Factions & Associations

In EFU: City of Rings, there are many organizations a character can join. Associations do not require an application to the DMs. However, to join a Faction, you must send in an application.

In order to join ANY association, it is necessary to:

1) Be loyal to your association. If you wish to betray or leave your association, it is necessary to consult with a DM beforehand.
2) All associations that have uniforms that must be worn at ALL TIMES unless specified otherwise by DMs.
3) Secure the approval of existing association members.
4) No application or DM approval is required.

Associations

Peerage Ward Associations

"The Peerage? You can laugh at their moat of sewage...chuckle at their wobbly castles and titles to non-existent lands.... just watch yourself if you get too close, runner, for they can be a dangerous folk. Watch out for prickly lords with guardsmen as fanatic as they come. And above all else, just see you never get between them and some chipped royal tea saucer ... because that's when they'll really start to fight dirty."
-- Codwick the Scribbler

According to legend, the Peerage was once the undisputed governing authority of all of Ring 99. The self-proclaimed nobles families of the Peerage claimed the right-of-rule on account of their purity of blood, deeds of rebellion against the Lizardfolk Master of many ages past, and above all else the blessing of the King.

Times have changed, and the Peerage is now in much decline. The Guilds of the Ring have established their own Ward-Authority in Ticker Square and the Peers do not really control anything past their bridge.

The Peerage itself has become a viper's nest of shifting allegiances, petty rivalries, constant one-upmanship, and intrigue between and among the different houses. The only thing that truly unites them is a shared language of tradition, superiority, and obsession with the royal markers of prestige.

While the Peerage technically has a Lord's Council that governs affairs, it has not formally met for a long time and ward's only genuinely unifying figure would be the supposed "Royal" Archivist, that staid and grim figure who seems to be only interested in keeping an accounting of which house stands where in the local hierarchy.

It is clear that the Peerage itself exists in a state of flux where strong, proactive retainers have an opportunity to leave an indelible mark upon both the success of their House as well as the future of the entire Ring itself.

There are four principal Houses that characters are able to join. While we recommend actually visiting the different estates in-game to get a sense of their differences, here is some basic information:

House Orza

The Orza are a relatively new power in the Ward. Grigori Orza proclaimed his ambitions for a lordly seat as a young man, then merely the captain of the Gutterknives - a band of brigands-turned-sellsword. Wielding overwhelming military force as his primary tool, Orza first killed for the Lords until his prowess could not be denied - and then claimed his seat. The Orza have recently claimed the fastness of the prestigious House Moonspear, in that lord's absence -- an unpopular move with their rival Houses.

Retainers of House Orza maintain its peerless martial tradition, and even in peacetime, they compose themselves as rough-shod soldiers on a long campaign. The Orza represent a new way of thinking in the Peerage Ward, the idea that might and discipline triumph over ancient titles.

Recommended Alignment: Lawful

Recommended Class: Fighter, Barbarian, Wizard

Recommended Race: Human

House Glitt

By the efforts of Mairead Glitt and her loyalists, the Steward Skudge has been driven out from House Glitt. With the support of his family and leal retainers, Lord Bernard -- now struggling to maintain his sobriety -- has come to terms with the destitute poverty of the House. Aiming to do his father proud, the Lord Glitt now surrounds himself with what few souls in the Peerage Ward still remember the honor of the Old House.

Still impoverished, but undaunted, the men and women in service to House Glitt are fiercely loyal, ferocious in their duties, and boisterous in their hall. They have a reputation for being loutish, for speaking their minds, and for always honoring a debt to a friend. They are much loathed by the formal, dignified Houses for their swiftness to anger, and their dissatisfaction with the often sinister scheming of the other Peers.

Recommended Alignment: Good

Recommended Class: Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger

Recommended Race: Human

House Sunpurse

The solemn and dutiful retainers of House Sunpurse have been a presence in the Ward since its founding. The heirs of the House are afflicted by a curse of ill luck, and each has met his untimely demise before his 35th name day. Currently, there is no living male heir to the house - Phelan Sunpurse has gone missing. The Widow to the late Lord now exists in a state of perpetual mourning, locking herself away in the crypt-like basement.

Retainers to House Sunpurse are generally phlegmatic, dutiful, and focused on the dusty histories of their prestigious House. The ideal Sunpurse is demure, focused, and driven - measuring ambition with assured success.

Recommended Alignment: Evil

Recommended Class: Fighter, Rogue, Wizard

Recommended Race: Human

House Velstra

House Velstra has endured the tenure of its reigning lord, Norbert Velstra, badly. It is a House afflicted by constant scandal, and extravagant excess. Lord Norbert is infamous for siring many bastards, colloquially mocked as the "Winespills" -- it is a testament to Norbert's good humor that this now stands as their official surname. Despite the aforementioned, the House maintains its position through shrewd and intelligent political angling; Norbert's network of uplifted bastards and loyal retainers comprise the most comprehensive information net in all Ring 99.

Retainers of House Velstra are perfectionists, cunning at their trade, and poetic in their execution. They are artists, hedonists, and gourmands... but not lacking in restraint, when called for. The ideal Velstra is a peerless socialite and a shrewd politician.

Recommended Alignment: Any

Recommended Class: Bard, Fighter, Wizard

Recommended Race: Human (Winespill bastards possible, check with a DM)

There are two principal Guilds you can join, and potentially other smaller ones that lack the wealth and power of their rivals. While we recommend actually visiting the different properties in-game to get a sense of their differences, here is some basic information:

Petty Associations

Though they do not rival the greatest Houses in terms of wealth or reach, there is a motley assortment of petty organizations who struggle and vie for power in the crowded City, some of which can be joined by players. These offer less support than the larger associations but may have their own unique opportunities and goals...

The Blackjacks

The King's Militia, most often called the "Blackjacks," are in theory the guards and soldiers of Ring 99. What they lack in pay, equipment and respect, they more than make up for with incompetence and low corruption, leaving them ill-suited to handle even the petty crimes they're supposed to be policing.

Recommended Alignment: Neutral

Recommended Class: Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue

Recommended Race: Human

Other

Secretive Druid Association

It is well known that organized druidic circles have been hunted almost to extinction in the name of the King and his City, so little is known of the few that manage to avoid this fate. Rumours and old wives tales speak of changelings that lurk in the City of Rings, bringing terror to civilized society and orchestrating foul plots of fairytale evil, beastliness, and mischief.

Recommended Alignment: Any

Recommended Class: Druid

Recommended Race: Any

The Recondite

The Recondite of Ring 98 toil in secret, under the mongrelwood. It is said they work in a system of mines, gathering the richest living stone to repair wounded city golems- a task believed impossible by the City at large. From a young age, they are taught to work until their hands bleed, and as they grow, they remain ever driven. Together, they are a unified and industrious force within the city, are driven together towards a singular and mysterious goal, and well hidden from the city at large. At once a people and an organization, the recondite have no true allies within the city, and life within this faction will be a harder experience, intended for more experienced players.

Changed by their connection to the city, the Recondite are afflicted with a crippling disease. Patches of their skin slowly turn to stone, and most of them end their lives as little more than hidden statues.

Recommended Alignment: Lawful

Recommended Class: Any

Recommended Race: Must be Recondite