The first step in the envoys' plan is for the players to become "closer to the stars" to gain the ability to hurt Shiro in his envoy form. Subsequently, they pay a visit to the spirit of the former assassin "Vizu", who was instrumental in defeating Shiro previously. From Vizu, the players learn of the artifacts of two other Canthan heroes responsible for Shiro's death: the urn carrying the ashes of "Saint Viktor", the patron saint of the "Kurzicks", and the spear of "Archemorus", the legendary hero of the "Luxons". The players retrieve the artifacts, and assault Shiro at the center of his power, in the "Sunjiang District", destroying his constructs and closing spirit rifts he has opened. Shiro himself, however, escapes. At the advice of the envoys, the players then choose a side; going with Mhenlo to convince the Kurzicks that Shiro returning is more important than their ongoing war with the Luxons, or with Master Togo to convince the Luxons to stop fighting the Kurzicks. This causes a momentary fork in the story; the earlier "Prophecies" campaign was criticized for its linearity, so both "Factions" and the subsequent "Nightfall" campaigns have included non-linear elements in the plot. Once the players convince their chosen side, players from the Luxon and Kurzick factions meet again to seek advice from the ancient dragon, Kuunavang. They find that Kuunavang has been corrupted by Shiro, but they defeat Shiro's corruption and Kuunavang aids the players subsequently in their fight against Shiro by granting them devastatingly powerful skills.