Expansion Devlog 2 - Factions of the Bronze Desert
Hey everyone,
In this next installment of our little devlog series focused on the upcoming expansion Sunfire and Moonshadow, we are taking a look at the three new factions that your vagri will be able to ingratiate themselves with, earning their respect and a slew of rewards, of course.
Note that this post contains mild spoilers, so if you wish to wade into the expansion completely blind, perhaps postpone reading this until you have done so.
Before we talk about each of the three, we have to make a distinction between the regular factions – the type the ones already in the game belong to – and the new type, the nemesis factions.
Nemesis Factions
Nemesis factions come in pairs and they relate to each other exactly how it sounds like: they hate each others’ guts and will not be reconciled nor tolerate anyone allying themselves with their foe. For this reason, befriending a nemesis faction will ultimately lock you out of befriending their opponent in the given playthrough. Sure, you can play both sides for a while when you begin exploring the new regions but it will come to a decision soon enough.
This is fundamentally different from regular factions where you can essentially tank your reputation by working against them or for their enemies but you will almost never reach a point of no return even if you lower your reputation to the absolute minimum (in theory, that is, because crawling out of such a pit is extremely time-consuming). Not so with nemesis factions. Once a certain threshold is reached with one, their foe will forever be closed off from interactions and they will become your dedicated enemy, too.
Also, due to their nature, nemesis factions are more local and will only have effects, tasks, and interactions in their own areas of interest, not in all regions of Vagrus. They are still powerful, with their own forces, bases, bonuses, boons, and rewards, but they will not have a faction presence or interest outside of their zones.
The Ahari and the Chimera Legion
The first pair of nemesis factions ever to appear in Vagrus are the Chimera Legion of the Bronze Desert’s Legate and the Ahari, Bandul insurrectionists opposing the Imperial occupation.
The Ahari are a faction of Bandul who follow the guidance of Ahar, the Great Sun, whom they worship as their one and only god. The Suncallers, spiritual guides who originally looked after holy oases and can channel Ahar’s devastating magic, have taken up leadership of the secretive group recently. Ever since then, the Ahari have been growing and becoming bolder, not content with resisting Imperial harassment but waging a guerilla war against the Empire, and to hell with collateral damage. When allying yourself with the Ahari, you will have to find them first, as they are a clandestine and elusive organization, hiding in the deep desert, where their kind are masters of misdirection and survival. Rumors are circulated about a new leader emerging recently and taking the Ahari into an even more violent direction but nobody has managed to substantiate those claims yet.
The Chimera Legion, on the other hand, are not at home in the Bronze Desert at all. Having completed their previous assignment by the Imperial Senate, they were stationed in the arid wasteland when their commanding officer was appointed as the Legate of the region. This task might seem like unimportant guard duty but because of the war against the Green Continent beyond the Bronze Desert, Imperial forces making their way across the wasteland require constant supervision. As for the Legate, a decorated career military officer, keeping the locals in check and securing the Path of Glory has been a challenge, but some say that it has also moved her into position to carve out her own fortune in this remote, chaotic region.
One thing is certain: no quarter will be given by either side of this escalating conflict. When pressed and having to take sides, who will you choose the expansion drops?
The Handjari
Handjari are a new faction that we’re adding to the roster of currently existing ones. And, yes, this means that if you own the expansion, their faction presence will show up in the main game areas, too. Competitors to Imperial Trading Houses (but on fairly good terms with them), the Handjari are the alliance of a loosely connected Tarkian trade princes and their substantial commercial empires. Specifically, Prince Faisal al-Turhen, the Coiner, Patriarch of Akena, Victor of the Battle of Garesh, is the leader of the Bronze Desert’s Handjari and he oversees most of the region’s trade – in the name of the Empire, their allies, of course.
The Handjari of the Bronze Desert have their own interest in the conflict between the Ahari and the Chimera Legion but they are rarely directly involved. On paper, they support the Imperials but you might find that their agenda is more complicated than that. In general, staying on their good side unlocks a great number of opportunities for enterprising vagri.
That concludes our second devlog on the expansion Sunfire and Moonshadow. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll have more of these posts on certain aspects of what we’ve been brewing up. Until then, stay tuned, stay vigilant, and conquer the wasteland!
The Lost Pilgrims Team
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