Fyysinvi (fiir-sin-vee)

"You're not going to be able to spook me with the mysterious Power Engineer hoo-doo that I see other Fyysinvi folk try on the locals." Thanie pointed her spoon at Corianne. "I did a year of study at the Academy with the apprentices from the Engineer's Guildhall."
"Not only was I not going to try it, I don't believe any of what we do is, as you say, 'hoo-doo'". Corianne took a bite from her own parfait; this cafe in the Upper Ward was poorly trafficked, but a favorite stop of local maintenance engineers working on the upper areas of the Patino Waterworks. "It's just not worth explaining to yet another waist-coated puppet why we're not favoring their special projects over anyone else's. Besides, I'm just here on rotation, it's not like I'm the one making allocations."
"Understandable enough. I believe that's the Chief Engineer's job. But you can help me have a conversation with him." Thanie finished her own cream puff and put her spoon down. "Haideri wants this to be an informal thing, rather than him pulling out the sword and ordering a meeting. He says that good Magistrates know when to be discreet."
The engineer rolled her eyes. "That discretion is going to put your appointment two months down the line. Chief Orivio likes to keep people waiting, makes him feel more important." She tugged on her right hand glove, a nervous tic. "Because he sure hasn't actually built anything in a while. Just likes to tell other people to fit rods and cogs where they need to go."
The magistrate's apprentice gave a laugh. "Sounds just like any other politician here in Patino. The amount of nonsense here is astounding, coming from the Capital. I don't see how the locals stand it."
"They get used to it, I suppose. Though I'm under explicit guidance to not really socialize with the Patino townsfolk. Something about Fyysinvi engineers being 'above' local concerns, which itself kind of concerns me." Corianne sighed. "But what do I know. I'm just a girl with a breaker bar and calipers. I'll leave the conspiracies to you."

Structure

Fyysinvi is a chartered corporation of the Principality of Etoile, not unlike the various private Consortiums, but unique in that it is owned in entirety by the state (the Principality having divested itself of most of its commercial enterprises in the 660s). As such, while it maintains a board of directors and operating officers, all are appointed by the state, to service the industrial requirements of Etoile. Operating officers manage teams of Power engineers, entrusted with the maintenance and expansion of the power generation systems in Patino, the Machine City.

Culture

Unlike the close relationship between the city government and the Joint Consortiums at Patino Central Hall, Fyysinvi prides itself on its complete independence from the local politicking and influence trading. The officers answer only to the board, who themselves only answer to the Hall of the Princeps in the Etoile Capital City - even the local District Commander is sidelined in an ancillary role, being obligated to provide assistance to the organization, but without say over its affairs. This separation from the local power structure encourages an aloofness in any employee of Fyysinvi, with even the line power engineers and repairers empowered to simply disregard city guards and consortium representatives.

Public Agenda

Fyysinvi's public agenda is engraved on plaques placed on every Power distribution pole and node in Patino - supporting the industrial growth of the city and the manufacturing capacity of the Principality as a whole, with only the greater interests of the Principality in mind. In their famous annual Power distribution planning meetings, they alone determine the amount of Power distributed to each Consortium interest and private party, judging where Power can be best allocated to forward the goals of the Principality's Progress.
While Power delivery is their principal responsibility, the Inix river is also the source of the city's freshwater, and Fyysinvi provides freshwater distribution to all of the major blocks in each ward through a mixture of open-topped aqueducting and piping, straight from the cisterns of the Waterworks.

Assets

All power generation and distribution hardware in Patino is owned in whole by Fyysinvi, including the massive waterworks and waterfall diversion embedded in the Patino cliff-face, the cisterns and outflows, as well as the Power distribution mains across the Upper and Lower wards. The funds to maintain and expand this network are received as fees and dues from all Power consuming entities in Patino; these funds are exclusively earmarked for that purpose, with no profit-taking permitted by the terms of Fyysinvi's charter.

History

The decision to dam the Inix river and place a Power generation works in the Patino Waterfall originated with the First Princeps, on the advice of the original team of engineers from Nasse - the First Princeps had decided to separate the locus of political power (which would end up being the Etoile Capital City from the center of industrial power. Patino, the Machine City was founded to pursue the latest in industrialization technologies; Fyysinvi was established as a state-chartered institution to facilitate Patino's continued growth and avoid the predicted problems of private-party capture and monopoly. 
Over the course of Patino's modern history, Fyssinvi has acted as both a stabilizing factor as well as one of frustration. While none can deny that they have maintained their independence, as required, every consortium interest in Patino has struggled with Fyssinvi's decisions and control of the Power-generation allocations, which by necessity limits the total growth and productivity of any attached manufactory line. Fyssinvi also controls the pricing of Power delivery and the expansion of total generation capacity, which causes no end of consternation among consortium bookkeepers and expense counters.

The Water Turns

Founding Date

631

Type

Corporation, Energy Industry

Parent Organization

Principality of Etoile

Location

Patino, the Machine City