Prag

Prag is a title within the visitors’ command structure aboard Daban Urnud, denoting senior tactical officers who command specific vessels or operations. In plain Orth it is closest to “captain.” Prags are contrasted with the Gan (a role comparable to an admiral), who oversees strategy across the fleet or mission. Accounts describe the visitors collectively as the Geometers, though this reflects Arbran usage rather than their self‑designation.

Role and authority

• Tactical scope: Prags direct ship‑ and mission‑level tactics, while the Gan holds strategic responsibility. In Urnudan military terms they were the highest tactical rank under a Gan.
• Evolving balance: As the long journey carried the ship far from earlier wars, the Gan’s office took on a more contemplative, quasi‑priestly character, while Prags came to exercise day‑to‑day control over vessels and operations. This long‑standing tension between strategic and tactical centers of gravity is noted aboard the Orbstack.

Context within the visitors’ society

• Origin and setting: The title is native to the people of Urnud and persists aboard the intercosmic ship Daban Urnud, now home to communities from multiple worlds.
• Current alignment (as reported in‑world): Narratives from shipboard sources describe Prags as inclined toward immediate, practical aims—self‑preservation, refit, and continuation of the voyage—especially when facing new worlds.

Present contact with Arbre

• Named holder: A current Prag—Eshwar—is identified as the counterpart to Gan Odru in accounts from within the Command. Her decisions illustrate the office’s tactical emphasis.
• Handling of the Warden: After the Warden of Heaven came aboard the visitors’ craft and later died, internal debates were reported about the treatment of his body and the sharing of information. Decisions attributed to the Prag’s circle emphasized minimizing perceived weakness and retaining leverage during contact, shaping how the remains were returned and discussed.
• Shipboard stance: During the unfolding confrontation near Arbre, the Prag’s faction is portrayed as wary of ceding influence to the Gan and focused on containment, security, and resource‑gathering to keep the mission viable.

Notes

• Terminology and translations are given as used by witnesses and shipboard informants; “Prag” is rendered in Orth as a near‑equivalent to “captain.”
• Individual Prags are sometimes referenced by name (e.g., Prag Eshwar) when discussing specific actions or policies.