Factions in Westward - Explorers and Settlers

[Veldanya Venalla]

Explorers and Settlers
Explorers and Settlers, while essentially colonials, are the folks who tend to travel outside prefects, going out into the
badlands and who settle new homes outside of protected areas. These people will often grow up in forts and prefects,
but move away for personal differences with local law or run-ins with Council authorities. While not blacklisted as
criminals, such as likes of scavs and Ferals, Explorers and Settles still live in a constant state of struggle for survival.
More people live and work outside the forts and prefects, than do the populations within them combined. This is a
startling idea to the residents of the Capital City, who cannot fathom the idea of living in the dirt and rock and making
a life on the edges of civilization. Explorers and Settlers make up more than half of the entire Human population on
Westward. While many people view farming arguably as a Trade, those who farm and produce crops, cannot live on
that income alone, and heartily rely on another source. By Trade, Explorers and Settlers tend to fall into very specific
groups, including Blasters, Makers, Movers, Prospectors, and Techanics.

Blaster
Blasters possess a knack for demolitions and explosives, in some cases, an
obsession. Although dangerous, a Blaster's demolition skills become pivotal
in mining work. Blasters also can clear out rocks from farmland, and make
short work of carving out new homes into large boulders. Some Blasters
specialize in home or structural carvings, especially farther out in the badlands.
A smaller number of Blasters simply enjoy blowing anything up. Some of
them are spectacular artists, and some of them are dangerous and malicious
criminals. Few people scrap with Blasters, as no one knows what one of them
will have in store for that person who sets them off. Blasters tend to live nearby
forts and prefects so they may acquire tools and ingredients more readily.

Maker
Unlike others across the badlands, Makers live life each day to create something
new amidst the dust and rock. Most Makers live in small farming communities or
on the edge of prefects, providing inventions, and repairs to people. Many Makers
develop clocks, lights, alarms, cooking systems, distilleries, air conditioning and
heating systems, and a slew of other useful devices to improve the quality of life
for others. Someone coined a phrase long ago that goes something like this, "a
prefect without a Maker is a no prefect at all." This phrase tends to ring true the
farther away from Capital City anyone travels, as the need for invention and design
become particularly evident. Most Makers earn a modest living by invention
alone, a few sometimes team up with Techanics and open shops to design and build
completely original steamechs. These shops are far and few between, especially
since most of them are illegal. Steamech shops tend to need a license issued from a
local Overseer to be legal, and while an Overseer may not shut a shop down, they
may not grant a license, either. This makes the steamech business a difficult, but
sometimes worthwhile investment of time and energy for an ambitious Maker.

Mover
Movers are the lifeblood of the badlands. They travel from one place to another,
selling, trading, and buying goods. They move resources from prefect to fort
to badland, and back again, distributing goods to thousands of people. Very
successful Movers take on difficult routes that few others dare venture along,
sometimes even going into scav and Feral territory to trade with the locals nearby
them. Movers represent a long tradition of free commerce in the original colonists,
many of whom will live their entire life out traveling the badlands, never going
the same way, or visiting the same place twice. It is from Movers that tall tales
reach the ears of others in public houses and anywhere people gather. Movers
can often freely travel into scav and feral territory after building a reputation of
barter and trade with them, bringing goods from the forts and prefects regularly
makes them a valuable commodity beyond the frontier, even to savages.

Prospector
Prospectors learn skills to find water, fertile soil, certain minerals, and other
valuables in the desolation of the badlands. A Prospector originally founded all of
the many forts and abandoned outposts across the badlands. Prospectors look for
new places to survive, to expand Human civilization, and to create a legacy for their
descendants. Some Prospectors use specially designed technology to find new sites
for settlements, while others use traditional methods. No specific method seems to
work better than another, though a large number of Prospectors swear by surveying
a site and living there for as long as possible, before moving on. Prospectors
will often spend years searching for suitable sites for settling; many die in this
pursuit. Without the desire to explore and follow curiosity, Prospectors would stop
moving outward, looking to find the answers to the questions. In Prospectors,
we find the best and worst of Humanity; in Prospectors, we find our future.

Techanic
The traditions of Techanics stretch back to Earth, where those talented in
the mechanical and technical disciplines excelled in building, repairing, and
maintaining technology. Techanics maintain the traditions of their ancestors
with a pursuit improving their craft and developing new and innovative ways
to solve existing problems in complex technologies. Some Techanics call their
craft "turning wrenches", lending credence to the idea of their ancestors who
worked on technology mainly consisting of mechanical systems. The technology
of Westward poses many complex problems, especially those posed by high
pressure steam and long term corrosion of materials. The most popular insulation
and building material used by Techanics across Westward is aluminum silicate,
providing resistance to high temperatures and corrosion. The difficulty for
most Techanics is either producing or acquiring any kind of silicate materials,
as the temperatures required to manufacture are very high. Techanics live
everywhere in Westward, providing their services wherever needed.