Revision 1

The World Movers are survivors from planets consumed by the Void. When their homeworlds fell, these individuals managed to escape to Setera, the last surviving planet. They are closely related to the Broken, individuals whose bodies carry Void contamination, but the World Movers represent those who retained enough of themselves to function as organized groups rather than mindless shells.

Origin

Chronos created twelve planets and distributed Arche unevenly among them. When Betelgeuse broke the Temporal Rift seal and released the Void, eleven planets were destroyed. Not everyone on those worlds perished. Some escaped before their planets fell, blessed with extraordinary strength, luck, or both. These survivors crossed the cosmic distances to Setera, bringing their Void contamination with them.

Void contamination

Most World Movers carry some degree of Void contamination. This contamination causes seizures and bodily breakdown as the corrupting energy disrupts normal biological function. If contamination reaches a critical point, it disrupts energy flow entirely, leaving the victim in a zombie-like state. They retain some sense of self initially but attack anything on sight in a desperate attempt to restore lost energy. Eventually, some lose their sense of self completely, becoming little more than animated shells.

Not all Void-contaminated individuals become fully Broken. Some manage their contamination or find ways to slow its progression, though this is never easy and always temporary. The World Movers are those who have maintained enough control to organize and pursue goals beyond mere survival.

Three subfactions

Three distinct factions exist within the World Movers, each competing for survival and power on Setera. Their internal politics create a secondary conflict layer beyond the external Void threat:

• The Deathless: A cult-like organization that practices the "Sacrament of Destruction" and has established strongholds like Howling Pit

• The Guardians: World Movers who seek to protect Setera and work alongside its native defenders

• The Outcasts: A reclusive group that has claimed territory like Mistwood Forest and fiercely guards it against all outsiders

These factions do not agree on how to handle their Void contamination, their relationship to Setera's native inhabitants, or their broader purpose. The Deathless have embraced the Void. The Guardians fight against it. The Outcasts have withdrawn from the conflict entirely.

Relationship with Setera's natives

The arrival of World Movers on Setera creates political and social tension. They are refugees from unimaginable catastrophe, but they also carry the contamination of the force that threatens to destroy Setera itself. The Frontier must balance compassion for the displaced with the practical danger of harboring Void-contaminated individuals. The Chronos Order has its own theological perspective on the World Movers, likely viewing them through the lens of Chronos's cosmic design.

Gameplay role

World Movers appear as both enemies and potential allies depending on which subfaction the player encounters. The Deathless are hostile, their corrupted cultists populating dungeons and open-world encounters. The Guardians may offer quests and cooperation. The Outcasts are defensive rather than aggressive, attacking only when their territory is violated. This three-way split within a single refugee population adds moral complexity to what could otherwise be a simple enemy faction.