Factions

Seven different factions fight for dominance in the city of Iskandria. Below you find a short description of each faction.

Gladiators

At the heart of the grim militaristic Junker empire is the Senate of Ironglass, and here power is the only currency of value. In Junker politics, as in the rest of their society, those without power are of no consequence. The gladiatorial arenas in every Junker city provide the ruling classes a means of keeping the mass of the downtrodden populace quiet, if not precisely happy. The gladiators that provide this brutal and bloody entertainment are usually convicted criminals or the property of privately owned stables. Distinct as they are from the rest of society, gladiators respect only their fellows, holding to their own code of 'Strength and Honour'.

Junkers

From Ironglass, the Junker home planet, the Senate rules the militaristic Junker Empire with brutal authority. In Junker politics and society power is everything, all else is a means to this end. Though political alliances within the Senate may shift, and individual Senators rise and fall, the Junker Empire presents an aggressive and united face to the other major powers. The Convict Legions make up the vast bulk of the powerful, if unsophisticated, Junker armies. Recruiting is never a problem, as the sentence for virtually any civil crime, no matter how petty, is a period of service in the Legions.

Koralon

The Koralon are perhaps the greatest threat that mankind has ever had to face. Driven by a powerful alien intellect, they wield dark and terrifying technologies that are capable of warping conquered worlds and their inhabitants into foul parodies of their former selves. Humanity is faltering under their unending onslaught. The 'true' Koralon are indeed a mighty and terrible foe, with mastery of alien sciences fully the equal of anything yet developed by man. However they are also accompanied by ever swelling numbers of 'hybrid' Koralon, mutated creatures from the worlds they have conquered.

Syntha

No longer fully human, the Syntha see themselves as the next step in the evolution of mankind. Their society is dedicated to the advance of science and technology, and all facets of their life are guided by a massive artificial intelligence called Prime. The Syntha home planet is also called Prime, and in fact the AI and the planet are inextricably linked. The Syntha look forward to a future in which the lines between man and machine have disappeared, and vat grown humans, biomechanoids, cyborgs and robotic androsynths all play a part in the ongoing experiment that is life. To the Syntha, superiority in technology, design and functionality will inevitably lead to dominance.

Triads

The Triads are steeped in the ancient traditions of their ancestors. Clan loyalty, respect for ones superiors, disregard for personal danger, and dedication to the martial arts are some of the defining qualities of Triad life, that and the pursuit of profit by criminal means. The Triad's criminal underworld operates almost in parallel with the rest of the population, only impinging on it when in the process of some illegal activity. There are many Triad gangs or 'families', and their rivalry is bitter. The resulting feuds can last for years or decades. The clans are united only by their contempt of outsiders.

VASA

From its icy home planet Vacillus, orbiting the dead sun Leviathan, VASA's power reaches to the furthest extent of known space. In the distant past VASA was a purely scientific body, but now it commands the mightiest of star fleets, far surpassing those of any of its rivals. VASA controls the vital Grav-wells through which all inter-stellar traffic must pass, and through taxes and levies it funds its policing, customs and peacekeeping activities. Though viewed by most as a benign power, a hardcore of dissidents throughout the galaxy believe VASA to be overbearing and oppressive.

Viridians

The Viridian home planet Viridia lies at the core of a mighty commercial empire. Proclaiming its dedication to free trade, democracy and pan-humanic capitalism, the Viridian government is not above using its powerful armed forces to ensure that its policies are enforced. These forces rely on overwhelming superior firepower, and prefer not to engage in wars of attrition. High levels of troop losses are frowned on back home, and can lose votes with the electorate.