There are two factions on Atys: Kami and Karavan. Both possess unique powers, both claim to be the true guardians of the planet, both come to the aid of homins as long as we obey their rules, and both are secretive about their origins and their true intentions. For centuries now, they have followed different paths, observing one another without confrontation. I first encountered the Kami and the Karavan at the Ranger camp near Silan, where I did some tasks for them, and learned a bit about them in the process.
- Strange and eerie entities capable of taking on various appearances, the Kamis constitute a major influence on Atys and its habitants. They stand vigil over the plant kingdom and ensure that no one may destabilize the fragile equilibrium of the planet they cherish. They share a collective conscience and it would seem that no living species may escape their perception, and consequently, their wrath if their laws of conservation are transgressed.
- The Karavan is composed of mysterious anthropoid beings in black suits and helmets that cover their entire heads. With the exception of the Prime Roots, the Karavan is present throughout Atys. Indeed, the homins have never yet explored an area where Karavan presence is not felt. The members of the Karavan live in great metallic vehicles and use weapons of technology as yet unknown to hominkind. The homins mostly hold them in awe.
Generally, the Matis and the Trykers follow the teachings of the Karavan, while the Fyros and Zoraïs follow the teachings of the Kamis. However, a homin may choose to ally with either faction, or remain neutral. However, if you remain neutral you are lacking in teleports to certain areas, primarily the highest level areas and the Prime Roots, and access to some faction traders. Neither of those are unsurmountable for a character who takes the more challenging moral high road of staying neutral in the conflict between the Kami and the Karavan.
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As my new guild, Aeden Artisans is allied with the Karavan, I decided I should work on my Karavan fame a bit. I checked with my guild mates on what would be a good way to start this, and Klymene offered to show me the “small fame loop.” She met me at the Liberty Lake Karavan Welcomer at the Fairhaven teleporter. She suggested that I grab five of the last six quests he offers, skipping the one for hunting the Liberty Pirates. I did, and got tasks to kill two of any type of kipee, loot 3 morsels of average lake kipee flesh of at least quality 20, collect 4 phials of average lake kipee blood, collect 4 phials of average lake yubo blood, go to Greenvale Trade Post, and kill two members of the Friends of Fury tribe.
So, the first place Klymene took me was around the southern beaches east of Fairhaven to the sandy plains where I'd been fighting cloppers. There I fought some very weak kipee and yubos to fulfill the first several quests, gathering in as many looted materials as possible for my own crafting or for selling for a bit of dappers. Once I had all the kipee parts and phials of yubo blood, it was back to the welcomer to drop them off.
Then we swam around Fairhaven and up the channel due west of there to the Greenvale Trade Post. On the way, we stopped on the beach opposite the Friends of Fury tribe and fought them off. They swarmed us, but I'm not sure if that was because Klymene set off a bomb in their camp, or if they usually swarm opponents. For doing those five quests, I picked up two more Karavan fame points, for a total of 13. When the tasks are finished, clear them out... there is a time of a couple hours from when you clear them to when you can do them again.
After that, she showed me a stinga field, a bit larger than the one I've been using on the way to Black Water and referring to as Wandaxia's Isle. The hunting there looks very promising.
At that point it was time to head back to Fairhaven, where I spent some time crafting. I put a bunch of different medium armor vests up for consignment at the armor merchants, and made it to level 44 as a crafter. I visited the trainer and learned “Crafting Option for HP Boost 4,” and then realized that I'll need more skill in actually crafting armor before I can use it.
Finally, I grabbed my ranger armor again, and Fire and Ice, and headed back to the cloppers to work on raising my melee skills while I waited for the Karavan Welcomer's tasks to reset.