Factions lore and characteristics

Changelog:
27/4 added "Evil Faction". Minor changes to good faction.
30/4 added "Chaos" and "Neutral" factions. Be happy.

BASIC FACTIONS LORE

* Good faction

-Geography & Climate: Not too varied, with prevalence of grasslands (flat or low hills). Some low mountains and maybe few high peaks. Forests are relatively common and usually large. Has a temperate climate, slightly colder at the north and slightly hotter at the south, not much difference. Coastal + mainland types of weather present.
-Demography & Cities: Several small villages and minor cities. Occasional military forts are present, especially near the borders or in areas of interest (near mines, some ports). Some larger cities located in key or valuable points (hills, fertile lands). Most settlements are located near rivers, hills/mountains or sea.
Capital city takes a quite large portion of the population followed by the major cities and ports. Working areas and centres have a relatively low population count.
Large part of the population is composed by humanoids but almost no dwarves. Undead are quite uncommon. Elementals are relatively common. Demons are quasi inexistent. Were-beasts are a rare occurrence. Ethereals are very rare.
-Economy & Production: Big focus on food (a lot of the land is turned into farmlands or pastures). Good production of ores/metals, lumber, fish and finished products (furniture, accessories). Decent but high-quality production of war-related equipment such as armour, weapons, horses.
Has a stable economy and does not rely heavily on external trade but benefits from it. Internal trade is quite active. Workforce is based on free workers and paid workers. Many intense jobs are taken by ogres and similarly strong races. Slavery is extremely uncommon, frowned upon and punishable. The overall workforce is not huge but hard-working and well fed. Mercenary or temporary work is also quite common.
-Politics & Government: Based on a king and his/her councillors and lords. Has a council of lords that oversee individual aspects of the faction and make decisions as a whole. King can overrule some decisions and has to confirm the council’s decisions. This goes the other way around for some cases. Throne may change if the king dies or resigns and the new king may be his/her heir or a person chosen by the king. The latter requires (partial) confirmation and supervision by the council.
Citizens are given freedom of travel and profession. Guilds may be opened, for a small fee, as long as they do not pose a threat to the faction. Crimes are first investigated – if confirmed the criminals are usually imprisoned, rarely executed on the spot, sometimes executed after imprisonment.
Discrimination and slavery are not tolerated and will be punished if discovered.
-Diplomacy: Overall friendly unless provoked.
~ Good relations with [Neutral faction]. Trade and exchanges are common. Perennial open borders treaty.
~ Wary (but overall neutral) with the [Evil faction]. Will rarely trade with them and open border treaties are limited and supervised.
~ Defensive (leaning towards hostile) with the [Chaos realm]. Trade is possible but rare and “intelligent” (interacting) visitors have to specify their reason of visit. Peaceful entry is supervised. Aggressive entry is met by exile or execution sentence.
-Military: Quite large military force, mostly infantry platoons composed of humanoids (humans, elves). Specialised platoons are present and quite common (demolitions, cavalry, siege, infiltration, magic...). All kinds of personal (weapons) and siege (catapults) equipment are present. Patrols are often found in internal roads and near the borders. All settlements have a garrison proportional to the size and importance of the place.
Magic is not too commonly used in war and mages usually are in their own platoon.
The average soldier is not too strong, but compensates with heavy armour and good quality equipment as well as a good brain. He is an average “loner” but a very good team worker.
The average officer will not fight but use his brain to devise strategies and improvise on the battlefield.

*Evil faction

-Geography & Climate: Similar to [good faction[ but slightly colder overall with a larger presence of hills and tall mountains as well as more coastal cliffs. Less forested areas are compensated by a larger presence of open mines and cave systems. Snow is possible on the northernmost areas but not too common.
-Demography & Cities: Large cities are rare but very big, mostly situated on strategic points (both military and economical). Almost every city of a certain size (and even some villages) are fortified or have military facilities, as such military camps and forts are often in the cities themselves, or tend to form cities around them.
Population is mixed – a big part is composed of humanoids, but mixes and other races are quite common.
-Economy & Production: Has arguably the most extended production of building materials and metals due to its huge mining and cave complexes. Also excellent lumber production (but most of it isn’t replanted) and prefers quality over quantity. Also has a decent food production. War-related items (weapons, armours) are extensively produced at low and high qualities.
Not an extremely stable economy, and has a degree of reliance on conflicts and warmongering (due to its heavy war equipment production) and supply of weapons to other factions, races and guilds. Workforce is divided between free workers (usually professionals) and slave workers, which tend to compose the bulk of the workers, especially in environments such as mines and lumber mills.
-Politics & Government: Mostly based on a king or ruler, which may seek council from nobles or generals at his own discretion. Government is up to the ruler’s wishes as well, and usually only consists of very few trusted individuals. A quite oppressive and aggressive rule, the higher echelons and ranks of society are usually advantaged at the expense of the lower ones. A rise in ranks (from low to high) is possible, but slaves are not given this opportunity. The average citizen is free, but controlled. Any kind of dissidence is quickly eradicated. Guilds may be opened for a fee and must abide the faction’s policies. Slavery is allowed and is very common in major workplaces.
-Diplomacy: Overall aggressive, but cautious unless success is certain.
~ Neutral with the [neutral faction]. Trade and open borders pacts are usually in act.
~ Neutral (towards aggressive) with the [good faction]. Visitors are not welcomed unless they have official business (emissaries or shrine/sanctuary travellers) and are often put under armed escort.
~ Hostile (but defensive) with the [chaos faction]. Borders are constantly watched, all unaccounted visitors killed or imprisoned.
-Military: Strong military that consists of a large number of “grunts” or minor soldiers composed of slaves or lower conscripts. The bulk of the army is often lightly-equipped, leaving the higher-quality equipment to the elite units and legions. Armies are often divided by type (grunts, elites...) and race as well as function (infiltrators, assault teams, siege, siege breakers, storm troopers...). Roads and settlements are often garrisoned or patrolled.
Magic is rare, but magic users are very strong and usually work on their own or assist a platoon/army with a specific function. Most magic users are officers.
The average soldier is quite weak and lightly-armoured but works decently in groups and is most effective in large numbers.
The average officer is (almost all of the time) an elite soldier or a magic user. They tend to fight in the frontlines or in their own platoon; they are given high-quality equipment and are very strong.

*Chaos faction

-Geography & Climate: The hottest climate of the four factions, can reach very hot temperatures in some areas and near the Great Desert but overall mild to warm. Magic anomalies are quite common and may create anomalous weather, such as rare (yet possible) heavy rains, snowstorms and ice. Weather tends to be more unstable in unoccupied or ravaged lands. Scorched or destroyed land is relatively common especially near the borders and at former battle sites.
Geography itself is varied, with a mix of plains and sharp yet low mountains. Coasts tend to be mostly sharp cliffs with very few beaches. Many (sometimes inhabited) cave systems are present especially on the sea, and more rarely inland. Ruins and abandoned facilities, old and new, dot the landscape.
-Demography & Cities: Most of the population is based on the main city, the rest is either gathered in other major places or scattered around in very small groups. Large manors, castles and private settlements/holds may be found at random (but usually fancy or strategic) positions. Portals and ritualistic places are well-guarded but not populated by “normal citizens”.
Population mostly consists of demon and demon-related races, with a large presence of ethereals and were-beasts; low concentration of humanoids but slightly larger concentration of half humanoids (such as half demons half humans); undead and elementals are also relatively common.
-Economy & Production: Economy is virtually inexistent, as the faction doesn’t rely as heavily on production and extraction as much as the others. Production is handled by privates and powerful members of the high caste and they can use the materials as they wish; only a small part of the overall resources are used for building, repairing and the main things (such as army equipment). External commerce is virtually invisible and only at a private scale. Extensive use of slaves and unpaid/forced work also contributes. Overall, production includes exotic items of all sorts (some of them only obtainable through portal commerce) and advanced magical items as well as all sorts of raw materials (mostly herbs/plants, wood and ores).
-Politics & Government: The reigning bloodline controls the faction as they see fit, usually by making unofficial alliances, pacts and friendships with other powerful members. Overall an aggressive policy is up kept, with a focus on portal reinforcements/stability and aggressive behaviour against other factions. Both the high and low castes are given a high degree of freedom (the low caste risking punishment if rules are trespassed) and the high caste is given great powers as well, and they can rule lower caste members. Slaves and forced workers are given no freedom at all. There is no control on guilds and they may be opened freely and without a cost, as long as they respond to their duties if they are asked to do so. Justice is vigilante-based and not centralised; any high (and sometimes low) caste member can do justice for himself as long as there is a degree of justification and proof.
-Diplomacy: Aggressive with a focus on direct warfare, but without self-destruction or similar consequences.
~ Neutral to hostile towards [neutral faction]. Due to the distance between the two factions, confrontations are extremely rare.
~ Hostile (but wary) towards [evil faction], due to direct contact, previous hostilities and having the most land of all the factions.
~ Hostile towards [good faction], due to being a thorn on their side and considered the weakest of all the factions.
-Military: Similar in structure to the [evil faction] but less organised. Armies are generally organised and up kept by privates (high caste for officers, commanders and leaders, low caste for elite soldiers and some officers) but are forced to participate in faction conflicts if asked. Armies tend to be mixed and work on their own. The bulk of the army is lightly or non-armoured demon or demon-like creatures. Magic is very common amongst officers, especially at a lower or basic degree. Elite units are quite common and usually mixed in the army.
The average soldier is stronger than a standard human, and compensates in offence what it lacks in defence. Strong individually and can take on several units, but not a good team worker.
The average officer is also an elite unit and is usually versatile, able to work efficiently alone, with their own army, or with other officers. They are usually versed both in magic and physical combat but are better at killing weaker enemies than enemies of their own (or greater) strength.

*Neutral faction

-Geography & Climate: Coldest climate of all factions and areas with mixed plains, tundra, snow lands and some ice at the northernmost places. Has large forests, especially in the southern half of the island, and fewer plains (compared to hills) overall as well as some mountains. Northernmost places are perennially covered in either snow or ice, while the southern half varies between colder to hotter temperatures.
-Demography & Cities: Population is quite well split between the main capital, the many major and minor cities and productive centres, and the occasional village. Most of the island, even the northern areas, is populated. Very small villages and even lone houses are common. Coast cities are the most common type of city as well as settlements near production sites. Coasts are also often guarded with forts or magical wards, and always on the lookout for invaders.
Population largely consists of humanoids, with nearly no presence of other races with the exception of most hybrids. Elementals are quite common; undead and ethereals are very rare but a possible find.
-Economy & Production: Small yet independent economy with a quite strong internal commerce and which benefits greatly from outside trading. Production of raw materials is low yet usually of high quality. There is a large specialisation in all kinds of finished products, from furniture to ships to luxury items. Magical goods are also a common trade. Skilled trainers and crafters also sometimes provide their services to other factions in exchange for compensation or extra materials.
-Politics & Government: A closed council of the highest authorities makes the decisions for the faction. Each councillor may have one advisor; the advisors form a lower council (which can also discuss ideas and issues but is not directly a part of the council). A vote is made each month to elect a prime councillor that may, if needed (such as in time of emergencies or war), make quick decisions. Councillors may decide to manage only one aspect of the faction (e.g. warfare, economy...) or more than one, and many co-work on the same topic.
Citizens are all given high freedom and treated equally. Law enforcement is severe but vigilante justice is severely forbidden, and trials often offer accused people to prove their innocence (if possible). Guilds are easily opened, with a small (and sometimes no) fee, as long as they respect the main rules and code.
-Diplomacy: Friendly but wary at the same time, and not always very welcoming to visitors.
~ Friendly towards [good faction] with common trade agreements and exchanges.
~ Friendly (but wary) towards [neutral faction] with occasional trade agreements; wary due to past issues.
~ Wary (and defensive) towards [evil faction] due to previous conflicts and issues.
-Military: Very magic-centric, armies put a large emphasis on teamwork and diversity to both surprise their enemy and have a great versatility in battle. Even the basic soldiers have a certain degree of magic or at least enchanted weaponry. Every soldier is highly valued. Officers usually fight as well but have a support role, assisting their armies with magic or by issuing orders. Overall, armies are quite small but very powerful and dedicated, often with special roles or functionalities. They also easily adapt to harsh or unpredictable situations due to their high grasp of magic.
The average soldier is lightly- (caster), medium/mixed- (battle mage) or heavily- (guard) armoured and puts a very strong emphasis on teamwork. Every soldier has some degree of magical offense and defence, as well as some basic magic abilities to support him and the other soldiers.
The average officer is a skilled magician and tends to assist his army or platoon as a whole instead of fighting directly. They are strong team workers but, differently from soldiers, also excellent in duels and single combat, relying on superior magic skills to gain the upper hand in a fight or escape if in peril.