Seraphim

The Seraphim is an alien species introduced in Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance as a playable faction. It is the species that the Aeon found on Seraphim II, and who taught them about The Way. Humanity thought it destroyed the race, but actually the colony on Seraphim II was comprised of exiles.

When the Black Sun was deployed by the UEF, it created a rift between the Seraphim realm and humanity's realm. An army of the Seraphim came through the rift to cleanse the galaxy.

Seraphim Warriors

Because of their close connection to The Way, and the extreme empathic feelings that arise from that connection, the Seraphim are physically incapable of harming another sentient being. In order to wage war, the Seraphim utilize warriors that have agreed to permanently sever their connection to The Way.

The results of this action are immediate and extreme. Once a Seraphim loses its connection to The Way, they transform into emotionless killing machines. But becoming a warrior exacts a much heavier price than the simple loss of emotion. Since Seraphim society is built around "feeling" each other empathetically, Seraphim warriors are no longer able to associate with the rest of Seraphim society. From that moment on, they are outcasts.

In addition, Seraphim religious beliefs hold that only one species can ascend and attain perfection via The Way; therefore, any Seraphim that severs its connection to The Way is agreeing to forever relinquish any chance of eternal bliss. In effect, they are "damning" themselves for all eternity.

Seraphim warriors are managed by specially trained War Leaders that create a battle's overall strategy and then use The Way to keep Seraphim warriors calm and focused during battle. The latter is especially important because a Seraphim warrior can easily slip into a killing frenzy and inadvertently alter a carefully constructed battle plan.

Becoming a warrior is the highest honor a Seraphim can achieve, and only a few actually survive the process.

Units

The Seraphim units are composed of superior technologies and sleek designs, somewhat resembling the Aeon. They are very much multi-purpose units. For example the Combat scout is a scout with stealth and cloaking fields when stationary, but also a light assault bot. The Seraphim experimental units are Ythotha/Othuy assault bot, Yolona Oss strategic missile launcher and Ahwassa strategic bomber.

Seraphim construction bespeaks a race far beyond the UEF, Cybran, and Aeon. The majority of Seraphim structures appear highly delicate, implying materials many times stronger than the alloys that compose most of the Human Forces. They make widespread use of hover technology, implying a home world with lower gravity. This is also confirmed in many of their units. The Seraphim ACU possesses thin legs and is very top heavy, with much unaccounted for space. The Experimental Assault Bot, the Ythotha, has a lope that covers ground at an alarming rate.