As the most powerful faction in Ley'Ork, the Harena Trade Union runs the country in all but name. Its executive board is headed by a few ultra-powerful corporations each run by a single family, who have operated for decades as the absolute and indisputable kings of the nation. Despite nominally being a trade union, the HTUC is no true union, in fact participating in an immense bit of union busting. The families of the HTUC have remained in charge for decades, and have become well-known household names.

The HTUC frequently cooperates with smaller companies which operate within the country, keeping a tense peace and working hard to sow division and discord every now and then. Even though no single corporation nor the actual Ley'Ork government could stand against HTUC alone, the Board of Directors is painfully aware at all times that their position is tenuous if multiple companies and/or the national government ever banded together against them. They do what they can at all times to avoid this fate, and keep their position on top of the world.

Takeau Family

The Takeau clan, an affluent group of mostly humans and elves, claims to be one of the founding families of Ley’Ork. This claim cannot exactly be confirmed or denied, though - their company, Metropolitan News, dominates all of Ley'Ork's media. They even have their fingers in libraries and archives, ensuring that the past and present Ley'Orkian citizens receive is a version of events beneficial to the HTUC. Any government candidate finding themselves with the backing of the Takeaus is certain to win whichever political race they run.

Metropolitan News is responsible for much of the communications infrastructure that exists throughout Ley'Ork, having funded and spearheaded construction efforts for long-distance telegraph lines and quick, safe mail deliveries. They have even begun a radio show, though each radio network is localized to only a city and its surrounding area. They have also supported the construction of a fairly expansive ground rail network connecting most major cities.

Vane Family

Head of industry in Ley’Ork, this human family controls factories, as well as the military-industrial complex. They secretly propagate wartime by sparking revolutions in other countries and selling weapons to them, while supplying Ley’Ork's military with weapons for 'anti-terrorist' efforts to continuously profit. Many people finding themselves falling on hard times can reliably sign up for a job in a Vane company town. Vane is also making efforts to tame the vast wilderness of the Leones Desert in the southwest and Athabaska Forest in the east - hiring droves of down-on-their-luck Ley'Orkian citizenry as “intrepid explorers”.

Most police forces across Ley'Ork are funded, if not also staffed, by Vane Security employees. Recent collaborations with foreign companies such as Lithicore Mining Co. have resulted in an influx of resources to the nation, allowing for the construction of taller buildings, better vehicles, and - of course - deadlier weapons. Rumor even has it that, despite the ban on magic since 10072, Vane Security Corp. operates a secret, underground smithy where arms are forged using illegal magical materials and techniques.

Wren Family

On the surface, this is a simple financial group which owns many casinos, gentlemen and ladies’ clubs, and other similar establishments in the Red Light Districts of major cities. In truth, the Wren family, originally a clan of Saedic elves, is one of the most powerful organized crime groups in Ley'Ork. They have a major presence in the criminal underground of every city.

While many other gangs, mobs, and triads exist and operate on their own in Ley'Ork's shadows, everyone knows that the Wrens are the top dogs of the underworld. Paying them off, sitting firmly in their pockets, or fully selling out and operating under a firm Wren thumb becomes the endgame for most burgeoning organized crime outfits. Due to their close connections with the other HTUC groups, the law mostly turns the other way where Wrens are involved.

Daevian Family

This family of gnomes are highly secretive, and not very well known by name. The name of Ley'Ork National Laboratories is fairly well-known to academics, but hasn't quite achieved household level. Many of their inventions are credited under different names, such as the landmark Castefort engine, which was named for the scientist that invented it: part of House Castefort, old immigrants from Shinneok. The Daevians are major movers in the research & development sectors of Ley'Ork, being responsible for many technological developments. Metropolitan News attributes Ley'Ork's current “Steampunk Age” almost wholly to the inventions made by the Daevians.

Vane Security often contracts Ley'Ork National Labs to develop for them, and some more underground rumors posit that much of their contracted work - whether for Vane or the national government - veers into intensely unethical territory. National Laboratories denies any and all claims, and ensures the populace that all research occurring within their purview is entirely and completely vetted and approved to be ethical. By an HTUC investigation board, of course.