city organizations;

[khuimods]

✽ CITY ORGANIZATIONS
	Within the city of Aifaran are many groups and organizations which have their places in the running of the city. While this is not an exhaustive list, Dreamfolk characters can expect to encounter the groups listed here with some frequency during their stay. Law Enforcement THE VERDANT SENTRY The Verdant Sentry has several branches to accommodate the varied nature of the archipelago. Primarily a land-based police force, the Sentry also has a fleet of ships that are used for everything from search-and-rescue to customs enforcement. Thanks to technological advancements, they also have a small contingent of flying vehicles that can carry up to four people at a time. On the ground, there is both a mounted division on kirin and a division that patrols on foot. There are some police vehicles, but not many; the mounted division is successful enough at combating crime that cruisers aren't especially necessary. The kirin can run very quickly. While the Sentry is headquartered in Aifaran, there are smaller outposts in settlements throughout the archipelago. Individuals wishing to join the Verdant Sentry undergo a rigorous training process that can take two to three years to complete depending on specialty - those who join the Aerial Corps, for example, have another year beyond basic training before they can fly on their own. The Verdant Sentry emphasizes diversity in its ranks, in no small part because each race has unique talents that lend themselves well to different specialties. This doesn't mean that an Erol'an or a Castian can only join the nautical branch, but that they tend make up more of the fleet than say, the Arybar or the Sinayg. Dreamfolk are welcome among the ranks of the Sentry, particularly if they have comparable experience in their own world. Those who wish to join up should expect to demonstrate their relevant skills to their superior officers, and may be paired up with a more tenured member to get started. Like many law enforcement agencies, there is a strict hierarchy of authority, and partnered pairs are common. Criminal Organziations BLACK MARKET & SMUGGLING - THE KEL'GHAU The strength of having a closed economic situation is also in some ways a weakness, and nowhere is that more apparent than the thriving black market community that has become deeply entrenched in Aifaran, called the Kel'ghau. This secretive network of traders and fences provide a steady supply of illicit goods to the city's population, from sources both within the Ioduan Alliance and external to it. There are three main areas of product which the Kel'ghau specializes in: Alliance-restricted goods such as firearms or rare medical supplies, illicit substances such as drugs, or counterfeit materials like faked IDs. These goods are the most common and are normally supplied by people living on the archipelago itself; though by and large these suppliers aren't of the hardened criminal variety. Sometimes these suppliers are just regular people who may be going through a hard time financially and whose jobs give them access to sensitive material or inventory. The second area of illicit goods are ones imported by the Chihuelan Smugglers, who often slip past the protective barrier around the archipelago to deliver their cargo at great risk of being caught and arrested -- or worse. The main source of these goods are the ruined and ravaged original continents of Konryu: places like Zeshora and Ioa Elanag and Siaxhi which barely exist anymore, and certainly not in any recognizable state. But people will pay good, or at least ill-gotten, money for pieces of their former homelands, especially with no guarantee that they'll ever be able to return. The third area of goods that can be found at the Kel'ghau are those ransacked from any of the planar-shunted areas that have appeared and disappeared over the last few centuries. Since these are often ripped into existence from realms outside Konryu, they contain objects and artifacts that people have never seen. Sometimes these things are benign... and sometimes they're not. There has been more than one case of the Verdant Sentry responding to a disturbance call only to discover what's left of someone who tried to activate that glowy-shiny tube they bought illegally through the Kel'ghau. Despite the Sentry's best efforts to get a handle of the import and sale of material in all of the above categories, the black market remains active and far-reaching, in no small part due to the fact that it has no central location. Instead, the majority of the illegal goods are constantly on the move, shifted from safe-house to safe-house, offered in alleys and private residences. Additionally, there doesn't appear to be a standard authority, even a criminal one, overseeing the acquisition and sale of the illicit wares-- but everyone knows a guy, who knows a guy, who heard it from a lady, and can put you in touch with someone else to get you what you're interested in. Religious Sects BAN OM ZHOGTON BIA CACH Among the most prominent faiths is the "Ban Om Zhogton Bia Cach", (called Ban Om, for short) which loosely translated means, "The Morning After The Long Night". Originally a kedan movement originating in Keeliai, the Ban Om emphasize the veneration of the Great Turtles, especially their new offspring that comprise the archipelago, and also how -- as the oldest things in this or any universe -- all decisions about how people live their lives should be made in a way that most respects them. They experienced a surge in membership when Tu Vishan disappeared to repair the damage between the planes, viewing it as both a great sacrifice and a great blessing. They also venerate the Great Turtles who make up the archipelago, who ceased their roaming in order to give the few remaining residents of Konryu a stable home. The Ban Om is easily the largest religious movement in Aifaran, as the general reverence of the Great Turtles is a uniting tenet that many of the population can get behind, regardless of their race. There are many small shrines scattered throughout the city and all over the archipelago, with a central Temple and sprawling gardens serving as the headquarters within Aifaran itself. They also sell little charms shaped like turtles, which purport to provide good luck, success in school, attraction of a true love... and given the existence of magic, perhaps they are effective. KAKA'I Kaka'i (ka-ka-EE) is a religion that is largely practiced in fishing settlements or by those whose professions involve the sea. It is based around the worship of the goddess Kai-lani, who rules the sky and sea. Her domain is weather and the ocean, and prayers to her are usually for calm seas and plentiful fish. It is said that when she is angry, lightning splits the sky and those unlucky enough to be on the sea all drown to feed her. There is a yearly festival at each place she is venerated, the Ma'akana, which occurs at the autumn equinox, when the seas begin to get rough. To appease the goddess and assure safety throughout the winter, curamija are sacrificed, taken onto boats into deep water, and their hearts are thrown into the sea. When the priests return, the sacrificed animals are eaten by the worshipers, and the pelts are wrapped around the statue of the goddess, to keep her warm. THE SABONILE The Sabonile are another prominent faith group, originating in Tavimbi. The overarching belief is in the Xunutane as a deity called Hapoyela. The Xunutane is a massive hunk of crystal shard glowing brightly with an interior light that was brought from Tavimbi during the great migration, and serves as a major power source in Aifaran along with a handful of other similar crystal cores, of which the Xunutane is the largest and most powerful. Hapoyela is a quad-gendered deity of the earth, sky, water and ether. Fire is not considered its own element, but a byproduct; warmth comes from the earth, and most humanoid beings have a substantial amount of water in their makeup. If anything, the fact that fire consumes most things it touches is a source of discomfort in the religion, but in keeping with their pacifistic tendencies they try not to judge. While the Sabonile do not begrudge use of the Xunutane as a power source -- as Hapoyela's gift to them -- they're Not Happy about it being seen as a tool instead of a facet of a being to be worshiped. They are however a non-violent sect, for all their zealotry. The Sabonile believe firmly in equal treatment for all races, and many of their duties have to do with mediation between the various races in Aifaran. They have a history of mediation in Tavimbi, and they play an important role in smoothing cultural friction among the races of the Alliance. They are also very truthful, leaning toward a form of radical honesty (particularly ordained clergy, who are expressly forbidden to lie), and tend to take facts at face value. (That being said, they do understand nuance and sarcasm, they just tend to believe that treating people at face value is more beneficial than trying to navigate the muddy waters of subterfuge.) SPIRITS OF FORTUNE While not an organized faith per se, many of the kedan believe strongly in the concept of spirits, particularly those which embody good and bad luck. While there's no common depiction of them, generally they're assumed to be small and wispy-like, sort of a contemporary to an Earth pixie or fairy. The kedan believe that intervention from these spirits can influence everything from business ventures, to relationships, to fertility. Because of this, many kedan hang decorative small wooden houses (often mistaken for bird houses by non-kedanese) outside their residences and businesses, hoping to attract these spirits: blessings from the good luck ones, and appeasement to the bad luck ones! While generally regarded as a quirky kedanese thing, there are still members of other races which appear to have adopted the practice themselves. They may not expressly believe in the mythology, but just in case, why invite bad fortune? TARIKU Tariku is a small sect of monks, and their theology is based around the idea that all knowledge is precious. The religion originated from a collective of Dreamfolk that arrived from the same world several hundred years ago, making this a rare organization that is not native to Konryu. All knowledge and stories are sacred to them, because their original founders came from a world where knowledge was tightly controlled by an autocrat, and as a result they strongly believe that all knowledge needs to be shared. Of course, this means that they don't believe in secrets or oversharing, either! They can occasionally be found asking Dreamfolk about their worlds, from mundane details to overarching theology. Tariken monks can be easily identified by their orange and green robes, and their constant scribbling in notebooks. TIFAUT Those who follow Tifaut believe in the divinity of the world around them. The religion is not especially organized in terms of temples, as Tifauiti believe the world to be their temple. They believe that acts of kindness are what will eventually help knit the planes together and fix the world, and tending Aifaran and the other islands in the archipelago is key to assisting Tu Vishan in repairing the planes. Every little bit helps, so they say. TIA-CHEAL OF THE SEAS The central faith of the Castis people, born out of a deep and intimate connection with the ocean, unsurprisingly features deities best suited to that realm. Recognizable by most Dreamfolk as analogous to merpeople, the pantheon is structured as a large and extended family, with different family members representing different aspects of a sea-faring life. Due to the Castian's close relationship with the sea, it's not uncommon for them to refer to these various deities as if they were personal acquaintances, which can lead to some interesting conversations with other races who don't immediately realize what's being spoken of. "Uncle ate my fishing net" has caused a lot of double-takes. Some Castians have taken to believing that the Erol'a (as an aquatic race) are somehow either related to, or at least favoured by, the Tia-Cheal pantheon. This has occasionally caused some tension and awkwardness between the two races, as some Erol'a enjoy the adoration, but some just find it really weird.