The Enduring

Summary

The Enduring is the collective name for all surviving peoples of the Halcyon Domain who maintain their humanity and resist The Umbra. Rather than a single unified faction, the Enduring represents a shared identity—a declaration that despite the gods' abandonment, despite the Soul Blight, despite the ever-growing darkness, life continues.

The Enduring are scattered across numerous settlements, each centered around a Sacred Pyre, connected by wandering traders, hunters, and the occasional messenger.

Leadership

The Enduring have no central leadership. Each settlement governs itself through:

• Councils of speakers and elders
• Military commanders who organize defense
• Pyrekeepers who maintain the sacred flames
• Various local traditions and power structures

Goals

• Survive against the horrors of The Umbra
• Protect and expand their settlements
• Maintain the Sacred Pyres that keep the darkness at bay
• Connect with other settlements for trade and mutual support
• Discover ways to end the curses that plague the realm

Shared Values

Despite their separation, the Enduring share common values:

• Unity against the dark: The Enduring do not abandon their own
• Respect for the Pyres: Sacred Pyres are the most precious resource
• Wariness of magic: Aetherweaving is viewed with suspicion by many
• Remembrance: The dead are honored, even knowing they may rise again

Key Settlements

• Okros - Fort village in the Idol Hollows
• Amber Reach - Fallen city with competing factions

Relationship with Other Factions

• The Celsian Athenaeum: Respected scholars who aid the cause of survival
• The Damask Queens: Considered traitors to humanity who prey on their fellow survivors
• Zealot factions: Various groups seeking to contact the Veiled Gods
• Hermetic societies: Guardians of forbidden knowledge about God-King Othedias