectine, also known (sometimes derisively) as the Dispar or Sunderers, are a meta-faction campaigning for the Concord to retain its current, distributed nature with minimal control over its constituent polities. Many Eclectine subgroups support continued economic and even military cooperation to an extent, but oppose political centralization and regulation efforts.
 * Eclectine

The Coalescent push for a development toward a Covenant-style federated state with increased central regulation, which would often happen in favor of whatever polity or region they represent. By extension, many of the Coalescent also seek to bring other, non-Concord polities to the fold, by force if necessary. The Harmonists are another movement (sometimes understood as part of the Coalescent meta-faction) with the ultimate goal of relative ideological, social and political unity within the Concord.
 * The Coalescent

The Shepherds are a Sangheili grouping encompassing a range of dispositions that emphasize the Sangheili's "naturally" superior place at the head of the Covenant meta-civilization, and thereby their responsibility in guiding that civilization into the future. They call for a retention of the Covenant's caste system, either partially or wholly. Many also campaign for a more unified Concordian state capable of effectively enforcing such a system. Most of the Shepherds agree that humans should be brought into the fold, and occupy a place below the Sangheili; while many Sangheili agree that some integration is necessary, the Shepherds are generally understood as those on the hardline side of that spectrum, or at least for being vocal about their views. Still, their positions vary from direct military subjugation to gradual economic and cultural integration. A commonly-cited reason for subjugation is generally the UNSC's use of AIs, which is still seen as anathematic by many Sangheili.
 * Shepherds

The Palimpsest faction is a group of reformers. While most of the Concord members believe the Covenant was faulty, the Palimpsests are the quickest to propose social and political reforms, such as the abolition of the caste system, increased meritocracy and opportunities for social mobility, and cultural reforms. However, many of these reforms are still based on older, Covenant-era ideals which in their view were not evident in practice, such as the old Sangheili virtue of meritocracy. In their view, the mistakes the Hierarchs made in the war and the Schism proved the old ways no longer work, and must be replaced altogether with a new framework of being. The typical supporters of the ideology are on the younger side, and often from smaller houses; it is also the faction with most non-Sangheili supporters. Their rhetoric draws heavily from a modern revival of an obscure and ancient religious tradition, the Doctrine of the Broad Path, which emphasizes the unity and brotherhood of the different species of the Covenant, mixed with the more recent views of certain contemporary philosophers and orators.
 * Palimpsests

The Orthodox (sometimes known by their opponents as Intransigents) is a general term for traditionalists, mostly comprising old nobility who treasure tradition, cautioning against hasty reforms and, if any reforms are made at all, carefully considering what can be salvaged of the old order. Most of the orthodox come from old, powerful houses with fixed power bases, and are grounded in long, historic traditions. Many are also Feudalists who wish for a return to increasingly distributed power within the Holy Ecumene. Their views on humans vary, but many support either bringing them to the fold as a client race, or leaving them to their own devices, though some also agree with the Arbiter's policy of cooperation while focusing their attention on internal affairs.
 * The Orthodox

The Mercantile Cohort is an alliance of Concord-affiliated trader guilds and consortia that primarily champions for the rights of merchants and traders, as well as underlines the Concord's role in facilitating free trade over its sphere of influence and to outside polities.
 * Mercantile Cohort

The Stewards of Discovery are an alliance of scholars and discovery-priests devoted to ensuring the study of Forerunner relics and technological prowess are retained in the Covenant's wake, and that the wisdom gathered over the eons will not disappear from the galaxy. Their core principles, drafted by the hieromonk Ma'ka Thuw Rhuti, call for preserving and distributing knowledge on entrusted technology and Forerunner relics so that a situation like High Charity's loss would not happen again. They also call for resources to be channeled to the continued study and exploration of reliquaries and artifacts, and a commonality between discovery-priests across partisan lines if need be, in favor of enlightenment over short-term factional conflicts. Because of the critical nature of technology in the post-war arms race between polities, the Stewards are taken quite seriously, even if the Concord's leadership cannot realistically fulfill all their demands. The Stewards have been drafted as the Concord's main scientific arm for now, albeit under supervision.
 * Stewards of Discovery

The Demarcati are a movement that stresses the importance of reconciling if not the Covenant faith, at least the fundamental worldview, with the new revelations at the end of the war. The Covenant religion was not just about Halo; it was an all-encompassing belief system that influenced everything, down to the Fundamental Questions of the purpose of life, the ultimate fate of the universe -- the Final Problem -- and the factuality of Salvation. And just because Halo may not be the answer, those questions still need answering; the revelations about the Halos were but one additional piece in the great puzzle of existence, and more facets of Sacred Revelation yet await to be discovered. Most of its adherents are mystics, monks, other members of the clergy, and they enjoy widespread support among clans with strong religious traditions.
 * Demarcati

The Recusant movement seeks to minimize the influence of religion in the Concord's governance; the most radical of the Recusants call for an abolition of religion altogether, seeing it merely as another expression of the Covenant's lies, or at least an obstacle to development. Not many share their view, however, and see religion (or at least the Covenant's basic worldview) as having a continued role in society.
 * The Recusants

The Temerites are a faction arising from the Enfolds and is largely populated by downtrodden Unggoy populations. Their ideology is a relatively eclectic mix of secular laborer movements and religious traditions such as the Broad Path, whose most recent incarnation is most famously preached by the traveling scholar-deacon Ilyil. The Temerites campaign for increased rights and opportunities for Unggoy serfs and a decisive end to the Covenant's caste system and slavery, which they have also had notable success with in some domains. Meanwhile, the most radical members call for a complete upheaval of the former Covenant's social order, and total Unggoy self-determination. While especially in the early days, Temerite groups (namely the extremist Broken Shackles faction) instated many violent mobs and armed rebellions, it were the diplomatic efforts of Ilyil and like-minded Unggoy that have granted them representation in certain Concord courts in the late 2560s.
 * Temerites and Broken Shackles

Unbound Enlightenment is a diverse group of discovery-priests, scholars and former rogue scientists operating out in the domains, many of whom formerly skirted the bounds of Covenant dogma and at times downright broke it. Now, they seek to ensure the Concord stays favorable to unfettered technological research as well as other fields of study, enthusiastically dabbling in formerly forbidden technologies like associated intelligence, various kinds of bioengineering and esoteric social and memetic engineering projects. While many within the Concord are wary of and even hostile toward the group, others welcome the radical innovations they might potentially offer.
 * Unbound Enlightenment

Minor/unofficial groups
The Children of Urs are a Sangheili group that look to rebuild their society in the image of the pre-Covenant Sangheili; the obvious problem they face is that very little factual data exists of that time, and the Children of Urs mostly rely on mythologized and/or idealized versions of history. Their religion is a revival of a pre-spaceflight Sangheili solar faith, and some even forsake Covenant technology in favor of what they perceive as Sangheili-sourced tech. Though attitudes vary, they also push for increased self-reliance; the most radical adherents call for other species to be evicted from Sangheili worlds, at least their homeworld and earliest colonies (where the faction also enjoys most prominence). As such goals are fairly unrealistic and counterproductive, they do not enjoy widespread success, though some smaller communities have still managed to implement them.
 * Children of Urs

The Astringent movement is a mostly low-level manifestation of rebellious or progressive tendencies within the Concord. They are largely seen as anti-establishment rebels, borne out of the unique environment of the post-war era. While youthful rebellion is hardly unheard of among the Sangheili, the overall cultural confusion and lack of purpose created by the Schism has led to it becoming far more common than before, and many Astringent-minded groups even look to the outside for influences, including humanity, even as they appropriate, ridicule and deface the Covenant's religious and cultural symbols with glee. The Astringent are not a single movement, and encompasses various groups both peaceful and otherwise; the usual Astringent group is a youth gang, while the most extreme ones are essentially terrorists.
 * The Astringent

The Deiclasts are a general category of extreme anti-theists. They are defined by the violence they inflict, defiling and destroying Forerunner relics, holy sites and temples with abandon, even murdering ecclesiastical officials. They are not a singular group, and encompass a wide variety of goals and ideologies; there is some overlap with the Astringent movement, as well as the Recusants, but other manifestations of the trend are merely agitated mobs or proponents of smaller, competing religions; yet there are revivals of past apostate movements, mainly Cults of the Last Icon. They have no formal representation in the Concord.
 * The Deiclasts

Constituent polities
The Concord is composed of hundreds of post-Covenant polities ranging from individual worlds, ships or space habitats to entities on the level of the former primary domains. These signatories are engaged with the Concord's core mission in various capacities, ranging from passive (e.g. allowing Concord ships to pass through their space lanes, spaceports and refueling outposts) to active (e.g. being actively engaged in the Concord's politics and military operations).


 * Inner Concord
 * Crimson League
 * Swords of Sanghelios


 * Outer Vigil
 * Chikri-Merkaa Conflux
 * Golden Compact
 * Jjaibii Shroud Nexus
 * Congregation of Refined Conviction
 * Panoply of the Enlightened


 * Enfolds
 * Yaspi Ribbon Enfold

Military
The Concord's military might is largely centered around a variety of martial or semi-martial orders. In addition to the organizations already in existence, the Arbiter and his inner circle have created or fostered many martial orders in order to fulfill various roles in the Concord. By the 2560s, the Concord had established a standing military and control various production facilities capable of producing standardized gear. Still, most of the forces representing them come from their member states as part of feudal arrangements.

The Concord's main intelligence agency is known as the Buried Blade by historical tradition. The Hidden Eyes are a military intelligence and reconnaissance appendage of the Sworn Vanguard within the greater Concord; notably, they have adopted the Covenant-era institution of the Ossoona under their banner.

Formally unaffiliated corsairs, privateers and mercenaries are used to bolster Concordian forces in regions where their presence is minimal, though at times they have been known to perform tasks the Concord proper would prefer not to.

Aesthetics and design
The Concord's heraldic colors are emerald green, blue, turquoise and silver. Vessels of the Concord military proper have a greenish-turquoise, or golden-green-brown, opalescent hue, though most member polities use their own heraldic colors for their vessels and equipment.