Crisis Cycles

Culture Name: Sogosha Port Authority Koon Remnants
Banner Colour: Blue, lined in Green

Government and Leader: WE NEVER SURRENDERED
Led by an unseen Board of Directors fronted by Prefect Konton Kanjamatta, Sogosha is de jure part of the Tuvarii Republic but possesses an extraordinary degree of autonomy by virtue of a poorly-worded letter of assent that granted the Board absolute control. It is unknown how exactly the Trans-Plateau Trade Company raised the funds to buy rights to colonise the Gadesuran Delta, but Shareholders from all corners of the Republic invested in an instant, as if urged by a hidden hand.

Most Shareholders were invested in trade and finance or the creative arts; Merchant guilds responsible for reopening tunnels underneath the Republic were the largest investor. However, many smaller entities also joined, including a business with a monopoly over an odd form of gladiatorial spectacle that appeared following the occupation of the Rotpah Holds (& surrounding lands).

Society:WE WAIT IN DARKNESS
The core values of the Authority are reflected in its motto; 'Through identity, purpose; through purpose, strength; through strength, prosperity.' While the stated end goal of the Authority is profit, the Authority sponsors a great deal of cultural initiatives and other benefits for residents designed to integrate them within the Company Culture.

The Sogosha Protection Agency is split into four small but well-funded and trained divisions; Navy, Intelligence, Security & Mercenary. The Navy is dedicated to protecting ships operated by the Authority, While Sogoshan spies are rumoured to be found wherever there is trade. The Security Forces of Sogosha act as its police and de facto Army should the city come under attack. Small mercenary companies are offered for hire, crewed by surplus military personnel. Mercenary contracts (either on sea or land) are the easiest for outsiders to acquire and are used as a recruiting tool for those wanting to become Employees in Sogosha.

All people in the territory of the Authority are Prospective Employees by birth and are provided eduction until their Induction Exams at the age of 16 (or Species-Defined Equivalent). Those that fail the Exam must leave or accept a Contract within their assigned Division while those that pass can chose their Division and are offered another two years of education that allows them to pursue higher offices in the Company. The requirements for Board membership are unknown; some are held by the top Employees in each Division but the majority are held by the secretive Shareholders. The Shareholders are the descendants of Koon Agents which founded these enterprises long ago and influence Sogosha from the shadows.

Employees do not gain Tuvarii Republic citizenship automatically unless both parents are registered as Republic citizens. Permanent residents are required to enter into an Employment Contract with the Authority with limited exceptions granted for non-permanent visitors and subcontractors. Authority Employees without Republic Citizenship have limited opportunities outside Sogosha apart from operating the remaining assets of TPTC (trade, mercenary regiments and entertainment) outside Authority borders.

While it is not the only port within the Republic, Sogosha was the first and the one most trafficked on the West Coast. Much of the economy is dedicated to building, provisioning and operating Tall Ships, whose products are constantly loaded on and off river barges destined for the Plateau. Vessels operated from Plains Orc harbours are forced to navigate past Karkosa and pirates from both the Half-Man Coast and the Yxlan Colonies. While not acknowledged publicly, an informal accord with Karkosa provides Sogoshan vessels with safe passage through their waters in exchange for waiving tariffs imposed by the Republic on Karkosan exports.

The Dockyards quickly exhausted timber supplies in Sogosha, with the cleared land instead hosting extensive irrigated farms and water-powered manufactories.

Species:JOINED THROUGH MADNESS
Sogosha was founded mostly by half-men, elves and lizardfolk from the 'Northern provinces' of the Republic, but has since gained a minority of virtually every species present on the Plateau and its surrounds, though few of the peoples beyond the Shamir Desert have visited let alone become Employees.

Stances on the three changes:

DISCOVERY:WE DIG WHERE WE CAN, TRAVEL WHERE WE MUST
Positive. More exploration means more trading destinations, which means greater profits for the Authority and the TPTC.
GHOUL:ONE TRIBE, ONE BANNER
Negative (de jure) Positive (de facto). While the TPTC publicly proclaims its willingness to 'destroy threats to trade' with an iron fist, the Authority quietly promotes outreach programs to 'civilise' and Employ the Ghouls, which it considers 'misguided'.
HALF:WHEN SOIL AND SEA UNITE, WE WILL RISE
Positive. While there is no official religion within the Authority, a unique offshoot of Half-ism is practised (and covertly promoted), which sees the 'Spirit Half' as residing in the Earth rather than the Sky. A secret cabal within them preserves most if not all of the religious beliefs of Koon.

Major cultural influence: KOON LIVES
The Port Authority refuses to acknowledge the supremacy of any one external influence, though it does proclaim its loyalty to the Tuvarii Republic. Constant rumours of Karkosan influence are officially denied and the TPTC points to several Orcquisition investigations as proof that the division of Employees into different corporate divisions is not 'Koonist'.