The Factions

The horizon is full of large corporations, institutions and orders, but only a few – those with strong enough ancestry and political power – are called factions. Despite some disagreement on the issue, the general consensus is that there are ten active factions in the Horizon today, divided into two groups: Firstcome and Zenithian. The dividing line between the early colonists and the late-come Zenithians is the Third Horizon’s most prominent cultural conflict, taken to its extreme in the power play of the factions. The Firstcome share a strong belief in the Icons, while the Zenithians base their ideology on the austere pragmatism introduced by the arrival of their arkship, Zenith. There are some exceptions: the Church of the Icons is a young faction, but counts as Firstcome thanks to their strong religious foundation. The Legion on their hand have a Firstcome history, having fought together with the Order of the Pariah at Odacon, but counts as Zenithian because of their current alliance with the Consortium.
 

Nazareem's Sacrifice

Factions are mighty, but not invincible. Nazareem’s Sacrifice was a cult-like faction of great power, until they were wiped out in a single, devastating blow and erased from the annals of the Horizon. Not much is known of this Firstcome faction, other than that they were hunted down by their brothers and sisters in the Order of the Pariah and the Draconites, supported by the other Firstcome factions and the Legion. The history of the Nazareem is more or less taboo to discuss, but there are of course many theories, most of which agree that the Nazareem turned to the Dark between the Stars, thus sentencing themselves to death.

Zenithian Factions

◆ The Consortium
◆ The Free League
◆ The Legion
◆ The Syndicate
◆ The Zenithian Hegemony

Firstcome Factions

◆ Ahlam’s Temple
◆ The Draconites
◆ The Church of the Icons
◆ The Order of the Pariah
◆ The Nomad Federation

Kua is the seat of power, Coriolis its focal point and the Consortium its uncrowned emperor. There can be no doubt about the fact that the Zenithian faction is the largest organization in the Horizon, but there is no shortage of aspiring usurpers either. The dethroning is coming. May the Icons have mercy.