Novus Agricultural Survey
Overview
The Novus Agricultural Survey is a civilian organization devoted to the possibility of creating agricultural settlements outside of the city. The belief in this necessity comes from being disillusioned with the governmental agricultural initiative in the Jade Ring. Some within the Survey also believe that the magic and machinery that makes the high yield production of the Jade Ring possible should not exist, and therefore attempts to ceate sustainable agriculture using traditional methods should be pursued.
Structure
The Novus Agricultural Survey is technically under the oversight of the Adamantine Wayfinders as it largely operates outside of the city. The Wayfinders largely allocate management of the Survey to a council of Surveyors, elected a decided upon by those who are a part of the survey.
Culture
The members of the Survey are known for being fiercely independent, often problematically so. They can be stubborn and resistant to any official authority while the pursue a self-made prosperity through tending to the land.
Public Agenda
The goals of the Survey can be summarized as this:
- To provide the citizens of Novus with a system of agriculture free from the confines of Novus's systems -- most especially, the Jade Ring.
- To establish long term agricultural endeavors by creating settlements beyond the bounds of the city.
- To find safe, arable land that can be cultivated for civilian agricultural land.
Assets
The Survey has established a handful of semi-permanent settlements on the Abregoth Plateau surrounding Novus. These settlements were built with materials from the nearby forests but are largely simple and ramshackle. There are also a small number of nomadic settlements that venture further out from the city to locate more diverse ecology and cultivate new farmland. Many of these settlemens act as hunter/gatherer societies. The survey as managed to keep small herds of domestic farm animals, such as chickens, sheep, cattle, and horse. A principle source of income for the Survey is selling horses to the Wayfinders.
History
In 282 PF, the survey was established by Agnar Adamas, a former Jade Ring worker who had become disillusioned by his time working for the guilds and lords within the city system. When several protests and uprisings were quelled, somewhat violently, Adamas decided to form the survey. Thanks to his friendship with Sobek Kraz, a promient Adamantine Wayfinder, Adamas was able to get official dispensation from the Brass Ring of Novus to establish the survey. This initially led to a sort of exodus of workers from the Jade Ring to join the survey, but after a Miasma storm annihilated the first settlement attempt, the survey never fully recovered. This has established a rhythm of small successes followed by harsh realities that has been a constant for the people of survey. Only the most stubborn or dedicated members stayed.
