Factions

There are a number of groups and organizations across the archipelago that characters can join, and a fair number of them offer significant membership benefits.

## Joining a Faction

Speak with a DM to join a faction. Most any character can join any faction at rank 1, with the exception that characters who have made specific enemies of a faction likely can't join them.

### Joining at Higher Ranks

Occasionally a character may be allowed to join a faction at a higher rank, though typically no higher than rank 2. Joining at a higher rank usually requires that a character be a proven adventurer with some sort of skill that will be/has been useful to the faction.

### Joining Multiple Factions

Characters can befriend multiple factions, and even gain the social benefits from multiple factions, but can only ever have the mechanical benefit from one faction.

## Ranks

Each faction has four tiers of membership, with the possibility of a fifth for characters who are especially dedicated.

### Benefits

Each rank has two associated benefits, one social and one mechanical. When you gain a rank, you gain that rank's benefits in addition to the lower rank benefits.

Reaching rank 3 and higher requires significant effort and dedication. Reaching rank 4 is likely to take at least one quarter's downtime, and reaching rank 5 all but requires it. While the benefits of ranks 1-4 are standardized, the benefits of rank 5 may vary for different characters, based on their goals.

### Responsibilities

Each rank also comes with a responsibility to the faction, with higher ranks having greater responsibilities, and failing to live up to them will result in a demotion.

At any rank, a higher ranking NPC in your faction may ask something of you.

At rank 1, as a member of the group, you get some minor benefits for the connection, but not too much is expected of you. This rank is difficult to lose, unless you make specific enemies of the faction (which includes taking actions like joining/attempting to join an enemy faction).

At rank 2, you've spent some time and effort to aid your faction. They might ask a few things of you, specifically, but still not too much. You can be demoted for acting against the group or their wishes.

At rank 3, you've done something significant to gain the rank, and you're expected to continue aiding the group at a similar level. The group's higher leadership may start specifically asking things of you, and you could be demoted for failing to do multiple minor or one major task asked of you (without good reason, such as the task proving impossible).

At rank 4, you've spent considerable time and effort aiding the group and have decent likelihood of being recognizable as being associated with them whether you announce it or not. As such, you're expected to represent the group well in the world and continue working for their best interests. You definitely have the eye of higher leadership, and they may make more significant requests of you. Should you fail to accomplish these (without good reason) or act in a way that reflects poorly on them, you could be demoted.

### Gaining Ranks

#### At the Table

Aid rendered to a faction at the table may result in progress towards the next rank. Speak with your faction DM to determine specifics.

#### Through Downtime

A character may choose the rank option for downtime to represent continuing contributions throughout the quarter towards their faction. Speak with your faction DM to determine specifics.

#### Between Games

Characters may also contribute to their factions between games, using the table below to determine an appropriate representation of their contribution. Characters are limited to one such contribution until their next game. Characters at or above the max plausible rank for their level cannot make any such contributions.

Speak with your faction DM to confirm any contributions and determine specifics thereof. This table is non-exhaustive and there may be other options depending on faction, while the listed options may not be appropriate for every faction.

A contribution of gold is a one-time payment that supports some aspect of the faction. Example: a donation towards funding one of the Cartographers' Guild's expeditions.

A contribution of max health affects **only** your next game (your normal max health is restored after that game) and may represent the effects of some martial contribution to your faction. Example: injuries gained while defending the Crater Agricultural Township from an igneous rex.

A contribution of spell levels affects **only** your next game (your normal spell slots are restored after that game). You may choose which spell slots to use as long as their levels total the number in the table. This may represent some arcane contribution to your faction. Example: testing new spells while studying at Moonblossom Academy.

Contributions required to gain a rank:

 1
 2
 3
 4

## Active Factions

Below is a list of factions characters may join in season 7. If there's a group or organization your character would like to join that isn't listed, speak with a DM.

* Alembas Medical College
* Cartographers' Guild
* Crater Agricultural Township
* Falcodisangue Family
* Farmers' Guild
* Freeport Fight Club
* Inquisitores
* Laboratories for Expansion of New Science
* Lighthouse Guild
* Maids' Guild
* Moonblossom Academy
* Ozymandias Institute
* Repair Guild
* Rizhearts
* Society for Study of the Obscure
* Wyldborn Enclaves

## Inactive Factions

Below is a list of factions that have been disbanded, destroyed, or rendered otherwise unavailable for membership.

* Acquafredda Gang
* Brazen Brigade
* Crusaders
* Ilburniiaza's Family
* Spellrunners