Lost City Factions
The party fought alongside three allied factions in the Lost City under then-Prince Alekazar against the Cult of Zargon. These factions have a long and complicated history — centuries of rivalry, betrayal, and uneasy alliance.
The Warrior Maidens of Madarua
Leader: Pandora (Chosen of Madarua) Patron: Madarua — goddess of birth, death, seasons, and strategy Role: Elite female warriors who serve Madarua as both protectors and funeral-rites keepers
The Warrior Maidens are revitalized following Pandora’s divine awakening during the Zargon battle. Madarua answered her prayer, resurrected fallen Maidens, and marked Pandora as her Chosen.
Observed traits: Fierce in individual combat, deeply loyal to one another. However, they tend to fight reactively — responding to threats rather than anticipating them. Their strategic thinking is weak, focused on the immediate battle rather than the longer war. Pandora’s awakening may begin to change this.
Historical grievance: Madarua’s sacred tombs were defiled by the Cult of Zargon. Fallen Maidens were left unmourned, their souls unable to pass on. The other two factions did not come to their aid.
The Magi of Usimagarus
Leader: High Priest Demetrius Patron: Usimagarus — god of knowledge, secrets, and memory Role: Arcane scholars and lore-keepers, once the guardians of a great library
The Magi were nearly destroyed when the Cult of Zargon burned their great library centuries ago. Their surviving members are a shadow of what they once were. Auriga Sirkinos, one of their own, betrayed them during the Zargon battle — sacrificed many Magi to Zargon. Pandora captured him and delivered him to King Alekazar for judgment.
Observed traits: Scholars and archivists, but cut off from their own heritage. The loss of their library left them ignorant of their own history and arcane traditions. They hoard knowledge but lack the wisdom to use it.
Historical grievance: The other two factions did not come to their aid when their library burned. This betrayal still poisons their relationships.
The Brotherhood of Gorm
Leader: Kanadius (Grand Master of the Brotherhood of Gorm) Patron: Gorm — god of courage, endurance, and protection Role: Guardians of the Lost City, the shield-wall against darkness
The Brotherhood was nearly exterminated by the Cult of Zargon. A bloodstain on the stairs of their stronghold is said to never fade — a permanent reminder of the massacre. They were reduced to a handful of survivors before being united under King Alekazar’s alliance.
Observed traits: Grim, dutiful, and fiercely protective of what remains. But the trauma of near-annihilation has made them cautious to the point of paralysis. They speak of courage constantly — and avoid taking risks. Their rituals emphasize standing firm, yet they struggle to act decisively when threatened.
Historical grievance: The other two factions did not come to their aid during the massacre. Some Shield-Brothers whisper it was intentional — a test, or worse, a plot to weaken them.
The Three-Faction Alliance
Under then-Prince Alekazar (now King Alekazar), these three factions united against the Cult of Zargon. The alliance was victorious — Zargon was destroyed — but the fractures between them are old and deep.
Each faction carries a wound: “The other two didn’t help us.” Each is defined by the very thing their goddess represents that they themselves lack:
- Madarua’s Maidens — cannot plan
- Usimagarus’s Magi — are ignorant
- Gorm’s Brotherhood — are cowards
The alliance holds under King Alekazar’s rule, but whether it can survive peacetime is another question.