Axiom
The Axiom is one of the six Factions that follows The Covenant, distinguished by their focus on innovation, engineering, and the practical application of technology.
Philosophy
Innovation and Progress
No other Faction is as keen on innovation as the Axiom. For these machinists and engineers, researchers and inventors, the world is full of wonders and opportunities to be explored and harnessed. Its members are highly pragmatic: they firmly believe that through progress—whether technical, economic, or social—and the achievements of science, humanity will continue to improve its living conditions, so harshly tested by The Tumult.
This ideology is deeply rooted within the Faction, synonymous with hope for the rediscovery of the Terra Incognita. Unlike the Yzmir, who emphasize the abstract and the theoretical, or the Ordis, who consider knowledge as a commodity in itself, the Axiom exalt reason and knowledge through the prism of their practical application.
Humanitarian Focus
The Axiom’s compulsion to innovate incessantly is not in vain, as they are well aware that their inventions must meet the needs of human communities. Some surviving tribes, cities, or remote and still unknown enclaves may be struggling every day to subsist in a hostile and dangerous environment. The Axiom hope to find these human colonies and help alleviate the pressures weighing on them.
Whether by developing pipeline networks or harnessing Kelon, they contribute to the common good. This humanistic consciousness is reflected in all aspects of the Faction’s life. From conception to manufacturing, Axiom engineers adorn themselves with a utilitarian vision: they continually ask themselves whether their creations will improve the lives of their fellow beings.
Technology Democratization
The Axiom know that their progressive vision is not shared by all. The Muna or the Ordis often question the relevance of their ambitions, for reasons they do not always find justified. It is for diplomatic reasons that the Axiom have decided to disseminate the technologies they develop as much as possible, making them available to the widest possible audience to demonstrate through example the validity of their approach.
They are acutely aware that this desire to see technology democratized must not come at the expense of humanity. They therefore aspire to implement reasoned progress, centered around recycling, and accessible to all social classes without exception.
Organization
Guild Structure
The Axiom is a heterogeneous grouping of Guilds and corporations of various shapes and forms, which have formed a league to assert their common interests. Each Guild is highly hierarchical, with a master at its head overseeing numerous journeymen and apprentices, and focuses on the practice of a type of craftsmanship or industry.
The many Guilds regularly cooperate to share their mutual expertise and work on major projects involving multiple trades.
Notable Guilds include:
- Prospector Guild - Searches for Kelon deposits
- Artificers’ Guild - Engineers and inventors, created Constructs
- The Fulcrum - Develops technical equipment for the Expeditionary Corps
- Blacksmiths’ Guild - Metalworking and forging
- Shipowners’ Guild - Maritime vessel ownership and operations
- Machinists’ Corporation - Mechanical engineering, supervised by Hao Fen
- The Parallax - Guild represented by Celsa
Assembly
To exist from a broader perspective, the Guilds come together within an assembly, where current issues—whether economic, political, or social—are shared and legislated. Only the masters can sit there to voice their opinions.
Status as Recent Faction
As a recent grouping, the Axiom are aware that they have accumulated a backlog compared to other Factions. Moreover, a small portion of rival Alterers still view them with suspicion or hostility. Axiom Alterers therefore know that they still have everything to prove, and redouble their efforts to exist as a structure to be reckoned with.
However, the stars seem aligned to endorse their claims: the exploitation of Kelon puts them in an ideal position to negotiate their final approval, as all Factions make use of this indispensable commodity.
Alteration Style: Constructs
Philosophy
The Axiom do not boast about being Alterers. On the contrary, they have made this truth their trademark: thanks to the Constructs they develop, human populations can protect themselves from the ravages of The Tumult without requiring the presence of an Alterer.
This reality is particularly prevalent in areas of the peninsula where Mana is still somewhat unstable. Obviously, Constructs cannot replace the versatility and flexibility of Alterers, but they provide a very interesting alternative where the influence of Asgartha, and consequently the speed of intervention of Alterers, is drastically reduced.
How Constructs Work
Handled by Operators, Constructs are mechanical artifacts that can take various forms: three-dimensional puzzles, cylindrical cryptexes, and more—but all are covered in symbols. Each symbol represents a concept, like a hieroglyph.
By combining them, pressing keys, or making them associate in space, Operators shape complex ideas. The Kelon core contained within the Constructs then allows these ideas to express themselves and materialize within reality.
Everyone is capable of learning the Khyalo Alphabet that brings together all these symbols, and thus manipulating Constructs, without necessarily having an innate talent for Alteration.
Rites & Initiation
Joining the Faction
Joining the Axiom is relatively straightforward, provided one shows a bit of resourcefulness. The Guilds are always on the lookout for apprentices to participate in their various projects or work in their workshops.
Advancement Through the Ranks
However, climbing the ranks is another story. When they feel ready, apprentices propose a project to their Guild, either on paper or through a prototype, which is then evaluated by a panel of journeymen.
If the scheme or prototype catches the attention of the specialists and they deem it worthy of interest, the Guild funds the project. But it is only when the project is completed that a new panel will convene to examine it and determine whether to promote the apprentice to the rank of journeyman.
Becoming a Master
Becoming a Guild master is much more complex: a voting system, where each journeyman has one vote, is implemented to elect this leader. Whatever happens, merit and expertise are the cornerstones of any ascent within the Faction.
Recycling Philosophy
Due to the difficulty of accessing abundant resources, the Axiom has centered its operation on a perfectly honed logic of recycling. Numerous Recycling Centers have sprung up to collect faulty or obsolete tools and reintegrate them into the production lines in one form or another.
It is not uncommon to see old stamps appearing on new creations, allowing the origin of all parts to be traced. However, the Axiom knows that these processes are only temporary crutches. If they want to ensure their longevity as a Faction, they must find new veins to maintain their current growth and yield.
That’s why Rediscovery Endeavor is a crucial issue for them, and they throw themselves wholeheartedly into the adventure.
Iconic Locations
The Foundry (Bastion)
The Foundry is the Bastion of the Axiom Faction, located within the capital Arkaster. This cathedral of glass and metal contains forges, assembly workshops, and endless production lines running at full throttle. It’s a factory in perpetual motion, traversed by iridescent vapors and bursts of crackling sparks.
Deep within the rock, the Faction’s gigantic Kelon warehouses are nestled. From floor to ceiling, countless rows of Kelon cylinders are aligned along the white walls, safely ensconced in the cool dimness of these caverns.
The Athanor
The Athanor is the architectural jewel of the Axiom. This grandiose structure, all glass and metal girders, is nestled within a deep crater located at the summit of the rocky edifice. Numerous walkways and manufacturing platforms are connected by a network of communication tubes and forklifts.
The Athanor has direct access to the Altiport, with a marshaling yard and a dozen railway tracks. The trains circulating there transport numerous machines to the aerostats charged with disseminating them throughout the peninsula.
At its center pulses the The Nexus, a sphere of concentrated Kelon floating in the air and powering all the equipment of the Athanor. It is near this energy core that Constructs are created.
The Athanor is also where new phenomena that have disrupted reality are studied: botanists analyze plants tinted by The Tumult, naturalists observe new animal species, physicists examine Kelon or the way gravity or time have been affected by The Confluence.
The Axiom accept the world as it is presented to them, without any value judgment. Humanity’s goal should not be a step backward, but stabilization, and by extension, the taming of the existing.
Current Objectives
Kelon Democratization
No one has thrown themselves into the exploitation and use of this fabulous energy source as fervently as the Axiom. The Prospector Guild continually searches for deposits, even as they become increasingly scarce in Asgartha.
The Faction’s engineers are forsaking alternative energies like coal in favor of Kelon because none can compete with its energy yield, the variety of forms in which it can be exploited—gaseous, liquid, or solid—and its storage capacity, whether in canisters, tanks, crates, or barrels.
For the Axiom, the flourishing of the Faction goes hand in hand with the widespread adoption of this energy. That’s why they are very enthusiastic about its use, not hesitating to extol its virtues to anyone willing to listen.
Grafts
By infusing an object with an idea of oneself, it is possible to link one’s mind to it so that the object becomes a part of the bearer’s identity. It is through this method that members of the Axiom have created Grafts, these artifacts that obey the will of their holder by the sheer force of thought.
Whether an additional limb or a prosthesis, a wide variety of models have been developed, each with a range of utilities. Equipped with pistons, cogwheels, and mechanical joints, these Grafts strap onto the body and are easily controlled once one becomes accustomed to their presence, as if they were another part of the body.
These artifacts are becoming increasingly widespread in Asgartha, and the Axiom hope to expand these devices to the rest of the Known World as it is rediscovered.
Automata
One of Axiom’s flagship projects is the creation of humanity’s first robotic beings. The Faction is on the verge of realizing this goal, relying notably on the programming talents of Eidolon Ada Lovelace.
Several prototypes have already been designed and tested away from the public eye, with results that are more than encouraging. With a bit of luck, they may be presented at the upcoming Prodigium, the grand technological fair of the Axiom.
The Faction hopes that these new marvels of engineering will mark a new turning point in the ongoing industrial revolution within the peninsula. Indeed, these Automata could go where humanity struggles to venture, whether it be in hostile environments or even within The Tumult itself.
The Primordiae
A persistent legend among the Axiom speaks of the four Primordiae, very particular elements that could accomplish wonders. It is said that Kelon is the Primordia of Fire, and Aerolith is that of Air.
If what is said is true, then there would be two other Primordiae yet to be discovered: those of Water and Earth. Even though some Axiom scientists question the truth of these rumors, others have come to dream of finding these mythical materials.
What new feats would they be capable of if the Faction were to get hold of such resources? Many Axiom have joined the Expeditionary Corps to be the first to uncover them or at least verify if these legends are founded.