Factions
Factions are groups within a fictional world, each with its own identity and goals, and often competing with one another. Depending on the fictional world, factions could be waring royal houses fighting over territory, different fictional gods each trying to usurp the others, or megacorporations vying for dominance in a cyberpunk dystopia. Even smaller scale groups – different cliques of performers vying for control of a traveling circus – could also be used as factions within a fictional world. Factions add depth, intrigue, and complexity to a setting. But perhaps most importantly, they can be used to add conflict. Factions, and the potential strife between factions with opposing goals, can drive a narrative, inspire historical events (wars, assassinations, etc.), or create compelling and interesting settings and stories.
| Synonyms: blocs, sects, coalitions, civilizations |
| Example Mythonyms: House Ravenhold, the Banking Clan, the Seventh Sons Mercenary Unit |
Archetypes
Overview
The factions present within a fictional world will depend on that world’s genre, era, tone, and other elements/factors. A worldbuilder designing a magical school, for example, may wish to coopt the stereotypical and trope cliques of a high school as factions (witch goths, emo necromancers, illusionist theater kids) while a worldbuilder designing an entire fictional world may wish to use countries or political forces as their dominant factions. For large-scale projects, consider political groups, religious groups, magical/occult groups, rebellions, economic groups (traders, bankers, etc), criminal groups (pirates, crime families), and/or manufacturers (corporations, guilds).
Faction Identity
Faction identity is created through the combination of elements and characteristics specific to a faction that makes it immediately recognizable and unique. Faction identity can use elements like colors, symbols, flags, culture, architecture, tattoos, clothing, and more all in an effort to differentiate a faction from its’ peers.
Unique factions serve a number of purposes. First, they allow worldbuilders to flew their muscles and develop a wide range of fictional groups all with their own characteristics. Perhaps more importantly, faction identity is critical for worlds with audiences, where different factions with different motivations, histories, cultures, and more can be thrown at them rapidly. Faction identity offers an easy method of keeping the various factions of a world separate and memorable. Having a strong faction identity is particularly important in game worlds, where players may need to identify factions quickly and easily and/or choose between different factions that may have different abilities or playstyles.
Cartography
Factions may possess their own lands, planets, or other regions depending on the fictional world. These territories may be fiercely defended, invaded, captured, or merely inhabited. Having territories for each faction can help worldbuilders organize their settings as well as create conflict over the ownership of these territories.
Territories, and particularly the regions and biomes of that territory, can lend inspiration to the types of factions present within them. Raider factions, for instance, may have a completely different faction identity depending if they come from the post-apocalyptic wastelands, the deserts, or the sea.
Leadership
Leaders play a pivotal role in any faction. Define the leaders of your factions, whether they are charismatic visionaries, ruthless warlords, or enigmatic mystics. Understanding the faction’s hierarchy and how leadership is obtained and maintained will add depth to your characters and their dynamics. The internal strife within a faction can also provide areas to explore.
Conflict
Factions rarely exist in isolation. They interact with one another, forming alliances, rivalries, and conflicts. Think about how the different factions in your world relate to one another. Some may be natural allies, while others are bitter enemies. These relationships and how they evolve over time can drive a plot and add intrigue.
Consider uneasy alliances, quests for vengeance, and betrayal.
History
Factions are shaped by the cultural and historical contexts of a world. Develop the unique cultures, traditions, and histories that have given rise to these factions. Understanding their roots will help you create authentic and relatable factions.
Factions in Game Worlds
In game-oriented worlds, players are often given the opportunity to join forces with a faction, becoming enemies of its’ enemies and furthering the factions’ own goals by completing missions or quests provided by that faction. The addition of multiple factions, all of which a player may join, increases player agency, game replayability (if applicable), and tailors a game more towards a player’s individual playstyle and preferences.
