As mentioned on other pages, the three main surviving humanoid races are (nick)named dwarves, elves, and orcs. In some ways these are stereotypes, and one important aspect of role-play is to play against type. In this period, these three are seen as the “central” races–most similar to humans–and other humanoid races “radiate” out from this center. “Radiant” humanoids are affiliated with one of the central three. Radiating from dwarves are goblins, halflings, and gnomes. Radiating from elves are nymphs, dryads, and faeries. Radiating from orcs are bugbears, ogres, and giants.
Class Hierarchy and Factions
There are three classes in most places on Jehan, named after their Roman equivalents: Patricians, Plebs, and Proles. Class status partially cuts across race lines. However, orcs are usually Proles, dwarves are usually Plebs, and elves (who often live apart in single-race communities) are generally considered upperclass when they interact with the other two races.
Class-hierarchy is caused by (and enforced by) the prevailing ideology: Liberty-through-Law, also known as ‘Contract Rule’. Instead of nation-states, a decentralized group of judges, guards, and corporations enforce contracts, from unskilled labor to the governing of whole cities and trade-networks. For Proles–who are almost always in debt–contracts are tangible bondage in the form of the Contract Collar. Contract-Collars are braided metal chokers that can only be released by the blood-DNA of the contract-holder along with a release-phrase.
In opposition to this ideology of ‘liberty’ that seems to produce only debt-bondage, there are the Cuthars, who are radical egalitarians. Not surprisingly, most Cuthars are orcs. Most adherents to this faction live in cities governed by contract-rule, where they have to hide their beliefs because Cutharism is forbidden. In the wilderness, Cuthar communities live communally. Everything is (supposedly) shared, and that causes a great deal of tension as well.
Another faction is the Enlightened movement. Adherents believe in racial purity, and generally the adherents are elves and Patrician dwarves. Orcs often worry that the Enlightened Ones are eugenecists who believe in genocide.
Academies and Guilds
There are six Schools of Magic, taught by different Academies. Patricians send their children to one or several Academies. Each School is also affiliated with several practical Guilds, staffed mostly by Plebs.
Divination: the Art of insight. Symbol: clear crystals. Affiliated Guilds: Archivists and the telecom system.
Glamer: the Art of entertainment and distraction. Symbol: black onyx. Affiliated Guilds: bards and thieves.
Abjuration: the Art of protection and defense. Symbol: turquoise. Affiliated Guilds: defensive combat, rescue charities.
Evocation: the Art of attack. Symbol: ruby. Affiliated Guilds: offensive combat, pyrotechnics (fireworks).
Alchemy, the Art of transmutation. Symbol: prismatic metal. Affiliated Guilds: smiths, potioners.
Biomancy, the Art of living organisms. Symbol: green leaf. Affiliated Guilds: healers, herders, gardeners, and lifecrafters.
The major Companies
Under contract rule, several companies operate across many regions.
Eastern Trading Company dominates long-distance trade across seas, deserts and the skies. Garfast is the airship subsidiary. Dagus is the sea-ship subsidiary. Overland caravans are operated by smaller subcontractors. ETC also controls local water-supplies in many communities through their subsidiary, AquaVida.
Tellico Heliograph and Carrier Pigeon (TH&CP) is the communication company and network. Tellico is actually a subsidiary of the much more mysterious Ogle, an intelligence-gathering company that runs spy networks and other operations for this highest bidders. “They know all about you” is the unofficial motto for this surveillance company.
TikTok Mechanix, the premiere developers of machines and metallurgy. Primary producers of weapons and armor, so they are rather fond of violent conflict. Also dominant investors in Dynamax, the main energy-supply company across Astaria. They are mainly located in Setarani cities: Orthopolis, Feropolis, Menmopolis.
Accumulated Capital Trust (ACT), the banking, lending, and currency-regulation company. As the primary owners of debt in this world, they are also the primary owners of debt-slaves, a source of cheap labor for other companies and communities.
BlackWind, the guard and mercenary corporation. Other than ACT’s slaves, BlackWind is the most common trafficker in prisoners. They run prisons, interrogation centers, contract out with towns for security, etc. BlackWind provides chain-gangs to dig ditches, build roads and walls, quarry rocks, etc. There is a new, upstart competitor to BlackWind called WhackenHovel Security.