The Factions are fictional philosophically based power groups in the Planescape campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Following the faction war, and banned from Sigil, they moved their headquarters to the base of the infinite spire where divine magic does not function in protection of the many gods they have offended.
"Bleakers" or "Madmen" deny that any belief system has any merit; as they see it, the universe has physical rules, but no metaphysical or philosophical ones, therefore any meaning in life must come from within.
Their philosophy is closely related to that of Arthur Schopenhauer, along with some shared similarities with Buddhism, Stoicism and acosmism.
"Takers" or "The Heartless" believe that those with power and ability have the right to own what they control and to take what they can from those who are unable to keep it, and that it is their right to exploit any situation to their advantage, regardless of how it affects anyone else (a position akin to "might makes right", and achievement through work[1]).
For this reason, they don't have a factol or an official headquarters, though Sigil's Great Bazaar serves as an unofficial one.
The planar faction known as the Harmonium is actually just a small part of a much larger political entity which rules over the entirety of the Prime Material world of Ortho.
"Anarchists" who believe that social order and man-made laws are inherently corrupt and must be destroyed—though none of their members can agree on what, if anything, should replace them.
Their headquarters is the Civic Festhall, which features an endless series of entertainments and a library of magically stored experiences.
The Cipher believe that by tapping into the 'cadence' of the planes and acting through pure instinct they can achieve a higher state of being.
The factions themselves retain their official status and role in Sigil’s governance, and most are led by their original factols.
Ten of the original factions are listed among the ascendant and are relatively unchanged from previous incarnations: the Athar, the Bleak Cabal, the Doomguard, the Fated, the Fraternity of Order, the Harmonium, the Heralds of Dust (the Dustmen renamed), the Mercykilllers, the Society of Sensation, and the Transcendent Order.
The other two ascendant factions are the Mind’s Eye, a union of the Believers in the Source and Sign of One from the post-Faction War period, and the new Hands of Havoc.
The Hands of Havoc are a group composed of anarchists and artists with no single leader or headquarters who believe in tearing down oppressive institutions by force.
The Revolutionary League is also considered a minor faction, whose fractured membership have now retreated to Undersigil below the city streets.
The Xaositects are not mentioned as an ascendant or a minor faction, so their role in the current incarnation of Sigil, if any, is unknown.
First mentioned in the Monstrous Compendium Planescape Appendix II, the Incantifers absorb magic from spells and items to gain power and prolong their lifespans.