Rhodes Island's emblem. An alternate version of the emblem without the black coloration in the escutcheon exists in the game files, which is only used in certain parts of the interface.
Motto
May I enjoy my life and practice my art Respected by all men and in all times
A registered pharmaceutical company that recruits talent from across the world, regardless of their background.
”
—Loading screen tip
Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Inc. or simply Rhodes Island (R.I.) is the protagonist faction of Arknights. Made up almost exclusively of the Infected, R.I. legally operates as a pharmaceutical company that provides care and treatment to the Infected, but due to the wide variety of Operators in its employ with combat skills, they are more of a paramilitary organization who strives to fight for the betterment of the Infected.
Description
Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a registered drug R&D company working on medical solutions for countries, organizations, and individuals infected with Oripathy. To achieve their goal, Rhodes Island recruits talent from all around the world, regardless of background, experience, or condition. Furthermore, Rhodes Island is committed to providing the best medical and living conditions for its employees, attracting movers and shakers – Infected or not – to try to change the world.[1]
Based on the eponymous landship, Rhodes Island dedicates themselves to develop treatments and a possible cure to Oripathy which has plagued Terra since the advent of Catastrophes. R.I. is also expert in dealing in matters and problems associated with Oripathy, notably the rampant social discriminations against the Infected, which is why R.I. possesses a paramilitary force to provide security for their personnel and patients, though R.I. can (and will) offer their service as a pseudo-PMC should the need arise. Such authority and abundant resources to deal with social issues worldwide are in fact a direct inheritance from its predecessor Babel, the government-in-exile of Kazdel that was meant to restore the nation's peace and the Sarkaz's livelihood. As a matter of fact, it is hard to say that whether R.I. is actually a non-state actor in the guise of a humanitarian organization, and many nations have been doubting R.I.'s supposed political neutrality given its origin.
Arknights is primarily focused on military conflicts involving Rhodes Island, with the medical aspect fairly secondary to the story, although nevertheless frequently acknowledged in many Operators' Archive files. Kal'tsit, head of the Medical department, also claims it to be its most important element, and, true to form, Kal'tsit appears to be the de facto leader of Rhodes Island, as she seems to be doing most of the management and organizational work that should befall the official leader, Amiya.
It is implied that R.I.'s main source of funding is their participation in the Contingency Contract program.[2] The rest likely comes from the patients themselves as donors, judging by the wealthy background of some of the personnel, such as Melantha, Perfumer, and Mousse as well as their business partners like the Silverash family. R.I. is neither a charity nor a non-profit. If patients are not able to financially afford R.I.'s treatment, they typically enter R.I.'s employ or provide volunteer work under the tutelage of higher-ranking personnel. R.I. accepts all Infected patients and employees regardless of their age, combat experience, and background with open arms, and most non-combatants provide logistical support. R.I. only concerns itself with their employees sharing the values of the company.
Every Rhodes Island member has their own ID card, a special document that not only serves as an identity certificate, but also a medium to register them in the a landship's system. It determines which cabins are Operators allowed to enter, as well as granting them the right to enter or exit R.I. through the official employee channel. Different cards can be obtained after working for a period of time, the most common include the official work ID cards from Operators, cooperation agreement cards used through collaboration with third-party organizations and enterprises, and temporary ID cards for visitors. For safety reasons, lending other Operators' badges is forbidden. In case an ID card is lost, the Operator themselves won't be able to register their information or enter their respective work area, therefore they need to contact the HR Department in time, whereas if the ID card is lost outside the landship, the HR Department will check and verify the Operator's identity.[3]
As a requirement, all Rhodes Island personnel are to wear an Infection monitor bracelet, whether they are Infected or not, in order to monitor their body signals and track their Oripathy's progress.
Despite being a humanitarian organization, Rhodes Island will take up arms for the Infected if the situation calls for it
Rhodes Island's paramilitary force utilizes standard Terran military equipment, mostly produced by Raythean, although their Elite Operators such as Blaze are authorized to use their own, custom weaponry. Other operators with their own weapon must undergo a "weapon reliability certification" wherein which two of Rhodes Island's five authorized craftsmen must examine the weapon and clear it for field use.[4] R.I. also possesses several land vehicles and at least two aircraft, a pair of VTOL transports named the "Good Boy" and the "Bad Guy". However, the paramilitary force is very small compared to R.I. as a whole, and its membership is voluntary. By the admission of R.I.'s own leadership, it is not apt to fight a war with a "real" country's military, and mainly excels at guerilla tactics and agility, something which a larger army cannot do.
When Rhodes Island is docked, R.I. personnel can freely travel around the local area so long as their activities do not interfere with R.I.'s interests. R.I. also has connections to many supply points around Terra, which periodically provide supplies for the organization essential to keeping Rhodes Island running.
After Theresa the "King of Sarkaz" was killed in a "decapitation strike" of 1094 by Regent Theresis and the Military Commission of Kazdel in which the Doctor was implied to be responsible for her downfall, most of the surviving Babel members, including Kal'tsit, commandeered Rhodes Island and escaped from Kazdel, then reorganized themselves into a pharmaceutical company named after her with a young Rim BillitonianCautus named Amiya, a non-Sarkaz who was anointed to be Theresa's successor, as their nominal leader. It also appears that Kal'tsit had purged R.I. of those responsible for the tragedy that took Theresa's life.[5] This would also explain the existence of S.W.E.E.P., an internal counterintelligence task force formed to root out traitors.
During the three-year gap between their foundation and the start of Main Theme, R.I. managed to make a name for themselves as the leading experts in Oripathy treatment, as well as pro-Infected activism, saving many of the Infected and solving various crises related to tensions surrounding Oripathy while maintaining their neutrality, despite being surrounded by suspicion and mistrust.
Between December 1096 at January 1097, Rhodes Island endured a conflict with Reunion, a militant Infected movement whose actions threaten to undo what R.I. has accomplished. Formally on paper, R.I. operated under the commission of Lungmen, Yan, to ensure that the Empire of Ursus would not wage a war against Yan by manipulating Reunion as disposable pawn, but on the flip side, R.I.'s operation had a hidden objective: to retrieve the key owned by Edward Artorius from Wei Yenwu upon accomplishing their mission, a tool that played a crucial role in the future in Victoria. After repealing Ursus' expansionism and seemingly dismantled Reunion, Rhodes Island resumed their daily lives as usual while taking part in some minor affairs such as the Siestan affair, the uprising of Wolumonde, the incident in the 24th Major season, and the Snowcap Incident.
In the summer of 1098, R.I. headed towards Victoria in order to resolve three major incidents that would later known as the "Victorian Crisis" in history: the succession crisis since the public execution of King Alistair II that led to a twenty-year-old vacant throne and rivalries between the Eight Grand Dukes, the rise of Dublinn, a Taran paramilitary nationalist movement that sought violent separatism from Victoria, and, most of all, the occupation of Londinium the capital by the Military Commission and the ultra-nationalist Sarkaz Royal Court. An unresolved issue since the Babel era, R.I.'s major mission was to stop the Sarkaz troops from activating the Shard and the summoning of the Amnannam, which triggered a large-scale Catastrophe that could threaten the entire Terra. R.I. also served as a mediator to prevent Victoria from both initiating a retaliative crusade against Kazdel that would lead to another genocide against the Sarkaz and punishment against the rebellious Tarans, and they had HRHAlexandrina Victoria, the genuine successor of the Victorian Aslan throne, return back to her home country after four years of exiles.
Since the "Victorian Crisis" of 1098, many major powers have become even wary of R.I. given its active involvements in geopolitics and its connection with Kazdel. In the meantime, R.I. has become even more restless in preparing for the next global scale disaster descending upon Terra, which was implied to be an "Apocalypse." The summoning of the Amnannam consequently accelerated the expansion of Terra's three major Prime Veins, forcing R.I. to keep a close monitor on them. In the meantime, R.I. attempted to stop Rhine Lab's Horizon Arc Project sponsored by the Columbian military in November 1099, but it ultimately ended in failure after Kristen Wright penetrated the Starpod which Kal'tsit feared it might trigger the beginning of the "Apocalypse." In the subsequent years, R.I.'s involvement in bizarre, dangerous incidents became more frequent including the revival of Sui the Feranmut in Yan, Aegir's haughty declaration to unite the land nations under their wings, and the "Black Hole Protocol" that guided Terran nations in researching the northern Aethergate in Sami.
Left behind during R.I.'s escape from Chernobog and survived its destruction, defected to Reunion after encountering Patriot.
Deceased
Other members
Andante: An R.I. medic operator and the head of R.I.'s Vyseheim branch based on the Afterglow.
Barty: An R.I operator that accompanied Eyjafjalla during her field mission.[6] He also helps Silence on sedating Darya after she became rampant.[7]
Chard: An R.I operator that participated in the Chernobog infiltration and joined the Doctor and Kal'tsit to the Sarcophagus. He had also accompanied Vanilla to a Kazimierz village to take care of an originium slug attack that occured. He has an ex-wife and a daughter while also tends to love alcoholic drinks and wouldn't try to taste new and exotic ones.
Dylan: The pilot of the R.I. aircraft "Bad Guy" that was shot down over Sargon during Gavial's homecoming to Acahualla. He is also the one who tried to lure the policemen bribed by Mama John's together with Blaze during the assault in Tkaronto, Columbia.[8]
Fred: An Operator stationed in County Hillock who was dragged into a conflict between Dublinn and the Victorian military in the city. He, Oliver, Will, and Shredder focused on helping the locals to evacuate from the chaos.
Gunject: An expatriate Sankta R.I. Operator from Laterano who´s said to dislike firearms despite having one. He´s specialized in weaponsmithing, but he prefers to make swords rather than anything gun-related. This led to a conflict with his family, and therefore can´t legally return to Laterano.[4]
Huntingbow☠: An R.I. sniper who was fatally wounded during a mission alongside Castle-3 to protect a desert village from bandits, but not after killing most of them. He was the one who carved the markings on Castle-3's frame on his final moments.[9]
Hypatia: An R.I. operator known to be a historian who teaches her subject to her students as a lecturer.[10][11][12]
Incandescence: An operator who Andreana serves as bodyguard to. Both she and Andreana left Iberia to settle in Rim Billiton alongside their families.
Lando: A Perro R.I. Operator responsible of delivering medical supplies to the Infected citizens in Trimounts' Shantytown. He also recommended the company to Silence after she left Rhine Lab.[13]
Occphen: The watchman of Watchtower 33 in Long Spring, Sargon, who was dragged into the local sibling rivalry.
Oliver: Real name Oliver Bernard, he was the Operator in charge of the County Hillock branch office who was dragged into a conflict between Dublinn and the Victorian military in the city. He, Will, Fred, and Shredder focused on helping the locals to evacuate from the chaos. He is also seems to be close with Saileach given she calls him "Uncle" all the time.
Owl: A member of R.I. who an old acquaintance of 12F .[14] She is currently working as R.I.'s computer engineer who checks for bugs and conducts server maintenance.[15]
Shaver☠: An R.I. engineer who at one point helped Dylan repair the "Bad Guy" aircraft when they were stuck on Columbia, but succumbed to his Oripathy after returning to Rhodes Island. He left behind a voice recorder that kept the recordings of a song he sings, but it was faulty due to the equipment suffering extensive damage.
Shredder: A Sniper Operator stationed in County Hillock who was dragged into a conflict between Dublinn and the Victorian military in the city. He, Oliver, Fred, and Will focused on helping the locals to evacuate from the chaos.
Thumbtack: An operator who helped Ash understands the current situation of nations in Terra shortly after the Watchtower 33 Incident.[16]
Will: An Operator stationed in County Hillock who was dragged into a conflict between Dublinn and the Victorian military in the city. He, Oliver, Fred, and Shredder focused on helping the locals to evacuate from the chaos.
Price: An operator who Nowell rescued and met during Londinium Crisis, he also made glasses for them which the Medical Department has reimbursed.[17]
Randy: One of the team leader of Logistics Department who reprimanded the other logistics operators for decorating the lounge and naming them after the Rose Riverbank.[18]
Amiya's squad
A group of thirteen Operators who were assigned to Amiya's squad during the Chernobog operation, losing their lives in the incident.[19]
Dim Needle†
B-Softhand†
ChiliJimme†
KeenEar†
AngerNeighing†
Sunty†
Marco Smith†
Fade†
Divides†
Antonio Lisa†
Wildash†
Hui†
Indigo Jade†
Patients
Dora: An Infected Victorian Feline girl who were almost brought to the Infected quarantine zone and her parents were almost arrested, had Iris and an R.I. personnel didn't encounter her by coincidence where the former convinced Dora's parents to take her into R.I.'s care.[20] During her stay with R.I., Dora became a good friend of Blaze and later, Op Reserve Team A4.[21]
Gianna: An Infected Feline girl under Meteor's care.[22]
A guardsman of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Guard prior his defection to Reunion.
A Lupo archer of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Sniper in Integrated Strategies.
An R.I. Feline paramedic. This image is also used to represent the Medic in the Main Theme.
A Perro field medic of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Logistics in Integrated Strategies.
A Cautus caster of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Caster in Integrated Strategies.
A male Liberi support Operator wielding a communications staff. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Supporter in Stronghold Protocol.
A female Perro guardswoman of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Guard in Stronghold Protocol.
A female Liberi Operator of R.I.'s paramilitary force, wielding dual karambit knives. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Specialist in Stronghold Protocol.
The Rhodes Island motto is paraphrased from the final line of the Hippocratic Oath: "While I continue to keep this oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men at all times, but should I trespass and violate this oath, may the reverse be my lot."
During the beta, the motto was originally "Bitter things may have wholesome effects / The last stand against the Originium." It was changed to the current motto during the open beta.
According to Hai Mao during a podcast, Rhodes Island was originally meant to be more like the Yorozuya of Gintama that accepts various requests such as expedition of the wilderness. The expanding worldview later on altered much of its setting to its current form.[23]
Rhodes Island is constantly plagued by boiler explosions. Their engineers have unintentionally detonated, and later replaced, at least three large bronze boilers before perfecting their plumbing skills.
An Operator of R.I.'s paramilitary force
Ditto, debadged. This image is also used to represent Babel Operators.
Another Operator of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Melee in Integrated Strategies.
A Lupo archer of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Sniper in Integrated Strategies.
A Perro field medic of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Logistics in Integrated Strategies.
A Cautus caster of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Caster in Integrated Strategies.
A male Liberi support Operator wielding a communications staff. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Supporter in Stronghold Protocol.
A female Perro guardswoman of R.I.'s paramilitary force. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Guard in Stronghold Protocol.
A female Liberi Operator of R.I.'s paramilitary force, wielding dual karambit knives. This image is also used to represent Reserve Operator - Specialist in Stronghold Protocol.
A male Vulpo engineering Operator/technician
A female Feline engineering Operator
A male Perro logistics officer
A female Feline logistics officer
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A female Infected Feline patient
A young Infected Perro patient
A young Infected Feline patient.
Early design explorations for R.I.'s ground vehicles, in this case cargo trucks, as seen in Arknights Official Artworks Vol.2. This concept would be recycled in Rhodes Island's Records of Originium - Rhine Lab
