Clouded Horizons:Trabia Garden Ranks
Trabia Garden, like any military organization, has a firm chain of command and seniority in place for organizational and instruction purposes. Entry-level students into the Garden program have their choice of specializations, some of which have different organizational trees than others. The primary Garden programs - SeeD, Combat, Magic, and Alchemic specializations - follow the same ranking hierarchy, while cadets who choose to join Merchant's Alley or Senatorial Hall follow a separate ranking structure once they enter officer-level rankings.
Enlisted Ranks
Layman
This rank is given to entry-level students to Garden. Before being allowed to decide upon a specialization, they must study basic concepts, such as history, mathematics, science, art, and language.
Cadet
Upon reaching the age of nine, students are accepted into the SeeD program and given the rank of Cadet. Here, they will expand their studies, decide upon a specialization if desired, and prepare for the SeeD exam, as well as begin basic combat training.
Officer Ranks
Ensign
Upon completion of the field exam, a cadet is made a full-time SeeD officer and given the rank of Ensign. This rank makes up the vast majority of SeeD forces, and many are also found working underneath department heads and instructors as aides.
Lieutenant
Lieutenants are SeeD that have proven themselves to have an above-average level of skill in their chosen field, as well as a certain amount of experience in combat.
Captain
Captains are experienced SeeD officials who are generally experts in basic tactics and operations, as well as intermediates in their specialization of choice. Sometimes, Captains will be given command roles with a squad of Ensigns, though this is rare; most often, they aid in training and instructing cadets within Garden.
Major
Majors are SeeD who have proven themselves experts in both basic skills and their specializations of choice. They are allowed to command squads of up to six members, though not all choose to do so. All Instructors are of at least Major rank, and the command exam may only be taken after attaining this rank.
Instructor
Instructors are SeeD members with a high proficiency in a given area who forgo field work for the chance to teach.
Colonel
Colonels form the backbone of the general command staff of Garden, taking orders directly from the members of the Republic of the Sphere and the Garden Commander. They are responsible for maintaining order and discipline within a command post during large-scale operations, and are certified to lead several SeeD squads at once either individually, or in the form of a larger unit. They also act as liaisons between Gardens and other organizations.
Petty Officer
Petty Officers are the lowest-level command officials, responsible for maintaining the basic day-to-day duties of Garden. These include reception, accounting, security, technology, general operations, maintenance, and administration.
Headmaster
The Headmaster is the policy-maker in Garden, working closely with Senatorial Hall to dictate how Garden should be run. He has final say over all non-military matters, and thus the highest precedence in these matters.
Knight of the Sphere (Commodore)
Command structure members who command divisions within the Trabian military branches are granted this rank, and it is considered a great honor to be granted membership within the Republic of the Sphere.
Paladin of the Sphere (Brigadier)
The officers who command the four main branches of the Trabian military are given this rank. Only four may serve at any given time, and they have complete authority over their specified branch excepting only the General of the Sphere. In other branches, their authority is second only to the Paladin of the branch in question and the General of the Sphere.
General of the Sphere (Field Marshal)
The General of the Sphere precedes the Headmaster in matters dealing with combat operations, answering only to the Garden Commander. The holder of this rank also oversees all Paladins and Knights of the Sphere.
Garden Commander
The Garden Commander also precedes the Headmaster in matters dealing with combat operations. They are the controllers of Garden military affairs by-and-large, handling the distribution of contracts to foreign entities.
Merchant's Alley
Hireling
Manager
Executive
Trustee
Shareholder
Senatorial Hall
Informant
Councilor
Majority Leader
Magistrate