The Forged

The Forged is Karnatel’s ascending caste system—a meticulously engineered hierarchy of progress and purpose under the watchful eye of Veltraxis. In this system, failure isn’t punished, but repurposed. As citizens climb the ranks of The Forged, they are granted access to biotechnological augmentations. Tattoos that infuse them with power, limbs that infuse strength and allow access to new tools, eyes that grant sight beyond sight, and more. Ranks are displayed prominently on the body as QR codes, with the center serving as a direct symbol of their rank. The codes themselves allow officials to scan and see someone’s permanent files. Criminals arrested may be branded with codes and released upon retraining.
 

The Unranked

- Visitors, commoners, dependents. These people were either born into Karnatel or journeyed here in pursuit of its utopian vision. Automatons do all the work and the people need for nothing, although this does not mean they live in luxury. Necessities are met - food, shelter, water - but luxuries are withheld from the unranked. Art is rare, and expression is muted - they are plagued by purposelessness. Instead, they live in an advertisement-plagued zone where they constantly see what could be - if only they joined The Forged.
 

The Aspirants

- “You begin as a spark.” Aspirants are the entry tier of The Forged. Here you will be taught the basics of tools and engineering. They are constantly evaluated for potential and usefulness. Not everyone is suited for The Forged, and as such, many may be released at this stage, while some are sent for repurposing, working on projects of labor or in secret facilities around Karnatel.
 

The Artilects

- “Your spark becomes lightning, infusing your work”. Artilects are granted access to magical resources and training. It is at this stage that members start integrating magic into projects and learn the basics of combining the two. This knowledge is supported by introductory lessons on automaton engineering and working. Artilects work hard and are told to study harder, but the promise of rewards and knowledge beyond comprehension drives them. Artilects not making the cut will be repurposed to work on remote and secret projects, often not being heard from again.
 

The Forge Masters

- “You carry the flame that shapes others.” Forge Masters begin a tier of complacency. Many are content sitting here, with new access to rare materials, the ability to lead research groups, and work in the optimization and fixing of simpler constructs (i.e., chef, garbage, driving automatons). This is seen as the first taste of power in The Forged, but those too complacent that begin to lack in their research or duties will be repurposed themselves.
 

The Ascendants

- “You burn beyond flesh. You are the will that forges design.” The ascendants are the final rank for nearly all. Here, members learn about forbidden knowledge, greater engineering, and more. Ascendants will commonly be sent to work in The Crucible Core, the towering building in Mechspire where Veltraxis spends most of his time. When not sent to The Crucible Core, Ascendants will lead large research and design initiatives. They are the cause of many city renovations and new technology being mass-produced.
 

The Cognitari

- “Only the worthy may advise a God. You are living circuitry for the divine.” Not much is known of The Cognitari, except that they are few. They are said to be chosen by Veltraxis himself and are rarely seen. Most likely advisors, but possibly spies or agents for The Omnicron.