Factions, Empyrean Lords and the Balaur

Status labels: [Official] — NC’s AION 2 pages; [AION 1 canon] — first-game lore from two independent references; [Client data] — names as shown in the Global client by a database site.

Three sides of one war

NC describes the war that brought down the Tower as a conflict between three factions — [Official]:

Side	Home	Who they are
Elyos	Elysea (south)	“Guardians of Light, Wings of Grace” — Daevas of the sunlit half
Asmodians	Asmodae (north)	“Forged in Shadows, Wings of Dominion” — Daevas of the dark half
Balaur	Lands beyond the Bulwark, the Abyss	Dragon-kin led by Dragon Lords

Taglines — [Official]. In AION 1 lore, the Asmodians adapted to centuries of darkness: paler skin, claw-like hands and feet, eyes that glow in combat — [AION 1 canon].

In plain words: two winged peoples who hate each other, and dragons who threaten both.

The Empyrean Lords

In AION 1 lore, Aion empowered 12 Empyrean Lords to fight the Balaur. Siel and Israphel guarded the Tower and died in the Cataclysm — [AION 1 canon]. In AION 2’s backstory, the remaining Lords on each side spent their last strength on the Bulwark; some died, others faded — [Official].

Their names are everywhere in AION 2 systems:

Empyrean Lord	Where you meet the name in AION 2
Nezekan, Zikel, Vaizel, Triniel	Daevanion boards (unlock at Lv. 12/20/30/40) [Community ×2]
Ariel	PvE Daevanion board [Community ×2]
Azphel	PvP Daevanion board [Community ×2]
Siel, Israphel, Yustiel, Marchutan, Kaisinel, Lumiel (+ the four above)	Arcana stats: Time [Siel], Space [Israphel], Life [Yustiel], Destiny [Marchutan], Illusion [Kaisinel], Wisdom [Lumiel], Justice [Nezekan], Destruction [Zikel], Freedom [Vaizel], Death [Triniel] [Client data]
Zikel	Sanctum Outpost in Altgard was once Zikel’s sanctuary [Official]

Servers on Global also carry lore names (for example Siel, Israphel, Ishtar, Fafnir) — [Official server list]. → Daevanion, Arcana

The Balaur and the new Dragon Lords

In AION 1 lore, the Drakan were Aion’s guardians; five Dragon Lords seized power and their kind became the Balaur — [AION 1 canon].

In AION 2 — [Official]:

• Ishtar, a new Dragon Lord, burned Poeta and ordered Daevas hunted and turned into fuel for Surana.
• Fafnir, another new Dragon Lord, crushed Ishalgen, tore Daeva souls apart and created Fafnites.
• Bakarma absorbs an alien power in Draupnir and is reborn as a “new Dragon Lord” (an Expedition dungeon).

Balaur forces and traces in the starting regions — [Official]:

• Draconute Warriors at Sanctum Outpost turn captured Daevas into Fafnites.
• A Dredgion (Balaur warship) of the Fafnir Legion crashed in Altgard, leaking Drakana that corrupts the land.
• Aullaeu Village in Verteron is home to Balaur servants.

Other peoples and groups of Atreia

Group	What NC says	Status
Shugo	In AION 2 their name is on the Shugo Festival event and Shugo Festa Keys, and the shop has Tsenka Merchants	[Official: event and shop names]
Nornir	Refugees from Moslan Forest who built the hidden Nornir Assembly, guided by Urd of the Three Sisters of Fate	[Official]
Elim	Forest people; wounded Elim survive in burned Moslan Forest	[Official]
Dawn Legion	Daeva legion with a hidden base in Verteron’s Cantas Valley	[Official]
Notos Legion	Watches the resurfaced Zumion Temple in Altamia Canyon	[Official]
Illusion Cavaliers	Rebuilding Verteron’s fallen Barrier Tower	[Official]

Which side should you play?

Lore does not change your power. The practical choice — friends, server, looks — is covered in Elyos or Asmodians. The full story in order: Atreia and the AION 1 → AION 2 timeline.