Factol Darius making an impassioned speech in the Hall of Speakers, as representatives from the Guvners and Indeps look on.
A faction is one of 15 philosophical organizations headquartered in Sigil. Each faction believes something different, with the understanding that in the Outer Planes, belief shapes reality. While in Sigil, each faction has taken ownership of a different aspect of the smooth operation of the city's function. The factions engage in a sort of cold war over the beliefs of Cagers, called the kriegstanz.
A "faction" without a headquarters in Sigil is referred to as a Sect.
Outsiders (or "Clueless"), those visiting from the Prime Material plane, are sometimes considered a pseudo-faction (of course, not one with any political sway). Once they've been around and have shaken off their ignorance enough to join a faction, they're no longer considered Clueless.
In modern Sigil, factions seem to be divided into two general classes: Ascendant factions are those larger factions more involved with the operation of the city, while minor factions are those who either more insular or simply don't much care about the politics of it all.
The governing of the city, such as it is, is done at the Hall of Speakers. Each faction -- at least each Ascendant faction -- has representation within the Hall, typically that faction's factol. There the factions can discuss, argue, negotiate, and collectively come up with new laws for Sigil. The laws are then enforced by the Harmonium, Fraternity of Order, and (if applicable) the Mercykillers.
| Planescape Factions | |
|---|---|
| AD&D 2nd Edition | |
| Pre-Faction War: | Athar · Believers of the Source · Bleak Cabal · Doomguard · Dustmen Fated · Fraternity of Order · Free League · Harmonium · Mercykillers |
| Post-Faction War: | Believers of the Source + Sign of One → Mind's Eye |
| D&D 5th Edition | |
| Ascendant Factions: | Athar · Bleak Cabal · Doomguard · Fated Fraternity of Order · Hands of Havoc · Harmonium · Heralds of Dust |
| Minor Factions: | Free League · Incanterium · Ring Givers |
| Nowhere: | Coterie of Cakes · Revolutionary League · Undivided |
History
The current status quo started 503 years before the reign of Factol Hashkar, with an event called the Great Upheaval.
There were previously 49 factions[1], with them each claiming their own slice of the Cage. During this time, power in the city was largely in the hands of the guilds, with factions being merely philosophical organizations. Eventually the factions broke out into all-out war. The Lady of Pain appeared before each factol with dabus to deliver a message:
- By order of the Lady of Pain, there will be but 15 factions in Sigil. Organize thy colors by a fortnight hence — or die.
Inside two weeks, 34 factions dissolved, and Sigillians joined the remaining 15. Some refused, or didn't make the change fast enough, resulting in a purge of over 17,000 residents. Most joined up with the most "non-faction" faction, the Free League, hoping to wait there for the whole thing to blow over. This shift made the Indeps the largest faction of all time with a million members. Within 50 years, however, that number had dropped to 20,000.[1][2][3][4][5]
With the factions consolidated into 15, they found their power likewise consolidated, and began edging out the guilds for control of various parts of the city. One initiative was banning any faction member from membership in a guild, a move which reduced the numbers and strength of the latter. Eventually the factions took over. A handful of the larger guilds still exist, but at a fraction of their former strength.
A few individual factions rose and fell: around 300 years ago, the Revolutionary League assassinated the factol of the Mercykillers and blamed it on the Fated, setting off a conflict that involved 12 factions and resulted in the destruction of three factions.[6]. But overall, 15 factions stood.
For many years, the factions were relatively stable, with a slight shakeup following the Faction War in the 130th Year of Factol Hashkar's Reign.
Factions
The following are factions which died out in Sigil's history:
| Fallen Factions | |
|---|---|
| Believers of the Source · Coterie of Cakes · Discordant Opposition · Expansionists · Forgesmiths · Incanterium · Ochlocrats · Revolutionary League · Rosebringers · Sign of One · Sodkillers · Sons of Mercy · Tribe of One · Undivided · Xaosophiles · Zactars | |
| Faxions: | Apathetic Alliance · Beautification League · Free Flora Collective |
In modern days, the firre eladrin Cirily is trying to start up a new anti-Prime faction, the Planarists.
Organization
All factions are unique, but their hierarchies can be generalized as follows:
- Factols are those in charge of each respective faction.
- Factors are high-ups, those in charge of faction strongholds or seconds-in-command.
- Factotums are the lowest-ranking members who are still committed to the faction full-time.
- Namers are members "in name only." They're the vast majority of faction members, but continue to live their own lives, and may not consider the faction's philosophies beyond being able to make a surface-level argument in a pub.[7][8]
Background Information
- A number of less-serious factions were included in April Fools Faxions, an article in Dragon: Dragon Magazine 216 . Although they are referred to as factions within the article text, due to the article title, they can be found at Faxion on this Wiki.
- Faction ranks were detailed in January 1995's Dragon: Dragon Magazine 213 before appearing in any published Planescape book.
References
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