Thanks for clarifying!
Upon further pondering the topic, I now have faith that your envisioned “carrot” (access to theurgic training/careers) will indeed serve as a more effective option than the Hegemony’s current “stick” (“comply or get killed/Harrowed yourself” policy).
(Though it would be even better if Phaedra’s biotech research eventually pays off enough dividends to outright eliminate (or at least phase out) Harrowing by G5)
Yeah, Cerlota is quite the nuanced take on the ruthless character trope; her personal code of honor prompted her to resign in disgust (towards a false flag operation that killed the Hegemony’s own citizens just to (deliberately) restart the war with Halassur); but at the same time, Cerlota is quite eager to escalate the stakes of the rebellion against the Hegemony (by introducing a Xaos-storm WMD).
Though thankfully flexible enough to work alongside Homelander MCs!
(up until said (extreme) Homelander MCs start hungrily looking at reclaiming Aveche/Avezia as the final piece of their “Shayardene irredentism” campaign)
Except when it comes to the “to unleash or not unleash the WMD on Grand Shayard’s City Ward” debate, apparently.
Still curious to find out what Cerlota will think of MC’s proposed “pragmatically work with Halassur as Erezza’s double agent” plan, by the way.
FYI (for the helot-only players who aren’t as familiar with aristo playthroughs): aristo MCs who were previously attracted to Hector can make a deal with Calea to stop Hector’s raids (on MC’s rebels) in exchange for Calea later collecting an unspecified favor from the MC.
With a “caleaname” faction now known, I think I now know what that favor is: Calea will attempt to insist on aristo MC pledging their loyalty to her own personal faction (separate from the Laconniers that’s she nominally a loyal member of).
Or, if Calea is feeling pragmatic/reasonable, Calea’s favor will instead be a one-time task (that may or may not open the doors for future collaboration between her faction and aristo MC’s faction).
And because Calea’s G1 task (her meeting with aristo MC) involves an INT stat check (have 2 to pass), it’s not too far-fetched to assume that Calea herself is an INT-specializing NPC (thus very likely to be a Secret Theurge in her own right).
Oh dear. How possible will it be that Calea will turn out to become a Theurge who’s leading one of the “Big Three” post-Hegemony factions?
(Thus, Calea’s earlier G1 comment towards aristo MC: “We (the Keriatous) would prefer that you not lose to anybody other than us, your own relatives,” suddenly has new meaning/potential foreshadowing!
Even as early as Game 1, Calea already foresaw that she and aristo MC would survive (and pragmatically ally with each other) long enough to become each other’s future nemesis in the post-Hegemony scramble for power/territory!)
And if Calea is indeed a Theurge, aristo MC’s attempts (to mitigate calls for Calea’s execution into “life sentence house arrest/imprisonment”) will feel much flimsier (since Theurges can often easily escape island imprisonment/exile).
How’s this for a non-empire building G5 end state (for MCs who’ve assembled enough pirate allies/connections): a “Stormraiders”-like faction?
(who eschew settling down in any sort of land-based capital in favor of forever roaming the high seas in a giant “world ship” or giant fleet of regular-sized ships)
(FYI, I refer to the Stormraiders from the Pon Para games on COG; the Stormraiders are pretty much a Viking-ish civilization who lived on a giant ‘world ship’ at the edge of the Pon Para world, prior to invading Pon Para’s mainland setting (the Three Nations) in the present day era)
Not if industrialist-minded MCs have anything to say about it! 
Anyways, on a separate but related note, I’d like to hear people’s thoughts on my LOTR-inspired character build; please answer on the following poll (if interested).
(Saruman de Isengard, middle name “Takenahobbitz”)
a. Homelander Aristo MC
b. Embraces his lust for power/world domination by becoming the equivalent of Saruman the White, who…
b1. revamps Shayard into an industrial powerhouse with Wiendrj’s help/technology,
b2. manufactures a massive battalion of armored, “Uruk Hai”-inspired Plektoi shock troopers (behind the back of his soon-to-be-former Abhuman allies),
b3. later oversees the progress of his new empire from atop his “spiky black fortress tower” in Grand Shayard,
b4. and then forms an alliance with fellow conqueror/“Dark Lord of Mordor” Sarcifer)
c. Courtship intentions: Has his eyes set on picking (similarly ruthless-minded) Teren as his queen consort (who will be an important political ally for getting the cosmopolitan ex-Leaguers to balance out MC’s homelander preferences, in the common interest of holding together a Shayard-dominated new world order)
- Like/Love the Build! (And No Other Detailed Questions Asked)
- Eh, I Suppose that It’s an Ok-ish Build? (Shrug)
- I Like the Build, But would Suggest Certain Changes (Clarify in later Reply)
- Eh, Not Impressed at All