Template:Government-Minister Ariath Windcloud (born Ci’hani), is the only son of the renowned Hapan operatic singer Kora Valente, whose real name was Tami Ci'hani, Countess of House Ci’hani. His father is the financial industrialist, Ordin Windcloud. At the age of 22, he would become the youngest to be bestowed the role of Archonship. At the age of 23, he would become the youngest appointed Minister of the Hapan Royal Council.
As the first Minister of Industry, Ariath oversaw the rigorous task of structuring the newly established Ministry of Industry by establishing the four departments which comprised the four major areas of concern for the Hapes Consortium in the ever-expanding galactic age of growth and prosperity. He is also the architect of the critical Hapan Outpost Project (HOP), the establishment of outposts at every major planetary body in every system in the Hapes Cluster, giving the Consortium its firm foundation and security within its reaches.
After more than a year as the Minister of Industry, Ariath sought new challenges by accepting a position as the Minister of External Affairs. He currently serves in that position, as well as the position of Chairman of the Royal League of Commerce.
Early Life
Ariath was first introduced to the Hapan public as the youngest son of five children of House Windcloud, one of wealthiest and powerful non-noble Hapan families. In reality his existence was brought about by a lengthy affair between the Windcloud patriarch, Ordin Windcloud, and his most beloved mistress, the galaxy-renown, multitalented Hapan operatic singer and sculptor Kora Valente. Ordin, already in his late 50s, was still the quintessential playboy. But Kora Valente would become the true love of his life. Their relationship culminated with the birth of a son in 4010, who Kora named Ariath. Kora Valente’s life after the birth of her son was short-lived. She inexplicably passed away due to a strange illness that to this day still remains a mystery. Ordin Windcloud was severely distraught over the loss of his true love. With the death of such a celebrity, the news of her having son out of wedlock would have sullied her name. Ordin, fulfilling Kora’s last request, took Ariath into House Windcloud as his fourth and youngest son.
Ariath, to the public, grew up sheltered with all the provisions as a privileged son of wealth. However, his relationship with his father was severely strained. Ordin Windcloud blamed Ariath for causing the death of his beloved, for Ariath was born a very sickly child. He was prematurely born, with a very thin frame and with platinum-white hair, which was a mystery to doctors as it was a rarity for any Hapan. Ordin connected the birth of this unusual child to the sudden death of Kora Valente. Without the love and protection of his father and the ill treatment of his stepbrothers, Ariath was raised predominately by his nurses and nannies, all of whom were unable to shield him and nurture him properly. He grew up resentful of the majority of his family members.
Military Service
Ariath joined the Hapan military as soon as he was of age, hoping to carve his own legacy while stepping out of the shadows of his elder stepbrothers. While lacking the commanding physical presence that distinguished his stepbrothers, Ariath instead used his intelligence and, combined with a strong work ethic, graduated from the Royal Hapan Naval Academy in the year 4026 at the young age of 16. He was a quick learner and proved himself very efficient and skillful in all that he does, excelling in piloting capital ships. Ariath, however, did not succeed in making many friends amongst his fellow Naval officers. There were a few that he was able to connect with. Alyna Renault was Ariath’s tall and beautiful childhood friend and, of course, inseparable during the Academy and their first few years serving together. The young blonde, Carrie Jade, would also become a close friend. His elder brother, Calintz Windcloud, noticed Ariath’s tendency of keeping a low profile. As much as he desired to escape the clutches of his family name, Calintz remained an ever-growing annoyance with his constant intrusion in his military career and personal life. To him, the Windcloud name comes before all else.
Ariath quickly ascended the Naval ranks, reaching the rank of Lieutenant. He was the youngest to command the mighty Nova Battle Cruiser, the HRS Odysseus. He was in good graces with his commanding officers, having excelled at everything brought under his control. It was clear that he would have had a bright future in the Navy. And as would be a recurring theme in his life, Ariath was poised to become the youngest line commander in the history of the Royal Hapan Navy.
Government Service
Archonship and Revelations
His splendid Naval record, however, caught the attention of the Hapan Royal Council. In a stunning move, the Royal Council chose Ariath to become the new Archon of the Rifle Worlds. It was a shocking decision that caught House Windcloud by surprise and especially left Calintz seething with contempt and jealousy. Nevertheless, he plotted to use this opportunity for the good of House Windcloud and pressured Ariath to accept the honored position. Ariath, though reluctant to leave his crew and his beloved Odysseus and under pressure from his family, resigned from his Naval post and became the new Archon of the Rifle Worlds in the year 4031 at the tender, young age of 22 years.
Ariath’s ascendance to his high status as Archon opened the door to a flurry of answers for questions about his true origins, and it came at a time when Ordin Windcloud’s health was failing him. On one fateful day, Ariath encountered a mysterious robed figure on the shadier alleys of Avalon. The stranger presented the young Archon with a message written in Basic on crumpled flimsy: “Destiny in Truth of Existence.” The cryptic message was accompanied by a datacard, containing a holograph of a middle-aged Ordin Windcloud and Kora Valente linked arm-to-arm. Ariath confront his father on his deathbed. Under great duress, Ordin revealed the truth about his past relationship with Kora and an even more startling revelation to the entire family. Ariath’s mother Kora was in fact revealed by Ordin to be of Draconian ancestry. Kora Valente’s birth name was Countess Tami Ci’hani of House Ci’hani with deep ties within the Draconian Union. She was the second cousin to the Tylger patriarch, Lord Alexander Tylger. The indignation that rose from the three Windcloud brothers because of their father’s revelation would further cement their hatred for Ariath and would set the tone for future entanglements within House Windcloud. For indeed, Ariath possessed noble blood and there was no doubt who the heir to House Windcloud would become now.
Ariath’s reputation grew, despite his desire to keep his hands away from political affairs. It was inevitable, as Ariath transformed into a charismatic statesman during his time as Archon. He was the very face of Lorell, the ever-expanding “Trade Center of the Galaxy.” Ariath was able to adapt to the constant change in times, especially with the further opening of the Lorell system to intergalactic commerce.
The Council Beckons
As the Consortium continued its expanding development of the Cluster’s outlying worlds, the Royal Council deemed it necessary to establish a new branch of ministry, and tasking a new minister with the responsibilities of overseeing infrastructure development, resource and labor management and commerce and trade. Because of Ariath’s splendid tenure as Archon of the Rifle Worlds, he was selected to become the first Minister of Industry for the Hapes Consortium to head the newly established Ministry of Industry in the year 4032.
Realizing the tremendous amount of tasks the Ministry of Industry would have their hands in, Ariath reformatted the structure of the Ministry by setting up four departments, each with the job of handling one of the four major components of Industry: Infrastructure, Resources, Labor and Trade.
As Minister of Industry, he would best be remembered as the architect of the Hapan Outpost Project. By organizing a team of pioneers and entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Industry set forth their goal to establish an outpost at every planetary body in the known Hapes Cluster. Not only would this allow for the research and exploration of outlying planets formerly uninhabited and uncharted, but it would secure the footing of the Consortium's over all of Cluster space. It was a momentous task, requiring the combined efforts of the Ministry of Industry, the Archons of the Consortium, and the Royal Hapan Armed Forces, showing the fruits of the power of a unified Consortium labor force towards a common goal.
An Unexpected Change
In the year 4033, Ariath unexpectedly announced his resignation from his position as Minister of Industry. Instead, he sought the challenge of taking over the position of Minister of External Affairs. He currently holds this position, having been tasked with revitalizing the ministry in the ever-changing political and economic landscape in the Galaxy.
Miscellaneous
Trivia
- Ariath is the current Chairman of the Royal League of Commerce.
- His personal ship is a modified YT-1300 named “WFS Junyo Maru”.
- He is an avid Sabaac player.
Quotes
- "Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well." - on his rapid ascent to his Ministerial position.
