Since there has been a bit of discussion about Factions, I'm making this post to try and explain some of my thoughts/rulings on them as well as provide a few examples.

Factions

A faction is simply a group working together to achieve a goal. The exact size or form of the faction can be almost anything, rag-tag group of companions, to a company, to a kingdom, but what they all have in common is that they are groups of people pooling their skills and resources to achieve something. As simple as "earn lots of money" or as complicated as "save the world." Since even factions with surface-level similarities can be vastly different from one another, there are no hard and fast rules describing the form and function of a faction. Instead, traits, descriptions, and features will be given on a case-by-case basis. There are a few unifying features, however, which I'll go over now.

Size

One of the most important traits of a faction, simply describing how large it is. Size is based on a combination of how many people are in a faction, how much territory they hold, and how many individual units a faction can be separated into. While I have split them into tiers, there are no hard rules on how

Tier 0: Around the size of a normal Final Fantasy party. Composed entirely of named characters, usually somewhere between 4 and 10 people, but can sometimes be larger. Due to the small size, this serves as more of a 'proto faction' than a proper one. A faction of this size can't capture territory, fight armies, and will have severe difficulty "punching up" at larger factions. They may have a 'home base' of some kind, but it will probably be a single building or camp. Examples: Almost every Final Fantasy party, Tantalus Theatre Troupe, a Summoner and their Guardians

Tier 1: The first tier to count as a proper faction, what sets tier apart from Tier 0 is the presence or absence of more people and a central leader. Factions of this size usually have a name, a stated goal, and enough public-facing presence that someone may reasonably know their name and consider joining. They may be individual agents like mercenary companies, pirate crews, and hunter clans, or pieces of larger factions, such as a branch of the military or a political party. Examples: Ramza's unit, Marche's Hunter Clan, Baron's Red Wings, the Turks, and the Kingsglaive.

Tier 2: This is the tier where a faction can reasonably be called a "population" or a "settlement," as well as the first tier where a faction may be considered a political entity. A faction that reaches this size must either be large enough that it can reasonably be split into smaller factions (such as an army with multiple units, or a rebel group with multiple cells) or possess its own settlement. The exact size of the settlement doesn't matter, but it must be large and stable enough to have a permanent population. Camps don't count. All of the settlements that I've dotted around the Great Nations are Tier 2. Examples: Padarak, Baron, Troia, Cleyra, Balamb Garden, and any other independent city or town.

Tier 3: The 5 Great Nations are the only ones that fit into this tier. Dalmasca, Cocoon, Shinra, Church of Yevon, and the Gestahlian Empire. The biggest, most populous, and most complex nations in the world, though not necessarily the most moral or pleasant to live in. These factions are on their own level in terms of size and complexity. Each one starts with one population center but may ally with and conquer others as the quest continues. For my own sanity, you will probably never reach this faction tier.

Size is important because it shows what scale a faction is operating at. As much as we love our little 5 man bands, they are incapable of doing things like holding territory, conquering a kingdom, or facing down an entire army. Or at the very least, punching down is much easier than punching up. Size is also what I'm using to dictate how many personal actions a faction leader should have. Having a faction at all gives you 1 personal action but to get more you need a larger faction where you can delegate more of your responsibilities. Normally in CK2 quests the cap is 4, but I'm not sure if I want to go that far.

Unifying Principle/Goal: This is what brings the faction together. Does the faction's people follow because of religious dogma, or monetary benefits? Do they follow because of their love and trust in the faction leader, or for purely pragmatic reasons? Ramza's crew from FFT follow him largely because they find him to be a just and honorable man, but Marche's crew mostly follow him because he hires them on as Clan members. The Chocobros are together because of their brotherly bonds and also because Noctus is heir to the throne. The Returners from FF6 are a rag-tag bunch, but they are unified in their resistance against the Gestahlian Empire.

Type: Type is less of a rule or hard description and more of a soft label. Shinra is a Company/Business. Dalmasca is a Kingdom. AVALANCHE is a Rebel Group. The average heroic group is a Party. It may give you a rough understanding of how the faction works on a day-to-day basis, but don't be fooled into thinking 2 factions of the same type will operate exactly the same.

Traits: Just like with characters, Factions will have traits that describe particular skills, features, and resources they may have access to. For example, Shinra has traits describing the benefits and abilities of the Turks and SOLDIER. They can also have negative traits which represent weaknesses and failings of the faction.

Factions and You

I did my best to include a few different ways for you to create/join a faction. Rabanstre was an ideal start since you've got Sky Pirates, the Hunter Clans, and the kingdom's Knights (I never expected Aerith to try for that one, but it might have been a good path for Cecil or Celes.) As a thriving center of trade, it would also be an ideal place to start a business.

So far it seems to me you guys have been working on the idea of a gardening/herbal medicine business, and potentially forming a Party with the heroes you've met (except Wakka.) For the business, what you're missing right now is a product and a steady source of income, but I imagine in a turn or two that will sort itself out. The Party is a bit trickier, you need something to bind you together. Some common goals and shared interests.

Don't worry though, I believe in you.

---

Also, as a side note. This vote has been pretty tight. Right now we've got Walking on Sunshine with 6, Potion Shop with 5, and Vertical Integration with 4. So all it would take is a few votes to swing it in any direction. I admit, I'm happy to see some competition.

Check On Vaan

Auto Pass

---

After meeting Vaan in the shallow part of the Waterway a few days ago, you started checking there every so often. You were worried you'd see him getting gnawed on by rats, or walking down the street covered in blood, but the first few times you checked there was no sign of him. And you weren't sure if that was because he stopped, or because he was strong enough to handle himself.

You got your answer when you heard the sounds of combat in his little training area and quickly ran to check on him. By the time you got there, he already managed to kill the rats but had a nasty gash in his side.

"Remember what I said about being careful?" You lightly admonish him, quickly casting Cure on him.

"I was doing fine. There were just more than usual." Vaan defended himself.

"Vaan, is there really nowhere else for you to train? Why are you so dedicated to hunting rats in the sewer?"

"Because I have something that proves I'm not just another Rabanstre street rat. A dream!" Vaan said passionately. "Maybe this is how my story starts, hunting rats in the gutter. But one day I'll say goodbye to this dusty old city and hit the skies! I'll be a Sky Pirate!"

He said it with a childish fervor that reminded you of Yuffie's proclamations, but beneath that was an iron will. A normal kid might give up once they got hurt or experienced true difficulty. But Yuffie didn't, and you expect neither would Vaan.

But you still didn't like the idea of him training in a dirty, disease-ridden sewer. So maybe you could find something better for him to do…

"Hey Vaan, want to help me make some Sunstones?"

[Got closer to Vaan]
[He's actually pretty good at fighting for his age…]

---

Make Your Own Sunstones

D100= 67 + 12= 79
Success!

---

The Giza Plains were directly south of Dalmasca. The harsh desert sands were replaced by dry, cracking dirt with sparse plant life. More of a dry savannah than a desert.

The monster population wasn't too bad really. There were a few territorial horses-like creatures called Sleiphner, but they left you alone as long as you didn't invade their space. There were also Hyenas (they looked more like wolves to you) which were aggressive, but if the leader of the pack went down the rest would scatter.

Between your spells and Vaan's knife, it was easy enough to make your way to the nomad village in the center and get your hands on the tool you needed, a smooth black stone called a shade stone. Now, according to your research, all you had to do was press it against the glowing stone spires that dotted the Plains

"Have you ever been to Giza Plains Vaan?" You ask

"Once or twice with Migelo I think. Only during the dry season, and I never got much further than the nomad village."

"Dry season?"

"Oh yeah, I hear this place gets flooded once the season changes. We're walking in riverbeds, they've just dried up for the season. I hear there's a completely different set of monsters during the rainy season too."

"Huh. I'll have to keep that in mind." You approach the first spire, a several-foot-tall stone structure that shone so brightly it hurt to look at. The two of you each take out a shade stone and press it to the spire.

The glow from the spire slowly recedes, but as you look down at the shade stones, the jet-black rock is now a pale yellow color.

"That's good progress I think, let's find the next spire."

"I do have to ask, why sunstones?" Vaan questions.

"Well, there's a bit of a shortage due to the blizzard, and now the cold snap. So I'm sure yours will sell well if that's what you're worried about. I considered buying one but if I can make my own that'll really help my budget out."

"Makes sense…" Vaan looks at the stone in his hand. "Definitely going to sell better than rat pelts. Oh, uh. What are we going to tell Migelo?"

"Just say you were helping me with something. It's not a lie is it?"

"... I guess not."

You continue to the next spire, in comfortable silence.

[Sunstone acquired!]
[Cost of "Grow An Underground Garden" has been reduced to 0!]
[Maybe Vaan will find a better way to train]

---

Grow An Underground Garden

D100= 82+ 16= 98
Tier 2 Success!

---

This is what you've been waiting for. Your house is pretty nice, but it doesn't feel like yours if it isn't filled to the brim with pots, vases, and planters full of greenery.

You roll up your sleeves and get to work.

First things first, you clear out the chamber behind your house and cover a hole in the ceiling. You don't want anything crawling or flying down there to eat your garden, and with the sunstone you don't need it for light anymore.

Once you've fully prepared the chamber you come to your first real obstacle, where to put the sunstone. If you leave it on a shelf somewhere, the shelf will block most of the light. You need to find a way for it to be radiating light and heat across the whole room.

In the end, you find a lantern that will hold the sunstone without blocking off too much of the light, and hang it in the middle of the room.

Next came the planting itself but that was easy. Water from the waterway was free, and so was good old Dalmascan soil. The pots and planters weren't free, but they were pretty cheap and so were the seeds.

Before long you had all your pots and planters filled, but you soon realized another problem. Some of your seeds needed full sun, but the others needed partial sun. You weren't in any danger of them burning up, since a sunstone was ultimately much less powerful than the sun, but you still didn't think 24 hours a day of heat and light would be good for them.

Once again, the solution ended up being the lantern. It had a hood, which meant you could focus the light on one side of the room, or completely cover the stone up to turn off the light entirely. So once you decided the shade plants had enough time in the sun, you could cover the lantern up again.

… Although, you did have to rearrange the room to get the shade plants on one side and the full-sun plants on the other. Once you had the seeds all planted and watered, you said a little prayer and went to sleep for the night.

---

After a few weeks of hard work, you stopped to take a deep breath of fresh and fragrant air. Your garden was coming along nicely.

Some of the plants were new to you, brittlebrush, desert marigolds, desert poppies, and a flowering cactus, but you were lucky enough to find a few familiar ones too. Between your tender loving care, the sunstone, and the blessings of the planet, you had a beautiful (if slightly cramped) garden sitting right behind your house.

Now… what to do with it? You could go with the old flower cart routine, but would that work? In Midgar you had the distinction of being the only gardener who could make anything grow, literally no competition from anyone else. Dalmasca wasn't exactly drowning in florists, but it still wasn't as barren as back home.

You could try making products perhaps? You know some flowers and leaves are important parts of tea blends, perfumes, and incense, but you've never made anything to a professional level before.

Or maybe you could try making medicine instead? Alfyn taught you the basics, but you would need his help to make anything more complex than basic healing potions.

You weren't all that worried though. You had a garden, and that made you feel a lot better.

[Aerith has an Underground Garden!]
[Actions related to Underground Garden unlocked!]

---

Investigate The Hunter Clans

D100= 55+16= 71
Tier 2 Success!

---

From what you understand of the Hunter Clans, they tend to keep to themselves, only emerging from their Clan Halls for official business. That "official business" is usually undertaking requests as posted by normal citizens on the notice boards around town, or delivered directly to their clan hall by messengers.

Unless they told you, no one would ever know who was and wasn't part of a Hunter Clan. There was no uniform and being a member of a clan wasn't required to be a hunter, it just gave you access to better information and tools.

Considering that Clan Halls only allowed Clan members inside, and most of them were hidden, the only way for you to find a Clan Hall would be to find a Clan member. So, you set about doing that.

The plan you eventually settled on was to find a hunt posted on one of the notice boards and see who came to look at it. When you saw a sufficiently hunter-ish-looking person take the hunt or at least examine it, you would follow them. Not the best plan you've come up with, but asking around didn't seem to get you anywhere so it was time for a little more drastic action.

Your first couple of attempts didn't turn up anything. The hunters either went around town to all the perfectly normal, non-clan establishments or headed directly after their target. Although you did learn that Clan Hunters had a "Clan Primer" which served as proof of their allegiance.

Eventually, you got lucky, and the hunter (A Viera woman) led you to a building on Rabanstre's north end that you've never really given a second thought. But now that you give it a second look…

It's bigger than any of the buildings around it, several stories tall, and not broken up by any buildings or streets. As she walks inside you swear you see an extravagant staircase and several armed and armored people inside.

You must have been a bit too obvious in your staring because someone stomped up to you, a fearsome-looking Garif, a muscular, furred humanoid with large horns that reminded you of bird wings and a stone mask with a curved beak. He would have towered over you if he wasn't hunched forward.

"Yours is not a face I recognize. Are you interested in Clan Centurio?" Despite his fearsome appearance, he didn't seem angry or defensive, just curious.

"I am."

"Hmm… If you wish to prove yourself, you must bring evidence of a great deed. A trophy from a fell beast, the recommendation of another clan member, or a certified hunt under your belt. Or perhaps you have business with a clan member, in which case I recommend sending a letter. However, as you are not a clan member, you will not be allowed inside the building itself. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Thank you for the information." You give him a little curtsy. He nods his head and walks back inside. After admiring the Clan Hall a bit longer, there's nothing for you to do but head off.

'So I can show up with proof of my hunting skills… or send them a letter. Not sure which one will get me further, but I know which one will be easier…'

[Actions relating to Clan Centurio unlocked!]

---

'Bond' With The Magicite

D100= 52+ 29= 81
Success! (By 2 points!)

---

You had no idea what you were doing.

When the word "Bond" came to your mind, it made you think of friends, of family, of getting to know people. But all of that applied to living, breathing, sentient beings. How did you bond with a rock? It wasn't like Materia where you just put it in the slot and it all came naturally.

After a few attempts at casting magic with it in hand, or staring at it, or even trying to polish it, you found yourself lying in bed and talking to it.

"Ever since the Upheaval I've been thinking about magic and Materia. Even after I knew that Shinra was full of bad people, and making artificial Materia was destroying the planet, I never stopped using it. Sometimes I felt guilty about using it, other times I waved it off, 'I need Materia to use magic' I thought to myself. But maybe I was wrong."

"All these people can cast magic without Materia and… I think I can too. But that just makes me wonder. Was I not trying hard enough before? Or are the rules different now that the Upheaval has happened?"

You gently turn the crystal over in your hand, staring at the pleasantly cool stone like it might give you an answer. When nothing happens, you sigh and keep talking.

"I don't even know how much of Gaia came with me. I can still talk with the planet, but even that seems different than it used to. The world seems less scarred than it used to, but it's also wild and chaotic. Not to mention wish Shinra and the Mako reactors around, it might not last."

"Chaos is here too, and I still don't know what… his, it's…? I don't know what its goal is, just that it has the planet terrified. The last time the planet was this horrified was JENOVA and… Sephiroth."

The thought of the silver-haired First Class Soldier made you wince as a phantom pain echoed through your sternum

"... I wonder if he's here too. Is it wrong of me to hope that he's gone? That would either mean he no longer exists, or that he ended up somewhere that isn't here. It would be awful if he was inflicted on some poor unsuspecting town but… some selfish part of me would just be glad to never see him again. Not very heroic of me, huh?"

You smile weakly at the Magicite, not sure if the self-deprecation made you feel better or worse.

It takes you a moment to realize the eye you're gazing at isn't yours. Rather than your bright green being reflected in the crystal, there's a light blue eye looking at you, seemingly from within the Magicite.

You jolt in surprise surprise and fumble the Magicite, which clatters unceremoniously to the ground. By the time you pick it up again, the eye is gone, and all you can see in it is your own reflection.

But as you hold the crystal again, it feels different. Like it was more… open now. As if some seal had been in place, and now it was broken.

Ice coats your fingertips, but you don't feel cold in the slightest.

[Bond with Ice Magicite has been strengthened! New effect identified!]
[Ice Attunement: The bonded hero becomes Resistant to the Ice and Water elements. The bonded hero also becomes Weak to the Fire element]
[Magicite Spells: The bonded hero may cast Blizzard as if using a level 1 Ice Materia]

---

Chaos Event: Double Trouble

[Turn 5 will have 2 Chaos Events instead of 1]
[New Chaos Events will be included in Turn 5's Events]

The Cold snap has finally ended, and temperatures have returned to normal in Rabanstre. The supply of Sunstones in Rabanastre has been severely diminished, but it was enough to keep everyone warm in the end.

Rebuilding the stockpile of sunstones will take time, and until then there will be plenty of enterprising individuals looking to make and sell them.

[Sunstone prices will drop in 3 Turns]
Somehow information about Basch's return to the knights has gotten out, and rumors have started flying. You know the truth of course, but the population of Rabanstre seems convinced he has somehow hoodwinked Ashe.

Some knights stand with him, some knights stand against him, and it's only by Ashe's authority that he hasn't been exiled or worse. Though there is ample evidence for his innocence, the court of public opinion is proving harder to sway.

You expect the unrest will die out sooner or later, but for now, things seem… tense. In Rabanstre.

[Mild Unrest in Rabanastre]
The sandstorms to the East that the cartographers spotted have persisted. Not just persisted, but gotten even stronger. It's covering an entire segment of the desert and preventing maps from being drawn.

The cartographers seem to be giving up on mapping out that region, but perhaps that uncharted region is hiding what Freya seeks.

[Could that sandstorm be hiding Cleyra?]
Outside of the region covered in sandstorms, which the cartographers have more or less abandoned, mapping out the region around Dalmasca has been going well. According to Ashe, the maps will be finished by the end of the month.

[1 More Turn until Maps are finished]
The Trade Route isn't finished yet, but will be soon. Rabanstre seems excited for the Route to be finished, with many traders and merchants preparing their goods to make the trek.

[Estimated Time to Finish: Next Turn]
According to reports the area around the Church of Yevon has… ceased moving.

The air does not flow, the waves do not crash against the beach. Even people who move too close begin to feel themselves slowing down as they enter the region.

No one knows how such a thing is possible, but everyone prays that it is not permanent

[All actions within the Church of Yevon's region will be suspended until the next turn]
Something happened that you can't quite explain. It feels like something is wrong, like something has changed. Not with you, but with the planet itself. It's not a foreign threat more like… something has gotten twisted.

It feels like the planet wants you to fix it, but it's impossible for you to tell where it is.

[Something in the world has changed…]
[If you find it, you can resolve it. But it won't be easy.]

---

Turn 5 Actions

Current Funds: 3
Note: Aerith doesn't have control of a faction. At the moment all of her actions are done personally, and as such she has no personal actions. After gaining control of a faction, or at least a few close allies, she will regain the use of personal actions.

---

Martial

[ ] Go On An Adventure: Ashe brought some interesting things to your attention. Sandstorms to the East, and a seaside town to the Northeast. Maybe you should visit one? Or both if you can? Basch will come along if you're headed to the seaside town, Freya if you're headed to the sandstorms. Alfyn will come along either way, and of course, you'd have to pay Shadow to come. [DC: None. Triggers "Adventure" phase at the end of the turn]

[ ] Explore the Desert Around Dalmasca: Now that the blizzard is gone there's less danger involved in exploring the desert. But should you explore around Dalmasca when you know other places to go further? [DC: 50]

[ ] Explore the Garamsythe Waterway: On your adventure, you charted a few paths in the Waterway, but according to Ashe there are supposed to be more, and of course, you might find more treasure too… [DC: 50]

[ ] Hunt To Impress Clan Centurio: You need to bag a dangerous enough monster to impress the Clan, and bring home proof that you did it. It won't be an easy task, but it might be enough to get you in the front door of the Clan. [DC: 80]

[ ] Make Sunstones To Sell: Even though the blizzard and following cold snap are over, the frigid weather has people scared of a potential repeat. Sunstones are a hot commodity, and you could make good money selling them. [DC: 40/80]

[ ] Practice Self-Defense: It felt like everyone but you took a beating at least once on that last adventure. Even if it's just a good strategy, you can't help but feel a bit guilty about letting them take the hits while you have to hang back. If you could fight with your staff and spells, maybe they wouldn't have to guard you so much. [DC: 60]

Diplomacy

[ ] Convince Your Friends of Your Quest: Alfyn and Freya certainly like you, Ashe and Shadow probably do. But is that enough to convince them to help you fight... whatever Chaos is? Maybe you should save this until you have proof... [DC: ???]

[ ] Partner With Alfyn: It just makes sense, doesn't it? A gardener and an apothecary will go great together, and he's a sweet guy. You don't have to broach the topic of Chaos yet, just a mutually beneficial agreement between friends. [DC: Auto Pass]

[ ] Try To Meet Montblanc: Montblanc is the head of Clan Centurio, the Hunter Clan you've been investigating. He has a business adress, so you could send him a letter. You're not sure if the leader of a Clan would be willing to make time for you, but he would be a great ally [DC: ???]

[ ] Indulge in Gossip: One of the best ways to keep an ear out is just to talk and listen. The whispers seem to have taken a much… darker tone now that Basch has been revealed. [DC: 30/70]

[ ] Visit the Cartographer's Guild: They'll start selling maps soon, but until they are 100% convinced of its quality, no maps for anyone. You understand why they want to check and double-check the accuracy, but the wait is brutal. Maybe you should see if there's any info they're willing to share. [DC: ???]

Stewardship

[ ] Start Selling Flowers: This is what you used to do back in Midgar, gather up some of what you've grown in your garden and sell it. You'll have to get a cart or a wheelbarrow to use, but after that nothing will stop you. If you start doing it once or twice a week, you might make a lot of money. [DC: 40/100]

[ ] Odd Jobs: Your usual thing. Now that everything has gone back to normal there's surely some chores that need doing. [DC: 20/60]

[ ] Go Shopping: There's plenty to buy in Rabanstre's shops, medicine, weapons, armor, magic items, so on and so on. It could be useful, but it's also going to be expensive. [DC: 0/50/100]

[ ] Home Brew Potions With Alfyn: Between yourself and Alfyn, you're sure you could make some good healing items for cheap. You can either sell them later or use them for an upcoming adventure. [DC: Auto Pass. D100 roll will decide the quantity and quality of items made]

Intrigue

[ ] Acquire A Fake 'Trophy': It's dishonest of you, but finding or making a fake trophy to get you into Clan Centurio would be easier than hunting a monster yourself. If they find out it's fake though… [DC: 40/80]

[ ] Air Pirates?: The way people talk about Air Pirates suggests that they were rebels against authority and the empire, but not necessarily criminals. Some smuggled, some raided, but most were simply free spirits branded as pirates by the empire. Some of the former prisoners of Nalbina were Air Pirates, maybe they'd put in a good word for you? [DC: 70]

[ ] Find an Easy Hunt: One way to open the door to Clan Centurio would be to solve an official hunt for them. If you work smarter, not harder, you might be able to score an easy win by finding a monster you're suited for killing. [DC: 70]

[ ] Find the Black Market: It's just a rumor for now… but there are whispers that a black market is forming in the lower city, where stolen and illegal goods are being sold. After Wall Market you're not too keen on the idea, but they might have useful stuff down there… [DC: 80]

Learning

[ ] What Could You Make?: Back in Midgar you only sold flowers, it was less about the money and more about bringing smiles to people. Now that money is a bit more of an issue maybe you should look into what you can turn those flowers and sprouts into. Perfume, incense, medicine… [DC: 40/70/100]

[ ] What is Magicite?: At first, you kept equating Magicite and Materia as the same thing in your head, but that's not quite true is it? If you study it you might be able to find out what's different about it [DC: 60 (Note: Uses Magic)]

[ ] Get Alfyn's Help Picking Seeds: Alfyn knows which plants are useful, you know which plants are beautiful. Between the two of you, it shouldn't be too hard to populate a garden with plants that everyone will love. [DC: 40]

[ ] Consult The Planet: You're not really sure how the ancient Cetra did it, or even how you are supposed to do it. But in times of need, the Planet has granted you insight before. Maybe if you tried meditating… [DC: 80 (Note: Uses Magic)]

[ ] Monster Research: Maybe it's due to the close proximity to the Hunter Clans, but you've heard Rabanastre has a lot of information on monsters. Maybe it'll help you prepare for your upcoming journey, maybe you'll find a hint about that monster in the Waterway, or maybe you'll find a good target to hunt for Clan Centurio. [DC: 40/80]

[ ] Attend a Yevonite Sermon: The Maester won't be there anymore, but it seems like a few preachers stayed behind. So you can still listen to a sermon if you'd like. [DC: Auto Pass]

---

The hardest part for me is always coming up with lots of reasonable options, Thankfully, I think some things I've been looking forward to are about to come up.

Voting Will Be Open Until 12:00 PM CST Monday!