We hope you’ve enjoyed the last 2 dev blogs about the setting of Unforetold: Witchstone, the harsh and mysterious island-continent of Kalsundia. Collaborating with the legendary Ed Greenwood to create this world has been a dream come true and way more fun than anticipated. We hope you’ll also have fun immersing yourself in our universe.
Today, we’re going to dive a little deeper into a topic that’s been brought up a few times in previous posts: Kalsundian factions.
Three main factions vie for power on the island: the Free Legion, the Commonwealth, and the Brightwind Clan. At the start of Unforetold: Witchstone, there is an uneasy truce between them, but any inciting event could potentially trigger an all-out war. Due to their conflicting ideals and visions for the future of Kalsundia, this swing between war and peace has been happening since the last time they all fought together and forced the mainland empires to retreat from the island. The factions have divided the ownerships of towns among themselves but these ownerships can easily change through negotiations or battles.
The Commonwealth
The Commonwealth is the oldest faction in Kalsundia. Formed on Orwindar by Avondan political revolutionaries and prisoners, they were among the first people to live on the island in a few thousand years.
The Commonwealth opposes military leadership and instead prefers appointed leadership, which puts them in political opposition to the Free Legion. Their ideal is that the people need to unite and share, to serve a Greater Purpose. Gradually, in the last few years, more and more elves have become high-ranking members of the faction, to the dissatisfaction of a few.
In order to gain favor with the Commonwealth and get invited to join them, you will be asked to influence civilians to serve the Greater Purpose, negotiate with rival factions, and help the elven leadership.
The Brightwind Clan
The Brightwind Clan is the 2nd oldest faction in Kalsundia. Formed by Avondan wizards who discovered the secret to breaking the Compulsion-Bond, a mind control method used by Avondan leaders, using witchstones. By performing and teaching the ritual to Kalsundians, they gained the trust of people for many generations.
In the years since, the Brightwind has invented many witchadar devices to improve Kalsundians’ daily lives. Of course, they have also created witchadar weapons that they keep mostly for themselves. Their focus is on selling products and ensuring no conflict gets in the way of business.
The Brightwind Clan would appreciate you and include you as of theirs if you helped them keep the other factions from fighting each other and dealt with the Commonwealth members stealing witchadar weapons.
The Free Legion
This faction was founded by rebel Avondan soldiers who were stationed at the fort that has been renamed Free Fortress. Though the Free Legion despises the oppression, corruption, and manipulation of their former empire, it did keep and adapt their military training and structure. A leadership position is earned from battles.
A Free Legion soldier’s life revolves around training and discipline. They believe that a good fighter with a strong weapon can beat any Brightwind weapon. Therefore, they train and employ the best blacksmiths in Kalsundia. This belief also means that the Free Fortress loves to send troops into townships to take over other factions’ properties.
To earn the respect and friendship of the Free Legion and join their ranks, you will need to join them on their raids and strike down people who they perceive as enemies.
Which faction you decide to join (or not join) in Unforetold: Witchstone is completely up to you. Helping out to strengthen a faction without ever joining them is also a valid option. There are also other smaller factions in Kalsundia that might pique your interest, like the Luck Turner bandits or the Order of the Departed cultists. And there are factionless civilians that you can side with and defend.
As you explore Kalsundia, you will learn about factions’ wants and be rewarded for playing a part in fulfilling them. How you act on these available opportunities will shift the balance of power and the appreciation between factions. You’ll have some decisions as you can’t fulfill conflicting factions’ wants without ruffling someone’s feathers.
We’ll be back next month to talk more about opportunities and the numerous journeys they’ll take you. Also, we’ll explain about how opportunities set us apart from conventional CRPG and the approach we took for questing in a RPG sandbox.
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