Varkesh
"Victory over hesitation.
Order through force."
Faction of War
The Scarred Plains
Varkesh is a militant empire defined by conquest, discipline, and the conviction that strength is the only force capable of bringing lasting order to the world. Where other factions place their faith in harmony, celebration, or innovation, Varkesh believes peace is something earned through dominance and maintained through unyielding resolve.
Its territory is harsh, scarred, and deeply fortified. Varkesh is a land of iron strongholds, black stone citadels, training grounds, war roads, and blasted plains. Settlements are built with conflict in mind; elevated walls, barracks at the center of civic life, and watchtowers that never seem purely ceremonial. It presents itself not as warm or mysterious, but as INEVITABLE.
The Ideals of Iron
Power is a Responsibility
Strength is not a privilege. Those too weak to defend what they have were never meant to hold it for long. Strength ensures stability.
Honor is Reliability
Honor is not softness; it is the soldier who does not break ranks and the officer who accepts hard necessity for the legion.
Order Over Mercy
Mercy exists, but it is always secondary to order. Civilizations are preserved through force when necessary, not through sentiment.
The Iron Raven
The raven mascot captures the faction’s intelligence as much as its menace. A raven is not merely a brute creature; it is watchful, opportunistic, cunning, and deeply associated with battlefields and survival. Varkesh wins because it studies weakness and acts with ruthless timing.
"Varkesh represents power made law. It is the faction of banners darkened by smoke, armor marked by old victories, and rulers who believe the world belongs to those strong enough to shape it."
Perks
- +2 to Intimidation checks.
- Proficiency in all weapons and armor.
- Unyielding Presence Once per long rest, gain advantage on an Intimidation roll.
Demographics
Corvin
Drath
Duergar
Goblin
Gron
Gronathi
Half-Orc
Kelvar
Kolbold
Krozel
Minotaur
Ogre
Orc
Razhakin
Sarathi
Sentic Automata
Shar'ii Elf
Troll
Vulterkin
Yothvirn
Diplomacy
Caerwyn
Passive weakness. Their natural order clashes with iron control.
Silcan
Softness and distractions. They are a culture that needs iron structure.
Nythera
Tense trade allies. We use their engineering; we hate their ego.
Morveth
A genuine fear. A corruption that no blade can easily sever.
High Warlord
Tier 4The absolute ruler of Varkesh. Commands from the largest Black Citadels. Only the most proven merit and cold strategic insight allow ascension to this peak.
Iron Commander
Tier 3Generals of the war camps. They lead legions across the scarred plains with meticulous tactical calculation and unshakeable loyalty to the Warlord.
Bloodguard
Tier 2Hardened veterans who enforce discipline among the lower ranks with unyielding severity. They are the frontline elite and the primary enforcers of martial law.
Conscript
Tier 1Fresh recruits. They must prove their resolve on the battlefield or be crushed beneath the march. Only those who survive baptism by fire advance.
High Warlord Malakor
The Raven-Crowned
A towering Drath whose presence is as cold as winter iron. Malakor coordinates the empire's expansion with a network of intelligent ravens...
Drath
Commander Vaelia
Iron Commander
A Razhakin cavalry leader of legendary precision. Vaelia views every battlefield as a complex chessboard where every life is a piece...
Razhakin
Kaelen Blood-Eye
Bloodguard Enforcer
A terrifying Half-Orc whose gaze alone can break a recruit's spirit. Kaelen is the iron fist that ensures the Warlord's order is absolute...
Half-Orc