---
title: Astral Factions
description: TBD
date_pub: 2023-02-15T00:26:00-05:00
section: astral
content_type: feature
short_code: af1
---

### Major Factions

#### Astral Trade Union

-   Conglomerate of harbormasters, ship captains, and mining companies who control nearly all of the trade between certain ports.
-   Control all of the trading between nearly 100 ports, including ones leading to dozens of material planes, multiple to each elemental plane, and even a handful to various transcendental planes.
    -   This area is called the **Astral Trade Zone (ATZ)**
-   Have excellent maps of all of the astral currents that run between affiliated ports.

#### Drahki Federation

-   Controlled by a race of dracokin from the world of Drahkenos, the eternal plane of dragons.
-   Fly great ships made to look like their bigger cousins (called "dragonships")
-   Generally peaceful traders

#### Zhyffan Armada

-   Enormous fleet of warships run by a militaristic race of musket-wielding elekin from the material plane of Zhyffu.
-   Report to the Zhyffan Sovereignty, the plane-wide government of Zhyffu.
-   Strongly believe in the supremacy of law and civilization.
-   Ships range from light cargo carriers to massive warships, but everything in the armada is armed.

#### Stral Empire

-   Empire of ports ruled by a highly militaristic and decadent race of immortals, with sharp eyes, pointed ears, and no noses.
-   Huge warships patrol the borders of the empire, which run near some Astral Trade Union-aligned ports.
-   Also control the Forge, a massive smithing factory on the Plane of Fire.
-   Served by a race of automatons called Forgelings, some of whom have escaped their masters and fled to ports aligned with one of the other factions.

### Minor Factions

#### Society of Wanderers

-   Disparate, quasi-religious organization, with membership scattered about the planes.
-   Refer to each other as "friends".
-   Are obligated to help each other out (but can also count on other "friends" to help them when needed).
-   Typically travel alone or in small groups.
-   Don't usually have their own ships, so they often have to book passage (or stowe-away).

### Pirates of Ataxia

-   Led by (at least) 6 Pirate Lords (although some believe there are more).
-   Responsible for nearly all of the piracy within this part of the astral plane.
-   Come from all races and cultures.

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### Relations

#### Astral Trade Union

-   Are on good (trading) terms with both the _Drahki Federation_ and the _Zhyffan Armada_ (with some members of each also holding Union membership).
-   Think most of the _Society of Wanderers_ are hopeless layabouts, inadequately interested in commerce (although few ship captains will refuse their payment for passage).
-   Are on tenuous terms with the _Stral Empire_ (they've had some trade, but also some border skirmishes).
-   Actively seek the destruction of the _Pirates of Ataxia_ (even though some Union members occasionally double as pirates).

#### Drahki Federation

-   Are on good (trading) terms with _Astral Trade Union_ (with some Drahki captains also being Union members).
-   Are on decent (trading) terms with the _Zhyffan Armada_ (there have been a few isolated incidents of fighting between the groups, but they generally continue to trade).
-   Don't understand the _Society of Wanderers_, but generally allow them to book passage on their ships.
-   Are on deteriorating terms with the _Stral Empire_ (they've had an increasing number of border skirmishes).
-   Try to avoid engaging with ships from the _Pirates of Ataxia_, who generally return the favor (although there are some Drahki pirates who try to only attack ships from the other factions).

#### Zhyffan Armada

-   Are on good (trading) terms with _Astral Trade Union_ (with some Zhyffan captains also being Union members).
-   Are on decent (trading) terms with the _Drahki Federation_ (there have been a few isolated incidents of fighting between the groups, but they generally continue to trade).
-   Don't understand (or like) the _Society of Wanderers_, and don't allow them on their ships.
-   Are on deteriorating terms with the _Stral Empire_ (they've had an increasing number of border skirmishes).
-   Actively seek the destruction of the _Pirates of Ataxia_ (although some Zhyffan ships have been known to turn pirate, abandoning the Armada and working for the Pirate Lords).

#### Society of Wanderers

-   Don't care for the leadership of the _Astral Trade Union_, but try to stay friendly with the ship captains.
-   Don't understand most of the _Drahki Federation_, but are generally happy to book passage on their ships.
-   Don't get along with the _Zhyffan Armada_, and generally avoid them.
-   Don't understand (or like) the _Stral Empire_, although a few Travellers have tried to engage with Stral crews (which hasn't ended well)
-   Have many members who also work as _Pirates of Ataxia_, and don't generally preclude pirates from their ranks (although the pirate captains aren't always thrilled to have Wanderers on their ships).

#### Stral Empire

-   Are on tenuous terms with the _Astral Trade Union_ (they've had some trade, but also some border skirmishes).
-   Are on deteriorating terms with both the _Drahki Federation_ and the _Zhyffan Armada_ (they've had an increasing number of border skirmishes with each of them).
-   Don't understand (or like) the _Society of Wanderers_, and don't allow them on their ships.
-   Try to avoid engaging with ships from the _Pirates of Ataxia_, who generally return the favor (although they have had engagements in Stral territory).

#### Pirates of Ataxia

-   Actively attack (and raid) the ships of the _Astral Trade Union_ and the _Zhyffan Armada_, occasionally even looting their ports.
-   Try to avoid engaging with ships working for the _Drahki Federation_, who generally return the favor (although there are some Drahki pirates who try to only attack ships from the other factions).
-   Have many members who also identify as members of the _Society of Wanderers_, usually pirates of lower ranks (the ship captains aren't fond of having members in their crew because of the high number of stowe-aways).
-   Try to avoid engaging with ships of the _Stral Empire_, who generally return the favor (although they have had a few engagements in within Stral territory).
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