A small, structured order devoted to the maintenance and eventual reactivation of the Forebearer at Haven XVII’s heart. Numbering fewer than a hundred active members at any time, the Vigil works slowly and methodically, conserving energy while performing repairs that may not bear fruit for centuries. They revere the Forebearer not as a god, but as a responsibility inherited from the past.
The Vigil is cautious and non-confrontational, forced into trade despite poor energy reserves. They maintain strained but necessary dealings with the Salvagers, cooperate closely with the Emberwrights, and are respected—if quietly pitied—by the Zephyrwrights. They avoid the Harvesters entirely, having learned that even a single encounter could doom their long-term work.
A vast, loose association numbering in the thousands, the Salvagers are the circulatory system of Haven XVII. They roam the city’s ruined districts, recovering usable machinery, energy storage devices, tools, and materials, and selling or trading them to nearly every other faction. Most trade in the city passes through Salvager hands at some point.
They are diverse, unstructured, and pragmatic, gathering in places like the Fallen Plaza to exchange goods and information. Salvagers maintain excellent relations with the Conservators and Zephyrwrights, tolerate the Vigil when necessary, and are on poor terms with the Emberwrights due to frequent disputes over claimed industrial zones. They are in constant violent conflict with the Harvesters, who see them as mobile reservoirs of energy.
Occupying the highest reaches of Haven XVII’s spires, the Zephyrwrights harness steady wind to generate the only consistent renewable energy in the city. With roughly eight hundred members, they are numerous by necessity, maintaining turbines and windmills that allow them to rewind Ticks, Chimes, and even Strikes for trade.
They have no strict hierarchy, instead allowing members to specialize freely. Their elevated positions are defensible, but vulnerability increases sharply when forced to ground level. They trade widely, respect the Vigil’s dedication, avoid the Harvesters at all costs, and view the Emberwrights as cautious rivals rather than enemies. Outsiders are generally welcome—provided they stay clear of critical machinery.
A disciplined industrial faction of around five hundred automata, the Emberwrights maintain the Foundry Wards and the city’s remaining thermal infrastructure. They reclaim heat from dormant machinery, search for still-warm geothermal vents, and produce their own tools and equipment wherever possible. Work is constant, structured into rotations to minimize energy waste while maximizing output.
They operate under a strict hierarchy, value labor as purpose, and despise idleness. The Emberwrights cooperate closely with the Vigil, trade knowledge and materials with the Conservators, and maintain wary but friendly relations with the Zephyrwrights. They detest the Salvagers and actively hunt Harvesters within their territory, resulting in a noticeably reduced Harvester presence in the Foundry Wards.
Dedicated to preserving memory and continuity, the Conservators number around five thousand in total—though only a few hundred are operational at any given time. The majority remain powered down, sometimes for centuries, awaiting the moment their expertise is needed. They occupy a small but defensible footprint within the Ledger Halls, focusing on the Central Archive and nearby chokepoints.
They trade in knowledge rather than parts or energy, researching lost records or delivering memorized information in exchange for goods and services. They maintain excellent relations with the Salvagers, trade steadily with the Emberwrights, and remain cordial but distant from the Zephyrwrights. The Conservators fear the Harvesters deeply and invest heavily in defensive preparation to avoid direct confrontation.
More classification than organization, the Harvesters consist of countless independent groups and individuals who survive by forcibly draining energy from other automata. Their numbers likely exceed a thousand and continue to grow, as they are the most willing faction to create new Scavenged automata from salvaged bodies. Infighting among them is common—sometimes nearly as frequent as attacks on others.
Harvesters roam freely through any district that cannot actively repel them. Their tactics rely on excess energy and relentless pursuit rather than efficiency. Some are methodical predators, others chaotic destroyers, and some simply desperate. They are universally feared, violently opposed by the Emberwrights, avoided by the Zephyrwrights and Conservators, and generally avoid engaging the Vigil, whose Sentinels are disciplined and dangerous enough that conflict is rarely worthwhile.