The aptly named Seagate is perhaps the most strategically placed pair of cities in the World. With one-half in Cornucopia, and another half in Woodhome, North and South Seagate have long been culturally linked by their proximity. South Seagate is currently ruled by the Twelve Arms Nation ("the Twelvers"), a Paragon Nation comprised of a dozen major Clans, and many more minor or affiliated Clans. Five years ago, the Twelvers also ruled North Seagate, until their archenemies, the dreaded Volsican Clan, took the city in a brutal surprise attack, forcing the Twelvers into signing an uneasy peace agreement. Refugees have flooded into the south, and the people are cut off from the rich farmlands of the north. Starvation runs rampant, and old Clan rivalries have inflamed. The rabble rousing "Populist" faction, led by minor Clans, have stirred the peasants' hatred against the ruling Class, who have been dubbed "the Hierarchs." Street battles between factions of peasant supporters, and even young Paragons have caused unnecessary bloodshed. Meanwhile, rumors suggest the Volsicans are preparing to continue their war, peace treaty or not.