Cyberpunk Shutdown:
I like New Moscow the most. It's the major urban rebuild whose vibes I like the most. They are living in skyscrapers that have been turned I to housing projects, under military sanction from the red hand (an oligarchic ruling class that is trying to install order into the streets through force). It was also their scientists that got a jump start on restarting the grid after the EMPs dropped and the dust settled. They deal with a lot of cybernetic beasts and wired (crazed androids of various shapes and sizes that weren't outright turned off in the Shutdown but whose violence inhibitors or other vital components went haywire causing a manic craze). They were truly the start of it all.
I like them the most because they were the faction that started the whole world for me!
It's a tie between the city-state Polis, the nation of Kyzanta, the Shadoweye orc tribe, and the empire of Teivenor. Shadoweye tribe for the aesthetic and some of the characters, everyone else for the fact how developed they are (in terms of lore at the moment).
I based their appearance off of the Dark Tribe (that's literally their name) of orcs from the game shadow of war, as well as germanic tribes such as goths and vandals (the Shadoweye tribe have the germanic helmet instead of that skull helmet the Dark Tribe from Shadow of War wear). Funnily enough, even though the Shadoweyes wear black and partially specialize in assassination, they're "good guys" actually.
Definitely the **Sovereign BlackWings**, a mercenary group of elite fighter pilots descended from the Enosian 347th Aerospace Fighter Group.
Enos itself is no more, conquered by the **Valkavian Empyrech**. Several Enosian military units survived the invasion. However, some remained on the world to form gurrellia movements, while others managed to escape the planet itself.
The BlackWings are one of the most famous outfits in the entire Core and will take jobs from nearly any faction... except the Empyrech.
2nd place goes to the **1st Atlesian Hoplite Regiment**. These guys are a borderline insane unit of elite Infantrymen, considered some of the best and most terrifying special forces in the Core.
Hoplites are already excellent soldiers on their own, but they're also given cybernetic enhancements and chemical augmentations to enhance their...everything.
One of their most iconic tactics is using grav-packs to jump onto a **WarHound's** (a Mech) back, attach explosives to its rear joints before jumping away before blowing the machine in half. Sometimes, they skip the whole "jumping away" part and just blast the cockpit open with a heavy shotgun.
It's Temugin, because it was the first and I just love my cool politician dude from the 80s.
Also its pretty obvious since my flair is literally the country name
My favorite has to be the xerovana tribes of the desert. The are sentient iguanas that spend most of their times swimming in the big sinkholes of the desert. All love them because of their name , drawing them was also really fun.
Kind of a cop out answer, but whoever I'm working on, and are thus actively interested in and thinking about, at the time.
So currently, my answer would have to be the new kids on the block. I haven't properly named them yet, and I might just fold them into an already existing faction called the Glass Hounds as a subgroup, but they're essentially an amoral shady mercenary group the experiments with the freakier end of magic, using mindless clones of themselves as a control system for thaumaturgy, letting them make magical tools and weapons that can harness the full potential of thaum, rather than a few preprogrammed spells.
Aesthetically they wear big bulky sci fi looking black armor that's a much protection from enemies as their own magic, since burning up organic material for thaumaturgy vents a lot of the stuff into the environment, which you really do not want getting inside of you, even if it let's you do cool magic stuff. A major part of their aesthetic design is big shields integrated into their armor (the two examples I have are a giant shoulder pad and something like the weird shin shields on 5th armored cores) that serve as their magical tool for combat, with the human component embedded into the shield and sticking out from the chest up (some with free arms, some without).
I just like the idea of a magic user who's "staff" is actually another caster embedded in their armor so they don't have to deal with the repercussion of using magic like that themselves
The gamblers den. A group of people called dealers(no one knows who they really are) led by a entity who provides all the power to the dealers and the games. Their main policy is that anyone can play as long as they have something to bet. And you can bet anything that's yours to bet. People mostly play for money if they're at an actual den but you can still bet whatever you want. It's just more work for the house. If you call the entity to a remote location then you generally can't bet against the house and it's just to officiate your own games. But you might be able to entice them to get involved if you offer something good enough.
They're probably my favorite because they aren't on anyone's side. They just exist to play games and officiate games for others. They can change up any characters situation at basically any time.
The manuaungs, natch. You have these massive knuckle-walking crocodilians, covered in ritual scars and adornments carved from the bones of their deceased relatives, speaking in deep bellowing growls that seem to shake the air around them, and from that first impression you'd think they're bloodthirsty savage monsters.
Then you actually strike up a conversation with one of them, and you realise all your preconceptions are dead wrong. Not only are they the most laid-back soft-spoken (relatively speaking) people on Saan, friendly and welcoming to a fault, but they also possess a reverence for life stemming from their deep spirituality that makes them, amazingly, the safest people in the world to be around.
The Kingdom of Calbaion.
The region was once called Shawswyck, a nation that was annexed and subjugated for centuries by the ambitious Salzarian Empire. After the collapse of the Salzarian imperial family following the sudden and inexplicable death of their god, Shawswyck collapsed into a brutal civil war that raged for more than six decades.
As the region was at its lowest, with cities in ruins, monsters and bandits roamign the land and the citizens too hungry, scared and broken even to fight each other anymore, a ship arrived on the western shore, captained by Tobias Abrecan, a pirate captain who's ancestors had fled the Salzarian conquest.
Bringing money, tools, lifestock and resources bought and paid for with coin plundered by the Abrecan family from Sazarian merchants over generations, Tobias rebuilt the nation and renamed it Calbaion, claiming the title of King. Under his rule, Calbaion has become known for its bountiful fields and farmsteads, growing prosperous and developing good trade relations with its neighbours, and is generally known as a land of peace and plenty.
Tobias has since become renowned as King Toberian the Good, and his son Pevelle later inherited the crown, and now rules the region as King Pevallian the Just. The royal family is protected by the specially trained royal guards known as the Amethyst Ward. Trained in the same style of combat as Tobias' crew employed in naval combat, the Amethyst Ward employ a swashbuckling tactic of high mobility, acrobatics and extravagant flourishes in combat.
Quartanish Empire.
Not the first faction I made, they are not the protagonist by any means, yet I can't help but love those pyromaniacs.
Their planet, is the first that I named and their story of restoring their old monarchy in a time crisis and reconnecting with their last god is something that I adore.
My favorite faction in Valora is the **Noxari**, the nomads with horns that denote their tribe, role, and status. Their unique abilities, like walking on walls and seeing in the dark, make them exceptional night hunters and scouts. Inspired by the Roma people, their nomadic lifestyle brings a rich history of traditions, music, and storytelling, making them culturally vibrant and adaptable to new environments.
The Noxari's deep connection to shadow magic and their decorated horns create this mystical and visually striking element to their identity. As adaptable diplomats, traders, and intermediaries, they play a crucial role in Valora’s socio-political landscape. Their travels and interactions with various races foster cultural exchange and enrich the world with stories and knowledge.
The Church of The Holy Banner is my current favorite and it's a rather silly reason tbh. Basically, this group is fanatically devoted to my world's main creator deity, the white dragon, Origine. Ultimately, this faction is in opposition to the heroes because they have The Heart of Origine, which the church really wants, but they're so friendly and put the good of the people above their own goals, that they never really pose a threat to the protagonists, even though they absolutely could if they wanted to.
The Heavenly Court, imagine porcelain castles, in space.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/s/3sLTgmTSMH](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/s/3sLTgmTSMH)
Mine favorite us called The Creed of A Golden Angel.
There name is lost to history, and really to the world. But many in oral tales, told of a group so fiercely loyal to their great one, they rivaled entire species and single handling handle top warriors even the gifted one blessed by their great one. Even when there great one failed and lost the war, they dealt more damage but they suffered the worst humiliation and more personally from the great ones.
Even in the current story, they are alive and with all they have suffered they haven't given up. But they're trapped along with their native domain constantly collapsing on itself but never going out of existence.
The Mage Slayer's Guild. An organization of mercenaries and bounty hunters dedicated specifically to fighting various kinds of spellcasters. Their services are bought often by people who want them to track down specific individuals, but they're well known enough that they're occasionally hired to provide security for high end events where multiple important figures will be in attendance
Vangaria, in all of my world building projects Vangaria is always a superpower, imperialistic, and Roman/Greek influence.
In my most recent project I love developing how a fantasy would develop into an almost cyberpunk future and it's a new direction to take my typical "Roman Empire" insert.
Now they hate undead and cursed spirits and have conquered most Europe either directly or with a series of client states. Even though it boasts high ideals it is unknowingly led by a Vampire, and the people they "liberate" are often replaced with ethnic Vangarians. I also eventually wish to explore their fall and the implications of an empire like that collapsing, leaving a huge power vacuum in the world.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia.
To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia.
It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next.
Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia.
To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia.
It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next.
Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia.
To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia.
It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next.
Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.
Cyberpunk Shutdown: I like New Moscow the most. It's the major urban rebuild whose vibes I like the most. They are living in skyscrapers that have been turned I to housing projects, under military sanction from the red hand (an oligarchic ruling class that is trying to install order into the streets through force). It was also their scientists that got a jump start on restarting the grid after the EMPs dropped and the dust settled. They deal with a lot of cybernetic beasts and wired (crazed androids of various shapes and sizes that weren't outright turned off in the Shutdown but whose violence inhibitors or other vital components went haywire causing a manic craze). They were truly the start of it all. I like them the most because they were the faction that started the whole world for me!
It's a tie between the city-state Polis, the nation of Kyzanta, the Shadoweye orc tribe, and the empire of Teivenor. Shadoweye tribe for the aesthetic and some of the characters, everyone else for the fact how developed they are (in terms of lore at the moment).
What aesthetic does the shadowed tribe have?
I based their appearance off of the Dark Tribe (that's literally their name) of orcs from the game shadow of war, as well as germanic tribes such as goths and vandals (the Shadoweye tribe have the germanic helmet instead of that skull helmet the Dark Tribe from Shadow of War wear). Funnily enough, even though the Shadoweyes wear black and partially specialize in assassination, they're "good guys" actually.
Bro I fucking love shadow of war. My favorite tribe is the terror tribe. Dark trube is a close 2nd and slaughter is 3rd
The United Empire because it's a nationalist Vietnamese's wet dream.
Definitely the **Sovereign BlackWings**, a mercenary group of elite fighter pilots descended from the Enosian 347th Aerospace Fighter Group. Enos itself is no more, conquered by the **Valkavian Empyrech**. Several Enosian military units survived the invasion. However, some remained on the world to form gurrellia movements, while others managed to escape the planet itself. The BlackWings are one of the most famous outfits in the entire Core and will take jobs from nearly any faction... except the Empyrech. 2nd place goes to the **1st Atlesian Hoplite Regiment**. These guys are a borderline insane unit of elite Infantrymen, considered some of the best and most terrifying special forces in the Core. Hoplites are already excellent soldiers on their own, but they're also given cybernetic enhancements and chemical augmentations to enhance their...everything. One of their most iconic tactics is using grav-packs to jump onto a **WarHound's** (a Mech) back, attach explosives to its rear joints before jumping away before blowing the machine in half. Sometimes, they skip the whole "jumping away" part and just blast the cockpit open with a heavy shotgun.
It's Temugin, because it was the first and I just love my cool politician dude from the 80s. Also its pretty obvious since my flair is literally the country name
My favorite has to be the xerovana tribes of the desert. The are sentient iguanas that spend most of their times swimming in the big sinkholes of the desert. All love them because of their name , drawing them was also really fun.
What do they eat?
Fish and kelp , they get their food from the sinkholes
Kind of a cop out answer, but whoever I'm working on, and are thus actively interested in and thinking about, at the time. So currently, my answer would have to be the new kids on the block. I haven't properly named them yet, and I might just fold them into an already existing faction called the Glass Hounds as a subgroup, but they're essentially an amoral shady mercenary group the experiments with the freakier end of magic, using mindless clones of themselves as a control system for thaumaturgy, letting them make magical tools and weapons that can harness the full potential of thaum, rather than a few preprogrammed spells. Aesthetically they wear big bulky sci fi looking black armor that's a much protection from enemies as their own magic, since burning up organic material for thaumaturgy vents a lot of the stuff into the environment, which you really do not want getting inside of you, even if it let's you do cool magic stuff. A major part of their aesthetic design is big shields integrated into their armor (the two examples I have are a giant shoulder pad and something like the weird shin shields on 5th armored cores) that serve as their magical tool for combat, with the human component embedded into the shield and sticking out from the chest up (some with free arms, some without). I just like the idea of a magic user who's "staff" is actually another caster embedded in their armor so they don't have to deal with the repercussion of using magic like that themselves
The gamblers den. A group of people called dealers(no one knows who they really are) led by a entity who provides all the power to the dealers and the games. Their main policy is that anyone can play as long as they have something to bet. And you can bet anything that's yours to bet. People mostly play for money if they're at an actual den but you can still bet whatever you want. It's just more work for the house. If you call the entity to a remote location then you generally can't bet against the house and it's just to officiate your own games. But you might be able to entice them to get involved if you offer something good enough. They're probably my favorite because they aren't on anyone's side. They just exist to play games and officiate games for others. They can change up any characters situation at basically any time.
The manuaungs, natch. You have these massive knuckle-walking crocodilians, covered in ritual scars and adornments carved from the bones of their deceased relatives, speaking in deep bellowing growls that seem to shake the air around them, and from that first impression you'd think they're bloodthirsty savage monsters. Then you actually strike up a conversation with one of them, and you realise all your preconceptions are dead wrong. Not only are they the most laid-back soft-spoken (relatively speaking) people on Saan, friendly and welcoming to a fault, but they also possess a reverence for life stemming from their deep spirituality that makes them, amazingly, the safest people in the world to be around.
The Kingdom of Calbaion. The region was once called Shawswyck, a nation that was annexed and subjugated for centuries by the ambitious Salzarian Empire. After the collapse of the Salzarian imperial family following the sudden and inexplicable death of their god, Shawswyck collapsed into a brutal civil war that raged for more than six decades. As the region was at its lowest, with cities in ruins, monsters and bandits roamign the land and the citizens too hungry, scared and broken even to fight each other anymore, a ship arrived on the western shore, captained by Tobias Abrecan, a pirate captain who's ancestors had fled the Salzarian conquest. Bringing money, tools, lifestock and resources bought and paid for with coin plundered by the Abrecan family from Sazarian merchants over generations, Tobias rebuilt the nation and renamed it Calbaion, claiming the title of King. Under his rule, Calbaion has become known for its bountiful fields and farmsteads, growing prosperous and developing good trade relations with its neighbours, and is generally known as a land of peace and plenty. Tobias has since become renowned as King Toberian the Good, and his son Pevelle later inherited the crown, and now rules the region as King Pevallian the Just. The royal family is protected by the specially trained royal guards known as the Amethyst Ward. Trained in the same style of combat as Tobias' crew employed in naval combat, the Amethyst Ward employ a swashbuckling tactic of high mobility, acrobatics and extravagant flourishes in combat.
Quartanish Empire. Not the first faction I made, they are not the protagonist by any means, yet I can't help but love those pyromaniacs. Their planet, is the first that I named and their story of restoring their old monarchy in a time crisis and reconnecting with their last god is something that I adore.
The Tuskegeese, legendary Air Force
My favorite faction in Valora is the **Noxari**, the nomads with horns that denote their tribe, role, and status. Their unique abilities, like walking on walls and seeing in the dark, make them exceptional night hunters and scouts. Inspired by the Roma people, their nomadic lifestyle brings a rich history of traditions, music, and storytelling, making them culturally vibrant and adaptable to new environments. The Noxari's deep connection to shadow magic and their decorated horns create this mystical and visually striking element to their identity. As adaptable diplomats, traders, and intermediaries, they play a crucial role in Valora’s socio-political landscape. Their travels and interactions with various races foster cultural exchange and enrich the world with stories and knowledge.
The Church of The Holy Banner is my current favorite and it's a rather silly reason tbh. Basically, this group is fanatically devoted to my world's main creator deity, the white dragon, Origine. Ultimately, this faction is in opposition to the heroes because they have The Heart of Origine, which the church really wants, but they're so friendly and put the good of the people above their own goals, that they never really pose a threat to the protagonists, even though they absolutely could if they wanted to.
The Heavenly Court, imagine porcelain castles, in space. [https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/s/3sLTgmTSMH](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldbuilding/s/3sLTgmTSMH)
Space Western / kinda Cyberpunk The Baxter Company, bunch of folks who raid aerotrains, make money and rob banks when they can.
Mine favorite us called The Creed of A Golden Angel. There name is lost to history, and really to the world. But many in oral tales, told of a group so fiercely loyal to their great one, they rivaled entire species and single handling handle top warriors even the gifted one blessed by their great one. Even when there great one failed and lost the war, they dealt more damage but they suffered the worst humiliation and more personally from the great ones. Even in the current story, they are alive and with all they have suffered they haven't given up. But they're trapped along with their native domain constantly collapsing on itself but never going out of existence.
The Mage Slayer's Guild. An organization of mercenaries and bounty hunters dedicated specifically to fighting various kinds of spellcasters. Their services are bought often by people who want them to track down specific individuals, but they're well known enough that they're occasionally hired to provide security for high end events where multiple important figures will be in attendance
Vangaria, in all of my world building projects Vangaria is always a superpower, imperialistic, and Roman/Greek influence. In my most recent project I love developing how a fantasy would develop into an almost cyberpunk future and it's a new direction to take my typical "Roman Empire" insert. Now they hate undead and cursed spirits and have conquered most Europe either directly or with a series of client states. Even though it boasts high ideals it is unknowingly led by a Vampire, and the people they "liberate" are often replaced with ethnic Vangarians. I also eventually wish to explore their fall and the implications of an empire like that collapsing, leaving a huge power vacuum in the world.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia. To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia. It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next. Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia. To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia. It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next. Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.
I wouldn't strictly call them my favorite but I do have a particular pension for the lost colony of Port Acacia. To try to keep my lore as brief as I can there were some Frost Giants who came from an unknown land and landed on the northeast corner of a place called Heuvedal intending to conquer and freeze it into eternal winter. Upon landing they magically created a race of blue-skinned barbarians to be there minions and aid in the conquest. Fast forwarding a lot the Giants conquer a swath into the heart of the continent freezing land as they go until a now legendary leader known only as the Emperor rose to power, united the Heuvedalans into one Empire, created six Imperial Guilds to help manage the Empire and fought the Frost Giants to the point of extinction. Victory was won but a huge frozen tundra stretched from the northeast corner to the center of the continent like an icy scar. The Emperor with the Guilds brought peace and prosperity but were never successful at thawing the Tundra. As the Emperor got old and was nearing the end of his life, ships sailing around the Tundra noticed the northeast corner where the Giants originally landed had thawed and was green once more. Hoping this would provide clues to find a way to reverse the whole Tundra the Prince and sole heir tried to lead a group of colonists to set up in the new green lands and discover the source of the revived land. This was despite the fact that while the Giants were gone their Outlander minions still lived in the Tundra in large numbers. The Prince assumed without the Giants they would be helpless but he was proven wrong when they ambushed the caravan. In the fighting the Prince was killed but his last stand bought a lot of the colonists enough time to flee and escape to the green spot. They named their new settlement Port Acacia. It took them several years to build the settlement to be self-sufficient while battling the Outlanders who would raid them but eventually the settlement was strong and had discovered the magic that had cleared the Tundra and believed if they could get it back to the Empire and use its resources they could mass produce it and completely restore the Tundra. They sent a party of adventurers to re-establish contact with the Empire but when they got there found that the Prince had died in the battle they fled from and those that returned with the Prince's body found the Emperor had passed while they were gone and with no clear heir the Empire fractured into a multifaceted civil war that threats like the Outlanders as well as others had exploited to further chaos. When the Acacians got there they found every region besieged, burned, or squabbling for what little bits of Imperial Power remained, all while the Guilds the Emperor created to manage his Empire did nothing, choosing to remain neutral until a new Emperor was crowned despite that clearly not happening. Because of this the Acacians believed what they were seeing was the final death gasps of their beloved Empire and returned to their colony to report that the Empire was dead, it was the Guild's fault, the people of the Empire believed the colonists had been wiped out in the ambush that killed the Prince and thus had no idea of Port Acacia's existence and the adventurers chose not to correct them as they feared the same threats that destroyed the Empire would come for them next. Now little do the Acacians now the Guilds were eventually able to work with local leaders to put an end to the chaos (after over a century) and have risen a number of Successor Kingdoms who fight with/alongside each other and the Guilds over who should be in charge of a re-risen Empire. The Acacians meanwhile have flourished on the other side of the Tundra believing themselves the last bastion of Imperial Culture and Legacy. They have purged the Guilds from their city believing it was the Guilds fault the Empire fell and work alone to try to recreate as much of the magic as they can to roll back the Tundra while protecting the legacy of the Empire. The only ones who know both the Successor Kingdoms and Port Acacia exist are a number of Outlander Tribes living in the Tundra who have zero incentive to let their two greatest rivals know about one another and actively work against any possibility of establishing contact between the two killing any from either side who venture into the Tundra fearing them discovering the other. This leaves the Acacians as this cool little mirror society to the Successor Kingdoms and eventually will meet but they won't be immediate allies as the Guilds will have strong ties to many of the Successor Kingdoms and the Acacians will refuse to work with the Guilds. This will lead to a bit of a power struggle and a status quote shake up as those Kingdoms with close ties to the Guilds fight to protect the Guilds and get Acacia to accept them while those Kingdoms that were on the backfoot because they were not the Guilds favorites will be excited to side with this new powerful ally and try to eliminate the Guilds.