Snowhammers

'''WE ALL LIFT, AND WE'RE ALL ADRIFT. TOGETHER.''' The Snowhammers is one of two Alliances in Shinogemu. They are a foreign power from beyond the Reach and are capable of manipulating the very world thanks to an extraordinary and mysterious power: Mana, said to be the essence of one's soul by the Snowhammers and extreme biological manipulation by The Ascended

The Snowhammers abolish the use of Ascended technology, unless there is some advantage they can gain from it, in a similar fashion to how The Ascended will pull soldiers out of their divisions and perform tests on them if they show the power to use Mana.

As with The Ascended, the Snowhammers exploit Titans, ancient beasts of unknown origin, for their own purposes. Younger, weaker Titans are used as trials if one wishes to join the Snowhammer military, while older and much stronger ones are used as beasts of burden and war. Captured Ascended are infused with copious amounts of Mana and turned into Terrors, half dead, half living mutants. What's stopping them from taking over The Reach? Their opponents use similar strategies.

Maybe you could break the stalemate...