Three factions. Two of them admit it.

Choosing a faction in Aarkun is not a cosmetic decision. Faction allegiance determines which questlines open to you, which towns will sell to you, who hunts you on sight, and — eventually — which version of the world's truth you are told. There are three factions. Two of them have names you will hear in your first hour. The third you may not learn about until much later.

The Guardians

The Guardians hold the cities, the libraries, and the official version of history. They are heirs of the old order — the people who claim to have been keeping the seasons turning since the Dragons fell. To outsiders they look like noble knights in good armour. To people who live under their towers, they look like a quieter kind of occupier. Both views are correct.

Guardians get access to clean infrastructure: smiths, training halls, fast travel between major cities, formal rank progression. They lose access to most outlaw content, several side-questlines that paint them badly, and the trust of anyone in Brassen.

The Bandits

“Bandits” is what the Guardians call them. Internally they call themselves a dozen different things — the Free Companies, the Coastline, the Long Road. They are not a unified army. They are a thousand local arrangements that share an attitude toward Guardian authority and a refusal to forget what the Guardians want forgotten.

Bandit-aligned characters get cheaper black-market access, smuggler routes through cell territory, and faster rumour-network quests. They lose formal city services, get hunted by Guardian patrols, and pay a reputation tax in any town with a garrison.

The Third

We won't print its name here. The third faction is the reason any of this is happening, and the way you find out about it is part of the main story. What we will say: it is older than the Guardians, it predates the season-magic itself, and the Guardians know it exists. It is the hidden cause behind several events you will encounter early — events the Guardians and the Bandits both blame on each other.

Players who follow the main questline far enough are eventually given a choice about the third faction. That choice has consequences — for your character, for the questlines that remain available, and for the ending you reach. There is no “correct” answer.

What faction does for your character

• Determines which capital cities are safe and which are hostile.
• Unlocks faction-specific questlines, dungeons, and rare equipment.
• Shapes how NPCs greet, refuse, or recruit you.
• Gates participation in faction-vs-faction territory events.
• Influences the main story's branching arc and final reveal.

Can I change faction?

Yes, but it is intentionally heavy. Defecting is a multi-step questline, costs standing, and locks some content permanently. Your faction is meant to be a decision you make and live with — not a switch you flip when the meta moves.