Live and Society in an Abrik

Photo by Dorothe form PxHere

Each Abrik is an independent country and its ruler is given the title of Oberhoch or Great Craftsman. This is elected every 50 years (although this may vary from one Abrik to another) in a competition known as Wagen. In this competition, one representative from each of the 7 main craft guilds of the Abrik participates, although in most cases this representative is the leader of that guild. In this competition, the leaders of each of the 7 guilds as well as the leader of the Chützer, the Aufman and the Grospekt have to evaluate the inventions submitted by each of the participants. In case a guild leader wants to participate, his guild must choose a new leader and the previous one loses the right to regain his previous position. The winner of the Wagen receives the title of Oberhoch and the runner-up becomes his right-hand man and receives the title of Zuewiter. As a general rule an invention may not be entered more than once and losers may not enter a Wagen again. After this competition is finished, all creations that participated become the domain of the Abrik to be implemented or mass-produced. The former Oberhoch and Zuewiter return to their clans to educate or share their experiences with the new generations.

The Grospekt have the 7 major clans and this are The Brotherhood of the Clock, which is one of the oldest guilds and who also ruled the Abriks before the first Wagen; The Daughters of Steam, the only clan made up exclusively of female Nachwir; The Greasy Machines, who have always been known for specialising in vehicle-related inventions; The Coal Sisters, who, although they originally accepted only female Nachwir among their ranks, became a mixed clan with the intention of growing faster; The Fire Tower Alliance, whose inventions were specifically geared towards the military realm; The Copper Princes, who, according to rumour, have close ties to the Aufman; The Luddite Brigade, which is the youngest of the clans and one of the few who are open to the exchange of ideas and technology with other Abriks. The god of the Nachwir is one but possesses two aspects. The Masculine or Forsch which is related to death and the femenine or Dasgan which is related to life.

The Nachwir do not have a temple to honour their deity but they are devoted to him/her because every time they perform the work for which they were created they feel that they are thanking their deity. This is particularly true in the case of the Konst as they try to achieve the greatness of the one who gave them life through their creations.