Overview
The continent of Pywel is home to 110 distinct factions, as recorded in the game's Knowledge Library. These factions range from powerful noble houses and military organizations to mercenary bands, outlaw groups, and regional guilds. Each faction controls territory, offers quests, and reacts dynamically to the player's actions throughout the open world.
Pearl Abyss has described the faction system as comparable to the side content model in The Witcher 3, where factions serve as significant actors in the world's story, offering substantial content for players to engage with. While factions shape the world and influence which areas are accessible, which NPCs are friendly, and what services are available, they do not alter the main story or its ending.
Named Factions
While 110 factions exist in total, only a handful have been identified from pre-release coverage. The table below lists the confirmed factions.
Faction | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Mercenary band | The player's faction. A mercenary company led by Kliff that originally hails from Pailune. The Greymanes set up camp in the Hernand region after being displaced from their homeland. | |
Warrior faction | A rival faction that conquered Pailune, forcing the Greymanes out. They serve as major antagonists in the game's narrative. | |
House Celeste | Noble house | A noble house that controls Roothold, a stronghold centered around the Eldertree in the Hernand region. |
House of Wells | Noble house | A noble house led by a Duke. One questline involves the Duke tasking the player to retake a fortress while battling rebels. |
The Wolf Trackers | Hostile faction | A hostile group that creates blockades restricting access to certain regions. The HUD displays "Blockaded" indicators in areas they control. |
Gwen Kraber's Forces | Hostile occupiers | Forces led by Gwen Kraber that occupy Roothold. Clearing them returns the stronghold to House Celeste and opens up the area's resources and NPCs. |
Faction Standing
Each faction has a standing that reflects the player's relationship with it. Standing progresses from hostile (War) through Neutral and eventually to Alliance. Completing quests, assisting faction members, and performing positive actions for a group increases standing, while criminal behavior or hostile acts decrease it.
Reaching Alliance status with a faction unlocks several benefits. Allied faction troops may show up to assist the player during random ambushes in the open world. New vendors become available, additional quests open up, and previously restricted resource nodes become accessible.
Regional Factions
Pywel is divided into five main regions, each containing its own collection of factions. Minor houses serve as lords over various areas within each region, providing governance and protection. The in-game Knowledge Library tracks 573 individual territories across these regions.
Region | Description | Known Factions |
|---|---|---|
A resource-rich region of mountains and rivers. The starting area where the Greymane Camp is located. | House Celeste (controls Roothold), Wolf Trackers (create blockades), Gwen Kraber's forces | |
The frozen, mountainous northernmost region. Original homeland of the Greymanes before their displacement. | The Greymanes (former), The Black Bears (current occupiers) | |
The center of political and military power in Pywel. Home to regal castles and the seat of the king. | The King of Demeniss lies in a coma, creating a power vacuum exploited by rival factions | |
Delesyia | A region known for science and technology. Home to advanced constructs and mechanical creations. | No specific factions named in pre-release coverage |
An arid region of red sands, considered the most lawless and dangerous part of Pywel. | No specific factions named in pre-release coverage |
Faction Mechanics
Liberation System
Throughout the open world, hostile factions occupy settlements, outposts, and strongholds. The player can liberate these locations by defeating the occupying forces and their leaders. Successfully liberating an area causes visible changes: residents return, structures are rebuilt, new vendors set up shop, and materials for rebuilding Pailune become available. The player earns faction contributions for each location liberated.
Faction Blockades
Hostile factions restrict access to certain parts of the map through blockades. The player's HUD shows indicators such as "Blockaded" alongside the name of the controlling faction. These blockades must be cleared through combat or negotiation to gain access to the blocked region.
Dispatch System
From the Greymane Camp, players can send comrades to blockaded locations to reduce enemy occupants even while the player is in a different region. This system allows players to weaken hostile positions before engaging them directly.
Connection to the Contribution System
The Contribution system is directly tied to faction reputation. Each region tracks a Contribution metric (such as "Hernandian Contribution") that rises or falls based on the player's actions. Positive actions like completing quests, paying alms, and helping NPCs increase Contribution. Criminal activities reduce it, with penalties ranging from -5 for minor offenses to -30 for serious crimes.
Low Contribution in a region can restrict NPC interactions and limit access to certain towns or services. Accumulating criminal offenses triggers bounties that make guards hostile. Wanted status persists until the player is arrested or clears the bounty. Aligning with specific houses unlocks additional reputation benefits, including access to vendors and resource nodes within that region.
Factions and the Main Story
Pearl Abyss has explicitly confirmed that factions do not affect the main story or its ending. The developer described the faction system as different from games like Fallout, where faction choices determine narrative outcomes. In Crimson Desert, factions are significant actors in the world that offer additional content, but the main narrative conclusion is fixed regardless of which factions the player aligns with.
However, faction relationships do affect "World States." Changing your standing with a faction from War to Alliance (or vice versa) alters which areas are accessible, which NPCs are hostile or friendly, and what services are available. Pearl Abyss developer Will Powers described this as creating a reactive world where the player's choices reshape the landscape, even though the overarching story remains the same.
Knowledge Library
The in-game Knowledge Library catalogs all 110 factions as part of a larger collection of 2,921 total pieces of knowledge. This library also tracks 573 territories, 355 crafting manuals, and 29 mount types. Players can discover new factions through exploration, quest completion, and engaging with the world's inhabitants.