New Factols:

Athar: Factol Vicarskvy Vidonia (Male, Drow Prime, neutral good, lvl 14 Cleric of the Far Realm)

Vidonia was a male in the Drow underground on some 'backwater' prime world, who constantly suffered under the hands of the oppressive, matriarchal drow regime. Constantly beaten and tormented for his low status (he was a member of one of the least influential houses), he was set to be sacrificed to Lolth one day, and turned into a drider. His sister, of considerably more influence, took pity on him and cast plane shift, allowing him to escape.

After a fashion, Vidonia arrived in Sigil. Despite his life experiences, he still worshiped Lolth out of fear. But, he one day met and Athar, and all that changed. The Athar showed that he need not be scared of the gods, and Vidonia soon joined their ranks, becoming a devout member of the church of the far realm. Eventually, the previous factol stepped down, claiming he was too old, and let Vidonia take over.

Believers of the Source: Factol Kara (Female, Diva Planar, True Neutral, lvl 20 Invoker of the source)

Kara is an oddity. She claims to be an emissary from the source, here to guide those who will follow her along the proper path. Though none believed her at first, she found that okay. She rose to Factolhood on her own merit by following faction guidelines and fulfilling all her duties. She is the most devout member of the godsmen, certain in what they believe in.

Kara simply showed up one day at the great foundry, and asked to be let in, with no questions about the faction whatsoever, yet she held all the answers. She rose through the ranks slowly, and eventually became factol over 100 years after joining. She didn't seek the position, though she didn't shy from it either. She spends most of her time in meditation, rarely meeting with godsmen, let alone with non-faction members. She prefers, instead, to let her agents convert people.

Bleak Cabal: Factol Trungent Stonehopper (Male, Halfling Prime, Chaotic good, lvl 17 Thief.)

To look at him, no one would know that Stonehopper is a bleaker, let alone the leader of them. He is a content, happy, fopish little halfling from a prime world. He enjoys good song and good food, and is not like his melancholy brethren. Trungent rose through the ranks fast, after being introduced to the bleakers, and he is, to date, the only person to become factol in less than five years.

Trungent grew up on a prime world, in a depressing, fascist kingdom, headed by an evil human that ruled with an iron fist. Early in life, Trungent lost most of his family when the humans attacked his peaceful halfling village, to expand their farmlands. Most of the surviving halflings had lost all hope, but Trungent rallied them together and made a hit-and-run fighting force. Realizing that there was no hope from above coming, no righteous justice, Trungent had decided to focus on what really mattered, the people. Thus he robbed from patrols and shipments, and gave to the downtrodden and weak. Eventually, he stormed the castle and all but won. The kings magical adviser, however, banished him to the planes before he could end it. He wandered the planes, content in knowing his people completed the job, and eventually found Sigil, and a bunch of like-minded people in the bleakers.

Doomguard: Factol Eluthan Yivilla (Male, Eladrin Prime, True Neutral, lvl 19 Fighter, Kensei paragon path)

Factol Eluthan is not a typical doomguard, nor is he a typical Eladrin. He is actually a very depressing person to be around, but is so deadly good with a blade, and so adherent to the doomguard strategy, that he has become factol in less than 20 years.

During the second great upheaval, where the multiverse was shaken again, Eluthan's home prime world suffered worst than most, in fact, it suffered worse than all. Eluthan was a proud member of the Eladrin royal guard until the multiverse shook so violently, that it completely destroyed Eluthan's entire prime world. Somehow, during the destruction, the prime world was absorbed back into the elemental planes, and in a one in a million shot, Eluthan was taken along with it, in tact.

The destruction of his world broke Eluthan, shattered his mind. He was found by a passing doomguard, who comforted him by telling him that the destruction of his world was the way of things. Eluthan eventually came to believe as the doomguard, and became a member soon afterwards.

The Dustmen: (previous Lich)

The Fated: Avarice (Female, Tiefling planar, Lawful Evil, lvl 12 Warlord)

The Fated have varying reputations around the great ring, from honest but hard-driving merchants to downright evil thieves and liars. Avarice is very much in the latter category. It takes a lot of ghall to try and rise to the level of factol in the fated, but Avarice has ghall in spades. She is a manipulative, conniving, tactical genius who uses whatever she can to leverage whatever she can.

Though most fated find her unnerving, few can deny her tactical brilliance. No one knows where she came from, but all know her story of ascent. She was indoctrinated into the fated, and less than two years later, became factol, by continually one-upping her superiors, showing loopholes in their plans or proving that more profit could be earned if they would just be a little more vicious. Only Former factol Darkwood ascended faster, and some doubt that he even existed.

The Fraternity of Order: Factol Talzok Tuloth (Male, Githzeri planar, Lawful neutral, lvl 9 Swordmage)

No one knows where the enigmatic Gith appeared from (though there ares stories he was kicked out of the Gith home city for refusing his time on the wall.) All that is known for sure is that he showed up at the hall of records one day and asked to see the library. They told him he could not unless he was a guvner, so he joined.

Tuloth is extremely studious, and has developed many techniques that allow him to study and read for hours or even days on end. He rarely speaks and when he does, he will only give curt and vague answers. This is not him being rude however, he simply knows more than most people, and will give the shortest, most general answer, so as not to lie, but also not to have to explain all the intricacies of what the answer might entail. It is his eidetic memory and a constant thirst for knowledge that has granted him his position. He accepts this task, and does his duty only because his position allows him access to more knowledge than he could otherwise gain.

Tuloth is secretly on a personal mission to re-discover the secrets of the Zerth Karach blade. Thought lost eons ago, Tuloth is convinced that his people need the secrets of the Karach more than ever, and is willing to sacrifice his lifetime to find it. This is why he has yet to choose a paragon path, he holds out hope that one day he will find the secrets of the blade, and become the first in a new line of Karach masters.

Free League: No official Factol, but most vocal leader is Omega 12-R (Warforged prime, Chaotic Good, lvl 16 Fighter)

Omega 12-R is a warforged, something not often seen in the cage, and indeed, many people mistook the blood for a rogue Golem when the cutter first showed up some twenty odd years ago. “He” (Omegal 12-R uses the male pronoun) was formerly a slave, trapped into doing his master's bidding on a prime world. An accident separated 12-R from his master and gave him his first taste of freedom.

Most would think that Omega would be bobbed by a knight of the cross-trade the second he stepped into Sigil, with his golem-like appearance and complete lack of knowledge about freedom. However, a well-meaning Indep found him and taught him the meaning of freedom, and so Omega 12-R has vowed to help the Indep cause with the rest of his life.

Omega can be found most days in the great Bazaar, working as a metalworker. On the side however, he has been trying to persuade indeps to work together, to be more friendly to each other. Independence is still of tantamount importance, but, as he tells it, “just because you can make up your own mind doesn't mean I can't try to convince you otherwise.” Under his guidance, the indeps have become more close knit, forming a sort of web of friendship between each other. This allows them to disseminate information a lot quicker, and has allowed them to set up various safe-houses, in order to better protect themselves from harmonium raids. 12-R has even made in-roads with several Anarchists, trading the anarchist's valuable information for safe houses and the protection of the indeps.

Harmonium: Factol Seth Jaringer (Male, Human Planar, Lawful Good, Paladin of the Harmonium [treat as Bahamut])

Seth grew up a cager in the Clerk's ward, to two Harmonium parents. There was never any question what he was to do with his life, he was to train at the Harmonium academy as soon as he was old enough, and join the Harmonium when his schooling was finished. His father and mother instilled in him an unquestioning sense of honor and loyalty, and a sense of justice. His duty is to carry out the laws of the Harmonium, and of the land.

However, when he began training, he quickly saw that not all Hardheads followed the Harmonium way. Many twisted and manipulated the truth to get ahead in life. Appalled at the lack duty and honor within the ranks, he quickly decided it was his duty to purge this corruption. He rose through the ranks quickly, and everywhere he went he incarcerated many any Harmonium who abused their power or falsely arrested anyone. His devoutness to the cause earned him many enemies, but more friends, as he eventually reached the state of factol.

Seth obeys all the laws of Sigil, to the letter. This means, that while he may not like the indeps, or even the anarchists, he will not arrest them on sight because it is not illegal to be one (yet!). He has made a great effort to change the laws of Sigil, reassigning many hardheads to the Hall of Speakers, to petition for law changes. However, until the laws change, Seth will obey what is set down as Sigil's way.

Mercykillers: Factol Erin Karr (Female Earth Gensai, Lawful Neutral, lvl 19 Warlord).

No Factol matches their stated goal more than Erin Karr, a female earth Gensai. Many would find her a singularly boring person, she spends most of her time reading documents and performing administrating duties. She rarely goes into the field any more, but when she does, she is surprisingly unobtrusive. She is not interested in fame or glory, only in seeing that criminals are brought to justice.

Erin Karr has been a Mercykiller for quite some time, and almost everyone within the organization has served with her. She just recently became factol, after the failing health of the previous factol caused him to step down. Erin was his administrative assistant before he stepped down, and she has continued to do the paperwork after. In fact, that is what most people would say about Erin, she's stable.

Actually, that is what Erin has done most of her life, be stable. When she first joined the Mercykillers, she went on patrol, but also did the paperwork and cleanup. When she was promoted to elite patrols, she did the same, only slightly altering her schedule to account for the new workload. Then she was promoted, and again did the same, and again, and again. Her attention to detail and stability, has earned her the nickname, 'the rock' though, only behind her back.

Revolutionary League: No official Factol, Most Vocal leader is Sarin Vin (Male, Human planar, Chaotic Good, Lvl 14 wild sorcerer)

Sarin Vin is a different kind of anarchist. He believes that the foundation of Sigil is genuinely cracked, and he wants to break it down, so it can be rebuilt correctly. He is not crazy, nor conniving, but rather a free spirit who genuinely wants to see a world of peaceful, free coexistance.

Sarin Vin is, quite possibly, the only Anarchist who shows up to the hall of speakers AS an anarchist, requesting that his voice be heard and his input be considered. Though the Harmonium tried to arrest him with his first attempt, his natural charm and charisma convinced enough of the other factions to hear him out. He shows up quite regularly now, to protest bills and legislation that would hamper or restrain freedom or individuality. Despite this spotlight, Sarin Vin has been ousted from infiltrating several different factions, though he claims he only does so to get a better understanding of how they think, to walk a mile in someone else's shoes, he says. And somehow, he is always caught before he commits any major crimes, such as getting access to secret, faction-only information.

Sign of One: Philosophy (Male Tiefling planar, Lawful Neutral, lvl 12 wizard.)

Philosophy is, unsurprisingly, a philosopher. He spends most of his days in his own private chambers, engaged in thought. He debates all matter of theoretical discussions in his head as to the nature of the universe and who, indeed, controls it (if anyone does.) He, very rarely, invites some of his top-level people in on the debates, in the rare instances when he needs a 'sounding bored.'

Philosophy is a rather lanky tiefling with lose-fitting robes, who is never without his favorite pipe. No one quite knows where he came from, but he has shown a dual talent for both governing the Hall of Speakers and predicting the multiverse (some say he even foresaw the great disaster twenty years ago.) Now that he is Factol, however, he leaves most of the governing to his subordinates, only weighing in on truly large matters. He seems content to simply sit and think about heady subjects.

Society of Sensation: Maximus Goldenwind. (Male Half-Elf Planar, Chaotic Good, lvl 17 Bard)

Maximus is, most sensates say, the most wondrous bard in the multiverse. His songs and stories evoke prose so descriptive, so accurate, that some say it is akin to touching a sensory stone. He has been at the Civic Festall for several years now, slowly rising through the ranks as a conveyer of sensations and feelings, and when the previous factol stepped down ten years ago, most agreed it was only natural that Maximus take center stage.

Maximus is getting older, and his age is starting to show as he passes his first century. He has brown hair and a winning smile though. And, although his lack of adventuring has made him a bit pudgy as of late, he still claims to be :as healthy as a donkey, and almost half as charming,” to which most people laugh. Maximus has a magnetism and charisma rarely seen in the dark and depressing planes, and his music has been known to stir even some of the infernal races.

The Transcendent Order: Factol Kargin Trath: (Female, Longtooth Shifter Planar, Chaotic Neutral, Lvl 19 Druid)

Trath has a strange history. She was born in the beastlands, to two prime shifter parents who somehow found themselves there (no one is sure how) and she grew up in the beastlands, with her parents until the age of five. At some point (she's not sure, exactly) she was separated from her parents and left to survive in the beastlands alone. Normally, she would have died, but for some reason, she was aided by the spirits of the plane, and she grew up with them for the next fifteen years.

When she was eventually discovered by and adventuring party of ciphers she was almost completely feral. The ciphers managed to calm her and eventually re-awakened her knowledge of speech. During their time together, Trath's feral nature and instincts saved the group more than once, leading them to believe that Trath was farther along the path of transcendence than any of them. They asked to be trained by her, to which she agreed, for unknown reasons.

Trath still dresses in messy hides, much as she did when they found her, and spends most of the time bounding around the gymnasium, impressing many with her feats of acrobatics and athletics. Many factions think the Ciphers are as barmy as the Xaosmen, following a near-feral woman, but the order just laughs, to them, she is perfection.

The Xaositects: The Dwarf: (Male, Dwarf prime, Chaotic Neutral, Lvl 20 Warden.)

Hard to believe, but the chaosmen have a factol . . . at least, some of the time. No one knows where this Dwarf came from, and most think he's taken one too many blows to the head while he was there. He goes by no name (at least, not a constant name) and the chaosmen simply refer to him as 'the factol' (or the 'chief' or 'that one guy,' the list goes on.) However, other factions have taken to calling him 'The Dwarf' just to have a point of reference.

He is willing to use any weapon at any time, often eschewing a magical weapon for a plank of wood or a dining fork. He is usually dressed in scraps of armor, though he will sometimes show up in quite nice-looking hide. The only truly known thing about him is that he is a fearsome fighter, and even the hardheads know not to cross his path when he's on a rampage.

Much like his previous factols, the dwarf is factol only when it is convenient for him, sometimes he will even quit the entire faction, only to seek membership a few days (or sometimes hours) later. His appearance is generally disheveled, and the only constant is that he has a full, (very full) dwarven beard that reaches past his stomach. All others, like clothes, hygiene, and appearance change with his whims.