Kansujian: Notable Factions
Government
Kansujian's government was once an Unkaian structure designed for easy enforcement of authority and hierarchy. In the years following the Shogun's march on Wěitīng the decision was made to reinvent the settlement as a popular tourist destination, so a change of government was almost universally agreed upon. In LN 67, the new Kansujian City Council took shape, offering a more democratic form of rulership which allowed citizen-run businesses to contribute to the welfare of the city.
The Council is composed of a Daitōryō, a council of sixteen hyōgi-in (four per district), and an extensive staff of clerks and magistrates divided up between the hyōgi-in's precincts.
Law enforcement in the City of Lights falls under the purview of the Telas Gundan syndicate, with its heavily armed binnan patrolling the streets to ensure the safety of Kansujian's visitors as well as the obedience of its people.
The Daitōryō
The highest elected office in Kansujian, the Daitōryō holds administrative control over Kansujian's central government for a term of six years. A challenger wishing to unseat an incumbent Daitōryō must secure a two-thirds majority vote. Except in extreme cases, the four Hyōgi-in who service under the Daitōryō have the right to challenge their decisions and, if the vote is unanimous, strike it down.
On the occasion of a Daitōryō elect's untimely death, succession defaults to lineal rather than being passed to someone else in the government. If there is no one suitable to take the seat (only blood relatives are considered for this), the four Hyōgi-in jointly rule the city until the next election year.
The Hyōgi-in
Elected representatives from each of Kansujian's four main districts, the hyōgi-in serve the role of local administrators overseeing their respective precincts. They report directly to the Daitōryō and elections take place every three years.
The Civil Defense Force
The binnan who patrol the city wear uniforms inspired by Piraanese military dress uniforms, with a blood-red sash over a brown shirt. On their lower halves they wear black silk breeches which end at the knee and black hose with buckled leather shoes. Sergeants and above wear a single leather pauldron emblazoned with the Endless Legion’s symbol, affixed to the uniform shirt to prevent the sash from moving around. A brown tanjak is worn on the head. Around Kansujian Plaza and the Promenade, Gundan troops carry jitte in ornamented scabbards; throughout the rest of Kansujian they carry their originally issued shortswords.
Another division of the Gundan, the Tanrua, are a military police division equipped and trained with the expectation of more martial affairs. The Tanrua are permitted to carry a weapon of their choice, and can be easily spotted in a crowd by their red steel armor: a half-breastplate, bracers, faulds, and round-topped nasal helmets with horsehair crests. The Tanrua are similar in scope to the modern-day People’s Armed Police in China, who dress similarly to police (in green uniforms instead of blue) and are primarily responsible for internal security, riot control, antiterrorism, disaster response, and supplement the PLA Ground Force as needed. In Kansujian's case, both the Bannin and Tanrua serve as police force and standing army.
The Kansujian Bureau of Supernatural Affairs
The KBSA came about with the Fifth Amendment of the Compact. As Kansujian’s population swelled and began to entertain more and more outsiders, the three Syndicates decided to create and employ an independent agency to protect from predation and harm by excessively powerful magic users. As luck would have it, this happened concurrently with the founding of Pira's New Hegemony in LN 1020. Seeking to protect its interests in the Coast, a militant wing of the Winged Faith known as the Shielded Faith brought together the first Conservators - agents of the Hegemon selected for loyalty and magical prowess who would protect the citizens of Chamatkaar from supernatural threats, and the Hegemon for their yearly visits to the Coast. A lengthy deal was struck and Kansujian was allowed its own branch of the Shielded Faith with little oversight; this eventually went on to become the KBSA. In the modern day, every city-state houses a detachment of Conservators, but only Kansujian's do not fall under the direct command of the Shielded Faith: modeling themselves after the Chains Elite in Ashimachi in envy of their celebrity status, the KBSA's Conservators have taken to styling themselves with both individual titles and party names. They eschew the strict regulations governing the appearance and customs of traditional Conservators for ostentatious costumes and open displays of their magical might, effectively casting themselves as "pop star superheroes" of a sort. While this behavior flies in the face of literal religious decree, the agreement made with the Syndicates contains tricky legal language which wards off any attempt at disciplinary or remedial action by the Seraphists. Like many other things in Kansujian the administrative body of the KBSA is thoroughly corrupt, and effectively provides a superpowered gestapo with which the Syndicates can crush anyone or anything that attempts to get between them and their goals.
Religion
The Winged Faith
Though it began as a Chains state, the Unkai Republic's loss in the First Lotus War prompted Kansujian to convert to Pankhon in LN 319. The city had long since reinvented itself as a resort town, and the Council agreed to the conversion out of a desire to appeal to the largest and richest demographic among Kansujian's clientele: the Piraanese and residents of Chamatkaar.
Kansujian's official induction as a place of Seraphist worship was conducted by the Hegemon himself on one of his annual visits. Despite this close association with the very object of the Winged Faith's worship, actual religious practice in Kansujian today is largely ornamental. At least one church appears in each district, and several of them charge conspicuous "ordination fees" to Kansujian residents who attend their services.
Given the city's very close proximity to Chamatkaar, a number of very authentic Pankhon priests are in residence. While many turn a blind eye to the various atrocities of the city and hold genuine desire to help its people, a select few are acutely aware of what's happening and do whatever they can within reason. There are even rumors of an "underground railroad" run by such figures which helps ferry slaves to freedom in other city-states.
Other
The Syndicates
The three Syndicates - the Jansson League, the Subeturites, and the Telas Gundan - control almost all business and commerce in the city, both legal and illegal. Centuries ago, to reduce the occurrence of and protect Kansujian’s vital tourism from violence in the streets, the Syndicates made a series of agreements in which each declared its interest, territory, and subjects, and enforced a code of conduct to which all three adhere to this day. The physical document on which this text is written is known as The Compact, and despite its fraterniterian origins it is no gentleman’s honor system: the Syndicates’ thugs and officials alike are bound to follow its writings upon pain of gruesome magic-induced death. The document is maintained in a sealed vault jointly guarded by the three Syndicates, and staunchly so: should the Compact ever be destroyed, the men and women of the Syndicates might consider themselves free to act as they please and chaos would fill the streets. It is worth noting that, within a Syndicate’s territory (the League rules Cloudraker, the Subeturites the All-Sellers’ Market and Southend, and the Telas Gundan the Arena District, Fort Pira, and the Telas Garrison), all business that occurs is considered a matter of their interest. As such, they are exempt from any obligation to employ their rivals on their home turf.
The Jansson League Also known as the Sons of the Forge, the League are a guild led by Klaus Jansson, consisting primarily of descendants of Alman loyalists who seceded from Drachenkrone during the Coast War. Since the refugees’ arrival and the establishment of the guild circa LN 980, they have been joined by citizens of the Empire of Alman itself who could not afford to return home after their pilgrimages to Chamatkaar. Following in the footsteps of their forebears, the Sons of the Forge’s interest is Production. Construction, fabrication, and even chemical synthesis fall under their purview, but their most iconic and sought-after service is Artifice. Paid a fee and provided the requisite deicite, the League and its followers can and will forge anything in their repertoire, no questions asked. Many an assassin’s ever-poisoned blade or serial killer’s animated cleaver can trace its origins back to Kansujian. The Sons are easy to identify in public, as even their lowest-ranking recruits are outfitted with a crafted breastplate and sabre upon their confirmation. Their equipment is a source of pride and inspires easy loyalty in their followers, though it is important to note that the group discourages ostentatious behavior and displays. Because of this, a Son’s panoply may be his greatest pride but is carefully curated to preclude all doubt that he owns it. Of the three Syndicates the League has devoted the largest portion of its territory to extending Kansujian’s attractions. The Cloudraker District is much more than it appears on the surface: beneath the soaring towers and marble boulevards lies an underground network of workshops, slums, and factories which route smoke through underground pipes until they pass the walls of Cloudraker. The smog then passes through magical wards which prevent it from blowing back into the district and instead forms a heavy smog that stretches daily over Southend thanks to the river’s current. The Subeturites Also known as the Shintabe-ko, the Subeturites are led by Ichika Shintabe and began as a union of Unkaian merchants who had followed the Shogun from the Territories all the way back in LN 57. Those merchants banded together for protection after the Shogun’s departure in LN 62, selling goods to passing adventurers. They are widely credited with helping to keep Kansujian’s economy afloat before decision was made to transform it into a resort town. The nascent Subeturites’ philosophy of “Everything is for sale" became their new creed when three decades of freakish harsh winter gripped the City of Lights beginning in LN 81. A slave sold off meant one less mouth to feed; a prisoner sentenced to death could labor till his death from malnutrition or injury; money meant safety and satiety in times of need. The weather improved, along with Kansujian’s financial state, but the ramshackle markets established by the ancient settlers so long ago still remained. With rich investments from the Hegemon of Pira, spurred on by the popularity of Kansujian as a destination for pilgrims of the Winged Faith, the markets were rebuilt and rapidly expanded until they stretched all the way across town. The Subeturites’ interest is Commerce. Working in coordination with the hyōgi-in they levy all taxes - and unconditionally guarantee every purchase - in Kansujian, barring those that take place in the Cloudraker and Arena Districts. For every coin exchanged at every level of sale in the city, another later makes its way into the Subturites’ coffers. By this information alone it should come as no surprise that the Shintabe-ko represent the richest demographic in Kansujian, but by the laws of the Compact they rely heavily on the services of the other two Syndicates: the League for goods to sell and the Gundan for protection in and out of the markets. Though the All-Sellers’ Market easily boasts the largest number of transactions per diem in the Kansujian, their true "specialty good" finds its way into buyers’ hands behind closed doors and drawn curtains: the Subeturites deal in slavery without oversight thanks to cleverly worded laws and politicians willing to look the other way for a quick buck. They also lord over the majority of Kansujian’s working-class population, providing them with housing in the slums and employment in the various attractions throughout the city. Unbeknownst to the people living there, the streets of Southend are built over a tight-knit grid of catacombs throughout which inert deicite is stored in warded chambers. This deicite absorbs the dreams of the slave population sleeping above, and when it becomes refined the resulting spirits and gods are either slaughtered for soulgems and soulstone or sold as slaves themselves. Since the most earnest dreams create the most powerful spirits and gods, the Subeturites intentionally field cruel, savage Drivers to lord over the slave population. The resulting desecration of all human rights and safety is what led to the All Seller’s Market being built as it is: the wrong tourist seeing the constant twisting and violation of human nature could spell a slow but sure demise for the city at large. The Subeturites are often the hardest Syndicate members to tell from the tourist population of Kansujian: money being what it is, to bedeck oneself in expensive fabric and extravagant jewelry is de rigeur for their ilk. Even their lowliest clerk is still considered an asset of the Shintabe-ko, and will rarely be found wanting except for more money and power. The Telas Gundan Also known as the Endless Legion, the Telas Gundan began with a company of Piraanese soldiers whom the Hegemon himself installed in Kansujian to serve as "state security" during the city’s times of lawlessness. For a hundred years following the departure of the Shogun, the city had depended on a volunteer Civil Defense Force to police the town and resist the attacks of bandits and rogue adventurers from in and out of the Coast. When the Hegemon began to make his annual pilgrimages to the Sea, it only made sense to ensure there was a strong military force in place to counter any attempts on his life. With a year passing in between every visit, it didn’t take long for the Gundan’s dealings with the small city to become increasingly corrupt. After the Coast War ended and Pira was buried in ash, the long-estranged forces of the Telas Gundan lost the last of what little virtue they had left. The Gundan expanded its operations throughout the entire city, recruiting large numbers of Piraanese refugees who began to flood through Kansujian seeking a connection to Chamatkaar. An ultimatum was issued and the CDF was officially disbanded, replaced by the Telas Gundan who had inaugurated themselves the sole military and police force of the city. The Gundan’s interest is Force. All matters of security and martial operations in Kansujian are entrusted to them, and their primary source of funding is the payment of protection fees by shops, businesses, residences, and even KCC government buildings. Though courts of law are operated by the KCC (a decision written into the Compact to preserve the impartiality of the law) executions and incarceration are handled by the Telas Gundan. Mercenary in all things, they utilize their control of the prison system to perform paid assassinations, public executions, and removal of undesirables: one need merely be arrested on false charges to begin the process of making him or her disappear forever. This unscrupulous dedication to financial gain goes mostly unchecked: in one famous historical case, two rich Aziran merchant princes gradually offered the Gundan larger and larger stakes in their home estates - so much so that the Telas Gundan Syndicate holds a single seat in the Aziran House of Lords. Eventually, the Syndicate grew tired of the absurd display of one-upmanship, terminated both clients, and took both payments. Unlike the other two Syndicates, the Gundan mandates that all of its personnel take residence in the Spartan military barracks throughout the Telas Garrison and Fort Pira. This is not only a nod to tradition, but also inspires fierce loyalty among its units: Gundan teams are notoriously hard to break and have on occasion been temporarily hired to police private occasions in other city-states. In an unprecedented move, Commander Kotagal S'hashi Kant has broken from this tradition by moving to a villa north of Kansujian, which has caused quite a bit of discontent among the ranks. Gundan recruits are issued nothing but a shortsword on their Initiation. As a Syndicate they outnumber the league and Subeterites (since their numbers are not separated into ‘mobsters’ and ‘slaves’). They are on average the worst-armed, but best-trained fighting force in Kansujian.
Kansujian: Notable Factions
Kansujian: People of Note
Kansujian: Places of Interest
Kansujian: Resources, Technology, etc.
Kansujian: Flora and Fauna
Kansujian: People of Note
Kansujian: Places of Interest
Kansujian: Resources, Technology, etc.
Kansujian: Flora and Fauna
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