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Overview
The Frontier is the military faction serving as Setera's first line of defense against the Void. Unlike a traditional standing army, the Frontier was born from a mercenary background. It does not operate through rigid hierarchy, noble commissions, or bureaucratic chains of command. Its organizational structure values skill and adaptability over rank and protocol.
Commander Iobis is the leader who shaped the Frontier into its current form. A former mercenary himself, Iobis built the organization around his mercenary principles: results matter more than procedure, competence earns respect, and flexibility beats rigidity when fighting an enemy as unpredictable as the Void. This philosophy permeates the Frontier's culture, from how it recruits to how it fights.
The Vanguard
The Vanguard is the Frontier's elite special forces unit. The player begins the game as a member of the Vanguard, making it central to the early narrative. Vanguard members are sent on the most dangerous assignments: scouting Void incursion zones, investigating Void Nexus sites, and carrying out operations where conventional military units would take unacceptable losses.
Known Vanguard members
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Etheldrena | Vanguard commander who perishes during the prologue at the Ruins of Time. Her death establishes the stakes of the Void threat in the opening minutes of the game. She was leading the team that discovered the Chronotector. |
Kaya | A snarky fixer and fellow Vanguard warrior. Kaya handles logistics, contacts, and back-channel dealings for the unit. She is found at the Citadel hub after the prologue and serves as one of the player's primary quest contacts. |
Baldur | A stoic veteran warrior, also based at the Citadel. Baldur is the quiet, dependable type who has survived more missions than most Vanguard members. He provides the player with combat-related quests and guidance. |
Alexios | A former member of the Chronos Order who was excommunicated for unknown reasons. The reasons behind his excommunication have not been revealed, but whatever happened was serious enough to end his religious career entirely. Alexios now serves with the Vanguard, bringing theological knowledge and knowledge of Chronos's history to a military role. His dual background makes him a bridge between the Frontier and the Chronos Order, even if the Order no longer claims him. |
The Chronos Order
The Chronos Order is a separate organization from the Frontier, though the two interact. It is a religious organization devoted to Chronos, the god of time, and is believed to have existed since time immemorial. Unlike the Frontier, which is a military force focused on fighting the Void, the Chronos Order focuses on the well-being of common folk. They provide spiritual guidance, maintain shrines, and preserve knowledge about Chronos and the twelve worlds.
The relationship between the Frontier and the Chronos Order appears to involve tension. Alexios's excommunication from the Order and subsequent joining of the Vanguard suggests that the two organizations do not always agree. The Frontier is pragmatic and militaristic; the Chronos Order is traditional and spiritual. These different worldviews likely create friction, particularly regarding how to handle the Chronotector, the Sentinels, and the player's unusual role as a time-traveling warrior.
Military operations
The Frontier maintains outposts and garrison towns across the Western Continent of Setera. Its presence is strongest in settled areas, where it protects civilian populations from Void incursions. The Frontier also conducts offensive operations: dispatching units to clear Void Nexus zones, scouting enemy movements, and launching raids into Void-corrupted territory.
Commander Iobis's mercenary origins show in how the Frontier operates. Units are given objectives and the freedom to accomplish them however they see fit. There is no micromanagement from above. This makes the Frontier highly effective against the Void, which does not follow predictable military patterns and requires adaptive responses.
Role in the story
The Frontier and Vanguard provide the player's organizational anchor in Setera. After being sent one year into the past by Velia, the player rejoins the Frontier with foreknowledge of events that have not happened yet. This creates dramatic tension: the player knows Etheldrena will die, knows the Ruins of Time expedition will end in disaster, and knows the Void will eventually overwhelm Setera's defenses. The question is whether that foreknowledge can be used to change the outcome.
Post-CBT changes to the story include player choices that influence quest progression and conclusion. This means the player's relationship with the Frontier, its members, and its leadership may not follow a single predetermined path.