Factions

The Awakened Horde

For all it's might, the Draconic Empire has accomplished little beyond feats of warfare. Were it not for outsiders conducting commerce within Dragonborn settlements, the Draconic Empire would have virtually no economy and be perpetually faced with resource shortages.

There are many reasons for this. First, clans ruled by dragons mainly exist to enrich the horde of the ruling dragon. This means less funding for infrastructure and development. Wealth is concentrated in a clan's capital city, meaning that outlying towns are too poor to grow and support larger populations. Little money is spent on research and engineering, resulting in capital cities that are poorly planned (outside of the central Ziggurat). Design work is contracted to outsiders like Elves and Gnomes, as well as escaped Dwarves. Though these races are capable workers, a few Dragonborns see a measure of irony that an Empire strong enough to fight off Hell itself lacks the competence to build its own temples.

Only a few Dragonborns see this irony though, because most Dragonborns do not value the deep thinking and introspection necessary to make these observations. Dragonborn children receive little education beyond basic literacy, propaganda-filled historical lessons about the glory of their own clan and the Empire and some religious education. Intelligence is not a valued trait amongst Dragonborns, leading to ineffective government. The ruling Dragon may have a brilliant mind, but cares little for the problems of governing. This work is delegated to Dragonborns who do not know how to solves problems off the battlefield and who cannot rule effectively.

Finally, much of Dragonborn society has become dominated by a sort of "Military-Industrial Complex." There is a lot of money to be made by supplying a Dragonborn Clan with powerful weapons and tools of war. Dragonborns are happy to pay large sums of gold to equip their horde, and constantly need new supplies during military adventures. As a result, powerful interests have formed that urge Dragonborn clans to fight as much as possible in order to guarantee a constant demand for their arms.

A few Dragonborns, however, have both the intelligence and honor to realize that their empire is capable of much more and is motivated to change things. They are the Awakened Horde, who seek to transform the Empire from a loose confederation to a mighty unified nation that values excellence in everything and aspires to more than the amassing of treasure. Their goals are

o Teach Dragonborns to draw strength from their Draconic side. The most noticeable result of this inner awakening is the wings who sprout from the back of a Dragonborn who has begun to realize his true power.

o Fight well, but Fight with Honor. In the opinion of the Awakened Horde, most Dragonborns view Honor as a simple measure of how many creatures one has slaughtered on the battlefield. Most Dragonborn warriors have no objection to killing captives, helpless enemies or innocents, so long as doing so grants them victory and treasure. To an Awakened one, Honor is a broader concept that encompasses ethical guidelines on when to make war, how to treat enemies and how to live a life with a purpose higher than acquiring treasure

o Do your duty: Any Dragonborn soldier knows his duty, but an Awakened sees duty beyond the battlefield as something sacred. Whether it is ruling a city, respecting your elders or farming a field, one should be obedient to lawful authority and strive for excellence.

o Leave a legacy: An Awakened Dragonborn constantly wonders how he will be remembered when he is gone from the world. Will he be remembered as an honorable ruler who brought peace and prosperity to his people, a great warrior who inspired his comrades in the most desperate of battles or a brilliant scholar who inspired students for generations to come?

The Circle of the True

This order has sworn to seek out and kill Aberrant creatures, and seal any rifts between the insane outer plane they hail from and the mortal world. Primarily of elven leadership, the Circle keeps a secret council in Cendriane itself, but operates wide in the mortal world through cells of covert operatives composed of many races sitting in safe-houses throughout every land. As a result, they have many resources at their disposal, including influence in various small governments, a substantial warchest and service from some of the most powerful elven seers. For long these seers have suspected the influence of the mindflayers is growing in the mortal realm and have been cautiously seeking the source and extent of this influence, but never reveal much of what they know since they (rightly) fear that their enemies have potent psychic abilities.

Since creatures of the Far Realm are inimical to the primal nature of the world, the Circle finds frequent common ground with the Keepers of the Hidden Flame, and the two have worked together informally on many occasions. Both groups are frequently militant, but the Circle is far more directed.

The Concordant Brotherhood

All the varied beauties of the mortal world rise from the shifting surge of the Elemental Chaos, and that same chaos threatens always to drag the world into itself again. Danger comes in a thousand forms: the enraged frenzy of demons, the fractal regimentation of archons, the passionate vengeance of giants and titans... the list goes on.

But from the interplay of creative and destructive forces comes knowledge, and those who devote themselves to it. Lead by genasi savants, the Concordant Brotherhood devotes itself to unearthing the secrets of the Elemental Chaos, and using those secrets to undo the damage its forces have caused to the world.

From their fortress, Stochion, built to surround a portal into the Chaos in a far desert in the mortal world, and from a secret college in the City of Brass and small embassies in many other realms, the Brotherhood safeguards the world. They give secret aid to the dwarves in their rebellion, divert the attentions of Bael Turath towards the demon hordes and forewarn the elves of invasion from without. In this way they bond with the Twilight Guardians - borrowing the elven strength as their own when the need arises.

The Hounds of Fate

Araushnee the Weaver's most loyal servants are the Hounds of Fate, warriors and sages who seek out and punish those that would shake the bonds of destiny and re-write the fate that has been determined for them. Typically, the Hounds of Fate work in groups of three to six members, each with a diversity of talents and skills, though every group has at least one cleric or paladin among them. These "packs" operate independently from one another, receiving their orders through divination, prophecy, and direct revelation by their goddess. When packs cross one another's paths they will offer whatever aid they can to one another without straying from their own set objectives. Their loyalty to one another is secondary only to their loyalty to their goddess and her objectives.

Of late the Hounds have become fragmented. A portion of the Hounds has begun acting on prophecies and orders that the rest of the sect cannot understand, though they acknowledge that the dictates do appear to be genuine in their origin from Araushnee. Whispers heard from among this splinter group have prompted their fellows to label them as "The Students of Caiphon", a name with which few are familiar. Unease grows among them as the tasks that the Students of Caiphon take seem more and more at odds with the sect's previous goals, sometimes even conflicting directly with orders that another pack has been given. The eldest among the Hounds see these signs of growing division within their goddess's mind and shudder at the thought of where it may lead.

The Keepers of the Hidden Flame

Wild spirits that eschew the stagnation of the over-civilized as well as the bestial nature of the debased and debauched. Primarily druids, they pride themselves on their connection to their own primal nature without being overcome by it. There is almost no organization to the Keepers. They rarely act in any sort of concerted fashion, though they gather at ceremonial sites to observe the passing of the seasons. There are many such places, and one is never certain if they will celebrate alone or with a host of fellow Keepers. At these gatherings new Keepers are initiated, bonds are formed, and news is spread. If a Keeper feels the need to call the host into action, they may argue for concerted effort, but no vote is ever made or consensus reached; those who choose to act will act, on their own and in their time. Only the most desperate need brings them together as a whole. Between these gatherings, word is spread using animal messengers as an informal postal system; thus they receive news of far distant events sometimes weeks ahead of others.

On of their largest gathering places is the Stones of Charios, which are located near the forested elven town of Lohirial. Alambremos the Wise, eldest of the keepers, is said to live in the mountains near there, and he presides over the season changes at Charios. Though none lead the Keepers, when Alambremos speaks, he is listened to.

Nightfall

here is one group actively working to destroy the Awakened Ones. They have never openly declared themselves, but are known as "Nightfall." They have sought to undermine the Awakened Horde whenever possible. This includes framing Awakened Ones for crimes they have not committed, sabotaging Dragonic Society and assassinating prominent members of society in order to instill fear in to those seeking their own Awakening. Nightfall is believed to be a Tiefling-sponsered organization. Before the war, the Tiefling Empire knew that a unified Draconic Horde would be an insurmountable foe and sought to destroy any movement that would result in that. Nightfall consists of a strong network of agents, mercenaries and unwilling servants blackmailed in to participation. It is believed that Nightfall has convinced some Dragon rulers to side with them and betray Awakened Ones within their province in exchange for the promise of treasure and the ability to acquire land from other Draconic clans. The Awakened Horde is well aware of this threat, and seek to put an end to them. A war-within-a-war has broken out, with the Awakened Horde learning to identify Nightfall cells and eradicating them from several provinces, while Nightfall has gained more sympathizers amongst Dragonborn rulers. This world of espionage is new to Dragonborns, but they have proven themselves effective fighters on this new battlefield.

The Order of the Scale

Humans who worship Bahamut as an example of all that is Just and Right, and believe that he will bring about the downfall of the Turathi and free the humans of the Empire from oppression. Few know how long they have been around, but they have become much more active since around the time tensions began to increase with the Dragonborn. Many believe the Order had something to do with the complex, escalating series of events that led to the initial Dragonborn attack.

The Tiefling Rebellion

Although it has a fancy sounding name, the Rebellion is still in its infancy, and has recently suffered some major setbacks, including the destruction of Kain's band that led to his exile. Its strength lies in its decentralized nature: the rebels are loosely organized into cells, and few within the organization know either who its leaders are or the extent of the movement. It seems, however, that a fair number of younger Tieflings have grown disillusioned enough with the Turathi rulers to take action.

The Twilight Guardians

A fraternal order of wandering knights-errant, the Twilight Guardians owe allegiance to no single elven ruler, but live in service to all; they are heroes of the elven armies, lone defenders of elves afar and agents of their people gone into other realms. They walk the roads and wilds between the elven kingdoms, keeping safe their dream.

Selected by the power of the Feywild itself as their people's champions, there is no set hierarchy among the Guardians. They compete with each other for honor and prestige through deeds done, stories spread and duels amongst themselves. A common elven children's tale is of a Guardian who waits at a crossroads for another of his brotherhood to come by and will not let that other pass without first answering a challenge.

Competition aside, the Twilight Guardians are brothers-in-arms and have set their Champion's Hall in Astrazalian, the City of Starlight. There they gather in fellowship and council, share news and tidings, and chart their wanderings so the strength of the elves never grows too thick in one realm or too thin in another. A few of the most elder Guardians, usually druids, wizards or other ritualists, always remain in Astrazalian, to spread quick word of an emergency and gather their strength should the need arise.

The Walkers of the Perfected Scale

A loose confederation of alchemists and artificers who seek to create Perfected Vessels, artificial bodies that will grant them immortality. Members labor in secret to create their own unique Perfected Vessels that, upon their completion, absorb the souls of their creators. While some Walkers recreate stunning versions of their original bodies or strive for an idealized, abstract humanoid form, many eschew the limitations of their former flesh and create bodies that are as unique and bizarre as any creature that exists in the Far Realms or the Elemental Chaos.

At the core of each Vessel pulses an Aberrath, a clockwork crystal sphere that represents the culmination of the Walkers' combined genius. It is the Aberrath that allows the Vessels to house their creators' souls indefinitely, but it is also the object that has brought the wrath of Araushnee on them. Whether intentionally or merely as a side-effect of its operation, the Aberrath rips free the soul it houses from the strings of the fate-weave, leaving gaping, twisting holes in the fabric of destiny and removing the actions of the Walkers from the sight of gods and goddesses of fate. Such hubris and destruction angers all the immortals, but Aurashnee, the Weaver, feels each Aberrath as a wound on her own being and commands her servents to hunt and destroy the Stair wherever it manifests.

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Crowns of the Dawn