Colonials
Most Colonials live scattered throughout the inner territories and along the frontier. Colonials often work with the
Capital City as diplomats, envoys, and representatives of the central governing council. Colonials often receive the title
"middle management," where they fall into the uncomfortable and misunderstood position of providing authority and
governance to people who do not respect the governing authority to begin with. To make their lives more difficult,
the governing power afforded them is limited to those granted by the Council. Most of it involves keeping the peace
and avoiding rebellions against the Council. The majority of Colonials volunteer to work in Trades such as Conscripts,
Marshals, Overseers, or Tranquiles. The Council is the largest contract Trade employer of freelance Mech Operators,
especially for mining, so many of them seek employment through this route.
Marshal
The drive of a Marshal is unique across the badlands. To receive
a badge requires a written nomination from a minimum of ten
people, an extensive background check by Council agents, and a
two-thirds majority confirmation vote by the Council. Becoming
a marshal is likely the most difficult position to acquire outside of
the Capital City. In most cases, a Marshal needs at least a long and
decorated military service and consistent performance in dealing
with Ferals and bandits. Marshals have special authority to try,
judge, convict, and exact punishment for crimes, anywhere across
the badlands. Marshals only answer to a single authority once
confirmed: the Marshal Collective. Once a group of Marshals
undergo confirmation and swearing in, the lot of them ship out to
the Marshal Collective. The Marshal Collective is a secure, remote
location where new Marshals get a badge, learn the Marshal’s Oath,
and get their first charge. Any Marshal who violates the Marshal’s
Oath is subject to criminal punishment by the Marshal Collective.
Conscript
Most prefects provide the Conscripts to service via recruiting programs that
center on folks who want to do some traveling, and folks who want to do some
service to the Capital City. Recruiting stations include Capital City Guards and
Evangelists who help convince Colonials to serve. Becoming a Conscript means
a hard life. Anyone who volunteers for service goes to basic training at a remote
outpost camp called Dogwood Camp, where life becomes the very meaning of
survival in the badlands. The soldiers who run the camp do so, on the ground,
but return every evening to the relative luxury and safety of nearby anchored
airships. A Conscript learns quickly to rely on the others in a unit, as the soldiers
must or perish. The camp location, while unadvertised, is subject to occasional
feral and bandit attacks, the wandering, aggressive wild animal, and general unrest
from troops who cannot handle the stress. Punishment for misconduct while in
the camp is usually lashings or death. Once a Conscript escapes from training
alive, the rest of service period, normally four years, takes them on journeys to
distant forts or on patrols across the badlands. At the completion of service,
a Conscript who does not continue immediately discharges as a veteran. The
suicide rate among Conscript veterans is extremely high, but no one knows why.
Mech Operator
Through either contract, or long-term commission, Mech Operators end up
in employ of the Capital City Council. Most of this work involves doing
excavation mining, but sometimes the Council hires Mech Operators for
security patrols along heavily traveled roads to augment existing Conscript
patrol forces. Mech Operators tend to favor staying in the safety and security
of their steamech. Some Mech Operators install reclining seats for resting, or
septic systems to handle body waste. These examples of attachment between
Mech Operators and their steamechs tend to be rare. Mech Operators are
serious about their steamechs, often doing everything possible to keep them
performing at highest capacity. Traditional Mech Operators form strong bonds
with Techanics, always hoping to push their bits a little further, and make
their existence as an Operator last a little bit longer. Being a Mech Operator
required a license to operate, a steamech, and raw talent for piloting.
Overseer
Overseers hold the position of running entire prefects. Most of Overseers acquire
the position through an election otherwise, assignment by the Council occurs,
where voting fails, though rare. Overseers hold an interesting position within a
prefect as they can affect new local laws, set temporary curfews, conduct health and
building code inspections, and distribute payments to locally employed Council
workers. Overseers do not; enforce laws or justice, with the exception of posting
closings on public houses or other buildings that do not meet health and building
codes. This position of an Overseer is difficult, as while they have a modicum of
authority and financial responsibility, their pay is meager by any standard, and
they often take blame outside of their control. The Capital City Council sees
Overseers as magistrates who should locally take control and enact Council law.
Tranquile
A long and spotted history follows the traditions of the Tranquile. The earliest
Tranquile afforded companionship and spying services for and between Council
members. Tranquile acted as the first agents for the Council. In time, corruption
of the Tranquile organization came from within, when certain members
bent on seeking power, began orchestrating the Tranquile to eliminate noncompliant
Council members. After identifying and eventually eliminating
the corruption, a scar remained on the reputation of the Tranquile. This
caused the Tranquile organization to branch in multiple directions. Tranquile,
to date, do similar work for the Council as originally tasked, but now their
primary tasking involves assassinations and subterfuge. Tranquile trained
in restraint and subtlety, can become capable of persuading even the most
resistant target through words alone. Tranquile often train in torture, toxins,
and pain management, making them deadly opponents to underestimate.
