Factions & Organizations

The orders, armies, guilds, and institutions that shape nations

71 entries

Adze

The Adze are creatures native to the Nyanzi savannah. They first appear in The Steam Knight 2.

Areth Empire

The Areth Empire is a vast empire spanning the continent of Areth, standing as one of the dominant political entities of the known world.

Atreblan Royal Army

The Atreblan Royal Army is the professional military force of the kingdom of Atrebla, noted for its training and discipline. According to A History of Rislandia, it is described as composed of professional soldiers, well-trained and disciplined.

Atreblans

The Atreblans are a refined people with a distinct culture, traditional nobility, and powerful monastic system whose refugees founded both Rislandia and, later, the Wyranth Empire. Their architectural, religious, and folkloric traditions left a lasting imprint on the civilizations of the Iberanth Peninsula.

Automaton Corps (Wyranth)

The Automaton Corps is a new branch of the Wyranth Imperial Army composed of mechanical soldiers powered by life crystals, manufactured on Isle du Mystere and deployed alongside human troops. Commanded by Princess Kristina, the Corps has proven devastating in battle but remains controversial and is still developing its tactics and strategies.

Blue Blob Creature

The blue blob creature is a small, living organism recreated by the scientist Rhys from the fossilized genetic material of ancient giant creatures, kept in a glass container in his laboratory. Its biological secretions and blood were used in the development of strength-enhancing serums administered to the Nightmen.

Chronists

The Chronists were one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, serving as seers, historians, and advisors through the use of fate crystals, also called time shards. Headquartered in the Grand Library of Oretha Eternal, the guild engaged in covert conflicts with the Shadowkin over the control of information.

Desert Nomads

The Desert Nomads are a collection of tribes who have adapted to the harsh environment of the Red Desert, trading with both Wyranth and Rislandia. They are known for jealously guarding the oases scattered across the Red Desert.

Dragons of the Dragonmist Isles

The Dragons of the Dragonmist Isles are a species of large reptilian creatures native to the Underground World of the Dragonmist Isles beneath the Dragonmist Isles, appearing in The Crystal Conspiracy.

Du Gearsmith Family

The du Gearsmiths are a noble family of Rislandia who rose to prominence in law and administration after being assigned a humiliating name during King Malaky VII's reign. Through competence and determination, they transformed their imposed shame into a mark of distinction.

Ember Brotherhood

The Ember Brotherhood was a secret society composed of purist pyreans who rejected blood magic in the aftermath of the Great Sundering. Operating clandestinely, the Brotherhood dedicated itself to preserving what knowledge it could from the era before the Sundering.

Fae Courts

The Fae Courts are the rumored governing bodies of the Fae, said to be divided along lines of Summer and Winter, or Seelie and Unseelie. Their true structure remained unknown to mortals, and their laws were enforced by enigmatic figures known as Bargain Keepers.

Fae Oslan

Fae Oslan is a faction or entity that claimed portions of the Far Northern Islands, with some of those islands remaining uninhabited under its claim. Little else is recorded about Fae Oslan in available sources.

First Diplomatic Corps of Rislandia

The First Diplomatic Corps of Rislandia was a formal diplomatic institution established by King Malaky VI in Year 205 to conduct official relations with foreign kingdoms. It maintained permanent embassies in Atrebla, Perryton, and Nyanzi, and carried out cultural exchange programs alongside discreet intelligence gathering.

Gagantemidae

The gagantemidae was a massive serpentine creature native to desert environments, capable of moving beneath sand and dragging prey underground. It was encountered and repelled during events depicted in The Blood of Giants.

Gentry Family

The Gentry family were the neighboring farming family to Zaira von Monocle in Plainsroad Village, selling her harvests at market and providing vital support. Their farm and home were destroyed when overwhelmed by Wyranth forces during the events of For Steam and Country; Mr. and Mrs. Gentry were killed, while their son James escaped alongside Zaira.

Giant Bats

Giant bats were large, human-sized bat creatures that attacked the airship Liliana before its desert landing, swarming the vessel in a colony and causing significant damage to its turbines and deck before being repelled by the crew.

Goblins of Zarma

The Goblins of Zarma are a faction of creatures described as foul beasts, active in the northern countryside of Atrebla near the region of Zarma, representing a longstanding problem for Atrebla's northern borders.

Grand Rislandian Air Force

The Grand Rislandian Air Force is the airship-based military arm of Rislandia, responsible for the operation and expansion of the nation's airship fleet. Talyen von Cravat holds the rank of Commodore of the force.

Grand Rislandian Army

The Grand Rislandian Army is the professional standing military force of the Kingdom of Rislandia, responsible for protecting its borders, maintaining order, and leading campaigns against threats such as the Wyranth Empire. It has played a central role across multiple books in the Baron Von Monocle series, including For Steam and Country, The Blood of Giants, The Fight for Rislandia, The Iron Wedding, and The Steam Knight.

Granite Hand

The Granite Hand was a title held by Balthar Ironshield, a military leader noted in the early history of Rislandia. Jory Malaky, who would later found the Malaky dynasty, served as the Granite Hand's second-in-command.

Guild Council (Orethan Dominion)

The Guild Council was a governing body of the Orethan Dominion, formalized to represent the guilds within the ruling trinity of Emperor, Guild, and Church. It was ultimately dissolved by Emperor Nerovan, who declared the emperor required no advisors but his own wisdom.

House Varland

House Varland is the royal house of Atrebla, first appearing in The Steam Knight 2.

Indigenous Peoples of the Iberanth Peninsula

The indigenous peoples of the Iberanth Peninsula were three distinct groups — the Hill Folk, the Forest Dwellers, and the Coastal Fishers — who inhabited the region prior to and during the arrival of the refugee settlers led by Jory Malaky. Their interactions with the newcomers, particularly those of the Hill Folk, shaped the early foundations of what would become Rislandia.

Knights of the Crystal Spire

The Knights of the Crystal Spire were Rislandia's elite military order, serving as special forces, royal bodyguards, and champions of the realm, headquartered at the Crystal Spire in Rislandia City. Founded in Year 8 of the Malaky Dynasty by Aldric, the order totaled approximately four hundred knights and was renowned for its loyalty to the crown, unconventional tactics, and rigorous training traditions.

Lifewardens

The Lifewardens were one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, specializing in healing, animation, and consciousness research through the use of life crystals. Headquartered in Viridian, the guild was scattered and largely destroyed in the aftermath of the Night of Shattered Crystals.

Liliana Crew

The Liliana Crew was the complement of soldiers and specialists serving aboard the airship The Liliana under Captain Talyen von Cravat, known for their discipline, acrobatic training, and fierce loyalty to Rislandia.

Mage Knights

The Mage Knights were an order of warriors serving the Great Areth Emperor, whom the Emperor sought to empower with the crystal-wielding abilities of certain settlers. They are referenced in The Iron Wedding in connection with the Emperor's ambitions.

Man-Beasts of Zenwey

The man-beasts are a ferocious, humanoid people inhabiting the northern region of Zenwey, beyond the desert. They possess language and tools, and are known to have seized the airship Liliana during a previous expedition into their territory.

Nightmen City Councils

Nightmen City Councils were the governing bodies of each Nightmen underground city, composed of the strongest warriors and shamans. They coordinated raids, arena combat, and the enslavement of other peoples.

Nightmen Warriors and Shamans

Warriors and Shamans represent the two most distinguished roles within Nightmen society, with Warriors forming the elite combat class and Shamans wielding crystal magic and spiritual authority. Among the Zenwey peoples, Shamans additionally serve as spiritual leaders, healers, and intermediaries between the living and the spirit world.

Nyanzi Engineer Guilds

The Nyanzi Engineer Guilds were powerful organizations based in Nyanzi, renowned as innovators and the keepers of closely guarded technological secrets. They represented a significant force in the technological landscape of the known world.

Nyanzi Sultanate

The Nyanzi Sultanate is a sovereign state ruled by a Sultan alongside a council of viziers, and is notable for its powerful engineer and artisan guilds. It is recorded in A History of Rislandia as a distinct political and cultural entity within the wider world of Areth.

Orethan Dominion Guild Masters

The Guild Masters of the Orethan Dominion were the heads of the Dominion's major guilds, each bearing a distinct ceremonial title that denoted their office. According to A History of Rislandia, seven such titles are recorded, corresponding to seven guilds that held influence within the Dominion.

Panderican Island Councils

The Panderican Island Councils are the governing bodies of the islands of Panderica, each composed of a chief and a council of elders who make communal decisions for their respective island communities. Specialist societies—including Navigator Societies and Warrior Bands—hold elevated status within this structure and fulfill distinct roles in preserving seafaring knowledge and defending the islands.

Panderican Raiders

The Panderican Raiders were a group of southern raiders who invaded the Orethan Dominion and were repelled by Emperor Tiberan III. They are recorded in A History of Rislandia as a notable external threat to the Dominion during its history.

Perryton City Councils

The Perryton City Councils are the elected governing bodies of Perryton, operating under a democratic system that places strong emphasis on personal freedom. According to A History of Rislandia, this form of governance distinguished Perryton from the monarchical structures found elsewhere on the Iberanth Peninsula.

Perryton Merchant Guilds

The Perryton Merchant Guilds were powerful commercial organizations based in Perryton that controlled trade, shipbuilding, and economic policy. They represented a significant force in the economic life of the region.

Perryton People

The Perryton people were a seafaring group of skilled shipbuilders and fishermen who originated from Perryton, the eastern coastal confederation of old Areth, and eventually settled on Rislandia's western coast. Driven by conflicts in their homeland, they founded Portsgate and retained their distinct cultural identity after joining Rislandia.

Pyrean Order

The Pyrean Order was one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, a brotherhood of fire-wielders headquartered in Solarias who served as warriors, smiths, and industrial workers. The Order fractured catastrophically during the Night of Shattered Crystals, with its remnants scattering into exile or joining the forces of Emperor Nerovan the Mad.

Rislandia Navy

The Rislandia Navy was a branch of Rislandia's military distinct from the Grand Rislandian Army, tasked primarily with protecting the kingdom's ports. It was a relatively small force, identifiable by its dark blue uniforms with silver buttons.

Rislandian Lawyers Association

The Rislandian Lawyers Association was the official body responsible for licensing attorneys at law in Rislandia. Notable licensees included Matthias du Gearsmith.

Rislandian Military Units

The Grand Rislandian Army comprised several distinct military units, each assigned specific roles in the defense and projection of Rislandian power. Among the most notable were the Greenhorne Regiment and the Border River Garrison, both recorded in A History of Rislandia.

Rislandian Royal Council

The Rislandian Royal Council was a governing body composed of high nobles, earned nobles, and key advisors that assisted the monarch of Rislandia in matters of governance, law, and diplomacy. Though the monarch's word remained supreme, the Council wielded considerable influence, particularly during times of crisis.

Scholars' Guild (Tyndree)

The Scholars' Guild is an institution located in the Eastern Port of Tyndree, dedicated to preserving the history and literature of the Tyndree people. It forms part of the Tyndree Cultural Center in that district.

Senate of the Orethan Dominion

The Senate of the Orethan Dominion was the primary legislative body of the Orethan Dominion, housed in the Senate House on Quirinal Hill, before being stripped of its lawmaking powers by Emperor Nerovan the Mad and reduced to a purely advisory role. Its history was marked by corruption, foreign manipulation, and political violence.

Shadowkin

The Shadowkin were one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, operating as a clandestine network of spies, assassins, and intelligence gatherers who employed shadow crystals and, during the empire's decline, quietly tolerated blood magic. They were eventually corrupted from within and played a central role in the Night of Shattered Crystals guild purge.

Stoneheart Circle

The Stoneheart Circle was a secret society formed by remnant stonemasons in the aftermath of the Great Sundering, dedicated to preserving what knowledge they could while hiding from warlords who would have enslaved them or forced them to employ their failed magic. They operated entirely in secret for an unknown duration following the Sundering.

Stonemasons' Covenant

The Stonemasons' Covenant was one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, responsible for the construction of roads, aqueducts, fortresses, and monumental structures using earth crystals. Headquartered in the city of Petra Magna, which the guild itself carved from living rock, the Covenant met its end during the Night of Shattered Crystals, when its last Granite Hand, Balthar Ironshield, collapsed the guild hall upon himself and the imperial soldiers besieging it.

Sultan's Guard (Nyanzi)

The Sultan's Guard were the elite soldiers of Nyanzi tasked with protecting the Sultan. They served as the foremost military defenders of the Nyanzi Sultanate's ruler.

The Circle (Nightmen Council)

The Circle, sometimes called the council, was the governing or leadership body of The Nightmen.

The Fae

Timeless, otherworldly beings dwelling on mysterious islands, bound by ancient laws. They cannot lie but can deceive through careful truth.

The Second Children (Peoples of Areth)

The Second Children, also called the Scattered Peoples, were the diverse races seeded across the world by the One alongside the Giants, each shaped by the lingering influence of the Firstborn in the lands where they dwelt. They included Humans, Fae, Dragons, Goblins, and others, who developed their own distinct cultures, languages, and religions across the vast continents and islands of the world.

Tideweavers

The Tideweavers were one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, specializing in water-shaping for healing, agriculture, and water management. They survived the fall of the empire by fleeing their shared headquarters at Aquilae before imperial soldiers arrived during the Night of Shattered Crystals.

Tribes of Zenwey

The Tribes of Zenwey are a collective of tribal peoples encountered during the 3rd expedition across the world in the 5th Year of King Malaky XVI's reign. They engaged in trade negotiations with Rislandian representatives and possessed knowledge of giants, as evidenced by a book on the subject given to Baron Theodore von Monocle by a shaman attached to their chief.

Von Cravat Family

The von Cravat family is a family appearing in the Baron Von Monocle series, known through two identified members: Talyen von Cravat, introduced in For Steam and Country, and Commodore von Cravat, mentioned in The Steam Knight.

Von Lantern Family

The von Lantern family is one of Rislandia's oldest noble lines, tracing their origins to a lieutenant of Captain Cedric Ironhelm who accompanied Jory Malaky across the mountains at the founding of the kingdom. They maintained their status through centuries of consistent military service and were, as of Year 445, headed by Lord Marcus von Lantern, a retired general.

Von Monocle Family

In The Crystal Conspiracy, it was noted that Theodore also wore the Baron von Monocle attire. See the Baron Theodore von Monocle page for further detail.

Were-Creatures of Areth

Were-creatures are humans or other beings capable of transforming between humanoid and animal forms, found in wild borderlands across both continents of Areth. They are considered among the more dangerous inhabitants of untamed regions, including the Old Forest and the Oler Mountains.

Were-rats

Were-rats are giant rat-like beasts, larger than men, that hunt in packs in Rislandia's southern forests. They were believed eradicated since the reign of Malaky XIV, until they ambushed a Rislandian platoon in The Neverending War.

Windcallers' Brotherhood

The Windcallers' Brotherhood was one of the Seven Great Guilds of the Orethan Dominion, headquartered in Aquilae and responsible for messaging, navigation, and trade using air crystals. Following the Night of Shattered Crystals, the Brotherhood was destroyed as an institution, with surviving members eventually forming the Windwhisperer Network.

Windwhisperer Network

The Windwhisperer Network was a secret society formed by remnant windcallers in the aftermath of the Great Sundering, dedicated to preserving what knowledge of their craft they could. Operating entirely in secret, the network kept the windcaller tradition alive during a period when open practice was no longer possible.

Wyranth Ambassadorial Delegation

The Wyranth Ambassadorial Delegation was a group of Wyranth representatives who traveled to Rislandia City ostensibly to deliver a marriage proposal on behalf of their emperor, though their true purpose concealed a deeper deception. In The Iron Wedding, the delegation played a central role in the political maneuvering between Wyranth and Rislandia.

Wyranth Factory Directors

The Wyranth Factory Directors were the leaders of the Wyranth Empire's industrial complexes, forming a de facto industrial aristocracy within the empire's power structure. Their collective influence over manufacturing and production gave them significant political and economic weight alongside more traditional imperial institutions.

Wyranth Imperial Army

The Wyranth Imperial Army is the primary instrument of military power for the Wyranth Empire, a vast and disciplined force built on universal male conscription, Germanic-style ranks, and an institutional culture that prizes obedience, efficiency, and ruthlessness above all else. Its branches encompass infantry, artillery, engineers, an Automaton Corps, and naval forces including an airship fleet.

Wyranth Imperial Assembly

The Wyranth Imperial Assembly was a governing body of the Wyranth Empire with a formal role in the imperial succession process. It was notably addressed by Ivan, the Iron Emperor, in a speech recorded in A History of Rislandia.

Wyranth Imperial Council

The Wyranth Imperial Council served as the central state apparatus of the Wyranth Empire, comprising the Chancellor, War Minister, Industrial Minister, Cultural Minister, and Intelligence Minister. Appointed directly by the emperor and answerable only to him, the Council wielded immense power over all aspects of imperial governance.

Wyranth Imperial Navy

The Wyranth Imperial Navy was the naval arm of the Wyranth Empire's military, operating a fleet that ranged from conventional warships to experimental submarines and airships. It regarded itself as the elite branch of the imperial armed forces and maintained stricter discipline than its army counterpart.

Wyranth Intelligence Ministry

The Wyranth Intelligence Ministry was the primary organ of espionage and internal security within the Wyranth Empire, led by the Intelligence Minister. It was responsible for hunting members of the Wyranth Underground Resistance through the use of a secret police apparatus.

Wyranth Military

The Wyranth Military was the armed force of the Wyranth Empire, distinguished by ornate dark uniforms with pointed metal helmets and advanced equipment that surpassed those of their Rislandian counterparts. Its soldiers, secret police, sharpshooters, and generals operated across Wyranth territory and beyond, playing significant roles in For Steam and Country, The Iron Wedding, and The Steam Knight.

Wyranth Underground Resistance

The Wyranth Underground Resistance was a clandestine armed movement operating within the Wyranth Empire against the rule of Ivan, the Iron Emperor, founded by Kade, Jacin, and a small circle of supporters and based in a buried former prison beneath the Wyranth capital.