"Information, mate. Information. You can't smell it. You can't taste it. It' easy to carry and it's just as valuable as dragon shell to an archwizard to most blokes you will come across. How to get it? Just enter one of the circles, mate, and enjoy the ride."

-- Arthur Penn

Whether it is player-led or DM-led factions, finding the right niche for your character will not only lead to more enjoyment for yourself but will also make you feel more integrated and meshed with the gameworld. Therefore, it is important that you learn who and what are the key factions on Escaped from the Underdark: Archipelago. This brief summary is devised to help you familiarize yourself with the key visible factions. There are also a great variety of smaller secret groups that are just waiting to be discovered.

One of the most transient advantage of seeking to form or devise a faction is that by grouping, you will have greater political power across the gameworld. A major system looks over the territories controlled (ore mines, rare resources, etc.), influence-points gathered and other proactive events that a group engages in, therefore establishing an organization or joining an actual organization is a common goal for many characters on EFU:A.

DM Factions require an OOC application made by the player before actually joining in-character. The process is relatively easy, but more information can be provided here. If you are still unsure, you are welcomed to speak to a DM on IRC or, even, some of our most veteran players often take great interest in helping others become more familiar with the process. Joining or founding a player faction does not have this condition. It is an entirely in-character process. Please note that there might be in-character regulations for your group to be recognized (or officialized) by the settlement such as registering with the Guild Halls.

If you have a group of characters united by a common goal and inside a player-led faction, you can always request to the DM team to have your own forum if your numbers are greater than three. These types of requests are generally quick to be granted. Just know that it is slightly dissapointing if we do help you setup and the concept is abandoned a few days later so a minimum of perseverance is requested.

Some of the groups detailed below were actually designed to be populated by player-characters, others were not, but can still be joined through the application process on rare occasions. Prerequisites and conditions will be clearly indicated with each group.

Many of the Colony's notable mages flocked to the organization, including long respected scholar Zyphaem Faussad and thayan magus Thrask Morv. The group offers it's membership to any and all mages, or non-mages who are willing to obey, and abide by the rules set forth by the Pentumverate. .

Many are distrustful of so large a gathering of wizards and warriors who do not associate themselves with the Duchy directly, and instead stand above it, literally. However, the Conclave maintains that their primary concern is assuring peace and prosperity for those that live below them..

Faction Requirements:

• Application required.
• Recommendation from current faction characters.

Recommendations:

• Classes: non-druid
• Races: Non-Monstrous (Possible with App)
• Alignments: Any.

This House was governed by Lord Alemander Sharboneth,and was an important rising faction in the politics of Old Port. Having recently bought his nobility to the Count, Lord Alemander decided to quickly capitalize and expand his ring of influence.

In order to do so, he decided to establish a Trade Colony on the adjacent Isle of Ymph. Alemander sent his ambitious nephew, Zakarias Sharboneth, to act first as emissary, and then as governor of the colony. However, things did not seem to go as planned as many of the resources that Alemander was believed to find on the Isle of Ymph were inexistant and his house seem to have lost considerable amount of wealth in establishing itself there.

Several months later, House Sharboneth was deposed by the Count of Old Port as traitors. Zakarias was slain by General Drexia while the rest of the family was exiled. Ownership of the Island passed to Duke Antoine Trenada

Acting as the elite guards and personal assassins of the Count Zaruno Senuspur, the Rubies are said to be greatly responsible for his current position as leader of the city of Old Port.

Little is known of the organization, itself, aside that they are most commonly trained in every type of deadly forms of combat and experts at infiltration or counter-espionage...

The paranoia, evoked by the Rubies, bring an intense climate of fear, and respect toward the Count. Those who do speak against him always look twice over their shoulder just to be sure that the dagger of a Ruby is not already on their neck...

The Armada is divided under three sub-division each focused on a specific set of duties. Tertrach Grand Larson Burkden was in charge of the infantry units until his recent death during the Ixpadian War. Tertrach Maria Catharina Sevar is in charge of more covert and diplomatic missions, and finally, Tertrach Sharr'Kall, the Sahuagin Prince, is in charge of his own brigade of hardened sahuagin warriors who joined with Trenada a long time ago for reasons which are kept hidden to most outside of the group. This division has scarcely been seen, since Duke Trenada relocated to the Duchy of Ymph.

The Stygians, as they referred themselves, are deeply intolerant of any form of destructive magic and ranged weaponry as they believe these techniques of warfare are what dehumanized war as a whole leading conflicts to lose its civility and turning wars into massacres rather than into the beautiful confrontations that they ought to be. Despite its mercenary nature, the Armada has always retained a very fearsome, yet chilvarous reputation amongst the citizens of Old Port.

After the Queen's War, the Stygian Armada have found themselves greatly lessened. Their numbers are a fraction of what they once were. They push on, however, serving loyally under the Duke as his personal elite force. Many have taken to calling them Trenada's "Blue Rubies".

Faction Requirements:

• Application required.
• Recommendation from current faction characters.
• Survive the rite of induction.

Recommendations:

• Classes: non-cleric, non-druid, non-wizard, non-sorceror.
• Races: non-elves, non-monstrous races (exception for Sahuagin).
• Alignments: non-good, non-chaotic.

The Sons of Sabuth are the voice of the common man, and consider themselves free of the tethers of the Dutchy. They watch, warily, against the invasion of the upper class into their lives.

Faction Requirements:

• Application required.
• Recommendation from current faction characters.

Recommendations:

• Classes: non-druid,non-paladin
• Races: non-monstrous races.
• Alignments: non-lawful.

Most of the Stargazers adhere to what they call the Old Ways, which is a very nature-oriented perspective, living in balance with the environment and honouring the fallen by eating their flesh and stringing up their bones high into the trees. These bones are usually cleaned and pierced so they make a beautiful (and eery) melody as wind flows through them. The songs are referred to as the Voices of their Ancestors. They also tend to pay great attention to the stars and astronomy always trying to decipher the future or a prophecy from them. A caste of particularly devout Stargazers known as the Order of the Zodiac are said to act as guardians of their values and rumoured to have taken part in sealing away a Great Evil from these lands.

As well, they tend to have also a strong affinity with the Great Felines of the Shrouded Archipelago, often intervening against hunters who hunt these creatures for their pelts.

Nevertheless, more violent and savage Stargazers do exist and are divided into very different tribes such as the Brood Tribe, a savage tribe of Stargazers obsessed with insects and spiders rumoured to live deep within the Webbed Woods.

The ruins of the city on which the Dominion of Ymph is built are plagued with the apparitions of skeletal undead guardians every night known as the Nightrisers or Nightrisen.

These ancient and mysterious militaristic undead have been extremely troublesome in the past, leading attacks against the city in the hope of chasing away its population as well as attacking lone inhabitants who travel into the ruins at night.

Little is known of their origin or of the secret behind their apparent immortality aside from the rumours that they were once inhabitants of this city in ancient times... Will such a curse propagate to the new dwellers? Time will tell...