The Order of the Sun

The Order venerates the Serpent of the Sky through the Dream of the Dragons—the bright orb of fire called the Sun. Rather than an accidental catastrophe, they view the Moonfall as the flawed attempt of the Archons to challenge the Dragons. To avoid the fate of the First Ones in search of power, they formed a different plan: Instead of raising Anasta to the heavens as the Archons did, they aim to draw down the power of the Sun into the world. They call their technology Solartech—the power of the Sun and Fire as revealed to them by the Dragon of the Sky itself. The might and utility of Solartech cannot be denied, and it can indeed do much that Ethertech can do without the necessity for Moonshards.

The Order collectively see themselves as the righteous leaders of the world, leading all into a new age of piety and glory. Not all of the Order is cohesive, however. Members of the Order will generally identify with one of two philosophies, either openly or in practice: Progressive or Puritan.

Progressives seek to learn from Ethertech while avoiding what they see as pitfalls of the ancient technology. Many are open to utilizing Moonshards and a form of Psience, as long as the proper controls are in place that avoid the fate of the Archons. What those controls may be are a source of constant debate among Progressives. Most see a day where Ethertech and the Archons’ Psience will become obsolete.

Puritans reject Moonshards and all Ethertech, finding salvation only in Solartech. While not yet having the advancements in genetics that Ethertech provides, Puritans have developed some of the most advanced energy-generation technology in Anasta. In areas where they lag behind Ethertech, they believe discipline and and skill can overcome whatever hurdles they face until Solartech can be developed to address it.

Many Order members are Huma, and Puritans almost exclusively so. Although they are no longer strictly human themsleves, many Puritans see the non-human bioforms that arose after the Moonfall as aberrations and punishment for the Archons’ hubris. Moonblooded of any bioform are particularly looked down upon.

The Order is centered in Helis, and their Ziggurat is testament to their mastery of Solartech. Here, the Order is lead by the Hierophant and their Council of Six. The current Hierophant is a Progressive, while the Council is evenly split.

Relationship to the other factions

Wilders

Progressives view Wildcallers as intriguing objects of study, and count some former Wilders among their ranks. Puritans generally disdain or are hostile to the link of Wildcallers with their companions.

Chantry and The Guild

The Progressives see the Chantry as useful allies in the study of Ethertech and the Guild as a reliable source of Moonshards. The Puritans see both factions as adversaries to be converted or eliminated.

Sisters of the Deep

While they respect the Sisters’ piety to the Dragon of the Deep, The Order is dogmatically opposed to the Deep Sisters and see them as the greatest threat to the world. Whether or not this is a justified belief is irrelevant to most of the Order. The Sisters’ ancient Psience has remained intact to their earliest days, predating the Moonfall. Their Ethertech is similar to that of the Archons, and that alone threatens the survival of the world.

Moon Wardens and The Cursed

Each of these groups are viewed through the lens of their connection to the Archons. Some see each as an unfortunate mutation for the sin of the Archons. Others see each group as those who represent the undoing of the world, especially among Puritans. The Order recognizes the Children of the Moon had no choice in their creation. However, those that continue to serve the will of the Archons as Wardens are considered enemies. Mooncursed are viewed with pity or disdain. Those who lean into their heritage, however, are natural enemies to the Order and its perogative of ushering in a new world.

Generation of Chaos

Chimeras are pitied as an ongoing reminder of the danger innate to Ethertech. The Order is opposed to the chaos created by the Generation. It is not unknown for Puritans to make preemptive strikes on Generation encampments, culling the chaos.

The Peacekeepers

The Order as a whole see the Peacekeepers as a relic of a previous age. While they do not contribute directly to the forward-vision of the Order, the Peacekeepers’ creed can make them useful allies to maintain the peace necessary for the Order’s vision to unfold.