This is based on the old Dungeon 55# adventure and updates the group for 3.5 E.
New Faction
Zactar
"Pssst, Zarrick...." Melinza the Tiefling couldn't help but lean up to her burly Paladin lover.
"Yeah?" Zarrick was doing his best to appear stiff and noble.
Melinza took a deep breath and said "Why in the Nine Hells has that guy been following us for the past half hour?"
Zarrick had noticed it as well. The Harmonium knight then proceeded to walk over to the robed figure and say "Berk, what is your deal?"
The monk proceeded to cough in his fist before saying. "I have come to offer my services to you! I believe your female companion is the One True Being!"
Zarrick and Melinza both stared in utter confusion.
A Faction that believes the entire universe exists to serve the One True Being. A sort of legendary being that will come forth into the world and smite all evil (or good) in the cosmos. The Zactars put all of their faith in a person with their service being devoted to helping bring about the day that they may finally meet their destined master.
Philosophy: The universe exists to serve the One True Being. We must find and worship her.
Nicknames: Butlers, Toadies, Waiting Ones
Headquarters: The Zactar Cathedral in Ecstasy.
Majority Races: Half-elves, humans, tieflings.
Favored Classes: Blackguards, Clerics, Fighters, Paladins.
Factol: None. Their former Factol is Umbra (CG Female Half-Fiend Rogue 4/Sorceress 7) but she's been missing since the Faction War.
Prominent Members: Kiria (CG Human Female Priestess of The One True Being 9), Ivadi (CN Human Female Priestess of The One True Being 11), Jerezin (CE Human Female Priestess of The One True Being 10).
Alignment: Any.
Symbol: Two Leaves wrapped around one another.
Philosophy
The Waiting One's philosophy isn't that difficult to summarize. The gods, or some force even higher than them, have been preparing everything in the universe for the arrival of a being that will fix everything in the cosmos. It's up to the Zactars to recognize this individual and spread the chant.
The Zactars have all the hall marks of a religion rather than a Faction, which is why a lot of cutters don't pay them much mind. What makes them any different from the other faiths that say that Tyr or Takhasis is the best thing in the universe?
In the case of the Zactars, it's primarily by their lack of answers that they form a faction. The Waiting Ones don't have much in the way of a clue as to what this One True Being is or what his/her/its agenda is going to be. While a lot of them still believe Factol Zactar's prophecy that it's going to be a Half-Fiend female, most have come to accept that theirs no telling what the One True Being is actually going to be like.
It all sounds a little barmy to those who think that cutters should make their own way in the universe but the Waiting Ones have an appeal for individuals who find the prospects of the universe to be too daunting.
Clerics of a lot of religions have been known to find the idea of the One True Being very appealing since they can easily fit it into their own dogma. Since the Zactar's revival, dozens of clerics of countless gods have set up their own takes on the faith that usually puts their god at center stage. Curiously, no deity has thus far objected to their priests taking up the Faction.
Mostly, the Zactars tend to preach their version of the faith to whoever will listen while also seeking out people to serve. The Waiting Ones got tired of waiting long ago and continually seek would-be heroes or villains that they think might have it within them to change the cosmos.
Brief History
The Waiting One's history started as a bit of a joke. A bunch of priests got together in Sigil with the intent to find out "The Big Secret" that the gods were keeping hidden from them. Finding that their was almost nothing in common with their faiths but being fairly open minded sods, they eventually decided that the universe had to be made in preparation for something.
The group really got codified when an ex-Godsman named Zactar (NE Male Half-Fiend Bard 2/Priest of the One True Being 17) came around. Zactar had a reputation as a cross trading sort that had the gift of a (forked) silver tongue. It didn't take long for him to take over the entire faction after joining.
Zactar modestly renamed the Faction after himself as he had everyone believing that HE knew the Dark of the One True Being. The man made a lot of nonsensical prophecies that predicted that the One True Being would be a female Half-Fiend and implied rather heavily that he'd mate with her. This cultish behavior was put an end to with Zactar's disappearance. Newly discovered records make it pretty clear that Zactar was probably Mazed by the Lady for some power play he was intent on making.
The Zactars started to fall apart after this. Their leader was gone, a lot of them were disillusioned with the mockery of their original faith that the group had become, Zactar had helped himself to much of the Faction's funds, and they were a joke of Sigil. Most of the Waiting Ones ended up joining the Believers of the Source or the Sign of One rather than continue on with their stained faction. It was already mostly extinct when the Great Upheaval finished it off.
The Waiting Ones were, surprisingly, revived not long before the Faction War. A bunch well meaning meddlers 'rescued' a half-Tanar'ri girl named Umbra from her father that had been born with the Faction symbol on her wrist. Some old Waiting One priests that had been petrified by Zactar were revived in the process. They set out to revive the Faction to its former glory.
Truth be told, the results were less than spectacular. Umbra was a nice girl, for a half-fiend, but hardly messiah material. The religion attracted a lot of people who had no love for Factol Zactar's lunacy and whom publicly ridiculed most of his conclusions. Umbra did little to stop him and vanished during the Faction War. Most believe she was mazed like the other Factols (in truth, she just got sick of being The One True Being and ran off with an adventurer).
The faction is now divided into those who want to find her, those who want to find the real One True Being, and those whom are content to wait for a sign of their coming leader.
Allies
The Zactar have relatively few allies amongst the various factions of the Multiverse. Their philosophy is just too removed from day-to-day life for most people to get worked up about.
The Fraternity of Order has a fondness for the Waiting Ones as their philosophy has a certain predetermination to it that they can appreciate it. Few of the Fraternity believe in The Waiting One's creed but they're always willing to help out in matters of research that they're conducting.
Likewise; The Waiting One's have found an unusual pair of allies in the Mind's Eye and Transcendent Order. This is due to the fact that both factions have produced a surprisingly arrogant bunch of berks that consider themselves to be the One True Being. Few Waiting Ones take this chant seriously but a few Zactars consider it a good idea to watch the Factions for signs of The One True Being.
The Godsmen don't particularly like The Waiting One's focus on another when they should be focusing on themselves. However, The Waiting Ones have observed a lot of their members in hopes of finding their future leader. This has lead quite a few Godsmen to have a fondness for the group that they really shouldn't have.
Enemies
The Zactars tend to be viewed with ambivalence by most Factions. For the most part; it's difficult for folk like the Sons of Mercy or Harmonium to respect people who want to see someone else change the Multiverse.
The Athar consider the One True Being to be little more than another power in the making and the numerous priests in the group do not dissuade them of such notions. Finally, the Bleak Cabal just can't help but laugh at the idea that all of creation was leading up to one Berk.
Still, it's the rare few sods who genuinely *hate* The Waiting Ones. About the only group that genuinely loathes them is the Doomguard. The Zactar philosophy that everything is building up to an act of Creation truly cheeses them off.