Hector Alms

"'Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. You'll have to forgive Nicholass; he tends to be a bit overzealous when it comes to pursuing HEAVEN's best interests.' - Hector, to Adakis"Known by many different names, Hector Alms serves as the president and CEO of HEAVEN. Originally having been born before the Divide, Hector grew up witnessing the atrocities that the event had wrought. Now in charge of HEAVEN, he works tirelessly to avoid allowing a similar fate to befall what remains of humanity.

Origins
Hector Alms was born in the pre-Divide, making him much more older than he initially appears. He was raised in Haven City, to unknown parents. He remembers very little about his childhood; only that his mother had died while he was very young, and his father was too busy for him. He quickly began to look up to the only other adult who was present in his life at the time; Nicholass Strauss. The two bonded over Hector's lack of parental figures, but very soon, Strauss became the only person in his life.

Hector was 10 years old when the Divide happened. He could barely remember it in detail, but there was something about what happened that he could never forget; the skies turned black, cracking apart as if being torn by an outside force. It was fast and it was terrifying, but it was over as quickly as it had began. Or, at least that's how it had seemed to the underdeveloped brain of Hector. In reality, the Divide had transpired over the course of seven days; a span of time that ensured that the world would be changed forever.

The years that followed the Divide were arguably worse; strange, new creatures began to emerge from the wounds that the Divide had left behind. Every day was a fight for survival, something Hector wasn't ready for. Thankfully, Strauss was there to keep him alive. Sacrifices had to be made on multiple sides, just to make it out for another day. Miraculously, both of them survived the early year hell that was the Post-Divide.

Hope in a Hopeless Place
Strauss and Hector wandered the world for long years, attempting to find somewhere that they could call home. Rumors began to spread about a group of ex-military officers who had helped stem the advance of monsters born from the Divide. If anything, this would have been the group to fall in with. Hector became nostalgic, reminded of the heroes from his hometown and how they always defended what was good and just in the world. Much to Strauss' chagrin, Hector pleaded and begged that they go find this group of people. Strauss eventually gave in, despite his reservations of such a potentially dangerous endeavor.

It took them several months to hunt them down; the world around them was only just beginning to recover from the Divide, but it was difficult. Both Hector and Strauss would hear tales here and there about other survivors struggling to rebuild, and how it would likely take decades before anywhere was even remotely like the old civilization. Many resigned to their fates and killed themselves, leaving a still young Hector very wary about what they would find when locating this ragtag bunch of misfits. When they had found them, Hector was... more than disappointed. Expecting to find some heroic band of soldiers who braved the Divide and lived to tell the tale, all he found was a bunch of washed-up drunks drowning away their twilight years at the back end of a bar.

In truth, many of them were people he recognized, albeit worn from years of constant fighting. They belonged to his father's old company, and Hector had half a mind to carry the torch. Despite his eagerness to do so, Strauss managed to dissuade him, convincing Hector that he just wasn't ready to lead people into battle. Hector reluctantly agreed, though with the added caveat that Strauss train him so he would be ready to survive. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. The next 15 years were a bit hazy, but Hector emerged a changed man, with Strauss still by his side. Hector gathered up the remnants of who was still fighting, and put out the call; to whoever was interested in protecting the new world, HEAVEN was waiting.

Heaven's Rise
For the next 300 years, Hector worked tirelessly to build HEAVEN up into the formidable force it needed to be. It was already clear to him that he wasn't aging; either because of his parentage or whatever happened during the Divide. Hector didn't question it, merely taking advantage of his newfound agelessness to pave the way for a better future. While the Spiral Isles had been previously established by another faction, HEAVEN easily swooped in and took over. Many of its locations named by or inspired by pre-war locales, as it was Hector paying homage to where he originated from. Neo Haven became the self-proclaimed capital, and Hector reached out to the other civilizations that formed in the aftermath of the Divide. Trade agreements were made, deals were struck, and in the first time in forever, the world finally seemed to be getting back on track. HEAVEN became a global powerhouse, filling the power vacuum left from the apocalypse. However, not everyone appreciated its existence.

Many troubles were experienced in the beginning years of HEAVEN. More notable was the natives of Eden, who would outright refuse any kind of outside help due to their xenophobic ways. The desert-dwelling natives of Volkeris were an odd sort, but generally agreed to trade as their terms were mutually beneficial; Volkerans were tech-savvy, and many of them went on to join HEAVEN. In return, Volkeris received protection from the brutal elements and terrible monsters lurking in the desert. Emperica, on the other half, still remains out of contact to this day. Hector couldn't quite understand why, but chalked it up to the absolute strangeness of its residents.

The Spiral Campaign
HEAVEN would see its first major conflict in 2782, against the rival nation of Rubidia. It was the first that Hector would learn of the existence of factual gods, with the crazed Jasper being their main antagonist. The first offensive was bloody and brutal, with numerous casualities on both sides; however, it was short-lived as Jasper surrendered a mere few months into the conflict. Utilizing relatively new technology, HEAVEN sealed the mad god away in a pocket dimension, leaving him there for hopefully all time. With their main detractor out of the picture, Hector managed to establish trade with Rubidia as well, but the peace was fragile and bound to break sooner rather than later.

Somehow, Jasper was able to break free from his prison, reigniting the war in 2788. After promising to attack in several months, he made good on that promise and bombed Neo Haven from the skies. HEAVEN was barely able to fight him off, and a lot of ground was lost between the various battles that went on throughout the ensuing war. Despite being shorter than the first conflict, it was much bloodier. Hector saw no foreseeable way to get out of what was to come, but then hope sprung in the form of an anomaly. A pair of men named Magnus Rathe and Weiss Kiryu showed up at HEAVEN's gates, asking for aid for Haven City. Surely he had meant to say Neo Haven. The original Haven City had been destroyed centuries ago. It was then that Hector came to realize that these men weren't the same that he knew as a child. Somehow, they had been plucked out of their own time, looking the same as they did 600 years ago. Despite cautious urging from Strauss, Hector couldn't help but investigate this anomaly further.

Though he would not meet with them directly, Hector had Strauss organize most of the legwork. Through Strauss, Hector promised this so-called aid that Magnus and Weiss asked for, along with a further debriefing upon their safe return. In exchange, they would be hired as mercenaries, to help end the war against Jasper. Hector was reluctant to even do so, but if these men were anything like the ones he remembered, even a god didn't stand a chance against them. He sent them off alongside a mercenary outfit based out of Eden, led by one Holy Diver.

Recruitment Drive
While the "Boyband" did not return to Neo Haven, news came of Jasper's death and thus, an end to the war. Hector officially made peace with the various nations that comprised Rubidia, not wishing to have a repeat of previous years. However, relations between the Spiral Isles and the Gilded Lands remained shaky at best, especially after learning that the Chinese had been supplying Jasper's war effort. To make matters even worse, Hector learned that the Boyband had been apprehended by the Shanghai Police. He couldn't risk an international incident by sending aid, but couldn't knowingly leave them to their fate, either. Hector focused on what he always did; recruiting. Ever since the war had ended, Hector heard tell of a vigilante who targeted criminals within Neo Haven. Naturally, he wanted to meet this person.

The man in question was Adakis Vicerion, a Nephilim who could bend and manipulate metal. Hector intended to recruit him into HEAVEN as an independent contractor, but he hadn't specified the exact reason why. The obvious reason had been that he was a vigilante, and while Hector appreciated what he was doing, he wanted him on the take and under HEAVEN jurisdiction. The real reason was because he was a Nephilim; Hector knew about them because of Weiss, and the kind of power they could wield was something HEAVEN would need in the future. Unknown to Hector, another being came in tow with Adakis; a girl named Neer. He wasn't sure what to make of her, until her own emotions went against her and began to physically invade the room with a black fog. Hector's claustrophobia got the best of him, leaving him panicked and short of breath. Then, glass shattered.

As Adakis managed to calm Neer down, yet another being came into view; another Nephilim, this one calling himself Levi Kiryu. Did he some relation to Weiss? Hector couldn't even bother to ask, as he was still recovering. After composing himself, Hector gave Adakis his first mission; since the Eden natives were distrustful of HEAVEN, Adakis was to go north and make contact with Holy Diver, the one responsible for slaying Jasper. The three of them: Adakis, Neer and Levi, agreed to travel together atop Levi's dragon friend. Hector played it all off in stride, as he had certainly experienced stranger. Despite the absurdity of the situation, he couldn't help but feel hopeful for once in a long time.

Appearance
Hector is a Caucasian male with fair skin and sharp, piercing blue eyes. Hector is an incredibly attractive man who few have even met in person, due to the whole secrecy behind his position at HEAVEN. He's well groomed, with his hair often combed straight back. His attire typically consists of form-fitting suits in darker colors, usually black or gray. Hector doesn't care much in the way of expensive jewelry, actually being quite conservative despite the wealth that his status would most definitely bring. He wears a worn wedding band as an earring over his left ear, likely belonging to one of his deceased parents; likely, he holds onto it because of long-standing sentimentality over his missing childhood.

Personality
Hector's personality can be summarily divided into two parts: idealistic and realistic. For a man who grew up during the Divide, Hector couldn't possibly wish such a fate on anyone else. His moral compass drives him to be compassionate and caring towards those in need, knowing that everyone has suffered from the long-felt aftereffects of the Divide. However, he realizes that hard calls need to be made sometimes, and it's impossible to earn approval from everyone in the world. Hector wants to see the best in Avashesh, but knows that the fragile peace will be short-lived. Hector has something of a hero complex from time to time, as he still secretly idolizes the sort of people he grew up around.

Abilities
Unknown.

Nicholass Machiavelli Strauss
With Hector's biological father often away on business, he began to see Strauss as a father figure of sorts, someone who could be there for him when his real father wasn't. Strauss helped teach Hector much of what he knows about the world, and worlds beyond as well. While Hector doesn't always particularly approve of Strauss' questionable methods, he'll always be seen as a mentor and friend.