FACTIONS OF SIGIL AVISIT TO THE HEART OF THE PLANES, AND A DEEP DELVE INTO THE FIFTEEN FACTIONS WHO LIKE TO ‘THINK THEY RUN IT ~ CHATTERING MeMEIR,TABLE OF CONTENTS Cuarrer1: INTRODUCTION _3-—- CHAPTER 12. LEAGUE OF INNOVATION nm Cuarrer 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS § 7 CHAPTER 13. MERCYKILLERS 79 CHAPTER 3: FACTIONS ATA GLANCE 6 CHAPTER 14. PEOPLE’S CHAPTER 4. ATHAR i COLLECTIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE —————__ Davetcopwent Cuarrer 5. BLEAK CABAL 19" Quiaprer 15. REVOLUTIONARY CHAPTER 6. CONSORTIUM a7 ~~ LEAGUE 95 CHarrer 7. DOOMGUARD 36 CHAPTER 16. SIGN OF ONE 99 Cuarrer 8. DUSTMEN 4s CHAPTER 17. SOCIETY OF a SENSATION 106 CHAPTER 9. FRATERNITY OF i ORDER 53 CHAPTER 18. TRANSCENDENT ee ORDER: 14 CHAPTER 10. FREE LEAGUE 8 ~— CHAPTER 19. XAOSITECTS 121 CHAPTER 11. HARMONIUM BS DISCLAIMER Factions of Sigil is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. ATTRIBUTIONS Made with The Homebrewery hiins//homebreswery.naturaleti.com: Please direct any feedback or suggestions towards memein@protonmailcom Tid love to hear what you think! Any suggestions around balancing, mechanies, Nuff or ideas for contribution are gladly welcome-M With thanks to Alicia and the rest of my Proofreaders <3CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION FAcTIONS oF Sioit! This BOOK isa love letter toa much-beloved city, and a group of wonderful players who helped shape what this is now. ‘Wuat Tuis Is Tf you want to get straight into the Faction deep dives, skip to page 10-M] This isa retelling of Sigil that maintains the fifteen factions anc all their rivalries, whilst simultaneously carrying the story forwards and modernising many of their themes. The Cage is a diverse place all manner of berks walk these streets in unison; lots of new races and planes have been introduced to the worlds of D&D since, and you should be able to find just about any of them within here. This is nota like-for-like conversion ofthe pas Whilst most things have been kept intact, some things - namely two of the factions -have been replaced in order to help state some of the major themes. Industrialisation and commercialisation were always present in Sigil, and I wanted to keep those themes in line with current times whilst maintaining them as truthfully as I eould, Why? I to0, question my own sanity ‘Wuat’s HERE? Factions of Sigil offers an insight into the original history of each of the factions, plus how they've developed in the thirty years since the Second Upheaval. You'll get a whistle stop tour of each faction's, headquarters, plus a dossier on each factol as provided by yours truly (Oh, and this book is very much considered contraband in the Cage -M. Each faction overview also gives insight into the workings of each faction, and powers that you might get from your membership within them (and any restrictions they may place upon you). Ifa faction has, their own items, those are also listed here. For characters who are created as having already been a member for some time, additional backgrounds are given for you to choose from. History OF THE FACTIONS Factions. Nearly every berk in Sigil knows the term Fifteen of them run the city, seeing to its inner workings, lawmaking, and public services. “Course, any sod in their right mind knows who really runs the show - the Lady of Pain. The Lady let there be the factions in the first place, and set rules on how many that there could be, See, there used to be a lot more, tll she mandated there be a maximum of fiteen to curb down on the endless bickering and rampant chaos. ‘Tue Great UPHEAVAL ‘The moment the Lady cut down the factions to but a mere fifteen is known as the Great Upheaval, which occurred some 660 years ago. It was a time of utter turmoil and chaos, in which factions fought each other for their very survival Fifteen factions ended up making the cut - the rest died out or moved on, These are the factions outlined in, this book. Mostly. ‘Tue SzconD UPHEAVAL See, around 30 years ago a Factol by the name of Duke Rowan set in motion a series of plans that would have completely rewritten the whole power structure of the Cage. Unfortunately, he met an untimely demise at the hand of some careless adventurers before he could finish setting his plans in motion. ‘What would have been an all out faction war was instead something else. The forces of dissent found their way into the Cage regardless - those things already set in motion could not be taken back. Chant is dark on what exactly was the final straw, but it was most likely the resurrection of Aoskar by a small sect of Signers known as the Will of One that was the final straw for the Lady. Whatever it was, the Lady shut the doors on the Cage regardless, letting no-one and nothing either in or out. ‘The Cage, as it urns out, was not very self-sufficient. Chaos descended. Food was scarce, weapons were a hot commodity, and the most powerful sods in the Cage set to establishing themselves a foothold. Some factions went about hoarding what they could as Soon as they could (read: the Fated). Others handed out what little they had to any who asked. twas, plainly put, Pandemonium. Uprisings began within the Hive, spreading to the Lower Ward and throughout the Cage. Hordes of sods ‘marched on the Fated and the Hardheads, determined to do.as much damage as possible. Heads rolled when the Mereykillers stepped in to help establish order, and a bunch of heroes tried in vain to pick up the pieces. ‘Somehow, things sorted themselves out. Maybe it was the redistribution of stockpiles to the masses that helped calm things down, maybe a few good speakers, negotiated terms and put a stop to things, or maybe whatever unseen threat that had the Lady so concerned was dealt with on the quiet. ‘Maybe the Lady just stepped in and flayed a bunch of| people to put alittle fear into them. ‘Whatever it was, the Lady set to opening the doors and things began to return to something akin to normal.Tue New NorMat Unfortunately, the damage was done. Every berk in Sigil had seen just how fragile the Cage was, how turbulent life within it was. The Lady may have reopened the Doors in the end, but resentments ran strong between ‘many a faction, ‘Things were in for one final shakeup however, when the Lady took to appearing before each and every Factol with one of her Dabus in tow. She issued them an. ultimatum: “Step down or leave. You rule no longer.” Unsurprisingly, every Factol had stepped down by the end of the day. Most left Sigil entirely, others took to more managerial roles within their faction. Whatever happened, it was a huge shakeup, and each faction was simply glad to be allowed to continue to exist. ‘Waar'’s CHANGED? A lot happened in the thirty years that succeeded the Second Upheaval. The change of leadership affected every faction in different ways, and things were rather turbulent for a time. A quick overview of some of the key events is as follows: ‘+ The Fated tried to solve their PR problem by rebranding the whole faction. Now they're known as ‘the Consortium’ ‘+ The Godsmen were taken over by an Anarchist who claimed the faction for the Revolutionary League. The faction melted into nothingness pretty quickly, and a new faction rose from the ashes, let by that same Factol: The People’s Collective for Sustainable Development (the long name is but one reason many people can't stand them) + Portals to a swathe of new Material worlds opened up, bringing with them a host of new technologies, cultures, and magical know-how ‘+ The case of Sigil vs. Vakui established that the Free League (Indeps) were not, in fact, a true faction + Acollection of scholarly berks then set up the League of Innovation as a new faction, led by an Unchained Petitioner (dead sod) + Only one of the original Factols has come anywhere close to power: Pentar of the Doomguard. Even then, she’s just trying to solve the murder of the recently: deceased leader to pin the proper job on whichever sorry sod did the deed ‘+ The League of Innovation brought around a lot of new technological developments. The ability to manufacture artificial permanent portals to other planes (with the help of magic) has massively helped with logisties ‘+ Airships revolutionised trade in the Cage FACTION HIERARCHIES Sigil has a fairy standardised system for determining a person's status within thir faction, There are four Official ‘Ranks and whilst factions may have their own names for these ranks, they al come down tothe same four: Namer, Factotum, Factor, Facto Every faction has their own mechanisms for progression within the faction, Some require an amount of service, certain deeds or election. However, should you wish to simplify the process, the GM can have you start to advance ranks a specific levels or milestones within the campaign. Suggested are the following levels on the assumption tht the eampaign is running from levels 110 20 + Level 7> Advance to Factotum + Level 15> Advance to Factor Factols are NPC only. Ifa character becomes a Factol, that should be considered their ‘retirement’ from adventuring. Leading a faction is a full time job. NAMER ‘The base rank. Most people fall under this category they've joined up, said a few words and try their best to live according to the philosophy. However, often they tend not to be much involved in faction politics short of working their way up the ladder FacTorum Bread-and-butter; Factotum do the heavy lifting of the faction. These are often full ime employees, massive donors, or long-time volunteers. They carry a good amount of respect within their faction, and are shining exemplars of faction ideology. FACTOR Leaders of their respective factions, Factors are highly respected people who have been around for a fair while. ‘Their rank carries weight and respect even outside of their faction, as it's a badge of commitment and. devotion to ideology above all else. Facro, Where Factors are leaders, the Factol is THE Leader. A faction has only one Factol, and their name carries an enormous amount of respect with just about any berk in the Cage,CHAPTER 2: CHARACTER OPTIONS FACTION POWERS Faction powers are back! Each faction has Names, Factotum and Factor powers. You gain these powers as noted under the individual faction entry. Each set of powers is unique and works slightly differently, so consul the faction handbook itself to see what your faction can do for you. You do not need to do anything to gain these powers unless specified. Instead, you gain Namer Powers automatically when you join the faction as a Namer. You gain Factotum powers automatically when you advance to Factotum, and so forth. Ifyour game is using feats and your GM wishes to curb the power, your GM may require that you spend a. feat in order to gain the Faction Powers of your rank. FAcTION RESTRICTIONS Every faction has an ethos that they ike their members to follow. Groupthink is very much a big issue within Sigil, and factions often suffer internal strife caused by members not following the ethos ‘the right way’. AS such, every faction has a group of hardliners who consider what their faction ‘suggests’ to be an outright commandment. How much power these groups have within thei faction varies wildly Text in bold highlights hard lines for the faction. Break these and you're out (unless you can argue your way around itor sufficiently justify). SSF. “Sort” RESTRICTIONS Each facton's set of restrictions also bears a side note like this. Here youl find the factions "soft lines’. These ae behaviours that they expect oftheir members, but do not consider strictly necessary. til ifyou wish to make friends ‘or advance within your faction, you'd best stick other: ee LANGUAGES When it comes to languages, the planes are a huge place. D&D already simplifies languages a fair amount, so assume that Elvsh is the same no matter where in the Planes you are - the dialect may be massively different, but you should still be able to understand it. ‘A few new languages are added to plug the gaps in the Planes. The only major difference is the way Common is handled - when you learn Common, you must specify which of the Material Planes it is Common ‘0, For example, Common (Faertn) oF Common (Keynn). Bach is treated as its own separate language Common (Planar Trade) is the modern artificial language, one which the Consortium are dead keen on having everybody learn, I's caught on relatively quickly, ands in wide use around Sigil for those who can afford the I gold piece it costs to magically learn (this is done at the Consortium Headquarters the Airdocks). ‘TaBLe 1: SAMPLE LANGUAGE LIST Language ‘Spoken By Special Script Abyssal Demons. ~ Infernal Celestial Celestials Celestial ‘Common (Material) ‘The Clueless = Common Common (Planar Sigil Natives Common Trade) Dabus Dabus Yes NA Deep Speech Aberrations ith Draconic Dragons, = Draconic Dragonborn Druidie Druids Yes Druidic Dwarvish Dwarves = Dwarvish Elvish Elves Elvsh Giant Giants = Dwarvish ith ithyanke, ith Githzerai Gromish Gnomes = Dwarvish Goblin Goblins Dwarvish Infernal Devils, Yugoloths = Infernal Orcish Orcs Elvis Primordial Elemental, = Draconic Genasi Scramblespeak _Xaositects Yes Scramble Shade Whisper Ghosts, Shadows - Death Runes Slaadi Slaadi Draconic Stout Halfings - Ehish Sylvan Fey Elvish ‘Thieves Cant Rogues Yes Cant Tick-Tock Constructs, Foobar Modrons Undercommon Drow, Duergar = Ehish “Deep Speech has no official script, however the Gith have their own methods of transcribing it. ™'Tick-Tock has only three sounds/characters: Tick, Tock, and TickTock. PSA TO PLavERS: You might be making a character for use ina campaign. Many of the factions have some bizare, chaotic, or laissez faire attributes that can make them hard to work with Itis each player's responsibilty to roll up a character that can finda reason to stick around with a party (or the existing party if there is one). You should talk with your group about ‘what you are doing, and work out why you're hanging around with them, D&D is a collaborative experience - don’t make the GM have o ball you out. They have enough on.CHAPTER 3: FACTIONS AT A GLANCE ATHAR ‘Alias: Defiars (outdated) Role: Education and Health Services Restriction: To defy divine powers at every opportunity Allies: Bleak Cabal, Dustmen (reluctantly) Enemies: None PHILOSOPHY ‘There is no truth short of our own, The gods are frauds; extremely powerful beings at best, but no better than us. RESTRICTIONS Athar must defy the gods and their servitors at every turn. Those who are caught lending aid to a temple or heavenly cause are due for a bollocking, and anyone caught willingly worshipping a god is out of the faction as far as the Athar are concerned. Facrou. Your Factol is Malath Kigani a goliath playwright and priest. She's a mighty powerful cleric who cuts a powerful figure wherever she goes. She is always seen accompanied by her loyal dog, Nosewise, HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Shattered Temple, a building that was once the main point of worship for Aoskar until it got obliterated by the Lady, located in the Lower Ward. BLEAK CABAL ‘Alias: Bleakers Role: Alms and Mental Health Restriction: No set restrictions Allies: Athar, Dustmen Enemies: Sign of One PHILOsoPHY There is no “greater purpose” to our life, nor any ‘meaning beyond that which we assign toi. So do what ‘you want and make your own meaning... shun sanity and embrace the bizarre! RESTRICTIONS Members of the Bleakers have no set restrictions upon them, however their members find themselves under closer scrutiny from their own higher-ups than many of the other factions to ensure that they are not driven by power, rationality, or greed. Facrou. Your Factol is Smiling Chet, an ore bard with a good sense of humour and easygoing attitude. He's a much loved figure within the faction, though sometimes derided as ‘naive’ HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Gatchouse, Si foremost home of mental health services, alms, and orphanages, located in the Hive Ward CONSORTIUM Aliases: Traders, Takers (outdated) Role: Gooxls and Services Restriction: To honour the coin Allies: Harmonium Enemies: Doomguard, People’s Collective for Sustainable Development, Revolutionary League, Xaositects PHILOSOPHY Free enterprise is the fairest way to dictate a society. Wealth is the surest, and most equitable, measure of one's worth, RESTRICTIONS ‘Members of the Consortium are bound to honour the coin. Any deal made involving an exchange of coin is considered binding, and breaking such a deal can easily lead to expulsion. Facrou, Your Factol is the “dragonborn” Drakin, founder of the DrakinGuard armour range. Chant says that he’s secretly a dragon, and that his business (or maybe even, his faction) is his hoard, HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters ae the Airdocks, a new establishment and hub ofall planar trade that comes {through Sigil located in the Clerk's Ward Aliases: Sinkers Role: Weapons and Demolitions Restriction: To obey the will of entropy Allies: None Enemies: Consort PHILOSOPHY Creation and destruction are just two sides of entropy's coin, To create is beautiful. To destroy; mare so. Harmonium RESTRICTIONS Doomuard abhor that which goes against entropy, such as healing magic, restorations and mending spells. ‘Whilst they may be okay receiving it, they would never think of using such magic. And even then, some Sinkers point blank refuse to be healed with magic.Facrou. Your Factol is dead. Currently, the ex-Factol Pentar, a human ranger who has taken the reins tll she ean figure out which sod did the deed and slap the sorry berk with the sentence of being the new Factol. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Armoury, a building that produces an unholy amoung of smoke and ‘weapons, located in the Lady's Ward. Its here that the fabled Entropic Weapons of the Doomguard are forged DusTMEN Alias: The Dead Role: Sanitation and Corpse Removal Restriction: To live and die in accordance with the True Death Allies: Athar (reluctantly), Bleak Cabal Enemies: Sensates PuiLosoPHy We're all dead, some more so than others. So have patience, purge your worldly desires and ascend towards the purity of the True Death. RESTRICTIONS Raise dead, reincarnation, resurrection, and true resurrection are forbidden to the Dustmen, and if you accept any of these spells, or ifyou act against the True Death (e.g. by attempting to restore someone to life or murdering without just cause) you will almost certainly be expelled from the ranks, Revivify and similar-ffects are generally seen as acceptable, though there are a growing number of Dust men who would disagree (mind ‘you, these are the same berks who think first aid should be a crime and that healers are ‘the greatest con artists, ofall time’). Instead, Dustmen who die may be returned from the dead provided their body is returned to the mortuary within 10 days and a 1000 gp fee is paid (or subsequently worked off). These Dustmen are returned to life as either Dhampir, Hexblood or Reborn as though reincarnated. Facrou. Your Factol is Lying Blood, a tiling death priest of indeterminate undead nature. She's the foremost expert in burial practices across the planes, and gives good (albeit dry) sermons. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Mortuary located in the Hive Ward, Itis here that all the Cage's corpses are destined, wherein the Dustmen can process them and handle ther disposal appropriately FRATERNITY OF ORDER ‘Alias: Guvners Role: Administration and Legal Aides Restriction: To never knowingly break any laws Allies: Harmonium, Mereykillers Enemies: People's Collective for Sustainable Development, Revolutionary League, Xaositects PHILOSOPHY Learn the laws and you have the power. The more you learn, the more control you have over the multiverse that surrounds you -and the better society we can forge asa people. RESTRICTIONS Guyners do not knowingly break any laws that apply to ‘hem -not untess they can find a loophole around them or prove them to be faulty. Those who do often find themselves going to great lengths to justify it © themselves and their faction (even going so far as to prove the law wrong in the first place). Facrou, Your Factol is Juilienne, a satyr warlock from the Feywild, now turned power-hungry lawyer. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the City Court, the beating heart of beaurocracy in Sigil, located inthe Lady's Ward. This isthe place lawbreaking Jeatherheads are hauled into defend themselves and be found guilty. FREE LEAGUE ‘Alias: Indeps Role: N Restriction: N/A Allies: N/A. Enemies: N/A PHiLosopHY Live free or die. Members of the Free League share only cone thing in common, and that’s a disdain for the faction system. They are nota faction themselves (certainly not any more, at least), but "Indep" is often used to refer to any sod who isn’t a member of a wider faction. HARMONIUM Alias: Hardheads Role: Law Enforcement Restriction: To obey the chain of command and enforce the law at all costs Allies: Consortium, Fraternity of Order, Mercykillers Enemies: Doomguard, People’s Collective for Sustainable Development, Revolutionary League, XaositectsPHILOSOPHY Nefarious forces seek to prevent good folk from achieving consensus on their own: so legal coercion and force are sometimes necessary to create the preconditions for stability RESTRICTIONS ‘The Harmonium must obey the chain of command and enforce the law at all costs. This means following orders. and not chatting back, as well as giving one’s life for the Cage and its freedoms Facro.. Your Factol is Wedge, a large earth genasi fighter with a love of good tea. He wields an enormous hammer that any sensible sod fears the wrong side of. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the City Barracks, located in the Lady's Ward. This is where prisoners are taken for processing and short-term holding LEAGUE OF INNOVATION Alias: Thinkers Role: Research and Development Restriction: To preserve knowledye and prevent the hoarding or fabrication of it Allies: None (yet) Enemies: People’s Collective for Sustainable Development, Revolutionary League PHILOSOPHY ‘The ability to innovate is the greatest and most beautiful gilt of life. We push the boundaries of knowledge, magic and technology - making the results equally available to all. I's up to others to use them responsibly. RESTRICTIONS Thinkers must never destroy, hide, nor make wholly exclusive any piece of arcane knowledge or technological innovation. They pride themselves on being around to advance knowledge, no matter the cost or the price. They consider academic fraud, plagiarism, and destruction of notes to be heinous erimes worth cexpuilsion at the very least. Facror. Your Factol is Jamie, an unchained petitioner artificer who captured their own soul so as to travel the planes and seek forbidden knowledge. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Academy, located in the Clerk’s Ward. This building isthe hub of innovation and invention within Sigil, and home to “the finest scholastic studies inthe planes”. MERCYKILLERS Alias: Red Death (outdated) Role: Justice and Punishment Restriction: To obey the eight tenets of Justice Allies: Fraternity of Order, Harmonium Enemies: People’s Collective for Sustainable Development, Revolutionary League PHILOSOPHY ‘The right combination of incentives and punishments is, necessary for the smooth functioning of a society and well-being of its populace. Someone has to dispense of that punishment, and we are those someones. ResrRrcrions You must abide by the eight tenets of Justice. Ifyou are known to have broken them, you are cast from the ranks of the Mercykillers. How strictly or how you interpret these tenets are, of course, up to you. just be prepared to justify your actions, Facrou, Your Factol is Hue, a graceful owlin bladesinger who was mentored by the previous Factol Nilesia. She's a twitchy one, with an ice-cold exterior and a level head. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Prison, located in the Lady's Ward. This building is where sods live out their sentences or await their execution, PzOpLE’s COLLECTIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Alias: Greeners Role: Agriculture and Rewilding Restriction: To protect nature and defy industry Allies: Revolutionary League Enemies: Consortium, Fraternity of Order, Harmonium, League of Innovation, Mercykillers PHILOSOPHY Connection with the Green is vital for all living things 10 live in harmony. Sigil has been cut off for too long, and there are those leading it down darker paths still.. We are here to oppose that with all that we have. RESTRICTIONS You are bound to help and protect the land and local environment, causing neither harm nor wanton destruction of flora or fauna. Greeners oppose the rising tide of mass production and industrialisation at every turn, and should never be shown to assist with the development of polluting or otherwise harmful industry FacTou, Your Factol is Corin'na, a shadar-kai assassin-turned- druid who has gone from being a lowly anarchist to claiming an entire faction.HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Reclaimed Foundry a disused centre of mass production that has been taken over by razorvine, animals, and Greeners. REVOLUTIONARY LEAGUE Alias: Anarchists Role: Anarchy! Restriction: Being an Anarchist is very illegal Allies: People's Collective for Sustainable Development Enemies: Consortium, Fraternity of Order, Harmonium, League of Innovation, Mercykillers PHILOSOPHY Truth, knowledge and power must lic in the hands of the people those who hoard them are a rot to our society and need to be removed. RESTRICTIONS Belonging to the Anarchists is highly dangerous and illegal: punishable by death under Civic, Faction, and even Lady’s Law. Experienced Anarchists belong to an infiltrated faction, and for all intents and purposes are considered members of that faction instead. Should that faction learn of your Anarchy however, you will be expelled from that faction and likely turned over to the authorities. Your sect may also cut ties with you or have ‘you ‘removed’ to cover their own tracks. Facrou. Unknown. HEADQUARTERS You have no centralised headquarters. Each sect ‘maintains its own meeting areas and strongholds. SIGN OF ONE Alias: Signers Role: Town Hall Restriction: To harness theultimate power ofthe mind Allies: None Enemies: Bleak Cabal PHILOSOPHY exist. Everything else is up for debate. Therefore the power of my mind, and my willis the most potent force out there. RESTRICTIONS Signers reject materialism, focusing on the power of the mind and of belief above that of anything else. Material needs serve only to further facilitate a Signer's training in mental gymnastics. They believe that nothing is impossible - that the mind can overcome all obstacles. Facror. Your Factol is Complex, a rogue modron paladin who thinks that all of life isa simulation, HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Hall of Speakers, the ‘town hall of the Cage and where laws get made. Society oF SENSATION ‘lias: Sensates Role: Entertainment Restriction: You must never impede upon the free will of another Allies: None Enemies: Consortium, Dustmen PHILOSOPHY There is nothing so important as experiencing things get out there and do new stuff, learn cool new things, and bring back the memories to share with the rest of RESTRICTIONS A Sensate must never impede upon the free will of another, Sensates despise things such as enchantment ‘magic and incarceration, as they prevent people from seeking their own new experiences. They will rarely cooperate with the Harmonium or detain an individual, unless that person’s freedom would risk the lives or freedoms of others. Facrou, Your Factol is Anmora Orechain, a duergar insurgent: turned:socialite, They're a somewhat haughty dwar, who certainly stands out in a crowd. Ifyou need something forging, or opinions on a piece of media, they're the one to talk to. HEADQUARTERS You Faction Headquarters are the Civie Festhall, located in the Clerk's Ward. I's Sigil's foremost destination for entertainers and nights out. ‘TRANSCENDENT ORDER Alias: Ciphers Role: Mediation Restriction: No set restrictions Allies: None Enemies: None PHILOSOPHY Don't think. Do. Simply be and exist, and you will ive in perfect harmony. RESTRICTIONS Ciphers have no set restrictions. That said, they prefer their members to not rock any boats too much, and to live in harmony with the will of the Multiverse. FacTou, Your Factol is Storm on the Horizon, a tabaxi monk. (with a hint of barbarian), who's utterly devastating with his claws.HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Great Gymnasium, a large collection of exercise areas and practice rooms within the Guildhall Ward, XAOSITECTS Alias: Chaosmen, Xaosmen, Chaos Nuts Role: Public Nuisance Restriction: No Allies: None Enemies: Consortium, Fraternity of Order, Harmonium Puttosopay #7 Everything is ¥40% Everything is a conspiracy Everything and nothing is connected. Taste the planes. Be free and let be free keep things interesting for as long as possible before we inevitably expire. RESTRICTIONS Restrictions are for berks. Xaositects tend to be a bit barmy and lack any degree of object permanence or short-term memory. Even if there were official rules, they'd be forgotten in a day. Facro., Your Factol is Jonah, a whirlwind halfling barbarian with an impractical weapon (it's both a gun and a greataxe... don’t ask). He's a maniac with a history of| heckling politicians. HEADQUARTERS Your Faction Headquarters are the Hive, located in the Hive Ward. They're a mish-mash collection of shops, Kips and slums.CHAPTER 4. ATHAR Anywhere you go, they are there: religions built on a bedrock of delusions and false promises. Those with coin and sway pulling clucless sods such as yourselves under their grasp... and once they have you, they never let you go. They tell you how to think. How to act. What's good and what's bad. That you shouldn't do something because @ ‘god’ fold you so. Countless atrocities have been committed in their names. Let's break it down. Why let them control you? Yes, gods exist; we know this for a fact. We're not barmy. Difference is, we see them for what they really are: beings like you and I. Sure, they're immortal and wield immense power... but so does the Lady, and she ain't no god. So do archdevils and the highest of angels. They ain't no gods. Hells, even lickes can do all that. So why are “gods” so special? They feed on your hope. They say that gods give you power; that they empower their priests to do amazing things - wield incredible magic? Big deal, so do books: look at wizards. So does sheer blind rage, blood, or even nature itself When it comes to gods, in all actuality itis you that gives them power. Stop believing in a god and what happens? They stop living. Simple as. Gods need you ‘more than you necd them, and that's a fact. The Astral ‘Sea is full of them -dead and forgotten deities, drained of any power. Floating for eternity. You don’t need a god to tell you to do good things: You don’t need a god to give you magical powers. You don't nced a god to build a community, or to grant a sense of belonging or love. We Athar can do all those thinggs.. and we have no gods. We just are. And we're great. FACTION OVERVIEW PHILOSOPHY There is no truth short of our own. The gods are frauds extremely powerful beings at best, but no better than us. ROLE IN THE City: EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES The Athar's primary role in the citys one of health and education. Whilst historically their campaigns have been purely targeted at discrediting (or attacking) the gods, they've really branched out as of late after a particularly influential member encouraged some new practices. They now run schools on a ‘not-for-profit basis, teaching language, critical thinking and basic finance. The more knowledge people have access to, they reason, the more they can come to conclusions on their own HisToRY The Athar have been around for as long as most factions, and have some particularly flavourful history ‘The Faction itself was born out of two berks who'd been cheated out ofall that they'd earned by the gods; two mighty adventurers, once wealthy beyond measure, now without a coin to their name. ‘They met at the Shattered Temple centuries before the Great Upheaval (and yes, the temple existed in a shattered state even back then, and was very much shrine to religious defiance at the time). One of these berks came bitter and resentful, looking for a way to ‘make the god who'd wronged him dead as a doornail ‘The other came content and thoughtful, an itinerant sage happy to roam the planes as unencumbered as could be -he just wanted to know why a god would ever ‘want material goods in the first place. Unfortunately, they mistook one another for enemies and, as most philosophical debates in Sigil start, beat the crap out of each other. The outcome is wellknown: a duel of sword and wit, ending in a draw and a trip to the nearest tavern. Therein they made the mutual pledge to meet again in halfa year’s time, seeing who could outdo the other in deeds against the powers This competition proved quite popular, and when the showdown came they had quite a crowd, all of whom wanted in on the next bout. History doesn't care who won - the point was what they'd started: the Athar. WAR WITH THE HARMONTUM ‘The Athar’s early days were ones of obscurity, slowly growing and spreading the word without really offending any of the other factions - they saved that for the gods. Eventually they got a bit too big mind, and the Harmonium soon took a shine to heating them up. ‘See, back then the Harmonium was a fair bit more religious and philosophical than they are now. They'd built a whole faith around the concept of harmony, complete with its own pantheon, and they didn’t much like the Athar's defiance. Things escalated, and eventually a member of the Athar, seeking a promotion, took to torching one of the Harmonium’s shrines, ‘The Hardheads retaliated, launching a full-scale assault on the Shattered Temple. A bloody, messy battle ensued, with dozens of deaths on both sides. Then the Lady put a stop to matters. Seems she quite liked having the Shattered Temple as a monument to her triumph over the gods. So she took the ringleader of the assault and sent the poor sod headfirst into her one of ‘Mazes. She then flayed a few dozen combatants (and ahapless onlooker) to really drive the point home, before vanishing as soon as she appeared. No-one was going to try anything after the Lady's intervention. At least, not in any official capacity. The Hardheads still continued their battle, albeit more discreetly. They sent querilla raids to mess with the Athar and paid off bands of mercenaries to cause them some minor problems. ‘They still do to this day. Grass RooTs ATHEISM Recently, the Athar have seen something of a resurgence and reinvention of their fight against the gods. An Aasimar from a forgotten plane by the name of Isra managed to spark a new movement of altruism and community spirit. Her idea of fighting back agai and powers was one of grassroots activism: sett free, faction-agnostic medical centres and schools, within the Hive. Isra taught the Athar something new: by giving healing, schooling and medical treatment; the populace would not be have to rely on the powers, and would (ead be learning about the power of community. Less people needing divine healing meant less people seeking the help of priests; meaning less money to the temples, and less opportunities for people to be converted. People could be healed by the power of community, natural medicine, and godless faith instead. This recent development led to the Athar working, closer and closer with the Bleakers, combining forces to keep the populace of Sigil healthy in both body and mind, not to mention welkinformed and educated. I's perhaps this development that has led to both the Athar and the Bleakers seeing a massive rise in membership: especially within the Hive. So... WHAT NOW? The Athar never stop their campaigning. They are on the alert from meddling factions and gods at all times, and are currently running four major initiatives to spread their word. The first is through magical pamphlets, produced with the help of Sigil’s newest invention -the printing press. These pamphlets have wonderful pictures to draw the eyes, and a large rune in the centre of the page which, when looked at, projects a magic mouth that speaks its contents in a variety of languages. They leave these scattered around Sigil for people to find and take home, or to read and discard for others to find. ‘The second campaign is much more shadowy and covert. Some of their members are infiltrating prominent temples across the planes, biding their time and collecting as much information as they can on the flow of coin and information. Where is the money coming from? Where does it go? What do they use the suggested donations for? Tidbits from these spies show up every now and then in some of the Athar's campaigns, but a particularly explosive dossier is in the ‘works which they claim will blow the world of religious organisational structures apart. ‘The third is much more of what they are known for: wanton destruction and violence. A small number of Athar take the whole “Fight the gods” thing to its simplest conclusion: smashing up temples, heckling sermons and beating up priests and proxies. Whilst the Athar publicly condemn their more violent members, i's well-known that they are privately celebrated, ‘The final is the most recent: schools and clinies. The aforementioned health clinic was but the first of many to spring up, predominantly around the Hive and the poorer areas of the Lower Ward. Whilst technically these clinies are faction agnostic, they are still ‘maintained and run by the Athar themselves. No ‘campaigning or recruiting happens within these premises mind - they let the work speak for itself. Any Athar who happens to be nearby to sing their praises are just a coincidence. al Wuar is a ‘Divine Power’? ‘We use the term Divine Power here quit abit as it’s a huge talking point forthe Athar. This refers to any god or divine being, r one who draws their power from the gods. Eg + Adsity or demigod A proxy of a deity or demigod A priest or paladin who draws power directly from a god warlock whose patron is a deity Planar servtors of divine powers such as angels that carry outa gods orders {doesnot include: + A deri who draws power from their faith in people + Appaladin who draws power from a cause that isnot telated toa god + Anarcissist who thinks themselves a god ee, AN ATHAR’s JOURNEY (TRYING NOT TO GET SMITTEN) Joining the Atharis a simple case of showing up and declaring a want to join, (Course, you'll receive a griling ‘on what you think of the powers, whether any gods have an attachment to you or the likes. That's all there is to it. Consortium spies have been caught trying to sabotage the public services lately, and there's one too many Harmonium or Anarchist plants looking to slip through the cracks. As such, the Athar may put certain ex factioneers, priests and other suspicious berks through their paces just to make sure they're dead-serious about joining. Noviriate (NAMER) Once in, members are generally given jobs around the Temple. Those who can read and write are sent to the seriptorium to help produce campaign materials, whereas those with a mechanical mind are sent to the workshop to maintain and operate the printing press.‘Those who like laws or public speaking are sent to the Hall of Speakers with the rest of their delegation. The war" with the Harmonium is still ongoing, and a new law threatens to make the distribution of pamphlets. mocking the powers illegal - the Factol could use all the help they can get. ATHAON (FACTOTUM) Progression through the Athar comes when one can find and prove oneself to a sponsor. Once you find one willing to vouch for you in your entirety, you are ready to take the Rite of Ascension and become an Athaon. This. very much a ritual of tradition, and there is a current discontent about its necessity. During it, the sod for ascension must sacrifice three articles imbued with th power of a fraudulent god, laying them at the feet of the Bois Verdurous - the central tree within the Shattered Temple -for sacrifice, Athaons serve as the management of the Athar, overseeing the teams of scribes and healers and ensuring everything runs smoothly. They are responsible for reporting any donations, tracking stock and supplies, and informing the faction high-ups of any concerns or rumours of interest GopsaKEN (FacToR) Athaons wanting to advance a rank to Godsaken (Factor) must cause a significant victory over a power or its proponents, This could inchude routing a divine army or dispatching an army of an Archfiend's devil, oF perhaps dismantling a cult Once one has gotten that under their belt, they must, win the approval of at least 2/3rds ofthe current Godsaken, Once quorum is reached, you are promoted. Facro., ‘The Factol is replaced when the previous steps down, dies, or is proven incompetent. The next is chosen from among the Factors, who vote on who they most support for the role. Those who can be voted for must have defiled an active temple and destroyed its altar (or equivalent). Generally, only one member actually meets this criteria and lives to tell the tale. ag sss THOUGHTS ON THE OTHER FACTIONS. + Harmonium (Strained). They could bea force for good. Emphasis ‘could + ratemity of Order (Friendly). We appreciate their commitment to justice and the word of aw, though they certainly be doing more about it. + People’s Collective for Sustainable Development (Friendly. ‘They have a nice emphasis on community spirit and not needing the gods. We do worry bout what they get up to though + Dustmen (Reluctant Allis). We work with them because i's right, not because we want to, We sill haven’ forgiven them for trying to kill our last Fatol + Bleak Cabal Ales). You won't find atigher partnership. "Not only do we work wel together, neither of us much cares to preach tothe other, 50 any fiction is rare. aFACTION MECHANICS & CHARACTER OPTIONS ‘Members born into the Athar are taught to question anything people tell you - especially when it’s about the gods or what you should think. Ifyou are creating a character who has been a member of the Athar for a while, you may pick from the following backgrounds at character creation. A list of suggested bonds within the faction and philosophical ideals is also presented below. BackcRounD: DocToR Despite the name, ‘Doctor within the Athar covers a wide range of roles - from healers to teachers. Their general aim is to provide aid to the publie, educating them and keeping them healthy. All doctors are expected to be proficient healers, but they generally also have great subject knowledge in a certain area to which they bring to the schools on occasion too. Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from: Intimidation, Insight, Medicine or Religion ‘Tool Proficiencies: Physickcr’s Kit, Herbalist Kit Languages: One of your choice Equipment: Physicker's Kit, Herbalism Kit, a pouch, containing 5 gp, Athar Doctor insignia, and a set of doctor's clothes, Frarure: COMMUNITY LINKS Professional Doctors are hard to come by at present, and are highly respected. You bear a modified faction symbol which commands a great deal of respect among almoners and public servants especially. Furthermore, ‘you may use your Medicine (Wisdom) score in place of any Charisma checks (especially Intimidation) made to convince people about matters affecting their health or imminent danger. BACKGROUND: PUBLICIST Publicsts thrive on arguments, taking tothe streets or the Hall of Speakers to push the case for godlessness and community ever onward. They tend to be smooth, talkers with excellent critical thinking skills, capable of arguing a point into the early hours of the morning. Skull Proficiencies: Choose two from: Deception, Insight, Persuasion or Religion ‘Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment: set of artisans tools (one of your choice), @ handful of promotional pamphlets, a pouch containing 10 gp, Athar insignia, and a set of fine clothes Feature: REASONED INSIGHT You have a knack for using logic and reason to ‘understand the emotions and drive that underlie a person's actions. You may use your Intelligence ‘modifier in place of your Wisdom modifier when. ‘making an Insight check against a person you are actively conversing with. BACKGROUND: SCRIBE Despite the name, seribes of late have spent less time ‘manually writing out copies and more time creating and repairing thanks to the advent ofthe printing press. They are encouraged not only to learn to argue and reason, but to be handy witha craft as well Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from: Arcana, History, Insight or Religion ‘Too! Proficiencies: Calligrapher's Supplies, one ype of artisan's tools Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), Calligrapher's Supplies, a pouch containing 10 gp, Athar insignia, and a set of simple clothes FEATURE: ATHAR'S MARK You learn to write the Athar’s Mark -a magical rune that can be placed upon a sheet of paper of small other ssmall surface. Anyone who then touches the mark triggers a magical voiee that speaks the words written fon that paper in a normal tone and volume. Seribing an Athar’s Mark takes one minute, and triggers exactly ‘once before losing its magic. FACTION Draw 146 Faction Draw (Ideal) 1 Vengeance. I've never forgiven the gods for what they di. 2. Community. My caling isto help people and mend their ailments, The Athar’s doctors are the best around, 3 ‘Troublemaker | ike to ste shit and ile people up. Talking about gods is a good way of doing that. 4 Vibe. Wher | fist arrived in Sigil, met an Athar. They gave me some good vibes, and | guess that rubbed off on FACTION SPONSOR 144 Faction Sponsor (Bonds) 11 Kyle, an ageing samurai and honorary Athar 2 Lysander Goldenbrow, an old veteran of the second upheaval, and known dissident 3. Vadan Oakentiver, a scholar who once survived a heavenly smiting. 4 Rags, 2 street urchin with some serious connections.FACTION RESTRICTION ‘Athar must defy the gods and their servitors at every turn. Those who are caught lending aid to a temple or heavenly cause are due for a bollocking, and anyone caught worshipping a god is dead as far as the Athar are concerned a SSSSSSSSSSSsseFk ROLEPLAYING AN ATHAR Inaddition to the above restriction, a good Athar: + Does not refuse aid to another Athar if they are in need. + Shows compassion to those brainwashed by divine powers. ‘Those members who join one ofthe clinical teams take a further oath and promise to: + Never refuse medical or magical treatment to one who seeks it (or who isin no state to seek). a STYLE AND FLAIR Faction colours of the Athar are blue and silver, with members tending to opt for simpler clothes and robes and a more ascetic aesthetic. ‘The faction symbol isa pair of broken shackles on a starry backdrop, with a Caduceus being used instead of shackles by members of the Athar's doctors. FACTION ARMOURY tem Cost Weight Physike’s Kit sos 0b. Physicker's Kit: These special tools allow you to perform more complex medical treatments and surgeries for ailments and wounds too extreme for a simple healer’s kit or the medicine skill. When you. stabilise a creature who is at 0 hp or bleeding out, you may make a DC 15 Wisdom (Physicker’s Kit) check in place of a Medicine roll. A successful check stabilises the creature at 1 hp. A failure stabilises the creature at 0 hp. FACTION POWERS NovrriaTe (NAMER) You fip a finger to the gods who would dare stop you. Asa Novitiate, you gain the following power: Dery THE Divine I Spells that would observe you remotely, locate you, compel you or read your mind that are cast by Divine Powers are prone to failure, having no effect if they are cast ata level lower than half your total character level (rounded up). ATHAON (FACTOTUM) Asan Athaon, you gain the following powers: Deriant WorD Once per long rest, or by spending inspiration, you may use an action to cast Dispel Magic at a level equal to half your total character level (rounded up). You may only dispel divine spells and magical effects cast by Divine Powers using this ability. Choose either your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier as your spelleasting ability for this spell. Divine Stencu ‘The power of Divinity registers like a stink in your mind. By spending a minute interacting with a person, you can ‘make an Intelliegence (Religion) skill check to determine what deity of pantheon they relate to. Alternatively, you may study an object for one minute to sense whether or not it has been touched by the Divine. You may determine whether or not it has been blessed, consecrated or desecrated, or is under the effect of any ongoing spells or magical effects as cast by Divine Powers. GopsakEN (FACTOR) Your ability to defy the gods and their agents reaches new extremes. As a Godsaken, you gain the following, power: Dery THE Divine II You are considered to be under a nondetection spell at all times when it comes to divination spells or magical effects as cast by Divine Powers. Furthermore, you are immune to any curses or compulsion effects cast by Divine Powers.