Major Factions of the Age of Umbra
🕯️ The Lightkeepers Order
“The flame that burns in darkness”
Mission & Purpose
Dedicated to maintaining and protecting light sources that keep communities safe from the Umbral darkness. They are both practical engineers and spiritual guardians.
Core Beliefs:
- Light is sacred and must be preserved at all costs
- Every person deserves protection from the darkness
- Knowledge of light magic must be shared, not hoarded
- The Eclipse can and will be defeated
Organization Structure
- High Keeper: Overall leader of the Order (currently Keeper Solaris Dawnward)
- Circle Keepers: Regional leaders responsible for multiple settlements
- Flame Wardens: Guardians of individual communities
- Light Acolytes: Apprentices learning the sacred techniques
- Beacon Engineers: Technical specialists who build and maintain light sources
Resources & Capabilities
- Lighthouse Network: Communication system using light signals
- Mobile Light Caravans: Squads that repair and upgrade community defenses
- Sacred Forges: Workshops where enhanced light sources are created
- Training Academies: Schools that teach both technical and spiritual aspects
- Emergency Response: Rapid deployment teams for communities under attack
Territories
- Primary Stronghold: Haven’s Light - A fortress city built around the largest remaining solar crystal
- Regional Chapters: Present in most major settlements
- Outposts: Small stations along trade routes and in dangerous areas
- Mobile Operations: Caravans that serve remote communities
Relations with Others
- Allies: Most settlement leaders, the Scholars of Dawn, moderate Umbral Walkers
- Neutral: Merchant guilds, independent communities
- Enemies: Umbral Cultists, creatures of darkness, those who hoard light sources
📚 The Scholars of Dawn
“Knowledge illuminates even the darkest night”
Mission & Purpose
Researchers and academics working to understand the Eclipse phenomenon and find a way to restore the natural order. They preserve knowledge and conduct dangerous experiments.
Core Beliefs:
- Understanding the Eclipse is the key to ending it
- All knowledge from the Pre-Eclipse era must be recovered
- Scientific method and magical research can solve any problem
- The truth, however painful, must be faced
Organization Structure
- The Circle of Seven: Council of the most senior scholars (one seat currently empty)
- Archscholars: Specialists in different fields of research
- Field Researchers: Scholars who explore ruins and conduct field studies
- Librarians: Keepers of knowledge and information coordinators
- Students: Apprentices learning various disciplines
- Expedition Guards: Warriors who protect scholarly expeditions
Areas of Study
- Eclipse Phenomena: Direct study of Umbral effects and properties
- Pre-Eclipse History: Archaeology and historical research
- Lost Magic: Attempting to recreate ancient techniques
- Creature Studies: Understanding Umbral corruption and creatures
- Survival Sciences: Improving food production and community defenses
- Prophecy Analysis: Interpreting ancient predictions and warnings
Resources & Capabilities
- The New Archive: Rebuilt library containing recovered knowledge
- Research Stations: Outposts for studying specific phenomena
- Experimental Workshops: Facilities for testing magical theories
- Expedition Teams: Well-equipped groups for exploring dangerous ruins
- Communication Network: Messenger services between scholars
- Information Trading: Exchange of knowledge with other factions
Territories
- Primary Seat: Scholar’s Refuge - A fortified academy built in an abandoned university
- Research Outposts: Small stations near ruins or phenomena
- Partner Libraries: Agreements with communities to share knowledge
- Field Camps: Temporary bases for extended expeditions
Current Projects
- Project Daybreak: Attempting to recreate the Eternal Flame safely
- The Great Survey: Mapping all known ruins and their contents
- Umbral Specimens: Studying captured creatures and corrupted materials
- The Chronicle: Recording oral histories before they’re lost
- Prophecy Concordance: Correlating predictions from multiple ancient sources
🌙 The Umbral Walkers
“We walk in shadow so others may live in light”
Mission & Purpose
Those who have learned to safely navigate the Twilight Lands, serving as guides, messengers, and explorers. They’re the vital link between isolated communities.
Core Beliefs:
- Adaptation is survival; resistance is death
- Knowledge of the darkness is as valuable as mastery of light
- Communities must stay connected or they will fall separately
- Some risks are worth taking for the greater good
Organization Structure
Note: The Walkers are less formally organized than other factions, operating more as a professional guild.
- Pathfinders: Master Walkers who know the safest routes
- Runners: Message carriers who maintain communication between settlements
- Guides: Escorts for important travelers or trade caravans
- Scouts: Explorers who map new areas and report on threats
- Traders: Merchants who specialize in inter-community commerce
- Sellswords: Warriors who provide protection in the Twilight Lands
Special Abilities
Many Walkers develop unique capabilities from their Umbral exposure:
- Shadow Sight: Ability to see clearly in near-total darkness
- Umbral Sense: Detection of dangerous Umbral concentrations
- Path Memory: Supernatural ability to remember safe routes
- Dark Whispers: Limited ability to communicate with some Umbral creatures
- Phase Step: Brief ability to become partially incorporeal
Services Provided
- Message Running: Carrying news and communications
- Trade Escort: Guiding merchant caravans safely
- Rescue Operations: Extracting people from dangerous situations
- Scouting Services: Providing intelligence on threats and opportunities
- Route Planning: Advising on safe travel between communities
- Emergency Supply: Delivering critical supplies to isolated settlements
Territories
Note: Walkers operate throughout the Twilight Lands rather than controlling specific territories.
- Safe Houses: Hidden shelters along major routes
- Trade Posts: Fortified stopping points for commerce
- Signal Stations: Communication relays using coded light signals
- Emergency Caches: Supply depots for rescue operations
Internal Divisions
Purists: Believe in minimal Umbral exposure and traditional methods Adapters: Embrace controlled Umbral exposure for enhanced abilities Opportunists: Focus primarily on profit from their unique position Guardians: Prioritize protecting communities over individual gain
⚔️ The Fortress Communities
“United we stand, divided we fall”
Mission & Purpose
Not a single organization but a loose alliance of the larger surviving settlements. They focus on collective defense and resource sharing.
Core Beliefs:
- Strength through unity and mutual aid
- Practical solutions over theoretical research
- Military might is essential for survival
- Resources must be carefully managed and shared
Member Communities
First Tier (Major Fortress Cities):
- Ironhold: Military stronghold built in a mountain pass
- Dawnwall: Coastal fortress city with a powerful lighthouse
- Sanctuary: Underground city with the largest population
- The Bulwark: Agricultural community with the strongest defenses
Second Tier (Regional Centers):
- Crossguard: Trading hub at the intersection of three safe routes
- Watchstone: Mining community that provides metals and gems
- Harvest Home: Farming settlement with experimental crops
- River’s End: River port that controls water transportation
Third Tier (Allied Settlements):
- Dozens of smaller communities that contribute to mutual defense
Military Structure
- The War Council: Representatives from major fortress cities
- Strike Forces: Elite units that can respond to major threats
- Garrison Commands: Local defense forces for each community
- Patrol Networks: Scouts who monitor approaches to settlements
- Militia Training: Programs to prepare civilians for defense
Resources & Capabilities
- Combined Military: Largest organized fighting force in the known world
- Trade Networks: Controlled commerce between allied settlements
- Resource Pooling: Shared emergency supplies and equipment
- Engineering Corps: Specialists in fortification and defense
- Communication Lines: Secure messaging between allied communities
Current Challenges
- Resource Disputes: Arguments over fair distribution of supplies
- Military Priorities: Disagreements about where to focus defenses
- Leadership Questions: Debate over whether to elect a supreme commander
- Expansion Decisions: Whether to try to reclaim lost territories
🔮 The Umbral Cultists
“Embrace the darkness, for it is eternal”
Mission & Purpose
Those who worship the Eclipse as a divine force and seek to spread its influence. They range from desperate survivors to true believers to dangerously corrupted individuals.
Core Beliefs:
- The Eclipse is a divine judgment or blessing
- Resistance to the darkness is futile and wrong
- Umbral transformation is evolution, not corruption
- The old world deserved to fall for its arrogance
Organization Structure
Note: Cultists are loosely organized into competing cells and sects.
The Void Seekers: Believe in total surrender to the darkness The Shadow Blessed: Seek controlled transformation and power The Eclipse Prophets: Claim to receive divine visions from the darkness The Corruption Spreaders: Actively work to expand Umbral influence The Desperate: Not true believers but those who see no other choice
Capabilities & Threats
- Umbral Magic: Corrupted but powerful magical abilities
- Creature Alliances: Some cults can command Umbral creatures
- Sabotage Operations: Attacks on light sources and community defenses
- Recruitment: Converting desperate or disillusioned survivors
- Intelligence Networks: Spies within normal communities
- Corruption Rituals: Ceremonies that spread Umbral influence
Known Cells
- The Whispering Dark: Based in the ruins of Prismhaven
- Children of the Void: Nomadic cult that attacks trade routes
- The Shrouded Circle: Infiltrators within several communities
- Servants of the Eclipse: Extremists who perform human sacrifices
Relations with Others
- Enemies: Nearly everyone, but especially Lightkeepers and Scholars
- Neutral: Some desperate communities might trade with moderate cultists
- Allies: Certain Umbral creatures, fallen scholars, and criminal groups
🏴☠️ The Scavenger Clans
“Fortune favors the bold and the prepared”
Mission & Purpose
Loose confederations of survivors who make their living by recovering valuable materials from the ruins of the old world. They’re part explorer, part trader, part raider.
Core Beliefs:
- The past is dead; only the present matters
- Everything has value to someone
- Risk equals reward
- Loyalty is to the clan, not abstract ideals
Major Clans
The Ironclaws: Specialists in military salvage and weapons The Crystalseekers: Focus on magical components and artifacts The Bonepickers: Recover everyday necessities and survival supplies The Vaultbreakers: Elite teams that crack the most dangerous ruins The Tradehounds: Merchants who deal in recovered goods
Operations
- Ruin Expeditions: Organized raids on dangerous but valuable sites
- Trade Caravans: Moving recovered goods between communities
- Information Brokering: Selling knowledge about ruins and threats
- Mercenary Work: Providing security and specialized skills
- Black Market: Trading in restricted or dangerous items
Territories
- Mobile Bases: Fortified camps that can be quickly relocated
- Trade Depots: Semi-permanent markets in neutral locations
- Claim Sites: Ruins that specific clans consider their territory
- Safe Houses: Hidden shelters for use during expeditions
Relations with Other Factions
- Complicated: Most factions need what the Scavengers provide but don’t trust them
- Business Relationships: Trade with anyone who has something valuable
- Competitive: Rivalry with Scholars over access to important ruins
- Opportunistic: Will work with or against anyone depending on profit
🌿 The Verdant Circle
“Life finds a way, even in darkness”
Mission & Purpose
Druids, rangers, and nature specialists who work to preserve and adapt life in the Eclipse-changed world. They focus on developing Umbral-resistant crops and protecting surviving ecosystems.
Core Beliefs:
- Nature is stronger than any magical catastrophe
- Life must adapt rather than resist change
- The natural balance can be restored with patience and wisdom
- All life has value and deserves protection
Organization Structure
- The Circle of Elders: Senior druids who guide the faction’s efforts
- Grove Keepers: Specialists who tend to specific ecosystems or crops
- Wild Runners: Rangers who patrol and protect natural areas
- Seed Speakers: Researchers developing resistant plant varieties
- Beast Friends: Those who work with animals and magical creatures
Achievements
- Shadowcorn: Crops that can grow in minimal light
- Duskfruit: Trees that bear nutritious fruit without direct sunlight
- Guardian Groves: Protected forests that resist Umbral corruption
- Symbiotic Farming: Agricultural techniques that work with the new environment
- Creature Sanctuaries: Safe havens for non-corrupted animals
Territories
- The Hidden Grove: Primary settlement deep in a protected forest
- Seed Vaults: Underground facilities preserving plant genetic material
- Experimental Farms: Test sites for new agricultural techniques
- Ranger Stations: Outposts monitoring ecosystem health
- Wildlife Refuges: Protected areas for surviving animal populations
Relations with Others
- Allies: Communities that value their agricultural expertise
- Partners: Scholars interested in their biological research
- Neutral: Most factions appreciate their food production capabilities
- Enemies: Those who would exploit natural resources unsustainably
🤝 Inter-Faction Relations
Alliance Patterns
- Lightkeepers + Scholars: Shared goal of ending the Eclipse
- Fortress Communities + Umbral Walkers: Mutual dependence for trade and communication
- Scholars + Scavenger Clans: Information and artifact exchange
- Verdant Circle + Fortress Communities: Agricultural support arrangements
Conflict Zones
- Scholars vs. Cultists: Fundamental disagreement about the Eclipse
- Lightkeepers vs. Cultists: Active warfare over light sources
- Fortress Communities vs. Scavenger Clans: Disputes over territorial claims
- Purist Walkers vs. Adapter Walkers: Internal ideological conflict
Neutral Territories
- Trade Meets: Temporary gatherings where all factions can interact safely
- Neutral Ruins: Sites considered too dangerous for any one faction to claim
- Emergency Zones: Areas where faction conflicts are suspended during crises
Power Balance
Currently, no single faction dominates the others, creating a complex web of alliances, competitions, and conflicts that define much of the political landscape in the Age of Umbra.
🔗 Related Files
- age-of-umbra-overview - Overall world context
- npcs - Important individuals from each faction
- story-threads - Current conflicts and alliances
- faction-strongholds - Major faction bases
Last Updated: 2025-07-18 Next Update: As faction dynamics evolve through play