Breogan
Breogan is a background NPC in Arknights. His legacy plays an important role in Stultifera Navis, and also influences Path of Life to a lesser extent.
Background[edit]
Breogan was an Aegir engineer who, like his compatriots living in Iberia, fled there after their homeland came under siege from the Seaborn. Knowing that the Aegir could not defend their homeland alone, he decided to abandon the Academy of Technology, using Milliarium as a pathway to the surface. During his stay, he agreed to help in the reconstruction of Millarium's beacon tower in exchange for a meeting with the then-consul, but this request was later declined.[1] His change of plans amidst the Seaborn crisis almost led the Institute of Development Planning to punish several consulsafter failing to stop him.[2]
In Terran year 913, Breogan and his Aegir compatriots presented themselves to Iberia's royal court. The King and the nobility, under Breogan's supervision, were able to operate Aegir's superior technology while simultaneously fulfilling their own ambitions. This marked the beginning of the Iberia's Golden Age, when it became a major maritime power. As Iberia's leading engineer, Breogan oversaw the construction of numerous towers and ports, including the lighthouses that formed the Eyes of Iberia. He was also in charge of the relocation of the former royal capital, Ria Iberia, into an amphibious nomadic city. In addition to his engineering expertise, Breogan possessed a deep knowledge in biology. He was deeply intrigued by the biology of land creatures and other unexplained phenomena.[3] For instance, he had a deep interest towards Feranmuts and went as far as having "a chat" with one of them while visiting a dessertified sea in Sargon. Their biological similarities with Leviathans —gargantuan sea monsters that are the source of all Seaborn— led Breogan to hypothesize about their nature, even if his compatriots were exceptical.[4][5]
As more Aegir fled to Iberia, Breogan began to fear that Iberia, too, would fall to the Seaborn. With the King's approval, he gathered his close friends on land, notably Saint Carmen, Alfonso, and Garcia, to work on a critical project: the building of a naval fleet and the construction of the Stultifera Navis, a ship which would come to represent the ultimate combination of the technology of both land and sea.[6] Breogan hoped to use the ship to further his research, but the Iberian government seized and redesigned it as a warship, contrary to his wishes.[7][8] In defiance, Breogan hid all his research notes on the Seaborn within the ship, hoping they would one day be found and used to end the threat of a potential Seaborn invasion.
Despite his efforts, the Eyes of Iberia failed to protect the country from the Profound Silence, a catastrophic event for which Breogan blamed himself. He was ultimately killed by an angry crowd—composed of Iberians and Aegir alike—who saw him as the source of the disaster. This marked him as the first victim of anti-Aegir persecution in Iberia.[9][10]
Legacy[edit]
Breogan's engineering prowess and biological conjectures — based purely on observation and are regarded as advanced even by today's standards — became a subject of discussion more than a century ago. In fact, many Aegirian scholars recognize Breogan as the most talented designer in the Academy of Technology.[2][3] Years after the Silence, the Inquisition attempted to use the notes he had hidden inside the Stultifera Navis to reactivate the Eyes of Iberia and regain control over the Iberian coastlines, while the Abyssal Hunters sought out his research on Leviathans.
Some of Breogan's manuscripts were kept by King Fernando Alejandro I, the last monarch of Iberia, before being acquired by E. E. Erikson through unknown means.[11]
Gallery[edit]
A page from a picture book depicting Breogan leaving the ocean
Ditto, together with another Aegir by a campfire
Ditto, presenting himself to the King of Iberia
Ditto, overseeing the construction of the Stultifera Navis'
Trivia[edit]
- He is named after a Gaelic mythological figure in Lebor Gabála Érenn in which both share similarities:
- Breogan is said to wander the Earth for centuries, paralleling his in-game counterpart's departure from Aegir and his stay on land.
- In the legend, Breogan conquered the Iberian Peninsula, which aligns with his in-game counterpart's stay in Iberia, Terra's analogue of Spain and Portugal.
- Breogan built a tower in the city of Brigantia (believed to be modern-day A Coruña), corresponding to his in-game counterpart's construction of the Eyes of Iberia.
References[edit]
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