The Helghan Senate, also known as the High Council, was a major governing component of the Helghan Empire. Nine members of the Senate served directly under the Autarch and helped lead and direct the Helghan Nation alongside the Empire's leaders, Admiral Orlock and Autarch Scolar Visari, acting as the Autarch's cabinet of advisers, while still representing the Helghan legislature.

Overview

The Senators are older evolved Helghast, beyond the need of breathing devices. Most had earned their position as senators simply due to the fact they were loyal to Visari, not because they had earned the respect of the Helghan citizens or deserved them. The appointment led to hereditary, effectively establishing a system of birthright and patrimony to be preserved in perpetuity.^[1]

The Senate was shown to function on a majority rule vote system when there is no Autarch to make a final decision on a topic, as evidenced by one Senator's proposal to place Jorhan Stahl in charge of the military. Any further information in regards to the Senators such as their individual names, roles, or how they are appointed is unknown; only two have been named so far in Killzone: Ascendancy.

• Senator Gunsteling - The oldest and most decrepit senator. He despised Chairman Stahl above all other senators.
• Senator Kuisma - A senator who had been blackmailed by Stahl, in return Kuisma put a vote on the table to give military control to the Chairman in fear of publicity.

Both Admiral Orlock and Jorhan Stahl appeared to serve on the Senate alongside the Senators, yet the reactions given towards Stahl hints that he is not an official member of the Senate who was merely permitted to take a seat in their meetings due to his importance to the war effort (Stahl Arms being the primary weapons distributor and one bearing a private military of his own, specifically).

History

During the ISA's invasion of Helghan in Operation Archangel the Senators hid themselves in heavy fortified panic facilities below ground at Visari Palace until the ISA had ended their occupation, with some of the Senators wresting with the guilt for abandoning their Autarch while he faced their enemy.^[2] In the wake of Scolar Visari's death, the Senate took control over the government and were placed with the responsibility of appointing the new Autarch.

The Senate were present in hearing Admiral Orlock's plans to defeat the retreating ISA forces within three hours, promising to avenge Visari's death. During this hearing, they bore witness to the animosity between Admiral Orlock and Chairman Stahl, who criticized the Admiral's handling of the operation.^[3]

Six months after the ISA invasion, the Senate, following Senator Kuisma's proposal, started to consider giving command of the Helgast military to Stahl after Orlock failed to crush the remaining ISA forces.^[4] However, the senators eventually appointed Orlock as the new Autarch of the Empire and backed his choice to seize all of Stahl's assets, after Stahl both insulted the military and failed to execute ISA Captain Jason Narville during a planetary broadcast.^[5] When Helghan was devastated by the Terracide, it is unknown what became of the Senate, but there is a strong possibility that they were killed with the rest of the Helghast population.

Gallery

Senator Kuisma

Senator Gunsteling

Concept Art

Senators concept art by Andrejs Skuja.

Trivia

• Many of the councilors bear appearances that closely resemble Adolf Hitler at different ages, yet another less than subtle hint that the Helghast represent something similar to parts of Nazism. One also resembles Wilhelm I, German Emperor, Vasily Stalin, Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg and various other dictators. The one senator with the distinct birthmark on his balding head is likely a reference to Mikhail Gorbachev, last Soviet leader of the USSR.
• There are only four counselor models as pictured above, the other five using slightly modified versions of them. The changes are often small such as removing facial hair or balding the model while maintaining the same facial features and even birthmarks.
• There appear to have at one time been more than nine senators on the council, with at least six vacant seats at the meeting table (one of which is most likely Orlock's). It is most likely that these other senators were killed during the ISA invasion at some point. The total seat count would come up to seven seats on each side of the table (not counting the Autarch's throne) and two on either opposite end, bringing the tally of senators up to fifteen (sixteen if Stahl is filling the seat of a deceased Senator).

References