Negavian factions
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Contents
The great city of Negav is primarily ruled by two factions :
The Ps'isol Magiocrats, a council of powerful mages, and the Vishmitals, an advanced race of humans, possessing destructive weapons. This unusual alliance of scientific might and powerful magic is what keeps the city safe. The two factions eye each other suspiciously but they know they need each other, and so they share the power in an uneasy peace. There are many plots, counter plots and maneuvers taking place behind the stage though, among the many actors and political forces of that huge, dangerous city.
Ps'isol Magiocrats
A high council of powerful mages who govern the city. Ps'isol means " Enlightened ones" in the language of their founder. Like their name implies, they rule by the sheer power of their magic. Their rule is definitely authoritarian, with the Magiocrats sharing most of the executive power among themselves, leaving very little outside their hands. In practice however, you will find few Negavians who would complain, at least not too loudly. First because it's not very healthy, but mostly because, in a world as dangerous as Felarya, security is the absolutely highest priority, and if the price to pay to be safe is to obey the rule of a bunch of rarely seen and relatively discrete mages who rarely bother to mix into the affairs of the simple mortals anyway (seen as way too trivial and unworthy of their precious time), then so be it.
Indeed the Magiocrats definitely keep Negav safe from predators, thank to their most famous creation: The Isolon Eye. This marvel of magic repels predators, and, that alone, guarantees the magiocrats a long and relatively un-challenged rules for decades to come. In the past, the council membership was a very tightly kept secret and only a Ps'isol Magiocrat knew who the other members were. However, as they consolidated their power, their lifestyle became more comfortable and luxurious as well, and this secrecy became an annoyance with little use, and was eventually dropped altogether. Magiocrats use a system of rotation among themselves to designate their leader. That position is currently held by the young and ambitious Lady Lesona.
Council members
Lord Gramon
Lord Amithep
Vishmitals
A very advanced race that once formed a glorious empire, Vishmitals long regarded themselves as the most powerful and sophisticated race of their galaxy. This belief was shattered however, when their homeworld was destroyed in a terrible war and their culture was very nearly wiped out. Since then, the remaining Vishmitals have been scattering, wandering from world to world, trying to gain power and to slowly, patiently recover their lost glory and seek revenge. Some Vishmitals use only raw force and their deadly weapons to achieve their objectives, conquering and subduing worlds, while others use diplomacy to gain influence in various important places. All Vishmitals, however, seek only one ultimate goal: to revive their empire. This is something that seem genetically imprinted in them. They will never give up working on this objective and will even sacrifice their lives for it. Other races must remain extremely cautious when dealing with Vishmitals, as no old friendship, deep love, or bribery can override the ultimate goal in the end.
Vishmitals in Felarya are mostly of the diplomatic type. They are widely seen as calm, composed, and calculating people, showing little of their emotions, at least not publicly. Trying to taunt or mock a Vishmital is like trying to mock a wall. They appear to seek only long term results, displaying a lot of patience to achieve them. A Vishmital just don't mind waiting. They are also known to be very resistant to any form of psychic control. They are disciplined and efficient at getting the job done, and are regarded by the general population as polite and helpful, if a little cold. For some reasons, Vishmitals are uneasy with shaking hands, a contact they see as too intimate in their culture, and will instead use their heads in little nods, or shakings, in order to express themselves or salute. They form one of the main factions of Negav and largely control the military might of the city. They are headed by the Chall Kazol ( Chall is a military rank akin to general ). Their motives in Felarya remain mysterious, and many among the Ps'isol Magiocrats are convinced their goal is to quietly take control of Negav and overthrow them, creating a quiet but persistent power struggle, that flared up in a near civil war a few decades ago.
Known Vishmitals
Chall Kazol
Nanzon Fidrish
Ashmet dreypa
Isolon Fist
Under construction
The Isolon fist is the Magiocrats personal fighting force. Headed by the Commander Kamlon, this elite unit has a large number of battlemages at its core, supported by more conventionaly armed troops. They form an efficent and versatile force, well trained in combat. As they act at the whim of the Magiocrats, providing security and general policing is not their main role; they do support other groups such as the Investigators when ordered to, usually in times of crisis.
Their duties involve guarding highly sensitive sites, such as the Isolon Eye or the Nexus, and all sort of dangerous jobs requiring a quick and efficient solution. The Core of a regular Isolon fist unit are two battlemages, whose powers and abilities are complementary, in order to create efficient and versatile combinations. This pairing is achieved through long training and tests in the Trial room of the the University of Magic. Some tensions are lingering between the Isolon Fist and the Vishmitals, as the Fist were the ones deployed against them in some skirmishes taking place between the two factions a few decades ago. Magiocrats regard the Fist as much as a mean to help defend the city, as a mean to keep Vishmitals in check.
Known members of the Isolon Fist
Charlotte Langlire
Commander Kamlon
Saidakins
The personnal army of the Magiocrat Lady Lesona. They form a small, clandestine but fanatical group, ruthless, stealthy and deadly. Very little is know about their origins or inner workings. They are said to come from a remote world, having been brought in Felarya by Lesona. The reasons behind it are entirely unknown, but they are fanatically loyal to her, and won't hesitate to give away their lives for their master, and to jump without hesitation into the most dangerous, suicidal missions when ordered. They are mostly used for information gathering and quick and efficient assassination. Using portals, Lesona can send them virtually anywhere, even in the middle of the jungle, where their supernatural speed and agility can allow them to elude many predators.
Investigators Internal Security Division
An arrogant and shadowy intelligence agency wholly loyal to the Magiocrats. While they possess their own security troops they do not have the raw power of either the Isolon Fists or VISA. Rather they focus on intelligence gathering, investigations and overseeing security details. The ISD security forces also specialize in dealing with rogue mages or other unconventional threats.
Vishmital Internal Security Agency
The VISA is a corp composed of Vishmital reservists who guard some key installations within Negav, as well as ethnic Vishmital areas. Like the force that guards the city walls, they rely heavily on technology and other conventional means to carry out their duty. They have polite, functional relations with the Isolon Fist, helping them to supply both equipment and personnel, but are usually at odds with the Investigators, mainly due to political differences.
Negav Police
Formerly known as the MSD ( Investigators Metropolitan Security Divison ), the police of Negav used to be a centralized and brutal corp overseeing all of Negav's internal security, using fear and a massive network of informers to keep the populace under control. However due to their increasingly violent nature, increasing tensions with Vishmitals, and a changing political climate, such a force was deemed unecessary and the MSD was ordered to disband by the Magiocrats. Many members consider this to be a fall from grace and long for the days where the Investigators controled Negav's security. Nowadays, the Negavian police is a mixed force, composed of Vishmitals, Negavians volunteers and mages. This stability however, comes at the cost of efficiency, as members tend to bicker among themselves and to stay loyal to their group. Thus, the Negavian police is widely seen by citizens as corrupt and slow to act.
Citizen militia
In some part of Negav, the citizen have decided to take their security into their hands and formed various militias to protect their local neighbourhoods from various threats and undesirables. The VISA force can be described as the largest Citizen militia in Negav, however their organisation and professionalism put them several leagues above the others. Most militia groups have their own interpretation of the law. Some like the "Companions of the dark angles district" are well known as a solid and reliable force acting honorably and with professionalism, while some like the dreaded "Guardians of the Skyless city" are nothing but large bands of ruthless bandits and thugs themselves, or are just an extension of the local criminal gangs and mafias. If this behaviour gets out of hand the more professional security groups are ordered to move in and remove the corrupt militia, with often discutable success.
Private Security and Mercenary groups
For the rich and nobles, relying on professional security organisations who are politically motivated such as the Investigators or VISA can be rather bothersome. Instead many hire their own force; usually retired veterans or off world soldiers looking to make easy money to act as body guards. With the current lack of a city wide police force dedicated to dealing with common and local crime, it is not uncommon to find the more affluent neighborhoods pratrolled by these private security personnel. There are many mercenary guilds in Negav, some of them sponsored or even sanctioned by the main security bodies.
Religions
Because Felarya is connected to so many dimensions, it quickly became a melting pot of cultures from countless different worlds. And with all those people coming to Felarya with their own beliefs and their sense of truth about the universe, religions naturally thrived. And in no place is this more true than Negav.
- Credits to CauldronBorn24 for many ideas to develop Negavian factions
