Caves of Qud - Factions
The principal factions and orders of Caves of Qud, whose reputation system determines how the world treats a character. Mechanimists venerate the machines of the Eaters, the Seekers of the Sightless Way follow the mad being Ptoh, the Putus Templar hunt mutants, and the Bear-folk Barathrumites hoard...
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of 12 entries
· updated 2026-09-15
| Name | Type | Description | Region | Points Of Interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mechanimists | Hermetic Scholarly Order | A reclusive scholarly order that reveres the machines of the Eaters as relics of a purer age. | Grit Gate and scattered shrines | Grit Gate fortress and archive Workshops of Eater-machine craft The order's leader and scholars Deals involving salvaged ancient technology |
| The Seekers of the Sightless Way | Mystic Cult | A fanatical mystic order that follows the teachings of the mad being Ptoh, seeking to pierce through the lie of ordinary reality to a truer vision beyond it. | The Sightless Way and desert encampments | Encampments in the salt desert Devotion to the mad being Ptoh Occult doctrines and relic-hunting Strained relations with rival factions |
| The Putus Templar | Antagonist Cult | A zealous order of mutant-haters sworn to a holy war against mutated life. | Fringe settlements and patrol routes | Mutant-hunting war-parties Fortified frontier strongholds Doctrine of absolute purity High threat level to Mutant characters |
| Ptoh, the Mad Being | Eldritch Faction | The being Ptoh is a vast, maddened intelligence and the object of the Seekers' devotion, a fragment of the shattered cosmic truth the universe orbits. | Deep Qud and ruin-haunted sites | Centers of Seekers' worship Ruin-haunted pilgrimage sites Ptoh's influence over broken minds The eldritch truth behind the world |
| The Barathrumites | Artifact-Keeping Tribe | The followers of the great bear sage Barathrum, a reclusive tribe of scholars who hoard and study the artifacts and technologies of the Eaters. | Grit Gate and the deep artificer dens | The sage Barathrum's den Artifact vaults of the deep Scholars and craftsmen of old tech Gateways to the deepest caverns |
| The Eaters | Ancient Civilization | The legendary hyper-advanced civilization that once dominated Qud and left the vast ruins, machines, and mysteries now scattered across the land. | Ruins scattered across Qud | Ruined Eater cities and artifacts The Tomb of the Eaters endgame Legacy of hyper-advanced technology Central history of the region |
| The Unfettered | Wildling Hydroponists | A reclusive tribe of deep dwellers who grow food in underground fields, trading essential crops to surface communities. | Underground farmlands | Hidden underground farmlands Trade in crops and essentials Reclusive deep-dwelling communities |
| The Wardens | Protector Order of the Free Cities | The martial protectors of Qud's free settlements, tasked with keeping the small, independent towns of the region safe from the threats of the wastes. | Joppa and the free settlements of Qud | Guards of Joppa and free villages Settlement-defense quests Friendly default relation for most characters |
| The Consortium of Phyta | Plant-Aligned Consortium | A consortium of sentient plants, fungi, and plant-kin bound by a shared desire to advance the cause of growth and photosynthesis across Qud. | The Spore Fields and verdant sites of Qud | Spore Fields and fungal communities Sentient plant politics and trade Pax Klanq and the fungal elite |
| The Assassin Guild | Clandestine Order | A secretive order of contract killers that operates through agents seeded across Qud's towns and wastes. | Operatives across Qud's settlements | Clandestine contracts and operatives Stealth-focused agents Reputation danger for careless wanderers |
| The Dromad Merchants | Traveling Merchant Caravans | The wandering dromad halfling merchants whose ever-replenishing caravan stalls travel the trade routes of Qud, buying and selling water, artifacts, and salvaged goods. | Trade routes across the salt desert and ruins | Traveling dromad trade stalls Ever-replenishing wares Backbone of Qud's water economy |
| The Robots and Living Automata | Ancient Construct Faction | The surviving robots and living automata of the Eaters, wandering the ruins and ancient facilities left across Qud. | Ruined Eater facilities and old-tech sites | Automata in Eater ruins and facilities Old-tech guardians Relations shaped by treatment of machines |
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