The world
Seven Pillars of Existence, and the city-states that each believe theirs is humanity's best hope.
The universe is governed by its physical laws, but existence itself rests on deeper foundations. These eternal truths are known as the Seven Pillars of Existence: cosmic principles that shape the survival, growth and destiny of all sentient life.
The Cosmic Covenant are the physical manifestations of these Pillars. Though their philosophies often conflict, each embodies an essential truth of civilization, and a path by which life endures against extinction.
The six city-states' Pillars sit on a wheel, with Equilibrium at its center. Each Pillar is opposed by the one directly across the wheel. Its neighbor clockwise is its greater affinity, and its neighbor counterclockwise its lesser affinity.
Every civilization, knowingly or not, follows one of these paths. The city-states of Earth have each embraced a different Pillar, believing it to be humanity's best hope for the future. Whether any single Pillar can secure humanity's future remains a question debated by the Covenant itself.
Occult · Eridu
The uncovering of truth. Through Revelation, life gains understanding of realities hidden beyond ordinary perception.
Introspective. Curious. Wounded. And convinced understanding is humanity's best hope for survival.
Cosmic · The Singapore Nexus
The capacity to change. Through Adaptation, life survives by embracing the lessons of an ever-changing universe.
They look to the stars and see humanity's future. In adaptation. In expansion. In becoming something larger than ourselves. They believe Earth is no longer enough.
Tech · Kanpur
The unity of purpose. Through Integration, life secures its future by joining disparate elements into a unified system.
They believe humanity must evolve beyond its flaws, even if that means surrendering parts of itself along the way.
Street · Chicago
The declaration of identity. Through Assertion, life endures by affirming its purpose, values and sense of self against the pressures of an ever-changing universe.
They believe the world survived because ordinary people carried it on their backs.
Legion · The Capital Republic, Colorado Springs
The primacy of mastery. Through Domination, life secures its future through force, bending rivals, environments and circumstance to its will.
The old world is dead. Humanity survives through strength, sacrifice, and the will to seize tomorrow before someone else does.
Ascendant · The Narrow
The realization of potential. Through Ascension, life continually becomes more than it once was.
They believe their heroes may save the world, and that humanity can become something greater.
The balance of all things. Through Equilibrium, the competing forces of existence are held in harmony, so that no single path consumes the whole.
Assertion
Chicago
Everyone fights and everyone contributes. Street's Civilians, Scrappers, Runners and Cops turn Scrap into a fast, opportunistic attack.
Champion KadeNemesis The Locke
See Street cards
Domination
The Capital Republic, Colorado Springs
Soldiers in numbers, backed by Vehicles and heavy hitters. Barrage breaks the enemy line.
Champion KravikNemesis H.A.R.M.
See Legion cards
Revelation
Eridu, Central Europe
Power has a price. Occult sacrifices its own to drain the enemy City or call up something enormous.
Champion Valen, Ley WeaverNemesis Azrakul, Unlikely Entity
See Occult cards
Ascension
The Narrow
Heroes who are stronger together, and the Villains who stand against them. Save the Day keeps them in the fight.
Champion Merrick, The First HeroNemesis Vyrun, The Overlord
See Ascendant cards
Adaptation
The Singapore Nexus
Slow to start and hard to stop. Cosmic Drifts its enemies out of the fight, then flies over them.
Champion StarwaveNemesis Void Tyrant
See Cosmic cards
Integration
Kanpur
Hackers disable and lock down, Technicians power up, and Drones swarm. Phase slips past defenders.
Champion Aria-9Nemesis OVERCLOCK
See Tech cards
A Cosmic sub-faction
Imperialist tourists of the cosmos, and always present wherever Cosmic goes. Galaxians call one another into play, building a board that grows stronger with every arrival.
Champion F'Nal, Galaxian EmpressNemesis Bwaha, Ne’er-Do-Well
See Galaxian cards