Factions and Organizations
A faction is a group that has mechanical effects tied to membership, such as faction banners. PCs may only be a member of a single faction at a time.
An organization is a group with no mechanics tied to membership. PCs may be members of as many organizations as they please. All PCs are members of the Timeskippers organization.
Faction membership is entirely optional. PCs can enter game as a member of a faction, enter game with no faction and later join a faction via roleplaying, start game as one faction and later change to another, start game in a faction and later leave the faction, or never join a faction. The same holds true for organizations except the Timeskippers, of which every PC is inherently a member.
Group Membership and Leadership
A number of factions and organizations exist in the world of Aeternia. A few of them, such as the United Trust of Honorable Shopkeepers, are NPC only. Most factions include both PCs and NPCs. PCs can have leadership in local branches of larger groups, with NPCs in charge of other branches and/or higher-up positions within the beaurocracy of the group.
PCs are welcome to create their own factions and organizations. These are likely to start as small, PC-only groups, but may later expand to other parts of the world and begin having NPC members depending on the actions taken by PCs and the desires of the players.
PCs may have leadership positions in local branches of factions or organizations. Deciding that your PC is a group leader is taking extra responsibility both in and out of game! Every player should be trying to create fun for other players, but someone playing a group leader is volunteering to dedicate even more of their time and energy to helping other players have fun. That means showing up consistently and having good fallback plans for ways your group can engage with the world without you present if you miss a game, trying to create fun for players who are part of your group, and being careful that the in-game power imbalance between your character and members of your group doesn't lead to an out-of-game power imbalance.
The membership and leadership of local branches of larger groups or of PC-created groups is entirely up to players and PCs. Staff will only intervene if there is an unhealthy situation that players cannot resolve among themselves.