Orlin (Civ5)/Civilopedia

The steady advance of science brought great changes to the processes by which products were manufactured, transported, and sold. Many otherwise shrewd businessmen could not contend with the changes and faded away, leaving room for the more adaptable. Orlin had no political existence when it began, and no desire for empire. It was a collection of ambitious industrialist that banded together for mutual benefit. They parceled out markets like territories, and together came to dominate industries throughout the old kingdoms. When the kingdoms began to fade, the Orlin tycoons clashed in a contest for power. They encroached on each other’s ventures, and delved into blackmail and assassination. A tight oligarchy emerged which controlled nearly all the means of production. With their industrial capacity, and the riches it brought, they formally entered the world stage as an empire.