Backgrounds: Faction Agent

Many organizations active in and across the face of Huldain aren't bound by strictures of geography. These factions pursue their agendas without regard for political boundaries, and their members operate anywhere the organization deems necessary. These groups employ listeners, rumormongers, smugglers, sellswords, cache-holders (people who guard caches of wealth or magic for use by the faction's operatives), haven keepers, and message drop minders, to name a few. At the core of every faction are those who don't merely fulfill a small function for that organization, but who serve as its hands, head, and heart.

As a prelude to your adventuring career (and in preparation for it), you served as an agent of a particular faction in Huldain. You might have operated openly or secretly, depending on the faction and its goals, as well as how those goals mesh with your own. Becoming an adventurer doesn't necessarily require you to relinquish membership in your faction (though you can choose to do so), and it might enhance your status in the faction.

###### Skill Proficiencies

Insight and one Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma skill of your choice, as appropriate to your faction

###### Equipment

Badge or emblem of your faction, a copy of a seminal faction text (or a code-book for a covert faction), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp

### Feature: Factions of Huldain

The large, centralized governments in Huldain are likely directly responsible for the proliferation of secret societies and conspiracies. If your background is as an agent for one of the main factions of Huldain, here are some possibilities.

***The Sefeyani.*** Founded a long time ago, disbanded and reorganized several times, the Sefeyani remain a powerful, behind-the-scenes agency, the leading organized crime syndicate, whose primary activities are protection racketeering, arbitrating disputes between criminals, and brokering and enforcing illegal agreements. Sefeyani members are often proficient in Deception, enabling them to be adept at snooping and spying. They often seek aid from other Sefeyani, sympathetic bards and innkeepers, rogues, and people that owe them debts.

***The Children of Ostara.*** One of the oldest power groups in Huldain, the Children of Ostara are holy warriors on a "righteous" quest to crush people Ostara deems evil and promote justice, and they rarely hide in the shadows. Children of Ostara tend to be proficient in Religion, and frequently seek aid from law enforcement friendly to Ostara's ideals, and the clergy of Ostara.

***The Guardians of the Natural Order.*** Maintaining balance in the natural order and combating the forces that threaten that balance is the twofold goal of the Guardians of the Natural Order. Those who serve the faction are masters of survival and living off the land. They are often proficient in Nature, and can seek assistance from woodsmen, hunters, rangers, barbarian tribes, druid circles, and priests who revere a god of nature.

***The Aristocrats.*** On one level, the agents of the Aristocrats are representatives of the cities and other governments of Huldain. But, as a faction with interests and concerns that transcend local politics and geography, the Aristocrats has its own cadre of individuals who work on behalf of the organization's wider agenda. Aristocrats' agents are required to be knowledgeable in Insight, and can always rely on the aid of the government officials that are part of the Aristocrats, plus other leaders and groups who uphold the Aristocrats' ideals.

***Talpa.*** In recent years, Talpa has become more visible in the world at large, as the city works to improve its reputation among the common people. The faction draws employees and associates from many walks of life, setting them to tasks that serve the goals of Bella-Rose but aren't necessarily criminal in nature. Agents of Bella-Rose must often work with people from all over, and are frequently proficient in Persuasion. They seek aid from the wizards, mercenaries, merchants and priesthoods allied with Talpa.

### Feature: Safe Haven

As a faction agent, you have access to a secret network of supporters and operatives who can provide assistance on your adventures. You know a set of secret signs and passwords you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide you with access to a hidden safe house, free room and board, or assistance in finding information. These agents never risk their lives for you or risk revealing their true identities.

### Suggested Characteristics

Use the tables for the acolyte background as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity. (For instance, consider the words "faith" and "faction" to be interchangeable.)

Your bond might be associated with other members of your faction, or a location or an object that is important to your faction. The ideal you strive for is probably in keeping with the tenets and principles of your faction, but might be more personal in nature.

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