Factions & Powers of Astrylis
The political, military, and spiritual forces that shape the world
Astrylis is governed not by a single power but by a web of competing forces. Beneath the visible political order, four great ideological currents pull civilization in different directions — and deeper still, hidden cosmic forces shape the destiny of all who walk the Web.
The Four Great Currents
Not formal alliances, but civilizational directions. Each believes it holds the key to the world's survival. The Council of Elders is the equilibrium table between these four forces.
Throne of Balance
Guardians of the Sacred Light
The force protecting the natural order of the Ethereal Web. Successor of ancient Guardianship traditions, sacred equilibrium, forest defense, and anti-aberration duty. They see Thomas as a prophesied Guardian, though some may seek to control him 'for the good of the world.'
Belief: Power must serve balance.
Regions: Elyndor, Solarae, Verdantia, Stormhaven, Drakenith Strongholds
Council Elders: Lady Elira, Elder Yondal, Elder Anariel, Elder Zenron Froststorm, Elder Vorath Stralyx
Throne of Knowledge
The Arcane Conclave
Scholars, mages, and magical engineers who believe understanding magic is the key to progress. They explore magical physics, ancient ruins, cosmic magic structures, and elemental systems. To them, Thomas represents a new magical paradigm to be studied.
Belief: Power must be understood.
Regions: Nebularcea, Mer'Faldhur, CoralKeep, Port of Sealune
Council Elders: Elder Maelis Arkhanouros, Elder Brondar, Elder Thalassa Wavecrest, Elder Gwinara Mariswane
Throne of Innovation
The Technomancers
The industrial revolution of Astrylis. They build mechanized constructs, arcane batteries, steam-powered cities, and artificial energy networks. Viriel is their greatest symbol — proof that intelligence can be engineered, not just born from the Web.
Belief: Power must be built and improved.
Regions: Steamford, Goldspring, Industrial Varnoth
Council Elders: Elder Thimblegear Steamsmith, Elder Soren
Throne of Sovereignty
The Ancient Outsiders
Not purely shadow-aligned — these are civilizations that survived the collapse of ancient ages and refuse to submit to the current order. They include the Duskborn, Beastkin autonomous cultures, and any who reject the moral authority of the Sacred Orders or the Council.
Belief: No central order has the right to define all truth.
Regions: Tenebralis, Beastkin Tribes of Varnoth, Mystaris, Ruins of Xan'Terra
Council Elders: Elder Rath Devellis, Elder Altara Kestis
The Fifth Force
The Hidden Throne
The raw energy of the Ethereal Web itself — a force that no civilization controls. The original power that shaped Astrylis, the core energy that once connected all civilizations.
Every faction interprets it differently. The Guardians see sacred destiny. The scholars see a phenomenon. The engineers see an energy source. The outcasts see an ancient inheritance.
Hidden Cosmic Forces
Powers that predate mortal civilization and operate below the surface of reality. The Council governs the visible world, but the true instability of Astrylis comes from forces before history.
The Ancient Architects of the Ethereal Web
Cosmic
Long before any current civilization, Astrylis was governed by beings who understood the Ethereal Web itself — not simple mages, but cosmic engineers of reality. They built the ancient ruins, the celestial mechanisms, the energy lattice connecting magic everywhere, and the guardian systems that still activate around Thomas.
The Veiled Ones
Extra-Reality
Entities sometimes called The Watchers Beyond the Veil or The Silent Observers. They exist outside the Ethereal Web. Very few scholars know about them. Some ancient texts say they observe worlds until something awakens that interests them.
The Forgotten Guardians
Ancient Protectors
Before the current Orders of Sacred Light, there were beings created to defend the balance of Astrylis — dragons, elemental beings, constructs tied directly to the Web. Over time they were lost, sealed, or corrupted by civilizational collapse, magic wars, and Sacred Flame purges.
Information Networks
In a world of competing factions, information itself becomes power. These networks operate between the great currents, manipulating reputations, discoveries, and narratives.
Archivists of the Veil
Knowledge Preservation
Neutral collectors of knowledge who sell ancient maps, magical research, and relic origins. They preserve information that others would destroy or forget.
Whisper Brokers
Intelligence Trade
Information smugglers who trade political secrets, council votes, and forbidden magical knowledge. They operate in the shadows between factions, manipulating outcomes through controlled disclosure.
Echo Scribes
Historical Narrative
Historians who record events across continents and shape how history is remembered. Their power lies not in what happened, but in how it is told. They influence reputations, discoveries, and the narratives surrounding figures like Thomas.
Organizations & Orders
The individual factions, orders, and organizations that operate within the great currents — each with its own territory, philosophy, and key members.
Order of the Sacred Light
Solarae, Verda Niterra
“Divine radiance is the source of truth. Light dispels all corruption.”
A powerful religious order devoted to Sol'Rathis, the Unyielding Flame. Their priestly arts of illumination, warding, and purification are formidable, but the Order's increasing fanaticism — viewing shadow magic as heresy — threatens to fracture the Council's unity.
Key Members
Elyndor Royal Guard
Elyndor, Eldvaria
“Protect the balance. Serve the Council. Defend the innocent.”
The elite military force of Elyndor, serving directly under the Council of Elders. A multi-racial force including elves, Thunderkin, Drakenith, and others. Captain Tharivol Thunderstride leads the guard, with Nimh'Riel Aïlender among its finest rangers.
Verdani Druids
Verdantia, Verda Niterra
“Life and Death are one cycle. The forest is the sacred space. Honor the cycle.”
An ancient druidic tradition rooted in the Verdani people's communion with nature. Their mastery of both Life and Death magic sets them apart — but each death-working comes at a physical cost. Elder Anariel leads, with Sylra'Iea Nythoril as envoy to the wider world.
Key Members
Stormhaven Triumvirate
Stormhaven, Eldvaria
“Storms create order from chaos. Body, mind, and spirit must exist in balance.”
The military-monastic-engineering complex of Stormhaven, where Thunderyeti monks, Thunderkin warriors, and Oterran engineers coexist. Their Triumvirate philosophy of body, mind, and spirit produces some of Astrylis's most formidable warriors and deepest thinkers.
Key Members
Drakenith Warriors of the Red Sands
Ash'Khaross, Verda Niterra
“Strength tempers. Trials forge. The worthy are proven through combat and sacrifice.”
The proud Drakenith of the Red Sands maintain their ancestral traditions of arena combat, dragonbone forging, and aberration hunting. Under Elder Vorath Stralyx's leadership, they serve as Astrylis's primary defense against Aberration incursions from the Obsidian Wastes.
Key Members
Arcane Order of Mer'Faldhur
Mer'Faldhur, Eldvaria
“Knowledge is the highest form of power. The arcane must be studied, preserved, and protected.”
An ancient dwarven order dedicated to the study and preservation of arcane knowledge. Their Rune-Forge produces some of the most powerful enchanted artifacts in Astrylis. Grimbol Arathyris was once among their highest-ranking members before his fall from grace.
Key Members
CoralKeep Sovereigns
Thalassara, CoralKeep
“The ocean is breathing, memory, and judgment. What the deep sea guards, the surface must never know.”
The underwater rulers of CoralKeep's vast submerged realm, led by Elder Thalassa Wavecrest. Corallians, Meridians, Glaucids, and Aquaridians maintain a delicate ecological balance in coral cities, bioluminescent caverns, and deep-sea temples bordering the Abyssal Rift.
Key Members
Nebularcea Stellar Academy
Nebularcea, Caelnyxia
“The cosmos is the final library. All magic begins with observation of the stars.”
The most advanced arcane institution in Astrylis, led by Elder Maelis Arkhanouros — a being of pure magic from the Nebulae Expanse. The Academy studies the deepest structures of magical reality, cosmic forces, and the relationship between the Ethereal Web and the fabric of existence itself. Located in the shattered remains of what may be the oldest civilization on the planet.
Key Members
Steamford Technocracy
Steamford, Varnoth
“Progress is sacred. Every problem is an engineering challenge waiting to be solved.”
The governing body of Steamford, the steampunk metropolis of Northern Varnoth. While their technological innovation bridges magic and machinery, the Technocracy's willingness to suppress dissent — exemplified by Tork's exile — reveals a darker side beneath the brass and gears.
Key Members
Congress of Celestial Cogs
Goldspring, Verda Niterra
“The universe is a mechanism. The gnome who understands the mechanism controls the future.”
Goldspring's governing body of gnome inventors and astronomer-engineers. Unlike Steamford's brute industrial approach, the Congress of Celestial Cogs merges technology and jewelcrafting with arcane understanding — creating devices that work with magic rather than replacing it. Elder Soren bridges the gap between pure science and mystical observation.
Key Members
Queen's Elite Guard of Mystaris
Mystaris, Eldvaria
“Serve the Crown. Protect the Queendom. Question nothing. Protect the secrets of the city.”
The personal elite guards of Queen Xanthea, sworn to protect the Fae Queendom. Led by Captain Caelum, whose growing doubts about the Queen's true intentions drive a quiet internal rebellion. The Guard's unwavering loyalty may be their greatest strength — or their fatal flaw.
Key Members
Duskborn: Twilight Chamber of Lords & Dames
City of Eternal Dusk, Tenebralis
“Darkness is not evil. It is the space where truth hides from those too blinded by light to see. Guided by the revealing light of the twin moons.”
The governing body of Tenebralis, an entire civilization built in perpetual twilight. Led by Elder Rath Devellis, the Twilight Guardian, the Duskborn maintain one of the oldest continuous cultures in Astrylis. Their shadow magic traditions predate the Sacred Light. They don't bow to darkness but to the Sacred Light of the Moon and the Shadow Waves cast by the Darker Twin Moon. The continent's dark heavy fog surrounding the coast has protected this race from the purges for thousands of years.
Key Members
Beastkin Tribal Confederation
Southern Varnoth, Varnoth
“The land does not belong to empires. It belongs to those who walk it, hunt it, and honor it.”
A loose confederation of Beastkin tribes across Southern Varnoth, united not by government but by a shared refusal to submit to northern institutional authority. The Jaguar Lords of Otorongo Ixchel lead the largest bloc, but dozens of smaller tribes — including the Simari of the Azure Canopy — maintain their own traditions. Elder Altara Kestis represents their voice on the Council.
Key Members
Council of Captains
Islands of Piratea, Islands of Piratea
“The sea belongs to no one. Freedom is the only law worth following.”
The governing body of the Islands of Piratea — a democratic assembly of pirate captains who rule by consensus and combat prowess. Their floating stronghold controls key sea routes between Varnoth, Eldvaria, and CoralKeep, making them a power that even the Council of Elders cannot ignore.
Sealuna Merchant Guild
Port of Sealune, Varnoth
“Trade is the blood of civilization. Where goods flow, peace follows. Where trade stops, war begins.”
The most powerful trade organization in Astrylis. The Merchant Guild controls shipping lanes, negotiates trade agreements between hostile nations, and maintains neutrality that makes Sealune the economic hinge of the world. Their wealth gives them influence rivaling the Council itself. Anne Mariswane's family has deep ties to this guild and her father is a prominent leader in the Council of Captains.
Key Members
The Oceanic Guild
Port of Sealune, Varnoth
“Beyond the mapped waters lies everything we have yet to understand.”
Explorers who map unknown islands, deep trenches, and sea anomalies. They are obsessed with the unknown ocean beyond Astrylis — what lies past the last charted shore. Some return with discoveries. Some do not return at all. Their maps are the most valuable documents in any port.
The Tideborn Corsairs
Port of Sealune, Varnoth
“The line between defender and raider depends entirely on who is paying.”
Not exactly pirates. Not exactly navy. The Tideborn Corsairs are sanctioned raiders and frontier naval forces who operate in the gray area between law and plunder. Sometimes they defend trade routes. Sometimes they break them. Sealune tolerates them because they keep worse threats at bay.
The Sealune Watch
Port of Sealune, Varnoth
“The harbor must remain open. The lanes must remain safe. The port answers to no crown.”
Sealune's official navy. They patrol pirate waters, monster routes, and shipping lanes. Their ships carry enchanted hulls that resist storms — a technology developed in partnership with the Arcane Order. The Watch answers only to Sealune's maritime republic, not to the Council of Elders.
Archivists of the Veil
Unknown, Multiple
“Knowledge preserved is power deferred. Knowledge destroyed is a wound the world cannot heal.”
Neutral collectors of knowledge who sell ancient maps, magical research, and relic origins. They preserve information that others would destroy. Unlike the Whisper Brokers, the Archivists do not trade in gossip or politics — they deal exclusively in verified, documented knowledge. Their price is high, but their information is always accurate.
Whisper Brokers
Distributed, Multiple
“Every secret has a price. Every truth has a buyer. We are simply the marketplace.”
Information smugglers who trade political secrets, council votes, forbidden magical knowledge, and personal leverage. They operate in the shadows between factions, manipulating outcomes through controlled disclosure. Every faction uses them. Every faction fears them.
History Scribes
Elyndor, Multiple
“History is not what happened. History is what is remembered. We decide what is remembered.”
Historians who record events across continents and shape how history is remembered. Their power lies not in what happened, but in how it is told. They influence reputations, discoveries, council tensions, artifact claims, and the narratives surrounding figures like Thomas. Lucan Moretti has a complicated relationship with the History Scribes — he publishes truth they would prefer to curate.
The Wayfinders
K'avaru-Sim, Varnoth
“Every road contains knowledge. The greatest honor is to bring back a story no one has heard before.”
A Simari wandering order dedicated to learning the paths of the world. They are not warriors, not priests — but travelers who believe the world speaks to those who walk it. Wayfinders are respected across Astrylis as neutral observers and pathfinders. They carry stories between civilizations and sometimes notice patterns that others miss.
Blood Moon Bastion (Nocthyris Hemocrafters)
Blood Moon Bastion, Tenebralis
“Blood is the oldest language. We merely learned to read it.”
Practitioners of Hemocraft — blood-based magic that most of Astrylis considers forbidden. The Nocthyris of Blood Moon Bastion maintain that their art predates the Sacred Light and is no more 'evil' than any blade. Their relationship with the Duskborn Twilight Council is uneasy — allied by geography, divided by methods.