Post by Adam on Aug 6, 2009 11:00:26 GMT -5
I realised I didn't have an enumerated list of DoS's 13 factions, so I decided I'd write them down here. As much to remind me as anything else. Ideas - either for expanding these factions or for new ones - are welcome; as a Duel of Steel faction is implemented using a bunch of model special rules, team-wide rules that only apply when everyone fits the same faction, and a character rather than an entire army list, it's not hard to add new ones. The main rulebook might not contain all of them though - depending on whether I have the heart to cut down on their numbers, I might leave out some of them (for future expansions or because they're not interesting enough rules-wise).
Die-Hards
Gangers who've been in the business for a while. Teams are close-knit, any differences of religion or philosophy cast aside. They live for survival and for each other. The Die-Hards' special character is Lien Shiray, who together with her son Praar pilots the infamous 'Ave Some of This! - bearer of the Sublimator, a weapon so powerful and feared that it's even more well-known than its wielder. Nobody knows who made the Sublimator or how it works (nobody's dared take it apart!). It even grows its own ammunition. Lien knows that, when pointed at the enemy and fired, it lives up to its name pretty well, and that's enough for her.
Mercenaries
Non-faction units you can include in other teams. Tend to be self-sufficient, powerful and expensive; when wielded well they pay off massively (bounty hunter abilities increase victory points, for example). Coalitions of mercs (usually paid by someone in a city somewhere) do exist in the background, and can be played under the guise of a Die-hard list comprised mostly or entirely of Mercenary models. The Merc special character is Vadria Hennell, notable because her mech Falling Angel is the world's only full-body shifter mech - it transforms into a flyer and back.
Opalites
Elite gangers dedicated to flexible, deep tactics and the study thereof. Versatile and sneaky - one of DoS's Eldaresque armies. They fight in the image of Opal, the world's greatest fighter and badass, whose identity is a hotly-debated secret. Opal himself forms the Opalites' special character, as you may have guessed. He's going to cost over 2000 points, carries two alien quasar cannons, regenerates and has all the Leader abilities. Scared yet?
Etheria
Misunderstood Satanists with what may or may not be arcane connections. Etheria believe that they're communing with daemons and leveraging their magical powers; it's a major part of their religion. They, generally, practice good lives, the philosophy being that mankind must know their darkest potential in order to head for the light. Unfortunately, they have a bad reputation, partially because numerous evildoers have used Etheric practices as a fast-track to power. The Etheric special character is Damian Vorst, current High Summoner - a role analogous to Pope. Vorst, a ganger before his inception, is fanatically committed to improving the reputation of his religion in the eyes of the people, but can't deny the fact that he (regularly) blows stuff up in order to survive. His mech, the Tower of Satan, is... just that. (I Scorch The Earth was invented for this guy. Literally.)
Enforcers
Judge Dredd + giant robots = these guys. Enforcers literally are the law; a large proportion of global laws were laid down and are still maintained by these guys. Formed by a man dedicated to protecting the cities from the destructive force of the gangers, they also crack down on things like narcotics and corrupt traders. Their current Commander is Proteus Qail, who takes the formula to the next level by being Judge Dredd + Optimus Prime.
Mortians
One of the planet's most common religions, Mortia is the worship of Death, viewed as the great and caring Father of all. Surprisingly un-morbid, but they do have a habit of painting large amounts of their mechs black. Most Mortians are fairly laid-back, as the religion doesn't normally call for a lot of strict prayer, but a sect called the Children take things further. The Children are akin to monks, but with a bit more occasional fire-and-purging when provoked. A particularly bombastic cardinal of this group is Brother Anterrus, the faction's special character. He rides a mech called Manifestation, designed to take on the appearance of the Grim Reaper himself, if Death had shoulder-mounted twin-linked gatling lasers.
Light of the Angel
The obligatory 'burn the crap out of everything that isn't us' crazy religion, which casts the yearly sun Sol as Angel, a being of good, and the monthly sun Lunis as Devil. One of the earliest to form after the Cataclysm, and generally very violent, as a major part of its tenets involve performing acts of good in Angel's eyes (including purging unbelievers) to spare one's soul from Devil. A large population of Angelists in a city tends to imply upcoming religious warfare. Angelist gangers and Enforcers often clash, as the gangers will come to the aid of fellow worshippers during these conflicts. The Light of the Angel special character is known as the Warpriestess. Warpriests undergo radical surgery and modification transforming them into fanatical demagogues with no personality or memories of their former selves, occasionally undergone after massively traumatic experiences. However, these processes were designed for male bodies in an almost-fatal oversight, and the first woman to want them very nearly died. Strapped helplessly to a life support machine, she demanded that she be built into a giant robotic body, so that she could spread the Word and punish the Heretic, as Angel ordained. The Warpriest process has since been rectified so it works with both sexes, but the original Warpriestess remains in her giant walking coffin of doom, slashing and burning her way across the globe with a team of fanatics at her back.
Praetorians
A semi-religious organisation dedicated to maintaining law and order across the land. The Praetorians were formed over a century after the Enforcers, and have completely different beliefs and methods. The Order (with a capital O) that the Praetorians desire is a militaristic, hierarchical one, devoid of any trace of miscreants and separatists. This leads to ornate, Romanesque mechs marching forth from mountain fastnesses to lay the righteous smack down on pretty much everything. Their special character, High Grand Exemplar Ezekyle Kalus, often leaves his throne-watchtower in order to (righteously) kick some ass.
Junkers
Say hello to the steampunk renegade-amish faction! Junkers come from small communities who forgo their technological knowledge, claiming that a simpler, less extravagant life is the key to 'the Path' (to heaven or goodness, rather than enlightenment; it's not a religion, and interpretations vary). Inevitably, teenage members of each generation decide to escape this lifestyle, and make their way out into the wilderness. These people, however, are usually unable to embrace technology fully, being torn between the Path and their desire for freedom. They rely on fairly low-tech construction and scavenged parts, giving them the derisory nickname Junkers, which they've embraced willingly. The Junkers' special character is a man called Russell Sands, riding a bulky, stomping machine called Crusher. Sands claims to have found the secret to following the Path even with a technological lifestyle, and attracts Junkers to himself, forming a small community of several teams. In reality, Sands is nothing but a con man, providing a faux answer to an internal conflict. His machinations have so far gained him some considerable territory and power. The Enforcers are considering a hit on him, but until he attacks a city or does something similarly audacious or illegal, he's technically broken no laws and it's not worth the expenditure of resources and life necessary to blast through his followers and take him out.
Interventors
Imagine waking up with total amnesia, lying in a cave full of alien technology, with your body reconfigured and enhanced by the same devices. Such are the Interventors, who came out of their comas in a massive tech-hoard sixty years ago. There have only been sightings of just over five hundred Interventor mechs, sleek powerful machines that look entirely alien, since they first appeared - and that's discounting the possibility of multiple mechs being used by one pilot, as replacements for destroyed or obsolete mounts. Interventors can't remember their real names, so the one chosen as their leader designates herself only as 'Unit Alpha'. She has taken a vast personal interest in Opal, and the legendary mech and its teams have repulsed numerous capture attempts.
Sen'jai
Kung-fu ninja mechs. No more description is necessary, really, but I'll fill it in anyway. Sen'jai is another not-really-religious way of life, this one revolving around nine Principles, old pre-Cataclysm documents discovered in the Obelisk. The amount by which they relate to post-Cataclysm life is surprising. Practitioners - called sen'es - build agile, artistic mechs with incredible skill and quality. The most skilled of sen'es - such as the legendary Andu Shynn, special character extraordinaire - actually build blindfolded, doing much of the work with their bare hands and only basic tools. The process is obviously lengthy, taking years in some cases, but worth it; Shynn's Solar Blade can do back flips and wall runs in combat, often while dismembering opponents using its dual edge-field-wrapped katanas.
Emnians
Survival of the fittest. It's a philosophy well suited to post-Cataclysm life, and it gave rise to the Emnian faction. Fearless in the face of death, but determined to prove superiority, Emnians are often solitary by nature but join together in teams out of practicality, unwilling to work with anyone who doesn't have the same all-consuming drive to be the perfect warrior. The Emnian special character is Ykaen Rex, who has been the Exalted Champion for five years running. Every year, Emnians gather for a vast tournament. Anyone who feels themselves ready can enter, and while the previous year's Exalted Champion isn't technically obliged to enter, nobody has yet declined the opportunity. A series of bouts and contests, both in vehicles and without, armed and unarmed, take place over a period of two weeks. The eventual winner becomes the Exalted Champion, and holds power over every Emnian until they are deposed or slain. Rex has reigned in this tournament five times, in three different mechs. Her current mount is Darkning, a fearsome and striking creation designed both for stealthy hunting and intimidation.
Laerists
Thirty years after the Cataclysm, a researcher called Josef Laer discovered a holy book in the Obelisk. By the time he'd finished translating it, three years later, he was thoroughly converted. Laerism is essentially slightly-wrong, post-apocalyptic Christianity, and is the most common religion in the world, slightly ahead of Mortia. Laerist gangers build systems into their mechs meant to pay homage to the godly powers of their prophet; it's common for a Laerist mech to be nearly-destroyed in combat, only to get resurrected by the combined healing abilities of the rest of its team! The Laerist special character is Saint Martell, so far the only ganger to be named a saint, posthumous or otherwise. Martell earned his honorific for a miracle he performed four years ago, where he apparently called down God and spoke to Him in front of a congregation he was preaching to. His mech, Lifegiver, lives up to its name in an odd way, bearing enhanced repair systems that keep other machines around him running at peak condition.
Die-Hards
Gangers who've been in the business for a while. Teams are close-knit, any differences of religion or philosophy cast aside. They live for survival and for each other. The Die-Hards' special character is Lien Shiray, who together with her son Praar pilots the infamous 'Ave Some of This! - bearer of the Sublimator, a weapon so powerful and feared that it's even more well-known than its wielder. Nobody knows who made the Sublimator or how it works (nobody's dared take it apart!). It even grows its own ammunition. Lien knows that, when pointed at the enemy and fired, it lives up to its name pretty well, and that's enough for her.
Mercenaries
Non-faction units you can include in other teams. Tend to be self-sufficient, powerful and expensive; when wielded well they pay off massively (bounty hunter abilities increase victory points, for example). Coalitions of mercs (usually paid by someone in a city somewhere) do exist in the background, and can be played under the guise of a Die-hard list comprised mostly or entirely of Mercenary models. The Merc special character is Vadria Hennell, notable because her mech Falling Angel is the world's only full-body shifter mech - it transforms into a flyer and back.
Opalites
Elite gangers dedicated to flexible, deep tactics and the study thereof. Versatile and sneaky - one of DoS's Eldaresque armies. They fight in the image of Opal, the world's greatest fighter and badass, whose identity is a hotly-debated secret. Opal himself forms the Opalites' special character, as you may have guessed. He's going to cost over 2000 points, carries two alien quasar cannons, regenerates and has all the Leader abilities. Scared yet?
Etheria
Misunderstood Satanists with what may or may not be arcane connections. Etheria believe that they're communing with daemons and leveraging their magical powers; it's a major part of their religion. They, generally, practice good lives, the philosophy being that mankind must know their darkest potential in order to head for the light. Unfortunately, they have a bad reputation, partially because numerous evildoers have used Etheric practices as a fast-track to power. The Etheric special character is Damian Vorst, current High Summoner - a role analogous to Pope. Vorst, a ganger before his inception, is fanatically committed to improving the reputation of his religion in the eyes of the people, but can't deny the fact that he (regularly) blows stuff up in order to survive. His mech, the Tower of Satan, is... just that. (I Scorch The Earth was invented for this guy. Literally.)
Enforcers
Judge Dredd + giant robots = these guys. Enforcers literally are the law; a large proportion of global laws were laid down and are still maintained by these guys. Formed by a man dedicated to protecting the cities from the destructive force of the gangers, they also crack down on things like narcotics and corrupt traders. Their current Commander is Proteus Qail, who takes the formula to the next level by being Judge Dredd + Optimus Prime.
Mortians
One of the planet's most common religions, Mortia is the worship of Death, viewed as the great and caring Father of all. Surprisingly un-morbid, but they do have a habit of painting large amounts of their mechs black. Most Mortians are fairly laid-back, as the religion doesn't normally call for a lot of strict prayer, but a sect called the Children take things further. The Children are akin to monks, but with a bit more occasional fire-and-purging when provoked. A particularly bombastic cardinal of this group is Brother Anterrus, the faction's special character. He rides a mech called Manifestation, designed to take on the appearance of the Grim Reaper himself, if Death had shoulder-mounted twin-linked gatling lasers.
Light of the Angel
The obligatory 'burn the crap out of everything that isn't us' crazy religion, which casts the yearly sun Sol as Angel, a being of good, and the monthly sun Lunis as Devil. One of the earliest to form after the Cataclysm, and generally very violent, as a major part of its tenets involve performing acts of good in Angel's eyes (including purging unbelievers) to spare one's soul from Devil. A large population of Angelists in a city tends to imply upcoming religious warfare. Angelist gangers and Enforcers often clash, as the gangers will come to the aid of fellow worshippers during these conflicts. The Light of the Angel special character is known as the Warpriestess. Warpriests undergo radical surgery and modification transforming them into fanatical demagogues with no personality or memories of their former selves, occasionally undergone after massively traumatic experiences. However, these processes were designed for male bodies in an almost-fatal oversight, and the first woman to want them very nearly died. Strapped helplessly to a life support machine, she demanded that she be built into a giant robotic body, so that she could spread the Word and punish the Heretic, as Angel ordained. The Warpriest process has since been rectified so it works with both sexes, but the original Warpriestess remains in her giant walking coffin of doom, slashing and burning her way across the globe with a team of fanatics at her back.
Praetorians
A semi-religious organisation dedicated to maintaining law and order across the land. The Praetorians were formed over a century after the Enforcers, and have completely different beliefs and methods. The Order (with a capital O) that the Praetorians desire is a militaristic, hierarchical one, devoid of any trace of miscreants and separatists. This leads to ornate, Romanesque mechs marching forth from mountain fastnesses to lay the righteous smack down on pretty much everything. Their special character, High Grand Exemplar Ezekyle Kalus, often leaves his throne-watchtower in order to (righteously) kick some ass.
Junkers
Say hello to the steampunk renegade-amish faction! Junkers come from small communities who forgo their technological knowledge, claiming that a simpler, less extravagant life is the key to 'the Path' (to heaven or goodness, rather than enlightenment; it's not a religion, and interpretations vary). Inevitably, teenage members of each generation decide to escape this lifestyle, and make their way out into the wilderness. These people, however, are usually unable to embrace technology fully, being torn between the Path and their desire for freedom. They rely on fairly low-tech construction and scavenged parts, giving them the derisory nickname Junkers, which they've embraced willingly. The Junkers' special character is a man called Russell Sands, riding a bulky, stomping machine called Crusher. Sands claims to have found the secret to following the Path even with a technological lifestyle, and attracts Junkers to himself, forming a small community of several teams. In reality, Sands is nothing but a con man, providing a faux answer to an internal conflict. His machinations have so far gained him some considerable territory and power. The Enforcers are considering a hit on him, but until he attacks a city or does something similarly audacious or illegal, he's technically broken no laws and it's not worth the expenditure of resources and life necessary to blast through his followers and take him out.
Interventors
Imagine waking up with total amnesia, lying in a cave full of alien technology, with your body reconfigured and enhanced by the same devices. Such are the Interventors, who came out of their comas in a massive tech-hoard sixty years ago. There have only been sightings of just over five hundred Interventor mechs, sleek powerful machines that look entirely alien, since they first appeared - and that's discounting the possibility of multiple mechs being used by one pilot, as replacements for destroyed or obsolete mounts. Interventors can't remember their real names, so the one chosen as their leader designates herself only as 'Unit Alpha'. She has taken a vast personal interest in Opal, and the legendary mech and its teams have repulsed numerous capture attempts.
Sen'jai
Kung-fu ninja mechs. No more description is necessary, really, but I'll fill it in anyway. Sen'jai is another not-really-religious way of life, this one revolving around nine Principles, old pre-Cataclysm documents discovered in the Obelisk. The amount by which they relate to post-Cataclysm life is surprising. Practitioners - called sen'es - build agile, artistic mechs with incredible skill and quality. The most skilled of sen'es - such as the legendary Andu Shynn, special character extraordinaire - actually build blindfolded, doing much of the work with their bare hands and only basic tools. The process is obviously lengthy, taking years in some cases, but worth it; Shynn's Solar Blade can do back flips and wall runs in combat, often while dismembering opponents using its dual edge-field-wrapped katanas.
Emnians
Survival of the fittest. It's a philosophy well suited to post-Cataclysm life, and it gave rise to the Emnian faction. Fearless in the face of death, but determined to prove superiority, Emnians are often solitary by nature but join together in teams out of practicality, unwilling to work with anyone who doesn't have the same all-consuming drive to be the perfect warrior. The Emnian special character is Ykaen Rex, who has been the Exalted Champion for five years running. Every year, Emnians gather for a vast tournament. Anyone who feels themselves ready can enter, and while the previous year's Exalted Champion isn't technically obliged to enter, nobody has yet declined the opportunity. A series of bouts and contests, both in vehicles and without, armed and unarmed, take place over a period of two weeks. The eventual winner becomes the Exalted Champion, and holds power over every Emnian until they are deposed or slain. Rex has reigned in this tournament five times, in three different mechs. Her current mount is Darkning, a fearsome and striking creation designed both for stealthy hunting and intimidation.
Laerists
Thirty years after the Cataclysm, a researcher called Josef Laer discovered a holy book in the Obelisk. By the time he'd finished translating it, three years later, he was thoroughly converted. Laerism is essentially slightly-wrong, post-apocalyptic Christianity, and is the most common religion in the world, slightly ahead of Mortia. Laerist gangers build systems into their mechs meant to pay homage to the godly powers of their prophet; it's common for a Laerist mech to be nearly-destroyed in combat, only to get resurrected by the combined healing abilities of the rest of its team! The Laerist special character is Saint Martell, so far the only ganger to be named a saint, posthumous or otherwise. Martell earned his honorific for a miracle he performed four years ago, where he apparently called down God and spoke to Him in front of a congregation he was preaching to. His mech, Lifegiver, lives up to its name in an odd way, bearing enhanced repair systems that keep other machines around him running at peak condition.