FACTION:Martian Front
By the first half of the 3rd millenia man has colonized the solar system. The economic cost of the First Space Boom sent the old-earth powers into a recession from which they would never recover. A new world order emerged after a century of war-a totalitarian government that unified the remaining earth powers and placed the colonies under their direct control. The colonies, left to fend for themselves for nearly a century while Earth waged war, lacked any real means of military power and quickly signed a treaty with the new government. They became vassals to the regime, policed by the elite space armada known as SKYGUARD, hardened veterans of a centuries old war. Martian Factions are openly rebellious-It is the year 3129 and power is changing hands once again.
This is the interest check for a political/military and trade RP taking place on Mars. I'm going to be upfront that simple stats will be used to make sure combat is fair and favorable to the superior tactician. Factions can be anything a player wishes that fits into the setting-disgruntled colonists,a miners consortium, corporate funded terrorists, mercenaries for hire or anything else you can talk me and the other players into. I would hope that players could bring some interesting ideas while sticking to the core aesthetic of the setting. Let's write something great together!
The setting is inspired by (and in no particular order):Total Recall(1990), The Red Rising Trilogy, the Red Faction Video Game series, C&C:Red Alert, Red Planet, SpaceBase 2000, Dune 2:The Battle for Arrakis(1992), Destiny, etc..etc...
RP GUIDELINES
1.Be nice. Be active.
2.Casual writing standards apply
3.Battles must be agreed upon by both or all combatants.
4.Keep the story moving with your posts.
5.If your not sure about something ask. I really like contributions from people!
6.Nation Sheet is subject to change at any time. Keep with NS guidelines.
Setting Information
The Fall of the United Terran Government
The United Terran Government has fallen into civil war. Two months have passed since the Air Marshals were assassinated and the government toppled. High ranking members of the ruling party quickly fell upon each other with their private armies. Feudalism has returned to Earth. SKYGUARD has yet to declare which side they will fight for and no warlord has advantage over the other. A stalemate has emerged- Meanwhile on Mars, the centuries old iron-grip of the Terran Government is slipping. An opportunity for the factions of Mars has been presented.
Future Weapons
The incredible expense of future warfare has led to different practices on the battlefield, especially in space. The cost of repairing a damaged star-cruiser is immense. Destroying a vessel is catastrophic. Almost always, the objective in space warfare is to knock out the command center of the ship and capture it for refitting and redeployment ASAP. Marines are trained specifically for ship to ship combat, and most defense weaponry on-board the bigger star-cruisers are aimed at repelling such attacks. But on Mars, the biggest concern is orbital bombardment-which even the most veteran commander is wary to authorize on civilian populations.
The weapons of future war are not pretty. Despite the advances in space travel, energy manipulation, industrial production and many other fields, warfare still remains brutal-especially on Mars. Private corporations develop tanks, artillery and aircraft, powered infantry suits and mechs. Each corporation striving to outdo each other with the latest development in shielding and energy weapon. On Mars, things are more practical and gritty. Men fight with what they have and get a hold of.
Despite the political upheaval on Earth, the solar systems economy is vibrant and stable as ever. War is good for business. The megacorporations stand to gain immense profit in the years to come. Credit transactions occur between mercenary armies, the banks of Europa and corporations instantly, all unregulated and hush-hush. Since the assassinations of the Terran Air Marshals, the Corporate Industrial complex has been churning out weapons continuously. Mars is arming.
Colonists
The Space Boom saw the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from Earth to the other planets. The people of Mars are descendants of the first generations of colonists that left earth during that time. They are fiercely independent and proud-critical of the United Terran Government in all but open rebellion. They are hard-working, determined and rugged. Generations of life in the harsh Martian landscape has given the people of Mars a serious backbone.
Mars was one of the first planets colonized. The terraforming technology those early settlers used was crude and inefficient. Terraforming is still occuring in some areas of Mars. Wilds still exist, uninhabitable areas that are rarely explored. Some factions use these areas as homebases and secret camps. Supersticious settlers claim ghosts of the first colonists haunt the wilds. Some say those ghosts haunt alien ruins.
Some of the best mining happens to be based on Mars. Rich deposits of valuable minerals and ore can be found all over the planet. Generations of colonists have kept secret the richest veins for fear of corporate pillaging. These resources will be sought after by corporations,mercenaries and colonists to strengthen their hold on Mars.
Mars is mostly terraformed but the great deserts still hug bastions of civilization. Ruins of bio-domes and research stations dot the cratered landscape-testament to the early days of colonization. Light-rails and super-highways cross windy deserts. Old mining complexes leave open maws like mouths facing the sky. Spaceports hug population centers. It is a mix of old and new, dead and living.
Factions
To make a faction first come up with a concept. Is it a corporation? A religious sect? Mercenary? Who is/are the leader(s)? What capabilities do your faction have? Economic? Military? What non-material resources do you have? (off-world contacts? Personel? Maybe you have the best pilots/hackers/negotiators etc) Once you have a basic idea start filling out a NS:
NPC Factions
SkyGuard
SkyGuard is the elite fighting force for the United Terran Government. Politics vary within SkyGuards ranks and has maintained the mercenary spirit its founders envisioned some 500 years ago. The UTG has held contracts with SkyGuard for centuries, but the current political upheaval on Earth and the steady economic shift in power to Jupiter (and maybe Mars) has had the leadership questioning SkyGuards future with the UTG. SkyGuard has a neutral disposition to players at the beginning of the game.
Masamune Space Structures (MSS)
A megacorporation from the earliest era of space exploration, MSS is revered on Earth as a sacred company, providing millions on Earth, Jupiter and the Asteroid Field with jobs. In the past 10 years, MSS has been purchasing land and derelict structures for refitting. It could be posturing but it would seem that Masamune has made a move for Mars, or at least wants a slice of it.
Elysium Defense Contract (EDC)
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The EDC is the acting police force in Elysium City, the largest metropolitan area on Mars. Corrupt at the highest levels, the EDC has been in the pocket of various criminal organizations and megacorporations alike. Loyal to the highest bidder. Public approval for the EDC is low. EDC forces are small, but effective within the city.
The Bloody Brothers
In the early days of colonization, a spree of murders tarnished the heroic sensibilities of the first settlers; no longer on Earth-but still just as Human. The murderers were eventually caught and executed-a pair of brothers that slipped through the screening process or smuggled themselves aboard the colony craft. Folktales vary.
Taking their name from this dark page in Martian history, the Bloody Brothers are a band of mercenaries known for their extreme violence and indiscretion in killing. They appear, kill everything, and take everything of value. They attack outlying colonies and hijack high-speed merchant trains.
The Jupiter Movement (JM)
The Jupiter Movement is not necessarily a faction but a social movement towards transferring power of government from Earth to the Jupiter Alliances. The JM is popular among the 20 somethings of Mars, a populist counter-culture movement with wildly varying ideas about what it actually is. Some suspect corporate funding to muddy the Faction waters.
Atlas
EDIT:Added Bloody Brothers. Added Jupiter Movement. Added Atlas.
