Five Factions of Aruchel

  Rolling hills and verdant fields are the hallmarks of this ancient land.  It's a farmer's life here, and the average citizen toils from sun up until sundown, producing food for the masses of Aruchel and beyond. 

Agrarians tend to be very independent, strong-willed, and highly skeptical of government.  This is the only faction in Aruchel that doesn’t have a formal leadership structure, a condition that makes the food-dependent aristocracy of Nobilis extremely nervous.  

For years, Agraria has been petitioning the capital for permission to expand its cultivation into other nearby islands in an effort to meet demand.   The fear from Civicus is that, if granted, other factions would clamor for the same privileges, resulting in land wars throughout the continent. Petitions have also been made for the capital to pressure Teknos to focus its efforts on developing farm machinery rather than more lucrative gadgets and war machines.  But money talks, and at the end of the day, Aruchel is still ruled by economics.

   Like cockroaches, the political class has stood the test of time and Scourings.  To the outsider, an almost completely barren region would be an uninhabitable wasteland, but to the descendants of Nobilis, the empty terrain is perfectly suited for building sprawling cities of stone and steel.

Generally speaking, Nobilians are wealthy and accustomed to ‘softer’ jobs requiring little-to-no manual labor. Banking and politics are the currency of this faction.  No coin circulates throughout all of Katharsis without passing through the hands of Nobilis.

Because of its wealth and power, Nobilis sees itself as superior to the other factions, especially Agraria and Syrvis.  Even so, most citizens of Nobilis would not admit to espousing such feelings of superiority (at least not openly).

The great inverted pyramids are, of course, the main attraction for visitors to this region.   But more impressive than the pyramids themselves is the amount of slave labor it took to build them - a practice continued to this day, much to the disdain of Agraria and Syrvis, from where most of the laborers are acquired.

  These mineral-rich lands are pitted with vast mines laden with precious metals, ores, and gems. Those laborers not delving into the caverns for raw materials are busy manning the iron forges to smelt them into all manner of ornaments and weapons for both the commoner and the wealthy.  There are none finer throughout the Four Corners of Katharsis. 

The tradesmen of Syrvis work tirelessly at their craft - their forge fires never go out. While other factions may find this work laborious, tedious, and at times claustrophobic, the Syrvisians find true pleasure in the process.  And that process certainly pays off.  Syrvis as a whole enjoys relative prosperity and security.  While it's true that the majority live underground, they do so by choice, preferring the security of stone over sky.

The inhabitants of Syrvis have little tolerance for shenanigans. Edicts are simple and strictly enforced (even for non-residents).  Those found breaking the law, seldom do so twice, as capital punishment is the norm for repeat offenders.  That said, there's a seedy underbelly to this faction if one knows where to look.

  The 'Land of Invention,' Teknos is a true melting pot of hundreds of minorities leftover from the initial land rush of Aruchel.  Innovation and entrepreneurialism is what unites this faction. Flying ships, towering factories, and roaring machines are constant sights throughout the region.

The artificers of Teknos bustle about, covered with oil and soot in a happy chaos. Eccentric engineers, alchemists, inventors, and mechanics all seem to work together in synchronized harmony to ‘get things done.’  Teknosi explorers are constantly sent throughout Aruchel’s uninhabited lands to search out new and lost technology for potential commercialization.

Teknos actively avoids being pulled into the drama of other factions – they are too busy inventing and manufacturing to be distracted by such frivolity. Unfortunately, the creators rarely ask themselves the ethical question as to whether or not something should be done just because it can be done.  As a sad result, innovations for devices of war and greed far outweigh those for devices of peace and charity.

Only 10% of new inventions are released to the public for production, leaving many to speculate what other wonders remain secret.  Teknos’ greatest invention, of course, is the armored airship, made-to-order for delivery throughout the Four Corners.

  Capitalizing on its military disciplines, Vaelor produces and trains soldiers of the highest caliber.  Children enter military camps at a young age, where they learn basic skills, develop physical fitness, and study the art and strategy of warfare, particularly for combating monsters in The Mist.

At the top of Vaelor’s strict and complex leadership structure is a General, descended from a self-appointed dynasty since the colonization of the island.  Beneath him are seven marshals who oversee the military’s branches and preside over the region’s economic and social interests.

Of all of the factions, Vaelor is the most reclusive, even remaining somewhat distant from Civicus itself.  Any necessary interactions with the other factions are kept as brief and efficient as possible.  If a meeting doesn’t have a stated strategic purpose, Vaelor won’t be there.

For the most part, this bend toward isolationism is accepted as simply part of military discipline, but there's a growing concern that the 'Warfare Isle' is heading toward becoming its own sovereign state and/or that it may have ambitions for expansion into other territories, perhaps even into continents beyond Aruchel.  Time will tell as Civicus and Nobilis continue to send unwelcome diplomats to monitor the situation.