Faction (Planescape)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Factions are the philosophically-based power groups in the Planescape campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons game.

1 Background
2 The Factions
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Background

The Factions 'control' Sigil, "the City of Doors". Although in actuality the Lady of Pain is truly in charge. Each of the Factions is based around one particular belief system; many of the Factions' beliefs make them enemies where their other goals and actions might have made them allies. All Factions hold many secrets from non-members and even their own members, for the fewer know a secret the more secret it is (and these are secrets of power, either wielded or potentially gained by the Faction's adversaries). According to Steve Winter, the idea of using factions in the Planescape setting was inspired by the idea of clans in Vampire: The Masquerade.

There are fifteen Factions in total, per decree of the Lady of Pain; any additional factions emerging would be subject to her wrath (unless of course, they destroy one of the current 15). At one point there were many more Factions, but the Lady of Pain decreed that they had a week to get the number down to 15 or she would kill them all. Interestingly the Free League membership swelled to over a million, compared to the 20,000 or so members present day.

Factions are lead by a Factol, mid level faction members are called Factors and the lowest level faction members are referred to as Factotums.

[edit] The Factions

The fifteen factions are (in alphabetical order):

Athar ("Defiers", "The Lost"), who deny not only the gods' right to pass judgment over mortals, but their very divinity. They claim that the gods (whom they call "powers") are powerful but do not deserve worship. The Athar are broadly derived from real-world atheists, agnostics, and Deists. (brief description)

Believers of the Source ("Godsmen"), who believe that each life is a test, and that every person has the potential to become a god. (brief description)

Bleak Cabal ("Bleakers", "Madmen"), who deny that any belief system has any merit; as they see it, the universe has physical rules, but no metaphysical or philosophical ones, therefore any meaning in life must come from within. They are derived from real-life existentialists. (brief description)

Doomguard ("Sinkers"), who believe in the sanctity and inevitability of entropy. They see the decay and destruction of the universe as necessary; for once it is destroyed all imperfections will be gone with it, paving the way for a perfect new world. (brief description)

Dustmen ("The Dead") believe that both life and death are false states of existence, that there is a state of True Death which can only be accomplished by denying one's emotions and physical wants and needs (a conception similar to Nirvana) This is closely related to acosmism, with a more death geared ideal. The faction shares similarities with the Stoics as well. (brief description)

Fated ("Takers", "The Heartless") believe that those with power and ability have the right to own what they control and to take what they can from those who are unable to keep it, and that it is their right to exploit any situation to their advantage, regardless of how it affects anyone else. They are derived from real-life Social Darwinists. (brief description)

Fraternity of Order ("Guvners"), who believe that knowledge is power; they learn and exploit both the natural laws of the universe and the laws of society. They recall the Sophists of Classical Athens. (brief description)

Free League ("Indeps"), who reject the other factions and their bureaucratic, hierarchical dogmatism. (brief description)

Harmonium ("Hardheads"), who believe that peace and stability can only be established under one rule -- theirs. The planar faction known as the Harmonium is actually just a small part of a much larger political entity which rules over the entirety of the Prime Material world of Ortho. They are related to present day authoritarianism. (brief description)

Mercykillers ("The Red Death"), who believe in justice and retribution at the expense of all else. Their name comes from their credo that mercy is for the weak, and the merciful should be punished. (brief description)

Revolutionary League ("Anarchists"), who believe that social order and man-made laws are inherently corrupt and must be destroyed--though none of their members can agree on what, if anything, should replace them. (brief description)

Sign of One ("Signers"), who believe that the entire universe is a figment of someone's imagination; most of them are solipsists. (brief description)

Society of Sensation ("Sensates"), who believe that accumulating experiential knowledge through the senses is the only way to achieve enlightenment. (brief description)

Transcendent Order ("Ciphers"), who believe that by tapping in to the 'cadence' of the planes and acting through pure instinct they can achieve a higher state of being. (brief description)

Xaositects ("Chaosmen"), who believe that the only truth is revealed in chaos. The Xaositects have been quite accurately described as being "totally off their rockers, every one of 'em." Some may place this a slight twist to accidentalism, but a far more relevant parallel is the Cynics (Greek κῠνικός "dogs") of antiquity. There is even a gang of Xaositects called the "Starved Dogs Barking." (brief description)

In The Faction War many Factions were destroyed or merged.