Factions & Associations
The Sultan's Jannisarries
The IVth Legion of the Sultan's Janissaries has been given the dubious privilege of maintaining law and order in Ephia's Well. Called "the Misfortune" by their compeers in Baz'eel, they are dominated by an obsession with their perceived ill luck. Carrying charms and following their own superstitions, they prowl the Well looking for ne'er-do-wells... and "ensuring" they find a fair few each time. The day-to-day of a recruit in the Janissaries is similar to the dreary life of a town watchman: they ring the bell to open and close the market, sit and gaze vacantly over the bustle of the bazaar, patrol its walls for signs of attack, and arrest petty criminals.
Unfortunately for them, they are also the Well's first line of defense against invasion, and many find themselves on the wrong end of a barbarian's axe, or dragged to Qa'im to suffer a fate worse than death. Those that survive such perils, and prove themselves worthy of laurels, can soon find themselves advancing into positions of command, and from there spring-boarding their way into the highest echelons of society.
Recommended Alignment: Any; characters of a Chaotic alignment may be uniquely challenged
Recommended Classes: Martial and Cleric Only
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Application only
Cinquefoil Rose
"We the swift remember to ye the dead, all the red blood that beats in our hearts."
The Cinquefoil Rose is a coalition of the forces that once fought tooth and nail to free Ephia's Well from Orentid occupation. Originally composed of refugees and heroes from far-away places, it now exists as a populist movement and formal alliance of the occupants of the Krak des Roses. Crucial to the citadel's defense, and bearing a never-quite-suppressed enmity for Baz'eel and her Janissaries, the Cinquefoil Rose blooms still in Ephia's Well... thorns and all.
United under Grandmaster Elizabetha d'Avergne, these three groups compose the coalition:
Balladeers of the Lost Hearth
The Balladeers of the Lost Hearth are the dwindling souls who still follow the noble ideals of the old Rose. Originally the squires, troubadours, servants and sons of the original Cinquefoil Rose they have banded together under the name "Balladeers" and do all they can to keep the legacy of their fallen forebears alive. At odds with the callous Banda Rossa, whom they must abide so the Rose is not lost forever, and with a rumored fondness toward "the Drink" and the nostalgic bliss it brings, they struggle to embody chivalry and poetic virtue in a broken world. They are forever seeking (or proclaiming themselves to be) a prophesied hero who shall claim "the Cup," the mystical relic whose waters might reinvigorate the arid sands.
Recommended Alignment: Any; characters of an Evil alignment may be uniquely challenged
Recommended Classes: No druids
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Application only
Banda Rossa
The Banda Rossa are a mercenary company under exclusive contract with the Grandmaster of the Cinquefoil Rose. Although nominally independent, the groundswell of refugees, adventurers, and cupseekers feeding their ranks means they have become tightly coupled with the other members of the alliance, serving as the bulk of the military might of the Knights of the Cinquefoil Rose. This integration is at times a tense one, with many calling them allies of convenience at best. They yet seek gold and glory above all else... and their bloody reputation proceeds them.
Recommended Alignment: Any; characters of a Good alignment may be uniquely challenged
Recommended Classes: No druids
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Application only
Sisterhood of the Sibylline Vine
The Sisters of the Sibylline Vine are a monastic community of mystics, seers, fanatics and scholars united by shared consumption of a sacred wine, called "the Drink" by laymen. This wine is said to grant them visions of things that have yet to pass. They are highly secretive, zealously safeguarding their strange rites and their knowledge of past and future, and rarely share their insights even with the other members of the alliance. Even so, they serve as the mystic foundation of the cause: their vision of a sacred chalice and "the Heroic Pilgrim" who shall find it has bound the Cinquefoil Rose together in the years after the fall of the Orentid dynasty.
Recommended Alignment: Any Lawful; characters of a Chaotic alignment may be uniquely challenged
Recommended Classes: Any non-martial
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Application only
Astronomers of Q'tolip
The Astronomers of Q'tolip are the free-thinking, eccentric collection of scholars gathered under the banner of the enigmatic and brilliant visionary, Q'tolip. Seeking to master the cosmos through scholarship, they are constantly engaged in the quest for knowledge of yore, and indulge in the power that comes from such things. In more practical terms, they are the primary archaeologists and magical authority of Ephia's Well, and their maintenance of the Shade affords them influence that few other organizations can boast. Often, the quest for knowledge is hindered by the unlearned, and the Astronomers understand well that their search can only be strengthened by cultivating a safe environment for their studies to bear fruit.
Recommended Alignment: Any Lawful; characters of a Chaotic alignment my be uniquely challenged
Recommended Classes: Wizards and Astrologians.
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Application only
Scribes of the Sublime Garden
The unceasingly busy bees of the Well, the commendable and highly stressed civil servants of the government. They are constantly collecting information, ensuring that letters arrive on time, and generally serving at the leisure of Ephia's legates. They are the workhorse of the minutiae of governance, and they are forever ensuring that taxes are paid, citizens are registered, and food is stored. Their duties and responsibilities are exhaustive. They, too, are exhausted. But the work is never done.
Recommended Alignment: Any; characters who cannot handle stress well and have a fear of papercuts may face unique challenges.
Recommended Classes: Any non-druid
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Undisclosed
The Sandstone College
]
The Sandstone College is an institution of higher education located in a rambling sandstone complex in a corner of Ephia’s Well. It was founded by a group of disaffected Ashfolk Academics from Baz’eel and has now begun to accept students. Admission requirements are very low, paying a modest tuition and passing an elementary exam is all that is necessary. It has begun to attract a widerange of slacking students from Baz’eel, the listless and uncertain, amateur archaeologists, and others who wish to devote themselves to the noble cause of learning.
Not being a member of the Accord, their agenda and place in the wider politics of Ephia’s Well has yet to be determined. It is known that the founding Ashfolk Academics have a very hostile attitude towards Q’tolip and his astronomers. Students of the Sandstone College should not expect to receive as many perks as other factions, but the obligations and duties are considerably more low key
Recommended Alignment: Any;
Recommended Classes: Any; (13+ INT & Lore Investment required)
Recommended Race: Any non-monstrous
Advancement: Characters can eventually graduate and receive a degree and go on to pursue other things. Exceptional academics may be nominated for special prizes and positions.