From My Table – Mothership Factions pt. 2

Mothership has some solid advice for creating factions like defining VIPs, Notable Locations, and goals. Fulfilling goals is reminiscent of the clock mechanic of Blades in the Dark or even D&D’s skill challenge (described in 4E but homebrewed by many for 5E) and kept pretty simple. It potentially also creates opportunities for jobs to send the PCs to when there’s been an obstacle that needs to be resolved.

For my worldbuilding, in contrast to the mass production and cheap knock offs of APEX Innovations, there had to be a leader in the specialized technology needed for exploration and survival gear.

ARES TECH

“Your Path to the Stars Begins Here.”

Primary Focus:

ARES TECH prides itself on being a leader in designing spaceships, space suits, habitat systems, and virtually every other piece of equipment required to survive the rigors of space exploration and colonization.

Background:

ARES TECH was founded in the early 21st century with the intent to revolutionize space faring technology with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. As NASA continued to flounder with less funding, ARES TECH quickly filled the void as a commercial venture and eventually succeeded in the first sustainable Mars colony. Terraforming engines were the obvious next stage and the Far Reaches has provided fertile grounds for testing

Goals:

• Recovery of alien artifacts and lifeforms is key to not only to being the cutting edge against the unknown but has also been vital to long standing military contracts. Rumours persist that ARES TECH has kept the best discoveries for themselves.
• ARES TECH product do not come cheap so they do not command a significant portion of the Far Reaches. What they do have is a very lucrative contract with several suppliers of the Colonial Marines but APEX Innovations has been making strong inroads with underbidding contracts for 3d printed arms and armor, food rations, and equipment most likely based on pirated ARES TECH designs.

Rumors:

• The Company has made several attempts to modify humans and animals to survive hostile environments. The process is highly unethical and the results monstrous and hidden from all except those with the highest clearance.
• The Company has been infiltrated by aliens for some time now and are using these resources to gain access to military and political organizations as part of their secret agenda.