Planescape - Membership in a Faction AND in a Sect or Guild?

[Clistenes]

I was reading some entries in Timaresh, when I noticed a TN Tierfling Thief, Caert, who is both a member of the Free League AND of the Planewalkers Guild.

Also, Elahassa Merem is both a member of Order of Master Clerks and Scribes (a Guild) and a member of the Fraternity of Order.

And those two Guilds already existed long before the Factions were kicked out of Sigil; they aren't like the Guild of Minders Guild or the Funerary Guild, which were born from the remains of the Mercykillers and the Dustme...

Now, the Free League is a bit special in that they don't consider themselves a faction, and they have no power structure... but anyways, that made me think... are there more examples of characters belonging to both a Faction AND to a Sect or ancient Guild?

I can't see any reason at all for a Sensate not fitting in the Planewalkers Guild. Or for a member of the Sons of Mercy not to join the Guardians too. Or for a Taker to not be a Merkhant too.

Or what the hell, why couldn't somebody not be a member of the Guardians, the Sons of Mercy and the Planewalkers Guild?

[Yora]

I believe sects are merely factions that don't have a presence in Sigil. Which, since Sigil is the center of the multiverse, makes them insignificant from a Sigil perspective. But I don't believe they even need to be smaller than Sigil's factions. They just don't have such a prominent role in a Sigil-based campaign.

[Clistenes]

I believe sects are merely factions that don't have a presence in Sigil. Which, since Sigil is the center of the multiverse, makes them insignificant from a Sigil perspective. But I don't believe they even need to be smaller than Sigil's factions. They just don't have such a prominent role in a Sigil-based campaign.

There is a difference: Factions are always founded around a particular view of the nature of the universe. Yes, they pursue a cause, but that is a mere consequence of their view. They are all about belief.

Sects aren't always about belief, but about working together to get or to do something. They often support a cause not a philosophical view of the universe. The Guardians want to protect the Upper Planes. The Order of the Planes Militant want to expand Mount Celestia. The Anarch Guild teaches people how to shape the chaotic stuff of the Limbo with their minds...etc.

Other Sects are just made of people who work with each other to pursue and get something they want: The Merkhants want to become very rich. The Incantifers, Prolongers and the Brotherhood of Belief just want to suck magic, life and belief from others.

Also, the purview of the Sects isn't always omniversal, but limited to a single plane: The Anarch Guild's craft is useless out of Limbo, and the Order Militant is focused on the frontiers of Mt Celestia.

That's the reason I think you can be part of a Sect and a Faction at the same time, if their goals don't contradict each other. You could be a member of the Mind's Eye and of the Order of the Planes Militant, and you want to reach godhood as you personal goal, but you also want to expand Mt Celestia.

[BWR]

Sects and the City Cage (http://www.mimir.net/sects/sects.shtml)
(the pun was bad enough I couldn't resist)

Generally you can't be a part of a Sect or a Faction at the same time any more than you can be part of two monotheistic religions at the same time. You may be a member of both in the books but you can only believe in one.

[Clistenes]

Sects and the City Cage (http://www.mimir.net/sects/sects.shtml)
(the pun was bad enough I couldn't resist)

Generally you can't be a part of a Sect or a Faction at the same time any more than you can be part of two monotheistic religions at the same time. You may be a member of both in the books but you can only believe in one.

Yes, I have already read that page. But as they say in that page: "Sects do not always have a philosophy they are promoting... If you look at the Sects found in PSMCII you will notice that they do not have the same philosophical bent as the Factions do." (http://www.mimir.net/sects/sects.shtml)

Technically speaking, you could work for a sect while believing in the philosophy of a Faction. Like a Prolonger who used the philosophy of the Fated to justify his actions. By the way: "Members can hold other factional beliefs and still desire immortality -- in short, prolongers can be a member of a faction as well. What their factols would think if they found out one of their members was a prolonger, well, that's another matter!" (http://www.mimir.net/sects/prolongers.shtml)

And some Factions and Sects have beliefs that are almost identical. For example, the Sons of Mercy and the Guardians, or the Fated and the Merkhants.

[Beleriphon]

And some Factions and Sects have beliefs that are almost identical. For example, the Sons of Mercy and the Guardians, or the Fated and the Merkhants.

Which is why the Sons of Mercy and the Guardians are good contenders for a merger. While a member of the Fated could be a Merkhant pretty easily.