Xaositects
Table of Contents
Who We Are
The Xaositects have no defined role within the city - that would be contrary to their very beliefs. Small groups of them do have a tendency to clump together and share in a common cause or task, but this rarely lasts for long. If anything unites them, it’s their shared hatred of the Harmonium and those who would seek to impose their own sense of order on others.
They do a lot of interfering with Harmonium activity - diverting patrols, sabotaging equipment and giving smokescreens to those who need them. Occasionally they’ll even help them out; just to really throw them off their rhythm.
Overall, the Xaositects are a very polarising bunch - either a pain in the ass to get anything concrete out of, or delightful berks who paint some of the most beautiful murals when they feel like it.
A word from your Factol...
Ride the winds of whimsy whilst you can! Do it, do nothing, do somethingDOANYTHING. Do do do until you drop and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
What do we stand for? Colours. Your favourite number. Chaos. Everything is chaos, berk. Live with it. That’s what we’re about. Or not. We’re exciting! You’re exciting! Maybe we’ll do great things together.
I’ll tell you the best place to eat in the Hive. I’ll show you a portal or seven. Maybe we’ll fight - who knows? And isn’t that AMAZING? I don’t know what’s going to happen with you, nor you with me. That’s the beauty of life - who knows what’s in store.
You wanna make something? Make it! It already exists? Then smash it up and make it better.
Oh. I dropped my coin purse? Keep it. Money is just a scam run by the Consortium to shift our sense of self-worth from experiences and emotional highs to the accumulation of material goods they hoard and overcharge us for. There’s nothing we can do! It’s all fraught! Commercial enterprise will trample the innate beauty of the planes, nature will wither and die to the fruitless quest of endless greed and we’ll all be puppets to the dance of the coin.
Don’t worry though, you’ll be in the dead books soon enough. Me too! Wonder if it’ll stick this time…
You’re crying? I’ll join you.
Wanna burn something?
A Xaos Head's Journey (Two steps forward, One step left)
Joining the Xaositects is as simple as saying you are one. Xaositects have no regard for procedure or “official demarcations”. However, should you want access to faction benefits such as Xaos weaponry, then you’ll need to find a sponsor willing to show you where to get hold of it and how to use it.
Namer
Namers gain no benefits from the faction till they can find a sponsor to show them the ropes. Scramblespeak can be taught to new members in a day if they’re quick-minded, and the necessary components for Xaos weaponry are in plentiful supply thanks to unnamed suppliers.
Sometimes your would-be sponsor will require you to pass some sort of test. Sometimes they’ll fight you for it. Sometimes they’ll say “yeah sure” and that’s that. In true Xaositect fashion, it’s entirely unpredictable.
Boss (Factotum)
Once in a blue moon, a Xaositect will put the faction symbol on a flag or a tabard and parade around the Hive for a bit. This sends a message to other Xaositects saying “I have a bright idea, follow me”. Other Xaositects are drawn to these emblems like moths to a flame, adding to the chaos and proliferating whatever scheme the Xaositect has.
If the scheme turns out well, that Xaositect will be "promoted" to the rank of “Boss” - the equivalent of a Factotum. If it goes poorly, Xaositects will be wary of any future schemes from that berk, though if it were at least entertaining you’d still be up for a promotion. If it turns out to be boring however, prepare to be made an example of.
Big Boss (Factor)
The Big Bosses consist of those with the most respect and influence within the Xaositects. It is not an official rank, more of a natural thing that develops as soon as enough existing Big Bosses start calling someone a Big Boss.
There exists roughly a dozen Big Bosses within the Xaositects at any one time, and knowing exactly which one is the Factol (or where any of them are) at any given time is harder than it sounds.
Factol
The Factol is more of a hat that is worn by whichever Big Boss has an idea that needs minds to rally behind them. Most of the time, this is Jonah, the public face of the Xaositects who often terrorizes the Speaker’s Hall with the most awkward questions about logistics.
Faction Mechanics & Character Options
Xaositects are, quite fittingly, one of the most varied and incohesive factions. There is relatively little in the terms of standardised upbringing, save the teaching of Scramblespeak (their own secret language) to their members. More recent upbringings have involved a good deal of training with Xaos weaponry.
If you are creating a character who has been a member of the Xaositects for a while, you may pick the following background at character creation.
Background
You were raised to sow chaos and mayhem wherever you went; learning to break things down and fix them back up in all sorts of creative ways. You were raised with a good dollop of Xaositect theory: that Xaos, true Xaos, is about doing what's *interesting.*
- Skill proficiencies: Any two
- Tool Proficiencies: Tinker's Tools, or any one type of musical instrument or gaming set
- Languages: Any one, or any one type of musical instrument
- Equipment: A set of Tinker's tools, a Xaos Cannon, a set of nonsensical twelve-sided dice, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 3gp
Feature: Loose Cannon
Sigil's residents are more than familiar with what Xaos Heads are capable of and get up to. Namely, they just want you gone. You may add +1d4 to any Charisma skill check that involves you promising to leave them the hell alone after you get what you want. Generally, you should break something or mess with someone's sanity as part of this roll.
d4 | Faction Draw (Ideal) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jester, mindless repetition is making too many people need cheering up. I’m here to remedy that |
| 2 | Nihilist, I have no control over my life anyway, why not hand the reins to chaos? |
| 3 | Oneness, everything that happens is a result of chance. By embracing randomness, we embrace oneness |
| 4 | Earworm, chaos is a tune that’s stuck in my head |
d4 | Faction Sponsor (Bonds) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grimm Lavender, a bartender, who smuggles information at the bottom of pints |
| 2 | Bihiri, a wild mage hermit with no fixed face |
| 3 | Sockelm Gearsprunkett, a mad inventor of educational children’s toys |
| 4 | Kevin |
Faction Restriction
Restrictions are for berks.
Xaositects tend to be a bit barmy and lack any degree of object permanence or short-term memory. Even if there were official rules, they’d be forgotten in a day. However, consult the following note if you're after an idea of what a Xaositect would consider 'good chaosing'.
Roleplaying a Xaositect
Style and Flair
"Style? Never heard of her. You do you, I’ll do me."
The faction symbol is a chess knight, because "straight lines and collisions are for squares" and "I like their shape".
A "Good" Xaositect...
Xaositects don't believe in hard and fast rules. That said, members should:
- Work to expose conspiracy wherever you find it.
- Never sell out another Xaositect to law enforcement.
Oh, and it goes without saying that one needs to be of a somewhat Chaotic disposition to fit in here.
Faction Powers
You can speak and understand Scramblespeak, the ever-changing secret language of the Xaositects. Such is the nature of this language that you lose the ability to speak or understand it after one week should you leave the Xaositect Faction.
You may use Xaos weaponry as a focus for casting spells, and are proficient with all Xaos weaponry. You are assumed to be proficient with Tinker's Tools for the purposes of maintaining any firearms.
You can make replacement Xaos Cannons of your own. This requires a rare Xaosgem and 24 hours of uninterrupted work. You take 1d12 fire damage and gain a level of exhaustion after completing this a Xaos Cannon.
A Xaos weapon that you are attuned to can be returned to your hand with a bonus action provided the weapon is within one mile. The weapon flies at a high speed towards your hand in a boomerang-like arc (at a maximum speed of 300’ per round).
Once per long rest, or by spending inspiration, when rolling on a table or drawing a card to determine a random effect you may reroll that die or put that card back and draw a new one. You must use the new result.
When you score a critical hit with a Xaos weapon, you may reroll any number of weapon damage dice. You must keep the new results.
Faction Armoury
Xaos Arsenal
No two Xaos cannons are alike - each is crafted to a members own specifications and then personalized through battle, whim or groupthink to fit its wielder. They are imposing contraptions of steam, piping and volatile magical energies.
A Xaos cannon works by combining three extremely unstable substances and firing them at high speeds towards a target, much in the same manner as a revolver or a musket. Oxite, gunpowder, and mythal dust are mixed in the chamber when the trigger is pulled, the exact nature of whatever comes out of the barrel a surprise for everyone - especially the wielder.
| Name | Rarity | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Namer Items | ||
| Xaos Cannon | Rare | Ranged Weapon (firearm) |
Xaos Cannon
Ranged Weapon (firearm), Rare (Requires Attunement)
Damage: 1d12
Damage Type: variable
Properties: Ammunition (Firearms), Range (40/160), Reload 4, Misfire 1, Special, Xaos Weapon
Weight: 10
At the beginning of combat, roll a d12 to determine the damage type of your Xaos Cannon as per Table 1: Xaos Damage. Every time you reload, or by spending a Bonus Action, you must roll a d12 to determine the new damage type of your Xaos Cannon.
When you roll a 20 on an attack roll with your Xaos Weapon; you score a Xaos Burst. This deals an additional die of damage on top of the usual critical die. Roll a d6 and consult the Table 2: Xaos Burst Effects to determine the effect. Both you and your target must make a saving throw or suffer the result of the Xaos Burst. The DC of the saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
d12 | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| 1 | Acid |
| 2 | Bludgeoning |
| 3 | Cold |
| 4 | Fire |
| 5 | Lightning |
| 6 | Necrotic |
| 7 | Piercing |
| 8 | Poison |
| 9 | Psychic |
| 10 | Radiant |
| 11 | Slashing |
| 12 | Sonic |
d6 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Knockdown, Both you and your target must pass a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone |
| 2 | Fusion, Both you and your target must pass a Dexterity saving throw or be fused to the floor and restrained. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature may repeat the saving throw to end the effect |
| 3 | Blinding Light, Both you and your target must pass a Constitution saving throw or be blinded. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature may repeat the saving throw to end the effect |
| 4 | Concussion, Both you and your target must pass an Intelligence saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn |
| 5 | Revelation Shot, Both you and your target must pass a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the other one. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature may repeat the saving throw to end the effect |
| 6 | Spatial Warp, Both you and your target must pass a Charisma saving throw or swap places with one another. If only one of you fails the saving throw, you are instead teleported adjacent to the other |
The Chant
History
The Xaositects first showed up in Sigil some time after the Great Upheaval, though one can easily find references to similar organisations such as the Xaosophiles, Discordant Opposition, Ochlorats and other strange names that fit the bill from long before then. Exactly what they stand for has never been stated consistently, let alone written down. All one can be sure of is that they’re very much along for the ride - attributing just about everything to the beautiful workings of chaos and riding the winds of whimsy till someone snips their wings.
They’ve never been one of the more popular factions, especially after the Hardheads started cracking down on them after the assassination, decrying any chaos-lover as an Anarchist and bringing them in in chains.
As a faction, they have relatively little in the way of interesting history. Certainly there’s a lot of weird and wonderful things in there: like the time they switched a bunch of nobles’ gardens around, or prayed to the Lady to check she was still there. There was even that time they arranged an alliance with every faction at once that lasted for the whole of twelve minutes. Few things will ever match the time they accidentally assassinated a Harmonium Factol though. Why? Sands threw an hourglass.
NO NO NO
The arrival of the Consortium and rising tide of mass production sparked a new wave of defiance within the Xaositects. They started to fear the homogenisation of the Cage - if every sod had the exact same items, read the same papers and ate the same food, then what room would there be for individuality? For Chaos?
Exactly who is to blame for this is up for grabs. A number of popular theories:
- Perhaps it's the Harmonium - after all, they have precedence, having homogenised whole planes in their past. Sigil could just be the next place of Harmony!
- Maybe it’s the Sensates, and they’re trying to eliminate widespread stimulus to drive more people to their faction as the sole purveyors of fun.
- Or could it be the Thinkers? The whole Cage could just be one great experiment to them, where we are their test subjects (*audible gasp*).
- The Signers are to blame. By pushing berks to all think the same, to act and react the same as one another does, we’ll all be subject to their will - thinking and being whatever they want us to be!
- I heard Shem’s dad is building an army of wererats in the tunnels ‘neath the cage. Wererats is all rats, which is one rat, which is king rat! Where was I going with this? Shem sucks.
Addendum: YES YES YES (Xaostech)
Around a year ago, a trio of Xaositects robbed a League of Innovation laboratory and made off with a bunch of research notes and random materials. The notes made little to no sense to them, but they found that the materials each bore remarkable and unusual - albeit unstable - properties. So, naturally, they did what any good Xaositect would do, having just had multiple unstable substances fall into their lap: they went to their mate Richidickard and had him shove them all into a revolver to see what happened when it was fired.
The result of this little ‘experiment’ revolutionised the Xaositect manner of distributing chaos. What they found was that this particular combination of materials was very good at hurting people in entirely random ways. As a weapon, it delivers an entirely unpredictable damage type. What’s more, is that the Xaositects seem so hell-bent on Xaos that they are able to amplify the effects of such weapons by presence alone.
These “Xaos Cannons” as they have come to be called, are detailed under the Faction Armoury.
So… what now?
At present, the Xaositects are seeing a somewhat surprising surge in numbers thanks to the rising industrialisation of the Cage. The whole notion of ‘just do it’ makes a nice comfort to those who feel they are losing themselves to the daily grind, or to those who feel that they do not have the power to do anything about it.
But if it’s not the power of just doing entirely random nonsense that draws people to the Xaositects, then it’s their other main thing: Conspiracy.
See, the Xaositects are a big fan of linking things together that don’t necessarily relate to one another. Think it’s a coincidence that the printing press arrived the same time as the Fated’s Factol died? Nah, the Athar have enslaved his spirit to do the copying for them. There’s a new faction in the Cage? Funny how that happened around the same time as Farahn’s golems all went berserk…
Ultimately, people look for someone to blame when things go wrong. The Xaositects are the perfect combination of freedom, chaos, and madness that lets them do a bunch of inane crap and find someone else to blame for anything that goes wrong. (Most conspiracies end in ‘Big Steam’ at the moment… meaning a good number of the newest recruits have quite strong anti-industrial stances).
References & Inspiration
- Mimir's Xaositect page - General reference and inspiration
- Font Awesome - For the (placeholder) icon