Quartz 5

TEMPLATE_CHARACTER_LISTING

4 min read

Characters of

ID: CHARACTERS_<POLITY_ID> Polity: STATE_<POLITY_ID> Polity Type: <Planetary government / Interstellar federation / Other>

Filling guide

  • Copy this file as CHARACTERS_<POLITY_ID>.md.
  • Replace all placeholders and delete this guide before publishing the listing.
  • Include characters with a meaningful current, historical, institutional, or narrative connection to the polity.
  • A listing is an index, not the canonical source for character details. The individual CHAR_*.md file remains authoritative.
  • Keep each entry short: linked name, character ID, primary role, and the reason the character belongs in this listing.
  • List each character only once in a given file, under their primary role. Mention secondary roles after Also:.
  • A character may appear in both a member-state listing and a federation listing when they are independently significant at both levels.
  • Do not add every citizen of a federation’s member states to the federation listing. Include only characters with a federal role, federal influence, or direct relevance to federal affairs.
  • Characters primarily associated with another polity belong under External Figures.
  • Use current roles for living and active characters. Move deceased or primarily historical characters to Historical and Deceased Figures.
  • Do not duplicate personality, drives, skills, resources, relationships, biography, or detailed influence ratings from the character file.
  • Keep descriptions factual and stable. Avoid temporary plot-state details unless they are essential to understanding the character’s current role.
  • Recommended entry length: 20–35 words, excluding the link and ID.
  • Omit unused categories from completed listings. They remain here only to provide a common taxonomy.

Scope

<One or two sentences defining which characters belong in this listing. State whether the listing covers a state, federation, historical polity, or another political entity.>

Example:

Characters whose current activity, position, history, or narrative significance is directly connected with the Republic of Artalan. Inclusion does not necessarily indicate citizenship or exclusive affiliation.

Political Leadership

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — Also: <secondary role, if relevant>.

Military and Security

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Current or defining military, intelligence, policing, or security role and reason for inclusion.>

Business and Industry

Science and Academia

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Current or defining scientific, technical, educational, or academic role and reason for inclusion.>

Media, Culture and Religion

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Current or defining cultural, media, artistic, or religious role and reason for inclusion.>

Civil Society

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Current or defining role in a union, foundation, activist movement, charity, or other civic organization.>

Criminal and Underground Figures

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Current or defining criminal, insurgent, clandestine, or informal role and reason for inclusion.>

Historical and Deceased Figures

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — <Defining historical role, relevant period, and reason for continuing significance.>

External Figures

Characters important to this polity but primarily associated with another political entity.

  • Character Name (CHAR_<NAME>) — Primary polity: STATE_<OTHER_POLITY_ID>.

Entry Examples

- [Bob Anderson](CHAR_ANDERSON_BOB.md) (`CHAR_ANDERSON_BOB`) — President of Artalan and leader of the Anderson Electoral Committee. Also: entrepreneur, corporate leader.
 
- [Morgan Saney](CHAR_SANEY_MORGAN.md) (`CHAR_SANEY_MORGAN`) — Minister of Defence and general of the Artalan Armed Forces. Also: politician, philanthropist.

Assignment Rules

Primary polity

The character file should identify the character’s primary polity through citizenship, main position, principal affiliation, or current sphere of activity. These fields are evidence for classification, but none of them automatically determines listing membership.

When several connections exist, prefer the polity in which the character currently exercises their most important role.

Member state and federation

Add a character to a member-state listing when they:

  • hold a state-level office or command;
  • belong to an important state institution or organization;
  • exercise substantial influence within the state;
  • originate from the state and that origin remains narratively significant; or
  • are directly involved in the state’s history or current affairs.

Add a character to a federation listing when they:

  • hold federal office or military command;
  • formally represent a member state at the federal level;
  • influence federal policy or institutions;
  • operate across the federation as a whole; or
  • are directly significant to federal history or conflicts.

A character meeting both sets of criteria should appear in both listings. Each entry must describe the connection relevant to that particular listing.

Category selection

Assign the character according to their primary role within the polity covered by the listing, not necessarily their occupation in general.

If several categories apply:

  1. prefer the role responsible for the character’s greatest influence in this polity;
  2. list the character only in that category;
  3. mention other important functions after Also:.

Canonical authority

The listing may repeat only enough information to identify and navigate to a character. If the listing conflicts with the individual character file, the individual CHAR_*.md file is authoritative and the listing should be corrected.

Links must use paths relative to this directory:

[Character Name](CHAR_<NAME>.md)

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