Social Structure

“How Society Organizes in the Shattered World”

“Pre-Shattering, we had kings, nobles, rigid hierarchies. That world is gone. Now we have what works: councils, guilds, and the understanding that survival requires everyone. Hierarchy still exists, but it’s more fluid. More practical. More honest about what it is—power, not divine right.”
—Elder Mira Thornwell

Social Structures of the Aetherium

Overview

Social structure in the Aetherium is fundamentally shaped by the Shattering and its aftermath. Pre-Shattering hierarchies—nobility, divine right, rigid class systems—collapsed when the world broke. What emerged was more pragmatic: power based on competence, wealth, or force rather than birth. Settlements organize differently based on their needs, histories, and populations, but all share one truth: survival requires cooperation, and cooperation requires some form of organization.

The Aetherium has no unified government, no king or emperor. Each settlement governs itself, and the systems vary wildly: democratic councils, military dictatorships, anarchic marketplaces, clan-based consensus. What works in Skyport Eos fails in Ironhold. What thrives in Murky Chasm would collapse in Windmere Farms. Diversity is both strength (no single point of failure) and weakness (no unified response to threats).

Settlement Hierarchies

Skyport Eos (Democratic Council)

Government Structure: - Elder Council: 12 elected elders (serve 5-year terms) - Guilds: Economic power (Sky-Guild most influential) - Clergy: Spiritual authority (advisory role) - Citizens: Voting rights (born or earned through 5 years residence) - Refugees: Limited rights (provisional, path to citizenship)

How It Works: - Council makes decisions via consensus (slow but stable) - Guilds lobby for economic interests - Clergy provides moral guidance - Citizens vote on major issues (referendums) - Refugees can petition for citizenship

Power Dynamics: - Elder Council has final authority (officially) - Sky-Guild has economic leverage (practically) - Clergy has moral authority (influential) - Balance of power (usually stable) - Tensions exist (Guild wants more control)

Strengths: Stable, representative, adaptable Weaknesses: Slow, vulnerable to corruption, Guild influence

Current Crisis: Refugee influx straining system, Guild pushing for more control

Ironhold (Military Oligarchy)

Government Structure: - Commandant: Military supreme commander (Theron Vask) - Guild-Master: Economic authority (Elara Song) - Military Officers: Power structure (chain of command) - Guild Factors: Economic control (trade, resources) - Citizens: Stratified (military > Guild members > civilians) - Underclass: The Underbelly residents (no rights)

How It Works: - Commandant and Guild-Master share power (uneasy alliance) - Military enforces order - Guild controls economy - Citizens obey or face consequences - Underclass survives in shadows

Power Dynamics: - Commandant has military force - Guild-Master has economic leverage - Neither can rule alone - Cooperation required (but fraying) - Authoritarian in practice

Strengths: Efficient, secure, organized Weaknesses: Oppressive, inflexible, brewing resistance

Current Crisis: Vask’s authoritarianism increasing, Guild-Military alliance straining, resistance growing

Murky Chasm (Anarchic Meritocracy)

Government Structure: - The Captain: Shadow ruler (identity unknown) - Vex Shadowhand: Operational authority (Black Sky Cartel boss) - No Official Hierarchy: Power through force, wealth, or reputation - Cartel Members: Pay dues, follow rules, get protection - Everyone Else: Tolerated (as long as they pay Cartel’s cut)

How It Works: - Cartel maintains order (prevents total chaos) - Rules are simple (pay debts, don’t damage bridges, Cartel gets 10%) - Violence is legal (but retaliation is too) - Reputation is currency - Survival of the capable

Power Dynamics: - Vex has most power (controls trade) - The Captain has ultimate authority (theoretical) - Strong individuals have local power - Fluid, changes constantly - Brutal but functional

Strengths: Freedom, efficiency, honest about power Weaknesses: Dangerous, unstable, no safety net

Current Crisis: Ironhold planning invasion, internal Cartel power struggles

Outland Clans (Consensus-Based)

Government Structure: - Clan Elders: Lead individual clans - The Moot: Occasional gathering (inter-clan decisions) - Sky-Striders: Messengers between clans - No Central Authority: Each clan independent - Consensus: When cooperation needed

How It Works: - Clans govern themselves - Elders make decisions (with clan input) - Moot handles inter-clan issues - Consensus required for collective action - Slow but respectful

Power Dynamics: - Elders have authority (earned through wisdom) - Clans are autonomous (fiercely) - No one can command all clans - Cooperation is voluntary - Works through mutual respect

Strengths: Freedom, resilience, adaptability Weaknesses: Slow, uncoordinated, vulnerable to organized threats

Class Systems

The Elite (5% of population)

Who They Are: - Guild-Masters and senior merchants - High Clergy (bishops, high priests) - Settlement leaders (Elders, Commandants) - Wealthy landowners - Military commanders

Power: - Control resources (economic) - Make decisions (political) - Shape culture (influence) - Often hereditary (children inherit advantages)

Lifestyle: - Best housing (secure, comfortable) - Best food (variety, quality) - Best healthcare (private physicians) - Best education (tutors, apprenticeships) - Insulated from worst hardships

Obligations: - Leadership (expected to govern well) - Charity (social pressure) - Defense (fund guards, walls) - Succession (train heirs)

Tensions: - With lower classes (resentment) - Internal (competition for power) - Moral (comfort vs. responsibility)

Merchants & Skilled Workers (20% of population)

Who They Are: - Traders, shop owners - Artisans, craftsmen - Alchemists, physicians - Pilots, engineers - Skilled professionals

Status: - Middle class (by Aetherium standards) - Essential to society - Respected for skills - Can accumulate wealth (but rarely reach elite)

Lifestyle: - Decent housing (small but private) - Adequate food (variety limited) - Some luxuries (occasional) - Education for children (apprenticeships) - Relative security

Challenges: - Economic pressure (competition) - Guild fees (mandatory) - Maintaining status (constant work) - One disaster from poverty

Common Laborers (50% of population)

Who They Are: - Farmers, field workers - Dock workers, loaders - Servants, cleaners - Guards (low-rank) - Unskilled labor

Status: - Working class (barely scraping by) - Essential but undervalued - No economic cushion - Vulnerable to any disruption

Lifestyle: - Basic housing (cramped, shared) - Subsistence food (adequate calories, little variety) - No luxuries - Children work young (necessity) - Constant struggle

Challenges: - One bad harvest from starvation - One injury from destitution - No savings (live hand-to-mouth) - Exploitation (by employers)

Wanderers (15% of population)

Who They Are: - Sky-Striders, mercenaries - Traveling merchants - Refugees (displaced) - Nomads (by choice) - Those between places

Status: - Outside normal hierarchy - Romanticized but often desperate - Freedom but insecurity - Respected and pitied

Lifestyle: - No permanent home - Irregular income - Minimal possessions - Live by wits and skills - Constant movement

Challenges: - No safety net - No community support - Dangerous lifestyle - Aging is difficult (can’t wander forever)

Outcasts (10% of population)

Who They Are: - Criminals, exiles - Rot-Touched (early stage, hiding) - Addicts, mentally ill - Those who don’t fit

Status: - Society’s untouchables - Minimal rights (if any) - Survive on margins - Often dangerous, sometimes just unlucky

Lifestyle: - Worst housing (Underbelly, ruins) - Worst food (scraps, charity, theft) - No healthcare - No future (usually) - Desperate

Locations: - The Underbelly (Ironhold) - Murky Chasm (criminals) - Ruins (hiding) - Edges of settlements

Upward Mobility (Difficult)

Paths: - Skill: Master a valuable craft - Service: Military service, Guild work - Luck: Find treasure, marry up - Innovation: Invent something valuable - Heroism: Save settlement, kill major threat

Barriers: - Wealth required (tools, education, connections) - Connections (who you know) - Opportunity (limited) - Time (takes years) - Risk (attempts can fail, leaving you worse off)

Success Rate: Low (5-10% move up significantly)

Examples: - Merchant Vex (started poor, now wealthy) - Captain Jorah (skill made him legendary) - Some Guild members (worked up from apprentice)

Downward Mobility (Easy)

Causes: - Misfortune: Injury, illness, bad luck - Rot Infection: Instant outcast status - Crime: Exile, imprisonment - Economic: Business failure, debt - Disaster: Island falls, family dies

Speed: Can happen overnight

Recovery: Rare (hard to climb back)

Examples: - Rot-Touched (instant fall) - Failed merchants (bankruptcy) - Injured workers (can’t work)

Family Structures

Nuclear Families (Most Common)

Structure: Parents + children

Prevalence: 60% of population

Locations: Settlements, stable communities

Characteristics: - Two parents (usually) - 2-4 children (high infant mortality) - Extended family nearby (often) - Stable (relatively)

Challenges: - Both parents often work - Children help (labor) - One death destabilizes family - Poverty common

Extended Clans (Traditional)

Structure: Multi-generational, 20-50 people

Prevalence: 20% of population

Locations: Outland Clans, farming communities

Characteristics: - Grandparents, parents, children, cousins - Shared resources - Communal child-rearing - Strong bonds

Advantages: - Support network - Shared labor - Knowledge transfer - Resilience

Airship Families (Nomadic)

Structure: Ship crew = family

Prevalence: 5% of population

Locations: Storm-Sailors, nomadic traders

Characteristics: - Not always blood-related - Chosen family - Children raised communally - Tight bonds (survival depends on it)

Unique Aspects: - Born on ships - Never settle - Clan loyalty absolute - Different values

Orphan Collectives (Survival)

Structure: War orphans, Rot-orphans band together

Prevalence: 5% of population

Locations: Cities (Underbelly), settlements

Characteristics: - Children raising children - Survival-focused - Found family - Often exploited

Challenges: - No adult protection - Vulnerable to abuse - High mortality - Desperate

Fractured Families (Refugees)

Structure: Whatever remains

Prevalence: 10% of population

Locations: Refugee camps, temporary housing

Characteristics: - Missing members (dead, lost, separated) - Trauma - Trying to rebuild - Often fail

Gender and Equality

Post-Shattering Shift

Pre-Shattering: More traditional gender roles

The Shattering: Erased many norms (survival mattered more)

Current: Generally egalitarian (with exceptions)

In Practice

Work: Women and men do same jobs (mostly) - Pilots: Both genders - Soldiers: Both genders (Ironhold accepts women warriors) - Craftsmen: Both genders - Leaders: Both genders (Elder Mira, Guild-Master Elara)

Family: Partnerships for survival more common than traditional marriage

Leadership: Merit-based (mostly)

Exceptions: Some conservative communities maintain traditional roles

Remaining Inequalities

Physical Labor: Men often preferred (strength)

Dangerous Work: Men more often (expendable? Or volunteering?)

Clergy: Some constellations prefer specific genders (traditional)

Ironhold: Military culture still somewhat male-dominated

Age and Life Stages

Children (0-14 years)

Status: Protected but also workers

Mortality: High (30% don’t reach age 5)

Education: Informal (apprenticeships, oral tradition)

Work: Begin helping at age 7, full work by 12

Rights: Few (parents decide)

Youth (15-17 years)

Status: Transitional (becoming adults)

Coming of Age: Age 15 (varies by culture)

Work: Full labor expected

Marriage: Can marry (often do)

Rights: Partial (some settlements)

Adults (18-40 years)

Status: Primary workers, decision-makers

Expectations: Work, family, community service

Peak Years: Most productive time

Rights: Full (citizens)

Elders (40+ years)

Status: Respected (survival is achievement)

Rarity: Only 15% reach 40

Role: Advisors, storytellers, knowledge-keepers

Rights: Full (plus respect)

Challenges: Physical decline, limited healthcare

Outsiders and Marginalized

Refugees

Status: Liminal (not citizens, not expelled)

Numbers: Increasing (Rot consuming islands)

Rights: Limited (can’t vote, restricted movement)

Path to Citizenship: Varies (5 years in Eos, nearly impossible in Ironhold)

Challenges: Discrimination, poverty, exploitation

Camps: Forming outside major settlements

Rot-Touched

Status: Extreme outcasts (kill-on-sight in some places)

Numbers: Unknown (many hide)

Rights: None (considered non-human)

Locations: Murky Chasm (only place that accepts them), hiding elsewhere

Challenges: Survival, persecution, transformation

Sister Morrigan: Advocates for them (controversial)

Criminals

Status: Varies wildly by settlement

Eos: Imprisonment, exile, fines (depending on crime)

Ironhold: Harsh (execution common)

Murky Chasm: Legal doesn’t exist (retaliation is private)

Rehabilitation: Rare (second chances uncommon)

The Mentally Ill

Status: Pitied, feared, often abandoned

Care: Minimal (family if lucky, streets if not)

Understanding: Poor (no concept of mental illness)

Treatment: Prayer (sometimes helps), herbs (rarely), nothing (usually)

Tragedy: Many die young, untreated

Power and Authority

Sources of Power

Economic: Wealth, control of resources (Guild-Masters)

Military: Force, weapons, soldiers (Commandant Vask)

Spiritual: Faith, moral authority (High Clergy)

Knowledge: Information, skills (Archivists, alchemists)

Reputation: Respect, fear, legend (Captain Jorah, Vex)

How Power Is Maintained

Economic: Control trade, set prices, monopolies

Military: Walls, guards, weapons, discipline

Spiritual: Blessings, curses, moral pressure

Knowledge: Secrets, expertise, education control

Reputation: Stories, demonstrations, fear

How Power Is Lost

Economic: Bankruptcy, competition, theft

Military: Defeat, mutiny, assassination

Spiritual: Loss of faith, scandal, heresy

Knowledge: Information spreads, rivals emerge

Reputation: Failure, betrayal, death

Skyport Eos - Democratic model
Ironhold - Military oligarchy
Murky Chasm - Anarchic system
Outland Clans - Clan structure
Sky-Guild - Economic power
Elder Mira Thornwell - Democratic leader
Commandant Theron Vask - Military authority

In-World Documents

Skyport Eos Charter (Excerpt)

ARTICLE I: GOVERNANCE

The people of Skyport Eos shall govern themselves through elected Elder Council.

All citizens may vote. All may serve.

Decisions shall be made by consensus where possible, majority where necessary.

No single person shall hold absolute power.

We learned from the Luminar Council’s failure. We will not repeat it.

Ironhold Military Code (Excerpt)

CHAIN OF COMMAND

Commandant (supreme authority)

Officers (execute Commandant’s will)

Soldiers (obey orders)

Civilians (obey soldiers)

Obedience is not optional.
Discipline is not negotiable.
Order is survival.

Question orders = insubordination.
Insubordination = punishment.
Punishment = severe.

Murky Chasm Rules (Carved on Anchor Platform)

THE RULES

Keep your word

Pay your debts

Don’t break the bridges

Cartel gets 10%

No slavery

What you do is your business

What happens is your problem

—Vex Shadowhand

“Social structure in the Aetherium is whatever works for that community. Democracy works for Eos. Military rule works for Ironhold. Anarchy works for Murky Chasm. There’s no single right answer because there’s no single situation. We organize ourselves based on our needs, our histories, our populations, and our threats. The only universal truth is this: some form of organization is necessary. Complete chaos kills everyone. Complete control kills freedom. The balance is different for every settlement. And that’s okay. That’s adaptation. That’s survival.”
—From Social Systems of the Aetherium by Scholar Evian