Worldbuilding Day 10: Mood and Culture

The exercise today is one of consideration and revision. Currently I do not feel that there is anything necessary for extensive revision, so I think that I will expand upon a mechanic that I hi-lighted when I examined 13th Age: icons. I am going to try and brainstorm several icons/factions that play a role in the region surrounding the megadungeon.

There are a few things I need to consider when coming up with my own icons. Icons are all social by nature. Someone connected to the icon has to provide the benefit of an icon relationship roll to the player, be it money, a map, a henchmen, or just information. The icons themselves also have goals, and this helps make icons more than just vending machines for the player's benefit.

Icons/Factions:
Mage's Guild: This faction represents the local magic school in the region. They provide training and information and hold some political power in the main settlement.

The Order: This faction represents a militant paladin order that fights the forces of chaos northern of the main mountain range.

The Cult: This faction represents the cultists that have infiltrated the settlements in the region and attempt to sabotage and corruption life behind the defensive forts.

The Northern King: This icon represents the political power in the northern tribes. He is attempting to keep that status quo for fear that any change will leave his people at an even more disadvantageous position.

The Empire: This faction represents the imperial interests in the region. They control the town guards, the army, and the unobtanium mines in the region. They keep the peace and form the economic backbone of the region.

Chaos: This faction represents the raiders from the northern wastes that have been attacking the region for the last few decades. Their motivation and where they derived their power from remain a mystery.

The Guild: This faction represents the merchant guilds, but also the shadowy thieves' guild. They are not evil per se, but I would not consider them a force of good.

There are other factions that I have considered within the megadungeon, but they are not integrated with the social structure of the settlements surrounding the megadungeon so I do not see them as candidates to introduce as factions/icons.