Babel - Chapter 1 - Factions

## About:

The following factions played a significant part in chapter 1 of Babel, but ultimately either met their end or were disbanded. This wiki page functions as an archive for the factions that have fallen from relevancy in the world regarding chapter 1. The contents of these factions are captured in-media-res, with a small blurb explaining what happened to them after the events of Chapter 1.

## Erastil’s Deadeyes

### History:

With the advent of the Empire, many heavily-populated areas were brought under its banners. Even with its resources and military power, however, the Empire’s reach is limited. Distant communities tucked away in the wilderness remained hidden from the imperials for decades. Others learned of the Empire’s spread and put their knowledge of the terrain to good use.

The Deadeyes are one such community. Though they were originally scattered communities spread across dozens of tiny islands on [sea], they banded together to retain their independence. Many were nomadic already, traveling in ships, but even those who were once settled on land soon abandoned that lifestyle. Now, the Deadeyes are a community of waterborne nomads, traveling on vessels as varied as they themselves are, from small but mobile house boats to stolen merchant ships to magical elven ships capable of underwater travel. The few true settlements they have are hidden deep below the waters and were often once merfolk villages wrapped in bubbles of air by druids and shamans. The Deadeyes fight the Empire the only way they can: piracy. The Deadeyes hit hard and fast, using illusions and fog-conjuring magic to conceal their approach before all hell breaks loose. The Deadeyes gain their names for their love of ranged weapons, which allow them to initiate combat without leaving their vessels. Only when the armed sailors on deck are dead do the Deadeyes board and rob the vessels of all their supplies. Despite their patron, they actually favor firearms. They tend to hit imperial merchants and the Empire’s light military vessels, lacking the firepower to assault larger warships. The Deadeyes treat each other like a family and have tight bonds, as is befitting of a group with Erastil as their patron. They’re notoriously tough to crack for interrogators and torturers, and even when they do, they have a tendency to provide false information. As such, most Deadeyes end up in labor camps instead of an interrogator’s room - unless the commander responsible for their capture is feeling particularly cruel.

Most Deadeyes can speak Common, but as the Deadeyes were born from the joining of dozens of clans and families, their language is a melting pot of different dialects and tongues. Since the constituent languages were obscure to begin with, this makes the Deadeye tongue hard to crack and harder to learn.

The Deadeyes possess a number of divine casters, primarily druids, shamans and clerics of Erastil. Their number of arcane casters and their knowledge thereof is lacking, leaving them vulnerable to the foreign mage-conscripts recruited into the Imperial navy. The Deadeyes tend to lack extensive knowledge overall, as their seclusion meant they lacked academies and schools. Though they possessed decent knowledge of metallurgy, it wasn’t until the capture of a number of Imperial trade-ships that they managed to reverse-engineer firearms. As such, wizards and alchemists and other knowledgeable folks willing to join their cause are welcomed with open arm.

### After the Rebellion:

With the defeat of the Verk Empire, the main uniting force of the Deadeyes was no more. With no reason to maintain themselves, many lower ranking members of the organization left to pursue their own lives. With a lack of manpower, the organization slowly crumbled.

## Forsaken

### History:

They call themselves The Forsaken for their faith crumbled as the legions of Empire soldiers march into their lands and battered down the walls of their kingdom. These are the remaining dwarves that seclude themselves in the Merovingian Mountains. They were once a prideful society that swore themselves in Torag and forged many of the greatest weapons and tools in the early ages of Eterna. Though now they’re a shattered people as their greatest smiths were enslaved or slain by order of the Emperor. Seen as a threat for their mastery of the smithery over the humans. They now lurk in the belly of the mountains. In tunnels that no one dares to explore.

During the Second Year of the current emperor's rule was when the Empire exploded into a powerhouse that quickly swarmed their nearest neighboring nations. The kingdom known as Dun Holvar was one such neighbor that was quickly caught by surprise with the sudden aggression of the Empire’s newfound might.

The Emperor sieged the city within months of his campaign, and while many nations fell within weeks of being sieged. The dwarven citizens of Dun Holvar were said to be the most resilient against the Emperor’s assault. Casualties on both sides were severe before the gates were destroyed and the mountain-side city collapsed as soldiers ravished everything to the ground.

After the swift war many citizens were enslaved and taken to nearby cities to work for the Emperor, but there were survivors. Beneath the city were tunnels that tore into the belly of the Merovingian Mountains. These survivors scorn the Empire, and more than that the Emperor himself. The history after the war of these survivors is isolated, but in time a faction of vengeful dwarves, bathed in the ashes of their fallen brethren formed under the patronage of Droskar.

In a short time there were reports throughout the Empire of battlestarved dwarves ransacking Empire convoys, and the dismantling of Empire barracks, but the bloodshed did not end there. Villages were targeted too as no person was spared by the rage-blinded warriors. They are infamous for wielding weapons made of obsidian, and their bodies ghostly white in ashes. The mountains are contested to this day as the Empire fends off the assaults to continue stripping the lands of valuable metals to fuel their armies.

#### Duergar:

The dwarves of the Forsaken no longer refer themselves as dwarves. Having their faith in Torag diminished, and the shame of losing their once beloved city has caused them to take up the name as Duergar. Their society is ultimately unknown as they’re extremely hostile towards anyone who is not a dwarf, and even then they refuse to acknowledge their own for not being a part of their clan.

#### Rumors:

Traders speak to never venture near the mountainside as the Duergar are vastly aggressive to anyone who associates themselves with the Empire. Convoys are often struck down to fuel the Duergar people. Only corpses are left behind.

Soldiers who have fended off the Duergar assaults speak about the vengeful ghosts of the dwarven people. Their ash covered bodies soaked in the blood of their enemies as they are relentless and are even said to be immune to death less you bash their skulls in. Many who encountered these warriors take to drinking to forget the horrors of battling such vicious enemies.

### After the Rebellion:

Once the Forsaken caught wind of the defeat of the Verk Empire, their march to the capital started. Surprisingly, the remaining rebel groups and the leaders of the Forsaken managed to come to a compromise, and they have since returned back to their mountain. To this day they have remained isolated from the society of Etera.

 Knights of the Divine

### History:

The Knights of the Divine are a self proclaimed knight order, formed as the rebellion against the Verk Empire started gaining momentum. Its started with a few people who claimed they could "Hear the voice of The Radiant" and followed the instructions of that voice to fight the empire, turning out to make several successes due to it. Eventually it grew into more of a following as others joined in, hearing the voice themselves. Eventually the voice fully manifested among its followers, in their minds and bodies. It formed the Collective known as Radinthul who had been sleeping for a long time.

The followers formed a support caravan and spread throughout the rebel camps to assist in its efforts, while the more combat worthy formed into troops and knights to fight for The Radiant. With its voice in their minds, guiding their movements, and its own power flowing through them, they saw success in assisting the rebels. Now Radinthul acts to support the adventuring parties that go on missions for the rebels, hoping to one day turn the tides of war and defeat the Verk Empire.

Not all of the members of this Knight Order are joined with the Collective, many are still fully themselves. What draws them to the order is usually the desire to fight for Freedom and Justice for those who cannot defend themselves, and the fall of Evil and Tyranny. Many of the Unordained Knights of the Divine assist in other ways and fight on different front lines than the Ordained Knights, doing whatever they can to assist in the cause.

#### The Divine

Radinthul himself is not a god, even if his followers sometimes treat him as one. He highly respects those above who fight for justice and good, yet gives no singular god his devotion. As such, his followers and order do not venerate themselves to any god, simply worshiping The Divine. The Divine is described as the true force of good in the world that Good Aligned Gods represent. To most it is the simple worship of all Good Aligned Gods, to the more devoted it is the worship of an even higher and purer cause.

#### Symbol

The Knights of the Divine's symbol is a sphere of White, Blue, and Yellow with strands of drawn white light shining off of it.

### After the Rebellion:

Despite the defeat of the Verk Empire the Knights of the Divine managed to retain their following, however they have declined into obscurity. They have become a small religious following that is typically not viewable to the public eye.

## Solaris

### History:

Solaris is an elite unit within the Verk Empire who follow the teachings of the Demon Lord Nurgal. Devout and fanatical, Solaris is regarded as perhaps the most dangerous unit within the Empire, willing to sacrifice their own bodies and well-being for their faith. They possess pure hatred for the Rebellion, who they believe rely on darkness and the shadows to conceal their movements. To them, the rebellion is not only cowardly, but their actions are an affront to the ideals they hold dear.

#### Joining the Verk Empire

Solaris was not always a faction aligned with the Verk Empire. Originally, they were a cult devoted to a demon lord that most would refuse to acknowledge as a true deity. Nurgal is associated with warfare and the sun, and is the counterpoint to anyone who believes that the sun and light is often associated with good. Many of Solaris's followers are often mistaken for Paladins, who shine the second they step onto the battlefield, but they leave only destruction in their wake.

Though the Verk Empire was never willing to acknowledge Nurgal as the patron deity of their forces, its leaders did see value in allowing Solaris to continue to exist as an ally. They were very adept at causing destruction en masse, and were also skilled in thwarting many of the rebellion's attempts at stealth and subtlety.

#### Fighting Style

The soldiers of Solaris rely on light-based magic, blinding their foes, revealing invisible combatants, and leaving scorched earth across the battlefield. It is said that one can measure the "rank" of a Solaris member by how far their light stretches, with those closest to the top being capable of shining their light almost a mile. Solaris never relies on stealth or other "sacrilegious" tactics. When they appear on the battlefield, they want their foes to know they are there. In their own way, fighting the Rebellion and earning victories for the Empire is their way to show their worship of Nurgal.

It is said that some of their most powerful mages have also been studying a new form of light-based magic...radiation. However, these claims have not been verified by the rebellion, nor has it seen use on the battlefield.

### After the Rebellion:

Solaris was defeated and disbanded during the rebellion, and therefore is no more. Any soldiers that were a part of Solaris that were relocated to other divisions passed away during the final assault on the Verk Capital.

## The Broken Chain

### History:

Not every Empire soldier is cut from the brainwashed members of the capitol. Some are conscripted, or join to do their civic duty. Some are members of the penal legions and forced to fight for the emperor. Universally though, imperial soldiers are forced to face the horrors of war. Asked to follow orders that should not be followed. Perhaps it happens in battle, or after a month in a trench, or after being forced to execute surrendering prisoners. Eventually Empire soldiers make a choice, serve a corrupt, insane emperor, or desert, and try to fix their mistakes. The rebellion is not so welcoming though. Many soldiers are met with derision, mistrust, or even violence. Eventually though, most come to either integrate into one of the rebel camps, or they join up with The Broken Chain. Formed from the remains of the infamous 302nd Trench Brigade after the massacre at Nel’al Anor, the Broken Chain are insurrectionists, hoping to dethrone the emperor, and install a more sane ruler. Their camps keep to the strict hierarchies of Empire militaries, and for some, serve as comforting structure in these trying times.

Widely disliked for their actions as Imperial soldiers, and for continuing to ascribe to the Empire's rigid military hierarchy, many of their members continue to wear their fatigues and uniforms, serving to foster further distrust. Though their general knowledge of Imperial protocol put them a step above the other factions on covert missions, often allowing violence to be completely avoided with the empire during operations.

The Broken Chain focuses primarily on covert tactics and sabotage, their familiarity with the Empire makes them excellent spies. Occasionally they engage in large scale conflict with the empire, but Hale, and those who have joined, try and avoid direct confrontations, considering how much manpower the empire can actually bring to bear, and the . One of the newest groups to fight the empire by far, The Broken Chain is spending most of it’s time gathering funding and equipment, facilitated by deserters from the Engineering and Survey Corps.

### After the Rebellion:

Much like many of the factions that made up the Rebellion, The Broken Chain has long since disbanded. Many of their soldiers have gone on to become guardsman in towns, with some select individuals growing in ranks in private militaries.

## The Cold Iron Towers

### History:

Long before the rise of the Verk Empire, the greatest threat to the continent was the fae, whose machinations and schemes often spanned the lifetimes of empires. The Cold-Iron Towers were founded by a coalition of mages looking to stop the threat of the fae. Secreting themselves deep within the wildlands their towers occupying space in both the material plane and the First World, they studied the Faewild, and by extension, learned to master the same powers that the fae themselves used. Now that the Verk Empire has begun encroaching on their territory, and in light of the crimes the empire is guilty of, the mages of the Towers have recently joined the conflict, bringing all they have learned against the fae to bear against the Emperor.

#### The Tower Mages

Mages in the Towers tend towards a small subset of classes, favoring Sorcerers, Fey Adepts, Incanters, Elementalists and Psychics over Wizards or Clerics. The learned powers of Wizards are ill-suited to the ever-changing rules of the First World, and the Tower’s general cynicism towards religion leads to many clerics being run off. Surprisingly, most of the Tower’s original founders were mothers whose children had been taken by the fae, a recruitment policy that continues to this day.

#### Their Role in the Rebellion

Masters of planar travel and binding magics, the Cold-Iron Towers engage in hit and run raids against the Empire’s wildland outposts, sometimes shifting entire outposts into the First World and leaving them to die. Beyond that, they serve as expert guides to the other factions occasionally. Leading them through the First World to strike at outposts by emerging violently from the faewild, leaving the Empire no time to react.

### After The Rebellion:

With the Verk Empire being no more, the mages of the Cold Iron Towers have since secluded themselves once more into the Cold Iron Towers. Presumably performing countless magical experiments, their lives toil away away from the public eye.

 Yggdrasil

### History:

An entire hidden regiment dedicated to dark magic that exploits the powers of the universe. Lead by the Archmage X, the Yggdrasilens are fiendish scientists dedicated to keeping themselves a secret. They will erase anyone who knows of their existence, and everything they have ever done off the face of the planet to preserve their secrets. Based on reports from the fringes of the Empire’s conquest or the darkest depths of their cities, there might be tens, maybe even hundreds of different departments run by the Ygdrassilens. The Ygdrassilens have been rooted throughout the Empire for the last two hundred or so years.

#### Cloning Labs:

Deep within several hidden sites all over the Empire is subterranean factories that keep the bodies of high ranking members of the Empire. The rumor spread by X is that high ranking members of the Empire have several body doubles, forced to have their memories erased and implanted with the memory of the original to think they are entirely the same to scare off potential assassinations as pointless. The Cloning Labs are trying to find a way to mass-produce soldiers for the Empire to win wars of attrition and create a line of super soldiers. They frequently take bodily fluids, remains, and bits from soldiers that go through the Rehabilitation Center and experiment on them as deemed fit.

#### Mutagenic Manufactorum:

Entirely dedicated to the construction of augments. The most common form is a line of drugs that enhances aspects of people with minimal side effects. There have been rumors of a line of spells invented by the head of this department labeled ‘Apotheosis’. Their primary headquarters is located close to the Rebels lines.

#### Rehabilitation Center:

The only publicly known department of the Yggdrasilens. The Rehabilitation center states its goal is towards using medicine to heal deceased soldiers. Reprocess them into useful weapons. Alchemic golems and Magi-tech prosthetics are the primary exports of the Rehabilitation Center. If a low ranking member of the Empire is lucky, they might end up with an experimental device.

#### Titan Assembly:

The Titan Assembly department is dedicated to the construction of Magitech, be it machines, weapons, or constructs. Their most infamous creation is mass-produced Clockwork Goliaths that are fired high into the air, dropping down into combat.

### After the Rebellion:

With the Verk Empire's self destructive behavior in the final acts, the entirety of the Yggdrasil regiment was caught in the crossfire. Any remaining forces from them have long since disbanded, and all of their facilities have been left to ruins.