Steelbrethren

The Steelbrethren are a growing group of discontent workers that are actively protesting and fighting the inhuman conditions in the factories in Caramiza. They have formed during the last decade and are consistently clashing with security forces in the larger cities. Their actions have so far led to a complete shutdown of several Factory-Settlements and initiated the first revolutionary battles within Caramiza since almost four-hundred years.

"The main concern for me is efficiency. The machines have to run at a specific temperature or the metal will go bad. The process has to be a certain speed or we cannot meet our quotes. I do not have time for a worker who feels crammed in the space. There is always another one to take his place!"

Due to the rapidly growing number of factories and the rising demand by the state official for produced goods, the focus in those factories was always on efficiency and lesson the worker's health. There have been incidents, where preventable accidents have caused workers to be permanently injured or even died. The information about this has been kept secret for a while, allowing the situation to worsen in the shadows for too long.

"My brethren, are we really willing to bow and buckle for these greedy men? Are we willing to suffer and die for a cause that is not even to our benefit? These creatures are poisoning us, poisoning our land, poisoning our families! Are we really just letting them be, or do we fight?"

Some traveling worker groups however were able to spread the news and several discontent groups and protest sprung up in several mining colonies. Initial protests were beaten down by a larger security force, both private and state-based, and instigators were locked up indefinitely. Several manifests about the worker's rights were created, especially the famous work "Steelbounded Power of Our Brethren", which coined the term Steelbrethren for the followers of the worker's rights movement.

And this is decreed: Everybody actively associating with the unlawful unrest, calling themselves "Steelbrethren", or anybody under suspicion of being in association with is to be held for questioning, so that further violent incidents can be prevented.

Both the manifests and open association with the Steelbrethren have been outlawed currently, but the movement is spreading uninhibitedly, especially in the factory-settlements of Caramiza. Most of these groups are bursting out into spontaneous protests in the streets, creating clashes with the security forces, even though the numbers are growing too large for these forces to safely engage them directly.
The movement is identifying themselves to each other with the symbol of a hammer, carried on their belt, as well as a coal blackend cap with a steel plate woven into it. They are printing many flyers to protest for their rights, each of them adorning the symbol of a raised fist holding a hammer.
The movement has led to some factory owners improving conditions for their workers. Being suspected as sympathizers, the respective factories are under strict surveillance of the security forces, but the situation has grown significantly more peaceful than before in these regions.

Additonal Details

There are rumors about a Hardware-Factory that uses the worker's innate magical energy without their consent to additionally power the production process. The related villages are prone to many health issues and a higher newborn mortality rate than average.

A large demonstration for worker's rights in the capital Bealuki was famously greeted by an unexpected sympathizer - the youngest son of the Regent, Hannes Caramian.

"We have morality on our side. We have numbers on our side. Now we even have the regent's family on our side! Can't you see our cause is just?"

The uprising of the Steelbrethren led to the founding of the Ministry of Public Information which tried to counter the spread of rumors and forbidden manifests throughout the country.

There is no official leader of the Steelbrethren, in fact, the central figure of Walter Steelborn, author of the manifest "Steelbounded Power of Our Brethren" is suspected to not be a real person, despite the fact that security forces claimed to have imprisoned him already.

Steelbrethren are always on the look for additional people to support them. They often struggle with some logistics and will ask outside people for help.

Factory Owners are growing wary of their workforce to start unrest and many welcome any supporters who would give them information about leaders of the unrest in the workforce.